Quick company dessert hack!

 

An easy dessert hack I use often is to keep a brownie mix and an assortment of baking chips on hand.  Then if you have unexpected company coming, mix up the brownie mix and add a cup or so of the flavored chips to the mix before baking and you will have a quick and easy homemade treat!

I use mint chips often but others that work are white chocolate, peanut butter, butterscotch, toffee bits, and even diced dried cherries or cranberries along with the white chocolate chips!

This is also a great trick to use if you have to take treats for some event.  Try to keep the supplies on hand and you can easily have something ready to go in a flash!

Happy baking!

~Connie

A little trail thru the woods...

We have been on this property for 7 years this May, and over the years we have been trying to spend some of our outdoor time reestablishing a trail thru our woods to the pond.  At one time there was a trail but it has had numerous years of neglect ...so it has been a challenge to cut back the trees and the under story plants.  That however is the 1st step to creating a neat trail thru our property that we hope the kids and the grands will enjoy in the future!

I hope this summer and in years future to add some cool artwork and signs along the trail.  Maybe a fairy village, a fishing bridge at the pond and a playhouse in the woods will pop up in the next few Springs!  John and I have some fun ideas in mind.  So I will try to remember to share some pics of our creations here.

~
Connie

Slow Cooker Chicken Burritos

Warm comfort food always sounds good on a cold evening and when it's a simple crockpot recipe that's even better.  Hope you will find it as tasty as my crew does.

Easy Crockpot Chicken Burritos

In a slow cooker layer in 4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts.  Sprinkle over them 1 package of taco seasoning mix.  

Next add to the crock pot, 1 can diced tomatoes, 1 can whole kernel corn and 1 can of black beans.

Cook on low for 6 hours.   With 2 forks shred chicken in the crockpot and mix in 3/4 c of sour cream.  Cook 1 package of Spanish rice as directed.

Serve chicken with, rice, flour tortillas, salsa, grated cheddar and any of your favorite taco toppings!

YUM!

If you'd like to receive more free recipe ideas from me, please check out the recipe tab at the top of the blog.  If you would like me to start an email list for new recipes that I post, please send me a note about that and I will see what I can come up with.  Contact me at prairiechicknotes@gmail.com

Happy Eating!

~ Connie

 

Do you know what's most flattering on your body shape?

                 

We've all been there ... saw a great looking outfit in a store display, tried on those same pieces and then hated the results!  Could you figure out why those pieces were not flattering on you??  I think learning a few tips to help you know your body shape and a few tricks for dressing that body shape will help us all find outfits we love.  Can you determine your shape by reading the descriptions below??  If you are unsure, check this body shape calculator link here.

Body Shapes in Fashion

Apple - Fuller bust and waist, carries most weight in upper body with slimmer legs.

Pear (Triangle) - bust is narrower than hips, defined waist, carries more weight in hips, butt and thighs.

Straight (Rectangle) - bust, waist and hips are all similar width. No real curves.

Carrot (inverted triangle)- shoulders are widest part, waist not defined, narrower hips.

Hourglass - bust and hips similar width with a narrower waist. 

Apple Body Shape Style Tips- the key to styling an apple body shape is to accent the legs and bust areas, while creating a more defined waist and a balanced silhouette.

    *Best Tops - V-neck styles, empire waist styles, peplum tops, wrap style tops and long line cardigans & coats.

    *Best Bottoms- Boot cut jeans and pants with a midrise, a line skirts, straight leg trousers.

If you are an apple shape read more here about do's and don'ts, plus tips on jacket styles, accessories, outerwear and more.

Pear Body Shape Style Tips- the key to styling a pear body shape is to bring balance to your look.  Focus on waist definition, shoulder widening sleeve details and wider necklines.  Brighter colors and stripes or patterns on the upper body (instead of the lower body) will help with balance too.

    *Best Tops - brighter colors, sleeve and shoulder details like pouf or ruffles, stripes or patterns, boat or sweetheart necklines, off the shoulder or tie strap shoulders.  Crop length jackets and cardigans with shoulder pads will widen the shoulders and accent your waist.

    *Best Bottoms- Boot cut jeans and pants with a higher rise, a line skirts, straight leg trousers.  Remember darker washes in jeans and pants will be most figure flattering.

If you are a pear shape read more here about styling your shape, plus tips on jacket and dress styles, accessories, outerwear and more.

Straight (Rectangle) Body Shape Style Tips -  the key to styling a straight (rectangle) body shape is to bring balance to your look.  Focus on waist definition and drawing the eye in toward the center of the body.

    *Best Tops - peplum styles, wrap styles and V necklines are all great. Avoid overly boxy shapes and loose fits, instead look for more tailored shaping and ruching to define a waistline.

    *Best Bottoms- Boot cut jeans and pants with a higher rise, a line skirts, straight or wider leg trousers will all highlight the waistline.

If you are a straight (rectangle) body shape read more here about more ways to style your shape, plus tips on jacket and dress styles, accessories, outerwear and more.

Carrot (inverted triangle) Body Shape Style Tips- the key to styling an carrot body shape is to accent the legs and hip areas, which will create a more balanced silhouette.

    *Best Tops - V-neck styles, scoop neck styles, halter tops, wrap style tops and one shoulder tops.  Stick with solid colors on top and avoid horizontal stripes which will over emphasize your broader shoulders.

    *Best Bottoms- Boot cut jeans and full or wide leg pants with a midrise or high rise, full skirts, and pleated skirts will look great on you. Prints and brighter colors on your bottom half will help bring balance to your shape.

If you are a carrot (inverted triangle) body shape read more here about styling your shape, plus tips on jacket and dress styles, accessories, outerwear and more.

Hourglass Body Shape Style Tips -  with a narrow waist and balanced bust and hip measurements, your body shape is celebrated in the fashion world, but it can still be a challenge to find styles that fit well!

    *Best Tops - peplum styles, wrap styles and V necklines are all great. Avoid overly boxy shapes and loose fits, instead look for more tailored shaping to hug your curves.

    *Best Bottoms- Boot cut jeans and pants with a higher rise, a line skirts, straight or wider leg trousers will all highlight the waistline.

If you are an hourglass body shape read more here about more ways to style your shape, plus tips on jacket and dress styles, accessories, outerwear and more.

Hope all this info provides some help and gives you a starting point for evaluating the clothes you already own, as well as gives you some ideas on flattering pieces to shop for.  Keep a list of YOUR figure flattering items on your phone.  This will help you evaluate a piece in the dressing room before you buy.  Going thru your closet on a cold winter day to eliminate items that don't work for you will help you feel better about your closet ...just think of it as EARLY Spring cleaning!

Reach out with any questions. Email me at prairiechicknotes@gmail.com

~Connie

Beef and Cheese Foldover

Here is a quick and simple dinner idea... my mom made this when I was a kid and it has been a staple in our family of BBQ lovers.

Beef & Cheese Foldover

1 pound ground beef

1/2 c. diced onions

2 tubes crescent rolls

6 slices american cheese

3/4 c. BBQ sauce

Brown ground beef and onions in a skillet. Drain.

Unroll one tube of crescent rolls on a baking sheet. Flatten into a bottom one piece crust.

Mix BBQ sauce into ground beef and spread this mixture over crescent roll crust.  Layer on the slices of cheese.  Unroll 2nd tube of crescent rolls to form a top crust. Pinch together edges.  Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.  Slice into pieces and serve with additional BBQ sauce if desired.

** A ham and cheese variation ~ Spread a honey mustard sauce over bottom crust.  Layer on sliced deli ham and american cheese. Add top crust and bake as above.

If you would like me to start an email list for new recipes that I post, please send me a note about that and I will see what I can come up with.  Contact me at prairiechicknotes@gmail.com

~Connie

My Books!!

 

    

                                                            A page from "Hello, Ruby!"

One of the things I've been wanting to do in my retirement is write kid's books.  For my first book I had an idea to make a counting book for toddlers and I wanted to feature the antics of my two real life "dorky" cats!  Emmett and Ruby are brother and sister and we rescued them about 10 years ago.  The pandemic winter provided me with the time to really work on my illustrations and the spring was a time to search for a way to self publish my board book.  (Not an easy task!)  It is way more costly to print a small order of books than I expected, but sooo exciting to see my creations published!

I presented that first board book "Hello, Ruby!" to my oldest granddaughter on her birthday in 2020!  

My second book idea came from watching Emmett and his adventures around the farm.  He is such a goofball!  This second book featured a lot of family members too, so hopefully the granddaughters will enjoy seeing their aunts, uncle and grandparents drawn out as book illustrations too.  I then gifted "Shoo, shoo Emmett!" to the little Shaver girls for Christmas 2022.  The photo above is from "Hello, Ruby!"  and I will share a photo from "Shoo, shoo Emmett!" below. 

 

                                                       A page from "Shoo, shoo Emmett!"

This past Fall I finished "Ruby's Pumpkin Surprise!"    These little books have brought me so much joy and I hope they will be family keepsakes for years to come.

My brain is already spinning up new adventures for the crazy cat duo, so there may be more books in the future. 😀

If you'd like to order any copies ... check out my Etsy shop at this link PrairieChickStudio

(and please note the price you see is the printing cost per book, I am not marking them up for profit)

~ Connie

Spicy corn chowder! It's what's for dinner

 

In the dead of winter, this is a recipe to spice up your dinner time.  I love a warm bowl of soup on a cold winter's night and this is a tasty recipe to whip up.

Ingredients-

4 Tablespoons butter

1 cup diced onion

1/2 cup diced red bell pepper

2 cans cream of potato coup

1 can cream of celery soup

2 cups frozen corn

1/2 cup diced tomatoes

3 cups milk

1/4 teaspoon pepper 

1 teaspoon cajun seasoning

Melt butter in stock pot and saute onion and diced pepper.  Add canned soups and milk.  Add corn and tomatoes.  Add seasonings and heat to low boil.  Serve when heated through.

Add salad and crusty bread for a delicious meal.

Stay warm!

~Connie

Cards by Prairie Chick --- find my Card Shop!

I wanted to share that I have an online shop featuring my handmade greeting cards and other things I create.  I enjoy sharing my artwork with others thru this card line and its been especially satisfying to send fun snail mail. I hope you will find some things in the shop too! 

Here is the link to my Etsy shop  PrairieChick Studio -- Link  here to Online Shop

If you don't see what you are looking for in the shop or want to make substitutions to the sets just let me know... I am happy to work out custom orders just for you!

~ Connie

    

Fast Dinner! Easy Orange Chicken

 

Here is a fast and easy dinner idea that I tried recently.  It turned out great and will make it into our dinner rotation on a regular basis!  

Here is the list of ingredients -  a bag of breaded chicken nuggets, soy sauce, orange marmalade, BBQ sauce and instant white rice.

How to make it -  cook chicken nuggets as directed.  Cook rice according to package.  Add 1 cup BBQ, 1 cup orange marmalade and 1 Tablespoon soy sauce to a microwave safe bowl and heat for 45 seconds.  Whisk to combine.  Pour warm sauce over chicken and serve with rice.  YUM!  Oh so easy!

Easy Orange Chicken