After a long day of shopping, I came home to a delicious and healthy meal prepared by my engineer hubby. It was truly the icing on the cake! What a guy. I was so impressed because he doesn't usually make dinner, and when he does, it's pancakes, bacon, and eggs. When I took my first bite, I almost couldn't believe that he actually made it! Now I know that anyone can make this simple, healthy meal ;) Big thanks to his co-worker who shared this recipe with him!
Italian Chicken Salad
serves 12
10 cups coarsely shredded cooked chicken (about 3 roasted whole chickens)
2 cups roasted red and yellow bell peppers, drained, patted dry and chopped
1 1/4 cups sliced red onions
3/4 cup chopped italian parsley leaves
3/4 cup slivered almonds, toasted
1/2 cup drained capers
1 1/2 cups red wine vinaigrette, recipe follows
Salt and Pepper
Lettuce leaves
1 piece of parmesan cheese, shaved with a vegetable peeler
Directions
Toss the chicken, bell peppers, onion, parsley, and capers in a large bowl with enough vinaigrette to moisten. Season the chicken salad with salt and pepper, to taste.
Arrange lettuce leaves on plate and spoon chicken salad onto the lettuce. Drizzle with more vinaigrette and sprinkle with parmesan. Enjoy!
Red Wine Vinaigrette
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 tsp honey
2 tsp salt
black pepper
1 cup olive oil
Combine the vinegar, lemon juice, honey, salt, and pepper in a blender. With the machine running, gradually add the oil and blend until emulsified.
Italian Chicken Salad
serves 12
10 cups coarsely shredded cooked chicken (about 3 roasted whole chickens)
2 cups roasted red and yellow bell peppers, drained, patted dry and chopped
1 1/4 cups sliced red onions
3/4 cup chopped italian parsley leaves
3/4 cup slivered almonds, toasted
1/2 cup drained capers
1 1/2 cups red wine vinaigrette, recipe follows
Salt and Pepper
Lettuce leaves
1 piece of parmesan cheese, shaved with a vegetable peeler
Directions
Toss the chicken, bell peppers, onion, parsley, and capers in a large bowl with enough vinaigrette to moisten. Season the chicken salad with salt and pepper, to taste.
Arrange lettuce leaves on plate and spoon chicken salad onto the lettuce. Drizzle with more vinaigrette and sprinkle with parmesan. Enjoy!
Red Wine Vinaigrette
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 tsp honey
2 tsp salt
black pepper
1 cup olive oil
Combine the vinegar, lemon juice, honey, salt, and pepper in a blender. With the machine running, gradually add the oil and blend until emulsified.
I am excited to get started on my next big project!! Hopefully this fabric will turn out to be just the thing to make a lovely Easter dress for my little darling!
Now to throw it in the wash before I get cutting and sewing!
-Megan
Now to throw it in the wash before I get cutting and sewing!
-Megan
I was recently asked to serve as the children's singing leader in my church. It is a lot of fun to serve with the kiddos, and teach them songs about Jesus Christ and our Faith. From my teaching background, I learned that using visuals can really help children learn more effectively. I will from time to time post some of the activities that I make for the little ones. Maybe someone out there can use them, adapt them, and use them for teaching or even for their own children.
Here is how I made it...
I bought a HUGE poster board... you know the ones that kids use for their science fair projects?!
I painted some green grass first thing. I just used a little sponge brush and slapped in on.
Then I cut holes at different heights on the top and bottom of the board.
I then strung some green yarn though the holes. The sting is pretty tight so that once the flower is placed on, it will act like a little pulley system.
Once the sting is in place, I made flowers out of felt (for durability), and hot glued green fabric, that I cut out like grass, over the bottom of the board. I made sure to leave a little "pocket" that the flower would begin in, totally hidden from view.
On top of the green grass fabric I made an actual pocket for the seed to be placed in. You of coarse need to plant a seed in order for a flower to grow. ;)
This is how it worked:
I began with showing the children the board with each flower hidden in the grass. I asked them what flowers need to grow.
Water
Earth
Sunlight
I then told them that these flowers were extra special and needed one more ingredient for the flowers to grow.
SINGING
I then called on children to plant a seed. Each seed had a song that they are learning and the page number.
As a group they would sing the song that was assigned to the seed. As the children sang, the flower would begin growing. By the end of the song, if they sang with all their might, the flower would end up at the top of the sting in full bloom.
It was a lot of fun, and I think the children enjoyed helping the flowers grow with their lovely singing voices.
Here is how I made it...
I bought a HUGE poster board... you know the ones that kids use for their science fair projects?!
I painted some green grass first thing. I just used a little sponge brush and slapped in on.
I then strung some green yarn though the holes. The sting is pretty tight so that once the flower is placed on, it will act like a little pulley system.
On top of the green grass fabric I made an actual pocket for the seed to be placed in. You of coarse need to plant a seed in order for a flower to grow. ;)
I began with showing the children the board with each flower hidden in the grass. I asked them what flowers need to grow.
Water
Earth
Sunlight
I then told them that these flowers were extra special and needed one more ingredient for the flowers to grow.
SINGING
I then called on children to plant a seed. Each seed had a song that they are learning and the page number.
As a group they would sing the song that was assigned to the seed. As the children sang, the flower would begin growing. By the end of the song, if they sang with all their might, the flower would end up at the top of the sting in full bloom.
It was a lot of fun, and I think the children enjoyed helping the flowers grow with their lovely singing voices.
So far the tricky leprechauns have been up to to no good over at this diva house... But I think my little man is loving it and his little imagination is running wild!!
Holidays are the bomb{dot}com with kiddos!
Don't even think about pinching us!!
Happy St. Patrick's Day
Holidays are the bomb{dot}com with kiddos!
Don't even think about pinching us!!
Happy St. Patrick's Day
Steph gave me this recipe once upon a time. It is now something I crave, and my family gobbles it up. It is simply delicious! Even better, it is incredibly easy to make!
Mix shredded chicken, rice and beans, enchilada sauce, and cheese together. Roll up the mixture in tortillas and top with remaining sauce and cheese. Bake @ 350 for 30 min. Serve with sour cream, lettuce and tomatoes.
This recipe makes a ton of enchilada filling, so I freeze half of it in a Ziploc freezer bag. Gotta love a quick, already made meal for the future.
1 c cooked rice (Brown Rice is our favorite)
2 Chicken breasts cooked and cut (I like to bake the chicken in tin foil, seasoned with lime juice, garlic and a dab of olive oil)
1 large can of green enchilada sauce
2 cans of black beans, drained and rinsed
2-4 c shredded cheese (cheddar or mozzarella)
6-8 tortillas (I love this recipe with whole wheat or even white corn)
Mix shredded chicken, rice and beans, enchilada sauce, and cheese together. Roll up the mixture in tortillas and top with remaining sauce and cheese. Bake @ 350 for 30 min. Serve with sour cream, lettuce and tomatoes.
This recipe makes a ton of enchilada filling, so I freeze half of it in a Ziploc freezer bag. Gotta love a quick, already made meal for the future.
