Loveless Biscuits at the Burgan Cafe!

Our dear friend Christina (a.k.a. CeePee) mailed us what could very well be the best Christmas present ever: A biscuit mix and preserves gift set from the Loveless Cafe in Nashville, Tennessee!

We visited the Loveless Cafe in April of 2009 with Christina on the second leg of our Puerto Vallarta/Nashville vacation extravaganza. Granted, we waited for round-about two hours to pop a squat in the dining room and order up the biggest plate of ham, biscuits, and potatoes ever, but it was well worth it.  The biscuits said "good for the soul, not for the waistline," and we loved every one.

Much to my surprise, a big box o' biscuits were a'waiting on our front porch last week. Unfortunately they don't come piping hot from the oven, but they do come lovingly packaged in a nice mix with plenty of preserves. We were excited at the mini-strawberry and peach preserves and the giant jar of most delectable  blackberry preserves. It was all we could do to not open them and eat with a spoon, which was honestly our first reaction.

So a week later, Nate said,"I want biscuits! HAMS AND JAMS!" (This is a new favorite catch phrase.)  I said, "Do you want to do the dishes?" He reckoned this was a good bargaining chip, so he did the dishes (most foul) and this morning I made the biscuits (most divine). I say I got the better end of the deal!

The package says to roll it out on a well-floured surface and use wax paper for easy clean-up. They weren't kidding! Waxed paper works wonders. No biscuit cutter? We used a 2" drinking glass.

Here is a close-up of the biscuit mix and our teeny-tiny biscuits. I'm going to let a secret out here: I didn't use buttermilk. I was trying to save some fat calories and, well, I was too lazy to go buy some. I also rolled the dough a little thin, but since I only used 1.25 cups of mix, I can perfect the technique next time. (I haven't rolled out biscuit dough in, oh... ever.) Look at that floury goodness!

Hams & Jams, baby! These are the lovely preserves we got as a part of the gift set. So far we've only popped open the mini ones. Let's take bets on how long the blackberry preserves last.  Novely factor: every jar of preserves says "As Featured on the FOOD NETWORK," which we love.

The delicious, finished product. The biscuits were small, but tasted pretty darn much like the "real thing". We approve! (No, I definitely did not take a whole bite of preserves with the plastic spoon. Oh, no...)

Thanks, CeePee!

Follow Christina and Loveless Cafe (and me) on Twitter!

I Got a Birdie

Well, actually I got FOUR birdies.

I love crafty women and Ms. Disney at Ruffles and Stuff is one of the craftiest I've seen thus far. She had a little how-to and contest on her site and [points thumb at her chest] THIS GAL won it.  I am now the proud owner of four Christmas birdie ornaments. I think it's a fresh spin on Christmas decorations. Get this... they are made out of shower curtain rings!  I think I'll keep a couple and give a couple to brighten a couple of folks' spirits.

I wanted to give a shout-out and thanks for the awesome birdies AND let you know where you can get the directions to make your own.

Book Resolution

Every three or four years I decide that I don't read nearly enough books and say, "Wow. I ought to read more books this year." And then I do for six months or so. And then I don't read many for three years or so. The cycle has come 'round once again and I think...

Wow. I ought to read more books this year.

As I'm currently an HR drone, I naturally have a propensity toward SMART goals. So let's set a specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, time-bound book reading goal. I want to read 24 books in 2009. This is two books per month for twelve months. Heck, why don't we throw in an extra book to make it a nice 25? I think this fits the SMART rubric.

Speaking of book reading goals, have you tried Shelfari?  If you are looking to the right (at the blog's homepage) you will see my "Shelfari shelf". If you're reading in RSS, you can CLICK HERE. Ideally I will make this a meaninful 24, oops... 25, books in 2010 by reviewing and rating each book.

What are your 2010 goals? Do you ever say, "I need to read more?" Do you have suggestions for one of my 24 books? Do tell.

The Eye Malady: That Which Cannot Be Named

It's no secret that I have had issues "with my eyes" for a handful of years now (see this post). I put "with my eyes" in quotes because the puffy, itchy eyes are the symptom, not the disease. The problem is that we cannot find out what the "disease" is, though I have the sneaky suspicion that there are several things working together to make my face in a state of near perpetual discomfort.

Scary, no? November 2009

3 hours after flare-up began

I can go from feeling a bit of an itch around the inner corners of the eye to having a full-blown flare complete with burning, stinging and swelling in less than two hours. Multiple allergen panels have come back negative. My makeup, for the most part, has not changed. I can have a flare-up with or without any makeup. My skin products are largely the same. The household allergens (dust, animals) are largely the same as they ever were. I haven't changed laundry detergents. My workplace pollution levels have all tested "safe" (yes, they came out to test the quality of the air). I haven't moved cities in over five years. My level of activity is largely the same as it ever was. The doctors ask these questions every time I go to see them and every time I explain the same things.

Every time they tell me something else is the culprit and every time we have proven them, well, maybe not 100% wrong every time, but "not-as-right-as-you-thought". My sinuses are constantly blocked and have a hard time draining. I must now sleep sitting almost upright in order to avoid facial edema when I wake up. Sometimes sleeping up still results in swelling. Sometimes sleeping with the HEPA filter on helps a little, sometimes it doesn't. I now have broken blood vessels on my face and gradual deep, hot flushing that can last for hours or days. I am fairly sure I have rosacea on top of the regular eczema that I have always had, but alas... Each doc I have seen is busy trying to be Dr. House. The rosacea doesn't explain 100% of the facial swelling, nor the sinus issues. I don't respond to any allergy pill, any asthma medicaion, most water pills, etc. where the swelling and irritation are concerned. I respond to injectable steroids and oral steroids during acute flares only. At this point in time, save an acute reaction to the energy particles in the air (the ENT did actually suggest this) or an auto-immune disease, there are no thoughts as to what could be the cause. I think Western medicine is just about tapped out.

Why do I feel the need to share this? Maybe you have some idea, that's why. I'm open to exploring suggestions. The doctor that I respect the most was the ENT that I just saw last week. He said, "You need to go to the Mayo Clinic or to the U of M hospital in Ann Arbor where they get the 'weird' cases. I have never seen someone with the history and symptoms that you have. I honestly have to tell you that I don't know what you have. We'll order a CT scan of your sinsues, but I am not convinced it will tell us anything."  At least he admits it.

I'm also sharing this information because of how isolating it can be and how abysmally frustrating it can be. When your face is swollen and it appears your husband has beaten you but indeed has never laid a finger on you, you don't want to leave the house and socialize, much else go to work. The stinging and irritation and swelling can inhibit vision for driving and it can lead to severe distraction so that no work can get done. It is uncomfortable and does not make for a very nice friend/daughter/wife/co-worker.

Because I like to look for any inkling of a silver lining, I guess I can name a few things that are good about not knowing why the hell I am ugly and uncomfortable several times a month:

• I feel blessed to have health care coverage and money to pay co-pays.
• I have no choice but to feel fully reliant on God to get me through and perhaps lead to a discovery of the cause.
• I read and research more, also finding community through other similar sufferers on the internet.
• I feel especially good for the "good days" when I have no symptoms, can breathe, and don't have itchy eyes or have to rely on medications just to scrape by.
• I feel lucky to have a supportive husband and family.
• I have had to rely on my instincts and research on more natural remedies to help the body heal itself.
• I hope that one day I can figure out what is going on and use that knowledge to help others.

So there you have it. The ugly-eyed truth. My symptoms are getting worse as the months go by and the frequency is ever-increasing. If you have any thoughts, our ears are open. In the meantime, your prayers are appreciated and your frustrations, should you have the same thing, are fully understood.

Using It Up Recipes: Sweet Polish 'Rogies

Our latest installment in the "Using It Up Recipes" collection is Sweet Polish 'Rogies. This is a heapin' helpin' of old world cooking blended with a nice, tropical infusion and hint of coconut sweetness, no sugar added!

Sweet Polish 'Rogies

Ingredients: A box or 2 of frozen pierogies, any flavor. A bag of frozen "stew blend" vegetables (carrots, onions, celery, fingerling potatoes), or any ole' frozen veggies that look good. coconut oil, curry powder, onion powder, garlic powder, parsley, pepper.


First,throw a little coconut oil into the pan. If you don't have coconut oil (admittedly high in saturated fat, but fine in moderation) in the house, you can use veggie oil. However, you won't get the hint of sweetness. Before the oil gets too hot, add the frozen veggie blend and cook until about 3/4 of the way through. Add your curry and garlic powders to taste.

Pour into a bowl and set aside. Then add some more oil to the pan and immediately put your frozen pierogies into the oil.  Careful, because if the oil gets too hot it can spatter as the water hits it. Use caution here. Bring them up to a nice sizzle and allow them to defrost and begin to heat. Once they are about 2/3 of the way heated, add your garlic powder and pepper to taste.

Now add the three-quarters cooked veggie mix to the skillet. (I shook things up and used a wok.) Let it all cook through. By now it will smell great! Once it has all cooked and properly combined (before the veggies get mushy and after the pierogies get a touch golden), remove from heat. Sprinkle a heaping spoonful of dried or fresh parsley on for color. You won't regret it!

Serves 2-4 with one box pierogies or 4-6 with two boxes.

First published at http://obliga-blog.blogspot.com

Using It Up Recipes: Italy Casserole

In addition to becoming more coupon savvy, my goal for our household is to stop wasting so much. We are so blessed to have so much food, household needs, and stuff in general. I think it's about time to respect it. So in good form, I've decided to try to use what we have. I don't want our cupboards to go bare, but perhaps by spending less on groceries for a few weeks, we can use up the items that were "such a good idea" all those weeks ago.

Today's Using It Up Recipe is: Italy Casserole. Sure, it's fun to make garlic bread, a meat dish, and baked pasta, but why not just save time and make it all in one dish? Don't forget that you can be very flexible when you are making Using It Up Recipes! The goal is to use what you have, not to buy more!

Italy Casserole

Ingredients:  Pasta (any kind), cheese (any kind, but ricotta and shredded are recommended), pasta sauce (any kind), meat or mock meat (any kind, but sausages and white poultry meats are recommended), bread/rolls (dinner rolls recommended, but any bread will do), garlic powder, oregano, black pepper, non-stick spray or butter, 9x9" baking dish or similar. 

First, grease your pan and preheat your oven to 350° F. Second, put your water on to boil. You'll want to have the pasta ready to go, especially if you are impatient like me! While that's coming to a boil, tear dinner rolls or bread into small pieces, scattering them on the bottom of the pan. This is your garlic bread layer! Sprinkle the bread with a generous helping of garlic powder, oregano, and a dash of black pepper.  Remember, any seasonings that "float your boat" will work, but you can't really have "garlic bread" without garlic. Next, add some cheese. I added ricotta to my dish. You'll have something that resembles the next photo.

Once you have this layer all set, top it with your meat. I used deli-sliced turkey and it worked great!  After you have your protein down, take the pasta that you prepared during step one (no set amount, just whatever you estimate will feed your folks) and drain it. No need to rinse!  First layer a thin layer of sauce over the garlic bread layer. Next, add another light sprinkling of cheese. (This is where the shredded cheese comes in handy.)

Now it's time for the pasta. Layer that next and top it with a generous helping of sauce. Remember, if you don't use enough sauce, you'll get some crunchy pasta bits, but that's not the end of the world.  If you are running low on sauce like me, because you were using up a half-empty jar, throw in a tiny can of plain tomato sauce. It'll stretch the sauce and voila, you've used up one more can.  Done with the sauce? The cheese! How can you have baked pasta without a nice thick layer of cheese? Get to it, man!  It should look something like this:

So, now that you have gotten this all together, cover with tin foil, toss into your oven at 350° and, assuming you're using a 9x9" pan, bake for about 30-45 minutes, depending on the density of the casserole. You'll know when it's done when 100% of the cheese has melted and started to bubble or brown. Let it sit for 5-10 minutes to cool to a tolerable level and as our Italian friend Emeril says, "BAM!" Now that's one tasty tour of Italy for just pennies. It also reheats very well. Mangia!

Starting the Coupon Game

A couple of weeks ago, I took a class from the "Sharp Scissors Lady," Laura Webber at SharpenYourScissors.net. It was such a phenomenal class and it got me thinking. Well, it took a couple of weeks for me to start clipping coupons and, seeing that I'm a touchy-feely learner and not a read-it-and-know-it learner, I had to get out there are make some mistakes in order to get half a handle on the whole coupon game. After just two shopping trips using coupons to my advantage, I am starting to get the feel for it. I cannot wait to start bringing home all the free loot for us and to help the community.

First, let me say that I used to subscribe to the thought of, "Unless it offers big savings, you aren't saving much with just coupons."  Well, do you know what? That is true! If you have one $.50 coupon but you have to buy three of an item, it's not going to save you much, especially if the item(s) aren't on sale. But if you have three $.50 coupons for "any"-type item and the items are on sale, you are going to get more bang for your buck. You will also score a bonus if what you buy earns you a rebate, gift card, or other store rewards, like my favorite CVS Extra Bucks!

Because I'm not yet a coupon zen master, I won't bother training you up to use your coupons. But I will admit my lack of knowledge (the first step to showing wisdom!) and refer you to several other coupon sages:

• SharpenYourScissors.net
• It's Hip to Save!
• Jane 4 Girls - $800 Budget/Family of 4
• Macomb Money Savers (Michigan)
  

These are some pretty good places to start!  But before I end for today, I made a handy-dandy Excel spreadsheet so that I can see what my savings are. You can see by the last line that what I really saved and what I "saved" if I had ignored the sales, rebate offers, etc. The bottom line is that it pays to look at the ads before you recycle them!  As some "old friends" used to say, "Failing to plan is planning to fail."

The following is tonight's CVS purchase.  Like I said, I'm not a guru yet, but I'm starting to get the gist better than before!  (Click HERE to see it bigger.)