Not only do we make furniture and crafts from repurposed pallet wood we make monogrammed tiles also! This 12"x12" personalized tile can be found on Etsy in our shop Wicked Forest.

Slow Cooker Roasted Tomato Chicken and Pasta

This slow cooker meal is simple. Just throw it all in the cooker and forget it. Come dinner time you will not believe how delicious this is!

INGREDIENTS:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 tbsp. minced garlic (yes, I use my jarred minced garlic)
1/2 tsp. dried Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 (16 oz.) jar Alfredo sauce
1 (14.5 oz.) can diced tomatoes, drained
1 bag Old El Paso Roasted Tomato Mexican cooking sauce
8 oz. uncooked penne pasta (if you don't have penne use what you have on hand)
1 cup shredded Mozzarella

DIRECTIONS:

Spray your slow cooker with a cooking spray. Place your chicken breasts on the bottom of the slow cooker. Top with garlic, dried Italian seasoning, salt and pepper.

In a large bowl mix together Alfredo sauce, diced tomatoes and cooking sauce. Pour mixture over the chicken.

Cover and cook on Low for 5-6 hours. About 10 minutes before serving cook your pasta according to the package directions.

To serve, spoon pasta onto individual plates. Top pasta with chicken and sauce and sprinkle with mozzarella.

**Slow cookers vary with their heat settings.

Slow Cooker Chunky Chicken Chili

This chicken chili is a stick-to-your-ribs meal. I get an already cooked rotisserie chicken at my local supermarket for under $5. For me this is the best way to go. The chicken is so flavorful and all I have to do is take the meat off and throw it in the cooker. Because all of the ingredients just need to be heated through your meal is ready in a couple of hours! Cornbread is fantastic with it!

If you prefer to use raw chicken breasts or thighs that's okay too! Cut your chicken into chunks and placed on the bottom of the slow cooker. Mix all of your other ingredients in a bowl and pour on top of the chicken. Cover and cook 6-8 hours on Low.

If at any time you feel this needs some liquid just add some chicken stock.

INGREDIENTS:

1 (15 oz.) can chili beans (I use Bush's in mild sauce)
1 (1 oz.) envelope chili seasoning (I use Williams brand)
2 (14.5 oz.) cans chili ready diced tomatoes
Small cooked rotisserie chicken, meat shredded
1 medium onion, diced
1.5 cups frozen sweet corn kernels
Shredded cheddar, if desired

DIRECTIONS:

Mix all of these ingredients in your slow cooker. Cover and cook 1-2 hours on Low. Upon serving top with the shredded cheddar if desired.

Rustic Wall Sconce

 

This rustic wall sconce is simple to make and looks great on the wall. You can put flowers in it, a candle and even plant flowers in it.

Take an old picket or pallet board and cut it to the size you want. Paint it if so desired. Nail or screw a picture frame hook on the back of the board. Then screw a hose clamp to the board and place a mason jar in the clamp. Screw the clamp tightly on to the mason jar lip. That's all you need for a rustic wall accent.

Slow Cooker Chicken & Stuffing

INGREDIENTS:

4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 (10.5 oz) can cream of chicken soup
1 (10.5 oz) can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
4 slices Swiss cheese
2 boxes stuffing mix
4 tbsp butter, melted

DIRECTIONS:

Grease your slow cooker with some non stick spray. Pour a box of stuffing mix (and the envelope of seasoning if included) in the bottom of slow cooker. Drizzle 2 tbsp. of the melted butter over the stuffing.  Place chicken breasts on top of stuffing. Then lay the Swiss cheese slices on top of the chicken in a single layer.

In a medium sized bowl mix together the cream of chicken soup, cream of mushroom soup, salt and pepper. Pour into the slow cooker over the cheese and chicken breasts. Pour the other box of stuffing mix (and the envelope of seasoning if included) into the slow cooker on top of soup. Drizzle the top of stuffing with the rest of the butter.

Cook on LOW for 5-7 hours until chicken is cooked through.

Easy Chicken Teriyaki Stir Fry

I have always wanted a wok even though I am not a big Chinese food connoisseur. So, I bought one and decided to throw a meal together. This chicken stir fry was fabulous! Just a few ingredients for a great flavored meal

INGREDIENTS:

1 tbsp. olive oil
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 small onion, diced
1 small bag frozen broccoli
2 cups minute brand rice
1 cup jarred teriyaki sauce (more or less based on your taste)

DIRECTIONS:

Heat olive oil in wok over medium heat. Cut the chicken breasts into small chunks and place into wok stirring often. When the chicken chunks turn white and juice is starting to run clear add onion and broccoli. At this point make an aluminum foil tent and place on the wok. This will help to steam the broccoli and cook it through. Stir every minute or so replacing the tent each time. Once the broccoli is heated through and the chicken is browned remove the tent and add the teriyaki sauce and stir to incorporate. While the stir fry is heating cook the rice according to package directions. Serve stir fry over the rice.

*This would be delicious with stir fry vegetables also. Add whatever you desire. 

Easy Hamburger and Pasta Soup

Yesterday was a rainy day in my part of the state and the temp was only 67 degrees. I thought it was the perfect day to make this super easy hamburger soup. I was able to make 2 large stockpots of this yummy goodness and put one in the freezer for another rainy day. The recipe below is enough for one pot. Just double the ingredients and use an extra stockpot if you want a freezer batch.

Hamburger and Pasta Soup

1 lb. ground beef or ground turkey
1 small onion, diced
1 tsp. minced garlic
1 (32 oz) container beef broth
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes
1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
1 (15 oz) can sweet corn (drained)  or  1 cup frozen corn
2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni (use whatever pasta you like)

*I like to cook my pasta according to package directions while I am browning my meat. If you prefer you can cook your pasta in the soup. But, you may need to add some more beef broth to your finished pot.

Get pasta cooking according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a skillet, brown and drain your ground beef or turkey. After draining off the excess grease return to skillet. Add in the onion and garlic. Cook over medium-low heat until the onion is soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.

 By now your pasta should be cook to your taste. Drain off pasta and return to stockpot. Add meat mixture into pasta. Add in all of the tomatoes, corn and beef broth. Cover and cook over medium heat until boiling, stirring occasionally.

That's it! This is a super easy recipe that has great flavor. You could also leave out the pasta and add potatoes, carrots and peas for a great vegetable soup. You could also cook this in the slow cooker with all fresh ingredients. The choices are endless!

Tastes great with cornbread on the side!!

Our Tin Fence Project

What do you think of our new privacy fence? When I priced out what it was going to cost to replace it I was in shock! Even though we do the labor ourselves the cost for just the wooden pickets was insane. I realized I was going to have to become "crafty". We couldn't really use pallet wood because we wanted our fence to be at least 7' tall. So, I headed to the world wide web. I searched fence ideas, cheap fence ideas, privacy fence options...blah, blah, blah. After about an hour I started seeing pictures where people were using tin from old barns. EUREKA!!

I went to my husband and told him we should put up a tin sheet fence. He looked at me like I was crazy! So, I showed him the pictures and the bottom line of what it would cost. We went for it! I think it looks amazing! Using tin roofing sheets gave us and 8' tall privacy fence at half the cost.

Repurposed Fence Picket Picture Frame

Repurposed fence picket picture frames. An inexpensive way to showcase your pictures. These are so simple to make! All you need are some old fence pickets, frame corner brackets with screws, twine, clothespins and embellishments. You can make them any size you want and they are  perfect for gifts! 

Cozy Lasagna Stoup

I borrowed the word "stoup" from Rachael Ray because that's what this is! My Lasagna Stoup is thicker than a soup but thinner than a stew and it is so good! This is a favorite "go to" meal on a snow day.

INGREDIENTS:

1 tbsp. olive oil
1.5 lbs. ground beef (you can also use Italian sausage if you prefer)
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 tbsp. minced garlic (I use my store bought jarred garlic)
1 tsp. dried Italian seasoning
2 tbsp. tomato paste
1 (28 oz.) can diced fire roasted tomatoes, undrained
1 (48 oz.) box chicken stock (you can use chicken broth but the stock is more flavorful)
1 (14.5 oz.) box Farfalle pasta (In the picture I am using Rotini because that it what I had on hand)
2 cups shredded Mozzarella cheese
Salt & Pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the ground beef (or Italian sausage) and cook, breaking into smaller pieces, until almost browned through. Remove from heat and drain the ground beef. Return beef to a large stock pot, adding the onion and garlic. Cook over medium heat until onions are softened. Be careful not to burn your garlic, YUCK! Once your onions are translucent and soft add the dried Italian seasoning and cook about a minute. Add tomato paste and stir well. Cook 3-4 minutes until the tomato paste changes from a bright red color to brown.

Add your diced tomatoes and chicken stock to the stock pot. Stir to combine and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Add uncooked pasta and cook until pasta reaches desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Ladle soup into individual serving bowls and top with Mozzarella cheese.

*Add more chicken stock if you want more of a soupy consistency.

Rustic Repurposed Pallet Wood Headboard

This was one of Mike's first creations. I was wanting a large rustic style headboard and he did not disappoint. This is a Queen sized headboard stained with a rich dark oak. The headboard was placed on a stand about 2' high for added support. You could place it on the ground if you didn't want the headboard to be as tall.

*Custom order requests welcome. 

Tangy Slow Cooker Pork Roast

   

This tasty pork roast is so good your family will want it again. I love making this recipe on Sundays and then having the leftover roast as BBQ pork sandwiches on Monday. It is especially wonderful to come home to on a cold, wet day. A couple of the ingredients have a high sodium content. Use low or no sodium choices if you are watching your salt intake.

INGREDIENTS:

2.5-3 lb. Pork Loin or roast
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 cup water
3 tbsp. red wine vinegar
2 tbsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. minced garlic (I love using minced garlic in a jar for this. So flavorful and easy!)
Squirt of Ketchup

DIRECTIONS:
Slice the onion into thin rings and place evenly on the bottom of the slow cooker. Place the pork on top of the onion. Mix all of the other ingredients in a medium sized bowl then pour over the roast. Put lid on slow cooker and cook 6-8 hours on Low or 3-4 hours on High.

Once you take the pork out you will be left with a super tasty liquid. This makes a sensational gravy! Make yourself a roux with a little butter and flour in a small saucepan. Then slowly add some of the juice from the roast; stirring constantly. Add liquid until you have reached the desired consistency. This gravy is so good over mashed potatoes!

*Slow cookers vary with their heat settings. I use a 7 quart Crock Pot brand slow cooker and on low my roast is generally perfect after about 5-5.5 hours. 

Repurposed Pallet Bench

When my husband gets a request to build something out of pallet wood he jumps at the chance. With an endless supply of heat treated pallet's he is able to create endless possibilities.
This bench swing was built and sanded before delivering it to the customer. They were able to stain it with their choice of color and put a super cute pillow on the seat. It is a lovely addition to their backyard!

*Custom order requests welcome!