a bachelorette fiesta!!

for my dear friend tiffany's bachelorette party, the group of us girls planned a fun "fiesta" to celebrate. i borrowed a recipe from my friend dawn and it was such a hit. i wanted to share it plus some photos from the weekend.

cristin, brooke, christy, me, jennifer, and tiffany (the bride) in purple

the table setting

tiffany and christy, the matron of honor


fiesta rice and beans
(again, recipe compliments of my friend Dawn)

8 servings:
2 cans of black, red, or pinto beans (or a combination), drained
2 cans of corn, drained, or the equivalent amount of frozen corn
16-28 ounces of salsa (you don't want it runny, but you don't want it dry, either)
1 pound or so of ground beef or chicken
1-2 tsp chili powder
1-2 tsp cumin

mix everything together til heated through (obviously, cook the meat first!). serve over rice and with tortilla chips. use 3 cups of rice/6 cups of water for that 8 servings.

links: new recipes to try

thanks hannah for posting that last recipe! i tried it, and it was so great. we ate it too fast for me to get a picture. but, i love using my crock pot, and i'm so glad to have a new recipe. next time i think i'll freeze half, because it's perfect comfort food that would be great to just pull out of the freezer one busy week night.

also, i tried the meatloaf cupcakes and loved those too. for real, y'all... try them! i'm attempting to clean out my pantry since we're moving soon. so, needless to say, i didn't have fresh veggies. instead, i took half a bag of frozen veggies, nuked them in the microwave, then pureed them, along with some fresh herbs (basil and oregano) in my food processor. i didn't use the beet juice in the mashed potatoes because that would freak my husband out, and also i didn't put any green onions on either-- same reason. i don't have icing bags or icing tips so instead i put the mashed potatoes in a plastic freezer bag and cut off a corner. that helped make the potatoes look more "icing" like.

i think these would be great appetizers, especially if made in mini cupcake pans. i'm sure the possibilities for being creative with the mashed potato icing and and garnish like sprinkles are endless!

lastly, tziporah sent me the link to a dish she recently tried from NPR: Chicken-And-Corn Fried Rice With Lemon Spinach. i'm definitely trying this soon...

Creamy Italian Chicken

This is so easy and you can put it in the crockpot!

4-6 (depending on size) boneless, skinless chicken breast

1/4 cup water

1 package italian dressing mix

1 package cream cheese (I do 1/3 less fat), softened

1 can cream of mushroom soup

Mix together water and italian dressing. Place chicken in crockpot and pour water mixture over chicken. Cook for 1 hour on high. Whisk together cream cheese and soup then pour over chicken. Cook 3 hours on low. Before serving take chicken out and whisk the sauce to make sure it is creamy. Serve over rice or egg noodles.

If you want to do it in the oven, cook covered chicken for 20 minutes at 350. Take chicken out and pour soup mixture over chicken. Continue cooking until chicken is completely cooked and sauce is bubbly. Remember to wisk the sauce!

Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup + Meatloaf Cupcakes (oh yeah!)

this past monday evening brentley and i had dinner at chris and hannah's, and hannah made this creamy chicken noodle soup with home made biscuits. i craved left overs all week =)

thanks for sharing the goodness, hannah!

Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup

1 tsp butter

1 large onion, chopped

3 cups chopped cooked chicken

3 (14oz) cans chicken broth

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 package (8oz) speghetti, broken into 2 " pieces (I got whole wheat)

7 celery ribs, chopped

6 carrots, finely chopped ( I use baby carrots)

1 tsp poultry seasoning (optional)

1 tsp pepper

1 tsp lemon juice

2 cups milk

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

melt butter; add onions and saute.

stir in chicken and next 9 ingredients (don't add noodles yet). bring to a boil and reduce heat. simmer 45 minutes.

stir in milk and noodles; return to simmer until noodles are soft.

remove from heat; let stand 10 minutes.

also, tziporah sent me this recipe which looks amazing! her family made the recipe so it comes highly recommended! i was thinking these could make a neat hors d'œuvre item too?

http://finefuriouslife.com/2008/05/14/meatloaf-cupcakes-with-mashed-potato-frosting/

2+ soup recipes

so i haven't found the perfect time to try to french onion soup recipe, but i'm thinking perhaps around brentley's birthday?? ( after all, it is his favorite!) i have recently made the chicken taco soup, which absolutely rocks. for some reason though, i always forget to get the frito's scoops that allison recommends, and that really is so key.

i wanted to post one of my favorite "wendi recipes" because it's days like to day when i wish i were coming home to her house to eat this delicious and hearty soup. i love this dish because it sort of tastes like chicken pastry but doesn't have the same consistency (which i hate-- yes i'm a southerner who doesn't like chicken pastry). also, this recipe can be made with stock or chicken. when my mom made it with chicken she would use the chicken to make chicken salad.

i also wanted to post a recipe i found in a magazine at brentley's grandmas house last spring. i tried it on monday-- it's quick and so good! in fact, i made it in 15 minutes during a lunch break. of course the food processor really did all the work =)

(Wendi's) Chicken Noodle Soup

What You'll Need
4 chicken thighs OR 2 cans of chicken stock
1 package of egg noodles
1 pint of heavy whipping cream
1 package of chicken gravy
garlic powder
salt/pepper
parsley

Directions
If using chicken, Boil on medium heat for approximately an hour add salt, pepper, garlic to taste. Once chicken is done-- remove all chicken from liquid. If using stock bring to a boil and add same seasonings to taste. In prep dish mix one cup of cold water with gravy mix until smooth. Add gravy mix and whipping cream to stock and mix well. Bring liquid to a boil then add noodles and parsley. Once noodles are tender-- simmer until time to serving. (Yields 6 servings or more)

Creamy Zucchini Soup

What You'll Need
2 tbs chopped onion
2 tbs butter
2 tbs all purpose flour
2 cups milk
1 cup water
1 tsp chicken bouillon granules
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 large zucchini, shredded
cheddar cheese

Directions
In a large saucepan, saute onion in butter until tender. stir in flour until blended. gradually stir in the milk, water, bouillon, salt and pepper Bring to a boil. Cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Add zucchini. Simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes or until zucchini is tender. Stir in cheese until melted. (Yields 4 servings)