Jewelry Pouches *NEW*

Stir-Fried Walnut Chicken

Stir-Fried Walnut Chicken

In a small bowl, combine 1 teaspoon of corn starch, and 2 teaspoons of soy sauce until smooth.  Place 1 pound of skinless chicken breasts (cut into strips) in a large resealable plastic bag; add soy sauce mixture.  Seal bag and turn to coat, refrigerate for 30 minutes.

In another bowl, combine 3 tablespoons of corn starch and 3 tablespoons of soy sauce until smooth.  Stir in 1 1/2 cups of chicken broth and 1 1/2 teaspoons of ginger. Set this aside.

In a large skillet, stir fry the chicken in 2 teaspoons of vegetable oil until it is no longer pink.  Remove from pan and keep warm.  In the same pan, stir fry 1 medium onion (quartered) and 1 minced garlic clove until tender.  Add 1 medium red pepper (thinly sliced), 1/2 cup of fresh broccoli, 1/2 cup of chopped carrot, and 1 8oz can of water chestnuts (drained); cook and stir until vegetables are crisp-tender.

Stir the broth mixture you set aside (it will separate) and pour it over the vegetable.  Bring it to a boil for 1-2 minutes. STIR CONSTANTLY until it thickens.  Return chicken to the pan- heat through.  Serve over rice and top with chopped walnuts!

Mark your Calendars! Craft Fair Schedule

Please stop by and check out Simply Charming at these local Craft Fairs...

Sunday August 14, 7:00am to 1:00pm- Congregation L'dor va-dor- 7306 Lake Worth Road, Lake Worth

Saturday November 5, 9:30am-3:00pm- Ascension Catholic Church- 7250 N. Federal Highway, Boca Raton

Sunday November 6, 8:30am-2:00pm- Ascension Catholic Church- 7250 N. Federal Highway, Boca Raton

Sunday November 13, 9:30am-2:00pm- Temple Judea- 4311 Hood Road, Palm Beach Gardens

Saturday November 19, 8:00am-2:00pm- Trinity United Methodist- 9625 N. Military Tr., Palm Beach Gardens

Come out and support your local crafters!!!!

Bead and Button- Cover Necklace

At my latest jewelry party I had an interest in the necklace featured on the cover of one of my Bead and Button magazines.  This client ordered it to wear on her next cruise.  It's a stunner!

Surfer Girl Bathroom- NEW PAINTING!

 My little Allyson will for sure follow in her father's footsteps when it comes to loving the ocean and everything surfing.  Her bathroom has been dedicated to everything Roxy!  There is a large wall that needed a painting so I bought the canvas and painted it myself!  Check it out below!

BEFORE

    

AFTER

What time zone are you in?

Our living room has vaulted ceilings and we do not have crown moulding.  We recently bought a new television and entertainment center and as a result had a lot of empty space above the television.  So, I've always wanted a large clock in our family room and while watching a movie Friday night ("Arthur") there is an office scene which showed multiple clocks with the city underneath.  A light bulb went off!  Let's do multiple clocks!  We love Maui and Las Vegas so we added those with Palm Beach and our decor project is complete!

Grilled Peaches--YUMMO!

Kraftfoods.com

I just couldn't wait to post this recipe for Grilled Peaches.  Since being on Weight Watchers I have totally changed my way of thinking when it comes to dessert!  I NEVER thought I would like grilled fruit, but it is delicious!  Here's what to do...

Cut a peach in half, pit it and skin it.
Place peach halves on grill- uncut side down for 5 minutes.
Flip over peach- grill for another 5 minutes until you get great grill marks!

Remove peaches-  drizzle with honey, a dash of cinnamon, and sliced almonds!

DELICIOUS!

I'M BACK!

OK!  So I have no real excuse for not posting a single blog since February.  A lot has happened since that time. Here are just a few things that I will be posting about and catching you up on...

Renovated bedroom closet!
Redecorated family room!
Redecorated half bath!
New fenced in backyard!

And probably the most exciting...I've lost 22 pounds!

I've also created some great new jewelry so stay tuned for a post EVERYDAY with some great pictures!

XOXOXOXO

Creamy Ham and Potatoes- Slow Cooker Recipe

 

(Taste of Home)

4 Large Red Potatoes, cubed

2/3 cups of cubed processed cheese (Velveeta)

1 1/2 cups of cubed fully cooked ham

2 tbsp. of dried minced onion

1 1/3 cup of Cream of Celery soup, undiluted

1 1/3 cup of milk

2 tbsp. of flour

1/2 teaspoon of pepper

In a 3 quart or larger slow cooker, coated with cooking spray, layer the potatoes, cheese, ham, and onion.  In a small bowl, combine soup and milk; whisk in flour and pepper.  Pour over potatoes.  Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours or until potatoes are tender.  Enjoy!

*This recipe yields 4 servings.

*New* Viking Knit Collection

Here is the first bracelet for the Viking Knit Collection.  More to come!

More Bracelets...

Lemon Chicken with Vegetables

Another Crock Pot recipe for you....

1 pound of baby carrots

3 cups of cubed potatoes (red or gold)

1 package (14 oz) frozen pearl onions, thawed

2 celery ribs, thinly sliced

4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts

1 can of condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted

1/2 cup of water

1/2 cup of lemon juice

1 tsp. of dried parsley flakes

1 tsp. of dried thyme

1/2 tsp of pepper

1/2 tsp of salt

In a 5 or 6 quart slow cooker, combine the carrots, potatoes, onions and celery.  Top with chicken breasts.  

In a small bowl, combine soup, water, lemon juice, parsley, thyme pepper and salt.  Pour over chicken.  Cover and cook on low for 8 hours or until meat thermometer reads 170 degrees.  

Enjoy!

Chicken and Sweet Potato Stew

I have discovered yet another great stew to make in the crock pot!  Here's the recipe...

4 boneless chicken breasts cut into bite sized pieces
2 cans (28 oz) of stewed tomatoes- undrained
1 cup of chicken broth
3 sweet potatoes- skinned and cubed
3 gold potatoes- skinned and cubed
1/8 tsp. of cinnamon
1/8 tsp. of nutmeg
1/2 tsp. of pepper
1 tsp. of salt

Mix all ingredients together into crock pot.  Cook on low for 6-8 hours.  Enjoy!  xoxoxox

Necklaces

My mannequin is complete thanks to my mother in law!  I will start designing necklaces next week.  Keep checking back for pictures!

My Spin on Shake n Bake!

I have always loved shake n bake, but I wanted a way to spice it up.  Here's my twist.  Instead of just moistening the pork or chicken with water use spicy mustard instead.  It is delicious and a super simple way to add a little spice!  Enjoy!

My Jewelry

I wanted to share with all my readers that all the jewelry featured on my blog is for sale.  Right now I have 17 of my brand new Spring/Summer bracelets completed.  Below is the catalog with the each pieces item number.  Please keep in mind that all my collections are made up of one-of-a-kind pieces. So if you're interested in one of my new bracelets please email me at jennifersillimanjewelry@yahoo.com.  Please reference the item number and I will send you all the details, including the price.

Coral and Brown

This is one of my favorite bracelets.  I love the colors coral and brown together.  Expect more bracelets like this coming soon!

Large Stone Bracelets

Large, chunky bracelets have always been a favorite of mine.  I love the statement they make, especially when paired with a crisp, white collared blouse.  

Simple Evil Eye Bracelet

My friend Sarah had me make her this red string Evil Eye bracelet.  It is a great piece!  I sell them for $20.00.  

Here is a little background on the Evil Eye....

Humans have long believed the eye symbol to be an amulet that wards off evil spirits. History references the use of "evil eye" beads in the ancient Orient and Sumeria from 3000 B.C. This belief is still prevalent in Turkey and areas of the Middle East, where many believe that when someone sees your good fortune and is envious, some type of bad luck will befall you. In fact, it is thought that any type of praise, even well meaning, has some form of greed and jealousy attached, and can cause harm. In that part of the world people with colored eyes are believed to be especially harmful with their unusual and enchanting gazes.

To protect against the negative energy of envious looks, people of Middle Eastern societies often use an evil eye bead, or talisman, to redirect the bad spirits back onto the world and keep the bearer safe. Turkish people call the bead "Nazar Boncuk" and versions of it are seen everywhere in their culture. Whether it is displayed at the entrance to a home or office, attached to a baby's clothing, or hung from a car mirror, the intent is the same, to disperse the bad luck away from the owner.

The Best Crock Pot Chicken Dinner

One of my favorite gifts this Christmas was my new crock pot!  I love cooking in it.  Mainly because it makes the whole house smell so yummy.  Here is a great recipe I found in Taste of Home.

6 medium red potatoes cut into chunks
4 medium carrots cut into chunks
4 boneless chicken breasts
1 can of condensed Cream of Chicken Soup (undiluted)
1 can of condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup (undiluted)

Place potatoes and carrots in your slow cooker.  Top with Chicken.  Combine soups and pour over chicken.  Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.

Enjoy!

Stretch Bracelet Collection Preview

Other bracelets...

My favorite so far....

I just started designing for my Spring/Summer 2011 Collection.  This bracelet is my favorite so far!  I love the green and blue- it reminds me of the ocean.  More to come...

Barrette Holder

So my 15 month old daughter Allyson has a lot of bows and hair clips.  To keep them all organized I made her a holder for them that hangs on her wall!  It was super easy to make- Here are the instructions:

Buy any size frame and remove the glass.

Attach batting to the cardboard that comes with the frame with a hot glue gun.

Cover the batting with your favorite fabric.

Attach ribbons and hang!  Super easy!

Welcome!

Hello everyone!  I am so excited to start this blog so I can begin sharing unique things that come up in my everyday life of being a crafty mom and a jewelry designer.  I plan to share recipes, crafty crafts, and of course my jewelry designs!  I will be blogging EVERYDAY!  Enjoy!