Sweet Potato Muffins

I'm heading off to Korea and Japan for a work trip. Blog posts may be spotty, so I hope this will keep you satisfied for a bit.

I made this a few days ago for breakfast -- Sweet Potato MuffinS!!!!!!
It was gonna be carrot cake, but I decided to sub sweet potato for carrots and a banana for the 2 eggs. Why not go vegan when you can? It was so good and moist and sweet. I cut the sugar down in the recipe because of the sweet fruit/veg. I recommend this.

2 cups white whole-wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon (I like 2 tsp)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 banana
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup canola oil
1/4 cup orange juice
1 1/2 cups chopped or mashed sweet potato (I steam mine in the microwave for 5 minutes, then dice -- 1 big one will work)
1. Preheat oven to 350. Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners. Combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl; whisk until blended. In a separate bowl, mash banana and sugar with a wooden spoon or fork. Add oil and orange juice, then combine with flour mixture. Fold in sweet potato.
2. Divide batter among prepared liners(each about 3/4 full). Bake 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.

Running and Ring

What is new...?
I need to brag a bit.
I'm wholly committed to my hobbies and give as much time to them as I can. I am big on setting goals and NOT quitting them. I just have to share with you that I have run 200 miles this year. My goal for this year was to run 500 miles and bike 500 miles this year. Getting a bit behind on the biking is no big deal (I'm at 175YTD). I can make up 20 or 30 miles in a weekend if I need to, but not with running. I have to stay committed and present each week. Show up and do the work. Log the time, log the miles.
WOW. 200 miles. It's been 5 months, but I have run 200 miles. That is cool.

Also, I made this ring. Also cool.

Made By Me: Blue jacket

New jacket. Blue Jacket. Vintage pattern, number 2 jacket. Another challenging project. Getting the right fit and getting everything to lay right is the hard part. I also added a small collar which was not in the pattern. I don't "love" it. It's alright. It's my own fault for making two light-weight, unlined jackets (a gray one from a few months ago). I think if I line them and use a heavier fabric, I'll have better results. Jackets need some weight.  But will I wear it? It's so warm out here in SoCal; I like to keep the fabrics light...
I have one more jacket project lined up... I'll keep you posted...
Have a great weekend.
Happy styling.

Vintage buttons - i LOVE them. I made a ring to match. :)

Derby Day

It was recently Derby Day at the Santa Anita Race Track and I went to see the races and enjoy a day of dress-up with my gal-pals. It was fun to see the horses and make a fancy hat for the day. Vintage cap hat (dark pink velvet - from the 40's) embellished with lots of tulle and flower pins.  I was considering adding some tall feathers for a bit of a fascinator -- maybe next time. :)

Happy crafting...

Vegan Mango BBQ Beans & Garden Salad

Delicious Dish! And Healthy too!
Mango BBQ Beans, recipe from Appetite For Reduction.

I haven't posted about food in a while. We ate this delicious "chili" over rice and had corn bread on the side. I also left out the red pepper flakes and added just a bit of chili powder. I wanted it mild (I prefer spicy, but my family doesn't :(
This has fantastic flavor -- make it ASAP!!

As for other veggie delights... Our garden is struggling. Cucumber and zucchini just did not take off, but our lettuce and potatoes did. And you'll see we have some sad looking broccoli and a bunch of uninvited mushrooms growing in there. How is your garden doing?

Home-grown lettuce

Form the garden to the table in just minutes!

Stripes and Flowers

Stripes are amazing. Right up there with polka dots! Well, that may be pushing it too far. Think of stripes as a neutral to be mixed with all kinds of prints. I wasn't sure about this outfit. A bit "weekend birthday party" to wear to work. But it felt so fun I just had to do it. I felt fabulous all day. Isn't that the point of dressing up? To lift the spirits and feel fancy? I think so.

Petticoat! JPGautier for Target skirt - Love it! H&M shirt.