My Neighbor

If you have been following my blog for a bit, you would have read my mention of my neighbor. Mrs. C is 80 years old and is a lovely, lovely woman. My husband runs her to the grocery stores when she's in a bind, and she makes him food. If she has problems that he can fix for her, she makes him food. We wash her windows a couple of times a year so she can see outside and she makes my husband food. I go over to visit several times a week, and she makes my husband food. I fixed her clogged vacuum cleaner and she made my husband food. When she's ill, I take care of her and she makes my husband food. You see where this is going, right? 

You're probably wondering why I don't get any of her foods. Remember, I have dietary restrictions and unfortunately I can't eat her foods. She makes delicate puddings, a mean chile, and to die-for empanadas. She makes a lot of foods I just can no longer sample--but I remember the flavors and textures very well. It's one of those things that I had to sacrifice in my life's journey. Nonetheless, my lovely, lovely neighbor is very good to me.

Mrs. C takes me walking. About every other day, she drags my happy butt around the park or other places and I let her. That's right--I LET HER. It keeps us both healthier by going for these walks. It gets her out of the house and gets me away from my computer. Walking gives us fresh air, exercise, and time to chat and visit. Our doctors are all happy that we've both been walking. 

Mrs. C's plan is to have me walking all over town by summer. Last summer we went to our local Farmers' Market twice a week. This fall, we've concentrated around the library park, but occasionally, we go other places. I thought I'd show some of the places we see on our walks.

 

Mrs. C

Carnegie Park

 Mrs. C usually hikes my butt around this park every other day

Immaculate Conception Church 

Going around the park means transversing the ICC with its two parking lots.

This is Mrs. C's church and she adores Father George.  

 

 The Las Vegas Peace & Justice Center

In my final year of graduate school, I completed my practicum at this wonderful little center.

 You wouldn't know by looking at this place, but the people of the center are all volunteers and have worked towards stopping herbicides from being used on our local watersheds, assist the local jail in being more humane, and were the forerunners in developing state voting reform.

 

Semilla Natural Food Store

Our local health foods store where I get some of the foods I can eat.They have a small selection--nothing you will see at Whole Foods, but their selections are excellent. 

I also get my Burt's Bees products here along with other of life's necessities!

Sometimes, if we are lucky--we get to see some of the local wildlife on our walks.

 

The other day, Mrs. C needed to visit her bank. So we walked downtown and found the city was putting up our holiday tree. It was a delightful surprise!

 

Downtown

They were getting it centered before adding the tree topper. I'll take another picture when it's lit up.

Thanks for "walking" with us! 

Is IT Done YET?!?!?!?! The Day After...

Yesterday meant a day of giving thanks for our blessings...of feasting on delectable delights...of relaxation and family...

Yesterday meant hearing the cats ask "Is the turkey DONE yet?!?!?!"  

 Tilly giving eyeblinks in hopes that the turkey is done finally! 

In our home, my husband cooks the holiday birds.  In the seven years we've been married, he's never had a turkey come out underdone, overdone, dried out or anything else that can a person can do to ruin the centerpiece of the meal. I also need to mention that because he does the turkey so well,  it's taken a lot of the pressure off me. It also means I get to concentrate making the the side dishes. 

This year I chose do squash, mainly because it's part of my husband's heritage, and because I found some awesome recipes.  Ree Drummond over at The Pioneer Woman has simplified squash cooking and made my life easy. I got a lot of compliments from making her Butternut Squash Puree this year. At Christmas, I'll make her Sweet-Roasted Rosemary Acorn Squash Wedges.

Now because of my allergies to food preservatives, I haven't had pumpkin pie or pecan pie for three long years. My food preservative allergies include anything made with corn or soy, including high fructose corn syrups. The past three days, I've been searching online for recipes that I could modify, substitute, or adapt to my needs. Yesterday early morning, I found two of the best. I was so excited that I just scribbled down the ingredients, the amounts, and what temperature to turn the oven on. Yes I did. Took that piece of scribbled paper into the kitchen and proceeded to make pie. 

 

They came out beautifully. Thin crusts, but flaky. The pecan pie was made with maple syrup--the real stuff, not that colored-flavored stuff that's called syrup. The pumpkin was also made with maple syrup and organic half-n-half, rather than evaporated milk--which I cannot have.  I only had a sliver yesterday of each of the pies because I was also worried about the glutamate acid content. I have to watch the glutamate acid content in foods, thanks to my preservative/additive allergies. 

This morning I realized that I didn't save the two recipes to my recipe files. No I did not save those recipes. Now I have to hunt through the 'Net again, looking for those two perfect recipes. I cannot find my paper scraps with the list of ingredients. Silly me. 

Wednesday's newspaper was full of advertisements, screaming about Black Friday sales. Again, and for another year, I sit smug at my computer. I will not participate in Black Friday Mental Breakdown Shopping-Frenzy Madness. I will not get up at o'dark-thirty to stand in line at freezing-my-toucus o'clock to get a "limited supply" of anything. I will not fight crowds of people trying to obtain the same limited supply something.  I will not watch humanity at its worst in this season of when we are supposed to be sharing and giving our best to all. 

I'm liking the simplicity of giving from the heart, which means handcrafted or handmade gifts. I'm enjoying the thought behind the gifts I give and the process of making them. It soothes me to know that I can plan in advance what I want to make and give, rather than get caught up in the last minute turmoil and fury. It means I can enjoy taking my time during the holiday season. It gives me time to reflect and volunteer at the charities I support, enjoy friends and family, and brings a sense of peace to my soul. 

It means taking life the way a cat would! :D

Tryptophan cats