Skinny Sunday - Stay Hydrated and Cool!

Welcome to

Skinny Sunday

It's too hot to think...

so here's to a simple post!

Remember to stay hydrated!

Water is always first choice....

But when I want a bit of fizz...

and something sweet..

without adding extra points....

meet my favorite

Go-To choice...

Sparkling Ice

According to the label...this brand has:

0 fat

0 carbs

0 protein 

I like that!

0 points!

If you're looking to try some sparkling water...

be sure to check the labels!

Many sparkling/"vitamin" waters may say "0" calories...

which makes you think they are totally safe and point free...

But beware...

some have "carbs"

and before you know it...

you unknowingly have added extra points to your day!

Unh uh...

not me...

for 2 points plus

(yes, those waters are sneaky...it could happen!)

I would rather have one of these!

What is your favorite

Cool Treat?

Please...do tell!

Houston Calling - An Astronomical Challenge

The deadline is nearing to enter the

ASTRONOMICAL QUILTS - BLOCK CHALLEGE!

You must mail in your entry by August 1st.

(click the link above for the scoop)

I finally made my block on Wednesday.

Have you made your block yet?

"Rocket Age" from Riley Blake Designs...
the perfect fabric for an Astronaut's quilt dontcha think?

This 9" block was fussy cut and pieced before you could say
'fly me to the moon'

You can make any type of 9" finished star block...
(9-1/2" with seams of course)
but sometimes I just need someone to make a suggestion!

Thanks to Pat Sloan for providing the suggestion and "motivation"
along with an easy pattern for this scrap happy star buster block.

***Pat is giving away a sweet layer cake of her newest fabric...
to one lucky star block maker...
 but hurry...
her deadline is July 1st...
click the 'scrap happy' link above***

Thanks for the visit!

Skinny Sunday - Rice is Nice In A Bowl Made by 'Muddy Me'

Welcome to another

Skinny Sunday!

Getting right to the point...

I was never much of a 'rice' person.

In the past, I would have rather used my points

on almost any other 'carb'...

and really, that was just fine...
since no matter how I tried...
I could never cook rice right!

On the stove it boiled over...
what a mess!
I tried the microwave for awhile...
that worked pretty good...
until we changed microwaves....
never the same after.

Last fall the Spouse and I treated ourselves
to lunch at P.F. Changs for the very first time.
(but not the last...oh no...there were more!)

Trying to eat healthy...
we opted for steamed brown rice.

WE. LOVED.IT!

Brown rice is much healthier...
more flavorful...
without a lot of fuss...
love the nutty taste...
1/2 Cup is pretty filling for only 3pp
but even better...
when I'm following either the
WW Simple Start or Simply Filling plan...
it's a
POWER FOOD!
(no counting points! yey)

Determined  to make it a part of our usual fare...
I knew I had only one choice....
so I put on my big girl panties...
I admitted defeat with my rice cooking skills...
I admitted I needed all the help I could get...
bought a new toy!

Yes...a Rice Cooker!
Lookie Look...there's even a setting for Brown Rice!

Good Bye sticky-icky-over boiled pots....
No more rice that goes Crrrrunch when it's not supposed to!

Perfect Rice Everytime!
(gosh...I feel like a commercial...like I should be selling salad masters or something)

This model isn't fancy...but it does the trick!
It's also a steamer...
someday I'll try that...
but not rushing there...
(you might remember I'm not a huge fan
of anything steamed
sorry Mom)

Our favorite rice is

It's our favorite because:
a) we can buy it at the Navy Commissary
b) the price is right!

I usually cook up 2 Cups (dry) at a time...
adding 1 T of Brummel & Brown spread
and a pinch or two of salt
before the cooking starts.

When done...
just a little freshly ground pepper does the trick...
but my absolute **FAV** is when dear Spouse
sautes mushrooms, zucchini & brussells with Ponzu sauce...
then adds some rice just before serving...
for his version of a 'stir-fry' treat!

When enjoying our meals...
(and I guess you can tell we are pretty much in love with food...)
part of the pleasure comes from
'presentation'
I'm not talking white linen table cloths and candle light...

(on second thought...candles might be nice)

but there's something about eating rice with
chopsticks...
served in a custom made rice bowl.

Dontcha love them?
We surely do!

My BFF Lisa is a wonderful quilter...
surpassed only by her awesomeness in the clay arts!

She makes the most amazing things...
so when I decided we needed rice bowls...
I immediately contacted her, and
Voila!

She made these right away...
even gifted them for our Christmas!
Wasn't that sweet?
What a super surprise!
And...
 sent them with the chopsticks!
Now that is a friend!

If you'd like to take a peek at some of the other goodies Lisa makes...
give her etsy shop a visit...
I love her style...
I love her colors...
I am so blessed to have her as my BFF!
(even if she did laugh 
back in the day
when I told her I cooked my rice
 in the microwave)

One quick eating tip before I go...
Chopsticks are great to slow down your eating!
Unless of course you're adept at using them.
I'm not.
But I'm learning!

- - - - - - - - - -
News Flash!!!!

Do you know about the "Row by Row Experience Shop Hop"?
Don't be left out!
Click HERE for more info!
- - - - - - - - - - -

Thanks for the visit
have a great week

Skinny Sunday on a Monday

Better late than nevah!

I honestly had this ready to post for Sunday...

but decided to reserve the whole of Father's Day

 in memory of my Dad.

Afterall...

did I really want him to share the day with...

Oatmeal?

I think not!

Yes, today we're talking about breakfast.

I don't know about you...

but that's the hardest meal of the day to be creative

and still stay on track.

If you're a morning person...

maybe this isn't an issue.

I'm not.

As it is...dear Spouse let's me sleep in...

until the very last possible minute!

By the time I stumble out of the shower...

my travel mug filled with hot steaming coffee...

has magically appeared on the bathroom counter.

I love that man!

Kitteh's fed...

projects gathered...

foodstuffs packed to go...

and we're off to work...

Hi Ho...Hi Ho

Breakfast is made once we get to work

(one of the beni's of owning ones own biz).

This is our standard breakfast...

amazingly it never gets boring.

Good Ole Oatmeal.

I use the the 'quick cooking' kind...

but not the instant.

First...we must have fruit!

The fruits vary from season to season...

for this first step I'll sometimes use an apple...

but right now...

we are into "peaches!"

One fresh peach when in season

(otherwise frozen will do)

Cut in half and sliced/diced

divided into two bowls

I'll add a bit of Brown Sugar Splenda and Cinnamon - stir.

Off it goes into the microwave for about 3-4 minutes...

and then it looks like this....

Next I've taken to adding 1/2 of a mashed 'nana to each bowl...

I used to add sliced 'nanas....

but like them better once I tried adding them mashed!

Adding 1/4 C oatmeal for each of us....mix-y mix!

Now the milk - 2/3C each...

we now use "blue" milk...

that's Bob's term of endearment for no-fat milk!

Stir it up good!

Back in the microwave for 2-1/2 minutes...

the pkg instructions call for much less cooking time...

but I'm a product of my mother's cooking habits...with a tweek.

She cooked oatmeal in the micro...

She cooked it FOREVER...

I think she thought it wasn't done...

until it boiled over the sides...

I'm sure it was at least 5 minutes!

I don't like cleaning oatmeal off the bottom of the microwave...

so I comprimised...yep...2-1/2 minutes for me!

While I'm waiting...

I'll cut up strawberries...1/4 -1/2 C each...

Oh look...blueberries were on sale...

let's add some of those too!

When fresh berries are not in season...

or cost more than a yard of fabric...

we'll use frozen in place...

but when we do...

I'll add it to the mix before cooking the whole deal.

Ta-Da!

Breakfast is served!

The bowl is super sized...

there's a lot more than you think...

and all for only 4pp!

So tell me now...

Do you 'oatmeal'?

What do you add?

Don't keep it a secret...

I might want to try it your way next time!

Thanks for the visit

&

Have a great week!

Happy Father's Day!

Happy Father's Day...

of course I must share one of my favorite pictures

of me and my Dad

(before my hair was teal...

before Daddy lost most of his...lol)

I can't remember if I have posted this picture before...

I know my dear Daddy wasn't exactly thrilled with his image here...

but it's the most precious pic don't you think?

I always wonder what he was thinking just as my Mom clicked the shot.

He looks a bit weary...just perhaps I wasn't the perfect baby...

and kept him awake the night before.

This is the 5th Fathers Day without my Dear Dad...

but he is always in my heart.

I Love and Miss You Daddy!

XOXOX

"Lynnie"

PS...there will be a Skinny Sunday post on Monday. See you then!

One more Day to Picnic - Quick Overview of my Picnic quilt

One more day to enjoy the

Perfect Picnic Blog Hop

My original Perfect Picnic post from June 5th is

Here

If you've been following along...

I promised I would put together a tutorial for my quilt

before the end of the blog hop.

Good news/Bad news...

let's get the bad over first...

The tutorial is still in the making...

(it's been an incredibly zaney week

and I'm still waiting for those 72 hour days)

But the Good news...

I've prepared a quick look at the fabrics you will need...

the sizes you will cut...

so for those of you that are planning your next

fabric gathering excursion

here's the quilt one more time...

with a quick overview below

or just what you'll need!

Unless you've never made a quilt...

ever...

you can probably figure out what I did

and get started on your Perfect Picnic Quilt.

My free time this coming week is completely non-existant...

The Spouse and I already put in a few hours of work

at the shop today...

our one day closed...

but you do what you must...

when you have things to do.

I promise as soon as I have my next bout of 'insomnia'

or can manage to squeek in a bit of pattern writing time...

I'll be back with an honest to goodness tutorial!

Meanwhile...

Be sure to visit the last of our

Perfect Picnickers

on

Monday, June 9

Cherry Blossoms
The Quilting Queen Online
Mad Quilter's Disease
Daisy Days
Buzzing and Bumbling
From My Carolina Home
Sew We Quilt

Thanks for the Visit

&

Have a Fun Week!

Skinny Sunday....Shun not the Brussels

Welcome to another Skinny Sunday...

a quick recipe to share...

Brussels Sprouts...

I think you either love 'em or hate 'em...

The Spouse and I love them and we're not afraid to admit it.

Our favorite is fresh (vs. frozen)...even better if it comes from our garden...

but we haven't had much luck growing it here in the Florida heat...

(you'd think after almost 30yrs in the south we'd have gotten used to the earlier planting season...

but our Northern roots are pretty well ingrained).

I'm not a big fan of steamed 'anything'...

so we will roast or stir fry our brussels...

or throw them in our veggie soup.

One night I looked in the fridge...

it must have been close to shopping day...

there wasn't much to choose from...

but I had brussels and feta cheese...

so I experimented.

It was good enough that I wrote it down...a keeper.

For the record...I use real, full strength Feta...

no lo-fat or no fat feta cheese for this mouse...(eeewww)

There are some things that I'd rather eat in smaller quantities

and savor the true flavor...

Feta is one of them.

(so sorry...no pics of the finished dish...we were too hungry to grab the camera)

Brussels Sprouts with Garlic and Feta

a WW friendly dish - Serves 2 - 3pp ea (with the Feta)

1) Clean and quarter fresh brussel sprouts (I probably used about 24)

2) In nonstick skillet - add brussel sprouts and 1T Olive Oil - saute about 5 min...

3) Add in a big ole spoonful of minced garlic (ya know, from the jar...I'm easy)

4) Saute on a lower heat so as not to burn the garlic...Adding a few good shakes of Mrs.Dash Tomato/Basil seasoning (or Basil, or Oregano or whatever you like)

5) Continue stirring so nothing sticks (I should have used some non stick spray but I forgot)...maybe another 5 minutes or so give or take

6) Add a little Balsamic Vinegar (sorry, can't tell you how much - I keep mine in a spray bottle and gave it 3-4 good squirts)...stir stir

7) Squirt just a tad of lemon juice....add salt and pepper to suit you.

8) Continue to cook until sprouts look 'glazed' - I like mine crunchy...so it wasn't much longer...Then sprinkle with just a hint of Parmesan Cheese - stir

9) Divide into two servings....You're at roughly 2pp now and tasty to eat as is....OR

10) Sprinkle 1T Feta Crumbles over each serving - add another 1pp but imho - the feta REALLY makes it!

Have a great week!

A Perfect Picnic with Friends.....

Welcome to our Perfect Picnic!

Thank you Mdm Samm of Sew We Quilt

and our picnic perfect cheerleader

Mary of IPiece2-Mary.

I'm a little sad, this being the last hop of the season

hosted by dear Madame

but I'm sure there will be plenty more to enjoy when the new season starts.

(don't ask me when that is...I haven't a clue)

First of all...our goal for this hop was to present to you

"A Perfect Picnic"

with a perfect picnic quilt...picnic basket...picnic games...picnic food.

I started one quilt with Star Spangled Cottons from Riley Blake...

then decided I'd save that for the 4th of July.

I started another with some great Hawaiian print 4patch kaleidoscope blocks...

they were framed with white...
there would be lots of pieces...

and then I thought...
white...
ground...
dirty...

all those pieces...
to sit on....
hmmm....

so saving that quilt for another day.

We are huge Jacksonville Jaguar fans...

the obvious choice was to make a picnic blankie for tailgating....

But really, truly....

sometimes a mouse just wants to play with fabrics that have been calling to her.

So I did!

Here is our Perfect Picnic Blog Hop offering...

Our picnic started first thing this morning....

oops...just a peek now...

I'll bet nobody else had 'oatmeal' for their picnic fare...

or a basket full of yummy Riley Blake buttons...

(not to worry...that's not our picnic basket)

This was truly one of those days...

the kind you plan...

but go completely off kilter from the beginning!

In a perfect world...there would be 72 hours in every day...

with plenty of time to work and play...

ahhh....

Not today!

From the time our shop opened at 10am...

until 45 minutes before we closed at 5...

we were constantly busy with wonderful customers....
Since our shop is our bread and butter...
no complaints here...but...

Yes...

can you imagine me explaining when customers came thru the door...

just WHY Bob was sitting on a quilt...

eating oatmeal on the floor?

During a 5 minute lull...

I quickly snapped this picture of the full quilt

not knowing if I'd have another chance...

(I didn't).

This has been my all time favorite fabric line from Riley Blake!

I originally planned to make a disappearing 9-patch...

but once I made the huge 9-patch blocks...

I just could not cut them up!

(again thinking...picnic quilt..to rest our booty...keep it simple)

I LOVE OUR PICNIC QUILT!

In a perfect world I would tell you I wrote a tutorial.

Not today.

However...there will be one before this hop is over...

it's ready to be written...

I'll have to write it after hours...
after all...sleep is so overrated!

My idea of a perfect picnic...

is inviting friends who will bring the food!

We invited them...

they didn't come.

I did make a cute little basket though...

In case I happened upon any cute little food I suppose.

I found this red basket at the $1 store...

I cut 8 strips of fabric - 2" wide x wof

(4 pink...4 aqua)

I paired like fabs together...

wrong sides together...

and quickly stitched them together along the long sides

making 4 two sided strips.

Then I pinked the edges...

(you will see better below what I'm talking about

when I show you what I did with the leftovers)

I wove the strips thru the basket holes..

hand tacking the ends (inside so they wouldn't show)

There was about 8" of each strip left over...

so I zigged them together....

and sewed a hand gathered stitch with #8 perle cotton.

Pull the gathers tight to form a flower...

Use a cute red flower button for the center..

(from Riley Blake of course)

I tied the flower to the basket handle.

I set the table in the classroom for a picnic lunch....
setting two extra plates in case we had company...

Dontcha Love my little red dishes...

yes...I'm a $1 store junkie! haha

Lunch - Our perfect food?

(I sit here laughing...what was I thinking...signing up for a blog hop

that required me to have food?...ok...here it is)

Crackers...dried fruit...apples...

yep...

that's it...

Betty Crocker I am SO not! 

It's probably a good thing I didn't slave over a meal...
we would have never had a chance to eat it...
Not today.

Here's a quick peek at the back of the picnic quilt

Don't you love those trucks????

I love the pantograph Bob used...

he picked it out himself!

 

"Bollywood" from Urban Elementz!

I did not make this for the hop...

but in my perfect picnic world...

where OTHERS brought real food...

I could just lay back on my little quilt
and listen to a book....

I made this a couple months ago...

playing with selvages...

doesn't the fab look familiar?
Didn't I tell you how much I LOVE this fabric?

Here's the back...

One day I'll make another and take pictures

as I go...for a tutorial...

but...

you guessed it...

Not Today.

Now it's time to go home...

but the Perfect Picnic isn't over yet...

oh my no...

we've planned a little picnic at home tonight...
with a very special guest.

I used my favorite Jaguars tote

it holds the picnic quilt so perfectly...
and slipped it all into my basket
(who says the basket must be for food?)

  

hmmm...who could be holding that Jaguar bag?

It's a Perfect Picnic Mystery!

?

?

?

Oh wait...I think he just got into the car....

Who oh who could it be?

?

?

?

A back seat driver no less....

You see...

I originally planned a 

Teddy Bear Picnic....

But my bear friends skipped town!

To the rescue...

my Awesome Friend...

Mary Pat

(she's having a picnic too today!)

Well wouldn't you just know...

Mary Pat told her special friend

we needed some love...

and Mary Pat's equally awesome hubby

gave BEAUREGARD

a ride to the shop where he spent the day....

Thank goodness for that...

or we wouldn't have had a picnic game to play....

Aren't they so cute?

Once home this evening...

with our Perfect Picnic Quilt spread out...

I offered BEAU' some honey...

but he preferred something a little more...

ahh..

robust, you could say...

and  then we discovered...

that even the Perfect Picnic should

come with a few rules....

like...

hmmmm....

I wonder if Mary Pat is aware our friend has a wee problem....

which of course leads us to Rule #2

For the record...

the Spouse drank what is missing...

really!

Imagine that...

BEARLY left any for Me!

We did snap one more pic...

thinking that Ms Mary Pat might want to show

her kids at school...

what Beauregard did during his summer vacation...

(which starts in a few short days)

we thought it might not be very proper

to show a bear with his bottle....

so...

I didn't have to worry about feeding Beauregard...

because...

wait for it...

He was STUFFED anyways!

My idea of the Perfect Picnic Guest!

You don't have to feed them!

We're almost done...

and THANK YOU if you're still with me here...

Because....

Now I can show you...

we really did start the Perfect Picnic on Tuesday night

June 3rd.

It was our 36th Anniversary...

the Spouse and I celebrated the evening at Everbank Field...

Home of the Jacksonville Jaguars...

(that is our NFL team here in Jax...football for you non-sports types)

It was also the annual business meeting of our

Jaguars Booster Club...

(wasn't that sweet...how they coincided their event with ours? lol)

They even had

Real Food!

And believe it or not...

I brought my Perfect Picnic Quilt...

and grabbed the first guy I found...

Lookie Look!

My Purrrrfect Picnic Partner (sorry Bob)

-another guest I didn't have to feed-

Bob was going to snap our pic...but he was off buying 50/50 tickets...(we didn't win)...

meanwhile...

Jaxson our teams mascot...

 is just the Cats PJ's...

he asked professional photographer Bobby King

to take our picture...

wasn't that sweet?

Now that my friends...

is the 

Perfect Picnic!

June 5th-7pm - Late breaking Update - - - 

Photographer Bobby King just alerted me that this

picture was published today in one of our local papers.

Page 3 - Click here...how fun!

Be sure to take a looksie at my fellow picnickers today...

I'll bet they have food...

real food...

and it probably won't be oatmeal...

LOL!

TODAY - THURSDAY JUNE 5

Ella and Nesta's Little Room

Thimblemouse and Spouse - thanks for being here!

Jane's Quilting

Amanda Murphy Design

Quilting Quietly

Words & Stitches

Childlike Fascination

Thanks for the Visit...

The Mouse & Spouse