Decorating my Kitchen

I've been having fun decorating a new apartment.  

 I haven't had curtains in four years!  It's exciting stuff...

Lucky in Love-Scratch Cards

Who doesn't love scratching off the silver boxes on lottery tickets or gift cards to see the message underneath, it's at least one of my favorite things. Thanks to Pinterest, I learned how to make those. It's one of the easiest things and I loved making these cards.

All you do is write your message, laminate it or they said covering it in packaging tape works just as well. Then, mix two parts metallic paint with one part dish soap. I had to do two or three layers to cover the writing, but I'm so happy with how these turned out. It works so well!

Valentine's Cookies

With several phone calls to my sister, I love these sugar cookies that I made, the love letter ones especially which I think are perfect for a missionary.

The pink ones are actually peanut butter cookies. After I made the dough i added a two caps of red food coloring and rolled them in red and white coarse sugar. The hugs instead of kisses, were put in the middle half way through baking. I found if I put them in at the beginning the chocolate melts too much.

Chunky Chicken Soup

This recipe is so good and really easy to make. I've become a big fan of the Pioneer Woman blog, (thanks Bri!), and it's one of her recipes. I've never cooked with parsnips before, and I'm not sure I like the taste, at least not how strong it is in this recipe. I probably would make this again with one less, and add more celery to give it more structure and change in texture. I loved it though!

Ingredients

• 1 whole Chicken
• 1 whole Bay Leaf
• 64 ounces, fluid Unsalted (or Low Sodium) Chicken Broth (you May Use Half Broth And Half Water If Desired.)
• 1 whole Large Onion, Chopped
• 3 whole Ribs Of Celery, Sliced
• 3 whole Carrots, Peeled And Chopped
• 3 whole Parsnips, Peeled And Chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt
• Ground Black Pepper

Preparation Instructions

Place all ingredients but the pepper into a pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cover and simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until chicken is done, vegetables are tender, and soup flavor is divine. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.

Serve in a bowl, then sprinkle black pepper over the top.

*Note: Adjust broth levels and/or vegetable amounts as needed.