A few cards I made recently

I thought I'd post a few more cards that I've made recently. I'm having fun making these and I just got a new embossing machine, so I'll be an embossing fool for a while lol.

Without further ado, here they are: (Sorry, all were taken with my phone camera)

The first is an anniversary card for a sweet couple celebrating 40 years! Right below is a close up of the background. I'm not sure how well you can see it, but I like how the white on white turned out.






This next card was to uplift a friend who is going through some really rough times:



This next card I just made trying out the new digi stamp and paper I got as freebies from Create with TLC:



A birthday card using more images from Create with TLC:



A going-away card:



Father's Day cards:









And two thank you cards:





That's it for now...now to go play with my embosser!

Wedding Card

I want to share with you a card I made for a friend who is getting married. I'm still a newbie at making my own cards, but I'm sure having fun with it!

I made the background with my Silhouette. The cake is a sticker that I bought and I made up the saying (I didn't 'make it up' lol, but I designed it with paintshop pro) and got the frame design around the verse from Silhouette also.

Then I added some ribbon and a bow. That sounds awfully easy, but this card was probably the hardest I've taken on so far. The background was painful...making sure it didn't rip while getting out all those tiny cutouts! And the pink part of the frame was really hard to align. But I am happy with how it came out!

Here it is: (Sorry for the quality of the photo...I took it with my phone)

Hand-made Cards

Well, I have no excuse for not posting for almost six months a while. :)

The last six months included a major surgery and six weeks off work, no freezer meals, little couponing...as well as lots of changes with our family, including a new daughter-in-law.

So I won't bother to try to catch up, but rather, I'll get right to the point of this post!

I've been making greeting cards! With my Silhouette that hubby bought me for Christmas. I am still just a beginner, but I'm having a ton of fun with this.

Here are the cards I made this last week:

A Mother's Day card for my Mother-in-Law. We will be celebrating Mother's Day this Sunday, so I'm not late. :)



Another card for my Mother-in-Law; this one from the boys.



A birthday card for my niece:



Two cards for hubby's birthday; one from me and the other from the boys...I'm sure you can figure out which is which:





A birthday card for my Sister-in-Law. Hmmm...I should probably make an Aunt card from the boys.



A wedding shower card. I really like how this turned out. It was my first time using the print & cut feature of the Silhouette.



And two baby shower cards...for two different friends. :)





Next on my list is to make a wedding card, two welcome baby cards, a congrats card, a graduation card, and father's day cards.

I think my Silhouette will be quite busy!

Menu Plan Monday 11/08/10

I can't believe another week has passed! 2011 will be here before we know it!

Here's what's on our menu for next week:

Monday – Korean Tri Tip, Brown Rice, Broccoli
Tuesday – Pork Chops w/FF Onions over pasta
Wednesday – Chicken w/Salsa, Salad
Thursday – CP Roast w/white potatoes and carrots
Friday – Crunchy Chicken Tenders, Cheesy Potatoes
Saturday – Spaghetti, Salad
Sunday – BBQ Chicken Sandwiches

Three crockpot meals (Korean Tri Tip, CP Roast, and BBQ Chicken),
Three quick and easy meals (Pork Chops, Chicken w/Salsa, and Spaghetti) and
One new recipe (Crunchy Chicken Tenders).

Menu Plan Monday 11/01/10

I never got around to posting my menu last week, so I'm posting this week's menu plan a day early this week to be sure I get it done.

Monday - Thursday we will be eating from our freezer. Friday and Saturday are both new recipes for us - I hope my family thinks they are as good as they sound. And Sunday is another freezer meal.

As always, I'm sure things will change a bit, but for now, here is our plan:

Monday –Rotisserie Chicken, Cheesy Potatoes
Tuesday – Mini Meatloaves, Corn on the Cob
Wednesday - Black Bean Salsa Chicken, Salad
Thursday – Chicken ‘n Rice Casserole, Broccoli
Friday – Smothered Pork Chops, Asparagus
Saturday – Chicken Tortilla Pie (I don't recall where I found this recipe)
Sunday – Stuffed Buffalo Chicken, Salad

What's on your menu this week?

Salsa Chicken and Rice Recipe & Review

I tried a new recipe out last week and the whole family enjoyed it!

Our new recipe of the week was Salsa Chicken and Rice. I found the recipe at a blog called A Little Bit of Everything.

Here is the recipe (as I made it) and I will follow it with a review.

Salsa Chicken and Rice

1 1/2 cups uncooked white rice - cooked
2 cups Chicken, cooked and shredded
2 cups shredded Montery Jack Cheese
2 cups shredded Cheddar Cheese
2 cans Cream of Chicken Soup
1 1/2 cups Medium Salsa

Cook rice and chicken if not already done. Shred or cube chicken.

(I usually have cooked chicken in my freezer for meals like this. I made rice for another meal a few days before and just made enough for two meals and froze what I needed for this casserole.)

In a greased casserole dish, layer the rice and then the chicken.

Combine the soup and salsa in a bowl and spread on top of the chicken. Top with cheeses.

Bake at 350 degrees until hot through and bubbly.

* * * * *

Next time I make this I will try using Rotel in place of the salsa. The original recipe calls for either and I am curious to see if it will taste the same with Rotel.

There were a few bits of the rice that were overly crispy and I think a thin layer of salsa or Rotel underneath the rice might be a solution to that.

I plan to include this recipe in my future freezer plans and make up Salsa Chicken & Rice meal kits with the rice in one bag, the chicken, soup, and salsa in another, and the cheese in a third.

Overall, the recipe was enjoyed by everyone. It was easy to assemble, which is another plus. I'm thrilled to have found another item for my freezer sessions!

Bargains Update

Well, as I suspected, Rite Aid did not have any of the Pro-X Cleanser. So I came up with a new plan and I'm quite happy with the results. Here's what I did:

6.99 Folgers
4.99 Nyquil Sinus
4.99 Dayquil Sinux
2.99 Sucrets
1.49 Blistex
3.56 (4) Gain
-5/25
-1/10 Wellness Cold
-1 Folgers mq
-8 (2) $4 Nyquil Sinus mq
-1.50 Sucrets mq
-4 (4) $1 Gain mq (forgot to remind cashier to price adjust)
=5.62
-4 UPR
=1.62

I got back $5 in UPR (for some reason I got two for the coffee) and will get back 2.99 and 1.49 in SCR (for the Sucrets and Blistex). So almost free coffee and we have cold medicine for Winter!!

I also popped into CVS to see if they had received any of the Vitality Toothbrushes that I got a raincheck for two weeks ago. The shelves were still empty, but the manager said he would try to special order them. I sure hope I can get some before my coupon expires the end of the month.

While there, I did the P&G Deal - Buy $25 get $10 ECBs. I picked up two Charmin and one Bounty. The store I shop at is super as they take expired CVS coupons as well as expired ECBs. I was able to use a $5/$25 coupon and $6.50 in ECBs so I paid about $11 for it all (after ECBs). Not a super deal, but way better than paying full price.