Mealtime Monday - Skinny Ms Slowcooker Greek Chicken

Hello friends.....Happy Monday!!  I hope your week is off to a good start....things were a little rough around here today....mainly I woke up with a scratchy throat and some pain in my ears......ugh.....

So this morning was not great....I had SO much that I needed to get done while my daughter went to MDO.....but instead I came home and went back to bed.....ummmm.....not great.....I got NOTHING done!!  But I do feel some better this afternoon, so hopefully it was worth it.....

Well....in truth.....I did get one thing done.....and I'm SO excited to share.....there is something delicious cooking in my Crock Pot!!  Oh man.....it is smelling SO good!!  And since we've made it several times already.....I know it is going to be DELICIOUS too!  Oh yeah.....happy dance :)

Seriously.....I wish ya'll were here to smell it cooking....YUUUUUUMMMMMM!!

So....here's the skinny on a GREAT recipe for Greek Chicken.....

I got the recipe from an awesome website/FB page called Skinny Ms. Slow Cooker.....if you remember.....I've already shared their Balsamic Chicken recipe HERE and their Moroccan Chicken recipe HERE....

SO.....here's a pic of my dinner plate the last time we had Greek Chicken served over whole grain pasta.....

The chicken is SO tender coming out of the crock pot that it literally just falls apart.....so I took my fork and chopped up the chicken a little.....and then my plate looked like this.....

Ohhh....YUUUUMMM!!  SO Delicious!!  And....like most of the recipes that I share....SUPER EASY :)  Here's the details......copied from the Skinny Ms. Slow Cooker Facebook Page.....

Ingredients:
    1 Lemon, Juiced
    4 Garlic Cloves, Minced
    1/4 Cup Olive Oil
    1/2 Cup White Wine
    1/4 Cup Chicken Broth
    1 tsp Dill
    1 tsp Rosemary
    1 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
    1/4 tsp Pepper
    1/2 tsp Salt
    1 Whole Chicken, Broken into it's Respective Pieces

Directions:
Add all the ingredients with the exception of the chicken to the marinade.  Mix up well.  Add in the chicken and coat all the pieces completely.  Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours or on high for 4 to 6 hours.
Serve over noodles with sauce from the slow cooker spooned over the noodles and a little feta and olives for good measure.

SO.....we used boneless skinless chicken breast instead of the whole chicken.....and we don't use the feta cheese or olives (I don't like either one)......but otherwise I follow the recipe completely.....

And here are a few pics of the recipe coming together.....

The ingredients.....

The "marinade" all mixed up.....

And everything put into the slow cooker.....

Let it cook and then when its almost finished cook up a little whole grain pasta......

And soon....you'll have this.....

I can't wait for dinner tonight!!  This is such a rich tasting dish.....as the Hubs says......it tastes "fancy"....

So....if your looking for something new to try for dinner.....you should give this baby a try....I don't think you will be disappointed :)  And I would love to hear what you think about it.....

Until next time.....

XOXO-
Kristal

Valentine's Day Mantle

Hello friends!  Here we are again....well....you guys are probably sleeping.....perhaps I should say.....here I am again.....up WAY too late!!  BUT.....I was determined today to get my little Valentine's Day "mantle" done.......so.....I am happy to say....mission accomplished!!  AND.....it is pretty darn cute if I do say so myself!

Sooooo......I won't make you wait......here it is in all it's glory ;)

Sooo....perhaps.....you need a little more information to understand what you are looking at.....

Well....let's start with the easy stuff first.....that gorgeous wreath is now doing double duty......I got it right before Christmas half off at Target.....and I loved it with my Christmas decor......

BUT....after Christmas I put it away......thinking that it was only for Christmas......and I was already making plans to make a Valentine's Day wreath.....

AND then I saw that they had this same wreath for sale again at Target........ah yeah......duh.....it is perfect for Valentines Day too!!

Here's an up close look.....it's SO pretty.....it deserves it's own picture.....

BUT.....what I am really SO excited about are those cuties that are standing on the table......so what are they???

Valentine's Day tiny mailboxes of course ;)

And they are READY for some precious Valentine LOVE notes!!

So.....I'll have to show you some up close pics, so you can see all the details.......but first.....I thought you might be interested in how they came together.....

Well...first I had a major project failure :(  Yeah.....it happens.....

First I started with one of these......

A very cute little packet to make your own mailbox......well.....as I said.....it was an epic failure.....when I put it together it was all lopsided and the door wouldn't stay shut......ugh!!  I actually bought one for one of my daughters playmates as well.....but I've warned her Mom that it may be hard to put together :)  I hope they have better luck......

Mine was so bad that I actually let my dog tear into it.....seriously.....it's just something we do around here.....you know......cheap entertainment....LOL!

ANYWAY.....I was determined to have little mailboxes!!  And I heard that you could get mini mailboxes at Target for $1.....but three Targets later......I still hadn't found any.....BOO!!  Although I heard today that at least one of the Targets in our area does have them.....

BUT....I had already come up with Plan C, which started with these guys.....which I found at Hobby Lobby....the mailboxes were $3.50 and the letters were $0.70 (both were on sale).......

And a little bit of this.....

Ahhh.....I heart you Rustoleum Spray Paint :)

And soon.....I had these.....

At this point I was just giddy....that red spray paint really brought those little mailboxes to life :)

I also picked up these guys at the Dollar Tree....I mean....a mailbox has to have a stand.....right?

And I added some embellishments.....some that came with that first mailbox kit......and some that I found in my old scrapbooking stuff.....and a couple more that I also got at Hobby Lobby....

And soon I had this cute little one made for my precious little Valentine....

Ahhhh.....I can't wait to put some Valentines in there for her!!  I LOVE my little LOVE BUG!!

And I couldn't leave out the Hubs.....so here is his special mailbox......

AND.....since I want to get some love notes too....I made one for me......

Aren't they cute?  I just feel happy every time I look at them :)

And......I can't wait to put some notes in there for my sweeties!!!

Now that you've see the up close details.....here's a few more pics of the mantle all put together.....

And a couple up close pics of the mailboxes on the "mantle".......

Ahhhh.....Love.....isn't it wonderful :)

So.....are you guys doing any decorating for Valentine's Day?  Are you making any mailboxes?  I'd love to know what awesome ideas you guys have....please....do tell!!

Gotta run.....

Until next time....

XOXO-

Kristal

Linking this Post to the Following Parties :)

http://www.notjustahousewife.net/

http://www.theidearoom.net/

http://www.homestoriesatoz.com/

http://somedaycrafts.blogspot.com/

http://sewcando.blogspot.com/

http://www.itsybitsypaperblog.com/

http://projectqueen.org/

http://www.the36thavenue.com/

http://www.summitstreetjoy.com/

http://www.decorchick.com/

Picking Paint Colors for the Master Bathroom

Whew!!  I'm exhausted already and we are still just on Phase 1 of our Master Bathroom Makeover.....

Not good people....not good.....I cannot be tired this early in a project!!  BUT....this is the reason that we broke this major project into different phases like I talked about HERE....that way we can take a rest in between each one if we need too.......

The cool thing though.....I am LOVING how things are coming along so far!! 

So....recently I had the joy torture pleasure of picking out the paint colors for the Master Bath.  Picking paint is not my favorite thing to do.....you know.....the color just never looks the same on your walls as it does on that little paint chip....

SO....here is my methodology for picking out paint color.....

1) Search Pinterest or the Internet for pictures of colors that I like....and I focus on pictures of rooms where the paint has been used in a REAL home (not some mocked up fake room like in a Pottery Barn catalog or one that the paint companies have set up)

2) Take the paint colors that I found as part of search #1 and then do a search just for that paint color name.....and if I still like what I see.....then proceed to #3

3) Go to the paint store and purchase a sample of the paint.....I like to use Home Depot, since they carry Behr Paint with Primer....which is my go to paint for everything....seriously....it rocks!!  I call it the one coat wonder :)

AND....you might be wondering.....what to do if the paint color that you like is not made by Behr.....well....this is the cool thing.....they can color match their paint to a paint chip....

AND.....the SUPER COOL thing.....that I just learned......a lot of times you don't even need to have a paint chip.....if you just give the guy (or gal) at the paint counter the name of the paint color that you are trying to match.....a lot of times they already have it in their computer!!  Way cool!!

Ok.....so....here are a few of the paint color inspiration pics that I found on Pinterest.....and how they looked on my wall....

Horizon by Benjamin Moore

Source: evolutionofstyleblog.blogspot.com via Kristal on Pinterest

Silverpointe by Glidden

Source: everythingfab.com via Kristal on Pinterest

Cliffside Gray by Benjamin Moore

Source: caitlinwilsondesign.blogspot.com via Kristal on Pinterest

And here's how they looked on my walls (in the same order)....

Pretty amazing how different they look....huh?

And here's a few more.....

Harbor Gray by Benjamin Moore

Source: hirshfields.wordpress.com via Kristal on Pinterest

Requisite Gray by Benjamin Moore

No inspiration pic for this one....not sure how I found it.....

Revere Pewter by Benjamin Moore

Source: michellelalala.blogspot.com via Kristal on Pinterest

Silvercloud by Glidden

Source: google.com via Kristal on Pinterest

And here's how they looked on my wall.....

And two more....

Stonington Gray by Benjamin Moore

Source: amandacarolathome.com via Kristal on Pinterest

Arctic Gray by Benjamin Moore

Source: potterybarn.com via Kristal on Pinterest

And here's how they looked on my wall.....

Please note....although I've listed the paint colors with their original manufacturer name....the paint shown on my walls is all Behr paint with primer color matched to the color names listed.....

Isn't it amazing how different the paint looks in my room versus the way it looks in the inspiration pictures.....which is exactly why I always try the samples first before I buy in any larger quantities.....

SO.....what color did we pick......hmmmm.....I'm wondering what you guys think.......so make your guesses now......

Drum roll please.....

We decided to go with Cliffside Gray by Benjamin Moore.....color matched to Behr paint with primer......

We chose it because it wasn't too light.....or too dark.....or too brown.....or too blue....or too green.....

It just seemed right.....

SO.....which one would you guys choose?  Do you have another gray paint color that you love?  Please do share.....

It's late....I'm tired.....so......

Until next time....

XOXO-
Kristal

Absent.....

Hello friends!  I am sure you guys have noticed that I've been absent for a few days.....

Unfortunately, I had to attend the funeral of my Aunt over this last weekend....

So....I really haven't felt much like writing......

Hopefully, I will be back with you guys sometime tomorrow....

Until then....

XOXO-
Kristal

Removing Wax from Old Candle Holders & Removing Price Tags from Glass

Hello friends!!  I hope your week is going great!!  All is good here :)

Today I want to share two really cool tricks that I just learned that really work!! 

So....I know that I've mentioned before HERE how much I love Bath and Bodyworks Candles.....they are awesome!!  They smell SO good and last forever!!

BUT....my only complaint (which really isn't the candles fault)....what to do with the candle when it's done all it can do.....and you're left with this....

Gah!!  I DO NOT WANT TO THROW THIS AWAY!!  We are big recyclers here....but they won't take anything with "stuff" still in it.....so that's out....

And these jars are actually quite pretty and could be used for other purposes.....but how do you get that wax out???

Well......now I know.....and it's super easy!!

First just pop those babies into the freezer.....



Yeah....yeah.....my freezer is a mess.....don't judge.....K......

And let the wax freeze....I left mine overnight.....here's what they'll look like when they come out of the freezer....

And....next....comes the magic......well.....magic might be stretching it a bit.....but.....still it's pretty cool....

Take a butter knife and push it into the wax.....please be careful and don't cut yourself or break the glass.....

The wax will crack.....

Then keep pushing the knife in different spots....causing the wax to crack.....

Then simply use your knife to lift up each piece.....the pieces will come out CLEAN!! 

Leaving almost NO WAX BEHIND!!  YAHOO!!

Side note....if by chance the wick doesn't completely come out with the wax (I had this happen once)....then you would just run a razor blade underneath the wick to get it to separate from the glass....the wick is sometimes stuck to the glass with some sort of adhesive that keeps it from coming out with the wax.....but it comes out really easily with the razor blade......

Next use a paper towel to wipe out any waxy haze or soot from the glass.....

Now give it a quick wash with soap and water....to remove any residual soot and also to loosen the labels and price tags on the glass....and then dry.....

Next remove the labels.....



The easiest way to do this is to peel with patience!!  The label on the side of the candle came off very easily, but the one on the bottom was a bit more difficult.....sort of like a price tag on the glass of a picture frame.....ugh....I hate those.....

But again.....peel with patience and most of it will come off in one piece.....but if all the stickiness doesn't come off......then......

Again.....are you ready for the magic??

It's so simple.....just put a bit of rubbing alcohol on your finger and rub it over the stickiness....after a couple rubs it will just rub right off.....seriously....it's THAT easy :) 

I'm pretty sure that this method should work to take off the stickiness from any sticker, price tag, label, etc from glass.....

The last thing to do is to shine up the lid a bit.....just take a paper towel and rub it over the lid really well....it will easily remove fingerprints, etc.....

AND......drum roll please.....after just a couple of minutes work.....this beauty is ready for it's next purpose.....

Cool and SUPER EASY :)

And one last Before and After shot.....

I now have three of these ready to go and I've got big plans for them.....I'm just waiting on one little thing.....but once they've found their final resting place I'll be sure to show you guys.....

So.....I'm curious....have any of you guys done this before?  Did you know that you could remove wax this way?

I definitely didn't and was thrilled to try it out and see that it worked SO well!!

Well....better run.....

Until next time.....

XOXO-
Kristal

Mealtime Monday.....Pinterest Inspired Slow Cooker Meals

Hello friends!!  It's Monday again....crazy how those weekends fly right on by....and then.....here we are again.....back to Monday......

I can't complain at all though....I used to have to get up at 5-5:30 every day to go to work....and some days earlier than that.....and now.....I'm home with my little girl.....so we can get up when she wants too.....which is normally 8am or later......yep.....life is sweet :)

BUT....one area where life could be better is our eating / health habits.....I've told you guys before about how we have a serious eating out addiction.....it is SO bad.....money wise.....and health wise......so it's something that we've been trying to work on for a while.....

And we are doing some better.....at least now eating out is not a forgone conclusion.....we are eating at home some.....

And this week we are going to try and eat at home every night for dinner.....we'll see how it goes.....

SO....to set us up for success.....I planned out our menu last night.....and I tried to keep it simple.....and today I went and shopped for everything that I need for the recipes.....

SO....I got all of my inspiration this week by looking back through my Pinterest "Food" folder.....and I focused on the recipes that can be made in the slow cooker.....b/c.....as you know....I'm having a bit of a love fest with my crock pot right now :)

So.....here's what I'm cooking this week.....

Garlic Chicken (minus the polenta, but plus some wheat pasta):

Source: recipegirl.com via Kristal on Pinterest

Tuesday:  Cilantro Lime Chicken, served over brown rice

Source: pipandebby.com via Kristal on Pinterest

Wednesday:  Cafe Rio Chicken, served over brown rice

Source: makeaheadmealsforbusymoms.com via Kristal on Pinterest

Thursday:  Brown Sugar Balsamic Glazed Pork Tenderloin, served with veggies

Source: candcmarriagefactory.com via Kristal on Pinterest

Friday:  Toscas Tilapia, served with veggies

Source: eatcleandiet.com via Kristal on Pinterest

Saturday:  Balsamic Chicken, served over wheat pasta

Source: engineeringlifeandstyle.blogspot.com via Kristal on Pinterest

Sunday:  Honey Garlic Chicken, served over brown rice

Source: crockpot365.blogspot.com via Kristal on Pinterest

I think this is going to be a YUMMY week!!  And I think a pretty healthy week too (with maybe the exception of the Brown Sugar Glazed Pork Tenderloin....it just sounded too good to pass up)!!  I'll use boneless skinless chicken breast in the recipes to make them healthier....

SO.....is anyone game to cook some or all of these for your family this week?  I'd love to compare notes!!

I'll definitely keep track of what we think about each recipe, so I can let you guys know....

Until next time....

XOXO-
Kristal

P.S. Does everyone know about Pinterest?  If not....let me know that too....I would love to introduce you guys :)  It's AWESOME!!