Dogs.

Moo

Dix

Partners in crime, kiddos, security system, shadows, spirits with whom I spend most of my days. Fiercely loyal Mama lovers. Oh what a dreadful place this world would be without my dogs.

The Hills

I went for a long, exhilarating run this morning. I live in a lazy neighborhood, sprawled through hills and valleys in the beginnings of just some of the breaks to the Palo Duro Canyon. The scenery can be breathtaking, and I'll just leave it at that. It is a peaceful, safe place to get a good workout.I enjoy cross country running. I took a fitness poll in a magazine a couple of years ago and it changed my world as I knew it. I totally recommend taking one. It helps you mesh your personality with a type of workout that fits you. I happen to be the type who does really well training for an event. I am not an "every Tuesday and Thursday Yoga" kind of girl. I tend to lean toward the extremist side of the sports world. I love to train for 10K's. I love to be in good shape and strong. I love the mental focus and deep breaths I have to take to power up a hill and the coast down the other side. I love to see the trees, wildlife, dogs, neighbors, lawn boys...........life in the Hills, it's rough.

I always take my large, "mature", protective female boxer, Dixie. I had a fleeting thought about HER physical state and ability to survive this run/walk, considering we haven't broke a sweat in several months. I kept calling it a "walk" because I was scared to death I may not have the strength, power, training, or be in good enough shape to not pass out, much less run. Anywho,... Great News: I didn't pass out! Not only did I survive it, but it felt great and I am stronger than I thought. My goal is at least 3 times a week to start out, long, hard, good runs. Ones that will make the kin folk whine. 

Dix, on the other hand, not so much. She did survive though. Her afternoon will be heavily laden with naps, I am certain.

Caution.Caution.Caution.

Twilight Moment Ahead!!

Ok, I am thinking that Breaking Dawn Part 1 is really the beginning of their adorable love story, not the end.

It is going to be a load of wedding honeymoon babymaking birth giving cottage having love mush.

Her immortality will end it. I. Can't. Wait.

Click here to see a great pic:
New Breaking Dawn I Still: Bella Packing Up

Hoss Cookies

Ok, so see? I am taking all the risks for you. Now, you have no excuse not to cook healthier and tastier. The Hoss Cookies have been a huge hit for two lads with extremely discriminating tastes, especially about Choco chip cookies. I have tweaked this recipe in an attempt to make it as healthy as chocolate chip cookies can be;)

Hoss Cookies

2.25 c. Bob's Red Mill Whole Grain Pastry Flour

1 tsp. Baking Soda

.5 tsp. Salt (Sea, fresh ground;)

1 c. butter, room temp

1.5 c. Evaporated Cane Juice

2 tsp. Vanilla

2 Large, Free Range, Local Eggs

2 c. Ghirardelli Bittersweet Chocolate Chips

.5 cup Grated Organic Walnuts

Preheat oven to 375. Stir together flour, soda, and salt, set aside. Beat butter and Evaporated Cane Juice at medium speed until creamy. Add vanilla. Add Eggs one at a time. Mix on low speed until incorporated. Stir in choco chips and walnuts. Heep 2 inch mounds of it on baking stone. Bake for 11 minutes sharp, for gooey centers. Absolutely fabulous. Great lunch treat for the men of the house and remotely healthy. Next time, I will try adding .25 c. of Bob's Red Mill Ground Flax Seed Meal to the flour mixture. Nothing like Omega 3 choco chip cookies, refined sugar free:) Enjoy. 

Javender Tea

Javender Tea

Just a simple pitcher of tea. This stuff is so good. It is Jasmine loose leaf green tea and lavender, both bought at the NG bulk section, of course. I steep the jasmine lavender concoction in a muslin tea bag (NG, bottom shelf of bulk isle, .19 cents each and can be used over and over) for about 5 minutes in boiling water, about a quarter cup of evaporated cane juice(see prior post ;)  topped off with cool filtered or tap water. One of life's little pleasures. Just though I'd share. I like to keep the lavender in the glass jar you see behind the tea jug. This is a good way to keep bulk herbs, oatmeal, flour, salt, etc. It is easy to access and you always know what and how much you have. Lavender is very inexpensive and so divine. Next I am going to try hibiscus;)

I'll keep you posted on that.

TTFN

One of the many reasons.

So, one of the many reasons I have decided to write this blog is that telling the same stories over and over again gets old. I get asked often things like, "what do you cook?" and "what exactly do you buy at the store?" "do you take supplements, if so, what??"  So I'm gonna tell ya.  The last physical my precious husband had for his job was an interesting experience for us this year. His overall health was so exceptional that they told him he didn't have to have another physical done for 2 years. They issued him a "2 year card." Something that was basically unheardof in the world of Warren Cat. Several of his co-workers started asking the above stated questions so hear are your answers ;)

Grilled Asparagus and Shrimp

Tonight we are having grilled shrimp and asparagus and we start every meal with salads. This is simple and cheap. I got these grill "baskets" at the dollar store one year for .25 cents on a summer clearance table, I bought all 3. I cover them with foil so the meat and veggies don't lose their seasoning juice. It gives them some moisture to simmer in while hanging out on the grill. The juice I use to season fish and chicken always has the same 3 basic ingredients: olive oil, garlic, and lemon zest. I just brush it over asparagus first, then shrimp with a pastry brush. Then I will sprinkle with herbs. Tonight, the shrimp is getting basil and dill. Then I will smash a few blobs of room temp, real butter into the mix. The asparagus is grilled for 7 or 8 minutes. Just enough time to be shocked by the heat from the grill. It shouldn't smell bad and it should always keeps is vibrant chartreuse green coloring. My bunch likes it a little crisp. If it fades and stinks, so sorry sista, you overcooked it. Tragedy. Keep trying. Healthy is an art.

My go-to hot spice for chicken, fish, or seafood. Grilling or baking.

I like to kick it with some Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning, which is spicy, some say hot. We like heat, a lot. Then I must admit, my hubby ate two Earl Campbell's red hotlinks on white tortillas. We grilled them along side the shrimp. He is fiercely loyal to his processed meats. He has a hard time getting full on things like shrimp and asparagus. I'm trying, I tell ya, I really am trying. The most important thing is to try.

Blingy Ring.

Hoss Cookies

For dessert I made chocolate chip cookies, we are just going to call them Hoss Cookies. I coined this term because I heaved huge piles of cookie dough into mounds on the baking stone and they looked like little "hosses." I am certain this is a TX word, but anyhow, they turned out to die for. The recipe came from the back of the Ghiradelli chips bag. I will share later if it is worth it;)  I subbed in a few sneaky ingredients to make these Hoss Cookies as healthy and tasty as possible. My newest adventure in the quest for tasty health  is an all natural and organic type of sugar called-evaporated cane juice.I had noticed that this was the sweetening ingredient listed in several of my favorite organic treats and is the main sweetener used by Kashi in their cereals, cookies, and yummy goodies.  It is a more natural by-product of sugar cane and minimally processed. Visually, it resembles a cross between cinnamon and fine dirt, but man is it good.  I ran across it in the bulk section at NG (Natural Grocers) and I had to try it in place of the refined, white sugar that is slowly killing us all.  So far, so good. Evaporated cane juice has even cleared the sweet tea sneak test. Mum's the word on any healthy substitutions at my casa. I'll be back for a Hoss Cookie update soon.
.....and yes I wear the blingy ring while cooking........and my pajamas always match.........every night. 

 TTFN.

Ding dong the wicked witch is dead.

U.S. Navy Seal Team 6 hunted Osama Bin Laden down in a suburb of Islamabad, Pakistan and killed him. He is dead and the world is a safer place today because of that.


Meanwhile, I am almost finished with reading the third installment in the Twilight series, Eclipse. I am fascinated and enthralled by this dramatic series. I am a die-hard Twi-tard. More posts to come on that subject, I assure you.  Just FYI.