Shared posts

14 Aug 15:22

Get Your Apron On…Beet Chips.So good.So easy!

by Liz Nye

Easy to make and a much healthier option to eat with your sandwich!
Beet chips.

Cut off beet tops.
Wash beets. {Leave the skins on.}
Cut beets into thin slices.
Lay beets flat onto pan lightly drizzled with olive oil.
Drizzle olive oil on top of beets.
Lightly salt and pepper.
{garlic powder optional...I would definitely choose this option}
Bake in oven for 10-15 minutes at 400 degrees.


Enjoy!

10 Nov 17:04

Introducing the Lighten Up Convertible Travel Bag

by Kaylee DeLacy

With so many varying needs based on the traveler, destination and duration of trip, there isn’t necessarily a one-size-fits-all perfect travel bag. However, our designers are one step closer by creating an all-in-one travel bag that functions as a duffel, backpack and hipster.

That’s right — our new Lighten Up Convertible Travel Bag is essentially three bags in one, able to be carried four different ways! Product Development Manager Renee walked us through the innovative features of our latest travel bag.

meet the lighten up convertible travel bag

 

4 ways to carry

 

 

01

 

as a duffel by the handles

 

02

 

slung over your shoulder

 

03

 

hands-free as a backpack

 

04

 

on the go like a hipster

what fits inside?

Pack the bottom compartment with your clothes and cosmetics — things you won’t need to access readily while traveling. Although sized small enough to be a carry-on, you can still fit a ton in the bottom compartment: Hanging Travel Organizer, hair straightener (and the cover, obviously), pair of shoes and three days’ worth of clothes!

In the backpack compartment, we recommend placing things you’ll want to access while on the plane (or car if you’re a road-tripper). You can easily fit your tablet, a book or magazine and a small cosmetic bag with your charging cords. Lastly, the hipster can be treated like your typical handbag, fitting your phone, wallet, gum and keys.

our favorite features

detachable shoulder strap

You can easily convert this travel bag from a duffel to a backpack by simply detaching the strap.

two short handles

With a short strap on each side, you can easily grab your travel bag and carry it as a duffel over your arm.

two backpack shoulder straps

Pull out the hidden backpack shoulder straps and snap them in to go hands-free in particularly crowded spaces.

detachable hipster

In one of our most advanced innovations yet, you can zip off the front compartment and attach the shoulder strap to wear it as a hipster.

shop

Still undecided which travel bag is best to fit your needs? Take our fun travel quiz to see which bag is best for your holiday trip!

The post Introducing the Lighten Up Convertible Travel Bag appeared first on Vera Bradley Blog.

26 Apr 14:05

In Danger of Being Magnificent

by Nancy Bell

Hello my Dearies!

It's Wedding time. A gorgeous woman is standing in the dressing room.  From both mirrors and across her face beams a radiant energy that makes the very air buzz.  She is not just large, she is larger than life.  She is not just black—her polished ebony skin gleams darkly in the light.  Her head is piled with tiny glossy braids that sweep in circles like an upside-down basket on her head. Her laugh burbles easily from her open throat as she gazes joyfully at her wife-to-be.  I finish making a few adjustments to a dress that fits her like a second skin and step back.  We all agree.  She is Magnificent!

They leave the shop together, smiling, and suddenly everything seems a little dimmer.  I slip on my thimble and pick up a threaded needle and wonder what it takes to be Magnificent like that.  For a moment, I think "If only I was black,  and curvy, and a lesbian.  Those lucky big, black, lesbians! Magnificence comes so easily for them.  Having what the Scots call “peely-wally” sallow skin and frizzy red hair that refuses to behave—that’s got to be what’s holding me back."  

The bell on the door rings and a white woman in her mid-seventies comes in.  Her grey hair is shaved closed to her head and her ears bob with multiple earrings.  She is tall, with large, expressive hands that flutter over her boldly-colored flowing clothes as she describes how she wants her Grandmother-of-the-Groom gown to fit.  She is comfortable.  She moves gracefully, laughs easily.  The deep lines around her kind eyes make it look like she is smiling all the time.  When she leaves the shop, I slump back in my chair.  Maybe I don’t have to be black or lesbian to be Magnificent after all!  I just have to wait until I am seventy and then shave my head.  (That certainly will solve the frizzy red hair situation.)

My favorite crabby person comes in.  She is in her mid-sixties and Jewish, with grown children who never call her.  She too is Magnificent.  I see right through her fabulous crabbiness in an instant.  She is just extremely knowledgeable and unappreciated, perhaps even misunderstood, and sometimes her crankiness intimidates people.  She leaves and I think if I had been born Jewish I might have a shot at being Magnificent (I am already frequently misunderstood and well on my way to being crabby).   

What it is that makes three such completely different people be so Magnificent?  You might think I am an indiscriminate person--that I just think every person I meet is Magnificent.  Not so. I try not to judge, but when I do, I judge very stringently.  Every person is Loveable, to be sure, but very few people earn my designation of Magnificent.   Most of us are just merely in Danger of being Magnificent.  But just when we are about to risk something big, we lower the hemline, raise the neckline, wear something prudent and cautious and beige and then shuffle anonymously to a seat in the shadows at the back of the room. (Not that I am anti-modesty, mind you!  Ironically, modest clothing is often the most alluring. Here in New England, during the three months a year we don’t wear parkas, it’s best to keep things covered anyway, or at least disguised with some well-placed shrubbery!)  In danger of being Magnificent,  we stay quiet.  We stay neutral.  We don’t want to cause a ruckus or a fuss. We don’t embody Joy.  Our clothes are the food-smeared caves where we hide, as we roam Wallmart in slippers, looking for snacks.

These women I call Magnificent are not so because they don’t have problems.  EVERY customer has a problem—that’s how I come to meet them in the first place.   Sometimes the problem is with an article of clothing that is not behaving.  Sometimes the problem is with him or herself.  Sometimes it is with the fashion industry and its cock-a-mamie attempts to get us all to resemble trout.  For these women, the problem is definitely NOT them. They blame the clothes, not themselves.  And they know how to ask for help. Once the alterations are finished, they don’t just wear their garments—they Present them.  Their "outfits" represent "inner-fits" and are simply the costumes required for dramas in which they are not afraid to star.

Some women just don’t get this.  They look in the mirror with defeated sighs and say “I really need to lose some weight.  I really want to wear this (skirt, dress, hideous lemon leotard) for some occasion (wedding, funeral, family reunion where weird Uncle Larry is going to eat all the cheese balls again).  I always protest and say “Change the clothes, dear heart, not you!"  Like a dog-trainer, I show the customer how to take control of the situation by shaking her pants and saying “you naughty pants!  Shame on you!  How dare you make this woman’s bum look big!”  (Sometimes, the pants snarl back “hey!  It’s not MY fault that cow likes pumpkin lattes! Don’t blame me!” Pants are vicious creatures sometimes, especially when they use the voice of our own savage inner critics.)  Fine if you want to lose weight for health reasons or to feel more energetic, just don't let that uppity blouse from Ralph Lauren try to be the boss of You. But really, it’s not about the actual size of your bum at all.  It’s about the size of the woman inside that bum that counts. I can tell by how these women enter the shop that they are terrified of being Magnificent.  They approach timidly, apologetically.  They are sorry they have this dress, sorry they aren’t the right size, sorry to bother us, sorry for living.  They meekly follow me to the dressing room, where their shoulders sag like bent hangers and their clothes dangle forlornly, like laundry left on the clothesline after a rain.  

Being Magnificent is totally dangerous.  It carries us to the edge of our discomfort.  It exposes. It risks.  The easiest thing to do is to stay home dressed as an amorphous blob under a fluffy bathrobe and a pair of sweat pants.  (Sweat pants—ew! Even then very name tells you they are NOT magnificent.   Though if your wear them to a gym, where they belong, and actually sweat in them on a regular basis, well, you will become very strong, which is a good piece of being Magnificent.)  The much harder thing is to claim your own femininity or masculinity and dress yourself in a way that defines not just who you are right now but who you want to be, moving forward, as your roles evolve.  What is fun for you to wear? What colors do you love? What makes you feel comfortable, vibrant, ready to Live? Do you really want to wear four-inch stilletoes to the prom? Or would you be happier in some blinged-out keds?

Being Magnificent has nothing to do with what size, shape, or color you are.  Trust me, I study this species close up during my daily dressing room safaris.  Right now, it’s also Prom Season and there is an endless parade of physical youth and perfection in the dressing room. I have seen elegant creatures with long, sylph-like limbs, pert noses, and hair tumbling in silky waterfalls down their backs who look hollow, somehow uninhabited—as if they are less than the sum of the parts they have assembled under all that chiffon.  They are tightly furled, un-bloomed. The runways are full of these long-legged things held up as the icons of beauty on every magazine cover.  Well, they ARE beautiful.  They are just not Magnificent.  Not yet.  There is a difference.

Women who are truly Magnificent are not born that way.  It takes a while, and some significant suffering, like the growth of a pearl in an oyster. (Young people can be Magnificent too, but it's rare--and  only if they have overcome something big.)  A woman over seventy has had to live through a thing or two, not the least of which are multiple eras of bell-bottomed pants and line-backer shoulder pads.  These women have stopped accepting the dictates of arbitrary fashion designers who think we need to consign ourselves to a lifetime of lean cuisine and stevia to conform and have begun to exercise their own free will. Which is pretty much how this whole “wearing clothes” thing got started, if you will recall! How much more dangerous can you get?

There is a price to pay for being Magnificent.  No doubt about it.  People will notice you.  People will talk about you.  People will listen to you.   Frizzy red-haired people might seriously be tempted to shave their heads upon meeting you.  Some people will admire you and some people definitely will not like you. That’s a frightful amount of responsibility, to be sure.  Most of the time, my own personal fashion focus consists of making sure there is no animal dung on my shoes, no hay in my pockets, and that the hem of my skirt is not inadvertently tucked into my waistband—like that time I unwittingly mooned half of High Street before a polite stranger clued me in.  Still, I admire these Mavens of Magnificence who have the courage to inhabit their whole selves, who understand that sheer radiance will triumph over any kind of genetics, race, or creed, who know that Happiness is the best make-up ever.  Too many of us come into the dressing room and fuss and pick over the tiniest details without actually looking at the bigger picture in the mirror.  Expecting to be a beacon of light without a shadow of a doubt is expecting Perfection.   It’s impossible.  So why strive for Perfect, when Magnificent will do?

Be well and do good work!

Yours aye,

Nancy

26 Jun 20:39

Teacher Gifts

by noreply@blogger.com (PatchworkPottery)

It's that time of year again. School is out for summer break in a week! I finally finished all the Pencil MugRugs for Claire's teachers plus one more for my sample bins. I hope Claire's teachers like them. You can find the pattern in my SHOP.










See more pictures and read more about Pencil MugRugs HERE.


Enjoy your afternoon tea & quilted crafts :o)

27 May 18:17

True Wedding Night Stories from the Victorian Boudoir

by Victorian Trading Co.

“Lie back and think of England” was the prominent mindset of many Victorian brides.

Either they heard whispered horrors from elders or knew next to nothing — in some cases, both. Wives who delighted in the unspeakable act undoubtedly would have felt shamed admitting such. For it was not meant to be enjoyed by women.

Accessible marriage manuals for young husbands and for young wives lacked instruction, used confusing metaphors, or failed to address consummation at all.

To better understand Victorians and sex, a set of letters and diaries reveal their propriety and perspective of what happens in the boudoir.

A Headache

More sheltered than most girls her age, Queen Victoria abided by a strict upbringing dictated by her mother and Sir John Conroy. Books, movies, and company were limited in selection. She could not climb the staircase unassisted. Nor could she sleep unaccompanied.

Victoria’s bed resided in her mother’s chambers. And that is where it remained until she became queen at eight and ten years of age.

The next time she shared sleeping quarters would be on her wedding night.

She journaled, “I had such a sick headache that I could eat nothing, and was obliged to lie down in the middle blue room for the remainder of the evening, on the sofa; but, ill or not, I never, never spent such an evening!!”

Queen_Victoria_Albert_1854

“My dearest dearest dear Albert sat on a footstool by my side,” she wrote, “And his excessive love and affection gave me feelings of heavenly love and happiness, I never could have hoped to have felt before! He clasped me in his arms, and we kissed each other again and again! His beauty, his sweetness and gentleness,- really how can I ever be thankful enough to have such a Husband! – At ½ p.10 I went and undressed and was very sick, and at 20 m. p.10 we both went to bed; (of course in one bed), to lie by his side, and in his arms, and on his dear bosom, and be called by names of tenderness, I have never yet heard used to me before – was bliss beyond belief! Oh! this was the happiest day of my life! – May God help me to do my duty as I ought and be worthy of such blessings!”

 

The Naked Truth

A critic in both the art gallery and bedroom, John Ruskin refused his new wife on their wedding night. He claimed concern for her health. Because at twenty, Euphemia “Effie” Gray was of no constitution to bear a child. Especially, with their upcoming travels.

Abstaining was best.

Throughout the course of the next six years, Ruskin excused himself from consummating their marriage. “[He] alleged various reasons,” Effie penned in a letter to her father. “Hatred of children, religious motives, a desire to preserve my beauty, and finally this last year he told me his true reason (and this to me is as villainous as all the rest)…”

ruskin


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boudoir

Effie’s natural state repulsed him.

Upon discovering his sentiments, she sought an annulment. For, after all, she was still a virgin. The proceedings brought much humiliation to herself. Doctors had to perform physical examinations to confirm her virginity.

Despite Ruskin counter-filing on grounds of Effie’s “mental imbalances,” an annulment was granted. She was free. Better yet, she was free to marry a man who cherished her.

That man was painter John Everett Millais. They wed and delighted in a happy consummated marriage. Millais, often depicting her as a representative of beauty and motherhood. Effie, bearing him eight children with the span of fourteen years.

 

No Comment

Tsesarevich Nicholas lay on his deathbed. He would never champion Russia from the throne. He would never marry his Danish princess, the one so dedicated to learning his heart, language, and country’s history. Minny would have made a loving  tsarina — not to mention wife.

And if Nicholas had it his way, she still would.

His dying wish was for Minny to wed the next in line, his brother. Once a year of grieving passed, tsesarevich Alexander III asked for her hand in marriage.

Tsarevich_Alexander_Alexandrovich_of_Russia_and_Princess_Dagmar_of_Denmark

Financial troubles restricted the Danish royal family attendance to the wedding. In order to prepare Minny for her wedding night, Queen Louise wrote the following missive:

For Minny – to be read upon completion of your evening toilette on your wedding night. The most important hours of your life will soon be dawning! And I am so far away from you and can only put down in writing what I told [your sister] on her final evening, when she was with me at Windsor. Difficult moments await you, and you will think them horrible, but because all this seems inscrutable, we must accept it as a duty laid on us by the God, to who we are all bound, ordaining each of us to give ourselves up to the will of our husband in everything. And not to protest even at the most unimaginable things, but to convince ourselves that such is the will of God. You will also experience physical tortures, but, my Minny, we have all gone through this, and I asked him to take care of you in this first fatiguing time, when you will need to summon all your powers to get through these official celebrations, when everyone present will be looking at you with double attention! God will not forsake you! You are beginning a new life! Good night! Your mother says her most fervent prayers for you. 

Regardless, Minny had no fear of her fiancé.

Tsesarevich Alexander’s journal’s give a detailed account of their stolen moments in the days prior to the wedding. One evening they spoke so late that their companions retired, and they were actually blissfully alone. Another entry records Alexander’s pride in holding her hand all throughout a ceremony.

When their first night together finally arrived, it truly was a good night.

The new husband wrote, “I took off my slippers and my silver embroidered robe and felt the body of my beloved next to mine… How I felt then, I do not wish to describe here. Afterwards we talked for a long time.”

Which wedding night story was most endearing to you?

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18 May 13:57

5 Victorian Beekeeping Facts

by Victorian Trading Co.

Prominent in history.

Vital to the natural way of the world.

It should be no shock bees have even left their mark in great works of fiction. Have you a guess as to which fictional icon tended to a hive in his retirement. . . ? Discover who and more Victorian beekeeping facts below!

1. Victorians kept bees in a basket known as a skep.

The lightweight basket proved to be useful as a moveable hive. However, it was difficult to retrieve the honey without killing the colony.

In 1851, Lorenzo Langstroth created the modern hive. The invention allowed the honey to be gathered without harming the bee. He is credited as The Father of Beekeeping.

 

2. In his retirement, Sherlock Holmes became an avid beekeeper.

Smoking pipe tobacco and playing violin are prevalent habits and hobbies of the iconic detective. These allowed his subconscious time to resolve many a mystery. But after his great adventures, how did he occupy himself?

Holmes could be found on a small farm. There, he kept an apiary to preoccupy his time.

 

3. The British Beehive was a famous cartoon

According to The Very British Beehive, “In 1840 the book illustrator and caricaturist George Cruikshank (1792-1878) designed ‘The British Beehive’ as an anti-reformist comment in support of not expanding the franchise to the public voter.”

Upon closer examination, Queen Victoria can be identified at the top of the skep as the reigning queen bee.

beehive



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4. Honeybees were an emblem of the Bonaparte family.

Thought to be a resurrected symbol from the Merovingian dynasty to remind countrymen of its oldest sovereigns, such is not the only theory of its origins. Another supposes the fleur-de-lis was merely inverted upon his occupancy at Tuileries. Upside down, it resembled the insect.

 

5. Leo Tolstoy mentions bees twice in “War and Peace.”

The Russian author’s obsession with beekeeping was recorded in his wife’s diary. She wrote of him, “the centre of the world for him now, and everybody has to be interested exclusively in Bees!”

Leo_Tolstoy_1897,_black_and_white,_37767u

His observations provided powerful imagery in his works. For example, he wrote, “One can no more approach people without love than one can approach bees without care. Such is the quality of bees…”

What of you? Are you fond or fearful of bees?


10 Feb 16:24

Paleo Valentine’s Day Menus

by Melissa Joulwan

Even though I firmly believe that life is best when we don’t eat our feelings, I’m also 100% committed to the idea that we can show sincere, true, nurturing love with homemade food—especially when it’s grain-free, dairy-free, legume-free deliciousness.

When I make dinner for Dave every evening, I’m not just cooking the food—I’m demonstrating my devotion. Other people might be into heart-shaped chocolate boxes and roses, but I show the depth of my affection with garlic cloves, duck fat, Japanese sweet potatoes, and by remembering that he likes Cholula Hot Sauce with his eggs and it’s always ‘yes’ to green olives and ‘no’ to black (even though he can barely remember which type of olives he prefers.)

I say: Share the food love.

With that in mind, I’ve pulled together three Valentine’s Day menus for you and your favorite person to feed. (And if that’s the same person, that is awesome. I love to make special dinners for myself and you should, too.)

Menu 1: Salmon Cakes

This menu is built around spiced salmon cakes and oven fries. It’s a little elegant and a little fun, and most of the work is done in the oven, which means clean-up is a snap. You can prep the salad a few days in advance, if you like. The salmon cakes, fries, and carrots are quick to prep and are roasted in the oven so you can relax while dinner finishes itself.


Muffaletta Salad


Oven-Fried Salmon Cakes


Herb Parsnip Fries


Cumin-Roasted Carrots

Menu 2: Walnut-Crusted Pork Chops

This one starts with a soup course and the main event elevates basic meat-and-potatoes to something special. Make the soup and a few days in advance, then cook the home fries while the pork chops are in the oven. Easy-peasy.


Golden Cauliflower Soup


Walnut-Crusted Pork Chops with Baked Apples 


Classic Home Fries

Menu 3: Moroccan Salmon

This menu goes on a trip somewhere a little exotic with earthy spices and brilliant colors. Make the soup a few days in advance. When it’s time to cook for dinner, make the salad first so the flavors can meld. The salmon and spinach are fast and easy, so you can ease into dinner.


Persian Spiced Winter Vegetable Soup


Moroccan Salmon


Moroccan Orange Salad


Simple Lemon Spinach

Desserts

If you’re not doing a Whole30 and want to finish your meal with a treat, these are both very satisfying and are not too sweet.


2-Ingredient Chocolate Mousse


Sweet & Salty Fudge Bombs

More Menu Ideas

If none of these seem quite right for you, take a look at the menus for my Latin American Dinner Party, Eastern European Feast, or the Spicy-Sweet Dinner Party.

30 Jan 16:13

Tender Victorian Love Stories

by victoriantrading

Perhaps if there is one Victorian love story that comes to mind, it is that of its namesake.

Young Victoria truly succeeded in ruling her people once Prince Albert became her consort. With his partnership, Victoria came to trust her instincts over the flawed advice from Lord Melbourne. Together, the royal couple held each other’s hearts, and their English subjects’.

Testimonies, letters, and the monarch’s diary document their affection from courtship to Albert’s death. But they weren’t the only Victorians to marry happily.

Even the queen herself is speculated to have found love again.

Beyond Victoria & Albert. Read love stories from the Victorian Era- Click to Tweet

John Brown and Queen Victoria

photograph_of_john_brown_and_queen_victoria

Known as Prince Albert’s favorite servant, no doubt, the relationship with his sovereign assumed from a felt need. In light of her grief, Scotsman John Brown struck a playfulness. The banter between them livened her spirit.

With time, Victoria promoted “the most trusted, the most dear friend” to be her personal servant. Even his billet changed to be the room adjoining hers. Scandalous but not surprising considering John was charged with keeping her secrets as well as insuring her safety.

Contrary to the well-preserved correspondence with the prince, the royal family expunged much of what transpired between the queen and her servant from record. A forbidden affair, no matter how platonic, would do the crown no favours.

Always though, there will be the ring.

The Highlander gifted Victoria with his mother’s wedding band which Queen Victoria wore to her grave.

Harry Houdini and Bess Rahner

weiss_with_mother_and_wife
Houdini with his mother and wife

For Harry Houdini, the magic happened after one of his shows.

He met Bess in the audience. A mere two weeks later, he made her his beautiful assistant not only on stage but in life. Harry was quite besotted with her and took to writing love letters regardless of whether or not she shared the room. But that didn’t stop him from whispering sweet nothings in her ear on occasion.

After being shaken from a trick that went awry,  Bess took comfort when Harry assured her that magic “is something that happens when we’re together.”

Unfortunately, the Houdinis could never have a child of their own. However, that didn’t prevent them from making one up. Through the exchange of letters, their son’s epistolary life is documented, following his growth until his presidency.

Ever playful, squabbles were no match to the Houdini’s good humor. Given a disagreement, Harry would leave their quarters for a walk. At his return, he’d lob a hat into the bedroom. If she didn’t throw it out, Harry followed to make up.

Whatever your beliefs of the supernatural be, the Houdini’s love was no illusion.

Charles Darwin and Emma Wedgwood

Darwin’s marriage to Emma Wedgwood was nothing short of a miracle.

She, a devout believer. And Charles, a Doubting Thomas.

They’d known each other a fair spell before Charles courted Emma. His father, aware of Darwin’s religious suspicions, cautioned him to secret his misgivings. It would only burden his bride. Seeing as the pair kept such close confidence with one another, it is no wonder that Charles shared his concerns with Emma.

Instead of shaming or distancing herself from him, Emma was only more endeared by his candor; albeit, grieved that their “opinions on the most important subject should differ widely.”

Ever the scientist, Darwin scrawled a pros and cons list as to whether he should indeed wed, but they ultimately did—and quite happily so.

Emma supported her husband in his research. It is to her credit that The Origin of Species was strengthened by her editing pen. Likewise, Charles subscribed to church charity and escorted his family to service in spite of his absence in the pew.

Blithe as they were, a melancholy strained their devotion. Emma wrote to her dear Charley of how she feared they’d not “belong to each other” eternally. His own distress is documented in a letter home.

He wrote, “When I am dead, know that many times, I have kissed & cryed over this.”

 Read swoon-worthy love stories from the Victorian Era – Click to Tweet 

Milton Hershey and Kitty Sweeney

4b10818-1
Milton and Kitty tour The Great Pyramids

No one thought the confectioner likely to take a wife, and Milton Hershey was as surprised as anyone by his choice in Kitty Sweeney—pleasantly so at that.

Kitty was. . . buoyant. She held court with a kind smile which made her a relatable yet untouchable wonder. Though Kitty was light in heart, supporting her immigrant family weighed upon her heavily. For this reason, she became a lady of the night.

But Milton only knew her as a lady.

Hershey was quite tender with his wife, delivering fresh flowers every day. He shielded her from his disapproving Mennonite mother and gawking society as her pains worsened. Despite the effects of her muscular disease, Kitty saw fit to poke fun at her “clumsiness.” But soon drew weary of looks.

To save her from embarrassment, Milton surrounded her with strangers overseas. She never allowed her illness to keep her from living or let a cold day keep her from riding in a top-down convertible.

Their variances made for a complimentary marriage and bittersweet adoration.


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Nicholas II and Alexandra of Hesse

alix_and_nicky_formal_in_1894

It was summer when first they met. Arranged marriages most assuredly lay in their future, but not that summer, not then.

To the world, Nicky was the next emperor of Russia. To Alix, he was unattainable. His parents would never consider a German for their son. Even if they should, her grandmother, Queen Victoria, had her own thoughts for a suitable match in planning for Alix to become her successor.

Nothing mattered more or so little. That first summer, Alix carved their names in a sill. Their second Nicky chronicled, “It is my dream to one day marry Alix H.”

Matchmaking on the parts of relatives proved unavailing. Nicky rebuffed other princesses while Alix declined proposals. They knew who their hearts belonged.

Once the tsar took ill, he conceded to Nicky’s choice bride and gave his blessing. Although, it seems to be the beginning of their cursed union.

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20 Jan 15:39

Victorian Exercise

by victoriantrading

Tighter. . .  Tighter.  . .  Tighter still. 

Maidservants secured Empress Sisi (Elisabeth of Austria) into her corset. Often the hour stretched long before they’d constricted the royal’s waist to a mere 16 inches. Once cesarzowa_elzbieta_1890cinched, she’d then take to her private gym, one of the first. She practiced her disciplines there on the balance beam and mats. Thus, her day continued.

Sisi’s health fixation expanded to mastering activities such as fencing and horsemanship. During intermissions when her body could not permit such extreme regiments, she abided in walks, sometimes all day and in spite of weather.

An icon in part to her her station and illustrious beauty, the empress postured a fever of exercise amongst Victorians—especially court ladies. Be it any wonder when imitation is the sincerest form of flattery?

One Dio Lewis approached the topic of health not from the goal to beautify but improve life. He was very much an advocate of homeopathy especially in the case of a woman’s consitution. The medical enthusiast wrote of hygiene and exercise, often with the assistance of his wife or a colleague.

Can you imagine anything more horrid than exercising in a corset? Read Victorian Exercise post – Click to Tweet 

A sample of his works include, Our GirlsChats with Young Women, and The New Gymnastics. The later of which is a practice he became most enthusiastic about spearheading.

He went to great length to found Normal Institute for Physical Education and educated many as professor of gymnastics.

14583444227_72f4718220_b


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Of course, this post would be remiss to exclude the enthusiasm of Indian Club Exercise.

Out of the many unique workout equipment that claimed to exercise for you utilized during the Victorian Era, Indian Clubs are certainly among the most effective. . . and dare I say? Relevant.

The swinging of the clubs increase flexibility and upper body strength. In addition, once experienced in the movements, an upturn of speed would create aerobic benefits.

After all this prattle, you might be of mind to learn primary indian clubs moves. And there’s always more history to review of Victorian gym regimes.

What of your on exercise habits? Have you made an fitness resolutions? 


02 Jan 14:57

Whole30 Resources: The Mega Post

by Melissa Joulwan

Since 2009, I’ve completed a handful of Whole30 months, usually when I was (a) trying to get a grip on what was happening with my health (see “thyroid removal complications“), or (b) trying to clean up my act after a big adventure, like a vacation or particularly stressful work project.

I realized the other day that because I’ve been doing this Whole30 schtick for so long, I’ve amassed a lot of helpful resources from my blog and others. So this page is a collection of links to information that I hope will help make the Whole30 more manageable for you, whether it’s your first or your fourth (or fourteenth).

If you need a reminder of why you’re doing this in the first place…

30 Reasons to Whole30
My list of the reasons I think the Whole30 is the greatest thing since Sunbutter.

Whole30 Success Stories
A collection of success stories on the Whole30 web site.

A-Z: Real-Life Testimonials
The Whole30 collection of quotes from people who solved health issues from A-Z

If you need a fully fleshed-out meal plan…

These food plans include step-by-step instructions for how to do a big ol’ cookup that should give you enough food to get through a week, give or take. Each one also includes a shopping list and links to other helpful resources.

Whole30 Food Plan: Week 1
Whole30 Food Plan: Week 2
Whole30 Food Plan: Week 3
Whole30 Food Plan: Week 4


If you need easy meal ideas that don’t require a recipe…

Great Ingredients: No Recipe Required
Tips for meal ideas that literally require no recipe, just some chopping and plating.

10 Paleo Flavor Boosters
A spritz here and a mince there and bang! you’ve got delicious food instead of just ingredients

Stuff to Put on Eggs
11 Whole30 approved eggcellent ideas. (sorry.)

Stuff to Put on Broccoli
11 Whole30 approved broccoli toppers.

Stuff to Put on Burgers
11 Whole30 approved ways to dress up a burger patty.

Steam-Sauté Veggies
The easiest way I know to cook lots of veggies and make ’em taste good.

If you need recipe ideas…

30 Whole30-Friendly Recipes
A collection of recipes from my favorite bloggers.

My Whole30 Recipe Collection
My recipe index is filled with Whole30 approved recipes!

Nom Nom Paleo’s 30 Days of Recipes
A month’s worth of meals and beauty shots from the fabulous Nom Nom Paleo.

Holly Would If She Could: A Month of Whole30 Dinner Ideas
A deliciously curated list of meals from Holly, who has excellent taste and sense of humor.

Stupid Easy Paleo: Whole30 Recipe Index
Steph from Stupid Easy Paleo also has a Whole30 approved index.

Whole30 Recipes on Instagram (plus, details on how to find Whole30 info on Instagram)
The Whole30 is BLOWING UP on Instragram. Visual inspiration at its finest!

My cookbooks
Together, Well Fed Weeknights, Well Fed and Well Fed 2 provide almost than 500 Whole30-friendly recipes and meal ideas, plus tips on organizing weekly cookups, cooking quickly, shopping lists, and much more.


Well Fed Weeknights: Complete Paleo Meals in 45 Minutes or Less: My latest release! More than 125 complete paleo meals on your table in 45 minutes or less. My love of food and adventure is baked into this collection of recipes inspired by takeout classics, food trucks, and cuisines from around the world—all free of grains, dairy, legumes, and soy (Whole30 compliant!). Includes recipes like Korean Beef with Kimchi Salsa, Dirty Rice, Fried Chicken Meatballs, Pizza Noodles, Sticky Orange Sunflower Chicken, Italian Hoagie Salad, Mexican Mole Meatballs, Loaded Baked Fries, and and so many more.

Well Fed: Paleo Recipes For People Who Love To Eat: The original that started it all! With 115+ original recipes and variations—and detailed instructions on how to do a weekly cookup—this book will help you see that paleo eating, too often defined by what you give up, is really about what you’ll gain: health, vitality, a light heart, and memorable meals to be shared with the people you love. All but one dessert recipe is officially Whole30 approved. Includes recipes like Chocolate Chili, The Best Chicken You’ll Ever Eat, Scotch Eggs, Homemade Mayo, Velvety Butternut Squash, Pad Thai, Coconut Almond Green Beans, and many more.

Well Fed 2: More Paleo Recipes For People Who Love To Eat: The delicious follow-up! Well Fed 2 includes 110 original recipes, plus 45 of my popular “You Know How You Could Do That?” variations. You’ll also find 44 Quick Meal ideas (no recipe required!) and tips for turning individual dishes into multi-course meals. All but two recipes are officially Whole30 approved. Recipes include 15 meatball varieties, Oven-Fried Salmon Cakes, Thai Tod Mun Chicken Cakes, Pizza Veggies, Savory Granola, Slow Cooker Italian Pork Roast, BBQ Beef, and many more.

Whole30 books: I’m proud to have contributed four delicious recipes to The Whole30 Cookbook. And I also recommend the other Whole30-related books for feeding your brain: It Starts With Food, Food Freedom Forever, and The Whole30.

If you need help shopping & prepping…

Paleo Kitchen: Stocking Up
An outline of how I shop for our household with tips on how you can adapt what I do to what you need.

Paleo Kitchen: The Method Behind My Madness
A plan for making Hot Plates based on pre-cooked ingredients – saves time, never gets boring!

If you need tips for making your Whole30 a success…

20 Ways to Make Paleo Easier & More Fun
A post crammed with tips, tricks, and advice to win at paleo

How to be a Paleo Social Butterfly
Tips for keeping a social life while you’re Whole30-ing — without feeling deprived or killing anyone.

True Hunger vs. Emotional Appetite
Tips for distinguishing between the two so you can eat happily and healthily.

Holly Would If She Could: 10 Tips
Holly is a pro, and her advice is awesome.

Stupid Easy Paleo: 5 Tips (video) | Stupid Easy Paleo: 5 More Tips (video)
Steph at Stupid Easy Paleo is also a Whole30 vet with great insights to share.

The Whole30 Daily
This email service is worth every penny of the $14.95 cost. Daily email every day of your Whole30 with science, entertainment, tips, tricks, ideas, recipes, and more. It’s like personal coaching every day of your Whole30. (Full disclosure: My husband Dave and I worked on this project with Whole9 and we’re partners in the business.)

If you just need to know it’s do-able…

My Whole30/autoimmune protocol experiment (November 2012)
Just to see if I felt any differently, I did the autoimmune protocol (AIP). It was… interesting.

Daily recaps of my Whole30/autoimmune protocol experiment (November 2012)
List of every meal I ate, plus sleep and mood, during my AIP Whole30.

24 Aug 13:48

Teacup Coaster & an Owl

by noreply@blogger.com (PatchworkPottery)

I didn't really decide to sew a tiny coaster on the hottest day of the year in my attic studio... it just happened!




I needed something to put under my ice water to soak up the droplets dribbling down the sides of my jar. I have a bunch of mug rugs but I wanted something smaller this time, and I wanted to include a little teacup applique because (believe it or not) I don't have anything with a teacup!




I tried a few decorative stitches on my machine but only the last two flowers were aligned even though they came out perfectly on the scrap. A few years back I would have picked out every tiny stitch of that row and re-sewed it but I'm slowly challenging my perfectionism. Besides, the coaster is only for me... and it was way too hot up there to stay a moment longer than needed!



I'm currently working on a new owl ornament pattern requested by Kay who has made over 100 of my bird ornaments and wanted another simple animal or bird ornament pattern to give as gifts. It's tough to come up with something new when it has already been done so many different ways. I think I've made an owl that is my style... I was thinking about calling it "Owl on a Stick" but it will probably end up just being called "Owl Ornament".

What do you think of my owl?



It has been so hot the past few days. I have been meeting my friend Jana at the air-conditioned cafe down the street for some mindless colouring in the squelching hot afternoon heat!




The vegetables in my garden aren't complaining, neither are the plums or grapes. And when It's time to water the garden, half the water ends up on me!



Enjoy your afternoon tea ice water & quilted crafts :o)

11 Jun 10:41

5 Ways Cauliflower is (Kinda) the New Carb

by Becky Duffett

06.10_Cauliflower_Blog

Cauliflower, the humble cruciferous vegetable, has suddenly become cool. Why? You can thank the low-carb crowd for this trend. With its beautiful ivory color and mild flavor, cauliflower can disguise itself as several different types of starch, from mashed potatoes to rice and pasta. But whether or not you’re dodging grains, it’s always a good idea to get some more veggies on your plate. Just like its more popular cousins, broccoli and kale, cauliflower is a good source of folate and vitamin C, and disease-fighting phytochemicals make it a shining example of an anti-inflammatory food.

Plus, cauliflower is easy to find year round, exceedingly versatile, and absolutely delicious. Here are five creative ways to make it your new favorite side dish. 

1. Whipped cauliflower

If you can mash potatoes, you can whip cauliflower. Blanch or steam florets, and then throw them in the food processor with a dab of butter, splash of milk, and pinch of salt. Whirl it all together for a surprisingly creamy and flavorful puree, perfect for pairing with juicy chicken, chops, or steak.

2. Cauliflower rice

Blitz raw florets in the food processor, and you’ll wind up with a pile of pretty white “grains.” Clever cooks are transforming these crumbles into a fluffy side dish, fragrant pilaf, or “fried rice,” studded with scrambled eggs, carrots, and peas.

3. Cauliflower pasta

Broccoli and cheddar might be best friends, but cauliflower deserves to get in on the cheese action. Even Michelle Obama is sneaking it into kid-friendly mac and cheese. Two options: Steam and puree it, to use it as the basis for the creamy sauce. Or substitute bite-size pieces for some of the pasta. You could also skip the mac entirely, and just make a cauliflower gratin for your next dinner party. A sprinkle of whole-wheat breadcrumbs creates a golden crust.

4. Cauliflower crust pizza

Pizza isn’t a gut bomb when you sneak cauliflower into the crust. Grind it to a meal in a food processor, steam or microwave, and then squeeze out as much liquid as you can with a clean kitchen towel. Then mix it with egg and parmesan, pat it down on a baking sheet, and bake in a hot oven until golden. Finish with your favorite toppings.

5. Cauliflower steaks

No, it’s not ribeye, but thick cauliflower steaks, created by cutting down through the entire head, can still be satisfying. Roasted, seared, or grilled, they make the prettiest of plates. You can sauce them with pesto or marinara, or keep it fresh with a dollop of Greek yogurt and finely chopped olives and herbs.

Hungry for more? Make it a taco night with this delicious recipe for Roasted Cauliflower Tacos with Chipotle Cream from The Love & Lemons Cookbook by Jeanine Donofrio.

10 May 19:09

Is This Trendy 30-Day Diet Right for You?

by Tracy Morris

2016-05-06_Whole30_Blog_730x485

Is Whole30 the new, tougher Paleo? It seems to be the healthy eating trend of the moment, attracting thousands of followers, with a book on the New York Times bestseller list. The creators don’t want you to think of the 30-day program as a diet, but rather a “reset” or “lifestyle plan,” to get you eating “good food.” So what do you actually get to eat? Similar to Paleo, it pushes protein, veggies, some fruit, and plant fats, and completely cuts out grains, beans, sugar, dairy, and processed foods. But it gets even stricter—banning any attempts at slipping in treat foods, even made with Whole30-approved ingredients. The promise: to end your cravings, restore your metabolism, heal your gut, and balance your immune system. But, let’s be honest, the real reason most people try this program is to lose weight. Can it do all these things, or is it just another fad?

The Benefits of the Whole30 Diet

No doubt, any diet that encourages you to eat real, unprocessed food is a step in the right direction. Whole30 gets you to take a big (month-long) step back and consider all the unhealthy choices you’ve been making. There are some positive changes the diet encourages:

  • No processed food: Most ultra-processed food is too sweet, too salty, and contains unwanted preservatives and chemicals. The typical US diet is overloaded with them and backing off of boxed and packaged foods could improve your health.
  • No alcohol: You don’t need alcohol—it doesn’t provide any essential nutrients (red grapes contain resveratrol, too!), so your liver will probably welcome the break from booze.
  • More mindfulness: The plan urges you to be more thoughtful about the choices you make going forward. Bringing mindfulness to mealtimes is a great way to help you make better choices, have a healthier relationship with food, and even lose weight.

It is only 30 days, so if your habits have gotten a little crazy, like over the holidays, it can be a good way to clean up your diet, and plan your food choices in advance. Sometimes having fewer choices can simplify your life, making it easier to stay focused, at least in the short-term.

The Concerns about the Whole30 Diet

Any diet that removes entire food groups and encourages drastic changes is unlikely to be sustainable. Most people find the diet hard to stick to, and you might not make it to the end of the 30 days—or hate it and struggle all the way through. Extreme yo-yo dieters may be tempted to get into a cycle of on-the-diet versus off-the-diet (read: restricting versus binging), or think longer is better, and go for more than the recommended 30 days, resulting in nutritional deficiencies. The biggest concerns stem from avoiding these healthy foods:

  • No grains: Whole grains provide a host of health-promoting benefits, from cancer-fighting to better weight control, and by avoiding them you’ll be missing out on essential vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. On the Whole30 plan, you may end up feeling hungry and low in energy, and low-carb diets are notorious for causing constipation.
  • No legumes: There’s no evidence that cutting out beans, chickpeas, or lentils will benefit your health. In fact, the opposite is true—plant protein can reduce inflammation, lower your risk of disease, and help you lose weight. So why banish the humble bean?
  • No dairy: Like gluten, dairy gets unfairly victimized in the dieting world. It’s true that some people can’t digest lactose. But for the vast majority of people, dairy is a rich source of nutrients, particularly protein, calcium, vitamin D, potassium, and choline. If you struggle with lactose, lactose-free dairy is a great option. Diets high in calcium from dairy have been shown to assist with weight loss by helping you absorb less and burn more fat. The protein in dairy also helps you to feel full—a bonus you won’t get if you’re doing Whole30 with the intent to lose weight.
  • No room for life: Having wiggle room for the occasional treat is a much healthier approach to eating. Deprivation diets can end in bingeing and feelings of guilt, and you’d be hard-pressed to find a month in the U.S. calendar that doesn’t include a holiday or celebration. A more balanced 80:20 mindset, in which you make healthy choices 80 percent of the time and leave room for life to happen the other 20 percent, will teach you how to approach indulgences and celebrations every day of the year, not just 30.

The Final Takeaway on the Whole30 Diet

Your friend’s short-term results might be great, but there haven’t been any scientific studies done specifically on the Whole30 diet yet. So at this point, you can be pretty certain, like most crash diets, once you’re back in the real world, the weight and unhealthy habits are likely to creep back in.

If the Whole30 diet gets you to skip ultra-processed goods, and turns you into a meal planner, writing healthy shopping lists and cooking from scratch with fresh ingredients, fantastic! But take heed: following an unrealistic, restrictive plan, one that removes entire nutritious food groups, is not the best long-term approach to health. Instead, kickstart your journey to healthy eating by making small changes you can stick with over time, not just for 30 days.

23 Mar 22:05

Hot Cross Buns History & Recipe Share

by victoriantrading

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There is a great deal of tradition and lore surrounding hot cross buns. According to some accounts, this sweet dough roll—studded with dried fruit and scored with a cross—dates back to the 12th century, when an Anglican monk was divinely inspired to bestow the Christian sign of the cross upon a batch of rolls in honor of Good Friday. The first written record of the hot cross bun, however, dates back to a 16th century rhyme:

Good Friday comes this month, the old woman runs, with one or two a penny hot cross buns.

The tradition of making hot cross buns on Good Friday has persisted throughout the centuries and was a favorite Eastertide tradition of the Victorians. Popular superstition of the time suggested that leaving a hot cross bun to hang from the kitchen ceiling throughout the year warded off evil spirits and made for a happy home. Shavings from preserved hot cross buns mixed with water were believed to cure minor illnesses. And the sharing of a hot cross bun was thought to solidify a friendship, hence the old rhyme:

Half for you, and half for me, between us two good luck shall be.

A royal decree was even made regarding the humble hot cross bun. Queen Elizabeth I believed the bun was too special to be baked just any old day. And so she forbade the peddling of this delicacy on any occasion other than Good Friday, Christmas, or a Christian burial.

Come Friday, we’ll be donning our aprons and firing up our ovens to keep this ages-old traditional alive! Here is our recipe:

Mrs. Sharp’s Hot Cross Buns

Ingredients:

  • 2 packages dry yeast
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 2/3 cup milk, scalded
  • 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup melted butter
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 3 eggs, beaten
  • 2/3 cup currants
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 egg white

Method:

  • Soften yeast in warm water.
  • Dissolve sugar in scalded milk. Let milk cool, then combine 1 cup of flour, yeast, and milk-sugar mixture together. Beat together. Add butter, salt, eggs, and remaining flour. Hand beat until light (about 5 min.)
  • Cover with a damp dish towel, set in a warm spot, and let rise until doubled (about 1 hr.)
  • Beat down and then add currants and cinnamon.
  • Roll dough 1/2-inch thick on a floured board.
  • Shape into buns (or cut into circles using a small juice glass).
  • Place on a greased baking sheet.
  • Cover and let rise for about 30 min. or until dough feels springy and is about double in size.
  • Cut a deep cross into the top of each bun with a sharp knife. Brush with slightly beaten egg white.
  • Bake at 350 for 12-14 min.
  • To make a glaze, dissolve 4 teaspoons granulated sugar in 6 tablespoons of milk and boil for 2 minutes. Brush warm buns twice with this syrup to glaze.

 

Sources:

Breathnach, Sarah Ban. Mrs. Sharp’s Traditions: Nostalgic Suggestions for Re-creating the Family Celebrations and Seasonal Pastimes of the victorian Home. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1990.  p.93.

Rheinlander Bakery. “What Are Hot cross Buns?”. <http://www.rheinlanderbakery.com/Category.cfm?CategoryID=42&gt;.

“5 Great Historical Myths & Traditions About Hot Cross Buns, a Pre-Easter Pastry.” Smithsonian.com. <http://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/five-great-myths-about-hot-cross-buns-traditional-pre-easter-pastry-180951130/?no-ist&gt;.


14 Mar 11:58

BLOOM Sew Along - Week Nine - Block Nine!!

by noreply@blogger.com (Lori Holt)
Well hello cute people!!



We are starting the third row of the 
quilt today:)



I'm really having fun with these templates...
if you want to sew along with us!


This are the prints from 
Calico Days 
that I've chosen for my 
appliqué shapes this week.



Here is my block nine.
I know I keep saying this...
 but every block is my favorite!



Todays Sew Simple Shapes are
 A-1   A-2   A-19   A-21 
  
This weeks cutting goes as follows...
From fabric and Pellon BOTH:
Cut 1 - 2" square for small circle
Cut 1 - 3" square for large circle
Cut 4 - 2 1/2" squares for hearts
Cut 4 - 3" squares for blades

From fabric only you need two pieces of 7" long
 prepared stem strips and one 9" background square.

1. Trace around the shapes onto your Pellon.
2. Sew on the lines and trim seam allowance.
Clip a little off the corners of the blades and the heart points. 
3. Clip the cleavage on each heart right to your stitching lines but into them.
4. Cut an "X" in the Pellon only, for turning.


Turn...shape and press your appliqués:)



Press your background in half 
both ways like this.


Pin or glue baste your stems across the center.


Measure 1 1/4" from the edge of your fabric when placing your blades.


Center the large circle...


and the small circle goes in the center of that:)


Measure 2 1/4" from the background corner 
and the cleavage in each heart.
After basting...it's time to appliqué!


Add your border strips and squares
 and then take a photo:)
Use the hashtag
#BloomBlockNine
and smile when you show it off on 


Don't forget to 
check out my little dresden tutorial 
using one of my BLOOM shapes.
just in case you missed it...
it's super fun!
xx
Lori


02 Mar 11:16

Belgian shepherd dog

by Runo
Belgian shepherd dog tervuren. 8 centimeters in length.

Belgian shepherd dog

Pattern.
Pattern

When cutting, you have to add seam allowance.
Cutting

Sew the dart of the head. (m-n)
Sew the dart of the foreleg. (e-f)
Sew the hind leg to the body. (g-h-i-j-k)
Darts

Sew up the both bodies. (b-a-m-l)
Body

Sew the belly to the body. (l-k-g-e-d-c-b-c-d-e-g-k-l)
Belly

Turn inside out.
Turned

Stuff it with polyester fiberfill.
Close the opening with ladder stitch. (o-p)
Stuffed

Trim the face and the legs.
Trimming

Paint the face as you like.
Embroider the nose and the mouth.
Sew beads for the eyes.
Face

The inside ear doesn't need seam allowance.
Glue the inside ears on fur fabric. The cut out.
Ears

Stitch the ears on the head.
Paint ears if you like. Yes, you may paint before attaching.
Attach ear

Fold the tail and sew it. Turn it inside out.
Tail

Sew it to the hip. I painted the tip of the tail.

Back

Malinois and Groenendael.
Belgian shepherd dogs
08 Jan 14:24

Baking Lighter & Leaner: 14 Healthy Swaps for Baking

by Jessie Oleson Moore

Avocado buttercream + More healthy baking swaps on Craftsy!

Eating healthier doesn't have to mean sacrificing the foods you love. This guide to healthy baking swaps, like using applesauce in place of butter, will help prove that you have your cake and eat healthier, too.

The post Baking Lighter & Leaner: 14 Healthy Swaps for Baking appeared first on Welcome to the Craftsy Blog!.


Read More
26 Dec 13:53

6 Essential Tips for Healthy Houseplants

by Chelsea Fuss
geranium

This winter, help your plants thrive inside with these six essential tips for healthy houseplants.


Read More
15 Sep 16:00

Quilting Without A Pattern: Simple Scrap Methods

by Cindy Grisdela
Crazy improvisational quilt in all colors

Do you want to create quilts without a pattern but aren't sure where to start? Use these simple scrap methods to make your own designs in no time.


Read More
01 Sep 12:34

High Fashion: 5 High-Heeled Cake Designs Fit for the Runway

by Felicity and Krystle
Leopard Print High-Heel Cake Design on the Craftsy Blog!

Fashion-inspired high heeled cakes are such a fabulous way to add fun to a chic party. Discover our top 5 couture, high-heeled cakes for instantly stylish inspiration!


Read More
02 Aug 13:20

A Look at Lovely Lilies, the Most Romantic Summer Bloom

by Ramon Gonzalez
stargazer lily

Are the birds and the bees bored with your garden? Spice-up your garden by adding some of these romantic summer blooms.

17 Jul 12:33

Healthy Slow Cooker Chicken Recipes

by Martha McKinnon
Healthy Slow Cooker Chicken Recipes

Healthy Slow Cooker Chicken Recipes
If you are on Weight Watchers or trying to eat healthier, you can never have too many easy healthy slow cooker chicken recipes. Making dinner with a slow cooker  is an easy way to eat better and cheaper without having to spend hours in the kitchen. It’s magical. Spend a little time filling your crock pot and then get on withy your day while the slow cooker does most of the work.

Chicken is one of my favorite ingredients to use in a slow cooker. It’s a tasty source of lean protein that requires minimal work. I’ve gathered a great list of Easy Healthy Slow Cooker Chicken Recipes for you. It includes recipes calling for chicken breasts, thighs, wings, drumsticks and even a whole chicken.

Enjoy!

Healthy Slow Cooker Chicken Soups

Healthy Slow Cooker Chicken Recipes - Easy Chicken  Posole

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Chicken Posole Soup

Lentil & Chicken Sausage Stew

Chicken Wings & Drumsticks & Whole Chicken

Healthy Slow Cooker Chicken Recipes - Slow Cooker Honey BBQ Drumsicks

Chicken Wings Two Ways

Honey BBQ Drumsticks

Whole Rosemary Roast Chicken

Healthy Slow Chicken Breast Recipes

Healthy Slow Cooker Chicken Recipes - Slow Cooker Teriyaki Chicken

Chicken & Gravy with just 3 Ingredients

Easy 3-Ingredient Slow Cooker Chicken

Easy Chicken Tikka Masala

Chicken and Stuffing

Szechuan Chicken and Broccoli Chicken, Rice and Broccoli

Southwestern Slow Cooker Chicken

Easy Chicken a La King

Cheesy Chicken and Rice Casserole

Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Easy 2-Ingredient Italian Chicken

4 Ingredient Chicken Alfredo with Broccoli

Low Fat Chicken Cacciatore

Asian Chicken Barbecue  from 365 Days of Slow Cooking

Chicken Tropicale from Gluten Free Goddess

Coconut Curry Chicken from Sweet Treats and More

Slow Cooker Chicken Fajitas from Six Sisters Stuff

Hawaiian Chicken from Sweet Treats and More

Slow Cooker Taco Chicken Bowls from Budget Bytes (Substitute brown rice and low fat cheese)

Easy Crock Pot Chicken and Black Bean Salad from SkinnyTaste

Easy Slow Cooker Chicken Fajitas from Center Cut Cook

Slow Cooker Tomato Sriracha Chicken from Best Recipe Box

Slow Cooker Chicken and Dumplings from Budget Bytes

Slow Cooker Cashew Chicken from Today’s Mama

Greek Chicken from Chef in Training

Slow Cooker Tomato Chipotle Tacos from Slender Kitchen

Coconut Thai Curry Chicken Breasts from Slender Kitchen

Margarita Chicken from A Year of Slow Cooking

Chicken Parmesan from A Year of Slow Cooking

Dijon Chicken from Laaloosh

Healthy Slow Cooker Chicken Thigh Recipes

Healthy Slow Cooker Chicken Thigh Recipes - Souther Chicken

Artichoke Chicken

Cider Braised Chicken Thighs and Sweet Potatoes

Chicken Thighs Osso Buco

Easy Moroccan Chicken Chicken Thighs with Beer and Herbes de Provence

Chicken and Sausage Gumbo

Maple Mustard Chicken

Hunter’s Chicken Stew

Lemon Chicken and Potatoes

Apricot Chicken Thighs

Teriyaki Chicken

Balsamic Chicken Thighs

Slow Cooker Mango Chicken from One Dish Dinners

Chicken Thighs with Olives and Tomato Sauce from Cooking Light

Note: Some of these easy healthy slow cooker chicken recipes don’t include the nutritional details and/or Weight Watchers Points Plus. You can always use your WW Recipe Builder to determine the Points. Or do what I do, run the recipe through Calorie Count and this online WW Points Calculator.

If you liked this collection of Easy Healthy Slow Cooker Chicken Recipes you might also like:

47 Weight Watchers Friendly Crock Pot Soup Recipes
9 Weight Watchers Chicken Salad Recipes
183 Days of Weight Watchers Friendly Crock Pot Recipes

The post Healthy Slow Cooker Chicken Recipes appeared first on Simple Nourished Living.

06 Jul 12:33

Slow Cooker Summer Vegetable Soup – 3 SmartPoints

by Martha McKinnon

Weight Watchers Recipe of the Day: Slow Cooker Summer Vegetable Soup

CLICK HERE FOR MORE EASY & DELICIOUS SLOW COOKER SOUP RECIPES!

This easy, healthy and delicious summer vegetable soup proves that minestrone is not just for cold weather.

slow cooker summer vegetable soup

Slow Cooker Summer Minestrone

The key is to serve it like the Italians do, at room temperature, with a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil and sprinkling of grated Parmesan.

Which is what I did for dinner last night.

We enjoyed it with crusty Italian bread and a bit of Spanish chorizo and Manchego cheese on the side. YUM!

And I plan on having it several more times this week to compensate for all the extra indulgences I ate and drank (rocky road ice cream, french fries, margaritas, ribs, sangria, berry cobbler…) during the long holiday weekend.

If you prefer, it is delicious served hot too. But with our triple digit temperatures hot soup is the last thing I want right now.

Skinny on Slow Cooker Summer Vegetable Soup

This slow cooker vegetable soup requires a fair bit of chopping, an activity I find almost as soothing and meditative as yoga.

As I focus on the task at hand I can feel my body and mind relax. And once I am finished, and everything is in the pot, all of the hard work is behind me.

Eight or so hours later and I’m rewarded with a pot of deliciousness!

Of course if chopping is not your thing, feel free to substitute your favorite combination of frozen vegetables. I’ll never tell 🙂

According to my calculations each serving has 191 calories and *5 Weight Watchers PointsPlus, *3 SmartPoints.

Enjoy!

 
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28-Day Smart Start eCourse
(eCourse + eBook)
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Summer Vegetable Soup Additions & Variations:

Simply Filling?  use brown rice.

No garbanzo beans?  substitute whatever beans you like best – white beans, kidney beans, pinto beans, etc.

No fresh vegetables? substitute your favorite combination of frozen veggies if you don’t have fresh on hand or are not in the mood for chopping.

Spicier? add crushed red pepper flakes to taste when serving

Brighter? A splash of red wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar should work

Check out this entertaining food tube video with Gennaro Contaldo as he shows how to make traditional Italian vegetable soup with 12 vegetables from his garden…

If you liked this recipe for summer slow cooker vegetable soup, be sure to check out my other Weight Watchers friendly soup recipes including: Slow Cooker Tuscan Vegetable Soup, Stove Top Summer Vegetable Soup, Healthy Slow Cooker Vegetarian Minestrone, Weight Watchers Simple Garden Vegetable Soup and Easy 4-Ingredient Black Bean and Corn Soup

Search for More Weight Watchers Friendly Soup Recipes

Slow Cooker Summer Vegetable Soup

This slow cooker summer vegetable soup (minestrone) is delicious hot and even better served as the Italians do during hot weather, at room temperature with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and sprinkling of Parmesan.

  • 2 cups fresh chopped tomatoes or canned crushed tomatoes
  • 14 ounces canned garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
  • 4 medium carrots, peeled and chopped (about 1 cup)
  • 2 medium potatoes, peeled and chopped (about 1-1/2 cups)
  • 2 medium onions chopped (about 1 cup)
  • 2 large celery stalks, chopped (about 1 cup)
  • 2 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 1 large red bell pepper, chopped (about 1 cup)
  • 1 medium zucchini, chopped (about 1-1/2 cups)
  • 6 cups water or vegetable broth
  • Salt and fresh ground black pepper
  • 1/2 cup long-grain white rice
  • 1 cup chopped fresh basil
  • Extra-virgin olive oil, for serving, if desired
  • Fresh grated Parmesan cheese, for serving, if desired
  1. Ideal Slow Cooker Size: 5 to 6-Quart

  2. Combine the tomatoes, garbanzo beans, carrots, potatoes, onions, celery, garlic, bell pepper, zucchini, water, 1 teaspoon salt and black pepper to taste, stirring well.

  3. Cover and cook on LOW for 8 – 9 hours or on HIGH for 4 – 5 hours, or until the vegetables are tender.

  4. Stir in the rice. Cover and cook on HIGH, 30 minutes longer, or until the rice is tender and the soup is thick.

  5. Stir in the basil and let the soup cool to room temperature.

  6. Taste and add more salt and pepper to suit your tastes. Spoon into bowls. Serve with a drizzle of olive oil and sprinkling of Parmesan if desired.

Weight Watchers PointsPlus *5

Weight Watchers SmartPoints *3

Did you make this recipe?
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*PointsPlus® and SmartPoints® calculated by Simple Nourished Living; Not endorsed by Weight Watchers International, Inc. All recipe ingredients except optional items included in determining nutritional estimates. SmartPoints® values calculated WITHOUT Weight Watchers Zero Points fruits and vegetables using the WW Recipe Builder.

In this video watch YouTube cooking sensation Laura Vitale whip up a pot of Classic Italian Minestrone with Spinach & Pasta..

More Easy + Healthy Soup Recipes

Slow Cooker Bean Soup with Quinoa & Sweet Potatoes (Cookin’Canuck)
Crock Pot Minestrone (SkinnyTaste)
Slow Cooker Veggie Soup – 0 SmartPoints (HungryGirl)
Slow Cooker Vegetable Barley Soup (Cookin’Canuck)
The Easiest Slow Cooker Vegetable Soup (DashingDish)

In this video watch YouTube cooking sensation Laura Vitale whip up a pot of Winter Minestrone..

This post contains affiliate links to products I like. When you buy something through one of my Amazon links or Craftsy links, I receive a small commission that helps support this site. Thanks for your purchase!

The post Slow Cooker Summer Vegetable Soup – 3 SmartPoints appeared first on Simple Nourished Living.

     
 
 
02 Jun 10:56

FilmOn Lets You Watch Broadcast TV Online for Free

by Dave Greenbaum

FilmOn Lets You Watch Broadcast TV Online for Free

We're big fans of cord-cutting here at Lifehacker, but you still occasionally miss broadcast TV, especially sports. FilmOn is a way of watching broadcast TV online for free.

Read more...








26 May 10:56

Manually Archive Web Pages by Submitting Them to the Wayback Machine

by Dave Greenbaum

Manually Archive Web Pages by Submitting Them to the Wayback Machine

You probably know about the Internet Archive's Wayback Machine, which lets you see how a given web page looked at different points in the past. The algorithm used to archive pages, however, is somewhat random. If there's a specific page you want to capture for posterity, you can submit it yourself.

Read more...








18 Dec 13:23

Mini Quilts: Projects and Patterns

by Sherri McConnell
Poinsettia Mini Quilt Pattern

Want to make a quilt but don’t have time for a full-sized project? Have fun with some of the smallest quilt projects available: mini quilts!

30 Oct 10:31

Amazon Offers Free Kindle eBooks For your Print-Book Purchases

by meandmykindle

Curious GeorgeI was really surprised when I first heard the news on the Kindle’s page on Facebook. “Imagine you bought a book from Amazon 18 years ago… and then 18 years later, you could add that book to your Kindle library for free or no more than $2.99. We call it Kindle MatchBook, available starting today.”

For a shortcut, just point your web browser to
tinyurl.com/KindleMatch

At that URL, Amazon offers a link that displays a list of every print book you’ve purchased from Amazon in the last 18 years that’s now available as a free (or discounted) Kindle ebook. “Over 70,000 books are enrolled in Kindle MatchBook,” Amazon explains in a press release — adding that every day, even more Kindle ebooks will become available. “It’s been great to see the positive response to MatchBook from both readers and publishers,” announceds Amazon’s Vice President of Kindle Content, noting that it took just a couple of weeks for the number of titles to jump from 10,000 to 70,000 — and predicting even bigger jumps in the months ahead.

I’ve never seen anything like this — and it’s stunning to see the scope of this program. “Print purchases all the way back to 1995 – when Amazon first opened its online bookstore – will qualify once a publisher enrolls a title in Kindle MatchBook,” Amazon explained in today’s announcement. The only bad news is I haven’t purchased many of the print editions which would qualify me for the big Kindle discount. This morning I clicked the link at Kindle Matchbook, and discovered there was only one Kindle ebook where I’d qualify for a discount: the children’s picture book Curious George.

But even that brought back a happy memory. At first I couldn’t even remember buying the book — and why had I bought it in 2006? Then I remembered a friend of mine who’d been teaching children in the Marshall Islands. I started a campaign to show her some support, suggesting to her friends online that we should all mail her one of our own favorite children’s picture books (from when we were schoolchildren). And I’d thought that the children in the Marshall Islands might enjoy the story about the happy monkey in the jungle who meets up with a Man in the Yellow Hat!

I enjoyed that experience, because it’s fun to share the joy of reading — and in a small way, I feel like Amazon is offering a similar experience. Kindle owners are getting a chance to read a lot of ebooks that Amazon knows we’re going to like — because at some point in the last 18 years, we’ve already purchased a copy! Of course, Amazon is also encouraging people to start doing their reading on their Kindles — but like a lot of stories, it all comes down to one basic truth.

Reading is fun, no matter where you do it. (Or, in the case of Amazon’s KindleMatchbook program — no matter when you did it!) :)

For a shortcut, just point your web browser to
tinyurl.com/KindleMatch
28 Oct 11:21

My Favorite Free Halloween eBooks

by meandmykindle

Edgar Allen Poe
It’s a cold, blustery October night, and there’s leaves blowing against my window. It’s the perfect time for remembering some of the greatest scary stories ever written — especially since they’re all now available as free Kindle ebooks!


The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving

Ichabod Crane had heard the ghost stories about a headless horseman that rides through the night. On that very night, traveling home alone himself, under the light of a full moon he has his own legendary encounter with…ah, but there’s a twist at the end. And all these years after first hearing the story, I’ve discovered it’s just part of a much larger work. Washington Irving was the very first best-selling author in America, and he’d followed up his first sensational debut with a new collection of essays and stories — including some scary new folk tales that he’d actually made up himself! This collection also includes the famous story of Rip Van Winkle, who falls asleep before the American Revolution — and wakes up 20 years later, after the colonies have revolted and formed their own independent nation!


The Complete Tales of Edgar Allan Poe

Edgar Allan Poe wrote a surprising number of America’s best-known horror stories, including Fall of the House of Usher and The Pit and the Pendulum. His poetry is also very dark — Ulalume actually takes place around Halloween night — but his obsession with morbid themes also ultimately led him to become the author of the first detective story every written. It’s a murder mystery, of course — you’ll never guess who actually committed The Murders in the Rue Morgue — and Poe later even wrote two more stories using the same detective — The Mystery of Marie Rogêt and The Purloined Letter. But there’s also a surprisingly scary tale where a murderer is unmasked in the most shocking way possible — entitled “Thou Art the Man”. Twist endings were actually very popular in Poe’s time, and I’ve been surprised just how well some of his stories hold up!


Frankenstein by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley
Percy Shelley died when he was 29 — though he was acclaimed as one of England’s greatest romantic poets. Some of this is through the efforts of his wife Mary, who promoted and edited his poems. And it’s been said that he may have had an infleunce himself on her intense novel, Frankenstein. Its idea came from a nightmare, and turned into her gothic story about about a promising young man who suffers the death of a loved one, and then embarks on a scientific experiment which he’ll later come to regret. It was first published anonymously in 1818, though it’s since gone on to become a classic monster story. (And Wikipedia has uncovered another strange historical twist. Mary WollstonecraftShelley was actually romantically interested in Washington Irving, the author of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow!)


Dracula by Bram Stoker

Written just 126 years ago, Dracula is relatively modern for a classic horror story. Its author, Bram Stoker actually died in poverty just 14 years after publishing Dracula, according to Wikipedia, and his horror novel didn’t become popular until well into the next century. (It just goes to show how the invention of moving pictures changed everything — including the way we experienced our monster stories.) But interestingly, an early fan of the novel was Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the creator of the Sherlock Holmes series. If you reach back 100 years, you’ll find lots of clever authors who appreciated both mystery and menace — and the joys of a good scary novel.

And 100 years later, you can read them all for free on your Kindle!

23 Oct 13:30

a new purse

by giraffairy
Jan Wilke

LOVE THIS !!!

i have made myself a new purse! it is a design i created based on a purse i already own, but wanted to tweak it a little. the original purse had a top zipper and a fixed shoulder strap. for this new version i used a heavyweight upholstery fabric with a cotton lining, made a recessed zipper and included a strap that can be worn on the shoulder or worn cross body. i like having both options and have a difficult time finding a purse that i like with options. the interior also has plenty of pockets to put your stuff, always a plus! the exterior also has two pockets on either side perfect for sunglasses and your phone.


purse with shoulder strap in place

purse with strap extended

interior of bag
(also shows recessed zipper)


18 Sep 12:15

Amazon Publishes MORE Funny Fake Reviews

by meandmykindle

The Daddle on Amazon

I always get a chuckle out of the funny reviews customers leave at Amazon — and apparently they’ve now become a regular part of Amazon’s own promotional materials! Today on the front page of Amazon, they’ve included a banner ad pointing to a “second installment” of their collection of the funniest customer reviews. “Back by customer demand,” Amazon’s ad proclaims — urging visitors to read the list “and submit your own favorites.” And this time, the funny reviews are for some even stranger products.

For a shortcut to the reviews, just point your web browser to tinyurl.com/MoreFunnyAmazonReviews. Here’s a list of the 10 more strange products where Amazon’s acknowledging the fake reviews.


Wenger 16999 Swiss Army Knife Giant

Officially Licensed Star Wars Luke Skywalker Ceremonial Jacket with Medal Of Yavin

Zenith Men’s 96.0529.4035/51.M Defy Xtreme Tourbillon Titanium Chronograph Watch (for $81,779.99)

UFO-02 Detector

The 2009-2014 Outlook for Wood Toilet Seats in Greater China (for $495.00)

JL421 Badonkadonk Land Cruiser/Tank (“Currently unavailable”)

Wolf Urine Lure-32 oz

The Daddle

A Million Random Digits with 100,000 Normal Deviates

White Face Paint

Wenger 16999 Swiss Army Knife Giant
Some of my favorites are for the “Wenger 16999 Swiss Army Knife Giant”, a 7.2-pound rectangle that’s filled with dozens of additional utensils. “I’ve always wanted to own a pocket knife that was too large to fit in my pocket and here it is!” joked one customer named “MrLiar”. And another funny review made the same point in a story. “Found this stuck into a stone while on vacation… Unfortunately, it turns out that removing it made me the new king of Switzerland, which is a lot of responsibility.”

Sometimes it’s hard to tell where the fantasy ends and the real product begins — for example, in the reviews Amazon linked to for the “UFO-02 Detector”. Retailing for just $74.95, it comes in an “elegantly designed transparent plastic case” which lets you monitor its 16 LEDs which will flash and beep simultaneously when it detects any electromagnetic anomalies. One unconvinced reviewer posted simply that it wasn’t working, and “I am still getting abducted by UFO’s on a regular basis.” Ironically, when you pull up page on Amazon, they’ve included a link to a buyer’s guide about radar detectors — in case you want to compare their respective abilities to detect UFOs.

But best of all, another funny review was actually posted by George Takei — an actor from the original Star Trek series (and now a popular online celebrity). “I purchased this gizmo to play a prank on my husband Brad, who still prattles on about his ‘fourth-kind’ encounter when he was just thirteen…” Takei writes in his review. But that night when the 16 LED lights started their bleeping and flashing, Takei complains that he was confronted by an extra-terrestrial manifestation who’d come to warn him that “what we loosely dub the Singularity was only the beginning of a limitless existence unbounded by physical space and time, and that sugar-free alternatives are actually WORSE for us than the real deal…!”

4,714 Amazon customers voted his review as helpful!


Read all the new funny, fake Amazon reviews at:
tinyurl.com/MoreFunnyAmazonReviews

UFO 02 Detector