a few snapshots from the weekend . . .

^basking in the sunshine and watching morning shadows^

^brown sugar bacon waffles (i'll share the recipe tomorrow)^

^thanksgiving in january - making a wish on the wishbone (ryan won)^

^recipe testing - a failed attempt at vegan pumpkin pie^

^passed out between the blankets during the grammy awards^

love, laurie

how to: make your own ipad sleeve

ever since we bought our ipad air in november, i have been searching for a way to keep it safe.  you know how it is . . . you get a new toy, and you want to keep it pristine for as long as possible.  as soon as we got it, we put a screen protector and a case on it right away.  i love the case that we bought, but it leaves the top and the bottom edges of the ipad exposed.  i really didn't want the edges to get scratched, so i started hunting for a sleeve to put it in.  i searched everywhere for a sleeve that was inexpensive and large enough to fit our ipad with its case on.  since i couldn't find what i was looking for, i decided to make my own!

i had an idea in mind of what i wanted, so i searched the internet for d.i.y. ipad sleeve patterns.  i didn't find what i had in mind, so i just decided to wing it.  the end result turned out to be pretty close to what i imagined, and it was inexpensive and fun to make.  now we have a sleeve that fits our ipad with it's case on!

i actually made three of these ipad cases.  the first one i made was a bit snug for our ipad when the case is on it.  so, i decided to make a second one since i had extra supplies.  the second one (pictured above) is a great size and even has room to spare.  both of the first two have velcro to keep the flap closed.

the third one (pictured in the tutorial below) turned out the best.  i ran out of velcro, so i just made the flap on the third one a bit bigger so that it would stay closed.  the third one actually ended up being my favorite.  you know what they say, "third time's the charm!"

now, i have to tell you that i am, by no means, a sewer.  i have enough sewing skills to make minor repairs to a hem or a button, but that's about it.  so, if i can do this, so can you!

here's how i made my own ipad sleeve(s) . . .

step one: gather your supplies.  i bought my fabric and batting at joanne fabric.  (everything was on sale, and i used a coupon too!)  i didn't know how much fabric i would need, so i bought 3/4 yard of both fabrics and 3/4 yard of the cotton batting.  in the end, i had enough to make 3 ipad sleeves and there was a little bit of fabric leftover.  if you want to make just one sleeve, 1/4 yard of each should be plenty.

supplies:
- 1/4 yard fabric for the outside of the sleeve
- 1/4 yard fabric for the inside lining
- 1/4 yard cotton batting
- 8 inches sew-on velcro (not sticky-back velcro)
- thread
- fabric scissors
- ruler
- sewing machine

step two: get your ipad and measure it.  you want to cut your outer fabric, your inner lining fabric, and your batting so that you have three rectangles that are the same size.  you want them to be about 3x the length of your ipad and 1.5x the width of your ipad.

step three: arrange your outer and inner fabrics so that the fronts of the two fabrics are facing each other.  then place the batting on top.  make sure all of the edges line up.

step four: using your sewing machine, sew three of the four edges.  leave one of the short ends open.  use a pair of fabric scissors to trim the excess fabric along the edges.

step five: turn the material right side out, by pulling it through the open end.  tuck the edges of the open end in, and sew the open end closed.  this will be the top flap of the sleeve.

step six: lay out the rectangle so that the inner lining fabric is facing down.  starting from the bottom, fold the bottom up and over the outer fabric part way to make a "pocket."  (your "pocket" will be inside out.)  place your ipad in this "pocket" in order to determine how high you need to fold the fabric.  you want the entire ipad to be covered.

step seven: remove the ipad from the "pocket" and sew the two sides of the "pocket."

step eight: turn the "pocket" right side out.

step nine: flip the flap down over the pocket and enjoy!

optional: you can add velcro to your ipad sleeve to keep the flap closed if you want.  after step five, sew the rough side of the velcro to the bottom edge of the outer fabric.  then, after step seven, sew the soft side of the velcro to the inner lining on the flap.  be sure to line up the soft side of the velcro with the rough side of the velcro to insure that the velcro will line up when the flap is closed.

i had some leftover fabric, so i decided to make a little draw-string case for our ipad charger too.  it's a cute and convenient way to store the charger when we are not using it!

. . . 

there you have it!
love, laurie

whole grain buckwheat pancakes

when i was younger, my mom used to make buckwheat pancakes.  i always loved the flavor of them.  they seemed so earthy and so healthy.  they were such a treat, and i often think about them.

every time i walk though the health food section of our local grocery store, i always stop to look at the buckwheat flour.  i typically leave it on the shelf since it is so expensive, but on one of our recent trips to the grocery store, i finally decided to buy a bag.  there are many brands of buckwheat flour, but i picked up bob's red mill organic whole grain buckwheat flour.  i couldn't wait to get home and make pancakes with it.

as soon as i bit into these pancakes, i was taken right back to my childhood.  they have a deep, almost nutty flavor, and they are so good.  

instead of being heavy and cakey, these pancakes are light and thin.  they have a great consistency, and they absorb maple syrup and like a sponge.  

we served our pancakes with honey and maple syrup, but they would be great with strawberries on top too!  i can't wait to make these pancakes again.

whole grain buckwheat pancakes
prep time: 5 minutes
cooking time: 10-15 minutes
yields: 2-3 servings
adapted from pancakes

ingredients:
1/2 cup whole grain buckwheat flour
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup buttermilk
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

directions:
in a medium bowl, combine the buckwheat flour, all-purpose flour, sugar, baking powder, and baking soda.  in a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, egg, and vanilla.  add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and whisk until combined.

heat a lightly buttered griddle or frying pan on medium heat.  pour 3 tablespoons of batter onto the griddle for each pancake.  cook for 2-3 minutes, until small bubbles begin to form.  flip the pancakes when they start to bubble, then cook for 2-3 minutes, until they are golden brown and cooked throughout.  once cooked, transfer the pancakes to a baking sheet and keep them in a warm oven while you cook the remaining pancake batter.  serve warm with honey and/or maple syrup.

enjoy!

love, laurie

turkey chili stuffed red peppers

the weather has been super cold lately.  it was -3 degrees this morning which is absolutely nuts.  (ryan and i are both ready to move to a warmer climate . . . california here we come!)  when it's this cold outside, we crave comfort food.

recently, we did a twist on traditional stuffed peppers by stuffing halves of red bell peppers with turkey chili.  (the stuffed half of the pepper was the perfect serving size!)

we covered them with sharp cheddar cheese which we melted under the broiler, and we served them alongside mashed potatoes.  they were so good!

this dish makes leftovers, which we love.  the leftovers reheated really well in the microwave.  it's so nice when you can make dinner on a weekend and have leftovers for the rest of the week!

turkey chili stuffed red peppers
prep time: 5-10 minutes
cooking time: 15-20 minutes
baking time: 30-35 minutes
yields: 12 servings

ingredients:
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
1/2 red onion, chopped
1 lb. lean ground turkey
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon hot sauce
1 (6 oz.) can tomato paste
1 (15 oz.) can diced tomatoes
1 (15 oz.) can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15 oz.) can corn, drained and rinsed
6 large red bell peppers
1 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

directions:
preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.  in a large pot, over medium heat, saute the red onion in the olive oil until tender (about 2-3 minutes).  add the ground turkey and cook until the turkey is cooked throughout.  add the spices, hot sauce, tomato paste, diced tomatoes, beans, and corn.  stir well and allow the chili to simmer for 10-15 minutes.

slice the red bell peppers in half lengthwise.  remove the seeds and rinse with water.  arrange the peppers in baking pans (i used one 9x13 inch pan and one 8x8 inch pan.)  evenly divide the turkey chili among the peppers, spooning the chili into the insides of the peppers.  bake uncovered for 25 minutes.  evenly distribute the cheese on top of the peppers and bake for another 5-10 minutes until the cheese is melted.  (you can also place the peppers under a broiler for a few moments to melt and brown the cheese.)

enjoy!

love, laurie

vegan banana walnut waffles

even though we are not vegetarians, we often make a lot of vegetarian recipes.  however, we don't tend to make many vegan recipes.  one of my goals for the new year is to see if i can start cooking/eating a bit more vegan.  it's all about balance in life.  i can eat my weight in chicken parm, so i have to find ways to balance that out.  you know how it is.

we just love breakfast at our house.  we eat cereal every morning on weekdays, so weekends are all about fun breakfasts.  we are pancake and waffle fanatics!

on saturday morning, we made banana walnut waffles.  i'll let you in on a little secret about these waffles . . . they're vegan!

cooking vegan seems so difficult at first, but really it's all about finding the right substitutions.  if you do it right, you won't even know that a recipe is vegan.  that's exactly the case with these waffles.  you won't find any milk, eggs, or butter in this recipe.  we used almond milk in place of milk (of course, you could use soy milk or rice milk too) and we used oil in place of butter.

these waffles turned out so good.  they don't look vegan, and they certainly don't taste vegan.  they actually tasted just like banana bread.  the ripe banana and the chopped walnuts gave them such a great flavor.  there is a hit of cinnamon in them and a dash of pure maple syrup too.  such a great combination.

we served our waffles with sliced bananas, extra walnuts, peanut butter, honey, and pure maple syrup.  (i'm sure a little bit of nutella spread on top of these waffles would be awesome too!)

this recipe made plenty of waffles, so we had some left over.  it's just wonderful to have leftovers, we're big fans of leftovers in our house.  we stored them in the refrigerator in ziploc bags and then reheated them in the toaster when we were ready to eat them again.  you could freeze the leftover waffles too and then reheat them in a toaster or toaster oven.  talk about a great toaster breakfast!

vegan banana walnut waffles
prep time: 10 minutes
cooking time: 4-5 minutes per waffle (depending on your waffle iron)
yields: about 5 servings
adapted from shutterbean

ingredients:
1 3/4 cup almond milk (or soy milk)
1/4 cup water
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
2 ripe bananas
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup walnuts, finely chopped

directions:
preheat your waffle iron according to the manufacturer's instructions.  in a small bowl, combine the almond milk, water, and vinegar.  stir and then set aside to allow the milk to curdle.  in a separate bowl, mash the bananas.  add the curdled almond milk mixture along with the oil, maple syrup, and vanilla.  stir well to combine.  add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and cinnamon.  stir just until combined, then fold in the chopped walnuts.

pour enough batter into the waffle iron to just barely cover the waffle grid (usually about 1/2 cup of batter per waffle).  cook for 4-5 minutes, or until the waffles are golden brown.  once cooked, transfer the waffles to a baking sheet and keep them in a warm oven while you prepare the remaining waffles.  serve hot with sliced bananas, additional walnuts, peanut butter, honey, and/or maple syrup.

enjoy!

love, laurie

watching the snow . . .

when we woke up on saturday morning, we were surprised to see that it was snowing, and that there were several inches of snow on the ground!

everything was covered in a blanket of fresh white snow, and our neighborhood looked like a winter wonderland.  it snowed all through the morning until lunch time, so we used that as a good excuse to stay home for the day.  sometimes it's just so nice to be home and to not run anywhere.

throughout the day, the wind kept blowing the snow off the branches of the tree in front of our house.  leko was so amused watching the snow blow around.  we sat on the couch with some hot chocolate, and watched leko as he watched the snow.  who needs tv when you've got this guy!  :-)

love, laurie

snapshots of life lately, according to my iphone pictures

{iphone pictures via the instagram app}

what does the way you speak say about where you are from?

i've mentioned before that i have a theatre and communication arts background.  i grew up doing lots of theatre.  i studied theatre and communication arts in college, and now i teach theatre and speech to undergraduate and graduate students.

one of the things that we focus on in theatre and communication arts is losing our dialect.  after years of theatre training, i'm considered to be non-dialectical.  i've been trained to talk without a dialect or an accent, and i find that most people can't necessarily tell where i'm from based on the way i talk.  i'm sort of in a "neutral zone."

so, i was really intrigued when i saw that the new york times recently published a dialect quiz.  based on your answers to the questions, a map is generated with three cities to predict where in the country you are from.

i took the quiz four times, and i noticed that the questions were similar but did change slightly each time.  all four times, the quiz predicted that i was from either pennsylvania, new york, or new jersey.  indeed, i was born, raised, and still live in the northeastern section of pennsylvania which borders new york and new jersey.  i have to say that i was really surprised that the quiz was able to pinpoint me to that exact area.

the quiz is pretty fun, and i really got a kick out of some of the questions and answer options.  although, being a communication arts teacher, i have to say that the quiz focuses more on regional sayings and colloquialisms as opposed to actual dialect, but it's still pretty neat nonetheless.  try it for yourself and let me know your results!  you can take the quiz here

love, laurie

crock pot chicken tacos

remember that homemade taco seasoning we made?   well, we're putting it to good use.  we absolutely love tacos over at our house.  typically we stuff our tacos with ground beef or ground turkey, but occasionally we like to stuff them with chicken too.  when i came across a recipe for chicken tacos made in the crock pot, i knew that i just had to try it.

the best thing about this recipe is that it is so simple.  there are only three ingredients!  you dump the three ingredients into the crock pot and then just walk away while the crock pot does all of the work.

we made a batch of these chicken tacos and they fed us all week long!  (in total we had enough chicken to stuff 20 small taco shells!)  this recipe would be great for a party or for a large family.  the chicken was not spicy at all.  if you prefer your tacos with a kick, you can easily control the spice level in this recipe.

the flavor of the chicken is awesome.  the next time you are looking for an easy crock pot recipe, give these tacos a try.  we liked this recipe so much that we have made it twice already.  (this chicken would be great on nachos too, just saying!)

crock pot chicken tacos
prep time: 5-10 minutes
cooking time: 3-4 hours
yields: enough to fill approximately 20 small tacos
adapted from chocolate therapy

ingredients:
6 large boneless and skinless chicken breasts
1 (16 oz.) jar mild salsa
3 tablespoons homemade taco seasoning

directions:
cut the chicken breasts in 1 inch cubes.  place the chicken cubes in a crock pot and add the salsa and taco seasoning.  stir well to make sure that the chicken is evenly covered in the salsa and taco seasoning.  cook for 3-4 hours in a covered crock pot on high heat.

when the chicken is completely cooked throughout, shred the chicken with a fork.  serve inside warm taco shells (hard or soft) with shredded lettuce, diced tomato, diced onion, chopped jalapeños, shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, guacamole, and additional salsa.

enjoy!

love, laurie 

make your own taco seasoning

you know those little packets of taco seasoning that you buy at the grocery store?  even the ones marked as "low sodium" or "reduced sodium" still have ridiculously high amounts of sodium in them.  they also have a ton of mysterious ingredients in them too.  we love making tacos at home, but we really are not fans of the pre-made packets of taco seasoning from the grocery store.  we like to know exactly what we are putting into our bodies.

sure, it's quick and easy to pick up a few packets of taco seasoning when you are at the store to have them on hand for when taco cravings strike, but did you know that it is just as quick and as easy to make your own taco seasoning at home?

you can make as little or as much as you like, and taco seasoning can be made from just a few simple ingredients that you most likely already have in your kitchen cabinets.  the best part is that you can control the salt level and the spice level.  feel free to leave out whichever spices you don't like, or to adjust the amount of a certain spice depending on your taste or the dish that you are making.

it's great to have taco seasoning on hand for tacos, enchiladas, nachos, and dips.  so go ahead and make yourself a batch of taco seasoning.  you'll be glad you did the next time you have an impromptu taco night!

homemade taco seasoning
prep time: 5 minutes
yields: enough to season 1 lb. of meat

ingredients:
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

directions:
mix all of the ingredients together, and store in an air-tight container.

enjoy!

love, laurie