dfish

Something for the garden club from our garden.

@cruising sister Your grandchildren are adorable. @marshhawk Your work would drive me crazy. I'm glad you enjoy it. @Nickelpenny It sounds like recovery is coming along just fine. @StLouisCruisers Sandi, I vote with the majority - take the medicine. @Cruising-along Have fun with the grands. I hope you get through the day ok. Here is a picture of San Diego that I took last January as we sailed off to Hawaii. We really need to work in another Hawaii cruise. Or maybe just a trip to Hawaii.

Good morning, everyone! It is a windy day here in mid-Michigan. It sounds like it is raining hard, but it is the wind in the trees. It is supposed to be a nice day today with temps in the mid 70s. Last night we drove up to Tustin to watch River's soccer game. It is kind of a long drive for an hour of watching 7 year olds run back and forth, but the excited look and big hug from Miss River made it all worthwhile. My "friend" from the gym/pool is apparently making friends all over. I'm going to seem like his best friend shortly. He kicked out a 7 year old for running. The 7 year old is autistic and his grandmother tried to explain that and said she would work with him on the running, but he was over excited. This guy said autism was no excuse for not following the rules. I guess the kid ran into the pool area, just like most kids do. I would think a warning would have been sufficient since no one was hurt. Expelling the kid seems kind of drastic. Meanwhile, I talked to my yoga instructor to get ideas of other places to go and when I told her what was going on at the Community Center, she said to please, please escalate this up the ladder. She knows this guy and feels that he needs more direction from the top. Today's wine sounds good. I like the La Crema Chardonnay. I haven't tried any other their other wines, but the Chardonnay is a quality product. We were just in San Diego for our Hawaii cruise, but mostly just saw the shops at Seaport Village. We liked Crazy Shirts and made a point of going back there when the cruise was over. Today's drink sounds very refreshing. I probably wouldn't order it due to the orange juice and the sugars. Keeping @ger_77 Gerry and Maurice close in my thoughts as Maurice undergoes his valve replacement surgery. Also hoping for a good update on @JazzyV Vanessa's BFF post surgery. @kazu How awful that Ivan was attacked! I would have reported that as well. I hope he's better today and not as sensitive to touch. Today's meal is a pretty versatile one. If you don't like spinach, you can substitute a vegetable that you do like. I would leave out the pasta and use riced cauliflower or just chopped cauliflower as a filler. But, do keep the garlic and lemon! Chicken Spinach Skillet This next recipe includes some fire roasted tomatoes and I think that would be a great addition to the dish. More Chicken and Spinach This one is the non diet version. It has heavy cream in it and also uses a bit of dijon mustard. That would give it a nice touch. Non Diet Chicken and Spinach Wishing you all a wonderful day!

Good morning, everyone! We had some thunder bumpers roll through last night, but nothing serious here. Everything is still wet and damp outside, but the sun is out. We have another in the mid 80s on tap for mid-Michigan today. Sue and I are going up to Reed City for River's final soccer game this season. Today's meal is a good one. We had salmon the other day when the MOD was salmon bowls. We just didn't have it in a bowl. I put it on a metal sheet with holes in it. I cover the sheet with aluminum foil and poke holes so the steam and smoke can come through. I just use a bit of cooking spray on the sheet and put it on the grill and it is so good. It stays moist, but is crispy on the outside. Mmmm. Today's recipe reminds me of that. And, it is super easy to do. Baked Salmon in Foil That looks scrumptious to me! All I need are some grilled veggies to go with it! This next recipe is a honey garlic salmon and it sounds just as good as the first one. Honey Garlic Salmon in Foil This one by Giada De Laurentiis is totally different. It is made with chopped tomatoes and shallots. https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/salmon-baked-in-foil-recipe-1914818 Thinking of those who have medical appointments and procedures today and hoping all goes well, especially @kazu Jacqui and @JazzyV Vanessa's BFF. Wishing you all a wonderful day!

Well, I did reverify and it went through, so maybe I did have to do it. The last time my PCC told me I had to reverify they wouldn't let me do it because I was still verified. Now, this reverify that you are a retired teacher doesn't make sense to me. There is no way to quit being a retired teacher. At least none that I know about. It would make sense to need to reverify my AARP membership. If I had one. Anyways, I am verified and have the OBC for both segments of the cruise.

Good evening, everyone! I just paid off the two Zuiderdam cruises for August. It feels good! I knew it was too long to go until January for another cruise. The only problem we are having is that they didn't apply my educator OBC. They said I have to reverify, but the verify people say I don't. Typical stuff. Our friend the turkey just strolled through the yard. I thought they had left for greener yards. @Heartgrove I am glad there was no lasting damage from Sam's tumble down the stairs. He sounds like such a sweetie. @kazu I hope you get answers tomorrow and that there is an easy and quick solution. This has gone on way too long. @Quartzsite Cruiser and @57redbird You are making me cringe with your dental experiences. More power to you! @NextOne Never stop booking those cruises! Good for you!

Good morning, everyone! It is going to be another beautiful day here in mid-Michigan with sunshiny skies and temps in the mid 80s. I left windows open to cool down the house last night, so hopefully it won't get too hot in here. It is way too early in the season for AC. No gym today as we are going to a funeral for the DM of a neighbor. It is always hard to lose a mom. We had met the mom and visited with her a few times when we went to see our friend, Ellamary, as they were both at the same assisted living facility. @0106 Tina described Spring Salad perfectly. Just use what is freshest for the time. Right now asparagus reigns supreme at the Farmers Market. But, use whatever fresh produce you can find and/or like. This first one also uses some roasted chickpeas and pistachios. Those are great for adding in some protein. Spring Salad I think the herb vinaigrette that comes with the above salad sounds great as well. The mint in this next recipe is interesting. The goat cheese is great for protein, but can be subbed out for a cheese of your liking. More Spring Salad This last spring salad adds in strawberries and mandarin oranges with a raspberry vinaigrette. That sounds pretty good, too! Spring Salad with Fruit I hope this inspires you to create your version of spring salad. And, why not share? Wishing you all a wonderful day!

@Sharon in AZ Great picture of the family, Sharon! Your mom has a lot of spunk. I like that! Pizza looks good, too!

Thank you, everyone, for the kind comments about our new patio furniture. We are thrilled! @JazzyV I think you are correct in wanting to stay with BFF the night after surgery. That is the usual recommendation anyways. I had to fudge a bit when I had the parathyroid gland surgery as Sue wasn't here full time yet. That was a very easy surgery and they did recommend that someone be here overnight. @1ANGELCAT Poor Shirl. None of us want to recognize that we could reach that point, but it does happen. My BIL's mother was that way. And she was very distrustful of BIL. @Nickelpenny What a low thing to do - steal someone's laundry supplies. Sometimes it is surprising who the person is that does that. I think the lock and light will help. Glad to hear that your recovery is moving along well. You want to be well for November 2025! @Cruzin Terri I hope you are feeling better soon. Don't rush things,but do get well. @RMLincoln I think it would be fun if you came on the Zuiderdam Boston-Quebec-Boston cruise. However, Ireland is fantastic. I didn't find the driving that difficult, but it has been several years. My mom's side of the family came from the Abbeyfeale area where counties Limerick, Cork, and Kerry meet. My pool time was a fact finding mission. I determined that the water is truly way too shallow to even try the water fitness classes. If I kneel on the pool floor it would be the right depth, but who jogs on their knees? I walked the lazy river, but with the shallow water there I did start to develop pain in my lower back and my neck after a while. This lazy river is about 6 inches shallower than the one I used in Ohio.

Good morning, everyone! It is going to be a warm sunshiny day here in mid-Michigan. The high is expected to be 83F. For the first time this season I left the windows open last night. It helped cool the house down as it was getting stuffy in here. It is way too early to turn the air on. I have decided that I am going to the pool today. My "friend" isn't there on weekends, so that is my free time. And then I am going to enjoy the day as there is no more furniture to assemble! Salmon Rice Bowls – A layered bowl made up of tender jasmine rice, glazed teriyaki style salmon bites, asian cabbage slaw, fresh creamy avocado and crisp cucumber. Then for a final finishing touch everything is drizzled with a spicy sriracha mayo. It’s a flavor explosion all in one bowl! I would leave out the rice and perhaps substitute riced cauliflower to bring the carb count down to a reasonable level for me. In this first recipe one serving has 63g of carbohydrates, about double my allowance. https://www.cookingclassy.com/salmon-rice-bowl/ This next recipe has a lower carb count, probably because of the use of brown rice. I'd still swap it out for the riced cauliflower. https://www.eatingwell.com/recipe/7960938/salmon-rice-bowl/ This last one has some great ideas on swaps you can make. Don't like salmon? Use chicken! Seasoning is a bit different as well. https://www.skinnytaste.com/salmon-rice-bowls/ Wishing you all a wonderful day!

A relaxing evening. To be able to do this was worth breaking every nail on both hands.

Ray, the storage box is for the cushions when it rains. During the winter we'll move it all back by the house and cover it with a tarp.

Oh, my! I am beat! But, the patio furniture is all put together and so is the fire table. The only thing lacking is a propane tank. That's for tomorrow. So, here are the pictures. First is the deck we stained. It was red. This is right off the dining room. Next is the patio paver which is in back of the dining room and off the deck above. This is where the new furniture went. The box still doesn't have a bottom, but it is fine for now. We'll deal with it when we feel like it. Which may be never. Anyways, we didn't have furniture for this patio. The fire table is to replace the ring below. I'm sure you can understand why. Sue will plant something there.

One chair is together and one to go! We will get this! I did go to the gym today. The jerk I dealt with wasn't there today and the staff in the weight room area are really nice and helpful. The place I was looking at has a joining fee and I'm not willing to pay that. @Haljo1935 Definitely call. We got our booking through a private sale and our PCC was able to get us a lower price than I was coming up with online with the HIA included. There is plenty of room and it would be fun to make this another Dailyite cruise. @Sharon in AZ I hope you do book it!

We snagged a Deck 1, category J inside. I think we'll be quite comfortable. We managed 32 days in an inside cabin on the Zaandam last summer.

Hi Jacqui! Please and Sue and me for the following: August 24 Zuiderdam 7 Day Canada/New England b2b with August 31 Zuiderdam 7 Day Canada/New England This is one of our favorite itineraries.

Good morning, everyone! @Crazy For Cats I'm glad you think it is good news that we are joining you on the Zuiderdam! That was my very first HAL ship so I am looking forward to being back on her! @Norseh2o @cat shepard Mexican street corn salad is great! Of course, I like the Mexican street corn on the cob as well. Well, we have another day of fighting with the patio furniture. We are first going to tackle the fire table. I so want to get rid of the ugly fire pit in the back yard and this will allow me to do that. I've talked Sue into planting a tree in that spot. The problem we are having is that when we go to attach the second arm to the chairs the holes don't line up. Somehow we got it to work on the couch. Eventually we will get it to work out. I may invite a neighbor to help us. Asparagus is known for making pee smell funny, but it has many health benefits. This cruciferous vegetable is good for you and can help with weight loss, prevent urinary tract infections (UTIs), promote reproductive health, and be a mood booster. Asparagus packs nutrients—including vitamins A, C, E, K, and B6, folate, iron, potassium, copper, calcium, and protein—and is a rich source of antioxidants. So, if you don't like tarragon, use one of @0106 Tina's suggestions and eat up! The first recipe cooks the asparagus and then chills it to serve with the tarragon sauce. Asparagus with tarragon vinaigrette 1 In this next recipe Nancy Fuller from the Food Network has us roast the asparagus and then serve it on a bed of greens with a creamy tarragon vinaigrette. This one can be warm or cold. Nancy Fuller's Asparagus This last recipe can be served warm or cold. It does call for putting the asparagus in ice water to stop the cooking so it doesn't get over cooked. Asparagus With Tarragon Sherry Vinaigrette Here's hoping we conquer the patio furniture today! Wishing you all a wonderful day!

Zuiderdam August 24-31 and August 31-September 7. Join us!

OMG! I would be under a mattress with a bottle of wine. We did not get the patio furniture all put together today. We got the couch and ottomans done, but we are having trouble with the last screw for the arms of the chairs. We need to get some brawn in here to do it. I may import a neighbor tomorrow. We are going to work on the fire table tomorrow. In between fighting with the patio furniture we booked a cruise for late August. I can't believe we did that, but we're thrilled. We got a large inside cabin on a private fare for two weeks. Boston to Quebec to Boston.

Good afternoon, I am taking a break from furniture construction. We have the couch and two ottomans put together. If I ever buy something like this again, I will pay for assembly. Oh, my! I have no fingernails left. @Quartzsite Cruiser Lenda, we do have instructions for the furniture, but it is the kind you mentioned. All drawings and no written instructions. But, that is better than nothing! You can have half a slice, but I won't be making it until August. I found the instructions after we put it together incorrectly. The problem now is getting it back apart. We tried the suggestions given, but it hasn't worked. Wow! I'm glad you enjoyed the blueberry lemon loaf. It did sound great. I hope DH's cold is short lived. Vitamin C. Grandma, a public health nurse, used to drown us in orange juice with sugar. I just wish we'd figured it all out correctly. My storage box has no bottom. Make sure you eat something with the zinc. On an empty stomach it can make you pretty sick. Right now my goal is to have it all together before the end of the summer.

Good morning, everyone! It is currently overcast and in the 60's but it is supposed to clear out and temps will rise to the 70's today. It will be a warm weekend with temps in the 80s. We finished staining the deck yesterday and started putting together the storage box. We had some difficulty since there were no directions included. We tried attaching sides to the bottom of the box, but that wouldn't work. We were able to attach the sides to each other and then discovered how to attach the bottom, but we have to take the sides apart to do that and we can't get them apart. I'll try again today and we'll hopefully get the furniture all assembled. I would like the pinot grigio. I liked the Alsatian version Pinot Gris when my sister lived in Strasbourg. It is difficult to find the Alsatian white wines over here. Our favorite winery was the Wolfberger winery in Eguisheim. Walnuts are great and congrats to all the grads. I hope we hear some good news from @Nickelpenny, @kazu, and @marshhawk today. The blueberry almond tart sure looks good! I'll pass due to carbs and sugars, but I hope the rest of you can enjoy it! Here's the first recipe: Blueberry Almond Tart 1 This next one looks like you can pick it up and eat it like pizza. Blueberry Almond Tart 2 This last recipe uses a blueberry curd as the filling and tops it with fresh blueberries and almond slivers. It promises a fair amount of pucker! Blueberry Almond Tart 3 Wishing you all a wonderful day!

Good morning, everyone! I am so sore from staining the deck yesterday. I still have half of it to go. Then I have to put the new patio furniture together. Tons of fun to be had today! @aliaschief I hope all with medical issues are making progress in healing, especially @Nickelpenny, @kazu, @RMLincoln, @marshhawk and anyone else I left out. Continues hugs to caregivers, especially @smitty34877, @marshhawk, and @JazzyV. Mizuna is an Asian green that is easy to grow and would make a flavorful addition to your salads. This green has antioxidant qualities, as it is a cruciferous vegetable in the brassica family. Mizuna is an excellent source of Vitamins A, C, and K-1, fiber, as well as numerous minerals. It is very versatile in the kitchen. Mizuna has a mild mustardy peppery flavor. Eat it raw in salads, especially the tender young leaves. Sauté mizuna stems and leaves with onions or garlic as a side dish. It is wonderful in stir fries and is a nutrient-rich addition to soups and stews. Substitute mizuna for basil or spinach in your favorite pesto recipe. More about Mizuna The salad is quite simple with just the greens, peanuts, dressing, and edible flowers for garnish. MIzuna Salad with Peanuts This next one doesn't call for peanuts, but you can certainly add them in. The dressing is a bit different as well. It is very simple with just oil and lemon juice. Mizuna Salad 2 Wishing you all a wonderful day!

Good afternoon, @kazu Jacqui, thanks for checking in and letting us know what is going on. I hope you get some relief soon. This has gone on way too long. @Nickelpenny Pennie, I hope you can tolerate the head raising. Most of us don't like taking pills, but there are times when you just have to do so. Don't get behind the pain again, please! I stopped at the front desk at the gym today for some clarification on the pool use. I first asked about using the lazy river. Since that is just walking I can tolerate it for longer periods at the shorter depth. I was told that I could use it when there were no activities in the middle of the pool as it would be too distracting to the classes being held. I couldn't help myself and asked if lap swimming was also curtailed during that time to minimize disruption, but no, it is not. Only my use of the lazy river would be a distraction. I noticed today that two of the lap lanes were empty the entire time I was there, so I asked if I could use a lap lane at the greater depth to do my routine in safety and was told no. The lap lanes are only for lap swimming and if I am not going to swim, they will remain unused. This was the same jerk who told me to find something else to do yesterday. He also chastised me for interrupting him. I said, Oh, like you did to me yesterday? Yes, I can understand that you wouldn't like it. Now, I am allowed to use the deeper water from 5 pm to 7 pm on Mondays and Wednesdays and 6:15 - 7 pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I am wondering why lap swimming gets so much preference. Time to find a new gym. Since they won't let me use the pool at a convenient time, I may as well go to another gym and take my business away.