Side Dish #13: Felt Christmas Trees

So on a rainy Sunday with a restless almost one year old, I decided to try out this felt christmas tree I found on pinterest. The original post is found here. I am not at all one for decorating before Thanksgiving, but I had just picked up the felt at michaels and was eager to make it! :) Michaels has large felt pieces for 4 dollars, and then using some more felt I bought, and other colors I already had, this was about a $5 project!
The original had ornaments with letters and such, but I was more into a 10 minute project so decided to focus on SHAPES this year with Alex...we can add letters later! :)
The creases on the big green felt made it easy to make an outline for the tree. I still need to attach the brown trunk on the bottom. I also need to figure out how to attach it better to the door. Alex tore it down just about as quickly as he took off the felt ornaments!

 Perfect Alex size!

(do not make fun of my star! I need to fix it!)

He doesn't really put ornaments back up, but he is certainly a pro at taking them off in record time!

I think that is what is making me nervous about putting a real tree up! :)

And suggestions for how to keep it up would be great! the 3M strips did not work! :(

Recipe #158: I wish I could make sasami cheezu... :)

I don't know what made me think of it, but when i was in high school we used to love going to this bento shop and the lady made this obento that has rice, some sides and this fried chicken that had cheese it in...it was so fun and so cheap. "Fast" food in Japan is so much healthier then it is here! I wish for convenient stores that would have delicious obentos or onigiris that were so fast and delicious, the rows of milk coffees and teas to choose from offered nice alternatives to soft drinks, it is so nice.

Anyways, we have to Chinese guys staying with us and so i figured rice and chicken would be a safe bet and in the process decided to see if I could recreate sasami cheezu... not really. oh well. But the chicken and rice were a hit so that was good!

You need:
3 chicken breasts cut into smaller strips
oil for frying
flour
eggs beaten
panko

• heat oil in a large frying pan so that bottom 1/2 inch is covered.
• dip chicken first in flour, eggs then panko so it is thoroughly coated by each one.
• fry until golden brown on both sides.
• if you are adding cheese i tried shredded which was probably part of the problem, but after I dipped the chicken in the flour and egg I rolled it in the cheese and then the panko. That really didn't work. Will didn't even taste it, we will keep trying! 

Happy Thanksgiving!!

I am so excited to be able to make a thanksgiving meal after several years of not doing one! Last year my sister and I did a partial thanksgiving but we were both too pregnant to want to attempt a turkey!  I did make stuffing though, my mom's stuffing is the BEST. But this year we are doing it all!

Here is the menu:
Turkey
Stuffing
gravy
Mashed potatoes
Bread
Salad
carrots and broccoli
apple pie
pumpkin pie

So far I have cut up the bread for the stuffing. I am also going to make the pies and bread tonight because the oven will belong to the turkey on thanksgiving!

hmmm... is that enough? :) I am also so excited thinking about how much Alex will enjoy eating the food too. That boy can eat! I am also looking forward to all the people coming, our numbers keep growing! If you need a spot just let me know. We are eating at 3.  :)

Recipes will be posted in the days following!

Recipe #157: Sticky Bun Ring

Found this on pinterest, but it is originally found here. I made two for breakfast at school this morning, but will probably make another one at some point this weekend! :)

You need: 

2 tubes of buttermilk biscuits (smaller size)

1/2 cup syrup

3 Tbsp butter, melted

1/3 cup brown sugar

1/2 tsp cinnamon

chopped up pecans

• spray a bundt pan with non stick spray
• mix together syrup and melted butter
• mix together brown sugar, cinnamon, and pecans
• pour half of syrup mixture in bottom of pan
• pour half of brown sugar mixture in. (try and get a lot of pecans down there)
• take biscuits and spread them around to form a ring
• pour remaining syrup mixture and brown sugar mixture on top.
• make at 375 for 20 minutes or until golden brown
• wait a minute or two and then turn over onto a plate
• enjoy!

Recipe #156: Turkey and Sweet Potato Turnover

This was another fabulous recipe from the 10 ideas for....from Real Simple. The original recipe can be found here. I made some changes because of what I had on hand!

You need:
frozen puff pastry
1 lb ground turkey
1 sweet potato
couple heads of broccoli
shredded mozzarella

• brown meat on stove.
• in microwave heat up sweet potato and broccoli
• divide each sheet of pastry into two
• spoon some ground meat, sweet potato, broccoli, and cheese onto each pastry
• fold in half and seal tight
• bake at 375 for 30-40 minutes

This was great out of the oven, but both Will and I agreed we liked it better when we ate the extras for lunch the next day!

Recipe #155: Pork Roast

Well, I have barely had to cook all week and the times I did I ended up repeating some recipes because of the ingredients I had on hand...But this pork tenderloin was sitting in the fridge needing to be finished up so I decided to try out a recipe I found here. I really wanted a crock pot recipe. I was in the mood to get a great meal for almost no work, and that is exactly what happened! :)

You need:
Pork Tenderloin
spaghetti sauce (I didn't have any plain tomato sauce like the recipe called for)
1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce
1/2 cupish sugar (I used a little less then half cup)
2 tsp ground mustard.

• put the pork in the crock pot
• add all ingredients to crock pot and mix together
• cook on low for about 5-8 hours (depending on size of your roast, i had a small portion so it took only about 5)
• remove from crock pot, cut up and pour sauce over top.
• Great with rice and sauteed green beans!
• ps. i forgot to take a picture because I was having so much fun eating it! :)

Side Dish #12: tutus

 Have you noticed I have been doing more crafts then cooking recently, not good. Hopefully I will be able to catch up over thanksgiving! But thanks to pinterest, I have been having fun doing some fun cheap crafts, like tutus! See the tutorial I followed here The crafts also have to be 30 minutes or less too because that is my attention span right now! :) Well, at the end of the 30ish minutes here was my final product! :)

Recipe #154: Katsudon

Katsudon is one of my favorite Japanese dishes. The warmness of the bowl makes me so happy! I had made this years ago and really wanted to make it again, but didn't have the recipe. Instead I found this AMAZING :) youtube video that will rock your world! :) I used it mostly to get info on how to make the sauce. Overall it maybe took me 35-40 minutes to make this meal, definitely less time then I might have imagined!

You need:
Pork cutlets, I actually cut about four pieces from a pork tenderloin
4 eggs
2 cups panko
flour
onion
oil for frying

sauce:
1/2 cup water
1/2 tsp (ish) dashi
2 Tbsp soy sauce
2 Tbsp mirin
2 tsp sugar

• pound pork a little bit to flatten
• dip and coat well in flour, egg then panko.
• place in heated pan with oil, cook until dark brown on both sides
• place on top of a cooling rack with a paper towel underneath to catch the access oil.
• in a smaller fry pan, add ingredients for sauce
• heat for a bit, then add onions and cook until tender
• cut pork into strips, but not all the way through 
• add pork on top of onion and sauce. 
• Beat 3 eggs a bit poor on top of pork.
• Allow eggs to cook a bit. 
• In a deep bowl, put some rice, then add some sauce, onion, and pork to the top.
• Enjoy!!

Side Dish #11: Fabric Flower Rings

So pinterest may be a waste of time because I keep discovering all these new blogs I want to read, but I love finding quick craft projects to release my inner craftiness with out using up all of my precious free hours (those are very few these days!). So when I happened upon these rings, I was so excited to try it out!
Thanks to scraps around my house and already having some ring bases from a failed project, this project cost me next to nothing! And it was so fun to make the flowers I made some hair clips too! :) Perfect stocking stuffers!
Check here for the tutorial!

I love big rings! :)

Side Dish #10: Infinity Scarf

I made this last week during the commercial breaks of The Sing Off! :) I started seeing all these infinity scarves popping up on facebook and then when i was with a friend at Joanns we happened upon this fun double sided fabric in the clearance section!

since it was double sided i didn't have to do much, i just tried to do a really little seam up both sides so that it looked more like it was curling in. i messed up a bit when i was attaching them together...trying to make it look as seamless as possible, but I think next time I can do it better! 

Fun addition to the wardrobe! 

Recipe #153: Herb Crusted Chicken

This is a quick and easy Sunday lunch dish! I found the recipe in a Real Simple magazine in their 10 ideas for...section. I love their recipes!

You need:
3 chicken breasts, cut into smaller pieces
2 cups panko
2 Tbsp of rosemary, chopped up
2 Tbsp of dill weed
1 egg beaten
olive oil

• cut up chicken so that they are smaller, thin pieces
• mix together herbs and panko in a bowl
• beat eggs in another bowl
• add oil to pan so 1/2 inch is covered
• once oil is warm start dipping chicken into egg and then into panko mixture
• cook until both sides are crispy brown, turning at least once
• remove to a paper towel covered plate to remove more oil!

Pretty delicious!!

Recipe #152: Chicken Enchiladas

My mom found a recipe and this has become a family favorite! I went looking for the recipe though and couldn't find it, so I tried to remember what she did and this is what turned out! :) It was delicious, Will and I fought over the leftovers and he won! :)

You need:
2 chicken breasts
5-8 tortillas
1 cup salsa
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup cheddar cheese

• boil and shred the chicken
• in a bowl, mix together salsa and sour cream, add chicken
• in an 8x8 pan (fit 5 tortillas perfectly) add mixture to a tortilla shell, roll up and hold in place with seam down
• continue until pan is filled up.
• I had extra of the chicken mixture so i actually spread it on top, or you can take a 1/2 cup salsa and spread on top of tortillas
• top with cheese
• bake at 350 for about 30 minutes or until cheese has melted

very yummy!

Recipe #151: Stovetop Lasagna

This meal was created because we were hungry...and there wasn't much time!

You need:
1 lb ground beef or turkey
1/2 can diced tomatoes
1 small bag broccoli
1 cup tomato sauce
1 box of lasagna noodles ( I did a mix of regular and spinach flavored)

• boil water for noodles, then cook according to directions on box
• in a large fry pan, brown meat
• add diced tomatoes
• steam broccoli right at the end 
• add tomato sauce
• drain noodles and pour in large bowl
• add meat and veggies and mix together

It was a fun, fast, and delicious meal! Alex loved it too (and enjoyed the left overs for a day or two after)!

Recipe #150: Peanut butter cup brownies

also no picture, :( but this was perfect for the leftover halloween candy that was tempting me!

You need:
brownie mix and necessary ingredients
peanut butter cups, cut into small pieces
some other pieces of chocolate would be great too! :)

• mix up brownies according to package directions
• stir in peanut butter cups and chocolate
• i tried a tip from martha stewart...first butter the 9x13 pan, then put parchment paper down with a overhang on both sides, then butter parchment (will help when you try to cut it. it kind of worked) and pour in batter
• bake according to package directions
• top wiht some more chocolate and peanut butter cups
• cut when cooled.
• delicious!!

Recipe #149: rollo pretzel bites

I didn't get to take a picture of it but the original is found here. Super easy and delicious!

You need:
1 bag rollos
synders snaps
pecan halves

• unwrap rollos
• lay snaps out on a wax paper lined baking sheet
• top with rollos
• put in oven preheated to 250 for 4-5 minutes
• take out and press a pecan on the top of each one!

very similar to the pretzel sandwiches found here

Side dish #9: Yarn Wreath

okay, so I saw this picture on pinterest and knew I wanted to try that! Of course it was not nearly as nice because I decided to just use up yarn i have, I now have this cute wreath...

Has a wonderful winter feel without being too christmasy! :) It was a great project to work on while watching a movie, and wrapping yarn around a foam wreath is the best brainless activity one can do on a tired Friday night!
Like the felt flowers? Here is another project that is tons of fun!

Side dish #8: DIY Ninja costume!

After mulling over a couple ideas for what Alex should be for Halloween, I finally went back to the original idea...NINJA.

While some people are super elaborate, i went really simple and cheap!
First go to your local target and buy a black sweatsuit...$8.00
Next, go through your fabric stash and get some black fabric...5 minutes $0
research how to make head wrap (pictures found here) ...10 minutes
then cut the fabric so you can make one long skinny piece, and two rectangles 5 minutes
sew (if necessary) 2 strips together to make one long piece, hem two rectangles 10 minutes
wrap long piece around body to create the "yukata" look of the front.... 2 minutes
tie head piece on child's head... 5 minutes
trying to make it more like a ninja's head piece...good luck trying to get your squirming child to be still!

give up and call it a day, because regardless, you have one pretty cute ninja wandering around your house! :)

Side dish #7: Pull-it-out Toy!

So Alex has discovered the joy of tissue boxes, wipes containers, napkins...anything you can pull out and destroy! As a way to help redirect him I made a alternative activity for him to play with! Thanks to pinterest, I was directed here for directions, and in an evening I was set!

You need:
An empty wipes container
scrap pieces of fabric.

I got really lazy as I cut out the pieces and didn't even worry about hemming them all!  I looked in my fabric stash for different scraps with different textures, sizes, and colors.
Cut them in to smaller pieces and STUFF into the wipe container. I have to sit there sometimes and help Alex get started, but he loves it! I tried at first knotting them together, but he was not a fan of that. He still takes each one out and tries to see if he can rip it! Adding their name to the front with some fun stickers also makes it quite exciting! :)

Recipe #148: Chicken Chickpea Salad

Salads are lovely things!
This was a great way to use up the extra chicken from the meal found here

You need:
Lettuce
carrots
cucumber
chicken
chickpeas
grated cheese
salad dressing
croutons
whatever you want on your salad!

Mix all ingredients and Enjoy!

Recipe #147: Banana Pancakes

The original recipe is found here. I doubled it and used some whole wheat flour...and added chocolate chips!

you need:
2 cups flour (one white, one whole wheat)
2 Tbsp sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 cups milk
4 Tbsp oil
4 ripe bananas, mushed

• mix together in a small bowl: flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt
• in another bowl beat eggs then mix in milk, oil, and bananas
• combine two bowls, batter will be lumpy
• cook on griddle until done on each side
• if you choose to add chocolate chips, sprinkle some on top as soon as you pour batter in griddle.

Recipe #146: Rosemary Roasted Chicken

This was the great idea of a friend visiting! Very delicious. She said it also tastes great with bone-in chicken pieces.

You need:
2 chicken breasts cut into 3 pieces
3 sprigs rosemary
6 cloves garlic
olive oil
salt and pepper

• salt and pepper chicken on a baking sheet
• drizzle olive oil on top (omit if using chicken wiht skin on)
• place rosemary and garlic around chicken.
• bake at 425 for 30 minutes

a great healthy meal with sweet potato and a salad!

Recipe #145: Peek-a-Boo Breakfast

A quick and easy breakfast!

You need:
Bread
egg
butter for fry pan

• cut a hole in the middle of the egg. i used a round cookie cutter
• heat butter in a fry pan
• when it is hot, put bread in pan then crack egg into the whole. 
• some of egg will spread out underneath, but most will stay in the hole. 
• after 5 minutes or so, flip to other side. 
• cook until the yoke is mostly done
• enjoy!
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Recipe #144: Pork and Herb Rice

This was a quick meal to use up some leftovers!

You need:
4-5 slices of pork, I used my leftovers from this meal!
2-3 cups rice
rosemary (to taste)
basil (to taste)
butter

• melt a little butter in a large fry pan
• add in rice, rosemary, and basil. mix up
• shred pork and add in to rice
• mix up and serve!

Recipe #143: Poppy Seed Chicken

I love this! It was actually my first time making it, but different people have made it for us and it is like a comfort food for me, i love the creamy taste! This particular recipe is one my cousin added to a cookbook we made for my sister!

I doubled the original recipe so we would have plenty of leftovers

You need:
2 can cream of chicken soup
1 1/2 cups sour cream
3 large chicken breasts, cut into smaller pieces
48 ritz crackers (about 1 packaged and a half), crushed
2/3 cup butter, melted
4 tsp poppy seeds

• Mix cream of chicken and sour cream in a 9x13 dish. Add chicken and coat evenly
• Mix crackers, butter, and poppy seeds in a bowl
•  place them on top of the chicken mixture.
•  Bake at 350' for 45 minutes or until done
• serve over rice.