Boy Oh Boy!

My more recent knitting projects have been baby sweaters for little boys.  I always love the opportunity to get to use my creative juices for little ones but seldom get to knit for the boys.  This was a special treat as the first sweater was combined with a blanket to become a gift for the newest member of our family!  Noah is the son of my husband's cousin and his wife.  He is an answer to prayers as he took a loving couple into the awesome adventure of family life. 

Noah lives in a colder climate than Texas, so I was able to use a wool blend fiber in his sweater and blanket. I knit the 12-18 month size since Noah is no longer a newborn. The sweater pattern was designed by Nancy Lutz and is called Lutzling Sweater.  It was knit in this perfect color of green in Berroco Vintage DK.

The second sweater was knit for my sister-in-law to give to her 'just-like-my-own' son in preparation for the birth of his first child, a son.  It is a brighter, more updated, version of little boy blue and was knit in Berroco Comfort DK Solid yarn.  I love the little star buttons in the mixed colors.  These are a nod to the stars and stripes in our flag and to the baby's father for his military service. The pattern is one I've worked before and tend to return to because I love it so much - Seamless Yoked Baby Sweater by Carole Barenys.  It knits up beautifully into what I think may be the perfect infant sweater. 

Oriental Cube Steak

In my on-going quest to share the versatility of beef cube steaks, I'm posting my recipe for Oriental Cube Steak.  Like the other cube steak recipes I've posted, this one is even better the longer and lower temperature you cook them because the slower you cook, the tenderer the beef.  

What you need:
Beef Cube Steaks
Oriental Sauce (1/4 cup of your favorite flavor)
Water Chestnuts, lightly drained
Bok Choy
Brocolli
Sugar Snap Peas
Shredded Carrots
Lo Mein Noodles (optional)
Salt/Pepper to taste

Putting it all together:

Pour about  1/4 cup of your favorite flavor and brand of oriental cooking sauce over the seasoned beef cube steaks which have been cut into strips and placed in a baking dish.  Cover and bake (350 degrees if you only have an hour).  

Prepare your veggies, washing and chopping the bok choy, cutting the ends off your sugar snap peas and washing any unprepared veggies. I like to use prepackaged, ready to use veggies when time is limited.  It just makes it that much easier to have your meal in the oven quickly.  Add your vegetables in the last 1/2 hour, recovering the dish before returning it to the oven.  


If you are using a slow-cooker on low or a lower oven temperature and leaving to cook all day, go ahead and add the veggies over top the beef and sauce. Alter the vegetables to suit your family's tastes.  The noodles add some optional crunch when sprinkled on top of the cooked dish. Fix some rice to have with your Oriental Cube Steaks and enjoy!

Cheesecake Treats:flavor without all the calories!

I really like dessert but the fact is that I've enjoyed too many desserts in my life. But to forfeit something sweet as I undertake losing weight isn't really an option for me either. This is a lifestyle change, so I have to rethink the treat and the quantity I can have.  Some people can handle a thimble-full of something and be satisfied but not me! I started playing with recipes that might offer me a proper, full-sized snack without putting the breaks on my weight loss.  I love the Cherry Cheese-pie recipe for just these reasons. Playing off this recipe, I wondered how to add flavor without the calories.  It hit me when I was adding a flavor packet to my water!  Yep, zero calories (well, most are) and lots of yummy taste - the perfect combo.  
 
What you need:
8 ounces Cream Cheese (I use fat free)
16 ounces Cool Whip Topping (I use fat free here also)
16 ounce drink flavor packets (I use 2 for great flavor)
1 Tablespoon Sweetener (I use Truvia)

Putting it together:
Allow your cream cheese to soften and thaw the whipped topping.  Select your favorite flavoring. Mix all the ingredients together until they are a smooth mixture.  Chill until it firms up again.

I like to put this on Graham Cracker squares for a really tasty treat with a bit of crunch.  I also add some fresh fruit to compliment the selected cheesecake flavor.  

Thoughts:  Put this in your choice of crust just before serving. Serve chilled. I think this would make a lovely parfait if you alternate the cheesecake, Graham Cracker crumbs and fresh fruit. Adjust the level of flavor by adding or subtracting the number of drink packets you use.  I'd use confectioner's sugar as the sweetener if you don't want to use artificial. Mixing the ingredients with a mixer on high helps reduce a sensation of 'crystals' in the cheesecake. 

Enchilada Cube Steak

I really like cooking with cube steak beef cutlets.  They allow for easy portioning, are fairly lean, can be prepared in a number of ways and lend themselves to cooking creative, easy meals.  I've already shared my Italian Meat Patties and Swiss (Mock) Steak recipes last year. I have another recipe to share today for Mexican Cube Steaks. Like my previous recipes using cube steak, the longer you leave this in the oven, the tenderer the meat and greater the flavor.
 
What you need:
Beef Cube Steaks
Hatch Green Chile Enchilada Sauce
Ro-tel Original Diced Tomatoes and Green Chiles
Corn (I like using corn on the cob)
Shredded Cheese

Putting it together:

Shuck the corn, removing as much of the silk as possible.  Place the cube steak in a single layer in an oven proof pan.  Pour the green chile sauce over the meat, then pour the Ro-tel over the sauce. Place the corn around the cube steaks. Cover the pan and place in a 350 degree oven.  I allow this to cook for an hour, minimum.  If you have more time, go ahead and leave it in the oven.  If you like cheese, add it to your enchilada cube steak just before you serve your meal.

I've lost nearly 50 pounds, so I wanted a recipe with great enchilada flavor but without the carbs. If you aren't watching your weight, you may want to prepare some tortillas to enjoy when you plate up your meal.

I(n)Spired!

Most of you know that I have a passion for knitting - lace items in particularly.  This pattern has become a favorite among all that I've knitted. It is Spire by Leila Raabe who designed it for Brooklyn Tweed. 
 

The yarn was a new brand for me to knit with - Northbound Knitting Superwash BFL Fingering - but I already have plans to purchase more next week when I visit The Tinsmith's Wife, in Comfort, Texas.  It knits up beautifully and worked out awesomely well for this wrap.  I was able to purchase 3 skeins of Midnight colorway and one of Nocturne. 

I decided to work the darker colors first and work my way out to the lightest at the edge.  It very nearly worked out perfectly, except that I was shy about 4 inches of the Nocturne in completing the lace border and had to revert to the darker colorway to finish the project. It really isn't as noticeable as my intentional photo shows but rather it blends beautifully due to the fabulous dyeing of this company.  I have about 80 hours of knitting in my Spire.  It blocked out to 56" square and used nearly 1750 yards of yarn.  

 

Of note, this is also one of the first patterns I've knit and allowed myself to be the model.  I have recently lost over 45 pounds (Weight Watchers and lots of walking!) and am just now getting comfortable with being photographed.  My husband, Kelly, is the photographer for all photos where I'm modeling the shawl.