Author Archives: mlwilkie

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About mlwilkie

Software Developer, Mother, Wife with keen interest in art, design and crafts of all kinds.

WiP Wednesday {10.04.2013}

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I have a couple of things that I have started or starting this week.  I actually have a deadline for one of my projects as we have a swap at our guild meeting on Saturday. The swap is for a grocery tote.

Here is my thought process for designing this project. My goal is to make the market tote from Patchwork, please.
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Market tote:

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I plan to use the black essex dyed linen blend for the main pieces and then use quilt-as-you-go method for the front pocket from my scrap bins. I was thinking warm colors to celebrate the spring that just arrived.

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The lining, I will probably do a flower print, just not sure in what color….maybe a bright green. Thats is where I am at, thanks for stopping by.

Fighting the sweet tooth

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One of my goals, that I did not do well on last month was avoiding sugar. I put it down as a goal for this month as well. Tonight, I was really wanting something sweet, so to combat the craving I made chocolate date truffles. They are nice and quick to make and all you need is a food processor.

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Ingredients

15-20 dates
1/4 cup of cocoa (unsweetened)
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup coconut (unsweetened)

Soak the dates in a bowl of boiling water for 10 minutes. Drain and place in a kitchen whizz (food processor) along with the other ingredients. Pulse a few times (~ 2 mins).

Roll the mixture into balls and either roll then in coconut or cocoa powder (above I used cocoa). Place in the refrigerator to cool and set.

Alternatives:
I have seen other people who have made these without oats and replace them with almond, walnuts, hazelnuts or almond butter. I like the oaty taste more than the nutty taste. You could also add vanilla essence for flavor.

Outdoor art pieces + Meal plan {08.04.2013}

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IMG_0690This week was kind of quiet, so not much to recap. I do have some photos to share though, of the first amazing Spring weekend we have had.  We went to our favorite cafe – Guglhupf  ( a german bakery), where they have added a couple of cool outdoor art pieces to their collection.

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This is our plan for week 13:

DAY BREAKFAST DINNER EXERCISE
Sunday Strawberry+ Banana crepes Leftovers
Monday Bircher Muesli Creamy Vegetable Shepherds Pie (Hopefully 4th time the charm)  20 mins. HIT
Tuesday Berry + Banana + Spirulina Smoothie Vegetable Biryani (adding broccoli and left over vegetables from Sunday) 3-4 Mile Walk
Wednesday Bircher Muesli Zpizza (Pizza with whole wheat crust and organic ingredients) 20 mins. HIT
Thursday Granola + Fruit + Soy Yoghurt Vegetable Pasta Bake
Friday Granola + Fruit + Soy Yoghurt Vegetarian Burgers + Salad 20 mins. HIT

We are spending $70 a week only, for our meals, by providing a shopping list. So, here was this weeks grocery list:

GROCERY LIST (NEW STOCK) IN THE CUPBOARD/FRID
  • Grapes (TJ)
  • Bananas (TJ)
  • Broccoli (TJ)
  • Bell Peppers(TJ)
  • Lettuce (TJ)
  • Tomatoes (TJ)
  • Cucumber (TJ)
  • Butter (TJ)
  • Soy Milk (TJ)
  • Eggs (TJ)
  • Ground Beef 96/4 (TJ)
  • Juice (TJ, TT)
  • Split Peas (TT)
  • Dates (TT)
  • Sultanas (TT)
  • Brown Rice (TJ)
  • Gluten Free Pasta (TT)
  • Vegetable Stock (TT)
  • Onions (TJ)
  • Potatoes (TJ)
  • Butter (TJ)
  • Flour/ WW and GF (TT)
  • Granola (TT or BJ)
  • Oats (BJ)
  • Marinara Sauce (BJ or TT)
  • Frozen Peas + Corn (TJ)
  • Vegetable Patties (TJ)

NOTE: We shop majority at Trader Joe’s (TJ), Target (TT) with an occasional visit to Whole foods (WF), BJ’s , Harris Teeters (HT), Lowes Food (LF) and Fresh Market (FM).
NOTE: We do not typically use coupons mainly due to time.
NOTE: Items indicated by * are specials for the week we took advantage of.

Hope everyone has a good week. I would love to see what you are doing for meal planning or trying to balance your life – leave a link to your post in the comments below 🙂