Posts by Bekah Banihashemi
Simple Chicken Noodle Soup
Simple Chicken Noodle Soup — An EASY, HEALTHY meal that everyone in your family will enjoy! While we were eating this meal, my husband, a self proclaimed expert in the area of EATING 🙂 said,
“I really like this meal! It’s simple, but really good!”
And it is! I like eating the soup plain with lots of the veggies, but my husband loves adding the noodles to his bowl for a more hearty meal.
Ingredients:
Olive Oil
2-3 Chicken Breasts, cubed
Chicken Seasoning
2 Cans Chicken Broth Low Sodium (14.5 oz each)
2 Cups of Water
1/2 Onion, Chopped
2 Large Carrots, Peeled, Sliced, and Halved
1/2 Stalk of Celery
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Pepper (add more to taste)
1 Lb Bag Whole Wheat Pasta (Optional- We use penne or fusilli but any pasta will work)
Directions:
1. Chop onion, carrots, and celery. Coat a frying pan with the olive oil and sauté the vegetables, with the salt and pepper, for 5-8 minutes or until almost tender. (We like the veggies to be a little crunchy to add something different to the soup, but this is preference. If you don’t want it as crunchy, sauté longer)
2. Cube the chicken. Coat another frying pan with olive oil and cook the chicken, season with a mild chicken seasoning, until fully cooked.
3. Place the water and chicken broth into a pot. Set aside.
4. Combine the vegetables and chicken in the pot with the chicken broth mixture. Put the burner on medium and stir. Cook until fully heated. Add pepper to taste.
5. (Optional) Cook noodles as instructed on the package while stirring the soup.
6. Serve and Enjoy! Add a delicious cheese bread from a fun bakery or make your own grilled cheese with whole …
Read MoreDIY Turban Headband
I love headbands! I have always bought them thinking that they look quite simple to make, yet cost so much. So, I finally decided to try to make my own! The newest style of headband is the “Turban Headband”. Two pieces of fabric come together to make a cute “knot” at the top. It is a very simple design and now you can learn how to make your own, too!
What You Need:
Cute Fabric — Elastic — Fabric Scissors — Pins — Measuring Tape — Thread to Match Your Fabric — Sewing Machine
1. Cut three pieces of fabric (Two at 3 3/4 in by 14 3/4 in; One at 11 in by 1 1/2 in) and one piece of elastic (7 1/2 in).
2. The smaller piece will be the cover for the elastic. First, create a hem on both short ends to create a clean look for the casing. Then, put right sides of the smaller piece together and pin the long edge before sewing, leaving short ends open. The width may need to be adjusted depending on width of elastic used when sewing the seam because you want it to be taut around the elastic when you pull it through. Sew and trim the seam. Turn right side out to create the casing.
For the two larger pieces, fold in the long edges (1/4 in) to make a hem on both long sides. Sew hem.
3. Secure a safety pin on one end of the elastic and thread through casing, holding on to the other end so the elastic does not slip out. Attach the other side of the elastic to the safety pin for the time being, creating a loop.
4. Take the larger pieces and accordion the short ends. Pin to secure the accordions.…
Read MoreBrooklyn Owl Recap of the Week
In case you missed our First PASSION PERSPECTIVE featuring of Brooklyn Owl, here is a recap of the week!
Learn about Growing Weisser’s new Passion Perspective concept of featuring a guest that has a true enthusiasm for the work they are doing. Our first guest has been Annie Bruce, the creator of Brooklyn Owl. Discover our long time history of knowing Annie and a few of Annie’s favorite things!
Tuesday’s post revealed the journey of Brooklyn Owl – The passion, the long-time goals, and more!
Wednesday included more of the Passion Perspective Interview. Read about Annie’s heart and what has motivated her through the process of Brooklyn Owl. She shares about how her faith has played such a big role and gives some great life wisdom!
Read some amazing Reviews about the Brooklyn Owl products from Thursday’s post, showing more of the variety and creativity of each item!
AND THE WINNER IS…
Melissa Rae McCary!!
Congratulations on winning our Brooklyn Owl Giveaway! Check your inbox today for your exclusive Brooklyn Owl Etsy Shop Coupon Code!
For all of our other Growing Weisser Followers, please continue to support Annie Bruce and Brooklyn Owl!
http://www.etsy.com/shop/brooklynowl
Print out some Brooklyn Owl original coloring pages!
Fun Free Coloring Pages by Brooklyn Owl
Step 1: Download and Print
Rainbow Owl = http://BrooklynOwl.com/
Big Owl = http://BrooklynOwl.com/
Step 2: Have Fun Coloring
Step 3: Take Picture of you and your creation
Step 4: Send image to BrooklynOwl@gmail.com
or tag Brooklyn Owl on Facebook
We hope you have enjoyed our first Passion Perspective week! We will continue this new idea once a month, sharing a new guest each time! We are really excited to support and encourage our guest’s passion through Growing Weisser!…
Read MoreBrooklyn Owl Products & Reviews
Annie has quite the successful Brooklyn Owl business! She has made almost 1,000 sales on Etsy, and as a result, has obtained a 5 STAR Review from her customers! In most business, there are bound to be a few negative comments here or there regardless of how great the product it. However, going through the 216 customer feedback reviews for Brooklyn Owl, I did not read one negative comment! I believe that is a great testimony of the hard work put into each product and the quality of each handmade item, the reliability and precision of the artist, and an all around amazing company!
Brooklyn Owl products are also sold at 9 different retailers around New York. Annie tries to get involved with many local events, such local flea markets and street sales, to share Brooklyn Owl with as many people as possible! Check out the Brooklyn Owl Facebook Page to get more updates on these events!
CUSTOM LISTING FOR LAILA: “I cannot say enough good things about Annie and Brooklyn Owl. She was very helpful and willing to work with me on the order. She responded to my messages quickly and was extremely friendly. I was shocked at how quickly she made my order and got it shipped to me. It was packaged so carefully and came with adorable extra coloring sheets! One of the best online purchase experiences I’ve ever had. Thank you so much, Annie! 
CUSTOM LISTING FOR ASHELY: “Amazing! Annie went out of her way to create ears my daughter wanted to go along with the unicorn horn. The complete set is so perfect! Very well made and super cute! Shipped & arrived very promptly, too.”
YOU CHOOSE COLOR UNICORN HORN or NARWAL TUSK HAIRCLIP: “Great seller. I ordered the white unicorn horn with gold thread. …
Read MorePassion Perspective Interview
Part 3 of a 5 part series featuring Annie Bruce owner of “Brooklyn Owl”
We have organized Day 3 of our “Passion Perspective” to include an interview format that allows you to see into the heart of our guests. You will feel their passion and begin to understand what motivates them and what draws people to their products and why we feel privileged to be sharing their heart and passion with you.
Here are Annie Bruce’s responses to her interview about Brooklyn Owl:
How has your faith played a part of this journey?
- Challenges-expected and unexpected: “My faith has brought me through the darkest moments of running my business, and allowed me to step back and gain perspective on the fact that it isn’t the end of the world if something is late, or an unexpected thing goes wrong. God is still the most important thing and that doesn’t depend on how things are going.”
- Blessing-expected and unexpected: “My whole business is an exercise in faith because it never made sense, on paper, to do it at all. But I prayed hard about it and felt that it was something I needed to do. I see kids wearing my stuff when I walk around the city sometimes and it is a blessing to feel that something I made is a part of making someone happy or more confident. The kids in my neighborhood call me “the unicorn lady” because they see me at the craft fairs or walking around in one of the horns I make, which reminds me that, good or bad, I am setting an example for little eyes every day, and I want so badly to set a good one. It is little things like that that bless me and make me want to do this forever.”
About Brooklyn Owl
THE JOURNEY OF BROOKLYN OWL…
Annie’s original passion was to create a business that could bring in income while she stayed home with her young daughter.
In order to make her dream a reality, she took these steps.
Annie always loved working with felt and so she started making things out of felt. “Things I saw in books, or things I imagined. The early hair clips and toys were pretty primitive. But I got better. After a while I had made some stuff that was my own and that I wanted to share with people. So I started to produce my clips in quantities to sell”. In 2010, after hours of brainstorming and creating wearable felt pieces, Annie opened up her Etsy shop with her hair clip designs and customizable headbands, and her business has grown from there.”
“Brooklyn Owl is special because it is its own universe, with its own color palette and its own group of animals that exist there. Everything is curated and designed to fit in with the “Brooklyn Owl style”. It isn’t just a hair clip, it is a world of products that have been designed for people that love color and want to have more fun with their fashion.”
Digging deeper into the passion of Brooklyn Owl…
- What are your long-term goals and dreams? “My goal is to make Brooklyn Owl as big and as great as it can be. My dream is to add color to the lives of people all over the world, and to produce things that produce smiles.”
- How has your product line changed and expanded? “I offer a lot more than the Brooklyn Owl hairclip I started with! I have 3 different owl designs in a wide variety of colors, mermaid hairclips, garlands, cake toppers, bowties, pins, jewelry, ornaments,
Couples Devotional
At the beginning of this year, my husband and I decided to start a daily devotional together. It was a gift from our close family friends and marriage counselors and mentors (Thank you Dan and Silvia!! :D) and we decided it was time to put it to good use! I loved the idea of taking specific time to do a devotional together, but I never thought it would do as much good as it has! Not only has it given us an opportunity for undistracted quality time together (even if it is only 5 or 10 minutes), but it has brought up some great topics of discussion that we probably would not have talked about in daily conversation! It has also given me the chance to praise and thank my husband, think about how he has blessed me throughout our marriage, and how much I appreciate the things he does for me.
The One Year Devotions for Couples was written by David and Teresa Ferguson. Throughout this devotional, many themes are covered such as Acceptance, Attention, Approval, Confession, Forgiveness, Grace, Prayer, Sympathy, and Trust. Each day includes a Bible verse, a devotional that illustrates a personal experience from the Fergusons’ life, a prayer, and a discussion question.
They said, “We believe that marriage is one of the most exhilarating relationships God has created. But sometimes marriage can be exhausting because it takes work to keep a marriage alive and flourishing. However, we can tell you- from personal experience and from our observations of others- that it’s well worth the effort it takes to deepen the intimacy of marriage.”
I have really enjoyed this particular devotional because it has reminded me that everyone is broken and everyone struggles in a marriage, not just us. David and Teresa Ferguson are very vulnerable …
Read MoreLove is…Valentine’s Day Craft
Do you need an easy craft to make your home more Valentine’s Day ready?? If so, keep reading. If you don’t think you do, keep reading and you might change your mind! 🙂 This craft was inspired by Bethany’s post last week on Love being Free, Filled, & Flowing and one of my favorite Bible verses.
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. 1 Corinthians 13:4-8
Materials:
Construction Paper- Pinks and Reds preferable
Scissors
Stencils
Sharpie
Tape
Ribbon (Optional)
12-14 Mini Clothespins (Optional)
2 Hooks (Optional)
2 Large Binder Rings (Optional)
Instructions
1. Find a blank wall or space in your home to put your artwork.
2. Choose your Valentine’s day colored construction paper and a heart template that you like. You can either create your own template by hand or find a heart online that you like and print it out.
3. Stencil the words LOVE IS and LOVE NEVER FAILS. As I have said in previous crafting posts, stencil the letters upside down so that if the trace/cut isn’t perfect the pen or pencil marks will not show on the front. Cut each letter out.
4. Trace and cut 12-14 hearts. (You can group some of the phrases or do each individually) Use a sharpie to write the words from the verse- Patient, Kind, Does Not Envy, Not Proud, Not Rude, Not Self-Seeking, Not Easily Angered, Keeps No Record of Wrongs, Does Not Delight in Evil but Rejoices With the Truth, Always Protects, Always …
Read MoreQuinoa Pizza Bites
Quinoa has become quite the craze! It has become one of the most popular Superfoods in the US in the last 10 years! However, a lot of people still do not know much about it. Here is some info about Quinoa from quinoa.net…
“It is called quinoa (pronounced keen-wa), and is a seed that comes from the Andes Mountains of South America. Quinoa’s origins are truly ancient. It was one of the three staple foods along with corn and potatoes, of the Inca civilization. Quinoa was known then, and still is known, with respect, as the mother grain. We call it the ‘Supergrain of the Future.’
Quinoa contains more protein than any other grain; an average of 16.2 percent, compared with 7.5 percent for rice, 9.9 percent for millet, and 14 percent for wheat. Some varieties of quinoa are more than 20 percent protein.
Quinoa’s protein is of an unusually high quality. It is a complete protein, with an essential amino acid balance close to the ideal … similar to milk!
Quinoa’s protein is high in lysine, methionine and cystine. This makes it an excellent food to combine with and boost the protein value of other grains (which are low in lysine), or soy (which is low in methionine and cystine).
And here are 10 things you may not know about quinoa:
Quinoa is a versatile, protein-filled superfood. While similar staples like bulgur and barley tend to be relegated to health food aisles and your hippie aunt’s vegetarian casserole, quinoa is a crowd-pleaser with enormous global appeal.
Here’s the truth about quinoa…
1. Though it is often called a whole grain, quinoa isn’t a grain at all. True grains like wheat and maize are derived from grasses, whereas quinoa is part of a protein-rich plant family that includes fellow …
Read MoreYou Don’t Have to Fit In
My Princess…You Don’t Have To Fit In
“I know you want to be accepted by others, but you were not made to fit in. You, My Princess, were created to stand out. Not to draw attention to yourself, but to live the kind of life that leads others to Me. Remember, it’s your choices that will pave your path to life. I will not force you to do anything. I have given you a free will to walk with Me or to walk away from Me. I want you to know that you can put on your crown at any time and let people know that you belong to Me. You have a royal call on your life. I want you to remember you wear the crown of everlasting life, and through you I will do abundantly more than you would ever dare to dream.
Love,
Your King and Crown Giver
“Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ.”
Galatians 1:10
This was my devotional today from Sheri Rose Shepherd’s “His Princess: Love Letters from Your King.” I love these devotionals because it reminds me of God’s promises and encourages me to live more deeply for God; not out of fear or uncertainty, but because these words illustrate God’s love and acceptance for me that makes me wonder why I wouldn’t follow Him in everything I do and say. Our culture continues to tell us that our significance comes from acceptance from others. But, this devotional, and God’s Word, tell us something much different! God didn’t make us to fit into this world, we are called to so much more. Our significance …
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