Cinco de Mayo Chicken Enchilada Queso

I love to cook! I do, but I don't like all the mess - I like to keep everything to one dish/pan/pot. That makes the slow cooker my favorite cooking appliance.

Cinco de Mayo is a big deal in Texas, we even have a potluck at work to celebrate this event. Since I LOVE my slow cooker this is a great time to pull out all the stops and make queso. Not just Velvetta and Ro-Tel but queso with a twist. Something to get all my co-workers tongues wagging - here is my recipe for Chicken Enchilada Questo.

Cinco de Mayo Chicken Enchilada Queso

1/2 to 1 white onion chopped
2 tbs butter
2 can Ro-Tel (10 oz)
8 oz cream cheese (2 packages)
1 (32 oz) box Velvetta 
3-4 cups cooked chicken (rotisserie or grilled)
1 tbs cilantro chopped (optional)

Using the slow cooker (on high) put butter and onions in bottom let them get tender - this takes about 15 minutes. While you are waiting on the onions starting getting the other items chopped/cut. Add Ro-Tel, both cans - you can drain for a thicker queso or you can just add both cans as is. I have also drained then added a half can of milk. Stir each item in before adding the next - they won't be melted but you want them incorporated well. Next add the cream cheese, cut up to melt quicker.  Again, stir. Now add the cubed Velvetta - I like to cut the Velvetta in small cubes. Velvetta comes in lots of varieties now - you could do this dip with the Blanco Velvetta - YUMMY! Add chicken - I like to use frozen chicken that is already grilled. I warm it in the microwave and then dice it into bite size chunks. Add cilantro if you like. Cook on low or high until hot and cheese is melted. I usually do  high for an hour then down to low for 1 to 1.5 hours.

For the Ro-Tel I like to use Mild, but you can use any type you like as long as it has the tomatoes and chilies. I think next time I might use one Mild and one Cilanto and Lime and then just eliminate the chopped cilantro.

Serve with your favorite chip or warm tortillas or pita bread.

Makes enough for a 4 quart slow cooker.

Enjoy!!!

Baby Boy Quilt using Speedy Baby 2 Pattern Tutorial and Free Pattern

Speedy Baby 2 Pattern from  Deslynn Mecham on the Quilt Taffy Blog

A good friend of mine was pregnant with her new baby boy. I was dying to use this ducky fabric I had in my stash...now to find complimentary charm squares and borders for this special gift. I could not find any charm squares that I liked to match the centerpiece of this quilt. So I found 8 fabrics that went well with the center square and decided to cut my own 5" charm squares. 32 are needed for this quilt so I cut 4, 5" squares out of each fabric.

Jennifer, her husband and children are wonderful people and I have known Jennifer for 25 years. We went to school together and were in the Gold Pride Marching/Concert band. We even worked together at a little accessory store when her oldest boys were just babies. So you can understand  years later when she is having this miracle baby boy I was so excited to make him a special quilt.

Items needed:
1/4 yard of 8 different fabrics for 5" charm squares or a 32 pack of charm squares
1 yard for inner border
1 yard for second border
2 yards for back
thread for piecing blocks
thread for quilting
1 fat quarter for center - will cut 16.5" square
1/2 yard for double fold binding
crib size Warm & Natural batting

Tools needed:
If cutting charms from yardage use a 5" square template. Omnigrid Grip 5" square ruler template was used for this project.
cutting mat
rotary cutter
ruler(s)
sewing machine
snipping scissors

Instructions:
If not using a charm pack, start with cutting 32 - 5" squares
Then cut the fat quarter to a 16.5" square
For inner border cut 3 - 6" x wof strips. Cut 2 strips to measure 6x16.5" (from one strip). Cut 2 strips to measure 6x27.5"
For second border cut 4 - 5" x wof strips. Cut 4 strips to measure 5"x36.5"
Binding fabric cut 5 - 2.5" x wof strips
 
Sewing:
With the center square sew a 16.5" inner border strip to each side of the square. Press seam to border fabric. Now sew the 27.5" inner border fabric to the top and bottom of the center square. Press seam to border fabric.

 

Make 2 rows of 6 charms each, this will be used as the charm square border. Again press all seams in one direction. Add each row to the sides of the center square with the inner border. Press seams. Now make 2 rows of 8 charms each. Add these to the top and bottom of your center piece.

For the second border add 36.5" strips to each side of the charm border of the center of the quilt. With the additional two second border strips sew a charm square on to each end. Then sew one strip to the top and one to the bottom. Make sure to press all seams.

Piece the back as needed to have a large enough piece to be slightly larger than the quilt top for the sandwiching and quilting.

Sandwich the quilt top, batting and quilt bottom. Baste/pin very well.

The fun part - quilting. Quilt as desired. I was inspired by all the squares to quilt squares starting with the center block. Began with a 2" square in the center then continued sewing larger squares around it at a 2" interval until the entire center and first border were quilted. For the charm squares I quilted each charm with 3 squares an inch apart. For the second border quilted around the seam and then every 2 inches again until 3 squares were visible.

Once the quilting is complete, trim/square up the quilt. Time to bind. Take your binding strip (do a double fold bind strip) and pin to quilt. Sew binding.

There you have it - the perfect baby/toddler quilt!

Pattern link: http://schoolgirlsamplers.com/pdftutorialspatterns/SpeedyBaby2.pdf

 

  

Simple Kitchen Towel Tutorial

My best friend, Jen, and I have known since we were teenagers. For the last 15 years she has been afflicted with MS. This is not a pretty disease and it has caused Jen great pain. Recently she moved to her new house in our old home town. Since moving she has been decorating her place, mostly through online shopping. Jen doesn't get around too well so she hadn't been able to put up any of her purchased goodies.

During my recent visit home to see Jen I helped her put up drapes in her living room, bedroom and bathroom/laundry room. She did not have anything for her kitchen window - which was screaming for a valance. While talking I told her, "you know, I can whip something up. What do you like for the kitchen?" Her answer was yellow, just like her grandmother always had in her kitchen. I also know that my best friend loves owls. I found the perfect fabric at Fabric.com called Nite Owls - Yellow Sketch.

After ordering a yard of this fabric I thought well what am I going to do with the scraps. The valance is only going to use 20"x40" so that leaves 16" x40". Then the idea to make kitchen towels to match came to mind. With a pack of flour sack kitchen towels from Wal-Mart the idea took shape.

Simple Kitchen Towel - makes a set of 2

Items needed:
1 - flour sack towel
1/8 yard of fabric
thread to match (for a white towel, use white)

Tools needed:
rotary cutter
cutting mat
sewing machine
snipping scissors
ruler

Instructions:
Press the towel for easier cutting. Cut hems off towel on all sides. Once this is done, cut the towel in half so that you end up with two towels that are approximately 13"x26" each. From the fabric cut a 3" x16" strip - you will need two, one for each towel.

Measure from the bottom 3" this will be where the bottom of the fabric strip will go. Take the fabric strip and finger press a small fold so that the raw edges are under the fabric front - do this for the top and bottom of the strip. Now pin the strip down to the towel (the bottom of the strip at least 3" from the raw bottom of the towel.

Take the raw edge at the top and bottom of the towel and fold over twice towards the back, pin and then sew two seams on both the bottom and top. Once you have a double seam on both the top and bottom of the towel then sew the strip to the towel both at top of strip and bottom of strip. Trim the strip sides even with towel. Now fold over the raw edges on both sides, pin and sew. You can do a simple stitched line on both sides or you may do double like the top and bottom. Repeat with the second towel.

Viola - a kitchen towel set of two!

Hope you enjoy. Would love to see your comments about what you made using this tutorial.

Finally done - my sisters birthday quilt

All in all I did this quilt pretty quick...at first. I started Ellen's quilt about a month before her birthday and had the top done on time. I wrapped the quilt top and gave it to her at her birthday party with the promise that I would add the batting, back and binding.

When I got home from my trip to Oklahoma City for my sister's birthday I did add the border. I even got the batting and back sandwiched and pinned for quilting. I decided I would do diagnol lines for this quilt since it was simple 10" blocks in VERY bright batik fabrics. Problem - my first two lines were horrible. Seam ripping time.

What am I going to do??? I can't seem to sew straight lines. I read and researched how to combat this issue. Masking tape and a ruler. I sat down with a ruler, stretched the quilt out and grabbed the masking tape. I made diagnol lines starting at one corner and ending at the other. Time to try quilting again. With masking tape lines to guide me and the quilt rolled up I went for it.

Woo hoo, it worked.

Ellen's birthday is in early August. Now we are middle of August 2011 - quilting has begun. I got derailed with machine problems and then busy with holidays and crazy work schedule.

September 2012. Sister's quilt still sitting in project box. Niece's baby quilt started and finished, nephew's Halloween quilt started and soon to be finished. Time to commit to finishing "The 2 birthdays quilt".

It is done. Yes, done and has been shipped 15 months after it was started. Only 14 months late. Ugh. Oh well, it's the thought that counts, right?

Another UFO marked off the books - whew!

Christmas Tree Cross Stitch Ornaments

I needed a quick ornament for the leaders in my department. Normally I would have just given them the stockings that I made for the rest of the team but I gave those to them last year. So to find something unique, easy and cross-stitch/quilty so I can use up my Christmas fabrics.

I saw this great image on http://www.betterbudgeting.com/christmasornaments08/countrycrossstitch.htm  I had seen many other Christmas tree pillow ornaments but liked this tree best. The poster, Lisa Speed of GA, gives a basic tutorial so I sketched my own tree, added my own buttons and used 4 - 4" squares of Christmas fabric for the backing. Turned out pretty cute, and it will do the trick.

I will post a "play by play" when I do the next ornament so you can see how I did it.

Mini Christmas Stockings Tutorial - pattern and instructions

Supplies
14 count aida fabric for cross-stitching
Patterns for small holiday cross-stitch pieces
Floss
Christmas fabric
Muslin - white
Pins
Sewing machine
Thread
Scissors

Instructions

Cut a 6.5'" x 7.5" piece of aida fabric for cross-stitching, draw stocking pattern in desired size on back of aida fabric. Note: the drawing will not be the actual size of the cut stocking. This is only to give you an idea of where to stitch.

Stitch pattern onto the aida fabric, centering the stitching to be in the middle of the stocking pattern.

Use paper or muslin stocking pattern to cut Christmas fabric for back, top, toe and muslin lining (2 pieces). Cut out cross-stitched stocking from aida fabric.

Pin muslin lining to Christmas backing fabric and cross-stitched stocking. Place/pin toe fabric on the toe of aida fabric, fold the top under to create a finished seam.

Using sewing maching, top stitch along top edge of toe fabric. This will also sew the lining fabric to the cross-stitched stocking top. Same thing for top fabric - place/pin top fabric at top of cross-stitched stocking.

Fold bottom under to create a finished seam, top stitch along bottom of top fabric. Fold the top to the underside of the cross-stiched stocking, again top stitch the fabric.

Fold top of the backing fabric over and sew another top stitch to attach the back lining with the backing fabric.

Pin hanging loop by folding each side then folding again so you have finished sides - is similar to double folded binding. Sew straight stitch from top to bottom of hanging loop.

Now pin right sides of fabric and cross-stitched stocking together, adding the hanging loop (from pattern sheet). Sew 1/4" around the edge of stocking, leaving the top open. Trim toe and heel as needed.

Flip stocking. Enjoy your mini cross-stitched stocking. Add a candy cane, lip balm, small lotion, other candies, gift card. Great for teacher gifts, co-worker gifts, or as a gift tag/decoration.

20 Cheap, easy Halloween costume ideas

I want to dress up for Halloween, however I don't want to buy the sleezy costumes I see at the store. Most of them are not work appropriate and who said that Halloween was all about sex? I remember the days when costumes were supposed to be scary or funny. Well rather than buying a pre-made costume you can buy items to reuse like a sweat suit or you can recycle by shopping at a thrift store. I have even found inexpensive prom dresses at places like Ross, TJ Maxx, Burlington Coat and Marshalls.
 
I searched the web and saw so many ideas, here are a few of my favorites:

• Ghost – regular or Charlie Brown style: white sheet, black fabric, fabric glue
• 80’s Rocker – color hair spray, mini skirt, leggings, tshirt, big belt and braclets, converse shoes, keds or hiking boots.
• 80's Rocker for a boy –old jeans with holes, tshirt, spike hair or long wig, bandana around legs and sunglasses. Drumsticks or toy guitar
• Baby – pajamas, blanket, pacifier, teddy bear
• Princess – old prom dress, tiara, makeup
• Bride – old wedding dress, bouquet from silk flowers
• Groucho Marx – old mens suit and tie, along with an old hat. With black eyeliner, pencil in a thick, black mustache and heavy eyebrows. A cigar and wire rimmed glasses will complete the look.
• Scarecrow -  get a flannel shirt and jeans.  Doesn't matter if they fit or not. After you put them on, stuff extra clothes in them and make it look like it's stuffed with straw by placing a few pieces hanging out of your clothes
• Mummy - white sweat suit and then tear a white sheet into strips and wrap it around legs, arms, body using fabric glue or pins
• Cat - jogging suit in desired color, buy ears and tail or make using felt and a headband
• Bunny - white jogginb suit, buy ears and tail or make ears with felt and headband and use a styrafoam ball covered in cotton balls for tail
• Bunch of grapes - purple tights, purple leotard, small purple balloons, green felt to make leaves
• Fairy - wings, light colored dress
• Candy Cane - white suit and red duct tape, white Ked like shoes add a Santa hat
• Charlie Brown - yellow shirt, black duct tape, brown pants, Snoopy doll
• Crayon - sweat suit that matches the color of crayon you want to be. Using black construction paper write the word CRAYON sideways down the front of the sweat suit. Make  a matching pointed hat out of construction paper
• Dalmation puppy - White outfit (such as a sweatsuit), black felt, scrap fabric, paper, or craft foam
• Frog - green suit, felt, scrap fabric, paper, or crafts foam, headband, large wiggle eyes
• Lady bug - red shirt, black pants, black felt, headband, chenille stems, black pom poms
• Pumpkin - oversize orange sweatshirt, stuff with crumpled newspaper and green pants or tights, use green ribbon to tie off bottom of sweatshirt. Make into a jack-o-lantern with black fabric paint
• Self portrait -Carry a large picture frame in front of you, make a paint pallet using contruction paper and carry a paint brush

For the bride and princess you can always change the theme by using different makeup techniques, how about a zombie bride. You can even take a prom dress, long blonde wig and fake blood - instant Carrie.
 
Please comments with your easy, fun costume ideas