willowraven's Friends

Blue Heron Thanksgiving ~ Thomas Swopes, 2006

Wherever you are - I wish all my Calorie Count friends a beautiful Thanksgiving, filled with love and joy. 

1566/236.2

Art of the Season:  American Primitive Folk Art

Getting in the Winter Wood ~ Queena Stovall

Getting through each day is the only thing I'm doing right now.  Tuesday the visiting nurse was here.  My lungs are clear and my feet are swollen.  Now I have to spend at least 1 hour out of every three with my feet elevated above the level of my heart.  It did seem to help.  She was pleased that I'm gradually losing all that water weight. 

Plan for today:  I have an important phone call before lunch, then at 2:30 must take all my paperwork to the office for rent re-evaluation.  That has to be done each year, but my lease isn't up until February so this is kind of a pain.  There is still only one person in the office.  The office manager who has been gone for over a month signed everything they sent me, so I assume she'll be back sooner or later.  Meanwhile, the tennants are short changed.

Menu for today:  Breakfast - oatmeal with raisins & milk.  Lunch - half a chicken sandwich and salad.  Supper - pork chop, apples, cabbage and potato.  Snacks - tangerines, yogurt and triscuits.

It's another dreary, rainy day, but not quite as cold.  Right now it's 50 F, 10 C.  I'll avoid going out.  The nurse drew my blood for my weekly test, so at least I didn't have to go out yesterday.  I do have to pick up some prescriptions, but it can wait. 

Today:  All I want to do is sleep like an old bear in a cave. 

Our day of feasting is over and there was plenty of food left over.  Those leftovers are delicious and many people love them as much as they love Thanksgiving Day.   By the end of the weekend some have changed their mind due to too many turkey sandwiches, turkey stew, turkey soup and all other things turkey.  How can we avoid boredom before the leftovers are gone?  A little creativity is in order.

Before we talk about how to use those good things, we need to discuss food safety.  Read the About.com article, Storing Thanksgiving Leftovers Safely.  The facts in the article are taken from the US Food and Safety Bureau.  A few simple precautions will keep your food fresh and wholesome.

Cut turkey and stuffing into smaller pieces in shallow containers, within two hours of cooking.  Use these within three to four days, and use gravy within 2 days, or freeze them.  Reheat to 165 degrees Fahrenheit or 74 degrees Celsius.

Now we can begin preparing our leftovers for post-holiday meals.  Of course turkey sandwiches, either hot or cold, are popular, but we can also incorporate the meat in casseroles and other one-dish meals.  Chop it finely and put it into chili or soups.

Don't forget to use the carcass for soup.  The best flavor is obtained when the bones are put into a 350 degree Fahrenheit or 177 degrees Celsius oven, until they are golden.  Put the bones and any scraps of skin into a soup pot.  Add a few stems of celery and a carrot or two, some onions and garlic, parsley and other herbs.  Cover with cold water to about 2 inches over the top of the contents of the pot.  Bring the pot to a boil, then turn down the heat and simmer for an hour or two.  You may want to strain the broth and then put fresh vegetables in it along with some bite size turkey pieces for a tasty soup.  Add noodles at the very end, or better yet, place the cooked noodles into each bowl and ladle the soup over.  If you leave the noodles or rice in the broth, be prepared for them to soak up all the broth. 

One of my own favorites is mashed candied sweet potatoes.  I like to add an egg and pour it into a pie shell to bake.  No other sweetening is needed. 

Mashed white potatoes can be made into a number of good side dishes.  If you've never had them mixed with an egg, dusted with flour, formed into patties and browned in a frying pan, then you are in for a treat. 

We have some creative recipes for you today, all by Calorie Count members.  Enjoy!

• Sweet Potato Pancakes
• Turkey Tetrazzini
• Potato Casserole
• Turkey Pot Pie

232.5/ 1343

Art of the Season:  Contemporary artists

Autumn Leaves Aspen Landscape ~ Delilah Smith

What a dreary, miserable day it was and more of it coming today.  I had to go out to see the doctor and used the valet parking at the hospital just to avoid walking in the cold rain. 

I got bad news as well.  My heart is still in atrial flutter almost all the time, explaining why I just don't feel right.  For now, the decision is to let me acclimate to the amiodarone for one month then check again.  It might start working but maybe not.  After that the only solution is an AV node ablation procedure which I'd like to avoid but may not have a choice. 

Next week I see the regular cardiologist about this persistant congestive heart failure.  It is what it is and all I can do is keep going and try to get better.

Better news is that I made headway with my health insurance.  I found two companies that will write me a Medigap policy for low premiums.  I'm now waiting for mailed packets to arrive and for a letter from my former employer saying that my current coverage will end.

Plan for Today:  Lesley is coming to do my laundry and clean.  The visiting nurse is coming to talk about non systemic ways of dealing with CHF (that is physical things rather than meds).  Finish working on my rent re-evaluation to turn into the office on Wednesday. 

Menu for today:  breakfast - high fiber cereal, blueberries, milk.  Lunch - half a chicken sandwich and a large salad.  Supper - pork chop with potato and cabbage.  Snacks - tangerines, apples, yogurt. 

The less said about the weather here the better.  It was chilly last night but I just put another blanket on the bed and didn't have to turn on the heat.  That will keep my electric bill down.

Today:  Go deeper into hibernation. 

233.9

Art of the Season:  J.E.H MacDonald - Canadian Group of Seven

Algoma Waterfall ~ J. E. H. MacDonald, 1920 (worth clicking for large image)

I had a nice Sunday.  I baked Bill a spice cake and decided not to do the boiled caramel icing.  He's been complaining that rich food bothers his stomach, and the ingredients of that icing are cream, butter, brown sugar.  We had a piece and it really didn't need the icing.  I sent the rest home with him.

Later in the evening I had a nice phone call from one of my best friends.  Her latest temp job has ended and the possibilty of work before the beginning of next year is bleak for her.  With her skills (types 60 WPM with no mistakes, knows all the office computer programs, is a data entry wiz, etc) I can't understand why one of these companies don't hire her.  We did have a good talk and promise to visit.

Plan for Today:  Make phone calls to insurance companies.  Do paperwork to turn into the office on the 25th - isn't it nice they gave me 3 days?  The envelope was shoved under my door last night at about 7 pm.  Gotta love 'em.

Menu for Today:  Breakfast - oat bran flakes, blueberries, milk.  Lunch - half a tomato & cheese sandwich and vegetable soup.  Supper - ground beef, tomato and cabbage casserole.  Snacks - tangerine, apple, yogurt.

The forecast is for rain by noon and a high of 48 F, 9 C.  Not my favorite kind of weather at all.  Hope I don't have to go out, but that depends on when the doctor can fit me in this week.  He wanted to see me in one week, but his receptionist never called me back with a time. 

Today:  Hibernate. 

Already tired of it!  The day's not even here, and I want my relatives the hel out of here.  And they are going completly nuts over the food, and I just don't see any reason for it all.  I'm just gonna fix a few things, and they want something else, they can make it, or bring it. 

My mind is in shambles right now.  Acting like a child when there is serious work to be done.  But tomorrow is a new day, and the plan is to put the plastic on the small greenhouse.  I'm pretty scared by all this.  I know I got the time and talent, but can I keep it together mentally to make this thing work. 

Its nuts, but if I don't really try, that means no one can say I failed, I just didn't try.  I know, I too wonder why the state of Indiana lets me walk around loose either.  Afraid to fail, afraid to succeed.  If that ain't nuts, WTF is? 

Gotta show some faith here.  Some faith in my God's, that if I am industrious and hard working I will succeed.  Some faith in the community to support my efforts, and some faith in myself.  The last one is damn near impossible. 

My mind is scrambbled by the hopelessness of it all.  I am awash in sadness, and I simply don't know what to do about it.  Nothing to do but keep on keeping on I guess. 

But what happens when I fall apart next spring?  Ah well.  Maybe best just to sell the place now, and move to somewhere I can't do any damage.

I'm never going to get past this.  Where's death when ya need it.