Clover Lane

This was my view all weekend from my bed fighting off an infection from my final drain site and incision area.  Compare it to mastitis but of the leg.  My friend sent me a card that says “Damn boobs nothing but trouble” and it made me laugh so hard.  

My first failed reconstruction was the “easy” way (still not easy nothing about reconstruction is easy ever) where an expander was put in under my skin where my breast had been removed.  This expander slowly gets pumped up over a few weeks so the skin stretches and an implant can be inserted in its place.  My body rejected, with a painful infection, the expander mid way through the process and I had to have an emergency surgery to remove it.  This was about a month and a half after 5 months of chemo and it really was one of the lowest points of my life, for various reasons.

An easy family favorite.  

1 to 1 1/2 rolls of crushed Ritz crackers

3-4 boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into strips (about 1 and 1/2 pounds of chicken)

1 cup mayonnaise

1 tsp dried mustard

1 tsp garlic salt

2 TBS of olive oil

Household:

Shark Navigator Upright

$149.99 (save $30)

I love this vacuum!  Every part is able to be cleaned.  I've used the more fancy Lift Away style and I don't like it as much because if you suck something up that can get stuck it's very hard if not impossible to reach.  This one has full access everywhere.

My favorite mop!

Rubbermaid Reveal Spray Mop

$48.03 ($21.97)

A friend gave me this recipe, and I love it.  It is a simple classic pumpkin bread with a crunchy crumb topping. Feel free to use a little less sugar, it will still be great.

I make six mini-loaves out of this recipes.  Yes, the first time I made it, I had to run out and get mini-loaf pans, wondered if I'd use them again, but I have regularly and love them.  Perfect for sharing.

I think you could split this recipe between two normal loaf pans but bake longer, making sure the middle is baked through.

1 15oz. can pumpkin puree
4 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
2/3 cup water
3 cups white sugar
3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp ground ginger

For topping:
Mix together with fork:
4 TBS softened butter
3/4 cup white flour
3/4 cup white sugar.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix all ingredients together.
Spray six mini-loaf pans with cooking spray.
Evenly divide mix (pans will be about 2/3 full).
Sprinkle topping on each loaf.
Bake for 50 minutes.

I am attempting to get into a rather regular schedule with every facet of my life and sometimes I feel like I am failing miserably. Cleaning, exercising, planning, cooking, painting, walking, friends, kids stuff, appointments-you would think it would be easier with no little guys at home, but it seems like sometimes I am a kite in the wind with no weight at the end of the it.  Maybe it's the constant changes this year, but I am getting there-I WILL get there where I can accomplish what I want to and need to with a calm consistency.  I used to fall right into some sort of schedule when school began-not so this year.  But 2020-in more ways than Covid-has been "a year".