Years back I was a ova/lacto vegetarian, which means I included eggs and milk products along with a wide variety of veggies in my diet. I made the switch for one reason–to improve my health.

My digestive system was totally out of whack. I won’t lie and say the transition was easy. It sucked, especially at family gatherings when they stared at me owl-eyed and asked what the hell DID I eat.

Uh, veggies, eggs and milk products?

Anyway, as I delved into creative ways to fix meals, I ran into the controversy (at the time) about butter being better for you than bread spreads/margerine because it was a natural product. Trans fats weren’t mentioned, but they knew then that the hydrogenation process altered the oil and that bodies simply didn’t know how to handle it.

Now of course we (medical researchers) know that trans fat clog arteries and contribute to heart disease, strokes, and some speculate diabetes. Some also bitch about butter because of cholestrol, yet scientists are conflicted over whether the cholestrol in food raises the cholestrol that much in humans.

Anyway, I didn’t mean to make this a health blog but rather share a recipe for better butter that I think is healthier than any margerine on the market. It’s easy to make too, and tastes damn good.

Better Butter

1 lb. creamery butter cut into slices (can be unsalted, salted or light)
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Blend the above together until smooth (it’ll be liquidy). Pour into sealable containers and refrigerate.

Note: This butter is very soft, and can’t be left out of the frig. A little goes a long way in flavoring.

When I took my mom to the doctor this morning, our doctor told me that Books A Million (in the KC area) had restocked ONE REAL COWBOY. The books were racked, but my dear doctor “rearranged” the shelf and put ORC cover out. 🙂

Wow, what a friend!!!

I love flowers, but I don’t have time for a lot of intense gardening. But I’ve found patio gardening satisfies the urge to get my hands dirty and provide that floral visual I crave. Here’s a picture of one of my petunia pots.

These Sugar Daddy petunias are in big pots, like 16″ in diameter. I mixed a lighter shade of purple with these petunias. Before long, the flowers should drape over the sides in a cascade of varying color.

I can’t believe the end of the month is nearly here, and I’ve neglected my blog. Bad Jan!

In my own defense, I spend a bulk of the time ushering my mom to and from doctors offices. Her health is the pits, and unfortunately she hasn’t received any treatment that helps what ails her. In fact, most of the problems can’t be “cured”, so it’s a matter of learning to endure.

On one bright note, I have made great headway the past two days on the world building of my para. I’d gotten to the part where headbanging sounded like a good idea, but I figured out how to take the plot to a deeper level. Always a good thing.

Oh, and I’ve done a lot of gardening. My flowers are looking good, and my lettuce is ready to eat. Yum. Now if the rest of the produce does half as good…

March came in like a lion and out like a lamb, giving us the best early temperatures we’ve had in ages. We had nice April showers this spring but it turned butt cold. Them came May.

April showers bring May flowers. Yeah, well, our April showers brought in a torrent of ugly weather. It was bizarre to get 4+ inches of rain daily for nearly a week. While we escaped major damage, getting just a bit of water in the basement, others were flooded out.

In fact, Kansas has gotten slapped badly by storms so far. The town of Greensberg was wiped out by an F5 tornado. I feel so badly for those people who lost everything they owned, and some lost their lives.

I got the grass mowed and my small patio garden in just before hell hit. Things are leveling out, but there’s that “stink” in the air that comes after heavy rains/flooding. Can’t be good, and it’s certainly not pleasant to sit on the patio and breathe in that mold.

So I’m still inside at the computer, pounding out a synopsis that doesn’t want to be written. Ugh, there’s got to be an easier way.