I have the utmost respect for both of the people in this article, but definitely have to tip my hat to Eva Kors. Not only did she survive Mengele, the concentration camp, and World War II, she has gone on to educate later generations in the hope that such horrors never occur again. I applaud Ed Asner for his support of her vision as well but I must say.........Ms. Kors, you are one of my heroines; thank you for living and giving so hugely and passionately.
http://tribstar.com/local/x1990861325/CANDLES-brings-Ed-Asner-to-town
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Slow but Steady and a Wish List
Still working on the super-secret birthday project, it's been slow going this week due to a cranky right hand and wrist, and trying to find time to sew when the soon-to-be recipient isn't around, but it's still going and that's what counts. When it's finished, and given, I'll post pictures, promise!There are pics of Jess's haircut and color, as well as a couple of pictures of the first apron project (that actually show the entire apron) and as soon as they are loaded on the computer they'll be posted.
So I thought I'd post my version of a bucket list. Actually, I can't abide the term 'bucket list' since I've no intention of kicking the bucket anytime soon, but there is a wish list of things I would like to accomplish while still able to enjoy and participate in them as fully as possible. This isn't the full list by any means but I thought posting the first ten...not necessarily the top ten....would be a good start. I'd be very interested in seeing your wish list as well.
1. Go to Scotland for a month.....in the summer. When it's breezy. Ugh midges!
2. Go to Canada and meet Carolyn and company for a hug and food fest. In the summer when the fear of frostbite is slight. I hope.
3. Have a recipe of mine used by a restaurant or published in a magazine. Not because it's on this list and 'oh poor pitiful me' but because it's just that good. (Speaking of recipes, I need to start posting more of them, sorry folks.)
4. Go out to California and let Jess show us the places she knows and loves....oh, and hug Esther while I'm out there. Hi Esther!
5. Spend a week on a quiet beach and let the WonderDoodle chase the waves.
6. Go to Epcot Center and be terrorized by the Alien, again.
7. See my daughter living her life out loud, falling in love and back out again, gaining life experiences, finding a job she loves, and creating a life she is absolutely passionate about.
8. See my nephew James again, meet his wonderful family, and thank him for saying that I'm his favorite aunt....that meant the world to me.
9. Touch lives and leave them better, if only in a small way.
10. See a return of simple courtesy in the world; starting with myself.
So that's it for today folks!
Love..................Jacqueline
4.
So I thought I'd post my version of a bucket list. Actually, I can't abide the term 'bucket list' since I've no intention of kicking the bucket anytime soon, but there is a wish list of things I would like to accomplish while still able to enjoy and participate in them as fully as possible. This isn't the full list by any means but I thought posting the first ten...not necessarily the top ten....would be a good start. I'd be very interested in seeing your wish list as well.
1. Go to Scotland for a month.....in the summer. When it's breezy. Ugh midges!
2. Go to Canada and meet Carolyn and company for a hug and food fest. In the summer when the fear of frostbite is slight. I hope.
3. Have a recipe of mine used by a restaurant or published in a magazine. Not because it's on this list and 'oh poor pitiful me' but because it's just that good. (Speaking of recipes, I need to start posting more of them, sorry folks.)
4. Go out to California and let Jess show us the places she knows and loves....oh, and hug Esther while I'm out there. Hi Esther!
5. Spend a week on a quiet beach and let the WonderDoodle chase the waves.
6. Go to Epcot Center and be terrorized by the Alien, again.
7. See my daughter living her life out loud, falling in love and back out again, gaining life experiences, finding a job she loves, and creating a life she is absolutely passionate about.
8. See my nephew James again, meet his wonderful family, and thank him for saying that I'm his favorite aunt....that meant the world to me.
9. Touch lives and leave them better, if only in a small way.
10. See a return of simple courtesy in the world; starting with myself.
So that's it for today folks!
Love..................Jacqueline
4.
Saturday, October 29, 2011
(Kinda) Short but sweet
This is going to be another short blog; this is just an incredibly busy time for me and weekends are usually even busier. I'm not complaining, in fact I'm enjoying myself tremendously...other than having to watch my dosing times (carbidopa-levedopa for PD) so I don't have long 'off' times. While fatigue is still, and will always be, something I have to contend with I have more energy right now than I have had for a few years and I think I'm putting it to good use. Now for a few quick jots....
My far-Northern friend asked me the other day about entertainment, so here goes: we're all pretty easily entertained. Okay, okay...we don't have any expensive entertainment habits but we will rent one of the $1.00 dvd's from time to time, pop some popcorn or have other tasty snacks, and kick back on the couch. That is the only tv any of us watch. All of us really enjoy reading so the library is one of our favorite places; we can pick up movies and music whilst there as well, and it's free which is a word I like a lot these days. Once every month or so we go out to eat together; tomorrow night, rather than having what we originally planned [seabugs with smashed corn, aka shrimp and grits] we'll be going to a local Indian restaurant that serves some of the best food around and at reasonable prices as well. Hmmm, what else? Let's see........3M and Jess got a lovely Alice in Wonderland jigsaw puzzle they are working together, when it's done they are going to mount and frame it; we'll put it up along the stairs. I hate working jigsaws so I'll probably sew another apron I'm working on and chuckle when they get exasperated. Jess and I play a lot of Uno and Skipbo, and occasionally dragoon 3M into playing as well. We play a lot of word and pun games; seriously, I do mean a LOT. One of our main sources of entertainment centers around the making and eating of lovely food, we sit around the table for hours....eating, talking, and laughing. The below picture is of Lily the WonderDoodle...blogger decided to add the pic randomly rather than where I was trying to put it.
For myself, the computer is a big source of entertainment in a number of ways, although I'm not online nearly as much as I used to be. Writing this blog is a source of entertainment for me and I enjoy peeking at other people's blogs as well; on occasion I'll hit the 'next blog' button and start reading randomly, some blogs have impressed me so much for various reasons that I have elected to join their site. I also use the computer for my music, either going to a favorite radio station's site and listening from there or listening to the music I've accumulated in iTunes. Searching out new recipes to try, finding new sewing patterns (I've found several free patterns for sewn slippers so BEWARE!) and doing research for various projects, etc... helps fill my time as well. Sewing, that's a big source of entertainment as well as the occasional uncouth rant when things don't work out as well as I would like, which seems to be quite entertaining for the other two Musketeers. Going to book stores or thrift shops is always fun and sometimes profitable. Oh, and we definitely cannot forget Lily the WonderDoodle who is sweet, smart, and should have been named Janet, of Rocky Horror fame, because I swear she would go around singing 'Toucha, toucha, touuuuuch me!' if she could.
To wind things up for tonight....thought of another way I stretch our budget until I can make it squeal: I do our hair. I do all the hair coloring, hair cutting, and so on for the family. The only thing I don't do is permanents and that's only because I can't keep my hands up to do the rolling. Yes, I even cut my own hair most of the time, although I will go to a salon as an occasional treat. Very occasional, it's been 2 years since I went last, lol. Considering that it costs, on average, $85.00 for a single color, cut, and style and a very conservative $12.00 for a cut alone I'm saving us a considerable amount of money every time we don't have to go. No, the fact that I colored and cut Jess's hair this week didn't bring this subject to mind at all. Now when you compare the $7.00 spent on hair color to the $85.00 it would have cost in a salon a savings of $68.00 every month to 6 weeks isn't bad......when you factor in that doing it myself actually saves us about $148.00, or more, every month to 6 weeks the 'soft cost' doesn't even register. [Hard cost=cash, soft cost=a little time and effort] Speaking of coloring and cutting Jess's hair; there will be pics on here next week. She wanted a short cut for work (seems she hates hairnets, funny that) so by golly that's what she got!
So to wind things up, really, yes REALLY (oops, this entry wasn't as short as I planned) I had an 'awwww' moment tonight: 3M got home from work and saw Jess's hair and went on and on about it (yup, I cut 3M's hair as well) then as we were all eating supper....beef and barley soup that was uber YUM....made a very sweet comment along the lines of: "There are so many things you do; baking, making wonderful soups, sewing, cutting hair, and on and on, and you do them all SO well!" Jess jumped in and agreed as well. Needless to say I melted into a little happy puddle of gooey awwwwness.
Maybe my life seems boring when looking from the outside in but I'm finding this time in my life to be creative, encouraging, stimulating and just deeply, deeply satisfying. I am a very lucky woman. It is my hope that anyone reading this blog feels just as content with their lives.
Love.................Jacqueline
My far-Northern friend asked me the other day about entertainment, so here goes: we're all pretty easily entertained. Okay, okay...we don't have any expensive entertainment habits but we will rent one of the $1.00 dvd's from time to time, pop some popcorn or have other tasty snacks, and kick back on the couch. That is the only tv any of us watch. All of us really enjoy reading so the library is one of our favorite places; we can pick up movies and music whilst there as well, and it's free which is a word I like a lot these days. Once every month or so we go out to eat together; tomorrow night, rather than having what we originally planned [seabugs with smashed corn, aka shrimp and grits] we'll be going to a local Indian restaurant that serves some of the best food around and at reasonable prices as well. Hmmm, what else? Let's see........3M and Jess got a lovely Alice in Wonderland jigsaw puzzle they are working together, when it's done they are going to mount and frame it; we'll put it up along the stairs. I hate working jigsaws so I'll probably sew another apron I'm working on and chuckle when they get exasperated. Jess and I play a lot of Uno and Skipbo, and occasionally dragoon 3M into playing as well. We play a lot of word and pun games; seriously, I do mean a LOT. One of our main sources of entertainment centers around the making and eating of lovely food, we sit around the table for hours....eating, talking, and laughing. The below picture is of Lily the WonderDoodle...blogger decided to add the pic randomly rather than where I was trying to put it.
To wind things up for tonight....thought of another way I stretch our budget until I can make it squeal: I do our hair. I do all the hair coloring, hair cutting, and so on for the family. The only thing I don't do is permanents and that's only because I can't keep my hands up to do the rolling. Yes, I even cut my own hair most of the time, although I will go to a salon as an occasional treat. Very occasional, it's been 2 years since I went last, lol. Considering that it costs, on average, $85.00 for a single color, cut, and style and a very conservative $12.00 for a cut alone I'm saving us a considerable amount of money every time we don't have to go. No, the fact that I colored and cut Jess's hair this week didn't bring this subject to mind at all. Now when you compare the $7.00 spent on hair color to the $85.00 it would have cost in a salon a savings of $68.00 every month to 6 weeks isn't bad......when you factor in that doing it myself actually saves us about $148.00, or more, every month to 6 weeks the 'soft cost' doesn't even register. [Hard cost=cash, soft cost=a little time and effort] Speaking of coloring and cutting Jess's hair; there will be pics on here next week. She wanted a short cut for work (seems she hates hairnets, funny that) so by golly that's what she got!
So to wind things up, really, yes REALLY (oops, this entry wasn't as short as I planned) I had an 'awwww' moment tonight: 3M got home from work and saw Jess's hair and went on and on about it (yup, I cut 3M's hair as well) then as we were all eating supper....beef and barley soup that was uber YUM....made a very sweet comment along the lines of: "There are so many things you do; baking, making wonderful soups, sewing, cutting hair, and on and on, and you do them all SO well!" Jess jumped in and agreed as well. Needless to say I melted into a little happy puddle of gooey awwwwness.
Maybe my life seems boring when looking from the outside in but I'm finding this time in my life to be creative, encouraging, stimulating and just deeply, deeply satisfying. I am a very lucky woman. It is my hope that anyone reading this blog feels just as content with their lives.
Love.................Jacqueline
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Even a quicky can be fun
Since I am very very busy working on supersecret birthday-type stuff tonight's blog is going to be a quicky, just the menu for next week. The fun part comes in when you read the menu. Enjoy!
Menu beginning October 28, 2011
Friday 10/28
Supper: Smokin' beef and barley soup
Saturday 10/29
Lunch/Snack: Smokin' beef and barley soup
Supper: Seabugs and smashed corn
Sunday 10/30
Lunch/Snack: Creamed chicken soup
Supper: Crabby steaks, roasted spuds, chocolate-raspberry daydreams
Monday 10/31
Supper: Loaded chicken cobbler
Tuesday 11/1
Supper: Swishyfishy and 'seaweed' soup
Wednesday 11/2
Supper: Cheesy tuna of the land and rice enchiladas
Thursday 11/3
Schwein und senf with vegetable flowers in bad comic sauce
Oh btw Carolyn..........one of the ways I entertain myself is by making up silly names for the menu, hehe.
Menu beginning October 28, 2011
Friday 10/28
Supper: Smokin' beef and barley soup
Saturday 10/29
Lunch/Snack: Smokin' beef and barley soup
Supper: Seabugs and smashed corn
Sunday 10/30
Lunch/Snack: Creamed chicken soup
Supper: Crabby steaks, roasted spuds, chocolate-raspberry daydreams
Monday 10/31
Supper: Loaded chicken cobbler
Tuesday 11/1
Supper: Swishyfishy and 'seaweed' soup
Wednesday 11/2
Supper: Cheesy tuna of the land and rice enchiladas
Thursday 11/3
Schwein und senf with vegetable flowers in bad comic sauce
Oh btw Carolyn..........one of the ways I entertain myself is by making up silly names for the menu, hehe.
Variations on a theme
To continue with this week's theme of budgeting..... Veni, Vidi, Vici! (I came, I saw, I conquered!) Occasionally I run out of something or another that I really, really need; it's a fluke, okay? So sue me! (teehee) As aggravating as it is I'm lucky that one of my main stores is only 5 blocks from the house, now there are still days when I'm not up to driving even that far, let alone walking, but generally Jess or 3M are gracious enough to pick up what I need. On the days I am up for driving I try to make my store run fairly early in the morning so not only do I pick up whatever item(s) I need I can also scout their meat sales before they've been picked over by every Tom, Dick, and Mary who wants to save some bucks as much as I do. These items are still good but they are getting close to their sell-by date, and generally they are cuts of meat I wouldn't be willing to put on my shopping list. Well-wrapped and stuck in the freezer they are just waiting to be used on the next menu. This week I was able to make my 'oops' store run myself and, sure enough, scored a great sale! Four absolutely gorgeous, mouthwatering, New York strip steaks were just waiting to be scooped up by some enterprising cheapskate ... who just happened to be me. The price had been reduced from well over $30 to just over $20, still not cheap but definitely a major savings.
Thought I would take a break from all the kitchen stuff and write about other ways in which we try to live more thoughtfully and frugally... One of the first which comes to mind is budget billing. Three years ago, when we were getting bills of $300+ for our natural gas furnace we made the decision to just shut it off, especially since the furnace was the only appliance we had which used gas; considering the precipitious rise in natural gas prices since then I'm still convinced we made the right decision even though it means we have to be creative in how we heat the house. After doing some research we chose the safest space heaters we could find and use them with an occasional assist from our handy dandy kerosene heater. Considering that we lost power several days last winter that kerosene heater came in darn handy! Once we made the switch we set up budget bill paying with our local electric company; not only do we know exactly how much is going out every month it's saved us money over the year. Not a huge amount but every little bit helps.
It's worked well for us, in part because all of us are either sleeping or at work during the day for most of the week so we can cut down significantly on our electric use during the times when electricity is most expensive. (If you check your local electric company's website you'll see that most, if not all, price electric usage according to when it is used as well as how much is used; taking advantage of this information will save you money.) Along with turning out unneeded lights, etc.... I try to do our laundry, baking, and so on when the price for electricity is the lowest, which is one way of saving a bit of green. I also do something I call 'borrowing' heat and it's really pretty easy. Since the times when electric prices are low are, coincidentally, the coldest times of day during the winter, doing my baking and running the dryer during those times helps provide a little extra heat which means the heaters don't have to work quite so hard; opening the oven door after I'm done baking means even more of that heat is used. I also use the sun as much as possible; on sunny afternoons after I wake up I open the curtains to let as much sunshine as possible flood the house which can raise the temperatures as much as 4 or 5 degrees. While that may not seem like a lot it can actually be a big help (not to mention how much more cheerful a sunny house is). As soon as the sun goes down the curtains are closed, keeping as much of that warmth as possible. Slowly but surely I'm also making thermal, room-darkening, curtains for the house which saves us money in a couple of ways; not only can I make them cheaper than buy them....try pricing thermal curtains, let alone room-darkening thermal curtains, if you can even find something that combines the two.....they can be personalized to the room and the occupant thereof, and they save money for heating and cooling both. By blocking the light it not only allows a daysleeper to get better quality sleep but it helps keep the house from being heated in the summer by the sun, and helps retain heat in the winter. They also help block noise and drafts. Hey, if I can sew them all by hand think how much more easily you could do it with a sewing machine!
Eventually we will invest in a new high-efficiency electric furnace...which leads to another way in which we save money, we save up and pay cash. Now to be perfectly frank, this habit started out of necessity but once we figured out how much we were saving by not having to make interest payments, etc.... we made the decision to stick with this policy as much as possible and I can't say we've regretted it. Yes, there are things we will have to buy on a payment plan in the future, or get a loan for, but that will happen only if we all agree on it for major purchases we can't get in any other way, and that creates a good system of checks and balances. Since we've been doing this for a long time it isn't as frustrating for us to have to wait and save for something, and we haven't been hit as hard by the new economic realities as many people have.
Having said all that, I have to also say that we are very fortunate in a couple of ways: A few years ago my brother and I were left some money when our father died (and I will add here that I would much rather have him back than all the money in the world). Having discussed it with 3M I used the money to pay cash for a foreclosed house as well as the major appliances and furniture we needed. Because of this we have no rent or mortgage payments hanging over our heads, and shouldn't have to worry about replacing appliances for several years, a huge boon for us! Luckily, 3M and Jess both have jobs as well; no mean feat when unemployment is so high. No, I don't work outside the home..........yet. If I can I will, if not then it's already been agreed that I will create a job for myself; not only so I can add to our financial 'kitty' but because I need to feel that I'm contributing more than just saving us as much as possible. Besides, I get bored easily....
So that's all for tonight folks, hope your week has been going well!
Love................Jacqueline
P.S... As an added bonus, here is a pic of the dessert Jess made tonight: apples in puff pastry. Yum!
And an added, added bonus.......one of my favorite singers: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDY42pFwq7c
Thought I would take a break from all the kitchen stuff and write about other ways in which we try to live more thoughtfully and frugally... One of the first which comes to mind is budget billing. Three years ago, when we were getting bills of $300+ for our natural gas furnace we made the decision to just shut it off, especially since the furnace was the only appliance we had which used gas; considering the precipitious rise in natural gas prices since then I'm still convinced we made the right decision even though it means we have to be creative in how we heat the house. After doing some research we chose the safest space heaters we could find and use them with an occasional assist from our handy dandy kerosene heater. Considering that we lost power several days last winter that kerosene heater came in darn handy! Once we made the switch we set up budget bill paying with our local electric company; not only do we know exactly how much is going out every month it's saved us money over the year. Not a huge amount but every little bit helps.
It's worked well for us, in part because all of us are either sleeping or at work during the day for most of the week so we can cut down significantly on our electric use during the times when electricity is most expensive. (If you check your local electric company's website you'll see that most, if not all, price electric usage according to when it is used as well as how much is used; taking advantage of this information will save you money.) Along with turning out unneeded lights, etc.... I try to do our laundry, baking, and so on when the price for electricity is the lowest, which is one way of saving a bit of green. I also do something I call 'borrowing' heat and it's really pretty easy. Since the times when electric prices are low are, coincidentally, the coldest times of day during the winter, doing my baking and running the dryer during those times helps provide a little extra heat which means the heaters don't have to work quite so hard; opening the oven door after I'm done baking means even more of that heat is used. I also use the sun as much as possible; on sunny afternoons after I wake up I open the curtains to let as much sunshine as possible flood the house which can raise the temperatures as much as 4 or 5 degrees. While that may not seem like a lot it can actually be a big help (not to mention how much more cheerful a sunny house is). As soon as the sun goes down the curtains are closed, keeping as much of that warmth as possible. Slowly but surely I'm also making thermal, room-darkening, curtains for the house which saves us money in a couple of ways; not only can I make them cheaper than buy them....try pricing thermal curtains, let alone room-darkening thermal curtains, if you can even find something that combines the two.....they can be personalized to the room and the occupant thereof, and they save money for heating and cooling both. By blocking the light it not only allows a daysleeper to get better quality sleep but it helps keep the house from being heated in the summer by the sun, and helps retain heat in the winter. They also help block noise and drafts. Hey, if I can sew them all by hand think how much more easily you could do it with a sewing machine!
Eventually we will invest in a new high-efficiency electric furnace...which leads to another way in which we save money, we save up and pay cash. Now to be perfectly frank, this habit started out of necessity but once we figured out how much we were saving by not having to make interest payments, etc.... we made the decision to stick with this policy as much as possible and I can't say we've regretted it. Yes, there are things we will have to buy on a payment plan in the future, or get a loan for, but that will happen only if we all agree on it for major purchases we can't get in any other way, and that creates a good system of checks and balances. Since we've been doing this for a long time it isn't as frustrating for us to have to wait and save for something, and we haven't been hit as hard by the new economic realities as many people have.
Having said all that, I have to also say that we are very fortunate in a couple of ways: A few years ago my brother and I were left some money when our father died (and I will add here that I would much rather have him back than all the money in the world). Having discussed it with 3M I used the money to pay cash for a foreclosed house as well as the major appliances and furniture we needed. Because of this we have no rent or mortgage payments hanging over our heads, and shouldn't have to worry about replacing appliances for several years, a huge boon for us! Luckily, 3M and Jess both have jobs as well; no mean feat when unemployment is so high. No, I don't work outside the home..........yet. If I can I will, if not then it's already been agreed that I will create a job for myself; not only so I can add to our financial 'kitty' but because I need to feel that I'm contributing more than just saving us as much as possible. Besides, I get bored easily....
So that's all for tonight folks, hope your week has been going well!
Love................Jacqueline
P.S... As an added bonus, here is a pic of the dessert Jess made tonight: apples in puff pastry. Yum!
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
More budgety-type stuff
So to continue last night's theme on budgeting............
One of the things I'm proudest of regarding budgeting has to do with 3M's lunches. Now 3M is the slenderest of the three of us while at the same time eating the most and I try to make sure that those huge (a filled small cooler!) lunches are nutritious and satisfying without breaking the bank. Here is a 'generic' example: 1 Filled thermos of coffee, 2 cans of soda, Polska kielbasa, kale, red pepper, and pasta entree', 3 slices of cheese, 2 slices bread and butter, savory Oriental nuts, 2 chocolate and cherry muffins, a piece of fruit, carton of yogurt, pack of gum, and a plastic baggie of chips......sometimes candy or veggie strips with dip. The price of coffee is soaring so I either buy it on sale (and stick one in the freezer when the budget allows) or I buy half generic coffee and half name-brand and mix them...that's money-saving trick number one. The soda can't really be skimped on as 3M has definite preferences in that regard so I take advantage of sales wherever possible. Yogurt and potato chips I either get on sale or pick up at Aldi; if I'm careful about what type of chips I get they are very tasty and I save anywhere from 50 cents to $1.50 per bag, which adds up over a year! My biggest money-saver is also the option which ensures the healthiest, tastiest food...I make it here at home. The entrees? I make our main meal in the morning when 3M gets home, and before Jess heads out to work, and try to ensure there will be enough extra to make at least one lunch (which, incidentally, is packed up in food-grade plastic lidded containers that our local Chinese take out sends their entrees in...the round ones are used to store leftovers at home, the rectangular ones are used in 3M's lunches, thus saving even more money and re-using 'trash' wisely) for 3M to take to work. I bake our bread, muffins, cookies, etc.....during the winter. This ensures a quality product without preservatives and loads of added salt or whatever; it also, not incidentally, helps heat the house when I'm doing the baking! So, all in all, half or more of every lunch 3M takes to work is something I've made at home.......in this example it would be the entree, the bread, the muffins, the Oriental nuts, and if I'm feeling extra energetic I will also make homemade candy occasionally. If there isn't enough to save for lunch, or it isn't something appropriate for reheating in the microwave, I make a large baked potato with bits of cheese, meat, etc.... for a tasty and inexpensive lunch.
Okay, tonight it's very 'tired' out so I'm going to go lay back down.......later taters!
Love............Jacqueline
One of the things I'm proudest of regarding budgeting has to do with 3M's lunches. Now 3M is the slenderest of the three of us while at the same time eating the most and I try to make sure that those huge (a filled small cooler!) lunches are nutritious and satisfying without breaking the bank. Here is a 'generic' example: 1 Filled thermos of coffee, 2 cans of soda, Polska kielbasa, kale, red pepper, and pasta entree', 3 slices of cheese, 2 slices bread and butter, savory Oriental nuts, 2 chocolate and cherry muffins, a piece of fruit, carton of yogurt, pack of gum, and a plastic baggie of chips......sometimes candy or veggie strips with dip. The price of coffee is soaring so I either buy it on sale (and stick one in the freezer when the budget allows) or I buy half generic coffee and half name-brand and mix them...that's money-saving trick number one. The soda can't really be skimped on as 3M has definite preferences in that regard so I take advantage of sales wherever possible. Yogurt and potato chips I either get on sale or pick up at Aldi; if I'm careful about what type of chips I get they are very tasty and I save anywhere from 50 cents to $1.50 per bag, which adds up over a year! My biggest money-saver is also the option which ensures the healthiest, tastiest food...I make it here at home. The entrees? I make our main meal in the morning when 3M gets home, and before Jess heads out to work, and try to ensure there will be enough extra to make at least one lunch (which, incidentally, is packed up in food-grade plastic lidded containers that our local Chinese take out sends their entrees in...the round ones are used to store leftovers at home, the rectangular ones are used in 3M's lunches, thus saving even more money and re-using 'trash' wisely) for 3M to take to work. I bake our bread, muffins, cookies, etc.....during the winter. This ensures a quality product without preservatives and loads of added salt or whatever; it also, not incidentally, helps heat the house when I'm doing the baking! So, all in all, half or more of every lunch 3M takes to work is something I've made at home.......in this example it would be the entree, the bread, the muffins, the Oriental nuts, and if I'm feeling extra energetic I will also make homemade candy occasionally. If there isn't enough to save for lunch, or it isn't something appropriate for reheating in the microwave, I make a large baked potato with bits of cheese, meat, etc.... for a tasty and inexpensive lunch.
Okay, tonight it's very 'tired' out so I'm going to go lay back down.......later taters!
Love............Jacqueline
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Busy and Budgeting
So this has been another busy weekend for everyone......Jess worked over 12 hours on Saturday; she'd been scheduled to work Sunday as well but they ended up not needing her. Poor tired person was very tired! The restaurant where she works is new but growing like crazy, especially the catering part of the business. They are already getting people booking them a year in advance and anyone who knows the restaurant business at all is aware that it's extremely rare for an entirely new restaurant to blossom so quickly and so well. After she got home Saturday night we had pizza and a movie (Xmen: First Class) which was great fun.
3M and I did the shopping over the weekend; I'm getting around much better now but still get tired very easily so the help is definitely welcome, especially as I use 2-3 stores every weekend. It helps me save money in the long run to do so and since I try to plan any 'extra' store visits around my shopping day it also saves gas and time. This week we made an extra stop to pick up fabric (I have lots of birthday and Xmas sewing to do over the next few weeks) and since it was on the same side of town as one of my regular grocery stops we saved a good deal of time and gas by doing it all at once.
Well, I promised (or is that threatened, bwahahahaha) to post more about ways we are trying to cut expenses, as well as live a more thoughtful life, so here goes: First I thought I would talk more about how we want to give back; it was a frequent subject of conversation this weekend and we've reached some agreements. As I wrote in my prior post, we have selected a particular local organization to give to, here is the link: http://www.thlhm.org/ . It has done a lot of good in the area for quite a long time and has expanded to having a shelter for women and children, as well as a facility for teenage girls which helps get them off the streets and into productive lives......and it provides 3 meals a day, 365 days a year for anyone in need. While they are a mission they don't refuse to help anyone and we've all agreed that it looks like the best place for us to reach out to. Along with giving the food donations we'd agreed on we've also decided to donate toward their yearly Thanksgiving baskets and Christmas (Toys for Tots) program....all these donations will be products rather than money. While the mission needs monetary donations as well we're all more comfortable giving in 'kind' rather than cash. While shopping at Aldi this week (more about that in the budget portion) we found that they sell canned hams for $2.99 each, along with other good canned meats, stews, etc.... all of which were even lower priced than their hams. Because their prices are so reasonable we can comfortably double what we are able to give without hurting ourselves; thus helping even more. As for my intention to do a personal charitable project, I've decided to make pillows. Why pillows? I have a lot I need to do with a limited budget and energy level and pillows are pretty quick, easy, and inexpensive to make; they are also easily adaptable to different age ranges and either gender so I'm not limiting the age range or sex of the child who will benefit from them. Even a teenager can squeeze a pillow without embarassment and, I hope, at a time when things look totally dark, the thought that someone cared enough to make something for them will provide some comfort. So I'm wondering what any of you may do, or want to do, to help others?
Now for stretching the budget; I rather doubt I'm doing anything earth-shattering or new but I do try to find creative ways to make our funds work better for us. We aren't starving, or even close to it, but with the state of the economy and the general uncertainty of this thing we call life it just makes sense to live a little more lightly and thoughtfully than you absolutely have to and put a little something back for a rainy day. It is my hope that I can improve enough over the winter that I could go back to work, at least part-time, this spring....that would definitely stretch our budget! So anyway....
One of the biggest things I do to save money is to be 'brand-blind'...I'm not specifically loyal to a particular store or brand, although I will buy a particular brand if one of the Musketeers absolutely cannot live without it; even then I try to stock up when that particular thingy is on sale, if possible. Because we aren't blessed with a plethora of closets and pantries there are limits to how much can be stored ahead, but within those limits we're working on storing ahead where practical. The two stores I generally hit every week are Aldi and Kroger; if there are especially good sales (especially meats) at a local store called Baesler's then we'll go there as well. Yes, I realize that many people think 'Aldi' and go "ewwwww" or some such but I can assure you that every Aldi I've been to has been quite reasonably clean, they have some very good products (yes, and not so good but that's true at every store) and your savings can be quite significant. There are some things I don't get at Aldi, such as canned fruits and veggies, and prepared potato products, etc... but those are things I don't get at any store since it's tastier, healthier, and less expensive to use frozen or make my own 'from scratch'. On the other hand, Aldi is great for stocking up on things like olive oil, balsamic vinegar, basic baking supplies, basic pastas, turkey, butter, things like plastic baggies, etc.... (Btw, the restaurant where Jess works gets those great giant glass jars and she's going to get some of their empties for us to store things like rice, sugar, and pasta in so we can buy in bulk, thereby saving even more!) If you watch their specials you can even get great things like roasted red peppers for $4.00 less a jar than you can anywhere else.....or, like this week, 8 oz. of prosciutto for $2.99 which is a HUGE savings! Yes, it is good quality, even Jess was pleasantly surprised. This allows us to have our little indulgences without breaking the bank.
Another thing I do is make menus and comprehensive shopping lists so I can control what we buy much more closely and that both saves money at the 'front' end and cuts down tremendously on waste. One of my really big challenges in this area is cooking smaller amounts; I've always cooked like I'm feeding an army. That's great if you actually have an army to feed but unless it's something which can be frozen you end up tossing a lot of food, and money, in the bin. As mentioned in another blog, my menus and shopping lists are made on Thursday....even if I'm too sick to do anything else my menu and shopping list is done on that day. Why that specific day? That's when every store I frequent has the weekly circular up on the internet so I can compare prices as I draw up the menu; once the menu is done it gets printed out and the shopping list is done. Making specific categories for the list makes it much easier; especially if someone else has to do the shopping for me occasionally....since I know which store has the best price for any given item I can even break it down to store or brand name to make it even easier.
I break down my shopping list thus:
Baking Goods (we do enough baking to require a specific category)
Unbleached all purpose flour, yeast
Breads, Grains, and Pasta (for anything not in the baking category)
Elbow macaroni
Dairy and Meats
Milk, eggs, cheddar cheese, bacon (Aldi), pork roast (Kroger)
Fruits and Vegetables
bananas, green beans, mushrooms (Aldi)
Household Items
toilet paper, hand soap
Other
diced tomatoes, beef gravy, dog food
Personal Care Products
Shampoo and conditioner for Jess
Personal care products? Yup. The month is divided, once each month each person gets all their personal care products provided...anything special they want or need goes on the list. Of course emergencies happen and those are taken care of, but by and large we stick with the weekly plan. On the 4th week of the month, the 'off' week that isn't assigned to anyone, the extra money in the budget goes toward stocking up on meats, etc... for the freezer. This works out to around $50.00 that I can use to buy meats on sale, or flour, or whatever we need that is also on sale. Since I also buy a 'stock up' meat every week to go in the freezer (which is labelled and dated so it's used before going bad) we are building a handy cushion in case of unexpected emergencies, time off, or just a bad sales week. With the way grocery prices have risen, and are continuing to rise, it just makes good sense. As an aside, it's also nice to know you have a little you can spare in case someone else has a need....
Okay that's enough for tonight; I have a cake to frost and a nap to take so laters taters!
Love............Jacqueline
3M and I did the shopping over the weekend; I'm getting around much better now but still get tired very easily so the help is definitely welcome, especially as I use 2-3 stores every weekend. It helps me save money in the long run to do so and since I try to plan any 'extra' store visits around my shopping day it also saves gas and time. This week we made an extra stop to pick up fabric (I have lots of birthday and Xmas sewing to do over the next few weeks) and since it was on the same side of town as one of my regular grocery stops we saved a good deal of time and gas by doing it all at once.
Well, I promised (or is that threatened, bwahahahaha) to post more about ways we are trying to cut expenses, as well as live a more thoughtful life, so here goes: First I thought I would talk more about how we want to give back; it was a frequent subject of conversation this weekend and we've reached some agreements. As I wrote in my prior post, we have selected a particular local organization to give to, here is the link: http://www.thlhm.org/ . It has done a lot of good in the area for quite a long time and has expanded to having a shelter for women and children, as well as a facility for teenage girls which helps get them off the streets and into productive lives......and it provides 3 meals a day, 365 days a year for anyone in need. While they are a mission they don't refuse to help anyone and we've all agreed that it looks like the best place for us to reach out to. Along with giving the food donations we'd agreed on we've also decided to donate toward their yearly Thanksgiving baskets and Christmas (Toys for Tots) program....all these donations will be products rather than money. While the mission needs monetary donations as well we're all more comfortable giving in 'kind' rather than cash. While shopping at Aldi this week (more about that in the budget portion) we found that they sell canned hams for $2.99 each, along with other good canned meats, stews, etc.... all of which were even lower priced than their hams. Because their prices are so reasonable we can comfortably double what we are able to give without hurting ourselves; thus helping even more. As for my intention to do a personal charitable project, I've decided to make pillows. Why pillows? I have a lot I need to do with a limited budget and energy level and pillows are pretty quick, easy, and inexpensive to make; they are also easily adaptable to different age ranges and either gender so I'm not limiting the age range or sex of the child who will benefit from them. Even a teenager can squeeze a pillow without embarassment and, I hope, at a time when things look totally dark, the thought that someone cared enough to make something for them will provide some comfort. So I'm wondering what any of you may do, or want to do, to help others?
Now for stretching the budget; I rather doubt I'm doing anything earth-shattering or new but I do try to find creative ways to make our funds work better for us. We aren't starving, or even close to it, but with the state of the economy and the general uncertainty of this thing we call life it just makes sense to live a little more lightly and thoughtfully than you absolutely have to and put a little something back for a rainy day. It is my hope that I can improve enough over the winter that I could go back to work, at least part-time, this spring....that would definitely stretch our budget! So anyway....
One of the biggest things I do to save money is to be 'brand-blind'...I'm not specifically loyal to a particular store or brand, although I will buy a particular brand if one of the Musketeers absolutely cannot live without it; even then I try to stock up when that particular thingy is on sale, if possible. Because we aren't blessed with a plethora of closets and pantries there are limits to how much can be stored ahead, but within those limits we're working on storing ahead where practical. The two stores I generally hit every week are Aldi and Kroger; if there are especially good sales (especially meats) at a local store called Baesler's then we'll go there as well. Yes, I realize that many people think 'Aldi' and go "ewwwww" or some such but I can assure you that every Aldi I've been to has been quite reasonably clean, they have some very good products (yes, and not so good but that's true at every store) and your savings can be quite significant. There are some things I don't get at Aldi, such as canned fruits and veggies, and prepared potato products, etc... but those are things I don't get at any store since it's tastier, healthier, and less expensive to use frozen or make my own 'from scratch'. On the other hand, Aldi is great for stocking up on things like olive oil, balsamic vinegar, basic baking supplies, basic pastas, turkey, butter, things like plastic baggies, etc.... (Btw, the restaurant where Jess works gets those great giant glass jars and she's going to get some of their empties for us to store things like rice, sugar, and pasta in so we can buy in bulk, thereby saving even more!) If you watch their specials you can even get great things like roasted red peppers for $4.00 less a jar than you can anywhere else.....or, like this week, 8 oz. of prosciutto for $2.99 which is a HUGE savings! Yes, it is good quality, even Jess was pleasantly surprised. This allows us to have our little indulgences without breaking the bank.
Another thing I do is make menus and comprehensive shopping lists so I can control what we buy much more closely and that both saves money at the 'front' end and cuts down tremendously on waste. One of my really big challenges in this area is cooking smaller amounts; I've always cooked like I'm feeding an army. That's great if you actually have an army to feed but unless it's something which can be frozen you end up tossing a lot of food, and money, in the bin. As mentioned in another blog, my menus and shopping lists are made on Thursday....even if I'm too sick to do anything else my menu and shopping list is done on that day. Why that specific day? That's when every store I frequent has the weekly circular up on the internet so I can compare prices as I draw up the menu; once the menu is done it gets printed out and the shopping list is done. Making specific categories for the list makes it much easier; especially if someone else has to do the shopping for me occasionally....since I know which store has the best price for any given item I can even break it down to store or brand name to make it even easier.
I break down my shopping list thus:
Baking Goods (we do enough baking to require a specific category)
Unbleached all purpose flour, yeast
Breads, Grains, and Pasta (for anything not in the baking category)
Elbow macaroni
Dairy and Meats
Milk, eggs, cheddar cheese, bacon (Aldi), pork roast (Kroger)
Fruits and Vegetables
bananas, green beans, mushrooms (Aldi)
Household Items
toilet paper, hand soap
Other
diced tomatoes, beef gravy, dog food
Personal Care Products
Shampoo and conditioner for Jess
Personal care products? Yup. The month is divided, once each month each person gets all their personal care products provided...anything special they want or need goes on the list. Of course emergencies happen and those are taken care of, but by and large we stick with the weekly plan. On the 4th week of the month, the 'off' week that isn't assigned to anyone, the extra money in the budget goes toward stocking up on meats, etc... for the freezer. This works out to around $50.00 that I can use to buy meats on sale, or flour, or whatever we need that is also on sale. Since I also buy a 'stock up' meat every week to go in the freezer (which is labelled and dated so it's used before going bad) we are building a handy cushion in case of unexpected emergencies, time off, or just a bad sales week. With the way grocery prices have risen, and are continuing to rise, it just makes good sense. As an aside, it's also nice to know you have a little you can spare in case someone else has a need....
Okay that's enough for tonight; I have a cake to frost and a nap to take so laters taters!
Love............Jacqueline
Friday, October 21, 2011
Congrats, Menu, and little thinkies
First things first...........congratulations to the kidlywidly for getting a job! Yay for you, I knew you could do it, now go rock their socks off! Wubba joo! Yeah, I know you're a little (okay, a lot) too old for baby talk but since I can't give you a physical hug right now just consider the baby talk the verbal equivalent of a hug okay?
So this week's menu: I'm continuing with a (mostly) lighter menu since it seems to be beneficial for my stomach and I'm continuing to post my menus for Carolyn....mostly because it makes me chortle when she threatens to put on her shoes and walk down from Canada for supper. You and the crew would be most welcome y'know!
Menu beginning October 21, 2011
Friday 10/21
Lunch/Snack: Pastrami and Muenster with Dijon on homemade Onion Rye bread (an open-faced sandwich heated in the oven until it's hot and melty, yum!)
Supper: Chili
Saturday 10/22
Lunch/Snack: Chili
Supper: Pizza, wings, and other assorted deliciously unhealthy stuff, and a movie. Yay for not having to cook today! We'll probably watch X-Men: First Class....weekend before last we all watched Thor which was great fun.
Sunday 10/23
Lunch/Snack: Creamy chicken and broccoli soup with homemade whole wheat bread
Supper: Pasta with polska kielbasa and kale (this is a super easy recipe with lots of veggies in it, not just the kale)
Monday 10/24
Supper: Shepherd's Pie
Tuesday 10/25
Supper: Homemade macaroni and cheese with prosciutto, broccoli
Wednesday 10/26
Supper: Sauteed green beans and mushrooms with bacon, potato pancakes (aka patties)
Thursday 10/27
Supper: Cabbage and smoked sausage stew (This is based on an old family favorite: cabbage and smoked sausage, to which I add carrots, potatoes, and onions to make it healthier and more filling.)
I piked on making the coconut rum, dried cherry, and chocolate cake tonight, just wasn't feeling up to it, but I have the dried cherries soaking in the coconut rum and will make it Monday night....that way Jess can take most of it to work with her on Tuesday and remove temptation, otherwise I might eat the whole darn thing! It might seem wasteful to do so but in this case it allows me to try an experiment, share, and get the opinions of several chefs so what's not to like? Speaking of Jess, she's been working a boatload of hours this week and probably will continue to do so for the foreseeable future; I'm glad for her since there are things she wants to save up for but I do miss her company.
Speaking of my friend Carolyn, (hi Tanke!) she posted a very moving and thought-provoking blog earlier today about living large and out loud, having an impact, and living passionately. It was well-written, as always, but it also touched on things I'd been thinking about the last few weeks, like doing something for others. For a while I tried to keep track of things we bought and make every 10th purchase something for others but found it was really difficult to track things and pretty expensive at a time when everyone is struggling to make ends meet. On the other hand, even the middle class is struggling to put food on the table and fewer have anything to spare to help others, so what could I do to help out without simultaneously hurting ourselves? The solution I came up with is to buy one item every week while doing our own shopping....since meats are the hardest to come by I've decided to concentrate on canned meats or meat-containing meals like tuna, chicken and dumplings, beef stew, etc.... and collect them in a box to be delivered to a local food pantry or soup kitchen once every couple of months. Before we take the food in I intend to add a bag of fresh fruit such as apples or oranges to the box since fresh fruit is also pretty hard to come by when you have to decide if you can afford that box of macaroni and cheese. One canned good a week and a bag of fresh fruit every couple of months is something we can afford and thankfully 3M and Jess have agreed to this plan; I got our first contribution last week. It's not much but it's a start..... I'm also wondering if I can put my rediscovered enjoyment of sewing to use, perhaps make blankets or stuffed animals for children who have to stay at a local shelter? Ideas are welcome! The particular (local) organization we've decided to support also has thrift stores so buying clothing and other items to re-purpose there will help them as well as my budget, as will giving them the things we no longer need so they can sell them.
Speaking of budgets; I've been working on ways to stretch our budget as much as possible without turning into Scrooge McDuck and, again, you'll have to blame Carolyn for inspiring me as I begin sharing my solutions......see what you've let yourselves in for by reading this blog? Until next time! Love...........Jacqueline
So this week's menu: I'm continuing with a (mostly) lighter menu since it seems to be beneficial for my stomach and I'm continuing to post my menus for Carolyn....mostly because it makes me chortle when she threatens to put on her shoes and walk down from Canada for supper. You and the crew would be most welcome y'know!
Menu beginning October 21, 2011
Friday 10/21
Lunch/Snack: Pastrami and Muenster with Dijon on homemade Onion Rye bread (an open-faced sandwich heated in the oven until it's hot and melty, yum!)
Supper: Chili
Saturday 10/22
Lunch/Snack: Chili
Supper: Pizza, wings, and other assorted deliciously unhealthy stuff, and a movie. Yay for not having to cook today! We'll probably watch X-Men: First Class....weekend before last we all watched Thor which was great fun.
Sunday 10/23
Lunch/Snack: Creamy chicken and broccoli soup with homemade whole wheat bread
Supper: Pasta with polska kielbasa and kale (this is a super easy recipe with lots of veggies in it, not just the kale)
Monday 10/24
Supper: Shepherd's Pie
Tuesday 10/25
Supper: Homemade macaroni and cheese with prosciutto, broccoli
Wednesday 10/26
Supper: Sauteed green beans and mushrooms with bacon, potato pancakes (aka patties)
Thursday 10/27
Supper: Cabbage and smoked sausage stew (This is based on an old family favorite: cabbage and smoked sausage, to which I add carrots, potatoes, and onions to make it healthier and more filling.)
I piked on making the coconut rum, dried cherry, and chocolate cake tonight, just wasn't feeling up to it, but I have the dried cherries soaking in the coconut rum and will make it Monday night....that way Jess can take most of it to work with her on Tuesday and remove temptation, otherwise I might eat the whole darn thing! It might seem wasteful to do so but in this case it allows me to try an experiment, share, and get the opinions of several chefs so what's not to like? Speaking of Jess, she's been working a boatload of hours this week and probably will continue to do so for the foreseeable future; I'm glad for her since there are things she wants to save up for but I do miss her company.
Speaking of my friend Carolyn, (hi Tanke!) she posted a very moving and thought-provoking blog earlier today about living large and out loud, having an impact, and living passionately. It was well-written, as always, but it also touched on things I'd been thinking about the last few weeks, like doing something for others. For a while I tried to keep track of things we bought and make every 10th purchase something for others but found it was really difficult to track things and pretty expensive at a time when everyone is struggling to make ends meet. On the other hand, even the middle class is struggling to put food on the table and fewer have anything to spare to help others, so what could I do to help out without simultaneously hurting ourselves? The solution I came up with is to buy one item every week while doing our own shopping....since meats are the hardest to come by I've decided to concentrate on canned meats or meat-containing meals like tuna, chicken and dumplings, beef stew, etc.... and collect them in a box to be delivered to a local food pantry or soup kitchen once every couple of months. Before we take the food in I intend to add a bag of fresh fruit such as apples or oranges to the box since fresh fruit is also pretty hard to come by when you have to decide if you can afford that box of macaroni and cheese. One canned good a week and a bag of fresh fruit every couple of months is something we can afford and thankfully 3M and Jess have agreed to this plan; I got our first contribution last week. It's not much but it's a start..... I'm also wondering if I can put my rediscovered enjoyment of sewing to use, perhaps make blankets or stuffed animals for children who have to stay at a local shelter? Ideas are welcome! The particular (local) organization we've decided to support also has thrift stores so buying clothing and other items to re-purpose there will help them as well as my budget, as will giving them the things we no longer need so they can sell them.
Speaking of budgets; I've been working on ways to stretch our budget as much as possible without turning into Scrooge McDuck and, again, you'll have to blame Carolyn for inspiring me as I begin sharing my solutions......see what you've let yourselves in for by reading this blog? Until next time! Love...........Jacqueline
Thursday, October 20, 2011
No More I Love You's
Well the blog title looks a little melodramatic up there but it seems both appropriate and poignant this morning. I don't generally quote song lyrics, here or elsewhere, but a little over a month ago these particular Annie Lennox lyrics fit my circumstances eerily well...'No more I love you's/Language is leaving me in silence'. Yes, definitely melodramatic, but still.....
A month and a bit ago, before I was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease and serotonin syndrome, the tremours, spasms, etc... had grown so bad that my face, mouth, tongue, and throat were also spasming wildly and had rendered me unable to speak. When I tried to speak my mouth would flop open and closed and I made gasping noises like a landed fish; it so horrified me that I hid in my room when it was at it's worst even though I knew, and know, I have the complete support of 3M and Jess. It's probably a very good thing that it was taken care of fairly quickly as I could definitely see me taking a hammer to all the mirrors in the house so I wouldn't have to see myself like that. Does it come as a surprise that I didn't look in the mirror once while it was happening? I don't think I'm eaten up with vanity but I couldn't bear the thought of seeing it. And not being able to communicate verbally? ME? Anyone who knows me at all has some inkling of how much that prospect horrified me. I was, quite literally, terrified. Perhaps a stronger person would have thought more about everything they had left, or the beauty of silence or some such but I am not that strong nor ever claimed to be. Man is the animal that communicates, and as such the inability to do so has the potential of cutting one off from society, as well as a large part of what makes us human.
Telling the people I care most about 'I love you' has always been important to me; perhaps it's a morbid point of view to some but I've always felt that we never know when we'll not be able to say it to someone again, for whatever reason, so say it as much as you can while you you are able. Frankly, even knowing that I've been profligate with my 'I love you's' wasn't all that much comfort during the days when I had to wonder if I was going to completely lose my ability to express myself verbally. I'm not ashamed to say that I cried during that time, and really quite a lot. I am very very thankful to have understanding people who love me, who held me while I cried, were strong for me, and who gave me reassurance that I wasn't alone with the fear and grief. At that point I had no way of knowing the problem would be resolved quickly and had to try to find a way to live with the prospect that this could be the state of my life...
Fortunately, going off all medications containing serotonin has helped with the major movement problem and the Parkinson's med has helped with some of the balance, tremouring, posture, and muscle stiffness problems. Having been on it a little over 3 weeks now I have a much clearer idea what it will, and will not, help with. One of the most profound differences it made was in the quality of my sleep....I knew quality sleep was getting more difficult to obtain but I didn't realise how bad it had really gotten until it started getting better. I no longer wake up moaning or crying every time I need to turn over in bed, although when good ole arthur (arthritis) is acting up I still wake up occasionally. If you think about how often one moves or turns in bed you can see how often I was waking, and lack of rest makes everything else so much worse. 3M and Jess have both mentioned that they no longer hear me crying out or groaning in bed and that I seem to have more energy, etc...
Other areas it's helped with include the hunching of my shoulders and upper back, which also helps with balance problems, and I no longer do the shuffle-walk....at least when I'm on my medication. It does wear off after a few hours and the hunch and shuffle return; actually the first things I notice as the med wears off are a 'trembling', especially of my hands and face, and that I have to think about it to change expression. I've always been told I could never play poker because my face showed everything I thought or felt; when the med wears off I would be able to play poker with no problem. Thankfully I've never felt a need to play poker so I'll stick with my meds and a face that shows my feelings. I can also speak without going all fish-faced, even sing! That's another thing I had been losing for a few years that crept up so slowly I didn't even notice it most of the time. I've always enjoyed singing (even if not particularly good at it) and some of my fondest memories are of singing with the kidling while doing dishes, or driving. A few years ago I slowly stopped singing because it felt like I couldn't breathe right and/or my voice would fade away and I'd hit false notes; I went from singing nearly every day to singing perhaps twice in the last year, and then not very well. Now I can sing a bit and in fact do so as part of the voice-strengthening regimen I do a few times a week (when I'm by myself, singing and speaking scales would be boring and annoying to a spectator I'm sure).
There are also things the Parkinson's med won't do....first and foremost, it's not going to cure me although it will slow the progress of the physical aspects of Parkinson's, there is currently no cure for Parkinson's and not even a clear understanding of the cause(s). It hasn't cured the choking problem although it's improved slightly; I suspect the neurologist will suggest physical therapy but it's something I'm going to have to be on guard against from now on. I still have balance, fatigue, and pain issues that are unrelated to Parkinson's and I'm going to have to deal with them separately. The big thing the Parkinson's medications, any of them, don't deal with are problems related to cognitive functioning and those, for me, are the scariest issues I'll have to deal with. Someone who doesn't know me well might not notice any difference but there are some problems developing; memory is one and learning new skills are another...not surprising since memory plays such a large part in learning. I'm losing some of my language skills and find myself getting stuck for the word I'm looking for, or jumbling words, much more than I would like and I'm losing some simple skills, like being able to sew from left to right and not just right to left. It may be that I'll need to take a medication for Alzheimer's or dementia to help prevent further loss but that remains to be seen.
On the whole I'm much more hopeful now than I was a month and a half ago and I finally have answers, just that simple fact makes things much easier to deal with, but I also know the future holds a great deal of uncertainty....all in all I believe I'm going to stick with my policy of saying 'I love you' as frequently and meaningfully as I can because I truly don't know when there will be 'No More I Love You's'.
Love..............Jacqueline
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Pics and Bits
Be patient with me here, this is the first time I've tried to post pictures on the blog. This first picture is of the bread I baked last night (see, I really DO bake my own). The loaf on the left is a rye onion loaf and the other two are whole wheat. I am triumphant about the rye bread by the by.....Jess hates rye bread but ate an entire slice and said it was 'pretty good'. That's like winning the Nobel rye bread prize! The next two pictures are of a body pillow I made from a repurposed applique quilt that was worn out in places. I also made a set of curtains with tie-backs from the quilt; I'll try to get pics of them another time. The fourth picture is the pocket detail from an apron I made over the weekend...again, I'll try to get another, better, picture of it later this week. Last, but certainly not least, are 2 shots of the bathroom we (mainly Jess) re-did as well, along with the shelves we use to store towels on. My grandfather made those shelves many years ago....they are probably twice as old as the kidling!
Hope you enjoy the pictures as much as I/we enjoyed the projects!
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Kidling's Chocolate Cherry Muffins
This one is for you bebe....I know you used to love them and I hope that if you make them it brings happy memories of making and eating them together. I love you and miss you.
Chocolate and Dried Cherry Muffins
1/3 c. coarsely chopped dried cherries
1/2 c. dark chocolate chips or chunks
1/3 c. uncooked oats
2 1/2 c. flour
8 oz. carton sour cream (for less fat and fewer calories you can substitute lowfat sour cream)
1 large egg (or the equivalent in egg substitute)
2/3 c. sugar (or Splenda for baking)
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. salt
Mix all dry ingredients, including cherries and chocolate pieces, in large bowl and make a well in the center. Add vanilla, egg, and sour cream. This makes a fairly stiff dough so be prepared to work at stirring it thoroughly.
Preheat oven to 350 F. and thoroughly spray or grease a muffin tin for 12. It makes clean up much easier if you spray your muffin tin then insert paper cups and spray them as well. Fill cups and bake for 25 minutes, or until tops are golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Makes 1 dozen fairly large muffins. Enjoy!
Love........Momma
Chocolate and Dried Cherry Muffins
1/3 c. coarsely chopped dried cherries
1/2 c. dark chocolate chips or chunks
1/3 c. uncooked oats
2 1/2 c. flour
8 oz. carton sour cream (for less fat and fewer calories you can substitute lowfat sour cream)
1 large egg (or the equivalent in egg substitute)
2/3 c. sugar (or Splenda for baking)
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. salt
Mix all dry ingredients, including cherries and chocolate pieces, in large bowl and make a well in the center. Add vanilla, egg, and sour cream. This makes a fairly stiff dough so be prepared to work at stirring it thoroughly.
Preheat oven to 350 F. and thoroughly spray or grease a muffin tin for 12. It makes clean up much easier if you spray your muffin tin then insert paper cups and spray them as well. Fill cups and bake for 25 minutes, or until tops are golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Makes 1 dozen fairly large muffins. Enjoy!
Love........Momma
Blog Name Change
Those of you who read this blog will notice that I've changed the name of it to reflect the contents more accurately. Blether is a Lallans (Lowland Scots) word meaning 'gossip' 'chat', about like blather in English. Considering the wide range of topics I'll be touching on in the future it seemed pretty appropriate and with Jess working and unable to contribute very often Kitchen Elixir just didn't feel as right anymore. Btw, hi Sunny! It's good to see you!
Speaking of Jess.....she's been very very busy of late, just tonight she baked 3 loaves of yummy banana bread. Now I'm not one to turn down banana bread in any case but hers is the best I've ever had and I got a couple of slices practically from the oven (with a glass of cold milk) because I was a good girl and took my nap. Not that I wouldn't have taken it anyway, CFS anyone? but waking up to a house full of good baking smells and a mouthful of warm banana bread makes it SO much more rewarding! Two of the loaves have pecan pieces and stay here at home.....one will go in the freezer for enjoying later.....and one of the loaves is nutless and going with her to work. I'm considering making banana bread pudding with the freezer loaf in a few weeks and topping it with a creamy caramel sauce.
Jess also painted the bathroom a couple of weeks ago, mostly by herself. 3M took the doors off the vanity and I helped sand them and give them the first coat of paint but got knocked for a loop with the stomach from hell week so she painted all the walls herself (a light sandy beige) and painted the vanity, medicine cabinet, as well as shelves my grandfather made years ago that we use for keeping our towels on, and finished painting the doors in a light Caribbean aqua. 3M put the doors back on and replaced the old knobs with some pretty silver filigree pulls I'd found a year or so ago and it looks like a whole new bathroom; the colors are fresh and light, it just makes it look and feel much nicer. There are a few little touch-ups which need to be done but that will only take an hour or so. Yes, I will be taking pictures and posting them on here sometime this week.
We had a fun, relaxing, weekend even though Jess had to work 1 am to 5 am Saturday night/Sunday morning (and brought us home fresh-made waffles, yum!). It was Homecoming week for ISU so they had an early morning alumni brunch at the restaurant where she works. 3M took the air conditioners out and put them away and I worked on a fun weekend project where I deconstructed an old sun dress that would have ended up in the rag bin and turned it into a cute, colorful apron. It has a white background with big red and black flowers splashed over it and a black and white polka dot hem. I took the front part of the bodice, which had buttons up the center and a small ruffle all around, and converted it into a pocket on the front of the apron. Even with double-seaming and doing it all by hand I got it done over the weekend and will be posting a picture of it as well. My next project is trying my hand at making a sleeping baby ragdoll complete with it's own little quilt....I'm not sure how it will turn out but I'll never know if I don't try. Sewing has become my 'Zen', it's wonderfully peaceful and relaxing to sit and let my mind think it's thinks while producing something from fabrics that would otherwise end up in the bin. Not that I'm averse to using new fabrics but there's satisfaction in giving something 'worthless' a second shot....
There was also, as always, a whole lot of cookery going on over the weekend....although I'm pleased to note that I didn't have to do any cooking on Saturday. As much as I love cooking and am happy that I can still do it (it's a good feeling to be able to contribute to the running of the household in whatever ways are possible) it's also nice to have a break from it. I made beef and vegetable soup Friday night and there was more than enough to feed us for lunch on Saturday as well, and Jess brought the waffles home so I didn't have to cook supper either. Surprisingly, to me at least, it was the simplest meal I made over the weekend that got the most raves. I had intended to make chicken and tortellini with spinach and mushrooms over the weekend but the store was out of the type of tortellini I wanted so I substituted cheese ravioli instead and it was a hit! It was a really simple dish that I highly recommend trying! Just cube a couple of chicken breasts and saute' them and some sliced mushrooms in a bit of olive oil, white wine, and rosemary while your ravioli is cooking; add a couple of spoonfuls of the pasta water, then drain the ravioli and add it to the pan. Add a bunch of rinsed fresh spinach, some garlic, and salt to taste. It's ready when the chicken is cooked through and the spinach is wilted....serve with Parmesan and yum! It took about 15 minutes from start to finish. We also had a huge beef stirfry with a butt-ton of veggies in it and brown rice.
In a few minutes, when I'm done with this blog, I'll be making spiced walnuts for 3M's lunches as well as some chocolate and dried cherry muffins...tomorrow I'll be baking whole wheat and rye bread (I'm trying to bake enough to last us for the week)....and Thursday night I'll be making a chocolate and coconut rum cake with dried cherries. Kind of a twist on rum raisin. Supper tonight is chicken and dumpling soup made with potato dumplings.
Hope everyone had a great weekend!
Speaking of Jess.....she's been very very busy of late, just tonight she baked 3 loaves of yummy banana bread. Now I'm not one to turn down banana bread in any case but hers is the best I've ever had and I got a couple of slices practically from the oven (with a glass of cold milk) because I was a good girl and took my nap. Not that I wouldn't have taken it anyway, CFS anyone? but waking up to a house full of good baking smells and a mouthful of warm banana bread makes it SO much more rewarding! Two of the loaves have pecan pieces and stay here at home.....one will go in the freezer for enjoying later.....and one of the loaves is nutless and going with her to work. I'm considering making banana bread pudding with the freezer loaf in a few weeks and topping it with a creamy caramel sauce.
Jess also painted the bathroom a couple of weeks ago, mostly by herself. 3M took the doors off the vanity and I helped sand them and give them the first coat of paint but got knocked for a loop with the stomach from hell week so she painted all the walls herself (a light sandy beige) and painted the vanity, medicine cabinet, as well as shelves my grandfather made years ago that we use for keeping our towels on, and finished painting the doors in a light Caribbean aqua. 3M put the doors back on and replaced the old knobs with some pretty silver filigree pulls I'd found a year or so ago and it looks like a whole new bathroom; the colors are fresh and light, it just makes it look and feel much nicer. There are a few little touch-ups which need to be done but that will only take an hour or so. Yes, I will be taking pictures and posting them on here sometime this week.
We had a fun, relaxing, weekend even though Jess had to work 1 am to 5 am Saturday night/Sunday morning (and brought us home fresh-made waffles, yum!). It was Homecoming week for ISU so they had an early morning alumni brunch at the restaurant where she works. 3M took the air conditioners out and put them away and I worked on a fun weekend project where I deconstructed an old sun dress that would have ended up in the rag bin and turned it into a cute, colorful apron. It has a white background with big red and black flowers splashed over it and a black and white polka dot hem. I took the front part of the bodice, which had buttons up the center and a small ruffle all around, and converted it into a pocket on the front of the apron. Even with double-seaming and doing it all by hand I got it done over the weekend and will be posting a picture of it as well. My next project is trying my hand at making a sleeping baby ragdoll complete with it's own little quilt....I'm not sure how it will turn out but I'll never know if I don't try. Sewing has become my 'Zen', it's wonderfully peaceful and relaxing to sit and let my mind think it's thinks while producing something from fabrics that would otherwise end up in the bin. Not that I'm averse to using new fabrics but there's satisfaction in giving something 'worthless' a second shot....
There was also, as always, a whole lot of cookery going on over the weekend....although I'm pleased to note that I didn't have to do any cooking on Saturday. As much as I love cooking and am happy that I can still do it (it's a good feeling to be able to contribute to the running of the household in whatever ways are possible) it's also nice to have a break from it. I made beef and vegetable soup Friday night and there was more than enough to feed us for lunch on Saturday as well, and Jess brought the waffles home so I didn't have to cook supper either. Surprisingly, to me at least, it was the simplest meal I made over the weekend that got the most raves. I had intended to make chicken and tortellini with spinach and mushrooms over the weekend but the store was out of the type of tortellini I wanted so I substituted cheese ravioli instead and it was a hit! It was a really simple dish that I highly recommend trying! Just cube a couple of chicken breasts and saute' them and some sliced mushrooms in a bit of olive oil, white wine, and rosemary while your ravioli is cooking; add a couple of spoonfuls of the pasta water, then drain the ravioli and add it to the pan. Add a bunch of rinsed fresh spinach, some garlic, and salt to taste. It's ready when the chicken is cooked through and the spinach is wilted....serve with Parmesan and yum! It took about 15 minutes from start to finish. We also had a huge beef stirfry with a butt-ton of veggies in it and brown rice.
In a few minutes, when I'm done with this blog, I'll be making spiced walnuts for 3M's lunches as well as some chocolate and dried cherry muffins...tomorrow I'll be baking whole wheat and rye bread (I'm trying to bake enough to last us for the week)....and Thursday night I'll be making a chocolate and coconut rum cake with dried cherries. Kind of a twist on rum raisin. Supper tonight is chicken and dumpling soup made with potato dumplings.
Hope everyone had a great weekend!
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Best Ever Cheese and Bacon Muffins, and menu changes
Well after my bragging about menu-making what happens? My stomach decides to get even wonkier than usual....so much for bragging, eh? After making out menus for 2 weeks I ended up having to make a new menu for this week so I could lighten things up; as much as we love warm creamy sauces in winter it's not much fun if I can't eat and enjoy them as well. Between meds and sinuses my stomach always acts up a little this time of year but right now it is being flagrantly uncooperative and not much seems to calm it down; most standard tummy soothers (both OTC and prescribed) contain some form of metal salts which drastically reduces the amount of dopamine that reaches the brain, a real no-no for people with Parkinson's. My alternatives are ginger-containing drinks and being very careful what I eat.....sometimes even toast or crackers is too much. Without any more whining, here is the new supper menu for this week.....
10-14
Beef and vegetable soup
10-15
Chicken with tortellini, spinach, and mushrooms
10-16
Beef stirfry with rice
10-17
Chicken and potato dumpling soup
10-18
Spaghetti (although I'll probably just have the pasta with a little butter and Parmesan)
10-19
Shrimp-fried rice
10-20
Confetti hash
These are foods we all like so no one is doing without, the best of all possible worlds.
I made more muffins last night that the 2 other Musketeers loved, which is yay! (I find that more rewarding than I can say) and 3M even named them inadvertently, so here goes the recipe:
3M's Best EVER Muffins
2 c. all purpose flour
2 c. shredded cheese (I used a mix of sharp cheddar, Parmesan, and Monterey Jack but it's flexible)
6 strips bacon, chopped
1/4 c. onion, minced
3/4 sour cream
2 Tbs. Dijon mustard
1 large egg
1 Tbs. minced garlic
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
tiny dash of cayenne pepper
Saute' bacon and onion in pan until bacon is cooked but not crisp, adding minced garlic for the last minute; drain and set aside. Preheat oven to 375 F. and grease or spray muffin tin.
In large bowl lightly but thoroughly mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, cayenne, and cheese(s), creating a well in the center. Whisk together egg, sour cream, and Dijon mustard, then pour into well. Add reserved bacon mixture and stir together slowly. This will make a fairly stiff dough but the muffins will bake up nice and tender with a good crumb.
Makes 12 normal-size muffins.
Happy Eating! Jacqueline
10-14
Beef and vegetable soup
10-15
Chicken with tortellini, spinach, and mushrooms
10-16
Beef stirfry with rice
10-17
Chicken and potato dumpling soup
10-18
Spaghetti (although I'll probably just have the pasta with a little butter and Parmesan)
10-19
Shrimp-fried rice
10-20
Confetti hash
These are foods we all like so no one is doing without, the best of all possible worlds.
I made more muffins last night that the 2 other Musketeers loved, which is yay! (I find that more rewarding than I can say) and 3M even named them inadvertently, so here goes the recipe:
3M's Best EVER Muffins
2 c. all purpose flour
2 c. shredded cheese (I used a mix of sharp cheddar, Parmesan, and Monterey Jack but it's flexible)
6 strips bacon, chopped
1/4 c. onion, minced
3/4 sour cream
2 Tbs. Dijon mustard
1 large egg
1 Tbs. minced garlic
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
tiny dash of cayenne pepper
Saute' bacon and onion in pan until bacon is cooked but not crisp, adding minced garlic for the last minute; drain and set aside. Preheat oven to 375 F. and grease or spray muffin tin.
In large bowl lightly but thoroughly mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, cayenne, and cheese(s), creating a well in the center. Whisk together egg, sour cream, and Dijon mustard, then pour into well. Add reserved bacon mixture and stir together slowly. This will make a fairly stiff dough but the muffins will bake up nice and tender with a good crumb.
Makes 12 normal-size muffins.
Happy Eating! Jacqueline
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Yes, I do do menus and Jess's FTW Raspberry Muffins
This entry is for my dear friend Carolyn who fell in love with my Swamp Ass soup recipe and battles rabid raccoons in the frozen Northern lands. EH!
In answer to the question you posted in my comments, yes...I do menus. Well when I'm feeling up to it anyway, which is most weeks. If I'm feeling really peppy I'll do 2 weeks worth at a time. For me it really cuts down on wasted food and wasted time, both when I'm shopping and when I'm cooking; it also allows me to make use of 'planned-overs', aka using particular base ingredients (especially larger quantities of meats) for more than one meal. Around here ham and turkey are still relatively low cost meats and planning out my menu allows me to use up every bit, which keeps our total food bills lower and allows us to splurge on other days. I generally do my menus on Thursdays since the stores I generally use have their weekly ads up on that day so I can save even more money. As an extra benefit, the money I have left from my budget at the end of the week goes into my sewing 'account' (a jar, lol) thereby allowing me to get my sewing supplies without bankrupting us! This past Thursday I got energetic and planned 2 weeks worth of menus, yes I'm going to share (just the supper menus).......Carolyn, please don't hate me! I'm also going to post the raspberry muffin recipe that Jess liked well enough to brag about.
Menu beginning October 7, 2011
Friday 10-7
Spicy Lime Chicken and Rice Wraps
Saturday 10-8
Minellini Soup
Sunday 10-9
Garlic and sage pork chops, corn on the cob, and mashed potatoes
Monday 10-10
Beef, mushroom, and leek ragout with rosemary potato dumplings (much much easier to make than it sounds)
Tuesday 10-11
Chicken paprikash with noodles
Wednesday 10-12
Italian potato soup
Thursday 10-13
Balsamic chicken breasts with cherry tomatoes and snow peas
Menu beginning October 14, 2011
Friday 10-14
Chicken and potato dumpling soup
Saturday 10-15
Swiss steaks and rice
Sunday 10-16
Pecan 'fried' chicken (done in the oven) baked potatoes, sauteed garlic green beans and mushrooms
Monday 10-17
Roast pork with potatoes, carrots, and onions; gravy
Tuesday 10-18
Spaghetti
Wednesday 10-19
Swamp Ass soup (aka pork and hominy soup)
Thursday 10-20
Confetti hash (toss leftover meats and veggies in with your potatoes)
I bought a whole chicken and a bag of frozen chicken breasts while shopping this week which will easily make all four chicken dishes remaining on the 2 menus and I'll get a pork roast on my next shopping trip that will be used for the pork roast, Swamp Ass soup, and probably into the hash as well. This makes my life much easier and makes my budget much happier!
Since she liked these well enough to brag about them I've decided to call these tasty bites:
Jess's FTW Raspberry Oat Muffins
2 1/2 c. all purpose flour
1/3 c. uncooked old-fashioned oats
2/3 c. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 c. sour cream
1 large egg
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vaniall
1/2 tsp. lemon zest, coarsely chopped
1 c. fresh or frozen (unthawed) raspberries
Preheat oven to 350F and grease or spray muffin tins.
Place lemon zest and 1 tsp. of the sugar in a mortar or small bowl, grinding briefly to bring out the oils, then mix with rest of the sugar. Place all dry ingredients, including sugar, in a large bowl and mix lightly before making a well in the center.
Add sour cream, egg, vanilla, and raspberries to dry ingredients and mix lightly until all ingredients are incorporated...a few small lumps are fine. This will make a fairly wet, sticky, dough but it will bake up nicely.
Fill muffin tins 2/3 full and bake for 25 minutes or until tops are lightly golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean; let cool in muffin tims for 10 minutes before removing and allowing to finish cooling on a wire rack. Makes 18 normal-size muffins.
Jacqueline
In answer to the question you posted in my comments, yes...I do menus. Well when I'm feeling up to it anyway, which is most weeks. If I'm feeling really peppy I'll do 2 weeks worth at a time. For me it really cuts down on wasted food and wasted time, both when I'm shopping and when I'm cooking; it also allows me to make use of 'planned-overs', aka using particular base ingredients (especially larger quantities of meats) for more than one meal. Around here ham and turkey are still relatively low cost meats and planning out my menu allows me to use up every bit, which keeps our total food bills lower and allows us to splurge on other days. I generally do my menus on Thursdays since the stores I generally use have their weekly ads up on that day so I can save even more money. As an extra benefit, the money I have left from my budget at the end of the week goes into my sewing 'account' (a jar, lol) thereby allowing me to get my sewing supplies without bankrupting us! This past Thursday I got energetic and planned 2 weeks worth of menus, yes I'm going to share (just the supper menus).......Carolyn, please don't hate me! I'm also going to post the raspberry muffin recipe that Jess liked well enough to brag about.
Menu beginning October 7, 2011
Friday 10-7
Spicy Lime Chicken and Rice Wraps
Saturday 10-8
Minellini Soup
Sunday 10-9
Garlic and sage pork chops, corn on the cob, and mashed potatoes
Monday 10-10
Beef, mushroom, and leek ragout with rosemary potato dumplings (much much easier to make than it sounds)
Tuesday 10-11
Chicken paprikash with noodles
Wednesday 10-12
Italian potato soup
Thursday 10-13
Balsamic chicken breasts with cherry tomatoes and snow peas
Menu beginning October 14, 2011
Friday 10-14
Chicken and potato dumpling soup
Saturday 10-15
Swiss steaks and rice
Sunday 10-16
Pecan 'fried' chicken (done in the oven) baked potatoes, sauteed garlic green beans and mushrooms
Monday 10-17
Roast pork with potatoes, carrots, and onions; gravy
Tuesday 10-18
Spaghetti
Wednesday 10-19
Swamp Ass soup (aka pork and hominy soup)
Thursday 10-20
Confetti hash (toss leftover meats and veggies in with your potatoes)
I bought a whole chicken and a bag of frozen chicken breasts while shopping this week which will easily make all four chicken dishes remaining on the 2 menus and I'll get a pork roast on my next shopping trip that will be used for the pork roast, Swamp Ass soup, and probably into the hash as well. This makes my life much easier and makes my budget much happier!
Since she liked these well enough to brag about them I've decided to call these tasty bites:
Jess's FTW Raspberry Oat Muffins
2 1/2 c. all purpose flour
1/3 c. uncooked old-fashioned oats
2/3 c. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 c. sour cream
1 large egg
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vaniall
1/2 tsp. lemon zest, coarsely chopped
1 c. fresh or frozen (unthawed) raspberries
Preheat oven to 350F and grease or spray muffin tins.
Place lemon zest and 1 tsp. of the sugar in a mortar or small bowl, grinding briefly to bring out the oils, then mix with rest of the sugar. Place all dry ingredients, including sugar, in a large bowl and mix lightly before making a well in the center.
Add sour cream, egg, vanilla, and raspberries to dry ingredients and mix lightly until all ingredients are incorporated...a few small lumps are fine. This will make a fairly wet, sticky, dough but it will bake up nicely.
Fill muffin tins 2/3 full and bake for 25 minutes or until tops are lightly golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean; let cool in muffin tims for 10 minutes before removing and allowing to finish cooling on a wire rack. Makes 18 normal-size muffins.
Jacqueline
Monday, October 10, 2011
For the love of soup.
Soups: I adore them, especially in winter; I adore them so much I've been known to try chilled soups...even fruit soups (which 3M despises heartily, siiiigh). I love eating soup and I love making them, I love inventing a new (to me) soup most of all and thankfully the two other Musketeers in the house also enjoy eating them. Matched up with some fresh-baked bread, fruit, and cheese if you're feeling fancy there is no simpler or more satisfying meal to be found. This is, of course, my opinion.........your mileage may vary.
One of the family favorites is something I call Italian potato soup; it's a heart attack in a bowl unless you replace some of the ingredients with reduced-fat versions (I'll eat it less often and use the most flavorful options myself) but it is the tastiest and most soul-satisfying soup in my personal recipes. I'll be making it later this week and both of my usual victims yaayed when they saw it on the menu. Last night I was feeling creative and decided to make a soup I'd been wanting to give a trial run for a couple of weeks now. It's a version of minestrone that I played with a bit and have named Minellini Soup, the taste-testers (aka the other two Musketeers) enthusiastically pronounced it a DO OVER! so I guess it has now been officially added to my soup repertoire.
So I've been on the Parkinson's med since Thursday and have to say it's working very very well for me, 3M says it's been a miracle and Jess has been very pleased with the results. The full effect of the medication won't be known for another 2-3 weeks but all signs are positive and while there are things it can't do, symptoms it can't reverse, it gives me more time....and better-functioning time...than I would have had otherwise. This is priceless but there is so much more which could be done with further research into the cause (s) of Parkinson's. It can be an insidious disease, especially early-onset Parkinson's because it steals you away from yourself and loved ones bit by bit. More devastating, at least to me, than the physical cost of Parkinson's is the emotional and cognitive cost; there is a definite link between it and dementia which means loss of cognitive function and emotional problems, thereby cutting at the root of that which gives us our personality, which makes us uniquely ourselves. Levodopa can help with the physical aspect for a time but does nothing whatever to slow...much less reverse...cognitive impairment. Okay, hopping off my soapbox now.
For those of you reading this blog: I hope all is well in your world, that your life is rich with love, friendship, and laughter.
Minellini Soup
32 oz. beef stock or broth
2 c. water
1 heaping Tablespoon, tomato paste
3 medium carrots, halved and thinly sliced
1 stalk celery, thinly sliced
1/2 med. onion, coarsely chopped
1 c. kale, rinsed well and coarsely chopped
1 T. olive oil
3 sweet Italian sausages, skin removed and coarsely chopped
8 oz. cheese tortellini
1 medium zucchini, quartered lengthwise, and sliced
2 14 oz. cans diced tomatoes, undrained
1 14 oz. can canellini beans, drained
1 rind, ungrated Parmesan
1 bay leaf
5 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
1/4 c. chopped fresh parsley
1 tsp. each: dried oregano and basil
freshly ground black pepper to taste
In large pot saute' carrots, onion, celery, zucchini, and Italian sausage in olive oil until carrots are barely tender, add beef broth, tomato paste, kale, and water and bring to a brief boil before reducing to a simmer. Add fresh parsley, bay leaf, diced tomatoes, and tortellini and allow to simmer until tortellini are barely tender, then remove bay leaf.
Add canellini beans, garlic, oregano, basil and pepper to the pot with the Parmesan rind and allow to simmer 10 minutes longer so flavors blend. (You can do this without the Parmesan rind but it adds a definite richness to the flavor of the soup; I do not recommend trying to substitute grated or shredded Parmesan as it will make the soup clumpy and stick to the bottom of your pot.)
This soup fed the whole family (3M had 3 bowls and Jess and I both had 2) with more than enough for 3M to take in lunch to work tomorrow!
Jacqueline
One of the family favorites is something I call Italian potato soup; it's a heart attack in a bowl unless you replace some of the ingredients with reduced-fat versions (I'll eat it less often and use the most flavorful options myself) but it is the tastiest and most soul-satisfying soup in my personal recipes. I'll be making it later this week and both of my usual victims yaayed when they saw it on the menu. Last night I was feeling creative and decided to make a soup I'd been wanting to give a trial run for a couple of weeks now. It's a version of minestrone that I played with a bit and have named Minellini Soup, the taste-testers (aka the other two Musketeers) enthusiastically pronounced it a DO OVER! so I guess it has now been officially added to my soup repertoire.
So I've been on the Parkinson's med since Thursday and have to say it's working very very well for me, 3M says it's been a miracle and Jess has been very pleased with the results. The full effect of the medication won't be known for another 2-3 weeks but all signs are positive and while there are things it can't do, symptoms it can't reverse, it gives me more time....and better-functioning time...than I would have had otherwise. This is priceless but there is so much more which could be done with further research into the cause (s) of Parkinson's. It can be an insidious disease, especially early-onset Parkinson's because it steals you away from yourself and loved ones bit by bit. More devastating, at least to me, than the physical cost of Parkinson's is the emotional and cognitive cost; there is a definite link between it and dementia which means loss of cognitive function and emotional problems, thereby cutting at the root of that which gives us our personality, which makes us uniquely ourselves. Levodopa can help with the physical aspect for a time but does nothing whatever to slow...much less reverse...cognitive impairment. Okay, hopping off my soapbox now.
For those of you reading this blog: I hope all is well in your world, that your life is rich with love, friendship, and laughter.
Minellini Soup
32 oz. beef stock or broth
2 c. water
1 heaping Tablespoon, tomato paste
3 medium carrots, halved and thinly sliced
1 stalk celery, thinly sliced
1/2 med. onion, coarsely chopped
1 c. kale, rinsed well and coarsely chopped
1 T. olive oil
3 sweet Italian sausages, skin removed and coarsely chopped
8 oz. cheese tortellini
1 medium zucchini, quartered lengthwise, and sliced
2 14 oz. cans diced tomatoes, undrained
1 14 oz. can canellini beans, drained
1 rind, ungrated Parmesan
1 bay leaf
5 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
1/4 c. chopped fresh parsley
1 tsp. each: dried oregano and basil
freshly ground black pepper to taste
In large pot saute' carrots, onion, celery, zucchini, and Italian sausage in olive oil until carrots are barely tender, add beef broth, tomato paste, kale, and water and bring to a brief boil before reducing to a simmer. Add fresh parsley, bay leaf, diced tomatoes, and tortellini and allow to simmer until tortellini are barely tender, then remove bay leaf.
Add canellini beans, garlic, oregano, basil and pepper to the pot with the Parmesan rind and allow to simmer 10 minutes longer so flavors blend. (You can do this without the Parmesan rind but it adds a definite richness to the flavor of the soup; I do not recommend trying to substitute grated or shredded Parmesan as it will make the soup clumpy and stick to the bottom of your pot.)
This soup fed the whole family (3M had 3 bowls and Jess and I both had 2) with more than enough for 3M to take in lunch to work tomorrow!
Jacqueline
Saturday, October 8, 2011
Ch-Ch-Changes...
Life in this joint has been hopping the last few months and lots of changes have come down the pike, most of them good, some of them not so much, and a couple that look very not good but have come with blessings attached.
For those of you in the know, I have been dealing with an undiagnosed movement disorder for several years now but with input from some knowledgeable friends, (thank you Aly, Tricia, and Jess!) a ton of support from my loved ones, a buttload of research and lovingly exasperated patience and help from my beloved Doc we have finally figured out that I have Parkinson's Disease with a side of Serotonin Syndrome. Now I don't think anyone wakes up saying to themselves 'wow, I think I want to have Parkinson's!' but it such a huge relief to finally have an ANSWER and a starting place for getting a handle on things that it has become, in an odd sort of way, a blessing. It's the not knowing which is truly terrifying. Eliminating serotonin from my body has gotten rid of the harsh movements that were tearing me apart physically and wreaking havoc with my life (not to mention that serotonin syndrome, or toxicity, is potentially fatal) has been a huge step forward, but not without some drawbacks. Unfortunately nearly all pain medications (with the exception of NSAIDS) contain some level of serotonin, as well as most of the newer anti-depressants. Even things like St. John's Wort have it! Don't get me wrong, I'm not against serotonin-containing products, they positively affect many lives around the world on a necessary and daily basis...unfortunately, combining products which contain serotonin, especially for sensitive individuals, can be chancy at best. The older anti-depressants, like the tri-cyclics, zombify me so if cooking, sewing, meditation, and yammering my head off don't take care of it I'm just going to have to deal with it and that's okay....I have my life back. If I am, in one sense, living on borrowed time...well so is everyone else, I'm just a little more aware of it now.
DD (Dear Doc) has put me on the generic form of Sinemet (carbidopa-levodopa) as well as gradually increasing the ropinirole I'm taking in order to control the PD, so far I'm tolerating the medication well and we are already beginning to notice small improvements in my ability to function and move my body safely. What a joy to be able to give and receive a standing hug without being afraid I'll fall!
In other news: most, if not all, of you know already that Jess has found a job with a restaurant just around the corner from our house; she loves it and they seem to respect her abilities as well as like her personally. I approve of that! 3M, the third of we three Musketeers here in the house, has been working incredibly long hours 6 days a week for the last few months so it becomes even more important that I function as well as possible. Someone has to keep the home fires burning! A month or so ago Jess's laptop finally gave up the ghost and a couple of day's later 3M's powercord for the laptop quit working, that was a fun time for all! For a few weeks all of us were using this one computer until the powercord replacement arrived. Now we have 2 functioning computers between the three of us, along with Jess's phone, but sharing has been easy and unstrained. This, too, became a blessing of sorts since I had to fill my time a bit more creatively and started sewing again. Thus far I have completed a set of curtains, with tie-backs, and a body pillow (all made from a loved, but aging, appliqued quilt) for one of the upstairs bedrooms, a dark blue brocade pillow for Jess, and am nearly finished with a cloth hanging organizer for 3M; all sewn completely by hand. I'm also working on a couple of surprises for Jess's birthday, as well as a small housewarming gift for DD and plan to work on making rag dolls, etc... as well. Those small creative endeavours fill me with a great deal of contentment and pleasure, especially when I can use things which would normally be tossed! I'll post pictures when I can.
Last but not least, the cooler autumn weather has allowed me to start cooking and baking without worrying about over-heating the house again, which delights me (well, most days...some days I just don't feel well enough for it and others I really look forward to the chance of eating someone's cooking other than my own, lol) There has been a lot of muffin and cookie baking around here lately, and I've been experimenting quite a bit with making savoury muffins rather than sweet. 3M likes the occasional sweet but really prefers the more savoury options. Sadly, most of the recipes on here from now on will be my own, but I'll try to persuade Jess to 'guest star' once in a while! Because of this change the direction of the blog is going to change a bit as well; there will still be lots of recipes but other subjects will be included.
Whew! I think my fingers are going to fall off from all that typing. To finish off this post, here are a couple of recipes....one for a savoury cheese and herb muffin, the other for some zesty cookies; later this week I'll be attempting to make Ham and Swiss muffins, if they turn out well I'll be sure to post the recipe.
Cheese and Herb Muffins
2 c. all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 c. sour cream
5 oz. shredded sharp cheddar cheese
4 oz. shredded Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp. salt
2 large eggs
1 tsp. parsley flakes
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. ground thyme
1/4 tsp. basil
Place flour, baking powder, salt, and all herbs in a large bowl; make a well in the center. Add sour cream and eggs to the well and stir the ingredients together lightly. Pour in cheeses and mix thoroughly into the batter; this makes a very sticky but firm dough that will bake up just fine, trust me.
Preheat oven to 350F. and spray or grease a 12 cup muffin time (honestly, for ease of clean up when making muffins I prefer to spray them thoroughly, insert cupcake/muffin cups, and spray the inside of the cups as well) and fill with batter. Bake for 25 minutes or until the tops of the muffins are lightly browned and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Do not overbake!
Allow to cool for 10 minutes in the muffin tins before removing from tin and placing on a wire rack to finish cooling. You can substitute low or no fat sour cream and cheeses although the result may be just a tiny bit less tender than the original.
Zesty Lime Cookies
(this recipe will work equally well with any citrus fruit although I, personally, would happily forgo a grapefruit version)
1/2 c. (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 c. granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1/4 c. lime juice
1 1/2 tsp. fresh lime zest, coarsely chopped
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp. baking powder
2 1/2 c. all purpose flour
Powdered sugar for dusting, if desired.
Preheat oven to 350F. Spray 2 baking sheets and line with parchment paper.
Cream the butter and sugar together until well-blended, with mixer. (I use a handheld mixer but a stand mixer will work just as well, if not better.) Scrape down the sides of the bowl and with the mixer on low speed add eggs, one at a time, until blended. Add lime juice and zest, mixing until blended.
Add salt, baking powder, ginger, and flour and mix on low speed until blended.
Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto prepared baking sheets and bake until edges are firm but with little to no additional color, 12-15 minutes.
Let cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to cooling racks and let cool completely. Dust with powdered sugar if desired. Makes approximately 2 1/2 dozen cookies. Btw, I've done a lemon version of these and it is outstanding.
Happy Eating! Jacqueline
For those of you in the know, I have been dealing with an undiagnosed movement disorder for several years now but with input from some knowledgeable friends, (thank you Aly, Tricia, and Jess!) a ton of support from my loved ones, a buttload of research and lovingly exasperated patience and help from my beloved Doc we have finally figured out that I have Parkinson's Disease with a side of Serotonin Syndrome. Now I don't think anyone wakes up saying to themselves 'wow, I think I want to have Parkinson's!' but it such a huge relief to finally have an ANSWER and a starting place for getting a handle on things that it has become, in an odd sort of way, a blessing. It's the not knowing which is truly terrifying. Eliminating serotonin from my body has gotten rid of the harsh movements that were tearing me apart physically and wreaking havoc with my life (not to mention that serotonin syndrome, or toxicity, is potentially fatal) has been a huge step forward, but not without some drawbacks. Unfortunately nearly all pain medications (with the exception of NSAIDS) contain some level of serotonin, as well as most of the newer anti-depressants. Even things like St. John's Wort have it! Don't get me wrong, I'm not against serotonin-containing products, they positively affect many lives around the world on a necessary and daily basis...unfortunately, combining products which contain serotonin, especially for sensitive individuals, can be chancy at best. The older anti-depressants, like the tri-cyclics, zombify me so if cooking, sewing, meditation, and yammering my head off don't take care of it I'm just going to have to deal with it and that's okay....I have my life back. If I am, in one sense, living on borrowed time...well so is everyone else, I'm just a little more aware of it now.
DD (Dear Doc) has put me on the generic form of Sinemet (carbidopa-levodopa) as well as gradually increasing the ropinirole I'm taking in order to control the PD, so far I'm tolerating the medication well and we are already beginning to notice small improvements in my ability to function and move my body safely. What a joy to be able to give and receive a standing hug without being afraid I'll fall!
In other news: most, if not all, of you know already that Jess has found a job with a restaurant just around the corner from our house; she loves it and they seem to respect her abilities as well as like her personally. I approve of that! 3M, the third of we three Musketeers here in the house, has been working incredibly long hours 6 days a week for the last few months so it becomes even more important that I function as well as possible. Someone has to keep the home fires burning! A month or so ago Jess's laptop finally gave up the ghost and a couple of day's later 3M's powercord for the laptop quit working, that was a fun time for all! For a few weeks all of us were using this one computer until the powercord replacement arrived. Now we have 2 functioning computers between the three of us, along with Jess's phone, but sharing has been easy and unstrained. This, too, became a blessing of sorts since I had to fill my time a bit more creatively and started sewing again. Thus far I have completed a set of curtains, with tie-backs, and a body pillow (all made from a loved, but aging, appliqued quilt) for one of the upstairs bedrooms, a dark blue brocade pillow for Jess, and am nearly finished with a cloth hanging organizer for 3M; all sewn completely by hand. I'm also working on a couple of surprises for Jess's birthday, as well as a small housewarming gift for DD and plan to work on making rag dolls, etc... as well. Those small creative endeavours fill me with a great deal of contentment and pleasure, especially when I can use things which would normally be tossed! I'll post pictures when I can.
Last but not least, the cooler autumn weather has allowed me to start cooking and baking without worrying about over-heating the house again, which delights me (well, most days...some days I just don't feel well enough for it and others I really look forward to the chance of eating someone's cooking other than my own, lol) There has been a lot of muffin and cookie baking around here lately, and I've been experimenting quite a bit with making savoury muffins rather than sweet. 3M likes the occasional sweet but really prefers the more savoury options. Sadly, most of the recipes on here from now on will be my own, but I'll try to persuade Jess to 'guest star' once in a while! Because of this change the direction of the blog is going to change a bit as well; there will still be lots of recipes but other subjects will be included.
Whew! I think my fingers are going to fall off from all that typing. To finish off this post, here are a couple of recipes....one for a savoury cheese and herb muffin, the other for some zesty cookies; later this week I'll be attempting to make Ham and Swiss muffins, if they turn out well I'll be sure to post the recipe.
Cheese and Herb Muffins
2 c. all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 c. sour cream
5 oz. shredded sharp cheddar cheese
4 oz. shredded Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp. salt
2 large eggs
1 tsp. parsley flakes
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. ground thyme
1/4 tsp. basil
Place flour, baking powder, salt, and all herbs in a large bowl; make a well in the center. Add sour cream and eggs to the well and stir the ingredients together lightly. Pour in cheeses and mix thoroughly into the batter; this makes a very sticky but firm dough that will bake up just fine, trust me.
Preheat oven to 350F. and spray or grease a 12 cup muffin time (honestly, for ease of clean up when making muffins I prefer to spray them thoroughly, insert cupcake/muffin cups, and spray the inside of the cups as well) and fill with batter. Bake for 25 minutes or until the tops of the muffins are lightly browned and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Do not overbake!
Allow to cool for 10 minutes in the muffin tins before removing from tin and placing on a wire rack to finish cooling. You can substitute low or no fat sour cream and cheeses although the result may be just a tiny bit less tender than the original.
Zesty Lime Cookies
(this recipe will work equally well with any citrus fruit although I, personally, would happily forgo a grapefruit version)
1/2 c. (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 c. granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1/4 c. lime juice
1 1/2 tsp. fresh lime zest, coarsely chopped
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp. baking powder
2 1/2 c. all purpose flour
Powdered sugar for dusting, if desired.
Preheat oven to 350F. Spray 2 baking sheets and line with parchment paper.
Cream the butter and sugar together until well-blended, with mixer. (I use a handheld mixer but a stand mixer will work just as well, if not better.) Scrape down the sides of the bowl and with the mixer on low speed add eggs, one at a time, until blended. Add lime juice and zest, mixing until blended.
Add salt, baking powder, ginger, and flour and mix on low speed until blended.
Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto prepared baking sheets and bake until edges are firm but with little to no additional color, 12-15 minutes.
Let cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to cooling racks and let cool completely. Dust with powdered sugar if desired. Makes approximately 2 1/2 dozen cookies. Btw, I've done a lemon version of these and it is outstanding.
Happy Eating! Jacqueline
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