My Very Favorite Peach Smoothie Recipe

Todd and I love to make smoothies.  One of our favorite place to get smoothies is at Kneaders.  We cannot get enough of their peach flavored drink that they sell.  The last few months we have been trying and tweaking every peach smoothie recipe we could find to make it taste just like the one at Kneaders.  We have finally come up with the perfect recipe and seriously could make it every night.  This is definitely a recipe you will want to write down.

The Recipe:

• 2 c. Frozen Peaches
• 1 c. Odwalla Mango Tango
• 1 c. Plain Greek Yogurt
• 1 c. canned peaches
• 1 Banana
• 1 TBSP Sugar

Mix all the ingredients together in the blender.  Be sure to use a good blender so that your ingredients will mix smoothly and perfectly.  Once your smoothie is blended pour any extra drink into freezer friendly cups.  Cover them and place them in the freezer so that they are easy to access whenever you need them.

Here is another great peach smoothie recipe to try http://www.pillsbury.com/recipes/peach-banana-smoothie/8578aa79-7c33-4455-8d66-539aa2b139a0

Sophisticated and Splendid Soirees Cricut Cartridge Release

I'm so excited for the release of the new Anna Griffin Cricut cartridges Sophisticated Soirees & Splendid Soirees.  These cartridges have been available online for a digital download for quite some time and are now going to be available in box form at one of my favorite places to buy inexpensive Cricut cartridges at CraftDirect.  There are so many great things you can do with these cartridges that the moment they become available I'm ordering a set of each one.

Sophisticated Soirees Cricut Cartridge

The name Sophisticated Soirees says it all.  This unique cartridge is perfect for exclusive parties, events or celebrations and can be found at

http://www.craftdirect.com/anna-griffin-sophisticated-soirees-cricut-cartridge.html. It's many features make it easy to plan a party that your guests will never forget.  I love how convenient & easy it is to use as well as the many things you can create with it.  Coordinating invitations, party decor, favor boxes, place cards and gift packaging are all great things you can create with this incredible cartridge.

Splendid Soirees Cricut Cartridge

The Splendid Soirees Cricut cartridge is also great for throwing parties & events.  With this cartridge you can create everything from casual to formal party accessories in absolutely no time at all. This cartridge gives you the ability to create stunning invitations, party & home decor, gift boxes, place cards, cupcake wrappers, placemats & so much more.  You will be in awe when you discover all the splendid things you can do with this unique cartridge from http://www.craftdirect.com/anna-griffin-splendid-soirees-cricut-cartridge.html.

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Planning a Party with These Great Cartridges

Both the Sophisticated Soirees Cricut cartridge & the Splendid Soirees cartridge are all you need to plan a party of the century.  I love how easy Cricut makes party planning with their great line of party cartridges and have found that it has saved me a lot of money over the years.  Before planning your party with these great cartridges there are a few important things to keep in mind.

Plan Ahead of Time

Nothing is worse than waiting until the last minute to plan a party.  You never know if you will have the right kind of paper, embellishments or other various craft supplies on hand.  By planning ahead of time you can make sure your party favors & decor turn out perfectly and can make sure you have the right amount of supplies on hand so you aren't running back to the store at the last minute when your party is about to begin.

Create a List

I Love to throw parties.  Before putting together any party I always create a list of the things I want at the party, the type of theme I want to go with as well as what guests I will be inviting.  This will give you a good idea what types of crafts you will want to make with your Cricut cartridges.  That way you can make sure you create everything you want in plenty of time before the big day.  The Splendid Soirees & Sophisticated Soirees cartridges have enough features on them to carry out most of your party needs & really will help you cross most of the needed items off of your list.

Whether you are planning a party or a classy event,  the Splendid & Sophisticated Soirees cartridges are just the thing you need to kick your party up a notch.  I can't wait for these cartridges to come out and can't wait to see what I can create with them next!

Chicken Green Chili Quesadillas

If you have ever gone to Bajio and tried their Chicken Green Chili Quesadillas you know that they are seriously one of the best things on their menu.  The first time I tried them I was hooked.  After a lot of research as well as trial & error I have discovered a Chicken Green Chili Recipe that tastes just like or even better than the ones at Bajio. 

Ingredients:

• 1 Lb Chicken
• 1/2 C Lime Juice
• Chili Powder
• Cumin
• 1/4 C. Honey
• 3 Anaheim Peppers, halved & seeds removed
• 1-2 Jalapenos, halved & seeds removed
• 4 oz Can of Green Chilies
• 5-7 Tomatillos, husks removed
• 1/2 C. Apple Cider Vinegar
• 1 C. Sugar
• Salt
• 1 Large Sweet Onion

How to Make:

Making the green chili quesadillas has a couple of steps involved, so if you are short on time don't let the word quesadillas fool you.  Here are the steps you will need to follow.

Step 1:  Marinate Chicken-Before you cook your chicken you will want to marinate it in 1/2 Lime Juice, Chili Powder, Cumin & Honey.  I usually do this in the morning so it's nice and marinated by dinner time.

Step 2:  Prepare Veggies-In step 2 you will need to take your Tomatillos, Anaheim Peppers, Jalapenos & Onion and place them in the oven on 350 degrees F for 15-20 mins until veggies look a little brown.

Step 3:  Blend Tomatillos-Once your veggies are done baking in the oven, take them out.  Place your cooked tomatillos in the blender & blend them nice and smooth.  Then place your blended tomatillos in a large pot.

Step 4:  Make Green Sauce-In your large pot add the rest of the ingredients.  Dice your cooked Anaheim peppers, Jalapenos & Onion and place them in the pot.  Add the can of Green Chilies, Apple Cider Vinegar, Sugar, Chili Powder, Cumin & Salt.  Let the mixture simmer for 20 mins.

Step 5: Sauté Chicken-For this step you can either cook your marinated chicken on the grill or sauté it in a fry pan.  I usually just sauté it in a fry pan because it is much quicker.

Step 6:  Make the Quesadilla-Once your sauce & chicken are cooked it's time to cook your quesadilla.  Throw some cheese on a tortilla in a fry pan, add the chicken & green chili mixture, let it cook until the cheese is completely melted & voila you have an amazing meal.

Green Chili Quesadillas are seriously one of my husband's favorite meals.  It makes a lot and works great as leftovers!! You should definitely give it a try today!!

This blog has some great tips on cooking your Green Chili sauce mixture!! http://myrecipegarden.blogspot.com/2009/03/bajios-green-chile-chutney.html

How to Make Your Own Chalk Paint

Chalk paint is taking the craft world by storm.  Individuals everywhere are using it to transform old pieces of furniture into beautiful works of art.  It's fun to do, easy to use & takes out the sanding & priming steps on furniture makeovers.

The only downfall with chalk paint is it's price.  It can be a very expensive product to buy.  A couple weeks ago I decided it was time to transform my black furniture in my family room to a more updated color.  I knew I wanted to use chalk paint for this project but didn't fully understand how much chalk paint was until I went to the craft store looking for it.  After a lot of research, trial and error & stained fingers I've finally come up with a mixture that works perfectly  and is a fraction of the cost.

What You Will Need:

• Paint
• Plaster of Paris(Powder)
• Water
• Two Empty Container for Mixture
• Furniture Wax
• Paint Brush
• Vaseline
• Sandpaper
• Rag

The Mixture:

To make the chalk paint mixture you will first need to take your two empty containers.  Mix 2 TB Plaster of Paris to 2 TB of water.  In your other container pour 2 cups of paint. ( I used Duck Egg Blue satin acrylic paint)  Mix your Plaster of Paris mixture until it is completely mixed without any lumps.  Once it is smooth combine your paint mixture with your Plaster of Paris mixture.  Once everything is mixed you are ready to paint your project.

The Painting Process:

When painting with your DIY chalk paint you will need to first paint the edges around your piece of furniture whatever color you would like them distressed as.  For example, you could paint the edges of a nightstand black so when you and your finished piece black shows through.

After you have painted your edges wipe Vaseline on all the edges you have just painted to make the sanding process much easier.

Once that is done it's time to paint your project.  Paint your furniture with a coat of paint, let it sit for at least 3 hours and then paint another coat.  Continue to do that until you reach the appropriate color you are going for.

Once your piece of furniture is completely dry, sand around the edges and parts you painted black underneath.  This will give your furniture a more rustic look.

Lastly, take your furniture wax and a rag.  Rub the wax all over your furniture to give it a finished look.

Creating with DIY chalk paint is a lot of fun & seriously is a little addicting.  I can't wait to use my mixture of chalk paint on my entertainment center in my family room.  Watch for future posts on my transformation process.

The Importance Of Documenting Memories Through Scrapbooking

I've asked many individuals why they spend more time running errands, working out at the gym & browsing social media than they do scrapbooking & documenting life's most important events.  What it comes down to is what matters most.  When you reach the end of your life would you rather have pictures and journals of some of your greatest memories, or a wrinkly body that once avidly visited the gym.  For me I would rather have scrapbooks to enjoy and share with my kids and grandkids.

Probably one of the main reasons individuals give me for not scrapbooking is TIME.  Days can go by so quickly that you often find yourself wondering what happened to the time.  I just discovered an amazing product that has helped me find TIME to scrapbook even amongst all the crazy busy things that happen on a daily basis.  It's called WE R Memory Keepers!! It is seriously one of the greatest lines of scrapbooking supplies out there. 

The main reason their scrapbooking line was invented was for crazy moms like me.  Their products are designed to make it easy to scrapbook in the few extra minutes that you have each day.  When I discovered their line of products I decided to put it to the test and see if it really helped me to get my scrapbooking done. 

When Steele was born I purchased the We R Memory Keepers photo sheets which come with picture separations already in them from http://www.craftdirect.com/we-r-memory-keepers.html.  I purchased their line of journaling cards which are designed to fit perfectly into the page protectors without any cutting or gluing.  I then got to work trying the best I could to document his first year of life.

The journaling cards made it easy to write down experiences as they happened.  I left a pile of them in my night stand.  At the end of the day I would take a few minutes to write down either something that happened that day, my feelings about being a mom, or even something exciting he learned.  He just barely turned one and as I pulled out my pile of written journaling cards I was so shocked to see how many I had actually done.  Not only did I have a lot of cards that were written on, but I also found a lot of information on them that I had totally forgotten about.

Just recently I began putting his 1st year of life book together.  I love how easy We R Memory Keepers makes it to scrapbook.  All their products are designed to slip into the page protectors easily and flawlessly.  If I would've discovered this line years ago I maybe would have scrapbooked more in my earlier years of life.

If you spend your life focusing on things that are not as important you will regret it later down the road.  Take the time today to scrapbook pictures of your children, write down memories as they happen & take lots of pictures.  This will help you to remember the good times you had throughout your life.