alien or owl?

anyone who knows me... knows that i LOVE owls.  it was my sorority mascot at otterbein.  paul says i'm going to be the 'crazy owl lady' when i get old.  haha!

i know so many people having babies right now, so i decided i wanted to learn to make some cute baby gifts. i really love this owl, but i didn't want to buy the pattern. so i tried to do a mix between that CUTE owl and this tutorial on my own.

and i came up with this owl... but it kind of looks like an alien.  and i think i'm just going to have to break down and buy the pattern. it's only $9 and i can use it over and over again :)

the one i made is of course to the left (alien or owl?).  but i just wanted to show you that i'm not exaggerating when i say that i love owls!  the crystals one is a swarovski owl that my brother just sent me from russia and the blue one is from my papaw and memee scheetz (it sits out in my living room) and the owl fabric... i think i am going to use for a baby blanket for my cousin.

and now i am soo ready for the weekend.  my o-chem test was AWFUL today. i had a B+ in the class before this test.. but we'll find out monday how terrible i did.  so i'm exhausted from this week.  it wasn't the best... but here is the highlight of my week... one night i was up studying LATE and i looked out my window and saw the most beautiful moon.  unfortunately i don't have the best photography skills, but try to share in the highlight of my week. 

be blessed my friends.

skirt

so in between homework and real work this weekend, i made my first skirt!  i wore it to our friends' (boh & lori nichols) wedding!  haha.  no one noticed that i made it, so that means that it at least looks normal.  haha!

i used this tutorial

the exciting part is that it didn't even cost me a dime!  i had the fabric from a couple of years back and my mamaw had given me some matching thread a couple of weeks ago!  wooo!

now back to a BUSY BUSY week of class.  so maybe next weekend, i'll make something more exciting!

cereal

ezekiel 4:9 cereal!  it is seriously the BEST cereal in the world.  AND it is super healthy! Just read the product description in how they open up their grains to make the cereal... not really processed at all.

and i kid you not when i say that it is sooo filling!  this stuff fills you up for hours on end.  the only 2 flavors we've tried are cinnamon raisin and almond.  both are delicious... but cinnamon raisin is my favorite.

and now i'm off to class... it is going to be a loooong day.  big test tomorrow only after 3 days of learning a chapter and a half.  our professor expects us to pull all nighters....

so i'm living off of madcap coffee.  it's the best coffee in the world.  i'd highly recommend it.  you can order it HERE.

so i drink coffee and hold my eyes open.  this is me this morning.  i look exhausted, huh?

ciao!

... tell these stones to become bread

...we all know about the temptations of jesus here in the bible.  for some reason, i've always had a hard time understanding why these could be tempting for someone who is God.  just recently i finally could relate to the last temptation of bowing down to satan for 'all of the kingdoms of the world and their splendor'.  when i think about how hurt jesus is by the sin of the world... if he had dominion over the world now (but instead he does), he could just do away with it and there wouldn't be pain... that is tempting. but God had another plan...

and then today i was given this analogy.  "the tempter came to him and said, 'if you are the son of man, tell these stones to become bread'".

have you ever thought of the tempter being in the form of a starving little girl... pleading with jesus to turn these stones into bread.  can't you just feel jesus's heart clench at this poor child's cry for help.  

...but jesus trusts his father's plan.  "man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God"

i trust that Jesus was really tempted.  scripture says, 'jesus was led by the spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil.  I don't know exactly how he experienced it. But this helps me, a 21st century, american woman to connect with chirst's heart.

thank you, jesus.

brownies

i should be doing organic chemistry homework right now... but instead i am cooking organically (haha-bad joke) really had to share this recipe with you!

finally a healthy brownie recipe-100% whole wheat!  this is for you amanda, amy, and momma!

here is the recipe:

DARK CHOCOLATE BROWNIES (makes about 20 brownies)

-1/2 cup light brown sugar,packed

-1/2 cup raw sugar (this is different from regular sugar)

-l cup unsweetened applesauce

-1 TBSP Ener-G egg replacer mixed with 1/4 cup water (we used 1 TBSP ground flaxseed mixed w/ 1/4 cup water because our grocery doesn't have any egg replacements)

-1/2 cup + 2 TBSPs soy milk

-1 & 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

-1 & 1/2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar

-1 & 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour

-3/4 cup cocoa powder

-1 tsp baking soda

-1/2 tsp sea salt

-1 & 1/2 cups (diary free) 60% chocolate chips or chunks (we used ghirardelli 60% we found in baking aisle @ grocery)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

combine sugars and applesauce with a mixer

beat in egg replacement, soy milk, canilla, and vinegar.

in a separate bowl combine all dry ingredients.

gradually add dry ingredients to batter while mixing.

spray 9X13 inch baking dish and bake for 16-20 minutes, until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.  (i had to bake mine for like 22 minutes)

the batter really rises... it is almost like cake.  paul said it is like that molten lava cake.  

NOW JUST REMEMBER PORTION SIZE!  ONLY HAVE ONE A DAY--- IF THAT!  

and here is a quick peek at what paul and i had for dinner:

pad thai (rice noodles, broccoli, chic peas, red & green peppers, white onion, minced garlic, chives and cilantro-ask for the recipe if you want it!)

back to o-chem. 

love,

ky

vegan

Engine 2 is the name of the diet that we are currently following, as Paul and i are a part of a pilot study for the local doctors in our area.  There are are group of 18 people who are doing the diet with us.  it is a 28 day diet that is supposed to lower your cholesterol.  (shockingly, paul's cholesterol was slightly elevated... so it puts being healthy more into perspective for us). It's pretty strict.  No sugar, butter, eggs, milk, meat... etc. Most of the items we buy are basic veggies or items from the grocery that have only like 5 ingredients.  There are plenty  more facts I could give you.... if you want to know, just ask or google it!

It's really not been too bad.  I've actually really enjoyed it.  The hardest part is not eating sweets... because I LOVE sweets!  That is my biggest downfall.  So instead I of course have been grabbing fruit.  But today I made my first desert.  It was a blueberry cobbler... No added sugar. Made with only whole wheat flour. Only 3  tablespoons of molasses. not bad, eh? it's super healthy-- you get a serving of fruit & a whole grain!

yummmy!

and for dinner we had this delicious quinoa salad with some fresh veggies we got at the farmer's market today.

mmmm.  it tasted even better than the cobbler did... of course, because paul made it!  haha!  he is a much better cook than i. but i did cut the tomatoes!

 feel free to ask for the recipe, i'd write it, but then this post would be incredibly LOOOONGer than it already is.

We plan to stick to this diet for the most part after the 28 days... maybe add meat in like twice a week or so.  although I really do love soy milk and other soy products, but because of how controversial it is when you have too much in your diet (thyroid problems), we'll probably switch back to regular milk.

  i'll keep you posted about the diet.  but unfortunately, i start organic chemistry 2 on monday and it lasts for 5 weeks.. so i'll be super busy again.

now i have cuddle time with my roomie :)

wreath

i've officially been a VEGAN for a week.  lost 3 pounds.  hopefully my cholesterol has dropped about 50 points. more on that subject later.... i've actually really enjoyed being so healthy.

here is my most recent creation. do you like it?  i found the idea off of a blog, and now of course i don't remember which blog.  i used the tutorial... it's made from lima beans

and don't worry marysville painter girls... i did not paint this door... it was this way before paul moved in!

more on life as a vegan next time! 

tata