Hawaiian Honey Chicken Skewers

I've posted similar recipes before for different types of kabobs/skewers but this one was exceptionally good because of the sweet and sour flavors marinated into the chicken. Marinating the chicken for a few hours ahead of time also helps to keep the chicken moist when cooking on the grill.

Ingredients:

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into cubes

1/4 cup honey

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/4 olive or vegeable oil

1 large onion

1 red bell pepper

1 green pepper

1 cup pineapple chunks

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

Wooden or metal skewers

Serving size: 8 skewers

What To Do: 

1. Cut the onion and peppers into 2 inch squares

2. Whisk together honey, soy sauce, oil, minced garlic and black pepper. Use 3/4 of the mixture to marinate the chicken, onions and peppers in a covered bowl for 2+ hours in the refrigerator.

3. Preheat the grill on high heat

4. Assemble chicken, veggies and pineapple chunks onto the skewers. 

(Tip: soak wooden skewers in water ahead of time to prevent burning on the grill)

 

5. Cook chicken skewers on the grill 15 minutes basting regularly with marinade and flipping with tongs every 3-5 minutes.

Enjoy!

 

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Weekend Staycation & Charity Gala

Hope everyone had a good weekend! I got to catch up on a little R&R, but just a little...

Friday night was pretty relaxing, thankfully! We had dinner and drinks with some friends to catch up with them and then spent the rest of the night watching movies at home. Life recently has been so busy every weekend, I haven't had a Friday night on the couch in a long time.

On Saturday night, K and I went to a charity gala to support children and families in Central Florida battling childhood cancer. The event was sponsored by my company so they put us up in a hotel by Disney for the night. It was a nice little Staycation!

The gala had live music, poker & other table games, dinner & drinks and several different auctions. We didn't do so well at the table games but it was a nice night out for a good cause. Some of the families shared their stories and expressed how the proceeds really help them especially since parents often have to give up their jobs to care for their children full-time. I was glad to be a part of it!

 

On Sunday we had breakfast at the hotel and then headed home. I made a pit-stop at the VS semi-annual sale and scored some $3.99 undies. Always good to restock, right?

The rest of Sunday was spent cleaning, grilling (recipe to come tomorrow), and watching the World Cup.

How was your weekend?

Joining Molly for Funday Monday and Biana for Weekending.

Happy Friday ~ I'm Back!

Since returning from my trip to Punta Cana, I've been so tired and just dragging along trying to catch up with work and getting back into the swing of things. It's the true definition of needing a vacation after your vacation! I'm thankful the weekend is here to catch up on rest, blogging and all the stuff around the house. 

 

Our trip to the Dominican Republic was nothing short of amazing! I can't wait to do a full recap of the trip next week. Funnily enough my iPhone (with most of my photos) stayed in the DR a few extra nights (long story) so I've been pretty useless for most of the week with social media, blogging, etc.

A big THANK YOU to the 4 bloggers that took over Martinis & Bikinis as guest posters while I was gone - Kate, Krystal, Jordon and Michelle. You ladies rock!

 

You would think after 5 days in the Caribbean, one would return super relaxed. Yes our days were spent lounging at the beach or pool but, with 32 friends, the nights were long and the wedding itself was probably the most fun I've had in a looong time.

The travel time from hotel to home was about 12 hours so it was a long day and I went right back to work. Both our departing and returning flight had a layover in Panama City (in Panama not Florida). We didn't get to leave the airport but I did get to try Panamanian beer and an empanada at an airport bar. Yumm!

Another great benefit of international travelling is duty free shopping so I managed to score this perfume set as an anniversary gift from K.

Hope everyone has a great weekend and I'll catch you next week when my head is no longer fuzzy! xoxo

Joining Lauren for H54F and April for Five on Friday.

Staying Fit in Vacation Mode

Hey guys!  It’s Michelle from It’s the New Twenty, guest posting for my girl Emily while she’s off in the Dominican sippin’ martinis in her bikinis! ;)  (See what I did there?)  I know we’re all super jealous but hopefully you too have some summer vacation time penciled in these next few months.  And we’ve all been working so hard for our summer bods, I thought it’d be the perfect time to talk about staying fit while in paradise….

You did it!  You worked so hard for that bikini body and are looking great as you embark on that long anticipated vacation, only to have those abs fall to flab as you lounge by the pool all day slurping milkshakes and Miller Lites.  Oh vacation, where all good workout regimens come to die.  I know some of you are probably lucky enough to stay somewhere with a gym or don’t mind paying the ridiculous gym fees for tourists, but I am not one of those.  I’ve had to find alternative, budget-friendly ways to keep my progress from diminishing while still enjoying my vacations to the fullest.

I run every day.  I am by no means a runner and probably can count on one hand the number of days I will run outside during the year, but vacation is a different story.  I love running on vacation because it requires no extra equipment and it’s a great way to get out and see the sights.  I usually stick to the streets or boardwalk, but if you’re really brave you can try it in the sand.  And because I’m constantly looking around at everything and everyone, the time passes much more quickly and before I know it, I’ve gone a couple of miles!  Just be sure to do it early in the morning or in the evening so you don’t pass out from heat!

I go back to the old school Jane Fonda style floor exercises.  No, I’m probably not going to build a lot of muscle this way, but activating all of the muscle groups should keep me from losing much for a week or so until I get back to normal routines.  Plus, it’s fun and beneficial to switch up your exercises, so between this and running, I’m certainly doing that! 

I pack bags of veggies and fruits because absolutely refuse to pass up on any vacation goodies, meals, or cocktails.  I consider it part of the experience.  Vacation without ice cream, crab cakes, and orange crushes are just plain stupid in my opinion.  Therefore, if I pack my bag of cucumbers or broccoli florets to whip out for afternoon snacks, I don’t feel half as bad about the delicious trash I will surely consume later.  Keep me nutritionally balanced, or as much as I can be in vaca mode!

I drink water!  This should go without saying, but between sitting in the sun all day and the alcoholic beverages, it’s easy to get dehydrated.  Keeping a water bottle handy and forcing myself to sip from it keeps my body going through the duration of the trip.  Somebody please remind me of this piece of advice as I embark on my bachelorette party this weekend….

I get plenty of rest.  Understandably, every vacation is different and if you’re headed for Vegas, well, good luck.  But for the typical beach goer, you should be able to use this time sleep when you are tired.  Don’t try to stay up late if your eyelids are falling and don’t pressure yourself to get out of bed until you absolutely feel like it.  For me, this may or may not be more like 7 a.m. (yes, I’m a weirdo), but it feels like sleeping in to me!

I hope these tips can help you stay happy and healthy all summer long!  Come stop by my blog and say hello; I’ve got lots of exciting stuff going on!

Creamy Chicken Pesto Tortellini

Today, I'm keeping it simple. I've been seeing tortellini recipes on several blogs and Pinterest and finally decided to whip up something of my own. Of course, I technically cheated using the packet of pesto sauce mix but people are always asking for easy recipes so here it is!

Ingredients:

2-3 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1 package spinach cheese tortellini
1 packet creamy pesto sauce mix
1 tbsp olive oil

What To Do:
1. Cut chicken into small chunks.
2. Pour olive oil into pan and cook chicken over medium heat for 15-20 minutes or until fully cooked.
3. In medium pot, boil tortellini according to instructions on the packet.
4. In a small sauce pan, whip up the pesto sauce according to instructions on the packet.
5. Once the chicken and tortellini are fully cooked and the sauce is ready, combine all ingredients.
6. Serve and Enjoy!

 

 

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Blue Avenue Boutique by Jordon

Hope everyone had a great weekend!
I have the lovely lady behind the blog Love Always, Nancy J guest posting for me today! Seriously, Jordon is one of nicest bloggers I've come across and I love her new online boutique. I'm excited to wear my new coral dress while I'm in Punta Cana for a friend's wedding.

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Hey y'all!

My name is Jordon and ramble over at Love Always, Nancy J.

Emily is gallivanting around the Dominican and I am sitting here dreaming of day drinking on the beach. Can you tell I am a little bitter?

Anways,

I am a newlywed that hails from Nashville, TN and a firm believer that hair poofing should be considered an artform.

My husband is the man referred to as T and being married is the funnest adventure I have ever been on..

I recently opened an online women's boutique called, Blue Avenue.

This has been my labor of love and baby for a few months now. 

The store has been an absolute dream and I love seeing all my girls in their fabulous new Blue Avenue pieces!

Today only all Martinis & Bikini's followers will recieve 15% OFF their Blue Avenue purchase!

Use the code BIKINI at checkout and shop away my loves!

Website| Facebook| Instagram
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 Head over to my blog and say hello!

Guest Post: Hey it's OK! by Krystal

Happy Friday 13th! I actually love this day because I was born on the 13th so I've always believed it's a lucky day for me.  

I have a special lady taking over my blog today. Krystal is witty, pretty and her sense of humor will surely give you a good ab workout so hop over to her blog and show some love. I'll let her take it from here...

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Hello readers of Martinis and Bikinis! I'm Krystal and I blog over at The Kay Times. I'm so excited to be guest posting for Emily while she's away on vaca (Jealous! Seriously she takes the best vacations). I've been reading Emily's blog even before I started my own and I was hooked and shocked from the moment I read that she was from Trinidad, which is where I'm from. The fact that she has one of the catchiest blog names and is one of the nicest bloggers out there doesn't hurt either!

It's no secret around my blog that I read celebrity magazines. A lot. If any of you have ever read Glamour Magazine, you would probably already know that they have a satirical column that I love called "Hey it's Ok!" I love reading them (most are hilarious) so I recreated my own!

... to have your breakfast at 12 noon because you didn't have a second to sit and eat breakfast because you got to work late because of traffic. Again.

... to eat dessert for dinner on that same day because healthy eating on that day was already shot to hell and because well who needs an excuse for dessert.

... to decide to stay home on a weekend because watching house hunters and reading seem more appealing than getting all dressed and made up for another night out ... Also, those trashy reality TV shows on the DVR aren't going to watch themselves #I'mold.

... to be counting down until Scandal is in season again ... or any Fall TV shows for that matter because Summer TV sucks. Big time.

... to laugh to yourself when that girl who is all dolled up (with a full face of makeup ... fake lashes included) at the gym trips and almost bites it while trying to do a glamorous and sexy run on the treadmill ... it might be ok to laugh out loud too. I wont judge.

... to sit out the gym for the day because you're tired. Or lazy. Or annoyed by girls like the one above.

... to leave your car unwashed for three weeks ... even if you car is navy blue and every speck of dirt shows up. Hey it'll rain eventually!

... to call on your mum every single time you have a problem. Even at 28.

... to save baby names in the notepad app on your phone although you are newly single and have zero babies ... or maybe this is just creepy? #babyfever

... to shop online like its your job and buy things that you absolutely do not need because of one word: SALE!

... to turn off the phone, TV, and all other electronic devices and instead enjoy and appreciate the things and people around you ... or take a nap.

... to be yourself no matter what. Remember, "Those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind." Also, in the words of Dr. Seuss:

Once again thank you Emily for having me!!

Punta Cana Recap by Kate

Today I'm excited to have Kate guest posting while I'm on my way to the Dominican Republic for a friend's wedding. It also happens to be our wedding anniversary so the husband and I will be celebrating in style in the tropics.  Kate offered to share her trip to the DR so I'm excited to have her be the host today!

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I can't begin to explain how jealous I am that Emily is on a beach enjoying endless frozen drinks in Punta Cana. I've been all over the world, and my trip to Punta Cana last year was hands down my favorite vacation ever. Such a beautiful and amazing place!

We stayed at the Majestic Colonial which was magical. I felt like we got so much more at this resort than any other resort we've stayed at.We upgraded to a club room which honestly wasn't that much more expensive especially for all the extras it includes. Club rooms are on the adults only side of the resort which is new and has 2 adults only pools with swim up bars and day beds to lounge on. There's also an adults only beach with it's own beach bar and servers who come out to your palapa. Perfection! We had a jacuzzi tub in the room which our butler (yes I said butler!) drew a bubble bath for us at night. We also had 4 liquor bottles and a bottle of champagne in our room free of charge, access to the club lounge which was always stocked with hot and cold food, more booze, water bottles, an espresso machine, free wifi, pretty much the works! Staying on the club side also meant private check in and check out where we were greeted with a freshly popped bottle of champagne and were escorted by our butler to our room. Amazing doesn't even describe the whole experience.

Champagne was the theme at the resort it felt like. We had mimosas every morning at breakfast and were greeted with a glass every night before being seated at dinner. And as soon as you looked like you were half way done, they came by to refill your glass. We enjoyed dinner in the hibachi restaurant, the French restaurant, and the steakhouse. I was blown away at how delicious the food was at an all-inclusive.

I can't wait to see Emily's recap of her fabulous vacation. I'm sure I'll find myself back in the D.R. before I know it!

If you'd like to read more about my travels, hop on over and visit my little corner of the internet Green Fashionista. My travel tab now features our recent trip to Spain, France, and Portugal. And next up on the agenda is an end of the summer trip to Chicago with Emily and K... can't wait to eat our way through another fabulous city with great friends.

Vegas Style: Daytime to Nighttime Outifts

I visited Vegas earlier this year in January when the weather was a bit chilly but now that it's warming up, I'd love to go back. Although I spent two full days site-seeing (and the rest working a convention), there's still so much I didn't get to do. I didn't get to experience any of those "legendary" pool parties or see any shows at night.

Comfort is key and since Vegas requires A LOT of walking, a good pair of shoes and a sundress, romper or pair of shorts is ideal for me during the day. Or a pretty coverup if you plan to lounge by the pool. Especially in the summer, the weather is blazing hot.

Photo via Aria Resort

Pleated Racerback Romper  •  Ruffled Surplice Romper • 2 Inch Cutoff Denim Shorts • Ruffled Zip Front Romper • Purple Scarf Print Tube Dress •  Ruffled Zip Front Romper

Whether you're going out for a dinner date, to see a show or clubbing at a popular club such as Aria's Haze, people dress to impress at night in Vegas.

Photo via Aria Resort

Lovely Lace Dress • Posh Lace Peplum Top • Colored Zippered Skinny Jeans • Subtle Sequined Shorts • Bombshell Sequined Dress • Parker Red Lip Smack Dress

I think the biggest challenge for me is finding comfortable shoes for nighttime wear. I simply cannot walk for miles in high heels or stilettos.

What shoes do you find work best for nighttime in Vegas or large cities?

Recipe: Turkey Salisbury Steak

I made this for the first time on Sunday with mashed cauliflower instead of potatoes and it was excellent! Mashed cauliflower is actually much easier to make and healthier so it's a win win. I posted an easy recipe recently you can use.

Ingredients: 
1 lb ground turkey
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 egg, beaten
3/4 cup Italian breadcrumbs
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 packet brown (or mushroom) gravy mix
1 cup water
Black pepper to taste

Serving Size: 6

 

What to Do:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 

2. Mix ground turkey, breadcrumbs, egg, Worcestershire sauce, garlic and black pepper together in a bowl and form into 6 oval patties. Arrange patties on a greased baking sheet and bake in oven for 20 minutes.

3. Saute onions with a little olive on medium heat for 6 minutes and then add mushrooms. Cook for another 6-10 minutes until mushrooms are fully cooked.

4. Whisk together water, cream of mushroom soup and brown gravy and bring to a slow boil, stirring frequently. Lower heat and simmer for 5-10 minutes or until sauce has thickened.

 

5. After 20 minutes, flip patties and bake for another 10 minutes.

6. Once everything has cooked. Serve by first adding a scoop or two of mashed cauliflower (or mashed potatoes), top with a turkey patty, then layer with sauteed mushrooms & onions and finally pour gravy over the top.

Enjoy!

 

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