The Indigo Forest Is Having A Sale!

As anyone who reads this blog should know, I am the owner of the Etsy store The Indigo Forest. It means so much to my family and me, all of the love I get for my little shop - purchasing from me really helps to support my family and is very much appreciated this Christmas season. I work really hard to create things that I hope lots of people can enjoy (especially children) and knowing that my creations are making people happy is what really keeps me going. Thank you to anyone who has or will be supporting my small business and family!  

As a thank you (and because of Black Friday-Small Business Saturday-Cyber Monday)

I would like to offer the following to all of you! 

I hope to all of those that celebrated Thanksgiving had a lovely day. 

Until next time...

Kellie

Parade in the big city.

 

Gratitute Sunday

Today for the first time I'm joining Taryn over at Wooly Moss Roots for Gratitude*Sunday

In Taryn's words: :

G r a t i t u d e * S u n d a y

"{Sunday's heartfelt tradition. A time to slow down, to reflect, to be grateful. A list of gratitudes.}"

* Wonderful family and friends. I couldn't get by without them.

* Recent sales in my shop. I want people to know that when they choose to purchase my creations, they are really helping me to support my family. Thank you! 

* My husband! He's the most amazing man. He's truly my other half, my missing puzzle piece, my soul mate. He's my rock and without him I'd be lost. 

* Extra sleep! 

* Finding more time to create. 

* Cooking delicious meals. Yay! for comfort food!

* Netflix. Seriously, what would I do without Netfix! (probably more constructive things, but oh well. hehe.)

* Cold weather. It may seem silly, but I absolutely love bundling up and getting cozy!

* My children. Each are very unique and I love that they are mine! They make me laugh everyday.

*  Beer! Okay....making beer! It's so much fun and our bottles should be ready to open and try on the 15th!

* A clean house! It seems that it is a rarity, but when it happens I'm very grateful. 

* Above all else of course, there is God. Without whom I'd literately be nothing. 

~Kellie

This Moment

(This Moment) Is a Friday ritual inspired by SouleMama. A single image capturing a special moment from the week. A moment I want to pause, savor & remember

Feeling It.

I'm feeling it lately. The changing season. The air. It's all different, yet so familiar. I've been so unmotivated these last few months, but something has changed recently. I've had the itch to create once again. My shop has been pretty dead lately and I want that to change! I have so many ideas and have been inspired by so many beautiful things lately that I just have to create!  Having three boys makes having extra time hard to find.

My most recent project is this sweet little sock monkey (shown above). My boys have sweetly named him Mr. Monkey and he was made with lots of love ( & some mistakes too.) 

I plan to add some to my shop once I get the stitching down just right. 

 *

Other projects are well underway as well! My husband has taken the hobby of home brewing. He has been writing about his beer making journey on his own blog Bear Foot Brewer. He's pretty new to the blogging world, so please stop on by and show him some love! 

We are about halfway done with the fermentation process and will bottle in a week or so. I can't wait to taste the finished product! 

Wishing everyone the loveliest of days! 

Kellie

This Moment

(This Moment) Is a Friday ritual inspired by SouleMama. A single image capturing a special moment from the week. A moment I want to pause, savor & remember

Recipe: : Mama's Refried Bean Soup

This recipe is very near and dear to my heart. It is a soup I've been eating since I was just a girl and every time I eat it, I think of home. The soup I'm talking about is Refried Bean Soup and it is a most delicious soup indeed. 

My mother found the recipe on the back of a can of refried beans and decided to try it. Of course, she tweaked it a bit to fit her own tastes (she decided to use ground beef instead of steak pieces).

I do hope you will give this soup a chance. You will not be disappointed!

(Recipe after Pictures)

Refried Bean Soup

For the meat

* 1lb. lean hamburger

* 2 tbs. chili powder

* 1 tsp. garlic powder

* 1 tsp. cumin

* 1 medium onion (any kind you like) diced

* salt and pepper to taste

-Part One-

In a large soup pot, add your hamburger, diced onion and all of the spices. 

Cook the hamburger on medium heat and until it is cooked thoroughly and the onions are soft. 

Turn the heat off and start on Part Two. 

For the soup

* Three 16 oz. cans of  refried beans (any kind) 

* 3 cups of beef broth

* 1 small can of diced green chiles

* One 6 oz. can of black olives, sliced

* 1 large green bell pepper, diced

* 1 cup of frozen corn

* 1 tsp. garlic powder

* 1 tsp. cumin

* Just a dash of cayenne powder

* salt and pepper to taste

-Part Two- 

Turn your soup pot back on (with the hamburger/onion mixture) medium-high heat.

Add in your can of green chiles, sliced olives, diced bell pepper, corn and spices, stir to combine.

Now add your cans of refried beans. Again, stir to combine.

Once everything is good and mixed, add in your beef broth. 

Continue to cook soup on low-medium heat or until as hot as you would like it to be. 

Serve this soup with shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream or our favorite - Some crumbled queso fresco and tortilla chips!

Enjoy! 

~Kellie

Life Lately...

A Trip to the Fire Station

Recipe: : Copycat Mellow Mushroom Thai Dye Pizza

Pizza is my favorite food. There, I said it. There's just something about it. I've become quite the pizza perfectionist over the years. My absolute favorite spot to grab a slice (or two) of pizza is Mellow Mushroom. If you've never heard of Mellow Mushroom, I highly recommend looking them up and if you have heard of them, live close enough to one, but have never tried them out - then you better get on that!

My absolute favorite pizza from MM is their Magical Mystery Tour Pizza and you can find my copycat recipe for that here.

The pizza that I decided to recreate most recently was their Thai Dye Pizza. Now, I have never actually tasted their version, but the ingredients looked so unique and fresh, I just had to give it a whirl. The result? A delicious and most unique pizza with flavors that were perfect for summer. (you just can't beat those fresh sliced cucumbers & tomatoes on top!)

So without further ado, here is my version of Mellow Mushroom's Thai Dye Pizza! 

Copycat Mellow Mushroom Thai Dye Pizza

(Makes 1 Pizza)

* 1 homemade pizza crust (I use this recipe)

* 1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded

* 1/2 cup cooked curry chicken, diced (special instructions below)

* 1/2 cup cucumbers, sliced into quarters

* 1/2 small onion, sliced very thin

* 1 Roma tomato, sliced in halves

* 4-5 basil leaves, sliced thin 

* 2 cloves garlic, minced

* 3-4 TBS olive oil

* 2 TBS sweet chili sauce

* Parmesan cheese for sprinkling (optional)

Special Preparations

* Mix up your dough. When it's risen nicely, roll out and place it on your pizza pan or stone

* For the chicken, precooked works just fine & it's what I used. Just toss your cooked chicken in a pan with a little bit of butter & olive oil. Add about 1 teaspoon (or more if you desire) of a yellow curry powder and sauté for a few minutes. Set aside

* Warm your olive oil either in a microwave (15 seconds) or in a pan (on very low heat) & and your minced garlic. This will be the base flavor of the pizza.

Assembly

Pre heat your oven to 400 degrees F

* Spoon your olive oil & garlic mixture over the dough, spread evenly. (you can even drizzle a little over the crust)

* Sprinkle your cheese evenly over your olive oil & garlic base

* Add the curry chicken

* Add sliced onions

* Bake pizza for 15-20 minutes or until crust is a nice golden brown & your cheese is just toasty

After baking instructions

* Once the pizza is taken out of the oven, add your fresh sliced cucumbers & tomatoes

* Add your sliced basil

* Drizzle the sweet chili sauce in a nice swirl over the pizza

* Sprinkle parmesan cheese (optional)

*Enjoy!

I truly hope you enjoyed this pizza & if you've tried the real thing, let me know how close this came!

~Kellie