Secret Weapon: Chia Seeds

I first learned about chia seeds from a friend while I was working in South Korea and have been hooked on them ever since! Although many of you are probably thinking about this, you would be happy to know that these little omega-3 energy pods can prevent high blood pressure as well as blood sugar spikes. In fact, according to The Chia Seed, these little guys have more antioxidants than fresh blueberries. Pretty rad, right?

As a vegetarian, I'm always looking for creative ways to get all of my nutrients. This find really hit the target on a lot of the important marks, and can be a really simple addition to any meal (even sprinkled on salads) that gives your body some extra energy and love.

Although I have several recipes with chia seeds that I absolutely adore, this breakfast dip is one that I make almost daily. It's filling, easy to make, and-- most importantly-- it tastes great. Plus, it gives you tons of energy from raw, whole foods. Yum!

Morning Oatmeal Chia Dip (with apple)

Ingredients

• 1 cup uncooked oats
• 4 oz Greek yogurt (I use Greek Gods Honey Yogurt)
• 1 heaping tablespoon Chia seeds
• 1 apple (Honeycrisp are my favorite; what's yours?)

1. Pour your oats, yogurt, and chia seeds into a cereal bowl.

 
2. Mix it up!

3. Slice up an apple and start dipping. Easy as that!

Happy mornings to you!

PS: If you like chia seeds and kombucha, make sure to try Synergy's Chia Kombucha drinks! Talk about an energy boost!

Chalkboard Paint

I finally bought some chalkboard paint and have had many fun ideas! Two easy ones were my bulk food jar labels and my charging station labels.

Materials:

Chalkboard paint

Chalk

Painters tape

Paintbrush

Almost any surface you can paint on!

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Step One:

-Tape off label area-

This is my charging station box, which is actually a ribbon box from the Container Store.

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Step Two:

-Paint two coats of chalkboard paint in taped off area (wait one hour between coats)-

-Let paint dry for 24 hours and slowly peel off tape-

My bulk food jars

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Step Three:

-To "condition" the chalkboard area, rub entire piece with chalk and wipe away-

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Step Three:

Label away!

Charging station

&

Bulk food jars

I love chalkboard paint.

Seeing Spots

I found these Elmer's Painters and had some dot fun! They are filled with real acrylic paint so it's easy to control every mark but it gives the impression of awesome random splatter in the exact shape and patterns you want.

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Not a good quality picture but you get the idea!

--(Painting on regular canvas with a layer of Mod Podge)--

Cascadia Wallhanging

I was commissioned to created a wallhanging for a friend in the form of a Cascadia flag, and we decided on using wood panels for each stripe to keep that woodsy Cascadia theme. It turned out pretty cool and could definitely be used to create many different styles of wall art.

Materials:

• Thin wood panels

[I chose three 36" x 6" for the main part and three smaller 12" x 3" for later attaching the large three panels together. All about 1/4" thick]

• Acrylic paint
• Large brushes
• Mod Podge
• Wallhanging hardware + 1/4" nails
• Hammer & screw driver

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Step One: painting each board

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Step two: Adding the center image (in this case, a Douglas Fir)

I printed out the image in sections, carefully cut out the tree, and used a tiny bit of tacky glue to glue it down. Then I used my darker green acrylic paint and layered it onto the tree, over the glued down paper image. This helps because I'm not very good at free handing images, especially ones that I want to be really precise. And after you are done painting and it is completely dry, layer Mod Podge over the entire piece to give it a more even texture and to make sure the tree is secure.

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Step Three: Attaching the boards and adding hardware

I used three smaller boards and, using three nails per board, nailed them to the larger piece to attach. Then I attached the hanging hardware and wire. There are many different ways to hang a piece like this, I just prefer the wire so it is more easily adjusted on the wall.

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Completion!

Slow Cooker Teriyaki Pineapple Chicken

I have a 2-qt slow cooker and have had to adopt many of my favorite recipes to its size. This dish consists of a few simple ingredients to create an amazingly flavorful and filling meal for two!

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Ingredients

Two organic chicken breasts

Teriyaki sauce

One can pineapple chunks

Red pepper flakes

Powdered ginger

Garlic powder

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Always remember to spray your slow cooker with oil first (I prefer canola)

Place chicken breasts into cooker, pour teriyaki sauce over chicken until almost covered

Pour entire can of pineapple chunks (including juice) over chicken

If cooker is not at least half full, add more teriyaki sauce or water (remember to fill it between 1/2" and 3/4" from the top)

Sprinkle spices on top of pineapples to taste (I add equal amounts of each, about a teaspoon)

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Set on LOW for 6 - 8 hours

When it's done I shred the chicken in the pot with a fork and serve it over Quinoa!

xox Enjoy xox

Going Postal: When one Valentine is not enough.

If your sweetheart lives far away; if you don't have the time to see them on Valentine's Day... or if you are like me and happen to think that, when it comes to tokens of affection, more is better... then this is the project for you.

Instead of one Valentine, surprise your sweetie with a whole week's worth of Valentines without breaking the bank!

DIY Week-long Valentine's Envelope Project

Materials:

• colored paper (7 pieces)
• hole punch
• ribbon
• glue stick
• envelope contents (ex: cards, mix CD, handwritten poem, love coupons, etc.) 

Helpful skills:

• eye-balling measurements
• folding straight lines

Step-by-step:

1. Look at your colored paper and decide how deep you would like each pocket to be. Make sure you have an idea of the things you will put inside so that everything will fit. Fold one piece first as a template.

2. Fold the other 6 pieces the exact same size as your first piece. Punch 3 holes in each side of the pocket and tie them shut with small pieces of ribbon.

3. Fold the flaps of each envelope both ways so it is flexible. Glue the inside of the flap to the bottom back of another pocket, creating an accordion. The end result will be able to fold up in a zigzag fashion.

4. Punch a hole in the center of the very top flap (it should be the only flap left unglued). I reinforced the flap with packaging tape first but this step is optional. Tie a long ribbon through the hole so you will be able to tie the entire package shut.

5. Now it's time to get creative! Label each pocket with the day of the week or the specific date. Fill each pocket with fun Valentines and tie it up when it's filled to satisfaction!

The end result can be as cheap or lavish as you like, but all your Valentine will see is how thoughtful you are for extending the holiday!

Here's to celebrating something every day!

I've Been Locked Inside Your Heart-Shaped Box for Weeks...

Inspired by a little lyric by Nirvana I thought of a cute idea for another Valentine's Day gift. Using a heart shaped box (found at any craft store) as a container for messages to each other, this is a gift that keeps on giving. You could fill it with messages your partner could read all on Valentine's, or give the box as an invitation to fill throughout the year then read them on a special day like an anniversary (or any day you need a little mood boost - what better way than to read all the unique reasons why you are loved!).

You could decorate the box anyway that reflects your relationship, like adding special dates or significant places. I like collages so I used the magazine I have stacks of and started cutting! I used Mod Podge to glue it all on, then carefully sliced a slit in the top for messages to be inserted after the Mod Podge was dry. Lots of room for personalization with this one :)

Materials

Cut cut cut! Glue Glue Glue!

Careful slicing!

Date of first kiss? Where you met? Favorite meal? Photos of each other?

I love you because........

xoxoxo