BBQ Chicken Sweet Potatoes

Since summer is still in swing and it's still incredibly hot in Georgia, I've been craving some barbecue lately! Now when you think of typical BBQ fare, you think ribs, brisket, maybe some fried okra (if you're in the south), some greens (also in the south) and some Mac and cheese.

Now while all these are pretty delicious, we can't eat those all the time unless we are looking for a heart attack before the age of 30. But I still love BBQ! So I decided to experiment a bit and create a healthier version to satisfy my BBQ craving for the summer. 

The good thing about this recipe is thy it is a base and you can dress it up or down according to your taste and your families tastes.

BBQ Chicken Sweet Potatoes 

Ingredients (for 4 servings)

-4 medium sized sweet potatoes

-2 larger chicken breasts or 3 smaller 

-2 medium onions

-1 Tbsp olive oil (or cooking oil of choice) 

-Organic BBQ sauce (to make sure you're not getting overloaded with sodium or sugar)

- Mrs. Dash chicken seasoning (or your chicken seasoning of choice) to taste

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Bake your sweet potatoes about 45-60 minutes, or until tender and cooked through.

3. While potatoes cook, you can prepare the chicken. 

4. In large skillet, heat your cooking oil on medium high heat.

5. Slice your onions into thin slices and add to hot oil, cooking until they start to become translucent. Lower the heat to medium, let cook for 5 minutes uncovered, stirring every so often.

6. Coat chicken lightly with your seasoning and add on top of the onions. Cover your skillet and let the chicken cook through (about 7 minutes per side). 

7. After the chicken is cooked, remove from onions onto cutting board and shred with two forks.

8. Keep onions cooking until they start to caramelize a bit and turn yellow.

9. Return chicken to pan and mix with the onions.

10. Add your BBQ sauce, usually about 1/2 to 3/4 of a cup, depending on how "saucy" you like it.

11. Remove your potatoes and split open, divide BBQ chicken evenly among the potatoes.

12. Dig in and enjoy! 

Some variations you could do: serve with a side salad or steamed spinach, or garlic roasted broccoli. 

You could also "twice bake" them by scooping out part of the potato, mix it with the chicken, spoon back into potatoes and bake through. 

There are so many options and possibilities! Get creative and enjoy this last bit of summer before its gone! 

What's your favorite BBQ chicken recipe? 

Zucchini Burgers

There’s just something about summer that makes you want to eat a good burger, isn’t there? Something about the grill and outdoor eating environment just screams summertime fun. Well, Zach and I don’t have a grill, or really anywhere to eat outdoors at our apartment, so we revamped our burger experience last week!

Since beginning my journey to eating healthier, I have found that I am craving vegetables more than I was before, so I have been trying to find creative ways to eat more veggies. Let me tell you, these zucchini burgers hit the nail on the head!

They are super simple and really versatile to what you want to include in them. Take stock of your fridge and into consideration of what your family enjoys, and make it your own! Think of this as a base recipe to play around with and experiment yourself.

Here we go!

Zucchini Burgers

Ingredients (makes about 8 patties)

2 medium sized zucchini        

3 to 4 eggs (just depends on the consistency)

½ cup fresh whole wheat bread crumbs

½ an onion, finely minced

½ cup of mushrooms, finely chopped

½ cup red bell peppers, finely chopped

½ cup feta cheese

2 tsp garlic powder (more if you like garlic like I do)

1 tsp pepper

½ tsp cumin

Salt to taste

Directions

-Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

-Use the largest holes on a grater and grate all of the zucchini. Place in a bowl, cover with a paper towel and let it sit for about 5 minutes.

-Use this time to chop/mince all of your other veggies. This is where you can get creative. If you like green peppers, or cucumbers, or whatever…experiment!

-Take off the paper towel and add your veggies and mix throughout.

-Add in your eggs. You want it to be sticky so they will bind together, but not too much. Start with 3, then add the bread crumbs. If it’s falling apart, add the fourth egg. If it’s too runny, add more bread crumbs.

-Add in your cheese (you can also use shredded pepper jack or any other cheese. We had feta and I love that, so that’s what we used!) and your seasonings to your taste.

-Mix so it is all incorporated, then begin forming them into patties. I made ours a little smaller than the palm of my hand. Place on a greased baking sheet, making sure they have space in between.

-Cook for about 30 minutes until they are golden brown on both sides, turning half way through.

-Enjoy on whole wheat slider buns, regular sized buns, Ezekiel bread, or just by themselves!

If you want a great sauce to put on top that’s not going to kill your clean eating, mix up some plain greek yogurt with mustard, garlic powder and paprika, and spread on the bun. Yum!

10 Active Things To Do This Summer

So summer time is now in full swing! The sun is shining, waters are shimmering, the grass is growing, the wind is fluttering through vividly green trees. While the days can be hot, humid (especially for this desert girl now in the south!), and sticky, there are still so many fun, active things to do this summer!

Take advantage of the good weather, you know you might be complaining about the cold come wintertime. Soak in those warm rays as much as you can! Here is a list of ten things that you can do for free or cheap to get out and get active this summer!

1. Go for a swim! If you don't have a pool, find a friend who does, use a community pool, a gym pool, buy a kiddie pool, go to a river or lake. Grab a loved one or a friend and jump into those cool, refreshing waters, and catch some vitamin D!

2. Go for a sunset or sunrise walk. Sometimes the heat of the day is intimidating, and lets be real, who really likes being in a pool of your own sweat from walking? Try walking early in the morning to get energy for the day, or take a stroll in the evening and soak up the last of the day. And who doesn't love a gorgeous sunset or sunrise?

3. Take a hike! State parks are some seriously sweet spots and are usually minimal in charge. Here in Georgia you can get an annual pass, or pay like $5 for the day. State parks are a great way to see different areas of your town or state, and enjoy the scenery and beautiful weather! You might find a new favorite spot. Check out this website to find great state parks near you! 

4. Wash your car! It may sound silly, but, you get outside, you get an arm work out when you put some elbow grease into washing off all that dirt, and you get a sparkly, clean car! Bonus! And you're out playing in water, so it helps keep you cool at the same time!

5. Have a picnic in your local park. Pack up a cute picnic lunch, grab a blanket and walk around the park to find the perfect picnic spot! If you're worried about the heat of the day, have a picnic brunch! Go before 10am and avoid the heat of the afternoon, but still have an ideal and whimsical picnic with your favorite people!

6. Be a tourist in your own city. Get on your good walking shoes, find a fun, historical, or interesting touristy spot in your town and go walk around and play the part of tourist! There are a lot of historical markers, town events, and museums around. Be sure to take some fun pictures while you're at it, too!

7. Have a water balloon toss (or fight). Seriously, who doesn't love a good water balloon toss that turns into a water balloon fight? Balloons are cheap, grab some from the dollar store, fill them up, and have some summer fun out in your drive way or backyard!

8. Create a scavenger or treasure hunt with family and friends!  You're never too old for a scavenger hunt in my book. Make people go outside, inside, all over! Have it lead to a yummy summer treat for everyone to share, or a fun prize! There are tons of ideas on Pinterest. AND bonus, if you want a REAL scavenger hunt, check out geocaching! The real life "treasure" hunt that happens all over the country and the world. Check this site out for more information. 

9. Take a bike ride. Brush the dust off your bike seat, hop on that beaut and go for a ride. Might I suggest a soundtrack by Queen, including "Bicycle"? Feel the breeze in your hair and the summer sun on your face. If you're really adventurous, ride it to the park for your picnic!

10. Play some yard games! Corn hole, badminton, volley ball, bocce ball, frisbee...there are so many fun games you can play! Have a dinner part, borrow games from others if you don't have some, and get the whole group involved in some fun summer time activities!

These are just a few ideas, there are so many ways you can get out and enjoy the sweet summer air this year. Don't let the season pass you by without soaking up some of this gorgeous weather! Be sure to put on some sunscreen as you have your fun, take pictures, and make memories with the ones you love!

What are some of your favorite summer activities? Comment below with your favorite!