Healthy food on the cheap and a month without meat

You know I'm all about finding good bargains, right?  Well, allow me to share today's special deals.  First, I'd like to remind you about Big Lots.  I think most people are tempted to believe it's just another discount store with a bunch of junk.  And, truth be told, they have a descent amount of junk in their inventory.  But do not overlook the food.  Big Lots actually has a pretty impressive selection.  I hadn't been in a while, so I decided to stop by today and see what treasures I could find.  I was not disappointed!

These are all high quality, mostly brand name, food items that would go for as much as two times the amount I paid for them at Big Lots.  They have a huge selection of Bob's Red Mill items that is constantly changing.  Last year I bought a ton of gluten free pizza dough mix for around $2.00 each.  That's less than half of retail.  Today I picked up a bag in Unbleached Unbromated White Flour for $2.70 and Veggie Soup Mix for $3.50.  Score!

In addition to the Bob's Red Mill items, I bought extra virgin olive oil, grapeseed oil, 2 cans of coconut milk, 2 cans of diced tomatoes, 2 Good n Natural bars, a bag of plantain chips, whole wheat macaroni, and organic whole wheat farfalle pasta.  The grand total came to $24.65.  You guys!  That's such a huge savings for these typically pricey items.

Speaking of food, my husband and I have decided to go the entire month of April without meat.  We're really excited!  The idea is that it will force us to find more meat-free and healthy recipes for the long term.  The amount of meat that the typical American eats is unnecessary and unhealthy.  We'd like to see what we can do to find healthier sources of protein and incorporate more vegetables into our diet.

So tonight for dinner I had the most delicious salad.  I've made this salad several times and I can't get enough.

It's simple and nutritious.  The salad includes spinach, garbanzo beans, shelled edamame, carrots, olive oil, lemon, salt and pepper.  Try it.  You won't regret it.

Homemade granola bars

Store-bought granola bars are expensive and most are full of junk.  Don't be fooled by the title "granola."  Most are full of sugar and have very little nutritional value.  I love having nutritious snacks on hand so I was very excited when I came across the following recipe.  These granola bars are filling, all natural, and cheaper than store-bought.

You'll need 1/2 cup of peanut butter or almond butter

1/3 cup of honey (I used raw honey here, but it's not necessary)

1/4 coconut oil

1 cup of quick cooking oats

1 cup of extras (raisins, nuts, seeds, coconut flakes, etc.)

In this batch I used raisins and flax seeds.  I often use raisins and shelled, roasted sunflower seeds.

Start by melting the nut butter, honey, and oil together in a pan.

Stir continually to make sure it mixes well.

Once the nut butter, honey, and oil are mixed, add the oat and extras and mix well.

Press into an 8x8 dish and cool in the refrigerator for at least an hour. Maybe two.

Once it's completely cooled, cut into bars.  You can make them as small or as large as you'd like.  I cut 9 bars.

I wrap my granola bars in plastic wrap and store them in the refrigerator.  

There is one tricky thing about these granola bars; they need to stay cool.  They get kind of melty and messy when they're left out for a while.  Otherwise I have no complaints.  I absolutely love these granola bars.  They're delicious and and really easy to make.

I realize with the nut butter and the coconut oil, there is a high fat content.  Let me take a moment to caution you against your fear of fat.  Fat, in and of itself, is not bad.  Also, fat does not make you fat.  Sugar makes you fat.  The fat in these granola bars is healthy fat (as long as you're using natural nut butter).  Coconut oil is wonderful for you.  Also, if you're eating a generally nutritious diet with plenty of vegetables, having one of these granola bars as a snack should not be a concern.

What's great about these bars is that they are full of protein, healthy fat, and fiber so they fill you up with things your body can use and will keep you full much longer than store-bought sugar bars.

Enjoy!

Lazy scarf

Does anybody remember this dress?

Well, to get it to that length I had to cut off a few inches.  I just cut a big circle and kept it for several months.

Then one day this happened:

Ta da!  Easiest scarf I ever made.  

Anthrospiration

I recently took a trip to the ever-gorgeous Anthropologie.  I went with a friend, of course.  As lovely as their clothes are, I just can't imagine spending the money.  While I was there I saw some beautiful tops that got my creative wheels turing.

The third blouse is the one that really caught my eye because I'd recently purchased a striped t-shirt and thought I could make something similar happen.

It wasn't much to begin with.  Just a regular old stripey t-shirt.  I bought it for $1.25 at a thrift store.

The first step was to remove the pocket and turn it into two strips to be used to add some interest to the sleeves.

Then I used some black lace that I got in the remnant's bin at Joann and laid it out on the shirt.

I carefully pinned the lace to the shirt, sewed around the edges, and trimmed the excess.

What do you think?  I'd say it turned out quite nicely.

I wore this outfit to see The Hobbit with my husband and our friends.  Afterward we ate some amazing hamburgers.  Just thought it was worth mentioning :)

Dresser makeover

As promised, I have another baby's room project to share with you.

Almost every piece of furniture in the baby's room was donated to us by our amazing friends.  This dresser was a welcomed addition because we needed a dresser before we could be certified as foster/adoptive parents.

It's a nice, sturdy dresser in great condition.  My only issue is that I like things to have a bit of pizzaz!  I knew immediately that I wanted to paint this guy.

I've actually never painted a large piece of furniture before and it was much more work than I anticipated.

I began by priming the entire unit.

I removed all the knobs and removed the drawers and put primer on everything that would be visible.

Then I painted the whole thing yellow!  I started to stress out when I began painting because I could still see the white primer through the paint.  Then I remember I can paint another coat.  Duh!  So after the first coat of paint dried, I started on the second.  The entire project took me about 5 hours because, including the primer, I basically had to paint the dresser three times.

But let me tell you friends, it was totally worth the time and effort.

I am in love with this dresser.  It's exactly what I wanted.

Rather than using the plain knobs it came with, I added this lovely hardware that I picked up on sale at World Market. 

Now that we have our crib and dresser, we just need a baby!

This kid already has cooler bedroom furniture than my husband and I have.  In fact, I think this is my favorite room in the house.

Cloud Parade

I'd like to introduce you all to an absolutely genius idea.  Please watch this brief video and find out about an exciting new development in wedding planning.

http://vimeo.com/cloudparade/promo

Amazing, right?!  You want to know the most exciting part for me???  I have a shop on Cloud Parade!  

I'll be selling my jewelry and hair accessories to creative and interesting brides.  

The website launches soon!  I'll be sure to update you!

The Truth

I'm a guest blogger over at Lionhart today.  Check it out!

Purple pants

I have pants issues.  My hips are wide and my legs are short and stores just don't sell pants for humans like me.  Skinny jeans can be especially difficult but there's NO WAY you'd catch me in a pair of flare jeans.  Not with this body type.  Allow me to show you.

Obviously pre-hair and make-up

I bought these jeans from a friend for $5.00.  They're quality jeans and the waist and hips fit great.  That's really all I needed knowing that I always have to do some kind of work to my pants.  My plan was to make them straight (almost skinny) legs and take up the length, of course.

To start I pulled out a pair of jeans that fit me perfectly.  I turned the flare jeans inside out and lay the perfectly fitted jeans on top.

I pinned along the sides where they needed to be sewn and cut off the length.  I created my new seams and new hems and had a new pair of perfectly fitted jeans.

It wasn't enough, though.  

I decided I wanted yellow jeans.  Boy do I love the color yellow.  I purchased a box of golden yellow Rit Dye just for the occasion.

Before I could dye them yellow I had to bleach them.  I bleached them twice, allowing them to sit in the sink for an hour at a time with each bleaching and this is the best I could do.

I was a little disappointed and a lot annoyed by the amount of time it was taking so I finally decided to get on with the dye-ing.  I ran a rinse cycle first, to completely rinse the bleach from the jeans, then I put them into the washer with hot water, golden yellow Rit Dye, and a cup of salt.  

I should have known better.  Without completely lifting the blue, the golden yellow just turned the jeans yellowish green.  

I started to panic.

Then I remembered that I had a half bottle of purple dye that I'd used on another project.  I emptied the bottle into the washer, having no idea what to expect.

Ladies and gentlemen my impulsivity paid off.  I absolutely love my new jeans!  The results were better than anything I could have done on purpose.

The color is crazy.  I can barely describe it.  There are bits of blue remaining and all different shades of purple.  Be sure to click on the picture so it will enlarge and you can really take a look at the pretty colors.

Once again, like everything else in life, things did not turn out as I planned, but so much better.

I'd also like the before and after pictures to serve as a reminder of how drastically properly fitted clothes and styled hair/ make-up can change a person's appearance.  Yikes!

Thanks for stopping by, friends :)

The News

I mentioned in my last post that there are new developments in my life that have kept me from having the time to blog.  Well, ladies and gentlemen, I'm ready to let you in on my little secret.

We've spent the last several months taking the steps necessary to bring a baby into our life.  

I'm not pregnant, by the way.

Sometime in April my husband and I made the difficult and exciting decision to adopt a child.  We had no idea where to begin but we knew we had been ready for a child for several years and we were finally open to the idea of raising a child that was not made from our own DNA.  

It's such a huge shift in thinking.  The name of my blog, REcreation Station, continues to take on new meaning all the time.  This decision has meant allowing God to change our hearts and our desires.  Throughout this process, it's become so much less about fulfilling our own hopes and dreams of parenthood, and so much more about blessing the crap out of a kid!

After quite a bit of research, we decided in early June that we would adopt from the foster care system. We honestly had no idea what we were getting ourselves into but it seemed like the best option for our family.  Since June we've taken several classes, had our home inspected, filled out piles of paperwork, had medical examinations, finger prints, given all our personal history to people we've just met, and it's been incredible.  We absolutely love everything about the agency we're using.  We feel completely supported and appreciated at all times.  We know that once we start dealing with the county things will probably change a bit, but for now we're totally satisfied.

We should be a certified foster/adoptive home in less than a month and then we could have a baby placed in our home any time after.

Because of the sensitive nature of fostering a child, I won't be posting any pictures here until after an adoption is finalized.  I also won't be giving any specific dates about when the child is placed in our home or any court date related information.

Now let me tell you what WILL happen.  Over the next few weeks there are numerous projects I'll be working on to complete the baby's room.  I plan to post pictures here.  For now, I'll give you a peek at what's already happened.

This amazing banner was made by my lovely friend Megan.  She's the bomb.  You can see in the picture above that it's hanging over the crib.  

This piece of art is also hanging over the crib.  AND it was also made by Megan.  The verse is perfect and very personal to us.

Now for something I actually made.  I put these curtains together using fabric I found at a garage sale for $1.  I bought the fabric last year and have been hanging onto it until I could find the right use because it's so special.  

I made the curtains simple, just to frame the window.  They don't cover the window completely.  I just tied strips of burlap around them for a little character and they're just what I hoped they'd be.

So be on the lookout for more frequent blog posts about new projects for the baby's room, new outfits for myself, and venting about the crazy stress and joy that will surely come along with parenthood.

Your payers are much appreciated!

  

Gah! I've been gone for so long!

Welp.  It's been over two months since my last post.  Know what's been happening?  Life.

There are some really big things happening in my life right now.  I plan to share soon.  In the mean time I thought you all might like to see a couple of things put I together.

I found some awesome, striped, knit fabric a few months back at a thrift store.  I think I paid $1 for it all.  I knew I'd make a skirt out of it.  I just didn't get around to it until now.

It was a very simple project.  I used a basic skirt pattern to get the shape and size right, but I probably didn't even need the pattern.

Always ready to help

Instead of the draw-string waist in the pattern, I created an elastic waistband.

The whole project took me less than an hour and I'm quite pleased.

It's a total budget outfit, too.  I paid $1 for the skirt fabric, $1 for the button-up denim shirt at a garage sale, $6 for the tank at H&M, $1 for the necklace at Wal-Mart, and I got the shoes at Payless a few years ago.  I can't remember how much they were, but it was back when buying shoes at Payless actually meant you would pay less.

I'd also like to show you this adorable dress I picked up at a thrift store for $5.

I didn't have to make any adjustments.  I just paired it with the $3 shoes I bought at Salvation Army thrift store and a $7 belt from Target.

I LOVE this dress.  I just suits me, you know?

P.S.  I really don't know how the heck a person is supposed to stand in these pictures.  I feel like a big goober trying to pick out pictures to post on my blog.  I try and find the least ridiculous pictures and I go with those.

P.P.S. (if that's a thing)

I'm going to make a real effort to post a bit more.  Although I have a lot going on right now, it's really cool stuff and I think my blog is a great place to share about my new journey. 

Keep checking in! 

More maxi please

Oh friends.  I may be turning over a new fashion leaf.  (Is there such a thing as a "fashion leaf?")

I'm really starting to like this maxi dress business.  When I'm wearing a long dress I feel like some sort of woodland princess.  You know, like I could go out and frolic in the forest with the faeries.  It's kind of magical.

I got this dress a few months ago.  I think I paid $3.

I also think it may have been a night gown. It's totally sheer, which is why the first round of picture I took will not be displayed on this here blog.  I definitely put a slip on once I realized what was happening.

I love the colors and the pretty flowers.  I was drawn to it immediately.

I really hummed and hawed over what to do with this piece.  Eventually I just decided simple is better.  All I did was take in the sides and the sleeves.

I also added a belt, because belts make everything better.

Pretty, right?

Now if only I could find a forest to frolic in...

Quick One

Got it for 2 bucks at Goodwill.

Cut off the sleeves and took in the sides.

Wore it to work today.

P.S.  All items in this outfit, except the shoes and earrings, were thrifted.  Thrifted top, thrifted skirt, thrifted belt, thrifted necklace.   Thrifty, thrifty, thrifty!