During the month of July I'm teaming up with Becky over at Broken Pencils are Pointless for a little crafting challenge. If you're a craft-a-holic, enjoy re-purposing or up-cycling things, then breathing new life into them this challenge is for you!

Here's the challenge. Find something that was never meant to be used in a kitchen. You can get said item at a thrift shop, yard sale, anywhere used goods are sold. We're not picky, so you can even use something you already own, as long as its not currently being used in the kitchen.

Once you've chosen your item, refurbish it into something for your kitchen. We will be showing off our fabulous "new" items at the end of July in a co-sponsored linky party.

If you saw this on Pinterest please repin and get the word out! The more the merrier. If you have questions, just pop them in the comments section and I'll answer them directly.

We're still debating on a prize and how to choose a winner, but I'm thinking about a custom designed bracelet for the craftiest gal or guy who submits to the linky.

Embracing the yellow and gray trend

wearing // gray chiffon top - Ann Taylor Loft - thrifted - $3
               buttery yellow jacket - Ann Taylor Loft - thrifted - $5
               capris - White House Black Market - $78
               bag - Aldo - $35
               shoes - Kensie Girl - $25
               sunglasses - Cole Haan - $20
               necklace - my own design - peridot, smokey quartz and buttery yellow ribbon with a dragonfly clasp

You can find this outfit and many others at The Pleated Poppy.

reading //  I never read just one thing at a time.  I know it's confusing for some, but not for me.  Right now I'm into The Scottish Prisoner- Diana Gabaldon, The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest - Steig Larsson and Atlas Shrugged - Ayn Rand.

watching // I'm not a big fan of reality tv, I get enough drama in real life thanks, but we are watching The Colony at the office over lunch time.  At home we're watching Flash Forward via netflix and I'm still working on my addiction to True Blood.  Don't judge, at least my fixations don't sparkle.

listening to // You could say my music tastes are eclectic.  Right now I have everything from Nina Simone and Patsy Cline to Seether and Niki Minaj (yeah, someone will be all over my hoopty hoopty hoop about that one) on the ipod.  I am a huge fan of Matt Nathanson and Adele as well.

eating // I'm not eating meat, wheat, dairy, eggs, soy and potatoes.  Probably a few other things too due to some allergies and intolerances.  What I am eating tonight is some awesome salad and stuffed mushrooms.

laughing about // Same thing I always lol about.  The antics of sheeple.

working on // The family room, still.  It's almost done though.  Once the room is finished I'm going to be working on getting my Image Consultant Certification.  So, if you want some help editing your wardrobe and updating it and are in the Central PA area, drop me a message.  I need a few guinea pigs people to start my portfolio with.

anticipating // The plans from the landscape architect.  I'm so excited to see them.  Our yard literally looks like we've been testing missiles in it.  I am not good with plants, so I had to bring in the big guns.

wishing // As with anyone else I have plenty of these, and few are really to do with me.  I tend to wish for things for others, and probably always will.  What I fall back on, in the back of my mind when I get asked questions like this is Dr. Seuss.  "You've got brains in your head and feet in your shoes.  You can steer yourself in any direction you choose."  It's not the wish you need.  It's the gumption get out and make it happen.

What are you wearing, reading, watching, listening to, eating, laughing about, working on, anticipating, and wishing for today?

Let me know in the comments!

While the minions were away with my parents they went to visit the Museum of Geology and Natural History in Morgantown, West Virginia.   The museum houses the only fossilized dinosaur in the state of West Virginia, and serves as an education center as well.

This is the second visit the boys have had there and both times the curator of the museum has taken time out of their day to go over exhibits, answer questions patiently and explain geology in depth to a 10 year old.  Which by the way is a huge thing when you've already planned out that your undergrad degree will be in geology and then you'll be a paleontologist after that and work at the Smithsonian.

The minions also came away with some really nice fossils complements of the curator and the museum.  While we're sending them a nice thank you, I thought it would be great to give them a mention here as well and if you live in the vicinity, or are just looking for a day trip, check them out.  Don't forget that it's people like Patricia Johns that inspire and help educate your kids.  Be sure to thank them, and if you can, give generously to places such as this so they can continue to do wonderful things, like encourage your kids to follow their dreams.

Fossilized plant

Fossilized Ferns

We've been childless for more than a week.  It's been unnaturally quiet, clean and food isn't randomly disappearing at disturbing rates.  I'm also a little lost.  No one has been in to wake me in the mornings.  No phone calls through the day to let me know that Minion #1 is being a pest. I can actually get things accomplished without stopping at least half a dozen times to find something or intervene in a brotherly squabble.

It's really, really nice to have had some adult time.  I got to play catch up on some housework, got a few little projects accomplished without 'help' and didn't have to listen to whining about when dinner would be ready or how it wasn't what they wanted.  Which is really one of the only things that my minions do that actually bothers me.  Yes, I dislike that they leave their dirty socks in the living room, and wet towels on the bathroom floor.  But, those are a dislike, not a that hurts me to the soul sort of thing they way the food is.

I spend a good portion of my week and days planning menus and making food that contains things that everyone likes and that won't make me sick.  It's not as easy sometimes as you'd think.  So while I do keep in mind that minion #1 has autism and lying about how good something is really is beyond him.  It does stab me a little when one or both minions refuse to eat something because it's new and they've already decided they won't eat it and won't like it.

We don't make two dinners around here.  Not anymore.  I used to.  A lot.  In fact, some nights I was making three and sometimes four dinners.  I just don't have the energy for it, and honestly it's rather silly.  So now we just have a rule.  You don't have to like it, but you do have to try it.  If you refuse, you go to bed, there is no compromise, and I'm trying to stop caring about them going to bed hungry.

I'm sure the rest of you struggle with the same sorts of things.  What rules do you have to get your minions to try new things, or just eat what you've made with minimal fuss?

I used to giggle each time Fox had a new special on when the network was still new.  They had catchy titles like When Giant Squids Attack!  or World's Deadliest Swarms! and always ended with Next, on Fox, with a Shatneresque cadence.  So, this week it's When Picnic Lunches Go Vegan!  sadly, not on Fox.

There's a state park close by here with a really nice lake that has boat rentals as well.  The plan was to pack a lunch, enjoy the day and spend some time kayaking around the lake.  The big decision is what to pack as food. Peanut butter and jelly makes for something easy, but I wasn't in a sandwichy mood and was really jonesing for some pasta salad.  As I was digging about in the refrigerator figuring out what all was going into the pasta salad I realized we had a distinct lack of hummus as well, so I figured I'd whip of some of that quickly.

Pasta, for those of us who are gluten free is a bit of an art.  Rice pasta, for lack of a better way of saying it is really kind of yucky.  It doesn't taste like much and tends to fall apart and stick to itself when it cools.  I've found that a company called Ancient Harvest that makes a corn/quinoa mixture works much better.  Tastes better too IMO.  I only had some elbows in the cabinet instead of the cute little multi-colored pagodas, but I made do somehow.

Gluten Free, Soy Free, Veggie Pasta
1 box of pasta cooked, drained and rinsed in cold water
1/3 cup each of veggies of your choice.  I used:
carrots
radishes
onions
yellow pepper
cauliflower
broccoli
1/4c of gf/sf greek salad dressing of your choice, or use red wine vinegar and evoo with some spices mixed in.

Mix your veggies into the cooked pasta (2 quart bowl should hold it all) and add the dressing.  Toss to coat, chill for at least an hour.

Quinoa pasta

Yes, I do know how to use the Chef's knife

Yum!

The hummus is just as easy, maybe more so.
Ingredients are:
1 can of garbanzo beans.
1 lemon
2 tablespoons of tahini
cumin
turmeric
cayenne pepper (optional)
roasted red peppers (optional)

Drain your garbanzos, but reserve juice.  We're going to use that instead of oil later.  Put the beans in your food processor.  Cut your lemon in half and juice it, pour into the processor.  Add 2 tablespoons of tahini to the processor and then add cumin and turmeric for your taste.  If you like it spicier add a few shakes of cayenne, then blend!
You'll get a nice paste with small chunks in the first go round of blending.  Add about 2 tablespoons of the reserved liquid from the garbanzos and blend again.  You should now have a smooth paste.
Add your hummus to a 2 cup bowl and top with a tablespoon of roasted red peppers if you like.

See my Ninja?

Hummus with Roasted Red Peppers

Lunch!

The rest of lunch was made up of sugar snap peas, an orange and some Nut Thins, almond crackers.  I use silicone cupcake thingies a lot in our lunch boxes for dip, or small things I don't want spilling into other stuff.  The minions especially love it when I tuck the pink ones in their lunch boxes, complete with a note from me telling me how much I love them.

What did you all do with your Saturday?