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Tuesday, July 28, 2015

What's for dinner? [Week 2]

Hello again!

I'm back to share with you another one of my scrumptious Crop-Pot meals! I always go with Crock-Pot meals this time of year.  I can prepare everything in the morning while the temps are still reasonable, AND I don't have to use my oven which saves on both my propane and electrical bills.

Today I made Home Style Chicken and Dumplings

Here is what you need:

1 onion
3 stalks celery
3 large carrots
1 1/2 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp poultry seasoning
1 (10 3/4 oz) can cream of chicken soup
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 (16.3 oz) can refrigerated buttermilk biscuits


And another reminder.... be sure to grab your Slow Cooker liners that I told you about last week!


Seriously... worth every penny!


Now that you've got your fancy liner installed, let's prepare our ingredients.

First, chop your onion.  Oh... and as a bonus.. I'm going to teach you the easiest way ever to do it!

To start off, take your sharpest knife and slice off the bottom of your onion.


Next, chop your onion in half (from top to bottom) and peel away the skin.


Here comes the tricky part.  I'll try my best to explain it but forgive me, I'm not the greatest with written directions. Insert the tip of your knife near the top of your onion (leaving the top part intact). This holds the whole thing together to making chopping super easy!


Now, slice the rest of the way down.


Repeat this step across the rest of the onion.  You should end up with something like this:


Now, just turn it sideways and slice.


Ta-da!  Perfectly chopped onions!


Now just continue slicing all the way up the onion, and toss the top part.


Now you can impress your friends with your onion chopping skills!  You're welcome :)

Also, I was watching a show the other day where they try out different "life hacks" to see what works and what doesn't.  They actually proved that chewing gum while cutting an onion will keep your eyes from tearing up.  The trick is actually that the gum makes you breath through your mouth instead of your nose.  So even if you don't have any gum handy... just concentrate on breathing through your mouth the entire time you're chopping.  This keeps the onion "smell" from entering your sinuses and eventually your tear ducts!  Seriously... it really works!  Warning though, you will look like you're slightly insane the entire time your chopping lol :)


Next, prepare the rest of the ingredients.  Chop both your celery stalks and carrots.


Combine the onions, celery, and carrots in the bottom of your crock pot.


Sprinkle chicken thighs with salt, pepper, and poultry seasoning and place on top of veggies.


Stir together soup and broth.


Pour over chicken.


Cover and cook on LOW 6 to 7 hours or until chicken is tender.


A little before the 7 hour mark, start preparing your biscuits.

I added a little flour to my cutting board to keep the dough from sticking.  Slightly flatten each biscuit (just using your hand will do, no need to drag out the rolling pin).


Now just cut each one into strips.  I cut 5 down, and 1 across to make them more "bite sized".


Repeat with the rest of the biscuits.


Add your "dumplings" to the chicken mixture and give it a good stir.


Replace cover and cook on HIGH 30 more minutes or until biscuits are done.  I took this time to prepare my side dish.


I removed the chicken first and shredded it before combining everything together in my serving dish.  I paired this dish with my Baby Lima Beans with Sauteed Onions (I included the recipe as an added bonus in the download below).


Now, you're ready to eat!  If you try out my recipe.. let me know what you think in the comments ♥

Click the download button below to get your FREE copy of both my main and side dish recipes on cute printable cards :)


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Friday, July 24, 2015

Favorite Font Friday [week 2]

Hello again!

Welcome to my 2nd installment of "Favorite Font Friday"

Today I'm sharing some of my favorite Rustic Fonts.  Perfect for your Handmade Shabby Chic Wedding Invitations.


2. Celebrate ~ Tomahawk Regular
3. You're Invited ~ Stand By Slab Grunge Regular
4. Wedding ~ Realist Regular
5. @ 2 o'clock ~ Abigail Regular
6. RSVP ~ Convoy Regular
7. Save The Date ~ Fairy Tales Regular

Look for a brand new set every Friday ♥


Did you enjoy these fonts? Then share the love!
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Tuesday, July 21, 2015

What's for dinner? [Week 1]

If you didn't already know, it is HOT in Indiana during the summer!  And the hottest part of our house?  The kitchen of course.  That's why I go with Crock-Pot meals this time of year.  I can prepare everything in the morning while the temps are still reasonable, AND I don't have to use my oven which saves on both my propane and electrical bills.

Today I made Honey-Glazed Pork and Peaches (a big hit with the in-laws *wink*).

Here is what you need:

4 lb boneless pork shoulder roast (I had part of one frozen from last week)
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp pepper
3 peaches
1 small red onion
1/2 cup chicken broth
2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp honey
1 tsp dried thyme


Oh, wait a minute, I forgot to mention the most important step of all.  Before you start planning out your crock pot meals, go to the store and invest in some of these.  Trust me, they're worth every single penny!


After dinner is over, and I'm tired and full and can barely muster the energy to fill the dish washer, all I have to do is lift this little baby out and toss 'er in the trash.  Seriously... worth every penny!



Now that you've got your fancy liner installed, just drop in your pork and sprinkle with the salt and pepper.



Next, prepare the rest of the ingredients.  Slice the peaches and onion, and melt the butter.



Top the pork with the peaches and onions.



Whisk together the broth, butter, honey and thyme.  Pour on top of your pork mixture.



Now, just add the lid, set your crock pot to low and walk away.



In 7-9 hours (mine only took about 6 hours but it runs super hot even on low) you're ready to eat! Just slice up your beautifully roasted pork and top it with the mouth watering peach/onion mixture.  Trust me.. you won't be needing BBQ, or ketchup, or even A1 with this slice of heaven.



I paired mine with zucchini sauteed in fresh lemon juice.  Oh.. didn't I mention, this meal is made almost entirely of whole foods!  Absolutely nothing is processed (except the butter, unless you make your own butter, then kudos to you!).  Talk about an A+ meal.  It's got the looks, the taste, and it's even good for you.  I included the side dish recipe as an added bonus in the download below!


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Sunday, July 19, 2015

Oh, Deer! - My Nursery Design Picks

Hello :)

Me again! 

Today, I thought I would share with you a collection of some of the cutest nursery decor finds from across the web (and my own Little Owl shop).

This sweet Little Deer collection is a perfectly chic mix of coral, pink, mint and gold. I started with the beautiful mix of colors and prints in the bedding, and then added a splash of faux gold foil for the walls. The crochet laundry hamper adds the perfect touch of texture. And to tie it all together.....a mounted felt plush deer head, of course!

Find it all here!

1. Deer Woodland Nursery Set in Pink ~ LittleOasisNurseries (Etsy)

2. Wee Woodland Crochet Bin (Pink Deer) ~ The Land of Nod

3. Baby Crib Mobile ~ hingmade (Etsy)

4. Play Mat, Deer ~ houzz.com

5. Oh Deer! Gold Foil Fine Art Print ~ TheLittleOwlNest (Etsy)

6. Little Deer Nursery Closet Dividers ~ TheLittleOwlNest (Etsy)


8. Large Mounted Felt Plus Deer Head ~ PocketswithPosies (Etsy)


Smitten with this collection? Then share the love!
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Saturday, July 18, 2015

Thank You!

Hello again :)

I'm so very excited to announce that my humble little Etsy shop reached 700 sales this week!  This milestone was just a dream when I first opened The Little Owl Nest almost 2 years ago. 

To celebrate the occasion, and to say THANK YOU to all my wonderfully fantastic clients, followers, and fans, I thought I would post a sweet little giveaway ♥

For this week only, you can download a FREE copy of my "Be Still" Fine Art Nursery Print (a $9.99 value). Just click directly on the picture below or on the "Download" button at the bottom of the page to claim your gift :)


Feel free to print this little beauty for yourself or for a friend, but please do NOT re-sell my creations. If you have any questions, you can check out my copyright policies HERE.

Also, be sure to subscribe to my blog and follow me on Facebook to stay up to date on all things Little Owl (like new items, sales, promotions, and giveaways)!


Like this print? Then share the love!
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Friday, July 17, 2015

Favorite Font Friday [week 1]

Hello :)

I'm Kayse, nice to meet you! I am a wife and mother of 2 by day, and a blogger/crafter/designer by night (or whenever I can squeeze in a few spare seconds). I own a cute little Etsy shop called The Little Owl Nest where I sell many of my creations.

You can check that out here: The Little Owl Nest
or
follow me on Facebook here: The Little Owl Nest Facebook for all the latest updates.

I am also a self proclaimed font addict! There's just something about a beautiful script that sets my heart a flutter ♥

So, starting today, I will be sharing with you some of my favorite fonts and font combos. Look for a brand new set every Friday along with links where you can snatch up these little beauties for yourself.

Without further ado, here is my first set of Beautiful Script Fonts.


1. Made with Love ~ Octavia
2. Wild Heart ~ Steelheart
3. Hello Sunshine ~ Hello Sunshine
4. Love is Sweet ~ Florabella

Did you enjoy these fonts? Then share the love!
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