Wednesday, January 31, 2018

One thing I'm ready to let go of this year

Why do we decide to make changes when the year ends?  Is it an end to the year and an end to "a bad habit?"  Or, New year, new beginning?  I feel like we should be able to make changes to our life at any time during the year.  Not just in January.  Why continue doing something (or not doing something) because it's not January?  I say, if you don't like how something is going in your life, change it.  If you want to exercise more, than do it!  Don't wait another 12 months to start a new exercise program.

Yea, yea, yea.  I'll get off my soap box now.

So, one thing I'm ready to let go of (this year? ha ha) is stuff.  I'm sick of stuff.

I'm tired of stuff we don't need.

I'm tired of stuff we have no where to store.

I'm tired of stuff we have and have no idea where it originated (came from).

I'm tired of stuff that is left around the house.

I'm tired of stuff that was given to us and we never used (and never plan on using)

So, I'm saying, Good Bye, Stuff!

Sayonara!

Adios!

See you later, Alligator!

Don't let the door hit you on the way out!

This will be a small process for me to achieve the "less stuff" status, but, it will be worth it.

And, with less stuff, there will be space for the items I really want and need in my life.

What are you ready to let go of this year / month / in your life?

Tuesday, January 30, 2018

All this talk about dental floss yesterday and today I forgot to brush my teeth this morning before I went to work.  I don't think dental floss would help me out of this one.

Luckily, I had some breath mints and my co-worker provided me with a couple of sticks of gum.

Moral of the story:  Make sure you brush your teeth.

Monday, January 29, 2018

Dental Floss

It all started with the recommended, "Floss 3 times a day."

I have to admit, I'm lucky if I floss once a day.

I have dental floss for myself and RT.  When the kids were at an age where they could floss by themselves, I purchased some more floss.  At the store, buying toothpaste or toothbrushes, I might pick up a box of floss.  Even though I only floss 1 1/2 times a day, I was (eventually) using up a box of dental floss.  (By the way, how many millions of yards of floss can they put in one of those boxes?)

Then, one day, I looked into the drawer where I keep the extra toothpaste, brushes and floss and noticed the abundance of dental floss supply.

I did a little investigation.  Turns out the kids weren't doing a lot of flossing.  (I don't think any flossing went on)  I also found out that RT wasn't flossing.

Recently, I inherited (unopened) boxes of dental floss from my mom.  Which means, that I now have several life time supplies of dental floss.

A positive note is that I never have to worry about running out of dental floss for the rest of my life.

Does anyone know of any fun things to do with dental floss?

Friday, January 26, 2018

The Black Hole

I believe I have briefly mentioned the black hole Alex's room.

Alex is not very good at keeping his room neat and tidy.  In fact, if he takes anything up into his room, there is no guarantee you will ever see that item again.

I did ask Alex to clean up a little last week.  He put some garbage into a container.  Of course, it barely scratched the surface.  I took out a bunch of recycling and dirty dishes and it still looks like a bomb went off in the room.

I am accepting all suggestions on trying to get him to clean his room (and keep it clean).  Of course, if you have a secret plan and it works, you could make millions.  I'm sure there are other parents out there willing to buy your idea.

Wednesday, January 24, 2018

Vegan Diaries - Chick Peas and Dumplings

I think this whole Vegan thing has been quite fun.  I'm discovering new recipes and new ways to make meals that I had when I was eating meat.

I found this Chick Peas and Dumplings recipe and thought I would give it a try.  I have to admit, that I was worried that it was going to be awful and that we would be dining on peanut butter sandwiches.  So, I was pleasantly surprised at how delicious this meal tasted and plan on adding this to one of my favorite meals.  Nick gave it a thumbs up and a "next time add more mushrooms."

Here's the recipe:

Chickpea & Dumpling Soup
taken from: But My Family Would Never Eat Vegan, by Kristy Turner

ingredients:
2 TBSP Olive Oil
1 small onion, diced
4 celery stalks, sliced
3 large carrots, peeled and sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
8oz mushrooms sliced
3 bay leaves
2 1/2 tsp thyme
2 tsp rosemary
1 tsp parsley
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 cup oat flour *
3 cups cooked chickpeas (or 2 15oz cans, rinsed and drained)
1 quart vegetable broth
2 1/2 TBSP Vegan Butter
1 1/4 cups flour
1/2 cup fine cornmeal
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 tsp garlic powder
3/4 cup unsweetened non-dairy milk
2 TBSP fresh parsley

Heat oil in large pot.  Add onion, celery, carrot and garlic and cook for 3 minutes.  Add mushrooms and cook for 3 minutes.  Stir in bay leaves, thyme, rosemary, parsley and cumin and cook for one minute.  Add oat flour and stir until flour is no longer visible.  Add chickpeas and broth and bring to a boil.  Reduce to a simmer and cover and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring to prevent sticking.

In large bowl, combine flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda and garlic powder.  Add softened butter and mix with a fork until you have a coarse texture.  In small bowl, combine the milk and parsley.  Pour into the flour mixture and stir until you have a thick dough.

Uncover pot and remove bay leaves.  Drop dough into soup.  Cover and cook for 15 minutes or until dumplings are solid.

Serve and enjoy.


*I learned that you can finely grind up oats and, voila! you have oat flour.

**I would add a little more garlic seasoning to the dumplings for more flavor.

Oh, and Nick would suggest that you add more mushrooms.

Enjoy!

Saturday, January 20, 2018

Waffle Recipe

I finally got a new waffle maker!  Our last waffle maker kicked the bucket  gave up after 15 years of use (may it rest in peace).  It got quite a bit of use over those fifteen years.  Lots and lots of waffles are consumed in this house.  And, not jut for breakfast!

My kids love having waffles for breakfast.  It's their number one choice when asked.  They are so easy to make and you can even make them "somewhat" healthy.  I make my waffles from scratch and have substituted flax eggs in place of the regular eggs and they still come out wonderfully.  I also use flax, fresh fruit and even peanut butter as toppings instead of syrup.

Any extra waffles?  Freeze them for another day.  My kids will pop them into the toaster oven and have waffles for breakfast.  Sometimes they come home and have one for a snack.  Having the frozen waffles is great for those days that you just don't have the extra time in the morning to make them.

It's the weekend, build in some extra time and whip up some waffles for the family.  They

Here's the recipe:

Waffles

2 eggs*
2 cups flour
1 3/4 cup milk*
1/2 cup vegetable oil
4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Mix ingredients together.  Do not over mix.
Pour small amount into waffle iron and wait until cooked.
Serve.


*You can substitute flax eggs.  To make one flax egg mix one Tablespoon ground flax with 3 Tablespoons of cold water.  Let sit for 10 minutes.  (please note that this recipe calls for two eggs so you will have to make two flax eggs)

**I use almond milk

***I also add cinnamon and some ground flax seed.  The ground flax seed gives it a nutty flavor.

Enjoy!

Friday, January 19, 2018

The Black Hole

I believe I have briefly mentioned the Black Hole  Alex's room.

Alex is not very good at keeping his room neat and tidy.  In fact, if he takes anything up into his room, there is no guarantee you will ever see that item again.

I did ask Alex to clean his room.  He put some garbage into a container.  Of course, it barely scratched the surface.  We took out a bunch of recycling and dirty dishes and it still looks like a bomb went off in the room  messy.

I am accepting all suggestions on trying to get Alex to clean his room (and keep it clean).  Of course, if you have a secret plan and it works you could make millions.  I'm sure there are other parents out there willing to buy your idea.

Wednesday, January 17, 2018

Alexa

For Christmas, I received and "Alexa" as a present from Alex.  He said he really wanted one so he got it for me.  I have to admit, at first I was very skeptical.  I wasn't sure I wanted something (someone) else in the house.  And, do we need another gadget?

Strangely, we use Alexa quite a bit.  Weather forecasts, a speaker for music, news updates, jokes, games, etc.  I think we really enjoy playing games with Alexa.  My in-laws had fun playing jeopardy. Bella said the questions were too hard for her.  Category games has been a family favorite, too.

The one thing we have noticed is that sometimes Alexa doesn't hear what we are saying.  There are times when she doesn't hear us correctly and says something that is not related to our question or answer.  So, yea, I think we got the deaf Alexa.

It can be amusing when Alexa doesn't hear you.  She changes your answer in a game and it's the correct answer.  Of course, it's frustrating when she changes it to the wrong answer.  It's even worse when she changes the category and you had a good answer!

I moved Alexa to the center of the kitchen (she was at the far end of the kitchen, by the wall) and I think it's helped "a little" with her hearing problem.  If it gets too bad, I might have to see if I can purchase Alexa a hearing aid off Amazon.

Monday, January 15, 2018

It Wasn't Me

I just thought I would let you know that our dear friend, "It Wasn't Me," has visited our house once again.  I'm not sure if all of this happened in one visit, or was strung out during several visits.  I'm beginning to think that maybe "It Wasn't Me" lives in our house?   I can't say I like his (her?) visits, but, I can say that I do find them quite entertaining.

Several bathroom problems were brought to my attention.  I had a small meeting with my children to discuss the problems and to try and put a stop to them.  No one fessed up.  I got upset and said, "Most break ins (into houses) result in something getting stolen.  We have "someone" (It Wasn't Me) breaking into our house and he makes messes!"

My kids found it funny.  For some reason, I did not.

RT pointed out to Bella, a candy wrapper stuffed in the couch cushion.  Bella got all defensive and said, (drum roll, please) ........"It Wasn't Me!"  This has happened a million times  before, with the same results.  As she started to place blame

Nick - No, he doesn't eat candy

Alex - No, he hangs out in the basement and if he does eat candy, they are somewhere in the black hole his room.

By the way, RT scratched the surface with that one wrapper.  I moved the cushion and found a dozen more candy wrappers.  It seems that "It Wasn't Me" has quite the sweet tooth.

Dear It Wasn't Me,
Thank you for visiting our home.
We try to keep our house neat and clean.  We ask that you please clean up after yourself.  That includes your bathroom mishaps.
You are welcome any time, as long as you clean up after yourself.
Thanks!

P.S.  You might want to take care of those pearly whites by watching your sugar in take and brushing your teeth more often.

Friday, January 12, 2018

Vegan Diaries - Vegan Meatballs

OK, so they are vegan.  They are meatless.  Maybe the title should be Vegan Meatless Balls?  Or Meatless Vegan Meatballs?

Well, while you mull those titles over, I'll just post the recipe.  These came out quite tasty.  I think next time I'll ad a little more garlic and seasoning.  Oh, they got a thumbs up from the carnivores in the house.

Meatless Vegan Meatballs

Ingredients:

1/2 cup minced onion
3 cloves minced garlic
1 flax egg*
1 cup chickpeas (rinsed and drained)
1/4 cup vegan Parmesan cheese **
2 tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 cup bread crumbs***
2 Tbsp marinara or tomato sauce

directions:
Oven to 375F.

Prepare Flax egg.

In small pan, saute onion and garlic in a little olive oil.  Set aside.

Place chick peas in food processor and pulse to break down.  Then add sauteed onion and garlic and rest of ingredients.  You want it to be moldable.

Taste and adjust seasonings accordingly.

Start molding into 1" balls.

Put layer of olive oil in pan and saute  meatballs until brown on outside.  Make sure brown on all sides.

Place "meatballs" in layer on cookie sheet and place in oven for 15 minutes (or longer for a crispier texture).

Serve with your favorite pasta sauce.


*flax egg - mix 1 TBSP ground flax seed and 3 TBSP water in a small dish and let sit for about 10 minutes.

**For Vegan Parmesan cheese, I used nutritional yeast.

***I use ground up oats for my bread crumbs.

Enjoy!

Thursday, January 11, 2018

It's January in a toy store.  My hours have been cut.  And, when I do work, well, it's REAL slow.  I mean, not many people are buying toys in January.  I am trying to find a way to write blog posts while at work.  You know, get paid to write about my scary life.  I've picked up a few extra shifts this month.  I just have to remember to bring my list of topics with me so I can write while I'm at work.

Today, I've read two books so far.  Of course, they are kids books.  They were entertaining and took about 30 minutes of my time (thanks to a customer).

If you have any suggestions on topics, let me know.  I have lots of time at work to come up with a post or three.

Wednesday, January 10, 2018

Time Out

We have had a lot of excitement  headaches  nightmares  stuff going on the last couple of weeks.

A couple of weeks ago (the week before Christmas), RT went in to the dentist for a couple of fillings. His appointment was the first thing in the morning, and then he went to work.  I, of course, went to work (busiest shopping time for a toy store).  That evening, RT was feeling a little dizzy.  We thought, well, we aren't sure what we thought.  Still feeling the affects from his dental visit?  To make a long story longer  short, RT ended up going to the hospital and was out of commission for a few days.  He's better now (thank God!).

Then, we had Christmas, which I wasn't totally prepared for because of work and RT's hospital visit.

Then, along came New Years, and RT, Bella and Alex got sick (headache, cough, fever, etc.).  I was the tending physician (and still am).   Bella just got over it right before school started back up again.

During all of this crazy time illness, everyone (that was sick) has been EXTREMELY crabby.  I mean, I understand what it's like being sick, feeling awful and not being able to do much.  It can make you quite crabby.  Unfortunately, much of this crabbiness has been directed towards the attending nurse (me).

I am looking forward to some healthier times in our house and some happier people to live with .

Wednesday, January 3, 2018

The Loaner

That's Loaner.  Not loner.

So, While I was visiting the car dealer last week (I feel like I go there at least once a month) and, in between the exciting golf tournament that I was watching on TV, I somehow wrote a blog post (Year in Review - 2017).  The dealer would not let me leave with my car, so they gave me a loaner.

This loaner produced some excitement in our house.  First of all, it's a new car.  New = not ours and well, it's newer than any of our cars.  Of course, Alex felt he was able to drive it whenever he wanted/needed....work, fun, etc.

On New Years Eve, Alex was going out with friends.  I told him to take RT's car because the loaner needed gas.  With frigid temperatures here, it's not a great time to have to put gas in one's car.  I told him to text me and let me know that he's OK.  A lot of weirdos are out on New Year's Eve and he was going to two different friend's houses.

So....first text.

Alex:  I'm safe.  The car needs gas.

Guess which car he took?

I told him not to fill it.  Maybe $10-$15 worth of gas.  (We have to return with the same amount of gas that it had when it was given to us).

I received several texts all stating that he was safe.

At 2am, I look outside and in the garage and I don't see the loaner.  Alex was still awake.  He said the loaner ran out of gas by the church and he (along with the help of his friends) had to push the car (in freezing temperatures) two blocks.  The car was parked in front of a friends house (he did notify the village so we don't get a ticket).  One kid's mom came and drove everyone home.

So, New Years Day, we had to get the car and put gas in it.  I use the term "we" loosely because I was the one to drive it to the gas station and fill it up.  I thought Alex was going to follow me.  You know. In case the car dies and I don't make it to the gas station.  But, alas, no.  He went to hang out with friends.

Monday, January 1, 2018

Happy New Year!

Do you make a list of goals for the New Year?

Do you choose a word for the year?

Do you create a new fitness plan?

Do you reorganize and buy a bunch of containers?

I'm just making a meal of Hopping John for dinner (it's supposed to bring good luck in the New Year) and I plan on sitting back and enjoying the fun of 2018!