So very sad - how to be a lame blogger

Well my friends, it has been a year - yes 1 year since I last blogged.  I am such a bad puppy!!  I started this blog with such high hopes and am an epic fail!!  With that said, let's start over and I promise not to make any promises about what I will post.  You will get what you get. 

Wow so many changes in just one year. I am no longer teaching (those who know me have heard that story), I work for Weight Watchers part-time and am looking for either another teaching job or something that pays well enough to help support us.  I have been busy getting ready for another grandchild - this time a girl to be named Elsie Ruth.  I am having so much fun working on things for her nursury and will show you pictures soon.  I have been creative this year, but must admit I am not a technowizard, so I have trouble loading pictures to my computer to show you.  I must get better at this, I know.  Since I do not have any pictures of projects to show you today, the best I can do is leave you with a new recipe I tried.  I got it from pinterest and adapted it to the meat I had on hand.  It was quite tasty.  I took it over to my friend Jennifer's house yesterday for lunch.  Here it is: 

Funeral Sandwiches  (I know weird name and they won't kill you)

12-16 small rolls (I got the wheat rolls from the pricechopper bakery)
1/2 to 1 lb leftover pork roast or pork butt, chopped fine
Swiss cheese slices
barbeque sauce (I used Sweet Baby Rays)
1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted
3 Tbsp worchestershire sauce
2 Tbsp honey mustard
2 Tbsp brown sugar
dash of onion powder

Cut the rolls in half and line the bottom of a 13x9 inch pan with the bottoms of the rolls.  Spread a thin layer of barbeque sauce on the rolls (like you would to make a sandwich).  Spread the chopped pork on the rolls then add slices of swiss cheese over the pork.  Spread a thin layer of barbeque sauce to the other part of the rolls then put them on top of the sandwiches.  Whisk together the melted butter, worchestershire sauce, mustard, brown sugar and onion powder.  Pour the whole works over the buns, cover the tops of each one.  Use it all - it is good!!  Cover tightly and marinade anywhere from 4-24 hours.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Bake for 15-20 minutes, covered with foil, then uncover and bake about 10 more minutes.  Tops should brown slightly and get a little crispy.  Delicious! 

Talk to you soon.................

Wow has it really been a month??

I cannot believe it has been 1 month since I last blogged!  Life here has been very busy with other activities which have left me very little time or energy.  Today I have been cooking like a crazy woman, so I decided to post some more WW recipes.  Oh, by the way, I have reached my goal and have "officially" lost 65 pounds!!  I was pretty excited today when I went and tried on pants and can actually wear a 6!!!  When you have gone from a 18W to a size 6 it is weird and amazing!  I don't think of myself as any smaller until people who have not seen me in a while comment on it or I try on clothes.  You see, in the mirror, I seem to still see the baby fat tummy and big arms I hate.  It was a definite boost to try on pants today!  Anyway here are the recipes I have been preparing today (there are 3).  Then I am going to give you a couple more of my favorites.  Happy cooking!  Oh by the way, I have not stopped sewing - that has been some of my business lately - I am just having a hard time (OK I admit it - I am technology challenged) uploading pictures.  Those will come soon - I promise!!

Orange-Glazed Cranberry Scones  Serving Size: 1/2 scone  = 3 points plus
2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
3 Tbsp cold butter, cut into pieces
2/3 cup dried cranberries
3/4 cup low-fat buttermilk  (I used 1 capful of lemon juice and filled the measuring cup up to 3/4 cup rather than buying buttermilk)
1 large egg
1 Tbsp grated orange zest
1 cup powdered sugar
4 tsp fresh orange juice

1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Spray large baking sheet with nonstick spray.
2.  Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl.  With pastry blender cut butter into the dry mixture until mixture looks like fine crumbs.  Stir in cranberries.
3.  Whisk together buttermilk, egg and orange zest in measuring cup.  Add to flour mixture and stir just until dough forms.
4.  Drop by large spoonfuls onto a cookie sheet exactly 12 scones OR make 24 small ones if you like, but cook less time.
5.  Bake until golden brown, 10 - 12 minutes.  Let cool for 10 minutes on a cooling rack.
6.  Mix together powdered sugar and orange juice until smooth.  Move pan off the cooling rack, lay down a large piece of wax paper and take scones off cookie sheet and lay on top of wax paper.  Put a generous dollop of powdered sugar mixture on top of each one and then use a knife to spread over each top completely.  Let stand until glaze sets, about 1 hour.


Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bars  Makes 18 bars at 4 points plus each
1 cup brown sugar
4 Tbsp margarine, softened
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 large egg
3 Tbsp egg white in a carton
1/3 cup buttermilk (or put 1 capfull lemon juice in measuring cup and add skim milk until 1/3 cup)
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups uncooked old fashioned oats
1 Tbsp pumpkin pie spice
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2/3 cup mini chocolate chips

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Lightly coat a 13x9 inch pan with cooking spray, then dust lightly with flour.
2.  In a large bowl, cream sugar and margaring with an electric mixer.  Beat in egg, egg white, pumpkin and buttermilk.
3.  In a medium bowl, combine flour oats, pumkin pie spice, baking soda and salt.  Stir into pumpkin mixture just until moistened, then add chocolate chips and mix gently.
4.  Spread batter in pan and bake 20-25 minutes or until center springs back when gently pressed.  Cool and cut into 18 bars.

Taco Chili  1 cup equals 2 points plus
2 cans diced tomatoes
1 can tomato sauce
1 can pinto beans
1 can kidney beans
1 can hominy (or for you whimps - corn)
1/2 pound ground turkey, cooked (since you can't only buy 1/2 lb, cook all of it and save the rest for quesadillas later in the week!)
1/4 cup green pepper, diced
1 pkg taco seasoning
1 t cumin

Combine all in crock pot and cook on high for 4 hours, or low for up to 8.

This week with the cold weather coming back, I pulled out the following recipe and it is sooo good!
Stuffed Pepper Soup  Makes about 12 cups  1 cup = 3 points plus
1 lb extra lean ground beef
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 tsp basil
1/2 tsp oregano
1 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes
1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce
1 package frozen peppers (it will have red, yellow and green peppers in it, so it makes a pretty soup)
3 cups water
 1 Tbsp beef bouillon
1 cup cooked brown rice

Brown beef with onion.  Place all ingredients in crockpot and cook on low 6-8 hours.

Swiss Chicken  Serves 4  9-10 points (plus depending on how large your chicken breasts are)

1 pkg stove top stuffing mix
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (4-6 oz each)
4 slices low fat swiss cheese
1 can 98% fat free cream of mushroom soup

1.  Place stove top stuffing mix (dry ingredients) in sprayed crockpot.
2.  Add chicken breasts over stuffing
3.  Lay swiss cheese over chicken.
4.  Spread mushroom soup over top of cheese
5.  Drizzle 1 cup water around the edges.
6.  Cook on low for 6 hours.
OR you may bake this in the oven at 350 for 1 hour.

Asian-Glazed Pork Chops  Serves 4 - 1 pork chop and 1 1/2 Tbsp glaze = 8 points plus

4 (1/4 pound) bone-less pork chops
1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp honey
4 Tbsp soy sauce
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp cornstarch

1.  Whisk all except the pork chops together and put in a pan that will hold the prok chops.  Lay pork chops in mixture and marinate 15 minutes.  Turn over and marinate 15 minutes more.
2.  Spray a non-stick pan and set over medium-high heat.  Take pork chops out of marinade (do not pour marinade out!) and cook in skillet 4-5 minutes on each side.  Transer to platter and keep warm.  Add 1 clove garlic, minced to the skillet and cook about 30 seconds.  Stir in the reserved marinade mixture and cook, stirring, about 2 minutes.  Pour over pork before serving. 

More Weight Watcher Recipes

Garden Vegetable Soup  (Serves 4)  zero points

2/3 cup sliced Carrot
1/2 cup diced onion
2 minced garlic cloves
3 cups fat-free chicken or vegetable broth
1 1/2 cups diced green cabbage
1/2 cup green beans
1 Tbsp tomato paste
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup diced zucchini

Spray a large pot with nonstick cooking spray, heat.  Saute the carrot, onion and garlic over low heat until softened, about 5 minutes.  Add broth, cabbage, beans, tomato paste, basil, oregano, and salt;  bring to a boil.  REduce heat, simmer, covered, about 15 minutes or until beans are tender.  Stir in the zucchini and heat for 3-4 minutes.  Serve hot.

Chunky Chicken Salad Sandwiches  (Serves 4)  With a thin bun this is 12 points plus  or you could also add 1 slice of reuced fat swiss cheese and it would be 14 points plus AND WORTH IT!!

1/4 cup reduced calorie mayonnaise (I use  1/2 cup Fat Free instead of half and half)
1/4 cup fat free mayonnaise
2 heaping Tablespoons honey mustard
1 medium clove garlic, crushed
2 1/2 cups cooked, diced chicken breast
1 1/2 cups red seedless grapes, sliced in half and then quartered
3 Tbsp chopped pecans

Combine mayonnaise, mustard and garlic in a small bowl.  Place chicken, grapes and pecans in a larger bowl; add dressing and stir to coat.  Yields 1 cup per serving.  This will keep in the refrigerator for 2 days.

1, 2, 3 Pancake (Serves 1 or 2)  6 points plus for both pancakes if you make 2
1 packet WW oatmeal (vanilla almond is amazing)
2 Tbsp unsweetened applesauce
3 egg whites (I use egg beaters)

Mix and cook on a hot griddle that has been sprayed with cooking spray.  Serve with sugar-free syrup.

More soon!  I have some sewing things to show you when I have more time.  TTFN!

Two of my favorite Weight Watcher recipes

I have been getting so many requests for delicious recipes that I decided to use this blog today to give you two of them.  So here are two of my favorites:

Laughing Cow Chicken

1 pound skinless boneless chicken breasts

8 slices deli-style fat-free ham slices

4 wedges Laughing Cow Cheese - any flavor

1/4 package shake n bake - chicken (you can substitute italian bread crumbs, but it is not near as good)

1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2.  Place each chicken breast between 2 pieces of wax paper and pound to 1/4 inch thick (or you can slice each breast almost in half length-wise).

3.  Place 2 slices of ham and one wedge of cheese on each chicken breast.  I then flatten the cheese out so it spreads across the width of the breast.

4.  Roll chicken up.  Roll in the shake n bake and then secure with a toothpick.

5.  Spray a cookie sheet with cooking spray and then lay chicken breasts on the cookie sheet.

6.  Bake for 35 to 45 minutes or until juices run clear and chicken is browned.

Delicious!!  Serves 4 and was 5 points, but I am going to guess about 8 points plus

Ginger Hoisin Burgers with Asian Slaw

1 pound ground lean beef (7 % fat or less)

1/4 cup dried bread crumbs (you can use plain or italian - both good)

1/4 cup chopped onion

1/4 cup + 1 Tablespoon Hoisin Sauce (this is with the asian foods in the grocery store)

2 Tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce

1 Tablespoon lime juice

1 Tablespoon honey

4 cups thinly sliced Napa cabbage OR instead of these next 3 items use a bag of slaw like I do

4 radishes

1 carrot, shredded

1.  Combine beef, bread crumbs, onion, 1/4 cup of hoisin sauce and soy sauce in a medium bowl.  With damp hands, shape mixture into 4 1/2 inch thick patties.

2.  Spray a medium nonstick skillet with nonstick spray and set over medium-high heat.  Add patties and cook 5-6 minutes on each side, or until your preferred doneness.

3.  Meanwhile, whisk together the remaining 1 Tablespoon of hoisin sauce, lime juice and honey in a large bowl.  Add the cabbage, radishes and carrots (or bag of slaw - I promise this is so much easier!) and toss to combine. 

4.  To serve we eat them on the thins type buns and add the slaw on top of the burger. 

Even my picky eater Kaitlyn loves these!!

This recipe used to be 5 points per serving and serves 4, but now is probably 8 points plus.  The thin bun adds on an extra 3 plus points for a total of 11 plus points.

Please let me know what you think of these recipes and ideas of other recipes you might be interested in.  I have lots of tried and true recipes that are working for my family.  Bon Appetit!



FINALLY! A new blog

My first sewing project in January 2011

This is the back view

This is the front view - I call it the
 TACO purse.  Do you see it?

My first pin cushion - it is a BUG!

This is a very pretty jewelry bag

This is for my

This is my NEW camara case that I made
 for my camara.

These are going to be made into pin
 cushions next. I bought the glass bowl
 for $.49 and the metal leaf for $.99 at
the thrift store.  Can't wait!

I love this basket I made.

This is for my "GrandDOG" - it
is a bag holder for - you know.

And here is the basket with muffins in it!

This is a lunch bag - I think next time I
 will use lighter weight interfacing

So here are the finished (and unfinished ) projects I have been promising.  It took me alot longer to get the pictures taken than I thought it would - sorry.  Alot of these were taken from the 2011 Sewing Calendar edited by Megan Smith.  Gotta give credit where credit is due.  A few are things I got from the internet and from now on I will try to only post about one per post.  I want you to know that there are other things I have also sewn for people this month among them are:  adding a ruffled layer to a dress for a high school vocal teacher's student, fixing the straps for my daughter's friend's chamber choir dress, hemming two pairs of pants for another friend, and whenever I am not doing anything else I have been making yoyos for a "something" I am making.  I am not sure what it will be yet but I just learned how to make yoyos and I am having fun designing it - whatever it turns out to be!  Well gotta go for now, but next time there will be a recipe for you to try.  TTFN!!

This one is for YOU - Allison!

You know the old saying that the cobbler"s (shoemaker) children never have new shoes?  Or something like that...anyway, my four beautiful, sucessful daughters did not learn any sewing skills from me.  Sigh.  Now was that my fault you may ask, or theirs?  I honestly am not sure.  They all took FACS in middles school just like everyone was required to do, but none ever expressed a desire to learn more.  I guess you could say I also never pushed the issue with any of them either.  They all have been busy good students who always had lots going on and little time to sew with Mom.It is only now as married adults I am being asked to teach them a basic skill of how to sew on a button.  My button sewing should be legendary.  You see the peacock picture at the top of this blog?  It has 696 hand sew buttons on it.  Each one was sewn on the right way.  How is that, you ask?  Read on.....

 

How To Sew On A Button

1.  Buy a needle and thread.  (I have to say this as I am pretty sure Allison does not own either one) ;o)
2. Cut a piece of thread that is about you shoulder width or a little longer..  Thread your needle.  If you have trouble with this, cut the thread end off at an angle (so it is pointed) and then do not touch the tip of the thread or else it will begin to fray.
3. Bring both thread ends together and tie a knot (tying both ends together in that knot).  If there is a tail of thread below the knot, cut it off.
4. Starting on the underside (wrong side) of the garment put the needle into the fabric.  Pull the thread tight untill the knot is snug at the fabric.  Slide the button onto the needle.  Holding the button in place, put the needle in the fabric back onto the wrong side.  If you have a 2 hole button just repeat this process 4-5 times.  If you have a 4 hole button repeat the process 4-5 times in two holes and then repeat the process in the other two holes.  If you have a shank button (one that does not have holes through the button, but rather has a thing to sew through on the back of the button) repeat the process 4-5 times also but be careful not to take such large stitches that you will be able to see them on either side of the button.
5. Bring needle up from the back to the front between the button and the garment.  Hold onto the thread and tightly wrap the thread around the button (underneath the button in between the button and the garment) 4-5 times.  This is your secret weapon to prevent your button from coming off any time soon.
6. Bring needle back through the garment to the wrong side and you are ready to tie your knot and cut off the thread.  Try one of these ways to do that:  Take a very small stitch in place and before you pull it tight, take your needle through the loop.  This makes 1/2 of the knot.  Do it again and you are finished and can cut off the thread.  The other choice is to cut off the thread leaving about 2-3 inches hanging onto your garment and then tie a knot by hand and then cut off the threads.  Both are easy and both work for me!

I sure hope these instructions are clear.  As soon as I get a little more blog savvy I will add pictures to these instructions.  Now on to the next item of my blog - food!

 

Most of my friends know that I have been trying to lose weight since April.  I am a life time member of Weight Watchers who fell of the wagon and gained 65 pounds.  Through hard work, weight watchers, a daughter doing it with me and keeping me on track, and 3 days a week of bootcamp exercise I had lost 63 pounds and was soooo close to my goal.  The bummer is Christmas break happened and I ate more than I should have.  We all do that - don't we?  But the bad thing is that I had a hard time stopping eating all the junk left in my house after Christmas and 5 days at home last week due to snow days.  Therefore I had a gain this week.  Grrrrrr!  But the thing I have learned through WW is all I have to do is start fresh this week and never give up.  So here is the recipe I made for lunch today and it was yummy!!

 

Vegetable Pasta Soup
6 cups reduced salt V-8 Healthy Request Vegetable Juice
1 (14 1/2 ounce) can diced tomatoes with basil, garlic and oregano
1 package California Blend Frozen Veggies (has carrots, cauliflower and broccoli)
1 package Tuscan Blend Frozen Veggies (has carrots, broccoli, zucchini, italian beans and lima beans)
1 package Birds Eye Steamfresh Lightly Sauced Frozen Rigatoni and Vegetables with Tomato Parmesan Sauce
1 tsp garlic powder
2 cups of water
1/3 head of cabbage, sliced in to 1 1/2 inch strips
Parmesan cheese to sprinkle over soup in the boiwls

 

Combine the V-8, water, garlic powder, raw cabbage and canned tomatoes in a large pot.  Bring to a boil.  Add all the frozen packages of goodies and stir.  Return to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes (20 if you are using the cabbage).  Ladle soup into bowls and sprinkle with parmesan cheese.

 

If you only eat about 1 cup each this will serve 8.  If you eat 1 1/2 to 2 cups each it will serve 4.  We forgot to sprinkle on the parmesan and we still LOVED it!!

 

Well that is all for today, but to get you to come back I will give you a teaser for tomorrow:  I will tell you about the first 5 projects I have finished either from the calander or from the internet.  Also, I will show you what I bought last night to make pin cushions out of.  Can't wait!

My very first post

Hello!  This is my very first attempt at writing a blog.  I plan to record my sewing journey for the following year.  You see, I bought a sewing calendar for 2011 which has the viewer sew a different project every 3 to 4 days.  All of the projects can also be found on-line and of course I will give credit to the creators.  None of these are my own creations, but as with most sewers, they will have my own twist on the original.  Most of the projects from the calendar I love, but some…not so much.  Since I seem to spend hours on the web reading other people’s blogs and collecting sewing ideas I want to make, I made it my New Year’s Resolution to make all the projects from the calendar that I love and on the days there is one I am not so crazy about, I will make one of those saved stacks of  projects I have been collecting for the past year. My two new obsessions seem to be pin cushions and fabric baskets, so expect to hear about those some days. I hope you will go on this journey with me and be my encourager.  Who knows – I might even inspire you to use your creative side more!