Shredded Salsa Chicken

My friend Sarah told me about this recipe.  I'm always asking people to share recipes they try and love because I've tried a lot of recipes I don't like.  Like, a lot.  This one is a keeper.  It was super simple, and once the chicken cooks itself,I threw it in some soft tacos.  It would have been great on salad or a sandwich as well.  Bonus-it's about to be the season 'too hot for ovens,' so I stock pile these recipes for summer like a squirrel with nuts in the fall.  Incidentally I also stockpile these for the other nine months of the year because the time I'm home and able to cook is limited.  And even if it wasn't-I'm still all about lazy.  If one of these three philosophies are yours as well-here's a recipe for you...
Shredded Salsa Chicken
Ingredients:  1 envelope of taco seasoning, 6 boneless skinless chicken breast, jar of salsa (enough to cover the chicken), toppings-lettuce, cheese, sour cream, tomatoes, more salsa-whatever
Instructions:   Dump the chicken into a crockpot.  Cover with the seasoning and salsa and cook on low for 6-8 hours or high 4-6.  Shred and serve. 

A Book for the Graduate

I've been giving this book as a graduation gift for years, but thanks to pinterest, I added the 'have people sign the book before you pass it on' to the gift list.  This is one of my 'old' sixth grade students who is graduating high school in a few weeks...

She joined the team I went with this last summer to the Amazon...at the point of this picture, we had been sweating for a week, but....what a special memory!  Emily has been visiting me since she 'left' 6 years ago to find adventures in jr high and high school,  and I'm not sure what I'll do without my regular updates on life, school, teachers, boys, church, or crafts.  It's been so fun to watch her get into classrooms and try out her skills at teaching.  She is special to quiet a few ladies she met as she went through the doors of elementary school...so...those are the ladies I had sign the inside of this book...

 She's headed to Alabama to study education, so here's a little book to add to her 'someday' school library with a message I truly believe-she's off to great places....and I'm looking forward to long distance updates over the next four years as Alabama gets to see what this gal we have to offer....and beyond.

String Quilt

So, a few years ago I joined a friend of mine at a quilting retreat.  There were some ladies there selling fabric and patterns.  One of the patterns was for this windowpane quilt using old scraps.  The deal was if you bought the cake stack (the fabric cut into squares) and fabric, the lady selling the fabric brought her scraps and let us dig through to use in the little squares.  Some of the fabrics were pretty terrible on their own (which is the beauty of a quilt....together some fabrics would never sell-in a pack-they are necessary for the overall picture).  I don't know why this appealed to me, but I loved the idea of getting to dig through her scraps that were pieces of quilts she had made the years (she is a master quilter). It's  one of the same reason I always find thrift stores so appealing-each item has a story-and I feel like I'm rescuing....incidentally the same reason I can not be allowed into animal rescue clinics.
This quilt is by far my funkiest...it goes well in my living room-which may not be saying much, but the jewel tones were fun, and it makes a great lap quilt....and look at all those little scraps I rescued?

Basically, you take squares of fabric all the same side, and you cut a triangle out of a piece of sand paper and draw the line on the back of each piece.

I bought one solid fabric, the 'frame' and those strips to the same size (1 1/2 inches).  I put the fabric face to face, and pinned 1/4 inch over the triangle you drew.  Sew.

Flip it over, pull it over and iron it down.  The rest of the pieces don't matter far as size.  I did the same thing...pinned it to the border piece (red piece) in the quilt, matching edge to edge, then sewing down the strip at 1 quarter inch.  Folded the second piece back and repeated.

The red piece (or boarder piece) is the only one that needs to be 1 1/2 inch and sewed 1/4 inch and 1/4 inch b/c it's the only piece you need to matched.  I trimmed it down to the square again...

Then I sewed them all together, added a boarder, and then the binding (after it was quilted) was the same fabric as the border.

Check out some of those fabrics...yellow balloons, little dutch children....fabrics only a mother could love.  I had the quilter use a circle-ee design.  I'm sure that is the official name.

I used scraps to make a border on the back as well.

See....it goes well with the colors in my living room.  At least  that was my excuse.

Chalk Building Blocks

 

My can of chalkboard spray  was feeling really lonely-it had been months since I had taken it out to play.  I've been really into wood projects lately (more to post later on with some of those) but this is something I could do with minimal effort. I sprayed a bunch of little blocks with chalk spray paint....

 For the builder and the artist.....
You could use little scraps of wood, but I used this little tub of blocks I had from....who knows when I acquired them, but I pull them out when small beings visit and aren't entertained by my wit or culinary skills...

 Literally all I had to do was spray, flip, repeat.

 Ready to color and build a little block city.

Crockpot Chicken and Stuffing

 My pal Sarah pinned this recipe from Team T and I had to try it out....it reminded me of one of my favorite dishes....except....way easier.  It is absolutely something I'll be doing again...and again...and the best part-crockpot+summer+I hate turning on the oven in the summer=happy!  If you want to find a little happiness in your life....I suggest doing it via this recipe.  I'm totally getting gold stars to distinguish these recipes in my box.
Crockpot Chicken and Stuffing
Ingredients:  4 thawed chicken breast, 6 oz pkg stuffing mix (like Stove Top), 1/2 c. sour cream, 1 can cream of chicken soup, 1/4 c. water
Instructions:
1.  Place your chicken in the bottom of your crockpot. 

 2.  Place your stuff on top of the chicken. 

 3.  Mix your sour cream, soup, and 1/4 c. water in a small bowl and then place it on top of the stuffing. 

 

4.  (At this point I actually stuck it in the fridge overnight, then popped it back in the pot and turned it on in the morning before I headed to church....I'm not in love with mornings...). Cook it on low for 4 hours...mine cooked about five hours and was starting to brown a little around the edges, just sayin'-don't overcook, it tasted great).  

 Dig in and fluff it up.  It was truly, truly scrumptious.  Next time I think I'm going to add some broccoli to the bottom with the chicken to give it some green...not because it needed more, but because I try really hard to sneak in veggies so I'll eat more. 

GMT: End of the Year Teacher Gifts

I'm headed to GMT this morning to share a few of my favorite school revamped school supplies.  As the end of the year is approaching, why not make a few cute little gifts of appreciation for teachers to start their years with next year?
Above is my favorite from this year, gold letters. You can do this with any color spray paint, but gold is 'my color' this year.  Here is the full, and super simple link to the tutorial.

I'll also be sharing yesterday's tutorial for hand gel.  I buy this stuff by the gallon....literally.  At the end of the year we are rationing hand gel and kleenex as the supplies and money runs low!  I have a link to the innards attached to yesterday's tutorial-free to a good home.
Pending time and mood I'll also be sharing the tutorial for duct tape projects. We carry these around at my school and take our notes.  I made them for some of the gals I work with because I can....

I use binder clips by the busload....

These are so simple to make and I use them a lot when we have meetings because no matter what stack of paper I'm delivering, it goes over better with a cute clip!  Here is that tutorial.
Last up (I'm being ambitious) are these little magnets...you could make these with the kids in the class (that would be funny) or just cute scrapbook paper.

I'll link to today's show to my facebook page (OK, Mom?).  I've already started on some super cute projects to post next August....with a few more weeks in this year.....time to redecorate my room....the important stuff I spend my evenings doing....it's gonna change lives.

Helping Hands Teacher Hand Gel

 I've seen versions of this around, and I've even done this a few times in the past with other little quotes and sayings.  This go round I pulled the 'hands' sayings for teachers.  Here is a free link if you want this version.  I just added the teacher names to the top in a word document. These are super easy to put together, and as a teacher, there is never enough hand gel.  Seriously.
I found this large bottle at the dollar store.  The back label was a little tricky to peel off, so I rubbed a little peanut butter on it (this helps with sticky stuff and bottles....I don't know how the greasy pb works, but it does...)

 I put three of these helping hands per page (I'm sure four would have fit).  I've found if you use the transparency papers that go through a copier the ink stays better than those you run through a printer.  If you don't have these lying around at home, you can usually get them done at office copy places around town and they can do black or white or color for a buck or less.

 I cut it down...

 ..and slipped it into the bottle.  I used the straw to push it into place.

 Super cute, and it can be refilled.  I made this for about 1.50 (if that)....

DIY Marble Magnets

 I have a thing for magnets...my fridge is a testament to this issue.  I putting together some teacher gifts...these are super simple and cheap....
Grab those flat marbles and you can either cut our punch our circles from scrap scrapbook paper and glue them to the flat side with Sobo glue (this sticks well and it dries clear).

 Once it's glued...

 ...use a glue gun to pop a magnet onto the back and you are finished.  You can also do this with photos and large marbles.

Burlap Initial Wreath

 I made this for my pal Sarah's new house.  She said for house warming gifts she wanted things with initials on them.  On the side she told me she had a big glass window and wanted something to cover up the gap so peeping salesmen couldn't see in without a struggle.  So....say hello to the wreath for 'the other seasons.'  I went with brown and burgundy per my instructions.  I've made a lot of wreaths.  I've used a lot of burlap making wreaths but I'd never made one of these bubble wreath's before.  I know you can do it with a coat hanger, but I went ahead and bought a frame at a craft store along with a yard and half of burlap (they sell ribbon you can use with finished edges, but it's cheaper to buy it by the yard).  The only other thing to make the bubble wreath needed is some wire.  I snagged an R and some pray and some other materials for flowers...

I sprayed the R with brown spray paint and then rubbed the edges and top with sand paper to make it look a little worn...just a personal preference....I like to make new things look old so I don't feel so lonely in this world.  

 ...random picture I took during the creative process because she is so helpful.

I cut the burlap into 6 inch strips, then thread 8 inches of wire through the burlap (weaving back and forth)....

I tied it to the wire wreath and then pinch the other side and tied it to the wreath as well making a 'bubble'.  

 See....

 I went back and forth across the 4 wires to create a bunch of little loops in all directions.  Here is the back....

Halfway there.  I later went and filled in any gaps with random loops.  I just kept adding when I ran out of my strips until the whole thing was covered.  

I'm traditionally the fan of a bow, but I found this wreath sort of makes it's own fluffy statement....so I bought a few burgundy flowers, then made a few out of felt and fabric.  

 To make the rolled flower I tied one end of a 1 inch wide strip I cut down the length of the fabric....

 Then I twisted, rolled, and glued.

 I glued the initial and flowers to the wreath....

The top two flowers.  

 You could add pins to the back of the flowers and change them up for each holiday with the burlap as the backdrop....but I think I'll just leave this here.