It's only Monday

Monday, a day some people dread.   To me it's just another work day this week.   Without plans to travel, we are planning for a low key, low stress holiday.

The biggest blessing, our hens decided to lay again.  ❤ 

Cheers for day with low stress and laughter.

A Week of Thanks - Sunday

A week of Thanks begins today.  I have been wanting to start a new tradition - due to Covid and our own health, we're not travelling to see family this year.  Next year is a different story, but this year I am planning out a full week.  Each day I'll be making an observation of thanks, posting it here and I hope this will inspire others.

Sunday Thoughts of Thanks

May the light of the moon guide your path thru the darkness, and may your inner light shine like a beacon so others may find their own way.

I woke at 6am on this Sunday, and I noticed a light shining in the house.   It was the wrong angle to be the neighboors flood light, so I glanced out the window to see the bright moon - blue and shining down into my home in between clouds.   It was a glorious sight, reminding me that even in darkness there is beauty.   I've faced my own internal dark issues of late.  Seasonally this is a hard time for me, but with some tools I've learned over the years (meditation, self-gratitude, being mindful, yoga, walking, laughter), I can truly say I'm in a good place at the moment.  

With a little bit of fall sunshine out,  Sweet Pea - the last hen to moult, wanted some cuddle time.  She no longer lays eggs due to the shock of almost dying in the extreme heat we had in June.  She loves the attention (she talks back too). 

A few months back I changed my career path at my job. I've gained more responsibilities, but the work is very well suited to my skills and I'm really enjoying it.  In a few weeks I'll be at the 10 year mark with the company.  I may have started out just needing a job and coming to terms I may need to look for something else if I wasn't a good fit, but I honestly think I found a place where all of my talents are used.  I've learned from the ground up, and I've got more room to grow and learn.  

Lastly, I made a decision to limit wheat, corn, dairy, and alcohol two months ago.  Hoping to ease some inflammation I've been suffering from.   I'm so proud to say that I think I'm making headway.   I've gone back to consuming some of the foods I know make my body react and inflame, but in limited quantities.   Even my hubby has made little comments like, I don't think we need the added carbs.  Carbohydrates are a neccessary part of our diet (thinking eating lifestyle not a diet to loose anything), but that doesn't mean we need to overdo them on a daily basis.   Lots of vegetables, good protiens, and portion size (we've joked we eat like old people) and an indulgence here and there are our daily meal selections.

Here is one that has a story behind it.

Shrimp Louie - Newport style.

A few years back we did a coast/97 round trip road trip.   We went down the coast into california, crossed over to the middle and came home up 97.   We want to do it again, but take more time, maybe not during tourist season so much.  We stayed in a few great places, some not so great places - and saw some amazing sights and have FABULOUS meals.   One such place was a tiny fish cafe right in Newport, Oregon.   It was our 3rd choice, the only place that had a table, and we had fresh oregon baby shrimp salads as we watched them process shrimp out the viewing window.  You couldn't get any fresher than that!   It wasn't fancy - it was simple and so good.   So now, a few times a year, we make baby shrimp louie salads with whatever we have on hand.

Baby Shrimp Louie with chowder

Romaine Lettuce

Arugula (from our garden)

Spinach

Radish (cut into matchsticks)

Onion (sliced super thin)

cucumber

tomato (the last ripened tomato from the greenhouse, picked just the other day)

Baby Shrimp

Soft boiled egg

Thousand Island dressing

parmaeson cheese

Toss the greens, top with radish, onion, cucumber. toss again. chill for an hour 

rinse the shrimp

Add to bowl, greens, shrimp, tomato

Peel and rinse the egg, cut into half, place onto salad

grate some parm cheese over the top

drizzle dressing to your liking (I like lots!)

serve by itself or alongside a soup (clam chowder or shrimp bisque)

The luscioius egg makes this salad into perfection!

August state of mind

August midpoint.    Let's just say that so many things have come and gone thru my mind lately.  Recently I did an accidental drive wipe of my phone, effectively eliminating at least 3,000 images and video - most of which were not backed up.  OOPS!  My phone battery would no longer charge, and I was desparate to do the internet fix while I watched the video.  Guess I should have done a back-up first - Lesson Learned!     

To start off the month, we spent a week off-grid camping with family and friends, had so much laughter, tears of joy, commonalities refreshed, and self care time (floating in the lake, painting on canvases).    We even brought the kittens camping!   It was a refreshing week to be isolated and away from the world (still close to home so I could check gardens), that while the delta variant was hitting, we were safely tucked away in a group camp.

That Saturday night, after a family meal of chili, seared steak, jalepeno poppers, and garlicky brussel sprouts, we huddled under the awning of our trailer and a few pop up tents as the rain was unleashed - the first measurable rain since June!   We all agreed it was a blessing as we were together. A little rain (it was almost flooding some areas of camp) coudn't diminish our family time.

I must say, I needed that.  We all camped last year during the covid high season, spaced out in individual sites.  This year was different as we were in an isolated group site, with no phone service, no power hookups and a well for water.   It was heaven.  There is something elemental about being out in the world, just yourself, no tech services (we took images and video - that unfortunately got erased), and games and laughter.  It felt like I became more grounded, my anxiety melted away, and I was refreshed.  

Back in real life, now I'm facing a bigger challenge.  I've woken up feeling nauseous the last few mornings (not pregnant), sniffling, and some minor headaches - and I know what I need to do.   It's time for an AIP reset for a few weeks, try to heal some of my gut and kick this inflammation I've been fighting.  It's not allergies - but it is a reaction.  Wheat, corn, dairy and sugar are my main sources of inflammation, along with legumes and nuts.   Thankfully I've taken as many precautions lately to keep my immune system from tanking out completely.   I even cancelled our annual Gumbo night.  It's such a bummer, but it was neccessary.   We're also under a total fire ban - so our smoker which uses real wood can't be used.    

What is AIP you ask?  It's a protocol delveloped by two wonderful ladies, and the community that they provide is life saving!   It's not a forever diet, it's an elimination plan to reset and allow you to focus on healing your body using lifestyle changes and nourish it with gut healthy healing foods (bone broth time), until your symptoms go away.  I last partook in a full AIP a few years back.   It's time to get back to healthy again and this tool is the way I know how to do it.  

What I'm planning on eliminating for 2 - 4 weeks (or however long i feel it takes):

Wheat products (bread and pasta are being put on hold for a bit).

Dairy (no more cheese or sour cream for bit)

Corn products (fresh corn is okay, but most gluten free people are crying about this)

Added sugars (i don't use excess sugar anyway)

Most legumes (beans, coffee beans.......)

Nuts (sorry family.... just kidding, they aren't that nutty)

processed foods

food additives or premade items

What I'll be limiting

Rice, oatmeal, Eggs, nightshades (tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, pepper, paprika), alcohol, and sugary fruits.

So now you must think - Okay, so what CAN you eat?

From scratch goods, meats, most veggies, berries, salads, soups, stews, and all sorts of other compliant meals!  Can you say Cauliflower rice stir fry!

What's my end result look like?  

This is in no way a diet, or a way to lose weight.  This eating protocol is to help my body kick out the inflammation it's fighting due to the foods I've been eating.   My nasusea is a big red flag that I'm about to get sick with whatever I come near, if i don't act fast!   It does take about 30 days to heal your stomach lining, which will in turn heal my digestion issues, cause less sinus pressure and less headaches, and hopefully - stop my runny nose!     Fall is a great time to do this protocol as there are so many healing soups that are super packed with nutrient dense foods!      I also have an ace up my sleeve.  I'm not as reactive to whole grains or rice, so some gluten free options I can have (hello 5B's in concrete!).

I just looked up to see this long post.    I guess you can say I am passionate about a lot of things.   My family, my health, my garden, our pets, and so much more.   

I am taking the time to read a little every day (yes I use my amazon fire tablet as my kindle), I am setting up an outside painting area to do some additional canvases, and I'm taking my time in the garden to run my hand on my plants as I smile watching them grow and bear fruit (squash is GREAT with AIP).

Life is precious.   You never know when it will end, and you can only hope that the memories you leave behind you with loved ones - are good ones.   May they tell your story for years to come around a campfire!  More to come on my next blog!

In the garden

I've said it many times, gardening is all about hope, patience, and some kind of faith.     Whenever I plant a seed, I hope it sprouts, then I have to have patience that it will prosper, and faith that it will make it to harvest!     Basil is our story today.   It lives warm and cool and water, lots of water!

Can you guess what I'll be making over the next few days?    More pesto cubes!

 Tonight caprese salad with pesto pork chops.   Yum!

July 2021

July 2021.  The amount of laughter in our house has increased immensely, due to the addition of two kittens.  Our dog Sauk has anxiety issues.  He was in need of a buddy, and when my sister’s cat charlotte had kittens – we had the kids pick two as playmates for Sauk.  So far, a week later, we have no regrets.  Addy (withthe mustache) and Marilyn are 10 weeks old this week, and they are settling in quite nicely into our family.   Addy is the mustache cat, she is very inquisitive and loves to be wherever you are.   Marilyn is a little bit more independent, but she loves to snuggle up to Sauk when she first wakes up.   The adventures of these two are going to be inspiration for my blog and beyond for years to come!   

I must admit, I’ve not been cooking or reading too much lately.  We went thru a heatwave that made eating hot food undesirable.  Now that we're back to our normal July weather - I'm ready to dive in to some creative dishes!   As far as reading goes, I did sign up for Kindle Unlimited, but feel that I just don’t have time to sit and read and do nothing else.   My time lately is filled with constant cleaning, organizing – both inside and outside.  I did finish the a new Nora Roberts - which felt great to read and relax.    My goal for the rest of July is to take at least a few hours each week and sit and read something.   It may be a magazine or a book, but it helps ease my mind from all the jumbled thoughts in my head.

Outside, the garden was planted late due to the greenhouse construction.  It’s still not fully done, but it’s done for now and thus the plants are growing at a wonderful rate!   We have tons of squash planted, tomatoes, cukes, greens, garlic, onions, peppers and herbs.   I have a few more late season items to plant, re-do the outter fence to keep the chickens out, and plant fall flower seeds.

We did loose one of our beloved hens due to the end of June  heatwave.  It was 113 degrees, and the humidity was so high it was hard to breathe.  The hens were brought inside for a day, and one of our girls has yet to being laying again as she was on the verge of death herself.  Violet was our best layer, and she is missed much by the remaining three (picutre left to right is Biggie, Sweet Pea and Milly)   We are looking towards the fall when it's our plan to get a few pullets to add to the flock.    These ladies do more than just lay eggs -they are our natural pest control, fertilizers, and compost makers.     

We had a family visit over Independence day weekend, and the weekend after.  This visit was put off last year due to Covid-19.  We had a blast, and ended up doing a full seafood spread with local oysters, clams and a seafood chowder.   We had so many oysters leftover that I made a spread for the 5th of July bbq.    I must say I did it pretty well and I feel it will be a crowd pleaser for those that enjoy oysters!  I didn't get picture of the spread, so you'll have to use your imagination. 

Oyster  Spread

Courses:  Condiments  and  sauces

Ingredients

1 cup  Cooked  Oysters

1/2  cup  Cooked  Steamer  clam  meat  

8  oz cream  cheese,  softened

1/3  cup  sour  cream 1/3  cup  parmesan  cheese  -  shredded  or  grated

1/2  tsp  marinated  garlic

Salt

Pepper

Worstershire  Sauce

2  TBSP chopped  Green  Onion

1 TBSP Olive  Oil

Milk  or  half  and  half  (to  thin)

Optional:  Hot  Sauce

 

Directions

Rinse  clams  and  Oysters  to  remove  any  grit

Add  to  food  processor:  seafood,  cream  cheese,  parm,  sour  cream,  olive  oil,  and  garlic

Pulse  a  few  times  to  combines

Add  a  few  shakes  of  worstershire  sauce,  green  onions,  pulse  again

Check  for  consistency  -  if  too  thick,  add  a  splash  of  milk

Process  on  low  for  30  seconds

Add  salt  and  pepper  to  taste

Taste  test  again  -  adjust  seasonings  to  your  preference.  If  too  thick,  add  another  splash  of milk.

Process  another  15  to  30  seconds  until  smooth.  Do  not  overmix.

Transfer  to  a  bowl.

Cover  and  chill  for  30  minutes  to  an  hour. Serve  cool  with  crackers,  crudités,  or  pita  chips

Notes

Will  keep  in  fridge  for  up  to  3  days

Cook  Oysters  on  the  grill  a  day  before  for  the  best  flavor.  Ok  to  substitute  them  for  jarred (glass  or  plastic)  oysters.

Use  extra  small,  small,  or  medium  sized  oysters.

 

Upcoming in the next chapter - the cookbook progress, and what's growing in the garden!