12
Mar

Easiest Appetizer EVER – Cream Cheese & Olive Crescents

This recipe is so easy, it’s almost embarrassing……..I don’t even know if I should call it a recipe.

Yesterday I wanted to make something super yummy for my daughter and I for lunch (my 2-year old loves olives).  I was kind of in a comfort food sort of mood (what’s new, right?) and this is what I came up with and boy was it good!!

Cream Cheese & Olive Crescents
Ingredients:
1/2 brick cream cheese
Marinated olives, chopped – I used an olive muffaleta spread, but olive tapenade would work well
1 package crescent rolls


Directions:
 
Cottage Mama’s Note:  What do you think of my little tutorial?  Like the text on the pictures?
11
Mar

Pretty Dish Soap Storage

So, I don’t know about you, but being the Mom of two little ones (both of which use the high-chair), I am constantly hand-washing their high-chair tray about 4-6 times per day.  I don’t care to have things out on my kitchen counter that are not esthetically pleasing, but what a pain to have to get out the dish soap a gazillion times a day.

So I store my dish soap on my kitchen counter in a pretty olive oil bottle.  This way it is always out when I need it, but it still looks pretty.  The soap easily dispenses out of the bottle just by tipping it over and shaking it slightly.  My Mom was the one who originally gave me this idea…….she is such a smart lady!!

Anyway, I just thought I would pass along this idea to you all in case you wanted to “prettify” (I don’t know if that’s a word) your kitchen counter! 

8
Mar

Elmo Dance 2nd Birthday Party!

Wow, this was a busy weekend!!  As you read in my previous post, this past Friday was my older daughter, Savannah’s, 2nd birthday and on Saturday we had her big 2nd birthday bash – an Elmo Dance Party!  Savannah LOVES to dance and she LOVES Elmo, so why not combine them both into one great party!

We had a little over 50 people at her party – I know, totally excessive for a 2-year old, but we had to invite all of her playgroup buddies and parents (wouldn’t have been the same without them!).  My in-laws (Gigi & Grumpy) graciously allowed us to host the party at their gorgeous home (The Cottage Home is a little small for that many people) and it worked out perfectly.

I thought I would share with you a few of the pictures from her party and some of my party ideas:

Invitations

These are the invites I made for Savannah’s party.  I did two different variations of them because I couldn’t decide which one I liked better.  I used cupcake liners and flattened them, printed out a birthday picture of Elmo and framed it with a card-stock frame cut-out.   I printed all of the party information on the inside of the card.

Party Favors

For the party favors we gave out balloons and I made rice-krispy treat pops.  I bought store-bought rice krispy treats from Costco – they came in three different varieties – ones with chocolate candies, chocolate drizzle, and double chocolate.  I then stuck multiple colored sticks into each rice-krispy treat.  To wrap them up, I put a clear bag over the top with an Elmo sticker and tied them with multi-colored grosgrain ribbon.  I think they looked pretty cute in the little basket!!

Party Food
We kept the party food really simple (50 people is a lot of people to feed!).  And my Mom and Pepo flew into town from Texas, so I wanted to be able to spend some quality time with them and not be cooking our brains out to get ready for the party.  My father-in-law grilled cheese burgers, we had a bunch of different varieties of chips, and had bagel dogs for the little kiddos.
We also had cups of layered goldfish and cheerios for the little ones (I call these kiddo parfaits).
As I have mentioned before, my husband is a home-brewer and makes his own beer and wine.  For Savannah’s party he made a special beer (for the adults, of course) called “Elmo’s Hoppy Birthday Red Ale”.  It was AWESOME!!
We also served different sodas, sparkling cider (there were quite a few pregnant mama’s there), wine, and more varieties of beer.
Decorations
On the front door we had a big poster of Elmo.  My friend Elizabeth drew these posters and my mother-in-law and I glittered them and added a glitter border.
Inside we had another large Elmo poster over the fireplace mantel with a “Happy Birthday” banner.  I also had a Bert and Ernie, Cookie Monster, and Big Bird Posters placed on the ledges of some of the huge windows (but with the back-light, I couldn’t get any good pictures).  We also had a big poster of Oscar the Grouch on the huge trash can.
We just hung some Sesame Street cut-outs with ribbon from the dining room chandelier.
Another big Elmo on the door leading into the pantry.
We had balloons all over the place, but we tied a large bunch to a plant container to make a centerpiece on the huge kitchen island.
On the kitchen table, we had crayons and large sheets of butcher paper covering the whole table for the little ones to draw during the party.
I made a special “Elmo” dress for my daughter to wear to her party.  I knew I wanted to make her a dress, but I still wanted it to be girly and Elmo at the same time.  Let me tell you……that was kind of hard to come up with since Elmo is so red.  But when I received my huge order of Heather Bailey’s “Nicey Jane” in the mail it clicked!!  I saw the red accents in some of the fabrics and this dress was born.
I created this Elmo applique using a picture of Elmo that I deconstructed to make it out of fabric.  I also changed Elmo’s nose to pink instead of orange to tie it into the other fabrics.  I then hand embroidered it to the apron.
I love big pretty bows on little girls dresses and this one was just right!!  The apron is sewn to the dress so I didn’t have to worry about it sliding around when Savannah was getting her dance on!
I used a decorative scallop stitch in red for the bottom hem and used polka-dot bias tape to complete the look.
I made a matching birthday hat in coordinating fabric with a big “2” on top.  To be honest, it didn’t get worn much during the party, but it looks cute!
Party Pictures
Savannah loved having everyone sing to her.  I did not make the cake (I am NOT a baker!).  I love, love, love to cook, but baking is too precise for me.  So my mother-in-law ordered this cake with Elmo, Dorothy and Mr. Noodle from a local bakery.
Mmmmmmmm…….cake and ice cream!  We served little ice-cream cups with the cake which worked out really well and reduced the mess with 18 toddlers!  This is my Grandma (Savannah’s GREAT Grandma) standing by her waiting for some cake.
Trying to sneak a little present before the party even started………she was caught in the act!
Savannah and Matilda with their guys.  From left to right……Grumpy, Great-Grandpa Alex, and Pepo.  These men adore the girls and it is SO sweet to see them together!
Brett and his Dad (Grumpy).  Is my hubby a good sport or what?  He wore this big Elmo shirt during the whole party – way to go Brett!!
Savannah had a great time at her party and got lots of tutus, princess and dress up things – she was in heaven!
We had such a great time with all of our family and friends and were so glad everyone could join us to celebrate our little girl turning 2!!
Cottage Mama’s Note:  I have listed a version of this Elmo dress in my etsy shop.  It is a custom order dress.  If you know anyone looking for a girly Elmo dress, send them to my etsy shop and I am happy to help them create something truly special for their little girl: www.thecottagemama.com
I will be listing many more items in the coming month……I’m just getting started!
5
Mar

My Sweet Savannah Rose

Two years ago today, my life was changed forever……..I became a mother and my sweet Savananh Rose was born into this world!  I love this poem (not sure the author), but it sums up just about everything I am feeling today as I look back over the last two years.

Before I was a Mom
I made and ate hot meals.
I had unstained clothing.
I had quiet conversations on the phone.

Before I was a Mom
I slept as late as I wanted
And never worried about how late I got into bed.
I brushed my hair and my teeth everyday.

Before I was a Mom

I cleaned my house each day.
I never tripped over toys or forgot the words to lullabies.

Before I was a Mom
I didn’t worry whether or not my plants were poisonous.
I never thought about immunizations.

Before I was a Mom
I had never been puked on
Pooped on
Spit on
Chewed on
Peed on
Or pinched by tiny fingers.

Before I was a Mom
I had complete control of my mind
My thoughts
My body
And I slept all night and got plenty of rest.

Before I was a Mom
I never held down a screaming child
So that doctors could do tests or give shots.
I never looked into teary eyes and cried.
I never got gloriously happy over a simple grin.
I never sat up late hours at night watching a baby sleep.

Before I was a Mom
I never held a sleeping baby just because I didn’t want to put her down.
I never felt my heart break into a million pieces
When I couldn’t stop the hurt.
I never knew that something so small could affect my life so much.
I never knew that I could love someone so much.
I never knew what love at first sight really meant.
I never knew I would love being a Mom.

Before I was a Mom
I didn’t know the feeling of having my heart outside my body.
I didn’t know how special it could feel to feed a hungry baby.
I didn’t know that bond between a mother and her child.
I didn’t know that something so small could make me feel so important.

Before I was a Mom
I had never gotten up in the middle of the night
Every 10 minutes to make sure all was okay.
I had never known the warmth
The joy
The love
The heartache
The wonderment.
I didn’t know I was capable of feeling so much
Before I was a Mom

Happy Birthday, my sweet Savannah Rose – I love you from here to the moon and back again!! (ILYFHTTMABA)

4
Mar

Cajun Roasted Red Pepper Pasta

I honestly think I could eat pasta everyday for the rest of my life – that is how much I love it!  There are so many different ways to prepare it and it can take on so many different flavors and styles of cooking.

My friend Megan was my inspiration for this dish.  She mentioned a similar dish that she had made for her family that had her husband coming back for more.  So I took the recipe she told me about and added my own spin on it!

Cajun Roasted Red Pepper Pasta
Ingredients:
1 lb. pasta (shells or penne rigate)
1.5 cups heavy cream
1 cup roasted red peppers (I used ones from a jar)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 clove garlic
1 teaspoon cajun seasoning (or a lot more if you like it spicy)
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese + a little for garnish
Green onions (for garnish)
Directions:
Cook pasta according to package directions.
Ok, it doesn’t get a whole lot easier than this……place all ingredients (except pasta) in a blender and puree until smooth.  Then pour the red pepper/cream mixture into a saucepan and cook for 10 minutes on medium-high heat until thickened.
Meanwhile, slice green onions.  Once pasta is cooked, drain and combine with sauce and parmesan cheese.
Sprinkle green onions and a little more parmesan on top and serve.  Enjoy!!
Cottage Mama’s Note:  I would normally add sliced andouille sausage to this dish, but the day I made this version, I didn’t have any on-hand.  It tasted great without it, but for my “meat-loving” hubby, the sausage is always a winner!  There are some wonderful chicken andouille sausages available in-store these days (“Amy’s” makes a great one!).
3
Mar

Whoooohooo – I’m a Finalist!!

Yippee!!  I just found out I am a finalist in the Lil Blue Boo / Dharma Trading Design Challenge.  The judges narrowed the field down from 154 entries down to 15 and I feel so honored to be part of this group.

The dress that was chosen was my first entry, “The Gracyn” (Finalist #12).  Head over to Lil Blue Boo and check out the other finalists and cast your vote for your favorite dress.  There are some other incredibly talented women in this group!

For more information about this dress, click here.

“The Gracyn”
I’m so excited!!  Eeeeeeek!!
2
Mar

Honey-Dijon Pecan Crusted Salmon

I have been in such a “fishy” mood lately.  I found wild salmon on sale at the grocery store the other day and just had to buy it.  I think the fact that it is Lent right now has really gotten me in the fish mood.  At The Cottage Home Lent = no meat on Fridays, so I really started putting my mind to work coming up with some tasty “no meat” dinners.

I really wanted to try something new with the salmon I had bought at the store.  My husband and I have a grilled salmon recipe we LOVE, but that is more of a summertime dish, so I decided to come up with a new recipe and here it is:

Honey-Dijon Pecan Crusted Salmon
Ingredients:
4 medium-sized fresh salmon fillets
1/4 cup honey
1/3 cup Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons water
1 cup pecan pieces
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1/3 cup parmesan cheese
Salt and Pepper, to taste
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Mix honey, dijon, and water together in a small bowl.  Add more water if necessary – you want it to look like a honey-mustard dipping sauce that you might get in a restaurant.
Mix pecans, butter, and parmesan together in a seperate bowl.
Lay salmon fillets on a cookie sheet.  Brush salmon fillets with honey-dijon mixture and sprinkle with a little salt and pepper.
Top each salmon fillet with pecan mixture.  Divide the mixture evenly among the four fillets.
Place salmon in a preheated oven for 15 minutes.  Salmon is perfectly cooked when it flakes easily with a fork.
Serve salmon with rice or potatoes, green salad and/or a steamed green vegetable – YUM!
Cottage Mama’s Note: The topping for the salmon would be delicious on many varieties of fish including tilapia or halibut.
1
Mar

Cheesy, Delicious – Hash Brown Casserole

Hash brown casserole is SO yummy!  I’m sure many of you have a version of this recipe, but if you don’t I think this is a tried and true dish that should be in everyone’s cooking repertoire.

Hash brown casserole is a perfect side dish for any steak, chicken or fish dinner.  It is incredibly easy to make and can be made up to a day ahead of time and kept in the fridge until it is time to bake.  If you are looking for a dish to take to a pot-luck, this one is a guaranteed crowd pleaser.  This is also a wonderful brunch dish as well! 

If for some reason you have never tried this dish, please, please give this recipe a try – you will love it!!

Hash Brown Casserole
Ingredients:
1 bag frozen, shredded or diced hash brown potatoes (2 lbs.), thawed
1 onion, chopped
1 can cream soup (cream of chicken, mushroom, celery…..whatever you have)
1 8 oz. container sour cream (I use light sour cream)
1 lb. shredded cheddar or monterey jack cheese
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 cups crushed corn flakes or 1 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1/4 cup melted butter
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Grate cheese (or you can use already shredded bagged cheese) and chop onion.
Then add your hash browns, cream soup, sour cream, cheese, onions, salt and pepper in a large mixing bowl and stir until combined.
After all ingredients are combined, spoon hash brown mixture into a greased, glass baking dish.  Top hash browns with crushed corn flakes or seasoned bread crumbs (I used bread crumbs here) and drizzle melted butter evenly on top.
Bake for 35 minutes, covered.  Remove foil and continue to bake an additional 10 minutes.
Hash Brown Casserole – hot out of the oven!!
Serve with salad and Honey-Dijon Pecan Crusted Salmon (recipe to come!!)
Cottage Mama’s Note:  To make hash brown casserole into a main dish entree, consider adding cubed ham or chicken and adding additional vegetables such as diced bell peppers, peas or broccoli.
26
Feb

Challenge Dress Giveaway Winner!

And the winner is “Savvy Saving Momma” who won with comment number 33 where she said;

“I follow your blog”

She also said in her previous comment, “I enjoy your crafting and sewing blogs! If I won I would love to get the Matilda Tutu dress!

So here it is, The Matilda Tutu Dress:

Savvy Saving Momma, I emailed you to your blogger account email, so hopefully you have received that so we can discuss where you would like me to ship this cutie patootie little dress.

Thanks so much to all of you who entered!  This was so fun, I will definitely do another giveaway soon!!

Happy Friday!
25
Feb

No-Sew Projects with Fabric

Now I know the majority of you that read my blog are sewers; however, I do know there are some that are not.  As you can see from my previous post, I LOVE fabric!  I think it is so gorgeous and just looking at it gets my creativity going.  But did you know there are plenty of ways to incorporate fabric into your home that does NOT involve sewing?

I thought I would show you a few no-sew fabric projects that I have around my home:

These are basic square frames purchased from IKEA.  I simply framed some fabric that I really loved that seemed to coordinate with our store-bought bedding.  Personally, I think it really adds a lot to the room and gives it a completed look.

Here is the framed fabric hanging over our bed.  And do you see the accent pillow on the bed?  Yes, that was done in my days before I had my sewing machine.  I made that using heat-bond and just ironed it all together!

This is the wall-art that hangs over my 7-month old daughter, Matilda’s crib.  I purchased an inexpensive painters canvas from Michaels and covered it with fabric (I staple gunned it to the back of the canvas).  I then painted a wooden “M” pink and covered it with pretty floral wall-paper accents (found at Joann’s).  I added a pink ribbon on the top and stapled it to the top of the canvas (and hid the staples with the upper flower……shhhhh….don’t tell).

This was another way I incorporated fabric into my daughters room without sewing.  I covered a foam board with batting and then covered it with fabric (securing with straight pins on the back).  I added ribbons across the front and secured them in place with pearl straight pins (found in the sewing notions section of Joann’s).  I added a hanging ribbon on top (secured by straight pins) and hung it on the wall.

Here are three pieces of wall art I created using fabric for my daughter Savannah’s “big girl room”.  I’ve shown these to you in a previous post (see here), but I don’t know if you realized there was no sewing involved.  I simply covered the mats that came with the frames in polka dot fabric.  Then I deconstructed the animal templates and used different fabrics to rebuild the look of the animals.  All of the animals have a pearl as their eye (found in the scrapbooking section of Hobby Lobby).

Finally, this was one of the easiest no-sew projects.  This was a bookcase we purchased from IKEA to use in my daughters bedroom.  It came with a “not so lovely” cardboard backing to the shelves.  So, I decided to cover this with fabric before we put it together.  This is secured using duct tape on the back-side of the cardboard – gotta love that stuff!!

So as you can see, there are many different creative things you can do with fabric if you don’t sew.  I always encourage my friends and family to start sewing if you have any interest in it – it’s really not as hard as you think.  But if you don’t have the interest or the time, you can still have fun with all the beautiful designer fabric that is on the market today!

Cottage Mama’s Note:  If you have any questions about these projects I have described, feel free to leave me a comment or email me and I would be happy to go into further detail.