My Way, No. 27

*If you’re new to my blog, you may want to read this for info on what ‘My Way’ posts are all about. 🙂 *

— Hope you’ve had a lovely day! Several Adventures in Food to share with you. Last week, I had a day I wasn’t feeling so hot. All I could manage to eat was a thin slice of a toasted bagel. I was looking over the Healthy Snacks Under 200 Calories post and thought the mango-lime sorbet sounded like something I could handle. I added a wee bit o’ rum (to keep it from freezing too hard), some red chile, and key lime zest. I tried to make it look tropical to cheer myself up. That’s also the reason you may see plates/dishes beyond my plain white on this blog — oftentimes, different serving wares give me a boost in mood. Perhaps this is why I have a hard time not buying every other set of dishes, glasses, silverware, etc., that I see, haha. I do love just the ordinary white plates, though, too — très simple.

What are your go-to meals when you have a ton of veggies (besides just eating them raw and unadorned)? I think pasta or salads come to mind first for me, also stir-fries, soups, stews, sandwiches/toast, and curries. A few weeks ago, I had potatoes that needed to be used, so I made these Mustard Seed-Potato Curry Lettuce Tacos: potatoes, black beans, tomatoes, garlic, quartered shallots, fresh coconut milk, apple, raisins, cilantro, lemon, yellow mustard seeds, and a blend of curry spices. Homemade Greek-style yogurt to top them off. They were very satisfying.

2 more dishes with potatoes: Grilled Summer Salad w/ Queso Fresco & Potato Croutons. My initial craving when composing this salad was raw squash, potatoes and grilled corn. I added to it a bit with spring mix, grilled asparagus & peppers, and roasted tomatoes. I used the queso recipe from this post, but with skim milk. I made a quick cilantro dressing and squeezed the charred limes over the top. Really delicious. I decided to add about a 1/4 cup more corn after I snapped the pic.

Gazing at the Healthy Snacks post, I also decided to make the Frozen Yogurt Blueberry Bites (simple and tasty!) and Skinny Pizza Potato Skins:

The pizza skins in the post were pepperoni, but I usually prefer veggie pizza. I made these on the spur of the moment, so I had to whip up my short-cut pizza sauce. I took the pic pre-oven as I was starved & knew a post-oven pic would delay my eating (toaster or convection ovens are a great option here). Toppings were sautéed squash & kale, caramelized onion, marinated artichoke, and the queso. Instead of cutting the potato in half, I just cut small rounds. I think I’ll go with the halves (as indicated in the recipe) next time. The small rounds were difficult to get enough of the toppings on. But, I think they would be fab party apps. These really hit the spot, and I will be making them again for sure.

I’m finding so many ways to use the homemade yogurt! I slathered a bit on a piece of fish for a pistachio crust:

I enjoyed this particular meal so much, I made it 2 days in a row. I had a flashback to culinary school (way back in the day) the first preparation. During one class, the chef instructor decided that I should be the ‘chosen one’ to filet a sturgeon. I just recall that it was HUGE — almost as big as I am, haha! Plums (raw) are a fruit that I have to be in the mood to have. Grilled, though, I could eat them every day. I served the fish with a berry-shallot relish, and a baby chard, spin, kale salad w/ berries, sunflower seeds, and a berry vin. For the most part, when I mention I made a vin on this blog, it doesn’t have as much oil as many recipes call for. I usually find some other flavor-packed liquid to sub & punch it up with other herbs, spices, etc. Oil, of course, has a certain mouth-feel and balancing quality, so I try to find things comparable. Also pic’d is a petite rosemary baguette (used this technique w/ my food processor) and rosemary tea. Just hot water & fresh rosemary. One of my fave comforting teas. Yes, it’s hot outside! But, there’s A/C inside, and I always prefer hot tea to cold when I can have it.

Last item for today: I finally had a bit of chicken, so I was able to make the grilled chicken with the Turkish spices. I used the same honey & balsamic mixture as the chickpeas. Yums! The Turkish spices were also great on home fries. I was inspired by the Grilled Chicken Caesar Skewers with Kale Pesto, as well. I used the same lemony-buttermilk Caesar dressing as in this post, and a baby chard, spin, kale, sunflower seed pesto. As with vinaigrettes, I usually lighten up my pestos by using less cheese & nuts and replacing some of the oil with stock. I might also add in some other wacky ingredients. Other skewers pic’d here are pomegranate molasses-mint, and homemade Italian dressing.

— Went to my friend’s fashion conference last week and all was grand. There was an Arabian horse show, as well as jewelry, accessories, and clothing galore. There are 3 class “break-out” sessions, so I chose to attend the Latin dance class the first session. It was SO fun, but I really should have come prepared with a workout outfit (instead of my vintage frock). There were also hula dancers for entertainment:

If someone can turn Latin dance into a fitness trend, I think the next one should be hula. It looks like it would be a blast.

This year, there was an award given for ‘Best Dressed,’ and one dress that had many of us “oohing and ahhhing” was this:
Sakura | Henkaa.com.

It’s a convertible dress by Henkaa. This style is called Sakura, but they have several other styles available. You choose your length and color, and they also have additional accessories to coordinate. I think the young lady demo-ing the dress said there were as many as 60 style possibilities. Now, that’s what I call a SQUEAL DEAL! Make sure to check out the website! *Edit: Here is a direct link to the young lady’s personal page for the Henkaa dresses. FYI, you can also host a style shoppe and earn 1/2 OFF items, as well as rewards dollars to spend on items from Henkaa. Awesome!*

I barely snapped ANY conference pics this year, but here are a couple of things I found interesting:

Rolling bag & the black fringe bag next to it

Handmade jewelry

I like these flowy prints (will Hello Kitty ever stop being so popular? I think not, lol).

— 67 Homemade, All-Natural Cleaning Recipes.

— And, I thought a cutting board is a cutting board is a cutting board. After seeing some of these beauties, I might have developed a new culinary product love. Why do people have to tempt you? Fabulous cutting boards and other kitchen goodies here (several items on sale & have a peek at the accompanying food blog while you’re there):
Products – Bowl & Pitcher

— Upcycled Furniture / awesome ideas! | Decorating Ideas | Pinterest.

— Today’s good eats: 
Impressive Date Night Desserts: Raspberry Souffle With Framboise Liqueur | cravelocal.com. 

52 Herbal Tea Recipes | adelightfulhome.com. Enjoy them hot or cold!

Seafood Lasagna Recipe For The Seafood Lovers | Taste the Food and Fruit.

Fermented Food for Kids: A Guide with Kid-Friendly Recipes | fearlesseating.net.

 Baked Mediterranean Fish | texies.co.za Easy Peasy

Salted Chocolate + Caramel Ice Cream Cake | Coley Cooks.

Cherry Tomato Sauce | frogsinmykitchen.com.

Ginger Sweet Potato Juice | Natural Thrifty.

Blackberry Gin Fizz Float | browneyedbaker.com.

‘Til next time!

DIY Fashion: Tattered Wrap Skirts

TatteRed Pixie Skirt | Intergalactic Apparel | etsy.com.

I just fell in love with this tattered skirt/wrap when I saw it. I would love to DIY something like this to wear over my yoga pants. You can purchase this particular piece on Etsy, though. After seeing one wrap, I started to hunt for others. If you’re not into yoga (but you like piña coladas 😉 ), you could always use them as a festival skirt, for dance class, or for a costume party.

A few more looks (I got on a green theme, haha!):

Tattered Upcycled Fairy Skirt | Pinterest | VintageGal71.

Green Tattered Fairy Wrap Skirt DIY Pixie Hippie Clothing | Pinterest | Trixie.

Love it, Wear it! 49 Pins! | Pinterest | Lovely Herrera.

Make sure to take a look at some of the other clothing on these sites! Really cute items from headwraps, Aladdin pants, patchwork skirts, Frieda socks, and more.

My Way, No. 19

*If you’re new to my blog, you may want to read this for info on what ‘My Way’ posts are all about. 🙂 *

— Hope you had a lovely St. Patrick’s Day! This past week, I made the celery juice from this blog post, another batch of the Chunky Corn & Black Bean Falafel, as well as the Crab & Goat Cheese Guacamole posted some time back. All were delish! The falafel will frequently be in my rotation, for sure. After posting the Fruit & Herb Honey Syrups, I made one with fruits and herbs I had in the freezer: strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, pom, lime, and purple basil. So far, I’ve just used it to top off a little sparkling water, and it’s very nice.

And, I made the cherry-vanilla. A cherry-vanilla float with my Holiday bourbon sounds good. These syrups are super versatile, easy to make, and do not require any cooking. I am thinking I might do pineapple-mint next. If you haven’t done so already, check out the honey syrups here.

OMGoodness, the Spicy Carrot & Hummus Sandwich from my Healthy Work Lunches post really hit the spot!

I made an open-faced sandwich on whole wheat sourdough toast. I used the No-Knead Whole Grain Sourdough (no herbs or garlic this time). The recipe actually calls for einkorn, but I still need to pick some up. One of the reasons I wanted to make this sandwich was that I had leftover garbanzo bean dip. It wasn’t actually a traditional hummus, but it worked. From the picture posted, I initially thought the carrots were raw, but they are sautéed until just wilted. I opted for the alternative suggested cumin vs. caraway seeds to flavor the carrots (as caraway seeds are not my favorite). I can tolerate caraway, but I have never really loved them. I added toasted sesame seeds on top, and it was quite a lovely sandwich!

Just an update, I made a few more ‘energy bites,’ this time chocolate-peanut butter. I made them in the style of the chocolate-orange, but baked them. So, I guess they were more like ‘granola bites.’ I didn’t have peanut butter, so I blended whole roasted peanuts with the rest of my wet ingredients: cooked sweet potato, egg (I had a bit already beaten I needed to use up), powdered chocolate, raisins, maple, vanilla. The dry ingredients were (I think): Oats, ground oats, ground chia & flax seeds, wheat germ, chopped peanuts, toasted coconut, and salt.

I can see using the sweet potato puree as perhaps a pie filling, maybe a base for a mousse, or just a pudding. The chocolate (and peanut butter) makes the sweet potato pretty much undetectable. Sweet potato puree is a great vehicle if you cannot have dairy, in that respect. You can use dates in place of raisins, but that’s just what I felt like using at the time.

And, the last bit about my eats for this post…I baked a few individual soda breads for St. Pat’s in ramekins on the weekend. I haven’t made another batch of the ‘green muffins‘ yet as I still have a few in the freezer. I think Irish soda bread was my first (non-yeast) bread-making venture. I’ve never made separate portions, though.

I still use the same recipe from way back in the day, but I replaced the AP flour with whole wheat pastry flour and butter with coconut oil. The recipe calls for caraway seeds, but I’ve never included them (as I’ve said, they’re not my fave). I love soda bread for toast. SO good! I wanted a hot cup of Irish coffee to go alongside (I didn’t add too much liquor), but ended up with an Irish coffee frappe/smoothie-type drink. I had a few sips hot, then blended in frozen banana, non-fat homemade yogurt, oats, flax, chia, wheat germ, and almonds. I topped it off with a coconut cream-yogurt whip and blackstrap molasses (I am not really fond of chocolate sauce, so I decided molasses would be nice). I forget how nice Irish coffee is until I’ve had it again!

— I made my folding side table! I wanted this to be a table I could quickly set up when needed, then quietly tuck it away. As it wasn’t meant to be a stable piece of furniture, I just wanted it to be presentable without much expense. To achieve this, I decided to re & up cycle as many items as I could. Pic:

Several years back, I cut down and stowed away a large piece of bamboo. It was meant to be a curtain rod, but I ended up using another (thinner) piece (of bamboo). I decided to pull it out of storage and use it for the table base. I cut it into 4 pieces, and put holes (to join the pieces, with glue) in 2 of them. When I was cutting the holes, I thought, Oh, I should make a flute (even though I don’t play the flute, lol!). I made the holes a little smaller than I wanted, then carved away a little at a time for a snug fit. I drilled a hole to adjoin both legs, put a screw through it, then secured it with a washer and nut. I wish the screw was a little shorter, but I used what I had. I purchased 4 rubber leg tips to keep the base from moving around. I then glued two sides of a pic frame to the top of the legs. The spray paint I used did not have primer, so I primed it first, gave it a coat of (leftover) black then a light coat of (purchased) gold. I tried to allow some of the black to show through. Then, I sprayed alternate wisps of black and gold until it looked the way I wanted it to. I do not care for the finish of a lot of metallic spray paints, so I dulled the shine with leftover frosted glass spray. I’ve used it before for other glossy spray paints as well.
The top: I used a picture covered with one of my many fabric remnants. I was going to use wallpaper (as was suggested in my Using Wallpaper Remnants post), but this fabric seemed to fit the space better. I made it waterproof by brushing on melted oil & wax (method found here). You can use beeswax, paraffin, perhaps soy wax, and any fixed drying oil. Some of these are healthier options than others. More on that in an upcoming post. I staple gunned the fabric to the frame and added decorative nails (originally intended to re-upholster a chair. I did it freehand, so some are a bit wonky. I will go back & fix them later. I just wanted to take the pic while I still had a little sunlight). The top is not attached to the legs, so I added “stoppers” (synthetic corks) on the back of the picture to hold the top of the legs (the frame sides) in place. All in all, I think I made out pretty well with just the purchases of the rubber leg tips and gold spray paint!

— I love macrame! There are tons of vids out there if you want to learn how to craft something for yourself. I think you could totally DIY something like this: Glass & Twine Lantern Set | shopterrain.com.

Here’s a sweet macrame bracelet tutorial: DIY Shamballa Style Macrame Bracelet Tutorial | rings-things.com.

— I have tons of plaid. It’s one of my fave things. This is a cute idea: DIY Clothes DIY Refashion: DIY: Ombre Dip Dyed Plaid Shirt | Pinterest | Lacy Hall.
This dress sort of encompasses several styles. A versatile piece, I think: Streetcar Dress in Black Plaid (with pockets) | trendvee.com.

— After looking at the ‘supoon’ and ‘clongs’ from the last ‘My Way‘ post, I checked out some of the other kitchen products they have available. Some really neat items like jots, onpots, teafus, levoons. I love this Scizza | Dreamfarm Products. 

— I saw that Bibi won the election in Israel. Yay! I am not that political of a person, but I like him because he’s dashing, charming, handsome, suave, and did I mention dashing? 😉

— I read an article that mentioned “fashionable food,” meaning certain food, dishes, etc., should (not just do) go in and out of style. This wasn’t referring to dining out. I thought this an odd concept. I mean, it’s one thing if you want to be “trendy” to sell things….but, common folk usually eat (or prepare for others) what is readily available to them, what is at the market during the time of their visit, and what they can afford (if they can afford to eat at all). The average person doesn’t live in a restaurant or test kitchen. They are not usually concerned if their meat and potatoes, beans on toast, Grandma’s prize dessert, or whatever, is “in style,” haha! Most people do not care that much about their clothing being in style, let alone their everyday (or even special occasion) food. It seemed like the article was targeted at your average person, but perhaps not. Perhaps it was more like people who struggle with dilemmas such as, “Should I take the Bentley or the Benz”? Or, more importantly, “Should I ask Jeeves or Parky to pull the car around when I make my decision between the Bentley and the Benz? lol 😀 Anyway…Here are Today’s Featured Recipes (fashionable or not, I couldn’t say…they just looked darn good to me!):

Breakfast Stuffed Peppers | eatwell101.com.

Fugazetta (Argentine Pizza) | Bourbon and Brown Sugar.

Lemon Meringue Pie with Poached Oranges and Basil | Great British Chefs.com.

Corned Beef and Cabbage Grilled Cheese | wellplated.com. Saw this last year and still thinking about it! Great St. Patrick’s Day leftovers idea.

Great tutorial: How to Ice a Cake | stylesweetca.com.

2-Minute Green Spaghetti Sauce

Shellfish Risotto | ciaoflorentina.com.

Have a fabulous day!

30 Creative Ways to Reuse Old Things

Creative Ways to Reuse Old Things | theCHIVE.

 

30 fab & clever ways to repurpose all sorts of common items such as: a bike, cd holder, books, credit cards, and suitcases. This is a really fun blog post, so I hope you check it out!

Pics from The Grey House Antiques, Tucson, AZ & DIY Coasters

The Grey House Antiques here in Tucson, Arizona is one of my fave little shops — packed to the brim with all sorts of treasures…taking you on a mystical journey and allowing you to peer into the (quite often) glorious past. If you venture into some of the back rooms, you may find more recent vintage pieces.

I adore the hat with the fur and the white boots!

Quite a collection of Scrabble letters the shop has. Besides the pic’d idea, what else could you do with them? I saw a children’s movie wherein there was supposed to be a joke surrounding Scrabble letters (which I did not find amusing in the slightest), so that’s what made me think of it. So, I’m interrupting this broadcast to bring you an idea that I do find amusing and cute:

DIY Holiday Gifts DIY SCRABBLE COASTERS – Green Holiday Gift Guide.

 And, just a few more pics! Stop by and take a peek if you are in Tucson.

My Way, No. 10

*If you’re new to my blog, you may want to read this for info on what ‘My Way’ posts are all about. 🙂 *

— The first ‘My Way’ post of 2015! Happy New Year! It has really helped me to write these posts with short bits of randomness. Saved quite a bit of time. I hope you are finding a few things of interest to you. I am going to try to update my blogroll and photo gallery soon.

— I was saddened by reading about the passing of former NY Governor Mario Cuomo. I am not a fiercely political person (though I have my beliefs and convictions, as most do), but this news still touched me. As you know, I originally hail from NY. His name stands out for me among a select few politicians holding office during my lifetime. I pray for the consolation of his family during this time.

— A few days before Christmas, I passed by the local mall and was thrilled to see several beautiful flowers blooming. I was informed they had just been planted that day. I felt like they were there just for me! If you recall from my ‘Still Lifes‘ post with the flower cupcakes, I had been a bit gloomy due to the weather. Seeing the newness of “spring” life in the winter gave me an instant cheering up. I guess living in the desert has its perks. I went back a couple of days ago to snap a few reminder pics:

— Has your New Year’s resolution to get moving and exercise left you with aches and pains in body parts you didn’t know you had, lol? 🙂 I recommend stretching very, very, VERY well before, during, after, whenever, and howmuchever you need it (after warming up, of course), but I thought I would also share a link for several natural remedies. It includes herbs, essential oils, and even kombucha (hadn’t heard of that one before! I’ll have to research it a bit further.): Sore Muscle Relief.

— I feel like I am one big head of lettuce walking around, I have consumed so much, haha! I’ve also been whipping up some of the 32 Detox Drinks I posted. I have enjoyed all of them thus far: Super Hydration Juice (with strawberries and beets), Cranberry Bliss Smoothie, Golden Detox Drink (I’ve made this before, but just coincidentally), and Orange Surprise (love the celery in this drink). I also made one from another site with cranberries, kale, and pom: Cranberry Pomegranate Detox Juice. And, I have been sipping the Ayurvedic Detox Drink several times a day (which I also saw here) without the fennel seeds. I have never been a big fan of fennel/anise/licorice-y flavors. Perhaps I will get brave one day and try it. I absolutely love the smoky cumin, though, and that’s what makes me keep making batch after batch. I’ve never had it in a tea, but it’s a new fave. My goal is to prepare a different one of the juices, teas, or smoothies each day for a couple of weeks. I think the variety will keep me interested. I haven’t been using the exact recipe measurements, just using the ingredients as a guideline.

— I took a pic of one of my recent salads that was so simple, but SO good! I actually had it for breakfast vs. my normal fruit. That morning, I just kept thinking about the butter lettuce I had purchased. So, salad it was. I rarely purchase butter lettuce (it’s not always available & many times it’s a lot pricier), but it’s my fave type. As it was a chilly morning, I decided to top it with a few warm roasted veggies: beets, butternut squash, shallots, and baby carrots. Just a bit of extra-virgin olive oil, thyme, and s&p to flavor the veggies. I added pistachios for a bit of crunch and extra nut-trition, and sesame seeds for some toastiness. I always buy sesame seeds raw & unhulled, then toast them as I need them. They are usually less expensive that way, and it gives you the toasted or raw option. I am kind of obsessed with sesame seeds, and now I am loving them on salads. I made a quick vinaigrette from maple, dijon, extra-virgin olive oil, lemon juice, white wine vin, and a bit of onion powder. This was such a delicious combo, that I reheated the leftover veggies and had another half portion. I usually try to retain a bit more nutrients by not overcooking veggies, but they can be so yummy when they get a bit more caramelized. So, I think the second go round was even better.

Perhaps if I were not trying to eat lighter right now, a bit of goat cheese would have been a pleasant addition. As my body has decided to hold some sort of revolt against full & low-fat dairy products, it’s just as well (the evilness!). I will be continuing my fast from them or severely limiting my portions for a while, I think. After cutting the butternut, I took my suggestion and roasted the seeds with the Thai Lime Chili Cashew seasoning I posted at Thanksgiving. Yum!

— More on the lighter meals front, I prepared the Salmon Noodle Soup from the previous ‘My Way‘ post, and adored it. Simple and satisfying. I used whole wheat spaghetti instead of rice noodles. I didn’t have any baby corn, so I subbed some kale. Then, I saw Thai Coconut and Veg Broth on the same site and decided to merge the two recipes. I kept the kale and salmon, and included the Thai soup’s veggies and coconut milk base. Delish! They are both now in my go-to soup repertoire.

— The Make-A-Wish Foundation is so wonderful. This story really touched me.
Great news: http://www.theguardian.com/society/2014/dec/28/guardian-observer-christmas-appeal-tops-300000-pounds

— Dash it all, too bad I didn’t see this before Christmas! These light bulb penguin ornaments are the cutest. Oh well, perhaps keep it in mind when that time rolls around again (or get a head start). Several other adorable options, too: 20 DIY Christmas Ornaments. Check out this very cool (and très simple, I might add) fluorescent ink project! Homemade Sidewalk Chalk.

— DIY Neon Clutch from a VHS case. Coolness…

— Recipes: If you’ve said pshhhaw at all of this post-Holiday “cleansing and detox” business, lol, check out this warming Hot Buttered Whisky. Or, how about a Loaded Italian Sub with Roasted Red Pepper Aioli (OMGoodness, looks SO good!) and 4-Ingredient Coconut Cream Chocolate Bars for dessert? I’m sure you could find some way to spin the bars healthy, like with raw dark chocolate, raw coconut, maybe even some nutrient-rich almonds 😉 Works for me 🙂 . A couple other healthier options, haha: Roasted Harissa Veg w/ Kale and Ginger Pilaf and Protein Power Lentil-Amaranth Patties. Perhaps if I decide to venture towards fennel again, I would prepare something along these lines: Mozzarella Bruschetta w/ Shaved Fennel & Courgette. I’m sure I will at some point, as our tastes can change over the years. It looks rather tasty!

See you next time!

My Way, No. 9

*If you’re new to my blog, you may want to read this for info on what ‘My Way’ posts are all about. 🙂 *

— Made any New Year’s resolutions? Gonna get fit, stop smoking, treat your spouse better, cut down on coffee, etc? I must admit I do not make them, but I think it’s a good idea. It’s always a good idea to set goals (IMO), but I tend to set them at random times throughout the year. My mini-goal for this week is to eat plenty of salads (in addition to the juices I posted) to help cleanse from Holiday foods. As salads are one of my fave things to eat, I don’t see it as some sort of post-Holiday self-torture. Here’s a list of 10 Homemade Salad Dressings (nothing exotic or fancy, just everyday dressings).

— So sorry, I found a lot of typos in the last ‘My Way’ post. I usually find something after I post, but there were quite a few. My eyes can get tired after staring at text for so long. It doesn’t help when the writer is also the editor, lol. I’m sure you will be patient with my mistakes in the future (pretty please?). Thanks for understanding.

— Are you a DIY cook? Take the quiz. It’s from a British site, so some of the questions may be geared a little more towards British culture. I am more of a DIY cook if I have decent space to work in, proper equipment, and accessibility to certain foods (and am not pressed/stressed for time). I am good with space, equipment, and food accessibility (for the most part) right now, but I have had limited resources in the past. In those instances, I tend to rely more on pre-packaged or store-bought items. And, sometimes I buy items that are perhaps better homemade, but they are ‘familiar’ or convenient (items I grew up with a lot of the time). I think many people do that…familiarity can bring comfort sometimes.

— Speaking of familiarity, I was telling my mom I find it odd that companies that sell a lot of processed food (many times not very wholesome) also sell medicine. So, it’s like…after you become sick from eating their unhealthy foods, you can purchase their medicine. And, stores that market a lot of processed and junk foods also have pharmacies. Once you become ill from what you’ve eaten, you can get prescriptions to help you feel better. That’s really one-stop shopping!

— I am not the best at gardening, etc., as I grew up with other folks taking care of things like that. My weeds were getting out of control, so someone gave me a recipe for homemade weed killer: 1 gallon of water, 1 cup of salt, 2 cups of vinegar, and 2 TBSP dish soap. I used this for a while, and it works well. I saw a gentleman just sprinkling salt on his weeds, so I just recently tried that. It rained right afterwards, so I thought all my work had gone to pot. It worked beautifully, though! A great alternative to traditional methods.

— My Holidays were filled with lots of cooking, baking, jam making, and pickling. I made the potatoes recipe I posted for Christmas and absolutely loved it. It was super simple. It had a mixture of tomatoes and olives (which are, of course, faves of mine), but I would have never thought to add raisins. Really different and tasty! I also made a few loaves of the bagel/baguettes as gifts and decided at the last minute to make biscotti. As I’ve said, I don’t bake a lot of confections, but biscotti is fairly easy. I usually just make almond biscotti dipped in chocolate, but I added dried cranberries and orange zest this time (sans chocolate). I took a pic on my kitschy vintage Christmas platter (I inherited it from my step-family, lol). Isn’t Santa cute?

And, I let myself have a small portion of those scrumptious Cranberry-Sage Goat Cheese Crostini and Panettone.

I made individual panettone to help with portion control. I baked some in ‘soup cans’ lined with parchment paper. I used homemade candied citrus peel (with citrus from my grandmother’s tree), dark and golden raisins, and dried cranberries. I was a little heavy-handed with the dried fruit. I used a bagel/baguette for the crostini, so it saved a lot of time. I think I will have to make poviticas another time. I’ve had my fill of heavy foods for now, haha.

— I love to work with wood and collect pieces as I find them. A pallet is ideal for a lot projects, and this link gives a few pointers on disassembling one without injuring yourself.

— Someone gave me a pair of jeans that do not fit, so I’m trying to come up with a way to up-cycle them. I found this link, so I thought I would share it. I particularly like the flip flops, iPad cover, and crop top ideas.

— A few recipes: Roasted Cauliflower Street Tacos, Sugar Snap Pea and Carrot Soba Noodles, Vegan Coconut Butter check out her links for soy-based butters from another site as well, Salmon Noodle Soup, Beer Cheddar Waffles, Chinese Duck Tarts w/ Plum Sauce, Pear-Vanilla Upside-Down Cakes.

‘Til next time!

15 DIY Fashion Winter Projects

15 DIY Fashion Winter Projects –.

More DIY Fashion! I absolutely love leg warmers and found this cozy-looking, colorful pair – just easily up-cycled from sweater sleeves. You all know I don’t machine sew, but I think I could manage this with just a needle and thread. Check out a few other projects like fingerless gloves and a sweater-turned-skirt by following the link.