The Invasion cont'd.

Lunch with the ladies was wonderful.  It was a new experience for me to have that many girlfriends that even like each other.  It was a good thing there weren't many people because we were LOUD!

After lunch we went back to the hotel and chilled awhile and I awaited my suitcase.  It finally got there about 2 hours prior to us needing to be at the dock. 

The Silkster dropped us off.  I was a little nervous because the Meet and Greet group was new to me and I really only knew Don and Olu and had really never had any long conversation with them, so I wasn't really sure what to expect.

Olu met us in the parking lot and began snapping pictures and as the lot got more and more crowded, I realized that it would be a great trip.  When Pineapple and Boosie walked up, I really knew it would be all good, even if no one else talked to me.  Needless to say WE HAD A BALL!!!  Trust me when I say that Don definitely knows how to throw a party!!

After we docked, I called B to come pick us up.  The crowd dissipated like you wouldn't believe...Pines and Boosie refused to leave us even though he was on his way.  After a while, we decided to pile into Pines' car and go on to the hotel and try to get ahold of Brandon on the way.  Trust me, and you can ask anyone who rode, Pines' car mumbled SHIT when we all got situated and took off.  LOL

Well, let's just say that Pines and Boosie aren't real familiar with the streets of DC, LOL.  Red kept throwing out directions from the back seat "Go That Way".  Anyway, we thought we were headed in the right direction when 1isback went flying past us.  Of course my phone was dead by this time, but I was smart enough to put B's number in Mo's phone just in case.  So we called him...and it went to voice mail.  I figured his music was on blast or he didn't recognize the number, so we tried again.  Voicemail.

Just when we'd given up hope (we were NOT gonna just catch up to him), he called back.  We told him to slow down and we'd follow him back to the hotel.

Swear when B opened Pines' door, I heard the car sigh a sigh of relief.  We were packed ya'll...wasn't even room for the purses.  They rode in the trunk, LMAO.

I slept so good, it wasn't even funny.  For the first time since I started dialysis, I didn't have to be up at 5:30 on a Saturday. It was wonderful...

(to be continued)

Roasted Red Pepper Tomato Sauce

 (reduced potassium sauce)

Recipe created exclusively for DaVita.com by DaVita dietitian Sara, RD, CSR, CDE, from California.

Yield: 4 portions

Serving size:  1/4 cup

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup roasted red peppers (bottled or canned)
• 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1/2 cup tomato sauce, no salt added
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasonings
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper chili flakes (if spicy desired)

Preparation

1. Drain red peppers and measure 1/2 cup, (approximately 2 whole peppers).
2. Place peppers and garlic in food processor or blender and process until smooth.
3. Add tomato sauce, olive oil and Italian seasonings.  Process until well blended.  Ready to use on pizza, pasta or as a replacement for tomato sauce in recipes.
4. May be refrigerated 2 to 3 days or frozen until ready to use.

Potassium and Sodium Comparisons

Sauce	Serving size	Potassium mg	Sodium mg
Roasted Red Pepper Tomato Sauce	¼ cup	148	82
Tomato Sauce	¼ cup	226	369
Spaghetti Sauce	¼ cup	262	347
Marinara Sauce	¼ cup	265	393
Pizza Sauce	¼ cup	240	340

Nutrients per serving

• Calories: 75    
• Protein: 1 g
• Carbohydrate: 3 g
• Fat: 7g
• Cholesterol: 0 mg
• Sodium: 82 mg
• Potassium: 148 mg
• Phosphorus: 18 mg
• Calcium: 17 mg
• Fiber: 0.8 g

Renal and Renal Diabetic Food Choices                         

• 1 vegetable, medium potassium

Helpful hints

• Compare roasted red peppers. Select the brand lowest in sodium.
• Fresh minced garlic may be replaced with bottled minced garlic.
• Adjust red pepper chili flakes according to desire for hot and spicy flavor.
• This lower potassium, low sodium sauce can be used as a substitute for tomato sauce in a variety of dishes. Try it on pizza, pasta, rice or as a topping for chicken.

My First Dinner from the Dialysis Recipe Site

Pita Pizza

Recipe from "Cooking for David: A Culinary Dialysis Cookbook" by Sara Colman, RD, CDE and Dorothy Gordon, BS, RN.

Submitted by DaVita dietitian Sara from California.

 

Servings	2
Serving size	1 pizza
Ingredients	2 ounces lean ground pork or ground beef 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds 2 cloves minced garlic 1/4 cup chopped onions 1/4 cup chopped bell peppers cooking spray 2 pieces six-inch pita bread 2 tablespoons chunky tomato sauce 1/3 cup mozzarella cheese
Preparation	Combine ground meat, pepper flakes, fennel, garlic, onion and bell pepper in a nonstick frying pan. Sauté until cooked. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray and place the pitas on it. Sprinkle with cooked meat and vegetable mixture. Put 1 tablespoon tomato sauce on top of each pita. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake 400° F for 5 to 8 minutes.
Nutrients per serving	Calories: 284 Protein: 16 g Carbohydrates: 34 g Fat: 10 g Cholesterol: l38 mg Sodium: 381 mg Potassium: 303 mg Phosphorus: 189 mg Calcium: 117 mg Fiber: 1.0 g
Renal and Renal Diabetic Food Choices     Helpful Hints	1 meat 1 vegetable, medium potassium 2 starch 1 fat   This Pita Pizza would go well with a piece of fruit such as an apple or pear. You might also choose to snack on a few low sodium pretzels.

You ARE the Bad Ass Kid

I was just over on 360 going through my sister Bella's posts and as I responded to one, I realize that even though I thought I was pretty good as a child, I may very well have been a Bad Ass Kid!

Here are just a few incidents that support that. LOL

I was about 2 when I came sliding across the hardwood floors at my grandfather's house, covered from head to toe in vaseline yelling "shit!" every time I lost my footing.

In 2nd grade I decided to "trim" my bangs in school and the ponytail of the girl in front of me.

In 3rd grade, me and a friend decided we'd had enough of school for the day, so we went waaaaaay back by the nature trails at school (after a good rain, mind you) and started "fighting" on the kickball field, rolling several times in a big ass mud puddle.  We were muddied up from hair to the soles of our feet and we got sent home for the day.  It was YEARS before my mom knew we'd done it on purpose.  My friend and I laugh about it to this day.

While everyone was outside during a block party, I defied my mother and skated down the hall (hardwood floors again) in my metal skates that went over my shoes, except I did it barefoot and busted my big toe on the air conditioning vent.

I was in probably 5th grade when my cousin was chasing me. I ran into the back door and slammed it behind me. My cousin's hands went right through the glass, spraying it all over both of us.

I think the last ass whoopin I got from my dad was the same year.  There were these cool crystals that you could throw into the fireplace and make the flames turn green and blue.  Well I piled a bunch of it on a plastic dinner plate in the middle of the basement floor and set that bitch on fire.

Don't act like you don't have any stories.  Get ta talking!

Damn Muthafu**a, why?

I know that's a catchphrase for much later in my trip, but it's fitting for my traveling day to the DC Invasion...

I got to the Milwaukee airport about 4:40 and sat at my gate, waiting for the sun to come up when I realized that I had only printed out half of my boarding passes.  I had the one from Milwaukee to Boston, so I went to the agent to ask her to print my other pass from Boston to BWI.

She said well, I could do that, but I have a flight about to leave in 5 minutes, that's a straight flight and I'll go ahead and upgrade you to business class.  Ok, cool. 

She calls down to the luggage and explains what my suitcase looks like, so they can switch planes.  In the back of my head I'm thinking, I did curbside check-in.  My shit is probably all the way in the back...

Anyway, the flight was beautiful and I touched down at BWI at 8:44 am instead of 1:55 pm.

I stood and waited at the baggage claim until the same two little red cases kept passing me by *Damn muthafukka why?* and I realized my bag went to Boston...

I go fill out the form for my lost luggage and catch the bus to the car rental terminal.

I stand in the Hertz line, papers in hand and I get up to the desk and hand them to the clerk, who then asks for my credit card.  I hand it to her (mind you, this was already paid for through Hotwire, right?) WRONG!  They wanted an additional deposit above the rental price.  Guess what?  I didn't have it.  My kids started school the week before and uniforms and school supplies ain't cheap.

So I go sit in the terminal and try to gather my thoughts.  I sent a text out to 4 folks and Unka B called me within seconds.  He asked what happened and before I could get it out good, got totally overwhelmed and started bawling.  He told me it was gonna be alright, he was gonna make a phone call and call me right back.

Less than 5 minutes later, Unka O was on his way to get me.  I was frustrated, overwhelmed, tired and felt like shit.  So I sat on a bench in the passenger pickup area til he got there.  I coulda kissed him (then I probably couldn't have gotten rid of him  j/k) when he got there because I hadn't even met him before and here he was picking me up.

Looking at the pic above, I must've fallen asleep in the car *eye roll at O for snapping the pic*.  One of my best friend's Mysteeque texted me asking if everything was cool, I let her know I was in good hands, when O looked at my cell phone and said "Damn, I didn't know they made rotary cell phones!" *punk* Just because I don't have a crackberry...pfft.

Anyway, he delivered me to my hotel safely and into the hands of my girls.  Yes, I was rockin the hell outta my Obama shirt through it all!

To be continued...(and pics posted later)

Oh My!

Fellas, you can do these too!

Your Adult Film Star Name Is...

Marta de Moaner

What's Your Adult Film Star Name?

You Are a Natural Flirt

Believe it or not, you're a really effective flirt. And you're so good, you hardly notice that you're flirting. Your attitude and confidence make you a natural flirt. And the fact that you don't know it is just that more attractive!

What Kind of Flirt Are You?

Well Hot Damn! How 'Bout That?

You Are Bad Girl Sexy

Girl, you are nothing but trouble. And that's hot. You've got the classic bad girl sexiness mojo going on. And your badass attitude makes men fear you - and crave you. Don't give into people who say to tone it down. You're perfect as is.

What Kind of Sexy Girl Are You?