Failed Recipe

There was a recipe I was really hoping to be able to put up here, but….no…just no. Trust me, you’re thanking me.

It can be frustrating to fail at a recipe you so badly want to come out tasting good. I followed that recipe with perfect technique and execution yet it was not impressive or flavorful. I tried to “doctor” it up, which made it better to eat (since I had made it I didn’t want to waste it).

I feel like this also applies to life. You can work so hard at something, do everything right, walk-the-walk and talk-the-talk, but there’s a chance you might not have the outcome you desire. I’m going to try more recipes, that one failed recipe didn’t make me stop altogether. The same goes with life. Pick up, dust yourself off (have a pint of ice cream), and move on and/or forward!

Mistakes can make us wiser and stronger!

Have a great rest of the week!

❤ Bree

A Positive Way To Speak Your Mind

Something I’ve been trying to do in the last year is verbally compliment others. Sometimes it’s a hairstyle or look and other times it’s something they’re wearing!

The only rule: BE HONEST!! Don’t give a false compliment. I find that to be devious, demeaning, and I feel it can actually cause harm to the person you’re speaking to (because you might not be the best liar you think you are). Plus, how does that make you feel better?

I’ve been pretty successful with this action plan although it wasn’t easy at first, but now my positive observations tend to flow out of my mouth. It’s nice to speak my mind in a positive way that tells someone what I think which also leaves them (hopefully) feeling really great.

Give it a try! Leave a comment and let me know how it goes! Give examples!

❤ Bree

Delicious Meatloaf

Good Afternoon!

Unfortunately, I don’t remember where I got this recipe from. I can tell you I’ve been making this meatloaf for about 5 years now and no complaints yet! This recipe is easy to make and it comes out tasting fantastically! (Sorry, I don’t have a picture! If I did though, it would look delicious!!!)

Delicious Meatloaf
Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
1 egg
1 onion, chopped
1 cup milk
1 cup dried bread crumbs
salt and pepper to taste

The Sauce:
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
2 Tablespoons of mustard (I go with Grey Poupon)
1/3 cup of ketchup

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C)
2. In a large bowl, combine beef, egg, onion, milk, and bread crumbs. Season with salt and pepper to taste
3. Place in a lightly greased loaf pan
4. In a small bowl, mix together the brown sugar, ketchup, and mustard, Mix well and pour over the meatloaf
5. Bake at 350F for 1 hour
6. Enjoy!

NOTE: I doubled the sauce and poured some extra over the meatloaf before cooking

If you decide to try this recipe, let us know how you like it in the comments!

❤ Bree

So…It’s Been A While

Hello out there!

It has been quite a while since anything has been written on here! Life tornado’ed in and is just starting to let me back down to the earth. Starting to write on this page again is something I’ve been pondering for the last week or two.

Tonight, I decided to jump back in! I am also going to be updating Twitter and the Facebook page again as well! I will be sending the posts to those sites and I also hope to post other content as well.

I look forward to sharing things with you all again and helping people out with positivity and good, solid advice.

See you soon!

❤ Bree

How To Set Daily Goals

I’m a goal-setter. Whether or not I meet my goals, I like setting things. I like lists and things to be organized.

So when I found this article (http://www.wikihow.com/Set-Daily-Goals) I was tickled and thought it could be useful to those of you who have trouble setting goals or are thinking about having daily goals. 🙂

Hope you find it useful!

Ciao for now!
❤ Bree

Salmon & Avocado Spring Rolls with Soy Dipping Sauce

Image from Once Upon a Cutting Board.

Hey everyone! It’s Alissa. I’ve been on a crazy cooking spree lately and have been trying out different recipes I’ve found on Pinterest. This recipe for salmon & avocado spring rolls ended up being one of my favorites, especially the dipping sauce that goes along with it!

This recipe calls for smoked salmon, but I pan fried mine and it all came out just as delicious. And, once the salmon is cooked, everything is very easy to put together.

Check out the recipe below!

Salmon & Avocado Spring Rolls with Soy Dipping Sauce
Yield: Serves 6

Ingredients:

For the rolls: 6 (9-inch) rice paper wrappers 6 pieces of lettuce 1 (3-4oz) package of smoked salmon, in 6 slices 1 large carrot, julienned

1 ripe avocado, sliced 1/4 cup sliced basil 1 tbsp sesame seeds

For the dipping sauce: 2 tbsp soy sauce 2 tbsp rice vinegar 1 tsp sesame oil 1 tsp minced ginger

1 tsp sweet thai chili sauce 2 tsp sugar 1 green onion, chopped

Click here to see the full recipe at http://www.onceuponacuttingboard.com!

I hope you enjoy these spring rolls as much as I did! If you decide to try them out yourself, let us know in the comments below!

⭐ Alissa

Take Time for You!

Hey ya’ll!

Bree here! It dawned on me today that it’s super important to take a day for yourself once in a while.

Let me paint you a little picture of the last 3 months. I moved, started a new crazy hectic job that takes most of my emotional and brain energy, I work a lot, health-scare with my kitty, weight-gain, and winter. So today, I decided that I needed a “me” day. Today was very simple, but totally renewed some of my lost energy!

I started off the day by sleeping in (which was wonderful!) and I had a great workout at the gym. I went home, showered, grabbed my laptop, and headed to Starbucks to have some tea and browse more recipes on Pinterest. It. Was. Wonderful.

Just doing things that benefited me and doing things that I wanted helped so much for me to feel great.

Don’t forget to take time for you! 🙂

❤ Bree

First Recipe of 2015!

Wow! Time has certainly flown! Here we are almost 1 month into 2015 and Alissa and I have been cooking up storms in our own respective kitchens. 🙂

Here’s a delicious recipe I found, made, and loved!

My finished product! Would be great over a bed of rice!

Note: I am not the biggest fan of kale, but even in this dish I was able to eat it.

Ginger, Beef, Mushroom, & Kale Stir-Fry
Yields: 2-4 servings

Ingredients

Marinade:

• 1/3 cup soy sauce (if making gluten-free, be sure to use GF soy sauce)
• 1/2 cup vegetable broth (or chicken/beef broth, or water)
• 3 Tbsp. rice wine vinegar
• 2 Tbsp. corn starch
• 2 tsp. ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Stir-Fry:

• 1 lb. thinly sliced flank steak or sirloin, cut diagonally across the grain into thin strips
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 8 ounces baby Portobello or button mushrooms, halved
• 4 ounces shiitake mushrooms, halved
• 3 cups chopped kale
• 2 green onions, thinly sliced

For directions on how to cook this delicious meal, click here!

If you try this recipe, let us know how you liked it in the comments section!

Happy cooking!

❤ Bree

 

 

Strategies for Sticking to your New Year’s Resolution

Hi everyone! We’re almost a week into the new year and I wanted to share with you all an article I found that offers 10 strategies for making your New Year’s resolution stick. Check it out here!

How are you all doing with your resolutions? Going strong, I hope! 🙂 Let us know in the comments below if you have any additional tips/strategies you’d like to share!

⭐ Alissa

Alissa’s Resolutions and Goals

Hey everyone! The other day, Bree posted her goals for the new year. Today, I’m posting mine!

1. Reach my goal weight by getting back on the healthy eating and exercising bandwagon. A secondary goal is to get there by summer, but that’d just be a bonus. 😉

2. Get more sleep. I have a bad habit of staying up way too late, even on work nights. No more of that! I wrote a post a while back about the importance of getting enough sleep. There’s too many benefits to waste by not getting enough of it!

3. Actually stick to my resolutions! Too many times I’ve given up on my resolutions just days after I start them. This time I’m making sticking to them a goal in itself!

What are your goals for 2015? Feel free to share them in the comments!
Remember, you hold the power to reach your goals. You can do it!

Happy New Year! 🙂

⭐ Alissa