It's January 1st, and I'm purging and organizing, and came across a few old recipes I'd written down. This one was a good one! Cook 2 cups of spiral pasta according to the package. Cook & crumble a pound of bacon. Add a large, seeded chopped tomato, 1/2 cup of Ranch salad dressing, and toss with the pasta. Combine all of this with 3 cups of torn Romaine lettuce just before serving. ... View Post
Mexican Chicken Chilli
Ingredients: 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts cubed 1 T canola oil 2 cans (14-1/2 ounce each) diced tomatoes, undrained 2 cups frozen corn 1 can (15 ounce) black beans, rinsed and drained 1 can (14-1/2 ounce)reduced sodium chicken broth 1 can (4 ounce) chopped green chillies (If you want) 2 T chilli powder 1 T ground cumin 1/2 t salt 1/4 t cayenne pepper Directions: In a small skillet, brown the chicken in the oil. Transfer to a 5-quart slow cooker and stir in the remaining ingredients. Cover, and cook on low for 5 to 6 hours or until the chicken is no longer pink. ... View Post
Louisiana Buttermilk Pie
Makes 6 servings Ingredients: 1 stick (8 tablespoons) butter, melted 1-3/4 cups raw or granulated sugar 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 3 eggs 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/2 cup buttermilk 1 (9-inch) unbaked pie shell 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon Directions: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Combine first 6 ingredients in a mixing bowl, and stir to blend. Pour the mixture into the pie shell, and bake until the mixture sets. It usually takes about 50 minutes. Remove the pie from the oven and sprinkle with the cinnamon. Cool, then refrigerate for at least 3 hours. Serve cold. Fun Fact: I picked this recipe up at Oak Alley Plantation, when I went to Baton Rouge, Louisiana to visit my pen pal and friend, Jim a few years ago. A cherished ... View Post
The Unspeakable Burden
I've taken classes where there was no need to take notes. I've taken others that I could not keep up with the instructor, and a lot of needed information was missed because I just couldn't write fast enough. That's how most of my days are at work too. I change into what I call my "school shoes," and there are days when I coast through with minimal interaction with a patient who may be in a coma, and other days when I get the opportunity to pull up a chair and have a long, meaningful conversation with someone, usually significantly older than me. I always try to glean a little wisdom from people with more history behind them than me. That happened today - the meaningful conversation. So did the note-taking. "Would you like me to turn on the television for you?" I asked my sweet ... View Post
Words & Toothpaste
I heard the most incredible story today - a lesson someone's mom taught them as a child. So good, in fact, is this story that I just had to share. I can't take credit for it. I would have never thought to do this, but oh my goodness - what a powerful lesson! This particular mom sat all three of her children down at the kitchen table. She gave each of them a paper plate and a tube of toothpaste. She told the kids to squeeze their tubes of toothpaste onto the plate, emptying every bit of it out. After each of the tubes was squeezed empty, she placed in the center of the table a crisp $20 bill, promising them that whoever was able to get all of their toothpaste back into the tube would win the money! They all frowned and moaned, knowing full well how impossible the task at hand ... View Post
The Gift of Memory
Do you ever think of your memory as a gift? I'm not sure I ever have - until, that is, I met an elderly gentleman whose wife had advanced Alzheimer's disease. He became ill, you see, and found himself a patient in the hospital. Having no family in the area, his worry over who would care for and keep his confused wife safe kept his anxiety at a level very difficult to manage while he was hospitalized. "To death to us part, in sickness and in health, in good times and bad......." If you ever want to see what that vow really looks like - talk to a couple who have been married for more than five decades. They know a little something about that. Heck, they know a little something about a whole lot of somethings, and we're just plain old stupid if we don't try to glean a little wisdom ... View Post
Little Things 328 through 365
Each day this year, I've posted a little thing that I'm thankful for. It's transformed my attitude, my perspective, my prayers, and all sorts of other things. I've enjoyed posting my "little things" and often times have had to choose between so many good things in a day. But if I can be honest, I have also struggled on some days to remember to be thankful, especially when things have felt pretty crummy. I've had some friends tell me they have enjoyed reading them and actually look forward to them, and others who say they've stopped following me because they are sick of them. (Thankful for their honesty). And there are days when I've asked myself why I ever committed to posting 365 times this year, but even more days that I've looked forward to choosing what to give thanks ... View Post
Bonbons For Nurses
I can't tell you the number of times I've driven home with a head full of stories I've wanted to blog - meaningful stories, sad stories, ones that make you realize what matters, ones that make you want to run home and hug those you love, or get on the phone and tell someone you love them, and often times ones that just make you laugh out loud! And yes, there are even some that really and truly make you go "Huh?" I literally have hundreds of them - and so does every other nurse I work with. Writing them is one of my most favorite things to do. Some people like to fish. Some like to climb mountains, or hunt, or swim, or run marathons. Not me. I like to write. Recently, however, I've gotten into the bad habit of being too busy. Too busy to do what I love. And in the past couple ... View Post