DIY Pantone Meal Planning Magnets

Technorati Tags: DIY,downloadable

I came across this awesome meal plan/grocery list project on Pinterest one day:

And thought it would be an awesome DIY project. Toughest Critic was sent to Staples for a clipboard, since our small town doesn’t seem to carry clipboards anywhere (maybe they’ve gone out of style). Anyway, what Toughest Critic came back with was an 11x17 whiteboard (he did come back with a clipboard, but not the one I wanted either).

Instead what I came up with was a set of magnets based on pantone chips:

The basic idea is that I have a stack of these magnets at my disposal, and every time I try a new recipe that TC approves of, I write the name on one of my chip magnets. This way, I don’t have to remember on Saturday what I meal planned on Monday, and TC can contribute to the meal planning by picking the meals for the week.

It also means that if TC does the grocery shopping, I know what’s in the fridge for dinner, preventing those nights where you have to figure out what to eat with half an onion, some cranberry juice and a brick of shortening (it has happened).

How to make them yourself:

1. Download this pdf.
2. Print on a magnet sheet (I used the Staples brand because it has a glossy finish versus Avery which looks like bond paper on magnets). Be sure to set your printer to print on the highest setting.
3. Cut out.

And you’re done. Took me all of about an hour once the design work was done (colours are Behr if you’re using them to decorate, by the way. I’m too cheap to invest in a pantone license).

Download Printable PDF Here.

Happy planning!

DIY Kitchen Art

So I had these 5x7 frames that I bought at IKEA sitting on my kitchen shelves for eons. Our photo printer only prints 4x6’s, so I can’t imagine what possessed me to buy 5x7 frames, but I couldn’t find the right art to put in them. So, in a moment of frustration, just to have them dealt with, I whipped up some ‘art’ using some free vector kitchen utensils just to fill the space until I decide what I want.

Now you can too. Download the pdf files here:

Download 4x6 here. Download 5x7 here.

Internet Find - DIY Printable Date Night

http://www.bijouxbride.com/diy-1-date-night

This is an adorable DIY craft from Bijoux Bride that I spied on craftgawker today (for some reason I'm really into doilies lately - maybe I'm channeling my grandmother's sense of decor?).

While I'm probably too lazy to go about making something like this, the thought's there (right, TC?). Though I suppose you could re-use the envelope if you do a regular date night thing that we do, and just change the card inside.

Here's a similar idea from pinterest (though arguably less pretty) that I've been thinking about making for a while:

Let's Go On a Date

Now to get on to thinking about what to actually do for date night. Of late, our regular date night has been limited to clearing out the PVR and passing out at 10 (yes, I know you're jealous). I suppose that we should get on doing something 'date-y' before the kidlet comes and we're home bound, but that would involve effort, and maybe some nicer weather.

Wedding Feature – Wedluxe Magazine

It’s not often I get to see the final result of the design stuff I do, especially professionally photographed. 

Wedluxe Magazine recently (okay, so by recently I mean ‘since my hiatus’) did a feature one of the weddings I did some design work for, and I’m really proud of how it all turned out.  The pictures look great!

View the full article at:  www.wedluxe.com

DIY Wedding Stuff

This is a shameless pimping post for that other site I forget to update often: my wedding template site. (I have a valid excuse though: our mac is hooked up to our television, so updating anything in iweb involves a yoga-like position to use the mouse and keyboard in unison…lets face it, at 8 months pregnant, anything requiring anything more than sitting is not happening).

Here are a bunch of downloadable word docs for programs, seating charts, etc.:

 

http://design.jodyprouse.com/templates.html

Cheers!

Panko Crusted Tofu

Technorati Tags: recipes

This is a recipe inspired by the one in Quick Fix Vegetarian. It’s a handy cookbook, though I would appreciate pictures and cooking times, especially in cookbooks meant for busy evenings.

I have to say that as a former meatatarian, I’ve slowly grown accustomed to the single dish convenience of most vegetarian meals. I forget that from time to time, when looking through recipe books that I do occasionally have to make side dishes for things (ordinarily my laziness pretty much eliminates anything that requires pulling out more than 2 pots).

This recipe would be a great meat substitute if you’re having a few vegetarians over and plan to serve a meat dish with other sides. It’s even better if you’re serving with some sort of Asian inspired greens.

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp tahini
1/4 cup water
panko crumbs
canola oil (enough for frying)
1 lb extra-firm tofu, cut into thin slices
1/2 of a white onion, cut into thin slices
2 Tbsp butter or margarine
garlic to taste, minced
1/2 cup vegetable broth
juice of one lemon

Directions:

1. Combine tahini and water in a bowl until they form a paste (add salt and pepper to taste). Set aside.
2. In a second bowl, pour the panko crumbs. (I start with a little, about 1/4 cup, and then add more as I need it).
3. In a frying pan, fry onions until soft, bordering on caramelized. Add the broth and garlic. Let simmer to reduce the liquid by about a quarter. Add butter and stir until melted, and season to taste.
4. Pour the oil into a frying pan. You’ll want enough that it will fry the panko crumbs to a nice golden brown. I had to continually add to the pan, so it’s hard to suggest a solid quantity. Coat the tofu cutlets in the tahini mixture, and then in panko crumbs. Fry until golden brown.
5. Pour onion mixture on to plated cutlets.

If you’re planning on serving these for a dinner party, you can prepare them just before the guests are set to arrive and keep them warm in the oven (don’t add the sauce until serving). Don’t let them sit too long though, or they’ll get soggy.

Toughest Critic Rating: 9/10

So clearly I suck.

Yes, I did make a pledge to come back and update my blog more often, but it seems time has gotten the best of me, and here I am months after February without an update.

We do have news though!  Much to the surprise of everyone (except maybe the two of us, I guess), we’re having a baby!

Scroll quickly if you don’t want to see my lady parts:

Okay, so perhaps pictures of my innards aren’t the best in a blog that’s been mostly dedicated to food, but I can’t help myself.  Those 10 toes (I know you can only see 7) belong to our future daughter, who has the politically correct expected date of September 11th, 2011.

The good news, for the one of you still reading this blog, is that I now have actual content to start updating (yay!!!!), because like weddings, babies come with lots and lots of crafting and decorating opportunities. 

So stay tuned.  I have lots of things to update, and will likely have a few things to say about motherhood, seeing as I’ve spent most of my life avoiding it like the plague.

Should be good fun.