tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57225599186476617182024-02-20T16:52:24.071-08:00Auntie V's Life and CookeryFinding Peace through writing about life experiences: the grande and the awful, sharing my love and passion for hope and faith in the improvement of the spirit and body through healthful food and nutrition, art, communication, love expression, rhythm, music, gardening, cooking and yes, the occasional rant. Step inside and take a ride, or a chill break.Victoria Harthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03704964021598202942noreply@blogger.comBlogger95125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5722559918647661718.post-67568144125231837042014-03-04T17:30:00.001-08:002014-03-04T17:44:40.037-08:00TODAY I AM ONLY HUMAN
Today I took my rescue pup out on a hike, because I couldn't manage my emotions in any other way than ignoring them and giving a gift to someone other than myself. It did help, but the sun has fallen and my spirit is singing a sad song to me once again.
To catch you up on things, I had my bilateral mastectomy and reconstruction surgery, that's 2 surgeries, the first in September and the Victoria Harthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03704964021598202942noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5722559918647661718.post-33641280995796565212013-07-28T22:50:00.003-07:002013-07-28T22:50:58.188-07:00DISTRACTION AND REFLECTION; ME AND CANCERMy bilateral mastectomy is just a little over a month away on September 4th. This is a curious time, I'm not too interested in talking about the "cancer" or the "surgery" right now; I'm certain this is yet another coping mechanism to protect me from the scariness and the surrender that I know I would resist if I gave the surgery too much thinking energy. I, also, cannot bear to hear anyone speak Victoria Harthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03704964021598202942noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5722559918647661718.post-11088303006438568242013-07-03T22:41:00.002-07:002013-07-05T23:35:28.549-07:00"HONEY, THERE'S A STORM COMING"Okay, so it's true that I haven't posted here in a while, well, since March. That's when my life changed and things won't ever quite be the same for me. I was diagnosed with breast cancer in April. But, let me back up a bit. Three years ago, my mother was diagnosed with invasive breast cancer, with that I sought out genetic testing, which meant I had to meet with a genetic counselor after first Victoria Harthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03704964021598202942noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5722559918647661718.post-73110302730170570732013-03-12T20:28:00.001-07:002013-03-12T20:28:32.159-07:00JALAPENO CHEDDAR CORNBREADMy brother, Gary, and I ate a load of cornbread and beans as children. This was one of our Mother's favorite meals and she made it a lot. We didn't have much choice in the matter, so as my Mother would say, "if you are hungry, you will eat it"...so we did, mostly. My brother can barely even stand to speak of beans to this day, but cornbread, well, that is another story. This recipe post is for Victoria Harthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03704964021598202942noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5722559918647661718.post-79524400604605216542012-08-17T12:26:00.000-07:002012-08-17T12:26:28.947-07:00WATERMELON SALAD WITH MINTThis is a great option for watermelon in the summer, when there is so much delicious watermelon around. I recently took this to a gathering of my artists friends and everyone said they expected it to be tomatoes! Yes, you could make this with tomatoes and basil, instead of mint and watermelon, if you do change out the feta for mozzarella and celebrate Caprese style! Hope you enjoy this, it is Victoria Harthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03704964021598202942noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5722559918647661718.post-46891763572892063672012-08-08T20:17:00.001-07:002012-08-08T20:22:40.940-07:00Love and Peace of Mind--MY SAVIORS...."Love and Peace of Mind do protect us, they allow us to overcome the problems that life hands us.
they teach us to survive...to live now...to have the courage to confront each day and utilize our pain and
suffering as motivators and redirectors.
..."Illness and death are not signs of failure; what is a failure, is not living."
----Bernie Siegel
I spent many a day in the years of Victoria Harthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03704964021598202942noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5722559918647661718.post-16372761864561494832012-07-25T20:24:00.001-07:002012-07-25T20:24:44.628-07:00I HAVE HOPE FOR THE HUMAN RACEIt has been a tragic summer in Colorado. We have had several wild fires due to the drought and severely high temperatures for the state. Worse still, last week, we as a state, were once again victims of a mass shooting. This is the 3rd tragedy of this kind since I moved here in 1993...the Chucky Cheese shooting, Columbine, and this week's, Aurora shooting.
I hesitate to blog about it, as I have Victoria Harthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03704964021598202942noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5722559918647661718.post-48792460946304707442012-07-17T20:49:00.001-07:002012-07-17T20:49:06.318-07:00G'S BALLSMy husband recently started making these protein balls; he's begun an even advanced version of a healthy lifestyle lately. Everyone loves these. The ingredients are easily interchangeable, so you can add and subtract to your liking and create your own balls! We have made 3 different versions so far and, still, YUM!
You can easily pat these into a cake pan and make bars instead of rolling into Victoria Harthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03704964021598202942noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5722559918647661718.post-10539435223512437642012-07-10T21:15:00.000-07:002012-07-10T21:15:13.952-07:00Me and My ART
Art is a relatively new world for me, following a head injury, I found I was only able to fully function when I was creating something. The world of art was a gift from a tragedy. Clay was introduced to me as a potential healing medium and healing it was.
Nearly 2 years ago, I began studying ceramic sculpture. Always true to my nature to find ways to express myself as a witness to my life Victoria Harthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03704964021598202942noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5722559918647661718.post-22523101069794474692012-07-05T21:08:00.001-07:002012-08-14T18:44:48.170-07:00Viktor Frankl: My Search For MeaningViktor Frankl's book, "Search For Meaning," was the first book I picked up following the murder of my sister. When you are struggling to understand a moment in your life, a loss of any kind, I would recommend reading this book. Stand still and reflect on what really matters in your life, in this moment, without looking back or forward, without judgment, stand still and breath in and out; Victoria Harthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03704964021598202942noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5722559918647661718.post-79529603208234725182012-06-26T21:05:00.004-07:002012-06-26T21:05:53.820-07:00COLORADO IS BURNINGTHIS IS THE HEADLINE ON THE T.V.
ANXIETY FILLS THE AIR ALONG WITH THE SMOKE
WE WATCH HELPLESS AND FEARFUL FOR OUR NEIGHBORS AND OURSELVES
WE PRAY FOR RAIN
WE PRAY FOR FREEDOM FROM THE SUFFERING IN OUR BEAUTIFUL STATE
WE PRAY FOR FIRE FIGHTERS WHO FIGHT SELFLESSLY FOR OUR LIVES
WE FEEL SORROW FOR THOSE EVACUATED AND HOMELESS
WE WATCH AS THEY WORRY FOR THE STATE OF THEIR HOMES
WE ACHE FOR THEM
WE Victoria Harthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03704964021598202942noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5722559918647661718.post-90345654649863214982012-06-26T20:39:00.001-07:002012-06-26T20:39:26.519-07:00Yummy Healthy Quinoa SaladQuinoa is a high energy seed used as a grain that is easy to digest. It is a complete protein, meaning it has all of the essential amino acids to protein building in the body. It contains more calcium than milk, equals milk's protein content, and is high in the amino acid lysine--needed to lower cholesterol, for collagen production, important for bones and connective tissues including the skin, Victoria Harthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03704964021598202942noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5722559918647661718.post-42233150216471526312012-06-08T23:06:00.000-07:002012-06-08T23:06:04.909-07:00BASEBALL AND WHAT IT TAUGHT ME.
This is short today, but my words run deep from experience.
Life is certainly unpredictable. Plans don't always happen and the worst, most unimaginable tragedies sometimes do. Life throws curve balls and my best advice to you is this: SWING, SWING ANYWAY, put your fear aside, close your jaw from the surprise, bandage your pain, and SWING AWAY! SWING AWAY! Play the game, always play Victoria Harthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03704964021598202942noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5722559918647661718.post-71974127692516950842012-06-04T21:26:00.000-07:002012-06-04T21:26:15.308-07:00Flu-Fighter CookiesBelieve it or not, I recently had a flu bug, yes, in June! I found this recipe online and truly the spices and flavors, the fruit and texture, were amazing. I don't know if they helped me get well, but I sure felt better while I was eating them!
Ingredients
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon Victoria Harthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03704964021598202942noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5722559918647661718.post-10703534070507424922012-05-31T22:24:00.002-07:002012-05-31T22:24:51.606-07:00OATMEAL CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES
I've been so very busy with preparing for my first gallery exhibit that my husband has stepped up to the kitchen and prepared dinner many nights and, yes, even oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. These were spectacular, so much so that I wanted to share with you all.
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup margarine or butter, softened
1/4 cup shortening
1/2 teaspoon baking Victoria Harthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03704964021598202942noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5722559918647661718.post-75566444874519016372012-05-27T20:24:00.000-07:002012-05-27T20:24:14.654-07:00Ceramic Sculpture Healing!I am excited and honored to be fortunate enough to have my first gallery exhibition coming up next month for my ceramic sculpture. Blessed am I to have developed artistic abilities after having suffered a traumatic brain injury a few years back. Prior to this injury, I was not, in the least, artistic. I have no formative artistic education and cannot to this day draw a figure form. Following my Victoria Harthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03704964021598202942noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5722559918647661718.post-29243107546337840922012-05-20T21:21:00.002-07:002012-05-20T21:21:48.374-07:00FARRO SALAD with Tomatoes and HerbsSpring is an ideal time for salads made of grains. Farro is a type of wheat that is a great source of protein and iron, as well as fiber. This is the recipe we tried most recently and are looking forward to using farro in other combinations. Hope you enjoy it!
FARRO SALAD WITH TOMATOES AND HERBS
4 cups of water
12 oz farro
2 tsp salt
1 pound tomatoes chopped
1/2 sweet onion chopped (ideallyVictoria Harthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03704964021598202942noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5722559918647661718.post-92102365011588927522012-05-15T22:28:00.000-07:002012-05-15T22:28:36.197-07:00PRACTICING PEACE
Sometimes everything is right, the air is easy to breath in and out and life is mundane and sweet...and then in walks someone with their drama into your easy peace and dumps a bucket of slop on you; try to get that off. Really, some folks have so much attachment to the drama in their life they stockpile it, carry it around everywhere, and when they notice you, apparently, have none, theyVictoria Harthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03704964021598202942noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5722559918647661718.post-51091780532157868502012-05-10T10:36:00.000-07:002012-05-10T10:36:16.297-07:00Worth "Thinking" About
The work never ends you know....We are imperfect, but we can strive everyday to be better, kinder, more compassionate, more outside of ourselves, less about what we need and more about caring and helping those within our reach. Reaching this higher place takes constant attention and observation of one's thoughts and actions, which then may again lead one back to egocentric thinking, be Victoria Harthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03704964021598202942noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5722559918647661718.post-17105031346799537042012-04-30T20:05:00.001-07:002012-05-01T16:01:39.978-07:00Chronically Human
Recently a friend of mine and I were discussing her new health challenges, after so many years of being fortunate with great health, she now was facing a diagnosis which required her to make significant life changes. She was complaining to me about how difficult the change was for her and then, with a rather smart tone, told me how it was so much easier for me because I'd been in really Victoria Harthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03704964021598202942noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5722559918647661718.post-56424964315610250862012-04-23T19:23:00.001-07:002012-04-23T19:23:44.973-07:00GOOD TO REMEMBER, FOLLOW, AND PASS ALONG
FORGIVE THEM ANYWAY
1. The version found written on the wall in Mother Teresa's home for children in Calcutta:
People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered. Forgive them anyway.
If you are kind, people mayVictoria Harthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03704964021598202942noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5722559918647661718.post-11225651076020684052012-04-15T20:30:00.001-07:002012-04-15T20:30:10.221-07:00Homemade Chicken Soup--My Way.I made my homemade chicken soup today. I'm feeling a bit flu-like and really just couldn't manage to think of possibly eating anything else. I made a large amount, I thought, but, most of it was eaten by my family. I hope you find it an easy go-to recipe for your under-the-weather days and enjoy...to good health!
Homemade Chicken Soup, Victoria's Way
1 red onion diced
4 stalks celery, with Victoria Harthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03704964021598202942noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5722559918647661718.post-17685420545702636522012-04-10T18:47:00.002-07:002012-04-10T18:47:56.481-07:00Grief in the Life of Spring
I have grief today. It never ends on surprising me with it’s presence, coming silently with the force of a raging river. The more I struggle to ignore it, the louder it’s scream. So, I write. My younger half-sister was here to visit last week and it seems it came with her, along with a jagged anxiety which I can’t seem to shake either. The darkness, the emptiness, the loneliness, that Victoria Harthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03704964021598202942noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5722559918647661718.post-22729731349659013282012-03-26T21:10:00.002-07:002012-03-26T21:10:46.674-07:00Chronic Illness and Suicide
I found myself in a conversation a few days ago with other chronically ill women and we were talking about that old taboo subject of suicide. You might find that peculiar, absurd, ridiculous, sinful, or just not something you would ever entertain. We didn't find it to be any of those things. In fact, to us, it was as normal as any other mediocre conversation one might have anywhere, anytimeVictoria Harthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03704964021598202942noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5722559918647661718.post-87627031464164544862012-03-20T21:30:00.027-07:002012-03-21T04:38:59.455-07:00What I Know About ForgivenessForgiveness. Google that and you'll find 56,200,000 results. It is no wonder so many are asking "how" to forgive and what does forgiveness entail; maybe the answer lies with the individual. Recently, I found myself in a discussion, once again, on how does one forgive. This question was presented by a friend of mine suffering to forgive her father for molesting her as a child. I was compelled to Victoria Harthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03704964021598202942noreply@blogger.com2