Don't Be a Hot Mess!

I love the idea of being organized but the actual act of it....well, I might not follow through as well as I like. I finally put my foot down and said, "NO MORE! I will get organized!" and the cutest corkboard ever made. Even made a video about it, wanna see?

A Little Twist

Tuesdays are normally Tie One On Tuesday but today I felt the need to update you on a few things going on. Don't worry, Tie One On Tuesday will be back next week, cause you know mama needs a cocktail. 

I am not one for mixing words, cocktails maybe, but never words so I'm just gonna lay it out there. OMP has to have heart surgery. I know, it hit us like a ton of bricks too. He has severe mitral valve regurgitation and the valve needs to be repaired. To repair the valve, they can do it two different ways-complete open heart surgery (removing the sternum, taking out the heart, repair and stick the ticker back in) or they can do it less invasive, separating the ribs and going in. There is more pain with the less invasive but the recovery time is less.

Over the summer, we have been to numerous doctors, had numerous tests and finally came to this point in time. The surgeon has said that there is an 85% chance that he can do the surgery less invasive but we needed to give him permission to do the full monty just in case he gets in there and sees the less invasive is a no go. In other percentages, there is a 1% chance of death, 2% chance of infection and 5% chance of pneumonia. 

The surgery hasn't been scheduled yet-we still have three more tests to go through and luckily, OMP's heart isn't so bad that we have to have emergency surgery. We are doing this to prevent future surgeries, heart attacks and strokes. 

The next couple of months will be a bit of a battle with figuring out work, finances and just lifestyle changes. It's a good thing that I put on my war face. GRRRRRRRR! We don't have a lot but we have love and strength and hope. We both refuse to ever give up and we have amazing doctors and nurses to support and help us with the process. 

I never planned in my early 40's to go through something like this. I damn sure know OMP didn't, but isn't that what life is all about? Unexpected adventures? It might not be the adventure I want for my husband but I will be holding his hand the entire way. I will refuse to give up, even on days when he wants to. 

So, there ya go-my heart on my sleeve so to speak. I will keep everyone updated as well as supplying you with puppy pictures, yummy cocktails and a few crafts or two...cause that's how we roll! 

Go To The Light

I might be slightly obsessed with ghosts....

Me: When I die, I am so haunting you. 

OMP: I have no doubt that you will. 

Me: And then after you die, I am coming to this house and I'm haunting it because it's my house and I love it. Even if they tear it down, I will haunt the parking lot it becomes. 

OMP: Honey, just go toward the light.

Scrappy Dog Sunday

Whew! A nice long weekend! YES! I hope you have been relaxing, enjoying the last bit of summer. Over here at Casa de Pedersen we have been playing.

OMP loves to tease and play with Lola.

Side note: We know exactly when it's 6:00am and 6:00pm. Lola will get down, go by the door and want to play. She likes to work out before meals. We also know when it's 9:00pm, bed time. Pete will get down and head to the backdoor. I love having pups that can keep time for us. 

No More!

Dear Hollywood,

Usually you bring me endless hours of happiness and joy but there is one little peeve that has been sticking with me the last couple of years....the remake. There is no way possible you could have run out of ideas, so why do you continue to recycle old movies?  Why do you take good movies from the past and destroy them or even worse, take old show and make them into movies? No more! Please!

The latest reincarnation of Judge Dredd actually looks better than the one of my youth, but still...c'mon, have you been to a comic book store lately? There are million others to choose from. While we are on the subject of comic books, enough with making movies and shows from graphic novels! You will never ever do them justice, so just stop. I'm begging you. Just stop.

Because I want to help you out, the following movies are off limits:

• The Thin Man (I've heard this is being remade with Johnny Depp, I don't care how cute he is-hands off Nick and Nora!)
• A Christmas Story
• Big Lebowski (unless it's 2 hours of Sam Elliott, than okay...I'll let it slide)
• Plan 9 From Outerspace (you really can't mess with greatness)
• Roadhouse 

If I hear that you are remaking these, I will personally come to your house and guilt you even worse than your mother does! It will not be pretty!
 
In conclusion, please give us more silly monster movies, more movies with Sam Elliott and will it kill you to throw me a Willie Nelson movie-just make sure that the ideas are NEW and FRESH! Recycle your cans, not your movies.


Hugs and butterfly kisses,
Your biggest fan,
 Pam

Finally!

I can not believe that I finished this HUGE cross stitch piece! You guys! I am not kidding when I say she is GIANT! The cross stitch is over 2 feet (24 inches) in length.



Now that I am finished with her, I don't want to see it for a very long time. Do you do that with big projects? Once it's done, it can go away?


I don't think people really grasp how long this took me and how I wanted to call the news stations when I was finished.


Did I mention that she is giant size and that I love this poem, but mostly that she is giant size?

Salivating Saturday

I have been on a quest to take all of my home cooked meals and make them a little healthier for OMP. This is a process that has required a lot of trial and error..lots and lots of error. 

Recently, I decided to incorporate a Meatless Monday into our dinner rotation. You may think this is an easy thing to do, but finding a meal that is healthy with veggies, that both of us would like, can be a little trying. I refused to give up and found the perfect dish!  Portobello Mushroom Lasagna.

Portobello Mushroom Lasagna

This recipe is for two people.

4 Portobello mushrooms

1 can no salt diced tomatoes or diced fresh tomatoes from your garden (2 big tomatoes)

1/2 cup of low salt spaghetti sauce (again, if you want to mash up some fresh tomatoes, that would be fine)

1 teaspoon garlic 

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/2 cup shredded part skim mozzarella cheese 

1/2 cup low or no fat cottage cheese

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 425. Place mushrooms on baking sheet, cap side down and sprinkle with a little salt (about 1/8 of a teaspoon). Roast for 7 minutes each side. Reduce oven temperature to 350.

While the mushrooms are roasting, combine tomatoes and seasonings in a small bowl. If you like, you can add more garlic or other seasonings to taste. Basil would be so fab with this.

In another small bowl, combine mozzarella and cottage cheese. 

In a baking dish, spread your spaghetti sauce on the bottom, this will stop the mushrooms from sticking to the bottom. 

Cap side down, place the spoon full or more of your tomato mixture onto the mushroom. 

Now grab your cheese mixture and layer it on top of the tomato mixture (think of it as layering a lasagna). Use all of your cheese mixture but make sure you saved some tomato.

Take the other mushroom and place it on top and with the remaining tomato mix, pour over mushroom. 

Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and bake uncovered for 20 minutes. 

It may seem like a lot of work but it is so worth it! The cottage cheese cuts down on the salt and the calories  and if you can use your fresh tomatoes, you have just cut the salt even more! We paired this with a salad and it made the perfect dinner. 

Per serving, the calorie count is around 215 and 7 grams of fat and 21 grams of carbs.