Buffalo Chicken Lettuce Wraps and What's to Come..

Many apologies for my lack of posts. It's been a busy couple of weeks! My husband and I will be celebrating ONE year of marriage next week so we (us and Matt's parents) traveled to Napa Valley this past weekend to celebrate our first year together and taste some good wine of course. We also fit a few other things in there that I will be blogging about later.

While in Napa, We tasted TONS of wine, ate MOUNTAINS of delicious food, and were fairly sedentary (with the exception of a few brisk walks to and from vineyards) so, Monday started the "detox". It was one of the rare occasions where my body was ACTUALLY begging to be 'cleaned out'. Therefore, it was a back to the gym, green-smoothes, and lots of water kind of week. This recipe was inspired by the Thai Lettuce Wraps I always order at Cheese Cake Factory and my husband's love for buffalo sauce.

Ingredients:
2 chicken breasts (roughly 3/4 lb)
1/4 cup of buffalo sauce (I use Frank's Red Hot )
1/4 white onion
pinch of cheddar for each lettuce wrap
1/4 tsp sriracha sauce (for garnish sauce)
1 tbs low fat ranch dressing (for garnish sauce)

1 head of butter lettuce (whole leaves)

Slice the chicken breast in thin but even (so they cook the same) slices as they turn that white/cooked looking color you add the onion and buffalo sauce. 

Then simmer until onions are soft and sauce has absorbed (about 5 more minutes).

Prepare the lettuce by cutting the ends to make an even edge on both sides. Here's a little hint, I use two leaves per wrap for extra greens and the hubs didn't even notice..HA!

Mix the VERY small amount of ranch with srichia just to add an extra kick of flavor. 

Add a pinch (not too much!) of cheddar and enjoy:)

You'll notice a little cake next to the lettuce wraps and that happens to be another one of my hidden gems. I pretty much have to hide all things healthy in something that looks realllllly unhealthy to get my husband to eat well. So, that my friends is a Quinoa Cake. It will change your life and your families eating habits. Recipe to come! Speaking of upcoming blog posts I'm working on here is what you can expect over the next few weeks: 

1. NAPA VALLEY--of course! It's been overwhelming to write because we visited 2 years ago and last week so I want to reflect on both trips and get allll the must-do's covered for anyone who might be visiting in the near future. Believe me folks, we did Napa right x2. 

2. Nashville , TN here we come!--as previously blogged, my dear high school friend Ashley is getting married and it's time hit up the home of country music. 

3. ONE YEAR!--I'll take everyone back to my trip down the isle and the many sleepless nights and daunting days it took to get us there. I'll share some of the things that I (and google) didn't know about planning a destination wedding including welcome bags, guest itineraries, transportation and the list goes on and on. 

4. RECIPES--Quinoa cakes, green smoothes, and probably a cupcake squeezed in there:)

5. SPEECH AND HEARING MONTH--Party Nicole will be celebrating May with speech and hearing month or as I like to think of it...a chance to pat myself and all my fellow speechies on the back for their hard work in our field. I'll take you through some experiences I've had in my short time as a speech pathologist and talk about why it's soooooo darn important to TALK TO YOUR CHILDREN!! Watch out band-wagon, I'm getting on.

Well, that's brushing the surface. Lot's coming!

Party Nicole