7/365: Walking... Woot!

7/365: Walking... Woot!, a photo by AuntCharChar on Flickr.

It's been a while since I walked. Need to get back into the swing of things. Stay tuned, film at 11 :-)

Jingle Bell 2 miler

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"Jingle Bell 2 miler"
(taken at Satellite Beach Library)

Friends are priceless

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"Jingle Bell 2 miler"
(taken at Jingle Bell Run)

Reading

Are there any readers out there.  What books are you reading.  I’ve almost lost track now.  I have to refer to my account at Goodreads.com… be right back.

I have currently started reading the following books:

How to Talk So Teens Will Listen and Listen So Teens Will Talk , by Adele Faber

started on November 07, 2012

The Dance of Intimacy: A Woman's Guide to Courageous Acts of Change in Key Relationships , by Harriet Lerner

started on November 15, 2012

The Zen of Max , by Lou Belcher

started on October 30, 2012

The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane , by Katherine Howe

p. 48 of 376 (13%)

The Best of America's Test Kitchen 2013 , by America's Test Kitchen

started on September 29, 2012

Destination Frightville: 13 U.S. Haunts to Visit if You Dare , by Harrison Clancy

started on September 29, 2012

Vet tech Tales : The Early Years (Vet Tech Tales, #1). , by Phoenix Sullivan

started on September 13, 2012

We're Just Like You, Only Prettier: Confessions of a Tarnished Southern Belle , by Celia Rivenbark

p. 15 of 288 (5%)

Completely Restored , by Robert Kerr

5%

started on August 29, 2012

That Bear Ate My Pants! , by Tony James Slater

3%

Snake Skin , by C.J. Lyons

41%

My plan is to finish at least one of these this weekend.  Wish me luck!  What are you reading?

Charlene

Kellogs Pastry Crisp

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"Delicious and delicate breakfast."

Pretty toes make me feel good

Now if we can just get rid of these headaches...

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"Cute toes & sandals...

Waiting for the doctor"

So Frustrated

I haven't been writing lately because I've been sick, and I haven't felt like it.  There I said it.

I've been sitting here today, Sunday, for about two hours now pretending that I'm fine.  I'm not.

I've been sitting here today willing the headache first not to come, then to go away.  It isn't working.

I'm paralyzed to my chair.  I want to do some things around the house.  I can't find the strength.

Everyone I know - all the doctors I have seen... they worry, they try this and that.  Nothing is working.

So now I'm going to take some more medicine and will it to help.  Even though it just takes the edge off. 

Then I'll will it to go away again.

In the meantime, since I'm sitting here... I have been taking some pictures when I can, so I'm going to back post those to brighten this place up a little bit.

Char

Blood letting

Why the hell is it that the people who draw blood from you think it is better to move the needle around inside your arm to find the vein they missed instead of just taking it out and trying again?

:-(

C

Malaysian Black Pepper Shrimp

Completed Dish

This is the recipe, I switched shrimp for the clams (John rightly decided to do the Shrimp shell off, and that was brilliant. We get the ones from publix that are ez peel and peel them off easy). It is absolutely freaking awesome and REALLY easy!

I added extra pepper, a little red pepper flake, a little extra water and extra butter when I made it this time so I got more sauce.

Char

*******

Malaysian black pepper clams or shrimp

With this endlessly variable formula and technique, you can be a shellfish genius in minutes
Francis Lam

Clams are the strong, silent type of shellfish. They're not sexy like oysters and they're not dying to be everybody's friend like scallops. (And, believe me, when seared scallops are your pride and joy, it's hard to feel cheaper than the moment you realize that a one-armed monkey can make them as delicious as you can.) But what clams lack in scallops' melodic sweetness and oysters' ringing finesse, they make up for in rich, earthy minerality and bass-drum brininess. They're versatile, great on their own and pairing beautifully with both subtle and blockbusting flavors.

And as a bonus, they're about the easiest things on the planet to cook: They take just minutes, they tell you when they're done, they make their own broth, and you can dress them up or down. And if you just remember a basic framework, you can make them in any number of variations.

Below is a phenomenal recipe, clams hot and fragrant with more black pepper than you ever thought possible, rounded out with a touch of sugar and Chinese oyster sauce. It's a presentation inspired by a traditional Malaysian way to serve crab, a dish I learned from Susan Feniger and Kajsa Alger, the chefs of Los Angeles' wonderful, globally inspired restaurant Street.

But the lesson of this recipe is in its basic elements: fat, aromatics, liquid, acid and fresh herbs, each of which does its own trick with the saline, earthy flavor of clams. The fat rounds the edges of the saltiness, the aromatics give fragrance and context, the liquid creates steam to cook the clams and dilutes their salty brine, the acid cuts through the heavy earthiness, and the herbs give the dish freshness, a brightness that lifts the flavor. In this case, we're using oil and butter for fat, garlic and black pepper for aromatics, water for steam, lime juice for acid, and cilantro for the herbal note.

But you can sub in whatever ingredients you want. A classic Italian way to steam clams, for instance, is to go with olive oil (fat), garlic (aromatic), white wine (liquid and acid), parsley (freshness), and sometimes a touch of hot chilies for more of the fresh, elevating effect. The dishes taste continents apart, but both follow the same basic principles. Once you read through (and, I hope, make!) the recipe below, you can pretty much make amazing steamed clams however you want, using this framework.
One last note about flavor: Like any bivalve, clams will taste different depending on where they're from, how much rain there's been, how they've been purged of sand after harvest, etc. One batch might be very mild and another very salty. So, while I usually believe in adding a little salt all through the cooking process, with clams I try to keep as much salt out of the dish until after they've given up their liquid and I know how salty it's going to be. If "Cuisine or Death" is the chef's motto, "taste and fix" is the cook's.

Mise en Place

Chopped Cilantro

Shrimpys

Malaysian black pepper clams or shrimp

Serves 2 as a main course with steamed rice or noodles


1 - 1 1/2 lbs peeled, deveined shrimp or 2-2¼ pounds small clams, like little necks (If you're using little necks, that's about 2 dozen)

4 cloves garlic, minced (about 2 tablespoons)

2 teaspoons black pepper, freshly and finely ground. Measure after grinding. Yes, it's a workout

½ cup water

1 tablespoon sugar (palm sugar is great, if you have it)

2 teaspoons oyster sauce (usually available wherever you get soy sauce)

1 lime, halved

1 tablespoon butter, cold, cut into 2 pieces

4 sprigs cilantro, roughly chopped

1½ tablespoons vegetable oil

 

Sauteed Zucchini

Shrimp, garlic and ginger (an embellishment) sauteeing, next time I'll pull the Zuch before this step and add it later.

Saucing it up and finishing it off with the cilantro

1. First, clean the clams: OK, so after I did my best on selling you on clams, I have to tell you that I live in constant fear of biting into one and finding sand. It's harrowing. Luckily, most commercially harvested clams these days are already purged of grit, so you can forget all those bits of advice like soaking them with cornmeal. But there will likely still be grit on the shells; soak the clams in cold fresh water for a few minutes, scrub or rub them with your fingers to get them clean, and pour off the water. Rinse a few times, and drain.  If you're using shrimp, add about 3T salt and 3T sugar to a bowl of cold water and add the shrimp and let them sit while you get everything else ready to go.  Drain before adding to the pan.

2. Choose a heavy pan with a snug-fitting lid, wide enough to fit most of the clams in one layer. In it, heat the oil over the highest heat until it's shimmery and nearly smoking-hot. Add the garlic and stir or toss. As soon as it gets golden, which will happen in a few seconds, add the pepper, stir to release its flavor to the oil, and right away add the clams or shrimp. The water clinging to the shells may sputter for a moment, but be brave and toss the clams until they are all coated and glistening with oil.

3. Add the water; it should sizzle and come to a boil very quickly. Add the sugar and the oyster sauce. Cover with the lid and shake the pan. Give the clams about two minutes in their sauna, uncover and remove any wide-opened clams to a separate bowl; they're cooked, and letting them steam further would turn them rubbery. (If they are just barely open, give them a little more time until they really pop.) Cover the pan and give it a shake, which helps the shells open wide. Uncover again after 30 seconds and repeat until all the clams are opened. If there are any really stubborn ones, like, the rest are done and these are just straight loungin' in the steam for minutes, throw them out; they probably died before you started cooking, and aren't safe to eat.

4. Turn off the heat, squeeze half a lime into the sauce, and stir in the butter, giving the sauce a nice sheen. Give it a taste. How is it? Delicious? A bit heavy? Squeeze in more lime. Too salty? Try a little more butter or dilute it with a little water, or add a touch more sugar. You want a sauce that tastes balanced, where no one flavor dominates the others, with a seawater note and a lingering, warming burn of pepper. When it's ready, add the clams back in and stir to sauce them up. Finish with the cilantro and serve with plenty of steamed rice or noodles.

Char
------------
1-11-11

I tried Sauteing Zucchini in the oil before the shrimp. It was good but next time after the Zuch gets tender I’ll pull them out and then add them back in at the end with the cilantro, otherwise they get too well done and fall apart.

My Cheat Sheet:

Sunset

The sunset... You can see it behind all the traffic lights and fast food signs right?
It was beautiful last night!
The sky tonight was so clogged with smoke from the brush fires that.will.not.go out! I had to have an extra inhaler puff :-(
Char
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Daisy's Honey Tea

It is another day for the magical elixir... After a not so pleasant stomach bug today I am turning to Daisy's tea again for some relief.

I'm not usually a fan of honey in my tea, but this tea needs, it, and it is SO SO good and soothing!


Daisy’s Honey Tea
Magical Elixir


In a small saucepan, pour 2 coffee cups water, add
1 cinnamon stick broken in half
1/2 tsp anise seed (I had some star anise so I used that to make the picture pretty)
1/2 tsp dried rosemary (I have a giant bush of fresh, so I used a mix of both)
1/2" piece fresh ginger, peeled, sliced
1/2 - 2 tsp clover honey
A few drops lemon or lime juice to taste (optional)
Simmer together for a few minutes and strain into warmed coffee mug.
SO yummy and calming!
Char
1-1-11 I added a little dried orange peel this time, just a pinch. I really like it!!

Well this puts a fine point on the end of the year.

I'm at the doctors office and I'm not happy about it either.
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

30 Days of Truth - Day 5

Day 5 - Something you hope to do in your life.

Well geez.  I guess most people who know me can figure this one out.

I want to be a mom.

Unfortunately, God doesn't seem to think I'm ready for that yet.

I've never been sure if I'm ready for it, I just know instinctively that I want it.  I want to be a mom so much it hurts.

It hurts so much I find myself being selfish and jealous of things that are absolutely ridiculous...

I guess I need to work on #4 up there a little more and add forgiving myself for not being able to reproduce to that list...

C

30 Days of Truth - Day 3

Day 3 - Something you have to forgive yourself for.

I've really been struggling with this one, and I don't know if it is because I don't think I have anything to forgive myself for, because I don't want other people to read it (not that anyone I know of reads this anymore, except you Bill!  Thanks for the comment :) ), or if I'm just such a perfectionist that I can't just pick one thing.

About that perfectionism thing... When I came back to the computer today.  I was actually thinking, well I'm going to have to go back and do the last two days and backdate them because I missed them and this is supposed to be 30 continuous days blah blah blah... well that's a problem of mine.  I run into a little hiccup... like having my parents over for dinner monday night and not having time to post day 3, and then yesterday the wireless connection is down at the house, and won't be up again until my ex husband can dig a router out of his garage, so I am sitting in the cluttered office typing this on my laptop that is not plugged in and will probably die in a few minutes, oh and the laptop is on top of no less than three canvas bags of stuff that i need to go through... anyway...

I need to forgive myself for lots of things, but I can't really put them into words exactly.  So let's just say I'll promise to ask a professional for help on that one.  Fortunately I go to see one next week :)

I still don't think I'm done with this yet, and I may come back later, I may not, right now, I'm worried the darn computer is going to shut down on me.

And I am very proud of myself for not AGAIN making this all about something else.  I need to quit that, I said I was going to, and I need to.  So I am.  I am I am I am.

Do you need to forgive yourself for anything?  Are you more articulate than I am?  (Not to difficult a thing.. that..) 

Is anyone playing along?  Is anyone besides Bill out there?

Char

30 days of truth - Day 2

Something you love about yourself.

I love that I seem to have the ability to make people laugh.  There is just something about the feeling it gives me that I love.  I can't do it all the time.  Most of the time it backfires on me and I inexplicably offend someone... but I can, and do make people laugh sometimes.  And I like it.

Have I ever made you laugh?


What do you love about yourself?

Char

30 days of truth. Day 1

I came across this in the blogosphere and thought I would jump on the wagon. I think this is great.




This is the list if you want to add your own:


Day 01 → Something you hate about yourself.

Day 02 → Something you love about yourself.

Day 03 → Something you have to forgive yourself for.

Day 04 → Something you have to forgive someone for.

Day 05 → Something you hope to do in your life.

Day 06 → Something you hope you never have to do.

Day 07 → Someone who has made your life worth living for.

Day 08 → Someone who made your life hell, or treated you like shit.

Day 09 → Someone you didn’t want to let go, but just drifted.

Day 10 → Someone you need to let go, or wish you didn’t know.

Day 11 → Something people seem to compliment you the most on.

Day 12 → Something you never get compliments on.

Day 13 → A band or artist that has gotten you through some tough ass days. (write a letter.)

Day 14 → A hero that has let you down. (letter)

Day 15 → Something or someone you couldn’t live without, because you’ve tried living without it.

Day 16 → Someone or something you definitely could live without.

Day 17 → A book you’ve read that changed your views on something.

Day 18 → Your views on gay marriage.

Day 19 → What do you think of religion? Or what do you think of politics?

Day 20 → Your views on drugs and alcohol.

Day 21 → (scenario) Your best friend is in a car accident and you two got into a fight an hour before. What do you do?

Day 22 → Something you wish you hadn’t done in your life.

Day 23 → Something you wish you had done in your life.

Day 24 → Make a playlist to someone, and explain why you chose all the songs. (Just post the titles and artists and letter)

Day 25 → The reason you believe you’re still alive today.

Day 26 → Have you ever thought about giving up on life? If so, when and why?

Day 27 → What’s the best thing going for you right now?

Day 28 → What if you were pregnant or got someone pregnant, what would you do?

Day 29 → Something you hope to change about yourself. And why.

Day 30 → A letter to yourself, tell yourself EVERYTHING you love about yourself

DAY 1



Something you Hate About yourself:



I wish I was better at picking up hints.  I wish that I didn't second guess myself so much.  I need to learn to TRUST my gut.


What do you hate about yourself?

Char

It's too late to be up like this....

I'm feeling very passive aggressive this. . . uh. . . morning... I really suck at it. So I'm gonna shut up now.


Also not feeling well (to put it mildly), and cranky (very).  The cramps are extremely severe today.  They haven't been this bad in quite a while.  (Yeah, so that means that my plan didn't work this month either.  We won't even GO there.)

I guess I'm going to have to break down and take the advil PM so I can get to bed before the sun comes up.

Sure hope the other crap I'm taking doesn't mind.

Sigh.

C

Lap Band Update

Someone asked me today some things about my lap band and how it is going.  She's thinking about getting one herself.  I haven't posted an update here in a while, so I thought this would be a good topic and I'm sure some people are interested but for whatever reason, don't really want to ask me.  So here is some info, and if anyone has other questions, please let me know.  It has been a great experience for me, and I am happy to answer any questions.

A curious friend wrote:



How much weight did you lose and how long to lose it?

I have lost up to 90 pounds, I've kept about 75 of it off. I've had the band since May 2007. I need to go and get another adjustment, I've just been putting it off.

 Why no liquids with meals?

Liquids with meals allow more food to go through and you don't feel as full. This has been the most difficult thing for me, and part of the reason I haven't lost more weight.


Did you PB ( vomit) often?

I still do PB. Nearly every day. It is my own fault though. If I eat something too fast, or if it isn't moist enough, it gets stuck and comes back up. It isn't the same as vomiting like you know it now though. It's very different.

Any foods you can't eat?

I used to have a lot of trouble with bread and rice. I can eat them both now, as long as the bread is well buttered or mayo'd, and the rice has some kind of sauce or gravy on it. Dry meat is out... boneless skinless chicken breasts are difficult, unless eaten with a sauce. I also find that It is VERY difficult for me to eat first thing in the morning if I don't have a warm drink first. Texture is very important. Like with bread, the crunchy veggies are almost always needed to get the bread down too.

Do you drink wine or alcohol?

I definitely drink my share of wine and alcohol with no problem! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
If you think of anything else, ask away.  I'm an open book!

You might also want to check out my blog.  There aren't a ton of posts about the lap band, but you can find some.  www.lifedramatic.blogspot.com.

I'm very excited for you.  Even with the little bits of trouble I have, I would definitely do it all over again!  It is totally worth it!

Char

Neti Pot!

Wow! After reading a neti pot thread on a message board I belong to I was convinced that I had to try the Neti Pot. My nose has been giving me issues for a very long time. I've always had allergies, asthma. Recently I've started having sinus issues. Constantly drippy nose, or really dry... so bad that the skin cracks.


I ordered a neti pot kit on amazon and it got here today and I tried it for the first time. It wasn't bad. I feel a little energized afterwards to be honest. It is going to take some practice to get the correct head position so I don't feel like I'm going to drown, but overall it wasn't bad,and I look forward to doing it again.

My head feels clear, and my drippy nose has stopped for now. I can't wait to see how I feel in the morning.

Anyone try it for the first time recently?

How often do you all do this?

Advice?

TIA!
Charlene

Thinking out loud #2 - from my spaces.live blog

Thinking out loud


Tuesday, October 07, 2008, 6:00:54 AM

Should I be upset that - "We will not talk about this again", "You are like a three year old", "I am the boss of you, and you will do as I say" were actually said to me - by an adult - today.

Or should I be more upset that the things I took from that conversation are - "You are more stubborn than any person I have ever known - and I have no chance again that kind of stubborn", "You think very little of me", and "Who is really the three year old here"...

Oy.

C

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