Vanilla!

Since everyone is asking for updates, I'll dig out a photo I've been meaning to post:

That is my first test of Deanna's vanillas that she gave me for Christmas. I made one large batch of shortbread dough, then split it up into quarters flavored each with a different vanilla.

You may remember, the solvents were Vodka, Rum, and Bourbon. As a control, I also used our regular kitchen vanilla, the Whole Foods house brand 365 Organic.

Unfortunately, I think I didn't use enough vanilla to really expose the flavor. I put a teaspoon in each of the batches, because the half teaspoon that the recipe recommended seemed way to small. I think I could have gone to two teaspoons without issue.

We served these at our housewarming party, and the overwhelming response was … they were all delicious, but not terribly different from each other. The strongest opinion was that the Rum cookies were the best. I agree, though it seemed to me that it was less about the flavor, and more about the Rum cookies having a much smoother texture, something almost creamy about them.

I shall have to try again, perhaps with something that is less focused on the flavor of butter. An angel food cake, or divinity/seafoam, or icing. Any other vanilla favorites in this crowd?

Thanks, Deanna!

Nothing New

OK Deanna, I will post but I have nothing new. The only excitement around here is that on Sunday I cleaned out the refrigerator; composting what could be composted, throwing out what needed to be thrown out and put the remains (about 2 cups) of a noodle meatball bean casserole in the garbage disposal.  It clogged. I worked about 2 hours trying to plunge it clean. When Jeff got home he worked over an hour taking the pipes under the sink apart, and finally using his snake. So we had to wait two days for the plumber. Back to the primitive days of doing dishes by hand.

The plumper worked over 3 hours, starting under the sink, and then having to cut the pipes in the basement in two places. I am so happy to have my sink back. Meanwhile my house smells a bit like a sewer. At least the space under the sink has really been cleaned out well.  I am still putting things back where they belong.

It's Here!!!!

Yup, spring has officially sprung, although 80 degrees seems a little much for spring.  But, it must be spring because we are puttering around outside.

Finally, finally, finally got the pole barn repaired.  We now have all of the roof window panels replaced so the rain (and birds, including buzzards once) cannot get in.  We now do not have to stop and think about strategically placing items in there so they will not get rained and snowed on.  Also we had new rollers put on the front and back door so we can now open it without getting a hernia.  Very nice!!

Not sure what the veggie garden will do this year.  It is getting so late into the spring and the garden is still so wet.  Joe did spray Round-Up on it as a start to kill the weeds. I hope we will give it a try, not sure I want to go without tomatoes, cucumbers and zucchini.  We might try hay bales for tomatoes, but they need to cure for 2 weeks beforehand, so, as I said, time is running out.

Last weekend I went for a drive to Memphis with a friend of mine who lives in Lakeville.  She is the mother to our goddaughter, Jenny.  Jenny and her husband, Andy, and they three little ones, Caleb (almost 7), Olivia (turned 5 today) and baby Ruby (9 months), were transferred there from Minot at the beginning of the year.  Andy is in the Air Force.  Short visit, but a lovely time.  Check out some of the pictures of us on my Facebook page.  Especially the video where Olivia and I are flamingos and I have a tutu on my head. (Nope, was not drinking.)

I need to get some flowers to fill some hanging pots to get some color around here.  Cannot complain about the green, though. I am still shocked from time-to-time that it is not still white out there.

That's all for now.   What has everyone else been up to?

Spring? Honestly will someone tell me what that is!?!

Yesterday morning it was icy here, had to be careful checking on the sap boiling in the pole barn.  Didn't quite get it boiled down all the way, the propane tank ran out.  Will have to haul another one over today and stat it up again.  Probably when I am done working. However, the wind is so strong I am not sure I can open the pole barn door to do so.  We shall see.

Once it is all boiled down we might get a bit over a quart. I am going to make sure it is thicker this year. 

Anyone have spring at their house?  Can I come visit?

Almost May!   Hmm.

My life with FODMAP

I am sorry for this somewhat self-centered and delicate topic. It is all about me, so if you don't want to know, stop reading now! Writing about it seems to help me comprehend what I need to do.

My body has been having little issues with certain foods for decades. I think the first time I really remember an "episode" was when I was 18 years old. A bar in EauClaire delivered the best hamburgers to the dorm-large, thin patty on a great bun with about a ½" thick slice of raw onion. I spent many hours in the bathroom, and learned never to eat raw onion again.

About 20 years ago, with the help of google I diagnosed myself with diverticulosis. I avoided certain trigger foods, and did kind of OK.  Then I had my first colonoscopy about 1 ½ years ago. The doctor confined diverticulosis, and said I need to eat more fiber. I was also trying to change our diets, to reduce fat and improve our cholesterol levels.  If one excludes excess calories, my diet was pretty balanced. I pointed out I was already eating between 25 and 30 grams of fiber per day, but he wanted me to up it to 40 or 50 grams per day. I have pretty much been having several "episodes" each week since the colonoscopy. I have gone back to the doctor multiple times, discussed this with my primary care physician, and finally switched primary care physicians. My new PC directed me to a gastroenterologist. I wanted months for the appointment. It seems I have a form of diverticulosis that MIMICS irritable bowel syndrome. ( At least I really don't have irritable bowel!)

I would say that about 90% of what I was eating- and I consider that to have been a well-balanced diet of a wide variety of real foods; low in red meats, low really in all meat and poultry, cheese and dairy, high in a wide variety of dried beans,  fruits and vegetables and complex carbohydrates, was making my condition worse. My new diet, the Low FODMAP is so overwhelming to me I am having a difficult time even getting started with it.

Emily told me to not focus on what I can't have. This is so true but so far I have been unable to even find a store bought bread I can eat. (I have a first trial run of no-wheat, no-dairy bread in the bread machine as I type. I HOPE it is good). Basically I am to limit any kind of carbohydrate with a long complex chain of glucose. My digestive system is unable to break the bonds, and the food ferments causing my "episodes". I recall studying molecular chains about 40 years ago, but that doesn't make it any easier. No grain ( I can have gluten, just not the wheat, rye etc) No fructose (fruits, honey). No Lactose/Dairy (although I can have butter and mozzarella cheese). No Galalactans ( dried beans and lentils, no soy). No Polyols (complex surgars like sorbitol, corn syrup, stone fruits- like apricots, cherries, peaches. no avocado.)  I feel like I turned into a carnivore overnight. I am hoping to change that as I get more creative. It is going to be hard to ever eat in a restaurant again.

I can have bananas, grapes, berries, carrots, potatoes and corn. I miss green beans, apples, broccoli, mushrooms and dried fruits. I am doing OK with almond milk. I have seen ads for almond milk yogurt but so far have not been able to find any. The real difficulty seems to be wheat. I am eating a lot of rice and oatmeal. There is no way I can eat the foods from my CSA, almost all are now on the wrong side of my Food Choices list. I think what is most hard for me is that I have a great pantry stash and loaded freezer. I can't seem to wrap my head around the use of it all. Should I give it to the food pantry or should make up two meals; one for myself, and another for Jeff and Rachel. Sometimes I am going to have to make two meals. I worry about what my cholesterol level is going to do. I was able to lower my LDL 17 points by just diet alone last year, eating all my odd CSA vegetables.

So, this is what is happening at our house. Trying to work my way through this. I cheated yesterday and ate two slices of rye bread. Yes, it definately bothers me.

If I can stay on a strict Low FODMAP diet for 6 weeks, then I can start trying to reintroduce foods one at a time. I think I will start with green beans, or maybe watermelon, or even a mushroom, dried cranberry, honey ….. maybe a glass of wine. I am not so bothered by the fact I can't have a beer. Maybe I will feel differently when brat season comes around.

HERE WE ARE!!!

Darleen said where is everyone so I thought we better check in.  We are here in Northern Minnesota under all of the snow. 

I want to post pictures from Christmas and pictures of the snow tunnel we call a driveway.  I will have to have Joe show me once again how to get the pictures into our awesome, she said sarcastically, new computer with Windows 8.  Ugh. 

Anyway, it is very white outside, deeply white.  Actually quite beautiful if it would stay about 0. 

Joe has his annual ice fishing weekend coming up and I believe, because of the cold temps and wind chills, he said they would be playing a lot of pool.  Hard to fry up some pool.

I love that song by Dionne Warwick.  We were just singing it when we got the postcard of the new address.  I really enjoy her songs in general.  Also, The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman was one of my favorite movies.  For those folks who have not seen it I highly recommend it. Yes, Dionne Warwick is in it.  She is a good actress.

Not sure if there is anything new here, other than the snow.  Did I mention snow?  Did I mention that from Friday through Sunday Joe plowed for about 10 hours, trying to figure out where to put the snow.  Also, the first 7 or 8 hours were just to be able to move the Subaru up by the house.  If it snows much more I am not sure what we will do with it.  All I ask now is some warmer temps, oh maybe in the 20 above range, so we can get out there and strap on the snowshoes.

That is all the grumbling from here.

Everyone stay warm where that applies and stay cool where that applies.

Love, Deanna

P.S.  Jeff, I was just thinking I wish I had a stocking cap.  I like the colors orange, red, yellow.  Hint, hint.

Do you know the way?

OK, for those of you under age 55……..Click Here to listen to Dionne Warwick sing, " Do you know the Way to San Jose?"  I didn't recall this was one of Bert Bacharach's songs.

Happy Birthday, Gramma & Chris! And an update!

Hi Everyone,

Happy Birthday, Gramma & Chris! Hope you do something fun to celebrate!

I know it's been radio silence from us for awhile. We're slowly but surely settling in to our new life in California. Our apartment is in San Jose (watch your mailboxes for a card with our new address!), and it's about twenty minutes' drive to Bryan's office in Cupertino. Motorcycles are allowed in the carpool lane, which makes his commute easy.

As requested, I've provided some pictures - I was going to wait until we had fully unpacked, hung the pictures and curtains, etc., but I know some people are getting antsy. We have two bedrooms and two bathrooms. There's a small fenced terrace just off the dining room. There's space for a washer/dryer in the garage - those appliances will be delivered later this week.

It seems to be a nice neighborhood, with all the necessities in walking distance. The spare bedroom is full of stuff that still needs to be unpacked and put away, but if you tell me you are coming to visit, I promise I will get it ready for you.

This is our entry door, and it leads into the living room. To the right is the stairway to two upstairs apartments and the walkway to the garage, and to the left is the first-floor apartment that faces the street.

Unlike our old place, this garage actually has a door that closes (and locks!) In addition to the laundry and water heater, Bryan will set up his workshop and tools here. There's plenty of space for both motorcycles as well, and my car is parked in front of the garage door. (Since there's never snow or ice, there's no pressing need to keep the car in the garage.)

The kitchen is also perhaps an upgrade from our former apartment: much larger, with more counter space and a built-in dishwasher. We are glad to have a gas stove as well as a range hood. The tile floors will take some adjustment - I already dropped and shattered one coffee mug!

We need to hang some pictures on the walls, and we may rearrange the furniture again. Our landlord is quite protective of the new wood-laminate floors and has requested that we not wear shoes in the house. We have bought a few more rugs to protect the floors.

Our bedroom has plenty of closet space and its own bathroom, with a nice shower. It may actually be smaller than our previous bathroom, but it has about three times as much counter space and cupboards/drawers! The other bathroom has a regular tub and shower and is next to the other bedroom.

So, that's where we are! We had rain all last weekend, although it is apparently not enough to make a difference in the worrying drought situation. It has been sunny and in the sixties most days. I hope you are all staying warm enough in your polar vortex - I imagine that it can't be very much fun!

That's the news from San Jose. What's your news?

Love,

Amanda (& Bryan)

WHERE IS EVERYONE

and WHAT ARE YOU ALL DOING?

Amanda and Bryan we want news from warm weather. What are those in Wrenshall and Marshfield doing besides shoveling snow? Andrew, I so love your  magazine trailers. So much creative joy in so few minutes. 

I wanted to let you know what Jeff is doing. He FINALLY has a hobby, and I believe he really does like it. At Christmas I mentioned he got a knitting loom for Christmas. He got it out of the package (took just a small amount of coercion) after New Years AND LOOK WHAT HE HAS ACCOMPLISHED SO FAR!!!!!!!!!!

FOUR Children's Hats and ONE Baby Hat completed by Jeff since the beginning of 2014

He even said "it helps a little bit with stress as it takes the edge off of being anxious" and "it is nice as it passes the time"!  On my side of the living room I LOVE him working away at a hat, as he no longer falls asleep as soon as he hits the chair. ( I don't mind that he sleeps. It is just he would wake up after 90 minutes of some movie expecting me to catch him up on the plot.) He also say he is sleeping better now when he actually goes to bed rather than before when he did that dozing on and off for hours before bedtime. 

The children's hats will be added to my knitting groups project of making hats and mittens for the children in the NFDL School System. The baby hat Jeff made for a women he works with in the pharmacy. 

Let Jeff know if you have a hat request. I ordered a pattern book from the library. He may be able to do additional styles soon!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

I want to wish all of the Worm's (in Fond du Lac, North Fond du Lac,  and Kansas City), Zoellner's (in Marshfield and the Twin Cities), and Fink's (Boston and California) a very Happy Thanksgiving from the Worm's in Wrenshall. Wish we could all be together today.

Christmas will be here before you know it so get busy and we will see you all soon!!!

Love, love, love,
Deanna and Joe