Request for our Low Carb Pot Pie recipe…Busy booking for the future…

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As it gets closer to our return to Marloth Park, we are more and more excited.

I received many requests for our Low Carb Pot Pie recipe in the past few days. Please feel free to copy and paste it for your recipe files. This recipe is delicious. You won’t be disappointed. I make the dough the day before the filling, wrapping it tightly in parchment paper and placing it in the refrigerator until the next day, taking it out of the fridge about an hour before making the recipe balance.

You can buy frozen cubed carrots and pre-chopped garlic to lessen the chopping time. At that point, I chop the onions and celery and place them in a Ziplock bag for the next day. I buy diced frozen chicken and defrost it in the refrigerator the prior night, reducing prep time. Once these few prep things are done the prior day, putting it together can be accomplished in about 20 minutes is a breeze. Keep an eye on the pies to get a lightly browned top while they bake.

Chicken Pot Pie – Low Carb, Gluten Free

Yield: 4 Pot Pies
Serving Size: 1 Pot Pie
Ingredients *(I usually double this recipe)

*Note: I usually buy foil loaf pans and toss them after using or use small individual pie pans. Then, each person gets their own pie.
For the pot pie filling
● 3 tbsp butter
● 1/2 cup onion, diced (about 2.5 oz)
● 1/2 cup celery, sliced (2 medium ribs)
● 1/2 cup carrots, slices (about 2.5 oz)
● 3 cloves garlic, minced
● salt and pepper, to taste
● 12 oz chicken, cubed small
● 3/4 cup coconut cream in the can (unsweetened)
● 1/2 cup chicken stock
● 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
● 3/4 cup sharp white cheddar cheese, shredded
● 1/2 cup frozen peas

For the dough
● 1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
● 3 tbsp cream cheese
● 3/4 cup almond flour
● 1 large egg
● 1 tsp garlic powder
● 1 tsp onion powder
● 1 tsp Italian seasoning
● 1 tsp sea salt
● 1/2 tsp black pepper
Instructions

For the pot pie filling

1. Heat the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Once the butter is
melted, add the onion, celery, carrots, garlic and a little salt and pepper
to the pan. Sauté until the vegetables are soft.
2. Add the chicken to the pan and sauté until cooked.
3. Add the heavy cream, chicken stock, and Dijon mustard to the pan.
Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and then reduce heat to low and
let simmer for 5-7 minutes.
4. Mix in the cheese until melted.
5. Stir in peas.
For the dough
6. Preheat oven to 375°
7. Combine mozzarella cheese and cream cheese in a large mixing bowl.
Microwave for 1 minute. Stir to combine and microwave 1 additional
minute.
8. Mix in almond flour, egg, garlic powder, onion powder, Italian seasoning,
sea salt and black pepper. Mix until all ingredients are well combined. If
it gets stringy or is not quite melted enough, put it back in for another
30 seconds.
9. Divide the dough into four equal pieces. Spread the dough pieces out
into large flat circles on parchment paper or a silpat. If it starts to get
sticky, wet your hands a little bit to prevent it from sticking to you.
10. Divide the pot pie filling between four mini pin pans or large oven
safe ramekins.
11. Top each one with a piece of dough, folding it down around the edges or form the dough into little balls, placing several balls them on top of each pie.
12. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown on top.
Notes
Per Serving – Calories – 661 Fat – 57g Protein – 43g Total Carbs – 15g Fiber
– 4g Net Carbs – 11g

We were both practically moaning while eating this delicious dish. Tonight, we’ll have it for the last of three nights and are disappointed we don’t have more. I bet we’ll make this again in a month. I promised myself I’d make a special dish such as this once a week, making the dining experience much more enjoyable. It’s a bit extra work, but it’s worth it when we enjoy the dish so much.

This morning, we booked a park model near Tom’s sisters in Apache Junction, Arizona, from April 1 to April 30. Tom’s sister Colleen offered us to stay at her place after she leaves to return to Minnesota in mid-May. So, we may stay there until around May 15. From there, we’ll head to Los Angeles to see my sister, Julie, staying about three nights.

From there, we’ll drive to Milwaukee to spend two nights near Tom’s sister, a nun staying in a lovely assisted living facility for retired nuns. From there, we’ll drive to Minnesota, where we’ll stay in a hotel until it’s time for us to leave for South Africa in the middle of June. We plan to drive a rental car to all of these locations, allowing us to see some of the US and saving us dealing with flights for these family visits.

Soon, we’ll start researching car rentals that allow us to drop off the car in a different state. It will be great if we can keep the same vehicle for all of these locations but if we can’t, we’ll figure it out. We realize the drop-off in a different location from the pick-up is more costly, but that would be many flights and baggage costs. As for staying in hotels on the long drives, we’d have to pay for somewhere to live anyway at that time and wouldn’t have a base requiring us to pay for two places at once.

This plan will save us money, stress, and time, and a few road trips will be fun. We love not having dates determining what we do and the above plan gives us lots of flexibility, which we’ve come to appreciate. Tomorrow night, Tom leaves for the airport for his flight to Chicago to see the pulmonologist for the asbestos assessment. He’ll be returning 26 hours later. We are glad he’s feeling better and can make this trip.

That’s it for today, dear readers.

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, January 8, 2014

At lunch last Friday with our new friends, Piet and Hettie, we celebrated their birthdays over a fabulous lunch at the Tambarina Restaurant in Komatipoort. Since then, sadly, Piet passed away. Hettie still lives in South Africa but not in Marloth Park. For more photos, please click here.

Slowly but surely…We’re getting better….

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Octomom and seven of her eight piglets, one of which was off to the side. We hope to see them when we return in June.

Today, I am rushing through the post so we can use my laptop to broadcast the last Minnesota Vikings game of the season on the TV monitor using the HDMI cord. After another night of coughing, I notice that my cough is finally breaking up, meaning it’s on its way to being over. Today, Tom said he feels the best since this all started about 12 days ago. I was about three days behind him when I didn’t get it immediately.

This time, I didn’t take any over-the-counter medications I’d used in the past other than Hall’s sugar-free cough drops and the saline nasal rinse. I didn’t even take Tylenol and noticed no difference in getting better. Those products may temporarily relieve symptoms but have no impact on shortening the duration of the virus.

Tom took Vitamin C, zinc, Zyrtec, Tylenol, antibiotics, and a prescription cough pill. We’ll both have had symptoms for the exact number of days. It was an experiment on my part to see what helps and what doesn’t. With Tom’s asbestos-caused lung problem, he needed to take antibiotics so the cough didn’t turn into pneumonia.

We don’t advocate one method of treatment over another to our readers. If you become sick, please see your medical professional to determine what’s best for you. I wasn’t ill enough to see a doctor, but Tom was, and thus, our visit to Urgent Care six days ago. We’re both grateful to be on the mend.

Last night’s Low Carb Chicken Pot Pie dinner was delicious, and we’re looking forward to repeating it tonight and tomorrow. This week, I’ll make another favorite low-carb dish, a copycat recipe for a low-carb version of Costco’s famous chicken loaves. This dish is another favorite of ours.

I make smaller portions of these special dishes for me so I can stay on my diet. I am stuck right now, but I continue to work on losing the last six pounds. I never have a cheat day, and I stick to the macros I’ve chosen for losing weight, which consist of fat, carbs, and calories, all of which matter. Over the years, I have found that there is no such diet as “all you can eat.” But, based on my macros, I am seldom overly hungry. I use a free app, Cronometer, to track every morsel I put in my mouth.

Yesterday afternoon, I decided to go to the fitness center to spend a little time on the exercise bike. I had been doing well when I stopped after I got sick, but now, after many days, it’s time to start getting back into it. I did 60% of what I’d reached before I stopped, and between today and tomorrow, I should be back to 100%. Soon, as my legs strengthen, I’ll start doing resistance training.

Last night, based on a suggestion from our dear friends Marylin and Gary (long-time readers we met in Marloth Park and will see again when we return), we started watching The Gilded Age on Max (formerly HBO). We signed up for a one-month free trial and will have it watched long before the month’s end, at which point we’ll cancel the service.

Today, I have to do laundry, make a salad, and work out when Tom takes his 2:00 pm nap. Dinner will be easy when I pop two more mini pot pies in the oven about 30 minutes before we dine. It’s an easy day, which I appreciate at this point.

That’s it for today, folks. We will listen to a podcast about the economy and start watching the Minnesota Vikings game on DZN (formerly NFL Game Pass). We don’t have much hope for them winning or even having a chance at the play offs, but we can hope, can’t we?

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today,  January 7, 2014:

This batch has four packages of lean grass-fed ground beef, referred to as “mince” in Africa. The total cost of these huge packages was US $17.23 and ZAR 183.50. The forward huge T-bone steak is US $3.43, ZAR 36.47. In the rear of this photo are pork chops and lamb chops. Due to inflation, these prices have doubled since we posted this, but even so, the prices are much lower than in the US and many other countries. This meat will feed us for eight dinners, considering our two nights of dining out per week. For more, please click here.

Cooking a favorite dish tonight…Impulse buying..

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We always enjoyed seeing female kudus stop by with their youngsters.

Tom is seated at the kitchen island, eating his morning toast with strawberry jam and coffee. Over the past several months, he’s preferred toast to bacon and eggs, and I’ve kept my mouth shut about this unhealthy breakfast. The remainder of the meals I make are healthy, low carb, and without grains, sugar, and starches.

A few days ago, I mentioned how time-consuming making meals can be, but I didn’t say so, meaning I am unwilling to take the time for special meals we enjoy. Today is such a day, and I am making Low Carb Chicken Pot Pie, a favorite recipe I usually make once or twice a year.

Unable to get the ingredients in Ecuador and not cooking for a few months while we traveled, I included all the ingredients in yesterday’s Smith’s Marketplace order, delivered to us by Instacart through the Boost service we joined to reduce and avoid weekly delivery fees. Boost charges $7.95 per month and especially pays for itself when ordering weekly. The minimum order for free shipping is $35, which is helpful when needing to fill in a few items here and there.

Many markets throughout the US offer this or a similar service….pay a small monthly fee for “free” delivery for as many orders one prefers in any given month. A small tip is included, which may be increased, reduced, or eliminated as desired. We stick with the included tip.

The person who selects our chosen items, a “picker,” contacts me by text if a replacement is needed. I make a point of keeping my phone nearby once I receive the message that the picker is in the process of gathering our items. This works perfectly for me. Yes, one or two items aren’t available each time, but the picker suggests alternatives, or I can choose an alternative.

Yes, we’re paying for the  delivery service, $7.95 a month, and the tips, around $20 a month, may seem like a significant extra expense. But, the store’s coupons are online, offered for each item, and we easily save more than these costs using the coupons. For example, yesterday’s $160 order provided me with $8.98 using online coupons. I indeed wouldn’t have clipped walking into the store.

But, the most significant savings are ordering online and not purchasing a single impulse item, which most of us have trouble avoiding when shopping. This is particularly useful for us when we don’t want food left over when we depart a location. As that annoying insurance commercial on TV always says, “Buy only what you need.” I imagine we save more than $20 monthly, avoiding impulse buying.

Also, we avoid tossing unused food, mainly produce, which is expensive, and shoppers often over-buy. We use all the vegetables we buy. I don’t recall when we’ve had to throw away unused food.

What’s surprising me here in Nevada, is that once we stocked up on basic laundry and cleaning supplies, spices, and paper products, we’ve only been spending about $160 a week for groceries, way lower than we’ve paid while in the US in the past. Of course, based on the way we eat, we don’t buy snacks, chips, cereal, milk, or fruit other than the frozen berries I’ve been adding to my Fage yogurt as a dessert at night.

The only snack Tom’s been enjoying lately after he finished his three huge Costco pies when we first arrived, is microwave popcorn, which he enjoys at night when we’re streaming something. We don’t eat much during the day. Plus, we love leftovers, and I usually make sufficient quantities of any dish, enough to last for three nights’ dinner. Yes, it takes time to prepare three night’s dinner, but it’s worth it when the following two nights, all I have to do is make a salad.

Since I am feeling better today, I don’t mind heading to the kitchen soon to finish making the pot pies. I make them in individual tin foil pans for each night. I am cooking them fresh each evening. This time, I am making enough for an extra batch to freeze for future dinners.

Tom is feeling better, too. This morning, we slept until almost 9:00 am. When my cough is mostly gone, I will start working out again, which I look forward to.

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, January 6, 2014:

Named Clive by Facebook friend Peggy (feel free to ‘friend me” on Facebook using my email address: jessicablyman@gmaiil.com), we considered that he may be the same ostrich we’d seen on December 7, 2013 (click here to see that post) only a week after our arrival. For more photos, please click here.

Starting to get better…

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A mating couple enjoying time in the sun on the bank of the Crocodile River in Marloth Park, South Africa.

Yes, you can tell by our recent photos that we’re chomping at the bit to return to Africa five months from now. Also, when we don’t get a chance to get out to take new photos, it is a ready source of photos for us to use on any given day’s post.

It’s disappointing that I haven’t been able to work out for the past five days since I got sick. I was making such progress, and when I am better, it will take a week or two to catch up to where I left off. I can’t wait to get back to it. Sitting most of the day when not feeling well lessens muscle strength, although I have made a considerable effort to at least walk for 2000 to 3000 steps a day while sick, if only around the condo, performing various household tasks.

Fortunately, I haven’t felt so awful that I needed to lie down and nap like Tom. Today is the first day; he said he’s feeling better, so we are both hoping to return to our old selves in the next few days and go out to dinner and walk in this lovely area.

There aren’t many sightseeing venues in Las Vegas that we haven’t already seen or that appeal to us. Since we don’t gamble, trips to the Strip aren’t appealing, and the cost of dinners at the restaurants is outrageous these days. Years ago, a trip to seafood and other types of buffets was affordable and fun.

A quality buffet costs about $80 per person, more than we’re willing to pay. The lower priced buffets, around $35 per person, aren’t the quality that appeals to us. Plus, many of the foods at the lower-priced buffets are cooked in rancid oils and loaded with carbs and gluten. Also, we don’t necessarily eat huge plates of food or desserts. Years ago, a decent buffet would be $25 per person, and it wasn’t as big of a deal if one didn’t consume huge quantities of food. At these higher prices, it makes no sense for us.

I’d love to try dining at Hell’s Kitchen at Caesar’s Palace, but I don’t care to spend $250 for dinner and one drink. We’d rather spend our money on lovely places to live and delicious homemade meals than outrageously priced restaurant meals. Also, with my food restrictions, getting a piece of meat and some overly buttered vegetables isn’t appealing at those prices. I’d only order one glass of wine and Tom one cocktail, but our bill would surely be this high based on the menu.

Once we’re better, we’ll try some restaurants in The Village. They are also expensive but nowhere near as much as on the Strip. Since we don’t care for burger-and-fries-type restaurants, our choices are limited when many guests of restaurants on the Strip are looking for a giant burger or sandwich, neither of which appeals to either of us. The exception to that is that Tom likes to have a Reuben sandwich now and then.

Last weekend, when we ordered takeaway Chinese food for two nights for $105, including tax, fees, and tips from Grubhub (without delivery fees due to an Amazon coupon), we enjoyed dinner those two nights as much as we’d have enjoyed going out to dinner.

The drawback to our preference for dining in is that planning, preparing, and cooking meals “at home” is time-consuming and requires much effort and creativity to make it all happen. Frequently, I am researching recipes to find or adapt those that appeal to both of us.

Tom’s taste buds are very different from mine. I am not picky as long as the food is appropriate for my eating. Tom doesn’t care for vegetables besides potatoes and corn, neither of which we eat, and he doesn’t care for overly spicy dishes, which I love. We compromise. If he asks for potatoes or corn, I make them for him and make every effort to keep the seasonings at the level I know he will enjoy. Somehow, we make it work for both of us.

Our weekly Smith’s grocery order arrived a short time ago, and we both put everything away. We’re good to go for the next week planning to dine out at least once.

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, January 5, 2014:

There were 70 to 80 impalas in the garden on this date. For more photos, please click here.

Today, I won’t be talking to Tom…

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One year ago, Hal was looking around the side of the house to make sure we were on the veranda. When he saw we were there, he approached, looking for pellets.

Oddly, I feel fine but cough quite a bit at night, often awake for a few hours. The only help I’m getting is from Hall’s sugar-free cough drops, which surprisingly seem to help quite a bit. When I tried to talk to Tom this morning, I noticed I had lost my voice. I sound like Minnie Mouse, very squeaky. I suppose it’s best not to talk and strain my voice further.

Many times in the past, I’ve lost my voice. It usually happens when the illness is nearing the end rather than at the beginning. I’m hopeful that this cold/flu/virus is nearing its end for both of us. Tom is a little better today but still coughing and napping throughout the day.

Today, he’ll take the third dose of the Z-pack antibiotics. Most often, it seems to take three doses to see improvement. We’re up and about; neither of us is bedridden, and we can eat and hover around the living room as we did when we felt well.

On Tuesday night, we couldn’t get the TV to turn on in the living room, which we use for streaming shows to keep us entertained, especially now that we are laying low. I am more adept and patient in figuring out digital problems and have spent hours trying to get it to come on. Finally, yesterday morning, I called Dish Network and spent no less than two hours on the phone with them and Samsung, the TV brand.

Neither company could determine what was wrong, and Dish Network implied the account wasn’t active. That was ridiculous. The TV in the bedroom was working and wired from the same satellite box. After two hours on the phone, most people would have given up trying. Not me. I was persistent, but neither company could offer any assistance.

I started playing around with the remote settings and got the TV monitor to come on. From there, I called Dish back, and they said it appeared some update came through and caused the dysfunction. They walked me through the fix from there, and finally, we were back on.

Last night, we streamed a good movie on Amazon Prime, the “Sound of Freedom,” Right now, our only streaming services are Netflix, Hulu, and Prime. Amazon Prime sent a message a few days ago stating that members must pay an additional $2.99 monthly if they’d like commercial-free content. We aren’t interested in paying more and will live with commercials. At least they didn’t make it a mandatory increase.

We often use the perks of Prime, including free shipping (in the US only), often same-day or one-day, excellent new content streaming, and free monthly books (we don’t read many books these days), and when we’re in the bush and don’t stream much, we enjoy Amazon Music while sitting on the veranda in the evenings.

I canceled Paramount Plus this morning since we’ve already streamed everything we wanted on that service. From time to time, we’ll add a streaming service to watch a specific series.

It may seem as if we spend most of our time streaming shows. We do not. In the evenings, when we aren’t out or with people, we stream a few hours of movies and TV series. During daytime hours, we are busy with work on our laptops, planning for the future, and reading news and information relative to our lives. Also, we listen to several podcasts during the day while we are researching.

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, January 4, 2014:

Like the main photo in this post of December 14th, we again looked toward the driveway to discover giraffes coming our way. What a glorious sight! For more photos, please click here.

Yesterday afternoon, Tom had to go to urgent care…

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Today’s three photos we posted one year ago in Kruger National Park on a self-driven game drive.

With Tom’s flight to Chicago next Wednesday at 1:00 am, the fact that he was coughing so much and tired all the time made me get pushy about him going to Urgent Care yesterday afternoon. If he became more ill and was unable to go for his long-awaited appointment with the pulmonologist appointed by the law firm, it could be months before he’d get another appointment. He agreed, and we went to the closest Urgent Care shown online and on MAPS.

As soon as we arrived at the location, we noticed a sign that stated, “Coming Soon.” We had to find another location further away. We registered at the reception desk, and within 15 minutes, he was taken back, with me in attendance, to a treatment room.

After a nurse checked his vitals and asked questions, a doctor entered and examined him. On most occasions, Tom refused to go to Urgent Care this early in his illness. He was diagnosed with bronchitis, not pneumonia, which we feared he had with all the outrageous coughing and his need to nap several times a day.

Nature takes its course when lions and other predators feed on other wildlife in the bush. It can be shocking at times, but after we’ve spent so much time in the bush, we’ve come to accept it as part of life.

The doctor gave him a prescription for Z-pack and cough pills (not a liquid) and suggested he take over-the-counter Zyrtak for the sinus congestion. Off we went to the CVS pharmacy at the nearby Target store. Tom waited in the car while I went inside for the 25-minute wait until the prescriptions were ready.

Back at the condo, I noticed a message on my phone that Amazon couldn’t get into the building to drop off my order of Hall’s sugar-free cough drops. Whoever handles the reception desk during the day wasn’t available when the driver tried to gain access to the building. This morning at 8:00,  the package was outside the door.

Last night, I was coughing every hour or so, but I feel fine otherwise. Most likely, I’ve caught the bug that Tom started with before he got really sick. Once I got up and out of bed, my coughing stopped when using the cough drops. Hopefully, my symptoms won’t worsen over the next few days.

When we “catch” something, Tom is usually sicker than I am. I always feel compelled to keep up with household duties and cooking even when I feel unwell. I am optimistic we’ll both recover soon and continue to enjoy our time in Lake Las Vegas.

As for today, we’ll stay in and be cozy with our two blankets and stream some shows to distract us while we work on improving. All I have left to do today is finish this post, fold and put away the dried laundry on the rack, toss the salad, and cook our two pizzas. That’s an easy day, by my standards.

Sharing dinner with another female.

I paid our deposit for the Ratel house in Marloth Park this morning. It gave me a wonderful sense of peace and excitement at the same time. It’s hard to believe that in a little over five months, we’ll return to my favorite place in the world, outside the USA. Soon, we’ll get busy booking the place in Apache Junction, Arizona, where we’ll head after we leave here at the end of March.

Then, we’ll book the month we’ll spend in Minnesota to see our kids, grandkids, and friends. From there, we’ll begin the two-day journey to Marloth Park, South Africa.

Despite this recent setback, life is good, and we look forward to the future.

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, January 3, 2014:

Not all wildlife requires a daily supply of water, but the zebra does, never staying further away than ten meters from a safe water supply, Picky drinkers, they taste the chlorinated pool water, only taking a sip, detecting the chemicals. When cleaning the pools in Marloth Park, the staff uses very little chlorine due to the fact that the animals drink from the pools. For more photos, please click here.

Photos from New Year’s Eve at Lake Las Vegas…An unexpected event…

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The DJ played memorable dance music from the 80s that kept the crowd dancing.

I can’t believe Tom is still under the weather. He naps on and off all day. He still coughs but no longer sneezes as much as he did, but he’s not himself. A few nights ago, I noticed I had a slight cough and it has continued but otherwise, I feel fine. I ordered sugar-free Hall’s cough drops from Amazon this morning, which will arrive this afternoon. It saves us from driving to the closest pharmacy.

Today, I am busy with laundry. I made plenty of pizza for both of us yesterday, and all I have to prepare today is a salad for me. The pizzas are delicious, and we’re both looking forward to more over the next few nights.

The lights in the Village on New Year’s Eve.

When Tom wakes up from his nap, we’ll head back to the UPS store, a ten-minute walk from the condo building. When the Railroad Retirement Board finally called me back, they explained I’d sent in the enrollment form for Part B Medicare too early. So today, I have to submit it again when they refused to hold it until after January 1.

It would be suitable for both of us to get some more fresh air, but when I asked Tom how he felt about going out, he said he wasn’t up to it. So, I will head out on foot shortly and finish this.

There was quite a crowd waiting to see the fireworks.

Last night, while in bed, I was chatting on Facebook Messenger with my cousin Gayle, whom I haven’t seen in 50 years. She suggested we have a “cousins get together” after we leave Nevada at the end of March. I love the idea of seeing my sister Julie and the cousins. And the cousins are very interested in seeing what Tom has done on Ancestry.com for my mother’s side of the family.

Gayle reminded me I am the family’s matriarch, the oldest of the remaining cousins. This made me laugh. When I think of matriarchs, I can’t help but think of elephants. She and I giggled over this. I discussed it with Tom, and we are considering driving from here to California, spending a few days, and then heading to Apache Junction to see his sisters, where we’ll spend a month, or we may do it the other way, here to Apache Junction and then California afterward on May 1st. Either way is fine with me. It’s “six of one, half dozen of another.” We’ll figure it out.

The fireworks were average and only lasted about 20 minutes, but being in the festive atmosphere was fun.

I just returned from the UPS store. Tom gave me good directions to find my way on foot in the maze of shops and restaurants. I have no sense of direction, never had, but I managed to find the store. The worst part of the outing was handwriting the envelope to the Railroad Retirement Board. My handwriting is illegible, but I did my best. I asked the staff if they could read the address, and they said it was fine.

I will wait to hear back from Railroad Retirement when my Part B benefits begin, most likely on the first of February or March. Next week, I’ll talk to the insurance rep about a supplement and prescription plan. Then, I will be fully insured. We don’t need dental benefits or vision benefits. We care for those services in South Africa, where prices are low.

We were glad we found out about this in time to see it.

We’re all set for tonight’s dinner. When I returned, I made a salad, finished hanging up the rest of the wet laundry, and settled down to finish this post. Based on my cough, I don’t think I’ll be working out today. After years of working out, I discovered it’s best to rest with a cold or virus.

Hopefully, in the next few days, we’ll both feel 100% again and can get out and experience this lovely location further. We hope you all had a fantastic holiday season.

Be well.

.Photo from ten years ago today, January 2, 2014:

This baby mongoose is sticking close to Mom, who has an egg in her mouth that we left for her. For more photos, please click here.

Part 3 (of three parts)…Month by month, emotional and memorable events from our world travels in 2023…Happy New Year!…

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Happy New Year to all of our readers, friends, and family. May your new year be filled with wondrous surprises, health, and well-being. We love you all!

Last night, New Year’s Eve was more festive than anticipated. With Tom still not feeling well, we’d agreed to lay low and stay in for the night. Yesterday, when I was in the fitness center working out, I met a lovely woman who told me that at 9:00 pm, there would be music by a DJ and fireworks shot off over Lake Las Vegas.

Thank goodness, it wasn’t as cold as it’s been, and the distance to the DJ stage at the beach was only a five-minute walk after we went down one flight of steps, all downhill and a little more challenging coming back when heading uphill to that stairway. It was worth every step when we were amazed by the crowds, the twinkling lights, the oldies music, and the energy from the hundreds of people waiting for the big event beginning at 9:00.

Suppose I hadn’t been in the fitness center, most likely. In that case, we’d have figured it out when we saw all the people downstairs, eventually hearing all the fireworks blaring into the air. We are glad we went. In a way, it was magical. If only Tom had felt better, we could have celebrated with everyone else.

In any case, Happy New Year everyone! We didn’t quite stay up until midnight and nodded off about 11:30. It would have been difficult not to kiss one another at midnight, which we always do when we were afraid I’d catch his illness. Instead, we wished one another “Happy New Year, Lover,” with the utmost warmth, love, and sincerity.

This has been a busy morning. We slept until after 8:30, and I bolted out of bed to begin making pizza, which took a while. I made a separate pizza with less cheese and more veggies using a new low-carb crust recipe called Paleo Pizza Crust. Here’s the link to the recipe. I took a taste when the crust was done cooking and loved the taste.

For the first time in ages, I burned Tom’s two pizza crusts in the oven, which cook separately from the actual pizzas. It cooked much faster and hotter in the oven here, so I have to start that all over again. Oh well, at least I have plenty of ingredients to start over. I was not about to ruin his favorite dish with burnt crusts.

I’m back after putting the two new crusts in the oven to bake, lowering the temperature and cooking time. I’d instead jump up to check them every three minutes than burn them again.

Today will be a rest day from working out, which I’ll take once a week. I will take plenty of steps by cooking, tidying up, and folding the dry laundry out on the rack on the veranda. Tom’s napping now on the sofa at noon, and soon, I will search for the Las Vegas Golden Knights hockey game starting in two minutes. I love watching these games. It’s pretty fun.

Today will be the final day we post photos from the past year for our “year in review.”  As it turned out, after reviewing the post, we traveled a lot more than we thought. It was a busy year, filled with challenges and health issues, but now we are content to be staying put for the next few months, taking life easier than ever in this beautiful location,

So here are our photos from where we left off yesterday as we wrap up 2023. In many ways, it is “good riddance” for some.

Be well.

September 2023 – Henderson, Nevada and Eden Prairie, Minnesota

With a horrible WiFi connection on the two cruises, one to Norway and the second to Greenland, we didn’t post many photos of the few weeks we spent back here in Henderson, Nevada. Below are some of the friends and family members we saw while in the above two locations, which ultimately are more important to us than scenery photos.

Our grandson Vincent and Tom after skeet shooting in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Grandson Vincent, daughter Tammy, and daughter-in-law Tracy joined us for dinner and trivia at Pizza Luce, walking distance from our hotel in Eden Prairie, Minnesota.
Our granddaughter Maisie when she and I went to dinner for a “girls’ night out.”
My former business partner and dear friend, Theresa.
My dear friend Chere, whom I always manage to see several times when we visit Minnesota.
Our friends and Tom’s nephew Kevin and Kristi, whom we’ve seen a few times in the past year.
Our dear friend Sue, her husband, and our dear friend Chip (who passed away before we left) were wonderful friends and neighbors for many years.
Our newer friends, Gary and Marilyn, whom we met in Marloth Park when as readers of our posts, came to visit us in Henderson while we stayed at the Green Valley Ranch Spa and Casino. They live in Utah. We will see them again in July when they return to Marloth Park.
Tom, on “White Night,” sailing through Norway’s fjords on the Azamara Journey.
Our dear friend Connie, second from the right, invited us to a special dinner for the one-year anniversary of her husband and our friend Jeff’s passing at our house in Marloth Park on September 21, 2022.
Here are long-time friends, also years-long readers of our site, Rita and Gerhard, whom we met in Marloth Park and flew from Washington (state) to see us for eight hours while we were in Henderson last September.

We have been so blessed to make such amazing friends and have such loving family members, and many more not shown here, who have become integral people in our lives over the past years, before and after our world travel.

October 2023 – Eden Prairie, Minnesota ( to see family)

Heather and my son Greg at a Mexican restaurant in Chanhassen, Minnesota. We are so happy they are together and enjoying their loving relationship.
Miles, 15, and Mad,14, two of Greg’s three children and our grandchildren. It’s always wonderful to spend time with our kids and grandchildren.
Tom’s son TJ’s lake cabin in northern Minnesota, where he stayed with TJ and daughter Tammy while in Minnesota.
While on a cruise in The Galapagos Islands, Tom was seated on a bench surrounded by giant iguanas.
Baby tortoises will grow to be giant tortoises, a highlight to see in The Galapagos.

Tom was thrilled to get this photo of whitetip sharks in a channel. Whitetip reef sharks are one of the most abundant Galapagos reef sharks. They can be seen from the surface to over 300 meters under the ocean. Although they prefer shallower water and are rarely seen deeper than 40 meters, they occasionally venture into open water from the reef.
Photo of blue-footed boobie also prevalent in The Galapagos. If you’d like to see more Galapagos Island photos, please check our archives for October 2023.

On October 31, 2023, we celebrated our 11th anniversary of traveling the world while we were already staying in Mirador San Jose, Ecuador, which was not our favorite location during our travels. We didn’t do anything special that evening since there was nowhere to go for dinner within an hour’s drive. It wasn’t safe to drive in the dark on the highway.

November 2023 – Mirador San Jose, Ecuador

We spent all of November in Ecuador at the house on the ocean. We don’t have any particular photos we’d care to share, especially since it was so recent. Please our archives for more photos.

December 2023 – Mirador San Jose, Ecuador – Lake Las Vegas, Nevada

We spent half the month waiting to depart Ecuador and look forward to arriving in Lake Las Vegas at this beautiful location and condo. We couldn’t be more content to be here and spend time with Richard and his SO and relax and unwind after a very busy and complex year.

Have a fantastic New Year that fills your heart with great memories and your mind with unforgettable adventures, big and small, wherever you may be. Tomorrow, we’ll share our photos from New Year’s Eve.

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, January 1, 2014:

Last night at Jabula Lodge, bringing in the New Year. For more photos, please click here.