Monthly Archives: October 2015

Oh My God Sweet Baby Jesus ! This JUST Got REAL ! – the 411

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Oh My GawdThat moment when you speak to the nurse coordinator about your upcoming cycle and learn that since today is CD1, the very next CD1 is the first day of your IVF cycle !   OH LAUD !!!

After starting my day annoyed by people’s posts on Facebook (1) regarding the recently orphaned teen girl who was physically assaulted by a “police officer” in South Carolina and the rude, arrogant, judgmental statements spewing out of the mouths of racist individuals I actually thought were decent people (until they posted the most ignorant and racially charged words a person could say) and (2) a thread which started yesterday about people being allowed to bring children to a fertility clinic for their treatment which turned into a conversation about secondary infertility-  I feel that if you are a parent, and you PLANNED to be a parent, then be an adult and hire a babysitter and stop bringing children to places children have no place being- moreover, I do NOT want to be at a fertility clinic watching women fawn all over their existing children when mine never made it to birth…  it is rude and inconsiderate !  and while I feel for any woman who is battling infertility, there is NO comparison of SI to a woman who has never had the opportunity to be a mother.  There is a different level of pain.  These are two different situations and one does not negate the hardship of the other, but it is just different….  SO after reading this foolishness, I was annoyed until…. My nurse called to discuss the plan for my upcoming cycle and to go over what to expect.

Well, color me surprised that I start taking birth control pills after my next cycle !  In 5 weeks, I will be back to CD 1 and will start the pill along with the donor to sync our cycles YIKES !  This Just Got Real !!  Now I have butterflies in my stomach ! I take birth control pills then I will be on Lupron until I am instructed to start taking Estrace to thicken my lining.  I will also be on two different antibiotics (Doxycycline) and some other one that begins with a C that I have never heard of that is taken vaginally.  I also will have to take PIO and Endometrin plus all my normal autoimmune meds. My meds have been ordered and I will fill them over the next month !!  THIS JUST GOT REAL !!!

I have to purchase another all access pass to Xytex again and look through the all of the profiles to make sure that I do not want to change my donor for a better model (lol).  I have not looked at the donor list since 2013 when I selected my donor, who I used for all of my cycles.  I am going to make sure there are no newer donors that I may like better.  I am kinda nervous about changing donors, but in almost two years, I am sure some new people have surfaced possibly and I may like them better….

In other news, my film has been screening as a final selection of the Reel Recovery Film Festival all across the USA.  I was invited to do a live appearance for Q&A at the New York and Los Angeles festivals and next Saturday, it is screening in Ft. Lauderdale, FL.  I am elated that all that hard work paid off and I am now an award winning film producer !

I am still dealing with Ms. Lunatic, Cristal !  For some reason, she is under an illusion that calling my phone from spoofed numbers, posting negative reviews about my books on websites and the like will not be tied back to her.  There is this little thing the Police and FBI do called INVESTIGATING IP ADDRESSES and they can track things back to the originator.  That coupled with public death threats and ones she has made over the phone and via text from spoofed numbers, it is just a matter of time before she lands herself in a padded cell.  It has been since MAY and this woman is STILL obsessed with me.  WHO does that? Insane Assylum-bound idiots !

On the family front, my sister and I are throwing a Tiffany & Co. Themed baby shower for our niece next week in Washington DC and it is a surprise for my niece.  I have been busy learning how to make cake pops and purchasing all the favors and items for the shower.

My mom is scheduled to start her reconstructive surgery on December 2nd !  We lucked out that she no longer has to have her stomach done to fix the breasts ! No flap needed !  She will be getting two new implants and the left breast lifted and made smaller to match the right one. We will be in Northern Virginia for a week while she recuperates.

I am excited about being there because I will be able to spend some time mentoring pregnant teens with the Mary Elizabeth Project and also have time to volunteer at two shelters I support.

I am headed out shortly to Dollar Tree to go shopping for cases of items needed to make blessing bags for the homeless.  My friend, former American Idol contestant, Frenchie Davis, is doing these bags for the homeless on Skid Row in LA this year so I am buying items to help out with her cause.  I also opted to donate the money I was going to spend on myself during my annual Christmas Shopping Spree to a cause my make up artist is heading up to purchase Christmas gifts for homeless and low income children.   I normally buy myself a new coat, boots, jewelry at Macy’s sales, and new clothing I find on sale, so this year, I will not be buying gifts for myself but for children and I feel pretty darn good about it.

In ME news, I have been doing my walk/run intervals every morning for 3.5 miles and again in the evening for 2 miles.  I also go to aqua zumba 2-3 days a week.  I am awaiting a call back from a great ballroom dance school and I am going to take lessons.  I am truly enjoying living on the ocean and waking up to waves every morning or looking at the moon sit and shine over the ocean at night.  I know now that this is where I belong !  ON THE SEA ! lol.   Now if God can get that memo and make my pockets match up so I can buy a house on the Pacific Pallisades and a nice 100 ft yacht and all will be well with the world !  As you can see, I am big dreamer… but hey, you have to have something to work towards.  🙂

I am headed out to Dollar Tree and then off to a consignment shop to look for baby boy clothes for the teen I am sponsoring.  I will also look for cute clothes for my niece and my niece’s baby… onesies are sooooo cute ! 🙂

Have a great weekend everyone !!

Homemade Condensed Cream Of Chicken Soup – Recipe

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Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 cups organic chicken stock
  • 3/4 cup organic whole milk
  • 1/2 cup King Arthur organic all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
  • 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
  • 1/4 tsp. freshly-ground black pepper
  • 1/4 tsp. poultry seasoning
  • 1/4 tsp. dried parsley
  • 1/4 tsp. paprika
  • 1/4 tsp. onion powder
  • 1/8 tsp. celery seed
  • 1/8 tsp. dried thyme
  • 1/4 cup finely diced grain fed cooked chicken

Directions:

Add chicken stock to a large saucepan and bring to a boil over medium high heat.

In a separate bowl, whisk together milk and flour until the flour is dissolved.

Slowly pour the milk mixture into the boiling chicken stock, whisking to combine. Whisk in remaining seasonings. Reduce heat to medium, and bring the mixture back to a very low boil, stirring constantly so that the bottom of the pan does not burn. Let the mixture boil for about 3 minutes until thickened. Then stir in the chicken, and remove pan from the heat.

Either use the condensed soup in a recipe immediately, or transfer it to airtight containers and store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

*This recipe is NOT meant to be consumed as-is. It is a concentrated soup, which means that it either needs to be diluted to be eaten as a soup, or mixed into a recipe that calls for condensed soup.

(c) 2015 Valerie Renèe

Pumpkin Pecan Scones with Maple Glaze

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Ingredients:
Pumpkin scones
  • 1 cup raw pecans
  • 2 cups white whole wheat flour
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • ¼ cup light brown sugar, packed
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon ground ginger
  • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ⅓ cup solid coconut oil or 5 tablespoons cold butter
  • ¾ cup pumpkin puree
  • ¼ cup milk of choice (almond milk, low fat milk, etc.)
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Maple glaze
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • ⅛ teaspoon fine grain sea salt
  • 1 tablespoon melted coconut oil or butter
  • ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • ¼ cup pure maple syrup, more if needed
Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees . Place the nuts in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Toast the nuts in the oven until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Chop the nuts into very fine pieces.

Use a pastry cutter to cut the coconut oil or butter into the dry ingredients. If you don’t have a pastry cutter, use a fork to cut the coconut oil into the flour, or use a knife to cut the butter into tiny pieces and mix it into the flour.

Stir in pumpkin puree, milk and vanilla extract. At first it will seem like there isn’t enough liquid to wet the dough, but keep mixing until you have thoroughly incorporated the wet and dry ingredients. If you must, use your hands to knead the last of the flour into the dough.

Form dough into a circle that’s about an inch deep all around. Use a chef’s knife to cut the circle into 8 even slices.

Separate slices and place on the baking sheet covered with parchment paper. Bake for 15 to 17 minutes or until lightly golden brown.

While the scones are baking, whisk together the glaze ingredients in a small bowl until smooth and creamy. Drizzle the glaze generously over the scones (I preferred mine with a solid layer across the top). While the glaze is wet, sprinkle it with the remaining chopped nuts.

71 More Days !! The Update or The 411

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In 71 days….  I will embark on my next IVF cycle !  YAY !   I am so excited !  I am ready !!  I have my funds together !!  It is time to make two little Valeries !!!

I have had a somewhat crazy past month or so.  I have been enjoying my mornings by arising, throwing on work out clothes, and going for 3-5 mile run intervals on the beach.  I wake every morning to the view of the ocean and I can not tell you how refreshing and inspiring that is for my soul.   My mom is getting her entire life here and is finally relaxing a bit.  She has been going with me some evenings when I do my pm run.  If she goes, then I just walk the entire way.   She even accompanied me twice last week to my aqua-zumba class and she went in the sauna and then rode a bike and worked out on weights while I participated in my aquatics class.

I work out in the morning every morning on the beach or in the gym on the elliptical, go to water aerobics twice a week, run on the beach for 2-3 more miles at sunset and will be adding ballroom/ latin dance to my workout as soon as they school calls me back so that I can enroll.   I am taking time and tending to ME !  I am spending time with ME… working on MY body… MY health.. enjoying ME !   Why not?

Great news !  My film, which was a finalist in the Reel Recovery Film Festival, has been screening around the country and in Canada.  I was invited to come in for an in person appearance for the NYC screening.  My cast, crew and supporters came out and we did Q&A after the screening. The film received wild applause after it screened on the big screen at Cinema Village Theater !

Reel Recovery Film Fest NY Cinema Village NY

My mother came with me to NYC and we darn near FROZE !  At the beach, it is hot and I get up and put on a tshirt or swimsuit.  There was a cold snap up North and it was COLD !  I was NOT prepared for that cold weather !

After the screening, we left and headed South to Washington DC to attend church service at my home church, as my pastor was being honored.  We went to the 9:30 am service (after only getting 3-4 hours of sleep) and then we went to my sister’s home and her hubby bbq’d for us !  What a treat 🙂

I just got in from my pm run and am relaxing.  I decided to try a new recipe I created today.  I made cajun braised beef ribs, rosemary potatoes, and cajun baby lima beans.

Cajun Braised Beef Ribs

Anyway, I hope that everyone is doing well !  Until next update….  xoxo