That is frightening!

😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

This! I 100% agree with this. My mother in law has bad kidneys functioning at only 32%. She REFUSES to follow a renal diet even though she used to be a nurse and nursing instructor. Sigh. We finally told her that if she ends up on dialysis, she will have to hire drivers for her appointments, and whatever in home help she will need to manage it. If she can't manage it, she had to go to a nursing home. It is one thing to make an effort and still end up in bad shape. Genetics are a real b#tch. It is quite another to say you will eat all the bacon, fast food, salty lunch meats, and high potassium foods, and look your son straight in the eye and say you don't give a crap and expect him to take care of you. Nope. We can have boundaries too. Same woman refuses to give up her morning grapefruit. She takes her BP meds, and then eats a grapefruit. She knows she isn't supposed to do that either, and then always wonders why her BP stays eternally high. Not playing these games. Mark and I are trying hard to be healthier, more active, treat issues now so we don't lose mobility, anything to keep us from burdening our kids if at all possible. Many times we can't avoid it. But we are determined to try. We want to be like the folks we met at Lake Michigan Recreation two years ago who were the camp hosts. 81 and 83 years old, driving around, seeing the country by being camp hosts in National Forests and Parks, cleaning bathrooms, changing out reservation tags, hosting campers for cinnamon rolls, assisting rangers, and hosting little nature programs for the kids. These are the people we hope to emulate. Again though, many many folks have overwhelming health problems that prevent them from being healthy as they age. I get that. We aren't judgy normally, just UBER frustrated with his mother.

This is what we are doing. Some meatless meals, small amounts of fish and chicken here and there, definitely eggs, and only occasional beef. Much lower carbon footprint. But unfortunately, I tried vegetarian and then vegan twice. Due to some issues I have, it did not go well, and our best friends (Doctors without Borders MD's) were NOT amused with me. So I behave myself. However, the more variety of veggies and legumes I manage to get into our diets, the better so feel. So we are able to minimize that animal product consumption a whole bunch. I think we might eventually just be able to do eggs, dairy, and fish but not mammals and birds. Like tonight, beef loving DH is desperate for some beef. So I am doing 3 oz of ground sirloin with all the yummy spices, and we split that as sprinkling on our tacos, but the vast majority of the meal consists of my spiced refried beans, fajita veggies, and some donuts cheese with a little Greek yogurt, then topped with black beans and shredded lettuce. It comes out to about five servings of legumes and vegetables a piece, and less than a serving of beef each. Next time I make it, no beef.

This is what he bought. This one says light censor, so now I am not sure if it is just light in general or actual UV strength. He told me UV. LOL😂, sometimes.....husbands! https://www.amazon.com/ALANMOND-Moisture-Tester-Gardening-Outdoor/dp/B09WY9SYMC/ref=asc_df_B09WY9SYMC/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=598282648021&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=7611257542180107721&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=t&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9017053&hvtargid=pla-1661308111802&psc=1

Salsa. Obviously the music should be salsa. 😁

No criticism, and no one here should offer such a critique. The bottom line is the human body NEEDS sleep to function, to grow, to combat disease, to be mentally and emotionally fit. These babies need sleep. You tell mama that this hive auntie says she is doing a great job! Build her up. She has tried everything, and is following her instincts, not deliberately trying to hurt her babies or neglect them. Tell her we are rooting for her success! 🍰🍹 for her.

Peas migrating... 😂😂😂

America is a Dumpster Fire. The end. When we have come to this, time to sell the parts to more responsible countries. Canada, will you please buy Michigan?

This looks so inviting!

Another frost last night. At 8 pm, we covered everything. I happened to be at my bulk food store yesterday and they were getting rid of their half gallon size yogurt containers, 3 for $1 with lids. I bought a bunch. These turned out to be the right size and height to out over all of the plants except the broccoli and tomatoes. We had nine 5 gallon buckets which we put over the tomatoes, and Mark had made a frame out of scrap wood to go around the broccoli bed, so we just set it down over top of them, and draped a tarp over that and anchored it. Then we took the sheets and laid them over all the beds with the yogurt containers and buckets which was great because then there was no wait on the marigolds which I have in the raised beds with the vegetable plants. We left the mini praised bed with the snow peas uncovered because those things seem to relish cold, and are growing beautifully on the tree branch trellis I gave them. We put the one broccoli and two tomatoes that are in buckets inside the the shed along with my pots of petunias and pansies. I am going to wait until 10 am to uncover them. But it some be over 45 degrees (7.2C) until then. It is overcast, not a lot of sunlight yet, however, it is burning off. After this, we are supposed to have no overnight lows below 42F (5.5C), and in the 70's every day, sunshine predicted, no rain. I think we might be in the clear fingers crossed. I have not been watering. I was. But then everything wilted so badly. I did a soil test, and yes, this crap top soil and compost (really not happy with the company) has too high a clay content, not enough sand, so it isn't draining properly. Plants were getting n water logged. Mark purchased a 3 in 1 garden meter which will test soil moisture, soil temp, and UV ray strength. I am going to be using it religiously in the hopes of getting these plants to bounce back. I am also going to get some veggie food fertilizer. I still need to seed green beans to replace my 20 lost plants to that 1st frost. But, it has just been so cold I didn't see the point. There is no way the soil is warm enough for them to germinate. I will put those in Monday after 3 days of sunshine in the hopes the soil temp is coming up. The little carrots are about an inch tall. Too tiny to thin yet. Does anyone know when snow peas start blooming? My peas are putting out lots of new tendrils and are close to 14/15" (35 ish cm) tall, and very healthy, but no blossoms.

No meat. I made meatless pot pies last night. They were delicious. Lots of herbs is the key, and other fats can be used to enhance flavor. I don't think I would hold my tongue with such ridiculous conspiracy theories.

You also must serve Tang. Don't even think about leaving that out.

Thursday Death march of coffee beans Boiled egg (didn't have time for much because I hit the ground running elderly mums to their doctor appointments) Lunch - I took a tuna melt on GF wrap and a big salad with me. Very yummy. They ate McDonald's by choice. That's fine. They are old and time is running out. Eat what they want works. But I was very, very glad to have yummy food I could eat in the car while I waited for them. Dinner - I made yummy vegetable pot pies. I scored two minor dutch ovens at Aldi and was anxious to use them. I did use low sodium beef broth for flavor (Mark has a harder time enjoying meatless meals than I do). I parboiled carrots, potatoes, fresh snow peas, and celery. I caramelized finely diced onion, celery leaves, fresh parsley, red pepper, garlic, and at the last, added shredded basil leaves. Well, not shredded actually. I cut them with a chifinade cut (not sure of the spelling there) so they looked like tiny ribbons which made them shrink down into the pan and distribute really well. I had made GF pie crust and pre baked the the dough, shaped in the dutch ovens just until it started to catch color, then filled with the veggies, and place the top dough on, sealed around, punch some steam holes with a fork, and let bake until very golden and top. It was so good. Mark loved them so I am sure that will be on the menu in the future. I just wish I had the patience to make actual GF phyllo dough. Gf pie dough isn't flaky and light. It tasted great, but isn't the same type of dough. I would love a thin, flaky, layered crust for these. I also do not have the patience. I do not enjoy baking and cooking, not at all. So the idea of having to roll, and do the cold butter thing, fold, refrigerate, roll, butter, chill, roll butter, chill over and over again taking four hours to make dough is NOT happening here. I wonder if Whole Foods carries a GF phyllo dough? I need more coffee just thinking about making phyllo dough. ☕☕☕☕☕

I love it when we find a mushroom we can forage. This year due to the summer like heat for one week, followed by drenching downpours and ridiculous cool weather, followed by FOUR spring frosts so far, we have nor found a single morel mushroom and I am very sad about it!

Tuna noodle casserole. The more gross the better. I think my mom's was noodpes, canned tuna, and cream of mushroom soup over it, and crunched potato chips on top. I think I have mental trauma from some of the stuff we were fed in the 70's.

She is a real piece of work! 😜 The biggest red flag for me besides trying to play Cupid for a married woman is asking for her daughter's pain meds. Big red flag. I wonder if she is an addict.

Wednesday Breakfast - yes we are still murdering java beans like Gheghis Khan marching across Asia. In addition, toast with peanut butter. Lunch - Tuna melt on a gf whole grain wrap, toasted in the oven. Huge salad with lots of veggies. Dinner - green beans, baked potatoes, celery and blue cheese dip, one air fried chicken wing a piece which we dipped in buffalo sauce.

When I had three teen boys at once, and all three very active and growing like weeds, there was a big bowl of mashed potatoes with butter on the table nearly every night. Watching them tear into their meals like wolves and fresh deer kill was practically frightening! 😂😂😂 Mark always told them it was good there were only three of them because if there had been a fourth, he would have told them they had to hunt and grow their supper or we would go bankrupt! Thank goodness they liked beans, and a stockpot of meatless chilli was cheap. They would just drain the pot, but at least it was healthy and didn't break the checkbook! I was forewarned. The CNM who delivered my last two boys had at that time three boys 17,15, and 13. She told me she had to make a few rules. 1. A box of cereal is not to be treated as a single serving. 2. Your friends may NOT be visiting our house on the day of the week that mum grocery shops. 3. You must help carry the groceries and put them away. 4. You may NOT eat straight from the grocery bags. All food is put away first, and mum must leave the kitchen before you begin cannibalizing the spoils. 😂 I thought she was exaggerating. I was soooooo wrong!

Agreed. I mean, way to make kids feel that much more "sorted! And this teacher was a real jerk. She actually gave these journals letter grades, so of course the rich kids got A's because " ate seafood every week and exotic fruits and whatever", and the middle class kids B's, and low income students C's, and those in poverty D's and even F's. She was such a mean b$tch.

We have the retirement home in Alabama currently occupied by our daughter and her family. They ate their first ripe raspberry yesterday, and when I was there at the end of April, we picked four gallons of strawberries at the u pick farm. The Mulberry tree is loaded, the blueberries are ripening, black caps coming on soon, the nectarine, peach, cherry, and fig trees are growing. Kiwi vines are flourishing. In a few years, she is going to have a major fruit harvest. And I am worried about our Honey Crisp Apple tree here. Last year it tried to kill me with apple processing. This year? It had NOT bloomed yet. The Courtland has. It has not. I am going to be heart sick if something happened to it. It looks super, duper healthy and the leaves are gorgeous. But not a single blossom yet, and this seems very late.

Michigan is killing me. Frost advisory tonight. It is the end of May and still.... I have a stack of old sheets prepped to be placed over my plants tonight, and Some two liter bottles that will be filled with hot water to place under them. Hopefully, this will work. Maybe next year we should just bury heating pads in the raised beds so the soil can get warm enough to grow plants before JULY! 😠

Also, I remember the six week "health" course in 7th grade where the teacher had students keep a food journal and counted catsup on fries as two servings of vegetables, 3 if the student said they were generous with the condiment. She counted mustard as a vegetable as well. Not a top shelf class. 🙄

Off to look, thanks!

Also, my kids are long grown. But I have three little grand boys, and the two older ones are eating machines. When I am in charge of them, I make them play outside a lot. I make up a big tray of carrot sticks, broccoli buds, celery with peanut butter and raisins on top, chopped fruits - many kinds - peanut butter crackers, and cheese sticks. I keep the fruit and veggie and cheese on top of a large pan of ice that I refill as needed so it stays fresh with a little netting over the top to keep the bugs out, and then a separate plate with the crackers which is also covered. I have to peek fairly often since I am still training those two to remember to pull the netting back over the tray after grabbing something. They graze on that all day. Since they have usually had oatmeal with berries or whole grain pancakes with eggs for breakfast, then I don't worry so much if they turn up their noses at roasted green beans or something like that at dinner. They do like my roasted Brussels sprouts because I let them get really crunchy on the edges, and dice them so there are no soft, chewy centers. They also love Mexican night when I make black beans and refried beans, and let them have corn chips to scoop up the seasoned beans. I figure for kids growing as rapidly as they are, the corn chips are okay. They use all those carbs up, and since they eat quinoa on Mediterranean/Middle Eastern night, I think I am doing pretty well with them.