Chicken Broccoli Pasta

It’s Book Club Night!  This is one of the few evenings that I get out of the house and have a bit of quality time discussing our “Book of the Month”.  Consequently, I was in need of a fast, easy recipe for my family!  I immediately thought of this quick recipe that my Mom used to make us during the busy school year.  It is super easy and very quick.  I hope that you enjoy eating it as much as my family!!!

Chicken Broccoli Pasta

Makes 8 servings

1 serving is  300 calories, 6.5 g Fat, 5.4 g Dietary Fiber, 2.5 g Sugars, 25.5 g Protein

Ingredients:

• 1.5 lb diced chicken breast
• 1 box (12 oz) pasta (we like to use the mini shells, but any pasta will work)
• 1 (16 ounce) package frozen chopped broccoli
• 2 garlic cloves (Minced)
• 4 Tablespoons Butter
• 2 Tablespoons Italian Seasoning

Directions:

1. Prepare 1.5 lb diced chicken breast (If in a hurry, frozen works too).
2. Microwave broccoli according to package directions, and drain well.
3. Boil pasta according to package directions. Drain well.
4. Combine butter, seasonings, and garlic.  Once the garlic has had time to sweat, add pasta, broccoli, and chicken and Mix well.
5. Serve and enjoy!

 

No Sew Turkey T-shirts

No Sew Turkey T-shirts

What you will need:

• T-shirt (I used a long sleeve plain shirt)
• Brown fabric for turkey body
• 3-5 fabric colors for the feathers
• Wonder-Under fusible web
•  Iron, scissors, paper, pen...

Directions:

1.  Press your fabric and get all the wrinkles out.  Fuse Wonder-Under fusible web to your fabric selections.  Make sure you read the directions on the wonder-under.

2.  Cut a template of your turkey's body on card stock or paper.  Then trace onto the back of your turkey body fabric selection and cut fused fabric.

3.  Repeat step two for your turkey's feathers.

4.  Layout your "turkey" and fuse using an iron.  Again according to the wonder-under directions.

If you want some additional features you can add eyes, beak, feet, etc.

Have fun and enjoy!

 
 

Pumpkin Waffle

What a wonderful Saturday morning!  I was able to sleep in this morning thanks to my fabulous husband and kids!  Not something that happens often anymore.  To show my appreciation, I decided to make an extra special breakfast.

This Pumpkin Waffle recipe is so delicious and really puts you in the Fall spirit.  But beware- it comes with a ton of dishes to clean afterward.  I usually double the recipe and freeze the extra in small portions for later use.  This makes an easy breakfast option for the kids during the week.  Just pop them in the the microwave and go.

Pumpkin Waffle

Makes 6 servings

1 serving  398.2 Calories,  Fat 10.9 g,  Dietary Fiber 4.2 g,  Sugars 11.5g

Ingredient:

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

4 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground allspice

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 can pumpkin

2 cups milk

4 eggs, separated

4 tablespoons butter, melted

Directions

1. Preheat a waffle iron.  Spray top and bottom griddle with Pam.
2. Combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, allspice, ginger, salt, and brown sugar in a mixing bowl.
3. In a separate bowl, stir together the pumpkin, milk, and egg yolks. Whip the egg whites in a clean dry bowl until soft peaks form.
4. Stir the flour mixture and melted butter to the pumpkin mixture.
5. Fold 1/3 of the egg whites into the batter, stirring gently until incorporated.  Fold in the remaining egg whites.  
6. Cook waffles 

 
 
 

Fall Chocolate Pretzel Treats

I love easy treats that feel festive and are fun to eat.  I decided to make one of my favorite sweet and salty treats with a twist today.  They are easy and can be made with any variation you can think.

Fall Chocolate Pretzel Treats

Serving 1.  Fat 1.3g, Calories 34.3, Dietary Fiber 0.2g, Sugars 4.2g, Protein 0.4g

Ingredients:  

Waffle pretzels

Hersey Kisses

Candy Corn

Holiday Chocolate M&M

Holiday Pretzel M&M  

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Place Pretzels on baking sheet and top with a Hersey Kiss.

 
Place in the oven for 5 mins or until chocolate is soft and shiny.

Gently press topping (candy corn or M&M) on top of Hersey Kiss until it depresses into itself.

Let cool and enjoy!

Pumpkin Carving

Happy Halloween!  

Holiday's are so much fun when you have little kids.  Today I woke up to my oldest running into the room screaming - "It's Halloween!  Let's get dressed up in our costumes!"  How could you not enjoy such an enthusiastic start to the day!

Today, I'm going to share our pumpkin carving with you.  We wait until the last week of October to carve the pumpkins so that they don't rot too soon.  This year we let the kids use markers on the small pumpkins while I did the "carving".  This way they were entertained during the part I didn't want them doing.  It worked out wonderfully and everyone had a very enjoyable time!

 

Pumpkin Ale Beef Stew

Beef stew!  Who doesn't like that warm pot of chunky goodness that fills your belly and sticks to the sides!  I love this recipe because it is easy and quick.

Pumpkin Ale Beef Stew

Serving size is 1 Cup.  Serves 8.  Fat 13g, Calories 240, Dietary Fiber 3g, Sugars 4g

Ingredients:

• Diced Beef
• White Potatoes
• Carrots
• Onion
• Celery
• Season Pack (Corn starch, Onion powder, Garlic powder, Salt) 
• Pumpkin Ale

 






Cut vegetables into large chucks.

 

 



Mix Seasons with Pumpkin Ale.



Place in slow cooker.

Enjoy!  

   

Teacher Bags

Did you notice what today is?  Before you know it Christmas will be here and there is nothing I hate more than feeling unprepared.

Due to the logistics of my family life, I need to have all the extended family gifts ready before Thanksgiving so that they can be carried across the country by other family members without me having to pay shipping.  Smart, but also makes me feel very out of time when Halloween hits.  This being said, I'm moving onto projects for "others"... This means people out of my inner circle (husband and kids).

These recent projects are for my kids teachers.  They are basic bags with an ABC/school print.  Cute and very appropriate for preschool and kindergarten teachers for Christmas.

 Teacher Handbags

Inside of teacher handbags

Outside:

·         Sew your fabric in whatever pattern you desire.  I did  wide strips for this bag because I wanted to show the fabric pattern.

·          Pin batting onto the back of the outer bag fabric and machine quilt. Use your choice of quilting methods. A simple method is to quilt in straight lines about ¾ inch apart all the way across the
fabric in either direction. Trim batting to the size of the outside piece.

·         Cut (or trim) lining fabric to fit quilted piece. Fold the quilted top in half, right sides together, and sew side seams.

Lining:

·         Fold the lining fabric in half the long way, right sides together. Sew side seams, leaving about a 4-inch opening in the side of one seam so you can turn the bag. Form corners the same as for the outside.

Handle: 

·         Iron the handle strip in half lengthwise, right side out. Open up and press the outer edges toward the center. Fold closed and press.  Place a strip of batting inside.  Stitch down the entire length of the handle 3 or 4 times.

Bag Assembly:

·         Leaving the outside quilted bag inside out, turn the lining right side out and set the lining down into the quilted bag, matching the top edge. The right sides of the fabric should be facing each other.

·         Pin the handles onto the outside piece about 2 inches from the side seam, making sure they go between the outside and the lining. Be sure they aren't twisted. Pin the bag closure the same way, at the center of one side.

·         Pin the lining to the quilted bag and stitch around the top about 1/2 inch down from the top. Turn the bag through the 4-inch opening in the side seam of the lining. Tuck the lining down inside the bag and remove all the pins from the handles, etc. Topstitch about 1⁄4 inch from the top.