Gemini'sDream

Recording a protein experiement

2011-11-20T11:51:00.001-08:00

In the middle of preparing for Thanksgiving, I found myself with an orphaned cup of pumpkin puree. After having made many batches of pumpkin and banana bread recently it seemed a better idea to make a batch of protein bars but my old recipe only used half a cup. Here is today's version and after it finishes baking I'll edit this post with the verdict.

Pumpkin Protein Biscotti Bars

3 1/2 cups quick-cooking oats
1 1/2 cups instant nonfat dry milk
1 1/2 cups Bob's Red Mill TVP (textured vegetable protein)
4 scoops vanilla protein powder
1/4 cup ground flaxseed meal
1 tablespoon Saigon Cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 cup egg whites (refrigerated Egg Beater brand)
1/2 cup sugar free Pumkin Pie Spice coffee syrup (such as DaVinci or Torani)
1/2 cup sugar free Pancake coffee syrup (Davinci brand)
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup apple cider
1 cup craisins

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Prepare a 10x 14 baking dish by spraying with nonstick spray. By hand, mix all ingredients in a very large Tupperware bowl until well blended. Pour into baking dish spreading to edges and smoothing top. Bake 30 minutes or until top is dry and edges are lightly golden. Remove from oven and cool in pan 10 minutes. Turn onto a cooling rack and allow to cool completely. Cut into 24 bars. Place on a cookie sheet with each bar on it's side and bake 15 minutes at 350 degrees. Cool and store in a well-sealed container or freeze.

1st edit: I forgot that to make nice-looking 'biscotti' you need to trim the outside edges too so they will all be uniform and face upward for the 2nd baking. After putting these in the oven the first time I reviewed my other (Almond Protein Biscotti in the sidebar listing) one and found that in that one I did the 2nd baking 20 minutes. For an experiment I'm going to bake 10 minutes on each side. A little more fussing but it might give me more crisp edges.

From the side trimmings I tasted (hey, I couldn't let them go to waste!) these are going to be very satisfying! Might even have to go all out and do the little bit of melted white chocolate coating. I have been saving my last two Amber Lyn's sugar free white chocolate bars just for something special. http://www.amberlynchocolatestore.com/build-a-box-p/build-a-box.htm

2nd edit: These turned out so tasty that I have ordered another box of sugar free white chocolate. I love having that backup for projects like this. Though...the biscotti aren't crunchy like I'd hoped and remembered. Guess they should have a longer bake time both times. Oh well, they are yummy and very filling for the calories! Win/Win!

Purple on Friday for Violet

2011-10-05T14:42:00.001-07:00

Friday I'll be joining friends from Sugar Pie Farmhouse in wearing purple to commemorate the too-short life of a sweet baby girl who was the daughter of another member of that community. Her family will be holding the memorial service that morning and hopefully the whole room will be awash in purple. Since I'm not very technologically advanced, I'll post a document here of a little tag I'm going to print and wear to work that day too in case any others from the message board would like to do the same.

Thinking of my baby

2011-08-19T18:09:00.000-07:00

So we are nearing the final days before Elizabeth's wedding and of course I am thinking more and more nostalgically about her childhood and how rapidly it has passed. Seems like in the blink of an eye I was the one getting married and ready to begin married life and now my time is passed and it is her time. And since we need to get some old pictures scanned for a potential reception slide show it is a good time to revisit sweet old memories. My whole world changed 23 years ago and now it is ready to change again, wow....The first time getting to hold my baby girl...
The first person to hold her hand was her daddy. And soon he will take her hand and place it in the hand of her fiance...
Sweet baby days and dressing up in pretty pinks....
Her first big ceremony was her baptism day. With her godparents, Greg and Doreen Takisaki, praying for her and us...
Loved, loved, loved by her great-grandma Gertrude. Oh how that woman loved her grand- and great-grand babies. I miss her so much and know she will be watching from heaven as Elizabeth marries her love, Eric.
Her first big white gown was her white baptismal gown...Elizabeth with Grandma and Grandpa Noyes who will be there to watch as she marries.
And Gammy and Papa Spradley who will be there watching too.
And for fun...Chris Phelps who was the alter boy at our wedding and came to support us as we baptised Elizabeth and just this past year has become a daddy himself to his sweet little Grace.

Life is amazing....

Curious

2011-06-02T19:43:00.000-07:00

Do you have a specific way you try to live your life?

The last few years, I've tried to live my life in such a way that if I were to suddenly no longer be here, people would be glad they knew me and sorry that I was gone.

Is that narcissistic or stupid?

My cousin is gone and even though we haven't stayed together properly as a family (think just weddings and funerals type) it is wonderful to read comments on her obituary guest-book page that show people were really touched by her life and the impact she made in the brief time she was here. Too brief. She was only 58.

People were glad to know her and sorry she is gone.

More Wedding Work

2011-04-04T16:37:00.001-07:00

Here are some photos of a little that has been accomplished already. With my sister, Amy's, help we made about 180 (if my count is correct) of these organza flower pins as gifts for guests at the wedding. They will be attached to the flatware/napkin bundles we'll put together and be placed at each setting to also decorate the table. The tutorial I used was from White Flower Farm and so helpful! http://the-white-bench.blogspot.com/2010/09/organza-flowers-tutorial.html

Mine came out different (of course, anything handcrafted will be unique) and each one is different from the next. Half of them are orange (not pictured, sorry) and half are these cranberry/reddish blends. I think the tables will be so pretty! Hopefully everybody will notice that these are pins and not throw them away with their napkins. ::eek::

Also I'll post a picture of the prototype of the silk pomander balls that I'll be making to hang from a ribbon to line the wedding aisle and then be placed atop vases to use for centerpieces. Again, half of them will be orange and half will be cranberry-colored. (Do you see the wedding photo behind the Pom? That is my Grandma and Granddad Noyes on their wedding day!)

The scheduled DIY's for this month are all silk-flower related so it is time to get busy!

"How's the wedding planning going?"

2011-03-23T14:37:00.000-07:00

Recently a bride asked how other brides respond to that question on a popular wedding-related website. (Not that I read those often or anything, mind you.) The answers ranged from being irritated at being asked, being open, being politely brief and non-committal. As the Mother of the Bride I find myself getting asked that a lot too. So I thought I'd post my to-do list here along with the things that are done. (Highlighted in green.) Undoubtedly there will be more to add later...things like sewing a cover-up jacket and also a shawl for my dress. (weather contingencies) Who knows what else but for now: here's how the wedding planning is going. And this is just *my* to-do list...doesn't include all the things Elizabeth, Eric and his family are doing too.

Also, I'm going to try to upload a copy of the idea board we made from wonderful wedding photos on the internet.

August edit: I have tried and tried to go back to the text here and turn all the finished project listings green but it won't let me. So you have to take my word that except for the photo wall, assembling the napkin bundles and the banners things are right along schedule. It is crunch time now and hopefully all of that will get done in the next 20 or so days. There is a LOT of work ahead!

Molly’s Wedding To-Do Timeline

January:

Make timeline for to-do lists

February:

Make organza flowers (Thank you Amy for sewing the beads!)

March:

Sew Table Runners

Order Dinner Napkins

Hem wedding dress/ arrange for bustle (bet this is not going to happen this month)

Make tissues of joy packets

Make table number signs

April:

Construct Bridesmaid’s Bouquets

Construct Silk Boutonnières (no longer a project...they will be fresh purchased by Eric's mom)

Begin Pom Balls (16)

May:

Plant Catering Garden (basil, tomato, zucchini)

Plant marigolds for aisle bumpers

Construct Photo Booth wall (started)

Enlarge top on alter podium, paint white

Paint Couple Facts picture frames

Paint Candy Bar/buffet frames

June:

Bake cookies and freeze

Assemble napkin/flatware bundles (started)

Begin buying fresh candy (create list for labels)

Sew Bridesmaid’s Swag Bags---oops, hope they don't read this

July:

Signage

Table centerpieces for cake table, welcome table, buffet

Buy Sparklers (Elizabeth and Eric did this)

August:

Create ribbon streamers for pavilion

Papel Picado banners for pavilion

Bunting Banners

September:

Buy food at Costco (beverages, Eric's family is having catering done by Trezzi Farms...is that not extremely generous?!)

Finalize food team plans and create lists

Finalize décor team plans and create lists

Prep, pack, label boxes and instructions for transport to venue (started)

Assemble emergency kits (garments, bathrooms, décor installation) (started)

October:

Begin selling wedding items

Merry Christmas from the Santa Hat Factory!

2010-12-11T12:00:00.000-08:00

This has been a grueling season in the retail world so far and not the best Christmas ever. However...that is only work. The rest of life has been so blessed lately. Meetings with old friends and new ones, having both of my kids at home after such a long time (even if they are too old for calling kids now and are rarely physically here at the same time...still!) enjoying our cozy little home during the recent bad storms. And: CRAFTING!

The last few weeks I've actually been busting out the crafting and really, really enjoying it. Seems like forevah since I've done a big project that was silly and not for a designated purpose. (Ahem, like the organza flowers....) I'll get a few pictures posted so you and I can both see just how many little goodies have been made so far. (last count was 36) If I were really organized I pop up a tutorial but honestly...that isn't gonna happen. I could list a few instructions and if anybody is interested they can figure it out pretty easily.

The fabric is a mid-weight poly satin from JoAnn's with a sparkle to it. I used a plain old cheapie wall clock for my template because a dinner plate was too big and a salad plate was too small. ::shrug:: Trace around the circle, cut out the fabric and then cut it into 4 quarters. Bring the cut edges together and stitch on that edge. Turn it inside out and you have the basis of your Santa hat!

From there I hot glued on a white pom-pom ball and then either hot glued on Mirabeau feather trim or stitched on a white shiny velour or fur cuff for the 'brim'. After that I had fun applying a variety of different trims and then glued on a barrette bottom to the underside. Have to say that I was inspired by a talented Etsy seller and loved her concept and pictures. A quick trip through the glue setter /aka freezer, and the things are all humming along.

So many projects! The big floral R still has to have some smaller flowers applied to the inside to finish it off but it was fun giving it to Eric and Elizabeth this Christmas. I hope it will be a fond reminder of their wedding for a few more years.

Some of the ones I made were really traditional, some country-styled, some very rock n' roll. It has been fun allowing myself this play time and probably very good practice to rev up my DIY skills before the really BIG crafting begins after the bridal show in January. (I'm on mother-of-the-bride DIY vacation right now.)

It is gonna be baby girl's last Christmas at home with us and I hope it will be a fun one for her. Next year is going to be such a different Christmas but I'm really looking forward to the changes!

Wistful

2010-10-09T22:21:00.000-07:00

That is the word of the day kids. 'Wistful'. After yet another night of not sleeping (thats been my life the last five or more years) straight through and waking tired I decided too many things had to get done to drag my tail. So, after grumping around and then getting the coffee in I was able to get going. And with an updated 'autumn' playlist on my Zune and headphones I stayed busy all day long.

After making a huge batch of pie crusts (22!) I got busy making unbaked pies for the coming year. Last summer I did that and had enough for one pie a month...a reasonable amount of treats and so lovely to know they were on hand. So at the end of the day now there are 8 pies tucked safely in the freezer plus a bundt cake. All are sugar free too! There is an apple/blackcurrant, an apple/plum, two apple streusel topped pies, a rhubarb/blueberry, rhubarb/raspberry, rhubarb/blueberry/raspberry and also a special sweet potato pie to be saved for Thanksgiving. If I still have enough energy tomorrow I'll bake some sugar pie pumpkins and get some of those in the freezer too.

But doing all this stockpiling and prepping while listening to autumn-y themed music gave me a lot of time for reflection and it occured to me that the whole theme of the day was wistful. Happy that summer is over finally because it was just so stressful but ready for the drawing-in that everything around in nature is doing right now. It has taken awhile to welcome autumn into my heart this year but it suddenly feels right and comfortable. Maybe this time of withdrawing and storing up energy for regrowth next spring is just what I need.

Beeezy, Beeezy!

2010-10-08T19:44:00.001-07:00

After getting mildly harrassed for not updating my sad little blog (that's right, Sally, I am talking about you!) I will fling a few photos up here to show what has been keeping me busy the last few months. Pretty much the whole summer was consumed with getting the guest room turned back into a habitable space for our daughter who came home from college. That was from-the-studs-up reno and also included furniture rehab and construction. She's moved in now but still awaiting her custom daybed to be finished. Well, Mom is a bit slow when there are sooooo many things to do in a day that starts around 3 a.m. and ends around 6 p.m. (or should, anyway). The room isn't finished-finished...still needs the closet door and all the drapes and daybed linens sewn. I need a clone.

What's going on this fall: trying to get caught up on the totally-neglected garden and get it ready for winter. Dressing the house for autumn and continuing to try to get it back to some sense of order (I will NOT post pics of how bad it was over the summer while we had dear daughter's household contents crammed into the living room and dining room!) and creating what seems like thousands of organza flowers for an event coming up next September to be held at Highland Gardens in Deer Park. http://www.highlandgardenswedding.com/ Until the gag order is lifted, I can't say more than that. ;) Here is a link to the flower tutorial...it is sooo simple but is going to take a full year to make tons of them. http://the-white-bench.blogspot.com/2010/09/organza-flowers-tutorial.html

So, since Blogger posts photos in a backwards way, I'll just upload as I go and figure out how in the heck to explain them if they need it.

Good News and Less Good News

2010-07-09T19:14:00.000-07:00

For those who know the family saga lately....the latest state of sewer affairs has led us to believe we can postpone the $$$$$ yard excavation. A new (better!) rootering company has us believing that they can control our towering Sequoia's roots and the sewer line isn't in imminent danger. Ok, that's great.

We still have to have major electrical work done on the house...a contractor has been called for that. Phone lines need work. Well, we'll see about that. The back patio a la Ma and Pa Kettle has got to go. Don't know if that will happen this summer or not. Hmm...

Seems like we'll be having a temporary lodger so the guest room needs to be drywalled as soon as the electrical repairs are completed. Wow, will it be totally cool to have that room get completed!!! I have even purchased fabric and have it all mapped out in my head...a black/cream toile room. Oooh, la-la!

That's a lot of good news. Also a lot of projects. And I was pleased (ok, this is weird) that my recent bloodwork came back with bad results. Sort of gives me the 'right' to feel so exhausted all the time and not to blame it on being a crybaby from lots of stress. 'Cause frankly, my family must be totally sick and tired of me complaining all the time about this problem or that and the woe-is-me attitude about how tired I am all the time. While I am normally a really efficient complainer, I am also normally a very cheerful person around everybody else and it really isn't like me to be glum. Working on that too. Now that we don't have the massive expense of the sewer dig-up ahead I am going to follow through on a good lead for a therapist and pay someone to hear me whine. LOL! I can bore someone else for a fee!!!

So the re-habbing junk projects are a bit on hold till I get some energy back but my sweet shopping cart is sitting on the patio all sorted and waiting for me to return with a sander and a can or ten of spray paint to get creative again.

Till then I'll grab our new kittie Max and go have a nap.

What a difference

2010-06-19T21:26:00.000-07:00

Can't believe it has been four years since Elizabeth started college. She's a graduate now, working on her internship with Cross-Fit and preparing for grad school hopefully next year.

If being a graduate means you are done learning then neither one of us is, really. We will both keep learning...Elizabeth studying for her future career and me working at living a healthier life. Wow. Four years flies by in a blink.

What a month!

2010-06-13T07:22:00.000-07:00

June may be bustin' out all over in the rest of the country but here it has been a rainy, drizzly (ok, at times downpour-ry) disappointment weather-wise. The veggie garden has been slowly creeping along and trying to survive with the chill and constant wet. Everything except the pumpkins I planted came up at least but the basil I bought is going to have to be replaced. RIP, dear herb. Even a few of my mini roses seem to have died but of course, I will leave them in place and keep babying their roots in the chance that they'll come back to life. So far two apparent DOA's are already sending up brand new canes. Yay!
So the big excitement this month: Farm Chicks with Amy and her pal Jodi, a new kitten--Baby Max and (drumroll!) Babygirl's college graduation. !!! How incredible to watch graduation with so many family members all around. My sister and I cried in the stands when she said to me, "Wasn't it just yesterday we were giving her a bath in the sink?" (You can turn me into a blubbering mess sooo easily. No sport in it at all.) There is so much to be proud of in the next generation of our family...my nieces and nephew are already busy out in the world making it a good place. It is a small group, only five including my two but they are all good people.

Hubs and I survived the excitement and the rain so far and are ready to enjoy summer now. Today it is supposed to be in the 80's! He's going to fish and I'm going to putter with joy. The roses are beginning their first bloom cycle and they need to slow down so there will be plenty left for the rose show on the 26th. But oh, the fragrance out there....wish I could share it with you.

Recipe, recipe!

2010-05-28T15:55:00.000-07:00

It has been a long time since I've concocted anything wonderful enough to share here. (Those lemon-macadamia-white chocolate protein bars?...ugh, like furniture polish.) But today I saw this post and knew I had to link to it for my WLS friends 'cause we all need nummy non-carbonated fun drinks in the summer while everybody else is guzzling diet sodas. So pop over to http://buzzingsofaqueenbee.blogspot.com/2010/05/unique-herbal-iced-tea.html and check out her version of an Ina Garten recipe. I'll be rummaging in the cupboard for the appropriate tea bags as soon as I hit publish.

Enjoy! Hope you have a lovely and safe Memorial Day weekend.

Hello and Goodbye

2010-05-26T14:31:00.000-07:00

It has taken me too long to get this photo uploaded but my dearly
missed sofa returned home from the upholsterer a few weeks ago. Seems he had a lot of trouble working with this fabric...maybe that is why someone else sold it at the Thrift Store? (hahaha) Well, their loss was my gain and now the pretty blue suede sofa is in the living room terrifying my family. Nobody sits on it because some shrewish woman keeps yelling at them to get off of it (usually because they always have food in their hands at the same time!) Maybe I should just purposely spill something on it myself and get it over with already. Uh, no. Not gonna happen.
Also totally loving the assortment of pillows...some of which are hand-me-downs from my boss and are absolute MATCHES for my fav colors and style. Now if I could just get the other yards and yards of fabrics purchased expressly to make other pillows sewn, my sofa would have it's very own wardrobe of pillows to change out weekly or maybe daily...

Buh-bye cutie! (Please disregard all the creative clutter, er--mess, in the background...you know how messy creative types are).

It is so much fun reading other people's blogs and gleaning fun ideas for crafts. When so many people posted about cake platters and cupcake stands it just got me wanting to make one in the worst way. So, a cheese tray, candle plate, wooden plate, two candlesticks and a lazy susan later I made this. Took it to the base Officer's Wives Club Thrift Store today and it sold within an hour. It was so much fun to make and is going to make it's premier appearance at someone's tea party hosting goodies. Be happy, little one.

Praise Report

2010-04-24T07:29:00.000-07:00

Thursday morning God was holding me right in the palm of His hand (well, I guess He does every day right?) while I was driving to work on Highway 2 at 55 mph. Every morning my commute is in the dark so watching for animals is a constant. A deer began to cross the highway and headed right for me. It happened so fast but seems to replay over and over in my head so slowly. As soon as I saw her (either a really big doe or a buck who had lost his antlers for the spring) I began braking so we impacted at prob. at least 45 mph and you can see the damage done to my car. Amazingly, there really isn't much more than cosmetic damage and the front end being a teensy bit crumpled.
It is a 1989 Volvo station wagon and though the deer did bounce up on the hood (her head and shoulders) she didn't come up through the windshield. My seat belt locks must have engaged because I never even hit the steering wheel and walked away with only a very minor case of whiplash. The thought that if it was a doe she may have left behind babies worries me but maybe she was still carrying them. (still awful) When I left work early to begin to attend to car repair, insurance, etc. the authorities had already removed the deer so I wasn't able to see it in daylight.

Very sadly, the deer did not survive the impact. She was dead when she hit the side of the road and blessedly did not land where she'd endanger other drivers. How wonderful to have a cell phone and be able to call my husband right away so he was able to help me try to calm down. And I managed to retrieve my car parts from the highway and then continue on to work carefully. This is the first time I've ever hit anything (when I do a thing I do it BIG!) and the shock-y aftereffects were weird. It was very good being at work right away so my co-workers and tasks could keep my mind occupied. However, the rest of Thursday I was rather a nut and then so loopy from the pain meds for my neck on Friday that I had to call in sick. Ugh, seems like a terrible waste of sick leave!!!

So, if you'd like an endorsement for a good tank-like car to protect you I'd wholeheartedly recommend an older Volvo. You'll spend a small fortune maintaining it as the plastic parts and wiring go bad but that heavy, heavy body and sturdy engine can very potentially save your life. Unfortunately, you can't buy it where I bought mine: Dad's Used Car Emporium and financed through Bank of Dad but if you look around certainly you could find others.

Mr. or Ms. Deer....I'm so terribly sorry.

Waiting...

2010-04-08T16:26:00.000-07:00

The way I hope my 'new' sofa looks. Image from bemz.com. And a picture of the fabric that will be used: a Christopher Lowell light blue suede from JoAnn Fabrics http://www.joann.com/joann/catalog/productdetail.jsp;jsessionid=96CA5E393A6CDA7033D458 4EB5E824FA.a6p2?CATID=cat2699&PRODID=prd45503.

And a 'before' picture of the old, worn-but-comfy plaid sofa. It has been gone to the upholsterer's since March 3rd and I miss it so much! Sadly, it will be awhile longer since the upholsterer had an unexpected death in his family and it has thrown his schedule out of whack. Well, having seen his work before I know it will be worth the wait but it sure is hard being patient.

Blogging slacker

2010-03-14T18:37:00.000-07:00

That'd be me.

Both digital cameras have great pics on them that just need to be uploaded, edited and then brought over here to share. Latest projects, all the holidays I've missed blogging about and even some fun cooking and baking I've done.

Well, I'll scrounge through the recent files and see what I can find for the meantime:

How about a silly little tablescape I was inspired to make after countless hours wasted reading the wonderful blogs of the many talented tablescaper/bloggers out there. Sigh...oh, to have the pretty dining rooms and energy they all have. This was fun to play with anyway and my husband was sweet not to roll his eyes in front of me. Besides, it keeps us from plopping junk on the table which we'd definitely otherwise do for sure!

Ok, nuff of that. The latest batch of protein bars just beeped and I need to pull them out to cool. If they taste as wonderful as I think they will, I'll post the recipe. Lemon macadamia nut white chocolate. Sounds great, huh?

A few photos

2009-12-01T18:03:00.000-08:00

Although I don't have a matching dining room set, there are enough chairs hobbled together to make for a fun evening with family and friends. The tiny dining room came out very cozy and functional anyway for Thanksgiving dinner for 8. It was a yummy meal and the 'sideboard' I created underneath the window (two cheapo bookcases topped with a bifold door and pretty fabric!) worked great for holding the wealth of food.

Next to the dining room is a picture of the Christmas apron and 'tuck' I sent along with it to Kimberly over at Green Honey Hive as part of the MaryJane's Farmgirl Connection Christmas Apron Swap. I'll edit this post as soon as I get a photo taken of the pretty apron and candy she sent to me.

Here are pictures of four of the 'Tie One On Day' bundles I made and delivered to some of my co-workers. I forgot to take a picture of one...oops! Three of them also had a donated back-issue of Mary Jane's Farm courtesy of MaryJane Butters. Wasn't that generous of her!? Her magazine staff sent out many, many magazines to participating apronistas and made it a fun day.

Tonight I'm blogging instead of attending my support group meeting and missing them terribly. I'm home with a bad sore throat and trying not to talk. (For anybody who's met me you know that's a tough one!) Unbelievably, I don't have our Christmas tree up yet or even any decortions. Mr. Gemini'sdream is remodelling the basement and we are now plagued with drywall dust on every surface. We're just cleaning, cleaning, cleaning and fighting it off the best we can. Till we make more progress, I just don't want to ruin our pretty Christmas things. It may be awhile yet! To cheer me up (and because I've been hunting for one for a few years now) I have this little beauty on order for the kitchen: (image from Target.com)It is a little bar-height table from Target.com and should fit perfectly under the kitchen window so that I can perch there and watch the backyard over a nice hot cup of coffee.

Lovely Autumn

2009-10-16T09:48:00.000-07:00

It has been a long time since I've sat down to blog...I'm having too much fun reading other people's blogs! Here it is October 16th already and I am taking another 2 weeks of 'staycation' before things get really hectic at work with the holiday season looming. (retail, you know) I've made a great big calendar and have a big job list and wanna-do list so it will be two weeks well spent instead of frittered away on nothing.

On the schedule....LOTS of sewing, a bunch of baking and freezing, continuing to put the garden to bed and sleeping late! (And hopefully cleaning up the back patio, what a mess!) See the golden hubbard squash that came out of the garden? I cooked one for a test and it was sooooo yummy. Low-carb joy! Here I'd decided not to grow it again next year because of the way it took over the garden but now that has to be reconsidered. The zucchini and peppers were a bit disappointing, but I read in the paper that it was a bad year for those in this area so that is a little less depressing. haha

Hope I'll have pictures of great sewing progress to post soon!

Announcing!!!

2009-09-23T20:11:00.001-07:00

Did you hear the news?????? This precious, much awaited (8 years!) bump has officially turned into Madeline Lucille today!

Congratulations to Jenn and Michael!!! I'm as proud as if I were an auntie instead of just a very happy friend. My prayers for baby Maddie's safe delivery are now prayers of thanks for such a wonderful blessing.

A Fun Outing

2009-08-28T18:44:00.000-07:00

Oh my goodness....this morning I got to have a deeeeeelicious breakfast with my dad and sister at Michael D's Eatery in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. The coffee just kept coming (yeah, baby!) and the company and food was exceptional. Afterward, Dad was sweet and drove us to the ritzy 'downtown' area to visit the MaryJane's Farmgirl store across from the lake. We had a lovely stroll past the lake to the shop and you couldn't ask for prettier weather. Once there in the shop--whoa, baby....I was in farmgirl heaven!

Today was the 1-year anniversary of the beautiful little store and they were having a draw-your-discount special. I got 40% off, woohoo! So I came home with a packet of Budget Mix, some Chillover Powder, 2 postcards, a darling greeting card with teensy knitting on it, a tiny chocolate bar (only 8 gr. of sugar!) a box of the cutest vintage style hankies and MaryJane's first book the 'Ideabook, Cookbook, Lifebook'. Outside the shop is the darling little teardrop trailer they sell. If you have a spare 14K, my sister would realllllly love to buy that trailer with it. (That's the price I heard her mention, anyway.) Not being a camping girl myself I can value how cute the little thing is but never imagine myself actually outside with it.

Tonight (right now!) they are having a celebration at the store and hopefully are having a fun time. I'm so thankful to have gotten to visit the pretty little store and hope to be able to get back there to see it decorated for Christmas in a few months.

Mid-August already!

2009-08-17T13:59:00.001-07:00

Wow, it seems summer has just flown by this year. We had a few cool days last weekend and it already felt like autumn was on the way. Now we are back to more seasonal temps so the eventuality of fall (and winter!) will be easier to forget for awhile. I've been on a 'staycation' since last Thursday and it has been so nice. Was supposed to go to the OH conference in Seattle but we ended up having to have our electrical service panel for the house replaced...$$$. Hours have been cut recently at work so it just made sense to cancel the trip.

It has been fun playing farmgirl-at-home and taking care of some of the harvest from the garden as well as good produce sales here in town. This summer I've made lots and lots of sugar-free (and a few batches of regular) freezer jam, frozen veggies and dehydrated all kinds of things. The pantry is filling up and it feels nice to have a few extras on hand.

I'll post a picture of the last bento I made for work (0% Fage yogurt, blueberries, a few slices of chicken cordon bleu, marinated cumbers and caulitators.)...no more 8-hour days so my bentos are only breakfast and that is usually the same old thing. Not worth photographing often. Am showing an updated photo of the garden too to show the hubbard squash plants that have to be repeatedly hacked back so they don't take over the entire yard. Here's the post with the garden 'before' shot: http://geminisdream.blogspot.com/2009/05/bento-37_22.html And also a photo of the newest apron I finished, this one just for me for doing chores. (it is the red one, the green one underneath is still a WIP.)

Tomorrow, back to work again and happy to have made some progress here at home.

Bento Backlog

2009-07-19T15:49:00.000-07:00

Wow...it has been such a busy few weeks! Our home remodelling is in full swing again and the mess that goes with it is staggering. And just for fun, this weekend we had NO POWER (none!) from Saturday evening till Sunday mid-morning. Needless to say I haven't accomplished much sewing! LOL

To catch up on recent bentos here are 43-47. I won't list them individually because there are so many but most of them contain my usual foods: 0% Fage yogurt with fruit or my cottage cheese waffles and sugar free syrup, edamame, cucumbers and some mini-quiches. Other protiens were grilled chicken breast strips and chunks of chicken sausage. For seasonal fun, of course my favourite fruits and also green peas from the garden plus some experiments with light agave syrup-sweetened foods such as chocolate bran muffins and homemade tapioca pudding. So far, so good with that stuff...it is wickedly sweet and a little goes a long way. Luckily no dumping either.

Lastly, a good picture of my little friend "Callie" the Caliope Hummingbird who visits our Monarda regularly. Hopefully she has a nest somewhere nearby and will bring her babies to visit when they are bigger. What a cutie!

It is hot, hot this weekend and how lovely to have the power back on for air conditioning. aaaahhhhhh..........

PS...experimented with our fresh blueberries this weekend and had good luck with a clafouti recipe. Check it out in the sidebar link! If you don't have fresh blueberries, an equivalent amount of other bake-able fruit would work fine. And this evening I'll be making two batches of PK's Meat Crust Pizza to restock my freezer. (A girls gotta have pizza on hand!)

Rosette Fever!

2009-06-28T10:39:00.000-07:00

The Place: West Central Community Center

The Day: June 27th, 2009

The Event: The Spokane Rose Society Annual Rose Show

The Goal: BRING HOME ROSETTES!!!!

The Results: THREE, BABY!!!!
The three rosettes were for: 1) my floribuna spray 'Ebb Tide' which is an incredible dusky, deep purply rose and smells heavenly, 2) my corsage of 'Blue Girl' roses and 3) the martini glass arrangement which didn't work out the way I'd planned technically but pleased the judges nonetheless. The flowers were supposed to be the 'onion' on the curly willow swizzle stick and the whole thing was supposed to stay under water to be the alcohol. But when I poured in the water the roses popped out their anchoring and floated. Oh well, it was fun to do anyway and won!

(you gotta trust me on the big martini glass entry, it really did win a blue and white 'best arrangement' rosette in that category but forgot to take a picture of it, I swear!)

A Few Before and Afters

2009-06-20T08:16:00.001-07:00

A few before and after photos that are on my mind lately:

Early January this year when we thought winter would never end. Note how high the snow berm is and how the roof of the shed on the right has sagged under the snow weight. This doesn't even show how high the snow had been...it had melted and re-snowed a bit before this. And this morning after a big rainstorm last night. Luckily not all the flower petals were knocked off and everything is green and pretty except the huge blue tarp that will prob. be on the still-unpainted shed all summer. (HONEY!)

My sewing room a few weeks ago (and how it normally looks on any given day, sad to say)...

Still very cluttered but so much better! I can even get a quilt loaded in the big frame now if I can find the motivation. Actually, sewing another apron or Kinchaku bag sounds more appealing today.

Spring '06.....

And this May at weight-loss surgery support group and wearing my Bloomsday Run finisher t-shirt.

So maybe I should exercise instead of sewing *OR* gardening! LOL!

Bento 42

2009-06-19T20:51:00.000-07:00

Bento 42 from this past Monday...such a busy, stress-y week at work that I am just now getting around to logging it. This was another breakfast/snack/lunch/snack day's worth of food packed in my two blue Hello Kitty Boxes. See the new tag I made? We have to have our lunches labelled at work and this was a fun little project. Anyway, back to the bento: top box was edamame on lettuce, watermelon butterflies, marinated cucumbers under beet flowers and a container of chopped turkey/fat free cream cheese and dill. The lower box was egg beaters mini omelette, two barley hearts, a mini heart of fat free cottage cheese, fresh blueberries and two mini cottage cheese bran muffins. A lot of food for a busy day!

Too busy at work and too much stress at home to even contemplate bento let alone photograph anything but mostly what I took to work the rest of the week was the usual stuff: 0% Fage yogurt, strawberries, blueberries, more chocolate mini muffins and the ever present sugar free protein coffee latte to start the day. Boring, quick, safe and easy. ::shrug::

Bento 41--Monday

2009-06-09T20:27:00.000-07:00

Amy's comments about my bento looking patriotic got me thinking why not just go with it? And now I see there is a big old smudge on my lense...oops. To start the day and give me more energy after the big weekend was a packet of Emergen-C. Then for breakfast Monday morning was my usual old 0% Fage Greek yogurt...the go-withs are a side of Kashi Go Lean, a big stripe of sugar free strawberry rhubarb jam and fresh blueberries. There ya go...red, white and blue!

For lunch was a salad of home-grown baby spinach, grilled chicken strips,strawberries, craisins, sunflower seeds and tomatoes. I packed along a packet of light balsamic vinagraitte dressing but only used a small portion of it. They put way too much in those! Dessert was a sugar free Snack Pack jello in orange.

No bento today...just some leftovers thrown in my bag. Good thing I didn't take extra time because I had a flat tire on the way to work and using the extra time would have made me much later than it ended up being anyway.

Oh...big naughtiness to report: Because I had to wait at the tire shop to get my tire fixed after work I treated myself to two new magazines. But even worse (or better!) later in the day I again splurged on new books when I had to pick up teens at the mall. "Warm Fuzzies" and "Sewing Green" both by Betz White. Can't wait to read them and start planning projects!

Thank you, Amy!

2009-06-07T18:14:00.000-07:00

Not only did Amy (my bestest sister) make Saturday a really fun, memorable day at the Farm Chicks show but then today she worked for hours on my blog page. I am so not worthy!!!!

She found a great website with cool backgrounds and tried out endless possibilities for me, cutting and pasting all that code that is totally Greek to me. To someone who is pretty nearly computer clueless this was a huge gift.

Thank you!!!!!

Fun at the Farm Chicks Show

2009-06-07T17:00:00.000-07:00

Wow...Saturday was really memorable! My sister Amy and I met there and spent most of the day carefully going through each booth oooh'ing and aah'ing the amazing vintage and crafted merchandise. We took a nice leisurely lunch break and enjoyed some watermelon, mozzarella sticks, tortilla rollups and resting our feet! At our table were some really fun ladies and besides enjoying the break they were great to visit with.

It was so much fun seeing booths from vendors we'd seen the previous year and searching through all the treasures they brought. If we were millionaires we'd have purchased like crazy but even though we didn't haul out as much as a lot of folks we had such a great time making our few purchases that it was just as much fun.

I got so caught up in the shopping experience that I totally forgot to look for Serena and Teri to get my book autographed. Oh well...it doesn't make me enjoy the book any less. Hope you get a chance to read it or get your own copy, it is beautifully photographed and a pleasure to read.
http://thefarmchicks.com/Book.html

Isn't it cute the way they lined up aprons to decorate the front of this table? We almost bought a treat for our Dad but hesitated too long and by the time we saw that booth again they were sold out and closed. Must have been good! Heavens, I wouldn't even want to consider the calories--everything looked really decadent.

Amy and I also meant to stop and have our picture taken in the 'posing' area but didn't get around to it. Although...we enjoyed a particularly incredible baby posing with her grandma. Gotta say that of all the cute babies there, this one was Miss Personality Plus and adorable to boot. A future little Farm Chick in training! I have to just tease you with how cute she is, I didn't ask for permission to publish her photo but you gotta take my word....cutest baby!

We boldly wore our new aprons and were mistaken for vendors several times. Guess we looked a little silly but who cares, we were having a fun girly day and it was worth it. I even wore my apron around town before and after the show. So there! Have to say that before weight loss surgery I'd never have had the courage to be so conspicuous. Another wonderful life change that is a real blessing.

Here is a picture of me with Arlene, a wonderful blogger who graciously stopped to pose with me. What a beautiful booth and do stop by her blog to read...it is a treat.

http://www.heartrockshome.com/heartrockshome/

So hope you enjoyed a few pictures from the show. Wonderful crafting ideas, incredibly beautifully decorated booths and a lot of nostaligic treasures. I lined up all my goodies from the show as well as thrift store finds...it will be cool getting to use all these fun things.

Two of Last Week's Bento's

2009-06-07T16:49:00.000-07:00

Before I head back to working on the Farm Chick's entry, I want to get caught up on the last two bentos from last week. Even working shorter hours, it is still very helpful to get the bento made and ready to go so that before I head home from work early in the day or out to run errands there is pre-planned healthy food to keep me going.

These boxes were for a short work day but a long errand day. Breakfast was on the left side with 0% Fage Greek yogurt, blueberries, a tablespoon of sugar-free chocolate chips, fresh strawberries and 1/3 cup Special K Protien Plus cereal. It was hugely filling. Then I ate that lovely salad on the right before shopping and errands. It was baby spinach from the garden, chicken griller strips, strawberries, blueberries, sunflower seeds and half of a mozz stick cut into little flowers. For my afternoon snack was edamame, plain.

The next set was for another short day. It was more of the Greek Yogurt but this time topped with a fresh dollop of homemade sugar-free strawberry/rhubarb jam and accompanied by fresh strawberries. The three little Chik'n Nuggets (Morningstar Farm) were my pre-errand snack and were so filling that it took a long time to eat them. Sorry these are all so boring looking but this time of year is when I love to take advantage of the delicious strawberries as often as I can!

Back to work Bento 38

2009-06-01T20:19:00.000-07:00

It was a fun, fun, fun two week's vacation from work. Working at my paying job, that is. But I worked very hard in the yard and loved it! After accomplishing a lot in the yard I sewed a new apron and started a second one. The finished one is very Grandma-ish and soooo ME! The bento for today was the five colors but really a lot of red 'cause the strawberries and watermelon are so delicious this time of year. Luckily I wasn't able to eat everything but a lot of that has to do with the huge amount of coffee consumed today plus one tofu/sugar free cake mix cupcake and fruit that my sweet boss made for my birthday. I work with such nice people!

So, what got packed to eat: some cottage cheeese mini pancakes made into sandwiches with fat free cream cheese, strawberries and also a piece of turkey bacon chopped. More strawberries, red (does this count as purple?) grapes and watermelon. For lunch and then afternoon snack a roll-up made of a Soyful Heart tortilla, one piece of ff lunch meat, low fat lunch cheese, more ff cream cheese and some fresh-from-the-garden baby spinach. Tucked in for filler are baby carrots. In the other container was marinated cucumbers with dill. Also a lf cheese stick tucked in for 'just-in-case'.

Short day tomorrow...probably no bento, just a sugar free muffin.

Bento 37

2009-05-22T15:24:00.000-07:00

This is a bento from last week that I was too busy to post. Ended up forgetting to take it to work so it was eaten at home. The top pink HK box was 0% Fage yogurt, splenda and a little sugar free strawberry syrup along with some fresh strawberries. Yes, more fresh strawberries....

The ugly brown ploppy thing is a homemade muffin top a la 'vitatops'. Now that I have tasted the real thing mine definitely taste better and are cheaper too! Here is a link to the recipe: http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=556026

And here's the pan I use for them: http://www.amazon.com/Chicago-Metallic-Gourmetware-Original-Muffin/dp/B0000CFN2C/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1243031717&sr=8-1

The muffin top was an evening snack and mighty yummy!

The bottom pink HK box was supposed to be lunch and ended up as dinner instead...2 rollups of fat free turkey breast, 2 slices of Alpine Lace provolone, shredded carrots, edamame, a few more strawberries and a little container of fat free ranch dressing.

No bento photos for this week or next (probably) since I am home on vaca and working in the yard. Lots and lots of work getting done and even managing a sunburn on parts that haven't seen sunshine since last year.

Here are pics of some of my hard work. Lots and lots of beets, carrots, zucchini, pumpkins and squash planted in my little garden, I'm sure it will be overflowing and I'll be doing a lot of cooking and baking in the fall with it all. And the weeds in the flowerbeds just never stop! At the bottom is a picture of just an hour's worth of weeds pulled along one stretch.

Bento 36

2009-05-12T14:11:00.000-07:00

Bento made after I got home from spending Mother's Day with my folks and sister helping in their back yard. There was just enough energy left to make sure I had LOTS to eat for Monday at work.

For breakfast: 2 mini cottage cheese waffles, some turkey bacon and a container of sugar free strawberry syrup Some extra berries decorated with Johnny Jump-ups from the yard. (Cute AND edible!)

For lunch and afternoon snack: a hard boiled egg, edamame, cucumbers, baby carrots and 4 mini turkey 'bacon cheeseburger' patties. Those patties were so easy but really salty. Just one package of ground turkey breast meat (one pound), a package of real bacon bits and about 2 cups (bad--didn't measure) shredded cheddar. A little water, black pepper, then mixed well and grilled on my George Foreman quickly till cooked.

Catching up again...

2009-05-08T16:58:00.000-07:00

Why am I always behind these days? Oh, a job that starts at 5 a.m., gardening, sewing, keeping up with the local Rose Society, two surgery support group meetings a month, the usual mom stuff.....

So anyway...these photos are bento 34 and 35. Not as many bentos lately since I've been racing against the clock and not always getting anything pretty made so those don't get photographed.

The top pink box was for a long day at work and was my 2-layer Hello Kitty box with watermelon chunks on bottom and on top an Egg Beaters 'omelette', red pepper strips, 2 homemade turkey sausage links, one mini cottage cheese waffle, a few blueberries and half a low-fat mozz. cheese stick.

The lower pink box was for lunch: marinated matchstick carrots on lettuce with jicama butterflies, edamame filler and 2 mini black-bean bites from the basic bite recipe on Shelly's blog. http://theworldaccordingtoeggface.blogspot.com/2009/03/sausage-pepper-bites.html

The next picture was simply nonfat cottage cheese atop lettuce, watermelon, strawberries and a few skewers of mozz. chunks and red grapes.

With shortened work days I've mostly been taking a mixture of 0% Fage Greek yogurt (1/2 cup), a packet of Splenda, some berries or a teaspoon of sugar-free jam and a small container of cereal to add crunch. Pretty basic and boring but filling and tasty. Just not very photo-worthy after I've already photographed it before.

The beautiful gold spoon is a gift from Sharon in my local support group. The rose on top is soooooo Molly! Thank you, Sharon!!!

Bento 32 and 33

2009-04-26T19:46:00.000-07:00

Pink day last week! For breakfast: 2 mini cottage
cheese waffles, 3 little ham croquettes, strawberries

and some sugar free strawberry syrup. In a piggy container too, how cute.

For lunch: a container of couscous, marinated cucumbers, more strawberries, edamame topped with a turkey patty cut into wedges, carrot dots and cheddar tulips. All this food was too much for two meals and I ended up eating some of it for my 2 snacks, too.

For Monday's meals: half a cottage cheese waffle

topped with blueberries, three mini asparagus/ham quiche bites, strawberries and sugar free maple syrup.

For snack time: 2 mini protein donuts and more strawberries. (OK, it is strawberry season and I'm addicted to them.)

For lunch: some chicken breast chunks in a silicone and topped with a red pepper flower. A stack of jicama and cucumber flowers, edamame for filler and a few tiny sandwich chunks made of black rye bread, low fat monteray jack cheese, fat free cream cheese and more red pepper. There is a container of low fat ranch dressing for the chicken and my bottle of bariatric vitamins.

Bento 31

2009-04-25T09:42:00.000-07:00

Blue and pink containers to go with my new Beatles bag. The reverse is a hot pink guitar print. I'm having a lot of fun sewing these bags.

For breakfast in the bottom container: a mixture of nonfat cottage cheese and 0% Greek Fage yogurt with sliced strawberries. Not pictured was the small container of fiber plus cereal to add crunch.

Pink container: a little bit of corn, veggie sloppy joe mix, one mini black bean quiche, baby carrot sticks, cuke slices and a barley tulip.

Catching Up!

2009-04-25T09:18:00.000-07:00

Life has been busy with family, work,gardening, support group and Rose Society. The bento pictures are getting backlogged so I'll get caught up here all at once.

Is this even worth posting? So simple...two containers consisting of strawberries, ham 'croquettes' (not fried!), asparagus and fat free ranch dressing.

For potluck day at work: a plate of no-sugar added PB2 brownie's (they were well received!). Since I'm never sure what will be 'safe' for me to eat I always bring my own food too and did eat it that day. Green box: strawberries and mini protein blueberry muffins. Alongside was a container of 0% Greek Fage yogurt.

Clear box: ham 'croquettes', chopped asparagus, a container of caulitators and cantaloupe.

Bento 28: Laptop Lunchbox system. Didn't eat all this but it was for the whole day. Three homemade oatmeal-raisin protein bars in a baggie, a Luna bar and a Starbuck's Light Frap.

Pink box: three mini cottage cheese pancakes, sugar free maple syrup, a mini ham and asparagus quiche bite.

Orange box: a Greek yogurt/ fat free cottage cheese mixture topped with blueberries.

Blue box: a turkey patty, barley heart, carrot slices, asparagus.

Green box: hard boiled egg with carrot dogs, edamame. Alongside a sugar free candy for 'dessert' and roasted pea crisps mixed with some almonds underneath.

Somehow I thought I was going to eat all this????

A much better amount of food for the day. Top box: 0% Greek Fage yogurt and strawberry slices, a few orange sections, one mini cottage cheese waffle and a few homemade turkey sausage links. A container of sugar free maple syrup too of course.

Bottom box: Yakitori chicken chunks and corn, marinated cucumber chunks, a barley tulip and strawberries. Some romaine lettuce leaves for dividers.

A lunch box: grilled cauliflower, carrot stars, edamame, marinated cucumbers and a serving of a low-cal tamale casserole. Grilling the cauliflower was an experiment that didn't turn out well...it made it taste bitter.

That's enough for this post. More to come, I think.

Bento 20

2009-04-13T16:17:00.001-07:00

This one got missed somehow. It felt like spring and a good day for a 'picnic' day at work. So I used the reverse side of my green sushi fabric kinchaku bag and the matching red checked napkin. Very festive and cheerful!

Food was a homemade mix of 0% Fage Greek yogurt, chopped fresh strawberries and sugar free strawberry jam. For crunch, a container of Kellogg's Protein Plus (is that the right name?) cereal. For the rest of the day which was lunch and 2 snacks: a Morningstar Farms chik'n patty (about 1 1/2), watermelon sticks, broccoli slaw, a mini barley heart, some corn kernels, a container of my MIL's family-recipe bbq sauce and a sugar free brownie.

Bento 24 and 25

2009-04-13T15:19:00.000-07:00

This is bento 24 from last week. I didn't have time to make a pretty bento so it was my old Tupperware lunch set and after packing it, I remembered why I don't like this set: the carrier doesn't leave room for anything but the containers and has an awkward zipper placement. Maybe one day I'll tear it apart and remake it with the zipper at the top but likely not. Anyway, the food was 0% Fage Greek yogurt (1/2 cup) with splenda, a cereal mix of mostly Kashi Go Lean and some leftover Barbara's organic stuff, a melon cup of watermelon, cantaloupe and honeydew. Then the protein is from the freezer: the last of the chicken cordon bleu bites, edamame and two mini ham/Swiss bites. This was enough food for breakfast, lunch and 2 snacks.

Today's bento was Easter dinner leftovers and

freezer stash. Couldn't eat it all by the end of the day and that accounted for breakfast, lunch and 2 snacks. Two mini cottage cheese waffles, homemade turkey breakfast sausage sticks, fruit cup of strawberries, cantaloupe, green grapes and blueberries. Not in the shot is the little container of sugar free syrup I always drag along to go with the waffles. In the pink bento is cucumber sticks, edamame, a mini barley heart, mini skewers of grilled pineapple and ham, a few black olives, a little cup of my sister's to-die-for corn casserole, carrot flower cutouts, half a devilled egg and more cucumbers for filler. For dessert some of my sugar free strawberry-rhubarb cheesecake and more grilled pineapple. I have a LOT of this leftover...it was too much food!

Bento 23...Easter Challenge

2009-04-09T17:00:00.000-07:00

Here is my food for the Easter theme challenge on Sparkpeople.com's Bento Buddies group. For breakfast I used a new box that was a generous gift from Sharon in my local support group. It is a baby food dish and very cool! Each of the inner compartments has a lid and the outer compartment has another lid plus a self-storing mini spoon. Love it! The food inside is a shaped barley tulip topped with petals of low fat provolone. It is sitting on top of an Egg Beaters mini omelette that has the leftover provolone chunks melted in as well as taco sauce. There is a bunny pick next to the melons: cantaloupe and honeydew.

For lunch and afternoon snack in the other box (a new Hello Kitty from my boss): four chicken cordon bleu meatballs from the freezer stash, baby carrot sticks and dots, bunny sandwiches made from black rye bread and more of that piece of provolone, curly lettuce for a liner, a hard boiled egg, jicama chicks and cucumber flowers. In the yellow bunny container is fat free ranch dressing to dip the veggies and moisten the little sandwiches. For my 'dessert' I ate one sugar free Peep and it was a huge treat. Happy Easter!

Bento 22

2009-04-08T17:18:00.001-07:00

Back to good old routine food and a happy tummy. Three mini cottage cheese pancakes, blueberries, strawberries, two pieces of turkey bacon and scrambled Egg Beaters. In the little container is sugar free blueberry syrup. Ah...a delicious 'safe' breakfast. Same-old, same-old but nice to know it wouldn't make me sick.

Bento 21

2009-04-07T21:07:00.000-07:00

Been busy and still made my bentos but didn't have time to post them. After joining a Flickr group and seeing my bentos all lined up it revealed I eat the same thing all the time. So today I tried something different and it made me sick. Waaaa! Tonight was support group so I am getting to bed too late to make my box for tomorrow, too bad...I am ready to get back to my good old routine. LOL

So here's the Evil Bento. It made me dump at work. (This is something that happens to some gastric bypass patients...not all and not very often for me but NOT FUN!) I thought I was very clever to make little mini sandwiches out of mini soy crisps, fat free cream cheese and PB2 powder. (On Shelly's blog http://theworldaccordingtoeggface.blogspot.com/ she made little sandwiches with either little rice crisps or soy crisps so of course I had to try it too.) There was a little container of sugar free grape jam and some red grapes to go with it. Altogether it was yummy but apparently too many sugar grams at once for my system. Looked pretty too, oh well... Also, I used a Tupperware container from my Modular Mates collection since it was listed as 500 ml thinking it'd be so great to have the 'right' size. Too big! LOL I'll stick with the dollar store cuties and then try to get some at Daiso in August when the OH conference comes to Seattle.

Bento 19 and Technicolor Donuts!

2009-04-03T07:25:00.001-07:00

Today is a day off (yay!!!!!) so it has been a leisurely morning drinking coffee, watching the snow fall and baking. I'll get yesterday's bento posted and then give you the recipe for the technicolor mini donuts.

For breakfast in the right box: 2 cottage cheese pancakes, scrambled egg beaters, green grapes, cantaloupe and a mini tupperware container of Estee Sugar Free maple syrup. Not a creative box but it has been a long week and I just needed to have food for work.

For lunch...same story, just food. Three chicken cordon bleu bites, cucumber sticks, cantaloupe, a muffin container of edamame and a packet of lite balsamic vinaigrette. Brought along a lite mozz. cheese stick but gave it to a coworker who needed some quick protein. I saved the sugar free chocolate for a treat when I got home from work.

Now....on Shelly's blog she has posted an amazing recipe for chocolate mini donuts which I've made and love. http://theworldaccordingtoeggface.blogspot.com/2009/01/time-to-make-donuts.html They got me wanting some other types of donuts so I've experimented a little and had a great success this morning. I know it is a long list of ingredients but I had all these on hand and was going for a product that was moist yet had good body to it. These turned out so tasty I didn't even melt any sugar free chocolate for a 'frosting' because they just didn't need it. Although, it would certainly cover up some of the hideous color and they'd have more eye appeal. LOL So here is what I made:

Strawberry-Kiwi Mini Donuts

1 cup oat flour

1/2 cup Nectar Strawberry-Kiwi protein powder http://www.amazon.com/Nectar-Whey-Protein-Isolate-Strawberry/dp/B00076MPVY

1/2 cup gluten free pancake mix

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon almond extract

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 cup egg beaters

4 tablespoons DaVinci sugar free strawberry syrup

1 tablespoon coconut oil

2 tablespoons water

2 tablespoons unsweetened applesauce

Gently mix together all ingredients, allow to stand a few minutes then gently stir again. Preheat oven to 375 degrees and prepare a mini muffin pan with nonstick spray. Fill cavities about half way and bake 8-10 minutes. Makes 2 dozen.

So if you happen to have some of this protein powder and this great mini-muffin pan http://www.amazon.com/Norpro-Nonstick-Mini-Donut-Pan/dp/B0000DDVVL/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1238770135&sr=8-1 in your pantry, make some technicolor donuts!

Bentos 17 & 18

2009-03-31T20:21:00.000-07:00

Two bentos to post today, they were meals I packed to take to the hospital today to visit with a member of my local support group. Didn't know how long I'd be there or how hungry so I made two but only ate half of one so the other will go with me to work tomorrow. Also inlcuded is a picture of my homemade protein bars. Normally, there is always a batch of them in my freezer so I can grab one to throw in my purse on the way out the door in the morning. Came in handy today too, I chewed on one while my friend was getting a check-up done in her room and I forgot to grab my bag to take to the waiting room.

Plus, I got these boxes in the dollar section of my local Rite Aid drugstore. Didn't even know they had dollar items and then find these...score!!! Anway the blue box is orange slices, cucumber, baby carrot sticks under mini quiche bites (no crust) and three chicken cordon bleu bites.

In the green box are pinwheels made from 98%ff ham lunchmeat, lf jack cheese slices, jicama sticks, green grapes and a mini pepper stuffed with one wedge of Laughing Cow lite Swiss cheese and topped with a jicama slice.

The pic. of my baking is my oatmeal/raisin protein bars (thats the type I took today), my double chocolate tvp protein bars and one of Shelly's 24k Carrot muffins. http://theworldaccordingtoeggface.blogspot.com/2009/03/24k-muffins.html

Recipe for my oatmeal/raisin protein bars:

http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=262660

Recipe for my chocolate protein bars:

http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=317549

Recipe for the chicken cordon bleu bites:

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Chicken-Cordon-Bleu-Bites/Detail.aspx

Note on this one: I substituted egg white for the whole egg and didn't deep fry them.

Bento 16

2009-03-29T19:10:00.001-07:00

This is the bento for Monday which will be breakfast, lunch and a snack (or two). This took too long to make mostly because I'm so tired from such a long week and it was hard to decide what to include. My goal is to have the barley onigiri and turkey sausage patties for breakfast. There is some sugar free Costellani's CinnaBliss syrup drizzled on top (yum!) and a little container of sugar free lingonberry preserves to go with it. For lunch is a hard-boiled egg, edamame, a container of caulitators (mock mashed potatoes) and an assortment of cold veggies. If I have room in my tummy there is a mini bell pepper stuffed with a wedge of Laughing Cow lite Swiss cheese. There are flower shaped cucumber and jicama slices, a jicama bunny and some assorted veggie scraps as well as some cantaloupe stuffed in too. Alongside is a packet of fat free Italian dressing and a lite mozzarella stick for the drive home.

Lots of food!

No picture of Sunday's box for work, my camera battery was dead. But I ate 2 mini cottage cheese waffles, 2 turkey sausage patties, some red grapes and later on a homemade protein bar.

Here is a link for the preserves....awesome products from this place!

http://www.friendship-farm.com/

Bento 15

2009-03-29T00:34:00.000-07:00

Another non-artistic bento pulled together quickly from the stash. Good thing I had such a productive weekend last weekend and got the freezer and fridge so well organized. It is a very long week and has left me little energy for fussiness. And there's just another reason for doing bento (even if it isn't the pretty kind): it helps you eat better when you have little time.

This was Saturday's meal at work: 2 frozen cottage cheese waffles, 2 frozen turkey breakfast sausage patties, sliced strawberries, a little dish of sugar free blueberry syrup, some blueberries and grapes mixed and along-for-the-ride-but-not-eaten a sugar free brownie.

Bento 14

2009-03-27T14:37:00.000-07:00

Made this box for work today and I've finished work, shopped, come home, worked and still haven't finished eating all this food. Definitely very filling -and- one of those days when Pouchie just doesn't need as much as I think it is going to. (woohoo!)

Last night I popped in a frozen barley flower, made an Egg Beaters roll, almonds, packed sugar free jam in the little container which is actually a small pill box, tossed in some edamame, grapes, blueberries, jicama shapes, baby carrots and cucumber flowers. The pink bag is the reverse side of the bag in another picture with a stripe on the bottom. I've made them all so that they all reverse to something different to save a little storage space as well as making them strong.

Bento 13

2009-03-26T17:06:00.000-07:00

Two boxes for today sort of slapped together quickly because last night was the monthly rose society meeting. Lucky to have some bento stash to choose from in the fridge and freezer.
Breakfast was 2 mini cottage cheese waffles, fresh blueberries, some sugar free blueberry syrup, one mini 24k muffin, 2 small turkey sausage patties, a little cup of red grapes and a strawberry and a few cheddar decorations.

For lunch: grilled portabello parmesan (grilled portabello topped w/homemade marinara, lite provolone and a whiff of lite parmesan), roasted asparagus, edamame, a little silicone of cantaloupe and blueberries and a few cucumber flowers. In a side container some yogurt pesto sauce for the veggies. Only one problem, forgot to pack a little knife. That 'bello was hard to cut with only a tiny fork and spoon. Between the two boxes I had enough for breakfast, lunch and 2 snacks. A bit too much food. I need to log this onto Sparkpeople.com to see how the protein count was.

Bento 12 and another new bag

2009-03-24T19:51:00.001-07:00

This little breakfast bento for tomorrow is #12 and I'm actually pretty proud of it. It is a barley 'onigiri' (I don't eat rice since my gastric bypass surgery), veggie quiche, cantaloupe, kiwi and strawberry. There are three cheese cut out tulips for decoration. Overall, I'm very pleased with the color composition and the way the fan shape of the quiche sort of 'spread out' with the fruits and ended with the little barley onigiri. Definitely looking forward to eating this one on Wednesday. Also including a picture of another new bag. The bag and food seem to compliment each other.

Bento 11...not exciting

2009-03-24T13:29:00.000-07:00

This is bento 11 (a and b). Everything is pretty much just thrown together in a hurry.

Anyway, for breakfast I had a silicone muffin of steel cut oats, a little jam jar of sugar free strawberry syrup, a ginormous strawberry, a mini red pepper stuffed with a wedge of lite Laughing Cow swiss cheese and a mini black bean quiche.

Lunch was just leftover buckwheat noodles and chicken accompanied by jicama, cucumbers, grape tomatoes and a few carrot dots. Not exciting but tasty.

Busy weekend and Bento 10

2009-03-22T19:34:00.000-07:00

Wow...did I ever get a lot accomplished this weekend. Cooking, cooking, cooking and lots of prepping foods too. My freezer stash is organized and inventoried, the pantry is ready for healthier spring eating and lighter fare. I made two more Kinchaku bags this weekend, not very happy with them at the moment. They need a bit more work before a public debut but I'll show three of the ones I made the weekend before. As I work towards perfecting the pattern, it has been a challenge to tailor each bag to match the containers I'll be using with it size- and color-wise.

So from the current stash of frozen or fresh foods here is the first bento of the week, a Laptop Lunchbox that has breakfast, lunch and snack in it. It is a LOT of food for me but I have a suspicion I'll be extra hungry tomorrow so there is extra. The box is sitting on top of the Japanese-style print Kinchaku bag and matching dinner napkin I made for it. You can't tell but the bag actually has three bands of beautiful fabrics. They are leftovers from a small wallhanging I made a few years ago. Glad I hung onto them!

Breakfast: 2 mini cottage cheese waffles, 1 turkey breakfast patty, 2 strawberries and a dipping cup of Estee sugar free maple syrup.

For Lunch: 2 mini black-bean quiches, 2 very mini pita pockets (that I baked!) stuffed with a chicken/fat free cream cheese mixture leftover from last week and cucumbers. Go-withs are edamame, carrots, jicama, grapes and cucumbers. There is a cucumber flower and a jicama bunny who is staring at the carrots for fun. A dip for the veggies is more of last week's yogurt pesto dip.

For afternoon snack...whatever is left from what I couldn't eat for breakfast and lunch plus 2 mini muffins from Shelly again. These are her 24K Muffins....so delish!

http://theworldaccordingtoeggface.blogspot.com/2009/03/24k-muffins.html

If you are interested, this is my new cottage cheese pancake version and I find that it has worked the best of any flour combinations so far. The addition of the coconut flour really helps the batter firm up and holds its shape as well.

Cottage Cheese Pancake/Waffles

1/4 cup nonfat cottage cheese

1/4 cup egg substitute

1 tablespoon oat flour

1 tablespoon coconut flour

1/8 cup Splenda granular

1/4 tsp. vanilla extract

Combine all ingredients in small blender container or mini food processor and whiz together until completely smooth and lump free. Batter can be additionally flavoured with cocoa powder, different extracts, dried fruits, nuts or even made savoury by eliminating the Splenda and adding chopped onions, etc. Makes up into 3 pancakes or 1 round waffle or 3 1/2 mini waffles or 6 aebelskiver balls. A very versatile batter.

Here are some of the bags I made last weekend and a picture of one of my helpers this weekend. Our little cat, Misu, wanted to plop down as soon as I had the pattern pinned to the fabric. She is a micro-manager!

Edit: That was waaaay too much food! Couldn't finish it all at work and that made me feel good, I was thinking I'd be eating the whole thing. Gastric Bypass continues to be such a miracle!

Bento 9a and 9b

2009-03-19T15:12:00.000-07:00

Very boring Bento's compared to other people's on the internet but photographing is a good way to log my food without actually doing it. (lazy?) For breakfast at work today: scrambled Egg Beaters, blueberries and two of Shelly's protein muffins. (recipe link further down blog)

For lunch: a butterfly made of whole-grain/fat free cream cheese/chopped chicken/pesto spirals wrapped in Teriyaki Nori strips. Delicious! Also cauliflower florets, baby carrot strips and an orange mini bell pepper stuffed with Laughing Cow lite garlic swiss cheese and a grape tomato flourish topper. Prettified with some curly lettuce and accompanied by a packet of fat free ranch dressing. Couldn't even eat it all...how cool is that?!

And here's a picture of my Hello Kitty set and the new Kinchaku bag and matching napkin I sewed for it. This new hobby is fun and a great way to use up some of my neglected quilting fabric .

Bentos 8a and 8b

2009-03-18T11:22:00.000-07:00

These are separate but are for the same work day so they don't get different numbers. Plus I'm including a peek inside one of the new Kinchaku bags I sewed over the weekend. They are all made reversible for fun. I made matching napkins for all of them and even made little table protectors (mini place mats?) for some since where I eat at work the tables aren't always very clean.

Breakfast first: half a cup of 0% Fage yogurt topped with cantaloupe tulips and green grape leaves. Red grapes, blueberries, more cantaloupe and 1/3 cup Kashi Go Lean. Yummy!

Lunch is next: 2 tiny Westphalian Rye 'sandwiches' made with a flower cutter and a fat free cream cheese/chicken mixture inside. In the sealed cup 2 tablespoons of Shelly's Yogurt Pesto dip. Skewers of sauteed firm tofu and lite mozz. sticks, baby carrots and in the silicone cup some marinated cooked broccoli leftovers. For an afternoon snack a little mixed cup of wasabi peas and roasted soynuts. (Oh and the standard Starbucks lite frap. )

Now for the peek: You can see the piece of plastic needlepoint canvas that stiffens the bottom of my bag. Very handy to have it this way so I can remove it for washing separately from the bag. I've found from past sewing experience that they tend to get beat out of shape in the washer. Also, I use my own mini forks and spoons from World Market. They keep my bites tiny so my surgical pouch doesn't get overwhelmed.

Bento #7

2009-03-17T05:02:00.000-07:00

Happy St. Patrick's Day! Here's my first color-themed Bento and maybe the last. (?) Mini waffle sticks made from cottage cheese pancake batter with an addition of sugar free DaVinci Peppermint Paddy syrup, food coloring and 2 tablespoons mini chocolate chips. Smells good, tasted good (ok, I sampled 2 sticks) but looks gross! Also included Estee sugar free maple syrup, cantaloupe chunks, a wedge of Laughing Cow lite Swiss and a shamrock of Egg Beaters and parsley. After I cut it out the scraps looked pretty enough to ruffle into their own cup into another shamrock of sorts.

Also along for the day's food (can't eat all this at one meal!) half a cup of tinted Fage 0% Greek yogurt w/Shamrock sprinkles and 2 banana-bran protein muffins. Have to go to the grocery store today and I don't want to do it hungry!

Bento #6

2009-03-16T20:32:00.000-07:00

This gets me caught up: today's bento! Much better food choices and working on the Kawaii factor too.

Top blue box: 1 slice veggie frittatta, red grapes, 2 of Shelly's mini protein muffins and a Frigo lite mozz. stick made into an Octo dog. With it I ate the other grapes/mozz. chunks on the skewers and was very full!

Bottom pink box for lunch: Morningstar Farms crumbles made into sloppy joe topped with carrot dots and a cucumber flower. Alongside, more cuke slices, grape tomatoes and a mini orange pepper stuffed with one wedge Laughing Cow lite Swiss cheese. In the 'I can't believe I ate the whole thing category': the green container with more cucumbers, mini carrot sticks and a tiny container of Shelly's Pesto yogurt dip. (Which I made with her homemade pesto recipe...so goooood!)

For my afternoon snack there were 10 almonds, another lite mozz. stick and a Weight Watchers sugar free peanut butter cup. Very filling and very satisfying!

Shelly's muffin recipe:

http://theworldaccordingtoeggface.blogspot.com/2009/02/sweet-treats.html

Shelly's Pesto yogurt dip:

http://theworldaccordingtoeggface.blogspot.com/2008/03/beef-its-whats-for-dinner.html

Bento #5

2009-03-16T20:09:00.001-07:00

Woohoo...my very own 'super cool Bento Box' (a quote from Shelly's blog http://theworldaccordingtoeggface.blogspot.com/2009/02/bento-box-picnic.html) finally arrived and this was my first time using it. This huge amount of food was breakfast, lunch and a snack. Have to say it did leave me hungry so I will fine-tune the types of food to more dense choices.

The top rectangle box was 1 mini cottage cheese waffle, Egg Beaters and one turkey breakfast patty. In the small sauce container is Estee sugar free maple syrup. Under the skewers of Frigo lite mozz. cubes and red grapes are cantaloupe chunks and cucumber slices. Not a good picture attempt but I did include some curly lettuce to make it prettier.

For lunch I ate another 2 turkey breakfast patties, more cucumbers, half a cup of 'caulitators' with a sprinkle of chives and a few chunks of mozz. stick added. The 'caulitators' are just steamed cauliflower in the food processor with a block of fat free cream cheese, Molly McButter and white pepper to taste. They reheated in the little container beautifully.

For a snack there were roasted green snap peas, 8 almonds and a piece of sugar free Dove candy.

Bento #4

2009-03-16T20:05:00.001-07:00

The next day's breakfast at work and an attempt at making the box prettier. This was way too much food and I ended up eating the leftovers as a mid morning snack.

Again, two more cottage cheese mini waffles, Egg Beaters, cucumber slices, cantaloupe stars, green and red grapes, Frigo lite mozz. stick, a sidecar container of Estee sugar free maple syrup. It was delicious!

Bento #3

2009-03-16T20:02:00.001-07:00

Not artistic but one of my favourite breakfasts for work (or home, for that matter!): Cottage cheese pancakes made into mini waffles, Egg Beaters and green grapes. Not pictured is the sugar free Estee maple syrup. That day I also packed along a black tea Isopure for a protien bump and yet another lite SB frap. Since my job has me up so early in the morning, some sort of caffiene through the day is essential...sorry to say.

Bento #2

2009-03-16T19:58:00.001-07:00

The second bento for work, this time for lunch. And using the Hello Kitty 2-layer box my sister gave me for Christmas. (Thank you, Amy!) Cucumber slices, green grapes, broccoli slaw, quinoa topped with cantaloupe flowers, 8 almonds, Morningstar Farms Chik'n Nuggets and fat free ranch dressing in a pink Tupperware. Tho I packed the lite SB Frap. I drank it in the afternoon since I don't actually drink with my meals anymore.

Beginner Bentos

2009-03-16T19:51:00.000-07:00

Extreme newbie bento #1: breakfast for work consisting of Fage 0% Greek yogurt, canteloupe, Kashi Go Lean in a silicone cup (wrapped in plastic) and 1 tablespoon of sugar free jam in the tiny Tupperware. This was actually more than I usually eat for breakfast and not very pretty but a good start anyway.