DIY: christmas place cards / name cards…

December 9, 2010

i made another little christmas craft- some fun place cards for your holiday table. although, you can use them for more than just christmas.

we usually have a fun brunch christmas morning with our little family after we open presents. so, i thought it would be fun to add our own little place cards to spruce up the table a little bit. but, these would be great idea for your christmas parties that are sure to be coming up! {p.s.- do you spy my holiday garland in these pictures?}

DIY christmas name / place cards {here is a little run down on how i made them}:

i was able to use my new die cut machine, from lifestyle crafts. i used the nesting circles die to cut out the middle music sheet paper, then i used the nesting scalloped circles to cut out the gold poster paper scalloped paper. {all from their new basics release}
i then printed out on white textured cardstock our names in the font that i liked, then cut out the names into strips.
i then glued the music sheet circle to the gold scallop, then bent/folded the name strips twice on each end so they were more 3-d and glued on the ends to the rest.
the finishing touch was a cute little mini-clothes pin that i picked up at the craft store.
i chose to put them in little succulent plant pots that i already had {inspired by this post}, but really, you could place them just about anywhere.

i hope this helps with your holiday planning!

creamy chicken and vegetable soup with rice …

This week while being sick with a horrible cold, I decided I needed to make some chicken and vegetable soup. But, instead of your typical chicken noodle soup, I decided to use my leftover rice in the fridge. The soup turned out just as I hoped, and I think it really helped me get over my cold.

At the last second I decided to add some sauteed mushrooms, and let me tell you, that really added a little something. I love when a good soup just comes together!

Check out the recipe below. You may need it to help fight your winter cold..

{Creamy Chicken and Vegetable Soup with Rice}

serves 4-6

1-2 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
1 cup, carrots, diced
1 cup, celery, diced
1 cup, leeks, chopped
1/2 an onion, diced
1 cup kale, chopped
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
2-3 cloves fresh garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups cooked rice {any variety you choose}
3 tbs butter
4 tbs flour
1/3 c heavy cream
2 (32 oz) containers chicken broth
salt and pepper to taste
Parmesan cheese for garnish

In a large stock pot, melt the butter. Add carrots, celery, leeks, onion, kale, mushrooms, and garlic. Saute for about 7 minutes or until vegetables start to get tender. Then add the flour and stir well.

Over medium heat, add the chicken broth slowly while stirring. Bring to a boil, then simmer over medium low for about 5 minutes until soup begins to thicken. Add the rice, and cooked chicken and some salt and pepper. Simmer on low for about 30-45 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent any sticking. Let the soup thicken slowly. Then, remove from heat and add cream. Bring back to temperature, then taste for spices then serve.

Enjoy!