Over the past couple weeks, I have been stressed to say the least.

Being unemployed means watching every penny very very carefully, and moving house makes it all that much more important.

I sold my wedding rings to go and see Hull City move into the Premier League, and it was worth every penny. The entire trip was amazing, and seeing so many people united throughout the city has been a truly spectacular thing.

Last week, I had my debit card stolen, and some chavvy fucker thought it would be cool to go on an internet shopping spree. He even had the cheek to tell the shops that he was my son, and was being sent to Iraq the following week with the military, and everything must be shipped quickly. The idiot had everything sent to his home address, and even ordered Sky Satellite tv and paid his phone and internet bill using my card. After a few phone calls, it’s pretty certain that not only were these things cut off, he won’t be able to get internet again because he used their lines to commit crimes, and seeing as we only have one internet company here, he’s screwed himself.

The good news is that I will get my money back and he will get criminally charged (made another statement at the police department today) but the bad news is that it will take at least 2 weeks to get my money back - money that I need to pay bills and buy food.

Luckily my new landlord has been very understanding, and my mates have tried to help as much as they can. My mom loaned me the money for the deposit on my new place. Louise is even helping me move to make sure that I am okay - what an angel. Paddy has been kind enough to send me some cash as a birthday preset, and I cannot thank him enough. The Mr’s brother is helping me move so I don’t have to pay for a van, and the Mr himself has been very supportive throughout all of this.

It’s hard times like these that make you really see how wonderful people can be, and how much emphasis we put on shit that just doesn’t matter. I tell ya, I have become a much more frugal shopper!

I have had a very hard time sleeping, and have resulted in taking diazepam (valium) at night, but it only seems to work for a few hours, and once its worn off, I am up and alert all over again (it is helping me with the anxiety, so I will discuss this with my doctor as well). Tonight I intend on trying wine instead.

I plan on seeing my doc next week to see what she can offer me because 2-3 hours of sleep, if I am lucky, a night is screwing up my life. I am weary about Ambien, especially after my mum’s sleep eating and hallucinations while taking it, but would love to hear any of your experiences with sleeping medications and aids.

On the plus side, I have a couple of interviews next week and some potential temporary work. I know it may not be ideal, but I have bills to pay, and am not above doing administrative or accounting or even bar work to get by.

I happen to have a very nasty headache at the moment, which seems to have been triggered by some cheap chocolate. I don’t know if it is because my body doesn’t do sugar too well since my gastric bypass, or if it is just the small amount of cheap chocolate, but I have no intention of repeating this.

The jury is still out on chocolate. Is it evil for migraine sufferers or not?

My ADHD symptoms are really bad at the moment, and I am trying to make sure I take my Concerta first thing in the morning - otherwise I spend the days on tangent after tangent, which isn’t healthy for me or those around me. I keep getting these stupid obsessive thoughts which just make me more stressed, and I need to just let some of this shit go.
I am not the easiest person to live with at the best of times, and I can imagine that the Mr is at his wit’s end.

I continue to lose weight, and hope to buy some more clothes that fit once I am working again - gonna hit the charity shops and will hopefully get some funky finds!

Oh yeah, I had a birthday this week - the big 33. How are you supposed to celebrate these things as you get older? Am I supposed to have a party, barbeque, dinner, drinks, or what?

I would settle for a good night’s sleep…

Dry ingredients:

- 1 cup flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt

Stir in small bowl

Wet ingredients:

- 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1 cup crunchy peanut butter
- 1 stick (1/4 pound or 8 tbsp) butter, room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 cup honey

Blend in medium bowl:

Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients in two additions.

Add Chocolate

I’ve used chocolate chunks hacked from a huge chocolate bar, broken up smaller chocolate bars, and semi-sweet chocolate chips. All worked out great.
Stir them into the mix.

Cover the bowl and put in the fridge for 30-40 minutes so it’s easier to handle.

Ovens lie.

It’s a fact of life that some ovens will tell you that they’re at the temperature you want and be off by a full 80 degrees. In my previous apartment, the oven was nice and new and had lovely digital controls. It was also a horrible liar.

If I wanted the oven to be at 450, it would let me know it was ready when it was only 370. Five minutes later it would stabilize at 430. That’s a full five minutes of your dough being cooked at the wrong temperature, completely throwing you off.

So long story short, buy a thermometer and stick it in the oven. It doesn’t have to be pretty, it just has to work so you’ll know what the true temperature is.

For this recipe, you’ll want it at 350 Fahrenheit or 175 Celsius.

Roll up the dough

I roll my dough into balls about 1.25″ (3cm) wide. You can go a little bigger if you want. I’ve found that a little bit of variation does not have a noticeable effect on the cooking time. Put them onto a buttered cookie tray.

The trays I use are insulated ones. Getting fancy cookie trays may seem a bit extreme, but there was a period last year where I got a bit obsessed and these have been totally worth it.

So now that you’re sure your oven is at 350F/175C and it’s stable at that temperature, put the dough in for 12 minutes.

Don’t overcook your cookies

After 12 minutes the cookies will not look ready, but take them out anyway and put the whole pan out on the counter to cool. Do not touch them!

Oh, you’ll want to touch them. You’ll want to put one in your mouth right away, your tender tongue be damned, but don’t do it. Really.

OK, so you did touch one and it seems fragile and undercooked. That’s why you need to let them cool for 5 minutes before moving them to a rack or a plate.

Yay!

You waited for the cookies to cool and now they’re good to go! You can eat them now or save some for later. These are good on their own or combined with other sugary treats. Like ice cream. Ice cream loves these cookies and vice versa. Let the love flow.

To get the fresh baked warmth and goodness feeling back, quickly zap in a microwave or briefly toss into a toaster.

Eat.

This is a classic fried dessert bread of Mexico.
They’re great hot out of the fryer and rolled in cinnamon sugar.

Prep Time: approx. 15 Minutes
Cook Time: approx. 20 Minutes
Ready in: approx. 35 Minutes
Makes 32 sopapillas (16 servings)

8 cups shortening for frying
4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons shortening
1 cup water
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 cup white sugar

Directions

Heat 8 cups shortening in a deep-fryer to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder and salt.
Cut in 2 tablespoons shortening until mixture
resembles coarse crumbs. Gradually stir in water just until dough pulls together.

Divide dough into 4 pieces and form each piece into a ball.
Roll the balls into 8 inch diameter circles.
Cut each one into 8 wedges.

In a large bowl, mix together the cinnamon and sugar. Set aside.

Fry the wedges until they puff up and turn light brown.

Drain briefly, roll in the cinnamon sugar and serve hot.

Prep Time: approx. 15 minutes.
Cook Time: approx. 1 Hour.
Ready in: approx. 1 Hour 15 Minutes.
Makes 8 servings.

Ingredients:
6 cloves garlic, peeled
1/4 cup olive oil
7 baking potatoes, peeled and cubed
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions

1 Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2 Place garlic cloves in a small baking dish. Drizzle with olive oil, cover, and bake 45 minutes, or until golden brown.
3 Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to boil. Add potatoes, and cook until tender but firm. Drain, and transfer to a large mixing bowl.
4 Place roasted garlic, milk, Parmesan cheese, and butter into the bowl with the potatoes. Season with salt and pepper.
Beat to desired consistency with an electric mixer.

This dish has a nice bite to it with lots of cheese.
It is equally delicious with cooked pork or beef.

Prep Time: approx. 45 Minutes.
Cook Time: approx. 20 Minutes.
Ready in: approx. 1 Hour 5 Minutes.
Makes 6 servings.

2 tablespoons butter
2/3 cup chopped Spanish onion
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 cup chopped green chile peppers
1 clove garlic, minced
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 dash ground cumin

12 (8 inch) corn tortillas
canola oil for frying
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 cup shredded mild Cheddar cheese
2 cups shredded, cooked
chicken breast meat
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup chopped green onion
1/2 cup sliced green olives
1 pint cherry tomatoes

Directions

Prepare salsa verde:
Melt butter in saucepan over medium heat.
Saute the onion until soft. Stir in the flour.
Add the broth, then add the chiles, garlic, salt, and cumin.
Simmer about 15 minutes to blend flavors, then set aside.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C.)

In a heavy skillet, lightly fry tortillas in shallow oil,
being careful not to make them too crisp to roll.
Combine the cheeses and keep 1/2 cup aside for topping.
Dipeach tortilla in salsa verde (both sides.)
Place 2 heaping tablespoons chicken and about 2
tablespoons cheese down the center of each;
roll and place seam side down in a shallow dish.

After all the rolled tortillas are in the dish, spoon
additional salsa verde over them and then cover evenly with heavy
cream. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese mixture, and
with the green onions.

Bake uncovered in preheated oven for 20 minutes. Serve
immediately, garnished with the olives, cherry tomatoes, and with
additional salsa on the side.

Prep Time: approx. 15 Minutes.
Cook Time: approx. 6 Hours .
Ready in: approx. 6 Hours 15 Minutes.
Makes 6 to 8 servings.

3 pounds beef brisket
1 (1 ounce) package dry onion
soup mix
1 cup water
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup all-purpose flour

Directions

Preheat oven to 275 degrees F (135 degrees C).

Coat the inside of an oven roasting bag with flour.

Place brisket inside of bag.

Pour water over the brisket and sprinkle on garlic powder, dry onion soup mix, and ground black pepper.
Seal bag.
Using a fork, make two sets of holes in the top of the roasting bag.

Lay bag in a broiling pan.

Bake in a preheated oven for 6 to 8 hours.

Makes 8 servings.

2 pounds ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 celery ribs with leaves, chopped
1/4 cup chopped green pepper
1 2/3 cups canned crushed tomatoes
1/4 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon vinegar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon steak sauce
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1/4 teaspoon ground mustard
1/4 teaspoon paprika
8 hamburger buns, split

Directions

In a Dutch oven over medium heat, cook beef, onion, celery and green pepper until the meat is no longer pink and the vegetables are tender; drain.

Add the next nine ingredients; mix well. Simmer, uncovered, for 35-40 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Spoon 1/2 cup meat mixture onto each bun.

Enjoy!

These potatoes make a wonderful side dish for any meal and are terrific heated up the next day for lunch.

Prep Time: approx. 15 Minutes.
Cook Time: approx. 1 Hour 15 Minutes.
Ready in: approx. 1 Hour 30 Minutes.
Makes 8 servings

4 large baking potatoes
8 slices bacon
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup milk
4 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 cup shredded Cheddar
cheese, divided
8 green onions, sliced, divided

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Bake potatoes in preheated oven for 1 hour.

Meanwhile, place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain, crumble and set aside.

When potatoes are done allow them to cool for 10 minutes. Slice potatoes in half lengthwise and scoop the flesh into a large bowl; save skins.

To the potato flesh add sour cream, milk, butter, salt, pepper, 1/2 cup cheese and 1/2 the green onions.

Mix with a hand mixer until well blended and creamy.
Spoon the mixture into the potato skins.
Top each with remaining cheese, green onions and bacon.

Bake for another 15 minutes.

Five layers of Mexican-inspired delights are topped by a layer of vegetables, then smothered in cheese and garnished with black olives. The vegetables may be varied according to taste.

Prep Time: approx. 30 Minutes.
Ready in: approx. 30 Minutes.
Makes 1 dip (56 servings).

1 (1 ounce) package taco seasoning mix
1 (16 ounce) can refried beans
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 (16 ounce) container sour cream
1 (16 ounce) jar salsa
1 large tomato, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 bunch chopped green onions
1 small head iceberg lettuce, shredded
1 (6 ounce) can sliced black olives, drained
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions

In a medium bowl, blend the taco seasoning mix and refried beans. Spread the mixture onto a large serving platter.

Mix the sour cream and cream cheese in a medium bowl.
Spread over the refried beans.

Top the layers with salsa. Place a layer of tomato, green bell pepper, green onions and lettuce over the salsa, and top with Cheddar cheese.

Garnish with black olives

Down three more pounds today.

Total pounds lost: 25

Woohoo!

This is the best soup ever - I added some boneless skinless chicken breasts to it for extra flavour and protein, and next time will add some frozen mixed veggies for a more pot-pie taste

Creamy Potato Chowder

3 T. olive oil
3 T. butter
1 sweet onion, diced
2 carrots, shredded
5 T. flour
1 t. salt (to taste)
1/2 t. nutmeg
1/2 t. black pepper
3 c. (FF) Half & Half OR milk
1 (15oz) can chicken broth OR 2 cups homemade
5-6 c. diced potatoes (more if you like it really thick with stuff!!)

In a large stockpot, heat oil and butter. Add onion and carrots and let simmer away on medium-low until onions are soft (15 minutes). Add flour and seasoning and stir well. Add remaining ingredients. Simmer over LOW heat for about 2-3 hours, stirring frequently. The long simmer makes it nice and thick and lets the flavors meld wonderfully!!! Don’t be impatient! 10 servings

With fat-free half & half:
Per Serving: 199 Cal; 4 g Protein; 9 g Tot Fat; 26 g Carb; 1 g Fiber; 5 g Sugar; 249 mg Sodium

With regular half & half:
Per Serving: 250 Cal; 5 g Protein; 16 g Tot Fat; 23 g Carb; 1 g Fiber; 1 g Sugar; 175 mg Sodium