cat toys and patio chairs

I've been crocheting little cat toys for Django and Winnie--it's in the round creating a parabola. very visually interesting, the sculptor in me lusts after the forms! I don't actually really know how to crochet, I learned with wire at UConn a long time ago, and now I am just kinda winging it. I made some ugly hats the other day. The beauty of this craft is that I already own the yarn and hooks from a few years ago. Also this is cost effective because my kittens seem to destroy and lose all their toys, which are kinda expensive.

The container garden is going well, I still need some more companion herbs in there. I really hope the new neighbors and their kids leave it alone. I'm sure they spend all their time playing with their iphones anyways. Worst case I pick it up and move it to a safe location.

My next projects will be locating some kind of French Cafe table and chairs for our patio. Our upstairs neighbor says we're not allowed to use her patio set, which takes up the majority of the patio, btw. But it's in the blaring sun anyways for lunch, so we need something smaller for the shade. And purchasing a couple window markers for our bathroom window. The neighbors can see in, and we had a piece of fabric up, but it just keeps falling off. I will draw a fun scene with markers and it will block out the bottom half of the window and still let in some light.

Farmer's Market

I worked my first farmer's market today selling oil and vinegar...I have no idea how much money I'll make in the end, but I hope to God it's at least $50. It was so freaking hot and muggy--if I hadn't been able to set up my display so I was standing in the shade I would have been scorched and melted by the sun. Tomorrow is market #2, and it had better be awesome. I am so broke, but I don't get any cash until Friday when I clean. :( sad...

I had to make my car payment in Plainville today, so I headed there right after my day job...and now I am bumming around at my parents house until it's time to leave for my cocktail shift. I hope to God I make some money tonight. I have less than $100 in my bank account and had to take tomorrow night off because of the wedding I am in on Sunday morning. I have about 2/3rd tank of gas in my car and all I have to pay for is a pre-wedding pedicure tomorrow with the girls, so I should survive the end of this month and the start of June.

It's all about surviving...

Searching for decent recipes...

Diet shakes anyone? A little digging and I found a comprehensive list HERE. Some of them still include pudding mix and splenda, but not all. Now I have to buy whey protein powder...

And below I have posted a very decent recipe for a blueberry/banana/flax shake!

Ingredients

3/4 cup frozen Blueberries
1/2 banana
3 tablespoons Vanilla Flavor Whey Protein Powder
1/2 cup skim milk (or non-dairy substitute)
2 teaspoons honey (optional)
3 ice cubes
1 tablespoon ground flaxseed

Method

In a blender, thoroughly combine berries, banana, protein powder, milk and honey by pulsing a few times. Add ice cubes and blend until very smooth. Pour into a 16-ounce glass and sprinkle with ground flaxseed.

Shade Garden

Well, the granola was very very nice!! Easy, and the possibilities are endless! I may have found an apartment for us, and it's got some great potential for a shade garden!!! I've been doing research, we should know by tomorrow if we are going to put a deposit down or not, and if so I'll be buying seeds! Yay!!!

Here is a link to growing shade gardens in Connecticut:

http://www.gardensbydesign.com/articles/the-natural-shade-garden.php

Maple-Nut Granola

There are two local Connecticut (vegetarian) cookbooks that I have; The Best of Bloodroot from the Bloodroot Restaurant in Bridgeport and Clean Food by Terry Walters. Bloodroot is fairly complex and calls for somewhat obscure ingredients when it comes to the novice--but it definitely has some easy soups and a few simple recipes. Clean Food is a bit more user-friendly, with more descriptive instructions. BUT either way these two are on my must-have cookbook lists.

Last night John and I were discussing the second-shift problem of over-snacking before bed. He gets out at 11:00pm and we don't get to sleep until 3:00am some nights. I did some research and came up with some healthy snacks that will hopefully keep us decently satisfied without lots of acid-reflux and weight-gain. A little bit of granola and plain yogurt is one of them, and who really wants to spend $8 on artisan granola? Not I...the following is a total money-saver; yes the ingredients may be a good chunk of change--but this is baking in bulk--you do the math.

Tonight I am making my own homemade Maple-Nut Granola--a much modified version inspired by Clean Food, and I want to note that it's only modified because I did not have all the ingredients at hand, so I used what I had. And I only made a 1/2 batch in case I screwed up.

2 C rolled oats(I used gluten-free)

1 C crisped rice cereal

1 T cinnamon

3/4 C shredded dried coconut

1/2 C chopped walnuts

1/2 C chopped almonds

1/2 C dried blueberries

1/4 C whole flax seeds (this may have been too much!)

3oz canola oil

3oz maple syrup

1/2 t almond extract (I only used less than 1/4)

Preheat oven to 250F and have on hand a 13x9" glass baking dish. Mix all dry ingredients well, and in separate bowl whisk up the wet. Combine in large bowl.

NOTE:When it comes to mixing various things such as this I like to shake them up in a large tightly-lidded tupperware bowl--helps to coat and evenly distribute. You may need to open and stir here and there because finer ingredients may settle--use your best judgement. Make sure there is enough room in the bowl--if I had made the full recipe I would have had to use an extra large bowl and a spatula for the mixing.

Spread mixture in the glass baking dish and bake on top rack for 30min, stir and bake 30min more. Cool, break-up the chunks and store in air-tight container.

Please remember this is a very modified version, for the full and unmodified version of this recipe, please see Terry Walter's Clean Food--a must-have book!!!

From Russia with Pop Tarts

I just finished gorging on sauerkraut pierogies...It's Monday and I went to a yoga class taught by a friend I went to high school with. So I am now in a yoga/food coma. I have decided to try and make homemade pop tarts...I bought some fig jam a couple weeks ago and I thought I should try to make something special with it. I found an interesting recipe that uses pie crust. I will link it here: Pie Crust Pop Tarts

Non-Pie Crust Pop Tarts Here

I watched Dr No last week, it being the first of Sean Connery's James Bond movies; good flick but I got distracted in the middle of it--hard to watch movies in a house full of people. From Russia With Love is on for tonight!! Whoo hoo, thanks Netflix.