DIY Nuts Bracelet

Maybe it's the mild weather that came through this weekend, or the daylight savings-leap forward that granted a little extra evening sunshine,

whatever the reason....I have been inspired. 

I got my crafty kick back (it was on hiatus). I have seen the hex-nut bracelet floating around a few blogs and Pinterest, it's been on my  DIY to-do list for weeks.  I finally bolted (pun intended) to Lowe's and picked up a box of nuts for less than 5 bucks, I already had the fabric cut and ready to go from another project! I have quite a few nuts left so these bracelets will certainly be gifted to a few friends. 

 

This bracelet is as easy as it looks, as you perform a simple braid slide on a nut, and continue to braid adding as many metal nuts as you like. 

Fettuccini Alfredo Remix-30 Calorie Sauce

The other day I put on a pair of pants and to my surprise I couldn't close them. Ugh. How did this happen!?! When did this happen!?! Immediately I began to evaluate what I was eating and how it changed so much so that my clothes weren't fitting. I could not figure out where all the extra calories were slipping into my diet. In an effort to regain control I signed up on myfitnesspal.com, which has been helpful. I have also begun the Turbo Jam series; I will update you on that later.

In order to reduce calories yet eat yummy foods I have been finding ways to alter my favorite recipes.  

I was up late, late, late, last night and was slow to rise this morning (it was barely morning), around 2:30 pm my belly roared "feed me!" So I stared into the abyss of my frig trying to figure out what I could make relatively quickly and easily-PASTA! You know I love fresh pasta, specifically from Raffettos, last time I was there I picked up some amazing rosemary fettuccini, I decided that would be my linner or dunch.

I never order any dishes with alfredo sauce or cream sauce when I'm at restaurants because I know it has a million calories and a pound of fat. I can't even think of the last time I had fettuccini alfredo. Today!

Well sort of, I used Trader Joe Reduced Gilt Spinach & Kale dip, which has only 30 calories for two tbsp! Yep, two tbsp. I sauteed some spinach, bok choy, and kale and grilled half of Field Roast sausage topping it off with a little grated paremesan. This meal comes in at less than 400 calories which isn't bad for my first and main meal of the day (I will have a salad later this evening).  The dip is quite tasty, which was a pleasant surprise, I will incorporate it into a few more dishes in the coming weeks. I'd even warm it up and use it as dip for my brocolli...hmm, that might be my evening snack tonight. 

Cheesy Hearts

So I am not really into Valentines Day, however...I do love a theme! So it's VDay week and I decided to make a special dinner in the spirit of the holiday. I tried something new.  I like cheese chips and have made them a few times, I figured this would be the perfect topper to my VDay salad.  Here's my effort...

Shredded good quality parmesan on unbleached parchment paper, scattered flat, baked at 300F for 10-15 minutes. I have also had success using grated parmesan. While that was cooking I prepared the heart template by cutting it out of parchment paper.

After they had browned only slightly I took them out of the oven. Using kitchen shears and placing the template on top of the cooked cheese I cut out the heart. You will want to move quickly at this step because the warmer/softer cheese is easier to shape-if you can take them out of the oven one at time then shape them each, that would be ideal.

*Note, you can use any hard cheese you prefer avoid oily cheeses like swiss though.

As I said, there was a theme, so we had a heart shaped pizza from a local pizza shoppe, the pizza was a little pricey and the crust was about three times the thickness I prefer, but it was heart shape and fresh.

I also picked up some heart shape spinach ravioli from Raffetto (best fresh pasta market in NYC).  I wanted to prepare the ravioIi as an appetizer so I decided to oven "fry" them in order to keep the calorie count in check. They turned out delicious and the prep was quite simple, here is my method:

• Boil & cool the pasta.
• Dip the pasta in the a mixture of lite italian dressing (1 cup) and an egg, dash of salt and pepper.
• Then dip the pasta into a mixture of italian seasoned bread crumbs
• Place on an oiled baking pan, and lightly coat the ravioli using spray olive oil 
• Preheated 350 degree oven, 15 mins until brown, keep a close eye on it
• Serve with warm marinara

We sipped on strawberry lemonade with frozen berries, yes the pink/red theme continued, dessert was prosecco with scoops of  blood orange sorbet. All in all everything was pretty good and we had a really fun night, which is all that really matters anyway.

Hmm....I think I have some sorbet left....so I'm out! Hope you have a great Vday.

Stuffed baked apple

Got a call from my mom this week and she suggested I core and bake an apple, fill it with oatmeal, top it with yogurt and a little maple syrup. It was the perfect late breakfast weekend treat. Of course I altered it a bit, I used vanilla yogurt, and topped it with hazelnut agave and chopped pecans. 

DIY Sequin Maxi...Shine bright like a....

A little over a month ago, I came across the Filles e Papa Gina maxi skirt and knew immediately I had to have it. The skirt sold out pretty quickly and the price caused me to hesitate and miss out. After speaking with my sewing instructor/friend she seemed confident that we could tackle it together. Again I was hesitant, but figured...why not? The sequin material proved to be quite tricky but I love the way it turned out. The cut is slightly different from the muse, and my version has an exposed rear zipper, a straighter line cut.


The best part is that I made it and I love it....this is the exact reason I began sewing in the first place!

It debuted New Years 2013.


I plan on making another with more muted sequins and a different pattern....soon to come.

Holiday Glitter & Gold

Holidays, friends, and shiny things go hand in hand. 

I held a somewhat impromptu holiday party (2 week notice..eek). Immediately after sending out the invite I realized there was absolutely nothing festive about my home. I had a few days to get it in gear...and I didn't want to spend much money.  As a kid I used to make ornaments, wreaths, etc. so why not now? I surfed Pinterest and found a few good ideas that I tweaked, once combined with string lights the mood was set. Full on holiday festivities!

Gold folded paper trees, lights, and ol' school fold & cut gold painted snowflakes that were hung from metallic foil ribbon for a shimmery winter wonderland feel.

I had a lonely cakestand that I filled with ornaments and placed on the serving table.

I am not sure.

I am not good at grudges, I either want to fix it or move on from the offender.
I am not good at pretending to be mad when I really don’t care.
I am quite sensitive.
I am sarcastic, it maybe a mechanism. I am not sure.
My jokes are corny and I’m always laughing hysterically before I finish them.
My dreams change, they’ve never had just one component, but instead mixed parts and alternate options.
I’m learning to trust myself more, trust my knees to keep me standing.