Procrastination

Also referred to by some people as a spirit of oppression.  You know when you have a task to do but you do anything except that task.  (I stopped to open my mail for a couple of minutes.) The thought of doing the task makes you feel like you are weighted down by huge boulders. (Oh wait! This show is so good. - Commercial time.)

Well the reason that I didn't write yesterday was because I started something that I had been procrastinating doing for way to long.  I am a volunteer church treasurer for a small church.  They do an audit about every two years.  I get the offerings deposited timely and the bills paid on time.  But I really don't care for filing.  I didn't in my very first job after college as an accounts payable clerk and I still don't like filing.

Now to be fair, there were periods of time that I prepped the paperwork for filing.  I use self duplicating checks and the duplicate gets stapled to the invoice/receipt and filed in date order or check numerical order when there are several checks on one day.  I am here with 10 books of checks that I am working through matching up to the receipts and invoices. 

I am almost done.  Thank goodness.  I will need to call the auditor and set up a time for this week.  He lives about 20 miles away and luckily said that he can make it up any day this week.  - - I'm not done yet so writing this is allowing me to procrastinate just a little bit longer. 

Happy Thanksgiving!

What I am most Thankful for is family.  Family that is near or far away in another country and everywhere in between.  We are each unique and special in our own way.  When we choose friends we choose people that are very similar to us.  But when God builds a family, he builds diversity.  Oh, sure there will be some things that are the same but more often than not it is differences that make up a family.  Drive safely to your celebrations and have a Wonderful Day!


Such Shy people?

I didn't ask my relatives if I could put pictures of them in my blog.  But I could not resist this one, because he is always trying to hide from the camera. 

Does your family have traditional foods?  We do and I tried to take just a small sample of each one: lefsa, custard corn, dressing, turkey, ham, mashed potatoes and gravy, creamed green beans, candied yams, olives and pickles.  They were all delicious!

My Traditional Thanksgiving Meal

After letting the food settle, we had desserts.  Pumpkin cookies, spiced peach pie, pumpkin pie and pecan pie.


Pumpkin Cookies



Dessert Table

 All the desserts looked so good but I had to make a choice.  So I had a small piece of pumpkin pie along with a small piece of spiced pumpkin and a small scoop of ice-cream.


Sampling of desserts

The guy hiding behind the pillow was going to do a "payback" and take a picture of me.  Go right ahead!  Do you know how few photos there are of me at family events because I own the camera?  Thank-you for taking a picture of Dale and I playing with the dogs. 


Playing outside with the dogs

I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving with your family!

Thanks on Thanksgiving Eve

I am thankful that my Mother and Grandmother Field taught me how to cook and bake.  Even though I don't often use the same recipes they baked with I know that they gave me the skills needed to create good tasting foods.  Or as the neighbor lady used to say about her recipes "scrumptious".

I used the flaky pie crust recipe that I showed a few weeks ago and the spiced peaches that I canned a year ago to make spicy peach pie for Thanksgiving day.


Flaky pie crust and spicy peaches

I drained off the juices and added corn starch to thicken it.  I added more honey and cinnamon after the mixture cooled to balance the other spices.


Spicy peach sauce being thickened

 Because of the spices the peaches are a bit darker than normal.  I laid them 2-3 layers thick.


Layers of spiced peaches in the pie pan

I had to carefully pick out the spices that they were canned with before pouring the filling over the top.


Leftover spices

The filling poured well over the peaches.  It will be interesting to see how this cooks up.  I am notorious for not getting the filling thick enough or sweet enough when I make homemade filling.

Ready for the top crust

 Sure it was after I did this where I saw the shortcut of rolling the crust around the rolling pin to move it over to the pie.  I will need to try that some time.  I pinched the edges to create some character.  Then I took a knife and cut some slits into the top.  The bowl to the right is a whipped egg with a bit of water to brush over the top.


Prepped and ready for baking

This is sadistic self-induced torture.  The house smells so delicious right now. The pie looks wonderful.  I really-really want to cut into the pie and try a piece right now.


Spiced Peach Pie

Instead of cutting into this delicious looking pie, I am going to do the dishes.  It just isn't fair.  Travel safe tomorrow and enjoy your family!

Update Camera

You get two posts today!

Are you wondering if I found my camera?  Dale helped look and he didn't find it.  I asked my sister "if you were my camera where would you be?" Her answer was "in the clothes basket."  I diligently checked, and looked in a few other stacks of clothing sitting in my room and didn't find anything.

I ended up taking 3 hours vacation. My clothes basket is in my bedroom next to my bed.  It has been on my "to do" list to swap my summer and winter clothes and move a few storage boxes that I had to upstairs.  I attacked my bedroom and did fall housekeeping.  I found the camera in some clean clothes about 18 inches away from the clothes basket.

Over the weekend, I bought a new set of fleece sheets for the winter.  I took a photo to show everyone then set the camera on the stack of clothing.  In my typical A.D.D. fashion something distracted me and I went to the next thing on my mind.  The camera slid off from the stack of clothes into the shadows of the closet and sat there until I finally got time to put the clothes put away today.



fleece sheets for winter

By the way Tabatha said, "I could tell I was wrapped up in clothing. I just presumed that it must be the laundry basket."  :^)

I am thankful for...

I was planning on writing about how I am thankful for having a camera that I can take fun and unique pictures with that I can share with you.  But right now, I can't find my camera. This is what happened:

Friday and Saturday I was fighting a boarder-line headache. It broke loose on Sunday and I had a difficult time doing much of anything.  But I never let a headache or illness get me down I keep pushing through.  I took a picture of the inside of my refrigerator and shared it with you.  I took the chip out uploaded a picture and replaced the chip in the camera. 

For some reason, I didn't put the camera into the camera bag.  I put it up someplace else.  Was I going to take a picture of something else?  I don't remember.  I have a few places that I put it where it is out of the reach of the puppy.  It is not there.

On top of my Sunday headache, I was cleaning.  I will pick up a handful of things in one room and take them to the room they belong.  Then I will pick up things from that room and take them to a third room.  Sometimes I end up with things that I don't intend in my hands and put them in "good" or "safe" places.....never to be found again.  Well I hope that is not the case with the camera.  But literally only God knows right now, where I set the camera down on Sunday.

...will you ask him to whisper in my ear where I put it since I seem to have repressed that memory?

A week of giving thanks...

I know on Facebook, people are writing daily something they are thankful for.  I think you are all going to be able to guess the things that I am writing about this week.  In part, I am thankful for the babies in my life - our Dobermans.


My Jenny at the Renaissance Festival

 I was thankful that My Jenny got to go with me to the Renaissance Festival before she died this fall.  She had a wonderful special day with Grandma.  She took several opportunities to show off and even more opportunities to socialize.


Duchess

Duchess has been with us for five years now.  She has had 35 puppies and is retired from breeding although she is taking little Misty Blue under her wing.


Grandbaby-Onyx and new Misty Blue

I am thankful that so many of the puppy's people's have kept in touch with us and that we still get to see them.  Onyx visited us this fall just after we got Misty Blue.  They weren't quite sure what to think of each other at first.  


Really, you have that thing in my face again?

This shot of Misty was just too cute not to share.  She loves to stick her nose at everything.  She has this personality trait that she takes her nose and all of a sudden whips it straight up.  Watch out, if she hits you it hurts.  I am thankful that this little bundle of energy is brightening up our lives.

I am thankful for all the animals in my life present and past.  They give so much love, unconditional love!

To my surprise...

My refrigerator is almost always nearly empty.  I have just enough fresh food to make lunch for 3 days.  For a single person that eats a light lunch that isn't much food.  I cook most of my meals at Dale's house so when I buy groceries they go to his place.

I am not much for fruits and vegetables.  I know they are good for you and you need to incorporate them into your life, but I will buy two or three vegetables eat a few servings and toss the rest out.  But here I go, trying to get healthier food into my life.  My refrigerator is full for breakfast, lunch and snacks.  I found myself stunned this morning when I opened it up and it clicked in head how full it was. 


Fridge of Plenty

I am slowly weaning myself off from diet coke.  I know from history that is something that you don't want to do cold turkey.

Memories of Christmas Past

This year there are only about 27 days between Thanksgiving and Christmas.  That is one of the shortest Christmas shopping seasons.  So this year it seems like Thanksgiving has disappeared into a commercial Christmas.

I wasn't planning on going to Sauk Rapids, Sartel and St. Cloud today but I ended up leaving at 10AM and returning at almost 4PM. It ended up to be a mad shopping day trying to beat the Chrismas crowd. I think everyone else thought the same thing.


Christmas stockings

Christmas stockings were hung and if they weren't $9.98 a piece I would have bought these two. At Sam's club, there was a Santa Clause sitting between the door and the camera shop. His Santa suit was an older traditional style and instead of a white trim it was yellowed as if with old age.


Never too old for Santa

Santa at Sam's Club

Dale went down to the Riverside Tavern because the Chistmas candy. Not just any Christmas candy but old fashioned Christmas candy such as ribbon candy, multi-flavored hard candies, raspberry filled hard candy, coconut bon-bons (chocolate and strawberry), hard foam candy, and red and green spice drops (cinnamon and spearmint) just to name a few.  All the candy is sold in bulk.



Old Fashion Christmas Candy

At the grocery store in St. Cloud I noticed they have increased the bulk food section.  I found the old fashioned pop bottles that we used to bite the top off and drink the tiny amount of flavored syrup. I could not believe that they are still made somewhere in the world. Wait! Maybe they don't. Maybe they were found in the back of a warehouse?


Wax "Pop" Bottles

Are you wondering how the cinnamon and honey drink is working?

I am happy to report that there have been significant positive results for me so far.  My blood sugar is down to 148-156. Although that is not yet to the recommended level it is significantly better than where it was. 

In my "normal" days, I eat between 1200-1500 calories.  I have been keeping it to the lower 1200 calories this week and not doing any extra exercise.  With the cinnamon and honey drink right before bed and first thing when I get up in the morning, I have lost 6 pounds in 4 days. 

A side effect of cinnamon is that it warms you up on the inside.  I live in Minnesota and we are in a cold spell.  I can't say that I've noticed it but a friend that is having hot flashes said that it is increasing her hot flashes. Keep that in mind if you choose to try this.

One change that I have made is that I've been having a more substantial breakfast. I've been eating oatmeal and fruit with cinnamon of course.  For most of the week it has been blueberries.  But today I am going to eat a banana on the side instead.



blueberry-cinnamon oatmeal

If others have been trying the drink I shared earlier this week, I would love to hear how it is going for you!

Rest and Relaxation

The dogs get it.  Look at how Misty Blue embraces the concept of relaxation.  I don't seem to be able to do that. 



Misty Blue Relaxes

I believe the God created the beauty of sunrise and sunset to provide for us a transition between our busy workdays and our time of relaxation.  The colors that he creates are absolutely amazing.


Sunset with Heaven's Halo

The clouds are eye catching and open one's imagination as it looks here like the heavens are using feathers to sweep away the clouds at the end of the day.

Feather dusting from above

The contrast of the pink, blue and purples highlight the fact that the clouds look like they are two fingers reaching out to touch each other.


A touching matter

Nothing new here, I am mesmerized by the moon. ....and the way my camera can capture it under the right conditions.  Isn't that just too cool! 



Moonlight

 Okay, tell me you don't see that one of the ghosts from the movie Casper isn't sitting in the middle of they halo with a lighted necklace on.  He is facing the left.


Moon with Heaven's Halo

Cinnamon Meatloaf

Oh here is a recipe worth trying!  It is a single serving recipe that I made in my Stonewave Cooker. This is a Trisha exclusive so if you choose to share it please note "From the Kitchen of Trisha Field"

Cinnamon Meatloaf
4 oz lean ground beef (1/4 pound)  (ground turkey will also work)
1/4 cup instant Quaker oats
1 egg
1 clove chopped
1 teaspoon cinnamon



5 Base Ingredients

 Normally you would mix this in a bowl but I had used the plate to support my breakfast bowl and it was clean except for a little bit of cinnamon. 


Get those fingers dirty and mix them together

Wash your hands well and mix all the ingredients together.  It is important that the spices are well distributed through-out the meatloaf.


Put in Stonewave Cooker

 You don't need to put the whole in the center.  But I grew up where you could not microwave meat because it would end up raw in the center while at the same time the outside was dry and tough.


Bake for 3 min & let set for 1 min

 But look how this is still moist but not fatty.  The aroma in the house was fabulous and although it wasn't pretty it tasted wonderful! I might be a little bit biased.  No, I didn't put any ketchup or sauce on top.  It didn't need any.


Enjoy!

What are the nutrition facts? I entered the data into Calorie Count Recipe creator
Calories 369, Total Fat 19.2g, Cholesterol 282mg, Sodium 150mg, Total Carbs 10.2g (Dietary fiber 2.3g & Sugars 0.6g), Protein 37.7g    The website gave it a B+ to get an A- at 287 calories half the fat and 1.5 times the carbs swap out ground turkey for the ground beef.

My heart is melting!

Misty has taken to hauling the 2010 Petco Stuffed Puppy around the house.  Tuesday when she laid down for her nap she dragged the puppy up there with her.  I won't say much for words today because the pictures will say it all for you - even though I've named most of them the same.


Misty Blue and her "puppy"

Misty Blue and her "puppy"

Misty Blue and her "puppy"



Misty Blue and her "puppy"



Misty Blue and her "puppy"



Misty Blue and her "puppy"



Misty Blue and her "puppy" with Duchess

I snapped about 48 pictures, these were my favorites.  After doing the impromptu photo shoot, I thought to myself, "I really want to be a wildlife photographer!"  My problem is that there are so many things I really love to do that it is difficult to choose.

Cinnamon and Honey weight loss drink

I started Sunday evening.  For those that are close to me when I make a change in my routine, I give it 110%.  I haven't decided to exercise yet.  My brain is saying "yes" but the rest of me is still saying, "I don't think so."

1/2 tsp cinnamon
8 ounces hot water
1 teaspoon honey

Find a container that you can mix an 8 ounce hot drink in.  I chose a pint size ball canning jar (on the side it had 4 ounce, 8 ounce and 12 ounce marks.)


Cinnamon in the bottom of a pint ball jar

  Put in 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon and add 8 ounces of hot water, stir.


Cinnamon Water

Allow water to cool from hot to luke-warm or temperate an add a teaspoon of honey.  Stir until dissolved.


Add a teaspoon of honey to cooling cinnamon water

Drink 4 ounces. Cover and refrigerate the rest of the mixture.  As soon as you wake up in morning stir and drink the other half. 


Cinnamon and Honey water

This presumes that you don't eat anything after supper and drink the mixture right before bedtime.  In the morning you wait an hour after you drink the cinnamon and honey water to eat your breakfast.

Okay, Monday was my first day and I was hungrier than ever!  That could have been a psychological effect but that was how I felt all day.  I was a good girl and waited the hour to eat, then I had my typical multi-grain toast with a little bit of butter, a lot of cinnamon and a sprinkle of honey.  I was soon starving again.  I didn't have any oatmeal in the house, so I had a packet of malt-o-meal with cinnamon and honey no milk. 

For lunch I had about a cup of cottage cheese with cinnamon and a small bowl of mock crab.  Mid afternoon, I got hungry again.  Dale had bought me a cinnamon roll with maple topping on Saturday evening and I forgot about it.  It was getting a bit hard, the frosting fell off so I left the frosting off and microwaved it for about 15 minutes put a little bit of butter and more cinnamon on it. 

For supper I had two small soup bowls of homemade bean soup. Beans, pork, cabbage and water. I belong to a website called calorie count.  According to the estimated calories for the day were 1084 calories.  I scored a B- too high on the salt and too low on the carbs. Well, the low carbs are my goal so I guess it is okay.

Tuesday morning I was down two pounds from Monday morning.  And I should take a minute to clarify that it is about a week process for this mixture to help you feel full as it is healing the digestive system and helping it to once again properly absorb food.

My Second Book Signing

It was unplanned, unadvertised but I had my second book signing.  Are you saying, "What are you talking about now?"  While I was making contacts in advertising for my first book signing, I was given the information about an special event at the Eden Valley Library and event center.  I followed up on the information and was invited to join the group.  My presence was not advertised in the advertising for the event.


Janice demonstrated quilting

 There were a few people doing demonstrations.  Jan, the quilter in the corner was one of them.  Although I must admit that when you get a group of artists together there is a lot of wandering going on....


Multiple artists work was displayed

 Samples of several artists work was hung on the display wall.  On the outer walls artwork was provided from the local school students.


Camera fight? See the metal art?

 There were many of us there with our Nikons and Cannons.  One of the displays (not shown) was a display of amateur photography.


Theresa displayed her paintings by the hanging quilts

 There was significant talk of getting all of the painters present together for a painting club.  I would have a difficult time choosing which medium to haul with me. 


Handmade Jewelry, dream catchers, and neck scrunchies

 It was interesting to see the variations of handmade jewelry.  They had some very cute pieces.  I just know that my jewelry box is overflowing with cute that I always forget to wear.


Three pianists provided background music

 The background music was something that I didn't expect.  It was beautiful and very relaxing.  Even though there was a wide variety of songs none of them rubbed me the wrong way.  There is definitely some "music" that I do not like.


Spinning Wool

 The woman demonstrating wool spinning stopped to talk to a young man that stopped by her booth.  She demonstrated carding too but she said that she rarely hand cards.  She has a modified hand carder that hooks up to a drill and spins several cards at once. 


Refreshment stand

 The event was planned at noon directly after church, so there was a small refreshment stand setup so that no one needed to worry about going hungry.  I planned ahead and brought mock-crab and cottage cheese with cinnamon.


A fun clown!

 It was fun for all to watch the clown create hats and animals out of balloons.  I thought that I also saw her teaching one of the older children how to make a hat.


Wood-art

 My eye kept getting drawn over to this booth with the wood-art.  I wish that I had a place to display this as it brings a whole new definition of recycling.


Me again!

 Since I wasn't advertised, the people that saw and purchased my books bought both books.  They hadn't met me before and therefore had not read my first book.  I have a very, very limited number of "Second-Hand Tuxedo" books left.  It makes me wonder if I should try to get a few more printed to sell with my third book.


"To many more chapters..."

Representative Dean Urdahl is a former history teacher.  He has also written several books.  He came today and spoke about his latest book "Conspiracy" about the conspiracy theories around the time of President Lincoln's time.   After his presentation, they had cake and coffee.  What a beautiful cake!

I left very inspired!  My second floor art studio definitely needs to get organized!