Buffalo Chicken Mac 'n Cheese

"Say what?!?" That was my initial reaction when I found the recipe on Pinterest. Yes, I'm obsessed with Pinterest; and all aspects of it. I check it religiously each day, there are some AMAZING things on there. Especially recipes. Anyway, back to the find of the day!

Buffalo Chicken Mac 'n Cheese.

These just happen to be two of my favorite foods, and I knew instantly I HAD to make it. What was awesome about making this was that I had everything already at home. No grocery store run to grab those one or two pesky ingredients that you barely have enough of, or have never even purchased. They say there's a first time for everything, but it seems as though every recipe I make always has me searching for some obscure ingredient.

As I said, I found the recipe on Pinterest (you can follow me there at ME! On Pinterest) and it's pinned under my board "Foodie At Heart." Given that I like to give credit to the "original" pinner, you can get the recipe at Buffalo Chicken Mac 'n Cheese. I did have one issue with this meal. It isn't something you can just "throw together" if you are in a rush. You need to chop the veggies, bake the chicken, boil the water and cook the pasta, and mix together the sauce. Once that's done then you can obviously throw it all together. There was alot going on in my kitchen when I was getting this ready and it felt quite time consuming. Then again, it could have been this was the first time I was making this recipe so I was constantly checking each step over and over to make sure I hadn't missed anything!

Here's the finished result ready to be eaten!


Buffalo Chicken Mac 'n Cheese


It was YUMMY! At first I wasn't sure if I liked it, it's like a fiesta happening in your mouth- there's ALOT going on and you are expecting it to taste a certain way and it doesn't. After each bite I knew I was becoming addicted. Really though, who cares what I thought; it's only a successful meal in our house when we go two for two. ...and what was the hubby's review? He LOVED it. Two reasons: he loves anything buffalo chicken probably more than I do and it wasn't super cheesy, he's not a big fan!

My suggestion for those of you that are making this...don't be afraid to add more of the Frank's Red Hot buffalo sauce, or your hot sauce of choice. We like "heat" but I'm always cautious when I use it cooking because theres' a fine line between "hot" and "inedible!" So I did just the amount called for in the recipe. I'm definitely planning on kicking up the heat and will certainly be more generous with the hot sauce in the future :) ...I also think a side dish of celery sticks and some blue cheese dressing would be an awesome addition, and would help cool off your mouth!

Make sure you try this recipe and let me know your thoughts!



~Keep It ClaSea

Winter Woes

It’s been a while…alright almost a week. Sorry. Am I the only one that gets into a funk during the middle of February? I don’t know what it is, but every year around this time I’m just “blah.” Is it the last homestretch of winter that we are faced with? The anticipation of all of the fun events we have planned for the spring and summer? Yes, to both of those questions. Truth be told, the biggest reason why I have the "winter blahs" is just simply that I don’t like living in New England. Tourists always say how beautiful New England is and that the people that live here are so lucky to experience the different seasons. While that may be true for the majority of my New Englanders, my 28+ years of experiencing the seasons is becoming increasingly miserable.

·         I do not like the cold. So for me November-March is not pleasant. November and March aren’t as bad, as the weather is still tolerable. December, January, and February though- they absolutely crush me, and I dread these months worse than going to the dentist. Which believe me, is a paralyzing fear. The trees are bare, if not covered in snow or ice; a commute to work becomes more fearful than the anticipation of getting on a roller coaster, I don’t mean that in a good way; going outside is met with all sorts of challenges, jackets, hats, scarves, boots, shovels, ice scrapers, etc; and my skin, goodness does my poor skin take a beating along with never ending chapped lips.
·         The snow. Here’s my ideal time for snowfall: a dusting coming down as we leave church on Christmas Eve that covers just barely covers the ground by Christmas morning. It’s just enough so that we can say we had a white Christmas. Then I’d like it melted within 48 hours and none to fall again until the following year. Shoveling plain and simple sucks. Driving while there is a snowstorm is like playing Russian roulette. The snow doesn’t stay “pretty,” and don’t bother getting a car wash; your car will be covered in salt and sand by the following morning.
·         And if you own a dog, I feel for you. If your dog is anything like Levi, you may as well build yourself an igloo in the yard. He LOVES the snow, especially when the winds are whipping and I can’t keep my footing as he’s bounding in and out of snow drifts. What is usually a 5 minute trip for him to do his bathroom duties has turned into “expedition North Brookfield.” My personal favorite is when the snow becomes so slippery it’s almost like ice and any sudden jerk of the leash from him has me sledding on my butt through the backyard. This has happened twice this year. Matthew can vouch for me, as he’s seen the bruises!
·         For those of you that think “oh Christmas won’t be the same without the snow,” you are right. It will be better. I like decorating for Christmas, the cooking and baking, and hosting Christmas parties, but could care less about what is going on outside of my house. You don’t need snow to have Christmas or to (excuse me, I’m going to be politically correct, don’t worry I’ll be brief,) enjoy the holiday season.

Here’s my theory as to why everyone loves New England. It’s quintessential, charming, and historic. Totally agree with all three of those characteristics that people typically dub NE as being. The scenery is beautiful; rivers, mountains, oceans, and forests, we pretty much have it all. There are four seasons so we get to experience “a little bit of everything.”

People have asked, “if you could move, where would you go?” One word: “WARMTH.” I don’t have a specific, but it’d definitely be south (Florida, Georgia, Tennessee) or west (California, Arizona, or Texas.) I know that these two regions have their own weather issues, but I would take them over snow and the blistering New England winter any.day.of.the.year. I wouldn’t think twice about it. I am 110% my father’s daughter in this sense. He hates the snow and cold as well; maybe I’ve been slightly jaded by him? ...if so, good!

Give me sun and temperatures that bottom out in the 50s…and I’m gone! On second thought, give me an island, where this view below becomes "standard." 

Matthew's feet in Providenciales, Turks & Caicos

Waking up to this would not be taken for granted. On that note, I suppose tonight is as good a night as any to really start doing some research on The Bahamas- that's where we are headed on our 2014 vacation.

~Keep It ClaSea

Refurbished Window Pane

About two years ago I was given a Christmas gift that I loved, but had no idea what I was going to do with the decorated window pane! I originally thought it would look great it a nursery/bedroom for a little girl, and held onto it hoping that it would be soon be hung as part of nursery decor. Fast forward to 2013, and our only child is a 4 legged black furry dog. Back to square one. The window took up quite a bit of space and is surprisingly heavy. Throughout a few moves (4 to be exact,) one of the painted panes (upper R corner,) ended up with a pretty deep vertical scratch. I was running out of places to keep it; there's not lots of storage in our house, and it kept getting scratched. How was I going to save this?!

Original Window Pane

After looking around extensively for something that would suit our needs and looking on Pinterest for inspiration, I had a plan. I wasn't going to be able to save the original piece, but I was definitely going to be able to rework it. The hubby and I love the idea of having a chalkboard in the kitchen and have talked quite a bit about finding a way to incorporate one. There's something fun and whimsical about it; even if it does remind me of solving math problems in front of a classroom full of peers, but it also is a great way to leave a quick little note for one another. I didn't want something huge, as the last thing I need is chalk dust covering my counters.

Krylon- Possibly my favorite spray paint!

I went to Home Depot and purchased "chalkboard" spray paint, as seen above, and "primer" spray paint. That was all I needed to get this project underway. From there I did some sanding. Not some, lots; as there was a crazy finish on the wooden part of the window pane. Once I had sanded it thoroughly (or so I thought,) I wiped it down with a damp cloth to get any dust off. Upon inspection the next day, I realized my sanding job wasn't as up to snuff as I wanted it to be...so I grabbed my sanding block and tackled it again, followed by another wipe down. Day 3: I applied one coat of the primer and then about 5 hours later applied another coat. Things were looking great. That weekend I went back in the basement to "wrap up" the project. I should have known better.

The primer had covered everything evenly, but I was still able to see remnants of the text and flowers on the window pane. I of course coated it AGAIN with the primer, thinking third time is a charm. Turned out it wasn't. In between the third coat of primer and realizing it was NOT working, I spray painted all 4 of the window panes with the "chalkboard" paint. Prior to painting, I had also sanded those and cleaned them thoroughly. I waited until later that night to apply another coat of the "chalkboard" paint. Those were coming out just the way I wanted...after applying about 3 more coats of primer. (Live and learn.)

Glass pane drying, sorry about the glare!

In true DIYer fashion...some time went by. More like a few months. Anyway, with a new sense of determination I decided that I was going to finish the project. Last Saturday, I took out my trusty white spray paint and lightly coated the window, and then applied another "chalkboard" coat to the glass pieces. After getting some reading and cooking done, I applied another coat of the white spray paint. Sunday afternoon I went to put it together, as I had finally gathered the other pieces I was going to use for the finishing touches! Yippe!

Just kidding, you can now start the orchestral ominous music. I was not happy with what I saw. The white paint appeared to have seeped into the wooden casing. It almost looked as though it had never been applied at all. I am NOT posting a picture of that as it's too depressing for me to look at :) ...I was PEEVED! I would have been better off having never applied the white spray paint, and just using the primer. This time I decided I was NOT applying anymore spray paint to the frame. I lightly sanded it to see if that made it look more rustic. Fail. I then had my "ah-ha!" moment as I spotted some stainless steel spray paint that we had. (I lied...I was going to use spray paint again, I just hadn't anticipated it!) I worked in about 3-4" segments. I lightly sprayed the wood, and then "scuffed" the paint with a dryer sheet. The texture from a dryer sheet made it appear more subtle, rather than having full length streaks. I wanted it to look old. Close up of the wood...

Doesn't look like it was spray painted!

Another spot...

Can you believe that this "finish" was created by using spray paint and a dryer sheet? Obsessed. It doesn't look overly fake. You know what I'm talking about; when something is sooooo overdone that it looks like it was purposely made to look old, but doesn't? I hate that. I'd rather have something look slightly worn and weathered than something that looks unnaturally old.

This one is my favorite!

I wanted to "jazz" it up so that it didn't look like a window pane with black glass, so I added a few "doo-dads." I had some flowers left over from another project so I added them to a corner. The green color works perfectly, as the wall that this is going on is a much darker shade of green. I attached those with my ever trust worthy "Zots." I made sure to adhere one to the actual glass, as I wanted them to be multi dimensional.

On one of my trips to Michael's I found "fisherman's netting." I.loved.it. (Obviously it was destined to be, as it was a way for me to add a nautical touch without broadcasting "OCEAN!") It was instantly added to my carriage, as it was a no brainer. I attached it to one of the glass panes, as I had now created a square where we could pin up various "fun things." Aren't the mini clothespins adorable? They will definitely serve as more of a decorative purpose as they are a little difficult to use. They're just SO cute, and I now have about 191 left...

Mini Clothespins & Fisherman's Netting

So, here is a picture of the final product. I can't wait until I have the storage/bar pallet unit built, as this will be sitting on top of it. The white and silver might seem a little boring, but I can assure you that once it's put against the green wall it is going to look amazing. Once the other project is done, I will post a picture of the final look!

Final!

If you have any questions about this process, or are interested in creating your own chalkboard window pane and are looking for advice, please ask! I promise I will try to respond to all of them and I'd be more than happy to share what I learned from my experience with all of you!

~Keep It ClaSea

MY Snow Storm Essentials

Like every New Englander that’s reading this, we can pretty much count on at least one heck of a snow storm that is going to keep us trapped inside. And out of work for two days! It could be because you have yet to shovel or snow blow; the governor has issued a driving ban; or your road simply hasn’t been plowed, regardless of the reason, here are my “lifesavers” during these blizzards.

1. A stack of good books. Make sure you have an assortment; you’ll never know what you want to read until it becomes one of your only available options. Try to keep a few different things on hand, you don’t want to read a book because “it’s the only one I had.” That is forever how you’ll refer to it…"during Nemo which was the blizzard of 2013, I only had this book ___*insert title here*___, laying around so I had to read it." You’ve pretty much ruined any subsequent praise you could give. My two choices and the "thumbs status." Sorry to those of you that recommended Bel Canto, I was so relieved when I finished it. My exact words after reading the last page to the hubby were "Thank God that's over."

 

Sorry Patchett...Kudos Hannah

2. Junk food. Duh, that’s a given. I always have ONE of my go to snacks in the cabinet ready to hunker down with. You did read that correctly, there’s only one that I allow myself to indulge in during a bad storm. There’s no need to go completely haywire and buy every pint of Ben & Jerry’s or pick 5 different flavored bags of chips. You don’t need to lose all control. When you do (I’m speaking from experience,) you will feel like a horribly disgusting person. Bragging about the “spread” of junk food consumed in a 48 hour span isn’t something to be proud of. People will make strange faces, their jaws will drop, and they’ll think you’re “cray cray” after you’ve finished off rattling “the intake” list. My choice for Nemo 2013 was Nacho Cheese Doritos. I did I thoroughly enjoy them…the orange fingers not so much. You win some you lose some.

3. Lifetime supply of scented candles. They really aren’t necessary unless the power goes out, which at our house, seems to be every time the wind blows. Ok, that was an exaggeration, maybe every other time the wind blows. Miraculously enough, we didn’t lose power this past weekend. I can’t even begin to express how much I love walking into a room that smells like a totally different world. Saturday it was Yankee Candle “Fireside,” which is this weird ash gray color. How fitting. Currently I’m burning “Vanilla Honey” by Simple Living. Truth be told, you do not need a storm to let an intoxicating aroma waft through your home. There’s something soothing about the flicker of a flame. Confession: I’m a candle hoarder, I have a trunk (it’s small,) but it’s chock full of jarred fragrant wax in seasonal scents.

4. Wine. Do you really need reasoning?

5. Crafting supplies. It’s time to get your inner Martha Stewart on. Or at least via Pinterest, so that you can think about and plan for all of the projects you want to do, but not right now. I did a lot of “pinning” and not a lot of “crafting.” Although, I am currently in the process of wrapping up a project that has taken me much longer than I anticipated.

6. Last, but most important…Husband and Levi. Sorry, you’ll have to get your own version of these. J The hubby appreciates my delirious comments after too much sleep and agrees with all of the amazingly expensive projects I suggest we have done around the house; never pointing out that I make NO sense, or that we don’t have a gazillion dollars to create my dream home. The hubby, by the way, did a hell of a job shoveling. Levi is endless entertainment. He’s like a rabbit/cat/ninja combination that thinks he weighs 10lbs, but forgets he’s 80lbs. Now that I’m typing this I am realizing that this storm he was utterly boring. The majority of the time (99.9% of it to be frank,) he was plopped on the couch nudging us out of where we were sitting so he could sprawl out.

Mom if you could just move...

~Keep It ClaSea

Home Front -Kristin Hannah

By the time you’ve finished reading this post, you will think I am insane. There are days when I’d agree with you 110%, and others where I’d argue that I am the definition of “sane.” (…then again that could just be denial…) Who is really sane? We all have a little crazy in us. With that I give you this quote by C.S. Lewis, “You can never get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enough to suit me.” Two of my “must haves” in life, and things that I go crazy about: tea and books. I enjoy them even more when paired together; fortunately, this combination is quite frequent in my life.

There have been things in my life that have grown, fully bloomed, thrived for many years, and then withered away and died. One constant that hasn’t died, and never will, is my love of reading. My everlasting love affair with books was molded by my parents when I was growing up. (Some of my childhood favorites will be posted later.) Growing up reading was never something I had to be bribed to do, trips to the library for story hour were met with squeals of excitement, and my parents avidly read to me. I was the child with the flashlight under my blankets reading that one more paragraph, one more page, or one more chapter. For those that know me, I’m guessing you are thinking, “her mom is an English teacher, of course she had to read.” If that was your thought, banish it as it’s utterly incorrect. It was never anything that was pushed upon me and nothing my parents ever had to nag me about. Both my sister and brother read for enjoyment as well, although I couldn’t say if they read as voraciously as I do. (Megan? Jeff?)

Last night, right after Beyonce’s Super Bowl performance, I picked up “Home Front” by Kristin Hannah and parked myself on the love seat with a mug of piping hot tea and a fuzzy blanket. I’ve read many of her other novels and have cried my way through most of them, so I knew it was going to be a GOOD read. Hannah’s novels are always well crafted and deeply moving; she’s the female equivalent of Nicholas Sparks. The books aren’t “heavy hitters” in terms of their content, but they’re emotionally powerful and completely captivating. At 1:11am, I was finished. I.could.not.put.this.book.down. OK, there were times when I put it down to wipe the faucet of tears away from my face and to sniffle into a tissue so I could catch my breath. I’m not going to post a review of this book, as I’d probably start crying again; I have tears in my eyes thinking about Jolene and Michael.  

…alright I caved…Jolene is a pilot in the National Guard Reserves who gets deployed and has to leave her husband and two young daughters to fly helicopters in Iraq. It becomes Michael’s (her husband) responsibility to take care of his two daughters; he struggles between switching from city defense attorney into Mr. Mom. Reality then hits, when there is a devastating accident. (I’m not spoiling the story by saying that.) The family is put into survival mode and faces their biggest test. Will they be able to come together after all that has occurred, or will their burdens be too much for them to overcome?

 

Watch out book #9, I'm coming for you...

 

-Keep It ClaSea

Wedding Card Album

My wedding was just over three years ago. I saved ALL of the cards we received (safely stored in a shoe box,) and have been lugging them around since January 16, 2010. I knew I wanted to make something out of them but I had no idea what, and was deadset against throwing them away. There is great sentimental value to some cards, as some of the people that meant the world to us who attended our wedding have since passed away. Furthermore, it's a great reminder of all of our friends, family, and relatives, that took time to celebrate with us!

Again, this inspiration is from Pinterest. I get TONS of great ideas from there! I would be completely remiss if I didn't share the original post so go here, Wedding Card Album. The directions are extremely thorough, and it's great because there are pictures for pretty much each step!

It is sad for me to say this, but I had all of the materials I needed. Now that I'm typing this, I am of course realizing I should have taken pictures of everything I used. ...Good to remember for next time I do a "crafting" post... Our colors for our wedding were a dark espresso (the tuxedo's...) and an avocado green (attendants dresses,) so I had to make sure those colors were present. I thought about doing other colors, but then realized it would have been silly because it wouldn't evoke the same sentiment of the actual colors we used. Here's a good glimpse of the color scheme we worked with...and some of our favorite people.

Wedding Party

I'm not going to blog about the process of what I did to make the card album, as you can read about in the link that is above. However, here's my version and what the final product looked like. Please remember, that any decor/craft ideas I find on Pinterest I use as inspiration, I am not looking to replicate the exact model, I'm using that model as a launch pad for my own creation. With that being said, here's a quick overview of some of the differences:

 

1. I didn't use the brackets to attach the ribbon, I used "Zots."

2. No patterned paper on the front or back.

3. I chose to use green paper on the interior of the brown textured cardstock (which I used for the exterior of the front and back) as it created a nice "pop" and was another way to show the wedding colors.

4. No "wedding card album" decal on the front.

5. Wedding date on the back of the album rather than the little stamp of the bride and groom.

6. I also used a regular hole punch. BIG MISTAKE. My husband got a kick out of watching me punch holes through some of the cards. ...and 12 hours late, my hand still hurts.

 

Front of Album

Back Of Album

 

The butterfly on the back reads "The heart that loves is always young. -Greek Proverb ...I don't believe the wedding card album could have been wrapped up better than that. It also seemed quite fitting, as butterflies were a huge part of the decor at my bridal shower!

 

Remember, this (or any other occasion you choose to remember,) was a personal one, so change things. Make it your own and add as many personal touches as you can. It is after all a direct reflection of the event (would be cute for a baby shower or engagement party!) you've chosen to commemorate. If you decide to create your own card album, and have any questions feel free to post them!

 

~Keep It ClaSea



Passionate for Pallets

Over the past 6 months (maybe even longer,) I’ve been DYING to do a project with pallets. I have Pinterest to thank for this. You can follow me on Pinterest by clicking this link ClaSeaLdy on Pinterest . I’ve looked at hundreds of different pallet projects: shelves, coffee tables, garden planters, couches (yes, couches,) and thousands of other things. I’m not kidding- google “projects with pallets.” You’ll be blown away with the projects that people have done. Then I stumbled upon this gem, Wooden Pallet Dresser. Before we started redoing the living room, I wanted to make that for our media center. It has tons of storage, the look is rustic but not too “country,” and I could stain it any color I wanted!  My dear hubby even started bringing home pallets from work so I could start this project. The pallets were stockpiling, which was great, as I needed quite a few! Then...I didn’t make the “dresser,” because we bought one; fret not my readers, I had a backup plan!

There is a lovely dark green wall in our kitchen along side of a brick wall; where our brick oven is. Yes, it’s a functioning brick oven but we don’t use it. It has become candle burning central! I have been looking for a hutch/sideboard/display case to put on that wall basically since the day we moved in. We have a decent amount of storage in our kitchen, but there's not enough. We love to cook and bake, so we have LOTS of "small appliances;" electric skillet, KitchenAid, Keurig, toaster, blender, food processor, crock pot and about 5 others. You name it, we pretty much have it. The length of the wall is extremely odd, and we have low ceilings in the house. (One of the concessions you make with an older house.) I cannot find anything that I like. Well, that is not true…there have been numerous ones that I’ve really, really, really liked, however each one has always had something that I wasn’t “super excited” about. Whether it be the hardware, the finish/stain, or the actual design; I refused to invest hundreds (OK, thousands in some cases,) in a piece of furniture that I didn’t LOVE. I am that picky about certain pieces (actually most pieces,) of furniture. …and here’s my back up plan...the PALLETS!

The pallets Matthew had been bringing home were not the standard size pallets. These were much smaller, they measure 23 ½” in length, 4” in height, and 18” in depth. After some measuring and lots of math, I had my plan, on pink lined floral paper. Classic Caitlin. I’ve designed it so that I have a cubby for my KitchenAid, glass baking dishes, cupcake tins, bread pans, baking sheets, and pots. Ahhh, but the most important part will be the area for the VINO! This unit will be dual purpose, as the top is going to serve as a bar!'

 

Although this project hasn’t been started in terms of construction; the next post about my “pallet hutch” pallets will be “the reveal!” Now, I’m off to Lowe’s to get sanding blocks (or maybe I’ll rent an electric sander?!) stain, and hinges. Pictures and follow up blog coming soon…

~Keep It ClaSea

.sick.

Hello all, sorry for the lack of posts! My hubby and I are both battling crazy colds and have parked ourselves in one of two places (the couch or the bed,) for the last 76 hours. Don't worry we have an army comprised of tissues, cold medicine, ginger ale, and chicken noodle soup that are following us from room to room.

You really weren't missing much but I figured I'd keep you in the loop.

I'll be back tomorrow. With two posts! One about the "Wedding Card Album" I created...and the other one is...well classified for now :)

~Keep It ClaSea