Tuesday, April 21, 2015

Blueberry Apple Sauce with Spinach

Do you want a healthier version of apple sauce to feed your children (or yourself) that has no preservatives AND has some hidden veggies in it to increase their vegetable intake?! You have to try out this easy homemade crock pot recipe!


Ingredients:

- 6 medium apples, washed and cored
- 1 cup frozen blueberries
- 3 cups lightly packed spinach
- 1/4 cup water

Cut up washed and cored apples into large chunks and place in crockpot. Pour in 1/4 cup water. Cover and cook on high for 2 hours. After 2 hours of cooking time, add the spinach and blueberries. Stir to incorporate everything. Cover and cook an additional 30 mins. Turn off crockpot and let the apple mixture cool off slightly before blending it into a smooth sauce. Serve and/or store leftovers in the fridge.

 
 (Apples are cut and in the crock pot with 1/4 cup of water)
 
(Adding the spinach and blueberries)
Optional:
I have added a few kiwis into the blender for a variation to this sauce. You could always experiment further to make different flavor combinations!



My kids LOVE this stuff. When I have store bought Apple sauce in the cupboard and this homemade version in my fridge, Big Sister always picks the homemade kind! 

I find this makes a perfect consistency of sauce, but you could always add more water if your child prefers a thinner sauce.

In case you were wondering, I do not peel my apples. I want to keep as much nutrients and fibre as possible. I just make sure to wash them really good first. The longer cooking time in the crockpot softens the skin so it blends right up leaving no chunks in your sauce!

Enjoy!




Monday, April 6, 2015

DIY Skinny Jeans

I have seen a few tutorials on how to turn your jeans into skinny jeans. A friend gave me some hand-me down jeans and they fit great other than being just a tad bit short. The flare of the jeans at the shorter length made them look a little funny when I wore shoes, so I would usually just wear them with boots. I could tuck them into the boots and no one would know. Since the jeans were free, I decided to try making them into skinny jeans because I wouldn't be out any money if I screwed them up. I figured if they looked horrible, I could just keep tucking them into boots.

First I turned the jeans inside out and layed the jeans on the floor. I layed a pair of skinny jeans that I already owned on top of the jeans I wanted to convert and lined them up to the inside seem so I would only have to sew and cut on one side. I drew a line to trace the skinny jeans and pinned the two pant leg layers together.



 I then sewed a straight stitch over top the line I drew while tracing the jeans, and reinforced the line with a zig-zag/straight stitch combination. (Sorry I don't know the proper stitch name. Refer to picture.)



I turned my jeans right side out and tried them on to make sure they fit good before cutting off the extra material. I was happy with the results so went ahead and cut it off.


They aren't perfect but if you aren't looking at them really close you can't tell. Now I can wear them with my boots and with flats! Yay!


Wednesday, April 1, 2015

Baby Mary Jane Shoes

I got a request for some baby shoes for a baby dedication. I tried out a pattern from Whistle & Ivy. These shoes are made in the round so they work up very quickly. I went with a small flower to embellish the shoes instead of the dot included in the pattern.



These were ordered by a lady for a gift for her daughter's baby's dedication. After sending her a picture of the finished product, her daughter requested the flower be made in the same color of the shoe so it would match her baby's outfit better. The flowers are quick to make too so it was no problem to switch them out.


Many blessings to the sweet little girl wearing these on her dedication day!