Easy DIY Monogram Wreath

I started by going to my local Hobby Lobby to by a cardboard to serve as my base. It turns out that all they had were small, flat letters. Since my house sits back from the road a pretty good distance I decided I would need something larger and more dynamic to draw attention from the road. Instead of buying a letter I made my own base from a cardboard box.  I did pick up two spools of natural sisal Hobby Lobby to make the wreath. I've seen similar products at Walmart and Michael’s so don't if there's no Hobby Lobby where you live. I decided on the sisal because I liked the color and texture better than the twine. If you like twine, yarn and jute better you can still follow the same simple process I did with the media of your choice.

I started by recycling a cardboard box to make the base for my wreath.  I laid the box down and drew out the "E" then cut it out with a box cutter.

Next I cut out two more identical letters. Then I glued them all together using Aleene’s Original Tacky Glue. I left it to dry for a couple hours. Next comes the tricky part, you will need to cut pieces of the sisal (or whatever you choose) and glue them to cover the ends of your letter. I think you can see the vertical pieces at the top of the picture. These are just short pieces I cut and glued down across the edges of the "E". It will be different for every letter. For a "T" there would be three edges to cover, for a "S" two and for a "W" five. Once you've done this part the rest of this project is a E-A-S-Y!

After it dried I began wrapping the sisal around the cardboard.  Because I wanted it to have a lot of shape and be very organic I worked the sisal around randomly in a very loose manner. I worked on this at night while the hubby and I watched American Idol, so I can't say how long it took me to finish.  Now that it's done I think it is TOO CUTE! Check out the finished product below.

Let me know what you think.  

Feature Link: http://theorganisedhousewife.com.au/love-it-like-it-link-it/love-it-like-it-link-it-16/

Happy Crafting!

Susanne

Chicken Croissant Casserole

These were so good I thought I might have to arm wrestle my husband for the leftovers. This delicious dish is easy to put together and is sure to please.  Because it’s just as good the next day I think it’d make a great dish if you were taking it to new parents or sick friends and relatives. 

                                         

Recipe

2 8oz. cans of Pillsbury’s Crescent Rolls 

I can of Cream of Chicken Soup

Grated cheese  your choice (I used Monterrey Jack)

4 ounces of cream cheese

2 tablespoons of butter (soft)

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon minced onion flakes

2 cups finely chopped COOKED chicken breast (try shredding a deli rotisserie chicken to save time)

Milk ½ cup (for the sauce) 2 tablespoons for filling

9X13 casserole dish

Sauce:

In medium sized bowl mix together ½ cup milk, ¾ cup grated cheese, and undiluted cream of chicken soup until smooth and blended well.

Filling:

In a bowl combine 2 tbs. soft butter and the 4 ounces of cream cheese until smooth.

Add in the chopped chicken, onion, cheddar cheese and 2 tablespoons milk, salt and pepper to taste and mix until well combined

Putting it all Together:

Preheat oven to 350⁰

Prepare a 9x13 casserole with cooking spray (I lined mine with foil and when I cleaned up later it was a HUGE help)

Unroll one section of the croissant dough and lay it out on a flat surface, then place a spoonful of the filling at the large end. Then roll the dough into a pocket so that the filling is inside the dough.

Place a spoonful of the sauce on the bottom of the casserole dish, then put the stuffed croissant on top. 

Then place another spoonful of the sauce on top of the croissant and then sprinkle with shredded cheese. Pop it in the oven for 30 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly and the croissant is toasty brown. 

Be sure to keep the leftovers just a few seconds in the microwave and you've got a delicious lunch the next day.

Like this recipe? New recipes are posted every Sunday.  Follow me on Facebook and never miss a single recipe!: New South Charm

Happy Cooking Y'all!

Susanne

Devine Chicken Enchiladas

My hubby and I both love MEXICAN food! Really who doesn’t? We eat out at the local Mexican restaurant at least twice a month. So when I found a recipe for Chicken Enchiladas in a sour cream sauce I was super excited. I made this dish once following the recipe to the letter. When they were done I was just a little disappointed. They just didn’t seem to have that great mix of flavor that you expect from Mexican dishes. So I decided to try again this time adding some extra spices and veggies. This time they were MUY BUENO! I hope you like them as much as we do. 

Here's the Recipe

What you’ll need:

9 x 13 casserole dish
8-10 flour tortillas
1 package shredded cheese (I used Colby Monterrey Jack)
2-3 chicken breast
3 tablespoons flour
3 tablespoons butter
1 clove garlic minced (or 1 tablespoon garlic powder)
1 cup sour cream
3 cups chicken broth
1 small onion (about a cup)
1 small bell pepper (about a cup)
1 can diced green chilies
Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)

Putting it all together:                                           

Preheat oven to 350

Prepare chicken and shred, set aside. (In a hurry? Use a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store or cook the chicken breast in advance and refrigerate until you need them.)

Coat bottom of a large skillet with EVOO. Warm over medium high heat. Place diced onion, bell pepper, and garlic in warm skillet cooking for about 3 minutes or until onions start to become tender. Turn heat down to low cook for another 3 to 5 minutes until onions are transparent. Add cooked chicken to the skillet and allow to warm, stir occasionally. 

It’s time to build the enchiladas! I lined my dish with aluminum foil and sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. This dish can get a little messy and the foil will make for easier clean-up later. If you don’t use the foil I do highly recommend a non-stick spray.

In the middle of a large flour tortilla place chicken and cheese, roll and put into your casserole dish. I was able to get eight enchiladas in my dish, but depending on how much you stuff in them the amount will vary. 

The sour cream sauce makes these enchiladas delicious. It’s really easy to make but don’t tell anyone, and they’ll all think you’re a genius in the kitchen.

In a sauce pan melt three tablespoons butter. After the butter is melted, add three cups of chicken broth, and 3 tablespoons of flour, whisk until well blended and mixture thickens. Add sour cream, and chilies (I only used a half a can of diced chilie peppers. Anything more and it's just too S-P-I-C-E-Y.) Continue to whisk until sour cream is blended. Be careful to prevent (read: do not) bringing to a boil. If the mixture reaches a boil  the sour cream will curdle. Pour over the top of the enchiladas. Lastly sprinkle with cheese and place in oven at 350 for 30-40 minutes, or until cheese is bubbly.

 

You can also make bean and cheese enchiladas with this recipe. To do this just open a can of re-fried beans and spoon them into the middle of the tortilla then put a good deal of cheese on top of the beans. Roll as usual, cover with the sauce and cheese then bake as directed. I’ve made both types in a single casserole dish. These make great leftovers for the next day's lunch.

Happy Cookin' Y'all,

Susanne

Easy Memo Board Craft

So today I decided to make a memo board.  I was inspired by this cute one I saw on Pinterest from Make and Takes.  Sure I could have just gone to Wal-Mart or Target and bought one, but it would have been as C-U-T-E or matched my kitchen. 

Here's how I made it:

I started with a super cheap 8x10 frame from the Dollar Tree.  I was really lucky to find one that was made of unfinished wood. After lightly sanding it I added the first coat of paint.

As you can see in the picture I just used everyday craft paint available at Hobby Lobby or a lot of other big box craft stores.  For this project I used Folk Art acrylic paint by Plaid in Forest Moss.  I put two coats on the front and outer edges. Be sure to take the glass out of the frame first to avoid getting paint on it.

After the paint dried (about 2 hours) I used Aleene's Original Tacky Glue to attach three buttons on the frame.  I found these big wooden buttons at Wal-Mart.  I liked that they were a natural oak similar to the cabinets and island in my kitchen. 

 After the glue on the buttons dried, I put the glass back in the frame, along with some scrap book paper. How cool is it that the paper looks like burlap?

I added magnets to the back so I can hang it on the refrigerator. I attached a dry erase marker to the top with a Velcro dot.

I think it turned out really cute!  What do you think?

Happy Crafting!

Susanne