BBQ Chicken Pineapple Quesadillas

I stumbled upon this recipe months ago, during the dark days when warm weather seemed never to come. I dreamed of these but just couldn't wrap my head around anything so Summery looking when it was cold, dank, dark, dreary, dare I say poopy, outside.

Recently we had about a week of glorious weather around these here parts. While the weather didn't last per say, it did get in my soul and my head. I am not the only one who got stuck in the mindset of warmer weather...the birds are singing some lovely tunes out my window, AND they keep singing even when the temp drops a tad and the clouds and the rain come back out.

So yesterday I decided if the birds can pretend it is already warmer weather, then by golly so can my cooking. With a cast iron grill skillet in hand, I got ready for some indoor barbecue goodness.

I grilled and cut up some fresh pineapple. De-lightful.

I seasoned, grilled, and slathered in our favorite BBQ sauce, a couple of chicken breasts.

Then with Ms. PioneerWoman's tasty recipe in hand I put together the most melty, juicy, mouth-watering quesadillas I have had in a long time.

I closed my eyes and I could almost swear it was Summer.

Whether or not it is looking like Summer in your house, I highly recommend whipping yourself up a batch of these. Our house loved them. They were easy to adjust to all tastes, jalapenos (is it okay that I make sure I spell this word correctly by gringo pronouncing it in my head Juh-lap-en-ohs) added for the grown ups, pineapple stayed for the bigger Little Men, and just chicken and cheese for the Littlest.

Come on, you know you wanna.

BBQ Chicken Pineapple Quesadillas 
                                 from The Pioneer Woman*


flour tortillas
fresh pineapple, sliced and grilled
grilled barbecue chicken, sliced
grated Monterey jack cheese ( I used about 16 oz to make 5)
your favorite BBQ sauce
jalapenos, sliced (optional)

sour cream
BBQ sauce
cilantro

Cut up pineapple by cutting of top and bottom. Quartering, and then halving each quarter. Then slice of the outer rind. If you need to, go HERE for lovely step by step directions on cutting pineapple.

Grill pineapple until tender and it gets a lovely golden color (if grilling there should be grill marks).Then slice in tiny chunks.

Season to taste your chicken breasts. Grill up. Slather in your favorite sauce.

Slice up chicken. Grate cheese. Slice jalapeno.

Assemble quesadillas by layering cheese on top of one tortilla. Followed by chicken, pineapple, and jalapenos.

Cook in a skillet over dry heat until toasted on either side and the inside is ooey gooey.

Slice up, pizza style. Serve with sour cream, extra BBQ sauce and some fresh cilantro.

You can send me your "thank you's" after you wipe off your mouth.

*The Pioneer Woman takes glorious step by step pictures for EVERY recipe, this recipe is no different. Like I said, the pineapple instructions are ah-mazing. The only adaption I made in the recipe is that I did not pre fry the tortillas in butter before assembly and then toasting up the whole quesadilla.

SPLASH Art Tutorial

The Little Men's bathroom needed a little aesthetic help. In our recent housing face lift this room was left completely bare and white. I just couldn't have that, but I didn't want to do something major that would be permanent or that would take me a long time to accomplish.

Enter my three favorite things...

spray paint

blank canvas

my Silhouette (this project can totally be done without it too, just keep reading)

I had these canvases already. They were different sizes and one was flat.

I picked three colors to pull from the new hand towel above...again thank you Target.

Using painter's tape I marked a 1/2" border. I totally eyeball it...most the time it works out for me...wait till the end to see if it did...

Your shape can be done many ways. I cut out a stencil using my Silhouette.
You could also use white vinyl and just make a sticker shape to adhere, like I did here and here.
You can also simply use a sticker or trace your shape onto contact paper.

Place stickers where you would like them. I added a word on the largest canvas.

Spray painting time. Spray a light coat to start. Then you can go back in about 10 minutes and spray a slightly heavier coat. Continue until it has the coverage you want. Be patient. If you aren't and you go all hog wild with the paint there will be some leakage.

Yes I was a little impatient and I sprayed too heavy, too quickly...have I mentioned I am short on time as of late...

After only a couple of hours you can peel of the tape and your stickers.

I know you will have much straighter edges than I do...poor shark and his crooked edges. Even with his askew border I still love him.

They turned out great for a quick afternoon project. They look great in the bathroom. My Little Men totally love them.

Sharing here:

Blue Cricket Design: Show and Tell Wednesday

Something Beautiful for Free

via Smitten Blog Designs

I found these tags this afternoon while taking a lot little time away from "to-dos".

Aren't they simply lovely?

I thought I would share them.

Have a great rest of the day friends!

Mousepad and Desk Face Lift

You know how yesterday I was talking about cleaning and organizing. Well this was one of the major projects. Our home computer was crammed into our bedroom up until a couple of days ago. We have wanted it out of there FORever.

We even have had this chair for two years, just waiting for us to paint this old small dining room table. It took us long enough and sadly some major motivation to finally get this new desk done and the computer out of our room.

I about love it.

One of my favorite parts is this lamp.

Thank you Target, again.

On top of the desk redo, I also had to give our old nasty mouse pad a little face lift. Doesn't that lovely black and white flowery mouse pad look so delightful?

It was SUPER easy to make. Believe me, if I could pull it off in the midst of all of our WAY more time consuming projects it must be easy.

You just need:

a mouse pad
mod podge
scrap of fabric ( i used a fat quarter)
craft brush

Trace your mouse pad onto the wrong side of the fabric.

Cut out.

Slather mouse pad in mod podge, coating it entirely.

Lay fabric down over it.

Press out air bubbles. Apply another coat of Mod Podge evenly over the entire surface.

Let dry.

Give it a comfy home on your computer desk. In this picture you can see part of the image of the old mouse pad showing through. It is not as visible in person. A non-white fabric would keep this from happening.

I seriously am giddy happy with my new desk. AND this little mouse pad face lift was the perfect cherry on top.

In a Nutshell: Organize, Clean, Clean, and Asthma

This week we have been cleaning. Not just your everyday normal clean...well at least not mine. I am talking taking everything, practically everything, and putting it away.

Surfaces are almost completely bare.

This is the way I have wanted my kitchen to look for years. Clutter free. Paper free.

The top of the refrigerator bare.

It is like a sigh of relief.

We even cleared out our bedroom. Which is saying a lot. I hope I am not the only one who's bedroom becomes the holding room for the house's junk. Sad to say our room is probably my least favorite room in the house. The minimally decorated room is still sad and painfully bare, BUT at least now it is free of clutter. Woohoo.

I could just breathe a sigh of relief every time I see our organized, uncluttered house.

Speaking of breathing.

This Little Man had a new discovery this week. After years of suspecting, and 6 months of a wicked hacking cough, it was finally agreed that this guy has asthma.

Not surprising since there is a family history. So now this device is his very best friend. He uses it twice a day and will for the unforeseeable future.

Thanks to this device/medicine we have not heard a cough in 2 days. Glory be!

I do realize I still have not spilled the beans about 

our surprise. Many of you are probably putting the pieces together 

and are figuring it out.

It will all come out SOON.