YUMMY COOKIES!

When my middle son was recovering from his battle from cancer (which he won!) he started to research the effects of diet on the bodies well being.  He spent many hours on line reading articles and watching documentaries about food and nutrition.  An amazing undertaking for anyone going through chemo treatments never mind a 16 year old boy.  I've said it before and I will say it again he is my hero!  Well after all his research he decided he was going to live a Vegan lifestyle.  I had heard of this before but I certainly didn't know enough about it to start making meals for him.  So I did a lot of research also.  I read the articles my son found and and watched the documentaries he discovered.  I found out that vegans eat no meat, fish, dairy,eggs,white sugar,honey, and marshmallow.  Phew!  This wasn't going to be easy.  But the more I read the more I was determined to go this route.  So my son and I became vegan.  My other two boys haven't but  because I no longer cook meat (except on special birthday requests or bar-b-ques for their friends) they eat a lot healthier also.  It's still difficult to come up with meal ideas but thanks to the ever growing popularity of eating healthy there are many websites with wonderful vegan recipes on them.  So whenever I discover one of them I thought I would share it with you.  As a matter of fact I'm going to make every Sunday vegan recipe share day!  If you have any great vegan recipes that you would like to share please do!  Todays' recipe is for Oatmeal Raisin Cookies.  It's very simple and takes only 6 ingredients!

Yup only 6 oatmeal, cinnamon, salt, bananas,applesauce,and raisins.  Most people always have these ingredients in their kitchen.  In a medium bowl combine 11/2 cup oatmeal,2 tsp. cinnamon, 1/4 tsp. salt.  In a separate bowl mash 2 bananas and stir in 1/2 cup applesauce.  Put the wet ingredients into dry ingredients.  Add 1/2 cup raisins and mix.  Drop by big spoonfuls on parchment lined cookie sheets.

 I made them big so they would be like a breakfast cookie,  You could make them smaller for a snack size.  Then put them in a 350 oven for 25 minutes.  When they come out you have a delicious healthy breakfast cookie.  Everyone loved them including the non-vegans!

  You could substitute the raisins for any dried fruit.  Cranberries would be delicious!  I got this easy recipe here www.glowkitchen.com.  There are a lot of great recipes here.  So take a look and see if you find something for your family.  Enjoy!!

Missing

I'm feeling a little blue today.  I always miss my mom but sometimes it hits me like a brick wall and stops me in my tracks.  It happened to me today at work.  A friend of mine (a dear woman who is about the age of my mom) was telling me about her sister who is sick in the hospital.  She has been very ill for over a year and last week she fell and broke her hip.  It's all very sad.  She was telling me how her sister said she was tired and felt like it was time for her to go.  My friend said she loves her sister very much but she doesn't want her to suffer anymore and if she was ready to go she wanted her to go in peace.  I sat there and cried for what she was going through and for how it made me remember the last days of my mom.  My mom made the same statement to me just days before she passed.  She said honey I can't do this anymore I just want to die.  I will never ever forget my mom saying that to me.  It was the saddest hardest day of my life.  About an hour ago I started looking at pictures of happy times to try to cheer up.  I wanted to remember good things.  Then I thought I would share them with you.

  My sweet dog Charlie.  He always makes me happy.

 I love it when he smiles at me.

My sweet kitty Zelda.

Most importantly my wonderful boys and my amazing dad (my oldest son wasn't with us at the time but he is equally wonderful).  Look at these guys I am truly blessed.  I know your watching over us mom I love you.

Another First

Yesterday I experienced another first without my mom event.  It was my birthday and for the first time in 49 years she wasn't here to wish me happy birthday.  She always called me or came over at 11:31 am. the time I was born.  When I lived far away from her she would send me my card and presents and we would talk on the phone for over an hour.  She always made it feel like she was right there.  Later when I moved back near home to live we always spent my birthdays together.  Her and my dad would come over to my house with my card and presents.  Usually they would take me and my boys out to eat "where ever you want to go." they would say.  Then we would come home and have cake.  There was always a cake that my mom would either bake or by  in the store.  There was always pink flowers on it or a cute picture.  One year when I was about 14 or 15 my mom had the bakery decorate it with a picture of a girl with blond hair wearing a pink bikini.  "It's you!", my mom beamed when I saw it, "because your my little pink girl!"  She always made sure it had pink decorations on it.  While my dad was always there and smiling and wishing me a happy birthday too, it was my mom who pulled the whole event together.  This year as my birthday approached I knew it was going to be different and very difficult.  I wasn't going to make a big deal about it.  But about a week before my birthday my dad asked me what I would like to do on my birthday.  I thought for a minute then he suggested we all go up to Lake George, a place we all love.  I thought that would be a great idea.  I realized then that my dad needed something fun to look forward to as much as I did.  He is after all missing his wife of 54 years.  So yesterday my dad came over to pick me and the boys up( my oldest who has his own apartment came home to spend a long weekend with us, best birthday present ever!)  My  dad had a card for me in a bright pink envelope!  Inside was the cutest card, it had strawberry shortcake on the outside and when you open the card it says in a girls voice have a berry wonderful birthday from your friend strawberry shortcake.  I absolutely loved strawberry shortcake when I was little I had sheets and a bedspread with her on it.  I even had a lunchbox with her on it.  I was telling my dad this and he said "oh really?, well when I opened it I thought the voice sounded just like you and I just had to get it."  How cute is he?!  I love my card.  He also gave me some nice gift certificates to a few restaurants that I like.  So then we were off to Lake George.  The day was absolutely beautiful and sunny.  When we got there we walked around a litttle bit then got our tickets and got on the boat for a 2 and a half hour island cruise.

We saw some beautiful islands and summer homes on the cruise.

We really had a wonderful time!  After the cruise we strolled around a little more and found a nice place to eat outside.  After that it was time to head home.  I really had a beautiful day with my three boys and my dad.  The one thing I didn't have though was a cake.  The boys wanted to make me one but I said no guys I think I'll skip the cake this year.  They didn't push they understood.  My mom always got me my cake and I just couldn't bear to have one this year. Although I did feel her with us several times yesterday.   I know she was looking down saying "Happy Birthday my little pink girl!"  Between my boys and my wonderful dad and the watchful eye of my mom I felt truly blessed and loved yesterday.  You can't ask for a better birthday than  that.

VACATION!!!!!

I don't think there's any other word in the english language that sounds so wonderful.  Especially when you can say I am on vacation!  I am taking some of my vacation days now. I get three weeks(15 days) and 3 personal days.  I spend alot of time plotting and planning when I am going to take them.  They are very precious to me because they mean easy breezy carefree time with my children.  I will drag into work sick so I can save my personal days for summer vacation.  I mean after all I only have 18 days to play with.  So I need to use them wisely.  So I had the fourth off as a paid holiday then I used a few of my vacation days and together with my normal days off I'm off until the 11th!  Yeah!!!!
I have been very lucky with the weather everyday has been absolutely beautiful.  We are staying home and just enjoying being together.  This is how I spent one of my sunny days.

Sitting on my deck enjoying some quiet reading time as the day is just starting to wake up(and my boys are still sleeping) and the birds are chattering and singing.

After that strenuous activity I spent about an hour floating around on this.  While the boys slept on.  Yes they are teenagers and it is summer vacation after all.  I have to admit as much as I like jumping and splashing around in the pool with them it was nice to have some peaceful floaty time.

Next it was time to check out my garden it's really coming along great.  I counted 20 green tomatoes!  Finally the boys woke up and we enjoyed the rest of the beautiful sunny day outside together.  Yup vacation is definately one of my favorite words!!!!

Happy Fourth!!!!!!!!

I Love the Fourth of July!  I have my whole life.  I love everything about it,the red, white, and blue decorations.  The fireworks.  The parades, the picnics, the family time. I also love the fact that everyone around the country is celebrating the same thing at the same time.

Here's a picture from a few years ago of the fireworks we watched from our favorite spot. We didn't go there in 2010 because that was the year I was in the hospital with my middle son as he courageously battled cancer.  A battle that thank God he won.  Last year we were away staying in a beautiful little cabin in the woods for the week of the fourth.  It was my sons make a wish vacation.

It was our second time vacationing at this cabin.  The place is called Sheltered Lakes.  It's the most beautiful and peaceful place I have ever been to.  I would definately like to go back someday.  This year however we are home.  We will go to the same parade  that we have gone to in years past and go to our favorite place to see fireworks  But something will be very different.  My mom won't be there.  This is going to be our first fourth without her.  Like all of the firsts I have experienced this year it will be painful.  My mom like me loved the fourth.  We would sit next to each other at the parade and chit chat and gossip and laugh.  I will miss her so much today.  But I will think about the things that I do have.  My 81 year old dad who is healthy and strong and will be sitting next to me at the parade.  My three boys who are healthy, wonderful, loving boys who will also be sitting next to me.  So enjoy your family, watch a parade, see some fireworks, and listen to some music(it's mandatory to listeen to some Springsteen and Tom Petty in my house on the fourth!)and feel blessed for all you have.