January's Recipe: Jamie Oliver's Awesome Granola Dust

Not only is this January's recipe, but for my other blog (A Stomach On A Mission http://stomachonamission.blogspot.com), I'm cooking my way through this cookbook, Jamie Olive's "Everyday Super Food" ... and so that's officially started today.

This is the recipe I followed ... though I cut the ingredients down to 1/3 (as that's the amount of rolled oats I'd purchased the other day). Also, felt like it was good to start with a little less incase, for some bizarre reason I don't like it.

It smelled AMAZING at this stage, with the coco and the fresh orange zest ... I can't wait to taste it. 

I do need a roasting pan and a funnel ... #chefsneeds

I will be eating some of this for dinner ... that's my next Jamie Oliver, Everyday Super Food cookbook recipe!

If you're interested, here's a link to amazon where you can get it:
http://www.amazon.com/Everyday-Super-Food-Jamie-Oliver/dp/0062305646/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1453074749&sr=1-1&keywords=jamie+oliver+superfood

January's Craft - homemade, no wax, candle

This candle is so simple, and quick, to make.

SUPPLIES: The clear bottle is lavender scented oil. 

(make sure the string is cotton)

Fill the jar with crisco and melt in the microwave - 2 minutes on high. While it's melting, melt the crayons - I used the stove, next time the microwave 'cause now I have a pot to clean ... LOL.

Add the melted crayon to the melted crisco, add the scented oil, followed by the string tied to a nut (or something else to weight it down to the bottom). Sink the nut and wind the string around a chop stick (or other implement) to keep it upright while the candle sets.

When the jar is cooled a bit, put it in the freezer for half an hour. Then snip the string - and decorate the bottle if you wish.

Makes good gifts I'd think. :)

Oh, and here's the link the to video I followed to make mine:
 https://www.skillshare.com/tutorials/DIY-No-Wax-Candle/447?utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=2015-12-17-tutorial-diy-candle

Make Art in 2016 (everyday)!

Didn't color the whole thin in one day, but I did finish it today!  1/27/16

At the opening of Naked Influence at TheREP! High art here in this selfie! 1/26/16

1/20/16 photo collages! 

I never said it would all be good art...

1/9/16 Coloring books are awesome!

Watercolor on canvas. (1/4/16) Coral reef. 

Watercolor on canvas! (1/3/16) Penguin on an iceberg.

Ok, so this year I'm going to: 

a. Make art everyday in 2016. 

b. Do one craft a month.

c. Cook one new recipe a month.

d. Work on playing my guitar, and now my new mandolin too, every month.

Volunteering

I'm looking into where I can do some volunteer work. My first choice, at the moment, is an animal shelter -- perhaps I can be one of the volunteers who comes and walks the dogs. :) I think this would be fun, especially since I can't have a dog in my current apartment, and it will give me something to do that is OUTSIDE of my apartment, and will only cost me gas money. AND, perhaps I'll meet some new peeps. 

Here's a link to the Animal Humane Society - in case you're interested too. 

https://www.animalhumanesociety.org/volunteer/volunteer-opportunities

I'm also looking into soup kitchens I can volunteer at, and senior centers/homes where I could read to someone (or something like that).

We'll see what I find and what I can fit into my schedule. 

I have an appointment for dog training - to volunteer with the dogs - at the Mohawk Hudson Humane Society in early May - that was the soonest I could get ... especially since they let me sign up for, what I thought was the 5th of January but was really a December 5th, 2015 time slot ON DECEMBER 24TH 2015. Yeah...I felt a bit like a bonehead when I walked in for the appointment I thought I had today (1/5/16). I'm fairly confident they won't remember me for that in April. Haha... :)

http://www.mohawkhumane.org

Crafty...snowmen!

I made these today!

12/21 a few more...