Crowning Around The Farm

Monday, November 5, 2012

Chilli Chicken & Cheese Mexicana

Recently, we have had a lot of events to attend [that encouraged food] and my "invention" was requested. It has been such a hit, for some reason, that I was asked to put the recipe on the blog.

So here it goes.....

These are the items that I used for one batch, but you can use a myriad of products, which I will list below.

**Yes, we are graced with chicken wallpaper in our farmhouse rental. Rental = not allowed to change.**

#notmystyle

Chicken Tenderloins or 2 Canned Chicken Breast

Mexican Rice

Chilli w/no beans (is my preference)

Diced Green Chilies

Velveeta Cheese

Banana Peppers

(used as an add-in once cooked)

Crock Pot

- other items you could use -

Queso Cheese Dip (Canned/Jar)

1 Bell Pepper

Taco Seasoning

Corn

I put the chicken in first.

You can use tenderloins, breasts or canned chicken breast, but you need to make sure that once it is cooked (any type you choose) that it is cut up into smaller cubes or shredded.

I personally don't use the tenderloins.

I use the canned chicken breast, but had these tenderloins that needed to be used up and used those instead of another can of chicken breast.

I used 16 oz of Velveeta cheese for the crock pot that I use.

I make a full batch and use all contents listed above.

It makes enough for a family and there will still be leftovers.

You do not have to use Velveeta cheese though.

I have used a can of Queso Cheese Dip before too.

[Entire Can]

Put all the contents listed above in at once, except for the rice.

You have to cook it separately and the heat from the cooked rice helps mix everything together and speed up the cooking process.

Allow for about 2-3 hours of cooking in the crock pot before serving.

I cook mine on high and then move it down to warm while I am serving it.

I like eating mine with tortilla chips :)

It is kinda like a dip when you are done, but it can be eaten with a fork or spoon too!

This is a great game night dish, party favorite, quick family meal, or to make a dish in hopes of having leftovers for a few days that still tastes fresh!

Enjoy!

Boots, Boots...and more Boots!

This fall/winter, there are many wardrobe items that have been considered on-trend and boots is the main one!

Every year, when "boots season" rolls around, I always love getting out my boots and playing with the outfit options, but this year, I feel there are more boot options than normal!

As you can see from the two photos below [taken from BEBE], the styles this year are very versatile and come from a large selection.

In the past few years, riding boots have been a staple for fall/winter boot selections and this year is no different!

As you can see, classic chestnut, brown and black were the color choices made by these stars, but this photo also shows the different ways riding boots are being paired with jeans, dresses, leggings, and frilly tops.

Riding boots with sweater dresses is a trend you will see often in this fall/winter clothing lines.

The key is to wear thick tights under the dress to keep the style looking fall/winter.

I love the outfit combo on the right - t-shirt, sweater dress, leather leggings or thick tights and a simple belted jacket.

And...the over-the-knee boot makes the cut again!

If you know me at all, you know that black and grey are both seen a great deal in my own wardrobe! I just had to put this photo up because I love each of these outfits, but again, it shows how versatile you can be with the over-the-knee boot paired with a casual dress, dressy dress, coat, or skinny jeans.

The mid-calf boot made a more bold entrance in the 2012 fall/winter collections.

This year the mid-calf boot is seen in a military, slouched, heeled, chunk heel, spike heel, etc.

The above photo [in my opinion] shows the mid-calf boot done well...and done wrong.

The mid-calf boot leaves more of the leg/pant to be shown, so make sure that your shirt or tunic is covering enough to make the contrast trendy, not trashy.

Kate Beckinsale got it right!

Shakira got it wrong.

Booties are another trend this fall/winter season.

We've seen this trend before, but not as prevalent as it is this year!

Booties with straps, high ankle booties, ankle booties, cut out booties.

Booties, booties, booties!

Many are pairing their booties with cocktail dresses and suits.

I personally love the bootie/suit combo and I just happen to LOVE these black and white houndstooth booties!

May just have to make them mine :)

And lastly, the military-style boot!

And, as this post's trend is going, you can wear the military-style boot with anything!

I actually love this look and think I may be adding a ankle military boot to my own fall/winter boot collection!

Loving any of these looks but living on a budge?

Me too, sister!

That is why I shop wisely at www.GoJane.com, where you can find any of these styles at a budgets price where style is not compromised!

Also, look on my "Decadent Deals" page where you can find other shoe sites I love looking at!

Faux Fur Splurge vs. Save

I love the look of fur....but can afford faux fur!

So when I ran across the below photos on Pinterest, I thought, "Oh, I love that look" but knew it was a designer item.

As usual, when I like something, I figure out how to recreate it with steal-price items.

I loved them both, but the longer sweater adorned with a thick fur collar was my favorite look and I thought may be easier to recreate on a budget!

Purchase Here

Love just the fur wrap?

**Me too.**

Purchase a STEAL Here

If you clicked on the link, you can see that this beautiful, but expensive sweater will run you $150 before shipping and tax.

YIKES!

I [really] think I could do without it for that cost!

So I continued on the search for this beautiful find, but in faux fur.

While visiting at my parents house, I stumbled across the Chadwicks catalog.

Yes, I know - not really my style, but my mom loves their long pants and both being 5'8", we're always looking for the pant that will meet our leg length requirements.

Well, I flipped through the pages and found it!

I found the replica - steal price - sweater I had been looking for!

Purchase Here

Yes, you may say, "That is a statement sweater," but what else would you expect from me?

I love it...and the price...but [confession] I ended up finding one very similar at Gabriel Brothers for $7.99, so that is the real steal!

Will post a pic soon!

Have any styles you are looking for at a steals price?

Comment below and I will see if I can help!

Plus Size Perfection

Women are always telling me they love my style, but nothing like what I wear is sold in their size.

Well, I just got a magazine in the mail that has the most amazing selection of stylish, fun, and unique attire! Simply Be is a British and European fashion catalog where all of their styles can be found starting in sizes 10 and going up to 28!

For those of you ladies who feel you are always at a loss for fun/classic fashion in your size, search no more!

www.SimplyBe.com

Rainbow Nails + Dotted Toenails

Okay. So I saw this picture on Pinterest and thought, "I think I can do that."

So I tried!

Here are colors and types of nail polishes I used.

To recreate, you will need an array of nail polishes, a plastic plate and toothpicks.

I started with plain baby blue nail polish [4 coats] and then proceeded with one color at a time, in the order of the above photo.

As you can see, I just did about 1/2 or 1/3 of the nail with the nail polish thick on the toothpick and then just laid it down in a pattern, one-beside-the-other, until I finished out the color wheel I chose.

This is a photo of the nail where I have gone through each color and had to start back over with red. Just keep repeating the pattern until you have filled the entire nail.

Coat the finished nail with 2 layers of clear top coat and then you will have the finished product!

So after I did my nails, I felt my toenails needed to be done like this Pinterest photo too!

Like the blue above, I started with white nail polish [4 coats] covering each toenail.

I started first with the turquoise/blue color, dotting with the end of a toothpick and thickening the dot if I didn't feel it was large enough.

This is a photo of what dot I have done with the three nail colors in this photo.

Just dot the polish close to one another, but not overlapping too much.

I have a few edges to clean off in the shower, but over all, it's a finished product!

[Nail colors used]

Find Money - Manage Money - Save Money

I was reading a magazine [Marie Claire] a few months ago that had a few tips in it concerning money - finding, saving, managing - that I felt were very helpful and realistic.

Find Money

$50 - Cash in where you hang out!

During these holiday hours, pick up a shift at your favorite coffee house, store, or restaurant. Could be "fun work" if you pick the right place!

$200 - Multitask.

I thought this was was really cool! You would have to see if anyone in your area is actually using it and you had the time to complete more tasks, but on www.taskrabbit.com you can advertise one-off jobs with a rate and location. It could be picking up a few bucks to go to the grocery store (you might have already been going) or earn a few hundred bucks in a few hours for packing boxes or editing audio files.

$1,000 - Clean House.

I do this OFTEN with my clothing sales each season. I am a clothes horse and love wearing and buying new bargain items. I wear them a few times and then I am done with them. So I sell them to those who would love to wear them again! Sell items on Craigslist, eBay, or check out www.textbookbuyer.com for your old school books that you are no longer in need of.

$10,000 - Pursue what you love.

Become a representative with a direct selling business, open up a Etsy store, develop an idea that you have had for awhile. You have the confidence in yourself and your abilities, so just gather up the gumption to develop the idea and get the business up and going!

Get a Raise in 3 Easy Steps

Do your Research

Visit sites like www.payscale.com to see how your earnings compare with peers elsewhere.

Time It Right

Get your company's fiscal calendar and plan your meeting before the annual budget is set. Talk to the boss on Wednesday. Monday's busy; people are in weekend mode by Friday.

Make Your Pitch

Say you love your job and want to discuss your future there. List three recent accomplishments - e.g. you beat a deadline or increased sales. Explain that you're hoping to improve your salary. Name an amount. If you don't get it, end the meeting by asking when would be a good time to follow up.

Manage & Save

1. Assess what you've got.

Know where money goes each month and you'll feel instantly on top of things. The quickest way to do it? Sign up for a free site like www.mint.com. You'll enter information for each credit card, bank account, retirement plan, loan, and investment; your account updates with every transaction to give you the latest picture of your finances in a colorful, easy-to-read format.

2. Make a Budget.

Throw out that calculator. All you need now for a simple budget is your iPhone and one of those scores of low-cost apps that will keep you in the smart-spending zone. Try Spend ($.99), which displays what you can blow for the day, week, or month. Expenditure ($1.99), which has a currency converter for vacation money management; or iXpenselt ($4.99), which lets you store receipts digitally and even alerts you to upcoming bills before they're due.

3. Maximize Your Paycheck.

Take pretax dollars from your salary to ensure you have funds for things you need. A flexible spending account (FSA) lets you pay for health expenses like contact lenses or acupuncture. A woman who is making $50,000 a year who puts $2,500 in her FSA coudl get a tax savings of $625. Max out your matched 401(k).

4. Ditch Credit Card Debt

If you carry a balance of $10,000 or even $1,000, paying it off is a priority, says the founder of www.learnvest.com. Many cards have six-month introductory rates of 0%, which later reset high. Transfer your balance to one of those, and for half a year, pay it down with every penny, then close the card.

5. Stay on Top of your Bills

Create an e-mail account like jansbills@gmail.com for electronic bill delivery. Set up calendar alerts for each vendor three days before is due so you can read the statement and fix mistakes like inflated restaurant tips. Forget automatic transfers - bills have errors. You need to check them first.

Check out www.feedthepig.org to get more information on saving for now and for the future!

Now that I have referenced Feed the Pig, that crazy [but catchy] commercial that you had to have heard on the radio, is playing in my head!

Hope this is helpful!

Thursday, September 20, 2012

Pageant Interview Attire

I get asked all the time, "What is appropriate for my daughter to wear in the _________pageant system?"

I have detailed a few dresses and suits that I, as a [now] pageant judge, would love to see on stage, where you can buy it, and for what pageant system it would be appropriate for.