Recipe (sort of): Tortilla Stew

What do you do with leftover potatoes, carrots, and au jus from the roast beef?

Well, first you take some brisket that you have in the freezer and you thaw it and cut it up (hamburger will work just fine, brown it off in a skillet before adding). Then, you add a small can of V8, a teaspoon or more of cumin a little bit of coriander, and add a cup of hatch chile wine you picked up at Sprouts. Simmer it for most of the day, in about an hour before you're ready to eat stir in a little bit of cornstarch mixed with water.

When you serve it, throw in a few tortilla #chips and you have Tortilla Stew!

This recipe was given a 9.5 by a roommate who says he doesn't want the cook's head to get too big, or he would have given it a 10.

Note: you might want to change the parameters of you decide to shop from the links above.

ENJOY!

FanFiction: Old Friends: A Gillibean and Amanda Clapham Story

Old Friends

A Gillibean and Amanda Clapham Story
For Gillie Rollo

The two little girls ran giggling to their grandmothers, who were sitting next to one another in the matching rocking chairs on the front porch. Between them was a round table upon which sat a thick utilitarian tea pot covered with a crocheted cozy, a plate of biscuits, and small containers of cream and sugar. Each of the older women held cups half full of tea, chuckling at the small girls running toward them like kittens after a mouse.

The first little girl, a delicate child of about five years with bouncing blonde pigtails, sat on the ground in front of her grandmother. Her friend plopped down next to her. The second girl was a ruddy redhead with a wild mess of curls and a face full of freckles. It was the freckled-faced girl who spoke first, bouncing her curls as she excitedly exclaimed,

“Grandmother, tell us how you met each other! Elena wants to hear the story again!” This girl was a little older than the blonde, about seven, and full of the authority of an elder.

The little blonde giggled. She really did want to hear the story of how the two grandmothers had met. It was a story she never tired of hearing.

The two women glanced at each other, taking a sip of tea and setting their cups down in unison. One woman reached out her arms toward the redhead. “Come this way, Kara. You may sit in my wheelchair.” The child climbed into the fancy electric wheelchair her grandmother had been using since she was a child, which was parked next to the woman’s rocking chair. She held on to the arm as she settled in. Her grandmother placed a hand over hers.

Elena climbed into her grandmother’s lap and snuggled closed as the woman’s arms wrapped around her. Her grandmother began to tell the tale.

“Well, girls, here it is. It isn’t a long story for such a long friendship. Once upon a time, I was an actress. I was on a television show that my friend here, your grandmother Kara, really liked. She liked the show, and my acting partner, Alfie. I guess she liked me, too, as an actress, right, Gilliebean?”

Kara’s grandmother nodded, laughing. “Well, I guess I did. I watched the show every time it was on. Then, I started watching everything your grandma was in, Elena.”

Elena smiled, “Really? Did you really?”

Gillie nodded, “I sure did.”

Elena’s grandmother smiled. “I really enjoyed acting, and one of my favorite things to do was to meet my fans. You know what I mean, the people who liked me or, at least, the characters I played. One day I was scheduled to do a Meet and Greet at a bookshop in a small city in Scotland called Dunfermline.”

Gillie began nodding excitedly. “That’s the day!”

Kara sat up a bit more, knowing what was coming. This story was as familiar to her as her own mother’s voice when she sang lullabies. Kara knew this wasn’t an exciting story. It was a calming story, a sweet story, just like a lullaby. It made Kara feel warm and cozy.

Elena is still a little girl, thought Kara, she thinks it’s an exciting story, just like I used to think. Maybe it’s the way Grandmother lights up when she tells her part. Kara smiled to herself, feeling rather grown up, and watched her Grandmother’s face as she spoke.

“I heard that Amanda was coming to the bookshop, and I couldn’t believe it. She was going to be so close! I begged my mother to take me. She told me she couldn’t do it because of the time. I was soooo disappointed.”

Kara and Elena both whispered “Soooo disappointed,” just as Gillie said it. Both girls giggled into their hands and waited for the rest.

Amanda said, “I had been signing autographs for what seemed like hours, when I saw this beautiful woman in a wheelchair—“

“Wait!” yelled both girls. “Wait, she didn’t tell how she got there!”

Laughing, Amanda said, “Oops! Gillie, I stepped on your toes there.”

“Oh, dear…we must be getting old. Well, my mother couldn’t take me, but on the day, my sister surprised me. She came to pick me up, but she didn’t tell me where we were going. You should have seen how surprised I was when we pulled up in front of the bookshop. I almost cried! I was so happy!”

“So, then,” said Amanda, “I was signing autographs so much my hand was tired and all I really wanted was a cup of tea. I saw this beautiful young woman in a wheelchair coming up just as the line of fans came to an end. As she rolled up to me, I saw that she had a photograph of me from when I was in Hollyoaks. It was one of my favorite photos of me. As she handed me the photo, I looked into her eyes, and I saw nothing but love and excitement. I gladly signed that autograph.”

“And then...” Kara asked, knowing the next part already.

“And then,” Gillie said, “and then Amanda asked me to join her for tea! My sister had some errands to run, so she didn’t mind me staying in town a little longer. So, we went to tea at a little teashop that was next door to the bookshop. We had the most wonderful conversation.”

“That was the beginning of our friendship, and now we visit each other whenever we can. As you well know children, since we are often blessed with your presence during such times.” Amanda finished.

The girls clapped their hands as if they had just watched a lovely play. Gillie patted Kara on the head. “Now, you girls run and play for awhile. It will be time for us to take you home soon, Kara.”

Elena wriggled off Amanda’s lap and skipped over to Kara, taking her hand. “Come on, Kara, let’s play book shop ladies.”

“I want to be the famous actress!” yelled Kara as the two ran off.

Amanda reached over and poured some more tea into her cup, then into Gillie’s. Handing Gillie her cup, she lifted hers up and tapped it against her friend’s. “Here’s to friendship!”

The women sat together chatting about their two different worlds, rocking and sipping tea.

Photo from http://jiheseyuyi.co/

Recipe: Kielbasa Shepherd's Pot Pie

Some recipes are born out of a need to use up leftovers and a lack of choices. This is one such recipe. 

Ingredients:

Kielbasa/Polish Sausage - 2 sausages, cooked and chopped, set aside in bowl
Creamed corn - 1 can
Refrigerated croissants - 1 can
Mashed potatoes - approximately 4 cups
8 x 12 baking pan, sprayed with coconut oil or other oil
Shredded cheese, as desired

Directions:

Open the can of croissants and spread the dough over the bottom and sides of baking pan, pat down well. Bake at 350F for 10 minutes, or until light brown.

Open can of creamed corn and pour into bowl of sausage, mix well. Pour mixture over dough in pan, spread evenly.

Spread mashed potatoes over the top of the sausage.

Bake at 350F for 30 minutes.

Sprinkle shredded cheese on top, if desired. Bake for 5 minutes.

You'll be suprised at how delicious it is!

Fan Fiction: A Sweet Adventure (For Gillie)

A Sweet Adventure

An Alfie Browne-Sykes & Gilliebean Story

By Suzy Jacobson Cherry

for Gillie Rollo

     Alfie struggled a little as he placed Jessica into her pram and tucked her in. The baby was sound asleep, unaware of the excitement ahead. With Jessica safe and sound, Alfie turned to his wife. Gilliebean was next to the bed folding the last items for the suitcases. Her face reflected the joy she felt as she prepared for the holiday ahead. This was the first time she and Alfie were traveling with Jessica and Gilliebean hoped the little one would have some memory of this trip as she grew older. Gilliebean’s head was already filled with images of all the photos they would take of this first family trip.

     Gilliebean and Alfie had been dating for a couple of years before they knew they wanted to start a family. Two years ago, they had made the decision to marry so they could start their family as soon as possible. It had not taken as long as they thought. In fact, when the couple first told their families that they were expecting, Gilliebean could almost see the gears in their brains going over the dates, wondering if they had been married because of the pregnancy rather than before it. Of course, both Gilliebean and Alfie were careful to plan wisely, and they had a good chuckle over their parents’ concerns. Gilliebean recalled the day they told Alfie’s parents. They had asked so many questions that Gilliebean and Alfie thought they were never going to be able to get out and go home. Once they had escaped to their car, Alfie had burst out laughing.

     “What do they think this is, the 1950’s? Who cares how long we’ve been married!”

     Gilliebean had smiled a Mona Lisa smile and laughed, “Well, at least they seemed happy.”

     Alfie had patted her hand and smiled back as the two of them had driven in happy silence back to their own little home, where Gilliebean called her mother on the phone to give her the news.

     Now, as Gilliebean folded the last baby dress and placed it in the suitcase, she fondly remembered how thrilled her mother had been. When Jessica was born, her mother had driven all the way down to Liverpool Women’s Hospital to be there for Gilliebean.

     “What are you thinking, Sweets?” Alfie bent over to tuck a stray hair behind Gillibean’s ear. She smiled up at him.

     “Nothing. The suitcase is ready for you to close it up. Ready to go!”

     Alfie loaded the suitcases into the boot, then rolled the pram closer to the car so he could put Jessica into the child seat in back. Folding the pram, setting it on top of the suitcases in back, the slammed the boot shut and turned now to his wife. She had rolled her chair in place where the pram had been just moments before. Alfie lifted his petite wife from her wheelchair and helped her into the passenger seat. Once Gilliebean was buckled in, Alfie secured the chair to the frame on the back of the car. Hopping into the driver’s seat, he turned the key and started driving. He had gotten to the end of the driveway when he stopped.

     “What’s wrong?” Gilliebean asked.

     “I forgot to check the door.”

     His wife laughed, the bubbly happy sound that had first attracted him to her. “No worries. I’ve done it.” Breathing a sigh of relief, he took off.

     The little family was driving from their home in Liverpool to Disney Paris. Gilliebean loved Disney. She and Alfie had not been able to have a honeymoon when they first married. He had been knee deep in a part for a weekly show, and leaving for even a short time would have disrupted his work. There had never been a chance until now, what with Gilliebean’s pregnancy and Jessica’s birth. Now that there was a break in shooting Alfie’s series and Jessica was almost a year old, the couple thought they would take the opportunity to take that long awaited trip.

     There were a number of ways they could get to Paris. Certainly, it would have been faster to fly. Instead they had chosen to drive so they could bring along everything they needed for an infant, as well as the convenience of having Gilliebean’s chair on the car. Rather than take the highway, which would have taken a little over eight hours, Alfie and Gilliebean decided to drive through countryside and village at a somewhat leisurely pace. Not only would they be able to see some of the small towns of England, but this would also allow for stops to rest for Alfie. The plan was to drive all day and stopping over near Folkestone for the night. Gilliebean had booked their trip on Le Shuttle through the Eurotunnel weeks ago. When they wake up tomorrow, they drive onto the Shuttle and take the 35 minute trip through the tunnel under the water.

By the time they reached the end of the tunnel, they were in France. It was a lovely day and Gilliebean felt the excitement of being in another country with nothing more to worry about than making sure her baby was dry and fed and her husband was happy. There was no doubt Alife was happy. He had a huge smile on his face as he drove along what seemed to Gilliebean to be the wrong side of the road. Reaching out, Gilliebean placed her hand over his, and softly rubbed her thumb under his palm.

     The trip across England had been pleasant. They had stopped in a few picturesque villages for diaper changes and the like. Now, the drive through France was just as beautiful. As they drove, the couple chatted about everything from little Jessica’s favorite foods to politics. Alfie and Gillie didn’t agree on everything, but they felt the same about many things. Both were excited about this trip, and looked forward to their stay at the Disneyland Hotel Santa Fe. Neither had been to America and they had heard that the hotel featured a taste of the American Southwest.

     Jessica didn’t fuss too much along the road. She was a good baby. Apart from a short bout with colic when she was newborn, Alfie and Gilliebean had not had a spot of trouble with the child. She had been crawling for a time now, and was pulling herself up to a standing position as if she was ready to climb trees. She was already saying a few words, like “mama” and “dada.” Gilliebean was proud to think that maybe reading to the child since before her birth might have given her an advantage. Surely, their daughter was a genius!

     Gilliebean loved the hotel. The colors were bright and airy. The silhouettes of saguaro cacti made her hope for a day when she could visit the place where they grew for real. Alfie and Gilliebean took Jessica to the pool for a family swim before dinner. They enjoyed a buffet meal in “La Cantina,” cleverly set along the back of an old American pickup truck. Alfie talked Gilliebean into taking lots of photos around the place, asking strangers to snap pictures of the family together. By the time they went to bed for the night, they were exhausted.

     Morning came early. Gilliebean was awakened gently by the cooing of her daughter in the little crib provided by the hotel. She gave Alfie a little shake.

     “Honey, it’s Disneyland day!” she whispered as she pulled her covers off.

     After a delicious breakfast, the little family went to Disneyland. They spent the day meeting Gilliebean’s favorite Disney characters, eating, listening to music, and shopping. Gilliebean couldn’t help herself when it came to buying gifts for Jessica. Little Minnie Mouse dresses and bows, a Jasmine outfit, and a stuffed Dalmatian were only a few. Alfie teased Gilliebean that she was really buying the toys for herself. Gilliebean laughed at him then, because he had picked out as many toys for Jessica as she had!

     By the end of the day, they had purchased souvenirs for everyone in their families and more than a few friends. They had ridden on a horse drawn street car, wandered through Alice’s Curious Labyrinth, and visited It’s a Small World. As night fell, they ended their day with The spectacularly sparkly Disney Illuminations show. Jessica was amazingly good for such a small child on such a busy day. Throughout the day, she had giggled and clapped her hands at the sights and sounds of the park. She had been obviously thrilled with Elsa from the movie Frozen bent down to tell her what a pretty girl she was. She was wide eyed at the fireworks, kicking her feet excitedly and reaching out her hands at every sparkly starfall.

     When it was all over and they had returned to their room at the Hotel Santa Fe, Alfie and Gilliebean were so tired, they barely had time to tuck Jessica in before falling into bed themselves. They slept like rocks, and only woke up when the sunshine flowed through the windows, kissing Gilliebean’s cheeks with warmth. As she opened her eyes, she felt her beloved stirring next to her, and little Jessica’s tiny voice calling, “coo coo coo” like the song of a beautiful mourning dove.

     The drive home was a new adventure. Back home, a few days later, after putting Jessica down for a nap, Alfie and Gilliebean sat at the table with a pot of tea. Alfie was to go back to work tomorrow. As they sat there together sipping their tea, they reminisced about their favorite parts of the trip. Alfie suddenly pulled a little notebook and pen out of his pocket. Gillibean looked at him curiously.

“Well,” he said, “Let’s start planning our next holiday!”

THE END

Recipe: Vegetarian Pancit

 This recipe is one that I converted to vegetarian in 2009. Chicken Pancit was a favorite when my children were growing up.

When I was stationed on Guam, I learned to make a delicious dish called “Chicken Pancit.” Because I was a cook in the Air Force, the recipe I learned made enough for about 250 people. A few years later, while working for a trophy company in Massachusetts, I processed an invoice for a customer on Guam. I snuck a note in there asking for a smaller version of the recipe…and got it! This dish from the Philippines has been a favorite at my house and potlucks for years now. This is my newly created vegetarian version. No chickens.

1 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
3 or 4 garlic cloves, chopped
1 brick extra firm tofu, chopped into small pieces
Sea salt & black pepper to taste
3 large celery stalks, angle sliced
3 carrots, angle sliced
½ head cabbage, chopped
3 cups vegetable broth
1 tsp “poultry seasoning” (thyme, sage, marjoram, rosemary, black pepper & nutmeg)
1 pkg rice noodles (Bihon or Maifun)

Brown onion & garlic in olive oil for about 5 minutes. Stir in tofu and brown for about 5 more minutes. Salt & pepper to taste. Add vegetables. Stir fry for 3 or 4 minutes. Add 2 cups vegetable broth. Stir in “poultry seasoning.” Bring to boil then turn down to simmer for 10 minutes. Open package of rice noodles and separate into halves (the noodles are dried together, usually in two pieces). Place noodles flat over top of vegetables. With a spoon, baste vegetables and broth over noodles. Add last cup of broth, wetting noodles. Bring back to a boil then turn down to simmer. Stir often as it simmers until all noodles are moist and hot. Disperse vegetables as evenly through the dish as possible. May be served with soy sauce, if desired.

Recipe: Simple Portabella Mushroom Stroganoff

This recipe is one I created in 2009, when I was a vegetarian.

This is a vegetarian alternative to beef stroganoff that I made up as I shopped. It is not vegan, however, as I used plain yogurt. The beef version that I learned to make uses sour cream. I thought yogurt was at least a little healthier. Here's what I ended up with:

2 medium onions, peeled and chopped
1 tbl olive oil
8 medium to large portabella caps, chopped into bite-size pieces
garlic powder, sea salt & black pepper to taste
Broth from 1 1/2 tbl "Better than Boullion" vegetarian base, dissolved in 1 quart of water
1 tbl cornstarch, dissolved in 1/4 c. water
1 cup plain yogurt
1 16-ounce bag farfalle pasta or other non-egg pasta as preferred - cooked, drained & rinsed

Brown onions in olive oil until they begin to carmelize. Add mushroom caps and stir. Add garlic, sea salt & black pepper. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring regularly for about 5 minutes. Stir in broth mixture. Bring to a boil. Stir in cornstarch mixture. Return to boil, then reduce to a simmer for a few minutes until thickened. Stir in yogurt just prior to serving. Serve over pasta.

Recipe: Cream Cheese Beef and Jalapeños

Sometimes ideas for dinner come to me at the strangest times. Like poetry, once in awhile dinner inspiration can arise in the reveries I enjoy while driving. That’s what happened with the recipe I’m going share today.

I had dropped Ian off at work and was heading toward the local Fry’s grocery store thinking about what to make with the steaks I thawed earlier in the day. I wasn’t in the mood for the old fried steak and baked potato combination that had been a go-to when I was feeling particularly carnivorous in the past.

I thought about stir-fry with rice, beef stroganoff, and Mom’s old “goodie steak” recipe with bell peppers and tomatoes, none of which struck my fancy.

I had a vision of the big cream cheese stuffed jalapeños wrapped with bacon that Fry’s stocks at the meat counter. I began to salivate a little. That was it! I decided I’d purchase a few of those, grab some kind of vegetable, and fry the steaks. No baked potato.

I know, it doesn’t sound like much of an inspiration, yet. Just wait.

Once I got to Fry’s, I picked up a few of the other things I needed and then headed to the meat counter. As I wove through the aisles avoiding the clutches of shoppers, I went over a list of things I had at home to work with. That’s when I remembered the bag of small jalapeños I had sitting on the counter. They were quite small, but maybe I could stuff them anyway.

At the meat counter, I ordered a pound of apple wood smoked bacon for upcoming breakfasts and eyed the giant, pre-stuffed peppers. It wouldn’t be as much work to just purchase them. They were a dollar a piece. I’d bought them in the past for 75 cents. On sale, they had been two for a dollar. Did I really want to spend a dollar for one pepper? The taste would be worth it. But, I thought, what about that bag of peppers at home? They weren’t going to last forever. That’s when I decided to forego the big peppers, turned the cart toward the dairy section, and picked up a package of cream cheese. Then, over in produce I picked up some mushrooms.

At home, I washed a handful of peppers and started slicing them in half. They were much too small to stuff. What would I do with them? I definitely wasn’t going to change my mind about using them. That’ when the inspiration came together. From salivating over a vision of spicy stuffed peppers in the car to standing over my wooden cutting board, a new recipe emerged.

I think I’ll just call it Cream Cheese Beef and Jalapeños. Try it – you’ll like it!

Cream Cheese Beef and Jalapeños

Ingredients:

• 1 – 2 lb stew meat or steak, cut into small cubes
• 4 – 6 slices of back, chopped into smaller pieces
• 1 cup small Jalapeños or Serrano Peppers, cut in half longwise
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 4 – 6 large mushrooms, chopped
• 1 package cream cheese
• Salt & pepper to taste
• 2 tbs oil
• 3 cups cooked rice (optional)

Directions:

• Heat oil in medium sized skillet on medium heat
• Sauté onions, garlic, and peppers until soft
• Add beef and fry until brown on all sides
• Add bacon and fry a few minutes, stirring constantly
• Stir in mushrooms
• Turn heat down to low and cover.
• Simmer until beef is tender, stirring frequently (add a little water if it starts to stick to pan)
• When meat is tender enough for your taste, cut cream cheese into little squares and place all across the top of the meat. Use the entire package of cream cheese.
• Replace lid and simmer for approximately 5 minutes.
• Stir all ingredients together so cream cheese is distributed evenly.

Serve by itself or on top of cooked rice

Sadly, I didn't take a photo of this dish. It's probably okay, though. It isn't a pretty looking dish, but I promise you, this is a taste extravaganza!

We liked it, anyway!

Blog: Here I Go Again!

Well, here it is. The truth. The cold, hard, fatty truth.

I've been pigging out. I can't figure out why I'm eating all the carbs and sugars that enter my sphere of awareness, but I do know chocolate has something to do with it. That's it, I'll blame the chocolate. Forget about this strange addictive behavior I've been exhibiting.

Oddly, since I got the most awesome Dansko shoes, even my hip feels better. I haven't told my surgeon yet, but I think I can put off that hip replacement until I'm actually old. I've been taking the stairs at the hospital where I do my internship - even up to the fourth floor. Those of you who know hospitals know that means a double flight for every floor.

I'd probably be getting closer to my weight loss goal if I weren't eating all the things.

So. I decided to go back to the site that helped me track calories the last time I did this thing. There are a few decent sites that track calories. The first time I lost about fifty pounds just by counting calories, I used CalorieCounter. When I was doing those awful/awesome boot camp exercises with Andrea & David Gough at DNA Mind-Body & Nutrition and Herbalife, I switched to MyFitnessPal. 

I decided to stay with MyFitnessPal, while tracking my steps and calories burned by walking through a little phone app called Google Fit. I don't think the two are compatible, but I know how to take the information from one and enter it into the other. Who knows, I might burn extra calories just doing that by hand!

So here I am. Telling all the people on the internets (well, at least the handful who might read this) that I have been failing, but I intend to win. I intend to get back on track and reach my goal. That might mean some new recipes!

Certainly, it might mean a few photos and new thoughts on this journey.

Funny, it seems like we not only change direction in our life's journey, but we also travel many journeys side by side. My health journey and my spiritual journey are definitely connected. I wonder if it's the same with the career journey, and the trajectory of my whole life.

One thing I've discovered is that it's better to acknowledge where I am chronologically along the way. I'm no longer the 20-something who religiously did aerobics with Jane Fonda, ran 3 miles a day, or road my bicycle 5 miles a day. I'm an "older adult." My needs are different today than they were then. I found a page on a government website that spells out the caloric needs of older adults. 

I don't need 1200 calories per day...I need 1600! This is more doable. I put my goal in as 1500. I think this knowledge will help me on my journey.

I know it's a holistic thing. Body, Mind, and Spirit. 

You can follow my weight loss successes - and failures as I go. Just look for the MyFitnessPal badge on the right side of the page. When I last posted to MyFitnessPal, I had lost 38 pounds.

So...here I go again!

P.S. I forgot to tell you the GOOD news! Yesterday, I was able to begin my yoga practice again! I got through a full Sun Salutation without any wrist pain. That and 50 crunches both yesterday and today are my start back into the world of exercise and mindfulness around my physical being. More to come!

Blog: Almost Static

So, I lost weight and maintained that loss for awhile, what with the yummy smoothies, healthier eating, and regular exercise. It was great and I was feeling fabulous.

It isn't that I'm not feeling fabulous now; but it's a just little iffy.

Schedules got a little messed up, I lost yoga and hula-hoop time. I let the diet slip. I reignited an addiction to sugar. Chocolate. Diet soda.

And, I developed carpal-tunnel problems. A billion years of secretarial work have finally caught up with me. I can't do a proper Sun-Salutation anymore because I can't bear the weight on my wrist.

Of course, all along, I've had some other issues. I don't know, have I complained to you about my fibromyalgia lately?

It's not the fibro that's a problem so much as the spondylolesthesis in my L-1 and the arthritic degeneration in my right hip.

The exercise - especially yoga - and weight loss were calculated to make it easier to live with these problems. Combined with some medication, it's been pretty good.

Pretty good, but not great.

I haven't been able to hike for years. I'm jealous of all those 65 - 85 year olds I know who make hiking the Superstition Mountains look like strolling down the lane.

It's all catching up with me. This Spoonie life. This aging process.

I began to gain back some of the weight. 

I'm going to have to have surgery on my hip. A new hip, in fact. Just like an old lady, right?

I've begun forcing myself to take the stairs when I'm on shift at the hospital where I'm doing my chaplaincy internship. I'm equally forcing myself to recognize when enough is enough and the elevator is a better choice.

I'm starting to figure out which yoga poses I am able to do and to find times to sneak them in between my over-scheduled times.

I got one of those padded mouse pads and a wrist rest at work and have been trying to wear a wrist brace when I drive to nip that carpal tunnel in the bud. 

I'm off the candy and diet soda now, and am reintroducing good, green food into my diet. Not that I stopped eating good, green food. I just ate a whole lot of other stuff for awhile there, too.

I'm back to salads and smoothies.

Someday, I'll be back to real exercise, too.

After the new hip.

In the meantime, I am almost static.

But not completely.

I will never allow myself to reach the weight I was at my heaviest. My most unhealthy.

I may not be a rolling stone, but neither will I be gathering any moss.

Unless it tastes good in a salad.

Recipe: Strawberry Rhubarb Smoothie

The last time I picked up some frozen fruit, I saw the rhubarb and knew that I was going to get them as soon as I could. Since rhubarb needs another fruit with it, I decided to go with the traditional strawberries, because after all, strawberry rhubarb pie is probably my favorite.  I made enough for both breakfast and lunch. Here's what I tossed together:

Strawberry Rhubarb Smoothie

1/2 cup frozen rhubarb

1/2 cup frozen strawberries

1 cup plain Greek yogurt

Cold water to the 2 cup line on blender container

1 banana

Stevia or other sweetener to taste (optional)

Using frozen fruit negates the need for ice, so the fruit flavor doesn't get watered down. I added the banana because it makes the smoothie a bit thicker without adding too much extra flavor.

Keep in mind that my measurements are almost always estimated - I have tendency to toss things in by handfuls and pinches rather than using measuring cups. I let the ingredients blend until they look smooth, then stop the blender for a taste test. (After my experience with the wooden spoon a few weeks ago, I am very careful not to lose a utensil in a moving blender blade!)

Sometimes, after a taste test, I'll add a little more fruit or a touch more sweetener. In the end, the amount of ingredients you use in your smoothie is up to you.