Homemade by Jen

Giveaway Winner!

2012-01-30T12:13:00.000-08:00

And the winner of the Monster Hoodie Giveaway is...

Commenter #2, Lana Lyday!

I'll contact you to arrange for shipping.

Thanks for playing along!

Monster Hoodie Giveaway

2012-01-23T16:14:00.000-08:00

I had so much fun making my nephew a monster hoodie for Christmas that when I ran across a hoodie at the store the other day, I thought it might be fun to make another & do a monster hoodie giveaway.

This black hoodie is a 4T, but if you don't have a little one that size,

it would also make for a super fun gift!

To enter to win, just leave a comment on this post, along with a way to contact you should you win. The winner will be chosen at random & announced in a post one week from today (Jan. 30). Happy commenting!

Buffalo Chickpea Baked Potato

2012-01-16T16:18:00.000-08:00

When I stumbled upon this recipe for buffalo chickpea baked potatoes, I absolutely could not wait to try it for myself. There are few things I've missed since becoming a vegetarian, but buffalo chicken wings are one of them. The hub & I actually keep wing sauce on hand to put it on just about anything. Pizza? Yes, please! Sandwiches? Sure, why not? But, we've never thought to put it on chickpeas before & this turned out to be a great combination.

As I said, we used wing sauce (as opposed to hot sauce + butter) & we also split a can of chickpeas between the two of us, but those are the only changes that we made to the original recipe. We topped them with a bit of shredded mozzarella & I put a smidge of ranch dressing on mine. They were awesome (not to mention super filling) & I can't wait to make them again!

Black Bean & Squash Burritos

2012-01-09T15:46:00.000-08:00

The hub & I made these black bean & butternut squash burritos tonight & they were super yum!

I didn't have any vegan cheese on hand. So I ended up subbing some shredded mozzarella, but that was the only change I made. Since the recipe only calls for 1.5 cups of the roasted squash, we ended up having some leftover that served as a side. Super good & super filling!

Gifts in action

2011-12-28T18:47:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to share a few photos of the Christmas gifts
that the hub & I made in action. :)

Our sweet niece in her new tutu...

and our nephew in his monster hoodie.

They both seemed to be a hit & we're thrilled that the kiddos like them.

Hope you & yours had a wonderful Christmas!

Monster Hoodie

2011-12-15T18:12:00.000-08:00

Continuing on the homemade gifts kick, the hub & I made our 3-year-old nephew a monster hoodie. A while back, we made one for the hub's sister & it was a hit. So, we decided to make another for one of our favorite lil' guys.

Just a funny little gift,

but we're pretty happy with how it turned out. :)

Some stiff, white felt made for good teeth for the 3T hoodie that we used. We cut out 1.5" tall x 2" wide teeth, leaving a 1.5" strip along the bottom for sewing the strip of teeth to the inside of the hoodie.

We sewed on some felt eyes & that was it!

We're so hoping that our lil' nephew enjoys his new monster hoodie & can't wait to see him try it on come Christmas morning.

A Christmas Tutu

2011-12-14T10:35:00.000-08:00

When asked what my sweet lil' 1.5-year-old niece wanted for Christmas, my sis-in-law said that she's into "looking pretty." I bounced around a few ideas & landed on making her a pretty pink & purple tutu.

I went looking & found several tutorials online before settling on this one.

I can't even tell you how easy peasy this is. I got my tulle here & ended up using two whole rolls ('American Beauty' & 'Purple'). The elastic that I used was 1/2-inch.

And to top it off, the hub & I made her this sparkly crown. I already had the gems & ribbon handy. So, we just picked up a sheet of glittery, pink foam from the craft store, freehanded a template, & cut it out before hot gluing the gems & ribbon.

I'm really happy with how it turned out & I hope my lil' niece is, too. We're so looking forward to seeing her reaction on Christmas morning!

A Simple Skirt

2011-12-05T07:49:00.000-08:00

I made this skirt the other day (minus the pockets) &
it hardly took any time at all!

I even made a matching fabric rosette brooch from some scrap fabric that I had leftover. I ended up using 1-inch elastic, instead of 2-inch, but it worked just fine. And it's warm enough here that I was actually able to wear this the other day!

Growing Green Onions

2011-11-30T07:57:00.000-08:00

A while back, I saw a pin on Pinterest about growing green onions. I was skeptical, but thought I'd give it a try anyway. So, I cut the ends off of some green onions I had (leaving about 1/3 of the white above the bulb) & placed them in some water on my windowsill. We don't get a lot of sun in our apartment, so I wasn't expecting much, but within a day, they started growing!

Day 2

Day 4

Day 7

Day 9

Bam.
Green onions.
Mind blown.

Pear Custard Pie

2011-11-28T14:18:00.000-08:00

My super sweet in-laws sent the hub & me an amazing fruit assortment for Thanksgiving. It included some of the juiciest pears I've ever had. So good! But, there were a lot of them & there aren't a lot of us. So, I thought it better to bake something with them.

And this pear custard pie fit the bill!

I don't have a pie plate (crazy, right?!). So, I had to use a casserole dish & up my baking time a little aaand I think I may have overcooked it bit, but it was still good.

Good, easy, & so comforty (that's a word, right?).

Christmas Tradition

2011-11-26T07:32:00.000-08:00

I've mentioned before (here & here), that the hub & I have a tradition of making each other Christmas ornaments every year. This time, we decided on this idea.

We got a little lazy & hot glued the letters on instead of sewing them, but I like them just the way they are. Do you have any crafty holiday traditions?

P.S. - Note my cute pups' ornaments in the corners of the photo.

Pretty precious, if you ask me.

Thank You!

2011-11-24T07:33:00.000-08:00

A big thank you to everyone who donated and/or bid in the Raisin' for Rusty auction! I just love that people are able to come together & do good. You guys are the absolute best!

And this sweet guy is now at home & healing. :)

So, double yay!

Raisin' for Rusty Auction #13 Winner!

2011-11-23T05:33:00.000-08:00

And the winner of Auction #13 is...

Jackie!

Congrats! I'll contact you with information on how to go about making your donation & to arrange for shipping. Thanks for bidding!

Raisin' for Rusty Auction #12 Winner!

2011-11-22T09:07:00.000-08:00

And the winner of Auction #12 is...

Maggie!

Congrats! I'll contact you with information on how to go about making your donation & to arrange for shipping. Thanks for bidding!

Raisin' for Rusty Auction #9 Winner!

2011-11-19T09:22:00.000-08:00

And the winner of Auction #9 is...

Jackie!

Congrats! I'll contact you with information on how to go about making your donation & to arrange for shipping. Thanks for bidding!

Raisin' for Rusty Auction #13

2011-11-18T07:41:00.000-08:00

To learn more about the Raisin' for Rusty Auction, please click here & here.

To wrap up the auction, Crystal is putting up

one of her very own 8x10 prints!

I have one of these prints hanging in our apartment & I love it! This auction is "winner's choice," so click here to view all of your options.

If interested, please leave a comment on this post with your bid (along with a way to contact you should you win). When the auction concludes, the winner will be announced, given instructions on how to make their donation, & contacted to arrange shipping. That's it! Easy peasy!

This auction ends at midnight on Monday, November 21.

Happy bidding!

And if you'd rather purchase a calendar featuring Crystal's amazing photography skills to help with Rusty's medical expenses, today is the last day to do so! So, check it out before they're gone!

Raisin' for Rusty - Auction #12

2011-11-18T06:57:00.000-08:00

To learn more about the Raisin' for Rusty Auction, please click here & here.

Melissa has generously made a second donation!

She's auctioning off this beautiful head scarf.

It's 48" long, 3" wide and was made using Hazel Artisan Sock yarn (90% Merino, 10% nylon). Plus, it's machine washable!

This auction ends at midnight on Monday, November 21.

Happy bidding!

Raisin' for Rusty Auction #4 Winner!

2011-11-18T06:55:00.000-08:00

And the winner of Auction #4 is...

Jackie!

Congrats! I'll contact you with information on how to go about making your donation & to arrange for shipping. Thanks for bidding!

Raisin' for Rusty - Auction # 11

2011-11-17T08:29:00.000-08:00

To learn more about the Raisin' for Rusty Auction, please click here & here.

Rachel made this super cute donation!

This teensy handmade book contains a dozen pithy
quotes on a variety of subjects.

This "happiness" (green/dragonfly) themed piece can be worn as jewelry, used as a bookmark, or a decorative accent.

This auction ends at midnight on Sunday, November 20.

Happy bidding!

Raisin' for Rusty Auction #3 Winner!

2011-11-17T07:52:00.000-08:00

And the winner of Auction #3 is...

Misty!

Congrats! I'll contact you with information on how to go about making your donation & to arrange for shipping. Thanks for bidding!

Raisin' for Rusty - Auction #10

2011-11-16T07:11:00.000-08:00

To learn more about the Raisin' for Rusty Auction, please click here & here.

I'm auctioning off this set of three mustaches on a stick!

The mustaches are made of black felt & each stick measures 6 inches.

They make great props for a photo booth (like the one pictured above) or just for some everyday fun with your friends or little ones.

This auction ends at midnight on Saturday, November 19.

Happy bidding!

Raisin' for Rusty Auction #2 Winner!

2011-11-16T05:51:00.000-08:00

And the winner of Auction #2 is...

Kim!

Congrats! I'll contact you with information on how to go about making your donation & to arrange for shipping. Thanks for bidding!

Raisin' for Rusty - Auction #9

2011-11-15T06:00:00.001-08:00

To learn more about the Raisin' for Rusty Auction, please click here & here.

The fabulous Lisa of Waterstone Photography is auctioning off this 8x10 (matte with no border) print!

Print #5

This auction ends at midnight on Friday, November 18.

Happy bidding!

Raisin' for Rusty - Auction #8

2011-11-15T06:00:00.000-08:00

To learn more about the Raisin' for Rusty Auction, please click here & here.

The fabulous Lisa of Waterstone Photography is auctioning off this 8x10 (matte with no border) print!

Print #4

This auction ends at midnight on Friday, November 18.

Happy bidding!

Raisin' for Rusty - Auction #7

2011-11-15T05:59:00.002-08:00

To learn more about the Raisin' for Rusty Auction, please click here & here.

The fabulous Lisa of Waterstone Photography is auctioning off this 8x10 (matte with no border) print!

Print #3

This auction ends at midnight on Friday, November 18.

Happy bidding!

Raisin' for Rusty - Auction #6

2011-11-15T05:59:00.001-08:00

To learn more about the Raisin' for Rusty Auction, please click here & here.

The fabulous Lisa of Waterstone Photography is auctioning off this 8x10 (matte with no border) print!

Print #2

This auction ends at midnight on Friday, November 18.

Happy bidding!

Raisin' for Rusty Auction #5

2011-11-15T05:59:00.000-08:00

To learn more about the Raisin' for Rusty Auction, please click here & here.

The fabulous Lisa of Waterstone Photography is auctioning off a super generous donation of five 8x10 prints! All prints are matte with no border. Each individual print will be posted today. So, keep your eyes peeled!

Print #1

If interested, please leave a comment on this post with your bid (along with a way to contact you should you win). When the auction concludes, the winner will be announced, given instructions on how to make their donation, & contacted to arrange shipping. That's it! Easy peasy!

This auction ends at midnight on Friday, November 18.

Happy bidding!

Raisin' for Rusty Auction #1 Winner!

2011-11-15T05:51:00.000-08:00

And the winner of Auction #1 is...

Melissa!

Congrats! I'll contact you with information on how to go about making your donation & to arrange for shipping. Thanks for bidding!

Raisin' for Rusty - Auction #4

2011-11-14T05:34:00.000-08:00

To learn more about the Raisin' for Rusty Auction, please click here & here.

Melissa is generously auctioning off this sweet, wintery mug rug.

A mug rug is a quilted mini-placemat that's big enough to hold a cup/mug & a small treat! It's made of cotton fabric, is square, & measures 8.5".

Front view.

Back view.

This auction ends at midnight on Thursday, November 17.

Happy bidding!

Raisin' for Rusty - Auction #3

2011-11-13T07:01:00.000-08:00

To learn more about the Raisin' for Rusty Auction, please click here & here.

Not only did the super generous Jenna of Little Morning Glory donate her beautiful wine topper, but she's also auctioning off this beautiful pendant!

Feminine and soft, this lovely pendant was created using white glass as a backdrop for lavender confetti glass and a black floral embellishment. An acrylic clear coat was added to ensure permanence and water resistance. Measuring approximately .5" x 2" this pendant has a bail securely attached to the back. Just add a chain for easy, ready wear!

This auction ends at midnight on Wednesday, November 16.

Happy bidding!

Raisin' for Rusty - Auction #2

2011-11-12T07:10:00.000-08:00

To learn more about the Raisin' for Rusty Auction, please click here & here.

Jenna of Little Morning Glory is generously donating
this fused glass wine topper.

When do you like your glass of wine? Sunrise? Sunset? This topper works for both! The Sunrise, Sunset Wine Topper features two beautiful dichroic glass pieces -- one resembling the colors of a sunrise and the other mimicking the hues of dusk.

This auction ends at midnight on Tuesday, November 15.

Happy bidding!

Raisin' for Rusty - Auction #1

2011-11-11T06:30:00.000-08:00

To learn more about the Raisin' for Rusty Auction, please click here & here.

I'm kicking things off by putting up this fun earring & brooch set!

This grey & white fabric rosette set would make a great addition to your jewelry collection. It can be casual or a bit dressy depending on how you decide to wear it!

This auction ends at midnight on Monday, November 14.

Happy bidding!

Furfriend Fundraiser

2011-11-10T12:35:00.000-08:00

As I previously mentioned, there's a furfriend (& his momma) out there who needs our help! Crystal is selling her amazing photography calendars to try to offset Rusty's surgery bill, but I was hoping that we'd be able to chip in & help in another way, too.

That's why I'll be holding an auction on this blog to help raise funds for Rusty's medical care. So, keep your eyes peeled for your chance to bid on great items in the coming days. If you or someone you know is crafty & would like to contribute an item to the auction, please feel free to e-mail me at jenniferlstout@gmail.com. Thanks so much!

Furfriend Rusty

2011-11-10T09:27:00.000-08:00

Hi, all. I'm coming to you this morning not with a recipe or craft, but with a request. My friend Crystal, who has kindly popped in here from time to time (including a generous donation to Krafts for Katelyn), is in a bit of a jam & could really use a hand.

Her 2-year-old pup, Rusty, ran away from home recently & when he was found, he wasn't in the best of shape. He may have been hit by a car & had to have surgery to repair his fractured pelvis & femoral head. Surgery, as we all know, is expensive (for people & pups). This one is a jaw-dropping $5,000! I don't know about you, but it would be beyond difficult for me to come up with that kind of cash in only a few days (the vet does not accept payments). The hub & I have been so blessed that our dogs have not required any major medical treatment and I just can't imagine having to worry about money at a time when you should just be worried about getting your pup back in tip-top shape.

To help cover the costs of the surgery, Crystal is selling these calendars that feature her amazing photography skills. They're only $20 & would make for a great gift (for yourself or others!). Please, if you are at all able, consider buying one of these calendars. If you'd simply like to make a monetary donation, please e-mail me (jenniferlstout@gmail.com) & I'll be happy to let you know how you can go about that.

Crystal is one of those people, who is always doing for others. Just recently, she provided free photography sessions for kids in their Halloween costumes in exchange for a donation to her local food bank. When I first started toying with the idea of putting together the Krafts for Katelyn auction, Crystal contacted me before I could contact her & offered to help. She's just that kind of person.

So, what do ya say we lend a hand, friends?

Corn Salad

2011-11-07T12:54:00.000-08:00

The hub made this quick & easy corn salad to take to a neighborhood BBQ recently. The longer it marinates, the better it is! :)

Corn Salad

2 cups sweet corn

3/4 cup chopped tomato

1/2 cup chopped green pepper

1/2 cup chopped celery

1/4 cup chopped onion

1/4 cup ranch dressing

Directions: In a large bowl, combine vegetables & stir in dressing. Cover & refrigerate until served. Yields 8 servings.

Quinoa Burgers

2011-11-03T09:45:00.000-07:00

We tried this quinoa burger recipe the other day &

let me tell you, it was a winner!

I didn't make any changes to the original recipe & it made 12 burgers total. So, we'll be eating leftovers for a while. I topped mine with spinach, tomato, mayo,& ketchup. So yum!

Caramelized Pumpkin Seeds

2011-11-01T10:13:00.000-07:00

I have never had much luck roasting pumpkin seeds. Either I don't let them dry out enough or I burn them or any number of other things go wrong. But, this year = success! Finally!

I used this recipe & toasted them in the pan instead of the oven. Easy peasy. From now on, it's my go-to recipe. Mmmm!

Kitchen Sneak Peek

2011-10-27T14:07:00.000-07:00

We're still in the process of piecing together our new apartment. It's true that we've been here a few months already (which is really hard to believe), but we're slowly making progress. Our kitchen is pretty small, but we've got just enough room for our small table and a little section of wall to decorate to our liking (which we finally got around to tackling recently).

It's a little hodge podgey, but we like it just fine for now.

I framed a printable calendar & menu planner so that we can just use a dry erase marker on them. We picked up the letter & key from a craft store and I framed couple of images from some vintage cookbooks that I had on hand. The four pictures are of some of our favorite local eats in the different places that we've called home. I haven't found any frames that I love. So, for the time being, they're just taped to some cardstock.

And there you have it! Just a little of this & a little of that, but it's so much better than looking at a blank wall.

Peanut Butter Cookies

2011-10-26T19:00:00.000-07:00

The hub was a total sweetheart & made these easy peasy (3 ingredient!) peanut butter cookies tonight.

Super good.

Super easy.

Super late night snack!

Black Bean & Sweet Potato Tacos

2011-10-17T17:24:00.000-07:00

I have been dying to try these Black Bean & Sweet Potato Tacos ever since I saw them last week & I'm so glad that the hub & I carved some time out to make them tonight. So yum. Seriously.

We didn't have any corn tortillas, but the flour ones we had on hand worked just fine.We also could only find white cabbage at the market the other day. So, we used it in place of red cabbage (making it less pretty than the original). I might back off the lime in the slaw next time, but that's the only thing I'd change. Mmmm!

Pumpkin Coffee Cake

2011-10-16T10:48:00.000-07:00

The hub made this fall-y pumpkin coffee cake to go along with our lazy afternoon of watching football today & it is super, super good. Mmmmm!

If you want to try it for yourself, here ya go! For the record, we forwent the brown sugar glaze. We didn't have any heavy whipping cream & the more we thought about it, the crunchy top is our favorite part of coffee cake! So, we didn't want to mess with a good thing. :)

Happy fall baking!

Cinnamon Roll Pancakes

2011-10-09T09:31:00.000-07:00

After stumbling upon this recipe for cinnamon roll pancakes recently, it immediately made my "to do" list. Is it just me or does a lazy weekend morning just seems to be the perfect time to try a new breakfast recipe?

The hub (who is a spatula master) handled the pancakes while I mixed the filling & glaze. We used unsweetened almond milk & light cream cheese, but those are the only changes we made to the original recipe. They are, indeed, time consuming since they have to be cooked at a low temperature (& they really do, trust me), but they are soooo, so worth it!

Pre-glaze cinnamon roll pancakes.

Cinnamon roll pancakes with glazey goodness.

Oh...my...word.

These are r-i-c-h! I could only handle one and a half before I had to throw in the towel. I'm not sure if our almond milk substitution had something to do with it or not, but our batter was pretty thin (still really good!) & we ended up getting 7 pancakes out of the recipe that was supposed to yield 4 pancakes. So, keep that in mind. Happy Sunday, friends!

A Simple Wreath

2011-10-07T09:01:00.000-07:00

It's no secret that I'm a fan of yarn wreaths. I even made a handful of them for a silent auction earlier this year. And I got the itch recently to make yet another one!

The yarn is Vanna's Choice in mustard. Pretty & slightly fall-y.

I went a different route with the add-ons this time & decided to add fabric rosettes instead of the felt ones that I've done in the past. But instead of sewing a bead into the center of these, I just used pearl head straight pins & stuck them through the yarn & straight into the foam wreath form. It was easier annnd now they're interchangeable! So, I can replace them with different ones if I ever want to switch up the color combo.

I debated adding more rosettes, but finally decided that I like the simplicity of it as-is. We'll see if I change my mind!

Spicy Black Bean Wrap

2011-10-03T11:51:00.000-07:00

The hub & I l-o-v-e Pita Pit.

It's a tough call (the falafel is also awesome), but I think the spicy black bean burger is our fave. It is so, so good. We thought that we'd give recreating it at home a shot & it turned out pretty great, if I do say so myself.

We cooked up a couple of pre-made spicy black bean burgers, chopped them up, & put them on a pair of tortillas. Add some veggies (we did spinach, tomatoes, banana peppers, & grilled onions) & southwest spicy mustard, and you're all set! Yes, a tortilla isn't quite a pita, but it works well enough for me! Enjoy!

Orange Tofu

2011-09-24T14:10:00.000-07:00

Sometimes, I miss certain foods from my pre-vegetarian days. Panda Express' Orange Chicken is one of those things. And sometimes, I figure out a way to have the next best thing. Enter Orange Tofu!

Essentially, I just make the tofu the way that I always do. And much like the Buffalo Tofu, I toss it in Panda Express' Orange Sauce (that I pick up from the grocery store) when it's done cooking. Pair it with some rice (which I also sometimes add a little bit of sauce to) & you've got an easy peasy meal!

L&L Auction Winner!

2011-09-19T07:21:00.000-07:00

A giant thank you to those of you who bid in the auction to benefit the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society!

Jennifer Lamb was the big winner with her generous bid of $125! Jennifer, please e-mail me at jenniferlstout@gmail.com to find out how to go about donating your bid & receiving your new afghan!

And if anyone else is interested in making a donation to the "Yes, I Am A Katelyn Friend!" Light the Night team, you can do so by clicking right here. Thanks again, friends! You all are the best!

L&L Auction

2011-09-14T13:31:00.000-07:00

Last year, friends & family of Katelyn, gathered together as a team to participate in the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Light the Night walk in Chicago. The team is walking again this year & unfortunately, the hub & I won't be able to make it back to Illinois to participate this time.

But, friend & team member, Ashley Moffatt, asked me to lend a hand long distance & auction off a handmade afghan that she made to benefit the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

The details:

We're auctioning off a heavy, twin-size, crocheted granny square afghan with raised flowers. Ashley used Red Heart yarn in white, teal, dark pink, & a variegated yarn of those colors.

The auction will run through midnight on Sunday, September 18th, with the winner being announced the next day. To place your bid, just leave a comment on this post with the dollar amount & a way to contact you in case you win. Thanks, friends!

Happy bidding!

Thomas the Train

2011-09-12T14:29:00.000-07:00

Our sweet nephew nephew turned 3 recently & we made him a little something to celebrate. If you happen to know a little one, who is a Thomas the Train fan, here's a fairly easy idea that's sure to result in plenty of playtime...

Step One: Get a sturdy cardboard box. Cut where needed to mimic the above shape & hot glue the top flap backwards.

Step Two: Paint! (The hub & I just used regular ol' craft paint)
Step Three: Get a canister of some kind that would make a good smokestack (we used an oatmeal canister). Paint it, glue cotton balls on top, & hot glue it securely to the top of the box.
Step Four: Find a picture of Thomas' face online & blow it up before printing. Cut it out & glue it to the front. (You can also print/paint a number on the side of the box, if you'd like.)
Step Five: Secure straps to the inside of the box so that your little one can put his/her arms through & "ride" the train!

Step Six: Persuade your little one to get inside the train & put his arms through the straps, instead of just pushing it around on the floor.

Step Seven: Convince your little one to share a new toy with his sibling.

The End!

Chair Makeovers

2011-09-05T02:06:00.000-07:00

Before the hub & I made the big move from Michigan to Louisiana, we decided to sell most of our furniture/heavy stuff because once we had arrived, it would just be the two of us unloading the moving truck (& let's face it, I'm not very strong). Buuut, we didn't want that to mean that we wouldn't have anything to sit on once we had arrived. So, after selling a bulky couch, we went hunting for a pair of smaller, lightweight chairs that could take it's place.

We found just what we were looking for at a thrift store in town in these two bad boys. They conjure up an image of a doctor's waiting room, no? They were pretty beat up/gross, but we wanted to try our hand at fixing them up & at $1 each, there was little risk involved. So, we went for it!

After stripping all of the old upholstery/padding, we cleaned up the wooden base just a little bit by running a damp cloth over everything & sanding town a few spots that needed it. Then, we got to painting! We used a grey spray paint primer before painting it with two coats of a navy blue spray paint. Unfortunately, the color didn't end up as dark as we would have liked & we ended up priming & painting them a second time in a different color (scroll down to the end if you can't wait for the big reveal).

We used 2-inch padding, which we cut out & stapled to the seat & back of the chair. Note that the padding goes slightly around the front of the seat. Basically, we just made a mental note of how the padding was stapled in the chair's original form & tried our best to duplicate it.

This is what the bottom of one of the seats looked like when we were done with the padding. We did notice that some of the staples had popped through the padding and out the underside of the seat. So, we hammered them down wherever we found them so they wouldn't be sticking out.

And the top of the seat (better to overstaple than under!).

Next came the batting. In hindsight, we should have pulled it towards the center a bit more on the seats.

When the padding & batting was finished, this is what we had:
2 backs & 2 seats.

As was the case with the batting, we should have pulled the fabric further towards the center on the seats...lesson learned.

Once the fabric was stapled down, we stapled a square of interfacing on the underside of the seat to cover everything.

For the backs, I sewed a slipcover of sorts from the fabric, leaving the bottom open for stapling.

The first cushion is the top of the back. The second cushion is the bottom. After stapling the opening shut, it looked a little less than perfect. So, we measured out a strip of fabric, ironed down the edges & hot glued it in place. Totally not how it's supposed to be done, I know, but it worked (& since it's on the bottom, no one will see it anyway)! The two gatherings of the fabric at the bottom were intentional.

A closer look at the bottom & top of the back cushions.

After that, we reassembled them & were super happy with the end result!

As you can see, we decided to go with grey for the base, which worked out much better than the blue that clashed with the fabric. In the end, I'm glad that we invested the extra time in repainting it because it really works well with the new blue/grey/yellow color scheme in our living room.

And, that's it! We're just a pair of novices attempting reupholstery/refurbishing, but I'll go ahead & pat us on the back for this one because I think we did just fine. :)

The Hub's Couscous

2011-09-02T12:22:00.000-07:00

The hub has pretty much perfected his couscous recipe and it is so, so yum that I just had to share it with you.

The Hub's Couscous
1 cup dried couscous
1 1/4 cups water
1 tbs. olive oil
1 tsp. seasoned salt
1 tbs. dried parsley flakes
1/2 chopped onion
1/4 tsp. dried basil
Pepper to taste
Dash of garlic powder
Cashews or some other nut (optional)
Directions: Add water, seasoned salt, basil, parsley, pepper, garlic powder, olive oil, and cashews to a medium-sized pot and bring to a boil. Add couscous. Remove from heat and cover. Let stand for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, saute chopped onions. When couscous is done, add onions, stir and serve. Enjoy!

My Sunshine

2011-08-30T17:38:00.000-07:00

Hi, all.

I wish that I were back with a fun craft or a new recipe to share with you, but sadly, that is not the case. On August 20th, my dear friend, Katelyn, passed away after a hard fought battle with leukemia. Since you all were so very generous during Krafts for Katelyn, I felt as though I should share the news here.

From the bottom of my heart, thanks again to all who donated & bid on Krafts for Katelyn auction items. She was so touched by the generosity of (mostly) complete strangers & felt so loved.

Truthfully, I was too.

As was so eloquently put in her eulogy,

"She may no longer be present to light up our days, but she is now the warmest ray of midday sunshine and the brightest star in the night sky."

Auction for Autism

2011-08-11T06:37:00.000-07:00

Hi, friends!

I'm sorry I haven't been around much lately. Life got crazy with our recent move, but as things settle down in sunny New Orleans, I hope to be back in action soon. :)

But, I wanted to point you in the direction of a super worthy cause. You may or may not remember that I made a donation for Jaclyn's Auction for Autism last year. I was thrilled when she asked me to participate once again & this year, I put up a mini jewelry organizer. It's a little hard to tell from the photo, but it's navy blue with patterned yellow paper in the boxes. It has sawtooth hangers on the back to hang on a wall, but it can also be laid flat in a drawer for pretty jewelry storage.

Head on over to Jaclyn's blog to bid or learn more about the auction.

Thanks!

Another Lamp Makeover

2011-07-26T08:13:00.000-07:00

We're still working away on our DIY list. Our latest project was making over another set of lamps. These small lamps had been sitting on the end tables in our living room in need of a little sprucing up. Truth be told, I was never very fond of them. They were on sale and we needed lamps, so they came home with us 5+ years ago and have been bugging me ever since. So, it was about high time that we did something about them.

Before.

We decided to paint the bases to match our new color scheme. As was the case with the TV stand, we spray painted them with a grey primer & then a couple of coats of the same navy blue paint to match. Easy peasy!

Then, we picked up a 1/2-yard of grey, patterned fabric to cover the shades. The hub measured & cut a pattern out of blue wrapping paper (leaving a hem allowance). After cutting out the fabric, I ironed down a quarter-inch hem on the top & bottom, which I then folded over & pressed again for a clean look. I also pressed a quarter-inch hem for the end seam.

Carefully working my way around the top of the shade, I applied a thin line of hot glue before gently tugging each section of the fabric so as to prevent bunches. The fabric laid pretty flat with just pulling it taut and not gluing too closely to the bars. So, I left it at that. After the top was done, I just repeated the steps by carefully gluing the fabric around the bottom of the shade & gluing the seam shut.

After.

We like them. It's true that we don't really have anywhere to set them right now since we recently sold our end tables, but we're hoping they'll look nice in our new digs. :)

Giveaway Winner!

2011-07-18T04:50:00.000-07:00

A big thanks to all who entered the giveaway
for The Pretty Pixie's $25 gift certificate.

And the randomly chosen winner is...

The #2 commenter, Stacie, who had her eye on
this colorful mushroom play set!

Congrats, Stacie! I'll shoot you an e-mail on how to go
about collecting your prize.

Hope you all have a happy Monday! :)

Vacation Jar

2011-07-15T02:48:00.000-07:00

When I saw this idea for vacation jars a while back, I knew I wanted to try it for myself. Unfortunately, we don't vacation much. So, I haven't had the chance. But, when we were enjoying our anniversary weekend, we thought we'd collect some sand from the beach to take back with us for our very first vacation jar. And I'm so glad we did.

We finally finished off our raspberry-rhubarb preserves the other day & decided to put the jar to good use.

So, we added the beach sand & our little cake toppers & our vacation jar was complete. We just have to add a little label to the bottom & we'll be all set. I really love the idea of making this a tradition. It's a much better way to remember a trip than a t-shirt or magnet.

PS- Don't forget to enter the giveaway (it ends Sunday night). You could win your very own set of toppers!

Giveaway Time!

2011-07-14T03:12:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned yesterday, I've got a sweet giveaway for you all today.

We really loved the cake toppers that we got for our vow renewal ceremony from The Pretty Pixie.

The seller, Kathy, was so great to work with. She totally customized our toppers - everything from the hair & eye color to our outfits.
We just love them.

And our photographer snapped this photo with our rings slipped over them. So sweet.

Now...onto the giveaway.
The Pretty Pixie is generously offering up a $25 gift certificate to her shop.

These toppers are obviously perfect for a wedding, but they're also darling to display in all sorts of ways!

Pick your favorite sports team.

Have one made in your pet's likeness.
(You know I'm pretty partial to that one, haha.)

Get some princess dolls for playtime.

Or your favorite video game characters.

Have personalized pendants or ornaments made.

Or have a set made of your very own family!

The options are endless. As I said, they make for a great display. To enter the giveaway, visit The Pretty Pixie, come back here, & leave a comment telling me which toppers you'd get if you won.

The giveaway will run through Sunday, July 17, at midnight with the winner being announced Monday. Good luck!

Still Smitten

2011-07-13T15:07:00.000-07:00

On May 20th, the hub & I celebrated 5 years of wedded bliss. And when I say bliss, I really mean it. I consider one of my life's greatest gifts to be finding the hub at such a young age. He makes me happier than I ever thought that I would be and I'm so happy that we're still so in love.

To celebrate, we decided to renew our vows in a little ceremony with just the two of us. We just got the photos in the mail this week & I couldn't wait to share some of them here. While I didn't end up making anything myself for the ceremony, I did stumble upon a couple of great Etsy finds that I wanted to pass along. Plus, I'll use any excuse I can to show off my handsome hub.

It was perfect.
In case you're interested, my dress was from Shabby Apple
& the hub's tie was an Etsy find.

We chose Castle Farms in Charlevoix, Michigan as the location for our ceremony & it provided a spectacular backdrop for photos.

Two oversized, bright yellow balloons added a nice pop of color.

We exchanged the same vows that we did on our wedding day, tweaking them to reflect our 5 years already spent together. We also read each other lines of a version of Roy Croft's On Friendship poem.

From a distance.

Exchanging renewal rings.

Smoochin!

We just loved our sweet little cake toppers (another Esty find). We used a cake stand & plates that we scored at a thrift store and the same serving utensils as we did on our wedding day.

It was such a perfect day. I didn't want it to end. But, it's so nice to be able to relive the moment thanks to our fantastic photographer,
Leah Renee Photography.

Thanks for indulging me, friends! If you liked what you saw, keep your eyes peeled for a giveaway tomorrow featuring something that we are so happy to have as a keepsake from our special day...

A Word to the Wise...

2011-07-13T10:19:00.000-07:00

When you join Google+, don't delete the albums that automatically import to your profile from Picasa.

Because they will be deleted forever in Picasa.

Oh, and on your blog, too.

And things will really bite for a while...

Apologies while my sweetheart of a hub works to fix my grievous error & little square boxes with question marks in them take the place of every last photo on here.

Friday Finds

2011-07-08T06:29:00.000-07:00

Happy Friday, friends!

Hope you enjoy this week's pretties!

I am totally smitten with this dress.

Super cuuute bag (with pattern!).

This chest of drawers made from old suitcases is amazing.

Love these "I Like You" postcards.

Have a spectacular weekend!

A TV Stand

2011-07-04T06:43:00.000-07:00

As I've mentioned, the hub & I are trying to downsize in preparation for our big move. We're holding off on replacing most of the furniture that we've sold until we arrive in NOLA, but we knew that we couldn't wait on a TV stand. With the pups running around playing tug of war in the living room everyday, we wanted to get the TV off of the floor before Wrigs or Peanut took a spill & tumbled into it.

This was the entertainment stand that we sold. It's huge & super heavy. And we are so happy to not have to move it, but it left us with a bit of a problem.

This look could only work for so long. We picked up a DVD case, which took care of our storage problem, but still left us with a TV on top of a box.

When we found this little, old desk at a thrift shop, we thought we'd invest the $1.40 they were asking for it & experiment with it. The legs were metal (with metallic paint), the shelf was wood (also with metallic paint), & the top was plastic. After taking it all apart, cleaning it, and giving the legs & the shelf a good sanding, we drilled a hole in the bottom of the shelf to run cords through. We wiped it all down with a damp cloth, let it dry, & spray painted everything with a grey primer. Several coats of navy blue spray paint were applied to the legs, shelf, & underside/sides of the top. The top was spray painted with a few coats of grey and the hub used a wood graining tool & some blue paint to really give it a unique look
(thanks to Better After for the inspiration).

And...viola!

While this was a pretty simple project, it was time consuming. With the sanding, waiting for paint to dry, & figuring out the wood graining, it ended up taking us quite a while.

But, we're really happy with how it turned out.

A word about woodgraining - Don't try to do it outside in the hot sun. The paint will dry before you have a chance to use the tool & you will have a mess on your hands, not that we made that mistake...

We're going to be replacing our VCR/DVD combo player with a smaller DVD player. So, the Wii will fit on the shelf & be off of the floor. We used a little grey mini suitcase that we picked up at a garage sale for a buck underneath the table to hold some of our boxed sets of DVDs that we didn't want to store in the case. Now, we just have to figure out a way to hide all of our cords & we'll be good to go!

I really love how much simpler & smaller it is than our old entertainment stand. We're really going to be making an effort to make our next apartment more homey than our last few. So, hopefully we'll have more projects to share here & there as we makeover our space. :)

A Baby Blanket

2011-06-28T06:38:00.000-07:00

It occurred to me recently that I never got around to making my sweet lil' niece a baby blanket. I made one for my nephew before he was even born, but my already one-year-old niece wasn't so lucky. And with nephew #2 set to arrive any day now, I realized that I was quickly running out of time.

Instead of knitting this one, I decided to do something a little different. Working with what was on hand (some old, soft knit shirts), I the hub cut out wide strips of fabric (I'm having a hard time remembering the exact measurements off the top of my head, sorry!). There had to be a seam right down the middle in order for things to match up, but once I had each side assembled, it was just a matter of sewing them (right sides together) and leaving a small opening to turn it right side out (which I later topstitched in a coordinating thread).

You may or may not be able to tell that I then topstitched a wavy stitch across every other horizontal seam to hold it all together. Unfortunately, the back didn't exactly match up & the wavy stitches are kind of sitting on top of the seam instead of going across it, but that's okay. I'm happy that at least one side looks okay considering that I was totally winging this one.

And, the final product!

This really didn't take me very long to put together. I think I might have spent two evenings at the sewing machine (although I'm certain I could have done it in one had I put my mind to it).
And while I thought that it was going to be thin due to a lack of batting, it actually ended up having some weight to it. In any case, it's super soft & I hope my niece enjoys cuddling up to it.

Now, to work on blanket #3...

Friday Finds

2011-06-24T04:27:00.000-07:00

Hope you enjoy these Friday Finds.

Happy weekend, friends! :)

Darling print.

Fantastic plant display.

I love this fill-in-the-flames b-day card.

And how cool is this Scrabble keyboard?

Lamp Makeover

2011-06-23T05:50:00.000-07:00

As I previously mentioned, we had a garage sale recently in preparation for our upcoming move. And when the lamps that we had priced low didn't sell, I was secretly happy about it because halfway through the garage sale, it occurred to me that simply re-covering the bases could breathe a new life into the lamps that have clashed with the colors in our bedroom for the past several years. We pitched the old, broken shades, which we'll get around to replacing at some point, and got to work. (Apologies in advance for the poor photo quality. That's nighttime crafting for ya!)

Before.

Close-up.

The hub measured the base and cut out a rectangle of fabric, leaving a 1/2-inch allowance on each side. After ironing down the 1/2-inch on each side, I carefully hot glued the fabric along the edge of the lamp, tugging somewhat as I went along to smooth out wrinkles or bunches in the fabric.

Like so.

(By the way, I ended up just pulling the fabric over the cord instead of trying to cut/glue around it. It's not the prettiest thing in the world, but it's really not too bad, especially since that part will be facing the wall anyway.)

And, voila!

It took a little bit of time to figure out the pattern since it has to be so exact, but the second lamp base was done in no time at all. The look wasn't as smooth as I was hoping it would be, but with the base having such a texture on it to begin with, I kind of expected that. All in all, though, I'm pretty happy with it. To finish it up, I just pulled the fabric tight and glued along the seam.

After.

Now, we just have to find some lampshades that work & we'll be all set!

Friday Finds

2011-06-17T08:34:00.000-07:00

I know it's been quite a while since I've done a Friday Finds post, but I got the itch today. So, here we are.

I am swooning big time over this quilt.

Colorful, simple, & sweet.

I may just have to try my hand at this. Do you SEE that tabletop?! It is awesome. For real.

This key holder/coat rack is so great.

And finally, I really love this print.

I hope you enjoyed this collection of pretties.

Happy Friday!

A Freebie

2011-06-02T18:22:00.000-07:00

UPDATE: The ribbon has found a new home. Thanks for the e-mails!

Sooo...

I don't think that I've mentioned it here yet, but the hub & I are gearing up for another move...a big one. At the end of July, we're packing up all of our worldly belongings and moving from Michigan to New Orleans, where the hub will start a PhD program in the fall. It's all very exciting and unnerving at the same time. In an effort to make a little money to help with the expenses of physically moving and in an effort to downsize, we're having a garage sale next weekend. Isn't it amazing that you can accumulate so much stuff in such a short period of time?! I've been feeling a little suffocated by our stuff lately and I'm actually really excited to be simplifying.

All of that to say...

As I was going through my craft supplies tonight, I realized that I have far too much ribbon. And since what I might get for my surplus ribbon at the garage sale wouldn't be as valuable to me as knowing a fellow crafter/reader has some new-to-them supplies, I'm giving it away to the first person, who jumps on it.

So, take a peek & if you could use it, be the first person to
shoot me an e-mail & it's yours! Easy peasy. :)

Thanks for tagging along, friends!

And the winner is...

2011-05-30T13:50:00.000-07:00

A big thanks to everyone who entered the giveaway.

And, now for the winner...

Drum roll please.

Lauren Posey, who is most looking forward to going to Germany this summer, is lucky #3! Lauren, please e-mail me your address & I'll be happy to drop your lil' jewelry organizer in the mail. :)

Thanks again to everyone who entered!

Quick & Easy Grilled Wraps

2011-05-27T05:44:00.000-07:00

The hub & I have been trying out some new things lately.
We made a "Goal List" recently, which ended up getting a little on the long side. But, that's okay because we're incorporating small changes that are having a really positive impact on our daily lives.The list is kind of all-encompassing, but we have a few food-related goals that have been working really well for us so far. They include, but are not limited to:

Cooking dinner together often
Eating cleaner, more balanced meals
Eating more vegan meals
Eating dinner at the table (not on the couch)
Cleaning up the kitchen immediately after meals
Making an effort to waste less food

Among other things, we're also cutting out TV/computer time after work & before 8 p.m. We've really been surprised at how much time we seem to have on our hands since we've started the technology-free time.
L-o-v-e it.

As part of the wasting less food goal, we're making a conscious effort to use things that are set to expire (the tortillas in the following recipe, for example) and cooking even if we're tired after a long day and would rather just head to Taco Bell. We whipped this up the other night at the Hub's suggestion. Easy peasy!

Grilled Black Bean Wraps
Tortillas
1 can black beans (drained & rinsed)
1 can corn (drained & rinsed)
2 cups cooked white or brown rice
Shredded cheese (or omit, if you want to keep it vegan)
Guacamole (optional)
Whatever else your little heart desires
Directions: Combine cooked rice, black beans, corn, and cheese in a bowl. Spoon into tortillas (We only made 3 of these & probably have enough filling to make at least 4-5 more. Roll up & toss on a Foreman grill for a few minutes. Top with some homemade guacamole (ripe avocados, smashed + a few good squeezes of fresh lime juice + chopped onion + salt to taste) and enjoy! Next time, I'll add some seasoning or something to the mix, but as-is, it was quick, easy, & filling. :)

Giveaway Time!

2011-05-26T03:38:00.000-07:00

Hi, friends!

I've been going through my craft stash in preparation for a garage sale/moving and I stumbled upon this lil' jewelry organizer that I made a while back. I thought about tossing it in the garage sale pile, but then I thought that maybe one of you might like it.

Sooo...

I'm tossing it in a giveaway instead!

If you'd like a shot at winning this lil' jewelry organizer, just leave a comment on this post telling me what you're most looking forward to this summer. For me, it's living by a beach come July!

The giveaway will run through Sunday (May 29th) with the winner being chosen at random & announced on Monday. Happy commenting! :)

Almond Cookies

2011-05-25T07:40:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a rough day at work.
Have you ever had 10+ files up & walk off your hard drive?
That happened to me.
Have you ever had that happen and then the IT Dept. couldn't restore your mysteriously missing files?
Yeah, that happened to me, too.

Like I said, yesterday was rough and it made for a looong day.
Buuut, the hub made it all better by surprising me with cookies when I got home. He's the best.

He can correct me if I'm wrong, but this may very well have been his first solo attempt at baking cookies. He is a total natural.

This was the convo we had when I got home.

Hub: I made these cookies to cheer you up.

Me: Ooooo! What kind are they?

Hub: Just try them.

Me: Oh man, those are goood!
Hub: Aren't they? But, they are really bad for you.

Me: Is it the butter?

Hub: Yeah. A lot of it.

Me: Two sticks?

Hub: Yeah, how did you know?

Me: The best cookies always do...

Almond Cookies
2 3/4 cup flour
1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup cold butter
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 tsp. almond extract
Almonds (whole, slivered, whatever you fancy)
Directions: Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Combine flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt. Cut the butter into small pieces, add to the bowl, and cut the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Add eggs and almond extract and stir until just combined. Lightly flour hands, then roll dough into one-inch balls. Place balls on cookie sheet and press an almond into the top of each one, flattening the cookies slightly (or sprinkle with slivered almonds like the hub did). Bake until bottoms are golden, about 15-20 minutes.

Sesame Noodles

2011-05-23T19:42:00.000-07:00

The hub & I went up north for a few days last week for a little anniversary getaway. We never seem to get the chance to do anything like that, so it was a special treat to celebrate the 5-year mark & it was absolutely wonderful.

While we were there, we discovered the ever-so-charming American Spoon. We fell in l-o-v-e. They had samples on hand and we couldn't get enough of...well, everything. We ended up settling on jars of the Strawberry-Rhubarb preserves, the Cherry Peach salsa, & the Toasted Sesame Seed Vinaigrette as "souvenirs." In my book, the best things to bring back from a trip are edible. That way, you get to be reminded of the wonderful time you had & foods you ate while you were away long after you're back home. It's lovely. We had the preserves on a baguette for breakfast when we got home,

the salsa was paired with chips for a mid-afternoon snack, and the vinaigrette was used in this fabulous (& oh-so-easy!) dinner.

Sesame Noodles

Thin spaghetti (as much as you're hungry for)

Toasted Sesame Seed Vinaigrette (to taste)

Green onions, sliced thin

Sesame seeds

Directions: Cook pasta according to directions on the package. Drain and toss with the desired amount of vinaigrette. Top with green onions & a sprinkling of sesame seeds. Enjoy warm or chilled!

PS- Just an FYI for ya'll... If you're wanting to give American Spoon a try, Amazon has some great sales/bulk deals. I plan on placing an order just as soon as we run out!

Portobello Burger

2011-05-17T12:10:00.000-07:00

I have never been a fan of mushrooms.

For as long as I can remember, the texture has just done me in. Slowly, I've been conditioning myself not to pick them out of every dish that they find their way into, but I'm still working on it. So, when the hub suggested picking up some portobello mushrooms for burgers at the market the other day, I was a wee bit hesitant and totally intimidated by the enormity of them. We went ahead & threw them in the cart with the understanding that I would probably not be partaking. And that was that.

And...

it turned out to be one of a handful of times that I am glad I was wrong.

Portobello Mushroom Burger

2 portobello mushroom caps

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

2 tbs. olive oil

1 tsp.dried basil

1 tsp. dried oregano

1 tbs. minced garlic

Sliced cheese, optional

Directions: Place the mushroom caps, smooth side up, in a shallow dish. In a small bowl, whisk together vinegar, oil, basil, oregano, and garlic. Pour over the mushrooms. Let stand at room temperature for about 15 minutes, turning twice. Plug in your Foreman grill to preheat. When mushrooms are done marinating, spray the grill with cooking spray & throw the mushrooms on the grill. They only need a couple of minutes, so keep a close eye on them. If desired, top with cheese towards the end of cooking until melted.

The handful of changes we made to the original recipe are reflected above. Overall, super good! And they really didn't end up having too much of a mushroom texture. I might cut back a little on the balsamic vinegar next time, as it was a little bit strong, but we'll definitely be making these again. Mmmm!

Vegan Pumpkin Alfredo

2011-05-08T17:07:00.000-07:00

I whipped up a new dish for dinner tonight & it was pretty darn good. The sauce ended up being a little bit on the thick side. So, I mixed in a little bit of extra olive oil at the end & that did the trick! I might even add a smidge of water next time to thin it out even a bit more. This was suuuper filling & I'm hoping it holds up well in the fridge because we had a ton of leftovers. Enjoy!

Vegan Pumpkin Alfredo

1 12-16-oz. package of pasta (I used a 16 oz.)

1 12-oz. package silken tofu

3/4 cup canned pumpkin puree

1/2 cup nutritional yeast

1/4 cup ground flaxseed (flaxseed meal)

1/2 tsp. sea salt

1/2 tsp. ground allspice

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Olive oil & sea salt to taste

Directions: Cook pasta according to directions on the package. While pasta is cooking, combine all sauce ingredients in a food processor (I used a blender). Blend until smooth. When pasta is finished cooking, drain, rinse, & return to pot. Toss in a light amount of olive oil to evenly coat noodles. Salt lightly, if desired. Combine sauce with the pasta until the desired pasta/sauce ratio is reached.

Spicy Sweet Potato Chips

2011-05-04T18:30:00.000-07:00

We tried a new recipe tonight and it was mmm mmm good!

Suffice it to say, I ate waaay too many sweet potatoes tonight...

Spicy Sweet Potato Chips

2 tbs. olive oil

2 tbs. maple syrup

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper (I used chili powder)

3 large sweet potatoes (cut into 1/4-inch slices)

Salt & pepper to taste

Directions: Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. Stir together olive oil, maple syrup, and cayenne pepper in a small bowl. Brush the sweet potato slices with the maple mixture and place onto the prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes, then turn the potato slices over and brush with any remaining maple mixture. Continue baking until tender in the middle and crispy on the edges, about 10 minutes more. Keep an eye on them though because they can burn quickly. Suuuper yum! :)

Baby Shower Poms

2011-05-01T18:10:00.000-07:00

My mom-in-law & I threw a surprise "sprinkle" for my sis-in-law/bro-in-law tonight. Since it's their third, we didn't want to have a full-on shower, but we still wanted to celebrate their new addition. So, we had a "sprinkle" instead. It was just a small, casual, come-and-go diaper shower kind of thing. We embraced the sprinkle theme & I made these poms for decoration.

The hub was a doll & fluffed them out for me

(since that's the part I least enjoy).

I think they added a nice touch. We had mini-vanilla cupcakes & white chocolate-covered red velvet cake balls, both topped with blue sprinkles, mini-blueberry cheesecakes, and little boxes of kettlecorn. Everything went off without a hitch & we were really happy with how it all turned out.

And it just makes us all the more excited to meet our new nephew!

If he's anything like this guy, we'll get along just fine. :)

Faux Fish Fillets

2011-04-12T16:27:00.000-07:00

I have been craving fish & chips in the worst way lately. So, I was super excited when I stumbled upon this recipe for faux fish fillets. The hub was a total sweetheart and made them for dinner tonight & they were really good! We had them with a bit of mayo & ketchup. I'd add some lettuce for a bit of crunch next time, but that's all I'd change. Mmmm!

Faux Fish Fillet

1 (12-oz.) package firm tofu, drained & pressed
(we froze & thawed ours first for a meatier texture.)

1 cup bread crumbs

1 tsp. kelp powder (I used Old Bay seasoning)

1/4 tsp. onion powder

1 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

1/4 tsp. paprika

Olive oil, as needed

4 hamburger buns

Directions: Cut the tofu into 4 slices. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, toss bread crumbs together with kelp powder, garlic powder, paprika, onion powder, and salt (I'd reduce the salt by half next time.). Brush tofu slices with oil and dip into bread crumb mixture, patting lightly to coat well. Pan fry in a bit of olive oil or bake on a cookie sheet for 30 minutes. When first side is golden brown and slightly crispy, turn over, and finish baking. When the tofu is nearly done, brush each bun half with olive oil and toast in the oven. Put the tofu on the buns when done & top with whatever you like!

Veg. Pot Pie

2011-04-03T16:45:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine sent me a bunch of new recipes to try a little while back. I've been a little slow getting to them, but I finally took a stab at this comfort food staple for dinner tonight. Mmmmm... Seriously, so good. It's definitely going to be making its way into our regular meal rotation. Enjoy!

Vegetable Pot Pie

Courtesy of Crystal Courtney

4 T. butter
1/2 cup diced onions
1/4 cup diced celery
3 T. flour
2 cups vegetable broth
1/2 cup milk (I used almond milk & it worked just fine.)
1 cup chopped red potatoes
1/2 cup chopped carrots
1/2 cup frozen peas
2 refrigerator pie crusts (I couldn't find the refrigerated kind. So, I bought a 2-pack of frozen crusts & thawed them. They worked great!)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a deep round casserole dish with cooking spray. In a large, non-stick pan, melt butter. Saute onions & celery for 2 minutes, season with salt & pepper (about 1 t. each). Add the flour to the mixture, stirring constantly. Gradually add the broth and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and continue to cook for 4-6 minutes or until sauce thickens (should be like melted ice cream). Stir in the milk and cook, stirring for 4 more minutes. Season with salt & pepper. (At this point you are seasoning to taste, so get the liquid to a taste you are pleased with before moving forward.) Stir in potatoes, carrots, & peas. Mix thoroughly with filling. Cook until tender, about 10-12 minutes. Place pie crust in the casserole dish. Pour the filling into the crust and top with the second pie crust. At this point, you can either put it straight into the oven and bake at 400 for 30 minutes. Or, you can let it cool, then refrigerate for 1-2 days more. Or, freeze for up to 3 months. If you freeze it, allow it to thaw in the fridge for 24 hours. Then, bake for 30 minutes at 400 degrees. Your goal is to just brown the crust and heat the filling.

Color Coded

2011-03-31T06:36:00.000-07:00

We're always on the lookout for little ways to make a big visual impact in the apartment that we call home. I just can't wait to have walls that we're able to paint someday. But until then, we make due. We're in the process of trying to sell some of our furniture. And when I made mention of it on Fb, a friend requested a photo of our entertainment center/tv stand. So, I quickly snapped this and slapped it on my wall.

And it got me thinking about how terrible our bookshelves look. They were really just a jumbled mess. Plus, I realized that we had never put any of the books that we received as Christmas gifts on our shelves because there had really been no room to spare. So, they were littering various surfaces of our apartment and things were just disorderly in general.

When the hub & I were thrifting last weekend, we stopped by a store that was color coded. It was an absolutely giant space filled to the brim with aesthetic delight! We both loved it. So, I asked him what he thought of color coding our bookshelves. And he was on board!

(Sorry for the photo quality. There aren't very many good angles/light to choose from in the apt.)

It ended up taking a little longer than I thought it would, but it makes me so happy to see, which made it totally worth it. :) And as an added bonus, I feel like I got some spring cleaning done by cleaning the back of the bookshelves that had been collecting dust for quite some time. Hooray for two birds!

Anyway, I just thought I'd pass this along in case someone else was interested in sprucing up their bookshelves. Happy organizing!

Roasted Chickpea Tacos

2011-03-27T15:33:00.000-07:00

Is it just me or are Sundays the perfect day to try out a new recipe?

I almost always seem to find myself in the kitchen at the end of a lazy Sunday afternoon. Today, we tried these roasted chickpea tacos topped with all the fixins. Plus, we had leftover guac with chips. So, so yum!

Yummy goodness + low budget = regular meal rotation

Hope you enjoy it as much as we did! :)

Veggie Pirates

2011-03-13T18:00:00.000-07:00

Whenever we hang out with our nephew at Papa & Mimi's house, he loooves to play with his Veggietales Pirates. If you've never heard of the Pirates Who Don't Do Anything, this post probably isn't going to make a whole lot of sense to you. But, the hub & I spent the better part of the weekend making felt versions of our nephew's favorite Veggietales.

What we were after...

Larry

Mr. Lunt

Pa Grape

Annnd...

some cheese curls & a rock monster for good measure.

When we finished with the scissors, sewing machine, & felt glue, we were far too excited to just let them sit on the shelf until the next time that we saw him. So, we stopped by to give our nephew his new felt friends.

And, they seemed to be a hit!

Now he just needs a boat that they can all fit in. Hmmm...

Oh, and Ms. Sophie liked the cheese curls, too. :)
The end.

Honey & Rosemary Sweet Potatoes

2011-03-07T12:11:00.000-08:00

We tried a new sweet potato recipe this weekend and it was really good. I didn't have any fresh rosemary on hand. So, I used some from my spice rack. Next time, I think I'd definitely go the fresh route. Other than that, this dish makes for an excellent side. Enjoy!

Honey & Rosemary Sweet Potatoes

2 tbs. olive oil
1/4 cup honey
2 tbs. chopped fresh rosemary
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. black pepper
3 large sweet potatoes, peeled & cut in 1-inch cubes
Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper. Mix the olive oil, honey, rosemary, salt, and black pepper together in a large bowl, and stir the sweet potato cubes in the mixture to coat. Remove sweet potato cubes with a slotted spoon, and arrange in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Bake in the preheated oven until tender, about 45 minutes. Turn oven heat up to 450 degrees and bake until browned, about 15 more minutes.

Bean Taco Filling

2011-03-02T15:49:00.000-08:00

We gave this vegan bean taco filling a try & it got two thumbs up from each of us! I didn't like beans in general as a kid, but they're thankfully growing on me now. This is a pretty quick and easy recipe (especially if you keep pre-chopped veggies in the fridge like we try to do). Top with sour cream, cheese, more salsa...whatever your little heart desires!

Vegan Bean Taco Filling

1 tbs. olive oil

1 onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 bell pepper, chopped

2 (14.5-oz.) cans black beans (drained, rinsed, & mashed)

2 tbs. yellow cornmeal

1 1/2 tbs. cumin

1 tsp. paprika

1 tsp. cayenne pepper

1 tsp. chili powder

1 cup salsa

Directions: Heat olive oil in a medium skillet over medium high heat. Stir in onion, garlic, and bell pepper. Cook until tender. Stir in mashed beans and add cornmeal. Mix in cumin, paprika, cayenne pepper, chili powder, and salsa. Cover and cook for 5 minutes.

Black Pepper Cookies

2011-02-21T10:14:00.000-08:00

When one of my friends posted a photo of a uniquely named cookie on Facebook recently, I knew I wanted to try it, too. Well, he was kind enough to share his recipe for Black Pepper Cookies with me & I finally got around to making them last night.
Deeelish (according to me, the hub, & my co-workers)!

Black Pepper Cookies

Courtesy of Erik Lyday
3 cups flour
1 ½ cups cocoa
1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3 sticks(!) butter
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla
Directions: Mix butter and sugar until smooth. Add flour, cocoa, salt, pepper, & cinnamon and mix well. Finally, add eggs and vanilla. Roll into “logs” on plastic wrap and freeze. When ready to bake, roll in sugar and cut into disks. Bake at 350 for 4 minutes, rotate, and bake for another 4 minutes. I did a test batch of 2 cookies to see if the time was appropriate for the thickness of the cookie disks & I suggest doing the same.
Thanks again for sharing, Erik!

Vegan Lemon Poppy Seed Scones

2011-02-02T11:52:00.000-08:00

Mmmm...

There's nothing quite like baking when you're snowed in, is there? The smell of baked goodies wafting through your home, awakening your senses. Lovely. Just lovely.

I tried out these Vegan Lemon Poppy Seed Scones today and they get two thumbs up. They're a slightly more cakey than sconey as far as texture goes, but I'm not complaining. I had two particularly stubborn lemons that were especially hard to zest. So, I didn't get as much lemony goodness as I would have liked, but they're still great. I made a double batch so that I'd have enough to bring in for my coworkers (hopefully tomorrow) and the changes that I made are reflected in the recipe below. For the original, just click the link!

Vegan Lemon Poppy Seed Scones

4 cups flour

1 1/2 cups sugar

8 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups vegan butter

2 lemons, zested and juiced

3 tablespoons poppy seeds

1/2 cup vanilla almond milk

A little less than 1/2 cup water

Directions: Preheat oven to 400 degrees and grease a baking sheet or cake pan (which is what I used). Sift the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl. Cut in butter until the mixture is the consistency of large grains of sand. Stir in poppy seeds, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Combine the milk and water. Gradually stir it into the dry ingredients until the batter is moistened, but still thick like biscuit dough You may not need all of the liquid. You can then spoon it onto a baking sheet or just pour all of the batter into a cake pan like I did. I baked it for a little over 20 minutes and cut it into individual slices. Enjoy!

Buffalo Tofu

2011-01-15T16:18:00.000-08:00

First of all...

Yum.

Seriously, yum.

The hub whipped up some tofu tonight. After cooking it, he tossed it in some buffalo sauce & we ate it with some celery & ranch. I know that you probably think I'm exaggerating, but it tasted pretty darn close to chicken. Mmmm!

Stuffed Peppers

2011-01-13T08:10:00.000-08:00

One of the best feelings ever = coming home to your apartment building smelling awesome & following the aroma right to your own door. :)
The hub made stuffed peppers last night they were so, so yum! I've always had peppers stuffed with rice, but this recipe called for couscous & it was an excellent way to shake things up a bit. The hub altered the recipe a bit & his changes are reflected below. For the original recipe, click the link!

Stuffed Peppers

3 bell peppers

1 garlic & olive oil flavored box of couscous

1 medium onion, chopped

1/3 cup chopped mushrooms

Handful of chopped carrot

Tomato sauce, to taste

Directions: Cook couscous according to directions on the box. Meanwhile, saute onions, carrots, & mushrooms in a bit of olive oil. Cut the lids off of the peppers and set aside. Clean out the inside of the peppers. Preheat oven to 350 degrees & oil the baking dish. Mix the couscous, veggies, & tomato sauce. Scoop the stuffing into the peppers, replace the tops & set in baking dish. Bake for 45-60 minutes, until the tops are brown & have risen a bit (I think we did about 50-55 minutes). Remove the peppers from the oven, allow to cool slightly, & enjoy!

A Silent Auction

2011-01-09T13:44:00.000-08:00

The hub & I headed up the silent auction at a benefit for a dear friend of ours this weekend that went off without a hitch! We also added a few handmade goodies to the homemade table to sell...

The auction items (people were so stinkin' generous!).

I put up a few yarn wreaths.

And we put out our album art pieces.

I also sold a few mini earring organizers.

All in all, it was a great success & it was so nice to see some of our craft projects bring in donations for a great cause. :)

Sloppy Joes

2011-01-02T15:54:00.000-08:00

We gave these 'snobby joes' a try tonight & they were so yum!

They were a little more time consuming than most of the recipes that I try, but they were perfect for a lazy Sunday afternoon with nothing to do & we probably had two more meals worth of leftovers. :) I cut down the chili powder to 2 tablespoons, but that's the only change I made. We had it on toasted bread topped with a bit of yellow mustard. Mmmm!

Happy New Year!

2011-01-01T07:31:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year, friends!

(One of...) My resolution is to craft more with what I already have. No new supplies, just working with what I already have in my stash to make fun things. We'll see how it goes...
(Darn those JoAnn coupons in my mailbox every week!)

The hub & I kicked off the new year with a simple, super good breakfast.

We made avocado toast.

Mmmm...

So easy.

So yum.

So good for you. :)

What about you, friends? Any resolutions this year?

Garden Pumpkin Soup

2010-12-20T05:19:00.000-08:00

The hub & I had some pumpkin soup recently that was so very yum! When I asked what was in it, I was was told of the Moosewood Restaurant in New York. I got to googling when I got home, found several knock-off recipes, and knew I had to try it for myself. So, without further adieu, I present to you...Garden Pumpkin Soup!

Garden Pumpkin Soup

2 lbs. pumpkin (I used 2 cans of pureed pumpkin)

2 bay leaves

1/4 teaspoon marjoram

1 chopped onion

1/4 teaspoon celery seeds

1 cup canned diced tomatoes (drained of excess juices)

3 garlic cloves

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/3 cup dry white wine

5 cups vegetable broth

1 tablespoon honey

1 cup heavy cream

Salt & pepper to taste

Directions: Place all ingredients besides the cream in a large saucepan. Simmer on medium heat until heated through & well mixed. Remove bay leaves and turn heat to low. Gradually stir in cream and heat through, but do not allow to boil. I'd soften the onion next time by sauteing it a bit before adding it to the soup, but that's the only thing I'd change. :)

Pair it with some day-old bread for dipping and you've got yourself a nice, hearty meal for a cold winter's night!

Christmas Yarn Wreath

2010-12-15T06:33:00.000-08:00

After I decided that I for sure liked my fall yarn wreath, I went ahead and made a Christmas one, too. You're probably wondering what happened to the Christmas wreath that I made last year. Unfortunately, the wreath didn't survive our summer move. But, that's okay because I'm happy with this replacement. :)

Once again, I used this flower as an accent.

The lighting in our apartment is not in any way conducive to taking photos.

Bummer.
In real life, this is much more of a "Christmas red" than "lipstick red"
and I like it. :)

Pumpkin Ravioli

2010-12-13T06:12:00.000-08:00

As soon as I found this recipe for pumpkin ravioli, I knew I had to try it and I'm sooo glad that I did! Not only was it beyond easy to make, but it also made for a perfect cold winter's night kind of meal. You may or may not be able to tell from the photo, but the wonton wrappers turned into more of a dumpling texture. But, I am not complaining! I think it made it even better. Mmmmm!

Pumpkin Ravioli

1 cup canned pumpkin

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

24 wonton wrappers

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup vegetable broth

1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Parsley

Directions: Combine pumpkin, Parmesan cheese, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and pepper. Spoon mixture into the center of each wonton wrapper. Moisten edges of dough with water and bring two opposite sides together to form a triangle, pinching edges to seal. Place ravioli into a large saucepan of boiling water with 1 teaspoon salt and cook for 7 minutes. Drain in colander. Place broth and butter in pan & bring to a boil. Add ravioli, tossing to coat. Sprinkle with parsley.

Christmas Cookies

2010-12-12T18:40:00.000-08:00

I had a holiday baking extravaganza today. I ended up being in the kitchen for something like 6 hours. Exhausting, but totally worth it. I lost count of the cookies, but I made three different kinds and ended up with more than enough for 3 regular-sized tins, 2 small tins, 2 big tins, and 1 ginormous tin.Oh, and I had plenty leftover for the hub, too. I hope the recipients like them. Anyway, these are the varieties that I whipped up this year. Enjoy!

White Chocolate Cranberry Macademia Nut

Chocolate Chip Butterscotch

Courtesy of my mom-in-law

1 cup butter (softened)

1 cup shortening

1 1/2 cup sugar

1 1/2 cup brown sugar (packed)
4 1/2 cups flour

1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoon salt

3 eggs

4 teaspoons vanilla

12 oz. package of chocolate chips

12 oz. packages of butterscotch chips

Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix butter, sugars, eggs, and vanilla thoroughly. Stir in remaining ingredients (For a softer, rounder cookie, add 1/2 cup flour). Drop dough by rounded teaspoon on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 8-10 minutes, or until light brown. Cool slightly before removing from cookie sheet.

Annnnd.... I forgot to take a photo of these, but they were my favorite (& super easy!). I took the advice of some commenters & reduced the amount of flour to 2 cups, but that's the only thing that I changed. YUM!

Almond Shortbread Cookies

Sooo...what are your favorite holiday baked goodies, friends?

Cinnamon Almond Rice Pudding

2010-12-07T03:13:00.000-08:00

The hub & I volunteer at the food pantry at our church on a bi-weekly basis & reeeally love it. A few months ago, I was asked to head up a kind of life skills table there (that we've since dubbed the "Cook's Corner") to demonstrate good ways to use the items that were being distributed. So I, along with a good friend, whip up a new dish every other week using at least one thing that is being passed out that day for people to sample and take home recipe cards to try it for themselves. We've had an over abundance of rice recently & I was asked to come up with something to use it in for the next pantry. Someone suggested rice pudding & I realized that I had never had homemade rice pudding! Crazy. Just crazy. So, I thought I'd try some out tonight. This is a quick & easy kind of version, but it sounded too good to pass up! Plus, I already had everything on hand. I'll probably do a recipe that uses staples like regular milk & sugar for the pantry just to be sure that most people will be able to try it for themselves with what they already have in their cabinets. But, this version was really good. And perfect for a cold winter's night!

Cinnamon Almond Rice Pudding

3/4 cup cooked rice

3/4 cup almond milk (I used vanilla)

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

sliced almonds

honey

Directions: Combine rice, almond milk, and cinnamon in a small saucepan. Turn heat to medium and bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer gently for 4 to 5 minutes, until milk is thicker and rice is a bit creamy. To serve, place in a bowl, top with almonds & drizzle with honey.

Baked French Toast

2010-12-06T04:12:00.000-08:00

We had baked French toast for dinner last night & it was goood. It was my first time baking it & I'd definitely do it again. I mean, who doesn't love breakfast for dinner?!

The recipe that I used was actually for Boozy Baked French Toast, but I altered it a bit. First, I halved it, since it was just for the hub & I. And instead of the Bailey's, I used a teaspoon of almond extract & a teaspoon of vanilla. (On a related note, almond extract is one of my favorite smells in the entire world.) I used vanilla almond milk & since it's sweet enough by itself, I omitted the extra sugar. I also sandwiched some sliced almonds between the bread slices & threw a handful on top for good measure. Add some (non-sifted, if you're lazy like me) powdered sugar & syrup and you're good to go! The end result was French toast that was more of a bread pudding kind of texture instead of what you would expect from traditional French toast. So, consider yourself warned. It's most definitely worth giving it a try, though. I might even switch things up & try some fresh fruit next time. :)

A Christmas Tradition

2010-12-05T05:17:00.000-08:00

I've mentioned before (here & here) that the hub & I have a tradition of making each other a Christmas ornament every year. This time, we decided on making each other gingerbread houses out of felt.

Here are the supplies:

And the final products!

I made the top ornament & the bottom one is the hub's handiwork. These ended up taking us a while longer than we thought they would. I actually started over twice. But, I'm happy with them. I added a little bit of stuffing to mine, but the hub's didn't seem to need it. So, there you have it. The 2010 Stout house Christmas ornaments!

So...

Do you have any special handmade holiday traditions, friends?

Any special treats or diy gifts?

Vegetarian Lasanga

2010-12-04T16:33:00.000-08:00

My awesome mom-in-law has been hosting family dinners once a week and is kind enough to make vegetarian-friendly dishes for us to enjoy. She made this vegetarian lasagna a while back and it was so very good that I had to get the recipe & try it for myself. I'm not a huge black bean fan, but this is seriously goood. The last time I made it, I went ahead & whipped up a second pan to freeze & cook later. I realize that the photo probably isn't the most appetizing thing that you've ever seen, but you'll just have to trust me on this one...

Black Bean Lasagna

from Reader's Digest
9 lasagna noodles
1 large onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp. oil
2 16-oz. cans black beans, rinsed & drained
1 14.5-oz. can diced tomatoes, undrained
2 6-oz. cans tomato paste
1 cup water
2 tbs. minced cilantro
1/4 to 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
4 egg whites, beaten
1 15-oz. carton of reduced fat ricotta cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley (I don't think that I used quite that much)
2 8-oz. cup shredded reduced fat mozzarella cheese blend
Directions: Cook noodles according to package (or use no-boil noodles like I did). Over medium heat, cook onion and garlic in oil until tender. Add beans, tomatoes, tomato paste, water, cilantro, and pepper flakes. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat & simmer uncovered for 15 minutes, or until slightly thickened. In a small bowl, combine egg whites, ricotta, Parmesan, and parsley. Drain noodles. Spread 1/2 cup bean mixture into a 13x9-inch pan coated with cooking spray. Layer with three noodles, a third of the ricotta mixture, a third of remaining bean mixture, and 2/3 cup of cheese blend. Repeat layers twice. Cover & bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes. Uncover & bake10 to 15 minutes longer, or until bubbly. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting.

Artichoke Dip

2010-11-30T04:36:00.000-08:00

We have a tradition (carried over from the hub's family) of making dips & munchie-type foods to eat while we do our Christmas decorating. In the past, a lot of these dishes have had non-vegetarian ingredients. So, we tried something new this year. We had tofu with a variety of dipping sauces. We tried to make gingerbread cookies, but failed miserably. Anyone else have gingerbread dough end up goopy? And we made this artichoke dip, which was horrible for us, but a nice treat. It was especially good on some toasted bread. Enjoy!

Artichoke Dip

1/2 cup mayo (I used lite)

1/2 cup sour cream (I used lite)

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 (14-oz.) can artichoke hearts, drained

1/2 cup minced red onion

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Salt & pepper to taste

Directions: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a medium-size mixing bowl, stir together mayo, sour cream, Parmesan cheese, and onion. When these ingredients are combined, mix in artichoke hearts, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Transfer mixture to a shallow baking dish. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes, or until light brown on top.

Green Monster

2010-11-22T04:23:00.000-08:00

What did you have for breakfast this morning?

The hub made me this.

kale + banana + peanut butter + almond milk = green monster smoothie

It wasn't as smooth as I normally like my smoothies, but the taste was good. Really, all I could taste was the peanut butter and banana. But, I'm going to try to stick with it this week (at least until we travel out of town for Thanksgiving) & see if it really does give me the energy boost that it's supposed to.

Have ya'll ever tried a green monster?

An Early Thanksgiving

2010-11-15T13:25:00.000-08:00

We are doing Thanksgiving with the hub's family this year. So, my meat-and-potatoes family made the trip from Illinois to Michigan for an early Thanksgiving this past weekend. They were a little nervous at the thought of having a vegetarian Thanksgiving, but it went off without a hitch! (They even tried tofu while they were here!) And we got to test out a few new recipes that will definitely be making the regular rotation. Enjoy!

The Menu:

lentil loaf, mashed potatoes, cornbake, green bean casserole, cornbread stuffing, veggies, salad, rolls, and banana pudding & pumpkin pie for dessert! Plus, we had a variety of yummy appetizers sitting out before the meal, including spinach dip, a cheese ball, crackers, Chex mix, ya know, the usual appetizery goodness.

For the main dish, we tried out this lentil loaf and it was so yuuuummm. I followed the recipe exactly (besides putting a bit of BBQ on top) & it came out a little dry. Next time, I'll at least double the amount of crushed tomatoes. I had some of it cold the next day & I bet it would make an excellent meatloaf-type sandwich.

And since Thanksgiving just isn't Thanksgiving without good old fashioned pumpkin pie...

we had some of that, too!

But, we used this recipe, which incorporated tofu. I used soft tofu for one pie & it was perfect. I used silken tofu for the other & it was good, but the texture was a little bit off. (The above photo was the silken tofu.) Additionally, I used 2 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice and 1 teaspoon cinnamon for the spices. This was so easy & yummy that we'd be crazy not to make it again. For realz.

I think our first vegetarian Thanksgiving was a success & I'm super excited to try the new recipes again soon. What about you, friends? What dish on the table makes Thanksgiving Thanksgiving for you?

For me, it's the cornbake. :)

Tofu

2010-11-01T17:12:00.000-07:00

The hub & I were once intimidated, but we've acquired a newfound confidence that has us cooking tofu about once a week. So easy, versatile, & yummy! So far, this has been our favorite recipe. We've changed it quite a bit from the original to make it easier & more cost effective.

Breaded, Fried, Softly Spiced Tofu

16-oz. package extra-firm tofu, drained and pressed
Olive oil for frying
1/2 cup flour
Salt, pepper, garlic powder, chili powder, to taste
Directions: Freeze tofu & thaw completely (this step is optional, but it gives the tofu a more 'meaty' texture). Cut tofu into 1/2-inch slices and then again in 1/2-inch wide sticks. Put several paper towels on a plate, place tofu on top in a single layer, top with more paper towels and an additional plate. Place some kind of weight on top to press the water out (a carton or two of almond milk works great!). Mix the the flour & spices (I really just eyeball everything). Toss the tofu pieces with the flour mixture & fry them in a bit of olive oil. Ta-da!

The hub and I have been whipping this up with a bit of rice and having a 'dip sampler' of sorts for the tofu sticks. So far, spicy mustard & teriyaki sauce are the favorites. :)