2014 Pinterest Potluck Recipes

The name of my main Pinterest food board is Pinterest Potluck. It's not food that I would take to a potluck (well, I could), rather the board looks like a potluck with all it's varied pins.  

One of my goals in 2014 was to make at least one Pinterest recipe per month. Each month I added a new recipe to this post that I had found on Pinterest and tried, along with my thoughts, comments, changes. I was mostly successful. Towards the end of the year, I was feeling less energetic and didn't get around to trying anything new in November (also reflected in my Pinterest Project goal as well).  I'm still pleased however to have a few new recipes that I have added to my favorites list.  Here it is December 30 and I'm still undecided about my plans for 2015. Do I continue the same plan--1 new Pinterest Recipe per month-- or do I put a new criteria on it? I guess that will be determined soon enough. Stay tuned.

Crockpot Breakfast Casserole   |   December

Image Source: Allkindsofyum.com

Very easy and got rave reviews at work Christmas potluck! They thought it was just the right amount of spice. My only variation was to do less cheese and to do a blend of Pepperjack and Cheddar. The pepperjack gave it a little extra kick without a lot of effort. I cooked this overnight, but I didn't sleep well--worried that it might run out of juices and start burning... So about half way through the night, I got up and added a little more milk- just in case. Not sure if that was really necessary, but it gave me a bit more peace of mind. The only thing that really needs to "cook" overnight is the eggs and hashbrowns -- and so I was okay to have my programmable crockpot switch to warm after 4 hours. It was adequately cooked by the time I got it to work. {Will probably make again}


Slow Cooker Quinoa Chicken Chili   |   October

Image source: queenbeecoupons.com

So easy and it turned out great! I needed something quick to pull together for a farewell potluck we had at work today. I was too tired last night to make the hot bacon potato salad (see below), so I looked around my Pinterest pins hoping for something easy with ingredients I should already have on hand... bingo! I even had some thawed chicken breasts that I needed to use up, so win-win. I ended up throwing a 3rd chicken breast in --partly because I wasn't sure what else I'd do with it, but also because I knew that not many people had signed up with substantial dishes (fruit salad, cupcakes...). So I got up early this morning, threw everything in my programmable crock pot and set it for high at 4 hours, and then continued getting ready for work. When it was time to head to work, I unplugged it and took it to work for it to finish cooking in the break room. The aroma wafted through the medical practice where I work (I felt a little guilty for those patients who had to fast prior to their stress tests). It turned out fantastic! Everyone enjoyed it. Because of the extra chicken, it turned out more like a stew. I think it could've used a little more spice, so next time, I'm going to try adding a packet of taco seasoning in addition to the spices in the recipe (or maybe two packets and skip it all together??)  {Will definitely make again}



Chipotle Chicken and Corn Chowder  |   September

Image Source: browneyedbaker.com

Disappointing. I was expecting a "fuller" flavor to this soup. While it was mildly spicy and definitely NOT low-cal, I was left wondering what key ingredient was missing. You will need to love corn to enjoy this soup, and think you could easily leave out a can of the sweet corn and never miss it. I wish I had cooked the potatoes a little longer. {Probably won't make again}




Pumpkin Cheesecake  |  August

Image Source: ladybehindthecurtain.com

Very good! This was my very first cheesecake and it turned out great! I took it to a potluck dinner and it got good reviews. I was a bit disappointed with the homemade caramel sauce and didn't attempt the sugar pecan garnish. But overall tasty and easy to follow recipe.  {Might make again}





Hot Bacon Potato Salad  |  July

Oh, so amaaazing! In general, I'm pretty neutral about potato salad and have never ventured to make it before. However, at a potluck in June, I discovered that potato salad in a heated form, is rather quite good. I got the recipe from the lady who made and pinned it to Pinterest. It's now one of my favorite dishes! I got good reviews when I took it to a family function over July 4 weekend. YUM! {Will definitely make again}




Spicy Black Bean Salsa  |  June

Image Source: Ro-tel.com

Not your traditional salsa! I ended up modifying this recipe because I felt it lacked a little something after I made it (and doubled the corn). A friend made a similar black bean/corn/rotel salsa with Italian dressing (similar to THIS recipe), so I ending up adding a fat-free Caesar Italian (all that I had on hand). I thought it ended up okay, I still think it lacked something or maybe I had too much onion (I quadrupled the recipe and just chucked a bunch of onion in). I made WAY too much for a Saturday afternoon potluck...so took it to work on Monday for another potluck... and people at work ATE IT UP! I was surprised that it even was good after day one. So that's a win.  {Might make again}

Image Source: Budget Bytes

Hearty Black Bean Quesadillas | May

So good and flavorful. Easy too. This recipe calls for homemade taco seasoning which they link to in the recipe, but I found that a packet of store bought was just as good.  Recipe did not specify what kind of cheese and all I had was Kroger brand Hot Pepper Blend shredded cheese-- which probably added to the flavor. {Will make again}

Image Source: Budget Bytes

Salsa Chicken Casserole | May

So easy and very tasty. No changes. Didn't have any green onions, so left them out. {Will make again}

Image Source: myrecipes.com

Ohio Buckeyes | April

These tasted DELICIOUS! Just a like a Peanut Butter Cup! However I really struggled with the application of the melted chocolate. My PB balls kept falling apart. Did not look as pretty as the ones in the picture. Need to look around for tips on dipping in chocolate! {Might make again}

Image Source: aspicyperspective.com

Spicy Pumpkin Soup | April

Although it was spicy, I didn't think the flavor was that full or satisfying. I didn't have a fresh jalapeno and was forced to use canned, which was probably the difference.  I also didn't make the topping. it wasn't appealing for me.

I modified soup:

• added another 15 oz. can of pumpkin (total 2)
• added 3 oz. can of tomato paste.

Even still after the modifications and putting it over rice, I still wasn't completely happy with it.  {Probably won't make again}


Chocolate-PB Eclair | March

LOVE this easy dessert! This is one I added to Pinterest via my blog. {Will make again}

Image Source: Kitchenmeetsgirl.com

Hot Chocolate Mix | February

This a recipe for hot chocolate mix. No carregeenan!!! It's a little chalky due to the cocoa powder, but flavor okay.. {Probably won't make again}

Image source: Allrecipes.com

Quinoa & Black Beans | January

This turned out really yummy! I love to eat this in a soft taco shell. {Will make again}

My version/changes:

• I use chicken bouillon to make broth
• Added: 1 tsp coriander, 1 tsp. chili powder, 1/2 tsp. paprika and 1 can Rotel mostly drained and pureed -- add at same time spices are mentioned in the recipe. It adds a touch more moisture/liquid which I haven't figure out how to get rid of, but in the end you don't really notice.

Let's Kickstart!

Please take a moment and watch this kickstarter video that was created by my friend Rogers Hellman. He's an IT guy that I know from church, who has been working on developing an eMR (electronic medical record) that is ideal for the developing world and the inherent issues and challenges in the field of healthcare delivery. It's a pretty powerful tool with some neat features!


Here is the Kickstarter Project page.

This is going to make a difference in so many people's lives in Nigeria and Tanzania, and hopefully save some lives too!

As someone who lived in Liberia for a year (yes, the very same country that is in the center of the 2014 Ebola outbreak) and who ended up going to nursing school because of my experiences in Liberia... I have seen the extremes!

This software not only benefits the local clinics (storing and tracking medical record data), but also can provide real-time data to epidemiologists who could easily spot and track clustered diseases and enable the ministries of health to act immediately! Too bad Rogers' work wasn't already implemented in the countries that have been affected by the Ebola outbreak!

I do have an ulterior motive for sharing. I think this kickstarter project is bigger than just raising funds for the Nigeria and Tanzania installation. I'm hopeful that somehow, someway, just the right person will discover Rogers work and help take it to the next level. Personally, I am way more excited about building interest in this software and hoping to see it installed and put in hundreds of clinics in Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea, etc...   I wish I had more connections to help facilitate people learning about this software. So I'm starting with you.

Here are some questions for you...

Do you know someone interested or already involved in providing healthcare services in developing countries?
Do you know someone interested/already working in the field of epidemiology?
Do you know someone who has connections in the world of health NGOS or funding parters like the World Bank, UNICEF, USAID?
Do you know someone who is working on a similar project?
Do you know a software engineer who has an interest in aiding the developing world?
Do you know a medical student or PhD student in epidemiology who is looking for study data?
Do you know anyone working in a rural clinic in Africa or South or Central America who would be interested in implementing some sort of  electronic medical record system?
Do you know anyone who has a particular passion for a specific country, like Nigeria, Tanzania, Liberia, Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda, Haiti?

If so, I want you to share this Kickstarter project with them. I'm hoping it might spark some interest. Imagine the possibilities. This might be just the solution that your friend or the friend of your friend is looking for!

Sure. Of course. Rogers would very much like you and your friends to also contribute money to this kickstarter project to help the clinics in Tanzania and Nigeria. Of course. So please share, please tweet, please like, please pass along!

Thank you!

August Pinterest Project | Plaid French Memo Board

I've been wanting to do this project for probably close to a year.  And I'm so happy it's done and I can now enjoy it! (Mine is on the right).

Below is the picture that inspired me on Pinterest.  I was disappointed that it was simply just a photo on a designer blog. But thankfully there were plenty of french memo board DIY tutorials on Pinterest. I located this tutorial on Bennyville Blog that does a good job walking through the details.

I had been looking for fabric for this project for quite some time. Perhaps for over a year. Last week I finally found some fabric on Etsy that I liked. Paid more than I would have liked, but no regrets. And thankfully I have a fair amount of leftover fabric to employ for future projects. Yay!  ;)   If I could've found a similar red/black/white plaid somewhere, I certainly would have gone for that. But like I said, it took me quite a while to find fabric that I would be happy with. The photo really doesn't do the fabric justice. It's a really dark navy (almost black looking) with dark green, white and a small bit of yellow. I had thought about doing yellow ribbon but felt that it would've stood out and overpowered the board. So I went with white, which is, of course, one of the predominant colors. Also, I cut the fabric so that the plaid would lay diagonal on the board. It was challenging because the pattern is not square but more rectangle. But I was able to easily manipulate the ribbons to form squares/diamonds, so the rectangle issue is not all that noticeable.

Supplies
12" x 36" back-stapled traditional canvas by Artist's Loft (Michael's).
Basic quilt batting (I purchased by the yard- enough to wrap around the back edge of canvas).
3/8" grosgrain ribbon -- 10 yards was plenty for me (used maybe 8?)
Fabric (enough to wrap around back of edge of canvas on all 4 sides)
Staple gun, staples

I'm not going to go through my project step-by-step as the tutorial is linked above and the directions are very adequate. Certainly since my board is oblong, I did have to spend some time figuring out how I wanted to run the ribbons. I used straight pins to anchor the ribbons on the edge of the board where I wanted them (my ribbons are about 4.5 inches (mid-ribbon) apart. At the point I felt that everything was properly laid out, I stapled the ribbons to the back of the frame so that no staples would be visible. And I certainly feel that her instructions of criss-crossing the ribbons certainly helps to keep the items on the board without needing buttons or pins at the ribbon intersections.

I still have to add hardware for hanging. Currently it is just resting/sitting on my thermostat!!!

Pros:  It's a pretty simple project if you use the pre-made canvas! Very customizable in terms of colors/patterns, ribbons, board shape, etc...
Cons: None!  I love it!  Might choose to make another one!

July Pinterest Project | DIY fly paper

I had a fly living in my apartment for two weeks. Every day I hoped I find him dead on a window sill. So one day I looked on Pinterest to see if I could find any fly capturing solutions that didn't require a fly swatter. I found instructions for making your own fly paper using brown paper bag, twine, honey, sugar and water.

So you basically heat up the honey, water and sugar until liquidy (but not burning) and then dip the brown paper bag into the honey mixture and then hang up to dry. I chose to recyle a brown paper bag from Chipotle (you know, the ones that look like gift bags) and cut out the center of the bag front keeping the handles intact. That way I didn't have create a means by which to hang the paper. It was very easy to make the honey mixture, melt it and apply it. Most frustrating party was that it was ridiculously very slow to dry... hours and hours! BUT it IS really sticky.  Unfortunately my fly was not at all interested in my fly paper.

Pros: Easy to make!
Cons: Didn't work. Waste of time and resources. I ended up throwing my DIY fly paper out after 2 days (and deleted my pictures off my camera)!!

I ended up accidentally "catching" the fly in an empty plastic 2 liter lemonade bottle that I had saved, hoping to use for a future Pinterest project. oops!

June Pinterest Project | Set-in Oil Stain Removal

Okay, so my June project wasn't of the creative variety, but it did require hope that all would work out in the end!

So it being June now, I decided it was time to make the final clothing swap in the closet. Out with the sweaters and in with the capris! It was long-overdue, but life has been a bit crazy with the change of jobs. Nowadays I rarely wear anything other than scrubs during the weekdays (except PJ's). Thankfully the new job outside of the hospital means that my scrubs don't feel gross after working all day. So I rarely change clothes after work. Yay for less laundry!

Anywhoo, I'm getting off track.

All that to say... I've been slow to pull out my summer clothes. And to my horror, I discovered a favorite t-shirt and a favorite blouse BOTH had an unmissable oil stain on the front. The blouse was one that had been packed away since last fall! So, as I have grown accustomed to doing, I checked Pinterest and found a method to try. Honestly, I was doubtful, but I had a enough hope to give it a try. And boy, am I glad I did!

I had totally planned to take before and after photos and document my success (or failure) here, but in my excitement, I completely forgot! So you'll just have to trust me!

Follow the link above for the detailed instructions. But the gist is that you use WD-40, baking soda, a toothbrush, and Dawn dish soap, in various steps, to remove the set-in stain. I followed her steps exactly and it worked!

There was a time when I wasn't sure I wasn't doing it correctly (baking soda being rubbed into WD-40/oil stain), but apparently I was doing it right. It was just hard to tell amid the dust of baking soda all over my blouse. 

I will say that I used name-brands of everything except the baking soda.  WD-40 with a straw device. Check.  Dawn dish soap (blue). Check. A box of baking soda and a used toothbrush. That's it!

I'm so happy to have rescued two of my favorite tops!  Definitely worth a try on stubborn oil stains--even if you've already washed/dried the item multiple times.

Another win for Pinterest!

2014 Goals | An Update

The last two months have been about change. I bought a car, turned 40, and have recently just changed jobs. The good news is that I no longer work night shift. I am about two weeks into my new job at a cardiology clinic. No nights, no weekends, and no holidays! I do work 5 days a week which is an adjustment, but overall I expect my quality of life to improve (especially socially, physically, & emotionally).

I had hoped to do an quarterly update about how I'm doing with my 2014 goals, but alas, here it is early June...so this will have to do for a six month update.

So how am I doing with my goals?

1. No fast food (alone) -- I've been 99% faithful. I snuck and got a Shamrock Shake twice during March... but I see that more as enjoying a rare dessert that just happens to come from a fast food place.
2. No soda -- Been tempted, but 100% faithful.
3. Trade Smart University Classes -- I started but didn't get very far. My goal is to restart classes in late July once I'm feeling more comfortable in my new job.
4. Save $15K -- Well, this goal was to help facilitate the purchase of a "new" car. With rumors that my nephew would need a car this summer, I got busy and found one in April. I borrowed $$ from my parents to be able to pay cash. I bought a 2011 Honda Civic and I love it!  I am still paying insurance on my old car. Not sure when the hand off will take place. For the time being its parked at my parent's house. I'm hoping to pay off my parents in August.
5. Read through the Bible in a year -- 80% faithful. I did really well until early May when my birthday, a bunch of night shifts lined up tight, I went on a trip to NYC and then came back and changed jobs two weeks later... I am behind right now about 17 days. My hope is to play catch up over the next week. 
6. Increase MJH contribution % -- Never got around to it...new job!
7. Host Pinterest Potluck x2 -- Still on my to-do list. Thinking this is another good plan for the summer.
8. Camping Trip -- Still on my to-do list.
9. Birthday Party/Celebration -- I had a small party at a local Indian restaurant. Due to a variety of circumstances, I decided to forgo something larger. My hope is to organize/host a scavenger hunt (and camping trip) later in the summer to extend the celebration of my 40th.
10. Decrease TV/movie watching -- bleh. no progress.
11. Explore Changing Churches -- I think it was February when I joined a small group...so for now I'm planning to stay connected to my Church Family--the one I've been with since 1997.
12. Dating -- Still single. ha!  Not going to share a whole lot here, but I'll say that I ended up rejoining one of the sites I had given up. Not sure why as I rarely go on, rarely browse. Same for the other site. Dating and getting psyched up about dating while working night shift was hard. Now that I have my evenings "free" I'm hoping more opportunities come my way. But at 40, there are fewer and fewer single people. But I still believe there are some good ones left.
13. Journal Entry +1/week -- 85% faithful. Some weeks more than one entry. Other weeks none. When I'm busy, this is what falls by the wayside.
14. Bible Reading Daily -- See above. This is probably what I'm most disappointed about. But I won't give up!
15. Gym 2x/week and Walk 2x/week -- I estimate 65-75% faithfulness.  During colder months I was pretty consistent. But I've gotten a little slack since early May. But now with new job and evenings free, I have NO EXCUSE! I've been thinking that I'd like to incorporate strength training, so I've been thinking that perhaps I'd go to alternating cardio and strength days with my weekends off. Not sure yet.
16. Pinterest Project/month-- I missed my February deadline, but did two projects in March. So I'm at 100%.
17. Pinterest Recipe/month -- 100% faithful. This has been surprisingly easy to do! In April and May I've done TWO new recipes a month.
18. Lose 3-4 lbs/month -- No real progress here. Need a kick in the pants and maybe a gym or running partner!

Well that's it. Overall positive progress. Definitely on a good trajectory. Still time to make positive changes or progress.

May Pinterest Project | DIY Car Trash Bag

In April I bought a 2011 Honda Civic. So when you've got these plates on your car you better show you mean it! I must say that I love the way the landscape is mirrored in the chrome in this picture.

So for May, I decided to incorporate plaid into the interior of my car by making a plaid car trash bag.

I'm not going to share the step by steps here in my blog, but will link you back to the Pinterest Pin/tutorial that inspired me. That is HERE. Below are the pros/cons to the tutorial/design and my thoughts.

Pros: Best feature, aside from the plaid, is the use of boning around the top of the trash bag. Boning is the same stuff they use around the top of the nursing drapes for breast feeding moms.

Cons: The tutorial had me using interfacing on the straps and then having to turn them right side out after sewing. Almost impossible. I ended up having to go on to YouTube to find a demonstration of some techniques. I ended up using a shish-kebab stick to help, but even that wasn't as easy as it looked on YouTube. Also the instructions were pretty vague, not a true tutorial. There was no indication of seam allowances or direction of fabric when folding. I just figured it out as I went along and made adjustments as necessary.

Thoughts: If I need to make another trash bag, I'd probably look for another pattern or tutorial. Adjustments: I end up squaring off the bottom of my bag corners (sewing triangles across the bottom on the inside), which I think looks better. Overall, I'm happy to have a plaid trash bag...and be able to check off my May project! Again I was cutting it close, so was sorta rushed.

April Pinterest Project | DIY Etching a Casserole Dish

I did get my April projects done in April...just not documented! Life has just been so crazy lately that posting has been low on the priority list.

My goal this year was to do both a Pinterest Project AND Recipe each month. But I will post separately.

Glass Etching a Casserole Dish
When I saw this on Pinterest, my first reaction was DIY etching? For real? Yazzers, people! So cool!

I went an bought the recommended etching chemical "Armour Etch" which I found at Michael's. I bought the smallest container. Very easy to use.

1. Started out by printing out name on regular printer paper in the font and size I wanted...then taped that UPSIDE DOWN onto the back of contact paper. Looking back, I'm sure I could've figured out how to have this designed/printed in mirror so that I didn't have to flip paper and try to read through the back of the paper.

2. Then came the tedious task of hand cutting the letters with an Exacto knife. Be sure to keep the small pieces that get cut out for P's, O's, R's etc... you'll use them later.

3. Then I applied the contact paper to the dish as straight as I could. This is where you'll be glad you didn't lose the "insides" of your letters. I lost the innards to my "a" and had to fake a new one. It shows.














4. Then the Armour Etch (AE) is applied liberally with a paint brush. But make sure you don't accidentally get any on any other part of the dish or other surfaces or it will "etch" there too (lesson learned). AE directions say to leave on for 5 minutes, but I left on for about an hour...just to be sure I got a good etch. Some online comments said that Pyrex was harder to etch and they felt they needed longer application.














5. Before removing the contact paper, I rinsed off the chemical (some people say you can scrape it off and put it back in the container). Then I peeled off the contact paper...and what a big smile I had on my face!

And here's the final project!   As you can see the etching cream created a hazy area on the glass. 

Pros: Love that you can etch this yourself. So many possibilities!

Cons: Hand-cutting out the letters is for the dogs. A lot of work for something that isn't going to be perfect.If I knew someone with a Cricut machine I would have asked them to print something out on contact paper for me.

Thoughts: Because the lettering is hand cut, it's not nearly so pristine, exact and manufactured looking as what you see on Pinterest. Those are done with a Cricut type of machine. But it's still fun to have a dish with my name on it! And I am already thinking of other glass objects that I'd like to etch. Not too surprisingly thought, I'm totally thinking about buying a Cricut machine. Not that I really have any space to store one. Heavens, I don't even have a good place to keep my sewing machine! But looking for a good deal and trying to maximize with fuel points earned on gift cards (so need to figure out WHERE I plan to buy).

March Pinterest Projects

Last night I completed two Pinterest Projects. If you recall, I missed my February deadline, so I did two projects for March.

Makeup Bag | Storage Bag {Project #1}

I was inspired by and used THIS tutorial on Pinterest. I liked the way the zipper fully opened up for easy access. For the past couple years I have used a ziploc bag to hold my smaller make-up bag and two Mary Kay compacts. Not pretty, but it worked in keeping everything together. So my hope with making this bag would be to have an attractive larger bag to hold everything.

The blue/navy fabric is actually "lappa" fabric that I brought back from Liberia in 2008. I have tons of lappa fabrics that I'd like to find a fun use for. The zipper tag fabric is scrap plaid sheeting (what else?) that was left over from when I turned a queen flat sheet into a fitted full-size sheet (a 2013 Pinterest Project).

Pros: Fairly easy tutorial to follow. Like the large zipper opening. Option to have two-tone bag and mix fabrics (which I chose not to do this time). It's washable.

Cons: Doesn't retain shape with heavy objects. My compacts fit nicely upright, but there's just not enough stiffness/sturdiness to keep it upright.

Thoughts: I made the largest size, and probably could have made a smaller size, or gone with wider corners on bottom) to allow my compact to lay on bottom, rather than side. Probably would chose a more substantial lining option to make it a bit stiffer.

Seat Belt Cover | Neck Saver {Project #2}

This project has probably been on my Pinterest Project list for close to two years. {Side Note: I wish Pinterest attached dates to when we pinned stuff!} I have used store bought seat belt covers in the past. I'm short and seat belts just aren't friendly to the neck area! When I go on trips with my parents, I am 50/50 at remembering to pull my seat belt cover out of my car and transfer it to the other car (even tougher remember to return it). Now I shall have no excuse! THIS tutorial was so easy! Not sure why I put it off for so long! The only thing I really changed was that I used some scraps of pre-quilted fabric (batting between two layers of fabric) to replace the interfacing option. My exterior fabrics were soft enough, but not really thick and cushiony...and boy, it's pretty cushiony now!

Pros:  Very easy tutorial to follow. It's reversible!  My interior fabric is a blue plaid (scrap left over from my 2013 place mat project last summer--which I haven't yet posted about). 

Cons: Not sure yet. Will be putting it to use on my trip to NYC in early May.

Thoughts: I've already cut up fabric for three more covers (all the same) and hope to finish them today or tomorrow. The 30" package of velcro I bought is enough for four covers! I'm thinking I will offer these up to a few of the peeps driving up with me to NYC. They can try them out and if they like them, I will probably just give them away. Another thought is that I THINK these would be easily adjusted to for baby carrier straps!  And they'd be so soft!!  I'm hoping to buy a new-to-me car this year or next and I'll have fun choosing a coordinating fabric for a new seat belt cover!

MARCH: Chocolate-Peanut Butter Éclair Dessert

So in 2014, I decided to make one Pinterest Recipe per month. This month I am making Chocolate-Peanut Butter Éclair Dessert. What's different this time is that rather than finding the recipe on Pinterest first, I am adding it to Pinterest!  

One of my fellow nurses brought this in to work during Nurse's Appreciation Week last year. It was unbelievably good! You can't go wrong with PB and chocolate! I begged her for the recipe since I was unable to find one on Pinterest that I thought was close.

This is my first time making it. I am taking it to my small group Bible study tomorrow night because I'm afraid I'd eat it all myself.

CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER ÉCLAIR DESSERT

Cool Whip forgotten in the photo.

INGREDIENTS:

1 box Graham Crackers (you'll use most of a box)

1 large box Vanilla Pudding (5.1 oz) prepared (with milk)

1 container Chocolate Frosting

½ cup Peanut Butter (add more for more flavor)

1 container original Cool Whip

DIRECTIONS:

1. In food processor or mixer, mix together pudding (already prepared), cool whip and peanut butter.
2. Place one layer of graham crackers on bottom and sides of 9x13 in baking dish.
3. Pour 1/3 of the pudding-PB mix over crackers and spread evenly.
4. Repeat layering of graham crackers and pudding mix with last layer being graham crackers (I had total 4 layers of graham crackers and 3 layers pudding mix).
5. Heat icing container up in microwave for a few seconds until it is melted and pour over graham crackers. I did 15 sec x 3 times being careful not to burn it. I was able to pour directly out of the container over the crackers smoothing with a spatula.
6. Place in fridge and allow to cool. Tends to taste better after several hours of chilling so that graham crackers have time to get soft.

February Pinterest Project(s)

Well, February isn't quite over yet, but seeing as I will be working the last few nights of February, I know for certain I will not get a February Pinterest Project completed. Sigh. And to be honest, I never really figured out what I wanted to do (although I have a whole list of things to attempt) and didn't have the supplies ready (fabric chosen/purchased). I think I just procrastinated and then got busy these last two weeks of February. Plus, I recently joined a small group with my church that meets on one of my nights off, which I didn't factor into my planning in February.  And my other excuse is that February's a short month. Not that that really would really have made a difference. ha ha.

So my goals is to complete TWO Pinterest Projects in March. Hopefully one in early March and one the later half. We shall see.

But I did manage to do a Pinterest Recipe for February. I've discovered recently that a number of my favorite foods contain carregeenan. It's a food additive (for dairy thickening) derived from seaweed that has scientists concerned about links to gastrointestinal diseases and possibly cancer. Where is it showing up? My favorite cottage cheese, ice cream and hot cocoa mix.

So this month, I decided to check out some DIY hot cocoa recipes on Pinterest after trying Whole Food's 365 organic hot cocoa mix and hating it (didn't like the vanilla flavoring). Trouble was that so many DIY mixes called for instant coffee creamer which, of course, contains carregeenan. Whole Foods doesn't even carry instant coffee creamer because they can't approve of the ingredients!!!

image from kitchenmeetsgirl.com/

So I made THIS recipe from kitchenmeetsgirl.com. Okay flavor, but the cocoa powder makes it a little chalky going down. I'm still tinkering with it, like adding more powdered milk/sugar.

But since I attempted making my own, my mom found some hot cocoa mix at our nearby Cheese Shoppe, which is a local family-owned Amish-style bulk foods store. It was expensive, but thankfully did not list carregeenan on the label. The texture/flavor is better than the mix I made, but when it cools off just a little it gets a weird film on the top--possibly because this DRY mix uses coconut oil as a thickner??

So only one for two on my February Pinterest goals. But hopefully I'll do three for two next month. :)  Until then.

January Pinterest Project | Scrub Pants

I've been a nurse for about 19 months. And I've FINALLY gotten around to making some adjustments to my scrubs to make them a bit more user-friendly.

You see, I have virtually no diversity in my scrubs. Some nurses have HUNDREDS of scrub tops that they've collected over the years. Solids, prints, holiday themes, you name it. When it was time for me to branch away from my nursing school scrubs, I wanted to wear solid colored scrubs. I wanted the tops and bottoms to be the same color. All black, or all pink, or all blue.

I started looking for scrub tops I liked. I struggled. I'm petite and am definitely not flat chested. I didn't want my scrub top to hang long and I didn't want it tight either. So I found a top that I liked made by Cherokee. It's a mock wrap style (#4800). What I liked is that it's only 23.5 inches long. Other styles are much longer. It was the shortest scrub top that I could find. Score. I own nine different colors and there are plenty more colors I could buy, if I wanted.

When I looked for the coordinating scrub pants, I bought a couple that I thought would work, but eventually was unhappy after about a month of wearing them. The fabric was kinda rough and the drawstring waistband seemed to get loose over the course of my shift and I feared being one of those nurses bearing her butt crack to the patient, their family and my peers. I can't stand seeing professional nurses showing off crack. So no go. Those three pairs are hanging in my storage closet never to be worn again. Not sure why I'm holding on to them.

So it was back to shopping for scrub pants. Unfortunately, I couldn't find matching scrub pants to coordinate with the various colors of my tops for the solid top to bottom look, so I decided to go with black bottoms (or navy) and colored tops.

I was at Super Shoes and discovered they carried petite scrub bottoms by Peaches. I fell in love!  The reason I love them is for the waistband. They are still a drawstring style but have a ribbed knit waistband that is very soft and comfortable and there's NO butt crack during those inevitable squatting moments of nursing. They are awesome!  Plus they come in Petite and so no hemming! Yay!

Anywhoo... I love these pants, but over the past 18 months I have found some downsides. First off, there was no scissor hook. The scissor hook holds your scissors, which means you don't have to put them in your pocket.  I avoided the whole scissor-in-my-pocket thing by attaching a retractable badge holder around one of the scissor handles and clipped them to my side pocket. When needed, I just grab my scissors and pull to whatever I'm cutting...and when done they retract back. I've never lost a pair of scissors!  But I found that I didn't like that my scissors banged against my leg as I walked down the hall.

Secondly, the side pockets (near knees) on these scrub pants are pretty big. They are about 7" deep and 6" wide. Not only do I have to bend over to reach into the bottom of my side pockets, but my penlight and markers end up laying sideways at the bottom. Sometimes I found bruises on my thighs where my markers had pressed in while I was sitting down. Ugh.

So I decided that it was time to fix these minor inconveniences. So here's what I did:

#1. Scissor loop added. Now, mind you, these are not my nursing scissors! I just tucked my sewing scissors in so you'd see how the loop worked. My medical scissors are much smaller. I will still continue to use the retractable badge holder clipped to the pocket above, but now my scissors won't bang my leg as I walk down the hall or get tangled up with IV tubing!  Many scrubs already have this loop attached, but again, I liked the waistband on these scrubs more than I wanted a scissor loop...and it was NOT hard at all to attach the loop.  For those of you who know me, you already know I have a love for plaids and tartans. You can pretty much tell that from my blog design. hehe.  Anywhoooo, I found some scrap plaid fabric that I kept when I converted a plaid flat sheet to a fitted sheet. I used a piece of scrap that was already hemmed on one side, cut up 6 little loops and made it a bit more tidy and tacked the loop on to my scrub pants with just straight stitches on either side. I attached the loop just above the right side pocket (I'm right-handed) at a position that worked with the retractable ID holder length. Very customized. 

The plaid loop is fun (for me), but could also be mistaken for a brand label (about the same size).  I decided to just attempt this on one pair of scrub pants at first so that I could try it out at work to make sure I had it positioned right and that it would work how I expected. I'm THRILLED. I love the plaid and it's nice to not have my scissor banging on my leg or catching on various things! YAY!

#2. Pocket modified. My highlighter, dry-erase marker, permanent marker and pen light are kept in my left side pocket (near knee). I don't need them as often, as say a writing pen--which is kept in my scrub top pockets.  First, I raised the bottom of the pocket to a more appropriate level by straight stitching a horizontal stitch from one side of the pocket to the other based on the height of my pens. Second, in order to keep the pens upright in the pocket, I sewed a vertical stitch up the middle of the pocket thus dividing the pocket into two smaller pockets. No genius here folks...just common sense.

I'm so glad that I went ahead and got this Pinterest Project done at the beginning of the year and didn't wait any longer! I LOVE my modifications! YAY!

2014 Goals

Hard to believe that we are almost half way through the first month of 2014. Yeesh-- that was fast!

This year I've created quite a list of goals to accomplish. Some are very specific, some not so much. I know the goals that are specific are much more likely to be accomplished than the not specific ones. For some goals, I simply didn't know what I wanted to accomplish, but felt a general need for a direction change or some resolution. I have my goals printed both at my bedside, but also on my bathroom mirror. This provides me with a semi-daily review. I'm hoping that those areas that have less than specific goals or direction, will at least be considered and not forgotten and perhaps as the year progresses, more specifics can be applied and perhaps they can be areas of focus for 2015.

I have goals that are general in nature or rather to be honored all year or to simply be accomplished at some point during 2014. Then I have monthly and weekly goals, some of which support my general or yearly goals. I have created a chart with goals broken down in to those three time frames. But I have also assigned categories and benefits to each goal (to remind me and help keep me motivated), along with thoughts for implementation. If you care to see specifics you can click on image below.

So here are my goals for this year. And because I'm posting them here, I'll have a record come the end of the year of what my goals were...and maybe making them public will help with accountability and motivation.

Interestingly, I have not included any employment, career or job goals.  Those too, are bumping around in my head and unspecific, but even if I had specific goals, I'm not sure it would be wise to post those publicly.

I'm going to go through each goal and make general comments.

1. No fast food (alone) -- This is mostly to cut calories, encourage healthier meals, force myself to cook more and to hopefully help me work on my savings goal. However, if getting together with friends means eating out...that's cool... just no eating out alone!
2. No soda -- I've done this before. I love soda, but I know the chemicals (diet) aren't good for me. Plus I'm hoping I will start drinking more water. My only exception here is if I get GI sick and need gingerale. But it's been YEARS since I've been nauseous.
   
3. Trade Smart University Classes -- These are classes about the stock market. My dad is a BIG fan of theirs and he's been encouraging me for the past couple years to be more intentional about my retirement. And because I know very little about investments and stock market stuff, he recommended I consider taking their classes. Periodically they offer their Level 1 course (8 online webinars) on a scholarship basis (for free). They started a new scholarship session on January 6 that is much more flexible (necessary for my ever-changing work schedule), so I jumped on it (still available as of today 1/14/14). They offered all three Levels of their Foundations of Stocks & Options for a discounted price (Buy 1, get 2 free) which I decided to do. I'll have lifetime access to video recordings of those courses AND will be able to access unlimited Live Webinars for one full year for the courses I've purchases!  I've completed 2/8 webinars and it's good stuff!
4. Save $15K -- This is very feasible, but will require diligence on my part! I am likely going to need to buy a new-to-me car in the next year or so. My 18-year-old Honda wagon runs reliably, but with 241K miles on it, it is definitely aging and I no longer drive out of state with it. I have mixed feelings about getting a new car. I don't want a car payment, so my goal is to pay cash, but that's a LOT of money to part with all at once! There are things about my car that drive me crazy which don't affect it's reliability or driveability (door locks, paint job, etc...) which I'd be glad to be done with, but it seems silly to get rid of a car that runs reliably. I've considered getting a paint job, but it would cost probably more than my care is worth! Haha!  I'm seriously considering giving it to my niece/nephew who will be driving in the next couple years. Not sure if I really want to insure two cars until then (if I buy a new one before then), and I'm not sure that my niece/nephew will be entirely happy about driving around a station wagon that needs a paint job. But really, WHO turns away a FREE car? Thankfully my current car situation does not require that I make any quick decisions. So for now, I'm just saving my money...
   
5. Read through the Bible in a year -- I've never read through the entire Bible before, and think it's time for me to do this. I've found The Daily Bible (NIV) in Kindle format which divides up the daily readings into dated selections--which is helpful in keeping on schedule. Plus I think reading the Bible in chronological order sounds really helpful. I've started reading the Kindle sample which goes from January 1-23. I wanted to make sure that I liked this format and would actually use it BEFORE I paid $9.99 for it. So far so good-- I'm enjoying it!
6. Increase MJH contribution % -- This refers to increasing my retirement contribution at work to the maximum so that I can benefit from employer matching contributions. Wish I had done this when I started. Better late than never, right?
   
7. Host Pinterest Potluck x2 -- I think it would be so much fun to invite friends to a potluck, where all the food brought/contributed has to come from each person's Pinterest food board! A great way to break out of making tried and true and favorite potluck dishes and also a change to taste test some new recipes! Thought is to create a Pinterest Board for each potluck where the guests post what they will be bringing!  Thoughts are to organize two this year. A spring/summer and a fall potluck. My 500 square foot apartment is not ideal for hosting, so I'm thinking maybe doing it a local park/picnic shelter.
8. Camping Trip -- I was given an old tent a few years ago which I haven't used yet. Maybe I might combine this with my...
9. Birthday Party/Celebration -- I'm turning 40 this year--which certainly needs to be celebrated so that I don't go all over-the-hill-depressed! My cousin is getting married the same weekend as my birthday, so unfortunately the party can't fall on my actual birthday. If I don't combine camping and my birthday together, I'm thinking it would be fun to do an adult scavenger hunt!
10. Decrease TV/movie watching -- This is one of the goals that I'm not very specific about. I rarely watch live TV anymore and mostly watch my favorite TV programs online. In reality I don't really know how much I'm watching and initially I just need to document the time that I currently spend watching TV/movies and then make a plan (kinda like counting calories so you know what you need to cut out). I usually watch 60-90 minutes of TV programs while I'm getting ready for work (that's three days a week). I'm considering whether I might just limit my TV watching to work days and put strict restrictions on my days off.
11. Explore Changing Churches -- Another very unspecific "goal". There's been a lot of change in the past few years at my church, some of which I think is good and some of which I don't particularly care for--but admittedly aren't wrong. Definitely a preference/style issue-- which I personal think is a wrong issue for considering a change. But considering my spiritual growth has lagged, I feel a change might do me good. A LOT of people have left my church over the past few years, likely related to these changes and it's made me sad that some long-time members and church officers have left. I love my church and it would be hard to leave, but honestly I've struggled since I left my staff position there in 2010. The tough part is that there's no particular church that I really want to visit or consider. And a frustrating aspect of visiting other churches in this community is that I will undoubtedly bump into former church members. While it's nice to bump into familiar faces, I generally find that often those folks will assume that I'm unhappy at X church and have decided to leave, which is not necessarily true. And these same former members are often eager to share their reasons for leaving and their unhappiness. I'm sorry, but I simply do not want to bond with you over reasons to leave X church. It's not always that way, but that's what I'm wary of. There is one particular church, that is very close to my apartment, where many folks have landed, which makes me curious...but the wariness of running into former church members definitely dampens that curiosity. Another aspect that I need to consider is that working two Saturday nights a month definitely makes it difficult to feel connected at church. Even joining a small group, which would help with the connectedness aspect, is tough with my ever changing work schedule. Certainly this is going to be bathed in prayer!
12. Dating -- This is probably the least specific goal. And I'm not really sure what I mean by it. Sure I'd like to be dating more, but my efforts in 2013 didn't really yield good results. Dated a guy for three months, who turned out to be a HUGE disappointment. Looking back, it's good that it didn't work out, as there were red flags that I was discovering. And if I'm honest, I didn't cry but a day after we broke up, mostly for the way he broke up and that he turned out to be a putz instead of the man he pretended to be. I was more upset over the end of the relationship, rather than upset at the actual loss of HIM. Telling. I think that every date I've had in the past few years has come from guys met on dating websites. At this point I'm so OVER online dating. Plan is to let my current subscriptions/memberships end (end of January and early February). I will still have one site that I've paid for through fall of 2014. Sigh. I would just like to meet a genuine Christian man who has never been married, who has no kids, and where there is a mutual attraction. It shouldn't be so hard!! Sigh.
13. Journal Entry +1/week -- This past year I wasn't very consistent in journaling. I think putting my feelings, thoughts and emotions on paper more consistently will be helpful.
14. Bible Reading Daily -- This is a smaller daily goal to help reach my annual goal of reading through Bible in a year (see above). Plus I just want to be in the Word on a more consistent basis.
15. Gym 2x/week and Walk 2x/week -- Basically, my goal is to exercise every day that I'm not working... for a minimum of 4 days/week. I need the sunshine, so right now I'm walking outdoors in 40 degree temps. If it's expected to be colder or rainy, I alter my schedule accordingly or I will resort to going to the gym. I'm not sure what I will do in the summer months when it's so unbearably hot/humid.
    
16. Pinterest Project/month -- Last year I was fairly successful as I completed a project 10 out of 12 months. I really enjoyed finding something creative to do, so decided to carry this over again this year. I'd also like to post each project here on my blog and possibly even go back and post the projects from last year.
17. Pinterest Recipe/month -- Since I'm not going to be eating out as much this year, I will need to find some new recipes to keep things interesting!  Plus I have a Pinterest board full of recipes that I've pinned that I have yet to try!  Excited to have some new favorites at the end of the year. I might just have to break down and buy the Crockpot I've been eyeing. I also have an unlisted goal of using up the canned and packaged foods in my cupboard that have been there for over a year. Tonight I made my January dish -- Quinoa and Black Beans -- and it was very good!  I haven't decided if I will attempt to post these here on my blog or not. If so, my food photography skills will need some work.
18. Lose 3-4 lbs/month -- This is safe weight loss and feasible! With increased exercise efforts and eliminated fast food, the weight might come off even faster. But I'm definitely going to need to make a concerted effort to limit portion sizes, snacks and keep things healthy (yay for new recipes!).

So that's my list of goals for this year. Most are feasible and realistic and hopefully the less specific "goals" will see some progress or at least get further thought. Maybe I will do a monthly or quarterly "Where Am I At?" report for all my goals. I tend to be an all or nothing kinda gal and if I get behind, it's hard for me to jump back in again when I've lost momentum. So far I've been utilizing a blank 3x5 card with my weekly and daily goals to help keep me on track... so right now I'm 100%! YAY!  Just another week and I will have hit the 21 day mark--which we all know is how you make something a habit!