Black Bean Burgers

Lately, I have been trying to get out of the mindset of "Meat is a food group," and into the mindset that "Protein is a food group." Mark and I have enjoyed some vegetarian meals recently. This weekend, amongst the other missionaries at the Opportunity Center, I was able to make this recipe for black bean burgers with my sister. It was delicious! Definitely a keeper!

Long time, no blog.

I haven't done anything crafty as of late. I am, however, in the middle of dismantling my room in hopes of making some constructive changes.

One can only hope. Hm.

Back again

Christmas was a busy time for me, thus the lack of blogging. I still have very little to talk about. Over new year's, I was in Miramar Beach, Florida. I had the chance to try out some new recipes on my family. I'll share with you the scones I prepared for my brother's birthday breakfast:

½ c milk
1 egg
2 cups self-rising flour
½ tsp salt
½ stick butter or margarine
3 Tbs sugar
1 cup cubed ham
1/2 cup cubed sharp cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.

Beat together the milk and the egg and then set aside. In a large bowl, mix flour, baking powder, and salt. Work butter into flour until it forms small beads of the mixture. Add the sugar, ham, and cheese, and stir or toss to mix. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry. Bring dough together gently with a wooden spoon.Turn dough out onto a lightly floured counter and knead it no more than 12 times. Pat dough into a round approximately ½-inch thick, and cut into 8 or 12 wedges. Place on an ungreased baking sheet. Using a pastry brush, glaze wedges.

Bake for 10-15 minutes, or until golden. Cool on a rack.

Crafty!

Hello, Hello!

I've been crafty lately. You see, I have this black, zip up hoodie that got left outside for a while. Well, it WAS black. Now, it's faded and it looks really cool. When I re-found it, I brought it inside, washed it three or four times, and decided I'd do it up a little. I bought sponge brushes and gold fabric paint, scrounged for some neato fabric and Irish translations, and after about a month of losing the paint AND procrastinating, here is what I came up with:




This dove outline is on the back of the hoodie. I just used regular gold fabric paint applied with a sponge brush in outward motions, following a simple outline stencil that I sketched and cut out of computer paper. The text below it is Irish:



"ach na torgdh dar dara na an Spiorad Naomh: gra, athas, faoi shiochain, foighne, caoin, maitheas, dilis, ceansa, feinsmacht-- in aghaidh mar giuir leidi ansin aon riail dli."



Translated:



"and now, the fruit of the Spirit holy: to love, to have joy, to be at peace, to have patience, to perform kindness, to have goodness of person, to be faithful, to be gentle, and to have self control-- against such things (belongings), there is no rule of law."



I appologize for the lumpiness of the hoodie. I tried to use the couch as a background, but there was sort of something in the way.....

We love her anyway...

This red, black and white handkerchief patterned fabric is what I decided to patch the hoodie up with. I look thrilled, don't I?

In other news, I've been sort of brainstorming about decorations for a Christmas dinner that some friends and I will be preparing for the guys in our church. Tonight, whilst looking at random blogs, I found an online site that allows you to make photo cubes and print them out on your home printer, all the while providing you with step-by-step instructions on how to cut it out and assemble it. So, I got on a free stock photo site, found some cute Christmas themed photos, and matched them up for photo cubes. I'll probably stack them on the table as a center piece (a safe distance away from the candles, of course.)

Here is the link to the photo cube site.

Here is the link to the Free stock photo site.

And here are a few of the photos I chose:

Just Can't Stop

Here is a kitchen/dining/sitting room that I just created. I'm still getting used to the kitchen tools, so there are no pictures included haha

Broderbund 3d Home Interiors Deluxe

I've been fiddling around with my Home Interior Design program all evening. Amy and I decided it would be fun to create a Vintage Modern (No... not victorian, and not Mod... but Vintage Modern) room/palette/setting together. Here is what we came up with:

Here is a Gothic Contemporary room I did. It is in one of my favorite color schemes... deep, dark, and dramatic.

And this is a cottage style sitting area inspired by a Georgia O'Keefe print. Yellow and blue... my mother would be proud. I tried to add a few clean, contemporary lines to it with the stripes-- especially the stripes on the wall. In real life, I probably would have more blue accents in this room, but I love the contrast they provide in this setting. Mmmm... I loves me some color.

Minor Absence

I've been out of commission for a while now. Battling colds, selling my possessions, and trying to help a friend move to the area. In the mean time, I've been doing some thrift shopping which is always fun. I wish I should have carried a camera with me. I found some great vintage furniture and my friend and I managed to create awesome settings with all of the glass work in Goodwill.

Anyway, to make up for lost time, here are some nifty pictures and ideas, as well as a recipe featured in my article, Great Beginning-of-Fall Entertaining. Enjoy!

Grilled Honey Citrus Chicken





What you need:


4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts


2 1/2 cups orange juice


1/3 cup lemon juice


1/3 cup lime juice


2 tablespoons dry cilantro


2 tablespoons dry parsley


2 tablespoons dry basil


1/2 cup honey


salt & pepper to taste





To prepare: In a mixing bowl, whisk together juices, herbs, and honey. Place chicken breasts in a small baking dish. pour mixture of juices and herbs over chicken. Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour. Once marinated, grill until chicken is cooked completely.