Today I’m feeling reflective as I celebrate a major milestone – 20 years of practicing yoga!

Hi friends, I hope you had a wonderful weekend. Ours was low-key and we saw Riverdance, which was everything.

While I was at hot yoga last week, I realized that I’ve been practicing yoga for TWENTY YEARS. It hit me pretty hard and I couldn’t believe how much life I’ve been through since I was first introduced to yoga. Moves, deployments, babies, highs, and lows, yoga has been a fairly consistent part of my life. I’ve cried during savasana, mastered certain poses, struggled with others, spent 90% of certain classes in child’s pose, and learned to truly be present and focus on my breath.

It’s been two decades of unrolling my mat, connecting with my breath, and flowing through sequences that challenge and transform my mind and body. It’s hard to believe that 20 years have passed since I first discovered yoga, and while I can’t do any crazy tricks and I’m not the most flexible bear, this practice has shaped my life in countless ways. So, in honor of this milestone, I want to share with you some of the lessons I’ve learned, and the rewards I’ve reaped over the past 20 years of practicing yoga.

(Maisey also wants me to tell you that today is her birthday! OF COURSE she’s getting a doggy cake and birthday song)

20 years of practicing yoga

My introduction to yoga:

My very first class was a Rodney Yee yoga DVD I picked up at Target on a whim. I was in college, feeling the stressors of a dramatic relationship and constant homework deadlines, and figured I’d give it a whirl. Instantly, I was drawn in by the sense of calm it brought me. I also loved Rodney Yee’s clear, concise instruction and his ability to guide students to a deeper understanding of their bodies and the practice of yoga.

Looking back, this was the perfect way to get started: it was zero pressure (because I was solo, at home, in my mom’s living room). I started to practice yoga regularly, mostly before bed, and eventually transitioned into studio classes. Over the past 20 years, I’ve taken hundreds of yoga classes in studios all over the US, from California to Orlando and many spots in between.

Did you know that you can make a restaurant-quality clam chowder in less than 30 minutes? It’s easier than you might think!

Bratten’s Famous Clam Chowder

While in Louisiana a few weeks ago for Sean’s family reunion, I sat down with his cousins and naturally the conversation veered to food. (Is it just me or does this happen with everyone? I think it may just be me, but I’m not sad about it.)

Sean’s cousins, Andrea and Wendy, make an awesome New England clam chowder and were kind enough to share their recipe with me. As the story goes, many years ago, there was a restaurant in Salt Lake City called Bratten’s.

Their aunt and uncle loved the clam chowder at Brattens so much that when the restaurant was closing in the late ’80s, their uncle paid the owner to share the recipe with him.

In the years since, Brattens clam chowder recipe has been shared in the local newspaper and it’s been published in a few places online as well. However, the recipe our family was given is a little different, and having tried both now, I’m biased toward this one.

There are a couple of “secret” ingredients here that aren’t common in most clam chowder recipes.

At the end of the cooking process, you’ll add a splash of red wine vinegar. The vinegar enhances the flavors beautifully and you may find yourself wondering why you haven’t been adding vinegar to more recipes.

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One Pan 10-Minute Sticky Mexican Chicken

This one pan sticky Mexican chicken recipe only needs 6 simple ingredients and you’ll be eating the most flavorful chicken dinner in just 10 minutes! I love the combination of the citrus from the lime, a hint of sweet from the honey to counteract the spicy seasoning. It’s a perfectly balanced chicken recipe!

I love quick and easy chicken recipes! Chicken tends to take over in the quick dinner category which is funny because ground beef is actually faster to cook, but alas, here we are. Ok, so I’ve fallen in love and I need everyone to join me. I love this sticky Mexican chicken recipe and I really think it will be your back pocket recipe as well.

Where This Recipe Came From

This recipe started with a dying lime.

It was breathing it’s last few wispy breaths from the fruit basket I detest and I just knew that it was time for a little cpr. With only 6 ingredients I busted out dinner in just 10 minutes and now I can’t stop using the Mexican chicken in everything from tacos to rice bowls, and salads to soups, plus everything in between.

I really think the key is to use either our homemade taco seasoning or the Kinders brand, which I buy at Costco. I wouldn’t recommend the little taco seasoning packets as they don’t boast as much flavor. But if you must, the recipe will still be delicious.

I’d love to hear how you use the chicken! Reach out and share your recipes and photos on instagram @ohsweetbasil

Ingredients for Sticky Mexican Chicken

Sometimes the best recipes come from the most simple ingredients combined in just the right way. Here are the 6 ingredients you will need:

• Chicken Breasts: cut into bite size pieces, the chicken breasts can also be cooked whole if you prefer (see recipe notes for instructions)
• Taco Seasoning: we like to use our homemade recipe, but you can use store bought (we recommend Kinders)
• Olive Oil: used to cook the chicken and keep it from sticking
• Green Onions: greens only, chopped in 1″ pieces, adds flavor
• Lime Juice: adds a bright citrus flavor
• Honey: adds natural sweetness and balances the seasoning

The measurements for all the ingredients are listed in the recipe card at the end of this post.

Why You Will Love This Recipe

• One Pan: the whole recipe is made from start to finish in one pa

Brown Butter Dulce de Leche Rice Krispie Treats

Brown butter dulce de leche Rice Krispie treats start as a traditional Rice Krispie treat that gets elevated to the next level! The nuttiness from the brown butter with the creamy sweetness of the caramel all wrapped around the crunch of the cereal…I’m going to be bold and say it will be the best Rice Krispie treat of your life!

Kerri here! You might remember me from the world famous gingerbread men cookies and the caramel Bugles. Head over to those posts to read about who the heck I am…haha! Anyway…I told Carrian that she had to try this new recipe I had come up with because it was the most amazing Rice Krispie treat I had ever had. Side note…can we just call them RKTs from now on? Rice Krispie treat is such a mouthful!

Afterall, it was her RKTs recipe that was the base of the recipe in the first place. She made my brown butter dulce de leche version, and photographed them. And here we are! She had cinnamon sugar Rice Krispies in the cupboard and she swears by the cinnamon sugar! I can’t wait to try it that way!

How This Recipe Came to Be

This all started with a trip to Blox, a restaurant here in Utah that specializes in dessert bars. We tried one of their Rice Krispie treats one time, and I could tell immediately that it was made with brown butter and I was hooked for life. Then I thought, I should stuff some dulce de leche in the middle of this gooey RKT.

We love dulce de leche here at Oh Sweet Basil, and Carrian is always stuffing it into delicious recipes to make them even more outrageous, so I probably should do the same! So the RKTs were stuffed (or layered really) and minds and tastebuds were blown! I’ve made them a few times now for different events and every single person has wanted the recipe. I absolutely love that they will live here now and I can just send people a link to the recipe rather than explaining all my steps.

Ingredients for Browned Butter Dulce de Leche Rice Krispie Treats

You only need 6 ingredients and about 10 minutes to have these RKTs ready to go!

• Butter: I prefer to use unsalted butter so that I can control the salt in the recipe. The first step in this recipe will be browning the butter. I describe how to do that below.
• Vanilla Extract: Use real vanilla extract for maximum flavor.
• Mini Marshmallows: You want to use mini marshmallows so that they can melt quickly and evenly.
• Rice Krispies Cereal: I’ve only ever used regular Rice Krispies, but Carrian used the cinnamon sugar flavored and says that’s where it’s at! I trust her and will be trying it next time. It gives it a churro flare and churros never disappoint! Use either one and you won’t be disappointed!
• Sea Salt