The weather outside is frightful!

 

                            

                                                       View from our bedroom

    

                                                      View from the living room

    

                                                     View from our dining room

I'm sure everyone has heard there is a large winter storm moving across the US and so far, it has dumped 14 inches of snow here.  (And still snowing) The worst part is the temperatures are FREEZING cold and will be for the next week.  So, this won't be melting away anytime soon. In the 20 years we've lived here, this is the most snow we've gotten.  I'm not complaining and was actually thinking how good this is for the garden soil.  My garlic and wildflowers that were planted this fall should really thrive this year.  I hope anyway.

I didn't have to make a trip to the store and I'm thankful for that.  From everything I've seen and heard people wiped out all of the stores each day between Thursday and Saturday afternoon.  One of the farms we buy from even said she totally sold out of beef, eggs, milk and bread.  

Last Monday (before all of the storm hype) I really wanted to plan a three-day weekend but had a training session on Friday so I put in to take tomorrow off instead.  I think that was a god wink because I don't know if I could make it in tomorrow if I had to.

Yesterday I spent a lot of time in the kitchen baking and cooking and enjoyed every minute of it.  TBG requested another batch of bagels.  They do freeze well and toast up beautifully.

All month I've been working on cleaning out cabinets, drawers and closets.  I find if I do it two or three times a year it doesn't get out of control.  While I've been working on this I watch/listen to TV.  I watched I am Mary Jo Buttafuoco on Netflix. It told the story from her perspective instead of Joe or Amy's and my heart just broke for all she had to endure.  She narrated the movie and said at the end that through it all she came out with an appreciation for life and her children and she is happy now.  

Other things I watched...

The Valley - Persian Style (part of the old cast from Shah's of Sunset)  

Southern Charm

Suddenly Amish 

I started reading Into The Magic Shop by James R. Doty, MD after the recommendation from Judee at Gluten Free A-Z  I just started reading it.  Funny thing is in my training session Friday one of the topics was the connection between the heart and brain so I'm even more excited to read this book. Thank you Judee!!

What we ate this week...

Chicken, pesto pasta and a salad

Lamb burger and 'fries'

BIG salad x two

LO chili with cornbread

Tomato soup with a grilled cheese sandwich

Tonight, I'm roasting a whole chicken.  We'll have it with a loaded baked potato and green beans and a small salad.  The rest will go into a big pot of spicy chicken soup tomorrow.  

This was the special at Yellen Helen's this week, but it was just a bit too cold for me to go get it.  Doesn't it sound amazing though? I hope they run this special again because I really want to try it.

I hope everyone is doing well and staying safe.  What is cooking at your house? Inquiring minds want to know.

Just a quick catch up

 

Good morning.  I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around the fact that we are already halfway through January. I started a post last Sunday, but my head wasn't in the right place, so I didn't post anything. The first week of the new year started with TBG spending two nights in the hospital. This was the first time in the 40 years we've been together and it was pretty stressful but between perseverance and a lot of prayer we made it through. 

I'm thankful for having a full pantry and living very close to the hospital because I was able to make him meals from home, so he didn't have to eat the shit 'food' from the hospital. 

Binx missed him SO much.  He kept looking at the door wondering where he was and both nights he slept on his side of the bed the entire night.  When TBG got home that Wednesday afternoon Binx was so happy and he started running and playing again right away.  

Thankfully he is doing much better but still has a little way to go before he is back to his baseline.   

He spent the rest of that week at home so last Saturday I knew he needed to get out for a bit. I suggested driving out to Yellen Hellens for ice cream after two quick errands I needed to run. Even though it was cold, the ice cream and the drive through the country did him a lot of good.  We shared one of their top desserts and it hit the spot.  He kept saying it felt so good to be out so I'm really glad we went.

This past week was a back to normal and TBG was able to go back to his Tae Kwon Do school which helped him feel a bit more like himself.  Seeing someone you love in pain and feeling down is hard, so this made me feel better too.

I have a long list of books to read so I started reading Food for Thought by Alton Brown and I'm really enjoying it.  I've always been a fan of his and the essays tell a lot about him and his thoughts.

We missed our December trip to Firefly Grill, so we decided to do that yesterday and we both had a great time. The atmosphere and the food is always top notch there and again just getting back to normal activities made us both feel so good.  Again, the ride was so good for both of us and just as we got about 30 minutes from home it started snowing.  The huge snowflakes were so pretty coming down.

Meals this week were...

Chicken and rice veg bowls with cheese roll up

LO beef short ribs, potato and cheese pancakes with salad

LO chili

Chicken, loaded baked potato and salad

Lamb burgers with 'fries'

We both had a big lunch so I used the half of pound of lamb left from the night before and made lamb and potato hand pies with a salad.

Tonight, we're having coho salmon with sides to be determined.  I'm leaning towards a spicy slaw and rice.

I hope everyone is doing well and had a better beginning of the new year than we did.  Tell me how things are with you?

Eat Real Food

Our old Food Pyramid was never correct in my opinion.  Now hospitals, schools, etc. will have to start basing the meals they serve on this. 

The US has a health problem, and I think this is excellent news.

 Eat Real Food

RFK Jr. updated the food pyramid. See what's different for your plate.

Culinary Adventures with Lori: My personal thoughts on food...

 

26 New to me Recipes for 2026 No. 1 Texas Cowboy Chicken

 

Back in 2024 I tried to do 52 recipes in 52 weeks.  I did well for a bit and then couldn't continue due to a lack of time for that crazy of a goal.  I've decided for 2026 to do 26 new to me recipes and I think that is much more realistic for where I am in my life right now.  

The first one is...

Texas Cowboy Chicken from Delicious Tonight by Nagi Maehashi 

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded to 1/2 inch thickness

1 tbsp. olive oil

Marinade

1 tsp. chipotle powder

2 tsp. smoked paprika

1/2 tsp. granulated garlic or powder

1/2 tsp. granulated onion or powder

1/2 tsp. dried oregano 

1/2 tsp. ground cumin

1 tsp. sugar or honey

3/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. black pepper

1 tsp. lime zest

juice of one lime

2 tbsp. olive oil

Mix all of the ingredients for the marinade in a small bowl.  Add the chicken to ensure each piece is coated and cover with plastic wrap and put in the refrigerator.  Marinate for up to 24 hours, no less than 2. (I marinated for 4 hours)

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.  Add the chicken and cook each side for 3 minutes or until deep golden.

Transfer to a plate and cover loosely to rest for 3 minutes.

Slice the chicken to serve.

She recommends a Cowboy Chicken Salad with chipotle dressing that sounds delicious and I will try that the next time I make it.  This time I served it with whipped garlic potatoes and green beans, and it was amazing.  I will be adding this to the chicken rotation at our house.  The left-over chicken was still tender and juicy, and I reheated it for sliced chicken sandwiches the next day for lunch.  

We both give this a 9 out of 10.

Not a great picture due to the lack of light and the fact that I took the picture on the cutting board, but you get the idea.

The end of 2025

It's a little hard to wrap my head around the fact that December and 2025 will be ending in about 12 hours here.  All and all, I have to say 2025 wasn't too bad of a year for us and December was a great month.  There is just something magical about this time of year whether you are enjoying the lights and celebrating, having meals and drinks with friends and family or watching Christmas movies at home in the lights of the tree on while in your comfy clothes, reading a good book or playing cards/board games.  We also enjoy being secret Santa and giving exceptional tips/donations this time of year.  Receiving is always nice but giving is definitely a more lasting feeling of joy to me. This time of year can also bring bittersweet moments when you think back on past Christmases, and you are missing people that are no longer here.  It is the yin and yang of the season that has to be balanced which isn't always so easy.

Down time this month was watching a LOT of Christmas movies; new and old favorites that I watch every year.  I also read Raphael the Herald Angel as I do every year.  It's a book from the 1950's that my great, great grandmother gave me when I was young and it is a favorite that I always read at the beginning of December.  I also read One December Morning by Emma Davies that was a really nice read.  I enjoyed her writing and will be putting a number of her books on the to read list.  Today I am starting Food for Thought by Alton Brown and I'm looking forward to it.

We did eat out three or four times this month and it was all delicious.  We have one more dinner out this Sunday with my brother and his partner.  It is at Firefly which is my favorite place of all so I guess you could say we saved the best for last. I also spent a lot of time in the kitchen cooking and baking.  I made various cookies and brownies treat boxes for some of our friends.  They are always appreciated, and I enjoy doing it.

Sprinkles are a favorite of mine for some cookies, cakes and cupcakes so it's always fun to pull this tin out.

For breakfast today I made bagels.  Culinary Adventures with Lori: 52 Recipes in 52 Weeks #3 New York style bagels   They are so delicious, and I don't make them often enough.  I think I'll add make more bagels on my 2026 list of intentions.

Tonight, we're having a chili bar and jalapeno peppers.  It went over well for Halloween, so I figured let's do it again.  Tomorrow it will be TBG and I and we're having a relaxing and reflecting kind of day with various bits and appetizers to munch on throughout the day and then lamb chops, whipped potatoes, cranberry sauce and green beans for dinner.  

I've been off work since Friday the 19th and Binx is loving every minute of it.  I think he especially has enjoyed not having the alarm go off at 4:30am every weekday.  I know I have.  With our schedules, he rarely is home alone for more than an hour or two but he has loved having us both here together more often.

I hope everyone is doing well and feeling the joy of starting a new year.  How was your month of December?  After Christmas I usually go into a self-imposed hibernation until the end of February.  Does anyone else?

My Week

We are right in the middle of all of the holiday magic, and I couldn't be happier.  Things always seem a bit brighter and people usually a bit happier than any other time of the year.  There is only eleven days until Christmas day!!  Seriously, time is going by quicker than ever even with trying to focus on the moment, but I am determined.  The house is all decorated and all of the lists are getting checked off and we've been celebrating a little every day.  We've had this for 20 years and it is the first thing that gets put out every year now.

  

And this is always next.  We had a fireplace in Florida to hang our stockings but not here, so I found this and really love it.

Meet Claire and Oliver. Before the bitter cold snap, TBG and I took a horse and buggy ride downtown around the Commons and it was so nice.  I really wanted to go to the Christmas parade, but the traffic and parking are always so annoying we decided to pass.  I think we're just getting older because traffic and parking never kept us from doing anything before.  😏

I've mentioned many times that we have an awesome farmers market and many farms to buy from.  Well now a lot of them have come together and they are doing a Winter Market inside the mall December thru March.  I was so excited!  My favorite farmer is there along with a lot of others.  There is fresh dairy, meat, some veggies and so many other things.  It's great to be able to buy things to support the locals and I love meeting more new people.

What we've been eating...

Chicken Tika Masala with rice and naan

BIG salad

Chicken, baked potato and salad

Steak, scalloped potatoes and green beans. The steaks were huge, so we split one for dinner and used the other one to make steak sandwiches.  SO delicious!

Beef taco over rice with a cheese roll up.

Tonight, we're having fish tacos with slaw.

                                            I hope everyone is enjoying this wonderful time of year!!

                                                                Are you ready for Christmas?

Light and fluffy dinner rolls

I have made these three or four times now and they consistently come out light, fluffy and delicious.    It's nice to be able to make four rolls instead of two dozen that most recipes yield. The recipe does double easily if you need 8 instead of 4.

Ingredients

1/2 cup warm milk

2 Tbsp olive or avocado oil

1 Tbsp honey

1/2 Tbsp dry yeast

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour

1 egg beaten for the egg wash

Directions

Add oil, honey and yeast into warm milk.  Stir and rest until it begins to bubble.  Usually about 15 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Add salt and flour to yeast mixture and put in the stand mixer.  Using the dough hook, mix until the dough comes together and is slightly sticky but not sticking to the sides of the bowl. (I did do this by hand once and it comes together well)

Cover and let rise for 20-30 minutes.

Divide dough into four pieces and form into balls.  Place on a greased pan and cover to rise for 15-20 minutes.

Brush the rolls with the egg wash.

Bake for 15 minutes until golden brown and baked through.

Next time I make them I am going to divide each ball into three small balls and bake in a greased muffin tin like the clover rolls my gram used to make.  I'll let you know how that works.

                                            Hope everyone is having a wonderful week so far.  

Then end of another month

 

2025 Thanksgiving is coming to a close and then we enter the Christmas season.  We had our traditional meal all but the cornbread dressing.  I decided not to make it and within 5 minutes of sitting down at the table TBG noticed so I had to promise we would have it at Christmas.  We still had plenty of food.  The turkey turned out really good.  I used about 2 tablespoons of ghee all on the outside of the bird and the skin turned out so crispy.

I tried a new recipe that turned out delicious and I will share the recipe with you soon.  It makes four large dinner rolls, but it is easily doubled.  Soft inside with a good balance of sweet and salt. They were really good the next day without warming them up and that is important to me.  

We are getting all of the decorations out today so we can decorate over the next couple of days.  I really can't believe tomorrow is December 1st.  We will do the tree next Saturday after we get home from our yearly Christmas lunch at Firefly.  We'll be stuffed and likely do appetizers for the evening so that will be fun.

I'm excited to have a baking day with one of my friends next month.  I have all of the supplies ready and am trying to make a list of everything I want to make.  I picked up local pecans this week which is a must every holiday season.  They are so fresh.  

Meals this week...

Big salad

LO Italian beef and Aju on a bun with 'fries'

Sole and a baked potato with a small salad

Turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, garlic green beans, cranberry sauce, deviled eggs and dinner rolls.  With a sweet potato pie.

LO turkey warmed with gravy, panfried cheesy potato cakes, cranberry sauce, deviled eggs.

Pizza and a small salad

Tonight, I am making a big pot of Brunswick stew and garlic cheese biscuits. I have a ton of turkey stock so I will use it instead of chicken broth.  I can't wait.  It's cold and a bowl of this will warm your soul.

Culinary Adventures with Lori: Thanksgiving Leftovers

It's going to be a busy week 3 weeks, but I am going to remind myself to live in the moment and that I have two weeks off coming up. 😀

I will leave you with a picture of a vicious panther.  Seriously, look at those teeth and claws.

I hope everyone has a wonderful week as we step in to the last month of the year.  Remind yourself to relax your shoulders and your jaw, take a deep breath and look for all of the joys December has to bring us.

Happy Thanksgiving

 

I am so thankful for all of the friends I have made over the years here in blogland.  I hope everyone has a wonderful day!

How is Thanksgiving in 3 days?

TBG and I discussed the whole beef instead of or with turkey debate for Thanksgiving and I reminded him that we have always had turkey and we rarely eat it any other time of the year, so it was important and he agreed. I think the pot of Brunswick Stew was the key because he does love that.  Our menu this year will be turkey, gravy, mashed potatoes, green beans, deviled eggs, cranberry sauce and cornbread dressing along with sweet potato pie.  All is now right in my world.

The week was busy but productive.  My dental appointment went well and I'm all good for another six months.  TBG got into the Orthopedic office to treat the SI joint that was bothering him for a good two or three weeks.  He isn't back to baseline, but I think he's on his way which is a relief to both of us. 

We ran our errands and stocked up on most things.  We also found this year's gingerbread creation.  Last year we made a gingerbread house for the first time, and we had so much fun we decided to make it a new tradition.  Culinary Adventures with Lori: My Weekly W's  This was last years and while not fabulous, it was cute and held together well.  This year TBG picked this one and I hope it isn't too much above our skill set but we will see.

This is only a three-day work week so of course I am looking forward to that.  Next weekend, we will make the house all cozy for Christmas with the decorations and tree.  One of my favorite things is to sit by the tree with all the other lights off and just enjoy the silence and the sparkling tree.  Confession...I usually don't start watching Christmas movies until after Thanksgiving, but I've been watching them all month and I am not sorry.  The season is too short and there are too many movies I want to see each year.

There are no appointments or commitments this week and I always love that then Saturday is the family Thanksgiving being held at my brothers this year.

This week we ate.

BIG salad x 2

Maine Red fish with rice and small salad

Lamb meatballs, pasta, salad - I used breadcrumbs, an egg and a cube of pesto I made this summer and they were delicious.

LO shredded beef on buns with au jus and "fries'

Chicken stir fry over rice

Tonight, we're having the leftover meatballs over fresh pasta and a salad.

Monday thru Wednesday this week will be light meals, but I haven't decided exactly what yet.  

Well, I am off to do a few things on my list and then I believe I'm going to take a short nap.  It's in the low 50's but gloomy which is a perfect excuse for one.

I hope everyone is doing well and enjoying their day. I will leave you with a picture of Binx in case you need a smile.

My Week

Happy Sunday everyone!!  I can't believe the weekend is almost over.  Why do they have to go by so quickly?

Last Sunday and Monday we had a taste of winter weather.  It was cold and snowy, but nothing stuck since we still haven't had a freeze yet and then Friday and Saturday were in the 70's.  Talk about weather whiplash.  I went out this morning and cut more rosemary and sage and then added more leaves all around the plants to keep them warm this winter. 

TBG announced last week that he doesn't want turkey for Thanksgiving.  WHAT??  He said he would prefer to have another pot roast like I cooked a few weeks ago.  It was really good but SERIOUSLY??  So, I guess I will make pot roast, a bone in turkey breast or a small 12–13-pound bird with the usual sides.  They should all go well with his pot roast.  Not having turkey is not an option for me. I don't want to miss a Thanksgiving weekend without a cold turkey sandwich and a pot of Brunswick stew.  

This week I have a dental cleaning and TBG needs to get in to his doctor regarding some issues he is having, but other than that, we don't have any commitments which is fine with me since I also have to work all week.  Saturday, we do need to do a bit of shopping since we are very close to the time of year that I protest entering most stores. Our beef bundle will be coming this week too so I reorganized the freezer so there is room.

I've been looking through the last two cookbooks I picked up, and I see a lot of recipes I want to try in both of them.  I am glad I was able to visit The Back in the Day Bakery around 2004 in Savannah and everything we tried was delicious.  I was sad when I heard they had closed.

What we've been eating:

BIG salad x 2

Chicken taco rice bowls

Beef and cheese sliders and 'fries'.  It's been many years since I've actually had a slider because I honestly just never thought about them, but our last beef bundle included a package of premade ones, and they really did hit the spot.  

Chicken sausage with veggies and pasta

LO lamb and potato hand pies with a small salad.  These freeze so well and are so nice to have on a night you don't feel like cooking.  

This morning, I made an apple pie for us to enjoy with some of our bounty of apples. 

I hope everyone is doing well and enjoying the season.  Thanksgiving will be here before we know it and then BAM...Christmas. So be sure to slow down and enjoy each day.  I remind myself daily.

Hello November

It's November and the start of the Holiday Season.  The next three holidays are barreling towards us and I love it.  My notebook is filling up with lists upon lists of things to do and I love it.  

We had a nice Halloween with our usual chili bar and cocktails while Halloween movies played in the background.  I can't believe I used to enjoy scary movies and now I don't, but I guess we all change. TBG did a simple pumpkin this year because he left it to the last minute, but it still turned out really cute.  Luckily despite the trick or treaters we had a great night because we only had a total of 4 trick or treaters.  We have NEVER had that little and I was especially shocked because it was a Friday and the weather was decent.  I think because of the downtown trick or treat on Wednesday and so many trunk or treats at local churches a lot of people aren't going door to door anymore.  It's a bit sad to me but like I said, things change.

The last few weeks have been unusually chaotic busy at work for me, but I have two weeks off for Christmas to look forward to so I'm trying to focus on that. I am thankful to be able to take that time off every year to enjoy the holiday, family and friends. It truly is the most wonderful time of the year in my opinion.

Saturday, we ran a few errands and had lunch out.  We decided to check out the new Ollie's.  Neither of us had ever been in one before and honestly, we weren't very impressed with ours other than the book section.  I found two cookbooks I've been eyeing for less than I would have paid for one so that was worth going in.  I have to say ours has a really nice book selection for kids and adults.

We haven't had a frost here yet and this week the highs are expected to be in the high 60's low 70's so the herbs are still doing well. I will cut them all back next weekend. I dehydrated the last of the cayenne peppers, so we have enough for a number of months. Everything else has been cleaned up, the garlic and wildflowers are planted so it's all ready for winter.  

Firefly Lane is a really good book by one of my favorite authors, Kristin Hannah.  A couple of years ago Netflix made it into a series.  I started watching it then but only finished one season.  Over the last week or two I finally finished and I highly recommend it.  It makes me cherish my best friend of 40 years even more.  It is funny with long term friendships how they can remind you of so many things you have forgotten.  An old friend truly is priceless.

Dinners this week...

LO chicken soup and a Baggett with garlic butter

Big Salad 

Chicken Tika Masala with rice and naan

Big Salad with chicken

Chili and ALL the works (why are oyster crackers so good with chili)

Fried chicken sandwich and small salad

I have a pot roast in the crockpot for tonight (it smells SO good) and we'll have potatoes and green beans with it.

The elephant in the room everywhere seems to be the SNAP issue and for good reason. I really don't know how I feel about it. But I think it is about much more than the left or the right, so please don't make this political. Thankfully, I've never needed it and hopefully never will, but a friend of mine did need temporary help probably 30 years ago when her husband cleaned out their accounts and left her with two boys, the house and a car.  She had a job, but she just needed a month or two to help her get ahead.  They offered her $30.00 a month.  She was told that if she needed more, she should sell her house and or car.  Ever since then, I've been a bit bias about that system.  I hope American citizens that need help will receive it whether locally or from the government.

I don't know about you, but I cook dinner on the fly many times every week.  I saw this meme and realized we have had this exact conversation.

I hope everyone is doing well.  Times are a bit harder for a lot of people, and we need to pay extra attention to our friends, family and community to help out when or where we need to. I saw a wonderful commercial last night about paying it forward, but I can't remember the company or organization it was for.  But it was a wonderful reminder.

Enjoy your Sunday!!