Good Taste: quinoa tomato salad bites

A few months ago I tried quinoa and really enjoyed it. You can see my quinoa pilaf post here and read all about the background and health benefits of quinoa. I’m experimenting with a few quinoa recipes and came up with a version of quinoa salad.



Little quinoa stuffed tomato salad bites. Don’t they look yummy? Here’s how I made them.



Start with cherry tomatoes. If you planted tomatoes a few months ago, you most likely have bushels of tomatoes right now. Slice off the tops and scoop out the seeds and pulp.



Make the quinoa according to the package directions and let cool. Add chopped basil and corn to the quinoa.



In a small bowl mix olive oil, lime juice, white wine vinegar, cumin and pepper. Add the the dressing to the quinoa mixture and gently stuff your tomatoes.

Tasty, refreshing and loaded with good stuff. 

You can download a copy of the recipe here.

Use up that tomato harvest and whip up a batch for your next summer gathering! Yum!

Thanks for visiting.

Carolyn

I link at the wonderful parties listed here 

Dress Code: back to school with famous footwear

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Famous Footwear for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

It’s back-to-school time and that means lists and shopping! Between school supplies and clothes back-to-school costs can start adding up quickly. Seriously, I just had to buy my son a calculator that cost a small fortune not to mention how quickly he outgrows his clothes and shoes.

So I’m always on the lookout for a sale or good deal.

That’s why I wanted to pass on this opportunity to you. Have you heard of Famous Footwear? They have hundreds of brand name shoes and thousands of styles. You can shop conveniently at their stores or online at www.famous.com. Right now, Famous Footwear is offering –  BOGO + 15% off Famous Footwear Coupon.

What’s BOGO? It’s Buy One, Get One Half Off. I love it!

   

Check out these cute young girl shoes.

  

Or is you have a boy…

Teenage girl or young lady? These nude pumps are all the rage these days. And fun platforms are always in style.

And, If you join the FREE Rewards Program, you can earn 1 point for every $1 you spend in-store or online and accumulate points to earn certificates up to $100 a year.

 

And with all that savings, I can BOGO these cute sandals for myself!

Thanks for visiting.

Carolyn

The Inspiration Board: link party spotlight ~61~

Happy Friday everyone. I want to thank you so much for sharing your projects on the Inspiration Board this week. There were so many pretty things. It’s always hard to pick the features but here are a few that caught my eye.


Enjoy and I’ll see you on Monday!

 
A pretty and whimsical Mad Tea Party by Meeha Meeha. So many fun elements – a cheshire cat, toadstools, cupcake toppers and darling tea cups. What a wonderful setting for a classic story.

 
Speaking of tea, I love this clean and simple stenciled mug by Our Mini Family. What makes it stand out is the hashtag. Do you Tweet and use hashtags? I do - #ilovethismug!


Two really unique mobiles. {left} Hanging Stars light fixture by Max and Me.  {right} Bicycle Wheel Paper Airplane Mobile by Love Grows Wild.


 

Grow Creative made some unique business cards for her shop. Each is different using splashes of watercolor. These have me wanting to break out my watercolors and brushes.

 

I have to confess, my son’s growth chart is marked with pencil on the back of a door – not very practical if we ever move. Cupcakes and Crinoline made the cutest oversized wooden ruler growth chart. How fun!



Yummy quesadillas by Oh My Creative. Goat cheese, chicken and corn salsa turns a typical snack item into a real meal.



I never get tired of the nautical look and I love these faux lobster buoys by Miss Kopy Kat. Hobby Lobby clearance items are transformed into these pretty décor items.


 

The inner-little-girl in me is always fascinated with fairy gardens. Our Broken Road created a magical fairy garden. This is just one of the detail shots – click over for all the fun elements.



A little fabric origami box by Creating my way to Success. What a great way to use a small piece of fabric – especially a classic like the light blue gingham with cherries.





What is cuter than little girl dresses? Baby tootsies! I loved this project when I saw the first photo but it’s even cuter on the little model {those tootsies!!}. Pillowcase dress by Shabby Gals.

This week on the Inspiration Pinboard

White, blush and buttery cream colors

Clockwise from top left:  

Creamy Orange Dream Pie – Busy Mom Helper    |    Old Crate Floral Arrangement – Design Dining and Diapers    |    Tool Holder – Monster Circus    |    Tray Transformation – Design Dining and Diapers    |    Fern Stand Table – Forever Decorating

 

If you were in the spotlight, please feel free to grab a button.

<a href=" http://carolynshomework.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img alt="homework" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoXKM4yQr9oUN7GwFux5BITknFYg1so-bdRvyvaBjWBTFrjlH943I7g401-x4gi3eWzlMzyZJjiZUszNBy3GpPcUkBQg_zNqqFY7fpE7ASpwP3nnNI250E6lTch-PcLFuJQzEqyDRYK4Yg/s1600/Featured+Button.jpg" height="125" width="125"/></a>

Thank you again to everyone who linked a project and to everyone who came to visit. I loved looking at all the projects and visiting your sites.

Carolyn

Sew and Tell: rag rug pillow

This rag rug pillow was so easy to make and it turned out so bright and cheery!

Before you get too impressed, I didn’t make the rag rugs. I bought them at the dollar store. But I did put them together to make the pillow.



The colors are bright and vibrant and the fabric is soft t-shirt material. I’m not sure how long these would hold up if they were actually used as a rug but they should be fine for pillows.



I bought two rugs and with the wrong sides together (right sides out) I hand stitched the top and bottom together. The fringed edges were very loosely stitched and needed reinforcement. I used my sewing machine to close up one side and left the other side open to stuff the pillow. Once stuffed, I pinned the final edge and sewed it closed. Super easy!


My teenage son has decided that a whole bunch of these would look good on his bed. He has a daybed and piles of these pillows would be great for reclining. Teenagers love to recline on unmade beds with piles of pillows.


Anyway, I thought it would be fun to redecorate his room on a mood board. Navy blue bedding with piles of the rag rug pillows and a few accent pieces. Fun!

It would be nice to be able to just go out and buy all new things whenever the urge to redecorate hit. It’s also fun and challenging to recreate these looks on a budget.

• The rag rug pillows will only cost a few dollars each.
• The clock can easily be made with an existing clock and spray painted paint sticks or dowels or even craft paper rolled into a cone.
• The pendant lamp can be made with an upcycled lamp and spray paint or fabric.
• The blue table – a thrift store or existing piece spray painted.
• The yellow ottoman can be made from a thrift store purchase and new fabric and stuffing.
• The orange frame is an easy project using a dollar store frame and craft paint or spray paint.
• Baskets, vases and other knick knacks can be found on clearance at big chain stores or at dollar stores.

The first step is to start making that pile of pillows.

Thanks for visiting.

Carolyn

I link at the wonderful parties listed here and 

 

Etceteras: the spotted canary

I received the most intriguing package the other day. This spotted feather was sticking out of a kraft folder.

The spotted feather {quill} was accompanied by a bottle of black ink. 

And a fun mug and spoon. 

The package was from The Spotted Canary. Have you heard of this site? It’s sponsored by EK Success Brands – you may know some of their products - K&Company^TM ,  Dimensions®, Jolee’s Boutique®, Martha Stewart Crafts^TM and more.
 
The Spotted Canary is a fun site and it just got even better. Besides being a social community dedicated to crafting, you can now find how-to classes, craft supplies to purchase and over 7000 projects that include tips and techniques.

You can upload your own projects to share and even enter contests to win fun crafty prizes!




One of the projects on the Spotted Canary that caught my eye was this batik print pillow using stampers. I love the pretty blue ink used for this project.

Of course, there’s all kinds of paper goodies and paper inspiration. 

The Spotted Canary already has over 36,000 members, so I’m eager to start sharing some of my projects with this community. Maybe I’ll see you over there.

Thanks for visiting.

Carolyn

See my full disclosure.