Light My Fire

     Oh the things we do for love. Moving across country, buying flowers, making dinner that has very spicy peppers involved, buying expensive gifts, just to name a few. It was in the name of love and hunger that I decided working with jalapenos and habanero peppers was a great way to spice up a meal. This adventure was admittedly not my finest hour. If it hadn't been for love I would not have danced the burning tango with capsaicin. For non pepper lovers, capsaicin is a lovely component of peppers that produces a burning sensation. This sensation was evident all over my hands because without thinking of my poor sensitive skin I roasted and cut into these peppers without gloves. After working with the peppers I did wash my hands several times but to no avail. During a hot shower which opened the pores of my skin I transformed into Lobster Hands. This is akin to "hulking out" I may not have been angry but I looked the part. For most of the evening I sat around holding an ice pack and trying to lay a guilt trip on Steven. Bearing a close resemblance to Spock the guilt trip had no effect. Instead he made me dunk my hands in cold milk and alka seltzer which actually improved things. I also tried using a sea salt scrub, cooling hand cream, and aloe vera gel. The things we do for love.

      Thankfully, my alter ego Lobster Hands was soothed by Monday and I felt relatively normal. The next time someone wants salsa, he can march his ass down the street and fetch it himself. Love ya +Steven Larizza , mean it :)!

An Ode to Coffee

    Ok y'all tomorrow is the first day of Spring semester and I am kinda nervous but really excited. I will be taking two classes which totals six hours of coursework which will leave me with only two more classes till I graduate with my M.A. I am only slightly nervous because school, work, and physical therapy is a lot to put on my plate. My major goals are to make A's and keep my knee healthy and happy. I have a feeling that coffee will be my hero this semester followed with a close second to healthy food. So here a few memes that deal with my love and appreciation of coffee.

Friday at PT

Both my PTA's now want to read this book :).

   When i go to PT I always take headphones and a book to keep me company. Listening to music during my workout keeps me focused on form and not on pain. I am a sucker for a good read and a book comes in handy when I am on the bike or hooked up to E-Stem with ice. Last week I took two different books to PT and did not expect the excited reactions out of Zach and Kenneth (physical therapy assistants). As I am reading my book on torture both PTA's are looking over my shoulder asking a million questions about what I am reading. I couldn't help but giggle with delight as these two guys became ever more engrossed with my book.
   As a graduate student I will have an exit interview in front of a panel of professors in the criminology field. So, to start preparing for this interview I have started reading about two subjects. 1) being torture/interrogation tactics from the Cold War vs what is being done today and 2) Teen behavior and the law.

     The second book I brought was merely for fun reading. It's a book written by a woman who was married to a psychopath for nearly nine years. This courageous woman also changed the divorce law in California, so that victim's of spousal abuse do not have to pay alimony or lawyer's fees for their attacker. Both books are great reads and I highly recommend everyone to check them out.

My Saturday

     It is a gorgeous sunny Saturday in dusty Odessa. This weekend my goal is to watch too much Netflix (not unusual), cook maybe two more meals, and ice. Seriously I need to ice for the rest of the weekend to get rid of my baby knee bump. This is not a good look for me. Being the only cook around here can really suck when the meal is complicated and requires me to stand around for over an hour. However, I am finally done making the steak queso burritos my darling spouse has been bellowing like a water buffalo about. At least he is way cuter than a water buffalo and I get free tech support.

     I am pretty nervous about Monday and my school/work schedule. Basically I will be at work Monday & Wednesday from 8 am- 5 pm which is not a big deal. Then on those same days I get to go to two classes which means I leave campus at 10 pm. Dear sweet baby Jesus bring on the French Market coffee and a lot of gumption. On the plus side after this semester I will only need 2 more classes to graduate with my M.A.! PT will have to be on Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday and of course I have to have symphony practice on Tuesday nights. (I play the violin)

    This next semester will be a ball buster. I feel like my new ACL is an infant and thus needs time and attention. So, technically I am a new mom going back to school and working. This thought makes me laugh my butt off, it really is the little things.

Yes Please!

Burritos and Coffee

    So it's 10 pm here in the bustling metropolis that is Odessa Texas (totally kidding about the metropolis thing) and I am roasting poblano peppers. They smell utterly fantastic and will taste wildly good in the queso I'm making for +Steven Larizza. I better be earning some serious wife points for staying up past my bedtime making homemade steak queso burritos. His favorite restaurant Qdoba is back in Virginia along with his beloved burritos. So I brewed some French Market coffee with almond milk to help me stay up for the next few hours. This burrito will contain chopped steak, queso, jasmine lime rice, habanero sauce, and pinto beans. Can you dig this? Tons of wifey points being made here y'all.

    As I stay up with my coffee and ingredients I cannot help but think of my soul sister +Shawntee DesaRay Goff who is going through some adversity. However, I have the utmost faith that she will be able to handle whatever is thrown at her. I have always said that I am truly blessed by knowing her and her beautiful soul. This woman will move mountains one day and be an inspiration to many people. This lovely gal is a loud mouthed, loving, feisty, and intelligent human being who will bake a cake in a crisis and give you courage to face anything. During some of the hardest times in my life she has stood by me, when many abandoned me. If words could heal a broken heart or act as a salve to soothe an emotional wound, I would write for an eternity to brighten up this darling woman.
 
    +Shawntee DesaRay Goff know that you are loved and needed in this world. Your family is very blessed to have you in their corner. Remember you have this tiny viking in your corner and that God will give you unfailing strength to bear. Love you sis! xoxoxoxo

P.S. I totally talked about food but I know you will eventually forgive me ;)

I just want to play in salt water

      Thursday, January 9, I will be a month post-op and of course all I want to do is jump on a paddle board somewhere in the ocean. Maybe such a strong urge will help me to get through the more difficult parts of my recovery or maybe I'm just impatient. When I lived in Virginia, I was only 10 minutes from the beach and could play in the salt water anytime I wanted. Whenever I went paddle-boarding or for a swim my knee always felt better, I always felt better.

     For now I'm waiting for the warm weather to come back around and hopefully my new ACL will be ready for a test ride.

In the meantime Steven should buy me this.

Baby It's Cold Outside...Let's Make Stew!

     My darling +Steven Larizza told me over lunch today "I have a tip for your cooking. Stop using ingredients that I don't recognize". After I stopped laughing and being momentarily offended, I started considering his suggestion. My husband's palate isn't exactly grandiose and maybe he had a point with his suggestion. All I really want is to make cooking at home the new normal instead of eating out several times a week. So, tonight I decided to make a stew. A normal meat and vegetable stew that is loaded with amazing but recognizable ingredients. This way we both get what we want and need. It's flipping 16 degrees outside and stew sounded amazing when I began brainstorming about what to make for dinner. I get lots of yummy vegetables and mega protein while Steven gets a tasty home cooked meal with stuff he can name. Team Larizza for the win!

All my delicious ingredients: ground chuck, celery, carrots, red & yellow bell pepper, yellow onion, red potatoes, tomato paste, stewed tomatoes, oregano, garlic, red pepper, parsley, salt, and pepper.

I love a little color in my meals.

Simmering success :)

The final product, Team Larizza for the win!

Red potatoes.