Friday Favorite Finds - Chicken Recipes

Ahh... Easter break is here!! My students were super wound up today, but I can't blame them. I'm so excited to have the next week off to spend with my boys and my new sweet nephew, Elliott. As I was preparing dinners for the new parents this week, I realized we have an overwhelming amount of chicken in our freezer. We need to use it up! Here are some good ones I'd love to try this week:

Grilled Chicken Cordon Blue Sandwiches - Recipe Shoebox

Source: recipeshoebox.blogspot.com via Kellene on Pinterest

Dijon Grilled Chicken Thighs - Plain Chicken

Source: plainchicken.com via Kellene on Pinterest

Baked Sweet & Sour Chicken - Six Sisters' Stuff

Source: sixsistersstuff.com via Kellene on Pinterest

Grilled Chicken Teriyaki Sandwiches - Living Light

Source: livinglight58.blogspot.com via Kellene on Pinterest

Easy Italian Baked Chicken - Real Mom Kitchen

Source: realmomkitchen.com via Kellene on Pinterest

Chicken Broccoli Roll Ups - Once A Month Mom

Source: onceamonthmom.com via Kellene on Pinterest

Crispy Baked Orange Chicken Wings - Edesia's Notebook

Source: edesiasnotebook.com via Kellene on Pinterest

Yum! Looks like I'm definitely in the mood to fire up the grill! Linking up to Friday Favorites.

Polka Dot Baby Shower: Diaper Cake

This was my first attempt at a diaper cake and I thought it turned out really cute! I've seen several variations and tutorials on Pinterest (my favorite being this one) but when it came down to it, I just gathered some supplies and started. My sister just had a baby boy (SOOOO excited to finally be an aunt!!) and her nursery theme is blue and green polka dots, so that's what we used for the shower theme. Here's how I put mine together:

Supplies used:
Approx 75 size 1 diapers
Approx 75 clear mini hair rubberbands
3 large rubber bands (I just used ones that held the newspaper)
Glue dots
coordinating grosgrain ribbon (I like the higher end look of grosgrain, but you could go with a wide satin ribbon also)
coordinating raffia or curling ribbon
6 baby spoons
baby shampoo/lotion
baby food jar
elephant receiving blanket
stuffed elephant (Silas picked this out for baby Elliott from Build A Bear Workshop :)

Roll each diaper starting at the folded end tightly and wrap rubber band around to secure. I used Target brand diapers because they have blue and green polka dots on them, couldn't have worked out more perfectly!! Otherwise, I would highly recommend buying the Huggies Pure & Natural diapers. They are super soft for small babies and they're a natural white color which would go with any diaper cake color scheme. You can certainly use Pampers if you like, but they're very colorful so plan on covering them up with receiving blankets (like this one).

It takes a little while to roll 50 diapers so grab a coffee, load an episode of Downton Abbey on Netflix, and you'll be finished in no time. :)

Once you have the diapers rolled, place the large rubber band around the baby shampoo and start shoving the rolled diapers around, underneath the rubber band. Keep going until you have about 5 layers of diapers surrounding the baby shampoo. Do the same with a new rubber band for the second layer of the "cake".

I used Johnson & Johnson lavender baby shampoo which was great because it was tall and narrow, but it wasn't quite tall enough for the top layer. I had originally planned to use a smaller bottle of baby shampoo for the top, but that would have been too tall. Depending on the stuffed animal used for the top this might have been ok, but the elephant I was using needed to sit on a flat surface. Enter baby food jar!

Attach baby food jar to the top of the shampoo bottle with a few glue dots.

Using the same method as the other layers, use a rubber band around the baby food jar and make the top layer of the cake.

Attach ribbon around each layer and secure with glue dots. I actually found this pretty green polka dot grosgrain ribbon at Walmart for $1.97! Decorate the front of each layer with two cris cross spoons secured with more glue dots. Attach raffia bow to the front of each set of spoons.

For the top, I just set the elephant receiving blanket and stuffed animal on top and didn't secure them at all, but I would have used safety pins if I was going to attach them.
You can certainly decorate with rings, pacifiers, etc. Just don't go overboard! You don't need to cram something into every corner, diaper cakes look adorable as is. After all, that's what wishing wells are for!

Overall, everyone was impressed and I think it turned out super cute! We used it as the main decoration on the food table and it really tied in the color scheme perfectly, plus it's something you know mom will use!


Linking up to: Mix it up Monday, Cure for the Common Monday, Savvy Homemade Monday, Just Something I Whipped Up, Mop it up Monday, Thrify Thursday, It's a Keeper Thursday, Strut Your Stuff, Things I've Done Thursday.   

Menu Plan Monday 3/26 - New Mom Dinners

Wow, last week was such a crazy and amazing week! My newphew, Elliott William, was born on Saturday -- 4 weeks early! He is perfect and healthy, the cutest 5lb 10oz peanut you'd ever see! I was able to be there to witness his birth and the miracle of life God has given us. I have to admit, it was very strange for me not to be the one laying in the bed!! I am so excited to be an Aunt and I know my sister and brother in law will be amazing parents.

That being said, I offered to make dinners for them this week. So, I logged into Pinterest and made a New Mom Dinners board and repinned several meals that I thought would work good. I was looking for meals 1) I've made before and 2) that fit 9x13 pans so that I could split the recipe between two smaller baking dishes instead - one meal for them and one meal for us. I'm hoping this way I'm not making double dinners all week!

Bubble Up Enchiladas

Source: millerfamilyorganizer.blogspot.com via Kellene on Pinterest

Chicken Salad Sammies/Italian Pasta Salad (from a mix)

I'm omitting the pecans and cranberries and adding sliced grapes instead

Source: savannahssavorybites.com via Kellene on Pinterest

Two Timin' Pasta Bake/Garlic Butter Rolls

Source: pearls-handcuffs-happyhour.blogspot.com via Kellene on Pinterest

Overnight French Toast Casserole/Breakfast Sausage

Source: millerfamilyorganizer.blogspot.com via Kellene on Pinterest

YOYO (You're On Your Own!)

Hotdogs on the grill/Leftover Pasta Salad

Slow Cooker Orange Chicken

Source: momscrazycooking.blogspot.com via Kellene on Pinterest

I hope you have as great a week as I just had! God bless!

Linking up to Menu Plan Monday.

Friday Favorites 3/23

I have a busy weekend ahead filled with yard sale and consignment sale shopping. So excited! Let's get right to the picks for the week (recipe links are found under each pic):

Easter Bunny Buns - Real Mom Kitchen

Source: realmomkitchen.com via Kellene on Pinterest

No Yeast Cinnamon Rolls - Recipe Girl

Source: recipegirl.com via Kellene on Pinterest

Baked Spinach Dip Mini Bread Bowls - Picky Palate

Source: picky-palate.com via Kellene on Pinterest

Lemon Poppyseed Bread - The Happy Housewife

Source: thehappyhousewife.com via Kellene on Pinterest

Tex Mex Bake - Scattered Thoughts of a SAHM

Source: scatteredthoughtsofasahm.blogspot.com via Kellene on Pinterest

Caramel Crumb Bars - Everyday Insanity

Source: cgharris.blogspot.com via Kellene on Pinterest

Have a wonderful weekend! Linking up to Friday Favorite Finds.

  

Menu Plan Monday 3/19

I've decided to start using Pinterest to help me even more with my menu planning. Of course I have a separate board for each type of recipe, but I feel I've had a stroke of genius!! LOL Every Saturday (or so) I create a new board for that week's menu plan. Here's what's on my board this week (the link for each recipe is underneath each picture):

Veggie Omelet Casserole (carry over from last week)

Source: talkingdollarsandcents.net via Kellene on Pinterest

Burgers on the Grill, Baked Parmesan Tomatoes

Source: eatingwell.com via Kellene on Pinterest

Burritos

Breakfast Crostadas

Source: pillsbury.com via Kellene on Pinterest

Leftovers/YOYO (You're On Your Own!)

Overnight Crockpot Apple Oatmeal (for breakfast)

Out for dinner, Happy 5 year Anniversary to us!

Source: sugarfreemom.com via Kellene on Pinterest

Slow Cooker Potato Soup

Source: mamalovesfood.com via Kellene on Pinterest

Linking up to Menu Plan Monday.