Pinterest Win! Crusty Bread Goodness

I saw this recipe originally on Pinterest and it sounded too good to be true. Could I really bake artisan bread so easily, without kneading?

The original author suggested using a Le Creuset, enamel coated cast iron pot. I showed my husband the photo on Pinterest and he said, "Buy one." Yes, the appearance of this bread alone holds power.

With his blessing, I went to order a beautiful, blue Le Creuset online, then stopped dead in my tracks. HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS FOR A POT???!!!

I thought about finding a cheaper version until I learned my mother in law had one of these precious Le Creuset pots. She received it as a farewell gift when she retired.

I don't know how I'm not going to tear into this loaf of heaven before the husband returns home. Something tells me I'll be stirring up another loaf tonight, to bake in the morning. 

If you have dental work done, make sure your dentist doesn't use injections that contain vasoconstrictors. Epinephrine is added to prolong numbing, however it is a vasoconstrictor which can damage your nerves. I have no proof, this is what happened to me, but I wish I could go back in time and ask my dentist to use Mepivacaine or Carbocaine. Those two medicines do not contain vasoconstrictors.

First available appointment with a neurologist- end of August. The receptionist asking me what the appointment is for and then saying, "Oh, you poor dear," not helping. Grateful my regular doctor is phoning in a prescription for pain meds. Trigeminal neuralgia, I hate you. I will defeat you!

I want to thank everyone for your prayers and/or uplifting thoughts. Emotionally I feel lifted and physically all of the episodes I've gone through the last 24 hours have been pain level 5 out of 10 or less! That's a great improvement for me! I'm learning new pain relieving techniques, and I'm hopeful I will overcome this. Thank you for your love and support!

One Step Forward, Yanked Two Steps Back

I've been given the opportunity to learn how to function while in extreme pain. The clinical diagnosis is trigeminal neuralia. I know soon, my general practitioner will be referring me to a neurologist because the prescription medicine doesn't appear to be working for me.

At any given moment, without a warning, without a trigger, the left side of my face screams out in electrical, sharp, paralyzing pain. It also attacks the left side of my tongue. On a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the worst imaginable, my pain level often reaches 9, and I find myself in the fetal position consumed in misery. Its a pain I wouldn't wish on my enemy.

When I'm not being attacked, I walk around in fear, wondering when the next assault will happen. Will I be home and able to lay down? Will I be at work and have to fight through it to keep a smile on my face for customers? To look at me, you cannot see anything wrong with me. 

There is a high rate of suicide among people afflicted with trigeminal neuralgia. Doctors say this is one of the most painful conditions known to man.

I'm praying I will be cured. I'm praying I will be delivered from this pain. I'm praying I will not fall further into the depression I am now slipping into. 

I'm posting two videos below, mostly for my future reference as I navigate this new challenge in my life.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wYpWgeC3K-s&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ypckUpTtXPs&feature=related

My Poor, Poor, Garden

These are suppose to be cucumbers. Our area is going through a drought, so I've been watering everyday. Unfortunately, we're on a city water system, and I believe they add too much chlorine. I have several plants that have gone from thriving to dying even though I've been watering faithfully.

If it wasn't the drought, it was pests. I was trying to be organic and not use chemicals. I attempted to pick off most of the bugs I could by hand, but they just got too numerous for me to keep up with. I know bunnies ate my broccoli, but that wouldn't have grown to maturity in this hot weather.

Its very discouraging, and I find myself questioning whether its worth it to garden. Something inside of me doesn't want to give up though. I did all I could. The weather just didn't cooperate this year.

I plan on reworking the beds and trying for some fall, salad type crops. I can always hope for better weather. 

Feeling sad for my garden. I've been watering everyday, but I'm still losing plants. We've had 100+ temps and no rain for about a month. I've had no choice but to use city water, and I think its too high in chlorine. Maybe I should invest in a filter for my garden hose?

Why I Hate The Mom's Hostage Toy Bin Photo

My 16 year old son wiped off the table we had just finished eating at in Taco Bell. He didn't wipe it off because I asked him to. He didn't wipe it off because he was fearful I would take his cheese & lettuce crumbs and make him do a chore to get them back. (Wait, I'm guessing the "toys for ransom" method of teaching responsibility would backfire when it comes to food crumbles.)

He witnessed how busy the Taco Bell worker was trying to keep up with the register and cleaning tables. He chose to wipe down the table as a gesture of caring and respect.

Not once while raising him did we ever have to hold his toys hostage. Instead my husband & I modeled how you wipe down a table at home because it leaves it clean for the next time you need it.

Sometimes, he leaves his hoodie on the couch. I'll gladly hang it on his hoodie hook in his room. Sometimes I leave my water glass on the end table. He carries it to the sink for me. I will fold the clothes from the dryer, but sometimes my back doesn't allow me to carry it upstairs. If I leave the basket at the bottom of the stairs, the next person in my nest always brings it up, without comment or complaint. He decides to head out and ride his bike. He'll bring in the mail before he closes the garage door after he's returned. Cat drops a bomb, first one who smells it scoops it because we all know, Yumi can't flush.

Maintenance in our Sleepyhouse is shared by all who live here because we love and respect each other. Our children learned this because we modeled love and respect. It was easy. We didn't have to motivate them using fear of punishment. 

Other parents may think Mom's hostage toy bin is a wonderful idea, but I prefer to have my children make noble decisions because it is what is righteous, not because they fear loss or fear getting into trouble.

A supermom I know has written an excellent blog post on this debate. She covers every valid point and in my opinion, wins this debate hands down. Click here to read it.

My mom taught me the golden rule. Do unto others as you would have done unto you. Its not that difficult to raise responsible children using this method.

Love In Every Stitch - Hats Available

I have been knitting hats on a circle loom in memory of a beloved little guy who tragically has drown. His mama has always been a very inspiring woman to me, and my heart was broken when I heard of her loss. I cried, I prayed, but until my fingers reached for my yarn stash, I felt so helpless.

Elijah's mama loves the color red. She wears it often, and it was her favorite color to dress little Elijah in. The color red has a special meaning to me as well. When I visualize God comforting me, he wraps me up in a red blanket of love.

I decided to turn my grief to action and knit hats with red pom poms. My hope is people will buy them from me, and I can donate 100% of the money to the Elijah Rainbow Memorial Fund. Click here to see the Facebook page. There is a Mycause site where you are able to donate as well, click here.

I have no experience with Etsy or with selling anything ever online. I have no idea how I will be able to sell my hats, but I'm hoping and praying those details will work themselves out, and I will soon be able to bless this family who has suffered such a terrible loss.

I know what it feels like to not be able to hold your little one in your arms because they're in heaven. I also know the love and support we can share with each other will help us through, until we can once again wrap our arms around those we love in heaven.

If you are interested in purchasing a hat, please contact me. I have infant, child and adult sizes and a few other colors if you'd like something other than turquoise & navy. Each hat will have a red pom pom in memory of Eljiah Rainbow, but that can be removed if you prefer not to have a pom pom.

(I'd also appreciate anyone who can advise me on how, and where I can sell my Elijah Rainbow hats.)

Thank you.  


 

Food For Fines time once again at the library. I love this! Living as autodidacts, its a given we very often have library late fees. Usually I tell myself to think of overdue fines as "library donations." When they have the Food For Fines drive, I feel better dropping off jars of peanut butter and tuna for needy families in my town. It actually may cost me more, but without the free school breakfast & lunch programs for many of our town's kids during the summer, I can't help but feel better about this opportunity to help out.

My Dirty Girl Experience June 30,2012

The Dirty Girl Run is a 5K mud run obstacle course. I had such a wonderful time! It was awesome to be supported by most of my family and having all my sisters there either participating with me or supporting me made it even more special. I can't wait to do it again!

We signed up last March and decided to name our team, The Mudtinis Skaken Not Stirred. I built up my endurance, walking up to 3+ miles several times a week. I knew I could go the distance, but I was worried about our extreme hot weather. Turns out all that mud really does keep you cooled off. Elephants really are smart.

The Course:

The first obstacle was the hay bales. They were stacked up maybe 15-20 feet high. Climbing over them was a little unnerving because they were starting to fall apart. Depending on where you stepped, you could find yourself sinking in. When we were on the course, it was late morning. I don't think those bales made it through the day.

Next came several muddy water pits. These were cool and refreshing but my knees got scraped up. Little bits of gravel from the mud had settled on the bottom. Next time, I'm wearing knee pads.

The one obstacle I didn't do was the wall. There was a huge line of women, waiting for their turn to try and get over it. None of my sisters wanted to wait so we walked around it.

They had several water stations throughout the course and given the temperature was in the 90's with a heat index around 100, I made a point to drink at every water station whether I thought I needed it or not. I covered my head with a bandana so my scalp wouldn't burn and my skin was covered by several layers of sunscreen.

The walk itself we took slow and steady. The ground was very hard and dry with ruts all over. I have no idea how anyone could run without turning an ankle. Most everyone doing the "run" was actually walking.

There was a huge dirt hill with a steep way up and down. They had ropes to help you climb up and repel down with. I wasn't sure I could do it, but I did! When I got to the top, it didn't feel so difficult after all. Repelling down went smooth as well. It was really mind over matter.

We ran through tires both on the ground and another obstacle where they were hanging up.

We climbed through stretchy ropes that had you feeling you were going to get stuck as if some giant spider was waiting for a meal.

There were sandy, dirty hills a dirt bike would love, but your human knees, not so much. The last hill was pretty steep, and just as I thought I wouldn't make it, another event participant, a complete stranger, turned and offered me her hand. This event had that girl power spirit. We were all there to help each other through it.

I had made up my mind I was going to master the cargo net climb. I have a fear of heights and this obstacle was pretty high, but after the steep hill with the ropes, I decided this course was mostly mental, not physical. I attacked it focusing on grabbing securely with each hand and really planting my foot on each step. The cargo net was covered in mud, and I didn't want to slip. I never thought about how high I was, and I made it up and over. The entire time I could hear my niece, Raven, cheering me on. It was emotional and awesome! DH said he was proud of how I just kept going and never stopped. He said he was worried if I did stop, I would freeze up. I know focusing on each hand grip and foot plant, never stopping to actually think about where I was, helped me get through this obstacle so smoothly.

My least favorite obstacle was the sticky mud army crawl. This mud obstacle didn't have much water. The mud was thick and sticky. The kind that would pull off your shoe. The cargo net was so low, you had no choice but to crawl through on your belly, like a snake. The mud was so slippery it was difficult to grab a hold and move forward. Afterward, I heard another woman had rolled across. I wish I had known about that technique. I slithered like a snake, trying really hard not to have to put my face it in. For a brief moment, my claustrophobia kicked in, but I quieted my fear by just telling myself, Keep Going! You will get through this and not be stuck. The mud was so thick, it tore off my race bib. I was grateful my shirt didn't rip.

When we were through the entire course. I felt like I could have done it a second time right then and there. I wasn't as tired as I thought I would be. I didn't even feel hot. Covered in all the mud really helped.

The uncomfortable experiences for me came afterward. The rinse off stations were pumping out ice cold water that took your breath away. I couldn't stand in them for more than a few seconds or I was going to hyperventilate trying to breathe. It was very difficult to try and get all the mud off.

The changing area was so crowded, there was no room. I decided to change in a handicap sized Port O Potty. Yuck! I did my best to remove as much mud as I could with the towels I had brought. Next time, I'm bringing an old sheet to wrap up in and just driving home to clean up.

When I do this again, I'm bringing baby wipes or camping wipes. I'm also not wearing a t-shirt. A sports bra and tank top would have been much more easy to pull over my head. I'm putting conditioner in my hair and letting it stay there to help my hair absorb less mud. I'll also be scheduling a manicure and pedicure for the day after. After 3 rinse off/showers my feet still have dirt around my toe nails. But it was all so worth it!  I had a fantastic time with my sisters and my family cheering us on!

Beware Vampires! I've harvested my organic garlic.

It seemed to be too early, only 6/19/12, but the outward signs made be believe it was time I harvest our garlic bed, which I had planted last October. This was my first year growing garlic. I tried Spanish Roja, German Porcelain, Musik and Elephant garlic.

The Spanish Roja seemed to take a beat down. It was on the south end of the bed, and I think we had one too many wind storms. It was completely blown over. I didn't expect to have anything, but to my surprise, I was able to dig up bulbs. They're smaller, with red skins.

The German Porcelain came out great. It's really white. I will plant this variety again.

The Musik also looked really good. I wish I had planted more of it. I had only planted 6. Next season, I will definitely plant more!

The Elephant was fun to watch growing. It was so much larger than the others. It resembled corn plants. (I threw my toes in the photo for scale.) It has little, fresh looking cloves on the bottom so perhaps I harvested these plants too soon. I will have to taste it after it cures before I decide whether I grow Elephant again. It was fun, but it does take up a lot of space.

I will cure the garlic in our garage for a week, remove some of the stalks and roots and cure for another 2 weeks before moving into storage. It will be difficult to save some bulbs for replanting this fall. I will want to eat them all!

For my records, I purchased these starter bulbs at Jung Garden Center.
From left to right: 2 rows of Spanish Roja (looks dead), 2 rows of German Porcelain, 1 row of Musik, 2 Elephant garlics

Decompressing

I'm in decompress mode. I've been so busy, and I seem to be having more days where I end up lacking energy. I'm reaching the point where I need to STOP and CHILL before I over stress and make myself sick.

People were bringing me down. That's another sign I know I need to STOP and find my inner peace. A customer was really rude to me. I recognized she was stealing my joy, but I also realized, I'd rather she yell at me than have her treat someone else so poorly. I can eventually shake off her negative energy when I turn my focus elsewhere. Maybe this was why she was placed on my path? Because God knew I could rise above her brokenness and see past it.

I've been trying to get ready for the Dirty Girl Run, or as I prefer to call it, the Dirty Girl Hike. My sister has been a tremendous support for me. Others have not been so supportive. I've been told flat out, "You can't do this." I suppose this is because they look at my body and see only fat. They don't know this fat girl can walk over 3 miles, no problem. Thankfully my sister reminds me we are in it together, and we'll take as much time as we need to finish, and then I feel more encouraged. I will never be a runner. I'm just too well endowed. I can hike though, and I can hike for longer distances now.

The garden has been a good stress reliever. I probably should be weeding a little more, but I have been faithfully watering and picking off harmful bugs. My baby spinach bolted almost immediately, but I am still being rewarded with my favorite garden candy, Sugar Snap Peas. For some reason the Swiss Chard is really slow to grow this year, but my spaghetti squash is looking fabulous. Hard to believe after buying those sad looking plants at the nursery. The melons all look really good too. The potatoes have me wanting to keep building the raised bed even higher. Maybe I'll just try the straw cover at this point. The last time we raised the sides of the potato bed it took so much dirt to fill it. I cut the scapes off of the garlic and the leaves are turning brown. I think I will harvest it in 2 weeks time.

I was caught up in the idea we should have a summer bucket list. I kept asking the boys, "What should we do? What do you want to do to make this summer memorable?" We had a hard time coming up with answers and then one day I decided to stop worrying about it. I spent the day making silly videos with them and had a blast. It dawned on me, this is our summer bucket list goal. Just have fun and don't worry about planning so much.

I'm looking forward to spending the weekend with my family. We'll take DH out for Father's Day. I don't have gifts yet for him. A few things have been ordered, but they won't arrive in time. Instead I will focus on just giving him a good, weekend experience since he works so hard all week. We'll have lunch out on Saturday at "The Lob" as the boys like to call it. (Red Lobster) On Sunday we're planning a hike in the woods in Troll country.

One more thing I want to mention. My sister has inspired me to create a safe, calm, sanctuary spot in my nest. We're both frustrated we're not dropping much weight despite how much walking we've been doing. My doctor said, "Your heart sounds excellent, but after 40, its very difficult for women to lose weight, even if you eat right and exercise. Try add weight training."  I also read about how stress will prevent you from losing weight. Toxins are stored in your fat. When you are stressed, your body already has enough toxins to purge through. It doesn't want you to burn fat releasing more toxins to the mix. My sister and I both plan on making meditation and stress release a daily part of our routines. I also took it as a sign when I opened my Dove chocolate and the wrapper read, "Create A Happy Place."

I hope you all have a great weekend. I'll be doing my best to create one myself.

I'm reading Better Than College, How To Build A Successful Life Without A Four Year Degree by Blake Boles. I love books that make me think. What are you reading this summer?

Why am I so afraid to go and get my haircut?

Strawberry Sorbet

Description:
Ending up with sore stretched legs after all that strawberry picking was well worth it. I'm wishing I would have picked more so I could make several more quarts of this sorbet to get me through the summer.

This was so delicious and easy, I fell in love with my ice cream maker once again.

I've seen recipes for strawberry sorbet where you strain and remove the tiny seeds. I'm too lazy for that. I didn't mind the seeds at all. The texture was still smooth enough for me.

The next time I make this, which I assure you will be very soon, I will try dissolving honey instead of sugar and see how it tastes.

Ingredients:
Fresh strawberries, washed and stems removed, about 4 1/2 cups
1/2 cup of water
1/2 cup of sugar

Directions:
Bring the water to a simmer and then remove from the heat.

Stir in the sugar until it is dissolved.

Fill your blender with strawberries and the sugar water and puree.

Chill this mixture, or if you're impatient like me, start off with already chilled berries.

Pour the mixture into an ice cream maker and let the appliance do its magic.

I have a Cuisinart and had perfectly frozen sorbet in only about 15 minutes. It took all my will power to only enjoy one half cup serving and then freeze the rest in a quart container.

Strawberry Picking June 1st, 2012

Its strawberry picking time here in Southern WI. It arrived a little sooner this year, but I'm up for it. I love fresh picked, local berries!

They are a little smaller this year, but my mom was right. Smaller berries taste better than larger ones. I think the strawberry flavor is more condensed in smaller berries. The larger ones we buy in the supermarket don't taste nearly as good.

If we don't eat them all up immediately, I will freeze some for smoothies. I still have jam left from last year, so there's no need to make jam this year. We will probably go back next week and pick more if I can find storage room.

I've always wanted to grow strawberries, but it seem like a lot of work. The plants in my area aren't cheap either. I tried to grow strawberries from less expensive roots, but they didn't grow. I spent $7 on this 4 quart bucket. I think I'll just keep picking from our local strawberry farm.

What's Been Happening In My Life, May 2012

Our weather has been very summer like and that means I've been outside gardening rather than inside blogging. I do want to take some time to jot down a few notes on what's been going on in my life recently. With my memory, I have to make a point to journal or I will forget.

Mother's Day ~ We spent the day in Kenosha visiting with DMIL. We browsed some interesting antique stores, walked along the lakefront and enjoy a late lunch/early supper at Kaisers. My boys gave me a Lady Antebellum CD and a stability ball. I'm really enjoying both gifts.

The following weekend, DH & I met DMIL at ElkHorn,WI for a morning of antique flea marketing. We found an old soda pop bottle crate for the boys' coke bottle collection. We thought it was cool because it has Kenosha painted on the side. Kenosha is where my husband's family originated from. Most of the other antiques were over priced, but it was still fun to enjoy a stroll in the sun looking at interesting items.

Later that week, my parents arrived for an extended weekend visit through Memorial Day. (Photo is of my dad and DS13.) For our anniversary they gave us a new de-humidifier for our basement. I didn't think our basement was that humid, but the machine is pulling out over a gallon of water every 12 hours. I've been using the water for the garden. We could hook up a hose and drain the appliance, but I like giving the garden the free water.

The garden is coming along nicely. I have planted the following this year: Roma tomatoes, Grape tomatoes, swiss chard, spinach, beets, sugar snap peas, garlic, potatoes, popcorn, cucumbers, zucchini, broccoli, Italian broccoli, sugar baby watermelon, french cantaloupe, and a honey dew melon. I've run out of room for the carrots and more popcorn, but my boss and my neighbor have offered me garden space if I want to use it. Another neighbor shared with me both garlic chives and regular chives. I planted them near the garlic. The garden is keeping me very busy.

My tooth is healing. I had a crown put on. The drilling and sensitivity has really upset my nerves. Dealing with increased grass pollen this year is also not helping me feel any better. It is slowly healing and getting better. I'm now only taking Advil every 12 hours instead of every 6. It has really slowed me down though. I'm looking forward to feeling better soon.

While my parents were here, we had several cookouts and meals with extended family. They also took us out to lunch. Its going to be a challenge to get back on track eating more healthy.

I also need to punch up my exercise routine because the Dirty Girl Run is a little over one month away. My sisters and I are getting excited, but I will admit, I'm starting to get a little nervous. I know I can hike a 5K no problem, but honestly, I've never done so covered in mud. I mentioned to my sister I may just bring a change of dry socks in a zip lock baggie to change into after the first mud hole obstacle and she said if I do that, she will push me back in. LOL! My son will probably shoot video, so I'll be sure to share that.

Speaking of the boys, they are doing great. DS16 has been working on several filming projects, some for fun, some for business. DS13 is learning more and more about bike repair. He's been riding quite a bit and of course, things wear down or break, so he's been learning how to make repairs on his own to save money. I suggested to him if the police officer plan doesn't work out, he could always end up running a bike repair shop. He's still planning on being a police officer.

I've been inspired to begin an Artist journal - not an art journal. An Artist journal has of course art in it, but it also can become a personal journal, noting details of daily life. I've always hated the way I draw and I think I just need to stop thinking that way and start drawing. I will improve over time or learn to love my unique style.

I really have to take the time to stop and journal more frequently. I really can't remember things very well, certainly not dates, so keeping notes really helps me.

My body has confirmed it. Mother Nature is ahead of schedule. Sticky, scratchy eyes, runny nose, aaachoo..aachoo...those white fuzzies floating around in the air usually don't start here until the first week in June, but here I am mid May in full allergy mode. The past few years, it hasn't really bothered me, but this year those white fuzzies are making up it. Curse you Cottonwood tree!

Happy Mother's Day to all Moms! I'm so grateful for my children, who've allowed me to claim this role and my husband who helps and supports me. I can remember being a little girl, dreaming of the day I'd be a real mom. Motherhood is such a blessing! I'm also very grateful to have been given a wonderful mother who has inspired me to love, laugh and be strong.