Oatmeal on the Go

I am not one of those people who can get away without breakfast in the morning. I typically have cereal and toast with juice, but sometimes I'm running really late. Or, I just feel like choosing something healthier to start my day off right. Ok...who am I kidding? It's because I'm running really late.

I found a picture on Pinterest of someone who was making her own make and take oatmeal in jars, so I gave it a try and can say it's pretty great! A 1/2 cup of oatmeal with add ins fits perfectly in pint sized jar and is just the right amount to keep me going till lunch.

This is my set up station where I put out everything I'll need to make 6-8 jars of oatmeal. I use freeze dried fruit, nuts, oatmeal and coconut all from Trader Joes, I am partial to good chocolate, so I also have my large bag of Ghirardelli chocolate chips at hand. I realize this takes my oatmeal from healthy to...somewhere less than healthy, but it tastes soo good.

I like the following combinations (pictured left to right): 

1. Raspberries & Chocolate Chips
2. Blueberries & Vanilla Powder
3. Bananas, Walnuts, Coconut Chips & Chocolate Chips *my favorite!!!!
4. Strawberries & Vanilla Powder
5. Apples, Walnuts & Cinnamon

I add these combos to pint sized jars along with a 1/2 cup of instant / rolled oats and about a Tbsp of raw sugar (less if I'm using chocolate chips).

I top them all with reusable lids and store them in my pantry for "one of those" mornings. When ready to eat, I add 1 Cup of very hot water (preferably boiling) and wait 15 min for the oats to plump up. It's something easy I can grab and either add water too and eat in the car, or wait till I get to work. They are great to grab when going on a trip, or kept handy as a snack before hitting the gym, when I know I'm going to be home late. They are really easy to put together with whatever flavors you like, and taste great.

Besides the vanilla powder, which is pretty expensive and somewhat hard to find locally, the rest of the ingredients are very affordable, especially buying all of the freeze dried fruit from Trader Joes. A little vanilla powder goes a long way, so try just a little, maybe a 1/4 to a 1/2 tsp and see how you like it.

What other combinations do you think would be tasty?

Strawberry Mug Cake

Confession: I have a sweet tooth. Since I was a kid, I've always enjoyed an after dinner treat. It just doesn't feel right to close out the day without ending on a sweet note, especially after a bad or difficult day. I can usually get by with a bit of chocolate or a cookie, but lately...I've been indulging in mug cakes.

I'm not sure who first came up with the idea, but they deserve an award. Mug cakes are a perfect portion for one and are super quick to put together. After about 5 minutes of prep and mixing, and 1 minute of microwave baking, out comes a piping hot delicious cake!

I found these adorable little mugs at Jo-Ann. I thought they might be too small for most mug cake recipes, but they are perfect. It helps to have a mug with a narrower bottom so these are just right.

Spring is in the air and soon local strawberries will be filling the market shelves. I had a bit leftover from some strawberry shortcake I'd made, so I modified a mug cake recipe into this yummy strawberry version and topped with a dollop of vanilla ice cream.

Strawberry Mug Cake - adapted from 5-Minute Mug Cakes by, Jennifer Lee

4 Tbsp - All-Purpose Flour
1/4 Tsp - Baking Powder
1 1/2 Tbsp - Sugar
3 Tbsp - Almond Milk (you can substitute with regular)
1/4 Tbsp - Canola Oil
1 Tbsp - Finley Chopped Strawberry (about 1 berry)

Mix all of the ingredients, except for the strawberry in a mug with a small whisk until combined. Stir in the strawberries. Bake in microwave for 1 minute. If top is still wet, bake in 15 second intervals until top is mostly dry and cake-like.

Don't panic if the cake starts to grow above the rim of the mug - it will shrink back once it starts to cool.

Enjoy!

Do you eat dessert every day? most days? What is your favorite go-to treat?

My Box Card Addiction

I have been using my Cricut Explore Air for several months and am amazed every time I use it. Cricut recently released a Box Card cartridge: All Occasion Box Cards by designer Lori Whitlock that I fell in love with as soon as I saw it. Box cards are like magic. You fold them flat (so yes, you can MAIL them!) and then push them into a box shape to reveal their amazing layered splendor. I made the birthday box card (sorry, I took really bad photos of that card) and this Valentine's Day card for my Great Aunt.

This was also my first attempt at inking edges so some of it was overdone. I hand-embossed the clouds and hearts, which came out so cute - definitely nice to add dimension! I also added a shiny little gemstone to the end of the propeller.

The Cricut cartridge is great, but they are fairly simple and need added embellishments to really make them stand out. Alternatively, there are many designers setting the bar higher and higher for paper crafting. If you've never visited SVGCuts, you're seriously missing out. Mary is a designing genius and takes 3d paper projects to the next level. I let out a little squeal of delight when I saw she'd made a whole spring box card kit. I set to work right away making the tulip card for my husband's grandmother.

 

I added the little Spring sign with a random Cricut tag and some pretty blue ribbon. I tried inking the edges of the leaves, but it didn't have the look I was going for. I was still very happy with how it came out and his grandmother loved it.

Also in the SVGCuts kit is this amazing pansy card. It looks super complicated, but is straight forward to put together (you'll need brads in yellow and /or purple). I hand-inked and shaped all of the petals and used colored pencils to make the little lines near the center of the flower. This card has a bit more bulk, so it'd be better to mail this with other items in a box or larger padded envelope. My husbands' mom was the recipient in celebration of her 70th birthday, so I was able to hand it to her in person. This card has some SERIOUS wow factor.

Have you made box cards? If so, comment below with a link to your pictures / blog. I'd love to see them and get more creative inspiration!

It's been a while!

I can't believe it's been 6 years since I've posted to my blog. A lot has happened in those 6 years and when I look back over the earlier posts, I really don't even feel like the same person I was back then. Grief and tragedy have a way of sucking the life right out of ya. (can I get an amen?) I'm hoping that by trying to blog again, I will feel that I'm holding myself accountable - even if just to a handful of visitors.

So here's to new beginnings and new adventures. Because life is worth living.

Swap Package Received!

I signed up for a secret swap on Ravelry called "Soul Food Swap." The idea is to swap yarn, food goodies, and kitchen gadgets with another like-minded Raveler. I sent a package to NY and got one from VA! It was VERY fun! My spoiler turned out to be Amy (a.k.a. DeathByYarn). Here are some pictures of me opening my box and all the goodies that were inside!

I arrived home from work on a rainy, cruddy night to find a surprise swap package!

I couldn't wait to get my package open! Cunningham was excited too.

Everything was wrapped in pretty pink tissue.

Mmmmm! Choco covered beans!!

The yarn is BEYOND gorgeous! Amy got me Cascade Heritage hand painted sock yarn in hues of red and dark purple. I love love love it!

My swap pal sent a mix of some of her favorite songs - what a nice idea! I also received recipes for Amy's Super Bean Chili, Cous Cous-Stuffed Spaghetti Squash, Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars, and Fried Potatoes & Veggies! Thanks so much for passing along your favorite vegetarian recipes Amy - they sound awesome.

Sorry buddy, only treats for me this time.

Other goodies included Earl Gray Tea, a tea scoop, a pretty pattern called Loopy Laces Toe-Up Socks, adorable licorice scottie dogs, pumpkin scone mix and a nice card. My first swap experience was beyond what I expected - thanks SO much Amy!

Sole Food Swap Q&A

I'm participating in my first swap on Ravelry! It sounded like so much fun I couldn't pass it up. These questions and answers are for whoever gets my name:

1. What weight of sock yarn do you generally prefer (fingering, sport, or DK?)
   I've only worked with fingering and sport weight but I'm open to anything.
   

2. What is your favorite type of yarn to knit with?
   I tend to lean towards superwash wool with nylon but like cotton as well.
   

3. Are there any brands of sock yarn that you have wanted to work with but have not had the chance?
   I'm easy - if it's pretty I'll use it!
   

4. What colors do you like?
   Blue, purple, dark reds and greens but I have a lot of this in my stash. I enjoy variegated and self-striping, as well as solids for intricate patterns.
   

5. What colors do you not like?
   I can't imagine I'd ever like orange socks and I have issues with some browns / golds.
   

6. What type of recipes do you usually cook with?
   I'm a vegetarian (no meat / fish) so I enjoy cooking pasta, rice, and vegetable dishes.
   

7. What type of recipes do you usually bake with?
   Baking is my favorite!! I love love love to bake. I enjoy making cookies the most, but bars, muffins, pies, tarts, bread are right up my alley too.
   

8. What is your favorite food?
   Bread and pasta with chocolate cream pie for dessert. *ok, I'm drooling now*
   

9. Are you a tea or coffee drinker?
   Tea and hot chocolate! I don't touch coffee but for some reason don't mind eating the beans when they're smothered in chocolate.
   

10. What type of sweets do you like?
    mmmm - I have a serious sweet tooth. Chocolate is my favorite (especially dark) but anything goes.
    

11. Does your kitchen have a theme?
    Nah - my kitchen is very eclectic.
    

12. Do you have any allergies (to food, fibers, pets, etc) or diet restrictions?
    Just that I'm a vegetarian. I eat cheese but only bake with eggs and milk (for example, I don't eat quiche or milkshakes). I pretty much have a 4 egg limit on baked goods - else they start tasting too "eggy" for me. I also stay clear of anything that has gelatin because it's an animal product. Unfortunately, this rules out everything with marshmallows, Skittles, Starburst and almost anything gummy (bears, worms, etc). Although swedish fish are fine - strange!
    

13. Is there anything else you would like your pal to know?
    I'm super excited to be participating in this swap! I can't wait to get to know you and see what kind of cool stuff you've chosen for me! You can find loads more about me from my Ravelry profile, projects and stash.
    

I Have a Disease - Webs Tent Sale 5/17/09

So, of course I don't need more yarn. I have more yarn than I clearly know what to do with. It's mostly stuffed in the closet out of the way, but then I have bunches here and there through out the apartment because it won't fit nicely into the closet! I also have projects in various states of completion that take up even more space! I have made the bathroom off limits (eeeww that'd be gross) but there is literally yarn in every other room of my living space (and my cube at work).


Admitting I have a problem is the first step, right? Somehow I can't seem to make it past that first step and found myself dancing and singing my way to the Webs tent sale yesterday. Oh my - it was amazing. My husband drove us there (so I could knit on the way, of course) and we arrived at 9:30. The sale was scheduled to start at 10:00 but there were already hungry looking women devouring the sale tables. There were bags of great yarn at very reasonable prices and even more inside that you didn't have to buy as a 10 pack! Amazingly, there were even some boxes of free yarn that they put out every now and then. I tried to be good but I did end up with more than I thought I would.

I was there for about 3 1/2 hours and it was packed by the time I left. The Webs employees definitely deserve some time off for all the hard work they put in this weekend. Despite the crowds they were smiling and helpful the whole time I was there.

In addition to the sale, they had a Fleece Market featuring some of the local sheep and alpaca fleece vendors. Most of the roving was natural but Jean Willmann (S. Deerfield, MA) had some beautifully dyed fleece (pictured right) that made me want to learn how to spin.

After an exhausting but blissful shopping experience, we headed over to Cafe Evolution in Florence, MA. It's a vegan cafe / restaurant that serves up some good food! I had the peanut noodles (yum) and my husband got a burrito made with sheese. A trip there wouldn't be complete without a sweet vegan treat. I opted for the chocolate mint cupcake but the chocolate peanut butter and pistachio cupcakes looked really good too!

When I arrived home and emptied out my bags I was a bit aghast at the increase to my stash and what this means for my storage options. I'm thinking if I move my husband's computer area to the basement I could create a cozy craft corner! (With that much alliteration it has to be a good idea!) If you click on the picture you'll get a larger view of my new stash items and Cunningham surveying the damage.

Spring Déjà Vu & Nest Fodder Status

My husband bought me some really pretty tulips the other night. I'm not sure if it was a mistake or a bonus, but there's a pretty pink flower among the orange ones! So pretty! Especially on these cold and raw days.

April means fundraising time and last year I blogged about making Chocolate Chip Cranberry Cheese Bars for the antique appraisal day that our Friends of the Library was hosting. I was really annoyed at the thought of baking something that would dirty lots of bowls last night but recalled that these bars were pretty easy and had gone over well. I pulled up my post and what do you know?! - A few slight recipe modifications and I was in business and having a major case of déjà vu!

Now onto the most important news: my yarn suet-feeder nest maker thingy!! (I seriously need to come up with a name for this - any ideas??) I've been watching the holder closely over the last two weeks and am sad to say there hasn't been any notable activity. It's still early though! We have just begun Spring and there are many nests to be made!!