Power Outage

After several weeks of triple digit temps and no rain, we finally got the storm we've been waiting for.  The lights were flickering and then it went dark.  For hours.  Why does the power go out at the most pivotal moment of a TV show.  Seriously?  Every time...


Josh was at band practice and I got to play Pioneer Woman (and I don't mean Ree).  Alright, I did have my cell phone to entertain me for a couple of hours, and half of my candles were battery operated, but it was HOT.  I attempted to entertain myself by reading magazines, shining a rinky dink flashlight onto the pages until my arm got tired.  


I ventured into the dungeon with said flashlight to retrieve my sheets from the dryer.  What else was there to do in the dark of night with no TV or internet, but sleep?  If you were a ghost in my house, you would have seen me racing up the stairs like Freddie Cougar was chasing me.  


I put out all of the real candles (a house fire is the last thing I need), and lined up the battery ones so that I wouldn't go stubbing my toes in the middle of the night.  My phone only had 20% battery life and the flashlight app would be lost to me!

In the dark (without flash) my house looked like a miniature airplane runway.  I flopped around in bed for a few minutes, bored out of my mind and wishing my fan worked.  What can I do in the dark....ROLL COINS.  So I sat like Scrooge with my candle and my coins.  With the help of glasses and stereognosis, I rolled $52.  And then I was so bored that I passed out.  THE END.


Power is back on and phone is now charged!  Hope no one has any significant damage to their property.  I know part of my parents' fence is down.

Banana Berry Bread

I had a couple sad bananas and some berries I wanted to use up so I made this quick bread, perfect for breakfast!  I found the recipe here and modified it.  I will add my modifications in RED.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup fresh blueberries (1 cup fresh mix of blackberries and blueberries)
• 1 5/8 cups all-purpose flour (Just realized this says 1 5/8.  I did 1 1/2 OOPS...that's what I get for making bread before bedtime.)
• 1/2 cup quick cooking oats
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans (I skipped this step)
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup shortening (I did a combo of butter and applesauce instead)
• 1 cup white sugar (I used 3/4 cup)
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup mashed bananas
• (2 T ground flax meal)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9x5 inch loaf pan.
2. In a medium bowl, dredge ("coat" I had to google this hehe) blueberries in 2 tablespoons flour. Gently stir blueberries together with oats, nuts, 1 1/2 (SEE!) cups flour, soda, and salt.
3. In a large bowl, cream shortening. Gradually add sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in mashed banana. Add blueberry mixture to creamed mixture, and stir just until moistened. Spoon batter into the prepared pan.
4. Bake for 50 to 55 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the center of the loaf. Cool in pan for 10 minutes. Remove from pan, and cool completely on a wire rack.

I tried a slice after letting it cool for 10 minutes and it turned out to be pretty yummy!  Hope I still think that at 6 a.m. tomorrow morning when I'm eating it for breakfast.  Nighty Night!

Master Bedroom Inspiration

Josh has been working hard upstairs and I can finally start to visualize our 2nd floor as livable space.  I want our master bedroom to be light and airy, like a giant cloud I can fall into after a long day.  We found our dresser and chest of drawers, but still need to come across the right bed.  Upholstered or metal?  Here is some inspiration I found on decorpad.com

And a sneak peek of our new furniture, straight from the craigslist ad:

Eating Clean & Updates

Quick Update:

I finished chemotherapy at the end of January and radiation mid March.  I had a CT scan done in May and that was all clear!  I have a residual tumor in my chest that is 5cm, made mostly of scar tissue.  Besides getting my port flushed every 6 weeks, I am done with doctors until November!  Hair is growing, I'm back at work (part time-ish), and I'm using my extra time to focus on my health and piecing my life back together.  

The cousins (and my handsome hubby) on vacation.  Me sporting my new pixie.  :)

I've been taking steps to reduce my future cancer risk: switching containers to BPA free, exercising, and eating "clean".

Although I still eat meat, it's mostly chicken, fish or turkey.  I've added a lot of fresh fruits and veggies to my diet.  And the hardest part, I have been working on reducing my sugar intake.  I will never give it up completely (is that even possible?) but I certainly don't eat as much as I used to.  (Except the other day at work when the break room table was covered in cookies.)  

For the last couple of months, my diet has mostly consisted of spinach, broccoli, sweet potatoes, carrots, sweet peppers, green beans, strawberries, blueberries, grapes, bananas, quinoa, oats, greek yogurt, eggs, almonds, beans, salmon, chicken, and turkey.  

Here are some examples of what I eat:

Oatmeal covered in blueberries.  I've been using the packaged sugary ones to help me transition, because I am just not an oatmeal person.  

Plain greek yogurt drizzled smothered in agave nectar.  This was my go to meal after I had my wisdom teeth removed.   Packed with protein (23g in one cup).

I try not to eat very many "packaged" meals, but this cereal brand is all natural  and preservative free.  It's called "Mom's Best Naturals" and the grocery store usually has it on sale 2/$4.  This is the Blue-Pom shredded wheat.

Quinoa, 1/2 avocado, spinach, hardboiled egg, and a drizzle of salad dressing because it's all about baby steps.

I eat spinach almost everyday.

See?  I put it on sandwiches and turkey burgers or eat it as salad.

I snack on fruit, strawberries are my fave.

More berries!  

<3 Strawberries

I drink a ton of lemon water.  "They" say it helps cure many ailments and helps beautify.  

I drink green tea hot and usually plain.  You can add a bit of honey or agave if you like.  I also brew it for iced tea. 

Smoothies with more berries.  I make it up as I go.  Greek yogurt, almond milk, berries, banana, whatever I have on hand.

And occasionally I go cray cray and eat one of these.  Can you blame me?!  

Hope this helps someone who is looking to eat healthier.  Have a fabulous weekend!

Happy Earth Day!

Relaxing with the lights out.