The Simplicity Of Sprouting

**This is a guest post written by Kelly from The Morris Tribe.  Enjoy~

During the winter months, I truly miss the fresh produce from my garden.  I also resent the high prices of mediocre produce at the store!  Sprouting is an option that has worked very well for our family and may be something you might want to consider.  Not only is it inexpensive and highly nutritious, but it's fun!

Sprouting is like having your own little garden in your kitchen all winter long.  Your supply of sprouts keep coming every few days, just about the time it takes to eat your last batch.  They require only a sunny window and two rinses a day, how easy is that?

All of the energy that a plant requires to produce a full-sized plant is released when a seed germinates, or sprouts.  This time in the life cycle of a seed is the best time to consume them. 

The nutritional value of sprouts is just short of ridiculous, read here.  They are a wonderful supplement to your winter repertoire.  I count on them to help my family with building immunity during cold/flu season.

 Sprout People is a great source of information about what seeds are best to sprout and gives this nutritional info for sprouts:

Nutritional info:
Vitamins A, B, C, E and K
Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium, Zinc
Carotene, Chlorophyll
Amino Acids
Trace Elements
Protein: up to 35%

You'll need a mason jar, a lid ring and some cheesecloth.  You can purchase a sprouting lid for a wide-mouth mason jar here for just a few bucks.  I prefer a plastic lid myself.  The most important thing to remember is that it needs to be clean!  I like to put my jar in the dishwasher to sterilize it.

For high-quality, organic sprouting seeds, check around your town.  I usually purchase my alfalfa seeds at the health food store, but they are available at grocery stores and on-line as well.  A small package of seeds will cost just a few bucks and will last a year or longer as you only need a tablespoon of seeds at a time.

You'll want to soak your seeds in a few inches of water overnight.  The next morning, rinse them thoroughly.  That's it!  Just set your jar near a sunny window and watch them grow!  Rinse them again that night.  Be sure to drain the seeds well, you don't want excess water in the jar.

The next morning, rinse them again and then once more at night. 

By day 3, you'll be getting pretty excited as your sprouts will have germinated and will be close to ready.  Just rinse your sprouts every morning and evening thoroughly.

You might want to take a taste of your sprouts on day 3 or 4 and see how you like them.  Their taste will change just a bit from day to day, you can establish what day you like them best.

Once they are complete, you'll want to rinse them well enough to get the hulls off.  Then store them in a sealed container in the frig. 

I like to just munch on them myself, but they also make a great addition to sandwiches.  I have used them them in smoothies, the kids will be none the wiser!  A strong flavored fruit like blueberries or blackberries will insure that.

"The Sprouting Book" by Ann Wigmore is an excellent resource on sprouting and fairly inexpensive as well. Being an older book, I'm quite sure you could get it from the library. 

 Kelly Morris is a wife and mother to 9 children, 6 biological and 3 adopted, living in small town Ohio.  She can often be found blogging, writing, reading, cooking, gardening, digital scrapbooking and drinking good coffee.  Kelly authors “The Morristribe: Creating Balance for Busy Moms” and loves helping other moms find balance in their lives.

*** Kelly made this super helpful video on the sprouting process.  Once I saw on this video & how simple it is, I felt way less intimidated by sprouting.  It is EASY!  
Thanks, Kelly, for this great post and for being such a great friend to me!

Anti-Procrastination Tuesday #35

***Please read before linking.

There are 2 areas to link up, with 2 different themes.  Read more below and please link up in the right area.  Thanks!***

To learn more of what this is all about, read this post.

To read my original "Doozy List," read this post.

To read my "Summer Doozy List" read this post.

Hi Everyone! Welcome to AP Tuesday!

<a href="http://www.amy-newnostalgia.blogspot.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p32/Amysb1975/3032373667_7c7e803b43-3.jpg" border="0" alt="New Nostalgia" /></a>

Most Clicked On "Anti-Procrastination" Themed Post:

Home Organization Tips @ Real Parenting Advice

Pantry Overdue Redo @ Ditto Decorating

Most Clicked On "Flexible" Post:

Glittery Santa Belly Jar @ Crafts By Amanda

Homemade Teacher Notepad Gift @ Full Of Great Ideas

 

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All right, let's get to linking!

Looking forward to seeing what you all have been up to!!

Be encouraged, Be Inspired, And Get Something Done!

***Stop And Read Before Linking!***

I will have 2 different themes for you to link to.  Please choose the correct theme, or I will need to delete your link.  Thanks!

*If you are a tweeter, hitting the tweet box at the bottom will help get the word out.

***"Anti-Procrastination" Themed:***

~things you want to accomplish (lists, goals)
~things you did accomplish
~thoughts on procrastination/ways you beat procrastination

Flexible Themed

*Projects

*Crafts

*Recipes

Paper Romance

This beautiful tutorial is a guest post from Lucy from Craftberry Bush.  Enjoy!

Romance is the glamour that turns the dust of everyday life into a golden haze - Amanda Cross

When Amy graciously asked me that I share a tutorial here at New Nostalgia, I was

honoured and quickly said yes. What I hadn't realized however was that I had no idea

how to do a tutorial for this specific project.

You see, I often times just let my creativity take me away and I am a true believer that

there are no rules when it comes to creating. So I sat down and tried to put together a

tutorial to the best of my 'structured' ability.

To those of you who are truly paper artists, I apologize if my techniques are unorthodox

to your craft. Nevertheless, I hope that you get the gist of it and that you enjoy it!

Materials:

Scissors

Paper (I used pages of a book)

Glue

Clear tape

Masking tape

Floral wire (optional)

1. Cut or rip 5 strips of paper of approx. 3" long by 1" wide (these will form the middle

of the flower, I believe it is called the stigma...please correct me if you know the right

name)

2. Wrap each piece of paper around the toothpick to help you get started on the quilling

process.

3. Gather all the little tubes

4. Tape them together

5. Cut 15 petals in total (5 each of large (4"), medium (3") and small (2")). These are the

sizes that I used but please feel free to alter as you wish.

6. With your scissors, gently curl each petal just as you would curl ribbon.

7. How it looks

8. Start assembling your flower by placing the smallest petals around the stigmas (?)

overlapping them as you go around.

9. Continue this process all around

10. I secured it with tape after every layer, making sure I squeezed the paper together

tightly. Don't worry about the petals being perfect at this point; you can mold them after

(paper is very forgiving to work with)

11. Continue to attach the petals until you have placed all 15 (from smallest to largest)

12. Squeeze the 'stem' tightly one last time and secure with tape

Trim the excess paper and you're all done !! ( that was easy)

If you would like a stem, follow steps 13-16...

13. Tightly wrap the floral wire ( my wire measure approx 12") around the flower a

couple of times and bend it downwards to form stem.

14. Wrap masking tape around the wire all the way down to the end.

15. Cut several long, thin pieces of paper and apply glue to them.

16. Wrap the strips of paper, one at a time, around the masking tape covered wired

And you now have a lovely paper flower...

I truly hope this tutorial was helpful and you give it a go!

Thanks so much for reading and thank you Amy for allowing me to share this with your

lovely readers!

much love,

Lucy

You must click through as see this beauty topping a package.  I would love getting a package with something so beautiful adorning it!

She also used paper to make these hanging spheres, they are soft and understated, yet elegant.  They are made Christmas by hanging alongside Christmas globes.  So pretty!

Her blog is such a delight, and so is she!

Craftberry Bush

As a little girl, I dreamt in colour and I still do. In the winter, I long for colour but find calmness in the whites of the snow; spring's welcoming tulips fill me with joy; the summer's glow of the sun over the fields of ferns make me want to dance and in the fall as the leaves dress in their royal reds and oranges to say farewell, I am inspired. Inspired to create. And amongst all that nature as my children enjoy life along with me, they are my biggest inspiration. Some may call me an artist. I call myself a mother, a wife and a woman who loves life and dreams in colour.

How A Minimalist Eye Simplifies Cleaning

I have been very spoiled the last couple of months, to have 2 wonderful ladies come and clean my home, once a week.  This has been a priceless gift from my in-laws.  It has allowed me to put my energy into this cancer fight, instead of into scrubbing my floors.

I really wanted to make it as easy and simple as possible for them, so I have been going through my home with a different point of view than I normally would have, sort of an "editing eye" and I have found it has helped tremendously with minimizing our home.

I know when I need to dust, sweep, vacuum or mop, that it is so much easier when there is less stuff in the way!  I found myself going through each room with a "cleaning ladies" point of view, picturing what would be in the way of my dust rag or my broom.  If I found that there was anything in the way and I didn't love it, or that was not useful, I got rid of it.  If I did love it, it got a new home up off the floor, in the most practical place I could find for that particular item.

Examples:
Items in windowsills
Windows are so much easier to wipe clean and the window sills are so much easier to dust and clean when there is not a bunch of chotskies in the way.

A clear floor, as much as possible
This one has been the most helpful as far as getting rid of things or finding a home for things.  It is such a pain to move smaller items out of the way, in order to sweep or vacuum.  My goal has been to go through each room and get as many things off the floor as possible, permanently, to make cleaning the floors as easy as possible.

 ~A basket full of books or magazines.
 I had 3 of these in my living room.  Now I only have 1.  It holds magazines.  It has a purpose and is used often.  The books went on the bookshelf where they belong.
~A floor vase 
It was pretty, but a pain to clean around.  It was given to me, so I felt I needed to keep it out.  Even though I liked it, I didn't love it-- and I don't miss it.  The area that it was sitting in is now open and clear, and gives the eye a rest when scanning the room.  One less thing to move before cleaning the floors.
~My bedroom 
I had a basket to hold books on the floor, and a molded art piece that was made of my pregnant belly. :)  I cleaned out our armoire that has shelves, to put the books on, and the art piece is now up on top of the armoire, off the floor and protected from little hands!
~Curtains
As much as I LOVE the look of the type of curtains that lavishly pool on the floor because of their length, they really are not practical.  The bottom gets dirty very easily, and one would have to move each curtain out of the way to clean the floor underneath.  I do still have these type of curtains in my bedroom, but they are a crinkly, light, white sheer that I'm able to move with just a swipe of the broom.  They are just too breezy and romantic to get rid of!!:)
~Rugs
The more rugs you have, the more you have to move them out of the way, shake them out, and clean them.  I find clean, clear wood floors are just as warm and cozy as wood floors with an area rug in every hallway, in front of every sink or doorway.
~Piles of "stuff"
I didn't have many of these as I follow the Flylady system, and she helps keep what she calls "hot spots" to a minimum.  The piles I did have, I went through and either got rid of stuff or found a new home for them. It is great to have piles up off the floor!
~Kids rooms
This one made a huge difference.  I took each one of my girls and talked to them about how I'd like them to use shelves, as much as possible, to keep the floor clean for the cleaning ladies.  We went around their rooms with an editing eye, and at least 2 of my girls gave up things they really didn't love but was taking up floor space in their rooms (a swing for dolls, a stroller for dolls, baskets that could be on a shelf, etc.)  It was fun to see such giving little hearts, we were able to bless others with the things they didn't want.  My oldest is a collector and had a harder time with this one.  She now knows the floor needs to be clear, but boy those shelves of hers are FULL!  We did buy some organizing baskets for her shelves which helped!  It also really helped to have a plan for things that often end up on the floor, like a bin for dirty clothes in each room, a place in their closet for shoes, an area for stuffed animals (they didn't get to keep many of these!)

Items On Shelves
Again, I went through each room and if I didn't love it or it was not useful or practical, I got rid of it.  I know soon enough it will be me cleaning this house again, and I don't want to have to dust a bunch of stuff on shelves!  I've experienced the beauty of having the house cleaned once a week, all at once, and I want to keep it up when I am healthy.  I want to set myself up for success, not failure, so minimizing whatever I can will help me succeed!

~One home for things
 I have a craft area that has a drawer full of ribbons.  It is labeled so my girls know where to put ribbons.  When going through the girls rooms, I found they, too, had a basket of ribbons.  What?!?  It just added one more thing to put on their shelves.  I made them go dump their baskets into the ribbon drawer, now they are all together and we all know where to go to get a ribbon.  This is one example of what happened with many different items.

~Keep decor to a minimum
If you love it, great, just try not to love too many things!  Ha!  I've also have learned not to keep things out of guilt, just because they were a gift.  If I don't love it, I don't keep it.

~Not every shelf has to look like it came from a magazine
I have learned from friends who are really great moms, to use shelves in main living spaces as areas to keep things that enhance our experience as a family, even if it is not pretty!  Before, I was all about trying to make my shelves look like Martha Stewart had been here.  Not anymore.  Now my shelves contain art bags, library books that are being read with girls at the moment, family dinner conversation cards, etc.  These are things that are used, they enhance creativity, they enrich family life.  I'll trade that for pretty figurines and vases, any day!  You can have these things available and still have a home that looks nice, as long as they are organized and have a specific place.

~Put "like" with "like"
This is kind of a "duh," but I had to teach my girls this concept.  Keep all beauty items together on one shelf.  One daughters snow globe collection looks much better with them all together on their own shelf, instead of scattered all over the room on different shelves.  Small stack- able organizing bins are together on one shelf.  Even miscellaneous items can look orderly if they are kept to a minimum and lumped together according to color or type.  This was a big lesson for my girls, kind of an "ah-ha" moment for their little brains.

What types of things do you do to make cleaning easier?  Is a home with less stuff appealing to you?

**You may also like this post: Keeping Your House Picked Up

How To Eat A Pomegranate

I am still receiving meals from my church due to my diagnosis and fight with breast cancer.  The meals come at least 5 days a week, there are a total of 22 people signed up to bring at least 90 meals!  Isn't that such a beautiful thing?  I can't tell you how wonderful it has been.  Yes, there are days I could cook for my family, but there are many days that circumstances would make it hard.  Doctors appointments, chemo treatments that take most of my day, weakness from chemo, weakness from low blood counts, a cold that I just got done fighting, etc.  It has also saved us a ton of grocery money, which has freed money up so that I could to buy healthy groceries for my breakfasts, lunches and snacks.

A couple days ago, my pastor's wife, Tanya, brought an amazing meal, along with a pomegranate.  I have always wanted to try one, and I knew they were super healthy, so I was excited!  She explained how to get the seeds out in order to eat them, as I was pretty much clueless!  The technique she told me to use is on the video below.

{From Juicing For Health.com}

Nutritional Benefits

Pomegranates have very high content of punicalagins, a potent anti-oxidant component found to be responsible for its superior health benefits.

Amazingly, researches indicate that the capacity of anti-oxidant in this fruit is two or three times higher than that of red wine and green tea.

The level of anti-oxidant is even higher than those of other fruits known to have high-levels of anti-oxidant, including blueberries, cranberries and oranges.  This was attributed to the very high polyphenol content in the fruit.

They are also a good source of vitamin B (riboflavin, thiamin and niacin), vitamin C, calcium and phosphorus.  These combination and other minerals in pomegranates cause a powerful synergy that prevents and reverses many diseases.

Pomegranates are very, very good for you and can be used a few different ways.

You pop the seeds in your mouth, which is a super fun, crunchy snack. If the crunch is not your thing, many people just pop them in their mouths, suck the juice out, then spit out the seed.

 Here are a few other ideas from Everyday Cooking with Organic Produce:

Hummus Crown

Sprinkle a generous amount of pomegranate seeds on homemade or store-bought hummus.  Serve with crackers, thinly sliced French bread, or toasted pita bread.

PBP Sandwich

Omit the jelly on a peanut butter sandwich.  Instead, top peanut butter with a layer of pomegranate seeds.

Pomegranate Vinaigrette with Mint

Make a mixed green salad topped with this easy dressing.  In a small bowl or glass measuring cup, combine 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, 1 teaspoon cider vinegar, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.  Stir to combine.  Add 13 cup pomegranate seeds and 1 Tablespoon minced fresh mint or 1 teaspoon dried mint; stir to combine.  Use just enough dressing to lightly coat leaves.

Chocolate Ruby Slippers

Chocolate and pomegranate seeds make great partners; the chocolate is smooth and the seeds are both crunchy and juicy.  To make this simple "candy", melt 1 cup of semisweet chocolate chips over simmering water in a double boiler.  Stir frequently/ the idea is to melt the chocolate without getting it hot (it will melt when it is just warm).  Remove top part of double boiler and set on counter top.  Stir in 1/2 cup pomegranate seeds.  Using two teaspoons (one to scoop and the other to push mixture off), place 14 small mounds on baking sheet lined with wax paper.  Chill. Serve with in 24 hours for best flavor and texture.

Anti-Procrastination Tuesday #34

***Please read before linking.

There are 2 areas to link up, with 2 different themes.  Read more below and please link up in the right area.  Thanks!***

To learn more of what this is all about, read this post.

To read my original "Doozy List," read this post.

To read my "Summer Doozy List" read this post.

Hi Everyone! Welcome to AP Tuesday!

I bragged last week about how much I got done, then got home today and realized I REALLY PROCRASTINATED, forgetting to get this post ready, and now I have to rush through it, and feature less of you. :(

I DO have a pretty good excuse (gotta pull the cancer excuse card out while I still have it-ha!). 

 I had MY VERY LAST CHEMO TREATMENT today!  I am so very excited about that.  Now on to surgery!  Target surgery date is the week after Christmas.  I will be having some scans done mid-December to see where we are at.  I pray (and ask for your prayers) that cancer has not spread anywhere else, that my swollen lymph node is negative, and that the tumor is now just scar tissue as doctor thought that could be possible.  Can you believe that?  A 6 centimeter tumor taken care of by just 4 chemo sessions down to scar tissue?  We will not know for sure what is really going on inside until surgery, but I am very thankful for chemo drugs!  It is funny saying that as I was very scared of pumping my body with chemicals after pursuing a more natural life style, but I am a big believer in balance, especially now!

All that to say I am feeling a bit sleepy and need to get this posted in a hurry so I can go lay down!  Thank you all so much for linking up, I can't wait to read your links as I rest this week!!

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Most Clicked On Anti-Procrastination Post:

5 Spots @ Clean Mama

She gives us a free printable that breaks down 5 spots in our home that we just need to get busy and tackle them.  I really like this idea, baby steps to completion!

Most Clicked On Flexible Themed Post:

Homemade Chocolate Syrup @ Chocolate Covered Chaos

I am going to make this for sure.  My girls LOVE chocolate milk but I never buy it for them!  This recipe is easy and reminds me of my Chocolate Sauce for Ice Cream that is to die for, same recipe buy mine has butter in it.  

 

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All right, let's get to linking!

Looking forward to seeing what you all have been up to!!

Be encouraged, Be Inspired, And Get Something Done!

***Stop And Read Before Linking!***

I will have 2 different themes for you to link to.  Please choose the correct theme, or I will need to delete your link.  Thanks!

*If you are a tweeter, hitting the tweet box at the bottom will help get the word out.

***"Anti-Procrastination" Themed:***

~things you want to accomplish (lists, goals)
~things you did accomplish
~thoughts on procrastination/ways you beat procrastination

***Flexible Themed
~projects
~crafts
~recipes

One Thousand Gifts #9

121~chemotherapy that we think is working & that lands on Monday, the day of counting gifts
122~a husband who still takes me on dates and connects with priceless conversations
123~piano music of Ann Voskamps blog and how it calms my heart
124~a new Themos cafe' mug that keeps healing green tea hot
125~a reminder at beginning of the week of Thanksgiving, to give thanks
126~that He is able to do "more than I can even ask or imagine!  Exceedingly!!
127~hair that has a will to start growing back even before chemo is over
128~wonderful in-laws that take my girls on trips and create lasting memories
129~a blogworld full of women who amaze me with their care
130~a masseuse who is standing by, waiting to bless me with her free gift

Links I Like #6

Thanksgiving Snack Mix and Printable :: Marta Writes
This is the cutest thanksgiving snack mix.  Mini cornucopias and kernels of corn and other goodies, plus a free printable that tells the thanksgiving story is such a fun way!


Pottery Barn Hacks For Thanksgiving:: The Nesting Place
No cheesy turkeys here!  Everything looks so warm and inviting.  The corn husks tied around large hurricanes--I love.

Two Minute Weekday Steel Cut Oatmeal :: The Givers Log
This week, I am doing this!

Discovering Simplicity :: Becoming Minimalist
This is so worth the listen.  He is funny, practical, and seems to really "get" what moms deal with each day, being the family man that he is.  Although I faithfully read his blog, I still learned a lot from this podcast!

Thanksgiving Ideas and Free Printable :: TaterTots & Jello 

So many great thanksgiving ideas...love the little turkey cup filled with peanuts and the thanksgiving skit idea!

What a Man Can Really Do For a Woman :: Holy Experience
Whoa.  Very romantic:)

Little Man Tea Party :: I Am Momma Hear Me Roar
Who said tea parties are only for girls?  This is adorable, the face plates crack me up..

A Thankful Walnut

I had to share this little treasure from Craftberry Bush.  

She linked it up to my "AP Tuesday" party a few weeks ago and I fell in love with it.  Such a cute idea!  She wrote a beautiful post and tutorial here at her blog.  It's the same idea as a fortune cookie, but instead of a fortune you get to crack open a walnut with a thankful tidbit inside.  If you click through to her blog, you will see she tied them with ribbon and used them as napkin rings.  Perfect for the thanksgiving table!  All you need is some walnuts, paper, pen, glue gun and some ribbon. Cuteness!!

*this won't be the last you see of Craftberry Bush here at New Nostalgia, as she will be doing a guest post for me coming up soon!

Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce and Cucumber Raita

My girlfriends and I went out for my birthday last night.  We were eating Indian food, and when the waiter forgot to bring us our Cucumber Raita, it reminded me of this recipe I made last summer.  I had taken photos but never posted it! It is fun to go back in time, this is a recipe we made late July, and it was A-MAZE-ING.  Seeing the photos makes me want to bust out the grill and make it again!!

Everyday Cooking with Organic Produce -Cathy Thomas

A Guide to Easy-to-Make Dishes with Fresh Organic Fruits and Vegetables

This recipe comes from Everyday Cooking with Organic Produce.  I found this cookbook at the library, and it is GREAT.  It is not often I find a cookbook that I like well enough to buy, because it takes up storage space. I would rather keep my recipes online, but this one is definitely on my "to buy" list!  I've checked it out from the library 3 times!  There are so many times that I buy produce from the farmers market because it looks so fresh and pretty, then I bring it home and don't know how to use it.  This cookbook solves that problem!  

Chicken Satay is an Indonesian dish, chunks or strips of chicken, threaded on skewers, then grilled.  It is served with a peanut butter- based sauce.  This sauce is so flavorful, it would be great to have on hand just to serve over plain brown rice!  A bit of cucumber raita on the side just gives your taste buds a cooling break--not that this sauce is that spicy, at least ours was not.  You can make it spicy by adding the jalapeno seeds to the sauce.  I did not use the entire jalapeno, my girls have wimpy taste buds!

This recipe uses a marinade, a peanut sauce and cucumber raita.  It seems like a lot of sauces to make, but you can whip 'em up fast and the chicken is simply grilled in minutes (could broil it now that it is winter!)  The most time consuming part is cutting the chicken into chunks (I find this easier if the chicken has been frozen and is partially thawed) and threading them onto skewers.

Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce (Cucumber Raita recipe to follow)

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into chunks or 2x3/4x1/4 inch strips

Marinade:

1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger

3 medium cloves garlic, minced (I pressed mine)

1 tablespoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup vegetable oil ( I used coconut oil)

3 tablespoons coconut milk 

1 tablespoon sugar ( I used sucunat)

Sauce:

1 cup smooth peanut butter

2 lrg. cloves garlic, minced (I pressed)

2 tablespoons Asian sesame oil

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 fresh jalapeno chilies, seeded, minced (for even more spice, add seeds)

1 cup coconut milk, enough to thin out mixture

salt to taste

1. Prepare marinade.  Place all ingredients in a bowl and stir to dissolve sugar.  Add chicken and toss.  Marinate in refrigerator for 30 minutes

2. Meanwhile, prepare sauce: Combine all sauce ingredients except coconut milk and salt in food processor. (can use blender)  Pulse until mixture is smooth.  Add enough coconut milk to thin out sauce to dipping consistency, about 1 cup.  Taste and add salt if desired.

3. Heat grill or broiler.  Remove chicken from marinade and thread onto skewers.  Discard marinade.

Grill 3-5 minutes on each side until completely cooked through.  

4. Make a puddle of sauce onto a serving platter.  Arrange skewers on top of sauce.  OR just serve sauce along side of chicken on each plate.

Calories 150, fat 11 grams, saturated fat 4 grams, protein 11 grams.

**see that tropical rice to the side?  Yum!  I will post the recipe soon**

Cucumber Raita

1 medium cucumber

2 cups unsweetened, plain whole-milk yogurt

1 teaspoon toasted cumin seeds (*toasting is key!  adds such great flavor. see note below)

21/2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint or fresh cilantro

1 medium clove garlic, minced

Peel cucumber and cut lengthwise into 1/4 inch thick slices; cut slices crosswise into thin slices.  Spread on double layer of paper towels and top with single layer.  Pat to remove excess moisture.  Stir yogurt and cumin seeds in medium bowl.  Add cucumber, mint or cilantro, and garlic; stir to combine.

*To toast cumin seeds, place in small skillet on medium-high heat.  Shake handle to redistribute seeds.  Cook until sees start to brown.  Remove from heat.  If you leave them on the heat too long, the will start to pop out of pan.  

I hope you enjoy this as much as our family did!  It truly is a wonderful, super flavorful dish!!

A Rambling Update On My Health

{below is from my Caring Bridge journal.  

For consistent health updates, please visit my Caring Bridge site.}

I'm gonna start with some good news...not that I have any bad:) Yay!

We got the results back for the BRCA 1 gene test, and I tested NEGATIVE!!  I was so very excited about that!  BRCA 1 is a test for a gene mutation that runs in families that significantly increases the risk of breast and ovarian cancer.  I was very worried for my 3 girls and my mom/sisters if this test would have been positive.   What an answer to prayer!

It was great to see my doctor today.  She was very pleased with how the tumor area felt.  She is thinking the remainder of what we feel may be scar tissue, not tumor!!!!    She cannot say this for sure, but she seemed pretty positive.  Super exciting!

The lymph node area that has been concerning me was felt by her.  She was only able to feel one and some swelling.  I'll try to explain what she said...

She said on one hand, she is concerned because that one lymph node has not changed.  IF it contains cancer, that is not good...we want to see change.  BUT, she said that the MRI showed the lymph node as being swollen, but no "activity" yet, so it could be that it is not cancer and just a lymph node that I have had awhile that for some reason has been swollen.  Also, because I have felt different changes, (lymph nodes seeming to swell then go down within a few days,) that would be another sign that it is not cancer. She said that cancer would tend to stay consistent, grow, or significantly shrink from chemo...not come and go.  I asked her if it is very common for people to just have swollen nodes under their arms that just hang out for awhile, and she said it is very common.  Cool.  I'll take it.

So there really is no real answer until surgery is done and nodes are removed and studied. I am gonna try to quit worrying about it.  I had no idea how easy it is for me to worry until all this cancer crap!

Because of the lymph nodes being a bit moody and her ability to feel what I have in my other breast (small, pebbly area), she wants to do another breast MRI before surgery.  It will just ease both our minds and let us know if it is FOR SURE surgery time without any more chemo.  She seemed very positive about everything and reassured me, and said to not let this MRI worry me.  I'll try to obey.  MRI is around the 10th.  She also ordered a pet scan, just to revisit the rib area where there was some question.  She said our type of health insurance is known for being very stubborn and not approving of pet scans, so she was not very positive that they would approve it, but wanted to try anyway.  If they say no, we will do another bone scan and compare the results to the one before.  I'm already dreading the scans..I don't like scans.  At all.  Ick.

Hmm, what else...

Surgery target date is the week after Christmas--double mastectomy with lymph node dissection--we won't have a specific date until I meet with the surgeon, nurse is mailing me the consultation date...

Last chemo is this coming Monday--THAT IS SO EXCITING!!  I feel so blessed that there won't be any more sessions added on (at least we are pretty sure, MRI/PET scan will tell us for sure) Praise God for tumor shrinkage!!

Doc said she will not know about radiation until after surgery.  It all depends on things like margins, how many lymph nodes (if any) etc.
Radiation scares me (not actually getting it done, but long term effects).  I hope that it will be clear that it is NOT needed!

I will be meeting with a plastic surgeon to talk about type of reconstruction.  There are a few different options, but being as thin as I am, I don't know if I would qualify for using my own tissue (they take it from stomach or back flank area).  It is looking like implants may be for me!  I DID gain about 4 pound these last 3 weeks, which made me quite proud:)  I have been paranoid about getting too thin through all of this chemo stuff.  My church has done a great job of keeping me fed with regular meals.  So thankful.

Oh my goodness I feel like I'm just jumping from one thing to the next, I hope this is making some sense!  I'm hungry and ready for dinner so I'm rushing!!

I guess that is it for now.  If you have any questions you can ask me in the guestbook section.  I think I covered everything we talked about...I think.  

I'll end with a prayer request.I have a cold that kickin' me! It makes me really tired!  It is throat, nose and chest.  No fever---yay---but I really would like to be well by Monday chemo.  I do feel like it is movin' through pretty fast, this is day 3 and I feel better than I did last night.  My girl had it last week, guess I shouldn't have kissed on her so much...