Dirt Chic

Way Awesome Party Food: Buffalo Chicken Nachoroni

My hubby and I like to go to a restaurant in Chicago called Kuma's Corner, where they have burgers that are named after metal bands... and they have metal playing most of the time.  They also have create-your-own mac n' cheese, which is to die for.  

Hubby also LIVES for nachos, and we both live for buffalo-sauced anything.  So after quite a few tries, we developed this recipe - easy, fun, and good for leftovers!  Ultimate comfort food!

(In honor of SuperBowl Sunday, which I could care less about ;)

2-3 boneless chicken breasts

A mix of great spices (red pepper flakes, garlic & onion powder, salt, pepper)

1/2 to 3/4 C chopped onion

1/2 to 2/4 C chopped green pepper (red, too, if you've got it)

1 box of elbow macaroni (unless it's a big box, like from Aldi's - then half of it)

1/2 packet of taco seasoning

1/2 C (or more) Buffalo wing sauce (Louisiana hot sauce is fine, too - but less orange!)

1 C delicious cheese (I use whatever I have: mild/sharp cheddar, colby/jack, taco... a mixture is even better)

1 jar of queso dip

Doritos or tortilla chips (the crushed ones from the bottom of the bag are perfect)

1. Cook the macaroni according the box directions.

2. Cut chicken into 1-inch pieces.  Heat a few T's of canola oil in a medium-sized skillet.  After the oil is warm, put the chicken in.  Sprinkle liberally w/all the spices, except the red pepper - go fairly easy on those.  Cook on one side, then turn, and season that side.  Cook until browned.  Add a few T's of buffalo sauce, and cook until the sauce has absorbed into the chicken.  Put in a large mixing bowl.

3. In the same pan w/a little more oil, cook the onions and peppers until any extra moisture is gone, and some of them have browned a little bit.  Add to the chicken.

4. When macaroni is done, drain/blanch/let cool off a bit in a colander.  Add it to the mixing bowl.

5. Mix the remaining ingredients in, minus the chips and some of the grated cheese.  Spread the mix in a lightly greased 9x13 pan.  Sprinkle w/remaining cheese, and crushed chips.  (You can crush more if you need more.

6. Bake, uncovered, in a 375-degree oven until all cheese is melted.  Let cool a bit, and serve!

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Fun and Drum

I thought you all might enjoy these drum cakes I made for my son's first bday. He is going to be three this year so it was a while ago.  The party was a "Rat-a-Tat-Tat Party".  He loved the drums and still does.  I didn't really have the skill to make a big drum cake.  I tried and it was a failure.  So I made these little drum cakes out of Hostess Ding Dong's and lots of candy.  The centerpieces for each table were books about drums that I got from the library.  I also borrowed instruments from some people to put on each table.   The favors were little maracas I got at Pier One.  

  

These are so easy and fun.  I frosted the sides of the Ding Dongs and wrapped red licorice around the top and bottom.  Then I wrapped another piece of licorice around the middle in a wave pattern.  Where the licorice intersects I added some more frosting and a miny M&M.  The top of the Ding Dong I sprinkled sugar on.  The drum sticks are pretzel rods dipped in white chocolate.

 

Here is a double decker drum.  I guess it would be the Tom drum or Floor drum.

I got lots of complements.

--Mary

Birthday Notes: The Big 3-0

I'm trying to figure out what to do for my upcoming birthday. I think it's fun that I'll be 30, but I think it's even MORE fun that it's a great excuse to plan something interesting.

As you can see above, my life is filled with little people (though none of them are actually my kids, and yes, that's a wonderful shot of me holding my niece). This is significant as it means any family celebration has to kind of wrangle either the kids or their sleeping/eating/carousing schedules. Most of the birthdays in the last 4-ish years have been homebound, or carefully plotted to be in a kid-friendly place. (Even for adult birthdays.)

I am not interested in having a party for the sake of gifts, and I actually kind of hate being the center of attention (learned this the hard way at my 25th birthday party). I'm really just interested in having a party to a)see people b) be festive and c) EAT.

I'm seriously considering a potluck. But not just any potluck. Mary thinks it should be "Taste of Kankakee". I'm thinking that could be fun, too. Any ideas of what a fun, cool potluck would entail?

--Arwen

House at Pooh Corner Toys & Ornaments

All throughout my youth I had an obsessive relationship with my public library.  It was definitely about fiction but extended to the reference section, as well.  At one point in my early teens I discovered this book, and actually set about making one of the items in it.

It was the Pooh Bear you see on the front.  I gave it to a little boy I babysat, and his mom turned it into an ornament.  So, I made one for Mary.  I didn't forget about the book, and more than a decade later, I found it on Amazon.com and bought it.  

The purpose?  Well, it's just a great book, with many little crafts, but I wanted to make Pooh Bear again as ornaments for my 4 nieces and 1 nephew.  So I stocked up on embroidery floss, felt, stuffing and sewing items.

I'm more of a handcrafts person, the smaller the better.  I was able to make all the Pooh Bears last Christmas because I had a desk job where they thankfully allowed me to craft to my heart's content - and it was a good thing, too, as I had to answer the phone a lot and could still stitch while talking. (I wanted to read more, but reading and getting interrupted a lot is NOT good.)

This was for my friend Wendy who just had a baby.

I branched out and for the first time made Piglet, who is wearing a little purple dress, because he was for my friend Briony who ALSO had a baby.  Briony and I were in a college production of House at Pooh Corner, and she was Piglet, and wore a purple dress.  (I was "Late Rabbit", Rabbit's niece.  Psh.)

Yes, I like taking pictures of myself and my kraftiness.

(I was especially fond of Piglet)

This last Christmas I made Eeyores.  Like Pooh Bear, they aren't hard, but are time-consuming.  I worked on them every night after 9pm for two weeks.  It was nice, because I could either talk on the phone while making them or listen to music.  Or "watch" movies.

If I look a little tired here, I probably was.  This was the day I finished them all, the night before we left to go home for break.

But it was great to see them all together.  The only tweaking I did to the pattern was embroider all the kids' names on the felt before I stitched it together, and add a bit of silk cord for hanging.

Great little toys - or ornaments.  They aren't really sturdy enough (at least, the way I make them) for toddlers, but can handle regular play if the kids don't go tearing at the limbs and hair and such.  You can also enlarge the patterns and make bigger-sized stuffed animals.  The author does request, though, that you don't make these for profit.  That's fine with me. :)  I just make them for good fun.

--Arwen

Christmas Magazine Craft Idea!

Mary and I were brainstorming somewhat recently about what to do with old magazines.  (More on that later.)  I later came across this in a BH&G book:

Awesome!

An 80's Christmas

Have yourself an 80's little Christmas.

 

For everyone who ever pored over the Sears Wish Book when it showed up in, like, October, ...and made Christmas seem like EONS and EONS away.

May you receive your dream house...

...supreme girl power...

...happiness...

...rainbows...

...silky hair and a passel of pastel ponies...

...the ability to care-a-lot more about everything...

...lots of friends to swap stickers with and perhaps gummi bracelets...

...a choice new ride...

...comfort in the dark...

...delicious baked goods...

...adventure...

...and a cumbersome tv console.

It is the 80's, you know. :)

The Christmas Process Begins

Last year's conversation with the female in-laws:

"Arwen, don't spend a lot of money on us this year."

Me, in my head: "Do I ever?"

Me, out loud: "I won't."

~or~

"Arwen, you don't have to give us presents this year."

Me, in my head: "I will if I want."

Me, out loud: "I never spend that much on gifts."

I know they were trying to be sensitive to mine-and-husband's school-related poverty, but on a level, it irked me.  My remedy: make sure they understand my feelings about the entire holiday.  In as few words as possible.  Because I know the same conversation will arise!

My feelings?  They are based on what the holidays should be.  The holidays are a process of festivity, togetherness, and creation.  The holidays should not be synonymous with stress - about money, time, or community.  The holidays should not be about consumerism, and the idea that bigger is better, or that more costly is better.

(Stepping down from soapbox)

Particularly, I have a strategy that I adopted when I first started college (um, over 12 years ago) and has served me well, since.  Basically, it is to find the perfect gift for a person, at the lowest cost.  Or, make it.  Or, find a bunch of smaller inexpensive things that the person likes.  

This year, I'm working on other strategies.  Such as pacing out the creation and togetherness and festivity.  My goals:

*make/find inexpensive decorations that I enjoy 

*do something memorable with Christmas card/newsletter

*really invest, mentally, in the activities of it all (baking, making, decorating)

*doing some community things.  (Not just sitting in my apartment.)

I will be processing it all, here.  Starting now!  (Since I have the time)

Halloween in a Nutshell

At some point I will start to trick or treat again.  I'm thinking with my Little People (nieces, nephew) or my very own Little People, whenever they start to show up.

At this point, though, the extent of my interest is - besides Domo here, from Target - 

and getting cheap candy AFTER the date - is this.

also known as this

You can read all about these and other AMAZING candies at this AMAZING DELUXE blog.  I highly recommend you look into what the blogger has dug up on Hershey's candies!  Here, do it!  And if you want Mary Janes, good luck - the real Halloween versions are somewhat tricky to find.  I've gotten them at Walgreens.  You can also get them at The Cracker Barrel and World Market.

Toilet Paper Roll Inspiration EVERYWHERE!!!

Mary is the Toilet Paper Roll Master.  Without her keen eye for fun things, I might've missed these awesome crafts in one of my favorite books, Better Homes & Garden's Treasures from Throwaways.

I love anything with beading.  But especially Christmas ornaments.  It's so easy - you can get fun bead assortments at any craft store.  And spray paint is easy to be had - this gives me inspiration for a garland, too.

However, this is the Queen Mother of TP Christmas Crafts.

So mod.  So easy, I bet.  So choice!

A Handmade Holiday?

I like this concept.

It's about pledging to only buy handmade items for the holiday.  Granted, it's Etsy-based, which makes sense, as Etsy's main claim to fame is handmade.

My bone with it is twofold: a) I am broke, hence buying even handmade can be burdensome and b) I don't expect to have much crafting time to make my own gifts.  (Though do plan to make some - I'll post about it closer to Christmas.)

It's not a real bone - I still think it's a great idea, I just wish there was also a pledge for BuyingUsed or BuyingUsedandHandmade.  In my travels to find stock for my Etsy I pick up a LOT of (really inexpensive) gifts second-hand.  And Etsy has a massive vintage selection, itself, so this wouldn't be that hard....

So I suppose I could make my own BuyingUsedandHandmade pledge, right?  Does anyone else have interest in this?