Randoms and Catch Up

This will probably be really long.  I have a lot to update on!

* My Dad was here for a visit the first week of May.  It had been two years since I had seen him and it was a very nice visit.  It was hard finding fun things to do that he had never experienced before but we managed!  We went to the zoo (although he had been there before), the Oregon coast with a trip to Ft. Stevens and Tillamook, Hood River with just us adults for wine, good food and the fruit loop.  We also went to the Ridgefield Wildlife area and out to Sauvie Island for a picnic lunch one day.  Here are some random pictures.  Please note my Dad hates having his picture taken which is why you will see zero with him.

* My lab work all came back normal which is great!  It doesn't solve the issue of why I feel off these days but hopefully with added vitamins and probiotics I will start feeling better.

* I am down 37 pounds on Weight Watchers!  The weight loss has been pretty slow these days but I have cut way back on my Flex Points usage to hopefully jump start my loss again.  If that doesn't work, I am going to start the Wendie Plan (Google it if you are curious).  

Here are some of the yummy recipes I have made lately:

Angel hair pasta with scallops and tomatoes and blistered green beans

Pineapple whip - identical to the Dole whip you would get at Disney.  Amazing!

Coconut chicken strips, cilantro lime rice and roasted broccoli

Summer vegetables with chicken sausage and potatoes

Pork with mint pesto, quinoa and roasted cauliflower

* I planted quite the herb garden this year and am finding ways to use them up.  I have cilantro, parsley, thyme and mint coming out of the wazoo!  My rosemary is under control for now.  I have made countless pitchers of mint iced tea, mint pesto, mint chocolate chip muffins, salads with fresh herbs, marinades with fresh herbs, and the list goes on.  My favorite is probably the cilantro.  I could bathe in cilantro.

* My veggies are coming along too.  I have 4 tomato plants, potatoes growing in a trash can (really), carrots, bush beans and broccoli.  Most are from seed so they won't be ready for several more weeks but it's fun to watch them grow.

* Jack has his last day of school on Thursday with his graduation on Tuesday.  My goodness, my kids are growing so fast.  Next year, Jack will be in pre-kindergarten and Cal in pre-preschool.  They will go to the same school for a few hours a couple times a week.

* On that note, Jack is starting speech therapy on Monday.  At his 4 year well child checkup the pediatrician mentioned that he was hard to understand.  I can understand 100% of what he says but others can't.  I scheduled an appointment with the school district for an evaluation and it turns out he has a bit of a delay.  He talks up a storm but he has a hard time pronouncing his F's, V's and some other letters.  He also has a bit of a front lisp that needs to be corrected.  I am hoping his therapy will help and by kindergarten, he won't have any issues.

* Cal is doing great!  Talking up a storm, getting quite the 2 year old attitude and growing like crazy.  We had a little bit of a scare last week when he had a virus.  He often gets random fevers with no other symptoms.  We have learned to mostly keep him medicated and not worry unless he starts developing other symptoms.  Last week he was on day 5 of a fever so I decided to bring him in to the pediatrician.  After looking him over, she found he had another bout of tonsilitis.  What was worrisome is that he wasn't moving his neck.  He had a lump in his neck and so she sent us to the Children's Hospital.  She was concerned that he had something called retropharyngeal abcess.  Thank goodness he was fine and didn't have the abcess which would have needed surgery.  Talk about a scary few hours though.  Yikes!  

That is about it for now.  I hope to do a Weight Watchers dedicated post soon with my tips and tricks this time around.  

Sock Obsession

Man oh man, I have got the bug.  I am recently obsessed with knitting...........SOCKS!  The yarn choices are all so beautiful, the socks knit up fast and they are so FUN!  Ever since I took a class, all I want to knit is socks.

Here are some of my projects lately and as you can see, it's mostly all socks.  How many times can I say socks in one post?  Haha!

The yarn used in the project above is by Socks That Rock (Pebble Beach).  It is a spendy yarn, but it's gorgeous, amazing quality and I love the spiral pattern of the colorway.

The chunky ankle socks on the right will be for my mom.  I have to knit the other sock still.  The red pair is for Jack.  I adore self-striping yarn.  It is so fun watching the pattern emerge right before your eyes.  This yarn is by Berroco and it's their Sox yarn.

The yarn below is Madelinetosh Baltic.  Isn't it beautiful?

This picture is from my Instagram account, hence the filter.  The red is actually bright fuschia.  I think this pair will be for my mother-in-law.  The yarn is Scoppel Wolle Ambiente.  

I use two different patterns for my socks.  For little socks (that fit Cal or a smaller foot), I use this pattern.  It's awesome and super easy.  Pattern Credit:  Most Basic Kids Sock by Evelyn Skae.

If you would like to learn to knit socks using an easy to read and follow pattern, I can't say enough about this book:

The author provides several different yarn and size conversions depending on the type of sock you want to knit.  She also provides tips throughout the book for both the amateur and experienced knitter.  I love her well-written instructions.  This has definitely become my go-to book for knitting socks. 

Shifting gears here, socks are not the only thing I have knit up lately.  Right before Easter, I finished a neat project for Jack.  

I learned a ton from knitting this sweater.  I am way more confident with picking up stitches now.  I feel like I can do it without any issue and my seams look very clean.

I love how this turned out!  I used Berroco Comfort DK in Lovage and the pattern was by Diane Soucy.  

I have a short list of projects that I want to do, starting with a market bag that I have bookmarked for almost 2 years.  I am pretty sure it will knit up fast and I might make a few as Christmas gifts.  

That is all for now! Look for more socks (of course) and new projects soon.

I Feel Weird

I went to the doctor yesterday for a physical and because I have been having some odd symptoms.  He asked what I was there for an I told him an overall tune-up and because "I feel weird".  That is the only way I can describe how I have been feeling these days.

I have lost a total of 35 pounds so I should be feeling better.  Instead, I am constantly fatigued.  Not just tired but a bone weary exhaustion that no amount of sleep can help.  I am also very very irritable.  Crabby, cranky, bitch, whatever you want to call it.  I know I am being short and angry with my family but it's almost like I can't help it.  I am also having some weird dry patches of skin on my scalp and hair loss but honestly, I was attributing that to the fact that I changed shampoos.  Maybe it's related to my other symptoms?  The last symptom I am having is fogginess.  I feel like I can't remember things and I am confused.  Again, that is probably related to the fatigue.

The doctor is checking a few things like my thyroid levels as well as my iron and other blood work.  I have always been borderline anemic so it wouldn't surprise me if my iron is low.  I would also not be surprised if I have an issue with my thyroid.

Either way, whatever is wrong (if anything) is hopefully easily corrected.  If not, I can always add in some exercise to start helping with the fatigue.  I also need to start taking a multi-vitamin.

That's about it in regards to my health.  I need to do a randoms post soon because I have so much that I have been doing these days.  But you know what?  I am so tired.  I have no energy to do another post right now.  Maybe in a few days.

Recipe Catch Up

Here are a few things I have cooked lately.  If it's posted in the blog, that means it was good so no individual reviews are needed : )

Baked Cod

I don't have a recipe for this.  I am trying to do more "from the hip" cooking without recipes.  I seasoned the fish with salt, pepper and a little dill and broiled.  The quinoa is seasoned with onion, garlic, salt pepper and thyme.

Buffalo Chicken Chili

We loved this recipe.  The only strange thing about it was to grind up your own chicken.  It would probably be easier, but more expensive, just to buy ground chicken.

Cheeseburger Soup

Sounds weird, tasted good!  We especially like the baked croutons.

Chile-Brined Roasted Pork Loin

I have made this before and it made it's reappearance last night.

The mashed potatoes are actually cauliflower. Just cook your cauliflower, and put it in a food processor when done.  Puree with salt, pepper, milk and butter just like mashed potatoes.  Amazingly good!

Chicken Cordon Bleu Pasta Bake

I wish my kids were more adventurous eaters because I think they would really enjoy recipes like this.

I mean who wouldn't like ham, chicken, pasta and cheese?

Jambalaya

I had some shrimp in the freezer and some chicken sausage in the fridge and thought, "Hmmmm, jamabalaya uses both of those" so this recipe was born.

I omitted the butter to make it more Weight Watchers friendly.  I also added more tomato and used white onion instead of the green.

Macaroni and Cheese Muffins

I love how these are portioned for serving size.  Perfect!

Easy Macaroni Casserole

Casseroles with tons of leftovers are a hit in my house.  Lunch for the next few days?  Yes please.

Pepper Steak

I hate to admit this, but I forgot to add the pepper to this.  It was still really good though!

Broccoli and Cheddar Quiche

I have made this before and it made another appearance.  You can really add any vegetable if you don't like broccoli. 

Hodge Podge meal

This is what you eat when the rest of your family is eating pizza and it just doesn't sound good (WHO AM I?!?!?!).

The quinoa and chicken were leftover from the night before.  I topped them with fresh cilantro.  I had a butternut squash in the fridge so I cubed it and roasted it in the oven.  Dinner in under 20 minutes.  Score!

Deep Dish Sloppy Joe Casserole

Jason hates sloppy joes.  He think they are too sweet (weirdo).  I loved this and he will just have to deal with it if I make it again.

Spaghetti

It was spaghetti night in our house the other night.  I wanted to make something other than just plain marinara sauce so I cooked up some ground beef and added my usual spice mixture:  Onions, fresh garlic, basil, Italian seasoning and some red pepper flakes.

Those green beans are making it into many of our meals lately.  They are so easy and so much better than canned.

Spicy Sesame Noodles with Chicken

Asian cooking with very few ingredients.  Winner!

Turkey Meatball Subs

This took a bit of prep but it was worth it!  I put mozzarella on the top of my boys' sandwiches.  I just had the called for Parmesan.

Enjoy!  If you make any of these, please comment and tell me what you thought.

Weekend Fashion

Weekend Fashion by mrspachey featuring a handle satchel

On the weekends when I am running errands (grocery shopping, taking the kids places, going to one of my favorite places - Target), I like to be comfortable.  I usually throw on a plain colored sweater or shirt and some comfy jeans and my go-to shoes of the moment which are almost identical to the ones shown above.  Since I am still losing weight, I don't like to spend a lot of money on clothes but I do change up my accessories quite a bit.  I love my scarves and handbags.  I don't spend a lot on them but I do have quite a few that I can change up depending on my mood.

More Fooooood

I have been making tons of new recipes these days and they are all Weight Watchers friendly.

Also, semi-related, I got a new phone and it takes MUCH better pictures than my old one.

All recipes have the Points Plus values listed unless they were not available.

Balsamic Pork
5 Points Plus

This is from one of my favorite recipe websites:  Skinny Taste

I think I took out too much of the liquid out at the end of the recipe.  It was too dry but still very tasty.  I shredded this and served it alongside potatoes (sweet for me, regular for Jason).  Next time, I will definitely keep more of the liquid so it's more moist.

Santa Fe Chicken
4 Points Plus

Another recipe from SkinnyTaste! This was pretty good and reminded me of her Chicken Taco Chili which is probably my favorite SkinnyTaste recipe of all time.

I love making these in the crockpot because it is so easy and takes the worry out of "what am I going to make for dinner?".

I served this over rice with a ton of cilantro on top (my current favorite herb) and a tiny bit of cheese.  Amazingly filling and delicious!

Stuffed Pepper Soup
7 Points Plus

If you are looking for an easy and DELICIOUS soup, this is it.  You can stop looking.  I have made this before and love it.  It has a tomato base which, if you need any of my previous posts, is my favorite.  Tomato is my favorite food and I could eat it at every meal.

You get a nice big serving for very few Points, which is something that I look for in a recipe.  The Points Plus includes the serving of rice that is shown on top of the soup.  This is a well rounded meal if you add another veggie.  I usually have a salad or a roasted green vegetable of some sort.

Cuban Picadillo

4 Points Plus

This recipe is SO GOOD.  I have made it a couple of times and served it alongside rice and tostones.  

Any meal that makes both Jason and I happy is a good one.  My kids didn't eat it although they did eat the tostones (I called them chips).  It's easy, takes minimal ingredients and delicious.

Mexican Chorizo Hash

7 Points Plus

I have never cooked with chorizo before and to be honest, I probably won't again.  Although it tasted good, it was messy and kind of smelly.  I was expecting sausage bits and not sausage soup when this was cooking.

While this tasted good, it was messy.  And it's hard to make eggs to suit both parties.  I like my eggs runnier and Jason prefers hard.  I had to pull my serving out early and it was fine but still an extra step.  

Serve this with fruit and it's a perfect breakfast or dinner.

Creamy Pasta with Sausage and Mustard Seeds

8 Points Plus

So I found a new favorite recipe website:  Emily Bites.  All her recipes are Points Plus friendly and delicious!  Everything I have made is yummy and easy.  It's nice to have another website to look at recipes for.

This pasta was good.  It was a deviation from my standard tomato sauce pastas.  Jason liked it and the kids maybe ate a bite (hey, that is a start!).  It made a ton of pasta and I ended up eating leftovers for lunch over the next few days.

It has a little bit of heat and I actually added extra heat since we like spicy stuff in this house.

Thai Chicken Skewers with Peanut Sauce

5 Points Plus

This recipe was amazing!  I feel like I say that a lot but you know what?  I either pick good recipes or I just don't post the bad ones.  Trust me, there are some flops.

Jason adored this.  So much that he asked me to make it again.

It is easy.  You simply cut the chicken up, throw it in a bag and add the marinade ingredients.  When it's ready to cook, put the chicken on skewers and grill.  I used my grill pan for this since I didn't want to trek outside in the gross weather to fire up the grill.

I served this with peanut rice noodles with a ton of cilantro and roasted cinnamon pineapple.  So goooooooood!  

I didn't have the peanut butter powder the recipe called for so I improvised and used regular peanut butter and only served myself a tiny bit of the sauce.  Can I just say how much I am loving cilantro lately?  I feel like I serve it and use it in everything.  I love it.  

Buffalo Mac and Cheese "Muffins"

4 Points Plus

These were decent.  I might make them again.  I am not sure if I used the wrong cheese or cooked the cheese sauce too long but the sauce ended up a little grainy.  Don't get me wrong, they were still edible!  I like how individual portions are already taken care of so you don't have to worry about over-eating.

I allowed myself two muffins since I had other low Point food in my dinner.

That is all the recipes for today.  I have a ton more to post but I will save those for another day.  If you make any of these, post a comment and tell me what you think!

Knitting Projects

I have been knitting a lot lately.  It helps ease my stress, it keeps my hands busy at night so I am not constantly snacking, and I just enjoy it.

I try not to make goals for myself that I don't feel I can achieve, but this year I wanted to learn how to knit a sweater and I wanted to take a formal class on sock making.  I am proud to say that I have completed both!  I guess it's time to make a new goal.

Here are some of the projects that I have completed in the past few months.

I found this project before Christmas and made several pairs.  I love that it uses minimal yarn so if you have any leftover from another project, you can put it to good use.

Mmmalabrigo Glovies

These were so fun and fast to knit up.  I made a pair for my cousin, my aunt and a friend.  I want to make more since I have lots of scrap yarn left over from other projects.

Elleby Hat

You can see the finished product in the picture above.  My coworker enlisted me to make a hat for her Little Sister (she is in the Big Brothers/Big Sisters program).  She wanted purple and a hat but she left the pattern and exact specifications up to me.  I made the hat above and it was fun!  It took a lot of new skills that I had to teach myself but I like how the finished pattern looks like a cable but is actually lace.

See how pretty?

Since I had some yarn leftover from the Elleby hat, I made a pair of glovies as well.  Since I didn't have enough of the purple, I added some black.  I really like how they turned out.

Socks

I don't have a pattern to link to this project since my instructor provided a print out of her personal sock pattern.

I really enjoyed taking a class.  The instructor was so nice and made it easy to learn.  We were to come to class with worsted weight yarn and needles and she would provide the pattern.  I learned a new cast on technique, how to knit on double pointed needles (this is huge for me as I thought they were intimidating) and how to make a gusset.

I adore how my socks turned out.

In progress:

Finished pair!

Details of how the sock looks:

I am just about finished the second pair and have plans to make a third and fourth pair.  The pattern the instructor provided has a calculation for any weight yarn and any size foot.  There are so many options for sock yarn out there and I am excited to try some!

Jazz Age Cowl

Every time I would shop at my favorite yarn store, Twisted, this cowl would grab my attention.  I looked at it probably 6 times until one day I decided to buy the pattern.

I made the double loop cowl in my favorite yarn and it turned out beautiful.  It is incredibly soft and will look gorgeous with a winter coat or just as an accessory to an outfit.  I haven't decided if I am going to keep this one for myself or give it away as a gift.  If I give it away, I will knit up a coordinating hat or gloves since I have a whole skein of yarn left over.

Cloudy Sunday Sweater

I got this pattern from a recommendation.  I wanted an easy pattern for my first sweater.  In hindsight, I should have made a child's sweater, but oh well.  This one knit up pretty fast.  I am not 100% happy with it because my seaming stinks and I am still learning how to pick up stitches.  The arm holes fit me pretty funny too but that is because of my poor seaming skills.  I made it in an extra large and it's plenty big.  It's big enough to wear with jeans, skinny jeans or leggings.

Also, I didn't use expensive yarn to make this.  I wanted to buy cheap-ish yarn in case it turned out terribly. Why waste over $60 in yarn if it looks awful?

What am I working on now?

I currently have two projects I am actively working on:  Socks and a sweater for Jack.  I also have a blanket that I pick up every now and than.  It's a simple striped blanket from the Purl Bee website in jewel tone colors.  Here is all the yarn and the progress of the blanket:

The blanket is a simple garter stitch which means I just knit the entire time.  It will be about the size of a lap blanket.  I have no clue if this will be a gift or not.  I guess I need to see how it looks when it's complete.

That's all for now!  I am sure as the holidays creep up on us, I will have a ton more projects.