blog - Simply Happenstance

Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup

September 8, 2015

:: Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup ::

Happy day after LABOR DAY! Sara and I started school a few weeks ago, but many of our California friends are just starting today. Though, I am extremely jealous that most of my friends were able to enjoy a few more weeks of summer, I am not envious of having to establish the back to school schedule during this incredibly hot week we have ahead. Not to worry friends, we aren’t firing up the oven or stovetop just yet, we are breaking our go to recipe for Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup.

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Wine and Cheese Platter

September 4, 2015

:: Wine and Cheese ::

It’s the last “official” weekend of summer…we can’t believe that! Since I am not ready to give up white, well white wine that is, I am sharing some of my favorite cheeses paired with wine to celebrate the last days of summer and welcoming fall and all it has to offer!

Though summer has gone by with a blink of an eye, I am super excited for fall and the holidays. Some of my favorite times are spent over a tasty cheese platter with a fruity glass of white wine or a full bodied-red. Either way you choose, you always need a tangy cheese to go with your wine.

My favorite white wine is a crisp Sauvignon Blanc. Right now I am loving this bottle of Layer Cake. It screams summer and makes for a fun and mild white wine. It pairs perfectly with my favorite cheese choices and it is a wonderful bottle of wine to enjoy at a barbecue.

Okay so now for the goods, what kind of cheese do you prefer, and how do you arrange your platter? It’s all fairly simple and completely up to your taste buds. As for myself, I am not a fan of goat cheese. No matter how I have tried, I don’t like it, but that doesn’t mean I don’t add goat to my cheese platters, especially if I know that my company likes it. Buy different types of cheese if you are hosting or creating an appetizer, you don’t have to eat it! Just fill your cheese platter with a few others you love.

My go to cheeses can be found at my local cheese shop The Cellar or I do love me a crumbly Unexpected Cheddar from Trader Joe’s. I like to have a hard cheese, a semi-soft cheese, and a crumbly cheese that can be easily placed on a cracker. I mix these with nuts such as marcona almonds, pecans, and or walnuts. I also add a fruit and a sprinkling of honey that can be drizzled over cheese and crackers or nuts. The fats from both the nuts and cheese help to bring out the flavors in the wine.

My wine and cheese platter includes the following:

honey
marcona almonds
spicy pecans
crackers
grapes
Unexpected Cheddar
Rogue Creamery Chocolate Stout Cheddar
Estero Gold Valley Ford

Sara and I hope you enjoy this holiday weekend. We hope it’s spent well with family, friends, and of course food! For more recipe ideas, check out our recipe index under appetizers.

Triple Berry Smoothie Pops

August 16, 2015

Triple Berry Smoothie Pops // For School Lunches

Well, it’s hard to believe… but summer vacation is officially over for my crew. Boy that went by fast! Two months out of school surely wasn’t enough! We fit in a couple road trips to far off places, a week of VBS, and some time visiting with close friends. Besides that…. we soaked up the down time together.

I’m still in denial about the school schedule and extra curricular activities. I don’t personally love being tied down to a schedule, so it’s something I struggle with every year. We’ve embarked on quite a few big changes in our family… one being the start of middle school for my oldest (wish us luck)! I hope to update the blog with photos of our summer adventures and news about this new chapter in our lives. Until then… let’s talk school lunches!

I have to admit that I fell into a rut last year when packing their daily lunches. My oldest is pretty picky and won’t eat typical lunch items. I found myself making three to four different lunches every day. My goal was always to provide them with a healthy variety of foods, but towards the end of the school year… I was completely over it all!

This year, I’ve started thinking about different things I could include to mix things up. I watched a few videos on school lunches, including this one from 100 Days of Real Food. I really appreciated her ideas about making at least one thing in their lunches ahead of time (like soup, homemade uncrustables, muffins, or even frozen smoothie pops)!

That brings me to this post! I purchased these super cool silicone mighty pop reusable holders from Sunsella. They’re durable, dishwasher safe, and easy to use! Simply fill with your favorite smoothie recipe, freeze, and pop into your kids’ school lunches!

I don’t tend to use smoothie recipes… I prefer throwing in the fresh/frozen fruit that I have on hand. I always add a few things to make them even healthier, too … such as almond milk, coconut water, greek yogurt, nut butters, and/or chia seeds. I included some helpful tips, links to buying the molds, and also a Triple Berry Smoothie Pop recipe for you to try out! Happy lunch packing, friends!

TIPS & LINKS //

Mix up your favorite healthy smoothie recipe and use a funnel to fill your silicone molds. I used this funnel from Oxo. (There is also an optional strainer you can attach to the funnel for those of you that have picky kids that don’t like chunks of fruit in their frozen pops). I used these Sunsella Mighty Pops for the mold.
Leave approximately one-inch of room at the top of the mold to allow for expansion once the smoothie mixture freezes.
Freeze overnight or for a minimum of 4-6 hours.
Depending on your insulated lunch box, the pops may stay frozen, or turn into a cold drinkable smoothie!
This is a simple recipe that the kids can help with! From my experience, if they help, they tend to be more open to trying new things!

Print Recipe

5 from 1 vote

Triple Berry Smoothie Pops

A simple way to add healthy smoothies to your kids' school lunches!

Prep Time10

Total Time10

Course: School Lunches

Servings: 6

Author: Simply Happenstance

Ingredients

2 cups of coconut water
2 cups of fresh or frozen berries I used strawberries, blueberries and raspberries
1 ripe banana
1 tablespoon chia seeds
1-2 tablespoons honey

Instructions

Add all of the ingredients into your blender.
Blend on high for approximately 1 minute until smooth.
Add in more coconut water if the mixture appears too thick.
Using a funnel, pour smoothie mixture into silicone molds. (I used large plastic tumblers to hold the molds in place while I poured in the liquid.)
Leave one-inch of room at the top of the mold to allow for expansion when the smoothie freezes.
Place lids on molds and freeze (standing upright -- I placed my tumblers in the freezer) for 4-6 hours.
These can be made ahead of time and used as desired in school lunches, for quick breakfasts, or for snacks!
Enjoy!

Strawberry Mango Cream Popsicles

August 9, 2015

:: Strawberry Mango Cream Popsicles ::

Summer is nearly over for us…and the dreading S starts in a few weeks. Yes, Sara and I have been a little MIA from our usual posts for Simply Happenstance. We love our little blog, but both Sara and I have been enjoying our short summer with our kiddos, and lets just say it has simply been going by way toooo fast!

In between beach days and pool time, I blended together this easy and refreshing recipe for Strawberry Mango Cream Popsicles. They are a cinch to make on a hot summer day, but even better enjoyed outside in the nice summer breeze.

Refreshing and sweet on a hot summer day.

Print Recipe

5 from 1 vote

Strawberry Mango Cream Popsicles

Prep Time5

Cook Time4

Total Time9

Course: Dessert

Servings: 6 -8

Author: Simply Happenstance

Ingredients

1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup strawberries
1/4 cup non-fat Greek Yogurt
1 cup frozen mango
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

Dump all ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth.
Pour the mixture into six to eight popsicle molds.
Place in the freezer for 4-8 hours.

We hope you are enjoying your summer as much as we have. We can’t wait to hear what some of your favorite “bucket” list adventures you have done this season. For more summer dessert ideas check us out on Pinterest, where we collect some of our favorite snacks and desserts.

Rustic Summer Fruit Pie

July 30, 2015

RUSTIC SUMMER FRUIT PIE //

Hi guys! It’s been a while! Nicole and I have both been soaking up the summer with our families! We promise to give an update soon on our summer travels and adventures… but for now, we are sharing this favorite summertime dessert over at Simple As That Blog! We hope that you’ll pop on over to Rebecca’s lovely site to sneak a peek! This Rustic Summer Fruit Pie, served with fresh vanilla ice cream is the most perfect warm weather dessert! We hope you’ll make it, and let us know what you think of the recipe! xoxo

Watermelon Salsa

June 30, 2015

Watermelon Salsa //

There’s nothing better than a quick and simple homemade salsa! The flavors are robust and so fresh with a medley of vegetables, cilantro, and…. WATERMELON (the secret ingredient that has made this my new summertime favorite)!

This Watermelon Salsa is delicious served as an appetizer with some salty tortilla chips … or it can be used as a fresh topping on poultry or fish. (I even love eating it completely plain — straight out of the bowl with a spoon!) You can even add a heaping spoonful into the center of a sliced avocado and eat it for lunch. (YUM!)

The salsa will remind you of your favorite pico de gallo, only better! The sweet bites of watermelon… combined with chopped bell peppers, jalapeño, red onion, and cilantro balance the amazing flavors present in the dish!

Not only is it clean and healthy… it’s pretty to look at, too! Don’t you think?

This Watermelon Salsa would taste fabulous with roasted corn, black beans, chunks of fresh avocado, or sliced cherry tomatoes thrown in the mix. (I love a recipe that’s easy to customize according to what you have on hand!) It’s the perfect appetizer to bring to an upcoming Fourth of July Party or summertime soiree! Enjoy, friends!

Print Recipe

Watermelon Salsa

This tasty Watermelon Salsa is filled with healthy, fresh ingredients! It's a simple Fourth of July appetizer or summer potluck dish!

Prep Time15

Total Time15

Course: Appetizer

Servings: 8 -12

Author: Simply Happenstance adapted from Pioneer Woman

Ingredients

1/2 whole Small Seedless Watermelon Diced
1/2 whole Red Onion Diced
1 whole Red Bell Pepper Seeded and Diced
1 whole Green Bell Pepper Seeded and Diced
1 whole Yellow Bell Pepper Seeded and Diced
2 whole Jalapeños Seeded and Diced
1 whole Bunch Fresh Cilantro Chopped
1-2 whole Limes Juiced
1/2 teaspoon Sea Salt

Instructions

Combine all prepared ingredients in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Give it a good stir and chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Keeps for one day, so get those chips ready!
*Optional ingredients // sliced avocado, sliced cherry tomatoes, black beans, and/or roasted corn.

Notes

Serve fresh salsa with tortilla chips for an appetizer, or scoop into one half of an avocado and eat for lunch! Also delicious as a topping for poultry and fish.

Original recipe from The Pioneer Woman // https://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2013/06/watermelon-pico-de-gallo/

Peach Mint Lemonade

June 17, 2015

:: Peach Mint Lemonade ::

School is out for SUMMER…well in two days for me! Sara and her family are OUT and enjoying life without early drop-offs and pick-ups! I can’t wait!! For now I will dream of long summer days sipping Peach Mint Lemonade under the shade of a tree on a hammock (okay well maybe just out back). Check out this tasty and refreshing recipe of our summer time favorite drink of Peach Mint Lemonade over at Simple As That where you can find us guest posting. While you are over there wishing for a glass of this lemonade right now, check out Rebecca’s lovely blog for summer activities and great recipes! Let us know what your favorite summer drink is!

Dark Chocolate Sea Salt Treats

June 14, 2015

Happiest birthday wishes to my sweet friend and co-author, Nicole! This delicious treat comes at the perfect time to celebrate YOU and all of your grandness! I am so thankful for our friendship and look forward to all that is to come in our much adored space here on Simply! I love you, my friend!!! Thanks for all that you do! xoxo, Sara

Dark Chocolate Sea Salt Treats //

Sometimes… you just need a treat. Something that is going to satisfy that CHOCOLATE craving! Am I right? I’ve found it’s far better to give into it, rather than fight the urge for that ‘little something!’ A few bites of dark chocolate always seems to do the trick (plus… it’s a superfood, filled with healthy antioxidants)! That’s why I decided to make a batch of homemade dark chocolate with roasted almonds, coconut + sea salt. It includes some of my favorite flavorful ingredients. It’s texture is smooth and creamy while each bite packs a powerfully intense dark chocolatey taste! Roasted almonds, unsweetened coconut, and a touch of sea salt add a welcomed crunch to the already fabulous chocolate bar! This chocolate dream is simple to make and is a wholesome treat that your whole family will enjoy! Although I started out making this as a ‘mama treat’… my children also have a love of the deep flavors in dark chocolate. They enjoyed helping me make this delightful creation… and begged for “just one more piece!” (I’m positive yours will too!)

INGREDIENTS //

7 ounces of your favorite (good quality) dark chocolate (I used Lindt 70% cocoa), roughly chopped
1/4 cup sliced roasted almonds*
2 tablespoons unsweetened coconut flakes or shreds
1 teaspoon sea salt

*I roasted raw almonds. To do this, follow these simple directions here.

METHOD //

Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
Bring a medium-sized pot of water to boil, then lower the heat to a simmer.
Put the chocolate in a glass or stainless steel bowl and set it over the pot of water.
Stir the chocolate until it is completed melted.
Pour immediately onto the prepared cookie sheet (spreading the chocolate out, if necessary, using a spatula).
Evenly sprinkle the melted chocolate with your toppings: almond slices, unsweetened coconut flakes and sprinkling of sea salt.*
Put the cookie sheet in the freezer to set for approximately 15 minutes.
Break the chocolate into pieces.
Eat immediately or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

*Additional toppings you could incorporate: chopped bits of dried fruit, seeds (chia seeds/pumpkin seeds), spicy red chili flakes, and/or other chopped nuts.

(Original recipe from It’s All Good cookbook written by Gwyneth Paltrow.)

Summer Nails

June 2, 2015

:: Summer Nails ::

For those of you who really know me, know that I have a nail polish addition. Between kids, schedules, life, I hardly make it a priority to get my nails and toes done. Instead, most often than not, I enjoy doing them at home. I am super picky in regards to polish color, brands, and most of all variety. I am a complete Gemini that loves pretty summer nails. Here are some of my favorite colors and products that I use to create a good at home summer manicure and pedicure.

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Lemon Blueberry Simple Syrup

May 19, 2015

:: Lemon Blueberry Simple Syrup ::

Get ready….get set….Memorial Weekend here we come!!! Can you believe the start of summer is just around the corner?!! Sara and I are counting down the weeks until school is out. We are dreaming of summer sun, the kids sleeping in {we can wish} and fun summer drinks enjoyed by all. This Lemon Blueberry Simple Syrup is just as it’s stated….simple and perfect topped with lemonade, turned into a festive summer cocktail, or better yet given as a gift.

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