Abundant Art Supplies

Recently, my generous friend Diane called. She asked if I would be interested in some craft supplies that she was going to get rid of. Umm YES!

 My little girls ask me to make a craft on a daily basis, and I simply did not have the stuff needed. Now however, I have a wealth of materials, thanks to Diane!

So here is what she brought. There's a lot of scrapbooking materials, stamps, and a very fun box of buttons.

Here are the very first creations from Sophie, and Zaira; early Valentine's for dad.

They also enjoyed using the winter themed stamps, which are large and chunky, making them easy to hold. I didn't have any stamp pads, so I just spread out some paint, and allowed them to dip the stamps in. 

Afterward, they had a blast decorating their pictures with markers. 

Now if I just had a craft supply cabinet for storage, I'd be all set.
More crafty goodness coming soon...after I hit up Pinterest.

DIY Pickles

Ok, I love a good, crispy, flavorful pickle. I also love to make my own. However, I'm the type of woman, who wants what I want...when I want it! Is there a woman out there that isn't that way?

About two years ago, I tried my hand at canning pickles, and although the flavor was good, it was too long of a process. And I am not in the mood for a process!

So I decided to make quick refrigerator pickles. I made them in the morning, and they were ready to be eaten by 4:30! 

That's what I'm talking about!! 

So here's what I did:
Use what you have on hand. I had one large cucumber, unpeeled, that I sliced in half horizontally, then I cut each half into spears. Yesterday, I peeled and sliced another cucumber for snacking. I used it for the pickles.

In a quart size mason jar, I added about 1 tbsp of minced garlic, ( from the jar), a pinch of pepper, and I packed in the cucumbers. 
To a small pot I added, 1 cup of water, 1 cup of white vinegar, 1 tbsp sugar, 2 tbsp salt. 
Let it boil. Once it boils, pour it over the cucumbers, and close it up tight.
Give it a good shake, and allow it to cool off a bit before putting it into the refrigerator to chill.
I chilled for around five hours. 

My husband was the first to taste them, followed by my little girls. He said, "Goodbye Vlassic!" The kids all raved about them as well. Then I took a bite...and...SUCCESS!!!! They were killer. 

Give them a try, and let me know how it goes. You can use any veggie you have on hand. And don't be afraid to vary the spices. Have fun with your pickles!

One Snowy Day

This is what it looks like outside my front door this morning. Two or more feet of snow. Frightful! 

By the way, I hate snow. Now don't get me wrong, I do like the way it looks. What I don't like is how it hangs around like bad news; and forces you to go outside to move it from one place, to another. I like when it melts into the ground, never to be seen again.

Since it was so ridiculous outside, my husband, and daughter were home from work. He was in the mood for split pea soup. I informed him that two, or more children have had an allergic reaction to that particular soup. I offered ham, and white bean soup instead.

I started by peeling, and chopping a bunch of potatoes, and carrots. I added that, and some diced onion to the slow cooker.

Then I added two, drained and rinsed cans of white beans. Followed by cooked, diced ham that I made earlier in the week.

Then came the seasoning. Adobo, and Mrs. Dash. 

A large box of chicken broth, and about two cups of water.

All the while, I kept a plastic grocery bag handy to collect the empty cans, and peelings. It's cheaper than buying a bowl specifically for garbage.

After four hours on high, dinner was ready. It was so yummy, and perfect for this blustery day. On the left is the soup, as is. On the right is the toddler version; less broth, and chopped into smaller chunks.

Chocolate Strawberry Panini!

Let me just tell you how awesomely yummy this is!

 I decided to make this for my snack this afternoon. The kids were nearby, so I figured I should make extra. It's a good thing I did too, because these little sandwiches are so ridiculous...in a great way! 

I bought this Hershey 's chocolate spread, it does not contain peanut butter. We have some kids with nut allergies. Usually, I buy a chocolate soy butter spread, but I couldn't find it. But this spread is perfect! 

 So just spread some on two slices of good bread. Then add sliced strawberries, I'm sure any berry would work, bananas too.

If you have a panini, or sandwich press, grease it up!
 Of course you can just use a regular frying pan as well.
 Grill until golden brown. Slice into four triangles, and share with your kids.

I know it's hard, but it must be done. Next time, I'll add a little sprinkle of powdered sugar over top.

Zaira's 6th Birthday!

Today is my daughter Zaira's 6th birthday! 

Time has really flown by. Six and a half years ago, we moved into this house. I was eight months pregnant with her at the time. 

When she was born, I was happy to see that she had a tan, and dark hair. All of my previous three children were fair, in both skin, and hair. 

She grew up fast, and feisty; not to mention, sassy! She also grew up sweet, loving, and absolutely adorable. 
She is my mini me after all...wink wink. 

Today she is 6. She likes Frozen, Doc McStuffins, and She loves to be crafty. She's a girly girl, who enjoys jewelry and makeup. She's a fashionista! 

Who knows what the future holds for her. Whatever God has in store, my prayer is that she's healthy, safe, and saved. 

For her celebration, she decided on having cupcakes, instead of a store bought cake. I decided to let everyone decorate their own! Messy, but loads of fun!

Most importantly, the birthday girl had fun! They were very yummy too!!

Chicken Enchilada, Taco Bake!

If you watched my recent vlog, Sunday Afternoon With Our Large Family, you heard me mention dinner. I wanted to make a taco bake, so I looked for recipes. There were a lot of good ones, but none that really spoke to me. So I just went for it! I started by cooking some boneless, skinless chicken breasts. I seasoned with Goya Adobo. Then I just used two forks to shred it all up. I only used half of the chicken for this recipe. I bagged up the rest, and put it in the fridge for another meal, later in the week.

Next I made my version of enchilada sauce. I started with a large can of tomato sauce. I put that in a sauce pan, and added a can of condensed cheese soup, undiluted. I seasoned it well with adobo, and cumin. Then I added about 1/4 cup of cubed Velveeta! Oh yeah! Let it get nice and smooth.

Next I sprayed a large casserole dish with cooking spray. To the dish I added; the chicken, a can of corn (drained and rinsed) and a can of black beans ( drained and rinsed).

Then I spooned a good amount of sauce on top. I also added some crushed tortilla chips. Then I gave it a stir.

I topped that with more sauce, salsa, and shredded cheese. Topped that with more crushed chips. Bake in a 350° oven for 20 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.

Here's what it looked like, fresh out of the oven! Yum yum!!

I paired it with some chopped, fresh cantaloupe. Now doesn't that look good?! Try it, and let me know how you like it.