30.7.10

{healthy recipe & beach pebble table}

Hello!
How are you on this Friday morning!?!?
I am doing ok:) :)
Yes....sometimes I really do think you just have to smile!
No matter what's going on in life.....if you try and make yourself smile you'll feel better:)
You can't feel tension when you're smiling!!!!!!
Try it!

Remember those Mung Bean Noodles i've told you about!?!?
Well the company also makes other flavors.
Recently we were invited to a cookout and everyone was supposed to bring a dish.
Here's a little healthy tip......whenever you're invited to a cookout bring a super healthy dish....that way you won't be tempted to eat the not so healthy food:)
Here's what I brought....

Soybean Pasta Cold Veggie Salad

{I had to sample it to make sure it was actually good before I brought it}


Cook the noodles according to the package
Rinse with cold water
add in charred corn {I pre cooked it on the grill and cut it off the cob}
chopped cucumbers, tomatoes & lots of chopped herbs.
I also added fat free Italian dressing and low fat feta!
Healthy and delicious!
You could add in more veggies but that was all I had on hand:)


I loved it and I think everyone else did too!
Of course it's not your typical fat loaded cookout type of salad.......but if you're into healthy foods you won't be disappointed!

You can buy the noodles
here....
The ingredients are Organic golden soybean and water.
And the nutrition stats....

Doesn't get much better than that! I eat these or the other flavors almost every day!


OK.....I have to come clean....
Not every craft that I do turns out...
Remember I told you that I was collecting beach rocks for a little project!??!
Well here it is.

I had an old table leg just laying around so I painted it and scuffed it up.
and decided to do a beach pebble mosaic table top.

I found lots of directions on-line and decide to go with caulk and grout.

I caulked the pebbles onto the table top.

Looks good so far...

Pebbles from the beach.....just what I was after:)

But things turned bad when I put the grout on.....

Not at all what I was after.
Because of the super uneven surface of the pebbles I couldn't wipe enough of the grout off:(

See sometimes things don't always work out....but the point is to try them in the first place! It's the only way you can learn how to do something!

So back to the drawing board.....any ideas?!?!?!!?!?!?!?
I am thinking of chipping it all off....if I can....and just using clear caulk???!?!
If you have any pointers.....please......share:)

Hope you have a splendid weekend!

I am riding 50 miles tomorrow morning and then we're having a party so I better get busy on mowing and cleaning I don't want to have to do it after riding:)
Take care:)



“Every accomplishment starts with the decision to try.” Unknown

25 comments:

  1. Oh I think it looks good! How about pouring a clear epoxy on top to even out. like they do at the restaurants..

    ReplyDelete
  2. You had a great idea. I have no idea how to fix it. I would probably just take the top off and buy a new one and start over. The table is super cute.

    ReplyDelete
  3. The salad looks so yummy! Thank you for sharing the recipe, I really do have to try those noodles. The table is a great idea, not sure how to make it look like you want, sorry. When it comes to grout I am afraid! I think the table turned out good myself but I hear you when you have something in mind and it doesn't turn out the way you had envisioned.
    Have a great weekend and party!

    ReplyDelete
  4. I'm clueless as to how you could fix the table top. Sorry it didn't turn out as you planned.... stuff happens, eh.

    The salad looks soooo yummy. I'm staying away from pasta due to the carbs, but dang... it sure looks good.

    DI

    ReplyDelete
  5. Here's a thought....flip it over and try again. I would just glue them down and then cover with clear epoxy or a glass top to get the effect that you are looking for.

    ReplyDelete
  6. That pasta salad looks tasty!! And as for the table, im unsure how you could fix it..but maybe some sort of Lacquer on it... I don't know..

    ReplyDelete
  7. Mornin' girlfriend!! Meant to tell you that I ordered those noodles! Took forever to get them in mail, but finally got them last week. Haven't had a chance to use them yet but my daughter in law is ecstatic....she has to have gluten free foods! So thanks for that tip!
    hmmmm...your table. One summer I went crazy with mosaics. I tiled everything in site around here! The one thing I know from experience is that you HAVE to use even tiles, rocks or whatever. If you plan to really use it as a table. No matter how much grout or polish you put on it..if it doesn't start out even, it won't end up that way. Unless you pour that polyurethane varnish over it like they do in bars....but because your grout covered so much of your rock area, I don't think it would bring them back out. My advice? chisel it off and start over! sorry......

    ReplyDelete
  8. That salad looks awesome!!!! I may need to make that this weekend. I WILL find those noodles in a store around here - I am on a mission : )

    Love your daisy sandals!

    ReplyDelete
  9. That salad sounds delish! I actually like your table as is, but agree with Karen that maybe just pouring a clear epoxy on top to even it out would work. Seems like taking it off and re-doing would be a lot of work.

    On a side note...I featured your blog/concrete letters the other day. Am so glad I found you and am even copying your chalkboard bathroom wall~ha~

    Happy Friday.
    Hugs~
    T

    ReplyDelete
  10. 1. Your "smile" picture made me do just that! :)

    2. I'm trying out this recipe next week! Thanks for the link on where to buy Mung Noodles, too!

    3. Hope you have a wonderful weekend!

    ReplyDelete
  11. As always..., the dish sounds and looks awesome!! Regarding the table..., I guess only flat tile like things work. Have no idea how you could turn this around.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Boogieboard CottageJuly 30, 2010 at 12:59 PM

    I'm not sure at all how to fix it, but I was wondering if the rocks were porous? When we laid our floor, which is mexican red clay tile, we had to use a liquid tile sealer first before grouting, otherwise the grout would stick to tile.

    Your salad looks great, I'm going to make it tomorrow to take to a barbeque we're going to. I'm sure there'll be lot's of unhealthy food there which I try to avoid. Have a nice weekend, Mary :O)

    ReplyDelete
  13. That salad looks awesome and perfect for summer. I made a similar one early this week and added shrimp. I cheated though, and used a sesame ginger vinagrette for the flavor. Like you I chopped up some cilantro, green onion, and added one of those asian sald bags and voilá! It was so good.

    Too bad about your table, but you are right about trying things out and either way, we are still learning about the process. Hope you have a great weekend too!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Yummy looking salad...wish I'd been there.

    I'd be scraping that tabletop off and starting again having learned a thing or two. Something clear sounds good...I'd also just use a same-size pea-gravel pebble for the entire thing.

    ReplyDelete
  15. I saw a tv show lately that showcased a customized bathroom table top that was made using pebbles and cement. Well the lady that DIY-ed it said she had to cut off(pretty much sliced them using some sort of high tech machinery) the uneven stones to create a smooth surface and then, used a sealer. Sounds barbaric huh! I doubt you'd want to go that way...

    I'd scrape everything off and start over with same size pebbles and grouting and cleaning with a wet sponge along the way. Then "adjust", then swipe clean again.

    Let us know how it goes ok, am sure the end result will be fab;)

    ReplyDelete
  16. I like the idea of putting glass on top. You could glue down sea pepples, but also sparingly include little trinkets - like a random sea shell, or some other beachy trinket.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Hmmmm...wish I could help, but I'm not (very) crafty. Your idea was a good one and I hope someone can help.

    Good luck on your bike ride.

    Hugs,
    Kat

    ReplyDelete
  18. could you turn the table top into an outdoor clock or something and hang up somewhere. or do the rocks on the table legs and paint something on the top? good luck,kelly in NYC

    ReplyDelete
  19. Oh....I think I'll order some of those noodles. I know I won't be able to find them around here.

    As far as the table goes, you might be able to try this stuff:

    http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/GREEN-ENVY-Muriatic-Acid-Replacement-5KPY1?cm_mmc=Google%20Base-_-Painting-_-Paints-_-5KPY1

    I know muratic acid would work, but it's toxic & hazardous. I know it would remove the grout. You could just use a toothbrush or wire bristled brush to get into the grooves to remove some of the excess grout. Then, you could put the epoxy over the top to try & even out the surface. Or, I like the glass table top idea as well.

    Pressure washer might take the grout off, but it could also take your rocks off??

    Glad to see you're up to your crafty self!

    hugs,
    k

    ReplyDelete
  20. Maybe it didn't turn out to you, but you attempt so many projects that I'm in awe.
    On a separate note, that pasta turned out perfectly and sounds magnificent! I've been keeping my eyes peeled for that mung bean pasta around here to no avail. May have to order online! We sure could have some fun picnics, potlucks and dinner parties together!

    ReplyDelete
  21. Glad to see that your pasta salad turned out well. It looks delicious.

    I don't have any ideas for you in the world of re-creating the mosaic table. I'm sure someone will come up w/a solution for you. Good Luck and keep smiling! :)

    ReplyDelete
  22. they cold pasta veggie salad looks delicious, I will definitely have to try it!

    ReplyDelete
  23. Ya know....that table is starting to grow on me! For getting grout off like that you need a toothbrush and a bucket of water...almost have to work around each rock. I imagine, if it is hard it is too late now.

    Salad looks YUM!

    ReplyDelete
  24. Hi Heather! The salad looks really good!! Check out this link and maybe it will help you with your table: http://www.mosaicartsupply.com/mosaicfaqs.htm#Q2A

    Good luck!! Happy Sunday!!
    Jeanne of bermudabluez

    ReplyDelete
  25. Hey...me again! The more I look at your table with the cool rocks on it makes me wonder if you couldn't just glue the rocks to the table, as it looks like you did but instead of grouting, why not just pour the really thick polyurethane coating over it...making it several inches thick? That way, the thickness of the poly would give you a smooth surface and since it's clear, you'd have that cool soft rock appearance....as it looks in your first pic?? me thinks that would look so neat!

    ReplyDelete

Hello.
Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a comment! I really appreciate your thoughts:):)