Twelve days ago I had the laser eye surgery on my left eye. If you remember (or go back to read about here) way back in September I went in to have the vision in both my eyes corrected, using the Lasik procedure in which they cut a corneal flap, correct your vision and then replace the flap. The healing is quite quick and not overly painful. However, there was a complication and the flap on my left eye was cut too shallow so they couldn't proceed.
Fast forward 3 months of healing time, and I was ready to go ahead and have that eye corrected, but using the PRK method, in which the surface of your cornea is scraped away instead of lifted and replaced. It's a much lower risk procedure, but comes with a lot more discomfort and a much longer recovery time.
The experience of the actual procedure was very similar to the last one, so there were no big surprises there. The normally attentive staff were even more solicitous than usual, and everything went smoothly. Then I headed home to spend the next few days taking some serious narcotics and communing with my bed. This was actually a bit of a bonus of the procedure, since I got more sleep in the first 48 hours than I've had in any other 48 hour period since before Maya was born!
The best way to describe the eye discomfort is that it's a s though pool water is stinging the eye ... only it doesn't go away when you blink, or wipe your eyes. I am also very sensitive to light, especially when the sun reflects off of the snow outdoors. Reading, especially on the computer, and watching the tv, are still very difficult tasks, due to the strain they cause the eyes. At times while I look at the computer screen or tv or newspaper, my eyes simply cannot stay open and look at what is in front of me, no matter how hard I try. At certain times, they work better than others, but there doesn't seem to be a pattern to it. It seems to work best if I read in short snatches, so as not to over stress the eye muscles. I find driving more than short distances to be difficult still, so I'm avoiding driving as much as possible.
It's early days yet in the recovery process, and I keep telling myself to be patient. The vision in my left eye is coming clearer, and is already better than before the surgery. But I'm looking forward to the healing being complete so I can get back to normal! In the meantime, it may be awhile before I'm back to posting regularly again.
Tuesday, 24 January 2012
Sunday, 8 January 2012
Visit with Santa
Thought I'd share these photos, even though Christmas is over. (Better late than never.)
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| Maya told Santa she wanted an elephant and a hippo toy for Christmas |
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| Maya loved Santa. Chloe not so much. |
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| Chloe being placated by the offer of a candy cane. |
Holiday Synopsis
I've not disappeared from the planet, just been busy celebrating Christmas and looking after my monkeys while Jeff has been away on business for 10 days. (He comes home tomorrow ... hooray!) A quick synopsis of the past few weeks:
The winter blues had me hugely procrastinating all December about getting ready for Christmas. So I suddenly had to sprint and get everything done in the last week before the holiday. Because with 7 days left to go, it looked like there might not BE a Christmas at the Tiltons this year. Yikes! Note to self: next year, get my hiney in gear earlier, no matter what it takes. Though I did discover that when you wait until the week before Christmas to visit Santa, there's no line up at the mall.
Christmas was lovely. There was lots of extended family, good food, laughter, and the requisite gifts. Maya's favourite gift is a small stuffed Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer that came in her stocking. Chloe's favourite gift is the SweetPea3 mp3 player from Tag Along Toyswhich I won in a draw days before Christmas which Santa brought her from his workshop. She loves being able to carry her favourite music with her all around the house.
My birthday number mumblety-mumble passed nicely. I had a visit from a dear friend in the daytime. In the evening my parents joined us for a dinner out, followed by ice cream cake at our house. It was a nice day.
Jeff has been away since New Year's Eve, so the girls and I have been hanging out, enjoying the school break. Maya has loved being able to sleep in and just be at home, though she's happy to start back at school tomorrow.
The winter blues had me hugely procrastinating all December about getting ready for Christmas. So I suddenly had to sprint and get everything done in the last week before the holiday. Because with 7 days left to go, it looked like there might not BE a Christmas at the Tiltons this year. Yikes! Note to self: next year, get my hiney in gear earlier, no matter what it takes. Though I did discover that when you wait until the week before Christmas to visit Santa, there's no line up at the mall.
Christmas was lovely. There was lots of extended family, good food, laughter, and the requisite gifts. Maya's favourite gift is a small stuffed Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer that came in her stocking. Chloe's favourite gift is the SweetPea3 mp3 player from Tag Along Toys
My birthday number mumblety-mumble passed nicely. I had a visit from a dear friend in the daytime. In the evening my parents joined us for a dinner out, followed by ice cream cake at our house. It was a nice day.
Jeff has been away since New Year's Eve, so the girls and I have been hanging out, enjoying the school break. Maya has loved being able to sleep in and just be at home, though she's happy to start back at school tomorrow.
Tuesday, 20 December 2011
Another Lesson Learned
I learned yet another mommy lesson yesterday. For a while now, I've been saving room in my purse by leaving spare wipes and diapers in the car when we're out and about. This works great ... except I didn't think about the fact that the temperature is now dropping below freezing.
Yesterday, just as we were getting out of the car at the mall, I caught a whiff of Chloe's diaper (which, it should be noted, had already been changed right before we left home). No problem, I think. I've done quick changes in the back of the car before. We can do this and still be on time to see Santa. Until I tried to pull a wipe out of the package. Frozen solid. Some serious tugging finally pulled one loose. Then I had to defrost it between the palms of my hands until it was usable. Usable, but still not that warm. Let's just say Chloe was not impressed.
I'll be keeping wipes in my purse again for the rest of the winter.
Yesterday, just as we were getting out of the car at the mall, I caught a whiff of Chloe's diaper (which, it should be noted, had already been changed right before we left home). No problem, I think. I've done quick changes in the back of the car before. We can do this and still be on time to see Santa. Until I tried to pull a wipe out of the package. Frozen solid. Some serious tugging finally pulled one loose. Then I had to defrost it between the palms of my hands until it was usable. Usable, but still not that warm. Let's just say Chloe was not impressed.
I'll be keeping wipes in my purse again for the rest of the winter.
Saturday, 17 December 2011
KISSing in the Christmas Kitchen: A Bonus Day!
NOTE: Christmas is a busy season: it's full of special events, visits with friends and family, and lots of entertaining. It's also a lot of work. It's easy to let things get out of hand, which is why I have a few strategies for KISSing (Keep it Simple, Silly) in the kitchen at Christmas time. This week I shared 5 of my quick-and-easy kitchen ideas for the holidays. I had so much fun with it, that I thought I'd put together one more post with some more ideas.
Some of these ideas involve pre-prepared foods. I'm all for taking a few shortcuts at Christmas time so that you can concentrate your time and effort on the things that you really love. For instance, in my family there's no point slaving away over gingerbread from scratch because I'm pretty much the only one that eats it and even then it's not my favourite. It makes sense for me to partner with Mr. Pillsbury. On the other hand, I'll spend hours making our favourite almond lemon heart cookies from scratch. For me, it's about trying to balance the workload during a busy time of year, and having fun in the kitchen.
Pillsbury Ginger snap cookies
Buy a tube of Pillsbury's gingerbread cookie dough. Instead of the time-consuming rolling out and using cookie cutters, just separate the dough into chunks and roll each piece into a ball. Roll the ball in white sugar, then place onto a cookie sheet, and press it lightly with the heel of your hand to flatten it slightly. Bake according to directions on the package (may take slightly longer than the rolled cookies, as they're a little thicker). This is something quick and fun to do with the kids, or to whip together at the last moment when you're having company over.
Lynn's Peppermint Bark
Click here and scroll to the bottom of the post for the recipe from Lynn at Diary of a Turtlehead.
I tried this yesterday with Maya, and it was fun to make and delicious to eat. If you want to save time (or don't have little hands to help you), you can buy crushed candy canes at Bulk Barn.
Bruschetta Chicken Bake
I love this recipe from Kraft. It's easy to make, tastes good, the kids will eat it, and it reheats really well. Perfect for a night when you want a simple meal together, or for a day when the family members are busy and eating at different times. Feel free to play around with the recipe. We like it with a bit of extra cheese, and I add some oregano as well as basil to give it a bit more flavour.
Easy Potluck contribution: Slow cooker meatballs
The holidays often mean potlucks, and it can be a lot of work to bring a main course. This one is easy peasy. You'll need a box of frozen, pre-cooked meatballs (I like the PC Blue Menu Italian meat balls, but M&M also makes some nice ones) and one or two jars of Diana Sauce depending on how many meatballs you're going to cook. I like the Original Diana Sauce but there's a honey maple one that works well too. Dump the frozen meatballs into the slow cooker. Pour the sauce on top, until the meat balls are coated. Turn the slow cooker on and you're all set! Since they're pre-cooked, they just need to get hot, so it doesn't actually take that long. About an hour on high is probably enough, or longer on a lower setting. If you're in a rush, you can defrost the meatballs in the microwave (directions should be on the package, it should be about 5 minutes) and then just put them in the slow cooker on low or "keep warm".
Do you have any great, simple ideas of your own? Please share! I'd love to add some new things to my repertoire.
Some of these ideas involve pre-prepared foods. I'm all for taking a few shortcuts at Christmas time so that you can concentrate your time and effort on the things that you really love. For instance, in my family there's no point slaving away over gingerbread from scratch because I'm pretty much the only one that eats it and even then it's not my favourite. It makes sense for me to partner with Mr. Pillsbury. On the other hand, I'll spend hours making our favourite almond lemon heart cookies from scratch. For me, it's about trying to balance the workload during a busy time of year, and having fun in the kitchen.
Pillsbury Ginger snap cookies
Buy a tube of Pillsbury's gingerbread cookie dough. Instead of the time-consuming rolling out and using cookie cutters, just separate the dough into chunks and roll each piece into a ball. Roll the ball in white sugar, then place onto a cookie sheet, and press it lightly with the heel of your hand to flatten it slightly. Bake according to directions on the package (may take slightly longer than the rolled cookies, as they're a little thicker). This is something quick and fun to do with the kids, or to whip together at the last moment when you're having company over.
Lynn's Peppermint Bark
Click here and scroll to the bottom of the post for the recipe from Lynn at Diary of a Turtlehead.
I tried this yesterday with Maya, and it was fun to make and delicious to eat. If you want to save time (or don't have little hands to help you), you can buy crushed candy canes at Bulk Barn.
Bruschetta Chicken Bake
I love this recipe from Kraft. It's easy to make, tastes good, the kids will eat it, and it reheats really well. Perfect for a night when you want a simple meal together, or for a day when the family members are busy and eating at different times. Feel free to play around with the recipe. We like it with a bit of extra cheese, and I add some oregano as well as basil to give it a bit more flavour.
Easy Potluck contribution: Slow cooker meatballs
The holidays often mean potlucks, and it can be a lot of work to bring a main course. This one is easy peasy. You'll need a box of frozen, pre-cooked meatballs (I like the PC Blue Menu Italian meat balls, but M&M also makes some nice ones) and one or two jars of Diana Sauce depending on how many meatballs you're going to cook. I like the Original Diana Sauce but there's a honey maple one that works well too. Dump the frozen meatballs into the slow cooker. Pour the sauce on top, until the meat balls are coated. Turn the slow cooker on and you're all set! Since they're pre-cooked, they just need to get hot, so it doesn't actually take that long. About an hour on high is probably enough, or longer on a lower setting. If you're in a rush, you can defrost the meatballs in the microwave (directions should be on the package, it should be about 5 minutes) and then just put them in the slow cooker on low or "keep warm".
Do you have any great, simple ideas of your own? Please share! I'd love to add some new things to my repertoire.
Friday, 16 December 2011
KISSing in the Christmas Kitchen: Day 5
NOTE: Christmas is a busy season: it's full of special events, visits with friends and family, and lots of entertaining. It's also a lot of work. It's easing to let thing get out of hand, which is why I have a few strategies for KISSing (Keep it Simple, Silly) in the kitchen at Christmas time. This week I'm sharing 5 of my quick-and-easy kitchen ideas for the holidays.
Pizzaburger
Today's recipe can be used to make a lunch (or a quick dinner) that the kids will love, or some delicious appetizers. I find one recipe makes enough for 2 meals. I often make a double recipe and freeze the extras for future lunches or for when I need an easy-to-make (but not store bought) appetizer.
Ingredients:
1 can of ham (Prem, Spam, or Klik) --> I prefer the Klik Light, as it's lower in fat
1/2 lb (about 250 g) of grated mozzarella cheese (grate it yourself or save time and use shredded cheese)
8 oz (about 175mL) can of tomato sauce*
1 Tbsp grated onion
1/2 tsp ground pepper
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted (if you're calorie conscious, you can use less)
* I've used a can of pizza sauce and omitted the pepper, garlic and oregano and it turned out ok.
Directions:
In a medium-sized bowl, mash the Klik well with a fork. Add all of the other ingredients and blend well. Chill in the fridge for a few hours.
For a lunch, spread on English muffins, hamburger buns, or French bread (we prefer English muffins). For an appetizer, spread on melba toast rounds or slices of baguette.
Place them on a baking sheet and broil in the oven until the top is brown and bubbly.
The mixture keep well in the fridge for about a week. It also freezes really well.
Pizzaburger
Today's recipe can be used to make a lunch (or a quick dinner) that the kids will love, or some delicious appetizers. I find one recipe makes enough for 2 meals. I often make a double recipe and freeze the extras for future lunches or for when I need an easy-to-make (but not store bought) appetizer.
Ingredients:
1 can of ham (Prem, Spam, or Klik) --> I prefer the Klik Light, as it's lower in fat
1/2 lb (about 250 g) of grated mozzarella cheese (grate it yourself or save time and use shredded cheese)
8 oz (about 175mL) can of tomato sauce*
1 Tbsp grated onion
1/2 tsp ground pepper
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted (if you're calorie conscious, you can use less)
* I've used a can of pizza sauce and omitted the pepper, garlic and oregano and it turned out ok.
Directions:
In a medium-sized bowl, mash the Klik well with a fork. Add all of the other ingredients and blend well. Chill in the fridge for a few hours.
For a lunch, spread on English muffins, hamburger buns, or French bread (we prefer English muffins). For an appetizer, spread on melba toast rounds or slices of baguette.
Place them on a baking sheet and broil in the oven until the top is brown and bubbly.
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| Hot out of the oven |
The mixture keep well in the fridge for about a week. It also freezes really well.
Wordless ... Friday?
Ok, not Wednesday and not quite wordless, but ... I just have to share this photo with you:
She was touching the tree and the ornaments oh-so-gently and with such admiration, I just had to grab my camera. This was the best of the shots (she's a wiggly little thing, and I was trying to capture it without the flash). Apart from the expression on her face, I love the little dimples on her elbow. They make me want to eat her up!
She was touching the tree and the ornaments oh-so-gently and with such admiration, I just had to grab my camera. This was the best of the shots (she's a wiggly little thing, and I was trying to capture it without the flash). Apart from the expression on her face, I love the little dimples on her elbow. They make me want to eat her up!
Thursday, 15 December 2011
KISSing in the Christmas Kitchen: Day 4
NOTE: Christmas is a busy season: it's full of special events, visits with friends and family, and lots of entertaining. It's also a lot of work. It's easy to let things get out of hand, which is why I have a few strategies for KISSing (Keep it Simple, Silly) in the kitchen at Christmas time. This week I'm sharing 5 of my quick-and-easy kitchen ideas for the holidays.
Homemade Nuts & Bolts
Christmas shouldn't be all about the sweet ... I believe there's room for some salty and savoury foods too. You can usually find a snack mix recipe of some kind on a Shreddies box, and that's probably where my Grandma found hers originally. In fact, my Grandma had two different recipes. The directions here are for the adaptation popular with my family.
Ingredients:
4 cups Shreddies
2 cups Cheerios
2 cups straight pretzels, broken up a little into smaller pieces
OPTIONAL: 1 lb salted, unroasted peanuts
1/2 cup margarine or butter
1tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
salt to taste
OPTIONAL: 1 tsp Tobasco (we like the kick this adds, but you can leave it out or use only 1/2 tsp depending on your family's tastes. My husband likes it spicy, and would love me to add more!)
[The measurements of cereal are approximate, and you can play around with the proportions according to your family's tastes. Growing up, we always added peanuts but in recent years I've left them out. I usually make about a triple batch at one time, just tossing the cereals into the pans and then estimating whether I need to double or triple the sauce part.]
Mix the cereal, broken up pretzels and nuts (if desired) in a large, shallow baking pan.
In a microwavable bowl, melt the margarine, add the spices, and mix well. Drizzle over the cereal mixture and toss until evenly coated.
Bake at 300F for 25 minutes, stirring several times until well toasted. Then cool and salt to taste.
If you're easily distracted in the kitchen (like me) you can also bake them at 250F, stirring every 15 minutes, but it will take longer (one to two hours) until they are all roasted. I go back and forth between the two baking methods from one year to the next, depending on what else I have going on at the time. I've never burnt them at the lower temperature, but it does take a lot longer.
Cool and salt to taste.
Sadly, I have no pictures of the finished product yet, because it turns out I'm out of Worcestershire sauce, so we're stalled until at least after nap time. I'll add pictures when I have some.
Homemade Nuts & Bolts
Christmas shouldn't be all about the sweet ... I believe there's room for some salty and savoury foods too. You can usually find a snack mix recipe of some kind on a Shreddies box, and that's probably where my Grandma found hers originally. In fact, my Grandma had two different recipes. The directions here are for the adaptation popular with my family.
Ingredients:
4 cups Shreddies
2 cups Cheerios
2 cups straight pretzels, broken up a little into smaller pieces
OPTIONAL: 1 lb salted, unroasted peanuts
1/2 cup margarine or butter
1tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
salt to taste
OPTIONAL: 1 tsp Tobasco (we like the kick this adds, but you can leave it out or use only 1/2 tsp depending on your family's tastes. My husband likes it spicy, and would love me to add more!)
[The measurements of cereal are approximate, and you can play around with the proportions according to your family's tastes. Growing up, we always added peanuts but in recent years I've left them out. I usually make about a triple batch at one time, just tossing the cereals into the pans and then estimating whether I need to double or triple the sauce part.]
Mix the cereal, broken up pretzels and nuts (if desired) in a large, shallow baking pan.
In a microwavable bowl, melt the margarine, add the spices, and mix well. Drizzle over the cereal mixture and toss until evenly coated.
Bake at 300F for 25 minutes, stirring several times until well toasted. Then cool and salt to taste.
If you're easily distracted in the kitchen (like me) you can also bake them at 250F, stirring every 15 minutes, but it will take longer (one to two hours) until they are all roasted. I go back and forth between the two baking methods from one year to the next, depending on what else I have going on at the time. I've never burnt them at the lower temperature, but it does take a lot longer.
Cool and salt to taste.
Sadly, I have no pictures of the finished product yet, because it turns out I'm out of Worcestershire sauce, so we're stalled until at least after nap time. I'll add pictures when I have some.
Wednesday, 14 December 2011
KISSing in the Christmas Kitchen: Day 3
NOTE: Christmas is a busy season: it's full of special events, visits with friends and family, and lots of entertaining. It's also a lot of work. It's easy to let things get out of hand, which is why I have a few strategies for KISSing (Keep it Simple, Silly) in the kitchen at Christmas time. This week I'm sharing 5 of my quick-and-easy kitchen ideas for the holidays.
Chocolate-dipped Apricots
These are super easy to make, and they look beautiful mixed in a plate or bowl of assorted Christmas cookies and treats.
Ingredients:
dried apricots
merckens chocolate wafers (dark or light, according to your preference -- I prefer dark in this instance as they have a but more punch to the flavour and I like the darker colour.)
Instructions:
Melt the chocolate wafers in a small jar placed in a pan of hot water. You don't want to overheat the chocolate, just met it until it's smooth, with no lumps remaining. [You could also use a microwavable mug and melt them in the microwave ... but I like to use a jam jar and do it this way because my mom always did, and because I have a history or burning chocolate in the microwave].
Using a pair of tongs, pick up a dried apricot by one end and dip it into the chocolate until it is about half to two-thirds of the way submerged.
Then place it on a sheet of waxed paper to cool and dry. I sometimes dip them a little unevenly, so the back side (the side that will lie on the waxed paper) is a little more covered in chocolate than the front.
Allow the chocolates to set. I'd probably allow about 15 minutes before removing them from the waxed paper. You can speed this up by popping them into the freezer for a few minutes if you're in a hurry. If you want, you can use the little paper candy cups (you know, the ones that look like tiny muffin wrappers) to present them, but I usually just tuck them into mixed plates of cookies au naturel.
Chocolate-dipped Apricots
These are super easy to make, and they look beautiful mixed in a plate or bowl of assorted Christmas cookies and treats.Ingredients:
dried apricots
merckens chocolate wafers (dark or light, according to your preference -- I prefer dark in this instance as they have a but more punch to the flavour and I like the darker colour.)
Instructions:
Melt the chocolate wafers in a small jar placed in a pan of hot water. You don't want to overheat the chocolate, just met it until it's smooth, with no lumps remaining. [You could also use a microwavable mug and melt them in the microwave ... but I like to use a jam jar and do it this way because my mom always did, and because I have a history or burning chocolate in the microwave].
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| Chocolate wafers in a small mason jar, warming in a water bath. |
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| Dipping the apricots |
Using a pair of tongs, pick up a dried apricot by one end and dip it into the chocolate until it is about half to two-thirds of the way submerged.
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| Finished apricots drying |
Then place it on a sheet of waxed paper to cool and dry. I sometimes dip them a little unevenly, so the back side (the side that will lie on the waxed paper) is a little more covered in chocolate than the front.
Allow the chocolates to set. I'd probably allow about 15 minutes before removing them from the waxed paper. You can speed this up by popping them into the freezer for a few minutes if you're in a hurry. If you want, you can use the little paper candy cups (you know, the ones that look like tiny muffin wrappers) to present them, but I usually just tuck them into mixed plates of cookies au naturel.
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