“Please swallow your pride
If I have things you need to borrow
For no one can fill those of your needs
That you don’t let show”
- Lean on Me, Bill Withers

I am so behind.

On my clutter control.
On my bill paying.
On my blogging.
On visits with friends & family.
On plans for turning Blade & Cauldron into a home business.

The summer has gone by in a flash while we deal with Miss Artistic. Her health issues … her mental health issues. Right now she is in an intensive outpatient program. She will continue to be there for at least a month into the school year while they provide an academic component.

This “cushion” of time will give us the opportunity to send a new request to the Superintendent of Schools for out of district placement. And, if we are again denied, have a long sit-down with her present high school to lay out a more aggressive plan to help Miss Artistic have a more successful year. Lady Rose’s husband Teacherman has offered to be our advocate in all of this and I am sorry to say that we will need his help as our district (or so we have been told) is notorious for fighting any request for these kinds of services.

This whole experience has been very humbling in that it is forcing me, us, to accept offers of help. Friends who have offered their time, their energies, their money … to help us help our daughter get well. And while I would offer my own help to any of them in a heartbeat, it is so hard to let go of the voices that speak to me in debasing whispers about what it says about me to need their support. It’s a lesson I’m still working on learning.

Blessings to each of you who has offered your help. To those who have lit candles or simply held us in your thoughts. It means more than I can ever say.

Blessings

Mama Kelly

“If there is a load you have to bear
That you can’t carry
I’m right up the road
I’ll share your load
If you just call me”
- Lean on Me, Bill Withers

Buy it at Amazon – Lean On Me (Glee Cast Version)

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… head on over to Blade & Cauldron

Image: Francesco Marino / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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Guacamole
For every avocado used, add 1/4 lb of silken tofu – blend with a fork until avocado is completely mashed and tofu is blended.
1/4 c onions (diced very small)
1/4 tsp garlic (or 2 cloves finely chopped or2 cloves mashed roasted garlic)
1 small tomato diced into small pieces
Sea salt to taste
Optional: pinch of cayenne pepper
Also tasty is to chopped into small pieces a bell pepper (green, red, or orange) and 1 to 2 stalks celery.

Cashew Cream – requires a Blendtec or Vitamix blender
1 lb Cashews – raw or roasted (unsalted)
2 apples (cut into about 6 pieces) – two of the same kind or 1 of two different varieties
1 dropper of Hazelnut Stevia (Now Foods) – or 1 packet of stevia, or a sprinkle of Stevia) and a splash of vanilla
A splash (about a TBL) of Organic Maple Syrup or Honey
About a cup of water – depending on the consistency you want

Pout cashews in blender. Add enough water to come just below the level of the cashews. This will make a cream that is thick but pourable. Add a little bit less if want the cream for dipping and spreading. Add a bit more water if want the cream to pour a bit more easily.

Add the rest of the ingrediants to the blender and blend until smooth. (Note: using the Blentec that took using the smoothie button twice.)

This cashew cream is divine. It is great poured over cream of rice (i.e. Arrowhead Rice & Shine) or oatmeal. It also makes a wonderful dessert – over a fruit salad, as a dip for sliced applies, bananas and strawberries, or spooned over granola with fruit. It also tastes delightful on toasted whole grain bread or spread on a muffin.

Enjoy!

Bright blessings, Lady Rose

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Here are two of the recipes; I’ll post the other two later in the week.

Edamame in Asian-style Sauce (4 servings)  – I doubled the recipe with no problem.

1 lb bag of frozen edamame – let simmer for about 4 to 5 minutes in boiling water (you want to eliminate the “raw” taste, but keep them crisp).  Immediately place edamame in ice water to stop cooking (slotted spoon works well, or a mesh strainer with handle).  When cool, let edamame drain until excess water is gone (or pat dry).

In small bowl whisk together:
1/2 TBL sea salt (I only used a couple of sprinkles)
2 TBL reduced sodium soy suace
2 TBL rice wine vinegar
1/2 tsp toasted sesame oil
1 tsp honey
1 minced garlic clove (I used a roasted garlic clove since I had some already roasted for another recipe)
1 TBL of finely chopped scallions (I used two scallions when I doubled the recipe).

Pour sauce over edamame, mix well and enjoy. Can serve cold or room temperature.

Optional:  this also works well as a dipping sauce for whole edamame, rather then shelled edamame that I used for this recipe.

Quinoa Salad
I used 1 1/2 cups of quinoa to 3 cups of vegetable brouth when cooked it filled a 6 cup container. To add the other ingredients I needed to use a bigger bowl to have room to mix everything together. I took the 6 cup container to Mama Kelly’s and shared what wouldn’t fit with my family (about another cup to cup and half) .

The quinoa can be made the night before or earlier in the day to allow it to cool.

Toss with your favorite fresh veggies in a varity of colors. I used finely diced cumcumber, onion, and an orange pepper, and cherry tomatoes (I did not chop the tomatoes in half since I was letting the dish set overnight I didn’t want the juice from the tomatoes to make it watery).

Add 2 to 3 TBL of balsmic vinegar and 2 TBL olive oil – mix well. The salad is very good without the added olive oil too.

It can be served as a side dish or used as filler for pita bread pockets. It went very nicely with the guacamole I made too – I spread a bit of guacamole on the pita, with a big spoon of quinoa salad.

Stay tuned for two more recipes later this week:  Guacamole and Cashew Cream (update: recipes posted, link added).

Bright blessings, Lady Rose

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Today I am grateful for my overnight visit with Lady Rose.  Odds are we won’t get together again until mid to late September so it was nice to have a bit of time with her.

Today I am grateful that while she was here that she did some energy work on me, not once but twice, to try and help me both beat down a nasty headache that I’ve had since Friday and build up my energy stores to better cope with the stress we’re currently under.

Today I am grateful to have food enough to feed my family and to share with friends even when I am too tired to cook any of it.

Blessings

Mama Kelly

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Today I am grateful that after investigating obvious answers, and then some really scary possibilities as well, that her diagnosis is nothing more serious than GERD and vasovagal syncope (usually triggered by exertion (think Tae Kwon Do) or coughing (think asthma and acid reflux)).

Today I am grateful that helping her get better involves nothing more than adding a new medication to her regimen and making changes to her diet and lifestyle.

Today I am grateful for having health insurance I can barely afford so that I only have to stress about a little over $1000 in medical bills related to said hospital stays as opposed to the tens of thousands I’d otherwise be paying.

Today I am grateful to have a job that allows me to have such flexibility in my schedule.  While I will have to suffer through the lost pay from the past weeks at least I still have a job to return to.

Blessings

Mama Kelly

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She is still stable, but we still lack an explanation for the continued spitting up of blood.

Most of today is going to be filled with Doctors sorting through, having their own people review, & then noodling over all the test results we’ve accumulated so far. And my oh my have we accumulated test results.

From there it will be a matter of deciding what to test for next. And as we’ve ruled out the obvious … that means looking for the statistically less likely culprits.

Thank you as always to all of you who bless us by being there for us …

Thank you for holding us in your thoughts, in your prayers, in your hearts.

Thank you for the candles you light, for the comments you leave.

Brightest blessings to each and every one of you

Mama Kelly

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Today I am grateful to have had my friend “E”‘s support this weekend.

Today I am grateful to have Miss Artistic back home.

Today I am grateful that while we still don’t have any answers, that she is stable.

Today I am grateful for friends that supported be both via email and on facebook as Gamer Dude and I spent 11 hours (or more) at the hospital each day.

Today I am grateful to know that one way or another we will find a way to help her be well again.

Blessings

Mama Kelly

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A routine follow-up at Miss Artistic’s pulmonary specialist led to an unplanned hospital admission.

We’ve been dealing with troubling symptomology for a while now – episodes of coughing up blood as well as passing out and other more vague complaints. We’ve ruled a number of things out, but there is more yet to test for. Its not a good feeling when the Doctors are as clueless as we are. It makes you wish Dr. Gregory House really existed, cantankerous nature and all.

As of right now she is in the hospital until at least Thursday. The next major test will be an endoscopy. There is also the possibility of an abdominal ultrasound, CT scans, and whatnot.

Her spirits are good, her biggest complaint being boredom. Insofar as the rest of us?

Gamer Dude & I are stressed. In addition to the fears naturally related to having a sick child and not knowing what’s wrong, there is the added stress associated with my having a job that does not provide paid time off. So what was originally going to be a week with just enough work to cover my insurance premium has turned into a week in which I won’t be at work at all.

On top of which we have Mr Grumpy’s 70th birthday dinner this Saturday, and a friend of ours coming in for the weekend as a result. So the timing is bad, especially as I still have a house to clean.

But, it will be okay. No matter what.  I have my family.  I have good friends.  I have my faith.  We’ll get through.

Blessings

Mama Kelly

cross-posted over at Blade & Cauldron

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“I’m melting! melting! Oh, what a world! What a world!”
Wicked Witch of the West, The Wizard of Oz

We’ve been in the midst of a heat wave here in our parts. Today the thermometer on the side of the house read 102 degrees – in the shade! With power and water use advisories in effect we are all simply trying to make do.

We stopped watering the lawn and are beginning to wonder how much we can get for itty bitty little bales of hay.

We are taking shorter and colder showers.

We are keeping blinds and windows closed. We are staying on the first floor. We are using oscillating fans both in place of and to boost the effectiveness of the air conditioner as much as possible.

We’re cooking on the grill, or heating up in the microwave as much as possible to avoid heating up the kitchen.

We are changing into our lightest clothing choices once we are home for the evening.

But, even that isn’t always enough.

When heads begin to throb, or when emotions run just as high as the mercury it is time for a mom to pull something special out of her back pocket.

Tonight I made the girls milkshakes. Its quick and easy and is so soothing when walking into the outside world feels like walking into your oven. Or when a long day at a summer camp that lacks a swimming pool makes your head feel like its going to pop off your neck like a pimple.

Blueberry Milkshakes

2 cups vanilla ice cream
1 cup skim milk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup frozen blueberries
1-3 tsp extra sweeetner (if needed)
4-6 frozen cherries

Put milk in blender.

Add ice cream in tablespoon fulls.

Add vanilla extract and blend until ice cream is completely incorporated into the milk.

Add blueberries a little at a time, then cherries.

Add extra sugar or other sweetener at this point only if you feel you need it (some batches of cherries/berries are sweeter than others)

Serves two very hot and cranky kids a very hearty serving.

A cool shower, a dose of Advil, and a milkshake later my Princess Nature was back to her smiley summer-girl self. And Miss Artistic got to reap the benefits as well.

Feel free to customize this to meet the needs or tastes of your family. You can replace the ice cream with Greek style yogurt, add a bit more fruit and allow it to take the place of a meal when its simply too hot to think about eating anything more substantial. You can replace the frozen berries with other frozen fruit, or make do with drained canned fruit, or fresh fruit, depending on what you have on hand. Just be sure to toss in a couple of ice cubes to keep your milkshake from turning into more of a smoothie consistency.

Stay cool, stay safe, stay well.

Blessings

Mama Kelly

cross-posted at Blade & Cauldron

Image: Salvatore Vuono / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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