Join - Welcome - Thank You - Visit To Texas

 

 

Welcome Heather Duncan at Heather's Wannabe Homestead blog and CarrotCake55 (I’m not able to locate a blog for CarrotCake55; if you have a blog please let me know).

Thank you for joining my blog, please sit back and enjoy the ride.

 
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I returned home to watch over my Dad for a couple of days while my sister was out of town.

 

These are pictures of a sunset from my parents back porch in Texas on Tuesday evening.    Here’s an update on my Dad’s cancer status.  Dad has completed his 2^nd chemo treatment and was scheduled to complete the third, when his Oncologist suggested he wait one week.  Chemo has a tendency of hitting you hard, making you extremely tired, and not want to do much of anything but sleep.  The Oncologist could see that Dad was exhausted, and all of the blood tests indicate Dad is doing well.  So the brief pause will only help my Dad gain some well deserved rest.

Dad worked really hard with the physical therapist while I was with him and he ate very well for being so sick.  The night before I left my parents’ house, I said my goodbyes to my sister (who came home) and Mom.  Then I went into my parents’ bedroom and sat on the bed next to my Dad and chatted for some time. I wanted to make sure he understood that I was so proud of how hard he worked that day with the physical therapist, and how much I loved him, before heading out in the morning.  I tend to hit the road early in the morning before anyone was up. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Finally, as I was driving home it started to storm on the highway as I near the Oklahoma state line.

 

 

Inside the truck picture while driving.

Zuppa Toscana - Key Lime Pie - Arthritis Salve

Yesterday was chilly, so I decided soup was going to be for dinner instead of salad.  I started thinking, instead of the typical chicken noodle or beef vegetable soup; I was going to make something different.  I had a craving for Italian sausage and kale.   So, I figured Zuppa Toscana would hit the spot.  Bulldog Man and Tank enjoyed the soup; I made enough to have the next day for dinner.

Zuppa Toscana

1 ½ pounds of Italian sausage

½ onion chopped

3 white potatoes - diced

1 garlic clove

3 cups chopped kale

8 ounces of chicken broth

1 quart of water

1 ½ cups of heavy whipping cream

½ cup of cooked bacon pieces

Directions

Remove sausage from casing and chop into small pieces and brown.

Place onions, potatoes and garlic in pot. Add broth and water. Cook until potatoes are done. Add bacon, salt and pepper (to taste).  Add kale and cream, cook for 8 – 10 minutes, and serve.


I also made dessert, Key Lime Pie.  It was so good and a favorite for Bulldog Man.  He doesn’t eat many sweet things but when I make this he can’t help himself.  Usually, I would make a homemade graham cracker crust but I had a store bought one in the pantry and needed to use it.

                                               Key Lime Pie

1 (9 inch) graham cracker crust

½ cup key lime juice

1 (14 ounce) can of sweet condensed milk

5 egg yolks

                 

Directions

Beat egg yolks.  Add sweet condensed milk, lime juice to egg yolks and mix well.  Pour into unbaked graham cracker crust. Heat oven at 375 degrees and bake for 15 minutes.  Allow pie to cool and top with heavy cream whipped topping and serve.



I also made an arthritis salve for our first aid kit.  Both Bulldog Man and I suffer from arthritis and would rather use something natural instead of something commercially made.  This salve contains Ginger Root, Echinacea Herb, St John’s Wort, Boswellia Serrata, Olive Oil, Bees Wax and Vitamin E.  You can purchase this Herbal Mixture from http://www.bulkherbstore.com/ like I did.  Place Herbal Mixture in a pint mason jar (2/3rds full).  Fill jar will oil (olive, coconut or sweet oil), 1 inch from rim.  Tighten lid, place a wet wash cloth on the bottom of your crock pot, place the pint jar on top of the wash cloth, add water to crock pot just at the top of the jar before the rim of the lid,  place lid back on crock pot, set cooking temperature on low.  Cook for 3 days straight on low.  Make sure to constantly add water to crock pot to ensure the water level is at the top of the jar before the lid.  After cooking, remove from crock pot; strain your herbs out of your oil.  Place a sauce pan on your stove, poor your oil into sauce pan.  Add chopped/grated bees wax (approximately 2 oz for every 8 to 9 oz of oil) in sauce pan and melt.  Once melted, add a drop of vitamin E oil for every ounce of oil.  Pour the oil mixture into a large mouth container.  Let sit over night until salve is solid. Place lid on tight and label.  An instruction on making this salve also comes with the Herbal Mixture.



Vitamin E added to melted bees wax and the strained oil.



Completed oil poured into jars to solidify.



Oil solidified overnight into salve (Arthritis Salve).



 

 

Health, Food and Garden

The tree pollen has been bad the last two days.  I woke up this morning with one of those headaches; you know the one I’m talking about.  The one that makes your head feel like it’s going to explode!  I can always tell when the sinus headache is going to last for a while.  That’s when the circles under my eyes become more prominent.  Time to take another allergy pill (God knows, there are so many to choose from) and start flushing the sinus cavity with my sinus rinse. THIS IS NOT A COMMERCIAL, It is what I call relief.   Since starting use of the Natural Sinus Relief by NeilMed, I have noticed that I no longer get the sinus infections/colds as I used to.  When I start the day with a headache or my sinus’ start acting up, I will flush my sinuses twice a day for about 1 to 1 ½ weeks with the sinus rinse.  Then I will stop the sinus rise, until I have the symptoms again (this product can be used daily, I use it when I need it).  This process has saved me money (on doctor’s visit and antibiotic prescriptions), time (from being sick, miserable and at times stuck in bed) and my mental sanity (when you don’t feel good, you really don’t want to function).   When we first moved to Oklahoma, I was sick (to the point that I needed to see a doctor and take antibiotics) approximately 5 times a year (usually lasting weeks at a time).  I will have you know, I’ve never been this sick residing elsewhere.  Oklahoma has mostly flatlands where I’m at, and when the wind kicks up, which is all the time, pollen of all types, dust, mold and smoke (from fires) are predominant.  So in my defense, I have found a remedy that works for me.  I recommend using the sinus rinse if you have sinus issues.  Who knows, this product may work for you.  ***If you use this product only use distilled water and make sure to warm the water slightly

Time for a topic change!

Dinner consisted of baked chicken, baked sweet potato fries and my version of a panzanella salad (recipe below).

Panzanella Salad

(Serves 4-6)

2 Green Bell Peppers

1 Orange Bell Pepper

1 Yellow Bell Pepper

1 Red Bell Pepper

2 Plum Tomatoes

2 Cucumbers

1 Can Black Olives

1 Cup Mozzarella Cheese Diced

4 to 5 Tablespoons Olive oil

Salt to Taste       

Pepper to Taste

3 Ciabatta rolls or 1 loaf crusty bread (French)

Directions

Wash all vegetables.  Cut ends and remove seeds, then dice (large pieces) all bell peppers and place in large bowl.  Cut ends of tomatoes, slice tomatoes in half and scoop out seeds and liquid.  Dice tomatoes and place in bowl.  Peel cucumbers and cut in half, then cut length wise and scoop out seeds.  Dice (large pieces) and place in bowl. Add olives without juice to bowl, dice mozzarella cheese into bite size pieces.  Add to vegetables 4 tablespoons of olive oil.  Salt and pepper vegetable mixture and mix, set aside.  Pull out a cookie sheet, cut bread up into crouton size pieces and place on cookie sheet.  Drizzle about 1 tablespoon of olive oil on croutons.  Place in oven and turn broiler on. Broil until all croutons are brown.  Remove from oven and place croutons on vegetables and mix.  Now your salad is ready to serve.  This salad can be changed up by using other raw or roasted vegetables.  You may also wish to add fresh basil to the salad.

Wooohoooo, I planted onions today and well I must say, they look pretty wimpy or pathetic!!!!! I just wanted to get them in the ground (see picture below, no laughing allowed). 

More to come regarding my garden in future posts.