Harrell's Haven

May 18, 2014

End of the Year Teacher Gifts

It's the end of the school year and many people are wondering what to get their child's teacher as a gift. I love ALL the gifts I receive from kids (personalized gifts, drawings, gift cards, etc.), but my favorite are the practical gifts. Because I know how I am and what I like, I have been searching the web (Pinterest mostly) to find gifts for my kids teachers. Each one of my children have two teachers (6 teachers total), so I want to find something that won''t break the bank, is cute, and practical. Another idea that was brought to my attention is to find a couple of other parents in your child's room and go in on a gift together. This is a HUGE money saver.

Because you took the time to create or buy something for your child's teacher, I am sure they will appreciate anything you give them. Below are some of my favorite ideas for end of the year teacher gifts. I know there are so many more, but these stuck out to me.

Teacher Gift Idea #1: Cookie Jar with the teacher's favorite cookies.

Teacher Gift Idea #2: Summer Time Themed Gift

Teacher Gift Idea #3: Cup filled with sharpies: "Because of you, my mind is SHARP for next year."

Teacher Gift Idea #4: Starbucks Gift Card

Teacher Gift Idea #5: S'mores Gift

Teacher Gift Idea #6: Orange You Glad It's Summer?

Teacher Gift Idea #7: Simply the Best

Teacher Gift Idea #8: Tearrific Teacher

Teacher Gift Idea #9: Polished Teacher

Hope these gift ideas help you!

TWO Weeks Too Long

It's been two weeks and too long since my last blog update. With the end of the school year quickly approaching, it has been very busy in our home! I have missed blogging and I have done a lot of cooking since my last post, so I had to really think about what I wanted to post today. I decided to post two recipes this week. I have also included my weekly menu plan below. Sorry I have been away for so long, but hopefully, these two recipes will make up for it :).

Because Memorial Day is next Monday, I am posting one of my favorite short ribs recipes. I made these ribs about two weeks ago and they came out so tender and so delicious. If you do not feel like taking out the grill, this is a great recipe.

Recipe: Oven Cooked BBQ Short Ribs

Ingredients:

Garlic and Herb seasoning
Black Pepper
Mesquite seasoning
Italian Dressing
Your favorite BBQ sauce

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Wash meat thoroughly. Season meat with seasonings listed above.

2. In a large bowl, add the Italian dressing. Then add the seasoned meat to the Italian dressing (For best results, let meat marinade in this overnight).

3. Place seasoned/Italian dressing covered meat in a large baking dish that has been sprayed with cooking spray.

4. Add your favorite BBQ sauce all over the meat (you a basting brush).

5. Cook in the oven covered for about 1 hour (or until meat is cooked through and tender). Uncover and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Serve with your favorite side (I served with red beans and rice). Enjoy!

The second recipe was inspired this morning. Everyday for breakfast my children eat pancakes or waffles. Well this morning, I wanted something different. I looked in the refrigerator and the pantry to see what I could make. First thing I saw was cinnamon and I knew it had to be French Toast! My kids love french toast, especially with powdered sugar. I never knew how easy it was to make until I saw my friend Maritza make it when she came to visit. If you are tired of pancakes and waffles, try making this simple, but tasty recipe.

Recipe: Cinnamon French Toast with Powdered Sugar

Ingredients:

2 eggs

1/2 cup of milk

teaspoon of cinnamon

powdered sugar

6 slices of bread

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, add eggs, milk, cinnamon. Mix well.

2. Heat a large pan over medium heat. Then add butter to the pan. Next dip your bread quickly on both sides in the mixture. Add to the pot.

3. Cook on both sides for about 2 minutes. Very important that your heat is not too high, otherwise your bread will get brown quick but the middle will still be raw. When you see a nice pretty brown color, then flip over and cook other side. If the middle looks really soft (mushy), keep cooking).

4. When you take the toast out, butter one side and sprinkle powdered sugar on top. Serve and enjoy!

Weekly Menu Plan for May 19-24

Monday and Tuesday: Lasagna with garlic bread (I know it seems like we eat lasagna a lot, but the kids love it and my lasagna recipe is really good!

Wednesday and Thursday: Baked Buttermilk Chicken with rice and butter beans

Friday: A Birthday Dinner Out

Saturday: Shells Shrimp and Garlic Pasta

April 27, 2014

Spring For a Really Good Salad!

A couple of weeks ago, I hosted a Pampered Chef party for a friend of mine at the school we work at. Because I LOVE to cook so much and there are so many different recipes I want to make for our staff, I was unsure of what the food item should be. Although our school does have a stove, I didn't want to make something that had to be fully cooked there. I wanted to bring something that I could pre-cook at home. I started looking through the Pampered Chef Spring Season's Best Catalog and this recipe IMMEDIATELY caught my eye. It looked so fresh and simple to prepare.

I like to sample all my food before serving it, so I tasted the chicken I had prepared and it was sooooo very delicious. I knew the rest of the dish would be equally tasty. This is a beautiful, bright, and quick meal that the whole family will enjoy.

With school coming to a end and summer approaching, I have been looking for meals that will not take me long to prepare. This week my meal plan will be geared to quick, but delicious recipes. Have a great week cooking, baking, and/or crocking!

Recipe: Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad Skillet

Ingredients:

1/4 of a 16oz loaf of soft Italian bread

3 tbsp canola oil (divided)

2 tbsp Crushed Peppercorn and Garlic Rub (or you can use garlic and herb seasoning)

1lb of boneless skinless chicken breast (or you can use chicken tenderloins)

2 1/2 cups of water

Season all and garlic powder

8oz uncooked rotini pasta

2 oz of Parmesan cheese (divided)

You can make your own dressing or just buy your favorite brand of Caesar dressing

Dressing ingredients:

1 1/4 cups of Greek yogurt or sour cream

1 tbsp of Dijon mustard

1 tbsp of Worcestershire sauce

2 romaine lettuce hearts (or a bag of romaine lettuce)

Directions:

1. Cut bread into 1-in cubes and place in a micro-cooker. Add 2 tbsp of the oil and 1/2 tbsp of the rub. Toss to coat bread cubes. Microwave, uncovered on HIGH 2-4 minutes stirring every 30 seconds until crisp. Set aside croutons for topping.

2. Dice chicken into 1 inch pieces. In a small bowl, mix chicken and 1 tbsp of rub, garlic powder, and season all until coated. Heat remaining 1 tbsp oil over medium high heat for 1-3 minutes.

3. Add chicken to skillet and cook 4-6 minutes stirring occasionally or until lightly browned. Remove chicken from skillet to a bowl.

4. Boil your water in a separate pot. Cook pasta according to package directions. When pasta is done, drain water and set aside.

5. Tear lettuce into bite size pieces (or just use a bag). In the skillet, add chicken, pasta, croutons, and grated cheese. Then either add in store bought dressing or the homemade dressing. DO NOT PUT TOO MUCH; you do not want soggy salad. Toss well and then serve!

6. Directions for homemade dressing: In a bowl, add Parmesan , yogurt/sour cream, mustard, Worcestershire, and rub. Mix well. Cover and refrigerate until you are ready for it.