The Low Carb Diet + Mini Ants on a Log

So, recently my family tried out a low carb diet for a couple days. I never realized just how many carbs Americans eat in one day until I was having to cut carbs. Goodbye toast, cereal, bagels, and muffins for breakfast. Zero sandwiches, tortillas, or chips for lunch. Don't even think about hamburgers, hot dogs, or pasta for dinner. Plus, no cookies, or desserts, or crackers. So, during these few days, I've learned a lot about the low carb world. Plus, I've found lots of good things to eat instead. There's a sure to please recipe at the end.

First off, I learned that while there is a lot you can't eat on this diet, there is also a whole world of food that you never thought about eating. Google "Low carb recipes/snacks/desserts/sweets/etc." and a plethora of results will appear. You can substitute these for the foods you shouldn't be eating.

• Breakfast: Instead of pop-tarts, cereal, or toast, my family was eating eggs. We had them scrambled, fried, and poached. My favorite way was actually fried, with lettuce, shredded cheese, and salsa. I also ate berries with cream and walnuts, which was super good. The idea is to eat lots of fruits and vegetables with your meal, and use those carbs to replace the ones from bread and crackers and stuff. 
• Lunch: So, no PB&J sandwich, but a salad is always good too. Either vegetable or fruit salad. If you're looking to add meat, chicken is a good option. You could also have a tuna or egg salad as well.
• Snacks: Chips are definitely off the menu for the low carb diet, but here's the good news: Pepperoni chips. Need I say more? 
• Dinner: Chicken and fish are probably your best bet for avoiding carbs during dinner (since beef and pork usually need buns or bread to go with). You could also have soup, or a fancy salad. Really, run wild with ideas!
• Dessert: Go, do your own research on google. 
• Eating out: Almost every restaurant offers salads. I went out to eat with my best friend, and was so disappointed to be eating a chicken salad at a Mexican restaurant, instead of tacos. But, it was actually really good! I might even order that salad again when I'm not on the diet. Simply put, I got a nice surprise that got me out of feeling sorry for myself. 

The low carb diet isn't always fun. I was hungry all the time at first, but some of that feeling was just my body wanting what it usually had. I craved everything carb-y at the beginning. But, your body will start to crave whatever you feed it. So, don't give up. I would definitely encourage you to try the diet, just to see what changes your body will start making. I have definitely been sleeping better with this diet, and should I try it for longer, I will probably start seeing a lot more changes in energy, focus, and memory. For more information on low carb diets and their benefits, go to a library or something. Now, on to the recipe!

Mini Ants-on-a-Log

Don't try to hide your delight that your childhood favorite just make a comeback. Now, you don't even have to worry about the strings in the celery since it's in bite sized pieces. Maybe they should just serve these at dinner parties for appetizers, they look so nice. It was the perfect snack for me on my low carb diet, and will be for you, any time. Try to control yourself.

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                                                             Makes a bunch of Log Bites
You will need:
     - Peanut/Sunfower/Cashew/Soy Butter
     - 1 stalk of celery
     - Raisins

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1. Rinse off your celery, chop off the leafy part, as well as the other end. Slice celery into "coins" about 1/2 an inch thick, or slightly thicker. 
2. Spread a dollop of your nut butter on each piece of celery. 
3. Put a raisin on each piece. 
4. Eat. 
5. Repeat. 

See you soon!

Christina

Easter Kitty Bow Tie

Wow, maybe it's just me, but the Easter Season is whizzing past (but it could be that 10 seconds after Valentines Day ended the chicks and bunnies went out in stores). Anyways, Easter is one of my favorite times of the year. The weather is great (usually) and you get to go shopping for your Easter best. The whole family gets decked out, so why shouldn't your cat? I suppose this could work for a dog too! A spiffy kitty bow tie should do the trick! My cat Mosie is my model. He looks adorable in his bow tie, so ready for Easter.

Unfortunately, I was once again reminded how difficult it is to take pictures of cats! They seem to know when you're about to take their picture, and they'll do anything in their power to be moving right as you're trying to get the shot. After several treats (and several sore fingers- he was too eager for treats. Ouch.) I finally got some good ones. Cat bow ties are just the CUTEST! To all you pet photographers out there, you have earned my respect! And now, to the project!

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You will need:
     - Your cat's collar
     - Enough fabric to cover the collar and make a bow
     - Needle and thread, or a sewing machine, or both

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1. Measure around the thickest part of your cat's collar (probably around the adjustable part) add a half inch to this measurement. This will give you a quarter inch of seam allowance on each side. 

2. Measure the length of the collar, at least to the start of the clips on the ends. Add an inch to this measurement, so you can finish the edges with a simple hemline. This collar will only go overtop of the existing collar, so you can easily put it on kitty for Easter, and take it off afterwards. Your cat will thank me later. A cat can only be dapper for so long before they need a break :)

3. Cut a strip of fabric from those measurements. Turn your strip so the wrong side (the backside of the fabric) is facing up. Either by using a sewing machine or by hand sewing, fold over the two short edges a couple times and sew. This will make sure the ends don't ravel. Fold the strip horizontally and sew a quarter inch from the edge. Now you have a long skinny tube. Fold it inside out so the right side (pretty side) is showing. 

4. Now for the bow, cut a square of fabric, maybe 5 by 4 inches, I didn't actually measure mine. Fold it in half so then it's around 2 1/2 by 4 inches. Sew the edges so it won't ravel. Scrunch up the center and sew. This makes it a bow shape, since the edges will be full, and the center will have the ruffly-scrunchy part. 

5. Take another small rectangle of fabric, fold it in half and sew so its a small tube. Wrap the tube around the center of the bow, covering the middle where you sewed before. Sew the back to secure. 

6. Sew the back of the bow to the front of the first long, skinny tube. DO NOT go through both layers, otherwise your collar can't get through! Once the bowtie is secured, thread your collar through the tube. 

7. Fasten around your cat's neck (please make sure it's not too tight, and if your cat objects, do not force him to wear it. He won't thank you for it.) and enjoy your dapper, debonair, and just plain adorable cat!

Here is Mosie modeling the bow tie from all sides. 

And here he is, in motion. In the last one he was licking his lips after eating a treat, so it looks like he's sticking his tongue out at me!

I hope you guys liked this tutorial, I have several more planned. Happy Easter everyone!

See you soon!

Christina

Oh My Blueberry Muffins!

 

I woke up this morning with a craving for muffins. Now, I'm not much of a blueberry person. I don't really like the taste or texture. But, I just happened to have a bunch of blueberries in fridge. They were going to go bad if they sat in there for much longer, so I decided, why not? As it turns out, they were really good in muffins! The muffins were sweet, and the blueberries were tart, a delicious combination. While it does take some patience to wait while it bakes, it is well worth it! Not to mention the batter left over on the spatula is pretty good too...

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                                                             Makes 12 muffins
You will need:
     - 1 cup sugar
     - 1/4 cup shortening
     - 2 eggs
     - 1 cup milk
     - 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
     - 1 cup whole wheat flour (Or just use 2 1/2 cups regular flour, but I think it tastes better with
        whole wheat added.)
     - 1 teaspoon baking soda
     - 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
     - 1/4 teaspoon salt
     - 1 1/2 cups blueberries
     - Extra sugar for sprinkling on top

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1. Preheat your oven to 350º, spray a muffin tin with cooking spray (or use paper muffin cups).

2. Cream together shortening and sugar. Add the eggs and milk.

3. In a different bowl, mix dry ingredients, but not the blueberries. Mix into the wet mixture, just until moistened. DO NOT over mix. The batter will be lumpy.

4. Add in the blueberries, only stir a couple times to mix them around.

5. Fill muffin cups about 2/3 of the way full. Sprinkle extra sugar on each muffin. Bake 20-25 minutes.

So, there you have it! These muffins are awesome, even for those who don't like blueberries. The sugar on top makes it all the more fun and tasty to eat. Let me know how yours turn out!

See you soon!

Christina

Origami Box Bunny

Okay, so no sewing tutorial today. For some reason, my sewing machine is having thread tension problems. But that's okay! I came up with a different tutorial. Since Easter is coming up, I thought that a box bunny origami tutorial was in order!

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You will need:
     - 1 square piece of paper. It is prettier if one side is patterned or colored while the other side is    
        plain

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1. Begin with the colored/patterned side facing up. Fold the right edge to the left edge. Crease and open. Fold the top edge to the bottom edge. Crease and open. Now there should be a cross going across the paper.

2. Flip the paper over. Fold diagonally, the top-right corner down to the bottom-left corner, and the top-left corner to the bottom-right corner. Open the paper up again. Now there should be a cross with an X going across your paper,





3. Bring the top-edge of the paper to the bottom-edge of the paper. At the same time, pinch the left and right edges of the paper together.

Your end result is like two triangles stacked on each other. There is a crease line in the center going from the bottom edge to the top point.




4. Taking the two bottom corners of the front triangle, fold it so the corner touches the top point, and the bottom edge will line up on the center crease line. Now it looks like a diamond on top of a triangle.






5. Fold the two left and right corners of the diamond into the center of the diamond.







6. At the top of the diamond, there are two loose corners, in front of the top point of the triangle. Now, imagine a horizontal line running through the center of the diamond. Imagine a point at each side edge on that horizontal line. Fold right top corners down so the top meets the point we just imagined on the right side. Repeat on the left side.





7. Pry open the layers of paper on the right side made in step 5 so you have a pocket (ease open at the red arrows). Repeat on left side.




8. Tuck those top corners down into the pockets. Flip over the paper so the other side is up.

9. Just like in step 4, take the two bottom corners of the triangle, fold it so the corner touches the top point, and the bottom edge will line up on the center crease line. Now there is a diamond.

10. Fold the two side corners behind the  front diamond, into the fold between the two diamonds. 

11. Fold the two top corners out, as shown in the picture. These will be the ears. 

12. Blow air into the little hole at the bottom point of the diamond. You may need to help shape it out.  (Also, don't blow too hard, or the hole will tear.) Then, pry open the ears and shape them. 

13. Voila, you have a rabbit box!











Wouldn't it be cool to make a bunch of these rabbits, poke a hole in the back of each, and place them overtop of a string of lights. That would make a lovely string of bunny lights! I hope you guys enjoy making these, because it will be hard to stop! Let me know what you think of them.

See you soon!

Christina

Crafty Girl Classy is open for business!

Today is the day! My first blog post on this blog! To celebrate Day 1 of this new experience, I figured you all should get to know me, before we delve into the wonderful world of DIY (Do It Yourself). I hope to do lots of that on this blog. Besides, what's better than something that you made yourself?
Anyways, these will be some random facts about me, but feel free to comment if you have any more questions. Now, let the questioning commence!


What is your name?     Christina

How old are you?     I am in high school

Likes:     Anything craft related, drawing, baking, reading, eating, Vera Bradley bags, sleeping, making up projects, cats

Dislikes:     Homework, getting outside my comfort zone, bananas, cantaloupe

Why did you start this blog?     I started this blog because I have all these ideas for projects and I want to be able to share them with everyone. It doesn't do any good to have amazing crafts with no one to enjoy them!

What kinds of activities do you do?     I am a super creative person, I do a little bit of everything! I sew, make my own sewing patterns, crochet, bake, draw, paint, make little clay charms, etc. I am always up for a new challenge!

What is your favorite color?     Pink! Or teal, or mint green...

What is your favorite animal?     A cat, I LOVE cats!

What is something you have always wanted to do?     I really want to make a quilt from Vera Bradley fabrics. Unfortunately it's going to be crazy expensive! I also want to learn to play the guitar.

What is your favorite food?    I have so many! Mac and Cheese, BBQ ribs, Alfredo pasta, the list goes on!

Do you have any pets?     I have a cat named Moses, but I call him Mosie. You will meet him soon!

What is your favorite fruit?     Pineapples!

What is your favorite movie?     The Aristocats, my favorite holiday one is White Christmas

What is your favorite Vera Bradley pattern?     Summer Cottage

What do you want to do for a career?     Can I truthfully say, I have no idea? I am really creative, but also really smart. There are so many things I could do that I just can't decide!

Can you speak any different languages?     Oui, je parle le français. (Yes, I speak french)

Favorite game?     Recently I have discovered Neko Atsume a free game you can get on your phone! The graphics are the most adorable thing I have ever seen! It's a bunch of little kitties that come and play in your yard. I can't get enough of it! ❤︎


So, that was just an overview of me! Join me back here on Sunday for my first tutorial, probably a sewing tutorial. I hope to keep posting weekly, if not bi-weekly. Make sure you keep checking back so you don't miss anything!

See you soon!

Christina