Mmmm....Bacon

Tot has been eating a lot of grilled cheeses lately which has led me to wonder if I can create my own versions of some awesome adult friendly grilled cheese sandwiches. So, I’ll be starting to do that very soon. But, it’s also led to that time of year when the weather is just H-O-T and we want something that’s filling but doesn’t weigh you down for dinner. So, we’ve been doing a version of BLT’s. If you think you can’t improve on a BLT you’re wrong. There’s a whole other level of awesome. Have I mentioned a recent love of avocados? When I was younger I wouldn’t go near them because of having the honor of trying the world’s worst guacamole. Within the last three years is when I’ve come to love guacamole and avocados. Well, welcome to my world with the TABLE sandwich. Or BLEAT or BLATE or however you want to call it. We go with TABLE. It’s a loaded sandwich and is delicious.
You need:
A couple already cooked and chilled hard boiled eggs peeled and sliced
1 lb bacon (thick center cut is the best)
1 medium ripe tomato sliced
A couple leaves of iceberg or romaine lettuce
2 very ripe avocados (mash half to spread and slice the other half)
Toast
Mayo (optional)
Fry up a pound of thick center cut bacon. This will be enough for two adult sandwiches and a slice each for the mostly vegetarian kiddos who go berserk for bacon which is no surprise. We bake ours in the oven to cook it because I hate getting burned with pan frying. While it’s cooking do your other prep work of slicing and washing the vegetables. When it’s ready to assemble put it together however you like. Hubs doesn’t use mayo on his. This is one of my few mayo exceptions, but I use maybe two teaspoons total. Just a very fine layer on both pieces of hot toast. I work with one side of the toast after that and use the other piece to close the sandwich because it is loaded down. On the side I’m working on I take half an avocado and spread it onto the mayo’ed up toast. On top of that I put a couple pieces of piping hot bacon, then some lettuce, then the sliced hard boiled egg, the other half of one avocado sliced. Then top it off with a slice of two of ripe tomato and close the sandwich up. The tomato works well with having a little mayo against it. Sit down and enjoy. Keep a napkin near by and make sure to grab anything that tries to escape. I do this sandwich as well without the bacon and it is also very good on a hot summer’s day. Enjoy!

P.S. I'd post a pic but it was relatively dark in the kitchen the other night when I took a pic and I couldn't resist the sandwich. It was crumbs before I thought to go into the sewing room for better light. Next time.

A different take on cookies

Life is busy lately and I've needed a mental break from trying to think of anything creative because with two toddlers I fear creativity will never come back! We love cookies in our house, especially chocolate chip. Here's what I do when we make ours. They're not healthy but they are tasty!

What you need:
2 1/4 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 cup brewer's yeast (buy on Amazon or local health food shop)
1 cup softened butter or coconut oil
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 white sugar (you can probably omit the plain white, but I haven't tried it)
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1 tsp blackstrap molasses
2 extra large eggs
12 oz of semi sweet chocolate chips
1 cup chopped walnuts or hazelnuts, optional

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix first four dry ingredients in a bowl and set aside.  Cream butter, sugars, vanilla extract and molasses in large mixing bowl until creamy. Add eggs one at a time. Gradually add in flour mixture. Stir in chocolate and nuts. Scoop onto cookie sheet with cookie scoop for even cookies. Bake for 9-11 minutes on metal pan or 11-13 on stoneware reducing time as needed. Makes 48-60 cookies.

Tot loves helping make these as does Daredevil. I measure it out and they put it in the mixer bowl. It's a half hour of hamony and peace in the kitchen.

Pierogies aka 'Rogie Love

We love pierogies in our little family. These are not dairy-free so Daredevil only eats one or two and gets a dose of Claritin to combat the rash and other problems that happen when she has dairy. I’ve made a batch dairy free and they’re good but they need a lot of salt and pepper and olive oil to really make them sit nicely on the palate. It can be done though so if you’re always dairy-free don’t be afraid to omit the cheese!

Lots of recipes on the Internet but this is pretty close to what we know and love. Back where we came from there is a Russian Orthodox Church and they sell these. So wonderful, but we’re no longer there and had to come up with as close as possible. I highly recommend two people for the job. One person can do it, but it is very time consuming. If you can get more people to help then that’s even better. Make sure to reward everyone for their efforts with a dozen or two to take home. But, if not two people (and two “helping” toddlers) can do the job in a day. And yes, it will take all day. And I’ll include a cost breakdown at the end.

To start the prep:

Peel 5 pounds of russet potatoes and cube them up. Stick them in a pot of water and boil until fork tender. Like you’re making mashed potatoes.

Peel and chop 2 lbs of onions. I stuck them in my food processor and made them almost a puree consistency because Tot won’t eat them if he sees onion pieces in there. But, you need the flavor of onions in there.

Peel and slice in half circles another two pounds of onions and set aside. These need to be lightly sautéed in butter until slightly translucent and set aside to go on top of the boiled pierogies.

Grate two 8oz blocks of the sharpest white cheddar cheese you can get. I used New York Extra Sharp Cheddar, because they were out of anything sharper. Quality counts here so don’t skimp. Use coupons, but buy the best you can get in the cheese case.

Once you’re done this you’re ready to start prepping the dough.

Dough:

4 cups flour

4 eggs

1 cup water

1 ½ tsp kosher salt

 Mix all of this together until it comes together nicely in a ball. Turn it over onto some lightly oiled saran wrap and cover with the ball. Let rest for at least 15 minutes. You can also make this the night before and let it rest in the fridge. Keep the bag of flour handy because for 5 lbs of potatoes you will probably use at least a 5 lb bag of flour between making batches of dough and what you use to flour your rolling surface. No lie, last time I made them I had to send hubs out last time mid-batch making because I ran out of flour. I’m prepared today with a fresh bag and an extra in the pantry. If there’s any dough leftover at the end of making all the pierogies, roll it out thin and cut into strips. Let it hang dry and you have fresh homemade pasta. Bonus!

The filling:

Mash together 5 lbs drained potatoes, the 2 pounds of onions you either pureed or diced very finely, and the grated cheese along with about 2 tbsp. kosher salt. I used the cup of my palm since my hands are smaller and eyeballed it. Taste and add more salt (or not) to your preference. This time I also added 4 heaping tbsp of nutritional yeast flakes in there since we’re trying to get more nutrients into Tot.  Optional, but we’re desperate most days to get him to eat which is a whole other story not for today.

Assembling: (here’s where having the second person really helps cut down on the amount of time and takes away the monotony, but you can do it yourself by rolling an filling a batch and dropping them in the boiling water, repeat the rolling and filling while the boiling ones are cooking.)

Set out your rolling mat or have a clean counter. Sprinkle some flour down so your dough doesn’t stick. Roll out the dough very thin. I used a guide that was about 3/8” thick, but then I took them off and started gauging pretty spot on. Pull off a ball of dough from your rested dough and start rolling until you have a nice sheet. Make sure you keep a little pile of flour ready to sprinkle on the dough and your hands as you’re rolling and turning the dough. I turn it at least once because the spreading dough sticks. Using a 2.5 inch cookie cutter gives nice size pierogies. You can use larger if that’s what you’re used to or want. Cut out as many circles as you can. Then put a teaspoon of filling in each circle. I scoop a little in my hand and give it a little squeeze before I put it in the circle. Makes it easier to close and has the right density.

Dough just turned out of the bowl before resting

About the size of dough I pull off to roll out

About the right thickness

Give the filling a little squeeze for density and fitting nicely in the circle

Ready to gently stretch the dough over to close and seal

Before boiling

Boiled and ready to fry up! We tried to make a few shapes for Tot to enjoy with the holiday cookie cutters. (cut out two shapes to stick together once filled for this one. No folding here because you'll lose the cool factor)

Keep a little bowl of water nearby. Using your finger or a brush, lightly brush half of the circle edge with water. Fold in half and pinch it closed. Have your partner start boiling the pierogis about 10-12 at a time max for about 8 minutes. Stir while they’re boiling so they don’t stick to each other or the bottom of the pot. Pull them out with a slotted spoon and quickly shake off the excess water into a colander. And as you are boiling the water will evaporate. Just add more water to the pot and keep going. By the end your kitchen will smell like dinner rolls and the water will be a very deep yellow. You’re using the restaurant method here of using the same starchy water the entire time. These are ready to now be pan fried with those reserved lightly sautéed onions or put into the freezer with the onions on top. Keep making them until you’re out of potatoes.

For the adults because we didn't want to steal from the kids. Mmmm... Too bad this isn't Star Trek and there isn't a replicator, right?

Reward yourself with a big glass of wine and some wonderful pierogies with caramelized onions. Sometimes we add some mushrooms on top to make it really hearty. You can’t go wrong. And you can easily get about 14 dozen pierogies in the 2.5 inch size. When they’re all frozen seal them into smaller portions and Ziploc them. I put them on a tray with freezer paper in between the layers for the initial freezing and then put them in some vacuum sealed bags. We grab and eat for dinner as we’re craving them. The effort is worth it if you’re only option is buying them commercially. If you have a mom and pop operation like that church we had and don’t want to do the work then that’s a great way to get a fix on this craving.

Here’s the cost break down for anyone still paying attention:

5 lb bag of flour $2.50

4 lbs onions $3.88

16 oz of cheese $5.76

5 lbs. potatoes $2.79

Total=$13.93 for ingredients or roughly $0.08/pierogi for 14 dozen.

Buying the commercial ones are roughly $4.99/box here. And I gladly paid $6.50/dozen for the homemade ones when I had the convenience to be able to do so. Quite a difference! Enjoy your pierogies.

Chicken Fried Rice

I have to admit I have a problem when it comes to eating out. I love going to the restaurants because someone comes to wait on me and I don't have to do dishes! But, that kills the budget. I decided yesterday I really wanted some fried rice. We had chicken in the house because hubs made some cutlets for work the other day so I was using it up. So, without further adieu here's the recipe. It's pretty close to takeout. Hubs even enjoyed it as leftovers for lunch. And it would be 4 servings if you actually remember to eat during the day and maybe serving some spring rolls on the side. I had two huge bowls because it was all I ate.

Chicken fried rice.

2 chicken breasts pounded, sliced into strips then cut into pieces

Jasmine rice 2 cups dry rice cooked in 3 cups water and a little salt. (extra was for the kids)

Cook these ahead of time then stick in the fridge to cool until dinner time. I used my cast iron skillet to pound out the chicken because Daredevil ran off with the mallet and it's currently in an undisclosed location. I put a piece of saran wrap over it before I pounded it. Then when it was all ready to cook I seasoned it with more salt and some fresh cracked black pepper. And usually when I talk about salt it's kosher. It adds a nice flavor in the cooking. The Morton's just sits in a shaker on the table for anyone wanting more salt on their dish.

When it's time for dinner have ready:

1/2 sliced onion
4 oz. sliced mushrooms (more if you're in the mood)
Green onions sliced
1 cup of peas and carrots (I used frozen)
Chilled rice
Chilled chicken
Several handfuls of bean sprouts washed and drained
3 eggs ready to scramble

In the wok:
lightly spray the very bottom to scramble up the eggs. When they are scrambled and starting to turn golden brown take them out and set aside.

Then add sesame oil. I also added a little canola just to help with the temperature because I'm getting used to the new stove. Probably 1 heaping tablespoon of sesame oil and 1/2 tablespoon of canola oil. Let it get nice and hot. It should smell like nirvana in your kitchen.

When the oil is heated add the onions and mushrooms and start cooking them. Add some more salt and pepper. When they start cooking about 2 minutes then add the chicken. Another 2 minutes, add the peas and carrots, green onions and sprouts. Let it all cook for another 2 minutes or so when things just start to wilt nicely. Then add the egg and rice back in. At this point you'll also start adding soy sauce in. I eyeballed it so I can't tell you how much I added. Probably a tablespoon or two. Add another little bit of salt and black pepper if it's not the level you're looking for (TASTE IT!). If it's good slap that on a plate and call it good. Shouldn't take more than 10 minutes to cook. Add another drizzle of the sesame oil and let everyone add their own extra soy sauce. And I'm probably making this again this week as a flat out vegetable one and going hog wild with the mushrooms, onions and sprouts. Enjoy everyone! Hope you enjoy it as much as we did. 

The weather is getting cooler

Which means nights filled with knitting! I cannot wait to finish up a couple pair of longies for Daredevil. Her pairs from last year still fit because she's a peanut. But, I'm thinking she needs a black pair this year. And I am thinking I'd like to work on a cloak for myself.

Things are a little hectic here. We've moved into a new place. It's bigger and the kids certainly have room to roam now. And that means I am able to work on some nifty projects for them soon. At least, that's what I'm hoping. I'm headed to Goodwill this week to see what I can repurpose to help give the kids a little more creativity without drawing directly on the walls...or the floors. We shall see what I come up with! Off to drop Tot to preschool.

School is in session!

I have some updating to do. Daredevil and I are fighting nasty colds so a little at a time here. Wanted to share our monster stuffed shells that I've recently made for Tot. He's gotten very picky because he needs some dental work done. And Tot has taken to calling himself Monster Turtle over the summer.

1 small container ricotta cheese (12 or 16 oz I can't remember)
1 8 oz pkg shredded mozzarella cheese (or buy bulk and shred your own)
1 egg
2 Tbsp Italian seasoning
2 Tbsp nutritional yeast flakes
3 oz. Pureed garbanzo beans ( I already had them in the freezer frozen into ice cubes which is about 1 oz)
Pinch of kosher salt and black pepper
3 cups spinach put through the food processor until blended nicely
1-2 tbsp olive oil for flavor

Package of cooked large shells. I only cooked them most of the way about 10 minutes. Put some olive oil over them after drained so they're easier to get apart.
Mix the filling together and stuff the shells with the fling. You'll have shells leftover so you might want to double the filling or make half the shells. I got 15 but I stuffed generously. Cook for about 40 minutes in sauce at 350-375 depending on your oven. Tot enjoys them with extra Parmesan on top and he's none the wiser that I made them nutrient packed for him.

So, I've been MIA

I've had a lot going on. I'll elaborate later, but I'm not ready right now. I am enjoying time with the family. Daredevil has taken on the task of climbing...and falling. Tot has finished school for the summer. His speech has come so far in the past six months. It's amazing and I couldn't be happier. It's just a quick hello for now. Off to wrangle kids.

Officially crazy

I started to make a quilt for Tot a couple weeks ago. The quilt top is done and it is cute. I need time to sandwich it up and finish it. And once I got to working on that I decided to peg Hubs down to help pick out fabrics for a quilt for our bed. So, yes I am crazy. I'm making a KING size quilt for our bed. When I was out picking out fabrics I also found some other cute fabrics to make a couple dresses for Daredevil. I buy the fabric but I need the time to actually make this stuff! I plan on making the time in the next couple weeks though so that Daredevil will have a couple new dresses to get through the upcoming summer. And I also have a couple patterns for Tot too. One of them I couldn't pass up because it was just so cute. I feel like I've really opened up a new thing in my life. I've always loved fashion even though I am not a fashion plate. But, I spent many hours doodling up new ideas. How's that work? Love criminal justice, cooking and fashion with an interest in psychology. There's no denying I'm confused. I'll post the fabrics I picked out another day but for now I have to get going. Daredevil is about ready to nurse and take a little snooze. Have a good day all. Hopefully someone can keep me motivated or talk some sense into me. ;-)

Hello there...

We've been enjoying some family time while the Hubs was on vacation for the past two weeks. He goes back tomorrow and that means that I deal with the crazy hectic schedules again. It's been fairly relaxing though and I've enjoyed it. It allowed Hubs to really see everything Daredevil has been up to and has caught him up on Tot's speech progress. Tot is doing fantastic at his school and I am just absolutely amazed at how far his speech has come in just a couple short months. Daredevil is trying more foods, but we are still dealing with sensitivity issues. But, I'm happy to see that she's definitely willing to try different foods. As a result Tot is now trying more foods as well and re-trying some foods that he used to eat when he was just a bit older than she is now. I'm hoping her positive influence along with his school will encourage him to try more of the foods we are having at home.

I managed to strain my knee last week when pushing too hard on a walk/jog. I actually landed poorly at the end of my session on some soft-packed sand and got the injury that way. So, I'm still healing. As soon as everything is good I can't wait to get back out and put my new sneakers through a good test. They feel great to be honest. I could go for very long stretches in them which is how great they feel on. And I'm notorious for hating to wear shoes even though I used to own a very large number of them. And I have to cut this short as Daredevil is pulling on my shirt. I think it's time for a new diaper and some nursing time.

Oh what did I get myself into?

I went out for a half hour today sans children and Hubs. They started along with me as far as Tot could walk comfortably. I was itching though to go at my own pace because we were going at a snails pace. I'm not much faster, but I at least wanted to try today just for kicks and giggles. I stuffed myself in my one running bra that I could find easily enough. And stuffed is definitely the operative word. I should get the custom done but I want to wait a month before I do it. I actually did a walk today and I managed to test myself with a little light jogging as far as I could for parts of it. I kept tugging at my shorts and I hated my shoes which provide very little support for even walking. I felt good though mentally afterwards. We went out today and I got a brand new pair of properly fitting running shoes (stability with cushioning!) and a running skort. I can't believe how excited I am over this. Hubs is going to start distracting the kids a couple times a week so I can get out. Excited.That's.Me! As for my one hour at a time, we've had a very celebratory weekend so I am up .4 pounds. But, that will go back down since we're done the celebrating now. Hope everyone is having a great weekend!

I need to brag a little bit

I did a handmade Christmas for the kids and I never posted the things I made.

I made a pair of upcycled longies for Daredevil, a fitted diaper, some toy balls, reusable snack bags, toy bears, and a baby doll sling. I made duplicates for both kids for a couple things and I made a couple extra for another friends' children. It was a lot of fun. A lot of stress because I procrastinated a little bit on some of the stuff. But, both kids have been hard to manage some days along with trying to get everything else done that needs getting done.

Today I finally just finished up another ball. These things are actually fun to make. I want to try one that's a little more involved but that'll have to wait awhile since the kids don't allow that much time to cut fabric. Anyway, speaking of time someone needs another treatment.

Week 1

I was doing great this week until Friday and Saturday hit. I completely pigged out those two days because of stress. Tot developed bronchitis (and has probably infected one of his teachers which I didn't know at the time but still feel really bad about) and as a result of running around on Friday my day did not go as planned. I was planning on the sitter coming and splurging only on a hot drink of some sort at the bookstore. That however did not happen. I had to go to two different places to get a nebulizer pump and the second place was already closed for the weekend. I called their 800 number and went through a hassle to get to talk to them and the prescription sent over and then for insurance to cover things. The company though was fantastic and kept me in the loop through the entire process.

They sent someone out late Friday night to deliver the pump to us and showed me how to use this one with the tubing provided and the tubing I received at the doctor's office. I had to make a mad rush to our Target Pharmacy because I was getting towards their closing time. I actually got home 2 minutes before the pump was dropped off to the house. So, Friday night was a huge bust. Then yesterday dealing with Tot who was not feeling well at all was crazy. I felt stir crazy. I really did. I still feel that way but on top of the stir crazy I am exhausted. And I think Daredevil is now coming down with something because she coughed a little bit last night. But, I not really sure if it's bronchitis for her yet. I'm so torn as to what to do. I know I'll probably wind up taking her to the doctor tomorrow. But, the wait is driving me batty.

So this week was a bust to me in terms of the diet. But, not a complete one. With all the binging the past two days I did manage to lose 2 pounds this week which is fantastic. And when I went to bed last night I actually felt sick to my stomach from being overfull. So, no more of that! I think I've learned my lesson. My milk supply is going strong. I even managed to pump 4 oz at the end of Friday night after a feeding. Daredevil is definitely getting milk but I'm doing my best to stay hydrated as well and remembering to take my vitamins. I have some plans for this week. I have some sewing that really needs to get done. My table is overflowing with projects actually. I really need some time to tend to them. I'm hoping to get some time over the next couple weeks to clean out those projects so I can start on some new ones.

Oh I enjoy the laziness

I'm finishing up the last of my crockpot oatmeal. I put everything together in tupperwares in the fridge and I've been able to grab it out and add in my oat milk and reheat. It's fabulous. Daredevil enjoys it because she gets to share the oatmeal with me. And she stands there and pulls on my shirt until I blow off the steam and feed it to her. I'm trying to decide if I want to put dates in next week or go for raisins. But, this really took now work. Put it in the crockpot and let it cook while I sleep. Get up and spoon up a bowl. Love it! I need more lazy meals like this. And the best part is that I'm sure there's no dairy or soy in this which makes it great for Daredevil since I'm really trying to make sure that she doesn't have those with her sensitivities. Now if I could get Tot to enjoy some we'd really be on a roll. Off to knit and watch Tot paint. Good night!

Welcome!

I decided to switch and make a couple things a little more streamlined for myself. I'll still be talking about my different various adventures. But, at the root of everything I am still trying to do my part to be environmentally conscious so that I leave something for future generations to enjoy. I hope you enjoy the new resting place of what was (and currently still is) The Unsucessful Wife/Blog. There shouldn't be any big changes like this in the future. I think I finally found something that I like in terms of names and it feels like home. I hope you'll enjoy the journey with me.

It's time to move over

I've been debating on this for awhile. I've come to the conclusion that I'm streamlining things to make it easier on myself. I was never fully in love with the name for this blog or my etsy. I knew I wanted to share my thoughts as random as they are and I wanted to be able to sell some things in my shop and sew as rare as that is. So, I've decided to take everything down to One Green Mama across the board for myself. I hope that you'll continue to follow along with me. I'm keeping this available for a little longer before I take it down. But please come join me at One Green Mama. I look forward to sharing more with you in the future.

Day 3

Ok, so today was the big splurge. I finally met up with a friend whom I haven't seen in a couple years. We went to lunch and it was really nice. She got to meet Daredevil and saw how big Tot has grown. And I have to admit while I still am not a fan of dieting it's getting slightly easier. I saved all of my points for the day for lunch. By time I got to lunch I really was starving and feeling not so great so I won't do that too frequently but where we were going to lunch has so many options that it's hard to limit. So, I feel like I got to pig out today. I didn't have a soda which was a huge surprise to me. I'm also on Day 3 of no soda. Go me! So far, my saving grace is my "bedtime" snack before the kids get settled for bed. I'm having carrots and hummus and sometimes some fruit. I'm finding that little bit of flavor and fat is really helping me not cave after the kids are asleep and reach for Tot's little stockpile of candy he got for Valentine's Day. So, it's nice his Smarties are still all accounted for and he can have them as I ration them out to him. I still need to get better and really hit a solid 5 servings a day of fruits and veggies but for now I'm not doing so bad. Oh, and my energy level was better today than it's been in a while. I didn't feel the need to nap with Daredevil today with her evening nap which is the first time since she was born! Hooray! Alright, time to get the kids off to bed. Tot is still running a fever and a little rammy as a result. I'm thinking we need to have another dyeing project so he can get some messy creativity out. Good night!

A little bit on Day 2

I think I've found my new comfort food. Seriously, I'm in love. I was going to put some black eyed peas in it but didn't think ahead with the cooking so I left them out. I made some brown rice though. And as the main part I carmelized up half an onion in a little olive oil and I sliced up 3 small Portobello mushrooms into thick slices. I seasoned the mushroom and onions with some garlic powder, a little garlic salt, fresh cracked pepper and a little paprika. Put the mixture over the cooked rice and eat. Delicious! For the meat eaters this would probably go well with a steak? Ok, off to tend to a feverish Tot. He's not been feeling well the past couple days. Hoping he's feeling well enough for school tomorrow.

Day 1, Hours....all of them

It went ok. I was ready to eat my kitchen chairs by dinner time but I stuck to it. Dinner wasn't anything earth shattering. I decided that I had to have baked beans and pasta. I was so intent on the baked beans though that I completely forgot to put the garlic on my pasta. Gasp! Did you hear that? I know I sure did. I didn't dig into my weekly point allowance. We're having company today and tomorrow and I suspect that I'll be using those up in that time frame.

Dinner for anyone wondering was sweetened baked beans with real maple syrup. A single serving of pasta with some vegan "butter" which I'm getting used to. I can only imagine how I'm going to react to real butter once I'm done nursing. Maybe I should learn to do a cartwheel? I also sprinkled some nutritional yeast flakes on top of the pasta to act as my cheese. That stuff is pretty good for anyone wondering. And if you're dairy free or just looking for a boost nutritionally to your diet that stuff packs a punch for just a little bit.

Because I wasn't full from the pasta and beans I also ate two kiwis and a pear. By time I ate that I was at least comfortable. For the snack before Tot saying he wanted to go to bed during what would be Prime Time hours (if we had television service) I had some blackberries, carrots and some hummus. And I drank three liters of water yesterday. I've been really bad about drinking water lately so I've got to get better about that. Daredevil I think enjoyed all the water I was drinking yesterday because she had a very heavy diaper this morning. Anyway, off to start our regularly scheduled week. Onto hour 3.

One hour at a time

I love food! And I love it so much that coupled with my constant hunger as a lactating/breastfeeding mother, and bouts of depression throughout my adult life (where I'd eat often only meal a day because all I wanted to do was crawl under a rock) I'm overweight. And I need to do something about it. For me. For Hubs. And for Tot and Daredevil. But, really for me. I'm tired of avoiding mirrors. Although I've never really liked what I saw in them anyway and that comes from 30+ years of being told/eavesdropping (yep, I've done my fair share of that and I'll admit it. It's amazing what you hear when people think you aren't listening!) I was ugly/fat/not good enough/never amount to anything/blah blah blah. Fill in the blank. Needless to say my self worth some days are shot. And it shouldn't be.

So, I'm working to maybe change that a little bit. I want to get healthy again and shed a few of the pounds I've picked up in the past ten years. I signed up for Weight Watchers at home. I tried originally signing up for the online stuff but got screwed on that one because it's all online and I didn't realize that one. So, that was a whole lot of wasted money. I found the at home one and bought that but dang it I want my money back from the online program that I NEVER used. Who has more than a few minutes a day to sit at a computer and look all that crap up?! Not me. Daredevil throws a fit if I even look at my computer. And the reason she's not throwing one right now is because she is conveniently occupied cleaning the floor with one of the napkins I made for the kids. It has minkee on it. And if she's not trying to wipe up the dust bunnies she's chasing Tot. So, they're both occupied for five whole minutes. It's a win-win situation in my book. Anyway, back to topic. With my love of food I've decided that I need to take this diet thing one hour at a time. I can't commit to more than that. I just can't. It's not in me so don't even tell me that I can do it for longer than an hour. I'll roll my eyes at you and visualize me shoving a bunch of marbles in your mouth. So 1 hour. That's it! I've asked one of my friends whose also doing the online program to help me kinda stay on track. Some accountability and a buddy will be good.

This morning is the first day of it all. My goals for the week are no fast food and no soda. The no fast food is hard because I haven't felt like cooking with only the little electric burner. And the soda is really hard because I now have no means of even just a little bit of caffeine to get through the bad days. And I'm not drinking coffee black. And I only have herbal teas in the house which are lovely but they are no sugary soft drink. I'll have to switch over to the teas though for my non-water beverage of choice.

So, let's get to hour 1 which is breakfast.
I had oatmeal! I put some steel cut oats in the crock pot last night because I wanted to try that and see how it was. I didn't put enough water in because it burned a little on the top. I'm an idiot and wasted something really good. But, the oatmeal that didn't become a nasty hard crust was really nice looking. So, I'll be doing that more often I think. And I have enough leftover for at least two more breakfasts. Here's what my bowl looked like after it was doctored up....

I had Daredevil try a little bit before I added the nuts in and she kept coming back to taste it so that was pretty cool. One of my kids likes oatmeal. Yay! I actually like oatmeal and will have it for dinner on occasion.

Fruit and Nut Oatmeal (for a whopping 17 points for anyone counting)

1/2 cup cooked steel cut oatmeal

2 TBSP ground flaxseed meal

1/4 c. dried cherries

1 oz. walnuts

1/3 c. oat milk unsweetened (we're on the dairy free bandwagon again)

1 TBSP. sugar

This was honestly very good. I've already drank a liter of water though and am still hungry. But, this recipe for breakfast is definitely a keeper since it tasted good. And I like that the oat milk just kind of blended in with the flavor and that I was able to help keep the oatmeal from being dried out nastiness. I'm going to package up the rest of the oatmeal so it's ready to grab and heat. I'm leaving out the nuts though so that Daredevil can try it before I add them in. I'd like to keep her liking oatmeal. The sugar is a lot but again I just want food that tastes good. With that Daredevil is pulling on my shirt so it's time to go. Wish me luck!

Remember me being a smurf?

I never said what I did with the Easter Egg Dyed yarn. Well, I stared at that skein for a while. And the more I stared at it the more I hated the pink color because it was so bright. Hello 80's! I have no desire to revisit you...ever. So, I let it sit. And then I finally decided to do something with it because it was taking up space in my drawer. I turned it into two dryer balls because I needed more anyway. And then I crocheted a cover over the dryer balls for two reasons...1) I didn't felt them because when I felt them they fall apart and then it's a waste of good wool and 2) the cover prevents unravelling at a later date even with successful  felting. I think that they actually turned out really cute. And I can't mistake them in the clothing pile when I'm folding laundry. My other two are brown and they kind of get lost in the crowd. These have been used already for a little over a month and I love them! I have enough of that dyed wool left to make probably one more small dryer ball. Or that's my hope anyway. ;-)