Mother's Day Tribute

To all the mothers out there have a Happy Mother's Day. I hope you are surrounded by a loving family that bless your life by their mere existence.  My family is a true blessing to me, and I love them all. Have a blessed day.

My mother is no long on this level of existence, but I have some really fond memories of her to share with you.

Here she is with all of her grandchildren. I remember when she decided to let the racing strip grow in here hair. It was very fashionable at the time, and it was a precursor to the beautiful white hair she would have at the end of her life. She was always a great supporting factor in my sister's and my life.  She loved those little grandchildren in a way that was manifest in different ways with each of them.

Mom always had a somewhat whacked out group of friends that were members of her card club. They met once a month at different houses, and mom got the Halloween draw that year. She is in the red skirt, and her partners in the picture are from left to right, Dottie Korb, Mom, Sandy Parkins and one of the funniest people but I forgot her name. If I remember it, I will edit this post. Sandy is a dear friend from school, and the daughter of Dottie, which explains the similar costuming. What a hoot.  However, this explains a lot about just who mom really was.

 And here we have a costume change. Mom and her sister's wanted to dress up in there brothers clothes and get a picture. Mom was a day late and a costume short for the picture, and hadn't had enough time to procure a cigar (a cloths pin) so she used her finger. However, you can see that mom was always interested in costuming, not really. This is so cute. From left to right I believe that Aunt Oral (Nique) Hartman, Mom Edith (Nique) Fenbert, family friend unnamed, and Aunt Blanch (Nique) Kownatsky.

Although there is no costuming involved here, this is the occasion of one of the funniest episodes in my mothers long life of funny episodes.  This is the occasion of her 60th birthday. Mom and I had talked about birthdays at one of the kids parties, and she mentioned that she had never had a birthday party. As soon as she left my house, I went into action. I called my sister in Texas, and explained that she was going to be 60 and that she had never had a party. We quickly realize that this must be remedied and set into action. We invited the world to the party. All the family and friends we could find.

The morning of her birthday we started a day of unexpected delights for her. My father had ran Wilson's Sandwich Shop my entire life, and they allowed local organizations to decorate the windows with water soluble paints to advertise there benefit programs. Well my sister and I decided that we needed to announce to the city this birthday, and, besides she stopped there everyday for coffee on her way to work at the jewelry store.

Next we had a corsage of mums sent to her at work with the banner Happy Birthday Mum, and later in the day we had a friend Charlie Hanline go to the store to sing happy birthday to her. She later reported that she was concerned that her boss would be upset, however, Charlie knew them and cleared it with them first. While all that was happening my sister and I decorated here car, and I give her credit, she drove it all the way down Main Street in Findlay, Ohio as that was where she lived.

My husband and I took mom out to dinner while everyone packed by house for the surprise party. Mom mentioned at dinner that she was surprised how much I had accomplished in one day, and asked if my sister Paulette was there. We had decided to surprise her at the party, so we denied that Paulette was in Findlay, now there is the set up for the funniest thing I have ever witnessed.

When we arrived at my house, no cars near the house. Mom was thinking she was going to see my kids so they could wish her a happy birthday. She walks into a completely packed house, and is completely overwhelmed by people, there is the second set up process. She is hugging, and shaking hands of lots of friends and family, and here is the fun part.

My sister steps out in front of my Aunt Hazel, and mom looks puzzled by hugs her, but it is clear that she does NOT know who that woman is, remember we told her Paulette was not here?  Paulette says, "You don't know who I am do you?" Mom gives the best punchline ever, "Honey, you face is familiar, but I just can't remember your name!" Buwahahahaha, and we all chime in, "A face only a mother could forget."  At which point mom is so shocked by what she did she just stood there like a deer caught in the headlights. Then they hugged and laughed all night about the face only a mother could forget.

Reach Out and Touch Someone

This just struck me as one of those things that you can read, and it hits like a ton of rocks. The picture that immediately jumps into my mind is the hand of kindness to a homeless person. I have come quite close to being homeless in my time, and save for the grace of God go I. My family is always there, and that is what we all miss when we are suffering from our ego driven in overdrive mind. We forget that the world is designed to support us, even without family we have a support base called human kindness.

I have been driven to help homeless people many times, and I give what I can at the time. My friends sometimes think I'm crazy because there is this perception that the only reason someone would be homeless is because they are lazy or addicts. One truth is there is a growing number of old people who are losing their homes because they are fired from good paying jobs, to be replace with cheaper labor. Employment for older adults is difficult, and is never going to pay what a long time employee of a company would have made. They lose everything they were hoping to have for retirement in an effort to save their home.

There is also the population of seniors, without family, for whom the welfare system has become so difficult to navigate that they can't manage to get the system to work for them. There is also the old people that just are too proud to ask for a handout; this would be my mother. Without our willingness to help, they are going to be lost in the cracks.

But, you say, what about those people who dupe us? Well there is always a possibility of being duped. You say, "See I told you." I say, "Well better to be duped by a few, than to miss helping those in real need." The real thing here is, if you decide to help NONE because you are afraid that you MIGHT get duped, you miss helping the MANY who are in real need. The truth is that the bad karma for the duping of those who genuinely are giving out of loving kindness, goes to the person doing the duping while you will garner good karma for the attitude of giving in loving kindness even if you are duped. If, though, you decide to not help any because of a few bad apples, you get no good karma, and the bad karma accumulates strictly to you. I don't know, I think I prefer to accumulate good karma, and help when I can, even if it is only the loving touch of compassion that I can afford at the time.

Namaste
I AM that I AM

Noodle Shyt a Change Up Recipe

I know the name sounds terrible, but this is a great quick and cheap recipe.  When the father of my children and I first married, we didn't have much money. We kept expenses down by eating what I now call poverty meals. They were great tasting, the kids loved them, and they didn't break the budget. I still make most of them to this day, because they are good eats.  The kids and my favorite was a ground beef and noodle delight. We could eat it every night, but I felt that variety was necessary. We did, however, eat it frequently. One night the hubby came home from work, took a sniff of the air and said, "Are we having that noodle shyt again?" The stuff became lovingly know as Noodle Shyt from then on. If the adult children find out that I am making it, they  make all kinds of excuses to stop by at dinner time.

This is a change up recipe. This picture is of the original shyt, but it is great with any type of frozen or fresh vegetable. It is especially nice with kale or spinach. If you use any other type of veggie, it needs to be cooked before going into the casserole. 

Preheat oven to 350°F

Ingredients:

1 pound of lean ground beef
1/2 pound of noodles, any variety that has some heft to it.
1 small onion
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder or granules
2 to 3 cans of Cream of Celery Soup, however any cream soup would work.

Procedure

Brown onions, garlic and beef.  Cook noodles until done. Throw all ingredients into a large casserole dish, and add soup.  Mix well and cook in oven for 30 minutes. 

Change Ups

Add drained canned Veggies of choice
Add thawed frozen Veggies of choice-microwave to heat through
Add greens of choice

Who Say Old Dogs Can't Learn New Tricks? Snickerdoodle Recipe

My daughter insulted my snickerdoodle cookie recipe the other day. She swore that a friend of hers at work made the BEST snickerdoodle cookies because she uses cream of tartar. My Doubting Thomas mind went into denial. What the heck could that possibly have to do with making a great Snickerdoodle? So the chemist in me wanted the facts and went after them. I found this lovely explanation of just what Cream of Tartar is and does here. It helped me with my previous study of how to make your own cookie recipe here.

So now I'm convinced that my daughter is on to something. So I begged the cookie recipe from her, and now for the surprise. She was right about them being a superior cookie. Who would have guessed that a spring puppy could educate the old dog?

There were several things that I learned here. 

1. The darn things don't necessarily get really browned, and if you leave them in the oven until they do, you get a brick like Snickerdoodle. 
2. When you cook them properly, you get much softer cookies.
3. My spell check doesn't like Snickerdoodle, and keeps placing red lines under it.
4. If you add two more tablespoons of flour to the recipe the cookies are softer. Go figure. Learned this from my Grandmother-in-law.
5. The large end of a melon ball maker is the perfect size to make 1 inch cookie balls.
6. Here is a good deal on Good Ceylon cinnamon and it makes all the difference in the way the cookie tastes.
7. These are very easy cookies to make.

Here they are, with a favorite tea. They are perfect with a cup of Green Tea, but coffee is also good. There is nothing that improves the taste of coffee like a good sweet food, and snickerdoodles fit that bill nicely. So no more preamble, here is the recipe.

Snickerdoodles

Preheat oven to 400°F

Makes approximately 4 dozen cookies

Place parchment on the cookie sheet, no need to put oil or grease on the sheets. It also keeps them from browning too much on bottom.

Ingredients

1 ½ Cups sugar

½ Cup margarine

½ Cup Crisco

2 eggs

2 ¾ Cups flour

2 teaspoon Cream of Tartar

1 teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon salt

Procedure

Mix ½ C sugar and 2 t cinnamon in a small bowl.

I found it easier to use my stand mixer for this.  Cream sugar & shortening. Add egg and mix well.

Combine remaining dry ingredients, and mix together well.  Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredient a little at a time.

I the large end of my melon ball maker to make 1” balls. Roll the dough in sugar and cinnamon mixture.  Place 2” apart on cookie sheet.

Bake 8 – 10 minutes. Remember to err on the side of too short a time, and these things should not get brown on the edges, for if they do, they become hard as rocks. I left mine in 8 minutes exactly after the first batch, and they were divine.

I hope you enjoy.
Namaste

Reading Crochet Patterns

This is another one of my eclectic posts.  I have a new Great Granddaughter on the way, and will be crocheting things that I am now pinning on Pinterest. This instruction list will be most helpful.  With this post, the only thing I need to get up here is the afghan stitch, and I'm all set to renew my ability. I have been slacking since the kids started school, and I went back to work. I'm cutting back on the jobs I take, so have more play time. I'm looking forward to making some things for the baby, and my own home.

I found these old stitch instructions in a stack of old books that my mother-in-law had. Her daughter went through what she wanted, and I got the rest. I have seen so many patterns on Pinterest that have the those symbols in the bottom right of the instructions, and never knew how to read them. NOW, with these instructions I can interpret the instructions. YAY!

I decided to share these on Pinterest in order to keep them safe for posterity, and to share with friends. I have crocheted for many years, but have never seen those type of instructions until I started hanging out on Pinterest. I have not been able to find these instructions on Pinterest, and thought it was about time to get some out there that I could use when I need them. I needed to place them some place for my own benefit as well.

Healthy Smoothie Change Up Recipe-Revised Edition

Revising this smoothie recipe to discuss further the cinnamon controversy.  It has been researched throughout the world, and most cinnamon is a double edged sword. On one hand the cinnamon aids with the metabolism of sugar, but it is also hard on you kidneys. However, this applies to all cinnamon, except "True" cinnamon, which is called Ceylon Cinnamon. If it does not say Ceylon Cinnamon, it is probably Cassias Cinnamon also call Chinese Cinnamon.  If you use as much cinnamon as I like to then you are better off using the Ceylon.  

I have been experimenting with super food smoothie recipes. I've tried all kinds of stuff, and keep changing it to enhance the taste and potency. I have found that my cravings leave when I'm getting good nutrition from the foods I eat. What a surprise?NOT.  Well today I think I found a great recipe. One that most people will like a lot.

Just a little history here.

I have been trying to get my husband to drink these, and he takes a taste of mine and says it has sand in it. Huh? I don't use sand, and I don't notice this, so I go on experimenting. Today he tried my new concoction, and said it was nice and smooth, Eureka!

There are a few things that I did differently today. One I used my new Nutri-bullet blender; two I blended it a lot longer; and, three I use cashews instead of almonds in the recipe. I had already noted that the bullet actually pulverized chia seeds right in the drink mix, really a surprise as the Magic Bullet did not do that. So now I have a really well blended smoothie.

The smoothie experiment started as a desire to concoct Clean Gut Smoothie recipes. I used their list of ingredients and started whirring my way to health with the Magic Bullet, and it was working its magic. I didn't mind the chunkier feeling of some or the ingredients, as it actually allowed a bit of chewing which was an added bonus for me, but the hubby didn't like that.  So when I saw a great deal on a Nutri-Bullet, I snatched it up, and am glad I did. This is still a great recipe if all you have is a Magic Bullet, but there is a lot of texture in the smoothie.

Ingredients: Links are to nutritional facts for the food

Handful of baby spinach and kale*
1 inch of Ginger
1/2-3/4 cup of frozen blueberries
2 teaspoons of Bragg's Raw Apple Cider Vinegar-this really enhances the flavor, and is so good for you
1/8-1/4 cup of Raw Cashews-you can use them dry or soaked, but I used the dry ones. It's less work
Vegan Protein Powder-check canister for serving size-I decrease mine as the chia & nuts have protein also
1/2 teaspoon of Ceylon Cinnamon-do not exceed more than 1 teaspoon of cinnamon daily, see first paragraph.
1 scoop or serving of Organic Chia Seeds; check the package for serving size**
1/2 to full dropper of liquid stevia extract. I prefer the alcohol extracted as it is less bitter, not a Glycerite
Fill the bullet with half coconut water and half filtered water-watch not to over fill or it will leak

Now the secret is to whir this thing for at least a minute.  You will also find that if you let this sit for 15 minutes in the refrigerator that it will thicken due to the chia seeds. I like mine a little thick, hubby likes his more thin and sucks his down right away.

This one is a definite change up recipe, try a list of the following indigents:

Cored apple-leave the skin it is a good source of malic acid adjust berries as necessary
Cored pear-leave the skin adjust berries as necessary
Whole Grapes with seed-resveratrol in those seeds and skins adjust berries as necessary
Carrots-for beta carotene 
Organic Celery for Vitamin K, which helps coagulate blood
1/4 of a Small Red Beet-Scrubbed well if organic, peeled if commercial
1/2 to 1 whole Banana***
Try strawberries or mixed berries instead of blueberries. Beware of large raspberry seeds



Note: this is not intended as medical advice, it is just my experience.
*Cruciferous Vegetables such as kale and spinach are in the news for causing trouble for people who have thyroid problems. Do some research and decide for yourself if you want to use them. I don't have any issues, and have blood work every year because I'm OLD as dirt.
**Be sure to drink plenty of water throughout the day, as the chia soaks up liquid like a sponge. It will build a brick in you bum if you don't get adequate liquid to transport it. Trust me, I know.
***I have mixed feelings about bananas. For those people with no problems with diabetes or Insulin Resistance this is an excellent addition to the smoothie. For those people with diabetes or Insulin Resistance, beware, they are very high in carbohydrates, and will raise you blood sugar level a lot. Green bananas have less sugar, but they also have less of the cancer fighting benefits. They add great flavor and texture to the smoothie, so you weigh the benefit. I generally use 1/2 in an evening smoothie, but be careful, as this may also increase you desire to snack as the effects of the sugar wear off, so this is a great addition if you are going to bed soon after consuming one. It might even help you sleep better if you wait until it is out of your stomach.
****See cinnamon warning, I recommend using Ceylon with caution.

Savory Green Smoothie

This smoothie was a challenge that I gave myself to get away from sweet tastes. I drink two smoothies a day, and I needed something different. I have trouble with red tomatoes, so gave yellow tomatoes a try. They are lower in acid with about the same taste. 

The recipe is easy, and you could probably make this with any types of herbs and spices that strike your fancy. Mine is a chili inspired concoction. I guess I should mention that I use organic ingredients when they are available. I was things really well also.



Ingredients

1/2 Avocado-I will probably only use 1/4 on the next smoothie, this one is very thick.
1 small to medium yellow tomato
1 stalk celery
1 handful of baby spinach
1 tablespoon finely chopped onion, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon cumin powder
1 tablespoon chia seeds
Salt and pepper to taste
dash of ground red pepper to heat desired
Water to fill a 20 oz glass

Whir all this in the blender, and adjust water as necessary for the consistency you like.

This makes a good raw dinner. It meets the requirements for the clean gut die, and the plan. I actually used this as a test for the plan to see how well I tolerate yellow tomatoes.  It was a success, and I have added this to my safe food list.  I didn't do the exact calculations on the calories, but it is very low calorie.  It is satisfying, and something I will be using to break the monotony of the sweet smoothies.

I'm thinking of trying some balsamic vinegar, fresh basil, and oregano for an Italian twist on this mixture.  Will update the blog when I do that. Oh, another thought is adding lemon to the mix above. Looks like I have a great line up of things to try. May have to turn this one into a change-up recipe.

Oh a little secret. Let this set for about an hour in the fridge before drinking, this allows the herbs to release their good flavors. I learned this trick with gazpacho, and did it with this