tasty time.

Haven't posted a new recipe for awhile, here are a couple that I have tried recently that were super good and easy.

Chicken Pasta Salad

(This one Becca made for Sakerra's Wedding)



1 bag cooked bow tie pasta
2-3 cups cooked chicken, shredded or cubed
1 cup mayo
1 cup Miracle Whip or mayo
1/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup sweet pickle juice
Chopped Celery
Craisins
Grapes or Apples
Unsalted Cashews

Mix together the mayo, salad dressing, sugar and pickle juice. Toss with the pasta and add remaining ingredients.

Flatbread Cheeseburgers

(adapted from Life as a Lofthouse)

1 pound lean ground beef
1/2 cup water
1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 pkg dry onion soup
1/2 cup ketchup
1 Tbsp mustard
1 clove garlic, minced (1 tsp preminced garlic)
1 (11 ounce) can refrigerated pizza dough
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Romaine lettuce, chopped


Brown ground beef in a large skillet. Add water, vinegar, onion soup mix, ketchup, mustard and garlic. Stir to combine then simmer over low heat until warmed through and thickened.

Heat another large skillet over medium heat. Divide the pizza dough into 8 parts. Roll each piece as round as possible..

Place one piece of dough onto the warm skillet. Cook on each side for 45  seconds or until puffed and golden. Place each flatbread onto a cookie sheet in a 200 degree warm oven, to keep warm until all flatbreads are made.

Take one flatbread and fill with meat mix, shredded cheese, and lettuce.  Fold in half like a taco.

 

Wedding Reception

I was a bridesmaid this past 1-2 weeks. The happy couple was married in Arizona and then came out a week later for a reception in Utah. Their colors were teal blue and chocolate brown and it was fun to see how they could completely transform a church gym twice in completely different ways. Some fun things that I loved:

1. The paper lanterns strung across the ceiling. Fishing line and a ladder can do wonders! These are flower eyelet lanterns by Martha Stewart.

2. In chandelier in the Arizona reception. It was beautiful and charming.

3. The matching aprons. The grooms grandmother had made these for all the kitchen help at both reception. They were flirty, super cute and matched!

4. The "he said, she said" signs. They were decorating a table with pictures at the Arizona reception and then they were strung up above the signing/video table at the Utah one. So fun for people to read.

5. The fantastic dessert at the Utah reception...shaved ice, fresh berries, vanilla icecream, and whipped cream. Gotta love it!

Arizona specifics: They had little chicken salad croissants and chocolate fondue for dessert served with marshmallows, brownie bites, strawberries, angel food cake. Lots and lots of dancing. cute scrapbooked guest signing pages (that was my responsibility at the table). Darling necklaces and orchid corsages for the bridesmaids.

Utah specifics: Little rose bouquets for the bridesmaids, chocolate and caramel dipped pretzels as a thank you gift, tulips and roses everywhere, my new favorite shaved ice dessert, chocolate cake everywhere including in these adorable tiny cake stands that had long fluted stem stands.

Naughty...or nice?

So for a friends bridal shower I created a Naughty or Nice? present...

At Borders I found a naughty or nice coupon book. one coupon will be nice (i.e. Good for one long walk on the beach) and another would be a "naughty" version. I created a naughty box and a nice box.

I filled the nice box with movies and popcorn, my cookbook and some cute heart shaped oven mitts, etc...activities a couple could use and do together. I filled the naughty box with some lip shaped candy, a lip shaped pack of cards, lingerie, and various other items ;)

It was a hit, and I think it is a fun idea for valentines day, bridal showers, anniversaries, etc...