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I Saved My Sister's Life And All I Got Was A Six Million Dollar Check I Can't Cash

7/31/2011

 
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JoJo and me looking stunning as always. Circa 1970.
I have to do EVERYTHING around here. Cook. Clean cars. Save my sister's life.

I know!

It's EXHAUSTING.




My sister JoJo was diagnosed several years ago with stage 4 non-hodgkins lymphoma. She was barely fifty years old.


JUST KIDDING JOJO!

She wasn't even 40 years old.
Jo was the youngest sister and I never let her forget it. As children, I would tell Jo I was older and thus smarter than her, but I don't think she ever believed me. We fought hard; hair pulling, name calling, kicking, spitting, you know, the usual girl stuff. But then we played hard too; trike rides, playing dress-up, racing barefoot on gravel, exploring creeks and barns, and riding minibikes and three wheelers. (Clearly this was years before computers and video games).

We became adults and continued to fight a little and play a lot and laugh even more. My sister is the funniest person I know.





One day Jo called me at my job in Iowa City and said she had a lump in her armpit and was going to get it checked out. We joked about shaving armpits and infected hair follicles. I never thought for a moment it could be cancer.

When the diagnosis came, the treatment started immediately.

Because her cancer was late stage and aggressive, the first treatment did not do much and almost killed her. Meanwhile the cancer continued to spread.


After a second  unsuccessful treatment, she went to Mayo Clinic.



At Mayo, JoJo underwent a radical treatment that eliminated the cancer only temporarily (and again almost took her life) which was a miracle unto itself. It was at that point, Jo's doctor said she needed a bone marrow transplant and if she didn't get one, within three months her cancer would "come rip-roaring back, even more aggressive than before" and they didn't think there would be much hope for treatment.



My siblings and I were tested for a bone marrow match before they went to the national bone marrow registry.

I was the only match and they called it a "perfect match" as they needed 3 of 6 factors to match in order to do a transplant and my blood matched all 6.



Jo has a quick, sharp wit and is usually the funniest person in the room. She never lost her sense of humor during this whole terrible ordeal. In fact, she became funnier.
She consistently had her doctors in stitches, the nurses laughing out loud, the receptionists smiling, and random strangers in the elevator giggling as they exited. People did not expect a woman with a bald head, bloated body and dark rings under her eyes to be so positive and friendly and funny.  But she was.  Nobody was safe from her infectiousness.




Donating bone marrow is no big deal, seriously. I would encourage anybody who is thinking about donating, DO IT!  I had to go up to Mayo a week before Jo's transplant, get one shot a day for five days in my stomach which never even hurt, you couldn't feel it. I antiqued, read, shopped, walked, and ate at some good restaurants the rest of the day.  The day Mayo had set up for me to donate, I sat in a room on a bed with a tv and snacks while they put a needle thing in each arm, started the machine and for five hours one day and two hours the next, they got the "gold standard" of stem cells, enough for the transplant and then some. Didn't hurt a bit.


The next day, my sister had her body drained of all her marrow and the day after that my marrow was transplanted in.


And this is how strong my sister is. That girl exceeded all milestones immediately. She survived the transplant. The marrow took immediately. Her numbers climbed rapidly. Any milestone set was crashed through immediately by her. She was required to stay in the city of Rochester, Minnesota for six weeks, the average amount of time needed for a transplant patient.  The doctors released her from Rochester on the 7th day, that's how high her numbers were.


Jo has been clean for over six years and her fabulous doctor at Mayo told her she is no longer in need of their services but for a yearly checkup now. She was sure glad her doctor broke up with her :):):)


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Happy Camper JoJo. Circa 1969
Jo asked six years ago if there was some way she could repay me. I said yes, I thought six million stem cells were worth six million dollars.

So she wrote me a check for six million dollars. And then told me not to cash it. 

That's okay, I didn't NEED the six million dollars anyway. What's important is that I still have my sister here to torture with my older and wiser unsolicited advice and she still has me here to crack funny on.

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Why we ALWAYS gotta be eating??


To learn more about being a

bone marrow donor and

possibly saving a life,visit

www.marrow.org

Can You Say Moist? Can You Say Lip Smackin' Good? Do You Like Burgers?

7/31/2011

 
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I'm in love, I'm in love
and I don't care who knows it!

-Buddy the Elf

I'm in love with this Chicken Burger recipe.  I've always made turkey burgers. And turkey burgers are okay. Difficult and messy to form but  tasty none the less. I always made turkey burgers because my grocery store did not carry ground chicken breast.

Last week I found out  that my grocery store DID carry ground chicken breast. It was in one pound packages in the meat department's freezer in the back room. Really? Only meat department people had access to it. Really? You had to specifically ask for it and they would get it for you from in back, like it's a precious metal or something. Really? They have carried it for ten years. Okay, THAT made me mad! They said the reason the ground chicken breast was in the back freezer and not in the meat case was because they didn't sell a lot of it.

Sounds like the meat department manager skipped those boring marketing classes back in college. Sheeez.

So I made my first ever Chicken Burgers.  Can you say moist? Can you say delicious? Can you say moist again? Can I say this is one of the best dishes I have ever made? Can I annoy you with more questions?

Okay, this recipe calls for fresh bread crumbs, which I made all because Tim's Aunt Stephanie gave me her food processor because I was too cheap to buy one. Making fresh bread crumbs in a food processor is very easy. I also experimented and used the blender, and blending works just as well. I do think that fresh bread crumbs is the way to go with this recipe for sure. Four slices of whole wheat bread, crust off, equated 2 cups bread crumbs.

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Chicken Burgers
I heart you
From the Food Network website

Courtesy of Kathleen Daelemans

Ingredients
1 pound ground white meat chicken
(probably located in back where the gold "bouillon" is kept, get it, gold bullion. Clearly, I like to snicker at myself)
2 cups coarse to fine fresh bread crumbs, divided (not canned)
1/2 cup low-fat milk
3 tablespoons grated sweet onion (or finely, finely minced)
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3/4 teaspoon coarse grained salt
Cracked black pepper
1 tsp olive oil

Directions
Be sure to use ground white meat chicken. If you're buying your ground chicken from the grocery store, ring the bell and ask them if they've got what you're looking for or if they'll grind some chicken breast for you. You can also grind it yourself in a food processor. Remove all excess fat and cartilage from boneless, skinless breast and tenders, cut into 1-inch cubes and pulse until coarsely chopped.

Use fresh bread crumbs. It only takes a few extra minutes. Remove crusts from good bread or don't remove the crusts, tear into chunks and pulse in a mini chopper or food processor. Make a giant batch and freeze them so next time you can skip this step.

Place chicken in a mixing bowl. Using a rubber spatula, fold in milk, 1/2 cup bread crumbs, onion, cayenne, salt and pepper. The mixture will be very wet which means it will be a tiny bit icky forming it into patties but forge ahead. Place remaining 1 1/2 cups bread crumbs on a dinner plate or cookie sheet.  Divide chicken meat into 4 or 5 piles (you decide what portion size is best for you) and using your hands, shape into patties. Coat each patty with bread crumbs. Heat olive oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat and fry patties until golden and cooked through, about 5 minutes per side. Serve immediately.

Angie's note:  Pictures are from a double batch, extras went into the freezer for a quick snack or meal.
Served burgers with provolone cheese (nice smoky flavor complemented the chicken wonderfully) and fresh sliced tomatoes. Of course, used only 100% whole wheat buns. Super fantastic tasting!! You won't believe it! We had some leftover patties the next day as a side with whole wheat pasta and marinara. Delicioso!

NEW LISTING! Super Nice ~ Super Sporty 2002 Pontiac Grand Am SE1 ~ 4 Door, Silver, Sunroof, Only 101k Miles, $5485

7/31/2011

 
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Super Nice Grand Am SE1, just listed this weekend. Check out this car by clicking on "Inventory" up above.
Give us a call at 319-683-2850 or 888-306-5362

if you would like to test drive this nice riding/driving Grand Am SE1
or just stop on out!


The I'm Tired, I'm Cranky & I'm Watching Project Runway Vegetarian Taco Recipe

7/29/2011

 
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Ahhhh, the beginnings of Vegetarian Tacos.
Okay, FINE. So I wasn't assisting in moving our kid's apartment full of furniture late last night.

So I wasn't sweating in the heat and humidity moving couches and mattresses and tables down three flights of stairs, dodging all the other kids and parents moving couches and mattresses and tables down three flights of stairs, AFTER already putting in a grueling 12 hour day.

Instead, I was attempting to entertain myself with the new season of Project Runway in our window air-conditioned farmhouse on a steamy, humid Iowa night.

And then the phone rang. Tim's calling while he's moving something heavy.  At 9pm at night. "What's to eat for supper?" he asks.

"Really?" I say, clearly agitated that I'm missing earth shattering television viewing. "Well, whatever isn't molding in the fridge I guess," I say with all sincerity.

He seems dejected. And hot. And sweaty.

So being the fine, giving person that I am (cough, cough), I say, "FINE, I'll think of someTHING."

Tim immediately perks up and says, "Sounds good."

I look in my seriously-needs-badly-to-be-restocked pantry and fridge and come up with an old standby....I seriously can't believe I have all the ingredients on hand for this dish this late at night. This is a really yummy, healthy meal that can easily be switched up with your own styling and tastes.




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Vegetarian Tacos
Quick, Tasty and Super Healthy



Ingredients
3 cups cooked brown rice, cooked in vegetable broth
1 yellow onion, sliced in half moons
1 green pepper, seeded and chopped
1 red pepper, seeded and chopped
1 poblano pepper, seeded and chopped
olive oil
1 garlic clove, chopped
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
salt and pepper
corn tortillas
olive oil
sour cream
sliced olives
diced tomatoes

shredded pepper jack cheese
avocado slices

Directions
1. Cook brown rice using vegetable broth in place of the water
2. Preheat olive oil in a skillet on medium high setting.  Begin to saute green pepper, red pepper, onion and poblano pepper. Saute for 10-15 minutes until soft.
3. In a separate small sauce pan, saute chopped garlic over medium heat for a few minutes, (do not burn). Add the rinsed and drained can of black beans. Simmer over low medium heat a few minutes, until heated. Fold beans into the rice mixture.
4. Check the sauteed vegetables. They should be soft and the onions should be translucent. Salt and pepper according to taste. (I used coarse sea salt and freshly ground pepper this time and it made a world of difference.)
5. Combine rice and bean mixture into the the sauteed vegetable mixture in the skillet. Keep warm on medium-low heat.
6. Using a small skillet, heat a couple tablespoons of olive oil on medium high heat. Once the oil is crackling, put one tortilla at a time in the oil and warm a couple seconds each side just enough to make the tortilla pliable. Remove and lay in between paper towels. Repeat procedure with each tortilla, add more oil as needed.
7. Scoop rice mixture into the tortilla shells. Top with sour cream, sliced black olives, diced tomatoes, and shredded pepper jack cheese.
Garnish with an avocado slice


Serves 4-6


Pictures of my cooking process below.....Note all the close-up pictures. I figured out the closer up the picture, the less messy the counters and stove look. Hehehehehe......

If you have any variations of this recipe,
I'd love to hear about them!
Email me at salesturnkeyauto@aol.com
or comment here!

The 2003 Gold Alero Posted Yesterday Has Sold

7/28/2011

 
But check out current and upcoming inventory by clicking on the "Inventory" tab.

HOT ON THE LOT 2003 Oldsmobile Alero GL ~ Sedan ~ Gold ~ Only 94k Miles

7/27/2011

 
Just listed and at a HOT HOT PRICE!  This is a super nice 2003 Oldsmobile Alero GL with only 94k miles. This Alero was super well maintained by the previous owner and came to us in excellent condition. Check this car out! Click on "Inventory" to see over 30 pictures and feature information.  Give us a call at 319-683-2850 for more information or stop on out!

The Best $2.99 I've Ever Spent

7/26/2011

 
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Hello gorgeous plastic things. I luv u.
I saw a display of these hard plastic produce savers in the grocery store
produce section last week.

They were $2.99 each.

I'm a sucker for end cap displays, especially if they're bright and shiny.

Well, of course I had to have one, the onion.

Then I walked back and plucked the tomato too.


Uh, can I just say, best two dollars and ninety nine cents I've ever spent!
THEY REALLY WORK!!!
Both the cut tomatoes and onion were super fresh days later!
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Three days after having the cut onion and chopped tomato stored, the onion was crispy still and the tomatoes were fresh.
AND I can locate both of these produce savers easily and immediately even in my unorganized, somewhat-not-the-cleanest-in-the-world pre-World War II era refrigerator.
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Choose us, choose us! Don't go for the cream cheese, we are healthier, Choose us!

Best of all, I never have to wrap a cut onion in a paper towel or baggie again. And I noticed I've used my cut tomatoes just about every meal now, since I can find them while they're still fresh,
and not 2 1/2 months old.

I think the store had other produce savers too, a lemon for sure that I can remember. Fresh lemon slices in water is apparently very good for a person.

The cashier who rung these up, said she's had all of them for a year
(bought them 1/2 price when they went on sale), and swears by them.


Best $2.99 I've ever spent.
Well, that didn't involve the words cheese and cake anyway.

Our Beagle Is Blind

7/25/2011

 
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Did those dang cats take off with my chew toy again?
Mindy Peaches is our Beagle and she is blind.

She went blind two years ago at the age of seven.  It happened gradually over a period of 5-7 days and we never picked up on it. Apparently that is very normal, especially with Beagles, because they sniff their way through life and compensate this way for the diminishing sight. Her blindness is permanent; she can not distinguish light from dark.

We were devastated when we found this out. We felt like bad pet parents that we couldn't pick this up about our dog, that she was going blind.  There were signs, but it was gradual over days...running into the cupboard, not directly seeing a treat in front of her. Other than that, Mindy went for walks, ran in the open field and played with her pet brother Carter (Carter was a 12 year old Beagle at the time). She had even been to the groomer but the visit was within the first two days of diminishing eyesight and not noticeable. My in-laws were over, the kids had stopped by, customers were here and petted her, NO ONE NOTICED. Business as usual.

The morning I figured out Mindy Peaches could not see, I took her to the vet and was referred to the specialist in Cedar Rapids. We immediately went to the specialist and there the news was delivered; Mindy had SARDS (Sudden Acquired Retinal Disease).

SARDS is permanent blindness. There are 4000 cases diagnosed every year in dogs. It affects all breeds but more often in females starting at about the age seven. Mindy is female and she was seven years old. There is no known cause for it and the vet field is divided on possibilities, the general consensus does seem to lean toward an auto-immune disorder. Some dogs with SARDS can see light, others can't. Mindy can't.

The specialist and his assistant were full of information about this disease. They assured us that it is the norm for pet owners not to notice signs of SARDS, as it is gradual over 7-10 days and then one day the sight is gone. Most importantly, they emphasized that non-seeing dogs live the exact same life expectancy as seeing dogs. They also said most breeds of dogs handle blindness just fine and compensate in other ways. Beagles have an advantage because they have such strong smelling senses.

Mindy's life hasn't changed since she went blind two years ago. She still wags her tail when new people come in, still steals food when you're not looking,  still runs in the open field. Only now the field is fenced in, 1.5 acres, with a sign at the gate that reads:

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I ask you, does this look like a dog who is sad because she is blind?
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I not sad as long as it's not 20 below zero with 10 feet of snow


Mindy gets to run free in the open field during the day...
She gets to explore in the evenings if she wants....


When she acts bored, I will put her on the chain and she gets to roam the rest of the property......always checking out Tim's shop first...
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Get out of my way cat, I got lots of exploring to do before mom brings me in.


And then onto her old hiding place for years worth of bones...
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Hahaha, my bones are still there, safely preserved under two inches of dirt and mulch


And then at the end of the day, she gets some snuggle time, whether she likes it...
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See, life isn't so bad when you're blind. I wish he'd wake up and give me a treat though.



Or not...
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Seriously dudes, I wish you'd go away.

For an update on Mindy in May 2012,
click here.

It's Tough Luck When You're Too Tired To Eat At The Hard Luck/Oven Roasted Chicken Wings

7/24/2011

 
Chicken Wings at the Hard Luck Cafe on a Saturday night; one of the small pleasures in life.........
Aaahhh, exhale. Relaxing in a booth after a hard day at work. Plugging $5 into the jukebox, playing old Hank Williams and Johnny Cash. And AC/DC. And The Hits Of The 70's (Angie). Waiting for the onion rings to come out. Chatting with people you know or don't know. Now THAT'S the way to cap off a week!

Yeah, that didn't happen last night.

Tim was dog-tired after working all week in the 100 degree temps and humidity. So instead of trekking to the Hard Luck, I made chicken wings at home and instead of yummy, greasy, crispy deep fried cottage fries, we had the healthy version of that called sweet potato fries. Below is the sweet potato fry recipe. Also below is a recipe for the oven baked chicken wings, a super healthy alternative to the deep fried version enjoyed often by Tim. By the way, this chicken wing recipe is FANTASTIC!

I can not cut up raw chicken, but I'm a trooper and tried anyway. And all it got me was a bunch of energy spent jumping up and down, head shaking back and forth repeatedly, arms waving furiously, and body contorting itself. So I did what any reasonable person would do. I ran out to the shop and hollered to Tim that if he wanted chicken wings tonight he needed to get in here RIGHT NOW and cut them up.

Emeril Lagasse's Oven Roasted Chicken Wings
Emeril says you won't have to clean the fryer or hide from your doctor.
Ingredients
4 pounds chicken wings, wing tips removed, separated at the joints

1/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice (does fresh squeeze mean out of a bottle? Because that's what I used)
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
2 teaspoons dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
4 tablespoons butter, melted
Your favorite sauce, for serving, such as barbecue sauce, ranch dressing, or blue cheese dressing, optional
Instructions
Preheat oven to 500 degrees
Line large rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. In large mixing bowl, combine wings and lemon juice and mix thoroughly. Add pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt. While crushing between your fingers, add thyme. (Angie says WHAT? and ignores the crushing finger thing and just casually adds the thyme in). Mix again and add cayenne and butter. Mix thoroughly. (By the way, at this point, the wings smell fantabulous! Not kidding!!) Then transfer wings to baking sheet and arrange in one layer.  Roast in oven for 10 minutes, rotate pan and cook 10 minutes longer until wings are nicely browned and cooked through. (For Angie, it was more like 15 minutes each side). Serve alone or with your favorite dipping sauce.
Makes 4-6 servings

Super yummy recipe!! Spicy enough for the adults but not too spicy for the kiddos. Works great  for an appetizer as well.

And now for those tasty sweet potato fries...

Spicy Sweet Potato Fries
From the Jan/Feb 2009 Clean Eating magazine
Ingredients
3 medium sweet potatoes, cut into strips
1 tbsp canola oil (I use olive oil, I've used both and believe it or not, there's no noticeable difference)
1 tbsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (optional, depending if you like it hot, if you have kids, probably leave this out)
1/4 tsp sea salt

Instructions
One: Preheat oven to 425. ( I have learned to keep this at 400, also do not place baking sheet on lower rack, these strips will burn easily). In a mixing bowl, combine sweet potatoes, oil, spices, and salt and mix together until fries are evenly coated.
Two: Spread fries out in a single layer on a rimmed cookie sheet. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until crispy on 1 side.
Three: Turn fries using tongs or spatula and cook for another 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown.

Angie's note: These are sweet potatoes and therefore will not be crispy like the fries at your favorite burger joint.  Nonetheless they are super healthy and delicious just the same. Serve them with honey mustard or ranch or my favorite, a simple vinaigrette.They also refrigerate well for the following day's leftover meal. Again, these aren't crispy fries.

Boy, I know there's other great recipes out there for oven roasted wings...if you have a favorite, send me a link or email...I'm always looking for other tasty versions!


OOOHHH!!!! That's right, this is a car blog! 
 
This sporty 2001 Pontiac Grand Prix SE is SUPER NICE!! 
Only 121k miles with all power options, alloy wheels, rear spoiler, AM/FM CD player, and the fantastic 3100 V6 engine.
This super riding/driving car is listed at $4950. As always, all our vehicles are in excellent to super excellent to like new condition inside and out. Check out this car featured on the "Inventory" page. Angie's note: This really is an awesome Grand Prix! Check it out!

We Have The Nicest Customers

7/23/2011

 
We have the nicest customers.

We really do.

And we are thankful and do not take it for granted.

Day in, day out returning customers visit the lot. Folks who have been referred by others visit the lot. People who have never previously heard of us visit the lot.

Yesterday, later in the day we had some folks who have never purchased a car from us but had heard about us and they were interested in one of the Impalas. Super nice people. They test drove the car and we did the paperwork.  What a joy to work with such nice people.

At the exact same time, we had a returning customer's family stop by to see what was in inventory. This friendly, happy family had previously purchased two cars from us and are in the market for a third one now. Again, you couldn't ask for a nicer family.


We sincerely have THE nicest customers; this is the #1 reason we enjoy doing what we do!
If I knew how to insert a big smiley face into this post, I would. Wait, I think I know how...

















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Seriously, could I be the worst picture taker ever???
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    Angie Madsen
    One half of a team that blends their work and personal life together
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Turnkey Auto - Nineteen years of a friendly setting of quality vehicles, affordable prices and exceptional service.
Text: 319-331-8796
​Call: 319-683-2850


 1/2 mile west of Frytown on 500th St
1811 500th St SW, Kalona, Ia 52247