Summer Cooking and Strawberry Lemonade

Okay, my experimenting in the kitchen continues.  I am into quick and easy, but tasty.  So here below are a few summer offerings.  First is International Quesadillas and last Strawberry Lemonade.

As I told one of my girlfriends "Never underestimate the power of a tortilla."  Especially the ones you can get at Costco in the refrigerated section.  You have to finish cooking them which I think makes them all the more yummy.  What I do with these tortillas is make international quesadillas.

American:  Cook tortilla a bit on both sides.  Remove from heat and spread with favorite BBQ sauce.  Return to pan and add cheddar cheese and some chopped chicken (I usually boil chicken tenders, chopped them up and store them in their juice from boiling).  Fold tortilla over and flip to cook other side and melt cheese.

Italian:  Do the same as above only spread the tortilla with pesto.  Use shredded Italian cheese (available at local grocer) and add meat of your choice (mine is chicken of course).

Mexican:  I cook the tortilla a bit then add a shredded Mexican blend cheese that I find at my local grocer.  I then add chopped chicken.  Cook till cheese is melted.  To serve I spread on my homemade pico de gallo sauce, and top with fresh avocado slices (guacamole).  Yum!

These are fast, easy, won't heat up you kitchen and are delicious.  Serve with fruit or a salad and you have a nice summer meal.  I bet you can think of some more ideas of your own.

Below is my version of homemade strawberry lemonade.  Really, it is semi-homemade.  This recipe came to me in a pinch when I was expecting company and did not have enough lemonade to go around.  So I improvised.

Improvised Strawberry Lemonade

I first used half a calm shell of strawberries.  Washed them and cut the tops off.  Sliced them thinly into a storage container.  Added a few squeezes of lemon, some grated lemon peel and sugar.  Close up the container and shake to mix.  Let sit at room temp to mix flavors and create a juice.

When it was time to get the lemonade together.  I used these products:

I got out a pretty pitcher and poured half a bottle of Santa Cruz Organic Lemonade into the pitcher (as that is all I had left).  I then added the storage container of strawberries with their juice.  Humpf...still not enough lemonade.  So I mixed one packet of True Lemon lemonade with a cup of water and added that into the pitcher.  Since True Lemon is sweetened with Stevia it helps lower the calorie content of the lemonde.  Let me tell you, everyone loved it and the pitcher was empty in no time.

Enjoy!!!

The concept of "Chillin"

I've been reading about "relaxation" and I really need to go there.  I have been through so many trials in the past year.  It has become necessary for me to have a "time-out".  I think about my favorite prophet Elijah.  After his big battle with the worshipers of Baal and the Lord setting fire to that wet alter, Jezebel really got angry about all that God did and took it out on Elijah.  So Elijah, who had become weary, ran for his life out into the wilderness.  The Lord brought sleep to Elijah's tired body and even woke him with an angel and made him eat and drink.  Then the Lord had him journey to a cave and there the Lord came to him and dealt with his heart.  The Lord is that still small voice, gentle and reassuring.  Afterward the Lord gave Elijah a new assignment.  I like to look at this story and see that this is how the Lord deals with us as well.  We go through times where He uses us in a great way and then He allows us a time of refreshment and deals with our heart.

Summer, Gardens and Salad

I visited with my doctor and she said I am looking at a lazy summer.  She said I probably won't be feeling myself till Fall.  After she said that, I felt that order for a lazy summer was coming from the Lord.  Well, my summer does indeed look like it is going to be a lazy one.  The Lord has put the reigns on as most of my girlfriends are going places so I have no one to play with.  On top of that, my strength is not entirely back.  It feels good to have this free time to be lazy. 

I did have a girlfriend come stay with me for a few days while Mark was away in Germany on business.  That was a very fun time.  One day we did some gardening together.  Gardening with a friend is really fun.  We cleaned up my back deck and made a potted garden.  My deck turned into a little paradise and we had some meals out there with the awesome view.  Fun!

We also visited the Denver Botanical Gardens during her stay.  Here below are pictures from the gardens.

 This pic works well as wallpaper for your computer.

Loved these pale pink cabbage roses.

Another fun thing about summer is fruit and salad.  Since I still have to watch what I eat I have been trying to be creative in the kitchen.  Below is a summer salad recipe made up by yours truly.  You may like to try it out and tweek it to your taste. 

Nectarine Salad
Organic Mixed Greens
Ripe nectarines
Balsamic vinegar
Glazed chopped pecans (found in the produce section of my grocery store)
Crumbled Feta cheese
Brianna's vinaigrette dressing (or extra virgin olive oil)
Slices of roasted turkey, chopped

I make this salad for lunch.  What I usually do is slice up a nectarine or two and put the slices in a plastic storage container with a couple splashes of balsamic vinegar.  I shake the container so the vinegar coats the nectarines.  I let them sit at room temp to marinate.  I then go and do my chores or run errands.  When it is time for lunch I make the salad.  First, I load a salad dish with greens, sprinkle on the Feta, then chop up the turkey and put that on.  Next I spoon the nectarines on top and then sprinkle on the glazed pecans.  Then I drizzle on either Brianna's dressing or just plain olive oil.  If I use plain olive oil I salt and pepper the salad.  The taste of the glazed pecan & nectarine together is heaven.  You can also do this salad with strawberries instead of the nectarines.  Either way it is yummy.  Enjoy!!

Kitty Friends

It sure is nice having kitty friends.  My kitty friends are named Dusty and Daisy.  Dusty has been with me for 10 years.  She is a long hair Tortie with toe-tuffs.  I love her silky fluffiness.  Daisy is a man-made breed called a Color Point Shorthair.  She is white with orange tabby accents and light blue eyes.  She is part Siamese with eyes that sort of cross at times.  Both cats have their personalities.  Dusty is shy when people come and she hides.  Daisy however is Miss Congeniality when it is one person visiting.  She likes to rub feet.  Dusty knows how to nag and nag till she gets what she wants.  Daisy is our scavenger who jumps up on counters and rummages through closets.  We find things in odd places at times and know Daisy has been up to tricks.  For instances I left my wedding ring in a small dish by the bathroom sink and while washing up, then went to bed.  The next morning I am walking by the recliner in our living room and notice on the floor my wedding ring.  Daisy!

My kitty friends comfort me.  They follow me around the house, they sleep with me at naps and at night.  They know the routine of their feeding and what time it should happen.  They like to go outside and chew grass and chase birds.  Isn't it wonderful that God puts in our care these creatures for us to enjoy?

Yeast and other topics...

Well, this week I was supposed to get my wound vac off and I did.  However, I did not get it off for the right reason.  My wound still has some healing to do, but the yeast infection has gotten so bad I had to leave it off.  While in the hospital I developed abscesses in my incision after the 2nd surgery.  One was so big that it sprung a leak...it literally was squirting a mixture of blood and fluid!  Thankfully, I was in the hospital when that happened and they set me up with a wound vac.  When I went home the hospital set me up with a portable wound vac.  They are great, but unfortunately the dressings (which are not breathable) caused me to develop a yeast infection on my skin.  My skin is super sensitive to adhesives.  My nurse said its the worst one she has seen in a long time.  That says a lot when she has been in the business of doing wound vac care for years.  So I am currently on Diflucan in an effort to kill the yeast.  I have to take one pill for 3 days.  Thankfully the side effects have not been too bad.


This coming Saturday, Mark, leaves on a jet plane bound for Germany.  He will be there for a week.  My friend Cindy is supposed to be staying with me for the week.  Mark asked her to.  She said that worked for her.  Mark just wanted to make sure someone was looking in on me while he is away.  What a sweet hubby I have.

A Long Road

It has been a long time since I posted because I ended up having complications with my surgery.  I was in the hospital a total of 24 days.  When I finally came home I was incredibly weak.  I have now been home for 3 weeks and day by day I have gotten stronger.  Strong enough that I feel I can finally handle posting on my blog.

The original surgery was a wonder.  I went in thinking I was going to lose bowel and came out having nothing cut out.  It was a mess in there, but he was able to untangle the mess.  I had asked the Lord before I went in if He could spare me losing bowel.  He answered my prayer.  However, after surgery was when the troubles began.  On the day that I was supposed to go home I was ill.  I stayed an extra day.  I was home 4 days before I developed a painful blockage.

Both Mark and I were scared...a repeat of what happened in 2008 with my reconnection surgery.  But nothing happens the same way twice.  In 2008, I had a NG tube for only a couple days.  This time I had an NG tube for a couple of weeks.  During this time I could not eat.  And also during this time my doctor located the blockage on the CT scan and decided to go in surgically and remove it.  However, I had developed so much scar tissue, he could not safely get to the spot and so he closed me back up.

That 2nd surgery weakened me.  A day after the surgery my blood pressure dropped to a dangerous low and I woke up with nurses around me hanging lots of stuff on my IV pole.  I had become dehydrated and I ended up with a PIC line so that I could be fed through my artery.  I also received 2 units of blood which helped me come back to life.  After all that I developed an infection in my incision and developed abscesses.  One became so large that I had to get a wound vac.  At one point I became so depressed I had to be given a sedative and put to bed.

It was after that when my pastor showed up one afternoon and he brought another pastor with him and they laid hands on me and prayed.  It was after that I began to get better.  Finally they told me they could take the NG tube out and I could eat and drink again.  After a few days I was told it was time to go home.  I came home with a portable wound vac.  A nurse come twice a week to take care of my wounds which are healing great!  Soon I will be losing the vac and have more freedom.

During my hospital stay I had terrific nurses.  Many friends from church came to visit and support me.  My son, Brandon, called me from California and Eric came to visit me at the hospital.  We may not always understand why we have to go through such trials, but often times these trials not only affect us, they affect others.  God uses us to draw others closer to himself through our suffering...its just what He did with Jesus.

Counting Down

I did not feel like posting after Brandon left.  I was worried sick.  Finally my sister was able to spend  time with Brandon and after that I was able to calm down.  This past week I heard from friends in Cali who had connected with Brandon.  They are keeping an eye on him.  Brandon called me last week and told me he has a job and is rooming with an old neighbors of ours.  The Lord has shown us his love through our sweet friends and their concern for our son.

In other news, my surgery is coming.  On April 23rd I will be having major bowel surgery.  Last year this time I had a colonoscopy and the doctor found that there is a stricture in my colon.  He thinks that there is about a foot of colon that is folded back and forth on itself.  The last few months I have had increased problems and pain.  So I am very thankful that the Lord has opened the doors for this surgery.  Although Mark and I are very afraid, we have no choice in the matter as I really cannot keep on the way I am.  The surgery will take 2 to 3 hours and I will be in the hospital 3 to 5 days, all depending on how much work is done and how my body responds.

This week I have decided to enjoy my favorite foods (as tummy allows) before my bowel prep on Monday.  After surgery I will be on a bland diet till bowel heals.  Thinking about what foods I would like to enjoy helps to ease my fears.  Instead of sitting around being scared to death, I might as well enjoy life.