18
Jan

Smoked Chipotle Pulled Pork Quesadillas ~ Recipe

As you might have noticed, I’m on a slow cooker kick lately and this recipe is no exception.  You make the Smokey Chipotle Pulled Pork in your slow cooker during the day and then make the quesadillas right before you’re ready to eat.  You can also serve this pork just as it is on a hamburger bun or use it as a filling for tacos…..it’s very versatile.

Smoked Chipotle Pulled Pork Quesadillas
Ingredients:
3-4 pound pork loin roast
1 onion, chopped
1 tablespoon cumin
1 tablespoon oregano
1 teaspoon chile powder
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 cup chipotle salsa or 1 tablespoon of chipotle in adobo sauce (sauce part only)
Flour tortillas
Shredded Cheddar Jack Cheese or Mexican cheese blend
Directions:
Place pork loin roast in slow cooker and top with onions, garlic, cumin, oregano, chile powder, and chipotle.  Set on low for 7-8 hours or on high for 5 hours.  
Once pork is cooked, remove from slow cooker and shred with two forks.  Return the pork back to the slow cooker to soak up all the juices.  This recipe makes a lot of pork, so you will only use part of it for the quesadillas.  Freeze remaining pork for later use or plan your weekly menu around other recipes using shredded pork.  
To assemble quesadillas, sprinkle shredded cheese on top of tortilla.

Place some of the pork mixture on top of the cheese on one side of the tortilla.  Heat skillet on medium and melt a little butter.  Once butter has melted place tortilla, as pictured above, into pan.
When the tortilla is in the pan, fold the cheese only side over on top of the pork mixture.  We don’t want to fold the quesadilla before it goes in the pan because then we won’t have butter on both sides of the tortilla.
Cook for about 3 minutes or until golden brown.  Flip quesadilla and cook until other side is golden brown.  Once both sides are cooked and cheese is melted, remove from pan and cut in half.
You can make as many of these as you would like or as many as your family can eat!

I like to serve these with some chipotle salsa, but you could dip them in any salsa your family enjoys.  Would also be great with some sour cream or guacamole as well.
Personally, I think two quesadillas is a perfect dinner serving and one is probably good for lunch.  Feel free to get creative here and add in any ingredients you would like.  
This pork is SO delicious, give it a try……..you’re going to love it!
17
Jan

From Grandma with Love………A Christmas Quilt

So is it too late to share something from Christmas?  Well, maybe so, but better late than never!

My mom and Allen (aka Pepo) flew in from Texas to celebrate an early Christmas with us the weekend prior to the actual date.  We had such a lovely visit, though it’s always shorter than I would like, but it certainly makes me appreciate the time I get with my mom and Pepo all the more!

Mom made this gorgeous, twin-sized Christmas quilt as a gift for us this year.  I can’t even express how much I love it.  It’s big and cozy and can cover up our entire family snuggling on the couch.

Last year I had given mom, The Practical Guide to Patchwork by Elizabeth Hartman, so the pattern she used for our quilt was ‘Small Plates’ from this book.  The front is basically done using ‘Flurry’ charm squares (5″ precut squares), ‘Flurry’ jelly roll strips, Moda white solid squares and cut 2 1/2″ strips.  She also cut some additional pieces from yardage she had on hand.  This is a wonderful quilting book that ranges from beginners up to intermediate quilters.  If you are looking for a new quilting book to add to your collection, I can’t recommend this one enough.

Now for the backing, Mom had to do a little creative improvising due to the amount of fabric yardage she was able to purchase.  So, she came up with this (see picture below) backing that I almost love as much as the front!

Pepo helped Grandma Jane sandwich the quilt, so he got a little credit on this one.  Mom includes a label on each one of her quilted creations. These items will be passed down for generations to come, so I love that she dates each quilt.
I don’t know if you remember, but Grandma Jane made the kids Christmas outfits from the same line of fabric (click here to read more) ~ Kate Spain’s ‘Flurry’.  Even though the kids will eventually outgrow their Christmas outfits, we will have the Christmas Quilt to remember Christmas 2011.

This quilt will be pulled out each and every Christmas and will be treasured always and forever.  There is something so comforting about snuggling up in a handmade work of art made by someone you love.  It really feels like my mom is here hugging me even when she’s miles and miles away.
On another note:  Grandma Jane has agreed to guest blog this year with some quilting tutorials for everyone.  I hope you all will welcome her with open arms when she makes her first appearance on the blog.  SO excited that she’s agreed to share her talents!
16
Jan

A Little Announcement: Riley Blake Project Design Team

So, I have a little announcement to make……….
I’m an official member of the Riley Blake Designs Project Design Team!  

I am beyond thrilled to have been invited to be part of this amazing team.  The people behind Riley Blake Designs are incredible and I am so excited to be working with them on this new endeavor.

Riley Blake Designs is a fabric, notions and trim manufacturer based in Utah and they produce some of the most adorable fabrics on the market.  I have always been a huge fan of theirs, especially the amazing ‘boy’ fabrics that seem to be so much harder to come by.  Wait until you see some of the lines being released this year – To. Die. For.

What is the Riley Blake Project Design Team?  It’s a group of creative women bloggers who will be sharing free projects, patterns and tutorials on the Riley Blake Designs blog every Wednesday throughout the year.  Of course, we will be showcasing the new lines of fabrics that are being released, but you’ll find projects from quilting, clothing, home decor, and more. They have been keeping the new project design team under wraps, but the members of the team have officially been announced.

Here is the official team: 

Becky Vandenburg – www.ucreatewithkids.com/

Liz and Elizabeth- www.simplesimonandco.com/
Melissa Mortenson- www.polkadotchair.com/
Jennifer Hadfield- www.tatertosandjello.com/
Madame Samm- www.sewiquiltnow.com/
Char Coester- www.crapivemade.com/  

In addition to projects, we will also be doing fabric giveaways for the new lines that are being released throughout the year here on the blog.  Again, I am so excited about this new opportunity and I can’t wait to share more about all of this with you as the details unfold. 

13
Jan

The Cottage Mama on Pinterest

I am a huge fan of Pinterest.  ‘Inspiration City’ is what I like to call it. I’m not quite sure why it never dawned on me to mention that I’m on Pinterest, but I am.  Now I’ve mentioned it ~ The Cottage Mama is on Pinterest.

I usually only allow myself to login to Pinterest once a day because if I go on there any more than that, I will get carried away for hours.  However, I do ‘pin’ things throughout my day with the little ‘pin it’ button in my internet browser.  The amount of eye candy photographs, inspiration and ideas are mind-boggling.  I know I’ve said this before, but the amount of talent and creativity in this world astounds me.  I feel so lucky that a site like Pinterest has been created so we can all bear witness to this creativity on a daily basis.

Some people seem to think that Pinterest is a bit overwhelming, but not me ~ I love it.  When I’m having an non-creative, unproductive day, I can simply login and suddenly I have my mojo back.  Once you see all the amazing projects that are going on in the world it just makes you want to get into the studio and create.

Here are some of my pin boards:

So if you feel like checking out my pin boards, feel free, you can find them all here.
I would sure love to check out yours!
And if you’ve never been on Pinterest, you must.  You won’t believe your eyes!
12
Jan

Slow Cooker Green Chicken and Rice Soup ~ Recipe

I have been asked by quite a few people recently about how I manage my time.  And you know what, that’s a really good question.  One that makes me stop and think, how do I manage my time?  I guess I just go about life doing what I love doing and don’t really think about how I make it work. Well, I’m going to give it some more thought and I’ll try create some posts on time management in the future. 

I’ll tell you right off the bat, I don’t get ‘it all done’.  I don’t think anyone does.  You can’t be all things to all people all of the time.  I just don’t think that is possible.  However, one of the very first things that popped into my head when asked ‘how do you manage your time?’ was my slow cooker (or crock pot).

The slow cooker is one of the absolute best inventions for the busy mom or for anyone, for that matter.  It allows you to prepare a home cooked meal, but it doesn’t put any time constraints on you in regards to when you get it done.  Feeling motivated in the morning?  Throw in all the ingredients and set it on low.  Have a few minutes while the kids are napping in the afternoon?  Throw in all the ingredients and set on high.  You can make dinner work for you whenever it’s convenient.  Plus it makes the house smell great all day!

If you like warm, comforting meals, you’re going to love my Slow Cooker Green Chicken and Rice Soup.  This soup can cook all day and through the use of ‘Uncle Ben’s Ready Rice‘ (I love this stuff), your meal can be ready in minutes when you are ready to eat.

Slow Cooker Green Chicken and Rice Soup
(Serves 4-6)
Ingredients:
3-4 chicken breasts (frozen or thawed)
1 box chicken stock
1 can white beans (rinsed)
1 jar green salsa (I used Frontera brand ~ Tomatillo)
1 cup frozen corn
1 onion, chopped
1 teaspoon chile powder
1 teaspoon cumin
Garnish (optional): Crushed tortilla chips, shredded jack cheese and sour cream.
Directions:
Place first 8 ingredients into your slow cooker (or crock pot).  I used frozen chicken breasts, but you can use fresh as well.  Set slow cooker on low and cook for 7-8 hours.

Before serving, remove chicken from slow cooker and shred with two forks.  Then return chicken back to slow cooker.  Cook your ‘ready rice‘ according to package directions (should only take 90 seconds) and add the entire contents of the package to the soup.  Stir to combine. 

Serve topped with shredded jack cheese, crushed tortilla chips and sour cream, if you so choose.  Soup is delicious re-heated the next day.
I have absolutely no affiliation with Uncle Ben’s or Frontera Kitchens, I just happen to like these products for super-easy shortcut meals.
11
Jan

Sodee Naturals Giveaway

Today I’ve got a really great giveaway from Sodee Naturals.  About a month ago I was contacted by this company and asked if I would be interested in trying out their products.  They specialize in all natural body care products that are safe for children and adults.  With having three children under the age of four, I believe that more natural the better. 

My daughter, Savannah, has keratosis pilaris which basically is just really bumpy skin on her arms and a little bit on her legs.  I had this a bit as a child and it is inherited.  It’s very common and isn’t too bothersome, but sometimes can be a little itchy.  She has always been incredibly sensitive to any skin care products we use on her, so I really liked the idea of trying out Sodee’s eczema cream on her arms.  Granted, she doesn’t actually have eczema, but their original formula has natural properties that are supposed to be good for other skin conditions.

Pictured above are the products they sent me to try.  They sent one of everything they carry in the scents of my choice.  They also sent me a sampling of the different eczema creams to find the best one to suit Savannah.  They are always willing to send out eczema cream samples to find the product that best suits your skin condition (which is really wonderful).  We ended up really liking the original formula and it has made her skin improve drastically.  And believe me, we’ve tried a lot of different products.

Aside from their eczema cream, the body butter was probably my favorite product.  I’ve tried body butters from other manufacturers, but what I really liked about this one is that it is whipped.  So instead of being really thick and hard to get out of the jar, it was nice and light, but still moisturized like the thicker body creams.  And the pink grapefruit scent……..just lovely.

Another favorite, the Speriment Eucalyptus Shave Cream.  This was wonderful to use in the shower, left my skin feeling really moisturized and the scent was incredibly invigorating.

I had never used a shampoo or conditioner in a bar form, but it was pretty much like using a bar of soap.  You just lather it up and wash your hair with it.  They also have many different types so you can select the one that best suits your hair type.

Sodee Naturals is a family run business and strives to make great smelling products with all natural ingredients that really work.  If you love natural skin care, I’m going to recommend you give them a try.  Plus, I love supporting small, family run businesses!

Today Sodee Naturals is giving one lucky The Cottage Home blog reader a prize package of one of every product that they offer in the scents of your choice.  You will be given a gift code so you can order directly from their site (a $77.00 value).  So what does that include?

~1 Body Butter
~1 Shaving Cream
~1 Soap
~1 Hair Shampoo Bar
~1 Hair Conditioner Bar
~1 Eczema Cream

Also, Sodee Naturals is offering an exclusive discount for The Cottage Home blog readers of 10% your entire purchase with the code: COTTAGE
Here’s how to enter the Sodee Naturals giveaway:
Visit Sodee Naturals website and tell us what product you would be most interested in trying (click here). 
Leave one comment below.

Giveaway is open until Sunday, January 15, 2012 at midnight (CST).
10
Jan

And the winners are……

Wow, we had 825 entries into the Canton Village Quilt Works giveaway and 1141 entries into The Cottage Mama giveaway.  I would definitely say these are two of the largest number of entries for a  giveaway that have happened on the blog, so thank you so much to everyone who entered.  I know you all have been waiting to find out the winners, so here they are…..

The winner of the Canton Village Quilt Works fat quarter bundle is…..

And the winner of The Cottage Mama New Year’s Giveaway (from me to you) is…..

Congratulations to Karen and Kathy!  If you could both email me at thecottagemama[at]gmail[dot]com, we will make sure to get you your prizes as soon as possible.  Again, thank you to everyone who entered these two giveaways.  If you didn’t win, keep trying because you never know when the random number generator just might land on you.  I’ll be back tomorrow with another giveaway that I think you’re going to really enjoy.

If you are interested in becoming a sponsor of The Cottage Home blog, please email Lindsay at thecottagemama[at]gmail[dot]com for rates and additional information.

9
Jan

Re*sew*lutions Guest Post: ‘I Spy’ Fabric Matching Game

Today I am guest blogging over at my friend Jessica’s blog, ‘Me Sew Crazy‘.  She is doing a fabulous series about sewing Re*sew*lutions.

Head on over to ‘Me Sew Crazy‘ to view my DIY tutorial and make your own:
 
‘I Spy’ Fabric Matching Game
6
Jan

On the Cutting Table

This year I thought I would share a little glimpse inside what is going on in my studio with, what I like to call, ‘On the Cutting Table’.  By that I mean, rather than always showing your my finished projects, I thought you might like to see what I’m currently working on.  I will still show you the finished pieces, but this way you will know a little bit more about what I am up to on a day to day basis.

This new piece is almost finished.  I need to finish the bottom hem, but other than that, she is ready to go.   My favorite part of this one…….I’m sure you guessed it…….the piping.  I love piping and try to use it whenever possible.  I think it adds such a fun detail and can really make a piece going from nice to fabulous.

If you are interested in learning how to insert piping into a garment, you can view my piping tutorial here.

Fabrics: Amy Butler “Soul Blossoms”

These are two patterns (both dresses) that I designed that are waiting for me to test.  I’ve tested them once, but I re-drafted a few things and now have them cut out ready to sew.  If they turn out the way I’ve planned, the next step will be to work on ‘grading’ (meaning adjusting the pattern into multiple sizes).

When I want to accomplish a lot of sewing, I typically spend an evening doing all of my cutting of several different garments or projects.  I put all the pieces together (including notions and trims) and put them in a pile on top of on another.  Then I work my way through the pile.  Cutting is my least favorite part of sewing, so if I can get that out of the way all at once, I enjoy my sewing so much more.

Fabrics:
Top Piece: Kate Spain “Terrain”
Bottom Piece: Bonnie and Camille “Ruby”

I’m working on a quilt for my little guy, Caspian Finn.  This is going to be a larger version of a baby doll quilt that I made for the girls for Christmas (which I will show you soon).  The center area is made up of tumblers and has sashing around the edge.  I’m going to be using the rest of those tumblers pictured above as well as some additional sashing to complete the top of this quilt.  If it turns out, perhaps I can share my design with you.

Fabrics: Sarah Jane Studios “Children at Play”

So that’s some of what I’ve been up to these days. 
What about you ~ what’s on your cutting table?
5
Jan

Easy, Healthy Snack ~ Spice Roasted Crunchy Chickpeas Recipe

I really like snacks.  I definitely prefer to graze throughout the day rather than having three large meals.  I’m always on the look-out of a snack that is great tasting, but also is somewhat healthy.  I don’t know about you, but one of my favorite types of snacks is those of the savory, crunchy kind.

Spice Roasted Crunchy Chickpeas are an easy, inexpensive, delicious, protein packed snack that you and your family will love.  If you’ve ever had corn nuts and you like those, then you will certainly like these!

Spice Roasted Crunchy Chickpeas Recipe
Ingredients:
2 cans chickpeas (or garbanzo beans)
1-2 tablespoons of olive oil
Dry spice seasoning (any flavor you like)
Directions: 


Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Drain, rinse and pat dry the two cans of chickpeas.  Place chickpeas onto a large baking sheet.  Drizzle with olive oil and a liberal amount of any dry spice mixture you like.  Toss to coat.  I used a southwestern seasoning on mine, but you could use a taco seasoning, curry powder, or chinese five spice………whatever you and your family like.
Bake chickpeas for 40 minutes until they are completely dried out and crunchy.  Check on them around 30 minutes to make sure you don’t have any burning since oven temperatures can vary a little.  You know they are almost done when they start to shrivel up and become about half of their original size.  It should take the entire 40 minutes for them to dry out.  

Store in an air-tight container.  
This is a great recipe that the kids can help out with in the kitchen.  Let them pat the chickpeas dry, drizzle the olive oil and sprinkle the seasoning.  And then let them mix it all up.  They will love getting their hands in there!

These crunchy chickpeas are loaded with protein and if you get your cans of chickpeas on sale, they will only cost you pennies to make.  Try finding some seasonings that your children enjoy and this would make an excellent snack to send in school lunchs.