Out with the old

 In a moment of boredom I decided to dust the cookbook shelves.  Yes I have two plus an overflow.

This was a cookbook that one of Far Guy's old girlfriends gave him us as a wedding gift back in 1969.  So it has been used and appreciated for the last almost 57 years.

Many pages were falling out.  I will be able to have the best used pages for a long time now that they are  on the blog.

My original Pumpkin Bread recipe from Joyce.  She used to make it for her Grands and so now I make it for mine.  There is a Gluten Free option...take and mix everything up except the flour.  Then take 3 1/2 plus 1/3 cup cups of the 7 2/3 cups and then add your gluten free flour a bit more than 1 1/2 cups.   I used half the recipe for my Dad and I always put the batter in cupcake liners (bake about 20 minutes) so he could put some in the freezer and take them out as he wanted them.  Note I use a whole can of pumpkin:)

My Ginger Snap tried and true recipe...not sure who I got it from.

Recipe from my Maternal Grandmother Drewes...I think she gave it to me over the phone one day when I had ample cucumbers and dill.  These are by far my favorite pickles...either sliced or as spears...I prefer the sliced:)  This is the goup that you cook up to pour over the prepared jars filled with a head of dill on the bottom and filled to the neck of the jar with cucumbers.  Grandma never processed the pickles...she said they had enough vinegar to kill germs.  She had to think about the recipe a bit...hence the crossed out parts. 

And these are going along to Book Club for an exchange.  We meet in person one time a year.

Six recipe books out and no more coming in...now I do not have an overflow problem!

Nice day on Wednesday.  I took care of some weeds in the rocks and on the patio. 

Minnesota Weather: High 78F or 26C  Low 58F or 14C

What's Cooking?  Ribs in the crockpot, corn on the cob and yellow pear tomatoes...perfect!  We would have had Green Beans but there was a Green Bean incident...one should not leave beans cooking on the stove and take a couple of phone calls and be off in la la land:(

Far Side

Tuesday

 Tuesday is a no mail day....as in we hardly ever get mail on Tuesday.  

Far Guy is working on woodcarving Christmas Ornaments.  

I did three loads of laundry...sounds like a lot but one load was towels and another bath rugs.  I gave the bathroom a real good cleaning. 

Minnesota Weather:  A perfect day.  High was 68F or 20C  Low was 50F or 10C

What's Cooking?  Leftovers!

Far Side

Bee Balm

 The Bee Balm or Monarda is blooming. The Bumble Bees love it.

These plants are over in my baby brothers wild gardens.  I went to check them out one day and came across a bunch of baby turkeys and two adults.  As long as I don't come across the bear that is in the neighborhood...there are two of them. 

We only have one appointment this week!  Yeah us!  

I am not sure what I did all day on Monday...one load of laundry and some paperwork...hardly a days worth.

What's cooking?  Phillys on pretzel buns and corn on the cob.  We made enough so it was a cook once eat twice meal! Tuesday will be a no cooking day!

On Sunday we tried the Pizza Ranch in town.  We need a Sunday place to go when our favorite patio place closes for the season.  The pizza was good and so was the chicken after we stripped off all the coating:) Seems like it will work just fine for an alternate place. 

Minnesota weather:  High 83F or 28C    Low 55F or 13C 

Far Side

Peach and Lichen sclerosus

 Peach is our #3 Great Grandchild, her parents are Maddie and Brenton.

Last Winter Maddie said "Grandma look at Peach's bottom, the skin is turning white."  We talked about what it could be...maybe vitiligo.   Peach has Eczema and has been using a special soap for several years.  Maddie scheduled an appointment with the Dermatologist in March.   The skin on her bottom was white and in an hour glass shape that encompassed her entire bottom....think bikini like. 

The Dermatology appointment in March was cancelled because of a snowstorm and rescheduled for mid May.  On May Day Maddie said "Now Peach has a sore on her vulva."  Indeed she did...we were all feeling really uneasy now. 

Finally the day came in May and not with good news.  Peach has Lichen sclerosus and possible Vulvar Cancer. We were all shocked and scared. 

Lichen sclerosus is a skin condition with thin white wrinkled patches of skin that causes itching, pain and burning.  The skin tears easily and can have blisters or sores. Ongoing inflammation can break down the skin.  If untreated it can become skin cancer.   It is thought to be genetic and or autoimmune....like having an overactive immune system.

Treatment:  Special creams that are applied twice a day.  It is a lifelong treatment. Maddie says there are two types of creams and she keeps track of which cream is used on each day.

Peach was three years old on her birthday...she loves The Lion King and I was lucky enough to find an outfit for her. 

Maddie, Brenton, Peach and Jen went to the Mayo Clinic on July 7.  The Doctors there confirmed the diagnosis of Lichen sclerosus.  The special cream was doing a really good job and the blister that I saw on May 1st was almost gone so no biopsy was needed.  We all breathed a sigh of relief that there is no Vulvar Cancer. 

Peach enjoying the pool.

I asked Maddie's permission to write about Peach and she agreed that it is important to share with others.  I asked Maddie if she wanted to write something and she did. 

Maddie wrote:

 To the parents of children with lichen sclerosus:

I know there are days when your heart breaks because you can’t take away your child’s pain. You question if you’re doing enough, research late into the night, and carry worries no one else can see. But never underestimate the power of your love. Every hug, every doctor’s appointment, every tear you’ve wiped away, and every moment you’ve spent advocating for your child is shaping a future where they know they are deeply loved, never alone, and stronger than this diagnosis. Lichen sclerosus is part of their journey, but it will never define their worth or limit the beautiful life ahead of them. Keep believing, keep fighting, and keep hoping—because your child couldn’t ask for a stronger advocate than you.

Keep your faith, trust in God, and trust in your instincts.

Maddie and Peach

 We love our Great Grandchildren so very much.  It is difficult to see them struggle with health issues especially when they are just three years old. 

But they keep smiling! 

Far Side

Chokecherries

 The Chokecherries along the driveway are ready to be picked...or left for the birds.

The foliage of the Chokecherry bushes looks all beat up...probably from the heat. 

When the berries are this color they are ready to be picked...they will strip off easily.

Yippie for the birds...sadly I do not have the energy to pick them.  Picking is only half the work...

We had a quiet day on Saturday.  I did some laundry and almost finished my current book. My other baby brother and she who sees robins first visited along with their Grand Lola. 

What's Cooking?   Smoked Pork Chops, Green Beans with Bacon and a Baked Potato. Yummy!

Minnesota Weather:  High 82F or 28C  Low was 61F or 16C  almost a perfect weather day! We could still use some rain!

Far Side