Kill Me Now

I'm going to the dentist today. Help me. I'm skeered.

He Was Right

Remember THIS entry where I told you my d-d-doctor predicted I was low on amino acids and he thought that could be the answer to all my problems? Well, Glory be, he was right...about the low part anyway, in particular Vitamin D. I even had him fax me the lab results so I could see it for myself. I figured my levels would be normal and he'd just say he likes to see them higher or some crap like that, but I was wrong...

C02 level: LOW
VitaminD, 25-Hydroxy level: LOW
Protein, total, serum: The lowest acceptable level
Cholesterol total: HIGH
Triglycerides: HIGH
LDL Cholesterol: HIGH
Thyroid: Normal
Whoremones (That one never gets old -- hee!): Normal
Blood Glucose: Normal
Everything else: Normal

Now I'm on a mega dose of Vitamin D (50,000 IU once a week for four weeks) and I feel like I'm sucking on a mouthful of quarters or something. I can't bear to eat with a metal utensil because it feels like I'm going to be electrocuted or something. It's like fingernails on a chalkboard or pulling a cottonball apart. I'm curious to see how this affects how I feel and how long it will take.

End of boring story for now.

Pics & A Recipe

An amethyst sandwich glass plate I won on eBay a few days ago. It's prettier in person.

A hotpad I crocheted over the weekend. It's prettier in person too.

An amethyst vase I got at an antique store on Saturday.

Steak & Chicken kabobs I made and grilled Sunday night. They looked better in person and tasted great.

Pam's Honey Broccoli Slaw

Mom and I had something similar to this at a deli this weekend. I couldn’t find a recipe like it online, so I threw this one together. It turned out really well. Yummy (woo-hoo!) and healthy (boo!).

Pam's Honey Broccoli Slaw

Large bunch of broccoli, shredded
½ red bell pepper, shredded
1 carrot, shredded
1-2 Tbsp red onion, shredded
2 oz slivered almonds (not sliced)
3 oz raisins (two 1.5-oz snack-sized boxes) or dried cranberries
¼ cup sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded
1-2 Tbsp honey

Shred broccoli, red pepper, carrot, and onion in a food processor. Add almond, raisins, cheese, and honey and mix well. Cover and chill at least 2 hours.

Sammi & Fletch Are Famous!

Check it out...they are todays entry at The Boston Terrier Photo Blog. You'll need to scroll down the page for the pictures. Obviously Blogger doesn't space correctly for that blog either!

I hope to be back later today with more.

Wanted:

And if anybody knows where I can get the light green version of this Indiana Glass Candy Dish (sometimes called a candy box) with the lid, let me know. It's the same light green color as the fairy lamp pictured in my previous entry.

I have the darker green colored one, the light blue one, the pink one, and the amber one. There is a blue carnival glass one, but I don't want that one. I don't think I want this clear color either, but I haven't decided for sure.

I have this darker green one. I want the light green.

Fairy Lamps

I give up on trying to make this damn thing align the text correctly. I've edited this post six times to try, and it just won't behave. Blogger, you obviouisly still have issues with alignment and spacing.

I won my fairy lamp yesterday. These are the ones I have now. I also had a blue carnival glass one, but I received it broken too. These are really pretty at night when they're lit. I always light them when we have our poker parties. I'm not sure what other colors are left that I don't have other than clear. I wish they had an amethyst one. This is the Stars & Bars pattern. I'm not sure which company made these because I've seen them listed under Indian Glass, Fenton, and L.E. Smith. I'm not sure which one is correct, or maybe they all made this pattern if that's allowed? Whatever. I just like them.

We survived the storms again last night and only lost power for about an hour and a half. I heard we're getting more on Friday night.

I'm talking about the weather, so obviously there's nothing to say. See ya.

Hump Day

There's nothing going on to talk about. It's the same old thangs.

Sammi and Fletch went to the vet this morning. They're both healthy. I stopped at my mom and dad's on my way home to introduce them to Fletch. They nearly died at his cuteness, which I knew they would. Sammi was more subdued than usual because she got a Benadryl shot along with her Rabies shot because of her allergies to vaccines. She wanted to play, but she was too tired to last very long. They were both dead asleep when I left a couple of hours later.

I came home and finished some work I had to do, and then I checked on a couple of things I was waiting to bid on on eBay. I bid at the last second on a blue fairy lamp to replace the one I received broken last year. I'm still waiting on another one I'm bidding on, but I'm not going to tell you which one it is or when the bidding expires because I don't want anybody running over there to see it and outbidding me. Just keep yours paws off my fairy lamp!

Barnaby is playing poker tonight, so I'll be here with the doggies by myself. (Stalker alert!) I usually just pile up in bed with them, watch TV, read magazines, and try not to eat everything in the pantry. I'm bad about out-of-control eating when I'm alone. I will not do it tonight, DAMMIT. I won't!

I woke up with a crick in both shoulders/neck this morning. What's up with that? I need some muscle relaxers in the worst way. Maybe I'll call D-D-D-Doctor Ph-Ph-Pho and see if he'll fix me up. If I'm passed out from muscle relaxers, I can't feel it and I can't eat either, right?

Monday Blatherings

Coconut Macaroon Bundt Cake
My Review: Eh. Three stars out of five.

The glaze didn't turn out right, probably because it was so humid the day I made it, the cake part was dry, and all the coconut ended up on the bottom of the cake. The recipe had me put half the coconut mixture in the middle and half on top, and against my better judgment, I did it. Next time I'll put ALL of the coconut mixture in the middle where it belongs. But I won't make it again, so I guess it doesn't matter. It was a pain in the ass to make, too, because you had to beat egg whites separately from everything else, TWICE. A cake had better be great if you're going to require that kind of hassle. Overall, I was very disappointed in this cake. I can't believe it has a five-star rating on the All Recipes Website.

Puppy Talk

I'm still recovering from the new-puppy weekend. He's really very good though. It just takes a lot of energy to keep an eye on him to make sure he doesn't poop or pee-pee in the house. I think he's going to be a chewer too. He has 2 million toys, but still wants to chew on my chair.

He's startled by everything. For example, he barked at a folding chair for 15 minutes because he didn't know what it was. He did the same thing over some pillows and clothes hanging in the closet.

He cracked me up when he saw Kitty for the first time. He just froze and watched he walk up the sidewalk in the backyard. The he ran up to her and stuck his face in her face and smelled and licked her. She sat down and let him do whatever he wanted to her. She didn't seem to mind at all. I thought for sure she'd smack him with a paw, but she didn't do anything. Kitty, being the oldest of all our animals, has dealt with them all as young 'uns. She only gets pissy with them when they're older and should know better. Abby is the only one allowed to give her a bath without getting the royal smackdown. She has no claws, so the royal smackdown doesn't hurt anything except their feelings.

End of Puppy Talk

I'm going to bake something today. I'm just not sure what it is yet. I'll have to rumage around and make something with the ingredients I already have on hand. I don't feel like going to the store today.

It will be the last thing I make for awhile dessert-wise. I'll be starting a high protein, low sugar lifestyle on Wednesday after my doctor appointment and blood draw on Tuesday. I've been getting a few 30-40-minute walks in the past couple of weeks. I plan to keep that up or even increase it. It's time to lose a few pounds, and I'm looking forward to it. I'm ready.

There's nothing much else to blab about. Back tomorrow. Bye.

Meet Fletcher

Fletcher "Fletch" Scott

Boston Terrier Male
15 Weeks Old

Adorable

Rescued from certain doom.

He's lived in a crate his entire life, and it's painfully and sadly obvious. He's so ignorant about everything. He's been exposed to absolutely nothing and is like a newborn baby. He did not know how to eat when we brought him home. I tried to feed him dry dog food, and he had no idea what to do with it. I finally got him to eat some tuna when I crumbled it into small bits. I'm not even certain he was weaned properly because he kept trying to nurse on Abby and Sammi. He kept running into everything, and at first I thought he was blind or something, but it's just because he has no depth perception yet because he's been in a 2 x 3 crate all his life. Poor thing.

He looked at Sammi with happiness and excitement when he first saw her, like he recognized her or something. He tags after her constantly, and she's really good with him. He slept in his crate in our room all night and barely wimpered. He was content to lay in there and play with toys until we woke up this morning.

He's learning quickly, and I expect he'll catch up to where he's supposed to be mentally, physically, and emotionally before long. He's going to the vet first thing Monday morning for a thorough exam. He does have almost all of his vaccines already and has been wormed several times. He doesn't seem to be sick and has no fleas, so he was well-taken care of in that regard.

Call me stupid or crazy for getting another dog if you want. Barnaby is fine with it, and I'm thrilled!

Hey You!

I was in my kitchen this morning putting together a cake and listening to music when a Bon Jovi song came on. It made me think of Richie Sambora and how badly he’s crashing and burning right now. And then it made me think about how lucky I am that I didn’t crash and burn quite as badly (although I absolutely did crash and burn more than a tad and totally deserved it), and I said a little prayer of thanks. But then I kept thinking (uh-oh, that's always trouble)...

You can totally crash and burn in your life without abusing drugs or alcohol. Just because you live a “clean” life, and go to church, and put up the right appearance, and talk a good game about all the great things you're going to do, and talk and talk and talk, and talk some more, it doesn’t mean you aren’t being destructive to your life and those lives around you. You can just sit on your dead ass and do nothing and be just as destructive to your life.

Just a thought maybe someone needs to hear.

Balls, Balls, Balls!

See how hyper I am? Three entries in one day already. I still feeling good, obviously.

I put the * in the word P*illsbury because I don't want to be able to be Googled and get in trouble from the P*llsbury people for ripping off their recipes from their website. I don't know if that's even a crime (like a copyrights violation or some crap like that), but I don't want to go to P*llsbury Jail. That Dough Boy guy is creepy. And gay. Not that there's anything wrong with that. I love gay people. Lordie, now I'm going to Gay Jail. There just aren't enough asterisks in the world to keep from being sued nowadays.

What was I saying? Oh, yeah, the winners...

2008 P*llsbury Bake-Off Winners

America’s Favorite: Banana Toffee Brownies
Breakfast: Mascarpone Cranberry Rolls
Pizza: Apple Jack Chicken Pizza
Appetizers: Salmon Pastries with Dill Pesto
Mexican Favorites (Old El Paso): Mexican Pork Pesto Tacos
Sweet Treats: Double Delight Peanut Butter Cookies

Here is the winning cookie recipe:

Double-Delight Peanut Butter Cookies

1/4 cup dry roasted peanuts, finely chopped
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 roll (16.5 oz) P*llsbury® Create ‘n Bake® refrigerated peanut butter cookies, well chilled

1. Heat oven to 375°F. In small bowl, mix chopped peanuts, granulated sugar and cinnamon; set aside.
2. In another small bowl, stir peanut butter and powdered sugar until completely blended. Shape mixture into 24 (1-inch) balls (Hee, they said balls).
3. Cut roll of cookie dough into 12 slices. Cut each slice in half crosswise to make 24 pieces; flatten slightly. Shape 1 cookie dough piece around 1 peanut butter ball, covering completely. Repeat with remaining dough and balls (Hee, they said twice more).
4. Roll each covered ball in peanut mixture; gently pat mixture completely onto balls (okay, balls -- we get it -- balls, balls, balls). On ungreased large cookie sheets, place balls 2 inches apart. Spray bottom of drinking glass with cooking spray; press into remaining peanut mixture. Flatten each ball (!) to 1/4-inch thickness with bottom of glass. Sprinkle any remaining peanut mixture evenly on tops of cookies; gently press into dough. Now you have flat balls. (Okay, I added that one myself because I am 12 years old, apparently.)
5. Bake 7 to 12 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheets to cooling rack. Store tightly covered.

Lack of Nutrition = The Crazies?

Just a quick update to let you know what the doctor said. He believes all my problems are lack of nutrition. I'm not sure what I think about that yet. He didn't do any blood work or anything, so it was purely conjecture on his part. I'm going back next Tuesday for the blood draw because I drank coffee before I went in today, and he wants me to have fasted.

His full explanation was long and rambling, especially with all the stuttering. But basically he said that he believes I'm lacking in amino acids (such as tryptophan) which are found in proteins. Levels of tryptophan are genetic. (There goes his therapy theory out the window.)

He wants me to take a powdered protein supplement every day, which I should be doing anyway because of the Vertical Gastric Sleeve thing but haven't been doing for months because they tended to make me nauseous after I had the Lap Band removed and the VSG done. I guess I'll just suck it up and do it. I'm nauseous half the time anyway. I failed to tell him about the nausea thing and the gallbladder thing. I forgot my list because I was running late.

Wikipedia says:

"For many organisms (including humans), tryptophan is an essential amino acid. This means that it cannot be synthesized by the organism and therefore must be part of its diet. The principal function of amino acids including tryptophan are as building blocks in protein biosynthesis. In addition, tryptophan functions as a biochemical precursor for the following compounds:

*Serotonin (a neurotransmitter), synthesized via tryptophan hydroxylase. Serotonin, in turn, can be converted to melatonin (a neurohormone), via N-acetyltransferase and 5-hydroxyindole-O-methyltransferase activities. (The melatonin thing can be a reason for my not sleeping, and the serotonin thing is self-explanatory if you know anything at all about depression.)

*Niacin is synthesized from tryptophan via kynurenine and quinolinic acids as key biosynthetic intermediates.

The disorder Fructose Malabsorption causes depression, improper absorption of tryptophan in the intestine, and reduced levels of tryptophan in the blood."

When my blood tests come back next week, we'll see about all those levels in my blood.

I must work now. Good day.

Fab Product Review

I can't say enough about this Sally Hansen La Cross Foot Smoothing Disk. Everyone must have one. It's WAY better than a pumice stone or foot file or anything else I've tried. Be sure and soak your feet really well first to soften them. I always do my foot exfoliating in the bathtub. When you're finished, slather on some vaseline. Smooth feet, baby! Listen up, men. I'm talking to you too. We won't tell anybody.

These products came in quite handy and came very close to saving us from potential doom. The little Go LED lights are fantastic and last forever, and they're cheap too. I think this 4-pack was somewhere around $2-$3 at Target. I keep one in every room. You'll never own another regular flashlight or have to light candles when the electricity goes out again!

The battery-operated TV is a life-saver when the electricity goes out, especially if you live anywhere where tornados or hurricanes abound. It's kinda handy if you're away from home and NEED to see what's going on in the NASCAR cup race too! If you buy one now, be sure and get a digital one. The other ones, like mine, won't work anymore after February 2009. We need to go get a new digital one before they jack the prices up, if they haven't already.

Mark, you need to get a new big TV! You won't get any American Idol after February. Get to crackin' before they jack those prices up too! Rabbit ears, indeed. Welcome to the 21st Century. And get some satellite TV while you're at it, or at least some cable. Do you even have running water or electricity yet? Hee.

I'm off to my d-d-d-d-doctor appointment. See ya!

Now I'm Manic

I swear. Today I'm all chipper and hyper and going for walks and shopping and cleaning. I'm happy as a clam!

And I did say "manic" not a "maniac." Does anyone else confuse those two? I only do when they're written words. My brain no comprendo. I have to read those words several times to figure out which one it is. Stupid much?

I made the Almond Glazed Bundt Cake yesterday. I only made half the recipe and baked it in a loaf pan. It's too sweet for my taste, but it was a good cake if you like almond flavor. I probably won't make it again just because I prefer butter or vanilla flavor.

I also made half a recipe of Lemon Meltaway Cookies with lemon icing. We bought some cookie cutters at an antique store over the weekend that are shaped like card suits (diamond, heart, spade, and club), and I wanted to try them out. That recipe did not work for cutout cookies. You're supposed to slice them and they're very delicate. I need to find another recipe to use before our next poker party. Suggestions or recommendations would be appreciated. Send them HERE.

I dropped my blow dryer directly into the dog water bowl yesterday. I keep a bowl of dog water in the master bathroom because it's easier to fill up in the tub than in the kitchen sink. It's a big bowl. Anywho, my blowdryer is dead now because I'm not about to plug it in and see if it works. I'm not fond of electricution.

So...I went to the drugstore and lost my mind and spent $120. The blowdryer was only $14.99. The Zyrtec was $31. I'm trying the Zyrtec out for my allergies. So far so good today. The rest of my basket was filled with various and sundry things like nail polish, cuticle cream, a round rubber disk (disc?) thingy that's supposed to work like a pumice stone, 2 boxes of fake finger nails, self-tanner, hairspray, hair color, a handheld battery-operated fan I just couldn't live without, some vitamin water, a small chocolate milk, and a can of the new Pssssst. I think that was all. (Do y'all remember Pssssst? They now have new stuff out for blond hair and brown hair. It's a dry shampoo.)

Definitions of Manic on the Web:

• A state of high excitement and activity found in bipolar affective disease and occasionally with other mental illness.
• Mania is a severe medical condition characterized by extremely elevated mood, energy, and unusual thought patterns.
• Manic is a 2001 drama film directed by Jordan Melamed and written by Michael Bacall and Blayne Weaver. (Ha! That one made me laugh)

Caution: Whiney McWhiner Ahead

Before I start the whining and complaining, I just have to tell y'all:

THE KENTUCKY BUTTER CAKE IS ABSOLUTELY, POSITIVELY FANTASTIC! IT'S THE BEST CAKE EVER!

Sorry for yelling.

Okay, now on to the whining...

I have had a nearly-constant headache for the last five or six days. I lost count. I also have not slept. Hold on a minute here. Let me just make a list of everything that's wrong.

1. I've had a headache for approximately one week. Comes and goes, but mostly comes and stays. Sometimes severe and sometimes just there.

2. I've had trouble sleeping for the last six days. No naps either.

3. I have nausea that comes and goes since my "three-day diarrhea spell" two weeks ago.

4. I think I'm having gall bladder attacks, but I have thought that for at least 20 years, so who the hell knows? Right-side stabbing pain just below my bottom rib.

5. My weight gain is now up to 11 pounds since December. I eat too much sugar. Bundt cake, anyone?

6. Allergies: itchy eyes, itchy nose, sometimes stuffy/sometimes runny nose, and again with the headaches and behind-my-eyeballs pain. Wouldn't it be hilarious if I was allergic to dogs? Yeah, hilarious and just too freakin' bad, because I'm going to have a house full of them anyway. So there.

7. I'm irritable. Not sure if that's related to anything or if I'm just a bitch.

8. Depression comes and goes frequently lately. I have not one thing to be depressed about, which is good, but wtf? Maybe I need a med change, or maybe someone just needs to slap the shit outta me.

9. I cuss A LOT. (I always have though. It doesn't bother me, so why should it bother you? Just shut up and read.)

10. Right upper arm pain. I think it's from crocheting and typing. Dull ache all the time, sharp pain when in certain positions. My right palm only hurts occasionally now.

11. Night sweats. I nearly always have to get up and change my PJs because they get soaked with sweat.

12. I have a WART on my left pinky finger under the nail. There, I said it. HOW GROSS. It's been there for at least 10 years. Duct tape doesn't work. Neither does freezing it with that freezing spray stuff the doctor uses. Neither does having a doctor cut half the tissue off of my finger until there's a huge gouge.

Hello? Is anyone still there? Okay, I'll stop now. I'm going to the doctor on Wednesday because he won't refill my meds unless I go back for a check-up and blood work. I think I'll just print this and hand it to him.

I don't know why I keep going to this doctor. I think he's a good doctor, but he has ZERO personality. He never laughs at my jokes or even smiles. He's an Asian man, which doesn't bother me a bit. He stutters, as I believe I've mentioned before. That makes me a little uncomfortable because I feel bad for him and want to finish his sentences for him. Last time I was there he said he thought I needed therapy. How rude. Well, he didn't say that exactly. What he said was I should try therapy and try to get off the anti-depressant/anti-anxiety meds. He said therapy could help me change my behavior instead of relying on the meds to change my behavior. WHAT? Excuse me? I don't want to get into it here, but that's a crock of shit -- at least for me. I do believe some people could be helped by therapy, but I'm not one of them. I know that it's a genetic physiological thing with me. I agree that therapy might be helpful, but not as a replacement for the meds I need/take. I should leave him, but I love him. Oh, wait. No I don't.

Okay, whatever. I think I got off-track here.

I need to go now and take something for this headache, even though it won't help. And I need to go now and take a nap, even though I won't sleep. Oh, and I need to go now and exercise, even though I won't move a muscle.

*Sigh*

Bundt Cake Palooza

I'm on a Bundt cake kick lately. You'll appreciate this entry if you like to look at recipes. Here are links to the recipes for several Bundt cakes I thought looked good. A review is listed for each cake also. The reviews are not mine.

Now I just have to decide which one to make first! I'm torn between the Almond and Kentucky Butter.

Please note the last recipe link is for Chocolate Glaze, not a cake.

Aunt Johnnie’s Pound Cake
Review: Five Stars; Delicate and delightful! I don't keep cake flour in the house, but on the back of my cornstarch box, it gives directions how to make your own cake flour: For 1 cup cake flour, combine 3/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp all purpose flour with 2 Tbsp corn starch. Sift together and use in any recipe calling for cake flour. I used this substitution in the recipe and it worked wonderfully. For light texture, remember to cream shortening, butter and sugar, and then add eggs one at a time. This process took me at least 5 minutes of mixing with the electric mixer but was well worth it! A definite keeper.

Bananas & Cream Bundt Cake:
Review: Five Stars; This cake is so moist and has such a great texture. I loved it. I added about 2 tsp. cinnamon and 1 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips just because I love the combination of flavors. Love the cake. Some reviewers also reduced the sugar and had to bake it longer.

Banana Pineapple-Nut Bundt Cake:
Reviews: Five Stars; Another nice way to use up brown bananas. I used 4 medium size black bananas. Heaped the tsp cinnamon. Used half oil/half applesauce to cut down on fat calories. 60 min. in my oven was perfect. Came out of the bundt pan very easily sprayed with Pam. Used pineapple tidbits, as I find that crushed pineapple seems to get lost in the cake, and adds a bit of texture. Toasted the walnuts, and garnished w/cream cheese glaze and sliced almonds. Saved out some of the batter to make a sample muffin, and it was nice and moist with a very nice hint of cinnamon. Thanks for this easy recipe.

Chocolate Macaroon Bundt Cake:
Reviews: Five Stars; This is a great cake. It is similar to the old chocolate macaroon Bundt mix, but it's better. I have gotten rave reviews when I've made this. It's now my husband's favorite cake!

Coconut Bundt Cake:
Reviews: Five Stars; Great flavor. The ladies at my church luncheon really went nuts over this cake. I added a 3.5 ounce box of instant coconut pudding to the mix, and whirled the coconut in my food processor to avoid the "chunkiness" of the coconut. It made for a luscious flavor and texture.

Glazed Almond Bundt Cake:
Reviews: Five Stars; If I could rate this more than a 5 I would. Followed directions exactly. As I was reading reviews, I noticed that some people had problems getting the cake out of the bundt pan. When ever I use a bundt pan, I spray Baker's Joy which can be found in the baking section of your local grocer. It is in a can and it is a no-stick spray with flour which you just spray in the pan. I have never had a problem with sticking or crumbling. Hope that helps. Very moist.

Kentucky Butter Bundt Cake:
Reviews: Five Stars; I've baked this cake at least a dozen times & always get rave reviews. The cake is very moist with great flavor. It tastes even better the next day! I use Baker's Joy spray to prep Bundt (non-stick or regular) & NEVER have problems with cake breaking up when inverted. I usually cool the cake 40-45 min. at most. After the cake has cooled for 5 min, I poke 30-35 holes in the cake all the way to the bottom of the Bundt pan with the smaller, tapered end of the chopstick. Then I spoon or pour on the butter sauce (I make 1 1/2 times the sauce recipe). Adding 1/2 to 1 tsp cinnamon is a great variation. Also, I recommend creaming the butter & sugar for 5 min then creaming another 5 min after adding eggs/vanilla. Then I alternate dry ingredients with buttermilk. The cake rises like a charm (you can use a 12 cup Bundt pan). What a cake!!!

Mohawk Milk Bundt Cake:
Reviews: Five Stars; We love this cake. It's quick and easy and tastes great. Dust with confectioner sugar for a finished look. It won me a second prize in the Hardwick Community Fair - oldest fair in the country!

Easy Chocolate Bundt Cake Glaze: (Five Star Reviews)

And while I'm at it, here's the recipe for the Apple Bundt Cake I promised. I promise, no more Bundt cake recipes for awhile! I will let you know which ones I make and how we liked them though.

Granny’s Apple Bundt Cake
Ova Dove Cullins (my great-grandmother)

2 cups white sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
2 well-beaten eggs
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups apples - peeled, cored and diced

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Grease and sugar a 10-inch Bundt pan. Combine oil and sugar. Add well-beaten eggs and apples. Sift flour, soda, salt, and cinnamon, and add to apple mixture. Batter will be very thick.Bake in preheated oven for 55 minutes, or until the top springs back when lightly touched. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely.

Tornado Season is Here

We had bad storms again last night -- second night in a row. We were in the master bedroom closet with all four dogs and Kitty this morning at 4:00 am! We had a small, hand-held TV that runs on batteries (the electricity was out) in the closet with us. The news was saying there were tornados all around us in Allen, and we were under a tornado warning.

On his way to work this morning, Barnaby says he saw the damage had started about two blocks from our house. We didn't get any damage that we could see early this morning. Barnaby will check the roof when he gets home for missing shingles. That's the extent of damage we usually have. The new fence held up beautifully! It looks great. They did a really good job.

We got power back at 10:00 this morning. I'm going back to bed with the dogs right now. I have a scratchy throat and a bad headache. Ugh. Hopefully it's just from no sleep the last two nights. The stomach bug I had is gone. Out with the old, in with the new!

Yuck!

I did not like that apple cake at all! I'll give y'all a better recipe tomorrow. It's been in my family for a long time and is tried and true.

And One More Thing...

The smallest things bug the crap out of me. For example, this:

I found this green cap on my kitchen counter after baking a cake and cleaning up the kitchen. I put the fingernail clippers next to it so you could see the size of it. The kitchen was clean before I started and I didn’t notice it then, although it could have been there.

It’s a pretty distinct cap with the little pie sections and flecks on top. What does this cap belong on? Where did it come from? I have no idea, and it’s really bugging me.

Just thought I’d share my pain.

Now I’ll share the recipe for the cake I baked. I’m going to take most of it to my Dad who had a colonoscopy this morning and didn’t have a bite to eat yesterday. I’m sure he’ll appreciate it. I know I would. Maybe he'll forgive me for accidentally sending him porn in an email. Yes, I really did.

It’s a rainy, overcast day, too. A perfect day for not-too-sweet, warm apple cake. YUM!

Apple Bundt Cake

3 cups apples - peeled, cored and diced
2 tablespoon white sugar
2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, divided
3 cups all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup orange juice
2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 eggs
1 cup chopped pecans
¼ cup white sugar for coating pan

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and sugar a 10-inch Bundt pan. In a medium bowl, combine the diced apples, 2 tablespoon white sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon; set aside. Sift together the flour, baking powder, 1 tsp cinnamon, and salt; set aside.

In a large bowl, combine sugars, oil, orange juice, vanilla, and eggs. Beat at high speed until smooth. Stir in flour mixture. Fold in chopped pecans.

Pour 1/3 of the batter into prepared pan. Sprinkle with 1/2 of the apple mixture. Alternate layers of batter and filling, ending with batter. Bake in preheated oven for 50 to 60 minutes, or until the top springs back when lightly touched. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely. Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar if desired.

Feast or Famine

Lots of pictures today to make up for the lack of pictures lately...

Lemon Cake

(Yes, lemon, even though that's lime zest in the glaze because that's all I had.)

Recipe is at the end of this entry.

Two dish mats I made over the weekend and Monday. You're supposed to lay them on the counter next to your sink and drain washed dishes on them. I use mine all the time but got bored with the purple one I've used for several years, so I decided to make myself another one or two. I've had those granny squares (left) made for at least three years. I have enough to at least make one more of these mats. It was originally going to be an afghan, but I guess I got bored with it. I made the one on the right to get rid of scrap yarn. (And then promptly went out and bought more! What's the point?)

I went to Hobby Lobby yesterday and went crazy buying fake flowers and pots to decorate the front and back porches. This is going out front, I think.

This one is for the front porch. I fell in love with the pot and bought it even though it wasn't on sale. I got the flowers and stand for 50% off. I like it so much, I don't want to put it on the front porch where I'll rarely see it, but I guess I will anyway. Maybe.

I bought three of these hanging baskets for next-to-nothing. Those are mini red roses just like the pink ones in the pink pot. I haven't decided what to buy for the other two yet. I have some purple hydrangeas that I may put in them.

Okay, now here's the lemon cake recipe:

Easy Lemon Cake

1 (18.25 ounce) package yellow cake mix
1 (3 ounce) package lemon flavored gelatin
3/4 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
2/3 cup water
1/2 teaspoon butter extract (or lemon)
1-1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
2-3 tablespoons lemon juice
Lemon zest

Preheat oven to 350 F. Combine gelatin mix and cake mix. Mix well. Add next 4 ingredients - oil, eggs, water and extract. Mix well. Grease a Bundt or tube pan and bake 40-45 minutes.

To Make Frosting/Glaze: Combine confectioners' sugar, lemon juice, and zest. Glaze cake while still hot.

The Weekend

The weekend was quite eventful. Well, at least for the Hermit Household.

Barnaby and our Neighbor, I'll call him Chuck, decided to tear down both of our fences and build new ones. Last week was filled with much planning and lumber-buying and hauling and many trips to Lowe's and Home Depot for various and sundry tools and man-crap. Saturday morning bright and early the fence building commensed.

I thought I'd be a crazy woman within two hours of the banging and hammering and compressor noises, but I was pleasantly surprised that it wasn't that bad at all. Almost the entire day Saturday was spent tearing down the old fence. They got a few support boards up before calling it a day.

That's when we lost our minds and decided to have a cookout. Yes, the Hermit Household became the Social Society and had the neighbors and some family over to our patio for brats and chips and stuff. Aside from the 4-year-old kid, it was a nice time. He was a good kid and all, but he was SO FREAKIN' LOUD. Good Lord. It made me nervous, and I thought more than once or twice about drinking every drop of the Sangria my neighbor brought over straight from the bottle, but I didn't. They finally left at 9:15, and we came in and went to bed.

Then it all started over again the next day. The neighbor's kid came a knockin' at our back door wanting to play with Sammi, and OH HELL NO. I could not take listing to that crap, so I told him it was too hot for Sammi to come out. (What?! That's all I could think of on the spur of the moment. Shut up.) He bought it and left. Thank ya, Jesus.

I made a lemon cake Sunday for Three O'Clock Coffee, and my Mom and Dad came over again. My Dad surveyed the fence-building and made sure they were doing everything right, they ate cake and drank coffee and left.

I have the recipe and a picture of the cake, but I'll have to post it tomorrow because the camera is outside in the back driveway in my truck, and I don't wanna go out there just because I'm a freak like that. Goodbye Social Society/Hello Hermit Household.

The fence building project is still not complete, but they did finish the perimeter. All that's left are the gates and the part that separates our two backyards, which is pretty small compared to what's already been done.

Some other stuff happened in-between all of that, but it's making me tired just to think about it, so I just hit most of the highlights for you, and now I'm done.

Hello, beautiful Monday. I got up around 9:00 and fed the dogs, drank a cup of coffee, ate a teenie piece of lemon cake, and then we all piled back into bed and didn't wake up until 2:00. I just ate two bananas, fed the dogs again, and now guess what? I think it's time for a nap. Okay, not really, but it won't be long.

My Tummy Hurts

I have no self-control where food is concerned. I just ate three brownies and an ice cream bar, and I feel nauseous because of it, and I knew I would but did it anyway. The answer for me is not to have that stuff in the house in the first place. Don't buy the ice cream bars, and when the party is over, throw the leftover goodies away and spray them with Windex. Don't forget that last part about the Windex. If not, I'll dig those brownies out of the trash in a heartbeat. I have no self-control and no dignity either. Therapy much?

I need to paint my toenails, or at least remove the really dark polish I have on them now that is starting to chip off. I hate it when I see women with chipped polish on their toenails. It's very trashy-looking and makes you look dirty -- dirty the way Britney always looks dirty. Remove your nail polish. It only takes a minute or two, you dirty skanks.

I'd love to sit here and call you names and ramble, but I have to get some work done. See ya.

If I Had a Title, It Would Go Here

I'm feeling somewhat better. I say somewhat because I am still getting nauseous several times a day. It always goes away before long without "incident." I hate incidents.

Anyway, tonight is the monthly poker party at our house. I have a list a mile long to do, and here I sit at 12:35 with none of it done yet. I'm leaving right now to mix up some brownies and put them in the oven. Then I'll make the Chex mix and some iced tea. I'll wait until about an hour before everyone comes to start baking the sausage balls and cut up the tortilla rolls. I think we've got at least 12 coming tonight. I hope we have enough soft drinks. I don't think we do. I'd better put that on my list too.

Gotta go.