Marble Mazes

At the end of the year, I like to do marble mazes with my 5th graders. They come up with some neat ideas! It's messy and loud, but they love it!


RULES:

Can only touch the marble 1 time.

Slowest marble wins.

Can only be as tall as you are.

May be done alone or in pairs.

No Liquid.

Home-made no pre-made marble maze pieces.

We will do most of it at school. Please bring supplies.

Don't spend more than $5.

Still trying to figure out the best way to share videos! Click on the link to watch.
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My Best Friend's Wedding: Ft. Lauderdale Bachelorette Party

We headed to Ft. Lauderdale, Florida for a Bachelorette Party. We stayed at a VRBO at Ocean Manor. It was a deal and perfect for us! 

 I made us cups and stuffed them with pony tail holders, chapstick, and "hangover helpers."

Our Bride's Mates shirts I made with the Silhouette and Heat Transfer Vinyl.

We survived!

More pics of the cups

Waiting to go to dinner!

Dinner at Shooters. This place was delicious and beautiful!

A sail boat ride with Tropical Sailing. 

Tiki Bar right outside our hotel! Perfect beach view!

We had a great time!!

My Best Friend's Wedding: Bridesmaids Dresses

Loved how our dresses came together. We each picked out our own style, but they were the same color and fabric. We ordered them online and loved the service from Weddington Way!

ALFRED SUNG D595 
Bridesmaid Dress
FABRIC: Dupioni Candy Coral

ALFRED SUNG D614 
Bridesmaid Dress
FABRIC: Dupioni Candy Coral

ALFRED SUNG D445 
Bridesmaid Dress
FABRIC: Dupioni Candy Coral

ALFRED SUNG D536 
Bridesmaid Dress
FABRIC: Dupioni Candy Coral

Hair & Make-up- Belle Epoque http://www.belleepoquekc.com
Dresses- Weddington Way http://www.weddingtonway.com 

My Best Friend's Wedding: Programs

I designed these in Silhouette Studio as well. We had them printed on the same paper as the invites, but used a corner rounder to round all of the corners. 

My Best Friend's Wedding: Invites

 I designed these using the Silhouette Studio program. I saved it as a pdf and printed it at FedEx Office.

We used the Silhouette to address the envelopes too!

Chicken and Rice Bowl

I made this with the remaining rotisserie chicken I had from earlier in the week! It is also, quick, easy, and healthy! The veggies were perfectly cooked, and the hint of lime added an extra flavor!

Ingredients: 

1 cup uncooked white rice

1 T canola oil

1 t. dark sesame oil

1 1/2 cups rotisserie chicken

2 T soy sauce

1 T minced garlic

1/2 t. crushed red pepper

2 cups broccoli florets

1 medium red bell pepper, cut into 1 inch pieces

2/3 cups chicken broth

2 t. cornstarch

2 T fresh lime juice

2 T chopped cashews

Directions: 

1. 1. Cook rice according to package directions. Stir in lime rind.
2. 2. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 1/2 t. canola oil and sesame oil to pan; swirl to coat. 
3. 3. Combine chicken, 1 T soy sauce, garlic, ginger, and crushed red pepper in a bowl; toss to coat. 
4. 4.Add chicken mixture to pan; cook 6 minutes or until chicken begins to brown, stirring frequently.
5. 5. Remove chicken from pan. Add remaining 1 1/2 t. canola oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add broccoli and bell pepper to pan; cook 3 minutes or until crisp-tender, stirring occasionally.
6. 5. Combine remaining 1 T. soy sauce, chicken broth, and cornstarch in a bowl. Add chicken mixture and broth mixture to pan. Bring to a boil; cook 2 minutes or until sauce begins to thicken, stirring occasionally. Remove pan from heat; stir in lime juice. Spoon 1/2 cup rice mixture into each of 4 bowls; top each serving with about 1 1/2 cups chicken mixture. 

Adapted from Cooking Light 2014

Loaded Baked Potato Casserole

This is one of my favorite side dishes-- totally not healthy, but oh so yummy!

Ingredients
5 large baking potatoes
1/2 c. milk
2 oz cream cheese, softened
1 c. (8 ounces) sour cream
2 t. dried parsley
1 t. garlic salt
1 c. shredded cheddar cheese
8 slices bacon crispy cooked and crumbled

3 green onions, sliced

Instructions
Preheat oven 350*.
Peel, quarter, and boil potatoes for 15-20 minutes or until soft. 

Drain potatoes and and beat with a mixer until smooth. 

Add milk, cream cheese, sour cream, parsley, garlic salt, and nutmeg. 

Beat at a medium-high speed until nice and creamy. 

Add salt to taste keeping in mind that the cheese and bacon will add a little salt later.
Spoon into a 8x8 baking dish that has been sprayed with cooking spray. 

Top with cheddar cheese and bacon. 

Cover and bake for 30 minutes. 

Uncover and bake for an additional 10 minutes or until cheese melts.
Top with green onions.

Glazed Carrots

I'm usually not a huge carrot person, but I accidentally ordered them in my bi-weekly Door-to-Door Organics order. 

I decided I wanted to make sweet ones, they are my favorite. I even have canned carrots in the pantry, I have been meaning to try this recipe with! 

Ingredients
1 pound of carrots, pealed, rinsed, and cut (you can also use baby carrots)
1/2 stick of butter
2 T  of light brown sugar, packed
1/4 t. of ground cinnamon
1/2 t. of honey

Directions

Boil carrots in salted water until tender, about 8 minutes. Drain well; set aside.

In a small sauce pan, add the butter, brown sugar and cinnamon. 

Bring to a slight boil. 

Add carrots to the pot and toss until well glazed. 

Beef Short Ribs in the Crockpot

If you are a regular reader, you know how much I love crockpot meals on Sunday! This one was a good one. It reminded me a lot of pot roast! You could probably sub out a different meat and get a similar taste!

Ingredients:

3 pounds bone-in beef short ribs
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. pepper
1 T. canola oil
4 medium carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 c. beef broth
4 fresh thyme sprigs
1 bay leaf
2 large onions, cut into 1/2-inch wedges
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 T. tomato paste (or a T of ketchup, if you don't have tomato paste open)
2 c. dry red wine or beef broth
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Sprinkle ribs with salt and pepper.

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Brown ribs in batches on all sides; transfer to a 4- or 5-qt. slow cooker. 

Add carrots, broth, thyme and bay leaf to ribs.
Add onions to same skillet; cook and stir over medium heat 8-9 minutes or until tender. Add garlic and tomato paste; cook 1 minute longer. 

Stir in wine. 

Bring to a boil; cook 8-10 minutes or until liquid is reduced by half. 

Add to slow cooker.

Cook, covered, on low 6-8 hours or until meat is tender.Discard thyme and bay leaf.