The Monokini

Juicy Couture one piece swimsuit

So, I have felt compelled all summer to post a series of blogs over swim wear for body types. With summer winding down (so says the calendar but not necessarily the Oklahoma heat) I still really wanted  to mention a few things as they crossed my mind. If you're a thrifty domestress you will be hitting up the swim sales about now anyway.

Today I want to talk a bit about the monokini. It has that feeling of a safety net for those that for whatever reason are tempted to pull out the two-piece but can't or won't. I've always liked something about the monokini. Maybe it reminds me of some of my childhood swimsuits from the 80's or maybe I just like the way it is sort of sexy, sort of practical, but I cannot wear them. Period! I am not over weight, no noticeable stretch marks, I am just not the right shape.

Yesterday at the pool I see a mom of a toddler rocking a monokini. After thinking for a minute I wish I looked good in one of those it occurred to me that maybe I should be helpful and address some do's and don'ts of the monokini with my readers.

This suit is awesome for the straight or banana figure. If you notice the girl pictured above appears curvy, but really is not. That is thanks to the side cut outs of this suit. (I don't know anything about the website it came from other than this was the visual illustration I needed for my point)

Also, this works best for people with shorter waists. The longer body you are the larger the size in this case. Which means you could end up with a baggy suit just to fit the length of your torso. It additionally gives those with short waists and illusion of length as the connecting fabric between the top and bottoms draw the eye in a linear fashion.

This suit is best for smaller and perky breasts. This is probably obvious, but unlike a two piece the neck length must be adjusted to fit the horizontal tie under the breast while simultaneously fitting the crotch length.

If you have c-section scars or stretch marks around the tummy button area a monokini, like the one at the top of the post could be a great purchase...being that you fit the other guidelines too.

So curvy, long-bodied, short-legged, busty girls beware...this suit is not for you! (or me ;)) 

Tomatoes - Sucker Vines

So, I've been a terrible blogger for the past month! Now this does not mean I have not been busy, in fact, quite the opposite. I have made a dress, made some real progress on my line documents, grown quite a bit of edibles, started an art course, taken some golf lessons (and yes, I still can't play and I still don't enjoy it) and remodeled a room, among other things. And here's proof...

I am still learning to grow things. This year my garden has been quite successful which is truly born out of trial and error and a lot of error. I wanted to pass along some helpful information to any tomato growers that my mom recently passes to me.  "Pinch the sucker vines." The sucker vines steal the nutrients from the rest of the plant. So what is a sucker vine? This is...

Just remove the stem growing from the center of the "v". Like this...

Plant free of sucker vine...

A neighbor that is a long-time, successful grower also gave me a helpful hint for my peppers. He said if you want hot (spicy) peppers cut back on the water. Milder, more water. 

Hope this helps you or inspires you to grow your own food.

Happy Independence Day!

Red, White and Blue Velvet Waffles

Just in time to gear up for the Fourth of July! You will have to use your imagination a bit but this waffle really is red, or at least it was when I made the batter. The jury is still out for me as far as believing or not in the red, yellow, blue, etc. food coloring scares. So I try to use it sparingly and this is what happens...not red red velvet waffles. If you want to go totally patriotic tint half the batch of drizzle blue!

I found this modification of a Wolfgang Puck recipe for red velvet waffles online at http://www.food.com/recipe/red-velvet-waffles-411621. 

You will need:

• 2 c. flour 
• 1 1/4 c. sugar 
• 1/4 tsp. salt 
• 1 tsp. baking soda 
• 4 tsp. unsweetened cocoa powder 
• 1/4 c. butter, melted, cooled 
• 2 c. buttermilk 
• 2 large eggs 
• 1 tsp. vanilla 
• 2 Tbls. red food coloring 

Directions:

• Preheat waffle iron. 
• Spray with non-stick cooking spray. 
• Separate eggs. 
• Beat egg whites until stiff. 
• Mix dry ingredients together, then add wet. 
• Mix all ingredients minus egg whites. 
• Fold in egg whites.
• Pour into waffle iron and cook until done. 

As you are probably aware I did not follow the recipe exactly because I never do. But the waffles will turn out if you just stick pretty closely to the above recipe. 

Next I wanted something other than maple syrup to garnish it with, but I still wanted it to taste like a waffle and not “Good morning, Now let’s have cake.” So I just married the traditional cream cheese frosting with a little maple syrup as follows. 

You will need:

• 4 oz cream cheese, softened 
• 3/4 c. powdered sugar 
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla 
• 1/8 tsp. salt 
• 2 Tlbs. milk 
• 2 Tlbs. sugar free maple syrup 
• divide batch and add blue food coloring (optional)

I garnished the waffle with a Boca sausage patty. They are low in calories and we have meat allergies in the family so it was just easier to work with and still tasted great. Lastly drizzle over each serving and enjoy! 

The recipe makes about 6 servings and I did not even want to know the calories (although they could be much worse without substitutions), so reserve for special breakfasts.