tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1264424641668015832024-03-12T19:40:33.049-04:00Chic Crafty ChickBecause it's Chic to be Crafty...Chic Crafty Chickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01621295921625064097noreply@blogger.comBlogger662125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-126442464166801583.post-41170756683356806972013-12-23T15:35:00.002-05:002013-12-23T15:35:13.152-05:00Christmas is Almost Here!Oh blogging, how I have missed you. My two boys have kept me very busy. But I couldn't let 2013 end without throwing out a quick blog post. So, I thought I'd share a link back to one of my previous blog posts for my Christmas brunch recipes. Maybe you don't feel there will be time to get what you need for Christmas morning, so if that doesn't work for you then I hope it might work for New Year's Day.<br />
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I hope that you have a blessed holiday season with your family and that 2014 is a great year!<br />
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<a href="http://chiccraftychick.blogspot.com/2009/12/christmas-brunch.html" target="_blank">Christmas Brunch Recipes</a><div class="blogger-post-footer">http://chiccraftychick.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default
ZFDGAMYQGYKG</div>Chic Crafty Chickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01621295921625064097noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-126442464166801583.post-78684124215191986602013-09-01T10:41:00.001-04:002013-09-01T10:41:15.697-04:00Summer Hair CareDuring this summer, I discovered a product that I fell in love with. I decided to get highlights put in my hair just before the summer and I found my hair was drying out quite a bit. I have never had this happen and I was sad, because my hair has always been shiny and soft. I had heard a lot about Moroccan Argan oil people are using in their hair, so I decided to ask my stylist about it back in June. She raved about it and told me how wonderful it is for your hair. So, I decided to go to <a href="http://www.ulta.com/" target="_blank">Ulta</a> and purchase some to try it out for myself.<br />
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The great thing about this oil is that you can put it on your hair while it is wet prior to blow drying. I was afraid it would make my hair feel weighed down and greasy, but it doesn't. It has made my hair soft again and my stylist commented to me at my last haircut that she could see a difference in my hair. I also love the light scent of the oil. And the great thing is a little bit goes a long way. I think it has taken me about 2 1/2 months to use up a bottle. So it isn't something I'm having to purchase all the time.<br />
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It runs $7.99 a bottle. I have also seen the Organix brand at Target. I personally like the great rewards program that <a href="http://www.ulta.com/" target="_blank">Ulta</a> has available, so I purchase a lot of my hair care products from them. If you don't have an <a href="http://www.ulta.com/" target="_blank">Ulta</a> near you, they have a lot of products available on their website. I also find that sometimes they run really good sales on the website and you can get a number of free products with different purchase amounts depending on the promotion. And no, they didn't pay me to say that. I'm just a loyal customer who has had a good experience with the store and rewards program.<br />
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So, the argan oil is one thing I'm liking right now that I discovered over the summer. I'd love to hear if you've used it, or are interested in trying it out.<br />
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We are getting ready to get back in the swing of things with school starting this week. I'm not ready to say goodbye to summer. But at least there is holiday decorating to look forward to doing with the kids.<br />
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ZFDGAMYQGYKG</div>Chic Crafty Chickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01621295921625064097noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-126442464166801583.post-71445458725261265732013-06-20T19:46:00.001-04:002013-06-20T19:46:19.575-04:00Betty Crocker Gluten Free Baking ProductsHappy first day of summer everyone! I can't believe summer is finally here. We made it through our first year of kindergarten. And we are ready to start having fun in the sun. These last several months have been full of challenges for me with learning the ropes of having a child in elementary school, to managing my food allergies.<br />
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Back in October I was diagnose with having wheat, yeast, and pea food allergies. It has been such a challenge and has been a complete life style change to accommodate my allergies. While I have been feeling better, I have been so sad that many of the foods I have loved I can't have anymore.<br />
<br />I was recently approached by MyBlogSpark and Betty Crocker to participate in a program about Betty Crocker's new gluten free dessert mixes. They currently have cake, brownie and cookie mixes. They were kind to send me a rolling pin and cake pan for participating in the blogging program. "The information and prize pack were provided by General Mills through
MyBlogSpark."<br />
<br />I went out and purchased the Betty Crocker chocolate chip cookie mix. I have to admit I was anxious to try them because since being diagnose with my wheat allergy, I have not had any cookies since October. I was happy to see that the box only needed to have butter, gluten free vanilla, and an egg to add to it. It easily mixed up in my Kitchen Aide mixer. I felt like I was able to make a fair number of cookies. I used my medium sized Pampered Chef cookie scoop. <br />
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As the cookies baked, they smelled wonderful. My mouth was watering in anticipation. Once they cooled and I took my first bite, I thought I'd died and gone to heaven. I am so excited to have found something that I can have and it doesn't taste like a lousy substitution. I don't feel like I'm having to settle. I have since gone back and bought two more boxes of the cookie mix. I plan on sharing them with my friends who are gluten free. And I have to admit that I had to hide "my" cookies from my kids because they wanted them. LOL<br />
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So if you have any friends or family who are looking for great tasting gluten free desserts, check out Betty Crocker's desserts. I purchased mine at Wal Mart and Kroger.<br />
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Here is Betty's website if you want to check them out. <a href="http://bettycrocker.com/glutenfree" target="_blank">Betty Crocker Gluten Free Website</a><br />
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ZFDGAMYQGYKG</div>Chic Crafty Chickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01621295921625064097noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-126442464166801583.post-13889268823916294092013-02-26T14:34:00.000-05:002013-02-26T14:34:12.976-05:00Mesh Ribbon WreathEver since I discovered mesh ribbon last Christmas, I've been in love. I love the blingy look it gives to decorating projects. And since everything looks so drab after the holidays, I decided I wanted to perk up my front door with a new wreath. <br />
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I knew I wanted to have a large wreath that would show up, but to be honest I didn't realize how big this was going to turn out until I hung it on my front door. While I have gotten many compliments on it, I think if I make another I'll go down a size in wreath form.<br />
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So, here is how I've been decorating for this month. Do you put up decorations for various holidays?<br />
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ZFDGAMYQGYKG</div>Chic Crafty Chickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01621295921625064097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-126442464166801583.post-48319596083336881612013-02-25T21:52:00.000-05:002013-02-25T21:52:01.403-05:00L'Oreal Paris Magic BB CreamIt is hard to believe most of February is gone. One thing I have enjoyed this year is trying new products. One of my most recent opportunities to try a new product was provided by L'Oreal through the SheSpeaks program. They sent me a tube of L'Oreal Paris Magic BB Cream.<br />
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The product is white when it comes out of the tube and it has built-in skincare benefits. The product information for the BB cream says that it has four beautifying actions, this all-in-one innovation primes and smooths, perfects to hide flaws, hydrates all-day, and corrects and evens skin. The product is infused with skincare ingredients like Panthenol, Vitamin E and Glycerin for 24-hour moisturizing l-in-one innovation primes and smooths, perfects to hide flaws, hydrates all-day, and corrects and evens skin. <br />
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I added the L'Oreal Paris Magic BB Cream to my daily makeup routine for a week. The first two times I tried the product, it felt tingly on my skin. The cream comes out of the tube as a light lotion consistency and it is white. For those who have not tried a product like this, I think the white coloring is good because it is easy to see where you are applying it to get an even application. I don't really have any uneven coloring issues, so I didn't see any change in my appearance since this is an issue that doesn't affect me. Just a little bit of it goes a long way, so I don't see going through a tube of this very quickly.<br />
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The L'Oreal Paris Magic BB cream is sold at major retailers such as Target and Wal Mart and retails for $10.95 for 1 fl oz. <br />
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ZFDGAMYQGYKG</div>Chic Crafty Chickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01621295921625064097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-126442464166801583.post-88426936932597584002012-12-24T22:10:00.000-05:002012-12-24T23:15:10.235-05:00Holiday DecoratingWow has this month has flown by! I have been busy for the last few weeks getting our home ready for Christmas. We go out pretty big on the decoration. Even if you haven't had a chance to decorate, there is still time! <br />
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I had an opportunity through Smiley360 to receive a gift card to do some shopping at Sears. If you are still doing some last minute decorating and shopping, the <a href="http://www.sears.com/seasonal-christmas/c-1100100?sid=ISm20120411x123557" target="_blank">The Sears Holiday Shop</a> is your ticket. I was able to go on their website and order a Gingerbread Man Nutcracker. I thought this guy would make a great addition to my nutcracker collection. I started my collection 11 years ago. Nutcrackers are a nice, inexpensive item to start collecting so that in a few years you'll have a great display.<br />
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When I ordered my Gingerbread Man Nutcracker on the website, I found it to be an easy process. Also, Sears is part of the ShopYourWayRewards program. That is a great program where you can earn points to use to get money off future purchases. I use this program through Sears, as well as Kmart.<br />
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So, here is a picture of our Gingerbread Man, which my boys flipped over. <br />
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Hope you and your family are having a blessed, holiday season!<br />
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ZFDGAMYQGYKG</div>Chic Crafty Chickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01621295921625064097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-126442464166801583.post-91867174648339748562012-12-04T08:46:00.001-05:002012-12-04T08:46:39.595-05:00Where in the World...I'm happy to be back blogging today. Since September, things have been crazy in so many ways. But the most life altering situation I've dealt with occurred in October when I found out that I have been diagnosed with food allergies. I am allergic to peas (how random), wheat, and baker's yeast. My symptoms have progressed so much that I now have to have an epi pen and Benadryl. I'm scared to death to eat anywhere. The wheat and peas have been the easiest to deal with, but the baker's yeast is so difficult. I've been losing weight since I can't have any breads of any kind. There are pros and cons, believe it or not.<br />
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So, along with being busy as a room mother to my kids and just figuring out what in the world I can safely eat has been a challenge. But, I am hopeful that it will all come together soon.<br />
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Also, we are finally getting a new laptop. Yay! So I hope that will allow me the chance to get back to blogging. I have been decorating my house for Christmas and will start sharing pictures. <br />
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So, that is where in the world I have been. Hope you are having a great day in your neck of the woods.<div class="blogger-post-footer">http://chiccraftychick.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default
ZFDGAMYQGYKG</div>Chic Crafty Chickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01621295921625064097noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-126442464166801583.post-31224983472563821242012-10-31T08:33:00.001-04:002012-10-31T08:33:27.995-04:00Nursery Rhyme Character CostumeHappy Halloween everyone! I consider myself blessed that my area was spared during Hurricane Sandy. We were on pins and needles, but had no storm damage. My thoughts and prayers are with those affected by the storm.<br />
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Today my son's kindergarten class had to dress up as a Nursery Rhyme character. We chose the Baker's Man from Pat-a-cake, pat-a-cake. I found the chef's hat at Kmart and the apron at A.C. Moore. He will be a Baker's Man by day and tonight he will be Jake from Jake and the Neverland Pirates. My youngest son is going to be Lightning McQueen. <br />
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My youngest son's birthday was Monday during Hurricane Sandy, but we decorated and made the best of it. He was happy because I had mini cupcakes and of course the presents helped. <br />
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Wishing you a safe and Happy Halloween!</div>
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ZFDGAMYQGYKG</div>Chic Crafty Chickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01621295921625064097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-126442464166801583.post-30032440591224337362012-10-19T12:35:00.000-04:002012-10-19T12:36:19.968-04:00Bootiful Halloween DecorationsAs you can see from today's post, I've been busy over the last few weeks. I've had a number of different appointments, but I've also found time to decorate for Halloween. I wanted to share my decorations with you. You can easily decorate for different holidays without breaking the bank. Some of my decorations are new, while others I've had a few years. I recommend starting out with a budget and adding to your display each year. It is also nice to change things up from year to year.<br />
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It wouldn't be Halloween without my Peanuts gang Great Pumpkin wreath. I got these supplies about 2 years ago at Michael's.<br />
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This is one of my new decorations. I bought 2 of these topiary holders to flank the front door. The wrought iron looking holder is from Better Homes and Gardens.I found them in the garden section for $7. I didn't want to put live plants in my pots, so I filled them with floral foam and put fake moss and pumpkins on top. I have really enjoyed these and the little pumpkins show a nice pop of color from the street.<br />
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These scarecrow friends greet our guests. They are sitting in little adirondack chairs I bought for the boys years ago. My dad did some work on them and fixed them up, so I didn't want them out in the elements. So they are on the front porch and the boys loving seeing the scarecrows in them.<br />
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I got this wooden pumpkin at Ross last year and it rates up there as one of my favorite Halloween decorations. <br />
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These cats are a purrrfect addition to our front foyer. I got them in the Target dollar spot this year. Can you see my Boston Terrier, Miss Zoe, peeking out? She matches the decorations. LOL <br />
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We have a box to help boost up our Giant Great Pumpkin who glows in our front window. We used a table cloth to cover the box. And that cool Trick or Treater we got a number of years ago at Target. The cat I snagged at Kroger after Halloween last year. <br />
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I got these spiders at Dollar Tree last year and the spider web on sale after Halloween last year. My boys have loved having them in our kitchen.<br />
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Here is my kitchen bay window. I got those pumpkins in the windows at Dollar Tree and the felt garland came from Target a year or two ago. All of those little solar folks in the windows came from Dollar Tree. <br />
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These last two pictures are of my fireplace mantle. I put all kinds of little nick nacks up. I especially love pumpkins and have picked some up at different places. My husband thinks that the black cat that is the mascot for fireworks is hilarious, so over the last few years I've picked up some black cat decorations as I've seen them. The sparkley cat in the second picture was in the Target dollar spot this year.<br />
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So there is a peak at my Halloween decorations. Do you decorate for Halloween? If so, do you have a theme? <br />
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ZFDGAMYQGYKG</div>Chic Crafty Chickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01621295921625064097noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-126442464166801583.post-5339838926952462382012-09-24T12:13:00.000-04:002012-09-24T12:13:50.673-04:00Arbor Mist Frozen Wine Cocktail PouchesRecently I've had the opportunity through SheSpeaks to try some new frozen Wine Cocktail drinks by Arbor Mist. I was very interested in trying these because last summer I tried some other frozen pouch drinks by a few other brands. <br />
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These Arbor Mist frozen Wine Cocktail pouches are unique because they are wine cocktails. All the other frozen pouch drinks I've tried have been margarita or pina colada flavored. The Arbor Mist pouches come in Blackberry Merlot, Strawberry White Zinfandel, White Pear Pinot Grigio. <br />
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The first pouch I tried was the White Pear Pinot Grigio. I have to admit I'm not a fan of pears, so I wasn't sure I would like this one. But I was pleasantly surprised that I really liked it. I found it to be a light, refreshing taste. I would definitely try this one again.<br />
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The other flavor I tried was the Blackberry Merlot. When I do have a glass of wine, if given a choice I usually go for red wines. So I was interested to see how this would taste. Red wine can have a full bodied taste and that definitely came through. I found the taste of this one to be a bit heavier than the White Pear Pinot Grigio. I think this flavor might be better with fall coming up and the cooler temperatures.<br />
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I'm such a strawberry fan, I can't wait to try the Strawberry White Zinfandel next.<br />
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Be sure to check out these pouches the next time you are in the store.<br />
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Hope you are having a great day in your neck of the woods.<div class="blogger-post-footer">http://chiccraftychick.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default
ZFDGAMYQGYKG</div>Chic Crafty Chickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01621295921625064097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-126442464166801583.post-44726218708542170412012-09-19T13:48:00.000-04:002012-09-19T13:48:00.582-04:00Pirate PartyArrg. Today is Talk like a Pirate day. So what could be better than sharing ideas on how to throw a cool pirate party? <br />
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Over the summer I decided I wanted to throw a pirate play date, so we picked a day after my son's birthday and invited our friends to come over. We let the kids play in the back yard in the swimming pools and we had bubbles and our play set. We were lucky that the weather cooperated and it was perfect weather to be outside.<br />
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Many of my pirate supplies came from Wal Mart, Target, and Oriental Trading Company, Dollar Tree, Party City, and Michaels. <br />
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Here is a close up of the front door of the wreath I made. I wish this picture showed up better, but I bought little pirate finger puppets from Oriental Trading and I wired them on to my wreath. I got the fishing net from Dollar Tree and the ribbon for the bow is from Michaels. They should still have the ribbon because I purchased it from the Halloween section. I like that I can also use this wreath again with Halloween coming up.<br />
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Here is a treasure chest I got for the goody bags I we made up for our friends. I had little bags with spy glasses, treasure maps, and other goodies. I also got some bags of Pirate's Booty snack to give each of our little pirates. I will say that I didn't have a very good experience with this inflatable treasure chest from Oriental Trading. The top came with a small hole in it, so it didn't inflate well. It did make a cute prop.<br />
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This pirate flag I got on vacation in the Outer Banks of North Carolina. We needed a way for our pirate crew to find the house, right? LOL My boys loved this flag and I have to admit it stayed up on the front of my house well into August. They were disappointed to see me take it down.<br />
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Here is the table with some of the things set up. I got my table cloth and plates from Wal Mart.<br />
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This pirate ship and the figures I purchased at Old Navy near their registers. It was a little kit that was $5.00. I purchased the gold coins from Party City.</div>
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These are some pirate rubber duckies that Oriental Trading sells that I got to put in the kiddie pools. They were so cute, but they didn't float correctly. It looked like these pirate ducks walked the plank.</div>
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One thing I didn't get to take a picture of was the fruit and veggie tray I made. I got small swords for guests to use. Mainly the adults used those since we didn't want the little ones playing with them.</div>
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I hope this gives you some ideas if you decide to do a pirate party one day. I think I would like to do this theme again when my kids are already and we can do treasure maps with a scavenger hut. </div>
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Hope you are having a great day in your neck of the ocean, matey! Arrrgggghhhh!</div>
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ZFDGAMYQGYKG</div>Chic Crafty Chickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01621295921625064097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-126442464166801583.post-9268388354164007462012-09-17T15:02:00.001-04:002012-09-17T15:02:40.908-04:00Girl Scout Samoa SubstituteI thought once my kids went back to school it was going to slow down a bit for me, but that doesn't seem to be the case. So I am tickled pink to get a blog post in today.<br />
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Today I wanted to share about some cookies that I've recently discovered. In the past I've blogged about the Girl Scout Samoa cookies. I know they have different names of their cookies depending on which part of the country you live, so the Samoa ones are the cookies that have the coconut, caramel, and chocolate. I love that combination. <br />
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I was in Wal Mart about two weeks ago and discovered Keebler sells a cookie just like these. I got a pack and I'm in love. They taste a lot like the Girl Scout cookies. So if you like this flavor, you might want to check them out. <br />
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Hope you are having a great day in you neck of the woods!<div class="blogger-post-footer">http://chiccraftychick.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default
ZFDGAMYQGYKG</div>Chic Crafty Chickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01621295921625064097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-126442464166801583.post-65897923997605980202012-09-07T13:18:00.001-04:002012-09-07T13:18:19.370-04:00Back to SchoolOh summer and the month of August, where did you go? The last few months have been very busy at my house. This week was an especially big week since my oldest went off to kindergarten. My youngest started preschool and for the first time since I had my children, I have time without kids. I am excited that the new found time is going to allow me to get more blogging time on a regular basis. And to also get my house cleaned. LOL<br />
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I have so many wonderful things I've wanted to blog about, but blogging has had to go on the back burner for me to take care of my family. I hope to get some regular posting going starting next week. <br />
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Here are my kids on their first day of school. <br />
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He did such a great job of trying to hold still and say cheese. LOL<br />
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Hope you are having a great September in your neck of the woods!<div class="blogger-post-footer">http://chiccraftychick.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default
ZFDGAMYQGYKG</div>Chic Crafty Chickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01621295921625064097noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-126442464166801583.post-53888312974417701582012-07-16T16:50:00.001-04:002012-07-16T16:50:21.398-04:00Dog Days of Summer<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'>Here is how my pup likes to beat the heat.<a title='Uploaded from BlogBooster' href='http://lh4.ggpht.com/-flIM6m45_Nc/UAR-YT4WCpI/AAAAAAAACB4/M8edg7Wn0eU/BB_Photo.png'><img alt='Zoe' src='http://lh4.ggpht.com/-flIM6m45_Nc/UAR-YT4WCpI/AAAAAAAACB4/M8edg7Wn0eU/BB_Photo.png' style='border:none;'/></a><br/><br/>Hope you are having a great day in your neck of the woods.
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ZFDGAMYQGYKG</div>Chic Crafty Chickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01621295921625064097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-126442464166801583.post-63920030686381097202012-07-11T10:41:00.001-04:002012-07-11T10:41:34.200-04:00Summer white wine recommendation<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'>My husband has been working on my lap top for weeks, so that has made it difficult to blog. I hope it will be ok. It is hard not having it.
Today I wanted to share a wine that I discovered that I really like. It seems like most people I know are white wine drinkers. I usually prefer red, but I decided to try a moscato wine when my sister in law told me about a moscato she tried. So that is what I'm reviewing for you today.
Last week I was in the wine aisle at Target and saw a moscato by The Naked Grape. I have to admit I am someone who likes funny names on nail polish and wine, so the name struck my funny bone and I purchased a bottle.
I am now a moscato convert. The temperatures have been so horribly hot here. I found this wine to be light and refreshing. It is great cold. It has a slight sweetness to it which I enjoyed. And the bottle was priced under ten dollars. So it won't break the bank.
Hope you are having a great day in your neck of the woods. <a title='Moscato' href='http://lh4.ggpht.com/-X4E16E9Ok1Q/T_2QklngZzI/AAAAAAAACBs/lXBLfBERSV4/BB_Photo.png'><img alt='The Naked Grape' src='http://lh4.ggpht.com/-X4E16E9Ok1Q/T_2QklngZzI/AAAAAAAACBs/lXBLfBERSV4/BB_Photo.png' style='border:none;'/></a>
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ZFDGAMYQGYKG</div>Chic Crafty Chickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01621295921625064097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-126442464166801583.post-73083214888547684952012-07-04T21:05:00.001-04:002012-07-04T21:05:45.352-04:00Happy 4th of July<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'>Today I'm thankful for power since we lost it over the weekend. Here is how I used 4th of July decorations to give us lights. I got the lanterns at Pier One last year after the 4th.<br/><br/>I'm praying for the folks who still don't have power.<br/><br/>Wishing you a happy and safe 4th!<br/><br/><a title='Uploaded from BlogBooster' href='http://lh5.ggpht.com/-VlA9A_IbZ00/T_ToYoTCxCI/AAAAAAAACBg/EdUHdptc4-M/BB_Photo.png'><img alt='' src='http://lh5.ggpht.com/-VlA9A_IbZ00/T_ToYoTCxCI/AAAAAAAACBg/EdUHdptc4-M/BB_Photo.png' style='border:none;'/></a>
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ZFDGAMYQGYKG</div>Chic Crafty Chickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01621295921625064097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-126442464166801583.post-71698756149580795402012-06-28T15:24:00.001-04:002012-06-28T15:24:58.078-04:00Summer time fun<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'>We have been busy, so today is a pool day. The kids are loving this pool we got on clearance at the end of the year last year. We are looking at triple digits here for the next few days. Stay cool and safe.<a title='Uploaded from BlogBooster' href='http://lh6.ggpht.com/-NsZcRNwP5mg/T-yvhAr1KEI/AAAAAAAACBU/3xw7Xxl090o/BB_Photo.png'><img alt='Pool side' src='http://lh6.ggpht.com/-NsZcRNwP5mg/T-yvhAr1KEI/AAAAAAAACBU/3xw7Xxl090o/BB_Photo.png' style='border:none;'/></a>
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ZFDGAMYQGYKG</div>Chic Crafty Chickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01621295921625064097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-126442464166801583.post-72166853595229061332012-06-21T10:30:00.001-04:002012-06-21T10:30:44.985-04:00Fern CareSummer is officially here and where I live that means ferns on your front porch. I have to admit that I love having them hanging on my front porch. To me ferns are welcoming, like little green smiles hanging up waving at you to come on up on the porch. I know every time I go out or I pull up to my house, my ferns make me smile. <br />
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I've had an opportunity to watch some FoodNetwork shows this week and I've caught a couple of Paula Deen's shows. If you watch her show, when she cooks in her kitchen in Savannah, Georgia she has a large brick fireplace that is right behind her. And in the fireplace they've placed a large fern. I love that look. It is amazing how a plant as simple as a fern came be such a decorative item. That leafy, pop of green can add so much to a space. <br />
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Today I want to share a tip about caring for ferns that has made things so much easier for me. I bought my ferns last month and up until this week our temperatures have been a bit mild since the humidity has been down. Now the humidity is up and the heat too. Yesterday, some of the areas around me had a heat index of over 100 degrees. When the weather gets that hot it can be hard to get motivated to water plants. Even at eight or nine or ten o'clock at night it can feel like a sauna outside. <br />
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My mother in law shared that her brother shared a great watering tip with her for keeping his ferns lush and green even at the height of the heat and humidity we get here. His tip is to take your fern and submerge it in a 5 gallon bucket. Let the fern soak for a while and then take it up and hang it. This way the roots get a good drink. The great thing about this is you don't have to lug a heavy hose and stand there and watch the water go through. You also don't loose as much water this way. The thing that has been great for me has been that I can put my ferns in the bucket and go off and get other projects done and then come back and switch them out. I'm all about multitasking, so this works great for me. Some of the ferns I purchased were on sale and they were stressed from not being watered properly at the store. They have really perked up since I've started the new watering process. <br />
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Here is a picture of one of my ferns enjoying their morning drink. My porch gets afternoon sun, so having the ferns soak either in the morning or after the sun goes down works best for me.<br />
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Do you enjoy ferns and have them at your house? If so, where do you have your ferns?</div>
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I hope you are having a great day in your neck of the woods!</div><div class="blogger-post-footer">http://chiccraftychick.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default
ZFDGAMYQGYKG</div>Chic Crafty Chickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01621295921625064097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-126442464166801583.post-52774410947996899452012-06-19T13:29:00.001-04:002012-06-19T13:29:10.695-04:00Mini Peach CobblersHello middle of June. How did you get here so fast? And I thought things would settle down once preschool ended, but little did I know that my son would come down with Hand, Foot, and Mouth over the weekend. So, I've had a cranky guy who is itchy. But we are hanging in there. My laptop has also been acting up, so that has limited my blogging. It is good to be back blogging today.<br />
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Yesterday was an overcast day here and we were stuck in the house with my little guy being sick. Fortunately, I had purchased some ingredients to make a recipe I found on Pinterest. The recipe is for mini peach cobblers and they did not disappoint. They are so easy to make. If you have any fresh fruit right, I thin you could put in strawberries, blueberries, or blackberries and they would work great. I love the fresh fruit and vegetable options that are available at this time of the year. <br />
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The pin I found on Pinterest led me to <a href="http://www.alli-n-son.com/2011/06/02/mini-peach-cobblers/" target="_blank">alli-n-son blog.</a> One of her guest bloggers, Melissa from <a href="http://sugarderby.com/" target="_blank">Sugar Derby</a> shared her take on mini peach cobblers. I remember having cobblers when I was growing up, so I was excited to try this recipe. It was so easy. I did change the recipe and instead of just using cinnamon, I used Pampered Chef's Cinnamon Plus Spice Blend. It really added a nice flavor to the cobbler.<br />
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I will warn you if you decide to make this, you can't eat just one. <br />
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Here is a picture of my cobbler. The dollop of vanilla ice cream is a must. <br />
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Be sure to visit Alli's blog for the full recipe. So, what recipes are you finding on Pinterest that you love? </div>
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I hope you are having a great day in your neck of the woods!</div><div class="blogger-post-footer">http://chiccraftychick.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default
ZFDGAMYQGYKG</div>Chic Crafty Chickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01621295921625064097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-126442464166801583.post-55846712507948692672012-06-06T10:08:00.002-04:002012-06-06T10:08:24.931-04:00Marinated Cucumber SaladToday I wanted to share a recipe that I made the other night that is a good one to put away if you are having lots of cucumbers this summer. I know from growing up that once cucumbers take off, you can really get a lot of them coming in all at once.<br />
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I remember going to a food car when I used to work and they sell a fabulous marinated cucumber salad. Remembering that great salad, I recently decided to try and find a similar recipe via the Internet. I stumbled across this one from <a href="http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,1643,158172-237203,00.html" target="_blank">Cooks.com</a> and thought I would give it a try.<br />
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The recipe doesn't specify the type of vinegar to use. I had white vinegar on hand so I used that. I think you could use apple cider vinegar. I may try this recipe using that kind next. I think the apple cider vinegar will give a bit sweet taste which I would like.<br />
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I did not add onion to my recipe. If you don't like onions you can omit them and the recipe will be fine. <br />
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What I like about this recipe is it is an easy recipe to put together the night before a picnic and it doesn't call for any crazy ingredients. You can make a big batch and it will go a long way. <br />
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Since it can be a challenge to find cool foods to eat during the summer time, this is a great recipe. It would be so easy to put a freezer pack or bowl of ice under this during your festivities. <br />
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So file this one away with the Fourth of July coming. I can guarantee this recipe will add some fireworks to your festivities.<br />
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Hope you are having a great day in your neck of the woods!<br />
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<strong>Marinated Cucumber Salad</strong><br />
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1 cucumber<br />
1/2 c. vinegar<br />
2 tbsp. sugar<br />
1/2 c. water<br />
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Thinly slice your cucumber. In a bowl add the 1/2 c. vinegar, 2 tbsp. sugar, 1/2 c. water. Then pour the ingredients over the cucumbers. This can be marinated as short as an hour, but is better if it is allowed to marinate a couple of hours or even over night.<div class="blogger-post-footer">http://chiccraftychick.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default
ZFDGAMYQGYKG</div>Chic Crafty Chickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01621295921625064097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-126442464166801583.post-83731373410985318622012-06-04T12:09:00.003-04:002012-06-04T12:09:59.564-04:00Hello June!Well, I'm happy that it is June and I can stick a fork in May. May was a stressful month for me. I've had a lot going on with one of my kids and multiple doctor's appointments. So I was glad we took a great family vacation last week to the Outer Banks of North Carolina. We all needed to destress.<br />
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This week I hope to share some posts about a few of the places my family likes to visit and eat at while we vacation in the Outer Banks. Last year I shared a post about a place my family likes to eat called <a href="http://chiccraftychick.blogspot.com/2011/07/spankys-grille-kitty-hawk-nc.html" target="_blank">Spanky's Grille.</a> This trip we went to Spanky's twice. They have such great hamburger's that I had to get another one. It is a very reasonable place. <br />
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Since we went twice on our trip last week, I decided to branch out get ordered their roast beef with mashed potatoes and gravy. That plate was a great deal at only $4.99. So I would continue to recommend Spanky's Grille if you are going to be visiting the Outer Banks any time this summer. The food is great and they get your food out quickly. Which for us is very important because my two boys are not patient waiting at a restaurant. <br />
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I hope you are having a great day in your neck of the woods!<div class="blogger-post-footer">http://chiccraftychick.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default
ZFDGAMYQGYKG</div>Chic Crafty Chickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01621295921625064097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-126442464166801583.post-86706604255744751392012-05-22T22:00:00.000-04:002012-05-22T22:00:01.520-04:00Celebrity ApprenticeEvery year I watch Celebrity Apprentice and this season was no exception. I haven't had a lot of time to blog on it, but I wanted to comment on the finale. This year it was nice to have two finalists who both seemed like great folks and had wonderful charities that they were supporting. <br />
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As it came down to the wire, I was pulling for team Clay Aiken and his charity <a href="http://www.inclusionproject.org/" target="_blank">National Inclusion Project.</a> It you aren't familiar with it, which I wasn't, it is a charity he started almost a decade ago after his experience with working with special needs children. The charity works to help kids get to participate in programs in their community. "Our mission: The National Inclusion Project serves to bridge the gap that exists between young people with disabilities and the world around them. We partner with communities and inclusive programs creating awareness about the possibilities that inclusion can bring."<br />
<br />I love the work this charity is doing. I have mentioned before on the blog that my oldest son was a 25 week preemie. He has some issues as a result of his premature birth, and I have felt left out as a parent that he isn't always able to participate in the same activities as his peers. So far he has been too young to realize this, but I know with him going to school next year, I am staring down the barrel at him becoming more aware of this. And as a parent it hurts your heart. So the idea that there is a charity out there who can help make your child feel included and in a way that isn't awkward, or separated is a wonderful thing.<br />
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Of course back to the Celebrity Apprentice, Arsenio Hall's charity, The Magic Johnson Foundation has a great cause as well. And I have to say he is such an interesting, likable character, I'm sure a lot of good will come to his charity as a result of his winning the Celebrity Apprentice title.<br />
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So those are my thoughts on the recent Celebrity Apprentice. How about you, have you been watching the show? Which of the finalists did you want to win?<br />
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ZFDGAMYQGYKG</div>Chic Crafty Chickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01621295921625064097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-126442464166801583.post-36024012482789379712012-05-11T13:52:00.001-04:002012-05-11T13:52:13.000-04:00Love the moment in Virginia Beach!As I mentioned in my post yesterday, things have been a bit stressful around my house so naturally as I'm having a "Calgon take me away" moment, my mind turns to thinking about vacations past and future. <br />
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So today I wanted to share with you some information about a great destination to consider for your next trip, whether it be a quick weekend get away, or a week long trip with your family or friends. Virginia Beach is a wonderful travel destination to consider. I've teamed up with <a href="http://visitvirginiabeach.socialmoms.com/" target="_blank">SocialMoms</a> and the <a href="http://www.visitvirginiabeach.com/" target="_blank">Virginia Beach Convention and Visitors Bureau</a> to share my experience with vacationing in Virginia Beach.<br />
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I have to say I'm proud to live in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Living here we have access to so many historical and cultural attractions. It is so nice to have so many wonderful places to visit. Virginia Beach is one you should definitely consider, especially if you are a beach lover. <br />
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The last time I visited Virginia Beach, my husband and I went for a weekend get away. It was so nice to get some rest and relaxation. At the time we went, the North American Sandscuplting Championship was taking place. As someone who likes to build sandcastles, I can tell you that this was an incredible site to behold. Teams enter this competition and the sculptures they make out of sound are nothing less than pure genius. I was amazed at the level of detail they were able to achieve out of sand. And some of the tools they used were pretty incredible as well. If given the opportunity, I would highly recommend checking out that event. Of course that is just one of many activities and events going on in Virginia Beach.<br />
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During the summer, there are a myriad of things that you can do when you go on a trip to Virginia Beach. One thing I found on the website is that you can take a culinary tour of Virginia Beach with <a href="http://www.coastalfoodtours.com/" target="_blank">Coastal Food Tours.</a> As an avid watcher of Top Chef and the Food Network, this sounded like a fun thing to do and right up my alley. I can just imagine a girls weekend getaway eating my way through Virginia Beach. <br />
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Or, if your trip is going to be family based and your little one is into cooking, the <a href="http://www.visitvirginiabeach.com/visitors/articles/rainy_day_activities.aspx" target="_blank">Virginia Beach Convention and Visitors Bureau</a> website has information on getting your little one to attend a Young Chefs Academy where kids three and up can taste and create recipes. What a great experience for them. Can you imagine the cute photo op for your trip scrapbook of your little chef making a new recipe? <br />
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A great way for the whole family to experience fun and learning together would be to visit the Virginia Aquarium and Marine Science Center. Can you imagine the awe and wonder you'll experience as you learn about all those things you've been swimming with during your time at the beach? And if your husband is like mine and swims out, it might make him think twice before he swims out too far. LOL<br />
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So, have you ever been to Virginia Beach and if so, what do you like to do when you visit and where do you like to eat? <br />
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Be sure to "Like" the Virginia Beach Facebook page so you can be in the loop on all the great things going on at the Beach.<iframe allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" src="http://www.facebook.com/plugins/likebox.php?href=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FVirginiaBeachVA&width=292&height=62&colorscheme=light&show_faces=false&border_color&stream=false&header=true" style="border: currentColor; height: 62px; overflow: hidden; width: 292px;"></iframe> <br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Virginia Beach blogging program. For more information on how you can participate <a href="http://visitvirginiabeach.socialmoms.com/" target="_blank">click here. </a></span><div class="blogger-post-footer">http://chiccraftychick.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default
ZFDGAMYQGYKG</div>Chic Crafty Chickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01621295921625064097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-126442464166801583.post-22665425488779454992012-05-10T15:22:00.002-04:002012-05-10T15:22:31.512-04:00Strawberry PieOh blogging, how I've missed you. We've had a lot of stressful doctors appointments recently, so things have been a bit chaotic. For those new to my blog, my five year old son was a 25 week preemie at birth. So as you can imagine, there are lots of things we deal with as a result of his prematurity. I could write a book. And may one day. But in between all of that stuff, we had a chance to go and pick strawberries at the strawberry patch over the weekend. <br />
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In years past, I've posted about making freezer jam with the strawberries we've picked at the patch. This year I made a batch as well, but my favorite thing I made this year were 4 strawberry pies. Two we ate, one we gave away, and one went to Bunco with me. <br />
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I love having strawberry pie at this time of the year. Recently I shared a recipe and a story about my childhood neighbor and friend, Ann. Well, when I was growing up my neighbor Ann would always make this pie for my mom's birthday. We had a neighbor who live beside Ann who had a large garden. He would always plant strawberries and plant them at the end of the garden closest to our house and Ann's house. So we all could go and pick strawberries whenever we wanted. It is one of my fondest childhood memories. <br />
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So here is Ann's Strawberry Pie Recipe<br />
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Ann's Strawberry Pie<br />
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Combine:<br />
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1 cup sugar<br />
1 cup water<br />
3 tbsp cornstarch<br />
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Cook until it thickens and changes from white to translucent. Remove from heat. Add a few drops of red food coloring (I omit this and it is fine). Add 4 tbsp of strawberry jello. Stir well.<br />
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Pour over strawberries in baked pie shell.<br />
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Chill in refrigerator before serving.<br />
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If you are wanting to make this recipe and use store bought, a pint of strawberries will easily fill one deep dish pie shell. That is what I used. And I don't recommend over filling because when you pour the liquid in, it will overflow. I'd recommend having your baked pie shell on a small sheet pan in your refrigerator. <br />
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Have you had strawberry pie before? Do you like it?<br />
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Hope you are having a great day in your neck of the woods!<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">http://chiccraftychick.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default
ZFDGAMYQGYKG</div>Chic Crafty Chickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01621295921625064097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-126442464166801583.post-61014438518696475522012-04-25T10:01:00.000-04:002012-04-25T10:01:04.842-04:00Tilapia Fish TacosI don't know how we've gotten to Wednesday already. I had intended on putting up this post last week, but obviously that didn't happen. I'm not blogging as much as I'd like because I'm still going through sleep issues with my oldest son. We do know about melatonin and we are working with our pediatrician on the sleep issue. Just thought I'd throw that out there because every time I've spoken to folks, they mention melatonin. LOL It is very slow going and needless to say I'm exhausted a lot because this has been going on for a long time.<br />
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But back to the fish tacos. Last week I decided to try this recipe because my husband had been to a local Mexican restaurant and ordered fish tacos. He hasdecided he loves fish tacos and I need to learn how to make them. Funny how I'm the one that is supposed to learn this dish. LOL<br />
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I found this recipes on <a href="http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Tilapia-Soft-Tacos-with-Chipotle-Cream/Detail.aspx" target="_blank">All Recipes</a> for Tilapia Fish Tacos. I was a little hesitant with the recipe because the sauce for it calls for using chipotle chilis and I know they have a kick. But I forged on and made it. I had to laugh because last week my husband started with a sinus infection and was all stopped up. Well, when he took a tiny dip of this sauce his sinus cleared for a few minutes. LOL Yeah, this sauce has a kick. <br />
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I have to admit we are both wimps and eat very mild food. We were both saying how we loved the smoky flavor the chipotle chilies had, but the extra kick was a bit much for us. <br />
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The ingredients used to season the tilapia were fabulous. They are ingredients that I have in my pantry and the cinnamon is a surprise ingredient that gives it a warm taste. I didn't know how I was going to like having it in the recipe, but it was great.<br />
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One other thing I'll mention, I made this recipe a bit too early before my husband got home. It doesn't take long to pull together at all, so I'd recommend waiting until you are close to serving dinner to make it. My fish sat in the oil (which I think I used a tad too much because I eyeballed) and that took away from the meal. But not horribly. We both liked it and I'll make it again. And that is saying a lot from me because I'm not a big fish person. This recipe is a great one for going into the warm weather months where you want something kind of hearty, but not heavy. It has a real fresh, crisp taste with the cilantro and other ingredients. <br />
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<a href="http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Tilapia-Soft-Tacos-with-Chipotle-Cream/Detail.aspx" target="_blank">Click here</a> if you want to see this recipe. Since AllRecipes has their stuff copyrighted, I wanted to be respectful and shoot you over to their blog to see the recipe.<br />
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This is my last post for this week. I'll be back next week sharing some great details on a recent trip we took the kids on to visit Thomas the Tank Engine. <br />
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Hope you are having a great day in your neck of the woods!<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">http://chiccraftychick.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default
ZFDGAMYQGYKG</div>Chic Crafty Chickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01621295921625064097noreply@blogger.com0