DENTAL GRAFT DIARIES: Six Months Update

Now that it has been six months since the procedure, I think I am finally able to look back and evaluate the surgery and recovery more rationally.  In reality, it was torturous.  I am afraid to even go back and re-read what I put down here. I think my brain was in the defense mode. I honestly do not know where I found the strength to power through that challenge alone.

People StyleWatch: Fall 2014 Trends

STYLE MUST HAVES

Trend	Yay or Nay	Point of View
Plaid	Nay	Too much of a schoolgirl vibe.  Plus I try to be very careful with patterns.
Chunky Knits	Nay	Not a fan of the shapeless look.  Plus in all practicality, LA has no use for those.
Bold Colors	Yay	A must regardless of the season.  I have been rotating yellow, orange and pink even in my workout wear.
Cutout Heels	Yay	Just bought a pair. Or two?
Dark Florals	Yay or Nay	Depends on the item and the pattern. But definitely a miss in shoes and pants.
Robe Coats	Nay	Again, not a fan of shapeless, untailored look - not fabulous enough for the fabulous LA City.
Lug Sole Booties	Yay	I have owned a pair for years.
Shift Dresses	Yay	When did they go out of style?
Statement Earrings	Nay	Can't have anything detracting from the beauty of my face.

Basic Salad Formula

Today I made another bucket of salad.  I will never understand why all the restaurants in America call that plate of grass they serve "a salad".  I must be foreign, but the definition of salad for me holds a lot more than a handful of non-nutritious iceberg lettuce and an occasional slice of cucumber and/or a grape tomato. 

Cucumber Jello Salad

Cucumber is my favorite vegetable.  It is perfect in the hot days of California summer - cool, hydrating, and low in calories (only 45 in the whole thing!).  And of course, I love the taste. I put it even into my smoothies that I have became a huge fan of thanks to my dental graft surgery. 

DENTAL GRAFT DIARIES: Speaking My Mind

Now that the worst is behind me, I wanted to weigh in on the recommendations of La Jolla Mom as the rest of her readers.  Hopefully, my experience will offer some answers to the questions raised by her readers and followers. 

DENTAL GRAFT DIARIES: Week 6 (July 15 - July 21, 2014)

Wednesday - July 16, 2014:

While working on this blog came to realization that I am on week 6 of Dental Graft recovery.  Things should be pretty much healed up.  And they are.  But they are not back to normal.  There is a new normal - tightness across the bottom front gum line, constant biting of lips and inside of cheeks, strange bumpiness of the palate, jolting paranoia about not being careful enough...

DENTAL GRAFT DIARIES: Week 5 (July 8 - July 14, 2014)

Tuesday - July 8, 2014:

You know what things are getting better when other things that happen to you take priority and make you forget about the extreme or unusual or extremely unusual situation in your mouth.  I am finally more concerned with wholes in the walls, swollen knees, hair straightness, and maybe even the lack of male hotness in this ginormous city.  It's a good feeling. 

Papaya Mango Smoothie

1 small mango

2 cups of papaya chunks

1/4 cup coconut syrup

3/4 water

1/2 cup cottage cheese

6 oz tropical fruit yogurt

Blend for about 1 minute.  Makes about 32 oz.

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     Basic Smoothie Formula

Cucumber Avocado Green Smoothie

3/4 cup lemon water

1 small avocado, peeled and pitted

1/2 cucumber, sliced

Handful of spinach

1/2 cup cottage cheese with chives

8 ice cubes

Blend well for about 1 minute.  Makes about 32 oz.  

In my mind a "green" smoothie is the kind that has all vegetables and no sweetness of fruits.  Since in my mind smoothies are inherently sweet, I was a little apprehensive to go completely fruitless.  But this has one turned out a lot better than I expected.  Turns out, I am a huge fan of avocado fruit, which is 75% fat.

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The Most Beautiful Song of All Time

If only I was brave enough to get married again...