Someone had a birthday!

Yup, Little Dude is now three years old!  I guess I can't blame his crazy antics and spaz-tasticness on being a puppy anymore.... *sigh*  

His birthday is 3.17, and well I just love putting the $1 Target headbands on him for holidays (the pictures are totally worth the $1 in my opinion), so he got to be a happy little Irish dog for his birthday!

So, we were off for Spring Break, and I really just wanted some downtime before returning to the crazy world of school psychology, so I decided the best way to do that was to make homemade dog treats while listening to the Doo Wop station on Pandora.  It was fannnnnnntastic!  I only felt a small twinge of guilt for staying inside on such a beautiful and warm (well, Fairbanks in March warm...) day.  :o)

So here's what I did for the dog treats.  I made a pumpkinesque treat and a minty treat.  I picked these because 1) I love all things pumpkin, and so does Rudder.  2) I thought minty treats would be good for his dog breath [gotta love that in the morning...] and 3) They would be orange and green which just happens to be PERFECT for St. Patrick's Day!

What's in them

Minty Treats:

• 3 T oil (I used olive oil)
• 1 Egg
• 2/3 c. milk
• 1/2 c. fresh mint (I probably used closer to a full cup...)
• 1/2 c. fresh parsley (again, probably more like a cup)
• 2 c. brown rice flour

I have brown rice flour at home, but didn't at my parents, so I went out and bought some more.  After some googling about why brown rice flour instead of the whole wheat I had, I learned it has to do about the amount of moisture needed to go with the flour.  Well, I didn't really feel like playing around with that (goodness knows that I didn't need to make rock hard treats that would chip a tooth... Rudder is only allowed one astronomical dental vet bill a year, and he already had one...) and I had to run out to the bank with my dad, so we just picked some up.  :o)

Not being a believer in adding ingredients in recipe-specified order [well typically], I just threw everything in the food processor (you were right Mom, they rock and I should use mine more often).  You end up with a nice stick ball of dough (sidenote: it is super helpful to get your hands and surface nice and flour-y before touching it). 

I went pizza dough style and stretched in out, then rolled it out to about 1/4".

I found a nice little clover-like cookie cutter that was just wonderfully holiday appropriate.  :o)  It's really a club (as in a deck of cards club) BUT I think it looks enough like a clover.  Makes me wonder why in the world my mom has cookie cutters in the shapes of the various suits...  Although, the whole cookie cutter selection was quite random. actually...

It took me forever and a day to cut all of these out...  I'm not a super speedy cookie cutter maker, nor did I really care to be speedy that day...  I also think I made well over 100 dog treats when all was said and done.  Overkill?  Perhaps...

Less than amused at my cooking antics (and naturally parked right in front of the stove)

Then you stick the little bites of minty deliciousness in the oven at 350 degrees.  Mine were in there for about 25 minutes.  If you make them thicker, than they'll be in there longer. :o)

Pumpkin Peanutty Butter Treats:

• 1c. Pumpkin (canned)
• 2  Eggs
• 2 T  Peanut Butter (Again, I probably put in more)
• 2.5c.  Whole Wheat Flour
• 1/2 t  Cinnamon
• 1/2 t  Salt

 Made the exact same way as the Minty Treats, but the dough was WAY stickier, so more flour coating (I used the brown rice flour for this coating job) was a necessity.

For fun, I have pictures of the process.  Woo hoo!

Super sticky peanut buttery dough

Orange dog bones to go with green clovers

Then for the decorating...

I REALLY wanted yogurt chips, or even white carob chips, but the two main grocery store in Fairbanks had none to be found.  Once again, disappointment from the bulk foods sections...  Soooooo, you CAN use white chocolate, because it lacks the caffeine that is no good for pups, but then you're giving them lots of sugar...  So, I used just a wee bit.  Instead of using food dye, I thought it'd be fun to try coloring the "frosting" with natural ingredients.  Again, the bulk food sections failed me, so I punted.  I tried carrots with melted white chocolate chips (double boiler style)...

Fail.

Yeah, didn't turn out so well.  WAY too much liquid in the carrots...  I tried straining, then it was too chunky.  Oh well.  For the green "frosting" I used chopped parsley with much better results.  However, the little parsley bits got gunked up in my makeshift decorating tube (woohoo for ziplock bags with the tip cut off!) so I didn't get to be as detailed as I would usually like...  I could sit and decorate sugar cookies for hours I think...

I made Rudder a big four leaf clover too:

I think he liked them :o)

So much so, that I had a hard time getting anything but a blurry picture of him...

All the other pups liked them too.  :o)

Squeaky Clean?

Well I'm trying the whole "no-poo" thing, as in no off-the-shelf-tongue-twisting-ingredient-filled-shampoo.  Really, it's more of a quasi-poo if you will.  I'm not so sure about the whole just using baking soda bit, but found during my pinterbrowsing this blog and then found this other blog.  I went off of the second blog, mostly because I didn't feel like making my own coconut milk...

In the spirit of Make-Do-March, I decided to go ahead and give it a whirl since I just happened to have all the ingredients (or at least the essentials) in my kitchen.  Here's what I ended up using:

• 1/3 c. Dr. Bronner's Castille Soap (I have the Almond scented)
• 1/4 c. Coconut Milk
  (left over from making pancakes, coconut milk instead of milk milk makes for AWESOME pancakes by the way...)
• A smidge (as in less than the tsp called for) of walnut oil
  (In my mind walnut > olive oil for hair.  I have absolutely no justifiable reason for this hierarchy...)

Just swirled it around in a liquid measuring cup

You end up with about 3/4 c. of the quasi-poo.  Hmm, I don't really like this whole hyphenating with "poo" so I think I'll just call in shampoo...  Supposedly, you should only need about 1 tsp to wash your hair, but seeing as I have twice as much hair as the average person, with it being super long and all, I'm sure I'll need more than that.  :o)

I had some nice glass bottles that appeared to be good possibilities for being the shampoo vessel and would look pretty, but I was cleaning out some jars and bottles and saw this...

I had just finished up a bottle of Sriracha (don't worry, I have two more HUGE bottles of it!), and the squeezability of it just seemed to perfect.  Easy application, less going down the drain because I spilled it all over the place from a cute but less practical glass... So, I threw aesthetics out the door and went with the practical choice.

I just poured the shampoo mix in...

I realize this is a pointless picture in the sense that people know how to pour liquids... but I was impressed with my ability to pour and shoot at once, so I'm posting it gosh darn it.

Easy peasy.

So there you have it.  Natural, made from my kitchen, shampoo.  AND repurposing a Sriracha bottle.  Supposedly this stuff has a shelf life of about a month.  I'm pretty sure I'll have used it all by then.  :o) 

As a daily conditioner kind of person (long hair = frequent opportunity for awesome tangles and crazy static, especially in the winter up here!) I had to figure out what to do post-shampoo.  The answer: Apple Cider Vinegar.  I actually started this before I tried making my own shampoo.

Pretty bottle

All it is about 4-5 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar (acv), and tap water (I filled up the old Grolsch bottle with water to the neck, then filled the neck up with the acv.  I'm all about estimation when it comes to measuring spoons).  Again, super easy.  Just pour it and enjoy smelling like vinegar french fries (at least that's what it reminds me of... I LOVE vinegar on crunchy french fries... mmmm...)  So needless to say I'm now craving boardwalk fries when I condition my hair, but I guess that's better than finding the smell totally repulsive.  That's one thing for sure, while the shampoo smells pretty good, the conditioner isn't quite the same nice scent as what you get off the shelf...  Good news though, the smell of vinegar doesn't linger after you rinse your hair!  :o)

Bragg

Side note: I've been using Bragg's Apple Cider Vinegar mixed 50/50 with water as a toner of sorts at night.  This acv has supposedly done awesome things for skin, so I figured why not.  If it works, its wayyyy cheaper than buying various facial cleansers and again, I can read the ingredients without sounding like a 1st grader with major decoding issues... :o)


I tried the homemade shampoo with the acv rinse tonight.  I had some pretty grimy running/hat hair for it to tackle, so we'll see how it did.  If it's a disaster tomorrow morning, at least I'll have a chance to fix it with some store bought stuff before I head to work!  Here's hoping it worked!


**Oh, and another side note.  The quinoa, that I don't think I rinsed well enough, Kevin and I had Monday night didn't settle too well with our stomachs.  I felt like I ate balls of lead, not little puffy quinoa...  Anyways, that kind of derailed the whole menu plan for the week.  Only thing I actually did up making from the proposed menu was more bok choy (There is so much left that I swear it seems like the package hasn't even been opened yet...) and the eggplant parm.  I'll post the eggplant parm recipe and pictures later.  Perhaps tomorrow...   Anyways, no surprise here.  I make plans and something throws a wrench in them.  Good thing I'm generally a go with the flow kind of kid! :o)

Chickpeas: It's what's for dinner.

Mostly because I have chickpeas, and not chicken. :o)

So, inspired by Sarah & Nathania's Make Do March, I'm planning (yes, for the first time in my life) my dinners.  FOR THE WHOLE WEEK!  That is unheard of over here in my little world.  The inspiration from their Make Do March is in the use what you have feature to my dinner planning.  No trips to the grocery store for me (well except maybe to get dog food, Rudder is running a bit low on that)  So, here's what's for dinner this week:

Monday: Chicken Tikka Masala (really more like a Chana-Tikka hybrid if you will) & Bok Choy
Tuesday: Eggplant Parmesan (per Kevin's request) & Bok Choy
Wednesday: Homemade Black Bean Burgers & Sweet Potato Fries (& probably Bok Choy)
Thursday: Homemade Pizza - spinach dough, goat cheese, red peppers, roasted garlic
Friday: I'm not sure yet, but I have a feeling there will be Bok Choy...

Yeah, I have A LOT of Bok Choy to use up.  :o)

So, I had a recipe for Chana Masala, but it looked more complicated that I really cared to do at 7pm, but then I remembered Sarah had posted a recipe for Chicken Tikka Masala that was pretty simple so I figured hey, I'm sure I could modify that and make it work.  And it did. 

Here's what I put in:

- 15 oz diced tomatoes (I had diced not crushed like the recipe called for)
- 2ish T of tomato paste (You'll see a lot of 'ish in this, I don't exactly measure...)
- 1 med onion, chopped (Oops! Forgot it!)
- 3 cloves of garlic, minced (sorta)
- 1/2ish t cumin
- 1/4ish t cinnamon
- 1/4ish t coriander
- 1/4ish t black pepper
- 1/8ish t ground clove
- 1/8ish t nutmeg
- pinch of cayenne (um cajun seasoning because I couldn't find my cayenne)

Mix all of the above together and then if you want more "crushed" tomatoes, use a potato masher just a bit :o)

I heated it on low while I was making the quinoa and roasting garlic.

Add:
- 1 can chickpeas, drained

I did this with about 20 minutes left before serving.

Last, Add:
- 1/3ish c heavy cream (yeah, I just poured some in, my guess is it was about 1/3c.)

Instead of rice, I used quinoa because 1) I had it 2) It has good stuff in it 3) I can probably use it in some manner to have for lunch.  I RINSED my quinoa this time.  I assumed it was pre-rinsed from the bulk section, but last time I made it and didn't rinse it, it was super bitter.  Rinsing = better quinoa thus far.


Alright, now for the baby bok choy:

I used this recipe I had pinned (gosh I love Pinterest, I even used it for affective skills instruction today!) as my "pinspiration" for the Bok Choy.

- 6 little baby bok choylettes
- a handful of garlic cloves, whole (really I think its a personal preference of how many cloves)
- some olive oil
- salt & pepper

So first, heat the olive oil over med-high heat til it's nice and toasty.  Add the garlic cloves, reduce heat to medium and let the buggers roast, turning them every so often so they don't burn.  Next, add the baby bok choy and a bit of water (I poured some from my glass... maybe 1/4-1/2c.?) sautee for about 2 minutes, then use a smaller lid to cover and let it steam for another minute.  Sprinkle on a little salt and pepper to your liking, and ta-da!  All done!  :o)

*wishes I had a fancy set up like the food bloggers, but hey, it is what it is* 

 And now, just for fun:

The never-ending game of keep away between Lucy & Rudder

Well at least I accomplished one thing this weekend

I had what really seemed like a do-able list this weekend...  However, it is seeming to take wayyyyy longer than expected!  That, and I in true form, am bouncing around from project to project.  Oh well...

I did FINALLY make dryer balls!  I had been wanting to make them for some time now, and the time just seemed right when I was able to find 3 skeins of virgin wool for $1.99 this weekend.  Value Village had the 50% off President's Day Sale, and I found a bunch of strange things to be shared later I'm sure.  Anyways, back to the wool.  It looks like it was hiding in Grandma's closet for a while, not a color I'd usually pick, but hey, it was $1.99 for 3 skeins, and it's just going in the dryer with my laundry, so who cares!

I read a couple of tutorials, but as a person who rarely reads directions, I just went for it.  This isn't going to be a tutorial.  Number 1, I speak in circles, so I'd probably end up teaching someone how to make a placemat instead of dryer balls.  Number 2, I kinda forgot to take pictures in a "tutorial fashion" as I went along.  Instead, I will just share my pictures.  :o)

Cheap Yarn - yay!

Rolled into small balls

Then tied up in pantyhose, all incognito like  they're ready to rob a 7-11 then into the wash.

Then roll more yarn around so they're bigger.  I went for tennis ball size.

 

Back into disguise they go.

Why it's oh so very important that you have these pre-felted balls in pantyhose...

If you don't (or if one manages to sneak out) you end up with this...

Ta da!  These suckers have been through every load (in pantyhose) I've done this weekend (maybe 5?)

Closer up of the felted-ness

See, tennis ball size.

So, I'm sure you're really just wondering about the table these dryer balls are sitting on.  [Probably not, but I'm going to tell you anyways!]  This is my left-at-the-condo-when-I-moved-in-2+-years-ago coffee table.  Solid wood top, super scratched and composite bottom.  I still need to get around to that whole painting the bottom thing.  I'm waiting for warmer weather.  Maybe by then I'll have an idea in regards to color...   Anyways, I decided I wanted to make the coffee table top a bit different, and figured hey, it was free, so I'm willing to risk it a bit more.  Several ideas from painting, to mosaic, to just sanding and staining farmhouse style came and went.  I decided to sand, stain, then carve.  Yup, like an old tree out in the woods (but with much less harm and a lot less sap).   Originally I was going to go back over the carved words with stain so it'd be darker, but I kinda like it lighter, so I'm going to keep it as it.  Still need to put some poly on it, but again, best left to warmer weather when it can be done outside.  :o)

Forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet, and that the winds long to play with your hair.  Khalil Gilbran

 My mom finds it rather hippie-ish.  Perhaps she's right, but I love the quote.  It's a good reminder as I sit here on my tookus to go outside and play.  :o)  Oh, and I don't have any fancy wood carving tools, so I just used a phillips head screwdriver. 

Ok, I've procrastinated long enough...  Back to painting...

Just a Nikon Girl...

mrseliotbooks on Etsy via Pinterest

... Living in a Canon world.  (I don't know why, but when I think about the Canon camera, I start humming these words to Journey...)  

 

Anyyyyyyyyways, I've been hiding behind a Canon 50D lately.  

Why yes!  That is paint on my hands!  Are we surprised?  I thought not. ;o)

So what is a born and bred Nikon girl doing with a Canon??  Well, Kevin has most graciously offered to let my shutter happy hands borrow his DSLR so I can keep being my snap happy self, but with a seriously upgraded camera.  I love my little Sony Cybershot, I really do.  It has survived several tumbles, snow baths, is wonderfully light and small for hiking...  Clearly I love them, it is after all my 4th Cybershot (yes, I have a tendency of losing cameras...).  [Anyone else wondering, with my "stellar" camera history, why in the world Kevin would let me borrow his super nice camera???  Yeah, me too...]  Anyways, it's a good little point and shoot, but it just doesn't have the lens, nor the features I'd love to have and sometimes can frustrate the bejeebees out of me.  Well, I'm still learning this how to use this Canon, which can be also frustrating, but it is SO great to see what a difference good glass makes! :o)

So, since I'm a bit behind on the whole updating the blog on things that are being done around the casa, I'll put up some of these for now with promises of project pictures to come. :o)

The Flours [get it, flowers, ah so pun-y] I got from Kevin for Valentine's Day

Evidence that I still have yet to understand Canon's white balance options...

Rudder loves his dummy

Mr. Martini eyes

And now for the Gag Reel...

Tomorrow I'll try to get some project pictures posted.  :o)

PS - This blogger post-formatting-picture-inserting-process and I do not get along...