oatcakes

heidi swanson 101 cookbooks oatcake

Remember the millet muffins? I made so many recipes from the library’s copy of Super Natural Every Day that I decided to buy my own.

I really love it. But I have a confession: I have been hesitant to try a few recipes because the fat/calorie numbers are a little high.

It is hard shaking the marketing tactics of the processed food industry. I know that lite, fat-free and all natural doesn’t mean good for you. I notice when they add extra servings to reduce the per-serving calorie count.

I know better, yet I still feel a little brainwashed. Does that even make sense?

I need snacks for when my family is on the go. Real food. Things that won’t make them hungry again in an hour. Snacks that are portable for road trips, the park and before karate class. Snacks that taste good so my family will want to eat them.

Swanson’s oatcakes meet all my requirements! As a quick breakfast, they keep us going until lunch with no mid-morning snack. They are definitely better for you than the average coffee house baked good. (Yes, I sneaked in my own snack.) They also give my daughter energy for karate class after a morning spent playing in the park.

Will I fiddle with the numbers in the future? Possibly. I wonder if applesauce could replace the butter. Maybe I’ll cut back on the nuts or maple syrup. Could egg whites replace the whole eggs?

Although, after watching this ABC News report on obesity, I’m hesitant to demonize organic butter, real maple syrup, real eggs and fresh walnuts. Our food supply has enough bad guys already, don’t you agree?

the ladybug dress

girl bug fabric

blog flashback: Two years ago I refashioned a woman’s shirred shirt into a dress for my daughter.

A few months ago, I got a message from a friend about some free fabric. I tried to resist. I really don’t need any more fabric. I did need a little quiet time with friends, though. Besides, what if I found something really cool?

girl bug fabric

I have always wanted to make a dress out of pre-shirred (or mock-smock) fabric. This happened to be the perfect amount: just shy of 1 1/2 yards. (It’s hard to tell how much you’ll need with all that elastic. My daughter’s chest is 21 inches, if that gives you some perspective.)

girl bug fabric

I made the dress long, hoping and praying she might be able to wear it next year. I even hid some extra strap length inside the back. I guess I could always turn it into a shirt next year, too.

What do you think about mock smock fabric? Have you ever shirred fabric with elastic thread?

my creative space

good luck cowl knitting

I did a little bit of airplane knitting while on vacation. It’s not exactly mindless knitting, but it distracted me from all of the stormy turbulence we encountered.

I really love the pattern and the design would probably “pop” more with a solid color yarn.

I’m no longer ripping back tiny mistakes if they aren’t too noticeable. I’ve figured out how to yarn over here and there to hide them pretty good.

I started this cowl in February. At this rate, it might get finished before the cold weather hits.

What’s in your creative space? Visit other places here.

pattern: Good Luck Cowl by Drop Stitch Knitter

the little avocado that could

avocado plant

We planted our first avocado seed today. Remember way back in April when we put it in a bag of moss? The book said it would take a few weeks to get roots. Ours took a few months. Maybe our laundry room isn’t warm enough?

avocado plant

You’re supposed to have 3-4 inches of roots before planting. Our second avocado seed is really slow. (Sorry I forgot to take a pic of the first seed’s roots.) Back into the bag of moss for that one.

Other green happenings: A friend is traveling a lot this summer and has asked me to look after her strawberry plants. She started them from very special seeds that came all the way from Poland. No pressure, right? So far, so good.

strawberries

Full disclosure: My green thumb isn’t very consistent. The neglected tomato plant is thriving, but not producing any fruit. The cucumber got snapped in half by The Ol’ Nebraska Winds during a storm. Technically, it’s not my fault, but it’s dead just the same.

fabric dog tag (good for penguins, too)

fabric dog tag

You’ve met Puppy before. He’s the one who got a new nose. He’s my daughter’s best stuffed friend. I get really nervous when we take him on trips. I can’t imagine what life would be like if he got lost.

Right before our San Diego trip last year, I made fabric tags for Puppy and his little cat friend Gnocchi. It was a last minute idea. I cut out small rectangles of muslin and applied fray check to the edges. When they were dry, I used a fabric marker to write “If found, please call” with my cell phone number. Then I hand stitched the corners to each stuffed friend.

It was my intention to make something soft so it wouldn’t poke my daughter at night. Of course, now she sleeps with a hard, plastic penguin, too. Kids! I wound up stitching a label to Pengi’s leg for this trip. When everyone gets home safely, I snip the stitches and save the labels for next time.

Does traveling with your child’s “special friends” make you nervous? How do you ensure their safe travels?