Senior Golden Sneakers - November 2010

Thanks for the welcomes. Much appreciated.

Sorry about what my Green Bay Packers did to the Cowboys (said with tongue in cheek). We lived within an hour of Green Bay for 47 years so it is hard to switch loyalties to the Chiefs and/or Rams. I am a football fan but really love college ball. Mizzou got beat this weekend but Wisconsin and Iowa (my two favorite teams) both won very exciting games.

I planted Dahlias from seed this past spring and now, after having our first frost, I dug them up, harvesting about a hundred tubers for next year. So much easier to work with than seeds/seedlings. I've also harvested a huge sack of marigold and zinnia seeds, Cleome heads, Hyacinth Bean Vine pods and more. My Passion Vine is out of the ground and safely potted in the shed, Iris are cut back and the only thing left in the garden are Japanese Radishes. It was a busy day; glorious for being outdoors (72 degrees). Since coming here I've turned into a domestic goddess with a golden shovel and a diamond encrusted hoe.

We're looking forward to the week of Thanksgiving. It will be our 4th in the Ozarks and our youngest and oldest sons will be with us. And of course, our 12-year old granddaughter. She is such a lovely girl; very smart and she's doing so well since her moma died. Even during the process she showed wisdom beyond her years. I was there for two weeks shortly before my DIL passed. She had had MS for 12 years but died from lung cancer. One night my granddaughter and I had a chance to talk. I asked her how she was doing. She said - grandma, I've always known my mom was sick (the MS), and could die. I just hoped I'd get a chance to grow up first. When dad told me cancer, I knew that wasn't going to happen. I'll be OK. I've had 11 years with two wonderful parents who love me. I'll still have my dad and he'll just love me twice as much.

Such wisdom.

Decided to do some measurements today to add to my profile. Ugh. Oh well... just gives me something more to work for.

Connie....You have an amazing granddaughter. She has been well loved and well taught to reach that maturity at such a young age. God Bless.

Hi everyone! We have just returned from our day of Dr. appts. and shopping. Nice to have some groceries in the house, especially fruits and veg. Neil is out of his boot cast providing all goes well. The Dr. wants him back if the pain continues. It seems to be muscle cramps to me but will keep an eye on it. Then he saw the ENT Dr. and they were not able to get a good visualization of his throat so Wed. we are off to the hospital to use some equipment to check the throat. He said to give him some sedation if we had anything for him. The only thing I have is some Tylenol 3’s left over from surgery. I think 2 of those should do the trick (I hope). He thinks that from the sound of his voice and the symptoms the vocal chords are paralysed. He wasn’t prepared to talk about outcome until he had a good look. We are prepared to go wherever we need to go to get help if there is some place to help him!
It has been raining all day today and is cold enough that we may have snow tonight. I hope not, the roads will be a mess with freezing rain followed by snow. However, I won’t borrow trouble, we have enough of our own. ;o)

Connie – So glad to have you join us. It sounds like you have a wonderful garden. I do love my flower beds although they have really lacked attention the last couple of years. Good luck to you and your husband on your weight loss journey. I hope your husbands surgery goes well. Your granddaughter sounds very special.

Marie – Did they give you the bumps for your birthday – 80 bumps would hurt!! I know you will make the best decision for you about the banana cake. It always seems like such a waste not to use them but sometimes I just throw them in the freezer until I want to use them.

Irene – Hope you are feeling well this week. How is the exercise going?

Sandy – Great little tip! I will use that for sure.:flowerforyou:

Sandi – How nice to have your daughter close by! Have a wonderful cruise (wish I could go with you)!

Gigi – Wow! It sounds like you have a lot of work on your hands!! Are you retiring from your own business?

To everyone else, a big hi! Hope you are all starting off a great week. Take care and keep smiling. Gayla

I have been fighting myself all day. I have 3 very ripe banana and been wanting to make banana nut bread. But so far have rejetted the ideal. Kept telling myself I could make it and freeze it for Thanksgiving. But I know I would get into it. if I did. So do I That is the questions? or do I not

Here's a recipe that is delicious, and only 100 calories a serving:

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 60 minutes
Total Time: 75 minutes
Ingredients:

* 1/4 cup sugar (or sugar substitute for even fewer calories - I use Splenda)
* 2 Tbsp butter, softened
* 1 large egg, beaten (or egg substitute for even fewer calories)
* 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
* 1 cup ripe bananas, mashed (3 small)
* 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
* 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
* 1/2 tsp baking soda
* 1/4 tsp salt

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine softened butter and sugar, and beat with a mixer at medium speed, about 3 minutes or until well combined. Add the egg and applesauce, and beat another 2 minutes. Fold in the bananas.
3. Lightly spoon the all-purpose flour and whole wheat flour into dry measuring cups, and level with a knife. Combine the two flours, baking soda, and salt in a separate large bowl.
4. Add the flour mixture to the banana mixture, 1/2 cup at a time, mixing after each addition until moistened.
5. Coat one loaf pan with cooking spray. Pour the batter into the loaf pan.
6. Bake at 350° for 50 minutes to 1 hour, or until a wooden pick inserted in center of the bread comes out clean.
7. Allow the bread to cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Remove the bread and cool completely on a wire rack.

Yield: 1 loaf, 10 servings

Per Serving Calories 100 (or less), Calories from Fat 23, Total Fat 2.5g (sat 1.4g), Cholesterol 14mg, Sodium 108mg, Pro 2g, CHO 17g, Fiber 1g

My Thanks for today is : I am thankful For a nice breakfast of scramble egg. whole wheat toast and 1/2 orange. to get my day off to a good start. When it warm up some Sammy and I will have our walk. and after the postman goes by for Sammy does not like him. The leaves are falling good now.. We did not get any pecans this year not a one. Which made Jerry happy he does not have to pick them up the poor litle animals will miss them. Tho We keep bread crumbs out for them.





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I started my day by walking the dogs on the hill followed by 25 minutes of yoga, then I made my breakfast shake and ate it while watching TV and riding the exercise bike for 25 minutes.

Barbie, my word, what a lay-about I must be. I'm tired and I only read what YOU did!

Guess my redemption is an hour of yard work, raking, picking up sticks and branches the wind knocked out of the oaks, dividing and replanting my Autumn Splendor Sedum. I was surprised at the number of calories burned doing yard work.

I listen to tunes while on my exercise bike. Air Supply Greatest Hits. Five songs are 20 minutes. It was one of our boy's favorite groups when they were young teens and playing all the time. Now listening to that album takes me back 25 years!

I can only walk one of our dogs at a time. They are simply too big and too strong. That means the one left behind howls the entire time. And you haven't heard howling until you've heard an Afghan Hound howl. My walk is just over a mile (.6 each way) and I can hear the orphan the entire time.

It is glorious here - 70 degrees with a light breeze. A November gift from God.

Connie

Sandy,

I have to ask - - - -

Many years ago, my husband and I, along with our two youngest boys, spent a weekend at a hotel in Itasca. It was a high-rise with a beautiful central courtyard. The rooms went round in a circle on the perimeter. It was Halloween, and the hotel had a costume party for the local kids and there were spooks, ghosts and goblins everywhere. We went out for pizza and had the best deep dish pizza I've ever eaten. It's more than 30 years ago and I still remember it. The place wasn't very big, and we sat in a booth along one wall. Have no idea what the name of the place was but I'd sure like to know. I've eaten pizza all over the world, including most of Italy and I've never tasted anything quite so good.

Any ideas??

Connie, They are so beautiful soooooooooooooooo handsome too. You must be proud of them. You do the groming too.? Nice job.

We are enjoying having you here.

Hi everyone from a very white Saskatchewan! It is about 34F so the white stuff is turning to mucky slush. I just got back from taking Neil for a massage. I told her to stay away from his neck and chest on the left side and otherwise the massage will be good for him. They are also going to wash his hair and buzz it off. He should be a happy lad when he comes home. We are not celebrating yet but Neil has a wee bit of voice today. Fingers are crossed and prayers continue! Thanks for the kind thoughts and prayers, a miracle would be wonderful.
It does seem there is always something these days. I woke up with cold!! How did that happen. I haven't had my flu shot yet as Neil could not have his until next week so we decided to get them all at the same time. There is an evil little person in my head shouting "too late'!! Dave says don't give it to Neil. Being that I do everything for him I am not sure how to avoid it but I will do my best.

Marie -- You are doing great with your healthy eating. Thanks for your wonderful support.

Barbie -- Wishing good thoughts for your blood work results. Proud of you out walking in the wind. You set such a good example for us.

Connie -- Good job biking to Air Supply! You sons would be proud.

Sandy -- Enjoy your lovely weather. I encourage you to ask your Dr. for a physiotherapy referral. It does hurt but helps in the long run. Living in pain is no fun!

Take care and keep smiling. I just gave Neil a thickened Dr. Pepper and I swear he is drinking better.
Gayla

:drinker: I'll drink to your hounds any day ,Connie! I assumed they were Afghans---and magnificent ones at that! But you referred to them as Sighthounds? I learned something again on this thread! :bigsmile: :

Buzz, in the dog world the Hound group is divided in two - scent hounds (those who hunt using their noses to track down their prey) and sight hounds (those who hunt by seeing their prey). Afghans, Greyhounds, Whippets, Saluki, Basenji, Irish Wolfhounds, Rhodesian Ridgeback, Pharaoh Hounds, Ibizan Hounds, Borzoi, etc. all fall into the sight hound category. Basset, Beagle, Fox Hound, Bloodhound, etc. are all in the scent hound category. There is talk at AKC about breaking the "Hound" group into two separate groups as the two different kinds of hounds have such different characteristics.

In the field, Sighthounds compete in a sport called Lure Coursing. If you ever have a chance to watch a match, do so. It is really enjoyable and these dogs are true athletes. The "Allure" kennel name consistently appears at the top of the lists of outstanding Lure Coursers. They don't fare poorly in the show ring either.

Hope I explained it in a way that is understandable.

Connie, Your "babies" are beautiful. My "three little pigs" send their regards--Woof!!:laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

Gayla, Glad to hear that Neil is improving--keeping my fingers crossed for a full recovery of voice and swallowing function.

I had 1/2 a baked chicken hanging around that I needed to turn in to something soon, or it would have started flying around the kitchen:noway: :noway:

I decided to make some soup, so I took all the meat off of it that I could and then put the carcass in a pan with chicken broth, a little water, and some of the jelled drippings that I collected on the day it was baked and placed in the fridge--taking them out later--and then removing the fat, which congeals at the top of the container. I added some chopped onions, garlic, and celery, and fresh rosemary, parsley, thyme, and sliced baby carrots into the broth and let it simmer a while. Eventually, I removed the carcass and any bones still hiding in the pot and added pieces of the chicken that I had taken off the bone prior to boiling the carcass. After letting it cool, I have about a quart of soup in my fridge now, so I should get about 3-4 servings out of it. And if I decide I don't want to eat it all at once, I can freeze part of it.

I still had a bunch of shredded chicken left, so I snooped online to get some ideas, and found a quick and easy way to make a chicken pot pie. I took onions, celery, and some Mrs. Dash herb and garlic seasoning, and some more parsley, sage and thyme, and after sauteing for a few minutes in a little Smart Balance spread, I added the other half of the jelled pan drippings mentioned above, about 3 tablespoons of half and half, and a touch of water. It made just enough liquid to toss carrots in and let everything cook for about another 5 minutes, then I put in the cooked chicken and let it go for about another 5, lowering the heat.

Meanwhile, I mixed up a little baking mix with some unsweetened almond milk and a couple of tablespoons of half and half, to make a relatively dry mix. It still stuck to my fingers a bit, but was thick enough to spread out.

At this point, I split up the chicken and veggie mixture into 2 soup bowl-size ramekins. Then I spooned the baking mix over the top of each and spread it out. In the oven it went at a preheated 360 F. Initially, I baked for about 15 minutes, but it had to go for about 20 minutes total to brown up the top the way I wanted.

By the time it came out of the oven, I decided it was time for an early dinner tonight, so I ate one almost immediately--YUM!! The other will make a good quick dinner or lunch later in the week and can be easily warmed in the microwave, if I have it for lunch at my office.

If I made anyone hungry, sorry about that, but believe it or not, I have never done a pot pie from scratch.:noway: I never considered making it because I always assumed the crust would make it too high in calories. However, this version really isn't too bad, calorie-wise, since the crust is only on the top, and you can make it a fairly thin layer if you choose. I am so glad I did some online searching as that is where I got the idea to just put a crust on the top.

Have a good evening, everyone. It is rainy here still. Tomorrow we are supposed to dry out but remain overcast and in the low 50's for a high.

Barb

Good Afternoon Everyone!

I just finished my lunch and I am at Starbucks. I had nice turkey sandwich that I brought with me from home. The rehab on the knee is going pretty well. I am about 5 weeks ahead of where I am supposed to be. I am hoping that my surgeon will let me start to train again in 3-4 weeks. I have been able to keep my weight down quite well. I have actually lost a little but I am counting calories closely. I am still at my race weight.

things have been fine at home just hectic. Sam will be home for thanksgiving and it will be just her plus Day and I. Amanda will be home for Christmas. I am so looking forward to having them all home together. Work is doing well but the local economy still stinks. I feel so bad for people in need of work especially at this time of year.

With all that I will let you all go! I loved the pictures ladies! I have always like "hounds".

Marie did you do well at the casino?

Jeffrey

Hi everyone! I am just posting a quick note for the Dr. update. Neil saw the ENT doc. today and he put a scope down to look at Neil's vocal chords. It went very easily through his nose and caused no distress whatsoever. Unfortunately, it showed the chords were completely paralyzed on the left side. He will repeat the test in 4 weeks and go from there I guess. However, there really is not a lot of place to go. He said that the speech therapist may be able to give some help with using what sound he has. He also said that perhaps a surgical revision could be done (not anxious to go there!!!). He also said that the vocal chords may just start functioning over time. So, bottom line, it is still a wait and see. Neil said last night that he was so scared that his voice wasn't going to come back. So am I but didn't share that with him. I really do think that the drinking is a bit better or he is learning to control it better which is really all he needs to do.

We are taking Neil back to his home today and he says he is ready. I am just waiting on his clothes to dry and then we will go. Dave will drop me off at my sisters so we can plan our trip to Victoria in January (Canadian figure skating championships) and I am crossing my fingers that all will be well enough for me to go. It is good to have something to look forward to.

Take care and keep smiling. Gayla