erica danielle

aaannnnnnddddddd BACK! Michigan was awesome! We had the best time. I have so many favorites of the trip. However, today  on our drive home we stopped in southern Michigan and the sky was bright blue, the air was crisp, and the sun was hot- it was the perfect combination for sitting outside enjoying a glass of wine over-looking the vineyards changing colors....aaahhh if I could transport myself right back into that spot, I would. I had my camera out in full force. The only event I forgot to document was pasta loading on the first night at Olive Garden.  Ready to race.  Having been called the "Bakers Dozen Beer Run" this race did NOT disappoint. There were donuts at the start and beer at the finish.  Ran a personal best.  Perfect day for 13 miles.  The shirt says: No cause, No sponsors, No charities, No point.... haha! It was just that and a pretty  fun group of people!  Lots of racers at the finish!  Who doesn't...

It's Friday tomorrow! How happy does that make the world? This week has gone by especially quick. I am busy at work and have been busy cooking up a storm! On Wednesday I made Monterrey Chicken and it was super tasty and extremely quick and easy MONTEREY CHICKEN - click on link above for better pictures/ instructions.  2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts 1/8 c. BBQ sauce 1/4 c. chopped bacon 1/2 c. colby and jack cheese, shredded 1/2 c. Rotel tomatoes, drained (canned with green chilies added) sliced green onions pepper Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Pound out chicken breasts to flatten. Season with pepper. Pan fry chicken 2 mins on each side then place on baking sheet covered with foil. Top each chicken breast with one tablespoon bar-b-que sauce, 1/4 c. cheese, 1/4 c. tomatoes, green onions and one tablespoon of bacon bits. Place in oven and bake until cheese is melted (about 20 minutes). This was so flavorful, I enjoyed every bite- so did Sten! ...

Sunday was such a great day. Cool, crisp and extremely productive. Not to mention Sten got home from the men's retreat and we got to catch each other up on our weekends over some delicious Lasagna Rolls! This recipe is pretty involved, but totally worth it if  your looking for a healthy fall meal. My initial plan was to make this and freeze it so I would have some meals to pull out on days that I got home late and didn't feel like cooking, but I was too anxious to try it- so we baked it up last night :) The onion/garlic mixture is seriously to die for. A little messy, but super easy. All baked- crispy, flavorful, creamy and ummm so good! I got this idea from Pinterest, but I didn't follow the recipe very well. Partly because I wanted to use things in my pantry, and partly because I didn't feel like buying expensive ingredients that I felt wouldn't make that much of a difference. If you want the original recipe you can find it here . Thi...

I had a great sleep last night and woke up refreshed and ready to take on this day determined to be super productive. Last year Iowa Girl Eats made some pumpkin pancakes that were pretty divine. However, her recipe used a whole wheat pancake mix, and unfortunately I didn't have that on hand this morning. I love my mom's pancake recipe more than anything (even Swedish pancakes) so I wanted to incorporate the two. Folks... this is an Erica Carlson original recipe and it is delicious. I do not have to give credit to any other blog for these puppies! I am feeling pretty proud right now :)  I ate all 4 of these...  I love having coffee while cooking breakfast... gives you that extra boost  phew! perfection.  so fluffy, pumpkiny, cinnamony and delicious! Pumpkin Pancakes Recipe from the kitchen of ERICA! Makes 8 pancakes 3/4 C Flour 1/4 tsp Salt 1/4 tsp baking soda 1 tsp baking powder 1/2 Tblsp sugar 1 tsp apple pie spice 1/2 ts...

Homemade Pico is like, the best thing ever. It takes a long time and LOTS of chopping, but the finished product is totally worth it. Even if you end up getting a couple blisters along the way (improper knife skills). My Uncle Bruce is a gardener extraordinaire. His city backyard is something to see! He even has Honeycrisp Apples - JEALOUS! I couldn't even grown Zucchini in Colorado which is the equivalent of growing weeds in a park. I am destined not to be a gardener.... Sten and I went to my aunt and uncles for dinner and returned with a bag full of tomatoes and peppers-- #lucky :)   so so so good.  doesn't that look so fresh and organic?  tomatoes, onion, garlic, peppers, cilantro, lime, salt, cumin DONE. The best thing about pico de gallo is that you can put whatever you want in it and it still turns out great. Key ingredients: cilantro and lime.  Sten and I could have eaten the whole bowl of this in one sitting. Thank you Bruce and Cheryl! ...