Princess Leia (A New Hope) Costume

Written by Tiana November 2012

I created this costume for May the Fourth 2012. I was able to get really good pictures of the costume worn in the movie from the Padawan's Guide. I also followed this tutorial. I thought about making a costume for May the Fourth about a week before, and by the time I made the pattern and found fabric it was two or three days before May the Fourth. Needless to say I was able to finish it in about two days. The whole costume is not officially completed because I don't have white boots and I still need to make the belt. Hopefully I'll get to make the belt soon and be able to find some white boots.

 

 

 

On May the Fourth we celebrated by making Blue Milk, dressing up, and watching Star Wars. It was indeed a fun day, and I plan on doing it again next year!

Paleo No-Bake Carrot Cake

Written by Sereina April 19, 2013

I only remember having carrot cake a few time in my life, but for the past year I've been wanting to make one. It had been a long time and I still hadn't made it, so now that I'm dairy-free and not eating sugar I decided to look for a Paleo recipe. I found this on on Google and it is so good! It wasn't till I made it that I realized it was a no-bake recipe. There's no flour and it's sweetened with dates. And the frosting on it? It's made with cashews, yet it tastes so good.

Paleo No-Bake Carrot Cake
via Betty Rawker

Ingredients:

1 cup grated carrot

1 cup raw walnuts

1 cup (about 9) medjool dates, pitted

1 cup shredded coconut
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon Chinese Five Spice seasoning

1/3 cup walnuts, chopped (optional)

Frosting:
1 cup raw cashews
2 tablespoons maple syrup or honey
2 tablespoons coconut oil
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 tablespoon water
pinch of salt

Directions:

1. Put the carrots in a Vitamix for food processor and mix until shredded. Scoop into a large bowl.

2. Puree 1 cup walnuts in the Vitamix for food processor  Add in mejool dates and then blend into a paste. Add to the bowl with the grated carrots.

3. Add the shredded coconut and stir/mash until combined.  Then add the vanilla, five spice, and walnuts, if using them. Mix until well incorporated.

4. Shape the carrot cake with your hands onto a plate. Chill in the fridge for a minimum of 1 hour.

5. Blend all of the frosting ingredients together in the Vitamix for food processor until smooth and combined. Add more water if needed. Chill in the fridge until the cake is done, then frost the cake.

Sereina Bakes Paleo Snickerdoodles

Written By Sereina April 17:

These cookies don't taste exactly like regular sinckerdoodles, but they're still really good! With the texture, we decided that they're like donut holes. They're really easy to make and the hardest part is letting them chill in the fridge for an hour. The nutmeg almost makes them taste like eggnog, so they'll be really good for the Christmas season too. Recipe found here.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups of almond meal
• 1 tbs of coconut flour
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup of honey
• 1/4 cup of melted coconut oil
• 1 tsp of vanilla
• 1/2 tsp of cinnamon + extra for rolling dough in
• 1/2 tsp of nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp of baking soda
• 1/4 tsp of sea salt

Directions:

1. Combine all the ingredients together in a bowl and mix well.
2. Cover the cookie dough and place in the fridge to chill for one hour.
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
4. Roll the cookies into small balls and coat in cinnamon.
5. Use the bottom of a cup or jar to flatten them out.
6. Place cookies on a parchment lined cookie sheet and bake for 10 minutes.

Inside the Capital Building

Written by Sereina February 9, 2013

Yesterday, for the first time in my life, I went inside the capital building in Olympia. I've lived in Washington my whole life and it only took me nearly 19 years to visit it. :P

 

There are several really big and fancy chandeliers. 

Hangin' out in the main area.

All the doors inside had George Washington door knobs. Pretty cool.

Some more chandeliers.