Speedy Chicken Enchiladas

My husband taught me this recipe when we were first married!  It is extremely quick and easy - once again perfect for a week night.  If he can do it, so can you :) (Love ya, honey!)

Speedy Chicken Enchiladas

*Makes 1 9x13 pan of enchiladas - serves 4-5

1 Rotisserie Chicken

1 can Red Enchilada Sauce (14 oz can is plenty, I use Medium heat)

10 Corn Tortillas

Shredded Cheddar Cheese

Canned or Frozen Corn

Black Beans

Cumin

Garlic Salt

Shredded Lettuce

OPTIONAL TOPPINGS: salsa, sour cream, taco sauce, etc.

1.) Shred the meat from the rotisserie chicken and place in a bowl.

2.) Spray your 9x13 pan. Heat oven to 400 degrees.

3.) Create your assembly line: line up a bowl of shredded cheese, 

a bowl chicken, and a bowl of enchilada sauce.  Dip a tortilla in enchilada sauce.  

Add chicken and cheese, and roll up the tortilla placing it seam side down in oven pan.

4.) Continue dipping, filling, and rolling tortillas until pan is full (about 10 enchiladas).

5.) Pour the remainder of the enchilada sauce over the rolled tortillas.  

Sprinkle more cheddar cheese on top.

6.) Cover pan with tin foil and bake for 10 minutes.  Take off foil, and continue to bake 

for another 10 minutes - or until the tortillas and cheese get a little crispy.

7.)  While tortillas are warming, heat up the black beans (sprinkled with garlic salt and ground cumin to taste) and the corn.  Shred the lettuce.

8.) Serve enchiladas with corn, beans, and lettuce on top.  Add any extras - sour cream, salsa, taco sauce, your pick!

Happy Wednesday!

Our DIY Painted Shelves were featured on We Like To Learn As We Go!

Check it out!!

DIY Kitchen Chalkboard

I love an easy craft project that makes a big difference :)  And let's be honest, chalkboard paint could not be easier to work with.   Especially the spray paint version!  For quite awhile now I've been meaning to buy a magnet pad of paper to put on my refrigerator so I can jot down those grocery store items I need to buy that I think about in the moment of cooking but ALWAYS forget once I get to the store.  Does that ever happen to you?  

However, I've had this empty wall in my kitchen since we moved in.  I thought I'd get around to finding art or something to fill the hole eventually, but then I came across this old tray that I got at the flea market a hundred years ago.  Boom! Let's make a chalkboard, hang it in the empty space, and now I can add items to buy as I think of them.  Ahhhh I love efficiency.

DIY Kitchen Chalkboard

Old Tray

Rust-oleum Chalkboard Spray Paint

Painters Tape

Chalk

1.) Tape off edges of tray with painters tape.

2.) Spray chalkboard paint on face of tray.  

I sprayed 3 coats, taking about a 2 minute break between coats.

3.) Wait 24 hours. (Hardest part! Ah patience!)

4.) Cure chalkboard by covering the entire area with chalk.  

Wipe off chalk and voila!

5.) List away!

I had to add a small sawtooth picture hanger to the back of my chalkboard.  You can buy these at any hardware store - I happened to have some in my tool box.  They come with tiny screws, you just grab a screw driver and screw them into the back of your tray.  Then I attached some kitchen twine to the back, and hung the tray on the wall.

The Painters tape actually pulled off a little of the old paint from the original tray.  But it ended up making the sign look even better! Unintentional distressing :)

I love how it fills up that empty wall and lets me remember what I actually need from the store!  Win, win.

xo,

Kate

Kate's Nursery Inspiration: A Bohemian Baby Room

Image via Gypsie Sister

It's time.  Kacey has officially shamed me into starting on my nursery :)  Hers is SO CUTE! Check out her progress here, here, and here.  I've decided to go colorful and bohemian in our nursery.  I want it to be comfy, cozy, and inspiring for baby Bean!  You can see some of my inspiration photos below...lots of jewel tones, pattern...indigo, magenta, gold, turquoise....whimsical and fun!

Images clockwise from left 1 | 2 | 3

And here is my inspiration board...These are the images that are driving me creatively now.  I've linked to the below photos, but I plan to DIY some of these items, flea market find others, and re-purpose pieces we already have in our home.  Updates on real progress to come!

It's GO TIME!

xo,

Kate

1.) Dresser

2.) Boho/Persian Printed Rug - Overstock

3.) Patterned Throw - Happy Habitat

4.) Dreamcatcher as art

5.) Magenta/Purple Armchair

6.) Printed throw Pillow - Urban Outfitters

7.) Green Mirror

8.) Crib - Babyletto Mercer Crib

9.) Shelving

10.) Elephant Hamper

11.) Boho Bedding - Target Mudhut Bengal Baby Set

12.) Gold Table Lamp - Land Of Nod

13.) Boho Pillow- Lulu and Georgia Field Of Gold Pillow

14.) Brass Side Table - West Elm Martini Side Table

15.) Chambray Linen Crib Skirt - Land Of Nod

Hand Down Best "Made From Scratch Pancakes" Recipe!

Why not treat yourself this weekend and make these can't miss pancakes? They are just as easy as using a pre-made batter mix, but infinitely more tasty.  Serve them classic style with butter and syrup OR eat them like we do up at the lake - butter and a layer of sugar.  

So. Worth. It.

Hand Down Best "Made From Scratch Pancakes" Recipe

Makes 8 pancakes

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon white sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 1/4 cups skim milk

1 egg

3 tablespoons butter, melted

1 teaspoon vanilla extract
blueberries Optional

1.) In a large bowl, sift together the flour, 

baking powder, salt, sugar, and cinnamon. 

2.) Make a well in the center of dry mix, and pour in the milk, egg, 

vanilla and melted butter.  Mix until smooth.

2. Heat a lightly oiled pan over medium high heat. 

Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using 

approximately 1/4 cup for each pancake.  If using blueberries
add a couple to each pancake before you flip.

Let both sides of the pancake get golden brown, and serve hot.

Mmm Mmm Mmm,

Kate

Baby Room Update! DIY Shelves for Kacey's Nursery

Ok kids! Here are the fun shelves Kate and I ended up painting for the Baby's room! They turned out so cute and pretty, and I just had to share them with you!

Step 1: Buy these $7.99 shelves from Ikea.  They come with metal hinges and are super easy to drill into the wall.

Step 2: Dry brush an antique white paint onto all sides of the shelves.  Use a large dry paint brush and dip a small amount of paint onto it.  Then brush it on to the shelf in a coarse, carefree manner.  It creates a lovely farmhouse feel to the shelves. Let dry (doesn't take long!).

Step 3:  Decide what shapes you want to paint onto the shelves so you can tape off the patterns.  We used painters tape. You need to paint on all sides of shelf because you'll be able to see the bottom as well as the top.  This was the fun creative part! We went with some simple stripes on one, and got funky and whimsical on the third!

Step 4:  Paint! We chose 4 different colors from Michaels, but the world is your oyster on this one. 

1. Martha Stewart ANTIQUE SILK Pearl Craft Paint

2. Craft Smart SILVER Metallic Paint

3. Americana CORAL BLUSH Acrylic paint

4. Dazzling Metallics SILVER SAGE Paint

You need to go slow and really plan out which color should go where.  The paint dries fairly quickly though, so this project can be accomplished in one afternoon!

And before you know it...the tape comes off and.....voila!!

3 fun, different, whimsical shelves!

This baby hasn't even arrived yet, and I've already managed to fill up all available space:)

Enjoy crafting!! I know I did...this one was a fun one!

Love!

Kacey

Linking to:

Living Well Spending Less

Live Laugh Rowe

1 Dog Woof

House Wife Eclectic

The DIY Dreamer

This Silly Girls Life

We Like To Learn as We Go

Some Day Crafts

Ginger Snap Crafts

A Bowl Full Of Lemons

Free Online Meditation Conference

Meditation.....

It's very trendy these days.  Gaining popularity in mainstream media and medical circles - while being a mainstay in yoga and spiritual communities for as long as yoga and spirit have existed.  From the Mayo Clinic to MindBodyGreen to Russell Simmons to even the Harvard Business Review, everyone is touting the benefits of incorporating a meditation practice into your daily life.

...Relieve Stress

alleviate illness...

.....promote spiritual connection...

....improve relationships

enhance mental performance....

and more.

I came across this free online Meditation conference on Entheos.  Led by Yoga and Meditation teacher Ashley Turner, the conference is available to be streamed on your computer for free from April 21st through April 25th.  

Check out the Conference Overview from the En*Theos website:

Ashley interviewed 30+ world-class experts ranging on topics from the neuroscience of meditation, mindfulness based stress-reduction, Positive Psychology, Transcendental Meditation, the Mind-Body connection, Buddhism and Tantra. 

Demystify meditation, discover a wide-range of tools from many different traditions so you can choose which practice fits your personality and lifestyle and start meditating today. 

As yogis have known for centuries and scientists have more recently discovered, the benefits of meditation are profound! This conference breaks down meditation in an accessible and practical way - so even if you only have 5 minutes, you can begin a daily meditation practice.

Amazing yoga teachers, spiritual leaders, and pop culture icons are speaking during the online global conference.  Even if you can only listen to 1 or 2, it's worth it! And free!

Namaste :)

1 | 2 | 3

Ginger Beef and Kale Stir Fry

Healthy, quick, delicious!  Make this Stir fry tonight, you won't be sorry.

Ginger Beef and Kale Stir Fry

Serves 4-6

Marinade

2/3 cup low sodium Soy Sauce (Green lid!)

1 cup broth (chicken, vegetable - your choice)

5 tbsp rice wine vinegar

4 tbsp corn starch

4 tsp ground ginger

fresh ground black pepper

Stir Fry

1 lb. flank steak, cut into thin slices

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 tbsp olive oil

8 oz (1 small box) white button mushrooms

1 bunch organic Kale

1 organic red pepper, thinly sliced

Garlic Salt

1.) Whisk together all marinade ingredients and pour in a plastic bag with sliced steak. 

Let marinate in fridge for at least 30 minutes, up to a few hours.

2.)  Pour olive oil into a large saute pan. 

Add garlic and saute at med-hi for a minute.  

Using a slotted spoon, remove steak from plastic bag and put in pan (Save marinade).  

Saute for 5 minutes, or until cooked through.

3.)  Remove steak from pan, and set aside.  Toss in kale, mushrooms, 

red pepper, and the rest of the marinade plus a sprinkle of garlic salt.  

Stir often until kale begins to wilt and the sauce thickens.  Add steak back in 

and stir for another 3-5 minutes.

Serve stir-fry over a big pot of brown rice.

enjoy!

Kate

DIY Glitter Filled Easter Egg Place Cards

DIY Glitter Filled Easter Eggs

Glitter - (we used Martha Stewart Glitter Pack)

Clear Easter eggs from Michaels ($.99 each!)

Quickie Glue pen

1.) Take off top of clear egg and fill up with glitter.

I filled each egg about 1/4 of the way full.

2.)  Pop top back on egg.

3.) Using a glue ballpoint pen, write down names 

for place cards on a thin strip of white paper.

4.) Sprinkle glitter over glue.

5.) Brush off glitter (funnel back into tube to re-use).

6.) Roll both ends of paper for a fancier look.

Each place setting has a slightly different look...

Kara: old wine corks add a festive feel

Kate: dried lavender from the garden

Kacey: small white stones and mini purple carnations

Sorella: A beautiful pink flower

You could also scoop up a whole bunch of these eggs, fill them with coordinating glitter and hang them  together all at random lengths with flowers behind it as a spring wreath.  Or even hang them at various heights from your chandelier over your Easter table.

Simple, Glittery Easter Table

Welcome to our Easter table!

For some reason, the Easter holiday always sneaks up on me.  Thanksgiving, Christmas - we have major build up for those guys.  But all of a sudden, spring has sprung, and Easter is here.  For that reason, I like to create really simple but festive tables for the spring holiday set up.  I actually had all of the items for this table - I just rummaged around all of my "hiding spots"....don't tell my husband how many hiding spots I actually have :)

This year we incorporated:

Simple White Lenox Tin Can Alley Dinnerware

Gold flatware from West Elm

Anthropologie Horta Champagne glasses

Fantesca Chardonnay!

Pewter Braided Placemats from Sur La Table

Couleur Nature Batik Bird Printed Napkins from Sur La Table

The DIY project for this year are these glitter filled easter eggs!

DIY Glitter Filled Easter Eggs

Glitter - (we used Martha Stewart Glitter Pack)

Clear Easter eggs from Michaels ($.99 each!)

Quickie Glue pen

1.) Take off top of clear egg and fill up with glitter.

I filled each egg about 1/4 of the way full.

2.)  Pop top back on egg.

3.) Using a glue ballpoint pen, write down names 

for place cards on a thin strip of white paper.

4.) Sprinkle glitter over glue.

5.) Brush off glitter (funnel back into tube to re-use).

6.) Roll both ends of paper for a fancier look.

 Each place setting has a slightly different look...

Kara: old wine corks add a festive feel

Kate: dried lavender from the garden

Kacey: small white stones and mini purple carnations

Sorella: A beautiful pink flower

You could also scoop up a whole bunch of these eggs, fill them with coordinating glitter and hang them  together all at random lengths with flowers behind it as a spring wreath.  Or even hang them at various heights from your chandelier over your Easter table.  A kind of grown-up mobile!

 We actually re-used the gorgeous flower arrangement from our Baby Shower last weekend! Our dear friend Alyson created the most stunning floral arrangements - and Kacey and I got to take a few home with us.   This was perfect for the table.

Aren't they beautiful? She is so talented!  And these flowers are still fresh almost a week later.  More pictures to come from the Baby Shower, I promise. We have a whole post dedicated to it.  Our friends and family did such an amazing job on the event...can't wait to share!

Happy Easter everyone - don't forget to light some candles and use whatcha got!  Get creative, but keep it simple...works every time!

xo,

Kara, Kate, and Kacey

Healthy Chicken Salad with Greek Yogurt, Honey, Apple, and Avocado

Coming up with different ways to get my fruits and veggies can be routine sometimes.  I loooooove Chicken Salad, but I don't always like to eat all that Mayo...as much as I love mayo:)

I decided to experiment with Greek Yogurt today for lunch...Here's what I came up with!!

Healthy Chicken Salad:

1 cup of shredded or chopped chicken breast

(I used Rotisserie today!)

1 small can water chestnuts, chopped

1/2 chopped Organic Fuji Apple

1/4 cup dried cranberries

2 TBSP chopped walnuts or almonds

1 avocado, chopped

3/4 cup Plain Greek Yogurt

2 TBSP fresh Honey

1 TBSP Red Wine Vinegar

1 TBSP Balsamic Vinegar

1 TBSP White Balsamic Vinegar

Salt and Pepper to taste

Mix it all together and voila!  It's delicious with a brown rice cake, stuff it in a Pita, or have a sandwich with some whole wheat bread and lettuce!

Mangia Mangia!

Kacey

Circle of Life...and Weekly favorites

Image

It has been a whirlwind week and a half for us Sorelle...words that come to mind:

full

sad

Pop Pop

Gramma

Eternal

Colorado

memories

love

family

baby

pink

Beach

friends

circle of life

Our beloved grandfather, our Pop Pop, followed in our dear Gramma's footsteps and went to heaven a mere 2 months after she did.  It's a true love story - and now they are together again.  Kacey and I traveled to Denver last week for the celebration of his life.  Then everyone turned around and traveled right back to Southern California for our joint baby shower...talk about the circle of life.  Both events were truly lovely, touching, and life affirming.  More to come on the gorgeous baby shower, but for now, here are a few articles that have caught my eye over the past few weeks. Enjoy!

How to Make your bedroom an allergy free zone on Apartment Therapy

Unexpected Things You Learn In Your Thirties from Buzzfeed

Shark Tank Star talks about what makes a Million Dollar Idea on INC

8 Tricks to Becoming a More Confident, Inspiring Woman on Well and Good NYC

Meditation for people who don't meditate but WANT to on Mind Body Green

How to Become the Person You Were Meant To Be on Mind Body Green

xo,
Kara, Kate, and Kacey

Soul Sessions...Inspirational Thursday!

With all the crazy in the world right now...earthquakes, shootings, sickness, taxes, polar vortexes...we all need a little hope from time to time.  Just a little inspiration to keep us going until the going gets a little easier.

This is a small collection of inspiring quotes and mantras from my new book! Hope you like...)

"You must understand the whole of life, not just one little part of it. That is why you must read, that is why you must look at the skies, that is why you must sing and dance, and write poems and suffer and understand, for all that is life." ~ Jiddu Krishnamurti

And that is why you must find the awe in your journey right now.  You are a sacred vessel these 9 months…such a short time really.  Glean and scrape, experience and memorize every single terrifying and lovely bit of it. 

Do you remember how carefree you were as a child? How confident and fearless and filled with dreams just bursting to come out!  It never occurs to us to not dream- 1,2, 10, 12 dreams a day were perfectly normal. 

“Sometimes I’ve believed as many as 6 impossible things before breakfast.”

                                                                        ~The Queen, Alice in Wonderland

Future Mama- we are about to raise our own dreamers.  Such a hopeful thought.  I want to be a mom who leads, not just by teaching, but by doing as well.  SO. Today, I choose to dream.  All day long….and make one of those dreams a reality.  Even if it’s just a small one!  Play dress up, be a famous chef for the day, sing at the top of my lungs and convince everyone I’m a Broadway Star!  

What’s your dream today?

And my favorite, from an old friend currently on a bike adventure, riding from Oregon to Patagonia...

“Fear of the future is such a silly disease.”

                                             ~Jedidiah Jenkins

Embrace, love, look forward to, be fear-LESS of the future…

Smiles, love, and laughter!

Kacey