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Good grief, Sharon! What did you have to eat or drink last night before you went to bed? Sue says to bring some along because it is obviously more fun than anything we take. Joy, I am so glad you were able to break the barrier of estrangement. Life is too short for that, especially with a sibling.

@quilty964 I'm working on binding my latest quilt. I told myself I couldn't start the next one until this one was bound. I do have the fabric for the next one.

Good morning, everyone! True to form, I was awake half the night. I don't know why, but Sunday nights are miserable. I can't get to sleep and end up tossing and turning all night long. I think it is a holdover from when I was working and dreading going back on Monday mornings. It was well after 2 when I finally got to sleep. That is going to make today a long day. I won't nap because that will make it hard to sleep tonight. Nothing is on the agenda other than the gym this morning, so it should be easy in that respect. @Denise T @StLouisCruisers Sandi, that was a good move to meet with the Relatives. It sounds like Mr. Relative wanted to clear the air. Hopefully, this reduces the tension and all four of you can enjoy the cruise. I'd give a pass to today's meal and probably go with Roy's alternative. I don't eat pasta as a rule due to the carbs. Pasta is an easily digested carb that sends my blood glucose into the stratosphere. Best to avoid it. This particular dish is missing the protein I want. But, for those who prefer meatless meals, it just might fit the bill! Feel free to substitute vegetables. https://www.skinnytaste.com/creamy-orzo-with-asparagus-and-peas/ Slightly different preparation in this recipe. There is also a nice list of substitutions and additions that you can make. https://skinnyspatula.com/orzo-asparagus-peas/ Wishing you all a wonderful day!

Good morning, everyone! We're starting out a bit overcast this morning, but we've been promised sunny skies and a high of 67F. A little on the chilly side, so we'll put a jacket or sweater on to go out. Oh, wait. A different forecast for today says cloudy skies and a high of 69F. Also a chance of showers. So, I guess we just pick the forecast we like best. Nothing on the agenda for today, so weather can't put a damper on anything. Safe travels to those on the move today. @Cruzin Terri I hope today brings you the peace and relaxation you were hoping for. @kazu I hope you can find relief for your pain issues. I think it was smart to tour the independent living facility. You may not need to move there right now, but it is nice to know what the options are for when you do. My friend lives in independent living in a senior living community and just loves it. What is nice is that she has the option of moving to assisted living when and if she needs it. We did have salmon and asparagus last night. It was raining too hard to use the grill, so we roasted the asparagus in the oven and did the salmon there, too. Sue made hollandaise for the asparagus and we were very happy. It was so good I could have had seconds if there had been any. Today's meal sounds good without the rice. I may use the recipe for the seasonings and use it make some scallops today. I actually want to try to do the scallops on the grill, so I hope the first forecast is the right one - no rain! But anyways, today's meal calls for shrimp (or scallops or chicken, or fish of some sort). I would substitute riced cauliflower if I wanted it. Otherwise, I'd just do the shrimp part. The garlic is the important part. Garlicky Shrimp Or you can substitute spinach for the rice. Garlicky Shrimp and Spinach Or you can just have Garlic Shrimp. Wishing you all a wonderful day!

We are on the same page with the hollandaise. We will have salmon and asparagus tonight, but with hollandaise. @Vict0riann I am happy to hear that your appointment has been moved up. Hopefully, the surgeon will have a plan that is easily executed. @RMLincoln That price sounds very high to me. Mine was somewhat complicated last year due to having to file in two states, but it cost me half that. Next year I can do it myself. @marshhawk Thank you for checking on @cruzn single. Does anyone know her full name? Also, sorry about DH's credit card fraud. It is always a pain when that happens, but at least we are not held responsible. Our sunshine from this morning has disappeared and we have a cold rain in its place. We'll be wishing for the cool temperatures later this week when we're close to 90. We changed our flights to get into Boston a day earlier so that we have a full day in Boston. We're meeting up with Sharon @Sharon in AZ and will be exploring the city together. As Sharon said, three wild women take on Boston! Now I am super excited!

Good morning, everyone! It is a bit nippy out this morning, but the sky is blue and the sun is shining. At least for now. Yesterday it couldn't decide what it wanted to do. We are going to the Farmers Market this morning. Last week they only had asparagus, radishes, flowers, and baked goods. We are going for the asparagus and radishes. Tonight a friend from high school is playing with a local band at a coffee shop, so I might go listen for a while. Today's meal sounds good to me. I might make this without the sauce. I can do both the salmon and the asparagus on the grill. So, I guess we have to add on a stop at Jack's for the salmon. Gribiche is a classic French sauce made with pantry items including capers, cornichons and Dijon mustard, plus fresh parsley and hard-boiled eggs. It's often served with cold meats or vegetables, but here we pair it with roasted fish and asparagus for a bright and acidic burst of flavor. Cornichons are little pickles. Roasted Salmon and Asparagus This is a slightly different recipe for the Gribiche Sauce. Roasted Salmon with Gribiche Sauce And one more take on the sauce: Gribiche Sauce and Asparagus Wishing you all a wonderful day!

I was never told to give up ice cream and I can't find anything recommending that. Most kidney stones are calcium oxalate. You might want to limit the oxalates in the diet. The biggest culprits are spinach, rhubarb, almonds, and beets. My urologist told me that a kidney stone diet is very hard to follow and to just concentrate on hydration. Here is information from the National Kidney Foundation: Kidney Stone Diet and Prevention To me it smelled like sugar and I really don't like that smell. The pecan pie filling was a hit and went well with the brown sugar cake. In all, it was a big sugar bomb. Because the cake was dense, it held together and sliced up beautifully. For the first time ever, my filling stayed in the cake and didn't squirt out the sides. Thank you! I had to try it. If I did it again I would use a different recipe for the cake part. The filling and icing were fine.

935 calories Thanks! And thanks to Lenda as well. It is tasty, but I thought the cake was kind of dense and dry. It needs more liquid. It didn't rise very much. I read the reviews and others have the same problem, so it is a dud recipe. Tastes ok, though.

Ok, the pecan pie cake is done. Lots of work to this one. It is a brown sugar cake with a brown butter/brown sugar icing and pecan pie filling on top and between the layers.

@Haljo1935 I had repeated kidney stones and part of the problem was that my parathyroid glands were overactive. They leech calcium from the body and help form those stones. There is also a family history of kidney stones. My grandmother spent her honeymoon in the hospital due to kidney stones and eventually had one kidney removed. 4 out of 6 of us siblings have had kidney stones. The biggest thing you can do is to stay hydrated. Add some lemon or lime to your water as the acid helps prevent the formation of the stones. It won't really eat away at the ones you have, but can help prevent them from growing larger. I do the lemon/lime thing to this day. After my third bout with kidney stones my doctor ordered hydrochlorothiazide for me. It will help prevent kidney stones from forming. So, right now: water, water, water. That will help move the stone along.

Good morning, everyone! It is a nice sunshiny morning here in mid-Michigan. Temps are expected to be in the mid 70s, so a perfect day to me. @marshhawk I don't know what to say. But hugs to you as you wade through all this. @Haljo1935 I assume the pain is from kidney stones? They are horrible and I hope you can pass them quickly. @ottahand7 I am happy to hear that you had a good night and a better morning. I hope the prednisone is doing its job. I'd like to try both the drink and the wine. I like a good Gewertztraminer, so this wine sounds like something I could enjoy. I got the cake part done yesterday. It is a brown sugar cake with pecan pie filling and a brown butter icing. I hope it all works out or I will be on my way to Meijer for a grocery store cake. Spinach veggie wraps with hummus? Hmmmm. Actually, there are a lot of things you can do with this to make it your own and to your liking. Not a fan of hummus? Use an aioli instead or some guacamole. Feel free to add in the vegetables of your choice. Watching carbs? Use a low carb tortilla. They generally have more fiber in them and that is probably a good thing. You can even add in some turkey or ham if you like. Veggie Spinach Wrap This one has some alternative veggies that you can use as well as other ideas for the dressing instead of hummus. Also, if you really want to eliminate the starchy carbs, you can use a large romaine lettuce leaf. Another Veggie Wrap Just a slightly different variation on the wraps. More Veggie Wraps I hope that gives you some ideas on what you can do to make your veggies more exciting! With a low carb tortilla, they look good to me! Wishing you all a wonderful day!

Good one, Dixie!

@Seasick Sailor I'm so glad you went to Urgent Care. I'm glad the wound has been properly cleaned and hope you are well on your way to healing now. I'm tardy on this, but hugs to your sister on the loss of her friend. How sad for those left behind, but at least it was quick and not lingering for the person who passed. That would have made sense during Covid. I would have gone! @marshhawk It sounds like the appointment this morning was very productive. It was a good thing you were there to fill in when Chuck couldn't and give them instructions for contact. My friend John said he loved it when family members accompanied a patient. He was a lot more confident that someone heard what he said and understood the procedures. I'm happy to hear all the Dailyites escaped damage and injury in last night's storms. How scary. I used to lean a mattress up against the wall and crawl underneath with a bottle of wine during bad thunderstorms. Now, I'd be afraid I'd never get back up.

Good morning, everyone! It is shaping up to be a nice day here in mid-Michigan. We are supposed to have sunshine and temps in the mid 70's. Not much on the agenda today after yoga except a trip to the grocery store and making a cake for DSIL's birthday tomorrow. She likes pecan pie, so I'm trying a pecan pie cake. I sewed the binding on my quilt and now just have to sew it down on the other side. That is hand work, so I will do what I can each evening until the quilt gets too hot. I went to buy more fabric, but the store closed at 3 pm. We may make a run out there today. @Seasick Sailor Joy, if you didn't go to Urgent Care last night, I hope you are on your way now. Today's meal sounds good and easy to do. I might substitute something for the leeks or just leave them out. I like @Haljo1935's idea of broccoli. Asparagus Frittata This next one leaves out the leeks. Frittata with Asparagus This recipe replaces the leeks with prosciutto. That sounds good! Bacon would work as well. Frittata with Prosciutto Wishing you all a wonderful day!

I agree. Infections can take off like wildfire. @lazey1 I hope the coughing subsides and that you are feeling better tomorrow. I hope it is easier on you than it was on me!

I guess I have gotten so used to the pain that it doesn't always register. But I sure notice when I don't have pain! Mine is a lot of old age stuff as well and it seems if I work something out so one part doesn't hurt, something else decides to make a presence known. I will just enjoy the temporary respite for today. I hope this convinces them to go ahead with the nerve ablation. It is helping for today. I think this morning was so bad because of the weather front moving through. We had a pretty strong low pressure system come through and that can cause a lot of problems in us old, arthritic people. Our neighborhood turkey had babies. Mama turkey just walked through with 12 babies.

Wow! We just had a pretty fierce thunder bumper roll through. It was very windy and the rain was heavy. Fortunately, no loss of power or internet. Since that line of weather has moved through the hardware in my left hip is settling down. I was able to get my walk in around the block. Did the same walk as yesterday and it only took me 15 minutes with no stops. I'd say the injections helped. I will be happy if I can walk that well after the nerve ablation. I would like to hike the trail around Jordan Pond in Acadia this summer when we go there on the Zuiderdam. I mentioned that to the nurse and she got all excited as she is going to Acadia in early October. So I helped her plan her visit. @ottahand7 It is too bad you couldn't get your injection before you left for the UP. I hope the prednisone regimen helps and gets you back on your feet. @Cruising-along I think I'd like the wine, too. And, I could be persuaded to try the drink.

Hugs to you, Annie. Sometimes you need to ask outright that the doctors give you the bottom line. I asked if my mom was eligible for Hospice or Palliative Care. They came back with Hospice and that opened up the conversation. Thank you @sailingdutchy for the pictures of Giverny. I was there many years ago and it is worth going to see. True inspiration for the Garden Club members. My test injection went well and I definitely have less pain than I did going in. I'm going to check the radar and see if I can get in my half mile to compare to last night.

Good morning, everyone. It looks like a nice start to the day here in mid-Michigan. We do have thunderstorms that are supposed to roll through later this morning and this afternoon. Sue will be happy as she won't have to water her flowers. The rain will make it hard to test out my test injection as I usually try a walk around the block. I did a walk last night as a base line and it took me a half hour to go a half mile. Lots of stenosis pain down the legs. And it must be the weather front coming in, but my back is especially unhappy this morning. Usually I can walk it out a bit, but not today. @Cruzin Terri I hope Jim is doing better today after his fall. You need to relax and enjoy Barbados! I think I would like the spice in these deviled eggs. I like deviled eggs and would enjoy the added heat. I would eat them for breakfast. I've gotten into having two hardboiled eggs with some Dijon mustard on them for breakfast in the morning. I'll try a little cayenne to spice it up! Spicy Deviled Eggs This recipe suggests making the eggs with a garlic aioli. That sounds good to me! More Spicy Deviled Eggs The spices are slightly different in this recipe and the eggs are garnished with a jalapeño slice. Mmmm Even More Spicy Deviled Eggs Wishing you all a wonderful day!

Wish I had thought of that! It has been a while since we've had any butternut squash. @rafinmd Good news about Paul. Thanks for letting us know. @ger_77 Happy CC Anniversary.

It could probably use a bit of pepper. Just part time. I exhibited great restraint this morning. I wanted to add a few brussels sprouts. Well put, Tina. Sometimes we forget how lucky we are that we can cruise anywhere. Most people in this world will never have that opportunity. @StLouisCruisers Thinking of you today and hoping the memories with Nancy lift you. Also hope you can enjoy the next 42 days and not have relatives attached to your hip.

Good morning, everyone! We are supposed to get up to a toasty 85F today. I opened all the windows last night to cool the house and will close them this morning to hold in the cooler air and not let the hot air in. We'll see how this works. This is a tip from the energy company. We signed up for a program where we reduce energy consumption from 2pm to 7pm M-F. Those are the higher rate hours. They say if we're running the AC to turn the thermostat up during those hours. If we've precooled the house, it won't warm up too much during that time. So, we don't run the washer, dryer, or dishwasher during those hours. I try to cook on the grill as often as I can. It worked well last summer. Today is my day: Old Maids Day! My sister's MIL greeted me at her wedding asking if I was the Old Maid sister. I have yoga this morning and then lunch with an old friend from way back. She is in town visiting family. It will be nice to get together. She's one of those friends where you easily pick up right where you left off. Today's meal would be a great one for breakfast if I took the time to cook something. A protein packed breakfast helps control eating the rest of the day. I can relate to what she says about eating cereal for breakfast and being hungry an hour later. If I eat protein for breakfast I last until lunch and beyond. https://www.healthyseasonalrecipes.com/cheese-greens-omelet/ You can use a variety of greens in the omelet as this recipe shows. Or you can replace the greens with other vegetables to your liking. I've never seen an omelet with carrots, but perhaps someone from the I Love Carrots Club can let us know. https://gardentogriddle.com/cheesy-greens-omelet/ This one adds in some ham for good measure. I mean, really, what's cheese without ham? This one is for @rafinmd Roy. https://www.diyhandymom.com/garden-greens-ham-cheese-omelette/ I hope this finds you all well or improving. @smitty34877 I hope you and Tana had a restful night. Hugs to all of you! @Cruzin Terri Enjoy Barbados! @kazu Sorry you can't find someone to help with the weeding. I once hired a lawn care company to do mine. That was after a hip and knee surgery. Wishing you all a wonderful day!

Good morning, everyone! We are starting off with cloudy skies this morning, but we are supposed to have sunshine and temps in the low 80s. Sounds good to me. We have nothing on the agenda for today other than the gym. I may haul out the sewing machine and sew the binding onto my quilt so that I can get started on that. I want to get more fabric and make a quilt for River's room, but it would also require me to paint the room to go with the quilt. Oh, why not? I'll think about that one. @Cruzin Terri Safe travels and enjoy Barbados! @smitty34877 I'm glad you had your respite trip. It does sound like you were welcomed back with great relief. It may be a good thing to have DB come from time to time. @kazu Glad you were able to get the Dahlias planted. Don't stress yourself too much! But, I know the beautiful flowers will bring you much joy this summer. Today's meal is a good one and so easy. You just dump the ingredients in a pan and let it go! It is also versatile. If you prefer chicken breasts, use them. If you want to add in some Brussels Sprouts for RNB, feel free. You can use your favorite vegetables and just copy the technique. Mom used to do this in foil and put it on the grill. We called it Hobo Chicken. Dump Chicken and Broccoli This website explains how to make up a bunch of these meals in advance and then pull them out of the freezer when you want them. You can also grill the chicken, bake it, cook it in the slow cooker, or on top of the stove. In this recipe the chicken is shredded and put on top of rice. I'd add some color to this dish. Dump Chicken without Broccoli This last recipe is a sheet pan recipe and in addition to the chicken and broccoli it has parmesan potatoes. Everything you'd ever want. Chicken and Broccoli with potatoes Wishing you all a wonderful day!