Chicken Breasts with Raspberry Sauce

Well...for this post I planned on ranting because I had a horrible day.  However, you all are lucky because it's 1:33am and I am too tired to rant. 

I've been making some new recipe's lately and they have been awesome.  Here is the recipe for what I made tonight.  It was awesome!!!  I'm not taking the time to spell check tonight so you will have to deal with my errors.

Chicken Breasts with Raspberry Sauce

Ingredients:

4 medium skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (about 1 pound total)
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed
1/2 teaspoon dried sage, crushed
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
       Nonstick cooking spray
1/4 cup seedless raspberry jam
2 tablespoons apple juice
1 tablespoon Sherry wine
       Fresh Raspberries (optional)

Directions: 

1.  Rinse chicken; pat dry.  Combine thyrme, sage, saltm and pepper; rub over chicken breast halves, coating evenly.

2.  Coat a 10-inch skillet with cooking spray.  Add chicken to skillet.  Cook over medium heat for 8-10 mintues or until tender and no longer pink, turning once.  Remove from skillet.  Keep warm.

3.  Stir together jam, apple juice, and Sherry wine.  Bring to boiling.  Boil gently, uncovered, about 2 minutes or until suace is reduced to desired consistency.  Serve sauce over chicken.  If desired, garnish with Raspberries.  Makes 4 servings. 

For sides I made Olive Oil and Roasted Garlic Coucous and a delicious side salad with Ceasar salad dressing.  Ha...I put the tomoato on my plate for the picture and then gave it to Kortney because I can't eat tomatoes.    I'm so glad that I found something so tasty that I can eat.  Can't wait to make it again. 

Btw...the plate pictured is not some huge old plate just filled with food.  I eat my food on salad size plates...it helps with controling portions.  Actually...I've been serving the whole family on the smaller plates for several weeks now.  It really works!!!

I'm headed to bed now.  I'm very grumpy and I have to get up very early tomorrow.  Busy day with homeschool activities, Project Rudolph, my school work, and...oh yeah...it's my 15th Wedding Anniversary tomorrow.  Oooppsss...I guess I mean today.

Ciao!!!!



Yes....I Run Off A Remote Control

Since having two surgeries last April I have had a ton of questions about what type of surgeries I had and what it was for. At the time I was a bit hesitant to share everything as I was pretty embarrassed about the whole situation. Now that I am more comfortable with what is going on I will explain some things.

While living in Japan in 2005 I started having some female problems. The doctors there told me it was really nothing and that I was too young to have anything major wrong with me; I was 28 at the time. Well...they were wrong. Four surgeries in less than two years tells me that yes...there was something wrong and that they could have caught it had they been listening to me. I believe that had my issues been caught then, I would not be dealing with the chronic illness that I am dealing with now.

The surgeries I had in April were for Intercystitial Cystitis...aka...a chronically inflamed bladder. This December will be two years that I have been struggling with this disease. In April I had an Interstim device implanted in my back and also left buttock. In my back is a neurotransmitter that sends a continuous electrical impulse to my sacral nerves, the nerves that control bladder pain and functioning. In my left buttock between the muscle and fatty tissue is where the battery was implanted.

Here are a few questions that I have been asked over the past several months:

1. What does the device look like?  Below is the battery pack that was inserted in my left buttock.



2.  Can you feel the electrical impulses? Yes...I can. When I had the trial device I would even get a crazy jolt every now and again; especially when I bent over to pick something off the floor or when tying my shoes.

3. Where do you feel the electrical impulses? I'm not telling on the internet...LOL!! If you are that curious you can email me and I will send you a reply.

4. Can you feel the battery when you are sitting? I did at first, but not really too much anymore. I do notice that when the weather gets bad that my bottom aches in that area. When it bothers me I just rub the area. Yes...that means I walk around rubbing my booty; I don't really care what people think anymore. Ha...according to my son everything revolves around my butt....LOL!!!

5. Can you turn on and off the device yourself? Yes...I have a remote control that I always carry on me. I was a bit worried about the remote at first because I kept picturing Jake getting into my purse and saying, "Hey mom, what's this?" Then, press all the buttons and me getting zapped. However, the remote only works when placed over the battery itself. I will admit that was hard for me to get used to, especially in public; nothing like drawing attention to yourself and your booty. However, I got over this real fast...its life; nothing I can do about it. So…I’m not going to worry about what other people think; they don't know what I’ve gone through.  Below is what my remote looks like.



6.  Does the remote control when you go to the bathroom?  No...once the device is turned on I go through my day like I normally would.  All bodily functions continue to work the way they normally would. 

7. Does the device set off alarms at the airport and stores? Sometimes yes...sometimes no. At stores it depends on how close I walk by the theft detector. If I happen to set it off I pretend like I don't hear it and keep on walking....LOL!

8. Does it hurt when you exercise? Yes it does. So...I haven't done much exercising in the past six months. However, overall the pain has been subsiding so I am going to try running again. I feel so much better physically, when I do.

9. Does the device help with my disease? Overall...yes it does. I still have bad days...but...now my bad days are better than my good days when I didn't have the device. For example, it used to be that I could not go out to dinner with friends without having to go to the bathroom 6-7 times; sometimes more often. Now, I can sit through a several hour meal and not have to go at all. I also used to go to the bathroom about 25-35 times a day. Now...on a good day I only go about 8-10 times. My pain has also decreased. I still have pain every day but not like I used to. At one point, before treatment, I got to where I didn't even want to leave my house anymore.

Those are just some of the basic questions. I have to say that I would not wish this disease on my worst enemy. I still struggle physically every day, but I’m very thankful for the relief that I do receive from the Interstim implant.

And The Winner Is.....

I had Jake draw the winning name for my "Celebration Contest."  Each name of the people who left a comment either on my blog page or on certain Facebook links were written on a small piece of paper and then folded in half, then in half again.  I had Jake close his eyes and and draw a name.

Drum roll please.....bah dum...bah dum...bah dum.....

And the winner of the "Celebration Contest" drawing is.....INDA!!!!!!!

I already have your address so I will be putting a box of goodies together for you this week.  Will be in the mail by Friday, September 24th.  CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!  I know Terry will be happy ;)

A Celebration Contest

Up until recently, my blog has been read by people in the US, Germany, United Kingdom, and Italy. Not surprising as I have friends who live in all those countries. However...after checking my stats I can now say that I also have readers from Canada, Australia, Thailand, Czech Republic, Indonesia, and Iraq. Holy Cow!!!! Never in a million years did I think my blog would have readers from the countries mentioned above.

I took several years off from writing and at the beginning of this year I attempted to start up again, at the request of several friends. But...due to some personal reasons I just could not get into it. It wasn't until just a few short months ago that I felt that I could pursue blogging again. Based on feedback that I have heard from my readers I have learned three things:

1. Some of you like what I have to say.

2. Some of you don't like what I have to say.

3. And the rest read to keep up with what is going on with me.

For me, writing is relaxing; it is my "me" time. It helps me become a better person. I love making people laugh and smile, even if it is at my expense. I also find it rewarding when I write something that touches someone's heart. When I write, you are seeing who I truly am. I am a real person, with real problems, real hurts, real dreams, real joys, and a real heart. I am ME!!!!

In celebration...I am hosting a contest. If you are a reader of my blog leave a comment either here on blogger or on my Facebook link. I will send the winner a goody box filled with all kinds of German delicacies. All the names of those who leave a comment will be placed in a drawing. Drawing will take place on Sept 19, 2010. I will post the winner on my blog and on Facebook on Sept 19th by 6:00pm Eastern Time

I just want to say THANK YOU to all the people who are reading my blog. It's SO encouraging to me!!!

Stressed Spelled Backwards = Desserts

Yes...this is me eating...AGAIN. This time I'm eating freshly made doughnuts sprinkled with cinnamon sugar. I ate all seven of them by myself and had my stomach been big enough I would have had seven more. You could say I eat when I am stressed and that would be quite true; didn't you know stressed spelled backwards is desserts. Makes total sense to me...LOL! Ask anyone who knows me and you will find that I am the Dessert Queen. LOVE making them and LOVE eating them.

We all have stress in our lives. Some stresses are our (btw...did you know that 'are' and 'our' are homonyms-something I learned while working with Jake this week...lol) own fault and others we have no control over. My busy schedule is my own fault....LOL!! Currently, I am homeschooling my two WONDERFUL children, attending school myself...FULL TIME, taking piano lessons, playing piano for church, and am Vice President/Event Coordinator for a wonderful charity called Project TLC-Serving Those Who Serve. Not to mention I have never ending doctor appointments (for myself), soon-to-be karate lessons for Jake, keeping up with house stuff, and the list goes on..and on...and on! I'm sure many of you can relate. I wouldn't have it any other way though. See...last year I didn't do hardly anything. I sat on my butt...having my own pity party...trying to get people to join me. Being stressed is a lot more fun than being sad...I just eat some dessert and it puts a smile on my face every time!!! Unfortunately, dessert also puts pounds on the booty and that’s not so cool.

Homeschooling Jakob

Homeschooling Jakob has been way different than working with Kortney; he needs A LOT more direction and guidance than she does. Although my days with him seem to be a little bit more challenging, we still seem to be getting our work done in a timely manner....most of the time.  I've already seen a huge change in his overall attitude and in general his behavior has improved. He's always a great kid....just doesn't respond to mom properly...which is something we are working on, daily!!! Jake's schedule almost mirrors that of Kortney's with a few differences.

Daily Devotion: Like Kortney, devotion is done first before anything else in the morning. Devotion time consists of prayer time, bible reading, and reading from Chicken Soup for the Pre-Teen's Soul. I have him pray for ten minutes daily. His Bible reading right now is "30 Bible Stories you’ve Never Heard Before."

History: His text is Old World History and Geography in the Christian Perspective. Right now we are learning about Asia....specifically the Fertile Crescent.

Math: Jake is using Saxon Math - Math 7/6. Math has always been one of his strong areas. Part of the reason why I decided to home school him is because his Exceptional Education Counselor from last year felt he needed to be in 7th grade math but was afraid that he was too immature to handle that course and the walk to the middle school without messing around. So...instead of holding him back academically I am teaching him 7th grade math at home so he can continue to thrive in this subject and not become bored with it because he was not allowed to be placed in a more challenging class. Jake's math comes with the teacher videos to supplement my lack of math skills. Jake hates it when I make him watch a video. But...if he's not getting a concept I say, "Oh well, go watch it anyways."

Science: Jake's favorite subject right now is science. I have to admit his science book is pretty awesome. I even tend to read it just for fun. The first chapter we learned about bugs. Now he wants a Praying Mantis as a pet. Thankfully they cannot be ordered until after January. In the meantime, he is going to do some research about them and learn how to care for one. Jake just started a new chapter this week about Mammals and will have a big project due about a specific mammal in a few weeks.

Grammar: Jake seems to be doing pretty well in Grammar. I still sit down with him every day and work on it with him. Maybe it's the English Major in me, but, I want to make sure he's getting the foundation for reading and writing that will help him be successful later in life.

Spelling/Vocab: He does great in this subject. Jake's words seem to be a bit easy for him too. The good thing is that I can use Kortney's words to challenge him if needed.

Literature: Right now Jake is reading from a text called Beyond the Horizon. One of the last stories he read was about the slave Phyllis Wheatly. What I found interesting is that I have actually read several of her writings over the years in one of my hundred English classes that I have taken but I did not know "her" story.

Poetry: Jake seems to like his Poetry. He does quite a bit more work than Kortney does. He has already memorized this huge long poem that I didn't think he would be able to. I underestimated him. One thing that I love about Jake is his never-ending surprises.

PE: Jake starts bowling this Saturday. I think I am also going to put him in a Karate class. I think that would be a great avenue for curbing his excess energy. I noticed during Flag Football Camp this summer that he benefit's from a good workout....LOL!!!

Music: Jakob is my little drummer man. He started playing last October all on his own. He has only had a few lessons. He had one lesson, broke his leg, and then the drum instructor moved away. Jake is a natural on the drums...very talented. If he keeps up the good work, I may cave and buy him an acoustic drum set. I looked at one a few weeks ago but it was not what I was looking for.

Home Economics: This may surprise many of you, but, my Jake loves to cook. Until recently he was not allowed in my kitchen due to his fascination with accidents and spills that I always had to clean. Now that he is able to clean his own messes, I share my kitchen with him once a week. Last week he made Enchilada Casserole. He pretty much did everything himself, including cutting the raw chicken into cubes. Now, with both my kids cooking once a week, I only have to cook 4-5 days. AWESOMESS!!! Below are some pictures of Jake's first meal that he prepared.

I'm very proud of Jake and the

young man he is becoming!!!