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October 30

This is probably the first Halloween in my adult life that I could buy trick-or-treat candies before the evening of the event. Partly I'm just getting better about self control (not really) but mostly because I make treats here at home now that satisfy my sweet tooth in a healthier way. Today I spent a couple hours in the kitchen and took some pics so I could share with you here. First I'll show you these fruit and nut balls I make. They're my version of a LARA bar, only cheaper and guaranteed fresh. Here's everything I use in them:

I buy the nuts and fruits in the bulk section at the local cut-rate-bag-your-own grocery store (called Winco here). A couple scoops of each.  I did measure them today and there's about 1 cup each of walnuts, pecans, toasted almonds, cherries, dates, and figs (which I bought the big bag of at Costco). I send it all through the food processor and mix it in a big bowl

If you process the dates a millisecond too long you end up with a big lump as you can see here, but it'll break apart easily enough. 

For the figs, I nip off the stem at the end, and while I'm cutting each one individually I go ahead and slice it in half also before processing.

Now the three types of nuts and the three types of fruits (all of which can be changed up to meet your own taste) are all in one big bowl.

Wash your hands real well and remove all rings and start mixing with your hands. This is where you will also de=lump the dates. Then pour in about a third cup of melted coconut oil and about 3 Tbsp of agave nectar. Also about a tablespoon of GOOD vanilla (no more grocery store stuff! Shop the kitchen section of discount stores like Home Goods, Tuesday Morning, Ross, TJ Maxx, etc) Blend and blend and blend with your hands. 

I've recently started adding a couple handfuls Chia seeds (you can't tell they're in there but you know they're good for you) and I recommend adding them last and mixing with a wooden spoon (otherwise most of them will just stick to your hands).

Then I use a tablesoon to scoop a fairly compressed (push it into the side of the bowl as you scoop) amount. Scoop it out of the spoon and using my hands basically press it into what looks to be a meatball. (which is one of the many names we call these, having not decided on a definite name yet. I'm also particular to Schweddy Balls.) 

Then roll them around in some finely shredded unsweetened coconut. This soaks up some of the sticky wetness that you had to add to hold it all together. 

Put them in the freezer for 20-30 minutes.

So that when you make up smaller baggies full of them they won't get all mushed together. We always have one bag handy in the door of the fridge and more bags with 8-10 in each standing by in the freezer.

I recently added some dark chocolate bits that I ran through the processor. Two things made me decide not to do that any more. 1) they tasted WAY too good straight out of the fridge and I ate them like there was no tomorrow and 2) John said that by the time he ate the few I managed to send in his lunch they were room temperature and the chocolate made the ball rather 'greasy' overall. 

These are great to add to lunches or on hikes, etc. A couple midmorning really helps stave off hunger pangs. One time I did add up all the calories that went into a bowl and divided it by the number of balls I got out of the batch and it was right around 100 calories. But they're 100 calories that are pretty good for you, I'd say. ;-)

I'll be back soon and tell you how I make Almond Joy bites that are actually good for you!

October 26

Hi there. I've been working on cleaning up the front half of a duplex we manage for most of the past two months. I'm afraid I let a slob with 4 cats live in it way too long (5 years) so a price had to be paid. :-(  Up until now I've just been coordinating the different contractors but now we're coming to the end and I do the cleaning and finishing touches myself (I'm pretty much twice as fast and half the price). 

Anyhoo, the front window in the living room is 12 feet long. I wanted to hang sheers so that the new tenants don't feel like they're in a fishbowl and therefore always keep the blinds closed. I don't even know that you can buy a curtain rod that long, but even if you would be rather an ordeal. I came up with a pretty clever (and CHEAP!) solution and I took pics along the way to share with you here today.

First lesson--to any new homemakers that may not have already figured this out: If your window measures, say; 145" across like this one does, DOUBLE THAT FIGURE when buying your curtains. Or come close to doubling, anyway. I bought 5 panels that were 50" across. ie; 250" for a 145" window. Capiche? Otherwise you'll have no gather. I made that mistake the first time I ever bought curtains and I'm sure many of you readers did, too. Moving on...

Here is all I need

Notice the absence of big ol' hardware and electric screwdrivers and wall anchors, etc? Yep, likin' it better already!

So I cut that mess of cord that I had grabbed on the way out the door to a couple feet longer than the window itself. Attach the safety pin to one end of the cord and staple the other end to the beginning corner of your window like this:

This is where comments for improvement on the idea are welcome. If your cord falls between both sides of the staple you have to hammer it down hard to hold, and it will require more 'digging' whenever you want to remove the staples and take them down. Ideally, one point of the staple will go right through the cord, and that holds quite well, but good luck hitting that sweet spot! 

Start running the cord through your first panel like this

I divided the 145" window by the 5 panels to figure I will make an anchor point every 29" (between every panel). I just kept using the same piece of blue tape and moving it 29 more inches as I went along.

(ps. You should also use the scissors to nip off the paper labels that show through. Tacky!)

Moving along...evenly fluffing your gathers and pulling the cord TIGHT as you go so they won't sag. 

Voila! 

Certainly not the look you'll find in "What's the hot new look for windows" but a definite problem solver for being able to enjoy privacy AND sunlight. 

Back to work. Hoping to have it all buttoned up by Friday so I can do an open house for prospective tenants on Sunday. take care :-)

October 21

If you are around or over 50 chances are very good that a) you sew or used to sew clothes, and b) you remember some of the styles in these patterns like it was yesterday.

I'm pretty sure I made this exact dress pattern in my Freshman year of High School.  

I was trying to do it as cheaply as possible so I bought a lining fabric...almost like tissue. I was so proud when I wore it to school but before the noon bell had even rung on that windy day I hated my new dress because dumb boys were following me around to see the view when the skirt blew up! A couple weeks later I saw another girl wearing it, which really kinda freaked me out--come to find out mom had put it in a donation pile. Isn't it funny, the things we remember?

If I thought I could get away with it this is probably the one I would want to make and wear today:

But even if I did want to show my arms and back, it's never warm enough here. With all the talk of "70s BoHo Chic" these days I typically reply "Clothes weren't even attractive then! Why on earth would you want to bring the styles back?" But going through these patterns makes me want to dress like that again!

I recently found a treasure trove of patterns that epitomize the 70s at an estate sale. They are all in fabulous condition and best part--larger sizes. As I recall, I used to buy patterns based on my measurements and they always ended up being WAY too big. Did you have that experience? Anyway, if you'd like to take a gander, I have a bunch listed on ebay. 

One more for fun:

"Who's your daddy!?" ;-)

October 12

So, remember I went back to the ol' hometown a couple months ago and hooked up with girlfriends from Jr High? SO fun! Oddly coincidental (wink, wink) there was a tattoo parlor right next door to the bar we hung out at. For the past few months I had been thinking I wanted to get a tattoo to memorialize my dad and my sister who we lost last year. :-( My dad drew and painted palm trees as far back as I can remember. He must have started that when he was stationed in Hawaii during the Korean War. For a brief time when I was in fifth grade my mom allowed him to paint one whole wall of my bedroom navy blue and then he put a big black silhouette palm tree in the middle. So I knew I had to get a palm tree for dad. Cindy loved Tinkerbell. So I thought "Fairy dust" would go well with it. I proceed to have a drink or three (stiff ones, too!) and feeling ALL sentimental I wander in to the tattoo parlor and tell him what I want. Not being too descriptive, not seeing or discussing any sketches. An hour later I walk out with this

HATED it! So short and stumpy and what's with all the SWIRL? Is that a desert storm behind it? I immediately started thinking of it as a 'shit storm', and don't even get me started on that phallic action happening under the leaves. argh. HATED it.

So a month later I just as serendipitously (but not drunk) walk in to a local tattoo place. I am introduced to the nearest tattooist who happens to be walking by. His name is Tom Harley and I tell him I need a do-over and he kinda seems squirmy about that (artists really don't like messing with other people's work) but as soon as I lifted my pant leg he was like, "OH! Yeah...we need to fix that." :-) So we made an appointment (concept!) for the following Saturday, at which time I got this:

Tom saw right away that it needed to be turned in to two trees. I called my older sister on the way to the appt to ask if she ever saw dad draw palm trees in groups of more than one and she said 'yes' so then my only request to Tom was that it not look like a tribute to Jimmy Buffett :-) 

So, it's bigger than I ever meant to get but it's pretty and I will be happy living with it. Thank God! And thanks, Tom. If you're on Facebook go look at his work. He's really quite the artist. He referred to my tat as just a trifling 'cartoon', and when you see the depth of his work you can understand why, but I'm happy and that's all that matters. :-) 

The before and after, which I think bears repeating: