Good News All Around

Thursday, October 11, 2007
(I don't know why the date is wrong on this post,hmmm...)

Jim with Owen

In 2001 when Jim was diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue, we were both devastated, overwhelmed, terrified of what the future would bring. We sat for days in a daze, just looking at each other and crying, because we did not know what to expect. I spent a lot of hours on the internet, searching for information, anything that would tell us that his diagnosis was not a death sentence. 

That experience brought us closer together, and helped us decide what we really wanted out of our life together. That is, we found out that we really like being together, and enjoy each other’s company, and that no matter where we go or what we do as long as we can be together, we will be happy.

Along with all the other things we have done in the six years since his victory over SCC, we have continued to educate ourselves about the survival and recurrence rates of that cancer, and to celebrate each day we have on earth together. So, when Jim noticed a little spot on his cheek a few months ago, it was not quite as earth shattering as it was in 2001. Yes, we were concerned, but not afraid.

We signed him up for Veterans Administration medical benefits, so that he could be examined by a dermatologist. I had been asking him (well, ok, badgering him) to fill out the paperwork for VA for a about 5 years, but it took a little spat with him for him to understand just how important it was to me that he do it. So, in July he had his initial exam at the VA Medical Clinic in Hagerstown, Maryland.

 

They looked into every opening (and prodded into one in particular,(hahaha) and pronounced him healthy except for slightly elevated cholesterol, a low TSH level, and that pesky little spot in his cheek. They told him he needed to eat a diet low in cholesterol, but did not prescribe any medication for that. They changed his thyroid meds to a lower dose. And they made an appointment for him to see a dermatologist at the Veterans Medical Center in Washington, D.C.

 

Two weeks ago, we went for a biopsy of “the bump”, as Jim was affectionately calling it. Tuesday, we went back for the results of that biopsy. Dr. Cohen, the very nice doctor who is head of dermatology at that hospital, came in and told us it was Basal Cell Carcinoma, a type of skin cancer. He said there are three kinds of skin cancer: Basal Cell, Squamous Cell, and Melanoma. He said if you have to have skin cancer, then Basal Cell is the one you want to have. He said it was probably caused by exposure to the sun and by exposure to the radiation treatments Jim had in 2001 to treat the first cancer, the Squamous Cell one. 

So, while we were there on Tuesday, they did surgery right there in the doctor’s office to cut out the tumor. When they did the biopsy the week before, I stayed in the room and watched, but this time I chose to go to the waiting room out in the lobby. The incision turned out to be quite large, but they got all of the tumor out, and sewed him up. They put four stitches inside, and nine stitches outside. A band-aid to cover it up, and an antibiotic ointment to apply three times a day, and that was it. We go back next week to get the stitches out.

I am amazed at how well Jim is taking this. He said it doesn’t hurt at all, even three days later. He is very glad that all he has to do this time is just the surgery. He is smiling every day, knowing that his little bump is gone.

Dr. Cohen told him that he will have to go every six months for the rest of his life for a dermatology check-up, but now that he has the VA medical, that is not a problem. He should also wear a hat or sun block when he is working outside.

So, now that I have written all this, let me just say to Jim’s Mom and Dad, yes I lied to you and told you he was fine, when he had this little bump we were a little bit worried about. But, since we did not know what it was or what the treatment would be, we just didn’t have anything to tell people. And, Jim did not want to say anything to anyone about it until he knew what was going to happen.

So, now that the bump is history, Jim will continue to go to the VA every six months for a check-up. Besides the one more trip to Washington to get the stitches out, he has to go for blood work to test his TSH for his thyroid again the last week of October, and then he will be done until April.

So, the next time he goes to the VA it will be in Arizona. We have been talking to a campground in Williams, Arizona, about a job there starting in March. The pay is pretty good, and they offer good perks and benefits, one of which is eligibility for AFLAC health insurance after 60 days. The campground is 50 minutes from the Grand Canyon, and a short drive from Sedona. I am keeping my fingers crossed that we get that job.

Also, our daughter in law, Sarah, got her PICC line taken out on Wednesday. I know she is very happy about that, and she can now just concentrate on being Mommy to Owen. He is getting cuter than ever and growing like a little weed. He is already stretching the little toes out of his one piece sleepers in size 0-3 months. He is taking 4 ounces of formula every three to four hours now, and staying awake for longer periods of time. When I talked to Sarah today, she said he was a little fussy yesterday and acted like he just didn't know what he wanted. She offered him his bottle and he didn't want it, and was not wet. I think he just wanted his FabGrandma!

Biscotti Con Cioccolatto

The other day when we were coming home from Washington, D.C., I was driving and I was so sleepy I felt like I was going to nod out right there in the drivers seat. So, I got off the highway at the next exit in search of a cup of coffee. On the way to the coffee place, we passed an organic food store that was in a little cottage looking house, surrounded by a burst of flowers out front. The handwritten sign in the yard said "Fresh Mozzerella Cheese", so of course I had to go in there.

I bought a container of the cheese, which by the way was delish with some tomatoes and olive oil, but the real find was some gluten free cookies I found there. They are imported from Germany, taste a lot like shortbread with the same consistency, and were dipped in dark chocolate. OMG! They were FABulous! A little pricey at $4.19 for 15 cookies, but what a heavenly experience for a gluten free grandma!

Ingredients include: dark chocolate 29% - cocoa 60% min. (cocoa mass 47,5%, sugar, cocoa butter, emulsifier: soyalecithin), maize flour, potato starch, sugar, non hydrogenated vegetable fat, glucose syrup, milk powder, raising agent: ammonium hydrogen carbonate and sodium hydrogen carbonate, salt, flavouring.

So, I am truly sorry if you are lactose free and/or corn free, but if you are only gluten free and can still eat these, you are in for a real treat.

See them for yourself here

If you find a place to purchase them, please do let me know.

What a Nightmare!

We were planning to work until 5 p.m on Sunday then throw our stuff in the truck and take off down to Andrews AFB to spend time with our new FabGrandbaby, Owen. But then my son, Seth called around 12:30 p.m sounding frantic, asking if we could come any earlier. He had taken Sarah for a routine 4 day check up and they put her back in the hospital. He was at home with the baby and Michael, his 10 year old son and really needed us to be here to look after them so he could go back to the hospital.

So, I called the boss and explained the situation, and we got off early and came on down. I had really been looking forward to this quality Grandma time, but not like this. This trip has been a nightmare.

Sarah is still in hospital. We didn't even know exactly what was wrong until tonight, when I finally got a chance to talk to the nurse on duty. She has a "hospital acquired bacterial infection in her bloodstream", MRSA. They are giving her a very strong antibiotic called Vancomycin by IV. On Friday, they are taking her over to Walter Reed Hospital to put in a PICC so that they can send her home and continue to give her the antibiotic by IV for 14 days at home. Now, the infection started out at the place where they inserted the first IV when she was in labor with Owen, in her arm. There is a HUGE, and I do mean HUGE, place, about 5 inches by 8 inches, on her upper arm right above the needle hole for that first IV. It is very ugly.

While we are glad that they are taking such good care of her now, we wonder if they had taken such good care of her before this happened if would have happened at all. I am trying to remain calm about this. But, Owen needs his mother. While I am absolutely certain that he does not care WHO is holding his bottle, as long as someone does, I really believe that he needs his mother to be there. And she really wants to be.

So, I have been cooking meals, cleaning house, doing laundry, AND feeding and changing the baby, and getting up in the night with him, and I am here to tell you that no matter how FAB a Grandmother I think I am, taking care of a newborn is a sport for a much younger woman than me. I have found myself wondering about those crazy women you hear about on the news who have gotten pregnant in their late 50's and in their 60's with donated eggs--WHAT THE HELL ARE THEY THINKING!??! There is no way I would sign up to do this on a full time basis.

At least the people at the hospital are very understanding about visitation. They have allowed us to bring Owen up to visit with Mommy several times a day. Seth takes him in the morning for a while. Then Jim and I take him in the afternoon, and Seth takes him back for a little while after dinner. She is not able to feed him or change him, but she can hold him and just let him lie on the bed with her for a while, which helps her, I am sure.

What a nightmare!

Owen's Quilt

I figured since he is already here I better get off my duff and finish it up. I had the whole thing finished except for the binding, just sitting there for months. So, yesterday I made myself sit down and do it. Of course, I had to go to the fabric store to buy a half yard of fabric to finish it up. I thought I had enough of a yellow or a purple to do the binding, but could not find one piece that would work.

I love the colors in this one. This picture doesn't really show the deep purples. There is a lot of family history in this--the fabric in the big yellow blocks was also used in a quilt for Spencer and one for Becky; a couple of the purples were used in a quilt for Sarah; another purple was in a quilt for Becca; a yellow plaid was used for a dress for Sarah when she was a baby; and the purple plaid was bought on a trip I took to Mexico. I am sure Owen won't care where the fabrics came from, all he will care about is that it is warm and soft.

Owen James Has Arrived

Here he is, Owen James, weighing in at 8 lbs. 3.8 oz. What a cute little bundle!

Here he is with Mommy Sarah. Mother and son are both doing fine. Proud Papa Seth. Look at that grin!

Who turned on the lights? Aww, I can't wait to hug and squeeze this little guy.

Sleeping peacefully. See you soon, little guy!

Owen is one of the four reasons I am the FabGrandma!

Buckwheat Pancakes

I was craving some pancakes the other day so I decided to see what I could mix up to satisfy that craving. This worked great. I think buckwheat is going to be one of my favorite flours, because everything I have made with it so far has tasted really good.

Buckwheat Pancakes

3/4 cup buckwheat flour
1/2 cup corn flour (use rice flour if you are corn free)
1/2 cup tapioca flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup buttermilk powder
1 egg
1 cup(more or less) water
3 TBLS melted butter or margarine

Mix all dry ingredients in a bowl. Add egg and water and mix well. The batter should be pourable. Add the melted butter and stir in well. Pour onto a hot griddle and cook until bubbles appear. Flip over and cook on the other side.

Now if I just had some blueberries to go with this....

Mums In Maryland

Another week, another day off, and Jim and I were driving through the countryside again looking for scenic wonderment. I am here to tell you we found it, just a few miles down the road in Maryland. Before we came up here to work, we never knew Pennsylvania and Maryland could be so beautiful. Everywhere you go around here your eyes are rewarded with beautiful sights, and today was no exception.
The first place we went was to a little restaurant on Hwy 16 in Fairfield, Pennsylvania called Our Place Cafe. They have not been open long. Today was the second time we ate there, but we both had the same thing that we had the last time. Jim got a cheesesteak sandwich and I got Crab Fries. Crab Fries are french fried potatoes with crab meat, bacon, and cheeses on top. They serve it with a yummy scrummy sauce that has Old Bay seasoning and horseradish in it. OMG! I am going to be making these at home sometime soon!

After we left there, we took the first left turn off of Hwy 16, just because we had never been down that road. It turned out to be a dead end road, but here is a picture I took along that road:After we got back to the main hwy, we took another left turn where there was a sign pointing to a roadside market. The market we found at the direction of that sign was fabulous. The farmer guy was out in the front watering a trailer loaded with fall mums for sale:Inside the market we found so many choices it was hard to choose, but we wound up buying eggplant, green beans, two ears of silver king corn, a tiny little cantaloupe that was about the size of a large softball, but it smelled soooo good.Back at home, I made eggplant parmesean, steamed green beans, and fresh corn on the cobb in the microwave. I cut up the little cantaloupe, and that was dinner.

Here is the recipe I used for the Eggplant Parm:

2 medium eggplants
1 egg
1/3 cup milk
1/4 cup corn flour
1/4 cup buckwheat flour
salt and pepper to taste
olive oil
1/2 a 26 oz jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce (I used Classico Sweet Tomato Basil)
1 1/2 cups shredded mixed italian cheese

Peel the eggplants and slice 3/4 inch thick. Salt generously and let set for about 20 minutes, then rinse well. Put the egg and milk into a bowl and mix well. Put the flours, salt and pepper into another bowl and mix well. Dip the eggplant slices into the egg mixture, then into the flour mixture, coating well. Fry in olive oil in a skillet until browned. Place the fried eggplant slices in a casserole dish in one layer. Pour the spaghetti sauce over, then sprinkle the cheese over. Bake in a 425 degree oven for 20 minutes. Let sit for at least 5 minutes before serving.

This is sooo good served with steamed green beans and corn on the cob. It is gluten free. If you are allergic to eggs, you can leave them out and just use the milk. Sorry, we were too hungry to take pictures of it before we ate it all up!

Buckwheat Cornbread

I am still trying to create the perfect gluten free cornbread. This is the version I tried last night, and Jim gave it two thumbs up:

Buckwheat Cornbread

1/2 cup buckwheat flour
1/2 cup tapioca flour
1/2 cup corn flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp xanthan gum
1 egg
1/3 cup powdered buttermilk
1 cup water

Mix all ingredients well, and pour into an iron skillet that has been heating on the stove with olive oil. Bake in 425 degree oven for 25 minutes.

This was very good served with butter, along with yet another version of bean soup.

Today's Bean Soup:

1 bag dried baby lima beans
3 stalks of celery, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
4 fresh tomatoes, skinned and diced
8 oz frozen shoepeg corn
1 smoked ham hock, skin removed, and meat cut up in chunks
salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste

Place dried beans in a pot of water and bring to a boil. Boil for five minutes. Meanwhile, place all other ingredients in crock pot and turn on high. Pour hot beans and water into crock pot and cook for several hours.

The "Original" FabGrandma

My mom will be 80 years old in November. In October of 2005, she almost died when she had a ruptured diverticuli. Her doctor took her in for surgery at 5:30 on a Friday afternoon and saved her life. In March of this year, she had surgery again, this time to reverse the colostomy she received in 2005.

She called me a couple of months ago to tell me that her recipe for stuffed cabbage was selected as recipe of the month for the Greystone Power monthly newsletter. Two ladies from the electric company came out to her house and took a picture of her holding a head of cabbage. Yesterday I received a copy of the newsletter in the mail from my sister. So, for your viewing enjoyment, here is my Mom and her stuffed cabbage recipe. It is gluten free, so enjoy if you can eat beef and tomatoes: (click on the picture for a larger version)

Hacienda Shiloh

Have you ever been to a wine tasting? I have too. But, have you ever been to a garlic tasting? I had not until today.

One of the girls I work with at Granite Hill Camping Resort told me about a place nearby called Hacienda Shiloh. It is an herb farm near Gettysburg. They have 23 different kinds of garlic there. Jim and I drove over there today after breakfast. The short drive to get there was a treat in itself, a twisty mountain road through the forest, where we had to slow down to keep from hitting a huge deer that lept across the road in front of us.

At Hacienda Shiloh, there is a gift shop, the garlic barn, a greenhouse, and of course, the gardens. They have flowers and herbs growing everywhere. Of course it wasn’t as beautiful as it could be because we have been in a drought here, but still, it was fabulous.

Our first stop was the gift shop. They have tons of dried herbs for both medicinal and culinary uses. Garlic jelly, garlic powder, minced garlic, garlic pesto, garlic granules, garlic cookbooks, and garlic utensils. If is has to do with garlic, you can get it there. After we looked around in the gift shop, we walked down past the vegetable garden to the garlic barn, where they had all the different kinds of garlic hanging up to dry. The nice lady (I can not remember her name, dang it) broke off cloves of several different kinds for us to taste. We both liked the Italian garlic best, so we bought a bunch of it.

We also got some garlic scapes, which are the tiny little bulblets from the flower that grows out the top of a garlic plant. I had never even seen anything like them before. She said you take them home and pinch them off of the flower heads, and store them in a zip lock bag in the refrigerator. Sprinkle a few in a salad for a burst of garlic flavor. Yum!

As we were walking back to the gift shop to pay for our purchases, I happened to see some chard growing in her vegetable garden. I asked her if she would sell me some of it, and of course she did. She got our her scissors and cut me a handful of it, both red and green. As she was cutting it she told me she has fresh herbs, too. So, I got her to cut me some fresh basil, my favorite herb.

Back in the gift shop, I rounded out my purchase with a Autumn Cranberry Rub and some Mushroom Sea Salt. The Autumn Cranberry Rub has cranberries, orange zest, rosemary and sea salt. She recommended rubbing it on chicken or fish. The Mushroom Sea Salt has powdered oyster, boletes, porcini, shitake, and woodear mushrooms. I can not wait to try it. The last thing I picked out was four sample sizes of herbal teas. All of the things I bought came to $16.10. What a deal! Oh, I forgot about the little bag of shallots, too.

When I got home with all this stuff, here is what I made for dinner:

1 chicken breast, skinned, deboned, and cut into bite size pieces
20-25 cloves of garlic (I sliced some and left some whole)
2 shallots, diced
1 bunch of chard, washed, and cut up (I cut up some of the more tender stems, too)
olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Heat the olive oil in a skillet. Add the garlic and shallots, and sautee until tender. Add the chicken and stir fry until the chicken is done. Meantime, steam the chard in the microwave for about three minutes. When the chicken is done, add in the chard and sautee about 2 minutes. Serve over gluten free spaghetti or angel hair pasta.

I usually make this with broccoli, but since I had the chard, I used it instead. Oh MY God! Delish!

The lady at Hacienda Shiloh said she will ship anywhere in the country. She is working on getting a website. If you would like to have her product and price list, write to her at:

Hacienda Shiloh
327 Knox Road
Gettysburg, PA 17325-7243

Or send her an email at casagarlic @ superpa.net.

8 Random Things About Me

There is a blog tag thing going around, and while she didn’t actually tag me, Karina at The Gluten Free Goddess threw down the gauntlet when she invited anyone who wanted to join in the fun to do so. So, in the spirit of fun, here are my 8 Random Things About Me:

1.I also curse like a sailor. Well, what do you expect, I grew up in a house full of truck driving men. All the male members of my family are truckers. And if they weren’t truckers, they were in the Navy. So, there ya go.

2. I used to BE a truck driver. Well, technically, I still am, because I drive a four door Ford F-250 diesel pick-up truck. But, what I mean is that I used to drive a truck delivering freight to make a living. Yes, it WAS a Dodge Ram pick-up truck with a camper shell on the back, but it WAS a TRUCK and I DID deliver freight all over the United States in it.

3. I was once frisked by the Secret Service while I was wearing a bathing suit. Just ask if you want the details.

4. Here is a picture of me with the only “celebrity” I have ever met.

5.I live in a travel trailer and work at campgrounds and resorts.

6. I am diabetic and gluten intolerant. My husband has a thyroid condition and can not eat beef. So between us both we lick the platter clean, hahaha.

7. I was a Girl Scout leader and Service Unit Director for 8 years while my children were growing up.

8. I am from the south and everyone knows it as soon as ah open ma mouth ta speak.


I am not tagging anyone, but if you read this and want to do it, feel free.

Bean Soup Weather, Again

The weather here in Pennsylvania has been cool for almost a week now. Today is supposed to be 85, but it is already after one o’clock and it is still only 72 degrees out there. I am loving it, but hope it does warm back up as I really don’t want to have COLD weather yet.

Yesterday I did another version of bean soup, so here it is for you all to enjoy:

1 lb dried white beans (I used cannellini beans)
1 good-sized hunk of salt pork, preferably with some lean in it
3 celery ribs, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
salt and pepper to taste

Cook the beans for a couple of hours, until they are soft. Add:

1 pkg Bird’s Eye Sugar Snap Stir Fry (sugar snap peas, carrots, onions, mushrooms)
1 large yellow squash, cut up
2 large fresh tomatoes, cut up (peel and seed if you want to, I didn’t)
1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 tablespoon dried basil ( I really like basil)
1 tsp dried oregano

Cook for about an hour longer. This was really good, although I can’t take full credit for the recipe, as there was a recipe for minestrone on the bean package, which I followed very loosely. I just happened to have that package of frozen vegetables in the freezer, and since it had most of the vegetables called for in the original recipe, I dumped them in. My husband, Jim, really like it, too, but he asked for cornbread to go with it. I just doesn’t seem like a cornbread kind of soup to me.

Bean Soup Weather

When we got up yesterday morning it was rather chilly for August--62 degrees. The high for the day was only 68, and the weather forecast was for rain all day. Perfect weather for a pot of bean soup!

Here is the recipe I used, or rather what I threw together:

1 lb dried red beans
a ham bone from the freezer
3 carrots peeled and chopped
3 celery ribs chopped
1 medium onion chopped
2 heaping tablespoons of chopped jalapeno peppers
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
salt and black pepper to taste

Put the beans in a pan, cover with water, bring to a boil and cook on high heat for five minutes. Meanwhile, put everything else in the crockpot. Pour in the hot beans, and cook for several hours on high. I did not have anything else to serve with it, but cornbread would have been nice.

Sarah and the Diabetes Scare

We went down to visit with Seth, Sarah and Michael in Wahington, D.C. We spent the night on Tuesday night and came home on Wednesday. Before we left to come home, I took Sarah shopping for Michaels school uniforms.

She has been diagnosed with gestational diabetes. The baby is due at the end of September. They prescribed glyburide for her to take. She took her pill, then we left to go to the store. While we were there, she started looking obviously distressed, so I took her out to the truck. She tested her blood sugar and it was 38! I ran over to a convenience store and got her a coke. After she drank about half of the coke, she started feeling better.

She is supposed to go back to the doctor today, so I told her to be sure to tell the doctor what happened. I think they need to either change the dosage or change the medication.

Pennsylvania Fruit Quest

Jim and I go on a weekly "Fruit Quest", that is, we take a drive to somewhere we have never been before, looking for local fruit and vegetable stands where we can buy direct from the local farmers. Since we got here, there has been a huge variety of fruits and veggies available to us. So far, we have been through strawberries, cherries, apricots, sweet peas, asparagus, and blueberries. I was sad when the cherries were all gone, but now there are the most delicious blackberries I have ever tasted.

This week, we drove up to Carlisle, Pennsylvania just because we have never been there before. We took a very scenic route to get there. It took about three hours round trip, through some beautiful countryside. This part of Pennsylvania has been experiencing a severe drought this summer, and the orchards are showing the effects of it. Many of the trees have lots of fruit on the ground where it has fallen due to not getting enough water. Leaves are turning brown and falling as well. Corn is not as tall as it should be this time of year, and flowers are hanging their heads down towards the ground, as if they are praying for rain. Even with the lack of rain, there is still an abundance of fruits and vegetables available, and we took advantage of that fact yesterday, stopping at at least three stands to purchase our produce for this week. We got some squash, eggplants, tomatoes, and onions at one stop where barefooted Amish women where tending the store under a tent at the side of the road. At another place we got nectarines, yellow plums, and blackberries. I have never seen so many blackberries for sale as I have this summer, and they are just now coming into season. I used some of them to make a blackberry vinaigrette salad dressing. It turned out YUM! Here is the recipe:
1 cup fresh ripe blackberries
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 of a red onion, chopped
3 or 4 sprigs of fresh basil
1/2 cup olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Place all ingredients except olive oil in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally, mashing the berries with the back of the spoon. Cook until the liquid is reduced by half. Strain out the solid ingredients and pour the liquid into a cruet. Add the olive oil and shake well. Store in the refrigerator. MMMMMMM.

Also, while we were in Carlisle, we stopped at a natural food store called The English Garden. While the proprietor was very helpful and nice, I was not impressed. When he asked what I was looking for, I told him I am gluten free. He took me to an aisle where he has all types of pasta, including regular wheat pastas, all stacked in the shelf together. He told me all of his pastas were gluten free, and they obviously were not. I thought about informing him of his error, but I just didn't want to get into a debate with him right then. I just hope that his gluten free customers are label readers.

Cooking For the Daughter-In-Law

We got up late on Tuesday morning. While we were having our coffee we were discussing whether or not to call Sarah, our daughter-in-law and ask if she wanted company, when the phone rang and it was her. She had been to her doctor appointment and wanted to tell me all about it. Our little Owen is due in about 58 days now. So, we decided to get in the truck and drive down.

On the way, we stopped at a farm market and picked up new potatoes, green beans, squash, peaches, and blackberries. Those blackberries were as big as my thumb!

When we arrived at their house, Michael was in the yard playing with his friends. As soon as he saw our truck, he raced across the yard to greet us. I heard him telling his friends "It's my grandparents!" That made me feel really good, like a real grandmother. And when Sarah saw the bags of groceries, she said to me, "As soon as I hung up the phone, I thought to myself, yeah, she's gonna cook dinner for me, yum!"

That night, I cooked dinner, except for the pork chops, which my son, Seth, did on the grill. We had green beans with new potatoes, fried yellow squash with onions, fresh creamed corn, and a peach-blackberry crisp based loosely on a recipe from Karina's Kitchen at the Gluten Free Goddess blog. Everything I cooked that night was gluten free, but I did not tell my family that it was because I did not want any bias in their opinion of the meal. They all raved about the food,most especially about the crisp, which they insisted on calling a pie. It was all good.

I used white rice flour to coat the squash before frying, which is the first time I have done that. The squash turned out very crispy and golden brown, and seemed to me to be better than when I used wheat flour for all those years of cooking it. I used rolled oats and rice flour for topping of the crisp. The only negative comment I had was that it was too chewy. Oh, well, if that is the only thing then it wasn't too bad.

We only got to stay for one night, then had to come home as we had not really planned on going down there. But we did make plans to go back in two weeks. So, that was our days off this week.

The Gluten Connection, Again

Back on July 18, I wrote a little bit about The Gluten Connection by Shari Lieberman. The subtitle of this book was what really grabbed my attention--How Gluten Sensitivity May Be Sabotaging Your Health and What You Can Do To Take Control Now. That is quite a mouthful. I had only read the first two chapters then, but I have now finished reading it, and want to say again, I think it should be required reading for anyone who thinks they may be gluten intolerant.

Not only did I see so much of myself in her descriptions of how gluten intolerance can present itself in various ways, but I also saw my brother, my sister, my two daughters, my two grandsons, and my father. And, I really think that a lot of my mother-in-law's many health problems could be gluten intolerance related. If only I could have had this knowledge 35 years ago when my children were young, before they had to suffer so many years because I thought I was feeding them good nutritious food! I think I am going to send each one of my family members a copy of this book, along with a card telling them how much I love them.

Chapter 12 of The Gluten Connection is about taking dietary supplements when you go gluten free. I had already started thinking maybe I should be taking some vitamins, but this book spelled out what you should be taking in the beginning when you eliminate gluten from your diet. I took my book with me to the store and showed it to the woman who works there. So, now I have started taking a food based multi-vitamin with minerals, fish oil capsules, and co-enzyme Q10. It has only been a few days since I started taking them, but I am starting to feel better.

Just as a side note, Jim also started taking the co-enzyme Q10 and he is saying that he has a lot more energy. He has been trying out different supplements for a few months now trying to get his energy level up. He has no thyroid, and even though he takes Synthroid every day, it is hard to keep him energized.

Amazon Grocery Gluten Free Section

Yes, this is a commercial, so if you get offended by commercials, please tune out now. :)


Since we live fulltime in a travel trailer, I have been worried that I would not be able to find my favorite gluten free items in the next town we end up in, so I have been doing some serious web surfing trying to find gluten free items at affordable prices. Well, today, I found the Amazon Grocery Gluten Free Section. They have a big selection of everything gluten free. Yes, you have to order multiple packages from them, but they do offer good prices and some things have free shipping.

One example I can give you is their xanthan gum. The local health food store here sells a 6 oz. package for $11.95. The Amazon Grocery sells 8 oz. packages for $8.16 with FREE shipping. I would be very likely to try to find someone to co-op with at those prices.

OK, end of commercial. Thank you for your time.

Brothers and Sisters

This is the latest portrait of my FabGrandchildren, Michael and Sarah. Michael lives in Maryland at Andrews Air Force Base with their father and step-mother. Sarah lives in Seattle, Washington with their mother and step-father. Sarah came to Maryland for two weeks, then Michael flew with her to Seattle for two weeks. While they were together in Seattle, their mother, my ex-daughter-in-law, took them to have their picture taken. I must say that I think that photographer has a good sense of humor!

Blueberry Cornbread

Being a girl from the south, I grew up eating cornbread. The cornbread I always made before I started eating gluten-free was made with this recipe:

1 cup self rising corn meal mix
1 cup self rising flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1 egg
enough buttermilk or 2% milk to make a thick, pourable batter.

Mix well and pour into an iron skillet that has been on an eye on top of the stove heating up the oil, so that when you pour in the batter it sizzles. Bake in a 420 degree oven until golden brown.

I loved that cake like corn bread, so much that at times I made it every night for dinner, and ate a piece with butter and white Karo syrup for desert.

Now that I can not eat the wheat flour, I have had to rethink the recipe. Tonight I decided to make some cornbread with some fresh blueberries in it because I had too many blueberries in the refrigerator.

Here is the new and improved, gluten-free corn bread:

1 cup yellow corn meal
1 cup white rice flour
1/8 cup powdered buttermilk
1/2 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 tablespoon xanthan gum
1/8 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup 2% milk or water
1 cup fresh blueberries

Mix all the dry ingredients in a bowl. Add egg and liquid, and stir until mixed well. Stir in blueberries. Pour into iron skillet that has been heating up on top of the stove with some olive oil in it, then bake in a 425 degree oven about 30 minutes, until browned on top. Serve with butter.

This version was pretty good. I think next time I will add a little salt to the batter, though, and see how that works.

The Land Of Little Grandchildren...

Sarah and Michael at the playground at Granite Hill Campground

A few days ago I promised more about my visit with the FabGrandchildren. I know you all have been chomping at the bit to hear all about it, and I apologize for the delay. I have been either working, sleeping, or goofing off since they left, so I haven’t had time to write.

One of the things I have been doing is playing games at Fandango. My diligence and persistence at these games paid off the day before yesterday because I won two tickets to the movie of my choice for having the all time high score on a word game called Suds (but that is another story).

Ok, where was I? Oh yes, the visit with FabGranddaughther, Sarah and the FabGrandson, Michael. They are the children of my son, Seth, who is in the Air Force. Sarah lives with her mother and stepfather in Seattle, Washington. Michael lives with his dad and stepmother in Washington, D.C.

Sarah flew from Seattle to Washington with a stopover in Cincinnati, Ohio. She said the flight attendants took very good care of her. She got to visit with the pilot in the cockpit before the plane took off. She said she made friends with two grownups who were sitting in the same row with her. This I believe because I do not think she has ever met a stranger!

After a day or two visiting with her dad and brother at their house at Andrews Air Force Base, they all came up to Gettysburg to spend a few days with us.

Michael roasting weiners at the campfire.

Seth brought his tent and other camping gear, but Sarah decided she wanted to sleep inside with me. We folded down the dining table to make it into a bed for her. She was delighted to have her very own “bable” to sleep on. We did all the regular camping things, like making s’mores, roasting marshmallows and wieners on a stick, fishing, and walking around the campground.

On our days off while they were here, we took them all to The Land of Little Horses.

Seth and at The Land of Little Horses

We have seen the signs for it since we got here in March, and every time I mentioned taking the grandchildren there, FabGrandpa harumphed and said, “That is so hokey! No way are they going to like doing something like that.” It costs $12 per person to get in the gate, another $2 for a pony ride, and another $1 for a cup of food to feed to the animals. What you get for your $12-$15 is wonderful! Even FabGrandpa had a good time. They have about 50 miniature horses, regular horses, a camel, llamas, an alpaca, some other exotic mammals, a full grown turkey, goats, peacocks, and I don’t know what all else. They have a show where the animals do tricks. Three horses danced, and another one could add, subtract, and multiply. A dog even played basketball. And Sarah got chosen from the audience to play basketball with him. If you ever go to Gettysburg, you really need to go there. What fun! Ever since we went there, every place we go is "The Land of Little..." whatevers.

We went to a farmers market and let the kids pick out their favorite berries. That night, Sarah helped me make strawberry shortcake for everyone. She put the little sponge cake things in the bowls, spooned on the berries, and tried to squirt the whipped cream out of the can but her little fingers just wouldn’t reach.

Another place we went was called The Round Barn. It is exactly what the name implies, a barn that is round. I have never seen a round barn before. It was a beautiful building in the heart of orchard country in southwestern Pennsylvania.

My daughter in law, Sarah, at the Round Barn

They had animals there too, which was a big hit with the kids. They got to pet a donkey, and saw a baby goat. Oh, and that bump is the mystery boy, Owen, the newest Fab Grandbaby, who will arrive sometime around the end of September.

They stayed with us for three nights and then had to go home. We had arranged to have four days off the next week, so we went down to Washington to spend that time at my son’s house. My daughter, Rebecca, was there, too. She came up from Norfolk for two days.

FabGrandpa, Michael, Sarah, and Aunt Rebecca at Seth's house.

That Monday, we had told the children we were going to take them to the National Zoo, but it was 97 dgrees outside, and they had already seen a ton of animals, so we decided to take the Metro into Washington D.C. and go to the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History. You know, the one with the dinosaur bones. Both kids loved that display. So did I. I have been to DC twice but had never been to that museum. They also loved the gem and mineral display. Michael collects crystals. There were some on display there that were bigger than he is. Oh, one of the things I did not realize is that all of the Smithsonian buildings and the National Zoo are free.

But out of all these things we did, the thing the kids enjoyed the most and talked about the most was riding on the Metro. It was like magic—both kids sitting perfectly still, silently looking out the window as the train rolled down the track. Every mother, and every FabGrandmother, should have a train!!

The last day I was at my son’s house, the Fabgranddaughter and I spent the afternoon making a scrapbook of all the things we did while she was here. I went to Wal-Mart and had them print out a lot of pictures, and bought some colored paper, sheet protectors, and a glue stick. I glued on tickets, brochures, and pictures, and she wrote about them on each page. It turned out to be a very nice memory book for her to treasure and remember her trip. As if she could forget ME!

p.s. I have a few more pictures I want to post, but my connection is very slow. I will add them tomorrow, I promise!

The Gluten Connection

We stopped at Barnes and Noble in Frederick, Maryland yesterday while waiting for movie time. I bought this book by Shari Lieberman. She is a clinical nutritionist in private practice for more than 20 years. Although I have only read the Foreword, the Introduction, and the first chapter, I think it should be required reading for anyone who is gluten intolerant or who has been diagnosed with Celiac Disease. I wish I had found it on Amazon first, because I paid full price at B&N, $16.95 plus tax. I see Amazon has it for $11.95. Sigh.

The Most Fab Compliment Ever...

The FabGranddaughter, Sarah, came to visit from Seattle, Washington. She flew in by her eight year old self, to visit with her Dad for two weeks. While she was at his house, they came up to Gettysburg to camp out with FabGrandma and FabGrandpa for three days. Later, we went down to spend four days at their house.

The last day we were there, I was sitting there with FabGranddaughter. She said to me, "My other grandmother is boring. All she did when she came to visit me was wear her headphones, listen to the radio, and snore." I asked her if I was boring, and she said "No, you are the best grandmother in the world." Now that is a compliment!

(more about our visit to come...)

Now I Know

I have been gluten free since about the middle of April. Since then, I have been very faithfully GF, something I was very proud of because I felt so much better. But, my grandchildren, Sarah and Michael, came to spend a few days with me. The last day they were here, I made them some french toast, and I ate two pieces of it with them. Just because it smelled so good, and because I just wanted to.

So, I have been wondering which of the many symptoms I had would come back fastest if I "cheated", if I ate something made from wheat flour. Now I know. My legs and feet hurt so bad I could hardly walk for two days. Not just a little sore, but an ache down in my bones that required several doses of pain releivers (over the counter). I don't think I will be doing that again any time soon. Oh, yeah, and my face broke out in pimples, too. Yuck.

Check It Out: A List Of Gluten Free Bloggers

Karina's Kitchen is a great blog written by multi-allergic (Is that a word?) and gluten intolerant Karina. She creates some of the most wonderful recipes I have seen, and I say "SEEN" because she also takes some very beautiful photos of the food she creates. I am jealous of her photography talent. I hope that someday when I grow up, I will be as good at photography as she is.

Anyway, if you want to see some pretty food, take a look over there. And check out all those other gluten-free bloggers, too.
Karina's Kitchen: Recipes from a [Gluten-Free] Goddess: Gluten-Free Bloggers

Crazy Dreams

I don’t usually write about my dreams because I rarely ever dream, or, if I do, I don’t remember them. But last night I went to bed with a terrible headache, so early after coming in from work that Jim was concerned about me. I didn’t even turn on the computer to read my e-mail. I was that sick. So, with apologies to the real people in my family who are in this story, sorry, it was just a dream.

In the dream I had last night, I was walking down the street I lived on when I was in the eighth grade, with my best friend from eighth grade. The road looked like it did then, and I looked like I did then, but my friend looked like she looks now. As a matter of fact, everything in the dream looked like it did then, except her. This is sort of what I looked like then:

We came to a place in the road where a rose bush had grown over the road, and we had to walk through it to get to where we were going. As we walked through it, the thorns on the rosebush snagged on my clothing. Donna, my friend, was helping me get untangled from the thorns. I reached for one of the canes of the rosebush, and got about 20 thorns stuck in my thumb. I said to her, “I need a tweezer to get these out.” 

So, we went to my mother’s house, which looked on the outside like it looked when I was in the eighth grade. Except, that when we walked up on the carport, instead of a regular door like my mother has, there was a sliding glass door there. The whole inside of the house was crammed with furniture, so much that my mother, who looked like she looked when I was in the eighth grade, had to move a little round wooden table so that Donna and I could slip in sideways to get into the house. 

Once inside the house, I asked my mother for a tweezer. She said there was one in the bathroom. So, I went into the bathroom. In the bathroom, I noticed that it was pouring down rain outside, and the ceiling of the bathroom was leaking, so much that there was a huge puddle of water on the floor. I also noticed that someone had re-tiled the bathroom with a beautiful tile pattern. I wondered to myself in the dream why someone would re-tile the floor but leave the roof to leak so much. I looked in the medicine cabinet for a tweezer, but there was not one there. 

I went back out to the living area, where I noticed that the ceiling was leaking heavily in there, too. I told my mother that there was no tweezer in the bathroom. She then said, “Well, if you had asked me I would have told you there was one on that little table by the door.” The one she moved so we could get in. I walked over there and got the tweezer and picked the thorns out of my thumb.

Then, I asked my mother why she had not had her roof repaired. She said, “I asked Seth to do it, and he said he would, but Dick got mad at me because I asked Seth to do it, so I told Seth not to do it, and Dick never came to do it after that.” (Seth is my son, who was not even thought of when I was in the eighth grade, and Dick is my older brother) And I said, “Well, Seth knows how to do it, and I will call him right now to come over and fix that roof.” End of dream.

So, if anyone has a clue what this all means, please let me know.

Note To Self: Never Let Someone With A Pierced Nose Cut Your Hair

One of the few drawbacks to the lifestyle we have is that I usually have to find a new hair stylist every other time I get my hair cut. My step-daughter, Becky, cut my hair from the time she was in high school, and she did it very well. She owns a shop in the Atlanta area now. She is in such demand that it is hard for me to get an appointment with her when I am in town. I like to brag that she used to cut the hair of one of the ladies who was on the Weather Channel. If she could see what my hair looks like now, she would have a fit. Just like I did.

What I usually do when I need a haircut is to look at other people’s hair when I am in the grocery store, in a restaurant, where ever, and when I see a particularly good hair cut, I ask the woman who does her hair. Now, every woman knows that if someone asks her that question, she must look really good, so I have always gotten a “Why thank you for asking, I get it done at…” But since we are in a rural area, when I have asked that question for the last couple of weeks, it is always someone who cuts hair in her home for her friends and family only. (I guess that should have told me something about the beauty shops around here.)

Just a couple of days ago, I saw the most perfect haircut ever. The woman must have been about 65 years old, with snow-white hair. But the haircut was so modern, so trendy, so, well, just so good of a haircut. She was eating lunch with a friend of hers at a restaurant in town. So, of course, I asked her where she got her hair done. And, she proceeds to tell me it was her friend’s son, who used to work for Paul Mitchell, but he is retired from doing hair and only cuts hair for a few friends and family members now. Crap. I should have taken her picture, but I didn’t think about it until later. Much later. Too much later.

And so, since I was looking rather shaggy, and was in a real need of a haircut, I got out the phone book at the campground office and looked in the yellow pages. The first place I called could see me right away. That should have been a warning, but no, I went ahead with it. The girl who greeted me at the front desk had a nose ring. One nostril was pierced and adorned with the tiniest little stud nose ring, but still, a pierced nose.

She took me back to her lair immediately and asked me how I wanted my hair cut. I told her I usually get it cut short, with bangs, over my ears, and straight across in the back. This is what I have told every hair stylist I have ever been to, and they have managed to cut my hair in a close semblance of how Becky used to cut my hair. So she starts to cut. And she cuts, and cuts some more. When she was done, this is how it looked:

It looks like she actually cut a hole in my hair here. This looks like the picture in the Hair Club For Men commercial.

I am not a person who likes to spend a lot of time on my hair. I usually wash, blow dry, and go. I have never used any styling products. Just shampoo and conditioner, never anything else. And I have not cried about the way my hair looked since the last time my mother put a Tony Home Perm in it when I was about 12 years old. But, when I went home this time, my hair was a disaster. Jim said I needed to get a hat. Thanks a lot, big guy, that really makes me feel better.

So, today when we went to Wal-Mart, I stopped in at the hair shop there. I told the girls working there that I had gotten this hair cut yesterday, and it looks really bad to me and what could they suggest. They told me I needed something to make it “stand up”, to give it some body. So, they sold me some Molding Glue. For hair. Mess It Up Styler. Ummm, it was already messed up.

They showed me how to use it, just a dab and run my fingers through it just so, and voila! It does look a little better, so I bought the stuff. $11.00 for a little jar of it. It should last a very long time, with as little hair as I have. So, this is what it looks like now:

Note to self: Never let someone with a pierced nose cut your hair.