May 2017

Sunday Scrolling: May 28, 2017

  • To kick off the unofficial start of summer at SuzerSpace, we bought a new grill. So our weekend menu is set. Need a few ideas? These looked good.
  • If you are reading this on Sunday, it’s the biggest race weekend of the year. My favorite is the Formula 1 race at Monte Carlo. Because of the time difference, you can watch it while drinking coffee in bed. And pretend that someday you will have enough money to see it in person.
  • Normal people spend Memorial Day at picnics, parades and baseball games. Us? We will be having a Stanley Cup Final party, cheering on our new favorite team.

None of the links in this post are affiliate; they are all just things that caught my interest this week.

Big Scheduling News – Starting in June, “Sunday Scrolling” is moving to “Web Wednesday” – look for it starting June 7.

Show and Tell: Daisy Flower Tea Light

Daisy tea lights made from a free SVG file | suzerspace.com

When I first thought about purchasing a Silhouette Cameo, I worried about the cumulative cost of the craft. I could see what the machine’s price was, and I had a rough idea what paper would run me, but I wasn’t sure about the actual cutting files.

I was reasonably sure I could create my own, and initially I thought I’d need to upgrade to the Designer Edition of Silhouette Studio. But then I ran across the tip somewhere that the basic, free edition would accept DXF files, and I knew Adobe Illustrator (which I already own) could export those files, so that was good.

So I bought my bundle, which even came with a generous download credit at the Silhouette Design store.

Turns out I never should have worried though, because there is a wealth of free cutting files out there. Some are from generous craft bloggers, but even more are from sites that sell cut files. Obviously, they are hoping you’ll love their files and you’ll come back when you want to purchase something specific.

Case in point – this super cute Gerbera Daisy Tea Light. The 3DSVG site has tons of files for purchase, and a very nice stash of free files to try them out. And what I really liked was the super easy to follow video. (Disclaimer time – I was not compensated for this post. I googled “free cut files” and stumbled upon them. In exchange for my email info when I signed up for an account, they gave me free files. You can do the same!)

I made two of these – one actually following the video directions and using the appropriate color card stock. But as anyone who knows me, I don’t really like to be told what to do, so for the second one I made some changes.

I still used tacky glue to adhere the points from the round top piece to the first row of inner petals, but then I switched to double stick tape to adhere the other colored petals. I found that was easier to get a tight wrap around the tea light, although the trade off was you don’t get a second chance with the tape – when you glue, you can squish something into better alignment if needed.

I also cut the second version out of yellow and brown stock to make a Brown Eyed Susan instead of a Daisy. In case the reason for the flower version switch isn’t obvious to you, why yes, I DO have brown eyes 😉 .

Quick Fix BBQ Turkey Wrap

Quick Fix BBQ Turkey Wrap | suzerspace.com

This is a recipe that I can’t personally vouch for the taste, but based on how often he makes it (and the fact that there are zero leftovers), it’s a hit in Mr. SuzerSpace’s book.

There are plenty of recipes for using your slow-cooker to make barbecue meats for sandwiches. Pulled Pork, turkey breast, the list goes on.

But what if it’s 7:30 at night and you suddenly have a hankering for a BBQ-meat sandwich? And you are keeping to a low-carb diet so getting take out isn’t really an option?

Enter the quick fix BBQ Turkey Wrap.

Quick Fix BBQ Turkey Wrap


Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 1 minute
Total Time 6 minutes
Servings 1

Ingredients

  • 1 Low-Carb Flatbread
  • 1 oz Sliced Turkey
  • 2 Tbsp Bottled BBQ sauce
  • 1/4 cup Black Beans Rinsed and drained
  • 1/2 Tsp Olive Oil
  • Shredded Cheese Optional
  • Arugula Optional

Instructions

  1. In a microwave-safe bowl (or Mr. SuzerSpace's favorite - a coffee cup) combine turkey, sauce and olive oil. Stir to combine.

  2. Cover bowl/cup with a spatter shield and microwave on high for 30 seconds. Stir, and then heat again for 20 seconds more.  The turkey is pre-cooked so you just want to heat it and the sauce to eating temperature.

  3. Sprinkle black beans on flatbread, top with cheese (if desired) and Turkey/sauce mixture. Top with arugula if desired

Teeny Tiny Tip: Better Buns

Low-carb life has it’s challenges.

Take hamburger buns. They aren’t very good for you – white flour is pretty much persona non grata in a Type-2 Diabetes household.

The special low-carb versions? Not very much taste, super expensive and when you read the label, not really impressively better for you.

We swapped to Whole Wheat English Muffins. Technically, because we like the Trader Joe’s brand (not a paid endorsement – just our favorite), they are called “British Muffins”.

The nutrition* is better where it counts.

Whole Wheat English muffins have better nutrition than standard hamburger buns.

Nutrition info from Myfitnesspal.com

And they are more flexible – if you have a surplus of hamburger buns in the house, your choices are pretty much hamburgers. If you have a surplus of British Muffins, you can always use them for as a base for quick pizzas, sandwiches or, I suppose, breakfast.

 

*I’m not a doctor or a nutritionist. You should never take advice from a paper crafter without consulting an actual professional.

Sunday Scrolling: May 21, 2017

  • The peonies in my garden are always late bloomers, but I love them anyway. If I had more discipline, I’d take better care of them and they’d probably fare better.
  • Mom and Dad are downsizing and I was gifted a fabulous sewing machine. You know what that means? New obsession!
  • I’ve filled my Instagram feed with crafts and design only (no politics, religion or Kardashians!). I’ve been following this designer for a while, and Mashable just did a nice write up.

None of the links in this post are affiliate; they are all just things that caught my eye this week.