Sweet and Sour Chicken

We have been in Greenville several years and have never found our favorite, go-to, perfect Sunday night, I don't want to cook, Chinese take out.  And now it looks like we won't have to.  I found a new recipe for sweet and sour chicken and it was incredible!  It's not exactly healthy, but I don't think General Tso's chicken really falls in that category either.  I did serve the chicken with forbidden rice and stir fried broccoli, peppers, and bok choy.

To Do List

I'm trying to stay ahead of my to do list this Christmas season, so when Shutterfly sent me a code to try some new cards I was more than willing!

Stationery card

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Forbidden Rice Salad

This one even surprised me. I had an assortment of leftovers in the fridge and a destination in mind, but it turned out even better than I was hoping.  I worked with what I had, so I'll do my best to judge the quantities, but know that you can fudge this to make it work for you.

Combine the following in a medium bowl:
2-3 cups cooked forbidden rice (also called black rice) - brown rice would work, too
1 cup edamame, cooked and shelled
1 small sweet potato, baked peeled and chopped
1/2 green pepper, chopped
2 TBS fresh cilantro, chopped
sesame seeds for garnish

I prepared the dressing in a separate bowl before adding to salad:
3 TBS soy sauce
2 TBS honey
2 TBS orange juice
1 TBS rice wine vinegar
1 TBS sesame oil
2 tsp fresh ginger, grated

Add as much or as little dressing as you like.  I ate it right away and it was delicious and of course it's even better if it sits in the fridge for an hour or two. 

Pacifier Clips

Two friends requested some pacifier clips for their little girls and I was happy to make them!  I used this tutorial and it think it's one of the most versatile I've found.  The ribbon loop on the end makes these clips work for the Soothie style that doesn't have a ring.

Christmas in July

Shutterfly sent out a coupon for free cards and I couldn't resist getting a jump start on Christmas! I usually prefer to send our Christmas cards with recent family pictures taken in the fall, but friends and family will be happy to see this sweet face at any age.

Stationery card

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Car Seat Cooler

Every good idea I have for baby gear or wish list type item is usually found through a quick Google search.  This time I just didn't want to pay the $50 plus shipping price tag!  I knew I could make one.

With our heat wave, I decided the little woman needed a car seat cooler.  I found a picture of exactly what I wanted, but she didn't provide a tutorial (she's now selling them herself, so I don't blame her!).  I did study her pictures and come up with a design that would work for our car seat.  It's basically a strip of fabric with pockets that each hold an ice pack.  I freeze the ice packs over night and bring the whole thing with us on our day out and about.  Whenever we park the car, we put the ice pack in the seat to keep it cold while the rest of the car cooks in the sun.  When we return, the ice pack comes out, and she gets in a cold seat.  SHE DOES NOT SIT IN THE SEAT WITH THIS UNDER HER.  It's either the ice pack or her, never both : )  Just wanted to put that disclaimer out there.

It's a few layers of fabric sewn together with bias tape around the edges and pockets on one side. 

I sewed the top layer with two pieces of home decor fabric (so it's thick and sturdy) with some fleece sandwiched in the middle for insulation.  Each pocket gets a frozen ice pack.

The back layer is a thin poly/cotton blend so the cold can travel straight to her car seat.

And the entire thing fits perfectly in her seat.

For the price of 6 ice packs, fabric from my stash, and a few hours of my time, the little woman is much more comfortable this summer!

Whole Wheat Oatmeal Blueberry Pancakes

The Little Woman likes pancakes for breakfast, but I'm always looking at her plate and thinking about how I can get the most bang for my nutritional buck so to speak.  Her "juice" is a smoothie made from fruit (usually some combination of bananas, pineapple, strawberry, peaches, or apples) combined with water and dark greens like spinach, rainbow chard, or kale.  It tastes delicious, is packed with real fruit and vegetables, and has no added sugar, artificial colors, or flavors.  I drink it for breakfast myself.  Win Win.

So back to the pancakes.  I have a classic pancake recipe I've made for years and while at least they are homemade, they could be better.  I tweaked the recipe this week to include whole wheat flour, oats, flax seed, and blueberries.  They are delicious!  Even the husband agrees.  I made the batter last Sunday and just kept the bowl in the fridge for the next few days and made them as needed.  An even easier option is to make the batter and cook off all of the pancakes at one time.  Cool and freeze between layers of waxed paper.

Whole Wheat Oatmeal Blueberry Pancakes
1 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup oats
1/4 cup flax seed
1/4 cup honey (raw local honey is really good for you!)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp cinnamon
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
3/4 cup fresh blueberries

Combine all ingredients except blueberries and stir just until combined.  Heat griddle or nonstick pan over medium heat and add 2 tablespoons of butter or coconut oil (my preference).  Drop batter by heaping spoonfuls and add a few blueberries to each pancake before turning.  This usually makes 16 - 20 pancakes so feel free to cut the recipe in half if needed.  We top ours with honey or a little powdered sugar!