Two words...

      Finals week!  Bah.  If I am not working, sleeping, eating or procrastinating on Pinterest I am working towards completing my final projects.  Everything is due on the 14th... so at about 11:59pm on the 14th I will officially be freed from the invisible Indiana University handcuffs.  Even the simplicity of my beloved slow cooker cannot help out this week.  Kenny picked up a rotisserie chicken tonight and whipped up some canned veggies in order to allow me additional time to focus on my course work.  I am thankful that he is being considerate during this time.  And I am excited because once all work is completed I can begin working on my DIY Christmas presents.  Cannot wait to share!  Only 13 days until Christmas!


    I will leave you with a photo of my Christmas tree this year.  Correction: one of my Christmas trees this year.  Just minutes before our guests arrived for the annual Ugly Sweater Party I quickly placed the ornaments on the tree.  Not bad for 5 minute decorating.   And a special shout out to my Grandma Vatter for finding these beautiful white ornaments at a garage sale!  Great steal! 

    Ok, one more photo.  This is a picture of our niece Olivia enjoying the mashed potatoes at the Ugly Sweater Party.  It was hilarious how she shoved them into her mouth.  Stay warm everyone!  Enjoy!

Parents: You really don't have to wait in line for...

   With our next Disney vacation only 45 days away, it seems appropriate to write another post regarding Walt Disney World.  One of the highlights of a Disney vacation for many families is meeting the characters.  It always surprises me to see parents standing in line with their children to see a character.  I mean...if the character is there and your child begs to see them, I can imagine that it would be difficult to tell them no.  
   When I worked for Disney one of my friends was "friends with Cinderella" (aka WAS Cinderella), and she told us that some parents would wait an hour or 2 to see her.  They would be in line so long that children would have to use the restroom in the middle, or would fall asleep.  That seems so ridiculous to me...by the time the child gets up there they are tired and cranky.  It is possible that I will think differently about this when I have children of my own, but I want to make sure that everyone knows a much easier way to see all of their favorite characters: Character dining.   Even as adults, Kenny and I enjoy at least one character dining experience during our trip.  I compiled a list of our favorites.


The Garden Grill: This restaurant is in our top 5 overall and it is located at Epcot in The Land Pavillion, and it is the only revolving restaurant on the Walt Disney World Property.  The food is served family style, and it is a delicious option for lunch or dinner.  Characters features are Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Pluto, Donald, Daisy, Chip and Dale.


Akershus Royal Banquet Hall: If you have a daughter, this is a great restaurant to take her to see all of the Princesses.  The Princesses available vary each day, but it is generally the favored ones that come to mind.    This is also located at Epcot, but it is in Norway; which is why it features a combination of American and Norwegian food.  Akershus serves food family style and offers breakfast, lunch or dinner.


Chef Mickey's: If you decide to plan your Disney vacation with an "off" day from the Parks, be sure to check out Chef Mickey's at the Contemporary Resort.  This is an awesome buffet style restaurant for breakfast, lunch or dinner that features Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Pluto, Donald, Daisy, Chip and Dale in adorable chef attire.


Cinderella's Royal Table: If your little princess cannot wait to meet Cinderella AND you are celebrating a special occasion, I would suggest this restaurant.  Their imagination will run wild being inside of the castle, and meeting Cinderella and Fairy Godmother.  They feature a table service meal for breakfast, lunch or dinner.


The Crystal Palace: Many guests proclaim that this is their overall favorite restaurant at Disney.  It is good, but it is not even in our top 10.  Maybe it will move up on our list after we have little ones?  This cute restaurant is buffet style, and it features the main characters from Winnie the Pooh.


Beauty and the Beast themed restaurant: Projected to open in late 2012 or early 2013 as part of the Fantasyland expansion.  I am personally excited for this brand new restaurant that will be located in the Beast's Castle at Magic Kingdom.  Guests will be able to visit a quick service-style restaurant during the day, and a full service-style restaurant in the evening.  Cannot wait to check it out

   There are other character dining restaurants aside from these.  These tend to be the most favored based on the food, as well as the character experience.  I do not forsee us ever standing in line for a character, but when our little one cries that they HAVE to see Buzz Lightyear...we will see who wins.  If you have the money, and you want to save the time I would suggest going this route.  PS...these restaurants DO work with the Dining Plan is you get it.  We suggest!  Only 45 more days until our trip, and we cannot wait!  

It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like...

    Although the snow isn't here (yet), it is beginning to look a lot like Christmas.  Most of the Christmas shopping is finished, Kenny put our Christmas tree up and I spent the evening making Christmas cookies.  Later this week we will drag out all of the ornaments, and the rest of the Christmas decorations.  I am a Christmas tree freak.. I love to have different themes.  I have 2 large trees AND 3 small trees.  Once I get them all up I will post some photos. 

   When we visit the cabin, I almost always go to the "junk store" (aka resale store) in Ireland, Indiana.  And I love to buy cookie tins.  This evening I whipped up a few batches of sugar cookies, decorated them and stuck them into some of my tins.  Yes... this is not all of them.  I enjoy collecting them.  AND, if those who receive some play nice I should receive my tins back with some other goodies inside.  I know I can count on Chef Ronald to come through with something for us.  Here is a picture of some of my tins.

And what do you do with cookies that turn out a little too brown or deformed?  You save it for your dog of course!  Ok...1 small sugar cookie will be okay OCCASIONALLY, but all of that sugar is not good for your dog so keep it to a small amount.  I don't want to be responsible for someone's dog getting sick.  

The Christmas season is in full swing.  Take it in, because it will be long gone before we know it.  I am already beginning to think about my New Year's resolutions since 2012 is right around the corner.  Happy Holidays readers! :-)

Easy Chicken Pot Pie

    While I was getting my hair done today my stylist asked me what I planned to cook for dinner.  Since I did not have anything planned, I asked her if she had any ideas.  She suggested a simple chicken pot pie recipe.  Chicken pot pie has always been a delicious comfort food, but I have never attempted it myself.  Before leaving the salon, I quickly jotted down the ingredients and headed to Kroger.  Be ready to impress your spouse!  

Easy Chicken Pot Pie

• 1 package (16 ounces) frozen mixed vegetables (thawed)
• 1 cup chicken, cut up
• 1 can (10 3/4 ounces) condensed cream of chicken soup
• 1 cup Bisquick mix
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 egg

Heat oven to 400*.  Place vegetables, chicken and soup into a casserole dish and mix together.  Stir the remaining ingredients in a small bowl until blended.  Pour mixture over the items in the casserole dish until it is completely covered.  Bake for 30 minutes, or until golden brown.  Sprinkle a pinch of shredded cheese on top to melt. 

To make this SUPER simple, I purchased a rotisserie chicken to cut up.  Simply make vegetarian by leaving out the chicken, and using cream of mushroom soup. Mmm! Enjoy!

Our BEST wedding planning decision...

     It is a common occurrence for me to receive public or personal messages from those who must know the details about our wedding photographer.  Nearly two years before Kenny and I got engaged I joined my cousin at a bridal show in Downtown Indianapolis.  As we walked around from booth-to-booth I secretly wished that I was the one planning my wedding.  My eyes widened and I stopped in place when I looked over to see a booth that showcased gorgeous portraits that looked like something out of a Disney fairytale.  As my cousin spoke with someone about wedding cakes at a different booth, I excused myself to take a closer look at the stunning images under a large banner reading "DeFabis Photography".  


    I approached the table and a women nicely asked, "Have you picked a wedding date?"  Not wanting to reveal that I was not yet engaged I replied, "We aren't sure yet, just starting to get ideas."  The woman continued to speak with me about wedding details and I nodded to be polite, but what she said is fuzzy because I was lost in the photographs.  I knew that I had to take the information with me to show my Mom for the future.  When I arrived home I could not wait to show my Mom, so I pulled up the photographer's website to show her some of the images.  Mom said, "Yea those are beautiful, very pretty...but aren't you putting the cart before the horse?  You aren't even engaged, and we don't know if that is going to be in our budget.  We will have to wait and see when the time comes."   


     A couple of years later, and the time came.  After the engagement it did not take long before we started talking budget, and I started thinking DeFabis photography again.  One of the most important aspects about planning the wedding for me was doing what was necessary to fit this photographer into our budget.  We began looking at venues, thinking about colors, coming up with honeymoon ideas and we finally nailed the important details.  We booked three of the most important aspects...the chapel, the reception venue, and DEFABIS PHOTOGRAPHY!  We were super excited.  


   As the months went by, our guest list continued to grow.  It seemed that everyone had their own list of people that had to be present, and it suddenly felt as if the wedding plans were slipping out of our control.  During an annual trip to Mexico; Kenny, my parents and I were eating at a restaurant and discussing the stress of the growing guest list.  Feeling frustrated I said, "At times I wish we would have just planned a destination wedding and brought everyone here.  It would definitely make the guest list manageable."  My Dad replied, "Why couldn't you?" I said, "It is too late for that, we already booked venues and then we would not have Joe as our photographer...you know that is important to me."  


    Well, I took my Dad's advice and checked to see how much money we could get back from the venues if we cancelled.  Once I found out that it was possible to receive a good amount of money back, I made a nerve-wrecking call to Joe DeFabis to find out if he would ever consider going to Mexico to shoot our wedding.  As the phone rang I thought to myself, "What if he wont travel to Mexico to shoot our wedding?  What if it costs too much money to have him go?  How will I ever find a photographer in Mexico that I like as well?"  I was basically basing my decision on changing all of the wedding plans on whether or not Joe said yes or no to going to Mexico.  I knew I had to convince him to say yes.


    Thankfully, it did not take any convincing.  Joe said that he was more than willing to go to Mexico to shoot our wedding, and that him and his wife Terri were thrilled.  I was surprised at how affordable he made it for us, and he even offered to do a special shoot after the wedding called a "Trash the Dress" session.  Everything fell perfectly into place, and so we changed all of our wedding plans from Indianapolis to Akumal, Mexico.  I do not know what I was more excited about... knowing that I was going to have my wedding in a dream location, or that my dream photographer was going to document our special day?


    We could not be happier with our entire experience with DeFabis photography.  Joe and his wife Terri made us very comfortable throughout the day, and actually made it a ton of fun.  They work well together as a team...Joe provided us direction of where to go next, and Terri stepped in to make sure I felt beautiful and that no strand of hair was out of place.  Terri would have Joe pause before taking the next shot of us, "Wait Joe, I am going to straighten the bottom of Amanda's dress."  It felt good to know that not one detail was being looked over to ensure we had the most beautiful photographs.  And the day after the wedding, the Trash the Dress session was a blast.  We started out by taking photos at the lagoon, then moved to a colorful resort and ended at our most favorite beach in the world.  I will never forget the memory of laughing together as newlyweds in our wedding attire, as waves crashed over us while Joe captured every moment. 

      All good things must come to an end, just as our Mexico wedding weekend did.  It was bittersweet boarding the plane to leave Mexico, and moving on to our dreamy Disney honeymoon.  We boarded the plane and reminisced about the details of the weekend, feeling a little somber that it was already over.  Just as Kenny and I mentioned that we could not wait to see photos when we returned, I received an email on my smart phone.  I saw that it was Joe, but I assumed that he was just wishing us well since it was only the day after we finished shooting.  As I opened the email I gasped, and Kenny quickly replied, "WOW!"  Joe wrote, "I know that I am supposed to be on vacation now, but I could not wait to send you some of the images I edited already." A nearby passenger looked over and seemed interested in all of the excitement.  I was so excited, I decided to show a complete stranger the images on my phone.  Next thing you know, my phone was being passed down the aisle with our fellow passengers in awe. 

      About a month after our wedding weekend we had a "Picture Party" to show our closest family and friends the wedding photos.  Joe went above and beyond for us to get our photos on disc quickly in order to showcase them at the gathering.  He even allowed us to borrow his personal copy of our wedding book since ours would not be finished for a bit longer.  As friends and family viewed the photos we heard them saying, "these should be on the cover of a romance novel" and "this looks like something you would see in a dream".  We could not agree more with all of the positive reviews of our wedding images.  I have to pinch myself when I look at the photos, because I cannot believe how amazing they look.  And now, I get to wake up each day to see these beautiful photos that make me smile from ear-to-ear.  I am so glad that we chose Joe to document our special day.  He was worth every penny, and I look forward to the day when I can share these images with our children and grandchildren.  Thanks to his work, we will remember every important detail.

  

Amazing chicken with only two ingredients!

    We are already into the week of Thanksgiving.  How? It feels as if we should only be in July.  This week makes me think of all that I am blessed with.  In my long list of what I am thankful for, sits my slow cooker.  My slow cooker makes life easier, and helps me create delicious meals that taste as if I slaved over the stove all day.  After eating tonight's dinner, I am even more thankful for this genius invention.  I know... you are wondering about this amazing chicken with one 2 ingredients.  Here you go...

BBQ and Pineapple Chicken

• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1 bottle of honey barbeque sauce
• 1 can of crushes pineapples

Simply place the chicken in the slow cooker...pour the bbq sauce and can of pineapple on top.  Let it cook on low for 6-8 hours.  

    This is definitely one of my favorite (and easiest) slow cooker recipes.  And Kenny loved it too!  Tomorrow I am making my Slow Cooker Lemon Chicken.  Another great recipe with simple ingredients, and that cooks while I work.  So much to be thankful for. :-) 

They will be thankful for your turkey dish this Thanksgiving!

   With Thanksgiving less than a week away, I want to share a super easy and delicious turkey recipe that I made for my work meeting yesterday.  It has a nice flavor, it is moist and it is the perfect dish for this time of year.  The other reason that I really like this dish is because after going to 2-4 different Thanksgiving gatherings the typical turkey can become boring.  AND, this is also a relatively healthy turkey option.  


Simple Slow Cooker Cranberry and Orange Turkey

• 2 boneless skinless turkey breast halves (3 pounds each)
• 1 14oz can jellied cranberry sauce
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 envelope onion soup mix
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 orange, sliced

Place turkey breasts in a 5-qt. slow cooker. In a large bowl, combine the cranberry sauce, 1/2 cup water and soup mix. Pour mixture over turkey.  Place orange slices on top of the meat. Cover and cook on low for 4-6 hours. Remove turkey and keep warm.

Transfer cooking juices to a large saucepan. Combine the cornstarch and remaining water until smooth. Bring cranberry mixture to a boil; gradually stir in cornstarch mixture until smooth. Cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Slice turkey; serve with cranberry sauce, and garnish with orange slices. Leftovers may be frozen for up to 3 months.

     Just like my Cookie Dough Dip and Mom's Cheesy Hash Brown Casserole, people were asking for the recipe.  Many of them commented on how they loved the mixture of the orange and the cranberry.  If you would prefer a more orange taste, you could use orange juice instead of water when you create the mixture.  The only downside, this is a more expensive dish to make because of the turkey.  I purchased 2 packages of turkey breasts and they were $9.99 each at Kroger.  $20.00 doesn't exactly break the bank, but when you add in the other ingredients and you may have other things you are making as well it can all add up.  I think it is worth it!  Mmm!  Enjoy! And Happy Turkey Day!

You cannot go wrong with this side dish!

     Gathering with family, friends or for work usually means cooking (or purchasing) a side dish to bring along.  No matter what the occasion, I know the PERFECT dish to take.  This dish is relatively easy, and I guarantee that multiple people will ask you for the recipe.  My Mom has been making this dish for the past couple of years, and it is great any time of day.  Usually she will make it as a side dish to go with dinner when we all go to the cabin, and then we will eat the leftovers with our breakfast the next morning. 

 

Mom's Cheesy Hash Brown Casserole

• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 10 1/4 ounce condensed cream of chicken soup
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
• 1/2 cup finely chopped green pepper
• 1/4 cup butter melted
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 32-ounce (or close) package frozen loose-pack hash brown potatoes thawed
• 1 cup crushed corn flakes (I put in a baggie and crumbled up)
• 1 tablespoon butter melted

 

In a large bowl combine cheese, soup, sour cream, onion, peppers, 1/4 cup butter, salt and pepper.  Mix well.  Stir in the thawed hash browns.  Place mixture into a greased 9x13 baking dish (I use the disposable aluminum pan).  Bake mixture for 45 minutes at 350 degrees. 

 

While the mixture bakes, place the corn flakes into a sandwich baggy and crunch up the cereal.  Melt 1 tablespoon of butter.  Toss together the corn flakes and the 1 tablespoon of melted butter.  Sprinkle over the top of the potato mixture.  Bake for an additional 15 minutes.

    This delicious side dish serves about 8-10 people.  If you are serving a larger group, consider making 2 pans.  Don't worry...it will be eaten!  Mom suggests that if you are not serving the dish right away to let it cool a bit before serving.  If you take the dish out of the oven and cover it up, the corn flakes may become soggy.  I will say, that if you forget to buy the sour cream like me, you can substitute cream cheese (mix with a little milk first).  

    I took this dish to my work pitch-in yesterday, and by the end of the meeting there was an empty pan on the table.  Multiple coworkers requested the recipe from me.  I also took my Cookie Dough Dip along, which is an easy dessert to make for any occasion that will get lots of attention as well!  I hope this helps you out as you probably have quite a few gatherings coming up due to the holidays.  Enjoy! P.S. Thanks to my Mom, Margie for sharing the recipe with us!

   

Cookie dough dip? Okay!

     My latest addiction to Pinterest has introduced me to a great deal of craft ideas and recipes.  When my friend Christin invited me to a Pinterest Craft Night I could not pass it up!  Some of you are probably wondering what a Pinterest Party involves... Christin set up a personal work station for each person to work on a craft project, and also asked everyone to bring a food or dessert item that they saw on the Pinterest website.  It was really great because you can get some wonderful ideas about craft that you would like to make, and you get to try all sorts of recipes! 

    I personally chose to take the supplies for 3 different projects, and I actually completed two while I was there.  I will share these projects with you later... since they are Christmas gifts I cannot ruin the surprise for now!  BUT, I will share the recipe for a delicious Cookie Dough Dip that I made for the party!  This dip is not only easy to make, but it is so yummy!  It is the kind that you cannot help but get seconds, or thirds!  Waist line: beware!

Cookie Dough Dip
1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup toffee bits 

Mix the cream cheese and butter together.  Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well.  Serve with chocolate graham crackers. (Toffee chips optional of course... but it gives it an extra delicious kick!)

   It may seem like  a no-brainer... but my tip with this recipe is to let the cream cheese sit out for 30 minutes or more before making it.  I did not consider this, and my hand was so sore when I was finished because it was so difficult to stir.  I would also suggest sprinkling some chocolate chips on top too as a garnish (maybe a few in the middle).  When one lady arrived to the party, she asked me if it was bean dip because of the consistency.  But she quickly became interested when I told her what it was.  It was a hit!  Everyone seemed to really enjoy it.  One lady brought her daughter, and she had to get after her for eating too much of it.  Also, my friend Christin made sure I left the extras there when I left!   This will definitely be added to my recipe book, and will show up at many gatherings in the future.  Enjoy!   

When is the best time of year to go to Disney?

     When planning a trip to Disney, one of the most important aspects that we consider is the time of year that we go.  If you go during the wrong time... you are faced with unbearably hot weather, and/or crowds so high that you not only miss out on doing many things that you want to do, but you also end up wanting  to punch someone in the face from all of the strollers and long lines.  One or both of those situations combined together can make for a miserable trip, and feeling as if you wasted your money.   With only 75 days to go until our next trip, I decided to share our thoughts on when it is best to visit. 





Our Favorite Times To Visit

• January/February - minus MLK Day weekend and Valentines Day weekend
• September/October/Early November - minus Labor Day weekend and Halloween 

Why We Prefer These Months

• Lower Resort Prices
• Specials (in January we are receiving the Dining Plan for free)
• Less crowded
• Less heat
• Comfortable transportation (you aren't crammed on a bus or monorail like sardines)
• Easier to get (and change) restaurant reservations
• You can still catch all of the beautiful Christmas decorations in early January, including The Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights (LOVE).
• Late September and October you can catch Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party.
• Early November you can catch Epcot's International Food and Wine Festival.

The Down Side to Low Season

• Some attractions close for maintenance (you can check before you go).
• Shortened Park Hours (but you still have Extra Magic Hours).
• Less Special Events (less fireworks and parade options)

Many Others Like

• The time between Thanksgiving and Christmas.  Some say that the crowds at this time are moderate depending on the day.  You get the benefit of all of the Christmas decorations and events, but may have to deal with chillier weather.
• The time between Spring Break and Memorial Day weekend.  

Do NOT Go During This Time

• Spring Break (President's Day weekend to mid-April) - crowds, crowds and more crowds!
• Mid-June to Mid-August (especially not July 4th) - crowds AND heat!

     In the Summer of 2009 we went as a family to Disney in June.  We had a great time, but I also have a lot of memories of extreme heat and ridiculous lines.  I told myself that I will NEVER do that again.  EVER.  When Kenny and I have kids, I have plans to take them either during Labor Day weekend or Christmas break.  It is not worth it to us to pay all of the money and be stuck in the heat with that many people.  You could go during any time of the year and make the best of it... just do your research before you go so there are no surprises.  

Healthy chicken curry, anyone?

     I haven't made anything in the slow cooker lately because it has been occupied with caramel.  Lots and lots of caramel.  For those who attended my parent's anniversary celebration you probably know why.  This is because I stupidly filled my slow cooker full of caramel candies in order to make caramel apples at the event.  When the power went out at the event, the caramel hardened in my slow cooker.  It was a long process getting it all out, and I do not suggest making caramel in your good slow cooker. Ever.
     With my slow cooker finally cleaned out, I decided to try some more recipes this week.  On tonight's menu...Chicken Curry.  It sounded much better than our regular tacos or spaghetti.  And, it seemed very simple.  Tonight we were pleased that Marilyn (my Mother-in-law) joined us for dinner.  I am not sure who was happier that she could come... her, or Maya?  Haha.     


Slow Cooker Curry Chicken

• 6 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 2 onions, chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 9 oz jar mango chutney
• 2/3 cup water
• 2 tbsp cornstarch
• 1 tbsp curry powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp white pepper
• 1 red bell pepper chopped
• 1 green pepper chopped
• 1 cup frozen baby peas

Combine chicken, onion and garlic in the slow cooker.  In a medium bowl combine chutney, water, cornstarch, curry powder, salt, and pepper.  Remove large pieces of chutney, chop and put back in.  Cook low for 6-8 hours.  Turn onto high and add bell peppers and peas.  Cook additional 20-30 minutes on high.

     Dinner turned out good!  It was a nice change.  If you are concerned about this being spicy... I did not think that it was spicy at all.  In fact, if you prefer spicy I would suggest adding a little more curry powder.  The chicken fell apart at the touch of a fork, and had a great flavor.  I served it on top of some brown rice. Kenny enjoyed it, and so did Marilyn.  Definitely one to put in my rotation!  Enjoy!