Another first!

This weekend The Girl attended her first "friend" b-day party. The royal engagement was so precious, I had to snap a few photos...

So fun to see her write her own cards... 

 Did I mention it was a princess party? The guests were to come in their best princess attire!

Simple, adorable decor.

What you might know as "musical chairs" was actually "Jasmine's Magic Carpets."

There was also digging for Rapunzel's crown...

and of course the royal proclaimations....

the royal table...

The Girl would not belive that there was a cake in the doll's dress. She kept saying, "Yes, mom, but WHERE IS THE BIRTHDAY CAKE?!"

Decorating their masks for the masquerade ball while awaiting all pricesses to arrive...

The princesses had to reach into "Ariel's Treasure Cove" to find their treasure box, and it's contents, which they adorned with beautiful jewels to take home with them...

Getting ready for the big dance.

The ballroom... and sadly I didn't have my camera when I went back to pick up The Girl, and got to watch all 9 princesses dancing to Disney princess music. I'll never forget it!

The take-home goods: mask, treasure box (complete with jewels, nail polish and lip gloss), magic wand and the royal proclamation.

There was also "Pass the poison apple" (Snow White) which was similar to "Hot Potato," and "Kiss the Frog" (Frog Princess) which would remind you of "Pin the Tail on the Donkey."

All in all, it was precious, and our Princess slept with her magic wand... and lived happily ever after.

Roasted Root Vegetables

I am always looking for good side dish ideas. This one was great. Simple and oh-so-tasty!

2 lb carrots, peeled, halved lengthwise and cut into 2-inch pieces
2 lb parsnips (think yellow carrots), peeled, halved lengthwise and cut into 2-inch pieces
2 large red oions, halved lengthwise, and cut into 2-inch pieces
1/2 Cup extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp Kosher salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper

1. Preheat oven to 425*. Combine ingredients in a large bowl, tossing to coat the vegetables.
2. Arrange in a single layer on 2 foil-lined rimmed baking sheets.
3. Bake at 425* for 30 minutes. Stir and bake for 10 more minutes. Remove from oven and enjoy!

(From "Southern Living 2011 Annual Recipes" Cookbook)

Easy Brunswick Stew

Easy. Different. Crockpot. Delicious.

3 lb bonesless port shoulder roast (Boston butt)
2 medium-size new potatoes, peeled and chopped
1 large onion, chopped
1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
1 (18 oz) bottle barbeque sauce
1 (14 oz) can chicken broth
1 (9 oz) package frozen baby lima beans, thawed
1 (9 oz) package frozen corn, thawed
6 Tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp salt

1. Trim roast, and cut into 2 inch pieces. (I had some stew meat in our freezer, so I opted to just use that instead. It was beef, not pork, and still tasted great.) Stir together all ingredients in a 6 qt. slow cooker. (I didn't thaw my veggies, either. They had plenty of time to cook, and stayed a little crunchier that way...)
2. Cover and cook on LOW 10 hours or until potatoes are fork-tender. (My crockpot only took about 6 hours.) Remove pork with a slotted spoon, and shred well with two forks. Return shredded pork to slow cooker, and stir well. Ladle into stew bowls.

Thank you, "Southern Living Slow- Cooker quick fixes." You've yet to disappoint!

There are no words...

Christmas Card Collection

Every year we get a TON of beautiful (read: expensive) Christmas Cards. I love them. Some come with stories, some tell stories themselves, all are too beautiful to throw away! So, at a playdate a week or so ago, a friend (my husband's sister's husband's cousin's wife- are we related?) shared this ADORABLE Pinterest craft idea. The 3 stacks of Christmas Cards I have are now on display! (For a full explanation, read her blog post.)

Crockpot Hawaiian BBQ Chicken

Two things about this one that I love: 3 ingredients, crock pot. 'Nuff said...

4-6 boneless chicken breasts (mine were partially frozen still...)
1 bottle Archer Farms Hawaiian Style Barbecue Sauce (from Target)
1 20 oz can pineapple chunks, drained

Spray the inside of your crock pot with cooking spray for easy clean up. Place chicken breasts in the crock pot and cover with sauce. Empty can of drained pineapple chunks on top. Cook on high 2-3 hours, or low for 4-6 hours. Shred chicken with two forks while still in the crock pot so the chicken will be well coated with the sauce. (I actually did this in the last hour of cooking.) Serve over rice.

A chopped green pepper and chopped onion would be a nice addition, too!

Chicken Enchiladas with Green Chili Sour Cream Sauce

Another Pinterest winner! Our Roommate has a chicken allergy, so we substituted black beans for the chicken.

10 soft taco shells
2 C cooked, shredded chicken (**or 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed)
2 C shredded Monterrey Jack cheese
3 Tbsp butter
3 Tbsp flour
2 C chicken broth
1 C sour cream
1 (4 oz) can diced green chilies

1. Preheat oven to 350*. Grease a 9 x 13 pan.
2. Mix chicken (**or black beans if substituting) and 1 C cheese. Roll up in tortillas and place in pan.
3. In a sauce pan, melt butter, stir in flour and cook 1 minute. Add broth and whisk until smooth. Heat over medium heat until thick and bubbly.
4. Stir in sour cream and chilies. Do not bring to a boil- just heat through.
5. Pour over enchiladas and top with remaining cheese.
6. Bake 22 minutes and then under high broil for 3 min to brown the cheese.