Trading Up Downtown

It’s been awhile since I featured a Deal of the Week post on Trading Up Downtown, so I figured it was about time for a new one!

If you missed my previous Deals of the Week, here are a few of my favorite posts:

• Keep Your Jeans Looking New
• Price Per Wear
• Framed Greeting Card
• Hotel Hand Soap
• Dishtowel Decor
• Home Decorating on the Cheap
• Thrift Shop Dishes
• Key Coder
• Wicker Baskets
• Homemade Dog Toys

How to Sew a Button

Every other month or so, my husband asks me to sew a fallen-off button back onto a shirt, sweater, jacket, or pair of pants. Every time I return the repaired piece of clothing to him, he’s always impressed– mostly because he never learned to sew. Basically, he thinks that my sewing skills are magical!  But, really, sewing a button is not difficult. Once you learn how to do it, you won’t ever need to bring your clothing to the tailor again. This, of course, saves you time and money!

Here are some step-by-step instructors for how to sew a button:

Step 1

Gather your supplies— the button, a needle, about 2 feet of matching thread and a pair of scissors. (Tip: To make needle-threading easier, cut the thread at an angle.)

Step 2

Thread the needle. Knot the ends together by making a loop and pulling the ends through. Knot once more.

Step 3

Locate your button’s proper spot. Push the needle through the back of the fabric to the front, pulling the thread all the way. Slide the button down the thread to meet the fabric.

Step 4

Once your button is in place and the holes lined up, push your needle down through the opposite hole and out the back of the fabric. Repeat four times. Four-hole button? Use either the adjacent or diagonal hole (check to see how the other buttons were done). Move on to the next hole pair and repeat.

Step 5

Push needle up through the back of the fabric to the front, but not through any buttonholes. Pull button away from the fabric and wrap thread tightly around shank (the thread between button and fabric) six times.

Step 6

Push your needle through the shank twice; snip thread. Your button is repaired!

Instructions and photo from WOMENSDAY.COM

Pesto is so versatile, you’ll never run out of ways to enjoy it! You can toss spoonfuls of it with hot pasta, steamed veggies, use it as a spread on sandwiches, or serve as a dip with crackers or pita chips. It’s also easy to adapt it to your budget by substituting sale-priced nuts, herbs, greens, cheeses, or whatever else you have on hand. Who knew pesto was such a money-saver!?

Simple Pesto

Recipe from Whole Foods

Ingredients:

• ¼ cup nuts
• 2 cups packed chopped raw herbs/greens
• ½ cup grated hard cheese, such as Parmesan or Romano
• 2 TB Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 2 TB lemon juice
• 1 to 2 TB water (optional)
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper

Directions: Pulse all ingredients in a food processor until smooth.

Ingredient Substitutions & Variations

Nuts:

• Walnuts (NuVal score: 82)
• Pine nuts (NuVal score: 46)
• Sunflower kernels (NuVal score: 52)
• Planters whole cashews (NuVal score:
• Almonds (NuVal score: 81)
• Pecans (NuVal score: 65)
• Pumpkin Seeds (NuVal score: 28)

Greens:

• Basil (NuVal score: 100)
• Kale (NuVal score: 99)
• Cilantro (NuVal score: 90)
• Arugula (NuVal score: 82)
• Spinach (NuVal score: 100)
• Parsley (NuVal score: 99)

Juice:

• Lime
• Orange (NuVal score: 100)
• Grapefruit (NuVal score: 99)

Other:

• Pastene Kalamata olives (NuVal score: 10)
• Four Seasons artichoke hearts (NuVal score: 24)
• Cosmos sundried tomatoes in oil (NuVal score:  65)

NuVal News

Exciting news! NuVal has officially launched at Coborn’s stores!! Check out the details here!

Now, doesn’t that look appetizing!?!

As a treat, Nutella with peanut butter and banana slices is certainly a delicious combination of flavors. Nutrition-wise, it doesn’t score too badly on the NuVal either. Well, the Nutella only scores a 3 on the NuVal scale, but I’m not surprised. If you read the nutrition panel on the back of the package, you will see why! However, the other ingredients in this delectable treat score quite well, especially within their category:

• Teddie Smooth UnSalted Peanut Butter (NuVal score: 49; category average: 21)
• Banana slices (NuVal score: 91)
• Nature’s Pride Double Fiber Bread (NuVal score: 31: category average: 26)

Trading Up Downtown Giveaway

And here’s your chance to win this yummy treat!

Well, I can’t send perishable bananas and bread though the mail, but I can send you the most important ingredients in this special treat: Nutella + Teddie Peanut Butter!

To enter: Click over to NuVal.com and leave a comment on this post about something you learned from the website. I’ll randomly pick a winner on Friday morning. Good luck!