This is kind of a cheat because my husband took this. I was taking pictures of the bottle and the glass because I thought it was pretty and he set it up and took an artistic shot. I like it.
Artsy photo for today’s Friday Photo.
Archive for September, 2017
A Different Perspective
Posted by terrepruitt on September 29, 2017
Posted in Friday Photo | Tagged: A Different Perspective, Artsy photo, Friday Photo, husband photography, John's photo | 4 Comments »
Dang! I Love Pumpkin For Dinner
Posted by terrepruitt on September 27, 2017
It is that season! YAY! Stuffed pumpkins for dinner!!!! YUM! I posted this recipe in 2013 in my post Pumpkin For Dinner. But I was cleaning up my desktop a bit and I found these pictures from 2015 which are so much better than the ones from 2013. So I wanted to share them.
My poor friends on Facebook get oodles of stuffed pumpkins pictures during the season!
This is one of my favorite meals and this is the time of of year! Now I am so hungry for a stuffed pumpkin!
Have you tried it yet?
Posted in Food | Tagged: Cheese, Fall Meal, pumpkin for dinner, pumpkin recipe, Sausage, Stuffed pumpkin | 14 Comments »
Baked Avocado Fries
Posted by terrepruitt on September 25, 2017
You probably know that avocados are a source of unique fat. Not just good fat, but unique fat. Not too long ago I made my husband some avocado fries. Ya know, anything that is cut lengthwise and breaded is called a fry even if it is baked. But basically it is just breaded avocado slices. But he liked them. I make them again last night. I had bought the avocado on Friday and meant to do it then, but something came up. So by Sunday the avocados were softer than I would have liked. I had bought two, not sure if I had planned on making them both, but by the time I got around to it one of them was too soft. But the process is really simple, as long as you don’t mind getting avocado on your hands and under your nails. I do, but . . . whatever.
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Baked Avocado Fries
One firm avocado*
flour (1/2 – 3/4 cup)
1 egg
milk (1/2 – 1 teaspoon)
bread crumbs (3/4 to 1 cup)
seasonings**
olive oil
parchment paper
Options for dipping:
sour cream
ketchup
ranch
I used brown flour, panko bread crumbs, season salt, and garlic salt
**season salt, salt, garlic salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, use whatever you want
Preheat the oven to 350° F. Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper. Sprinkle a little olive oil on the paper/pan.
Put the flour in a dish that allows you to put a few (or all) of the avocado slices. Sprinkle some of your seasonings into the flour. In a separate dish scramble the egg with a little milk. Sprinkle some of your seasonings into the egg. Put the bread crumbs in a dish that allows you to put a few (or all) of the avocado slices. Sprinkle some of your seasonings into the breadcrumbs. Slice the avocado lengthwise, then cut off the skin. Dip each slice in the flour, then dip each slice in the egg, then coat each slice with bread crumbs.
Place the floured-egged-breaded avocado slices on the pan. Space them apart so that they can get crispy. Sprinkle some olive oil onto each slice.
Put the pan with the slices on it in the oven for about 10 minutes. After 10 minutes check on the “fries”. Take them out and turn each one over. Then put the pan back in the oven for 15 or 20 minutes.
Once the coating is crispy. Take them out and serve them with your favorite dipping sauce.
This second time I made them my husband used just plain sour cream to dip his “fries” into. I do not remember what he used the first time . . . I don’t know what that orange stuff is (pictured). I bet it was left over from something. So not something we bought, just something we had on hand.
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*You can use a very ripe avocado, it just makes the dredging and dipping a little more challenging. The avocado needs to be firm enough that the slices will hold. As I said, the avocados I bought ended up more ripe than I would have liked, but it worked.
Do you like avocado “fries”?
Posted in "Recipes", Food | Tagged: anything breaded is called a fry, avocado fries, avocados, breaded avocado slices, panko bread crumbs, parchment paper, unique fat | 26 Comments »
Pretty Lunch Plate
Posted by terrepruitt on September 22, 2017
I love a good tea lunch plate. And this one was lovely. It is actually from LAST year’s birthday celebration at Lisa’s Tea Treasures, but I just ran across it. I thought it was lovely so I wanted to post it for today’s Friday Photo.
Posted in Friday Photo | Tagged: birthday celebration, Friday Photo, good tea lunch plate, Lisa's Tea Treasures | 7 Comments »
Birthday 2017
Posted by terrepruitt on September 18, 2017
Sigh. We all grieve in different ways. We all feel it differently. For many of us we agree that there is no right or wrong way. Many of us navigate the waters of grief the best way we can. We also try to help others do so in their own way. Different days and different occasions affect people in different ways. Many people get emotional on the birthday of the loved ones that have died. I understand that because a birthday represents another year that the person WOULD HAVE been alive. It represents a passage of time when memories could have been created. Also the DATE of the death is a heavy one. I feel that even if I think I am going ok emotionally around the date of death, my body responds in its own way. The day I really get sad is on MY birthday. Today is my birthday and it is the first birthday where I am not getting a daughter card. You know, one of those mushy cards where a parent tells you how you are the greatest, bestest, light of their life. It is sad.
Last week, the 12th, marked a year since the last day I saw my dad alive. It was to be only two months until I visited him again, but . . . . .
So, today, I’m a little sad. There is a message on my answering machine (yes, we still have one of those) that I have played a few times. It is my dad wishing me happy birthday last year. I don’t know where I was that I wasn’t able to answer the phone. I think I called him back and talked to him . . .but it might have been the next day.
For me MY birthday is more poignant than her (my mom’s) birthday (I don’t know about my dad’s I haven’t experienced that yet). My parents were always so great in remembering my birthday and making me feel special. I am sad I don’t have that treat anymore. I often think back and marvel at how my mom had a job yet was always able to pull off an awesome party. Granted – kids parties back then were TOTALLY different than now. A house full of girls over for a slumber party was all I needed. But that is still a lot of work, but there didn’t need to be a photo booth or fancy favors for everyone. But homemade dinner and breakfast the next day was always on the schedule. They were great, my parents, for doing all that.
Yesterday we were at a wedding and the father-daughter dance was sweet. It reminded me of my dad when we danced at my wedding. My husband and I danced a lot back then (Country Western; two-step, West Coast Swing, Waltz, and Cha-cha) so my dad said he was really nervous. We were just stepping and sway and he kept saying, “Do you want me to do something? Should I spin you? Do you want me to dip you? Is this ok?” It was cute. He made me laugh. Last night’s father-daughter dance made me teary-eyed.
Not to say I am not having a happy birthday, it is just sad, no card, no call this year. And, not ever again.
Posted in Misc | Tagged: birthday, daughter card, dead parents, Happy Birthday, Sadness on birthday | 8 Comments »
Four Girls
Posted by terrepruitt on September 15, 2017
Look at these dogs. After Nia and stretch class once a month we go out for coffee at Peets near the community center. This guy walked up with four German Shepherds. And he just left them as he went inside. It was a sight to see. Four dogs just sitting there calmly. When he came out some of us walked over and asked if we could pet them and I snapped a couple of pictures. I love well-behaved dogs. These girls were awesome.
Last Friday was a bird this week I have dogs for the Friday Photo.
What do you think? Aren’t they gorgeous?
Posted in Friday Photo | Tagged: coffee after class, Friday Photo, German Shepherds, Nia class, Peet's, stretch class, well- behaved dogs | 8 Comments »
The Amazing Internet
Posted by terrepruitt on September 13, 2017
I am always amazed and so very happy when my website brings someone to one of my classes. I know it is not very fancy and it might be a bit too much information, but I spend a lot of time on my website so I love it when it actually gets someone the information they need and they make it to one of my classes. So exciting to me. And the story of the latest student is really exciting to me. A few weeks ago there was a woman who came to one of my Nia classes. She introduced herself and said it was her first time taking Nia. Now, if you know about Nia, it is not about judgement, so I don’t look at my students often and make judgements, but the few times I focused on her I did think she must have had prior dance experience because she was catching on very fast and very well. After class I talked to her and she said no, she hadn’t danced before. “But,” she said, “I am really excited to be here.” I thought that was great. I was excited too. When she came back the next week I was telling her that we meet for coffee the last Thursday of the month. That is when she said she wasn’t going to be here. She was going home. I didn’t know she was visiting and I asked her where she was from and she said she was from Taiwan. She had found my class online and wanted to take it while she was visiting San Jose. She had found my class though my website.
That just makes me so happy. I was so excited. But then she explained more of the story and I was even more excited. She said that there is a Chinese Doctor who wrote a book. He had lost a lot of weight and decided to write a book to help people lose weight and get into shape. She said that in his book he talked about how diet was important. He also talked about how exercise is important. And in his book he said that he liked to do Nia. That is where this woman learned about Nia. She learned about it from a book written by a Chinese Doctor! So cool.
She was going to be coming to San Jose, so she decided to look to see if there was a Nia class near where she would be so she could take it. Voila! That is when she found my site. I just love that! A woman in Taiwan found my website leading her to a Nia class in San Jose — all from learning about Nia in a book in Chinese!
Love it. So excited. Makes all the time I spend on my website so worth it!
She is going to come back, but not until next year. And when she comes back it will be for good. So I will have a new student. I am so excited. It will be so fun to have her back in class.
Do you every look up your favorite exercise class to see if there is one you can take in a city you are visiting?
Posted in Misc | Tagged: Nia, Nia Classes, Nia website, NiaNow.com, San Jose Community Center Classes, SJCITY Fit Classes, Taiwan Student, www.HelpYouWell.com | 2 Comments »
Mexican Chicken Salad
Posted by terrepruitt on September 11, 2017
We recently went through an extremely hot spell. This is the San Francisco Bay Area, so we are not really accustomed to having EXTREMELY hot weather. Many homes in this area don’t have air conditioning. Most often when we do have hot days, we get cooler nights so it makes the hot days somewhat bearable because the night air has cooled everything down. But with this last heat wave there was no reprieve from the heat of the day at all. So it was hot and it stayed hot for days. Record breaking temperatures were recorded all over. So the idea of making dinner was really unappealing. And the idea of using anything that created heat was just unthinkable. I was trying to come up with something we could eat that wouldn’t require heat at all. The only thing I could think of was Chicken Salad. Now this was all I could think of without me having to go to the store. But I thought that was kind of average because when I make chicken salad I use mayonnaise, pickles, and garlic salt. Not just that, but that is the basic idea. But I wanted a different flavor. I was thinking I could give it a Mexican flavor and we could put it on a tortilla with a little cheese and salsa on top. Had we had avocado and sour cream that would have gone on top, too, for my hubby. So here is what I came up with.
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Mexican Chicken Salad
1 can of chicken
1 can of corn
1/4 cup of chopped white onion
1/4 cup of chopped red onion
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2 teaspoons garlic salt
1 teaspoon coriander
1 teaspoon cilantro
1 teaspoon cumin
Sprinkle of pepper
Half of a green bell pepper
– – – –
2 teaspoons white vinegar
2 teaspoons lime juice
Flour tortillas
Shredded cheese
Salsa
(The dashes indicate ingredients that were good on their own. They didn’t even need the rest. But it was good all together.)
Chop the bell pepper. Mix the chicken, corn, onion, garlic, garlic salt, coriander, cilantro, cumin, pepper, bell pepper vinegar, and lime juice together. Let it chill for at least an hour, to let the flavors meld together a bit.
Then spoon the mixture onto a flour tortilla and top with shredded cheese and salsa. Roll it up to eat it like a burrito.
As I said, if you have avocado and/or sour cream you could put that on top.
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As I mentioned, these ingredients are what I had. I did not go to the store so I used dried cilantro. When I make this in the future I am going to use fresh cilantro and I think that will make a big difference flavorwise. I was kind of flying by the seat of my pants because it was just too hot. Too hot to go to the store and too hot to create heat and cook.
I like this because it is chicken salad without mayonnaise. So this means we can have chicken salad twice as often because it won’t be the same ol’ same ol’ chicken salad.
This was even better two days later when the flavors REALLY had time to settle in. So you can make it a day or so before you want to eat it.
Do you like chicken salad? What do you put in your chicken salad?
Posted in "Recipes", Food | Tagged: chicken, chicken salad, cilantro, cool dinner, coriander, Corn, cumin, mayonnaise, non-cook dinner, non-cook meal, San Francisco Bay Area, tortilla | 4 Comments »
Beautiful Macaw
Posted by terrepruitt on September 8, 2017
In California we have to get our cars “smogged” or “smog tested”. That is what we call it. There are hundreds of places all over in my area and they all say “Smog Check”/”Smog Test”. Other states might know it as emissions testing. We just call it smog. Well for some odd reason . . . we can all guess why . . . there are times when you might have to get your car tested at a “SPECIAL” smog place. They call it a STAR station. So the state decides that you have to go to a STAR station to get tested instead of “regular” testing place. Thankfully they are just as convenient as regular ones, but I have a guy. I go to him every time I need to get my car smogged. And every year he says, “Your engine is so clean.” And I am on my way in less than 20 minutes. But this year I had to go to a STAR place. They were super nice and just as efficient. And they had a bird. I think his name was Robbie. He was a beautiful parrot. He was so funny. He was showing off when I was taking his picture.
So today’s Friday Photo is the San Jose Star Smog Check Station’s parrot Robbie.
Posted in Friday Photo | Tagged: California smog test, emissions test, Friday Photo, parrot, smog check, smog tested, STAR station | 2 Comments »
A Cool Way To Sleep
Posted by terrepruitt on September 6, 2017
I really think that my body’s temperature is higher than everyone else’s. Not my temperature so much as the way I feel. Maybe not EVERYONE, but most people. When people tell me they are too hot to sleep I share with them I sleep with a bag of ice and they look at me as if I am insane, when to me, since we don’t have air conditioning, that is the ONLY way I can get to sleep and stay a sleep. I wrote a post about what I did before we were in a drought, Relief From Too Hot To Sleep, but with the drought I thought I shouldn’t waste the water so I started putting ice in a baggie and sleeping with it. People ask me a lot of questions regarding that so I thought I would answer them here. First of all I put the ice in a zip lock sandwich bag, then I put that in a big zip lock freezer bag. I have no fear of it leaking, but then if it did, so what? It is only a little baggie full of water. I am sure some beds get a lot more liquid on them than that.
So the most common questions have to do with leaking. Does it leak? Aren’t you afraid it will leak? No. I double bag it and even if it does, I am not afraid of a little water on my bed.
Then there are the questions about why your feet? Well, have you ever had a bag of ice pressed up against your chest? Even when it is really hot having a bag of ice on your chest is REALLY cold. Same thing with my back or arms. What do people often do when they want to cool off? They hang their feet into a pool. Also putting the bag of ice at the end of the bed by my feet allows me to easily move away or close to the ice. Whereas if it were at my mid-body it is more difficult to move away or closer to. Feet are easy to move. I don’t even have to move my body. I can put my feet on the bag of ice then when it gets too cold move them off, then back on, then off. It is a great way to regulate the amount of cold. Sometimes I use the towel or a sheet as a buffer between the bag and my feet.
Does it melt? Well, most of the time yes. Especially if it is really hot and I have had my feet on it most of the night. Usually when I wake up the water in the baggie is room temperature. A couple of time it has still been cold. A couple of times I have pushed it off the bed. (It didn’t break or leak. It was just on the floor next to the bed.)
Over this last heat wave I have gotten up in the middle of the night to replace the ice. Granted when I do that I am half asleep and I don’t use the water to water my plants like I would normally do when emptying the bag.
During this last heat wave, not only did I get up in the middle of the night to get new ice, I also bagged some cooler chillers (I don’t know what they are called). This is a great thing to use if you are wary of a bag of ice leaking. They will not leak. I was so hot I grabbed two of them and put them in a bag and I did have them rest between the back of the couch and my back. And a couple of days I did embrace them . . . but that was after they had been out of the freezer for a little bit and they were not completely frozen, but cold enough to cool me down.
I prefer the bag of ice because it is more malleable and it can conform to my feet. The ice packer/cooler chiller things are just straight, they don’t bend so it doesn’t get my whole foot cold. Only the little portion that is resting on it gets cool. But, they don’t have any leakage risk involved, so that might be good for some.
Anyway, it was so hot, I haven’t slept upstairs in a week. The bag of ice and the ice packer allowed me to sleep downstairs on the couch. I thought I would share it again and the idea of the ice packer/cooler chiller things because I think we might have some more hot weather to come.
What did you do to keep cool? Were you able to get any sleep?
Posted in Misc | Tagged: bag of ice, cooler chillers, ice for the feet, ice in a bag, ice packers, ice packs, sleep helper, way to stay cool | 4 Comments »
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