Random fact about Jaidis that you probably don’t care to know but that I’m going to share anyways: I don’t eat fish. I just have this thing about eating anything that swims. It creeps me out. *shudders* My neurologist tried getting me to take fish oil when I was first diagnosed with epilepsy several years ago but I couldn’t stomach the taste and size of the capsules so I quickly stopped taking them. So when I received an email from the people at Everest Nutrition asking if I’d like to provide my honest review of their Krill Oil literally three days after my last seizure, I took it as a sign that maybe I should give it another try. So before I get to my review, let’s take a look at some of the benefits according to the Everest Nutrition website.

~ Benefits ~

* Protect Your Heart

* Sharpen Your Brain

* Lower Bad Cholesterol

* Fight PMS Symptoms

* Combat Inflammation

* Fight Aging

* Boost Your Overall Health

* Lower Blood Pressure

* Help You Sleep Better

Visit the Krill Oil website to read about the individual benefits and research associated with each.

~ Pros ~

The overall size of these Krill Oil capsules are much smaller than the fish oil capsules I have taken in the past.

There is nothing fishy about these capsules! No taste or after taste at all! According to their site, the capsules they use are Caplique capsules that specifically reduce/eliminate the fishy after taste and burps which is why they use them so it definitely works.

After my last seizure, I was prescribed several medicines and vitamins that have resulted in me having terrible heartburn on a daily basis. Once I started taking the Krill Oil, the heartburn stopped. I forgot to take the Krill Oil one day and the heartburn immediately returned. So being the curious type that I am, I purposely skipped the Krill Oil for another day and sure enough, heartburn. The next day I resumed the Krill Oil and the heartburn was gone. I’m not sure if this is supposed to be a benefit or not but it worked.

I also noticed that while taking the Krill Oil, not only was I having fewer headaches but I found that I was able to concentrate better. My seizure had left me frustrated and unable to focus. I would start doing a task only to get easily distracted. I did notice a small difference in my ability to focus and I’m assuming that if I continue taking this product, I’d continue to see results since I’ve only been taking this product a short while.

~ Cons ~

They were sometimes a little hard to swallow even though they were smaller because they had some extra space within the capsule. I’m assuming the capsule is as small as it can go or they need the room to fill it but if they could find a way to remove that extra space, thus removing the air from within the capsule, it would make swallowing them easier. The capsule would tend to float in the water when I would try to swallow it and I found it a little irritating.

Here is a picture of the extra space I am referring to.

The capsules are only about an inch long but imagine how much smaller they would be with all that empty space gone.

I found that if you moved the capsule around to coat the inside with the Krill Oil, they were much easier to swallow. Simply taking them out of the bottle after having the oil settle to one end of the capsule is what makes them hard to swallow.

It has been mentioned previously on this blog that I’m a poor. Especially now that I have to pay over $130 a month just for my seizure medications alone. One bottle of Everest Nutrition Krill Oil (a one month supply) is $29.95 + $4.95 S/H. That is the cost of two of my seizure medicines. Need I say more?

~ Bottom Line ~

Would I continue to take Everest Nutrition Krill Oil? If I had the extra money to spare, yes I would. I noticed enough pros that I would be willing to continue taking this product if I could afford it. I think even being able to take it sometimes would be better than not taking it at all.

~ Giveaway ~

Want to WIN your own one month supply of Everest Nutrition Krill Oil? One lucky winner will have the chance to do just that! Giveaway is open to the US only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I received a one month supply of this product in exchange for my honest review.

Stay Creative,

Jaidis

The post Product Review: Everest Nutrition Krill Oil + Giveaway! appeared first on Blooming with Jaidis.

Kiss Marbleizing Pens & Polish

I have been spending a lot of time at home since my recent seizure and have sadly been neglecting my nails. Normally I repaint my nails every 2 – 3 days to keep them looking their best. The only thing I’ve managed to do since my seizure back on March 22nd is to put on a coat of clear L.A. Colors Nail Treatment Ultra Nail Hardener a couple different times. Which, by the way, is the only nail hardener I use. It is super cheap and works awesome! Anyways, my mom thought I needed to get out of the house and so she took me to the book store and to look at nail stuff and I came across this Kiss Marbleizing nail kit. I’ve never tried this brand before, or this technique, but I’m hoping that since I have been shaky lately that it will be easy for me to do.

~ Instructions ~

So the box says that it takes only three easy steps: Polish, Dot, Swirl. More specifically, it says:

1. Select a base color and apply over entire nail.
2. While wet, select another color and squeeze bottle to drop 2 or 3 dots.
3. While still wet, using pen tip, squeeze bottle and swirl 3rd color through dots and base color.

Let dry and seal design with a topcoat. Okay, sounds easy enough. Let’s give this a whirl!

~ Pros ~

I love that each of the color pens have a base so they stand upright. You don’t have to worry about it falling over and spilling.

I picked out the set that has white, light pink, and a magenta like color. They also had a purple set but I love pink so naturally I selected this one.

The pen tips would be great for creating designs that aren’t marble effects like lines, dots, zig zags, flowers, etc.

The polishes are easy to remove with nail polish remover.

~ Cons ~

The polishes do have a stronger odor than some polishes I have tried so I’m not liking that.

They give you a little piece of folding paper with instructions on the inside of the box. I expected this paper to show how to do the marbleizing effect. It didn’t. It “tells” how to do it but in terms of actually showing examples, it showed how to do flowers, stripes, paw prints but not what the kit is advertised for. This makes it kind of confusing, especially for those of us who learn better by seeing rather than reading. See what I mean?

Telling, not really showing

Shows how to do flowers, paw prints, stripes, etc

The light pink bottle’s lid was on crooked right out of the pack. No matter what I did, it wouldn’t go on straight. I looked on the inside of the lid and the plastic where the base of the brush meets the lid was warped and preventing it from going on correctly. This also prevented me from using it as the pen option without making a huge mess. To use it as a brush was fine but trying to squeeze it through the pen tip wouldn’t work because since the lid couldn’t be screwed on properly, nail polish just leaked out the side.

~ Bottom Line ~

Would I buy Kiss Marbleizing Pen & Polish again? Probably not. I haven’t worked with this technique enough and it is not as easy as stated on the box (then again, hardly anything ever is). Maybe I was just not with it enough to get it. When I tried “swirling” the pen through the dots like the instructions said, it just mixed the colors and didn’t achieve the marble effect. I had to do my nails twice just to get a half way decent example that I was comfortable displaying on my blog (hence the image above). But for the amount I paid for this kit, I at least expected the pens to work properly and the one didn’t. I think the idea is great but the follow through needs a little more work and the products a little higher quality (or the price a little cheaper).

Have you tried this kit? What did you think? I hope you had an easier time than I did.

Stay Creative,

Jaidis

The post Product Review: Kiss Marbleizing Pen & Polish appeared first on Blooming with Jaidis.

I have wanted to try Diamond Candles forever! After entering giveaway after giveaway … and always losing … I finally broke down and bought a candle since I needed to pamper myself. And it is a good thing I did too because the day after I bought the candle I had a relapse in my epilepsy with a seizure that lasted about 18 hours so I really needed to pamper myself.

~ Pros ~

The candle darkens up after it has been on fire and so it is much prettier than when first received. Since I collect cobalt blue glass, I enjoyed the color.

The wax is soy so it is Eco-friendly and easy to remove from your skin (if you go digging for the ring). I could sit here and tell you how hard I tried to let the candle burn down to expose the ring on its own but it would be a lie. I let the candle burn for about five minutes before making a dive for the ring.

I do like that they give you a coupon with each purchase so that your friends can save $5 when they purchase a Diamond Candle, though the coupon does expire within a couple of days.

If you would like to save $5 off the purchase of a Diamond Candle, just visit link http://my.cndl.es/x/vmXzv – just do it within the next couple of days!

~ Cons ~

I have to say, I think the scent is a con for me. This candle is described as “Do you remember your first kiss? This sensual fragrance is a seductive blend of berries, blooms, and musk that is bound to be a welcome accompaniment to any romantic setting.” This sounded intriguing to me at first but the longer I smell the candle, the more I don’t like it. I’m not sure if it is to musky, or too sweet … I can’t really put my finger on it. At the end of the day, I wouldn’t purchase this scent again.

Another con is the price! $24.95 for a candle is insane in my opinion! It is the main reason that has prevented me from purchasing a Diamond Candle previously.

The only other con in my opinion is the ring size. The website says that most rings come in the most popular sizes but the ring I received fits my pinky (or my middle knuckle), so I’m guessing it is about a size 5. But it sure is pretty! Do you want to see?

Bottom line, would I buy Diamond Candles again?

If I had the extra money to splurge?

Yes!!!

If you could try one Diamond Candles scent, which one would you try?

Stay Creative,

Jaidis

The post Product Review: Diamond Candles – Midnight Kiss appeared first on Blooming with Jaidis.

~*~*~*~

Materials Needed:

• Glass vase (or jar, candle holder, etc.)
• Mod Podge Gloss or Matte (I used Gloss)
• Mod Podge Glitter (only if you’d like a glitter finish)
• Foam Brush
• Gift wrap tissue paper
• Clear Acrylic Sealer ( I used Krylon)

Before You Begin: Make sure glass is clean and dry before beginning this project. Cut tissue paper into strips. I cut mine the length of the vase, and made them 1-2 inches wide. Set aside for later.

Step 1: Using a foam brush, apply Mod Podge in sections, being sure to stroke evenly from top to bottom. You will not need a lot of the Podge, because too much will make the tissue strips tear and fall apart when pressing them on. Take a strip of your tissue and stick to the vase.

Step 2: Continue doing this all the way around the vase. I applied two layers of the strips all the way around, but if you’d like a more transparent look, one layer will do just fine.

Step 3: When done with tissue strips, set aside and allow to dry for at least 20 minutes. Then apply a coat of the Mod Podge Glitter to add some shimmer. Be sure to wait 20 minutes before applying another coat if you want more sparkle.

I then set these vases aside overnight to allow them to fully dry. Once dried, I sprayed with a clear acrylic sealer to keep them from feeling tacky and to give a more polished look.

 My Verdict:

I first saw this project while perusing on Pinterest (as usual) and decided to give it a try! These vases are very easy to make, require little materials that are more than affordable and leave plenty of room for creativity! They’re also something fun that your child may enjoy doing with you…Of course, you’ll have to apply the sealer without the little ones around, but the rest of the process is simple and a breeze to clean up!

~*~*~*~

Thank you A.G. for sharing your project with us! I can’t wait to try it out for myself!

Stop by the original post on Mod Podge Rocks! that inspired A.G. to try this out!

Stay Creative,

Jaidis

The post DIY Project: Decoupage Vases with A.G. Dow appeared first on Blooming with Jaidis.

In the post it says that you can simply pour boiling water into the jar with remaining wax and the wax will heat up and float to the top. As the water cools, the wax hardens back up for easy removal. Sounds super easy, right? Right!

Step 1: Gather some of those pesky old candle jars! For the purpose of this post, I used two. Both jars were Febreze Candles. I absolutely LOVE these candles! They are a tad expensive but I have a small house and so I can light one and it makes the whole house smell yummy! Anywho, the pink burned normally but the green one (that I got last Christmas) only burned a little more than half way before the wick ran out.

Step 2: Fill your tea kettle with water and put it on the stove to boil. I didn’t allow mine to boil completely (ie – the kettle didn’t whistle) because I am sort of impatient. No surprise there! But it was almost to the point of boiling. Then pour the water into the jars.

The wax immediately started to melt and float to the top! They (the green one especially) looked like mini lava lamps so it was pleasant to watch…hehe.

Step 3: Let the candles sit there so the water can cool. I believe in the original post, she let the jars cool over night but anyone who knows me knows I’ve never been good at waiting. I let mine cool for about an hour. Then I lightly pushed on one edge of the wax disc that was floating on the surface. The one edge dipped down below the water and I pulled it out in one piece. TIP: You will know if it is cool enough because you want the wax disc to stay in its shape when pushed on. If your finger sinks into the wax, allow it to cool for a little longer.

I also am not a big fan of excess waste and so I set the remaining wax to the side. I have a lamp that has a dish for wax wafers and so I am reusing the wax for that. The pink ball is just a chunk of the pink wax that I rolled into a ball while it was still soft so it would fit in my diffuser better.

Step 4: I did have to repeat the process with the green candle because there was so much wax that the water had cooled before melting all of it.

Once the last of the wax was removed, I gave the jars a quick wash in soapy water and ta-da!

Perfect glass jars that you can reuse for other things! In fact, I used one of them in my earlier post about tinting glass! You can check that out HERE.

My Verdict:

Using boiling water to remove the wax is by far the best method I have ever tried! It is super easy and only takes a couple of hours to complete…not to mention no scrubbing, no breaking up wax with a knife, and no hassle! In fact it is so easy, I’m embarrassed that I haven’t thought to try it sooner. I’ve heard some people like freezing the wax to help it chip out but that just seems like nonsense to me. I apologize if you prefer that method.

Do you have a tip for removing the wax? If not, you should definitely try this one! You won’t use a different method again ;)

Stay Creative,

Jaidis

The post DIY Happy Home Tip – Remove Leftover Wax from Candle Jars appeared first on Blooming with Jaidis.

Ingredients Needed:

• 1/8 Cup of Mod Podge, Gloss
• 1 1/2 TBSP Water
• Liquid Food Coloring
• Glass Bottles/Jars

Before you begin: Collect all of the needed ingredients and supplies. In addition to the Mod Podge, water, food coloring, and bottles/jars, I used plastic cups for mixing, something to stir with ( I used Popsicle sticks) and paper towels for messes/clean-up. I also had a paint brush handy which I’ll talk about later.

Step 1: I microwaved 1 1/2 tablespoons of water for 30 seconds in a glass measuring cup. Then I poured it into a disposable plastic cup, added food coloring and mixed. I then added 1/8 cup (approximately) of Mod Podge in the cup with the colored water. Mix well. Note: I knew that A.G. had plenty left over and I only planned on doing 1 jar in this color so I cut the ingredients down. Plus my daughter was helping and I didn’t want any Mod Podge wasted.

Step 2: I then poured the mix into the jar and let my daughter swirl it around. Once she was done, I took over, and filled in the spaces that she missed. As A.G. stated, holding a paper towel over the top worked great at coating the entire jar.

Step 3: I allowed the jar to drain as instructed in the original tutorial by placing it upside down on paper towel. After about 10-15 minutes, I turned it upright and allowed the remaining Mod Podge mixture to settle to the bottom. While I was waiting, I pre-heated my oven to 170 degrees.

Step 4: Instead of placing the jar directly on the rack in the oven, I placed it in a glass casserole dish. I was afraid that since it was a small jar it wouldn’t balance well enough on the rack. Bake it until it becomes transparent. Mine took a little over 30 minutes. Once done, remove from oven to cool.

Note: My daughter wasn’t happy with the shade of pink when it came out of the oven. So after it cooled, I repeated the process with a 2nd coat, which is the shade in the picture above.

You may have noticed that there were multiple jars in the first picture. I wanted to try a different method, this time tinting the outside of the jar. Since Mod Podge is water-soluble, you can’t use bottles/jars that are tinted with the above method for anything that requires water, like a vase for flowers. So here is my attempt at doing the outside:

Ingredients Needed:

• 1/8 Cup of Mod Podge, Gloss
• 1 TBSP Water
• Liquid Food Coloring
• Glass Bottles/Jars

Step 1: You are going to make your Mod Podge mixture just like in the above method, only I reduced the water. I was afraid that the original mixture would be to runny and I didn’t want it to turn into a dripping mess! For this version, I made 2 shades: 1 blue and 1 yellow.

Step 2: I first tried using the paint brush even though I was almost positive that it would leaves streaks. It did. So I switched to a different method. I took a paper towel, wadded it up, and after dipping in the blue mixture, I blotted the Mod Podge onto the outside of the jar.

Step 3: I took a new paper towel and repeated the above step, only using Yellow. I just blotted it on there randomly.

Step 4: I took the same casserole dish as I used with the pink jar and put a piece of aluminum foiled on the bottom. I wasn’t sure if this jar would drip and I didn’t want to bake the Mod Podge onto my only casserole dish. Then I put the jar in the oven and baked for 20 mins.

Step 5: I took the jar out and allowed it to cool enough that I could touch it. It didn’t take long. Then I added a second coat, only this time, I put blue at the bottom and the yellow at the top. I was hoping that the colors would fade together. Put back in the oven and cook for 20 mins. Remove to cool.

You can see the color variation a little bit in the above picture. I think it turned out nicely! If you are having trouble seeing the different colors, here is another picture to hopefully help:

Now that the outside is tinted, you can use the jar for something that requires it to hold water. :)

My Verdict:

This method was simple and easy. My daughter really enjoyed helping as well! It requires minimal ingredients, is quick, and clean-up is easy. I do have a few complaints however. The first is that even though I cut the recipe down, there was still a ton of waste left over! I would suggest waiting until you have extra jars/bottles on hand so that you can use all of the mixture. I really hate to see product wasted! If you have air-tight containers of some sort you could try saving the mixture to use at a later date but I didn’t have any available. :(

Also, you will have to use a ton of coloring to achieve the deep-hued glass. I would much rather have a dark color the first time around than have to do it a second time like I had to with these. I am going to try to use the gel coloring and play around with the exact measurements so I can get the color I desire and not waste precious Mod Podge.

You may have noticed the pumpkin bottle in the beginning pic as well. I tried to color the inside, using the same method as the pink, but for some reason, the Mod Podge mixture would not stick to the entire inside. It did in some places but others just slipped right off of the glass. I’m not sure what happened but needless to say it was an Epic Failure. Luckily I was able to clean the jar and I can try again at a later date. I may have to end up tinting the outside instead.

As stated in A.G. Dow’s post, the original inspiration for this post came from the It’s Overflowing blog. Be sure to stop by and check it out. :)

Stay Creative,

Jaidis

The post DIY Project – Tinting Glass Jars with Jaidis appeared first on Blooming with Jaidis.

Let’s take a look at A.G.’s experience!

~*~*~*~

Ingredients Needed:

• 1/4 Cup of Mod Podge, Gloss
• 3 TBSP Water
• Liquid Food Coloring
• Glass Bottles/Jars

Before you begin: Collect all of the needed ingredients and supplies. In addition to the Mod Podge, water, food coloring, and bottles, I used two small bowls for mixing (one for water and one for Mod Podge), something to stir with ( I used an old spoon) and paper towels for messes/clean-up.

Step 1: I microwaved 3 tablespoons of water for 30 seconds in one of the small bowls, then added food coloring and mixed well. I then added the food coloring mixture to 1/4 cup of Mod Podge in the other bowl. Mix well. Note: I originally started out mixing in the small bowl and even though all of the required ingredients fit, I found it was hard to mix well so I transferred the mixture into a measuring cup. This provided plenty of room to stir thoroughly and not make a big mess.

Step 2: I then poured the mix into the bottles and swirled around until the entire inside was covered. I used a few paper towels to press against the top so I could hold the bottle upside down and get every bit covered. Note: For the 3rd bottle I added a lot more blue to the mix and ended up with what I was hoping would be purple. I didn’t make a new mixture, I simply added blue dye to the pinkish mixture I was already working with.

Step 3: I allowed the bottles to drain as instructed in the original tutorial by placing them upside down on paper towel. After a few minutes I turned them upright and allowed the remaining Mod Podge mixture to settle to the bottom. While I was waiting, I pre-heated my oven to 170 degrees.

Step 4: After the oven reached 170 degrees, I placed the bottles on a rack that was in the 2nd slot from the bottom. Be sure NOT to tilt the bottles when placing them inside. Allow them to bake until they become transparent. Mine took a little over 20 minutes, but all ovens vary so keep an eye on them.

After a few minutes in the oven, they begin to dry.

Step 5: Once dried, remove carefully, without tilting, using mitts. They were just in the oven so yes, they will be hot. Once fully cooled, wipe excess mixture from the lip if needed….and you’re all set! :)

My Verdict:

These turned out super adorable! I picked this method because when I was reading through the tutorial posted on the It’s Overflowing blog, it seemed super easy and quick…and it was! Who knew that some old glass bottles could be turned into an awesome decoration! And because it is easy and the Mod Podge washes off with soap and water, this is a project that I can do with my daughter!

The only note that I would like to add is that the amount of mixture I used was a bit more than I needed for these three bottles, so you may want to play around a bit with the amount of Mod Podge and add accordingly.

~*~*~*~

Thank you A.G. for sharing your experience with that tutorial! I will be trying it myself later today so you can expect a post about my experience with it! Stop by A.G.’s Facebook page and let her know what you think of her pretty jars!

Have you tried tinting glass jars? If so, did you use this method or have you found another one that is better?

Stay Creative,

Jaidis

The post DIY Project – Tinting Glass Jars with A.G. Dow appeared first on Blooming with Jaidis.

Ingredients Needed:

• 2 Cups All-Purpose Flour
• 1 tsp Salt
• 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
• 1/8 tsp Baking Soda
• 10 TBSP Butter (1 Stick + 2 TBSP), softened
• 1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
• 1/2 Granulated Sugar
• 1 Lg. Egg
• 3 Oz Cream Cheese, room temperature
• 2 tsp Vanilla
• 1 1/2 Cups Chocolate Chips

Before you begin: Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease a cookie sheet and set to the side.

Step 1: In large bowl, cream together the butter, both sugars, egg, cream cheese, and vanilla.

Step 2: Add the dry ingredients, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Your batter should be smooth.

Mixing in the flour

All done ;)

Step 3: Stir in your chocolate chips. :)

Step 4: Drop tablespoon-sized scoops of dough onto the cookie sheet. Be sure to leave about an inch in between each cookie.

Step 5: Bake for 10 – 12 minutes or until the cookies are golden around the edges. I baked mine for 11 minutes and it worked great!

My Verdict:

These cookies turned out great! My chocolate chip cookies usually come out flat and super crunchy but these stayed puffy and moist. They taste just like a chocolate chip recipe that I was given by my MIL that I can never seem to get to turn out so these will now be my go-to recipe for chocolate chip cookies!

Be sure to stop by the Just Putzing Around the Kitchen blog and check it out!

Have you tried a similar recipe? If so, tell me about it ;)

Stay Creative,

Jaidis

The post Recipe: Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Bites appeared first on Blooming with Jaidis.

Ingredients Needed:

• 2 Cups Cheddar Cheese, finely shredded
• 1 Cup Montery Jack Cheese, shredded
• 1/2 Cup Mayo
• 1 Can of Yellow Corn, drained
• 1 Can of Rotel Tomatoes with Green Chilies, undrained
• 1 stalk Green Onions or about 2 TBS, thinly sliced
• 1/4 tsp Garlic Powder

Optional:

• 1 Cup of Cooked Chicken Breast, diced

Before you begin: Assemble your ingredients. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. If you are using chicken like I did, cook it and set it to the side.

Step 1: In oven safe dish, add the Cheddar and Montery Jack cheese, corn, Rotel tomatoes with green chilies, mayo and garlic.

Step 2: Stir ;)

I know it doesn’t look very appealing…but don’t worry ;)

Step 3: Add in the chicken and then Stir.

Step 4: Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown. I set the timer for 22 minutes and it still wasn’t ‘golden brown’ so I took it out, gave it another quick stir, and then replaced in back in the oven on the Broil setting. I always watch when I’m cooking on Broil because I’m easily side-tracked and often burn things..lol. It only took a couple of minutes.

Step 5: Add the green onions to the top to make it pretty and serve with your favorite tortilla chips :)

My Verdict:

This dip was so GOOD! I am so glad that Gina shared it on her blog. I will definitely be making it again! It was so quick and easy, you literally just put it all in a dish and bake it.

Gina’s recipe is a little different and has a couple different ingredients so be sure to stop by her blog and try either her recipe…or try BOTH! If you do, let me know how they turn out!

Stay Creative,

Jaidis

The post Recipe: Hot Corn Dip appeared first on Blooming with Jaidis.

I’ve looked around at various recipes online and couldn’t find one that was similar and so one day when I was craving my beloved Pollo Fundido, my hubby decided that he would try to make it at home. Check out his recipe below!

Ingredients Needed:

• 3 skinless, boneless Chicken Breasts
• 1 package of Goya Spanish Style Yellow Rice Arroz Amarillo
• 1 large Green Bell Pepper, chopped
• 1 medium White Onion, chopped
• 1 can of Rotel Mild Tomatoes with Green Chilies
• 1 can Rico’s White Queso Blanco
• 2 Tablespoons of Olive Oil
• 1 Tablespoon of Butter

Spices:

• Black Pepper
• Chili Powder
• Paprika
• Cumin
• Garlic Powder

Optional:

• Lime Juice

Step 1: Cook the package of rice as directed on the packaging. While this is cooking, you will be doing the remaining steps.

Step 2: Add 1 Tablespoon of butter and 2 Tablespoons of Olive Oil to pan over Medium-High heat. As your butter is melting, add in the black pepper, chili powder, paprika, cumin and garlic powder. Also add the lime juice if you are going to use it.

Note: My husband isn’t one for measuring so I don’t know exactly how much of the spices he uses. It is really a matter of personal preference so just do what feels right. You could start with a little and taste it to determine if you need to add more. The next time he makes it, I’ll make him measure and update this post.

Step 3: Cook your chicken in the spice/olive oil mixture until fully cooked.

Step 4: OPTIONAL: We had tacos the night before this and so we had some left over taco meat. My hubby decided to add it to this to get it used up so keep this in mind if you need a way to use up left overs. Also, you could use just beef instead of chicken in this recipe. :)

Step 5: Add in your chopped onions and green bell peppers.

Step 6: Cook until the onions start to ‘sweat’ or turn slightly translucent.

Step 7: Add in the Rotel Tomatoes and Queso (cheese) sauce.

Step 8: And stir…lol

Step 9: At this point you need to decide how you want to serve it. When I have a dish like this at a restaurant they usually serve it either on a bed of rice or with the rice on the side. In our house though, we just mix it together with the rice because my daughter won’t eat rice if it is by itself.

My Verdict:

This turned out almost just like what I normally order! This version is a little spicy since he uses the Rotel tomatoes with green chilies but I think I actually like this version better (Shhh….don’t tell him that)! I usually eat mine with a soft shell flour tortilla. I just put some on the tortilla and wrap it up like a burrito.

My hubby likes to take tortilla chips and use it like a dipping sauce…lol.

Have you made a recipe that is similar to this? If you try this specific recipe, I’d love to hear how you like it :)

Stay Creative,

Jaidis

The post Recipe: Cheesy Chicken & Rice Melt appeared first on Blooming with Jaidis.