DIY Abby Cadabby!

I had so much fun creating things for Ella's 2nd birthday party. Abby Cadabby was such a fun theme... I love the colors, I love the girly-ness, and I LOVE the look on Ella's face when she saw our house transformed into a magical fairy land. Everything was Abby-fied! She loved it.


Here are just a few things that I made for the party: 
Abby Cadabby headband - It's actually unfinished. I wanted to add little white felt flowers around the pigtails, but ran out of time. Ella only wore it for a few minutes anyway! :)

Cupcake stand Tutu skirt in Abby Cadabby colors! Took lots of tulle, but was super cute.

Birthday Banner: Happy 2nd Birthday Ella!

 A cute little Sesame Street birthday sign. This was the easiest thing to make because most of the work was done in Paintshop. Then I just had to print and cut it out. It was a rushed job. 

I take that back... THIS was the easiest thing to do. Technically, it shouldn't really be in the DIY post because all I did was add ribbons to store bought cotton candy. This is what we used as one of the party favors. It was a hit with the kids.

What's for Dinner?

Spicy Ranch Chicken & Sauteed Squash

This is one of my 'go-to' dinner combinations ... both are delicious on their own, but my family just loves them together! We usually just pick something random to add as an extra side. I am not a gourmet chef by any means. I cook from a box, too. :) Tonight it was this: 

For the Spicy Ranch Chicken, you need: 
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts or 8 boneless skinless chicken breast tenders
1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs (plus some extra for pan)
3 tablespoons of Hidden Valley dry Spicy Ranch Dressing mix

Pre-heat oven to 375°.

Spray bottom of 9x13 baking dish with non stick cooking spray, then coat pan with extra bread crumbs. *For easier clean up, I line my pan with aluminum foil first. The crusty remains of the chicken can be hard to scrape off of the baking dish afterwards. 

Mix dry Ranch Dressing with the 1/2 cup of Italian bread crumbs, then coat both sides of chicken breasts with the mixture.

Place in pan and cook anywhere from 30-60 minutes, depending on your oven. About 35 minutes is what works for me. It's delicious and the easiest thing ever to cook!

Now, these. squash. They just melt in your mouth. I used to cook mine differently, but after trying it this way I'll never go back. This could be something really common that everyone does... but I'll add the recipe anyway. 

4 small yellow squash, sliced

3 medium zucchini, sliced

1/4 cup butter

2 medium onions, sliced thinly or diced

salt & pepper

         Melt butter in large skillet.

1. Add onion and cook just till tender. *we like lots of onion, you can just add one if you like less.
   
   Add squash & continue cooking over medium heat, stirring until squash begins to soften.
   
   
   
2. Cover and continue cooking over low heat until nice and tender (about 30 minutes).
   
   
   
We like to add lots of salt and pepper!