Crockpot Chicken Tacos

This is a suuuuuuper easy crockpot meal that makes a ton for leftovers and/or freezing for a later meal. I found this on Pinterest which sent me to My Chocolate Therapy blog. Let me tell you, I think I'll be stopping by her blog more often.

Here's the recipe...

CROCKPOT CHICKEN TACOS

Ingredients
2-14 oz cans of ro-tel (tomatoes with chiles) OR 1 jar of salsa
1 pack taco seasoning
5-6 chicken breasts

Directions
Pour the salsa and taco mix into the crockpot. Stir together.

Add in the chicken breasts. Place some of the salsa mix on top of chicken.

Cover and cook for 6-8 hours on low.

When finished, the chicken should shred fairly easily. Use a fork to help you with this process.

I was nervous to make this recipe because I haven't always had good luck with chicken cooking in the crockpot. It tends to get dried out. I cooked 5 chicken breasts for 6.5 hours on low and it turned out great!

You can add avocado, cheese, tomatoes, lettuce, whatever you like on your taco.

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I had enough chicken leftover to make chicken tortilla soup which called for 1 cup shredded chicken and I froze about 2 cups shredded chicken. I will definitely be making this recipe again. I'm all about the crockpot, making multiple tasty meals, and having enough leftover for the freezer!

Be on the lookout for the chicken tortilla soup recipe later this week!

Linking up to: Someday Crafts, Sew Much Ado, Handy Man, Crafty Woman, Rae Gun Ramblings

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Spanish Moss Topiaries

I love DIY projects. Especially the ones that are super easy, don't require much time or many supplies, and the result looks as if you bought it at Pottery Barn but for 1/16 of the price! That's how I feel about these topiaries. Super easy and give a classic look to your decor!

SPANISH MOSS TOPIARIES

You need:
4 styrofoam balls (this will allow you to make 2 topiaries)
a rectangular block of foam to put at the bottom of the pot to hold everything in place
a big bag of Spanish Moss (I got mine for about $4 at Hobby Lobby)
a couple of sturdy twigs (mine are from outside)
2 small pots
a hot glue gun/glue sticks


How to:

Cut and place the foam rectangle so that it fits snugly into the vase.

Hot glue the moss onto the styrofoam balls. I didn't use a ton of hot glue and I recommend doing more of a streak across the foam than dots. It's okay if all of the moss isn't completely pressed down. You just want to make sure it sticks to the styrofoam and covers the surface. Do this for all 4.

Next, take 1 of the balls. Stick a twig at the top and and a twig at the bottom. Stick one end into the styrofoam that you fit snugly into the pot. Place the opposite twig into the second ball. Repeat for the second topiary then admire!

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DIY Wedding Gift

A while back, my husband and I celebrated his cousin's wedding in Michigan. We had been meaning to give them a wedding gift, but hadbeen slacking on doing this (really, no excuse except life has been busy). Well, I'm glad that I did slack because I found a perfect gift to make for them.

I borrowed this gift idea from my good friend, Kari. Maybe you know her? I love how hers turned out for her cousin-in-law so I wanted to take a shot at it myself. She has a great tutorial if you're interested in doing this yourself! I'll be making another one of these in the near future in which I'll have a tutorial then. I'll keep you posted when that one happens. Here's my outcome. I love it!

Snowcago

I've been able to take my students out for recess every day so far this week. In Chicago. In late January and now early February. It is unheard of and I love it!

It's hard to believe that this time a year ago Chicago was covered in 2 feet of snow. School was cancelled for 2 days. That hadn't happened in about 12 years in Chicago. While my friends in the south would have school cancelled for .0000003 of an inch, I'd be making my way to work in 12+ inches. Well last year was my year to enjoy my first snow day as a teacher and it was fabulous!

Here are some photos to bring back some memories. Lake Shore Drive was completely shut down. Cars had been abandoned. I even saw two plow trucks get stuck! Chicago was truly a winter wonderland!
















My husband's work was unfortunately not canceled. Because I think he is such a creative writer and I admire this about him, I want to share with you his special account he wrote to our family and friends about his blizzard experience last year. If you're up for a good laugh and reading some creative writing, grab a cup of coffee and start reading!

As I was lying in bed this morning, an indistinguishable song coming from my alarm clock, I knew the score. The motorists stranded on Lake Shore Drive for countless hours, the homes without power, the blinding snow and the relentless wind gave evidence of the score. Hours earlier, before bed, I watched out our living room window as people hopped out of cars to push through snow drifts. Lake Shore Drive was closed down and many other streets were impassable. The thunder snow and the strong winds provided quite the testament to the storm’s power as Amy and I watched it from our apartment. I wondered if our living room window would shatter from the wind, if we would lose power like so many others. I wondered if the Chicago Transit Authority would be rendered useless for the foreseeable future. I wondered what chance any human had against the force of this epic weather front. It was there, watching from my living room window, that the score first dawned on me. Once I managed to remove myself from my bed and shower, I looked out the window and saw that the storm still had not let up. Though I didn’t want to believe it, I couldn’t avoid the score. The storm had begun way beyond my expectations. This storm was different than the “Storm of the Century” that Chicago weather predicts on a weekly basis. This storm materialized. This storm damaged. This storm terrorized everything in its past. I was naive to think that this storm was not possible. Standing in my living room, looking at my winter gear, I again focused on the sad realization...the score was unavoidable, undeniable, indisputable and irrefutable...the score was Nature: 1, Man: 0.

Please know, before I go any further, that I don’t want to be thought of as a hero. I’m no supreme being or superhero. I am flesh and blood just like you. I have a family, friends, and a name, just like you. I don’t write this to be thought of as something greater than I am. I am just a man who knew the score...one who decided early on that Man needed to strike back. Nature had dealt the first blow, but we can overcome.

I dusted off my trusty boots that hadn’t been worn in years. “Saved just for times like this” I laughed to myself. “We’ve had some good times together” I whispered to my boots. “I don’t know what’s going to happen out there”, I continued, “but know that I appreciate all that you’ve helped carry me through.” I put on my long underwear, wind pants, sweater, winter jacket, ear muffs and scarf, grabbed my backpack with my computer and work clothes, and set off for the elevator.

The elevator doors opened and my doorman gave me a strange look. “What are you doing?” he asked me. “Going to work” I responded. “But the buses...they are no running.” I explained to the doorman who thinks that I’m a doctor (another story for another day) that I realized the buses weren’t reliable right now so I would be walking to the El (a decision I had come to when Amy learned on facebook that it took a coworker/neighbor 4 hours to get home yesterday on the bus). He fell silent for a moment, looked at me stunned and said “You...are the first.” It seems that, throughout his whole night and morning shift, at 6:45am, I was the very first person to leave the building and attempt to take on the elements. A sense of pride rushed through my body as I was reminded I wasn’t just doing this for me, but I was doing it for Amy...I was doing this for The Darien...I was doing this for Chicago...I was doing this for mankind. I continued to the door only to be interrupted by the doorman. He directed me to the side door. It seems the snow drifts were so high that the front door wasn’t an option. I thanked him and proudly walked to the side door.

As I approached the door it dawned on me that this was my chance to make a bold first impression and show nature that I am not afraid. I attempted to swing open the door, but it stopped suddenly after opening two feet. I squeezed through the gap and stepped into a two foot snow drift. As I stomped out of the garage I quickly realized it was worse than I thought. My gaze was fixed downward as I attempted to walk on what I think was the sidewalk. Once I finally got myself on to the sidewalk I allowed myself to look up and see how my path looked. The sidewalks were covered with snow, about a foot in the lowest parts, up to two or three feet in others. I considered walking to the street but noticed that it wasn’t plowed either (I believe I read something a year or two ago about Chicago no longer plowing side streets to save money, so may be attributed to that). I went a few more feet before my first discovery. I wasn’t yet fifty feet from my building when I saw a car completely abandoned in the middle of Barry. It would not be the last.

I made my way down Barry to Broadway, battling the unplowed sidewalks and high snowdrifts. I turned down Wellington and fought the wind head on. It was at this point that I began to realize how much effort the walk was taking. I realized that, though cold outside, I should have not opted to wear my long underwear. I slowed the pace and unzipped my coat to ensure I wouldn’t be a sweaty mess when I arrived at the office.

The main streets had been plowed but were covered yet again. The plows left two to three foot snow banks in front of every side street and I saw several cars attempt to climb these. A few cars were left at these locations abandoned. I was nearing the final portion of my walk to the El when I faced my greatest challenge yet. I looked up and saw that ten feet ahead of me was a snow drift up to my shoulders. I knew I couldn’t take this on so turned around to back track. As I did, I could see that there was a waist-high snow drift among the parked cars that prevented me from getting to the street. This snow drift went as far back as I could see, so I decided to make a move. I stepped between two parallel parked cars, bracing myself on the hood of one and the trunk of the other and proceeded to sink. I was in up to my knees and still sinking before I jumped in to the semi-plowed street to continue my walk.

I had made it to the El station finally! Despite the fact that I just missed my train my spirits remained high. I looked down the track at the train going by and was amazed at the amount of sparks shooting from the back car. It’s normal for the third rail to spark as the El goes by, but this was a non-stop, 4th-of July-esque, sparkling fountain! I finally knew for sure that the trains were running and I was happy to not be walking through any more snow drifts. I got on the next train and rode down to work. As people got on at the next stop I noticed that 75% of the sparsely-populated car had a look of great accomplishment on their faces...a banner of victory that I knew I wore as well. The other 25% looked extremely disgusted and exhausted (which I found hilariously entertaining).

I arrived at my stop and said goodbye to the El driver who was sticking his head out the window. I enjoy how a snow-raved Chicago felt like a genuinely small town. When I had been walking on the sidewalks earlier an older lady was snow plowing. She stopped, gave me a nod of encouragement, and instructed me to be safe. Now here I was talking to the El driver. Sharing stories with my colleagues once at work sounded similar (one guy was walking and a bus pulled over and asked if he wanted a ride and dropped him off closer to work than he would have otherwise been). The last part of my trip was easy but underscored just how abandoned the streets had become. I didn’t have to stop once at a cross walk since there were no cars to be seen. I arrived at work about an hour and a half after I set out (much longer than normal) and was thankful to have had such an entertaining commute. Finally I was able to point my head to the skies and shout at the clouds. Finally I was able to carry the burden of the city on my back and laugh in the face of blizzard warnings. Finally, yes, finally, man had struck back...we did not roll over, we did not give in...and now, yes, now, I knew the score. It is unavoidable, undeniable, indisputable and irrefutable...the score is Nature: 1, MAN: 1.

While I type this the snow continues to pour down. Due to the whiteout conditions it seems there will be no food service in the building so we are having lunch ordered for all that made it to the office (not many). In the hours ahead this storm should begin to relent and, the city will return to normalcy. In the days ahead there will be much to read about this storm and the damage done. In the weeks ahead the challenges from this storm will slowly be forgotten. But in the years ahead, future generations will be reminded that man will withstand the onslaught of a blizzard, man can face the fury of a storm, man has starred the fury of nature in the eye and fought back. The score was Nature: 1, Man: 1.

Valentine's Day Bulletin Boards

As a teacher, you are always having to come up with inspirational and meaningful activities. If you're a teacher, you know that sometimes you just don't have the time to sit and wait to be inspired. So I'm sharing two of my February bulletin boards with you teachers out there if you're in need of some inspiration.

This first one is from my second grade class last year. The title is "Can you guess our SWEET riddles?" The students traced and cut out a Hershey's Kisses from construction paper. They folded a rectangular sheet of paper in half that I had cut to the correct size so that it'd fit on their kiss, they wrote a riddle that described their favorite candy on top and put the answer underneath. Here's the final outcome:





My bulletin board this year is also a Valentine's Day themed one. We've been learning about figurative language recently. This week, we've been focusing on idioms. So, I gave each student an idiom that dealt with "heart." Here are some of the heart idioms I used:
- having a heart-to-heart
- a heart of gold
- soft-hearted
- cold-hearted
- having a big heart
- having your heart skip a beat

There's tons of them out there. Just google "heart idioms" or "Valentine's Day idioms."

The students worked with a partner. They first had to discuss and come up with the meaning of their idiom. Once I confirmed that they had the correct meaning, the students wrote a sentence using the idiom. I told them that they had to write a sentence with good context clues to help others understand the meaning of the word. I was so impressed with how well my kids did on this activity! Take a look for yourself! Oh, and this is from my third grade class. I loop.







As you can see, the students wrote the "heart idiom" on a large heart. They wrote the meaning, a sentence using the idiom, and drew an illustration on a sheet of white paper that I had provided to them. I think they did a wonderful job!

Circle Tiered Table Mega Makeover

I found this beauty along the side of the road one day. I drove past it because I knew that if I brought home one more item that I found along the side of the road my husband would just sigh and shake his head. Which he did when I brought this table home. I couldn't help it. I just had to! And I'm glad I did and so is the hubs.

This table sat around for a while waiting to be made beautiful. Finally, I had a vision and went with it.

First, I sanded the table. I then rubbed a tea candle around the edges of the table. I did this for a distressing effect I planned on doing after I had finished spray painting.

Next, I spray painted the table in Krylon's Heirloom white. I love this color. Mostly white but not stark white. It took me about 3 coats to completely cover the table.

After the paint had dried, I took a rag and rubbed around the edges. This took off the wax and left parts of the original wood where the wax had stuck. This is an easy way to distress...at least for an amateur like me!

Finally, and this was the most difficult and time consuming part, I had to cover up the hideous leather top to the table. For the longest time I couldn't figure out what to do, but finally discovered that contact paper would do the job! I bought the contact paper at the Dollar Store (yes, really!) and with extreme care, a steady hand, scissors, and an exacto knife, I carefully laid the contact paper on top of the original leather-type material.

In all this project took me about 2 hours from the sanding to the 3 coats of spray paint and laying down the contact paper. To be honest, the contact paper probably took just as long as the 3 coats of paint. Oye.

And here is the final outcome...



Let's see the before:



And after:

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There are definitely imperfections with this table that I can see, but I know to someone just walking past the table, its not noticeable. It fits in well with our decor and best of all, it only cost me about $5!!! Can't beat that!

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Crockpot Chicken Noodle Soup

I've been using my crockpot like crazy lately. Here's another easy and delicious recipe!

CROCKPOT CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP

Original recipe from here. Mine is slightly different since I had to work with what I had in my pantry and my timing.


Ingredients:

1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup carrots
1/2 cup thinly diced onions
5 cups chicken stock or broth
1 can cream of chicken
1 can corn
1.5 cups egg noodles
cooked and chopped chicken
salt and pepper to taste


Directions:

Chop/dice all of the veggies. I did this the night before so I stored them in a container in the fridge overnight.

Add the veggies, chicken broth, cream of chicken, and a little salt and pepper to taste into the crockpot. Stir to mix and cook on low for 5.5 hours.

When you get home from work, add in the egg noodles and cooked and chopped chicken. Cook on high in the crockpot for 1 hour.

Finally, I ladeled this yummy soup into some bowls and enjoyed a warm, homemade meal! Yum!



This made enough for leftovers for my husband and myself. I always like to keep an extra can of chicken broth on hand so that when I reheat the soup, I can add it in. I find that the chicken and noodles can suck in some of the soup making it even more delicious, but leaving you with mostly veggies, chicken, and noodles and not much broth.

Print off the recipe here: Crockpot Chicken Noodle Soup

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