Being an Example of Strength

“Never forget that you are a [child] of God. He loves you. Live by your standards. Stand up for what you believe in. Sometimes it is not easy, and you may be standing alone for a while. Look for friends with integrity and character, then go to them and express appreciation for their examples. You might even find someone who has been feeling as lonely as you. Pray for guidance and protection from the Lord. He will sustain you. He will become a trusted friend, and you will discover that your example will attract many friends who will take courage from your strength of character.”

W. Craig Zwick, “We Will Not Yield, We Cannot Yield,” Ensign, May 2008, 98

Loaded Texas Sized Corn Muffins

Loaded Texas Sized Corn Muffins

2 eggs
1 cup sour cream (I used some plain yogurt, too as I did not have enough sour cream)
6 Tbsp butter, very soft or melted
1/2 cup flour
1 1/4 cups corn meal
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 tsp baking soda
1 Tbsp sugar
1 can corn, drained
1 cup shredded cheddar
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan
1 red onion, diced

In a bowl, mix up the eggs, sour cream and butter. Then add flour, corn meal, baking powder and soda, salt and sugar. Mix until just incorporated. Stir in cheeses and onion. Grease muffin cups. I used a Texas sized muffin pan. Fill cups pretty full. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes.

For those of you hooked on Adirondack weather

Brrrrrrrrrrr………….

The National Weather Service In Burlington Continues The Wind Chill Advisory…From 7 PM This Evening To 10 AM EST Thursday.

North Winds Of 10 To 20 Mph With Gusts To 35 Mph Will Develop Tonight. These Blustery Winds Combined With Bitterly Cold Temperatures…Will Produce Wind Chill Readings Between 15 And 25 Degrees Below Zero Tonight…With Readings Approaching 30 Degrees Below Zero Across The Northern Adirondacks And Northern Green Mountains By Early Thursday Morning.

A Wind Chill Advisory Means That Very Cold Air And Strong Winds Will Combine To Generate Low Wind Chills. This Will Result In Frost Bite And Lead To Hypothermia If Precautions Are Not Taken. If You Plan To Venture Outdoors For New Years Eve Activities… Make Sure You Wear A Hat And Gloves.

Black Eyed Peas for the New Year

It’s traditional to eat black eyed peas to begin the new year. I don’t have any ham….but I do have bacon! Here’s my dinner tonight. It tastes REALLY good already and isn’t done yet

This morning I put one cup of dried black eyed peas in the crockpot and covered with water. I cooked them on high until the beans were soft. Then I drained the water and added one can of Rotelle, one can enchilada sauce, 1 onion, chopped; a whole head of garlic, minced; 2 stalks celery, diced and a bunch of bacon pieces. As it cooks I will taste the yummy concoction a few times and add seasoned salt, red pepper flakes and some chicken base to taste. This gets served over rice.

What are you eating tonight and tomorrow?

True royalty says

more animals

Remembering

Gee, in this pic, Zeke looks younger and so do I! No silver hairs on me. What’s funny is the pink robe still looks the same. Even way back in Vermont in this pic, the left side has been unraveling. I’m not sure why I haven’t fixed it until now. Maybe because something is always missing or falling apart!

The side needed sewing from hem to hip. Now that I live in an apartment, I’d like to be able to go out in the hallway to dash to the mailbox without totally getting dressed. I also need to be clothed in some way ;-p

I dragged out the old Singer sewing machine. It has been in my family for a long time. When it was younger, it was a treadle. Now it has an electric motor. When I took the lid off, I remembered just what clothes I had sewed last…a purple velvet skirt in the winter of 2005! The purple thread was still in place.

That made me remember the last time I was sewing insect screening and the needle broke. I did not think I had replacement needles…but I found a pack of quilting needles in my sewing kit. I got the box out, rummaged around and there they were Next I plugged in the foot peddle and sat down to sew. YIKES!!!! When I pressed on the peddle it made fizzling noises and sparks and smoke spewed out!

I quick unplugged it. But what now? It’s 6 degrees outside and I was sitting at my dining room table in my underwear. I wanted to sew! Well, duh…it used to be a treadle, right? I put my finger in the flywheel and made the machine sew that way. It was at least a two foot long swath that needed sewing. I went over the seam three times.

You know you are pathetic when that causes great pain, requires many breaks and puts you totally out of breath. Actually, it would probably be pretty easy for YOU. It was tough for me. The myasthenia has been making me sooooo weak lately!

Well…I’m tough. I got it done. I’m going to go browse online and find myself a new foot peddle

From bliss to crying in 60 seconds

I hate smoke! It’s extra heavy in here tonight I was doing pretty good for me, but now my neck is all swollen up and my lungs are filled with fluid.  My eyes itch and burn and my nose twitches until I sneeze. Now all I can taste is the smoke

Crap

Bliss Bliss Bliss Bliss Bliss Bliss Bliss Bliss Bliss Bliss Bliss

I got to use three of my garage sale finds plus four ingredients gifted to me…the deep cast iron skillet, the food processor, the $1 immersion blender, the squash, the curry paste, the coconut milk and the coconut powder I’m going to write down the recipe the way I made it….there are lots more out there via Google.

Thai Gingered Butternut Soup with Coconut Milk

2 Tbsp butter
1/2 red onion
1 yellow onion
1 8″ long ginger root, peeled
2 apples, peeled, cored
6 baby carrots
the center stalks and leaves of a bunch of celery
1 big butternut squash, already steamed
pint of water
scoop of chicken base
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 can coconut milk
1 envelope coconut cream powder
1 tsp red curry paste
salt to taste

Sautee onions in butter. In a food processor whirl up half of the ginger root, plus the apples, carrots and celery. Add to onions. Add water and chicken base and cook until soft. Use an immersion blender to smooth out everything cooking. Add everything else and keep blending until smooth and well mixed. Add the rest of the ginger that has been whirled with the food processor and smooth out with the immersion blender. Heat and serve. Realize that I used the foods I did because that’s what I had.

I LOVE this stuff. Like I said….bliss, bliss, bliss, bliss, bliss…..

I called up my neighbor and told her to come on down for some soup, I also packed her a banana muffin. I wonder if she will get blissed out, too?

Winter Squash

I’ve had a butternut and a buttercup squash sitting on my counter. I’ve been too weak to cut them up. I just barely had the strength today…but I got it done! I cut off the skin and scooped out the guts, then cut the squashes into uniform sized chunks. Put a steamer basket into the borttom of a BIG pot and steamed until squishy. Then I got out my big Pyrex bowl and mashed it all. I took out a soup bowl’s worth for me and stashed the rest in the fridge for now.

I am still blissed out from eating my squash I mix in salt, butter and maple syrup and it is just soooooooooo good!

Banana Crumb-Top Muffins

I made these either Sunday or Monday. Lots of things have been slipping through the remaining brain cells lately…

Banana Crumb-Top Muffins

1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt…kinda salty, though…
1 cup bananas (2 or 3 mashed bananas…I used 1 big and 3 baby sized)
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tsp vanilla

Beat together room temperature butter and the sugar. Add eggs and keep beating. Add everything else and mix just until it’s all incorporated. The only muffin tin I have is Texas sized…it makes 6 BIG muffins This is the prefect amount of batter for the pan. Then I mixed up about 2 Tbsp butter and a half cup each flour and brown sugar, sprinkled in cinnamon and grated part of a fresh nutmeg. Mix all together, crumble with fingers and divide up among the muffins. I baked at 350 degrees until they looked just right….and oooooohhhhhh, were they! Yum