A Little Paint Makes a Big Impact

The pantry over-haul is finally here!!  I am so happy with how things are going with our little make-over, especially with the character that has been added to the kitchen because of this project!

We started our over-haul by taking out the wire shelving….



…taking out the old hardware….



… and filling and sanding all the holes that were left behind.



I painted the entire inside of the pantry a rich chocolate brown color (which I am in love with by the way!!)





Once the base coat was dry, I added a little touch of “us” to the back wall.  We like just a touch of color and “funky”.  I can’t wait to reveal the whole look!!

Baked Pecan Chicken

Pecans are my favorite nut by far!  Any recipe that calls for pecans is a must try around here, and this one didn’t dissapoint.  The pecan crust gave the chicken then perfect little crunch.  Of course I am always looking for the hubs approval and when he says “keep this recipe” in between bites, I know I was successful. :0)

• 2 boneless chicken breasts
• 3 T honey
• 3 T dijon mustard
• 3 T finely chopped pecans

Use a meat mallet or rolling pin to flatten chicken breasts to 1/4 of an inch thickness.
 
Combine honey and mustard, then spread it on both sides of the chicken.
 
Dredge the chicken in pecans and place in a lightly greased baking dish.
 
Bake at 350 degrees for 15 – 18 minutes.

** When I make this again, I will run my pecans through the food processor so that they are smaller and stick to the chicken easier.

Time for a Change – Phase 2

Phase one – No More Sugary Drinks – is going fairly well.  I have only “cheated” a couple of times, and even when I do I have been making better choices such as Caffeine Free Sprite, or Pepsi Next (1/2 the sugar).  I had actually lost 6 pounds….that was until I went to Florida and ate out every day…oops….but hey, it was vacation! :0)
So I am back to sticking with my no sugary drinks, and I am also adding Phase 2 – Move EVERY Day.

I am not saying that I have just been laying around and being lazy, but I know that once school starts it is much harder to come home and keep moving.  I also know that I am going to have to move MORE than I do now.  I am not kidding myself and jumping into some crazy workout routine, but I will commit to moving above and beyond every day.  The easiest way to do this is to make sure I take the two crazy dogs for a walk each day.  Two laps around the neighborhood is a mile….a mile a day….I can do that. :0)

Wish me luck!  I will keep you updated!

PS – I totally look like this when I walk the dogs!  Ha Ha!

For the Love of Pinterest ~ Lemon Sugar Scrub

If you haven’t tried this one already, let me tell you that you absolutely MUST make it today!!  This pin started out as a gift idea, but once I tried it myself I was hooked.  Just like the bubble bath, I keep a jar of this lemon sugar scrub by my tub and use it almost daily.  My favorite use is to rub my legs down with it after a shave and it leaves my legs silky smooth!!  Joe has even used it to scrub his hands after working on the car and mentioned that it works as good as his Go-Joe mechanic’s hand cleaner.  It makes a beautiful, cheap, easy gift for teachers, neighbors, or even mom!  It is great for the guest bathroom, by the kitchen sink, or by your bathtub.  The best part is that it even stays fresh for a long time and looks absolutely beautiful in a mason jar!  Try it out today!!

All you need is 2 1/2 cups of sugar, 1 cup of extra virgin olive oil, and lemon juice (or essential oils – which I like better), and a glass container that has a sealing lid. Mix it all together and spoon it into your mason jar.  Add a few personal touches like a personalized tag, and you are ready to gift it or use it yourself.

Here is the original blog where I pinned this recipe: http://www.bystephanielynn.com/2010/05/lemon-sugar-hand-scrub-for-mom.html

My Dream Pantry

A while back I showed you my B-O-R-I-N-G pantry. 

There is nothing really wrong with my pantry, and I am happy to have one (since the neighbor came over the other day and said they don’t even have a pantry), but it is so blah!  I have been seeing so many awesome pantry make-overs and it gave me the itch to make some changes to mine.  I also thought that the pantry would be a great place to add a little of our pizzazz to help turn our house into a home. 

I had to sell this idea to my sweet hubs, so I created a dream board….what do you think?

A 5 Minute Make-Over

We have been working so hard on the pantry over-haul, and even though we aren’t ready to share the finished product yet, we want to share a quick 5 minute project we did for the pantry.

We have always stored our pup’s food in this large plastic container in the bottom of our pantry, but after seeing all the upgrades it just didn’t look as good.  The container was fine, but it just needed a little “something” to make it fit better in the new pantry.  (you should imagine a light bulb above my head right about this moment :0)

I printed off a label in a pretty font and grabbed my trusty ole’ sharpie marker.  I tapped the printed paper on the inside of the dog food container.

I traced the label onto the outside of the container….

…and voila!  All done up and ready for the new pantry!

Turkey Taco Cornbread Bake

Yum!  Yum!  Yum!  This is a keep recipe for sure!  The cornbread left a little sweetness that complimented the spicy of the seasoned turkey meat.  It is not a beautiful dish, but is tasted so good that no one cared. :0) 

• 1/2 lb ground turkey        
• 1/2 pkt taco seasoning
• 7 oz pkg corn bread mix
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup milk
• 10 oz can refried beans
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

 

In a skillet, cook and drain the ground turkey.  Add taco seasoning and half of the water that the package calls for;  simmer.

 

Mix cornbread batter as directed on the package.

In a square dish, spread beans along the bottom.  Layer with turkey mixture, cheese, & cornbread batter.  Bake at 425 degrees for 15 + minutes or until the cornbread is done.