So this post is slightly random, but this summer has been so eventful I have many things to share! The first being some craft ideas....gotta love 'em! If you or someone you know is getting married and would like some DIY ideas then allow me to share some items I created for my own. These do not take too long, except for the personal note you will see in a moment. That was due to the fact that I had 250 guests, felt the need to layer 3 different kinds of paper, etc. For those I deemed it "the sweatshop" and would not stop working for the day until I had burned through another layer of skin on my fingertips with rubber cement and double stick tape (the latter is your best friend in the entire world when it comes to wedding crafts).
Table Numbers:
These were super easy and came out looking so elegant. Just take any color of paper for the base and cut it to be the size you desire. I used paper that was thicker than construction paper but not cardstock, since sometimes cardstock is difficult to get a nice sharp crease. You could also fold it to make shorter, wider table numbers (hot dog vs. hamburger...it's up to you). Using scrapbook paper from Hobby Lobby (when it was half off of course) I cut the taupe patterned paper to cover the entire front. To save paper you could also just cut 2 pieces for the top and bottom. Then we printed out our table numbers on ivory cardstock with our home printer. My mom purchased a wedding font software she found randomly....turned out we used it ALL the time! Cut the ivory paper to the correct width and glue on top of the taupe paper. We found the rhinestones also at Hobby Lobby and secured those with a metal/glass glue along the bottom seam of the ivory paper. We tied a simple knot in ribbon from Hob Lob and secured that with double stick tape...voila!
Candles Galore:
These were so fun to make and simple as well! To cut cost, time, and effort I ended up only decorated the front candle out of a group of 3 (we had 3 groups of 3 on each table). I also only used these candles on half of my tables, the ones that had low centerpieces. Instantly my to-do list was cut in half! Anyways, I found these candles at...can you guess...Hobby Lobby. The votive already comes in the holder and they burn for a substantial amount of time. I cut and secured thin ivory ribbon around the center of the candle with double stick tape. I found it the easiest to put one piece in the center and then secure the overlapping end with another small piece of tape. I then cut a section of 3 rhinestones (they are all on string and it is so easy to just cut between the individual rhinestones to your desired length) and used that metal/glass glue to adhere them to the ribbon. Tip - lay them on their backs for the rhinestones to dry so they don't slide around.
Girlie Gift Tags:
These tags were made for my bridesmaids' and house party's gift bags. I downloaded the font from an amazing site online and discovered that some of the symbols such as the * and parentheses are cute little faces! Printed these out and backed them with wedding color paper. Hole punch and tie to bag with toule or other ribbon. Done!
Bar Signs:
Hob Lob came to the rescue with this craft as well! Print out your signature cocktail or any other drink, message, etc. on ivory cardstock. Back with wedding color paper. Secure the strip of rhinestones along the seam of the paper with the metal/glass glue (I cut the rhinestones to just fit inside the frame). Remove the glass in the picture frame bought at half price and set on the bar for a super easy way to alert guests of a tasty beverage! And you can use the frames after the wedding!
Alright, there was a promise of food in the title and here it is! I tried out a new recipe for Thai Chicken from Williams Sonoma's FoodMadeFast: weeknight cookbook. It was absolutely delish and is definitely a recipe we will have again. I made a few tweaks and got a great idea for another use for the chicken.
Thai Chicken Satay
2 large limes
1/2 cup rice vinegar
1/3 cup chunky peanut butter
1/4 cup fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon ginger, minced
3 cloves garlic, mined (I use the jar, so much easier)
3 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons light brown sugar, firmly packed
1 tablespoon asian sesame oil
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves, cut into thick strips (I did bite-size pieces)
1 small head romaine lettuce, cored and shredded*
1 cucumber, peeled and sliced*
*This recipe has you serve the chicken with the lettuce and cucumbers. I served it over Uncle Ben's 90 second brown rice and it was SO good. And more substantial for the husband who does not like anything green...
Also, the recipe has you grill or broil the chicken on bamboo skewers. I just placed the chicken on a baking sheet and broiled it in our oven.
1. Grate 1 teaspoon zest from the limes and squeeze 1/4 cup juice.
2. In glass or ceramic bowl, whisk together the lime zest and juice, rice vinegar, and peanut butter until smooth (except for peanut pieces of course).
3. Stir in cilantro, ginger, garlic, soy sauce, brown sugar, and sesame oil.
4. Reserve about 1//2 cup of this mixture in a separate bowl to use as sauce (next time, I would reserve more than that because the sauce is so delish).
5. Add the chicken to the marinade and turn to coat. Let stand at room temp for at least 10 minutes or cover and refrigerate for up to 2 hours.
6. My version of cooking: preheat a broiler (sidenote...this takes a long time since its a high temp...start preheating early!)
7. Spread out the chicken on a baking sheet and place under broiler.
8. Cook until seared on outside and opaque on inside, turning once halfway through (total cook time: 6 minutes)
9. Pop your 90 second rice into the microwave....thank you so much Uncle Ben.
10. When done, divide chicken among bowls of rice and top with the reserved sauce.
Enjoy!
This chicken is truly amazing. You get a wonderful lime flavor and a just a hint of the peanut butter. My very picky husband LOVED it. The chicken would be SO good to use in an Asian salad with lettuce, cucumber, shredded carrots, maybe even water chestnuts or crunchy Chinese noodles on top. And the marinade as the dressing. Just an idea for future dinner times!
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