The Cottage Mama Blog - Sewing. Cooking. Crafting.

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!! … continue reading

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 … continue reading

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 … continue reading

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 … continue reading

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 … continue reading

Feb

Now Don’t Be Jealous……

.........but look what arrived in the mail for me yesterday!Eeeeek - it's my fabric!! I had ordered about 40-50 yards of fabric awhile back and it is finally here. I will be using most of this yardage for items in my etsy shop. I do have several item for my shop ready to go, I just need to get some good sunshine to take my pictures so I can list them.I have had a lot of friends ask me where I get my fabric. Well, I usually can find the best prices for fabric online. The only thing about ordering online is you usually have to wait for it and you don't get to … continue reading

Feb

Reusable Coffee Sleeve Tutorial

I love coffee. Now, it is VERY rare these days that I allow myself to purchase a Starbucks coffee. Being a stay-at-home Mom means being on a strict budget which, of course, is SO worth it being able to spend all day with my two little ladies. However, I know many, many of my friends and family that love to have their daily coffee fix from their local coffee shop. When you purchase your coffee it comes with the cup, the lid and the cardboard coffee sleeve. My goodness - that is a lot of waste for one coffee drink! So, I thought maybe we could help eliminate … continue reading

Feb

100 Followers – Time for a Giveaway!!

Wooohoooo! I've finally reached 100 followers - I'm so excited! I feel so special that people are actually interested in what I have to say!I've had over 300 readers (including RSS subscribers) for a little while now, but I thought the three digit follower number was a good excuse for my first giveaway! I am giving away one of my Lil Blue Boo challenge dresses. There are three for you to choose from - one is 6-12 months, one is 18-24 (fits a smaller 2T) months, and the other is 3T. So the winner will be able to pick one - which ever will fit the little lady … continue reading

Feb

Creamy Pesto Alfredo Pasta

I'm going to tell you a little secret.......well, I guess it's not a total secret........ I have a serious addiction to Fettuccine Alfredo. I think it is one of the most delicious, indulgent things on earth! Personally I would choose to eat this over a piece of chocolate cake any day! I know I have not been posting the most "figure flattering" recipes lately, but we had this for dinner last night and it was just so good that I had to share it with you!Creamy Pesto Alfredo PastaServes 4Ingredients:1lb. pasta shells (1 box)2 cups heavy cream1/3 cup pesto … continue reading

Feb

Apple Raisin French Toast Strata

This morning was our "Valentine" playgroup. We had such a great time! My friend Julie hosted the group and she did a wonderful job. She prepared several different breakfast items, but the Apple Raisin French Toast Strata definitely took the cake - it was AWESOME!!Julie got this recipe via allrecipes.com and I wanted to go ahead and share it with all of you. If you are hosting a brunch/breakfast anytime in the near future, make this dish - it was SO yummy! Apple Raisin French Toast StrataIngredients:1 (1 pound) loaf cinnamon raisin bread, cubed1 (8 ounce) … continue reading