Tools for the job

Sometimes its all about the tools, knitting is like that. You all know that some needles are meant for speed, some to slow you down, some pointy for lace and its p7tog maneuvers, and clickers for counting and markers for guidance.

Meet my 5:15 am wake up call tools. Yup, walking sneakers. Ive always worn cross trainers or running shoes, but I decided to trust New Balance and get walking specific kicks. And you know what? Sometimes the right tools help. Day 4, 1.2 miles in 23 minutes and jeans that button just a bit easier.

My second tool? PC. He's been my secondary alarm each day, reminding me that I need to get up and do this for my health.

South Beach Shuffle

I've restarted on the South Beach shuffle (see the reason for walking: PCOS and weight gain), with a steady Phase 1.5 planned until July 16 (then we leave for vacation). So, if I can manage no grains, but fruit, veggies and protein until then, let's see how I do. I'm limiting my fruit intake to 2 servings per day (max).

Tuesday's lunch was one for the recipe file: Curried Beef. :)

Ingredients:

• · 2 lbs stew beef (or any other cheap cut of beef in 2 inch cubes, example: this would be good with round steak)
• · 2 15-ounce cans tomato sauce
• · 3 tbsp curry powder ( I use 4, 2 hot, 2 sweet)
• · 2tsp onion powder (or 1 whole chopped onion)
• · 2 chicken bouillon cubes (or 1 tsp of Penzey's chicken stock paste)
• · 1 tsp salt
• · 2 tsp black pepper
• · 1 tsp smoked paprika
• · 2 tsp ground ginger
• · ½ bag frozen peas

Directions:

1. Spray insert of crock pot w/ non-stick spray.
2. 2. Combine tomato sauce through ginger from ingredient list and whisk together
3. 3. Add to slow cooker with stew beef
4. 4. Cook on low for 8 hours (high for 4), add frozen peas, stir in and cook for an additional 40 minutes on high.

ten on tuesday

10 ways to save at the grocery store:

1. go with a list. I spend WAY too much when I go without one. I take PC with me to the store, but I've noticed I spend less without him there. I tend to peruse the meats aisle, etc. more carefully.

2. Store brands, if possible. We don't eat canned veggies (well, I do, but only for breakfast and that's another post), but we do eat frozen, so I stock up when it's 10/$10 sales... usually by buying 2-3 bags.

3. beans. We eat bean-heavy meals once a week. Wait, that's wrong. I make a bean-heavy meal once a week: we eat for at least 3-4 additional meals.

4. limit ziplock bags. We use tupperware for lot of things, like lunches, and I prefer to use glass reusables, so our "plastic" dollars go further.

5. Buy meats in bulk. I buy everything meat related in bulk. If bottom round roasts are on sales for less than $1.99/lb, I will buy the biggest one and cut it into 2-3 smaller roasts. Simply wrap in butcher paper and freeze.

6. Skip the boneless skinless chicken breasts (unless on sale- Stop & Shop is really good for this). I know they are healthier, but it's cheaper and tastier to buy bone-in chicken and remove the skin yourself. Result? Delish chicken, less cost per meal. We also eat a lot of chicken thighs and drumsticks; simply buy in bulk and split into "meal sizes" and freeze (for this, I use ziplock bags).

7. skip the 100 calorie packs. When I was single (or even pre-move in with PC), I used to get home with my groceries and divvy up the servings. Yup, into little snack bags with 1 serving per bag. Then I'd put the bags back into the original container. If you wanted Cheezits at my mom's house, you would reach into the box and get an individual serving.

8. Use coupons and store cards to add up the savings.

9. Shop the flyer. Know what's on sale and for how long. If it's not there, get a rain check. I think the rain check is the most under-utilized component of a grocery store.

10. Bring your bags! Not only is it environmentally responsible, but now most stores give a $0.05-$0.10 per bag credit. A big 2 week shopping order with 10 bags? That's $0.50-$1.00 off your order, just for not using flimsy plastic bags. Win-win.

Today was day 2 of walking. Today hurt more, anyone tell me why? Still did my 1.2 miles.. 24 minutes. My healthy lunch of the day: curried beef with peas, salad, green beans and 2 pieces of Kavli... yum.

Left, Right...

It's not much, but it's a start. Sandy (and some excess Easter candy enjoyment) inspired me to start a walking program this morning. Our neighborhood is easily walkable and very safe; this morning's walk took me just over 24 minutes and 1.1 miles. My goal is to walk this route this week and each week add one more block to my "loop."

As some of you know, I've battled PCOS (poly cystic ovarian syndrome) for years (before it had a name!) and part of this is a pre-diabetic state called insulin resistance. Well, in order to get that pre-diabetes from turning into diabetes, I've got to shed some weight. And, my 2 year old nephew showed me yesterday that Auntie's a bit slow in the "run" department. He and I have a date at the zoo this summer and I'd like to NOT get winded when we venture from Christopher the lion to the monkey house.

Mom's sick

Pumpkin here, well, I prefer to be called P'kin but mom and dad say I'm going through a " phase". Like when they threw out my catnip.

Anyway...mom is sick which means its been quiet here. And messy. Yup, just me and PC in charge of it all.  So I thought I would show how cool I am by blogging for mom. And telling you to send me cookies.

And maybe you could help me. Which photo should I use for my match.com profile?

a) Direct. This is who I am
B) playful and flirty
C) coy but knows what she wants kinda girl?

Let me know!  Oh and if you could not tell mom, that would be totally cool...she will think its a phase, like getting my microchip bedazzled.

Peace, love and catnip,
P'kin out.

ten on tuesday

Top 10 Snacks

1. popcorn. I could live on hot, buttered popcorn. Or cheesey popcorn. Or caramel corn... or spicy popcorn....

2. cucumbers with salt. LOVE.

3. Pepperoni & cheese on crackers. Pepperoni must be Carando brand, cheese must be extra sharp cheddar and I love me a Sociable or Triscuit. I buy presliced 'roni now, but I have a fondness for the hard stick you had to cut (that was MY job as a kid) and the thin, papery skin of the pepperoni.

4. Ice cream, frozen yogurt, sherbert.... anything cold and scoopable. I've tried full fat, low fat, fat free, sugar free, all natural, tofu, rice, soy...

5. hummus and veggies

6. nachos... I make the best nachos!

7. pretzels. Especially pretzel rods, for some unknown reason, but I remember getting 2 of them in my lunch as a kid and thinking it was the BEST part of the day (besides my assemble-yourself tuna fish sandwich kit from my mom--- more about this later)

8. peanut butter and apples. LOVE.

9. pudding. Jello sugar free, fat free pudding. it's a south beach "must have"

10. ice pops. The ones in the tube? it's pure sugar and probably caused my pre-diabetic state, but I love them. I have been known to have to limit myself to 20 per day. Yup, it's a problem!

First Five get something "crafty"

The idea?
Create something for the first 5 people who comment on this post and send it to them until the end of 2011.
It can be whatever you want it to be - something sewed, something painted, something felted, a photography, just anything you like.

Are you in?

Project planning

This is not a great project to plan, but its needed... a chemotherapy cap. Yup, the project that means so much but hurts so much to knit. A friend' s sister-in-law has stage 4 breast cancer. A very stylish woman, fighting hard, needs a chic hat, no?

Some knitting math required: reducing the smallest size by 26 stitches to accommodate a gauge change ( thicker yarn than the required  dk weight).

Yarn is Sublime cashmere merino silk in a chi- chi gray. Very on trend.

Think good thoughts with me while I knit this cap.

Travelling woman

This knit single handedly brought back my knitting mojo. I love.the end result and knitting it was pure pleasure.

Sock yarn, cormo blend
Size 6 bamboo needles
Total time: 2.5 days ( about 12 hours)

Sunny Florida

Wow. Just wow.

Because someone

....will inevitably say that they are jealous of my travel for work. It's not all hotel room knitting and fancy dinners.( last night was a so/so burrito, today's lunch is boxed )

This was this morning at 6 a.m. Protein shake and my laptop....woohoo. room service is too much here and the breakfast options in the resort are very heavy on the pastries. Whole Foods whether protein powder, vanilla, and two skim milks from the gift shop make a tummy start to my day!

In the land of the giant mouse

I've landed in Orlando for a conference this week. Despite current thought, there is more than just Disney down here, but really? That mouse is everywhere: airport, resort, cab, coffee shop tonight. 

And unlike most of my work travel, this conference is not one I'm working, I'm attending! I still have all my real work to do, networking... but tonight, I knit.

Yup, another travelling woman, for a friend turning 40. Blue silk blend.from the.Woolen Rabbit (Kim, do you know the color?)

Sick Sunday

PC's been sick for the past few days (a virus that needs to.run its course).  Today was Pumpkin's turn...hip, the cat has a cold. She's lethargic, sneezy, and snoring up a storm.

Me? I'm enjoying the napping family as nice knitting time.

Welcome back Mojo!

My mini mojo went missing for awhile...all of it. Knitting. Blogging. Living. I have NOT been in a good place. But, the mojo is back. All thanks to a skein of sock yarn and a travelling woman. On, and a new smartphone for better mobile Blogging.

I'm a little embarrassed to admit that I had to knit some baby gifts, but it was torture...I had to force myself to sit down and really work on it. But this shawlette has renewed my mojo and every stitch is a treat. It is for a friend at work who has been giving me some good karma. This will make her smile and she deserves to smile.

Knit night

It went from teaching one co-worker to knit to a bonafide knit night! 

-- Sent from my Palm Pre

Friday Rundow

• i've been at work more times past 7pm than i care to count this week
• i may have to stay late again tonight
• next week, i travel San Francisco
• some people love NY, I love SF.
• PC's joining me at the end of my trip.
• PC's never been to California
• don't worry: Pumpkin's going to her grandparents for a few days. (she loves it there: they have stairs!)
• i'm exhausted with my breakfast options lately. Since I'm on South Beach (or was until that pizza at 8pm last night- ugh) and am tired of eggs or greek yogurt. Give me some ideas!
• i get to "borrow" an assistant at work next week and i have no idea what to have her do.
• i'm a bit of a control freak.
• i'm ahead on 2 projects, way behind on 1.
• i'm having work nightmares this week that I forgot to put someone on the programs.

*sigh*

the winner is....

ZUZU!! 

email me at kskaare (at) gmail (dot) com w/ your addy so I can send your prize!

On a side note: my guild is hosting the one, the only: LUCY NEATBY in April and we have some spaces left in some of the classes. We have now opened it to non-guild members, so click here to get more info and to sign up!

If you haven't taken one of Lucy's classes, this will be eye-opening! And if you have, you know what a good time they can be!

10 on Tuesday: no-knit version

Top 10 non-knitting blogs.

1. The Pioneer Woman. Who doesn't read Ree Drummond at this point? Hell, she's even on the morning shows every now and again. I love, love, love her "cowgirl" food.

2. The Lettered Cottage. Layla & Kevin... what a great couple. Working hard to keep it real (I can't imagine that their two professions make a LOT of money, but they trust in God and a budget).

3. The Nester. I giggle every time I see something else she's drilling to the wall or painting. Mostly b/c she's in a rental and wow: "if only I could...." is my dream sentence around this rental.

4. Young House Love. I'm not sure what's going to happen when they finish this house, but I'm thinking these two have a future at HGTV. Or writing a parenting book on how to not let your kid fall into a paint bucket.

5. Apartment Therapy. I think my favorite piece might be the scavenger. I don't know what they are typing into craigslist, but I always end up with dirty couches offered up for too much money from bed-ridden student meccas (like Brighton) or Ikea bookcases. From 5th floor walk-ups.

6. Well-Heeled Finance Blog. I like her. She's funny and practical and has made me think about my money in a whole new way.

7. Fabulously Broke. Also, another personal finance blogger who makes me think.

8. Boston Gal's Open Wallet. This used to be better. I don't know if she just got more comfortable with her finances or she's just not into it like she was before (i'm hoping there's some love keeping her too busy), but she's good. A downside? Her net wealth (that she publishes) makes me feel insecure.

9. Robin Abrahams. Miss Manners, from the Boston Globe. She's funny and smart-mouthed and I adore her. and she takes pics of her outfits. Who, in Boston, does that? I love that!

10. Kalyn's Kitchen. My go-to source of South Beach diet recipes. Kalyn's personable, and very nice--- she and I had an email conversation that involved me breaking down b/c I thought it was just.all.too.much and she said "we all fail sometimes, but you need to keep trying." I thought: she writes this food blog. She can't fail. But, she does. And she makes it work. And that makes me want to make it work.

What have you learned about me?

• I like to look into people's houses. Even when i'm out driving, i like peeking at windows. :)
• I'm concerned about and taking charge of my personal finance.
• I'm slightly obsessed with etiquette ( I am. There are some things you should NOT do in public).
• I'm on South Beach. *sigh*

Happy Valentine's Day Contest

photo/graphic credit: xkcd:http://xkcd.com/223/

Happy Valentine's Day! Yup, the day of love, amour, smooches, roses, winks, nudges and chocolate filled I-love-yous.

PC and I celebrated all weekend, starting off Friday night with dinner with my nephew, my "other" Valentine. He's 2 and he's awesome. Saturday morning, a trip to Dunkin' (a tradition in our house and how awesome is it that we can WALK to a Dunks?) means someone has to walk past our favorite florist. They were happy to see him. So was the shop dog, Benny. These two ladies at Busy Bee love PC... y'see, he's always buying me flowers. He likes how happy they make me and he likes the smell of fresh flowers in the house. Win-Win. Saturday, I went shopping and ran some errands while he watched soccer and kept an eye on the couch. Saturday night was dinner for two at Atasca.

Let's start with a few things about Atasca. 1) it's always gotten good reviews, until recently. and 2) it was on my Boston/Cambridge to-dine list. Well, Saturday night was a flop. The food was so-so, the service was okay (once she realized we wanted a full meal experience: start with a drink, appetizer...she was more friendly) but s-l-o-w. The owner had friends in the restaurant (seated next to us) and instead of perhaps, hustling along the service or checking on customers (I overheard a few complaints that were going unnoticed), he was too busy sitting and chatting.

In addition, I have determined that people do not know how to behave in public anymore. I must be getting old... a woman (about my age) was there with her husband and friends: she was getting drunk and we pretty much heard the entire conversation. And, then there were the people with the cameras. I do not come from a generation that photo-documents everything from their morning pee to the application of night cream.

On the way to the car, we decided we might need a do-over.

Sunday was a trip to the Fiber Loft (first time!) to see the Berroco trunk show and meeting Andra Asras, a designer hosting a tea. I walked out $120 poorer, but with 7 buttons, 2 skeins of coordinating yarn for a project you'll see on Wednesday, and some baby yarns for baby shower gifts, as well as sock yarn for my PC.... who'd like the "next pair to be a bit higher." Funny, a few years ago, he was anti-handknit socks. Oh, and one of those Cha-Cha scarves. Yup. I said it. I'm going to knit with a novelty yarn. I haven't done it since the fun fur hat project. It's wool (mostly) and it'll look cute on my mom. Enough said.

Sunday night was dinner at "our place" : Legal Seafoods. We love the Chestnut Hill location and they didn't disappoint last night: clam chowder & caesar salad for me, seafood casserole & butternut squash for him. A few things to know about Legal: there are secrets, items not on the menu that you can get, if you know to ask. It's fun, like a secret club. If you can name 1 thing that you can get at Legal that is not on the menu (or a secret item at any other restaurant, to be fair), post it in the comments. Wednesday, i'll hand out prizes.

a whale of a good time

(photo credit: hannah haworth: http://hannahhaworth.com/blog/)

I will never complain about how big & heavy a sweater project is again. Ever.

damn.
wow.