{Wasp Wednesday} Pin-spiration

Pin-spiration from Pinterest.  (pinterest)

Here are a few original items/pics of things that I have accomplished this last year.

 

Simple Bow Tie Top by Sweet Verbena

Pattern: Crocheted Baskets by the Crochet Diaries via Maize Hutton

 

 

No-Bake Energy Bites by smashed peas and carrots

 

Other links:

Tutorial: Rice Bag Feet Warmer by V & Co. via Skip to my Lou. Made for each of my coworkers for Christmas.

How to Make a Skirt: Easy Project by Art by Angeli. Tutorial; made for my daughter.
Natural Room Scents by The Yummy Life. Using sources from your kitchen in jars.

{Muster Monday} Lentil Salad

I've been following a metabolic detoxification menu plan by Metagenics™ for the past month upon the suggestion of my Naturopathic doctor. In the plan, recipes for suggested menu items were made available...some were yummy! I've done quite well on the plan, which includes their UltraClear RENEW™ powder formula, and I will continue to refer back to it after completion. Especially for some of the recipes like the following!

Instead of cooking the lentils, I substituted Melissa's steamed lentils that I found at Costco and made quickness of my time. I also left out the bell peppers, only because they seemed to be giving me some trouble lately. :)

Lentil Salad

3-4 servings

2 cups lentils, picked over and rinsed

3 ½ cups water

2-3 TB red wine or balsamic vinegar

1/3 cup olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 tsp dried basil

1 tsp fine sea salt

¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper

½ cup black olives, chopped

½ cup carrots, shredded

2 med tomatoes, cut into ½-inch pieces, or 1 cup cherry tomatoes

1 med red bell pepper, seeded and cut into ½-inch pieces

1 small red onion, finely chopped

1 cup fresh parsley, coarsely chopped

Simmer lentils, covered in water, until tender—30 to 45 minutes. Drain and cool. Combine vinegar, olive oil, garlic, basil, salt, and pepper in a jar; mix well. Combine remaining ingredients with lentils and toss with the dressing. Refrigerate for 1 hour before serving.

 

{Friendship Friday} An Acrostic Poem

I like to go "where everybody knows your name" sometimes (yep, you are so humming it in your head aren't you? hehe.) That somewhere for me is Primrose & Tumbleweeds --a local Wine, Beverage & Food Bar. On Friday & Saturday nights, they have live music; however, during these Winter months they've suspended that schedule and implemented other social activities until the music resumes.

Recently, they had an Open Mic Poetry & Poem reading night. I'm not a writer. I suck at taking notes, I'm not a journal-er (which is why this blog has been difficult for me to launch and is so bare lol), and my scrapbooking...well, let's just say the books are there and all the goodies too but sooo not put together. But I appreciate all those things....so I gave writing a poem a try....amateur at work here, beware. :) For my friends at P&T.

Hint: An acrostic poem is a cryptographic form in which the initial letter of each line spells out a word, often the subject of the poem or the name of the person to whom the poem is dedicated.

Ode to Grape-ness

Winter, Summer, Spring or Fall;
In times of need or for no reason at all.
No other place supplies such bounty;
Erupting from the earth sweet pearls of the county.

Ah...the complexity echoing from the spill--
To cure, soothe, or mask like a pain pill.

Prepare your full-bodied senses!
Refuse not what dispenses!
Imbibe of varieties red, white and rose'...
Merlot, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Cabernet.
Raise your glass (and by all means your nose)
Oenophiles (or neophites, we can't ALL be pros).
Selections await, from door to door are rows & rows;
Empty your glass then ask for more..._______.