05 March 2013

don't miss out!

All the festive updates are happening over at 

Don't forget to update your subscription so you won't miss out! 


29 January 2013

New Website!

Don't forget. So Festive! has moved to a new site. You can find all of the festive happenings over at
SO-FESTIVE.COM.

You will be automatically be redirected to So-Festive.com in just a few seconds.

28 January 2013

something very exciting: it's moving day!

So, I have been so excited for this day for a long time! It's moving day for us at So Festive.
It's been a long time coming, but all the finishing touches have been made on our NEW website.
Head over to   SO-FESTIVE.COM
for a new look and lots of improved features.

I know it's a pain to change your reader and RSS feeds, but make sure you update your subscriptions so you can stay in the So Festive loop. Not to mention, there might just be a giveaway this week (wink wink) to kick-off the new site. 

Thank you so much for all of your support, festive ideas, and making it fun to keep this blog going.

*Starting Wednesday, if you come to this site, you will automatically be redirected to the new one. However,   don't forget to update your Google Reader, RSS, and other feeds so you can stay in the So Festive loop.

See you at the new site!! 

23 January 2013

the great soup search recipe #5

Technically, this soup wasn't an official entry into the Great Soup Search, but we hosted a Fall Soup dinner and this was one of the soups our friends brought. When the night was over, my husband said, "You have to get that recipe." That is saying a lot for my husband to be asking for a soup recipe. So, I got the recipe (thanks Kenzi!) and added it to our favorites list. I like this recipe because although it's not a crockpot soup, it is still relatively quick to make. And most of the ingredients were things we usually have in the house. However, it is different enough from any other soups we have that it adds a nice variety to our meal rotation.

Thai Chicken Noodle Soup

Ingredients
1 Tb oil
1 clove garlic, minced
2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, halved and chopped
1/2 t. tumeric
1/4 t. cayenne
1/2 c. grated creamed coconut (we used 1 can coconut milk)
3 3/4 chicken stock (hot)
2 Tb lemon/lime juice
2 Tb crunchy peanut butter
1 c. thread egg noodles (thin spaghetti) broken into small pieces
1 Tb chopped scallions
1 Tb chopped fresh cilantro (optional)
salt and pepper, shredded coconut, and  finely chopped fresh red chili to garnish

Directions
 Fry garlic in oil 1 min. Add chicken and spices. Stir fry 3-4 min. Slowly pour creamed coconut (or coconut milk) into hot stock until dissolves. Pour over chicken. Add lemon, peanut butter and noodles. Cover and simmer 15 min. Add scallions and cilantro, season to taste. Simmer 5 minutes more.

 For garnish: in small, dry skillet, heat coconut and chili 2-3 min. Stir often, until coconut is light brown. Sprinkle over soup individually.

21 January 2013

Incredible Indoor S'mores [Recipe]

Dreams of summer and camping have been prevalent around here during this extremely cold winter. To crave our appetite for the great outdoors, we made some Indoor S'mores--a favorite treat from my childhood. And we've both concurred that we like these WAY better than actual s'mores.



Indoor S'mores

Ingredients
8 cups Golden Grahams cereal
5 cups mini marshmallows
1 1/2 cup milk chocolate chips
1/4 cup light corn syrup
5 Tbsp. butter
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup mini marshmallows

Directions
Grease a 9x13 pan (if you do bars) or line a cookie sheet with wax paper (if you want individual servings). Put marshmallows, chocolate chips, corn syrup, and butter in a large microwaveable dish. Melt on high for 2 minutes. Stir well. Then microwave in additional 30 second increments until mixture is completely smooth. (Or, you can melt everything in a medium sauce pan on the stove.) Then add vanilla. Pour over cereal and mix well. Stir in additional cup of marshmallows. Pour in pan or scoop individual servings. Let cool 20 minutes before eating. 

15 January 2013

homemade glitter glue


Remember how we were the 3 Amigos for Halloween?
I never did get around to sharing how we made our costumes for under $25.
But now that the holidays are over and we'll be keeping ourselves busy with indoor crafts, now is the perfect time to let you know my little secret. I used what clothes we already had first and then picked up the rest of the pieces at a thrift store.The real key to making them so cheaply was by making my own glitter glue.

Seriously, who wants to spend $4 for a tiny tube of glitter glue? 
I knew I would use a ton and I wasn't about to fork out a fortune for glitter glue.

So I made my own. It was really easy and super cheap.
All you need is: Elmer's glue and glitter.
Mix the glitter and glue together in a bowl until it reaches your preferable consistency.

Scoop it into a bag and then snip off a corner of it to apply.
Or you can really splurge and buy a frosting applicator in the cake section.

Apply it to fabric*, paper, or anything else!
Plan ahead because it will take overnight to completely dry.
This is how our costumes turned out with our Homemade Glitter Glue.



* I wouldn't recommend machine washing any fabrics that have homemade glitter glue on them.
Spot wash by hand only. 

11 January 2013

the great soup search recipe #4

We received a few different Taco Soup recipes, but our favorite one was a simple 5-ingredient, 15-minute recipe. It was easy to make and all of the ingredients were things we had on hand. It seems like it would be hard to mess this soup up. Although I've given you the recipe below, you can add in other things according to your specific preferences. 

15-Minute Taco Soup

Ingredients
1 lb. browned and seasoned hamburger*
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained**
1 can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 cup frozen corn or 1 can corn
1/4 cup Taco Seasoning
Water

Directions
Brown hamburger and season with taco seasoning and onion if desired. Meanwhile, throw everything else into a pot. Add hamburger once it has cooked. For thick soup, add 1 cup water. For thinner, add 2 cups water. Add more taco seasoning if desired. This makes a great crockpot meal. 

*We used 1/4 lb. hamburger because we don't like a lot of meat and it was still great! 
**You could also use kidney beans or 1 can of each. 

07 January 2013

The Great Soup Search Recipe #3

Now that the holidays are over, I'm resuming the Great Soup Search. Another one has made the cut. In fact, it is so much a new favorite, that we have already made it a few times. The thing I love about this recipe is that I can throw everything into the crockpot and come dinner time, we have a nice warm meal. It is delicious with corn bread, but I'll share that recipe another day.

No-Fuss Crockpot Chicken Chili 

Ingredients
2 chicken breasts
1/2 onion, chopped
2 tsp minced garlic
3 cans Northern white beans, drained*
3 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1, 4 oz can diced green chilis
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper, optional
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup whipping cream **

Directions
Throw everything into the crockpot, except sour cream and whipping cream. Cook on high heat for 4 hours. 15 minutes before serving, remove the chicken, shred, and return to crockpot. Add in sour cream and cream and heat thoroughly.

*Variation: Use 1 lb dry white beans. Rinse beans well before adding to slow cooker. Increase broth to 5 cups and cook on low 7-10 hours.
** For healthier option, use milk.

recipe originally via

02 January 2013

HAPPY NEW YEAR!


I hope you had a safe and happy new year! 
2013 is going to be an exciting year here on So Festive. 
There will be a few changes, but I promise they will be good changes.
I'm really excited about them, but you are going to have to wait just a little longer to find out what they are. 

You can also expect: 
>> A wrap up of The Great Soup Search
>> More So Festive in the City Posts
>> And themed weeks

If you have any requests of what you'd like to see this year, let me know! 

As a recap from 2012, here are some of the most popular posts:

Carmelitas










Thank you always for making it fun to be festive! 
It's going to be a great year!

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