Cooking from Pinterest

Now that I have more time (having completed graduate school) I have been indulging myself in trying new recipes for my husband and me.  We are both on Weight Watchers so many of these have been ones that come with "Points Plus" tags so we can continue on our weight loss journey.

Yet sometimes a recipe and its photos look so appetizing that I just have to try it and see if I can replicate it.  Don't you just love recipes with photos.  I especially like the ones with step by step photos so I can see if I am following the recipe correctly.  There is nothing worse than trying to replicate a recipe and you do not know what it is supposed to look like when you are completed.

Yesterday, being Mother's Day, I went into a cooking frenzy.   There were two reasons for this.  First Mother's Day is one of the days where I miss my mother the most.  I guess being surrounded by all the social media explosion of friends and their tributes to their mothers just brings it home to me that my mother is no longer with us.  I asked God to give her a celestial hug from me just so she knows that I am thinking about her.  So I cook to help myself focus on things other than my own troubles.  Also, cooking relaxes me, especially on a Sunday when I am not rushed to get anything done by dinner.

So yesterday I tried something new, Buttermilk Bread.  First of all I am not a baker.  I tend to have problems with yeast (too hot and I kill it, too cold and it does not activate) but this recipe calls for the yeast to be included with the dry ingredients.  I followed the directions carefully (baking is chemistry not cooking)  and was a little worried when the bread did not rise really well on the first rise.  Yet I persevered and it turned out perfectly!   Not exactly a no points treat but it was still pretty great.

I love trying new recipes and have developed many that have become standard fare at my house.  The Chicken Fried Rice with Crock Pot Teryaki Chicken that I make is a huge hit with people, as well as the Skinny Taco Dip.  (Not served together of course!)  One of the next goals for me is to compile them all into a recipe book (yes there is software for that also).  That might be a summer project that I complete between semesters.

I love cruising through Pinterest and finding new recipes or something I have not thought of trying.  This will continue to be a source of fun, relaxation and eating enjoyment for my husband and family.  

Wallowing in Books and Loving It!

For the last six years I have been working on a doctorate.  So much of my reading has been school related or focused on the research for my dissertation.  I successfully completed my dissertation in October and graduated from Ball State University in December 2014.

Since that time I have been indulging myself in my love of reading but now I am reading fiction, not academic work.  Between BookBub the public library and Amazon I have filled my Kindle with lots of books to read. 

For me some are new books by favorite, or new authors.  Some of the books are ones I am re-reading because I love the story and want to travel through it again with the characters.  I am enjoying Charlaine Harris' new series set in Midnight Texas.  I got to catch up on J. A. Jance's Ali Reynolds series of mysteries.  I also was able to re-read some of my favorite books by Indiana author Liz Flaherty.  Her book "One More Summer" is one that brings out all the emotions I experienced when I first read it.  

I have found some great new authors also.  I have enjoyed the series of books featuring Kate Burkholder by Linda Castillo.  This series of books is set within an Amish community.  Kate Burkholder, the main character, was formerly part of the Amish community but now is trying to maintain the balance between the Amish and the English residents in her county.  One of the most interesting new characters I have found is Jessica Blackwood in the series of books by Andrew Mayne.  She is from a family of magicians but now is an FBI agent.  It is a interesting concept and I am waiting for the next book in the series. 

For now I have no plans to read anything that is not romance, mystery or a thriller novel.  No more academic journals or educational treatise for this girl.  I may get tired of my current reading diet of lighter fare but for the moment I just enjoying reading for fun and entertainment.  I will let my brain rest for a while. 

Finishing my month of birthday celebrations.

Earlier this month it was my birthday.  Since I have reached a certain age I really am not in need of presents (even though I love opening gifts).  So my family planned a month of events for me in celebration of my special day. 

The weekend of my birthday my husband and I had dinner out and enjoyed spending time together.  He is starting his busy season at the Nickel Plate District Amphitheater in Fishers Indiana so we wanted to have a weekend of fun and relaxation. 

The following weekend we attended a play put on the by Nickel Plate Players (www.nickelplateplayers.com).  It was an evening of murder, mystery and fun called "Death of the Piano Man: Who Killed Billy Joel."  We sang and laughed and had a wonderful evening with 20 of our new best friends.  If you get a chance to be part of an evening with the Nickel Plate Players do it.  It is a rollicking good time!

The next week I got to do something that has been on my bucket list for a while.  I spent Saturday with the Indiana Romance Writers of America at a workshop called "Making Magic"  with the wonderful presenters Lani Diane Rich and Alastair Stephens from StoryWonk.  I got to meet and talk to two of my favorite Indiana romance writers, Liz Flaherty and Nan Reinhardt.  It was a wonderful day where I got to explore my next goal in life, writing a romance novel.

Later that day we went to Miami University in Oxford, Ohio for the hockey team's night of celebration.  It was a chance to see several of our favorite players, many of whom lived with us over the years when we housed players for the USHL.  We also got to say goodbye to those players who are graduating and going on to play professional hockey, or going on to graduate school.  

Finally, this last weekend my sister in law, Marty, came over and we had a no-holds-barred, all out shopping weekend.  We hit the outlet mall in Edinburgh, catching many great deals there.  Then we got on a bus and went to Chicago for day visiting ethnic neighborhoods and indulging ourselves in eating, and purchasing ingredients for cooking.  It was a foodie overload.

So this month has been wonderful.  I was able to enjoy many things and indulge myself in my many loves (reading, writing, cooking and eating).  I said goodbye to some young men who have been part of my life, wishing them all the best in their futures.  I spent time with people I love.  Now I am looking forward to May and starting my garden.  

Words of Wisdom from the Grocery Store Parking Lot

As I have mentioned in a previous blog post ("You live where you live"  12/24/12) my husband and I usually shop at the same grocery store every Saturday morning.  It's a chance for us to have breakfast together, reflect on our respective weeks and plan some tasty meals for the weekend and the next week.  At the store where we shop there is a young man who is responsible for getting the carts from the parking lot.  We have come to know him well and always take time to chat with him as we are walking into the store or leaving with our groceries. 

This week was no different.  He happened to see us in the parking lot as we were walking into the store and came over to talk.  First of all he started with teasing us about snow.  That has been an ongoing dialog all winter, him teasing us about big snow storms coming our way.  We usually react with "Oh No!"  and then blame any snow we get on him.   He finds that extremely funny. 

As we were talking one of the things he said was "It's so hard to be good!"  We all laughed at his joke but as usual when he says something to me it got me thinking about his words.  Maybe all of us should be in touch with our inner child and keep in mind that although we all try to be good it is hard.  Sometimes I just want to say "forget it" to being good and would rather dance my way through life.  Of course I can't do that because I am older, I am responsible, I have a demeanor that is expected of me....

Yet, it's so hard to be good.  I'll keep that in mind today and other days as I struggle to be the responsible adult yet my inner child is asking to be let loose.  I wonder what would happen if my inner child would break free? 

A Thomas and Friends Marathon, Negotiating with a Two-Year-Old, and A Day with Ronan - Priceless

Last week we were on vacation.  After spending a few days at Myrtle Beach and getting some rest we drove 12 hours to Nashville to spend a day with our grandson, Ronan.  We made arrangements with his parents for him to stay home that day and my husband and I spent the day with him.  Since we live several states away from our grandson and his parents it is quite special when we are able to see him and spend some time with him. 

So the day began with Ronan staying in his play room, not exactly the scenario we had planned.  After we lured him out he started to relax and we had fun.  First he wanted to watch Thomas and Friends.  Thank goodness for On Demand on Xfinity.  We found the right channel and then started the marathon of his favorite train. 

After a short while, he is only 2 so his attention span is pretty limited, he started wandering into the kitchen.  This is how the kitchen forays went, 

Me: Ronan what are you doing in there?

Ronan: Nothing

Me: Ronan I hear you opening the refrigerator door.  What are you doing?

Ronan: Nothing

I learned quickly to go to the kitchen with him.  Then the negotiating began.  We discussed how many juice boxes he could have.  We negotiated Halos (little mandarin oranges).   We discussed summer sausage (you can have that when your mommy gets home).  Finally we negotiated drinks (no more juice boxes, drink water).  All this went on to the background of endless Thomas and Friends on television.  (It's amazing on that show that no one gets angry, they get "cross").

At the end of the day my husband and I were exhausted but the entire day was "priceless."  We spent an entire day with our grandson and had a wonderful time.  I'm sure he will not remember it as he gets older but we will and hope to build on that experience with new ones as time goes on. 

Unconnected and Hating (maybe Loving) It!

Last Saturday night my husband and I went to a hockey game (Miami University Redhawks vs University of North Dakota - Miami won!).  As we were getting everything in the car and taking off I thought I had put my cell phone in my purse.  When we stopped for gas about an hour away I realized that my phone was not in my purse.  I had left my phone on the counter in the kitchen.  When I realized I did not have my phone there was no time to go back, we had an event before the game and wanted to make it for warm ups for the team.

As I was driving the last hour to Oxford Ohio I was thinking what would I do with no phone?  Usually during the game I am sending and answering texts, both from our son and some of our players who lived with us.  Then I am checking hockey scores at other schools and keeping up on the news.  I was not sure how the evening  would go when I realized I was unconnected.  Of course my husband had his phone so we were not totally without communication but it's not the same as having my own.

The game was great.  Miami played really well and soundly beat North Dakota (6 - 3!).  I had a fabulous time talking to other parents and friends of ours at the game.  With no phone to play with I had to focus on the moment and what was happening there at the game, rather than multi-tasking as I usually do.

As we arrived home later that night I realized that I did not miss having my phone.  Yes I had to "catch up" on how my other kids did in their college games but the information was there for me to check.  I had spent the entire night in the moment of where I was and not splitting myself between all my interests.  Being totally in the moment at that hockey game was an exhausting experience, I felt as if I had played the game rather than just sat in the stands and watched.

I don't know if I will do this regularly, I really don't like not having my phone with me.  Yet I may more often put it away in my purse and just be in the moment I am experiencing, it was wonderful! 

Yarn Crawl 2015 - Part 1

Last Saturday (before the March 1 snow storm here in Central Indiana) I spent the day in the company of a group of women doing the yarn crawl (www.rovingindiana.com).  This is an event put together by a group of independent yarn stores around Central Indiana.  We loaded up a van with six women and visited stores in Martinsville, Bloomington, Nashville, and Columbus, Indiana. 

The women I spent the day with are all accomplished knitters and crocheters.  I am a crocheter and an knitter wanna be.  I was in awe of their skill level and ability to look at a finished knitting project and know they could duplicate it.  My mother, who was also an accomplished knitter, tried to teach me to knit many times but it just never took for me.  I tried and tried but would quit because I did not see any progress.  I did learn to crochet and can handle most intermediate patterns but knitting is just a mystery to me. 

One friend in the group described them as "yarn snobs"  After spending the day admiring and touching some amazing yarns I understand what she is saying now.  Nothing is more exquisite than a mixture of baby alpaca, silk and a few other fibers to make something so soft and touchable I would be afraid to even try working with it. 

The other part of the day was spending it in the company of a group of women.  This group is established as friends and I was just the "newby."  they made me feel welcome and I realized women everywhere enjoy the same things - talking about family and friends, talking about current projects they are working on, and finding the best place to eat!  We had as much fun eating as we did visiting the yarn shops. 

Part 2 of the Yarn Crawl will bring the addition of my sister in law, who will be visiting that weekend.  We are going to shops in other small towns, north of Indianapolis this time. I'm excited about what we will see, experience and eat on this next leg of the journey.  I also got some great yarn for a few projects of my own.