As we turn the first page...

I think that this is how I am going to try and live this year. It will be about following our hearts so that we can have a year filled with happiness. That's not to say we won't work hard to achieve our goals - we will, but the goals will be the ones set by our heart's desire, not a bunch of "shoulds".

Prices on so many things went up today. Without any increase in our income, we'll also be looking very hard at where we can cut costs. It's not like we have a lot of fat in the budget so Larry & I will have to talk about what goes first. I suppose as we age, prices continue to increase and eventually the income starts to decreases...we are going to be doing more and more of this for the rest of our lives. This is the reality that they never told you about aging...after a lifetime of working for a living, you get to enjoy less and less until you die. I know that sounds negative but for some reason, I am very focused on trimming the proverbial fat today.

I may have recovered a good chunk of my emotional health in 2012 but this year I need to get our house in order... both the physical residence and my physical self. Much as I hate to face this, I need to get ready to return to the work force, even if it's only in a limited way.

I am feeling very fortunate!

On this, the last day of 2012, I called Dad to wish him a Happy 82nd Birthday. I hope he has a good one!

We went to Vancouver to celebrate the coming New Year with Mollie and Carol, Larry's mother and sister, by having a lunch with them. That was nice.

This evening, Larry & I are choosing to enjoy the final hours of the year at home. We made a huge oven stew a couple of nights ago, so we'll have another bowl of that tonight for our supper while we watch some tv.

Have a lovely New Years Eve folks...no matter where or how you are celebrating!

Before I go any further...

Do you have any idea what this is?? It's the slanting cover that has me puzzled. I have absolutely no idea what it is but it was going for a pretty penny as a vintage piece on a UK tea site.

I guess some parts of us simply do not change as we age. I remember when we moved to Richmond Hill, all three kids got to choose the paint color for their rooms. Laura chose blue, Tania went with pink and my selection was green. I saw this yesterday and I felt from the tips of my toes a strong desire to jump in and make myself at home. Weird how a color can do that. Yet, not a single room in my house is decorated in green.

As I read my Facebook blog post Christmas, there are sure a lot of reflective and celebratory entries with the coming new year. I saw this picture and thought I would share it. I think we all need a reminder, every once in a while, that we are truly special and very valued:

I follow a feed called "A Room With A View" on Facebook and I see awesome photos from all over the world in that feed. Some of them make me wish I was there. Want to join me for lunch here?

But if the view isn't enough to entice you into joining me...here's what we are having for lunch:

Shrimp and Black-Eyed Pea Salad...

Ingredients:

1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 15 1/2-oz. cans black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed
1 pound small or medium peeled cooked shrimp
2 scallions, white and light green parts, chopped
2 ribs celery, diced
2 heads romaine lettuce, shredded (about 5 cups)

Preparation:

1. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together oil, lemon juice, salt, paprika, thyme, garlic and cayenne. Stir in black-eyed peas, shrimp, scallions and celery.

2. Arrange lettuce on 4 serving plates. Top each portion with shrimp mixture and serve.

This is a little of this and a little of that...

I found the following 2 items and wonder if you remember them?

I am going to have to start going to flea markets and garage sales...I saw this picture and thought it was a great way to do a small herb garden:

I love the old enamel basins! Grandma Poznikoff had several of them. I might find them at a farm co-op in the US or even some Amish country stores. So the search begins...

Guess what I ordered???

Presto 01781 23-Quart Pressure Canner and Cooker
by Presto


List Price: $109.99
SALE Price: $70.00 & this item ships for FREE with Super Saver Shipping.

• The only method recommended safe by the US Department of Agriculture for canning vegetables, meats, poultry, and seafood
• Doubles as a boiling-water canner for preserving fruits, jams, jellies, pickles, and salsa; Handy as a large capacity pressure cooker
• Constructed of warp-resistant heavy-gauge aluminum for fast, even heating; Works on regular and smooth-top ranges; Extended 12-year limited warranty
• Deluxe pressure dial gauge registers the complete range of processing pressures; This precise measurement is especially important at higher altitudes
• Extra-large size is great for big canning jobs; Includes canning/cooking rack and complete 76-page instruction and recipe book

I can't begin to tell you how very happy this makes me!!

It's been 24 hours since we stopped the excessive eating but we have a large veggie platter to work our way through. I am still feeling bloated...how about you???

I did manage to get all caught up on my blog reading and email reading yesterday. What a job that was! I don't look for 12 hours and it takes 5 hours to recover and get current again. I will be glad when the pace slows down again after the new year. I managed to spot this in my feed after I placed my Amazon order.

Other than sharing my news and total excitement about my pressure canner...I have a recipe for you. This is for January 1st when the serving of Black Eyed Peas is supposed to bring good luck:

Hot-and-Spicy Black-Eyed Peas...

Ingredients:

1 (16-ounce) package dried black-eyed peas
4 green onions, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 jalapeño pepper, diced
1 (3-ounce) package pepperoni slices, diced
2 cups hot water
1 chicken bouillon cube
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 (14.5-ounce) can Mexican stewed tomatoes
3/4 cup uncooked quick brown rice

Preparation:

Place peas in a 5-quart slow cooker. Cover with water 2 inches above peas; let stand 8 hours. Drain.

Combine peas and next 8 ingredients in slow cooker. Cover and cook at LOW 8 hours.

Stir in tomatoes and rice; cook, covered, 30 minutes.

I don't really have a lot to say...

I sure have been enjoying Facebook the last few days. I have been able to chat with lots of friends and family, find some lovely recipes that I have saved for next year and even came across a website that has a language translation pull down on the right. Check out the Russian Spinach Roll I can make next year by using a wheat free flour...don't forget to set it to English:

http://evatoneva.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=331%3Aspinachroll&catid=2%3Aosnovniiastia&Itemid=4

Can you believe I am already thinking about Christmas next year??? Holey moley! New Years isn't even done yet. Maybe I should focus on today. LOL

Happy Birthday to Me!!

Today we had planned to head down to the United States for the day but we have put it off until the 30th.

I get a free Grand Slam breakfast at Denny's, today only, but I really don't feel well enough to eat there. It looks like a quiet day at home curled up on the couch for me.

Before the end of the month, I have a coupon for a free hamburger which I could have done as a lettuce wrap at Red Robin in Burlington, but I may just give the free burger to Larry and have him order me a salad. I also have a a free supper at the Hilltop Restaurant in Bellingham. We'll see how I feel by the 30th as to whether or not we use either of them.

IF we do go, in between the two free meals, we'll do some grocery shopping in Burlington - Walmart, Safeway, Costco, Rite Aid, Fred Meyer and a wee peak at Target and Sears. I may snoop around at Walmart to see if they have any men's sweatshirts on sale. Post Christmas, in the past, I have even found a ski jacket for $15. I don't NEED anything... so it will have to be a totally amazing deal in order to fall into our shopping cart! On our way back, we can stop off at K-Mart and have a wee snoop there too.

Getting off the wheat for the last few days seems to have settled down my indigestion, nausea and diarrhea...thank God! Well that's a good sign. I can do this. I joined a Gluten Free recipe exchange group on Facebook and I am following a blog "Gluten Free Mom" with a gal in Calgary. She posted photos of a new bread recipe that she swears is delightful. She'll post the recipe after Christmas - so guess what we'll be doing? If it's yummy, great! I tried some garlic and herb rice crackers yesterday - they gave me grief with the garlic but another flavor of rice crackers might be just fine. This is going to be about trial and error for the next while.

Indulging in a piece of shortbread, a hermit cookie and a mince tart last night were not a good idea. I was hurt and angry after my encounter with my family and tried to make myself feel better but it backfired on me. No food addiction with me (not much)...eat my way into an emotional coma, who am I kidding???

Hence here I sit at 2:30 am, after getting to bed at 10:30...fighting a cold and suffering terrible indigestion just in time for my birthday. Live and learn, my family is not something I can handle even after a year long absence. That's ok, I am determined to make this work - so if I need to avoid them completely in order to get myself well, so be it.

HO HO HO...Merry Christmas!

I am taking a quiet moment this morning to give thanks for all that I have in my life. I am a very fortunate gal. Sure we have some issues to tackle once we get the holidays behind us but together we can do it! If wheat is my problem health-wise, that so easy for me to fix compared to all the horrible possibilities I had run through my mind! If I can get back onto sleeping right & building some energy, maybe I can get going on all the projects I want to tackle here at home. That will be a huge lift to my mood! So with hope for the future and gratitude in my heart, I wish you and yours the very best of Christmases!

A little running around...

Believe it or not, today is rather busy for us. I need to pick up our fruit and veggie platters and some pickles at Safeway, make a stop at the safety deposit box and then we'll head to Home Restaurant for a Christmas Eve lunch. I figure that I'll have their mashed potatoes, meatloaf with a side of vegetables and a small green salad. I seem to do okay if I eat small and stay away from the wheat. I am sure I'll have leftovers to bring home. I LOVE leftovers!

We had thought of picking up some Chinese food for supper this evening until I discovered that soy sauce has wheat in it. I guess we'll need to stop at Save On Foods for some Low Sodium Wheat Free Tamari sauce for me.

Today is my Aunt Noel's birthday. This is the first one since she passed away in the fall. My heart is with her husband, Danny, and her sons Gerry and Drew as they come into this Christmas season. I have been in touch with each of my cousins...Debbie, Rebbecca, Roger and Loressa as they face their first season without Lucille. It's a difficult season for so many of my family this year.

Time to make my Christmas phone calls...

This is a part of the holiday season that I really enjoy...calling friends and family to catch up on the news, wish them the best of the season and generally just reconnect with folks that I don't see or talk to most of the year. I am grateful that I have a long distance plan that allows me to do this without breaking the bank!

We talked about doing a slow cooker full of hot chocolate for Christmas Eve but for this year at least, I think we'll stay with my usual tea. I do love tea and maybe we can make a nice pot of coffee for Larry. When I was on the hot chocolate thought process, I saw this Cocoa bar and though...cool idea! Maybe another time.

When I was reading the Global News feed yesterday, I cam across this recipe that they'd uploaded. In case you didn't catch it, here it is:

Mark's Crab Garlic Dip recipe... here it is:

Ingredients:

1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup mayonnaise
3 tablespoons milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
dash cayenne pepper or Tabasco sauce, or to taste
1 can (7 1/2 oz) crabmeat, drained, finely chopped

Preparation:

In a small bowl, combine cream cheese, mayonnaise, milk, salt, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper or Tabasco sauce to taste. Gently stir in chopped crab. Top for fun with some chopped red and green peppers for that Christmassy look!

Chill and serve crab dip with chips, crackers, or raw vegetable dippers.

I have everything in our pantry so I may make this up to go with our raw veggies somewhere along the way. I love a crab dip but I am used to them being warm, this would be a change of pace.

And before I sign off...today's Christmas chuckle is:

More running around...

Today we need to make a run to the mail, Safeway, the Dollar store and Save On Foods. This afternoon I want to get the kitchen counters all tidied up. Maybe we'll turn on some Christmas carols to enjoy while we get plug away in the kitchen.

Did I tell you I am going to try Gluten Free Living to see if that is the issue for me? I am totally fed up with feeling lousy, so it's time to start trying to figure out the cause. If this doesn't help in the next couple of weeks, I plan to see my doctor again to see if we can test me for food allergies and figure out what is causing this.

I finally bit the bullet and cancelled our Christmas reservations in Bellevue. The new plans are to be go to Dad's for a couple of hours on Christmas Day and then we are joining our friend Rene for Christmas dinner and some visiting. We are bringing a fresh fruit and a fresh vegetable platter to add to the dinner. Since we aren't coming from home, a cold dish is what we could contribute. This will be fun...we've never done Christmas dinner with friends before.

Sure enjoying our Christmas shows!

WOW! We've sure seen a lot of Christmas movies this week. There's been all sorts of stuff in my Facebook feed about a naughty elf, so when we spotted "Elf on a Shelf" on t.v. the other day we simply had to watch it. I guess it's the newest and latest in animated shows for children. It was cute! Have you seen it?? We also watched Charlie Brown's Christmas the other day. What a classic that is! Hey, look who I caught stealing all the candy canes off the Christmas tree...

And with it being the holidays, what's a blog without a tasty tidbit? I saw this and liked the look of it. I did however think it needed a little green for color contrast so I would add some peeled and roasted brussels sprouts to mine but then...I love brussels sprouts. It's really a love 'em or hate 'em kind of veggie though.

Grilled Sweet Potato, Orange, and Chickpea Salad...

Enjoy the benefits of Grilled Sweet Potato, Orange, and Chickpea Salad. Not only is this salad great-tasting, orange and yellow foods, such and the ones in this salad, boast carotenoids like geta-carotene, which is a type of vitamin A that boosts your immune system.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes
3 navel oranges
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon sesame oil
2 teaspoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon salt
Olive oil cooking spray
1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
3 scallions, white and light green parts only, thinly sliced

Preparation:

1. Microwave potatoes on high for 12 minutes. Transfer to a bowl of ice water to cool. Peel and slice potatoes 1/2-inch thick; reserve.
2. With a sharp knife, remove peel and thick white pith from oranges; reserve juice in a bowl. Halve and slice crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick half moons, reserving juice. Transfer 3 tablespoons of collected juice into a bowl; whisk in vinegar, sesame oil, soy sauce, and salt; reserve.
3. Spray grill pan with cooking spray; heat over medium-high until hot. Cook potatoes until grill marks appear, turning once (3-5 minutes per batch).
4. In a large serving bowl, toss potatoes with chickpeas, oranges, scallions, and dressing.

If salad isn't your thing, how about a nice soup?

Here is the link for the recipe in case you are interested:

http://www.larkscountryheart.com/2012/11/my-minestrone-soup.html

I haven't much to say...

This morning I want to share a couple of pictures of dishes. The first one is an absolutely magnificent hand painted turkey platter...I would hate to use it and would probably just keep it as a decoration on a dining room side board.

I don't know what this pattern is and despite my very best efforts, I haven't been able to find it online. It's probably a vintage pattern that is no longer in production (damn) but isn't this gorgeous? I LOVE red & white tableware but I really ADORE red & white Christmas tableware!!

Today I am going to wander a little...

Today I think I'll share some pictures and tell you a little about my thoughts surrounding them, starting with the one above. I am not a deeply religious person but I can appreciate that many of us are having struggles of some shape or form this holiday season and I do wish God's Blessings for you all.

This year is the very first holiday season where I haven't been suffering from OCD. Ya know, it's been rather nice. I think this has been good for me to realize that it can be Christmas without all the sheer lunacy and the inevitable illness I come down with. If Santa can take a break, why can't I??

I saw this next cartoon and wondered...how many parents feel this way about now???

But my Grinchy side melted some when I saw the Christmas Rules:

And just one more morning smile for you...this is so like the conversations Larry and I have! LOL

7 more sleeps!

This holiday season is certainly screaming right along! I'll bet the little kids and grand kids are finding it a little hard to sleep at night by this point. I remember being so excited for Santa to arrive, when I was very little, that I could hardly take a deep breath let alone sleep.

I saw this next picture and remembered being absolutely horrified at the thought of Mommy kissing Santa Claus! My Mom had to sit me down and assure me that she simply wouldn't do that - because she was married to Dad. Were you ever traumatized by anything to do with Christmas? Can you imagine me with that song, "Grandma got run over by a reindeer?" Eeek!

I have been really trying to muster some Christmas spirit this year but it just isn't surfacing. It's looking like this may be another year where I just try to "survive" the season.

Perhaps it's a good thing that we are getting away for a few days. At least when we are away, I can quit feeling all the "shoulds" of the season. You know what I mean...I should decorate, I should bake, I should make a nice holiday dinner, I should dress up on Christmas Day, I should enjoy my birthday and so on and so forth. This has been my least favorite month of my year all of my adult life! I wonder how many people really feel this way, but they put on a happy face for the sake of their children and grandchildren?

I would happily skip the whole darned month, and Larry and I have done so fairly frequently with our travels to all parts far away and warm! Maybe next year we'll be toasting ourselves on a beach somewhere. Cold, wet, miserable weather and a season fraught with expectations and disappointment are what you should get if you are on the naughty list...not if you've been good all year! LOL

Today has a couple of apppointments...

Larry has an follow-up appointment with Dr. Botha today at 10:30 but we'll see what time he actually gets in. Last time they were running an hour late. Hopefully, this time they'll be closer to "on time".

This afternoon at 2:00 PST "A Victorian Christmas in Annapolis" will be on www.ibitv.org, so I plan to check that out. I loved that part of Nova Scotia!

Larry has his initial consultation with a workplace counsellor at 3:30 so we are keeping supper very easy. We'll have a ham steak with steamed green cabbage, carrots, celery, yukon gold potatoes and Walla Walla onions for supper. I'll have it all ready to flick on the steamer when he gets in.

Did I mention that I am planning a baking day? I think I'll do it when we get back from Bellevue. I tucked 6 ripe bananas in the freezer so we have enough for a triple batch of Jumbo Banana muffins. I am also really drawn to the following recipe. Apple and cheddar are so good together!

Apple & Cheddar Quick Bread

1 3/4 c all-purpose flour
2 1/2 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
3/4 c milk + 2 T
1/3 c canola oil
1 egg
2 T brown sugar
1 c finely diced apples
1 c strong cheddar cheese, grated

3 T cheddar cheese, grated

Preheat oven to 400F. Prep your 8×4 loaf pan* by lightly greasing it with butter and then use a mixture of cornmeal and flour to dust the insides with – about a spoonful of each should do. Shake out any excess and set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt and whisk everything together. Set aside. In a large bowl, mix together the milk, oil, egg and brown sugar until well blended. Pour in the diced apples and stir in the flour mixture. Add in the cheese in 3 handfuls – stirring between each addition. Dump the batter into your prepared loaf pan and bake for 45-50 minutes. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over top of the bread and cook for 10 minutes longer until the cheese melts and the bread is cooked all the way through – use a wooden skewer in the middle of the loaf to test doneness.

*if your loaf pan is larger, reduce the baking time by 10-15 minutes.

I got this recipe the other day...

One of the gals from New Brunswick that is on a financial blog that I take part in put up this recipe the other day & I am sure some of this sugar can be eliminated! I am going to try it with half the amount. After all, both the applesauce and raisins add sweetness. I plan to throw in a cup of chopped nuts as well. I know...I never just MAKE a recipe. LOL

Applesauce Raisin Cake

3 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 cups unsweetened applesauce
1 cup milk
2/3 cup melted butter
2 tsp lemon juice
1 cup raisins

In a 13X9 ungreased cake pan stir together flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and baking soda. Add raisins. Add applesauce, milk, melted butter and lemon juice all at once. Stir with fork until well combined and spread evenly in pan. Bake in 350 degree oven 45-50 minutes or until cake tests done. Cool.

Christine's comments: This is the cake that we have been having the last two days and it is really nice as is. There's no eggs in it which is nice.I got the recipe from a milk calender a fair while back and make it a fair bit. There is supposed to be salt in it but I don't bother as there is the baking soda. One large jar of applesauce will make 2 of these for those that want to buy the sauce. Quick and super easy!

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I think it's time to make a nice pot of Irish Coddle too. Winter is obviously hitting my taste buds when I feel like having either this or Colcannon.

Here's what's in it:

The classic Irish coddle recipe is basically a ham, sausage, potato, and onion stove-top casserole. It makes an easy and hearty meal.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes

Ingredients:

1-1/2 pounds pork sausage, cut into 1-inch pieces
1-1/2 pounds smoked ham, cut into 1-inch dice
1 quart boiling water
2 large yellow onions, peeled and thinly diced
2 pounds potatoes, peeled and thickly sliced
4 tablespoons chopped parsley
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Preparation:

Place the sausage and ham in the boiling water and boil for 5 minutes. Drain, but reserve the liquid.

Put the meat into a large saucepan (or an oven-proof dish) with the onions, potatoes, and parsley.

Add enough of the stock to not quite cover the contents.

Cover the pot and simmer gently for about 1 hour, or until the liquid is reduced by half and all the ingredients are cooked but not mushy. You may need to remove the lid during the last half of the cooking process.

Season with salt and pepper. Serve hot with the vegetables on top and fresh Irish Soda Bread and a glass of stout.

Yield: 8 servings

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This has nothing to do with cooking except that it sure is expensive these days doing the holiday Christmas shopping!!! Ouchie!