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At The Picket Fence with Vanessa Hunt

Where Ideas for your Home Meet Inspiration for your Heart

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January 8, 2012

Proving Pinterest… a new video series At The Picket Fence

The new year brings so many fresh and fun ideas! When were were together this past week our brains kicked into overdrive as we planned, schemed and brainstormed new ideas for At The Picket Fence.
We, like many (most…all…) of you are addicted to Pinterest! We have found so many great ideas it sometimes makes our heads spin! But how do you know if all of those amazing tips, tricks and ideas will really work or are worth trying?
Welcome to our newest series here At The Picket Fence
proving pinterest 1
and to take it one step further, what could be better than seeing us prove our pins up close and personal through video! Yikes! You know what that means…no photo editing! grin!
Up first in our Proving Pinterest Series, we decided to see if you could really shred chicken with a stand mixer.  Here’s Heather with the lowdown!

While this is a commonly published technique, our pin originated from Simply Healthy Family.
and as promised here are instructions on perfectly poaching your chicken!
Poached Chicken

Place chicken breasts in large sauce pan, cover with water by 1 inch.  Bring to a boil, partially cover the pan and simmer ten minutes.  Turn off heat, and let chicken sit in poaching liquid another 10 – 15 minutes, until cooked thoroughly.

We hope you’ll enjoy our new series here At The Picket Fence! And a big thank you to “the boy” (Michael) for videoing his mother…and not laughing out loud when she said “it’s a pinner!” 😉

You can see all of our previous and upcoming possibilities for our Proving Pinterest Series as well as see the original source of the pin by following our Proving Pinterest board and even better we’d love it if you’d follow all of our Pinterest boards!
Thanks for joining us and our Pinterest Pick…At The Picket Fence!
proving pinterest 1
Sharing with:
Too Much Time on my Hands: Get Schooled Saturday

5 Minutes Just For Me: Pinning and Singing on the Weekend
Chatty Chics: Wild Wednesday
DIY By Design:  Winter Blues Wednesday
Savvy Southern Style: Wow Us Wednesdays
Common Ground: Vintage Inspiration Friday
Stuff and Nonsense: Fridays Unfolded
2805: Potpourri Friday
French Country Cottage: Feathered Nest Friday

29 Comments Filed Under: Good Ideas, Proving Pinterest Series, Recipes, Tutorials

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Previous Post: « Welcome to Inspiration Friday No. 46!
Next Post: Creamy Bell Pepper ‘n’ Tomato Soup »

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Comments

  1. Vicki says

    January 7, 2012 at 4:13 PM

    This is a fantastic idea! Way to go girls! Heather, I have that exact same mixer… it’s my fav kitchen product. (QVC!)I poach my chicken in the crockpot. I’ll have to try this. Awesome-ness!

    Reply
  2. Brooke @ Spruce Your Nest says

    January 7, 2012 at 4:33 PM

    Great idea! I look forward to seeing more!

    Reply
  3. Kassie says

    January 7, 2012 at 4:51 PM

    Love this series idea! <3

    Reply
  4. Elizabeth (Blue Clear Sky) says

    January 7, 2012 at 5:10 PM

    A great series idea and you did a great job with the video!

    Reply
  5. Heather says

    January 7, 2012 at 5:19 PM

    Great idea! Thanks for the video – I’m going to try it this weekend!

    Reply
  6. Debbie says

    January 7, 2012 at 5:24 PM

    Like it!

    This is a great idea (the video proving pinterest). The shredded chicken is another keeper. I will try that myself. Of course, I’ll be one of the lame ones without a schmancy cover so mine will be tented with a towel. (Because can’t you just picture me with shredded chicken all over the ceiling? Yeah, me too.)

    I pinned one and tried to prove it, but it didn’t stand the test. It was cleaning the toilet with citric acid. Epic failure with our hard water. Now, if you want to clean your toilet on the world wide web, you could try it yourself…

    I’ll be looking forward to this. You two are so creative. You could have your own show. Maybe a talent scout will find you!

    Reply
  7. It's All Connected says

    January 7, 2012 at 5:36 PM

    Well, that was fun! What a great idea you girls have! ~ Maureen

    Reply
  8. Dawn@MakingHome says

    January 7, 2012 at 5:48 PM

    Great idea ! I will definatly be following this series!

    Reply
  9. Janet says

    January 7, 2012 at 7:16 PM

    Wouldn’t give me audio. :-(. I clicked on “report issues” on a menu and nothing happened, nowhere for me to report.
    Janet

    Reply
  10. debbie refresh restyle says

    January 7, 2012 at 8:07 PM

    I love it! Nice to hear your voice Heather! This is a great series and I look forward to many more. I will use this!
    Debbie

    Reply
  11. Lisa @ Before Meets After says

    January 7, 2012 at 9:50 PM

    I did the chicken too and LOVED it! I couldn’t believe how well it worked. My shredded chicken dishes will never be the same again!

    Reply
  12. Judy says

    January 7, 2012 at 11:55 PM

    LOVE the new series. I am looking forward to all of your “reviews”. Awesome video!!

    Reply
  13. Owen's Mom says

    January 8, 2012 at 12:21 AM

    Love the series idea and will be back. Did you cite the original pin from Pinterest? I would love to see the blog or site get credit.

    Reply
  14. {northern cottage} says

    January 8, 2012 at 12:59 AM

    What a fun idea!! Great phrase to lure us in!

    Reply
  15. Tanya@takesix says

    January 8, 2012 at 2:00 AM

    Proving Pinterest is a super idea girls! Loved the shredding chicken Heather…I really wasn’t sure it would work! Thanks so much!

    Reply
  16. adventuresindinner says

    January 7, 2012 at 6:35 PM

    Awesome! I too have the pinterest monkey on my back 🙂

    Reply
  17. Robin says

    January 8, 2012 at 4:28 AM

    Very clever series. Thanks in advance for all that is to come. I look forward to this and will be telling my friends.

    Reply
  18. domestiCate says

    January 8, 2012 at 3:36 PM

    Soooo good to know! This will save so much time in the future! Thanks girls.

    Reply
  19. Darleen @ Places In The Home says

    January 8, 2012 at 3:37 PM

    Love the concept of this, ladies! I opened up the email thinking it would be yet another post offering tutoring skills in the business of Pinterest 101. A few words in and I was smiling- fresh, original, fun! I look forward to more of the not so very same.

    Darleen

    Reply
  20. Michell @ Girl In Air says

    January 8, 2012 at 4:31 PM

    This is gonna be a great series!! You looked awesome on the video! I can’t wait to try this….No more buying canned chicken for my chicken salad!! Woot!

    Reply
  21. Rustic and White says

    January 8, 2012 at 4:43 PM

    I will definitely be back to see what else you have to show us. Thanks so much…I have chicken in the freezer and I will be poaching and shredding it later.

    Thanks so very much!!
    Carrie

    Reply
  22. Linda Jordan says

    January 8, 2012 at 7:47 PM

    Great new feature! I am definitely addicted to pinterest as well!!

    Linda
    https://lasteve1.blogspot.com

    Reply
  23. Natasha in Oz says

    January 8, 2012 at 11:39 PM

    You are too clever! What a brilliant idea and what a brilliant video! I can’t wait to see what other pinteresting posts you have soon.

    If you have a moment I would be so thrilled if you could pop by and link up your post to my first Pinterest party for the year!

    Best wishes and happy new year!
    Natasha @ 5 Minutes Just for Me

    Reply
  24. Jo's This and That says

    January 9, 2012 at 2:14 PM

    Great idea! Thanks for sharing Joann

    Reply
  25. Anonymous says

    January 9, 2012 at 4:41 PM

    I had already tried this and LOVED it. Can’t wait to see what else y’all prove! BTW – please tell me where you got the top you are wearing in the video! Paula robinsonp19@aol.com

    Reply
  26. Becca says

    January 9, 2012 at 6:14 PM

    Awesome, Heather! What a great video presence you have! Loved your first proving pinterest segment … I’m sooo going to try this little tip! Thank you!

    Reply
  27. domestiCate says

    January 11, 2012 at 3:15 AM

    Such a life changer! I cooked chicken thighs in the slow cooker yesterday in barbeque sauce, tossed them into the Kitchen Aid, and voila! Shredded BBQ chicken. Super easy…thanks so much!

    Reply
  28. Nf1andprek-whisper says

    January 11, 2012 at 11:51 PM

    love pinterest…and love this idea..I will be visiting more this year to check this out…

    Reply
  29. Julia says

    April 18, 2013 at 7:35 PM

    I had to jump onto your site and let you know how happy I am that you posted this months ago! I watched it and remembered it so well that today I tried it with my PORK that had been cooking away in the crockpot all day covered in BBQ Sauce. It worked AMAZINGLY and we had the best pulled pork sandwiches we’ve ever had! Thank you so much for doing the video! Jules

    Reply

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On Monday my heart just felt so heavy. Yes, the po On Monday my heart just felt so heavy. Yes, the pouring rain outside contributed to my feelings. But the primary cause was this overwhelming flood of thoughts about how much in our world and in our culture is going off the rails. I’d planned to make pumpkin bread that day but I was tempted to just curl up in a ball on my bed, pull the covers over my head and pretend that this would actually solve something. I didn’t give into that temptation though. Instead, I got out my favorite pumpkin bread recipe and found that, as I worked and prayed and hummed worship songs, my spirit began to settle. When the world feels very loud, the demands of family and home can actually help to quiet our souls. As each family member walked through the door later in the day, they commented on how wonderful the house smelled. It’s better than any fall candle in my opinion! And I knew that the extra loaf that I get from the recipe would be a welcome treat for my widower neighbor. So, if your heart is feeling a bit unsettled this week too, maybe this recipe will come in handy!

Pumpkin Bread:

Ingredients:
1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
4 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
2/3 cup water
3 cups white sugar
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour three 7×3 inch loaf pans.
In a large bowl, mix together pumpkin puree, eggs, oil, water and sugar until well blended. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger. Stir the dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture until just blended. Pour into the prepared pans.
Bake for about 50 minutes in the preheated oven. Loaves are done when toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. 🍂
Happy first day of Autumn!! 🍂 Here’s a super Happy first day of Autumn!! 🍂 Here’s a super simple centerpiece that you can make in five minutes (or less) with just a few pumpkins and extra faux greenery. Let’s spend less time decorating and more time enjoying this season. It’s my favorite!! 🧡

#fallcenterpiece #falldecor #centerpiece #fiveminutedecorating
"Define your day", she told me as I held my newbor "Define your day", she told me as I held my newborn son. My mom and I were talking about how blurred my days and nights had become and how easy it would be to just stay in my pajamas 24/7. She encouraged me to make an attempt to put on 'real' clothes in the morning even if they were just nice sweatpants (bonus if they were clean!) and to throw a little bit of makeup on. That simple advice helped chart a course for my years of motherhood that continues today. And recently I began thinking about how critical it is that we not only seek wisdom from those ahead of us in our stage of life but that we are willing to apply it as well.

So, I asked this question on my personal Facebook page; "What is something you feel you've done well to create a peaceful/meaningful home for yourself and your family?" The catch was that the question was geared towards women in the 40+ age range. The responses came flooding in and were so wonderful and insightful. So, I'm going to be starting a new series where I share this wisdom with you and will include the first name of the woman who offered it. 

Today we start with Alison who said "I learned to set my alarm early to get up and moving before my kids woke up. I showered, got dressed and did my devotions while the house was quiet. It set my heart and perspective for each day.”

Is this something you do in your life too? What wisdom would you offer to a mom of young children?

I truly think our culture would greatly benefit from more women in different seasons of life being willing to invest in each other. 🍂

#wearthehomemakers #homemaking #motherhood #parentingwisdom
If bread pudding is on the dessert menu at a resta If bread pudding is on the dessert menu at a restaurant I’m definitely ordering it! It’s one of my all time favorite treats. So I decided to try my hand at making some here at home with a little fall twist and it was SO delicious!! 🍎

Ingredients:

6 slices of day old bread (french, sourdough or even brioche works great)
2 cups of heavy cream
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon bourbon (optional)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
For the apples:
3 peeled and chopped apples of a tart variety
1 cup brown sugar
3 tablespoons flour (or corn starch)

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350
Cut bread into cubes and place in a greased 8 1/2 x 11 baking dish
Whisk together in a bowl the eggs, cream, vanilla, rum, cinnamon and nutmeg and then pour it over the bread cubes. In a separate bowl, mix together the apples, brown sugar and flour/corn starch. Pour the apple mixture on top of the bread mixture making sure to spread the apples evenly across every part of the bread mixture.
Bake for 45 minutes. 
Enjoy!

#falldesserts #breadpudding #fallrecipes #desserts
When one kiddo wakes up not feeling well after onl When one kiddo wakes up not feeling well after only a week of school, you take the opportunity to make Saturday a truly restful day. Pancakes on the griddle, puttering around the yard admiring the way the limelights have begun their autumn journey from white to green to pink. Sprinkling touches of fall around the house a little bit at a time. Savoring the slowness of it all and taking care of my people in this place that provides us all with a respite from the world even if just for a day.

Hope you’re weekend is off to a great start and that you make it a priority to slow down for a bit and soak up the beauty around you. 🍂

#wearethehomemakers #homemaking #falldecorating
As summer slips into fall, I can’t help but thin As summer slips into fall, I can’t help but think about how grateful I am for the reminders all around me of God’s Sovereignty over everything including the seasons. It can be challenging in our world today to trust that there isn’t a single thing happening that surprises Him.

In a way, decorating my home to reflect the changing season serves as a tangible reminder of this trust. Even something as simple as seeing a pumpkin on my mantel or a basket of mums on the coffee table fill me with peace because they represent the things that remain constant and true.

“The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.” Isaiah 40:8

#wearthehomemakers #homemaking #club31women
I’m never.going.back to stressful, time-consumin I’m never.going.back to stressful, time-consuming seasonal decorating. When I think back on the years where I would feel all of the pressure to come up with something fresh and creative I’m seriously embarrassed. Truly. Because it was such a waste. A waste of my time, my energy, my resources. Something clicked with me a few years ago. I was just done. I needed to simplify. I needed to not spend an obscene amount of time looking at fireplace mantels on Pinterest and trying to figure out how to make mine look amazing. I needed to put it all in the proper place in my heart and my mind. Which meant, it had to go waaaaayyyy down on the priority list. So far down it almost wasn’t on it. And I needed to confess to the Lord that I had allowed it to become an idol. 

Yes, I want to have a home that I enjoy. Yes, I love pretty things. But something really amazing happened when I finally released it all. When I decided to not give into the pressure and panic I would feel when I would scroll through my Instagram feed. When I just laid it all down and said…enough. There was this incredible irony in it. Because, the less time I took to decorate my home for each season, the more I found myself loving the results. I think that all along I had just been getting in my own way. It’s really taken a lot of time and prayer for me to finally be at a place where even though I still struggle with insecurities and I still have doubts from time to time, I’m becoming increasingly more confident in who God created me to be. And, just like my home, I’m finding that as I relax into myself, letting go of the comparisons and the pressure, the more I can actually lean into the calling He has placed on my life. 🍂

Leave a comment if you can relate! 

#wearethehomemakers #homemaking
“As the alluring song of September begins to whi “As the alluring song of September begins to whisper in my ear, my passionate spirit yearns for the splendor of its promise.” (Peggy Toney Horton)

Happy September dear friends! While I’m not quite ready to let go of summer and I plan to make the most out of the lingering, warm days, I’ll admit to starting to think about my fall decor this year. And one way to get inspired is to take a look back at previous years. Here’s just a glimpse at some of the ways I’ve welcomed Autumn to my home! 🍂

#september #falldecorating #falldecor #falldecoratingideas #wearethehomemakers
Labor Day weekend might mean that we’re turning Labor Day weekend might mean that we’re turning the corner and getting closer to fall but I’m not quite ready to let summer go. So I’ll just be over here continuing to whip up some super simple summer meals for my family that frankly can be enjoyed in any season. These shrimp rolls I made the other night were definitely a hit and would be great for any of your upcoming holiday weekend gatherings!

Shrimp Rolls 🍤

Ingredients
1-2 lbs of shrimp that is peeled, deveined and tail off (If using frozen make sure it’s thawed completely)
1/3 cup mayonnaise 
1/2 of a lemon
2 Tbsps chopped scallions
1 Tbsp chopped dill
1 Tbsp chopped Italian parsley
1 Tsp of Old Bay seasoning (more if you like!)
pinch of sea salt and pinch of black pepper
Hoagie Rolls
Softened butter

Directions: Gently pat the shrimp with a paper towel to remove any excess moisture. Roughly chop the shrimp and place in a bowl. Add mayonnaise, squeeze half of lemon and stir to combine before adding in the scallions, dill and parsley. Stir to combine and then add the additional seasonings. Spread butter on hoagie rolls and toast in the oven until lightly browned. Pile on the shrimp mixture and enjoy! 

#shrimproll #foodie #weeknightdinner #easydinner #seafoodlover
Today has been a very Monday-ish kind of Monday. W Today has been a very Monday-ish kind of Monday. We woke up to the sound of chainsaws and rushed downstairs to find that our backyard neighbors were having two of the huge trees that line our shared fence removed. These trees have been here longer than the neighborhood and no, they weren't dead or causing damage to roofs, foundations, etc. They were beautiful and gave us wonderful privacy. We had no notice of this happening so this came as quite a shock. Because we were given no notice, we didn't have the chance to cover our outdoor furniture or plants and everything is now coated in a thick layer of sawdust including the fresh bark we recently put in the garden beds. And now our lovely privacy is gone, replaced by a direct view of an above ground pool and RV. I know, I know, it's totally a first world, privileged kind of problem to have. But, now we have to spend thousands of dollars on plants to try and recapture some semblance of privacy. Now we have days worth of clean up to do after we had JUST done a massive freshening up of our backyard. My overarching feeling has just been weariness at the way our world is today.

I think about how often we try to do right by people, to be respectful and courteous. To be thoughtful and considerate. And it’s not reciprocated. How its starting to seem more and more like people have just given up on those seemingly small niceties. And my soul just feels heavy. Because I feel like so much of what used to be common courtesy is not so common anymore. Drivers on the roads are angrier and more reckless than ever before. Red lights being run are an everyday occurrence around town. On our recent family vacation, I heard more people using the F word out in public than ever before even while around children. Where are manners? Where is kindness? I'm finding myself being surprised when someone is thoughtful because it seems like a rarity. And that's just all on a micro, local level. Don't even get me started on the insanity in our world/culture. After I returned from grocery shopping (which can also be soul crushing), I found myself desperate for a reminder of the truth. 

*Part 2 continued in the comments.*
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