Tomato and Feta Dip

This fresh and flavorful dip is a stray from the everyday creamy, cheesy concoctions that make an appearance for pregame appetizers. Not that there is anything wrong with creamy or cheesy but sometimes we are looking for something different. A friend served us the original recipe as an appetizer with bread and we were hooked. I tweaked it a tiny bit and served it with pita chips. I believe this dip will probably attend game day at our house frequently.

 

If (and that is a big IF) there are any leftovers, you can throw the rest on top of pasta or chicken for a tasty lunch or dinner.

Tomato and Feta Dip
(serves 2-4 as an appetizer)
4-5 tomatoes, chopped
6 oz crumbled feta
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
handful of chopped fresh basil
salt, pepper, oregano

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Simple Product Review

I was recently contacted to do my first product review and I was a bit hesitant. Rounding up 10+ friends to have a tasting party seemed like a challenge to me.  And then a light bulb went off (flash) and the wheels started turning (squeak). And I realized my perfect participants were right at my fingertips everyday. I do know a group of highly motivated women who are focused on balanced intake and having fun while they sweat. Thank you to the ladies of Studio Fitness for helping me out with the review.

 

And while they were all willing to taste the product, very few were willing to pose for pictures. (Thank you Cindy for being my model and a great one at that!)

 

Frush is the product my fellow adrenaline addicted friends helped me review. Frush is a yogurt and fruit drink being marketed for its health benefits and great taste. Overall the tasting was a success with ten out of seventeen reviewers claiming they would purchase this product. My testers loved the 9 grams of protein the drink provided but about 1/3 of them were concerned with the 36 grams of sugar in the serving. (It is unclear how much of the sugar is added and how much is from the natural fruit.) The overall favorite flavor was strawberry and the least favorite flavor was peach. Many of the testers commented that it would be a good option for a quick breakfast or a before or after workout snack. While I love the 9 grams of protein provided, I personally thought the product was too sweet for my taste buds.

 

And in Simple Plate style I will keep my review short and simple. I enjoyed it and look forward to many more. The one thing I re-learned from this experience is how different we all are, how different our opinions are, how different our thought processes are, and how awesome that makes the world go round.

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Tailgate Chicken

Regardless if your team color is purple, or red, or orange; it is that time again.
Dust off your mini Weber grill, lay down the tailgate, and paint your face.
It's football season, y'all!

And while overly passionate and nasty fans that talk too much trash bum me out; fans who welcome any team to pull up a chair and enjoy the game make me smile.  I have the perfect recipe for grilled chicken that can be enjoyed on sandwiches or cut up in bite size pieces and shared with a hungry vivacious crowd.

The best recipes are the ones where you don't dirty your measuring cups. So just go with the flow and feel the freedom of less dishes to wash. After all, we are tailgating!

Tailgate Chicken
Chicken breasts
olive oil
salt and pepper
smoked paprika*
Worcestershire

Salt and pepper the chicken, generously sprinkle with smoked paprika, drizzle with olive oil and Worcestershire. Let marinate for a minimum of 30 minutes. Throw on the grill for about 20-25 minutes.

*My brillant cousin introduced me to smoked paprika recently and it changed my life. Do not try to substitute paprika for smoked paprika. They are extremely different. Go ahead and add smoked paprika to your spice cabinet. It will change your life also.

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