On Grief and Acceptance

The image is based on the Stages of Grief by Kubler-Ross. I have definitely been through the acceptance process multiple times as I have learned ever more about not just surviving chronic pain, but also learning to live life fully in spite of chronic pain. And, in my case, it gets harder each time as all losses of ability are cumulative. There is no such thing as "practice makes perfect" for this.

Then, with the death of my mother 6 months ago, learning even more at a far deeper level--certainly not through it yet. With this loss, things are still too new and deep for full acceptance to even seem possible.

Crock Pot Recipes

I have not written in a long time.  Life has continued, but has been busy and difficult. This past week was challenging and exhausting, but I still have two more weeks of the semester. I needed to get my cooking done, but also needed to get other chores done, plus school work. So, of course that meant the cooking was crock pot.  I started breakfast before I went to bed last night and woke to my home smelling like pumpkin pie this morning and breakfast ready!  I then started soup for supper.  I love that I can put everything into the crock pot in just a few minutes, then let it do the rest of my work for me.

Crock Pot Vegetable Beef Soup

  
  1 64-ounce jar vegetable juice (such as V8) 

  1 pound ground beef (I put it in raw and let it cook--it works fine and saves a step)

  2 pounds frozen mixed veggies 

  1 teaspoon onion powder

  ¼ teaspoon garlic powder 

  1 teaspoon celery salt 

  1 spoonful beef base or beef bouillon (optional)

 
Put all ingredients in the crock pot. Cook on high ~6-8 hours. I usually add ~2/3 of the juice, then the meat, veggies, seasonings, then the rest of the juice later. Beef can be browned and drained in advance and I do this with anything less than 93% lean. When using it raw, I break it in pieces when I add it. I did once put a pound of frozen ground turkey in and it thawed and cooked fine--I just had to break it into pieces later.

Crock Pot Pumpkin Spice Oatmeal
(modified from a recipe I saw online)

3.5 to 4 cups milk
1 cup steel cut oats
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon nutmeg,
¼ teaspoon each ginger, all spice, cloves
 
Spray crock pot with cooking spray.  Put all ingredients in the crock pot and stir to mix.  Cook 8 hours on low. I serve it with a little pure maple syrup.

I spray the crock first with non-stick spray to make clean-up easier. This recipe can also be made on the stove, but if so, it needs stirring occasionally. On the stove, cook until desired tenderness. I have made a double batch on the stove but I have not tried a double batch in crock pot yet.

Source of original recipe:

http://skinnyms.com/overnight-slow-cooker-pumpkin-pie-steel-cut-oats-no-sugar-added/