Sunday Mornings at Home
Happy Sunday, everyone…welcome to Sunday Mornings at Home.
This is a different Sunday Mornings at Home for me; but, nevertheless, I am here, joyful, and hopeful!
Today, I will share with you moments of the first week after foot surgery…recipes…and what’s on my mind this week.
The opening picture depicts a little reading I did this week in the Magnolia Journal Winter Edition, and my cozy Rachel Zoe blanket from Marshall’s...it is amazing for comfort and cozy snuggles….click for more.
I love to buy blankets and throws at Marshall’s…the price is always great for quality brands. This is my new favorite…gave my old favorite to our dog, Tux.
My cozy blankets always disappear with grandchildren, so I replenish often.
No matter their age, the grandchildren always want to snuggle at our house under a soft, soft blanket.
So, get your own cozy throw and warm beverage…and let’s get started with Sunday Mornings at Home.
SUNDAY MORNINGS AT HOME: WEEK #1
First of all, your constant encouragement and prayers have blessed me so much, and early on, kept me going.
For everyone who said the beginning is difficult…you were, of course, correct.
Adjusting to the pain and the lack of ability to move has been challenging for me and for Mr. B….remember to pray for him also.
They were planning to put five pins in my toes, but I have only three. I do not return to the doctor until next Tuesday and will find out more then.
With that said, I do believe by following doctor’s orders and using the pain meds, the pain has been manageable.
The pins actually look like push pins coming out of the toes.
The knee cart is great and I am so glad that I have it.
We also use the crutches and a walker. The walker was loaned to me from a wonderful family member and it has been helpful…..(thanks Jaime!)
Getting up and off chairs and couches is the biggest challenge and I know Mr. B’s back must be screaming at him.
He is trooper and must get weary. He is also doing all of my care and working from home.
Ice bags are helping with swelling as well as making sure the foot is elevated.
I am pleased at how good I have felt aside from the pain…my “building immunity” plan seams to be serving me well again.
As I progress through this, I will share the lessons learned…for week one, the lesson has been to trust the doctor and be content to be still.
SUNDAY MORNINGS AT HOME: SWEET GIFTS
It is always such a blessing to have loved ones drop by with flowers, candles, lotions, and reading material.
Oh yes…and with a walker!
My sweet friend, Karen, brought a wonderful meal of soup and cornbread.
It was delicious and both of us were super appreciative…I made sure to get this recipe.
BLACK BEAN AND CHICKEN LOW FAT SOUP
8 oz. boneless chicken breast, chopped to bite size pieces
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1/4 cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/8 tsp. crushed red pepper
4 cups low-fat chicken broth
1 15-oz can of corn, undrained
1 15 oz can black beans, drained
1 14 1/2 oz can Mexican stewed tomatoes
Saute chicken in oil. Cook chopped onion, garlic, and all spices with chicken. Stir in broth and vegetables. Bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
She brought us an avocado to chop on the top of the soup.
LOADED CORN BREAD
3 cups of corn bread mix (3 packages of muffin mix)
2 cups milk
2 cups grated cheddar cheese (med or sharp)
1 can shoe peg corn, drained (10 oz)
8 jalapeno slices, chopped, no seeds
2 eggs
1/2 cup oil, heat in microwave before pouring into batter.
Bake 350 for 45 min in greased 9 X 13 pan.
It is such a blessing to have friends and family show up with assistance! Thank you to all.
SUNDAY MORNINGS AT HOME: RECIPE FROM A READER
A member of this amazing blog community, Marcia, sent along her recipe for this Apple-Cranberry Casserole and it sounds so good!
Thanks to Marcia for sharing…and I would love to have more recipes and holiday decorations from this audience…just send to over50feeling40@gmail.com.
I am going to make this one!
APPLE-CRANBERRY CASSEROLE
3 cups apples, peeled and sliced
1 cup whole fresh cranberries
½ cup sugar (or a bit less, according to taste)
½ tsp cinnamon
1 Tbls flour
Mix together and place in a 10-12 inch round casserole.
Topping:
½ cup brown sugar
1 cup chopped walnuts
4 Tbls butter
Dash of salt
½ tsp cinnamon
Cut butter into ingredients until mixed together like crumbs. Sprinkle over apple mixture. Bake casserole uncovered at 350 for 40-45 minutes, or until cranberries pop open and mixture is bubbling.
Marcia says…..This will put a smile on your face. Enjoy!!
SUNDAY MORNINGS AT HOME: NEXT WEEK
I plan to continue resting this week, visiting the doctor, and hopefully enjoying hot chocolate from Joanna Gaines.
Her recipe sounds perfect for us. Mr. B loves whole milk and chocolate.
I need to check on my own vanilla that is brewing! It should be ready in just about four weeks.
You will see me posting on my feet this week. Those are pictures I took prior to surgery in order to bring you some content without bandages!
Tomorrow I return to Chico’s for Thanksgiving outfit ideas. But my plan is to keep bringing something to you…not sure what it will always look like.
But I will be here…and thanks again for all of the help and encouragement….love you all like family.
Any thoughts on Sunday Mornings at Home? Would love to know…..
KEEP SMILING (I promise I am)!!
By Pamela Lutrell
Remember, you can shop ANYTIME with the links under the page at the top called SHOPPING LINKS...and I will receive a small compensation for your shopping.
Also, if I have posted a link on a specific garment, and you use that link to go to the website of the brand, but look around and buy something else, I still get credit…though you do not buy what I am wearing.
Please ask any questions… this income helps keep me here, because even at age 70, Mr. B and I need additional income. He also works two jobs.
Thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone who shops this way.
Pam I am7 weeks in from knee replacement so I know what you are going through. Your great attitude will help you a lot. I want you to know how much I enjoyed your blog during my recovery! My advice is be patient —it will come!
Bless you, Darlene. I hope you have a speedy recovery too…thanks for the encouragement.
Prayers as you continue to heal. The kindnessOf friends and family is everything ❤Thank you for all the work you put in for us!
Thank you for being here, Missy!
Good to hear from you … I knew it would go well. Shout out and high fives to Mr. B.! During my two foot surgeries, in which I was non weight bearing and on a scooter for 3 months, my own good hubby had to do it all. Illness in one of us disrupts the whole house. One thing I tried to do was mentally batch requests until I had 3 things he had to do … help me reposition, get me a a glass of water, book or my phone I had left somewhere. The worst are what I call the doldrums … when the initial angst of the surgery fades away, you feel better but not good, mobility is so limited you want to chew paint off the walls, then you go to bed and the next day is the same. Sounds like you are there … but once recovery starts, it goes pretty fast. Hugs!
Getting up from a chair or couch will be a lot easier if you raise it up on “bed risers.” They come in different heights….from 3 inches on up. I discovered this when I had both hips replaced (at the same time!). Dresses became my favorite comfort clothes. So easy to pop on…one-and-done. It would have been so difficult to manage trousers. Wishing you all the best for a quick recovery!!
Thanks for your understanding for Mr. B!
Thank you, Ruth. I wasn’t familiar with these.
So funny – I ripped out that same page this week from my copy of Magnolia, with plans to make this for my husband as well. I was especially touched by what Joanna wrote about counting the days until her first son will return home from college for the holidays. Like you, she is a woman who writes direct from the heart.
Anyway, I am glad you are managing so far, and pray for you and Mr. B that this week will bring more healing and an easier time overall. Thank you for sharing the recipes. I will make use of them. An idea for one of the days ahead: I would love another session on here of sharing what everyone is currently reading or listening to, as this would be a no-prep topic you could launch and we all could run with. 🤷♀️ Or, likewise, how about a day spent with everyone responding to a writing prompt? Could be holiday themed (tell us about your most memorable Thanksgiving, favorite toy from Santa, etc).
Pam, blessings to you and Mr. B at this challenging time. I admire your optimism and joyful spirit. May God bless you with speedy healing and needed rest. Your Sundays at Home feature is wonderful!
I love this! I am going to do it…stay alert…thank you for the ideas.
Thanks Marcia! I love what the Sunday posts have become.
Glad you’re on the recovery side of surgery now, Pam! Best wishes to you and Mr B as you navigate the days ahead. A good caregiver is worth his weight in gold.
So true!! He is navigating so much right now that I keep reminding myself to let go if some things are not done the way I do them.
Good to hear you are moving along in your healing. Take care and yes follow the doctor’s orders.
On our way from San Antonio to Dallas a few weeks ago we stopped in Waco to see the Silos. What a nice place to visit. I am now a Chip and Joanna follower. I did buy one of her cookbooks and have to get this latest journal for Christmas. The hot chocolat sounds wonderful.
I do understand your frustration with your immobility as I broke my hip six years ago and the doctor broke my femur during surgery so I could not put weight on it for weeks. I’m also glad your pain is manageable. However, I feel for your caregiver, Mr. B, as we are so dependent on them, and their role can be difficult and tiring. I pray for you and Mr. B. I am thinking I will make this soup recipe today but I’m going to use ground turkey rather than a chicken breast. I made cornbread muffins yesterday using almost the same recipe except I used self-rising cornmeal and threw in some chitlins I had. My Mr. B cooked collards and wanted cornbread with chitlins so I made them. Have some left over for soup.
Let us know if you cook one of the recipes that is a hit with your family!
Collard greens sounds so good, Celia. It has been a long time since I had some! I agree that we need to salute our caregivers!
Glad to see you posting Pam. I will keep Mr. B in my prayers. I have been a caregiver and know that it can be taxing but also rewarding. So nice that your friend brought soup & cornbread. The hot chocolate sounds divine. Hope you get to enjoy some soon. Heal and be well.
Hi Pam,
It’s so good that you have this foot surgery behind you. It takes awhile before you heal. The pain is no fun, glad the meds are helping you.
When you are a caregiver depending on the issue a loved one has it can be a 24/7 responsibility. I hope Mr. B’s back will hold out. Back issue pain is no fun.
Give yourself a BIG hug at how well you are doing so far.
You are in my thoughts and prayers, also that B. will be okay.
Thank you, Kathie
Thanks so much, Katherine.
Prayers for your continued healing. Our daughter broke her foot a few years ago, & a friend loaned her a knee cart. It was a godsend. I have a question about the apple cranberry casserole. It said to use a casserole dish, but the picture looks like a pie plate. It could be a regional naming difference, but in the Midwest, a casserole dish is usually deeper than that.
Good question, Becky. I will see if I can get the answer for you.
Pam, it is so good to be hearing about your recovery. Loved the recipes. I was not aware of the Magnolia holiday magazine or is it a book? I’m a Coloradan, not a Texan and notice a lot of food choice differences. The hot chocolate sounds too good to be true. I would have to substitute non diary for everything unfortunately. My Mr. B has had to slowly become my caretaker. He does most of the housework with my suggestions on how. I do the laundry and all of my own care and small things like some of the dishes or during. It took me about three weeks to really feel human after my total knee. Give yourself lots of cozy naps with all of those soft blankets. You are much loved.
This post reminded me that I had received my copy of the magazine earlier in the week but let it get buried in a stack of mail. As I finally sat down to read it over lunch today, the first article on connection titled “The Space Between” reminded me so much of the community you have built here; one of the few places on the internet that I visit regularly. I’m thankful you had fewer pins than expected; I can only imagine how uncomfortable those must be. I also see that you are in a surgical shoe, rather than the knee-high boot I wore from day of my surgery for almost three months. You will have much greater latitude in your post-op wardrobe if you’re going to remain in the shoe. Hope your doctor has good news for you on Tuesday! Karen’s soup sounds delicious and I’m going to gather the ingredients so I’m ready when it cools off again. Regarding suggestions for upcoming content, I really liked Connie’s suggestion for sharing what we’re reading. Other reader-response topics could include travel wardrobe tips, holiday gift or decor tips, outfit ideas for this season (you’ve already given us a great head start on those!) or perhaps it’s not too soon to start thinking about our personal goals (wardrobe or otherwise) for 2024. I never tire of reading your thoughts on our “style words.” Mine need to be refreshed now that I’m no longer in the “caregiver” life stage, once I figure out what my new “normal” is. My church hosted a workshop tonight on self-care, which seemed very well timed as we head into the holidays, ready or not. Now that I’m no longer caring for my mother, I’ve lost my best excuse for neglecting self-care. We all know we need to eat healthy, exercise, drink more water and get more sleep, but I’d love to hear how other readers manage to move from intention to action and incorporate self-care into their lives. This is such an interesting, diverse group of women from all walks of life and locations; I don’t think we could ever run out of things to talk about.