Crockpot Creamy Chicken Risotto

I love cooking in the crockpot.  It's so nice and easy to throw it together in the morning then have dinner cook throughout the day and be just about ready at dinner time.

This recipe for Creamy Chicken Risotto will not disappoint.  The Parmesan cheese gives it just the right zip.

Ingredients:
1 1/4 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 3/4 inch cubes
1 medium onion, finely chopped (1/2 cup)
1/2 cup shredded carrot
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
2 cups water
2 cups uncooked instant white rice
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 can (10 3/4 oz)condensed cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:
1.  Spray 3 to 4 quart slow cooker with cooking spray.  In slow cooker, mix chicken, onion, carrot, garlic and water.
2.  Cover; cook on Low heat setting 6 to 7 hours.
3.  Stir rice and butter into chicken mixture.  Increase heat setting to High.  Cover; cook 5 minutes or until rice is tender.  Stir in soup and cheese.  Cover; cook 10 to 15 minutes longer or until thoroughly heated.  Serve immediately.  **Pillsbury Best Slow Cooker Recipes**
Printable Version

Blessings,

Linking up to these parties:
Friday   504 Main  Lolly Jane  Craft Junkie Too   Five Days Five Ways    Delicate Construction Creation Corner,   French Country Cottage,   The Shabby Nest,   At The Picket Fence, Tatertots and Jello, Thirty Handmade Days,  Life As Mom,   Fingerprints on the Fridge, Chic on a Shoestring Decorating, The Frugal Girls,The Grocery Cart Challenge, While He Was Napping, Miss Mustard Seed,Remodelaholic 
Saturday  Funky Junk Interiors, I Heart Naptime, Be Different Act Normal, Young An Crafty, Six Sisters' Stuff

Sunday      The Kurtz Corner      C.R.A.F.T,  Nifty Thrifty Sunday,  DIY Showoff,  The Girl Creative   Homemaker on a Dime

Monday      Making the World Cuter   The Better Mom  Between Naps on the Porch   Crafts Keep Me Sane   Skip to My Lou  Craft-O Maniac  Sumo's Sweet Stuff

Tuesday      Mommy By Day Crafter by Night    At Home With K    Thrifty Decor Chick    Lil' Luna  Sugar Bee Crafts  Tip Junkie  Today's Creative Blog  A Bowl Full of Lemons  Coastal Charm  Home Stories a to z   My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia  Chef in Training  Someday Crafts

Wednesday      Southern Lovely   Blue Cricket Design 733 Blog   Passionately Artistic   The Trendy Treehouse  We Are That Family    Raising Homemakers   The Thrifty Home   Wicked Awesome Wednesday 

Sew Much a Do   Wow Us Wednesday   Ginger Snap Crafts    Power of Paint Night Owl Crafts
Thursday    Thrifty Decorating  Saved By Love Creations    Design Dazzle Somewhat Simple    The Shabby Chic Cottage   House of Hepworths   Just a Girl    Delightful Order     The Frugal Girls     Thrifty 101    Diaper Diaries  A Little Knick Knack  The 36th Avenue    

Basement Steps Secret Storage

 My basement steps were foul!  I mean nasty.  I have evidence...brace yourself, it's bad!!

Hello, hello, are you still there or did you pass out??

I took a nasty fall down these steps a few weeks back and so it motivated my Better half and I to get busy making them more user and visually friendly.

First, we removed that awful carpet and the treat that was waiting for us underneath was well... DISGUSTING!!

After removing the carpet from these bottom 3 steps we realized how unsafe these steps actually were.

The treads on all the steps were only 7 inches wide so we repurposed the treads from the upstairs steps that we replaced last summer.

 The steps are now covered with carpet so it didn't matter what the treads looked like, just that they were wider than the previous 7 inches.

Ahhhh, isn't that wonderful!

I saw the idea to add drawers under our steps and was convinced to do this!!!

Thankfully My Better Half is a genius and was able to take this dresser and turn it into...

Drawers in the steps!!

This is the pictorial of the building process:

After new carpet and some paint, they are not just beautiful but extremely practical.

 

 

I love, love, love all this extra storage.

Blessings,

Linking up to these sites:
Friday   504 Main  Lolly Jane  Craft Junkie Too   Five Days Five Ways    Delicate Construction Creation Corner,   French Country Cottage,   The Shabby Nest,   At The Picket Fence, Tatertots and Jello, Thirty Handmade Days,  Life As Mom,   Fingerprints on the Fridge, Chic on a Shoestring Decorating, The Frugal Girls,The Grocery Cart Challenge, While He Was Napping, Miss Mustard Seed,Remodelaholic 
Saturday  Funky Junk Interiors, I Heart Naptime, Be Different Act Normal, Young An Crafty, Six Sisters' Stuff

Sunday      The Kurtz Corner      C.R.A.F.T,  Nifty Thrifty Sunday,  DIY Showoff,  The Girl Creative   Homemaker on a Dime

Monday      Making the World Cuter   The Better Mom  Between Naps on the Porch   Crafts Keep Me Sane   Skip to My Lou  Craft-O Maniac  Sumo's Sweet Stuff

Tuesday    Reasons to Skip the Housework  Mommy By Day Crafter by Night    At Home With K    Thrifty Decor Chick    Lil' Luna  Sugar Bee Crafts  Tip Junkie  Today's Creative Blog  A Bowl Full of Lemons  Coastal Charm  Home Stories a to z   My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia  Chef in Training  Someday Crafts

Wednesday      Southern Lovely   Blue Cricket Design 733 Blog   Passionately Artistic   The Trendy Treehouse  We Are That Family    Raising Homemakers   The Thrifty Home   Wicked Awesome Wednesday 

Sew Much a Do   Wow Us Wednesday   Ginger Snap Crafts    Power of Paint Night Owl Crafts
Thursday    Thrifty Decorating  Saved By Love Creations    Design Dazzle Somewhat Simple    The Shabby Chic Cottage   House of Hepworths   Just a Girl    Delightful Order     The Frugal Girls     Thrifty 101    Diaper Diaries  A Little Knick Knack  The 36th Avenue    

Organizing Week 8 - Kitchen Sink Base

I know you think I'm holding out on you with my linen closet but I am SOOO not!!  It is still not finished!  Let me just say, "painted wallpaper", "wallpapered ceiling" and worst of all "painted, wallpapered, ceiling of plaster" should NEVER be used in the same sentence, much less the same CLOSET!!!  That is what I have been dealing with and I'm getting tired of it!!  I do see the light at the end of the tunnel thankfully, and so while you're waiting, I'm showing you what I did under my kitchen sink when I couldn't bear to look at my linen closet mess!!!
My kitchen sink base was looking pretty bad and not living up to it's full potential.

I had this cute (not for the kitchen), princess box holding my towels.  I moved my towels to the island...(like 3 months ago) and never got rid of this box.  Out it goes.  The oatmeal container that was in here holds my homemade dishwasher soap tablets.

I used the recipe from Lady With The Red Rocker and really like them.
I emptied out everything else and put back only what I use.

I had these little plastic boxes from another project so I just reused them here.  I downloaded and printed labels for the boxes.

They add a little color under the sink and it's always nice to have things labeled.

I'm hanging my cleaning products on a simple suspension rod.

TaaDaa!!

The organizing process is really coming along and things are starting to come together around here.  Isn't so nice to be organized??

Blessings,

Linking up to these parties:
 Linking up here:
Friday   504 Main  Lolly Jane  Craft Junkie Too   Five Days Five Ways    Delicate Construction Creation Corner,   French Country Cottage,   The Shabby Nest,   At The Picket Fence, Tatertots and Jello, Thirty Handmade Days,  Life As Mom,   Fingerprints on the Fridge, Chic on a Shoestring Decorating, The Frugal Girls,The Grocery Cart Challenge, While He Was Napping, Miss Mustard Seed,Remodelaholic 
Saturday  Funky Junk Interiors, I Heart Naptime, Be Different Act Normal, Young An Crafty, Six Sisters' Stuff

Sunday      The Kurtz Corner      C.R.A.F.T,  Nifty Thrifty Sunday,  DIY Showoff,  The Girl Creative   Homemaker on a Dime

Monday      Making the World Cuter   The Better Mom  Between Naps on the Porch   Crafts Keep Me Sane   Skip to My Lou  Craft-O Maniac  Sumo's Sweet Stuff

Tuesday      Mommy By Day Crafter by Night    At Home With K    Thrifty Decor Chick    Lil' Luna  Sugar Bee Crafts  Tip Junkie  Today's Creative Blog  A Bowl Full of Lemons  Coastal Charm  Home Stories a to z   My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia  Chef in Training  Someday Crafts

Wednesday      Southern Lovely   Blue Cricket Design 733 Blog   Passionately Artistic   The Trendy Treehouse  We Are That Family    Raising Homemakers   The Thrifty Home   Wicked Awesome Wednesday 

Sew Much a Do   Wow Us Wednesday   Ginger Snap Crafts    Power of Paint Night Owl Crafts
Thursday    Thrifty Decorating  Saved By Love Creations    Design Dazzle Somewhat Simple    The Shabby Chic Cottage   House of Hepworths   Just a Girl    Delightful Order     The Frugal Girls     Thrifty 101    Diaper Diaries  A Little Knick Knack  The 36th Avenue    

Wednesday's What I Found - Shabby Frugal Finds

I've been trying to stay away from thrift stores and my favorite ReStore lately.  If you've been following along for my organizational challenge, you know I'm purging and organizing rather than collecting more.  I will say however, that I have had a few moments of weakness and have purchased some little things.

My first and biggest purchase was actually made last fall so it doesn't count against me.
I had been looking for a trunk for my boys room and when I saw this one it was on sale at my ReStore and I knew I wouldn't be going home without it.

It stores a ton of stuff...their instruments, my youngest son's golf bag (it is new to him and he can't bear to put it in the garage yet!), and some bigger toys.

I used my old washboard in my laundry room makeover so I picked this little one up for $3 to have on hand for an unknown upcoming project!

The picture frame was only $.50 and I think they look so cute just sitting on a shelf empty.  Not sure if I will paint this one or add some chicken wire or something...the possibilities are plentiful!

This glass vase came in a set of two for only $.50.  I was so excited because I've seen so many ideas on pinterest for these and then a pillow fight broke out in my house and the set of two was down to one lonely vase...urggg!!  Oh well, I better enjoy these moments with the crazy boys because I'm sure I'll wish they were back when they're gone!

My old Folger's coffee can is my prize possession.  It was holding drill bits at ReStore and I asked one of the volunteers if they would sell it to me.  He threw a $.25 price sticker on it and it was mine!!  I love it in my coffee corner...so fun!

Have you found any great deals lately??  It's getting close to the end of the month and my local American Cancer Society Thrift store puts all their stuff 50% off the last few days of the month...I may just have to stop and browse.  I'll let you know if I find anything good!

Blessings,

Linking up here:
Friday     Five Days Five Ways   Delicate Construction Creation Corner,   French Country Cottage,   The Shabby Nest,   At The Picket Fence, Tatertots and Jello, Thirty Handmade Days,  Life As Mom,   Fingerprints on the Fridge, Chic on a Shoestring Decorating, The Frugal Girls,The Grocery Cart Challenge, While He Was Napping, Miss Mustard Seed,Remodelaholic 

Saturday  Funky Junk Interiors, I Heart Naptime, Be Different Act Normal, Young An Crafty, Six Sisters' Stuff

SundayC.R.A.F.T,  Nifty Thrifty Sunday,  DIY Showoff,  The Girl Creative   Homemaker on a Dime

Monday  The Better Mom  Between Naps on the Porch   Crafts Keep Me Sane    Dittle Dattle   Skip to My Lou  Craft-O Maniac  Sumo's Sweet Stuff

Tuesday      Mommy by Day Crafter by Night     At Home With K    Thrifty Decor Chick    Lil' Luna  Sugar Bee Crafts  Tip Junkie  Today's Creative Blog  A Bowl Full of Lemons  Coastal Charm  Home Stories a to z   My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia  Chef in Training  Someday Crafts

Wednesday  733 Blog   Passionately Artistic   The Trendy Treehouse  We Are That Family    Raising Homemakers   The Thrifty Home   Wicked Awesome Wednesday 

Sew Much a Do   Wow Us Wednesday   Ginger Snap Crafts    Power of Paint Night Owl Crafts
Thursday  Design Dazzle Somewhat Simple    The Shabby Chic Cottage   House of Hepworths   Just a Girl    Delightful Order     The Frugal Girls     Thrifty 101    Diaper Diaries  A Little Knick Knack  The 36th Avenue    

Burlap Covered Boxes

I'm working on organizing and giving my linen closet a makeover.  It was in pretty bad shape.

I wanted some nice storage containers but didn't want to pay a lot for them.

My Better Half was able to get some boxes from work and so I decided to cover them with burlap.  To make the most of my burlap I only covered the outside of the boxes.
Using my rotary cutter I cut strips of the burlap just big enough to fit around the boxes.  I tried spray adhesive and Elmer's glue to get the burlap to stick on the box...no success.

So, I pulled out my handy yet painful hot glue gun and it quickly did the trick.

I used some ribbon from all that ribbon I got for $15 and just wrapped it around the boxes and hot glued it to the box.

Cute, huh?!

I still have to make some tags to go on the outside but I didn't get that far yet!  They are going to look so nice in my updated and organized new linen closet!

Blessings,

Linking up to these parties:
 Friday   Five Days Five Ways    Delicate Construction Creation Corner,   French Country Cottage,   The Shabby Nest,   At The Picket Fence, Tatertots and Jello, Thirty Handmade Days,  Life As Mom,   Fingerprints on the Fridge, Chic on a Shoestring Decorating, The Frugal Girls,The Grocery Cart Challenge, While He Was Napping, Miss Mustard Seed,Remodelaholic 

Saturday  Funky Junk Interiors, I Heart Naptime, Be Different Act Normal, Young An Crafty, Six Sisters' Stuff

SundayC.R.A.F.T,  Nifty Thrifty Sunday,  DIY Showoff,  The Girl Creative   Homemaker on a Dime

Monday  The Better Mom  Between Naps on the Porch   Crafts Keep Me Sane    Dittle Dattle   Skip to My Lou  Craft-O Maniac  Sumo's Sweet Stuff

Tuesday  At Home With K    Thrifty Decor Chick    Lil' Luna  Sugar Bee Crafts  Tip Junkie  Today's Creative Blog  A Bowl Full of Lemons  Coastal Charm  Home Stories a to z   My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia  Chef in Training  Someday Crafts

Wednesday     Blue Cricket Design 733 Blog   Passionately Artistic   The Trendy Treehouse  We Are That Family    Raising Homemakers   The Thrifty Home   Wicked Awesome Wednesday 

Sew Much a Do   Wow Us Wednesday   Ginger Snap Crafts    Power of Paint Night Owl Crafts
Thursday  Design Dazzle Somewhat Simple    The Shabby Chic Cottage   House of Hepworths   Just a Girl    Delightful Order     The Frugal Girls     Thrifty 101    Diaper Diaries  A Little Knick Knack  The 36th Avenue