Diana Lesire Brandmeyer

Diana Lesire Brandmeyer

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Category: life

Chopped or what are you making for dinner?

Posted on February 20, 2016March 27, 2017 by Diana Brandmeyer

What’s for dinner? Don’t get Chopped

one pot cookbook meal
Street Fair Sausage and Potatoes

Sometimes, no make that most nights I have no idea what I’m going to cook for dinner. It’s not a lack of planning a menu but forgetting to take a major ingredient out of the freezer to thaw.

One night, I was in control of the remote ( a very rare occurrence)  and discovered the food channel. For once, they were speaking my language.

Chopped on foodnetwork was the name of the show. The contestants are given a basket of ingredients some of which most home cooks, chefs, or those of sound mind would never put together to make a dish. Bacon candy was one ingredient. Fascinating for me as I’m often flinging open cabinets searching for anything that will work and count as a real meal though I’ve never found bacon candy to use.

The more I watched I became convinced I could do this kind of cooking. Then it hit me.

Then it hit me. I would be chopped out of my kitchen (meaning I’d have to leave like a chef who didn’t do well on the show) because I don’t live in a chef’s world.

There isn’t fresh produce, cream, fresh herbs, fruit and spices to pick from in my house and no bacon candy. No wonder they can make magic out of strange foods.

My conclusion? Anyone can be a great chef if you have access to a fully stocked fridge and pantry just a few feet away. I’ll never be that kind of chef but I can whip up a grilled cheese sandwich or bacon and eggs in mere minutes. 

I’m going back to my tried and true cookbook. One Pot Cookbook even though it isn’t a gluten-free specific most of the meals, like the one above are easily adapted for my consumption.

I almost always have the ingredients or can substitute from the pantry, plus the food tastes great. Clean up is fast too.

 

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Did Last Year Get Away From You How to Track the Seasons

Posted on January 21, 2016January 21, 2016 by Diana Brandmeyer

Last year slipped away from me. When Christmas arrived it was almost a surprise. I missed spring and summer. How did that happen? It used to be easy to know when to switch out holiday decor because I had little ones telling me. Now that I’m an empty nester I don’t decorate for every holiday.

Is time passing by too fast for you? 

Do you suppose this happens because the retail stores are muddling with our internal calendar? Before Holloween is over, Christmas trees are displayed and on January 2nd this year, my store had Valentine’s Day decor to purchase. 

 

This year I am stopping time! You can too!

The plan?

Decorate for each season. I don’t mean full-out window gels and wreaths on the door. I don’t have the time or money to purchase and make decorations that will also need to be stored.

The solution?

Find one place in your home that you pass by every day. It might be a shelf, a small spot on the kitchen counter or like me the fireplace mantle.

Yes, I have one. No, it doesn’t get changed except for Christmas.

Until now.

Winter Decor

I refuse to go through another year of catching up to the seasons. I have this stunning mantle. It is part of a log cabin from my home state of Missouri. This old log has seen a lot of seasons!

Winter decorating can be a challenge because it’s right after Christmas and the house looks so dull.

I wanted to have some sparkle to reflect the snow and ice of winter. I spray painted a few pinecones from our tree, let them dry, and then put them in this small vase. The rest of the decor on the mantle didn’t change. By adding this one piece, I know at a glance what season it is.

Next month I’ll be taking away this  piece and adding something red for Valentine’s Day.

So tell me in the comments, “Do you decorate for the seasons and holidays?”

 

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Books or TV?

Posted on November 1, 2015October 31, 2015 by Diana Brandmeyer

Books or TV which is winning

Books and TV have been facing off since the first black and white set made it’s appearance.

The appeal of stories playing out in front of you in color, black and white, or 3D have the ability to pull you in creating an experience you don’t get with a book.

Or do you? Books themselves are 3D. The covers are full of color unless you are reading on a Kindle Paperwhite, then they are black and white.

Books have story lines that can run through several books just like the TV show you must catch every week.

Do you need those commercial breaks to make popcorn? No problem, books have chapters where you can stop and run to the kitchen or even *gasp* take the book with you and read while the popcorn pops.

Both have value if used correctly. There are great shows on TV if you can find them. Recently, we watched a documentary about how brick making impacted St. Louis in the 1800s. I like Elementry even though there is violence, the characters are intriguing and there is a mystery to be solved, watching for clues is a good mental exercise. And what about all those awesome HGTV shows? My husband would prefer I not watch that channel!

Still do I need to watch all of them? Probably not, that’s why I’m choosing to read more at night. I’ve become jaded when it comes to TV. I’m tired of  violence that doesn’t have a reason or the good guy doesn’t stand out as a grand example. I’m over TV shows that try to shock with nudity, language and gender issues.

That leaves little to watch. Blackish,  Last Man Standing , old movies and reruns of TV shows from earlier days. This summer we watched a lot of baseball, now hockey will fill the screen several times a week.

Books win over TV. Give me a story, that speaks to who I am

Click To Tweet

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I asked friends of mine would they rather read or watch TV in the evening. All of them said they read, but often the TV is on in the background because family members are watching and they want to be with them. That happens at my house too. When commercials come on I stop reading and talk to my husband. 

Tell me in the comments are you a reader, watcher or both?

other news:

I’m over the moon with excitement that Mind of Her Own made the CBA (Christian Booksellers Association) Bestseller List for November.

CBA November list

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Should You Forge Ahead When Plans Change Last Minute

Posted on September 22, 2015 by Diana Brandmeyer

Should You Forge Ahead When Plans Change

Many experts would recommend when your plans change, plan to adapt. Some would suggest to forage ahead because something life changing is about to occur.

Most of us do swerve when events are canceled, family members fall ill, or when finances insist so why doesn’t government adapt? Do they always feel a life change will occur and everyone will be pleased?

In my small town, we have railroad tracks that separates a large chunk of residential areas from the city. When I moved here I knew to take a book or pen and paper in the car because I would often be stuck waiting for the train to move, unless I wanted to drive miles out of the way. Many times I did try to ‘beat the train’ to the next crossing. After awhile I quit, it was impossible. I couldn’t get there before the gates would come down.

The trains would be there for quite some time on the side track waiting for another train to pass by. My kids knew if I was late picking them up from school not to worry as I was probably stuck at the tracks.

Several years ago my little piece of country began to be taken over by subdivisions, traffic increased, a sports park took the place of a corn field across from my driveway and it became more important to someone that a bridge be build over the tracks. Cost—over 6 million dollars.

It’s a nice bridge.

Railroad bridge

So what’s the problem?

It wasn’t needed. Before it was even completed the tracks were cut in two places. (Federal Law requires unused tracks to be disconnected) I have no answer to why the city was unaware that the tracks were going to be discontinued for use. Did someone not check with the railroad before beginning the project? Or was it because the money was already assigned and it must be used? I suspect the later.

Now we have a bridge that is more like a mountain in these parts. This winter will be interesting as cars slide down in the ice and snow. Or maybe the city can adapt and close the bridge after snow storms so the kids can use it for sledding?

Thinking about myself (this is where you get to think about yourself) how many times to we have a plan that we are positive is the right one? What do we do when we discover it isn’t? For me, I don’t go to the government for the answer. I go to God with my dilemma then I wait for an answer. Sometimes it takes to long to get one and I build a bridge I don’t need.

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Encouraging Girlfriends to be Healthy

Posted on August 15, 2015August 17, 2015 by Diana Brandmeyer

 

Girlfriends keep me sane, keep me from making serious mistakes, and love me almost unconditionally.  That can be dangerous for all of us. I’m taking a scary and shaky step here but I think it’s time to admit we need to be honest with our friends who aren’t taking care of themselves and they need to be honest and encouraging right back at us.

Now, I’m not saying you should tell them mean things like: wow, never thought I’d see you buy that size, or think you should eat that–as I myself open another snack pack of M&Ms, good thing I write where no one can see me.

What I am saying is this:

I love my girlfriends and I want to have them in my life for a long time. When my kids were my responsibility I did the hard things, like taking them to the doctor for checkups and shots. Yet, when it comes to myself I find excuses to skip mammogram, update vaccinations and blood pressure . Why does that matter as long as my clothes fit?  

But all of those things matter. Friends get breast cancer, have strokes, and without updated vaccinations can get sick and make their grandchildren ill. 

So let’s all take the girlfriend pledge.

Encourage each other to make steps for a healthy life because if we don’t we will be one less on that shopping trip, cruise or email list.

You can use this infographic below from Oscar Health Insurance as a guideline to ensure your checking off every appointment.

Oscar Girlfriends HealthLRG

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Using GoodReads as an Author

Posted on July 3, 2015 by Diana Brandmeyer

Happy 4th of July weekend to my American friends and family. How odd it is to write that sentence. I live in America and never thought growing up I’d be in contact with anyone who didn’t live here. Times have changed so much since then.

Fireworks!

If you are a reader I hope you’ve connected to GoodReads. It’s an amazing way to learn about new books and readers rule on that site. If you like please follow me and you’ll see the reviews I write. Diana Lesire Brandmeyer on GoodReads.

Today I’m over at Angela Breidenbach’s site discussing the upcoming Montana Writers Retreat and how authors will learn how to use goodreads without fear.  You can read the article Mastering GoodReads here.

 

Have a safe and Happy 4th of July!

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Summer Breeze

Posted on June 25, 2015 by Diana Brandmeyer

Summer Breeze

This morning  there was a familiar but not recognizable smell in our home and it wasn’t from last night’s dinner. This smell triggered happiness and youth, but I couldn’t figure out what it was or where it came from.

Copyright: idal1981 / 123RF Stock Photo

Then I noticed the curtains dancing in front of an open window. A memory clicked into place.

Summer mornings waking up to white sheers billowing over my bed. A summer breeze was the best, notes of fresh grass, moisture from the dew and possibly, could it be hoped for? A cooler day?

Our house didn’t boast central air, not even a window unit graced our home. We had fans and soaked washrags in cold water to cool ourselves. A summer breeze offered refreshment that couldn’t be obtained anywhere in my neighborhood.

Now we have air conditioning all summer long–or at least we did. Ours in now waiting to be repaired which is why the window was open, and today I’m glad.

Every year we go from heat to air conditioning because of allergies. We’ve become insulated from some gifts that God brings us in the morning. Today, I was reminded of a time when summer breezes woke me with a curtain kiss.  I closed my eyes and breathed in the sweet air and remembered when the house was quiet, brother was asleep, and if I was quiet I could sneak past his room and have cherished time with my mom.

This song was a hit when I was a teenager and it makes me think of summer too.

What’s your best summer memory? Please share in the comments.
Tweet: Summer Breeze Makes Me Feel Fine http://ctt.ec/21Cqw+ #summer #blog

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Perm Machine

Posted on April 3, 2015April 3, 2015 by Diana Brandmeyer

 

For years my mom has said she’d rather go to the dentist than to the hair salon. This made no sense to me as I love to have someone fuss over me and make my hair do things I can’t.

woman in dental chair

Copyright: / 123RF Stock Photo

The discussion about her dislike came up again when I asked, “Mom, when you were little did you have curly hair?”

I wanted this information because I’ve decided to let my hair be what God intended–wavy and I wanted to know if I got it from my mom or dad.

“Oh no! My hair has always been straight. When I was 4 my mother started taking me to get perms. That was terrifying.”

“How could that be scary, mom?”

“There was this big machine that had curlers that dropped down. Electricity ran through the wires into the curlers making my hair into kinky curls.”

I stopped walking willing to let the Fitbit rest while I considered if I should drive to her house to make sure she was okay. “Electricity sent to your hair?”

“Yes, and I’ll never forget it. You go look it up on that machine of yours and you’ll see. It would have been about the mid 1930s. Then call me back.”

I said I would thinking,  “Mom has lost it. No way such a thing existed.” So I turned on my ‘machine’ that’s what mom calls the computer and searched for perms in the 1930s.

This is what turned up.

1930_girl_perm_machine-222x300

Thanks to PBA Progress for the use of the photo.

I had to call mom and tell her I found a photo.

She’s right it looks terrifying. The girl in the photo looks to be about the age my mom would have been.

So I’ve learned wavy hair doesn’t come easy if you don’t have it. I do and all I had to do was learn how to take care of it. It’s not as easy as it seems. I had to buy a book! This one:

Turns out I was doing everything wrong to get my waves to behave. I had to give up my flat iron and learn to leave conditioner in my hair. Someday I’ll post a photo. Not yet though because my hair hasn’t quite recovered from smashing it between the hot plates of the flat iron.

And just for fun here’s a short clip from a movie where the 1930s Friedrich perm machine is used.

And if you think this looks more like fun than scary I read that it is coming back in the form of a digital perm. Send me a photo if you have one done.

 


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10 Reasons To Get Away

Posted on February 17, 2015February 21, 2015 by Diana Brandmeyer

Do you need 10 reasons to get away? I’ve got some for you.

It seems like we all should plan yearly vacations to exotic places or just to the beach and yet many of us don’t. Some jobs allow you to take a vacation but it seems like you can never get away.

If you work for yourself  leaving town means zero dollars are being added to your bank account. That’s our life but we decided to take a 36 hour break from our work and head to Michigan. Brr! Though it was cold and the winds were brisk at 40 miles per hour I came back relaxed, happy and ready to commit to writing a new book.

 

Tree on frozen lake

1. Leave behind a to-do list that will never be finished.

2. Bolster creativity with a new environment. This is the first time I saw Lake Michigan with ice. Impressive. 

3. Reconnect with your spouse or family.

4. It’s a chance to break out of the ordinary, Meatloaf Monday, Taco Tuesday and Pizza Friday menu.

Snowman made to look live Elvis

5. Working out in a new environment–hotels have great underused equipment.

6. There are no expectations of being on the job the moment you finish breakfast. As a freelancer, I’m at my desk as soon as my tea is made.

7. Long drives gives you a chance to talk with your spouse about dreams, the future or the reality of your lifestyle .

8. Someone else will take care of the pets. I love my cats but when I’m gone I don’t miss cleaning the litter box or opening the door 50 times a day.

Cat sitting on desk

9. Time to read without interruptions! (hint: grab one of the books I’ve written)

10.  A chance to take amazing photos for your Project Life scrapbook. 

Don’t wait to get away until you have a free week. Let these 10 Reasons to Get Away inspire you to take a short weekend trip.

And don’t forget to keep you memories to enjoy later in your Project Life scrapbooks!

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Grandparenting Changes Lives

Posted on December 17, 2014 by Diana Brandmeyer

Grandparenting is Life Changing

 

Today ends the first year of being a first time grandmother. It’s my grandson’s first birthday so I wanted to share ways he has changed my life.

 

I’ve to learned how to diaper with cloth diapers that snap! (Velcro is much easier!)

I thought my house was kid friendly but forgot how little ones stand up and hit their heads on desks.

Discovering that normal things like magazines and glass doors are giggle-worthy.

Baby food doesn’t always come in glass jars, sometimes it comes in squeeze packets. I had to ask for help on how to open these!

Happy Baby Baby Food

Putting a child in a car seat is a major time investment and you pray you have it right and the baby still has arms when you’re done.

The joy  I feel when he smiles at me—well there are no words!

Holding a little one again reminds me of how precious life is and how blessed I am to have this one in my arms.

Open mouthed, slobber kisses are better than anything I can purchase.

Watching a one year old has the advantage of a high calorie workout.

Pulling out toys that belonged to his father makes storing them worth it when you watch the excitement on his face. It seems even at a young age a new pair of wheels is the best.

 baby playing with truck

One of the biggest blessings I’ve experienced this past year is watching my husband with our grandson. We didn’t have babies together. I didn’t get to see how he gives himself completely, that look of pure love that washes over his face when he’s holding him and the silly but loveable way that he plays with a baby.

Grandfather and baby

 

Another blessing is watching my son be a dad. Wow. It takes my breath away to see the man caring for his son. Add to that the closeness I have with my daughter-in-law and I can’t imagine life being any better.

 

Happy Family

 

 

Happy Birthday Big Guy!

Birthday Boy

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