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Saturday coffee thoughts: isolation life and combating loneliness

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It’s a chilly and cloudy Saturday morning here in Alberta and I think we might see some rain today. I’ve got the windows open to let some fresh air in and it definitely feels like fall. They’re calling for frost this week and I’m so not ready for that. The huge tree outside my window is shedding leaves like crazy – and we’re only a couple of weeks into the sesaon.

Time is moving so quickly – it’s already mid September. The kids are all back in school. The “littles” in our family who are the same age, seventeen, are in their senior year of high school. We’re hoping the schools don’t shut down again for their last year. My nephew who started college this week has to take classes from home. I feel terrible for him. Life is once again on hold as we’re in another restrictive period. I’m not going to call it a lockdown but it is what it is.

Yesterday, I made the best Italian meatball casserole. It was so filling and satisfying. I’ll share the recipe in a separate post today. I have plenty of leftovers and am looking forward to dinner.

I’ve got my breakfast which is toast and plant based peanut butter. Remind me not to buy this again. I just spilled oil ALL over my counter. Everything is greasy even with a wipe down. I have my morning coffee and it tastes so good.

And with that, I have a lot of thoughts to share today.

Meal planning

My slow cooker is all set up and I’m looking forward to make something this weekend. But what? I’m not sure. I was hoping to pick up a pork roast yesterday with my groceries but the price of meat is so expensive right now. I used to pay $13 for a pork loin roast. Now the price has gone up to $16 or $21. I nearly cried. Even beef stewing cubes have gone up to over $15. It’s not right. I don’t know how I’m going to be able to afford to eat healthy foods. I like my meat. But for now, I’m stocked up on things like basa fillets, imitation crab, canned tuna and lots of beans. Luckily, chicken is still reasonable and I have some thighs I can roast up later this week.

I’ve been browsing Pinterest and YouTube for inspiration in my fall cooking and am trying out new recipes. I’m going to have to place another grocery order though. I spent $130 on food on Thursday with my order. But many of the items I wanted, like the pork roast, were not in stock. So, I’m going to have to order from Superstore, which has the most reasonable of prices for meat.

I always keep lots of soup, beans, dried foods like pasta and grains on hand at all times. My pantry is stocked up with baking essentials, oats, and healthy snacks too. I like to keep a couple of month’s supply on hand at all times. I’m not a prepper. But… with food shortages and labour shortages due to the pandemic, it’s better to be safe than sorry.

I think some preppers are insane for how much they buy at one time. While those with a large family, I understand the reasoning. It’s just me here. So I don’t need nearly as much. I could feed a couple of people for about a month or two with my current stock. It’s usually just fresh produce that I need to replace every week. And toilet paper. That shit is expensive too.

Art projects

I went through my Etsy store yesterday and am trying to revive it. I got motivated after a couple of sales this month. I sent a digital journal to my niece for her birthday and she loved it. So, I’m going to get back into making those. I’m also aiming for at least one art piece each day. I really want to learn to paint watercolor flowers but I’m terrible at it. Abstract is definitely more my style.

Podcasts

My mic stand arrived yesterday and it’s all set up. I also ordered a filter to help create a better sound for tutorial videos. I need to come up with some kind of lesson plan to record these in an order that makes sense. I’ll be focusing on Etsy tutorials, graphic design tips, music production and software reviews. I’ll have two channels for this though. My music channel is pretty much dead. Though the TikTok account continues to grow slowly. I think that’s the place to advertise songs. Honestly, it’s so hard to get noticed in any genre these days. Over saturated markets in all areas make it hard to stand out.

But… this is what I love to do and what I’m good at. For now, it’s a hobby but one day I hope I can make a career out of it. Plus creating the thumbnails and artwork is just so fun for me.

Health and fitness

I went for my xrays on Thursday and got my second COVID shot on the same day. I felt fine the next day. My arm is still store and there’s a large red bump near the injection site. Apparently, this is a rare side of the Pfizer vaccine. It felt like someone had punched me in the arm.

The reason I put it off for so long was exactly this. My body does weird things and processes vaccines differently. I don’t get the flu shot because it always gives me an allergic reaction. Even an iron infusion caused some swelling in my hands. And I’ve had bad reactions to blood thinners too.

But so far, I’m okay. And I now I don’t have to worry about going anywhere with the new isolation rules. Basically, if you don’t have both shots past October, you can’t get in anywhere.

I’m not here to argue it. I’m not anti anything. I just worried about my own personal health and safety as I know my history with vaccines.

My fitness challenge is still going strong. I’m still monitoring foods each day, and I’ve started working out again. The pool is still closed and the gym — I don’t even know if we can work out in public. You can outdoors though.

Isolation life…and how I cope with loneliness

We’re in isolation again and I’m not sure how long this will be for. COVID cases are skyrocketing again. The new rules are murky. I’m allowed to have two contacts because I live alone. So, for now, that’s my bestie — and probably my dad. For now we can still see him. I hope that doesn’t change. He won’t survive another lockdown.

I visited him on Thursday and helped him with his dinner. He fades out more and more. Mostly we just sit together and I hold his hand. He’s quiet, so I do most of the talking. Or we watch whatever is on tv. Helping him with his food is something to keep my hands busy. I tucked him into his chair for a nap as he was ready to fall asleep. I fear his end is coming soon. If we go into full lockdown again, I’ll be devastated. My heart already hurts when I see him.

As a single person, a life in solitude can be lonely at times. I’m not overly social but I have my small group of friends I like to see for coffee or lunch dates. This isolation period means not being able to have everyone over for dinner like I had been planning and that hurts.

So, in an effort to keep sane, and busy, I’m going to work on this blog, my art projects, my Etsy store – maybe another music album. And I’m also working on organizing my home.

To help combat the loneliness, I chat with family via text every couple of days. I get my daily exercise. I’m keeping a regular sleep schedule. I’m showering every two days. I’m trying to keep things as “normal” as possible.

That’s life in a nutshell. Stay safe friends. Wherever you are.

How do you keep busy during isolation periods?

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We’re back in isolation … again.

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I wasn’t going to write today but after a provincial announcement yesterday, I’m livid and heartbroken. We’re entering into another “lockdown” so to speak. But not really. The rules are murky at best. People are confused. There’s a lot of panic going around today about getting vaccine passports and such. All I want to say is… I’m just tired of it all. I want life to go back to “normal” whatever that might look like.

I’m resigned to the fact that I may not be able to see my dad over the next while. The rules again aren’t clear here. But for me as a single person, I’m only allowed to visit with “two close contacts” for indoor visits. The weather has turned bitterly cold already and sitting outside with that wind is not ideal.

So today, I got up early – finally pain free with energy – I’m showered, dressed and will be heading out soon to get my xray and second shot. I can’t unfortunately do my bloodwork tomorrow but I can get that done next week. It’s hard to do much when you’re in a flareup and I’ve been in a hypermobility flareup for nearly two weeks.

I ordered a new slow cooker and it’s pretty!

Today however, is a good day. I feel good. I got some sleep last night. I had a shower. And I have a slow cooker on the way from Amazon. It’s teal and really pretty. My last one cracked right in half two years ago and so I’ve been without one. I’ve missed it. The Zest Pot just does not cook meat the same way a slow cooker does.

And no, I didn’t order the slow cooker based on the color alone. I did a lot of research and found a decent budget model in my budget range $60 CDN – the teal color that matches my kitchen is an added bonus.

The Zest Pot is terrific for rice and pasta dishes. Sometimes even soup. But a perfectly slow cooked beef stew? There’s nothing quite like it. It was on sale for $80 and was the lighter version of the instant pot. I’ve said it before – I’m not a fan of pressure cooking. It’s not the same as slow cooking.

Fitness challenge – I see progress!

Tomorrow I’ll stock up on healthy food again with my biweekly grocery order. I used up most of the fresh vegetables in my fridge. I made the perfect roasted chicken the other night and ate the leftovers last night. It was even better reheated in the microwave. I paired it with the most perfect side of roasted vegetables – mushrooms, mini potatoes and broccoli. With a tad of olive oil, and seasoning. Cooked at 400F for about 40 minutes is the key here.

I even got out the apple oatmeal loaf that was terrible. I reheated it last night, added some butter and a few chocolate chips and it was delicious. I think I just need to tweak the recipe a little bit next time. Or maybe the apple was too bitter. I don’t know. But yesterday was a good eating day.

I stepped on the scale this morning and I’m down a few pounds. I used the tape measure and the inflammation is finally down because I’ve dropped a couple of inches. That means that I’m almost down another dress size – and that feels amazing. I think the inflammation from the arthritis and hormones are a killer and that’s been holding me back.

And so, that’s where we are this Thursday morning. It’s chilly outside. Like 2 degrees Celsius chilly. It’s been way too cold to sit outside at night. I think I’ll have to sit outside before the sun goes down now which happens at like 7 pm. They’re calling for a brutally cold winter and I’m not okay with that. I’m just grateful for my fireplace (it’s really just a heater) that keeps me warm. I still haven’t turned on the heat and don’t plan on it until October.

Recipe project – more coming soon!

Well, that’s it in a nutshell. I have plans to work on my recipes and food page for you. I’m looking at innovative ways to make recipe cards that won’t take a lot of work. I may go back to older recipes and re-write them totally. I need to remove some instagram links. I also want to get into recording cooking videos. I finally have a tripod for my phone, and I ordered a new mic stand and filter for my youtube channels.

Let me know how you are surviving this never ending pandemic. I’m so tired of it.

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I love my new home.

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It’s hard to believe that just a few weeks ago, I was living among a pile of boxes and had made a decision that would forever change my life. I moved. As most of you know by now. And it sucked. A lot. But today marks my second week of living in my new condo and I thought I’d update on how things are going.

It took me a long time to get unpacked. I went through all the cardboard boxes and finally just tossed out the empties today. It was so windy, I nearly lost the pile of boxes to the wind. But luckily, managed to scoop them all up and into the bin they went. I dusted off my hands, came back inside and sat proudly as I glanced around my new space.

My faithful friend Wally dropped off groceries for me this morning. I actually got up, showered and was dressed before 10 am. I really need to try and get into some sort of normal routine so I can get back into “working” mode – whatever that might look like. I’m waiting for approval on my LTDI application. The migraines have been brutal and constant though.

What does that mean? It means I’m still employed, but I’ll be collecting 70% of my salary instead. This will mean some major lifestyle changes and cutting back on some luxuries. If you can call if that. I didn’t have many luxuries like travel to begin with. And with the pandemic still going strong, until I get vaccinated, this is life now.

How has my life changed? A lot surprisingly, and not so much in some ways.

Cooking Challenges

I’ve gotten back into cooking and have been making most of my meals with exception of take in that I ordered the night I moved in here. My sister also dropped off a couple of dinners for me that I ate while still unpacking the kitchen. The kitchen was my priority. I had that done by the end of the first weekend. Next came my spare room, living room and bedroom. While things are unpacked, I am still going through the bins to figure out what I’m keeping and what is being donated.

I love how much room I have here now. My living room is spacious and I have a nice carpet I can lie down on and workout on. There are no mice here. Which means I have a clean floor and don’t have to worry about a critter crawling on me. Or mouse droppings. I’ve checked daily and am happy to report – mouse free for two weeks. I can’t tell you what a relief this has been.

Now that I have a clean and organized kitchen, I’m cooking almost nightly. The nights that I don’t cook, I’m eating leftovers. I feel a lot better for this and it gives me something to do at night time. I’m trying to get back into healthy eating, so my fridge is stocked up with fruits and veggies that will be washed later on this afternoon.

In an effort to save money on food, I’m trying to more mindful of how much I buy. The upper level of my fridge is small and can only hold so much food. So my buying methods have changed. I can also walk across the street to the Dollar Store and No Frills. My sister picked up a microwave so I’m a little low on counter space.

What’s for dinner tonight? I’m thinking I need to use up the kale in the fridge. Maybe a nice quiche. I just love having a working oven. Scratch that. A working kitchen. I’ve fallen in love with my fridge even though it’s a bit tall for me.

I love the quiet.

The BEST part of this place is how freaking quiet it is. The only noises I hear so far are from traffic. I might hear the odd noises from plumbing or the building settling. Or the heating vents kicking in. But even on the holiday weekend, it was SO quiet.

It’s so quiet that I actually leave the windows open to listen to traffic. I also love my balcony. It’s massive. Once the tree grows in, I’ll have a lot of privacy too. Even the traffic noise is quiet compared to downtown living.

The view from the balcony is decent. But the view from my spare room is far more spectacular. I only wish the windows were larger. I took this yesterday morning at 6 am as I stumbled to the bathroom.

I love my new bathrooms. I have a small one with a full shower/bath. And then the master bathroom is huge. And the thing I love most – is the large tub. I’ve missed having baths. This thing is huge and it’s really clean compared to my old tub. No matter how much I cleaned it, it always felt dirty because it had scuffs and stains on it. This room. This is my go to room to unwind at the end of the night. I put on some music. Light a candle. And enjoy a hot bath.

I only have one complaint about this place in general. It’s the walls and baseboards. They’re in pretty rough shape with peeling paint. That’s general wear and tear. I’m not complaining about it to the owner though. He knows. And he is open to renos in the future. The wall color is outdated too – remember this phase in home renos? But I love having carpet again and my feet stay clean.

I will take better pictures once I have cleaned the room and it’s decorated to my liking. It’s a work in progress. Yes, the boxes have been moved lol.

Some other perks are having an elevator again. And a buzzer. I can just ring people in for deliveries up until 6 pm. Which is okay for the most part. If I order in dinner, I’ll just have to order in earlier. For visitors or dropping off supplies, I have my parking stall.

I just meet whoever is coming by the garage and let them in. It’s nice not to have to walk so far to the door – and people don’t have to rush out because they’re parked on the street. It’s safe. I feel safe.

And that’s the main thing. I feel safe here. Walking is safer.

Sure there are sketchy people everywhere, but compared to downtown, this is so much nicer.

I can even put up with the neighbourhood children screaming at each other. They’re usually inside by dinner time anyway. Even the stores close around 9-10 so at night time – it gets really quiet.

And so that’s where we are this Thursday afternoon. Thinking about how much life has changed. I’ve seen family more in the past month than in the past five years. And that says a lot. It’s why I chose this place.

I’ll share more pictures as I decorate. Here’s my fireplace which I love love love. I’ve always wanted one of these. It looks great at night time. The room is still a work in progress.

How’s your week going? What changes have you made this year? This was a huge one for me!!

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Christmas Cravings – I made eggnog, for the first time from scratch! And it was delicious

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Once my Christmas tree went up a couple of weeks ago, the cravings for Christmas treats started to hit me hard. I think it’s a combination of winter being thrust upon us, and being stuck at home in isolation as I wrote about this morning.

Eggnog has been on top of my shopping list for weeks but to no avail. None of the stores have it in stock at the moment. To my extreme dismay.

For the past week or so, I’ve been binge watching cooking videos on Youtube on how to make your own eggnog. And for once – I had all the ingredients on hand. Except for one – nutmeg which is a huge part of eggnog. I decided to get creative and tried cinnamon instead.

This was a LOT of work for one person – and it better be worth it. I’ll be extremely disappointed if the recipe doesn’t pan out.

First step was heating up some cream and milk. I used 2 cups of 1% milk (it’s easier on my stomach) and 1 1/2 cups of half n half cream. I let this heat up in a large pot on the stove top on medium low heat. All of the videos I watched told me not to let it boil or simmer. And to whisk often or constantly.

In addition to the milk and cream, I added in the about 1 teaspoon of cinnamon and about the same of vanilla extract. If you have vanilla bean or vanilla paste – I’m told that works just as well.

Next came the hard part – and one I was not looking forward to. Separating egg yolks. I had never done this before mostly because the mess it makes. But I was determined to make eggnog today no matter what to help snap out of this funk I’ve been in. The first egg didn’t work out so well. But by the fourth egg – I was a pro. I used 6 eggs in total – or 5 1/2 if you don’t count the one yolk that got away.

This next part – I think I messed up and added sugar too early. I used my metal whisker to whisk the eggs until they turned a light fluffy colour. I added in about 1/3 cup of sugar slowly while doing this. I couldn’t get the eggs as creamy or fluffy as they looked in videos and I think it’s because I used 1% milk. Whole milk, I’m told, works better for eggnog.

The next step was tricky for my left-handed self. You have to find time to whisk the milk mixture while mixing the eggs with your other hand. Then you take a soup ladel and drop in one scoop of the milk into the egg yolk mixture. And you have to whisk constantly while doing this step. It was very difficult to take a picture and the one photo I did get – came out blurry.

I mixed the egg yolk mixture until it was as creamy as I could get it – kind of like a thin custard – and then I poured it into the milk mixture. That’s where the real whisking begins.

I was paranoid about burning the milk but it wasn’t heating up fast enough for me and twenty minutes had already gone by. So, I turned up the heat and got out my $10 thermometer and waited impatiently for the heat to rise to 175F. That was good enough for me – to make sure the eggs were cooked enough.

I gave the mixture a good stir, turned off the heat and covered the pot with a lid to let it cool down.

Oh – I forgot to mention – I may have added a splash of rum or two early on into the milk and cream. Because why not? Most eggnog recipes call for rum, bourbon or scotch. Choose your pleasure, as long as it’s a dark or spicy. I chose my go to – Captain Morgan’s spiced rum which I’m almost out of.

Next came the hard part. You’re supposed to mix the egg whites in a separate bowl with a handmixer until you get a nice “peak” or until the egg white stiffens. But this did not happen for me. I mixed for a good 15 minutes. I even switched to a hand whisk for an additional five minutes. I tried adding cream. I tried sugar. Nothing. I eventually covered the egg whites with plastic and it is stored in my fridge. Maybe it will harden on its own – or maybe I can find some other use for it.

I’m now waiting patiently for the eggnog to chill enough so that I can have it for my after dinner drink. I’ve been craving it for so long but I never thought to make my own eggnog.

I’m not going to share the recipe since there are so many ways to make this wonderful drink that really should be available all year round.

Instead, I’ll share one of my favorite videos so you can see just one of many ways it’s made.

What’s your favorite drink this time of year? Let me know in the comments!

Now I’m going back to see what I did wrong with the egg whites. I’ll follow up with pictures later!

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Another milestone! 600 followers

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I couldn’t believe how many notifications I received last night after my last two posts. I watched as my list of followers continued to grow and right now as I type this – the blog is sitting at 600 followers.

Now, compared to blogs with thousands of followers I know that doesn’t seem like much. This blog has been a work of passion since April 2019 when I started it just to vent and whine about daily life issues.

Then as my audience grew, so did I as a writer. I challenged myself to research different subjects and eventually, my article list grew enough to break my blog down into sections.

I’m proud to show off the new layout and pages where I’ve organized and renamed most blog posts.

Living Well is a series that I’ve been working on for the last year. Instead of whining about my various ailments, I decided to use this platform to share my experiences and what I have learned about chronic pain management. You can now read articles on the following subjects if you click on menu, and head on over to the Living Well section.

  • Chronic migraine and headache care
  • Hypermobility and joint pain care
  • Self-care for mental health
  • Women’s health issues such as PCOS

I write from my own experiences and I share tips of what I’ve learned from doctors, specialists, and other people who have similar medical conditions.

I’ve met so many wonderful people through this blog and I thank each and everyone of you for the ongoing support and encouragement to keep this blog going.

I’m also still working on my fitness challenge of losing weight – instead of daily updates, I’ve switched to monthly progress reports. I’ll share tips and healthy recipe ideas along the way.

And as I get back into art and music, I’ll share my creations from time to time with you. Isolation has been hard on all of us. So, I’m using this platform as a way to share tips and advice on how to stay healthy – physically and emotionally during these troubled times. Sharing my own personal experiences with you, has been a joy.

Thank you again – all of you for being here.

Created using a Canva template – visit http://www.canva.com This is not my artwork.
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Winter is here to stay. And I drink instant coffee now.

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It’s Saturday morning. I’m showered. Dressed. My hair is washed and dried. I’ve got my toasted bagel and cream cheese with a banana for breakfast. A cold glass of milk. And a hot cup of coffee. It’s instant coffee. I drink instant coffee now.

And it’s snowing outside. Yes, it’s like the snowpocalypse today. We’re supposed to get about 10 to 20 cm. It wouldn’t be so bad – it’s actually kind of pretty. But the lack of sun makes it hard to get up in the morning. I guess winter really is here to stay. And I’ll say it – we’ve been lucky up until now.

But back to instant coffee.

Apparently, it’s all the rage in Denmark where my family comes from. I held off drinking it because I love the taste of roasted coffee. There’s nothing better than waking up to the smell of freshly brewed coffee.

But I found I would brew an entire pot of coffee and only drink one or two cups. And so, instant it is. I have different versions of it. Folgers. Tim Horton’s French Vanilla. I might even try Starbucks Pumpkin Spice next.

I’m committed to this. I even tossed my old coffee maker which was nearing the end of its life in with the pile of junk to be picked up.

Yesterday, I spent the day cleaning out my office in preparation for my move in March. That’s not much time. Maybe three and a half months. I was hoping to get rid of junk before it snowed. Oh well. But I managed to find a local company who will pick up my goods on Monday. I managed to get rid of three boxes of random stuff.

Books, cd’s, dead appliances. I’ve gone through two HP printers. One died last month after putting in a new cartridge in. I was not impressed. There’s a huge pile waiting to be picked up and it feels good to purge.

Next up is my bedroom. I really need to downsize on the amount of clothes I have and give stuff away. So if you’re in Edmonton and need some plus sized business casual clothes, let me know.

I haven’t done much cooking this past week as I am still having a problem with the mice. Finding a new nest near the traps was enough to give my notice to my landlords. I’d like to have a place lined up by early February and all the paperwork signed and sealed.

I’m keeping an open mind to what kind of home I want and where I want to live. It will really boil down to affordability.

My dream condo I was looking at last year has been on the market but for much higher than I can afford. I reached out to my friend last night – her mother owns it. I said if your mom is willing to lower the rent I’d be happy to take it. We’ll see. She may not want it to sit empty that long. But — sometimes it pays to wait for the “dream” tenant who rents from you for 5-10 years. Right?

For $1350 a month, that view would be worth it alone. I want to live here (the photo was edited digitally, the floor isn’t that white).

Condo for rent at 8220 Jasper Avenue, Edmonton, AB.

It’s an investment.

I’m also going to need a lot of furniture if this works out. Like a couch that big. And then a piano.

And on that note, my coffee is getting cold. I’m off to listen to create some playlists on Spotify. Eat my bagel. And maybe even put up my Christmas decorations. Because what else can we do right now?

Happy Saturday.

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Creamy Asparagus Soup

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I made this the other night and still have leftovers even despite having a large bowl for lunch today. It reminded me of when my mum used to make asparagus soup for family dinners as a kid. Some of my fondest memories were watching her in the kitchen standing over the stove whipping up some of her favorite recipes.

Normally when I make asparagus soup, I used a dry mix from the store. But I thought I would go all out and make it from scratch.

Next time I make this, I’ll definitely cook the asparagus first and puree the soup base which should result in a delicious, thick and creamy soup.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CGTbFFBHoWF/

Ingredients

  • 2 cups of asparagus chopped into 1″ pieces precooked (boiled or roasted)
  • 1 cup of spring onion diced
  • 1 cup of heavy cream or milk
  • 2 cups of chicken or vegetable broth
  • 1/3 stick of butter or 1/3 cup
  • 1/3 cup of flour
  • 1 teaspoon of minced garlic
  • Spices: salt, black pepper, parsley

Preparation

  • In a large pot melt the butter on medium heat. Add in the garlic and onions. Cook until onions are tender.
  • Add in the flour and stir constantly until the flour is fully cooked. Add in the cream a little bit at a time (about 1/4 cup) whisk constantly.
  • Add in the stock – or you can use water and a bouillon cube
  • Bring to a boil. Reduce heat.
  • Add in the asparagus and spices. Stir well.
  • Simmer for about 30 minutes.
  • Pour the soup into a blender and mix until you have a nice creamy puree mixture.

And the soup is done! This recipe will serve up to four people or you will have leftovers for a couple of days if you’re single like me.

Serve on its own or with a grilled cheese sandwich. This is how I ate it today and it was delicious. I skipped the puree step this time and it was still delicious. I also added in mushrooms because I had a package I needed to use up – but most recipes just use asparagus.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CGYpdqSH6qy/

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Happy Thanksgiving from me to you

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This morning I woke up feeling a little sad and lonely. Being single and living on my own is fine for the most part. But it’s holiday time – Thanksgiving and Christmas that I start missing my family. Especially my mum.

Mum would always get up really early on Thanksgiving day. By 9:00 in the morning, the kitchen would be filled with delicious aromas of turkey and onions for the stuffing. The turkey would be in the oven for 10:00 am. It was always a big bird – to feed an army. Which at twenty people, we almost were army sized.

I’m missing my mum so much this year. Especially with dad in the home. We can’t bust him out. I saw him yesterday and the visit was a disaster as he was not having a great day. They are serving a turkey dinner but it’s just not the same without him. My sister will see him Tuesday. It’s just hard being away from parents this time of year. I tried booking a visit to see him. I really did. What else can you do? I called him this morning to wish him a Happy Thanksgiving and said I’d see him soon and that I loved him.

I was sitting in my recliner, sipping my morning coffee and surfing youtube videos on how to cook chicken perfectly, when I got an invite from my brother in law for dinner. We’re a small group. The four of them plus me. This falls within the rules of family gatherings during COVID.

“It’s nothing special, just ham, sweet potatoes, broccoli. We’ll even pick you up.”

He had me at ham. I was sold.

The rest of the family are all doing their own thing. And that’s okay. We don’t need to get together all the time. As long as everyone is safe, healthy and happy. I just wish my dad could be with us. It feels wrong without him.

And so… my plans for cooking a magical Thanksgiving feast for one, will have to wait until tomorrow. I do have a package of chicken breasts I need to cook up so I will do that for lunch. I’m also going to make another apple crumble for dessert tonight.

I love my family. I’m missing my beautiful mum and her pies this year. I wish just once – I could see her one more time hovering over the kitchen counter with her rolling pin and high heels because she was short. Just once I wish I could hear her laugh and sing along to Bing Crosby and Dean Martin as she baked a million pies and desserts for the family.

Just once… I wish I could see her smile again and hold her tight and tell her I love her. But at least I won’t be alone this weekend. And for that, I’m ever so grateful.

Happy Thanksgiving. Stay safe and healthy wherever you are in the world.

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Asparagus Quiche – without the crust

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The other night I made dinner for a friend and I made the most delicious asparagus quiche. I just polished off another serving for lunch and it tasted even better today. I’ve made plenty of crustless quiches before but never with asparagus. I forgot how amazing asparagus can be.

This is a pretty easy recipe to follow and is very versatile. I’m not so great with pastry but one day I will make my own pie shell.

I do suggest using a casserole dish. I only have square baking dishes – but this would fit better into a 9×12″ casserole dish.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups of cheese (cheddar, mozza or your favorite blend)
  • 2 tablespoons of butter or olive oil
  • 1 bunch of asparagus (about 10-12 long pieces) cut into 1″ slices
  • 1 cup of spring onions cut into small round pieces (diced)
  • 1/2 can of creamed soup (I used Campbell’s Cream of Broccoli)
  • 1/4 cup of half n half cream
  • Six eggs beaten
  • 1 teaspoon of minced garlic
  • Spices: salt, black pepper, parsley, sage

Preparation

  • Preheat the oven to 375 and grease a casserole dish. I use Pam spray for this
  • In a large skillet melt the butter. Add in the garlic, spring onions and asparagus. Season with spices to your liking. Cook for about 3-4 minutes. This is just so the asparagus can absorb some of the flavour. Remove from heat and set aside.
  • In a large bowl whisk together the eggs, cream and soup. Don’t mix it too much. You can add a little bit of corn starch to thicken up the base if needed.
  • Add in the asparagus mixture and cheese. Give it a little stir.
  • Top up with more seasoning – I always add a little parsley on top as a garnish.
  • Cook for about 40-45 minutes. Cooking times will vary so check often. I used the toothpick method.

This recipe will up to four people. I do suggest serving it with something on the side – like cooked ham, steamed asparagus, or garlic shrimp which is what I did. Scones or a cheese loaf would pair nicely with the quiche.

Optional: about 30 minutes into cooking, take the quiche out of the oven and add some more shredded cheese on top. You can broil the cheese to give it a crispier texture. I skipped this step – and it was still delicious.

What’s your favorite quiche recipe? Let me know in the comments!

If you’re looking for a quiche recipe with crust – check out this one from EveryDay Food. Just substitute the spinach with asparagus.

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