This is an old recipe but one I had not made in a long time until recently.
Granola
5 cups rolled oats
1 cup oat flour (optional)
pinch salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
3/8 cup honey
1/4 cup oil
1/4 cup water
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
Mix oats, salt, and spices together Whisk together honey, oil. water, and vanilla and pour over oats mixture. Stir to mix and evenly coat oats. Pour into 9x13" pan and bake @ 300' ~40 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. Granola is done when it is starting to brown. It will harden as it cools. Let cool fully, then store in an airtight container. I usually keep it in the fridge.
For the oat flour, I grind rolled oats in a coffee grinder, but a blender also will work.
Granola lends itself to modification! Any combination of nuts, seeds, or dried fruit can be added. A favorite alternate version of the above is replacing the honey with pure maple syrup and the oil with melted butter. The original recipe had 1/2 cup oil and 1/2 cup honey, but this seemed too sweet and rich for me, so I decreased the honey and replaced part of the oil with water. When I was making this for my family may years ago, we quadrupled the recipe and made it in four 9x13" pans. I also found this works well on the stove top if you have a stock pot large enough. I figure it also would work in the crock pot but have not gotten as far as trying that yet. :)
Edit 8/29/18 to add notes from 3/26/17: Crock Pot Granola
Well, after thinking of trying for years, I finally did it! I tried making granola in the crock pot. I considered looking online for recipes, but since I had already made granola the normal way in the oven, plus on the stove top as an experiment years ago, I knew it pretty much had to work. So, I just used my regular granola recipe and put it in the crock pot. Except, I rarely follow even my own recipes, so substituted pure maple syrup for the honey and mix of coconut oil and butter for the oil, just because it sounded good, was another idea from the past that I do not think I ever tried. So, two experiments in one attempt! It worked great! Unfortunately, I was working on other projects and did not keep track of how long things took. Basically, just dump everything into the crock pot, mix well, cook on high stirring every 10-15 minutes until browned, then pour onto cookie sheet or into large bowl to cool. Once cool, I store it in an air tight container in the fridge, but it can be stored at room temperature.
Edit 2/20/19: Peanut Butter Granola
This is very good with peanut butter replacing both the oil and water! I ended up adding an extra spoonful of peanut butter and more honey to make sure it all mixed well. I also tried mixing the dry ingredients in the pan, pouring the wet ingredients over and mixing it right in the baking pan. That worked well. This experiment did give me yet another idea....for later experimenting.
Copyright © 2016 by Steph. All rights reserved.
Saturday, September 24, 2016
12 weeks: Stalled and Stuck
Supposedly, 12 weeks post op from this surgery is another milestone and other restrictions are supposed to lift. But, with me we are still stuck and not making much progress. The operative hip is feeling great, doing well. PT told me it is healing well, regaining range of motion well, and also getting stronger, but the strengthening is going slowly because of how limited we are by the other hip not tolerating the strengthening exercises. This is really discouraging.
PT is very creative, very resourceful. very supportive, but she told me the reason progress feels as if it has stopped is because we are stalled. My right hip is still just not handling rehab for the left hip. We are trying to protect the right hip but still strengthen the left. It is weird in that the right hip is still stronger than the left hip after surgery and the atrophy from a month on crutches. But, left hip can handle the various exercises and right hip cannot. Things have been shifted almost entirely to single leg on the operative leg to continue to strengthen it and give the other a break. All exercises on both legs are being done in the pool to decrease weight bearing on the other hip. As of later this week, possibly the other hip was no longer worsening? I was restarted on NSAID late last week. That NSAID usually takes a few days to reach peak effect, so it should have been in full effect as of this week. That was encouraging that something was finally helping some! But, then later in the week I discovered that my body was not tolerating the NSAID this time. It took me a while to even realize I was reacting as this was completely unexpected and had never happened with this medication before. Thus, I had the hard decision to stop the NSAID. I honestly do not what alternatives exist from here. It appears to me that remaining options without injections are either increasing oral prednisone again or going back on narcotic. Neither of which I am excited about. We had been trying to see if we could get me off the prednisone completely, and I did not even need narcotic very long after surgery. (Rather enlightening and puts things in perspective that right hip is more problematic than surgery was, and right hip is still not as bad as left hip was before surgery....) It is not really feasible right now to get back to MN for an injection there even though there is a current order for the injection. I already had difficulties driving and right hip only makes driving even harder yet.
It is getting ever more difficult, but I can still find and can still choose to focus on the positive and what is going right. The repaired hip is still doing incredibly well! This is a huge relief. Especially since PT says she thinks it is starting to compensate now for the other hip. I had noticed a few weeks ago when walking to class that the repaired hip still got tired and sometimes sore. However, this week, when I walked to class, it did not get tired or sore--just felt normal! However, the other hip did get tired and painful. I feel as if I simply cannot win. It is starting to seem impossible to be able to figure out how to fully support my entire body. I am not giving up but getting ever closer to wanting to do so. The medical situation is undermining everything else at present and stressors with school are further undermining medical situation. Caught and trapped.
I am making progress in some things in spite of the right hip being problematic. Swimming is going well and freestyle is back to normal--meaning I have to be super careful of my shoulder but both hips are handling kicking fine. Elliptical is going well and even the flared up, irritated, non op hip is tolerating that alright as long as I limit pace and duration. Stationary bike is still OK--some days it is fine, others I have to cut it short because of non op hip. I still cannot walk for exercise. Repaired hip was OK'd to try walking on land other than just to get around but the other hip is so irritated that I have not tried and am still doing all extra walking in the pool. I really want to go for a walk outside again but don't dare risk it right now.
I am very grateful for the support network I have. I almost titled this week either "Crash Course" or "Collision Course" as it felt as if all aspects of life were going wrong, physically collided, and all of the pieces hit me at once and almost knocked me down. This had been building for a few weeks, but I still did not really see it coming to this extent and got caught off guard. The few that I will let know when things are not going well went above and beyond to let me know they are there for me and will support me no matter what happens. It was difficult to acknowledge I needed help and to let others know, but needed to happen.
I have no idea what the future holds from here on any front right now. But, I know the Lord knows and He has me right where He wants me and when He is ready to move me elsewhere He will let me know. I need to trust Him, trust those supporting and counseling me. I need to be willing to let go of my original ideas if that is where He leads.
I am still my limit-pushing self and Friday evening when I did my usual stretches and noticed where range of motion was at, I became curious as to whether I could sit cross-legged again. So, I tried and this is the result. Not too bad!
I do not normally post links. However, I think what I read this morning fitting for the current circumstances. I also think the video link a friend had posted is also fitting. I am not reading anything into either of them, just aware of how appropriate they are.
https://thepianoguys.com/portfolio/okay/
http://www.crosswalk.com/devotionals/desert/streams-in-the-desert-september-24th.html
Copyright © 2016 by Steph. All rights reserved.
PT is very creative, very resourceful. very supportive, but she told me the reason progress feels as if it has stopped is because we are stalled. My right hip is still just not handling rehab for the left hip. We are trying to protect the right hip but still strengthen the left. It is weird in that the right hip is still stronger than the left hip after surgery and the atrophy from a month on crutches. But, left hip can handle the various exercises and right hip cannot. Things have been shifted almost entirely to single leg on the operative leg to continue to strengthen it and give the other a break. All exercises on both legs are being done in the pool to decrease weight bearing on the other hip. As of later this week, possibly the other hip was no longer worsening? I was restarted on NSAID late last week. That NSAID usually takes a few days to reach peak effect, so it should have been in full effect as of this week. That was encouraging that something was finally helping some! But, then later in the week I discovered that my body was not tolerating the NSAID this time. It took me a while to even realize I was reacting as this was completely unexpected and had never happened with this medication before. Thus, I had the hard decision to stop the NSAID. I honestly do not what alternatives exist from here. It appears to me that remaining options without injections are either increasing oral prednisone again or going back on narcotic. Neither of which I am excited about. We had been trying to see if we could get me off the prednisone completely, and I did not even need narcotic very long after surgery. (Rather enlightening and puts things in perspective that right hip is more problematic than surgery was, and right hip is still not as bad as left hip was before surgery....) It is not really feasible right now to get back to MN for an injection there even though there is a current order for the injection. I already had difficulties driving and right hip only makes driving even harder yet.
It is getting ever more difficult, but I can still find and can still choose to focus on the positive and what is going right. The repaired hip is still doing incredibly well! This is a huge relief. Especially since PT says she thinks it is starting to compensate now for the other hip. I had noticed a few weeks ago when walking to class that the repaired hip still got tired and sometimes sore. However, this week, when I walked to class, it did not get tired or sore--just felt normal! However, the other hip did get tired and painful. I feel as if I simply cannot win. It is starting to seem impossible to be able to figure out how to fully support my entire body. I am not giving up but getting ever closer to wanting to do so. The medical situation is undermining everything else at present and stressors with school are further undermining medical situation. Caught and trapped.
I am making progress in some things in spite of the right hip being problematic. Swimming is going well and freestyle is back to normal--meaning I have to be super careful of my shoulder but both hips are handling kicking fine. Elliptical is going well and even the flared up, irritated, non op hip is tolerating that alright as long as I limit pace and duration. Stationary bike is still OK--some days it is fine, others I have to cut it short because of non op hip. I still cannot walk for exercise. Repaired hip was OK'd to try walking on land other than just to get around but the other hip is so irritated that I have not tried and am still doing all extra walking in the pool. I really want to go for a walk outside again but don't dare risk it right now.
I am very grateful for the support network I have. I almost titled this week either "Crash Course" or "Collision Course" as it felt as if all aspects of life were going wrong, physically collided, and all of the pieces hit me at once and almost knocked me down. This had been building for a few weeks, but I still did not really see it coming to this extent and got caught off guard. The few that I will let know when things are not going well went above and beyond to let me know they are there for me and will support me no matter what happens. It was difficult to acknowledge I needed help and to let others know, but needed to happen.
I have no idea what the future holds from here on any front right now. But, I know the Lord knows and He has me right where He wants me and when He is ready to move me elsewhere He will let me know. I need to trust Him, trust those supporting and counseling me. I need to be willing to let go of my original ideas if that is where He leads.
I am still my limit-pushing self and Friday evening when I did my usual stretches and noticed where range of motion was at, I became curious as to whether I could sit cross-legged again. So, I tried and this is the result. Not too bad!
I do not normally post links. However, I think what I read this morning fitting for the current circumstances. I also think the video link a friend had posted is also fitting. I am not reading anything into either of them, just aware of how appropriate they are.
https://thepianoguys.com/portfolio/okay/
This Is Exactly What You Need to Hear Today - OKAY - ThePianoGuys
http://www.crosswalk.com/devotionals/desert/streams-in-the-desert-september-24th.html
When the Spirit Shuts a Door - Streams in the Desert - September 24
After they were come to Mysia, they assayed to go into Bithyma: but the Spirit suffered them not (Acts 16:7).
What a strange prohibition! These men were going into Bithynia just to do Christ's work, and the door is shut against them by Christ's own Spirit.
I, too, have experienced this in certain moments. I have sometimes found myself interrupted in what seemed to me a career of usefulness. Opposition came and forced me to go back, or sickness came and compelled me to retire into a desert apart.
It was hard at such times to leave my work undone when I believed that work to be the service of the Spirit. But I came to remember that the Spirit has not only a service of work, but a service of waiting. I came to see that in the Kingdom of Christ there are not only times for action, but times in which to forbear acting. I came to learn that the desert place apart is often the most useful spot in the varied life of man--more rich in harvest than the seasons in which the corn and wine abounded. I have been taught to thank the blessed Spirit that many a darling Bithynia had to be left unvisited by me.
And so, Thou Divine Spirit, would I still be led by Thee. Still there come to me disappointed prospects of usefulness. Today the door seems to open into life and work for Thee; tomorrow it closes before me just as I am about to enter. Teach me to see another door in the very inaction of the hour. Help me to find in the very prohibition thus to serve Thee, a new opening into Thy service. Inspire me with the knowledge that a man may at times be called to do his duty by doing nothing, to work by keeping still, to serve by waiting. When I remember the power of the "still small voice," I shall not murmur that sometimes the Spirit suffers me not to go.
--George Matheson
--George Matheson
"When I cannot understand my Father's leading,
And it seems to be but hard and cruel fate,
I Still I hear that gentle whisper ever
pleading,God is working, God is faithful, ONLY WAIT."
And it seems to be but hard and cruel fate,
I Still I hear that gentle whisper ever
pleading,God is working, God is faithful, ONLY WAIT."
Copyright © 2016 by Steph. All rights reserved.
Week 11: Stressed Out
As usual, I am trying to find the positive. My body endured a lot this past week and I have been amazed at how well the left hip handled everything I asked of it. The repaired left hip put up with far more sitting and standing than it had managed in the years before surgery. It also handled high stress. I was facing things I could not change, thus was as careful as I knew how to be under the circumstances, but it was still a rough week. The rest of my body also managed to hang on through it all. However, the right hip has continued to gradually worsen.
I had a bit of an unpleasant surprise this week. When I had seen the surgeon for post-op follow up with the left hip a couple of weeks ago, he had ordered a cortisone injection for the right hip to help calm it down and allow me to regain better progress with rehab for the left hip. However, due to circumstances, it was going to be easier to get the injection done locally (or so I thought). I was amazed that the local surgeon was able to get me in so fast, but also relieved as I really needed help with calming down the right hip, and preferably the shoulder as well. So, an appointment that soon was nothing short of an answer to prayer and I was very grateful! Being on crutches for a month had flared everything up, things had started to calm down somewhat once off crutches, but then flared again as we started tapering the oral prednisone. The plan with primary care was to decrease prednisone dose again later in the week so timing of the appt was perfect for getting injections and allow the taper to proceed better. Anyway, I was able to get in, but then was denied injections for either the hip or the shoulder even though I had an order for an injection for the hip and the notes from the surgeon who did my hip surgery also mentioned the shoulder issues. I left the appointment very discouraged, very disappointed, also very surprised and frustrated--almost in shock that everything I had been told in advance had been disregarded. I had hoped so much that maybe injections would help get rehab going better again and help calm down some of the issues that the prednisone had apparently been masking, plus assist with tapering the prednisone. The only explanation I was given when I asked why not injections was that my body needed more time to heal--in the order of months. I asked about alternative management approaches and was told to do what I could and listen to my body--things I have already been doing and everyone else knew I was doing, which is why the others had suggested (and surgeon had ordered) injections. I saw primary care physician a couple of days later and was still totally at a loss of what else to do. She did not really have any other ideas either. For now, we halted the prednisone taper and did not decrease the dose again as initially planned. Rather, we will wait until things either calm on their own or we figure out an alternate plan for managing things. I was very grateful for this as struggling already at this dose and literally afraid of decreasing further without some better means of managing the the right hip and the shoulder. We also restarted the NSAID to see if that would help calm things better to help out with PT. I am very grateful for a medical team that knows me and work to support me, but I was totally unprepared for one physician to go against the entire rest of the team regarding injections. Especially, since he is the one who has done all of my other injections, the one who referred me to the surgeon who did my surgery and ordered the injection. I am still puzzled as to what happened. If I did not explain things well? But, they had copies of the injection order and all notes from MN that I had dropped off myself. I am trying to remember that everything happens for a reason--even things that make no sense at all now.
I am so grateful for my family and church family and their support through this week! It was hard, but I let them know I was struggling and to be praying. One of the ladies offered to come help me out with home tasks--huge blessing and practical help with the way the week went. Only the Lord could sustain me through the week--and He did! God is good no matter how circumstances appear to me.
Copyright © 2016 by Steph. All rights reserved.
I had a bit of an unpleasant surprise this week. When I had seen the surgeon for post-op follow up with the left hip a couple of weeks ago, he had ordered a cortisone injection for the right hip to help calm it down and allow me to regain better progress with rehab for the left hip. However, due to circumstances, it was going to be easier to get the injection done locally (or so I thought). I was amazed that the local surgeon was able to get me in so fast, but also relieved as I really needed help with calming down the right hip, and preferably the shoulder as well. So, an appointment that soon was nothing short of an answer to prayer and I was very grateful! Being on crutches for a month had flared everything up, things had started to calm down somewhat once off crutches, but then flared again as we started tapering the oral prednisone. The plan with primary care was to decrease prednisone dose again later in the week so timing of the appt was perfect for getting injections and allow the taper to proceed better. Anyway, I was able to get in, but then was denied injections for either the hip or the shoulder even though I had an order for an injection for the hip and the notes from the surgeon who did my hip surgery also mentioned the shoulder issues. I left the appointment very discouraged, very disappointed, also very surprised and frustrated--almost in shock that everything I had been told in advance had been disregarded. I had hoped so much that maybe injections would help get rehab going better again and help calm down some of the issues that the prednisone had apparently been masking, plus assist with tapering the prednisone. The only explanation I was given when I asked why not injections was that my body needed more time to heal--in the order of months. I asked about alternative management approaches and was told to do what I could and listen to my body--things I have already been doing and everyone else knew I was doing, which is why the others had suggested (and surgeon had ordered) injections. I saw primary care physician a couple of days later and was still totally at a loss of what else to do. She did not really have any other ideas either. For now, we halted the prednisone taper and did not decrease the dose again as initially planned. Rather, we will wait until things either calm on their own or we figure out an alternate plan for managing things. I was very grateful for this as struggling already at this dose and literally afraid of decreasing further without some better means of managing the the right hip and the shoulder. We also restarted the NSAID to see if that would help calm things better to help out with PT. I am very grateful for a medical team that knows me and work to support me, but I was totally unprepared for one physician to go against the entire rest of the team regarding injections. Especially, since he is the one who has done all of my other injections, the one who referred me to the surgeon who did my surgery and ordered the injection. I am still puzzled as to what happened. If I did not explain things well? But, they had copies of the injection order and all notes from MN that I had dropped off myself. I am trying to remember that everything happens for a reason--even things that make no sense at all now.
I am so grateful for my family and church family and their support through this week! It was hard, but I let them know I was struggling and to be praying. One of the ladies offered to come help me out with home tasks--huge blessing and practical help with the way the week went. Only the Lord could sustain me through the week--and He did! God is good no matter how circumstances appear to me.
Copyright © 2016 by Steph. All rights reserved.
10 weeks: Precarious Balance
Note: the basic gist of this post was written a couple of weeks ago, but because of major deadlines, it was never finished until now.
Precarious balance refers more to where I was the previous week. Things were again going alright after a rough couple of weeks of everything being flared. This week was a reminder of how precarious things actually were. I have a body that needs to move and does not want to be pushed. With major deadlines looming, there was less moving and more pushing and my body rebelled (or more accurately gave up). Absolutely all of the usual chronic pain is again flared and now losing progress with rehab as well, plus finding new issues popping up related to compensation issues. This is so incredibly frustrating and discouraging. I had to take a full break from rehab exercises to let things start to calm down but nothing helped until a full night of sleep and working through full set of exercises, heat, ice, etc. My body was just way beyond its limits. I have never been so close to wanting to give up. I am not a quitter, but my body is worn out and I am wearing down mentally and emotionally as well from the toll. I was reminded earlier this week that I am doing the equivalent of trying to balance and manage multiple full time jobs. School is like a full time job, each chronic condition is like a full time job, surgery rehab is the equivalent of at least a full time job. It is no wonder I am exhausted and cannot figure out how to balance everything--it really is not possible. If I have any one of the issues reasonably well managed, it means everything else is not. Most of the time, it is trying to have everything as managed as I can get it, but nothing fully managed. Rehab got the priority the first few weeks after surgery. This may be why recovery has been going so much better than anyone, including myself, anticipated.
Overwhelmed, exhausted, setbacks, loss of progress. Progress had slowed down, but I think this is the first there has been actual loss of progress and going backward. I had to take a full break from some exercises. The first part of the week, things were still going alright and I had asked about resumption of some other exercises from before surgery as well as increasing duration for swimming, elliptical, bike. These had all been OK'd. But, I never got to try. Things had felt "off" that day, and by evening, everything was hurting and even the surgical hip was pretty sore. I took it easy and only did gentle stretches and ice that evening. I woke the next morning with definite pain in the surgical hip, though it felt muscular and not joint. Still. it was significant enough to make me rethink things and rearrange my approach. I iced it, then proceeded into normal routine of heat, home exercises. However, I backed way off on the home exercises and called in to check how far to push things versus back off. I was told to back off the stretnghtening exercises for 48 hours, alternate heat with ice. Do stretches and cardio as tolerated. The surgical hip calmed down somewhat, but other things appeared and worsened. It was a challenging week and has been a challenging weekend. I honestly do not know how I am going to proceed from here, other than that I am going to do so somehow, some way. I am not giving up, not quitting...yet.
God knows the plan and His way is best.
Copyright © 2016 by Steph. All rights reserved.
Precarious balance refers more to where I was the previous week. Things were again going alright after a rough couple of weeks of everything being flared. This week was a reminder of how precarious things actually were. I have a body that needs to move and does not want to be pushed. With major deadlines looming, there was less moving and more pushing and my body rebelled (or more accurately gave up). Absolutely all of the usual chronic pain is again flared and now losing progress with rehab as well, plus finding new issues popping up related to compensation issues. This is so incredibly frustrating and discouraging. I had to take a full break from rehab exercises to let things start to calm down but nothing helped until a full night of sleep and working through full set of exercises, heat, ice, etc. My body was just way beyond its limits. I have never been so close to wanting to give up. I am not a quitter, but my body is worn out and I am wearing down mentally and emotionally as well from the toll. I was reminded earlier this week that I am doing the equivalent of trying to balance and manage multiple full time jobs. School is like a full time job, each chronic condition is like a full time job, surgery rehab is the equivalent of at least a full time job. It is no wonder I am exhausted and cannot figure out how to balance everything--it really is not possible. If I have any one of the issues reasonably well managed, it means everything else is not. Most of the time, it is trying to have everything as managed as I can get it, but nothing fully managed. Rehab got the priority the first few weeks after surgery. This may be why recovery has been going so much better than anyone, including myself, anticipated.
Overwhelmed, exhausted, setbacks, loss of progress. Progress had slowed down, but I think this is the first there has been actual loss of progress and going backward. I had to take a full break from some exercises. The first part of the week, things were still going alright and I had asked about resumption of some other exercises from before surgery as well as increasing duration for swimming, elliptical, bike. These had all been OK'd. But, I never got to try. Things had felt "off" that day, and by evening, everything was hurting and even the surgical hip was pretty sore. I took it easy and only did gentle stretches and ice that evening. I woke the next morning with definite pain in the surgical hip, though it felt muscular and not joint. Still. it was significant enough to make me rethink things and rearrange my approach. I iced it, then proceeded into normal routine of heat, home exercises. However, I backed way off on the home exercises and called in to check how far to push things versus back off. I was told to back off the stretnghtening exercises for 48 hours, alternate heat with ice. Do stretches and cardio as tolerated. The surgical hip calmed down somewhat, but other things appeared and worsened. It was a challenging week and has been a challenging weekend. I honestly do not know how I am going to proceed from here, other than that I am going to do so somehow, some way. I am not giving up, not quitting...yet.
God knows the plan and His way is best.
Copyright © 2016 by Steph. All rights reserved.
Saturday, September 3, 2016
Easy Crock Pot Minestrone
This is not a new recipe, but rather something I have been making for years and before that was modified from a stove top recipe. But, I just realized that I did not have this recipe posted yet. Plus, since I am feeling creative, I decided to try something a little different, because that is just the way I cook.
Minestrone
1 pound white beans (I used navy beans)
1 pound ground turkey
2 teaspoons onion powder
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon thyme
1 tablespoon parsley
1 teaspoon basil
1 teaspoon oregano
2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon ground fennel
1/16 teaspoon cayenne
2 teaspoons celery seed
1 pound frozen mixed vegetables
1 10-ounce package frozen chopped spinach
1 6-ounce can tomato paste
V8 (a few cups--I just poured)
1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
olive oil (to taste, optional)
1-2 cups whole wheat elbow macaroni (optional)
Sort and rinse beans, cover with plenty of water, and soak beans overnight. Drain beans, pour into crock pot. Cover with fresh water. Add ground turkey--it is fine to add it raw, it will fully cook, but it can be browned and drained, then added. Add all seasonings except salt. Cook on high until beans are tender (usually takes a few hours). Add frozen mixed vegetables, frozen spinach, tomato paste, V8, salt, olive oil if desired. Cook until all vegetables are hot through.. I usually let this simmer on low once it is done to give more time for flavors to blend. If adding macaroni, add it only about 30 minutes before severing.
This recipe works better in a larger crock pot! I made it work in my 3-quart crock pot, but it was thicker than I liked. This makes a really big batch, but it does freeze, thaw well.
Copyright © 2016 by Steph. All rights reserved.
Minestrone
1 pound white beans (I used navy beans)
1 pound ground turkey
2 teaspoons onion powder
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon thyme
1 tablespoon parsley
1 teaspoon basil
1 teaspoon oregano
2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon ground fennel
1/16 teaspoon cayenne
2 teaspoons celery seed
1 pound frozen mixed vegetables
1 10-ounce package frozen chopped spinach
1 6-ounce can tomato paste
V8 (a few cups--I just poured)
1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
olive oil (to taste, optional)
1-2 cups whole wheat elbow macaroni (optional)
Sort and rinse beans, cover with plenty of water, and soak beans overnight. Drain beans, pour into crock pot. Cover with fresh water. Add ground turkey--it is fine to add it raw, it will fully cook, but it can be browned and drained, then added. Add all seasonings except salt. Cook on high until beans are tender (usually takes a few hours). Add frozen mixed vegetables, frozen spinach, tomato paste, V8, salt, olive oil if desired. Cook until all vegetables are hot through.. I usually let this simmer on low once it is done to give more time for flavors to blend. If adding macaroni, add it only about 30 minutes before severing.
This recipe works better in a larger crock pot! I made it work in my 3-quart crock pot, but it was thicker than I liked. This makes a really big batch, but it does freeze, thaw well.
Copyright © 2016 by Steph. All rights reserved.
9 Weeks/2 Months: Endurance and Encouragement
This was a much more encouraging week than the past couple of weeks have been. Things are still challenging, but more hopeful again.
I took last weekend to recover from the rough week last week. Early this week, I traveled back to see the surgeon for the first time since surgery. He was pleased with my progress thus far and said I am ahead of schedule! That was so encouraging to hear--especially after the rough couple of weeks and with it feeling as if progress had slowed down! I was so relieved to hear that things are going well as I really had no idea what to expect other than that this is a long process and that my body tends to be unpredictable. He did remind me that I am only a couple of months into a year long recovery process and for me to stay on track with PT and exercises. I need to remain patient and persistent and endure through the tedious times.
I survived the travel rather better than I had hoped! I am so grateful for an aunt who drove me there and back so I did not have to drive. Lots of stops and lots of ice, but this trip was much better than the trip home the day after surgery! Yet another indicator of progress!
The physical therapist OK'd me to do the final home tasks that I have not been able to do well since surgery. Yay! More independence! I do still have a lifting/carrying restriction of approximately 10 pounds, so I still have to be careful and think ahead. I am also still really slow with some things. The stairs have been one of the bigger barriers since there are two flights of them between my apartment and everything else. I successfully went grocery shopping and carried groceries by myself (got more than I could carry in one load on the stairs, but carried up all perishable items and left the rest in the car and went back and got them later after resting--this is what I have always done anyway even before surgery when not doing well). I also successfully did a couple of loads of laundry and carried that as well. So far, so good. The repaired left hip seems to be doing fine--got a tad sore with carrying but not bad. The supposedly "good" right hip did not do so well. Sigh. I was cleared for an injection for the "good" hip to help calm it down and let me progress better with rehab for the repaired hip, but waiting to be able to get something scheduled.
I am back to doing most of the home PT exercises I was doing before surgery! There are still a few I need to wait on. I am hoping that with more return to normal pre-op routines and strategies that I can eventually regain better management of the rest of the pain again. Swimming is getting better, elliptical is going well, walking is also still getting better but is still primarily a means of getting around and not a means of exercise. Stationary bike is getting ever more boring and is also getting ever more irritating for the supposedly "good" hip. I sort of saw this coming as the bike bothered both hips before surgery and I had actually stopped and taken a break a month or so before surgery knowing it would be one of the few things I could do initially after surgery and knowing that I have always gotten bored with it in the past if it was not riding an actual real bike outside. I much prefer going for walks outside and going for bike rides outside. I am not a fan of treadmills or stationary bikes except for necessity. I am grateful for them but prefer the real thing. This is one of the hard parts of recovery--not being able to go for a real walk. The weather has been gorgeous and I have longed to go for a nice long walk along the creek. I am trying to be patient as I know there will be opportunities in the future once I am stronger and my body is ready.
My endurance for sitting and standing is also slowly increasing. I still use a timer to remind me to get up and move often. But, I am managing full days on campus as long as I keep things broken up and intersperse activity with work/classes. I can sit longer now than before surgery but sitting through entire classes is still challenging and not going very well. This recovery is not and has not been easy but it has been so much easier than I anticipated that I keep thinking that at some point things will get much worse. Yes, the past few weeks have been really difficult, but it has been mostly the other chronic issues and not the hip that had surgery. It is hard to know how to answer when I am asked how I am doing. In terms of the repaired hip, I am doing much better. In terms of most of the other issues, I am not doing so well, but probably still doing better than before surgery.
Overall, this has been a better week. I am grateful that things are still going as well as they are. I am grateful for the support of so many through this whole process!
Copyright © 2016 by Steph. All rights reserved.
I took last weekend to recover from the rough week last week. Early this week, I traveled back to see the surgeon for the first time since surgery. He was pleased with my progress thus far and said I am ahead of schedule! That was so encouraging to hear--especially after the rough couple of weeks and with it feeling as if progress had slowed down! I was so relieved to hear that things are going well as I really had no idea what to expect other than that this is a long process and that my body tends to be unpredictable. He did remind me that I am only a couple of months into a year long recovery process and for me to stay on track with PT and exercises. I need to remain patient and persistent and endure through the tedious times.
I survived the travel rather better than I had hoped! I am so grateful for an aunt who drove me there and back so I did not have to drive. Lots of stops and lots of ice, but this trip was much better than the trip home the day after surgery! Yet another indicator of progress!
The physical therapist OK'd me to do the final home tasks that I have not been able to do well since surgery. Yay! More independence! I do still have a lifting/carrying restriction of approximately 10 pounds, so I still have to be careful and think ahead. I am also still really slow with some things. The stairs have been one of the bigger barriers since there are two flights of them between my apartment and everything else. I successfully went grocery shopping and carried groceries by myself (got more than I could carry in one load on the stairs, but carried up all perishable items and left the rest in the car and went back and got them later after resting--this is what I have always done anyway even before surgery when not doing well). I also successfully did a couple of loads of laundry and carried that as well. So far, so good. The repaired left hip seems to be doing fine--got a tad sore with carrying but not bad. The supposedly "good" right hip did not do so well. Sigh. I was cleared for an injection for the "good" hip to help calm it down and let me progress better with rehab for the repaired hip, but waiting to be able to get something scheduled.
I am back to doing most of the home PT exercises I was doing before surgery! There are still a few I need to wait on. I am hoping that with more return to normal pre-op routines and strategies that I can eventually regain better management of the rest of the pain again. Swimming is getting better, elliptical is going well, walking is also still getting better but is still primarily a means of getting around and not a means of exercise. Stationary bike is getting ever more boring and is also getting ever more irritating for the supposedly "good" hip. I sort of saw this coming as the bike bothered both hips before surgery and I had actually stopped and taken a break a month or so before surgery knowing it would be one of the few things I could do initially after surgery and knowing that I have always gotten bored with it in the past if it was not riding an actual real bike outside. I much prefer going for walks outside and going for bike rides outside. I am not a fan of treadmills or stationary bikes except for necessity. I am grateful for them but prefer the real thing. This is one of the hard parts of recovery--not being able to go for a real walk. The weather has been gorgeous and I have longed to go for a nice long walk along the creek. I am trying to be patient as I know there will be opportunities in the future once I am stronger and my body is ready.
My endurance for sitting and standing is also slowly increasing. I still use a timer to remind me to get up and move often. But, I am managing full days on campus as long as I keep things broken up and intersperse activity with work/classes. I can sit longer now than before surgery but sitting through entire classes is still challenging and not going very well. This recovery is not and has not been easy but it has been so much easier than I anticipated that I keep thinking that at some point things will get much worse. Yes, the past few weeks have been really difficult, but it has been mostly the other chronic issues and not the hip that had surgery. It is hard to know how to answer when I am asked how I am doing. In terms of the repaired hip, I am doing much better. In terms of most of the other issues, I am not doing so well, but probably still doing better than before surgery.
Overall, this has been a better week. I am grateful that things are still going as well as they are. I am grateful for the support of so many through this whole process!
Copyright © 2016 by Steph. All rights reserved.
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