May Focus: Food (Round 1)

My hubby and I decided to get a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) box this year from a local farm. We got our first one earlier in May so I thought that a month of food related materials would be a good idea.

I had been wanting to do this for a while now but I've found I have the habit of steering clear from material that I think could possibly induce a life change. And food is one of those topics. It is much easier to not put the time and energy into eating well. Once you learn something, it is difficult to unlearn.

That being said, I am very glad that I decided to focus on this for May. I only read/watched four things but I am astounded at all the new information I learned. Before this month, I would have said that I know a fair amount about the food industry and healthy eating. But all month long I just kept learning so much more. It is surprising how complicated eating has gotten.

Pairing this topic with receiving our CSA box has been awesome.  Receiving a box of produce from a local farm made it feel like I wasn't reading and watching these materials to inspire change in my life but rather that I was already changing and this material was there to support me. It removed the guilt that is often associated with some of these books.

Here is the run down of what I read and watched:

Read: The Way We Eat: Why Our Food Choices Matter
Watched: Food, Inc
Watched: Pressure Cooker
Read: In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto

I didn't read nearly as much as I wanted to. I've read six other nonfood related books this month (library due dates can be so pushy) so I haven't been able to read/watch as many food related materials as I've wanted to. Plus it takes me a while to process some of these heavier materials.

All that to say...I'm extending my food related month into June, too.

Easy T-Shirt Quilt

Since I've taken over so many of my husband's clothes recently, I decided it was time to do something with all of my old t-shirts that I can't quite part with. I've been reading outside in a nearby park a lot recently and have been really wanting a good blanket to take with me--so I figured this was a perfect opportunity!
 
I whipped this up one Sunday morning and am happy with how it turned out even though it isn't quite perfect. T-shirt material is a tricky fabric to cut perfectly so some of my squares got smaller than I wanted them to and some ended up a bit bigger. I had an old sheet that I didn't use anymore so I sewed that to the back of my t-shirt quilt. I then used the yarn tie technique to finish it off.

Overall, I think it will be the perfect blanket to take with me to the park!

DIY Men's T-Shirt to Tank Revamp

This shirt has just the perfect softness. When my husband put it in his donate pile, I snatched it up and made it into a tank. I tried a new technique on the bottom and am happy with how it turned out. I rolled it up a couple inches and sewed around it to give it a thick hemmed look. I also hemmed the new neckline and the sleeves. I love how it turned out--and am happy that I now have a soft and comfy tank in my closet.

Stumbled Upon Favorites

Love this video. A good reminder.

I recently watched Searching for Sugar Man and loved it!

This video is hilarious.  Poor guy!

The luckiest unlucky man...wow.

I've been keeping my eye out for a new duvet and really like this, this, and this.
Or maybe I'll make my own...

Sheep surfing. Adorable.

The music really makes this video quite hilarious.

Easy Men's T-Shirt Revamp

This is one of my favorite t-shirt revamps that I've done. Maybe it's because it involves a t-shirt with rockets and planets on it--or maybe it's because I like the finished product so much! I didn't actually take this one in at all on the sides but I did make the neck wider and hemmed it. I also cut the sleeves and made the bottom be rounded. Here are a few other pictures that show some of the details a bit better.

Brown Sugar Cookies

I've been using this site that lists recipes based off of the ingredients you have in your fridge/cupboards. So today when I got the itch to make some cookies, I went on there and found that I had all of the ingredients for these cookies.


You will need:

1/2 cup butter
1/8 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar, divided
1 cup and 1 tablespoon flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract


Here is what you do:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a small bowl, mix 1/4 cup brown sugar and the white sugar. Set aside.
3. In a microwavable bowl, melt the butter completely. When the butter has slightly cooled, mix in 3/4 cups brown sugar, egg, and vanilla.
4. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder. Stir flour mixture to the butter mixture until combined thoroughly. Form dough into balls and drop into the sugar mixture until coated. Place onto two parchment lined baking sheets.
5. Bake about 12 minutes, let cool, and transfer to wire rack to cool.

5.

DIY Men's Shirt to Tank Revamp

Lucky for me, my husband decided to clean our his closet which means more clothes for me to revamp and add to my closet! I've always loved this shirt of his so I was extra happy to nab it for my own.

For this simple revamp, I cut along the sides until it was the shape that I wanted. I also gave it a rounded edge on the bottom. Once I was happy with the shape, I flipped it inside out and sewed along the edges.

I'm so happy to have this new sleeveless tank to add to my summer wardrobe!

A Forest Road in the Oregon Coast Range