Abu

This evening I found Abu really out of it in the bottom on her cage and rushed her to the vet. We could not find any ferret specialists but the vet on call did all she could. When they brought her back to me she was almost gone. She displayed with all the signs of being hypoglycemic but we just caught it to late... So we made the decision to have her euthanised. We love her so much. She crossed the Rainbow Bridge around 7:55pm tonight. She will be terribly missed not only by us but by her cage mate Spanx.

This is Abu last fall. 

Pasta with Kale, Tomato, Garlic, & Thyme

Link to Recipe Below!
I loved this recipe so much. It took a couple minutes to make because I made it all in one pot. But it was worth it! Most of the time is inactive and the flavor is awesome! I am excited to make this for my husband because I know he will love it!

This is another Martha Stewart Website Recipe. I changed only one thing I added a couple pinches of dried thyme instead of fresh. Plus the pasta is pictured but not talked about in the recipe... So I used a 16oz pack of Fettuccine. Well Actually half of it since I only made half a recipe.

2 Kale Soups & Raspberry Vanilla Cupcakes

Kale is highly nutritious filled with antioxidants and is also an anti-inflammatory food. So when I notice we haven't been having enough greens in our diet I turn to kale. There is a ton of ways you can make it and I have been trying some of the recipes I have found online out. Here is the first two I tried this time. I will have more to come though. In the past I have also posted about Kale & Potato Soup & Kale and Potato Enchiladas. 

Sausage and Kale Soup

This is one recipe I loved from the Martha Stewart Website. She has a whole list of kale recipes and this has been my favorite. 

 Here are my simple & quick changes I made to make it vegan. So Simple.

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 teaspoon crushed red-pepper flakes

5 potatoes (1 1/2 pounds), peeled and cut into 1/2-inch chunks

1 1/2 Boxes of No Chicken Broth By Imagine or Veg stock of your choice

1 Bunch kale (12 ounces), stemmed and shredded

1 Package Light Life Veggies Sausage, Pre-Cooked before you add it to the soup. You could use Tofurky sausage as well. 

Read more at Marthastewart.com: Sausage-and-Kale Soup - Martha Stewart Recipes 

Kale and White Bean Soup

This was also from the Martha Stewart Website. It turned out ok. But It wasn't one of my faves.
It would be a good soup when your sick. It kinda reminds me of a "chicken" soup type soup. But with an extra boost of Nutrition!!! So I will have it next time I get sick... But with some added pasta. The left overs I used as pasta topping :)

The Changes I made to this soup recipe was that I used No chick broth by Imagine and No Parm Cheese. Oyeah and I forgot to buy bread, so no bread...

Cupcakes for My Mom's B-day! Yum.

The Joy of vegan baking Vanilla Cupcakes! Yum.

Homemade Raspberry Sauce for the Cupcakes. This sauce reminds me of the sauce that is in those Non Vegan  swirl cakes in the cookie section of stores. It was so good and I had a lot left over. So I have been adding it to

I used this recipe for Strawberry filling minus the soy milk. When it was cooked down quite I bit I started adding powdered sugar to the raspberries because they are more sour/bitter then strawberries and take alot more sugar. So I just kept adding extra heaping tsps of Powdered sugar till it was a good taste for me. Probably atleast 8 heaping tsp.

http://dulcedoblog.blogspot.com link above.Frosting
Adapted from a recipe by Cheryl at The Cupcake Bakeshop
1 cup butter, room temperature
6-8 cups sifted powdered sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/4 cup light vanilla soy milk

Vanilla Cupcakes from The Joy of Vegan Baking. With some Fudge icing and shredded chocolate.

These are the same vanilla cupcakes from The Joy of Vegan baking with the Raspberry Glaze under the icing. With Raspberry Vanilla "Butter" Creme. John and I Loved these! I added a little to much "Butter" to the frosting so it kept melting... oops. But it was so good. I used two tubs of Premaid vegan icing and then added 2 sticks of Vegan butter. It was really good but wouldn't hold shape.  Plus I added some Raspberry sauce to the frosting. Next time I will drizzle the raspberry sauce over the cupcakes to make them super cute! And fill them.

A Doctors Visit

Again I have been missing from my own blog. I have cooked a few times and I have been doing a few other things that hopefully I will get updated soon.

Just a small update on my Health issues:

I did finally go back to the Doctor..After waiting almost a year because I was in so much pain after I went for a few sessions last year with my normal Doctor. I went back to the same office but to the Doctor who bought the office from the Doctor I normally see. Both of them are Spine Manipulator/ GPs. The Newest Doctor is younger, really nice and seemed interested in not only finding out what I did to my back over a year ago, but finding out why I have EN and determining a few other personal things that go along with it. He was astonished that no one had taken X-rays of my back or done testing on some other issues that I have had for a long time. He took 6 or 7  X-Rays of my Mid spine and sent for the chest X-rays & one blood test that was done a few years ago. So I am waiting on my X-ray results and to see what he thinks of the Chest X-rays and Blood work.  Then he will let me know what we are doing next. I would be more specific with my health issues but I would rather get the results first before I decide if I would like to share it with everyone.

I am excited to work with this Doctor. He actually sat down and talked with me about everything that everyone else had blown off. He said that he can work with me since I have no insurance and find me lower cost places to have some tests ran after he finds out which ones he wants to per sue. So I hope my expectations are met and I don't get my hopes dashed by another Doctor.  I am a little worried to see the test results, it has been a long time since some of my health issues started.  Fingers crossed that he can get my back to feeling better and he can figure out my other health issues and that its not anything bad. But it is better to know then not to know so things can be done....

One the upside.... For the last two years I have not had a cold or the Flu.... Knock of wood... lol... I used to get atleast 2 colds a year, One at the beginning of winter and one at the end and normally another somewhere in the middle. But since becoming vegan I haven't had this issue.... I don't know exactly why since I haven't ate the best since I have hurt my back... But I guess I am eating healthy enough that the colds by pass me... Thank God... and I don't take any Vitamins or Medications at all either... So Its not like Pilled Vitamins are taking up for my slack... I do however still have allergies..hmmmm. wish they would go away...

New Truck

Purchased a New truck! Well New to us. It is actually a 2002 Dodge Dakota. John has been wanting a truck for a while. We had paid off some of our debt and his job has been going well so we decided it was time. We both really love the truck.  We can haul things in the truck instead of the back of the car...lol... so I am looking forward to be able to get some things done this year without cutting wood into a million pieces and then putting it back together.

So far we have hauled: 3 Half ton loads of gravel, OSB , A Door, Kerosene, my new credenza (to post soon), and many more things,.....

Getting ready to bring home: our new sofa!!! yay :) Some mulch, bulk pea gravel, some more sub flooring, siding for the chicken coop, flooring for the two bedrooms, and we need a new bath tub because ours cracked... But we will have to wait till Johns job picks back up some so we have the money for the tub and surround. Hope thats before the end of summer... We have some other things to haul but I will  not bore you. I am excited and can't wait. Just hope my back will let me help get this work done!