DIY: polo shirt --> halter top

My younger daughter joined a choir this past fall, and just after buying all of her uniform pieces, they had to close. All members were invited to join another choir, which worked out wonderfully, but I was stuck with a few brand new obsolete clothing pieces.

The piece in question for this tutorial was a red polo shirt embroidered with the choir logo, which I recycled into a summery halter top.

The bottom edges were basically equal in length, so I didn't have to alter the hemline.




Here's a closer shot to see the cutting lines. I cut more sparingly at first, and then tweaked it until it looked about right.








8. Finish by sewing closed 30-36" length of 12" double fold bias tape & thrad through the top edge casing. I happened to have red bias tape with white polka dots, which added a cute touch.




I did a similar upcycle with a pink strawberry long sleeved top. It had holes in the arms, so I cut those off & turned the fabric from the arms into finger-formed ruffles for the chest embellishment.




You could do this top in any size, adult or infant or anything in between.

Obviously, the bias tape length would need to be adjusted for the size.

Hot Shredded Wheat

I grew up eating hot shredded wheat on cold days. For me, it is a comfort food because it is a taste of my childhood, as well as my beloved grandfather who passed the idea on to my mom and then to me.

Wheat gets a bad rap these days, but I tend to be more middle of the road about it. We eat it whole (not white) and interspersed through our diet with a variety of other grains (oats, rice, quinoa, etc.) We don't have digestive issues that require avoiding it, so I consider small amounts healthy.

And while you see a tiny bit of butter & sugar on this, you'll also notice the larger amounts of almonds & apples. You can add berries, other nuts, whatever suits your fancy. My daughter loves this one, too.





Hot Shredded Wheat Bowl

Press 1 large Shredded Wheat biscuit into a bowl, crushing it.
Pour 1/4 c. vanilla almond milk over the biscuit.
Spread 1 tsp. butter or Smart Balance on top of the biscuit.
Sprinkle on 1 tsp. dark brown sugar, 1 Tbsp. chopped almonds, 2-3 Tbsp. chopped apples.

Put the bowl in the microwave for 30 seconds to 1 minute on 80% power.
You know it's done when it's steaming and the biscuit is soft & collapsed.


When made with Smart Balance, this is a 200 calorie bowl.

Yogurt Parfait

I met a friend at a coffeehouse recently when I happened to be hungry, but didn't want to blow it with a big carb load, i.e., muffin. I picked out a yogurt parfait, which is not usually my thing, but to my surprise I enjoyed it!

Of course, being my mother's daughter, I thought, "I could totally make this!"





Yogurt Parfait

2/3 c. vanilla Greek yogurt (I used Oikos)
1/4 c. mixed frozen berries
2 Tbsp. granola (I used Quaker)

Layer in a cup.

I like to stir it up and let it sit for just a bit so the granola softens & berries thaw.

If you want to make a few at one time to be prepared for the munchies later in the week, use 1 c. volume containers with lids (as you can see, I did this at the same time, too).

One parfait is 200 calories.

Making it healthier

I have a recipe for a delicious egg bake that I adore, but it is full of butter and cheese. The fat content plus the quantity that's large enough for a crowd makes it unsuited for every day breakfast.

So I came up with my own one-serving version.



Saute 1 Tbsp. finely chopped onion & 1 Tbsp. finely chopped red pepper in a skillet sprayed with nonstick spray over medium heat.

Mix 1 egg with 2 Tbsp. lowfat cottage cheese. Reduce heat to medium/low, pour the egg mixture in over the red peppers & onion. Roll pan to spread egg out into a circle. Cooking too hot will burn the cheese.

When the omelette is about half-set, sprinkle with 1 Tbsp. shredded cheddar cheese and use a spatula to fold in half.

Cook until fully set.

With the ingredients I used, this is 175 calories and tastes so much like the other egg bake that I may not ever need that old recipe again.

My little kitchen helper

Jelly jar + baking soda + circle of lace fabric + lid ring or rubber band =




Pretty enough to keep by your sink, packs a powerful punch!

The baking soda will dispense, shaker style, out through the lace.

Baking soda is a fabulous, inexpensive, natural kitchen helper:
- absorbs oil on greasy dishes
- makes a paste to help scrub gunk away
- as a soft scrubbing powder, it will make your sink shine
- if you used baking stoneware or cast iron cookware, baking soda is a perfect alternative to cleaning since you shouldn't use soap on these surfaces
- absorbs odors just while it's sitting there!