Slow Cooker Tortilla Soup

As many of you know I love my crock-pot, we're good friends, in fact I'd say we're pretty tight. :)

I love anything that can make supper preparations quicker and easier.

So I was excited to try Frontier Soups Tortilla Soup Mix.

This soup can be ready in as little as 30 minutes but I made up my own Slow Cooker Version and the kiddos were asking for seconds. 

Ironically I didn't have any  tortilla chips on hand the night I made it so my daughter whipped up some "cawn bread" and it was mighty tasty I do say. 

I got this mix from Abe's Market and I love it because any orders over $49 ship free. They offer many wonderful natural and organic products, easy meal mixes, and natural skincare too.

It's awesome too because you can earn rewards just for making purchases, reviewing products, etc.

Without further ado here is my Slow Cooker Tortilla Soup Recipe below using the Frontier Mix.

You will need:

*1 pkg. Frontier Tortilla Soup Mix

*The package calls for a jar of salsa but I didn't have any so I dumped in a can of stewed tomatoes and a few tablespoons of taco sauce.

*6 cups chicken broth

*1 cup water

*2 cups shredded cooked chicken

What to do:

I placed 2 chicken breasts in my crock pot with 6 cups of water, cook on High 3 hours or until cooked through, I added some chicken boullion to this as well. 

Shred your chicken and leave the broth in the crock pot, add the soup mix, tomatoes, 1 cup water, and taco sauce. Cook on High for 1-2 hours and then turn down to low until supper. This had such a wonderful flavor from simmering all day and using the chicken broth that the chicken breasts cooked in.

This turned out so good I am definitely eager to try the other Frontier Soups from Abe's Market. They will be great to have on hand on days I'm in a big hurry or just plain tired.

Baby Chicks & Turkey Hollow Coffee Giveaway

While we have had chickens for a few years, baby chicks are very new for us. I guess for some reason I was always scared to take care of the "wittle babies" but I finally determined to try it, so we ordered the Special Assortment from McMurray Hatchery, and my! have we ever been pleased.

Taking care of the babies have been so much fun and much easier than I expected. I am sharing some pictures below of their arrival and be sure to enter the Turkey Hollow Coffee Giveaway further down as well.

Here is hubby with the babies, the Post Office called and he went to town to get them, upon arrival I had to snatch a photo, what could be more attractive than a man holding Two Dozen......baby chicks. Ditch the roses, give me the chickies. :)

Getting ready to open the lid and place them in the brooder, I was so nervous with excitement. I gave them a drink before I placed them in the brooder, hoping to prevent pasty butt. And I believe it worked as we only had a few with that.

Scoping out their temporary new home.

At one week old my oldest helped me do a photo shoot of the babies, we picked three of our favorites. 

She very hurriedly placed them down and ran out of the way while I snapped away, the photo right after this one had an addition of poop in the pic, I'll spare you that one. :)

Tomorrow marks 2 weeks with our babies so I am hoping to get an updated photo to share with you, so you can watch their growth.

Now for our Giveaway.

I love Coffee, I can't say that I'm an addict, I typically only have 1 cup a day, some days I don't have any, and if it's been rather challenging I'll have two. But I have never had better coffee until I tasted Turkey Hollow. Now, you can't buy Turkey Hollow Coffee in the stores.........

In Southwest Missouri down a little dirt road you'll find a young Mennonite family living in Turkey Hollow, where the turkey roam, squirrels scamper, and peace ensues. There they home-roast Costa Rica coffee and sell it in a little Bulk Food Store. 

It's smooth.

Oh is it smooth.

It's a little highlight in my day.

And if I run out I just have to take a jot down to Turkey Hollow to buy more. But you my wonderful readers online cannot do so, so I decided this week to buy you a 12 oz. bag of ground Turkey Hollow Coffee, and one lucky reader will win it. 

And that makes me happy.

To share a cup of happiness

That brings me pure bliss.

You will love it.

Fashion Friday - Retro Style Shoes

I adore retro style fashion.
And so many awesome styles are making a come-back.

Today I am sharing some killer shoe steals from Cents of Style for Fashion Friday. They have many varieties available for $14.95 and $19.95 a pair.

These just scream cuteness!!!

To go along with the retro look here are some amazing pencil skirts priced at only $13.99

And I'm absolutely drooling over this zipper back blouse...if that doesn't scream retro I don't know what does. Newer retro look clothes can be so pricey but with all of these pieces under $20 you can get the look down for much less.

Spring Photography Backdrops

Spring means......

baby chicks

blooming redbud trees

flowers

and adorable photos of your littles

I am loving these Spring-Themed backdrops.........today and tomorrow only they are 40% off. What a steal.

Get them here

For 45% off you can get the Photography backdrop stand!!

A perfect dress to adorn your sweetie for those sweet spring pics....The Ballet Recital Dress only $26.99...........this ones calling my name. :)

This Banner would be perfect to add to your spring photo backdrops, place on the mantle, entryway, Sunday School room, etc. what a great way to celebrate that He is Risen

With all this spring love comes these amazing pillow covers. Soooo many colors and patterns to choose from, give your sofa, chair or front porch swing a cheap and easy makeover with these adorable trendy pillow covers. I know mine could use a facelift!!

Finish off your spring decorating by reminding yourself of your many blessings with this adorable Blessed Creamer. I am in love with this little thing, from Dayspring normally $15 but on sale for the month of March for only $10. Perfect for the cream off of your raw milk, or give it to your Pastor's family, church worker, etc with some yummy creamer and a new coffee cup or their favorite coffee, makes a super sweet gift.

Half Price Print Leggings

Sharing some of my favorite Daily Deals today and these rockin' print leggings are among them, better hurry though because they are selling out fast.

These are adorable and I can just see them with muck boots and a carhart doing farm chores, but if you just so happen to need to run into town they are so stylish no one will know you were just doing chores.

White Plum's Best Selling Print leggings are only $10.99.

Find them here

These shirt dress tunics would look pretty sweet with them.....

Several prints available.

Cute and colorful Spring Skinnies available in sizes Small, Medium, Large, and x-large. These are lightweight but somewhat thicker than leggings. Priced at $22.99 they are 37% off original price. Get yours here.

Not into bright colors? Check out these fleece leggings for only $4.99....yup $4.99 that is NOT a typo. :) Get em here

And last but not least here's a deal for all you craftin' ladies, my daughter is having a cow over this one.....my girls love doing crafts with Washi Tape, so this is a must-have on our list.

Only $1.89 and they are flying off the shelves, better hurry and get yours quick, sale ends in 2 days. Find 'em here.

Let me know if you grab any of these steals. :)

30% off Tiny Prints

Woohoo if you've been needing to get some awesome photo gifts, invitations, etc now is the time!!!

Today is the LAST day to save during Tiny Prints' best sale of the entire year. 

Their birthday is this week (yay for birthdays, my little Emma has a birthday today) and from now through March 4, they are giving you the gift of 30% off everything. Which makes this an awesome time to order. 

Tiny Prints is King when it comes to personalized stationery, photo gifts, and more. Whether you need birth announcements, graduation party or baby shower invitations, photo iPad cases or notebooks, and any of your personalized stationery needs, Tiny Prints has it all. 

The cool part is everything you order from Tiny Prints can be customized..... you can choose the photos and text to add to their awesome designs to impress your friends and family.

Oh and the part about there never being a better time? That's because That's their best deal of the year. 

Visit them now (the sale ends tonight at 11:59pm Pacific Time) and choose from any of their products and when you check out, don't forget the promo code BDAY10 to save 30%.

If you end up placing an order feel free to comment below and tell me what awesome product you designed/created!!

Heavy Duty TOP GUN Clothespin Bag Giveaway (Great for camping too)

For the love of laundry, really I do love doing laundry. I know that may seem strange but it is so peaceful to me, possibly it stems back to my childhood..... it was one of the chores I did to help out. When nice weather hit Dad forbid us to use the dryer. I had a particular system of hanging up all wash cloths on one line, all towels on the other....I was very OCD about it. 

And I still LOVE doing laundry. When we started pursuing a more off-grid lifestyle (which is still a big work in progress) I realized that hanging my laundry on the line was one thing I COULD do right now to be more self-sufficient and to save our family money. We have been without a dryer for about four years now. And I don't miss it.

We are a family of 6 and yes it is very doable to live without a dryer. In the winter we hang our clothes on drying racks inside and on sunny winter days we bundle up and hang the clothes outside.....it's good for them. :)

Even if you are just a seasonal "clothes line user" it's important to have the proper equipment. You can read my post here about my favorite clothespins and clothespin bag.

And that's what this post is all about, Julie & Kevin at KJZacks are going to give one of my readers an Awesome, durable, heavy duty Clothespin Bag. These babies are tough! I'm serious, they impress grown men! I bought my Mom one of these and my Dad saw it and just stood there in awe of how well it was made and was doubly impressed by the fact that it was made right here in America...in fact he said, "We still make good quality stuff like this in the USA?" Yes we do, or actually Julie & Kevin do. 

If you want to win one of these check out the Promo Simple below to easily enter, then be sure to share this with all your line dryin' friends. This would be great to take on camping trips too!  :)

Features:

*3 year warranty

*made with TOP GUN polyester fabric, one of the strongest and most durable canvas made in the US today.

*Super high strength and abrasion resistant

*Breathable

*Mildew and ultra-violet resistant

*Water repellent

*Made with 2 hooks that cannot be bounced or blown off your line

If you have been searching for the perfect clothespin bag for your laundry chores or camping trips you can visit their website and purchase your own today, click here

You'll be Rushin' to Make this Russian Chicken

That's right you will....(pun completely and entirely intended.....because I'm just nerdy like that) :)

We love Russian chicken, it's such a stress free meal but tastes like you spent hours cooking a special sauce.
The first time we had it was at our Pastor's house and we knew this was a dish we needed to start making.

We have a retro 50's oven but right now we do not have the propane hooked up to it (price of propane right now..YIKES!) so I've been relying on my slow cooker and toaster oven and it's really not that hard. 

Who doesn't love easy crock pot recipes that you can just throw in and have ready when dinner time rolls around.

This recipe originally bakes in the oven but I'll share my slow cooker version below.

What you will need:

Your handy dandy crock pot

2 small bottles of Russian dressing (8 oz. each)

(sometimes this can be hard to find, look up high, Wish Bone makes it)

1 jar of apricot jelly  (18 oz. jar)

1 envelope of dry onion soup mix

10-11 frozen chicken tenders

Simply place your chicken tenders in your crock and throw everything else on top, cook on High about 4 hours or on low 7-8 depending on your crock pot. 

This is wonderful served over rice and if you're in a hurry, just had a baby, etc. use minute rice.....so yummy!!!

If you make it let me know what you think. 

~Marie

Linked to:

Nicks Sticks Giveaway

So I was in search of the perfect Valentines gift for my love of 12 years. He likes beef. He loves spicy. I remembered reading on another blog about Nick's Sticks and loving the fact that they are

*From grass-fed beef

*Gluten free

*No added nitrates

*No MSG

*No antibiotics

*No hormones

   .......and even

PALEO friendly.

WOW!!! These have got to be good, and good for you.

So I ordered him over a dozen and let me tell you, he was one happy guy. The kids loved them, I loved them, he took them to work and the guys loved them. They were so good they were gone before we knew it. Time to order more!!!

He loved taking them to work as a perfect afternoon snack to give him energy and some pep and it's perfect since they are shelf stable.

Now I'm going to have one lucky reader. Check out the Promo Simple below to enter and win yourself 12 Nick's Sticks...that's right a whole dozen. And you decide if you want beef or turkey....spicy or regular. Nick's gonna do that....he's gonna send 'em to you.

Don't want to wait?? Check out their website to order your own sticks:  Nick's Sticks. Just let him know that Cottage Homestead sent ya!

Feel free to comment below and let us know what kind you would choose if you win.

Best of luck! Don't forget to share this with your facebook friends!

Linked to:

Heavy Duty Clothespins and a Heavy Duty Clothespin Bag to Match!

I was so elated when my Mama gave me an early birthday present. This gift excited me just as much as diamonds and flowers would excite some ladies. 

TWO BIG BAGS of...............................................Heavy Duty Clothespins.

These are so great because the ones I had been buying from Wal-Mart and Dollar General are so cheap and flimsy when you get strong winds they break and your clothes are gone. Those cheap ones are fine for crafts and stamping but definitely not able to withstand thick clothes and strong winds. 

Having such awesome clothespins I knew I needed something durable, easy to use, and protective to keep them in. While part of me wanted a pretty froo froo clothespin bag I knew I really needed to be practical here and this is what I chose.

The Top Gun clothespin bag which has a 3 year warranty.

This baby will hold up to 150 clothespins

It attaches to your line with two hooks and it cannot be blown away or bounced off, it easily slides down your line as you are hanging up laundry.

It has a Dupont Zepel finish which makes it water resistant.

And it is also mildew and ultra violet reistant.

This is one of my most favorite parts about it!!! Made in the U.S.A.

This bag is made with TOP GUN polyester which is some of the most strongest and durable polyester on the market today. 

This amazing clothespin bag is sold by Julie & Kevin and you can get your own on their website: http://www.kjzacks.com/

Crock Pot Left-over Spaghetti Soup

I love left-overs.

But more than that I love turning left-overs into another meal, so we have more left-overs. 

Today we had left-over spaghetti but I knew it wasn't going to be enough for all six of us, that's when I decided to turn it into soup in the crock. 

Sound kinda gross to you.....or like a bunch of crock?? :) 
It's actually really good! 
It's not uncommon to find recipes with pasta in soup, so this is basically the same thing.

The awesome part, this only takes 2 hours in the crock pot!

Crock Pot Left-over Spaghetti Soup

What you will need:

Left-over spaghetti

1 can corn

1 can stewed tomatoes

2 cans water

1 can black beans rinsed and drained

2-3 tsp. basil

1/2 tsp. oregano

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. onion powder

1 tsp. dried onions

1 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. black pepper

Throw all of the above in your crockpot and cook on High for 2 hours.

My "highly expressive" hubby said it was "Good, real good" ;)

Linked to:

Pallet Chalkbard Sign - Frugal Decorations for Fall #2

A few days ago I decided it was time to give the mantel a Thanksgiving makeover. In fact since we had moved in the new house it has not been properly attended to. As I was unpacking I would stick something up there wondering if maybe it would work, when one day I looked up at my mantel and realized what a hodge podge array was staring back at me. Mercy! 

A fall Thanksgiving makeover was definitely a good reason to change the present state of my mantel. Once I got the ends situated I realized I had a HUGE hole in the middle and nothing to place there, a mirror would be nice but I don't own one. That's when I headed outside to look at my pallet pile. I selected four pallet boards and placed shorter boards behind them on each end and nailed them together....this is rustic decorating right, so it's okay that some of my nails only went halfway in and then had to be nailed over. 

Rustic, rustic, rustic! :)

That day I was Thankful for Thanksgiving in the most literal sense because it was that day that I made a terrifying discovery. Realizing I needed a larger hammer one of my daughters ran into the addition we are tearing down on one end of the house. It was then that she heard water 

gushing.....
pouring....
spewing.

I hurriedly called my hubby, who works nearby, and asked him to rush home. Then I got my wits about me, threw on my welders gloves and ran out to the water source by the road and quickly turned the water off. 

I was proud of myself.

The pipes had frozen in the addition and we're pretty sure that water had been spewing for 24 hours, let's just say I'm dreading that water bill come mid December!

Had I not been making a sign for Thanksgiving we would not have went into the addition that day and made the discovery!!

Right then and there I decided to give thanks for everything.....as mentioned in 1 Thessalonians 5:18.

I was thankful for the water spewing.
I was thankful for the blowout poopy diaper our youngest gave us...AFTER we turned the water off (I use cloth wipes and need water for them).
I was thankful for our van that was overheating on the way to town to get the cap to fix the leak.
I was thankful for our van that was low on oil and needed an oil change.
I was thankful for the older man that crossed lanes on the bridge and sent us onto the side of the road, praise the Lord he didn't hit us.

And not surprisingly when I got home that night (All 6 of us safe and sound, alive, and breathing) I grabbed the sign I had nailed together out of pallets, brushed with chalkboard paint and wrote a message on it.......

WE
GIVE
THANKS

This blog post is linked to:

Firewood Welcome Sign - Frugal Decorations for Fall

As much as I would LOVE to go into all the fancy stores and buy fall decorations, it's just not in our pocket book. Goodness, I'd be happy with shopping for decorations in Dollar General, but that's not happening either. And I am totally cool with that. In fact I'm glad I can't because it totally gets my creative juices flowing.

A little bit of nature.
A little bit of browsing through catalogs.
A little bit of chalkboard paint & burlap.....

That's my Inspiration.

We have recently moved so in between organizing and unpacking I really didn't want fall/Thanksgiving decorating to fall through the cracks. 

A couple of weeks ago I decided to spruce up the front porch. I noticed some firewood in a shelf in my Pottery Barn catalog and on the ends they had painted Ho! Ho! Ho! for Christmas, that's when I decided I could bundle up my own firewood on my porch, wrap it all up in burlap and paint the words welcome on the ends!

The girls helped me find the right sizes of firewood and I laid my burlap fabric strip on the park bench. Once I had the amount of logs I needed I tied the burlap tight.

The only paint I had on hand was chalkboard and I couldn't even place a paint brush so I fingerpaited the letters on. We had some pumpkins given to us at a local pumpkin patch and Voila ~ Fall decorating on a dime, using nature as inspiration.

I hope this inspires you as well.