Why, Hello There Stranger!

51 days, that’s how long it has been since my last blog post. I can hardly believe it as I type it out. It seems like only yesterday I was bidding you all farewell and taking off on jet plane to what would be one of the most amazing and life changing vacations I have ever had. Then bam it was Thanksgiving, then Christmas, our anniversary and now New Year’s…really, 51 days?!? Where has the time gone? And if I thought 2010 was crazy, 2011 is going to be even more event filled and before you know it we’ll be right back here again ringing in 2012…only 362 more days to go!

Needless to say we have some catching up to do, and don’t worry there are plenty of recipes to come. While I may have not been blogging I have been cooking up a storm, and have plenty to share with you all. But first, let’s play a little catch up…

The last time I was here the boy and I were leaving for our annual trip to Costa Rica. As always it was amazing, and despite Tropical Storm Tomas wreaking havoc on our little country a few days before we arrived, we were able to see almost all of what we planned. Any vacation, especially one to a foreign country, is sure to involve a hiccup or two and you are guaranteed to return with some unforgettable experiences and amazing memories. And this trip surely disappoint. We saw some amazing sites and made some wonderful memories, one in particular at sunset on November 17th. That is the evening where the boy, at one of our favorite spots in Hermosa, officially became ‘The Fiancé’ and where he asked me to be his wife.

The past 51 days have been some of the happiest of my life. I’ve been able to share our wonderful news with family and friends, and now you, during a holiday season where we all are reminded of how blessed and thankful we truly are. I hope that you all had an amazing holiday and that you were able to share your time and your hearts with the one’s your hold dear. 2012 is going to be a fantastic year filled with fabulous food and of course, a wedding! So I look forward to continuing this journey with you, of sharing recipes new and old that we all enjoy and to start on this next chapter of our lives together. Thank you for coming on the ride with me.

Latin Baked Chicken
Serves 4

8 bone-in chicken thighs, skin removed
3 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons minced chipotle’s in adobo sauce
¼ cup fresh lime juice

Depending on how spicy you like it you can adjust the amount on chipotle’s accordingly. I go for 2 tablespoons of minced chipotle’s and a tablespoon of abobe sauce. The added sauce gives the marinade additional smokiness but not too much additional heat. Start by preheating your oven to 400°. Combine soy sauce, honey, chipotles and lime juice in a large bowl. Add the chicken and toss well to coat. Arrange the marinated chicken thighs on a broiler pan covered in aluminum foil (this makes for easy clean up later). Toss into your preheated oven and cook for 15 minutes. Dump the remaining marinade into a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Transfer the marinade to a small sauce pan and bring to a boil over medium heat, cook for 3-5 minutes. When the chicken is done, remove it from the oven and brush all thighs liberally with the reduced marinade. Pop the chicken back into the oven for an additional 10 minutes. Serve along side some yellow rice, with some frozen peas and roasted red peppers thrown in. It adds amazing flavor and incorporates your daily ‘green’ requirement. Enjoy!!