Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Vegan Cookie Dough and a Frugal Food Tip

I have ranted before and I will rant again...this time about canned foods.  Cans contain the harsh chemical BPA (aka Bisphenol A), a known hormone disruptor, as cans are lined with a plastic coating containing this harmful and disgusting chemical that seeps into the food they hold.  BPA has been linked to many illnesses and diseases, including but not limited to infertility and sexual dysfunction, neurological issues, and breast cancer! 

NOTE: There are a few organic brands out there that don't use a BPA lined can, including Eden Foods; these cans will be labeled "BPA FREE".

This is definitely not on my list of things that I would feel good about serving to my family.  So, canned goods are absolutely a NO at our house.  Which leaves me in a predicament when we want certain foods, such as beans.  Canned is just so much more convenient!  I found a solution for my family that I would like to pass on to you. 

FRUGAL FOOD TIP:

Buy organic dry beans!  It's easy, start with a pound of dry beans and soak/cook them according to the package.  When they are done, you can refrigerate them for up to two weeks or you can separate them into 1-1/2 cup portions and freeze them until you need them.  VOILA! Easy, less expensive and much healthier! 

I just made garbanzo beans and here is the financially breakdown:
$3.99 for 1 pound organic garbanzo beans (equal to approximately 5 cans)
$13.45 for 5 cans of organic garbanzo beans without BPA lining
PRICELESS is the cost of feeding my family healthy foods without harsh chemicals!!!

 

 

Vegan Cookie Dough {RECIPE}

3 cups cooked Garbanzo Beans (or 2 cans)
1 cup Brown Sugar
1/2 cup Old-Fashioned Oats
1 1/2 Tbls Real Vanilla
1/2 cup Coconut or Almond Milk (I used water)
Pinch of Sea Salt
Vegan Chocolate Chips (I used Ghirardelli)

Add rinsed garbanzo beans with all ingredients except for the chocolate chips to the food processor and blend until smooth.  Stir in chocolate chips and serve. 

My family and I, kids included, eat this by the spoonful and we LOVE it!  It sounds so strange, but it really is excellent and you can't even taste the beans at all! 

Have a fabulous day!

Sunday, April 8, 2012

Cherished Family Time

Happy Easter to those of you who celebrate today!  Today is what we call "American Easter", this is because we are Orthodox Christians and in the Orthodox faith, we celebrate Easter the first Sunday after Passover.  This means that sometimes our Easters are the same and sometimes they aren't.  This year we are a week apart, so us Orthodox are celebrating Easter next weekend.

Nevertheless, it made me reflect upon family time as some of our family does celebrate today.  On our last visit with my family, my Princess Cupcake begged us gals to play the game Jenga with her.  We really didn't want to but we did anyway so as not to disappoint her.  It turned out to be super fun, actually, I think us ladies had more fun that she did!  There were four generations playing: my Grandma, my Mom, my Sister, me, and my daughter.  I am so thankful to have this time to spend with them and I know it won't be this way forever, so I cherish it so, so much!





Check out my Princess in the background!  LOL!!!

And she is still very worried here!









I had to share this because of the funny pictures!

Have a great week and don't forget to enter to win a some cute hair accessories from Emma Lee's Boutique, I am hosting it here!!!

Thursday, April 5, 2012

Emma Lee's Boutique GIVEAWAY!!!

I love hair accessories for my Princess Cupcake!  She's growing up now, and doesn't like all of them as much as I do for her.  After all, she is 7 now!  Back in December, I won a headband set with a flower clip for her from Emma Lee's Boutique.  I was so excited when it arrived in the mail and when she saw it, she was even more thrilled than I was.  It is definitely the most loved hair thing in the house!  I have actually had to tell her not to wear it because she had worn it for 4 or 5 days straight.

Derinda is the owner of Emma Lee's Boutique as well as the writer of the blog, DabblebyDerinda.  She is a super sweet and creative gal!  I love her boutique because not only are the items darling, they are also very reasonably priced, which means you can get more!!!



There is nothing that I like more than getting a good deal, as far as shopping goes.  To me, getting a few (or more) hair clips for my sweet girl that she loves and that hold up to her very busy hands, is just that!  Plus I always love that she has something unique and different than the average hair clip.


Go on over to Emma Lee's Boutique and check it out! 

Because I won the headband and flower set, and I LOVE giveaways, Derinda and I having a giveaway here on Modern yet Old-Fashioned!  There will be two lucky winners that can win one of these beautiful sets.

Silver Glitter Interchangeable headband estimated to fit girls 4 and over. Each Silk Puff measures around 2.5" and are each attached to a 1.75" partially lined alligator clip that fit in the interchangeable headband or can be worn separately. 
Felt Flower Elastic Headbands estimated to fit babies to adults. Very stretchy and comfortable. The felt flowers (embellished with sewn pearls) measure around 3" and are permanently attached to a thin elastic headband...that are very comfortable to wear.

Here is how you can win:

(make sure to leave a separate comment for each one)

2- Follow DabblebyDerinda
3- Visit Emma Lee's Boutique and tell me your favorite item
4- Follow Modern Yet Old-Fashioned
6- Follow me on Twitter
7- Share this post on Facebook, Twitter or your own blog


 I will use random.org to determine the winners on Tuesday, April 10th at 5PM central.

UPDATE:
And the winners are...
#15 Kari
#5 Carlos, Elizabeth and Addison
True Random Number Generator  Result:15
True Random Number Generator Result:5Powered by RANDOM.ORG
Congratulations!!!!

Wednesday, April 4, 2012

The Current State of My Favorite Windowsill

Every year we plant a pretty large garden in our backyard.  We are always thrilled to see it grow and to be able to feed our family (and sometimes neighbors) from it.  It is so satisfying to walk out and pick a tomato or cucumber whenever we want to!  Having said that, let me tell you a little secret...I am NOT Mrs. Greenthumb!!!

Last year I tried to start my plants from seeds (organic) for the first time and it didn't go well for me.  Actually, it totally flopped and they all died after I planted them outside.  We then went out to a local farm and purchased some plants.  After much research, I am going to try my hand at starting my garden from seeds again this year.  I planned on starting them mid-February, but ended up planting them mid-March.  My kiddos helped out, which I think is so beneficial for them to feel some ownership.  Every day we see if anything new has sprouted and how much the other seedlings have grown.


My corner windowsill is a perfect place to grow anything because it gets a lot of sun.  And its right behind the kitchen sink, so I never forget to tend to them. This, of course, is NEVER a problem for me {sarcasm}!!!

Not the prettiest window sill decor, but by mid May, I hope it will be worth it!

Details on what I am planting this year.  All are organic, non-GMO vegetables and fruits.
  • Blue Lake Green Beans
  • Beef Steak Tomatoes
  • Rutgers Tomatoes
  • Ashley Cucumbers
  • MM Cucumbers
  • Jalapeno
  • Cheyenne
  • Brussel Sprouts
  • Zucchini
  • Pumpkin
  • Watermelon
  • CA Wonder Green Pepper
  • Eggplant
  • Strawberries (come up every year)
I was also thinking about trying out some onions and lettuces in a different part of the yard.  I always start out so ambitious and then fizzle out or run out of time.

Any planting tips for me that have worked for you? 

Thanks for stopping by!



    Monday, April 2, 2012

    Dollar Store Spring Wreath -tutorial-

    When I was at our local dollar store last week, I spotted some pool noodles.  I was totally giddy because I had wanted to make a wreath out of one.  So, I snatched it up and shopped around for something to wrap it.  I found some adorable cord, well actually clothes line. 

    I threw it in the car and away we went...but wait...my little guy liked the noodle too!  As I was driving, he was playing with it and out it flew through the open window.  HA!  I had to go back and get it.  I was wondering if people thought I was crazy.


    Spring Wreath Tutorial

    Supplies Needed:

    •  1 pool noodle
    •  3 inch piece of 1/2 inch PVC pipe (optional)
    •  Duct Tape
    •  4 (70 Ft) pack of cord




     Step One:

    Cut about 7 inches off of the noodle.

    Step Two:

    Insert half of the PVC pipe into the noodle.  Bring other end around and insert remaining PVC pipe into that end.  Duct tape together. 


    NOTE: My husband thought of the pipe for security.  It worked out awesome and was much easier to tape with just one person. 


    There is the finished wreath before being "dressed"

     Step Three:


     Wrap your noodle wreath with whatever your creative heart desires, in my case; it was this green and white cord.  It did take a while as it needed a few layers, but I think it was worth it because I love the way it turned out!



     Step Five:

    DECORATE!
    I actually had a hard time with this.  I just was so indecisive about "the look" I wanted.  So a tried a few things and I was just OK with it.  I decided to sleep on it and I am glad I did!  When my sister and I came across chip board letters, I knew I found my final embellishment for this wreath.

    I used things I had on hand...get creative with it!



     On our visit to Iowa over Spring break, my Mom and Sister liked it so much that they went out and bought the supplies and made one too! It was certainly fun crafting all together, and it got the creative juices flowing a little bit more than usual.
    My Mom chose a moss green and white cord

    My Sister chose this beautiful royal blue and white

    Silly Girl:-)



     In the end, they finished the wreaths but not the decorating as we all got the nasty stomach bug that I mentioned here.  When they finish, I will update with pictures.
    UPDATE:

    Check out my sister's finished wreath!
    Another version by my Mom!
     
    If you feel so inspired to make one of these fantastic wreaths, please leave me a comment!  I would LOVE to see pictures of yours!!!

    Have a great week!

    Sunday, April 1, 2012

    We Got It!

    The kids and I took a little trip over Spring Break to Iowa to visit my family.  The first 24 hours was pretty good until....my princess cupcake got sick.  I was praying it was a fluke; that is was something that just didn't agree with her little tummy.  A couple of hours later I was sick, then shortly following that my little dude.  It moved to my sister, who came in to see us from Minneapolis, and then to my big dude. 

    However horrible I felt being sick there and exposing them to our germs; I have to admit that it was quite nice that my Mom was there to help me!  Just like old times...Mom swoops in to the rescue.  She waited on us, kept the others quiet while some of us slept.  She even cleaned up after us!

    When we finally made it home, weak and weary, I got a call that my niece was now sick.  UGH! 

    So, needless to say, this Spring break trip was not was I had planned.

    I hope your Spring has been much better than mine, thus far!

    Have a great week!