March 2022 Planting, Cooking, Baking, Sewing, and Crafting Thread

Re: March 2022 Planting, Cooking, Baking, Sewing, and Crafting Thread

• anniemarie887 member

  March 2022

  Alright working ladies - come at me with the workweek dinner game. For the first time in 11 years MH will no longer be WFH and I'm like oh sh*t I guess I may have to help contribute to dinner as well...
  
  I am a fan of the cookbook below, they are not like earth shattering recipes, but really healthy, and the whole prep on Sunday thing is good... I just know there will be weeks we don't wind up prepping on the weekend either...
  
  Cook Once, Eat All Week: 26 Weeks of Gluten-Free, Affordable Meal Prep to Preserve Your Time & Sanity: Garcia, Cassy Joy: 9781628603439: Amazon.com: Books
  

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• mamafox14 member

  March 2022

  Oooh stalking this as I also desperately need dinner inspiration. We’ve been terrible about getting take out. 

  
  

  Tonight I made an excellent chicken though! 

  5lb whole chicken
  Melt half a stick of butter and mix in a ton on finely chopped rosemary and garlic and the zest from two lemons, set aside.
  Take the two lemons and juice them into a bowl. 

  Cut up two onions and some potatoes and put in the bottom of a Dutch oven
  Stuff chicken with lemon rinds, onion ends, rosemary springs, salt and pepper.
  Take the butter mix and coat the whole chicken in it and also put it under the skin of the breast
  Tress chicken with twine
  Put on top of onions and potatoes
  bake uncovered for 15 mins at 475 and then 1.5 hours at 350, let rest for ten mins.
  
  Now I’m making stock with the scraps! 

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• maggiemadeit member

  March 2022

  Oh man, this thread is great! I love all things food: growing, cooking, and eating!  
  
  I live in New England, so it’s early days for gardeners here, but I started my first set of seeds for the garden a few weeks ago. I’ve got broccoli, cabbage, 3 varieties of tomato, poblanos, jalapeños, and bell peppers. I’ve also got some Cleome and delphiniums in there, but they didn’t sprout yet 🤷🏻‍♀️

  
  

  
  

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• anniemarie887 member

  March 2022

  soooooo target has air fryers like 50% off... i had been waffling on getting one... this might what drives me to do it.

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• mamafox14 member

  March 2022

  @anniemarie887 ooh what type? I got the ninja foodi like 1.5 years ago and I love it. It’s a pressure cooker and an air fryer so I can cook, for instance, chicken and potatoes with the pressure cooker and then switch it to the crisping setting to brown the potatoes and get crispy skin on the chicken. Very cool. 

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• anniemarie887 member

  March 2022

  @mamafox14 they have a few different sizes in the powerxl brand... we have an instant pot i can buy an airfryer "lid" for but this is actually cheaper to buy an air fryer... 
  
  truthfully the options overwhelm me. 

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• maggiemadeit member

  March 2022

  @anniemarie887 Do it!! 

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• mambo5-2 member

  March 2022

  @anniemarie887
  get the airfryer! we use ours all the time! Air fried veggies, steaks, chicken nuggets, pretty much anything!

  Spoiler for History 
  
  

  Me - 30 DH - 32
  
  April 2009 - 8+ week MC
  January 2012 - BFP - DS Born 10/21/2012
  May 2013 - BFP - Twins MMC @ 13 weeks D&C
  Oct 2013 -  BFP MC @ 6 weeks
  Dec 2013 -  BFP  DD Born 8/16/14 - Cholestasis at 36+5
  Nov 2016 - BFP MC @ 6 weeks
  Dec 2016 - BFP  DD Born 6/19/17 @ 28+4 Severe Pre-E, IUGR, Cholestasis 
  Nov 2017 - BFP MC @ 6 weeks
  Jan 2017 - BFP MC @ 6 weeks
  Jan 2019 - BFP MC @ 6 weeks
  DH Vasectomy Aug 2019
  Feb 2022 - TTC #4 with IVF - RPL testing
  Protein C and S Deficiency - Blood Thinners for Treatment - Maybe we don't know!
  June 2022 - IVF - 2 embryos - 1 transferred 6/22/22 - Transfer Failed
  July 2022 - FET - cancelled
  Dec 2022 - Vasectomy reversal
  June 2023 - DH diagnosed with Brain Tumor - TTC put on indefinite hold
  January 2025 - Surprise BFP! Due 9/13/2025 - CP
  January 2025 - Trying Again
  

  
  
  
  

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• kiki047 member

  March 2022

  @maggiemadeit ohhh I'm so jealous, I've been meaning to get my seeds started but have been so busy that I haven't gotten around to it. It's getting a little late but I may invest in an Aerogarden because my MIL has started some of her seeds in there and they go wild! Have you grown broccoli before? Is it a worthwhile crop or do you only get like a few heads from one plant? I've never really tried any of the brassica veggies because of the limitations on companion planting and I grow a lot of nightshade veggies. But I just read that you can plant them with things like beets and carrots, which I do grow so maybe I'll try it someday. 
  

  
  TTC History:
  

  Me: 36  MH: 39, TTC since Dec 2017

  Aug '18: PCOS dx

  Nov '18: MH SA - 19mil

  Dec '18-Mar '19: Letrozole + TI - all BFN

  Apr '19: Letrozole + TI, - BFN.  Repeat SA (27mil) & DNA fragmentation test (17%)

  Aug '19: Letrozole + HCG trigger + IUI + prog supp - BFN (MH: 16mil)

  Sep '19: 2nd IUI, same protocol - BFN (MH: 16mil) 

  Dec '19: IVF #1 w/ICSI, PGT. 5 retrieved, 4 fertilized, 3 blasts, 3 PGT-A normal.

  Mar '20: FET #1, perfect 5AA blast transferred. BFN.

  Sept '20: FET #2, 5BB tsf. 9/18/20 BFP!! EDD: 5/27/21. MMC 11w                                                  

  Feb ‘21: FET #3, last 6BB blast transferred. BFP, EDD 11/2/21. MC 5w3d. 

  May '21: IVF #2 w/ICSI, PGT. 8R, 7M, 6F, 6 blasts - 3AB, 3AB, 3BB, 4BB, 5BB, 6BA. Fresh tsf 5/13/21 - BFN. 

  June '21: PGT-A results = 3 abnormal, 1 low level mosaic. Referred to new REI, had consult with 2nd RE in between. 

  
  

  Sept '21: RPL, immune testing normal

  Oct '21: IVF #3 w/IMSI, PGT. 33R, 26M, 23F, 9 blasts (7 day 6, 2 day 7). PGT-A = 5 normal, 1 mosaic

  Dec '21: Positive for endometritis, RX Flagyl & Keflex

  Jan '22: FET #5 - Kitchen sink immune/RIF protocol incl. PRP, intralipids, prednisone, medrol, nivestym, fragmin - CP

  Feb '22: FET #6 - Kitchen sink immune/RIF protocol w/higher doses of pred & fragmin - BFN

  Mar '22: Mock cycle for ERA - cancelled, repeat endometrial biopsy instead. Still positive for endometritis. RX ciprofloxacin & amoxicillin. 

  Apr '22: IVF #4 w/IMSI, PGT. 28R, 23M, 16F, 11 blasts. PGT-A = 6 normal. 

  June '22: FET #7 - Microdose lupron downreg w/kitchen sink immune/RIF protocol - double embryo transfer. BFN.

  July '22: FET #8 - Mini stim w/Puregon + trigger, kitchen sink immune/RIF protocol. BFN. 

  Sep '22: Taking a break

  Dec '22: Attempted abdominal myomectomy, fibroid too close to cervix and major blood vessels. Wasn't removed. 

  Feb '23: FET #9 - Modified natural w/baby asp, HCG trigger, PIO, PRP, Medrol, HCG wash, embryo glue - BFP!! EDD 11/11/23

  
  

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• optimistgardener member

  March 2022 edited March 2022

  @kiki047 i enjoy growing broccoli. mine never makes a large head like the type you buy in the store, but my good broccoli plants are reliable in that they just keep sprouting lil florets all summer and into fall, and then if i leave them in the ground through the winter (we get cold winters but usually our coldest freeze is mid-teens and not below) then they resume flowering for me in the spring for a while, too. they are productive enough that with 3-4 plants i can have a pretty decent amount of garden-grown broccoli.
  

  History

  I am doing this on my own. Left ovary and fallopian tube removed due to cyst/necrosis just after birth. Right ovary and tube still purport to function.

  Began TTC in Aug '18 @ age 35

  5 or 6 (or 7?!) cycles using frozen donor sperm, ICI. All BFN

  Mar-Jun '19 IUIs, all BFN
  

  Began process of referral for RE in spring of '19, blood tests confirm low AMH (.54) but all else is good.

  May '19 HSG shows open tube, but ultrasound suggests fibroids
  

  MRI in June '19 confirms two large fibroids, one growing through wall of uterus

  In June '19 I move from California to Oregon, disrupting my insurance, referrals, etc. 5 months spent piecing it all back together.
  

  Nov. '19 attempted myomectomy (vaginal approach) failed. 2nd surgery using laparoscopic method in Jan '20 is successful.
  

  April '20 --> June '20, natural IUIs, all BFN.

  July? saline ultrasound and bubble test demonstrate open tube
  

  July '20 clomid cycle cancelled for thin lining

  Aug-Oct, 3 femara cycles, all BFN

  RE referral. While waiting to set up an appointment Nov-Jan,I continue with natural cycles and ICI, using a known donor, BFN...
  

  Jan '21 more bloodwork, AMH is worse (.30), FSH high albeit not catastrophic at 13.2. hysteroscopy all good. "looks cozy!" says the RE.
  

  Feb '21, injectables (menopur, novarel), iui, BFN (doc said the frozen donor sperm sample had the "best numbers she'd ever seen!")
  

  Mar '21, injectables, iui cancelled due to lack of follicles, converted to at home-insem. BFN
  

  May '21, first IVF round cancelled due to cyst.

  July '21 IVF: standard antagonist. 225menupur/225gonal-f/cetrotide/5000u trigger, AFC 7; 6 days of stims. 8 eggs retrieved, 7 mature, 5 fertilize, 4 made it to blast. 3 are 4AB, 1 is 4BB. PGT-A results all abnormal.
  Oct '21 somewhat improved AMH (.51) and significantly improved FSH (8.9). Maybe it's all the pills I swallow.
  Dec -21, standard antagonist. 225menupur/225gonal-f/cetrotide/5000u trigger, AFC 5; 11 days of stims. retrieval yields 5, 4M, 2 reach day-6 blast (4AB & 4BB). 1 low-level mosaic (chr. 3 deletion), 1 complex abnormal.
  Feb '22 FET (low-level mosaic): CP.
  May '22 egg retrieval, lupron flare protocol. HGH priming for 1 month before stims; md lupron 20/20u daily; menopur 225, follistim 225, 10k trigger after 8 days of stims; AFC 10; 13 retrieved; 10 mature; 8 fertilized. All frozen at 2PN for later thaw, grow, and biopsy.
  July '22 egg retrieval same protocol: 9 days of stims; AFC 8; 10 retrieved, 8 mature, 4 fertilized and frozen.
  Sept '22 ER same protocol: AFC 10; 12 retrieved, 11 mature, 11 fertilized.
  From the 3 retrievals, 7 survived to day 5-6 blastocyst, from which I have 2 normal embryos!
  Jan 20, Fully medicated FET, baby aspirin, dexamethasone, acupuncture, and as much woo as I can stand (which isn't very much). BFN.
  July 23, Natural FET + baby aspirin. BFN.
  

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• Paturkey member

  March 2022

  @kiki047 I second what optimist said - I got maybe one decent head of broccoli from each plant and then smaller ones from the side shoots. It was nice to have.
  
  @maggiemadeit Those look great! Normally I would have started my seeds already but I'm going away for two weeks and didn't want to leave them so we'll just have a late start this year. I've already prepped the veggie bed, though, and we should have some nice compost ready for when we start planting out!

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• maggiemadeit member

  March 2022

  @kiki047 I tried broccoli for the first time last year and I must have done something wrong, because it never made any actual broccoli! But my husband and I love it so I’m giving it another try. Fingers crossed!
  
  @Paturkey Sounds like you are in good shape for spring! I still have to uncover my beds and sift through the compost from last year. 

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