Tuesday, April 6, 2010

Food Glorious Food!

Well, I told you about my little 'cooking new things' addiction right now, and I thought I would expound, for memory purposes. (if it gets too carried away, I may think about creating a separate blog.) I found this recipe online and it was suggested on the same blog to add ham.  And, of course, I had quite a bit of leftover ham from Easter, so that intrigued me.  I made a few changes and I think it turned out well! They had too much butter, so I adjusted the recipe to have 1/2 as much butter for next time... But they were oh so good and I love things in individual portions.  Perfect for potlucks. And Q and I had a lot of fun making them.

Here is a pic of my boy helping me assemble

And here is the finished project! Quite tasty looking.  (in case you can tell, I didn't have any parsley to make it look pretty, so I used cilantro... but I love cilantro on everything, so it's cool.)

Individual Scalloped Potatoes w/ Ham
  • 6 whole Medium Potatoes
  • 1/3 cup Butter
  • 1 cup Shredded Colby/ Jack Cheese
  • 1/4 cups onion, Chopped
  • 1 cup diced ham
  • 12 teaspoons Heavy Cream (half and half would work great or milk)
  • Salt And Pepper
  • Garnish with Parsley (optional)

Preparation Instructions

1. Pierce potatoes with fork, sprinkle with salt, wrap in damp paper towel and microwave for 10 minutes. Potatoes should be a little firm. Set aside and let cool to touch, then slice.

2. Slice butter into 12 slices and then cut each slice in half so you have 24 slices of butter.
Place a pat of butter in each 12 sections of a muffin/cupcake pan, then a slice of potato, salt and pepper, onion, ham, and cheese . Repeat layers twice: potato, salt & pepper, onion, ham, cheese. Top each section another pat of butter and then with 1 tsp of cream.

3. Bake in the oven at 400 degrees for 20 – 25 minutes, until cheese is melted and potatoes are brown.  Scrape around the edge of each with a knife directly out of the oven to loosen from the edge of the tin. Wait about 5 min. and remove. (I used a fork, which seemed to work well).

Monday, April 5, 2010

rainng and pouring...

Got a bunch of sickness goin' on here.  A couple of weeks ago (maybe 3), I took Maiya to the Dr. cuz she had this cough she couldn't get rid of (she had the cough even before I got my surgery).  So, we got some antibiotics and that worked. 

Well, about 5 days ago, I noticed a rash in her diaper area... and it really itched her.  Then this weekend starting around Sat.eve I noticed her getting a bad cough and runny nose again.  Sat. night and Sun night she woke up in the middle of the night and couldn't get back to sleep. 

SO, I took her in today and she has a yeast infection (caused from the last antibiotics she was on).  And now a very bad ear infection! So, more antibiotics.  I really feel so bad for her.  I hope she can get over all of this soon, and for good!  Because it seems all I am doing lately is juggling a million of dr's appointments! And Q has a well child exam this week as well.   But you know, things happen usually all at once.... so I guess we are no exception. 

Sunday, April 4, 2010

You Know.... Stuff. (and updates).

Things here are going well.  Had a great Easter Sunday.  I made a monster of a ham, and it was very enjoyable.


Look at my cutie family.  I agree, I should have been in there.... but look how nice looking they all are.


I enjoyed listening to the General Conference talks this weekend.  The biggest things that stuck out to me are:

1. I felt hope in the possibility of raising my children in the gospel, and the importance to do so. 
2. The need to continue with family history.
3.  I can disagree without being disagreeable... the need to be kinder to those I associate with.

This week will be week 6 after my surgery and my 3rd Metho injection.  And just for the record...
Here are what my hcg levels have looked like:

2/22/10: 1,570,000
week 1:5500
week 2: 2200 
*went to the hospital because of heavy bleeding and numbers had gone up to 2400
week 3:1900
week 4: 2800
first Mtx shot
week 5: 2730 (so not a huge drop, but pretty normal to not see a huge drop after the first shot.)

I feel like I have been doing pretty well with the shots... not gonna lie they really do drain me, and it does not excite me to think I probably have at least a couple more months of this. But God is blessing me to feel extremely motivated to do all sorts of projects and try things that I haven't tried previously... mostly in the kitchen ie. the cake, the ham.  Cooking has had such a healing effect for me lately.  When I am busy trying to read the recipe and get together all of the ingredients I forget somehow about how tired I am.  And the rewards are amazing as well!

 I think the hardest side effect of the chemo, is I feel like I don't think quite clearly with it.  I forget things easily, my words don't seem to come as easily, I make people repeat things that they just told me, I have a harder time making decisions ie. at the grocery store.  I feel that I must be really annoying to be around right now... and I am sorry for you people who have to deal with me on a regular basis... like my children lol.  But, they hopefully are young enough to forget.

Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Baby Shower

On Saturday I hosted a baby shower at my house for this beautiful Mommy-to-be.  It was certainly a blast.

I have always wanted to try to make a fondant cake, and I thought this was a perfect opportunity and I did it! And it didn't taste too bad either.  Quincey really enjoyed helping me as well, he cut the circles and helped put them on the cake.  We had fun!

Monday, March 29, 2010

Finally!

So, Geren and I made our first real furniture purchase of our entire marriage! We are so happy with it. Now we can have food in the middle of our table! So nice. I expect to have some good times around this new table.


As we had many great memories with the old table!

Sunday, March 28, 2010

Some thoughts

I have noticed that my hormones have been making me more easily offended lately... so I studied a little in my scriptures about Charity and was really struck by something in this verse

Moroni 7:45 And charity suffereth long, and is kind, and envieth not, and is not puffed up, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil, and rejoiceth not in iniquity but rejoiceth in the truth, beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.

If I focus on the truth in every situation then I am closer to feeling charitable in that moment.  For example: The truth is, I don't feel well, and that is why I am reacting this way... the truth is they are just trying to help.... the truth is they are completely ignorant..... etc.  It is amazing how the spirit will help me notice the truth of all things when I am looking for it and how that will comfort me and give me peace. 

My friend, Stefanie, sent me this quote and I loved it.
  Neal A. Maxwell
"Enduring Well" Liahona, April 1999:
Certain forms of suffering, endured well, can actually be ennobling. Annie Swetchine said, “Those who have suffered much are like those who know many languages; they have learned to understand and be understood by all” (quoted in Neal A. Maxwell, We Will Prove Them Herewith [1982], 123).
This experience hasn't been easy, but I am focused on making it work for my good.  And so far, it has.  It is amazing how much more grateful I am for my healthy children and their healthy births.  It truly is a miracle.  And I am so grateful to be in a place that makes me more understanding towards others. I now can feel more compassion towards those who go through mis-carriages, and molar pregnancies, and chemotherapy (well, this kind at least), and to those who want to have kids but can't. 

Well, I am super tired, I just wanted to record a lot of the things that I've been thinking lately.

Thursday, March 25, 2010

Note to self......

Chemo of any kind is not really that much fun.  

Had my first Methotrexate shot yesterday.  I had to get two shots and they gave it to me one in each 'hip'... (which is more like the upper buttock).  Apparently they base how much they give you off of height and weight which is why I have to get two shots each time.  The nurses tag-teamed it which was nice so I only had to feel the poke one time.  Ooooo, I hate shots.... but they really weren't as bad as I thought they were going to be.  The nurses kept saying stuff like, 'Oh, I'm sorry hon, these will probably really hurt.'  So, I was prepared for the worst. 

I felt tired almost instantly afterward. Felt pretty weak too, I stopped at a restaurant before I went home to treat myself to my favorite salad and I couldn't grip my glass as well as normal and spilled my drink all over the place.  The waitress asked if I needed a sippy cup.  I actually thought that was pretty funny.

I was so tired last night but had a hard time getting to sleep because my muscles were so achy and had a bad headache.  I was able to get to sleep at 8:00pm and slept until 8:00am. I feel better today, not so weak, and not quite as tired.  Still pretty tired, though, and still pretty achy.    I also just kind of feel kinda out of it.  I kept giving my kids drinks last night, apparently... both of them wet their beds, I don't really remember a lot of that.  So, one shot down... and hopefully not too many more!

But all in all, not too bad.  I realize it could be much worse! I kept thinking about how great technology is that we have cures for things like this.  Even one of the nurses that gave me the shot was telling me how she had had an ectopic pregnancy (which, by the way, is cured by this same kind of chemo shot these days) and they had to cut her open and remove it.  I wonder how they dealt with this!  Probably a hysterectomy or something. So, I'm glad this is all that I have to deal with.

p.s. I just have to mention how great my kids have been through all of this.  Quincey just asked me, "Mommy, can we go get your blood tested so I can get some more stickers, please?"  What an adorable boy.