DIY Pillows

I have been looking for couch pillows for a really long time. I could never find just the right color or just the right size. I saw this tutorial from the blog, idigpinterest.blogspot. I had an "Ah-ha" moment. These are made just like my burp cloth tutorial. I kept trying to find cheap pillow forms to wrap fabric around. I am so glad I never bought any pillows, because I absolutely love the fabric I found. I also saved a ton of money. My husband told me I could make pillows til I was blue in the face. . . he may regret those words. I know I have found a new addiction. . now to find more fabric.

Step 1: Cut out size you want. Make sure if you want a square to make all sides the same size. Also remember that the size you cut out will not be the final size of the pillow. I grossly underestimated this step.

 Step 2: Pin together. Make sure the pretty sides are touching. :)

Step 3: Sew together. Make sure to make a 1/2 inch seam, and use a sturdy stitch(not just a basic stitch, your pillows may or may not be thrown around by a 7 and 4 year old. . .just sayin.) Also make sure to leave a slot to stuff your pillow.

 Step 4: Clip edges of corners. This will ensure a crisp corner when you are finished. Make sure you don't cut your stitch otherwise you will have a hole.

Step 5: Turn pillow right side out. I ironed them flat, and then stuffed them.
Step 6: Sew slot closed. I suppose you are supposed to hand sew it closed, but I am terrible at that so I just used my machine. You can hardly notice the finished edge.

This is the fabric I found for the smaller pillows for my couch. This is where I underestimated the final size of the pillow. They still turned out pretty cute, but I would have love to have had them a little bigger.

This is also something I found that made finishing the pillow easier. Making the opened slot in the middle of the side instead of on the corner. That way when you stuff the pillow you can get all of the corners.

Ta-Da. . .This is my finished product. My 4 year old was asleep when I did these and when she woke up she thought they were hers.

I love how they turned out, and I promise they will not be my last pillows!

*For the green pillows I bought 1 1/2 yd. For the black and white I bought 1/2 yd. I should have at least bought 1 yd.

Honey Sesame Chicken

I love to try new recipes. Some turn out great, others my husband kindly asks me to never make again. It's fun. I've had my eye on this recipe for awhile and finally got around to making it.

 Slow Cooker Honey Sesame Chicken
Recipe adapted from: Baby Center

Ingredients:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (thighs would be fine too)
Salt and pepper
1 cup honey
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup diced onion
1/4 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons vegetable oil (could also use olive oil or canola oil)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional - doesn't really add heat, just adds more flavor)
4 teaspoons cornstarch dissolved in 6 Tablespoons water
Sesame seeds

Directions:
Season both sides of chicken with lightly with salt and pepper, put into crock pot. In a small bowl, combine honey, soy sauce, onion, ketchup, oil, garlic and pepper flakes. Pour over chicken. Cook on low for 3-4 hours or on high 1 1/2 – 2 1/2 hours, or just until chicken is cooked through. Remove chicken from crock pot, leave sauce. Dissolve 4 teaspoons of cornstarch in 6 tablespoons of water and pour into crock pot. Stir to combine with sauce. Replace lid and cook sauce on high for ten more minutes or until slightly thickened. Cut chicken into bite size pieces, then return to pot and toss with sauce before serving. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve over rice or noodles.

*You can also sprinkle more red pepper flakes on top if you want more heat.

I omitted the red pepper flakes because one of my kids think ketchup is spicy. I also accidentally forgot to add the soy sauce. It still turned out really good.  More sweet, and not as Asian as I was expecting.

 

 

Fried Rice

 recipe adapted from The Mattinglys

I have always wanted a good fried rice recipe, and an excuse to make it. I got both. I didn't have all the seasoning that The Mattinglys said they put in their fried rice, but it still turned out really good.

This recipe does not have any measurements. Just a little of this and a little of that. Totally changeable.

Ingredients

Basmati rice - made in advance, chilled in fridge

Veggies - we used:

Green onion

Carrots

Ham - cut up

Eggs

Oil - we used olive and sesame seed

Soy Sauce

Get the pan hot with some oil, add veggies and saute

Once ready move all the veggies and meat to the side of the pan. Add eggs and move them around chop into pieces. Add rice, toss. Add flavorings. We just added soy sauce a little bit more sesame seed oil.

You are done!

I finished off the sesame chicken with some sesame seeds, and added a pot sticker. It all went really well together.

Pizza Factory Bread Twists

 Umm, are you serious? That was the exact thought I had when I saw this on Pinterest. I love these. I had to try it out right away. 

Here is the link to the recipe

Here is my verdict: Amazing!!!!!
I made the dough from scratch instead of using rhodes dough, I think it definitely made it taste more authentic. I made the whole batch, but ended up freezing half the dough. It was too much for one dinner. I didn't have rosemary so I just omitted it, and it wasn't really missed. I could see how it would make it that much better though. I used wooden dowels that I had in my craft stuff that I had never used. They needed to be seasoned with oil or something because once you got to the bread on the stick it smelled a lot like wood. :/ The dough is really sticky, but still pretty good to work with. The bread twists were a huge kit with the kids, and we will have them many more times I am sure.