Hi! Welcome to Grey & Brianna’s blog! Your one more click away from reading our most recent posts. This site has a new address you can find us at: http://greyandbriannas.com/ See you there!
Love, Grey and Brianna.
Healthy Chicken Stir-Fry Wraps
Its Monday. I hope you are all geared up for this week. Lately, I’ve been working on tons of new projects and ideas for this blog, and a few other future endeavors 
On Saturday, my mom and I had a Mary Kay facial. It was so much fun! We got up, had our coffee, and took a 30 minute drive to meet with our Mary Kay consultant. We tried,and loved everything! I get excited to wake up and exfoliate, lift, moisturize, tone, and put on my makeup in the morning. What can I say…I’m somewhat of a sucker for fun girly stuff Later this month we will be going back to preview more make-up products.
Next up on and Grey and I’s “look-forward-to” list is Valentine’s Day. I have so many ideas for this year, I can’t wait to share them! I have to admit, he’s not as enthusiastic about this holiday as I am, but nonetheless, it’s a day we can spend together. … (and a day to eat chocolate. Shh.)
Enough of this randomness. Today I want to share one of Grey and I’s new favorite dishes. This one makes it onto the “dinner rotation list.” You know that list of 20-30 meals that you make when you run out of new things to make….but it doesn’t matter that your eating them again because they are so darn good?
Grey enjoys healthy and eastern cuisine and this is a combination of both. It is the most tasty and flavorful chicken in a lettuce wrap. What’s not to love? If you are still wondering what to cook up tonight..or sometime this week for dinner. Please give this a try. Your family will love it.
Chicken Stir Fry Wraps
Ingredients:
1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, halved horizontally sliced
Course salt and pepper
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 large yellow onion, halved and thinly sliced
1 large bell pepper, ribs and seeds removed, thinly sliced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 ½ teaspoons peeled fresh ginger
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
3 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 ½ teaspoons of cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon of water
12 Boston lettuce leaves
Directions:
Season chicken with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium heat.
Add the chicken stirring constantly until opaque throughout, 4-6 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
Add remaining oil to pan, along with the onion and bell pepper.
Cook, stirring constantly, until onion is tender and golden, about 4 minutes (reduce heat if browning to quickly.)
Add garlic, ginger, and red pepper lakes; cook, stirring until fragrant, 30-60 seconds.
Stir in soy sauce, vinegar, and cornstarch mixture; remove from heat.
Add chicken and any accumulated juices. Toss to coat. Serve in lettuce cups.
Hope you have a Marvelous Monday (well as marvelous and Mondays can be.)
Love, Grey and Brianna
Caprese Skewers
Tomorrow is the big day of eating, cheering, laughing, eating, drinking, eating, watching, talking, and…you get the picture. There will be eating! I hope you have all your snacks lined up. Grey and I are going to be watching the game at his parents house.
We’ll be bringing skinny hot artichoke and spinach dip with salted whole-wheat pita chips. I just wanted to share one last recipe before game day…this is one of my favorites! It is so simple and fresh. Caprese skewers can be whipped up in no time if you are in a rush. Plus, they include only 3 essential ingredients…that’s it.
I’ll cut to the chase…
Here’s the recipe!
Ingredients:
8 oz cherry or grape tomatoes
1 cup of fresh basil leaves
1 lb of mozzarella, cut into 1-inch cubes
Toothpicks.
Optional:
Balsamic Vinegar
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Freshly ground black pepper
Directions:
Slice tomatoes in half. Rinse and dry fresh basil leaves. You can tear larger leaves in half. Skewer onto a toothpick with the basil and cheese sandwiched between your tomato halves. If desired, drizzle with balsamic vinegar and olive oil and sprinkle black pepper before serving.
Have a sensational Saturday
Love, Grey and Brianna
“Guilt Free” 8 Layer Dip.
Two. More. Days. Are you ready? I sure am. I’ve made, and eaten enough snacks to get me good and primed for this Superbowl Sunday. This is one of my personal favorites. It’s a classic! A pile of my favorite ingredients: Beans, Greek yogurt, cheese, green peppers, tomatoes, avocado, lettuce, and scallions…all with a southwestern flair? It really doesn’t get much better, in my book. Obviously, the sour cream was replaced with Greek yogurt. If you haven’t already noticed…this is one of my favorite swaps to make something more healthy. … you seriously can’t taste a difference!
Later…I will also share…the most amazing secret ingredient to this dish… that many of you probably already do. …
Let’s get started!
Get all your ingredients ready…go on pull ‘em all out of wherever they are hiding. You’ll need:
refried beans, lime juice, salt, pepper, Greek yogurt, (extra sharp) cheddar cheese, green chiles, tomatoes, avocado, shredded lettuce, scallions, and (of course) tortilla chips.
Start by putting the beans in a small bowl and mixing with lime juice and 1 tablespoon of water. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer beans to a serving dish (we don’t have a serving dish) … so baking dish it is!
Then HERE’S THE COVETED SECRET: MIX ½ PACKET OF TACO SEASONING INTO THE GREEK YOGURT. It’s makes all the difference. It takes this dish from a six to a ten! Just do it!
Then layer the Greek yogurt mixture on top of the beans.
the cheese on top of the Greek yogurt…
the chiles on top of the cheese…
The tomatoes on top of the chiles…
the avocado on top of the tomatoes…
the lettuce on top of the avocado…
….and the scallions on top of the lettuce. 
That’s it!
Isn’t it pretty….sure to wow your guests.
…and apparently your husband.
..and all the guys outside putting in our new window.
Obviously, this doesn’t last long in our house.
Have a fantastic Friday, everyone.
Here’s the recipe!
Ingredients:
1 16 oz can of refried beans
2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
Coarse Salt
Ground pepper
½ cup plain Greek yogurt
½ packet of McCormick Taco Seasoning Mix
½ cup grated (extra sharp) cheddar cheese
1 4 oz cans of chopped green chiles
2 plum tomatoes, chopped
1 avocado, halved, pitted, peeled and diced
1 cup of shredded romaine lettuce
2 scallions, chopped
Tortilla Chips for serving
Directions:
In a medium bowl, combine beans, lime juice, and 1 tablespoon of water, season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a serving dis. Mix taco seasoning with Greek yogurt. Spread over beans. Top with cheese, chiles, tomatoes, avocado, lettuce, and scallions. Serve with warm tortilla chips.
Love, Grey and Brianna.
Our New Window.
Since we’ve lived in our little home, Grey and I have had a windowless bathroom. Well I guess it could be considered a half window. We cut the hole for it and bought the window eight months ago, but haven’t put it in until yesterday.
…hmmm…”cut the hole” for it doesn’t seem quite like the proper “technical” term.
…on the other hand…I’m not sure there is a “technical term” for cutting a hole in a wall.
Stop listening to me… I know practically (scratch that, ABSOLUTELY) nothing about construction.
ANYways…
This adds three….yes THREE windows to our house. I’m stoked. It brightens the whole place up quite nicely. …and our bathroom smells like a new house…you know the mix of new wood and a fresh coat of paint. I am excited to finally finish decorating this room!
…This post really has no other point, but to share our fancy-schmancy new window.
Thank you, thank you, thank you: Grey, Glynn, and Doug … 
Love, Brianna
Black Bean and Goat Cheese Quesadillas
It’s Thuurrssddaayy!…You know what that means…only three more days to finalize your big Superbowl plans. I hope all the food, friends, and sportsman-like trash talk is coming along nicely for you all.
Grey and I have been busy in the kitchen testing recipes to make for the big game, and found this one to be absolutely scrumptious….well I did. Grey hasn’t gotten a chance to try this one yet because… I might have tested it all up before he got home. … But! I am very excited to make this for him because I know he will love it. It’s super light because with all the tomatoes, black beans, corn, and green onions, there is minimal room to squeeze in the cheese.
…and it is super easy to make! Start by gathering up your ingredients.
Then mash the beans in a medium bowl until chunky. Add goat cheese, tomato, corn, scallions, and oregano. Season with salt and pepper, and stir until well combined.
Heat olive oil in a large pan. Spread ½ cup bean mixture evenly over 1 tortilla, and top with another tortilla. Repeat with remaining bean mixture and tortillas.
Raise heat to medium-high. Cook quesadillas, 1 or 2 at a time, until golden brown and filling is hot, about 2 minutes per side. Cut into wedges and serve warm.
Here’s the recipe!
Black Bean and Goat Cheese Quesadillas
Ingredients:
1 can (15 oz) of black beans, rinsed and drained
½ cup crumbled goat cheese
1 medium tomato, coarsely chopped
¾ cup frozen corn, thawed
2 scallions, coarsely chopped
2 teaspoons of dried oregano
Course salt and freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon of olive oil
10 six-inch corn tortillas
Directions:
Mash the beans in a medium bowl until chunky. Add goat cheese, tomato, corn, scallions, and oregano. Season with salt and pepper, and stir until well combined.
Heat olive oil in a large pan. Spread ½ cup bean mixture evenly over 1 tortilla, and top with another tortilla. Repeat with remaining bean mixture and tortillas.
Raise heat to medium-high. Cook quesadillas, 1 or 2 at a time, until golden brown and filling is hot, about 2 minutes per side. Cut into wedges and serve warm.
*Tip: Use a large spatula to flip quesadillas to avoid having the filling fall out into the pan.
Have a wonderful day.
Love, Grey and Brianna
Skinny Hot Artichoke and Spinach Dip
Recently…like within the last year…I tried hot artichoke dip, for the first time. Boy. It. Is. Good. Of course before that, spinach dip with chewy sourdough bread was always my dip of choice. When I found this recipe for hot artichoke AND spinach dip, I was head over heals in love. I wouldn’t be eating either of these particular appetizers IF I was watching my figure 
. So….I “skinnied” this recipe up by halving the cream cheese with yogurt and leaving out the mayonnaise all together. Plus there is tons of nutrient rich dark green leafy spinach. It is great served with whole-wheat pita chips or a whole grain bread…ya know if you’re going to stick with the healthy theme….for Superbowl Sunday!
Start by gathering up a bunch of spinach…I mean a bunch, and dump it onto a cutting board.
Next, find a stunningly handsome man to model it for you.
Next, get your water and salt boiling, and a bowl of ice water ready. Then dump all your spinach, and about 1 cup of fresh basil into the boiling water for about 30 seconds. One, two, three, four… or until it turns bright green. Then immediately remove the spinach and basil with a slotted spoon and plunge into the ice water. Ahhhhh. Drain the water, and squeeze as much liquid out of the spinach possible. Until it looks something like Jeannie from Aladdin in the lamp. You know…”Iiiitttttyyyy bity living space!”
I know right? How did…what the? Where’s all the spinach?? It’s there. Just itty bitty. And hopefully fairly dry or you’ll have soggy spinach dip. Anyways… leave all the ah and wonder of the spinach, and spread the love to some of the other ingredients. In a food processor or blender purée the beans, cream cheese, garlic, yogurt, and water until silky smooth. Transfer to a bowl and fold in your itty bitty chopped spinach.
Here comes the good part, fold in your chopped, drained marinated artichoke hearts, and cheese.
Stir.
Add a lil’ cayenne pepper, salt, black pepper, and Worcestershire sauce; before adding it to a greased pan. Finally top with some mozzarella and bake until golden and bubbly.
Um mmm good. Serve with whole-wheat pita chips or whole grain bread.
Here’s the recipe!
Ingredients:
kosher Salt
1 10 oz bag of baby spinach
1 cup packed fresh basil
¾ cup garbanzo beans
6 ounces of cream cheese
1 clove of garlic, smashed
1 cup plain Greek yogurt
2 tablespoons of water
1 – 14 oz can of marinated artichoke hearts, drained, squeezed dry and finely chopped.
1/3 cup parmesan cheese, grated
¾ low-fat mozzarella cheese
pinch of cayenne pepper
2-3 Worcestershire sauce
freshly ground black pepper
cooking spray
baked chips or bread for serving
Directions:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and prepare a bowl of ice water. Stir the spinach and basil into the boiling water and cook until bright green, about 30 seconds.
Remove with slotted spoon and immediately plunge in the ice water. Drain and squeeze dry, then roughly chop.
Puree the beans, cream cheese, yogurt,garlic, and water in a blender or food processor until smooth, scraping the sides as needed. Transfer to a medium bowl and fold in the spinach and basil, artichokes, Parmesan and ½ cup mozzarella.
Add the cayenne and Worcestershire sauce, ½ teaspoon of salt, and black pepper to taste. Mist a deep 1 quart casserole dish with cooking spray. Spread the dip mixture in the dish and top with the remaining ¼ cup mozzarella.
Bake until golden and bubbly, 20-25 minutes. (If top is not browning properly, you may turn the broiler on high for 1-2 minutes to achieve a golden brown. Keep an eye on this though it will brown quickly!) Serve warm with baked chips or whole-wheat bread.
Have a fantastic day!
Love, Grey and Brianna.
Salted Whole-Wheat Pita Chips
I hope everyone had a fantastic weekend. Grey and I spent our two days together working out, going to church, cooking, cleaning, and grocery shopping. We’re all rested and stocked up for the this week! He’s not awake yet, but I think I’m going to surprise him and make whole-wheat pancakes, with cherries we canned during the summer, this morning.
How’s you preparation coming for the big game? I’ve got a new recipe today that I’m so excited to share with you. Mainly because: 1) whole-wheat pita chips are suuupppeeerrr easy to make 2) They are much healthier than most chips served at a Superbowl party and 3) Making these chips gave me a reason to bust out the good olive oil. Oh yeah…and they’re so yummy and toasty right when they come out of the oven. You’ve got to give these a try.
Start with your favorite whole-wheat pita bread. We bought these whole-wheat pita pockets.
Start by cutting the pita pocket or bread horizontally in half. And cutting into “chip like” triangles Each pita pocket should yield about 4 chips or each bread should yield about 8. (If it is thick pita bread.)
Next spread the chips on a baking sheet being careful not to overlap the chips.Drizzle olive oil over bread and sprinkle the salt.
Bake in the oven at 375 degrees farenheight for 10-14 minutes until crisp and just golden.
Serve with salsa, guacamole, spinach dip, bean dip, dressing, hummus, etc. Enjoy being healthy! 
Here’s the Recipe!
Salted Whole-Wheat Pita Chips
Ingredients:
4-6 whole-wheat pitas
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon of kosher salt
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Slice pitas horizontally if thick. Cut pitas into triangles. Spread pitas on a baking sheet, being careful not to overlap pitas. Drizzle with olive oil, and spinkle salt evenly. Bake pitas 10-14 minutes or until crisp and golden.
Serving suggestions: serve with guacamole, salsa, hummus, bean dip, dressings etc.
Love, Grey and Brianna.
Buffalo Chicken Strips with Blue Cheese Salad
When I think Superbowl, buffalo wings with celery and blue cheese dressing is what comes to mind first. Buffalo wings are commonly breaded and served along side one…maybe two sticks of celery; which I don’t think anyone ever eats. For this recipe, I used chicken breasts instead of actual wings, then lightly dredged the cutlets in egg and flour, before smothering them in a traditional sauce. I replaced the celery sticks with a simple green salad with lots of celery for crunch, and blue cheese dressing for flavor.
To begin, cut the breasts into “chicken strip” sizes and heat oil over a medium sauce pan. Then lightly coat the chicken in the flour mixture, then into the eggs, then back into the flour mixture before adding to the heated skillet.
While the chicken is cooking, begin making the sauce by melting butter in a small pan, then adding the ketchup and hot sauce.
When the chicken is cooked all the way through, coat the chicken with the sauce mixture.
To make the salad: toss greens, chopped celery, parmesan cheese, and your favorite blue cheese dressing in one bowl.
Serve along side wings…and feel healthy!
Make sure you have big paper plates and napkins ready for guests so they don’t feel shy about getting tons of salad. ….and “wings” (as a second thought, of course.)
Buffalo chicken strips with blue cheese salad=Healthy Superbowl snack solution #1.
Here’s the recipe!
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons of butter
3 tablespoons of ketchup
3 tablespoons of Frank’s Red Hot Wing Sauce
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tsp of salt
1 tsp black pepper
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 chicken breasts
for the salad
butter lettuce blend
2 celery stalks, chopped
blue cheese dressing
¼ cup grated fresh parmesan cheese
Directions:
With a sharp knife cut chicken horizontally into thin (½ inch thick) cutlets. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt, and pepper. Spread on a flat surface such as a large plate or baking sheet. Set aside. In a small bowl beat two eggs. In small batches, dredge chicken in flour mixture , shaking off excess. Dip chicken in egg mixture to coat, shaking of excess. Dredge chicken in flour again.
Heat oil of medium heat and add the chicken when the pan is hot. (The flour should sizzle.) Cook chicken for about 4 minutes on each side or until chicken is cooked all the way through. Meanwhile, Heat butter in a small saucepan, until melted then whisk in the ketchup and wings sauce. Set aside.
When chicken is ready, coat all sides of each cutlet into warm sauce. Put on serving plate or salad. To prepare the salad: Toss lettuce, chopped celery, blue cheese dressing, and parmesan cheese. Serve along side buffalo chicken strips.
Enjoy!
Love, Grey and Brianna
Pre-game: Plan for Healthy Superbowl Snacks
I’m going to take a break from the regular menu/dinner recipes and switch gears this week to get ready for……the SUPERBOWL!!!
I am not an all-weather fan.
I guess you could say, I’m not a fan at all, because I don’t really watch football…ever.
EXCEPT for the Superbowl (mostly for the commercials and snacks) …but I digress.
This week, I want to introduce popular Superbowl snacks that I’ve revamped and made…get ready for it…healthy.
No.no.no. I’m not replacing beer with this oh so tasty green drink .
These are snacks that you and your guests will love…and so will their waistlines. We’ll stick to the classics like: buffalo wings, chips and dip, etc. and still “healthy-fy” Superbowl 2013.
Are you ready? Each day of this week I will introduce a new recipe in preparation for the big day on Sunday.
Then…you give ‘em a shot, and let me know what you think Cheers!
…and go team! Love, Grey and Brianna
