Broccoli Dreams: Printing with Veggies

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In search of a fun baby shower gift, I rummaged through my refrigerator and found some veggies to print baby onesies. So here it goes:

Materials

  • Onesies (or anything else you want to print)
  • Fabric Paint
  • Veggies and fruit (broccoli, lemons, apples, celery, mushrooms)
  • Cardstock 

Steps

1. Brush the print side of the vegetable with a thin layer of paint. 

2. On a piece of scrap paper practice printing with your vegetable to get a feel for what it will look like and how much paint you want to use. Here I printed with broccoli, lemons, mushrooms and celery.

3. Once you feel ready to commit to fabric, lay out the onesie and slide a piece of cardstock between the front and the back of the t-shirt to prevent the paint from leaking through the fabric. Brush the paint on your veggie and go for it.

Here are some examples:

Lemon Sun

Celery Smile (The hair was printed with the celery ribs)

Apple Buttons (slice the apple in half to expose the star shaped seed center)

Broccoli Trees (slice the broccoli lengthwise to get a flat surface)

Lemon Boat

4. Lay out your onesies to dry. Once dry, heat set the paint in a hot dryer for about 30 min.

That's it, a really simple OOAK baby shower gift. You could also print paper, diapers, napkins, table clothes, dish towels. . . I'm sure you can come up with a huge list of things. Have fun,

Eat Your Veggies

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This spring I will visit my adorable almost one-year old niece. I've been thinking about what to bring her and decided to make her some veggies since she's the only baby I know who actually likes eating her broccoli.

May I introduce: Madame Aubergine, the adorable pea-pod triplets Henri, Jaques, and Felix, Grand Mere Carotte, and Tante Tomato. They will soon be joined by Monsieur Brocoli.

This nutritious bunch would have not come into being without the generous contributions of these fellow bloggers who shared their patterns.

The pea-pod triplets are based on a pattern by Yarrn. Grand Mere Carotte is part of a collection of Easter themed patterns by Midnight Knitter. Madame Aubergine's pattern was provided by Lion Brand a long time supporter of our team.

I more or less made up the tomato on the fly. It's a basic amigurumi ball

For the Fruit

  • Chain 2
  • 6 sc in first ch.
  • 2 sc in each stitch - 12 st
  • *sc, 2 sc in next stitch* repeat - 18 st
  • *sc, sc, 2 sc in next stitch* repeat - 24 st
  • *sc, sc, sc, 2sc in next stitch* repeat - 30 st
  • Crochet 3 rounds of sc in each stitch
  • *sc 2 together, sc, sc, sc* repeat - 24
  • *sc 2 together sc, sc* repeat - 18
  • *sc 2 together sc, s* repeat 12 (at this point you probably want to start stuffing the tomato before the opening gets too small)
  • *sc 2 together* repeat 6
  • Sew up the top

For the leaf

  • Chain 2
  • 5 sc in first stitch
  • Crochet 2 rounds of sc
  • 2 sc in each stitch - 10 stitches
  • *sc, 2 sc in next stitch* repeat - 15 stitches
  • *sl, chain 8, sc in 7th chain and work a total of 6 sc back down the chain, sl, sl* 5 times.

Sew the leaf to the top and embroider the face onto the tomato.

Have fun

Drink your daily dose of veggies!

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Ever notice people walking around sipping on green juice? It always looks so unappealing, but they are getting so many health benefits from drinking their greens. If you use the right combination of vegetables/fruit, the juice actually tastes really good!

Some benefits to juicing:
Juicing helps you absorb all the nutrients from the vegetables
Juicing allows you to consume large amounts of vegetables in an efficient manner
You can add a wider variety of vegetables in your diet




I always have the best intentions...I buy lots of vegetables, and plan to cook them, but somehow they always end up moldy in my fridge. I have a hard time committing to veggies. A couple of years ago, I was able to snag my mom's juicer, they can be a bit pricey, so I was glad that she didn't protest as I packed up her juicer and took it home with me (thanks mom!)

My favorite juice combination is kale, carrots, and apples...sometimes with a little fresh ginger thrown in. Today, I am going to try out some spinach instead of the kale. I like to add the carrots and apples to offset some of the bitterness of the greens, and also to add a bit of sweetness to the juice.

The great part about juicing in the summertime is all of the fresh produce! When I have time, I like to go to the farmer's market to get some really great produce straight from the farm.

You can juice just about any vegetable, but popular choices are kale, carrots, celery, spinach, lettuce, beets, cucumbers, collard greens, mustard greens, and you can throw in herbs like cilantro, parsley, or ginger to spice things up a bit.

Some important things to consider before juicing:
You really have to clean the juicer right away...scrubbing dried up pulp hours later is no fun!
Ideally, you should drink the juice immediately. As the juice is exposed to air, it oxidizes and the benefits start to diminish.
If you don't have a juicer, you can puree the vegetables in a blender and strain. This is a bit more time-consuming, but it works fine.



So, I have to say, I may prefer the spinach to the kale! In any case, I feel better getting a good dose of veggies first thing in the morning. And enough spinach left over for a nice salad later on. Even with juicing, it is still a good idea to try and eat some vegetables too....you can never have too many vegetables!

-Nordea
nordeasoaperie

The Bounty of Summer

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It is less than a week until summer officially starts which means that it is time to hit up the New York City Greenmarkets and revel in the produce of summer. Soon there will be corn as far as the eye can see, which is just fine by me.

Here are some {NewNew} members who can help you in your quest for the perfect pint of fresh berries and vegetables:


Cherry Necklace from pulp sushi


Artichoke Notecards from Blue Stitch Books


Strawberry Swarovski Earrings from Mulry Jewels


Tea and Cucumber Soap from Dirty Loves Clean


Cherry Basket Cards from CLine Creations



--Lisa
pandawithcookie.etsy.com