Crispy Southwest Chicken Wraps

Do you ever crave food?  In particular Chipotle or Qdoba?  I know that my boyfriend and I do.  Our grocery store has a special on rotisserie chickens every Friday, 2 for $10!  So, I usually buy them.  This time we were looking at having chicken wraps so, I came up with a "southwest" themed wrap. I hope you enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 1/2 rotisserie chicken, shredded
• 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 cups cooked brown rice
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 green onion, chopped
• 2 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tbsp garlic powder
• 2 tsp garlic salt
• 2 tsp onion powder
• 1 tbsp dried cilantro
• 2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 10 whole wheat tortillas
• 2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• plain Greek yogurt

Directions:

1. In large bowl, mix cooked rice with cumin, paprika, garlic powder, garlic salt, onion powder, cilantro, cayenne pepper, and oregano.  Add drained black beans, chicken, red bell pepper, and green onion.
2. To assemble: line the tortilla with a small amount of cheese, place a dollop of Greek yogurt in the center, add 2 large spoon-fulls of the chicken/bean/rice mixture on top of the Greek yogurt.  Fold in two ends and roll. TIP: put a small amount of cheese in the overlapping tortilla to seal it shut.
3. Heat a griddle over medium heat.  Spray with non-stick spray.  Place the wraps, with the seam side down, on the warm griddle.  Cook for 3 minutes on each side, or until the wraps have a light toasted look.
4. Enjoy with salsa, more Greek Yogurt, or hot sauce. 

Enjoy!

Hooded Infinity Scarf

My boyfriend's mother (who I made the Eagles Head Warmer for) cannot wear things tight on her head. She was asking me if I could make her a hat that would be comfortable for her. I had found a hat/scarf combo a while ago that I thought would look great. Lucky me, she loved the pictures of it.

Well, I start making this hooded scarf and the pattern and something just wasn't looking right. When I started the scarf... chaining 130 wasn't quite right and when I finished round 8, it wasn't the correct gauge. So, I continued making more rounds (10 total). Then, when I started making the hood, I stopped after the initial chain 60 (because it was not long enough to go around my head like a hood should). I thought this was weird since both of us are using Red Heart yarn but, ohh well I guess.

This is when I decided... I like how the pattern I found had the custom back loops and front loops so, I am changing the measurements and round counts.

Materials:
Red Heart Super Saver yarn in Aran Flecks (I used one 5 oz skein plus some that I had left over--approx 6 to 7 oz)
Size K crochet hook (6.50mm)
Scissors
Yarn needle

NOTE: the yarn is slightly scratchy, so I softened it.  Directions on softening yarn can be found here.

Gauge:
12 sts = 4 in
Scarf:
Hood: 20 1/2 in x 9 1/2 in

Abbreviations:
ch: chain
sts: stitches
hdc: half double crochet
FL: front loop
BL: back loop
sl st: slip stitch

Scarf:
ch 165, sl st in first st (make sure that your chain is not twisted)
Round 1: ch 2, hdc in the same st as sl st, hdc around (165 sts)
Round 2-12: ch 2, turn, hdc FL in the same st as sl st, hdc BL, [hdc FL, hdc BL] around, sl st in first st (165 sts)
--This is meant to be wrapped around your neck once. If you want a cowl, ch 80 and follow the pattern, ending in 80 sts for each round.

Hood:
ch 76
Row 1: In second ch from hook, [hdc CFL, hdc CBL] around (75 sts)
Row 2-24: ch 2, turn, [hdc FL, hdc BL]
F/O and weave in ends

Fold the hood rectangle in half, whip stitch (or slip stitch) the initial chain together, starting from the end that will be attached to the scarf. (Note: to make the hood lay on your head better, once you get ___ inches up the ) Line up the seam of the hood with the seam of the scarf; whip stitch the hood to the scarf.

Please note: Patterns are for personal and charity use only.  If you enjoy the pattern, please link to it, but do not copy the pattern to your own website or blog.

Quick Chicken Pot Pie

I don't know about the rest of you girls out there but, I get cravings and let me tell you, I have to give in occasionally.  So, here I am, making chicken pot pie... NOM

This recipe is really easy to make and delicious.  Surprisingly, it's less than 500 calories per serving too!

Ingredients:

• 1/3 c. butter
• 1 small yellow onion, diced
• 1/3 c. flour
• 1/2 c. milk
• 1 3/4 c. reduced sodium chicken broth
• 1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese
• 16 oz mixed frozen veggies, thawed and drained
• 1/2 rotisserie chicken, shredded and chunked
• 1 can reduced fat crescent rolls
• salt, to taste
• pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
2. In a medium saucepan (at least 2 quarts), melt the butter over medium heat.  Add the onions, salt, and pepper.  Cook until the onions are tender. 
3. Gradually add the flour, whisking constantly until well blended and the roux is complete.
4. Gradually add the milk and chicken broth.  Stir occasionally until the mixture is thickened and bubbly. Stir in the Parmesan cheese.
5. Add the mixed veggies and chicken to the saucepan.  Remove from heat.
6. Spray a 9x13 glass pan with Pam Olive Oil.  Spread the mixture into the pan and top with the crescent rolls.  
7. Bake for 15-20 minutes at 350 degrees, or until the crust the is desired golden brown.

ENJOY!

Spinach Mushroom Onion Pasta

Have any of you ever watched Chopped on Food Network?  I tend to watch it when I am bored.  Well, my boyfriend and I are traveling this weekend, and hate wasting food, so we haven't done much grocery shopping the past few days.  Luckily, I have watched chopped enough to find this empty refrigerator a great challenge, not a "take-out" opportunity.

So, I threw together a pasta dish.  The only meat we had available to us was chicken.  We had some mushrooms and onions cut up (that I eat in omelets every morning), of course garlic (I am a firm believer in "everyone should have garlic laying around"), and some spinach from salads left over. Then, to the cabinet... what do I see?  A box of thin spaghetti from while ago.

I usually make my own sauce (growing up in a part-Italian family makes you learn to hate all of the jar sauces at the grocery store).  Well, poop, I don't have any of the ingredients for an Alfredo sauce... well why not just a garlic and olive oil sauce?  Sounds good!

Ingredients (none of these have been measured, I went off of taste):

chopped onion
sliced mushroom
chopped spinach
chicken breasts
garlic powder
minced garlic
onion powder
basil
oregano
salt
pepper
cooked pasta
Parmesan cheese (if desired)

Directions:

1. Coat the chicken breasts with garlic powder, onion powder, basil, oregano, salt, and pepper.
2. Cover the bottom of a skillet with olive oil, add approx. 1 tbsp minced garlic, place over medium heat.  Cook the chicken breasts until fully cooked. 
3. Remove the chicken from the skillet.  Add about 1 tbsp of minced garlic and cover the bottom with olive oil.  Add as many onions and mushrooms as you want. Allow to cook for 2-4 minutes (so the mushroom and onion are the desired tenderness).  Add as much spinach and pasta as you want.
4. Once the pasta has warmed up and the spinach begins to wilt, remove from heat.  Serve with a piece of chicken and top with Parmesan cheese, if desired.

I was surprised at how easy and fun this was to challenge myself to make!  

ENJOY!

Crochet Small Basket with Handles

My friend recently moved to the area and of course (if you have read a previous post) I made her a gift basket, literally. I hadn't even considered crocheting a basket so, this has to be fun, right? I didn't even have to go looking for the pattern... I already had the pattern pinned on my pinterest page!  I saw these baskets and fell in love with them.

The basket shown is the smallest size for the pattern I found.  So, the pattern I followed--with modifications, or course-- is the one I found here.

Modifications include:

• Instead of holding 2 skeins of super thick and chunky yarn together, I held 4 strands of worsted weight yarn together.  I ended up using Red Heart Super Saver yarn in Aran Flecks.  The pattern took a little less than 2 skeins of yarn.  
• I extended the base of the pattern by one round.  So, after Round 6, I continued to increase so my final stitch count was 56 instead of 48. (Message me if you have a question about this)
• For the handles (Round 14-15 in the pattern):
• Rnd 14: Ch 2, hdc in next 9 sts, ch 12, skip the next 10 sts, hdc in next 18 sts, ch 12, skip the next 10 sts, hdc in the next 9 sts, join with sl st
• Rnd 15: Ch1, sc in the same st and in the next 9 sts, work 15 sc under the ch 12 space (do not work into the stitches, instead when you would go into them, go under them instead), sc in the next 18 sts, work 15 sc under the ch 12 space, sc in the next 9 sts, join with sl st, F/O and weave in ends

This basket makes a great gift.  I might make one for my boyfriend as an Easter basket this year.

ENJOY!

Wrap Around Baby Booties

So, I don't know about everyone else but, I am at the age where my friends are starting to have babies (crazy, I know, but they are mostly older than me).  So, of course, I want to make them something cute to start off their young ones lives.

I have made baby booties in the past so, why not try another pair... right?  During my search, I found these gems... Aren't they absolutely ADORABLE?????

They don't look too hard to make so, I searched in google for "crochet baby wrap around boots pattern" and lucky me, I found this pattern from I'm Topsy Turvy  

I have made three pairs of the booties following the pattern on the blog, two for friends having babies and a work friend ordered a pair from me!  

Then, I had a request from the same work friend.  Her daughter received an American Girl Doll for Christmas this year (so exciting, I had one as young girl) and she was wondering if I could make one to fit the doll.  So nice of her to want to surprise her daughter with something special!

First I had to find out the size of the doll's feet (2-5/8" x 1-3/8") and then I started experimenting with the pattern.  Here is what I went off of:

Materials:

4.00mm crochet hook

Caron Simply Soft yarn in Grey Heather

2 pink buttons

Abbreviations:

ch: chain

sc: single crochet

hdc: half double crochet:

sc2tog: single crochet 2 together

dc2tog: double crochet 2 together

dc3tog: double crochet 3 together

sl st: slip stitch

Directions:

Sole
ch 11
Rnd 1: sc in 2nd ch, sc 3 times, hdc 3 times, hdc 7 times in last ch, (other side of initial chain), hdc 3 times, sc 3 times, sc 4 times in last ch, sl st in first sc (24)
Rnd 2: ch 1, sc in same sc, sc 5 times, hdc, 2hdc 3 times, 3hdc, 2hdc 3 times, hdc, sc 6 times, 2sc 3 times, sl st in first sc (35)

Boot
Rnd 1: ch 1, (working in black loops for the entire round) sc around (35) --if you sc in the same sc at the beginning, your seam will be nicer looking
Rnd 2-3: ch 1, sc around (35) --if you sc in the same sc at the beginning, your seam will be nicer looking
Rnd 4: ch 1, sc in the same sc, sc 7 times, sc2tog, dc2tog, dc, dc3tog, dc, dc2tog, sc2tog, sc around, sl st (29)
Rnd 5: ch 1, sc in the same sc, sc 5 times, sc2tog, dc2tog, dc3tog, dc2tog, sc2tog, sc around, sl st (23)
Rnd 6: ch 1, sc in the same sc, sc 3 times, dc, dc3tog, dc, sc2tog, sc around, sl st (19)
F/O weave in ends.

Boot Cuff
for the right boot, sl st in the 4th st from the seam
for the left boot, sl st in the 8th st from the seam
(there will be 3 sts in the front of the boot--dc, dc3tog, dc)
ch 15
Rnd 1: hdc in 3rd ch from hook -first 2 ch counts as first hdc, hdc in next 11 ch, hdc in first sc (the one you sl st in), hdc 16 times (there will be 3 spaces left), skip 3 spaces, sc in last space.

Rnd 2: ch 2 (counts as hdc), turn, hdc in first hdc, hdc around, (when there are 4 sts left) ch 1 skip one hdc, hdc in last 3 sts 

Rnd 3: ch 2 (counts as hdc), turn, hdc in the 3 hdc, hdc in ch1 space, hdc around 

Rnd 4 scallops: turn, 5dc in second dc, [skip 1 hdc, sc in next hdc, skip 1 hdc, 5dc in next hdc], repeat around (10 shells), sc down the side (I do 2 for each row so a total of 6 down the side), continuing around sc across the bottom along the original chain, sl st, F/O and weave in ends

I hope someone else can get use out of this pattern modification for another doll!  Pictures of the doll boots to come! 

ENJOY!

Please note: Patterns are for personal and charity use only.  If you enjoy the pattern, please link to it, but do not copy the pattern to your own website or blog.

Etsy Shop

Hey Guys!  I recently made an etsy.com account and plan on selling some things I am making.  It is called Emily's Hook Creations, please take a look!