Recipe of the Week: Black Bean Chicken Soup

Good morning! First off let me begin this post with an apology...I am truly sorry that I now have to use word verification for comments left on my blog. I was beginning to get over-run with strange,  poorly written, random comments on several posts from folks living in far off lands trying to get me to check out their casino blogs, learn how to make money fast, purchase Viagra, etc...none of these services are needed in my home, thank you very much! LOL!

Anyhoo...on to the Recipe of the Week:

Need a quick soup to warm you up on a cold night? Well, try out this delicious recipe for Black Bean Chicken Soup!

Ingredients:

• 2 boneless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
• 2 cans chicken broth
• 1 can mixed vegetables
• 1 can Rotel
• 1 can black beans, drained
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp. onion powder
• 1/2 tsp. chili powder
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Shredded cheddar cheese and sour cream
• Fritos

Method:
Place all ingredients, (except for cheddar cheese, sour cream and Fritos), into a crockpot. Cook on low for 6 hours in a crockpot. Serve with a dollop of sour cream, cheddar cheese and Fritos if desired. Great with a salad and cornbread too! Refrigerate any leftovers for lunch...tastes even better the next day!

Blessings,

Quote Sunday

Silly Saturday

Wishing you a fun and safe weekend!

Happy Birthday Cardboard Tag

While piddling around with some crafting scraps the other day, I ended up creating this really cute birthday gift tag. It was so easy to make...

I started out with a piece of thin corrugated cardboard, (that had originally been destined for the trash can - ha! ha!), and cut it into the shape of a tag. I found a silk flower in one of my craft drawers, so I folded it in half and held it in place with a glue dot. To create the flower center I simply used my scallop punch and a piece of peachy-colored cardstock. I folded the scallop, attached it to the folded flower center with additional glue dots, and then attached a little knotted piece of ribbon to the scallop. I then layered the flower on the tag with a paper doily, added a stamped happy birthday sentiment and tied coordinating ribbons through the hole at the top of the tag so that I could add it to a gift bag when needed. TADAH! A cute and super easy tag all ready to go!

Thanks for stopping by today. Enjoy your weekend, Friends!

Blessings,

Decorating Naturally with Found Objects

Good morning, all! Last week I was thumbing though a back issue of BHG's  Flea Market Style magazine and came across a table decoration/arrangement made with antler sheds, sea shells, and other natural elements that the designer had tucked into a simple tray. Well, that got me thinking that I should change things up a bit and make a new arrangement for our living room coffee table...especially since I had some of the same natural elements displayed on various shelves throughout our home. I gathered up some of these items, (shown are antler sheds that Mike and Justin found while hunting; a large conch shell that we found while vacationing on Sanibel Island several years ago; a grapevine ball; and some dried hydrangeas from one of my flower beds), and placed them on an old serving platter that had belonged to Mike's grandmother. I LOVE the simple beauty and texture of it, don't you?!?

Thanks for dropping by today! Wishing you a great day filled with much happiness!

Blessings,

Quote Sunday

In honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. day...his words still inspire and ring true in today's society:

 

Silly Saturday

HA! HA! HA! Have a fun and safe weekend!!

Technical Difficulties and a Birthday Card

Hello, all! So sorry that I haven't been able to post for a few days. I was having trouble uploading photos in Blogger, and after Googling the problem I realized that many other bloggers were having the same problem. After reading several articles I discovered that the best fix was to install Google Chrome on my computer, and that has seemed to fix the problem - YIPPEE!! So...I'm baaaack!! ;) 

I have noticed that my Pinterest "Pin" button seems to be having some problems as well. When trying to pin a post, the photo doesn't automatically come up...so my next challenge is to figure out what the problem is with that. I have tried re-installing the "Pin" button, but that didn't fix the issue - UGH! Have any of you had this problem with the Pinterest "Pin" button? If so, what was your solution?

Well, enough about my techno-issues! I recently challenged myself to create several different cards using only one CTMH happy birthday stamp and various scraps from my stash. I am only posting one of those cards today, which is shown below, but stay tuned because I'll be posting the other cards in the next few days. It was fun to see how many different designs that I could come up with in just a few hours, and it was great to use up lots of the scraps that I just couldn't throw out - ha! ha!  

Have a SUPER day!!

Quote Sunday

Hmmmm...sad but true, isn't it?? LOL!!

Silly Saturday

Have a fun and safe weekend!

Recipe of the Week: 4-Ingredient Ugly Buns

Although these buns aren't pretty, they sure are good...especially when served warm with butter and honey or fruit jam! They are SUPER easy to make, so let's get started!!

Ingredients:

• 2 cups self-rising flour
• 4 Tbsp. light Miracle Whip
• 1 cup milk
• 1 tsp. sugar

Method:

In a large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients and stir until a sticky dough is formed. Grease a 12 cup muffin tin. Spoon mixture evenly into each cup. Bake at 425 degrees for about 15 minutes, or until buns are golden brown. Upon removing muffin tin from oven, brush melted butter on top of each bun to keep them soft. Serve warm with butter, honey, fruit jam, etc.

Have a great day, Friends!!

Quote Sunday

We should all make this our motto for 2013...just think of the great differences we could make!

 

Silly Saturday

This is one of my all time favorite "Far Side" cartoons...cracks me up every time I see it!

Have a TERRIFIC weekend, Friends!!

Recipe of the Week: Kibbie's Wild Rice Soup

It's been pretty cold here the past few days, and we've even had a few snow flurries floating around, so it's the perfect time of year for a wonderfully warm and filling pot of soup! The soup recipe that I'm sharing with you today was given to me several years ago by my friend Kibbie W., and has become a family favorite.

Ingredients:

• 6 Tbsp. butter or margarine
• 2 cups cooked wild rice
• 1 Tbsp. minced onion
• 1/2 cup flour
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 cup half and half
• grated carrot  (optional)
• slivered almonds (optional)

NOTE: I always double this recipe!

Method:

Cook rice according to package directions and set aside. Melt butter in saucepan. Add onion and saute until tender. Blend in flour and gradually stir in broth. Cook, stirring constantly until mixture comes to a boil, then simmer one minute. Stir in cooked rice and salt and continue to simmer for about five minutes. Blend in half and half. Garnish with almonds and carrots before serving, if desired. Serve with homemade bread or rolls and a salad and enjoy!!

Have a great day and stay warm!

Love Shadow Box

Last Saturday night my hubby and I attended the wedding of my best bud Jamie's eldest son, Trevor. Below is a photo of the shadow box that I made for Trevor and his bride Chelsea, which incorporates the wedding invitation and their engagement photo:

It was a country-themed wedding and the colors were red, black and white. The groom and his groomsmen all wore red button down shirts, jeans and cowboy boots, so I incorported a piece of torn denim into the shadow box to go with their theme. I also layered a piece of frayed burlap and a couple of tea-dyed doilies to give it all a wonderfully antiqued look. I'm quite pleased at how it turned out, and I hope that Trevor and Chelsea love it too!

Here's a close-up photo of the twine heart decorative element that I created and added...I really love the texture and layers that it adds to this fun piece!

Thanks for letting me share my project with you! Have a TERRIFIC day!