What happens to the people effected by Hurricane Ian

Our hearts, strength, and prayers go out to those affected by Hurricane Ian. Hold on to your loved ones and pray. The next year, if not longer, will be different and sometimes really difficult. The hardest part is finding temporary housing and then the essentials.

Hopefully, you will never have to suffer a natural disaster, but many have. All of us experience natural tragedy differently.

How do I know?

On September 24, 2021, my home in South Florida was hit by lightning and caught fire during a strong thunderstorm, nothing like Ian. My son used siri to call 911, I was sleeping. He saved my life. We lost one of our pets, Snoopy, from smoke inhalation. The house was not liveable for over 10 months.

Bless the Red Cross for finding us a place for the first few days. After that, we became dependent on the Florida insurance industry. It has been over a year, and the house is still not done.

Searching for a place was difficult. I have a son who is quadriplegia. They were going to separate us. Finally, I found a bottom-floor apartment, I knew it was not accessible, but I felt we had no choice. We lived there for 10 months. They prepared the house so my son could move back in, except for the backyard. His ramp disappeared.

The fire was in the back of the house where I was. They are still not done and I haven't slept in a bed in over a year. They say be grateful you are alive, but as the blank walls go up nothing is familiar, I find myself crying.

40 years of my career lost with the backups. 70 years of family films gone. I lost all my clothes, shoes, books, photos, lesson plans, etc. I know I didn't lose my life, but in some way, I really did. I feel lost without a purpose. 

Jake made quite a few holes in walls and doors. The people and the area were nice, but it wasn't home.

Prior to the fire, I had a thriving practice providing nutrition information for recipes and menus in books, newspapers, and magazines. I still have a semi-active Social Media presence called @DieietitianOnline (on Twitter & Facebook). I provide basic nutrition education to the consumer and educator. I love teaching farm-to-table. I do social media as a volunteer.

The construction company has made some progress, but this should have been done 6 months ago. I only ordered items in stock.

This is my house 1 year later. The project manager forgot to order a bathroom, closets, and a ramp for Jake to get out in the backyard.

Sadly, at my age, we pee a lot, and I can't make it to the other side of the house in time, so I go outside with the dogs. Maybe Lola will learn to potty train from me.
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I've brought you up to date. I wish I could say I am doing well.  Lately, I've lost my purpose, and I pray I get it back. I love to laugh and smile and miss it.


Maybe with the New Year, we will be filled with happiness and joy.  "Shanah Tovah" “May you have a good and sweet new year.”

Thank you all for your love and support.

Sandra

September 15, National Linguine Day - Nutrition and Recipes

Linguine is a form of pasta – like fettuccine and trenette, but elliptical in section rather than flat. It is wider than spaghetti, about 4 mm, but not as wide as fettuccine. Linguine is also called trenette or bavette.

Linguine originated in Genoa and the Liguria region of Italy. Linguine are often served with seafood or pesto. Linguine is typically available in both white flour and whole-wheat versions.

Recipe
Lemony Linguine with Spring Vegetables

by Carolyn Malcoun, EatingWell

Resources

Wikipedia, Linguine

Banana Lovers Day: Our Banana Plant . What do you do with over 100 Bananas Check out the Banana Muffins

This is one of our Banana Plants. It is ready to be harvested. How do we know it is ready - check the bananas and see if any have turned yellow. If so, it is ready. 

Cutting the Banana Bunch
Be careful. The Bunch is Heavy.

John has taken on the challenge to

bring the bananas to the kitchen.

Once we placed the bananas on the table, we weighed them. To our surprise they weighed 72.8 pounds, and there were over 100 bananas. I stopped counting.

What do I do with over 100 bananas?

First, we divided the bunch into 4 sections. One for my family, two for my extended family, and one for a church.

I decided to make banana muffins
 (some with chocolate chips)

Banana Muffins

Ingredients
Makes 12 muffins.
4 bananas, about 1 ⅓ cups, mashed
1 large egg
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
3 Tablespoons light brown sugar
2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups all-purpose whole wheat flour
1 Tablespoon unsalted butter, melted

Directions

1. Grease a muffin pan. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Mash bananas in a mixing bowl. Add egg, vanilla, brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Stir well to combine.
3. In a separate bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add to banana mixture and stir.
4. Stir in melted butter.
5. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin pans and bake for about 20 minutes.

Nutrition Information
1 Muffin

126 Calories (kcal)
3 Protein (g)
26 Carbohydrates (g)  
3 Total Dietary Fiber (g)
10 Total Sugars (g) 
5 Added Sugar (g)
2 Fat (g) 
1 Saturated Fat (g)
18 Cholesterol (mg)
208 Sodium (mg) 

Notes

• For variety, add chocolate chips, walnuts, and dried cranberries. Use your imagination.
• To freeze: Allow muffins to cool completely. Store them in a freezer-safe ziplock bag or air-tight container