Week 25 Monday (6/30/14)

Week 25         MONDAY

Recipe Review

Today’s Recipe and Location:           Strawberry Sparkle Cake

         Found in: The Pioneer Woman blog

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2012/07/strawberry-sparkle-cake/

         This week I continue to bring you recipes I have not made from Ree’s blog. This is an interesting cake that made me want to experiment. I have an allergy to strawberries, but I like the idea of this cake, so once again I may be attempting this cake but with a variation of the innards.  I like that word – I have no idea why.  It would be pretty on the Fourth of July but I would add some blueberries and strawberries on the top or maybe a little flag.

Random Reflections - Bucket List

         I have begun my search for a town in Kentucky to relocate to when I retire. I began by looking through every town to see if it fit the basic requirements. Now, that I have finished this step, the next one is to look deeper into the towns that I thought had a great possibility, and research a whole list of important aspects that I require.  This is really fun!

Becky’s Bucket List #14

Research every town in Kentucky in hopes of relocating

Work on learning calligraphy and bettering daily penmanship

Begin making my own clothing using a mannequin

Volunteer at an animal rescue

Visit all 50 states

Photography courses

Complete all of Mom’s and my scrapbooks

Go skiing again in Colorado

Meet the Duggar family

Watch every nominee and winner for the Academy Awards to date

Remodel my kitchen

Take piano lessons

Write 2 books for my great-nephews

Travel to Wales

Travel to Scotland

Alaskan cruise

Why Weight?

         6/22                  Sunday                  1,664         calories       nothing        

         6/23                  Monday                 1,764         calories       Curves

         6/24                  Tuesday                   840         calories       Curves        

         6/25                  Wednesday            2,534         calories       not able to drive        

         6/26                  Thursday               1,682         calories       Curves        

         6/27                  Friday                    1,568         calories       Curves

         6/28                  Saturday                  ???         calories         nothing

Goal:          88.3 lbs.          (100 lb. loss between 6/1/14 – 6/1/15)

                  +2.8 lbs.         this week’s loss

                   91.1lbs to go

         The low calorie count on Tuesday was the prep for my colonoscopy. It messed up Wednesday because I was eating everything in sight. Thursday and Friday were great, but Saturday I ate out for all three meals so I have no calorie count. I think some of the gain in water weight – at least I hope it is. Hopefully next week will be a whole lot better. I hate going backwards.

Wants and Wishes

         I am enjoying every minute of being home this summer. I love getting up early, and going to Curves, to begin my day. I love spending time on this blog and cooking new fabulous recipes. I am thrilled to spend so much time with Willow and Sage. I love organizing my house. I love working on school work, so my last year flows smoothly and is the best ever. I want it to go on forever, and it will eventually, but for now I will enjoy every minute I have, here at home.

Week 24 Sunday (6/29/14)

Recipe Review

Today’s Recipe and Location:           Watermelon Sangria

         Found in: The Pioneer Woman blog

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2014/05/watermelon-sangria/

         Here’s another alcoholic beverage for y’all as we near The Fourth of July holiday.  I have to say that this looks so great in the container. Oh, if I only liked the taste of wine or champagne. The watermelon aspect of it interests me and it is definitely something I would serve my guests.

      

Trivial Triffles

         I am writing this on May 8^th, and this week has been wonderful. This is Teacher Appreciation week and the parents and kids have gone all out for me. My desk is filled with flowers and I have taken home gardening tools, flower seeds, chocolate, notepads, and more. One of the parents actually brought me in a Chipotle lunch. That is so above and beyond that I was overwhelmed. It is refreshing to be so thankful for the kindness of others nowadays.  Life is really good today.

Memory Musings

         When I was in first grade my parents bought a home in St. Charles. At the time, we were living in Aurora. My Mom really wanted me to finish first grade so she asked her sister, Doris, and brother-in-law, Clarence, if I could stay with them and finish the school year. My cousin, Jerry, walked me to first grade every day at Immanuel Lutheran School in Aurora. Jerry was in an older grade at the same school. I felt so special because Jerry was so kind to me when we were kids.  Thanks a bunch, Jerry. You’re the best!

Week 24 Saturday (6/28/14)

Recipe Review         

Today’s Recipe and Location:           Spicy Cauliflower Stir-Fry

         Found in: The Pioneer Woman blog

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2014/05/spicy-cauliflower-stir-fry/

         This is one heck of a vegetable dish.  Cauliflower and I do not have a good history so I will leave it at that at this time. This looks like an interesting side dish.  I have no more to say (shocking isn’t it Steve?)

        

Random Reflections

         When I was at Curves last week, one of the ladies gave me a great suggestion. I was talking about what a pain it is to store winter boots because they always fall over. She, I wish I knew her name, suggested that I cut up one of those noodle pool toys and use that to help the boots stand up.  I wish I knew her name to thank her, but I haven’t seen her since.  What a great idea!

My boots are actually upright.  

Helpful Home Hints

         On of the things I have not done well is to replace my bed pillows in a timely fashion. At my age, I seem to overheat at night and my pillow takes the brunt of the sweat. This doesn’t sound like a topic to discuss but I wondered how often we should replace them.                 

         Some experts say we should replace them once a year, others say every few years. One person told me that if you wash them they are okay but a lot of the pillows can’t hold up after a few washings. Another source said that if you have a protective covering the pillow might last for years.

         Now that I am thinking about the sweat, mold, mildew, and dust mites that can be on my pillow I will definitely put it on my calendar to replace my pillows once a year.

         Go ahead and study your pillow – replace it …..  or not?

Week 24 Friday (6/27/14)

Recipe Review

Today’s Recipe and Location:           Mango Margaritas

         Found in: The Pioneer Woman blog

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2012/08/mango-margaritas/        

     This recipe looks down right fun, even though I am not a drinker or even a mango fan. When you look at the recipe, Ree says she serves it with her amazing Mexican food. Be sure to check out those recipes because she is a great Mexican chef. I think the tie in is the limes. I don’t know many people who don’t love a cold or frozen margarita.  Here’s to all of you!

               

Fabulous “Family and Friends” Food

Hunter’s Stew (Baked Spaghetti)

(From Sarah Jensen)

Ingredients:

3 boxes uncooked spaghetti

4 lbs. ground beef or pork or venison, etc.   cooked

1 pint of cream

½ lb. Roquefort cheese/blue cheese, crumbled

2 – 3 onions, diced and cooked with the ground beef

1 large can of tomato juice

2 packages of bacon, cooked and cut

Directions:

Place cooked snips of bacon in bottom of large baking dish, then a layer of spaghetti, layer of meat/onion.  Repeat.

When the layers are done, pour the ½ of the tomato juice and all of the cream over the top.

Dot cheese over the top, cook slowly for 3 hours or more at 350 degrees, keep covered

Add the remainder of the can of tomato juice during cooking.

Week 24 Thursday (6/26/14)

Recipe Review

Today’s Recipe and Location:           Blueberry Lemon Sweet Rolls

         Found in: The Pioneer Woman blog

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2012/11/blueberry-lemon-sweet-rolls/

         It’s summer and I seem to be on a berry tangent so here’s another summery kind of recipe.  I’ll get off this kick tomorrow. 

         These look so good, and like Ree, I adore sweet rolls. They are so rich and decadent that even the gooeyness makes me happy!  I can’t make this recipe, but in the future, I may make it without the berries.  A lemon sweet roll sounds great to me.  I’m going to print this out and just edit out the blueberries – I’ll get back to y’all with the Becky adjusted recipe.

Random Reflections - The Glorious Garden

Coreopsis

         If you need a flower that can handle the Illinois summer heat and thrive, you need the coreopsis. This hearty plant is beautiful and a plant that is hard to kill. According to the tag:

         This variety is called the coreopsis grandiflora

         I have the yellow version, but they come in a variety of colors

         This plant can survive almost any soil

         This can spread by itself but it is not overdone.

         In order to keep constant color you need to deadhead it.

         They flower from early summer until late fall

         I have mine in full sun where they thrive

         Height: 18 - 24" Width: 18 – 24”

Irksome Ideas and Images

         One of my pet peeves is when kids “dog ear” the corner of books.  I ask kids to use a post-it note or flag to keep their place so they do not fold the corner. Another bad habit is to place a book upside down while open. This has potential to break the spine. This is such a small insignificant thing, but it really does bug me.

Week 24 Wednesday (6/25/14)

Recipe Review

Today’s Recipe and Location:           Purple Resolution Smoothie

         Found in: The Pioneer Woman blog

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2014/01/purple-resolution-smoothie/

         This is one of the prettiest drinks because the color is bold. This has to be healthy because Ree is putting in both fruits and veggies.  That alone, knocks me out of the mix! Try this and let me know your thoughts!

      

Gabbin’ About Gratitude

         Two weeks ago, I attended a family picnic in Geneva. Later that night, I was talking to my cousin, Cary, and we agreed that we are blessed to have such a warm, loving family. I love spending time with my extended family. The picnic was also a time to touch base with my sisters and their families. Life is so short and unfortunately I do not physically see many of my family members in person. Oh well, I am just going to savor the moments we have together and bask in that happiness.

Memory Musings

         When I was seven years old I had a life changing accident on “the big hill.” This was not just a gently rolling hill but a steep street at the bottom of our subdivision. We rode bikes a lot and on that fateful day I started down the road to escape being caught during Bicycle Tag. There was some loose gravel on the road and my bike slipped and I flew over the handlebars and landed on my face. I had a lot of scrapes, but the most upsetting to me was a chipped front tooth. I was very upset because it was a permanent tooth. For years I had a discolored cap, which was embarrassing to me. I hated my smile in pictures.

         About 10 years ago, my fabulous dentist, Steve Baginski, suggested that I get veneers. As long as we were doing one tooth I decided to put six on the top center teeth and truly improve the look of my mouth.  It is amazing how something so small as new teeth can change how I felt about myself.  A big thanks to Steve Baginski for his expertise and advice.

Week 24 Tuesday (6/24/14)

Recipe Review

Today’s Recipe and Location:           Blackberry Cheesecake Squares

         Found in: The Pioneer Woman blog

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2014/06/blackberry-cheesecake-squares/

         I love cheesecake.  Unfortunately, blackberries and I do not get along (too acidic), so this recipe is out. If I made this I would have to scrape off the top and just eat the yummy bottom – kinda defeats the purpose of making this recipe.

         Blueberries are really good for you because they are an antioxidant that helps fight cancer. They are also really good for people who live in a big city because they can help fight the results of breathing in pollution or smoke.

         In Illinois, the blueberries are at their peak in July, but for my friends in the South – June is the time for you.  For all of you dieters – blackberries are only 62 calories per cup – think about eating several cups! Yeah!!!!

      

Craft Corner

         One summer I tutored students in creative activities. We made mini apple or peach pies. These pies were delicious and adorable. Each student received four pies, a basket, and a gingham cloth they stenciled with apples or peaches. The sessions were fun and the students learned a cooking and art activity.  As a teacher, it was a real joy. These baskets are a great craft to make and deliver to a new Mom, an ill neighbor, and your parent. 

My Gorgeous Girls      

         Things are going great with Willow. She is up to 18.8 lbs. and slowly rising. She really needs to be over 20 lbs. and the process is slow, but she is happy and healthy.  Life is looking really great for my girls and me.

She's still a little thin, but her energy is on the rise.

Week 24 Monday (6/23/14)

Recipe Review

In case you didn’t read this yesterday, I am trying something new this week.

         I have an upcoming colonoscopy, and am so limited in what I eat this week, that I can’t create and review many recipes. So I was thinking about putting something new in this section and then I had an epiphany. I am going to talk about some recipes I wish I could create, but wouldn’t, because of allergies or just because I don’t like certain types of food.

I hope you appreciate the new recipes even though there will be no review.

Today’s Recipe and Location:   Heavenly Hummus Wrap

Found in: The Pioneer Woman blog

         http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/s=heavenly+hummus+wrap&submit=

         This recipe really calls to me, partially because it is really pretty and because it sounds so good. This one is a no no because the hummus messes with my Coumadin. So all things made of chick peas are out.

         I learned something new today – there are spinach tortillas.  Who knew?  Leave it to them to put a veggie in a tortilla.  Maybe this is a way I can get a serving of veggies in my diet.  Does it count if it is in tortilla form??  Somehow, I think it lost some of the benefits when you changed the form.        

         The other thing that calls to me are the artichoke hearts.  I love an artichoke dip – does that count? I know artichokes have lots of fiber. That’s good! They also don’t have a lot of fat or calories. That’s good! They have antioxidants. That’s good!  Lastly, they have potassium and Vitamin C. We can’t get too much of them. That makes them great!

         Now, if I could only figure out something to substitute for the hummus, I would be “in like Flynn.”  Who the heck was Flynn?  Somebody email me and give me a substitute so I can make and review this one.

Random Reflections - Bucket List

         My handwriting is pretty clear and easy to read, but I would like to improving it, as well as learning many different types of calligraphy.  I love beautiful handwriting and aspire to have it myself.

Becky’s Bucket List #13

Work on learning calligraphy and bettering daily penmanship

Begin making my own clothing using a mannequin

Volunteer at an animal rescue

Visit all 50 states

Photography courses

Complete all of Mom’s and my scrapbooks

Go skiing again in Colorado

Meet the Duggar family

Watch every nominee and winner for the Academy Awards to date

Remodel my kitchen

Take piano lessons

Write 2 books for my great-nephews

Travel to Wales

Travel to Scotland

Alaskan cruise

Why Weight?

         6/15                  Sunday                  2,633         calories         nothing        

         6/16                  Monday                 2,022         calories         Curves                 

         6/17                  Tuesday                1,554         calories         Curves

         6/18                  Wednesday            1,963         calories         Curves

         6/19                  Thursday               2,484         calories         Curves

         6/20                  Friday                    1,564         calories         nothing

         6/21                  Saturday                1,837         calories         nothing

Goal:          89.0   lbs.          (100 lb. loss between 6/1/14 – 6/1/15)

                  - 0.7   lbs.         this week’s loss

                   88.3 lbs to go

         Whoa, what a slow down. I know that I cannot have three days over 2,000 calories, but I did it this week and the price I paid was in a minimal weight loss. There was one day that I would eat anything in front of me. What is that about?  Oh well, Scarlett, tomorrow is another day.

Wants and Wishes

         I am sitting here this morning anxious for my fabulous plumbers to arrive and fix the toilet that I broke a few weeks ago. It kept running so I thought I could repair it myself by bending the rod – but I heard a snap.  Oops!  Big mistake. The toilet kept running, so in a panic I called my nephew, at the crack of dawn, and told him what I had done. He had me shut off the water to it and make an appointment for them to come over to repair my booboo.  I decided to wait until school was out to have them come and today is the day. Yeah!!! I am also having them replace the water hose to the washer, as I heard it should be done every 10 years and mine is going on 16. This is going to be a fabulous day, thanks to Good Call Plumbing.

         When was the last time you replaced your water hose to the washer?  Don’t wait until it bursts and you now have major water damage. Just call:

Good Call Plumbing

630-365-6500

630-443-4100

Fax  630-365-6748

Email:  GoodCallPlumbing@yahoo.com

Tell them Becky sent ya! 

Week 23 Sunday (6/22/14)

Recipe Review              

I am trying something new this week.

         I have an upcoming colonoscopy, and am so limited in what I eat this week, that I can’t create and review many recipes. So I was thinking about putting something new in this section and then I had an epiphany. I am going to talk about some recipes I wish I could create, but won't, because of allergies or just because I don’t like certain types of food.

I hope you appreciate the new recipes even though there will be no review.

Today’s Recipe and Location:           Quinoa with Tomato Basil and Mozzarella

         Found in: The Pioneer Woman blog

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2014/05/quinoa-with-tomato-basil-and-mozzarella/

         Quinoa?  Am I living in a parallel world?  What the heck it is?  The picture makes it looks like seeds or pomegranate innards.  I read a bunch of articles and basically learned that quinoa comes from South America. Many sources said that is high in protein and extremely healthy for us. It seemed to have a lot of nutrients and contained the good fats.  Another side benefit is that it is an anti-inflammatory. I guess there will come a recipe that I can make that has quinoa as an ingredient I will have to force myself (in the future) to try this one.

      Unfortunately, I will have no pictures, since I am not baking - but go to the website - it is a pretty dish!!

      

Trivial Triffles

         I love writing this blog. I forgot how much fun it was to write and immerse myself in something of this magnitude. I have to admit that it is a lot of work, but I smile each time I post.

         One of the positives of writing this is that I have become very aware of my surroundings and my feelings about things in my environment. Everywhere I go I seem to find something wonderful to take away and share with the world – or should I say the people who read this each day.

Memory Musings

         As a child, I don’t remember eating out a great deal, but when we did, it was a real treat.  There are two very strong memories of going out as a family.

         The first place I remember going to was Rex’s Cork and Fork. This was a place where we went for a fabulous breakfast on the occasional Sunday morning. This was a real treat because we could order anything we wanted, and I loved their French toast. I loved going out to breakfast as a family because it made the day special.

         Dog n’ Suds was the other restaurant I remember. I loved going there because it was a unique experience. This was so much fun because they delivered the food to our car on a tray. Dog n’ Suds served huge, extremely heavy class mugs of  rootbeer. As a kid, this was a big deal. My Mom always ordered a Coney Dog, but I don’t remember what I ate, which is funny. My main memory is of that frosty mug. What I wouldn’t give for one right now.