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Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Thrify Threads: Lemon and Lavendar

And here we have Delany wearing this weeks Thrifty Threads!
Delany says, "I love the lenght of the skirt, and how well the colors go together!"
 

 
Dress: $15 from Bell's Outlet
Tank: $5 from Target
 
 
What is Thrifty Threads?
Examples of Modest and Feminine outfits that express an assortment of styles.
Do you have an outfit that you want to share? Email us a picture and we will post it!
Requirements: please send photos directly in the email, attachments cannot be opened. Thank you!
 
 


Sunday, August 26, 2012

Vintage Love

Thanks to the ladies over at Shabby Miss Jenn Designs I now have a lovely new vintage inspired blog design!
I am lovin' it...
Some other things I am loving are, these vintage dresses from Shabby Apple .
 





















I heard about them through another blogger my friend Lauren told me about, (rufflesandstuff.com).
The inspiration from this and the fact that I just watched The Help again, has made me really want to copy some of these dresses. Next sewing project!
Here are some of the lovelies from The Help
 
 
I am really in love with Hilly's dress (floral pattern).
 

                           Skeeter wore this adorable suit, with and without the jacket. I need to make this!


This looks so casual and comfy!
 
Hope you all had a great weekend :-)
 
 
 



Exotic Ingredients~What is Chestnut Flour?

 
So, what is it?
 
 
Chestnut flour is a grayish-tan alternative to regular all-purpose flour made from ground chestnuts. Its sweet flavor makes it a favorite ingredient for recipes involving almonds, chocolate, honey, and hazelnuts. A gluten-free product, chestnut flour is a cooking option for people with celiac disease or other gluten intolerance or allergies.
Since chestnuts do not contain the fat content regular nuts have, and are instead largely composed of carbohydrates, they have many of the same properties as flour. Known as the grain that grows on trees, chestnuts have been dried and made into mellow, sweet flavored flour in Italy for centuries. In Tuscany, where it is known as Farina di Castagne, chestnut flour is considered a staple food, and it is commonly called for in recipes.
Low in fat and calories, flour made from chestnuts is considered a healthier alternative to almond flour and white flour. It also generally contains less carbohydrates than white flour, making it an option for people striving to consume less of the nutrient. It is still, however, considered a high glycemic index food. The flour does not contain a significant amount of other nutrients.
Uses of the flour are endless. Chestnut flour bread, pie crust, crepes, and other baked foods can be made with the ingredient. Chestnut flour pasta is a popular dinner meal, particularly when combined with pine nut sauce. Chestnut cake, a Corsican recipe, also calls for the flour. The cake is available in many Corsican restaurants as a typical dessert.
 
 

Ingredients

1 cup chestnut flour, available in specialty stores
2 extra large eggs
1 1/4 cups water
2 cups fresh sheep's or cow's milk ricotta
1/2 cup chestnut or orange blossom honey
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Directions

Sift the flour into a mixing bowl and beat in the eggs, 1 at a time. Add the water, whisking until smooth. Allow to stand 15 minutes.
Place the ricotta in a mixing bowl and stir in half the honey.
Heat a 6 to 8-inch cast iron skillet or nonstick crepe pan over medium heat and brush with some of the olive oil. Add 2 tablespoons crepe batter and roll pan to distribute evenly and thinly. Cook until the crepe is firm on the underside and is curling up at the edges, about 1 minute; flip the crepe and cook on the raw side for about 30 seconds. Continue making crepes until all the batter is finished, stacking each finished crepe on top of the previous one, to keep them warm. To speed up the crepe making process use 2 skillets.
To serve, spoon 2 tablespoons of the ricotta honey mixture in the center of each crepe, fold in half, drizzle with 1 teaspoon of the remaining honey. Serve warm.
 
 
Sources
wisegeek.com
foodnetwork.com

Friday, August 24, 2012

On the Map~Fun facts about Russia

Did you know?
 
 
 
The largest country in the world, Russia constitutes one-seventh of the world’s landmass and spans eight time zones.
 
 
Russia boasts of the Urals, the oldest mountains in the world, and Lake Baikal, the world’s deepest lake and the largest reservoir of fresh water on earth.
 
Russia is the only country with 12 seas on its territory.
 
 
The lakes in Russia contain approximately ¼ of the world’s fresh water
 
 
It has the world’s largest reserves of mineral and energy resources
 
 
Russia is the 9th most populated country in the world.
 
 


Tuesday, August 21, 2012

Weekend Update

So I am sure some of you were wondering where I was this weekend? I missed our On the Map and Exotic Ingredients post! Yikes.
Thursday and Friday we had co-op and 4H meetings. Saterday we planned on going to SouthEastern University to visit my cousin Bobbi Jo after she moved in.
Those plans changed up a bit when my Uncle Bob and Bobbi Jo got in a car accident on the drive down from North Carolina (my aunt was in a seperate car). They were admitted to the hospital Friday night, and released later Saterday. We met them at the college Saterday afternoon to help move Bobbi Jo into her dorm, and visit everybody to see how they were doing.

This is a picture of the three of us with my Grandparents on campus.
(I forgot to get a picture with Uncle Bob, Aunt Bridget, and Bobbi jo :-)

Delany, Sherry (momma), Mr Joe, Grandma, Tammy

Sunday we went back to help Bobbi Jo set up her room, it looks awesome!
Please just pray that Bobbi Jo's back will heal completely, for it was injured in the accident. (bulging disks)

Thank you :-) Have a great day!


Thrifty Threads: Coral reef

2 things I love.
The color coral, and wearing clothes that I made.
This outfit is both of those things combined! I saw a shirt similar to this a Kohl's, and just fell in love with it. It was pretty expensive, and I knew I could make it cheaper, so I did! I love how flowy it is, and the pattern is so cool, followed by the more fitted skirt.

This skirt is the perfect length for summer!

This shirt is just a grey tank top with lace sewn on the front, and a tube of fabric draped and sewn around the "neckline".

Its just so fun :-)

Shirt: Homemade~approx. $12
Skirt: $1.50 from Thrift store

What is Thrifty Threads?
Examples of Modest and Feminine outfits that express an assortment of styles.
Do you have an outfit that you want to share? Email us a picture and we will post it!
Requirements: please send photos directly in the email, attachments cannot be opened. Thank you!

Happy Tuesday Ya'll!




Wednesday, August 15, 2012

Summer Wrap-up

Over the summer we have been babysitting twin 5 year olds.
They went back to school this week, but before they did I was able to get some photos of them!

They are so sweet and play so well together!

Georgia and Tessa


Those expressions are so....them!


:-) Not sure what they were doing...

Those eyes..

They were trying to sneak up on a cat.

Playing with acorns....in the mud.

Tessa...


Everyday while they are here we watch a movie. Their all time favorite is The Prince of Egypt, which was great because its one of my favorites. I think we watched it every day the last week! We love it so much, that Delany bought the soundtrack. I listened to it over, and over again while I was sewing today.


My favorite tracks are:
Deliver us
                                                        The Plagues (Is that morbid? Its a really cool song!)
Through Heaven's Eyes

Tomorrow we are going to our Co-op teachers meeting, and I am pretty excited about starting school again soon! 9th grade this year, wow.
Have a great day!


"So how can you see what your life is worth
or where your value lies
 you can never see through the eyes of man
you must look at your life
look at your life through heaven's eyes"




Best kept secret! and 100th Blog post


This post is exciting for me.
Not only am I about to announce one of the best kept secrets, but it's also my....


100th Blog Post!


Its been an exciting 100 posts, and Through the Looking Glass has come a long way since that first post a little over a year ago. I hope it has been as fun for you as it has been for me :-)

Moving on!

So, whats the best kept secret? Henna Hair Dye! I am sure you have heard about it, but what do you really, truly know about it?

How it started
My friend Lauren over at green tea did a blog post about henna, because she dyed her hair an awesome red with it. I loved it so much, I dyed my hair not long after!

My mom has been wanting to dye her hair to cover her grays, but she had three main concerns.

1. Chemicals
Traditional hair dyes are loaded with chemicals that damage your hair and soak into your scalp.

2. The "Skunk Look"
If you go with the permanent hair dyes, once your hair starts growing out, you start to get what we call the "skunk look". Not pretty.

3. Cost
My mom has thick hair that is pretty long, and having to keep up with dyeing your hair (to avoid skunk look) can get expensive!

How is Henna Different?

1. 100% organic, 100% natural!
That's right, henna is actually a plant.

2. Fades after 4-6 weeks.
If you go with a brown Henna, it fades. No Skunk! (does not apply to Red Henna, or Black Henna)

3. It's cheap
It cost $5 to dye her hair.

I think its time for some Before/After photos!

Before


After

Before

After


What about other natural hair dyes?
We had heard of other natural hair dyes before, like Black Tea and Sage spray. But that was a nightmare, and a complete mess!

More Awesome stuff about Henna
It looks completely Natural! Not every piece of hair comes out the exact same color, so it looks really natural with high lights. As you will notice in the pictures, most of the hair was dyed light brown, but some of the grays are a blond color. How cool is that?

Where we got it
I ordered my Henna from Bulk Herbs,


 Momma got hers from Vita Cost


NOTE: Henna is actually only Red. Indigo is Black "Henna" and Brown "Henna" is a mixture of Lawsonia inermis (red henna), indigofereae (black henna) cassia obovata (neutral henna). The term "Henna" is applied to help people understand it more. All of the above ingredients are 100% Natural and organic.

I am sure the next 100 posts will be just as fun as the last!









Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Thrifty Threads: Burn in me

This outfit is perfect for dancing, and the fiery colors make me think of Paul Wilbur's song Burn in me, one of my favorite dances.

"Let the fire of the Holy One burn in me."

Its a super comfy outfit, and I am lovin' the pant/tunic look.



Brown split skirt: Full price dance pants from Lebo's
Tunic: $4 from Thrift store
Orange tee: Sale from Aeropostale
Half jacket: Hand-me-down
Belt: Hand-me-down
Brown scarf: $5 from Walmart
Orange scarf: $5 Delany's from Family Week

What is Thrifty Threads?
Examples of Modest and Feminine outfits that express an assortment of styles.
Do you have an outfit that you want to share? Email us a picture and we will post it!
Requirements: please send photos directly in the email, attachments cannot be opened. Thank you!


Exotic Ingredients~What is Sumac?

No, its not what you think.



Sumac is a shrub which grows wild in the Mediterranean region, and this sumac is not toxic or poisonous. This non-poisonous variety also grows in other areas around the world and can be a colorful addition to home landscaping.
Ground sumac is a dark red-burgundy color. As a dried berry, ground sumac has a nutty texture when used dry.
The use of sumac came to Greece from the Middle East where it is more widely used. In Greek cooking, sumac is used as a rub for grilled meats, and as a flavoring most notably on meats, in stews, and in pita wraps. It is also used in rice and vegetable dishes.
It has a sour, lemony taste and can be used, mixed with water, instead of lemon juice. It is one of the ingredients that gives za’atar its characteristic flavour and is often used in marinades, with tomatoes, onions and in savoury pastries.


Recipe

Sumac-Dusted Oven Fries with Garlic Spread
serves 2-3
4 medium-sized russet potatoes
1 tablespoon olive oil
salt
1 head garlic
2 tablespoons sumac
Preheat oven to 350. Peel potatoes. Cut one potato in half and set aside one of the halves. Slice the remaining potatoes into 1/2-inch strips. Toss with olive oil and a pinch of salt. Bake 30-35 minutes, giving them a stir every 10 minutes or so.
Roughly chop the reserved potato half. Bring to a boil in salted water and cook until soft. Drain and roughly mash with a fork.
Meanwhile, make a paste with the head of garlic. Follow Emma's instructions here. Place garlic into a food processor or blender and add 2 tablespoons of mashed potatoes and 2 tablespoons of water. Add a little more potato or water as necessary. You want the spread to come together, but it won't be super creamy.*
When the fries are done, remove from oven and toss with sumac. Serve with spread on the side.
*Note: Conceivably, you could skip the garlic paste process and toss the whole cloves into the blender or food processor with some salt. But this was the process I used (with a hand blender), with good results.
To give credit where due, the recipe was inspired by a dish from Semiramis in Chicago.

Sources
about.com
thekitchn.com



On the Map~Fun facts about Papua New Guinea

Oops! Okay everybody, I got little bit behind posting last weekend, so I am playing catch-up.

Did you know?


Although English is its official language, only 1-2% of the population actually speak it. As the most linguistically diverse country in the world, over 820 languages are spoken in Papua New Guinea or 12% of the world’s total.



Sea shells were the national currency until 1933.

It is one of the few places close to the equator that experiences snowfall. Snow is visible on the top of Mount Wilhelm, the highest peak in Papua New Guinea.



Only 18% of Papua New Guinea's inhabitants live in urban areas. That makes it one of the world's most rural countries. Agriculture employs about 85% of the country's population.


 



Tuesday, August 7, 2012

Sewing Projects: Delany's Swimsuit

Delany recently made this new swimsuit! Isn't it adorable?


I love everything about it, from color, to print and style!


Great job!


Monday, August 6, 2012

Thrifty Threads: Color block tee

My friend Lauren over at green tea is this wearing this weeks Thrifty threads outfit.




Lauren made the awesome tee shirt, check out her tutorial
Skirt: $5 linen thrift store find
Undershirt: Wetseal hand-me-down

What is Thrifty Threads?
Examples of Modest and Feminine outfits that express an assortment of styles.
Do you have an outfit that you want to share? Email us a picture and we will post it!
Requirements: please send photos directly in the email, attachments cannot be opened. Thank you!
Thank you, Lauren, for your contribution!
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Sing to יהוה a new song, sing to יהוה, all the earth! Sing to יהוה, bless His Name, Proclaim His deliverance from day to day. Declare His esteem among the nations.







Psalms 96:1-3