Peanut Butter Bliss Pudding

I was sooo sick for a few days recently.  It  hit me out of the blue; I have no idea where it came from!  Usually the kiddos bring something home from Sunday School or a visit with other kids and pass it on, but this time it only affected me.  Luckily Phil was able to stay home for a whole day because I was seriously out-of-commission – weak, dizzy, nauseous.  Let’s just say the potty and I became intimately acquainted; I told Phil if I get sick like this every couple of months it might help me keep the weight off! 

There was a brief period where I thought I would never like food again.  Just the smell of anything made me feel like throwing up.  Fortunately – or perhaps unfortunately? – my appetite has returned and I tried a new recipe.

After watching “Forks Over Knives,” a documentary on plant-based diets, I decided to check some of their recommended cookbooks out of the library.  First up was Blissful Bites by Christy Morgan.  I’m not crazy about the amount of recipes containing tofu since it’s not a staple in our diet due to my concern over soy products, but I decided a little bit wouldn’t hurt.  I made my own version of Peanut Butter-Like Mousse, cutting it in half since I only had one package of tofu.

1 package tofu 
1/3-1/2c natural peanut butter (honestly, I didn’t measure!)
1/2c rapadura (maple syrup would be heavenly, though I’d use less)
1/2T tapioca flour 
1t vanilla extract
pinch sea salt

Blend everything in a food processor, scraping down sides as necessary, until smooth.  Chill.  Of course, I licked the spatula and it tasted great as-is, but it’s nice cold from the fridge as well.  And what pairs perfectly with peanut butter?  Chocolate!  I topped mine with dark chocolate chips and added sliced bananas for the kiddos.

 

I’m so bummed that I had to return the book to the library before I had a chance to try some more of the recipes, but I did find some online and am eager to try Coconut Bliss Granola and Sage-Infused Polenta Fries.

Sewing: Another Knitting Needle Roll

A longtime friend-of-the-family has a birthday coming up.  She moved away a number of years ago but has always kept in touch, sending us beautiful handmade creations when we had our kiddos.  I decided it was high time I gave her a little somethin’ handmade!

I love my knitting needle roll, and since she also loves to knit, I figured she might appreciate one for her stash of needles.  Since I already practiced the pattern on myself I knew what to expect and it came out much nicer this time. 

 
 

I filled the top pockets with needles for the sake of the photo, but I found a bunch of extras for the lower pockets – some of them vintage from my grandmother’s stash! – in my collection to pass on.  Again, I used Made by Loulabelle’s tutorial with a few tweaks of my own, and I got the pockets right this time!  I wanted to personalize it, so I put together a little quilt tag and and finished it off with some freehand embroidery.

If I ever get my Etsy shop up and running again, I’d love to sell some of these.

Sexy, Slimming, Flattering… too-small-for-me bathing suit for sale

*UPDATE: Happily, I sold this bathing suit and am awaiting the arrival of a size 14 in turquoise blue.   

I was so excited when I checked the mail this afternoon – the package with my new bathing suit had arrived!  I don’t normally get excited about bathing suits… er, I mean, I don’t ever get excited about bathing suits… but this one was actually flattering.

See all that wrapping and shirring and hiding of the hips?  It’s a Jantzen Vamp Maillot 1-Piece Swimsuit, size 12.  Unfortunately… I should have ordered a size larger. *sigh*  So, I have this beautiful new bathing suit that I can’t use and can’t return since I bought it off eBay. 

I do love this style and am hoping to get a larger size if and when this one sells.  If by chance you love this bathing suit I thought I’d let you know: it’s for sale!  I have an ebay listing now, in case you’re interested.

Fluffy Chocolate Yogurt with Chocolate Granola

I’m always on the lookout for healthy-yet-yummy snacks or desserts for us.  I don’t usually buy packaged items at the grocery store, but whenever we pass the Jell-O section at the grocery store Josiah says “jelly! jelly!” (he can’t seem to get the “o” on the end).  I sometimes let them pick one of the sugar-free varieties, and last week we picked one out and I got some whipping cream to make fresh whipped cream (though I almost got lazy and bought Cool Whip). 

We had some leftover whipped cream after using up the Jell-O and then I remembered a recipe for Chocolate Delight Yogurt that I had pinned a while ago while on the lookout for yogurt ideas.  It’s just one recipe among a slew of other yummy yogurt concoctions like Red Grapes with Nut Butter Yogurt Dip, Banana Nut Butter Honey Yogurt, Banana Split Yogurt and Mint Chocolate Chip Yogurt. 

So I mixed some homemade yogurt with homemade chocolate syrup then folded in the leftover whipped cream (in a 1:1 ratio with the yogurt – probably a cup or so of each).  The night before I made a batch of chocolate granola (using the greater amount of oats and less sweetener), which I sprinkled on top of the yogurt – soooo goooo!  The kiddos and I gobbed it all up. 

*See my Snacks and Dessert Pinterest boards for more inspiration.   

Gwen’s New Dress-Up Station

Gwen loves to play dress-up and does so at least once a day.  I’ve organized her array of costumes and accessories a number of times – from storing everything in my grandmother’s old trunk to hanging them on a rack and storing items in fabric bins on shelves

I loved the look of the trunk at the foot of her bed, but she had a habit of throwing everything in there willy-nilly and the kiddos would slam the lid shut, which I was afraid would one day render them fingerless.  I’m always trying to find The Perfect Solution!

Hello, Pinterest, I love your ideas!  I had seen different versions of dress up stations but when I saw this I knew we had a winner.  And as luck would have it, we just so happened to have an old bureau in the basement. 

Phil removed all the drawers except one on the bottom, fixed the top that was broken, put beadboard on the inside and painted it all white, painted the inside and drawer face purple, then put a rod on the inside for hanging clothes.  I wanted to change the drawer pulls but he hadn’t bothered to fill the original holes so I just went along with it.  

I love the results and want to add hooks or knobs to the side for hanging things like her dancing ribbons and jewelry, maybe a mirror like in the inspiration photo.  When it was done I couldn’t wait to organize the contents!  Phil told me I had to wait until after dinner.

Now, what to do with all those extra drawers…