My all time favorite cookbook

THIS is my all-time favorite cookbook:

I picked up this treasure at the Goodwill for $1.29 long ago.

I adore this book.  It is terrific.  Absolutely.  This was published by The Mother's Club and this was the Seventh Printing and only 7,500 copies were printed.  I treasure this book.  

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I am a cookbook addict. I am down to only four now though.  The other two of my favorites are JUST like this, compilations from various recipe donors of their all-time favorite recipes.

What is your favorite recipe book?  Where did you get it?

Helping a Friend with cancer

I have been asked several times, How can you help a friend fighting a battle with cancer?  Here are some of the things that come to my mind:

1. Keep positive. Please don't say, “My grandmother died from cancer three years ago.” How will that help her keep a positive attitude?

2. Help her compile a list of people she want to keep informed of her treatment process. It can be very daunting letting everyone know how you are doing and how many more treatments you have to have. There are many free blogs and websites patients can use to allow their family and friends to keep updated. Ask if she would like you to call or email all those on her list after appointments, etc.
   
   
3. Offer to drive her to her appointments and offer and go in to her consultations to take notes of what the doctor says. Survival just becomes the norm and you get home and wonder what was even said. I had a great oncologist and they gave me lots of literature but the answers to your personal questions that nasty “chemo brain” just wipes from your memory the second you walk out of the oncology office.
   
   
4. Pay attention. After my first chemo treatment I became to depressed and suicidal. I have NEVER been like that. I was too scared to say anything but eventually I did. Apparently my medications were reacting badly. My oncologist changed my medicines and whalla all those awful thoughts and fears disappeared immediately. Super, super scary. Really! Medications scare me now that I know how they can affect your mental state!
   
   
5. Run errands for her. The “brain fog” or “chemo brain” is relentless so ask and remind. Bill payments, monthly errands, school commitments...
   
   
6. Take her laundry home with you to do at your convenience (and so she won't feel like she has to entertain you while you do her chores). Especially if she has had breast surgery. It took me a good two months before it didn't hurt to switch loads after my surgery.
   
   
7. Volunteer to have someone there to get her kids off the school bus or pick them up from school the first few days after each chemo treatment. If possible make arrangements for homework help and playdates for yournger children.
   
   
8. Arrange for dinners to be delivered to the family. Freezer meals to keep on hand or hot meals delivered on specific days. Even purchasing the groceries to cook a specific meal can help illicit help from other immediate family members to help out in the kitchen. Avoid overwhelming smells and spices, they can trigger nausea.
   
   
9. Bring the woman a cup of coffee the day after her treaments. It is too easy to stay in bed and skip that morning coffee then here comes that caffeine withdrawal headache to make things worse!
   
   
10. Make a sign for her to put on her front door (Do not Disturb Please, I am resting). So important!
    
    
11. Ask her to be honest and tell you if there is a particular individual she would rather not have help out or volunteer to care for her home or family. Then you can run interference for her.
    
    
12. Arrange for housework and lawnwork that needs to be tended to. Don't forget to arrange to get the garbage out to the curb.

I am certain I have forgotten many important things. As I think of things I will add them to this list. I hope this helps. If you think of anything else jot me a comment!!

Celebrating through Photographs

I was a 37 and pregnant with my fifth child when I was diagnosed with Breast Cancer. One thing I regret, five years later, is that I have no photos of me during this time period. No photos of me and my kids or even my newborn.  Well actually I have two photos, and neither of them are decent ones.  I believe it is important for me to embrace this fight as part of made me who I am today.  Cancer doesn’t define me but it certainly touched me and changed my life. So why not look back at your cancer journey and celebrate each step that made you into the strong woman you are today?  It sure would be easier to do with a journal and photos!

So, if you are or ever have to take the difficult, yet empowering, journey through cancer treatment heed this advice, take photos.  You may not want to look at them right away but eventually you will and you will be glad you have them.  I promise.  If you are afraid you won’t survive the fight, take them anyhow, your loved ones will be very happy you did.

If you would like to read about my cancer journey you can do so here.

Here are the two photos I have:

This photo was taken my my now stepdaughter with her Polaroid wristband camera.  This was in October of 2006, I think I had just finished with the last of my radiation treatments. (Yuck I gained SOOO much weight.)

This was taken my Miranda's Kindergarten teacher at Parent's Day, toward the end of chemotherapy.

So you see the only reason I happen to have these two photos is because other people took these pictures.  I had forgotten about Miranda's until her teacher sent it home at the end of the school year.

I wish I had more so heed my advice, snap away, journal, document, start a blog about your journey, even a private blog for only you.   This is just another part of your life that will determine what makes you you.  Good luck with your journey.  Tammy

Costume Party

Miss. Miranda is heading to a costume party tonight. We held a modeling event. Doesn't she look great?

 Now isn't she the sweetest vampire you have ever seen?

Thank you Lowes

We participated in the Build and Grow work shop this morning.  Here.are three of the kids police cars.

DIY Feather Extensions

Miranda just celebrated her eleventh birthday this weekend!  Yay Miranda!  One of the things she wanted with her birthday money is a feather extension.  We went down to the Antique store and she picked out a feather and had the worker crimp the bead into her hair.  She looks ADORABLE. Now I want one!  It was 12.99 for one little feather!!  AGH!!!  McLaughlin Designs has a great tutorial on how to do your own feather extensions!! HERE along with links of where to purchase supplies!  Go check it out! 

Sad momma First child off

Sad day for me.  We just left Josh, my oldest, off at college. Boy 18 years already!  I couldn't hold back the tears!  We love you Josh. Have a great freshman year.

Swimmer Eaten by Shark at Galveston Beach

We went to Galveston for the first time today.  Look at what we stumbled upon!  

So stinking clever!  I love it!

Fingerprint-a-phobic

Glass doors, glasses, screens, drinking glasses, ATM machines, public counter tops, TAPE, glue, windows, cell phone screens, mirrors, remote controls.... what do these have in common?  FEAR! One of the worst fears is using tape at work! How do you use tape without leaving your fingerprints on it?  You can't.


Perhaps I am the only person on this earth with the fear of leaving behind fingerprints!  I have searched for information on this subject for several years.  I have never committed any crime so fear of getting caught is not the issue.  I fear people retrieving my prints and using them for... something?  I have a Bachelor of Science degree in Pre Law/Justice Studies with emphasis in Criminal Justice I understand about fingerprints.


I admit I do have several OCD tendencies.  I have admitted it here on my blog as well, well I kinda make fun of it.  As I was doing research on this and I realized I have not always been like this.  


I think it began with a traumatic event. I was married for 17 years and then divorced.  After the divorce he began stalking me. He broke into my home on a daily basis, peeked in windows and doors, knocked on windows and doors at night, unscrewed light bulbs outside, placed kitchen knives in my children's rooms, put a baby monitor under my dresser (and would stand next door at night listening to the receiver) sawed bolts off the windows I had bolted shut, unlocked windows and left them cracked so he could gain entrance, went through our dirty laundry and caller ID daily and followed my every movement at work and around town. 


I came home for lunch from work one day and discovered him crawling across my kitchen floor on hands and knees with the window cut open, screen off and blinds pulled down. Scared the crap out of me! I called the police as he crawled back out the window to the back yard.  He tried to jump over the fence but finally stopped.  He begged and pleaded for me not to call the police and please "don't do this to" him, Really?? He stripped off the surgical gloves he was wearing, tucked them behind the fence post, and sat  on the ground begging me to let him go.  


When the officer arrived and cuffed this man pointed out the gloves.  The officer made me SWEAR to never ever ever drop that restraining order ever - the officer said that "that man" would eventually kill me.  After all, what kind of man would wear surgical gloves when breaking into a home if he did not plan on some kind of bodily harm.  Especially since his fingerprints were all over the house he had been living in, with whom I share four children.


Why didn't I think of this before?  That HAS to be it. I used to LOVE wrapping presents.  I lacked one art history class in college to minor in art and fingerprints are all over art.  It never bothered me before. I sure am not going to let "him" win out by me continuing with this fear.  So I am deciding right here and now....this phobia is over!  Right now.  Now that I know what caused this fear I can control it right?  


Lord Jesus give me strength to not allow fear to have control over me.

2 Timothy 1:7- For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.

Psalm 56:3-4 - When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can flesh do to me?

My review of my youngest daughter Kiera

I was typing up some review posts the other night and the youngest (5) of our six comes up to me and asks why I "do that". I told her that I like to tell other people about things that I like.  She pulls up a chair and crawls up and says, "Mommy, you like me. Put me on there." ..... Hugs and cuddles took over.  Okay, come on, sweeeeet!

Swimming Pool Games

I have been scouring the Internet for more swimming pool games to play with the kids!  Here are some:

Atomic Whirlpool - Have everybody get in the pool and line up single file along the edge with very little space between him or her. Have everyone walk for a couple of minutes, then jog another couple of minutes. Then take a ride on the carousel of water! Or REVERSE IT!

Battleships and Submarines - Divide the group into two teams. Each team has a “base” against the wall of the pool, opposite each other. The battleship team comes off the wall and taunts the submarines into chasing them. The submarines push off when ready, swimming underwater and try to touch/tag the battleships before the battleships reach base. If the sub is successful, the battleship switches sides and the sub gets a free walk/swim back. If the sub is unsuccessful, the sub must swim back to its side. However, if the sub has to come up for air and the battleship splashes the sub, then the sub switches sides! The point of the game is to try and get everyone on your team.

Belly Flop Contest - Kinda self explanatory!  Get your contestants, find a prize for the winner, and have the audience judge by applause, according to:  Judge on 3 categories: Form/Creativity, Pain and Air

Bottle - You’ll need a clear plastic 2-liter bottle. Make sure the wrapper is peeled off the bottle! Leader fills the 2-liter all the way to the top with pool water and puts the cap on. The game leader divides the group into two teams and assigns each team an “end” of the pool. A chair is placed on either end of the pool as the “goal.” Have the teams lined up on different sides of the pool. The players need to be facing away from the pool WITH their eyes closed. The game leader then throws the bottle into the pool. When it splashes in the pool, players can turn around, open their eyes, and jump in after it!  The object is to get the bottle to the other’s teams’ chair. If they can put it in the chair, they get a point. First team with 3 points wins.

Bumper Boats - Have about 5-6 sturdy tubes – “Bumper Boats” - for as many players as you have in the pool. This is like Bumper Cars at a fair or carnival, only in water. Tell the kids to kick off the sides of the pool and try to knock as many people off their “boat” as possible. Last one floating wins.

Chicken - In Chicken, you need at least 4 players, but it can be as many as you want as long as it’s an even number. Have all the players pair up, with one sitting on the shoulders of the other. When the game leader says go, it’s every team for themselves. The team’s objective is to knock the other teams over. The last pair standing is the winner.

Crocodile Hunter - Get a big inflatable croc and choose 3 volunteers who will each have 60 seconds, by themselves to do the best show of croc wrestling in the pool. Give points for creativity, death rolls, etc. 

Rubber Ducky - Put 3-4 players at one end of the pool and give them one rubber duck apiece. When you say go, they must use their nose to push the duck to the other end of the pool. They can also “blow” the duck forward; they just can’t bite the duck and swim to the other end with it in their mouths, hands or feet. Feel free to distract the other players by splashing water in their faces or splashing water toward their ducks to knock them backward. They just can’t actually TOUCH the other players or the other players’ ducks. The first one to get his duck to touch the other end of the pool (obeying the rules) is the winner.

Gator - Have one person designated as the “gator.” He or she treads water in the DEEP END of the pool while all other participants are standing on the side. The leader will then yell “gator!” and at that point, the players standing on the side of the pool have 30 seconds to successfully jump in, swim to the other side of the pool, and get out without being tagged by the gator.  Anyone who is tagged in the first round has to join ranks with the “gator” and try to tag the swimmers in the next round. The game goes until there is only one person who has not been tagged.

King of the Tube - Each team selects a champion who can stay on a tube the longest. One at a time, a champion sits in a tube, and when the timer starts, the opposite teams all try to tip over the champion WITHOUT TOUCHING HIM, only the tube. Time each champion; see who stays on the longest.

Noodle Joust - Have two players to sit on a raft in the middle of the pool. Each player has a pool noodle and they joust with the noodles to try and get the other player off the raft. When one player can get the other player off the raft, they are declared the winner. The winner then jousts the next player.

Pool Volleyball - Play this swimming game just like regular volleyball, but in the water. Divide up teams into 3-4 players per side. The back player serves the ball over the net and the other players on the opposing team must hit the ball back over the net. If the ball is not hit back, then that team serves.

Water Freeze Tag - One player is “it”. This “it” tags players and the player must freeze where they are. Other players can unfreeze them by swimming under their legs, climbing out of the pool and doing a cannonball, or anything else you may think of to get them “unfrozen”. When all players get tagged “it” can then choose another player to be the new “it”.

I got these pool games from all over the web.  Many of them were on multiple sites so it is very hard to give credit.

Always remember to have adult supervision and the most important aspect of any swimming pool party or swimming games is swim safety.

World's Best Chicken Fingers

So simple really!

Breading Mix:
1 box of Jiffy Cornbread mix
2c flour
desired amount of Cajun seasoning
desired amount of salt

Dip thawed chicken strips into flour mixture then an eggwash (eggs, milk, salt (and dash of hot sauce if so inclined) then back into the flour mixture.

Flash fry at medium high on a burner then place on a wire rack on a cookie sheet and finish cooking in the oven at 350 for about 25 minutes.  I have to double this for my tribe!  I always cook five pounds at a time too.  It comes out crunchy and tender as can be.  Serve with honey mustard salad dressing,of course.

Our new Zip Line

Spring Break is here!  I gotta work so I thought I'd be nice to Kevin by entertaining the kids with a new Zip Line from their tree house in the field.  (Ignore the dilapidated barn in the background please.)  Some of the kids are camping out there in a tent too.  What fun.

Happy 5th Birthday Kiki

Happy Birthday Kiera!

Festivities wore out Grandpa!

Sissy getting down with the ice cream!

My Five Year Cancerversary

We all have milestone dates in our lives, specific dates of each year that mean something important to us, birthdays, anniversaries, date of a loved ones passing.  Cancer survivors have an additional date that is permanently etched in our memory, our cancerversary. For many of us, we use the date we were diagnosed, surgery date or date of our last treatment (Chemotherapy or Radiation).  You never forget where you were or what you were doing when you hear those words, "You have cancer."

I like to use the date of my biopsy.  My date is January 13th, and I'm now a 5-year cancer survivor.  I remember it very clearly. I was 27 weeks pregnant with my fifth child.  I was having my biopsy on Friday the 13th of January.   I consider this date more meaningful than any other date that passes in my calendar year. It is the day that life as I knew it ended, and I was given another chance.  Life is never the same after a cancer diagnosis. No matter the outcome. It has been a very rough ride these last five years, but I am very grateful to have had the opportunity to live through it.  Long ago, without medical technology, I probably would have passed away shortly after giving birth to Kiera that next April.


I can now proudly say, "I'm a 5 year survivor."  After all, the five-year mark is universally known as the "all clear" mark, it often considered the closest to a cure as you can get with breast cancer.  My oncologist does not recognize it as a benchmark though.  There are plenty “survivors” who made it 5, 10, 15 years only to hear of cancer recurrence.  I celebrate tentatively, but with a great deal gratitude. 


I no longer complain about birthdays and getting older.  I rejoice in the privilege that I have had an extended time to celebrate life with my family and friends.  I am 42 now and I feel honored that my oldest son is in his senior year in high school.   I am much more patient, sympathetic and understanding of others.   Every single person has struggles and difficult circumstances they must walk through in life.  Only through walking through adversity will we become stronger.  I feel I am stronger now. I am stronger and I believe I still have a lot of fight left in me.

What am I going to do on my cancerversary? I will celebrate that I got to wake up this morning. And that's more than enough for me!