FRIGID FAVES

 

Wow...A frigid week for sure here in eastern New York State. But it's Winter and I'm thankful we have normal winter temperatures and some snow because if it's gonna be Winter, it should feel like it! 

I'm thankful for a warm house, warm clothing and a warm car that still works.  Along with those items, I'm thankful for other blessings God brought to my week.  I'm sharing FIVE of the ones that top the list and linking up at Susanne's site who hosts this weekly gratitude space. 

image courtesy of Am*zon

• MOVIE NIGHT:  Dave and I decided to stay in most of the weekend. We ordered a veggie pizza last Friday  evening and followed it up with this movie we somehow missed when it first came out. What a good movie by one of our fave actresses. It's probably one of the best ones she's ever made. At least in my opinion. Action packed; a bit of a mystery.  My computer nerd hubby did explain to me that what happened isn't super far-fetched yet not likely now, in the 21st century, with all the safeguards in place. I'm thankful we enjoy some movies together on a cold winter's night. 

image  courtesy of The B*dy Shop website

•  BODY BUTTER! I discovered this body butter and matching shower gel and body spray about 15 years ago when the shop was in our local mall. Sadly, they only exist in Europe now. And if you try to order through their website, a box pops up that  they don't deliver to the States. When I learned last year that they were leaving the states, I took advantage of their BOG2 offer.  So I ended up with three Satsuma (my fave scent) body butters and a shower gel. Then our oldest daughter's friend Nathaniel went to Scotland to visit his sister this past autumn and bought me a shower gel and body spray.  And unknown to me, my youngest daughter bought me yet another (smaller) body butter. This lotion is the BEST for dry skin. It's not greasy of course and is super thick so lasts all day on your skin. It's so nourishing for dry skin. And the orange scent is amazing. I'm thankful I am well stocked with this.  It's the best lotion I've ever used and I try many. It also comes in other scents: Shea, Almond Milk, Mango, British Rose, Strawberry, Pink Grapefruit, Olive, Wild Jasmine, Hemp, Cherry Blossom,  Bergamot, Goldenberry, Coconut. Highly recommend if you're ever in Europe!

monday morning about 6:30 AM

Monday morning snow

• SNOW!  We finally got some snow Sunday evening through Monday morning. We didn't get a lot of accumulation like in western NYS.  Dave measured 4 inches on the deck. In fact, on the side of the house there was still grass along the edge of the house. But it was pretty, we need the moisture and it's Winter. I was so happy it was light and fluffy and Dave didn't need the snow blower to clear the driveway.  I'm thankful for the snow and a cozy day inside. 

• ANNUAL PHYSICAL DONE:  I'm thankful I had a good physical and report with my primary doc. She's amazing. She's a nurse practitioner with her own practice and is totally into keeping you off prescription meds. We talked for a half hour after my exam. She was most pleased with my blood work results and said not to worry about the borderline high of glucose since sweets/processed foods going back 3-4 months before the fast can affect your score! She wants me to repeat the A1C test next Spring (2026) well after the holidays to see if it comes down. I really like that she tries to keep patients off prescription meds. 

homemade creamy chicken soup

• HOMEMADE SOUP!  This past week, I made a big pot of homemade creamy chicken soup with fresh potatoes, carrots, peas, garlic and onions. It's So very good. I make it with a quarter cup of low sodium veggie broth and 2 cans of low-fat cream of chicken soup. I add in herbs de provence.  The chicken was a cut up cooked boneless, skinless chicken breast that had basil, oregano and a dash of olive oil on it.  I'm thankful for easy, warm meals that can simmer in the slow cooker all day. 

That wraps up my favorite blessings from the past week.

I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Winter HodgePodge

I liked the questions this week (minus #4.).  

It's fun to take a break from my chores and participate in this meme. 

Head over to this blog to learn more and link up.

1. What's a winter memory you treasure (can be from any winter in your lifetime)? 

One from my childhood is December 1973.  I was in 8th grade and had just turned 14. I had my first "boyfriend". Keep in mind this meant for this Christian gal that we held hands after school and did our homework together and sometimes kissed in the McDonald's parking lot. 😀 But seriously, we both lived in Herkimer (central part of NYS) and we always had LOTS of snow. It was Christmas break and we tobogganed on the hill at our junior high school which was half-way between our 2 houses. It was magical. 

As a parent, one of my most memorable winter memories was the year the 4 of us did First Night in Boston.  I think it was 2015. Truly magical.  

2. Tell us about the last time or a recent time you were caught up in red tape. Does it send your frustration level off the charts or is it something you've come to expect when dealing with any sort of bureaucracy?

It would have been about 2021. I received a bill from the lab where I used to get my annual blood work done. First, they had me as my husband's child. THEN they  claimed it was the health ins company's fault. nope. Then on  the third phone call to them, they had my ID number wrong. Then the 4th call they claimed I was born on 12/21. Um, nope that would be my daughter. Meanwhile, they had submitted the claim to my health ins company THREE times and all three times it was rejected because of their mistakes.  On the 5th call, I demanded to speak to the receptionist's boss or manager. I then said if you don't correct these mistakes with me right now on the phone and then repeat back to me what you have entered into your system, I will be contacting my attorney and taking you to court plus I will contact the Better Business Bureau and the Attorney General of NYS.  (this lab headquarters is in NJ).  Well, guess who finally entered the info  correctly??! There was no way I was going to pay the $867 they were billing my health insurance  company when annual blood work under our plan is FREE for us. We don't even need to pay a co-pay.  And guess what family now uses a different lab? 

3. Do you eat/like fish? Do you cook fish at home? What's your favorite fish dish? Ever been ice fishing? 

Yes to some, no to others. I love fresh bluefish caught right from the Atlantic and yes my husband, father in law and both daughters have caught them off the Cape Cod coast. We like it grilled. I eat salmon once a week to get my HDL up and my LDL down (it works!).  I rarely eat tuna and lobster and I don't care for clams, oysters, etc. etc.  I will eat grilled haddock or tilapia although now that I'm mostly plant-based and there's been issues with those types of fish, I don't eat them much...in fact it's been about 5 years since I've had a piece of tilapia. We like salmon the most and I either bake it or grill it. My absolute fave fish dish was lobster bisque I had in Mystic CT when I was pregnant with baby 1. April 1993. It was SO good. My fave home cooked fish dish is Grilled Salmon with my lemon pepper marinade. 

No, I don't do ice fishing. Way too damn cold.

4. Did you watch any of the US President's Inauguration coverage on Monday, Jan 20? On a scale of 1-10 (with 1 being not at all and 10 being very very) how interested are you in politics in general? Do you follow/keep up with/ get involved with local politics?

 

I refused to watch the inauguration this year.

I'm not super interested currently because it's such a "joke" ....are we really a nation who just hired/voted in a convicted felon???.  I have no respect for the person. I do respect the office/position but not him. No I didn't vote for him either time. Do i trust him? absolutely not. Will I limit my news viewing even more? you betcha. 

I don't really keep up with local politics other than what comes across my phone as I have a local news app. I mean we live in the Capital of NY so of course we are somewhat interested in local politics. My husband more than me. 

5. What's the coziest thing you own and what makes it so? 

I own a lot of cozy items (mainly thick chunky  cropped sweaters, thick long tunic sweaters, thick, fuzzy socks, and fleece blankets) but my fave is my cosy slipper socks my youngest girl gave me for Xmas 2 yrs ago. I wear them barefoot around the house on cold days and they are SO warm. I've even been known to  wear them in the summer months when the morning is chilly or the central air is on. 

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

HOMEMADE CREAMY CHICKEN SOUP
is PERFECT FOR LUNCH ON A 12 F degree day!

HAPPY WEDNESDAY!

I'm off to meet a fellow "HomeBound" volunteer so we can visit one of our clients.  HomeBound is the Christian organization I volunteer with.  We visit people in nursing homes, memory care facilities, hospices and hospitals, private homes, assisted living facilities.

2025 Book Review #4:The Preacher

 

This author was recommended by my oldest daughter and features a detective and his pregnant wife of whom I read about in the first book, The Ice Princess,  featuring Patrik Hedstrom,  which I thoroughly enjoyed. 

This is the second Patrik Hedstrom, detective, novel. 

STORY SUMMARY

Fjallbacka, Sweden is a tiny fishing village that is also a summer destination for many Swedes, and other Europeans.  Life in Fjallbacka tends to be quiet, remote and peaceful. 

However, tragedy also permeates in this village.  Twenty years ago, in 1979, two young campers went missing.  They were presumed dead and their bodies were never found. Foul play was suspected yet never proven. 

But now, a little boy is playing near a structure known as The King's Cleft (think cave), and he discovers the body of a current missing young woman named Tanja. She, too, was a camper and was a German tourist. And...once the police arrive, they discover not just Tanja's body, but the bones of two other bodies.  Tanja's body was placed on top of them. This brings the entire village into shock. 

Local detective Patrik Hedstrom who is married to Erica and about to become a father for the first time, can't imagine what life must be like to lose a child. 

Upon examination of the bones and DNA, the police force  discover that the bones do indeed belong to the women missing from 1979. 

Once they begin the investigation into all 3 of these cases, another young girl goes missing. And Hedstrom and his colleagues begin to look closely at the Hult family. The Hults consist of two feuding families: Solveig who was married to Johannes the son of Ephraim aka "The Preacher" and her two sons Robert and Stefan; and Gabriel, Johannes' brother who is married to Laine and has 2 children: Jacob (married to Marita with 2 little ones) and Linda (who is sneaking around with her  cousin Stefan). Johanne's had always been the one the town assumed killed the 2  girls in 1979 and then hung himself. 

But is that really what happened?  How does the religious fervor of Jacob come into play with this family and these disappearances? What legacy did The Preacher really leave behind??? 

MY THOUGHTS

Yikes. This is quite the story.

It moves quickly at the beginning, slows down in the middle and moves very fast towards the end. The plot is full of twists and mysteries. 

There's a lot of family drama and police force drama and both make for an excellent story. 

The one I don't like that this author does is the use of the F word although it's not as prevalent as in some contemporary books. But because of this, my rating automatically slips down.  Add to that some odd editing mistakes...or just maybe it was the author? But the editor should have caught it:  one character went to the USA in the mid-thirties, got pregnant after 2 years there, and birthed a son named Kennedy (a minor character but an important one in spots). However, Kennedy is described as being a young adult in 2003.  He was named for John F Kennedy who was active in politics in the '50s and '60s.  I think the author meant to say the mother went to the States in the mid-sixties. (see page 266)  Also, 2003(when the story takes place)  is more than 20 years after 1979. And in the first part of the book, Johannes is called Stefannes, brother of Gabriel. Um...why do editors do such a sloppy job nowadays?? (see page 30). 

But despite all of that, this is a good mystery.  I loved the character development as well as the setting. A bit creepy regarding the "religion" that is described...more like a cult...and then to find out what really was going on with Ephraim and his sons....well..I don't want to spoil it for you.

Main themes in this book could be triggering for some readers:  kidnapping, torture/physical abuse, incest (although because this is set in Sweden and that country allows marriage between cousins, this may not be considered incest in that  culture). Other themes are poverty; wealth; extortion; adultery; death; religious cult-like activity; "divine" healings; betrayal; justice. 

In my opinion, this book is appropriate for ages 17 and older (due to mature content).

On a scale of 1-10, with 10 being the highest, I rate this a 7. 

Vegetarian Chili Mac

 

Yesterday was a lazy Saturday for us once the afternoon arrived. Morning time saw hubby and I  out dashing around town doing errands. Then it was home to restock the bird and suet feeders, get some lunch, and do some chores. Finally, we had a lazy afternoon of reading, movies, games. Dinner was needing to be comfort food. We were tired and  wanted healthy but quick. I pulled out my Vegetarian Chili Mac recipe I hadn't used in probably 10 years and made this delish dish. We have enough for leftovers tonight. This is a "meatless" meal although last night, I had vegan "steak" tips to use up so we tossed those into the pan. SO good. 

VEGETARIAN CHILI MAC

1 c. uncooked pasta, any shape

(we like the curly or elbow)

1 small green pepper, seeded and chopped

1 small sweet onion, chopped

1 can (15 oz) vegetarian chili beans

(I use the Bushes brand)

1/2 c. frozen corn

(I steam mine for 3 minutes in the microwave)

1 c. shredded cheddar cheese

(you can also use monterey jack) 

• Cook pasta according to package directions.
• Meanwhile, in a large skillet, saute the peppers and onions over medium heat. If you're adding in vegan "beef" cook for about 6 minutes stirring often. 
• Add in the corn and heat through. 
• Drain the pasta and place in a large serving bowl that is oven-safe. 
• Mix in the pepper/onion/corn mix and sprinkle with minced garlic and/or hot pepper flakes. (you can also use  chili powder for extra "heat" ). I just use garlic. 
• Top with shredded cheese and mix gently.
• Heat in 325 oven for about 10 minutes.

I serve this with a freshly sliced orange or a fruit  cup of Pineapple, blackberries, raspberries, blueberries and purple grapes. 

TIPS:  for extra veggies, add in red, yellow, orange pepper with the green pepper. (I had none in the house so just used the green pepper and corn).  I've also made this with shredded carrot (about a half cup) and chopped broccoli. It's so good!

ENJOY!

ps as with all recipes under the "faithfixes" label, you do have permission to copy/download/print out. 

Mid-January "C" Faves

 

It's been  a busy and another bitterly cold week. But there are always blessings when we pause to look. 

I'm linking up at Susanne's blog with other bloggers who take time to share their five fave blessings from the week. 

FIVE BLESSINGS

image courtesy of free r*nge

• CHOIR REHEARSAL: I'm so very thankful our Worship Arts Director at church decided to start a choir for times other than Christmas Eve. Dave, Courtney (our oldest daughter) and I auditioned and made it. Our first rehearsal for Easter was this past Sunday afternoon. It felt so good to have us all back together again (we last were together as a group for Christmas Eve 2023). We are becoming a tight knit group, sharing prayer requests, harmonizing and learning together. I'm very thankful for this opportunity. 

SoulSteps Walking group logo

• CONNECT WEEKEND: This past Sunday was our "Spring Semester" sign ups for small groups, classes, and ministries connected with our church. I have a book study beginning in February that runs until the end of April and it's full!!  I had 7 ladies sign up which makes a total of 8 to meet in my home. I'm so thankful! AND my SoulSteps walking group has 21 members (we begin in March and meet on the first Fri/Sat of each month through June). AND my SoulSteps Hiking Group had 10 new sign ups bringing my group to 48 adults. I accept men and women over the age of 21 although some of our members do participate with their children on our "family friendly" hikes. We go from Mid-March through mid-December for seasonal hikes (Spring/Summer/Autumn). This is my 2nd year to have this group.   I met and talked with some really interesting people and I only knew a couple of them.  I'm so thankful for all the connections being made at church.  

image courtesy of Al*my

• CHOLESTEROL DOWN! I had my annual blood work done early Tuesday morning and had the results back early Wednesday morning. I'm so thankful I went down for my overall cholesterol!! I was at 195 in 2023, neglected to have a physical in 2024 so am having it early in 2025 and voila!  It certainly paid off to decrease putting animal fats into my body.  My "good" cholesterol went down a little bit which saddened me but it was still 20 points higher than the normal level cutoff. And my LDL went down by 10 points although it's still 13 points higher than where doc wants me (100 or less). I'm working hard to avoid being put on statins which has its own issues.  There's something to be said for this supplement I take to keep my body in as natural a state as possible. Now if I could just give up eggs and cheese......I'm so thankful this is down and all other work was normal (although my glucose was borderline...due to Xmas sweets...? ) I literally shouted out loud "Thank you God!!" when I saw my email report. 

mug is created by a local pottery artist
and a gift from my oldest daughter for Xmas

• COZY COMFORTS: it's been cold here. Not cold as in single digits but down into the low teens at night and only a high of about 26 most of the week.  I only went outside to walk 2 days and it was bitter!  I didn't last longer than a half mile so the rest of the week I did my stretching and walking to  "indoor walking and low impact cardio"  you tube videos.  I'm thankful for those and I'm also thankful for other cozy comforts: flannel shirts, thick sweaters, fleecy leggings, wool socks, fleece blankets, and hot tea or coffee. I enjoyed all of these this week and am very thankful for them, along with my heated home. I never want to take it for granted. 

roasted kale

• CRISPY KALE "CHIPS":  Last weekend, Dave and I were craving fries. But I decided we were to cut out fries, fast food type meals, baked goods, processed snack foods for the month of January. So I had bought a large bag of organic baby kale to add to a salad dish I was making and decided to use some of it for kale "chips".  It's so much healthier than eating chips or fries.  Kale is full of antioxidants and also, when you roast it, the flavor is amazing.  I added the kale to a bowl after patting it dry and drizzled on about a half tablespoon of virgin olive oil.  Bake in the oven at 375 for about 18 minutes and voila!  Crispy Kale!  I added a quick shake of garlic powder over all.  It was SO good. I'm thankful for the benefits of  healthy food. 

We might venture out to a Winter Fest in a local state park this weekend but then again we might just curl up with a good movie and our fleece blankets and cocoon. 

Whatever  you do, I hope you stay healthy and warm!

Mid-January HodgePodge

  

That's two weeks in a row I've liked the Hodgepodge questions!  Linking up with this blog to participate. 

1.It's been said January is 'the month of opportunity, inspiration, and change." Which of the three do you need most right now? Elaborate. 

Inspiration.  I need some inspiration to write more this winter on my "word of the year". Succeeded with one devotional post. Was hoping to do one a week. That hasn't happened as I'm not focusing well due to so many volunteer commitments. So maybe Change: stop volunteering for everything hahha

2. Do you consider opportunity as something that comes to you or something you create for yourself? 

I honestly think it can..and should be...both. Opportunities like my free fellowship to get a masters degree came my way but I did have to create an outstanding interview and video to earn it. Other opportunities have come my way as well but recently I created one: I started a Hiking group for anyone over age 21 at my church and it has blossomed from 8 people to 46!!!  with 4 pending! I created the group but God definitely did the rest. 

3. The British Museum opened on this date (January 15th) back in 1759. Do you like visiting museums? Do you have a favorite? 

We love museums.  We started the girls out when they were just 8 years old. We wanted to expose them to good art, history, science, etc. One of our faves was when our youngest was 8 and our oldest was 12. We spent the entire day at the Carnegie Mellon Science Center in Pittsburgh. We were in the city to visit my aunt and we spent a week doing PA things for the girls' Spring Break 2006.  Another fave of my family is The Louvre. One day there was NOT enough but we were only in Paris for a week during Spring Break 2010 and the next day we wanted to get to the Musee d'Orsay (my fave). Both girls have been to The Met in NYC as have I.  I've been to the Guggenheim...not a fave of that genre but definitely loved the architecture of the building. We've also been to several maritime museums (Dave's fave) and History museums.  A local fave is this place that both of my daughters and I just love and go every winter or spring. I say "local" because it only takes 35 min to get there from our home here in NY to that part of MA.   My personal fave??   Probably this place.   in one of my fave areas of the north-central Adirondacks. We took the girls in 2013.  And of course we love our famous ADK one and Dave and I go often. 

4. It's National Oatmeal Month (yes, apparently it gets a whole month as opposed to a single day)...do you like oatmeal? How often do you eat a bowl of oatmeal? How do you like yours? What about an oatmeal cookie? Is that a sweet treat you enjoy? 

I love the benefits of steel cut oats and buy this brand.  I eat it 4-5 times a week for breakfast. I put cinnamon, blueberries, pomegranate, walnuts, and sometimes raspberries on top. SO good. I bake with oats as well and typically make these cookies. 

5. What's something useful you learned in high school?

French and typing. I had 100% in the class as an extra course when I was a senior (I honestly only took it for fun) and because of studying piano since I was 6, I was super fast. Who knew we would all be typing away at a laptop one day 2 decades later? 

 

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Stay Warm!!