Scattered Sundays

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When I was 17 I was enrolled in both high school and community college at the same time. One day I was driving to the college campus and was headed down a very steep part of the freeway. 

The speed limit is reduced at a certain part of the road because of tight curves, and as I was approaching that area, I realized my brakes were not working.

I pumped them over and over and tried to downshift but nothing would slow my car. I flew through a 40 mph zone at 75, praying the entire way. I was so thankful I didn’t hit anyone.

Realizing I was entering a congestion zone, I saw a business with a large parking lot off the side of the freeway. I flew into their parking lot (not hitting anyone simply by the grace of God) and proceeded to do donuts in their back parking lot until my car finally lost all momentum and came to the stop in a middle of an enormous mud puddle.

By this time, all the employees had gathered at the back of the building and were watching me. I opened my door, asked someone to please get a phone (pre-cell phone days!) so I could call my dad.

And then once he had been notified and I knew help was on the way, I broke down in sobs and ugly cried for a solid 10 minutes.

Ever since then, that is how I have always dealt with stress/trauma/fear. I can remain calm while it is happening, look out for others around me, and get the job done. And then when it is over, I break down and grieve. My mentality is very much “if I can’t go around it, then I guess I just have to go through it”. Is it healthy? Probably not. 

Since “stay at home” has been in place, I’ve been mostly ok. We’re definitely yelling at the boys more often, but other than that, we are functioning. On Friday I reached my limit and felt all the feels. But this time, it was for a positive and joyful reason.

Last weekend I decided to organize a “drive-thru” birthday for Jack. And since I don’t do anything half-way, it quickly turned into a whole THING! We had family, friends, church friends, classmates, and even his teacher coming to this birthday “party”.

People made signs, friends flew paper airplane notes out their cars, and someone threw a frisbee with a card taped to it. We had honking, singing, noisemakers, signs, balloons, and streamers attached to cars. It was incredible! Oh, and um, I didn’t have to clean the house. Best party ever.

We also organized neighbors who face our house to decorate a sign to hang in their window. Jack woke up to a lot of love.

When the boys and I are out walking, they both get really nervous around any dog, even those on leashes. To calm them down and keep their minds off of it, I always tell them I would never let anything hurt them (even the 8-pound dog they are stupidly scared of). Which always leads to me declaring that I would fight a bear to keep them safe.

And they laugh and say that’s not possible because bears are huge, and I tell them they don’t know how much I love them and how much power that gives me. They giggle as I promise I would rip a bear’s arms off and chase it away while waving its own paws at it, smacking its hairy butt. I declare that bears are scared of ME because I’m a mom and would be vicious in protecting them.

I set after this birthday party like a bear was trying to eat the boys. I know it’s wasn’t a normal birthday for him, but I hope it is one he remembers for the fact that we tried REALLY hard to make it special. Like, fight a bear special.

Solid chance we are related

Sadly, the morning of the “party”, I started feeling a little bit dizzy while making 60 cupcakes. I took my temp and it came back as 99.4. But we have a very wonky ear thermometer and from one minute to the next it would say my temp was 99.1 or 98.4. The mouth thermometer kept me at a cool constant 98.6.

I immediately isolated myself to be safe and notified everyone invited to the “party” what was happening. Troy packaged up the 60 cupcakes I made that morning (whaaaaaaaaaa) and we froze them to be safe. Almost everyone who was planning to come still attended since no one was actually getting out of the car anyway.

Since Troy is a first responder, he can’t go to work as planned unless I got tested. Given Troy’s job, and his potential to come into contact with vulnerable populations, we are playing it 100% safe and following his department’s protocols.

Our local hospital is running a triage site but holy balls it is hard to get information on what the process is. If South Korea could put together drive-thru testing in just a few days, you think our country could do something similar.

When my allergies are at their peak and my entire face itches, I secretly long for a giant stick to put up my nose to itch around my brain. Well, guess what? I got my wish with this test. LOL. I’m pretty sure it actually poked my brain.

It was like a neti pot and a pressure washer had a baby. The RN told me she was so sorry as she was doing it and then “ok, I have to swab it for 5 seconds behind your eyeball”. Words I never thought I’d hear. 

So now we just wait for results but honestly, I feel fine. When the feeling started (during excessive cupcake baking), it felt like I drank too much coffee (which I did) and felt jittery. It was to the point where I was still planning on going for a 4-mile walk but wasn’t going to do any running during it. 

I realize the fact that I was able to get tested with almost zero symptoms is coming from a place of extreme privilege. I would 100% have preferred to just hunker down at home and wait it all out and save the test for someone who actually needed it. But, Troy’s department makes the rules, and we will follow them because they need him back!

Facetime wrapped in momma-made quilts with Uncle Scotty

Oh, and you might notice on both desktop and mobile that the font on my site is suddenly a little bit bigger. We updated it to meet best practices for ease of reading. Plus I have crappy eyesight and I like it better!

Housekeeping

Interested in free bacon? Um, yes! Naked Bacon is made without sugar, nitrates, nitrites, chemical solutions, celery, phosphates or water.​ It is 100% sugar-free, and it’s 44% lower in fat and 25% lower in sodium than other bacon, naturally! ​It’s also Whole30 approved, gluten-free, paleo and keto-friendly.

Naked Bacon is currently offering 10% off all bundles (coupon code: TAKE10) 4-10 thru 4-12. And FREE bacon with every purchase 4-24 thru 4-26. You can also use coupon code sustainablecooks10​ for 10% off your order.

What I’m Listening To This Week

I love a new podcast and this week I found the show called Somebody. True to form for me, it’s about crime. A leopard can’t change its spots, right? 

It follows a mother’s investigation of her son’s death. And her son was friends with Chance the Rapper in high school, which brings the past into present day.

What I’m Reading This Week

I’m about halfway through Wild and I really like it. I’m struggling to stop reading every night and getting to bed at a normal time.

I do wish that I had known the first part was about a woman dealing with the loss of her mom from cancer. That wasn’t what I was expecting and I wasn’t prepared for all those emotions.

Has anyone seen the movie with Reese Witherspoon? I’m going to try to watch it when I’ve read it all.

Reader Spotlight of the Week

YJ left this five-star review on our Instant Pot Zuppa Toscana {Pin this recipe}

Quarantine version of this soup involved precooked sausage (leftovers from grilling and also from last night when I made broccoli rabe sausage pasta by smittenkitchen), no bacon, and random carrots (for extra veggies) and gochugaru (Korean kitchen!)… it was still so yummy!!

On Sustainable Cooks This Week

Remember back a few weeks ago (aka, 43,981 years ago) when I told you I was dropping to two posts a week? Such an innocent time. 🙂 I have actually ramped UP my posting because I am finding lots of old posts in the archives that are helpful to my readers NOW.

We’re updating and bringing back 10-year-old posts that I wrote during the recession when this blog was called “Frugal by Choice, Cheap by Necessity”. What’s old is new again.

Confessions – everyone’s favorite post of the month!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Overnight Oats – These Chocolate Peanut Butter Overnight Oats are a healthy and simple make-ahead breakfast. Packed with chocolate flavor, they’re made without yogurt and are vegan by default. {Pin this recipe}

What to Can, Preserve, and Eat in Spring – Spring – the time of year when all gardeners feel so much hope and promise! Learn what to can and preserve in spring, as well as delicious recipes for seasonal produce. {Pin this list}

Homemade Laundry Soap – The BEST Homemade Laundry Soap you can make with just three simple ingredients! This all-natural laundry detergent is perfect for sensitive skin and actually smells great! An easy homemade laundry soap that only costs pennies a load. {Pin this recipe}

Tortilla Pizzas – This incredible Tortilla Pizza recipe comes together in just a few minutes with only a few ingredients. Perfect for fast dinners or snacks, they’re even easy enough for kids to make their own. {Pin this recipe}

The Five Most Popular Posts This Week

Lots of people were getting un-lit on our Virgin Mojito this week. Let’s take a look at the other top posts y’all were enjoying.

1. Air Fryer Egg Rolls – as always, non-air fryer instructions are included in the post.  {Pin this recipe}
2. Instant Pot Beef Tips – non-Instant Pot instructions are includes in the post.  {Pin this recipe}
3. Air Fryer Pickles – as always, non-air fryer instructions are included in the post.  {Pin this recipe}
4. Homemade Honey Wheat Bread  {Pin this recipe}
5. How to Freeze Spinach  {Pin this tutorial}

Meal Plan

Monday:: Fried Gnocchi and Veggies. We have everything in the freezer/pantry and it’s a no brainer.

Tuesday:: Takeout to support a local small business.

Wednesday:: An old recipe I am re-photographing paired with a NEW recipe. Yay!

Thursday:: Instant Pot Chicken and Dumplings. The kids love it, it’s easy, and I can just push a few buttons and walk TF away.

Friday:: Popcorn, leftovers, and movie night.

Saturday:: Takeout to support a local small business.

Sunday:: Easter dinner. Sadly, we’re not celebrating with family this year. I ordered a ham from a local butcher, and we’ll make a few sides.

What We Bought This Week

Smith Brother Farms (our milkman): $45.92. I definitely increased my order this week to stock the fridge/freezer and stay TF out of the stores.

Costco: $118  (my sister went and kindly took our list so we not only limited exposure with how many people were in the store but made it easier for people who NEEDED groceries to shop).

FarmBox Direct – they sent me a sample to try and everything was wonderful! If you’re trying to get fresh produce delivered, definitely take a look at FarmBox Direct.

What are you having this week?

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