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Happy 2022
I am a huge Dolly Parton fan and one of my favorite quotes by her is “Find out who you are and do it on purpose.” I have thought a great deal about that in recent weeks as I have been trying to motivate myself to get back into writing again. I have considered turning this into a video blog, but I hate my recorded voice, so being on the camera is currently out of my comfort zone. I have made a couple test videos but couldn’t bring myself to post them, so I think at least for now I will stick to the intended purpose for this blog and write as much and as often as I can.
This really started out as a way to follow a journey through keto, our daughter’s cancer, and generally just life as I poked my toe into writing again (this was supposed to be easier than writing a book after all). Then I put it on the back burner, and it has gone nowhere since I haven’t written in over two years now. I have no great excuses although a list of reasons is always available.
So to catch you up on the past couple years…
Our family went on a different path from keto after several months even though my husband ended up losing about 85lbs on a modified version of it. I learned a tremendous amount about food during that time, and even more about reading labels. In the meantime, my daughter Alex battled cancer unsuccessfully using various diets and other naturopathic and non-naturaopathic methods including a modified keto diet, paleo, vegetarian, vegan, and an experimental immunotherapy treatment that became ineffective before she progressed to stage 3 Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. At that point she became eligible for a chemotherapy treatment she trusted at the Seattle Cancer Center, and on July 28, 2021 after 1,217 days of battling Lymphoma and 3 cycles into a 6-treatment cycle, her tests revealed that her cancer had gone into total 100% remission. Praise God! There is really nothing that compares to hearing that news. It had been a long battle.
In the meantime, our son Derrick continued his service in the U.S. Marine Corps. He is still stationed at Camp Hansen in Okinawa Japan (since August 2019). It has been far too long since we’ve hugged that young man! After he was shipped to Japan, our daughter Savannah began and completed her senior year of high school with the class of 2020, enlisted in the U.S. Air Force, attended and graduated basic military training and then technical school, and arrived in Okinawa Japan on Derrick’s 2-year anniversary of his 3-year tour there. She hadn’t seen him in so long that she put Kadena Air Force Base at the top of her dream sheet and got it! She is now stationed about half hour drive from him and they see each other frequently. Of course as their mom, it is difficult to be so far away from them, but knowing they are close to each other is the consolation. She took our hugs to him. Being able to FaceTime may not be the same as being able to hug them, but nothing brings joy to my heart quite like being able to see them both smile and laugh and be in the same room together after so long apart from each other.
In November of 2020 I picked up a bucket list hobby and reconstituted some sourdough from a dehydrated starter I purchased off of Ebay. I am happy to report that for the past 14 months, this killer of plants has kept that starter alive! I have learned and/or modified some amazing recipes along the way that I will be sharing, and I have already shared my starter with some relatives and friends. My husband and I will hit one year of empty nesting in March, and I think we have settled into the life well. We both still work full time but all of my job and most of his is done remotely, and our property definitely keeps us busy. Something always needs to be done! I drag him out of the house for date night about once a week, but otherwise I have more time to devote to the stack of ideas and recipes I’d like to try out and I hope this blog will keep me busy so I can share my adventures along the way. Wishing you blessings in 2022 and hoping that you find out who YOU are this year and do it on purpose!
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A Christmas Poem
I have been working on this poem for my son for Christmas. We just celebrated his one year anniversary of active duty in the U.S. Marine Corps, and it has been quite a journey!! In that year, we have had 24 days together and we probably won’t get to see him again until June. It’s not an easy life, and a big piece of my heart is in Okinawa, but I couldn’t be more proud!
I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas!The Seasons of a Marine and his Mom
We gathered up as a family for a farewell dinner,
A feast for Thanksgiving and celebration together.
Just a couple days later you walked out that door,
Your toothbrush and your wallet but not much more.
The very next morning we had our first “see you later”,
Then you boarded that plane with just a packet of paper.
From that moment forward you were known as recruit,
Forever more you will remember this time as boot.
Our first Christmas went by without you here,
Then we set off fireworks to bring in a New Year.
Those days you spent there seemed to go by so slow,
But through each letter we saw this new man grow.
Challenge after challenge and day after day,
The little boy you once were faded away.
The final drive and push up that long dark hill,
To become a Marine took every ounce of your will.
Valentine’s Day came without you in it,
Then you graduated boot and came home for a minute.
Before we knew you were back out that door,
Your boots and gear packed and ready for more.
The days at M.C.T. came by fast and they went,
Hearing your voice often and many messages sent.
A new set of orders changed your school and your plan,
But you took it in stride as your duty, as a man.
Not at all the job you thought you would do,
I guess your Uncle Sam had different plans for you.
A few months on the beach at Camp Pendleton,
Taught you the meaning of YAT YAS and 21-41.
Your 19th birthday came quick and it went,
A card in the mail and the first care package sent.
It was tough that I couldn’t be there to hug you,
But I have comfort in knowing you love what you do.
A quick flight home for the 4th of July,
Seemed like just enough time for hello and goodbye.
Another month went by, you were ready to roll,
Your training completed and eager to go.
So glad you were able to come home again,
Before heading out on your orders from Great Uncle Sam.
Those ten days flew by more than fast,
All of us wishing each moment would last.
Another “see you later” with just you and me,
Holding back tears until I thought you wouldn’t see.
Flights that would bring you six thousand miles from home,
But I was so thankful not to some war-torn zone.
Months go by that start out as days,
Moments and memories go by in a haze.
One month turned to two, then to three,
And November snuck up, how can that be?
Thanksgiving came and family gathered again,
We gave thanks for you and all servicemen.
The snow is falling again, it’s a beautiful sight.
I’ll pray for you again like I do every night.
We put up the tree and your Marine ornament,
The lights and decorations, but your stocking gets sent.
Hoping that 3 weeks is plenty of time,
To send off my love to your box from mine.
Christmas never did come from a store,
But if I could buy it, I would choose a day or more.
To spend it with you during this season of joy,
To have my Marine son, for a moment, just a boy.
The journey of a Marine son and his Mom,
To be continued in seasons as our lives move on.Original work by Sherry Green 12/02/2019
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This Might NOT be Easier than a Book!
Apparently, I’m not meant to become a great blogger because I just can’t seem to keep up with it. I have the same problem with journaling. I have some great looking journals that I have held onto through the years, but so many of them go months or years without ever seeing another word. Truthfully, all of them have so far. I’m certain I’ve never filled one, so to say I really can’t believe it has taken me several months to get back on here and write something would be a lie. I am quite aware of what’s kept me away. I can’t be entirely forthright with all that has occurred, so I will just say that the past few months has been a bit of a struggle in what to write and say on here, so I’ve just put it off until now. I really hope I get better at this!
I wrote in the beginning that I didn’t want to make this ALL about Keto and recipes. DiDi is still battling with the Lymphoma and gaining ground on it with treatments. She never really did pick up the Keto torch, but that is her story to tell. God willing, she will come out of this stronger. My husband and I kept up with Keto for many months after DiDi moved out of the household. We just felt so great, and my husband managed to drop around 75lbs. Men! I only lost about 15lbs in the very beginning, but then just plateaued out. About 3 months ago I got discouraged with Keto, started eating everything, and gained that 15lbs back. Go figure! Weight really is just a number though because in the last couple months, I’ve stayed the same weight but have been doing some workouts (Zumba, push-ups, squats, leg raises, etc.) and definitely notice everything tightening and strengthening. Beyond that, I’ve been adding in some stretching and I can now touch my toes without a struggle hahaha!!! Savannah still tells me my legs aren’t completely straight. Brat. Although we haven’t necessarily stuck with Keto, we have stuck to a mostly natural diet, staying away from most processed foods, refined sugars, etc. Now we just have quite a few more cheats, and we don’t turn down homemade rolls from Mom!
Derrick, Mother’s Day 2018 In other news, our son, Derrick has launched successfully into the big wide world!!! He graduated High School with the Class of 2018 in June. At that time, he was already in the delayed enlistment program for the U.S. Marine Corps. He left for boot camp in November and graduated on February 22, 2019. We don’t leave the mountain often, but we flew down to San Diego to watch him graduate. I can’t begin to tell you the amount of pride I had to see him march across that parade deck with Platoon 3226. He was honored as his Platoon’s High Shooter and qualified as a Rifle Expert. He became a Marine, and I became a MoM (Mom of Marine), joining the ranks of other Marine and Military moms across our great nation. To say I’m proud would be a vast understatement. Sometimes the pride wells up so much that it leaks out of my eyes and rolls down my face. Semper Fi.
This was the closest I got to a Christmas picture.
Taken on December 26, 2018 (During Week 4 of Boot Camp)Following 10 days home on leave, our new “Private Green” reported to Camp Pendleton for a month at Military Combat Training, graduating from this portion of his training on April 2nd. He has remained at Camp Pendleton for further training at his Military Occupation Specialty school. He should finish up there in August, but it will be at least a couple more months before he receives orders for his permanent station. His first preference as Okinawa. I think that would be great for him and quite the adventure, but it’s hard to say what the USMC will think about it. On May 1st, he received his first rank promotion to Private First Class.
Savannah is finishing up her Junior year in high school and 1st year of running start. That one sure keeps me on my toes! Teen girls. Other moms of teen girls understand what I’m going through. I’m pretty sure boys are harder to keep alive, but girls are just… brats… LOL… Prom is tomorrow, and it seems this year just flew by!! Next year my BABY will be a senior! Like sand through an hourglass, time has slipped by. With any luck, you’ll hear from me before she graduates!!
Thanks for hanging in there through my long update. I’m working on a care package to send off to Derrick for Armed Forces Day on May 18th. I’ve seen some really cool ones, so if it turns out great, maybe I’ll post some pics of it!!
As always, my best to you and your family!!
~Sherry~
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Back to Family Life & Routine
I haven’t posted any updates since I got back from vacation just over a month ago. I think I’ve just been trying to get back into routine, work, life, etc. It’s been super hot, but I haven’t noticed it much since I spend most of my days in the office. I am so thankful that my family gets together for birthdays and events, and I love getting to spend time together. We got together last weekend for my brother-in-law’s birthday. Chris turned 50 and my neice Amara was a couple days away from turning 14. Chris has been doing absolutely amazing on his Keto journey and the transformation has been incredible! I also got to spend some time with my sweet nephew, Callen, who is growing way too fast already!!
Callen & Me, August 5, 2018 Callen is Derrick’s birthday-buddy, since he was born on Derrick’s 18th birthday, and he has become my selfie-buddy 🙂
Our family had been going through a lot of turmoil and grieving when Callen came into this world, just a bit too early. Early enough where he spent his first few days in the NICU (Neo-Natal Intensive Care Unit). We spent most of Derrick’s 18th birthday in that hospital, but none of us cared about that. We were just happy that, with the help of the nurses and doctors at that hospital, he turned out to be the most precious, healthy baby boy one could hope for!!
Just over a month earlier, we had lost my Aunt Dolly unexpectedly on February 16th, and it was pretty horrible to say the least! It was a total nightmare for our family and honestly, we are still reeling from it. I think it will still be some time before we aren’t. All that aside, my Aunt hated having her picture taken! When we lost her, I scrambled to try to find pictures of her, and there just weren’t that many. There were several pictures that I found, remembering that she was the one that had been holding the camera, and I looked anew at the picture she saw from her eyes. I decided when Callen was born that I didn’t care if the pictures of me were good or not, he would never have to search for pictures of us together! So, since the moment I was able to hold him in my arms, I’ve made it a point to take a selfie (or 10) with him every single time I’ve gotten to see him. I will eventually make him some kind of book, and he’ll probably think his old aunt is a little lame, but that’s ok… I’ll also be the aunt who spoils him totally rotten since I only have 1.5 kids left to launch from my own household…
Isn’t he the cutest though?!?
I have an older niece Rebecca that I don’t get to see quite as often, and another nephew, Jason, due in November, and I’ll make sure to continue the tradition with them, but Callen just happened to be the little gift from God that started it, and I will treasure every moment! Those are the babies, but I have several older nieces and nephews that got big before I got cool enough to be taking selfies LOL. Like my kids, they didn’t come with instruction manuals and all I had to do was blink my eyes and they grew right up!!
Savannah went to volleyball camp a couple weeks ago, went off to “Camp Kaylee” with my cousin last week, came home for a night, and was right back out the door with the Glenwood Youth Group for their summer camp. She never seems to stop moving, but she reminds me so much of myself at that age that it is hard to fault her. Next week she will be registering for COLLEGE for running start (she’ll be a junior in high school this year), so my thought is for her to enjoy whatever moments she has as a kid now. Let me just throw out a little mommy-pride there… College… as a Junior in High School. Yep. She’s amazing!
Derrick is working on physical training and getting ready for the Marine Corps. (Just a TON more mommy-pride there!!) His running and crunches are fine, but he’s still struggling a bit with the pull-ups. His date may have been pushed out from October to November, but what I’ve learned from the military is there is never 100% until they tell you to move your a$$ 😉
DiDi has flown the proverbial coop and has headed off onto her own, moving in with her high school sweetheart. A little delayed off of her planned timeline, but that’s just the way life goes sometimes. Jim and I briefly discussed whether that would affect our Keto lifestyle, but it really doesn’t. We may have started this in an effort to support DiDi, but we definitely see the benefits to our own health, and at this point, we are committed to following through on it. We’re not sure of exactly how much weight or sizes that we’ve dropped so far since that was not the reason we started, but it has been somewhere around a combined 50 lbs since June 17th. That is pretty incredible really, especially when you top that with how great we feel. We will be continuing on Keto, so I’ll keep the recipes coming!
Speaking of…
S’more cookie sheet… still in progress, but has potential 😉 I’ve been working on a couple new ones, including a S’more Cookie. This one is definitely still in progress, but it has potential to be amazing!!
A “graham cracker” crust base, marshmallow, and then drizzled chocolate. Keto marshmallows just aren’t roastable, so I knew I needed to come up with a S’mores alternative. The graham cracker is what is giving me issues at this point with its non-crispiness, but I am determined to make this happen. It actually turned out to be pretty awesome (but a super gooey puddle), heated up in the toaster oven.
Last night, I updated my Ninja Cheesecake recipe to use Allulose as the sweetener, so I hope you all enjoy that. It was my first experiment after getting my order of Allulose, and the batch of cheesecakes I made turned out amazing!
We went to the annual barn dance a couple weeks ago. Our standard dish is Jalapeño Popper Chicken which has always been Keto even when I wasn’t, and we’ve decided we can never make enough of it. Yes, my husband helps out on a few of the recipes, and he happens to be a pretty damn good cook!! This year I also brought some Ninja Cheesecakes to share and those disappeared as well. I can only come up with an “approximate” recipe on the Jalepeno Popper Chicken, but I’ll share it when I get the chance.
Tiramisu Jim made Jalapeño Popper Chicken again for my brother-in-law’s birthday, since I had my hands full adding a new favorite to my recipes. I spent about 3 days putting together a Tiramisu recipe. It was really just in response to a challenge from my brat sister, but I’ve definitely found my new favorite dessert!! That was a recipe I found on another website (http://queenketo.com/sugar-free-low-carb-keto-tiramisu/) There is absolutely nothing I want to change about the recipe other than it takes days to put it together!! “QueenKeto” even responded to my post on Instagram!!
The Tiramisu was so amazing that I froze down a couple portions and have threatened to break fingers of anyone who touches them!!
The Tiramisu recipe introduced me to a brand new ingredient, Lupin Flour. This stuff is amazing and absolutely packed with fiber. I ordered a few pounds of it the other day and have been going thru my recipes and changing the flour base to see if it makes a difference. It does!!
Pizza crust made with Cheese, Lupin Flour & Egg, then piled high with Pepperoni, Sausage, Onion, Green Pepper and Olives. Best pizza yet!! I made a fathead pizza crust with it a couple nights ago that turned out amazing, and definitely better than my previous versions!
I’ll share that recipe in the future along with the cheese crackers I made from the same general idea.
Keto Cheese Crackers, Round 1 I don’t have those quite right or consistent yet, but it will happen. I’m still discovering how to work with the new ingredient after all.
The burnt ones are actually the ones that got crispy, and they really do taste like cheese-its.
Well, Jim and I are headed out to the big city of Hood River for lunch and groceries, so I better go before he starts tapping his foot at me.
I hope you all are surviving the summer heat and doing something fun!
As always, my best to you and your family!
~ Sherry ~
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Keto Waffles
This is another ninja recipe since it could easily pass as a “real” waffle. Jim and I were so excited that these turned out so well, half of it disappeared before I remembered to snap a picture! Our son, James is at our house, he is not on Keto, and he made “out-of-the-box” waffles after we were done with our lunch and claimed my Keto waffles were better! I love to hear that about my Keto creations!! These are fluffy on the inside and crispy on the outside, just as I would expect from my waffles 🙂
This is another simple recipe without an overload of ingredients, and you can easily split it in half. The recipe as written will feed about 4 hungry people. It can be modified into pancake batter, omitting the softened butter and adding an additional teaspoon of baking powder.
Set out your cream cheese ahead of time or plan on spending some extra time scraping the bowls and blending. With the eggs, I usually drop them in some warm to hot water for a few minutes to quickly bring them up to “room temp”. It seems you would be able to make typical swaps in this recipe (use your favorite sweetener, swap out for your preferred “butter”, etc.), but here are the basics:
Ingredients
8 oz Cream Cheese (at room temp)
8 Eggs (at room temp)*
4 tsp. Vanilla Extract
1 tsp. Butter Pecan Extract**
1/4 cup Heavy Whipping Cream
3 Tbsp. Softened Butter (omit for pancakes)
2 Tbsp. Liquid Allulose (or sweetener of choice)
1/2 cup Coconut Flour
1 Tbsp. Baking Powder (additional 1 tsp. for pancakes)
* For fluffier waffles & pancakes, separate the eggs and beat up the whites to stiff peaks with 1/4 tsp of cream of tartar. Gently fold the egg whites into the mixture as a last step until well incorporated. I was looking for a simple version, so I skipped this step and they were still fluffy with great consistency.
** You can use Maple or Additional Vanilla Extract, but the butter pecan is pretty amazing for waffles!
Directions
Heat up waffle iron to med-high (I set my waffle iron at 4.5 where highest setting is 6). Whip the cream cheese until fluffy. Add in eggs, extract(s), butter, whipping cream and sweetener, mixing well 1-2 minutes scraping sides. Mix dry ingredients in small bowl. Add to the cream cheese mixture. Continue to mix and scrape sides of bowl until completely smooth. Spray waffle iron with oil (I use avocado-coconut oil spray). Use approx. 1/3 cup batter per waffle. Cook on med-high until most of the steam stops evaporating from the waffle maker. The recipe yields about 5-6 full-sized waffles.
I topped these with butter, and Heavy Whipping Cream that I whipped up to stiff peaks and then I mixed in some Strawberry Chia topping. The recipe is the same as my Blackberry Chia topping, except with strawberries.
I hope you enjoy these as much as we did! I am so full!!
Sherry
You May Also Like
Zucchini Cheese Sandwich
Shrimp & Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms
Blackberry Chia Topping
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Zucchini Cheese Sandwich
So this isn’t a traditional sandwich since it is not on bread, but it definitely satisfied my sandwich craving… 2 nights in a row (I had to try it out with homemade tomato soup of course). Needless to say, I am pretty pleased with the recipe! I actually found a similar recipe on Facebook that called for cornstarch but I made a couple modifications to suit our Keto plan. Really all spices are optional, so you can add or subtract to your taste preference. The Parmesan cheese is also optional but may help to soak up some of the zucchini juices. I’ve made the recipe both ways and didn’t notice much of a taste difference. Straining the juices is not necessary either, but makes for a “prettier” creation in the pan. I have found that pouring off some of the juices before I make the 2nd sandwich also helps, but you do lose some of the spices.
Ingredients
2 Zucchinis (about 3 cups shredded)
1/2 Tsp. Salt
1/2 Tsp. Pepper
1/4 Tsp. Garlic Powder (optional)
1/4 Tsp. Onion Powder (optional)
1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese (optional)
3 Tbsp. Egg White Protein Powder
1 Large Egg
Grease or Oil
1 cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese
Directions
Grate the Zucchini and mix in the spices. Optional: Leave to sit for 10-15 min then strain off juices by squeezing in paper towels or cheesecloth. Mix in the Egg White Protein Powder (and Parmesan cheese if using) until evenly distributed, then mix in the egg. Heat a skillet to medium heat with Grease or Oil (I use leftover bacon grease), preferably in a cast-iron skillet. Dump half of the zucchini mixture on the skillet, shape into a rectangle, and then separate into halves (you should have 2 approximately bread-sized squares).
Cook for 3-4 minutes or until brown and crispy, and then flip over the pieces. Cook for 3-4 more minutes. Place 1/2 cup of the cheese on one piece and flip the other piece onto it. You can add more cheese to the top if you prefer. These hold together well and can be eaten like a sandwich, but I prefer a fork 🙂 These go great with Homemade Tomato Soup. I’ll get that recipe out ASAP so that you can try it out.
Enjoy and let me know what you think!
Sherry
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Blackberry Chia Topping
It’s been a great weekend with a few new recipes I’ve tried out, and this one is a super simple. I wasn’t home with the blackberries for more than 20 minutes before I had them made up and in the jars cooling down. I know myself well enough that I can’t have blackberries in my house for more than 20 minutes before I eat them all, so this had to be done quickly!
I have been trying to steer away from unnecessary sweeteners, so this batch I made using none, but you could add a couple tablespoons of the sweetener of your choice if you prefer.
Ingredients
2 pints Blackberries
2 tsp Lemon Juice
1/4 cup chia seeds
(Opt: 2 Tbsp Sweetener of choice)
Directions
Clean blackberries & put in a pot on medium heat (if using sweetener, you can add it in at this time). Cook for 5-8 minutes smashing down the blackberries as they break down during cooking. Add the lemon juice and remove from heat. Add the Chia seeds and stir well to incorporate. Fill jars or food containers and let cool at room temperature.
Tada!! Blackberry-Chia topping.
I add this to low-carb plain yogurt or to whipped or un-whipped full-fat cream for a yummy Keto treat.
Enjoy!
