BittersweetPunkin

Have your Cake and Eat it too

As many of you know, I have gone off white flour and as a result have had great weight loss results. White flour is just one of those things that turns to glue once it enters my body and attaches itself to every single fat cell it can find. Dieting can be a bit boring at times, even for the most determined....thanks to hormones and the like I still crave the occasional chocolate "bad" food. I used to think nothing about treating myself to a candy bar at the grocery store checkout...but sometimes I go to the store several times a week so this could be a problem as you can probably see.

I have found a *spectacular* whole wheat chocolate cake recipe that passes the Bittersweet Household muster test...I have even been told that this cake tastes like the Tasty Kake Chocolate Cupcakes...now if you are familiar with Tasty Kake then you know what that means. I found this particular recipe on I Dare You to Eat It....which is a blog mostly about food storage. This chocolate cake is made without eggs or butter, and it is AMAZING. Yes, it has sugar, but everything in moderation can't be too bad for you.

So...here it is

Fresh Ingredients

(None!)

Storage Ingredients

1.5 cups whole wheat flour

3 tablespoons cocoa

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

5 tablespoons oil

1 tablespoon white vinegar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup cold water

Mix all the dry ingredients together in a bowl. Add the wet ingredients and mix until smooth. Pour into a 9 inch by 9 inch baking pan, two inches deep. (The pan does not have to be greased.) Bake at 350 degrees for about 30-40 minutes. Test with a fork for doneness.

Please keep in mind that this cake will taste much different once cooled than it does when warm....the "whole wheat" aroma and flavor will subside into a nice plain old chocolate cake aroma and flavor and those who don't know it's whole wheat will never know unless you tell them.

Photo courtesy of Aubree Lane on Etsy
How cute are these tags? They would go so well with handmade gifts that include chocolate...hop on over to Aubree Lane and get them while they're still fresh!

Blessings for a Great week!

A Friend is having a Giveaway

Hop on over to Country Thyme Primitives and enter to win these lovelies!!!

Happy Mother's Day

Hope it's a wonderful one:)

Still here

                  (photo courtesy of LilPunkinHead)

Oh my...I have been neglecting my little blog and it's become a festering breeding ground for all kinds of spam! I'm still here.....I have a lot to catch up on...LIFE has been happening all around me and I have just been so wrapped up in things that I haven't had the urge to sit down and blog. My son is in his 11th year of school at home and I have to say...it's challenging. Daughter starts a full time job soon (thank goodness) and Walter is growing like a weed.

    I must say, this Washington weather is really getting to me and I am no longer enjoying living in the Pacific Northwest. The lack of sunshine can really zap your spirits and not only that, I am so sick of the muddy mess being tracked in by the dog. Why people voluntarily live here is beyond me. My heart will always be in New England and I can really see myself going back there someday. I did enjoy living in Colorado...the mountains were beautiful but it's landlocked...and I like living near the ocean. Washington is a bit like New England in that aspect and it's much more lush than Colorado but just too darn wet !

    I have recently gone off white flour, sugar and almost all carbs and as a result, have lost 15 pounds. Some of you may recall I did this a few years ago and lost quite a bit of weight (25 lbs) but I also got gall stones from the rapid weight loss and had to have my gall bladder out...lol.    I am more motivated now as I am eager to make some lasting life changes...diet and exercise being one of them, and really evaluating my life. I've had quite a bit of unhappiness and I know it's not how the Lord wants me to live my life. I've spent a lot of time trying to figure out my role and my life's purpose and I still, still don't have it sorted out yet.

All is well and I am truly Blessed...I have my health and that of my family. I am realizing that I need to put myself first because I have been last for so long and that nobody can make me happy except myself and the choices I make......disrespect and bad feelings no longer have a place in my life and I have a great new outlook.

    I am on Pinterest and Facebook occasionally so if any of my wonderful friends would like to link up...let me know :) I promise too much time won't go by before I post again.

(...and I very much dislike the changes Blogger has made...anyone else? )

Have a Blessed Week!
~Robin

New Neighbors, New Curtains, New Friends

Well, after being vacant for almost three years, someone finally bought the house next to ours. I must admit, I was rather enjoying the privacy and the peace and quiet that came from having an empty house next door. We were actually making merry on New Year's Eve with our company when we noticed we were being watched......the new neighbors moved in that very night...the last night of the last year and well, with no curtains on their windows or electricity to watch their television with...we were the next best thing to quality entertainment that they could get. I don't mean they were maybe watching us, they were full on standing-in-their-house-looking-in-ours watching us.

I am very happy the house next door now has an owner but at the same time I like to walk around in my pajamas and yesterday's hair-do.....and this house backs up very close to mine with full view of our entire living area. I now had to ponder my curtain-less kitchen window that faces their huge living room picture window...it's bad enough they've probably already seen me go out into the backyard in my bathrobe about a dozen times already, but I guess if you dare to venture outside in your night clothes that's a chance you have to take.....inside my house was a different story.

So, many of you know how frugal I am...after all, I made a curtain rod out of a tree branch for my livingroom curtains. I already had a nice Waverly toile valance on the top of my kitchen window (Goodwill) but I needed some privacy on the bottom half of the window without blocking out all the daylight...so my daughter and I ventured out to Goodwill where she found a few yards of a complimentary black toile fabric. I cut a section of fabric and hung it by curtain clips onto a tension rod and below is the result.

I didn't hem it...not one single stitch was sewn, I just cut and hung and taadaa...that's it. My kind of decorating...cheap and easy. You can see how close the house next door is, we live in like a horseshoe...where our house is right on the bend and their's is on the side of us so the rear of their house backs up to the side of ours.

Also, after we lost Sadie I told my husband that it would be a very long time before I considered another dog and I would certainly never get a puppy. I was so caught up in my own grief and trying to get through each day that I really wasn't aware of how losing Sadie was affecting someone else in my household. People grieve differently and although I was doing a pretty good job coping with it, someone else was not. As parents, we made a decision that we hoped would help the healing process.

This is Walter and he is the newest member of the Bittersweet family. He is not my dog...I had mine and she will be forever in my heart, Walter belongs to another and he is fitting right in.

Walter is a English Springer Spaniel mix and is almost 3 months old....and already has a new BFF....actually I think it's the cat who found a new BFF. Simba mourned Sadie for quite a while...he would walk around the house whining looking for her...it was very difficult to watch, and it took him a while to realize she was gone. Simba and Walter are now besties and they love to play with each other. The other two cats tolerate Walter but Simba finally has a playmate again.

I hope you are all having a very Blessed start to the New Year...we got some snow today and some got to see it for the first time ever.....

It's finally starting to feel like Winter here. I hope you all have a great week!

Happy New Year!

Yup, that's the kind of year it's been. It is tradition that we get one bottle of champagne to ring in each New Year. This year, we agreed that it would take a bit more...one to ring in the New Year...and a second to toast the Loved Ones that we lost....four beloveds total. I know 2011 has been full of hardships for many and I pray that 2012 will be full of Hope...and CHANGE (as in no more Obama), but more importantly I wish for you Health, Happiness and Prosperity. I heard a Christmas song the other day and the lyrics said something like..."I don't mind stains on the carpet as long as there's food on the table"...and that is so so true.

May your table always have food on it.
Happy New Year!
Love,
Robin

Christmas is getting closer.....

I still have *lots* to do...I'll be the crazy lady running around on Friday trying to finish up.
Can't wait for the CALM...that's when I am done shopping and everything is wrapped and ready...are you ready?

Also, I made pumpkin soup last night and WOW I have a new favorite. I have lots of canned pumpkin in my food storage and I was looking for ways to use it creatively....instead of for pie or cake. I found this super great pumpkin soup recipe on Simply Recipes and it was so delicious....I know I'll be making it more often. It's a nice creamy soup with just enough spice to make it NOT bland. Don't let the ingredients fool you....it warms the tongue and the belly just right. It was too good not to share:

Spicy Pumpkin Soup Recipe

Ingredients

4 Tbsp unsalted butter
2 medium yellow onions, chopped
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 teaspoons curry powder
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
Pinch ground cayenne pepper (optional) ***(I left this out because I didn't have any)
3 (15 oz) cans 100 percent pumpkin or 6 cups of chopped roasted pumpkin*
5 cups of chicken broth (or vegetable broth for vegetarian option)**
2 cups of milk
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup heavy cream

Method

1 Melt butter in a 4-quart saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onions and garlic and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 4 minutes. Add spices and stir for a minute more.
2 Add pumpkin and 5 cups of broth; blend well. Bring to a boil and reduce heat, simmer for 10 to 15 minutes.
3 ( I skipped this step entirely) Transfer soup, in batches, to a blender or food processor. Cover tightly and blend until smooth. Return soup to saucepan.
4 With the soup on low heat, add brown sugar and mix. Slowly add milk while stirring to incorporate. Add cream. Adjust seasonings to taste. If a little too spicy, add more cream to cool it down. You might want to add a teaspoon of salt.
Serve in individual bowls.

Yield: Serves 8.

My daughter's boyfriend is a vegetarian so I am trying to prepare meatless cuisine for him these next few weeks...this forces me to get creative and think outside the box. On Christmas we are having a Prime Rib and a Vegetarian Lasagna...and whatever else I can think of. We still have 2 days left of homeschool before Christmas break....lots left to do.

Blessings to all!

It's been a very difficult year for me and I am praying that Good Things will happen in the New Year.
Thank you so much my Dear Friends for the kind words, I needed more time than I thought to collect my thoughts. My husband kept asking me if I was going to do a last post about Sadie and I chose not to, the pain is still fresh but now we can smile and laugh when we speak of her..that's not to say there aren't still tears..they are just fewer and far between and she is now in my heart instead of by my side.

Christmas is now upon us and we are having a guest this year for Christmas and through the New Year. In all the years we've been a family, it's only been the four of us each Christmas morning. My daughter's boyfriend is flying in from California and we are most excited. Good Things are on the way. Be Blessed.

My Sweet Girl

Sadie Mae Nov 26, 2002 ~Oct 10, 2011 You left pawprints on all our hearts....love you.

I'm Still Here...and a Road Trip.

I bet you thought I was never coming back again! Actually, I was always here...the summer was a rough one, Sadie is still with us and each day we have to spend with her is a Blessing. My husband lost an Uncle, I lost my last living Grandmother, we lost Flynn and we are dealing with Sadie's cancer.
I have not been snapping photos nor have I traveled to any exotic and exciting locations this past summer.
My daughter spent 3 glorious weeks in New England however, and my beautiful niece did come to stay with us for a brief but thoroughly enjoyable visit. Summer is turning to Fall and we are looking ahead!

Now, get your affairs in order and stock up on snacks because soon we are taking a road trip down Memory Lane :) I came across all my old photos on Google+ from my old blog before my previous computer went up in flames and lost everything.

You're excited...I know, I was too!
See you soon!

Me and my Girl

We are on this journey as a family and we are just now getting to the bumps in the road, Sadie can no longer jump up on the bed without some help from my husband lifting her up....the past 3 nights have been rough and sleepless...seems she does the most suffering at night, alternating between panting heavily and drinking tons and tons of water...and then the countless potty breaks. We sit up with her and comfort her, petting her and talking to her softly so she knows she's not in this alone.

This photo was taken tonight (Sun)...she was feeling pretty good and had an extra spring in her step...she even trotted ahead of us a few times. I picked a Daisy and tied it to her collar...she loves flowers and seems to take delight in watching the bees buzz from blossom to blossom. Taking this day by day and counting each and every new one with her as a Blessing.

Blessings to all for a great week.

Sadie May....

...awww...this is one of my favorite pics...Kai got a new kitten a few weeks ago and Sadie just adores him, they became fast friends once the kitten figured out Sadie wasn't going to eat him.

If I were to describe Sadie I would have to say she's gentle, sweet, patient, loyal and trusting....we couldn't have asked for a better dog. From the moment we adopted her years ago, we knew she was special. I didn't think a dog would fit into our lifestyle but we learned very quickly that Sadie was willing to work us into hers.

A few weeks ago we noticed Sadie was not acting like her usual self....she was panting while climbing the stairs and started to refuse food on a not so regular basis...about every third day she would fast and then she started running a fever. We took her to the vet who said her chest sounded congested and they decided to do a chest xray with no results...then maybe a uterine infection, so an abdominal xray with minimal results and finally, we got a referral to another vet for an ultrasound...just to rule out the uterine infection.

The ultrasound revealed some very grim news, Sadie was diagnosed with stage 5 Lymphoma. All of her lymph nodes are affected as are all her internal organs...chemotherapy was discussed but with her prognosis it was revealed it would have little, if any, effect. I was told to take her home and enjoy her...the vet told me it could take "days or weeks"...... so crushing to hear.

I have googled this disease and read story after story until my husband told me to stop...I was trying to learn as much as I could, but reading other people's stories of how they lost their beloved dogs to cancer was just tearing me apart. I did. however, learn that cancer cells feed on carbs and the best thing I could do for Sadie now was keep her comfortable by cooking her high protein, low carb, grain free meals to possibly slow the progression of the cancer. Will it work...I dunno...but it will make me feel better knowing I am doing something for her that I can control.

Sadie is currenly on prednisone which is a steroid to help reduce the inflammation...we have already noticed that the lymph nodes in her neck aren't as swollen as they were. One of the side affects is that she pants every now and then.....but only for a short time. Otherwise, she still enjoys fetching her ball and continues to bark whenever the doorbell rings. I have noticed she's gotten a bit slower on our nightly walks and she doesn't like to walk as far as she used to...she now lets me know it's time to go home by simply turning around and walking back towards home....so I obediently follow.

We live within walking distance to a lake...it's just down a short trail. I took Sadie to the lake on Saturday and she couldn't wait to get in the water...I was a bit hesitant at first because I wasn't sure if she was strong enough to swim but she proved me wrong! I threw her tennis ball out into the lake about 10 times and she swam out to retrieve it each and every time. I didn't take pics of her in the water because I was trying to keep an eye on her...I did take her into the arboretum to dry off and play fetch so we took pics there.

...at the lake....look at that smile...she know's shes going to get to go swimming soon.

..waiting for me to throw the stick so she can go fetch it.

...look at that face....does that look like a sick doggie to you?

She had so much fun, she didn't want to get in the jeep to come back home...but she loves going for rides so I was finally able to persuade her.

Back home......that's my big sweet couch potato. The only thing I can do is love her as much as I can.
She is ever present, always at my side...I'm ashamed to say that there was a time that it used to annoy me....I couldn't even go to the bathroom without her finding me.. but now I am savoring every single second of it.

Blessings to all for a great week.
~Robin