Vegetarian Buffalo Chicken Sandwhich
I made this tasty buffalo chicken sandwhich for lunch twice in the past month and wanted to share the recipe. It’s quick and easy and a big hit with the family. Note that it is vegetarian, not vegan and does include dairy. Here’s what you’ll need to make it:
1 bun or 2 slices of bread
1 or 2 MorningStar Farms® Chik Patties® Original (they come in little packs of 2 and I found 2 is just the right amount to fill me up)
1/4 cup of buffalo wing marinade or sauce (I used the Safeway brand marinade that I found in the salad dressing aisle)
1/8 cup of low-fat blue cheese dressing
How to slap it together:
I recommend using the toaster oven to heat your patties if you have one available. If not the microwave works just fine in a pinch, just don’t overcook them. (I cooked both patties, wrapped in paper towels in my microwave at work for 2 minutes and they turned out perfect.) Smear a little buffalo wing sauce on the bottom and top buns. Stack 1 patty and slather a layer of the blue cheese dressing. Stack the second patty and top with the bun. I kept the reaminder of the sauce and put it in a dipping bowl and dipped as I ate. This combination kept the patties moist and flavorful with a little kick. It took less than 5 minutes to make my lunch and it tasted as good as any buffalo chicken sandwhich I’ve ever had in pub, but it was delicious and relatively healthy. Enjoy!
Of ACV and POD
Where to begin, well…first, this is not an article about that band from the 90′s, it’s about Perioral Dermatitis (POD) and the homemade remedy that finally worked, Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV). Next, you may find yourself asking, “What is Perioral Dermatits“? Well, to summarize, dermatologists don’t know exactly what causes it, although they do have a few theories. They do know that it occurs mostly in adult women, looks like acne, but acts more like eczema, and is linked to steroids. (no, I haven’t been juicing, they mean corticosteroids, ie. prednisone and other prescription medications). Where it gets tricky, it that many Dermatologists indicate that it isn’t serious, its akin to acne and it’s just us women being oversensitive and vain. I can tell you however, that it hurts! It burns, it itches, it stings, it hurts. I found it to be so disruptive to my personal and work life that I started to look for my own cure. It’s notoriously difficult to treat, but hat’s just because Dermatologists can’t agree on what it is, or how to treat it. I’ve heard everything from stop using fluoride toothpaste, to take oral antibiotics for a few months. They did all agree that I must immediately stop using any creams, lotions, face wash or makeup. That’s right, just at the time when my face was covered all around my nose, mouth and chin, with painful, inflamed red bumps that were itchy, flaky shiny and generally awful looking, my Dermatologist basically said, just stop acting like a girl and being so sensitive. In my day job, I actually have to go out into public and talk to people. Most of my friends sympathized, but strangers stared at my face with mild disgust and concern. It wasn’t just uncomfortable, but it affected by ability to be effective at my job because people were freaked out. I did find out that during an abdominal surgery that I had in October of 2009, I had an allergic reaction to the paper tape that they used to cover my eyes. (Yes, I know that it’s completely ridiculous that I’m allergic to paper tape, but none of my friends were really all surprised. They just sort of rolled their eyes and said, of course you are….). Anyway, my eyes swelled so large while I was under anesthesia that they gave me prednisone, yep they gave me steroids. Apparently, this was enough to get the perioral dermatitis ball rolling unfortunately. What started with a few small red bumps on my chin, that looked like any other pimple, began to ooze, itch and spread. Egads! Within a month or two my face was raw, red, angry and I was miserable. I used hydrocortizone cream, which made it temporarily better and helped to quell the itching, but then it came back x3! I kept covering it with lotion and cream to try to keep the flaking, itching and dry skin from looking so creepy, but it didn’t improve. Finally, after talking with a dermatologist and realizing that they have not a lot of information, but recommend tossing you on oral antibiotics for a few months anyway, (oh and by the way, it could come back at any time once you stop the antibiotics) I started doing some research… it’s very similar to seborrhoeic dermatitis, which I have in two small patches on my scalp. I learned that it is suspected that it is caused by a yeast that normally grows on your skin, but in some people can get out of control and the toxins that it releases cause irritation. Sounds reasonable, right? Especially in someone like me who is over the top allergic to everything and has incredibly sensitive skin. I thought, what could help re-balance my skin and kill yeast and increase the healthy bacteria that are supposed to be taking care of this stuff? Well, I came up with probiotics and apple cider vinegar. I already eat probiotics (greek yogurt, kombucha, good belly, etc) so I just bumped up my intake a notch to help get things in order. I then, started thinking about how I could kill off the yeast and get rid of the awful dermatitis. I decided to reduce my face washing and stick to only the most mild natural products to stop any further irritation. I used an astringent made with chamomile and cucumber to cool and help relieve the itch. (I never stopped wearing my make-up, btw…that will never happen). I did cut down on my make-up products to include just mineral powder foundation and blush and mascara. I stopped wearing lipstick, gloss and chapstick. Finally, I mixed up a batch of apple cider vinegar, diluted with a bit of water. I started using the ACV as an astringent 2x a day. I noticed immediately that it burned anywhere that the dermatitis was on my face, but caused no discomfort on the normal skin. I did try to skip wearing make up on the weekends and started swiping my face with the ACV 3x a day. After about a week I noted immediate improvement. In two weeks it was barely noticeable. After a month my skin was clear again. As my face healed the ACV burned less and less. (the weeping did increase for the first week, but improved as my skin cleared). I stopped the ACV and it did come back, so I continued using the ACV once a day. After two months my skin remained clear and I began to taper down the ACV to every other day. After 3 months I decreased it to 2x a week. I now wipe my face using the ACV once a week or so, but the POD hasn’t returned and my skin is great. I still get an occasional pimple once in a blue moon, but no clogged pores, and no POD. ACV astringent is inexpensive and all natural and make a great astringent. My only complaint, is that when used in the strength that I have been using it your face does often smell like boardwalk fries, which can be occasionally unpleasant. I notice it most often if I’ve been sweating, usually during and after a workout. However, it absolutely cleared by POD and cost only pennies and had no ill effects on my body or skin, which I can’t say the same about using oral antibiotics (I’ve had some pretty nasty experiences mixing antibiotics and my delicate digestive system). So, for me, ACV worked better than anything my Dermatologist prescribed and I didn’t have to suppress my vanity, risk cavities or gastrointestinal distress. In my humble opinion, apple cider vinegar is the best treatment for perioral dermatitis that money can buy. However, it still took months of discomfort before I looked and felt like myself again, so if your Doctor recommends steroids, consider the possibility that you could develop POD and ask your Dr. about it. Unfortunately, I didn’t have that option because I was unconscious when it was administered, so if that happens to you, just remember to start using the ACV before things have a chance to get out of control; it won’t hurt anything to proactively wash with vinegar. Hey, if nothing else you can reuse the olive oil that I recommend as an eye makeup remover and the apple cider vinegar that I recommend as an astringent and make yourself a nice salad 
Extend Your Dinner with a Quick, One-Pot Miso Soup
I was whipping up a quick dinner, baked tofu with soba noodles and bok choy, when we had an unexpected guest for dinner. My noodle dish is only really big enough for the three of us, despite the fact that it says serves four. So, I whipped up a quick post of miso soup to help stretch the meal. Everyone was full, and I even had one serving of noodles and soup left for today’s lunch…yum. Here’s how to do it:
Ingredients:
Scallions – 3 thinly sliced (white parts only)
Shallots – 2 large, thinly sliced
Napa Cabbage – 1 head or other asian greens (I used only 4 leaves from this head of cabbage for another recipe, so this was just some leftovers in my fridge)
Vegetable Broth – 4 cups
Miso Paste – 1-2 Tbsps (more or less depending on how salty you like it. you can use any kind of miso paste red, yellow or white. I used yellow)
Tamari/Soy Sauce – 1 Tbsp
Olive oil – 1 Tbsp
Tempeh or Tofu – optional (I used Lightlife Ginger Teriyaki flavored Tempehtations because I had some on hand that needed to be cooked)
How to do it:
In a large sauce pan over medium-high heat, warm the olive oil. Add the shallots and sautee until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the scallions and cabbage and sautee until softened, another 1-2 minutes. Add 4 cups of broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer, then add miso and tamari/soy sauce and the tofu or tempeh if using, then cover. Simmer for another 10 minutes to allow the flavors to marry. Tell everyone how you just threw together some leftovers in the fridge and soak in the compliments.
Recycle-A-Bicycle
Looking for a bicycle this summer? Even if you need parts, safety gear or accessories I always recommend supporting your local bike shop. I was so excited to come across these bike shops in NYC. These retails stores take in bicycle and gear donations, refurbish them and sell them to the public. Best yet, profits from the retail sales go to support youth programs around New York City.
Recycle-a-Bicycle is an innovative, fun youth training and environmental education initiative that has taken root in New York City public schools and respected after-school youth programs.
These youth programs are actually based in the public schools where kids can sign up to learn bicycle mechanics as an elective. Body do I wish I could’ve taken that in school! What a great way to get kids interested in biking early, who may not have had the opportunity. Bicycling is great for health and the environment and and caring for your own bike, which can otherwise be an expensive endeavor, is a great life skill to learn. For kids who don’t have the resources to buy a bike from the retail shops, they allow students to drop in after school and work in the shop to earn a bike. Additionally they sponsor summer programs focused on arts and the environment. All of these programs help teach these kids responsiblity, ingenuity and proof that good things can be achieved through hard work and volunteerism. So, if you are in the NYC area, you can donate a bike, volunteer your time and spread the word. For the rest of us, check out more about the program here and donate what you can. Help support a great program that supports the recycling and kids. Hey, maybe you could even start a movement like this in your own city…
Easy Refashion: Dress + Tshirt = Fold-over Waistband Skirt
This tutorial is short, sweet and perfect for a beginner. I’ve made variations of this skirt at least five times already this year and I never grow tired of the supremely comfortable, soft and stretchy fold-over waistband skirt. I am petite which means that dresses rarely ever fit me right. My proportions just aren’t the industry standard. I do however, frequently fall in love with the pretty fabric of dresses at my local thrift store and this is the solution to my former dilemma. For this refashion I used a thrifted dress with a cute floral pattern that was ill-fitting and had a few stains on the bodice. I also used a tshirt that had bleach stains and underarm stains, but would still had enough usable fabric to form a waistband.
Here’s what you’ll need to get started:
- Cutting tools (pinking shears, fabric shears and a rotary cutter). If you don’t have all of these, you can get along just fine with a simple pair of shears or scissors.
- 1 Dress that will fit comfortably over your thighs. Take a dress that you want to work with and hold it up to see how it will look as a skirt. If it looks good, move on.
- 1 tshirt that fits comfortably around your waist and over your hips.
- Sewing machine or needle and thread
- Ruler or Cutting mat (or both)
- Tailors Chalk
How-To DIY:
1. Hold the dress up to your body and determine the length by folding it where you want it to hit on your waist. I chose to make my new skirt knee length. I folded in half and then marked with chalk. Cut the dress through all layers just above the line.
2. Measure 5″ from the bottom of your tshirt. This will create a fold-over waistband that is approximately 2″ wide. Mark with chalk, then cut through all layers to form a tube.
3. Slip the skirt into the tshirt tube and align the seams. The bottom hem of the shirt should be facing down toward the hem of the skirt. The right side of the dress (pretty side) should face the wrong side of the tshirt tube (inside).
4. Gather and pin the skirt to the tshirt tube waistband. Start by pinning the skirt seams to the tshirt seams. Next pin the center and then gather and pin at 1-2″ intervals until the skirt is secured to the waistband. You may need to gather and form a few small pleats if the skirt is wider than the waistband. You can do this at random around the waistband by spacing them evenly. You don’t have to be precise. Ensure that the top of the skirt meets the top of the tube.
5. Sew the waist band to the skirt using a zig-zag (or other stretch knit stitch). The zig-zag stitch allows the waist band and skirt to be stretched without breaking the thread. If sewing by hand, use the whip stitch.
That’s it! You’re done! See how easy that was? Now, just slip on your skirt and fold over the waistband so that it hides the top layer of stitches. Do a little dance, twirl around and show your friends and family how cool you are. You just made your first fold-over waistband skirt from a dress and a tshirt; how exciting! If you are lucky, you may even get a warm compliment like the one I received from my daughter, “Wow mom, it doesn’t even look like you made it!” 
Enter the Inhabitat Spring Greening Competition
Inhabitat, a blog devoted to sustainable design, wants you to make something awesome out of old junk and share it! They are hosting the Spring Greening Competition, where you can compete for praise, recognition and $250 gift certificate to be used in the Inhabitat Shop. The Inhabitat shop has everything from worm composters to fashionable pumps, so you’ll have no problem spending your new loot. So…find some old junk, make something rad, take a bunch of photos and enter the competition already!
Hey! What happened to my Spring?
Well, here in Baltimore Spring has sprung and gone. We went directly from cold weather sweaters to hot pants and flip flops in the last 3 weeks. With temperatures hovering just below 90 degrees at the end of March I’m not sure what to expect this summer. While I am certainly enjoying turning off the HVAC and tossing open the windows I am left feeling completely unprepared. I hadn’t yet switched my closet over to spring and now I’m going straight to summer! (I have a tiny, dark little close that requires me to make creative use of hangers, bins and shelves.) Worse yet; it’s too hot to wear shoes and my feet are in no conditions to be let out into the light yet. My friend and I are going for a pedicure after work so I can have some spring pruning done on my tootsies. And, yes, I know I should do it myself at home and save money, but…. I usually pamper myself once a year with a good professional pedicure and then I’ll do it myself from there. Oddly enough this usually takes place on Mother’s Day in preparation for the summer in May, not April! Fortunately I can perhaps even justify this (at least to myself) becuase I’ve saved up so much money by not using my credit cards or buying new clothes, etc for so long now. (I wonder if this rationalization will work on my husband too?) Anyway, I digress… The biggest issue at present for me though involves the garden and backyard. In years past my husband and I had built a pump track and dirt jumps in our backyard so that we wouldn’t have to drive out to local trails to have some fun on our bikes; we could just ride at home. Unfortunately this led to a permanently muddy kitcken floor thanks to my husband, dog, and daughter. Worse yet, the berms helped to collect water which I’m certain led to an increase in our burgeoning mosquito population. Finally, as 30 soemthing adults it was generally frowned upon by our parents and others because we couldn’t hold a proper barbecue or patio dinner with such a mess in the back. So… finally, now that we’ve decided to focus our moutain biking efforts on downhilling, we are flattening the back yard and putting in a real adult lawn and deck. (I do get to have a horseshoe pit, though which is pretty super). This means disassembeling wooden ramps, filling in some very large holes, removing rock supports and a whole lot of digging. We’ve felled a tree and are ready to rototill and pickup topsoil, then plant grass seed. Seed can really only be planted in the fall or spring and with the weather so hot we are really falling behind in getting this all done. If that weren’t enough we’ve got taxes, Easter and lots of family birthdays… and well, maybe some time to spend to ourselves doing other thigns like maybe eating, sleeping, or even saying hello to each other…sheesh! To dig the hole even deeper, litteraly and figuratively, I it’s also time for the annual moving of the plants in my front yard and mulching. I landscaped my front lawn because it’s better for the environment and local wildlife for a variety of reasons, but it is also very draining on my personal scheudule and my pockets. I’ve even taken a vacation day from work trying to get caught up on my gardening nightmares and I’m still falling behind. I’ve been shoveling, separating and transplanting all week. This weekend I’ll be digging, moving, mulching and weeding. If you see me unconscious in the garden, I’m likely just exhausted and please feel free to revive me with coffee. Don’t even get me started on herb and vegetable gardening that needs to be started immediately… So far this entire year seems accelerated by the crazy climate in Baltimore and what I really want to know is, “Hey! What happened to my Spring!?!” Help…
Threadbanger How-To: Spring Skirt from Old Dress Shirt Sleeves
That’s right, you read that title right. Take some old cotton dress shirts from your friend, father, or significant other, cut off the sleeves and make a really cool spring skirt with cute button embellishments. I’m planning on whipping myself up one shortly. I’m thinking I could also grab some corduroy or flannel shirts for some fall/winter wear skirts layered over tights; oh the possibilities. Thanks to Threadbanger and Brooksie of Haute Stew for this awesome refashion tutorial! I’ll post pictures of mine once I have it finished; if you make one comment and let me know how it turns out.
Refashioned T-Shirt Gauchos Tutorial
In Megan Nicolay’s newest book titled Generation T: Beyond Fashion: 120 New Ways to Transform a T-shirt
Here’s how DIY:
1. gather 3 tshirts (l or xl), chalk marker, ruler, scissors, pins, needle thread and Megan’s book.
2. Turn your shirts inside out and cut two of the shirts into 15″ wide rectangles that extend through the bottom seam.
3. lay all four pieces together and cut off the bottom seams.
4. separate into two pairs of rectangles and pin along one side of each to create the legs of the gauchos.
5. Lay the pinned legs together and draw a gentle arc on each side to form the crotch of the gauchos about a 1/4″ from the edge and extending about 2″ long. Cut along the chalk line to finish shaping legs.
6. Open the panels and place them design side together, matching the curved edges and lining up the seams. Pin and sew with at least a 1/4″ seam allowance.
7. Use the third shirt to cut 2″ wide tubes of fabric from the bottom, just above the seam to create the waistband ties.
8. pin to the tops of the pants with an even amount of fabric hanging off both sides of the pants and sew on.
9. Turn your pants inside right and rock out! To wear, start in the front or back and tie the first panel around your waist like an apron. Pull the other panel up and tie to overlap. Now go show everyone how awesome your new pants are.
If you don’t want to make these pants yourself, pick up a pair in my Etsy shop. If you don’t see the ones you want, just convo me with your measurements and color preferences I’ll make them to order.
