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It all started with a card I received from my biological mom. She is a polar opposite of my adopted mother for sure.

I purchased a frame for the card and put it on display on the shelf in my kitchen where I can see it every time I prep food.

A month ago, while I was up in Rutvegas, aka Rutland, with Marty on a delivery run, I found two tiny cactus plants for under $2.

On Monday, while shopping at the Aldi in Bennington, I was they also had the tiny cactus. I chose three.

I gave them a good watering since who knows when they were last watered and set them up on the same shelf as the framed card.

It looks so stinking cute that I can’t stand it!

In other news—well, not really news—yesterday I made a sandwich I saw on Instagram for lunch.

It was easy and pretty tasty. I made bbq tofu on a GF bun with pickled red onions, a little homemade coleslaw, and dill pickle chips.

It tasted like a bbq sandwich, and the soft texture of the tofu didn’t throw either of us off.

Next time, I’ll keep the tofu on the nonstick grill pan longer before brushing with bbq sauce.

Here’s how easy it was to make:

Drain extra firm tofu and press the moisture out. Brush with olive oil and season with kosher salt and pepper.

Place carefully on the grill pan until the underside has grill marks. Flip over and do the same thing as the first side.

This is where I should have let both sides cook longer. Brush with your favorite bbq sauce-we use Sweet Baby Ray’s and flip over.

Let it cook, and then do the same with the other side. Trust me, you will know when it’s ready.

Put it on a bun or bread and top with whatever you like with bbq. That’s it.

While I am writing about food, last week I bought a bag of avocados, which stressed me out all week. Lol.

Avocados have such a small window of ripeness that you have to get it right. Luckily, this time, I did! All five were perfect when I cut into them. Whew.

This kind of shit really does make me stressed a little because I hate wasting food.

I used the last two on Sunday morning for a delicious breakfast. I made toast, spread a little veggie cream cheese on it, and topped it with mashed avocado, kosher salt and pepper, and poached eggs.

It was filling and held us over for most of the day. I couldn’t finish my second piece and Marty was too full to finish it.

I wanted to pass on some easy ideas since, as I always say, “The hardest part of cooking is figuring out what to make.”

We are starting another outdoor project, and Marty is helping me this time.

On Sunday, we picked the hottest time of day, grabbed some garden tools, and got to work.

When I wrote about the eyesore next door, I forgot about this wasted prime piece of land in a sea of gray gravel and our driveway.

This area is completely wasted space after we moved our walk-in refrigerator to the end of the driveway last year during the unexpected and expensive septic project.

We figured out what that space would be like when some supplies were delivered in just a few days.

Creating a V trench for edging in packed-down crushed bluestone was much harder work than the other edging I’ve done.

We worked as a team, dug the trench, and leveled out the area in about an hour.

It was hotter than hell and humid, I went into the pool twice again to cool off. It works like a charm. Yes, I had my clothes on again.

So, stay tuned while another project unfolds. I am excited to see our vision come to life.

I’ve been putting off weeding around our three pear trees for a month because there were more important things to do, like floating around the pool.

I have been planning on getting this done on Saturday morning. It was a perfect day for weeding; it was lightly raining.

Weeding in the rain is the best time for me. The weeds are easier to pull, there aren’t any flying bugs around to bite me, and the light rain keeps me cool.

Nelly was right by my side no matter what, even when it started raining harder.

All she wants is to be with me or Marty all the time. It’s a pleasure having my little best friend with me.

When we came back inside, we were both soaked. We always keep a fuzzy blanket on the loveseat in our back room since it’s the first place Nelly jumps up on, even when wet.

Before I got out of my wet clothes, I toweled her off, used a little waterless bath spray, and combed it through her fur. There was no wet dog smell!

The weeding was done, and it was actually peaceful and zen-like weeding in the soft rain under our trees.

I didn’t mulch under the trees this year so next year that will be a priority. I also didn’t do a deep edge which needs to be done as well.

Making the most of a rainy morning was perfect. I just made a cup of tea and am puttering around the house.

Have a good rest of your weekend!

Marty and I used to be depressed on the first day of summer because it meant the days were slowly headed back to shorter days.

What a bunch of negative bullshit!!!! I can’t even fathom that logic now. What a difference a year makes!

I’ve been in the pool almost every day. I have a nice tan. My veggie garden is like a jungle bursting with small tomatoes and tons of those glorious yellow flowers.

We have sugar snap peas and shelling peas on the vines, and the pepper plants all have flowers on them.

The root veggies are growing bigger above ground in the same bed as green beans.

The arugula and spinach are nearing the end of their lives but will be planted again in the early fall.

Next year, we plan to build a shallower bed dedicated to only greens so we can plant more.

The perennials out front are blooming, the flowers on the terrace with the veggies are beautiful.

Finally, the wildflowers are growing every day, and the morning glories I planted to hide all the crap next door are climbing.

I love bunnies, but not when they nibble on a few of my morning glories. To keep them away, I ordered a non-toxic spray that is safe for children, pets, and animals.

I give them whatever I cut back from the greens but the little fuckers don’t touch them.

We are getting up at 5 ish in the morning and out in the production kitchen by 6 at the latest to beat the summer heat.

Today, I am celebrating the first day of summer without a bit of negativity for the first time in my adulthood.

Happy summer solstice! ☀️

Good morning! Today I am headed down to NJ for my 40th high school reunion!

I graduated with a big class, but one of my classmates, Barry, has hosted a reunion every five years.

No other grades are lucky enough to be the class of 1984. This is my first time attending one of our reunions.

Working on Saturdays almost all of my adult life, children, schedules, and various situations have prevented me from going.

Not this one, I am going. After a horrible year of sickness, when the invite came out on FB Marty said, “ You are going!”

So, I am going! Yay!

When I initially replied yes to him, I was still in not the greatest of health but knew I needed to go.

Little did I know that major lifestyle changes such as eating a clean diet, not drinking anymore, and getting lots of activity and exercise have given me my life back!

I feel like I am in my 30s again! I am back to the size I was in my 30s. I am sleeping great.

My ulcerative colitis is in full remission and I have no symptoms of lung disease anymore. I feel amazing!

Things have changed so much in a six-week period that I feel like I am dreaming.

I am so grateful for all the blessings I have in my life, and I am married to my best friend, business partner, and biggest supporter.

Marty won’t be coming with me; I am flying solo for this trip. He is working at the Troy Farmers Market today and will be hanging out with Nelly.

So look the fuck out class of 84, I’m coming for ya! 😜

Our breakfast this morning was light & flavorful and loaded with protein. Was it a smoothie? Hell no, but it went as fast as one.

I sautéed spinach from my garden with a little garlic and olive oil. Next, I reheated some leftover grilled chicken sausage filled with spinach and feta cheese.

I fried two over-easy eggs with minimal butter, seasoned with finishing salt, black pepper, and viola! A delicious quick breakfast to eat on the front porch.

I pick up the chicken sausage with other varieties at Aldi and they also have similar ones at Trader Joe’s.

I always have some on hand in the fridge or freezer for a quick protein with a salad or pasta.

Enjoy this beautiful Sunday. I hope the weather is good wherever you are. ☀️

I came down with strep throat on April 24. I was pretty sick for a few days then the antibiotics kicked it.

I had no appetite when I had a fever of 102 for three days and it didn’t come back after it broke.

I was queasy for the 10 days I was taking the antibiotics and I didn’t drink a drop of alcohol. Ugh, I didn’t want to anyway.

When I was better I still had a small appetite and didn’t want to drink wine or any sort of cocktail. I drank lots and lots of water.

I could tell I lost weight so I weighed myself. I lost 5 pounds. Good I thought I could use too.

I noticed I could breathe better. I had more energy. I could dance fast at belly dance and not get winded doing anything.

I felt amazing. I began to eat healthier lighter food since the weather was warm. I became aware of what I was eating. I still wasn’t drinking alcohol.

The second week of May I had yet another colonoscopy at Dartmouth Hitchcock to see if the infusions were doing its job. They were and I am in complete remission!

The fasting was easy for me as I prepped for the colonoscopy. This was the first time I didn’t complain I was hungry or craving something.

Since then I’ve had a couple of glasses of wine at a dinner party that I didn’t really enjoy and they clobbered the hell out of me.

Could the alcohol be a contributing factor to my weight lose I started to wonder. Previously, I drank two glasses of wine or a cocktail every night.

I read up on it and yes that could be a factor for sure. I was sleeping better and woke up ready to tackle anything.

I got a call from my pulmonologist last Friday after completing a few different tests right before and the day of the colonoscopy, before I should add.

He said that nothing changed and my heart looked normal, no pulmonary hypertension which needed to be ruled out.

I told him how great I felt and how active I am again. I went on to tell him I am not winded when I am dancing fast or going up stairs anymore.

I feel 25 years younger like I did a long time ago. I also shared with him I lost 12 pounds since having strep throat.

He told me losing weight is making all those wonderful things happen and obviously why I feel so good.

If I wanted to stay asymptomatic and keep feeling like I do I need to continue to follow a healthy lifestyle.

In other words, keep doing what I’m doing. I’ve cooked some delicious and flavorful meals that are healthier for the both of us.

I started to lift weights again to tone my body and regain the muscle I lost. I’ve been swimming laps in our pool which is a lovely 87 degrees.

Will I drink again, I am sure I’ll have a drink here and there when we are with friends but maybe not since it has no appeal to me now.

I know I’ll still eat bad at Martin’s but I eat small portions anyway. I’m not on a diet, I’ve changed my lifestyle so I can breathe better and do the things I want to do again.

I feel amazing and young. I’m tan and have already been in our pool more than I did all last year, just floating around on my chaise lounge and relaxing.

My life is really great right now guys. I never in a million years I’d be here again and it feels fabulous!

I will be sharing my healthier meals and recipes as we go on from here. I know I can lighten up my cooking without sacrificing any deliciousness.

So far since having pneumonia last year I’ve lost about 26 lbs. I have 5 more pounds to go to be back into my ideal weight range.

It’s so weird that it took strep throat to completely change my life back for the better, which is where I want to stay.

See how my garden grows. My flowers and vegetable garden in my Vegtrug raised garden beds is off to an amazing start!

I wrote about the greens in one of the beds last week. Since then, the three other beds have skyrocketed.

I bought most of my veggies plants but from seed I planted the greens, English and sugar snap peas. In another bed, I planted beet, carrot, and green bean seeds.

Next year, I plant to attempt veggies. I am already excited about it.

The parsnip seeds I planted in another bed haven’t done anything so far. I’m getting a little bummed out.

I am growing 3 varieties of tomatoes; San Marzano, Big Beef, and Fourth of July.

I never saw Fourth of July tomatoes before which are supposed to produce tomatoes by the Fourth.

Yesterday, I noticed I have those precious little yellow flowers on that plant. It’s incredible that they can cultivate when something is supposed to ready by.

I’ll keep you posted on that. I planted herbs, another tomato plant, and some cucumbers in containers.

I went to a nursery that I haven’t been to since the boys were young. They always had different varieties of things you don’t see.

I decided to visit the sweet couple that own The Greenery in Salem, NY again in April. The two kinds of petunias I chose are different from any other ones I’ve seen.

The wildflower garden I put in last week is loaded with tiny seedlings. The perennial garden in front of our house is doing nicely.

The thing I’ve really enjoyed is our hummingbird feeder. I have to be honest, this is the first one we’ve ever had.

As I watch the hummingbirds go back and forth from the feeder right outside of the window in our back room I wondered why this was the first.

I realized why. I never had time before to first of all sit still enough to enjoy one or have the time to change the sugar water every couple of days.

Marty and I are both enjoying watching the hummers. Whenever we sit in the back room there are always one or two that come by.

Marty said I have spent more time outside this year than I have since the boys were young and he’s right. I am loving it too.

Last year’s close call made me reevaluate everything in my life and I’ve changed in miraculous ways. All for the better.

I don’t have silver bells or cockle shells in my garden like Mary did, I have so much! ♥️

I am so excited; I have made two meals with spinach and arugula from my garden!

Over the winter, I studied and watched videos about vegetable gardens. There was so much I didn’t know.

This year, I planted the seeds correctly. I learned about companion gardening and understood why I failed horribly last year.

So what did I make? This post will be more about the delicious food than bore you with gardening facts.

Tuesday night, I made two different flatbread pizzas that weren’t traditional.

The first flatbread was a white pie with lots of garlic, sautéed spinach, olive oil, mozzarella, and ricotta cheese. It was so flavorful!

The second pie was a fig, bacon because I didn’t have any prosciutto, mozzarella cheese, olive oil, bleu cheese crumbles topped with arugula.

The sweet, salty, and tanginess from the bleu cheese were in perfect balance. The arugula was the bitterness to cut through the richness and fat of the pizza. Yum!

I have had these two flatbreads in my head since I planted those seeds less than a month ago.

They were as good as I expected them to be, but next time, I will use prosciutto since they were a little bacon-forward.

Yesterday, before dance classes, I made us a light meal with protein, spinach, garlic, lemon, and toasted breadcrumbs. I say light because we don’t eat until after 8:30 pm.

I made a fantastic scampi over white rice. By the way, those aren’t scallops but tofu, which I cut with a small round cutter. I also cut the leftover pieces up and threw them in. The texture and taste were pretty damn close.

This was a lighter protein and a really good substitute. The tofu block cost me only .75 cents, as opposed to the price of day boat scallops.

I’ve gone back out to cut more spinach, arugula, and lettuce. It’s growing as fast as I can use it. I’m jumping for joy over this!

I love the process of cutting the leaves, washing them, spinning them dry, and eventually putting them in ziplock bags.

I crouch down like they do in Eastern countries and work right on the terrace rocks. It feels primal in a way. Nelly was very interested in what I was doing. She does everything with me.

I put in the rest of my vegetable garden, which I will post about soon. 👩🏻‍🌾

I spent Friday and Saturday afternoon, and the early morning on Sunday to create and plant my wildflower garden.

I did everything they said to do on various YouTube videos but there was one young woman who really spoke to me.

I realized all the things I’ve done wrong when planting seeds in the past. Now I had the chance to do things right.

I cut out the flower bed, removed the lawn, and edged it. It went smoothly.

It was a bit of work, but I am feeling fantastic these days without any breathing issues and after last Tuesdays colonoscopy, I am in complete remission! 🥳

The thing I was doing wrong when planting seeds was either burying them too deep or covering them too much.

I finally figured out what cover lightly means. The gal on YouTube had a great suggestion when it was time to plant my seeds.

She showed how sprinkled the seeds in the lightly cultivated flower bed. She stepped on the seeds so they wouldn’t fly away or float away.

Next, she used a colander to cover the seeds lightly with potting mix. Ah, that’s what lightly means.

So I did that. She said to water the seeds every morning and evening unless it rains until the seeds germinate keeping it moist. Then water as needed.

I used a bag of northeast native perennial seeds. It looked like a lot but it wasn’t, a common mistake people make.

I also added sunflower and annual seeds to the mix along with Ann’s seeds.

My friend Ann from NJ, who visits our area gave me a bag of different mums and other flower seeds she collects in the fall.

When I was done I prayed. Now, all I can do is wait and see what happens.

I know wildflower gardens take years to become lush and full by reseeding itself but I’d be happy with some flowers. 🙂