So touching

Chris shared this picture on FB. It was shared on Pinterest. I am not sure who created this, but it really touches my heart. I know people who have lost children. This is so comforting.

I wish there was one with a woman mourning her mother, and the mother was there in spirit....

Or a wife mourning her husband.... and he is still there watching over her.

Lots of talent in the person who created this. Very beautiful. Very sad. Very touching.

Doing some reading.....

I went back and read this whole blog from beginning to end.

Laughed, teared up a bit, remembered things I had forgotten. Got hungry.

I love writing. I generally have nothing important to say here, it's like my online journal where I pour out my thoughts. Let off steam. Rejoice. Laugh.

But I hope those who read it, enjoy it.

Miss you Mom!

Love that smile. That's mom with David. The only time she ever got to see him in person.

I don't know why I'm missing her so much these days, but I am. I try not to wallow in it.

But some days I just want to pick up the phone and call her and hear her voice.

I love you mom. I miss you.

Visits from Dad K.

I dreamed about my former father-in-law last night. I was at a Kramer party, but he was very ill in the hospital and nobody seemed to be all that concerned, but I kept thinking "If there's a family party and he is too sick to be at it, then he's not doing well."

I went to the hospital to see him, and he was trying to leave AMA. I tried to convince him to stay, but he said no. So Mom K, Dieter and I were getting him ready to take him home.

The nurses weren't moving fast enough and Dad was getting very irritated with them. I kept trying to take his mind off things so the time would go faster for him.

He kept asking me if I had done the cooking for the party. I told him I had made some things, but other people brought stuff too. He kept telling me he wanted my food when he got home. I hoped there would be some left.

Weird dream. I don't think it means anything. But it was just..... weird..... Though it was nice to see Dad again even though he was ill. It was still him. Love that man. He's like a dad to me. I miss him.

Eating Healthy

So much for eating healthy! I'm the sickest I've been in years! LOL. Caught some dang cold so my head is pounding, nose running, throat sore, cough cough cough.

BUT -- that does not affect the fact that I made the MOST amazing spaghetti sauce the other night! Even David had seconds and thirds.

Chopped up a sweet onion, and 3 anaheim peppers and one green pepper. 8 cloves of garlic. Sauteed that in a tiny bit of EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil). Add chopped tomatoes. And half a jar of organic garlic spaghetti sauce that I had previously used for pizza sauce when I made pizza.

Add a tiny bit of cooked ground beef and some spices. Served over spaghetti with some whole wheat garlic toast. and a salad with ranch.

YUMMERS.

MVP (More Veggies Please!)

Last night I made a chicken vegetable soup. Chopped up onions, green pepper, red pepper, jalapeno, serranos, yellow chili peppers, 7 cloves of garlic, carrots, brocolli, tomatoes and sauteed them in some white wine that I like to use when I make brocolli soup. Simi Sauvignon Blanc I think is what it was called. Just use about a cup of that.

And I bought some diced chicken. Threw that in there. Added water, chicken bouillon, Sazon con Azafron, cumin, granulated garlic, chili powder, couple shakes of Tapatio sauce, salt, pepper. Let it simmer for half an hour. Served it with some crescent rolls.

It was yummy! And not spicy. I didn't have cheese, but it would have been good with some grated cheese on top. Made a huge pot, so there was a lot leftover and I will eat some today for lunch. The only thing missing, and we will put it in when we make this again, is some cabbage. Shredded cabbage would have been really good.

I'm enjoying adding more veggies to my meals. Even David is eating them. That makes me very happy.

After dinner George and I took a nice walk around the neighborhood. My pedometer says I have walked 17 miles since Feb 1. Pretty good considering I have a desk job and sit on my butt all day.

Another Amazing Recipe

Home made fish soup. I didn't use a recipe and to be honest, I don't remember exactly what I put in this, but oh my golly it was sooooo good!

I took a couple of large sweet onions and a couple of tomatoes and chopped them up. Also a couple of jalapenos and serrano chilies. I sauteed them in a tablespoonful of oil and then threw in about 5 or 6 cloves of freshly minced garlic. Then I put in 4 cups of chicken broth. And a couple cups of water.

I added some lemon pepper seasoning, salt, cumin, chili powder, and granulated garlic. Let it simmer about 10 minutes. Then I threw in a bag of defrosted "seafood mix" (it's in the frozen seafood section of my grocer and has little squids and all kinds of seafood bits in it.) and some cut up chunks of salmon, rockfish, tilapia. Let that cook about 20 minutes. Then I threw in a whole bag of cooked shrimp (I took the tails off first) and simmered that about 5 or 10 minutes.

We ate it with crackers crushed up in it and it was soooooooooooooooooo good.

It's even better the next day and we had it with some garlic toast.

I just finished it up for lunch today. Oh so yum. But I did have to pick out the squid bodies cuz those just didn't look appetizing. (which you can see if you look at the picture above of the seafood mix and see the little legs.... ) I cooked them... I'm sure it gives great flavor, but if one landed in my bowl.... it went to the dump. LOL.

My hubby is a sweetheart and he cleans the house for me. But... sometimes..... I don't know how his mind was working. Yesterday is an example.

I came home and he had taken pots and pans OUT of the cupboard and put them ON the stove. My canisters, that go against the EDGE of the counter... were set in a line down the MIDDLE of the island/counter.

A birthday cake decorative platter/stand had a bowl of vegetables on it.

My blender, which goes INSIDE a special spot to hide it, was OUTSIDE of the special spot.

Knives were in the wrong place.

The drawers were all "organized" but things were put in sideways......

I'm so picky about my kitchen. My kitchen....is MY domain. I'm the type that is like "HEY don't you even THINK about touching my stuff here."

I kinda, sorta, got mad.

I didn't yell at the dear man though. I actually could not find words. All I said was "Oh no no no no... No no NO NO NO NO! Uh uh. NO. Nope. NO. NO!!!"

And within 20 minutes I had put everything BACK.

In the RIGHT spots.

I love him dearly.... but what WAS he thinking?????

Yum

George and I have been trying to eat healthier. Eat less meat, and more grains and veggies. Less processed food and more whole foods. I made quinoa and black beans last night and we both LOVED it.

Here is the recipe:

1 onion, chopped

1 red bell pepper, chopped

4 cloves of garlic, minced

1 teaspoon oil.

In a large frying pan, heat the oil over medium heat and then cook the onion, pepper and garlic for about 5 minutes or till softened.

Add 3/4 cups quinoa and 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth. 1 teaspoon cumin, 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, salt and pepper. Bring to boil, cover and simmer for 20 minutes.

Then add 1 cup of frozen corn. And a 1/2 cup cilantro. (I don't like fresh cilantro that much, so I used a shake of dried cilantro).

Cover and cook another five minutes on low.

Drain and rinse two cans of black beans with jalapenos. Add to the quinoa mixture and warm through for about 3 minutes.

Very good. Very healthy. Quinoa is a complete protein.