Hairdo did

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I went to a real hairdresser today. Not a school but an actual salon. That has not happened in a long time. I never had any extra money for frills like that. The kids are grown and I have some extra fun money.  Plus Chelsea paid for half. I had about 2 inches cut off the back, layers on the ends and the sides, and she made my bangs look nice. It made the color pop. Unfortunately it is utterly crappy outside and inside today (humid and wet and windy) so the do only lasted so long.
 Picked up my insulin pens and needles for my mealtime shots. I am going to start tomorrow. Fred has the day off and I will just feel better having him around. I know what I have to do to not get low blood sugar but l am a bit afraid and I want him here..just in case.

This is Nat`s newest tattoo. She paid for it with her own money. It is Gay Pride. She has been wanting that one for quite awhile so I am glad she finally did it. AND SHE PAID FOR IT WITH HER OWN MONEY!! Yup, she helped clean that condo, she got paid for it and she spent it.

  The funeral is on Monday in the morning. Chelsea has to teach a class and I have appointment with periodontist. So Fred is going to go by himself. I could reschedule but I have some pain going on so it is best that I go. He also wants to go by himself because he can go to funeral and then go home. No hanging around so he wont get sick (dizzy and pukey).

 Okay,  I gotta go..thunderstorms are on the way and I do not want to keep the computer on when they arrive...Zoom!

Just call me Needly Nester

I have to start taking my Lantus at night AND a Humulin shot with every meal. Boo! :(

Mother`s Day is a-coming.

 

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 Isnt she the cutest thing? She made me think of Mother`s Day so I decided to post her.  I did not realize that the big day of all Moms was on May 8th this year. My recollection made me think it is in the middle of the month. Oh well. My Mother passed away almost 10 years ago. Fred has to do for his Mother. I do not want to talk about Mother`s Day cause my family does not have a good track record..that is all I am saying.
  I went to the community garden yesterday. Chelsea was there setting up to teach a class and she was keeping me company while I planted. I planted two types of beets, spinach, mesculin, and bibb lettuce. I am going to try my hand at growing some cantelopes but I have to start them indoors first. That will be interesting if I can actually do that! It was a nice warm sunny day for it. Today is more gloomy and soupy. I hope it rains.
 I am off to the Endo this morning to find out about my bad blood sugars and new meds or insulin. I am hoping for meds but we shall see. The periodontal disease is making it really hard to control my sugars. I feel like crap all the time so maybe he can help me.
 Found out yesterday that a family member has passed away. Fred`s Uncle had some sort of cancer..they never did tell us which kind..that spread fast. He is not suffering anymore. Rest in Peace, Dinky!  Fred and I just dislike the way we found out. I was online at 2pm and read from one of his niece`s walls that he had died.  Fred called his Mom and texted his brother to get confirmation. No call or text back.  Family members posted on FB about him and his death in the evening. Still no phone call from anybody to notify Fred. He is very very upset about the whole thing. It is a rotten way to find out that someone you were close to in your life has died. Eventually we did get a call in the evening. But it was kind of too late. I was sad and mad yesterday. Awful combination. Now I am just sad and resigned. 
  We found out something about Fred`s dizziness. It is not Meneire`s disease. He failed the course of pills to make him feel better. So the ENT has no clue what is wrong. They have referred him to a specialist at Yale and we go in the middle of May. They have more testings and they have surgeries that can be done if it comes to that. I hope they find out what is wrong and that it is not something serious.

Fat is depressing

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I have been holding a bit back lately because it is depressing. I am already my own one woman pity party..I do not need to add to the strife of my life. But here goes...
The dentist told me that facts have found that diabetes does not make Periodontal disease worse but vice versa. So this crap in my mouth PLUS the no actos is making my life a sweet little piece of diabetic hell right here on Earth.
If I eat a slice of bread..and I am talking ANY kind of bread..My sugar spikes over 200. Same with sugar. I used to be able to put 1 teaspoon of sugar into my coffee. Nope. I have graduated to Agave Nectar but that seems to spike it too.
Eating low carb was an experiment to see how it goes..but I am slowly starting to realize that it is going to be my life from now on. It will drive me insane, you understand that dont you?
I have been able to deal with no pasta of any kind. I have had bread, rice, potatoes but in very limited amounts. Enough for YOU to say..hey she aint eating THAT much of it! It does not matter. I have to avoid it all. And I am sad about that.
There is no cure for periodontal disease. I have a Dr appointment on Wednesday because of my raised blood sugars. I fear he is going to put me on insulin all the time. So I will be saddled to that needle. Have to eat NOW because you have to take your shot NOW!
I wish this wasn't my life sometimes.

So...No candy, no sugar, no honey, no bread, no pasta, no rice, no potatoes, no root vegetables, no bananas, and basically no fruit or fruit juice at all.
Only Meat, fish, veggies, salads, proteins, and fats.

I am going to eat my last chocolate covered Peep in silence. *sniff*

Allergies and Spring go hand in hand.

Maple tree in our yard

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I was sitting in the chaise lounger (not as fancy as it sounds) in the yard with the dogs yesterday. I looked up and this is what I saw, so I grabbed my phone and took a picture. The leaves are just starting to emerge. I so wish that THIS particular branch could be cut off. It is the one that is shading the side yard. But the last time we had some neighbor dudes trim some branches ($150 for trim and take away!)..they determined it was too high for them. I understood. I wonder how much it would cost to have that one branch cut. It is HUGE, I know but it would make a huge difference. No more mossy grass. I have plenty of shade in the top yard for when it gets brutally hot out.
My allergies are kicking in. But it is not stopping me from getting some yard work and gardening done. I did quite a bit yesterday. I want to get some more leaves bagged today and trim all my rose bushes (I have 4). I have been taking Zyrtec since the beginning of the month but I forgot a couple days and now with the trees blooming..I need to take it every morning. I was never like this. My Dr told me that the older you get, the more prone to your allergies you get. Lovely!
 I love my house and my yard but I just cannot do everything I wish I could. If I had the money..I would get a new table with four comfy chairs with market umbrella (our wooden table is broken and needs to go to dump), 3 conifers planted next to our patio so the neighbors cant be so nosy, have a exterminator do a really thorough job of getting rid of the carpenter bees in our eave (been like that for 13 years, they are determined to stay), and enough money to redo the front walkway and make a walkway in the front of the house. These are things I think about when I walk around...Oh the house needs to be painted.
LOL
I am blathering on, arent I? I think it is cause my head is slowly filling with mucous. That is okay..I will survive.
Now, one more cuppa and then I am going to bag some leaves.

Happy Easter Everybody!

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I hope that you all will have a wonderful Easter Sunday today. I am waking up to some coffee and a small piece of the Easter Bread that I made yesterday. It came out really nice. I had not made it in a couple years so I was worried I was gonna fuck it up.

Not too bad. I had a small batch of dough and I had to make two breads. One for us and one for my friend A. So that is why it is teeny weeny. Really good.
So I am going to wake up here for a bit more then I have work to do. I have to wash all the dishes because I have to clean the collard greens. I never got to them yesterday. I ended up watching a 12 hour Dr. Who marathon. Yup! I wasted my Saturday..again.
The ham is not even in the oven yet! ROFL! I will do it soon. Dont you worry.
Have a Hoppy!

Collard Greens and Grand Theft Auto

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It is a rainy day. Which is good because I have some plants and seeds planted out in the yard. They need a drink. Many egg hunts have been cancelled or brought indoors. If you read this today, Lowe`s Home Improvement is giving away a million trees today in honor of Earth Day. It is 9am now and I have not had my coffee. We will see if I make it or if there are any left.
 I have the collard greens to strip and clean today. I also have deviled eggs to make. Yummy! Love some Deviled eggs. I am going to take the ham out of the fridge to see how defrosted it has become. I  plan on planting the flowers for the porch pots today also. I will be under the cover of the porch so the rain wont get me.
 Our Jeep was stolen yesterday. We live in a city so crime is part of life. You lock your doors. You are vigilant of your surroundings. I have lived here my entire life so this is how life is. But how do you steal a 1994 Jeep Grand Cherokee rust bucket?? They did not have a key. It was stolen downtown when Fred was going to the barber. We went to the police station and made a police report. The police found it an hour later. It was a couple streets over. For a moment I thought maybe Fred was having early Alzheimer's. But there is no way he would park his car there and walk all that way to the barber when there are plenty of place to park closer by..and there were. So we had a little excitement yesterday. The Jeep is back in front of the house. I think I will take it to Lowe`s with me today to pick up a free tree.

Plants and Ham and Diabetes and a busy day!

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It has been a busy day so far so I figured I would regale  you with a list. Better than me blathering on for paragraph after paragraph.

7am: Bladder tells me it is time to get up. Back to bed for 40 more winks
10am: Fred is up getting dressed and I realized I have slept the morning away.
10:10am: Calling oil company to deliver 75 gallons of oil $300!!!! Because we are almost empty.
10:30: Online banking done, Electric bill check written.
10:45: Dressed and ready to go..I look like a frump and no coffee. Not a good start.
10:55 Dunkin Donuts!!
11:15am Bank...I totally glossed over the fact that today was payday because tomorrow is Good Friday. I feel a bit stupid but that is okay.
11:30: Post office for stamps so that I can mail electric bill. I usually do online sometimes.
11:45: Grocery store..did I forget to mention that Fred is with me and a constant source of entertainment.
12noon: The grocery store is busy. Ugh. I usually go at 8am on Friday when people are at work.
12:30: We decide to pick up Regular grinders for all of us for lunch since we did not have breakfast either. I hoovered it and not too proud.
12:45-1:25: Put groceries away, ate lunch, read newspaper online, checked Facebook
1:25: Drove Fred to work early for meeting.
1:40: Went to local plant place and picked up some annuals, bok choy, and red onions for the garden
2:00: Pharmacy for Vitamin E for neck scar, Easter candy, and stuff
2:20: Get home and called Dr office....

And basically that is where I wanted to stop the list. Remember when he took me off the Actos (diabetes pills) YAY! Well, it is not a good idea. No matter what I do, I cannot keep a steady sugar. If I put ONE HALF TEASPOON of sugar in my coffee...Spike! I basically cannot eat any carbs and that includes veggies. Which I cannot do. So he wants to see me next Wednesday about it. I have a fear that he is going to put me on insulin for meals. I do not want that! But what am I going to do if that is my only option.
  I planted my dianthus in the porch pots. I planted two large mounds of zucchini in the yard in two areas. And I planted these mystery veggie plant that Chelsea gave me this morning. I have some more annuals to plant but I might save those for tomorrow.
Ham is out of freezer and defrosting. I bought four bunches for collard greens that I have to clean. I am going to make my Easter bread tomorrow starting in the morning. I have to dye some of my eggs for the bread. They get dyed red. Something about Jesus and his blood..I think.

So that was my day. They are not usually that domestically exciting but it is a good day. I am in good spirits and health..regardless of what you all might think. I have a dollhouse to finish so badly. I wish I had more energy. I know it is the blood sugars. Once I get those under some good control, I can resume with all my plans. I just feel diabetes shitty on a daily. Those of you that have diabetes, know what I mean.

Okay, Waiting for Advil to kick in so that I can tackle the kitchen!

Easter is not the same

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    My kids are older and the holiday is not the same as it used to be. We do not have other family close by so it is not like we have a big family dinner to go to. I think I just reminisce about what it used to be like. Our elderly neighbor that used to live next door allowed us to use her very large yard for egg hunts. My two kids, two grandkids across the street, and another two down the street would hunt. I would go out early early..too bloody early in the morning of Easter to hide the eggs. I was up anyway putting the ham in the oven. I would make a large egg plate of deviled eggs. The kids would dye Easter eggs a couple days before hand. I would make traditional Italian Easter Bread for us and a couple friends. You would make the breads on Good Friday. I learned about it from our Italian neighbors next door when I was growing up.  She would make small ones to give to the neighbors. Yummy. It is a sweet bread and really good to slice and toast at breakfast time.
   Most people today have this THING about taking food from other people. I do not know if their kitchen is clean. I do not know if they washed their hands. Let me put it to you this way..If you KNOW the person giving it to you, it is safe. This germa-phobe shit that is going around really bugs the fuck out of me. I didn't mean to get that in there but it really pisses me off sometimes. Thankfully, I have quite a few friends that love how I cook and gladly take when I make things.
For a few years, I did not have to make Easter bread because we had an Italian bakery that made them. Not anymore. We have a couple Dominican bakeries but they do not know what I am talking about..so I will have to make it myself.
  I have to get the ham out of the deep freezer to defrost. I am making a ham, deviled eggs, and a medley of veggies. I just have to figure it out. The bakery is going to hold me a couple loaves of bread on Saturday and the Easter Bread.
I think I am all set. I do have to go to the store to buy the veggies and stuff for cooking. Hopefully it will be a nice day.
Not like in the past but still good.
 

Bad Bad Bad lunch!

Captain Scott`s lobster dock New London, CT

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First clam dinner (Lunch) of the season. Natalie had the clam strips on the right. I had the whole belly clams on the left. Yummy Yummy Yummy! Really bad I know but it is tradition.

Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce

*280*

I made this last night to go with the home made chicken fingers that I did for dinner. This sauce is a easy and a definite keeper. You want to make sure that you let it sit in the fridge for at least 2 hours. It will not taste right if you serve it right away. The longer it sets up, the better.

Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce

Ingredients

1/2 cup mayonaisse
2 T yellow mustard
1 T Dijon mustard
3 T Honey
1/2 T lemon juice
1 T of fresh horseradish (optional)

Mix well until all ingredients are incorporated. Refrigerate from 2 hours to overnight.
So Yummy!

7 little kittens

 

 

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These are brand new kittens. There is a lady in my area who is going to give me first freebie pick of my very own kitten. One of these beauties will be ours at the end of May. I was thinking I might want an Orange one because I have never ever had an orange one but we shall see. It can be boy or girl..I do not care. I have not had a girl cat in a very very long while either. When I get more pics via text..I will share.

Tomorrow I get the stitch taken out of my neck. I can stop feeling like a frankenfreak. I have to call the periodontist (probably tomorrow) to make an appointment. Maybe I will do it now while I think about it. Hold on.....I have an appointment for the first week in May. Which is not very far away. It is still balls cold outside. It is in the 50s but there is still a chill in the air. I have not planted one pot of annual flowers yet. I have not even planted any veggies yet!
I will soon though. After I finish the condo cleaning tomorrow, I will work on the two beds at the community garden.

So what should I call my little Orange baby?

Windy Saturday/Dentist results

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It is a cold and windy day today. Very grey and Noreastery, if that is even a word. This is the Winter that never went away! My plant bulbs are so slow to grow. I am just going to make this a cooking day. I have carne asada and pico de gallo marinating in the fridge. I am going to make home made chicken fingers and baked mac and cheese. Natalie has her friend staying this weekend. They both wanted the mac and cheese. I am going to stick with the meat and veggies. I have some yummy asparagus that I am going to steam for myself also. Put some olive oil and sea salt on top..Heaven!
 Dentist appointment was yesterday and it was not very good in one sense. Most of my teeth, gums, and pockets are improving. But I have to have a consultation with a periodontist about the four bottom molars. They all have issues. I may need bone grafting. I found out from a friend that dental insurance usually only pays about 50%. I could end up having to pay like $400 or more for each procedure. I do not have cash like that! I am not going to worry right now. I will wait until I hear what the perio has to say. My mouth was killing me yesterday into last night. I did not even go to my friend, A`s house for food and gossip. I will go over there on Sunday instead.
So I was dealt another crappy card. It is a combo of genetics, smoking, and the diabetes. I found out that when you have bad teeth like this, it can affect your blood sugars. Not the other way around like some professionals thought. Very interesting, huh?

  Okay, back to cooking for me. I am going to get off here and start the chicken fingers. They have to marinate in a bag for an hour.

Healing

*281*

It is healing. It does not hurt anymore. I figured out why it was hurting so badly. It was the Bandaids. I think I am developing a latex allergy. Just wonderful! When I go outside, I cover it with a small round bandaid (those do not seem to hurt me). But when I am in the house, I just let it fly. I think of wounds the way us mothers thought of diaper rash. It is best to air it out as much as possible to help in the healing process. The thread is bugging the fuck out of me. I am not a picker so do not worry about that. She just made the end too long and I will play with it. I guess I could trim it but I will leave it be. There is probably a reason she did that.
 I promised Natalie that we would go to the gym today. She is up and dressed. I am not dressed. I am sitting here talking to you. :) Then I have to (do not want to) pick up Chelsea at the office and take her to the garden so she can teach her class. She could normally walk it but she has buckets full of crap to carry and she would never make it (10 minute walk up hill). So I am her chauffer. More of the same taking advantage of Mom crap..just a different day and way. Seriously though, I do not mind it all taking her to the garden because I need to be up there anyway. I will be planting and watering so this gives me a reason to be there.

Okay, the kid is watching me. She wants to get going to the gym. I promised dammit and now I have to do it.
I know why I am in such a bitchy mood. I go to the dentist on Friday. More likely I will be told that I have to start seeing a periodontist for my gum disease. They are trying to save my teeth! Diabetes is such a wonderful disease! Blah!
Now I am definitely getting off so that I can get some exercise in.....

Erma Bombeck was right!

*281*

I am not feeling well. One kid (22) made a complete mess of my art supplies searching for something for her job and now there is  a big mess. Did I mention they were MY art supplies? The other kid (17) took MY art paint (without asking) and decided she was going to paint the walls of her bedroom. The colors in her room were a nice blue with white trim. NOW we will have to completely re-paint the room before we can put the house on the market (which will be in years but you get my point). Neither one of them help with anything..housework, paying bills, cooking (veg cooks for herself and only herself), groceries, etc etc etc. The house is constantly in a mess and it reflects badly on me. Fred does laundry and cat litter. When he is in the mood, he will help out. So I am supposed to clean up after four adults! I have multiple disorders but it is MY fault when there is no bread in the house. I am sick of it! I am tired of being taken for granted on a daily basis. I never do enough.
The rug smells like pee..well help me take the dogs out!
The bathroom is dirty...HELP ME CLEAN IT!
We are out of milk, soap, toilet paper....Grrr!
They both come up with excuses and tears (temper tantrums) as to why they cannot and will not help. They do not help unless Fred says something and that does not last long cause he is not here.  I really want some help but I will never ever get it from them. Sometimes I think they do not like me very much..meaning they do not like me at all...Unless I have money.

Yup, that is how I feel most days. I have a feeling that lots of Moms (and Dads) feel this way. Plus you add on the fact that everything is more expensive and you have added stress. I want to have a nice day like the day I had my tattoo and pedi. There should be more Mom days like that. I am so not looking forward to Mother`s Day. I have not had many nice ones in a very long time. 2 years ago, all three of them completely forgot. No card, no breakfast, no plant, nothing. I actually did housework as they all laid around.
This is a pity post..I can feel it. I think it is because I am sick and tired (for real like physically) and the house is a stinking mess and people just lay around and ask the servant when the food is going to be done.
I want to run away......

I did some blog reflection...

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I am not happy with what I have seen. I am not making much progress on the weight loss front. I have lost inches. I am fitting into some clothes that did NOT fit me when I started this. Those green capris that I bought were too small for my fat ass..I can get into them now. Button and zip up! They are just too tight. I give it another month. But the scale has not wavered much. I feel like I am not working hard enough. If I was a stronger person without so many hangups, my ass would have lost all the weight already!
I am going on a trip to Denver in September to visit my friend and go to the Denver miniature show. I missed it last year because Fred was ill (they thought he might have had stomach cancer..just a growth). I wanted to lose some of this fat before I went so I would not feel like the heifer on the plane! Oh your too fat for one seat, you need to purchase another one. Or the whole scan and crotch grab that is going on at airports now. That is sooo not what I am in the mood for either. But I will do it, because I love my friend.
I was just reading back on the blog...by the way, I am shocked at myself that I have been able to keep this up so long without abandoning it. I think I found my in house therapy! hehehe
Anyhoo...I have five months to save for the trip AND lose at least 50 lbs. 50lbs would make me happy.  I gotta do this.

Okay..back to waking up over here.

April showers bring Fibro flare ups

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  It is raining today. We had a good weekend. Well I heard it was a good weekend. I slept most of it away like Rip Van Winkle. On Saturday Fred and I got some prep work done in our bedroom, then I passed out for like 3 hours. On Sunday, I did lots of raking of leaves, and even amended the front bed with some manure/hummus. I passed out for 3 hours. The funny thing is I had no problem going to sleep for the night! That is Fibromyalgia for you. You get that seasonal thing I talked about. My allergies have been held off by medicine and the flare is not full blown yet..but it is coming. I can feel it.
My good friend sent me another half scale dollhouse kit. It is the Rosedale. I have always loved the Greenleaf Rosedale. I cannot wait! But first I am going to finish the half scale Arthur.  No gym today. Too much to do. Battery on jeep needs replacing, dog licenses, Nat is hanging with friend afterschool, and I have stuff to do around the house..dishes, dusting, and I cannot think of another D. LOL

  I am hoping that none of my friends are dealing with the severe tornado weather that is going on right now in the middle of the country. I should be ashamed of complaining of a little bit of rain.
Okay..going to drink my coffee, wake the hell up, and get my lazy butt in gear. Sort of.

It hurts!!!

Band-aid advertisement 1957

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This incision hurts! The stitches hurt! It hurts to clean it and put A-D on it. HURTS! I have to wear a bandaid because I cannot get it hurt, overly wet, or SEEN. It is a big red spot with a black string running thru it. I bought some black Mickey Mouse band-aids when I am feeling kinda childish. :)
  Today Hubs and I are going to work on the prep of our bedroom, finish the sanding, washing the walls, and priming. Oh I want to get the prime up. That is all I need. Help me with that and I can do the rest on my own. I want this done before it gets hot out.

 Tomorrow I am going to the garden to fill my beds with fresh compost. I will take pictures because I love to share my veggie excellence.
Fred is staring at me so I think that means I need to get moving with the prep work.

Have a nice weekend!

I will survive..heh heh!

*280*
Yup, that is my neck with my fat line, skin tags, and surgery site. I have big ole hoops in too. I love hoop earrings. I will probably wear them when I am old and grey.
It is a Squamous Cell Carcinoma. It is nothing to worry about. The only thing is I have to be vigilant with the sunscreen, start getting some hats to wear in the sun, and keep a close eye on my skin. From what I have read, Squamous tend to come back in the same vicinity. I am okay and the site does not hurt. There is one stitch that I have to go back and have removed..probably another co-pay for that!

I called the dermatologist of my dreams today. Remember back last month when I said that it would be August before I got in. I should have made an appointment then. New Derm patient (ME) has an appointment on October 17th. ROFL! I hope no new cancers pop up before then.  She is THE best in this area of our state and I wanna be her patient. I am 42 years old and have already started on the skin cancer train. This Derm now said that I was young to be having this pop up already. That is me, always an early bloomer. Boobs, period, and skin cancer! Oh Joy.

So I am going to putter around the house today and get some work done. Hopefully this spot wont hurt too bad when I have to clean it.

Cake ,Compost, and Cancer

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This is gonna be a short one because it is cold and stormy so my hands hurt today. I hope my ass isnt getting arthritis..that would be the friggin cherry! Anyway, It is cold and I was in the mood to make something. When I am in the mood to make something, it usually means a dessert of some sort. Baking is my one true love...even above cooking. I asked Natalie and she said Cake! So I was in the grocery store this morning picking up some stuff for dinner, and I saw cake mix and frosting was on sale. Now I have not made box cake since Chelsea has been a Vegan..like 5 years. The canned frosting is Vegan (certain ones are) but none of the cakes. Since she has been hoovering thru my locally harvested eggs like they are going out of style..I decide I would do a Duncan Hines French Vanilla with Vanilla Frosting and this new chocolate dessert glaze. Makes like a ganache on top. It was on sale and cost me $1.25 so no biggie. I can make ganache but eh..I will cut some corners. I just had a piece. The cake is moist and yummy!
 I guess this isnt gonna be short..hehehe
  Chelsea has been trying to get me to compost for years but I have always been resistant. I do not want to piss off the neighbors with the stink. But I have realized that my soil needs to be amended..badly. It needs some fresh natural fertilizer to give it back some of it`s oomph. I am going to price those compost bins that you can spin. That way I can have it out on the back patio. I can spin it and add stuff to it and not worry about wild animals getting into it. I am going to go to the community garden maybe tomorrow and start working on my boxes. They need to be topped off with compost and peat. Then I can start the radishes and lettuce. I am also thinking of doing Tomatillos this year but that might happen here at the house. I only have so much room in the two beds. That is why I need to work at amending the soil.
This coming Thursday morning I go to have more of the skin cancer cut out from my throat. I hope hope hope she does it in such a way that does not leave a bad scar. I do not want an ugly scar on my neck. So it is not the cancer label that bothers me..it is my vanity. My vanity has been in hiding for years. I just was a Mom. I sacrificed for my kids. They got new cause they needed it, I had the same winter coat for 5 years. That is the way it goes. Well, I am taking back. I am going to the salon, I am getting pedicures, tattoos, dressing nicer...speaking of that. You all do know that I get all of my clothing (except undergarments and shoes) at Goodwill, Salvation Army and Yard sales (bazaars,  bag sales, white elephants.) And I hunt out clearance racks. I figured this was the only way that I could lose weight. If I felt good about myself in what I looked like, no matter what my size, it will motivate me to fit in those cute clothes that a size or two smaller that I could not leave on the racks.
So give a thought to me on Thursday and let us hope I will not have to get a tattoo to cover it up! ROFL!

The Family Tomato Sauce

 

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Today I am making some pasta sauce because tonight we are going to have Eggplant Parmigiana. I am going to share the secret from the vault and share this handed down recipe. I do not have any takers in the family yet that want to learn. This is from my Mother. She probably learned it from her Father. He was 100% Italian. Her Mother was Polish. Nice combo huh?  I did not make this sauce like I do for holidays or when I am making lasagna. I will however tell you those steps.

My Family Tomato sauce

Ingredients:

2 - 28 oz cans of tomatoes. I used whole plum that I squish with my hands. You can use crushed tomatoes if you do not like the pieces of tomato in your sauce. Do not use puree!
2 cans of tomato paste
3 T olive oil (give or take)
1 large yellow onion- chopped
3 cloves of garlic- minced
1 medium shallot- chopped
8 Italian sausage links- 4 mild, 4 hot
1 small lamb shank
1 T kosher salt
1 t ground black pepper
1 t crushed red pepper
2 bay leaves
1 t garlic powder
1 t oregano
1 t basil
1 t thyme
2 T white sugar

Directions:

You are going to need a fairly big pot because this makes alot of sauce. You can freeze it for another time or have a big family meal.
Pour both cans of tomatoes in pot. Add 1 can of water to to pot also. You will either have crushed tomatoes and can move on, or you have the plum and need to squish. I use my clean hands. It is fast and easy.

This is when I add all the dry spices and the sugar into the pot with the tomatoes. Put the heat on medium low and uncovered.

Meatballs

Ingredients:

1 lb ground beef
1 lb ground pork
1 egg
1/2 cup of grated Romano cheese
1/4 cup of plain bread crumbs
1 t oregano
1/2 t crushed red pepper
pinch of salt and pepper

Mix all ingredients together in a medium sized bowl. If the mixture is TOO wet, add a little more breadcrumbs. Roll into golf ball size meatballs and place on plate in fridge until ready to cook.

Sauce continued:

 Now it is time to work on the cooked ingredients. I like to do the meats first and get them out of the way. Nothing is being cooked all the way through. You just want a nice sear or browning on all sides. Nothing is worse that having gray meat to serve to your family.

This is lamb shoulder blade chop. I usually use lamb shanks but the butcher checked and they did not have any. If you dislike the taste of lamb..you can omit this ingredient. Add a couple tabs of oil to your frypan.  I sear both sides and drop it in the pot of sauce. I make a split in the skin of all the sausages (this is so they do not explode) and sear on all sides to give a nice brown. Add them to the pot. Then I do my meatballs. Same way. Sear all sides but not completely cooking at all (really rare in the middle). Put those in the sauce.
Now onto the veggies.

Add some oil to same fry pan, if needed. I cook them in this order. Garlic, then shallot, then onion. I do not know why I do this but this is how I was taught. Each is cooked till tender and dropped in the pot of sauce. It is starting to get full in there huh? Do not worry. Only one more ingredient for me to add.
You are going to cook your paste. Yup, that is right. Pour your paste in the same frypan. It is going to pick up all the oils and bits and pieces. Keep an eye on it because it can burn easily. You want to cook it until it gets a darker hue and it is smoother to stir. About five minutes on medium low should do it. Then you dump that in the sauce.

You are now going to put your sauce pot on the back burner of the stove, heat on low (like number 2 on the dial) and uncovered. Cook for at least an hour..but the longer you cook it the thicker and more robust it will become. After the first hour, take out all the meat. Put on a platter and keep in a warmed oven. Then you can turn the heat up on the sauce. You are going to want to skim the fat off the top. Let the sauce settle for about 5 minutes. Then take a spoon and just scrape the oil off the top and discard.

You can use this sauce with all the meats to make your meat lasagna. This is why there is so much meat in there..LOL

I hope you enjoy it! If you have any questions, please ask away.

Remember, low and slow on this sauce is the best. Stir occasionally. You do not want the bottom burn because it will ruin the whole pot.

All alone

*281*

Not eating carbs is harder than you think. This is day one back on the wagon and all i do is think about them. It is like when I quit smoking! Not as bad but I recognize the symptoms. I had a good breakfast, lunch, and I just finished dinner. My sugars are back down to a normalish level today. It will get better as the days progress. Fred is at work, Chelsea is away for her job, and Natalie is upstairs watching a movie. So I am a bit bored. I have things I can do but I have no energy. I am missing the damn carbs. Off to the gym tomorrow morning..I hope. Period came today and I am hoping it is a light one this month. 
Tomorrow I am going to post the recipe for my pasta sauce. I guess I could do it now but I am going to be cooking it (Eggplant Parmigana) and I might do a step by step like I have done before. This is my Mother`s recipe that I have fiddled with. I am not going to do all the meats this time around because I am doing the eggplant. I could not find a lamb shank at grocer so I got a lamb loin instead. I will do some meatballs to flavor the sauce and Fred and I can eat them for lunch the next day.

What does it mean when you Vegan daughter starts frying eggs for her breakfast????? She told me she loves the local eggs that I get every week.  I think she is delving back into being just a vegetarian. I am not going to say anything cause it might spook her back into the Vegan side!  She ate baklava on Saturday too. I warned her it was full of butter. She ate two pieces.
I dont know. We shall see.

Low carbs..take two

*281*

I fell off the low carb wagon for about 3 weeks. I realized and still realize that it is not good for my diabetes. I think I was drowning my sorrows in it but now I am ready to start fresh. I am waiting for my egg delivery this morning. Then I will get a nice hearty breakfast cooked and I want to go work in the community garden for a bit. Hopefully this weird guy that has a plot is not there when I am. He gives me the creeps. I usually like almost everybody but he is a little off. Usually that does not disturb me but this guy does. So crossing fingers and toes. Chelsea told me the Netflix is not coming across on the Wii so I have to fiddle with that today. A Woman`s work is never done..huh?
  Natalie and I did not go to the gym at all last week so we have to rectify that this week. I have to warn you all..I will get a seasonal flare up of pain and stupidity (it has already started a bit). With Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome you can suffer from seasonal flare ups. Usually Summer into Fall and Winter into Spring. We have had a cold winter so far so it is taking it`s time. I do not feel the physical yet but the cognitive is surely going haywire. I hate feeling like a blithering idiot. It goes away after a couple weeks. So if I do not post or my post are short and sweet..you know why. I am not bored..I am just too stupid to think of anything.. :)

April Fool`s Day Tattoo and my very first pedicure!

*281* <---so this has been maintained for 2 weeks now. I am stepping it up a notch

I went and had my very first pedicure yesterday at a spa down the street from me. The guy doing it specializes in diabetic pedicures. He was funny, nice, and the pedicure was glorious. Day Glo Green with glitter! He told me some tips about my feet. I have a nail fungus. If I put Vicks Vapo rub on my nails every day for 2 months..it will go away and my nails will go back to normal. Yay!
Being an anesthetist is a side gig for him. He works as the general manager of a local tattoo parlor. He informed me that yesterday (April Fools) was Stupid Tattoo day. $40 for a tattoo no larger than a silver dollar. I was totally in and I wanted a bee. Someone who is afraid of bees, getting a bee tattoo. That sounds stupid to me.
We found this cute cartoon bee with a smile and he looks like he is kind of rocket ship like. I loved him above all the others online! I have named him Alistair.
I had a great April Fools day and I did not get pranked once! :)