A New Meal and Finally, Park Season!

A simple simple dinner that I like to make at the end of the week. Saute all left over veggies in olive oil. I had a couple carrots, celery, onion, garlic and kale. Add 1.5 cups green lentils, stir for a minute. Add 3 cups water, curry, cumin, salt and black pepper. Cover and cook until lentils are done. (35mins?) I don't have any exact measurements or times because I like to cook improve. If you do serve it with beets, as picture, you want to start boiling those before cutting any veggies.They typically take anywhere from 45-75mins depending on size. YUM! I topped it with a scoop of plain yogurt which I must admit I had to work up to. I always grew up eating yogurt sweet with berries or granola but I highly recommend trying it with this dish.

Friday the kids and I went to The Bellevue Botanical Gardens and enjoyed the fresh air even if it seemed we only walked about 100ft. I went back Saturday with middle school bff Bailey and actually got to see the whole thing. Beautiful!

For Sara Because She Often Listens To Me

Once a week meal posts. My dear Sister flatters me with her compliments of my cooking. She requested I post some of the things I've been cooking up. I don't usually make up my own recipes so I'll just post a link. I almost exclusively cook from the internet which is why the lap top is always in the kitchen.

Last night we had the yummiest sweetest cornbread I've made so far. Recipes from Bob's Red Mill. whose flour and cornmeal I buy often and love. [I also use their gluten free flours when entertaining my gluten free family members.]

The main course was from Cooks.com. I've never been a big fan of Cooks magazine beside the beautiful illustrations. I used to browse through it often on slow days while working at Metropolitan Market. Most of the recipes had meat in them and required too many things I don't usually have around. Anyway I googled cabbage and sausage because I had splurged and bought some vegan sausages from Field Roast Grain Meat Co. These are probably my favorite fake meat product. They are definitely a "sometimes" food at my house because they are expensive and super processed. I do love that they are made in Seattle and 100% cruelty free. You can find Cooks recipe here.






I am rating this recipe 10 out of 10. It was easy to follow clean up was super quick because all I used was the dutch oven, a knife, cutting board, and mixing spoon. Everything beside the cabbage and sausages I always have on hand so it doesn't take a lot of forward planning. Also, everyone ate it and liked it! There is nothing more satisfying to me than making a dinner my whole family will eat and not having to worry about if it is too hard for Elliott to chew or too soupy for Bella's tastes or having to remember to hold the vinegar for David.

The Not-A-Lot-To-Say-About-This-Shirt Shirt

The pattern was easy enough to follow and aside from the elephant sized sleeves I had to adjust it was true to size. I am not crazy about the final product but I don't hate it either. It will definitely be worn again. I am going to keep trying new patterns until I get a top I LOVE. Until I find/make that ONE I'll just have to put up with these so-so tops. Ok! Lets add up some points!







Lets add up some points!
* 5 points per yard of fabric used
* 10 points for fabric being vintage, thrifted or upcycled
* 3 points for every pattern used that you've never sewn before
* 10 points for using a pattern/fabric you've had for more than a year
* 20 points for integrating a SCRAP (not a piece of fabric you cut) less than 1/2 yard into your garment

+5 points for one yard of fabric
+10 points for that fabric being thrifted
+3 points for never having used the pattern before

Total points: 18!

Brown Bear Brown Bear

A Very Basic T-shirt Disaster

If I had to choose one word to describe this shirt it would be.... UGH! I figure each garment, whether I wear it or not, is gained experience. Here is what I learned from this one:

Never buy plus size patterns with size 2 models on the front. Usually I am good at picking out what would or would not be flattering on me and I was so so very wrong with this one. Secondly, what is the point of making your own clothes when they are so so boring! I mean this top looks worse than most things I would try on in a store. I try to ignore the fabric because this was free fabric I was practicing on but even with nice fabric in a color that didn't look like hospital scrubs this is boring. Thirdly, I took the time to do all the suggested measurements and ended up making it two sizes bigger than I wear in the stores and the end result, although not a flattering cut, fits perfectly. I love when clothes just lay on you not hug you. Also, the practice with sewing on knits with my regular machine is always appreciated. I think I got the hem looking... wearable. I ended up serging (<3<3<3) the raw edge and then hemming it with my sewing machine. The pattern recommended using a double needle which I want to attempt at some point with something that doesn't make me look like I'm wearing scrubs. [yes I realize this is the most boring detailed sewing post yet, but this is what excites me]



Try to use your imagination to make these two bad pictures into one good picture.




Lets add up some points!
* 5 points per yard of fabric used
* 10 points for fabric being vintage, thrifted or upcycled
* 3 points for every pattern used that you've never sewn before
* 10 points for using a pattern/fabric you've had for more than a year
* 20 points for integrating a SCRAP (not a piece of fabric you cut) less than 1/2 yard into your garment

+5 points - for one yard of fabric
+10 points - for the fabric being thrifted
+3 points - for never having used the pattern
+10 points - for using a pattern that i've had for 3+ years
-20 points - for knowing I will never wear this and now having to find this pattern a new home! [i decided this needed to be added to really evaluate this project hehe]

total: 8 points!

Next project:


Oh, and I've been making these for Bella's friend's birthday gifts. We have had a surprising number of them this season!


Do you recognize it from anywhere?

A New Skirt.... For Me?

I know I know! I never wear skirts so I was a little unsure about spending money on this project. Well, to my surprise it doesn't look horrible and I may just make it again with nicer fabric. For now my $0.99 goodwill linen look alike fabric will have to do. The pockets are made with this adorable piece of scrap fabric Grandma gave to me a couple months ago. It was a rather large scrap so I've been saving it for something special. I was inspired to make this skirt by a dear friend who has the exact same one but in a wintery red flannel from L.L. Bean. (I think she found it at the Goodwill too!) She let me borrow the skirt to use as a pattern. Woo! Pattern cost: $0! Thanks Liz!




It's a wrap skirt so no worrying about if it will fit just right. One size fits most.



So it is no secret that I like points and challenges so when I found this challenge over at Sew Weekly I decided I needed to add a point system to all my homemade creations! I'm adopting their point system because it makes so much sense. It looks like this:

* 5 points per yard of fabric used
* 10 points for fabric being vintage, thrifted or upcycled
* 3 points for every pattern used that you've never sewn before
* 10 points for using a pattern/fabric you've had for more than a year
* 20 points for integrating a SCRAP (not a piece of fabric you cut) less than 1/2 yard into your garment

Points for my skirt:
5 points for one yard of fabric
10 points for it being thirfted
3 points for never having used that pattern
20 points for integrating a scrap

Total skirt points: 38!


New Years Resolution Update: I finished A Lesson Before Dying last night which is why my eyes are all red and puffy this morning. David and I tried to have a conversation about slavery last night but it got too upsetting. Sometime the masses can be so disappointing. I hate to compare slavery to global warming but it seems like in both cases people knew what they were(are) doing was(is) wrong but didn't(don't) want to change because it would be too hard. I wonder if that is human nature or just American culture. It seems like the rest of the world is trying to improve a lot faster than we are on a government level.

Kitchen Helpers [read: this may turn you off from ever eating at our place again]

So I have the most eager kitchen helpers in the world, which, as I'm sure you could guess, slows breakfast/lunch/snack/dinner to a halt. Usually I try to distract the kids with objects found in the kitchen like, whisks, silicon baking cups, wooden spoons, measuring cups, anything that will keep them out of my hair and my way for, oh say, three minutes. Last night in desperation I handed Elliott the closest thing I could find. It happened to be a big fat yam. Now this kept him busy for quite a while but unfortunately for me it was so cute I had to stop and take pictures and watch him try to figure out what to do with this giant piece of uncooked food. Eventually he did get a couple bites out of it. Note to self: wash before handing raw produce to Elliott.