crafts and chicken nachos

i had a very relaxing weekend, after vacation last week. i don't really know how to relax much, i am figuring that out. but i had alot of free time on my hands, so i did some fun stuff.

first up: i made this cute tote bag! cassie, lou and i went to a great shop in northfield, mn, called digs last week. i bought the faux wood fabric, and although you cannot see it, a great turquoise and orange fabric called "bird seed" with, you guessed it, birds all over it. a tote bag was calling my name when i saw it! luckily i had a GREAT vintage potholder in my stash to finish it off. finally, i have a cute bag for my yarn projects. which i never work on. well, maybe i will now.

i also decided to actually COOK something, instead of going out to eat. that is a nasty habit we've been falling into lately. but, i was lazy and did not want to shop. so i used what i had on hand to make some FANTASTIC chicken nachos! i wish i had a photo, but we were too excited and had to eat them immediately.

here's the recipe:

Chicken Nachos:
Approx. 1# frozen chicken breasts

Add to crockpot with about a half cup of water, 1/2 onion, a few cloves of garlic and some seasoning to taste. i used a spice blend for chicken, and some salt and pepper. put on low, and cook for several hours. when chicken is done, remove from crock pot, drain (if needed) and shred. Add approx. 1/2 cup of salsa and mix together. keep warm until ready to eat.

Homemade Refried Beans:
(these should be outlawed, they are so so good!)
Approx. 1# pinto beans

Add to large pot, with water to cover (maybe 6-8 cups). Add 1/2 onion, and about 1/2 tsp. salt. Bring to boil, then turn to low and simmer for several hours (mine took about 5) until pinto beans are soft. Add 2-3 T. bacon fat (i am convinced this is the secret to the goodness). Melt fat, and pour beans in small batches into blender. Puree til they are a good consistency (I left a little texture in there, but they were pretty smooth). Makes a TON of refried beans. i will never ever buy a can of crappy ones again :)

Mexican Coleslaw:
Shredded Cabbage (I used red cabbage from the garden, rough chopped to make a couple cups)
Approx. 1/4 c. rice wine vinegar
Approx 1 T. sugar
Approx 1/4 t. salt

Mix together and let chill for awhile while the flavors blend.

To assemble nachos:
Scatter tortilla chips on a BIG plate.
Add refried beans, then some shredded chicken.
Top with cheese of some sort (we used the canned stuff that is yellow and kind of goopy).
Melt in microwave for a minute.
Top with your choice of:
Chopped tomatoes
Chopped cucumbers
Sour Cream
Homemade salsa
Serve cabbage on the side.

If the recipe is vague, it's because i made it up as i went. but really, i don't think you could mess it up much. Just customize it to what your family likes. i'll be eating leftover refried beans for days. yum. i wonder how good they would be for breakfast?!