Saturday, December 31, 2011

2011 Ends and a New Year is in the Horizon: Resolution Updates


2011 Outcomes 
  1. Quick Temper- Have worked on this pretty well... There are still some room for improvements though.
  2. Read 15 books this year!!!!  I read I think 8 books and started 2 others that I have yet to finish.
  3. Loss 15lbs by October 2011- Well it wasn't by Oct but by the beginning on Nov I had lost 11. But since I have had a few heath problems and haven't been going to the gym regularly I have gained 6 back over the holidays..  :( So really only down 4... 4 is better than nothing but still not my first goal.
  4. 1 New recipe a week, or more, sugury baked goods can not count as the only new recipe for the week unless they are leaving my house- I have made a few new recipes but not half as many as I wanted... and the list goes on and on. Got 7 new cookbooks for Christmas and 5 Right before Christmas and some others throughout the year.. So I have a ton of recipes just too many messes for me to cook around.
  5. Take out no more then 4 times a month.- Ha, that was a joke... Never happened probably never will.. Go out to much for this to come to fruishin.... But I can always hope.
  6. Return my library books on time! not a week late... For the most part this one went down without a snag!
  7. Make our savings account grow while paying off $6,000 worth of debt.... Well it grew then took a huge nose dive :( so no savings and I will have to update the debt part later once I have the patience to look it up... But I don't figure we hit 6,000 knowing how many I wants got put on the credit cards ( Kayaks, Camera, Shot Gun, etc) and the animal bills that are always coming and some get put on our carecredit... Just like Storm's who is about to have surgery to remove bladder stones... Still looking for the money to pay for that :(
  8. Blogging, To have more entries than 2010. Plus to blog about some important topics instead of putting it off and forgetting to do it. :)  Started out good.... dwindled half way through the year, and pretty much ended in Sept/Oct when I started going to the gym everyday and started watching what I ate... :(
  9. To use more of the produce we purchase and grow... again HA... Some got used... Some didn't... I should keep a running list of product waste this year... Its so sad how much produce we waste. The fridge needs cleaned right now and I am sure there is a good amount of produce that needs taken out... :(
  10. To organize and remove alot of junk from my life.- Had a yardsale... Does the house look better? No... I was on strike for a while and now everything is a bigger mess than what it was before...  Plus it flooded and ruined a on of stuff... O yeah and the flood took 5 or 6 storage containers so I guess that removed some junk from my life.. that should count.... :(
But even at the end of all my Failed Resolutions I am still seeing where it is good to strive towards a better me and living situation and will not hesitate to set new Resolutions very soon.... I had a really good year with family and friends. And I am even in contact with a few friends from the past which is really great... People come back into your life in strange ways sometimes... But I love them and am so glad they are back in my life!!!

We did lose one of our Babies this years.. Our Lil Abu past away at the beginning of the year. I wish I could have done more for her. We are not sure why she went into shock... It was a surprise to all of us. She is loved and very missed by us and will forever be in our hearts. 


Monday, December 26, 2011

No blogging!!! Just a lil catch up..

Been busy busy busy.... I don't know with what exactly and what I do know I am not about the share here...hahaha...lol... Not really... Been shopping, planning parties, shopping, visiting some old friends, shopping, reading, shopping, going to the gym, shopping, cleaning up after a flood, shopping, dealing with Storms Bladder stones, shopping, Giving Spanxy a hundred meds, Shopping....you get the picture :) But I do know one thing I haven't been doing and that sadly is blogging :(    

Im not sure where I went wrong this year ... I don't think I have been that busy... They gym seems to take up more time then I thought it would and has made my back and self feel a million times better!!! Couldn't even imagine my back feeling so much better..(When I do get to the gym regularly, 2 or 3 times a week or more). But even though it makes me feel alot better I still have a love hate relationship with the gym... Love that I have lost 10lb, Love my back and me feeling better, love the way my husband looks at me (blush), love being out and about, love when I'm stressed I can jump on the elliptical and glide to my lil hearts content, love watching the guys gawk at the girls through the window like noone knows what they are doing...to funny..... Hate to sweat, hate all the people who seem to go to the gym at the same time I do, hate the gym rat guys who are nice to look at but not fun to exercise infront of, hate the people who sit and conversate on the equipment I need, hate the people who thud on the treadmill when they run, hate my headphones that only seem to work half the time, hate the super long drive to the gym daily or every few days that costs out the ass in gas! O yeah, and I hate getting started..being right under my fat burning heart rate when u feel like u want to die.... But then I love when the sun finally shines on you and you feel like running forever!  So I could def go on but it is def a love hate relationship!

Shopping has been on the top of my agenda in the last few months.... Sale sales everywhere! Love it! But now sadly I am broke from all those damn sales! lol... But i had fun while it lasted!  :)

O yeah and I have been on strike... From cleaning, cooking (because the kitchen was a mess), and other womenly duties...   I love my husband very much. Dont get me wrong... He works long hours just for us... But when he cant do one lil thing around the house without causing an argument its time to put ur foot down... Something I just need help and I have asked and asked and finally decided a strike was in order! So I have been on strike for a month and a half... and the mess has been driving me crazy... He will never throw in my face "Well what do u do around here?" ever again... because now that everything has piled up around us, there are no clean dishes, clothes, socks or underwear, but my own... Im sure he has figured it out...lol... and he has asked me to come off strike and has even showed some effort to help... I just hope it continues cause I will not hesitate to start my strike all over again in the near future if he decides I dont need the help I have bagged him for for so long...lol  Now I just need the house clean cause it has drove me bonkers and luckily I have that gym membership cause if I would have sat here all day with the mess I would have went mad! lol

But now we are getting ready to start a new year and hopefully a new year of blogging, a new attitude, opening my life to more love and self growth... :) Looking forward to the year to come and hoping it will be a wonderful year full of new experiences and memorable events...

Sunday, September 11, 2011

Had the opportunity to make my 1st wedding cake!


I got the chance this week to make my first wedding cake. I was excited but nervous. 
It turned out pretty good... Chocolate turned out perfect! Had some moisture issues with the yellow cake that I iced to soon after taking it from the freezer and didn't know till after the wedding...
I know a few things I need to correct and a few things to do differently next time... and I am still a little excited and really enjoyed the opportunity! :) Actually really surprised how much I enjoyed it..
 and I also surprisingly, actually welcome another opportunity and hope to one day have one... 

I also stayed true to my beliefs and made the cake vegan.
Used:
 The Joy of Vegans 
Chocolate Cake recipe (my fave)
Vanilla Cupcake recipe (Moisture issues after freezing)
&
Isa's Buttercream Recipe
But for the Covering I used all Veg shortening instead of partial
 Vegan butter because of heat and humidity issues..

Delivered safely to the wedding reception! :)

My few Prep Pictures

Crumb layering the cakes
This is a 6' chocolate cake.
Takes 2 Cups batter for each 2" Cake
So 2 recipes, Minus half cup each.
The vanilla cupcake recipe makes 5 cups batter.
A 10" pan takes 6 cups of batter for a 2" cake.
Need two-2" cakes... Which equals 3 recipes... 2 whole recipes and the
3rd recipe needs to be used to put a cup of batter into each of the other recipes.
Which leaves you with 3 cups extra batter.
Each Chocolate cake recipe makes 2.5 cups of batter.
A 14' Cake needs 10 cups of batter for a 2" cake..
You need two- 2" cakes.... or 8 recipes or 20 Cups!

Monday, September 5, 2011

Vegan Creamed New Potatoes YUM!

One of my fave things to do is take foods I grew up with "comfort foods" and veganize them... 
(John Calls it retrofitting...  lol)
And for some things thats not so easy... but this one is super easy !
As I wrote yesterday I haven't had any new potatoes in a few years...
So I cooked these the first chance I got!!!
They were so good... The texture of new potatoes are so creamy by themselves...
and I love them with gravy and peas...
Problem.. 
Thought I had 2 bags of frozen organic peas...
Did I?
Not That I can find...
Not that John can find in either freezer...
I swear I bought those peas...

I have posted my gravy recipe before but I figure I will post it again since I havn't posted in awhile and to make it easier to find...
All you need:
Unsweetened Almond Milk
Oil- I use EVOO
Vegan Butter (I use Smart Balance Light)
Flour
Pepper
Salt
Potatoes
and The missing peas.......

Just make it like normal...

Melt Butter in pan and add some oil and let heat up(Med heat)I also add pepper at this point. I like the flavor of using both.. (If you are using a butter with water let the water cook off) its 1tbsp Butter or oil to 1tbsp flour per cup of milk.... So put all the oil and butter in them measure out your flour and add it.. Let it cook a couple minutes to lose flour flavor.. Then take a whisk and whisk in about a cup of milk at a time so it doesn't get lumpy... Let thicken... add you peas a couple minutes before you take it from the heat.. Then add fork tender potatoes to gravy and serve...

I like to eat alone or on toast...

Sunday, September 4, 2011

Flea Market!

This summer I was hoping to make the summer of Pyrex and other retro finds.... But sadly since my car caught on fire and was totaled I have been stuck at home so my truck doesn't guzzle the loads of gas it takes to yard sale shop. But also sadly I had forgotten about three flea markets that are around our area every weekend, all summer long,... And luckily I finally realized what I was missing when by chance, going out of my way to get to Starbucks for a Venti Soy Mocha Frappuccino took me past a pretty big outdoor flea market last Sunday... But I was on the way to the hospital to see my Grandmother so I skipped it and decided I would definitely go this weekend... and so this morning I got up at the butt crack of down  (6:30am) and got ready... Why does the flea market have to open at 6am and end early in the morning as well... I don't know... But I went anyways... and drug my little sister along for the trip.


Granville Firehouse Flea Market
I am happy I went... I had a couple good finds... of course stuff I don't really need... but I did find me some PYREX! Yay PYREX! lol... and I also found something else I had been looking for for a while and figured I would never find one, and if I did I figured it would be to expensive for me to purchase on the spare of the moment, because online & in the antique stores they charge atleast $100.00.... But luckily my great find was only $5...Yep... $5... yes it is scratched in a couple places, yes it is the wrong color and needs refinished, but 5 bucks, some sand paper, and a can of stain & sealer later it will be perfect! Well atleast close...
I wanted flat fronts.. but for $5 I am willing to go for raised.. :) This will serve as the laptop desk.

The inside of the doors are in great shape, But it looks like 2 might have been replaced.




I also found a 1940s set of Primary color bowls and the buy sold me those and an extra green bowl (which isn't actually from the 1940s set) for $30 bucks... Plus he gave my little sister a piano thing for free... He was very nice... His original price was $28 set and $12 or $15 for the one green bowl... Which I would have never paid... lol...


I did miss out on 2 Texas ware bowls that I really wanted. I was $2 short and of course he wouldn't come down $2... so I had to go clear back to the truck and by the time I got back from loading the desk... they were gone... But I guess when or if I am meant to have them I will find them for a price I am willing to pay...He was stretching my price limit anyways...

Next we went to another flea market that is up the road from Granville Called Blue Horizon...

I purchased another divided veggie dish... I passed this one up before and decided the price was right today at half off $8.. so $4

Then since it was half off I also purchased this Flamingo Pink Pie Plate at half off $6... so $3

and this little orange fridge dish which I will probably never find a lid for... but it was originally $4, half off made it $2


I also purchased some Yummy new red potatoes... My grandfather would always give us a bunch every summer and since he passed away a couple years ago we haven't had any... Its funny how food can bring back such fond memories... I plan on making New potatoes, peas, and vegan gravy... YUM!

Purchased a smaller Humane trap for the rats that have been living under the chicken yard and stealing food... It is a catch and release like our bigger one... but this one the rat can't fit out of.... $8

I also purchased some small junk because it was cheap... 24 pack of sharpies $3, PedEgg replacements 2 packs for $5 (thats 6 or 8 of them, I was getting ready to buy these at BB&B so lucky I ran into them there!), another dog leash $3... This stand also some other as seen on tv stuff really cheap... might go back for more, so sad but true...

I was surprised by how many sellers had produce... I seen atleast 7, if not more.... not one organic though :( But still next year I will go and find some veggies there... Hopefully if I ask a couple times they will start selling organic... maybe... u think? maybe its just wishful thinking.... But I will have faith! lol...

over all good experience and think I might go to the one in Shinnston next week! :)

Monday, July 18, 2011

Roxie Tendon Injury, 3 Columbus Trips to the Veterinary Medical Center, and some Vegan food!!!

Roxie: Abrasion on back of leg turned Tendon injury!
Initial injury after 1st set of staples... and Roxie getting all but one back out!
 A few months ago Roxie cut the back of her Left leg around her achilles tendon. I took her to have it stitched and examed to make sure it didn't cut any of the legiments and tendeons. They said it looked fine... They stapled it closed and sent her home... 3 different times because she kept tearing them out...
On her 2nd set of staples with no wrap and a cone to keep her away from the staples.... Problem...
She ended up breaking the very pretty pink cone and getting out the 3rd set of staples...

I'm Free!!!



But the last time they stapled her the Vet also wrapped her leg very tight and told me to leave it that way for 4 days. It was wrapped so tight that I took it off on the 2nd day because it was cutting into the back of her leg. It had also caused a very bad burn/rub injury on the front of her leg... but when I took the wrap off there was something else wrong... she would not put any presure on her leg and when she finally started walking on it again a day of 2 later her hock was all the way to the ground...
Kinda hard to see the wrapped leg... But it was wrapped at length and tight! In three layers...

This is me cutting it off....Because it was leaving abrasions

Front of foot after wrap removed.. This was caused by the wrap!

This is the front view of the damage the wrap caused!

When the wrap was removed the actual original cut is almost done healing... But there is now swelling in the tendon...

This picture is upside down... The bottom part is the muscle in the top of her leg.... and the is the other abrasion caused by the wrap... The one I could see above the wrap.. Just sawing away at her skin...

Took her back to the vet he said she needed surgery on the top part of her leg wear the muscle connects into the tendon... I took her to my Family vet and she said she thought the problem was lower in her leg were the staples had rubbed the tendon and caused the tendon to stretch and maybe rupture but not totally away from each other... So she sent me to a specialist at the Ohio State Animal Veterinary place... But the only appointment they could make me was Neurology.. and she thought there was some nerve damage as well so she said once I got in the door they would also have a Orthopedic surgent look at her....

Well on our first trip we went and seen neurology which said yes she had some nerve damage that may correct its self.... And he said he asked orthopedics... but come to find out he just asked an orthopedic student to look at her... So he came back and told us she need surgery.... The Neurology consult cost $250.00 even after they had told me on the phone that it was only going to be $125.00 for the consult!!! They decided to try to schedule for surgery with Dr. Au and said she would also exam her right before the surgery the next day. I asked a million questions, booked a hotel room, and then he went to mark down on Dr. Au's schedule but come to find out then they didn't have any room for her... and because they had an emergency come in they wouldn't be able to do it at all and Dr. Au's first surgical appointment available would be in 2 WEEKS! O but this needed fixed asap!!! what the heck was there issue?.. I was pissed considering I had drove 5 hours to get here and was promised I would be seen by both for full exams and they charged me double what they initially said... I left and drove home! Swearing...

Alot happened in the next two weeks and Dr. Au would be just as astonished and happy as we were...I had spoke with several Vets again in that 2 weeks. Our family vet for a check up and her vaccinations. Since we were taking her for surgery. Then I called Dr. Fallon.. ( He is our Chicken vet but he also does orthopedics) He said that if it isn't fully cut into and even if it is sometimes it can find itself and heal itself.... and I thought yeah I don't think so with Roxie because her hock was totally dropped... But I had hope...

Trip 2 to Ohio.... We go to see the very nice Orthopedics Specialist (Dr. Au) .. She checked her out and I told her how many consults I had had on her and that they all said something different.. and she looked at the chart and said the last orthopedic person was a student that looked at her... I had been lied to.. again ...so I was livid... considering I was told a specialist had looked at her on my first trip... Come to find out also... It wasn't as bad as we thought it was... Because over that 2 week wait she had started walking on her leg again... her hock had actually started to rise on its own and although she was shaky she was doing great!!! Dr. Au... Said she thought instead of it being tore, that it had just stretched because of the way it was wrapped and because of the staples... She said we would order a brace to support her tendon so it would not have further damage and see if she heals on her own. but there is a possibility that she would still need surgery to shorten them tendon. We  got the mold made and ordered her brace... $125.00 consult charge and $450.00 for a specially made orthopedic brace.... that should be in in 2 to 3 weeks. I was supposed to keep her in her kennel and not let her jump around or run outside... We did stay in Columbus at a dog friendly hotel that night...They pissed me off too... because I was promised a room with a fridge and Microwave.... Was it there .... Hell no and the manager said it would cost extra for that.... Well that not what the last guy said... err.... I hate bait and switch and Columbus was full of it...

at the hotel... Pibbie was excited to be an only dog for the night!

The next morning she had taken over and was relaxing on her mound of blankets while we got ready to go home

She was having an awesome time.. and i hope she left the bed full of Pibble hair so they had to change and wash the whole Damn thing.. considering I was supposed to have a fridge and microwave and I didn't!!! A-holes!

Well over the next 3 weeks the vet and I talked a couple of times... And finally week 4 she got the brace.... But it was made wrong so she had to send it back... So another week and a half later (total weeks to get brace 5 1/2)  we started on our journey back to Ohio State... I had not let her outside at all but I didn't keep her in her kennel all day every day either...

19 miles outside of Columbus Ohio we pull over to use the rest room at a Dairy Queen that was right off the side of the road... I am sitting in the car waiting on John and My cars starts smoking really bad.. Someone yells your car in on fire... and what do you know... it was... It totally burnt... See my other post....

after all that fun... I did finally make it to get her brace.. About an hour after her appointment.. The vet was glad to see she was doing so well and said to make her wear her brace outside and work her way up in time don't just put it on her and leave...

Pibbie looks awesome ine pink so we had to get Pibble Pink!!!!  :)




And then we were on our way to Whole foods and then home...

7/18/2011
To tell you the truth unless we have her out side... She doesn't wear the brace at all....and when she does wear it I am afraid she will jump and hurt her self. but even without the brace she has been doing awesome and now the scar tissue is even shrinking and her tendon may still look a little bit bigger but you can't even really tell she hurt herself if it wasn't for the scars...She had the best temperament all the way through this... Never once did she snap or act irritated with the vets or with messing with her hurt leg.. She did wonderfully!

While we were there on our 3 trips we found a couple of nice places to get vegan food.. They were so yummy but can be a little pricey!

My Fave Place....

Patty Cakes bakery.... Every trip we made we had such scrumptious, lovely, awesome cupcakes and cookies!!! I love this place and if I lived near it I would be broke and weigh 500lbs... lol.... My fave Cup cake.... The lemon cupcake was so awesome and lemony and just one of the best cupcakes i have ever had!!! the flavor was rig ht on and I have yet to match it at home and I have tried several times!
But they also had great Everything cookies, Chocolate chocolate chip cookies, Chocolate chip cookies, Blueberry Crumb Muffins... I don't know what else we had but we had quite a few things!!!


Merry Me Blueberry Muffin

Everything Oatmeal Cookies

Chocolate xo Cookies..I Think

Lovely Lemon.... Is very Lovely YUM!!!!

We also stopped by the Global Gallary Coffee shop and juice bar for half a vegan pizza.. It was pesto with pine nuts and daiya.. It was expensive but really yummy... I have craved that pizza ever since I had it....  (This place isn't all vegan but has vegan options)



Very small but very yummy....


We also tried some vegan muffins from Whole Foods My fave was the Orange Cranberry Muffin... But none of their muffins stand a chance next to Patty Cakes Bakery!



I think we are all glad that Pibbie's leg is doing awesome and that we don't have to make any more trips to Ohio any time soon!!!

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

4th of July: Parade, Food, & the Raptor Rehab

There are horses in the Parade every year.... I have been watching this parade for over 20 years and not one of them have urinated! But This fourth... They ended up stopping and pausing in front on the house and the horse flooded the road! It was awful and funny all at the same time.... so of course thats how our day started...lol

 So on the cooking list for the 4th!
Vegan Chocolate Chip cookies from The Joy of vegan baking (My Faves)

Both Cupcakes recipes from The Joy of vegan baking... The chocolate chocolate cake recipe with an extra 1/2 tsp of dutch processed chocolate... The Vanilla Cupcake recipe with a tsp of vanilla and a little extra vanilla. Then I made Raspberry frosting and Chocolate Peanutbutter Frosting... I think The chocolate frosting was really strong... I icing some of the Vanilla cupcakes with some artificiality clue colored icing.... I made some Raspberry and Blueberry syrup but I didn't have time to drizzle them...


I love the Raspberry Icing... But I liked it on the vanilla more than the chocolate...
A Hawaiian Rhubarb Pineapple Crumble pie... I thought this was really sour.. John liked it... It never got finished.. I through it out....

For dinner I Made Igors Special Pasta from Vegan Vittles )I love that recipe) I also made hotdog sauce and used it as sloppy joes.. John did have some hot dogs though...I just skipped those...

The West Virginia Raptor Rehab
On the 4th the West Virginia Raptor Rescue also came and spoke at the towns celebration. They did a great Job. The person who spoke is also our chickens vet! Dr. Fallon, from Cheat lake animal Hospital
This is Owlice (Like Alice but Owlice) she also has a wing injury and an eye injury after being hit by a car..Click for her story.
Annie the Red Tailed Hawk- Was found with leather tethers around her ankle begging for food and was raised by humans before she was found so should could not hunt on her own.  Click for Story



I am pretty sure this guys name is Mike and I had met him before at the vet clinic with this same Eagle. Her name is Thunder and was shot when she still had her brown head feathers... she was shot in West Virginia through her wing and leg. She now is missing part of her wing and can not be release. Click for Her Story...


Dr. Fallon
At the end of the night, John, Chey, Chey's find and I went to watch fireworks.. The kids stayed down on the play ground though and John and I had the fireworks to ourselves :)