Christmas Craftiness

I love Christmas and in our home we have at least 4 and sometimes 5 Christmas trees.  My storage room overflows with Christmas decor and going out shopping the day after Christmas for new Hallmark ornaments and hitting Target is a tradition for me.  

We had a girls getaway last week and we headed to the cabin.  I brought along 3 of my best crafty pals because I knew they could help me with some of my decorating plans and we need to get a jump start if I am going to stay on top of decorating 2 homes for Christmas.

Here is the beginning of our ornament making...I have specific plans for these, but I will keep it to myself for now because I tend to change my mind a lot. :)

We took a little field trip to The Incredible Christmas Place, where I had intended to peruse the trees and look at what was available.  I didn't plan to make any purchases.  However, when I saw this:

AND that they had layaway ( I have no where to store it currently)...well, I made a quick decision and now this baby is waiting for me.

It is 12 feet tall, pre-lit and flocked.  I know I am biased, but I think we will have the prettiest tree in all of Pigeon Forge!

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Recipe Thursday- Crockpot Chicken Dip

Fall is here and that means FOOTBALL.  Football games are best enjoyed with snack, appetizers and dips.  Here is a dip that is regularly served at our house for many occasions- it is good, filling AND easy.

No need to pack up your crock pot for your trip either, because we have one already!

Crockpot Chicken dip

2 pkg boneless chicken breasts

2 jars of salsa ( I use one mild and 1 medium)

2 blocks of Velveeta Mexican Cheese

[NOTE:  when we first started making this dip, there was only 1 size of Mexican velveeta cheese and it was a small block, I believe they make a bigger version now, so if you use the bigger version, you will only need 1 block]

Spray crock pot with nonstick cooking spray and place chicken inside.  Pour both jars of salsa over the chicken.  Cover and cook on Low for 8 hours or on High for 4 hours.  

After the chicken has cooked, use 2 forks to shred the chicken.

Cut the velveeta into cubes and place into the crockpot. If your crockpot was on Low, turn it to High.  Stir every few minutes until the cheese has melted and Serve. Don't forget to turn the crockpot back to Low or it can scorch quickly.

We use tortilla chips to dip ours with.

I have to give a shout to my sister in law Michelle since she introduced us to this recipe.  She also likes to serve the chicken dip over baked potatoes as well.

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Even the rain is peaceful....

I love it when it rains while we are at the cabin.  It is so soothing and peaceful.  The smoke rolls in and the rain falls steadily, meanwhile you can still relax on the covered decks and enjoy the view.

Here is a sample of what I am talking about, this video was taken by me at our cabin during a recent storm.


When big storms roll in, the lightening show is just beautiful.  That can also sometimes mean a power outage.  At Cinematastic View, we have thought ahead and prepared for such a moment.  On each floor there are rechargeable flashlights plugged in at the bottom or top of the stair well (depending on which level you are on).  These lights are to be set in the "on" position so that in case of a power failure they turn on automatically and you will be able to use them.

It is the little details that make your stay with us that much more enjoyable!  I delight in thinking of the little things and when guests tell me that I have done a good job it is a great feeling!!

If you are thinking of visiting Pigeon Forge or the Smoky Mountains in the near future, please consider Cinematastic View for your home away from home.

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Resort Feature-- Miniature Golf

Our cabin is jam packed with things to do as well as ways to relax.  

However, there are times when you just want to get out and enjoy some fresh air and not have to go to the Parkway and spend more money!  Our miniature golf course fills the bill perfectly.  Take the kids down to get them out of the way while dinner is being prepared, or while the baby takes a nap.  Grab another couple and play a round, winner gets to choose the movie that night.  Take the whole family and have some family bonding over 9 holes of mini golf. 

Jump in the car and take the short drive (1.5 minutes!) down to the course and enjoy some good old fashioned fun!  It's close, it's fun and best of all it's FREE!

As I type this, brand new putters, kiddie putters (plastic so the little ones can't give you bruises!) and colorful golf balls are on their way to the cabin.  They will be located in the upstairs master bathroom closet.

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What To Bring With You When You Stay With Us...

Many times I get asked what items guests should bring with them for their stay.   We have had an array of visitors, some are seasoned travelers to the Great Smoky Mountains and for others it is their first visit.

Here are the things that I recommend that you bring with you for your stay:

• toiletries
• hair dryer
• beach towels
• pool toys/goggles/sunscreen
• paper towels
• garbage bags
• dishwasher detergent
• laundry detergent (if you plan to wash any clothes/towels)
• coffee filters
• sugar
• flour
• spices
• ziplock bags
• aluminum foil
• video games for xbox or wii
• movies
• laptop/ipad/kindle

There is a starter set of paper towels, dish soap, dishwasher detergent and 2 garbage bags supplied for you.  Anything you need beyond that you will need to provide.

I like to bring along my own flour/sugar and any spices I know I am going to need.  There are 2 grocery stores (Kroger) where you can shop for food when you arrive.  I like to bring aluminum foil and gallon ziplock bags to help me with leftover food storage.  We have a Mr. Coffee coffee pot that uses regular basket style filters.  I have cooking spray in the cabinet for your use with our stainless steel pans and SOS pads under the sink to help with clean up.  I try to supply a salt and pepper shaker, but they keep disappearing. :)

Although Hair Dryers are on our list of items to add to the cabin over the next year, for now you need to bring your own.  We will be sure to let you know here on the blog AND on our Facebook Page when they are installed.

Coming in October we will be providing our guests with a hotel-like supply of shampoo, conditioner, lotion and bar soap.  While we are excited about this amenity that we are adding, please understand that  these won't last for a week long stay!  All of our bathrooms will have a fresh roll of toilet paper, but if you think you could run out- be sure and bring an extra roll along with you!

We have a Wii and an XBOX 360 as well as an assortment of games for you to play.  If you or your kids have a game they just love, be sure to bring it along.

There is a DVD player in the main great room, the game room, the bunk room and in the theater room. The theater room DVD player will play Blu-Ray movies.  We don't currently have a stock of movies at the cabin, although we are starting to collect them now so that we can provide them at a later date.  If there is something you would like to watch on the big screen, bring it along!!

All of our beds have pillows and most rooms have an extra that you will find in a drawer.  If you need your pillow, be sure to bring it along!

Bring your beach towels and pool toys to use at the pool and the hot tubs.  We have hooks provided on the side of the main deck of the cabin to hang your towels.  You are welcome to hang them over the railing, but the hooks keep you from losing them to a big gust of wind and protecting them from rain.  I do have a supply of beach towels at the cabin in case someone forgets.

Remember we do have free WIFI at the cabin, so you can stay connected.  Bring along

I hope this list is helpful to you when packing for your trip and we look forward to having you as our guests!!

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Unique + Rustic + Useful= Awesomeness!

I came to the cabin for a night on Wednesday.  While running errands, I came across this piece of fabulous-ness:

 

I had to have it!!  It originally had a retro Jack Daniels graphic on it, which I have to say I really liked.   I preferred the Coca-Cola sign and they switched it out for me.  Do you see the spigot for draining?  I have plans to attach a hose and pipe it over to the edge of the deck, but for now no standing below unless you want an ice cold shower!  

I was almost giddy as they loaded it into my van.

When you lift the lid, this is what you find:

Yippeee!  A cooler!  Here is the perfect spot to load up some beverages and cover them with ice.  They will stay nice and cold and it is conveniently located outside the back door.

This will also help out the refrigerator.  When several families all arrive with drinks and food in tow- it all gets loaded in the fridge and all those hot drinks take a toll on the fridge.  We learned that this weekend!  But really,  I just love it because it looks cool!

I have to admit that bolting it to the deck was one of my favorite things.  Sorry, no rearranging -- but mostly no borrowing to other cabins!  We are learning that other cabin guests come on our deck and "borrow" things.  We've had our pillows taken off of our loveseats, buckets for cigarettes taken and we are pretty sure someone switched out their empty propane tank for our full one.  (Those are now locked to the grill, so that won't happen again!)

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Recipe Thursday

I'd love to share with you a grilled chicken recipe that everyone in our family can agree on.  With 4 kids, having everyone agree isn't something that happens often.

To make this vacation friendly, I suggest mixing up the spices at home and bringing them with you in a ziplock bag labeled "Lime Chicken".  It will make preparation quick and easy at the cabin.

Spicy Garlic Lime Chicken

Ingredients

• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/8 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon dried parsley
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
• 2 or 3 limes
•  
• 1. In a glass baking dish, sprinkle chicken breasts with spices.  Squeeze limes over chicken and let marinate in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
• 2. Preheat an outdoor grill for high heat.
• 3.Lightly oil the grill grate. Discard marinade, and grill chicken 6 to 8 minutes on each side, until juices run clear. 
•  
• It isn't too spicy and you can use more limes and let marinate a little longer to infuse the lime flavor.  
•  
• We like to make guacamole with this and sometimes slather it on top! 
•  
• Enjoy!

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