And tomorrow

I am trying to figure out how to go pay my car insurance, go to Metropolis, work out, make sandwiches and go pick up Aaron for a movie after work. Why must we have so many expenses that require a full-time job.

Ugh!

Tummy trouble

So I stayed home today and analyzed what I ate yesterday/Saturday night. And the only thing out of the ordinary was Crystal Light. So I googled it. Basically I drank a bunch of chemicals that were not good for my tummy. So it was quite a boring day today. I didn't feel like moving much unless it was to the bathroom. And couldn't focus enough to read. My library book that is due tomorrow is going to be late. Such is life.

Kicked out of my own kitchen

I feel like Marie Peron from Everybody Loves Raymond. Aaron is making omelets and I can't even dice a pepper or slice cheese. He has thrown me out to either walk or this. I chose this. I tend to like to start my walks before 10am especially being diabetic and not having eaten anything yet. Oh and correction it is not an omelet as I do not have an omelet pan it is a scramble. Either way, worth the wait. I might however run across to Parson's Garden just to soak in that beauty.

Aaron made this amazing recipe on Friday, and I am going to see if maybe he will make it for dinner tonight. It is in the end I think a fantastic form of individual serving veggie pizzas. The recipe started from Friends, Family and Food by Josephine Burns Odyssey, but of course we changed it a bit.

Out of Season Tomato Relish (Grand Central Bakery)

1/4 c. olive oil
8 oz diced white onion
8 oz diced leek
1/4 c. rehydrated sun dried tomato- pureed in food processor
28 oz can of diced tomatoes
3 T Balsamic vinegar
1 t Kosher Salt
2 T Brown sugar
1 1/2 cups grated Irish White Cheddar cheese

Saute onions until they begin tgo caramelize, turn down the heat and add the diced leeks. Saute until leaks are tender

Drain juice (save liquid) from the tomatoes, combine the saved liquid with pureed sun dried tomatoes.

Put in sugar and salt in pan with tomato juice and sundried tomatoes. Add balsamic vinegar. Use the tomato mixture to deglaze the onion saute pan. Turn up the heat and stir while the liquid evaporates.


While waiting for the liquid to evaporate, use a baguette or other crusty bread, slice, brush with olive oil and heat at 350 degrees for 6 minutes. Toast at 350

Back to the saute pan add the leaks/onions. Stir in.

Remove bread from oven, lay slices flat. Top bread with diced tomatoes, pureed tomato/leek mix and cheese.

Place in oven just until cheese melts.

I tried to add all of Aaron's tweeks and things that were not necessarily in the original recipe like where to add the sugar and salt. So good luck if it works you will want to eat it for the next week!

Turkey Day Blowout

Ok. At first Thanksgiving was cancelled at my house. Then I had more invitations than I could handle. So today I had a beautiful Thanksgiving at my second family, the Evans. And of course the turkey was perfectly moist, the dressing was yummy and the twice baked potatoes brilliant. And of all things the tiniest peas were delicious. Then Aaron joined me for Phyllis's cocktail party. How that woman does it, I'll never know. She is cooking dinner for 30 people and had a cocktail party for about oh 40 others that are not at the dinner. I can't wait to hear her sing in her chorus December 12th - Seattlites - check it out the Midevil Women's Chorus.
We made the pies yesterday. Apple for tonight. And pecan for Rebecca's tomorrow. And huckleberry at Joani's maybe tomorrow as well. Gym tomorrow. Definately!!!!

A lot to be thankful for, a very thoughtful man who cooks for me and spoils me with massage, and listens and well lots of good stuff. Amazing as in Best Friends of the Universe friends, who are always there for me, whether physically or in spirit. So much more, but those are the most important.

No Black Friday shopping for me. The bank account is dwindled, but we will have leftovers a plenty and recipes for the turkey. It should be a good weekend all the way around.

How lucky am I? Ok not win the lottery lucky, but pretty damn lucky.

Pecan pie

Done. And it looks amazing. I hope the crust is good. Crust what a gross word, but when done well on a pie amazing! Anyway, I ran 1/4 shy of the dark caro syrup so used the light, I am such a rebel. I have a diverse pecan pie for Thanksgiving at Rebecca's. The crust is ready on the apple pie. Aaron is apparently feeling somewhat better, don't know, but he is coming over tonight to help cook the food he said. So I believe I am having brunch at Jenn's, lunch/dinner at Rebecca's and then home for turkey? Who knows. I am not taking any bets and am for certain going to Jenn's and Rebecca's. And I totally get the Aaaron head space. After my brother's murders Jenn in all her loveliness was always inviting me out and many times I said I would go and then cancelled. But she didn't give up on me and look at me now. A little worse for where but overall pretty good.

Ok. I better find that apple pie recipe.

I am starting to get hungry so better eat soon. hmmm food. Good concept for a diabetic.

I am exhausted and the day has barely started...

R's place

Rebecca has invited me to her vegetarian holiday, and I am delighted and honored to attend. Few people make me feel as comfortable as my friends. And I am blessed to have them in my life. I know Jennie would have had me at her folk's brunch, but it sounds like a reunion of sorts for the out of town son, so I would have felt like I was crashing. Anyway going home, making a pecan pie for R's. Going to Joani's tonight. Good people in my life. Lots to be thankful for.

Bummer

Aaron is having a really off time right now so I won't see him Thursday and since it was only me and one other couple who was having a brunch earlier I am cancelling the dinner/dessert for Thanksgiving Day.

I get this. After the deaths, my beautiful friend Jenn would invite me out and I would either decline or cancel at the last minute.

Isn't it the lonliest thought in the world to have to cook a turkey because you paid for it and is defrosted and it will go bad if you don't on Thanksgiving Day. How utterly suicidal. (The thought, not me after what I have lived through I am not taking myself out of this world)

Oh well. All dressed up and no place to go. My life story.

Arms

I just attempted the arms version of the bellydancing DVD dang! I think I did 5 minutes maybe. Lets just say this is on my to buy list of DVDs. The soccer coach has invited me to start training with the soccer players as he knows I am still struggling getting back into the work outs. I am doing better though and my blood sugar numbers have been good so we will see.

Snowflakes

The students are making snowflakes today. We have a smallbank sloping against the printer. I am trying to figure out how we will work around the skylight that has a gaping hole with a ceiling to high to send the kids up the ladder to hang our bounty. One made the smallest most delicate design. I love to see their creativity in action. It was absolutely adorable I had one student putting a cardboard box with plastic in the recyling. I explained that the plastic that seals boxes is called shrinkwrap and isn't recyclable. She told me how I teach her so much about saving the planet and everything. I love these kids. They are old teenagers and yet so young. Feisty Furious and absolutely loveable!

Sometimes

Sometimes I wish I were a wave, back and forth finding my rhythm, crashing against rocks, swirling in tides, creating a force to be reckoned with, and then I go and get seasick!

2 more days

I can hardly wait! I am reading The Tenth Muse My Life in Food by Judith Jones, and it tends to make my mouth water. Dang if I had known I could have a career in food and actually had the confidence to pursue it from a literary angle. How incredible. If I had started earlier, I would probably have a different menu for Thursday, but will do the traditional fare for Thanksgiving. Sorry vegetarians. I have cooked Thanksgiving for vegetarians before, but this year have all carnivores coming to dine. And several for dessert. Dessert will be made tomorrow, starting with the pumpkin cheesecake. Then the pecan pie. And finishing with the apple pie. Yummy!
I am only working half a day tomorrow to help with this dessert extravaganza and I can't wait! Pumpkin Pecans Pie OH MY!!

Friday

Thanks Universe. No crazy parents yesterday.

Friday today, Precious opens and I am driving straight from work to the theater to watch it with him. I can't wait.

And good news, I just found another Christmas present for someone who I was having trouble thinking of what to buy. Yay!

Off to da job....ugh!

I just don't want to go

I just don't want to go to work today. I left in tears yesterday. I know the guy was a total wife beater who made sure to keep his blows to the body. So he could charm his way through the rest of the world. The two screaming swearing glaring parents were fine compared to him, but I need a day of rest.

I am cooking Thanksgiving dinner so took Wed afternoon off so I just have to make it til then...

Petition

Lord grant me no crazy parents today.
not the ranters and ravers
crying of racism and wrongdoings.

Nor the real danger,
the ones you know beat their partners
at home in hidden places

No charmers or gimmickers
No sales people
No non stop ringing phone

Lord keep the crazies home today
leaving the children to contend with
while school stays a safe place

Doubt

I think they should make a movie about real doubts that go on not the incredibly horrible movie with that title. My mind is the Doubt Ocean today, conveniently adjacent to the Pacific.

Off

I am off this morning. I feel like if I poured a mug of cofee I would miss the mug. I wouldn't scorch my hand, but would definately have coffee all over the counter and floor. There is a fog in my head and I don't like it!

Good people

I have such good people in my life. Thanks Mary for sharing this:

Earth, Teach Me

Earth teach me quiet ~ as the grasses are still with new light.
Earth teach me suffering ~ as old stones suffer with memory.
Earth teach me humility ~ as blossoms are humble with beginning.
Earth teach me caring ~ as mothers nurture their young.
Earth teach me courage ~ as the tree that stands alone.
Earth teach me limitation ~ as the ant that crawls on the ground.
Earth teach me freedom ~ as the eagle that soars in the sky.
Earth teach me acceptance ~ as the leaves that die each fall.
Earth teach me renewal ~ as the seed that rises in the spring.
Earth teach me to forget myself ~ as melted snow forgets its life.
Earth teach me to remember kindness ~ as dry fields weep with rain.

An Ute Prayer

It was a very interesting weekend. I had a bad reaction to a medicine I am supposed to building up to taking. I am sticking to my half dosage. I have to work, walk, etc and the full dosage has me in the bathroom or fetal position in bed. Aaron took good care of me though. I heard some poetry on Friday night. I especially enjoyed Catalina Cantu's and Gabe Morales work. The emcee kept rushing up and quickly reading another poem by another published poet, and it just squashed the readers voice to me. I like to have the words soak into me unfettered, instead they were jarred out of me rudely replaced and then the next poet came up. So at least I got to enjoy a couple voices. Then Saturday the first day I experimented with taking the full dosage and had to ditch Aaron and run into a Walgreens to use the bathroom. He called as he was standing in the rain outside the condo complex he was buying a drill off a guy (craigslist), poor guy I said I have to use a bathroom or I am going to shit my pants, I will be right back. My poor Baby, then we found a Ross and shopped there, I found a great man's exercise shirt- moisture wicking and all that in woman's would have been about $10 more, so bought the mens.

Cashback - what a great movie. With a very romantic scene, walking through a frozen snowstorm...just watch it trust me. Then today we watched Floundering, also a very good movie. Truly would watch them more than once without a problem.

Then errands, and we were near Greenlake and decided to walk the lake. It was beautiful. In the summer Greenlake is swamped with people and there is always somebody's sweat flying on me when they run/bike or blade by me. It is incredibly gross. But today was beautiful. People all clothed in there fall warmies, no one with sweating flying off them, room for everyone. No bikers, one blader and the trees in all their red yellow glory. A definate thing I will do again. It worked well to as I didn't feel like Bellydancing today. (I did though 4 times last week, and it is so incredibly cool, just wanted to change things up today). After making myself sniff the items in the freezer, found out the salmon was on the verge of freezer burn so Aaron and I made salmon patties. Ok Aaron gave me this killer massage. I checked a reflexology chart, because yesterday and today my feet when not wearing sneakers are killing me. I decided it was the medicine. Unfortunately I hardly had any water yesterday and today so it is taking it's time working its way out of my system. And the foot charts seem to line up with all the areas the medicine affect so definately going to half dosage. So after a phenomenal massage, cooked excellent homemade salmon burgers, and pasta with chantrelles and broccoli. Yummy.

This morning my blood sugar was 95 or 96 I don't remember. Last night it was 101 and right now it is....103 very very good! And it was on half the dosage, although I swear that full dose is still in my system, because I never had sore feet! Ugh. Overall though who can complain. An amazing boyfriend, a great massage, a yummy dinner, and a nightcap of Trivial Pursuit...I lost this time, still fun though.

Meds

The doctor told me she wanted me up to one full pill twice a day. So I attempted the full pill this morning and while waiting for A to pick up drill, I called his phone and told him I would be right back I had to find bathroom or I was going to shit my pants. I hate this medicine. I hate this medicine enough to do the hard core workouts I did when I wasn't on this medicine. I am not taking a half a pill tonight or a full pill tonight. I will start with the half pill again tomorrow morning and evening and some serious exercise. I can't be driven to the bathroom at any moment because of a tiny little pill. Yuck!

Groovin'

I did the majority of the Belly Dancing Cardio section. There is one part in the work out that has a lot of moves not in the library of moves, but it still was about a 30/35 minute workout so that is cool. My blood sugar tonight is gosh now I don't remember, I think 117 this morning it was 101 so it is coming back down. I need to get my eating under control. It has been hard this week, and I figured out why on Tuesday when my period started. About 1.5 years ago the doctor changed my pill and I love the one she put me on as I don't get so drama laden and the irritable bitch syndrome is severly reduced (you will have to trust me on this). Now I just fight insecure feelings...fun for me. And the great bonus was that I didn't have a period every month so when I have one it throws me...runs me down, makes me crave everything, honest no small babies safe : 0 so hopefully by Sunday this will have run its course and I can go back to eating healthy and working out. Although compared to other times the eating has only been mildly out of control.

Now I just need to finish some laundry and I can go to bed!

Sight

I was driving home and almost home. Just pulling out of the grocery store. I felt my eyes close even though they were open. It was like they were closed saying I am done now, go away world.

Coffee?

I woke up at 5am today, but couldn't make myself bellydance. I hit the snooze alarm repeatedly until 6am, and then scrambled (not eggs) but myself to get in a shower and get to work on time. What is up with that? I even went to bed early, not early enough I guess.

Impromptu

I almost forgot. If you have not seen the movie Impromptu, you must! George Sands, Frederick Chopin disdain to love. Now I want a movie that tells the rest of the story.

This clip is not from the movie, but after the Art of the Piano, yes I am a Horowitz fan, and of course Chopin.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x93pwAvUkAA

CC continued

Aaron and I are thinking about moving to Columbia City. Not anytime soon, but eventually. We are going to spend weekends exploring it to see if it is where we want to hang our hats. The KC Fower and gift shop is amazing and had the most beautiful blue thistle, let alone the perfect Christmas present that yes my pretty little girl side loves, and yes Aaron bought it for me. He told me I could know one of my presents. I can't wait to surprise him with his, but lets just say they are good!

And yes Chocolati Capaccino Almonds are quite possible one of the best things in the world. - Use your Entertainment Book coupon and buy me the biggest box of them you can actually with your coupon you can buy two for the price of one. Of course you should give them both to me. (the espresso caramels aren't bad either, but the capaccino almonds are by far the best)

Coumbia City Bakery

I am going to the Columbia City Bakery. I love every baker there and so does Aaron so I think it may me a menage a trois or a flat out orgy this morning. Pumpkin pie to the max! Or perhaps a lemon bar, and I bet they make a killer breakfast, yummmy. Geez, I think that my stomach rumbling just woke anyone still asleep up!