Celebration

I don’t think there are many of you out there who actually read this blog, so maybe it’s silly to apologize for such a long silence.  I’ve been a little busy with work and Thanksgiving, and I’ve been feeling pretty blah about things as I’ve continued to live with a pain problem that seems to have no real solution. 

But in the interest of attempting to be positive in these shortening days, with the approach of winter and the continuation of chronic pain issues, let me just fill you in on some of the big accomplishments of the last few weeks that are worthy of celebration.

I changed my timing belt.

That’s right.  On my car.  A friend from work helped me do it.  It took us 8 ½ hours, and then another hour or so the next day to fix a slight oil leak resulting from mis-aligning a gasket on the valve cover. 

I was in a ton of pain through the whole process, but I learned a lot and managed to save a few hundred dollars by doing the labor myself.   This was a big confidence builder.

I’m perfecting a bread baking routine.

My sister gave me a really simple, no-knead bread recipe.  It’s so easy that I’ve baked a loaf of bread every few days since I got over the initial inertia.  And the bread tastes great, toasts well, and keeps long enough that even as a single lady I can eat it all before it gets moldy.   It’s also simple and easy enough that I don’t mind sharing it!  I’ll share the recipe here eventually. 

Baking your own bread is another one of those things in life that builds confidence and makes you feel connected to reality in some way.  People have been baking bread in their homes for thousands of years, and it feels good to join the ranks.  It feels even better for it to be a simple, relatively painless process for someone like me who struggles with low-energy and high-pain. 

I bought a really nice food processor.

That’s right.  I splurged.  The old food processor that my sister gave me just wasn’t cutting it.  It couldn’t handle certain heavy jobs like pureeing dates.  If I’m to continue to avoid refined sugar, dates are going to be a big part of my dessert life.  So I bought a beast of a machine – from the Cuisinart Elite collection.  This thing can do anything. 

I contributed to Thanksgiving dessert over-indulgence.

Using my new food processor, I added to the glut of pies and desserts at Thanksgiving this year.  I made a Vegan and Refined-Sugar-Free Chocolate Cream Pie, some No-Bake PumpkinCookie Balls (with butternut puree instead of pumpkin), and some Almond-DateTruffles.  All turned out even more delicious than I’d originally fantasized. 

It’s a big deal for me to contribute to Thanksgiving feasts.  I normally leave all the work up to my much more capable brother and mother.  This year I knew I’d need to bring my own sugar free desserts if I was going to get anything sweet.  And it turned out to be another little victory in my battle against pain and lethargy.  Yeah, it hurt to do all the work, but some things are worthwhile.

I’m getting kefir grains!!!

I’m so excited about this.  I caught my new chiropractor (more on him later, maybe) showing off some kefir grains to the receptionist, and he ended up offering to give me some of the grains when I go to see him next.  I’m so excited to try to make my own kefir.  Once I figure it out, I’ll fill you in on how it goes. 

This Means War

Up till today, the only evidence I saw was poop.  Little poops on top of the stove, or around a banana.  I put out traps.  So far, 12 confirmed kills.  

Yes, I'm keeping track.

What irks me is when the bait is gone from the trap, and there are little poops around the trigger, but no carcass.

The other night, I cleaned up the kitchen really well, wiped down the counters with bleach, and put all food items in the fridge or in sealed containers.  Today I baked a cake, and when I reached for my rubber spatula, I noticed strange contours that didn’t used to be there.  I was puzzled for a while.  Then I figured it out.

Such a shame ...

The half-teaspoon measuring spoon had been gnawed useless, too.

Let the games begin, my little friends!

Peanut Butter Treats (bwa ha ha!)

 

Last Hurrah

Well, I plan to start my refined-sugar-free diet in earnest in a few days, and last night was my last hurrah.  I feasted without giving thought to ingredients for the last time.  (Of course, this is assuming I can actually follow through and carry on with the sugar thing ...)

A flower large enough to wear as a hat to church on Sunday

 Up in one of the hill towns Northwest of here, there is an annual dinner to raise funds for the school athletic department.  They set up a long table across the Iron Bridge, seating 400 folks.  Food is provided by local restaurants and businesses.  Everything is deliciously amazing.  Last year I ate so  much I honestly thought something inside me might rupture. 

The table before the festivities.

Olive tapenade, cucumber salad, chipotle potato salad, pork ribs, grilled swordfish with papaya mustard salsa, cheesecake! 

Downriver

.

I meant to take photos of the food and festivities, but I was so involved in eating and enjoying everything that I didn't pull out my camera.  That's ok, it's better to experience life than to watch it through a two-inch screen, anyway, right?