31 May 2012

HFMD Strikes


You thought I forgot about my blog, didn't you?  
The fact that I haven't had a post in nearly 2 weeks might make you think that...

It's been quite the week to say the least.
Definitely one that I will be glad to have behind us!

Last last week Madden came down with a mild case of Hand, Foot & Mouth Disease.  I honestly wouldn't have thought much of it if we hadn't been informed that it was going around day care.  He had one tiny little spot on his ankle - kind of looked like a pimple.  But over the weekend a couple spots more developed on his legs and we realized that must be what it is.  Since its a virus there's no treatment for it, but Madden was acting perfectly normal so it seemed pretty manageable.


Unfortunately it is SUPER contagious.  
Having two kids that love being around each other, we were afraid Mariah might get it.  
And boy, did she!


On Monday Mariah was acting tired saying her "body hurts".  We didn't really think much of it... sometimes toddlers say things that don't really make sense!  By the afternoon she was acting tired and didn't have much of an appetite.  She also felt slightly warm.  We took her temperature and it was just at 100 degrees.  We gave her some ibuprofen, a cool bath and got her to bed.  We checked her temp a couple hours later and it had skyrocketed to 104 degrees!  I freaked out and called the doctor on call.  He said it was likely the Hand, Foot & Mouth Disease and to just treat the fever with another dose of ibuprofen.  So we did.  Getting up every hour or two to check on her and eventually the fever dropped.

The next day Mariah broke out in an awful rash all down the back of her thighs.  They didn't appear to itch or hurt, but they sure didn't look pleasant!







CAUTION: Not pretty.

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By Wednesday Madden's couple spots were healed and he was happy as could be!
(Minus the discomfort from tooth #2 which is trying to make it's appearance! :)

Mariah is definitely on the upswing.  She's been in great spirits and is getting her appetite back.  


Hoping we can have an enjoyable weekend and get this HFMD behind us!

Oh.  Funny thing.  Neither kid had any spots on their hands, feet or mouth (unless Madden's ankle counts?).  So, the name is a little misleading!





19 May 2012

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Muffins



I'm in love with this website.  SO many great recipes made with much healthier ingredients, but taste JUST as yummy.  Remember these Coconut Cupcakes I tried a couple weeks ago?


I had been drooling over the Triple Chocolate Chip Muffins and finally got a chance to make them.  


They are just as amazing as they look!!


Chocolate Chocolate Chip Muffins


Ingredients:

1 3/4 cupOats
3Egg whites
3/4 cupUnsweetened cocoa
1/2 cupUnsweetened applesauce
1 tspVanilla extract
1/2 cupPlain greek yogurt (or regular plain low fat yogurt)
1/2 tspCream of tartar (or 2 tsp. vinegar)
1 1/2 tspBaking powder
1 1/2 tspBaking soda
1/4 tspSalt
1 cupHot water
1 cupSugar substitute or 1/4 cup + 2 tbs baking stevia
1/2 cupSemi-sweet chocolate chips

Combine ingredients in blender

Once thoroughly blended, transfer to a mixing bowl

Mix in half of the chocolate chips

Add mixture to lined muffin tin, about 3/4 full

Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes

Sprinkle chocolate chips on top and return to oven for another 8-10 minutes

Let sit for a few minutes and then move to a cooling rack.

and ENJOY!

Since I made average-sized muffins they come out to around 60 calories a piece!  And TOTALLY worth every bit of those 60 calories! 

13 May 2012

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day to all the wonderful mothers and mothers-to-be! :)

My husband gave me an awesome gift - he bought me a package of PhotoShop actions for photo editing from Totally Rad Actions!  

Seriously awesome mother's day gift!

We did an impromptu photo session so I could try out the actions.

I have a lot to learn, but it's so much fun to play around!











And an out-take, too! :)


11 May 2012

Spicy Sausage Pasta



I came across this recipe on Kevin & Amanda.  I don't usually enjoy spicy dishes, but as much as Amanda talked this one up I just HAD to try it.

IT WAS AMAZING.

Life-changing really.

Totally opened my eyes to the world that is spicy foods - although it probably pretty low on the spice scale! :)

I made a couple slight variations from Kevin & Amanda's recipe 
(I don't like to cook with heavy cream if I can help it!)




Spicy Sausage Pasta


1 tbsp Canola Oil
1 lb Smoked Sausage
1 cup diced onion
1 tsp garlic powder
2 cups chicken broth
1 (1 oz) can Ro-tel with green chiles
1/2 cup milk
2 tbsp light sour cream
8 oz penne pasta
1/2 tsp salt & pepper, each
1 cup shredded montery jack cheese
1/3 cup green onions, sliced


Add oil to skillet and turn to medium heat.  Cut sausage into slices , dice onion and brown in pan.  Once browned, add garlic powder.

Add broth, ro-tel, milk, sour cream, pasta, salt & pepper - bring to a boil, then reduce heat and cover.  Simmer about 15 minutes until pasta is done.

Remove from heat, stir in 1/2 cup of cheese, layer remaining cheese on top and sprinkle with green onions.

Makes 4 generous servings!


That's it!  And you only had to dirty ONE pan! 

Try this.

Easy and really, really, REALLY good.

Mike requests that I make this EVERY week.

I might be OK with that, but will definitely sub for turkey sausage next time to cut the fat down a little bit!

08 May 2012

Golf Club Head Cover


My husband likes to make jokes about my hobbies.  I mean, what is wrong with me crocheting a blanket or knitting a hat?  OK... I SORT OF see why he makes the comments he does, but the truth is I LOVE crochet, knitting and cross stitch, too! :)


A little while back my husband asked if I could knit him a golf club head cover.  The only guidance he gave me was that he wanted it red and white with thick stripes.  You can imagine my surprise (and excitement!)  I love new projects!!!!


After some research I found a simple pattern and got right to work.  This project took me about a month as I only spent a few minutes knitting in the evening after kids were in bed.  


It's a very simple head cover, but we were both happy with how it turned out!




For those that want to crochet a golf club head cover - here are the basic steps!

  1. Cast on 25-40 stitches (this will depend on the club you are using it for.  In this case it was a hybrid club - I did around 30 stitches)
  2. Crochet the next 2 stitches, then purl 2 stitches, alternate every 2 until you finish the row.  Continue this pattern until you have reached the length of the base. (I used another club head cover to get the proper length)
  3. When you are ready to start the head, crochet the entire row, and then purl the next 2 rows, then crochet the next 2 rows.  Continue in the 2 purl/2 crochet rows switching colors as necessary.
  4. When you've reached the desired length of the head, bind off.  I choose to do a seam up the back and across the top to close the cover.  It worked great!  You could also decrease stitches for a more rounded top.



Do you crochet or knit?  What fun projects have you done lately?

If you don't crochet or knit... would you ever want to learn?

06 May 2012

100 Calorie Coconut Cupcakes



I'm sure you know this by now... but I LOVE to try new recipes.  My husband gives me a hard time and is always telling me if I find something good to keep it and just make it over and over again. 


But what if I find something even BETTER?


So in my usual Pinterest exploration I uncovered this amazing website and really awesome recipes.  It's a HUGE bonus that they all include nutrition facts and Weight Watchers points plus values!


I found this coconut cake and had to try it.  


I made a couple changes, but it was SO simple.




100 Calorie Coconut Cupcakes


Coconut Cake:
1              Box White Cake Mix
1 TBSP   Coconut Extract
1              20 oz Can No Sugar Added Crushed Pineapple (do not drain)


Whipped Frosting:
1                16 oz Container Fat Free Cool Whip
1/2 TBSP  Coconut Extract


Topping:
Browned shredded coconut


In a bowl, combine box mix, pineapple and coconut extract.  Stir until smooth.  Line cupcake pan with liners and scoop batter filling each cup 1/2 full.  Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.  Let cool.


When ready to frost, combine cool whip and extract.  Frost cupcakes and top with shredded coconut.


Refrigerate and serve cold.




SO moist and flavorful and refreshing!!!  Such a yummy dessert on a warm day!


And you won't believe this.


Only 100 calories per cupcake!  


Or 2 WWP+ points!