Monday Monday

I officially started the countdown today until the Boston Marathon and the Patriot's Day Red Sox Game. I won't be running in the marathon (my goal is a more modest 4 miles at a faster clip than I go), but I will be cheering on 3 people I know running in it and then I will be cheering on the Red Sox at my first ever Red Sox game. I'm a huge fan and I've never been to Fenway. How sad is that?

On the crafting front, I have been working like mad on stuff for a craft swap I am currently in. Here are all the gorey details:

This swap is through Craftster (you can check it out here, but sign ups are over so no trying to join - oh...and the gallery is up so once things start coming in you can check out the goodies). It is the magic yarn ball swap. Basically, you either pick out a pattern or trust that your partner will pick out a good one for you (that's what I am doing) and list what colors and yarns you like. Your partner gets the pattern and the yarn. They also get a bunch of trinkets and make some stuff and wrap your yarn for your project around it. You'll get a package in the mail with a ball of yarn full of goodies and a one-skein pattern to knit up. I am so excited.

So far I have made some pins. I'll put a mini-tute or something up once I have sent them to my partner. I don't think she'll see my blog, but she might. I also learned a new craft, which I will also blog about after I send stuff out. It'll probably be another week. I will be picking up her pattern today and her yarn sometime this week. Then I have to finish crafting and start winding it all up into a ball.

One last thing...I am doing Weight Watchers. To be honest, I love it. I have lost 42 pounds so far. Hopefully that number will be bigger after tonight's weigh in. I wanted to share the easiest muffin recipes ever. The recipe makes 12 muffins at 3 points each.

Chocolate Muffins

1 box devil's food cake mix (I just used the store brand)
1 15 oz. can of pumpkin (not pie filling just plain unsweetened pumpkin)

Preheat oven to 400. Stir the ingredients together. The mixture will be really thick. I recommend using your hands to mush it all together. Do not add anything to thin it out. You could probably add nuts or chocolate chips or something at this point if you really wanted to. It would add points so keep that in mind. Put the batter in a muffin pan that has either been prepared with non-stick cooking spray (works great) or with cupcake liners. Bake for 20 minutes. Enjoy.

These muffins are so yummy and so easy. They came out moist and there is no weird pumpkin-y flavor. I pushed a couple of chocolate chips into the center of each one for an added chocolatey surprise. These definately taste more like cupcakes than muffins, but they don't have frosting. It doesn't really matter. Since they are called muffins, I feel like I am entitled to eat them for breakfast. What a way to start your day...especially since it is really dreary in Maine today and I didn't really want to get up. Try it yourself. I promise they really are yummy.

Until later.