Tag Sale Hutch

Tag sale season is upon us! Tag sale, garage sale, yard sale whatever you call it. (Here it's tag sales.) Tag saling is so much fun.Trying to spot those little hand written signs nailed or taped to telephone poles, or stuck in the ground. Hoping it's not from the week before and someone just forgot to take it down, crushing your hopes. Or that the "HUGE Multi-Family Tag Sale" isn't really just three card tables of knick knacks after following sign after sign after sign! Although it can be tiring...make sure to bring snacks and water! This is serious business! And it DOES help if you have a large vehicle. Or, just make sure you have a best friend whose mom doesn't mind coming with her van to load the dresser and hutch you just bought! Haha!

Which is exactly what happened! I found this adorable hutch that just needed a little t-l-c for $15!!!!!

I cleaned it up, sanded it and painted it 'Whimsical Fairy Lily' yellow. I spent more on paint then I wanted to, I ended up having to get another quart. I used a paint with primer in it already but I think because I was painting a lighter color over a darker one it took a few more coats. I also replaced the back because it was warped and cracked, and gave it a quick sanding for a "distressed" look and now it's beautiful and in my kitchen and I love it! A great tag sale find! Here's the before and after pictures!

One Dish Chicken, Beans & Rice

Tonight I wasn't feeling so hot. I have some kind of head cold. I mean really, it's summer!! Who gets head colds in the middle of summer?! Me. So not right. Anyways. I was not in any mood or shape to make anything, for that matter. But-it needed to be done.
So, I took my mom's onion soup pork chop and rice recipe(yum.) and instead of the onion soup I added taco seasoning, cut the water back and added tomato sauce and a half can of small red beans. I blopped(That's right, that's a very fancy culinary term. Blopped.) my chicken thighs on top, covered it and threw it in the oven. Took all of about 5 minutes or less.
Now this does take about an hour to cook but it gave me some time to rest before hubs got home.
I was happy with how it came out and definitely a time saver dinner keeper! Soft, sticky rice with beans and I ended up shredding the chicken a little bit too and it was a great. The leftovers would make great burrittos or soup too!!

One Dish Chicken, Beans & Rice
1 cup rice
1/2 c water
1/2c tomato sauce
3/4 or 1 full envelope taco seasonings
1/2 can of beans-red, black, whatever
4 chicken thighs or breasts
s&p to taste



Put first five ingredients in 9x13, mixing slightly.
Add beans.
Add chicken thighs or breasts and arrange.
Cover tightly with foil.
Bake @ 350 for 1 hour.
When chicken is cooked through and water has been absorbed it's done.
 Enjoy.

Borrow the Old to Make the New..

So, it's Friday and what's for dinner? I had ground beef... a couple of sweet potatoes...a pepper that needed to be used...a little of this, a little of that..I wanted something a little out in left field different. I'm crazy like that. It keeps it interesting. And, if nothing else, something to laugh at later or a story to be told to your kids. I mean, you gotta keep trying new things, that's how inventions happen! Or mistakes.... that turn INTO inventions. Ok, so anyways. I decided to create a Southwestern Rancher's Pie! (A spin on the well-known Sheperd's Pie) I browned my ground beef, added that green pepper, onion and a can of diced tomatoes with a melange of southwestern spices. Meanwhile, I boiled my sweet potatoes and mashed them with a hint of butter and a touch of smoked paprika. Mmmm. Then I layered the beef, a can of black beans--ok I used small red beans, sadly I didnt have black beans in my pantry, but any beans really will do--then a layer of corn and finally, the mashed sweet potaotes on top! It really came out quite tastey!  The sweet potatoes balanced out the spices nicely too. And, it is QUITE colorful, and that just makes it that much more fun to eat. :)

Valentine Dinner

We decided to stay in for Valentine's Day this year. It's a little over-rated, but, at any rate, an excuse to do something special or different. I tried to do a full 6 course dinner for my hubby. It was FULL. And tiring. Way too much up and down, back and forth to really enjoy our time together, but I had fun cooking and planning it. By the time the entrees were served I was so tired I didnt want to get up again!  Maybe next time we'll just do a 3 course meal; or better yet maybe I can get my hubby in the kitchen to cook for me! Not so sure about that last one though...I think he'd rather starve then pick up a pot or pan! Haha!

   A beautiful centerpiece, provided by my hubby!

                                            

  First Course: French Onion Soup with Gruyre & Swiss cheeses



      Second Course: Lover's Scallops~Twin pan seared sea scallops
over wilted spinach, bacon, toasted pine nuts, shredded paremsan

Fourth Course: Grilled NY Strip Steak, red winereduction, mashed potaotes,
 crispy julienned brussel sprouts
(bad picture.. computer wouldn't let me use the better one. grr.)

         

Fifth Course: Mesculin greens, roasted garlic vinaigrette,

 balsamic asparagus, dried cranberries and shaved parmesan

Sixth Course:  Raspberry Linzer Tort with almond crust and vanilla ice cream

 (Sadly, I was so tired by the time we had dessert I couldnt muster up

 the energy to take another picture, or one more bite for that matter!)

Need Something? Check out CSN Stores

I don't normally like shopping online because sometimes there is just too much time-consuming searching to find what you need. However, at CSNStores.com you can find anything and everything you need in one spot. They have anything you could ever imagine you want! From handbags to cookware, furniture or even a wooden swing set! They have over 200 online stores to browse for your convenience. "It's everything you need for your home and life!"

I will be doing a review of one of their products soon, so make sure to check back for the review post!

1 Avocado, 2 Avocado...

3 Avocado....16.. Avocados?! So what do you do with 16, extremely ripe avocados?? Well, how about avocado and crab bisque for starters. I am actually just starting to like avocados so it's still a little new for me. AND, I'm NOT a huge crab fan either. BUT, this was surprisingly very good! Rich and creamy tones from the avocado and cream and the sweet crab added just enough texture and flavor to compliment it beautifully.
Then I found a recipe for avocado chocolate truffles! Yes, you heard that right. It was interesting, very rich again. But you couldnt taste the avocado very much at all. Anything's good with chocolate though, right?! Well, it must of been an avocado kindo dayo! My sister had invited me and the hubster over for dinner that evening and she texted me asking to pick up 2 avocados on the way over!! I had to do a double take. I had been seeing green all day!
My selection at the grocery store was not very good, I tried to find the ripest ones amongst the mossy-green rocks!
Upon arrival at sister's house, she informed me she was making an avocado-chocolate frosting!!! How weird!! It was very similar to the recipe I had just used for the truffles earlier. For the frosting they substituted an avocado in place of butter for a healthier alternative...hmmmmmm...
We whipped it up and spread it on fresh chocolate cupcakes. We also spread some with your trademark chocolate canned frosting.(I love that stuff, I dont know why.)
We then fed them to our hubbies....
Verdict? Not so much. They did not appreciate any kind of healthy alternative with this little switch-a-roo here!! Haha! It was quite entertaining.
In the end, if I hadn't known there was avocado in my chocolate frostng, I most likely would not have been able to tell. Although I think using a very ripe avocado would have helped it a bit.
But at least now I know what to make with very ripe avocados!!!

New Year, New Blog....Hopefully

Wow. How pathetic it's been almost an entire year that I've posted! Well, it has been a pretty crazy year! :) But at any rate, I will try, yet again, to keep up with this. There'll also be(as you can already see) A new blog name-subject to possible change, again.-facelift and new blog material! I dont know why I cant keep up with at least one post a week. Any tips would be great! :)
Happy New Year everyone!