Country Cottage Love

Crockpot Enchilada Burritos

2013-06-24T19:37:00.001-07:00

Ingredients:
2 lbs. Stew Meat
2 - 15 oz. Enchilada Sauce
2 Beef Bouillon Cubes
1 - 15 oz. Refried Beans
Corn Tortillas
Optional:
Sour Cream
Cheese
Lettuce
Tomato

Directions:
Mix stew meat, enchilada sauce, and bouillon cubes into crock pot. Cook on low for 7-8 hours or 3-4 hours on high.
Once meat is tender make into burritos with heated refried beans. Top with optional toppings to taste.

Chicken Bacon Ranch Sandwich

2013-06-17T21:16:00.001-07:00

Ingredients:
2 Long French Steak Rolls
4 Strips of Bacon
1 Package Tyson Grilled and Ready Chicken Breast Strips
1/4 Cup Cheddar Cheese
To Taste:
Ranch
Lettuce
Tomato

Directions:
Cook or fry bacon. I usually cook bacon in the microwave. Meanwhile heat chicken in skillet. Once heated thoroughly spread cheese on top. Let sit until melted. Divide bacon and chicken onto the rolls. Finish off with ranch, lettuce, and tomato.

This is perfect for a cool summertime dinner, or even a quick lunch.

This is the chicken that I used. It is kind of expensive. However, it is super convenient. It is perfect for quick sandwiches and salads!

Brownie Batter Puppy Chow

2013-06-10T17:32:00.001-07:00

Ingredients:

8 cups Rice Chex Cereal

1 ¼ cup semisweet chocolate chips

¾ cup creamy peanut butter

2 tablespoons butter

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 ½ cups brownie mix

Directions:

1) In a large bowl, measure cereal, set aside.

2) In a small microwavable bowl, microwave chocolate chips, peanut butter, and butter for 1 minute. Microwave an additional 30 seconds if need be. Stir until smooth. Stir in vanilla.

3) Add to cereal. Stir in until cereal is fully and evenly coated.

4) Add brownie mix. Fold in until all cereal is evenly covered.

You may also put cereal in a bowl with a lid and shake until brownie mix has evenly coated the cereal.

Linking up with Mandy's Recipe Box for Totally Tasty Tuesday!

Paisleys N' Cow Pies

2012-06-30T15:00:00.003-07:00

Come and check out my space Paisleys N' Cow Pies at Vines Vintage Market in Fort Collins. On the corner of Drake and Shields. Vines Vintage Market carries many vendors that offer antiques, vintage items, as well as handcrafted items. It is a very fun store that has something for nearly everyone! The best part is that it is constantly changing. And you will never have the same things as your friends, since it is so unique.

Cake Batter Popcorn

2012-03-26T20:29:00.001-07:00

I think anything with a cake batter flavor is worth craving. I love popcorn and the sweet cake batter flavor. This recipe includes two of my favorite things mixed together!

The best thing about this recipe is that there is no need for a birthday party. That's right!! You can make this for any occasion..... Birthday (of course), New Baby, Graduation, Any Holiday, Movie Night, Girls Night, Guys Night (yes they like it), Sleepover, Friday Night, Sitting on the Couch, and Just Because (popcorn is just addicting).

Ingredients:
6 cups Popcorn (popped)
1 bag (12oz.) White Chocolate Chips
1/4 cup Shortening
1 1/2 cups Yellow Cake Mix
Sprinkles

Directions:

Pop popcorn into an extra large bowl

In a separate bowl melt chocolate chips in microwave, stirring at 30-second intervals until fully melted.

Add the vegetable shortening. It may need a few more seconds in the microwave.

Add cake mix, stir thoroughly.

Pour onto popcorn. Stirring quickly and carefully making sure not to crush the popcorn.

Spread over wax lined paper or tin foil, sprinkle with sprinkles, and allow to cool.

Valentines Day Card

2012-02-13T20:32:00.000-08:00

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!!

I love Valentines Day, there are so many cute crafts and fun goodies to make.

Here is one card I made.

I started out with a regular sized plain card and attached a blank black sheet of scrapbook paper to the front. I then attached a designed piece of scrapbook paper to the top.

Using the Cricut I then cut out two heart scallops using the Sweethearts cartridge.

Next I cut out my XO using the Sweethearts cartridge as well.

I then adhered everything together and sealed it off with a button on the top. xoxo

Loaded Baked Potato Soup

2012-02-03T18:47:00.000-08:00

Today was a blizzard cold day. It was really nice to come home at the end of the day and have this nice warm soup all ready.

Ingredients:

4 Large Potatoes Diced

21 oz. Chicken Broth

10 oz Cream of Chicken Soup

4 oz. Cream Cheese

Salt & Pepper to Taste

Garnishes: Bacon, Cheddar Cheese

Directions:

Place the potatoes, chicken broth, and chicken soup into the Crock-Pot. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, or until the potatoes are tender.

Add cream cheese and salt and pepper and blend together. A hand blender works well for this part.

Garnish with whatever you would like and it is ready to serve!

-You can also add an onion to cook with the potatoes, or as a garnish, if you like onions. We are not big onion fans.

Pretzel Time

2012-01-30T21:00:00.000-08:00

Every now and again I go on a small shopping spree at our local mall. Very sadly, it does not withhold the stores that it used to. However, it does have a few stores that I love to stop into every so often. Just about every time you have to walk by the delicious buttery, dough smelling pretzel store. They obtain the warmest, softest, butteriest, (yeah it's a new word) delicious pretzels. Now I just need to find a recipe.

Cowboy Chili Steak

2012-01-27T20:07:00.000-08:00

Great recipe for those men who have to have their meat!

First fry your steak in a little bit of olive oil.

Meanwhile cut up your potatoes.

Add all of your ingredients together, cover, and let simmer for 40 minutes.

And serve to your starving cowboy/family

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs Round Steak

3 tbsp Olive Oil

3 diced Potatoes

1 (14oz) can Diced Tomatoes (undrained)

1 (14 oz) can Chili Beans (undrained)

1 (8oz) can Tomato Sauce

1 (4oz) can Green Chilis (undrained)

1/2 cup Water

Grated Cheddar Cheese

Directions:

Cut round steak into serving size pieces(how many ever pieces you would like to serve). Place into large skillet with olive oil and fry until brown. In a medium sized pan place fried steak, potatoes, tomatoes, chili beans, tomato sauce, green chilis, and water. Stir until blended. Stirring occassionaly cover and let simmer for 40 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Serve with potato mixture on bottom with steak on top and covered with cheese.

Fetch

2012-01-26T20:29:00.000-08:00

Paisley absolutely LOVES playing fetch she is getting much better at actually bringing it back to you. Here are some fun pics that I got of her playing in the snow.

She may have also had a few slip-ups

But she is getting there!

Trust in the Lord

2012-01-22T20:57:00.000-08:00

Proverbs 3.5-8

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own insight. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil. It will be a healing for your flesh and a refreshment for your body.

There should be no stress or worry that we have to carry around with us. There are times in our lives that we are feeling scared or worried. This is only because we are missing God in that aspect of our lives. Just turn to God to find the answer or that path that you need led down.

Fast Buffalo Chicken Pizza

2012-01-17T20:50:00.000-08:00

This is a super easy pizza to make on a lazy day.

Take two deli hoagie rolls and cut them in half lengthwise.

Slather on Frank's Red Hot Wing Sauce.

Boil 1-2 chicken breasts. (Depends on how chickeny you want it)

Cut the chicken into cubes. Sprinkle on bread. Sprinkle on mozzarella cheese.

Bake at 350. For 8 minutes and serve serve with a side of ranch or more hot sauce.

Ingredients:
2 Hoagie Rolls
2 Chicken Breasts
3/4 cup Frank's Red Hot Buffalo Sauce
2 Cups Mozzarella Cheese

Boil chicken. Meanwhile, cut cut hoagie rolls in half lengthwise. Slather on hot sauce sprinkle on chicken and cheese. Bake at 350*F for 8 minutes or until cheese is melted. Leaving the pizza in the oven to long will leave the bread hard.

Antique Finds

2012-01-05T20:06:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite things to do is to browse antique stores. You can always find very interesting and creative items. A couple months ago my Mom, my Sister, and I, took a day to look around some of the stores in the area. I had been looking for just the perfect piece to hold all of my dishes for a very long time. I found a lot of pieces that I really liked and had a hard time deciding. I wish I could have bought more than just one =) This is what I decided on:

I have it in our dining room and the color matches perfectly with the rest of the room.

It is hard to capture in picture but my favorite part are the details it obtains. The front doors have a beautiful engraving. The sides look as if it could have been used as a pie safe.

It has shelves in the bottom and the top so that I can store plenty of my dishes and then some.

I also found a tag inside that says it is from the Wisconsin Furniture and Coffin Co. I have not been able to find that much information on this company but I have found that they are from the early 1900's.

My second lucky antique find came this weekend while trying to finish my craft room. Sunday, I bought a shelve that I was going to put together for my craft room. After I got home and took it out of the box I realized it was cracked! The next day my Mom and I ventured out to exchange it. While driving to return it we decided to stop at the antique store that just so happened to be on the way.

While we were there I found this cute little booger that I just had to have!

It is nice and bright and I will be able to store a lot of little knick-knacks. Hopefully, it will be a lot more reliable than the shelve I was going to use out of a box.

Holiday Chex Mix

2011-12-24T10:48:00.000-08:00

I like to make this for Christmas. However, you can make this for any holiday just alternate with seasonal M&M's for Easter, 4th of July etc...

Ingredients:

1 box (14oz) Rice Chex or Corn Chex Cereal

16 oz Plain Peanuts

1 bag (15oz) Pretzels - can be any kind that you prefer

20 oz of White Almond Bark

1-2 (12oz each) bags of M&Ms

Mix cereal, peanuts and pretzels together. Melt bark according to package. Mix in with cereal mixture. After it has hardened mix in M&Ms and enjoy. It is very simple.

Next time I would like to add popcorn to this mix to see how it would turn it out.

Christmas Lights

2011-12-24T08:49:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite things during the holiday season is driving around and looking at all of the Christmas lights. Once you put Chrismas lights on your own house you realize how much work people put into this fun hobby each year.
This past weekend we drove by one of the best houses that I have ever seen in person. We were not able to get a very good picture or video of it ourselves. There were so many cars and people surrounding the house that we had to actually wait in our cars in line to see it. I attached the video so you all can see it for yourselves.

I posted a couple different videos, there are multiple different songs that play. They each have their "own show."
The best part was the neighbor next door. What a sport!

CrockPot Chili Roast

2011-12-21T19:37:00.000-08:00

I love putting anything in the CrockPot and coming home and having dinner ready for us. This is one that can cook all day and be ready and waiting for you when you get home.

Ingredients:
3-4 pound Chuck Roast
1 Green Bell Pepper
1 Jalapeno (to taste)
1 Onion
6 Tomatillos
1(4oz.) can Green Chiles
1(14.5 oz) can diced Tomatoes
2 Garlic Cloves
1tsp chili powder
Salt (to taste)

Chop the green pepper, jalapeno, onion, and tomatillos. I took most of the seeds out of the Jalapeno, I am not a big fan of spicy things. So you can add the whole thing or omit the seeds. Add to CrockPot. Mix together the rest of the ingredients and throw in the roast.
Set on high and leave the house for at least a good seven hours.

After cooking all day the meat just shreds itself. I served mine with a tortilla and shredded cheese. However, you can eat as is or add toppings like guacamole, sour cream, tortilla chips, etc...

Stay Awake

2011-11-06T20:23:00.000-08:00

Matthew 25.5-13
As the bridegroom was delayed, all of them became drowsy and slept. But at midnight there was a shout, 'Look! Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.' Then all those bridesmaids got up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.' But the wise replied, 'No! there will not be enough for you and for us; you had better go to the dealers and buy some for yourselves.' And while they went to buy it, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went with him into the wedding banquet; and the door was shut. Later the other bridesmaids came also, saying, 'Lord, lord, open to us.' But he replied, "Truly I tell you, I do not know you.' Keep awake therefore, for you know neither the nor the hour.

There are many people out there trying to predict the end of the world, or when the Lord is going to come. However, if it was going to really happen today are we TRULY ready?

Treats for the Trick-or-Treaters

2011-10-31T19:54:00.000-07:00

For Halloween this year I made some Cake Pops for the small amount of trick-or-treaters that would come by our place.

What you need:

I used a yellow cake mix but you can use whatever kind of cake that you would like.
Bake cake according to directions.
Let Cool
Crumble into a LARGE bowl (this is crucial because it will FILL a large bowl
With two forks mix any kind frosting that you would like. I used 16oz of double fudge frosting
You know it is completely mixed in when only the frosting color shows through and you can not see any cake
Use a cookie scoop to from perfect sized balls
Freeze for one hour
In the middle of the cake ball place a lollipop stick
Roll into melted chocolate
Decorate however you would like

This was the decorated result. After I dunked the cake in chocolate I sprinkled them with some orange sprinkles.

In order for them to be transportable I put them in some festive halloween baggies.

Hopefully all of my little goblins will enjoy them!

My New Cricut

2011-10-27T20:07:00.000-07:00

I have had many delightful experiences with my Cricut Expression! Once I found out they were coming out with a Cricut Cake I just HAD to have one. Now, just a few years down the road, I finally found a very reasonable priced one on the net =) This machine is just like the original cricut it will cut out nearly any shape you need. What makes the cricut cake different is you can cut out fondant, gum paste, etc and it is all safe to eat.
I was so excited to use! However, this was also my first time ever using fondant. As a first time user I think I need a lot more practice. Some things I cut out were hard to transfer to the cake without ruining the precise cutting.
Since Halloween is right around the corner, I used my holiday cakes cartridge and made a festive BOO cake!
And the end result:

The Greatest Commandment

2011-10-23T20:41:00.000-07:00

I think a great verse to live by this week is Matthew 22:34-40

"When the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together, and one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. "Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?" He said to him, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and all your mind.' This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets."

I love this verse! With all of the hustle and bustle in our lives it very easy to loose site of what is most important. "You shall love your neighbor as yourself," is something I constantly loose sight of. I am sure we all have people that are hard to deal with on a daily basis. We may have to deal with a pesky co-worker, a rude salesman, an unsatisfied salesman, a distant family member, and even in some cases literally your annoying neighbor haha. We just have to keep in mind that no matter what our differences are we have to keep an open heart. They should not be treated any differently than how you would treat yourself.

Lazy Slow Cooker Barbequed Beef Sandwiches

2011-10-16T20:59:00.000-07:00

These are very easy to make and can cook all day while you are away!

Ingredients:
1 (4lb) Sirloin Tip Roast
2 cups Ketchup
3 cups Barbeque Sauce
1 can (14oz) Beef Broth
1 can Root Beer
1-2 teaspoons Onion Powder
1-2 teaspoons Pepper
10 Steak Rolls

Directions:
Mix and place all ingredients in the crock pot (Save two cups of the barbeque sauce for later). Cook on low for seven hours. Take out and pull apart meat. Pour out the juices in the crock pot. Put the meat back in the crock pot, mix in the saved barbeque sauce, and warm until ready to serve. I like to serve them on steak rolls, but you can use hamburger buns as well.

Canning Tomatoes

2011-10-08T20:57:00.000-07:00

Today was a sure sign that winter is right around the corner. It was windy, rainy and COLD. One of those days that just makes you wanna stay in bed and watch movies all day. Last night I picked all of the tomatoes that were left in my garden. Since it was a stay inside kind of day, I thought I would can the tomatoes that I picked. It is a lot of work, and leaves a big mess to clean up. However, I love being able to use these canned goods all throughout the winter!

Eggs n' Hotdogs

2011-10-03T21:00:00.000-07:00

This recipe is great for breakfast, brunch, or breakfast for dinner. It is perfect for kids and adults of all ages.

What you need:

7 eggs

4 heated Hotdogs (2 oz. each)

2 Tbs. Milk

1/2 cup shredded mild cheddar cheese

Pepper to taste (you can add salt, I did not since the hotdogs are already salty)

What to do:

Heat Skillet on high heat.

Meanwhile in a medium bowl whisk together eggs, milk, and pepper.

Pour into skillet and stir until cooked thoroughly. Add hotdogs and top with cheese.

ENJOY!

Chocolatey Mud Pie

2011-09-29T20:37:00.000-07:00

This is a perfect after dinner dessert, get together with the girls dessert, family picnic dessert, I do not want to heat the oven dessert, anybody can make dessert!
Ingredients:
15 Oreo Cookies
4 Squares Semi-Sweet Baking Chocolate
1/2 cup Sweetened Condensed Milk
Pecans
2 cups Skim Milk
2 small pkgs. Chocolate Flavored Instant Pudding & Pie Filling
1 tub Cool Whip

Take your tempting Oreo cookies

and crush em' crush em' crush em'

take your semi-sweet chocolate and melt it, melt it, melt it

mix together your milk and pudding mix, and whisk it, whisk it, whisk it

add half of your whip cream to the pudding mix and use the remaining to top off your dessert

Directions:

Crush the chocolate sandwich cookies and spread into the bottom of a square 8x8 pan.

Melt the chocolate and mix in the sweetened condensed milk. Pour on top of the cookie mixture.Sprinkle with pecans.

Mix milk and instant pudding and pie filling together. Pour a little over half of the pudding mixture over the pecans.

Mix in half of the cool whip with the left over pudding mixture, spread over the pudding layer.

Top it off with the remaining cool whip.

Refrigerate for 3 hours and serve.