I had a very rough morning in regards to pain and fatigue. I didn't leave the bedroom until noon because my hip pain was excruciating if I sat or stood in addition to terrible shooting pain in my wrists. So even though I had a list of tasks I wanted to get done today - in the bed I stayed. The additional laying helped my hip subside and it was time to get up. The fact that I came downstairs to see my Treat Yourself Tuesday package waiting at the front door was refreshing.

Every time that I drive in the car my back and hips scream at me! And as the story goes ususally that will trigger other issues. The slippery slope theory actually does apply to chronic pain, haha! To try and prevent this I wanted to purchase a pillow or cushion for my drivers seat. I click over to Amazon as always. I searched for a bit to see the best rated in combination with the best price; because I beleive there is no reason to spend more money than necessary on a product. [Though you don't want to be left with a P.O.S. either] so always do at least 5 minutes of researching before clicking, 'Add to Cart.'

My search for the cushion brought me to the ComfiLife brand options, I decided  on the Gel-Enhanced Cushion for Sciata & Back Pain. [Like I said, it seems like it was more like my 70th birthday] There is a memory foam like cushion with a gel topper and it comes with a soft crushed velvet removable cover. It's like a dream to sit on!! It's only been a few hours but with constant pain it doesn't take long to make me uncomfortable. The cushion promotes good posture while providing a soft, contoured, and level seat. After a few hours of not moving out of this chair [which is very uncommon] the cushion rose back to original form immediately. We'll have to give it time to test out the longevity of that feature. Overall I'm very happy with my purchase and I am excited to be releived of pain while traveling! My mom also got me a travel neck pillow as an addition to my birthday gift so I should be much happier in the car.

I didn't just get a seat cushion with my giftcard though! HAHA I also got a sweater that for some crazy reason didn't arrive with everything else? I bought a new pair of leggings that came and could probably fit someone who's legs are the size of my ARMS. So those will be returned!

I got a suction cup handle for our shower to make sure I don't fall. A shower ususally takes a lot of energy out of me so just in case!

And lastly, I bought a bluetooth keyboard to accompany our recently refurbished Verizon Ellipsis 10 Tablet. Yay! I'm using it right now to write up this post. It's just slightly bigger than our 10in. tablet which gives it a perfect fit for me to type quickly. What I liked about this option in particular: NO cords! It's a bluetooth connection and it doesn't need to be charged you simply need 2 AAA batteries. Which was a plus for me; less parts to loose while traveling and you can always find batteries! It is exactly what I wanted; the Amazon page created a perfect decription for me.

I realize I need to start to accept how my life has changed and will most likely continue to change. I CANNOT be upset about what the 'old me' could do. These are the first steps to moving away from those thoughts. Focus on positive thoughts about what I can do and what I have accomplished.

And there you have a quick yummy snack. I am not the biggest fan of hummus but once it is mixed with the salsa it sort of tricks your taste buds into thinking you're having a queso of some sort. QUESO is my mother f*ckin jam! It's one of the best things to eat. Sadly isn't not the best for you! This is a new option for me now to substitute when needed to try to keep those pounds I've already lost off!

...the future is bright!

xoxo

D.Hord

This afternoon Hubby and I went to Haring Brothers Meats to pick up some meat that will be used in a future post. While we were there we decided on dinner for the evening...burgers made from ground sirloin!

I love cheeseburgers but I also like them mostly plain as you saw in Part 1.

This burger was made especially for Jason. It's a very easy recipe to follow. I hope you enjoy it as much as he did!

Items Needed:
[Affilitate links below, they will give a 
small commision at no charge to you]

• 1 lbs Ground Sirloin
• 8 strips bacon
• 2 leaves Boston Lettuce
• Pickles
• 3 tbsp BBQ Sauce [Haring Bros. Prefered]
• Grill (or alternative cooking method)
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 2 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp pepper
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1 tbsp McCormick Grill Mates Hamburger seasoning*
• 4 tbsp Montreal Burger & Steak Rub*
• 2 slices of your favorite cheese (Jason chose pepper jack tonight)
• Meat thermometer
• 2 kaiser rolls

Recipe makes 2 burgers if you want them large!

The first step is to gather all of your ingredients, you'll want to double check you have everything before you get started! The worst is when you are partially through a delicious recipe when you realize that you need to make a grocery store run, UGH!

Grab your ground sirloin and toss it in a medium size mixing bowl.  Empty in each of your spices. Use your hands [Yes it is gross, but really is the best way to do it] to thoroughly mix the meat and all of the spices. 

Pan fry about 8 strips of bacon. I cut the strips in half to make the process easier. Use paper towels to remove some of the grease from the cooked bacon. Set aside 2 pieces for the topping of the burger. Crumple up the rest and dump it into your meat. Once again you'll need to mix the meat with your hands to make sure all of the bacon is spread out. 

Split the meat into two equal parts. Form each into a ball, flatten, then push a thumbprint into each side the of burger. [This is to help prevent your hamburger patty from turning into a ball during the cooking process.] Repeat with the second patty. Now you'll want to start up the grill! Finally toss the burgers on the grill.

If you followed this recipe you probably have some pretty thick burgers. To be sure that these burgers are cooked properly it is wise to use a meat thermometer to ensure that your burgers have cooked through to at least 160 degrees fahrenheit. Safety in cooking is always priority!

Once the burger reached the 

magic number of 160 degrees, it's time for cheese! 

Our burgers took approx. 15 or so minutes to cook. Grab your cheese and lay it on the burger. Let the cheeseburgers cook for an additional 2-3 mins allowing for the cheese to melt. 

Left to right: Jason's Bacon topped Bacon BBQ Burger with mayo & BBQ sauce with a side of macaroni salad. HordAholic's Lettuce Wrap Burger w. Sabra Spreads Honey Mustard and a side of applesauce.