What's Cookin' Wednesday- Chicken Pot Pie

Easy Chicken Pot Pie 

You will need the following ingredients/items: 

1 package of Pillsbury Pie Crust (2 in a pack)
1 package of Carving Board Chicken Breast (Roasted)
1 can of Campbells 98% Fat Free Cream of Chicken
1/2 can of sliced carrots (rinse off to cut salt) or use fresh
1 small can of peas
2 baking potatoes
1/2 teaspoon of chicken poultry seasoning *adjust to taste*
1 can of skim milk
1 pie pan

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place baking potatoes in the microwave for 8 minutes then follow these steps... 

Place first pie crust in the pie pan

Cut up potatoes and mix all ingredients into bowl

Pour filling into pan

Place second pie crust on top 

Pinch bottom and top crust together

Place 4 cuts in the top of the pie and then place in the oven for about 30 minutes and then start checking in every 5 minutes until it is browning on top

ENJOY!!!

Simple Solution Sunday- Sponges

How many of you use your kitchen sponge on a daily basis?! I know I do. Did you know the most unsanitary item in your house is your kitchen sponge?! That's correct...even the toilet is cleaner.  

The best and easiest way to kill 99% of the microorganisms found in your sponge is to simply zap it in the microwave for 2 minutes {always make sure it is wet NEVER dry}

Another great way to keep your sponges dry and off the kitchen sink is to use a binder clip 

Keep in mind, sponges aren't just for cleaning dishes, they can also help keep your vegetables fresh longer. Line your refrigerator drawers with sponges to help eliminate moisture. When they become wet, ring them out and let them dry, before placing them back in the fridge {don't forget the microwave method first}. 

What do you use sponges for? 

Happy Halloween

I spent the weekend at my parents house with my niece Hailey and mom Lisa (my dad was out of town working on his football book...you can follow his blog HERE). 

Hailey decided she wanted to dress up as a gypsy fortune teller so Friday evening was spent making her this adorable outfit. {This is her serious look}

My favorite part is the "crystal ball". It is simply made out of a styrofoam ball spray painted with glitter and a styrofoam circle covered in fabric attached with toothpicks! 

Did you make your costume this year? I would love to hear how creative everyone is.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN 

Can you forgive me?

First off, I would like to say I am sorry for my LONG blogging absence. I have been VERY busy/stressed the last several months with classes and work. I recently "resigned" from my nannying position and have found I have a little bit of extra time, so I thought, "what better to do with that time then craft?"

 I have SO MANY great projects I have been dying patiently waiting to try! So look for future projects from me that are inspired by other bloggers just like you! In fact, I have decided that this year all my family and friends will be receiving something "home made" so I have been strategically planning (<--that's one of the classes I am currently taking...funny I caught myself using the term) out projects to complete for each.

Until then...I am going to enjoy this much needed, wonderful rainy day! 

A spin on tie fashion

I have been seeing SO MANY tie refashions lately that I just love! My dad is retired and has too many ties for me to even mention. I can't wait until I go home again to snag some up so I can do something fun and creative with them. Until then, here are a few of my favorites! 

Necktie Feather Tutorial 

Tie Necklace Tutorial 

Sunglass Holder and Tie Wallet 

Recycled Dog Tie Collars 

Rosette Brooch

 Have an awesome Weekend! 

Cicada's in Missouri

I don't know if EVERYONE has cicadas or if the midwest is the only blessed area (sarcasm). If you have them where you live I'm sure you are tired of them too, if you don't have them, consider yourself lucky! 

A local homemade ice cream shop made national news by creating a batch of cicada flavored ice cream. They basically boiled the bugs and covered them in brown sugar and milk chocolate before putting them into the ice cream. Gross, right? Well apparently people liked it because it sold out...WOW! 

photo rights (Columbia Missourian)

Why would you eat this? 

I came across this video on YouTube and it's exactly how I feel about cicadas! 

Do you have cicadas where you live? What are your thoughts on them? 

I'm back!!! With Photos to share :)

I'm finally back :) Sorry it's taken me so long to get photos up. I don't really have any good excuses for taking so long except for I've been busy with unpacking, working, getting ready for classes and just flat out trying to relax! 

ANYWAYS...

Europe was a BLAST. We did have some crazy luck though. The Queen came to Dublin while we were there which closed a lot of things down. Then Obama was in London and of course the Ash Cloud from Iceland put a slight damper on things for a few days! All in all it made for a VERY memorable trip. Below are a few photos from our trip! 

(For some reason the photo's look grainy on blogger...hoping these fix themselves)

We got to go white water rafting in Norway on the Sjoa River. 

It was GORGEOUS! 

The Barrens in Ireland

St. Patricks Cathedral 

Rock at the Scotland/England Border

The Countdown until the Olympics in London

I love this photo. The sky was so crazy that it almost looked fake! 

Tower Bridge

An unfinished roman monument in Scotland. 

On the climb up Arthur's Seat (volcano) 

 The Ash Cloud was a pretty big deal in Scotland and Ireland. Airports closed for a day. 

Locals spit on this heart because it use to be on the building where they would have to go to pay their taxes. So when they left they would spit on the heart. The building was torn down but to serve as a reminder they put the heart into the new ground. This is me attempting to spit :) 

A beautiful Abbey. Melrose I believe?  

These are just a few that I wanted to share. I still have over 300 photos left to sort through :) However, classes started this week so it might be a little while until I get to them. 

Happy Monday! 

Feature: Flower Hair Pin Tutorial

Today's Feature comes from a good friend of mine, Kat. Kat has her very own blog at Pins and Needles! Please stop by and check it out!!


Flower Hair Pin Tutorial

MATERIALS:

* 17ish inch strip of fabric (1-2 inches wide)

* 1 inch circle of felt

* Hair pin

* Button or bead for center of flower

* Glue

STEP 1:

Cut your fabric strip. It can be any fabric you prefer but should be thin enough to gather. Here I used a raw silk. The strip can be approximately 17-20 inches long, depending on how many layers of petals you want your flower to have. Leave the edges raw.

STEP 2:

Sew a basting stitch down one edge of the fabric strip.

STEP 3:

Pull one end of the thread to begin gathering the fabric. Once it is gathered to your liking, tie of the ends.

STEP 4:

Coil the fabric to create layers of petals. The gathered fabric will naturally want to do this.

STEP 5:

It's time to assemble the flower. Choose a button or bead for the center of your flower. Next, glue each end of the strip where you want them to secure the petals.

STEP 6:

Glue the felt circle to the back of the flower and the button on the center front.

STEP 7:

Glue the hair pin to the felt on the back of the flower...

...and TADA!