I made Bakerella’s cupcake bites for my mom for Mother’s Day. They came out pretty well for my first try. Next time, I would make the balls of cake mixture a little smaller. (Like hers are.) My cupcakes look very top-heavy.
The link above has complete directions.
They taste oh so yummy! They taste like a candy - kind of truffle like, yet reminiscent of frosted cupcake.
The kids made some of them, too, and had a blast.
I have not had time to blog much lately, so here is a summary of some of the things I would like to tell you in a longer post, if I could scrounge up some *me* time.
* I am sorry that I did not get a Weight Watchers Wednesday post up this week. I just couldn’t get to it. Nothing major to report there.
* I am finally getting the delicious purplish blossom pattern laptop that I have been dreaming about. The best part is that I will be able to blog when the kids are using the computer, which is about the only time I have during the day when they are not needing my attention/too noisy/annoying me/annoying each other/otherwise prohibiting blogging activity - or just so darn cute that I would rather hang out with them than blog (which really does happen).
* I spent the day with my 25-year-old sister yesterday. We went to a store near her that sells the kind of broomstick skirts I love for a great price. After we left, we had the following conversation.
Sis: Did you get the skirts you were trying on?
[She hadn’t actually seen the skirts I was trying on because she was trying stuff on.]
Me: Yeah. I actually bought a short skirt.
Sis: Short? You mean it comes up to your knees?
Me: Uh, yeah. Well, that’s short to me. My skirts usually go to my ankles.
I forget that short to your average 25-year-old is something different than it is to me.
* I finally got The D into the child and adolescent psychology department after all these months. We went in for the evaluation Wednesday. The woman who did the evaluation and I are both supposed to process everything over the week, so we can get back together on Thursday to put together a treatment plan. I like that approach. Thinking about things is a good idea. So is praying about it. I’m glad I have time to sit with it.
He has all the criteria for Oppositional Defiant Disorder, shows signs of depression, and is hyperactive and impulsive, but without the attention deficit and inability to concentrate that is normally present in ADHD kids.
In other words, no kidding. I didn’t learn anything new, except what treatment options are available. My hope is that we can get into a parenting training program so we can learn more effective behavioral therapy techniques.
That’s about it. I’m hoping things calm down around here soon, so I can get regular blogging time.
Have a great weekend!
This week, Works-for-Me Wednesday has gone negative. No, I don’t mean that it has launched a cut-throat campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination. This week, WFMWers are telling readers what didn’t work for us.
A while back, I tried what I thought was a great way to save money on cooking spray. I bought an oil sprayer. I got a great deal on it at TJ Maxx and thought it would pay for itself in no time. What a brilliant idea. I couldn’t wait to share it in a WFMW tip.
Well, it didn’t exactly work out. At first, I noticed that my eggs were sticking. I thought, hey, I can handle this. It’s not so bad. Think of the savings.
But then, my baked goods were coming out all stuck to the pan and broken (from trying to get them out). And let me tell you, you don’t mess with this mama and her baked goods.
Long story short - don’t bother. I still use mine, but not for much. And never for baking. (I think this is a good time to mention that PAM for Baking - the kind with the flour in it - R.O.C.K.S! It works so well that when I was looking at the bottom of my banana bread the other day, the thing flew out of the pan onto the floor. But don’t let that deter you from using it; just be careful!)
That is what doesn’t work for me. Head on over to Rocks in My Dryer for more Doesn’t Work for Me Wednesday.
This week, I planned Weight Watchers recipes for dinner every night. Things have been really hectic and I just don’t want to have to deal with trying to calculate my points for each meal.
Monday: Turkey Enchilada Pie (4 points), served with Avacado (2 points for 1/4) and salsa (0 points).
Tuesday: Parmesan Pea Risotto (5 points) (recipe below)
Wednesday: Baked Macaroni and Cheese (5 points) (recipe is at the bottom of that post)
Thursday: Leftovers
Friday: Broccoli and Cheddar Quiche (5 points)
Saturday: Slow Cooker Red Beans and Barley (4 points) (I always add chili powder and cumin to this recipe)
Parmesan Pea Risotto
1/2 cup water
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic, minced
1 1/2 cup arborio rice
5 cup reduced-sodium, fat-free chicken broth
2 piece bay leaf
1 cup frozen green peas, thawed
1 tablespoon parsley
4 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
2 tbsp reduced-calorie margarine
Heat water in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; sauté 2 minutes. Add rice and cook until translucent, stirring constantly, about 2 minutes. Add 1/2 cup of broth and bay leaves and simmer until liquid is absorbed, stirring constantly. Add remaining chicken broth, 1/2 cup at a time, waiting until liquid is absorbed before adding the next 1/2 cup (our risotto takes about 20 minutes to cook from the time the first liquid is added). Remove bay leaves, fold in peas and cook until hot, about 1 minute. Remove from heat; fold in parsley, Parmesan cheese and margarine. Season to taste with salt and pepper and spoon risotto into shallow bowls; serve hot.
Makes 4 hearty servings
Points per serving: 5
For more Menu Plan Monday, visit Organizing Junkie.
I finally have a few minutes to post this. It has been hectic around here lately for some reason.
Let me get right to it. This past week I did not gain or lose. I am okay with that for two reasons. One, hello, I said I did not gain! And two, my husband said I feel different. I thought so too, but now I have third party confirmation. No, wait. I guess that would be second party confirmation. Whatever. Anyway, good things are happening, it just didn’t show up on the scale. I’m okay with that.
I do have a couple of things I want to focus on - goals, if you will - for the week.
First, my menu plan next Monday is going to be all Weight Watchers recipes. I need to completely break away from my old dinner menus and focus on the plan. Fortunately, my husband loves to eat healthy and enjoys it when I cook WW recipes.
The second is exercise. I know. We all hate it. If we didn’t, we would not be fat.
In my case though, I have the added problem of a bad knee, so even when I do want to exercise, I have to take it s-l-o-w. More like, s—l—o—w. And it drives me c—r—a—z—y!
But I am resolving here and now to start that process with more commitment. My goal is to work up to walking for one hour per day and doing strength training twice per week. (Eventually, which is a long way off, probably, I want to do a 1.5 hour walk and 3 days of strength training, but let’s not get too crazy here.)
I am fortunate in that I can take a walk any time I please because I am home with the kids all day. However, walking with a curious 4-year-old is not exactly the kind of exercise I am looking for.
In order to keep my knee healthy (and not be unable to walk the following day) I am going to start small, maybe a 15 minute walk in the morning before my husband goes to work. If it feels okay for the rest of the day, I’ll do another one that evening.
I want so badly to just jump right in, but I know I will regret it. A few months ago, I bought this really cheesy George Foreman workout DVD on clearance and the kids and I started doing it every day. My knee was killing me, but I pushed through and kept at it. Big mistake! It only got worse. Then I ended up quitting completely.
The exercise component is key for me, and the hardest. My eating habits are not that bad. (I’m not just saying that.) And the small changes that I do need to make, I can live with. But exercise I just hate. Add knee pain and forget it!
Okay, so here is my recipe. Actually, there are two.
First, the don’t-eat-this-ever recipe. Whole-wheat macaroni and cheese. When I was doing core, I made this. It was so disgusting, we could not even finish eating it. The worst part: if you are not on core, it is 6 points! (My personal rule is to not waste points on food that tastes like dirty socks.)
Second, the good macaroni and cheese recipe. This is from the Weight Watchers website, too, but I can’t find a link. (I have a printed copy.) I am pretty sure this is the one I made that we both liked.
Baked Macaroni and Cheese
12 oz uncooked elbow macaroni
1/2 cup fat-free sour cream
12 oz fat-free evaporated milk
8 oz low-fat cheddar or colby cheese, shredded
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
2 Tbsp dried bread crumbs
2 Tbsp Parmesan cheese
Preheat oven to 350.
Cook pasta according to directions. Drain and transfer to a large bowl. While pasta is still hot, stir in sour cream; set aside.
Heat milk in a small sauce pan over medium heat until tiny bubbles appear just around the edges (known as scalding). Reduce heat to low, add cheese and simmer until cheese melts, stirring constantly with wire whisk, about 2 minutes; remove from heat and stir in mustard, salt, pepper, and nutmeg.
Add cheese mixture to the pasta; mix well. Transfer to a 4-quart casserole dish.
Combine bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese; sprinkle over pasta.
Bake until top is golden, about 30 minutes. Yields 1 cup per serving.
Servings: 8
Points: 5
I almost forgot to post my menu plan today, which would have been a shame, since I actually sat down and made one yesterday.
Let’s get down to it. I am feeling a bit chatty today, so the menu is in bold and my commentary/how-to’s follow each day. That way, you can read as much or as little as you want.
Monday: Chicken Pot Pie
I am using chicken left over from dinner last night. I love to cook extra chicken, so I can make one of these hearty favorites of mine. And today is even a rainy day - perfect for a belly-warming meal.
I do not use a recipe; I just make the pie using leftover cut-up chicken, veggies, and gravy, mixed together in a pie plate and topped with crust or biscuits. Bake until golden and bubbly.
Tuesday: Baked Ziti with Turkey Sausage and Spinach
Again, no recipe. Just boil the ziti, as directed and brown the sausage in a pan, until cooked. Then, mix them together with bottled sauce and thawed frozen spinach, in a casserole dish sprayed with cooking spray. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese and bake at 350, until the cheese is melted and begins to brown slightly. Serve with salad and bread, if desired.
Wednesday: Leftovers night.
I am guessing there will be leftovers from Monday and Tuesday, and I do not want them to go to waste.
Thursday: Turkey-Stuffed Cabbage Leaves
That is a Weight Watchers recipe (5 points).
Friday: Chicken stir-fry
Another no-recipe meal. I cut up skinless, boneless chicken breast into 1-inch pieces and brown, add onion, garlic, sliced carrots and cook for a couple of minutes. Add thawed frozen peas and canned (drained) water chestnuts. I am also going to throw in some leftover cabbage, but I am not sure when. Probably after the carrots, but before the pre-cooked ingredients.
Then, I pour in a cup or two of chicken broth (enough to make a good amount of sauce), some soy sauce, to taste, and some ground ginger. And any other spices I so desire at the time. Once the broth comes to a boil, I add some corn starch dissolved in cold water to the pan. Stir until slightly thickened. Serve over rice.
To me, stir-fry is an adventure. It never comes out the same twice. Just wing it and have fun with it.
Saturday: Chicken Enchiladas
I made these last weekend and froze half. Now I can just pop them into the oven and have an instant dinner!
Enchiladas are super easy. Just warm corn tortillas (according to directions) and fill with desired filling, pre-cooked if necessary, such as meat. (I used chicken and pepper jack cheese.) Roll up and place seam-side down into a baking pan sprayed with cooking spray. Top with homemade or bottled enchilada sauce, sprinkle with cheese, and bake at 400, until sauce is bubbly and edges are slightly brown.
Some recipes call for spreading some sauce in the pan first, but the way I do it, the bottoms get crispy, rather than soggy.
For more Menu Plan Monday, head on over to Organizing Junkie.
Thank you to all who entered the giveaway for The Secret to True Happiness, by Joyce Meyer. I wish I could have given you each a copy.
Our winner was Nikki. Congratulations!
You can order The Secret to True Happiness: Enjoy Today, Embrace Tomorrow
Little E is doing much better. He has only needed his inhaler once each of the past two days. Both times were after some intense playing outside. His cold is still hanging on, so there is hope that once it is gone, the asthma symptoms will be too.
Well, my second week of Weight Watchers did not go as well as the first. I actually gained a pound and a half last week. Ugh!
I am not going to let it get me down, though. I am not going to get discouraged and quit. It was a setback, but I am still down 2 1/2 pounds from two weeks ago when I started, so I need to just press on.
This week’s recipe is a sweet treat that goes great with tea (or coffee). I put this in the slow cooker last Sunday before church and returned home to a delicious tea-time snack.
Slow Cooker Blueberry Coffee Cake
* 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
* 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
* 1/3 cup sugar
* 1/2 tsp baking soda
* 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
* 1/4 tsp table salt
* 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
* 1 large egg(s), beaten
* 1/2 cup plain fat-free yogurt
* 2 Tbsp canola oil
* 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
* 1 cup blueberries
* 2 sprays cooking spray
* 1 Tbsp powdered sugar
Combine both flours, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon in a large bowl. Combine egg, yogurt, oil and vanilla extract in a small bowl; stir well. Beat egg mixture into flour mixture with a wooden spoon until smooth; stir in blueberries.
Coat a 2-quart round soufflé dish with cooking spray; spoon batter into dish. Coat a sheet of aluminum foil with cooking spray; cover dish tightly with foil, coated side-down, so no water seeps in.
Pour 2 cups of hot water into a 5-quart or larger slow cooker; place covered baking dish in slow cooker. Cover slow cooker; cook on HIGH for 3 to 4 hours. Remove baking dish and cool on wire rack for 5 minutes. Turn cake upside down onto a wire rack to cool completely. Dust with powdered sugar before slicing into 8 pieces. Yields 1 slice per serving.
Points per slice: 3
Thanks to all who entered the Huggies Clean Team giveaway.
Consulting Random.org…
Here are your random numbers:
2 21
Ilissa H. and Julie S are the lucky winners!
I have notified them by e-mail. If by chance they do not respond, I will draw a new winner.
Enjoy your products, ladies! I am still waiting for mine. When we try them, I will be sure to post a review.
