DIY SunButter is FunButter!

Followers of my old blog may remember that my little munchkin has severe food allergies.  Milk?  Check.  Egg?  Check.  Peanut?  Double check.  They do make a lot of alternatives for people with allergies or (in the case with milk-free and egg-free) vegans.  However, most of these products have fake, gross (in my opinion) ingredients to try to mimic the taste or are just SUPER expensive.  Without getting to much into what I do to make sure he is supplementing into his diet the vitamins and minerals normally found in those foods, one of the things I use is a product called SunButter.  This is a peanut butter-like product made only of sunflower seeds.  The reason I use this over other soy-based alternatives like WowButter is simply because of the amount of phytoestrogen naturally found in soy.  There have been some studies done about what that can do to people (especially children).  Soybeans also contain phytates which can decrease calcium absorption.  These studies have found that it can cause girls to reach puberty early and cause feminization in boys.  There are also studies that have linked too much soy consumption to breast cancer.    I will say though that there needs to be more research done on soy before any definitive claims are made.  I am not providing links to the articles I've read simply because I want people to do their own research on it and I am still forming my own opinion on the matter.  Regardless, I don't want my son (or future children) consuming copious amounts of soy on a daily basis until more research has been done.

Ok, I'm off my soapbox.  Back to SunButter.  It is very close to the taste of peanut butter and natural.  However, if you ask my husband what it tastes like, he says it tastes like sunflower seeds.  Duh.   He's not a big fan of it, but that's just because he is weird.  I love him, but he's still weird.  If you're reading this, I'm not talking about you honey :)  The only downside to SunButter is that it is SO expensive, we're talking AT LEAST $5/jar.  When you have a child that consumes it like it is air, that can get pretty expensive.  I've always wanted to make my own, because when you look at the label and the ingredients it literally says: "Sunflower Seeds."  That's it.  No big words you can't pronounce, no preservatives, just "Sunflower Seeds."  I can buy a 1 pound bag of raw de-shelled (is that a word?) sunflower for $1.99 at Trader Joe's, so I new making it myself would be more cost efficient by a long shot. I found this Nut Butter Maker online and was like SCORE! so I bought it and was super excited waiting for it to arrive.  When it got here, I immediately put it together and filled it up with sunflower seeds and pressed on.  Aaaaaaaaaaand the magic DIDN'T happen.  I was like, this is it? Seriously?  The small amount that did come out as "butter" was crumbly, coarse, and dry.  Then the motor jammed and died.  I followed the directions to a T and it died.  Come'on now.  I was irked, to say the least.

I remembered this recipe I had seen a long time ago on, where else, Pinterest about making SunButter using a food processor.  I went to that recipe and skimmed through the recipe and just jumped right in.  Mistake #1.  It came out almost as horribly as the Nut Butter maker's.  The plus side was that it did all ground up and the motor didn't die, but it was still crumbly and in no way shape or form resembled peanut butter.  I looked at the recipe more carefully and there was a part that said, "this is where most people rush and mess up."  Yeah, that was me.  I did exactly what it said to not do.  I get an F in reading comprehension.  I ruined a whole pound bag of sunflower seeds.  Thankfully, I had stupidly forgotten I already had a bag and bought another one smartly planned ahead and bought two bags.  I tried it again, this time reading the recipe carefully and doing exactly what it said.  It came out perfectly!  I was so pleased and my little munchkin loves it.  I felt like Laura Ingalls Wilder, no joke.  I almost gave myself a medal.  I have a whole Mason jar filled with SunButter in my fridge because let's be honest, things just look cooler when they are in a Mason jar.

So let's re-cap:

Good

Bad

Cool

Bam.

DIYish Fabric Headboard--Lucy Style

Hey y'all!  Wow, that was really Southern of me...I'm normally not like that.  It must be the paint fumes.   Speaking of which, I have this awesome DIY that I just completed and just HAD to share with you.  I mean, I literally just finished...I still have paint on my fingers, see?

(WARNING: this is a long and constantly at times rambling post.  If you are like me bored easily impatient, you can scroll to the bottom for the pictures)  I am so excited about this project!  I am S-L-O-W-L-Y and cheaply miserly frugally redoing rooms in our little duplex.  I am beginning to realize that we will probably not be buying a house in the near future due to finances and my husband's schooling.  We get our place for a steal as it is, so it really wouldn't be a wise decision to move especially when the houses we are looking at are same # of rooms, less baths, and within 100-200 sq.ft. and $200+/- more expensive a month.  We can't paint the walls so I am trying my best to give it a home-y, not to be confused with "homie" ('sup?), feel.  I've done the living room, a little of my dining room, my son's room (more to come later about that), the master bath, and decided it was time to begin on our bedroom.

I have since I was 23 ALWAYS & FOREVER wanted a fabric headboard, but those suckers are $300 bucks or more.  NOT happening.  I've looked on Pinterest for DIYs and my husband even bought the plywood for us to start on it.  However, we lacked two things:  time and sanity patience.  My husband and I are always on the brink of divorce whenever we do a home improvement task together due to my A-type personality and his I-can-do-it attitude.  It's not pretty, folks.  Plus it was going to be expensive with the foam and batting and fabric.  I had given up on the idea of DIY-ing it and was just looking on Craiglist and eBay to see if I could find a cheap used one to fit our king bed.  I was looking all over the state and even surrounding states.  The very few I found were in the $100s and looked pretty crappy or were too small for our bed.  However, one night in January, I got a text that would change my life forever.  No, I don't think I'm being overly dramatic....  My friend text me a link to Craigslist.  I clicked on it and there was the most beautiful fabric headboard.  I looked at the details and literally squealed.  It in my city AND it was a king-size AND it was $45!!!!!  I mean, it couldn't be more perfect.  I contacted the guy (who was Irish and looked like Patrick Dempsey, don't know why I felt that was pertinent) and arranged to pick it up the next day.  It was pretty comical watching us try and get it into my little Honda, but we managed.  Upon closer look, there were a few things wrong with it.  It was dirty, it was stained, it has some small snags in the fabric, and the worst...it was CREAM.  I hate cream.  That awful color does not at all go with my color-scheme.  However, because at that time I had planned on having it reupholstered, I didn't care so I bought it and drove off into the sunset.  Just my and my trusty fabric headboard.

When I got home, I made some calls to see how much it would cost to reupholster it if I provided fabric.  I got quotes of $275-$375.  I couldn't believe it; obviously I had no idea how much something like that cost, but I was not prepared for that.  I could've bought a new one exactly the way I wanted it for that price online.  Forget that!  My next big idea was to do it myself.  Again, I turned to Pinterest for guidance and found several tutorials.  However, I still lacked the same two things: time and patience.  Fabric was going to be expensive too.  I just didn't know what I was going to do at this point.  Then one night when I should've been folding laundry had nothing to do, I was browsing Pinterest again.  I saw a picture of a vintage chair being spray painted, not just the wood...the WHOLE thing.  I clicked it and my mind was blown.  FABRIC UPHOLSTERY SPRAY PAINT.  Shut.the.front.door.  I immediately called Hobby Lobby to see if they had it.  They did.  I broke every single traffic law getting to the store.  I bought two cans of the Tulip brand spray paint in white to try it out.  I got home and tested it and literally the paint can was empty in 30 seconds, there was THAT little in the can.  That wasn't going to work either.  So I went back and decided to get the non-spray paint kind that comes in regular paint squeeze bottles.  I got four of those for $4.99 each plus used a 40% off coupon on each of them making them $3/bottle.  (the spray paint cans were the same price so that makes my total for the six paints $18)  My headboard is completely covered and completely white now!  I may go back over it for another coat, but I'll see how it looks when it's all dry.  I am pretty happy with the way it turned out.   There was another brand that seemed to be better quality called "Simply Spray."  It was more expensive at $9.99 per can but there was 2-3x as much.  However, they didn't have white so I went with Tulip.  There are pros and cons to this method though.

Pros                     Cons
Easy                     Feels weird and crunchy (the blog I read said it was supposed
Cheap ($18 total)   to feel soft, like the original fabric)
Effective                Lacks the shine of the original fabric (that could just be
Fabric pattern        because I used matte and not gloss or satin)
still shows             The imperfections of the fabric show more now up close
Washable after 72 hours            
Doesn't transfer onto clothes once dry

Would I still like to have it reupholstered when we have any extra money?  Yes, but this is a good long-term, temporary solution.  Honestly, no one but my husband or myself is really going to be up close inspecting or feeling it anyway and it does look wonderful and FLAWLESS at a distance.

$45 for the headboard + $18 for pain = $63 total.  I don't think I could have done it any cheaper!  If you think I could have, shhh!  Don't tell the husband!

Here are some pictures of the whole ordeal:

The day I bought it

Beginning Stages

Difference in colors

Finished product! Paint isn't even dry yet!

Up close

Yay!

Pork Chops Yum-Yum & Green Bean Bundles (7pts+)

Pork Chops Yum-Yum

adapted from Beth's Favorite Recipes

1 lb lean pork chops (4oz each)
1/4 cup Broth, Chicken 
2 Tbs honey
2 Tbs soy sauce
1 Tbs ketchup
1 Tbs ground ginger
1 Tbs minced garlic

1. Brown chops on both sides. Place in casserole dish sprayed with non- stick spray.

2. Mix all remaining ingredients and pour over pork chops. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 45 mins-1 hour

3. Tip: Check your chops after 45 mins. That may be enough time to bake.

Servings: 4

Nutrition Facts
Nutrition (per serving): 171 calories, 26 calories from fat, 2.9g total fat, 53.3mg cholesterol, 608.1mg sodium, 11.5g carbohydrates, ;1g fiber, 9.7g sugar, 25.5g protein

4WWpts+ per 4oz chop

Green Bean Bundles 

*this is NOT an exact science!!**

Thin green beans, about 1 handful per bundle (I use Trader Joe's French Style Frozen Green Beans, do not thaw)
1 piece of bacon per bundle (I use Hormel Nitrate-Free, uncured bacon.  It's WW1pt+ so it's the same as turkey bacon but better)
1 tsp of butter per bundle
1 T of light brown sugar per bundle, UNpacked (if it is packed, it adds an additional point or two)
salt and pepper to taste

1. Grab a handful of green beans and wrap one piece of bacon around it.  Place in a baking dish sprayed with cooking spray.  

2. Sprinkle brown sugar over bundle and put tsp of butter on top of the bundle.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

3. Repeat with other bundles.

4. Bake at 375 degrees for 1 hour.

3WWpts+ per bundle

Why I'm On Weight Watchers--updated

I recently joined Weight Watchers about 2 weeks ago and have lost 11 lbs and one pants size to date.  I am very pleased with my success and the program as a whole.  I tried dieting last year using Nutrisystem where they provide you with the food.  The food was TERRIBLE.  I literally had to rehydrate a chicken breast for one of my meals.  If you know me, I love to cook so this was just not going to fly.  I was cooking delicious food for my husband and then pouring boiling water over a dehydrated "hamburger" patty for myself plus making something for my milk, egg, and peanut allergy boy who was one at the time.  Three dinners in one night was enough to drive even the sanest person crazy.  I quickly gave that up and just started counting calories with an app called LoseIt! and doing Zumba.  I lost about 20lbs in one month.  However, I took advantage of my success and started cheating here and there with food and stopped doing Zumba and I didn't lose another pound until I started WW this year.

UPDATED to add **I want to preface this by saying that my goal to lose weight is not simply a vain one.  While it would be nice to wear a size two, that is not my main motivation.  I recently was told that I have high cholesterol.  Part of that is due to genetics, the main reason being my choice of foods.  That was a wake up call for me.  I want to be healthy for my son and set a good example for him and for our future children.**

What I like about WW is that you really honestly can eat what you want.  If you want to eat 15 Snickers bars, you can but you will take away all of your allowed points for the day.  They figure up your allotted daily points by calculating height, weight, age, and activity level in this complicated formula.  Foods higher in fat and carbs have more points, foods higher in proteins and fiber are less.  Fruits and veggies are 0 points (or free points) so you can eat as many as you want per day.  You are also allowed 49 flex points throughout the week to add on wherever you see fit.  WW has really taught me to eat healthier and has helped me learn what fills me up.  I realized this the first time when I went to Applebees with my husband to watch a basketball game.  I was craving a Maple Butter Blondie which was 30 points!!!!  It was the last day in the week and I still had all my flex points so I went for it.  It was gone in 2 seconds flat and I was left filling disappointed and hungry.  The next night at home I ate a chicken breast with some pasta and had two big helpings of a green veggie for a measly 9 points and felt stuffed to the brim.    That was my Aha! moment.

I'm really proud of the deliberate eater I've become.  I still get to cook amazing foods, but I watch things like how much cheese I'm putting in a dish and serving size.  I think this is going to be a really successful program for me.  I had lost all but 7 lbs of my pregnancy weight the week after having my son, but had a horrible bout with postpartum depression and gained 33 lbs.  I lost 20 lbs of that last year and now have lost 11 lbs on WW in the past couple of weeks.  I'm 2 lbs away from the lowest I got after having my son and 9 lbs away from pre-pregnancy.  It's only taken me about 2 1/2 years, but considering all that my family has gone through in that time, I couldn't be happier!  Once I hit that pre-pregnancy weight, I still have about 20-30 lbs I would like to lose that I gained in college so I know that this will be a long journey but I feel ready for it!

Vintage Makeover Remakover

I purchased this loverly little darling this past summer because I saw it and my heart. stopped. literally.  I have an unhealthy obsession with all things baskets and all things vintage so imagine what happened to me when I saw vintage baskets.  The angels were singing.  No, really.   I purchased it from a booth at a vintage peddler's mall type store that a girl I went to high school with owned.  I think she had restored it and painted it a lovely shade of red.  However, I knew that red didn't really match my overall vision for my dining room and kitchen.  I had already purchased these elegant curtains from Anthropologie for my dining room.

They were originally $150 PER CURTAIN and I got them on sale when they were having their 50% off clearance items for $32.00!!!! We didn't have an Anthro near us at the time so I called several all over the US until I found them and they shipped them to me for free and I received them the next day.  If you have never shopped there, you really should.  Their customer service is 5 stars.

Anyway...I digress...

This was what my darling little vintage basket dresser (that may not be the right word) looked like before:

And here is what it looks like after:

I got the burlap lampshade at Hobby Lobby for $7 and the framed cameos (of a random person's children) at Goodwill for $2.  I also have these curtains from Target behind the Anthro ones to create a softer, vintage elegant look.

Home Makeover--June Style

I've been away from you dear readers, and for that I am sorry.  However, I do have a good excuse.  I....well, actually I don't.  I've just been lazy and boring and have had nothing to write about.  Last night, though, the spirit of June (and maybe Martha Stewart, minus the prison time) set upon me and I had a burst of insanity creativity.  I decided that I wanted to do away with our gigantic painting in our living room that my husband and I purchased each other as an anniversary present back when we were dating.  It just didn't reflect our style anymore.  A few months ago, I had purchased a couple of lots of Shabby Chic style frames on eBay and they have been sitting in the storage room my husband's office much to his dislike.  I decided to get my butt in gear and do something with them.  After many, many, MANY trials and errors with the placement of the pictures (that's the Lucy coming out in me), it was finished at last.  There is no way in Hades that we are going to get our deposit back when we move out of our home with the millions of nail holes I put into the wall, however I now have a creepy shine wonderful display of photos of our little family!  I'm actually quite pleased with how it turned out.  Cheers!

Two Timin' Pasta (WW: 8+pts)

Hi!  Let me introduce you to the new carb-filled love of my life.  Two Timin' Pasta.  This recipe is Uhhh-May-ZING.  It is so simple, it's embarrassing, really.

Two Timin' Pasta  WW: 8+ pts

8oz. of pasta, your choice but I would recommend bowtie or penne or small shells
1/2 jar marinara sauce (I use Francesco Rinaldi Sweet & Tasty Tomato Sauce)
1/2 jar alfredo sauce (I use Bertolli original)
1 cup shredded Italian cheese
Italian seasoning, as a garnish

Make pasta according to box, drain and place back in the pot.
Add the sauces to the pasta and combine.
Place pasta mixture in oven safe dish.
Top with cheese and sprinkle with Italian seasoning.
Cover and bake for 30 minutes or until cheese is melted.  If you want, place oven on broil and uncover dish and broil until cheese is bubbly and slightly brown.  About 2-4 minutes.

Serves 2-4 depending on how hungry you are.

**If you use 1.5cups small shell pasta for two servings, it's 303 calories a serving. WW: 8+ pts.**