Cricket's Chicken Salad

Yesterday I had a really fun baby shower....well it was for 2 sweet mommies at once so I guess it was a double baby shower. The mom's were showered with love, attention and all things cute and baby!

I on the other hand I was showered with so many asking for the recipe for the chicken salad croissant sandwiches I served. I have to say it is my favorite. I like it on a croissant...

Maybe add some crispy lettuce....

Or if cutting back on the bread I just have it on a bed of lettuce....

I hope you enjoy it as much as the ladies did yesterday!

Cricket's Chicken Salad with Grapes

5 lbs. cooked chicken breast, chopped


7 stalks of celery, diced

2 bunches of green onions, diced (less or none is ok if you don't like green onions)

1 lb. seedless grapes (red or green)

Mix together and set aside; make dressing.



Dressing:

3 cups mayonnaise

3 Tbsp. soy sauce

3 Tbsp. sugar

1/2 tsp. ginger

1/2 tsp. celery seed

Salt and pepper to taste

Mix dressing together and pour over chicken mixture.

Stir until mixed well.

Chill and right before you serve mix in 1 lb. cashews and (optional of course if you don't like nuts)

3 cups chinese rice sticks. ( I usually just use potato sticks) They are like crunchy potato chips cut in little tiny strips that come in a can. I usually find them with the nuts or the potato chip isle in the grocery store. If you can't find them ask someone in the store about them.

We Have A Winner!

Congratulations Suzanne from Southern Living At It's Best. You are the winner of this beautiful necklace designed by Theresa Mason.

 Contact her through her blog Theresa's Creations so she can get your mailing information.

Please post a picture with it on when you get it. I know it will look beautiful.

Hugs, and thanks for playing!

I Love This Casserole!!

Corn Casserole is one of my very favorite casseroles!! This past week I was thinking how I should probably blog about it and share it with anyone that doesn't know about it. But....it looks like someone beat me to it over at  NOT SO HOMEMADE ...LOL. So I am just going to share the link with you so you can go to her fantastic blog and get the recipe. I just love her blog because like me she doesn't feel you have to do everything from scratch. She has really great pictures as well. And it is the exact same recipe I have.

If you have never tried this....please try it just once and you will be hooked!!

Enjoy!!

FREE JEWELRY!!!

I just love FREE FRIDAY!!A local business gets a few shout outs and someone wins a cool prize. What a great way to start a weekend!

I Looooove jewelry. Rings, bracelets, watches, earrings, pins, necklaces....if it's got anything to do with BLING I have to have it! And jewelry is what we are giving away today.

Theresa Mason of Theresa's Creations is so talented. She wanted to have have fun, beautiful jewelry but had to stay within her budget. She is a wife and a mom of two wonderful boys so she knows all about having to stay on a budget! So she decided to make her own and WOW...it is beautiful. Theresa Mason Designed Jewelry is not only beautiful but very affordable. Many styles to chose from and she does custom colors, and sizes.  You can order by going to Theresa's Creations and she she also sells her wonderful pieces at Anastasia's Attic at Gardner Village

Enter to win this beautiful necklace in two easy steps.

 1. Just become a follower of my blog, and leave a comment telling me you are.

2. Become a follower of Theresa Mason Design, and leave a comment tell her so....EASY RIGHT!!

New Blog And A Cute Prize

OK, so many of you have heard me talk about my BFF Tammy.

 Well, here I go again.....she is sooo talented and her talents keep her very busy, along with working outside her home, being a fantastic mom and wonderful wife! She has started a new blog and to kick it off right she has an awesome prize to give away....so easy. Become a follower and you can win.

I promise you will love her redesigned furniture, her amazing craft projects and her beautiful announcements and invitations. She is a bubbly, fiesty red head with a heart of gold and more creativity in her pinkie than I have in my whole body. She is fun, as well as funny. I just know you are going to love her so go on over to Pink Owl Designs and become a follower...you won't be sorry and you may win some really awesome Valentine Subway Art!

Let's all give her a big bloggie welcome by paying her a visit and becoming a follower!
Hugs,
Cricket

Pico De Gallo

I love chips and salsa (any kind of salsa) but even more than that I love Pico De Gallo. Give me a bowl and a spoon and I can eat it like ice cream!

Pico De Gallo

Ingredients:

5 whole Plum Roma Tomatoes

½  Large (or 1 Small) Onion. I like to mix a little yellow in with red onion.

3 whole Jalapeno Peppers (with seeds if you want it hot, no seeds if you don't)

Cilantro

Lime Juice

Salt To Taste
Directions:
Chop jalapenos, tomatoes and onion (I love using some red and some sweet onion) into a very small dice. (Leave seeds in your jalapenos for a hotter pico). Adjust amount of jalapenos to your preferred temperature. Next, chop up a nice-sized bunch of cilantro. Remove stems as best as you can. Place all of these ingredients together in a bowl. Stir.

Squeeze the juice of half of one lime into the bowl. Add salt to taste and stir again. Serve with your favorite chips, or on nachos, on a salad.

Cricket's Chicken Fajitas

Cricket's Chicken Fajitas


I made this one up one day when I was craving Fajitas them but didn't really have a recipe. It worked out great and now my family asks for them all the time.

One Large onion sliced in strips


One large green bell pepper sliced in thin strips


One large red bell pepper sliced in thin strips


One large Yellow bell pepper sliced in thin strips


2-3 chicken breast sliced in strips and marinated for a few hours or over night


I bottle wish bone Italian salad dressing


I package Tortilla's



Pour some of the salad dressing into a ziplock bag and add chicken. Let marinate for as long as you like...a few hours or over night in fridge.


when ready to cook, spray a nonstick frying pan with spray and add the chicken to brown a little.

 The marinade will evaporate as it cooks. When chicken is done take out of pan and use the same pan to cook peppers and onions.

 Add them to pan and pour some of the salad dressing over them mixing well and cover with lid. Cook over medium heat adding more dressing if needed. Putting the lid on will steam the peppers and onion with the dressing for a fantastic flavor. When almost done (to your liking) add back in the chicken and cover and heat until chicken is hot. (In this picture I have added a can of drained and rinsed black beans)

Warm you tortilla's if you want in microwave and ENJOY!

Garnishes we like are , shredded cheese, avocado, salsa, and little soy sauce. Just use your imagination.


**I also sometimes like to drain a can of black beans and add them for the last 5 minutes of cook time**




*NOTE* I use 3-4 chicken breast because I have big eaters in my house and we like leftovers. You can cut back on the amount of peppers, onions and chicken if you ahve a smaller family or don't want any leftovers.

Theresa's Artichoke Dip

A while back I introduced you to three sisters whom I just love. Regina, Lisa and Theresa. They are all so beautiful, talented and funny. Lisa made her debut on my blog with her amazing recipe for Mexican Caviar. If you have not tried it yet, you are really missing out!

Now it is Theresa's turn.

 This dip is AMAZING!!! And if you make it once you will make it a million times. Friends and family will be begging you to bring it to the next get together!!

I like to use pita chips,Fritos or tortilla chips to scoop up this yummy dip! My hubby likes it with hunks of french bread!

Besides her very successful line of jewelry she also has started a blog about her cooking and party skills. Visit her at Busy Creating.

16 oz can artichoke hearts drained and chopped
1 Cup Parmesan cheese

1/2 Cup Mayo

1 8oz block cream cheese

1/2 Cup Sour Cream

2 green onions chopped

1 clove garlic minced

Mix it all together and spread in a casserole dish.

Bake @350 for 30 minutes

Yum Yum! :)

FELLOW BLOGGERS YOU MUST SEE THIS!!!!!

OK, all my friends from blog land. This is a must see. My BFF Tammy just showed me this and it is amazing. I am always trying to find new ways to find new and interesting blogs, meet other bloggers and of course get my blog out there. Well, here is something that just might work.
http://picketfenceblogs.com/page/about

If you don't already know about it you must take a look. It is a fun way to do all the things I just mentioned. And you and your blog can be in whatever category you choose. If you have more than one blog that works too.

Check it out I know you are going to love it!!

Smile, it may make the difference in  another person's day!
Cricket

My Favorite Things

Happy New Year....WOW....how fast it came this year. OK who am I kidding I say that every year! There never seems to be enough time in a day to do all that I NEED to do and all that I WANT to do. But since my sweet husband is snoring and sleep has eluded me once again I will use this quiet time to share with you some of my favorite things from 2010.

Favorite Recipes:

Rolo Cookie Recipe

Lisa's Mexican Caviar

Jackie's Mango Chicken Chili

Of course there are many, many more but you will find many of them in my next favorite things.

Favorite Blogs:

As you all know I am a blog stalker and this year I hit the JACK POT!
There are so many talented women out there and I am finding them one by one. Women who can cook, bake, sew, decorate,spend wisely,take amazing pictures and the list goes on and on. I wish I could list them all, and actually I have. They are on my side bar but I will give you a peek at at few of my very, very favorites!

Jackie (I am one of the lucky ones who gets to use the short version of her name...LOL)
from Purple Chocolat Home.
 OMGosh is this lady full of talent she fits in the ALL the categories I listed above. Take a stroll over and visit her and her amazing home!

And then there is Joni at Red Couch Recipes. She is actually Jackie's sister and equally as talented. I know each time I visit her blog my family will be smiling at dinner that night!

Then there is Melanie...at true southern sister of the heart. I found her blog Southern Comfort by accident and then just fell in love with her. Because I too am a southern girl living a life somewhere other than home. Take a peek at her blog and I bet you fall in love with her too!

Becca over at Adventures In Decorating just knocks my socks off. This lady has a beautiful home with enough flair to make it elegant and enough love to make it comfortable. In fact I know I will be stealing borrowing a few of her Christmas ideas next year!

Want to learn how to set a table properly, turn a plain napkin into a work of art, create tablescapes that will amaze your guest then head over to Between Naps On The Porch. You will find all that and more. I use it for a reference guide all the time.

I love beautiful jewelry and I bet you do to. And if it fits into my budget I like it even more. Theresa at Theresa's Creations can give you just that. Beautiful jewelry at an affordable price. You can buy pieces she has already on hand or she can custom design a piece for you. Her beautiful jewelry is also sold at Anastasia's Attic.

You know when you see the most amazing cakes and cupcakes and you think they are sooo beautiful but then you bite into them and they taste like sawdust...well my friends and fellow bloggers are you in for a treat. My sweet friend Tatum (don't you just love her name) at Bumble Cakes does an incredible job at decorating them but they taste is OMGOsh slap your mama good!! She has so many wonderful flavors to choose from and she will help you come up with a design to fit any occasion. I have never had a cupcake that tasted so good. If I didn't already live in Utah I would move here just to eat her yummy treats!

Ever at a loss as to what to cook for dinner....breakfast and lunch too for that matter. Well look no more. Because if you can't find something that will please even your pickiest eaters her at Sister's Cafe then you might as well just give up and eat cold cereal forever. These ladies rock the recipe world! Plus they are all so stinking cute you will just love them.

Have you ever received a really cute invitation announcing a birth, a wedding, birthday party...etc...and said WOW that is so cute. Where did they have this made? Well, I will tell you....they got it from my sweet BFF Tammy over at Show and Tell Designs.

Do you ever go to yard sales and see a piece of furniture, and old table dresser, or chair for instance and it has seen some love over the years...you know it has dents and nicks and cuts  and you wonder why would any one want that? I will tell you why...because there are some very talented people out there who can look at a piece of furniture and see what it once was and what it could be again. I have two beautiful chairs and a table in my bedroom that I was given for Christmas that proves it. OK, so I told you my BFF was talented and could design beautiful invitations and announcements for but she is also one of those people of vision was talking about too. Check out her trash to treasure redo's at Mychaez Her beautiful creations or should we say re-creations are also found at Upon the Shelf at Gardner Village

Ok, this posting is already waaay longer than I intended and I have only listed a few recipes and a few blogs. I knew that would happen. I hope you have not fallen asleep! Guess I will have to do another post later and include some of my other favorite things.

Wishing you all a very happy and healthy 2011.
Cricket