Karen

Recipe: Crispy Fried Eggplant

todays harvest — Today’s harvest from my porch garden.

Today was a good day for my little garden. I harvested a beautiful eggplant, several tomatoes, an ugly little cucumber, some parsley, and some basil. I decided to fry up the eggplant for our dinner tonight. It was served with a caprese salad made with the tomatoes, some of the fresh basil, and some fresh mozzarella I had in the fridge; and some sweet Italian sausages. The combination made an awesome meal. Here is my recipe for the fried eggplant.

Crispy Fried Eggplant

1 medium eggplant

1 stem of fresh basil

1 stem of fresh parsley

1 cup of flower (this can be wheat flour or gluten free flour like Glutino Gluten Free Baking Mix)

1/2 cup of milk (cow’s milk or coconut, soy, almond, or hemp milk, unsweetened)

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/3 cup cooking oil (I used a canola-olive oil-grapeseed oil blend)

Peel the eggplant, and slice into half inch slices. Place the flour in a shallow dish, like a pie pan, add sea salt and pepper, and mix well. Pick the basil and parsley leaves off of stems, and chop them fine with a butcher knife. I usually keep chopping until the pieces are quite small. Mix the chopped basil and parsley into the flour. Pour the milk into a bowl large enough for the eggplant slices to fit into. A cereal bowl is about the right size.

Put the eggplant slices one at a time into the flour mix, and coat all sides with the flour, set aside until all of the slices are coated with the flour. Then, take the eggplant slices one at a time, and dip into the milk, making sure all sides are wet. Dredge the slice in the flour mix again, and set aside. Continue until all the slices are dipped in the milk, and then covered again with the flour mix.

Add the cooking oil to a large skillet, and heat until hot. Place the coated eggplant slices into the hot oil, and cook on one side for about three minutes. Turn the slices over, and cook another three minutes, or until golden brown. I usually turn them over once more to make sure both sides are browned. Cook on the other side about 1 or 2 minutes more. Once the slices are golden brown, take them out of the oil and place on a platter lined with paper towels to drain off excess oil. Sprinkle with sea salt if desired.

Crispy Fried Eggplant is delicious! The basil and parsley in the coating adds just the right flavor.

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My Diabetes And I Visited An Endocrinologist. And A Poll For You!

Karen · 5 Comments

Last week I had an appointment with an endocrinologist. My primary care doctor and I decided it was time for this because I have not been able to get my blood sugar down below 200 in the morning in quite a while. I had started taking a slow acting insulin before bed last summer. That worked for a couple of months, but then the morning finger prick numbers started going up again. The primary care doctor had me increase the amount of insulin injected over a period of about two months, from 10 units to 25 units, and it still wasn’t enough. That is when we talked about seeing the endocrinologist.

Dr. Vavrik was a pretty nice guy, to the point, and I liked him. I think that liking your doctor is important, because when you have a good relationship with him or her, you feel like you can ask questions of them easier.

I asked him why, after nearly 15 years of being a diagnosed diabetic, and keeping my blood sugar under control since diagnosis until last summer, I was having such a hard time now. He explained that most type 2 diabetic have a good ten years after their initial diagnosis, if they eat right and take their medications, before their pancreas gives out completely, and complicates things. Since I experienced good control for more than 14 years, he said, I was lucky that my control lasted that long. He also told me it was nothing that I did right or wrong, that caused my blood sugar to suddenly go whacky. That is just the nature of the disease. After answering my questions about why and how this happened, we got down to talking about what to do now.

So, here is my new plan. I am still to take metformin 500 mg two times a day. Even though my pancreas has stopped working to produce insulin, taking insulin injections can cause weight gain. The metformin helps prevent that weight gain, so Dr. V wants me to keep taking it. Next, I had gotten up to 32 units of Lantus, the slow acting insulin that I take at night. He wants me to continue to take that as well, to keep my blood sugar lowered while I sleep. He said the trick is to keep your blood sugar lowered all the time, so taking the Lantus is good.

Then, he prescribed for me to take Novalog, a fast acting insulin, before each meal, three times a day. I now have to check my blood sugar before each meal as well. Since this is a fast acting insulin, it has to be taken 0 to 10 minutes before a meal. So, if we go out to eat, I should not ever inject my insulin until my food is served. That is because, if I were to inject the insulin, then there was a problem with my order and my meal was delayed arriving at the table, my blood sugar could drop to a dangerous low. So, the process is like this: order my food. Check my blood sugar. If it is below 160, I take 10 units of Novalog. If my blood sugar is OVER 160, I take extra Novalog determined by a chart I was given. I keep that chart in my kit along with my other diabetes supplies. Once my food is on the table, prepare the injection, give myself the shot, then eat. Simple.

Now, I have a question for you, my dear readers. Whether or not you are diabetic, I hope that you would take this simple poll. I want to find out how you feel about diabetics giving themselves a shot in the restaurant, in a public place. If you have any objections or anything else to say, please do leave a comment. It is very important to me, as a diabetic, to understand how others feel about this topic.

[socialpoll id=”2283622″]

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Shop Nordstrom Online For Great Prices

Karen · Leave a Comment

Nordstrom is the place to shop for all kinds of apparel items and beauty products specially made for every member of your family. My husband, my grandchildren and I can find many amazing clothing items, as well as get inspiration for great gifts there. Even if you are on a fixed income like I am, you can shop at Nordstrom for many different and affordable dresses, tops, skirts, pants and more.

All these items are fashion-forward, made of top quality fabrics and are very reasonably priced! My my friend’s daughter, who is a huge fan of Nordstrom herself, told me about the things she found there at great prices. She looks for trendy clothing for herself, for her husband and for gift giving, too. Because she found Nordstrom an easy place to shop with great prices, she has been recommending the store to everyone she knows. After seeing with my own eyes how great this online retailer is, I also wanted to share the news and tell you about it too!.

Since it is their anniversary, Nordstrom also gives their customers up to 50% off during their anniversary sale early access and also gifts us free shipping in the United States. You can find many different online offers at their website, so don’t miss the best deals!

Nordstrom carries many different clothing brands, so no matter what your size or shape, you’ll be able to find items for you and your family. Fabgrandpa especially loved one of Nordstrom’s traditional fit non-iron check dress shirts, which can be purchased in several different colors and only online.

If you’re shopping for your kids or grandkids, Nordstrom has a great selection of styles and colors of cute children’s apparel items. You can dress all the kids from head to toe in the popular styles, and know you got them at a bargain. They also have baby essentials like strollers and diaper bags.

Do some early Christmas shopping at these great low prices. Beauty products for yourself, gifts and more can be found at Nordstrom online. Don’t miss their sales and special deals during their anniversary celebration and shop for the cutest items for your kids or for yourself. I love to pamper myself with great quality and style clothing, and so should you! Shop online as well and save not only time, but money as well.

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Ted’s Montana Grill Now Has Gluten Free Buns!

Karen · 3 Comments

This post is sponsored by Ted’s Montana Grill

Even though we just went to try out Ted’s Montana Grill last month, we decided to go again after we found out that they have now included gluten free buns on their menu. There are not many places in the Atlanta suburban area where you can get a delicious hamburger on a gluten free bun, and only one place where you can get a bison burger on a gluten free bun. Ted’s Montana Grill is that place.

Fabgrandpa waiting for our meal to be served.

Fabgrandpa doesn’t have to eat a gluten free diet. He is a lucky guy who can eat just about anything on the menu every where we go. He ordered the bison pot roast with mashed potatoes and roasted carrots. It is slow cooked to perfection and has a brown gravy that looked soooo good. It’s a good choice if you don’t have to keep gluten out of your diet.

Bison pot roast with mashed potatoes and roasted carrots.

I, however, am gluten intolerant, and have to make sure what I eat does not contain gluten. That is what makes it so special for me to get a burger at Ted’s Montana Grill now. The gluten free bun on my Ted’s Bacon Cheeseburger made with bison, swiss cheese, bacon, and avocado, tasted to good. It was soft, and springy, just like a regular bun would be. Now THIS is what a burger should be like:

Bison burger with swiss cheese, bacon, and avocado.

I ordered two sides: roasted asparagus and sliced tomatoes. The roasted asparagus was cooked to perfection! So often restaurants don’t do so well with the vegetable sides, but I can tell you I would order the asparagus again.

I thoroughly enjoyed my gluten free bison burger!

Here is one more look at that burger. I can’t tell you just how good it was, you really have to go to Ted’s and experience it for yourself. If you eat a gluten free diet for whatever reason, you owe it to yourself to get one of these gluten free burgers. Whether you get the beef or the bison version, the same great tasting gluten free bun will hold it all together.

The avocado is an extra, but worth the cost. Great tasting burger at Ted's Montana Grill — The avocado is an extra, but worth the cost. Great tasting burger at Ted’s Montana Grill

Ted’s Montana Grill gets their gluten free buns from Pure Knead Bakery in Decatur, Georgia. Find a location near you at the Ted’s Montana Grill website.

In addition to gluten free hamburger buns, Pure Knead also bakes up Classic Sandwich Bread and a variety of sweets available in bakeries around the area.

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Thrifty Thursday

Karen · 6 Comments

This week we happened to be in the Dallas, Georgia area, and had a little bit of time to kill. We have been wanting to stop at the Blue Chicken Auction and Thrift Store ever since we saw the first time two years ago but have never had time before.

The Blue Chicken Thrift Store in Dallas, GA

Their sign by the road is funny. This thrift shop is huge! It was several rooms and an upstairs.

the blue chicken thrift store dallas georgia — The second building that we didn’t get to this time.

There were lots of things to see, but it was hot in some of the rooms so we need to go back when the weather cools off, and there has been time for the collection of stuff has had a chance to turn over.

the blue chicken thrift store — This is just a small part of the main building that the store occupies.

I saw a lot of things I liked or thought were unique. I absolutely loved this sign:

junk and disorderly — Love it! I am going to make one for myself.

I saw this vintage sewing machine as soon as I walked in the door. I really wish I had a place to put it.

vintage sewing machine at the blue chicken thrift store. — Vintage sewing machine, $14.98! I wish I had a place to put it.

Apparently there was an instrumental band called The Harmonicats in 1947. I wish I had bought that album now. It’s just a bit of Americana.

harmonicats album — This album called Harmonicats was interesting.

I walked away from this pretty mirror twice, but wound up buying to use in the bedroom. I think it’s pretty.$12: deal or not?

blue chicken thrift store — I did buy this mirror.

We left this at the shop. It’s another thing I wish I had gone ahead and bought. I could have framed it and hung over by Fabgrandpa’s computer desk.

It has been a long long time since I saw a real pogo stick. I think this was the most dangerous toy ever made.

Blue chicken thrift store dallas ga — A pogo stick

I had some troll dolls when I was a child, in the early 1960’s. One of these almost came home with me, but I changed my mind. If I were to buy one, it would be one of the smaller ones if I ever see one.

I love this little chicken salt shaker, but the mate to it was missing. It was made in Japan, so it is probably from the early 1940’s I would guess. It’s just so cute to me.

Fabgrandpa found two things he liked. The first one was this travel alarm clock. It folds into a small size. He used to have one similar to it for years, but it finally quit working. $2.88 Deal or not?

Fabgrandpa bought this Timex Travel Alarm Clock.

This cute ceramic bird from Mexico had a tag with the price written on it, and the words “hurt foot”. It does indeed have a broken foot, but Fabgrandpa loved it enough to bring it home and let it live on the kitchen windowsill. $2.00 Deal or not?

The last thing I got was this metal wall sculpture of a grape vine in a pot. It is going on the wall in the kitchen. I have been looking at things like this online and they are very expensive, at least the ones I like are. The new ones I have seen are in the $80 and up range. I paid $15 for this one. Deal or not?

metal wall sculpture of grape vine in a vase — I love this metal wall sculpture. It is a green-black color that will fit in very well with my kitchen colors.

Did you go thrifting this week? What treasures did you find? If you love going to thrift shops and junk stores, here is a website with a forum you might like: ThriftShopper.com.

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5 Fun Tips For Passing Time When Traveling

Karen · Leave a Comment

Students today like to take some time to travel before settling down with a full time career. Before reaching their destination, a lot of time will be spent waiting for one’s transportation as well as the time spent travelling. Fortunately, there are some great ideas to keep you engaged.

Listening to music

Without a doubt, getting to your intended destination can be a noisy experience. One of the best ways to tune out the noise is to listen to music while travelling. You can listen to any type of music you prefer.

Get lost in a good book

One of the most preferred ways by many to pass the time is to read. What you wish to read is of course up to you. You might want to peruse your favorite magazines or perhaps catch up on the day’s events with a newspaper. Most airport gift stores have an extensive selection in case you don’t have time to shop prior to departing for your holiday.

Making new friends

For many young people, part of the adventure of traveling is the new people that may be met. When partaking in a particular activity they enjoy, young people often hook up with others having the same interests. This can lead to new friendships.

Catch some ZZZ’s

Sleeping can be one of the best ways to pass the time whilst traveling. You may wish to pack a neck pillow to help make yourself comfortable. For longer flights, some travelers will take an eye mask with them to help them fall asleep.

Mobile Gaming

An exciting and sometimes profitable activity to partake in while travelling is playing online casino games. These sites are even friendlier for mobile users in the past. Perhaps while waiting out a layover, you can play a casino game like roulette. Will lady luck be on your side?

Any one of these tips can make any travel more interesting and help the miles fly by.

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Pork Tenderloin With Ginger Cherry Sauce

Karen · 25 Comments

The outside temperature in Georgia today was only a high of 84. Since there was a break in the heat, I decided to cook out on the grill today. I had a pork tenderloin in the fridge, and some cherries. I decided to make a cherry sauce for the pork.

Ginger Cherry Sauce

2 cups dark red cherries

2 green onions

2-4 cloves garlic

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

1/2 cup water

2 Tbls Spenda

1 tsp ground Ginger

1/2 tsp Chinese Five Spice powder

Pit the cherries, and cut them into two or three pieces. Chop the onions and garlic. Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan. Stir well to combine, and cook on medium heat until the liquid is reduced by half. Stir often to prevent burning.

Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Ginger Cherry Sauce

To cook my pork tenderloin, I rinsed and dried it, then sprinkled generously with meat tenderizer and black pepper. Cut in half, and put in a disposable 8″X8″ aluminum pan. Pour all Ginger Cherry Sauce over the pork, reserving about 1/3 cup.

Place the pan uncovered on a charcoal grill with hot coals. Close the cover of the grill, and let the pork cook for 25 minutes. Turn the meat over, baste with sauce from the pan, close the grill, and cook another 10 minutes. Serve with reserved sauce.

Pork tenderloin with Ginger Cherry Sauce and grilled vegetables.

This turned out so good! Tender, moist, and very tasty.

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This Week In My Garden

Karen · 6 Comments

For your viewing pleasure. I love to sit on the porch and just look at the plants. It makes me happy to see them. And yes, I do talk to them. I tell them every morning how beautiful they are. I water it every day that it doesn’t rain, and give the plants a dose of Miracle Grow once a week, twice if it rains a lot.

The geranium started blooming this week.

Fabgrandpa loves moss rose. It will bloom all summer.

These tomatoes will be the first ones to ripen.

Sweet potato still growing. I’m going to have to find a trellis for it soon.

Bright pink petunia. This one is in a hanging basket.

MMMMMM….Basil. It smells so good. I have cut it twice and it is growing fast.

One little eggplant so far. I hope it makes some more.

This tomato plant for so heavy it fell over. I had to reposition the branches.

Purple petunias add some color to the front row.

Flat leaf parsley. I like the curly parsley better but couldn’t find any.

Basil again. I love basil in just about anything.

A purple heirloom tomato. I can’t wait for it to ripen!

I love this garden. The brick and board idea was a good one.

I think it makes the porch more attractive, and a nice place to sit and watch the day go by.

Do you have a garden this year? What are you growing in it?

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