Blog Archives
He may cheat on the diet but I won’t
Posted by doggonedmysteries
I am ever so slowly making headway in my dietary changes. The trip to IHOP yesterday was proof of that. I behaved and ordered a completely heart smart meal from the turkey bacon to the egg substitute scramble. Never mind that DH ordered two rashers of bacon, a huge stack of pancakes swimming in butter, syrup, and blueberry compote, and he ate most of it.
He’s not making it difficult but he’s not making it easy either. It’s a good thing I’d already made many dietary changes for us over the years. For example, we haven’t used white bread in over thirty years.
My grocery list has grown and I must soon get out and go shopping. As I slowly get back into the daily routine of cooking, I am converting most of my recipes on the fly. It’s not taking all that much to drop the cholesterol and salt levels. Yes, there are changes. However, since many of the changes were already a regular part of our diet it’s not as much as you would think.
We already use whole grain breads, we’ve added more fruits and vegetables to our daily meals, and DH was getting used to a more Mediterranean based diet. The changes I’d already made to our diet may have been what saved my life.
Posted in Food, Heart Attack
Tags: Author, Bones, Bull Terriers, Caregiver, Dead, Disability, Doggoned, Food, Multiple Sclerosis, Post A Day 2011
Any help is welcome
Posted by doggonedmysteries
I have a freezer full of meats, a lifetime of recipes stashed in my brain, and suddenly I have to change everything. ACK! Low cholesterol, low-fat, low or no sodium, buzz words swirl though my brain.
I haven’t gone shopping yet so all those healthy side dishes, vegetables, fruits, and other fresh items are in low supply. Any recipes, ideas, or handy dandy tips on changing my regular recipes are welcome.
What I haven’t found in the several heart healthy cookbooks that I now own are decent snacks that are easy to make and both tasty and satisfying. I like crunch—not celery crunch, but crunchy crunch. I absolutely abhor cold cereals of all flavors so don’t even go there.
Posted in Food, Heart Attack
Tags: Author, Bull Terriers, Caregiver, Dead, Disability, Doggoned, Food, Multiple Sclerosis, Post A Day 2011, Special Diets
Fresh from the garden
Posted by doggonedmysteries
We just finished off the cucumbers that I’d made into a creamed cucumber salad the other day. The recipe is simple and the salad is very refreshing.
Creamed Cucumbers
Allow enough time to refrigerate salted cucumbers slices several hours.
2 cucumbers
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup of light cream
1 tablespoon of sugar
1 tablespoon vinegar
1/8 teaspoon of dill weed
Pare cucumbers and slice very thin. Add salt, then refrigerate for several hours. Rinse with cold water, squeezing out the salt. Make dressing by combining the cream, vinegar, sugar, and dill weed. Pour over cucumber slices toss gently and serve.
Posted in Food
Tags: Author, Bones, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Dead, Disability, Doggoned, Food, Multiple Sclerosis, Post A Day, Post A Day 2011, Writer, Writing
I do know where this day went
Posted by doggonedmysteries
I typed the letter to the insurance company and had DH sign it. Then I made copies of the policies (again) and the claim form he’d filled out and mailed ages ago. Tossed everything into an envelope and mailed it.
I took the dogs out, ran to the grocery store, came home and worked on the pond, watered the plants, took the dogs out, and fed them. After that I cooked our dinner, we ate, I washed the dishes, took the dogs out, and sliced cucumbers. Then I put the cucumbers in a bowl, salted them, and put them in the fridge to sit for a couple of hours.
I fed the fish. I sat down to catch my breath for a little while. I put eggs on to boil, cut potatoes into cubes and put them on to boil. I cut celery and onions made the dressing for the potato salad and put it over the celery and onions. I put that bowl in the fridge.
Eggs done, cooled them, peeled and chopped them, and added them to the potato salad bowl. Drained the potatoes and added them to the bowl. Then I put the bowl in the fridge.
I washed all the prep dishes.
I sat down at the computer and began to type this….
Posted in Misc
Tags: Author, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Craft of writing, Dead, Disability, Doggoned, Family, Fiction, Food, Home, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Post A Day, Post A Day 2011, Writer, Writing
What are your comfort foods?
Posted by doggonedmysteries
Everyone has their favorite comfort foods and when it’s cold outside we crave them. Who doesn’t like a grilled cheese sandwich and tomato soup? Then there the hearty meals DH loves like a pot roast, mashed potatoes, carrots, and lots of gravy. I go for old family favorites like scalloped potatoes and ham or a nourishing home made soup.
We both love breakfasts for dinner like sausage and pancakes or French toast. We don’t eat them often but often enough to make us happy.
Even the pups have their own form of comfort foods. They love having left over egg-foo-young gravy and rice on their kibble. They know that when we have Chinese food delivered they will get some so they get all excited when it arrives.
How about you, what are your comfort foods?
Posted in Food
Tags: Author, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Craft of writing, Dead, Disability, Doggoned, Dogs, Family, Fiction, Food, Home, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Post A Day, Writer, Writing
Quick, easy, and very tasty no-bake cookie
Posted by doggonedmysteries
I thought I’d post one of my favorite and easiest cookie recipes today. They taste somewhat like a chocolate macaroon.
Aunt Violet’s unbaked cookies
2 cups of sugar
1 stick of margarine (must be margarine butter makes them too soft.)
½ cup of milk
Bring to a boil in a saucepan, mix well so sugar dissolves—cool slightly
Mix together:
1 cup of flake coconut
3 cups of quick oats
4 teaspoons of cocoa
1 teaspoon vanilla
Add all at once to the sugar mixture
Drop by spoonfuls on waxed paper, let set until hardened.
Posted in Food
Tags: Author, Beads, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Coffee, Cookie, Craft of writing, Dead, Disability, Doggoned, Family, Fiction, Food, gifts, Home, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Writer, Writing
Comfort foods and a comfortable marriage, what more can one want?
Posted by doggonedmysteries
We like breakfast for dinner. I often make sausage and French toast or pancakes for dinner. Sometimes it’s fried eggs, or scrambled eggs, or omelets each served with a side of bacon or sausage. Maybe if we’re hungry for it I’ll even make SOS that I serve over fresh biscuits instead of toast. I make a mean SOS.
When we were younger, we went to local diners in the wee hours of the morning and enjoyed an early breakfast. We don’t do that often now. In fact, it’s years since we have.
For one thing, DH is seldom awake during the wee hours and for another, eating out gets expensive.
With his MS turning walking into a major feat, DH does prefer to stay home most of the time. In the summer, it’s too hot to anywhere and in the winter too cold. I don’t mind.
It is funny how things work out for us. After all those years of him working different shifts with the police department, we’re still on different schedules even with him retired on disability. He’s up early in the morning and off to bed early. I’m up late and off to bed about the time he’s getting up. Maybe that’s why our marriage works so well. We aren’t connected at the hip and we’re very comfortable with each other.
Tags: Author, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Craft of writing, Dead, Disability, Doggoned, Family, Fiction, Food, Home, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Writer, Writing
Easy to gift
Posted by doggonedmysteries
G and I buy a ten-dollar or less, gift for each other every year. We’ve done this for over thirty years. She’s never once failed to come up with something I love.
This year G told me I was difficult to buy a gift for, who me? I’m easy. There are many things I appreciate and enjoy. For a few years, she got me a Borders gift card each holiday. That little sucker would burn a hole in my pocket until I could get to the store.
G was trying hard to think of a different gift to give me when it dawned on her that buying me some sushi would be perfect. Only a best friend would think of buying sushi as a gift. She knows I love sushi and that I rarely get it.
She’s often been with me as I drooled over the case of freshly made sushi in the grocery store. I’ve bought some for us to eat on the way home many times. On rare occasions, she and I have treated ourselves to the finest of sushi in our favorite Asian restaurant, Bamboo.
She brought over a gift-wrapped sampler platter of sushi yesterday afternoon. I enjoyed it. Nommy nom nom.
Posted in Holidays
Tags: Author, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Craft of writing, Dead, Disability, Doggoned, Family, Fiction, Food, Home, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Writer, Writing
Food of the Gods
Posted by doggonedmysteries
Yes, it is chocolate. I always have some in the house. I blame my Grandmother. She was a true chocoholic. She taught me the joys of dark chocolate.
A few days ago, I was in a grocery store and spotted an irresistible display. They had a sale on Ghirardelli dark chocolate brownie mixes. It was a two for the price of one sale. I’d never tried them because I no longer do much in the way of baking—don’t need the extra calories. I read the back of the box and I bought two, one of their ultimate dark chocolate brownie mix and the other their dark chocolate brownie mix. I would’ve bought more if they hadn’t been out of the turtle ones. There wasn’t a single box of those left.
Last night I made the dark chocolate brownies. They were so good they were very nearly orgasmic. I hope they have more mixes when I go back to the store. I intend to keep a box or two on hand for when a chocolate crave hits me, or if I have drop in company.
DH was in heaven when I served them up still warm from the oven for dessert with fresh coffee.
Posted in Food
Tags: Author, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Chocoholism, Chocolate, Craft of writing, Dead, Disability, Doggoned, Family, Fiction, Food, Home, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Writer, Writing
Luddite vs. technophile in the dog world
Posted by doggonedmysteries
Patty is a Luddite while Gavin is a technophile. Gavin loves the electric back massager, nail grinder, and whipped cream shot from a can. Patty, on the other hand, hides when we turn on the back massager and nail grinder. She’s not very sure she cares for the can that shoots whipped cream.
You can blame Linda of Crone and Bear it for me trying this. Both dogs had their introduction to canned whipped cream after we had our pecan pie. Their reactions were clearly opposite.
Gavin leapt about scolding and begging for more after the first blast. “Wow. That stuff comes out of a can? Hit me with your best shot.”
Patty’s was clearly a low-tech approach. “Don’t point that thing at me just let the white stuff drop on the floor mom. I’ll get it from there.”
I doubled over in the giggles shouting ‘food fight’ sending blasts of whipped cream streaming into the dogs’ mouths. We managed to annoy DH who was trying to watch TV but the pups and I were having a good time. Sometimes DH can be an old stick in the mud.
Posted in Dog related, Food, Holidays
Tags: Author, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Craft of writing, Dead, Disability, Doggoned, Family, Fiction, Food, Home, Humor, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Writer, Writing
Simplicity is key
Posted by doggonedmysteries
I have a pecan pie cooling on the back porch. There’s nothing like making a pie for a mere two people and the second person is not DH. DH can’t eat pecan pie but G can and she loves mine. I wouldn’t have made the pie except she asked me to and she bought the corn syrup to make sure I got the hint. I’m hoping she’ll give DH a slice of her pumpkin pie so he’s happy too.
I don’t do much for Thanksgiving other than make us a good dinner. Personally, I’d rather go out somewhere and let someone else do the work. However, since DH prefers staying home that’s what we do. At least I keep it simple so I don’t have a lot of work to do.
I hope you all have a nice Thanksgiving!
Posted in Holidays
Tags: Author, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Craft of writing, Dead, Disability, Doggoned, Family, Fiction, Food, Holidays, Home, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Pecan pie, Thanksgiving, Writer, Writing
What recipe?
Posted by doggonedmysteries
A while back, I heard that turmeric was good for people with MS. DH loves a good curry so I learned to make my own curries. His favorite is my lamb curry. I followed a few recipes but, as I usually do with many things I cook, I began to throw the thing together more by ‘feel’ than measurements. Yes, I’m one of those cooks.
I think I learned the throw together method from my father and the way he made the most heavenly turkey soup every year from the left over Thanksgiving turkey. I have that soup down pat now although I make it with chicken because DH isn’t fond of turkey. The worst thing to do is ask me for ‘the recipe’ because I don’t really have one. I modify most recipes to suit our taste.
If you want a copy of one of my recipes, you have to come to my kitchen and watch me cook because I don’t have many of them written down. My white clam sauce recipe is in my head. I learned it from a local Italian restaurant owner/chef after I complimented him on how delicious his was. Before I knew it, he whisked me to his kitchen to teach me how to make it.
Posted in Food
Tags: Author, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Cooking, Craft of writing, Curry, Dead, Disability, Doggoned, Family, Fiction, Food, Home, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Recipe, Writer, Writing
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