We got a chance to see Coraline the other night before it left theaters. It’s such an amazing movie, we saw it in 3d which made it even more amazing. In a time when most animated movies are created in c-gi , it’s nice to see puppets, miniatures and stop motion put into action to create a stunning movie!
Check out the video below, awesome and inspiring!
I have a new recipe for you today! I get so tired of spending so much money on prepackage food. Besides having to spend so much on such a small amount of food, you really can’t be that sure of what all is in it. There are some Southwest Rice Patties that I really like from Morning Star brand, but a package cost $4.99 for 4 patties! I much prefer making up food from scratch at home…it really is less expensive and I know exactly what is in my food. Most of these ingredients are ones that I keep on hand in the pantry anyway.
~Southwest Black Bean Patties~
1 cup brown rice
2 cups chicken stock…I like to make my own and keep it in the freezer
1Tbs Olive Oil, plus more for cooking up the patties later
1/2 of 1 small onion, diced
1 Large clove garlic, minced
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
3-4 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp. chili powder
dash of cinnamon
salt & pepper to taste
1/2 can corn with chilis, drained
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1 beaten egg……this is used for a binder, vegans if you know of something else that could be used, please let us know. 🙂
Heat 2 cups of stock with brown rice until boiling. Once boiling, cover and turn down heat to low and cook for 25-30 minutes depending on your rice. When cooked, fluff and turn out into a large bowl to cool.
Next: Heat olive oil in a frying pan on med/low heat, add onions and cook til transparent, about 3 minutes. Add garlic, black beans and spices, mix well and cook for a few minutes. Add corn and salt & pepper to taste.
Mix all together and add to cooling rice. Let set for just a few minutes to cool further. Mix in your bread crumbs and beaten egg.
Form with damp hands into patties. This recipe will make 11-12 patties.
Cook these a few at a time, for a few minutes on each side, until golden brown.
We like to eat these on warmed wheat tortillas with fresh spinach, cheese, sour cream and salsa. 1 to 1/2 patties per person is plenty for a satisfying dinner.
You could serve these anyway that sounds good to you! Avocado on these is delicious!
There are so many other possibilities for this once you have the basics of this recipe. It all depends on what you want. Another plus of this recipe is that it really didn’t cost that much to make. It cost under $4.00 and made enough patties that we were able to freeze 8 patties after feeding the 2 of us. Now we have an easy go to dinner ready to heat up in a pan any night of the week.
Now, for one more southwest flavor today…There is a turquoise jackalope feltidermy in the shop today!
Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!
This is another animal I saw at the Field Museum. 
The spring hare resembles a tiny kangaroo with long powerful back legs. It is actually neither a kangaroo nor a hare but in fact a rodent. The spring hare lives only in south-eastern Africa, feeding on plant matter and even occasionally insects. Spring hares are hunted to a degree for their meat and sometimes culled to protect crops and are also at risk from habitat loss.
Here is my feltidermy version of a spring hare, you can find it in my Etsy shop.
I love how his paws really make it look like he is up to no good! Maybe he is plotting evil plans to overthrow all the hunters!
Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!
I created this guy after seeing a Suni at the Field Museum. The Suni is a very small species of antelope or dwarf antelope. It is found in south-east Africa in dense underbrush. Suni are around 12-17 inches high at the shoulder and weigh 10-12 pounds. You can find this feltidermy in my Etsy shop.
This is the example I saw at the museum.
Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!
Last weekend we went to the Chicago Field Museum just for fun. Although I grew up just hours from Chicago, I had never been there before. It really is an amazing place to go! We only had a few hours there, but I could have spent the whole day.
They have Sue, the world’s largest, most complete and most famous T. rex! There is also a collection of other dinosaurs up on the second floor. We only got to spend a few minutes up there, so we will have to go back. Next time my nephews need to come with!
We got delayed finding the dinosaurs when the Mr and I wandered off into the Nature Walk. I could have spent our entire time at the museum in just this exhibit! The most amazing collection of taxidermy animals that I have ever seen! It does make me sad to see all of these beautiful creatures there behind glass. I tried to keep my head in a Night at the Museum frame of mind, imagining that they all come back to life every night.
I was in awe the whole time at there sizes, beauty and oh just the different examples of antlers and horns had me almost speechless. Next time I will definitely need a notebook. There were so many great examples that I want to make feltidermy of and was sure I would remember the names…Of course now I can only remember a few. I also forgot to take Chippy Protoype with me, so next time he’ll have to go to!
Speaking of feltidermy there is a new one in the shop today! Bunny Rabbit 32 Feltidermy.
Thanks for stopping by, I hope you have a great weekend!
Now that it’s February and that means Valentines Day is not far off!
This is Smooches the Tiny Valentine Bunny, you can find her in my shop! She loves to kiss and cuddle, that’s why she is perfect for Valentines Day! Need a gift for your sweetie? How about the perfect hint for your crush? Smooches would love to help spread the love!
I was browsing through the pages of Etsy yesterday looking for a Valentines themed treasury. I haven’t had much luck in snagging a treasury lately, so I thought I would share them with you. First is this set of buttons from buttonempire, I had to get a set for myself and the Mr. Just too perfect for the crafty girl and her geek!
The Dynamic Duo-1 Inch Buttons For Married Cool People, they also come in magnet form!
Maybe you are looking for something sweet for your sweetie or even just for yourself! The XOXOXO Hug and Kiss Cookie Collection from whippedbakeshop would be perfect! I think they would be fun to take into the office and share with your co-workers for a pre-Valentines snack too!
Last but not least, it is February, so it is still cold out there!
I love these Hand Knit Eco-Friendly Valentine Chocolate Handwarmers from KnitsbyJess! What a great way to show your love to any girl in your life…or yourself!
I know Valentines Day was one of those holidays created by a big company to sell greeting cards. Some people even like to boycott the day because of that, instead why don’t you check out the selection on Etsy and support handmade!
Thanks for stopping by and have fun!
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