I love life!

Hi, I am Jo and this is my blog about my life. Here you will find entries on cooking, gardening, food safety and the interesting things happening in my search for an inexpensive and healthy way of living. My home is located in North Florida and I am relearning how to take care of myself at almost 50. This is the deep South so my garden and season may be a bit different than yours. I look forward to seeing what you have to say as time passes. Read on and have a beautiful day!
Jo

Saturday, November 14, 2015

Good morning Garden!

These are Suyo Long cucumbers that were picked on my morning tour of the garden. Each one weighs over a pound! Soon they will become half sour pickles.

Friday, November 13, 2015

Breakfast for dinner ....again.

Bacon...mmmmm, potatoes, onions and peppers all cooking in the bacon fat.
Light and flufy frittatta with fresh spinach and a hint of nutmeg just out of the oven.

 
Rob is working late and my plan for a romantic dinner for two fell flat due to the work schedule of an executive chef at a private club. I had even splurged BIG on grass fed steaks and wine. He only has a few days of freedom before the onslaught of opening a new facility and snowbird season and I had hoped for a nice dinner together. Alas-the wine is waiting and dinner for tonight is shelved,and will be prepared tomorrow when he is home for his last real weekend evening of freedom. Since the dreaded call came at the last minute it took pulling bacon, cheese, peppers and onions from the freezer along with the addition of eggs, a potato, spinach and nutmeg to round everything out.  

For a last minute meal it was amazing! Unfortunately, I stink at remembering ingredients used in recipes and also tend to misremember amounts and cooking temperatures. Sadly, my foods are thrown together and Chef Victor forgive me, but I really don't taste much as well. (Chef Victor was an amazing Culinary Instructor at Johnson and Wales while I was a student. He was unbelievable and makes the TV chef's like Ramsey look like wussies.) Normally, my cooking turns out well but there have been a few frightening instances that were questionable at best.  

Next week begins Jo's Friday night dinners for one and evening projects to keep occupied. Maybe I will be sewing but more likely baking or canning to keep occupied. Who knows? There is always a lot that can be done. 

Happy Friday!!!


  

Sunday, November 8, 2015

Asthma and Stuff

Allergies, asthma and bronchitis are making me crazy. By the time I get home after every trip I am either suffering from allergies or struggling with asthma. This last trip was no different, after getting home on Thursday the coughing started and I was on the couch sleeping with the bags left unpacked in my office. Thursday night saw a lot more coughing so Friday saw a trip to see my favorite P.A., a steroid shot, and countless Rx for Bronchitis. Since then my life has revolved around using the nebulizer, sleeping on the couch and relocating to the bed. My brain can't focus on too much so the news websites on my phone have been my entertainment, along with a couple TV shows.

I have not been sleeping except in bits and pieces due to the coughing and I am so far past exhausted it is unbelievable. Along with that I apparently have not been paying close enough attention to what I consume. My allergies are a long a** list and include: Eucalyptus, Wheat, Grass, Palm Trees, Oak, Peaches, ... and on and on. After the doctors office visit I picked up cough drops and a few misc. comfort items. While sucking on a cough drop I noticed the bag read "menthol." And where does menthol come from? In this case it was eucalyptus. Sigh. Not to mention the cough drops were cherry and cherries are a relative of peaches. Not totally terrible yet not good. Then at 4:45 this morning I was making Sleepy Time tea to soothe my throat and decided to read the label just to be sure. The third ingredient...lemongrass. Double sigh. I dumped the Sleepy Time tea and got out pure peppermint instead.

When I was first diagnosed I read everything and the lately have gotten lax. As often as I get sick I really have to read labels better and go back to researching the botanical families of food if I am uncertain.We make  so many of the foods that I am allergic to or buy items that are gluten free as a precaution. If it is processed it is questionable. If it is something that I have not had before it is off limits until research is done on the item. Foods are always researched before going out to eat and usually before we hit the restaurant so it is not awkward at the table with everyone else when it comes time to order.  

The P.A. suggested acupuncture as we have exhausted all avenues for asthma short of a surgery that introduces heat into the bronchial tubes to in effect "cauterize" the tubes to stop the asthmatic response.
I am all for anything that avoids major surgery even if it involves sticking pins in me at regular intervals.
Back to bed I go...I am done!
HUGS-
Jo