Bipolar check in #39

Thanks, Jennifer and Fern! I hope it is good. I've made this cake before, but with lemon zest instead of cinnamon. Hubby liked the lemon zest, but I decided to go the cinnamon route this time. Plus, I used some almond extract with the vanilla extract instead of just the vanilla. I love almond flavoring.

Last week I made a Christmas cookie, but was smart enough to send most to my husband's workplace with him. I mentioned these last week, but with no photo. They came out great! They are a cookie based on the favorite of Emperor Franz Joseph I of the former Austro-Hungarian empire. It's a chocolate almond sandwich cookie with a hint of lemon and cinnamon, with a filling of raspberry preserves and rum ground hazelnuts. Then tops dipped in bittersweet chocolate with nut decoration. They're called Ischel Spa Torte cookies. I'm yet to make the most involved Czech Christmas cookie.

Morning all! It’s another beautiful warm-to-hot day here.

BirdDancer, those cookies look yum.

I’m off to the podiatrist today. Both my big toes have ingrown toenails. They’ve been causing me some grief for some time now so finally made an appointment.
Hope everyone is having an ok day. Hugs to those who need them.

I'll take a dozen of those too!

The most involved Christmas cookie I make is sugar cookies. Ha! My kids make them with me and the 'involved' part is dealing with the cleanup after they throw all of the flour and icing about the kitchen while they work. We have fun though and everyone loves them.

You're really an artist BirdDancer. You'd be a lot of fun to hang out in the kitchen with. I could learn so much from you.

Fern, you are lucky to have those special times baking with your kids. I have special memories baking with my mom.

I'm working on the aesthetic part of my baking. I'm weaker at that than getting the creations to taste good. Several months back, I made the most difficult cake of my life. It was meant to be a replica of the top of my wedding cake. I about had a nervous breakdown making it, especially getting the marzipan sheet on top perfectly. I had to totally redo the marzipan rolling. The more you work it, the lower the quality. I managed on the third try. I cried afterwards. I later took an adult school class in "Working with Fondant". That was fun! Kids would love working with fondant to decorate cupcakes or cookies. You just need the right fondant decorating tools/cutters (47-piece sets for $15), store-bought fondant, and some food coloring. Marzipan works similarly to fondant and actually tastes even better. I think kids would find it even more fun and satisfying to play with than Play-Doh.

Wow! What an adventure to take on. I can see needing s good cry after that.

I bet you're right. They would love working with fondant. They watch shows on YouTube of people making all kinds of fun and elaborate cupcakes. They also love to mimic them with their play doh

One of our favorite things to do is watch the videos on the SoYummy YouTube channel. They make a wonderful mix of desserts and it is all set to music. We watch them a lot of times before bed. My kids go to sleep with sweets on their mind

I should have added before... You are absolutely right about those memories. I'm carrying on the tradition. I learned to make sugar cookies with my mom. I also love letting them help out with Thanksgiving the way I did when I was a little girl

They look incredible! I’m not even up to sugar cookies. I remain impressed with your skill.

That's wonderful! Learning how to prepare a Thanksgiving dinner is a major triumph for any young cook. It may still take a number of Thanksgivings working with you, but someday they will be able to put such a dinner on their tables for you.

Feeling very ill with stomach problems. Trauma issues have come back full force so I think my stomach pain/digestive problems are due to that. It got a lot worse after seeing my T yesterday. It was an intense session.

So, today I’m lying low. This is an awful experience, but I sense I’m making progress in therapy. The mind-body connection is powerful. I need to find ways to vent these emotions in a healthy way. On Friday the weather is heating up ( close to 100’F) so I a as m hoping to be well enough to get to the beach. Screaming underwater always helps with stress.

Is your trauma related to feelings of powerlessness? The area of the body you are experiencing issues in is your power center. It can become inbalanced as we process power struggle issues.

I'm sorry you are going through this. You are spot on about the mind body connection. I love to scream underwater. It feels great!

I saw my T today.

Also chatted via text with my sis about Thanksgiving. (Yes, she's doing better though I'd not say stable.)

@BirdDancer: Happy to hear of your adventures in the kitchen and your creations look wonderful! I also have wonderful memories of baking with my mom. She used to drag a kitchen chair over to the counter and my little sister and i were so small we could both stand on the one chair and watch her create. Her hands were so swift and sure. Baking is an art!

@fern46: Happy to hear of you baking with your children and sharing baking videos. They'll have happy memories of this.

@Nammu: I hear you about the snow. I am joyous when it first falls but happy to see it go in the Spring. We will have our first snowfall tomorrow! Should be glorious! My dog is soooooooo excited by the snow! She runs around like a madman!

My doctor got back to me and approved my request for PRN Seroquel and i feel a lot better today. I got my dog's nails trimmed at the vet and it went well except the neighbor who drove us was passive aggressive, i felt. Whatever, if she doesn't want to drive us it's okay. I will figure something else out. Seems everyone is happy to help us with rides at first but not for very long. Sure wish she'd been direct and clear about not wanting to drive us anymore but i got the message.

There's a coffee social in the building tomorrow and i would like to go and have fun but i ate like an idiot today and had acute bathroom woes and feel i'd better keep to myself and focus on staying calm and eating healthy. If i get too excited i make bad food choices. I've got to stay calm for my Overeaters Anonymous (OA) meeting on Friday evening. I really think they can help me!

Prednisone ended up really helping my lung issues. While I hate the drug I do enjoy breathing

I used to make alkinds of cookies but now-a-days my cookie making is confined to buying tubes of dough and slicing them up to put on pans.

I’m so glad you had a good day

Mine winter should arrive Friday night. I do not approve of this , it can just stay away !!!!! I want more Fall, please

Oh damn !!!! I need that in my life tonight. Beautiful!

You most certainly a wicked talented chef of all things and should shop open up a home shop of such beautiful cookies.

I went to my eye dr and found out I can get the same frame that I had before for only $50 so then I will have a new frame and I can just transfer the lenses. That saves me a lot of money! The lenses are what cost the most for me bc my prescription is so high. So I am happy. RS super glued my broken ones back together so I can wear them, but I am afraid they will fall apart again so I am keeping my spare pair in my purse just in case.

I had a nice day today. I played Yahtzee with my son and got two Yahtzee’s and won the game. Tomorrow hopefully the trampoline park is open.

We bought our Christmas tree and ornaments today. Yes, we are early but I wanted to get one before they were all gone! We went to big lots and got one for $48. RS is not happy with it. He liked a different one but they didn’t have that one in stock so I convinced him that the smaller tree was fine.

RS is going fishing on Saturday which kind of annoys me bc he’s been gone all day on Saturday for three saturdays in a month. He spent last Saturday with me and my mom for her birthday party but other than that it’s been truck shows and car shows and now fishing. And I wouldn’t be annoyed if it wasn’t for the fact that he usually has to work his second job on sundays so it makes it that I can’t see him all weekend. Ah well. On the fifteenth through the seventeenth we are going away to the mountains for our anniversary so I’ll get to spend time with him then!

Hope your appt went well!! I have 2 I really need to get taken care of one day. But the thought makes me cringe ... does it hurt a lot ?