Hot Soup on a Cold Day

Mmmmm...hot soup on a cold day is so good!

When it's homemade it's even better!

I love tomato soup and have started making it from scratch.  I'm amazed at how fast and easy it is to make.  And, blown away by how delicious it is...better than any pre-made soup from a can!

Even my husband likes it and he never liked tomato soup before.  

To make it, I finely chop some fresh garlic (a small clove or about 1/4 teaspoon or so) and put it in a pan with a bit of olive oil.  I turn the heat on low to medium...just long enough to let the garlic flavors bloom (smell really good) but not toast and turn brown.  I turn off the fire and carefully (it might splatter) add a 15 ounce can of tomato sauce.  Then, I add a can of milk (I use unsweetened coconut milk), a dash of pepper and some finely chopped basil.  If I don't have fresh basil I use two cubes of frozen basil I get at Trader Joe's.  I love this stuff!  It tastes fresh and it's super convenient...

Sometimes, I add a dash of Cayenne for a little extra yum.
Then, I just leave it over a medium heat, stirring occasionally until it's hot.

I love having tomato soup with a grilled sandwich.  I used to love it with grilled cheese but I no longer eat dairy.  So, two slices of Rudi's gluten free bread, a thin spread of Earth Balance spread (buttery side down in the pan), and some lean turkey or chicken grilled in a skillet until golden brown on both sides is just as good.  I like to put a dollop of mustard on my plate to dip it in.  Yum!
Sometimes I even dip my sandwich into the soup. Double yum!

Since I'm posting about dairy and gluten free food...some people who follow my blog have asked

about health issues my daughter was going through at the beginning of the year and the results of the "Total Elimination Diet".  One blogger even sent me sweet, long email asking about it.  I tried several times to reply and had a hard time getting it to go through.  I'm not sure if she ever got it.  I hope so. If not, please know that I tried.  Since then, my computer completely crashed and I lost that email and all my email addresses.  So, I'm not even sure who sent it.  I'm sorry.

My daughter is doing great.  It turns out that she has a gluten sensitivity.  It's been a tough change because so many foods have gluten in them.  In a lot of ways we've had to almost completely change how we eat.  It's all for the good though because we eat very few pre-made/processed foods now.  We mostly eat things we make from scratch and LOTS of veggies.

My daughter is feeling a lot better.  Hubby and I eat mostly gluten free and like how we feel.  My daughter and I even noticed that eliminating gluten improves our overall mood and sense of well being.  I've lost weight and dropped to my goal and holding.  I think that's due to reducing carbs and that healthy, gluten free eating makes us feel more satisfied with what we eat and we don't have the urge to snack as much.  I can't believe we're coming up on one year since we started this.

Thank you for thinking of us and asking how it's going.  :-)

A New Angle

I've been meaning to post an update about what was going on in my last two posts but I just haven't been ready until now. The whole thing was such a surprise and gave us so much to think about. All of the supportive comments really helped us a lot...thank you. It was comforting to receive caring and encouraging words and stories from others who have experienced similar things. Taking a breath, a little time, and the help of others has caused us to step back and take a look at all of this from a different angle. We've done a ton of research since the doctor said she wanted to rush into surgery. Over and over we've read...and heard from others...that it's not only a good idea to wait, it's usually common practice. Surgery is a BIG deal! It's not something to rush into. The idea of it really upset us all. Cysts can change and often do. It only makes sense to wait and watch to see if it changes.

We've also learned that dietary/eating changes can make a big difference with this and thyroid (the other issue). We had already been making significant changes in our diet and this was the push we needed to take it to an even higher level and get more serious about it. We've been eating more veggies, whole grains, natural foods, no dairy and less meat. In fact, we're almost vegetarian. The only meat we've been eating is some fish and an occasional meal with organic, free range chicken. We're limiting ourselves with the red meat to verrrrrry seldom. We've read so much about how a more natural, plant strong diet can be life changing. And, so far, we all feel better from it. Although, I'm not sure I'll give up my Ben and Jerry's Coffee Heath Bar Crunch ice cream! Hubby and my daughter have found alternatives that they LOVE! They both love coconut ice cream...especially the cookie dough flavor. Hubby fell in love a few years ago with Trader Joe's soy ice cream with dark chocolate and cherries. I haven't found any alternatives that I like yet. So, an occasional tub of Ben and Jerry's just might be something I won't give up.  But, I rarely have it....so, that's ok. 

Exercise always seems to be one of the answers to just about every health issue. This is no exception. Talk about a kick in the butt to get to the gym more regularly! Hubby was already doing great. My daughter was doing ok. I had gotten a little lazy with it over the past few months. But, now, we're all going to the gym just about everyday. The hardest part is going but once we're there it feels great and I can't believe I put it off. It makes no sense to avoid something that can make us feel so good and improve our health and quality of living.

Another thing we've read and heard a LOT of good things about is acupuncture. It has a reputation of correcting these kinds of problems. We decided to go for it. My daughter had her first visit just a few days ago and is noticing changes already! The acupuncturist we're going to specializes in women's health. She also recommended Chinese medicine for the thyroid. We were ready to go for it with that too but when my daughter mentioned it to her OB/GYN, she said it can cause more problems. But, in the same email, she suggested giving my daughter injections of a hormone that we already told her my daughter had a problem with in the past. My daughter's immediate reaction to that hormone was, "no way!". We'll talk to the acupuncturist about the Chinese medicine some more tomorrow. In the meantime, she's going to stick with the acupuncture and see what happens.

It just seems to make the most sense to do healthy and non invasive things to try and correct this or any other health issue. I've read and heard countless stories about the success of such things. Cutting someone open and doing surgery should be a last resort and...hopefully...one we can avoid!

10,000 Steps and Counting

Last year, in an attempt to try and get fit, I bought a new pedometer...


I'd tried other ones over the years and became frustrated with how they weren't consistent in working. Sometimes they worked. Sometimes they didn't. It seemed to matter how high or low my waistband was or something. I never quite figured it out. But, this Omron Pedometer is great! It works whether it's in my pocket, on my waist, even in my purse (I still can't figure out how that works!), upside down, right side up or backwards. I love it! It gives me lots of different information...how many total steps in my day, total of moderate steps for the day (steps more worthy of true "exercise"), total steps since I changed the battery or reset it, calories burned, miles, time, etc. It even has a little leash with a clip to keep it from falling out onto the ground, taking a dive into the toilet, or getting lost. And, when I don't have a pocket, it has a handy clip to slide it into. :-)

My original goal with this pedometer was to get 10,000 steps each day. I did pretty well in the beginning but my numbers have been declining. However, I've been finding a lot of motivation lately at another blog, "Basically Benita". Benita is teaming up with other bloggers so we can reach our weight loss and fitness goals together. There's something about doing these kinds of things with other people that really helps a LOT.

Today, she posted a great idea..."The 10,000 Step Club". I think this is just the motivation I needed to get me excited and going again. It'll be so much more fun to do it with more people, be accountable to one another, and see our progress. Not to mention that Benita's enthusiasm is contagious! I've been waking up in the morning and thinking how Benita is probably on her treadmill and it's been getting me on mine or out the door for a walk. Thanks, Benita!

Would you be interested in joining in on the fun and walking a path to better health? Join us! And, don't be shy, let us know. There's a lot of motivation and power in just telling someone that you're going to start walking and being more healthy. If you need even more motivation, Benita's even going to have a contest! Check it out HERE!

Magic Needles

About a month ago I posted about how I've been diagnosed with tendonitis in my elbows and how much pain I've been in. A couple of you suggested acupuncture. I researched it and quickly gave it a try.

It was amazing how much it helped with the very first treatment! I could finally sleep at night. However, I could only afford a couple of treatments. Luckily, I found out that my insurance provider has their own acupuncturist and I was able to get my doctor (with a little pressure) to give me a referral.

I had to wait a month to get in and my first treatment was this week. I found it interesting, yet again, that it was nothing like I had read in the countless stories online. And, that it was different than my first acupuncture treatment. I guess they're like chiropractors, they all do things a little differently.

This one came in and quickly started putting needles into my arms, around the elbows (three in each, I think), and putting them in VERRRY deeply, as far as they'd go, even indenting the skin!!! OUCH!!!! The pain was soooo intense that I thought I was going to pass out! He explained that the pain in my elbows is like a pressure cooker and the needles are like vents, letting it out. That could explain why the left side (the one that has been so bad) hurt wayyyyyy more! Thank goodness he didn't ask me to move my arms around like the first acupuncturist did!!! I think I would have blacked out right then and there!!!

I'm so glad my daughter went with me because she was able to get a wet cloth to wipe my face. Ahhh! She told me to think happy thoughts. Problem was, the pain was so intense that I couldn't come up with a single thing. She calmly started describing happy memories and it helped so much! What a great girl! :-)

I'm seeing improvement each day since. It's amazing! I woke up this morning and could move my arm without any discomfort. It still hurts when I move it in certain ways but that seems to be improving too. Strange magic!

I have more treatments scheduled in the coming months. I wish they could be like I've read...painless and relaxing! But, the improvement and increased ability to use my arms and get back to normal living is worth it.

I also pressured my doctor into giving me a referral for physical therapy. I want to learn how to strengthen my arm without hurting it again. That starts next week.

Needles of a Different Kind

I've experienced a lot of different kinds of needles in my life. Some I like...sewing and knitting. Others...like shots, IV, blood...not so much. Today, I had a totally new needle experience...acupuncture!

The experience was very different than I had expected. I thought I'd go in and lay on a table and have needles placed in me at various spots on my body and just lay there for a while. It was nothing like that. And, I wasn't afraid of being poked...which is kind of weird...but good, since I was about to be poked a lot. The needles are very thin, about the size of a human hair. And, they don't really hurt going in.

The acupuncturist located the pain in my elbows and placed needles in those spots. Then, she had me move my arms around to help in circulation and releasing the pain. That was a surpise! Move my arms with needles in them?! Yikes! But, it was okay. She continued this process, taking needles out, putting others in, and having me move my arms until I had relief. I think I got a funny look on my face when I did feel the relief and she knew exactly what had happened and said that a lot of people say it's "crazy" how it works. I agree.

I can't say that it was a painless process because it wasn't. There were a couple of times that the needle was a little deeper than the pain spot and when I'd move it would hurt in a strange way that I can't describe. But, she'd pull it out a bit and sometimes that would do the trick. Other times she had to try another place. She also did some "cupping" (a little suction device) on my really bad elbow to help bring the pain spot up to a place she could access. That didn't hurt. But, I have a few little circles on my elbows. lol

My pain is significantly less but not completely gone. Since I injured my elbow a few months ago and the pain has been building, it may take a couple of treatments to get full relief. I'm feeling hopeful. It was hurting pretty bad earlier today. And, my right arm has had to compensate for the other one so much that it was hurting a lot more today too. I tried to do a little knitting this morning (before the treatment) but had to stop. Compared to this morning, my elbows are a lot better. My next treatment will be on Monday. I'll keep ya'll posted as to how it goes.

Thanks to JoMamma and Jennifer for the advice to try acupuncture. It's something I've been interested in for years. I'm not sure why I hadn't thought about trying it for this. I researched it online after both of you recommended it and couldn't believe all the great testimonials and info I found! Thank you! :-)

Road Blocks

I'm still here! The good news is that my creative mojo is returning. The bad news is that I injured my arm a few months ago and it's keeping me from enjoying my newly returned mojo. :-(

A few months ago I decided to get more serious about exercise and added weights to my morning exercise routine of walking/running. Well, being in the worst shape I've ever been in, I had to use the lowest settings and weights that we had (pitiful, I know). I ended up pulling a tendon in my left elbow. I quickly stopped the weights and hoped that time would heal it. Well, it got worse and I decided to see a doctor. Turns out it's tendonitis and he prescribed meds and gave me a brace to wear. He said it would be back to normal in a week or two. It's been three weeks and it's worse. Now, it hurts almost all the time...even when I pick up something light like a throw pillow or sit down to watch TV! :-( It even hurts when I knit! No fair! I'm waiting to hear back from him to see what I should try next.

On the bright side, I have to take it easy. On the not-so-bright side, I have to take it easy. I have so much I want and need to do! This is frustrating, to say the least. I'm hopeful I'll find a way to get it healed so I can jump back into life, full steam, enjoying my newly returned mojo to it's fullest!