Medication & Stuffs

Hi! Hope you are all having a great start to your day as I enjoy my dinner (I fell asleep last night at 10 PM and woke up at 2 AM and have been busying tending to guineas and finishing up chores; see pictures below - that's what happens when you're single and coming down with something upper respiratory!).

Before I begin, a quick shout out to my 6 month old nephew Liam - he's officially crawling! Woot! Go Liam!

I've included in today's post a picture of the prescribed and over-the-counter medications I take. Those on the right are my daily medications and supplements. Moving to the left are those I take occasionally (I have digestive issues, so Tums and Gas-X are my buddies; lately, Mucinex has been my best friend) or rarely (like the nebulizer inhaled steroids and Albuterol for asthma flare ups).

With the help of my pharmacy (they do try - but they call with reminders to pick up before I get paid. Still, they are awesome and know me by voice lol) and a lot of my own legwork, I some how keep mostly everything managed and "organized" (meaning, I have a weekly pill organizer). I keep my specialists in touch with other specialist (i.e. I keep track of lab and test results and communicate those to the other specialists. Otherwise, it'd be like trying to get a Trekkie and a Star Wars fan to communicate with one another. I'm just the Klingon Translator.). I can barely keep up with it and thus don't expect others to (they should - but docs are people, too).

The medical care field is filled with potholes and loopholes and it's easy to slip through the cracks. You have to just sometimes become stubborn and do something, or you're going to be dinning with dust bunnies. Be aware and don't be afraid to ask the pertinent questions. For example, "What is my risk of my Mitral Valve Prolapse worsening if I don't get a yearly echocardiogram? If something should go wrong, will the test catch it in time?" This is actually a real question I will ask my cardiologist on Friday . My health insurance company is evil and now has a $750 out of pocket deductible before they'll cover any tests, including blood work, MRIs, or even echocardiograms. I have to be extra cautious and call ahead to make sure the insurance company isn't going to make things screwy (and then call back twice more to confirm).

I highly recommend visiting AHRQ and their "For Patients & Consumers" section. Lots of awesome, informative material on how to be a proactive patient (and no, I didn't get paid to write that. I firmly believe in their mission and jest at the death panel peeps).

I am falling asleep and need to finish dinner, check in with my asthma doc, and then make up my mind on whether I'm going into work or pulling the sick card. Until next time, guinea out!

As a bonus, a pic of the boys hanging out!

From left right to right, clockwise: liquid pain medication, CVS dye-free allergy antihistamine, a bottle of Tums, a foil package of Albuterol for my nebulizer, CVS Sinus and Allergy PE, a bottle of glucose meter testing strips, Asmanex, a bottle of naproxen sodium on top of three packs of two individual use alcohol pads each, a foil package of inhaled steroids for my nebulizer, a nasal decongestant, insulin needles for my insulin pens, Advil decongestant, a foil package of Gas-X tablets, my glucose meter, a small pile of the daily medications and stupuliments I take (fish oil, Strattera, metaformin, Calcium Plus, iron, B12, a prescribed allergy pill, Klonopin, and an anxiety medication), my lancet used to draw blood for the glucose meter, and my insulin pens, Lantus SoloStar, and Novalog.

A pile of laundry (mostly sweaters and sweatshirts) has been dumped on my couch, waiting to be folded.

A week's worth of dishes, piled up in the sink and ready to be put into the empty dishwasher machine (lower right hand corner). Also on the counter can be seen (from left to right) are American and Irish flags in a vase, paper towel holder, KitchenAid mixer, coffee pot, and popcorn popper.

Zeke is in his igloo with Benny looking at Zeke. Both are in their play area, and Benny's ball is seen in front of him.

Now Mobile!

I now have no excuse to be "missing in action," because this awesome sauce has figured out how to access the Blogger App. Oh yeah 8-)
But! MIA or not, I *have* been taking pictures! No amount of allergy-induced low-grade fevers, under the weather asthma yuckiness, or exhaustion-induced whining can stop me now! Ok, so that's a little white lie big as the Capital! I'm not fit for public viewing, as the little trip to exchange the guineas' rotten lettuce proved to me this morning. I felt like I was in everyone's way, and the bubble-gum-snapping foot-on-the-gas-pedel-lovin' 7 minutes early bus driver (who made me wait another 30 minutes and still didn't afford me the time to get seated before gunning the bus) didn't help. Just don't ever try to run and catch an early bus with a busted knee. It hurts and you won't catch the bus anyways. Live, learn, get Luvs.

The first picture is of the bus stop by my chiropractor's office, where I get physical therapy for my sciata nerve (I might have two physical therapists in 2 or 3 weeks. You know you're full of grace when you have not only one, but two physical therapists!). It takes me two buses and an hour just to get there, then another hour on the way back. So, if my appointment is at noon, then I leave at 10:50ish to catch the 11 bus. Unlike this morning, I got one of my favorite bus drivers who I haven't seen in a year (mostly because of my sleep schedule) and he was also recovering from a meniscus tear, so we had a good conversation :-)

The second picture is what I'm doing now. Work, followed by more work, followed by a 4 AM panic attack because my blood sugars were 369, I had the chills, and I had yet to eat or take insulin or my medication. It didn't help that the boys were Jedi mind melding me into cleaning their cage and feeding them (and I had yet to dry their laundry. No newspaper means a load of laundry every other flippin' day. Good thing they're cute).

The last picture is what I'm making for tonight: Country ribs with homemade yummy barbecue sauce (got the pork at Safeway for $2.76 - woot!). As I only have $15 until I get paid, it's all hands on deck, which means I better get to work so I can get busy cooking in the kitchen tomorrow! (Yes, I do have food. I just have to cook it instead of eating protein bars).

Until the next time, guinea out!

Picture is of a Ride On bus sign.

Picture is of a print copyright log with a pen and white out.

Picture is of country ribs marinating in homemade barbeque sauce.

Lawn Equipment vs Serenity

Hi, good morning. It's me again!

My apologies for the late post, but I promise to do another one today.

Yesterday I woke up at around 6:30 AM after passing out at my keyboard - yes, while working - around 4:45 AM, only to wake up at around 8 AM to the sounds of lawn equipment. There is nothing scarier than waking up at your desk at an odd hour, because you have to first figure out where the heck you are and why you're so cold, and then some how limp over to the couch to warm up (because I have yet to make my bed). Luckily for me, I keep this uber soft blanket (it's thin, but man, that sucker makes me feel all warm and cozy!) on the couch that my mom bought me for Valentine's Day this year.

Even worse, especially for me, is waking up to the sounds of lawn equipment.

Amongst my bag of "goodies," I have sensory processing disorder. I hate seams, rough clothing (I wear most of my sweats, leggings, thermal, and pj bottoms inside-out), bright lights, lawn equipment, bass and/or loud music, the sound of power tools, Nascar the Loud Vacuum Cleaner, and any sort of hummy-constant-all-consuming-cannot-think sound. If I'm tired and already on edge, humming will even make me loose it. As you can imagine, most places - e.g., the mall, stores, bus rides with multiple people listening to their music at top volume et al. - can drive me into sensory overload. It literally hurts my brain and I cannot think. All I want to do is escape. If I don't and I'm tired or sick, instantaneous meltdown. Three seconds to the ship self-destructing. Non-functioning Serenity. You get the idea. It's not a pretty picture.

Ear plugs don't work all that well because I am sensitive to vibrations. It is to my understanding that I am more sensitive to vibrations because I grew up with constant ear infections and, at one point during the fourth grade, was losing my hearing due to my ear bones trying to fuse together. As a result of all of that, I have low frequency hearing loss and auditory processing disorder (whether the autism or the ear infections caused latter, no one knows. They just sort of go hand in hand and it really doesn't matter where it originated as long as I know how to deal with it). Having auditory processing disorder means my brain hears EVERYTHING. Because I hear everything at once, it's like I'm deaf without being permanently deaf. I prefer silence. Too much noise and I become over-stimulated. My brain doesn't know how to deal with things one by one, and it's a constant fight to not sit there and channel surf.

So, the lawn equipment people. I hate spring. There's allergies (which means my ears pop and even the birds outside the window are too damn loud), more people milling about outside, construction equipment, and lawn equipment, my personal nemesis. These aren't your typical apartment lawn maintenance people, either. I know they have a job to do, but they love placing all their equipment right outside my building. It's a curse! Not only that, but they usually show up at random at 8 AM and remain until 4 or 5 PM. The only good news is that they're able to wake me up (you know I'm sick when I oversleep the lawn maintenance people).

This time, instead of holing myself up in the bathroom as per my norm and taking PTO, I decided to try to make it through and work. It wasn't so bad, but I wound up not going to my chiropractor appointment last night. The exhaustion only really hit me and rolled over me after getting back from the orthopedist (story below with picture!). My blood sugars were low because I had once again forgotten to eat nothing more than a protein bar for breakfast and dinner was nothing more than a box of macaroni and cheese (no vegetables - see explanation with picture below!) at 4 AM. I'm in this funk where I can't get myself to eat. Nothing sounds appetizing and I haven't been able to cook because of my knee (the joys of being single /sarcasm).

By the time I had come back - around 3 PM - they were still at it! Normally, I can do a little better, but on two hours of sleep and no regular meals, I was one cranky Serenity. The guineas didn't even dare wheek for food or attention (I fed and gave them attention anyway because I'm nice like that). I called into work, moved my chiropractor appointment to Friday, loaded myself up with insulin and pain medication, ate a bowl of cereal and some yummy empanadas, and fell asleep from roughly 4 or 5 PM to 6:30ish PM. I woke up feeling out of it, but minus the "I'm ready to have a meltdown and the apartment management peeps better have this place bolted down." I can tell I am growing up: in the past, I would have forced myself to go through the motions of going to the appointment and running errands on the way home (I still need to go do a drug run at CVS. I took my last anxiety medication last night, so yeah ....) and running the risk of the consequences of having a public meltdown (which I dislike even more than lawn equipment because no one knows what to do and I can't talk).

After working from roughly 8 PM to 12:41 AM, I passed out on the couch after laying down due to nausea. Thanks to the cortisone shot, I have a constant diabetic headache, but my knee is now less "You will die" and has subsided to a "You suck." MAJOR improvement. CHEER!

You're probably wondering why I am mentioning "cortisone shot" and are probably dying to know how the orthopedic appointment went. Too make a long short (too late!), pictures!

I wear Band-Aids like most women wear jewelry.

As promised: the results of the knee appointment! The orthopedic doctor says my knee pain is either a torn meniscus or as a result of peroneal nerve damage. For those not in the know, I injured my sciatica nerve back in October while apartment cleaning. The damage was so severe that I had pain down both legs, and lost most of my strength on my left side. By the middle of November, when I was finally able to figure out the health insurance, work/other doctor appointments timing, and financial quirks, I was dragging my left leg instead of walking. The sciatica nerve is still pinched and causing major havoc with my left side (on Sunday, my foot went all pins and needles for two days after vacuuming). The bus incident in December only made matters worse (Note to my readers: if you take the 97 bus route, hang on tight. The PM bus drivers like to speed and take their corners sharp).

At any rate, the orthopedic doc says to wait two to three weeks and then make an appointment with the MRI folks if the pain still persists and we'll go from there. So far, the pain has lessened and I only have the sciatica pain and diabetic headache from high blood sugars (steroids do some weird chemistry funky dance in the body to reduce swelling, but, unless inhaled, can cause high blood sugars in diabetics). I'm not sure which is worse: that the office staff at my orthopedist's or the MRI folks know me by name, or that neither are surprised to see me. They just sort of sigh and ask what I did this time. It's routine. I swear, one of them even knows the guinea pigs by name and asks how they're doing.

Look! It's modern art!

I'm proud of myself. I remembered I had left over vegetables in the fridge and heated them up to go with my macaroni and cheese. I must have been exhausted from lack of sleep (only three hours the night before, not counting the naps on the bus), because I forgot the dang thing in the microwave. When I woke up this morning, this is what I found. I need to call Rubbermaid and tell them that their products are not microwavable (I even vented the lid) and that they're not Serenity-proof, and can they please do something about that?

Almost like new!!!

Thanks to my quick thinking, I cleaned the container out as best as I could and stuck in in a pot of boiling water. When it was pliable, I used tongs to pull it out, cooled it off enough to use another container to make it square again, and then did the same to the lid. Instant-presto, it's fixed! Phew! I am so happy because I got this set as a Christmas present, and I am loving these things better than the plastic containers I have been using (usually, the Giant salsa plastic containers).

So, with that, funky cool readers, I have to sign out to get ready for work and feed Benny before he passes out from starvation. I told him 9 and it's now 10 AM and I'm regretting not feeding him beforehand (luckily, for me, his treats were on sale and so I stocked up. They only distract him momentarily, but whatever works!). Yes, I will feed you, you poor, starving, moments-away-from-death guinea pig! Until next time, guinea out!

Happy Autism Something Month!

Hi! I am finally getting my very first Autism Awareness/Acceptance/Whatever floats your boat blog up for Autism Whatever Month - yeah!!! To avoid conflict, blue is my favorite color and I don't care if you light it up neon pink, as long as it's not around me. Whether you celebrate awareness, acceptance, avoidance, or whatever floats your boat, then this blog is for YOU. I don't believe in cures, that vaccines are the sole reason for autism, or that there's an epidemic of massive proportions at hand (Diagnostic tools have improved and are now almost too easy to use).

[Pause for just a beat there. Me getting something done is a MAJOR accomplishment. Mostly my brain will go "Yeah! Great idea!" and then proceed to the next shiny idea. It's no wonder I tend to go about in circles with nothing much done.]

If all goes as planned, I will be shoving my long-ignored "Cooking on a Budget" blog out of the way to post a daily picture of a peek into my life. To get it out of my system now, today's pictures will include my two adorable guinea pigs who will have to sacrifice "Mom time" in order for me to post blogs every day this month. As a bonus for Blogger having URL coding issues, I'll post two additional pictures tonight. Five pictures for the price of two, no coupons or store card required - how awesome is that!?

Since this will be the "introductory" post, I will introduce myself. The name is Serenity. I'm 31, my favorite colors are blue and green (for Father Sky and Mother Earth, respectively), and I love chocolate and coffee. I'm told I have a big heart, that I am funny, have no hidden agenda (I couldn't lie to save my life), kind, generous, and all sorts of other warm, fuzzy adjectives. Truthfully, I know my weaknesses better than my strengths (yes, that's the autism). I received my official diagnosis at the age of 22 and count myself as very lucky to have been able to do so (not only can most people figure out I'm autistic, but, at that time, I did not have steady income with health insurance. Florida's CARD program rocks!!!). I'm both a sensory seeker and avoider (it's complicated) and among my medical diagnosis (in addition to the autism) are ADHD (executive functioning disorder or "attention issues"), anxiety boarding on PTSD shadow traits (I'm on medication to help control seizures related to anxiety), auditory processing disorder, dyspraxia, anemia, asthma, diabetes type 2, glaucoma, Mitral Valve Prolapse, hyperlordosis with a pinched sciatica nerve currently wrecking havoc on my left side, and early arthritis. I'm probably missing one or two in there. If you didn't catch all that, don't worry. I'll introduce you to them one by one so you don't get so overwhelmed (and, no, I don't know how I do it, either. I'm used to it because, well, it's my life and I know no other).

Disclaimer: I don't mean for this blog to be viewed as a "Pity Party Blog for One." That's not my goal. My goal is to raise autism awareness. How I choose to live my life is my choice, and I do the best that I can with the knowledge that I possess. Which means, I'm not open to ideas about alternative treatments, experiments, or drinking coffee out of the cup backwards. This is simply who I am and my only focus is to survive to the next day. Super Librarian Girl away!

So, now the GOOD part. The pictures!

Sonic Boom: Waking up the living dead, but not Serenity.

Yes, that reads 7:30 PM. That's when I had breakfast yesterday, seriously. I have a really screwy sleep schedule. Sometimes I sleep 15 hours, other times 3 hours. The number of sleep hours vary and I have no control over it. It's not something I am willingly choosing. I have sixteen alarm clocks and wake up to none of them (nor the fire alarm or hurricanes or earthquakes or ...). I tried creating a bed time routine, but would often lay in bed until 7 AM the next morning, bored out of my mind. Or, I'd simply run out of time and still have a lot of household chores to do (small apartment and dyspraxia means keeping up with myself, a difficult chore indeed!). I strive my best to work eight hours a day for work. Taking melatonin gives me nightmares and sleep medications only make me really calm. Benadryl, allergy medications, and pain killers have some affect, but my brain is in control of the sleep cycle. It's really sucky because I don't always get to do what I want or need to do. Sometimes I can and then I stand up and CHEER! Mostly, though I just feel depressed because I long for a typical sleep schedule. I used to have one a long time ago, before graduate school or college. It must have been nice. The psychiatrist, the counselor, and I are all in agreement that it's a result of a mixture of the autism, situational depression, inability to effectively manage stress, and my lifestyle (I work way too much). Some where in there is the answer.

When he sleeps, he means business!

This is Benny. He likes blueberries, anything mom is eating (e.g.. peas from Whole Foods. I kid you not, he will eat defrosted produce anything, except for Bird Eye's peas), cuddling with mom and watching YouTube or Netflix videos, being read Dr. Seuss' "Oh, the Places You'll Go!" (he loves attention!), his blankets, and willow ball. He doesn't like the word "No." He's my playful, demanding, stubborn, opinionated, loop-hole-loving smarty pants. He will be five in May and (knock on wood) shows no signs of slowing down.

See my new teddy bear?

This is Zeke. He's my sweet, sarcastic, opinionated, stubborn, stick-it-to-you calmness of my life. He's recently learned how to play and has taught Benny how to bite your finger with just enough pressure to let you know that they want down (joy! /sarcasm). He came into our lives 5 months after Benny's best friend, Oreo, passed away. Benny was in a funk and Zeke turned things around 360 degrees. Since they're both alpha males, it took time for them to "play nice," but now they're sharing, playing, and acting like brothers. They both share a play area in front of the TV and Sunday nights are anything but quiet :-)

How do you make me right side up?

This was the original picture I was going to post tonight. I washed the blankets and sheets on Sunday, but fell asleep on the couch the last two nights and have as of yet to make it. Will be doing that *soon*. One of my co-workers graciously gave me a ride home, so now my injured knee (which may or may not have a torn something or another - I'll find out tomorrow, so stay tuned!) doesn't have the excuse of "I'm too sore to make the bed," ha!

Yup, Gandalf personally sent me birthday wishes. Don't be hatin'.

. . . Then I remembered my birthday cards (from left to right): from a good friend, my mom, and my co-workers at work :-) These are the peeps who keep me going and I am thankful every moment of them. They're my sanity in this snow globe snowing world.

With that, it's time for me to sign off so that I can go figure out dinner, clean the guinea pig cages, feed the guinea pigs (oh, who am I kidding? They're going to be eating first!), and then work on other stuffs before bed. And it's already 11:39 PM, sheesh. If you have questions for me, post below in the comments, and I will answer as time allows. Guinea out!

Gravity is never really that far away and neither is the Taco Casserole ....

Here in Maryland, the nights have gradually become more nippy. It's officially FALL. Apples, pumpkins, squashes, roasted cabbage and potatoes, cinnamon and spices, hot apple cider, and Halloween. Okay, one cannot technically eat Halloween, but it's good excuse as any to eat chocolate and candy. It's a reminder that this nasty, brain-boiling worthy hot summer is behind us and winter is upon us (oh, goody [sarcasm]). My favorite part of Fall and Winter is coming home to two cranky guineas and tormenting their warm, cozy lil' bodies with cold, freezing hands :)

Apparently, I need to take life more in stride and stop trying to prove that gravity does - and will always - win. Three weeks back, my back bike tire skidded out on some gravel coming down off a hill and I took the full brunt of the fall with my right (re: good) knee and my chin. I think I skidded a few feet because, as I pointed out earlier, I was going down the hill. On a windy day, to boot, and cycling as fast as my legs could go so that I could get to CVS before 6 PM. The good news is that I made it to CVS pharmacy just as they were closing and, thanks to shock, the pain held off until I got into line. The manager called 911, I was cleaned up, I tied an ice bag to my knee, the manager straightened out my handle bars, and I limped home with some asphalt for a souvenir. Some nice dude walking his dog took my bike up three flights of stairs. After popping a few pain killers and one rough night, I limped to the Urgent Care Center the next day and have been proudly on crutches since. And it only took me a week to be able to move my knee, another two days to be able to straightened out my leg, and a few more days to be able to bend my knee enough to put a sock on my foot! The coffee-cup sized color-changing bruise (I mean there was colors in this bruise that I've never seen before!)bout on my left thigh only took two weeks to heal and is (almost) not even visible. The bruises on my right knee came in about a week after the inflammation went down and are still there, four weeks later. I have bruises from my knee to mid-shin bone and I still can't kneel on it (but I can squat!!!). I should be off the damn crutches (aka Thing 1 and Thing 2) either this week or next (depending on the bad leg that got worse due to the injured leg heh). Luckily for me, no broken bones or ligaments and the orthopedist doesn't have to amputate :) That was the bad kind of fall, not the good kind of Fall with apples and pumpkins and Halloween.

Since I haven't been able to stand for long periods of time without either the injured or bad leg becoming cranky and/or throbbing with pain, I've sort of become more creative and flexible with meals. Which meant I spent more money the first week on frozen gluten free goodies for lunches and dinner and spent a wee bit more than I wished on taxis. To made up for some of the costs, I adapted a recipe for Taco Casserole my mom gave me and then dumped some chicken (on sale via Peapod - woot to ordering groceries online!) with a jar of Alfredo sauce in one crockpot and then dumped cabbage, potatoes, carrots, celery, garlic, molasses, red wine vinegar, a dash of onion powder/salt/pepper, and weeks-old mushrooms into the other crockpot to roast them (even better with cheese!). The chicken Alfredo is very verstaile - dump it on rice, noodles (gluten free or otherwise) and a side of broccoli or veggie - or even just by itself with a side of roasted veggies and warm chopped apples with cinnamon and butter - and it is one very flexible dish! Both the roasted cabbage and potatoes and chicken Alfredo dishes (aka lazy chicken) are adapted from the Make it Fast, Cook it Slow cookbook by Stephanie O'Dea (I found a copy at my local library - squeal of excitement!). But, the Taco Casserole cannot be beat. It'll feed an army and then some and, lucky for me, freezes well AND goes well with broccoli (it's been on sale lately and is ubber cheap at Giant's ... I'd say I'm almost getting sick of frozen broccoli except I found that Benny will eat it, even warm).

Taco Casserole

Baking dish (mine is 9 by 13, I think)
Package of refrigerated croissants or ingredients needed for the pizza crust on the gluten-free (or regular) Bisquick mix [for the gluten-free version, this means 1 and 1/3 cup of Bisquick Gluten Free mix, 1/2 cup of water, 1/3 cup oil - I used olive oil, but any oil should work, provided it's not oil meant for cars heh - 2 eggs, beaten]
Package of ground meat (turkey, hamburger, road kill - whatever floats your boat)
Taco seasoning, homemade or otherwise
8 oz tomato sauce, salt free or salt-load
Doritos, crushed (I used regular tortilla chips)
Package of shredded cheese, any flavor that you prefer (you'll need about two cups)
Sour cream
Salsa (optional)
Olives or whatever other toppings that float your boat (optional)

----------------------------

Turn the stove on to 350 degrees.

Ground meat (turkey seems to be on sale a lot lately)
Two tablespoons of taco seasoning [NOT the whole package - luckily for me, I called my mom again and she caught me just before I dumped the entirety of my taco seasoning mix into the meat!]
8 oz tomato sauce [I used salt free because of the salt in the Bisquick mix but use whatever you prefer.]

Brown the ground meat. Drain the meat. Yell at youngest guinea that you're busy cooking and cannot stop every-single-thing to feed him right this very minute, cave, and then almost burn the meat while serving said guinea some goodies from the fridge. Place the meat back into the pan, add the two tablespoons of taco seasoning and the tomato sauce, and stir together. Let simmer for 5-10 minutes or until the majority of the liquids is soaked up.

While the meat is doing its thing, create the bottom layer. My mom called for those refrigerated, gluten-worthy croissants smooshed flat to cover the entire baking dish. I used the pizza recipe on the Gluten-free Bisquick box and that worked most awesomely. Never dried out and froze even better!

To the bottom layer you will add a layer of crushed tortilla chips. Then add a layer of meat, a layer of sour cream (I only had Greek yogurt on hand and used that), a layer of salsa (optional - I did because I have salsa on hand), and a layer of cheese (I used pre-shredded Mexican cheese). Continue layering ingredients until you've used them up. Since I love olives, I topped mine with sliced olives and some more cheese.

Pop the baking dish into a 350 degree pre-heated oven and let cook for 25 minutes or until cheese on top is melted and the bottom crust layer is done. Cool (if you can wait that long!), serve with guacamole, sour cream and/or your favorite toppings and enjoy!

What are you go-to meals when your injured or ill?

Until then, may your guineas not bite your hands whilst you attempt to warm your hands by wrapping them around their warm, cozy lil' bodies!

Still trucking along ....

It's been a while since I've last posted. I tried sticking to a once-a-month-on-the-weekend sort of deal, but life keeps getting in the way. I think Maryland's recent heat wave boiled my brain and then the smokers, the mildew in my bedroom, the continual stress which is my life, and the constant demands of two guinea pigs (one is energetic, the other one prefers to be left alone until otherwise stated) just leaves this single gal a bit tuckered out by Sunday. And then there's Monday and yet another work week to get through.

This week, thanks to my asthma, icky air quality, and smokers on the bus who just need that one last drag before they get on the bus (and inadvertently blowing it in my face and/or breathing space) and I wound up in the ER on Tuesday. My lungs finally caved. It took THREE treatments before they released me with a prescription of oral steroids. Now, thanks to blood sugars that remind me more of the recent Wall Street crisis than anything else, I'm left just a wee bit weak. I can only stand for so long. Thanks to Vicks Vapor waterless thing, I was able to sleep last night and my lungs aren't as congested as they once were and I can breath a wee bit easier. I no longer have to make the hard choice between walking or breathing :) I still have to do my usual chores and cooking (because, seriously, last week my idea was to eat gluten free Hamburger Help for a week ... it was good, but, by Friday, I had stooped to making chicken nachos), but hey, floors were made for holding dirty dishes!

Thanks to my sharp eye, I picked up some beef on sale, saving myself almost like six bucks in the process. I got split chicken breast buy one get one free. Thanks to 365 Crockpot, I got the grand idea for shredded chicken and, with that, I can add some chicken to my pinto and rice dish, and then make some awesome shredded chicken BBQ sandwiches, thanks to the French Rolls I found at Mom's Organic Market (if you're gluten free and tired of Whole Foods lack of options and high prizes, I'd highly recommend them, especially if you live in Maryland!). So, once again, with a few key ingredients and some store bought stuff (I found gluten free raviolis, gnocchi, and pierogies, I'm going to have a healthy, yummy, and relatively in-expensive meals for next month. Which is really, really great because PEPCO decided to stick their grubby little paws into my bank account (again) and I will be have to be very careful about what I do, and do not, buy. Oh and I'll need Tide and Downy - so this month ought to be, at the very least, interesting.

If you, dear reader, will allow me one paragraph on my soap box, I want to say I almost didn't make it last month. I was ready to buy the farm, to go visit my relatives in the sky above, to go and have a long talk with God, etc. As an Aspie with a deficiency in executive functioning skills and an inability to handle stress, I almost snapped. I had to take paid time without leave, which left even less in the good ol' bank account, because I got the runs from eating beans for two weeks in a row (I thought I would have learned my lesson the first time but apparently not ...). The next day was a Code Red day. I got up late, feeling really dehydrated. Well, in my confused state, I finally left the house around 2 PM for work and ... gasp ... forgot to drink water! I thus passed out in the parking lot - about four feet from work - and wound up in the ER (the ER is a constant in my life - it's really pathetic or sad or something because the three constants in life is change, taxes, and death ... and in mine, the fourth is the ER). Anyways, I digress - I took the next day off because I mentally snapped. There's only so much stress one person can handle at a time - add in the constant financial pressures, the "Will I make it to the next pay check?" anxiety, all the while living in the constant fear that if that car does hit you, if you do loose your job, if you get sick and wind up in the hospital, etc. you will totally loose your footing and be buried alive. It's no wonder the United States is living in fear - there's no security, especially if you're living paycheck to paycheck with less than $700 on your credit card as your life savings (or, even worse, none at all). If you find yourself in such a position, don't be afraid to ask for help. I know this is extremely tough for Aspies, especially for those, like me, who WILL be independent come hell or high water, but it is vital.

Food, too, is vital to our being - not only via the nutrition, but by its very essence. Food is soul. It is life. It is magic. Add a can of this, some spice of that, and a little protein and bam! you have a great meal (well, granted if you're not adding something gross like peanut butter, tomatoes, and garlic together - and, if so, good luck!). Whether you're following a recipe, reciting a recipe that you learned by rote at your mom's knee, or diverting off onto a unexplored path, food helps us to heal in so many ways. It brings together (and helps create) friends and family, new memories, and, at its very best, a new history [Did I tell you about that one time ...?]. At its very worst, it can destroy our bodies and feed our depression. At it's very best, it can make you smile, even sing, and brighten your day. Your food can communicate for you - as to who you are as a person, at the very essence of your core.

Okay, and I took two paragraphs - oopsie :) So, then, I will leave off with a pasta dish that, although it sounds very weird, will get your taste buds going "Ohh, this is good!" and your wallet humming with dollars saved, and a template on creating your own spaghetti sauce (just whatever you do, cook the noodles using the stove method and not the Crockpot - just . trust . me on this!).

Gluten-free or otherwise Green Olive Pasta Salad

Jar of green olives (or, your favorite olives)
Spicy brown mustard (or, your favorite kind)
Noodles (gluten-free or otherwise)

1.) Cook noodles according to package. Drain; set aside in a large bowl.
2.) Roughly chop olives
3.) Toss noodles, olives, and mustard.

You can also add veggies to this. Experiment!


Spaghetti Sauce Template

Roughly chopped veggies (bell peppers, mushrooms, onions, garlic, whatever floats your boat - or just onion or none)
Two cans of tomato sauce
A can of diced basil/oregano/garlic tomatoes
Various spices: basil, pepper, salt, Mrs. Dash Italian stuff, parsley, bay leafs
Squirt of two of ketchup (as a single person who has yet to find a can of tomato paste that suits my individual serving size need, I just use regular ketchup)
Dash of sugar (i.e. no more than a teaspoon - you want a sauce, not desert!)
Ground turkey, sausage, beef, or chicken (optional)
Other good ideas to add, but optional: kidney beans, 1/4 cup of wine, Parmesan or other hard cheeses (NOT soft because it will glob up and look nasty).

Combine ingredients into a big pot. Season to taste (in other words, adjust the seasonings to your taste). Cook on medium heat until boiling. Cover the pot with lid and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 4-6 hours or until you can't stand the smell and serve over noodles or whatever floats your boat - enjoy! :)

What's your inspirational stories? What go-to dish keeps your head up high in troubled times (and, no, I'm not talking about the lock pick buried in the cake delivered to the prison ;-) )? What's your favorite food memory? Have a funny story to tell, a bad recipe to post? Do tell!

Until the next time, may your guinea pigs have many healthy years ahead of them!

If You're Lucky to be Irish - You're lucky enough!

Hello fellow readers :) It is now the fine month of March - not only is it the month of my birthday, but it's also the month of Saint Patrick's Day. Growing up Irish not only meant being instilled with the fine values of hard work and laughing much, but also wearing of the green on Saint Patrick's Day. As children, my brother and I were so hardcore in this tradition that we wore green to bed so neither one of us would be pinched in the morning (or, at least that's how I remember it!).

As an adult, I've taken things to a new level, culinary-wise. Last year, I tried my hand with corned beef. I might do that again this year if I'm able to chew (this lucky gal is getting much dental work done - I'm getting fit for a cap on Friday and then, hopefully, some cavities dealt with so I can chew on the other side!). If not, I will just put green dye in my mashed potatoes, have an extra mudslide, and call it a celebration :) Potatoes, of course, are an Irish staple. So are cabbage and Irish soda bread (which I make gluten free, courtesy of Gluten-Free Girl and the Chef), and Irish cheese. One of the most filling, inexpensive, and nutritious dishes I've been able to create as of yet is "Cabbage Stew", which at the request of a coworker I have posted below.

So, without further ado, Cabbage Stew!

4 quart or so crock pot.
1/2 head of cabbage, chopped into bite-size pieces [Whole Foods will chop a cabbage in half - just as the produce peeps; if using a crock pot larger than 4 quarts, you might need a whole cabbage].
1 cartoon of vegetable or chicken broth (I use low sodium)
1/2 pack of raw bacon (I use low sodium, uncured - for St. Patrick's day, I splurge and use Irish bacon).

Veggies
1 "stew pack" - or two turnips, 2-4 parsnips, 1-3 carrots, 1/2 an onion if using vegetable broth (or a whole onion if using chicken broth), two small potatoes (or one really big one) and whatever else veggies float your boat. All veggies need to be chopped in bite-sized pieces, but make sure they're big enough so as to not turn to mush in the crock pot!.

Herbs & Seasonings
Herbs to your liking - I use some dill and parsley (it comes in the stew pack). You can use these or whatever herbs float you're boat. You can used dried or the real deal.
Seasonings - a dash of pepper and a big heap of diced garlic works well. Sometimes I use some freshly ground mustard seed.

If I'm in the mood to go vegan, I'll toss in a can of kidney beans - kidney beans are also a lot cheaper than bacon. Or, you can do both - experiment!

Pour veggie or chicken broth into crock pot. Add herbs and seasonings. Taste and adjust according to your taste. Add cabbage, veggies, and bacon (yup, raw - it'll cook in the crock pot, no worries about deadly bacteria or germs!). Leave about 1/2 inch gap between the food and the lid - if you need to add some water or extra broth, feel free to do. Just be careful not to overfill - believe me, you don't want the stuff boiling all over the place! Turn on low, leave for work, and voila! Instant Irish dinner (well, except for the Irish soda bread - I haven't tried that in the crock pot ... yet).

Until the next time, May the road rise up to meet you. / May the wind always be at your back. / May the sun shine warm upon your face, and rains fall soft upon your fields. /And until we meet again, /May God hold you in the palm of His hand.

... and may your guinea pigs give you much joy :)