Super Full High Five for Friday w/ a Recipe!

WHAT?!?! It’s Friday again?!?! I haven’t posted in 11 days, nor done a High Five post all month!!!! UNACCEPTABLE!!!

Time to make up for that with a super full High Five for Friday which includes some stuff from the last 3 weeks!

1.  Last weekend I went to the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, NC. It was A-Mah-Zing! If you’ve never been you should go. It was the first weekend for the Christmas decor, and it was stunning! It also really put me in the holiday spirit. I’m going to write a post all about the trip instead of trying to put it all into this one.

Tricia and me at her Bachelorette party. I forgot to get a shot of us at lunch.

2.  The weekend before that, I had lunch with one of very best friends Tricia. She lives just north of Indianapolis so we met halfway in Columbus, IN. We went to their downtown area, which was adorable, but should have a sign when you enter that says “Closed on Sundays” because nothing was open except this burger place. We ate there and it was delicious, but I was disappointed there wasn’t more open.

3.  Blake’s cousin is getting married next month and his aunt is throwing a shower for his fiancé this weekend. I’m going to be making her gift, and I’m really hoping it turns out well. I can’t quite get a read on her, so I don’t know if she’ll appreciate a homemade gift, so… we’ll see. I bought enough stuff to make a duplicate one for me, because I’m super excited for it, and if it works out the way I envision it in my head I’ll post a tutorial, not that it’ll really be difficult, since I’ve waited until the night before to even put it together.

Old pic of my sis and I. It's sad that I don't have any recent shots

4.  It’s a big birthday month! I’m betting it’s because Valentine’s Day is 9 months earlier. My sister turned 33 and my niece turned 14!!! It’s so crazy to me that she’s so old already, and it makes me sad that I don’t get to see her nearly enough. One of my girlfriends turned 28 earlier this week and is having her party tonight. Sadly I won’t be able to go, but I got her a gift and an awesome card to make up for it. (I love picking out cards!) Two of my coworkers also had birthdays earlier this month and another one of my girlfriends is due any day, she’s already 9 days late!

5.  Little tid-bits: I went shopping earlier this month where I got a fabulous broach and cute shoes. I also made some yummy Chicken Tortilla Soup last night. It was so easy! (Recipe below) Has anyone been into Target since they put all their holiday stuff out?!?! I’m in love and wishing I had endless amounts of money to spend there, but sadly, I don’t. I did see an adorable wreath in there though, and I plan on making one of my own soon. (I think I have a wreath obsession!)

So that’s a very quick summary of some of the fun things I’ve been doing this month. I love this time of year, but it’s also very busy and makes it hard to post. Does anyone else struggle with time management in Nov and Dec?

Recipe:

Easy Chicken Tortilla Soup (Crockpot)

1 carton of Pacific Organic Tortilla Soup Starter

1 container of corn “salsa” (I get the container in the produce section of my Kroger. It’s basically corn, onion, peppers, and spices. It’s not very liquid, which is key)

2 large chicken breasts (Frozen is fine)

Shredded cheese and Tortilla chips/strips for garnish (Optional)

Put it all in a Crockpot and cook on low until chicken is cooked through. Shred meat. Serve with some cheese on top and tortilla chips/strips.

I told you it was easy. I put my chicken in the Crockpot frozen at 6:30am before going to the gym. It cooked all day until I got home from work until 5:30/6:00pm. I just took a wooden fork to the breasts while they were still in the pot to shred the meat, it was so tender. It was simple, yummy, and super satisfying on a cold night. I used sweet potato tortilla chips (try them if you get a chance, they’re very tasty) so the meal was also gluten free, just in case you are celiac or don’t eat a lot of gluten. (Neither one of us is Celiac but we’ve been talking about going gluten free/low gluten after the holidays, so I’m testing new recipes and foods for that)

Does anyone have some yummy easy gluten free recipes for me to try? Easy is key for me. 

Be sure to check out Lauren's link party for more H54F fun!