Cuteness, Cars, Crafts, Veterans Ceremony, Tomato Saltine Salad Recipe, & Fair Week Re-Cap!

I thought I would start this post off with a little CUTENESS!  This photo was taken in Erie near the Bayfront.  These little youth ducklings were all snuggled up and ready for a nap.

It seems I have been spending more time in Erie for several reasons but a few of them have been work related.  As for this 2nd photo - this was taken at our local Courthouse over the summer.  The person on the right in mid-salute is my father.  He was one of over 300 veterans in our county that was recognized for serving during Vietnam.  Our area has more veterans per capita than any other county in Pennsylvania.

In late June - we once again helped with the car and craft show at the fairgrounds.  It was the first time in 7 years of holding the event that we had PERFECT weather!

One of the camping foods I made this past summer that I certainly want to try again is this Tomato Saltine Salad.  For the vegan version I used the following:

2 packages of saltines
1 large tomato, diced

Vegan Mayo to taste/consistency

Garlic, fresh or dried, to taste

Sea Salt and Pepper, to taste

Super easy!  I know it might sound weird but I think it might just qualify as a comfort food!

Finally, I am getting to re-cap Fair Week.  It was the first full week in August and I'm just getting to it now!  YIKES!  In this photo, you will see me, Riley Green, my mom and my dad.  YES...Riley Green is TALL...but...my whole family is also SHORT so that is why he looks like a giant.  BUT...if you look at the next photo...

You will see all of the guys from Home Free are also tall.  Here is a pic of the guys with me, my sister, my dad (squatting and holding my niece), Trinity, and my mom in the back, too!  This was the 2nd time we had Home Free at our Fairgrounds and they are AWESOME!  My niece was dancing the entire time.  Now when she sees the five guys in a photo...she points to each one of them and says..."hot...hot...hot...hot...hot.."  I have to say...she's NOT wrong...they are some good looking guys!

Something I did for the very first time at fair this year was enter a few categories in the domestic buildings.  My original plan was to enter several photographs but when I went to do the prints they were to grainy and I decided not to do it but didn't want to FAIL at a goal so I entered other categories instead.  This first photo didn't place at all.  I decided to enter it into the Mixed Media but there were so many other entries that were much more involved than mine so it's all good!

This one placed 4th!  I entered it for Collage!  It was a project I did several years ago and was thrilled it placed!

This one I entered into the Scrapbooking Page category.  I placed 3rd!  I was pretty shocked!

And check this out!  I got a 1st place!!!!!!  I was completely surprised and didn't believe it at first.  I entered this Veggie Recipe Book in the Rubber Stamp Project category!

Here's another look at it next to the actual ribbon.  I had more photos of the inside on my IG, too!

And here is my FIRST PLACE Project with all 3 Ribbons!  I was so thrilled yet surprised that I placed at all let alone with 3 projects in my first year of trying!

Masoor Seddho (Red Lentil Soup), Cashew Carrot Ginger Soup, Navratan Korma Inspired Soup, Crafts, Stress Relief, and Life Updates

It's been another roller coaster of a few weeks and that is my reason for not posting.  I really had hoped to post some more interesting and uplifting news but things didn't work out like I had hoped.  I need to be better at letting go and moving on, I suppose.

I guess now is as good as time as any to share with you some of the things I have been eating and creating.

As you can see in the first photo I recently gnawed on some Avocado and Tomato Toast.  It's topped with a Maple Mustard.  I also grabbed this smoothie you see in the 2nd photo which is Mango Squash & Veggies.  It was very tasty.  I got it from Total Evolution.  Maybe this week I will check out one of their soups or finally get their Oatmeal Bar.

I've been busy with work, League of Women Voters, and County Fair stuff.  I've also been a busybody at home.  Plus, I have been enjoying my new found joy of coin collecting more and more.  I have slowly gotten back into paper crafting which you will see more of in this post.  I'm really trying to stay busy so I don't start over-analyzing myself or move into a deeper depression. 

I'm still trying to get back into Yoga again but just when I think I will I have been battling with pain more.  Just when I think I have kicked my pain in a couple of days it comes back.

I've been tinkering with Mandalas again and it's been a nice short form of meditation of sorts.  As you can tell I'm not done with this.  Sometimes I do a bit at a time and will come back to it days later and add more.  DH and I just re-watched all of the Harry Potters which was a nice way to relax, too.  And of course there is my ongoing love of tea but I'm trying to adjust my intake on the highly caffeinated ones due to the aches and pains I have been struggling with.

I was averaging a card a day for a while there.  The cards I do only take a few minutes so it's a nice brain break.  It's a shame I let a group of people ruin my love of paper crafting for as long as I did.  I'm really trying to get back into it again.  So far - so good - in small increments.

I haven't bought any new supplies.  Everything I have been using to make the cards have been from scraps.  I intend to continue with this method.  I want to see how long I can go using old stashes and supplies.

Last weekend we gathered at a friends house for an annual party-after-new-years.  I usually bring baked beans but this time I thought I would bring something different.  DH suggested Buffalo Cauliflower Wings so I did just that.  I have two photos to share with you here.  I know I have posted my own recipe before but this time around I stuck pretty close to Jason Wrobel's recipe that he had in his Eaternity book I bought MONTHS ago!

They went pretty well.  I did 2 versions.  One was quite spicy and the other was not-so-spicy.

I ended up bringing Rootie's Blue Cheese for DH (for those of you who don't know he's not veg) and for who ever else wanted it.  I brought Daiya's Blue Cheese for me and who ever else wanted it.  It was funny but when we were cleaning up the dairy version of the blue cheese was barely touched and my vegan blue cheese bottle was nearly gone.

I'm not complaining at all - that is what it was there for - but I'm thinking that no one really looked at the bottles and just ate it regardless.  I find this interesting and am pretty thrilled!

It's been nasty weather-wise still.  This morning it was -7 degrees at 9am.  Friday Night we got a few inches of ice and then about a foot or more of snow.

So as you can imagine I have been eating a LOT of soups!  About a week ago I made a Cashew Carrot Ginger Soup.  Ingredients include...

1 C Cashews
1 Small Onion
2 Cloves Garlic
1 Knob Ginger
6 Carrots
Water & Sea Salt as needed
Garnish: Nutmeg, Smoked Paprika, Parsley

For lunch today I had this amazing Red Lentil Soup!

It's my new favorite!  I would have made more right away but I only had enough Red Lentils for 1 batch!

It was inspired by Vegan Richa's Begali Red Lentil Soup (Masoor Seddho) but instead of the Tomato I used Tomato Sauce.  It was all I had on hand.  I also used Earth Balance instead of the Mustard Oil.

This was WONDERFUL and I will be making it again as soon as I get more red lentils!  YUM!  I'm not going to lie - I ended up garnishing it with more Earth Balance!  It was so savory!

This next one might not look like much but it was pretty tasty, too!  It was inspired by Vegan Richa's Navratan Korma Recipe but I turned it into a blended soup instead.  It called for 5 cups of veggies I used a bunch of stuff that was hanging out in my freezer and frig to use it up.  Many veggies like Eggplant, Sweet Peppers, Green Beans, Carrots, Water Chestnuts, Potatoes, Peas, Zucchini, Broccoli, Cauliflower, etc.  Instead of the 4 tomatoes it called for I used some leftover Spaghetti Sauce.  There are various spices along with Cashews and Pistachios, too!

What I'm...

Today's post will be a mish mash of tidbits.  Before I get started I must say that the logo above isn't mine but I was drawn to it.  I then went directly to the source which was The Mobility Hub of Africa.   It's a project by Art Moves Africa promoting just about everything Arts and Culture related.

Now...on to what I have been doing and a whole lot more...

 First off I will start by saying I attended an 8th Grade Career Day yesterday and that was interesting.  I was around 8th graders all day and some of them that stopped by our table were able to record and play back so they could hear what they would or could sound like on the air.  (If you are new to my site I should probably tell you that I work in radio full time).  3 of the attendees I was especially happy to see...hubby's cousin's daughter, a friend of ours' son, and a boy who has loved radio since he was 3 and has been in to tour the studios and has dropped by our live broadcast remotes often.  

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

What I'm Watching...

I have been enjoying a lot of memories from my childhood, teen, and college years on Hulu+ and Netflix as of late.  I'm currently watching from the beginning A Different World.  I remember watching each and every episode when I was younger.  It's nice to re-watch them in the evenings when winding down.  We don't have Cable, Dish, Local TV, etc...but we do subscribe to both of these streaming services!  Do you?  If so...what are you currently watching?

What I'm Drinking...

In addition to many 52 Teas I have been sipping I have been getting back into Simpson & Vail's Teas.  I'm almost done with my stash of them, tho.  I really like their MANY Black Tea offerings.  I have also been trying to get into more herbals and you can read about a few of them over at The Sororitea Sisters Website.

Another thing I have been drinking is my morning smoothies!  Last week one of my mini goals was to be more consistent and make one each morning Monday Thru Friday.  I have been doing pretty good with this attempt with the except of yesterday while I attended the Career Day.  Instead I grabbed one of the Bolthouse Farm's Multi-V Goodness bottles I found at a small local grocery store.  I was surprised they had it.  This was the first time I had tried this flavor and it was really tasty.

What I've Been Listening To...

I often listen to a slew of different types of music.  I always find my way back to the 80s and 90s and over the past several months more specifically 90's Dance, New Wave, and Reggae music has been on that list, too.

What I've Been Thinking About For Fun...

Here's a card I did back in 2011!  I can't believe it's been 4 years!!!  But I have been trying to get back into paper crafting and mixed media once again.  As you can see here I did some shading and blending with craft markers.  I know I have better example of this somewhere.

And here's another one using the same digital stamp but with paper piecing.  If you aren't into paper crafting and aren't familiar with the term paper piecing it's basically using the digital stamp on patterned paper and cutting it out and piecing it on top of the same image to make it more colorful and eye catching.  Here are a few Halloween Themed Cards I made and the creator of the Digital Stamp is my ol' buddy Lindsay over at Lindsay's Stamp Stuff.

Be sure to check in TOMORROW I will be giving away a great prize from Garden of Life!
 Happy Weekend!

Halloween YoFo Link-Up! (Natural Dye With Tea)

I’m so excited to share this Vegan YoFo HALLOWEEN EDITION Linkup with you today! 

What is VeganYoFo? A few of us put together a group of VeganMoFo participants who wanted to keep in touch throughout the year. , We've named our community VeganYoFo (Year Of Food). We will be holding regular themed linkups like this one throughout the year!

I will be doing several posts that I can link up with. Today I thought I would dig into my crafting archives and tell you about a VEGAN way to naturally color and dye things for paper crafts.

YUP! That's right! We are using TEA for this project.

Depending on what you are doing you can use loose leaf and use the infused tea water and/or you can use tea bags!

Here's a photo of me using paper in tea water and letting it dry!

I decided to also try this for a tag and/or bookmark! It worked well!

Here's the finished product.

I also used it to shade in certain parts of this image! The sleeve and the candle! If you would like more step-by-step instructions my original post is still active on my old blog and can be found HERE. Yes...this is from 2011 but still is a great way to incorporate tea into your crafts and play around with natural colorings and dyes.

NOW...let's see your VEGAN related Halloween Posts!

An InLinkz Link-up

Goal Book ~ Page 2

Last week I started a Goal Book using Mixed Media and I reached all 5 of my goals.  This is what this weeks Goals are...but before I elaborate on this weeks goals...here's a short recap on last week...1 was to write at least 5 articles - I at least doubled that!  Another goal was to make at least 1 'World Foods' dish - I did 3 or 4 of them.  Then I wrote 'Start A Vision Board' - I started one but it's in the very beginning stages still.  I wanted to breathe more...more deep breaths...I was able to do that.  Then, finally, I wanted to laugh/smile more...I also did that.  Hubby and I started watching Brooklyn 99 on Hulu+ and it's sooooo funny!  Nice way to unwind at the end of the day.

So on to this week!  #1 on my list is to get back into Yoga.  Any kind of yoga!  I mostly do Kripalu Yoga but am open to others.  I also enjoy Yoga Trance Dance that was made popular by Shiva Rea.  #2 on my list this week is to visit my parents.  This isn't unusual for me - I try and get over to their place once a week or every other week - but - it's still a goal.  #3 is to send at least 3 "Thank You" Emails to people and places that I think are doing 'good things'.  It's so often we hear the complaints and not the GOOD feedback and I want to change that.  #4 is to text at least 3 friends that I haven't chatted with in a while.  I have two in mind as I type this.  Finally - #5 is to concentrate on LARGE salads for dinners most of this week!

Not only did I reach all of my goals last week - I have a good start on the ones for this week - AND - I found myself accomplishing a lot of OTHER things around the house and at work that I didn't include in my Goal Book!  I'm VERY pleased so far with this project!

Cards, Wine Making, & Vegan Wildtree Recipes

Here's a card I created earlier this week.  It's a bit different from the others I have done because I folded each layer over top and on to the back...usually I use design the front of them.  I really like the way this turned out!  I also used some gems, an adhesive embellishment, die-cut with "Remember" on it as well as an acrylic stamp for the I YOU U part.  I think it's FINALLY feeling right...me getting back into my crafting!  YAY!

Speaking of hobbies...my Dad is getting into one recently...WINE MAKING!  I'm so proud of him!  My father is a great guy...fun and goofy, too!  His mother's family came over from Ireland.  So he's half Irish and darn proud to be!  He's tinkering with the name Leapin' Leprechaun Wine.  He's already bottled his first red wine.  I think he's going to enter it into a contest in April.  He has judged it in the past but if he enters his wine in the contest he can't be a judge (obviously).  But I think it would be great if he placed in some way!  I'm trying to help him with the wine names.  It's fun!  Next he's going to do a semi-sweet white, I think.  This is the first version on his label that a friend of his created.  They are already working on the 2nd revision, tho.  They are going to change the graphic a bit as well as the slogan.  That's my Dad's face in the Leprechaun!  He's so funny!

This week I made this Avocado Lime Dressing and it was fabulous. 

Here's what's in this Dressing...

1 Avocado
1/4-1/2 C Water
2-3 T Lime Juice
1 tea Wildtree Adobo Seasoning
2 tea Minced Garlic

Also earlier this week I made Chana Punjabi.  It turned out really tasty!
Here's what was in this dish!

2 C Chickpeas
1 Onion
2 Tomatoes
2 tea Minced Garlic
1/4 tea Turmeric
1/2 - 1 tea Wildtree's Garam Marsala Blend

What have you been up to this week!?

Paper Crafting As Of Late & A Thowback Scrapbooking Page

First off thanks so much for the notes that my Best Bloggin' Buddies left me last week!  It's so wonder knowing I have people who care and check up on me!  It means the WORLD to me!  Thank you! 

So...this week...I'm back bloggin'.  I have lots to share but I have to say between everything that has been going on and the horribly EXTRA cold winter we are having I really haven't wanted to do much!  Gabby - one of our cats has always been small - and has been losing weight lately so I have been trying to up her food intake and give her private food time away from Charlie - our other cat.  I think it might be working.  Fingers Crossed.


I was thinking about making this one big long post but I figured I would space it out.  I'm sure I will have more than one post for today but I will be schedule posting a few others as well.  I have been averaging about a card a week and have enjoyed it.  I'm baby stepping my way back to paper crafting.  I used this card for the February Challenge over at Chalk N Stock if you want to hop on over and check it out and maybe even participate during this month's challenge!  I've been getting into pattered papers more as well as papers that kind of 'clash' with each other.  I'm not really sure why I'm currently into this look but I am.

Here's another card I did a couple of weeks ago.  I really liked the red against the black and cream colors.  The center checkered part is actually a ribbon not paper.  But as you can see I used the opposites or 'clashing' look - or mismatched - even - in this card, too!

Since I have been working on re-organizing my craft room I have found all sorts of things I am now using again that haven't paid much attention to the last year or so.  It's been FUN.

I hope to post at least one project a week on my blog from now on!

Here's another card I made - it was actually the first of the 3 I am posting here.  I'm trying to use my scraps more than I did before - I have TONS.

In this card I use the same red paper as in the card above.  I used some paper scraps for the black and cream strips and the flower you see is a hand crocheted flower one of my crafting buddies sent me a few years ago.  They are lovely!  In the center of the flower is a decorative brad I've had laying around for a while as well.

Overall...I'm fairly pleased with these cards!  They are a bit of a departure from what I was doing with cards prior to my crafting hiatus.  I'm looking forward to other projects as well!  I still MUST start in with those tins I was telling you about a while back, too!

Another now for a Throwback Scrapbooking Page.  I did this YEARS ago.  The reason I am posting it now is as a remembrance.  You see...the girl in the lower right hand corner photo was a good friend of mine (Actually one of two of my BEST Friends) from college who afterwards was a teacher at a charter school.  In 2008 her finance shot her and then himself.  It was a complete shock - of course.  It happened Super Bowl Sunday...I'll never forget that.  Everyone was notified and the word started spreading that following Monday.  I haven't looked at Super Bowl Sunday the same way since.  I probably never will.  Yesterday I spent a lot of time thinking about her.  I think of her often but yesterday I went thru photos and videos and had a few moments of silence.  Also pictured in this photo is my other friend Sarah and I in the other pictures.  The photos were taken in 1998 when we were in college and at an IVCF Retreat in Angola, NY.  The 3 of us were VERY active in IVCF during college and shortly after, even.

Blissful Crafting Journey ~ More Mixed Media Tags

It's been a while since I've posted about my Crafting Projects...I have many of them on tap to share with you!  I sort of went on a streak with Mixed Media including Alcohol Inks, Distress Inks, and Distress Stains for a while.  This is one of the 40 or so I did.

This one is really neat because of the fading in and out color and it's mostly the Alcohol Inks with Powdered Chalk in Water.  I mixed it up and used a spray bottle to force the color around and let it naturally dry where ever the color laid from there. 

The color kind of reminds me of a Gas/Oil Drip you might see in the Parking Lot of a Gas Station.

This 2nd Tag is similar with the Alcohol Inks and Powdered Chalks in Water by spraying it.  I also used some of the shade of brown in the Distress Stains from Tim Holtz/Ranger Ink.  You'll see in the bottom left hand corner of this tag that I also added some Glitter to it, too.  This dried naturally with the other mediums.

I have a thought - I might add some grunge inked rubber stamp backgrounds to this one - but I don't want to screw up the subtle glitter at the bottom - so I've been on the fence about it.  What do you think!?

Speaking of inked Rubber Stamps...this 3rd photo will show you one that I have already done.  I used Dress Stains and Powdered Chalk - both DRY - and distressed by smushing and smudging.  I applied more Powder Chalk and lightly spritzed with plain water.  After it dried I used 2 different Clear Acrylic Stamps - on with the Cardinal and the other with the Sentiment.

I made this one with my husband's Grandmother in mind...she LOVES Cardinals.  It might be a little too Earth-Toned for her regular color tastes but I think the Cardinal Image Tramps the color.

This next one resembles rust, I think.

I did the Distress Stains - DRY - and then sprayed water and dried again.  I filled in with watered down Alcohol Inks and dried again and then the Distress Stains - dried - and spritzed with water and dried one more time.

I might try and do a Paper Piecing and/or Grunge or Art Journaling/Junk Journaling with this one in some way, shape, or form.

Next up...this spotty blue one...

It's pretty easy-peasy, really!  I just used the Alcohol Inks with a bit of water and dried.

I left some of the base paper color exposed on purpose.  I figured less is sometimes more.

I often have problems sticking to that but it seemed to work here!

And...LAST...but certainly NOT least...because I have like 30 more tags I could post but will wait another day!

This one is a combination of Alcohol and Distress Inks and Stains, Powdered Chalk, Water, Hair Spray - all dried - and then I smeared DRY Glitzy Powder Chalk over top of it for the finish.

I like the way you can see the paths that the water took with the color in this one...where it has moved and run a bit.  I also like the glitzy finish.

So there you have it!  A few Artsy pics and posts for you!  What do you think!?  Which are your favorites?  I will be posting another project in the near future using the inks and stains on a full page of card stock so be on the look out for that, too!