Trying New Things

I have set a goal for myself to try to new things and get out of my comfort zone.  Most of which were trying new recipes, but also stop wearing the same thing to work every day of the week, which consists of black or dark gray pants and dark colored tops.  It is hard not wearing black, it hides a certain area of my body that seems to change sizes throughout the day!  Anyways, last week I did wear a skirt, of course it was black, but it was a skirt! 

Anyways, recipes are fun to try, but I prefer ones that do not have a million ingredients so that limits what I make.  My philosophy is that a million ingredients does not make a meal better, plus the more ingredients equals more money spent on items that I will not use often and lets not forget the time that it takes to make those crazy meals.

Some recipes that I have tried recently are:

Shrimp and Grits : I did a revised version of this because.  I first cooked some bacon and then cooked the shrimp in a mixture of bacon fat and butter.  I did not add parsley or lemon and instead of Parmesan cheese I used a little bit of Colby jack.  Of course to add some richness to it I added heavy cream, just a little to make it soft and creamy.  This is the second time I have had grits, and I must say they are pretty good!
Shrimp and Grits Bites : Because I had leftover shrimp and grits I turned them into an small bite appetizer.  They were really simple, just put the grits into mini muffin tins and bake at 350 for 30 mins.  Probably should have baked only 20-25 minutes but they were still good. Topped with the remaining bacon, shrimp, and green onions.  To try to add some moistness to it I drizzled the bacon butter over it.
Chicks in a Blanket : This is a spin on Pigs in a blanket or the little smokies wrapped in bacon.  It was really easy to make, just wrap chicken with bacon and top with a glaze.  I did not have honey so my sauce consisted of soy sauce, brown sugar, and Dijon mustard. I also used chicken thigh meat instead of breasts. 
Caprese Skewers : I have made these before, but it had been awhile. This time instead of making a vinaigrette I used a prepared salad dressing...The semi-homemade way!
Red Curry Coconut  Noodles : I love red curry when I get it at restaurants...but, my version was not so good. It was still edible, but I tried to substitute the Coconut Milk that we drink instead of the thick canned coconut milk.  I used way too many noodles, who knew a box of rice noodles would fill a whole stock pot! So, needless to say, there was way too many noodles that soaked up all the sauce.  I don't think I will try this again, it was edible but not what I would want to make again.
Skinny Chicken Enchiladas : I was able to change this recipe a little bit so that I could have it during my 10 Day no Gluten and Dairy Diet.  I had to use corn tortillas and Veggie Slice pepper jack cheese.  It was good and I could not even taste the difference between the fake cheese and real cheese.

I have also tried a lot of cupcake recipes, my favorites would be the Coconut Cream Cupcakes and the Lemon Curd Cupcakes.

All of the recipes I have found on Pinterest.  I have some crafts that I would like to attempt, but so far cooking is all that I have achieved and of course wearing a skirt last week!  Baby steps!

Next up, I will be making baby food once my special ice cube trays arrive! Styleberry has inspired me!