Tater-Tot Casserole

Tater-Tot Casserole
serves 4

What you will need:
*1 LB lean ground beef
*1/2 medium onion, chopped
*1 10 1/2 ounce can condensed cream of celery or cream of chicken soup 
*1 16oz package frozen tater tots
*1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
*salt and pepper

Directions: 
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
2. Brown ground beef, season with salt and pepper.
3. Add chopped onion, cook until tender.
4. In a casserole dish, combine ground beef mixture & cream soup. 
5. Top mixture with tater tots.
6. Bake, uncovered, for 30-40 minutes till bubbly and Tots are golden brown.
7.Remove from oven & top with cheese, return to oven until melted.
8. Enjoy! 

Side note, this dish also freezed great if you want to make extra and throw some in the freezer for another quick meal later on! 

*When I made this for dinner I simply cut down the recipe a little bit so I would only make a smaller pan for Matt and I. Really its just what you think looks good or what you like, try it out and see what you think! 

Orange Chicken

 Okay I know I say this about every recipe but this is seriously the best orange chicken you will ever have.  I started making this a few years ago and have now mastered it! This is one you HAVE to try at least once, I promise you wont be disappointed.  Side note, I am not a fan of orange chicken at Chinese restaurants at all, they are to spicy for me and just taste funny.  These are not spicy at all and taste nothing like nasty restaurant orange chicken!
This recipe is perfect for an evening at home, you could even get someone to help you make it, which makes it a lot easier and is much more fun that way!

Ready for this awesomeness? Here it is:

3lbs Chicken breast (or however much you are making, I always do more because I am always making this for a ton of people at one time...)

Defrost the chicken then cut them into small squares 

Drop the cut up chicken and put it in a bowl with 1-2 beaten egg

After dipping chicken pieces in the egg, shake chicken in a bag of:
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1/2 C corn starch
1/2 C flour
**I always double this because I like more breading.  Another trick I have learned over the years... After you cut up the chicken and put it in the bag with the flour/corn starch don't mix it up right away.  Put as much chicken in the bag before you shake it, this way the beading will cover it all without getting all nasty and used right away.  The less times you have to shake up the chicken the better they will be breaded. 

 

 You don't have to do multiple bags... Like I said I was making a ton!

 See how nicely breaded these are? :)

 

 Brown floured chicken in oil (any type will work we just like to use Coconut Oil) and place in baking dish (spray it before hand).  Remember don't eat the chicken, its still raw!

 

Combine all your ingredient for the sauce

 Next you are going to make the orange sauce:
3/4 C sugar
1/2 C chicken broth
1/4 C catsup
2T soy sauce
1/4 tsp salt

Combine it all in sauce pan, stirring occasionally (using a whisk works best)

Cook it until it comes to a boil

 Pour sauce over chicken.  Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes.  Stir halfway through.

 

Serve over rice and ENJOY!!

 

That easy! Let us know how it turns out but I should warn you, once you have this you wont be able to stop making it!

Easy Italian Chicken

Okay folk, this is going to seriously be the fastest, easiest, yummiest thing you have ever made.  Are you ready for it? Here it is:

Ingredient:
Chicken Breasts (depends on how many are eating... I normally just do 2)
1 pkg Italian Season mix
1 can Cream of Chicken
1 8oz pkg. Cream Cheese
Butter (I don't do this because it's fine without, why add the extra fat if it still tastes amazing?)

Cream cheese not pictured.

Put everything in the crock pot and turn it on low for 6-8 hours stirring occasionally (if your home, if not don't worry about it!)

** Don't even worry about defrosting the chicken just stick it in frozen and all!

***Serve over rice or noodles

Seriously that's it, what did I tell you easy right? Go a head try it out, tell us what you think!

Homemaid Laundry Detergent

My mom has been making her own laundry detergent for a while now and I am sick of having to buy Tide all the time so we decided to try it out for ourselves.  It was about $20 give or take for the stuff and lasts about 6+ months. I found the recipe HERE and it is sooo easy to follow but basically here it is. 

What you will need:
1 4 lb 12 oz box Borax (2.15 kg or 76 oz) found in the detergent isle

1 4 lb box Arm & Hammer Baking Soda (1.81 kg) found in the detergent isle

1  box Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda 55 oz (3 lb 7 oz) found in the detergent isle

3 bars of Fels-Naptha soap, found in the detergent isle (if you use Zote bars use 2 bars instead, Zote can be found at Home Depot)

2 small containers of Oxy Clean or store brand Oxy Clean (try to get about 3.5 lbs total (1.58 kg)) found in the detergent isle.

(this is optional)

**Use 1-2 Tablespoons per load. I know that does not seem like enough but this recipe does not have fillers like the store bought detergent so you only need 1-2 Tablespoons.**

This detergent is fairly mild smelling, it is not over powering. If you love a strong scent you may have to add a fabric softener or laundry crystals to each load.

I used these instead of  laundry crystals but you don't have to

 

 

 

 Grate the Fels-Naptha (I used a big grater but my mom will grate it like this then put it in a food processor as well, either works I just didn't have a food processor)

 Pour everything into a big bucket or some type of container, mix it up and your good to go!

 

Remember you will only need a Tablespoon or 2

 Enjoy!

St. Pattys Day

St Patricks Day is coming up and I have just the thing for you to do with your little ones! I thought this was so cute but because I don't have any children I thought I would share this with everyone that does, try it out and let me know how it goes!  Go HERE and look at the adorable scavenger hunt, with free printable' and everything.  This is something the kids will love and would be such a fun tradition to start. 

 

I found this one one of my favorite bloggers Pillow Thought she always have fun little things that are cheap and easy, and her daughter is just adorable!  Go check out her blog here at Pillow Thought

Pillow Fight!

I have a birthday at my house in 2 weeks.  My *almost* two year old LOVES to have pillow fights, so when I saw these on Pinterest I just knew I had to make them!

All I had to go off of was this picture. I couldn't find an actual tutorial or link anywhere, so I just mostly winged it.  I think they turned out pretty cute--for pillows on a FREE budget, that is! :)  They are not as clean and crisp as the above pillows, but I didn't have access to screen printing, nor did I want to spend hours.  I'm happy with my 'hacked' version! 

There was really nothing to these.  I pulled out some old muslin I had lying around and freehand drew swords and the various weapons.  I used regular tole paints to paint the images on, then cut them out, sewed, and stuffed.  I finished them up with a little bit of hand stitching and threw them in the dryer to set the paint and fluff the pillows.  Pretty cute! I think my little guy is going to love them!

*Side note...If I were doing this again, I would have been more careful to leave more white space around my swords.  I really like how there is an inch or more on the Pinterest picture. I wish mine had more white edging.

Thoughts for Thursday

 

I've thought about this a lot.  Failing isn't always a negative thing.  I've heard the questions asked, "What would you do if you knew you would not fail?"  It certainly gives you something to think about.  Embrace those things you have always been afraid of, if you fail, get back up and try again. 

A 'well duh!' tip for your day!

At church, we have been challenged to read OUT LOUD "The Living Christ" 30 times before girls camp. (Learn more here...The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints) 

I don't have many chances to read something out loud--especially something rather longish like "The Living Christ."  But, on a good day, I do get to take a shower.  And since I don't have my brand new baby here yet, on a really good day I even get to take a shower for longer than 45 seconds.  

So I put my copy of "The Living Christ" in a ziplock back and stuck it in my shower.  I read the first page while I shampoo, the second page while I condition.  And since I normally sing in the shower anyway, nobody thinks I'm any more strange than usual to be talking to myself!  It's working out FABULOUSLY and I may even get the thing memorized!  (Supposing, of course, that I'll get 30 showers before girls camp~! ;)

Try it with something you need to learn. It's great!

Product of the week:

Today's product of the week is brought to you by Retro.  I will be honest I don't love all of their products and frankly I think their shampoo and hairspray smells like burnt tootsie rolls.  I do however love, love, love their shine drops!  You can't go wrong adding a little extra shine into your hair but when it helps maintain those flighty little split ends, it's a double bonus!  So here you have it; Retro shine drops.  Don't take my word for it, try it out yourself! Email me to order! :)

~Photos of the week~

Of course I am partial to my own child's picture being the best of the week ;) 

Photo Tip: open the windows, place object facing the light but not directly in it... enjoy the natural light!

Alphabet Roads

Alphabet Letter Roads

Looking for something to entertain those little boys (or girls) of yours?  I have just the thing!

Now that Preschool is in full swing again, I am always looking for new ideas to share with the children for each center (writing, art, science...).  I came upon THESE a while ago, made them for my nephew for Christmas and never got around to making my own.  Well today I finally did it.  They are so perfect!  Coming from a preschool side of things, out of all of the centers in a preschool classroom Language and Literacy are by far the least favorite.  On a good day, maybe 2 children will show up there and actually try what you have put out.  That's what makes this activity perfect for boys AND girls.  Grab a few toy cars and spread out the letters and let them "drive" the cars in the shape of the letters.  Don't think this is very educational?  Guess again.  Trust me your child is not going to learn how to read before they can recognize letters and this is perfect for that!  Even if they are not getting it at first, at least they are trying something new and learning in the process.  They are so easy also.  Click HERE to print them off.  You can print them on white or black paper, there are uppercase and lower case, numbers, and shapes.  All for FREE! :)  Try them out, let me know what you think! 

Lessons Learned

...The amazing moment when you realize how much you appreciate your 4 year old...

 If you're a mom, you will spend your day reminding your children; let's be nice, we need to talk nice, no hitting, eat all your food, no treats till after lunch, pick that up, pick this up, stay out of there, please share, what not to say, how to act in certain places, seat belts, get down from there, keep your feet on the floor, go get dressed, how to be soft, let your brother play, NO, calm down, eat in the kitchen, Good job, try again, don't give up, say please and thank you, YES, you did it, give me loves, its ok,

I love you!

Although this is only some of the things we teach our kids everyday- the one I want to focus on is

 "we need to talk nice"

Everyday we may become overwhelmed with the tasks that come with raising our kids and I will  have to sadly admit- ...I sometimes yell at my kids... Sometimes I feel like it's the only way to get their attention. They seem to ignore me until I raise my voice a little more- 

Well, it's that special moment in life when your children teach you a thing or two! 

When my little boy climbed out of his bed 15+ plus times last night and I had to keep going in there to put him back in (because he shares a room with my 4 year old and keeps him up when this happens) and each time he would laugh at me like it was a game I can honestly say my blood was boiling... when I started to get upset my sweet little 4 year old said "Mom, remember we need to talk nice!"

Although these are such humbling experiences- and at first I feel a bit stupid for being a bad example, I am happy to say that this is actually a great thing! Although I am the one that had to falter in his eyes, I am also the one that taught him that we do in fact need to talk nice and he has actually learned something- But I have learned something bigger! 

Take a moment to notice the lessons learned from your children and know these are great things! 

While you are working your buns off to teach your children, this is proof- they ARE listening! ;) 

Even when day to day life makes you think otherwise!

 

(notice the precious moments)

Hairbow Holder

 Do you have a ton of bows that you don't know what to do with?  Don't have a lot of money to buy some type of organizing system?  Well today is your lucky day, check this out! Oh and did I mention they are seriously sooo easy? Here is how:

Things you will need:
1. Picture frame                 5. Drill w/ drill bits, ruler (optional)
2. Ribbon                           6. Picture hanging hook
3. Spray paint                    7. Scissors
4. Hot glue                         8.  Cup hooks

Directions:

1. Find a frame, doesn't matter the size it really just depends on what you want.  I found mine at DI for $3, what a deal!
2. Pick out some ribbon.  Thick, skinny, stripped, dotted, plain- doesn't matter!  I just did yellow and grey because I already had those colors.
3. Spray paint the frame any color you want, unless you have a pretty frame that you don't want to paint over, once again your choice.  Make sure the frame is dry before you proceed to the next steps...Easy so far right?
4. Break out your hot glue gun and ruler.  Measure the ribbon from one side of the frame to the other, with enough space that you can glue it still.  Then just glue both ends of the ribbon to the frame-Yes it's that simple.
5.  This step is optional but it makes it even easier.  Drill small holes into the bottom of your frame (for hooks) Measure it out so they are even, mine are 2 in. apart.

 6. Start screwing in your hooks (where you drilled the holes...)  If your hands start to hurt you can always use a wrench or something to help you.
7. Nail in your picture hanging hook thing (what is the name for these?)
8. Hang on wall.

 9. Decorate with all of your bows and head bands! Enjoy!
10. If you don't have any bows you can always make some, they are actually pretty easy once you get started.  Maybe I can teach you some of my tricks in another tutorial. ;) 

Product of the Week

E.L.F Facial Shimmering Whip.

 

I LOVE LOVE LOVE this product.  I know you have seen all the tutorials on Pinterest about contouring, and highlighting- even more of a reason to love this product.  I always use it under my eyes and I just love the glow it gives.  It can be used as eye shadow as well, I haven't had amazing success with this as it tends to crease.  It comes in several different colors so you can really play around with it and see what you think.  The best part about this product you ask??? It's only $1,  who can't afford that?  You can find it at Target, I promise you won't regret it. 

Vase Lift

Have any old vases lying around that you wanna spruce up a bit? Well now is your chance with this easy how to.

1. Find a vase that you want to work with (smooth ones work best).

2. Find some yarn, any color will really work (I just did this color because it looks sort of like twine (which also works!) but you don't have to)

3. Start wrapping your yarn around your vase (top to bottom, bottom to top- doesn't matter) stop every once in a while and use mod podge to make it stick (don't worry it will dry clear). You could also just use a dab of hot glue on it as well, whichever is easier for you!

4. Let dry, place flowers or anything else in it for a easy decoration!

Different types of bottles also work well. These are some of my favorite (click HERE).

Obviously these are not the same vases but I wanted you to see different kinds! :)

Triple Chocolate Decadent Delight

This cake is a favorite at our house.  So incredibly yummy!  The original recipe is HERE--and I make it just like they say, with no changes (although we have renamed it!).

 Mine never turns out so pretty as in the magazine, but it's sure tasty!

Make sure you plan to share--it's too rich to eat by yourself!