Allison, hope DS feels better today, just glad there were no injuries.
Dagmar, re: my post about the house I found and lost due to fire. I was trying to point out that sometimes we have disappointments but in looking back we can see that it was best for us but hard to see that at the time.
Chris, congratulations on your opera, I wish I could see it.
Shannon,I hope you are feeling better. You must be feeling that you have a dark cloud over your head.

Last night DH and I had DS pull up Google Maps street view to see just where his accident was and it's pretty easy to understand how it happened. There were no signs indicating a sharp turn onto the 605 from whatever street he was on (also no sign indicating the best speed for the ramp). He was on a 2 lane straight-away and there was a narrow one lane on-ramp to the freeway. I imagine he must have been going over 60. He said it was all a blur and that he does remember screaming.

I took the keys to the mechanic yesterday and he'll work with the insurance company to get the repairs done. Three wheels, probably four tires and whatever other pieces will need to be repaired or replaced. He definitely bent something as one of the wheels is crooked.

And I feel slightly handicapped without his being able to drive! Sunday I needed 2 tablespoons of sugar for a recipe. I had only 1! Can you imagine running out of sugar? Well, I did have Splenda and substituted that, but usually I'd have him run to the store for me. Yesterday I went to the store for a few items, but got home and realized we needed milk. Guess I'll have to stop there today to get that, rather than asking him to pick some up while he was out.

And it's spring break and he's stuck at home all week. He had said he had a lot of reading and homework but he also had intended to meet up with his friends. I kind of doubt he'll ask to borrow one of our cars or ask us for a ride, either. I feel bad for him.

Shannon, I hope you stay healthy and those around you get well soon!

Becky, LOL, hopefully it was just that one mom, not everyone.

The twins club meeting last night was good; I'm glad we went. I got two useful bits of information about my concern about babies being positioned where I don't feel much movement. First, someone suggested that if you want to get them to move out of an uncomfortable position (like if they're curled into a big ball), try putting a bag of frozen peas on them. I guess they don't like the cold and they will move away! Second, someone told me that what constitutes a "movement" changes the further along you get, and where earlier on you get a lot of percussive kicks, later you get more sludgy slides because they don't have as much space to move around. That's good to know because I was worried that I wasn't feeling as many big kicks. I guess they are starting to get squeezed for space at this point.

OMG! I am seriously considering buying the "sports bar" house. It really looks like a big good detached house (except I'd have to switch the kitchen and living room) and I think I can get it for what a small bungalow or decrepit semi is going for. It has a big yard and I just saw a post for a dog that would be ideal for me (not so much for the cats but we can work on that).

We are hoping to go in and see it Thursday morning. I keep trying to talk myself out of it but the more I see of other places the more sense it makes. I will have enough money to do the kitchen relocation (will check with DH's boss the contractor about that) with enough left over to even buy a bit of furniture.

I was given 4 Godiva easter eggs today (the aussie dogs pooled their pocket money and asked their "mom" to get me a treat). I only ate one.

The stars seem to be aligning in my life right now. . I am running the gamut of emotions from fear and panic to joy and acceptance. ARRRRGH!!!

But I'm not binge or stress eating.

Dagmar

Dagmar, how exciting about the house! And leave it Aussies to come up with a good gift - such smart dogs. My all-time favorite dog story involves a great Aussie, Flirt. We took a late fall walk at a park one day and she left her Frisbee in the pond. We had to leave before she could find it. When we went back the next spring, she ran right into that pond and got her Frisbee!

Allison, so glad your son is okay. What a scary experience for you all.

Jessica, good luck getting those baby girls to move! The peas idea made me chuckle.

Shannon, I felt like I was getting sick last night and I thought of you and your endless cold. I'm glad you're feeling better.

Chris, congrats on your opera and good luck!

Megan, just reading your posts makes me want a nap.

Jen, I'm glad you've decided to ease up in yourself. You deserve to be happier with yourself.

As for me, well...this has been the hardest week of my life. My dad is doing okay but his cognitive functions are seriously impaired, and it's just heartbreaking. I've been at the rehab center every day, sometimes twice a day, so it's taking up a lot of my time. Plus I've been helping my stepmother with the legal and financial stuff, and trying to do my own job (my new employers are very understanding and flexible). I'm sad and stressed and exhausted. I haven't exercised much at all and my eating has been erratic - I don't eat all day and then dive into the carbs for that sugar rush. I'm not beating myself up about it, though, and am just trying to minimize the damage.

It's finally warming up here, though - come on, spring!

The "sports bar" house just sold. But the cottage is still available. I think I better just accept that I'm going to be doing this for awhile and not get so worked up about any particular house. There will always be another. I was hoping for something a bit distinctive but will settle for a nice semi. I'm happy to be able to purchase ANY house - it's been such a long time (45 + years) goal.

Dagmar

shannon, . Hang in there. When you are slogging through the valley, keep in mind that your friends are up here on the walls, cheering you on and waving off the circling vultures. Please don't wait til you feel like there's something positive to post - we can handle it, and it does help to get it all out here!

allison, all you have to do is put him to work around the house. I'll bet he'll ask to borrow a car!

jessica, I like the idea of the frozen peas. Hoping you're right that it's only that one mom - the family does have a bit of a reputation for being attention-hogs.

dagmar, it's good to see you getting a ray of sunshine! The right house will be there at the right time - don't settle!

steph, I'm sorry it's your turn in the wringer. It sounds like you really have to be "on" all the time - I'm familiar with that. Try to change the not eating all day thing, even if it means resorting to the convenience foods for a bit - that carb spiral is a PIA to resolve.

bargoo - you've been posting about everybody else - how are you doing these days?

I'm heading to NC to see a friend over the holiday weekend, leaving tomorrow from work and coming home Sunday. I expect she'll drag me to at least one swimming workout. Shouldn't be too many food minefields; as an elite Masters athlete, she eats pretty close to my ideal. I am really looking forward to seeing her!

Becky, thanks for asking. Had an interesting weekend, long story short DS#2 sent a driver to pick me up to take me 125 miles to a birthday/going away party. A uniformed driver in a Lincoln Town Car, not too shabby !There was an incredible amount of food , including a roast pig, a truly ugly sight to see, came home with a little extra poundage but most of it has gone away.

Living the high life - for you!

Dagmar

Aaaah! We thought we'd lost the cat yesterday. He went out around 9 AM and hadn't returned when I left at 4 PM. That's just not like him. We really were sick with worry. I drove around the neighborhood and we took turns walking around the building. Nothing. DH and I decided to leave him water outside near his carrier because it was hot yesterday, but we decided not to put food out for him. Well, at 4:30 my friend dropped by to see our new building. As DH was showing her around the warehouse he heard a meow. Darn cat had apparently been in there all day, stuck up on the roof of the storage room. DH had to get a ladder to get him down. Here's the worst part: I had gone out to the warehouse twice looking for him. On the floor. I had looked up at trees outside but didn't even think to look up in the warehouse! Darn Culley!

We went to see Boz Scaggs last night. What a great show! Still have Lido going through my head this morning.

Dagmar~continued good thoughts that you are able to find a house BEFORE someone else buys it!

Bargoo~I've never been fond of the roast pig. But the party sounds fun--and a "limo" ride to boot!

Has anyone heard more about Gary?

Morning all,

I got a solid night of sleep last night and feel so much better this morning! Oh sleep, how I love thee. Ok, ok, I'll stop. Does anyone have any tips for thickening a soup broth in a light way? I made my onion, leek, and white bean soup last night. I actually used black-eyed peas instead of white beans because I had some left over. One of the recipes I was drawing from directed me to puree half the beans and add them back into the soup to help thicken the (chicken) broth base. It might have thickened it a little bit but didn't produce a really thick texture. The soup was still really tasty and hit the spot on a cold night.

Alison, glad you found Culley safe and sound. Those darn cats like to wander off.

Bargoo, woohoo, it sounds like you're living it up in style! How nice of DS.

Jessica, have you tried the frozen pea trick yet? It sounds sort of funny, but I'm curious if it actually works.

Steph, I don't have good advice but I'd like to give you a . You are hanging in there remarkably well.

Shannon, here's a for you too. How is the world treating you today? I'm sure you're not radiating bad karma. I like the black cloud analogy better.

Have a good Wednesday everyone.

Scanning the posts briefly ... buried in work, my mother arriving today while I'm at the office for a week-long stay ... really annoyed because the envelope containing all my tax info that I thought I'd safely mailed off to my accountant back on Feb. 26th apparently got lost in the mail.

Megan, for some soups and chilis, I've used canned fat-free refried beans as a thickener to good effect. In clear broths, I've been adding quinoa, which has worked remarkably well.

Still reeling over the big news of Chris' opera. That's stupendous. I will watch for notice of it playing in NY.

Wishing everyone else well.

Gone again, with two PowerPoint presentations to work up today between one-on-one meetings to evaluate my direct reports' writing samples for the first quarter of the year.

Morning everyone! Thanks for the good wishes, all. I do have a bright spot today - I'm closing on the refi of my mortgage today - three weeks earlier than expected so I'll be able to skip two payments instead of one. I can sock that in the bank right away and with the difference in the mortgage payment I'll be able to pay off my revolving debt by Nov 2014 if I stick to my budget plan. (I have a frighteningly high amount of revolving debt, sadly.) The extra mortgage payment in savings will give me some buffer I hadn't anticipated and make the basic budget easier. I find that very bright indeed. I've also exercised two days in a row and have that sore legs from good exercise feeling. I'm celebrating with a nonfat macchiatto for breakfast.

Megan - I prefer the black could analogy, thanks. I think the soup was thinner because black eyed peas aren't as starchy as white beans or great northern beans. I asked a friend about thickening it and she suggested a cornstarch and water slurry blended into the soup. Mix the dry cornstarch with cold water to make the slurry, don't just put it straight into the soup or it will clump. It is funny how ingredients change the soup - I made potato soup this weekend and used the 'wrong' potatoes. Totally changed the texture and consistency. Flavor was still good, but they didn't break up as much.

Allison - glad that you found Culley! Silly cat. I love all your pics of him on FB. He is definitely not a 'feral stray' anymore. LOL

Bargoo - that sounds like so much fun! I love that your son sent you a car and driver. You've been on my mind a lot lately, and Gary, as I've been dealing with various treatment options for my family members here and getting ports installed and scheduling chemo. I'm one layer removed and it is terrifying. I'm glad that you are well. I hope Gary is recovering from his infection, as well.

Steph - Oh honey, I'm so sorry. Do try to eat some during the day, even if it is little snacks here and there. It will help with the crash at the end of the day, and might give you a little distraction during it.

Dagmar - sorry the sports bar house sold. I really do think you will find the right house when its time. Hang in there.

Becky - there is snow on the ground in NC right now. Hope it is gone by the time you get there! Hope you enjoy your visit. Sounds like a perfect one for staying on diet track. LOL

Jessica - I would totally more around if someone put a bag of frozen peas on my bottom!

ETA:
Saef - I would imagine that you are a duplicate person, can you get copies to your accountant in time to get things done now? That is awful.

Good day everyone!

Hi Megan: try some of these ideas for thickening soup. Water in combination with a starch. When mixed together this is referred to as a slurry. Always start with a cold liquid, approximately equal parts liquid to starch. Make sure the starch is completely dissolved or it may not break down completely once added to the broth. Flour is by far the most common starch used in western cooking and works wonderfully with sauces, gravies, soups and stews. Use 1 tablespoon to thicken 1 cup of broth.

Cornstarch is another popular starch for making a slurry and is widely used in oriental cooking. As with flour, use 1 tablespoon for 1 cup of broth. While cornstarch works very well and is generally easier to work with than flour, it produces a glossy sheen in the sauce or broth and may not be as visually appealing when used in traditional western dishes. Also, cornstarch doesn't do well when dishes incorporating it are to be frozen, in which case you may wish to consider arrowroot.

Arrowroot is an excellent substitute for cornstarch except that it should not be used in sauces containing cream, as it will turn slimy (but your soup doesn't have cream!). Except for that, and its somewhat higher cost, it's a great thickener with a neutral flavor, it works well at lower temperatures, with acidic ingredients - which cornstarch does not - and holds up better over prolonged periods of cooking. Arrowroot also produces a nice, fatty mouth feel which is generally associated with fat-based thickeners.

With bean soup I also like to blend up some of the beans to thicken the stock.

Also you can try kudzu powder (the ground up tuber of this notorious southern vine), lotus root flour, potato starch, sago (from the sago palm), sahlab (made from orchid tubers), rice flour and water chestnut flour.

Lastly are two thickeners for southerners: filé, pronounced (FEE-lay), and okra. Those of you versed in Cajun lore will instantly recognize these ingredients as the essence of gumbo, a concoction, brewed up by Cajun families, usually consisting of some combination of shellfish, chicken, spicy sausage, the trinity (otherwise known as onion, celery and bell pepper) and stock. And gumbo is traditionally thickened with a roux, okra, filé, or sometimes all three.

Okra is a finger shaped veggie indigenous to Eastern Africa. It was originally brought to the West Indies by Ethiopian slaves who treasured it not only because it is delicious but also for its ability to thicken their soups and stews.

Filé comes from the ground leaves of sassafras, a plant indigenous to America and widely used by Native Americans. Filé should never be added to the broth while it is cooking as it has a tendency to get stringy. It may be added at the end, sprinkled on after the gumbo has been removed from the heat. Or, as I like to do, it may be added in the beginning while sautéing the trinity. It will combine completely and then the stock may be added.

Chris, I'm copying and pasting your answer in my recipe file. That is a fantastic description of the different options. Thanks!