Getting Crafty

Yesterday was my crafty day. :)

I decided to paint my pantry door.  It was a faux wood looking door and I've always thought it would look better painted.  I didn't take a "before" photo but it looked very much like this other door in our kitchen...

First I primed the door with 3 coats of white primer.  I know 3 is a lot but I wanted to be sure I had a good base since this door gets used a lot.

Actually first I cleaned the door & removed the door knob. I was a little shocked and a bit disgusted at how dirty the door actually was.  Probably in the next week or so I'll be cleaning ALL the doors in our house. :)

1 coat of primer.

Then I added a coat of paint.  Since the paint was the same color as the primer I think one coat should be fine.  Fingers crossed I'm right. :)

Then I put the door knob back on and got to the fun part!

I taped off a rectangle in the center.

Added some white paint on the tape to keep anything from bleeding under it.

Got out my Chalk Board paint I had from this project.

And added 4 coats of it to the center rectangle. :D

I'm going to let it dry another full day before using any chalk on it but I'm so happy to have a new door.  I also want to buy some trim so I can "frame out" the chalk board area.  :)

Yesterday I also went to the store to get some more Chia Seeds before I run out, and I wanted to get some Agar-Agar, but that was too expensive.  It was $10 for a little bag which may be a good deal but I didn't have an extra $10 to spend. :)

While there I did see these Coconut waters.  2 for $2.50.

First I tried the Lychee flavored one...In my new mood cup (Hey, when you work for a promotional products company you get a lot of fun "stuff" to try at home).  This cup changes color in the sun so I set it in the window to put it into action (the blue cup turned purple).  I still like the ones that change color when cold liquid is added better.  Who wants to set their drink out in the sun?  But I digress...

The coconut water was cloudy which didn't really appeal to Kai.  She tried a sip of it and proudly declared she didn't like coconut and wanted apple juice instead.

As a side note, we ALWAYS water down her "juice" 1 part juice to 1 part water.  If I don't she starts buzzing around the house.  And we call all the juices Apple although they're usually Cranberry Pomegranate or something like that. :)

And did you notice what was next to my cup?  Those are my Green Onions that I'm growing!!!

I saw on line that you could drop the bottom root clipping into a small jar of water and regrow your green onion indefinitely.  This is after about a week of growing.  It may be my most successful planting to date!  The only thing I do is dump out & re-fill the water once a day or so...sometimes I forget but so far missing a day hasn't had a negative effect on it.

OK, on to my eats.  I'm a little embarrassed about my breakfast yesterday, but, what the hell...

Yep, left over popcorn with raisins, kale chips, beet chips, sunflower seeds and nutritional yeast.

and a little later I had a pear. :)

Lunch was left over beans from the other day.  UMMMM, so good!!

When the Hubs got home from work we decided to get dinner then do our grocery shopping.  We wanted to try some place new (new to us) and decided to eat at Romano's Macaroni Grill.

We started off with some bread dipped in Olive Oil.

Kai had a little fun with her bread.

Don't worry, we promptly told her to stop playing with her food (well, after I took a photo, of course).

The tables were covered in paper and she got to pick out some crayons when we got there so she was perfectly happy to color.

Finally we ordered our meals.  I got Eggplant Quadratini (roasted eggplant, basil, tomato, ricotta salata, red chile) for Kai and I to split.  The Hubs got Lobster Ravioli (lobster-stuffed, chardonnay cream sauce).

Neither of us were impressed with our meals at all.  First they were really expensive (I didn't realize how pricey this place was).  Second,  If you're going to put Eggplant in the name it needs to have more than 3 pieces of eggplant in it!  It did have a lot of roasted cherry tomatoes which were SO GOOD but I expected more than a handful of tomatoes.  Plus I started to feel sick half way through the meal.  The only thing I can figure is that there was something in the bread that didn't agree with me.  Even though I only had half a slice it's the ONLY thing I had really eaten. :(

The Hubs was equally disappointed with his ravioli.   He said the ravioli was pretty much empty, the sauce was more watery (as opposed to creamy) than he expected, and there was just a small sprinkling of lobster on top.

I'm confident that we will NOT be returning.

To end out the meal the Hubs and Kai split a slice of Cheese Cake.  I tried a small bite (I still wasn't feeling good and was worried about keeping my food down...and I really was sick, I promise I'm not pregnant...I know there's a handful of you who immediately jump to that every time I feel a little under the weather, lol!)

I said the cake was very decadent.  Kai added "and Yummy!".  Then she went on and on about how much she LOVED the restaurant.  Sorry Kai, but it's going to take more than just one slice of cheese cake to save this meal!

After eating out I got dropped off at home and then the Hubs and Kai went to the grocery store.  I spent a few minutes in the Hot Tub (Best Purchase Ever...Definitely worth saving up for!!) which really helped and then put on my PJs and got into bed.  This morning I'm feeling MUCH better and will probably be headed over to Meijer very soon to get myself some Tempeh.  The Hubs is planning to have Wings during the big game and I thought I'd cook up some Teriyaki Tempeh as a vegetarian substitute.  Unfortunately I've only ever found it at Meijer and the Hubs doesn't like doing our grocery shopping there.  

Moe's & Ruby Tuesdays...In one day!!!

Yesterday I used the last of my Almond Milk in my oatmeal.  I'm not too broken up about it though, we're planning to go to the grocery store this evening. :)

Then I dropped Kai off at school and headed towards Lafayette.  At least I was pretty sure that was the direction I was going.  There was some SERIOUS fog hanging around.  It was like I was driving in the middle of a cloud the entire time!  But I did get there, without any issues... and sadly without seeing a single Care Bear (they live in the clouds you know).

After a morning of working, and an unpredictable lunch time, my co-worker and I headed out to Moe's.  Since we weren't sure exactly when lunch was going to happen we didn't meet up with our other friend that usually joins us. :(

Once again I went with the Rupert (aka no-meat nachos) over the quesadilla.  It's so hard to choose!

On my chips were...  Black Beans, Rice, Cooked Onion, Salsa, Corn Salsa, Lettuce, and Cucumber.

Plus I added some cups from the Salsa Bar. :)

 I Love Moes! :)


After lunch we had our Staff Meeting, which was the whole reason I drove up to Lafayette.  I got to present all my favorite finds at the show we went to last Friday.  I have big ideas people!  Now all I need is for those Salesmen to go out and sell the stuff. :)


I headed home and jumped from my car to the Hubs.  Then we picked up my parents and were off to Ruby Tuesdays.  Yes, I had Moes and Ruby Tuesdays in one day....And it wasn't even MY birthday!


At Ruby Tuesdays I got my go-to meal:  Salad Bar + 3 Sides, which I split with Kai.  We had Mac & Cheese (for Kai), Green Beans (for both of us) and Grilled Zuchinni (for me).


Plus 3 trips to the Salad Bar....

Best Croutons EVER!

 After dinner we headed back to my parents house for the best part...


CUPCAKES!!


Since I was in Lafayette, my parents picked Kai up from school.  That meant that Kai got to help make the cupcakes!

Clearly 68 is a confusing time!

Kai pulls Grandpa back from the brink.

Kai helps to blow out some candles....

Holy Cow, Grandpa!!  Look at the smoke from all your candles!!

And finally, we ate the cake!

I ate my cupcake and then sneaked a second.  When my mom offered to send some home with us I politely refused.  I was around them for about 5 minutes and had already eaten 2.  There's no way anymore would have made it through the night. lol!

Now I have to get back to painting.  That's right, I decided to get crafty this morning!! :D

Birthdays, Burgers & Beans

Do you know what today is??

It's Groundhog's Day.

But even better than that it's my Dad AND my Uncle Joe's Birthday!!!

That's right, born exactly 4 years apart, today is their birthday. 

P. A. R. T. Y.

And where did my dad want to eat on his birthday?  The Rathskeller in downtown Indy. 

Have you heard there's a little football game going on there this weekend?  Yeah, so I think his official birthday meal will be delayed until next week.  In the mean time I guess we'll just have to eat cake!

But all that will be reported on tomorrow.  Today I'm sharing yesterday's meals. :)

Breakfast:  Kai had a bowl of Multi Grain Cheerio's topped with flax seed, chia seeds and banana, a hard boiled egg and an orange.  I had some of the orange and banana and then rounded things out with the Blood Orange Chobani.  This was the one I was most hesitant about.  The idea of oranges and yogurt mixed together seems a little sketchy but it was actually very good.  My favorite is probably still the Passion Fruit though. :)

Before picking Kai up from school and heading out to the library to pick up some books (Room by Emma Donoghue & The Alloy of Law, which is a sequel to the Mistborn trilogy by Brandon Snaderson) I enjoyed a pear.  On our way to the library Kai informed me she was "STARVING" so I dug an apple out of my purse (I'm a mom, of course there's an apple in my purse).  She finished everything but the core.  I guess she really was hungry. 

Lunch was inspired by Snack Girl's Black Bean & Oat Burger.  I didn't have the recipe in front of me and I completely forgot about adding the oats. lol!

Into the bowl went pre-cooked Black Beans, the last of the Hummus and some Flax Seed.

Then, with Kai's help, we mashed it all together.

I added a LITTLE bit of water to get it stickier.

Then I formed patties and cooked them in some Hot Olive Oil.

Flipped and finished cooking.

While they were cooking I foolishly asked Kai if she wanted cheese on hers.  The second I said cheese she exclaimed that she wanted the cheese now.  I saw no point in arguing it, so she ate the cheese before the burgers were ready. :)

The burgers were topped with lettuce, spinach, mushrooms, sweet pepper and mustard.

I tried to get fancy with a lettuce wrap instead of a bun but it turns out that creating a lettuce wrap is harder than it looks.  It all turned out ok since we weren't in public. :)

I also had sprouts on mine.

For my side I added some of the left over beets.  I liked the beets yesterday.  I LOVED them today.  It turns out that this is a dish that's best when cold.  Who knew?!?

The results of the burgers...They were really crumbly.  They tasted great but may have needed more water or maybe an egg to help hold them together better.

Dinner was going to be BBQ Lentils but it turns out I'm just about out of them.  :(


The new plan became a Bean Dished based on Baked Beans.  Dare I say it was fate?  Because the new bean dish totally topped the BBQ Lentils I had planned.  :)


Into a pan went 1 chopped onion.  Once it was sauteed for a while I added 1 can of diced tomatoes, drained & rinsed, and a large handful of chopped spinach.  I let that cook for a minute or so - until the spinach was wilted.

Then I added pre-cooked white beans (Navy).

And for the sauce I stirred in a drizzle of Maple Syrup, a drizzle of Molasses, a splash of Apple Cider Vinegar and a large glob of Dijon Mustard.

Then I added the lid and let it simmer for about 20 minutes.

Ta-da! All done and ready to get in my belly!

Our final dinner shots...

The Hubs had store bought BBQ on buns with American Cheese ,
with a side of Cool Ranch Doritos

My beans with the last of the beets and some orange

Kai had a bit of BBQ, a bit of the beans, orange & a few chips
and a BIG bowl of no-sugar-added apple sauce topped with cinnamon.

So to finish things up...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD!!  and  HAPPY BIRTHDAY UNCLE JOE!!

What I did with my Beets

It's day 3 of Catholic Schools Week which means today Kai was to "Dress as a Vocabulary Word".  Any word.  Have you ever heard of this before??  I hadn't, but a quick Google Search showed that it's a real thing.  Later the kids will be having a Word Parade. :)

So what was Kai's word?  We brainstormed last week...Pink, Princess, Pony (can you tell they studied the letter "P" last week?) but when the idea of Sparkle came up Kai went nuts.  Sparkle it was!

I tried to get a good photo but none of them were in focus or really conveyed just how shiny she was....

A pink shirt with Sequins, Silver Skirt, White leggings with a sparkle sewn into them, a glitter belt, Tinsel ribbon tied around her boots, a silver headband, and then the best part...

Gold Dust all over her face & hair and Sparkle Nail Polish.

I feel she conveyed "Sparkle" :)

Yesterday I actually took a picture of my oatmeal that I had for breakfast!  Oatmeal topped with frozen apple, pomegranate and bananas; and flax seed, chia seed and cinnamon.

As the morning continued I decided to make some Beet Chips.  I've had 2 beets in the fridge for a while now and decided I needed to do something with them soon, and since I wasn't in a roasting mood, I decided chips would be perfect.

I peeled & sliced them to fit in the food processor.

I used the slicing feature on the food processor.

I soaked them in some apple cider vinegar, olive oil and water.

I laid them on the dehydrator.

I turned it on to 145 for 45 minutes and then turned it down to 115 for 10 hours.

I stained my fingers pink. :(

This morning I pulled the chips off the dehydrator.

I added a little salt and now I have beet chips for later this week. :)

After slicing the first beet yesterday I opened the food processor to see how it looked and then put it back together to slice the second beet.  Perfectly logical.  And had anyone else done it I'm certain they would have made sure to put it back together correctly.  But I'm not anyone else,  I'm me, and when I put the slicing blade back on I flipped it over so that I shred the second beet.  D'oh!!

Since food shrinks when it's dehydrated I knew that drying out shredded beets would NOT be a good idea so I had to figure out something else to so with them.

I decided to shred an onion and a sweet potato also and then mix it all together.

Then I just cooked it on the stove top with some Olive Oil.  Easy and delicious!

And since it was such a pretty pink color I used a cookie cutter to put it on Kai's plate in the shape of a heart!  See, it shows her that I love her. :)

Of course she saw my tribute to love and said, "I'm not eating the pink stuff".  I really don't mind if she doesn't like the taste of something but I hate when she won't even try it.  Grrrr!

One thing she will always eat is yogurt!  In addition to the beet "heart" I gave her half a cup of a Passion Fruit Chobani.  The yogurt she loved, the seeds in it she did not.  Fair warning, if your kids don't like seeds in their food then avoid the Passion Fruit flavor.  Fortunately she was willing to eat around the seeds (I told you she LOVES yogurt).

 So for lunch I had - the Beet mix, Hummus with veggies and yogurt.

Kai had the same, plus a jelly/flax seed/nutritional yeast sandwich.

Dinner was supposed to be Salads but after playing out side all day and having the windows open I was starting to get cold and wanted something hot to eat.  When the Hubs suggested Chinese Take-out I got giddy.  I LOVE Chinese Take-out.  It's one of those foods that I don't want to know too much about.  Ignorance is Bliss. :)

We got a Vegetable Chow Mein which comes with white rice, a Shrimp Lo Mein, Crab Rangoon and Egg Drop Soup....

My plate

Kai's Plate

Sorry - I didn't get a photo of the Hub's Plate

...because he doesn't use a plate.  He at the Shrimp Lo Mein straight from the box. lol!

Enjoying a Crab Rangoon.  I know people love these but
I've never been a fan.  Between the 2 of them, Kai and the Hubs ate 6 !!
Clearly they are fans.

Starting to get the hand of the chop sticks!

There were no left overs this time!  Kai and the Hubs ate all the Crab Rangoon, Kai and I split all the  Vegetable Chow Mein & White Rice, the Hubs ate all the Shrimp Lo Mein and I polished off the Egg Drop Soup.  It was a surprisingly filling meal!   We didn't even have dessert afterward.

That's right, no dessert.  We didn't get our fortune cookies. :(