So...whats for dinner?

Fennel seeds can be found at any supermarket. Look for those cheap Badia packets. They are really good, and dirt cheap. Badia is usually in the "ethnic" aisle, but you could choose almost any other flavor. You could do dill and dill seed, or thyme, or cilantro and coriander seeds.

Special, Congrats on selling that condo!!!!

And we are in waiting mode. I think we are being played to be honest. I have just about lost patience with this whole crew of amateurs.

*susan*

....crap..... That's got to be annoying.

Susan sorry about the condo. When we first moved here we were looking for a house. Realtor took us to a house way above our price point. No way we're we interested. But the next day at work, my DH boss says they have to hurry up because someone else was interested in the house they were thinking about. Since its in the same small town he asked the boss the address. yep. The "interested" people were us (was us?) LOL told him he had time to think. LOL the tricks some try!

Lacey, so glad you had such a great weekend with the grands! And Frozen dies seem to be the big movie.

SK. Sorry you need more sx for the skin stuff. But you have a great attitude.

As for all dealing with stubborn parents you have my sympathy. When my folks and in laws were still on earth it was the same way. My DH drove until he admitted he saw two of everything. Wondered why we were upset. Got him a scooter. He used it a year until he kept tipping. My MIL went to a nursing home on her own. My DIL insisted he die on the land he was born on. He did, but only after a long time and quite a few issues. But you also have my jealousy as you at least still have them. Please ask them or their favorite story that their parents told them. It might be eyeopening!

I plan on going to Colorado in October for a wedding. I'll fly in and ride back with my sis. This will be my first trip since BC. I used to do things like this without a thought, but not since tx. So hoping to shake off some rust. Road trip! LOL

Oh. That recipe for chicken and mushrooms with balsamic was delicious. Unfortunately, it was a grey mess! Looked grayer than a cloudy day in February. Clearly it needs much more color! LOL. It was good tasting though just unappealing. LOL

I kNow I've missed many people but I drove myself up to Madison yesterday to see my newest DGD again and check in on DD1 and DS2. So today I spent reading. LOL first time in over and year I went there by myself. LOL

Much love to all.

She's grown so much in 2 weeks!

...just got a phone call, a text message and an email....I've been placed on alert...... Hopefully it stays as is....this is a case where it's nice to not be needed.

Eric - I know you can't say. Hoping your DM and Sharon's DM are holding their own esp. with your potential deployment. Thank you for your service.

Moon - I agree what a cutie patootie. Get all the snuggles you can. Good for you breaking outta there. Small trips build confidence for bigger adventures.

Real estate. I surely don't understand the ins/outs of it. We always get the hard sell for more house/more moola than we want. What a story Moon. Small town hmm. Susan - Sorry the real estate agent had head in the wrong place along with his/her client.

OMG Lacey a serial 5 year moving plan. By his account we shoulda moved about 6-7 times for our one. Glad you and your "old" house owners are well ensconced. We've been here 18 years and only decrepitude will get us out of here.

Tinker - you asked about my goats. I have 13 ranging in age from 2 years to about 8. They are Nigerian Dwarf Dairy Goats, the remains of a show herd my DD and I had b4 she grew up and left home.

Hard to judge sizes but they are just knee high. This is the backside of the doe barn.

Monica, beautiful girl! Luv, I luv your goats too!

Love the baby pictures Moon. What a lucky woman you are to have such lovely grandchildren.

Whirlwind today in the kitchen. Started the day walking down the hill to the farmer's market, and then all the way back up. My week off from Ibrance is strangely the one that I get the weakest. After lunch [a BLT from the garden, mostly] I started on the split pea soup for my son-in-law's grandfather. He has just moved back to MA from Las Vegas where he lived with his wife. She has just died, and he is in deep mourning. He isn't eating, taking care of his diabetes, but, one night the assisted living place served split pea soup. This is the first and only thing that he has completed the full portion. So, I have made him soup. And bought 1 cup glass containers to freeze the soup in, so he can either use his little kitchenette stove or the microwave to warm it up. Back to the world of data, and then we started on dinner. The dry-brined chicken was grilled with Inner Beauty Sauce, and I prepped the green beans and made a tomato, garlic and basil salad. And then, I had time, so, since I had made some mayo for those BLT sandwiches, I made some pasta salad for the week. Doesn't look like lunch at home will happen, so now I have something to take along with me.

The habaneros are ready to harvest, so tonight I will make the "curry" and "chili powder" and tomorrow I will buy some papaya and mango and make this year's batch of Inner Beauty. This stuff is wildly spicy, but when cooked, settles down to a manageable level of heat vs. sweetness. I usually can some so that I can keep it on a shelf in the pantry.

Eric, it would be nice if you weren't called up for real, but, I know that you have no control of that sort of thing. Your boss might loose his cool though. Clearly he doesn't get the social contract that we all have agreed to live by.

Luv, those goats always make me smile.

*susan*

Moon, cute baby! I'm so glad you're getting out and going places again. You sound really happy.

Susan, I'll bet there's another great condo out there with more reasonable owners. As always, I'm impressed by your food preparations conducted according to a short-term and long-term plan. I like pea soup and make it at least once during the winter.

Squid. It's appearance doesn't make me think of food. Said by a person who grew up eating pickled pigs' feet. I do like the breaded and deep fried squid with marinara sauce served as an appetizer in some Italian restaurants.

Yesterday dh and I drove quite a distance to a blue grass festival. On the way we stopped off at the two farmers' markets in Park Rapids. From the Pie and Bread lady, I bought a large loaf of Grandma's Oatmeal Bread, a mixed berry pie and a square container of caramel brownie, not cut into pieces. At the other market, I bought gorgeous large tomatoes for $1 each, a long seedless cucumber, and a lovely red (purple) cabbage. This morning I took 3 pieces of pie to one neighbor and 2 pieces to another.

A few minutes ago Brad the Good Fisherman brought us a Ziploc bag of crappie fillets from fish he'd just finished cleaning. I was feeling sorry for myself because dh was down at the barn working on cabinets for the owner instead of taking me out in the boat. There may be enough fillets for two meals. They are so pretty and white. I may cook fish tonight for dinner.

Luv, those goats are so cute. I wondered about how you got into raising goats. What do you mean by "show goats"? Did you take them to county fairs?

Moon and Luv, neat pictures...but no offense Luv....Moons picture is better! :-)

Dinner tonight is, as someone described..."jump ups".....

Carole...what bluegrass festival? BC, Sharon played banjo and sang in a bluegrass band. Her left arm (the one with all the lymph nodes removed) hurts after she holds the banjo, so she doesn't play as much anymore.. :-(

Figuring nothing (deployment wise) will happen anytime soon, I cleaned up/out the pantry. Eight hours so far and I'm about 3/4 done. It's *so* organized.

Susan, you're amazing!

Hi to everyone else. Back to the pantry work.

Carole, I read this thread all the time. I am just wondering......I read so much about buying only organic fruits and vegetables, grass fed beef, free range chickens, etc. it does make sense. But, then, I read on here about you and others who do not seem to be concerned with this. And, research shows that cancer cells feed on sugar. This all scares me and I am so confused.Do you, or anyone else think about this?

Well said Carole. I think most of us on here feel cancer is a crap shoot. Sunshine, I think if you check out other threads you'll find all kinds of lifestyles have had to join this unpopular club. Not very comforting I know. You may want to cut back on Dr. Google for a while. If you look enough you'll find something negative about everything whether it's accurate it not. It'll make you crazy. For me, if I can find organic and it looks good, I'll buy it. It's just not that available where I am. I'm at the point that I just can't worry about my food that much. I have lots of other things to worry about lol. I've changed my diet more as a result of diabetes than cancer and I can't think of anything I've eliminated totally. Like Carole, most of the healthy habits I have (and there aren't many) are because they make me feel good.

Yesterday I baked two mini pies for my dad's birthday today. One a low sugar custard (his favorite) and a sour cherry. We'll take him to lunch today then spend the night in the city and make a Costco run tomorrow.

I have an opportunity to get a Berkshire pig half in February. I'm seriously thinking of doing that. That means cleaning out the freezer. Wonder what I'll find in the bottom . . .

Sunshine - For the five years before I was diagnosed, I was at my healthiest, walking & working out every day, no sodas, healthy food. Then whamo. So I agree w/the other ladies. Cancer is a crap shoot unless you have family genetics pushing the envelope. I don't pay much attention to organic foods, other than that I try to buy wild caught salmon since the Omega 3 is supposed to be better.

Luv, you're a real youngster, just turning 63. That freezer of yours has become legendary on this thread! You might give fruit smoothies a try in the hot summer. I once pooh-poohed the idea of drinking my breakfast (or lunch or whatever) but I have come to enjoy my smoothie breakfasts. They just take a while to assemble because I put so much stuff in them. Since they're very cold I also have to take my time sipping. This morning I drank my breakfast out on the deck with my little dish of pills close at hand.

My ingredients vary but I start out with cold water. Add splenda or agave for sweetness, 2 T. ground chia seeds for protein, 1/4 to 1/2 cup of plain Greek yogurt, a few toasted walnut halves and a few almonds, 1/2 a fresh banana or frozen banana chunks, then some combination of frozen fruit. Today I added raspberries, black cherries and blueberries. Sometimes the smoothie is too thick and I have to add more water or a little low-fat milk. Surprisingly this breakfast sticks with me as long as my other standby breakfast, toast or whole wheat muffin with peanut butter and sliced banana. I find that some protein is essential for preventing me from getting hungry in an hour or so. Some fat is also helpful.

Dinner tonight will be panfried fresh crappie fillets. No breading, just some seasoning before browning them in a little butter and olive oil. Frozen green beans with some potato chunks and a salad to be decided. I still have cooked beets, wonderful tomatoes and cucumber.

I would LOVE to coax the scale at the gym into a lower reading. My weight has edged up 2 1/2 lbs since the first time I weighed on the scale.

Positive.....I'm experiencing the worry 2nd hand, so I'm probably not the best person to answer this.....just remember how much lowered stress levels can help the body and mind....and I'm guessing a beach getaway is a good way to lower stress.

Thinking, really?? Why are you "not supposed" to eat those things?