Scribbles and Scrambles ~ 11:11 Revelation

What shall I post? It's 11:11 p.m. on the eve of a long day, toward the end of a busy week. 

A recipe would be easy. I have one, sitting there, waiting for me to copy and paste. More silly ramblings are also a strong possibility. 

But. What's on my mind is a jumble of deep thoughts. I suppose late and tired is not a great time to churn out thoughts. But that's never stopped me before. 

I'm thinking about worship. And about interactions and about faith. 

I love Jesus with all that I am. But, I hate so much of what is said and done in His name. And I hate religion. Why do we think we can understand, let alone dissect, the God Whom spoke us into existence from dust He created? Why do we think we can label and classify the importance, the value and significance of people around us when each one of those people was hand-crafted by the One Whom holds all things together? Why does He allow us to choose to follow Him, rather than demand it? Why does He respect and honor our choices to push Him away or deny Him His deity, His birthright, His honor and His glory? And the biggest question of all...why would He humble Himself and become human so that He could be tortured and killed for the sins and forgiveness of those who were wielding the whips, the hammers and the vicious words? 

I can't understand a God who would become man. Who would take my place and my well-deserved consequences. Why would the Lion of Judah, the Lord of Lords, the King of Kings, the very Son of God die for me? It makes no sense. It feels like a fairy tale, or a fable that some day will be revealed to be a small, weak figment behind a large magnifying glass and a puff of smoke, and clash of cheap cymbals. 

But. There is a flame in my heart, flickering, and bursting into full roar at times that tells me that what I believe is mind-bogglingly real. And that this life is the shadow, and the small, weak figment behind the puff of smoke and the clanging racket. That fire also reminds me that this life is where I can choose, and where I can change, where I can practice loving, where what I do, what I believe, sets the course for my eternity. 

Maybe it's the late hour. Maybe it's because I had two long conversations about worship and Christian music today. Maybe it's because two thousand plus years ago Jesus wasn't understood, wasn't honored, wasn't worshiped and was nearing the end of His physical ministry in a horrible slaughter. Or maybe it's because I've listened to the words of the Revelation Song over and over again, and can't get the image out of my head that this God I love is beyond description. And that maybe "Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God Almighty Who is and was and is to come. With all creation I sing praise to the King of Kings" is almost all I need to say to the God Who died for me, and rose again and went to prepare a place for me, and left the seed of His Holy Spirit planted deeply in my heart, and Who will come back for me. 

Call me simple. Call me foolish. Call me wrong.  Tell me that there is only one acceptable style of worship. Or that I am beyond forgiveness. Or that I'm not following the right Ten Step Pattern to Spiritual Wholeness. Tell me that there is a limit to the number of times we can sing a song per month, or the number of verses or times we revisit a chorus. Or that I'm listening to the wrong channel in the universe. And I'm still going to love you. And I'm still going to love Jesus Christ, my Messiah, my God, my reason for joy and peace and wonder. And I'm still going to feel the flames in my heart stir when I sing "Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God Almighty Who is and was and is to come and with all creation I'll sing praise to the King of Kings Who is my everything" and I will adore Him.

Scribbles and Scrambles ~ Twists of Tongue and Tweak of Mind

You never know what you might find....
 

You know how I lapse into bizarre poetry at times? 

Well, I don't very often, fortunately. But you need to see how I come by this naturally. 

These are extra special snippets from the family Easter dinner email discussion. No names will be used to protect the innocent...of which are few...very few. 

------------------------------------------------------

To set a time to meet would be quite a feat ---- night, noon, or morning as long as there is warning.  Where we go, just let me know.  Of course we'll meet the vegan wishes for some plant-based dishes

----------------------------------------------------

Egad, egad, no prose is had--

I cannot rhyme for lack of time--

So I shall bring some veggie thing,

Like peppers milled & onions grilled 

With mushrooms sliced & olives diced:

Random shopping, taco topping.

You may desist & shake your fist,

But dear Shakespeare has naught to fear.

-----------------------------------------------------

Me, who eschews 

words of superflous
wonders what is left
that leaves the table bereft? 

 

----------------------------------------------------

 

Around 21 our number should be,
 which rules out a sit down As you can see.
  So, plan on buffet style, and casual attire
If you see a hole in the menu, then ready, aim, fire,
And fill it up to your heart’s content. 
A good time of fellowship is the intent.
A time to praise God for His magnificent ways
A time to thank Him for the Ancient of Days. 
(Gotta love the nice reason for the season plug! 
Impressive word wrangling, said with a smile and shrug. )
 

Scribbles and Scrambles ~ Random Words of Kindness Day

I just made that up. As far as I know there is no such thing as Random Words of Kindness Day.... 

But wouldn't that be pretty cool? 

I mean I love the concept of Random Acts of Kindness. But sometimes paying anonymously for someone's meal is simply money and good intentions. Words, on the other hand, are both cheap and powerful. They cost a user time and thought. And they can make a receiver's day, week, month or even life. 

Look for someone, anyone, to say something kind or encouraging to. Don't praise and pull out the dusty list form the 90's that tells you the 100 best ways to praise a child. Instead. Focus on who they are, and what makes them seem to thrive. Don't kindly mention how cute an outfit is, that doesn't count. Instead look beneath that and find something that is them, and then remind them of that important fact about themselves. 

Want examples? Tell someone whom you love that knowing them has added color and laughter and joy to your life and that you are grateful to have them in your life. Or if you see a mom struggling to love her kids the best way she can in spite of hardships, tell her you see her struggle and that she's doing a good job. One of the best compliments I ever got as a mom was when someone told me that my kids were old-fashioned kids, respectful, polite, interested in life, and sweet. That clearly left a mark since they are all adults now and I still remember that comment. If someone you work with is a hard worker and dependable, tell them just that. 

Your words are powerful tools to change lives. Try it.

Scraps and Snippets ~ I've Found the Trick to Crunchy Roasted Chickpeas ~ A Sweet Version and A Savory One, Too.

I love the idea of roasted chickpeas. Chickpeas (garbanzo beans) are packed with protein and fiber. These little guys, when done right, can conquer the need-to-crunch craving. And the extra fiber and protein mean that a small handful can go a long way to satisfy.

I've attempted recipes I've found on blogs which require baking/roasting the chickpeas for 45 minutes at 425 to 450 degrees. I've been disappointed in the crunch factor. But roasting longer means some of them or all of them are going to burn. The trick is letting them dehydrate after roasting. (Go ahead and make these the day before, they don't lose their crunch when packed in a lidded container.)

Mixing is quick but baking takes a bit longer. You will bake/roast them at 425 for 40 minutes turning them at 20 minutes. Drop the oven temperature to 300 and let them bake another half hour or so. Turn off the heat and allow the pan to sit in the oven while it cools.

Thai Chickpeas

Rinse and dump one can of chickpeas (garbanzo beans) in a bowl. (If you do your own beans from dried it is 1 and 2/3 cup cooked beans). Add.
1 TBSP soy sauce
½ TBSP peanut butter
½ teaspoon lime juice
1 teaspoon garlic powder

Mix well.

Dump coated beans on a greased cookie tray. Bake at 425 for 40 minutes turning at 20 minutes. After 40 minutes turn oven to 300 and cook an additional half hour. Turn off oven and leave the tray alone until it until it cools. (an hour) (These make fun croutons.)


A sweet version: Cinnamon Maple Chickpea Crunch

1/2 TBSP melted coconut oil
2 TBSP maple syrup
1/2 TBSP brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Mix ingredients in a bowl and add a drained/rinsed can of chickpeas (if you make your own beans from dry this will be approx 1 2/3 Cup of cooked chickpeas.) Mix well and dump on a greased cookie sheet.

Bake at 425 for 40 minutes turning at 20 minutes. After 40 minutes turn oven to 300 and cook an additional half hour. Turn off oven and leave the tray alone until it until it cools. (an hour)

Scribbles and Scrambles ~ Weekend in Review....Plinky Prompt Style

Write about what you did last weekend as though you’re a music critic reviewing a new album. 

 

I spent a portion of my weekend in Minneapolis. This experience, the feel, the underlying tone was like visiting a second home. 

 

The flavor of this offering was cool and crisp, as it is nearly every March we visit. It is our custom to head North for part of a spring break and we do expect snow and we encountered just that.

 

Unexpectedly, there was a bit of excitement on the Friday night front. A real deal Bingo Hall game of chance. The toes were tapping on that one. 

One selection had us shakin our groove things, too. To quote classic rock talk..."Dick, you can dance to it."  Or Harlem Shake as the case may be.

Classic Mall of America action drove a section as well. The always welcomed Lego creativity and the thrill rides flying over the heads of shoppers make this trip worth the ride. 

Overall, I would recommend this adventure. Maybe plan on skipping the hottest and coldest extremes. And if you are a fan, you wouldn't be disappointed. Newbies, take note, there is a whole lot worth listening to. 

 

Ridiculous Moments Under the Influence of the North

A sunshinily deprived woman's idea of the Harlem Shake...tres amusant...but maybe you had to be there

http://youtu.be/jzQhemq827g

Greetings from the Snowy North

Minneapolis is cold and snowy. Why do we head north when spring starts closer to home? Probably for fun and ridiculous hijinks. And food. Lots of good food. Maple and pecan so far has been a great combination. Lots of vegan options. Yum yum.

Scraps and Snippets ~ Vegan Reuben Makings and Reuben Casserole

Took this to my church potluck and omnivores scarfed it down. One of my chief omnivore targets, the anti-veganist eater ever, raved about the reuben casserole at his table. Two of his table mates knew it was mine. They said, "Kelly made it, it's Vegan." His eyebrows shot up and he said, "Dang, why'd you have to go and ruin it for me." So. Just sayin.... this is pretty good. 

You can use the Thousand Island, sauerkraut and browned Pastrami Tempeh and make traditional Reuben sandwiches with Rye bread, too, and just serve the cole slaw on the side. You can add Vegan cheese like Daiya to the sandwich, but I don't know that it would add a lot to the flavor.
 

Thousand Island Dressing:

1/4 Cup pickle relish (I used sweet which made this sweeter, I'll try dill next time)
1/4 Cup ketchup
1/4 Cup mayo (Vegan)
1 pinch salt
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp Worcestershire sauce (Vegan, check label)
 
Pastrami Tempeh:

2 Pkgs tempeh sliced
1/2 Cup olive oil
1 TBSP pepper
1/2 TBSP smoke seasoning (I used Trader Joe's grind your own).
1 tsp mustard
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce (check label)
Pinch of cayenne pepper
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder

Marinate the tempeh slices or pieces for at least an hour. Brown in hot pan.

Coleslaw:

2 packages of cabbage slaw or 1 each of cabbage slaw and broccoli slaw
1/4 Cup olive oil
1/2 Cup vinegar (I used half apple cider and half rice vinegar)
1 1/2 TBSP sugar
2 pinches of salt

Rye Bread Croutons:

1/2 to 3/4 loaf rye, pumpernickel, or marble bread cut into chunks/squares.
1 to 2 TBSP olive or other oil of choice
1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder

Chop rye or marble rye bread into small chunks. Toss in a large ziploc. Drizzle with oil. Close and shake the bag. Reopened and sprinkle garlic powder in bag. Close and shake again. Dump on a pan, Stick in the oven (don't need to preheat). Bake approximately 1 hour at 275. Stir every 15 minutes until dried out.

Reuben Casserole:

9 x 13

Large can sauerkraut, drained.
1/2 batch of reuben tempeh
Rye Bread croutons
1/3 Batch Cole Slaw
Thousand Island Dressing

Slightly grease 9 x 13 pan
Preheat oven to 350

Put drained sauerkraut in bottom of casserole. Top with browned tempeh. 
Bake for 20 minutes.
Spread Thousand Island dressing over tempeh. Sprinkle half the croutons over the dressing. Layer on the cole slaw. Top with rest of the croutons and more Thousand Island if desired.

Scribbles and Scrambles ~ Skillz?

My violin....Gertie. Nice name, doncha think?

I'm going to introduce you to Gertie the violin. I'm going to call her Gertie because it just feels right. 

Please ignore the very ripe bananas behind Gertie. They have nothing to do with this post. 

A few facts about Gertie. She's 40+. And when the cute little violin repair guy was working on her he did some sighing. When I mentioned that he'd sighed and whistled while he worked my teacher said it was probably because he's used to working on $100,000 violins. My mom and dad love me, but I'm real sure they didn't shell out 100K for Gertie.

Gertie 1977 Instagram style...brrowowwoow

The top of the case holds my bows. I have two because the 40-year-old top one is warped and contains about twelve strands. The bottom guy is brand spanking new. The white stripes by the curly top section of the violin are my cheater tapes. Those lines are where my fingers go when I attempt to play notes. And the notes are sometimes speedy, speedy fast and very challenging. The reach can be a bit tough, too.  

Yesterday's lesson included clapping. Interesting, huh? Why would I clap during my lesson? And why would I be assigned clapping as part of my homework? Because I ain't gots no dang rhythm. Annoying, annoying, annoying. I can not get my mind wrapped around eighth notes and half notes and keeping proper time...yet...maybe the clapping will help.

This video is pretty funny. My brother shared it with me when I mentioned my violin adventure. Ha. A little language but amusing... an interesting reminder of how "nothing is new under the sun."

Scraps or Snippets ~ African Infused Stew/Gravy

African Infused Stew or Gravy  

(Makes approx 6 servings depending on hunger level)

The flavor of turmeric, peanut butter, garlic and coriander are subtly  present in this recipe and very much African. You could add a bit of heat with a sprinkle of dried pepper flakes or splash of hot sauce if so inclined.

3 ½ Cups vegetable broth 

1 Cup rinsed dried lentils (I used red)

1 TBSP Earth Balance or oil

4 TBSP peanut butter

1 15 oz can of tomato sauce or diced tomatoes

½ onion diced

1 Cup of chopped vegetables of your choice

½ Cup diced celery

1 teaspoon garlic powder

¼ teaspoon coriander powder

¼ teaspoon turmeric

½ teaspoon salt if you use low sodium broth

3 Cups prepared rice or quinoa as a base for the stew as a gravy. Or use pita triangles or an Injera style bread for dipping or scooping into the stew.

In a dutch oven or large frying pan saute celery, onion and vegetable of your choice in the TBSP of Earth Balance or oil. When onion is translucent add the peanut butter, the spices, the tomatoes and the broth. Mix well. Add the lentils and let simmer approx 20 minutes. Longer is fine though you may have to add a bit more broth if it gets too thick. Crockpot on low for several hours would be fine, too, in that case you can skip the oil/Earth Balance and sauteing of veggies and just throw all of it in the crockpot together.

Scribbles and Scrambles ~ Squeak-A-Long

cool sculpture in a violin repair shop...

Violin story...

Did I mention how hard this is for me? The complete and total remodeling of my brain...intense. For starters reading music...little black dots on series of a vertical and horizontal display of clotheslines. Easy enough, right? Those clotheslines have letters assigned to them. The lines are E(very) G(ood) B(oy) D(oes) F(ine) or Every Good Boy Deserves Fudge. The spaces are FACE.

Easy. UNTIL one has to take those little black dots and figure out which space or line it falls upon and WHICH corresponding string and finger placement is required to make the proper sound. I'll let you know when I actually pull this off. 

Then, the G string. The queen mother of low notes has a logical placement below the clothesline. And these. Whew, these totally mess with my mind. Though it makes total sense on paper, the way these notes are supposed to be played, it makes very little sense to my eyes, my fingers and my brain. 

Also, to complicate things, the notes on the pages are repetitious. Like A through G over and over again. And those notes all have special places on the strings of my violin. And bowing must be just so, if not, all manner of screeching ensues. 

 Oh, and, the little black dots can morph into connected dots, flagged dots and open centered dots....and dots with special tiny dots, too. Each of these means something. That something is a whole lot of CHALLENGE.

Note to all you children out there. If you ever think you might want to make pretty music someday, learn it now, while your brains are still elastic and limber.  

Scribbles and Scrambles ~ Ridiculous

My sense of humor is a little off the wall.

My family used to watch me during sad/touching scenes in movies because I'd always cry. But not that long ago someone made the startling realization that when I watch anything that others might be rolling around on the floor laughing at, I may remain stone cold sober....until someone gets hurt.

Sick and twisted I know, but I love me some good physical humor. And I love ridiculous and clever one-liners. I also kinda love jokes that are "innocently" socially unacceptable.  Along the lines of little Susie swallowed a spoon....or "Cat's Revenge"...

Anyhoo. As I got into the truck to head home after work, I saw a shopping list Rob had written that included some supplies for &'s apartment. One of the words triggered a memory of one of those socially unacceptable jokes that I find to be hilarious.

And I seriously chuckled all the way home.

I can't tell you what the joke is because a) it's socially unacceptable and b) because you would be so confused as to why the incident triggered the giggles...really...not that funny.....unless you are me...then it's stinkin hilarious.

Here's hoping you witness something that tickles your funny bone today.

Scribbles and Scrambles ~ Squeal-a-thon...

Time to fess up and tell those of you who don't know that I've embarked on one of the more challenging adventures in my life. I mean seriously challenging.

The picture is a clue. It's an unfortunate picture because I hit a little snafu this week. (story coming)

Here's the explanation...since sometime around Christmas, I picked up the violin again.

Let me clarify.... when I say "picked up the violin" I basically mean I pick it up and make it squawk in ways it should never squeak.

I now "know" and by "know" I mean kind of recognize and, if I stand just so, and hold my right hand, elbow and shoulder just perfect and contort my left arm, wrist and fingers into intense positions, can play 13 notes.

Trust me, 13 notes is almost a miracle. And this is one of the hardest things I've ever done. What I learned in 4th grade, I do NOT remember. What I tried to learn by teaching myself via books and the internet two years ago was surpassed in the first ten minutes in my first lesson.

And from what my teacher tells me, 13 notes is the tip of the iceberg.

Trust me, there will be more coming....

Scraps and Snippets ~ Garlic French Bread Pizza

Garlic French Bread Pizza

Make sure your bread is dairy-free, some bakeries may use an eggwash. 

Slice the bread in half lengthwise.  And then in half horizontally so you have four pieces of approx the same size. 

2 TBSP Earth Balance 
1 tsp (or to your preference depending on how much you like garlic, you might want to start with 1/2 teaspoon) garlic powder

Mix together and smear the mixture onto the four pieces of bread. (You don't want it to be thick, just a nice flavor enhancing covering.)

Let sit while you saute your vegetables. 

I used thin sliced asparagus, mushrooms and onions on this one. 3/4 to 1 cup of mushrooms and asparagus should do, the onion about half of that. Basil, tomatoes and garlic slivers would be amazing. As would olives. Just about anything you'd love on your vegan pizza would be tasty. This is a great way to use up extra veggies or leftovers.

Saute the veggies to doneness you desire. 

Broil the bread until the Earth Balance begins to brown. Don't let it get too brown. Ha.Ha. Like I did. When the middle of each section appears golden, add the veggies. Sprinkle. Really, lightly, you just want to enhance the flavor, not bury it in cheese, sprinkle, Vegan mozzarella over it. (Daiya or Trader Joe's are good choices) About 3 ounces or so. Broil again until the cheese melts. 

Scraps and Snippets ~ Cinnamon Pecan Date Bars

I found a date bar recipe online last week. Rob loved his Mom's date bars and I had a church potluck coming up. So I tweaked the recipe making it Vegan and decreasing the sugar and added cinnamon and pecans. Let me just say, Yum. 

Cinnamon Pecan Date Bars

Filling
 
12 to 16 oz chopped dates  (about 3 cups cut up)
1 1/4 cup water
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Combine chopped dates and water in a saucepan and bring to a simmer, stirring often.  Simmer gently until thickened, about 10 - 15 minutes.
 
Add lemon juice, stir well. Add cinnamon and stir again.

Crust and Crumb Topping

1/2 cup coconut oil softened
2/3 cup brown sugar
1/8 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/4 cup large flake oatmeal
1 Cup chopped pecans

Grease a  8 X 11 inch or 9 inch square pan or line with parchment paper.  Preheat oven to 350 F
 
Cream coconut oil and sugars together well. 
 
Add flour and baking soda and stir to combine.  Add the oatmeal and pecans and mix the ingredients with your hands.
 
Press 2/3 of the mixture into the pan firmly. Spread the date filling evenly over the base and sprinkle with remaining crumbs.  Spread evenly and pat gently .
 
Bake for 25 - 30 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool and cut into bars or squares.
 
Keep covered in the refrigerator or freeze.

Scribbles and Scrambles ~ Would You?

Plinky asked. 

 

If you could live your life over again, would you choose to do it? Why or why not? 

 

My answer? 

 

Hands down YES. 

 

Every mistake, every error, every challenge and every hurt has taught me, changed me and made me cling all the harder to life and what that means. 

 

I have found blessings in the darkest nights of my soul. God has proved Himself to me and given me reason for hope, regardless of circumstances. 

 

The people in my life, those near/dear ones have shaped me and  loved me, and I'm eternally grateful for their fingerprints on my life.

Scribbles and Scrambles ~ Summing...

Plinky to the rescue again. 

Choose and write about 5 (or 10) possessions that sum up who you are. 

 

 Hmmm. This may be easy...or then again, not. 

 

1.)  The item that makes me feel righteous to mention as number 1 is my Bible. Just like a little kid who answers all his Sunday School teacher's questions with God, Jesus or the Bible because chances are one of those will be the answer.  But the absolute underlying truth is that I want my life to spark in people a desire to know Jesus. And He is the central person in the Bible.  And He was not about religion. So. I hope as I walk with Him I grow more to look like Him. Knowing Him means I read His words and talk to Him. The Bible it is then.

 

2. )  Family pictures. My little band of six. There is nothing I love more than spending time with my kids and my husband. 

 

 3. ) Cookbooks and cooking tools. I don't need to explain that one further, right? 

 

4. ) This one is imaginary because it does not exist as one of my possessions, but I kind of wish it did. A DVD of all my favorite laugh out loud clips from my favorite movies and television shows. Not the full shows, just the clips. How fun to be able to watch all of those hilarious moments whenever I was having a bad day. The twist here is that my sense of humor is skewed and most of my favorite clips involve someone taking a tumble. And a book of stellar writing moments, too, would be amazing, all of those favorite turns of phrase or word art. Strange that my writing collection would be deep and mind tweaking. I don't know that I'd have much funny in the word keeper department.

 

5. ) Color. Seriously. Color. I need a variety. It makes me happy. Just like polka dots. And color and polka dots are the best combo. And texture. Gotta throw that in there. I need to get one of those super fuzzy floppy rugs in multicolored polka dot.  Then that would be me and my number 5.

 

 

Scribbles and Scrambles ~ Missing Anything?

The dogs officially moved out yesterday. Had I not had one of those days where I hit the ground at warp speed and then fell into bed an exhausted shell of a woman I might have grieved. 

But. Here is why I didn't feel sorrow when entering an empty, quiet house: 

1.) Well. There's the crazy to-do list that drove me. 

2.) The dogs came over to visit.

3.) Feral, bless his dear, sweet little kitty heart, decided he'd act bigger than life. First, he left me a small package, likely because he's a) become a litter snob b) his "water closet" is housed in our water closet/utility room/bathroom. And yesterday there was some dog laundry. And hearing the sounds coming from the dryer made me think I might want to find a quiet spot to do my business in, too. Clanging and clunking and an occasional moanlike shifting made me think that we were in a Bones episode. 

So I'm hoping Feral's delicate mental health compelled him leave a deposit for me...rather than litter preference, or passive aggressive punishment for something I'm not even aware I did to offend him.

Oh, and then the precious kitty hoarked up a few hairballs for me as well. Imagine, if you will, how much I was enjoying the idea of domesticated animals in my home.

4) The dogs are visiting again. They will come to my house to hang out while we are at work because the apartment below our daughter has a family of 4 little kids. And until the dogs get used to kid noises & decided days at Grandma's would be better for all concerned. And I do have a morning peanut butter knife. So there we go.

Scribbles and Scrambles .... uhhhh of Mugs, Steps and Dogs

One of my mugs...I think. I have a few. She has a few more than a lot. But. Who doesn't love a good mug?

I might be what you would call punchy. 

But, I'm thinking if you are a regular reader, you might be used to that. 

Fair. 

I spent this weekend doing a whole lot of packing, hauling and unpacking. 


Did you know it's possible to have a mug collection that fills five boxes or three cabinet shelves? Did you know that it's possible to have enough art work for a three bedroom apartment in a single bedroom? Did you know that when you offer to help someone move you might want to ask for a step count. A second floor bedroom moving to a second floor apartment = a step count of many, many.

However, since the person I was helping to move was my last fledgling to leave the nest, busy, busy, busy and steps, steps, kept the emotion from bubbling over. 

And missing the dogs becomes less of an issue when said dogs disappeared into the woods and found an animal carcass to munch on while I was trying to get to work. Just sayin. I love those granddogs, but I will not miss the naughty and/or disgusting behaviors. For sure.

Scribbles and Scrambles ~ Not Clowning Around !

I appreciate the comments, Ladies. Xta. I envy your wardrobe of black items numbering within the minimalist single digits. Actually, though you can't hear me, I'm clapping. Amazing.

However, I'm afraid that I wouldn't know what color group to get rid of. And where to start winnowing down to less choices. Some days I feel solids, some stripes, and others are just polka dot or die days.

It did encourage me when one of my blog reading co-workers mentioned that she had spent a full on twenty minutes staring at her clothes, too, before getting dressed for the day. And another chimed in that this was regular behavior for her, also

Xta, that leaves you in the category of abnormal. (Scientific survey, right, me and two co-workers? And I'll include Michelle in that because she likes my polka dots and clearly getting rid of polka dots is not an option and that collection alone would put me over Xta's minimalist standard).

For the record. On Friday I did wear polka dots. And though I love to buy clothes of the green variety (prewashed as in preworn) category, and love polka dots, I did NOT buy the clown suit for my closet.  And golly. I'm going to go ahead and pat myself on the back over that fact. Winnowing, working on the minimalism, one piece at a time. 

Note: It does look like it'd be comfortable...and other than the danger of my clumsy self wearing shoes that would definitely send me hurtling down stairs and into painful objects, I could be tempted. :  )

Scraps and Snippets ~ Asian Slaw Salad of Deliciousness....

One of my favorite salads of all time is a tie between Applebees and Panera. Same salad, just different versions. However. It contains meat and dairy, and well, it's a thing of the past. Goodbye Asian Chicken Salad. I do actually miss you. A little. Enough to try to create you Vegan style at home. 

If you've not tried the orange glazed Vegan chicken sub nuggets at Trader Joe's (Chicken-less Mandarin Orange Morsels). Get there and get some. Crazy good. Omnivores accused me of stopping by McD's and picking up a 20 pack of the dreaded mcnuggs...shudder...when they peeked inside my oven.

You bake em, you put glaze on them and then you put a few on top of this beauty. Oh YUM!

This makes a good sized salad. Enough to feed 8.

1 bag broccoli slaw  (standard sized)
1 bag cole slaw  (standard sized) (or shredded cabbage and carrot)
1 larger head of romaine (chopped)
1 bag pea sprouts

Rinse and drain and mix together in a big bowl. 

Add sides of the following for people to doctor their own salads custom style. I put some of the dressing on the salad and mixed well.

Toasted almond slivers. (ten minutes in a 300 degree oven does it.)
Toasted sesame seeds (ditto)
Sesame sticks
chopped green onion
grated fresh ginger
soy sauce
additional things that sound good to you
dressing
Chicken-less Mandarin Orange Morsels

Dressing: 

3 1/2 TBSP rice vinegar or mixture of rice and orange vinegar
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1/2 TBSP sesame oil
2 TBSP orange juice (Juice a fresh orange)
1 TBSP maple syrup or sugar

Mix well.