Saturday was a pretty fun day.  After teaching Body Pump, I quickly showered up, ate a little lunch then headed out to Mememe Manicures to have  a little girl’s day with Brian’s mom and aunt.

We all ended up getting pedicures and shellac manicures.  

I have to say, this pamper session was much needed on my part.  After rock climbing, body pump, and who knows what…my arms, legs, and feet were sore!

We enjoyed just chatting away and having our nails transformed into beauty 😉

This is Kathy, the owner of Mememe Manicures.

Katie is the girl who painted my toes!

After spending the day with the girls, it was time to run some errands with Brian.  It was kind of a big deal, because I officially got my first Sam’s Club membership.  Moving up in the world!  I can now purchase absurdly huge bags of broccoli all on my own.  I feel so grown up 😉

After being pampered all day and obtaining my special membership Brian and I were more than ready for a delicious dinner, and I had something delicious that I had been wanting to experiment with.

Luckily, my experiment turned out GREAT, so I am more than happy to share it with you!

Literally, as we were eating this meal, Brian exclaimed “This definitely has to be moved to the top of your to-make list!”  I guess we can say it’s a winner, right?

This recipe tastes just like cheesy buffalo chicken mac and cheese should, but if you are at all health conscious then you will appreciate some of the “hidden” benefits of this little dish.

There is a hidden dose (don’t worry, you can’t see or taste it!) of butternut squash in this recipe, which gives diners an ample dose of fiber, potassium, and vitamin B6.  Doesn’t that sound appetizing?

Buffalo Chicken Macaroni and Cheese

Yields:  5-6 servings

Nutrition (based on 6 servings):  Calories–355.6   Fat–12.3g   Carbs–35.9g   Protein–27.6g

Ingredients:

• 4 oz of chopped organic, free range chicken
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 1/2 cup chopped carrots
• 1/2 of a small onion, chopped
• 1/3 cup Frank’s red hot sauce
• 1 1/2 cups chopped butternut squash, boiled and pureed
• 2 cups of uncooked whole wheat macaroni
• 1 cup nonfat milk
• 1 Tbsp butter
• 3 Tbsp plain nonfat Greek yogurt
• 1 cup reduced fat sharp cheddar
• 1 cup reduced fat mozzarella
• 1/4 cup blue cheese

Directions:

• Begin by cooking the macaroni according to the package directions.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
• Place the celery, carrots,  onion, and half of the Frank’s  in a skillet over medium high heat.  Cook for about 3-4 minutes until tender.  Add the chicken and cook until cooked all the way through (about 10 minutes).
• In a large sauce pot, combine the butternut, milk, yogurt, butter and bring to a boil.
• Once the butternut mixture is boiling, add in the cheddar and mozzarella cheese.  Stir occasionally until melty.
• In a large casserole dish, combine the macaroni, chicken and veggies, and sauce.  Add in the rest of the Frank’s red hot sauce and the blue cheese.  Mix together thoroughly.
• Place in the oven for about 10 minutes.  (This just allows everything to melt together and get extra cheesy!)
• Remove from oven and ENJOY!

Of Possible Interest:

• The Influence of Big Companies on Organic Food:  New York Times
• Complete Guide to Interval Training:  Greatist
• 5 Lunch Ideas You Can Make in 5 Minutes:  Fitsugar