Baked Ziti: Vegan and Gluten-Free

By on May 18, 2013 in Main Course, Recipe

BakedZiti1

Pasta is the ultimate comfort food, and when I realized I was allergic to gluten, I freaked when I thought it meant the end of pasta for me.

My husband and I have experimented with every type of gluten-free pasta we could find. Some are delicious and some are awful. Don’t stop if you’ve tried one that you don’t like–just move on to another until you find some that tickles your toes.

When we cook this baked ziti, we make a big batch and enjoy it for a few days along with large salads.

BakedZiti4

Ingredients:

2 packages of ziti pasta, gluten-free

1 tablespoon of EVOO

28 ounces crushed tomatoes with basil

8 cloves of garlic, minced

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 pound extra firm tofu, pressed and crumbled

2 tablespoons parsley, chopped

3 tablespoons nutritional yeast

1 ½ teaspoons white miso

1 lemon, juiced

½ teaspoon black pepper

pinch of nutmeg

2 cups of Daiya shredded mozzarella cheese

2/3 cup bread crumbs, gluten-free

BakedZiti5

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a sauce pan, heat the EVOO on medium-low. Add six of the minced garlic cloves and infuse the oil. Do not let the garlic burn.

3. Add the crushed tomatoes, oregano and thyme and stir. Cover and simmer on medium-low for 20-25 minutes.

4. Cook the pasta. Drain the pasta one to two minutes before the package directions states, because it’ll cook more in the oven and you don’t want the pasta to overcook and start to fall a part. {If you’re not using gluten-free pasta, you don’t need to undercook it. You can follow package directions.}

5. While the pasta is cooking and the sauce is simmering, make the tofu ricotta.

6. In a medium bow, mix together the two remaining minced garlic cloves, parsley, nutritional yeast, white miso, lemon juice, black pepper and nutmeg .

7. Crumble the tofu in the bowl and mix well.

8. In a small bowl, mix together 1 cup of Daiya mozzarella cheese and the bread crumbs. Set aside.

9. In a 14″ by 9.5″ oven safe dish, combine the pasta, sauce, tofu ricotta, and the remaining cup of mozzarella cheese.

10. Top it with the bread crumb/mozzarella cheese combination.

11. Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Then, turn on the broiler for four to five minutes, until the top has browned.

BakedZiti2

Comments { 0 }

For the Weekend: Margarita Showdown

By on May 17, 2013 in Adult Beverage, Recipe

For Cinco de Mayo, my mother-in-law came over for mushroom and asparagus tacos and a little margarita tasting. I made a homemade margarita and compared it to two Skinny Girl cocktails: the regular margarita and the white peach margarita. I didn’t drink, so I had to rely on my husband and mother-in-law to decide which kind was the best.

For option 1, we have the White Peach Margarita by Skinny Girl {Don’t serve this one with salt like I did! Big mistake.}:

Margarita1

Margarita5

For option 2, we have the homemade margarita:

Margarita2

Margarita7

And, for option 3, we have the regular Margarita by Skinny Girl {which happens to be one of my favorite summertime cocktails}:

Margarita4

Margarita6

My husband and mother-in-law unanimously decided the winner was the homemade margarita:

Margarita8

For the homemade margarita, you’ll need:

tequila {we used 1800}, triple sec, 1 cup of sugar, 1 cup of freshly squeezed lemon juice, and 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lime juice

Directions:

1. Make the simple syrup. Place one cup of water and the one cup of sugar in a small sauce pan. Heat on medium-high and stir constantly until the sugar has melted completely. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

2. Combine the lime juice, lemon juice and simple syrup together. We put ours in a mason jar. Store in the fridge until ready to use.

3. Rim the glass with salt using lime juice and salt.

4. In your glass, add a few cubes of ice, 1 and 1/2 to 2 ounces of tequila, 1/2 ounce of triple sec, and fill to the top with juice/simple syrup concoction. Enjoy!

Comments { 0 }

Megan Petersen on how her childhood led her to beading and how she runs her business while working full-time

By on May 16, 2013 in Interview

DSC06055

1. In a sentence or two, could you tell us what you do?

I create jewelry and hair accessories for ladies who like to express their artistic and wild side. My one-of-a-kind pieces aren’t made to blend in or help girls stay invisible.

2. How did you get started?

I’ve been beading since forever (I literally started when I was about 5 years old). My grandfather was into the Native American beading techniques. He gave my older sister and I some how-to books and some seed beads to get us started, and it’s been an addiction ever since.

I taught classes at a local art gallery when I was in high school, but ended up taking a break from beading during college. My discovery of Etsy soon afterwards had me clamoring to pick it back up again.

3. What three words best describe your personality?

Passionate. Smart-ass. Introvert.

DSC02963

4. What’s your favorite part of your creative business?

I love connecting with such fantastic people from all over the world. It’s such an amazing feeling to know that someone in France is wearing one of my necklaces on her wedding day, or one of my rings is being shown off on the other side of the country. Heck, the fact that people even want to pay me money for the stuff I make is freaking AWESOME.

5. What’s a typical workday like for you?

Well, I do have a M-F day job (that I love.) So I pump out graphic designs 7 to 4 (I bring my beading and work on projects during my lunch break), then I’m home to focus on the business. I do a lot of scheduling in advance and planning to make sure I am maximizing my time so my business is growing, but so that I can still escape to a night with my girlfriends or watch a movie with the hubby every now and again.

I tend to do a lot of bulk work on the weekends (like writing a half-a-dozen blog posts and then scheduling them out for the week ahead), and I stick to the daily stuff for weekday evenings, like packaging and shipping, responding to customer requests, etc. I’m always working toward developing habits that will make me and my business more efficient, and result in a better experience for my customers.

6. Where do you get your inspiration?

At the risk of sounding cliché, I gotta admit, it comes from everywhere. I have to reject a lot of my own ideas and prioritize down simply because there aren’t one hundred million gazillion hours in the day.

I do think that some of the best ideas tend to come from outside of my industry. For example, I’ll think of a choker design while reading about poetry, or come up with a blog post while listening to a Broadway musical soundtrack. Sometimes, when we’re stuck for something, the best thing to do is stop trying to think about it altogether. If we focus our mind on something else, or allow ourselves to meditate, the solution will almost always pop into our brains when we least expect it. Our subconscious is sneaky like that.

DSC04817

7. What’s your creative process like?

Sometimes I start with the sketchbook, doodling up an illustration I want to turn into a design. Then I’ll plug that into the computer and use InDesign and Illustrator to create a beading pattern. This is when I’m doing a more picturesque piece, such as my Masquerade necklace or Coffee & Donuts bracelet.

For most of the rest of the time, I simply dig out some supplies that I think look good together, and make up my pieces as I go. This is usually the case with my embroidered barrettes and hair clips.

8. How do you balance family, friends and business?

I schedule all of my must-dos via the amazing Google Calendar tool. I set their deadlines on the last-possible day they can be finished, that way each day is filled with a minimal amount of tasks. Then, when I inevitably have extra time to work on more stuff, I can “work ahead” on my up-coming to-dos. This frees up time so I don’t feel guilty taking a night off every now and then to care for the all-important, in-person relationships.

9. What advice would you give to someone who would love to do something similar to you and sell jewelry for a living?

As with any business, the first step is to decide who the customer is you really want to sell to, and focus on making products for that person. Yes, there are going to be people who think your stuff is over-priced/weird/boring, but it doesn’t matter what they think if they aren’t the customers you are going for. Jewelry really isn’t the saturated market you think it is when you start to divide it by niche. There are so many different kinds of people who buy jewelry, so if you focus on who YOUR people are first, everything else from marketing to product development will be easy to decipher.

DSC05299

10. What’s the best creative business advice you’ve ever received?

I can’t help but think of those words of early encouragement, back when my pictures looked like crap and I was charging nothing near what my stuff was worth. They really pushed me forward. Those first few positive feedbacks which raved about how much they loved their new treasures, or those first few blog commenters that told me to keep writing. These things are so vital to creatives when we are first starting out, scared and unsure of ourselves and wondering if we’re crazy for even trying.

11. What’s been the most difficult thing about building your creative business?

The hardest part is the uncertain cash flow. Yes, I also have a day job, but it alone isn’t enough to pay the bills. Before I really started to invest time in my business I was also working 3 or 4 part-time jobs IN ADDITION to my regular, full-time job. When I finally managed to overcome my scared lizard brain, I quit my part-time gigs so I could devote more time to my business. So far it’s worked out okay, and I haven’t had to pick up another part-time or seasonal gig for a couple of years now. Here’s to hoping that trend not only continues, but becomes less and less of a possibility!

12. If you had to pinpoint one thing that has helped your business more than anything in the past year, what would it be?

I’m a HUGE fan of blogging. Unlike other social media marketing, blogging is a permanent platform. For example, I still get traffic from posts I wrote over a year ago. You won’t get that with Twitter or Facebook, where updates are fleeting and disappear within a matter of hours or days. Plus, it’s really given me the space to let my followers get to know the REAL me and my brand.

DSC05598

13. What books or magazines are you currently reading?

I’m a major Stephen King fan, and I’m the middle of his Dark Tower series right now. As far as business books, I recently finished Jonah Berger’s “Contagious: Why Things Catch On,” which was incredibly insightful regarding viral marketing campaigns and why people talk about certain products via word-of-mouth more than others.

14. What are your top three favorite blogs?

I read and love so many its hard to choose! Of course I love me some BlacksburgBelle, but if I have to pick the top 3 I eagerly gobble up new content from I’d have to go with:

BrandCamp
Itty Biz
Seth’s Blog

15. What are you currently working on? Anything new coming up?

Oh, I always have a million new things coming up. But right now the thing I’m most excited about is partnering with some fine artists, and creating pieces that feature their work surrounded in my beadwork. I just love the idea of wearable art, and I really want to create some pieces that will also give exposure and monetary value to some of the awesome artists out there.

I also recently started a blog for my fellow handmade creatives, Beading for Business, so I’m excited to see where that takes me.

Check out more of Megan’s beading designs right here.

Would you like to be interviewed on Blacksburg Belle? Check out the details on what and how to submit here.

Comments { 3 }

How to Get More Done in Less Time: 5 Tips

By on May 15, 2013 in Creative Business Development, Productivity, Success

Do you have a list of things you’d love to do but you lack the time to do them?

Take a watercolor class. Hike. Spend an entire day reading young adult fiction. Knit a peach-colored cardigan. Get a weekly massage. Start a blog. Learn how to promote your creative biz on social media. Update your product photos on Etsy.

Talk to anyone who knows me well and you’ll find out that I get a lot done in a short amount of time. I’m pretty proud of this.

Even though I like to think I have productivity superpowers, I don’t. I’m just like you.

Today, I’m going to share my five productivity tips to help you master your time, so you can stop being a slave to your overflowing to-do list. Ready? Then press play!

You soooooooo want to come over and like the Blacksburg Belle Facebook page, so you know when I announce giveaways, don’t you? I knew you did! So, come on over, put up your feet, and enjoy a mason jar of green juice.

Comments { 16 }

Trish Bertrand on her creative process and how she began making jewelry

By on May 14, 2013 in Creative Process, Creativity, Inspiration

il_fullxfull.360194480

I got started making jewelry purely by accident.

I have loved making things with my hands since I was a little girl, but had never considered jewelry. I was eating lunch with a dear friend and she kept complimenting me on the necklace I was wearing. She finally asked how much it cost. I blushed and said I spent wayyyy too much money on it, but I had to have it! She said, “You know, Trish, you could have made that yourself.” That’s all she said and the conversation moved forward never again mentioning jewelry. The rest is history.

I bought a cheapo beginner’s kit from Michael’s to see what this jewelry making mess was all about. I was hooked! My bead collection and obsession and Etsy business grew from there.

il_fullxfull.360194192

I bead for many reasons.

Of course I would like to make money from my jewelry business, but it is not the primary reason I make jewelry. When I need a break from the “daily grind”, I shop for beads, I look at my collection, or I make jewelry. The whole creative process seems to speak to my soul.

The beads have a story to tell and the story changes with each individual that picks up the piece. As I create, the stresses in my life slip away. It’s just me and the beads and the creation that comes out of the process. Sometimes I have a clear path I know I am headed on for a piece. Other times, I have no idea what I am making. I begin selecting beads by shape, color, texture…whatever I feel at the moment. From there, I just manipulate until I have something beautiful in front of me. I create to music, while other times I create in total blissful silence.

il_fullxfull.399137343_epdq

I do not force my creations either.

If I sit down and complete an entire piece, yippee skippee! If I sit down and can’t seem to pull it all together in a way that pleases my eye, that is perfectly fine too. The creation will come together when it is ready. I rarely ever create the same two pieces. Everything is OOAK: One of A Kind. I recently was asked to make lanyards for teachers at my school. Making 10-20 of the same pieces was incredibly boring. The teachers loved them, but for me, I felt really bored with the mundane. I love making different jewels and looking for new ideas for eclectic pieces. Of course, I would always honor requests for multiple pieces that are the same such as gifts, but I really thrive on the unique.

Lately, I am really drawn to African beads. I find that I am drawn to different beads at different times so I collect and wait until those beads transform into a lovely piece. Creating jewelry is addicting and rewarding for me!

You can find Trish on Facebook, on Etsy, and on her blog.

Would you like to share your creative process  or how you got started on Blacksburg Belle? Check out the details here.

Comments { 6 }

9 Vegan and Gluten-Free Lunch Recipes

By on May 13, 2013 in Recipe, Salad

Being able to cook lunch every day is pretty awesome. I don’t miss the slapped together peanut butter and jelly sandwiches I used to throw in a paper bag for lunch when I worked at an office. But, I know some of you need lunch ideas that you can prepare ahead of time and take with you to work. This list includes some that fit into that category and others that need to be cooked and eaten right away. Something for everybody.

1. Spinach and Artichoke Grilled Cheese

If you like spinach and artichoke dip, you’ll loooooove this sandwich. My husband begs me to make this one. This needs to be eaten pretty much right away, so if you don’t work at home, try it on the weekend.

SpinachArtichoke1-620x385

2. Roasted Cauliflower, Toasted Pine Nuts, and Avocado Salad

This is one of my favorite salads, because it’s so different than a “normal” salad.

CauliflowerSalad1-620x411

3. Avocado Tomato Lettuce Wrap

If you’re looking for a healthy, almost raw lunch without eating a salad, try this wrap.

LettuceWrap1-620x411

4. Veggie Sandwich

This is one of my go-tos when I want something fast and delicious. If you want to take this one to work with you, chop up the veggies and toast the bread but don’t put it all together until you’re ready to eat. That way the bread won’t get soggy. I hate soggy bread!

DeliSandwich1-620x378

5. Chopped Salad with a Vegan Creamy Dressing

I thought being vegan meant no creamy salad dressings, but I was wrong. This one is super easy to make. Keep the dressing separate from the salad until you’re ready to chow down.

ChoppedSalad4-620x443

6. Quick and Easy Peanut Maifun with Broccoli

In the mood for Chinese? Try this super simple recipe that will take you less time than it would for you to wait for takeout. Plus, it’s much healthier. This is an awesome dish reheated, so make it the night before if you’re taking it with you to work.

AsianBroccoli1-620x455

7. Simple Tomato Salad

When I want to add something raw to my lunch, I often make this simple tomato salad with basil. It’s so much yummier than you would imagine.

TomatoSalad1-620x411

8. Garden Salad with Simple Dressing

My health is my top priority, so I’ve been eating a lot of large salads. This one will fill you up and delight your taste buds.

GardenSalad-620x411

9. Mushroom, Pepper, and Spinach Quesadilla

If you’re having one of THOSE days where you just need a little comfort food or pick-me-up, try this quesadilla. You can thank me later!

Q3-620x411

There you have it! Nine vegan and gluten-free lunch options. I hope that helps you mix it up.

Comments { 9 }

A Day Working in the Yard

By on May 12, 2013 in Photography

Garden2

My mother-in-law and husband spent the afternoon working in our yard, making it prettier. I hurt my back and dislike worms, so I took pictures and chatted while they did the hard work.

Garden6

Garden3

Garden1

Garden7

Garden5

Garden4

Comments { 2 }

DIY Succulent Planters

By on May 11, 2013 in DIY, Photography

Succulent4

Succulent1

Succulent6

Succulent5

Succulent2

Succulent3

Succulent13

Succulent8

Succulent9

Succulent12

Succulent10

Succulent11

Succulent7

Succulent17

Succulent14

Comments { 7 }

My Morning Routine Makeover

By on May 10, 2013 in Health, Personal

Journal and Tea2

You never think it’s going to be you.

You never imagine that you’re going to be the one traveling the country, meeting with world-renowned experts, trying to figure out how to treat the rare disease you’ve developed.

Then, one day you realize that it is you. Or, at least, that’s what happened to me.

My life started revolving around doctors’ appointments, traveling to Johns Hopkins, and medication regimens.

I woke up feeling hopeless, my body aching all over day after day. I stopped leaving the house. I never got out of my pajamas…I’d just change into a new pair each day. I was in physical agony.

I wondered if I’d ever get well enough to have children. I wondered if my husband should leave me since I wasn’t a “real” partner. I wasn’t capable of cleaning, cooking or walking our dogs. He had to do everything, and I felt extreme, heart-crushing guilt.

As cliché as it sounds, I often wanted to scream, “WHY ME?”

After my last appointment with a rheumatologist, everything crashed down. He said things like, “There is no cure. There is no treatment.”

I remember looking over at my husband and seeing a look of helplessness on his face. My hope vanished in that sterile white room.

I spent two days feeling devastated and then I decided that I was going to get better. I would figure out how. It may seem crazy, but I knew I could do it.

I’ve made major changes in my life, prioritizing everything around my health. I researched. I stopped drinking diet coke. I forced myself to get out of the house and walk my dogs everyday even when I felt as if I’d been run over by a snowplow. I took supplements to give my depleted immune system a boost.

I also gave my morning routine a bright and shiny makeover.

These changes have impacted my health more than any medication I’ve tried. Now, I’m able to walk my dogs without cringing in pain. I’m able to work at least six hours a day. I have energy in the evenings to make dinner with my husband and sometimes, craft afterwards. I’m taking a couple Illustrator courses and loving the skills I’m learning. I wake up between 8:30 and 9:30 whereas I used to wake up around 11 and have to force myself out of bed. I don’t feel exhausted after taking a shower. I leave the house! I run errands. I feel a lot better.

When I think about how much I’ve turned things around on my own, I’m amazed.

I don’t want to give you the wrong impression. It hasn’t been a smooth, easy ride. Every day, I have to choose health. Otherwise, I’d slip back into bad habits. I also continue to take pain medication when needed.

I’ve had to replace my “work till you drop” mindset with a “take breaks and prioritize how you’re feeling” mindset.

My morning routine is another example of putting my health first:

Wake up when my body is ready to get up. No alarms. No guilt for sleeping in when my body needs the rest. I feel blessed that I’m able to do this, because I know many people struggling with chronic illness must be at work early in the morning and are forced to wake up with a blaring alarm clock.

Drink a cup of filtered water with half a lemon squeezed into it. I learned that this flushes out your liver and the toxins that have accumulated while you slept from Kris Carr’s book, Crazy Sexy Diet.

Do a five-minute morning yoga routine. Stretching wakes me up and works out some lingering pain.

Drink a cup of herbal tea. Drink green juice.

While I’m sipping on these beverages I either: work on one of my Illustrator courses, write or journal. I do NOT check my email, because I want to start my day with something fun and relaxing.

The above takes me anywhere from an hour to one and a half hours. Then, I check my email, responding to as many as I can within a twenty-minute time frame.

Most days, I walk my dogs for an hour after I’m done with email. If it’s raining, I’ll wait to see if it stops and walk them in the afternoon. While I walk, I listen to an audio book {Have you heard of Audible? It’s fantastic!}. Right now, my iPod’s playing The Storyteller by Jodi Picoult.

That’s my morning. It sets me up for a relaxing, health-filled day.

When I’m done with my morning routine, my pain has usually decreased and I’m ready to work.

Comments { 28 }

Stephanie from Baba Souk on her typical workday, getting inspired and the best creative biz advice she’s ever received

By on May 9, 2013 in Interview

stephanie-baba-souk-2

1. In a sentence or two, could you tell us what you do?

I’m the founder and curator of Baba Souk, an online boutique for creative cool cats, indie design & craft lovers. Baba Souk is a fun hub where you can find inspirations and all sorts of handmade treasures designed by talented indie artists, my precious collaborators and me or sourced from the colorful souk markets of Morocco.

2. How did you get started?

I am trained as a graphic designer and was a fashion designer for a Canadian retailer for several years. Let’s say I did my homework before taking the plunge! I was looking for a meaning in what I do for a living. I have this infinite admiration for indie designers and craftspeople. I wanted to celebrate them in some way, Baba Souk is my answer.

3. What three words best describe your personality?

My BFF says : Honest (sometimes too much, ha!), Fun (apparently even funny) and Hardworking.

baba-souk-packaging

4. What character {from a book, movie or television} do you most relate to? Why?

When I think of my journey, I can recall feeling like Anne Hathaway in The Devil Wears Prada. The fashion industry might sometimes cast a disastrous spell on some fashionistas. Thank god she ends up realizing that’s not really what she wants even with all the piles of sumptuous free clothing at her feet!

5. What’s your favorite part of your creative business?

I absolutely adore collaborating with talented designers and together, coming up with new product designs and ideas. I think collaboration is such a rich & growing experience.

6. What’s a typical workday like for you?

I hit snooze about 3 times trying to jump out of bed way earlier than my body wants to. Make a big bowl of latte and directly hit the computer. Can you believe mornings are my favorite part, when I’m about to start working? I feel so lucky to be able to work from home at the moment. And then I work work work! Emailing, creating blog posts, shop updates, copy writing, FB, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, prep for next shoot, hunt the web for new finds. It’s a never-ending quest! Seriously I could work every minute of my life and not ever be done. I think I love it a bit too much…and then when I really need a break, I go just around the corner and step into our fabulous local market and indulge in its visual feast for a few minutes… or I go for an hour of spinning. I feel like a baby afterwards….and so I can start working again!

baba-souk-handmade-vases-dots

7. Where do you get your inspiration?

I feel inspired about 20 times a day. Images are a huge source of inspiration for me and Pinterest has been my favorite tool for a while now. I call it my “inspiration oasis!” I can’t even think of how I did it before it existed. I remember having a pin board with layers and layers of pinned images on them and not wanting to throw any out. I also adore treasure hunting in boutiques, markets, craft fairs and Moroccan souks have a very special place in my heart. I have the immense opportunity of being able to go to Marrakesh a few times per year and visit with family over there.

8. How do you balance family and business?

Ohhhhh, (cough-cough) Oh my, let’s say I am happy to have found a passionate scientist who totally gets how badly I am in love with what I do!

9. What advice would you give to someone who would love to do something similar to you and sell an array of creations from pillows to jewelry?

Be true to your own style and voice! Keep it real ladies!

stephanie-baba-souk1

10. What’s the best creative business advice you’ve ever received?

This advice I heard from many different people and at different stages of my life and I get it now more than ever. It is so simple but yet, it takes all it’s meaning once you actually apply it: “Everything flows from taking action.”

11. What’s been the most difficult thing about building your creative business?

Doing it all by myself has been a really big challenge! There are so many hats to sport as an entrepreneur, you absolutely have to be passionate, I think. Or else you would crash because of the workload and cry!

12. If you had to pinpoint one thing that has helped your business more than anything in the past year, what would it be?

Guest blogging has been my secret weapon to get some traffic in my shop!

baba-souk-instagram

13. What books or magazines are you currently reading?

I have a huge pile of business books and self-growth books waiting for me on my bedside table (geek alert!) I am just about to start reading “The Fire Starter Sessions” by Canadian fellow Danielle Laporte for the second time around, because it’s just that good.

14. What are your top three favorite blogs?

I’ll be forever grateful to Bri Emery of DesignLoveFest for giving me my first weekly blog gig when I was a total stranger to the blog world, especially since DesigLoveFest was my first ever blog read. Lately, some new fresh blog loves for me are Studio DIY and Jojotastic. All these ladies are not only talented, but they are generous, kind souls!

15. What are you currently working on? Anything new coming up that we should look out for?

There are so many new colorful things coming! Some great new handmade products and collaborators! I am also working on a rad new line of products signed Baba Souk. You should definitely stay in the loop! (Hint, hint! Subscribe to my newsletter, all you creative cats!) 

{All photos provided by Stephanie from Baba Souk}

Comments { 1 }
← Older posts