Monday, November 25, 2013
Went to my Doc's Office...and Weight Loss!
Here's a little about my appointment today, my weight loss this week, and my plans for Thanksgiving. Thanks for watching!
Friday, November 22, 2013
Problems With My Band...Again
Despite my bummer situation right now, I'm down 4 lbs from Monday...so yay for that...but hopefully, I'll get my band issue worked out. It is getting tiring, though...
Thursday, November 21, 2013
Monday, November 18, 2013
Starting Over...After Weight Loss and Slight Regain
Well, kiddies...here I am, in all my glory. Remember that it was 7:45AM, I was working on my second cup of coffee, in pjs, and no makeup. Might as well start with low expectations and work our way up, no?
Are you excited to start Induction again?
No, because it means I've screwed up somewhere. But also--yes, because I know it works and I know I can do it.
Lowest weight: 186. Current weight: 212. Goal weight: 175.
So here we are at Day 1. See you in a few days.
Are you excited to start Induction again?
No, because it means I've screwed up somewhere. But also--yes, because I know it works and I know I can do it.
Lowest weight: 186. Current weight: 212. Goal weight: 175.
So here we are at Day 1. See you in a few days.
Monday, February 18, 2013
My Grandma's Old-Fashioned Custard
Let me tell you some things about my fantastic Grandma Byrd (aka the Ole Biddy).
We really want to focus today on #2 and #4. My favorite memories of my Grandma are her getting so tickled at stuff and just cackling away. This was usually done when she was in the kitchen, and everyone usually migrated toward that area if she was there. She was a great conversationalist and had a story for almost everything she ever cooked or baked.
Which leads me to one of the Hubby's favorite desserts: her blissfully simple custard.
One other man springs to mind that loved her custard--my Dad.
Grandma's custard recipe is old but it is very simple. Custard, or to purists, crème moulée, is any type of sweetened custard thickened with eggs only. There are variations of custards, from pastry cream used to fill éclairs, all the way to savory custards found in quiche. We are sticking with the basics.
For this custard, you will need the following:
5 eggs (I use organic, grade AA, large or extra-large)
1 tsp vanilla
2/3 c sugar
1/4 tsp salt
4 cups of whole milk
(If you have almond extract, I highly recommend adding about 1/8 tsp. If you don't have it, don't sweat it. It just makes the vanilla a bit more pronounced.)
You do need a little (or big, whatever!) strainer like the one in the pic, or a piece of cheesecloth.
Preheat your oven to 325*F.
In a mixing bowl, whisk eggs, sugar, salt, and extract(s). Set aside.
In a medium sized saucepan over low-med heat, scald 4 c. of milk, stirring often. Scalding means to bring it to just under a boil. If it is steaming, you know it is ready. Do not bring it to a boil! You can use a thermometer if you want--let it get to 180*F.
Whisk milk into egg/sugar/salt mixture, quickly. Stir all together.
Pour over strainer into individual custard cups, corningware ramekins, or similar ovenproof bakeware that have been placed in a bain marie (water bath--hot water about half-way up the outside of the cups or dish). You can also go the easy route, and just put it in a 2 quart casserole. Keep in mind the individual cups will cool faster.
I sprinkled cinnamon on some and fresh grated nutmeg on others. You can then place the entire dish, uncovered, in a preheated 325*F oven for 40-45 minutes.
How do I know when it's ready?
You will take a sharp knife and just stick it right down in the middle of the custard, as if you were testing a cake. It should come out clean, like this:
This may not look clean to you, but it is. If the custard was not set, the knife would be covered in pudding.
Take them out of the water bath immediately to cool on a rack. Let cool completely.
You can serve them at room temperature, or you can chill them. If you go the fridge route, be sure to take saran wrap to the top of them, be sure to press the saran down directly on top of the custard to prevent the top from being too thick.
(Audrey Mae James Byrd in 1916)
#1: She was born 5 months after the Titanic sank.
#2: She was hilarious and had a great laugh.
#3: She was an independent woman who knew how to spend money.
#4: She could COOK. Like you cannot believe!
#5: She could do all sorts of handiwork--embroidery, knitting, crochet, you name it.
#6: She taught me how to whistle. She was the BEST whistler!
Which leads me to one of the Hubby's favorite desserts: her blissfully simple custard.
One other man springs to mind that loved her custard--my Dad.
Grandma's custard recipe is old but it is very simple. Custard, or to purists, crème moulée, is any type of sweetened custard thickened with eggs only. There are variations of custards, from pastry cream used to fill éclairs, all the way to savory custards found in quiche. We are sticking with the basics.
For this custard, you will need the following:
5 eggs (I use organic, grade AA, large or extra-large)
1 tsp vanilla
2/3 c sugar
1/4 tsp salt
4 cups of whole milk
(If you have almond extract, I highly recommend adding about 1/8 tsp. If you don't have it, don't sweat it. It just makes the vanilla a bit more pronounced.)
You do need a little (or big, whatever!) strainer like the one in the pic, or a piece of cheesecloth.
Preheat your oven to 325*F.
In a mixing bowl, whisk eggs, sugar, salt, and extract(s). Set aside.
In a medium sized saucepan over low-med heat, scald 4 c. of milk, stirring often. Scalding means to bring it to just under a boil. If it is steaming, you know it is ready. Do not bring it to a boil! You can use a thermometer if you want--let it get to 180*F.
Whisk milk into egg/sugar/salt mixture, quickly. Stir all together.
Pour over strainer into individual custard cups, corningware ramekins, or similar ovenproof bakeware that have been placed in a bain marie (water bath--hot water about half-way up the outside of the cups or dish). You can also go the easy route, and just put it in a 2 quart casserole. Keep in mind the individual cups will cool faster.
I sprinkled cinnamon on some and fresh grated nutmeg on others. You can then place the entire dish, uncovered, in a preheated 325*F oven for 40-45 minutes.
How do I know when it's ready?
You will take a sharp knife and just stick it right down in the middle of the custard, as if you were testing a cake. It should come out clean, like this:
This may not look clean to you, but it is. If the custard was not set, the knife would be covered in pudding.
Take them out of the water bath immediately to cool on a rack. Let cool completely.
You can serve them at room temperature, or you can chill them. If you go the fridge route, be sure to take saran wrap to the top of them, be sure to press the saran down directly on top of the custard to prevent the top from being too thick.
mmmmm....eggy creamy goodness.
See? I told you it was simple! And, there's so many ways you can go with this basic custard. You can turn it into a brulée by firing up a little sugar on top with your kitchen welding equipment; if you don't have a torch you can put them on a cookie sheet and stick 'em under a broiler (be sure to watch them carefully). You can also drizzle caramel over the top and call it a flan. Something else that is really outstanding is Smuckers Boysenberry Syrup with just a couple of fresh blackberries.
I hope you enjoyed this step-by-step; but I really hope you enjoy the custard. I am happy to share it with you!
Drinking the Grape Kool-Aid
My Mountain Laurels are blooming.
Aren't they lovely? Clusters, much like fruit, of purple and lavender blooms that smell like grape kool-aid. No kidding! They're fantastic. We have three shrubs in our backyard, and today is the day they decided to pop. I am so excited. This is when I love macro. My camera may be old, but it can really put out some stunning images sometimes!
Just wanted to share!
Aren't they lovely? Clusters, much like fruit, of purple and lavender blooms that smell like grape kool-aid. No kidding! They're fantastic. We have three shrubs in our backyard, and today is the day they decided to pop. I am so excited. This is when I love macro. My camera may be old, but it can really put out some stunning images sometimes!
Just wanted to share!
Thursday, February 14, 2013
Valentine's Day for Teachers
I found an adorable idea on Pinterest not too long ago. It was a gift for teachers for Valentine's Day--a bowl full of fruit with cute little stickers on them. I thought that was a great idea for Paige's Mother's Day Out group--teachers and admins--since they were going to be eating a lot of chocolate today. The fruit could be a healthy alternative. Because, you know, everyone wants to be healthy on Valentine's Day. LOL.
My sister-in-law Jennifer sent me a template for me to use with my plain sticker paper (just use a paper punch when you're done printing). I went to H-E-B and bought $26 worth of Honeycrisp apples, $5 worth of Clementines, and then drove to Hobby Lobby where I paid less than $9 for a cute basket with a handle.
Here are my beautiful apples after being washed thoroughly:
My sister-in-law Jennifer sent me a template for me to use with my plain sticker paper (just use a paper punch when you're done printing). I went to H-E-B and bought $26 worth of Honeycrisp apples, $5 worth of Clementines, and then drove to Hobby Lobby where I paid less than $9 for a cute basket with a handle.
Here are my beautiful apples after being washed thoroughly:
Honeycrisps are so big and delicious! Green stems mean super-fresh.
...and yummy, easy-to-peel California Clementines.
here they are, all finished.
The oranges say "Orange you glad you're my Valentine?"
The apples say, "You're the Apple of my Eye".
This was for the entire staff, or roughly 20 people. A creative, simple, inexpensive gift that you could actually do any time of the year. They loved it!
Here's some free printable fruit tags: http://welovebeingmoms.blogspot.com/2012/04/fruit-tag-printables.html and you can buy sticker sheets from this gal here, for just $8! http://www.etsy.com/listing/91198330/48-naturally-sweet-fruit-stickers-food?
Pin this for next year! You won't regret it. BTW, did I mention I am having a contest next week? I sure am...stay tuned!
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