The Moon

I have been meaning to post this for some time, but keep forgetting to post it.

A little over a week ago, I cared for an Arabic speaking woman who had a joint replacement (I cannot remember now if it was knee or hip). She came all the way from Saudi Arabia just to get both of her joints replaced. This was her second surgery the previous one was a couple months before, and once she had her follow up appointment she was set to go back home.

I actually enjoy caring for patients who speak little to no English, most of the time. I have found that they value my effort as I try to understand them, and make them as comfortable as I can. So they are usually sweet to me.

She was this way. Very funny (her daughter and son speak English well and translated for me) and smart. I was gentle and respectful and really liked to care for her.

I think it was halfway into my first shift with her when she said that I was very beautiful and had a wonderful personality, in Arabic, of course. And I was caught off guard. It was so flattering to me. And of course I thanked her.

She asked me "are you married?" And I stated that I was not. "Do you want to marry an Arab?" And I laughed, and asked "Are you trying to set me up?" And yes, she was. She wanted me to marry her son. I explained that I had a boyfriend for 3 years. This is something that does not happen in her culture; marriages are arranged mostly. But she did not press. She laughed with me. And again I thanked her.

She later said "there's my moon" in Arabic when I walked into her room, and the translator who was there told me that's what she said. And I must have had a confused look on my face, because they went on to explain that in their culture the moon is very beautiful.

It was a wonderful interaction. There is no bigger compliment to me than to be invited into some one's family. Especially when there is a huge cultural divide. I was sad to not be there for her discharge, because I had the next few days off, but said my goodbyes on my last day working with her.

She will always be a patient I'll think of with a smile.

Mac and Cheese

One of my favorites! :)


Mac and Cheese
Ingredients:
-2 c. Large elbow Macaroni
-3 tablespoons All Purpose Flour
-1/2 tsp salt
-2 c. shredded cheese
-3 tablespoons butter or margarine
-1 can evaporated nonfat milk
-1 tsp lemon pepper
-set aside 1/2- 3/4 c. shredded cheese


1. Cook macaroni in boiling water until tender but not too done. Tip #1: I use whatever pasta I have. Sometimes that means I have a few spaghetti noodles in the macaroni. I prefer "Sea shells" myself. This means that you might have to add more/or less pasta depending on how big the pasta is.
2. In a medium saucepan, on medium heat, melt butter, then blend in flour. Add salt.
3. Slowly stir in evaporated milk until mixture is fluid but thick. Tip#2: I add small amounts of the milk and stir slowly, but well. Making sure not to miss an area, so side to side then up and down. If you don't stir you will have lumps, but really this won't make a huge difference. No one will see the lumps.
4. Add pepper and cheese to sauce. Stir until cheese melts. Tip#3: I use whatever cheese I have at the time. But usually this means a few different types. So last time I made it with 1 c. medium cheddar cheese, 1/2 c. mozzarella cheese, and 1/2 c. sharp cheddar cheese. It adds a little different flavor if you use several different cheeses.
5. Mix macaroni and sauce together in a 1-1/2 quart baking dish. Top with cheese that was set aside.
6. Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbly on top.


::Pictures::

Step 2: Flour, butter and salt mixture. It is very thick.

Before the oven!

Cooked and ready to eat!

Yum!

Camping recipes: part 2

I found this recipe online, and added a couple things; it was easy and tasted great. Again, sorry no pictures!

Camper's Pot Roast
Ingredients:
-Beef or Pork ribs (or meat for stewing that is cut in thick strips)
-6-8 medium potatoes, cut in quarters
-1 lb bag of mini carrots
-2 medium onions, slice in rings
-3 stalks celery, cut in small pieces
-4 cloves garlic, chopped
-salt
-pepper
-water

1. Place the ingredients in a Dutch oven, or campfire safe pot with lid. Cover the ingredients with water. Sprinkle small amount of salt and pepper into water.
2. Place the pot on coals, or briquettes for about 1-2 hours. Check on it after 1 hour, then check every 30 minutes after that.Tip #1: It was really good with beef ribs, however some people had a hard time eating the ribs because they didn't want to get their hands dirty. If this is the case for you I suggest using a meat that is boneless.

Tip #2: The meat was really good dipped in BBQ sauce.

Tip #3: The potatoes soaked up alot of the juices from the meat and other veggies, so no butter was necessary.

Camping Recipes

This recipe was not one I created. My mom and a friend of ours make this one morning EVERY time we go camping, as a tradition. I forget where they found the recipe. I've seen it before in recipes, but they usually use jam instead of powdered sugar. And most of the time it isn't as good as this one! I borrowed it for when I went camping a couple weeks ago and it was a hit! My boyfriend and two other boys absolutely loved the sandwiches and gobbled them down. Sorry no pictures with this one!

Monte Cristos
Ingredients:
-Old fashioned White Bread
-Deli sliced turkey
-Deli sliced ham
-Swiss cheese, sliced
-Cheddar cheese, sliced
-Eggs, beaten with a fork
-Powdered sugar about 1/2 to 1 cup
-Oil or a Nonstick spray.

1. Make the sandwiches in this order: 1 slice of bread, 1 slice swiss cheese, ham, turkey, 1 slice cheddar cheese, 1 slice of bread. Really the only important part is that the cheese is on the outsides so that it melts easier. Tip #1: These sandwiches taste better if the meats are bought fresh from the deli. It doesn't really matter the brand or type of turkey, but peppered turkey might taste weird, because the rest of the sandwich is sweet.
2. Warm a campfire safe skillet (cast iron works great!) over the fire, and lightly oil or spray the pan.
3. Place the eggs in an extra wide mouthed bowl, or deep plate. It needs to be wide enough to fit the bread in easily.
4. In another plate, sprinkle powdered sugar. Place enough powdered sugar in the plate to cover the bottom.
5. Set the sandwich in the eggs to coat the outside of the bread. Pick up the sandwich and turn over. Place the dry outside of the sandwich in the egg mixture. Tip #2: Sometimes the eggs have clumps or "boogers" as I call them, I like to scrape these off of the bread if they are really thick, because they take longer to cook. The sandwich will taste great with or without them, though!
6. Place the sandwich in the pre-heated skillet, turning when the bread is lightly browned and the eggy bread is cooked through.
7. When both sides of the sandwich are cooked, place the sandwich on the powdered sugar plate to lightly cover both sides of the sandwich with powdered sugar. (This means you will have to pick the sandwich up and put the other side in the powdered sugar.) Tip #3: The powdered sugar will get firm from the warmth of the sandwiches, in between sandwiches break up the powdered sugar with a fork to freshen it up.

Tip #4: One of the boys said "gross" when he heard that the sandwiches were dipped in powdered sugar, but once he tried it he couldn't believe how good it was. However, some people do not like it with powdered sugar, but still like the sandwiches.

Tip #5: The Old Fashioned White Bread is really the best to use in my experience, but I've seen people enjoy these on other types of bread.

Camping

This past weekend I went camping with my boyfriend and his best friends (and I consider them my good friends too). It was quite fun. We had some good drinks, good food, and some good conversation. And we created halo frisbee (well the guys created it) and had a blast playing it. We were out of breath after about 15minutes of playing it, and only lasted 30 minutes.

We arrived on friday and it was rather late because of traffic. But we all started drinking right away and began reminiscing. Well the boys decided to talk about high school and the way Jamaal tried to date me and how I completely would not consider it. (And I always am made out to be the bad guy) Anyway the conversation quickly turned loud, and while Bret was comparing the way I treated to Jamaal in high school to someone shoving a broken baseball bat up someone's butt, the rest of us noticed a flashlight coming straight for our camp. All of us knew that it was probably a good time for Bret to shut up, but we didn't stop him. It was the park ranger. Now...on the picnic table in our camp there was 2 gallons of rum (one almost gone) 3 half gallons of vodka, 2 half gallons of flavored rum, and more in the coolers. We got chewed out for being too loud. It was 10:20, and the quiet hours were at 10:00. And our conversation wasn't "family friendly." We all got carded, and told to keep it down. After that we were all scared of being too noisy. (especially me, because I'm paranoid.)

It was a good weekend. Some exciting firsts and adventures galore.

Keep an eye out for some camping recipes in On The Menu.

A few of my favorite things...Part 2

So previously I mentioned that I liked to see couples in the gym working out together because it is sweet. But I must take a timeout to say that sometimes couples working out together can piss me off.

There are two machines that exercise the hip flexors and extensors. (I think that's right...) Anyway they are a hot commodity at the gym and I like them a lot. Well I was busy doing my leg workout which includes workin on these machines. I was able to get on to one of them, but a couple (middle aged) came and started using the other. The man was on the machine I needed and the lady was on a machine next to it. They switched machines a couple times and then when I got up they moved to have one on each of the machines. Well I thought they must be nearly done with the one I needed so I went to a machine and did a set on it while I waited. I didn't want to be rude and stand right behind them. (keep in mind that they both were able to work on the machine I needed at least 2 times before I left). So I slowly did another set on this leg extension machine making sure to keep my eye on the one I needed. At about this time another girl came up and was standing behind them waiting for the machine. (And I thought to myself, CRAP! now I'm going to have to wait for her too!!) But the couple continued to rotate between the 2 machines. Another person came up to use the one I didn't need, because the man finished with his set before the lady. And the lady was like "oh I'm using that" and got on the machine. I wanted to shoot myself. They ended up working on each machine at least 10 times, and at a turtle's pace. Well I got three sets of 20 in on the leg extension, sat on the machine for a while and the girl who was standing and waiting to use the machines huffed and marched away, all pissed off like. So I got up and stood rudely waiting for the machine.

Couples like that are not cute. They are annoying. No respect for others in the gym, and no clue about how to use the machines. 3 sets is enough. Not 10 sets. And if you are going to do 10 sets, break them up and allow others to use the machines.

Lessons learned:
1. it's best to work out in the morning time. (i went to the gym after work, so was there around 5, when everyone else works out)
2. Next time I will say, may I use this machine please!

She has passed.

Today when I went to work a note on the white board stated that the patient that started my urge to blog, passed away. For a reminder go here: The Beginning .

I wasn't in work at the time but I spoke with someone who was and she said that she was admitted late a few nights ago, a transfer from a different hospital, and when she arrived the nurse could tell she was close to dying. She could barely breathe and was working very hard to do so. The nurse welcomed her and said that she was glad she came here because this was her home away from home, and we were glad to be with her. (And as the nurse told me this I saw tears begin to form). The nurse knew that at the end of her shift the patient would not be alive when she came back.

The patient refused for a long time to sign a form that said "Do not Resusitate" and near the end of her life she became non responsive, and so the family was in charge of making her decisions. The form was signed 10 minutes before she passed away.

The patient's family filled the halls. I was told 80 people were there, crying and supporting each other. And they would not leave the hospital. They were in denial up until that moment and could not face the reality of her passing.

I asked the reason why the patient came in to the hospital at all and the nurse said "she got scared."

I think I would be too. When you can feel the end approaching, and you realize that it's over. The pain has won.

But I wish she could have been in the comfort of her own home. Where nurses and doctors don't ask the family to leave so they can care for the body. Where she could be surrounded by everything and everyone that loves her.

And yet I wonder if she needed to say goodbye to us. The unit that cared for her through most of her hospitalization. The people who understood that she was dying, because her family didn't believe it.

Rice and Bean Burritos

A while back I made this recipe, and what I like about it is that it is very versatile. It can be made with or without beef. And vegetables can be added as desired. Also, it is easy to make and would be great as a "taco salad" type leftover the next day.


Rice and Bean Burritos
-1 cup rice (makes 2 cups cooked) I used calrose rice, so I cooked it on the stove before starting the rest, if you use instant rice you don't have to.
-1 can pinto beans rinsed well
-1 cup salsa
-1 and 1/4 cup water
-1 package taco seasoning
-1/2 pound ground beef

1. Brown the ground beef and drain. If you are using a rice that isn't instant rice, cook the rice as directed on the box.


2. In a microwave safe bowl, mix the rice, beans, salsa, water, taco seasoning, and the ground beef. Microwave for 5 minutes or until hot.

3. Serve with your choice of tortilla or wrap. Garnish with sour cream and shredded cheese.

Here is the mixture.

I used Tia Rosa Tortilla Bread and it is wonderful. It is soft and fluffy and just perfect for this dish. So far I have only seen it at Fred Meyer, but haven't looked for it yet anywhere else.

My burrito, yum!

Sausage Stuffed Pasta Shells

This post appeared on my other blog before I created this one. I felt that it belonged here as well.

Sausage Stuffed Pasta Shells.


Ingredients:
-1 box jumbo pasta shells
-About 13 oz. of pasta sauce
-15 oz tub of ricotta cheese
-About 1/2 c. mozzarella cheese, shredded
-About 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, grated
-1 tablespoon oregano
-About 1/2 teaspoon salt (to taste)
-About 1 teaspoon pepper
-Italian sausage
-About 1/4 c. mozzarella cheese, shredded for topping


1. Boil the pasta, and cook the Italian sausage in a frying pan. The sausage is best in small bits. But you can cook it how you like. Cook enough for the mixture and for the sauce if desired. Drain the sausage of fat, and allow to cool. When pasta is done boiling, drain and rinse with cool water.


2. To make the stuffing mixture, combine the Ricotta, mozzarella cheese, parmesan cheese, oregano, salt, pepper, and sausage once it is cooled.
3. Fill the pasta shells with the mixture, and place in a pan that is prepared by spraying with a non-stick cooking spray. I also placed a small amount of sauce in the bottom to prevent the shells from burning, and sticking to the pan.
4. Top the filled shells with the remaining sauce, and sausage. And sprinkle with mozzarella cheese.
5. Bake in oven at 350 for about 25 minutes.


Here are some pictures to show you what the process looked like.

Here is the pasta shells I used. The first step of course is to boil these. I only boiled 11 shells for two of us. (I wanted leftovers.) The key is to think about how many people you will be serving. 2 shells was plenty for each of us, with some bread and salad.

A small amount of sauce on the bottom of the pan.

One shell with filling.

Ready for the oven.

Ready to eat!

Welcome!

I have found that I enjoy talking about food and I also enjoy creating and experimenting with recipes. So I have created this blog to share my experiences and discuss recipes I have tried. In my previous blog, I shared one recipe Sausage Stuffed Pasta Shells, and enjoyed the process. I loved taking the pictures and I loved the responses after it was posted. I feel that it will be easier for me, and for people who want to try my recipes if they are found all in one place. Instead of having to dig through the posts about my life and feelings to find recipes, the two subjects will be separated.

Enjoy!

The joys of renting 2...

So previously I talked about how there was a leak from our water meter. The landlord actually came over that same day and was able to fix it. He said there was a gasket that went bad and needed to be replaced and since then the end of our driveway has been dry. So that was good. He had to turn the water off for a little bit, and of course one of the first things I did was tried to wash my hands...funny how you take things for granted.

Now, before my Seaside adventure, I wanted to wash a load of jeans, so I put a load in the washer and was going to throw them in the dryer overnight so they'd be ready in the morning. But when I opened the washer there was still water in there, even though the cycle was finished. Well I thought, maybe I put too many pairs of jeans in there, so I took a few out and started the rinse cycle over. But this still didn't work. So I took out everything except the two pairs of jeans I wanted and started the washer all over, and still there was water left in the washer. Now by this time it was 1:00am and I wanted to be in bed, so I just threw the soaking wet jeans into the dryer and started it. And even though they didn't get spun as well as usual in the washer, they were perfectly dry from the dryer.

So over the weekend I called the landlord to check it out, he came over yesterday and said that the washer (and dryer) have been there since the previous owners of the house lived here and it would be cheaper to go buy a new one...so hopefully we will have a new washer sometime this week! I hope so...you don't get that when it's your own house.

The down side is that I really need to do some laundry and that won't be possible without a washer...

A few of my favorite things...

When I go to the gym I get a lot of quaility people watching in, and get some quality entertainment...but sometimes I wonder what some people are thinking...

One girl had flip flops on, and extra large hoop earrings. Perhaps her ears needed to lift some weights too? And I hope that she forgot to bring her shoes and socks, and decided she'd still do some working out in her flip flops since she was there already...I could almost see myself doing that. But something tells me she planned on wearing the flip flops...I'm just glad she didn't get on the treadmill. She did however get on the bike and pedal away with her flip flops on.

Another favorite is the stick girls that wear "shorts" that really should be called "underwear." It's really nice when they decide to do sit ups and leg lifts and show the world their stuff. I think the guys like it. But it just makes me uncomfortable.

One guy that does a lot of lifting at my gym likes to wear a full body, mechanic's jumpsuit while working out. Every time I see him I worry that he is going to unzip his suit and flash the gym. It's creepy.

It amazes me how many people show up at the gym in house shoes that are clearly not made for exercise. It's not safe and not good for their bodies....

On a positive note: I like to see couples at the gym together. Sometimes they are lifting together and take turns on the equipment, and other times they meet up on the mats and stretch together. It's sweet. I wish Jamaal would go to the gym with me...but he refuses.

Pregnant Pants!

She phoned me and stated that she would be joining me this weekend in Seaside, OR!! Woot! Her husband tried to make 52 reasons why she shouldn't go...but I shot back with this:

Reasons she should go, that would also benefit you*:(*You=her husband)

1. You could prove to her that you CAN fend for yourself, and she will realize that she married a wonderful MAN who can also help look after HER one day if she is sick.
2. You could make her a scavenger hunt in the apartment that would eventually lead to something mysterious and special...need help getting started? facebook message me!
3. You could cut some fresh flowers (hopefully legally, because I hear sometimes it is illegal to cut flowers...) and have them waiting for her when she gets home.
4. You could go to your mom's house and ask her to make something like lasagna, or something in a pan that you can put in the fridge, and then make for her when she gets home on Sunday.
5. You could have your mom make approximately 5 different types of foods, because Kayleen might be nauseated at the site of lasagna.
6. You could make the meals yourself...
7. Kayleen will be around 5 other girls who will probably be bad-mouthing their "terrible" boyfriends/husbands and she will realize how great you are!
8. You could knit a blanket for the baby. She would love that!
9. You could rearrange everything in the apartment (yes i know you said this as one of your reasons) because you MISS her. And it will be sweet. Imagine: "you did this for me??"
10. Nurses do know drugs she can take while she's pregnant and some of them could make her FEEL BETTER. She cannot take drugs that make her high, unless you want your baby to be born with an addiction.
11. You don't buy a rodent with any money she leaves you, because YOU CARE ABOUT HER, and know she wouldn't like that.
12. Any money you are left you use part of to buy a piggy bank for the wee-one, and place the change inside.
13. You don't watch any of the House episodes, which shows that you have patience, and shows that House just isn't the same to you without her there. And she will say "that is sweet."
14. You might play x-box during the weekend, which is great, because she isn't there and it gets it out of your system for when she returns.
15. You might spend time with some of your bachelor friends! And have some fun! And she will feel less guilty for having so much fun with us, because she knows you are busy and having a good time as well.
16. We might be throwing up together, and that will make her feel less awkward, and we can all laugh and laugh while vomit runs down our chins. (and I say chins, plural, because there are 6 of us, not because we have double chins...)
17. Now, you not eating healthy for approximately 4 meals will NOT hurt anything...your whole college life you ate....chicken strips I think and pizza? yes??? And you only ate about 1 time per day...so you're really only missing 2 meals...She'll be back for dinner on Sunday i'm sure.
18. She might come back with some tips for that bedtime dance...
19. Nurses also know techniques for relaxation as we do not always rely on medicines to solve the world's problems...
20. Aubri has been to a Lamaze class before for nursing school, and she could talk to Kayleen about it.
21. There is nothing like listening to the waves of the ocean crash onto shore, and Kayleen will be able to relax on the beach with her 5 friends of yore.
22. You could write Kayleen a note by clipping out letters, words, and phrases from the newspaper, and hide it somewhere funny like the freezer or a cupboard she won't likely open for a while, and see how long it takes her to find it. (of course be sure to write about something nice or she might think it was a ransom note!)
23. Bake cookies!! Leave some for her...
24. Prepare a surprise baby shower for her with just your local family and friends, tell her you are "going to dinner at so and so's house" on sunday, but really it is the party!
25. Prepare candles to be all lit when she comes home with rose petals all over, she'll see how much time that took you and appreciate it!
26. Tell her: "Kayleen, I think you should go spend time with your friends next weekend. I have my whole life to spend with you, and it would be selfish of me to not share you with others. I'll miss you, but the apartment and I will still be here when you return." And end this with any kind of KIND gesture that you like.
27. That's 26 more...

Happy 4th everyone! and more...

Oh! I keep forgetting to post this...

So this morning I woke up to thunder, lightning, and pouring down rain! Woot! Some of my prayers have been answered! ;) Now just let it rain tomorrow as well...at least now most everything is "damp" so less easy to light on fire.

My 4th of July will be filled with excitement. While every one else I know will be enjoying the lovely 3-day weekend. I will be enjoying the 3-days of working I have ahead of me. Two 12-hour shifts and then an 8 hour shift. What is glorious is that I have three 8-hour shifts on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, and then I am off for 4 days, and will be going to Seaside, OR with my girlfriends from high school. One of whom is pregnant and needs to get out of the house, and who may be car sick, but it is worth it because this is the last time we will get together WITHOUT worrying about kids at home, or baby sitters etc. And it will be a fun joyous occasion had by all. AND she is a guaranteed DD, or DE (drunk escort, as the cost of gas is so high, we might as well walk) so us girls will be safe. And she might worry herself sick if she isn't there, because we could foreseeably get lost or burnt if left alone to make a bonfire while intoxicated! (She will probably read this, thus the reason for me blabbing on about it...) And I have thought of so many more reasons that I need to make a list of reasons why Kayleen should be there in Seaside:

1. No one is yet tied down by children, this is the last summer vaca before any babies. (Dogs I guess don't count, but I do have to search for a puppy sitter...)
2. I was able to find a puppy sitter for the Seaside trip weekend, which might not happen again! (...I am most certainly not scrounging for reasons why Kayleen should be there)
3. She will probably be nauseous at home anyway.
4. She will be able to talk about Michael to her friends and brag and brag and brag all she wants without wasting cell phone minutes...5 people at once, think of all the time you'll save!
5. We would all say "it feels like someone is missing" during every picture taking moment. (even though we will probably say that either way)
6. Gas will probably cost $10/gallon in 2 years when the next reunion will be, so come now when gas is CHEAP!!
7. How else will we be expected to fight over which movie to rent?
8. She will probably be pregnant next time as well, so there is no "next time I'll go because I won't feel as nauseated," excuse.
9. When all the pictures are posted on myspace/facebook/blogspot she will be sad she isn't in any of them.
10. Next time we are together (either for a baby shower, or hmm perhaps Christmas party?) she will feel left out of some of our new inside jokes that were conceived at the Seaside Adventure.
11. She will miss out on all the sex advice given during the Seaside Extravaganza.
12. She will miss out on throwing up into sand, or ocean. (A seaside First!! and perhaps this pregnancies first! that's something to be blogged about!)
13. The married members of the group will be outnumbered by the not-married members of the group, and therefore might be trampled on. (Save them! Make it even! Make it fair!)
14. It will be the first time in a LOOONGG time when we all can talk, chat, and socialize because all of the recent encounters have been weddings/bridal showers where one person is kind of entertaining more than just the 5 others...
15. Perhaps the penis gummies that have been collecting dust in some well-hidden place will be consumed finally, in a non-judgemental place...because "there are no prudes here!"
16. Laughter promotes good health...and that will help her baby grow!
17. She will be on Aubri's good side, and thus more likely to get a really great baby gift. (remember Aubri just got a brand new embroidery/sewing machine and can produce many a great thing from that...)
18. I'm sure others in the group will be more generous as well when it comes time to hold showers for babies.
19. Michael will be able to finish his puzzle, and then will find something else to blog about. (hopefully I don't get some list about reasons why Aubri should shut up in his blog...because it's all in fun...I saw that picture related to Kristina's blog)
20. She can punch me in the face if she's offended by number 19. And I can't hit a pregnant girl so that's not fair!
21. They say absence makes the heart grow fonder, so the mere 48 hours that she will be away from Michael will be fabulous for their new marriage!
22. Think of how great that "welcome back home, honey" kiss will be!!
23. Remember that girl who moved to Iowa...she'll be there too!
24. That girl from Iowa, spent a lot of money to fly here!
25. I made a list of reasons why she should come, and have therefore thought a lot about what I would miss if she wasn't there.
26. Most of all, Seaside just wouldn't be the same without her, and she would have a lot of fun if she went, and would kick herself for not going, so she should just do it!

Love you Kayleen! Other girls, feel free and comment in other reasons if you think of any...see you all in a little over a week!! :D

You know you're a nurse when...

You've seen lists like this before I'm sure...but: (and most of them are longer...just my own list...)

You know you're a nurse when...

...you sit down for lunch and talk about the bowel movement you just saw.
...you diagnose yourself with about 20 different life-threatening illnesses.
...you admire people with large, bulging veins, and ask if you can start an IV on them.
...you frown and feel sorry for someone without large, bulging veins.
...you watch ER or any other medical-based show, and point out all the flaws.
...you receive phone calls from relatives you haven't seen in 10 years, asking for health advice.

...you groan when you find out your patient is also a nurse (or a doctor).

The joys of renting...

One of the perks of renting is that if something goes wrong with the house, and it isn't our fault, we have someone who is supposed to fix it for us...

Unfortunately something has gone wrong. We noticed that even on a hot, dry day when no one was running any sprinklers, there was a wet path appearing to come from the water meter at the end of the driveway. So Jamaal looked, and our meter was filled with water...

There is apparently this rule that if there is a problem between the meter and the house then it is the home owners' responsibility to pay for the problem. But if there is a problem between the meter and the street, the city is responsible. Again, unfortunately it is between the meter and the house...so somehow we are going to have to have it fixed. Fortunately for us, it is the home owners responsibility...we won't have to pay it. But perhaps we will be without water for a couple hours/days while it is getting fixed. Oh well...one thing that sucks for us is that the price of our water bill has gone up $20 over a period of 2 months, last month I just thought we were using more water because it was hotter out, so I didnt think much of it. The inspector said that our landlords should pay the difference...I don't know that we'll be that lucky though...it would be nice however...

Babies, pigs, and storms.

Babies: So I watched Baby Borrowers today (a show about teen couples who are participating in an "experiment" have to take care of a baby like it is their own for 3 whole days. They also apparently get to care for kids of all ages, toddler thru teen? or pre-teen...not sure which, but this episode was about caring for the babes.) with Jamaal. I see myself watching it again, because it was interesting. But I could not believe some of the kids. Jamaal said that the girl, Alicea, "needs to be slapped upside the head, with an open palm." (I asked if that hurt worse than a closed palm (now I'm realizing that a closed palm could also be called a fist, but his visual was demonstrating the difference between fingers spread apart, versus fingers together. Basically spirit fingers versus blades for you cheer/dance folks.) and I didn't want to be a test subject!) Hopefully that wasn't too confusing...some of the kids excelled and didn't have a problem, and others refused to touch the kid because of something trivial. Alicea, for one, was trying to feed her baby, and he was teething, miserable, and she wasn't feeding him right, and she would just be like "oh you won't eat, then let's move on" basically starving the kid, which made him more upset. So the mom (who was watching on a TV outside of the house) decided she needed to intervene and let Alicea know what she was doing wrong. Well Alicea apparently cannot be told what to do, and was pissed off at the mom, so she wouldn't take care of the baby. She forced her boyfriend to do it instead. Jamaal and I felt bad for the guy. Anyway...it was pretty interesting. I think I could handle it (but I'm also much older than these kids) and I think Jamaal could too. I've seen him with kids before and he does well. Next week should be good, because it is toddlers...infants are easy cuz they're slow movers, and basically eat sleep and poop. Toddlers get into everything! I can't wait to watch the young couples fight!! ;)

Pigs: My dog Bella has this stuffed pig about 1/3 her size, that she has had since I got her as a puppy. It is by far her favorite toy (at least I think so...she hasn't told me specifically). She will carry it in her mouth and whine. And whine, and whine. Until she finally finds a hiding spot for it. Usually the hiding spot is somewhere she doesn't see it all the time, so she essentially forgets about it, until she spots it hiding in which case it starts all over again. She is funny...however it gets annoying listening to her whine...because sometimes I think she really just wants us to play with her and her pig.

Storms: We've had a couple lightning storms lately, with some rain, but mostly I think it's been pretty dry. And this reminds me that I need to start to pray for rain on the 4th of July. This has become a tradition for me because I am deathly afraid of having my house burn down. I have been ever since elementary school. The fire fighters used to come in every year and talk to us about fires, and we had to do fake fire drills like we were in our beds at home, and every time I would have nightmares for about a week. (my mom says she wouldn't get much sleep for a week because I would eventually join them in their bed. And I would shake because I was so scared.) So I always, always, always hope for rain on the 4th, because I have visions of a lit firework landing on the roof and burning down the house...lets just say it's hard for me to fall asleep every 4th of July....

Sausage Stuffed Pasta Shells

Over the years, I have found that I really enjoy cooking. Most of all I like to create recipes, or adjust recipes I've heard of, or tasted. Most of the time I'm pretty successful. I think I'll try and post a few on here to share with anyone who wants to try them out...I apologize in advance. I will probably never have exact measurements for my recipes, because I do not typically measure anything out, unless I'm following a recipe. And for most of my creations, I never look at any recipe.

Today I decided to experiment in the kitchen, I saw a box of jumbo pasta shells in Safeway and decided to try making stuffed shells. But I wanted to add some sausage to make it interesting. And so we have: Sausage Stuffed Pasta Shells.

Ingredients:
-1 box jumbo pasta shells
-About 13 oz. of pasta sauce
-15 oz tub of ricotta cheese
-About 1/2 c. mozzarella cheese, shredded
-About 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, grated
-1 tablespoon oregano
-About 1/2 teaspoon salt (to taste)
-About 1 teaspoon pepper
-Italian sausage
-About 1/4 c. mozzarella cheese, shredded for topping

1. Boil the pasta, and cook the Italian sausage in a frying pan. The sausage is best in small bits. But you can cook it how you like. Cook enough for the mixture and for the sauce if desired. Drain the sausage of fat, and allow to cool. When pasta is done boiling, drain and rinse with cool water.
2. To make the stuffing mixture, combine the Ricotta, mozzarella cheese, parmesan cheese, oregano, salt, pepper, and sausage once it is cooled.
3. Fill the pasta shells with the mixture, and place in a pan that is prepared by spraying with a non-stick cooking spray. I also placed a small amount of sauce in the bottom to prevent the shells from burning, and sticking to the pan.
4. Top the filled shells with the remaining sauce, and sausage. And sprinkle with mozzarella cheese.
5. Bake in oven at 350 for about 25 minutes.

Here are some pictures to show you what the process looked like.

Here is the pasta shells I used. The first step of course is to boil these. I only boiled 11 shells for two of us. (I wanted leftovers.) The key is to think about how many people you will be serving. 2 shells was plenty for each of us, with some bread and salad.

Here the sausage is cooking and the water is boiling. The sausage is best if it is ground and in small bits. I cooked some for in the stuffing mixture and also some for the sauce.
The stuffing mixture. Looks kind of gross here, but in the finished product, was very good. I used low-fat ricotta, but feel free and use whatever kind of ricotta you want.

The shells.

A small amount of sauce on the bottom of the pan.

One shell with filling.

Ready for the oven.

Ready to eat!