Hooray….

only 12 more days till Spring.  And we are to have a heat wave today.  It is  34 degrees right now to climb up to 46 degrees by afternoon.  I can live with that.

Yesterday was grocery shopping day.  My daughter went with me and we went to Kroger and Schnucks to shop the bargains.  I purchased strawberries and blueberries.  It is too early for the strawberries and they are tasteless.  I love the local strawberries in June.  I will freeze the blueberries  for blueberry muffins a bit later.  No good buys in the store this week.  I did find a bag of bananas for 99 cents.  All in good shape, just broken apart from the bunch but not overly ripe.  I will make banana bread tomorrow from my own recipe not Chef John’s.  My kids informed me that they like banana bread without chocolate chips in it. 

I have doctor appointments today, just a checkup to see how I am doing since my treatment.  I like both of these  doctors, both very nice and caring.

I have started spring cleaning in the kitchen.  The shelves are all cleaned out.  I probably should have waited on this until the cracks on the wall (caused by the tornado) are fixed. I did run out of shelf liners but it is all cleaned and a bunch of junk put in the garbage.  How do we accumulate so much stuff.  I have only been here 4 years and I couldn’t believe the stuff I was saving.

I am still working on cleaning out my CD collection.  I have donated to Goodwill and sent to some of my blogging friends and to my WV sis and her family and I still have several hundred.  Some I guess I can’t bear to part with.

Sharing another picture from home.

I don’t know what the name of this vine is.  The hummingbirds loved the flowers on this.  Jim and I would sit on the back porch and watch them.  Beautiful!

I need to close now.  I will be around to visit in a  little while.

Stay safe and be happy!!

Beth

On the downward trend…

the countdown till Spring stands  at 53 days!  I am getting ready for another big freeze as the high temp tomorrow will be below zero.  We have snow predicted for late morning.  Of course no one will see my post till tomorrow and by then it will be 52 days.

Nothing much happening here.  I haven’t had my fried baloney sandwich yet as I am psyching myself up to it.

I am going to try and make a store run one more time before it starts to snow.  Bananas, milk, that kind of stuff.  I have let my bananas get too ripe so I am going to have to make banana bread today or tomorrow.  The recipe below is the one I am using.  I have tried it before and it is really good.

*********************************************************

Chef John’s Banana Bread

From All Recipes.com

 

INGREDIENTS:

cooking spray

3 ripe bananas

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup softened butter

1 cup white sugar

2 large eggs

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon milk

1 cup chopped walnuts

1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS:

1.  Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).

2.  Grease a 9x4 inch loaf pan.

3.  Mash bananas in a bowl.

4.  Whisk together flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in another bowl.

5.  Beat butter and sugar with an electric mixer or spatula in a large bowl until smooth.

6.  Stir in mashed bananas.

7.  Add eggs to the butter mixture one at a time, fully blending in each egg before adding the next.

8.  Stir in vanilla extract and milk.

9.  Stir in chopped walnuts, chocolate chips, and flour mixture until just incorporated.

10.  Pour batter into the prepared loaf pan. Tap pan on the counter to release any air pockets.

11.  Bake in preheated oven for about 1 hour 10 minutes, or until an inserted wooden skewer comes out clean.

12.  Let the bread rest in the pan for 15-20 minutes. Remove from pan. Slice and serve.

************************************************************************************************

Have a good day today.  Stay safe and be happy!!

Beth

 

Greetings from…

the frozen Tundra where the countdown to Spring is limping along at 56 days.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tundra

A group of arctic hares on Ellesmere Island photo courtesy of Wikpedia

It is bitter cold this morning at 4 below zero with a wind chill of 20 below.  The sun is shining brightly again and the high today is to reach 1 degree.   The weather is to remain like this through next Wednesday with a slight moderation on Saturday.  I guess that will be the day that I make a run to the grocery store to stock up on baloney.

I have frozen my patootie again this  morning.  I changed my bedding and walked out in the bitter cold again to the laundry room.  I have to go out in a few minutes again to put stuff in the dryer.  Then once again to take it out.  After that I will be lazing for most of the day. 

Yesterday my niece came over and had ham and beans with me.  The small container remaining has been relegated to the freezer.  Today I am fixing baked steak.

 

Baked Steak

2 to 3 pounds of tenderized round steak

oil for browning steak

seasoned flour for coating steak

2 cans cream of mushroom soup

1 jar of whole mushrooms

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Cut steak into serving size pieces.    Dip into the seasoned flour (I use Season All salt).  Have oil in pan hot.  Brown on one side and turn and brown on the other side.  Remove steak to a 13X9 baking dish that you have sprayed with cooking spray.  Spoon 2 cans of cream of mushroom soup evenly over the top of the steak.  Pour the jar of mushrooms including the juice over the cream of mushroom soup.  Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 35-45 minutes.  Uncover and put back in the oven until steak is browned.  Serve over mashed potatoes or cooked noodles.

As you can see I will have leftovers here too but this is really good reheated.

Have a great day.  Stay safe and be happy!!

Beth

Ham and Beans…

and the countdown to Spring continues at 57 days.  It is 10 degrees this morning with a wind chill below zero.  I about froze my patootie off just walking the few feet to the laundry room to start a load of clothes. 

************************

patootie  definition

interjection

• interjection of disappointment.

• buttocks.

*********************************************

I love all of my blogging friends!  One blogging friend has been a delight  for me lately.  She is very interested in the differences between the United States and where she lives in Tasmania.  She is interested in our culture and the things that we eat.  Today she stated in her comment that she didn’t know what our ham and beans dish was.  Please stop by and say ‘hi’ to http://whiteangels-thoughts.blogspot.com/

*****************************

Below is the recipe I sent to my sister in law when she first married my brother a few years ago.  The recipe is from my blogspot recipe blog.

Ham and Beans

You will not believe this and I am still smiling. My new sis in law sent me an email asking me how to fix ham and beans. I thought everyone was born knowing how to do this. Maybe not, so here are the instructions I gave her.

1. Sort through beans and pick out rocks, etc. 
2. Rinse beans a couple of times.
3. Pour boiling water over the beans in the pan you are going to cook them in. Cover and let sit for half an hour.
4. Drain beans. Add 1 chopped onion. Cover with water but don’t drown the beans.  Add ham bone or bits of ham.
5. Bring to a boil, stir,cover,then turn heat down to simmer and cook till done. Approximately 1 and 1/2 to 2 hours.  Remove the bone and put ham from bone back into the beans.
6. Season to taste. 

Now get busy and make some corn bread!!

You may use any kind of dried bean you like.  Yesterday I used dried baby lima beans and they were delicious  I usually use Jiffy Cornbread mix but I do have an easy recipe using corn meal.

***********************************************************************

Have a wonderful day!  Stay safe and be happy!!

Beth

One day closer…

at 75 days and counting down till Spring.  The weather forecast is awful with 8 or more inches of snow forecast and way below zero temps moving in tomorrow night.  I am hibernating.  The sun is shining brightly this morning and one would never imagine what is to come.

A blogging friend White Angel asked what a TV dinner was.  Well….

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TV_dinner

I usually buy Marie Callender or Stouffer TV dinners because they taste the best and are loaded with a  lot of fat, sodium and sugar.  There was no image on the net of my favorites.  Seriously,  they are very unhealthy and I try not to eat them very often.

I finished the Lisa Gardner book and I am now starting Dark Witch by Nora Roberts.

From Amazon .com

“From #1 New York Times bestselling author Nora Roberts comes a trilogy about the land we’re drawn to, the family we learn to cherish, and the people we long to love…
With indifferent parents, Iona Sheehan grew up craving devotion and acceptance. From her maternal grandmother, she learned where to find both: a land of lush forests, dazzling lakes, and centuries-old legends.
Ireland.
County Mayo, to be exact. Where her ancestors’ blood and magic have flowed through generations—and where her destiny awaits.
Iona arrives in Ireland with nothing but her Nan’s directions, an unfailingly optimistic attitude, and an innate talent with horses. Not far from the luxurious castle where she is spending a week, she finds her cousins, Branna and Connor O’Dwyer. And since family is family, they invite her into their home and their lives.
When Iona lands a job at the local stables, she meets the owner, Boyle McGrath. Cowboy, pirate, wild tribal horsemen, he’s three of her biggest fantasy weaknesses all in one big, bold package.
Iona realizes that here she can make a home for herself—and live her life as she wants, even if that means falling head over heels for Boyle. But nothing is as it seems. An ancient evil has wound its way around Iona’s family tree and must be defeated. Family and friends will fight with each other and for each other to keep the promise of hope—and love—alive…”

 

So I am all set to weather the storm.  Lots of unhealthy TV dinners and plenty of real books and over 100 books loaded on my Nook.  I am hibernating!

You all Stay safe and be happy!!

Beth

And the countdown continues…

at 76 days till spring.  It is bitter cold here today.  The temps fell below zero overnight with more snow to come the next few days and the high on Monday to stay below zero.

My daughter came by this morning and took me to pay some bills  and get some groceries.  I stocked up because Boston Boy told me that one should always stock up when we have winter weather warnings.  lol   I purchased 10 TV dinners for the freezer for when I don’t feel like cooking and assorted other good stuff.  I made tuna casserole yesterday and put some of that in the freezer.  I think I may make some chili tomorrow.

I am still feeling like Scarlett today and not doing anything.  I am reading a book by Lisa Gardner.  I average reading 3 or 4 books a week, one of my greatest pleasures in life.

I am resigned to the fact that I can’t expect to get my window put in till Spring.   That is OK because I sure don’t want them putting a window in when it is below zero temperatures.

Nothing new to report here which is always good news.  The weather is boring and to answer a question about why I don’t go south for the winter…when I hit the lotto or someone leaves me a bundle then I will.  For right now, I can’t afford to maintain two households.  However I do have relatives in Florida and I am always open to suggestions.  Seriously, I do have numerous health issues that I don’t mention in my blog and I need/want to stay in close proximity to my doctors.

Stay warm and Stay safe and be happy!!

Beth

And the winner is …

Caroldee at http://andsoitgoesonandon.blogspot.com/.  I am so happy to announce that with my eyes tightly closed I pulled Carol’s name from a big bowl of entries.  Thank you all for entering!

I won’t even mention the weather here today except to say that the power stayed on all night.  I hope you all are having a sunny day.

Stay safe and be happy!!

Beth

Hooray…

The storm missed us so far.  My heart goes out to the ones it didn’t miss.  My sister in West Virginia got the torrential rains and my brother near St. Louis had some icing.  Right here and now in central Illinois it is 16 degrees with a wind chill of 5 degrees.  It is cloudy and a typical winter day although winter isn’t officially here yet.

I have given up on Christmas shopping.  For some reason the spirit has left me.  The fact that the UPS man delivered the wrong package to me a couple of days ago didn’t help.  I had to hurry and put on my coat and hat and go chasing the UPS truck 3 blocks to catch him and exchange the package that he gave me for the one that belonged to me.  He tried to argue with me and did aggravate me so that I called the main UPS number to complain.  If anyone needs that number I have it.  LOL!!

To cheer me up I took some pics this morning of the decorations I have here in my little ‘house’.

in front of my living room window.

sitting on top of my printer

my sister Rae gave this to me many years ago.  It still lights up Rae.

my ceramic Christmas tree from many years ago.  Still has all of its lights.

The light was shining wrong down on the picture of Jim but I like it anyway.  I have quite a few more Christmas music boxes other than the ones in this picture.

 

My kitchen window is still boarded up inside and out so on a cloudy day like today it is very dark in my kitchen.  I was promised my new window would be replaced within 2 weeks.  The 2 weeks is up on Saturday which is exactly 2 weeks from the time the insurance adjuster was here.  When I look out my living room window and see the devastation around me I tell myself to stand straight and thank God that I was one of the lucky ones.

Have a wonderful weekend all of you.  Do something nice for someone today.  You will feel better and so will they.  Stay safe and be happy!!

Beth

Dreary gray November day…

here in the heart of Central Illinois.  The temperature is 39 degrees with a light wind.  All kinds of bad things predicted for the weather tomorrow and Sunday.  Maybe a tornado and most likely thunderstorms.  I hate this iffy weather.  I t messes with my

SAD :

Seasonal affective disorder

Consult a doctor if you have a medical concern.

Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a type of depression that occurs at a certain time of the year, usually in the winter.

Causes - Symptoms - Tests - Treatment – Prognosis

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/seasonal-affective-disorder/DS00195

*******************************************************

Last Saturday I went to the annual Craft Christmas show at the United Methodist Church.  What a surprise.  There were no egg noodles and only 2 tiny little angel food cakes.  I did find a nice lady to visit with and purchase some Avon things from.

She told me her name and gave me permission to use her photo but my old mind has forgotten it.  Sorry dear lady if you are reading this and sorry it took me so long to get this in my blog.  Wait, I think her first name is Pat.  I hope that is true.  There were lots of nice crafts there.  I don’t have room in my place for more crafts although I do enjoy them.

I have to go now.  Have a wonderful weekend.  Stay safe and be happy!!

Beth

 

Update for Gabriel…

Tiffany and Brian were able to take little Gabriel home from the hospital last night.  They asked me to thank all of my blogging friends for  the prayers for Gabriel.  They feel so blessed to finally be able to take their little guy home with them.  THANKS!!  I will keep you all updated with further news.  I am asking for a new picture to post.

************************************

It is so sunny and beautiful here this morning.  It was 24 degrees when I got up  at 6:30 and has warmed up to 33 degrees now.  There is a big heavy frost on everything, especially on my car.  When the sun has burned the frost off my car I have to run a couple of errands.  I scraped frost yesterday morning.  I had forgotten for awhile how much I miss my big 2 car garage from home.  If my car wasn’t so old I would have an automatic starter put on it so I could start the car from the house.  My car is a 2002 with only 86,000 miles on it.  Maybe I will do it anyway.  I think I will call the Buick dealer to find out what it would cost.

I have purchased a spiral sliced ham for Thanksgiving.  As it looks right now I probably will be eating it alone.  LOL  That is OK.  I am a pretty good cook and have fixed dozens of Thanksgiving meals in my lifetime.  So I will fix the works.  Probably not pumpkin pie as it is not one of my favorite pies.  Gotta have that green bean casserole though as I love that.  Also mandarin orange salad.  What are your Thanksgiving plans?

Have a good weekend.  Stay safe and be happy!!

Beth

Foggy morning…

in Illinois.  It is 65 degrees and supposed to warm to the mid or upper 80s today.  Quite a temperature range for the first day of October. 

I was up bright and early yesterday morning after a restless night.  I had to be at the hospital for a CT scan at 7:45 AM.  I don’t know the results of it yet.  I am hoping and praying that it is OK.

At my doctor visit on Friday afternoon I found out that things were looking normal but I could expect the numbness, soreness and swelling in my cheek. tongue and neck to last for as long as a year or maybe even two.  I thought  what the heck as old as I am I had best just forget the pain and enjoy life.  That is what I am trying to do.

I am having a fun exasperating time with the iPad2.  I have received quite a lot of help from the Apple support system.  This is the first Apple product that I have ever owned.  I now have some of my own music on there and can send emails.  A nice way to spend some time.  Thanks to my Twin for her encouragement and help.

I have on my mind today to work on cleaning out the big closet in my hallway and then tackling the bathroom.  We shall see.

Below is a picture of geraniums still in full bloom at the doctor’s office.  Beautiful!

Have a wonderful day.  Stay safe and be happy!!

Beth

 

One down. two to go…

I am home from my appointment this morning.  I have another early appointment with my primary care physician tomorrow morning.  Then another doctor appointment on Friday.   October so far is free and then November socks it to me.

I had calls to make this morning to my insurance company.  I received a letter from them stating that since I lost my beloved Dr. Dreyer to Florida that I had to reset my PCP and state who my new nephrologist will be to make sure he was on their provider list.  Next was calling my new doctor’s nurse to make sure that my new doctor would submit new  prescriptions to the pharmacy for me.  And now I have a headache!!

http://www.ratemds.com/doctor-ratings/560262/Dr-Paul-Dreyer-ORLANDO-FL.html 

If you click on this link you will see that he has one rating since he moved to Florida and it is my rating. 

It is beautiful here this morning.  The sun is shining and it is 51 degrees to reach the mid 70s by afternoon.  I love this kind of weather.  I hope the sun is shining wherever you are.

Stay safe and be happy!!

Beth

Up and at ‘em…

early this morning.  I have been waking up a little after 5 in the morning for the last week or so.  I just get out of bed then, no since staying in bed since I am wide awake.

It is a beautiful morning.  The sun is shining at 52 degrees.  The temp is to reach the mid 80s today with more rain coming in tomorrow.

My visit to the doctor was good yesterday.  He had left his God complex at home and was very nice and courteous to me.  He spoke to me as an adult and not as a backward child.  I have so many different doctors, one for everything.  Sometimes I can’t keep track of which appointment I have with which one.  Some of them I like,  A couple of them I tolerate and two of them  I have a great deal of liking and respect for.  Sadly the doctors today have no ‘bedside manner.’

“Bedside manner…

A good bedside manner is typically one that reassures and comforts the patient while remaining honest about a diagnosis. Vocal tones, body language, openness, presence, and concealment of attitude may all affect bedside manner. Poor bedside manner leaves the patient feeling unsatisfied, worried, frightened, or alone.”

*****************************************************

I am doing laundry this morning.  I have changed the bedding and taken off the blankets to wash.  Now watch it get cold again.

Have a peaceful day.  Stay safe and be happy!!

Beth

Costco…

A few months ago a new Costco opened up just down the road from me.  My daughter and I went there this morning.  It is a gigantic store.  We tried to look at most of the store but it is impossible in one trip.  The first time we went most of the time was spent waiting in line to get my card.

Before I moved here I belonged to Sam’s Club in Champaign.  Costco is set up just about the same way, even down to where the ladies room is located (which happens to be the first place I find in a new store.)

It is dreary and drizzly here this morning at 59 degrees right now.

I am not in the mood to do anything today so I don’t think I will.  I spent the weekend moving my furniture around again and I still don’t have any more room than I did.

I hope you are all having a good Monday.  Stay safe and be happy!!

Beth

Spring is missing…

The calendar says spring but Mother Nature is not cooperating.  The high yesterday was in the low 20s which was 54 degrees cooler than it was last year at this time.  Right this very moment in  time it is only 13 degrees.  I heard a bad man say the S word for Saturday when I was listening to the weather report this morning.

Tuesday and Wednesday were pretty tough days.  I don’t bounce back like I used too.  And I don’t like it one bit.  But I am here to complain about it and for that I am ever thankful. 

I am leaving in a few minutes to get grocery shopping done early.  I want to get started on spring cleaning but I will be darned if I am going to do that when the weather is like mid winter.

I smiled reading a story on the front page of the Peoria Journal Star this morning.  http://www.pjstar.com/

Dunlap teacher charged with two felonies for bathroom camera

Posted 14 hour(s) ago

“A Dunlap High School teacher’s attempt to secretly record colleagues in a school bathroom this week also captured him positioning the cell phone underneath the sink.”    Quote from the Peoria Journal Star.

Now why in the world do you think he did that?  Check the article out if you are interested.  Needless to say, he has been terminated.

Time to get moving.  I will be around to visit you all this morning.

Stay safe and be happy!!

Beth

Dentist…

and bitter cold at 18 degrees right now and very windy.  I am just home from the dentist where I had the crown set on one side and a loose filling replaced on  the other side.  Total cost for the dentist this month, $1103.00.  Nothing but soup today.

Yesterday I was gone from 8:30 AM till almost 3PM  to two doctor appointments.  I was so tired  when I came home that I just flopped down and watched the Arias trial.  No computer at all.

I do not believe in the death penalty.  I think someone eligible for the death penalty would suffer more if given life sentence with no chance of parole.  And I  do think Jodie Arias should be convicted and thus sentenced.  The one good thing that our disgraced former governor George Ryan did for the state of Illinois was to abolish the death penalty.  http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/illinois-16th-state-abolish-death-penalty/story?id=13095912

This will be another day of rest, in fact I think it will take me a week to get caught up.  lol

Have a peaceful day.  Stay safe and be happy!!

Beth

Monday…

and the beginning of a brand new week.  It is 30 degrees right now and freezing drizzle.  Weather advisory is out for slick roads until 10 AM. 

At least I have seen one sign of spring.  The ground behind my back door and the cemetery has been covered with dozens of robins.  I always feel good when I see a robin.  Other than the robins I haven’t seen any sign at all of spring.

Saturday afternoon I went to the 4th birthday party for my great, great niece.  Unfortunately after I had taken only 2 pictures my camera battery died.

It was a gymnastic birthday party.  The 2 young ladies led the kids in all kinds of gymnastics for an hour.  Not all of the kids had arrived yet when I took this picture.

The table set for the kids.  I feel sorry for the moms when they took the kids home.  They had cupcakes and cake and a bag of candy and another bag of goodies.  A lot of kids with a sugar high I think.  I saw one little red headed girl eat 2 cupcakes and a piece of cake and then get into the bag of candy.

This will be a lazy day for me.  Tomorrow I have 2 doctor appointments and Wednesday morning I have the crown on my tooth finished.  Not to wish my life away but I will be glad to see Thursday.

Have a great week.  Stay safe and be happy!!

Beth

Thankful Thursday…

It has been quite awhile since I listed things I am thankful for.

1.  My faith…

2.  My family…

3.  My friends, including my blogging family…

4.  And last, but not least, I was able to get out of bed this morning.

I really am thankful for so many things.  Each time I pick up a book I am thankful for my sight as reading is such a joy for me.    I am thankful for my WV  sister who calls me 2 or 3 times a day just to make sure I am still living.  There is no other living person that worries so about my well being.  I am thankful for my daughter who goes with me to all of my out of town doctor appointments; and for my son who checks in with me every 3rd day just to make sure that mom is among the living.  And oh, so many more things to be thankful for.  I think you all know what I mean.

*******************

I have been out early this morning, to the pharmacy to pick up a prescription and to Kroger to get some groceries. 

It is a damp chilly morning at 31 degrees with more rain forecast for later today.

My furnace thermostat is flashing the numbers this morning.  I am waiting now for maintenance to come and change the battery.

I hope you are all having a great day.  Stay safe and be happy!!

Beth

13 degrees again…

but at least the sun is shining brightly.  Snow is predicted for Thursday and Thursday night, several inches right now.  I hope that forecast falls flat.

I wanted to clear up something for my friends who thought I didn’t realize it was February instead of November.  I said in a previous post that I bought a turkey at Kroger last week at the unbelievable price of 88 cents a pound.  So I declared at that time that I would fix another Thanksgiving meal for Sunday (today).  I have fixed the turkey and the cherry cheese pie.  I have yet to fix dressing, mashed potatoes and the gravy along with the green bean casserole.  So you see, it is almost a Thanksgiving dinner.  Well, actually, it is as I am thankful that the Good Lord granted me another day.

Hopefully I am done with doctor appointments for this month.  I have 2 in a row in March and then in April begins the dentist for a crown.  That is something I am not looking forward to.

By my driveway at my old home.  It was beautiful in the spring.

Have a peaceful day.  Stay safe and be happy!!

Beth

The sun is shining…

and the frost is heavy on the ground.  It is 25 degrees and the sun is starting to shine and the predicted temp for today is 45.

I once had a fellow blogger tell me that no one was interested in reading what my weather was for the day and the mundane things happening in my life.  That was in 2005 and I didn’t let her deter me one bit,  I am still going strong and giving my weather forecast in almost every blog I write.  Also such boring things as doctor appointments, what tests I have had, the date and the results.  This info has proved invaluable since I moved here. 

It will be 3 years on April 15th since I moved here.  I can’t get over how fast the time has passed.  I like living in a larger city but I miss my old friends.  I am friendly here with my neighbors but I don’t have any friends like I left behind.  Jo and Sandi and Christine, I miss you all.  But life goes on and we adapt to our environment and that is what I have done.

I see my daughter more now in a week than I did in almost a year at home and I really appreciate her and my son in law!  I see my son a bit less because where I lived before was closer to Chicago and that makes me sad.  I have nieces and a great niece here that I see occasionally so it all balances out.

I am doing laundry this morning, running back and forth to the laundry room while I am typing this.

I have a doctor appointment today so I need to close this off.  Stay safe and be happy!!

Beth