Sew 2016

I've been attending sewing classes for the past year and fell in love with fashion goddess, Ms. Christina Blunt.  http://www.polishedbrand.productions/ 

She's a fierce creative force that I've had the pleasure to share, learn and grow with. Here are a few of my beginner creations and alterations.

This vintage dress had a high neck and a Pentecostal attitude. 

Created a V and popped out a choker for a modern vibe. 

Maxi skirts, scarves and Elf vests too.

Hats and capes are easy to whip up for costume occasions. 

I made this silver skirt to pair with an H&M lace shirt. 

Christina made a bowtie for Jules. 

My first Chewbacchus was solid gold with this C3PO apron. 

Simple alterations like darts are a cinch. 

Don't Pay Full Price on Wedding Gifts

The only time I go to Bed Bath and Beyond is to buy a wedding gift, and I always bring a coupon. I check my pile for the best deal by comparing $5 and $10 off deals to the percentage discount ones. There is no use in checking the expiration date because Bed Bath and Beyond honors expired coupons. Some of mine are from years ago. Doesn't matter.

How to Make the Most of Crawfish Boil Leftovers

My boyfriend is from California, and being the ambitious soul that he is, he wanted to tackle a task that most life-long Louisiana residents don't even attempt. He threw a crawfish boil AND boiled everything HIMSELF. Daring - I know. If you follow only this blog and don't know me in real life, which is probably not the case, you may be thinking "BOYFRIEND? You never told us about a boyfriend." Well, I didn't because I didn't want to jinx, and I still don't. It's actually quite a magical story, but like I said, not going to jinx it. Let's just call him "some guy I know". Anyway, some guy I know threw a wildly successful crawfish boil. He had lots of friends there as did I.

 

Everyone enjoyed the Star-spangled Jello Shots, most claiming that they were the best ever. Hooray for a whipped cream center. Recipe Here

Everyone also enjoyed the music. The neighbors opened their windows, turned up their speakers and their computer to play a Pandora station. The station they played was based on the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and surprisingly made for a very good party mix. If you haven’t heard of the website Pandora. Check it out at www.Pandora.com. Users type in a band that they like and the site creates a playlist of artists that have the same sound.

Back to the food...We boiled lots of veggies including onions, bell peppers, corn-on-the-cob,  artichoke, potatoes (red, white and blue), and garlic. 

Not wanting anyone to leave hungry, "some guy I know" ordered 100 lbs. of crawfish so we had lots to spare. Two of my friends sat there and peeled over two pounds with the agreement that I'd make something good with the leftovers. So I made crawfish enchiladas. This recipe is similar to the one that my family uses.

We had two big bowls of vegetables left over as well, and I wasn't about to let them go to waste because they had so much spicy flavor. I bought some shrimp and canned tomatoes and threw together a lovely spicy soup. Louisianans never throw anything edible away. We just add butter.

Lindsay's Leftover Crawfish Boil Shrimp Soup

Leftover Crawfish Boil Veggies:

 5-10 ears of Corn-on-the-Cob (decobbed)

1 or 2 Bell Peppers (chopped)

2 or 3 Onions (chopped)

5-10 Cloves of Garlic (chopped)

Fresh Veggies:

1 Onion (diced)

3 Ribs of Celery (diced)

4 Stalks of Green Onions (diced)

1 cans Diced Tomatoes

1 small can Tomato Sauce

1 Can Tomato Paste

2 cans Seafood Stock

Equal Part Flour 

Equal Part Oil or Butter

1. Make roux with Flour and Oil or Butter.
2. Saute fresh onions, celery, green onions in roux until soft.
3. Add tomato paste, stir.
4. Add crawfish boil veggies and seafood stock to bring to desired consistency. Simmer 30 minutes
5. Stir in shrimp and cook until shrimp cooked.

Home Sweet Home - Update 1

Here is a video showing the progress we've made on the house in 2.5 months. My dad and boyfriend have been doing all the hard work in this heat! My dad tried to hire three different laborers to help with clean up, but they all quit on him after a few hours. 

Complete:

• Plaster demolition
• Stud prep for sheetrock
• A/C window unit removal
• Shoring (Piling Replaced)
• Drains Videoed (damage found)
• Opening from Kitchen to dining widened
• Upstairs dormer removed
• Angled roof framed and sheathed to eliminate flat roof
• All wiring and electrical components removed
• Bathroom tile trim removed
• Window bars removed
• Window and door trim removed and salvaged
• Under-house clean out
• Support beam moved and reinforced
• New Masterbath framed
• New Walk-in Closet framed
• New A/C Unit Storage framed
• New 1/2 Closet framed
• New Guest 1/2 Bath framed
• New Utility Closet framed

Home Sweet Home - Before Shots

Moving right along on this life journey thing. I bought a house back in December. Something I've been wanting to do as long as I can remember. It took a long time to settle the Road Home Grant paperwork, but it's mine now! I've got a ton of renovations to do, but hopefully, it'll look like new in the Fall. Here is a video of shots that we took when I first bought the place. 

Scary isn't it?

You're Not Hungry

 

Sign from Etsy.

If you aren't hungry enough to eat grits, you aren't hungry.

When I was in college and lived alone, I lost weight by not keeping food in my apartment. I did keep grits around. I felt like if I wasn't hungry enough to eat grits, I wasn't hungry.

I was reminded of this when I came across this insightful blog that a guy created to list 1001 rules for his unborn son. I bet he's a chick magnet these days.

the blog - 1001 Rules for My Unborn Son See #402





 

Ladies' Sleepover with Healthy Grub

Had the girls over for a sleepover and instead of eating junk food, we opted for a healthy menu. A few veggies and a few proteins turned into quite the spread. We are anticipating our 10 year high school reunion in a few weeks and for some reason that means we need to be thinner than ever. Don't you love our society?

I think we did pretty well. Maybe too much food, but hey; what's a celebration without too much food?

Dessert was graham crackers and fat-free whip cream frozen for about an hour. So good and so low in calories. It's the lighter version of this awesome ice cream sandwich sundae that I usually make.

Find the recipe here.

Aunt Denise's One-Bowl-Chicken-Salad-Wonder

I was sleeping at my Aunt and Uncle's house and was getting spoiled with a yummy yogurt parfait breakfast. Meanwhile, my Aunt starting throwing frozen chicken and whole eggs into a pot. I was like, "Whhaaaa?" She said, "Oh, I'm making lunch." I love simple cooking so here is the recipe.

 Aunt Denise's One-Bowl-Chicken-Salad-Wonder

• 1/2 lb. frozen skinless chicken strips or breasts
• 3 eggs
• cilantro as desired
• 1/3 c. Italian dressing
• 1 tbsp. of pickle relish
• 1 tbsp. mayonnaise
• 1 t. salt
• 1/2 t. pepper
• Cajun Seasoning to taste

1. Throw frozen chicken and whole eggs in a pot of boiling water for 10 minutes and until chicken is tender.
2. Remove from heat. Peel eggs.
3. Combine all ingredients in a food processor. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Refrigerate until serving.

 Optional additions if you want to get creative:

• 1/4 c. diced celery
• 2 tbsp. diced green pepper
• 2 tbsp. sliced green onions
• 1 tbsp. curry powder
• 1/2 c. watercress
• 1/3 c. pesto
• 1/2 red onion
• 1 apple, diced
• 1/2 tsp. garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp. almonds, chopped
• 1/4 tsp. coriander
• 2 tbsp. of mustard
• 1/2 c. tomatoes, quartered

Image via realsimple.com

My Curry Cabbage Concoction

Sumer and I caught so much cabbage at the Irish Italian Parade in Chalmette, but I had never cooked cabbage before. So I went on a search to find some good recipes. Plain coleslaws led to Asian coleslaws but I wanted something sauteed. So this is what I created. It's so good. I am so excited to find another vegetable recipe to bring for lunch because I need more fruits and veggies in my life. (I am such a nerd) Plus, cabbage is cheap!

Lindsay's Curry Cabbage Concoction

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 tablespoons natural creamy peanut butter (low or no sugar)
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons balsamic vinaigrette salad dressing
• 3 tablespoons Splenda brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger root
• 1 tablespoons minced garlic
• 4 cups thinly sliced green cabbage
• 2 cups thinly sliced red cabbage
• 2 red bell peppers, thinly sliced
• 1 carrot, julienned
• 6 green onions, chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup salted peanuts
• 2 teaspoons curry powder
• dash of red pepper

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the rice vinegar, oil, vinaigrette, peanut butter, soy sauce, brown sugar, ginger, and garlic.
2. In a large bowl, mix the green cabbage, red cabbage, red bell peppers, carrots, green onions, and cilantro.  Toss with the peanut butter mixture.
3. In a sauce pan or wok, saute mixture over medium-high heat for 2 minutes then add water, curry powder, and red pepper.
4. Continue to saute until vegatables reach desired tenderness.
5. Top each serving with peanuts.

Please try this recipe out and let me know what you think. I hope it adds a healthy staple to your weekly meals!

No Poo Method

Sham-poo that is.

The method already exists. I didn't make it up. I promise.

I am tired of shampoo.

Not because of the harmful ingredients in shampoo such as toxic Alcohol, isopropyl (SD-40), carcinogenic FD&C color pigments, and Sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) and sodium laureth sulfate (SLES), which can be absorbed through your eyeballs and has been known to kill some animals.

Not because shampoo removes oil which causes your glands to produce more oil, so the more often you wash your hair the more frequently it gets greasy.

And not because the "No Poo Method" is cheaper.



No, no my real reason is far more vain.

For the past 2 or 3 years, I can see and feel that shampoo leaves residue on my hair and scalp. It bothers me to no end!

So I googled and googled. I found shampoos that were organic, that cleansed, that purified, that prevented dandruff, and healed the scalp. None of them were a reliable cure.

Although, I did kinda like this $25 shampoo. Frederic Fekkai MORE Scalp Purifying Shampoo It smells beautifully and worked for short periods of time.

I've had this post in the draft stages for a long time. I keep editing it because at first I loved No Poo, but the more I use it the more I dislike it. Keep in mind that I can only speak for super fine, super straight hair because that's what I was born with. Although, I have read that it reduces frizz.

Pros: 

• It leaves my hair more voluminous than ever before and softer too.
• I can go two days in between washing most of the time.
  

Cons:

• It leaves the texture of my hair slightly more coarse and less shiny. Much to my mother's dismay. 
• Not a perfect solution. I still sometimes have residue.
  

Like my mother, it may sound a little too new age for you because it's considered unAmerican not to wash your hair with shampoo. Check out this article from NPR on the history of shampoo. That being said, I find it fun to experiment with different methods to see what works.

Most sites tell you to use apple cider vinegar and/or olive oil as a conditioner. It makes my hair kind of stringy and looks dirty right away so I am going to have to stick to regular conditioner until I find something better.

My Conclusion:

Though it's a love hate relationship, I think I'm going keep with the No Poo method for now and wash with regular shampoo or the Frederic Fekkai MORE Scalp Purifying Shampoo once a month.

Here is my routine:

Preshower

1) Mix 1 to 1.5 tablespoons of baking soda to 1 cup of warm water in a spray bottle.  

During Shower

2) Saturate your scalp and roots by spraying the solution. When your hand starts to hurt from pumping, open the spray bottle and pour the rest of the solution on the middle to ends of your hair.

3) Massage and rinse.

4) Condition your hair with a regular conditioner from the mid length of the hair to the ends.

5) Rinse.

Notes:
*The baking soda solution should always be watery not pasty. If so, you are using too much baking soda.
*I've tried to be lazy and stick some baking soda and water in my hands, but that was too pasty and didn't rinse well.
*I've tried to be lazy and just pour the baking soda and water on from a cup, but for best results, stick to the spray bottle.



Think I'm crazy? Want to try it? Let me know your thoughts.

All That Glitters

I've been making jewelry in my spare time. I found some cool "findings" (jewelry term for accent pieces) in NYC. I have no idea what they were originally, but I found a pile of them at a flea market and envisioned earrings. Several dollars, tools and beads later my visions came to life. What do you think?

SOLD (below)

SOLD (below)

 

SOLD (above)

mine all mine (below)

 spoken for (below)

SOLD (below) 

 

Crafty Costumes

So I was headed to The Rocky Horror Show, the theatrical production at Westwego Theater on Halloween night. I knew I couldn't wear my troll wig again because it would block the person sitting behind me's view. So about noon on Halloween day I started crafting this Blue Dog Dress. I already had the dress from a vintage shop. So I drew, cut and painted on cardboard the blue dog face and feet. It has been a rousing success. I'm taking orders for handmade costumes for next year so get your order in now!

Couldn't Do the Troll Wig Again

Blue Dog. Ta Da! Cost = $0 (I had all the materials)

How to Make a $4 PreBaked Rotisserie Chicken Pay for Itself

My first real frugal post, and it's a good one!

Grocery store rotisserie chickens make for a decent last minute meal and are super cheap. But, I figured out a way to really stretch that bird!

Day 1, buy the chicken, add a sensible side and feed yourself and even your significant other. If you don't have another mouth to feed, more for you! I usually have at least half of the chicken remaining so I stick it in the fridge.

Day 2, peel and chop the leftover chicken meat and return the skin and bones to the fridge. Use the chopped chicken to make this delicious soup! 

Mexican Chicken Soup

• 1 (32 ounce) carton chicken broth
• 1 cup water
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 (16 ounce) jar salsa (any flavor)
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups chopped cooked chicken
• 1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 1/2 cups frozen corn kernels
• 1 (4 ounce) can diced green chilies
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 3 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro

1. Combine chicken broth, water and garlic in a large saucepan: bring to a boil.
2. Add salsa, oregano, and salt.
3. Cover- reduce heat to low; cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Add chicken, beans, corn and chilies; continue cooking for 5 minutes or until heated through.
5. Serve in soup bowls; top each serving with cilantro and sour cream.

Day 3, make chicken stock to enrich future soups and dishes by following the method below.

Leftover Bones and Skin Chicken Stock Recipe 

1. Put the leftover bones and skin from a chicken carcass into a large stock pot and cover with cold water. Add veggies like celery, onion, carrots, parsley.
2. Add salt and pepper, about 1/2 tsp of salt, 1/4 tsp of pepper.
3. Bring to a boil and immediately reduce heat to bring the stock to a simmer.
4. Simmer uncovered or in a crockpot on low at least 4 hours, occasionally skimming off the foam that comes to the surface.
5. Strain the stock, removing bones.
6. You may want to reduce the stock by simmering a few hours longer to make it more concentrated and easier to store.
7. Pour the stock into ice cube trays for adding small amounts of stock to recipes or mason jars for larger quantities. 

Some Day "In the Future", take the stock out of the freezer/fridge, and use another leftover chicken half to make some, mmm, Chicken Noodle Soup. Recipe and image from Musings of a Housewife.

 Chicken Noodle Soup 

1. Heat two quarts chicken stock in a large stockpot till boiling.
2. Meanwhile, chop 3 or 4 carrots, 2 stalks of celery, and dice an onion. Add them to the boiling stock and cook for 15-20 minutes.
3. Throw in a cup or two of egg noodles. Return to a boil and cook for 10 minutes.
4. Add the cooked chicken meat and heat through.
5. Serve with homemade bread and butter, or biscuits for a treat!

 One bird in the hand is worth four meals on the table!

For 101 more uses for roasted chicken, check out Retorte.