Uno's antics !

I just had to share this. Uno doesn't wolf howl at sirens like King did. But he does start talking whenever he hears the "Piggy Commercial" ... all we have to do now is ask "What does the little piggy say?" or go "Weeee, wee wee weeeee!" and he starts talking. I caught it with my phone the other night and posted it. Hope you get the same laugh I get. If the video doesn't show, here is the link.

Oh and I need that laugh right now. I am finally walking, slowly, but without the ugly boot. But today my Mom was rushed to the hospital. Hoping they can help her, but I'm afraid she has given up. Please keep her in your prayers!

Thank you!

Well, this cast was taken off on Thursday, Dec 1, 2011. Thank heavens. When it came off it was such a relief and then I was dismayed at how much tone I had lost in my right calf, and I feel my foot looks terrible. Maybe it is just me.

You can see where the doctor injected my ankle with Marcaine over 2 weeks ago. And my little toe has been so crimped into the cast that it isn't moving. My toes are sort of shriveled looking to me also. But that's just me being critical.

Now my fibula is still healing, so they have given me a walking boot to give my leg support while it continues to heal. And I still can't drive since my foot is too weak. Honestly I can't see trying to do anything much as it still hurts to put any weight on it. But they insist I need to, and from how thin my calf looks I agree. I mean honestly, look at this boot, I feel like I have a frankenstein's Monster boot on. LOL

All in all, another 4 weeks before I get to drive, and I start physical therapy on the 6th. Thank heavens they are just 2 blocks up the road from home, so driving me won't put Richard out too much. It's so close he can go home for an hour and come back for me.

Check out how beautiful the ramp is coming along! Richard has really outdone himself. The hand rails are going up and as you can see, he is using plenty of Brackets to ensure it is very safe. I am so tickled with what he has done for me here.

 So that is todays update.  I'll let you know how the physical therapy goes. I'm such a wimp I am sort of dreading it. We will see how it goes.

Day of Venting!

Technically, tomorrow is Thanksgiving. (It is almost 2 am here and since I haven't gone to bed yet, it still feels like Tuesday to me. LOL) I know I already posted my reasons I am thankful. And yeah, I am thankful. But tonight, the pain in my leg is up and my mood has dropped with the pain. Tonight I am feeling the fears and insecurities that come with pain.

My husband who has been doing so well helping me is back to dropping hints of being single and why marrying me has been a hardship to him. He has looked for a reason to quit the security job for a while and now that he has it's my fault he isn't getting that extra income. I am so tired of being the reason his life is so bad. (Or so he keeps saying.)

On top of it all, I think my family in Georgia is mad at me for some reason. Not one of them has called to see how I was after my accident. I didn't fall on purpose. I sure as heck didn't want a broken bone. And even more, I didn't want to have this happen in the middle of my Mom's move. I didn't want to let her down and even more, didn't want my brother and his wife to have to step up and do all of what I do for her. But all I hear from them is to grow up and be an adult when I needed help and was in pain and crying because I was afraid. Excuse me, I am not a stone cold fish. I do have an emotional nature and a natural response to excessive pain.

So why do I feel guilty for being human? Why do I feel like I am letting everyone down and they are holding it against me? No... I am not on pain killers. I am allergic to so many that the doctor wouldn't prescribe anything. So I am on Arthritis Strength Tylenol and nothing else. I am staying off my leg as much as possible, I am keeping it elevated and following doctors orders.

Maybe it is just because Saturday is my 52nd Birthday. Mom talks to me about it on the phone but other than her, I haven't gotten one birthday card in the mail. Or at least, Richard hasn't gotten the mail since Saturday, so I don't think I have one. Since I can't get to the Mailbox myself, I don't know. But it is depressing to think none of my immediate family has remembered. I got 6 birthday emails from restaurants with their birthday specials. But none from my family. The only person who has remembered / said anything is my half sister in TN. And for that, I am truly greatful.

Today I am feeling low. Normally I wouldn't blog this, but a blog is a journal. The difference is, it's a journal everyone else sees. But it is still a journal. And journals are where you write not just the good things, but your fears and bad days also. So today is a bad day. Hopefully, tomorrow will be better.

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

Well, Thanksgiving is just a couple of days away. I can't believe how fast another year has passed us by. This year, I am thankful for my Husband, Richard, who has really stepped up and done so much to help me. As you have seen in my previous post, I fell and broke my leg. Richard built me a beautiful ramp so I can safely come and go from our home. But he has also fixed meals, helped out with laundry, tackled my "forbidden" closet to help me dress. He is walking the dog and even drove my to Mom's and got her groceries for her. I am feeling blessed.

I am also thankful for a wonderful family who have been here in my life for all these years. For putting up with my moods and helping me in the past and now. I am thankful to have my Birthmother and Half-Sister in my life even if we are not near each other. They have added a happy new dimension to my world. I am extremely greatful to have found them.

I am looking forward to a big gathering with family for Thanksgiving. I am just sad I can't help or contribute much this year. I'm debating if I can find a way to make the Deviled Eggs for my brother. He loves them so much.

I am also thankful for all the friends I have all over. Ones I have known since I was a child and those I have met over the years through work, clubs and even Karaoke. :) And for the Cousins, Aunts and Uncles who I don't get to see half as much as I would like.

I pray that each and every one of my family, friends, and readers have a safe, happy and blessed Thanksgiving.

Here is a semi-documentation of progress so far. First day after fall, this is the temporary cast that Southside Regional Medical put on my leg in the ER. It was too tight and was crimping into my ankle. So had to have a rush appointment with Colonial Orthopedics who cut that cast off.

And here is how my foot looked right after. My toes were swollen and my ankle is too. And look at the bruising around my knee. It's just starting to show here.

When I hit the floor my foot was under my behind, the knee completely flexed back. The bruising is where the knee hit the floor on the way down.

This is the Royal Purple beast that they put on at Colonial Orthopedics. My foot stayed swollen a good deal of the time, but I kept it up as much as I could.

This is the beautiful Ramp my hubby built. He is still working on hand rails and at the end he needs to put a landing as the walk doesn't meet up with the driveway. Poor planning on the part of the people who put in the driveway and our deck to start with.

My new hair cut to make it easy to deal with. I really don't like my hair this short, but sometimes you just have to go with it. Besides, I know my hair grows fast, so it won't be short for long. Sigh

Big Purple Cast is off. My ankle looks horrid. All bruised from the cast and the break. Doc gave me a shot of Marcaine in my ankle to numb it. That lasted almost 12 hours. Around midnight I started crying because the new cast was tighter and heavier. Misery to the millionth power.

The pink cast. It is tighter, and they made it heavier because there is more of the fiberglass wrapping. I am now in the start of week 4. Hopefully only will have a cast for another 2 1/2 weeks. Then I go to a walking boot.

Here is Mom with Uno. We finally got up to see her on Saturday, Nov 19th, thanks to Richard driving us up there. What a production that was. I feel for Richard. He had to get me, my walker and wheel chair into car. Then up at Mom's get it all out of car. Turns out, Uno would be a great Sled Dog. LOL He pulled me in the Wheel Chair. I just kept my good foot (with boot on) to the ground as a rudder to stay straight. Mom was thrilled to see us and I was so happy to see her apartment. I don't think much of Jim's idea of furniture arrangement, but I wasn't there, so I can't make changes. At least she is somewhat settled in.

We will be back up there this Thursday for Thanksgiving and then all drive to Jim's. Not sure how that will go, but we will see.

Anyhow, a big thanks to my Hubby for all his hard work to make things as easy for me as he can. He has really stepped up and I am so proud of him.

Till next time, have fun everyone, and remember, "Watch out for wet Linoleum!"

Well, a lot has happened since my last post. My Mom had a fall on July 23rd. She uses a electric scooter chair to get to and from the dining room back to her apartment. On this night the meal ended and one of the staff brought her scooter to her, but forgot to unplug the key. This is the on button for this model. Key in, scooter on, and if you touch a lever it moves. Mom put her foot on the floor board, started to step up with her other foot and accidently pushed the lever while grabbing the handles to balance herself. The scooter lurched forward and Mom went over backwards. Best as we can guess, she bruised the back of her left leg on the seat as she was going down.

Beginning of August Mom wasn't feeling right and Cedarfield rushed her to the ER. They said it was just a flu and sent her home. Three days later I took her again and insisted on them checking her for a stroke. I explained about the fall and that she had hit her head on the wall. That time they said she had a UTI and no stroke and sent her home. Just 3 more days, she called me as I was driving up and said "I don't feel good, I think I am going to pass out, I think I am going to die now" well, if that wasn't dramatic enough to scare me to death I don't know what was. I hung up with her and called the Nurse and told them to hurry and call 911. They didn't call until I got there, but they were there with her when I arrived. So 911 was called, and Mom went to the ER for the 3rd time in a week. This time, a really on the ball Doctor was in charge and he ordered a Chest CT and found she had a blood clot and that it had been breaking off and going to her lung. Pulmonary Embollism and they put her on blood thinners. She was sent home to Health Care and they wouldn't let her go back to her Independant Living apartment. So the process started to packing her to move to Assisted Living.

I was working hard cleaning and preparing her place for the move. I was doing her laundry and taking care of anything she needed. The move was set for 11/3/2011 and I was there every day for over a week packing, and cleaning. Then on Friday the 28th of October I had to make a stop at my brothers office  before driving up. It was cold, drizzly and just darn yucky out. I walked in the door to his building, got about 5 feet inside when my left foot went sliding forward and my right leg just gave out. I fell hard with my leg crumpled under me. When I went to straighten it out I started to scream, the pain was overwhelming. At first I only felt the pain in my knee, but then I realized my foot was even worse. Jim came out of his office and sent someone to call 911 to take me to the Hospital. I had broken my ankle and was down for the count.

While I am stuck at home with a cast and strict no weight on right leg rules, Jim and his wife had to take off and help Mom with her move. I feel aweful, useless and down right depressed. For years I have been there for Mom. Now I feel like I have let everyone down. And I am stuck in the house with a wheel chair and a walker, but no way of going anywhere. Richard is working on building me a ramp. But his boss is not giving him time off, so it's really hard on him too.

Anyhow, needless to say, I won't be doing much cooking anytime soon. But I will try and keep everyone posted on my progress here and on Facebook and Twitter. Stay tuned. :)

Rose

Family and the Big "C".

This little clip from a movie taken in the 1950's at our home in TN before I was born. That's my Mom in the white and her sister Rosanne on the left of the picture. I think the little girl in front mugging to the camera is my cousin Jeannie. I'm including this clip because this Aunt, one of the nicest ladies ever has Cancer. She has been fighting with the cancer for over 6 years now. I now hear she is having terrible pain in her legs and can barely walk. And since she is in California I can't just pop in to see her. So I just want to let her know how I feel.   When I was little, we went to California to see Aunt Rosanne & Uncle Mel. I was 13 at the time. I remember their great home on a golf course in San Juan Capistrano. I remember seeing my first Roadrunners trying to nest in their yard. I remember the warmth and joy in their home. And I remember falling in love with food thanks to Rosanne and her daughters all being fantastic cooks. Jeannie taught me how to make killer carrot cake while there. And oh how I loved going to the Laguna Beach Art Festival while there.

The second time I visited was in 1977 and again I was taken by the warmth and love that I felt from Rosanne and family. I learned to eat more veggies this time. LOL Jeannie was a Vegetarian and she helped me so much with learning to eat healthy.

Now I wish I could go and visit and give back somehow to this incredible Aunt who taught me so much. I don't have the money for this trip so it's just a wish and frustrating too. I have entered every contest I can find in hopes of getting a free trip out there. No luck so far. But I keep trying.

So hug your family. Give them lots of love. You never know when you won't be able to see them again. As we get older, so do our Aunts, Uncles, Parents and so on. And eventually they are gone and we would give anything to say "I love you!" just one more time.

A Quick where to Find!

Like I said, I have to get creative to make dishes I can eat that still taste great. I love figuring out how to make something that tastes as good or better than the original dish and that I can safely eat. My favorite is using a cheese called "Manouri" which is a Greek Sheep Milk Cheese.

"Manouri is a traditional ancient Greek cheese that is made from the whey of feta, blended with sheep's milk cream. In addition to being used in the traditional Greek delicacy spanakopita, this rindless log-shaped cheese is an exceptionally delicious eating cheese. With a moist, soft texture, Manouri is at first soft and buttery, followed by a uniquely lemony aftertaste.
Made from pasteurized sheep's milk."

I get a laugh every time I say the name of this cheese cause face it, it's not flattering and sounds like something you use to fertilize your garden. But in reality, it is a nice, slightly dry cream cheese that is very delectable in flavor. I get this at a Russian / International Food store on Gaskins Road in the West End of Richmond. There are actually two locations there now, one in a white building just across from the cemetary on Gaskins (Near corner of Patterson Road). The other is owned by a very sweet younger Polish couple in Gayton Crossing near the Good Food's Health Food Store.

At Good Food's I get Goat Butter, and several very nice Goat Cheeses. A Cheddar and Jack Cheese with Sun dried tomates. Very flavorful. They are a great location for exotic honey and a sweetener that I like to use in tea made from the Honey Leaf Stevia plant. It's a natural sweetener that is 40x's sweeter than sugar. It can be used for baking and we will get into that later.

UPDATE: I have found this in St. Petersburg at Spiro's Restaurant and Deli, 6801 Gulfport Blvd S, South Pasadena, FL 33707 (727) 384-0750. It has gone up a bit in price over the years, but what hasn't right? It is now just over $8 per pound. But well worth it. They also have several other varieties of Sheep and Goat milk cheeses as well as a gorgeous deli and fresh produce market. So for Florida friends, you have choices.

Online, I have found one fairly good source for interesting cheeses from all over the world as well as other exotic foods. They have a store front on Amazon.com as well as their own site. The store is called IGourmet.com. I get sheep ricotta and other specialty cheeses from them. And if you can find it, there are some great exotic sea salts that are lower in sodium but great for flavor. My favorite is pink salt from Hawaii. I heard about it on one of the Food Network shows that I watch, East Meets West was the name of the show.

I will be making my Macaroni and Cheese tonight. So that will be the first recipe I post here. Hope you enjoy!
Rose

Rose's Kitchen Creations, The Beginning!

Hi, I started reading the "Julie/Julia Project" and thought, "I can totally relate with her". Then I thought, "Why don't I do something like that."

 January 4th, 2008 

So I gave it a bit of thought and realized, I may love to cook and I have tons of cookbooks. But with my food allergies, I could never follow the recipes verbatim, or even close to it. I would have to make revisions. Next I realized I have been doing this all along for years. I read a recipe, and I like how it sounds, then I carefully revise with ingredients that won't make me sick. I have come up with lots of tasty meals this way.

So here I decided to create my blog using lots of recipes from different cookbooks. The twist is, I am going to make them my way and post each revised recipe for those who also share my allergy problems. Things like homemade Macaroni and Cheese made with Sheep & Goat Cheeses for the lactose intolerant people. And my favorite is my Cheesecakes with a Greek Sheep Milk Cream Cheese called "Manouri".

Along with these revisions, I will give you links to places you can find these substitute ingredients. And for people in the local area (Richmond, VA) I will give you locations I go to buy some of my ingredients. Such as the Manouri, I can get this at several Russian Deli's / International Food Stores in the area. One is in Gayton Crossing near Good Foods. And at Good Foods I can find a really great Goat Milk Butter. It's wonderful for making sauces. And at Kroger you can get not just regular Goat Milk but a very nice 1% too. You can find it in the health food section. If your Kroger doesn't carry it, ask them to. They can get it for you.

Ok, so that is my proposal for a site. Every night I will come up with a new revised recipe. I will post pictures, the complete recipe and where to find the special ingredients used in them. I will have recipes for people with Lactose Intollerance, Gluten and Wheat Allergies and like me, allergies to Tryptophan. For those who don't know, Trypto is what makes you sleepy after a Turkey dinner or a warm glass of milk. It is actually in quite a few foods and for me it makes me terribly miserable.

If you have a special allergy like to peanuts or something, let me know I will see what I can come up with for tasty alternatives for you too. Let me know if it is just peanuts or all nuts.

Thanks and good luck everyone!