Sketching, Surgery and FOOD

Hello again.  Life is rumbling along.  This morning we are off to the hospital for him to have foot surgery.  He has a cyst/bulge/bunion/something on the side of his foot that has been bothering him for some time.  It makes the dancing painful.  Weirdly enough his middle brother had the same thing a few years ago.  So today, I am packed up for hurry-up-and-wait day.  I've got counted-cross stitch ornament, journal, sketching journal and pencils, my Kindle, I am ready for sitting and waiting.  We have to be there at 9:15 and surgery is 11:30.  They also said it will be a 4-6 hour surgery!  What the heck.  I also packed a lunch and a few munchies for me to make it through the day.  He said he will be ready to eat a bear when done but who knows.  I'm expecting to be out about dinner time and I'm also ready to cook.  

FYI, I am down 11 pounds today!  That is pretty exciting.  I've been stuck at 10 pounds for nearly 2 weeks but suddenly the scale shifted.  I've really, REALLY been trying to be dedicated to what I am eating and it's been pretty easy.  

Last week I cooked a pork butt in the crock pot and we got three meals out of it, with one of the meals with three other people.  It was $10 and stretched nicely. I made pulled pork over mashed cauliflower which was so tasty.  He loved it.  A couple days later I made pozole verde for 5, another home run.  The Friday evening I made pork and cheese quesadillas.  The verde part of the last two meals was my favorite find of Herdez Salsa Verde!  OMG, my new favorite salsa.  

I used it in the pozole and to dip the quesadillas in.

Last night I had shrimp, a half package of grape tomatoes, "j"arlic, 2 sad stalks of celery, 1/4 cup of white wine, salt & pepper.  I served it over mashed riced cauliflower with lemon, adding a splash of cream and butter, S&P.  OMG, this was tasty too.  So, this low carb thing is really working.  

Sketching, Food, and Life

Monday morning and I'm here at the studio.  Am I painting yet, no, because I also pay bills here and I had to call the bank after an update shut me out of a program.  Time WASTED!  I only popped in here once last week as I watched kiddos a bit and just didn't want to be here.  I'm fighting getting back to oils lately only wanting to draw.  Kind of in a weird place right now and I'm sure it's just the weather and lots of time on my hands.  I did have my book club over last Wednesday evening and this Wednesday is my "Birthday" club girls for dinner.  I put a pork butt in the crockpot at 5 am this morning and will cook it for about 8-10 hours.  Tonight we will eat it like pulled pork over mashed cauliflower and Wednesday I will make pozole for the girls.  

Yes, I am back on the low carb wagon and it is going quite well actually.  I went to my doctor a little over a month ago, my blood pressure was great but later, after the blood tests came back he is concerned I am prediabetic.  So he wanted me to come back in for an A1C test.  I am choosing NOT to do that but to jump in with both feet with the low carb thing and so far I have lost 10 pounds.  It's really not been too hard as I was already doing it, mostly, but back slid.  I was enjoying too much bean dip and Fritos!  Now I am spending my quality time with food really being careful, eating tons of greens, veggies and protein.  I feel really strong and confident that this is my path for the rest of my life.  I don't need Fritos but an occasional one is not going to kill me.  I've been going to gatherings and NOT eating the bad stuff and bringing veggie platters that I can stuff my face on.  I am going to do this.  As I said before my doctor prescribed Contrave, but it sits at the pharmacy waiting on the insurance/Medicare to approve.  I think I'm doing just fine on my own and will continue WITHOUT it!  They're adding more warnings on the shots that scare me too death and are exactly why I will not be doing them.  I will continue my food ways, clean eating and sketching!  

I've been adding stories with these on Facebook and they seem to be a hit and several people want me to write about them, in book form.  I kind of already do here on my blog.

Momma and Momma's hands...

Life Drawing class again...One of the best I've ever done.  Of course the sketchbook I used was one the kiddos have drawn on.  Makes it more beautiful, in my opinion.

Anxious Nelly

Good morning.  Surprise, surprise, two days in a row I'm here.   I'm still riding high on getting in that show in NYC and now I have to deal with the details, which for some reason makes me nervous.  I printed out the details on shipping, dates, etc., and that's a whole different kind of mess.  I've done it before, I can do it.  You have to deal with shippers, which in the past have been grumpy old men (the receiving end) but they get the job done.  I have special boxes I have to send out through FedX, they're padded and very strong.  It's just a process and I need to be on my game to make it all happen.  I'm sure I will not be going to the show but who knows, right!   

Honestly, sitting here just thinking about it, typing it all out, I have a desire to FLEE from all of it, just not send in the paintings.  You know that's a pattern for me to run from stuff like this.  In high school, senior year, I tried out for talent show, Pow Wow (not called that anymore for obvious reasons.)  I practiced and practiced with my friend Becky playing the piano for me.  I sang Barbra Streisand's "People", and I was good, I knew it I felt it.  I started out shaky and too soft but I got louder.  I was ABSOLUTELY TERRIFIED doing it.  I knew people that were quite popular and talented were watching me, listening to me and it was the biggest thing I had EVER done in my life.  I didn't even want to stand on the stage, preferring to stand by the piano down below on seat level, next to Becky, my comfort zone.  I'm telling you I remember reading the lyrics off of the piano book because I knew I would not be able to remember them in front of everyone.  But I did it.  Funny thing though, swinging back around to my point, is that I got in that show, I made it, but I never NEVER went to practice to be in it.  It was all I could do to stand up there and sing in front of those few people.  It has taken a lifetime to break out of that cocoon I built around myself, I'm a much different person now, sort of.  I've stood up in front of people and spoken, I've even done Karaoke before (a little liquid courage on board), but I've done it, I've overcome that shy, introverted girl, mostly.  This shipping stuff seems to bring that stuff up sometimes.  Makes my tummy flutter and me to take a lot of cleansing breaths. 

Oh by the way, down 5 pounds as of this morning.  It's been 7 days since I was in my doctors office, 6 days of watching the carby thing, 5 pounds down.  It will probably fall off pretty quick in the beginning, enough to help with the next blood test, I hope.  The Hubby asked this morning if I was going to tackle the pharmacy and insurance to get that damn pill.  Pisses me off, really does.  I told him I really thought I could do this on my own.  I just hate to take a pill for stuff and you just don't know what the long term effects are going to be.  He promptly said, "Well, you've not been able to do it before, you need to do something."  I AM YOU JERK!  For GOD'S SAKE, I have given up bread, potatoes, pasta, DRINKING, fast food.  I'm eating giant salads for lunch, this morning I ate egg bites (7 carbs-vs-my protein bars of 38 carbs).  I'm going to make my own.  I'm cooking very clean and have been for awhile.  But of course, on my counter is a German chocolate cake our friends made for him for his birthday.  He sat right next to me last night eating it, didn't wait till I headed to the bedroom to watch TV.  He has ice cream every night with chocolate syrup but has the decency to eat it AFTER I've left the room.  He wants to snack and gets frustrated if I don't have a bag of chips or crackers or the right cheese HE likes.  It's very frustrating.  He eats everything I fix for him but these added things are not helping.  It's not that I like GCC, I don't it's the smelling it while he is eating.  It's the crunch of the chips I can hear.  AND I'M NOT A BINGE EATER EITHER! I'm making the right choices and that will be what helps me get this weight down.  If I can just get it down to manageable for my body, my health, that is what matters.  STICK TO MY GUNS!!!  

All About the Food

Yes all about FOOD!  Food, and I'm not ashamed to talk about it.  You know Oprah did a special the other night about the weight loss drug stuff and honestly I think it was nothing more than an ad for the drugs.  Hmm, is she getting a payback of some sort...

Anyway, had the granddaughters overnight on Monday night and of course it's a challenge for the vegan part but I did this...

and it was a HUGE success.  I had crescent rolls and ran to the store for some vegan cheese to make pizza rollups.  Snicklefritz of course is not vegan and wanted real cheese, which I had.  I had pizza sauce for our dinner.  These rollups were so easy and they got to do them themselves.  After they were rolled up Min asked for black olives and fortunately I had a small can of sliced ones.  They got to spread the sauce and sprinkle the cheese and then roll them up.  Baked them the temp on the package and let cool a bit before I served them.  There were four each, Snicklefritz scarfed down all four of hers and Min ate two, very quickly.  They both ate their broccoli, blueberries and strawberries.  Dinner was a HUGE success.

Our part of the dinner was cabbage sliced into thick slices and brushed with oil, salt and pepper and Italian seasoning, both sides.  Put into a 400 degree oven until the cabbage was nearly done but not mushy.  I may have overcooked mine a tad but it was okay.  Then take out and spread pizza sauce over, pepperoni slices, mozzarella cheese, parmesan cheese and since the olives were open, those too.  Back in the over just to melt the cheese and heat the sauce.  YUMMY!

Last nights dinner was similar but I had the ingredients and I didn't want to do anything else.  I parboiled the brussels sprouts in salted water until fork or knife tender.  While cooking, slice up a kielbasa sausage put on parchment lined cookie sheet.  Scoop out the sprouts and place on top of the sausage, top with cheese (I had a bit of mozzarella left and sharp cheddar cheese).  Put in preheated 350 degree oven to heat the sausage and melt the cheese.  OMG, this was so very yummy.  I LOVED IT!

Last weekend too we went to the cabin and totally enjoyed the newly re-screened porch and fire.  Had a couple of girlie friends over for day drinking (hubby's too).  At first this was a girl thing buy more and more it's becoming a guy thing too.  Not sure how I feel about that.  Anyway, it was nice.  I fixed a new dip, Dirty Martini Dip I found on Insta.  You can just search for it.  OMG, again it was a huge hit.  It had, of course, GIN, cream cheese, blue cheese and olives.  So very good. 

Christmas Wrap-up

Good morning the day after International Unwrapping Day!  Ha, the wrapping paper was certainly flying yesterday and Christmas Eve with the grands and cousins in the mix.  The looks on faces when they see what the have unwrapped, the sparkle in their eyes is unforgettable. Awesome Christmas this year.  We are all tired though but very content.  A year ago we were all on pins and needles with the impending birth of baby Max and his so very uncertain health future.  Now, here we are with him turning 1 year old next week and his future is so bright it is blinding.  He is such a happy baby and has brought so much joy to all of us, especially his big sister.  Oh, she loves him so.

Yesterday brought lots of laughter and utter exhaustion from opening all the presents and trying to play with ALL OF THEM AT ONCE!

Cousin time...

Granddad and grandson time...

oh and some typical little boy things like a black eye...(fell on a toy!)

So looking forward to 2024.

Yesterday the family came here for dinner.  Something I am trying to hold on to for a tradition.  Since my girls are vegan or vegetarian I have to really do some research to feed them and it was quite successful, except for the ham and desserts.  

A HUGE tossed salad...

Frozen green beans with onion...NO BACON!

I also cubed and roasted regular potatoes and sweet potatoes.

And Rhodes rolls, the frozen ones are VEGAN!  I was trying to jump the gun on the rise process a couple of years ago and bought the heat and serve ones but those are NOT vegan.  So back to the frozen and really they are quite easy.  Also on Instagram Christmas Eve I saw a quick video where a guy took the frozen ones and made focaccia bread!  WHAT!!!!!  I tried it with a small pan and O M G, so easy and good.  I took a square glass pan (at the back of photo), greased the pan (spray PAM'd it) and put 9 frozen rolls in it.  They were placed with all the others to rise over a couple of hours and when ready to cook I drizzled olive oil (olive oil from Italy, Bramasole as in Under The Tuscan Sun I ordered) and then plunged my fingers in the dough to make all kind of huge dents.  Then I sprinkled coarse salt and Italian seasoning (you could do any kind of seasoning) and baked at 350 degrees for 15 to 18 minutes!  OMG, so SOOOOOo very good.  They just slide out and on a plate or platter and you pull apart and eat.  I am never going back.

Now here we have apple pie.  I bought a pre-made crust, as I do a lot.  I had other things to do.  Anyway I did NOT do my research here and figured out it had milk in it so it was not vegan friendly.  It was yummy though.

On to cake.  I had a strawberry cake mix in my pantry with a can of whipped strawberry icing and I got a great idea.  I made the cake in two round pans and when cool I spread strawberry jam on the bottom layer and then I added a small container of Cool Whip to the whipped strawberry icing and put a layer in the middle then iced the rest.  It was of course kept in the fridge until time to serve.  SO very good and light.  

In my down time I am either reading (40 books this year) or back to an old love, counted cross-stitch ornaments.  This one I thought was going to be fairly easy because so few colors, but oh no, not so.  Absolutely so intricate you can not imagine and time consuming, but I will finish.  I've finished 3 so far this season and plan on continuing until my hands say stop for awhile.  The arthritis in my hands is a beast.  I tried to do some last night but my hands were so tired from making salad and cutting up potatoes that they just kept cramping.  I had to stop.

Watercolors, Baby and Food

Just a little catch up from the past week.  I gathered up all the watercolor notecards that I've done so far and packed up the watercolors for a brief bit.  I needed to clean up the front room to ready for Christmas decor.  I'm very please with how all have turned out but my mind is still whirring with new ideas.  This weekend I may get it all out again.  

At the studio, what limited time that I've gone in, I produced these three, in oils.  I cannot get Christmas out of my head so I am just going with it.

These may be gifts...

This past week I also got to watch Mighty Max for the very first time.  It was only for a little over an hour but exciting and SCARY!  He still has a feeding tube and a heart monitor which scares the bejeeszus out of me, but we managed.  He was quite happy watching Miss Rachel until he wasn't happy.  I could see it in his eyes, sleepy.  So I picked him up, put him on the couch beside me to change his diaper.  Do you know how long it has been since I have changed a little boys diaper, probably 40-50 years!  I was very quick though because he got upset very fast and held his breath crying, setting off the monitor!  YIKES!  I finished and hoisted him on my shoulder and shooshed and hummed, patting his backside and he was asleep in seconds.  Whew!  But, my poor arms.  He is a hefty 27+ pounds and I have bursitis in my right arm, prohibiting me from lifting him or holding for long.  Just don't have the strength.  Af said I could put him in his bed but I could not stand with 27 pounds of dead weight and grab his feeding bag and monitor to get him in there so we just stayed put.  I wasn't too sad about that.  He is so sweet and cuddly.  The big guy has a mouthful of teeth and today has started cutting a molar!  He may be delayed a bit in some milestones but not in growth.  Plus he's actually eating small bits of food which is a big deal.  

The weekend we finally jetted off to the cabin and hosted Saturday evening's dinner with our little group.  I asked what The Hubby wanted to fix and he said beef tenderloins.  Okay, so off to Fresh Market to get two beautiful tenderloins and make my credit card SCREAM!  They are not cheap but usually what we do once a year for the group, our Christmas present to them.

I also needed to decorate a bit because in a couple of weeks we are one of the host cabins for the progressive cocktail party.  I've never decorated for Christmas at the cabin before.  I purchased a small tree and went through my ornaments that I thought would be great for the cabin vibe, kind of rustic.  It turned out so sweet.

The evening went FABULOUS and everyone had such a fun time.  The meal was great, the company awesome and a few gifts were even exchanged early.  

Merry Christmas

Birthday This and That

I am a whole year older now, Whoopee!  It was a very nice weekend and birthday all in all.  Except we decided to stay in town the past weekend because I had a meeting on Saturday.  Well, the meeting was pushed to the next weekend because the dear lady, Dian, who's house it was to be was in the ER.  Dian is a gem of a sweet person, in her early 80's, even though you would never know it.  Found out yesterday that her spleen had RUPTURED!  OMG, how does that happen unless you are in a car accident or fall.  Poor thing.  Sure hope she recovers.  Scary.

Birthday weekend started with a drive to south Tulsa to see an old cabinite friend.  I had not seen Peggy's new house that she and Tom had moved too.  She was having some lighting issues and of course Robert was on call to help.  Peggy lost her hubby, Tom, our friend a few months ago to cancer and we told her we were there for her if needed.  True to his word we went to help.  Turns out it was a switch she didn't know about...LOL! Happens.  It was a wonderful visit (love her house and little pool!)  Then, since we had nothing else to do he took me for a cheeseburger (my fav).  We also went to dinner for sushi, another fav, all for my birthday.  Saturday I hung at home and painted some watercolor and Sunday too.  Later in the evening girl two brought her family over for some grandkiddo kisses.  

Happy Birthday to me.

Next week this little guy is to have a heart cath to determine his lung function, open the aortic arch...the lung function hopefully shows he is ready for surgery #2 (if not then he will be put on a heart transplant list.)

Last night I went to my "birthday club" .  The birthday club is four friends (includes me).  We have known each other for over 35 years and gotten together for our respective birthdays and more for those 35 years.  They are my closet friends and we are dear friends who are all of the same mindset.  That is so refreshing.  We first met at church so long ago, they still go, I do not.  I love them dearly and they mean the world to me.  It's not about the birthday or gifts, it's about the thoughtfulness of their love as a friend, their compassion, their caring, our caring for each other.  They are my true best friends.  I have surrounded myself with true friends and distanced myself from those who do not feed my soul.  I am rich with friends.  

One more thing, I did cook my own birthday dinner and I'm so okay with that since we had gone out on Friday evening and lunch that day.  Even had a friend text me that they were going to make my meal!  

Chicken thighs

new potatoes

marinated olives (Whole Foods olive bar)

Olive oil

Lemon juice and slices

Rosemary ( from my garden)

Salt & Pepper

Toss all on the olive oil and bake about 350-400 degrees for 45-60 minutes till chicken is done.

Man, it was so yummy. Had roasted asparagus too. Almost forgot the drumsticks for dessert.