But it all tasted SOOOOO good!!!!!

     Ok....so it is check in Monday AGAIN!!!!  This is when I tell you that I lost some weight or NOT.  

     Well, lets blame this weeks NO loss on a delightful tea party that Meghan had for her friend Jennifer.  What fun we had....we baked, we created and all along it was a taste of this and a taste of that.  Each time Meghan said "Mom....you know that there are calories in that don't you".  Do I look stupid????  But somehow it just made it to my ever grateful mouth. 

      I knew I was doomed when we made an excess of buttercream frosting for the cupcakes.  My dear friend Linda said "what do we do with the leftovers".  "Eat it" I chimed in happily and dipped a spoon in with great determination.

     So trusty leader ( who I hear will stick with us thru THICK and THIN), all I can say is ME BAD!!!!  

     So here is the promised Weight Watcher's recipe you asked us to share.  I do promise to try much harder this week.  Not trying to sound to much like a suck up, but thanks Sharon for all your support.  WE ALL LOVE YOU!!!!!

Apple Cobbler

4 apples peeled, cored and sliced

2 tbls. sugar

1 tbls lemon juice

3/4 cup buttermilk baking mix

1/4 cup low fat buttermilk

1/2 tsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray 1 quart baking dish with nonstick cooking spray

In med saucepan, combine the apples, 1 tbsp of sugar and the lemon juice. Bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer until the apples are soft. Pour into baking dish.

In small bowl, combine baking mix, buttermilk, and remaining sugar with cinnamon.  Stir til smooth.  With spoon, drop the batter over the fruit.  Bake til browned about 25 minutes.

4 WW points per serving. 

Whole lot of love going on.....

     When Meghan was a little girl, we used to have a weekly tea party.  The party would begin with simple invitations that Meghan would write and usually include the line "come in your formal nightie".  My Mother, Meghan and I would sit and sip tea, eat some tea cookies ( that in time Meghan learned to make all by herself) and enjoy watching Avonlea on the Disney Channel.  It was a ritual that brought joy to our week and a memory that will be etched in my heart forever.  

     Meghan is ALL grown up, but the influence of tea party's was the inspiration for a delightful baby shower that she  gave for her dear friend Jennifer. It was a time for little girl's who are now mother's and  wives,  but still know how to giggle and be best girlfriends. 

     While the girls enjoyed their party, I spent time with my Mom and had a tea party all our own.  We knitted and ate cookies, and talked about how much fun the girls must be having. I thought about how lucky I am to have these wonderful women in my life. They teach me how to enjoy each day,  and how to have gratitude in all things, both the good and the bad.  They teach me how to love.  It brings warmth to my life.....just like a good cup of tea.

Best Friends Forever!!!!

Oma visited Meghan's classroom and shared her belated Christmas Gifts.

  The children were all grateful that Oma was feeling better....and loved her presence as well as her presents.

A Week in the Life....

This week was such a good one.....we went to Apple Farm in SLO for a bit of vacation.

I found cute things to buy to bring joy to my days.....

I bought great fabric to feed my creativity.....

I made new friends......

This new friend wanted me to say HI to Oma !!!!!

We enjoyed lovely days at the beach.....

I found shops to feed my soul..... and since this is check in Monday I have to share that I even lost 1.5 lbs.  Not a huge amount, but steps in the right direction.  It was a very good week!!! 

      

Pilgrim's Progress....

One of my favorite books is Little Women.  I can read it again and again and I am always touched and moved to tears by the journey of the four sisters as they travel thru life.

     There is one chapter where they are all trying to emulate the path to goodness that is written about in the book Pilgrim's Progress.  They succeed in some ways and need to work harder on some tasks.  That pretty much has described my week.

     Since this is "check in Monday" on our path to svelteness, I will share ( just as the Pilgrim's did) on my successes and my failures.  There were plenty of both.

    On the sewing path, I have excelled.  I have used STASH to finish both a Valentine's quilt and a diaper bag that I am giving as a gift.  Both are just adorable....I felt proud as could be.

     My knitting is a process of success and failure, but I am learning that the victory comes with determination and patience.  My baby sweater ( for no one in particular) is going well. What I lack in knitting ability, I balance with the joy I have in spending more time with my Mom.  She has an amazing talent to knit anything, and I continue to hope that in time it will rub off on me.

     Ok....leaving the diet part for last.  BIG failure.  This week has been a mix of stress, sorrow and just an inability to not confuse emotions with a need to feed myself.  I will strive to do better this week. 

     But my sisterhood of dieters have made a wonderful effort in sharing recipes and support.  I will do the same and hope that the week to come has me more focussed !!!!  Like a weary Pilgrim, I am taking more steps forward, than backwards.  I hope the path is a little less treacherous this week, and in a reasonable amount of time I will look less like my before picture ( with my very cute knitting teacher), and more like the fit person I hope I can be.

GAZPACHO

2 cloves garlic

1 medium onion, 1 med bell pepper, 2 cucumbers all finely chopped

1/4 cup good olive oil and 1/4 cup wine vinegar

a dash of tabasco or horseradish ( I like mine hot and spicy)

48 ounces of tomato juice.

    Mix all together, chill and enjoy.  Great source of vitamins and very tasty too.

     

Sew it begins.....

    The Christmas decorations are put away, the house is slowly being cleaned and tidied.  I am ready for the NEW......new quilts, new less cluttered home and a NEW ME!!!!  

    I begin with the quilts.  In the photo you will see my first quilts of the New Year.....a pattern I am developing that I still haven't named but am thinking "Double Dutch".  The fun part is that you make two quilts at the same time....how is that for efficient????  

    The other NEW is that I am using stash.  After cleaning out and hauling a back breaking amount of fabric to share with my students, I am vowing to keep some control.  On the back of my sewing room door is a clear envelope that I will keep my fabric receipts in.  Do you think that will keep me from buying more....well, I can only hope.

     The other new is that I have joined Red Geranium Cottage in a diet challenge.  You can see the cute little icon that Sharon has shared with us.  She promises this will be fun, and a certain Polka Dot girl has encouraged me that we can do this.  You will see s picture of us at Camp Cedar Glen.  I am hoping that the next time I post our pictures from camp,  people will be asking "who are those two slim and cute girls?" Keeping fingers crossed that I can answer IT IS US!!!!

    So here is to a New Year of fresh starts and hopeful dreams.  Back to the house cleaning part....how many calories do you burn dusting????  

It's good to be Dutch....

     There are many advantages to being Dutch.  We can appreciate good chocolate, we celebrate everything, and we can create a good party at a moments notice!!!!

     New Years has a wonderful tradition that my Mom shares with us each year.  We make Oliebollen.....a delicious fritter full or raisins and sprinkled with powdered sugar.  Makes you want to be Dutch just thinking of it!!!!

       We further celebrated ( as we do each year) by watching the New Years Concert from Vienna that PBS shares for the holiday.  We love the Johann Strauss Waltzes, the views of Vienna with their music halls and palaces, and at the end of the concert we clap in time with the final piece just like the people in the audience. 

    So here are some pictures of our little Oliebollen baker.  Isn't she the cutest????? 

Happy New Year!!!!!

    This has been a holiday season that brought incredible joy for our family.  It is hard to think of  putting things away.  While the decorations may be gone, the memories will stay with us .  As they say "Let us keep Christmas in our Heart All Year Long".