The Lovers’ Rose

I’m excited to be nominated for the MYSTERY BLOGGER AWARD although I have no idea what MYSTERY BLOGGER AWARD is. This is the first time I received a nomination for any award at WordPress. It was a big surprise and I want to thank FortySomethingHeyHey for nominating me. Check her blog which is about Life is a Journey. It’s nice to be recognized by my fellow bloggers but a visit and a comment are good enough for me. I do appreciate the nomination very much but for now I would like to have my blog as Award Free Blog.

I still feel obligated to answer the following:

Three things about me:

I have lived all my life in four different islands but never learned how to swim.
When I passed my C.P.A. board exam, I was the first graduate from my university to earn the C.P.A. designation and earned a plague posted at the university hall for my achievement.
At 23, in spite of not knowing anyone at the Big Apple, I arrived in New York as a legal immigrant with a P-3 visa (professional, took me a two-year wait) with $100 and a suitcase, landed a job as Jr. Accountant at ITT Corporation the first week after my arrival (three days actually) but told my employer I needed another week to acquaint myself with the City.

Answers to questions asked by FortySomethingHeyHey:

How do you act if you see a big spider?

I’m not arachnophobic (fear of spider). Spiders do not bother me. A big one might surprise me. I most likely will get a broom or something and hit it. My youngest son got bitten by a big brown flesh-eating spider and ended in emergency. This one might scare me a bit for the injury it can create. It’s really a nasty creature.

Dog or cat person?

Dog person. A dog named Dallas saved my life. Read this blog – “How I conquered my fear of dogs.” about Dallas.

Are you content with your life?

Yes except for one thing. I want a piano and learn how to play the piano. Still a dream for me.

Do you have any hobbies?

Reading and Gardening. Reading provides me an escape from the realities of life and gardening gives me a break from all the non-stop projects I seem to get myself involved with.

Will you bungee jump?

No. I’m afraid of height. I want to keep my feet on the ground. I don’t even like plane ride.

Thanks again FortysomethingHeyHey for nominating me.

Until next time. Stop and smell the roses.

Rosalinda

than

Cheesecake Anyone?

On 9 Oct 2018 By SCLMRoseIn #amblogging, #amcooking, #Author's Life, #eats, Blogging, Cheesecake Recipe, DessertsLeave a comment

For nothing better to do today, I decided to try my hand on baking a cheesecake. I saw this recipe months ago and clipped it.

Ingredients:

7 oz. pkg. cannoli shells

3 tbsp unsalted butter melted

2 tbsp sugar

4 cups whole milk ricotta cheese

1 ½ cups sugar

¼ c flour

½ whipping cream

2 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 tsp orange zest

5 large eggs

1/3 mini chocolate chips

Confectioner sugar for sprinkling

A handful of chocolate chips for sprinkling

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9 inch springform pan with parchment.
Crush cannoli shells (food processor works best), add butter and 2 tablespoons sugar and continue to pulse until med-fine crumbs
Press crumbs firmly onto bottom of pan. Bake 10 minutes. Let cool.
Beat ricotta cheese, remaining sugar and flour in bowl of electric mixer on medium until well blended. Add whipping cream, vanilla, zest and chocolate chips. Mix well. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing just until blended after each addition. Pour over crust.
Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes, then sprinkle top with a handful of chocolate chips delicately, pressing chips in lightly. Continue to bake 10 more minutes or until center is almost set. Run knife around rim of pan to loosen cake.
Cool before removing rim of pan. Refrigerate for 4 hours or more. Before serving sprinkle with confectioner sugar.
Top with whipped cream if desired. Store leftovers in refrigerator. Serves. 10.

Please note:

I don’t usually follow any given recipe. Somehow I always tweak it to suit what I have on hand in the kitchen. Same thing happened here when I baked this Cannoli Chocolate Cheesecake.

I didn’t have all the ingredients on hand so I improvised. Since I didn’t have cannoli shells, I used 16 ice cream sugar cones instead. I also used regular butter, not unsalted. For whipping cream, I used Cool Whip. For orange zest, I used the orange zest from the Orange malmalade. I added the last ingredient which was not in the original recipe.

I’m not a baker also so I don’t own all the baker’s gadgets so I also improvised. I don’t have a food processor so I crushed the ice cream cone inside a zip lock bag and mixed everything by hand using big wooden spoon.

They came out pretty good and quite delicious. Not bad for a first try.

Until next time. Stop and smell the roses.

Rosalinda Morgan

Chronic Kidney Disease

On 1 Feb 20182 Feb 2018 By SCLMRoseIn #Inspirational, #PositiveThinking, #ThursdayThoughts, Blogging, Chronic Kidney Disease3 Comments

Dialysis Machine — Photo Credit – Fresenius Medical Care

Two years ago to the day, Feb. 1, 2016, my husband was diagnosed with Chronic Kidney Disease. He was not feeling well for months and his doctors could not figure out why. He was so sick that day, that I insisted I take him to emergency.

Within half an hour after he was wheeled to emergency, I was told he had to go to ICU. All his numbers at all tests were out of whack. That’s how bad he was. Long story short, he has been on dialysis ever since. I opted for home dialysis because I could not take it going to the clinic three times a week. This way, I can hook him up to his machine at night for 12 hours straight and I can still have my day free.

There are five stages of chronic kidney disease and unfortunately, he has Stage 5 End Stage Renal Disease. It sounds terrible but it’s the fact. He has no kidney function whatsoever. Death is such a morbid topic but I’m realistic. I told him he cannot go yet. I’m not ready. I stay positive. We used to joke about it. He said he did not think this was part of the deal when we got married. Well, for better, or for worst, in sickness and in health. . .

Here are some facts about Chronic Kidney Disease per the National Kidney Foundation:

26 million American adults have CKD and millions of others are at increased risk.

Early detection can help prevent the progression of kidney disease to kidney failure.

Heart disease is the major cause of death for all people with CKD.

Hypertension causes CKD and CKD causes hypertension.

Persistent proteinuria (protein in the urine) means CKD is present.

High risk groups include those with diabetes, hypertension and family history of kidney failure.

African Americans, Hispanics, Pacific Islanders, American Indians and Seniors are at increased risk.

Two simple tests can detect CKD: blood pressure, urine albumin and serum creatinine.

When we go to the clinic for his monthly check up, I’m amazed at how many people are undergoing treatment. Help us battle kidney disease. Many Americans know nothing about kidney disease until it is too late.

Stay healthy, eat the right food (stay away from salty food), exercise and have a positive mental attitude.

Until next time. Stop and Smell the Roses.

Rosalinda