Coolest Husband: Update

     As I've said before, I may or may not be slightly biased, but I think my husband has picked up some pretty cool hobbies. Ones that he's good at, people like, and he enjoys doing!

     My previous post was mostly about his leather endeavors. Since then, I've managed to snap some photos of some of the chains he's been working on.

     These are two of his completed wallet chains.

     And this is one of the completed bracelets. I need to take some pictures of the other one to share.

     This is his finished leather piece, and his artistic setup to showcase his chains and artwork.

 

     Some exciting news! He now has his very own Etsy shop, and just had his first sale! I am proud of him for putting himself out there and for realizing that what he does is awesome. Check out his shop here!

 

My Husband Is Cooler Than Your Husband

     My husband has always felt like he wasn't the "creative" type. He's an extreme perfectionist, and if he tries to make something and it's not perfect on the first try he will give it up. Or get mad. Or throw it away....

     Recently, he's discovered his love for making wallet chains, chainmaille, and creating with leather. He's a man with very expensive taste (he may or may not have bought a custom wallet made just for him and spent a pretty penny on it). So of course, I should have known that he would pick hobbies that 1. have expensive materials and 2. could create expensive products. 

     Chainmaille is a time consuming, slow process, that I personally have zero patience for. This has been a perfect project for his busy mind because it gives him something to focus on and he gets lost in a project like this for hours.

     He claims that he can't draw either, but he is way better at using something as inspiration/reference and rolling with it in his own way. I am better at copying something exactly the way it is.

     The first step in his leather process is to draw the image out, and then trace it with wax paper. He then uses the wax paper as a template to transfer the design to the leather.

     Here he is surrounded by his creative disaster. He's also quite messy when he makes things. Organized, but messy.

      This piece was a drawing he drew up for a potential tattoo idea, and he ended up using part of it on the leather.

     This was his first finished piece, and he literally was just winging it when he started. I don't have the eye like he does for the shading and what not. It's completely rad if you ask me. But, I may be a little biased. 

     This is his current piece. His work in progress. And it's going to be sweet. But, again, I might be biased.

     And finally, this is my sad, rushed attempt at making a feather on leather. I think I'll leave the leather working to the Husband.

     If you're interested in chatting with him about wallet chains, chainmaille, or leather, you can contact him here!

Smothered Burrito (With A Twist) Recipe

     Meals like today make me believe that I could be vegan. I mean. If I had to.

     Meet the Sweet Potato Smothered Burrito aka Whip Up Something With Whatever Is Lying Around…er…Burrito.

Sorry for the ONE horrible picture. I didn't think about taking photos until I was in the middle of eating it!

    

My husband and I are big Mexican food fans. I could live off of Mexican food for life. I am part Mexican, and clearly got the I-Love-Mexican-Food gene.

So… anyway, on to the burrito!

     I just got home from a walk, and when that happens I tend to want to carry on the semi-healthy moment I’ve got going on.
     I jumped in bed next to my video game playing husband, and began to rattle off all the food that is in the house (it’s about time for a trip to the grocery store I think). The meal was originally going to be sweet potato and eggs in a tortilla. But it quickly escalated to a delicious smothered burrito! 

I used:

1 can of tri-blend beans
1 can of refried beans
1 can of green chili enchilada sauce
1 cup of white rice
2 sweet potatoes (cut in to bite size pieces)
A handful of baby spinach
Seasonings to taste (I used cumin, salt, pepper, garlic and chipotle chile spice)
Garnishes of your choice (I used sour cream, cheese and taco sauce). Obviously not vegan with my cheese and what not. Cilantro would be amazing!

     I brought a pot of water to a boil, and dropped in my sweet potatoes, cut in to bit size pieces and let it boil for about 10 minutes or so. Just long enough so that they’re mostly soft (I then drained and put them in a pan to get a little bit of a crisp on them while they finished cooking).

     While the potatoes were boiling, a got my water ready for my instant white rice (in the future, I would use brown rice or quinoa). After it was done cooking I added the seasonings to the rice.

     I added the boiled potatoes to a pan with some oil, and added the seasonings to taste. I like food that’s a little spicier, so I may have gone a bit overboard with the chipotle. After they browned a little bit, I tossed in my can of tri-blend beans, and continued cooking until everything was heated. I then heated up the refried beans and the enchilada sauce while the potato/bean mixture was warming.

     I then got my tortilla, spread out a bit of the potato/bean mixture, scooped on some rice, added some spinach leaves and then taco sauce. I wrapped it up and smeared some of the refried beans over the top, then drizzled on the enchilada sauce, put on a dollop of sour cream, and topped it off with some cheese.

     You’d never know there wasn’t meat in this! It was so filling, and I’ve found that sweet potato can easily take the place of meat when seasoned correctly (one of my all time favorite foods because of it’s taste and versatility).

     So there you have it! Our take on the Smothered Burrito, from our home to yours. 

                            Happy cooking!

DIY Deodorant

      The past few months, I've been inspired to really take this year to live cleaner and healthier. I, in no way, have this perfected and have a long way to go before I've reached where I want to be. Ideally, I would like to be able to make my own makeup, shower products, etc for a cleaner, healthier me.

     My first step, was cutting out deodorant. I know. Ew. But, it's been brought to my attention again and again how terrible the ingredients in deodorants and antiperspirants are, and I know I could go to the nearest Trader Joe's or whatnot and probably pick up a natural choice, but being the DIYer that I am, I wanted to make my own (run on sentence much?).

     So! Here is my shot at my own deodorant. 

     Grab a cute little jar, and make some for yourself. It's seriously so easy, and most of you probably have these ingredients around your house already.

     Are you ready for the secret recipe? Here it is! 

1 Tablespoon Baking Soda
6 Tablespoons Corn Starch

Scoop in to your cute little jar, and give it a good shake. And bam! Your very own homemade deodorant. It's that simple.

     I apply mine with a cotton pad, but you can use cotton balls, your fingers, what ever floats your boat. It's inexpensive, and you're not polluting your body with aluminum and other unwanted materials. 

     I found the recipe on the Frugal Ain't Cheap Blog. Please check out her experience of this deodorant! 
     I have been using it for two days, and I definitely have a...natural...scent. BUT it's not strong, and I spent most of the day outside in the California sun and I can't really smell myself unless I am trying to smell myself. 

     I might try adding another scoop of baking soda in a day or two to see if that helps. The original source talks about having a natural "funky" smell, that will eventually go away as your body detoxes after the years of deodorant use. Fingers crossed that it works! One woman commented and suggested putting a few drops of lavender or other oil on a rag and putting it in the jar so the powders take on the scent. Might be worth a try! 

     What are some healthy changes you want to make in your life this year?