Today in My Life ... April 26, 2025

 Today is April 26, 2025

I woke up this morning about 2:45 and after spending a few minutes in the bathroom, I rolled and tumbled in the bed for an hour before deciding to just give up the ghost and get up.  It's raining and the sound of the rain on the roof and windows paired with the window rattling thunder is making for a wonderful time to be awake.  There's truly nothing like a LONG drought to make one really appreciate the sounds of water falling from the sky.

Had a cystoscopy this week and am not at all sure that I want to do that again...EVER.. The first one back in December was not nearly as bad as this one.. or perhaps I've just forgotten how bad it was..lol  The worst part is the use of succinylcholine (a paralytic the anesthesiologist uses ) that leaves me feeling like I've spent a week in basic training with the 3rd Marines.  Every muscle in my body screaming..lol  However, the worst is over now and life is beginning to return to normal.  

One would think that after about 8 or 9 years of wearing the same old robe...every morning (and sometimes all day)... that a person would finally realize that enough is enough and get a new one...wouldn't one?   But no, I just can't find one that I like.  I've looked.  In stores.  In catalogs.  On line.  Nothing is even close to what I would like.  So this poor raggedy thing will have to make it another year (or until I find something I can live with... sigh)

My roses are out doing themselves this year.  I guess the lackluster showing from last year was just them saving up for this year.  Of course, it has nothing to do with the fact that I have fertilized them at least a couple of time over the fall and winter... 

Phil and Loretta were here over Easter weekend.  What a joy that always is. I had (sort of) planned a couple of things to do while they were here, but it seems that no one wanted to get out of their pajamas so we all just visited, ate, watched tv and in general enjoyed our time together.  Can't think of a better way to spend the time.  

I haven't been in much of a constructive mood lately.  Not much "making" of anything going on.  My sewing machine is acting up and even tho I got the old one down and plugged it in enough to mend a few things, just can't get in the "making" mood.  

I have painted a few eggs for Jerry.  But he has come up with one that I just haven't been able to wrap my head around even though I've had it on my mind for a couple of weeks.  I'll continue to think it through and eventually get it.  Here's a couple of the ones I've done so far...

   This egg I gave to a friend who is a plant enthusiast...like me.  We trade plants occasionally.  However, her green thumb is a lot greener than mine.. lol

It is now going on 7:30am and the rain and thunder continue.  Cannot say how wonderful that is since there has been so little of it. 

There are no plans for this day.  There are several things I need to do, but no real plans to do them.  Perhaps a lightening strike will wake up my get up and go..lol

Enjoy your day today.  Find something that makes you smile and hold onto it for as long as you can!

 

Hello Again!

 If I wait another few weeks it will have been a whole year since I have posted.  It has been an up and down kind of year as far as our health is concerned and as for right now... we are doing great.  It's Easter Sunday today and the day is warm and sunny, the kind of day everyone wishes for when laying plans for Easter egg hunts and spending time with family.  

And speaking of family.. One of my cousins has posted on facebook a terrific way to beat the heat, pressure and stress of summertime meals... and I asked her if I could plagiarize it..lol  And she said yes..  

Darlene Ingram Davis

10h  · 

As our summers get super busy with kids, camping, sports, activities, etc I always try to do a big freezer meal prep. All of these meals go into gallon sized ziplock bags that I label and get frozen flat in our chest freezer. The night before I pull one out and put it in the refrigerator to thaw. Each one cooks in the crockpot so it’s very simple and doesn’t heat up the house or require me being in the kitchen when I don’t have time. The initial investment for all the groceries is quite a bit but if I calculate it out per meal this is very reasonable for a large family. The amount I prep usually lasts us 6-7 weeks and dinner leftovers get used for lunches or the next night’s dinner. I’ve perfected a list that our family really likes and are cost effective with not too many ingredients. Hope this helps some others looking for budgeting in the kitchen!

Sloppy Joes:

1 lb. Ground turkey or beef

1 onion diced

1 green pepper diced

1 15oz. Can tomato sauce

1 packet Sloppy Joe Seasoning

Add all ingredients to a freezer bag and seal. Mix the bag to incorporate ingredients. Cook in the slow cooker on HIGH 3-4 hours. Serve on buns or rolls.

Sausage and Lentil Soup

2 packages of sausage or kielbasa, sliced

2c. Brown lentils

1 bag baby carrots

3-4 stalks of celery diced

1 onion diced

2-3 cloves garlic minced

1 15oz. Can diced tomatoes

1T. Italian Seasoning

Add all ingredients to a freezer bag. Cook in the crockpot on HIGH 4-5 hours. Serve with bread or rolls.

Hawaiian Meatballs

2 lbs. Frozen meatballs

1/4c. Brown sugar

1/4c. Soy sauce

1/2t. Garlic powder

1 jar sweet and sour sauce

1 red pepper diced

1 green pepper diced

1 onion diced

1 can pineapple chunks with juice

Add all ingredients to a freezer bag. Cook in the crockpot on LOW 6-8 hours. Serve over rice.

Cilantro Lime Chicken

3-4 chicken breasts or thighs

Juice from 2-3 limes

1 small bunch cilantro chopped

1 bag frozen corn

1 onion chopped

1 can black beans

Add all ingredients to a freezer bag. Cook in crockpot on LOW 6-8 hours. Shred chicken and serve over rice or in burritos.

Broccoli Chicken Alfredo

3-4 chicken breasts or thighs cut into chunks or strips

1 jar Alfredo sauce

1 bag frozen broccoli or fresh chopped broccoli

Mix all ingredients in a freezer bag. Cook in a crockpot on LOW 6-8 hours. Serve over fettuccine noodles.

Pepperoncini Pork Roast

2-3 lb boneless pork or beef roast

1 jar sliced pepperoncinis with juice

Add to freezer bag. Cook in crockpot on LOW 6-8 hours. Shred meat and serve over rice or potatoes. Leftover meat is really good in breakfast burritos!

Chicken Fajitas

3-4 chicken breasts cut into strips.

1-2 green peppers sliced

1-2 red peppers sliced

1 onion sliced

1 pkg. Fajita seasoning

Add all ingredients to freezer bag. Cook in crockpot on LOW 6-8 hours. Serve over rice or in tortillas for fajitas.

Chicken Cacciatore

3-4 chicken breasts or thighs

1 jar chunky veggie style spaghetti sauce

1 zucchini chopped

1 green pepper diced

1 onion diced

Add all ingredients to freezer bag. Cook in crockpot on LOW 6-8 hours. Serve over rice.

Teriyaki Chicken

3-4 chicken breasts cut into chunks

1 onion sliced

2 cans diced pineapple with juice

2-3 garlic cloves minced

1c. Teriyaki sauce

Mix all ingredients in a freezer bag. Cook in crockpot on LOW 6-8 hours. Serve over rice or noodles.

Sausage and Peppers

2 packages sausage or kielbasa sliced

2 green peppers sliced

1 red pepper sliced

1 onion diced

2-3 cloves garlic minced

1 15oz. Can Italian style diced tomatoes

2T. Italian Seasoning

Mix all ingredients in a freezer bag. Drizzle with olive oil and cook in crockpot on LOW 6-8 hours. Serve over noodles.

Don't forget each recipe is for a single bag. Double the amounts if you'd like 20 meals

*Edited to add I had NO IDEA how wildly popular this would be I’m sorry there’s no way to respond to all 3,000 + comments and messages I’ve received but THANK YOU. I simply do what works for our large family/budget. I allow these to thaw overnight in the fridge before putting in the crockpot and it’s perfectly safe to cook veggies and meat combined in the crockpot together as long as they reach the appropriate cooking temp. I’ve never had an issue with these and I’ve been doing freezer meals many years. Each bag serves approximately 4-6 depending. I do not pre-cook any of the meat or ingredients. Press all the air from the bags before sealing to help avoid freezer burn. Hope this answers some of the questions!*

Follow Easy Cooking Ideas for more delicious recipes!

 I am definitely going to try some of these.  We are not pressured by youngsters and their sports all summer, but we do try to beat the heat by using the crockpot and cooking on the porch as much as possible.  I usually fill the crockpot and plug it in on the back porch.. check it occasionally and voila'.. supper... no mess, no fuss.  

I hope your Easter Sunday is filled with hope, love and lots of family hugs.  Have a very Blessed Day!

Cooking... hmmm Recipe for diabetic "Almost Mince"

My sweet DH and I have decided for health reasons to change our diet to eliminate as much meat and sugar as possible.  Counting carbs (diabetes) and also counting cholesterol and fats (heart) means having limited choices.  Yesterday I found that I had a couple of apples that I needed to either eat or cook.. I also had a package of   3½ inch squares of phyllo dough.  So.... here is what I did..  I call it "Meatless Almost Mince"....

2 medium Delicious apples
1 cup chopped pecan/walnut mix
2 tsp. cinnamon (I did this to taste... )
1 tsp. cloves  (I did this to taste..)
1/2 tsp. nutmeg  (I did this to taste .. also.. ;o)
4... 1grain Necta Sweet saccharin tablets 
1/2 cup water
36... 3 1/2  inch phyllo dough squares

I cut the apples (unpeeled)  in quarters and cut them into about 1/2 pieces.  These I placed into my tiny little electric chopper  and chopped until about the size of large grains of rice.  I also chopped 1/2 cup of pecans and then 1/2 cup of walnuts.  I crushed the Necta Sweet tablets between 2 spoons. All of these I placed into a large stainless bowl.  While mixing everything, I added the spices.. a little at a time and tasting as I went to see if I needed to add more. 

I placed the finished mixture into a medium size pan, added 1/2 cup of water and simmered over medium heat for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.  When it was finished cooking, I set it aside for a bit to cool slightly and laid out single squares of phyllo dough on a plastic cutting board.  I moistened all edges of the phyllo square, placed a really heaping teaspoon of mixture in the center and then folded the phyllo over the mixture into a triangle.  I used a fork to press and seal the edges.

I placed the triangles in a Baker's Joy sprayed baking sheet and baked at 350° oven for 10 minutes or until golden brown on the edges.  ( I could only use one piece of phyllo because of the carbs.  If you don't have that worry, you can use 1/2 cup sugar instead of the NutraSweet, add butter to the mixture and use 2 phyllo sheets that have then brushed with margarine to make a more golden, flaky crust.)

Now... what we found.  He could not eat the triangles because of the carbs in the phyllo.  But... he can eat 3/4 cup of the apple/walnut mix as a side dish for chicken, turkey, fish or just plain Eggbeaters and toast!  (I think next time I will add some Rum or Brandy to the mix and a little lemon juice.  That will give it a more Mincemeat flavor than it already has!  And I LOVE mincemeat! )

Today is Easter and I am wishing for all of you a really lovely day...whether you can be with family or not.  ;o)

Today in My Life 04/04/2010

Today in my life: the sun is just beginning to bring a little reflected light over the trees in the meadow. Not that bright, warm yellow kind... the faded gray of the day begins to show a little consciousness, stretch a bit and decide whether it really wants to get up or not.

I got up this morning: stumbled into the kitchen, made coffee and emptied the dishwasher. By the time that was done, I should have been awake... not so... still propping the eyes open after 3/4 of the first cup.

I am hearing: in my head someone say "I don't believe it!"... do you suppose if " I don't believe it" is said long enough and strong enough... it really will be "not true"? The child in me would love to believe that, but the adult says... ah well.... and smiles...

I am thinking: that I should hurry up and get a picture of the redbud with all the green behind it before it all changes... ;o(

The current book: is... ta da... drum roll... a re-read of the first sci-fi book that I totally fell in love with... The Belgariad Trilogy ...

From the family: comes these lovely plants from Aunt Edna and Uncle Bobby. I want to get what she told me down in writing since my memory took a hike about a decade ago.. ;o)

The large plant is a bromeliad that is only one of several Edna has growing in her glassed in porch. Beautiful and doing so well... I'm impressed with myself...lol The small packs are airplane plants, the wandering jew is about to bloom and the small plant in with the wandering jew is an oxygen plant...all of these also from Aunt Edna's "porch
greenhouse". That leaves the one that looks like a thick, broad mother-in-law's tongue. Long story.... in 1954 when I was about 7 and staying with my grandparents we would visit my grandfather's brother who lived in Stonewall, OK. His name was Tom and his wife's name was Etta... This plant is the proginy of Aunt Etta's plant... (Everyone used the "Yankee" Eastern pronounciation of her name... she was called "Aunt Etter"... ;o)

I am so pleased to have these plants. Thank you, Edna and Bobby...

From the learning desk: I am working hard at making examples of useful things that can be done with card weaving to show my class in June. Yesterday I began this watchband. It's turning out really pretty and I'm hoping that when I put the findings on it will still be pretty... ;o)


Plans for the coming week: I think it's about time for a trip to McKinney. It's been a while and I need to check out the Michael's store for thread and yarn.

I've been working on a handbook for card weaving, but have almost decided to do a video instead. We'll see...

Thought for today: "Easter spells out beauty, the rare beauty of new life." ... S. D. Gordon

I hope you have a lovely Easter. Hug your family close and bask in the beauty of this holiday...