Ninja Party: What I bought from Oriental Trading

Last night, we had a little family get-together for my son's 8th birthday. It was nothing fancy. It was basically just dinner, dessert, and presents. But I wanted to buy a couple things to make it a little more fun for my son and nephews that would be there. Here are the awesome things I found:

Ninja Warriors Plastic Tablecloth for $3.49

Ninja Warrior Paper Dinner Plates for $3.49/8 plates

Ninja Warrior Beverage Napkins for $1.99/16 napkins

Ninja Plastic Chopsticks for $5.99/dozen

Ninja Cups with Straws for $15.99/dozen

Ninja Gummy Candy for $6.99/38 pieces

Ninja Character Lollipops for $5.99/dozen

Ninja Stickers for $2.99/100 stickers

Ninja Stress Toys for $14.99/dozen

I really think these awesome things added a lot to our little party. Plus, Oriental Trading has pretty decent prices with coupons for free shipping if you spend over a certain amount and in the end, I spent only $60.

Crochet: Ragdolls (plus 8 free patterns!)

I have absolutely loved all these ragdoll patterns popping up everywhere. They're so cute! Heck, I even have a sloth one hanging on the wall in my living room. So I've compiled my 8 favorites to help get you started on your own ragdoll collection. Plus, they're all free. It doesn't get much better than that.

First up, the one I have in my living room!
Ragdoll Sloth by Spin a Yarn Crochet

Harry Potter Ragdoll also by Spin a Yarn Crochet

Santa Claus! by Sewrella

And for another holiday themed one,Christmas Tree by Repeat Crafter Me

Adorable Whales by Spin a Yarn Crochet

Moose by Amilovesgurumi

Beautiful Mermaid by Spin a Yarn Crochet

And finally, one more pattern by Spin a Yarn Crochet. I may be a little obsessed, in case you couldn't tell already.
Ragdoll Fox by Spin a Yarn Crochet

So if you haven't become completely obsessed with crocheted ragdolls by now, then I'm at a loss. I can't wait to make all of these! So far, I've made 1. Yikes! I have a lot of work to do.

Recipe: Biscuits and Gravy

Shoot! I got behind and wasn't able to post last weekend so I'm going to make an attempt to do double posts this weekend to make up for it! So first up is a recipe!

My husband's favorite breakfast of all time is biscuits and gravy. And not just any gravy. It has to be my homemade sausage gravy. He tried. He really did. He's ordered many biscuits and gravy from different restaurants and none compare to the deliciousness that is my recipe. And in my opinion, there is no excuse for that because this is SUPER EASY to make! So here I am, sharing my great (and incredibly simple) recipe for my awesome gravy.

Ingredients:
1 lb ground sausage (I prefer mild, but some people like spicy)
1/2 cup flour
4 cups milk
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1/4 teaspoon of pepper
8 count can of biscuits (or homemade if you're that awesome)

Steps:
1. Bake your biscuits according to the instructions on the can (or make your own).
2. Brown the sausage.
3. Mix in the flour until it's dissolved.
4. Add the milk, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil. Stir often.
5. Keep cooking until your gravy is the consistency that you desire (5-10 minutes).
6. EAT! I cut open my biscuit and cover both halves with gravy.

Recipe: Chicken Tortilla Soup

Last year, my husband asked me to make chicken tortilla soup because it's one of his favorites! So I searched far and wide, started with a couple different recipes, and settled on this one after many different attempts. Now, we eat this all the time! It has become our family's go-to slow cooker soup! I absolutely love it! And so does everyone else in my house. It's pretty easy, but does take a little extra work besides throwing everything in a slow cooker and calling it a day.

Ingredients:
1 lb chicken breasts (frozen is fine)
16 oz jar salsa (we use mild)
6 c chicken broth
15.25 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
15 oz can whole kernel corn, drained
3 T lemon juice
1 T cumin
1 t chili powder
1 t paprika
1 t salt
½ t pepper
¼ t garlic powder
¼ t cayenne pepper

Topping:
tortilla strips (you can find these near salad toppings)

Recipe:
1. Place chicken breasts on the bottom of the slow cooker.
2. Pour the rest of the ingredients on top.
3. Stir to mix all the spices.
4. Cook 6-8 hours on low (or 4 on high)
5. About 30 minutes before it's done, take the chicken out and shred it. Then, put the chicken back in, stir, and let it continue cooking for the last 30 minutes.
6. Serve with tortilla strips on top. Enjoy!

Recipe: Slow Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup

Just so you all know, I LOVE my "soups" very thick. I don't like it all runny so if you aren't a fan of the really thick soups, you can always half the amount of noodles. Also, if you're wanting a recipe that is going to take you no time at all in the morning, you should cut up your vegetables the night before. I really like this recipe. It's pretty easy and it's absolutely delicious. Just imagine coming home on a cold winter's evening to a home that smells DELICIOUS and a nice warm dinner. It's fantastic.

Ingredients:
6 cups chicken broth
10.75 oz can cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup chopped onions
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped carrots
16 oz can whole kennel corn, drained
1 bag (or 1/2 bag if you want your soup thin) egg noodles
3 medium pieces boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Steps:
1. Mix everything together in the slow cooker.
2. Cook on low for 6-8 hours, stirring occasionally.
3. Take chicken out and shred with forks. Return to slow cooker. Stir. Serve.