start the day with oatmeal*

i love oatmeal!!!!!!!!!!!!

here's a quick, easy, and not to mention tasty, way to fix whole grain oatmeal. optimum nutrition = whole grains. when you eat grains that have been processed and broken down, you miss out on all the nutrition they have to offer. so called "instant" oatmeals you find in the store are NOT whole grains. making whole grain oatmeal usually requires a big commitment. a commitment to stand and constantly stir over a boiling pot for at least 10 minutes. now i love to cook, but in the morning i need something i can fix in a hurry. i'm not sure how i came up with this recipe, but it's quite awesome, if i do say so myself.

this is what you need:

1/2 cup whole grain oatmeal
boiling water
100% apple juice
cinnamon
ground flax seeds
soy milk
raisins

place dry oatmeal in a bowl. pour a small amount of boiling water over the grains. do not cover oats entirely just enough to make a small pool of liquid in the bottom. let the oats absorb the water. here's you chance to multitask and take a few minutes to tend to other things. when all the liquid is absorbed, about 5 minutes later, sprinkle with a generous amount of cinnamon. add a bit of apple juice, just enough to make it slightly soupy. if you like raisins add them now as well. nuke it in the microwave for a minute or two on high. the apple juice should be fully reduced. now add a handful of ground flax seeds and stir well. lastly add a bit of soy milk for creaminess. top with crushed walnuts or pecans for added crunch and protein. enjoy!!!

stuffed paper monsters tutorial*

this easter spice up the usual hum-drum easter basket with something a little out of the ordinary, stuffed paper monsters. They are a great edition to any gift basket and super fun to make. i have a picture book catalog of japanese monster toys of the 1960's & 70's. it's completely in japanese, so i can't read it, but it has the most awesome photographs of every monster toy you can ever imagine. most pages have front, back, and side views of each individual monster.

this is what gave me the idea to make stuffed paper monsters. basically i scan the images and print up copies of the front and back of the monsters i like best. then with a few simple steps you can create a monster of your very own. you don't need a cool japanese monster book to make these either. you can take front and back photos of your own toys or whip up a few monster drawings of your very own.

here's the step by step procedure:

1. find a good good parchment tracing paper to work with. this paper is light and works well for stuffing. if you are working with computer print outs, simply cut you paper down to size with an exacto knife.

2. work on some images!!! this part is completely up to you. you can make some print outs on the computer, work from digital photos or draw directly on the parchment. you don't even have to make monsters, any front and back image will do. when your done making images, spray the parchment with a clear varnish. i like to use deft clear gloss. the varnish helps to seal the image and makes the paper more durable. the gloss makes it real classy, too.














3. hold your front and back images up to a light source making sure to have the top of both images facing outward. now line up both images. you want the front and back image to mirror each other as close as possible.

4. once they're lined up pin them in place.

5. now stitch along the outside of the figure. i like to start at the outside of one foot and work my way around to the outside of the other foot. be sure to leave a generous margin, it works best when you don't stitch too closely to the edge of your image. also, be sure to leave the bottom edge open to allow for stuffing.













6. now that you've sewn along the outside edge of your monster (except for the bottom edge below the feet), remove any excess paper. just cut along the edge of your stitching leaving a 1/4 inch margin.














7. once the triming is done, it's time for the stuffing.

8. i like to use easter basket grass for stuffing. i suggest using a cheery colored translucent easter grass. the transparency of the parchment paper allows the color of the stuffing to shine through. so, when you hold them up to a light they almost glow!













9. take a few small wads of easter grass and start stuffing. it helps to have small ruler handy to push the stuffing in place. just add enough to make your monster puffy.













10. now sew up the bottom edge on your sewing machine and trim any excess paper.

11. there you go, now you have a stuffed paper monster of your very own.













12. all done!!!

enjoy!!!