Bind & CrEATe

I have a different way of making meals than most. Since I live by myself, it’s easy to make an entree or two that will stretch through the entire week. I also don’t like cooking after work. By the time I get home I’m usually exhausted (from work) and hungry (from running), and I don’t want to wait an hour for dinner. So, I typically make one or two dishes sometime early in the week, hoping it will last me throughout a few days.

Last night, during the thunderstorm, I made one of my favorite Skinny Taste recipes: Turkey and Black Bean Enchiladas. I had a can of enchilada sauce on hand, so I used that instead of making my own. That made the process so much easier, and the result was this cheesy goodness:

Though I don’t like the name “Skinny Taste,” (I’m not a fan of the word “skinny” in almost any context – including jeans) I do really love her recipes. They are easy to follow, and the nutrition facts are right there. Plus, her enchiladas are usually very filling – especially after a workout.

For some lighter fare, I made a recipe I’d pinned some while back: Tofu and Wild Rice Salad. I splurged on a jar of coconut oil, and boy was I glad. This tofu cooked up so sweetly. The mix of the soy sauce + onions + orange for the dressing was a win. I didn’t have miso on hand, so I just used soy sauce and added a bit of salt (apparently miso is very salty).

I mixed this with some wild rice, too.

It’s so much easier to be healthy when you actually have solid options to choose from. Am I right?

Last night was our monthly ladies craft night, and I decided to put a little more spring into my home. I’m no exception to the complaining about cold-weather-in-march thing; we all just want the chill to lift already. I figure if we will it to happen, it just may.

I gleamed inspiration for the banner from this blog. I didn’t use felt balls like her but instead decided to create little flags out of fabric I’ve had since Christmas last year. The banner has a more earthly feel and isn’t entirely bright like spring, but I think it looks perfect in my home. I cut these into triangles and secured them with a small round of tape. You could use hot glue, too, but it was late, and I wanted to be done.

I grabbed an old newspaper from the office and used that to cut out my letters, similar to the blog linked above. The one thing I didn’t consider: part of my fireplace is an off-white. Therefore, the letters weren’t as clear as I’d wanted. I adhered some brown fabric to the fireplace, giving it the allusion of a bigger opening. Next time, I’ll remember to use colored letters.

I’m quite pleased with the way this simple project worked out, and I intend on changing the banner seasonally. Let’s just hope the cat doesn’t see it as a string-city free for all.

Recently, I purposefully placed my camera in the center of my coffee table. The idea was that if I saw the camera again, perhaps I would pick it up, snap a shot. That I wouldn’t be afraid of documentation anymore. That, quite simply, I could just relearn how to capture a moment again.

This morning, Scone jumped onto the back of the couch and was staring out the window. I tried photographing this peacefulness, but the sun was too bright, and he ended up blurry and dark. Discouraged, I leaned back into the couch and thought: I’ll take a picture of something else later. And then I just looked at my space.

I thought about what this room once looked like and how it’s evolved over three years. The people who’ve sat here. The moments we’ve had. The people who lived here before me. How they spent a Saturday morning.

And I took a picture. Because I wanted to remember what this space looked like when it was just me living here.

In recent months, I’ve changed much about this room.

I bought an orange coffee table.

I fell in love with a circular carpet design.

I bought pillows that, for the life of me, will never sit right on a leather couch.

I’ve pulled the TV close, so I’m able to see my workouts from the dining room.

I didn’t touch a thing before taking this photograph. Afterwards, I thought Shoot… you can see the air freshener on the floor, the extra papers on the coffee table, the knitting bag from last night’s crafting session.

But this is just real life.

And this is what real life looks like to me on a quiet Saturday morning in January.

Right now I’m a little on the obsessive side about food. But this is a good thing. It’s not the measure-everything-out and restrict-yourself method. Instead, it’s an awakening in terms of what fuels these limbs.

[Veggie bowl with wilted spinach, 1/2 black beans in olive oil, 1/2 Jennie O Turkey Burger, lots of spices including my favorite right now: cumin]

I’ve been hard on myself over the past few months in terms of eating, and it has resulted in a strange cycle of eating diet and processed foods. It was almost as if I was transplanted back to 2004, when I knew very little about food and just wanted to “lose weight.” Over time, I saw that it just wasn’t working. I lost a bit of weight, but overall I felt pretty crappy. I was tired, sluggish, and easily getting sick. I just didn’t feel like myself.

But something shifted last week. I became more mindful. I looked at the foods lining my cabinet, and I was unhappy with the selections. I thought about all the fresh fruits I hadn’t been eating – and went directly to the store. I remembered the energy I used to channel (both physically and mentally) from cooking right after arriving home from work. I remembered how alive I used to feel when I would research foods and figure out the healthiest way to fuel my body.

So now, I’m trying to follow a more clean style of living. I’m sure I will falter. I’m human. I’m sure there will be days when I wake up and eat cheese sticks and a slice of pizza. My hope, however, is that those days are few. And instead of beating myself up when that happens, I’d like to think about the days I have eaten well. If those days outnumber the “bad,” then I should be just fine.

Art has been found in many parts of my life. This year, I want to focus on trying new crafts, extending my talents beyond bookmaking. I will make a craft a month, any type is allowed. Some months I will make more than one craft or piece of art. Those will be listed beneath the photograph.

Click on the image below to read about the craft of the month. To read all of the posts in succession, click here.

Other January crafts: word of the year painting, valentines with secret pockets

In July, I made this stained glass lamp.