Tabouleh

When the temperature rises, I love to make refreshing tabouleh with organic summer produce. My own version of tabouleh will serve 12.
You will need:
- One 12 oz. box of Organic Whole Wheat Couscous
- Three medium to large ripe tomatoes
- One large cucumber
- One large red pepper
- One large sweet onion
- Three lemons
- 2/3 cup olive oil
- 8-10 fresh mint leaves (or to taste)
- 1 tbsp salt (or to taste)
- 1/2 cup raisins, softened (optional)

Wash and dry the tomatoes, the red pepper and the mint. Peel the cucumber and onion.
Chop the tomatoes, cucumber, red pepper, and onion. Place in large bowl.
Juice the lemons. Add juice to chopped vegetables along with the salt.
Let sit for about 45 mn in the refrigerator. The vegetables will render some of their juice. DO NOT DRAIN. Add olive oil and chopped mint  to vegetable mixture and stir well.
Add couscous and mix until combined. Add raisins if desired.
Cover and refrigerate for at least two hours.
The couscous will absorb the moisture from the vegetables, so there is no need to cook it first. After two hours taste the couscous to make sure it is soft enough. If not, add 1/2 to 1 cup of water to the mixture.
I love the sweet chewy addition of raisins to counterbalance the tartness of the dish, but not everyone in my family shares my point of view, so I add raisins to my own plate.

I just made this recipe a few days ago and I thought I would share it since it is so easy to make as well as healthy and delicious! Now back to the studio where a bunch of iPad sleeves await :)

Messengers and Hobos

So I haven't been totally idle these last couple of weeks. I have been spending a lot of time in my little sewing studio. Being away for a month, I was getting itchy to get back into designing and sewing.

Here are the newest bags on Zakken: two iPad Messengers:



The iPad Messenger in Charcoal Wool




The iPad Messenger in Khaki Twill


  



 I also worked on a few Flea Market Hobos for Bag du Jour:


Flea Market Hobo with Flap and Button

 

Flea Market Hobo in Brown and White

I finished two more Flea Market Hobos, but a rain storm interrupted my photo session. I will try again today.
Check out the messengers at http://zakken.etsy.com/ and the Hobos at http://bagdujour.etsy.com/ and tell me what you think.
Take care.

It's already August...

Hard to believe... Summer went so fast...
After a not-so-relaxing vacation in my hometown, I am back and gearing up for the school year. After being away for a while from the hustle and bustle of my life here, I always come up with the best decisions: take it easy, take better care of yourself, life is not just about work, yada, yada, yada...So, this year being no exception, after reading an old article about detoxing while waiting for my mom at her PT's office this past July, I checked out a couple of books on the subject at the local library: Clean by Alejandro Junger, M.D., 3-Day Cleanse by Zoe Sakoutis and Erica Huss, Clean Food  by Terry Walters, and The Raw Food Detox Diet by Natalia Rose.
Clean explains in much detail the cause and effect of toxins in the human body - scary! Junger also describes his own experience as an overweight, depressed, overwrought doctor, and his solution to regain his health. Very interesting read!
The other books describe the detoxing process and propose a plethora of recipes for juices as well as full meals- the clean way.
One of the necessary tools for these cleanses is a juicer. After doing some research online, I ordered a Breville Compact Juicer from Best Buy. As soon as I brought it home, I had to try it. This juicer is a fabulous little machine! It is very easy to use, makes juice in a jiffy, and is very easy to clean. My first juice was one organic apple and one organic carrot. Just delicious! The resulting pulp is bone dry and ready for the compost pile. When Julie came home, we made another juice with again an apple, a carrot, and some thawed blueberries she did not finish for lunch. The resulting juice was very tasty, but the blueberries were very soft and some of them ended up whole in the pulp collector. Fresh or still frozen fruit is probably best.
I am ready to go on to the "green" juices, with vegetables. More on that later...
Take care.

I have a scooter!!!!!!!!!

Oh, this is so cool! I got a scooter for a Mother's Day/birthday combo present. I am soooo excited!

It's a Piaggio Fly, 150 cc. It's very, very cute, light gray and black.
I use it to go to school- where I teach-, to the post office, to the supermarket, it's just glorious!
The ride is very comfortable, and the scooter is pretty stable- except in high winds...I won't do that again :(
What I like about the scooter is that it's very cost efficient: about 65 miles per gallon; of course, the gas tank only holds 1 1/2 gallons, sooooo don't go too far away from a gas pump :)
There is a compartment under the seat, large enough for a purse and a few other items, however, this is no place for pets (see sign).

I had to laugh when I saw that. On second thought, I wouldn't carry ice cream in there either, the compartment being right above the engine...

Another thing I like about riding a scooter (as opposed to a motorcycle) is that I can get dressed up to go to work- in my Banana Republic suit, for example-, throw on a zippered jacket- it's cold at 6:45 am-, and wear high heeled dress shoes. I carry my work stuff (laptop and books) in a messenger bag from my shop (Bag du Jour on Etsy), and when I get to work, I  am ready to go- no need to carry a change of clothes.

Here is my latest favorite messenger bag- yes, in gray to match the scooter... :)

I ALWAYS wear a helmet, even though it is not required in my state, and a pair of gloves- if you've ever been hit by a large insect at 45 mph, you'll understand why...
All in all, I just love my scooter.
Thanks for reading~



New Etsy Shop and promo

OK, you probably will think I am crazy, but I just opened another shop on Etsy. My new shop is called Zakken (http://www.zakken.etsy.com/). I sell  messengers and market totes in (mostly) eco friendly fabrics. I decided to go with simple designs in solid colors that go with everything and are suitable for men and women. Well...maybe NOT the Market Totes...for guys that is...
Anyway, check it out and leave me a convo to let me know what you think. As a promo, the first three people who leave me a convo on Zakken will receive a 20% discount on any Zakken  or Bag du Jour (http://www.bagdujour.etsy.com/) bag. I will post the winners' name on this blog.
Here is a sampling of my new bags... 

 Take care.

My first bag from "The Bag Making Bible by Lisa Lam"

I FINALLY received The Bag Making Bible that I ordered back in October. It's a long story... Anyway, I really like this book. You can make eight different bags with many variations. I love the explanations that go with each pattern: insert a zipper, make piped handles, darts, gussets, etc... This is information I could have gleaned from the Internet, but is great to have in one place!

After perusing the book for a few days, I decided to jump straight to the Great Getaway Bag (section 6). I made a "prototype" out of cheap cotton to gauge the size of the bag (finished bag dimensions are not included in the directions). Wow, it's huge! Love it!
So I looked for possible fabric combinations in my stash and this is what I came up with:

The pink and green home decoration weight fabric is for the exterior, the green canvas is the lining.

The pattern pieces are full size and very easy to handle. I first traced them onto wax paper, and then onto posterboard- it lasts longer and is easier to trace around.

Of course, I had to alter the design a bit: I did not like the handles as they were described in the book, so I made two 1 1/2" wide handles long enough to wear over the shoulder. I also modified the closure on the front pocket and added a double pocket in the back.

With Lisa's great explanations and tips, the zipper top was a BREEZE to put together - and it looks great...at least  I think so :)

I haven't put the lining together yet, but it shouldn't be too hard.

Here are some more pictures:

The front

The front pocket



The back

Oh, and did I mention that I am making this bag for my best friend? It's a surprise :)

I can't wait to see her face when I give her the bag.

I have other fabric combination ideas that I can't wait to try for this pattern. I will try to post one in my Etsy shop within the next two weeks. Check it out at bagdujour.etsy.com

Thanks for reading and let me know what you think of the bag...

New Year's Resolutions

Well, better late than never... I have been thinking about my new year resolutions this past week. Mine are not about weight, eating habits, or more exercise. They have more to do with finding balance, and inner peace. Hopefully this will lead to more joy in and around me.
Here we go:
1. I will be more patient at home, at work, on the road- so what if people don't use their signals, don't stop at stop signs, or drift in my lane at 20mph  less than I am doing...
2. I will not worry about things that are beyond my control - I can't carry the weight of the world on my shoulders....
3. I will give fewer lectures, more hugs
4. I will develop a thicker skin - it's not about me...
5. I will laugh more, cry less - better for wrinkles
6. I will not take it personally - see # 4
7. I will get back into yoga - breaaaaathe
8. I will continue my eco friendly efforts- YAY for natural  and organic food, cleaning products, sheets, and fabrics.
9. I will focus on the positive people around me, not the negative ones (OK, I'll TRY really hard)
10. I will be a better mom, wife, friend (last but certainly not least)

Ooooo, it looks like I'll be busy... It does feel good to have it written down.
Now, what are YOUR resolutions?