Cucumbers, Lemons, & 2 Healthy Changes

Summer time!  Hot, sunshiny days and warm,clear nights.  This year seems like summer weather that I remember as a kid.  "Make hay while the sun shines." was more than a saying.  It was what we did day in and day out.  The hotter and sunnier the better.  Bales upon bales would go up the hay elevator into the mow  to keep the cows bedded and fed for the winter.  Dry weather was the best and the bales were lighter and somewhat easier to move.  There were always thermoses of  water, ice tea, lemonade, and  "Switchel" to drink in between loads.  "Switchel" was a drink that was passed down from generation to generation and what was drunk before soda or lemonade became common beverages.  It was refreshing and cool and quenched your thirst without giving a stomach ache.

This summer quickly became the summer of healthy changes after some health issues cropped up.  One of the changes that needed to be made was to drink more water.  Cut the caffeine loaded diet sodas, alcoholic beverages, and drink more water.  I don't mean to sound ungrateful for my cold, clean, well water, but after a while the plain water just was not calling my name.  I was sick of it.  How to add flavor without adding calories and sugar?  I thought of the Switchel I had as a kid and  fruit infused water that you get when you go to a spa.  
 I opened the 'fridge and looked.  I had an abundance of cucumbers, lemons, and berries.  I took  some pint and quart sized mason jars and sliced some lemons and cucumbers to start.  I put them in the bottom of the mason jar, put in some ice cubes to hold everything down, and filled the jar with water.  I covered the jar put it  in the 'fridge for an hour or so.  When I opened the fridge, I saw a serving size jar ready filled with fruit and cold liquid.  Opening the jar I tasted.  Subtle, not sweet, cold, and flavorful!  This was it!  I then started experimenting with different flavors.  Blueberry and lemon, peach and a sprig of thyme, strawberry and thyme,  mango, and lime  and cucumber.   Change number 1 accomplished! Fruit infused water!

Change number 2 was to cut carbs and eat a lower carb and sodium diet.  Add to that drink more water and I was anticipating food hell.  Boring, tasteless, uninspired, which is sad during the harvest season.  Again, I went to the fridge and garden for inspiration.  I had cucumbers....LOTS of them.  
My favorite way to eat a cucumber was in a cucumber sandwich.  Whole wheat bread, smear of mayo, garlic salt, and fresh cucumbers.  Well, cut the mayo, take out the garlic salt, and that was NOT what I wanted....

Cucumber Mango Salsa.When there are plenty of tomatoes in the garden, I make fresh salsa....cucumber salsa....less sweet than relish and will pack plenty of flavor and use up my cucumbers!  I  knew mango and cucumber went together so I started chopping.  I had mango, cucumber, onion, jalapeno, and cilantro.  Chopping, mixing, tasting = WINNER!  Fresh, sweet, crunchy and delicious.  We had it on grilled chicken, grilled pita, and  grilled fish.  It made eating low carb easy. I would go to the fridge, grab the bowl and a spoon and eat my veggies, that  WAS what I wanted!! 

Captain Jim's Grilled Cod with Cucumber Mango Salsa, Tabbouli , & watermelon

(Recipes found on Healthy Changes Page)

Back in the Saddle

I began this blog as something to share.  Memories, thoughts, directions, recipes.  When I began,  I was on top of my game or so I thought. I was directing, teaching, cooking, writing, being a Mom, wife, daughter, sister, friend.

 I remembered and I wrote. I was young again.    I juggled it all happily. Then the unforeseen happened.   I was diagnosed and laid low with Lyme disease. I dropped the juggling balls.   Nothing worked.  Brain, thoughts, muscles, joints.   I was having difficulty communicating, (God Bless you Helen Keller and anyone else with communication disorders), organizing, functioning, thinking, creating.  Can you imagine Walt Disney not being able to create? (Not that I'm remotely in the same category as Mr. Disney.)  I couldn't remember clearly, I couldn't speak clearly, I couldn't cook or create.  I was reduced to accepting  help and relying on others.  

That was hard.  There are no words to tell you how difficult it was.  But help came.  Even if I didn't ask  or want it...it came.

 My husband, son, sister, mother, mother-in law, sister's of the heart (in-laws), friends, coworkers, and neighbors came to the rescue.  Phone calls, letters. emails, visits, words of encouragement, came in many ways.  THANK YOU...

My family did not starve or suffer, my students did not know or suffer from my weakness.   My family did not loose who I was, they were,  or the position that I took in the family, and continued to put "One foot in front of the other."

Was it the best, most creative or organic??? No...it was  not.  But it was enough.

 I   took care of my own.  I will continue to do so.....I suffered, I  healed...I  planted...I l reaped.....I learned....I will sow....and I am back in the saddle......

Back in the Saddle Recipes

Crock  Pot Ribs

In mixing bowl combine:1

1  can tomato sauce

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

2 tbsp minced garlic

pinch salt & pepper

1 tsp red pepper flakes
2- 3 lbs baby back ribs (pork or beef)

Mix tomato sauce to red pepper pepper flakes.  Take ribs out of package, salt and pepper both sides.  Put ribs in crock pot on low.  Pour sauce over ribs and cook on low for 8 hours, high to 6 hours.  Serve with ribs, and buttered cooked noodles or rice.  Delicious...