Friday, June 19, 2009

And now for something completely different..

I lied. It's another swap, so same old thing.

Since I know you're all sick of reading about my swaps I'll ask this while I still have your attention: Any ideas for summer meals that don't require the stove or oven? It's about to be in the 90s (summer is finally here!) & I'm anticipating spending most of my days camping my huge pregnant self in Cooper's kiddie pool. The thought of cooking on the stove or with the oven is nauseating & eating hot food doesn't sound all that appealing either.

For the one person who's still reading (hi Mom!), here's a package I sent for a "Virtual Vacation" swap. The idea is everyone chooses their dream vacation spot & then you craft a bag of some type & items to put in it for their vacation or "vacation" (for people like me who aren't taking one, but want to pretend they are). I had to craft for a tropical spot.

I adore this bag. I love the fabric & it came out (far from perfect but) so much better than I expected. It's got a pocket on the front & back (a little hard to see, but it's there between the straps) & it's completely reversible! The inside is the opposite - pink with flowered straps. And it's huge!

Here's everything: the tote bag, a beach bag made from a towel, a sarong (upcycled or repurposed from a thrift store skirt), flip flops with super-soft yarn crocheted on, umbrella picks (for tropical drinks), a mini brag book & mini travel scrapbooking kit, a camera cozy that matches the tote bag, a journal, a scrapbooked recipe book with tropical drinks, appetizers, food, & desserts, a beach towel (found for next to nothing at Target!), & a lei, of course.

5 comments:

Kathleen said...

I love that bag! What a neat bunch of stuff. Can't wait to see what you get. For meals what about a giant salad with EVERYTHING in it? Or a luau/picnic dinner (cheese, french bread, salami, nuts, fruit ... that doesn't sound hawaiian - why did we call it a luau?) on the living room floor like we used to when you guys were little? Good luck on the swimsuit search today.

Karen said...

ur mom stolded my idea. i was going to say a big pasta salad with lots of vegies and cheese and maybe salami and ham bits. BTW...I always read the whole thing. Your posts r fun.

Karin Schueller said...

I love that fabric... just bought some of it myself! ;)

I'm just hopping over from A Window Into Whimsy to say thanks for entering the giveaway! Thanks for the compliments on the family tree! ;)

Anonymous said...

Hi Sarah,
I'm responding to meals in the heat. One of the things I did when I was raising kids is I made dinner in the morning all year round. Since I'm an early riser the timing wasn't a problem. It's when I had my best energy and I figured the early part of the day was when most work and brain power was needed. When there are cool days, cook extra foods that will taste good cold on the hot days. If you guys like and eat beans, this is a great source of protien. Dump them on a salad for adults or just mix different kinds together with a little italian or balsamic dressing. Hey how about peanut or amond butter apples, with raisin faces. You can make dips with cottage cheese or tofu(protien sources) and dip lightly steamed or raw vegies, even chicken of meat strips. Kids seem to like lots of stuff if they can use dip or the red vegetable(ketchup).Raw nuts,sunflower seeds, and pumpkin seeds(Ikeep these in the freezer and then they are crisp even tho raw) are a great quick meal along with fruit or veggies. Eggs in many forms, including hard boiled are quick and easy. How about whole grain crunchy bread with or without something on it. Lots of wonderful fruits and veggies available now. Think about eating watermellon in the pool, instant clean up. Then you can fill the pool up again when it's yucky. I'm sure Cooper loves using the hose. Do you make fruit juice popcicles?
Maybe you do all these things already or you wouldn't consider some. Oh yeah and then there is plain yogurt that you can dress up with mashed fruit or juices. Do you eat hummus? It's also a great dip, homemade or store bought. Gotta get out in the yard. Bye and love, Aunt Pat

Sarah said...

Thanks for all the food tips! I'm doing some crock pot meals since they're easy & don't heat up the kitchen. I'm also planning some salads & picnic style meals. The beans & hummus are a good idea, & I make beans for John & Cooper, but I hate them. I keep trying to like them both, but I can't. I do love nuts, but I'm trying to avoid them (it's so hard!) 'cause there's some studies showing eating them during pregnancy/nursing increases the risk of asthma & food allergies in children that are already at increased risk (which Cooper is 'cause John's family has asthma & food allergies)... probably only a slight risk, but I try to avoid them anyway.
I love eggs though so we'll be having lots of hard boiled eggs.. maybe some breakfast for dinner too since it's usually a quick meal!
Watermelon & fruit popcicles are a daily staple - for me & Cooper!