Feature Friday!! {linky party favorites}

Hey there bloggers! I know I've been a bit behind on this, but my recent schedule has kept me insanely busy. I hope you can forgive me, and I'll be catching up and sharing your links to make it up to you. :)

Last week's linky party was a HUGE success!! There were 78 link ups, which is more than we've ever had on one day. Yay!! I think everyone must have food on the brain because most of the links were recipes. Not that I'm complaining... I've actually been to the grocery store 3 times in the last week for ingredients to try out some of your awesome links!

As for the numbers, this was our Top View last week:

{slow cooker Apple crisp by Kitty @ A Law Student's Journey}

And we had a 3 way TIE for the 2nd most viewed links:

{Skinny Chicken Parmesan by Allison @ Feeding My Temple}

{Sausage and Cheese Stuffed Biscuits with Gravy @ Tim 2 Eat Yall!}


{Enchilada Casserole from Laura @ Laugh, Love, & Craft}

Sinfully delicious, no? There were SO many great links last week, and so many new recipes that I'm filling my recipe book with. You guys are some incredible chefs, there must be some seriously happy people in your houses! haha! :)

If you were featured, feel free to grab a button saying so to display on your blog or website! 

<a href="http://www.littlebirdiebaby.blogspot.com" target="_blank"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPRzE7u-VGuuFc2UO9siEks11qeylbBfD2oMWmhJU0scRtcVMGVirmClVe_VcXxGiVBaO-5gvmdJLMv81UraGlajlnxbGDhO1p_L6vp2Ap_rtEjqyBhJcIBWSGBO9SihqJmah2muYYddzC/s800/LBB%20Feature%20Button.png" height="150" width="150" /></a>

ALSO! Don't forget to enter this month's giveaways if you haven't already!

We've got Erica from Bows & Caps by princESS on Etsy giving away 

a custom pack of bottle cap magnets, clips, or push pins. 

Giveaway ends Sunday, so get your entries in soon!

We've also got Mary from Organo Gold coffee giving away an ENTIRE box 

of gourmet, all-natural coffee in your choice of flavor! 

This giveaway ends Sunday 10/23, so spread the word and don't forget to get your entries in, too!

Thanks for such an amazing turnout at the linky party last week! 

Have a great weekend!!

XOXO

Tutorial Tuesday & Linky Party - A Trio of Favorite Recipes

Good morning everyone! I am super-duper busy with a rather large order right now, so you'll have to forgive me for cheating out a little bit this week with recipes rather than sewing, etc. ;)

However, these ARE 3 recipes that I have had earmarked to share with you all since they were ones that I found shortly after moving. Things were hectic, but I knew they would be great ones to share! So here are three of our new favorite recipes from this summer...

Bird's Nest Breakfast Cups

Salad-in-a-Jar

&

Homemade Cheese Crackers (a.k.a. Cheez-Its)

Bird's Nest Breakfast Cups:

These have quickly become a weekend favorite. I make an entire pan full and then the hubby has a yummy, wholesome breakfast to grab and take with him as he's running out the door at the crack of dawn. Yay for cooking once a week!  ;)

1 24 oz. bag of shredded hash browns
2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
2 tbs oil (I use olive oil)
1/3 cup shredded cheddar
Bacon bits or 8=10 pieces of cooked bacon, crumbled
Eggs
Extra shredded cheddar
Muffin tin

1. Take your bag of hash browns and mix in the salt, pepper, oil and 1/3 cup shredded cheese.
2. Divide amongst the cups in your muffin tin, making sure to grease tin beforehand.
3. Bake hash browns at 425 degrees for 15-18 minutes or until toasty.
4. Once they're finished, take them out and lower the temp of the oven to 350 degrees.
5. Crack an egg into each of the cups
6. Top with bacon and a sprinkle of extra cheese
7. Bake at 350 degrees for 13-16 minutes (or until the eggs are as firm as you like them).
8. Slide a knife along the edges to remove from pan when cooled.

Notes:

• I like to break the yolks in my eggs a bit once I put them into the hash brown cups
• When I cheat on these, I use the Oscar Meyer Bacon pieces found in the "salad dressing" section of the grocery store. They're the closest thing to fresh bacon I can find, and all-natural. :)
• You can also experiment with ham, sausage, and veggies to make them your own!

Salad-In-A-Jar:

Now, these aren't so much of a recipe as a technique. I had been seeing this idea all over the place for awhile, and thought I should give it a try for keeping my lettuce fresh. It WORKS.

1 Head (or bag) of lettuce
12 oz. to 16 oz. mason jars (depending on how large you like your salad, or if you like to share!)
Paper towels or paper napkins
Salad toppings of your choice

1. Wash jars and set them out to dry
2. Wash and chop head of lettuce
3. Stuff jars with lettuce (the fuller, the better)
4. Dampen a paper towel and fold it up small enough to fit into the mouth of the jar.
5. Lay paper towel over the top of lettuce and secure lid.
6. Turn upside down and store in the fridge for up to a month!!
7. When you're ready to eat, throw out the paper towel and prep as you like!

Notes:

• If you have enough space in your jars you can top your salad while still in the jar and have an easy lunch to-go, or great solution to salad at parties!

Homemade Cheese Crackers:

From goldfish to cheez-its and everything in between, cheese crackers are always a hit with kids and adults alike. Why not make some fresh that are filled with all-natural ingredients instead of preservatives and chemicals like the store bought kind?

1½ cups (6 oz) grated extra-sharp Cheddar cheese
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, softened and cut into pieces
¾ cup flour, plus more for dusting
½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon milk

1. Preheat oven to 350˚.
2. Put everything except the milk in a food processor. Pulse the processor, 5 seconds at a time, for about 5 or 6 times, until the dough is in coarse crumbs.
3. Add the milk and process until the dough gathers together in a ball.
4. Roll the dough out on a floured board with a rolling pin that has been floured until it is about 1/8 inch thick.
5. Cut the dough into 1-inch squares with a sharp knife or pizza cutter. You can put a bit of flour on the blade of the knife to keep it from sticking. Use a toothpick or skewer to poke a hole in the center of each cracker.
6. Place the crackers at least ¼ inch apart on parchment paper on a baking sheet.
7. Bake for 12 – 15 minutes until the edges are just starting to brown.
8. Put the baking sheet on a rack and let the crackers cool completely.
9. Eat! Or store in a covered container or ziploc to eat within a few days.

Notes:

• Substitute other cheeses for the cheddar for a different snack every time! I've used swiss (Jarlsberg seems to work best) and colby jack, both with great results!
• I have a gas oven and it seems to take a little longer to get them nice and toasty around the edges. Mine usually take about 18 minutes.

Now it's your turn! 

Link up your projects below for this week's linky party!

Linky Guidelines:

1. Please feel free to link up as many projects as you would like!
2. Please link directly to your project post, it makes them much easier for everyone to find.
3. Please no etsy shops, or generic blog links. Specific posts links only.
4. Visit someone else's link and share the bloggy love!
5. Grab yourself a button and post it in your project post or on your blog. Optional of course, but the more we share the party, the more people see your posts! :)
6. Have fun!!

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Don't forget to enter this week's GIVEAWAY 
brought to you by Bows and Caps by princESS!

CLICK HERE to enter for your chance to win!!

Have a great week!!

XOXO

Tutorial Tuesday & Linky Party - Cheesy Tortellini Bake

I admit, lately my culinary escapades have fallen off...

Hubby and I were talking the other day about when we first moved in this house. We had been married about 6 months, and although we really always are, right then we were especially drippy with newlywed bliss. We were both working crappy 9-5 jobs that we could easily walk away from at the end of the day, and no real responsibilities at the time.

We cooked every night.
Cooked, listened to our favorite music, and just allowed ourselves to BE.
We are both quite fond of those memories.

Of course, life changes as it has a tendency to do and we got busier and busier as the years passed. Then came the news that I was pregnant and I pretty much stopped cooking. My pregnancy was just months and months of nausea and exhaustion. I couldn't cook- it made me sick. :( So now that Baby A is getting more independent, with a pretty standard schedule from day to day, it's nice to get back in there and be myself again.

This is one of those "cheater" type recipes that I came up with one night while looking for something different for dinner. You know the types, where nothing is actually made from scratch, but the end result would make anyone think you've been slaving in the kitchen all day. I like those kinds. :) And even better: you can make it like 900 different ways depending on what kinds of ingredients you choose. So without further adieu (or babbling...), I would like to introduce you to:

The Cheesy Tortellini Bake

Here's what you need:

Pasta 

{I prefer to use filled pasta for a heartier meal. Don't like tortellini? No problem! Use what you like.}

Sauce

{I buy the cheap kind because I season it myself}

Meatballs

{totally optional, but again adds to the heartiness}

Mozzarella Cheese

Cook pasta according to package directions. 

{I cook mine VERY al dente so I have room for extra bake time}

Simmer meatballs in sauce until thawed and warm.

Pour pasta into baking dish, cover with sauce/meatball mix.

Cover {liberally, of course!!} with cheese.

Put in 350 degree oven to bake for 15 min, or until cheese is melty.

Pop on the broiler to toast that cheese just until it's starting to brown.

Cool & Serve.

I also like to whip up a little Texas Toast {from the freezer section} for a little added oomph!

Ta-Da! SUPER easy dinner, and no one is the wiser. 

These are the dinners that hubby brings flowers for, haha! And seriously, you CANNOT mess this up. Have I used macaroni noodles when I had no filled pasta? YES.

Have I used string cheese when I had no "real" mozzarella? YOU BETCHA.

Just play with it, I'm sure you foodies out there can come up with some fun variations too!

.......

Now it's time to link up! What have you been working on lately? 

{or are you like me with 30 projects in the works and 0 actually finished in time for Tute Tuesday?}

Grab a button if you like, and link up below!

Can't wait to see what you've got this week!!

<a href="http://www.littlebirdiebaby.blogspot.com" target="_blank"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjybpWehEcQYkr_bcTNwQtjMs-pSV-lbAnKMq0wQAbpkfm8Vn6I1fmUjYtVvzwqfTuazi67qG1Z7SWKRWPfgV3kkRVaYGnhKP7LJ0txiH6AQQj2x8KUcYdEuPtOudXo4oDmxEdFyxqjJ7RO/s800/Tute%20Tues%20LB.png" height="150" width="150" /></a>

XOXO

Tutorial Tuesday - Spinach Artichoke Chicken Quesadillas

Okay guys, I have to apologize. We are having serious technical difficulties at our house in regards to the internet. Well actually, there just is none, LOL, that's a pretty serious difficulty, no? Thankfully most of my posts for this week are already ready to roll, but Tutorial Tuesday is currently being "winged" from my handy dandy android phone.

Since my publishing capabilities are limited, we will save my super cute scarf tutorial for next week. (You don't want to miss that, and it deserves better than a phone post!!) Instead, I'm cheating and making it easy on myself by sharing one of my favorite recipes. :) It's easy, seriously anyone can do it, and it's a quick dinner idea to boot!

Spinach Artichoke Chicken Quesadillas

Here's what you need:

1. Tyson Grilled Ready-to-Eat Chicken Breasts

2. Spinach Dip: I get mine from the deli section at HEB

3. Steamable frozen Artichoke hearts

4. Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

5. Large Flour Tortillas

6. Butter

Supplies:

Mixing Bowl

Wooden spoon

Skillet big enough to accommodate tortilla size you chose

Spatula

Ok, so I have to warn you this is one of those recipes that I make just by sort of looking at the way things are turning out. I have no idea how much of each thing I use, but I like my filling substantial with plenty of chicken to keep it meaty! So just watch how things are coming out and add or take away as needed. :)

Warm an empty skillet on the stove on Medium heat. While it's heating, steam the artichokes in the microwave according to package instructions. Then, warm your chicken in the microwave according to the package instructions. Chop chicken and artichokes into small pieces so everything blends well. Add to mixing bowl. Add a couple of spoons of the spinach dip to your chicken and artichokes and stir until it looks like the portions are pretty equal. Add shredded cheese to mix until you are pleased with the cheesiness of the mix. :)

Butter one side of 2 tortillas. Place your first tortilla butter side down in the skillet. Spoon mixture onto tortilla and top with unbuttered side of 2nd tortilla. Flip when bottom is brown and toasty and remove from skillet when 2nd tortilla is also brown a toasty. Mix inside should be melty and bubbly. Cut into slices and serve! Repeat it necessary... and it's usually necessary!!

...

I hope you all get a chance to try out this dish and come tell me how you liked it. It's one of my favorite easy dinner ideas!!

Oh yeah, and please think happy thoughts for my internet!! Without it, I feel like I'm missing an arm!!

XOXO

Thankful Thursday- 1/20/11

Here we are again, friends! It's always surprising for me when it's time to sit down and write another Thankful Thursday post. Where, oh, where does the time go??

I just have to tell you all first, that all these new blog features have been really fun for me. I think it gives me something to look forward to, and I know I work better when I have a kind of schedule to adhere to. Plus, it gives me a reason to flesh out some of my project ideas, and actually get some of them done in a timely manner, haha!

It's got me thinking about how thankful I am to be back to my "old self" again after the pregnancy/baby fiasco. Don't get me wrong, I loved being pregnant (when I wasn't sick, or tired, or grossed out by some random smell invading my nose). It was fun, but I never felt like myself. I never wanted to cook because I never knew what was going to make me nauseous, and rarely did I have the patience to stand in the kitchen and prepare a full blown meal. That may have been the worst part, because I LOVE cooking... and boy did hubby miss it when it was gone!

Now that Baby A is 7 months old, most of the post-pregnancy side effects are gone too, (including the sleepless nights and 2am feedings!) So I'm cooking again, I'm doing projects almost daily, and I have more energy to get things done and not feel so tired and lazy. It's refreshing!!

As happy as I am to have our darling little girl, I'm just so thankful to be back to feeling like myself again! I hardly even realized when it happened, but it's nice to be back... I missed "me"! :)

XOXO

              

Thankful Thursday- 1/13/11

Hello hello! It's that time again, friends! Today I am sharing my thanks for my super-duper awesome and convenient Beaba Babycook! I don't know if any of you have one of these, but it makes feeding baby healthy, homemade food a breeze.

It steams, blends, defrosts, warms, and it's all in one nifty little gadget. I mean, I can make about 6 servings for baby in under 15 minutes. The best part is I can use fresh, organic food; cooked precisely, so it doesn't lose valuable nutrients, with NO PRESERVATIVES. I can control exactly what my baby is eating, and make her things that you just can't get from grocery store baby food.

I. LOVE. IT.

I think she does too. I don't know if anyone has noticed, but there is just not a great selection of baby food in stores anyway. They may have 2 or 3 options for 1st starter foods, and you certainly can't make your own combinations of foods either. Also, like I mentioned before, it only takes 15 minutes or less, and I can then either store it in the fridge for use within 3 days, OR I can freeze it in these cool little BPA free silicone storage containers for up to 3 months, and pop out one serving at a time.

It's not just for infant purees though, it can also cook and serve, has a rice and pasta cooker attachment, as well as any other "food processor" function you can think of. I'm excited for baby A to get past the puree stage so I can really start cooking! Man, it must be nice to have a personal chef! Haha!

I've got these two books as well, which compliment the Beaba cooking method and are both chock full of information, recipes, and even tips for helping to integrate baby's eating into Mommy and Daddy's dinner time. Baby & Toddler can be found at Williams Sonoma, and the Babycook Book can be found at the Beaba website, or on Amazon. Click on the book to be directed for purchase. :)

Needless to say, with all the preservatives, additives, and unknown ingredients in baby food today, it's nice to know I can provide my baby with the best head start possible. I'm just thankful someone came up with a fast, easy way to do it so I can spend more time with my little darling, and not toiling away in the kitchen all day long!

Are there things in your life that make everyday things easier? Share below!



XOXO

            

Tutorial Tuesday- Roasted Butternut Squash

Welcome to the very first installment of Tutorial Tuesday! I'm going to start things out nice and easy with a tutorial for roasting butternut squash. Butternut squash is one if those super-versatile vegetables that, especially when roasted, can be used for making all kinds of things. But we'll get to that later. ;)

Lets get started!

First, take your fresh squash and cut length-wise into halves. Scoop out all of the seeds and the stringy, uh, stuff. (I'm sure it has a name, but oh well!) I like to use an ice cream scoop since well, it is made for scooping after all, but any metal spoon will do just fine.

Next, place the halves cut side down in a baking dish. I used one of those little disposable roasting pans from the grocery store because every. single. one. of my baking dishes is currently occupied. (I told you I'd be cooking up a storm!) I don't think the actual dish is all that important anyway as long as it has sides tall enough to hold everything in.

Add enough water to come up the sides of the squash about 1/4 inch.

Preheat the oven to 375°, then cook the squash uncovered for about an hour, or until realllllllllllllly soft and starting to brown. Ooooh Just look at that toasty goodness. See how mine are even starting to fall apart? That's perfect!

By the way, the smell is just fantastic!

When you take the pan out, drain the water off* and let the squash cool. Be patient, believe me, those suckers are going to be hot for awhile!

*If you're going to puree the squash for soup or for making baby food, collect the cooking juices in a container and set aside to use for thinning your mix.

When the squash pieces have cooled enough to handle, whip out your trusty metal spoon again and scoop out all of the flesh. Sometimes, the skin just peels right off, and there's no scooping required. ;)

If you haven't already eaten it all by the time you're finished, you'll have a nice big bowl full of butter-nutty goodness! I used half of mine to make baby food, and the other half to make butternut squash risotto for me and the hubbs. YUM!

So there you go, Roasted Butternut Squash: easy-peasy! Go for it! :)


XOXO

LINK UP!! 

Show me your tutorials for this week and be featured in an upcoming Tutorial Tuesday! :)

More NEW stuff!!

I am super excited today, because I have MORE new stuff to share with you guys! I have been a busy little bee working on some new ides for my blog. So, without further adieu, I would like to introduce:

Merchandise Monday

&

Tutorial Tuesday

Merchandise Monday will be my little place to showcase Little Birdie Baby Shop merchandise, tell you a little bit about each one (because, really, nearly every one has a story), and introduce NEW merchandise and product lines I'll be adding to my store! More on that later! ;)

Tutorial Tuesday will be a place for sharing projects. My projects, projects I've tried, projects I've found elsewhere that I want to try, and guess what? I'll even be taking submissions to showcase YOUR projects/tutorials. Fun, huh?!?

If you are interested in sharing a tutorial, leave it in the comments section of the most recent Tutorial Tuesday post. I'll be working on getting a linky area set up to make things easier for all of us. I can't WAIT to see what you all have been up to! I'll pick my favorites and post them on a future Tutorial Tuesday. YAY!

Of course, I'll be continuing on with Thankful Thursday, as well as other random blog posts about, well, whatever! 

***

I'm also working on a new section for my "things we like." tab. It's a wish list of sorts, I guess. I was finding that many of the things I reference in conversation are not really easy to categorize, nor can I actually make a good recommendation because I just don't have personal experience. If there's something on the wish list that you guys are familiar with, I would love to hear your reviews!!

OKAY! So get ready for the first installments of Merchandise Monday and Tutorial Tuesday coming to your desktop (or reader) next week! And of course, have a SUPER great weekend!!

XOXO