Category Archives: cooking

Simple Sunday

Posted in California, cancer, cooking, decluttering, home stuff, Pantry, simple foods, Uncategorized by

I didn’t sleep well last night. I’m not sure if it was the heat or what. So, I decided not to walk at 6am and will go to the gym to use the treadmill. Some days are just like that. Today is the last really hot day. Then it looks pretty nice after Tuesday.

Things are quiet around here, and I’m glad. After all the chainsawing last week and giant machinery, it’s welcome. This coming week looks OK. I’ll go pick up the sleep test in Roseville. I’ll need to Google it as I’m not sure where the location is. Then I return it a few days later. It would all be a lot easier if they just looked at my Apple Watch data, which says sleep apnea. sigh:( I’ll proceed with what the Dr. says, but I don’t even see him again till late October. The world of doctors and medical appointments really does suck.

I’ve done a little more decluttering, mostly paper stuff, but some odds and ends too. I have quite a few books to donate to either the library friends or the pet bookstore, whichever comes first.

Last night I cooked a crockpot meal, and it was good. I had 2 bags of cooked chicken, although it wasn’t a lot in each bag, and I had a bag of chopped peppers from who knows when. So I chopped up an onion, added a can of cream of mushroom soup that I had in the pantry and wanted to use, and a random pouch of onion soup. I added some taqereia sauce to add a little spice. I just cooked on low for a few hours because the chicken was already cooked. Then I boiled some egg noodles and added them. I liked it. It’s probably not my daughter’s favorite, but I use up a bunch of random things. So win-win.

This is my son’s chair he had in the barn, so I’m using that a my place to sit in B’s office. It’s very comfortable, although you wouldn’t guess that. I’m debating moving my Heywood desk in there. I guess I could try it, and if I don’t like it, move it back out. The Heywood is very heavy, though.

Reorganizing for one.

Posted in California, cooking, Death, decluttering, husband, ikea, Uncategorized by

Actually, it is my daughter and myself here but the reorganizing is really for me without my husband.

I’ve been reorganizing his office area where he had his computer, files etc.

I’ve mostly cleared out B’s desk area and shelves. I’m leaving some things of his there as mementos. On the wall are some of his oldest Dylan records he had as a teenager. Some on Dylan’s first albums. The next step is to take the desk out since I have my desk area in a different space. His Ikea shelves I’ll leave there as my daughter has cleaned out and painted the studiio so some odds and ends are getting placed on the shelves. ( the star war figures and some other things). But old notebooks, plus all his UCD notes etc, I’ve tossed. I’m using some Ikea white cardboard boxes to keep his favorite T shirts and hats in for now. They’re on the shelves too.

His dresser, (an older Heywood Wakefield), I mostly emptied but havent put much back in there. I have his belt buckles in a box and then some trinkets of his in another box. The kids took the stuff they wanted so really all that’s left is some odds and ends besides the important stuff. The dresser will stay where it is in the bedroom because at night when I get up I use that to lean on to feel stable before I go into the bathroom.

In reorganizing the closet, I just have my jeans and T=shirts and some sweaters hanging plus what’s left of his. I have his UNFI jackets hanging there too. I’m certainly doing a lot less laundry and that is nice in a way, sort of. B always did the laundry so I’m doing some now but mostly my daughter takes out what I put in the laundry bag every few days. Usually, we’d do laundry,(one small load), a day.

Of course, I’m organizing my weeks differently since I don’t have all his medical appointments to do. Having cancer and getting treatment is a full time job especially when things are going wrong like needing platelets and blood transfusions. So now, it’s just my appts and they are pretty low key.

I’m still organizing my swim, gym and library days though. This week is different becasue I had 2 appts and the PGE tree guys are going to be here and I’m not sure if that’s going to end up one day or two or more. Even after the tree is down, the wood reclamation guys need to come get it all. So that leaves me not able to get to the pool or gym until maybe Friday?? Next week is also off since I have the sleep apnea test and that means going to Roseville one day to pick up and then another day to drop off so that will not leave me too many choices for swimming or the gym.

Reorganizing the kitchen and food prep is also ongoing. We are just not eating the same. I’m not sure if it’s because there’s one less person or if it’s just summer blues, but meal time has been difficult. I’m actually starting a list of what we’re actually eating as some stuff has been tossed because we’re not eating it. I’ve always done menu planning ,like forever, and that has gone out the window. I still have my meal plans but am just not using them. Maybe down the road, but with just the two of us, not sure if that’s necessary. I’ve gotten rid of extra dishes, pots and bowls too because we aren’t using half of it. I’ve also reorganized pantry stuff. I’m only using two of my Far Nienete wine crates for food storage. I still need to go through and see if anything is dated or not.

Simple Sunday

Posted in Blood test, California, camping, cooking, Death, home stuff, Walking by

I haven’t slept well on Dex these past few nights, so I feel like I’m running on empty. Hopefully, a nap today will catch me up. I go for my labs tomorrow and should have some results by Thursday. Fingers crossed it’s about the same. I felt so low, I didn’t even walk this morning, which is my favorite morning to walk.

Our weather is finally going to cool down, and next week looks super nice. I’d like to get back to eating out on the patio again. Plus, we can get more watering done if it’s not crazy hot.

We had a busy day yesterday with chores in town. We dropped off a load at Goodwill, went to the car wash, then down to the paint store. My daughter has a keen eye for color and picked some lovely shades of green for the studio. I picked up some misc we needed, like bee traps.

Then my son came over and did the metal load to the dump. He thinks there’s one more load of junk, and then the old wood would be the final trip for this year at least. I’m going to walk out there later and survey the situation. He hung around long enough for my brother to show up with tacos for us all. My brother needed my daughter to help him with some computer stuff. So all in all, a nice little family gathering.

I have my trip to the coast booked, and I’ll be bringing some of B’s ashes with me to scatter. It won’t be much, it’s sort of a token gesture. He loved that part of the coast, so it’ll be nice to be over there in his memory. After that, it’s still the Tahoe trip, but it’s completely undecided how we are doing it. I have the reservations(of course, because you have to book 6 months out), but I don’t really want to trailer with Rubi. We’re tossing around a few ideas, but nothing solid yet. I’m fairly sure I’m going to sell the trailer, but when is the question? Frankly, it’s too much for me to handle maintenance etc. Plus, I can’t drive the truck to even pull the trailer, and I have no desire to learn that. I don’t want the trailer just sitting there and not being used. So we’ll see. The thought has crossed my mind to see about a trade-in for something else, but I’m not sure what yet, so?? I guess these are the adjustments you just have to make when someone dies.

I’m staying home today and doing a once-around-the-house tidy up. I’ve washed inside windows and dusted. I have some brown rice cooking for dinner and plan on making a small rice chicken casserole. I have chicken shredded from the freezer that I want to use up.

I ordered a pair of compression socks from Bombas, and I hope they will help my legs. My knee seems to be doing ok, but my legs do get a sort of tired syndrome, so I’m hoping compression socks can help that. I guess that’s what nurses wear for their 12-hour shifts. I’ve decided I am going to get the next steroid shot, so I’ll call and see when I can get that. Does anyone wear compression socks regularly?

Other than that, not much else is happening. What’s happening in your neck of the woods? It’s always interesting to read about how other people live and the weather they have.

Simple Sunday

Posted in Blood test, California, cooking, swimming by

We’re experiencing a bit of a heat wave. Mid-90s all week. I’ve closed all the windows and that keeps the cool in for a while. I think after this week it drops back down to the 80s. We are trying not to water too much, but just enough to keep things going. Our water bill always skyrockets in summer.

I finally got to the pool and loved spending 30 minutes swimming. Although I am definitely sore from doing it. With the 4th of July next week, I need to look at what day I can get a swim in without being stuck in ‘vacation’ traffic.

On a positive note, my kappa light chains came down a point to 19.6. High normal is 19.4, so all good there. I don’t even see Dr. L till August sometime. My LLS grant is used up, and so hopefully next month there’ll be some funding for myeloma. I haven’t heard that any funding has opened in quite a while, so I’ll just need to be checking daily.

My son came and took a load to the thrift store. That got rid of some old exercise equipment. I doubt he’ll get to the next dump run till after the 4th.

My daughter made a delightful black bean chili for dinner the other night. I froze 2 portions for later lunches. I’m using the Souper Saver cubes. They are really great, and if you freeze leftovers, check them out. I first saw them on Facebook, where Steve Sando( Rancho Gordo) was cooking basic beans and showed them. After the beans are frozen, you pop them out and store them in a ziplock or other reusable baggie.

Here’s a picture of a cholla cactus blossom.

You don’t want to get too close to these.

The news coming out of the white house and all the departments is so discouraging. It’s also so alarming. I’ve got my NYT sub, and I also do The Hill and The Atlantic. Some of the op eds are truly scary to read about where this administration is going. It’s hard to imagine where we’ll be in 3 more years.

Midweek Musings

Posted in California, cancer, cooking, hospice, peritoneal mesothelomia by

We met with the hospice intake nurse yesterday. I was so impressed with the efficiency and information. She was so obliging with everything. She made a list of what B needs, like oxygen, a shower chair, etc, and by 5:30 that evening, it was being delivered. I was kind of blown away. They showed us how the oxygen works, so when he needs it, it’ll be there. He hasn’t really needed it yet.

Today, I need to go to town to pick up his medication. All of his meds now will be through hospice, but his pain med had already been filled yesterday. I couldn’t go get it because my daughter headed down to work.

Last night I did the big salad of spring mix, tomatoes, cucumbers, and the leftover polenta. Then I pan-fried the Costco breaded chicken(freezer), which, by the way, is quite good. B ate some polenta and a bit of salad.

The nurse gave us a binder with info and a 24-hour call number if anything comes up. My biggest concern is B falling. Especially because it most likely will be his low blood counts that he will succumb to. When his hemoglobin drops too low, then that’ll probably be it. The drop in hemoglobin will cause him to be even more unsteady.

I’m continuing to putter around the house, and I have a nice little load to go to Goodwill. Any duplicates of things are what I’m focusing on. Also, in the kitchen, I have a number of OXO containers I’m not using and don’t foresee using, so I’m passing those on. As always, I am looking around for ways to streamline the house. It makes it so much easier to tidy up, clean, and maintain.

I hope these days find you well and living your best life. Life can turn on a dime, as they say.

Menu

Posted in California, cancer, cooking, Death, husband, meal planning by

We are eating very light salads and meals.

Sunday night, we had a Greek pasta salad, and B ate some! That made me happy.

Monday- left-over Greek salad, and my daughter made a pan of polenta with herbs and cheese.

Tuesday- something Mexican. I have beans and rice, so I just need to add a protein.

Wednesday- I want to use some pasta (fettuccine from TJ’s) in the freezer. I’ll add grilled chicken or some shrimp.

Thursday- Again, some freezer meal to keep working our way through stuff. Plus, I have a container of spring mix to use for a salad.

Friday- not sure. My son is coming up to get the truck and smog it. He’s spending the night because the next day he’s going to do a dump run. Of course, all this depends on how B is doing.

All in all, we’re keeping it very simple. Nothing too involved. Just simple food.

Anyone who has had cancer or is going through end of life recognizes how small your world becomes. You just don’t go out a lot or even really care about much except what’s next. I’d love to go down to the pool or the gym, but I’ll have to see how each day shapes up. If I can, I’ll try and do something this week.

We did a phone intake with hospice yesterday. It was very thorough, so we’ll see what today brings.

A bit of catch up

Posted in California, cooking, meal planning, swimming, Walking by

I finally broke the ice, so to speak, and went to the pool. I felt ready to do it. I kept it very low-key and did about 20 minutes. The pool was not overly busy, so that was nice. Still sharing lanes but no waiting. I can certainly feel it this morning though.

I walked this morning, although slowly, as I am sore from swimming and my knee feels a bit stressed. My daughter is taking B to infusion, so I will be home doing some odds and ends stuff. I want to get another box of canning jars to Goodwill, so I will do that.

Menu things are not so interesting as I’m not too motivated to cook with,B not eating much.

Last night I made blueberry pancakes and scrambled eggs, so not very exciting.

Tonight, I’ll check the freezer and see what needs to be used up.

Wednesday- Chicken on the BBQ and tofu

Thursday- ginger soy ramen ( recipe from the NYT)

Friday- pizza

Saturday- TBD

What’s on your menu plan?? I could use some inspiration.

Memorial Day and some menu ideas

Posted in California, cooking, meal planning, Uncategorized by

Memorial Day is the day to remember those who gave their lives in service to this country. If you’ve read my blog long enough, you know my brother was killed in Vietnam in 1968. So young.

Menu stuff.

Last night we had another BBQ with hot dogs and macaroni salad, and baked beans.

Monday- ( Memorial Day)- I have chicken to grill up. I probably will do a side of salad with avocado with tomato.

Tuesday- This is the day I’m out almost all day, so I might order a pizza or see if my daughter wants to cook something.

Wednesday- Breaded cod with fries, both from the freezer.

Thursday- I need to check the freezer and see what needs using up. I might do pasta with pesto sauce and salad.

Friday- If we’ve had pizza already, I’ll just do something else.

Saturday- I think it’ll be back to BBQ. I have some veggies to skewer, and I will add tofu and maybe some steak bits.

My daughter and I had a wonderful brunch at High Hand Nursery/Cafe.- It’s quite a unique place as it it is a very posh nursery with absolutely beautiful plants, flowers and trees plus a cafe. It is very popular and you almost always need a reservation.

We both had Eggs Benedict. yummy.

Ha, I had started eating and remembered to take at least one picture.

Simple Sunday

Posted in California, cooking, Walking by

First off I want to congratulate Kristen of The Frugal Girl blog on completing her RN. It’s a huge accomplishment, especially while she was enduring a very difficult divorce. She is so brave and persevered! Well done!

On to my stuff. Yesterday, B had his PET scan, so we’ll know next week how it all looks. I’m hoping for the best, but I also know it may not be good news. He has his next immuno on Tuesday, and I’ll be taking him.

So yesterday, after they took off for Sacramento, I did a bunch of odd chores, and it felt good to do those ones that seemed to get pushed back to the end of the list. I probably overdid it some ( Dex) and can definitely feel it today.

I did go for a walk both yesterday and today, but still holding at .5 miles. It’s not much, but better than not doing it. I’ve been fairly regular doing my PT exercises, and I ordered an inexpensive massage table that lowers to 24 inches so I can start the floor exercises on the table. Since I can’t get up from the floor with my knee, I thought this was a good option, and actually, the PT place used massage tables for patients to get up on, so I felt it was a win-win. Mostly it’ll be exercises like a modified plank, leg lifts, clam exercise, and a few more.

Yesterday I made a new recipe of cream of mushroom soup. I had the big container of mushrooms from Costco, so I thought I’d give it a try. It was really yummy with homemade sourdough. The recipe is from Magnolia if you’re interested.

Today is going to be a fun day for my daughter and me. We are going to brunch to celebrate her 40th birthday. Where have the years gone? I loved being a mom and everything that went with it. She’s an amazing young woman—smart, confident, a talented author/writer, a gardener, and lots more.

Midweek Musings

Posted in Blood test, books, bread, California, cooking, home stuff, Uncategorized by

Yesterday was a busy day. I decided to go to the Roseville gym and library. I did a 30-minute upper body workout, so that felt good. I dropped off my books at the library, but didn’t get any.

I’ve been rereading the Harry Potter series and am now on the last one, book 7. I’ve greatly enjoyed rereading them. She does get a little winded in the last 3 books. Still she brought quite a character/story to life. Of course, she used lots of Tolkiens ideas, but still.

After that, I went to WinCo for a few things and then home.

Once home, I got started on pressure canning kidney beans. I had soaked them the night before, so I just had to boil them and then start the canner. It is a bit time-consuming, but once the pressure came up, I went and lay down on the couch for the 75 minutes.

Today, we are going to pick the VW and hopefully won’t be too shocked at the cost. Still, it needed to be done if we were going to either keep or sell. We haven’t decided, and with everything going on, I don’t want to make a decision right now.

This morning I’m pressure canning vegetable soup too. I have most everything prepped, but will wait till I’m back home to start the canner.

I also have a loaf of sourdough in the oven. This time I made walnut raisin. I added some cinnamon and a little sugar too.

The good news is that B doesn’t need a transfusion right now. Yay!! He has a video visit today, and I’ll sit in if the canner is going and I can just let it finish and then turn off.