Red Plum Chicken

A great crockpot dinner.

While serving the web last night, I found a recipe similar to the one below.  It called for a jar of Apricot jelly, honey and a few other spices.  All of which I didn't have in the pantry.  BUT, I did have Red Plum Jelly!!  So I used the recipe I found as a guide and created the one below. 

The Red Plum Preserves and Soy Sauce gives it an Asian Bar-b-que flavor.  Very YUMMY!  I only made 4 chicken breasts and my family was not happy that we didn't have enough for seconds or leftovers! 

11 oz jar Red Plum Preserves
2 tablespoons Deli Style Mustard
1 tablespoon Soy Sauce
1 teaspoon Ground Ginger
1 teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
4 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts

Combine the preserves, mustard and spices in a bowl.  Place the chicken in the Crockpot and pour the mixture over the top.  Cook on low for 6 - 8 hours.  Serve over rice and enjoy!

Inspiration from a Towel

I found this towel on a recent trip to Ross. 

I fell in love with the colors and the pattern.  I only found one at the store I was at, but thought that I would be able to locate more at another store.  NOT the case!  I have been to 5 stores in our area trying to find them and have only found 2 wash clothes.  No towels.  And to top it off, the original towel is only a hand towel.  I even did a search online and haven't had any luck.

Really wanting this towel to be a part of the guest bath update, but needing more than one hand towel, I had an idea.

I took the towel to the my local copy store and made a color copy of the towel.  I would then turn the color copies into wall art, incorporating the colors and pattern into the bathroom!

As always, I have a ton of  'junk' in my garage just waiting to be repurposed.  This time it was a block of wood that was just big enough for me to get 4 pieces out of it, one 11x14 and three 8x10.  Primed, painted and splashed a little color on the edges.

Once dry, I adhered the color copies to the wood blocks with Mod Podge. 

They will look great on the light grey walls I just painted in the guest bath.  Just enough color and pattern to bring a smile to your face.

Total Cost: $5.34 for 4 pieces

Color Copies - $4.05 (three 8 1/2 x 11 sheets and one 11 x 17)

Blue paint for the edges - $1.29

Wood - had

Primer - had

Mod Podge - had

How to make custom dessert plates

I 'mustache' u

A new trend among teenagers. The mustache. On shirts, on necklaces, temporary tattoos, coffee cups, earrings, shoes...why is it so popular?

Our daughter turned 13 this July and when I asked that question, the one that I dread but secretly love, the one that most likely result in an answer that requires major craftiness, major creativity.  I get this....

Me - "Stacy, what theme would you like for your birthday?"

DUN....DUN....DUN

Stacy - "OH! OH!! MUSTACHES!!!!"

Me - "Oookkaayy?! What exactly does that mean?"

Stacy - "You know mustaches."

Me - "Oookkaayy?! We have time."

So, there's the challenge, a mustache party. Wow. Yet another birthday party that can't just be outfitted from the local big box store.

An evening of looking around online. Pinterest. Nice ideas, but mainly for little boys first birthdays or parties with an adult tone. Not too many ideas for 13 year old girls.

After much nagging, I was finally able to get Stacy to tell me what she was envisioning when it came to her party decorations. Neon colors, black & white houndstooth and mustaches. Ok....we've got this!

I had quickly come to the realization that I would need to do a lot of crafting to make this party.  Then we found them. Mustache stickers.

We started with the invitations.  Of course we have to make our own. 

Now we just needed to find disposables. Target had neon cups, plastic ware and straws. And CHEAP!

We stumbled onto these napkins at Party City and were beyond thrilled! I think we actually screamed. Right there in Party City. People may have looked at us. But they were houndstooth napkins! I mean come on, it deserved a little excitement.

We looked and looked, but couldn't find any plates that were neon enough for Stacy and they didn't have houndstooth plates.  She and I had both come to the conclusion that we would just have to settle for black plates. Then...it...hit...me. We can make plates! Yes, I know, we are only going to eat cake off of them and then throw them away. But you have to understand my crazy party mind.

A quick trip to my party supply closet and my craft closet here at the house scored us everything we needed. Clear plastic cake plates, neon colored scrapbook paper, double-sided tape, and those mustache stickers.

Ta-da!

Still working on the decor and the take-aways for the girls, but this will be a great party and she will have great memories.

More to come.

Birthday Invitations

Our daugthers never pick "easy" birthdays.  They always seem to pick parties that are not readily available in the party stores.  I honestly have a love/hate relationship with this.  I love that they want to be unique and that I get to be crafty, but hate that I wait until the last minute to work through all of it (and have ideas that are sometimes grander than I have time for). 

This year our youngest decided on a baseball theme at the local laser tag facility.  My reply?  "Woo-hoo!  Party City has a great selection of baseball stuff!"  Her reply?  "No Momma, I want a GLITZY baseball party!  You know, with shiney, shimmery stones and glitter all over everything!"  Well, guess that means I get to be crafty again.

Scheduling her party was the easy part.  Then came the invitations.  I could easily find baseball scrapbook paper, but it all seemed a bit boy-ish.  Then the glitz fairy hit me, right there in the middle of Hobby Lobby.  What could be more glitz than zebra print, stars and rhinestones.  Eureka!! 

Hmmm.....how else can I serve tilapia!?

In an effort to eat a little healthier, I have stocked our freezer with a variety of fish, chicken and turkey.  We eat pork, but not very often and little to no beef.  Due to our hectic schedule, I need meals to be on the table and ready to eat as quickly as possible.  Tilapia seems to fit that bill.

After making tilapia at least once a week for the last 6 weeks, I decided to try a simpler solution.

Pan-seared spicy tilapia sandwiches, baked seasoned sweet potato fries and fruit.  Quick, simple, tasty and oh so easy!  

Pan-seared Spicy Tilapia

1 tablespoon cumin
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon jalapeno salt
1 tablespoon paprika
Hoagie Rolls
Roma tomato
Lettuce
Avocado
Spice Mayonnaise

Blend spices and season the fish.  In a hot pan, cook fish for approximately 3 minutes on each side (depending on thickness of fillet).  Once the fish is done, toast the rolls in the pan.  This will soak up all of the wonderful tasty bits from the pan.

Assemble: Spicy mayonnaise and fish on one side; lettuce, tomato and avocado on the other.

Dig in and Enjoy!

  

Chicken Tortilla Soup

My family and I love Chicken Tortilla Soup but unfortunately, all of the recipes I have found are either heavy on the grease in the soup or don't have that nice little kick.  I was excited to find a recipe online that I could twist into my own.

1 onion, chopped
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
7 cloves of garlic, minced
2 cans of mild diced tomatoes and green chilies (do not drain)
64 ounces chicken broth (yes, this is correct)
2 cups water
1 1/2 tablespoons cumin
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
4 cups cooked, shredded chicken
6-7 tortillas cut into thin strips
4 tablespoons, olive oil

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in skillet.  Add onion.  Once tender, add garlic and cilantro.  Let simmer for about 2 minutes.  Add the tomatoes, broth, and spices.  Bring to a boil; then add chicken.  Heat till warmed through.

Meanwhile, toss the strips of tortillas in 2 tablespoons of oil and bake in a 400 degree oven until crisp (this goes pretty quickly, so keep an eye on it).
Serve with a little sprinkle of cheese, the crisped tortillas and avocado.  Enjoy!!

Online recipe turnout out to be a great surprise

Don't typically buy beef, but the other day I found a great deal on a 3 lb Chuck Roast (paid $6).  Now, what to do with it!

I went online an found a very simple recipe and decided to try it.

3 lb Chuck Roast
6 T. A-1 Sauce
2 packets onion soup mix
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
1 1/2 cans water

Brush the A-1 on both sides of the roast.  Sprinkle the onion soup mix on both sides.  Mix the soup and water in a bowl to remove the lumps.  Pour over the meat.  Bake covered for 3 hours at 350 degrees.

I served ours with mashed potatoes and roasted veggies.  YUMMY!  Will certainly make this again.