So...whats for dinner?

Eric, glad you're heading back. Praying for everyone affected by the tornadoes.

I love the fact everyone makes pasta. I buy it. And make up just enough for my meal and one other. Then I don't do noodles the rest of the week. Gotta watch the carbs. Even ww noodles can't be eaten freely. Sucks. But it is what it is. Much love, especially to those wonderful foodies on this thread.

Luv, drunken noodles is made with hot Italian sausage, onion, garlic, red, orange and yellow peppers sauteed in olive oil, added white wine, tomatoes, parsley, fresh basil, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Cooked noodles are added and combined with sausage mixture, topped with shaved parmigiano reggiano and chiffonade of basil. Very pretty dish and quite flavorful.

Oh my, Nance, that sounds sooooo scrumptious ....I think I'd have a hard time putting my fork down until my stomach hurt....so I'd better wait until I have it at your house so I would be polite and avoid the overeating part But will you also serve that delish sounding buttermilk cake with raspberries and cream for dessert? Your sister and you are delightfully dangerous in the kitchen!



Carrie, I'd be happy to have the personal trainer you describe, but for now, Sara will have to do.......I have to say, she really has motivated me to keep moving.



Tomorrow....mammo....and then a visit to the dermotologist. Always feel like a hypocrite even going since my skin will always be exposed to the sun more than it should...and I have to face a doc and staff that all sport skin like porcelin and Victorian sun habits. Oh well....
Morbid thought..... if I have a problematic mammo, I will probably need to miss the derm appt. Hopefully all will go well. Still too many doc appts IMO. Would much prefer eating drunken noodles at Nance's!

thinking good thoughts for Lacey.



Eric

I'm at the airport in Dallas. Then to Kansas City and Phoenix

Break a leg, Lacey!  Report in if you feel like it.

Eric -- hooray!  So glad you are coming home.  Thank you so much for keeping in touch.  Relieved you will be here for Sharon's exchange.

Carole -- you are dead wrong!  Bobo is in the background thinking, Please may I come for dinner?  Little ears?  Yum!

Tonight... I have no idea.  Yesterday I had some delicious vegetarian wraps.  They were like cheesesteaks, but vegetarian, with homemade mayonnaise and a spicy hot sauce. And I ate an avocado out of the shell with a spoon -- nothing on it.

Yay, on the results Lacey!! Best part of those tests are when they're over!!



Lol, Luv... I missed the meaning of Lacey's post too! Too funny!

Tonight's dinner was freshly-caught swordfish with a hoisin glaze, dry-fried green beans and jasmine rice. A lovely change from the party leftovers we have been eating since Sunday.

Lacey, the oddest and yet best words in the medical lexicon is "unremarkable." Particularly, when it is applied to our breasts.  :-)

Welcome home Eric. Deb, hope you are okay. Your absence is noticeable.

*susan*

Thanks for the interpretations, Luv. Perfectly accurate!



Yes, Susan the one time I love having "unremarkable" used to describe a part of me!

The only extra thing was that the radiologist (same one who gave me my Dx in Aug, 2011 and was factual but so reassuring, that I was not freaked....just started making the calls to docs she told me I'd need to contact) supported my getting an MRI once a year in addition to the yearly mammo. She discussed how variant that recommendation is depending on your hospital but said that the MRIs do pick up some cancers that are sometimes missed by the mammos. My surgeon agrees with this plan...not so my oncologist, who originates from a hospital where they prefer not to do thenyearly MRIs but these two will overrule her and the surgeon just orders it. I hope when I am fully retired, my insurance doesn't resist.



After that good news I bopped off to the derm lady, who is very integrative in her approach. She confirmed that my estrogen chasing meds is connected to my sudden surge of allergies this year, and gave me advice about managing my recent skin reactions. She also feels compelled to share what is best to eat...oh dear, grains bad.....dairy bad.....cruciferous veggies good along with organic meats, and fish. I dunno! I love them all! I passed on having my actinic kerotoses treated during this visit since I would have to give a retirement talk with a scabby face next week....wasn't going to subject folks to that. So I need to go back, and will probably do it before I start breaking rules and getting tan. I would be very hesitant to show up in this woman's office the color I am in August.



Michelle, probably a better plan to do your barbecue Monday anyway, due to the rainy forecast for Sat and Sunday. Hope you are feeling better after your shot.



We are likely bagging our trip to the lake and may just do a lot of movies here this weekend. Can't see sitting in the cold rain, with no TV on there. On such rainy days, our neighbors up there mainly spend the days eating and drinking....I don't need either right now. We'll see.......weather can change here on a moment's notice!



Have a good evening all.

Thinking of you, Deb and Debbie....and hoping you are now happily ensconced in your abode, Eric. Wonder how Kay is doing. Lent is waaaaaay over!

Lacey,



The recommendations on the MRI vary so widely. I had an MRI annually in the fall and my mammo/us in the spring for my first 3 years. This past fall my BS said, since we've had 3 clean MRIs, that we can discontinue them if I feel all right with that. I agreed but, truthfully, don't yet know how I feel about skipping it.... Happy for one less test but spooked about one less safety net....



Laurie,



Love your Mom's words.... and Clouds, do indeed, Move! That's where we need to just have faith! Different ages have their challenges (and their benefits) but we just do our best to guide them, teach them and, above all, love them..



Things here are going better and I think we're on the right path where it will continue...

Oh... One more thing, we went to Direct TV last week and get 3 months free of Showtime so just started watching The Big C (don't worry about spoiling it I already know how it ends)... DH and I are liking it so far but I seem to find myself feeling very emotional in even these early episodes.



I think telling my children and parents was one of the hardest things I had to do and, since the first epidodes dealt with that, I think it may have hit a bit close to home...

I try to leave the house clean before leaving, too, but we leave for 3 months!  There are always some dead bugs to be picked up when we return.  Since we turn off the water and don't want to bother anyone to come in and flush the toilets, I saran-wrap the bowls to keep the water from evaporating.  We leave the A/C turned to about 81.  With the storm shutters cranked down, it stays relatively cool inside and no mildew.  My sister picks up the mail at the post office every 30 days and deposits it in the house.  Mostly throwaways when we go through it.    Neighbor boy mows the lawn and gets a nice paycheck when we get home! 

We had a delicious pasta dish with the home-made orechiette last night.  The sauce was simple and yummy.  Fine-diced onion, garlic, ground chuck, fresh basil, thyme and parsley from the herb garden on the patio, s & p and a little cayenne.  Oh, and fresh diced roma tomatoes.  Grated parm-reg and fresh basil on top.  Served with a tossed salad with spring greens, tomato, cucumber, and avocado.  Greek olives on mine and sweet onion on dh's. 

Tonight will be dinner out with our neighbors, parents of the boys we have hired to do our summer grass mowing since they built the house next door on land we sold to them.  They have four boys and we are down to the youngest one now.  He is sixteen.  So in a couple of years we will have to make other plans for summer yard work if we're still able to go away for the summer.

DH is in the mood for Mexican for tonight.  I will go along with the concensus but I prefer my own healthier Mexican.

I have an apptment with a plastic surgeon today to see if he thinks he should remove a small cancer on my face.  I know this surgeon well since I taught him in high school!  In 2007 he gave me a facelift.  Well, he didn't "give" it to me but I think he gave me a good price.  I'm concerned that the dermatologist may leave a scar on my face similar to one on my leg from her removal of a basal cell a couple of years ago. 

Welcome home, Eric!  Hugs to Deb and Debbie and anyone else who needs a hug.

OMG this recipe just came to my email. I get daily Relish recipes. I cannot vouch for it but it does look decadent and yummy.

relish.com/recipes/dark-chocolate-peanut-butter-bars/

Don't know why it will not post as a link. Most of mine do. It does copy/paste to URL, I tried it. Had the so-so deli chicken last night with baked potatoes and apple/raisin bars I made. Might need to cut sugar a bit in them but they are good. Tonight will be the remainder of chicken and cauliflower maybe roasted but it is very humid so if I didn't turn on the oven it would be good. Maybe just steamed with some sauce on it so DH will eat it.

Carole - doesn't hurt to get another opinion on your "spot". Can it be treated with chemicals or freezing? Have you talked to the derm. about alternatives? Have you had a basal cell dx or is it actinic keratosis?