I Hate to Exercise But Love to Cook

I love being married.  Lots of people say it is hard.  For me it hasn't been.  I think because I got married in my mid thirties, I am more appreciative of Lance and what he is in my life.  As with anything in life, there are always little annoying things you have to put up with.  The little annoying thing in my marriage that I have to put up with is growing.  It is that I have gained weight.  I hate to admit that I have gained 20 lbs since I got married.  So I am working on getting it off.

Recently, my friend Kelly introduced me to My Fitness Pal.  I have used Daily Burn in the past, but wasn't able to put my recipes in it.  And since we rarely eat out or eat premade food, it just didn't work for me.  My Fitness Pal allows me to put in the recipe and then enter the serving size I ate.  When you start your account, they ask you all kinds of questions and determine how many calories you need to eat per day.  They gave me 1200 calories.  Yikes!  Although burning calories gives you more to eat.  Whoo hoo.  And cooking burns calories!  Double whoo hoo.  I hate to exercise but love to cook.

While trying to balance out my calorie intake for the day, I went looking for a smoothie recipe.   I had purchased 32 lbs of strawberries and split with my mother.  I froze 8 lbs to make smoothies with.  So the smoothie recipe had to be strawberry and since I do not like bananas, it could not contain bananas.  I found a smoothie recipe that I added my touch to and now love.  I took 2 recipes and combined them.  I needed something that would tide me over until lunch.  So the ingredient I used from the second recipe was oatmeal. I put the oatmeal in the blender first and blended it so it was more like flour.  Then I added all the other ingredients.  It gives it a little odd texture but is filling.

Strawberry Pineapple Oatmeal Smoothie
1/4 cup oatmeal
1/2 cup frozen strawberries
3 oz milk
3 oz pineapple juice
1/4 cup vanilla yogurt
1 Tbsp sugar
3 ice cubes

Put oatmeal in blender and blend until fine.  Add the rest of the ingredients and chop ice (pulse) until completely chopped.  Then blend for 30 seconds - a minute.  Pour and drink.

BBQ Recipes

Because the other blog seemed long, I'm putting the recipes from our BBQ in this blog.  These were super easy!  And the fruit salad doesn't have to stay cold which is great for an outdoor party.

Pineapple Punch

1 -12 oz can Pineapple juice frozen concentrate

1/2 -12 oz can Limeade frozen concentrate

4 cups water

1 liter lemon lime soda

Optional: Strawberries hulled to float in punch

Mix all together.  (I quadrupled this recipe)

Fruit Salad

1 lb Strawberries, quartered

1 cup blueberries

1 - 20 oz can pineapple tidbits with juice

1 - 5.1oz box vanilla pudding mix

Mix pudding mix and pineapple with juice until pudding is well mixed in.  Fold in strawberries and blueberries. Chill and serve.

Well Now She Knows

My mom gardened almost all my years of growing up.  She would try to get me to help her plant and weed the garden.  I did not want to.  I usually would after being threatened.  But I hated helping.  We later realized I had a brown thumb.  Nearly everything I planted died.  I once tried to grow beans in a pot and they died.  Probably the easiest thing to grow and it dies.  My little sister, on the other hand, everything she touched grew wonderfully.

I could not find a picture of my mom in the garden.
But both pictures have the garden in the background.

Every year my mom planted tomatoes, peas, and a variety of other vegetables.  I didn't really care about anything but the peas.  I love fresh off the vine sweet peas.  I would go out in the garden and hide behind the wall of pea vines and eat peas.  I always thought my mom knew what I was doing even though I tried to hide.  A couple years ago I told my mom about it.  She said she thought her crop of peas for those years were just bad, and the crop the year I went to college was fantastic.  Well now she knows.

I did have one thing I liked to grow - strawberries.  But weeds were always a problem with strawberries.  I came up with a great idea of how to keep the weeds out of the strawberries.  We had a large tractor tire that we used to use as a sand box.  We filled it with dirt and planted the strawberries.  We never had problems with weeds again.  But we did have problems with the birds eating the strawberries.  I think my mom fixed this problem by draping a screen over the top.  Fresh strawberries are almost as good as the peas.

I now have my own garden.  I live in a rather small upstairs apartment, so a traditional garden won't work for me.  So I have a container garden.  I bought a couple rubber feed pans (for cattle) and planted peppers, cucumbers, eggplants, squash & zucchini.  I also have tomatoes, basil, mint, blueberries and garlic in pots.  With container gardening you don't have to pull weeds.  I love it.  I also love going out the back door to pick fresh tomatoes, zucchini, and mint.  My basil hasn't faired too well.  I think it's getting burnt up.  My blueberry bush will not produce this year.  I hope it will next because that's Lance's favorite fruit.  The eggplant is taking quite some time to produce and get very big.  And of course Lance loves the peppers.  I just wish I could grow limes and avocados.  It's just too cold here.

I recently found a recipe for guacamole that is perfect.  I think I could eat it everyday.  The fresh tomatoes make it even better.

Guacamole
2 Avocados
2 Tbsp chopped tomatoes
2 Tbsp chopped onion
1 clove garlic (minced)
1 Tbsp lime juice
1/4 tsp salt

Mash the avocados and mix in the remaining ingredients.


It's perfect on so many things - tacos, burgers, veggies, chips, your finger...

He Loved His Grandchildren

Today is the second day of Day of the Dead.  Another day of remembering loved ones gone on before us. It is good for us to remember people we love.  Especially, to remember the good things about the person.

My grandfather passed away when I was 5 or 6.  So I don't remember a whole lot about him.  I know what I've been told about him and have seen pictures of him.  My memories of him are very vague.  What I do remember is that he used to sing 2 songs to us.  Well maybe only part of those songs, or at least I only remember part of them.  The first was I Like Bananas.  The only lyrics I know are "I like bananas because they have no bones."  I googled the song and apparently it is a very long song.  One verse is

I don’t like your peaches
They are full of stones
But I like bananas
Because they have no bones

The other song he sang to us was Lazy Bones. The part that I know is "Lazy bones sleepin in the sun, how do you ever spect to get a day work done, sleepin in the noon day's sun."  Apparently Harry Connick Jr has redone the song. There's a lot more to that song also.

What I also know about my grandfather is that he loved to watch baseball. He would have 2 games on 2 different tv's and one on the radio. He would turn up the volume on the game that had something exciting happening. And he never turned the volume back down. So by the end of the games, it was pretty loud in the house. I also know he had an array of delivery jobs. Newspapers, milk and dry ice (for ice boxes). He loved his grand children.  I remember my grandpa being a good grandpa.

In thinking through writing this blog, I figured a banana recipe would be appropriate.  Except I don't really like bananas so much.  However, this summer I found a way to eat them that I like.  I call them Banana Pops.  I know it's a little on the cold side for frozen bananas, but they are still good.

Banana Pops
4 medium bananas
8 wooden popsicle sticks
16 oz semi sweet chocolate chips
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
Candy sprinkles or nuts

With the peel still on, cut the bananas in half.  On the cut end, stick the popsicle stick in.  Peel the bananas place on a baking sheet lined with waxed paper.  Place in the freezer for an hour.  In a double boiler, melt chocolate chips and vegetable oil together.  Once bananas are frozen, dip in chocolate until coated and sprinkle with candy sprinkles or nuts.  Place back on baking sheet  and put back into the freezer to harden the chocolate.  Once hardened serve.  Best served on the day made.

I Think Back and Wonder Were They Crazy?

This morning I went upstairs to get coffee and it was 56 degrees! in the house!  Well, it might be a little warmer than that because the thermometer is on an exterior wall.  So my mom says it's a few degrees warmer than what it says.  Still that's cold for inside.  I like to keep my house between 70 and 72.  I've already told you how I loved to hang out in front of the space heater.

Yesterday, my mom and I ran to town.  As we walked out of Walmart, I was struck by the cold air.  I really should start wearing a coat.  The cold air reminded me of being a kid and walking to the bus stop in the cold.  It was uncool to wear a scarf back then, but I really should have.  Too many mornings, the inside of my nose would freeze.  When I was in elementary school, there wasn't a temperature too cold to go to school.  Now I believe the rule is -25 degrees and school is canceled.  Fortunately when I was a kid if it was below 0, we didn't go outside for recess.  We got to watch movies.  I remember watching Star Wars.  I think we had a week of below 0, so we would watch a part of it at each recess and at lunch.  I now wonder if Star Wars was appropriate for 1st - 4th graders.  What is that movie rated anyway?

In 5th grade, I started going to the Christian school in town.  Girls had to wear dresses every day. And we had to go outside for recess.  We would wear shorts under our dresses so we weren't so cold.  I think back and wonder were they crazy?  A few years later they started letting us wear slacks every day but Wednesday.  That helped a lot.

As I was preparing to write this blog, I googled "how cold is too cold to go to school."  One person said 7 degrees is too cold.  Other people responded to her saying 7 degrees is a walk in the park.  Some people were talking about school being let out at 30 below.  I would imagine kids in Alaska go to school with a temperature less than that.  Cold is relative to where you live.  After living in Texas for 7 years, it has taken me a little while to get used to the cold again.  I would much rather deal with cold than with heat.  You can always put on more clothes.

We tend to eat more when it's cold and we tend to eat soup.  Hot chocolate is a good warm up when you've been outside for a while.  I feel like I've given you enough soup recipes for now, and I don't have a good hot chocolate recipe.  So you are going to get my Apple Crisp recipe that I've had since I was in elementary school.  It is such a good comforting warm dessert.

Apple Crisp
4 cups apples* (any kind except red delicious)
1/2 cup flour
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1/3 cup butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup oatmeal
3/4 tsp nutmeg

Preheat oven to 375.  In a mixing bowl, mix flour, cinnamon, brown sugar, oatmeal & nutmeg.  Cut in butter with a pasty blender.  Core and slice apples, and place in 8" x 8" pan.  Pour mixture over apples.  Bake for 30 minutes.

*I use fried apples so the apples are more tender.

Fried Apples
3 medium apples
1 Tbsp cinnamon
3 Tbsp sugar
water to cover

Core and slice apples.  Place all ingredients in a sauce pan or a deep skillet.  Cover and simmer until apples are transparent.

I Knew I Was Late and I Knew I Was in Trouble.

You've heard the saying "better later than never."  Well, my dad has his own - "if you're not going to be on time, you might as well not go."  I think I live somewhere in between.  Although after many years of "if you're not going to be on time..."  I tend to be early.

My dad was rather strict.  I had a curfew that as a teenager I thought was too early.  I don't know what time it was but it was of course too early.  Occasionally, I was late.  It was rare because I always got grounded when I was late, even if by my watch I was on time.  One time I came in late.  I knew I was late and knew I was in trouble.  I walked straight through the living room, past my dad and to my room.  After I got down there, I realized I needed to take my contacts out.  I decided I would just sleep in them.  It was better to do that than face my dad.

One time I was late and had no control over it.  At 16 I was allowed to date.  I had a boyfriend already but we didn't go on dates other than football & basket ball games, and church events.  So I was excited to go on real dates.  I can't remember my first real date, but I know I had fun dating.  One evening, my boyfriend and I went out to a friend's house.  She lived out in the country and a bunch of us were getting together out there.  I don't recall what we did out there.  I think movies and just hanging out.  Time came for us to leave because I had a ridiculously early curfew.  My boyfriend had a pickup that could be considered antique.  It was pretty cool looking.  I think it was a '58 GMC.  I'm not positive on the year.  But it didn't always run the way we wanted it to.  Occasionally, we had to cancel dates because it wouldn't start.  Well this particular night, it wouldn't start for us to leave our friends house.  He tried several times, and finally I called my mom.  She was going to come out and get me.  I didn't think that was a good idea.  It was dark and I didn't know how we got out there.  I promised her I wasn't lying and that really the truck wouldn't start.  I don't know much about engines but I think sticking a hose in there isn't a great thing to do.  But with this truck that's what got it running.  After about a half hour, the truck was running again. And we were headed home.  I think I was about an hour late, but because of the phone call I didn't get into too much trouble.  I'm not sure that my parents truly believed me about the pickup not starting, but they let me slide.  Thankfully, because I really was telling the truth.

Now that I'm an adult, I don't have a curfew anymore so I can't get into trouble for being late getting home.  But we often are running behind to get where we need to.  Occasionally, I'm running behind and need to take a dessert with me.  I have found a dessert that doesn't take too long to make and can bake while I'm getting ready.

Fresh Berry Crumb Pie
Crumb Crust/Topping
1 cup almonds
2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup chilled butter, cut into small pieces

Filling
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 tbsp constarch
2 pints fresh berries (such as raspberries, blackberries and/or strawberries)

Preheat oven to 350.  Spread almonds on a baking pan and place in oven.  Roast almonds about 10 minutes or until roasted.  Remove nuts from the oven and put into a food processor. Increase the oven temperature to 450. Chop the nuts in processor for about 10 seconds.  In a large mixing bowl, mix chopped nuts, flour and sugar.  Cut butter into the mixture with a pastry blender until coarse crumbs form.  Press half the crumb crust into the bottom and sides of  a deep dish pie plate.  In a medium mixing bowl, mix together sugar, berries & cornstarch.  Mix gently until cornstarch and sugar are mixed in.  Pour berry mixture into the pie plate.  Pour the rest of the crumb crust evenly over the top.  Bake until the top is golden brown and filling is bubbly about 30 minutes.  Cool for about 10 minutes before serving.  Best served warm.

I like to eat the leftovers for breakfast.

We Had Been Dancing to His Music All Week.

Summertime was always a great time as a child.  Some summers were spent at grandma's house in California and some were spent in Idaho with my nephew staying with us for the summer.  Summers at Grandma's house were always really hot.  We spent a lot of time indoors watching movies or playing on the computer.  To get relief from the heat, my grandparents would take me to see my cousins in the Bay Area.

I always had a good time with my cousins. One summer, we swam in the neighbors pool while they were on vacation.  Another summer, we went to Santa Cruz to the beach boardwalk.  Some of the most vivid memories I have of spending time with my cousins is making up dances to music in the backyard.  The 80's were a great time.  We were so excited when we got to see Bryan Duncan in concert.  We had been dancing to his music all week.  He was so cool.

Spending time at Grandma's gave me opportunities to experience new things. We went to Marine World.  I visited the ocean for the first time with Grandma.  I got my introduction to computers while I was there.  Of course, it was a Commodore 64, but it was a computer none the less.  My grandma was great at introducing me to new things.  She on the other hand didn't really care for new things.  She liked things the way they were.  She liked the food she liked and didn't need to try anything new.  Me on the other hand likes to try new things.  I like finding new recipes to test out.  When I would find a good one, I wanted to share it with my grandma.  She liked to tell me that they were bad ideas.  One of those recipes was my Chicken & Fruit Salad.  She said it sounded awful.  But she ate it and loved it.

Chicken & Fruit Salad
1/2 Red apple, cubed
1/2 Green apple, cubed
5 small chicken breast halves, cooked and cubed
1/2 bunch of red or green grapes, halved
1 cup mayonnaise
1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1 Tbsp fresh chopped parsley, optional
1/4 cup pecans
1/4 cup celery
Salt & pepper to taste

In a small bowl, mix mayo & vinegar.  Mix remaining ingredients.  Pour dressing over salad and stir.