Good Monday Morning Sweet Ladies of the Worldly Type...
Christmas didn't seem like Christmas this year to me. I guess because our celebrations didn't happen until the 27th. My brother came over Christmas eve, we watched Maleficent (again for me, sis and I saw it at the theater), had chicken cauliflower casserole, roasted brussel sprouts and taters. All good. Christmas day we did absolutely nothing. Watched movies and piddled around the house. Friday was a bit of grocery shopping for Saturday. Sis came over early Sat morning and helped me clean house, then everyone started arriving aroun 4 to celebrate our family Christmas. We had our tacos, enchiladas, cheese dip, taco salad and my niece brought snicker doodles, which for some reason were fantastic, better than normal. I only ate one, thought about the second one, however all were eaten in a short span of time by everyone else.
C got me a beautiful cross necklace and also an angel necklace that I don't like as much but I guess it is the thought that counts. Sissy got me a new trash can for the kitchen with a foot pedal and a slow closing lid (on its own), very nice. For the most part I got just a bunck of little nick nackie things from others. All nice.
OK to all you cold/cough/stopped up noses...get some of the airborne (I get CVS brand) and drink it daily. It is amazing in fighting off colds etc. Even if you already have a cold, take it anyway. Mix is with water I only use about 3 oz of water as it makes it taste better, orangier, too much water and is tastes like watered down OJ. I drink this all winter long, maybe not everyday, but mostly every day.
SHADDIE...the gate opener could be a mix between the rain/water and the geicos. I had a ground squirrel problem one time similar to that when I lived out in the stix. Once I got those lil devils out of there, things worked very nicely. Hope you are feeling better.
HAPPY...so nice of DH to share his cold with you. He needs to know that sharing everything is not necessary. How are you liking the gym? Bummer on the washing machine. And why is it the dang thing won't drain when you either have towels or jeans in there. Never fails. The roast sounds delish.
LAURA...Your hosted Christmas sounded wonderful. I get what you mean about hosting, all the preparing then afterwards all the clean up. I spent the most part of yesterday getting my kitchen back together and also taking the tree down and out. OH the needles that had to be swept up. C did that while I put all the decorations away for storage. Think I am going to order the Cappy yoga DVDs for home. So I can add them to my stack of exercining DVDs that I don't use. Hopefully I will get into these. lol
CHELLE...be sure to get your rest. Yes the biotin for the hair, my friend Susie did not take it and her hair is so thin on top and has not really grown back in. She is 9 years post op. Vits and water, vits and water, vits and water....did I say vits and water??
CEEG...glad you made it to the Uncles and had a good time and enjoyed your time off work. Any time off work is good. haha
DEE...fun with the grandbabes, nuttin like it and making good memories. Making ravioli sounds like a lot of work, no thanks for me. I love to bake and cook, but not much in time consuming stuff.
TERRA...how is your foot and are you getting all your exercising in?
SUSIE...we have seen Stand Tall and Jersy Boys, I like both. Both a little on the sad side, but not bad. Sounds like DH knows how to meet you happy needs with gifts, that is great.
That is about it for me. Make it a marvelous/Monday/evening, and drink our Airborne!!
Location: A beautiful and peaceful place in the woods
Posts: 8,905
S/C/G: Stuck/Working on it/Good 2 Go
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Morning ladies,
Day 5 of cold and I am feeling no better. I am dreading it moving into my chest. Cancelled my hair appointment this morning - I'm hoping she won't be mad that she went out in the early morning (it's minus 10 outside) only to find I cancelled my 10am. In my defense I did call on Saturday to cancel since by then I knew this would not just be a 24 hour thing. I have been home inside since Christmas and I am about to go stir crazy. Since this is such a rough and contagious cold, I don't think it would be right to go into the thrift shop tomorrow. We are also in the frigid weather - high of 6 degrees forecast for tomorrow. However, we also have bright sunshine which we have not seen in a very long time so inside the house with bright sun and lots of light, it's not that bad at all. I also cancelled my training session at the gym today and I am sorry to be missing the new yoga class. Oh well there is always next week which is January when everyone is gung ho on resolutions for at least a month, right?
Annie - I smiled at your comment about collections yet more exercise DVDs as I look at the 15 in the case in front of me. Not sure why I have such good intentions and no follow through when it comes to that sort of thing. I can say one thing though - after doing the yoga for about a year there definitely is something to it. It does help with flexibility, lubricating the joints, and helping to strengthen the muscles that support the joints in the body. I still need to work on my balance - rather bad at that. It's "very windy" when I am in tree pose Thanks for the Airborne advise but does that have zinc in it? I have a hard time with zinc. I am working on some other natural remedies like ginger, orange peel, lemon and I will have to whip up some garlic chicken - something potent with garlic. Good for you for stopping at only one snicker doodle. Thank goodness they were gone when you went back to the plate. I didn't bother with cookies this year - why be tempted? How is your foot holding up?
Shad - your lunch looked very tasty - I was wondering where the protein was but then I saw the yoghurt. Perfect thing for such hot weather and all that vitamin C will no doubt make you feel much better. I am hoping I will wake up and this could will be gone - although I am starting to think that this is actually a mild case of the flu that is going around. The one that morphed from the strain they gave the flu shot for - not that I got a flu shot this year. Anyway it sounds like everyone has the sniffles so we are in good company. It has to be far more miserable being sick in your hot weather tho - you would think one would be sweating it out.
Think I'll go find me something to eat and then get on the phone and bug Sears again. I think there is just enough soapy water in the bottom of the washer that I can't drain out which will really start to stink in a few days if it's not dealt with. Maybe I'll let DH call - it's fun to listen to him rant. Later chicks...
Morning all. Back in the office today. It’s quiet here. The streets downtown are relatively quiet in terms of car traffic and the train was quiet too. Two members of our group are out today.
Dee – Sounds like you had a wonderful Christmas with your sons & their families. How great that they know how to cook – that’s a skill everyone should have! How interesting that you and your hubby make furniture from the fallen trees on your property. I’d love to see the pics! I agree that getting furniture to fit the person is very important. Sitting on a chair that’s not deep enough is very uncomfortable for me. Yummm, the pork sounds really tasty! Enjoy your slow time, though I doubt you slow down very much!!
Happy – I’m so sorry you’re suffering from a cold. I thought mine was on its way to being done and yesterday I woke up feeling a bit worse. Boo. It stinks that you’re having to cancel all your activities, but it’s the right thing to do if you think you’re contagious. I’m sure we all have gadgets (kitchen or otherwise) that we haven’t used as much as we envisioned when we bought them – or at all. Ours is a meat grinder attachment for our Kitchenaid mixer which we bought nearly a year ago. BF saw himself making sausage – I think we bought the casing stuffer tubes as well. However, just now mentioning this, it occurs to me that I can use the grinder to grind chicken breasts for a wonderful Thai basil chicken recipe we have. Re the Cheddar Bay biscuits – yes, they’re pretty tasty. But what isn’t yummy when it has shredded cheese in it and a melted herb butter brushed on top of it?? What a PITA with your washer problems!! How old is that washer? I had the impression that it wasn’t very old – that’s just terrible. Re the grunters at the gym – isn’t that just so annoying??!! I suppose you'll become accustomed to it and just tune it out. And if you have an iPod playing, even better. Re Peggy Cappy – I believe I borrowed her first video – Yoga for the Rest of Us, which included someone doing a chair yoga version of the moves alongside Peggy and another person. As an intro to the moves, I thought it was okay. As a complete yoga workout session, I didn’t care for it because it was a lot of explaining and not so much movement. One of the group fitness classes I really enjoyed at LA Fitness was the yoga class. It was a challenge for me, but in a good way, and it really kept us moving. So I guess you could say I prefer the more "athletic" yoga classes over the “relaxing” ones. Alas, this class/instructor was on Sunday mornings, and that’s really the only morning I get to relax. Of course it didn’t start ‘til 10 am, so I could have had several hours in which to be lazy with my tea and newspaper and still go to the class, but once I’m in that lazy mode, it takes me a while to get out of it, lol. Easier to linger in the pj’s and putter around the house than to get myself dressed and out to the gym.
Shad – LOL re the geckos setting up house in the gate motor housing. If it wasn’t the moisture causing the motor’s problems, it would eventually been the geckos. So your cold is history and you’re feeling better now? Glad to hear it! Your fruit plate looks wonderful. The brand of yogurt I like is no longer sold at any of my local markets – boo on that. Oh, except I spotted giganto tubs of it at our nearby Costco the other day – restaurant-sized for sure. Not an option. So I have to try out other brands and find a new regular.
Annie – I don’t mind moving Christmas celebrations to another day, as long as it’s not like that every single year. BF and his mom get angry about that because it’s his brothers that always go along with what their wives want every year - being with their families. Your Mexican fiesta sounds delicious! Bf and I’ll be having homemade tacos this week, for sure. As for all the work hosting entails – at least it’s a good excuse to do a thorough cleaning (since we don’t like housecleaning and need a good excuse to do it, LOL). Another bonus is we cleared our kitchen cart’s top surface of a bunch of junk we don’t even use on a daily basis (to make room for the Nesco roaster and the bigger coffee maker) and I don’t see the need to put that stuff back there!! Does the airborne drink mix thing have Vit. C in it? Re the Peggy Cappy yoga videos – I’d say try to give them a test run before you buy them. Do you have a library you can borrow them from?
Ceejay – I hope you enjoyed your time with your uncles. Nice of you to help out at the aunt’s house. Ick re cleaning up the dead squirrel! I came across a dead mouse the other day while cleaning up after the dog in the backyard. No fun coming across that kind of thing, and of course having to get rid of it. But who knows what the dog might have done with it if I'd left it there!
Terra – So good to hear that your mom’s illness was short! I looked up the recipe for the strawberry cheesecake salad and if the one your family makes is anything like the recipe I saw online, it sounds delicious.
Michelle – Sounds like you had a nice holiday. I envy you in that warm sunny weather and taking a walk along the beach! And it must have been even more enjoyable now that you can walk longer than previously.
Hi Susie – How’s it going girl? I received a Fitbit Flex for Christmas and I hope you can give me some tips for getting started with it!
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Let’s see – I last left off on Friday afternoon. We didn’t do much of anything Friday night except watch the old movie “His Girl Friday” that we’d dvr’d a few days back. What a fabulous old movie with Cary Grant and Rosalind Russel. The dialog is so great, but it’s really a lot of dialog and spoken very quickly, so it’s almost like I want to see it again sometime to catch what I might have missed. I’d seen only little bits and pieces of it previously, so it was great to finally see it all the way through.
On Saturday I went to jazzercise class. I mostly puttered the rest of the day – packed the leftover Christmas cookies in a tin and got them in the freezer, did some laundry, took a dog walk, etc. I’ve got a few candles with wicks that are completely burnt down, yet have a good amount of wax in the bottom of the jars. In the basement I have an old potpourri warmer that I pass every time I’m down there. It finally occurred to me to use this warmer to melt the leftover candle wax. I brought it upstairs and cleaned it (shame on me – I’d put it in the box without even cleaning it properly!). The candles are in the freezer waiting for me to pop out that wax. I checked the box to the warmer and it indicated it could be used for wax melting as well as potpourri. Does potpourri even exist anymore??!! Seems like a fad that came and went.
Saturday night we went to a party given by some friends that aren’t too far from us. It was a pleasant time. Best thing is that I was home by 9:30, LOL. Bf dropped me off at home and went off to his friend’s party in the city while I vegged out on the sofa watching a Hallmark movie. I was tired and I felt like I had a lot of fluid building up in my ears, so I took a Zyrtec and went to bed.
Yesterday was a lazy day. I woke up feeling like my cold was trying stage a comeback. I was also feeling some soreness and muscle fatigue, and I went through the day in a bit of a fog. I had my tea and newspaper and spent a good amount of time on the sofa reading a book and watching tv. I decided to do the Peggy Cappy yoga video that afternoon because I thought it would be a good way to stretch my sore muscles. As I mentioned to Happy, this video wasn’t quite the one for me and didn’t have enough movements to stretch out my muscles much. And the chill in the basement didn’t help matters any.
I got out for a dog walk right after that, and the rest of the day was spent reading and watching tv. Bf and I watched a couple more episodes of “Breaking Bad”. I also finally got around to applying for a Costco Amex card – we’ll use it to buy our gas and it'll earn points for an annual rebate check. It’s a free card as long as we have a Costco membership.
I think that's about it for me. I got on the scale this morning and it was down a couple pounds from where it was three weeks ago. I'll take it!
Okay, better get this posted and get back to work. It’s very quiet here, but I still have things to do!! Like brew another mug of tea for myself, LOL. Join me!!
Above are the ingredients in Airborne. HAPPY...looks like a bit of zinc is in it, but not too much, not the main ingredient. LAURA...yes it does have vit C in it. All good stuff.
Location: A beautiful and peaceful place in the woods
Posts: 8,905
S/C/G: Stuck/Working on it/Good 2 Go
Height: Fun Size
Annie - thank you for including the ingredients list for the Airborne. I guess I could give it a try. I have always had issues when taking vitamins that had zinc in them - gives me a bad tummy ache. But since this is herbals and vitamins, I don't see the harm in that. I have started to shy away from the over the counter cold meds - except for Nyquil and that's only because it knocks me out. I hate that just fall asleep feeling and then get woken up by violent coughing over and over again. Nyquil takes care of that. Like booze but no hangover in the morning - just fog
Laura - if you have some selection at your library - see if you can get a Gaiam yoga video by Suzanne Deason. She gives a more intense workout without having to bend into a pretzel. I also like Ana Cabon for Pilates. Maybe you should try some hot yoga since you like to sweat. One of my friends up here has a daughter who teaches hot yoga at Schaumburg - I could hook you up She's very intense and has the yoga body to prove it! As for the washer I had to call Sears again and yes I yelled on the phone - they just don't LISTEN. They are sending someone out Wednesday. I think the circuit board they put in on Saturday is faulty. We were able to drain the machine but have to keep unplugging the power and letting the error reset. I told them on the phone today that my concern is that the circuit board is faulty and they are coming 1/7 to replace the agitator and will find the circuit board is bad and that will be another 2 weeks for repairs without a washer. My washer is 8 years old and I just paid $400 for an extended warranty for the washer and dryer - still cheaper than replacing the units even if I only get 2 or 3 more years out of them. I was telling DH today that I was actually quite pleased that the washer held up as long as it did. It's just that the basket was clunking when washing a heavy load like towels. When we moved to TN in 2005 I got a new Maytag washer which at the time was new with the low water High Efficiency concept. Had the washer 18 months and noticed an awful mildew smell in it. Turns out the entire interior was covered in mold due to a design flaw. We just chucked the washer - I just missed out in getting to be a part of a class action lawsuit. We replaced it with a similar Kenmore model that got high marks. And I have to say that I have been pretty pleased with it. My biggest issue has been getting decent repairs on the few things I've needed. Sears is really hurting for repair people. Part of how far that company has fallen out of favor. And we didn't have any better luck when we used Lowe's home repair for an appliance after we decided to switch from Sears for something different. The young repair guys seem nice enough, they just aren't getting very good training. Frustrating. Funny you mentioned the potpourri warmer - I just found mine too in a box of Christmas stuff. I'm not so sure I like the chemicals in the premixed stuff so when I do use it I just add some orange peel, cinnamon stick, some cloves and spices to water and let it simmer. Especially if we've had fish for supper. I got a Balsam candle from Bath and Body Works and while I really liked the light scent in the hand soap, I found the candle to be very cloying after a few hours - and that's WITH a stuffy nose! Also you talked about the meat grinder on the Kitchenaid. I toyed around with buying one after we moved here. Don't we all dream of making our own sausage And then I read reviews about the meat sticking in it and general dissatisfaction. I'm glad I didn't buy one. People said you are better off with a regular meat grinder over the Kitchenaid attachment. How about you lend me the meat grinder and I'll lend you my sushi making kit that I just noticed in the basement
Internet was down two nights ago. Yesterday, I went to the gym and then went to the bar to watch the packer game with my friends. Such a stressful game. But I'll bet my Wisconsin friends could hear me cheering 2000 miles away. I was so tired after the game! Last night, I got a text from Santa's groomer reminding me about the appointment this morning...good thing because I didn't have it on the calendar. I dropped Santa off and then went to workout with my trainer. I really need help with lunges and balance on my training "off days". After strength training, I did 45 minutes of cardio, then showered and ran some errands. I was still in Target when the groomer texted me that Santa was ready. Santa and I are now home and have both eaten lunch. For some reason, eating still makes me tired. I'll ask my surgeon or nutritionist tomorrow at my follow up appointment.
Tomorrow, my plan is to take Santa to day care, go to the gym, go to my surgery follow up. Then I have to drive to San Francisco to have lunch with a friend of mine who I haven't seen in nearly a year. She doesn't have a reliable car at the moment, and I don't get up to San Francisco all that often. After lunch, I'll stop at Stanford Hospital to see Bob since it's on the way from SF to San Jose.
Happy
Don't blame you for "yelling" at Sears. After all you do have the warranty. Every once in a while I will smell the mold in my washer so I use 2 cups of vinegar and run it through the clean washer cycle. Sounds like you may have the flu.
Dee
Wow home made patio furniture! Have fun giving the puppies a bath.
Your Christmas sounded like a fun day.
Annie
Good for you to just eating one Snicker doodle.
Hello's to the rest:
Don't know what is going on in my stomach/intestinal tract but it's getting checked out Friday. I've made up my mind I'll be going to the emergency room if my doctor isn't open or to a doctor in Jonesboro. Last night's episode scared me.
I pulled in the drive way after I got home yesterday and remembered that I left my house/work keys at my uncles. I have an emergency number to call the land lord so I did that and he came and let me inside. I have a spare key. Then today at work I asked the boss if I could take the gate key off of the chemical room key chain to use this week. I called my aunt to tell her that I would come back this week end to get them.
Rode the bike for 24 minutes and 10 minutes of strength training last night. Food hasn't been bad but not excellent.
Happy Girl~ we luv ya & want U to b well sooo take the 'Airborne' like Annie told U Just do Not drink 5 cups or more of Green tea in 1 day because 4 yrs ago I had a bad cold & I drank about 6 cups to heal it. My jaw & mouth went totally numb & we didn't relate it to the caffeine level of my green tea; dh took me to the hospital ER thinking I had a stroke. The green tea caused it & I was told ppl shouldn't consume over 5 cups daily unless they r big soda/coffee drinkers. I told the doc I can eat a large bag of M&M's & binge on other chocolate candy & I'm ok; so that didn't make sense to me, I usually drink only flavored coffee & herb teas. It took me about 24 hrs. to have all my feeling back in my jaw & mouth & I had cuts inside my mouth from biting myself during the numbing. Happy just b careful w what U put inside U to 'heal yourself'. My dh's doc says his acid reflux is from eating 3 citrus fruits daily, oranges/grapefruits + coffee @ work. Yep, get out that 'pasta roller' & let dh play chef too; it makes yummy lasagna noodles too, fresh & inexpensive. Chris on Cook's Country says don't make your noodles w/o eggs, the eggs add protein & add great flavor & he's right. Hey, U can send your 'sushi making kit' across the pond to me when U get tired of it I've never tried making it, I luv eating sushi; we all need to go out to CA & eat fresh sushi w Chelle. Do U have a local laundry mat to use when your washer goes down? I wonder how much it costs to was a load now days & dry it...
Annie~ TY for the comment about your dIL & me having fun sewing together. Her items could b good sellers, there's a need for everything & the web makes it easy to get good info for Entrepreneurs now. If I can b of any help to her, she can reach me here/PM my 3FatChicks & we can trade e-mail/phone#. I don't have my website anymore, I get too busy to take extra orders. Re: ravioli.. It's easy/healthier/inexpensive 1. Make the dough & chill it or let it rest depending on the recipe. 2. Crank it through the rollers giving u strips like noodles, only wider. 3. Drop cheese or cooked meat onto dough strips & lay another strip on top. 4. Seal the edges together. 5. Cut strips into squares. 6. Freeze or drop in the pot to cook. It's quicker the 2nd time u make them, so yummy. Your chicken cauliflower casserole sounds good, please share the recipe or recipe link. Your Christmas pendants from C sound precious, a angel & a cross, maybe he was hinting he'd like a similar pendant matching yours... Will the Airborne work if I use warm water w it, like to soothe a dry or sore throat when I get one?
ceeJ~ I'm sorry that your still sick & added U to our prayer list to get Good News when U see your doc Friday. Huge bummer about getting locked-out in this bad weather & @ night & all your keys on the same chain. Maybe U can think of a sneaky place to hide a spare key for your home, or put a house-key on your truck key-ring to keep your work-key separate? It was especially fun playing 'Pictionary' @ Christmas because everyone could play together; our 3 1/2 yr. old wiped us out laughing w his drawings Congrats on sticking to working-out while U feel terrible. How has your appetite been? Have U ever had any GI surgeries, to eliminate internal stuff breaking Docs say 'stress' can make us sick.... Too bad U & me can't jump into a Yoga class w the girls here, do U do Yoga? I'm putting 'Learn Yoga' on my '2015 Challenge' list w my 'Learn to Crochet' so I can make cute soft beanies for cancer patients w/o hair.
Laura~ a sausage grinder for your Kitchen-Aid Dh got his own electric meat grinder after burning-up the motor in my Cuisinart when we were dating, his folks own a farm & he ground sirloin burger & venison TY for mentioning 'grinding chicken breasts' I think I'll do that & add boneless thighs for some yummy chicken patties This thread is a Mystery Box loaded w Good Advice & recipes Have U used your Nesco roaster yet; I gave my DS a 18 qt. after he kept borrowing it every summer when they do big cook-outs & use it w his gas grill. In the fall he & his 'Iron Chef' pals use it to make BBQ sauce, veggie recipes, & then they 'can' their creations in Ball jars, their wives r not allowed in the kitchen . How did your 'potpourri warmer' work out using your scented candles?
Chelle~ It seems like U r doing soo much @ the gym Post-Op w your trainer right now, along w your busy life. Does your trainer take your vitals, BP/pulse before & after training sessions? I hope U get Great news @ your surgery follow-up tomorrow along w lots of healthy advice on your Post-Op care. By any chance do U work @ Concentric/XO Communications, just wondering because my oldest DS worked there about 8 yrs ago, he quit his job to move back here when he learned his 2 grandparents had less than a year to live. Then he took a great job in Milwaukee after their deaths & is not nearly as cold as our Happy is. It would take a family prob for me to leave your beautiful weather like my DS did, I hope U never face the single digit temps again like when U were a 'cheese-head' yrs. ago
Hi Terra & Shad & Susie~
Dh stopped snoring so I can prob fall asleep now. Everyone have a Warm & Cozy week
Photo is of todays healthy lunch. Wholemeal toast with cottage cheese and home grown tomatoes along with some fruit and a cup of Traditional Afternoon Tea. Tonights dinner is the last of the Massaman curry I made yesterday. Love Massaman curry.
Today has been hot again - 33C or around 94F but without the humidity of yesterday that just about drove me crazy.
I hopped in the car at midday and went down to the local store to get fruit and veg. That meant at least 10 minutes each way in the airconditioning. There are some good bargains in the fruit today as everything is coming ripe at the same time. So I got 4 mangos and a kilo of cherries. Limes are cheap as well so I got a packet of them which I will zest and juice and freeze. The cherries will get halved and some of them pulped, others frozen as halves. Should have some good stuff for winter this year. Yeehaa. Nothing like summer fruit in the middle of winter when there is only apples, oranges and pears around.
Dee - don't need warm and cozy. I've already got toasty. Which means that outside work must be done from 5.am to 8..30am and from 4.30 to 6.00pm. Otherwise you are just sweating profusely. Even sweating sometimes at 5.00am.
Ceejay - time to get the gut checked out. It's been going on too long now.
Michelle - you aren't the only one with balance problems. I have a terrible time with the tree and aeroplane poses in yoga. Hope your friend Bob is recovering okay.
Laura - I've chased the geckos out several times. They were the ones that killed off the electric motor on the gate. Found a couple of them all cooked up in there. How they get in I don't know, but those things seem to be able to slink in to very small places.
Our local supermarket is not selling all the brands it used to either. I guess it depends on how cheap they can get the product. They seem to be going for a brand called Chobani at the moment. I tried it but it seemed very grainy and not smooth and creamy so I gave up on that and now I only use certain brands - of which we no longer get a full range. That probably means that they will phase out the product eventually - in which case I may well shop elsewhere as well.
Good that it is quiet at work although that can sometimes get boring. I laughed at you veging out on the couch while B/F was out raving.
Annie - Thank you I am feeling 100% again. I've only got the normal morning sniffles left and they go away after about 7 sneezes and a lot of nose blowing. Its been that way for ever, so I am definitely over the cold. Took long enough.
Happy - hope you are feeling a bit better today. Good idea to cancel anything which would have stressed you out and made you cough.
I don't know much about your brand of washer, but when mine gave up pumping - many years back, I detached the hose from the drainage pipe and laid it out flat on the floor and into the drain in the floor. You can also do it into a bucket or out the door if the hose will reach. Gravity then decides that there is a way to sink lower and will drain out slowly but at least it will drain and will prevent that dreadful smell. Water always finds the lowest level to drain to.
Annie - sounds like you had a good Christmas. Since it is not my favourite time of the year I don't give a darn about which day we celebrate it. It comes and it goes, and if it wasn't for the children, I would probably sleep right through it.
With the going down of the sun, the humidity seems to have returned, so I am off to shut up the house and turn on the aircon. Occasionally there is a nice breeze, but it is not constant and I am tired of waiting for it.
Have a good one.
Last night was leftover tacos. I think we have enough leftovers for about 3 more meals. As funny as it sounds we are going to taco Tuesday at Alcapulco Joe's Restaurant today. Huge beef or chicken tacos for 2 bucks a piece. One is enough for me, I chop it up and make it into a salad on my plate. So yummy. I did take a pan of enchiladas over to my next door neighbor. They had a baby boy on Christmas morning. He is so cute and has a ton of black hair. Named him Joel Finley. I like that.
I have an eye doc appt today after work to get checked and new glasses. Hard to believe it has been almost 3 years since I had my eyes checked and new glasses, if needed. May get them anyway since I pay for vision insurance, might as well use it.
DEE...here is the cauliflower recipe.
Loaded cauliflower & chicken casserole [FONT='Times New Roman','serif']Ingredients[/FONT] · [FONT='Times New Roman','serif']3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked & cubed[/FONT] · [FONT='Times New Roman','serif']2 heads cauliflower[/FONT] · [FONT='Times New Roman','serif']8 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded[/FONT] · [FONT='Times New Roman','serif']8 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, shredded[/FONT] · [FONT='Times New Roman','serif']2 bundles green onions, sliced[/FONT] · [FONT='Times New Roman','serif']3 ounces bacon pieces[/FONT] · [FONT='Times New Roman','serif']1 clove garlic, minced[/FONT] · [FONT='Times New Roman','serif']Salt & pepper[/FONT] [FONT='Times New Roman','serif']Instructions[/FONT] [FONT='Times New Roman','serif']1. [/FONT][FONT='Times New Roman','serif']Preheat oven to 350 degrees.[/FONT] [FONT='Times New Roman','serif']2. [/FONT][FONT='Times New Roman','serif']Steam cauliflower until tender.[/FONT] [FONT='Times New Roman','serif']3. [/FONT][FONT='Times New Roman','serif']Meanwhile, combine cheeses in a large bowl. Remove ¼ of cheese and set aside. Stir chicken, green onions, bacon, and garlic into remaining cheese.[/FONT] [FONT='Times New Roman','serif']4. [/FONT][FONT='Times New Roman','serif']Stir cauliflower into cheese mixture and season with salt & pepper. Pour into a 9x13 glass baking dish. Top with additional cheese.[/FONT] [FONT='Times New Roman','serif']5. [/FONT][FONT='Times New Roman','serif']Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes.[/FONT] [FONT='Times New Roman','serif']6. [/FONT][FONT='Times New Roman','serif']Remove foil and bake for an additional 5 minutes.[/FONT]
Yes you can drink the airborne in warm water and is a good idea if you have a sore throat. I didn't have time this morning to drink it this morning before I left for work so I brought the tab with me and will have it later this morning.
SHADDIE...what is curried massaman?? I get the curry part but what is massaman? The picture of your breakfast is right up my alley and would love to join you. Looks delicious. I am missing my fresh garden catch right now.
CHELLE...If I were a betting woman, I would say eating is not making you tired. What is making you tired is when you finally sit down for a minute to eat, your body goes into relax mode from all the running and exercising you are doing and THEN you feel like eating is making you tired. You are fine and it is not the food. If you need a pick me up, eat some protein and you B12 could be on the low side. In the beginning when I would get my B12 shot, I would instantly get energy. You are welcome...love Doctor Hoh!
CEEG...if you are feeling that badly and are talking ER if you doc is not in, I think you should go anyway. Doesn't sound like you should be playing around with your issues. Since C has been on the eating plan for the haital hernia, his intestine and stomach trouble is very very minimal. I will send you a copy.
HAPPY....I seriously doubt C would wear any type of jewelry or even to match mine. lol. He doesn't even wear a wedding band because of the type of work he does. That is all we need is for him to go missing a finger or two. Oh I guess that was DEE that made that comment, oh well I am not retyping it. lol. Dang repair people, it is hard to get an honest, hard working repairman these days. Just someone that knows what the H they are doing is a miracle. Altho I did find an honest heating and air place, that I just love. Mom and Pops business with sons and cousins that are trained properly. Gotta love that.
LAURA...we do have a library that I can get loaner dvds etc and it is just down the street from me. I used them when I was trying to spif up my interviewing skills. Evidently it worked. Just easier to buy them on Amazon. I think the yoga dvd I want is 6 or 7 bucks. I don't drink, smoke, gamble or go on vacations so that is my little happiness, buying dvds. lol.
SUSIE...hope your world is good. How is DH feeling after his colonoscopy? May will be here before you know it, I need to buckle down and lose the remainder of this weight before our KI trip. You in??
TERRA...where have you been? Taking it easy over the holidays?
Whomever starts the new thread, I have a name and it honors our SHADDIE.
Worldly Chicks JOYously Jaunt into January...how is that for corny? lol
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts cooked and cubed
2 heads of cauliflower
8 oz cheddar cheese, shredded
8 oz monterery jack cheese, shredded (I used colby jack)
2 bundles of green onions sliced, I used one
3 oz bacon pieces cooked
1 clove garlic
salt & pepper
Preheat oven 350
Steam cauliflower until tender but not smushy
Combine cheeses in large bowl, Removed 1/4 cheese and set aside. Stir in chicken, green onions, bacon and garlic into the remaining cheese.
Stir cauliflower into cheese mixture and season with salt & pepper
Pour into a 9x13 glass baking dish. Top with additional cheese.
Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes.
Remove foil and bake additional 5 minutes.
Morning all. Brrrr, chilly out there today. I layered up and bundled up!
Dee – Yes, we used the Nesco roaster on Christmas Eve for the prime rib. I was worried about using it for the very first time on a piece of expensive meat, but we were very happy with the way it turned out. We will likely use it for ribs the next time we use it. I haven’t used the potpourri warmer for melting candle wax yet. I just popped the frozen wax out of the jars yesterday after work. Actually, two of the leftover candles were soy candles and the wax didn’t get nearly as frozen hard as the other candle. I will test out the melting tonight.
Shad – Yum, you’ve got me jonesing for some cottage cheese now with your latest lunch photo. Once again, there’s one brand I prefer, and now they don’t sell it at one store that used to. Another store does sell it, so I’ll have to get over there to pick some up. I do enjoy it, but gosh does it have the sodium! But the salt plays off well against the sweetness of the fruits. Nice you caught good deals on the fruit! LOL that you said bf was out “raving”. Mostly he just likes to hang out with friends that he doesn’t get to see very often and drink beer. I don’t mind being home when he’s out – he likes to stay out late and I don’t. And when I think about it, it’s nice he was seeing friends at a party for a change. Lately it seems he’s been seeing friends at funerals... Re geckos - like so many other creatures, I do believe they can squeeze into the tiniest of places.
Ceejay – I’m sorry your gut is still feeling so bad. Definitely get to a doctor or ER! Bummer about leaving the keys at your uncle’s house. On Thanksgiving at his brother’s house, bf was checking something in his mom’s car that she was having trouble with. When he was done, he put the keys into the wrong coat pocket! Naturally the person who had the keys didn’t discover them until he was well out of the area and wouldn’t be back for a day or two. Thankfully his mom had the spare car keys right in her purse! Now I can’t recall how she got the other set back – if they were mailed to her, or what. I’ll have to ask bf. He sure felt annoyed at himself for that. Good job on the exercise Ceege!
Annie – Yum, leftover tacos. We had leftovers from our Christmas Eve dinner last night, though I had some ham from bf’s mom’s Christmas dinner instead of the beef – left that for bf. As for going out for tacos – we love tacos/Mexican food that much that we could have our homemade “American” tacos one day and go out for more authentic Mexican food the next. Awww, your neighbors had a Christmas baby. At the party on Saturday there was a discussion about celebrating Christmas/near Christmas birthdays on the half-birthday date (i.e., summer) so that it wouldn’t get overtaken by Christmas. And at that same party there was also a cauliflower/cheese casserole served. It was better than I thought it would be, but I still wished it had been potatoes instead, lol…maybe if it had the chicken and bacon in there like your recipe… I want to say Massaman is just another blend of the various spices that go into a curry – different blends from different regions of India. Shad, I’m sure you can be more specific. But now I want some curry! The Thai place we go to most often has a Panang curry dish we like. LOL, your little happiness is buying dvd’s. I like the new thread title you suggested!!
Michelle – You sure are keeping busy these days – do you ever wonder how you had time to work?! Guess you’ll be figuring that out next week! Hope the surgery followup goes well today!
Happy – I’m glad you’re happy with how long your washer has lasted, and it’s good you have that warranty. I assume the repair visits are being covered by it? Yuck re the mold! I’m glad we have our washer in the basement and can just leave the washer door open to dry it out after using it. We never had a problem with that. Well, we already have the meat grinder attachment, so I imagine we’ll give it a go, but thanks for the heads up about meat sticking in it. I’ll check out our library for the yoga and Pilates videos you mentioned. I’m not sure about the hot yoga – I sweat enough during my workouts! But I could definitely see the benefit to working out with warm muscles.
Hellos to Terra and Susie.
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Nothing much to report. I didn’t do much of anything last night except watch the tube. Tonight I suppose we’ll figure out what we need to buy and need to do for our little gathering tomorrow night. Thankfully we already have quite a bit in the house and I told some guests we would probably order pizza. I really wouldn’t mind having a quiet night at home with just bf & doggy, but it’s not to be. It’ll be nice to just hang out and play games, and I also have a 4-day weekend after that to enjoy.
Morning all,
According to Wikipedia Massaman Curry is as follows:
Massaman or Matsaman curry) is a rich, relatively mild Thai curry that is an interpretation of a Persian dish.
Massaman or matsaman is not a native Thai word. It is generally thought to refer to the Muslims with earlier writers from the mid-19th century calling the dish "Mussulman curry"; Mussulman being an archaic form of the word Muslim.
According to Thai food expert David Thompson, as well as Thai journalist and scholar Santi Sawetwimon, the dish originated in 17th century Central Thailand at the cosmopolitan court of Ayutthaya, through the Persian merchant Sheik Ahmad Qomi from whom the Thai noble family of Bunnag descends. Other theories contend that massaman is a southern Thai dish, influenced by Malay and Indian cuisine, or that its name is derived from the Malay word masam, which means "sour".
Due to its Muslim roots and therefore Islamic dietary laws, this curry is most commonly made with beef, but there are also variations on this dish using duck, chicken, mutton, goat, or, less commonly so, pork. As pork is haram meat - forbidden food in Islam - this last variant is of course not eaten by observant Thai Muslims. Vegetarians and vegans have created their own versions of this dish.
The flavours of the massaman curry paste come from spices that are not frequently used in other Thai curries. Cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, star anise, cumin, bay leaves, nutmeg and mace would, in the 17th century, have been brought to Thailand from the Malay Archipelago and South Asia by foreigners, a trade originally dominated by Muslim traders from the Middle East, Indian subcontinent and from the archipelago itself, but increasingly threatened by the Portuguese, the Dutch and French East India Company. These are combined with local produce such as dried chili peppers, cilantro (coriander) seeds, lemongrass, galangal, white pepper, shrimp paste, shallots and garlic to make the massaman curry paste. This paste is first fried with coconut cream, and only then are meat, potatoes, onions, fish sauce or salt, tamarind paste, sugar, coconut milk and peanuts added.] Massaman is usually eaten with rice, in a meal together with other dishes. There are also traditional versions using oranges, orange juice, or pineapple juice as additional ingredients
I first had it in Townsville at a motel I stayed at. It was a dry curry and it was absolutely delicious. I've had it in other places as well and it varies from sort of dryish to swimming in sauce. I have made it from scratch but these days I prefer to buy the paste and add my own coconut milk and cream. I've also figured out that if you use fillet steak as one paste suggests, by the time the potato is cooked, the steak resembles old boots. So now if I make it, I slow cook it with a much cheaper cut of beef or as last night I used lamb which I fried off and then threw back in at the end of the sauce cooking. It's mostly quite mild and that's okay since I don't like a lot of chili.
I have a bunch of cherries to process today as well as some limes. So I can't stay here long and better get on with it before the heat gets here. I got up early this morning and pulled out the tryffid tomatoes and I have a stack of green ones and a few more ripe ones. I will dig over and fertilise the soil and cover it with mulch for much of January and then replant some
Annie - yum on the taco night and the enchilada. Congratulations to the neighbours.
I will see what I can do about the title. Sounds good although Joyously might be relative for a few days to get over the festivities for some.
Laura - Cottage cheese does seem to have a bit of salt, however I usually compensate for that by not using any salt on the tomato or avocado or whatever I am eating. I use a low fat, low salt brand which fortunately the supermarket still stocks (as opposed to replacing everything I like with it's own brand stuff, much of which is imported.
Lol on B/F seeing friends at funerals. My Dad used to say, after he turned 65, that he was becoming a professional mourner.
Okay, better go sort out these cherries before the heat gets into the kitchen. And it's time to finish cleaning the lounge and clean the microwave and start thinking about packing my bag for next Monday morning.
Not sure why I have such good intentions and no follow through when it comes to that sort of thing. I can say one thing though - after doing the yoga for about a year there definitely is something to it. It does help with flexibility, lubricating the joints, and helping to strengthen the muscles that support the joints in the body. I still need to work on my balance - rather bad at that. It's "very windy" when I am in tree pose 
Thanks for the Airborne advise but does that have zinc in it? I have a hard time with zinc. I am working on some other natural remedies like ginger, orange peel, lemon and I will have to whip up some garlic chicken - something potent with garlic. Good for you for stopping at only one snicker doodle. Thank goodness they were gone when you went back to the plate. I didn't bother with cookies this year - why be tempted? How is your foot holding up? 
I thought mine was on its way to being done and yesterday I woke up feeling a bit worse. Boo. It stinks that you’re having to cancel all your activities, but it’s the right thing to do if you think you’re contagious. I’m sure we all have gadgets (kitchen or otherwise) that we haven’t used as much as we envisioned when we bought them – or at all. Ours is a meat grinder attachment for our Kitchenaid mixer which we bought nearly a year ago. BF saw himself making sausage – I think we bought the casing stuffer tubes as well. However, just now mentioning this, it occurs to me that I can use the grinder to grind chicken breasts for a wonderful Thai basil chicken recipe we have. Re the Cheddar Bay biscuits – yes, they’re pretty tasty. But what isn’t yummy when it has shredded cheese in it and a melted herb butter brushed on top of it?? 
What a PITA with your washer problems!! How old is that washer? I had the impression that it wasn’t very old – that’s just terrible. Re the grunters at the gym – isn’t that just so annoying??!! I suppose you'll become accustomed to it and just tune it out. And if you have an iPod playing, even better. Re Peggy Cappy – I believe I borrowed her first video – Yoga for the Rest of Us, which included someone doing a chair yoga version of the moves alongside Peggy and another person. As an intro to the moves, I thought it was okay. As a complete yoga workout session, I didn’t care for it because it was a lot of explaining and not so much movement. One of the group fitness classes I really enjoyed at LA Fitness was the yoga class. It was a challenge for me, but in a good way, and it really kept us moving. So I guess you could say I prefer the more "athletic" yoga classes over the “relaxing” ones. Alas, this class/instructor was on Sunday mornings, and that’s really the only morning I get to relax. Of course it didn’t start ‘til 10 am, so I could have had several hours in which to be lazy with my tea and newspaper and still go to the class, but once I’m in that lazy mode, it takes me a while to get out of it, lol. Easier to linger in the pj’s and putter around the house than to get myself dressed and out to the gym. 
So your cold is history and you’re feeling better now? Glad to hear it! Your fruit plate looks wonderful. The brand of yogurt I like is no longer sold at any of my local markets – boo on that. Oh, except I spotted giganto tubs of it at our nearby Costco the other day – restaurant-sized for sure. Not an option. So I have to try out other brands and find a new regular. 
Your Mexican fiesta sounds delicious! Bf and I’ll be having homemade tacos this week, for sure. As for all the work hosting entails – at least it’s a good excuse to do a thorough cleaning (since we don’t like housecleaning and need a good excuse to do it, LOL). Another bonus is we cleared our kitchen cart’s top surface of a bunch of junk we don’t even use on a daily basis (to make room for the Nesco roaster and the bigger coffee maker) and I don’t see the need to put that stuff back there!! Does the airborne drink mix thing have Vit. C in it? Re the Peggy Cappy yoga videos – I’d say try to give them a test run before you buy them. Do you have a library you can borrow them from? 
And it must have been even more enjoyable now that you can walk longer than previously. 
Join me!! 
She's very intense and has the yoga body to prove it! As for the washer I had to call Sears again and yes I yelled on the phone - they just don't LISTEN. They are sending someone out Wednesday. I think the circuit board they put in on Saturday is faulty. We were able to drain the machine but have to keep unplugging the power and letting the error reset. I told them on the phone today that my concern is that the circuit board is faulty and they are coming 1/7 to replace the agitator and will find the circuit board is bad and that will be another 2 weeks for repairs without a washer. My washer is 8 years old and I just paid $400 for an extended warranty for the washer and dryer - still cheaper than replacing the units even if I only get 2 or 3 more years out of them. I was telling DH today that I was actually quite pleased that the washer held up as long as it did. It's just that the basket was clunking when washing a heavy load like towels. When we moved to TN in 2005 I got a new Maytag washer which at the time was new with the low water High Efficiency concept. Had the washer 18 months and noticed an awful mildew smell in it. Turns out the entire interior was covered in mold due to a design flaw. We just chucked the washer - I just missed out in getting to be a part of a class action lawsuit. We replaced it with a similar Kenmore model that got high marks. And I have to say that I have been pretty pleased with it. My biggest issue has been getting decent repairs on the few things I've needed. Sears is really hurting for repair people. Part of how far that company has fallen out of favor. And we didn't have any better luck when we used Lowe's home repair for an appliance after we decided to switch from Sears for something different. The young repair guys seem nice enough, they just aren't getting very good training. 
Yesterday, I went to the gym and then went to the bar to watch the packer game with my friends. Such a stressful game. But I'll bet my Wisconsin friends could hear me cheering 2000 miles away. I was so tired after the game! Last night, I got a text from Santa's groomer reminding me about the appointment this morning...good thing because I didn't have it on the calendar. I dropped Santa off and then went to workout with my trainer. I really need help with lunges and balance on my training "off days". After strength training, I did 45 minutes of cardio, then showered and ran some errands. I was still in Target when the groomer texted me that Santa was ready. Santa and I are now home and have both eaten lunch. For some reason, eating still makes me tired. 
I'll ask my surgeon or nutritionist tomorrow at my follow up appointment. 
Just do Not drink 5 cups or more of Green tea in 1 day because 4 yrs ago I had a bad cold & I drank about 6 cups to heal it. My jaw & mouth went totally numb & we didn't relate it to the caffeine level of my green tea; dh took me to the hospital ER thinking I had a stroke. The green tea caused it & I was told ppl shouldn't consume over 5 cups daily unless they r big soda/coffee drinkers. I told the doc I can eat a large bag of M&M's & binge on other chocolate candy & I'm ok; so that didn't make sense to me, I usually drink only flavored coffee & herb teas. It took me about 24 hrs. to have all my feeling back in my jaw & mouth & I had cuts inside my mouth from biting myself during the numbing. Happy just b careful w what U put inside U to 'heal yourself'. My dh's doc says his acid reflux is from eating 3 citrus fruits daily, oranges/grapefruits + coffee @ work. Yep, get out that 'pasta roller' & let dh play chef too; it makes yummy lasagna noodles too, fresh & inexpensive. Chris on Cook's Country says don't make your noodles w/o eggs, the eggs add protein & add great flavor & he's right. Hey, U can send your 'sushi making kit' across the pond to me when U get tired of it 
It's quicker the 2nd time u make them, so yummy. Your chicken cauliflower casserole sounds good, please share the recipe or recipe link. Your Christmas pendants from C sound precious, a angel & a cross, maybe he was hinting he'd like a similar pendant matching yours... Will the Airborne work if I use warm water w it, like to soothe a dry or sore throat when I get one? 
I'm sorry that your still sick & added U to our prayer list to get Good News when U see your doc Friday. Huge bummer about getting locked-out in this bad weather & @ night & all your keys on the same chain. Maybe U can think of a sneaky place to hide a spare key for your home, or put a house-key on your truck key-ring to keep your work-key separate? It was especially fun playing 'Pictionary' @ Christmas because everyone could play together; our 3 1/2 yr. old wiped us out laughing w his drawings 
Docs say 'stress' can make us sick.... Too bad U & me can't jump into a Yoga class w the girls here, do U do Yoga? I'm putting 'Learn Yoga' on my '2015 Challenge' list w my 'Learn to Crochet' so I can make cute soft beanies for cancer patients w/o hair. 
This thread is a Mystery Box loaded w Good Advice & recipes 
Have U used your Nesco roaster yet; I gave my DS a 18 qt. after he kept borrowing it every summer when they do big cook-outs & use it w his gas grill. In the fall he & his 'Iron Chef' pals use it to make BBQ sauce, veggie recipes, 
& then they 'can' their creations in Ball jars, their wives r not allowed in the kitchen . How did your 'potpourri warmer' work out using your scented candles? 
again like when U were a 'cheese-head' yrs. ago 
At the party on Saturday there was a discussion about celebrating Christmas/near Christmas birthdays on the half-birthday date (i.e., summer) so that it wouldn’t get overtaken by Christmas. And at that same party there was also a cauliflower/cheese casserole served. It was better than I thought it would be, but I still wished it had been potatoes instead, lol…maybe if it had the chicken and bacon in there like your recipe… I want to say Massaman is just another blend of the various spices that go into a curry – different blends from different regions of India. Shad, I’m sure you can be more specific. But now I want some curry! The Thai place we go to most often has a Panang curry dish we like. LOL, your little happiness is buying dvd’s. 
