The Cutest Christmas Cookie I Have Ever Seen

Look at this! Isn’t this adorable! It’s so cute, we can’t bear to eat it. It’s still in the container, lol.

CUTE!!!

It’s a little chocolate-covered cherry, with a Hershey’s kiss for a head. I love the chocolate-dipped sliced almonds for the ears. Whoever made this was really creative. We got it as part of a Christmas cookie set. The cookies were all homemade, and were all good. Some were SPECTACULAR. There was this cookie that had cranberries, white chocolate chunks, and walnuts. It just about knocked my socks off, lol. Thankfully, whoever made the cookies included the recipe in the box. I will love them forever, lol. The cookies came from my husband’s workplace. He paid a small nominal fee for a box of assorted cookies. It was a nice way for the little organization to raise money, especially when fund-raising and banking jobs and jobs in general are difficult to find.

The kids may make this little mouse cookie sometime. It’s SO cute!!!

The Everything Casserole

While I am not a big fan of casseroles (making them or eating them), my daughter threw this together today and it was good!

We wanted to use up a lot of the leftovers in the fridge, and make something hearty, to boot. Here’s our potpourri of ingredients (sorry about the small photo, you practically need a barska to see everything):

The Everything Casserole

Made TWO casseroles, one for tonight, another for Sunday afternoon

Leftover vegetables (about 2 cups)
Leftover rice (1 cup)
Cooked pasta
Leftover or canned spaghetti sauce (about 30 oz or so)
1 Tablespoon minced garlic
2 boxes cooked and drained penne rigata pasta
1 pound cooked sausage
Some basil, oregano, garlic powder, salt, pepper to taste
4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
2-3 handfuls of fresh chopped kale

Stir the sauce and seasonings into the pasta. Add the sausage, rice, veggies, and 2 cups of the cheese. Stir and set in two casserole dishes. Top with the rest of the cheese.

It came out so delicious!

It’s also a great way to get more kale into the diet. Kale is so good for you. I eat some raw every day, and we add it to everything– rice, fish dishes, sandwiches.

More Experimentation with Raw Meal Drink

I hope this is not too boring for you. It’s not like I’m blogging about fabulous games on the xbox or reviewing spectacular films or books… raw meal drink is rather… well, boring, I guess.

But I WANT to drink this stuff; I WANT to be healthier. So far, I’ve tried mixing the raw meal powder with plain water, orange juice, strawberry smoothies, and stawberry-flavored milk. This time I tried it with grape juice.

Well…. it’s “OK.” That’s what I keep saying with all my experiments! The more I try various mixes, the more I realize that nothing is really going to taste good enough for me to desire drinking this stuff. I have to force myself to drink it.

The grape juice is, so far, the sweetest drink, and it hides the raw powder taste the best. However, a big glass of grape juice bothers my digestive system, so I may have to take small sips throughout the day. Or, just have one small glass of grape juice and another small glass of strawberry milk later in the day.

A few readers have asked if this raw meal drink is having any effects. Yes, after I drink it, I do feel a little energy boost. It’s not an energy drink, by any means. I think my body is so malnourished that I can literally feel the nutrients going in, lol! I also eat several handfuls of raw kale everyday, too (it’s SOOO good with balsamic vinegar dressing!). I am still not drinking the raw meal drink every day, like I should. According to the directions, you have to drink two full scoops (one scoop is about as large as three or four tablespoons) per day. Gosh, that’s a lot for me to endure. The only time I have ever had two full scoops in a day was the first day I got it, and today. But even drinking one scoop makes me feel better.

I don’t feel better EVERY day yet, only on the days that I do drink this. I’m pretty determined to douse my body with good stuff, so when this runs out, I’ll be getting more (even though it is very expensive). The label says that the drink helps to suppress your appetite (it’s a “meal replacement” supplement), but I haven’t found that. I have a weird metabolism, so I’m not surprised.

So that’s my latest review. I am not likely to experiment with drinks anymore, as I think I have used up all my ideas. I don’t foresee putting the powder in my coffee or tea.

Raw Meal Drink Update

I’ve been experimenting with the Raw Meal drink I got a few weeks ago. You can read more about it here. It’s not pleasant stuff. It tastes like latex paint and it’s like drinking powder, the stuff is so thick. But it’s very good for you. So I’ve been searching for ways to make it more palatable.

This is my latest:

With blended frozen strawberries and orange juice.

Not much of an improvement, unfortunately. I think that the stuff is just going to TASTE BAD, and there’s nothing I can do.

I got two glasses down the hatch tonight. Here’s hoping I can keep this up! LOL

Score Another One for Leafy Greens

After a sever bout of eye problems over the weekend, I’ve been doing a little research about eye health and dietary solutions. Once again, leafy greens come riding to the rescue!

I developed a Weiss ring floater in my eye. Everyone has floaters– some are leftover embryonic debris in the vitreous gel in the eye. The vitreous gel is transparent and like jelly. As a person ages, the vitreous gel liquifies, leaving behind small protein bits and crystallized particles. These appear as dark strings or spots because they drift in front of the retina, casting a shadow as light enters the eye. A Weiss ring is a large floater that looks like a snarled string with a large loop on the end (like one of those White Gold Promise Rings, but WAY uglier and darker). This floater occurs when the vitreous lining detaches from the optic nerve. It’s usually harmless, but in some cases the floater may pull on the retina, causing detachment (and blindness) and therefore a Weiss ring is viewed as an emergency until it is determined that the retina remains in place. This posterior vitreous detachment occurs in less that 10% people under 50 years of age. I am way under 50, but I suppose because my eyes are severely myopic, I have more eye problems than many. I sure appreciate prayer, if you are willing to pray. My vision is poor and I want to be healed.

Well, I read an article today that many eye problems caused by aging are preventable or can be delayed, particularly age-related macular degeneration (AMD). The biggest factor is diet. Some studies have shown that high doses of antioxidants (Vitamins C and E, beta-carotene and zinc) may slow AMD progression, even if it is already diagnosed.

No I don’t know if leafy green veggies will help the vitreous gel or retinas or myopia (these seem to be more physiological in nature, as the elongated shape of the eye is to blame), but if this will help change my eye health one teeny-tiny bit, I’m happy to eat scads of raw kale every day.

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