Don't Mess With My Meds | He Won't Allow Me to Talk | Keto Brownies

 We went out to get my new med for nausea. Yes, I feel nauseated all day long. I could see through the window that the worker had two bubble-like packages. So, I wondered. They weren't the plastic bags that hang on a rod for meds. I was annoyed when I looked at the bottle for the two meds. The bottles are three and a quarter inch high and two inches in diameter, much too large for 90 tiny pills. 

Plus, I put all my meds in a very small train case style case. This includes cough drops, tubes in ointments, so not a lot of prescriptions. And, getting larger bottles means the case will eventually not be large enough. Mostly, this is a gross waste, too much plastic. The 3.25 inch bottle has about 90 pills that are in the bottom .5 inch of the bottle. These bottles could hold 1000 + tiny pills. 

On Gunsmoke, I noticed Doc gives patients pills in paper envelopes. I do collect these empty bottles and take to the local animal shelter.

Yesterday, Tommy started on his tax return. He won't let me talk when he is holding the papers and working. Fair enough. I am not talking him to death normally. But, I understand even a comment is disruptive. It's really tough trying to say nothing at all! 

A hamburger with onion and bacon is waiting, along with zucchini to cook. So, that is dinner with tomatoes or a salad. 

We are going out to eat for the first time since 2019. Tommy's relative has been wanting to take us to Bright Star. Since we did not die from covid or even suffer as much as we could have, I am willing to take a chance, just one time. I hear there is another booster in the works for Fall, which I will get. 

He is up and letting me talk and talking to me. YAY! We had a chore this afternoon. He looks so weary. Even though it is 6:30 pm, I will take a short nap. He never "takes a nap," just snoozes for an hour in his chair and refuses to recognize it as a nap. Or, he sleeps for 20 minutes here and there. I have to put on a gown and get into the bed. 

My knee seems to have healed itself. I have not needed the walker at all, and I plan to keep it that way. I don't have to hold both sides of the ramp. I don't have to hold onto the car. I have not asked Tommy to get me one thing. Everything is back to normal. And, the walker won't annoy me.

I went crazy after seeing Dolly Parton's Fabulously Fudgy Brownie Mix. So, I got it. Then, as I wandered along looking at other brownie mixes, I saw a Duncan Hines Chewy Fudge Brownie Mix--Keto Friendly. After I had it at home, I read this statement--not a low-calorie food. It seems to have a lot of carbs. Maybe I don't understand "keto." 

THEN, I read this--"excessive consumption may cause a laxative effect in sensitive individuals." Well, that's just great. I have three choices 1) take both back, 2) give them away, 3) bake them and give most of each away. I don't know what to do.  

Today, I was in the Pig. I have been looking for a bottle brush, something to clean out jars and specially to clean the peanut jars when they are empty. I use them after they are empty for storing non-foods. But, It is impossible to get them clean with a dishcloth and with ease. Most stores in which I have looked don't have a bottle brush or a dish mop. But, in the Pig I found two dishmops in a cart of clearance items. Both were 25 cents each. So, I bought both. These are foam, not what I wanted, but I settled. Have you found bottle brushes in short supply?

He gets grumpy doing his taxes.

Have you noticed excessively large bottles for your prescriptions? 

Have you bought a Dolly Parton mix? How was it? 

Do you have a knee that comes and goes? 

A New Doctor, Brownie Recipe, Dinner

 I had my appointment with a new doctor. When I made the first appointment, I had to see a nurse practitioner who was not nice. 

Lynda saw this man and gave a good recommendation. He is very nice and addressed problems as I mentioned them. First, I told him about getting sick over and over and lymph nodes being inflamed. He felt and said they were large. Then, I discussed problems with lymph glands over the years and how they were basically ignored. 

We talked about other problems, too He has plans to get me to doctors who can help. Isn't that what a gp is for? 

The last doctor I thought was so nice is not so good as a doctor. I think as a man and a friend, he is excellent. But, I am not sure what he does except silly or inadequate advice. I know that walking would help with swollen legs and feet. But, he moved close and asked me if could wiggle my feet around some. ??? Now, the calf needs to move to get the body pump to work in order to move blood back up to the heart. I thought wiggling my feet around was inadequate advice for a woman who can actually walk! 

Did you hear about the woman who went into an American Family Care (AFC), went to sleep, and was locked inside? I have gone to sleep in the exam room when I was really sick but cannot imagine being left. This is not to disparage the AFC because in my opinion, this is a great business for health care, much better than walk-in facilities I have used in the past. 

Last night, I wore my pocket nightgown around during the evening and to bed. This is like wearing a bathrobe. It covers my limbs, keeps me warm, just perfect. Yes, I will get more of these and retire the summer nightgowns until spring. The summer nightgowns are fine in winter except they are low in the neck front and back. When my covers fall off the foot of the bed, I freeze and have to heave them back onto the bed--so annoying and sleep disruptive. The hem of the nightgown is about 5 inches above my foot, so not really long but sufficient. The brushed polyester did not make me too hot, thankfully. But, I had another gown at the ready to change. 

Tonight, I was in no mood to cook. I pulled out some thinly sliced beef from the freezer, put it in a pan with four new potatoes. While this cooked, he opened green beans, drained them and put water in the bowl, and microwaved. Now, dinner is ready--beef, potatoes, and green beans. I did not peel the potatoes. So, he peeled two inch potatoes! I ate my potato with the skin on. There is enough meat for another meal...Yay!

I had a pan of brownies made from cake mix ready to pop in the oven as soon as the meat and potatoes came out. If this recipe works, I will share it. I have used some recipes that did not work to make brownies from cake mix. Okay, the chocolate cake mix brownies are great. 

Cake mix brownies:

box of chocolate cake mix or fudge cake mix

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1/3 cup milk

1 egg

10 oz chocolate chunks

350F, 20 min, 8x8 pan

I always have chocolate cake mixes even though I never make a chocolate cake. My aspirations are greater than my reality. I had some dark chocolate chips, not 10 oz, but I used those. I cooked them a tad too long, but they were still great. We each had one. 

My flannel sheets came. Tommy washed and dried them. They are cotton, very thick, and not very flannel-y. However, the set I have now sheds its fluffiness. So, I am very satisfied with these. I will put them on my bed tomorrow if I feel like it. 

Do you ever make brownies or cookies from cake mix?

Recipe--Black Bean Brownies and a Colander

 Black Bean Brownies

350 degrees, 30 minutes

2 ripe bananas, mashed
1 can black beans, drained (mashed, whirred to pulp, whatever)
1/4 cup cocoa
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup instant oats (I used the whole grain Quaker oats)

Mix, use 8x8 or 9x9 inch pan, lightly greased with butter, Pam, or Crisco. Drain the beans.

The first time I made these, I was too lazy to put the beans in the blender or use a potato masher. I just gave more than few hopeful mashes of the fork and let them be.

When I tasted the baked brownies, the beans had the chocolate flavor infused into the half mashed beans. I knew there were no chocolate chips in the brownie, but the half-crushed beans tasted like chocolate chips and had the texture of chocolate chips. No matter how often I told myself I was eating beans, they still tasted like chocolate chips.

Since this calls for two bananas my mashed, frozen bananas might be used for Black Bean Brownies. Each bag has four partial bananas and equals about one cup. So,  I suppose that could be two bananas. 

I think I will use swerve next time I make this. 

Yes, I know I have posted this before, but it was years ago. 

It is 70F at noon. It will warm again before long, thankfully. I am not into cold weather! It is still sandal weather for me. 

My temperature is less each day, but I have this horrible tiredness that puts me back in bed to rest every few hours.  I continue to treat allergies so that maybe October will not require antibiotics. 

I have made a decision. The colander I own has holes only in the center of the bottom. About two inches up the sides are holes again. It is sooo difficult to drain anything without standing right there and shifting the contents and shaking to arrange the liquid so it will drain. The only thing I have found is a cheap $1 colander at Piggly Wiggly. Well, I do find other more expensive plastic colanders. So, I will go with the cheap one even if it poisons me. 

I don't need a colander often, but it makes me irritable even thinking about using one. I have pasta on for Suddenly Salad and the thought of jiggling pasta is annoying. I had six colanders before, and I miss them, especially the one I bought in 1966.

Holes are very important for a colander. They are the only reason for a colander. Otherwise, I could use a bowl or pot. 

Do you have a favorite colander? Now, I don't mean a wire sieve. I had one of those, too. Does your colander have holes all over the bottom and sides? 

Have you ever made Black Bean Brownies?

Brownies and Ice Cream, Death, and a Decision

 Friday, we went to one of the food pickups and came home with an enormous amount of food. They told us we could have as many boxes as we wanted. We said two, and the woman said you can have more, take more. So, we took four and she offered more. There is so much I need to work up. 

We got: six more butternut squashes, apples, plums, baby carrots like lunch size bags, red onions, baking potatoes, zucchini, cucumbers.

Also on Friday I purchased a blood pressure cuff, a touchless thermometer, and a 72" set of shelves--3 ft. wide.  I need the shelves for food in the kitchen. Food is all over floor, chairs, and table! I did not want to put it together last night, so we will do that today, Saturday. We both learned how to use the thermometer and practiced last night. He was pleased with his purchases...lol.

Last week, I saw red light out the door window one night. There was an ambulance across the street and a fire truck. I assumed the guy across the street who had developed lung cancer was going to hospital unless he had already died. 

Thursday night, there were several extra and never-before-seen cars there. I told Tommy he must have died. He poo-pooed that idea as I insisted. Well, Friday, Tommy talked to a woman from across the street and he did die! I thought the woman was the wife. No, she was the sister moved in to care for the guy. His wife died two years ago. Tommy was shocked as he had not heard about it. 

That is how disconnected he is from a man he has known for 25 years, a man who has faithfully mowed his yard or paid someone to mow his yard, a man who gave him his ramp and paid his men to install it for Tommy. I wonder how hurt the guy was that Tommy never acknowledged his wife died. I have a sympathy card for Tommy to give to them.

This guy has mown Tommy's yard for ten or more years, or had his employees mow Tommy's yard. 

At Dollar Tree a few weeks ago, I had bought 2/$1 8x8 inch disposable brownie pans, so I took one of the $0.98 Betty Crocker Fudge Brownie and made brownies. Tommy took them over. The guy's three daughters and their small children were there, plus other people from distant states. So, it was not much, but I am sure the brownies will be eaten! 

After baking brownies for them, I had still to bake brownies for my birthday. I decided Pillsbury Chocolate Fudge Brownie Mix and a pint of ice cream were just what I needed. I ate waaaaay too much. We had to run to a Shell station to get the ice cream. 

After breakfast every day or many days, I get so tired and lethargic that I go to bed and sleep several hours. I have decided this is my blood sugar dropping and not good for me. Soooo, a decision. From now on, after I eat I will take a walk. Today, I was going to walk in the street with my walker and Tommy watching me in case I have a spill or someone runs me down. Then, I changed my mind. He set his stopwatch for me to walk in the house. 

I planned to walk for five minutes but made it to 3:30. I was just too winded to go farther. I was walking quickly down the hall and back around to the kitchen and to the stove. That is 25 steps. I will try for another 5 minutes in a bit, maybe only the 1:30 that I did not get done this time. Okay, I walked another 1:30 and was exhausted. I had to lie down because back and foot hurt so. But, I did not just fade away as before. 

One of the relatives of the man who died came and mowed Tommy's yard this afternoon. I think I will bake another pan of brownies for them. I am going to take two packages of brownie mix, put it in the other 8x8 pan and make brownies to take across the street. I think I will send some of this produce, too.  I hate to expect grieving people to cook their own food, but I cannot. They can haul it off to their own home if they don't want to cook now. 

It is 4:30 and 90F. Summer likes to linger here in the South.