You Want Me to Drink What?!

Okay, so this doesn't LOOK terribly appealing {although the orange gives it a little appeal, doesn't it?!}, but it tastes soooo good. And, it's a great way to get your kidlets {or hubby!} to eat some greens.

Ingredients:

* 6 oz light blackberry yogurt

* 1 medium banana

* 1/2 c watermelon

* 1 c frozen spinach {thawed and squeezed to get rid of water}

* 1/4 c ground flax

* 1/2 c non-fat milk

* Splash of OJ

* 3 ice cubes

Really, add anything you want. Cocoa powder would up the antioxidants and totally change the flavor {and turn it into a dessert!}. Blend it all in a blender. Drink up!

I promise: It's good!

P.S. I couldn't resist throwing this picture in. Already posing at 2.5. And yes, she picked out her outfit for a walk downtown. Ah, my little princess...

.molly

Weed Addiction

Again, not that kind of weed. But I do have this strange addiction with weeds. The kind that are obvious, in your face, dead and in need of being pulled. Particularly with these plants.

As I went for a fun, superhero walk with my sweet daughter last week {superhero cape courtesy of her Mimi} and we happened upon this house that struck me.

EVERY single plant outside their house needed plucking! 

It was so hard for me to not just pluck away at every single plant. {Wouldn't that have been a sight!}

Now, as I type this I realize that I sound super anal and you might think me house is completely neat and tidy all the time. 'Tis NOT the case. TRUST me. BUT, when I see something like this with these particular plants - plant after plant - my crazy neat-freak kicks in and I want to do something about it.

As I pulled into our driveway, I noticed that my front yard had three or four plants that had the same dead shoots jutting out of them so I went in for the attack. BUT, I was greeted by defense in the form of a super creepy, get-me-out-of-here spider like I'd never seen before.

Blurry because I wouldn't dare get too close to it as it might jump out and eat me!

So, lesson learned. a) Keep my neat freak zaniness in check. b) Everyone has a reason for their actions - Could be neglect. Could be a preference. Could be creepy spiders. Who knows.

For now, I'll let my husband get to the plants this weekend {and will see if he reads my blog}. :)

.molly

Napkin Ring Turned Earring

So, awhile back I told you about our Gourmet Group's Greek Night my husband and I hosted. {And yes, I still owe you lots of ridiculously yummy recipes from that.}

Well, one of the decorating ideas I had for that evening was to make napkin rings of gold and blue to throw in Greek colors, and a little handmade goodness. These were a lot of fun to make.

Materials:
* gold wire for wire-wrapping {Michael's}
* various turquoise stones
* napkin ring

I wrapped the gold wire around the napkin ring and then made a twist to keep the shape/size needed for the napkin to fit through. Then I knotted, added beads, and repeated over and over, wrapping at the end for closure.

Well, after the party I was stuck with 10 of these which great and all, but we already have a couple of sets of very versatile napkin rings so I thought I'd get a little crafty and turn them into earrings for each of the girls! {Of course, I haven't given them to any of the girls yet so keep it a secret!}

A simple addition of some wire and earring hooks and...

No one ever has to know they were napkin rings! Although it does make for a great story. :) P.S. They are available for $9/pair on my website. Pass it on.

.molly

The Power of Wonder-Under

I've become somewhat obsessed with this fabric.

After using it to make some sweet birds {available on my website}:

I also patched up one of my daughter's hand-me-down sweatshirts with this fabric using Wonder-Under:

Holes, holes, and more holes. But super cute & fits perfectly so patches are a must.

Following the directions of Wonder-Under {THE best patching material}...

1) Cut out a general size of Wonder-Under you will need.

2) Iron it, using the recommended settings, onto your fabric.

3) Cut out your fabric in the size you want - in my case, a flower

4) Follow ironing directions again and iron onto fabric.

I like to do a zig-zag stitch {or hand-stitch for the hard-to-reach spots} around the patch too, just to secure it down.

I couldn't stop there as I just love the fabric, so I patched my "mountain jeans" too.

Big holes were too big to patch. New patches keep them from ripping more.

Now, you have no excuse to not patch that darn item you love so much but haven't worn in forever. It's simple!

.molly

Why Did the Duckling Cross the Grate?

Okay, this picture {I originally found on Feisty, Frugal & Fabulous} made me laugh, but also made me completely cry.

I hope it was a happy ending!

You're a good mama.

.molly

Sauteed Avocado. Can you say, "Heaven"?!

I don't know how I got this bee in my bonnet, but I've had it stuck in my head lately to saute avocado and have it on a salad. Have you had that before?

Well, today was the lucky day. I combined grated Parmesan cheese with herbed breadcrumbs in a bowl:

Then heated olive oil in a pan over medium heat and sauteed the avocado slice for a few minutes on either side, until browned.

I served in on top cottage cheese, pinto beans {I'm working on adding variety and iron-rich foods in my diet}, Trader Joe's bruschetta, and the leftover breadcrumbs/Parmesan crumbs. {I also had a side of green peas, which the kids actually gobbled up too! Helps that I topped theirs with low-fat cheddar.}

Minimal work. Total satisfaction.

Have you had sauteed avocado any other way? I think it will be my new favorite topper for anything - burger, salad, grains... Ah, the options.

Happy eating.

.molly

Retro-Styled Birds Hit the Scene

Have been feeling a little punky lately. I battle with low iron and get crazy dizzy spells if I'm not super on my iron intake. Guess I haven't been doing a good job of that lately.

Amidst the dizzy spells I've been trying to add more mobiles to my website since it's been a while. {They take quite a bit of TLC to make and I've been busy with orders and the additions of other products - more blankie/blanket sets and jewelry!}

I finally got the chance to make a mobile with one of my favorite new fabrics. I'm not usually a "retro" girl but this fabric screams retro to me and I just LOVE it. I'm diggin' in on birds, too.

Don't you just love that fabric? I wonder what else I can do with it?!

.molly

Hang It or Leave It

I've been realizing that I've done a horrible job posting creations going out, and instead I get wrapped up in food, my kiddos, and the outdoors. Well, I promise to get better.

Every week has a theme. Last week it was birds, and here's one that went out.

She requested darker wood and loved the cream, green, blue fabric on the top right bird, but didn't want too much more blue. 

Think it turned out okay? The "flying" bird was an after-thought, as I assembled them all together. Art is so fun!

Hope the birds are enjoying their new home in San Diego, CA.

.molly

Brownies, With a Little Kick

First... No, not THAT kind of "kick". These brownies are juiced up with low-sugar jam and ground flax {yes, I had to try it with flax}. Check them out. Super simple. From scratch. Loved by all.

Another goodie from Cooking Light - Dark Chocolate and Cherry Brownies:

I sprinkled in probably about 1/4 cup of ground flax seed, and used Trader Joe's low-sugar raspberry jam one time, and my mom's homemade plum jam another time, instead of the cherry preserves. Both were delicious - I think you could use any jam you'd like.

Soooo delicious. And the dark chocolate chips are a super yummy addition to every bite. Enjoy!

.molly

Spunky Red with Blue & Brown

A spunky, 11-year old red-headed gal named Sammy saw this bird on Cookie+Curly's website...

Pink&Grey Birdie in Style, $29

and she just had to have it... But Sammy-style. She just re-did her room in blues, browns, and polka dots, so she wanted one to match. The product:

I LOVE doing custom orders. It's so fun to see other people's style and I love making things that perfectly fit what is "them". 

What would be your custom order? No, I'm not asking you to order {although, feel free!}. I'm just wondering what you would order if you could have your way. Let me know! I'd love some more inspiration!

.molly