Setting A Cheerful Table

Sometimes (ok most of the time) my dinning room table becomes the organizing hub of the house. Things pile up as I decide where they should go & sometimes I have to spend all night just de-cluttering the table. Every now & then, when my table is cleared off, I like to set it with a fun setting & make a fun meal to go along with it. Setting a "cheerful table" helps to brighten up our whole house. These new table runners from Shop Lili inspired my most recent "cheerful table".  I love the green chevon! I have a set of yellow plates that are still my favorite thing from my wedding registry & they look great with this runner.  My fun recipe to share was recently shared with me from my friend Meghan (yup, same friend who introduced me to the Sticky Fingers Scones). It is so easy to make & delicious. We love Mexican food & usually alternate between tacos & burritos. This is a great alternative to mix it up! I ended up adding some black beans into the meat mix (I add beans to everything). You could probably make it with just beans for a vegetarian version.  Meghan's Taco Pasta Shells
Ingredients: 1 lb. ground lean turkey  1 package low-sodium taco seasoning 4 oz. fat free cream cheese 14-16 jumbo pasta shells 1.5 cup salsa (Any kind is good, but I like using this Rick Bayless salsa) 1 cup taco sauce (I like to use one of the Rick Bayless sauces for more flavor) 2 cups reduced fat shredded Mexican cheese (you can also do 1 cup Cheddar, 1 cup Monterey Jack 
Optional Toppings: Fat free sour cream Guacamole Black Olives Green Onions 
Directions: Preheat oven to 350° and put a large pot of water on the stove to boil.  In a large frying pan, cook the ground turkey and taco seasoning. Prepare according to package directions.  Add cream cheese, cover and simmer until cheese is melted. Make sure you stir well and then set the pan aside and let the turkey cool completely.While you're cooking the turkey, cook the pasta shells according to the directions. Drain the shells and set them out individually on a baking sheet or a cutting board so they don't stick together. If you leave them in the pot too long and they start to stick, you can always spray a little olive oil on each shell.To assemble, first pour salsa on the bottom of a 9 X 13 baking dish. Next, stuff each shell with the turkey mixture and place them in the pan – make sure the open side is facing up. Cover the shells with taco sauce. Cover your dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, remove the foil and cover the shells with the shredded cheese. Bake for another 10-15 minutes until the cheese has melted. Now you’re ready to serve! Top each serving with other garnishes such as guacamole, black olives, green onions or more salsa and sour cream.
Now here's  Julie's "cheerful table". She has a yellow chevron runner, from Shop Lili, that is just as bright & cheery. 

And her fun & delicious recipe to share:

BBQ Chicken and Pineapple Pizza

1 Pizza Crust (I either make a homemade crust in our bread machine or pick up some store-bought dough!)

1/2 C. Shredded Cheddar Cheese

1 C. Mozzarella Cheese

2 Chicken Breasts, Cooked and Shredded (I usually just cook them in the Crock-Pot during the day)

1/4 C. Ranch salad dressing

1/2 C. BBQ sauce, and a little more to brush on the pizza crust

Fresh Pineapple, cut into pieces (or you can always used canned pineapple)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Pre-bake the pizza crust for about 10 minutes.  Toss the cooked, shredded chicken breasts in the BBQ sauce. Brush the pizza crust with a thin layer of BBQ sauce. Spread on the ranch dressing. Top with the cheddar cheese and mozzarella cheese.  Add chicken and pineapple.  Bake for about 15 minutes until all the cheese is melted and the crust is golden brown. 

So now it's time to set a cheerful table in your house!  Shop Lili is providing 15% off to our readers with code: CHIRP Shop Lili is also providing a $25 gift certificate to one lucky reader. Their shop is filled with wonderful bright & cheerful runners, table clothes & napkins (enter giveaway below). Here is a little "about us" from the wonderful women behind this shop: 
Hello there! We are thrilled to have The Chirping Moms featuring our Etsy shop. We have always loved crafting together. Mom is an amazing seamstress and I enjoy shopping (and now selling!) online. Therefore, we decided to launch an Etsy business. Mom does all of the sewing and I handle the transactions, finances, inventory, and our Etsy site. We are having a great time with our shop and take great pride in each item we hand craft, wrap, and deliver. Our table runners are an excellent eco-friendly choice since they are reusable. They are great for adding a pop of color to your table or accenting colors already in your home – great for every day and special occasions! All fabric is hand-selected and all of our products are customizable to fit your desire and needs. Want your runner longer? Shorter? We can do it. Want it lined? We can do that too! We hope you can find something on Shop Lili to accessorize you or your home!

We have a winner: Ellen H! Congratulations & have fun shopping Shop Lili!