A Really Elaborate Gift Card Holder

My father-in-law's nursing home did an Easter version of this, with grass, eggs, and candy, and I thought, "What a great idea with so many possibilities!!" So I turned it into an end-of-year teacher gift for my kids' teachers. I'll be honest, it took a little longer than I anticipated (most things do), but it was still well worth the effort.

I got the bucket, flowers, floral foam, and scrapbook paper (for the giftcard holder in the middle) from Hobby Lobby. Glued a chunk of floral foam in the bottom of the bucket. Then came the labor-intensive part. The flowers I got were part of a "bunch", so I had to cut them apart (or bend, in my case, since I don't have any wire cutters). Then, in order for them to stick in the floral foam better, I stripped the plastic from the wire on the bottom 2 inches or so on each flower. Again, no wire tools so I used my teeth. Yes, I did.

I stuck the flowers into the foam and arranged them to my liking. The good news is, this is supposed to look a little random and haphazard, so there aren't many ways to mess it up. Then I glued the candy to bamboo skewers and randomly placed them among the flowers. Lastly, I cut a piece of scrapbook paper to fit the giftcard, taped it into the shape of an envelope, inserted the gift card, sealed it with tape and glued on a button for extra cuteness. Glued the envelope to another skewer, placed it in the middle, and DONE!

My favorite thing about it, aside from the cuteness, is that everything can be used or reused. The candy, well, that's obvious. The flowers can be taped to pens or pencils, and the bucket can be used to hold a plant, desk supplies, pencils, whatever. And every time I've asked a teacher/friend what teachers like for tokens of appreciation, gift cards are usually the first thing mentioned. So that's what this is, honestly, a really elaborate gift card holder.

Spiced Pineapple Cooler

We had this last weekend with our Fiesta, and it was delicious. It might seem weird at first, as it has a good clove flavor, which most of the time we have in warm Christmas beverages, but the cloves and pineapple go really well together.

1 1/2 C water
2/3 C sugar
4 cinnamon sticks (3 in)
12 whole cloves
1 can (46 oz) unsweetened pineapple juice
1 1/2 C orange juice
1/2 C lemon juice
2-liter ginger ale
Ice cubes
Additional cinnamon sticks, optional

In a small saucepan, bring the water, sugar, cinnamon, and cloves to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Strain. Cool to room temperature.

Pour into a large pitcher; stir in juices. Refrigerate until chilled.

To serve: Mix equal parts juice/spice mixture and ginger ale. Serve over ice and garnish with cinnamon sticks if desired.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

This will feed 4-6 people. Scott and I usually get a couple of days of leftovers out of it.

1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of potato soup
1 C milk
1 C chicken broth
1 pkg (12 oz) frozen corn
2-3 chicken breasts, cooked and cut into chunks
1 can (4 oz) chopped green chilies**
2 flour tortillas (8 in), cut into strips about 1/2 in. x 2 in.
1 C shredded cheddar cheese
additional shredded cheddar for topping, if desired
sour cream for topping, if desired

In a large saucepan, heat the soups, milk, and broth. Add corn, chicken, and chilies, bring to a low boil. Add tortilla strips, reduce heat and simmer uncovered about 5 minutes. Stir in 1 C cheddar cheese until melted. Serve, topped with additional cheddar and sour cream.
**I sometimes substitute 1 diced green pepper for the green chilies, for a different pepper flavor.

Beef Enchiladas

According to Scott, these are almost "restaurant-quality" enchiladas. This makes one 13x9 pan.

Enchilada Sauce:
Mix 1 small can of tomato paste with 1 packet of taco seasoning. Add enough water to get it the consistency of a thick sauce.

Filling:
1 lb. ground beef, cooked and drained
1 can refried beans
1 green bell pepper, diced
2 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste

You'll also need:
Shredded cheese, about 3 C, I used monterey jack, mexican queso, and cheddar
10 flour tortillas

Mix together the beef, beans, and green pepper. Heat through. Add onion and garlic powders and salt/pepper. Spoon a little enchilada sauce on the bottom of the pan. Assemble enchiladas, using some of the beef and bean mixture, then some of the cheese. When the pan is full, top with enchilada sauce and shredded cheese. Bake at 400 for about 15 minutes, or until heated through.