Favorite Friday Recipe: Crockpot shredded chicken

I'd like to talk to you today about two different garage sales of which I am a huge fan. One is the Citywide Garage Sale where vendors from all over the state (and sometimes out of state) come and sell their vintage/antique goods. Stalls range from experienced antique dealers to little old ladies who are just trying to get rid of some stuff in their house. Needless to say this is one of my favorite events and many of my finds come from there--including these colorful Thermo-bowls with wicked little feet. They keep your food both hot and cold, depending on what you need. And have I mentioned how cute their little feet are?

The next garage sale that holds equal space in my heart is the semi annual Le Garage sale. Twice a year, all the local boutiques in town get together at the Palmer Events Center and hold a mega sale. There are usually lots of deals to be had and they've slowly expanded it to housewares as well as items for the men in your life, kids, and pets. It is this weekend and it's time to get my game face on!

Anyways, back to the post at hand. Today I'll be sharing a recipe that I got from the gals at fashionism. It's a very simple crockpot recipe with just three ingredients. Then you get to put together all the fixin's you like to have in your tacos and you're ready for a party!

Crockpot shredded chicken (for tacos)

Ingredients:

1 package of chicken
(you can use a whole cut up chicken, breasts, thighs, etc.)
1 package of taco seasoning
(I used chicken fajita seasoning but any would work)
1 can of chicken broth

Directions:

Mix chicken broth and taco seasoning in crockpot
Put in chicken
Set on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours
Shred chicken with a fork (remember to pour some of the broth on to keep it nice and juicy) and serve with other taco sides

We decided on homemade style tortillas, pico de gallo, cheese, guacamole, sour cream and tomatoes for our chicken taco night. Here are the Thermo-bowls and Fiesta ware in action!



And another shot, with a better view of the cute little feet on the Thermo-bowls!



Have a great weekend!

Flowers of the month: January

I love having fresh flowers in the house but it feels so decadent to be buying them all the time. So Jill and I decided that we'd trade off each month--she'll buy enough flowers for two arrangements for January, I'll buy February's flowers and so on. That way we each get flowers at least once a month and it's fun to be surprised every other month! We actually started this tradition last year, and although we (ok I) lost momentum around October, it was so fun that we decided to try it again this year.

Jill kicked off this year with some delicate pink spray roses for January. I wish I had thought to take a picture of them after day 3 when they bloomed even more. Roses have such an great classic vibe to them and yet the spray roses are petite and not overpowering like regular ones. They were also perfect in the glass jar--very simple and balanced out the formalness that roses sometimes have.The pink was a great choice too--I couldn't decide whether to put them on the kitchen counter where they could be seen all the time or on the dining room table set with an antique lace tablecloth. Thanks Jill!

Wishlist Wednesday: Snack time!

There are not too many words that I react to with such delight as the words: snack time! I am never one to turn down a snack, big or small, and actually the running joke at work is that whenever anyone comes into my office I am always in the midst of eating something.

This post combines two of my great loves--snacks and kitchenware. Nothing sets the tone of a good snack more than arranging it on adorable plates. I love the following snack plate sets because they come complete with cups--perfect for tea and scones...and cookies...and cake...

Franciscan starburst snack plate set (holy grail--it sold on ebay for $$$!)



Cute retro print snack plate set in fun colors



Fire king snack plate set with a great blue mosaic

Vintage Monday: Franciscan Starburst

Today my finds come from the Austin Antique Mall! I didn't know that we had one so it was very exciting to discover it after living here for the past 7 years.

My experience at this antique mall was similar to my experiences at various others. It is very very crowded, packed to the brim with treasures, so much that it can be overwhelming. Some stalls were very neat and showcased their items beautifully, some were a jumble and made my eye start to twitch. All the pretty jewelry were locked away behind glass doors which takes away from the experience in my opinion but totally understandable. Price wise I thought things were on the expensive side though there were a few sales here and there (some booths up to 50% off as well).

Overall it's really interesting to see what items are considered collectible in different parts of the country. The Austin Antique Mall is definitely Texas/cowboy/cattle rancher themed. There were some great items though and I can't wait to go back and rummage on a regular basis!

I was able to score these Franciscan Starburst pieces from a store that was reorganizing (ie. a mess) so I got them for 50% off the listed price. This particular pattern is really popular on ebay so I don't think I'll be making a collection out of this pattern but I couldn't resist. Serving bowls are my weakness. As well as mugs with handles that look like big ears.

Favorite Friday Recipe: Kona Inn Banana Bread

Happy Friday! The weekend is almost here and I plan to catch up on some sleep, hopefully start another crafty project, and hang out with B and the puppies. I also cannot wait to sit at my kitchen nook and enjoy a leisurely afternoon tea complete with freshly baked banana bread. I love love love banana bread and have tried many recipes, only to keep coming back to this one. If you have some bananas on hand this weekend, give it a try!



Kona Inn Banana Bread

Ingredients (makes 2 loaves)

2-1/2 cups of flour
1/2 teaspoon of salt
2 teaspoons of baking soda
1 cup of butter
2 cups of sugar
2 cups of mashed ripe bananas (approximately 6)
4 eggs

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350F.
Grease and flour two 9 x 5 x 3 inch loaf pans.
Beat the butter with the sugar together until it is blended and light yellow.
Sift in the flour, salt, and baking soda.
Beat the eggs, then add them to the mixture, along with the mashed banana.
Mix in all ingredients by hand until blended (I used an electric mixer on low for the most part)
Batter should be a little lumpy when you pour it into the loaf pans.

Bake the bread 50 to 60 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Let cool on a rack (20 min if you are patient, 3.5 min if you're a hungry monster like me), slice, serve and enjoy!

Wishlist Wednesday: etsy goodies

Today my wishlist comprises of items found on etsy. I am seriously addicted to this site. There is a huge vintage portion that I scour daily for lost objects, but also a handmade section that is incredible! I love the idea of things that are handmade with love and care. The amount of detail, talent, creativity and work put into these items is just amazing. My secret dream is to open an etsy store one day though I have no idea what I'd put in the shop. Many of my handmade items are cobbled together with little to no quality control. These items are doubtful even for gifting let alone selling. (hence why all my jewelry making endeavors end up being gifted to my mom who will wear them out of duty--thanks mom!)

Here are a few handcrafted etsy items currently saved in my wishlist. Enjoy!

Chandelier in natural birch by Uncommon



Foxy pillow cover by humblecollection



Giclee print by JennSki



Felted pebble handsoap by delica



And get ready for a tiny squeal: a bell cupcake stand and bird vase by whitneysmith

Vintage Monday: Canoe Muffin anyone?

It drives me nuts when I can't find an item I have seen before so now I am super careful to write down any sort of brand name or distinguishing marks on items so that I can then go home and google to my heart's content.

A while ago, I saw this gorgeous Danish modern style flatware in a few pictures on other sites. They were sterling silver with a gorgeous rosewood handle. I attempted a few google searches but couldn't find much so I just filed that "wishlist want" to the back of my mind. Well then came the day when we braved the snow and ice to go to the DAV thrift store in St Joe. This thrift store in particular holds a special place in my heart. You have to dig to find the treasures, and oh the treasures you will find there. Old Samsonite luggage for $5? Thank you very much. Vintage pyrex for 99 cents? Well don't mind if I do. I always find great stuff here and that cold December day was no exception. There was a whole rack of silverware sitting on the shelves and I was quick to spot a wooden handle. Could it be? Score! We found a few butter knives, a fork, and a teaspoon (all for $1 incidentally) and so the obsession grew.

Even better was that I now had a brand name from the back of those utensils to research: Ekco Eterna. Soon, I learned that Ekco products began in 1888 in Chicago and were really popular in the 60s (which I guess is why mid century lovers geek out over this flatware). After more googling and ebaying, I finally learned the name of this highly sought after line of flatware....Canoe Muffin.

What??

When I told B this strange fact, he held up one of the forks, pointed to the wood handle and said, "I guess it's because it's sorta shaped like a canoe". Ohhhhh. But wait, what about the muffin part? But seeing as I am a lover of all things muffin, I put aside my incredulity and began to stalk ebay auctions. These canoe muffins and I were meant to be.

And so after extensive haggling and bidding and anxiously awaiting the end of various auctions, we are now the proud owners of quite an extensive Ekco Eterna Canoe Muffin collection. B is always amazed at how we go from nothing to a WHOLE LOT of something in very little time. I like to call it being efficient, and maybe a tad obsessive if I am honest about it.

I am proud to introduce the Canoe Muffin collection for this Vintage Monday!

Here they are, all nestled in their little drawer:



A closer look at the butter knife, dinner and salad forks and soup and teaspoons:



A side look so you can get the full "canoe" effect:



Serving pieces (meat fork, ladle, pie server and serving spoon):



Iced tea spoons (or ice cream sundae spoons!):



And really if you thought the iced tea spoons were frivolous wait till you see these cocktail/seafood forks:



Canoe view:



I am now ready and equipped to entertain and throw a party in which every food item will have its own serving or eating utensil. A dream come true.