Frankie's Corner

                  It's Friday and time for Frankies corner.  Frankie of course is the Siamese who thinks he's a German Sheppard. My family adopted him 3 years ago and he's a handful.  I found out the hard way he does not like me taking my injections.  I had been off my meds for 2 years because of fighting with the insurance company.  During that time frame, we got Frankie.  I didn't think anything about it when Frankie came into the room, when I started up my injections.  So, he saw the needle go into my leg.  After watching me, he hissed and bit anybody who came near him that day.  I called the vet and told her everything and she said  "he thinks your hurting yourself and should not be in the room when  I inject".  If he sees me prepping the needle, he yowls and trys to bat it out of my hand.  He jumps up to try to knock it out my hand.  He will sit outside the bedroom door and wait for me to finish or sometimes he will meow while I'm in there.  Very strange animal anybody have any cats or dogs react to them taking meds.  I'm hoping to go to the new oral medication techfidera soon.  That will make everybody happy Frankie included. Until next time have a great weekend.

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A Little Poetry for the Masses

                                                 Untitled

                                   How can you say I love.
                                  When I do not even know my own emotions.
                                  They flit from one flower to flower.
                                  Always seeking never finding the everlasting flame.
                                  The constancy of a deep abiding love.
                                  Only finding loneliness along life's never ending path.



                                                 Haiku

                                 I don't care what you say
                                 Get a grip and go away.


                                           Sleepless Nights with Frankie

                                I tried to get some zzzzzz's
                                But its impossible with Frankie my Siamese
                                Because he snores with the breeze.
                               When he's a wake he plops down on the bed with a great quake.
                                But he's the best friend you'll find when your in a bind.          

Let's Continue the Party

Hey Murder Mystery Foodie Fans, I want to continue the party theme from Mondays Social Support blog. I have another recipe from the Sugar Cookie Murder.  It's an appetizer recipe very easy to make.  It's Joanne Fluke's Deviled Egg recipe.  This taste better then the one I usually make.  My son Conor got into the act. He loves to cook with me all the time.  If you have kids they can help you make this recipe. So here it goes.

To make six eggs:

Hard boil the eggs using your favorite method. Peel the eggs.  Cut the eggs in half top to bottom.  Remove the yolks and put in a small bowl.

Mash the yolks with a fork until they're crumbled.
Then add:

1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon minced onion
1/2 teaspoon parsley flakes
1/4 teaspoon celery salt
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard (MUST be the dry kind)

Mix thoroughly and then fill the yolk cavity,  mounding the mixture a bit in the center.  Place on a small platter. You can garnish with paprika or parsley.  Personally I prefer paprika.  All done and these didn't last very long with teenagers in the house.  Enjoy and until next time were we'll talk about Frankie's weird aversion to my weekly injections.

Social Support--What does it do?

Social Support -- What the heck is it?  Why is it so important?  Social Support refers to the family and friends who are close to you in times of need or just everyday events.  Psychologist in recent years are telling us our close circle of friends is getting smaller.  Ten to Twenty years ago we had about 5 people we could call close friends.  The numbers nowadays show that to be one and if your lucky two.  Why is Social Support important?  People are more healthy, when they can talk to people about there problems.  They know someone is there and they're not alone.  Statistics show heart patients, who have had surgery increase their survival rate when friends and family are around.  Don't worry their are ways to increase your Social Support.

1.  Volunteer- a lot of agencies need help.  Pick one where you have an interest and call them.  You will meet people who share a similar interest.

2.  Take a class- Find a class at the local community college or community center.  It's something that interest you.  You will find like minded people there.

3.  Join a club- Find a club that shares your interest or hobby and you will find other people who share an interest.

What I'm saying is find something you like and the friendships will follow.  But once you meet all these people be sure to keep in touch.  If you have not kept in touch with all your friends.  Now would be the time to have a Party to reconnect.  Also when your making friends get a nice address book to fill up with names and have it handy when you go out.

Here's a little cookie recipe for any party you might have in the future:

                                    Semi-Homemade Chocolate Cookies

                                   1 Box Devils Food Cake Mix
                                   2 Large Eggs
                                   1 Teaspoon Vanilla
                                  1/2 cup (1 stick) butter softened
                                   1 12oz. package white chocolate or peanut butter chips

Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or use ungreased cookie sheets.

Mix first 4 ingredients until moistened.  Cookie dough will be thick. Fold in chips until well distributed.

Drop heaping teaspoons of the dough 2 inches apart on the cookie sheet.  Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until cookies have set but are still soft in the center. Remove pans from the oven.  Let cookies rest on cookie sheets for about a minute. Remove cookies with a metal spatula and transfer to wire racks to cool.(looking for more cookie recipes try "The Christmas Cookie Club" book.

Here's a bit of fun.  The foodnetwork.com  is having a sweepstakes for "The Lost Art of Getting Together
prize is $25,000 for the ultimate block party hurray it ends on 6/28/2013.

Until next time keep your ovens warm for our cooking segment.

Frankie's Corner

Good Morning all, Frankie is sleeping in this morning.  He snores light a fully grown adult male.  Your probably wondering why we rever to him as a Siamese who thinks he's a German Sheppard.  My family and I have only lived in our apartment for two years.  The first summer here, we had a prowler.  This creepy person would come in the middle of the night and tap on my kids windows.  This went on for several months and the cops could never catch him.  The complex installed a motion detector, but in the ground.  I asked them, "What's to keep this guy from tearing it up"? No answer.  I take a weekly injection, which makes me very sick. The creep showed up that night.  Frankie went crazy.  He was in my face pawing and meowing trying to get me up.  I'm like Frankie, Mommy don't feel good let me sleep.  So he goes to my son Conor's door and Conor's still asleep.  He then goes to my other son's room.  He's meowing and jumping and knocking over kyle's glasses.  I finally get up to try and calm him down, not realizing the guy has destroyed the motion detector.  We don't find out until the next day the motion detector is in pieces.  The cops have told me pay attention to the cat.  He's very smart.

Okay everybody please email friskies and tell them you want your frequent buyer program back.

Hello Fellow CVS Fans

                                             
                                           Hello Fellow CVS Fans

I decided to posted my adventures in savings at CVS.  I love shopping here and getting stuff for free.
If you haven't tried CVS yet. Your in for an adventure, so be sure and get your rewards card and follow the ads.  My first trip for June here's what I got.

                    1-Head & Shoulders
                    2-Crest w/scope toothpaste
                    1-Colgate Total Mouthwash 500ml
                    1-Secret Clinical Strength
                    1-package Tena Pads

after coupons and ecb card/sales saved $28.39     out of pocket $11.49  Also received  $7 extra care bucks

2nd Transaction

                      1-Charmin Ultra 16 pk

saved $13.11 using bucks and sale            out of pocket $3.67


Some places to get gift cards to CVS are Swagbucks.com, Myview surveys and Mypoints.com to help increase your savings.

Hope this helps with your savings.

                                       I love the smell of Banana Bread in the Morning


Good morning all,  I hope everyone is having a wonderful summer.  Summer for my family is really fun, because cooking during the summer is a family Affaire.  Some of our favorite recipes come from the mystery writer Joanne Fluke.  Her recipes don't require a lot of ingredients, effort or time.  They always taste great and their fun to make.  A big plus, you have engaging stories and characters as well as recipes to enjoy.
You don't have to start from the beginning of the series either.  Any book in the series is good.  Todays recipe Banana Bread comes from her book  "The Sugar Cookie Murder".  Ah,  love that banana bread smell.  This book also has a lot of other recipes for any type of party you might be planning, so check it out.  Here's the recipe and enjoy.

                           3/4 cup softened butter (1 1/2 sticks)
                           1 1/2 cups white sugar (granulated)
                           2 beaten eggs (just whip them up in a glass with a fork)
                           1 1/2 cups mashed bananas (3 or 4 overripe bananas, the ones with the black spots)
                           2  cups flour (no need to shift)
                           1 teaspoon baking soda
                           1 teaspoon salt
                           1/2 cup buttermilk
                           1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)

Mix  the butter and sugar together until they're nice and fluffy.  Add the beaten eggs and stir it all up.

Peel and mash the bananas.  (You can do this with a fork, if they're ripe enough) Measure out  1 1/2 cups of mashed banana and add it to your mixing bowl.  Stir well.

In another bowl, measure out the flour and mix in the baking soda and salt.

Add half of the flour to your mixing bowl. Stir well. Add half of  the buttermilk (you don't have to be exact) and mix that in. Add the rest of the flour, stir well, and then mix the rest of the buttermilk. Stir thoroughly.

Mix in the nuts at this point, if you decide to use them.

Coat the inside of a loaf pan (the type you'd use for bread) with non-stick cooking spray. Spoon in the banana bread batterand bake at 350 degree F. for approximately one hour, or until a long toothpick or skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.

Cool on a wire rack in the pan, loosen the edges after 20 minutes and turn the loaf out onto the wire rack.

Now your ready to enjoy your delicious Banana Bread.  Next time look for Frankie's World the Siamese who thinks he's a dog.
                         

                                     Summer Fun and Safety

Do you ever have this happen to you?  A line from a song continually playing in your head--School's out for the summer!!!  Summer Fun means a lot of time outdoors. This also means you have to think about sunscreen and hydration issues.  First off, try not to be out in the hottest part of the day noon til 4 p.m.  You need to apply sunscreen repeatedly, throughout the time your outside not just once.  People forget two areas that are hit repeatedly and can get blistered easily, the ears and the back of the neck. Another key point is hydration, hydration and hydration can't stress this enough.  Soda does not hydrate you, in fact it dehydrate's you.  Something I have to tell my teenagers repeatedly.  Water and fruit juice are the best ways and drink lots of it.  Here's a fun recipe to keep you hydrated.

                                 Water Melon Slushie  (Last Summer's All Me Issue)

                                2 cups seedless watermelon cut into cubes
                                1/3 C & H Agave nectar
                                1/4 cup lemon juice
                                2 cups fresh strawberries quartered
                                3 to 4 cups ice

In a blender add watermelon, agave nectar and juice. Cover and process on high. Add strawberries process on high for an additional minute.  Add each cup of ice separately, processing each cup until consistency of a slushie.  Can garish with piece of watermelon or strawberries.  Makes six servings.

Coupons can be found for the sunscreen online or in Sunday inserts.  Various stores are having sales on sunscreen i.e. buy one get one 50% off at Rite Aid for example.

C & H also has an agave nectar coupon out there.  So you can save money while taking care of yourself.

                               Frankie’s Corner

No matter what she says I rule this house.  I meow and she jumps.  Here’s the thing people, Friskies no longer has the frequent buyer program.  I propose an online email petition to get our frequent buyer program back(so long as it doesn’t include the food with the green stuff).  Oh Lord here she comes, I’m hitting send now.

Frankie get your paws off the computer.  Frankie,  my Siamese doesn't like my computer.  It takes away from his time outside on the leash.  Yes, he does walk on the leash.  I train all my cats to walk on the leash. Here's how I got started walking him and others on the leash.  You can teach a cat anything only if you try.

My ex-husband had a beautiful calico named Frances. She had been a stray.  She was kept completely indoors after her adoption.  I thought she's always in the house, Why not get her a leash?  I bought her a leash and proceeded to take her outside.  She loved it, walked around for about half an hour to an hour.  Here's the thing I brought her back inside.  I put the leash on the table.  Not five minutes later, she was dragging it to the front door.  She wanted to go again.  Start out small not every cat is going to be a Frances or a Frankie.  Let the cat walk around in the house wearing the leash for awhile before you take them outside.  Let them get used to it.  That's all for now.  Next time Summer Fun and Safety.

                                     Foodie's Who Love Murder Mystery Cooking

Do you know what the best thing in the world is-- being a Foodie.  I love food and I love trying new recipes.  Combine that with reading a good mystery and life is good.  Several wonderful authors who write murder mystery cozies(mysteries that are not hard core blood and guts) have included recipes in their story lines. The heroes and heroines work in the food industry i.e. bakers, chefs, food columnist, which allows the authors to put recipes in the story line. The recipes are really great and I have tried several.  Are first sojourn into mystery food is a recipe from Isis Crawford’s The Catered Wedding.  My youngest son just loves this recipe—Pumpkin Bread.  The whole family can get involved in making this recipe, it’s that easy.  This can be made for the holidays or when the mood strikes you.

                                               Holiday Pumpkin Bread

Sift Together:

3 1/2 flour

1 1/2 tsp. salt

2 tsp. baking soda

Add:

3 cups sugar

1/2 tsp. ginger

1 tbs. cinnamon

1 tbs. nutmeg

mix well

Blend:

1 cup canola oil

2/3 cup water

4 whole eggs

2 cups unseasoned pumpkin puree

optional:  nuts, raisins and cranberries

Add above to flour mixture

Pour in either three greased  8" by 4" loaf pans with greased wax paper on the bottom or two 9" by 5" loaf pans. 

Bake in 350 degree oven for 1 hour or until done. Cool . Wrap in foil. Let age overnight. Can age for 10 days. Freezes well.

Enjoy the bread, its fun making as well as eating.  Have any pets, you'll enjoy the next entry. Where you'll meet Frankie, the Siamese who thinks he's a dog.

Hi, my name is Lorraine.  I am a single mom with 2 teenage boys and a demon Siamese, who thinks he's a German Sheppard. The reason I'm writing my blog, I want to help other people in similar situations.  I went to school for 4 years and I got my degree in Health Education.  But 2 months after graduating, I got diagnosed with an autoimmune disease, makes it hard to work when you can't do the work you were trained to do (public health).  So, I'm taking my love of teaching and saving money and writing this blog.  If you like learning preventive health techniques, murder mystery cooking recipes, pets and saving money then you'll like my blog.


                     Health Care You did not know about

Healthcare is an important aspect of our lives and it affects everyone.  If you don't have it, this can cause a great deal of stress by exacerbating other problems.  There are a lot people who have coverage available to them and they don't even know it.  For example, those of you who are ex-military need to check with your local veteran’s administration office.  I found out last year I was covered by the military for everything except dental.  Because I'm low income I don't have any co-pays.  I am well taken care of by my doctors and no more stress.  So give it a try and you might be surprised.

Now if you have coverage but it doesn’t take care of everything, there are programs that help with medication.  There are several drug companies that help with payment when you have low insurance or no insurance.  Some of the companies that help are Glaxo-Smith Cline, Pfizer and AstraZeneca. Check with your doctor to find out which company makes your medication and give them a call.
Alternatives to medication otherwise known as vitamins and minerals can be gotten very inexpensively. Here are some of the ways you can get them cheaply.
1. Use your loyalty cards from the drug stores and use the points to get them discounted i.e. CVS, RITE AID and WALGREENS to name a few.
2. Use your rewards programs gift cards to pay for them i.e. my points, swag bucks or survey sites that pay with gift cards.
3. Some vitamin companies have frequent buyer programs that can be redeemed for high value coupons.  My personal favorite is Schiffloyaltyrewards.com.  NatureMade.com is another that rewards with high value coupons.  Check out Centrum.com for a free sample of their vitamins.
Before I leave you today I like to share my favorite smoothie recipe with you.  I got the recipe from Dole and it has an added benefit of being an anti-inflammatory drink.  Don’t let that scare you it tastes really good and its easy to make. The added benefit is if you have headaches or other aches and pains it helps lessen them.
         
                      Pineapple-Strawberry-Banana Smoothie

1 can crushed pineapples
1 cup pineapple juice
I small carton strawberry yogurt
Handful of fresh strawberries
1 small banana chopped
Blend in your blender and voila your done.
Until next time where we will enjoy a little murder mystery cooking relax and enjoy life.