.... That's My Story....: December 2009

Thursday, December 31, 2009

Home Made Granola

Because funds were tight when the kids were young
I came up with this basic granola recipe

Besides having it with yogurt or milk
they would take it like trail mix

**Recently have substituted agave nectar for the honey
and have not seen any major difference

Granola

¾ C brown sugar

1/3 Veg Oil

1/3 C Honey**

5 C Oatmeal

¾ tsp each : cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves

Nuts, raisins, dried fruit, kasha go lean coconut wheat germ, dates , choc chips etc

Heat oil, honey and brown sugar until sugar is dissolved. Mix with dry ingredients. Spread on a lg jelly roll pan and bake at 375 about 10 minutes

until toasted

once cooled add what ever you would like - either make it a trail mix or granola for milk

- it all depends on what you choose to add

Happy New Year!!!

Wishing Everyone a Happy New Year!!

The only resolution I can think of for this year is to enjoy in the moment

I want to declutter and simplify my life

and learn to have fun again

How abt the rest of you?

What is your plans for the New Year?

Wednesday, December 30, 2009

In the new year, I would like to start, What Are You Reading Wednesdays. My thought is we can share good and bad books we have been reading. Share why it impacted us in good or bad ways........what made us think.......did it cause you to change your thoughts about anything or just was it a book that took you away from the hum drums of life. So what do you think? Would you like to join in?

Thanks to Sue from Sullivan and Murphy for teaching this old dog the new trick of making my own button for my blog site! Also thanks to Becca at Blue Cricket Studios for showing us how to add a signature - you ladies rock for sharing.thanks bunches!!!
'

I also want to thank everyone for all the kind words they have sent our way in regards to our pup-er-roo Emily. She has had her moments of "youth" not to mention enjoying all the special snacks that she has been getting - the girl never met a chicken she didn't like! We are taking everyday one step at a time and playing and loving on her as much as we can...............

Monday, December 28, 2009

In just a moment.....

............my world turned upside down today

10 days ago our 11 year old yellow lab Emily fell on the stairs – the week before she had a hard time getting up them. We decided it must be arthritis, she is getting up there and isn’t as spry as she use to be. When she fell the last time we decided no more upstairs, not that she has even tried. We poked, prodded twisted pushed and moved her hind end – even checked her paws – nothing- she didn’t react at all so.. we thought we’d let her rest and see how she was in a week or so, hoping it was just a sprain –This weekend when it seemed not to be any better, we made the decision for me to take her to see Dr Matt….

So off us girls went this am…..Dr Matt poked....prodded….twisted ....did all kinds of maneuvers. His first thought nothing obviously broken, maybe a torn ACL ….but she needed to have an x-ray…so off for her photo shoot. She was gone a long time and my inner nurse came out (she is well hidden most of the time) When Dr Matt came back and asked me to come look at something my stomach hit bottom…my inner voice kept saying he’s gonna show me she broke something….then that really bad voice inside said ..no..no..no.. I said to him this isn’t good, is it… he replied not at all….at that moment my world was crashing in …I wanted to be anywhere but where I was and I wanted to just take her leash and run and run and run as fast as we could……..but nope I put one foot in front of the other until I got to the light box…. he started with the clinical talk…not what I thought..it's in the area above her knee….as I’m looking for the break in the x-ray….. I’m not seeing it…all I can see is…yup my baby has …bone cancer……osteosarcoma

He then took us back into the exam room. I’m trying to stay composed and let this sink in as he continues to say…..3 vets in the office agree but we can send the x-ray to OSU for confirmation…or do a biopsy…..we could amputate and do chemo…but chances are it has already spread to her lungs……..I just want to make her comfortable…..I just want her not to be in pain

……oh hell…who am I kidding…I just want her to be the pup on my lap that I brought home that day from the farm after she played with her brothers and ate horse turds…..all I want is another chance to do this all over again....wake up and have 11 more years of joy, happiness and love.

I called my hsb… I called my children….I have no words to comfort them…..as of right now I have no words to comfort me….

I made the arrangements for euthanizing her next week (unless she gets worse), I made arrangements for her cremation....but the one thing I cannot arrange is how I am I going to get thru the next 11 days….or how my life will be without her in my life... my heart is just to heavy right now

New Year Food Traditions- What's Yours?

Growing up I don’t remember much hoopla or any specific celebrations on New Year’s Day

I do remember my grandmother loved the Rose Bowl parade
and watched and commented on all the flowers.
As I watch it every year I think what she would think of them
using the seeds and grasses that make up the floats today.

1962

photo from here

2008

A friend of mines family always had white beans with ham and green chilies.
I know some southerns enjoy black-eyed peas, Midwesterners pork and sauerkraut.

photo

So it got me thinking about why these certain foods?

Southerners eat black-eyed peas because the shape of the bean was compared to coins, by eating these “coins’ it symbolized the gaining wealth. Because pigs are considered lucky, so they were eaten with the peas, if the year had been unlucky the hog’s jowls were eaten

Australians believe pigs are lucky because they always root forward, On the same token they will rarely eat lobster because they move backwards

In Italy, pork is served with legumes. Instead of black eyed peas they use lentils. It is believed that lentils symbolize money. Because pork is considered fatty, it is thought that it would fatten the wallet of the people who consume it.

photo

here

Cabbage leaves in some cultures represent paper currency.

Two southern Sayings:

"Peas for Pennies, Greens for Dollars, and Cornbread for Gold."

- "Eat poor on New Year's, eat fat the rest of the year."

Just as many eat certain foods, many avoid foods such as
chicken because a chicken scratches for food,
or fish because your money might swim away

A many Latin countries it is a custom to place 12 grapes on a plate
and at the stroke of midnight each one is eaten. Each grape represents a month i
n the upcoming year. A sweet grape signifies that month will be good,
a sour grape signifies the month will be bad.

So, in your family what is the traditional meal on New Years?

http://winter-recipes.suite101.com/article.cfm/new_years_eve_foods_for_good_luck

http://wilstar.com/holidays/newyear.htm

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/347972