Pillowcase Embroidery

This weekend I spent a lot of time working on an embroidery project. (And I'm still not finished!) Though I know how to do needlepoint, I'm having to teach myself embroidery using a kit I bought from the craft store and just making things up.

It's a beautiful way to decorate linens and certainly more frugal than buying already embroidered linens from the store. Plus, it's a fairly inexpensive hobby.

Easy Crockpot Chicken Cacciatore

I’ve made chicken cacciatore before, but Thursday night I took a lot of short cuts and it was still a hit. If authenticity isn't top priority for you but taste, speed and frugality are, keep reading.

Easy Crockpot Chicken Cacciatore

3 whole boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 bell peppers
1 ½ onions
2 cans diced tomatoes (14 ½ oz. each)
¾ cup white wine
1 Tbs. chopped garlic
1 Tbs. dried Italian seasoning
1 tsp. dried oregano
¼ tsp. dried red pepper flakes
1 can tomato paste (optional)

Slice chicken breasts, bell peppers, and onions. Dump into Crockpot with all other ingredients except tomato paste, but including the juice from the diced tomatoes. Cover and cook on high for four hours.

Because the sauce tends to be too thin for my taste, after it has cooked, I spoon out a couple of ladlefuls of the liquid into a bowl and mix it with a can of tomato paste, then pour in back into the Crockpot and mix it all together. Serve over spaghetti or any long noodle. My husband garnishes with parmesan cheese and red pepper flakes; I don’t think it needs it. Serves 6-8.

This was a pantry/fridge cleanout meal for me, that’s why I used 1 ½ onions and 3 chicken breasts. I already had half an onion in the fridge. If you don’t, I would just use two whole onions. One of my chicken breasts was pretty small. I think you could get away with two whole (not split) chicken breasts if they’re larger in size or you’re trying to save a little money. I also think you could also use three or four chicken breasts if you’re trying to stretch the meal to feed more people or if you’re feeding meat-lovers.

What’s nice about this recipe, besides its adaptability, see above, is that the hands-on time is really very minimal. I think it was less than 10 minutes of prep time for me since I didn’t bother browning the chicken ahead of time. It’s also very healthy. I used “No Salt Added” diced tomatoes and didn’t add any salt, so it’s very low sodium, but still full of flavor. It’s low in fat and full of veggies too. (Though I still serve it with a veggie side.)

Linked to Fat-Free Fridays at Domestic Godliness.

Happy Hour at Home: Quesadilla

Happy hour isn’t always about the drinks; the appetizers are a big part of the fun. You want tasty little finger foods that aren’t going to get in the way of conversation, but you also want something rather hearty since you are drinking and I find that people often use the happy hour appetizers as their evening meal.

I love Mexican food and quesadillas are one of my go-to dishes. They are so quick and easy, have nearly infinite variations, and everyone I know gobbles them up.

Basic Quesadilla

10-inch flour tortilla (usually called Burrito-size)
2/3 cup cheese (I usually you shredded Mexican blend, or half cheddar and half Jack)

Into a pan over medium heat, put your tortilla. Sprinkle cheese over half, then fold the other half of the tortilla over the cheese. Heat for about 2 minutes or until cheese begins to melt and bottom is golden brown. Flip and cook until second side is golden. Cut into fourths.

Serve on a bed of shredded iceberg lettuce with sour cream, salsa, and guacamole on the side.

Some filling combinations I like include:
Corn and pinto bean
Shrimp and green onion (Be sure to cut your shrimp in half lengthwise to make it thinner.)
Chicken and green onion
Turkey and salsa
Spinach and mushroom

To help keep your fillings from falling out, slice things thinly. It also helps if you sprinkle half your cheese, then distribute your toppings and cover them with the remaining cheese before folding the quesadilla over.

Black in Action

+ = ?

All my life I’ve been a blonde…until yesterday. Now I have black hair. Ever since seeing the movie Walk the Line, almost four years ago, I have thought about becoming a brunette because I thought it looked so good on Reese Witherspoon. It really made her eyes stand out.

I’m not saying I look like Reese Witherspoon, but because I also had blonde hair, blue eyes and pale skin, I thought I could pull it off. Little did I know that “dark ash brown” on the box of hair color really meant black. While it doesn’t look terrible, it certainly isn’t the look I was going for.

I can’t recolor my hair for another two weeks. Then I’m going to start the process of lightening it back up. I’m afraid of people’s reaction to it in the meantime. So far, only Chuk has seen it. He just keeps staring at me. He says he's "Getting used to it."

So if you're a natural blonde and are thinking about going darker, go lighter than you think, because it's easier to go darker than to go lighter if you don't get the shade you want.

Are You Freaking Kidding Me: Locked Doors Edition

What’s the deal with people yanking, pulling, and then tugging on doors that won’t open? It’s pretty apparent to me that they’re locked. Just give it up.

I can’t tell you how unnerving it is to be on the other side of a restroom stall that someone is just refusing to accept is occupied. I mean, I know I locked it, but those stalls aren’t Fort Knox. If you jerk the door hard enough, it’s going to open. Ladies, one gentle push or pull should be enough to establish the stall is occupied. If you really think someone is pulling one over on you, knock on the door. I’ll be more than happy to tell you it’ll be “Just a minute”. This shouldn’t be so confusing; I figured it out when I was 5. Either head to another stall or start a line.

I’ve also observed this phenomenon at stores that were closed. The other night Chuk and I made a late ice cream run because I needed a milkshake. (Personal turmoil makes me crave junk food.) The grocery store closest to our house closes at 10:00pm. We got in there with about 5 minutes to spare. By the time we were back in our car (carton of ice cream in hand) it was after ten o’clock. We sat in that car with melting ice cream watching some guy first park illegally in the fire lane (with his emergency flashers on, as if that makes it ok) get out and stand in front of the grocery store’s door waiting for it to open automatically. When it didn’t, he started violently pushing on the glass door. Still, it wouldn’t budge. So he walked over to the side and was looking through the windows to see if anybody was inside. They were, so naturally he began to bang on the windows and wave at the clerks who were presumably trying to close out their registers.

It was pretty funny, but it also pissed me off. First of all, the hours of operation are posted all over the doors and windows; figure out it’s closed Guy. Second, the world doesn’t revolve around you. Why should some hard-working person who has been on her feet all day have to stay after closing because you couldn’t get there two minutes earlier? We rushed to the store looking like homeless people to be there before it closed and he could have too. Third, across the parking lot is a 24-hour CVS. Any “emergency” items he needed would have been there. All the shoving and banging just wasn’t necessary.

Moral of the story: Get a clue people. Doors lock, even on you.

Graceland

My grandma died last week. Part of me is really sad, but the other part of me is happy because I know she was ready to go. Other than my grandpa, I spent more time than anyone with her during the last six weeks of her life and I know she was suffering. She got to say goodbye to all seven of her children and she died peacefully. No one could have asked for anything more.

Chuk and I drove to Louisiana for her funeral. On the way back I insisted we go to Graceland even though it would add 2 more hours to our already 19 hour (without stops) trip. I can't really explain it (I'm not even an Elvis fan) other than to say I blame Paul Simon.

I see losing love

Is like a window in your heart

Everybody sees you're blown apart

Everybody sees the wind blow

In Graceland, in Graceland

I'm going to Graceland

For reasons I cannot explain

There's some part of me wants to see Graceland

And I may be obliged to defend

Every love, every ending

Or maybe there's no obligations now

Maybe I've a reason to believe

We all will be received

In Graceland

I have lost love and my heart is blown apart, but I know my grandma has been received in Graceland.

Happy Hour at Home: Bellini

Mmm...Bellinis. If you haven't had this before, you're in for a treat. It's another light, refreshing summer drink that is super easy to make.

Fill a champagne flute up 1/3 of the way with prosecco. (Prosecco is an Italian sparkling wine. It tends to be a bit sweeter than champagne and less expensive too. You can buy it at the same places you would buy champagne...for me, the grocery store. However, champagne is a perfectly acceptable substitute too.) Fill the glass the rest of the way with peach nectar. That's it! Enjoy!