So...whats for dinner?
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OK - I'm unlikely to get a medal and there's no place to take myself out for a reward - so I'll celebrate by sharing. Oh and maybe having wine for lunch with my salad. Thirty consecutive days of brisk walking 3-4 miles every day. Yup - 30 days. The goal wasn't to loose weight, just to keep moving with Silver Sneakers & Chair Yoga classes closed. I've managed to loose a pound or two, but more important - not gained any with the different eating patterns Covid has caused. And yes, I too added in gardening to the mix.
It's been an interesting 30 days. Lots of blooming things triggering allergies. Some days 90 degrees and some days 60 degrees. Today was only mid 70's, but 100% humidity so I got home wringing wet. I wake up every morning with my calves aching so I've doubled my magnesium supplement. Any other thoughts/tricks appreciated.
I've walked at different hours so I've renewed acquaintances with lots of neighbors and met most of the newcomers. My neighborhood only has 188 homes and is bounded by creeks on two sides, an elementary school on the third and a road to the west. Because it can't grow, it's mostly kept it's charm. My goal was to "fill in" email addresses for every house so we could sent e-blast news & alerts instead of having our 12 block captains personally deliver newsletters. Seven residents have no access to a computer or smart phone (over age 80), but other than that we now have emails for all but two rental homes. And I've recruited one new block captain and two alternates. Woo Hoo!!!
On second thought, I think I'll have a slice of chocolate pudding cake for brunch instead of a salad.
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I am snake-phobic, and we have a plethora of them, so I too watch where I'm stepping. We have an armoire on the covered part of our lanai with a TV in it for watching football in the fall, when it isn't so hot. I opened it and there was a corn snake curled up on the remote! I have a crescent window above my double front door - great for Christmas garland! Also...basking snakes! One time I opened the door to take the dog out and thankfully he went out ahead of me, startled a snake that was up there, which fell on him and then hurriedly slithered away. I have never been so happy to have a rude dog that goes ahead of me out the door - if it had fallen on me I would have had a heart attack.
auntie - yay for you on mask making!minus - yay for you on the walking! And the neighborhood info! I have not walked because of the pollen - I had 10 years of allergy shots which subdued my allergies so that they are mostly controlled with OTC meds like Claritin, and I am like an average allergic person. Stopped the shots because we kept moving to new military bases with new plants/trees and I couldn't build immunity fast enough before I moved again. For about a month of the spring here Claritin is not enough and avoidance of the outside world is the answer. Fortunately, this coincided with stay-at-home orders, so I literally did. I was doing some paperwork sorting/filing yesterday and came across my allergy testing from 1983 (yes...I still had it...) and pretty much if it has chlorophyll I am allergic to it, in some instances - like every blade of grass and every weed - kind of violently. Things are just at the point where I think I can venture out using OTC meds, so I plan to resume some walking. I don't know how it is possible, but I have not gained since abandoning the gym - it is a miracle!
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Minus - good job!
🥇🎖🏅
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Oh Nance - medals. I win, I win...
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Thirty days in a row. That's quite a plus, Minus! :-)
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This is the first year I can remember that tree pollens have caused me major problems. (When first tested, I was only 1+ for them). Oak, maple, elm, juniper, cottonwood--all taking turns making me miserable. Too chilly to run the A/Cs yet (and the one in the bedroom would deprive Heidi of her fave perch atop the radiator cover. Itchy, burning eyes, itchy nose, intermittently scratchy throat (and nighttime tickle) and drippy nose. So far (knock wood) no fever, and the only headache I get is either over one eye when a storm front is coming through (or I've overslept and am in a.m. caffeine withdrawal). Taking Zyrtec & Montelukast. I'm decongesting 2x/day with Ayr saline spray, Nasalcrom and Nasacort. Dreading when ragweed season starts and I need to switch to Nasonex (which my PCP says could immunosuppress). I have a pulse oximeter arriving Thurs.--can't get here too soon.
The only thing making outdoor exercise tolerable is wearing a mask--not only keeps my breath in but the pollens out.
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Severe storms last night but they moved a little north of us. To my surprise, and pleasure, we have tv and internet this morning. It's a dark, gloomy day with light rain at the present time.
When I was a kid, I once stepped on a black snake. That was a jarring experience. A rough cool sensation. We called them black runners. They are not poisonous. We had to be vigilant about coral snakes, small and banded with vivid colors, which are very poisonous and lurk in sheds and piles of junk.
Yay on walking 30 days in a row! I don't dare walk every day on the street for fear of injuring my feet. I try to walk every other day and play golf some days. My challenge is to figure out how to get Silver Sneakers exercise routines from the website to the tv. I have the phone app but haven't applied myself to the process. Maybe today. A friend has done this.
Last night's dinner meat was pork tenderloin and about the only way we like pork tenderloin is in a piccata skillet dish. The side was yellow squash, first steamed and then browned in small amount of butter in another skillet. Definitely a skillet dinner night! No leftovers, which is good. We don't always eat leftovers.
Dinner tonight will probably be catfish. I have a couple of packages in the freezer.
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Same day here Carole. No yard work today.
Thankfully black snakes are not poisonous because we have many here. But they do bite as my DH can attest to. He was bitten trying to rescue one from some plastic bird netting it had gotten caught in, resulting in bloodshed from the bite itself, a tetanus booster and a round of antibiotics. They are an ungrateful bunch.
Even though it’s a cold rainy day I’m venturing to the grocery store in the hopes that more people are home. I’ll be sporting my new mask 😷
Dinner will be whatever inspiration I find at the grocery store
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Coral snakes were a surprise when I moved to Houston with a 3 year old who loved to explore. We learned this rhyme. "Red & Yellow, Kill the Fellow. Red & Black, Danger lack."
The only thing that has allowed me to continue walking is the shoes my podiatrist recommended after chemo detached my toenails. I was surprised to learn that women specifically lose the fat in their foot pads as we age. The shoes have made a real difference. Hoka One & I buy the Mach model. Another company that I wish I had a vested interest... (with 'english' apologies to Carole - can't end the sentence with "in" - but "in which I wish" sounds stilted). Oh - and the big, knobby, hardwood walking stick I carry.
Dinner has to be a salad or lots of greens will have to be trashed.
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Hubby brought home dinner from Subway. He had gone out to run a couple of errands.
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Last night I saw a gopher snake, aka bull snake, on the trail. Unfortunately it had been run over (a bicycle, most likely) and was dead. These are harmless to humans and good to have around because they eat mice and rats. A half hour later on my return trip, a coyote was taking advantage of the free meal, so the snake didn't go to waste.
It's been in the mid 100F/40C degree range during the day, so I've been going out at night when it's cooled down to around 95F/35C. The trail is much less crowded then and I see a lot more wildlife. With the sun down, it doesn't seem to be that hot.
Dinner last nigh was a DD creation. She made a turnip casserole that was quite good. Unlike me at that age, she has the knack of "just add stuff together until it tastes good".
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WF had a special on peeled & deveined shrimp yesterday, so I'm making scampi over cauliflower "risotto" with a side of sugar snap peas tonight.
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Tonight was DH's favorite meal - BLT on farmhouse toast, mayo and good greenleaf lettuce and tomatoes. The side was delicious homemade vegetable soup ( not by me - it was from a favorite Pennsylvania family owned market) which we had frozen from our last visit north.
Tomorrow my goal is "healthier" but the sammies and soup were tasty .
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Reader, your BLTs are exactly how we love them....and over the summer is when we treat ourselves to having a few for an easy dinner. I totally cheat and use the already cooked bacon.
Congrats, Minus! I admire your sticktoittiveness! And great neighborhood work!
I have yet to return to our previous walking schedule. The early tree pollen has really impacted my breathing this year, even with wearing a mask, so I have remained housebound since late March. With the concern about Covid, I found it really frightening to have lousy lung capacity. I grew up having allergy shots after being hospitalized at age 5yrs for asthma. Other than a few unfortunate experiences with reactions to a couple of specific foods, requiring an ER visit for an adrenalin injection, I sailed through adulthood with hardly a need for even OTC Meds. However,,,,,after being on Tamoxifen for a year, my allergies reappeared with a vengeance, and despite two years of self-injections and a few years of sublingual treatments (which did help with things like animal dander) indoor and outdoor environmental allergies are getting worse every year. This year’s tree pollen is the worst offender. I may have to trek back to the allergist at this rate....The social distancing has worked well for my pollen avoidance regimen.No snakes of note here. I would be really frightened to garden if I knew I’d come across a poisonous snake! And I’m not knowledgable enough about snake identification, I’d worry about any. I don’t have any snake phobia, tho, and was pleasantly surprised at the feel of live snakeskin. We are seeing more wildlife In our suburb, with coyotes topping the predator list. Last week, after dinner, we found a large dead, unidentifiable mauled animal in our backyard, DH decided to wait until morning to remove it, and by morning its predator did the job for him. So,I guess our yard was the 2 night buffet. Given the reduced traffic, people are often seeing new mother coyotes hunting regularly in our neighborhoods...kinda scary for families with small pets and children.
Our meals have been a little haphazard of late since I get involved in my mask tasks, and don’t feel motivated to cook...too much home ec in the same day! So when I do cook, I try to make enough for two meals to cut back on prep.
Tomorrow DH will pick up a box of produce that I ordered from a local company that usually supplies restaurants, but is now selling bushel boxes of mixed produce wholesale to the public In order to stay in business through the closures. Can’t wait to see what we receive!
Tonight was the last of leftovers, moo shi chicken, shrimp fried rice, and cuke salad.
Nance, I hope your grocery store outing was unpopulated,and productive enough to avoid it for a while.
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Minus, I wear Hokas, too. I ordered a new pair several weeks ago from the small sports store where I buy them. They keep a record of what their customers buy. The store is located in a little house on a quiet side street. The store wasn't open but the owner or manager answered the phone, took my order and placed the bag on the little front porch. As a pair of Hokas gets older, it gets demoted to yard shoes. I'm wearing the most recently demoted pair as golf shoes. My podiatrist sent me to this store originally. The shoes are expensive but worth every penny.
Speaking of expensive, we had two tree removal business people come by yesterday to give a price on removing a large dying oak tree that is near our house. I appreciate the difficulty of the job but the estimates were real budget busters. Another company is sending someone on Monday.
The catfish was nicely thawed by dinner time but my resolve to cook dinner had weakened. We ordered takeout pizza with thin crust. AND the brownie "pizza." So tonight's menu will be last night's original menu.
DH went for blood work this morning. He wore a mask and did have to sit in the waiting room but it was set up for distancing, he said. He had his temperature taken and answered questions about his health that related to Covid-19.
The tv is on CNBC, a business channel and the recent discussion was about Costco's new policy for all employees to wear masks. It's a very progressive and prosperous business. I wish we had one near us. Instead we have Sam's Club.
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We are tolerant of the black snakes (unless they're in the garage or on the porch. I have a strict rule - no snakes on the porch or in the garage or they get "the broom") because they are voracious rodent eaters. Unfortunately they also like bird eggs and baby birds so all of our bird houses are critter proofed with baffles specially made to deter snakes and raccoons. One of the worst acts of predation I experienced here, before we learned to protect them, was a large black snake who had somehow managed to crawl into a tiny bird house and was preying on the yet unfledged baby birds. The parents of course were having a fit and I was banging and poking on the box with a rake handle trying to get him out. He eventually got tired of the commotion and crawled out with me yelling and urging him along the fence with the rake. It would have been a good video. I don't know how many he consumed before I got him out. Fortunately (not for them) they were house sparrows - a non native species that are a pest and compete with the native bluebirds leading to their decline around here. Although I'm never sorry when their numbers are reduced, I couldn't bring myself to silently witness that predatory act.
The grocery store was better yesterday. Since my last visit they had made the aisles one way and though I think it's a good idea, it took me longer to navigate if I didn't need to go down every aisle. There were lots more people wearing masks and most were making an effort not to crowd each other. Of course there's always somebody who isn't. Like the two unmasked ladies standing two feet apart blocking the bread aisle while they yakked. After waiting politely for two minutes or so I finally asked them to move. It's not like they didn't see me waiting to get by. I don't get it.
Anyway, the store didn't offer any dinner inspiration so since it was such a yukky day I made chili. Hopefully it's the last chili kind of day for the season. We'll get a lunch and probably a chili mac dinner out of it. Although there was hamburger available, there was almost no other beef in the cases at the store and very little pork. I don't buy much beef there but I do buy pork and wanted a pork tenderloin or some ribs. I'll have to try from the local butcher.
I'll have to check out the Hokas. I have peripheral neuropathy and the shoes make a big difference in how much my feet burn.
DH wants baked ravioli for dinner. He can have it. I'll have shrimp scampi or something or better yet barbecued shrimp.
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Carole - we've lost six big oak trees since we moved here. We've found that the best prices here for tree removal are when it's late winter and they don't have as much business. Right now we're lucky because we have a teenage friend who wants firewood, so the last tree we had taken down (which was right next to the house) we asked that they just take it down and not cut it up. Our guy came and cut up the downed tree and hauled the logs home. Saved us a bunch of money.
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Nance - I too have CIPN. Once you find a style at a local store that fits you well & you have some wearing history, the Hokas web site has occasional sales - especially when the next year's colors are shipping to the stores. I saved $50 on my last pair since I didn't care about the color changes.
I'm so glad to have a Costco within reasonable distance. And yes, when I was in the store last Thursday every employee had a mask & registers had plexiglass "walls". Now it's just about that 50% of customers who didn't wear masks, or had them hanging around their necks.
Dinner was a huge salad. 1/2 a bag of Dole Pomegranate mix with added cucumbers, celery, avocado, tomatoes, hard boiled eggs, olives. The other half will get treated with sliced apples, etc.
I bought another package of hot dog buns so need to take the wieners out of the freezer. Nothing too exciting.
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Lacey - I love the idea of a box of mystery produce. When I first moved to Texas, a group of women in the apartments formed a sort of co-op. Two women went to the farmer's market every other week while the rest of us watch their kids. Since the women were from all over the country, we got to try things new to each of us. I introduced many of them to fresh pineapples & coconuts. In turn I discovered I don't much care for eggplant and wouldn't eat okra if it was the last food on earth. At least it challenged us to learn to cook something new.
Sorry the pollen is getting the better of you this year. Sounds like a long battle.
Eric - interesting about the turnip casserole. The mother of a long ago friend from England (WWII generation) always grated turnips & carrots together with various spices. It was delicious.
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Dinner tonight will be a layered ground beef and noodle recipe that has a creamy layer and tomato sauce. Kind of a deconstructed lasagna but the creamy layer is cream cheese, sour cream, and green onion rather than ricotta. I made this a lot for my parents when I visited. I always spent a day making large quantities of things they liked, then portioned into containers and stacked in the freezer. I made this also for my MIL because it is high in protein and was also enjoyed by whichever of her kids served as caretakers as they took turns after she was diagnosed with acute leukemia. It freezes well, and is one of DH’s faves. Considering making a zucchini cake also since I have some that needs using. I have cream cheese and lemons too for frosting.
Termites at DD’s house are hopefully eradicated as of yesterday with a non-tenting treatment for the underground variety. My first real outing in about 40 days was hanging at her house while they treated outside as she had an appointment with the boat builder to consider a new custom build. Someone unexpectedly offered her a great price on her current boat that would allow her to pay off the loan and not incur a new one to get a new boat. She is pro staff for the boat maker, so they are deeply discounting for her.Kind of a no-brainer.
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Special - that creamy sauce sounds delicious. Would you share the recipe?
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minus - absolutely! Cook a package of ground beef, drain off any fat. Add a small can of tomato sauce, a can of undrained diced tomatoes, some garlic, 1 tsp of sugar, and 1/2 tsp each salt and pepper to the pan with the ground beef. Bring to a simmer and cook for 15 mins. Meanwhile cook a package of wide egg noodles al dente and drain. Combine a package of softened cream cheese, and 1 cup of sour cream until smooth, and add several chopped green onions, to taste. In a casserole dish (deep) layer half of noodles, half of cream cheese mixture (I spoon it on and try to spread it a bit, then half of sauce. Repeat, then top with 1 cup grated cheese - I usually use cheddar. Bake 30 mins at 350 F. This is a pretty rich casserole, so it goes a long way. You can definitely freeze the leftovers
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Made spaghetti and homemade meatballs for dinner.
Went to the store to pick up a few things we were out of earlier, hubby and I adhered to the advisory about wearing masks or a face covering. Was so mad that while I was doing the right thing, some lady was walking around shopping with her mask down around her chin and yapping away on her cell phone! I so wanted to go up to her and giver her a piece of my mind! People like that make my head hurt!
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Greetings, all! It's been a while. Hope you and your families are staying well during this crazy time.
We've been sheltering in place for 6 weeks now, and SF and surrounding counties have extended the order for another month. Rumor has it that mid-June is more likely. My office was woefully unprepared to have us all work remotely, so I've been on paid furlough. But there's been pressure for those of us without the tools to work remotely to go into the office, which is infuriating. Especially because supervisors are all safely at home and it's support staff who are being asked to risk their health and safety to do what the office calls "essential work". I don't think either the Mayor or the Governor would agree on that.
I'm a public employee and we're all Disaster Service Workers. So for the past week or so I've been doing remote training (via Zoom) to be a contact tracer for the Dept of Pubic Health. It's pretty disorganized because the whole thing is being figured out as they go. But it's exciting to think that I can be part of doing something concrete to help, instead of my usual office job. I will probably begin shadowing another tracer for a few days and then start making my own calls next week.
As for cooking: I made homemade chipotle mac & cheese last night, with leftover flank steak to go with it. Have also made roast spatchcocked chicken, black beans with linguica, Asian peanut sauce noodles, soba noodles with cucumber and cilantro, and leftover meat has used for salads, sandwiches, and tacos. Speaking of which, I bought pork shoulder from our neighborhood butcher and will be making carnitas with that tomorrow.
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Tonight's take out from a local Thai restaurant; I'm having chicken pad thai, DH moo goo gai chicken. There will be enough for at least two meals each; so glad to eat someone else's cooking!
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Last night I ended up making the scampi Greek style, as I had fresh oregano & lemon I needed to use up, along with sauteed sugar snap peas. Dessert was a chunk of brie. Tonight, I made the remaining half-pound of shrimp with the last of some leftover remoulade sauce, as well as America's Test Kitchen's "Buttery Spring Vegetables." Had to wing it, as I had only the snap peas, radishes (which I had to trim considerably), and asparagus. But it came out great. Nuked some Uncle Ben's (don't judge) instant brown & wild rice for Bob.
Lucked out with my Whole Foods delivery today--this time everything was in stock. I've gotten into the rhythm of ordering a spare of whatever food I've started using--neither panic buying nor hoarding. So far, so good sticking to my diet without feeling deprived. Exercise, alas, is limited to the stair climbing & walking inherent in housework, trash/recycling disposal, laundry and cat care (especially litter-sifting). My housekeeper & her DH are finishing up day 14 of self-isolation, and he's getting re-tested tomorrow at dialysis. They still won't test her without symptoms, but she & I are glad she doesn't have any. She is going stir-crazy at home though. I used to think I'd never last without her for a week when she was on vacation, and even 3-day weekends seemed rough. Amazing that except for a few hrs. the day before the stay-home order took effect, I'm managing to hang in there. I am and have always been a terrible housekeeper!
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Did housekeepers husband show symptoms?
I vacuumed the house today and moved a lot of the furniture to vacuum there as well. There was enough dog hair under the furniture to "build another dog", so that was a worthwhile effort.
Project two involved a trip to the hardware store to get some gaskets to fix a drip under the kitchen sink. I guess I don't have the Covid19 possible symptom of anosmia because what made me aware of the leak was a slight damp smell. The drip was likely only a few minutes old as it only took two "sponge loads" to get the water up off of the cabinet bottom. Nothing much was wet, but I'm leaving the cabinet doors open so it can dry out.
Magari, what do you normally do?
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My housekeeper's DH was asymptomatic. But when one patient at the V.A.'s dialysis center came down with COVID, all the patients got tested. He was shocked at the result.
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That's good he didn't go through "the wringer".
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Sandy - I routinely nuke packages of rice. It's the only way to go for one person. I like Seeds of Change Brown Rice w/Quinoa. Haven't tried the Aromatic Jasmine Rice yet. I like their simmer sauces too - like Ginger Teriyaki and the Mushroom Simmer Sauce.
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