I like this.

Muffins That Won't Give You a Muffin Top

So I found this recipe online from iVillage. I have modified it slightly to my own liking. I am trying to eat much cleaner and cut out the processed foods but since I have a sweet tooth, that is more and more difficult. I made these muffins as a lo-cal alternative to breakfast or to dessert. Also, looking back at the recipe, looks like I forgot the salt. Good thing they still taste good! (1 tsp salt if you would like to make it correctly).

Ingredients:
1/2 Cup Rolled Oats
1 Cup light soy milk (I use soy since I'm lactose intolerant)
1 Cup Whole Wheat Flour
1 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Baking Soda
1 tsp Cinnamon
1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
1/2 Cup Applesauce - I used no sugar added
1 Egg
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
1/2 cup Blueberries
1 pack of 1.5 oz Granola, Flax Seed and Blueberry (or whatever else you like). I used Back to Nature

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 and grease muffin tins
2. Add Granola, Rolled Oats, and Milk in a Bowl
3. Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and brown sugar (no salt mentioned here, thats probably why I forgot it)
4. Stir in milk mixture, applesauce, egg, and vanilla
5. Fold in blueberries
6. Pour into muffin tin
7. Bake for 30 minutes
8. Enjoy!

Per Muffin

Grey Knit Infinity Scarf

I made a scarf. I have actually been working on this for like a year but I ran out of yarn and put it down. So I finally finished.

I used Lion Brand Wool and it took me 3 balls or yarn.

I cast on 28 stitches and 4 K then 4 P until I got to the end. Then I sewed the two ends together to make an infinity scarf.

Easy Peasy!

Pizza Bake

My second freezer meal was the Pizza Bake. This is modified slightly too. I used ground turkey instead of ground beef. I was impressed with this meal all well. I thawed before I cooked. I forgot the pepperonis when I froze it (scwhoops), so I just added those late. I did half this recipe and it lastest a few days. Also, I am lactose intolerant I subbed out the cheese for veggie cheese (I used the Veggie Shreds and it came out fine).

I served with green beans and I topped it with some parmesan cheese and crushed red peppers.

Slow Cooker Pizza Bake Recipe {Freezer Meal}

- 1 1/2 lbs. ground turkey 

- 1 medium onion (optional), diced

- 1 green bell pepper, diced

- 8 oz sliced pepperoni

- 4 oz (1 cup) shredded mozzarellacheese

- 8 oz (2 cups) shredded cheddarcheese

- 12 oz Rigatoni noodles,cooked                 

- 15 oz pizza sauce

- 26 oz Spaghetti sauce

1. Brown meat, onion and pepper infrying pan.

2. Drain grease and add pizza sauce and spaghetti sauce

3. Combine all ingredients in a large crock pot (spray with non-stick spray first).

4. Cook on HIGH for 30minutes and then LOW for 2 or 3 hours until the cheese melts.

Note:  This makes a lot offood, so I usually freeze half before cooking it.  Later it can be thawed and cooked in the slow cooker as directed above.

Per Serving (makes 12)

Purple People Bridge and Yeatman's Cove

There were not filters used on these. Just a gorgeous day in Cincinnati.

Knit Leg Warmers

So it has been so cold lately and I haven't able to find any "boot socks" I like, so I decided to make some leg warmers.

I used Lion Brand Wool, color Fisherman. I used circular needles size 11.

Directions to make these:
1. Cast on 28 stitches
2. 1 K, 1 P around for 10 rows
3. Continue to knit for 50-60 rows (depending on how tall you are)
4. 1 K, 1 P for 10 more rows
5. Cast off
6. Repeat to make the other leg

Brown Sugar Chicken

So I on my second meal, my first frozen. This one was delicious as well! I had to stop myself from overeating. Below is the recipe that I used. I slightly modified it from the original. I would also recommend shredding the chicken in the crockpot before you serve. That way the inside of the chicken can take in the juice.

I served this with Cous Cous and Broccoli.

Brown Sugar Chicken - prep/no cooking, freeze in bag

- 4 chicken breasts 

- 1 cup brown sugar

- 1/4 cup sprite

- 2/3 cup vinegar 

- 3 cloves smashed and chopped garlic

- 2 T soy sauce 

- 1 tsp ground black pepper

1. Use a 4 quart crockpot for this recipe. 

2. Plop the chicken into yourcrockpot. Cover with the brown sugar, pepper, chopped garlic, and soy sauce.

3. Add the vinegar, and pour in the soda. It will bubble!

4. Cover and cook on lowfor 6-9 hours, or on high for 4-5. The chicken is done when it is cooked through and has reached desired consistency. The longer you cook it, the more tender it will be.

Perot Museum

When I was in Dallas last, I tried to go to the Perot Museum of Nature and Science. However, the tickets were completely sold out for the day. The building itself is an awesome piece of architecture and I snapped a few pictures.

Black and White Squares

This is a drawing that I completed awhile ago. I was cleaning out my closet at my parents house and it was in there. It is actually one of my favorites. It is made using charcoal and gesso.

Newport Aquarium

Here are some of my favorites from the aquarium!

Beads Drawing

This is another one of the drawing that I worked on while ago. It is made with pastels and its inspiration was my bread collection.

Frying Turkeys

This is my first time frying turkeys. It took a few hours and it was totally worth it!

Plate Gift Card

As a gift for a wedding, we got the couple a cooking class for the two of them so that they can learn how to use all those fancy new kitchen gifts.

So rather than just putting it into an envelop, I wanted to think of some creative way to present it. My solution was to matte the gift card and then glue it to the plate.

Wa-lah!

Christmas Lights

Beautiful lights :)

Fake Flower Vases

During Ceramics class, I used a mold of a Hypnotic bottle to make these vases. I cast several and then glazed them in a spectrum of blues and greens. I placed dried flowers (and some fake flowers) into the vase.

Sushiforlife

There is this place downtown that is awesome for sushi. My mouth is watering already!

Poker Chip Frame

As the only right brained person in my family, I am always asked to do the creative things. My brother for Christmas asked if I could figure out if there was something to do with all of his Las Vegas poker chips. So I decided to create something he could hang on the wall.

Supplies:
-Poker Chips
-Shadowbox Frame
-2" Circle Cutter
-Matte Paper ( I chose red and grey)
-Photo matte paper (I chose black)
-Glue dots
-Exacto knife
-Ruler

Step 1:  Use the exacto and the knife to cut the photo matte paper to the size of the shadowbox frame

Step 2:  Use the circle cutter to cut out the number of circles for the chips you have

Step 3:  Figure out how you would like to arrange the chips within the frame. I chose to organize mine by white and blue

Step 4:  Use the glue dots to adhere the chips to the paper, then the paper to the matte

Step 5:  Put together the frame

Newport Aquarium

The Newport Aquarium is slightly over priced but it was so cool. I will have a more robust post when I upload the pictures from my camera but here is a peek. Also, there is a penguin encounter that I really want to go back and do!

KitchenAid Peanut Butter Cookies

I used my mixer for the first time today! I made peanut butter cookies. For two reasons, one, I didn't have to go to the grocery store because I had all the ingredients in my cupboard and two, because I have a minor obsession with peanut butter.

Here is the recipe. It came straight from the KitchenAid cookbook so I can take no credit here for baking creativity.

Ingredients

1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/4 cup flour


Preheat oven to 375 degrees

1. Mix the peanut butter and butter, blend

2. Add sugars, egg and vanilla, beat well

3. Add remaining ingredients, beat

4. Roll cookie dough into 2 inch balls and place on cookie sheet

5. Make a Criss-Cross pattern with the tongs of a fork

6. Sprinkle sugar on top of the cookies (I added this part :) )

7. Enjoy!



Pictures Below