Rose and Feather Hair Clip Tutorial I love this hair pin, so sweet. Fit for tea time, no? Or maybe stopping to smell the flowers… or the blue spruces…whatever suits your fancy. One things for sure, it will surely upgrade any ponytail. You have no doubt seen these everywhere, they are so easy to make. Supplies: fabric at least 25 inches long and 1½ inches wide for one flowerfeathershair clip,hot glue gun The bigger flowers I made were made with 32″ x 1½” pieces of silk, but for the smaller flower that my little one is using I used a 24 inch long piece. Start by folding the strip of fabric in half. Now run a thin strip of glue around one side. Working fast, twist the strip and pull around the hot glue. Now we have a rose. From a piece of scrap fabric cut a circle just smaller than the flower then drizzle hot glue on the back… And press the piece on. Depending on what hair clip you decide to use, you may need to add a little fabric. Using hot glue, open the clip and glue the fabric to the inside… It should look like this. And so cute!
Slow Cooker Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup **UPDATED ON 1/22/12 based on comments left** Last week we had 2 days with the temperature in the high 60's. Then this week starts out with the temperture in the 30's and a small amount of snow. Honestly, I didn't mind it a bit because it gave me the excuse to make this wonderful soup that I've had bookmarked for a while. This soup is of course easy (as most slow cooker meals are) but also really delicious. The base for this soup is this package of Rice-A-Roni Long Grain and Wild Rice. Serve this up with a crusty roll...can we say comfort food? Ingredients: 4 1/2 cups chicken broth2 cups water2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts1 package of Rice-a-Roni long grain and wild rice 1/2 tsp salt (plus more to taste)1/2 tsp pepper1/2 cup all purpose flour1/2 cup butter2 cups half and half (I used fat-free half and half)1 cup grated carrots (I diced mine)1 cup diced celeryDirections: Combine broth, water, carrots, celery, chicken and rice (along with seasoning packet) in a large slow cooker.
CheapCooking.com: Cheap Quick Easy Recipes for your Family, Cheap Healthy Recipes, Grocery List on a Budget Cafe Rio Sweet Pork A couple of days ago I posted a copycat recipe for “Cafe Rio” CHICKEN. I’ve had several requests for the “Cafe Rio” PORK recipe too….so I thought I would oblige. THIS recipe I have made a LOT! My husband and I like the pork in a salad…my boys like it in burrito form, either way it’s DELICIOUS! I’ve also included the recipes for the Cilantro-Lime Rice and the Tomatillo Ranch Dressing that are a wonderful compliment to the pork. Sweet Pork Barbacoa 2 pounds pork (I like to use the pork butt – my butcher concurs) 2 cans Coke (NOT diet) 1/2 c. brown sugar 1/2 tsp garlic salt 1/4 c. water 1 can diced green chiles 3/4 can enchilada sauce (I used Old El Paso) 1 c. brown sugar Put the pork in a reclosable bag to marinate, pour in one of the cans of Coke and 1/2 c. brown sugar. Drain marinade and put pork, 1/2 can of Coke, water, and garlic salt in crock pot on high for about 3-4 hours. Put shredded pork back in the crock pot, cover with sauce, heat just until warmed through. Cilantro Lime Rice
Mint Chocolate Chip Cake Chocolate cake and I have had a very interesting romance. I started off with quite an intense dislike of chocolate cake. I KNOW. But try not to judge me too harshly, I had many bad experiences with store-bought dry, dense mudcakes covered in grainy baking chocolate icing. So every year when I asked Regex Man what cake he would like for his birthday and every year he replied me with "Chocolate. So this year for Regex Man's birthday I offered to do a chocolate cake even though he said it didn't have to be chocolate this year. I used David Lebovitz's devil's food cake recipe again, my new favourite chocolate cake since making it for my raspberry cupcakes when I launched the new site. Originally I was going to arrange the scoops of icing around the edge of the cake, but I realised I didn't have quite enough icing to do that so I ended up just doing a few of them in the middle. Mint Chocolate Chip Cake Mix together the coffee and milk. Happy Birthday Regex Man!
Creamy Broccoli Cheddar Soup Creamy Broccoli Cheddar Soup I hope you all had a happy, joyful holiday rich with good food and the company of loved family and friends! I certainly had a special Christmas spending it with my in-laws, cozying up to cups of hot cocoa, making hundreds of homemade ravioli, and spending quiet quality time telling new and old stories. Though my own parents were in my thoughts, it was a treat to be with my husband’s family and I’m looking forward to seeing all of my family again in the coming year. Now, onto to the soup: After a rushed day of traveling back home yesterday, a pot of this comforting, warm broccoli cheddar soup is just what we needed to relax. Here’s how it’s done… After cooking chopped onions in a bit of butter (is there any better aroma?) Cook it, share it and enjoy it to the fullest while swimsuit season is still far off! Print Save Yield: Makes approximately 5 servings (1 1/2 cups per serving) Ingredients: 1 tablespoon melted butter 1/2 medium chopped onion 1/4 cup melted butter
tiny gingerbread houses, a few variations Earlier I made gingerbread houses meant to perch on the edge of a mug, but I wanted to work on a few more things. First, since these are meant to be eaten I wanted to cut down on the amount of royal icing. I still used it to assemble the houses, but to get sugar decorations to stick to the roofs I decided to use simple syrup. I heated one part water and one part sugar and let it bubble for a while on the stove just so it would thicken. After it was thoroughly cooled I put a dot on the roof and spread it around using a small brush I keep to use as a mini pastry brush. Second, I added a chimney. I think it turned out very cute, though I found that the taller chimneys looked incongruous, so I’ll stick to very short chimneys. Third I decided to see what whole happen if I moved the door shape, the part that fits over the mug, off to one side to allow more of the house to hang on the outside of the mug. Last I wanted to see if it would work out using sugar cookie dough.
The Fountain Avenue Kitchen – Baked Cheddar-Broccoli Rice Cups What started as a way to use the Minute rice my husband bought in place of long grain rice has become something of a sensation. When I shared this recipe shortly after I began The Fountain Avenue Kitchen, I never dreamed it would be shared, Pinned, and cooked so often. Interestingly, at least once a week I get an email from someone telling me that this recipe and photo were posted on someone else’s blog with no credit to me. Given that I am putting recipes out on the world wide web in the first place, I figure this is not something to get too upset about. Simple to whip up with ingredients you have on hand, this side is a sure kid-pleaser that adults will enjoy as well. Vary the cheese or variety of rice, if you like, or bake in a casserole dish or jumbo muffins tins. Baked Cheddar Broccoli Rice Cups © The Fountain Avenue Kitchen
Crepes of Wrath A Super Satisfying Chicken Spaghetti Recipe Chicken Spaghetti is a go-to dish at our house. Our long-time friend, neighbor and fellow Boomer Shelley Tyler turned me on to this yummy casserole. She got the recipe while on a ski vacation with her family, and has been perfecting it for almost two decades (though you'd never guess it to look at her!). I discovered Shelley's secret about two years ago while battling Stage 2 breast cancer. She was with me every step of the seemingly impossible journey, praying for a positive outcome, taking me to chemotherapy and cooking what has become one of Bob's and my favorite meals. Since then, I serve this grilled chicken, angel hair pasta and creamy sauce medley at least once a month using Shelley's super recipe. You need only seven ingredients which you probably already have on hand: angel hair pasta, chicken (grilled or canned), cream of chicken and cream of mushroom soup, Rotel diced tomatoes and green chiles, sour cream, and cheese. Chicken Spaghetti Serves 8 Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
CREAMY ONE INGREDIENT ICE CREAM It’s raining hard. Really hard. Scary kind of hard . . . lightening . . . thunder . . . wind. It’s o.k. Healthy & good for you Ice Cream. See. Yes, that’s right. So . . . What is this one magic ingredient that can be whipped into perfectly rich and silky ice cream? Can you guess? You can also make it a bit un-healthy if you’re so desired. I was so desired! Creamy & Smooth Banana Peanut Butter Marshmallow Chocolate Almond Ice Cream! Oh yes . . . It’s fun to sit on your front porch, eat ice cream and watch it rain. Some of you probably like frozen bananas that are dipped in Chocolate. It’s so simple, you’ll fall off your chair reading the recipe. You will need four speckled bananas . . . not black bananas . . . just ripe. Slice the bananas into a bowl and cover it with a lid or plastic wrap. Put that bowl in the freezer overnight or for a few hours, until they are froze. They should look like this . . . You will need at least an 11 cup Food Processor or one hefty blender. Never fear, keep blending.