Quilted Reversible Rag Bag Tote

This is a project that I did 2 Christmases ago for my mother-in-law and sister-in-law as gifts.  It did take some work, and was my first sewing project.  However, I did enjoy making them and had a lot of fun picking out fabric that I thought would compliment their owner's interests and likes.  I also love that when you wash them it leaves one side with clean edges, and the other with a more tattered look.

Here is a link to the instructions I used:  Rag Bag Tote

And here are some pictures of how my 2 projects turned out:

Bag 1 Side 1 - Close

Bag 1 Side 1

Bag 1 Side 2 - Close

Bag 1 Side 2

Bag 2 Side 1 - Close

Bag 2 Side 1

Bag 2 Side 2 - Close

Bag 2 Side 2

Lazy Sunday Afternoon

So after church and a trip to the gym, we've settled into a nice afternoon. My cat Boris is flying around the kitchen floor after a bottle cap. They inspired me to post a few pictures of them.

Boz, left, and Boris, right, having a lazy day. Natasha being my sweet snuggle buddy on our favorite purple blanket.

Oh for that easy life!

Chile Brittle

This is a recipe a co-worker shared with me recently.  It may sound odd to some, then again maybe not.  If you are fan of chocolate with a bit of spice you should definitely try this one.

I will note any changes I made at the end.  Enjoy!

Chile Brittle

2 cups granulated sugar

1 cup dark brown sugar, packed

1/2 cup light corn syrup

1/2 cup water

1/4 cup chile (half habanero & half dried ground chipotles)  <--Yes you read that right!  It says a 1/4 cup!! (see change below)

1/8 tsp salt

1/4 cup soft butter or margarine

1/8 tsp baking soda

1 1/2 cups of nut of your choice (whole peanuts, cashews or coarsely chopped pecans, walnuts or brazil nuts)

Boil together the sugars, corn syrup, water, chile and salt until the mixture reaches hard crack stage (300 degrees F on a candy thermometer).

Stir the mixture only until the sugar is dissolved so it doesn't scorch.  Add the butter and baking soda, stirring until the mixture foams up.  Add nuts and quickly stir them in.  Pour the mixture onto a greased heat-proof flat pan.  Spread the mixture until it is very thin.  Loosen from the sheet before it cools and hardens.  Break into crude pieces.

Changes or additions:

     - My co-worker used 1/4 tsp of chiles to the mix.  I however used closer to 1 tsp or so.  What I did, and would recommend is that you stir the mixture of sugar, corn syrup, water and salt in the pan BEFORE you put it on the heat.  This way you can gradually add the chiles to the mixture and taste, so that it reaches an acceptable heat/spicy level for you.  This isn't intended to be a fraternity prank!  Mine turned out with a subtle smoldering sensation, and that's meant in a pleasant way.  :)

     - To counterbalance the spicy, I took the advice of my co-worker and dipped the brittle in chocolate.  I melted down some of Baker's semi-sweet chocolate and dipped the cooled brittle pieces into the chocolate, covering them completely.  I then laid them out on a piece of parchment paper to allow the chocolate to harden.

Tip:  My Silpat was perfect for this, I poured the brittle mixture onto it to cool.  It made it a breeze to remove!

Super Turkey Chili

I went to find this recipe online so I could add it to Pinterest, and it was gone!  So, I decided to post it here!  We love this recipe and I'll note changes I made to the original recipe in case you want to experiment.  I began using this recipe during Phase I when we did the South Beach Diet.  It is an easy recipe, and one of my favorite cold weather meals!

I added the ingredients into myfitnesspal.com and the calories per serving is about 470.

This is a place holder pic...will add my own the next time I make this  :)

Super Turkey Chili
Serves 8
Serving size about 1 cup

2 lbs natural ground turkey breast
2 tbs olive or canola oil
3 medium onions, diced (about 2 cups)
1 medium zucchini, diced (about 1 cup)
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 (28oz) cans diced tomatoes
1 (6oz) can tomato paste
2 (15oz) cans dark red kidney beans
4 tbs chili powder
1 tbs cumin
1 tsp cayenne (optional)
2 tsp salt

Heat a large soup pot over medium heat.  Add oil, onion, zucchini and garlic, saute for 5 minutes, or until soft

Add ground turkey, cook and stir until browned

Add diced tomatoes, tomato paste, beans, chili powder, cumin, cayenne, and salt

If chili is too thick, add water or broth to achieve desired consistency.  Simmer for at least 20 minutes.  Ladle into bowls and serve piping hot.

My changes or additions:
      - Use 1 can dark red kidney beans & 1 can black beans
      - Fresh diced tomato instead of canned
      - 1/4 tsp cayenne
      - Dash white pepper & black pepper
      - Dash of red pepper flakes
      - Sometime to change it up, I use lean ground beef
      - I've also added a little ground chipotle from time to time as well

Cuts & Curves

This is a 3 month boot camp of sorts that was featured in Muscle & Body Magazine.  I have completed one full week and am hopeful that between this and good nutrition I will rearrange my body shape a bit.  The idea is to do the boot camp to reach my goal body composition and then go into a more sustainable maintenance mode.

I had tried P90X and really enjoyed it.  However, due to knee issues the program reaggrivated them and doctor said no more P90X for me.

For the life of me I cannot find the link to the actual workout on their website, so I will attempt to share it here.

If you'd like to read the articles, they are here:
Month 1
Month 2
Month 3

The pdf of the workout plan for all 3 months can be found by clicking on the below Cuts & Curves picture.

I Spy!

I spy a way to get rid of those stacks of magazines! 

Yeah...those!

I have a cute little nephew that loves cars and windmills and other things little boys are interested in.  :) 

So I bought a 12x12 scrapbook and cardstock paper and began cutting up magazines.

I then arranged them on the pages and glued them down

Next I wrote a little poem of things to find in the collage of the pictures. 

It was a great way to get rid of magazines and make a custom book for a special nephew.

Renewed Vision

It has been awhile since I ventured on to the blog, and I have decided to expand the subject matter a bit.  So instead of just writing about restaurants we've tried and enjoyed, I thought I'd venture into projects I'm working on, books I've enjoyed, and anything else that I find of interest.

I have a few projects that I have accomplished and a few that I am in the process of diving into that I'd like to share.  However, I will have to begin after I do my evening workout!