SUGGESTION SATURDAY - 2nd Take

Here at Three G's Crafts we aim to please so this is our second Suggestion Saturday.  Katrina and I really enjoyed our first "cooking" suggestions we recieved two weeks ago and our creations were so yummy.  I have to say I actually like being bossed around my own kitchen.  We decided to go for another main dish SUGGESTION.

If you are up to the challenge to inspire us the rules are as follows:

1. Suggestions for THREE ingredients are to be posted in the comment section by 9pm Sunday (Pacific time)

2. The ingredients need to be items that we can find at any local grocery store.

3. The winning suggestion will be drawn randomly Monday morning.

4. Katrina and I will each create a main dish and prepare it separately without sharing our ideas.

5. We will post our creations Thursday.

We had 9 suggestions last time, FOLLOWERS I challenge you to submit 20 individual suggestions (1 suggestion of three ingredients each) and I will offer my own GIVE AWAY.....

CAN YOU DO IT?????

Labor of love....

Because I enjoy fixing things and making them pretty, I enjoy doing things that may seem "chore like" to others.

Chris returned from the field and his trust field pillow had split a seam (it's just two pieces of fabric serged together with some batting stuffed in) and he asked if I could fix it. I took great pride in ironing some nice seams to reinforce the entire pillow (don't want another blowout).

I had to remove the batting...it was pretty packed, after all this pillow has been around since 2003 and has been to Iraq and tons of training exercises.

I was so happy to show Chris his new improved pillow when he got home! I'll be making him a removeable cover for it and possibly a whole new pillow that I can send when he is deployed.

-Katrina

PS - posting and crafting from me is probably going to be slow for a bit. We are gearing up for a a deployment and something about saying goodbye to my husband makes me fell less than inspired.

Katrina's Buttered Fennel Chicken

Tonight I got funky in the kitchen and created a meal using the ingredients from our Suggestion Saturday. I'm not gonna lie. Finding the fennel proved to be a little more difficult than I thought and by difficult I mean that I had to go to a grocery store 2 miles from my house instead of the one 20 miles away that I started at. For a minute I thought I might have to prepare this for you:

What? It's chicken, onion, and fennel (it's right there in the italian seasoning).

But fortunately for you (and my family) I found the fennel, except good ol Albertson's tried to trick me by labling it anise.

My ingredients: fennel, white wine, butter, chicken, onion.

I cut my onion in half and then sliced it. I sliced the bulb of my fennel and added to a hot pan of butter!

Fennel bulbs are really interesting...

After the fennel and onions were translucent I set them aside, added a little more butter and threw in my chicken to brown.

After the chicken browned, I had this yumminess...I added the white wine and scraped the yummy buttery bits off the bottom and added the chicken and veggies back to the pan to simmer for a bit longer.

My finished plate with cheesy mashed potatoes and the lovely salad Andrea made with avocado, carrots, garlic, onion, and greens.

This was super yummy and something I will definitely make again! (sorry for the crappy picture, I ran out of natural light)

Check out Denise's creation HERE.

Suggestion Saturday results - Denise's Creation

I was BOSSED around my own kitchen tonight all in the name of Three G's Crafts. I was told to make a main dish with chicken, fennel and onion by GEORGE. This was going to be a challenge for me. I do not like fennel, anise or licorice at all. YUCK. Last Saturday Katrina and I held our first Suggestion Saturday, asking our followers to suggest ingredients to create a main dish. The name was drawn on Sunday and we had until today to create our own take on the suggestions. Here is mine.

Lemon Fennel Chicken over Spinach with Mushroom Risotto

4 boneless chicken breasts
1 lg. onion, cut in half then sliced
1 fennel bulb, sliced and rinsed, greens for garnish
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 lemons juiced
8 oz of baby bella mushrooms, quartered
1/2 C of white wine
olive oil
salt and pepper

fresh spinach

mushroom risotto (save for later date)

Reese helping me juice my lemons

the chicken sauted in olive oil and butter, its simply seasoned with salt and pepper

the fennel, onion, galic and mushrooms in the white white

Oh my goodness... beautiful and YUMMY.

This was my plate, it was half a breast butterflied.  I just placed the vegetables over the spinach which just naturally wilted the spinach, garnished the chicken with fennel sprigs and lemon.  Served it with the risotto.  I loved it.  Craig kept eating the veggies out of the pan while I was plating it so I think he liked it a lot too.

I was really surprised at how hard it was to find the fresh fennel here in CA.  I found it at my third store.  I have to say this was a blast to do.  I found out that I like COOKED fennel a lot.  What do you think, especially you George.  This was your Suggestion.

KATRINA what is your creation???

And the winner is...

Just keeping it real with a spaghetti covered dress and weird sounding mommy.

Winner, email me with your info so I can get your blocks in the mail.

Jessica is GOOD to Three G's

Jessica has been very good to Three G's Crafts, she is a FAMOUS blogger and now has an out of CONTROL Vlog... I would love to win this Give Uh Way, go check her out HERE...

SUGGESTION selected....

Thank you so much to our awesome followers.

And the Suggestion Saturday selected is:



GEORGE - his wonderful suggestions for our main dish are chicken, fennel and onion.

Check back on Thursday to see what Katrina and I each create. Can't wait. I hope its YUMMY!

Suggestion Saturday is HERE..

Are you ready to take control of Three G's? We are putting ourselves at the mercy of you, our wonderful followers and readers!

Suggestion Saturday is all about you telling Katrina and I what to do. We are hoping to do two a month and each time we will have a different theme. Our first Suggestion Saturday is going to be a "cooking" craft. We are in need of some ideas in the kitchen. We are asking you to “suggest” three ingredients to inspire us each to create a main dish.

The rules are as follows:

1. Suggestions for ingredients are to be posted in the comment section by noon Sunday (Pacific time)

2. The ingredients need to be items that we can find at any local grocery store.

3. The winning suggestion will be drawn randomly Sunday evening.

4. Katrina and I will each create a main dish and prepare it separately without sharing our ideas.

5. We will post our creations Thursday.

Your suggested ingredients can be anything, spices, protein, and vegetable. Please keep in mind that they do need to be edible so please don't make us create a main dish using sardines, cinnamon, and m&ms.

**We reserve the right to disqualify any ridiculous suggestions that will not be edible by our families.

As promised...

I guess we promised a give away when we hit 30 followers huh? You guys blow me away! I can't believe we're at 31 (as of rightthisminute)! I didn't even have time to put the finishing touches on the prize! I promise it will be done before the winner is even chosen.

So...if you are already a follower (rightthisminute) you get an extra entry in this drawing. Just my way of saying THANK YOU! I LOVE YOU!

The prize is hand painted/papered blocks that spell Easter on one side and Spring on the other! These are my new favorite thing to make and are so pretty and fun to display on my mantle or in an entry way, or as part of a centerpiece! I am honestly in love with these blocks and so excited to share! Without any more talk, here they are:

Spring

Easter (there is a blank block in this set in which I will add a decoration of your choice - cross, Easter egg, bunny, etc - whatever fits your decor)

Just showing a little bit of both sides:

To enter:

Mandantory one entry: Comment on this blog post and tell me your favorite thing about spring.

Extra entries:

1. Blog it

2. Put a link to this blog post on Facebook

3. Become a follower

**If you are one of our first 31 followers you still need to comment to enter and we will make sure you get your extra entry. I have the list of our current followers so you will not be missed. :)

It's that easy! Leave a separate comment for each entry. Entries close on Monday at midnight and the winner will be drawn on Tuesday!

Good luck!

Leg warmers in honor of our VA friends

Even though we now live in sunny Southern California, the bare floors still stay very cool and my baby's knees need some extra lovin as she crawls all over, did I stress ALL enough, no?  Ok, ALL over. 

Here are the latest leg warmers that are snuggling up on her chunky thighs.

We just need 1 more follower.....

before the give aways begin.

Denise :)

Sneak peak Sunday..

Just a sneak peak at some upcoming fun! 6 more followers and we get to have a give away! Spread the word!

FINALLY back in action....

I am so happy that one of us over here at Three G's Crafts has been crafting.  Thank you KATRINA for holding down the fort.  I have been super busy with the girls, appointments, a sick husband, a visit from my parents and preparing my house and shopping for our 10th Annual Super Bowl Party.  Which is where this next trio of shirts was inspired for.  Go COLTS....  We aren't even Colts fans but you have to pick a team and go with it.  So, I decided very last minute to make the three girls shirts to show their temporary team spirit.

My fabric choices.

My three girls

The oldest, Reese. I hand made her ruffle, my first ever.  Thanks to the tutorial over at MADE.  The adorable Market skirts are theme idea for Reese's 6th birthday party in September.  I need to "kidnap" Katrina and go for another trip to JoAnnes for searsucker.  I want to work on more ruffles because this one didn't come out ruffly (did I just make up a word?) enough.

Here is my ever silly Paige.  I love her eyelet lace trim. 

And my baby doll, Claire.  I love her little shirt.  I love the dark blue ruffle on the bottom.  I attempted a pair of bloomers for her but the didn't quite get them right.  Oh well, next time.

I can not wait to get started on their little shirts for

Saint Patrick's Day. 

Oooh and what are we doing for GIVE AWAYS?

We need 30 FOLLOWERS first.

So start following..

DENISE :)

Another ruffle shirt - completed!

I finsished this tonight and couldn't even wait to post it until tomorrow when I could do a proper photo shoot with natural light!

This is my favorite part of the fabric, it looks like a little wave of flowers and hearts!

After I finished sewing the straps I needed to attach them to the shirt but I couldn't find it. I looked on the floor, under everything I had on the table, in the family room and just couldn't find it, so I stood up to get a better look and found it right behind me on Madelyn! I had put it on to check strap length and forgotten to take it off. She was just playing happily, not questioning why mommy had put some weird shirt over her nightgown.

One strap on, checking for placement...and apparently it's good for running. Like how my family room looks after I spend time at the sewing machine?

Finished product! This one is a shirt so it's supposed to be short and since we weren't doing a proper photo shoot I saw no need for pants. :)

I promise fun pictures tomorrow that include something on the bottom. :)

-Katrina