Good Weekend

I hope you all have a good weekend.

We'll be with friends and Colin's family this weekend.

Family is special.  Treasure it.  Hold on to it.  Don't let anything destroy it.

"always remember there was nothing worth sharing like the love that let us share our name"

Guilt Free Spice Cake & Baking Tunes

1 box of Spice Cake Mix

+

8 oz. of No Sugar Added Apple Sauce

+

1 cup of water

=

yummy cupcakes/muffins!

They're also lower in calories than regular cake!

win win!

(thanks again to hungry girl)

I did add a little guilty cream cheese icing on top of them :)

Just bake according to the box.  And you read right, just 3 ingredients-- don't add the eggs or oil!

While you bake up a batch, listen to this:

Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros "Home" from Edward Sharpe on Vimeo.

Everyday Workspace Shots & Free Music

a peek into my office:

i'm currently doing a lot of writing/editing, so no video editing going on at the moment.

listening to:

dana falconberry (free songs)

derek webb

death cab for cutie (free songs)

needtobreathe

now enjoy some good tunes while you work with me :)

Some Quirky Inspiration

Thank you everyone for allowing me to break my own rule and post random recipes!  You got my back!

I wanted to share this video of a Vivienne Westwood interview to encourage all you crafters, bakers, artists, writers, creators to do what you do, no matter how odd it may seem to some, because you never know when you're changing the world :)

Have a good creating day!

xoxo,
marla



Edit: While you're crafting today, listen to some Satellite.  My friend Josh (who sang and played in our wedding...not to be confused with my brother Josh who did also) is in the band.  He's the one in the music video that lights his cigarette with a blow torch (yes, that made me nervous).

Pizza Rolls

Okay Okay, I know I said no recipes for awhile...

but...

but...

this one is so goooood!

My husband agrees...he even took pictures while I was making a batch (I made this two days in a row).

I present....

Pizza Rolls

makes 8 rolls

Ingredients:

1 can- crescent rolls dough (Pillsbury's lightly buttered is what I used)

Basil pesto sauce (leftover from the bruschetta!)

Mozzarella (left over from the bruschetta and pizza!)

Pepperoni (left over from the pizza!)

Peppercini peppers (left over from the pizza!)

So basically this is me cleaning out the fridge and making as many meals as I can from the same ingredients :)

*First spread the pesto on the dough, layer the rest of the ingredients (see above picture).

*Then roll the little puppies like you would a regular crescent roll.

*Tuck the sides in so it makes little balls so everything cooks nicely inside the dough.

*Cook according to the crescent roll package.

Voila!

These are restaurant quality!  You could make this as an appetizer or party treat.  Or just serve it as a meal like I did...soooooo good, I promise!

See, wasn't this worth breaking the no-recipe-for-awhile rule?

My Craft for a Cause Contribution

Here's what I made this weekend from a sample Craft for a Cause pack.

Everything on the canvas, and the canvas itself, was included in a pack.  The only thing I had to use that wasn't in the pack was Elmer's glue and craft paint.  So you don't have to have fancy supplies or even lots of supplies to use the pack!  You could get by with just glue and some paint if you'd like!

Buy a Pack

More Info

First Movie You Saw & When

I'm doing a poll on my Facebook today, and it's fun to see all the responses!

So, let's try it here.

Poll: What was the first movie you saw in a theater & how old were you?


Leave your answer in the comments section.

The first movie I remember seeing in a theater was Days of Thunder when I was 5.  We went for my brother's 10th birthday.  I immediately fell in love with Tom Cruise.

Pen Pals & Packs

Hi everyone!
I hope reading my last few posts didn't make you too hungry at work.  It made me hungry just writing about it all!

Last night I wrote some more pen pals letters, and now I'm halfway through the list!  You will all get a letter from me, it just might take a little time to get them all written.  There's so many of us!  It's been fun exchanging letters and finding new blogs...and making new friends...awww.

If you haven't read my Craft for a Cause post yet, please do.

My husband and I would appreciate your help and would love to see what you can make from the art packs!  I'm going to start working on my art piece this weekend to show you what I make from a sample pack.

We humbly thank you :)

P.S. I'm working on putting blog buttons from your blogs on my site...it's just taking forever!  So if you might show up on the side of my blog soon :)

Homemade Pizza

For info on

go to http://marlagrace.blogspot.com/2010/07/craft-for-cause.html

Homemade Pizza

Before

After

Ingredients:

1 can of Pillsbury pizza crust (by the biscuits and rolls and cookies in the freezer section)

1 Roma tomato

Basil leaves

Feta cheese

Shredded mozzarella cheese

Pizza sauce or spaghetti sauce

Peppers

Pepperoni

Fold out the crust, layer your toppings, and bake!

This is also a great summer dish with the veggies and sharp feta cheese.

I'll be making this tonight with pepperoni and pineapple-- my husband's fave (me, eh, not so much) 

Bruschetta (Round 2)

I made bruschetta in an earlier post, but it was made quite differently.  My husband thinks this is the superior recipe, so I'm sharing it!  Again, this was all about using what I had and buying what I love and pulling it altogether!

Ingredients:

Loaf of Italian bread (by the bakery/deli)

2 Roma tomatoes

Small jar of basil pesto spread (by the spaghetti sauce)

Mozzarella cheese (that you slice yourself; not shredded.  the best kind is in the gourmet cheese section.)

Margarine

Garlic salt

Oregano

Slice the bread into thick pieces.  Butter each side and toast each side on top of the stove.  I prefer to do it in an iron skillet.  This way each side gets crisp, but the center is still soft-- easy to bite and chew!

While toasting your bread, cut the tomatoes into chunks and sprinkle with garlic salt and oregano.

Mix the basil pesto spread with the tomatoes.  Use as little or as much as you'd like.

When the bread is all toasty, layer one side with cheese then spoon the tomato/pesto mix on top.

This tastes so good!  We made it two days in a row!

It's great for summer because it's not heavy, it's cool, and you can visit the farmers market for your maters!

Craft for a Cause

Introducing: Craft for a Cause Art Bags

Buy pack here

Help my husband get to the Philippines!  I'll be traveling to the Philippines for work in the fall.  My husband never travels with me since it's costly, and he'd have to take vacation time.  But now it's all falling into place for him to go!

I'm a videographer, writer, and photographer for a non-profit.  We're going to train people from several southeast Asian countries how to write, voice, and record radio broadcasts in their native languages.  Several of these languages share medical information, such as the importance of mosquito nets, need to see doctors, personal hygiene practices, and more.  They can visit a related clinic to receives supplies and medical attention.  These broadcasts are collaborated with the countries' governments and are changing people's quality of life.  All of these broadcasts also share the Gospel of how Jesus provides life.

My husband will be going to assist me and to help the group as needed.  The trip is expensive, but the mission is huge!  To help raise money, I have created these art bags.  Each bag has a piece of canvas and materials to help create your own piece of art.

Buy a bag and create your artwork and then post it to your blog and link back here AND/OR post it to the flickr group.  Group fun!

Copy the Craft for a Cause banner and link back to this post or grab the code to the right, and it will link back for you.  I would appreciate everyone who passed along the word!

One of the packs!

Each pack is different!

Buy a pack here

Buffalo Chicken Dip

It's almost break time here at work, so I'm including a break time snack!

Check back tomorrow for two more recipes.  Then I'll be taking a break from recipes (at least for a day or two ;) ).

Buffalo Chicken Dip

Note: This is not a picture of the dip I made.  I made the dip 3 times and forgot to take a picture every time!

My husband was having a potluck at work and needed something quick.  I had a few items in the fridge and wondered if there was any way to combine them.  I googled all the items I had for a recipe.  I found Buffalo Chicken Dip!

I looked over the recipes I found, and like always, made it my own way.  There are more official ways to make this dip, so google the recipe if you want to see how most people make it.

My husband took this to work and it was devoured before he could even get to it.  Then I took it to work, and everyone just stood there and dipped there chips into the bowl!  My husband took it to work a second time because everyone was asking for it.  So that must mean my creation worked!  The best part-- it's low fat (but no one will be able to tell)!

Ingredients:

1- 8 oz. tub of fat free cream cheese spread

1- 8 oz. tub of fat free sour cream

2 chicken breasts cut and shredded (I actually grilled the chicken, but you can use canned chicken, but I prefer the quality of seasoning and grilling the chicken myself)

Louisiana hot sauce to taste (or another hot sauce)

Squirt of fat free Ranch dressing

Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes (microwave for a couple minutes, stirring occasionally, if you don't have time to bake...just helps everything blend together).

Take out of the oven and sprinkle shredded cheese on top.

Serve hot or cold!

Baked Flounder

Last night I finished reading My Life in France.  It's such a gem of a book.

In honor of Julia Child, I'll be posting recipes for the next two days.  

I should note that none of these will in any way compare to any of the foods she talks about in her book.  But these were much easier to make and still had the yum factor!

Let's begin!

Baked Flounder & Beans

(Thanks to my husband for modeling)

Ingredients:

1 can chili beans

dash of onion flakes

small can of green onions

squirt of ketchup

dash of cajun seasoning

dash of garlic salt

dash of peppered vinegar

dash of ground thyme

dash of salt

dash of pepper

frozen flounder filet pack

In a bowl combine the beans and all other ingredients (except the flounder).  Stir 'em up!

Lay a large piece of foil on a baking sheet and spray with nonstick spray.  

Put the bean mixture in the foil and spread evenly.  

Lay the flounder filets on top of the beans, and sprinkle the top of the flounder with cajun seasoning. 

Place foil on top of the flounder and seal it to the bottom piece of foil.

Bake in the oven for 20 minutes at 350 degrees.

Note: I had to bake the fish for about 40 minutes because of the number of pieces of flounder I had.

Take out of the oven and carefully cut in the foil pack.  It will be hot and steamy!

Serve the beans and flounder together!

I got this recipe from Hungry Girl, but I used almost completely different ingredients.  I used what I had around the house!

Easy Lemon-Lime Pineapple Cake

       

     plus

    +

     equals

    =

     super moist

   CAKE!

Yep, you're reading right.  I took one can of diet lemon-lime soda and one box of cake mix and added nothing else and wound up with a cake (I baked it of course!).

I don't have a picture of the cake, because it was eaten so quickly by my husband and co-workers.

This was another Hungry Girl creation; however, I used completely different ingredients because it was what I had in the pantry.

This week I'm going to try diet root beer with yellow cake.  I'll let you know how it turns out!

(Her list of possibly cakes are not on her website; it was part of the subscribed email list.  There are a couple listed at this link, but it's far from all the possibilities!)

don't be afraid

i took a mini-blog vacation over the weekend.  i had lots of projects to catch up on-- sewing up holes, hemming, sewing on buttons, reading, hanging with the hubby, writing pen pals.
i'll be back tomorrow with a few recipes that i tried out over the last week.  get ready for quick and easy and yummy food!

but for now, let's rest and take a breath.

this photo was taken at my favorite place on earth.

and i hope it gives some hope and encouragement to at least one of you out there.

these kids are so cute!
check out more PS22 videos on youtube

Thrift Store Finds

I never have much time to go check out thrift shops, but this past week I visited three and got treasures from each!

Saturday the hubby and I took some donations to the humane society thrift shop.  I haven't shopped there in a few years, so I had to check it out.  I got these three books for 50 cents each!

Last Monday (on my birfday!) my parents and hubby and I went to a thrift shop that's only open on Memorial Day, Labor Day, and 4th of July.  We snagged several records for $1 or $2 each.  Above are just a few.

I also got the picture below...it's huge!  I thought it would be fun in our house.  I haven't decided exactly where to hang it yet, but I think it'll look good in the orange room with the green frame!  The drawing is one out of 32.  It's signed by the artist.  It's apparently a pretty good find (so the antique store lady said!)  I got it for $30; it was a birthday present to myself.

After we went to the humane society thrift store on Saturday, we swung by the Salvation Army.  I found this 60's era sewing table for $25.

I need to get it cleaned up and see if it works.  I wanted it even if it doesn't operate!

Cheery Gifts

My brother gave these to me for my birthday last week.  He found them in his house that he bought last year (built in early 1900s...1902 I think?).

My hubby bought these for me at the farmers market Saturday, and they're displayed in the kitchen sink window.  Sunflowers are my fave :)

This typewriter belonged to a family friend that died from lung cancer when I was a teenager.  He wasn't married and didn't have kids, and we were practically his family, so we have several of his belongings.  My mom just gave me his typewriter.  I've got to find just the right place for it in my house. It's a treasure.

What are some recent finds or old treasures that you enjoy?

Pen Pals

So far I've gotten four letters from pen pals.

Each of those has been written back.

And a few more have been written that haven't written me yet.

So if you haven't gotten a letter from me yet, just wait :)

Sewing Through the Decades Challenge

A Lemon Squeezy Home: Sewing Through the Decades

July 11th - July 17th: 1960-1969

July 18th - July 24th: 1970-1979

This is my contribution to the Decades Project!

My mom was giving me some fabric scraps, and while going through the piles, we found a shirt pattern that's not dated, but I think is from the 70s and possibly even 60s!  I've used online patterns before and instructions with photos to make things.  I've even created my own way of putting things together.  But I've never used a store bought pattern.  I've bought a few and have them in my "to do" folder.

This pattern has 4 different shirt varieties.  I picked the easiest (gimme a break!).

I bought some adorable fabric on sale and laid out my pattern pieces.  I measured.  Then remeasured.  Then measured again.  And again.  And some more.  I only had 1 yard of fabric, so I knew I had to get it right!

I cut the pieces and started sewing.  Man was I trucking along and doing good!  I had half the shirt together in the amount of time it took my husband to shower.  I was very proud of myself.  Then it got rough.  I started sewing in the inside arm and neck pieces.  They weren't matching up.  And they were jumbled up.  And they were frustrating!  I got it all sewn together, ironed it down, and tried it on.  And the armholes were too tight.  Umph!  And I couldn't get the inside lining pieces to lay flat.

Then I remembered-- I have a seam ripper!  I started ripping away!  I said buh-bye to those lining pieces.  Once they were gone, the armholes were roomy enough.  I decided just to make a hem all the way around the raw edges.

So I guess I didn't follow the law exactly, but I did learn a few things-- like how much I love seam rippers!

I made the bust a little smaller, and I lengthened the shirt by a couple inches.  I think I'll go back in and add vents to each side so the shirt doesn't bunch up when I sit down.

  

France & Julia

Currently reading:

Except my copy looks like this:

I'm not halfway through the book yet, but it's so charming!

It is making me love Julia Child.  It is making me want to go to France so bad!

You really must read this memoir.

I picked it up at the bookstore for about 8 bucks.

Also, the movie Julie & Julia is adorable and a bit inspirational for us gals, I think.

Go rent/buy it!

Kinies

I won this bag in a giveaway!  You can even wear it as a fanny pack!

Get your own kinies!