Easter, 4-21-2019

Thoughts and Quotes: If at first you don't succeed, try, try again. Then give up. There's no point being a damn fool about it.         W. C. Fields

That's me - damn fool. I keep thinking I can have a garden, but I always do it wrong. I thought I was so smart, getting so much done. Then it snowed on April 14. My peppers and tomatoes seem to be okay right now, except for that one dying piece of one tomato plant. Time will tell. There may not be a garden in 2020.

Tablescapes: Working on the Easter table - ironing the tablecloth. I always have kitty help when I iron.

Pepper decided that Stormy could handle it. He was busy catching some rays. (Yes, I know I have too many cookbooks).

Remember the bunny I found for $1?

Then I found two packages of plastic eggs in turquoise and blue shades for 19 cents a package at Goodwill. (Told my daughter $ Tree, but they still had the Goodwill stickers on them when I got them out of the Easter box). I thought it might be fun to have a turquoise table. When I started putting it together, I realized there's a hole where an egg won't fit. I don't like that! As a matter-of-fact, I don't like anything about this bunny, but too late about the turquoise - I've gone too far, so turquoise it will be. Back to square one.

This is better

And even better with some food on the table.

Goodbye diet

Ham, Grilled Pineapple, Cheesy Potatoes, Buttered Green Beans, Deviled Egg, Mixed Grain Muffin

Easy-Peasy Coconut Pie

Potatoes, Muffins, and Pie recipes are on the drop-downs.

And I found a new home for the dishes. Can you believe that I'm really letting go of dishes? This will be my last Easter dinner. Time to move on to other things.

And the leaf dishes and glasses are gone, along with a set of plain white dishes.

And then I found these - not in great shape, but only $10, service for six. Well, I just couldn't help it. Cinco de Mayo is just around the corner.

Thank Yous: For some beautiful Easter cards. You can tell before opening them that they're Easter.

And a special thank you to Jean, because she's the only one who found time to make cards this year. She always finds time. (Katie doesn't count because she was sick). And I continued on my hiatus and sent ecards.

Talented Lil' Sis: As you know, my sister-in-law is a professor at Pitt State in Kansas. Her first book was just published, and I'm so in awe of her knowledge and her accomplishments. Just take a look. Not a self-published book like my tea book, but a real contract with a real publisher who will pay her real money.

Time to Buckle Down Again: My diet has suffered this week. I ate out five times and two times it was buffet and two times fast food. And one time I splurged on my Easter dinner (like holiday meals don't count). Oh, ye of little will power. That's me. I didn't do too badly at Chinese buffet - take a look.

Three wing parts, so 1-1/2 wings; lots of veggies (that's raw zucchini I took from the grilling table). Egg drop soup is okay. The bad guys are the egg roll, and the two fried mushrooms - not the mushrooms, just the coating. 

So, pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and start all over again. I think that's how the song goes. I'm not sure which song, but I do remember this part; probably because I've had to do it so many times.

Things That Grow: With the rain, cold weather, early Easter, and errands, I've sorely neglected the outside. This will be boring, but my daughter is taking Master Gardener classes, and she can give me advice. Skip to the end if you like.

The tomatoes made it through the storm - even a few blossoms.

Cucumbers are coming up.

Radishes are ready to be thinned and a second seeding. The pepper plants are growing.

The extras I put behind the house seem to be doing okay, but of course I planted one where a hosta is coming up (it wasn't at the time).

Don't believe it if you read that seeds are viable for several years. The 2017 seeds they gave me at the garden show are not working. Lettuce is doing okay. Ready for a second planting.

I planted two cauliflower plants to see how they grow here.

Looks as if the cabbage needs a squirt of Sevin.

I think I planted the asparagus too close to the fence. I don't know what I'm doing.

The peonies are budding already. Wonder why they're so "leggy".

All the daffodils are at the ugly stage and the tulips are on their last legs.

And I have a bazillion seeds left to plant; better get with it. And the weeds are preparing an attack.

HAVE A LOVELY EASTER

PLANT A FEW TOMATOES

MAYBE SOME FLOWERS

APRIL SHOWERS WILL WATER FOR YOU

PLAN THAT BEACH VACATION

AND HERE'S SOME ADVICE FROM A TREE

Stand tall and proud

Drink plenty of water

Sink your roots into the earth

Go out on a limb

Be content with the natural beauty

Remember your roots

Enjoy the view

THANK YOU FOR SHARING MY LIFE

More Dieting, More Digging 4-14-2019

Thoughts and Quotes: Tho' an old man, I am but a young gardener.

                                                Thomas Jefferson

Speak for yourself, Tommy, I'm feeling every one of my years. Making progress, though, so it's all worth it.

And Sunday night - Wow! How does it go? Red sky in the morning, sailor take warning. Red sky at night, sailor's delight. So looks like yard and garden on Monday.

It was actully blood red. I had to use the flash to get the true effect. That's not a new planet - it's a crystal my kids gave me which hangs from the eaves and makes magical rainbows in the family room.

MONDAY

My first sprouts - Cherry Belle red radishes

First tulip (with marigolds from last year coming up)

Breakfast

Protein - 1/2 cup cottage cheese - 2 blocks

Carbs - 1 cup strawberries, 1 Great Value waffle - 2 blocks

Pecan halves - ignore

Lunch

Protein - 3 oz chicken breast - 3 blocks

Carbs - Lettuce, Kale salad, few beets, celery, cucumber,

pickled banana peppers, purple grapes - 3 blocks

Poppyseed dressing, avocado - ignore

You can buy chicken breasts already grilled and vacuum sealed at Sam's. They come six to a pack; eat them cold or heated. When I open the package, I wrap them individually and freeze them.

The Sweet Kale salad is also from Sam's. It has kale, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, broccoli, chicory, dried cranberries, and pumpkin seeds. I just open the package and add some to my lettuce salads. It also comes with Poppyseed dressing, which I just pour into my bottle.

I was a bad girl today. I only ate half my salad and skipped my afternoon snack. Busy and just not hungry. I ate the other half of my salad for dinner and ate half a diet bar (1 block).

I bought these at Aldi and each bar is 15 gms protein (2-1/7 blocks), and 21 gms carbs (2-1/3 blocks). And they're really good.

Evening Snack

Protein: 4 slices bacon - 1 block

Carbs:   1 slice Aldi bread, toasted - 1 block

               Mustard - ignore

TUESDAY

More tulips in bloom; more sprouts coming up; violets still blooming away in the corner.

Breakfast

Protein: 1/2 cup cottage cheese - 2 blocks

Carbs:   1/4 oats, 1/2 cup water - 1 block

               1 Tbs raisins - 1 block

               Black walnuts, cinnamon, Splenda - ignore

Mmmmmm. . . . . .warm oatmeal cookies and milk

Lunch

On a Cape Cod tour, we had a group lunch in Providence, RI, and I had vodka sauce for the first time. I wanted to lick the plate. Then I found some in a jar at Aldi. Not the same. I need to make it from scratch. But - I cooked a pound of ground beef, added it to the sauce. The sauce was 7 gms carbs per serving; six servings per jar. I cooked enough pasta for six servings; ate one and froze the rest. Thawed it overnight and had it for lunch. 

Since the hamburger was not enough protein, I added some cheese. And since the sauce was low on carbs, I added some canned green beans. Easy-peasy lunch.

Afternoon Snack

Protein: 1 oz cheese - 1 block

Carbs: Small apple - 1 block (1 block is 1/2 apple, but this one was small)

Dinner

Protein: Cranberry pork chop (from freezer) - 3 blocks

Carbs: 1/2 cup corn, sauce on chop, 1/2 orange, 1/4 cup blackberries

  I froze two chops together, so I'll be eating this again.

Evening Snack

Protein: 1/4 cup cottage cheese

Carbs: 1 cup strawberries

WEDNESDAY

Breakfast

Protein: 1 egg, 1 oz cheese, 2 bacon slices - 2-1/2 blocks

Carbs: 2 tortillas, tomato - 2-1/2 blocks

Lunch

Diet bar - 2 blocks protein; 2 blocks carbs

Snack

Protein: 1/4 cup cottage cheese - 1 block

Carbs: 1 cup cantaloupe - 1 block

Dinner

Golden Corral Buffet - 4 blocks protein; 4 blocks carbs
By the time I took the skin off, not much meat on that thigh, so I went back for a leg and a couple of pineapple chunks. A real pig-out.

Snack

None

Tales: No, not a book I've read - books I bought. I know, I know; I said that I just wouldn't go to booksales anymore, but I fear I'm addicted.

And look at this cute bumper sticker I saw in the parking lot. Exactly how I feel.

I was looking for history books, especially about the obscure presidents; some just didn't attact many authors. I did find a couple. Adams books are fairly common, but David McCullough is a good writer, so I bought another.

John Adams and Woodrow Wilson

One about Mayans

A couple of gardening books

And of course, you guessed it, cookbooks. I'm so in the mood to cook, but no time right now. The one by Tyson (chicken) should be good for my diet, and also the four ingredient. 

I'm always a sucker for Annuals. I don't have any from Family Circle.

And how could I resist this? 

THURSDAY

Things that Grow: Lots of little pieces of green poking up in the raised bed. More tulips blooming.

So far, the moles haven't eaten the tulip bulbs which weren't in the raised bed.

Breakfast

Protein: 1/2 cup cottage cheese - 2 blocks

Carbs: 1/4 cup oatmeal, 1/2 cup water, 1/2 apple - 2 blocks

Dash of cinnamon, sprinkle of black walnuts

Lunch

Protein: Cranberry pork chop (told you I'd have to eat this again and I found two more in the freezer in the garage)

Carbs: 1/2 cup corn, sauce from chop, 1/2 cup cantaloupe, 1/4 cup strawberries

Snack

Grapes and cheese

Dinner

I made a salad of low-carb veggies

Decided I needed more carbs, so added grapes and corn

Then added pulled chicken I buy at Walmart in a bag, ready to go. I weigh it and put 4 oz in a baggie and then freeze them. Yes, I can only have 3 oz, but I always have kitty guests at my meals.

Evening Snack was cottage cheese and cantaloupe

FRIDAY

Breakfast

Oatmeal cookies in a bowl - see Tuesday

Lunch

Sometimes you just need some grease.

Protein:  1/4-lb Nathan's hot dog (from Sams) - 2 blocks

  All fat - Can you say "Keto diet?"

Carbs: 1/3 cup fried potatoes, 1/2 cup Red Cabbage and Apples (Aldi) - 2 blocks

Wonder if I can freeze this? It's a lot!

Snack

Hard-shell taco from Taco Bell

Dinner

Another pulled chicken salad, but this time with fruit; cantaloupe, grapes, strawberries.

Snack

Cottage cheese and orange

SATURDAY

Breakfast

Protein: 2 eggs, 4 bacon slices - 3 blocks

Carbs: 2/3 cup potatoes, 1/2 cup tomatoes, 1/2 cup cantaloupe - 3 blocks

Okay, last post of food. This is enough to give you an idea. I've been too busy to come up with creative ideas right now, but hope to soon. If anyone is interested in the Zone Diet, click HERE. If you want a copy of the food values I typed up to put on cards, email me at bennittpk@gmail.com and I'll send you the Word document.

The Surprising Missouri Weather: Sunday morning we got up to snow - yes, snow, on April 14.

I fear this wasn't a very interesting week, but I did get my taxes finished and in the mail; got my safety check and renewed my car license (on the third try). I'm not very good at sitting in waiting rooms. And I found a home for these dishes.

I'll try to do better this week. Might be doing some re-planting after today. My poor tomatoes and peppers. And I saw some really droopy sweet potato plants in the patio.

H A P P Y   E A S T E R

PRAY FOR THE STORM VICTIMS

COUNT YOUR MANY BLESSINGS

HUG YOUR LOVED ONES

JOIN ME IN MY DIET - LOST ANOTHER LB

THANK YOU FOR SHARING MY LIFE