Due to needing to deal with some mental issues and health insurance issues, I haven't had contact with my kids recently. I just need to get some of my depression under control before I bring them home. Also, I absent-mindedly put something perishable in the pantry and (boy did it perish!) as a result, we've got some roaches hiding in the back of our cupboards and things. It's driving me nuts and they infested the extra mattress I had for when the kids come over, so they've nowhere to sleep if they do. Bummer.
I was still determined to do Thanksgiving, though and thankfully my sister came to join in. I made the usual cranberry and apple inside of everything. The turkey cooked in apple juice and fresh cranberries were stuffed in its cavities. There was apple-cranberry chutney instead of regular canned cranberry sauce. There was apple cider with cranberries, apple and cranapple juice. I did make green bean casserole, though, with cream of chicken instead of cream of mushroom; next year I'm replacing the fried onions with funyuns (sp?) for a gluten-free version. Funny thing, funyuns will be so much cheaper than fried onions! And I'm sure it'll taste better! I also tried my hand at apple pie. This is where the 5% fail came in; the apple pie wasn't so good. It was pretty and still tasted great, but I didn't cook the apples well enough. I went with a preset temperate according to a recipe. I should've listened to my instincts and lowered it a good 30 Degrees or more. I doubled my stuffing recipe, but didn't realize it would take so long, so it wasn't ready until a good hour after dinner was done. Mashed potatoes were missing something. Every year, I make them in a pot, hand-mashed, heated stove-top and then I add roasted-in-olive-oil garlic cloves and mash it all in. This year I used make-ahead mashed potatoes, thinking the crock pot could handle it. It was nowhere near as good as my usual potatoes and much more bother when putting it away. I'll stick to using the crock for roast beef.
Everything was great, though. My sister made a gluten-free stuffing inspired by my own bread stuffing. It's way better. I might even edit my recipe and make it stove-top next year. You know what's funny? Her stuffing was easier and less messy to make than mine! And almost as cheap!
I've already made the soup from the leftovers of the first turkey. It's wonderful. I made it kind of spicy and used some green onion and chive in it. Also, red and green peppers. It's kind of christmasy-looking compared to my usual Third Degree Soup. I'll definitely cook the bell peppers longer next time, though, like the potatoes. I like them softer like when I cook Chicken Tortilla Soup, which I also need to rename and add to my recipe blog.
If anyone's reading, feel free to post some suggestions for names for some upcoming recipes. I'll be posting my famous Two Dimes Soup, which needs no renaming. It costs about 2 dimes a serving, thus the name. I'll be posting a recipe for Chicken Tortilla Soup, so some ideas on what to name it would be nice. Remember all recipes need a pagan or witchy name! Perhaps something related to Santeria. I'm not sure. I also need to post a recipe for my candied yams, which also needs a name. I may put a recipe for my favorite peppermint bark, you know, the simple white chocolate and peppermint kind. It really melts in your mouth, the peppermint too. I may also make some cider candy. These two candies will need names, but I haven't thought of any yet.
Well, keep an eye out. I'd like to post more recipes and spellwork soon. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
Monday, November 28, 2011
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Ultima Online
By the way... I really, really... reallyreallyreally.. miss playing Ultima Online. I miss CoV and Mathalla big time. I know Gary is probably worried about me and the guys over at CoV are probably mad at me for not reinstalling yet. Sometime soon, I'll reinstall. :( I miss you guys.
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Hospital Stays & Work Disappointments
I feel ripped off, you know? I tried my best. I really did. However, the time has come where the company is just milking me for cash and I just don't have it. I mean, I haven't made a dime and yet I have to pay $80 to have access to the company features and another $80 to have an active merchant's account. Then they want me to be able to pay for shipping credits as well as leads. My coach suggests that I go buy samples, then give them away in exchange for a phone number at a gym or other weight loss facility. I'm a fat girl; who the f**k is going to buy a weight loss product from my crippled a**?
Oh, well. In the meantime, I spent about 4 days in the hospital being strictly monitored for my blood pressure and a bad case of cellulitus. Cellulitus is a condition caused by poor health in general. It's kind of a way of saying "your body is screwed up, but we don't exactly know why, so just eat better". There is no cause or cure for it, just treatment and a suggestion of better diet. So, I'm taking a lot of antibiotics and limiting my sugar intake, since all I ever do is drink soda. I've switched to diet. Diet Pepsi isn't so bad; neither is Diet Cherry Pepsi.
Also, our bathroom is having issues. When we moved into this apartment, there was a piece of ..I don't know.. porcelain.. ? Anyway, it was caulked into this hole in the bottom of our tub. Now, the piece has gotten loose and gone missing and our tub leaks into the carpet outside the bathroom now. Additionally, our disposal is broken and the sink on that side refuses to drain at more than a snail's pace, so we can only do dishes in the one side of the sink. Now, our refrigerator has broken down. The lower inside is staying fairly cool, luckily, but the freezer isn't keeping anything cold. I feel like the apartment is against me on having to deal with maintenance, because I really don't want to. Honestly, I'm terrified that they will ask me badgering questions about why this place is falling apart, why didn't I call sooner (which I did), why didn't I keep calling, why, why, why. I have no grounds for fearing this: the people who work in our complex, security, maintenance and office reps all love us and are terribly nice and helpful to us. But, everytime I think to reach for the phone and call the maintenance crew to come look, I'm scared they're going to tell me I ruined something beyond repair and that things will just get worse for us.
I thought I would feel better after getting that last bit off my chest; I actually feel worse. @_@;
Well, look forward to some updates on my cooking blog soon enough. I'll need to be cooking whatever I can from the fridge as soon as possible due to it being nonfunctional. I'm thinking stuffed bell peppers and twice baked potatoes. Got ideas for names for these recipes? They'll contain cheese, grains and possibly root veggies, so keep that in mind. And remember, always a pagan-related name!
Happy Lughnasadh, everyone! What are you thankful for in your life? I don't know about anyone else, but I'm thrilled that the dark time is finally here! Yay, cooler weather is coming ever closer!
Oh, well. In the meantime, I spent about 4 days in the hospital being strictly monitored for my blood pressure and a bad case of cellulitus. Cellulitus is a condition caused by poor health in general. It's kind of a way of saying "your body is screwed up, but we don't exactly know why, so just eat better". There is no cause or cure for it, just treatment and a suggestion of better diet. So, I'm taking a lot of antibiotics and limiting my sugar intake, since all I ever do is drink soda. I've switched to diet. Diet Pepsi isn't so bad; neither is Diet Cherry Pepsi.
Also, our bathroom is having issues. When we moved into this apartment, there was a piece of ..I don't know.. porcelain.. ? Anyway, it was caulked into this hole in the bottom of our tub. Now, the piece has gotten loose and gone missing and our tub leaks into the carpet outside the bathroom now. Additionally, our disposal is broken and the sink on that side refuses to drain at more than a snail's pace, so we can only do dishes in the one side of the sink. Now, our refrigerator has broken down. The lower inside is staying fairly cool, luckily, but the freezer isn't keeping anything cold. I feel like the apartment is against me on having to deal with maintenance, because I really don't want to. Honestly, I'm terrified that they will ask me badgering questions about why this place is falling apart, why didn't I call sooner (which I did), why didn't I keep calling, why, why, why. I have no grounds for fearing this: the people who work in our complex, security, maintenance and office reps all love us and are terribly nice and helpful to us. But, everytime I think to reach for the phone and call the maintenance crew to come look, I'm scared they're going to tell me I ruined something beyond repair and that things will just get worse for us.
I thought I would feel better after getting that last bit off my chest; I actually feel worse. @_@;
Well, look forward to some updates on my cooking blog soon enough. I'll need to be cooking whatever I can from the fridge as soon as possible due to it being nonfunctional. I'm thinking stuffed bell peppers and twice baked potatoes. Got ideas for names for these recipes? They'll contain cheese, grains and possibly root veggies, so keep that in mind. And remember, always a pagan-related name!
Happy Lughnasadh, everyone! What are you thankful for in your life? I don't know about anyone else, but I'm thrilled that the dark time is finally here! Yay, cooler weather is coming ever closer!
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