just call me betty.
hey guys! i left my camera home today, so my breakfast, lunch & snack are MIA. try not to be too heart broken. you’ve seen eggs, fruit, veggies, hummus, protein shakes and tuna sandwiches before. dinner, however, is something new! i made up a great his + hers casserole that i want to share with you.
first, my workout.
marshall & i went to the gym together today from 4:30 to 5:30. because i was there for a whole hour (that’s a long time for me!) i split up my cardio with the treadmill and the stairmill—my two favorite pieces of cardio equipment.
treadmill HIIT:
| minute # | speed MPH | RPE (rate of exertion from 1 to 10) |
| 0-2 | 6.0 | 4-5 |
| 2-3 | 6.5 | 6 |
| 3-4 | 7.0 | 7 |
| 4-5 | 7.5 | 8 |
| 5-6 | 8.0 | 9 |
| 6-7 | 6.5 | 6 |
| 7-8 | 7.0 | 7 |
| 8-9 | 7.5 | 8 |
| 9-10 | 8.0 | 9 |
| 10-11 | 6.5 | 6 |
| 11-12 | 7.0 | 7 |
| 12-13 | 7.5 | 8 |
| 13-14 | 8.0 | 9 |
| 14-15 | 6.5 | 6 |
| 15-16 | 7.0 | 7 |
| 16-17 | 7.5 | 8 |
| 17-18 | 8.0 | 9 |
| 18-19 | 8.5 | 10 |
| 19-20 | 4.0 | 4 |
stairmill randomness:
|
minute # |
level |
orientation / step # |
| 0-3 | 10 | facing front single step |
| 3-5 | 6 | facing front double step |
| 5-8 | 10 | facing front single step |
| 8-10 | 6 | facing front double step |
| 10-12 | 8 | facing back single step |
| 12-13 | 8 | facing left single step |
| 13-14 | 8 | facing right single step |
| 14-15 | 6 | facing front single step |
i finished the workout off with 10 minutes of abs and stretching. i don’t love being at the gym for an hour, but to be honest.. it’s probably good for me. i shouldn’t complain and should actually be grateful marshall is there to motivate me. i am so glad he’s started going to the gym every day! proud wife right here.
the best part about leaving the gym was that it was STILL light out. love love love it. i came home to the most fabulous trader joe’s package ever from reader kristen~
wow is all i can say. THANK YOU, kristen, you are too good to be true. i am floored by your generosity. and the generosity of the blogging community in general. i have recently received fun things from eden, erica and katie and still need to blog about those!
i had big plans to make a chicken broccoli casserole using quinoa as the grain, but marshall said he wanted rice AND quinoa in his. and a lot (i mean a LOT) of cheese. i decided to make two mini casseroles to make both of us happy.
mine is obviously on the right.. here’s the recipe!
chicken & broccoli quinoa casserole.
serves two (or, in my case, serves one plus one serving of leftovers for lunch the next day!)
ingredients:
- 8 oz (raw weight) organic chicken diced into 1” cubes
- 1/4 red onion, diced
- 1 cup cooked quinoa (that’s about 1/2 cup uncooked)
- 1/2 cup organic all natural cream of chicken soup
- 1/2 cup 0% plain greek yogurt
- 2 cups steamed broccoli florets
- salt, pepper and TJ’s 21 seasoning salute (optional)
- sprinkle of parmesan cheese (optional)
directions:
- season chicken with salt, pepper & 21 seasoning salute.
- heat a small skillet over medium-high heat and sauté chicken & onion until chicken is cooked through.
- meanwhile, steam your broccoli. i think you’ve got this one.
- meanwhile again, cook your quinoa according to directions (or google it).
- meanwhile one more time, grab the rest of your ingredients.
- in a bowl, combine cooked chicken & onions, cooked quinoa, cream of chicken soup, yogurt and broccoli. season with salt & pepper to taste.
- pour contents of bowl into small loaf pan or casserole dish. i used a 4 x 8 loaf pan.
- sprinkle with parmesan cheese if desired and bake at 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes.
i love the texture of quinoa!
super simple recipe and the servings are BIG. here are the stats for one serving AKA half of the recipe:
dynamite. and we have his & hers leftovers for tomorrow.
side note: i love this rubbermade tupperware from costco! we bought two sets.
in case you are wondering about marshall’s casserole.. it had all the ingredients mine did but about 1.5 times as much of everything plus 1 cup of white rice and 1 cup of shredded cheddar and monterey jack cheeses. the boy is trying to gain weight.
speaking of..
marshall has been nagging me to learn how to make brownies from scratch. not just any brownies—but brownies that taste like betty crocker’s fudge brownies.
after all, they are america’s favorite. not gonna lie.. i love these boxed brownies just as much as the next american.
anyway, back to marshall requesting brownies. this has been going on for a few months now. i keep meaning to make him brownies, i even bought the ingredients a couple weeks ago. i asked everyone on twitter what a good, chewy, NOT cake-like brownie recipe was. i had a few suggestions and i want to try them all out.
after seeing katie’s second brownie showdown from yesterday, i found some motivation to whip up a batch and see how they turned out.
i followed the baker’s one bowl recipe to a (sans nuts). this was a suggestion from a different katie.
marshall didn’t waste any time helping himself to 1/4 of the pan as soon as they were cool enough to touch.
the verdict?
oh, yeah. these ARE just as good as the boxed brownies—if not better! plus, making things from scratch is more fun.
these were chewy and chocolatey and SO easy to make. dangerously easy, actually. just call me betty crocker! no more boxed brownies at this house.
if you are looking for a good brownie recipe, look no further. these 5 ingredient one bowl brownies are your ticket to dessert heaven. now if only i had some fresh vanilla bean ice cream…
Qs~
1. quick! brownies or blondies? honestly—blondies. i love brownies but after a couple bites i am on chocolate overload. i feel like blondies are a nice blank canvas and you can throw whatever add-ins into the batter and the blondie takes on that flavor.
2. if you have a significant other—do you eat his + hers meals or do you eat the same thing? marshall and i usually eat the same thing, but i do make him variations on occasions (like tonight).
xo. janetha g.
meals & moves 
Usually blondies, but I love a good brownie with ice cream!
My partner and I never eat the same thing! He’s a surfer with a magnificent metabolism so his hunger for massive amounts of carbs is out of this world. I’m luck however because he works evenings and I work days so dinner is all mine!
Oh wow, chocolate brownies all the way and these look SO good! I almost snagged a couple of the boxed ones at the store tonight but passed them up – I better make a batch for papa randall this week!
We usually eat the same thing.
love you!!
for dad.. or for you?! ;)
Bloggers are the best! I can’t wait to show off my fun stuff from you!
Also, I love casseroles and am going to try making this asap. Andy and I usually always eat the same dinners but totally different breakfasts and lunches.
Tell Marshall that he is lucky to be with a Betty Crocker like you!
Yay for TJ’s loot! I had a mild obsession with the High Fiber Fruit/Nut Medley during college.
Seth and I usually don’t eat the same thing…but we don;t live together either. I’d say I cook for the two of us 2-3 times per week.
your simple but seemingly delicious recipes impress me every time. this quinoa-chicken combo looks great.
1. blondies, please. although i do need to begin the special brownie experiments, so maybe i should start liking brownies more? ;)
2. BT and i usually just eat the same things when cooking at home (er, his place), but he usually eats larger portions since he’s a boy – that’s our only difference, really. especially now with his new restrictions it’s easier to just cook for him and eat that. but of course i get my special chocolate squares/ whatever type of dessert that he’s not allowed most nights out of the week :P
Blondies all the way! Especially if there are lots of butterscotch chips.
Honestly, I don’t think I’ve ever eaten the same thing as my significant others. My first serious boyfriend only ate chicken parmesean when we went out to dinner. Another was gluten-free and meat-loving. Another loved ranch on top of his pizza. I’m single now, but I live with two boys who adore bacon, ramen, boxed mac n cheese, bagels and eggs. But I’m completely fine eating completely different things, as long as they are willing to try a new vegetable every now and then!
Ben and I have been eating the same things recently and I like it :)
DAAAANNNNG those brownies look great. I go back + forth, sometimes I crave a brownie, most of the time I like blondies. Love the flavor!
Most of the time Jason and I eat the same thing… sometimes I make a batch of enchiladas and I make his bigger, or add cheese to his :)
I love quinoa too – this looks fabulous! I would have to make Jason something else completely, he is not a broccoli fan.
I cannot WAIT to try this recipe.
Looks delicious as always.
Lauren
Delicious! Is this an approved BFL meal too?
Yep!
Sent from my iPhone
I am a short order cooked but usually with a theme and make individually tweaked versions.
Those brownies look…amazing!!!
I do love BOTH brownies and blondies but am PICKY about the dry factor. I will not eat either if dry. Have to be half raw or underbaked :)
If you know of any perfect blondie or brownie recipes (i dont care even about the vegan or gluten), holla!
ooo, the blondie vs brownie q is tougher than it first appears…you know, i think i gotta go BLONDIE…but MUST have choco chips in it. i agree, brownies give choco overload pretty quick.
we eat the same thing maybe 1% of the time – seriously! so it’s always his n hers menus chez nous…works for us. we’d both be miserable trying to eat what the other enjoys!
nice job at the gym! i love the stepmill, too.
Definitely brownies! There is no such thing as “too rich” for me.
Awww, what a sweet package full of your favorites!!! SO nice to come home to indeed. I only like to spend more than an hour at the gym if I’m taking a class. Otherwise, it gets old fast.
Have a wonderful day love!
I love that you two are working out together! Josh and I try to go to the gym at the same time on the weekends if we can. During the week, our schedules are too different/unpredictable to make it worth. Both casseroles look great! Josh and I usually have the same main part of our dish, but a lot of the times I serve them differently. Like last night- I had leftover turkey sloppy joes (seriously so tasty) on a spinach salad. While Josh had it straight up, scooped with homemade tortilla chips and topped with cheese & jalapenos. I don’t think I’ve ever made brownies from scratch? I’m definitely a blondie girl ;)
That is SO sweet! Enjoy the goodies! I love Raspberry Viniagrette! <3
Have a great week Janetha.
mini casseroles are a hit! I like the quinoa addition. the hubs and I usually eat the same thing, which sometimes leaves us fighting for the leftovers. hehe!
Fun mail, I always love snail mail!
You are the hottest Betty ever!!!!!!! ; ) I love that you are seriously super wife! You work all day, go to gym, cook two different meals, and make brownies?!! Can I marry you?!! lol!
I want to say KUDOS to Marshall for keeping up his gym routine ! Proud of him!
Your quinoa casserole looks amazing!
Mike and Anthony eat different than me, only time we all eat the same is when it comes to desserts ; )
p.s. Bloggers are the best friends ever! SO sweet she sent you that and You know how SWEET you are for sending us a gift ; ) so glad we became friends! : )
I’m making a quinoa casserole this week too! I can’t decide if I want it tonight or tomorrow. Love them!
Brownies all the way for me – though, I love anything chocolate. The more the better!!
Those brownies look gooey & rich! We probably eat the same thing (minus meat for me) a few times a week, and my boyfriend’s always nice enough to cook meat on the side or not add it until I grab my food. We make burritos a lot, mine filled with veggies, his with veggies & meat.
Jason and I generally eat the same thing but sometimes he’ll add some sort of meat to his.
oh yum! that cassarole looks delicious! i have been eating quinoa like its going out of STYLE! seriously…I cook up a HUGE batch and just keep it for the week..I throw it on everything from salads to greek yogurt to just out of the bowl! YUM so good!
I also honestly think that boxed brownies are amazing. Something about them just makes them hard to resist! when my mom uses boxed brownies she always throws in some extra chocolate chunks or walnuts and then calls them “homemade” haha
xox
I am a cookie girl but I do love a good brownie or blondie from time to time ;) My BF and I eat similar things, well since I am the chef in the house he eats what I make him, LOL Though he really does love just about anything so he is easy to cook for, love that!
That chicken and broccoli casserole looks delicious. I have been wanting to pick up some quinoa but never knew what to make with it. I am definitely saving this recipe!
I am definitely a brownie type of girl. I’ve never made them from scratch before. I really want to try! My bf and I usually eat the same things. He really enjoys my cooking and he is open to trying new things so it works for us. :)
I’m not going to lie, at first I thought your post title was a reference to Paul Simon’s “You Can Call Me Al”!
But brownies are good too ; )
i’m totally bookmarking the casserole…holy yum!
Brownies all the way! I actually cannot remember the last time I had a blondie..? The bf and I generally eat the same thing, though I have more vegetables and a much smaller portion, the man eats like a horse!
Definately brownies!! This girl needs chocolate! :-)
My hubby and I don’t really eat together during the week because he gets home a lot later than I do and I would starve to death waiting. On the weekends we almost always do his & hers variations on meals because I don’t eat meat. Like on Saturday we made tacos, his with ground turkey and hers with lentils!
I’ve never actually had a blondie! *gasp* When my ex and I were together, we always ate the same thing, but any meal that had cheese in it always got MORE cheesy once it hit his plate! Haha!
That quinoa dish looks fab! And hello amazing stats! 36 grams of protein? Heck yeah!
Yessss the TJ’s High Fiber cereal is amazing!!
When I make dinner for the BF and I, we eat the same main course but I usually add cheese to his and buy some crusty bread for him to eat 3/4 of. He’s open to my cooking, he just eats WAY more than I do!!
I don’t like brownies or blondies. Team Cheesecake!
I eat whatever EXTREME! will cook for me. He’s vegetarian and quite the chef.
Yay for brownies!! Someone at work just told me yesterday that I had to try that recipe on the back of the Baker’s box…looks like I’ll have to add it to my list of brownie recipes. :-)
Also, I love it when Meeker and I go to the gym together, it also motivates me to be there longer and it’s fun to have some company.
Meeker and I usually eat the same things, but on occasion I’ll add meat to his portion, and leave it out of mine. It’s a pretty easy switch.
the fruit and nut medley cereal is my favorite!!! currently eating it as we ‘speak’ ha
i’m definitely a brownie person. but i’d like to make a marble blondie/brownie… get the best of both worlds!
definintely brownies, i love chocolate haha
we usually eat the same thing for supper, sometimes he’ll have a little extra like chicken as i won’t usually. But i will make it for him!
Mmm that casserole looks great. I’m not a huuuuge quinoa fan, so this looks like a great use for the bag I have sitting at home :)
I’m more of a blondie fan but definitely wouldn’t turn down a brownie, and my bf and I will usually eat the same thing, but we don’t eat together very often so hasn’t really become an everyday issue lol.
I’m with you that I think I prefer blondies overall but I can never turn down some brownie…as long as its fudgy! Those look dangerously good.
Usually Alex and I eat the same thing I just serve him a whole lot more. Or if we have meat with a side of veggies, his dish is about 90% meat and mine is about 90% veggies, haha. It all works out. I like the idea of making two minicasseroles though. I’ll have to keep that in mind :-)
Those brownies look amazing! I can’t decide which I prefer so I’ll just say I’d like a bit of both :-)
That’s a touch question. I’m usually a chocolate girl all the way but sometimes the blondies win! I try to make one meal for both but there are certain things that the man will not eat. Like brown rice, or anything with wheat in it, so we have to make substitutions. It can be a pain in the buttocks!
I am definitely going to have to make that casserole (well, since I’m not eating meat right now I’ll have to use tofu or something) but it looks sooooo good!
I NEED A PHOTO OF A TUNA SANDWICH! I CAN’T REMEMBER WHAT ONE LOOKS LIKE!
Just kidding.
I saw a Blondie recipe yesterday that I thought about trying but that’s just asking for trouble since Chris doesn’t really eat sweets.
We’re not working out together, but we are working out so there’s that.
Casserole looks awesome and excellent way to use up my mega bag of quinoa from Costco! You rock!
I love, love brownies! These look good! I would love to do my own taste test too, these would be included. But I have high hopes for the Baked Brownie, after some of the reviews.
we usually eat the same things..but I tend to shy away from heavy cream sauces and pork products…hubby on the other hand feel the more of these the better! looking forward to him heading back to the gym so he will be more concious of what he is putting into his body..it will ultimately help me out:)
Brownies all the way! I’ve never acutally tried a blondie, so maybe I would like it more…?
B & I normally eat the same thing, but last night he requested dinner be a homemade meat sauce pasta bake with cheesy goodness. I had a bite, but didn’t feel like all that pasta cheesy-ness… so I made something different (tofu w. peanut sauce & veggies) for me in the oven while his pasta baked. I would say that its only a couple times a month that I make two different things bc it’s twice the dishes and twice the work ;)
I love those BC brownies!! Definitely my favorite. Good to know there’s a quick alternative, although the sugar in them kills me! haha. At home, we usually eat the same thing, but sometimes Nick wants onion or meat in his dish, and so we’ll make that on the side and he adds it in.
i know, 2 cups, right?! that’s why they are so good. i figure a splurge is a splurge and i’d rather have something with organic evaporated cane sugar than something like HFCS.. that’s my excuse and i’m stickin to it ;)
let’s say I’ve never had a blondie. Could we still be friends?
BROWNIE ME, right now!!!! Those look yumazing. Dessert is not dessert without chocolate.
The manfriend and I usually eat the same thing! Thank goodness he was raised vegetarian and is used to no-meat ways. However, if we’re at Chipotle or something, he’ll get meat and I won’t. Other than that, he obviously eats larger portions. That’s all!
xoxoxo
killer brownies! i love bakers chocolate, it makes any dessert a little richer tasting i think.
the boy and i eat the same things. i usually make 3-4 servings though – one for me, a bigger one for him, and one for me to eat for lunch the next day. sometimes i will make rice or pasta mostly for him to bulk up a mainly veggie meal. he’ll eat all the veggies i make (cauliflower, brussels, and other things he thought he HATED!) but i can definitely eat twice as many vegetables, easy. i can’t imagine always having to cook two different meals. i’m going to do the same when i have kids. one meal for all!
1. Blondies! I actually sort of don’t even like brownies, whoops!
2. We ate the same thing 75% of the time, my husband just eats a bigger portion or usually a second snack.
BTW – I made the one bowl brownie recipe once, but skipped the nuts and added in 1cup of chocolate chips and some cinnamon extract – so good! I even liked them a little bit (and I hate brownies, see above) and my husband went crazy for them.
ate = eat
Brownies. I have never had a blondie before… I know, I know, its about time I make some.
I try to make one meal for my fiance and I, and just add meat into his portion.
1. quick! brownies or blondies?
Blondies are awesome, but if we’re talkin about adding mint to the brownies, those win :)
2. if you have a significant other—do you eat his + hers meals or do you eat the same thing? Patrick and I usually eat at the same time, the same food, but he’s a cheese/dairy junkie, and I rarely eat fro, dairy, (stomach probs) so sometimes I modify.
brad and i usually eat the same thing – he just usually gets double the portion!
Um, DEFINITELY brownies. Good, fudgy chocolate is a must! Glad you liked the recipe… we’ve been using that one for as long as I can remember and it just can’t be beat.
Oh those look fudgy! Jacob would be so happy with me taking on a brownie challenge… Maybe I shouldn’t tell him about your winner brownies ;)
Your brownies are the BOMB!!!!!! You know what’s weird? I like the corner pieces..because they are kind of crispy. :)
And, I’m surprised Marshall can eat so much cheese- it kills me because of the Crohn’s. Does he take anything before he eats dairy?
Dairy doesn’t bother him! I don’t know a lot about the disease, but I do know he drinks over a gallon of milk a week and eats 3-4 Chobanis a day. The Chobani is what makes him feel better, actually, yogurt has always helped. I was just grateful when he switched from Yoplait to Chobani ;)
My husband won’t eat 3/4 of the stuff I make – so my breakfast and lunches are ALL ME! Although, since his colon cancer surgery, he hasn’t had much of an appetite, so its been Biz meals for the last two weeks!
Hopefully he’ll get his appetite back soon! It’s almost grilling season!
Blondies, for sure!
Boyfriend and I don’t often share meals, he’s a carnivore and I’m a veg, he eats at 6 I eat at 10… etc. We share snack foods and stuff though haha.
Is that TJ’s cereal sort of a Fiber One derivative? Because I love putting that stuff in my oatmeal for “texture,” but I’d love to try another type!
Cheers!
Meri
I have never had Fiber One.. but I imagine it is!
I LOVE blondies too but I still dominate at eating brownies….I AM TRYING THAT RECIPE!! The stair mill KILLS me…you are hardcore. So awesome that Marshall is going to the gym with you!! I am going to have to try the his and her casseroles, brilliant!
Brownies totally – and the fudgie kind like you made! I love melting mint chocolate chips on top too:)
And my boyfriend isn’t a vegetarian so his meals often include meat, but I try to make us the same thing when I can!
I might have to say blondies.. even that I havent had them in awhile.. I make brownies way too often for my friends (everytime we hang they are like “heyyyy want to bring over some brownies!?!” haha) .. and I might be sick of them .. (shocking i know!)
Throw a handful of chocolate chips into those brownies…mmmm….very good!
Yum the quinoa casserole looks so tasty and healthy! It’s really gloomy and rainy here right now and I could really go for a healthy casserole!
I definitely prefer brownies, and I have a new favorite recipe (posted on my blog last week) that uses almond meal instead of flour.
Brownies!
Kepa and I usually eat the same thing but right now we don’t because I’m going gluten free temporarily and he isn’t. So we cook separately. It’s so much easier when we eat the same thing!
BLONDIES! and NICE HIIT workout- im saving that one.. along with all the others i save of yours!
1. Brownies. I’ll generally always choose chocolate over any non-chocolate flavor. Chocolate overload is not a bad thing in my book.
2. Hub and I absolutely eat differently! I do the high raw vegan thing, and he eats the occasional chicken and fish, which I will cook for him (I’ll cook it, but he has to pick it out at the store himself). I’ve become pretty efficient at preparing separate meals for us, to enjoy together. I do have him hooked on my awesome breakfast smoothies though, and I will only bake vegan treats (so I can enjoy them too, obviously).
I’m a fan of brownies more than blondies- but I’ll eat anything with sugar :)
How funny! I finally picked up your Raspberry Vinaigrette at TJ’s today! I guess you won’t have a shortage anymore! ;)
What a great idea for quinoa! I also love the texture and I really want to try this out! Do you have any suggestions to sub out the cream of chicken soup?
I am definitely a brownie girl and those look awesome!!! I normally cook for my boyfriend, and even though he doesn’t like things like broccoli and cauliflower, I still make them and he douses it with seasonings or cheese, so it works :)
You could just use more yogurt or even some blended cottage cheese! Add a bit of chicken broth if you want to get that chicken flavor in somehow.
I love this casserole recipe, esp the Greek yogurt in there!!! I sometimes make a variation of a recipe for my boyfriend, much like you did, since he tends to like more cheese, less veggies, etc… :)
His and mine ALWAYS!!!!
I am a chocolate lover so brownies, or lava chocolate cake. Scrumptious!
Alex and I pretty much never eat the same meals. With our wonky schedules, we pretty much fend for ourselves or go on a dinner date when we actually do have time together. Plus he often times doesn’t like what I’ve made because it’s “too healthy.” Although I will say he’s coming around to some of the healthier stuff that I cook and is actually more open to eating stuff I make these days, which makes me happy. :)
BROWNIES!!!!! Nothing’s better! :D
xoxox
Kathleen