The Chest

I decided to redecorate the chest I got from a thrift store. I might touch up the edges still, but it's otherwise finished. ^.^ Total cost: $4

Thrift Store Findings

I found this chest at a thrift store the other day. It was only $4! It's not technically within my wedding colors; I'm considering either painting it or covering it. 

Reception Food, Take I

I have decided to start testing out some of the recipes that I will be using for the reception food, mostly because I won't be the only one making food, so I should have recipes for those helping. I tried three of the potential recipes; two survived.

Recipe #1: Cream Cheese Chicken Crescent Bites

(Say that five times fast.)

These turned out delicious, as always. I've made them many times before, but I hadn't written down the actual recipe I use. 

Cream Cheese Chicken Crescent Bites
Ingredients:

12 oz Cream cheese

2 T Butter

14 oz Cooked chicken, cubed

1 T chopped chives, green onion, or parsley

3 t garlic powder

½ t salt

½ t pepper

2 8 oz cans of Crescent dinner rolls (each can should have 8 rolls)

2 T breadcrumbs or crushed croutons

Preparation Directions:
Heat oven to 350°F. In medium bowl, combine cream cheese and softened butter; beat until smooth. Add chicken, chives, salt, pepper and garlic; mix well.


Separate dough into triangles. Press into un-greased muffin tins, molding the dough into cups. Spoon chicken mixture onto center of each cup. Sprinkle with breadcrumbs.


Bake at 350°F. For 10-15 minutes or until golden brown.


Makes 16

Recipe #2: Avocado Deviled Eggs

Avocado Deviled Eggs

Ingredients: 

6 hard boiled eggs

1 medium avocado, diced small

3 tablespoons mayonnaise

2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste

Salt to taste 

Parsley, for garnish 

Preparation Directions: 

Cut boiled eggs in half lengthwise and carefully scoop out yolks. Mash yolks with a fork. Stir in diced avocados, mayonnaise, lemon juice, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, and salt to taste. 

Fill egg whites with yolk mixture and place on a serving plate. Garnish each with parsley. 

Makes 12

Recipe #3: Mini Blue Cheese Wedge Salads

I decided that these would be more work than they're worth. I think I'll stick with my Caesar salad instead.

Centerpieces

I found three framed mirrors at a thrift store the other day. I'm going to paint the frames to go with my wedding colors. I'm too sleepy to be more creative with the writing.

Wedding Cake

Wedding cakes are expensive. I've found that pretty much anything with the word "wedding" included ends up costing much more than it's worth. Why? It's a "once in a lifetime event," and must, therefore, be worth the extra cost.


Nay-nay, says I.


Although the total cost for the wedding may end up being more than I had hoped, I've managed to find reasonable deals on a lot of stuff. My dress, of course, was quite a savings, as were the wedding rings. The wedding venue is my fiance's house. Why can't I save on a cake, too?


And so I will.


I'm planning on getting my cheesecakes through Publix and then decorating them myself with various fruits, chocolates and candies. I've learned through this wedding planning process that I am a bit picky. Well, not just picky, I suppose; I feel like there's a better word to collectively describe all of the adjectives that I see in myself regarding wedding planning. Alas, you probably find this to be fairly un-useful, so I will end my self-discovery discussion now.


More planning pictures will follow--I just found a really cool-looking small rounded trunk at a thrift store. ^-^ I also got a postcard from Mickey and Minnie Mouse.