We're Officially 2' 6" in the Air.

It seems like all I think about or talk about these days is mattresses.  I'm getting tired of it, so this could be the last post on this issue for a while.  (I'm say it 'could' be, as one never knows when I'll go on some tirade over this again.)  As per my post yesterday, the NASA foam and foundation had arrived.  Chris didn't get home until late, so we didn't even start working on getting it out of the packaging until after 9:30pm.  But before we did that, we had to take pictures of our old mattress and frame, to send to Kingsdown.  Supposedly, if your mattress starts sagging after a couple of years, you should be able to re-coup some of the money that you lost or get a new bed.  Not sure why I would want a bed, from the same manufacturer, but it's worth a shot.  Maybe a new guest bed would be nice.  So, upon taking pictures with a disposable camera (wasn't even sure how to use such a thing), we disassembled our bed and managed to inhale a good amount of dust bunnies in the process.  WOW!  Arizona is dusty.  Doesn't matter if you're inside or out.  Dust accumulates EVERYWHERE!  Our bed frame is huge and not easily moved, so we don't get around to vacuuming under there too often.  Our carpets are a light tan color.  Under the bed, they are a light grey color.  It was gross and a tad bit embarrassing.  Once all of the pictures we taken, dust and all, Chris moved dragged out the box springs and mattress.  I couldn't help him because my back is already close to being broken, so it was interesting to watch as the bed went wobbling down the hall.  Once that task was done, then we started to unload the foundation.  People, this thing looked like it came from IKEA!  It was made out of cheap pine and didn't have enough screws to hold even half of it together.  So, at 10pm last night, Chris had to make a run to WallyWorld to get wood screws.  18 extra screws later and all of the cracked stabilizer boards later, we had the foundation done.  This was not worth the money we spent on it, but being that it would cost us more than it was worth to ship it back, we ignored the cracks and cheapness of the foundation.  We  Chris managed to get this into the bedroom and got it into our existing bed frame.  (We're moving along, folks!)  Now came the lug of a foam mattress.  Since it was vacuumed packed and sealed in 5 layers of the thickest plastic known to man, we had to open this once it was on the foundation/frame. As we started pealing off the plastic, I noticed this tag:

Hmmmmm...........am I missing something here?  Does everyone (obviously, aside from us) have forklift in their garage?  I haven't noticed any, when I walk/drive by the neighbors houses and they have their garage doors open.  Maybe it wasn't something I was looking for, but I think I would have noticed something of this size in a garage.  So, what exactly does this tag mean?  Are they suggesting that the ONLY proper way to move this is with a forklift?  Is this little sticker, what prevents them from being sued, when someone throws out their backs, breaks a leg or injures someone else, while moving these beasts of foam?  It's a good thing we got this in the room without any major damage to anyone Chris!
After cutting off about 5 layers of the thickest plastic known to man, the vacuumed packaged bed starts to expand.  On the limited instructions, that are hidden inside of 2 layers of plastic wrap, it tells you that it could take several hours to expand to normal size.  It's now almost 11:30 and I'm in no mood to wait several hours. Luckily, as soon as we cut the tie straps, the mattress expanded right away.  These is NO WAY in the world, we could even consider getting this back to the manufacturer, if something was wrong with this bed.  After this experience, I've figured out this is quite a good racket these "foam" mattress companies have going on.  No wonder they can charge astrological prices for these things.  It's impossible for ANYONE to return these suckers.  A person would be better off just selling their vehicles and investing in a new mattress, than try to even move this thing out of their bedroom.  I have yet to find a person that dared try to return one of these!  Now I know why.
Climbing into bed, just before midnight, was a chore in itself.  We're getting very close to the ceiling and I'm not sure that adding more height would have been a good idea.  (Nose bleeds could ensue and then we'd probably get a stain, which would void any and all warranties.)  We're about half of my height off the floor (2'6" to be exact.), which makes for an interesting procedure to get into bed.  I sort of have to throw myself up top and hope that I make it somewhere on the bed vs. thudding on the floor.  All in all, I slept pretty good. Firm, but not too firm. (Just like little Red Riding Hood's adventure in bed comfort.) Chris said he found it hard to move around/roll over, but that he was comfortable.  We'll see how it goes over the next week.  Wish us luck and if you haven't heard from me in a few days, you might want to call and see if I'm stuck in the memory foam somewhere and can't get up.

Enjoying the Summer Days

Waking up any time before 7:30-8am always makes me a little grumpy.  But this morning, because Chris was gone, I had to get up early and feed the dogs.  (When I say early, I mean 5am....the dogs are demanding and for some reason, can't wait until normal morning hours to eat!  aaarrrgggghh!!!!)  Since I had a cake to deliver by 8:30am, I was ready and out of the house by 7:45.  Not bad!  It's kind of nice to start your day off like that......every once in a while.  (While I don't recommend this on a daily basis, once or twice a year won't really effect your sleep pattern too much, right??)  Cake was delivered. Starbucks was consumed.  Errands ran.  Now what do I do with myself?  I've got so much of the day left.
Now's the time to do something fun.  I've got fresh tomatoes from the farmers market and some peppers just waiting to be used.  What can I make?  We've been on a Pico de Gallo phase lately, so I decided to make some up.  Man this stuff is addicting!  And, when you use fresh tomatoes, it's AMAZING!!!

It looks so fresh, I swear I can almost smell it thru the computer!!  All it takes is a little dicing and you can have some too..

Pico de Gallo

5-8 Farmers Market/Home Grown Tomatoes (if your tomatoes are smaller use 8, larger only use 5), fairly ripe (*) and chopped.
1 bunch of Cilantro, chopped
1/2 Red Onion, diced
2-3 Jalapenos (and if you like a little heat, add in a couple of diced Serrano's), diced

Chop all ingredients and mix together.  Let marinate overnight, for full flavors.  Serve with chips or on a Jalapeno Turkey Burger
* One important note:  If you buy supermarket tomatoes, make sure they are bright red and on the softer side.  If you buy tomatoes that are still fairly tough, you won't get the same flavors or juice from the tomato, which is important.

I love this on a turkey burger!  Chris made me the most magnificent Jalapeno Turkey Burger the other day and I was in heaven.  It was all I could think about for a week!!  Lean Ground Turkey with a little garlic, Montreal Steak Seasoning (it sounds funny, but it really is good in so many things) Worcestershire sauce, and slices of Jalapeno all mixed together.  Make your patties a few hours early, put in frig and then grill up on the bb-q!  This is one of my all time favorite meals, especially when you add some fresh Pico on top of your burger.  (Too bad I've already eaten homemade Sweet Potato fries or I'd have a second dinner!)

The bedding has started to arrive at the house.  While I appreciate the promptness in getting it here, did the two heaviest items have to arrive when I was gone from the house and when Chris was out of town??  I've already got a bad back and I can't haul in 100lb items off the front porch.  Thanks, Larry and Colin, for the help putting the monster boxes inside the front door.  It would so be my luck that the neighborhood vandals (probably on a bicycle) would somehow cart off my 100lb, researched, 5 layer-Visco foam mattress from the front porch and no one would happen to see it!  (Of course, 2 months after the fact, I'm sure someone would mention that they were out walking at 10pm and saw the funniest thing.....there was a guy riding down the road with a huge vacuumed packed mattress in his bicycle basket!  Sorry....my mind wanders and the point is mute anyway.)  Well, now that the most important items have arrived, getting them into the master bedroom and somehow hauling out our old King Size bed, should be an interesting chore.  If you live close to us and happen to hear some obscenities being yelled tomorrow, cover your children's ears and apologize for me.  I tend to get a little heated, when doing projects like this.  Not only do I traumatize the neighborhood kids, but I'm sure my dogs won't be thrilled either.  I always manage to yell at them at some point.  (I mean, do they really have to have their noses in EVERYTHING?)  Lol!
Again, while it's nice to have the major pieces of the new bed here, actually having some new bedding would help. Evidently, I failed to check the box next to the sheet items, for fast delivery, and we won't get this part of the order until next Tuesday.  I guess sleeping on expensive foam won't hurt us, right?  I mean, it's foam, what could happen but a little foam-rash??  While I do have other bedding, I sincerely doubt it's going to fit on all of this "plushness" that we now have.  Between the foam mattress, gel foam topper and new foundation (along with our existing bed fram), we should only be about 4 feet in the air.  Some people have even said a foam mattress is a bit like sleeping on a cloud..  Well, heck yeah!  If you were 4 or 5 feet in the air at night, you'd think you were sleeping on a cloud too!  Good grief!  And to think that I went with the 12" mattress vs. the 14" mattress and the 2.5" gel topper vs. the 4.5" gel topper.  We could have been really close to the ceiling fan.  What a ride that would be!!  And, where would you find sheets with deep enough pockets to fit that sort of thing?  So many things to worry about.  Life is tough!  :-)

Recipe - Cauliflower Mac & Cheese

Cauliflower Mac & Cheese
Adapted from Jamie Oliver's Recipe

This is truly YUMMY!!!  If you like Mac & Cheese but don't want all of the calories and fat, this is a definite must!  I changed a few things and I think it's even healthier, without losing the taste.

Ingredients:
1 head of Cauliflower (cut into small florets)
5oz Reduced Fat Cheddar Cheese, grated
3oz Parmesan Cheese, grated
1 small bunch of fresh Italian Parsley, chopped
Sea Salt & Pepper to taste
10oz Whole Grain Macaroni Elbows
1 Cup Fat Free Plain Yogurt (you can also use Plain Greek Yogurt or Reduced Fat Sour Cream)
1 Cup Reserved Salt Water

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Spray casserole dish lightly with non-fat cooking spray.

Bring a large pot of salt water to a boil.  Remove outer greens from cauliflower and slice the ends off the stalk.  Cut head into small florets (be sure and cut these small).  When water is boiling add macaroni and chopped cauliflower to pot and cook approx. 7-9 minutes or until desired firmness.
Grade Cheddar cheese in bowl.  Add yogurt (or sour cream) to bowl and place the bowl over the boiling pot of water, allowing cheese and yogurt to melt together.  Carefully stir every so often, until cheese is completely melted.  Add all of the chopped parsley to the melted cheese and yogurt and season with a pinch of sea salt and pepper.  Remove bowl from pot, carefully using hot pads.  Drain macaroni and cauliflower, saving 1 cup of the salted water.  Pour macaroni and cauliflower into prepared casserole dish, followed by the melted cheese and yogurt.  Mix together until all macaroni is covered with sauce.  It should have a silky consistency, but if it's too thick for you, add a splash of your cooking water to thin it out a bit.  (Another option would be to add fat-free milk to mixture, to give it a creamy texture.)
Put into *oven for approx 8-12 minutes or until golden brown.  Serve and enjoy!

*Note:  When putting this in oven, it will tend to dry out quickly, so I'd suggest adding more of your reserved water or some extra milk if you like a creamier consistency to your Mac & Cheese

Mattress Search Comes To An End.

According to Consumer Reports, mattresses are the second most searched item on their site, with cars leading by a small margin.  Let me tell you, if you really want to confuse yourself (and I'm already pretty confused most of the time), start reading reviews and searching for the perfect mattress.  Then, go to different showrooms and try a few out.........then come home and do some more searching and reading.......head back to the stores and try some more beds...........ask friends on FB if they have any of these types of beds, pros/cons, etc.........then research some more and finally, try to retain EVERYTHING you've learned.  Okay, quick.....Which mattress is the best?  Which foam is better or more dense?  What is cooling gel?  How in the world am I going to sell my house fast enough to get the money for that Tempru-Pedic bed that is a "must have", according to all of the sales people?  Got any answers???  I sure didn't.  Buying a mattress that is perfect for you is like finding the perfect computer.  There isn't such a thing!!!!  I did manage to rule out a couple of things right at the beginning.  First off, I did not want another coil/spring type of mattress again.  We've had two different ones in the past 7 years and they both started sagging after year 1.  That kills my back and I wake up extremely grumpy and irritable.  (Which does not please my Husband in any way, shape or form)  Secondly, I decided against a Sleep Number bed, as it's really just 2 Twin XL beds pushed together.  Isn't this the same thing you get on a cruise ship?  I don't live on a cruise ship and have no intentions of sleeping as if I were.  Among the many drawbacks to this setup, you have to buy 2 sets of sheets to go on this split style bed.  Forget about it.  No, really!  Forget about it!  I did!

Now that I have this narrowed down to a memory foam bed (it really is best if you have a bad back), the real horror ensues!  You've got everything from 1-5 layers of different types of foam (all in one foam mattress, mind you) to look at, thickness to consider (8" or 14".  Personally, if I had the time, I'd wait for the 24" foam mattress that comes with it's own built-in ladder, to climb in and out of bed), firmness of foam (medium firm/firm/super firm/rock firm, and I might as well be sleeping on the cement outside, firm), NASA technology (this is not a joke!  NASA created the first memory foam), brands (you name it, it's out there.  Wal-Mart even has one.), foundations (do you need adjustable, zero gravity, box style - specifically for foam, latex and air beds), and finally cost.  The final consideration leaves you screaming for a place to curl up in the fetal position and hoping this mattress nightmare will come to an end and quickly!!  Foam mattresses range in price from $299 thru $10K+.  Yep, you can buy a foam mattress for over $10,000.  If you purchase this, you should have your head examined, but it's an option for you.  And, as the salesmen so nicely told me, when referring to this $10K piece of foam, that I would be dead (seriously, he said this) before I ever needed to buy another mattress again.  I would be dead, if I even considered buying this in the first place.  My husband would make sure of that!  

The fact that we can't sell our house in this market, leaves us ruling out the Tempru-Pedic brand at this current time.  Okay, I can live with the fact that I might have to purchase another bed or two before I drop over.  Now I just have to find the next best thing.  At this point, I've moved into another bedroom to sleep on a slightly firmer mattress, I can barely walk because my back is screaming with pain, and I'm VERY irritated!!!!

I finally have selected a medium cost, medium firm, 4 layers of different foam, foam bed from Costco.  It's got 4.5 stars out of 5, doesn't say it's back ordered and the returns are great, if needs be.  After much deliberating, put it in the cart, only to find out, it takes 4-6 weeks to be delivered and it doesn't come with a foundation.  You've got to be kidding me, right?  I don't have 4-6 weeks.  My back is going to give out on me before the end of the week and I won't be able to move off the floor.  And, who buys a mattress without a foundation?  Back to the drawing board.  My dilemma is this:  If I go into the stores to purchase something, while I may get it quicker, I'll probably end up paying a lot more than if I buy online.  But, if I should have any returns, it will be a lot easier to deal with than shipping something back I purchased online.  This is a big consideration, because when a memory foam mattress arrives at your house, it is vacuumed packed.  When you open it up, it inflates, just like your regular camping mattress. (Camping mattress:  $10  NASA Foam:  $ Priceless, evidently.) Oh, and these foam things weigh as much as a small elephant.  Anywhere from 100lbs (for a twin or your average packing material queen mattress) to over 300lbs.  (I wonder, if included in the price, you get a couple of body builders to come help you turn your mattress every month.  That could explain the cost......hmmmm!)  Anyway, if I decide to buy this online, I sincerely doubt there will be any returns.  No, let me rephrase that......there will be no way to return it.  End of story.  Could this get any worse??

My cousin, Anna, has now told me that they bought a bed from amazon.com and love it!  I've known Anna for a while now, I guess I could trust her judgement. (After all, we are related.)  It was one place I didn't consider, but what the heck!  I don't have anything better to do, but to research more beds.  Surprisingly enough, they have some good stuff on this amazon place.  They even have some consistent reviews (meaning more people actually liked their choice, vs. 4 people liked and 4 people didn't like)  I looked up the brand names and got mostly positive reviews.  Another good sign!  I'm on a roll.  Now, what about delivery?  Guess what?  I can have it all before the end of the week, providing I order within the next hour.  Well, Chris is on the phone with a conference call and knowing how his boss loves meetings, it could be awhile.  Do I make this decision and just go with it?  Bed is considerable cheaper than $10k and I can order bedding and the foundation at the same time.  I'll have to give up on an adjustable hospital type of bed (zero gravity will have to wait until I'm in official training to be an astronaut.) for the next time I go in for surgery.  (That shouldn't be too long, as I tend to have 1 surgery about every other year.)  Overall, I ended up paying about $2K for a kindg size memory foam mattress, foundation, gel foam mattress pad, 2 king size deep pocket sheet sets and duvet comforter cover set.  Now the waiting for delivery ensues.  There will be many clicks on amazon.com, checking to see if the items have shipped or not and when it will all be delivered.  (I am not very patient and can't just wait for an email to come thru, telling me that my products are on their way.)  I'll post my reviews of my items once they all arrive.....and we find a small army to help us move a 200lb bed.  Wish me luck!  Oh, and thanks again, Anna, for the recommendation!!!

Recipe - Greek Souvlaki

Greek Souvlaki

I'm not sure where I got this recipe, but I've changed it a bit and it comes out tasting like the Greek Souvlaki we had in Oia.  And it smells wonderful as you're grilling it.  OPA!

Ingredients:
6 Tablespoons of juice from lemons
1/2 Cup of Greek Olive Oil
1/2 Cup Reduced Sodium Soy Sauce
2 teaspoons Greek Oregano
4-6 Cloves Garlic, crushed (depending on how much you like garlic)
1-3 lbs of Lamb or Pork Tenderloin, cut into 1" cubes.  (you can also substitute chicken or beef, if you'd like)
2 medium onions, cut into 1" chunks (we usually leave this out, as I don't care for onions)
3 Green Bell Peppers, cut into 1" pieces
Skewers

In large glass bowl, mix together all the ingredients, minus the meat and bell peppers.  Once you have your mix, dump into a gallon size plastic bag, with your cut meat and bell peppers.  Make sure you let all of the air out of the bag and zip the bag up tight.  Let marinate for at least 6-8 hours.  We like to marinate for 24 hours, as it better melds the flavors together.
Preheat the grill for medium-high heat.  Thread pork, peppers and onions on skewers.  Lightly oil grate.  Cook for 10-20 minutes or to desired doneness.  Be sure to turn the skewers frequently for even cooking all around.  Serve with Tzatziki sauce for optimal flavor.