Things That Make Me Smile

 

This half of our backyard is always so pretty this time of year, and it always brings a smile to my face.

        I hope everyone has a great day and a wonderful Easter weekend!!

The last Sunday of March

How is it even possible that we are almost in April?  I feel like the months are turning into just a blur no matter how much I slow down and try to make every day intentional.  I've heard as you get older this is what happens, so I guess I better just get used to it.  But seriously it is crazy.

On Monday I received a call from my one up that I needed to take a PTO day before March 31 because it is part of systems financial improvement plan, that everyone takes two days between March 16 and 31. I am assuming that after letting almost 100 people go last month they had to pay quite a bit of PTO out and needed to recoup that somehow.  It is interesting times we are in.  I never thought I would hear taking PTO was mandatory but here we are.

I finally found a desk for my new space at home, and it is exactly what I've been looking for.  It's an old solid wood desk with 8 drawers that has been completely refurbished.  Other than eventually painting, the room has turned out perfect for me.  It's odd to have a room all to myself with all of my 'stuff' but I am really enjoying it. 

I took my mandatory PTO day on Friday so decided to go and do a bit of stocking up on sale items at Kroger.  I got a great deal on a number of things we routinely use like Bob's Redmill Flour for 2.49, butter for 2.29 and quite a few other items.  Gas was 3.99 a gallon and I had 50 cents off a gallon so that was a nice savings.  With everything going up more and more, I really feel bad for people with fixed incomes or children at home.  

What we ate:

LO chili and a cheese roll up

Lamb burgers with 'fries'

Salmon with Jack Daniels glaze, baked potato and asparagus.  I will share the recipe for the glaze soon, because it is so good on so many things.

BIG salad 

Dinner at friends.  She served these cream cheese pickle bites and they were amazing with an awesome dill dip.

Naan with chicken, red onions and Provel cheese with a salad.  I love that one naan is the perfect size for the two of us to share.

I'm glad I ate well all week because yesterday afternoon I broke one of my back molars.  There really isn't much tooth pain but it broke off and is so sharp that even talking and swallowing is pretty painful because my tongue scrapes up against it.  SO, tomorrow I will be calling the dentist to see if I can get this taken care of asap.  I have a lot planned for the coming week and this was not on the list.  But, you know what they say about planning.

I saw this and immediately thought of Binx.  He's almost four years old and this is definitely his life.

He's had this toy since he was a kitten and he used to sleep on it a lot when he was little and I actually found him sleeping on it this week and he doesn't fit as well as he used to.

                                           I hope everyone is staying safe and doing well!!

Weekly Review

 

Happy Sunday!  Weather wise, we had a week with winter, spring and now summer all rolled up.  After last week's warm up the bottom fell out Monday, and we had lows in the teens for a couple of days with snow flurries off and on.  Now we've been in the 80's for the last four days.  We hit an all-time high of 85 yesterday.  Deciding what to wear each day has been a bit of a challenge to say the least.

We took advantage of the gorgeous day yesterday and worked out in the back yard for a while.  I checked on my herbs and the garlic, and everything looks really good.  I cleaned up the back patio table and chairs and gave the grill a good scrub.  This week we're having our gutters and house pressure washed so we'll be all set for relaxing outside and grilling very soon.

I've been doing my yearly Spring spruce around the house and while sorting through a number of things over the last two weeks I was able to enjoy four different shows on Netflix.

Chef (2014) I have seen this movie two or three times and I had forgotten how much I enjoyed it.  

Breakdown 1975 (2025) I found this documentary very interesting.

Love Con Revenge (2025) I enjoyed this one also.  This isn't the online scams we're all used to hearing about.  These were 'real' relationships and even a marriage. 

Bad Shabbos (2026) Cute movie.

What we've been eating:

Monday was cold so I decided to make another batch of beef and bean chili with cornbread.

Big salad and lo cornbread

Moroccan lamb meatballs, rice and naan

Crispy garlic chicken, baked potato and salad

Beef cheeseburgers and 'fries'

Chicken fajita and rice bowls

Today I am going to make a batch of jalapeno pepper jelly.  I really overstocked the jalapeno's last summer, so I need to start using them up before this year's batch comes in.  I did pretty well on all of the other fruits and veggies I stocked because it looks like they'll run out right after the new ones start coming.  Last month I did run out of green bell peppers, so I need to remember this year to preserve much more.  After the jelly is done, I 'm going to go outside and read for an hour or two. That is my cozy happy place this time of year and I have a stack of books I want to read this year.

I hope everyone has a wonderful week!!

26 New to me Recipes in 2026 #3 Crispy Garlic Chicken Thighs

I found this recipe on RecipeTinEats website and figured it would be a quick weeknight meal for the two of us.

Ingredients:

5 or 6 skinless boneless chicken thighs

1 tsp. garlic powder or granules

Salt and pepper

1 tbsp olive oil

1/2 cup dry white wine or broth (I used broth)

2 tbsp butter

2 large garlic cloves, minced

Finely chopped parsley-optional (I did not use it)

Instructions:

Sprinkle both sides of chicken with garlic powder, salt and pepper.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Place chicken in skillet smooth side down.

Cook for 5 minutes until deep golden and crispy

Turn and press lightly with spatula and cook for 2 minutes.  Add garlic and butter, cook for another minute or two until garlic is light golden and it smells amazing.

Add wine or broth and turn up heat just a bit.  Stir around the chicken to dissolve golden bits stuck on the skillet into the broth.  Simmer rapidly for 1 to 2 minutes.

Remove from heat and serve chicken with the sauce.

I served the chicken with a baked potato and a salad.

I have tried MANY of her recipes and usually love everything that I make of Nagi's, but we gave this one a 6 out of 10.  Part of it maybe because thighs are not our favorite piece of the chicken but honestly, I think we just prefer a lot more spice and flavor.  

Culinary Adventures with Lori: 26 New to me Recipes for 2026 #2 Lemon Garlic Salmon Tray Bake

Culinary Adventures with Lori: 26 New to me Recipes for 2026 No. 1 Texas Cowboy Chicken

Things That Make Me Smile

 

When I saw this, I felt it deep in my soul.

My Week

Happy Sunday!  Can we just a pick a time and stick with it?  I don't care which one it is. This is brutal to my system, and I will be confused and tired for a few days.  Am I the only one?

I saw this and think it is a good reminder for all of us.  We are the star in our own lives, and we need to always remember that.

I hope everyone enjoyed the first week of March.  We hit our first 80 degree day with a few in the 70's and now after off and on rain for a few days it's back to highs in the 60's.  The forsythia bush is popping out its pretty yellow leaves, the garlic that I planted in September is now showing 6-7 inches of growth and so many more signs of the new season and new growth.  

Dinners this week...

I only make fried chicken once or twice a year because it's not the healthiest. We had fried chicken, potato salad, coleslaw and a roll and it was so good.  I kind of wished we would have waited a few months because a few slices of fresh tomatoes would have been perfect.

BIG salad

Stir fried chicken, rice and asparagus

LO steak sandwiches and salad

LO chili and jalapeno poppers

Pasta, salad and garlic bread

Yesterday we went out to lunch with my brother and his partner.  We met at TGI Friday's about an hour north of us. The food was just OK but the two hours with them were wonderful.  💗

Naan with prosciutto, red onions and mozzarella cheese with a salad was our light dinner.

I worked all week and while I am thankful for a job to continue with my financial goals, it is getting a bit depressing there and the morale is horrible.  I did all of the normal things I do at home each week except I didn't read anything or watch much of anything on TV.  

TBG is continuing to improve health/fitness wise, so I am very thankful for that.  Our health is really all we have when you think about it.

I hope everyone is safe and doing well.  Have a great week!!

In My Kitchen February 2026

Hello and happy March!  I know a lot of people in the US are happy that winter is fading away and spring is right around the corner.  It is a bit bittersweet for me because I do love winter.  But each season has a lot to offer so I'm excited for a few changes after hibernating for months.

I'm joining Sherry at sherrys pickings to share what went on in my kitchen this month. Be sure and visit her to see what is going on around the world in people's kitchens.

February was a bit of a slow month in my kitchen.  I took inventory of the freezer to see what needs to be used before summer when I start to restock.  I did very well last summer/fall in dehydrating and freezing our local produce.  I have quite a few blueberries and cherries to use up and a LOT of jalapeno peppers.  Everything else looks like I chose just the right amount for us except for green peppers which I used the last of this past week.  I'll need to make sure to put more of them away this year because we do use them a lot.

Valentine's Day was last month, and I had fun making chocolate raspberry jam filled cupcakes with cream cheese frosting (with a lot of sprinkles of course) for my work group.  They enjoyed them and wanted me to make more.  I also made chocolate covered strawberries for TBG and I.  I found the cutest heart shaped container that was just perfect.  I'm not a big fan of chocolate covered strawberries, but these were pretty good.

We went out to dinner for Valentine's Day on the night before and really enjoyed our favorite local Mexican restaurant.  I tried a strawberry daiquiri and was not disappointed at all.

TBG and I played a lot of boardgames and card games and one night I made appetizers for us to enjoy while we played.  Wonton wrappers are amazing vessels for a number of things.  I made a few with cream cheese and pepper jelly and a few with some left over chili with cheese on top.  They really are so good.

New items in my February kitchen...a new candle that smells SO good.  Who doesn't love Mama's Pancakes with syrup?

And a friend of mine sent me one of her latest creations.  A kitchen witch.  I remember back in the 70's these were very popular for a while.  It's a tradition in many countries to hang one by your stove to make sure all of your cooking turns out delicious.  I'm not sure if I believe that but she is super cute, in a witchy kind of way, and all of our meals and bakes turned out pretty good, so she has a new home by my stove.

Well, that wraps up February.  I hope everyone is well and staying safe.  What has been happening in your kitchen.  I would love to hear about it.

My Weekly W's

 

What's top of my mind:  Meet Elijah. This cute baby goat was born this week at the farm we buy a lot of our food from and she asked for names.  I suggested Elijah and she agreed it was a perfect name for him.  She said he loves to be held especially during a bottle, and I am so excited to go meet him Friday when I get off of work.  I wanted to go yesterday but it was too cold for all of us. 

Where I've been:  I worked all week and that was brutal.  They just did the third downsize in the last six years and a number of people I've known for years lost their jobs and were walked out due to NO fault of their own.  Corporations are making people do two or three jobs now and expect you to feel lucky to just have a job.  It's only going to get worse as healthcare is expected to be one of the largest sectors that are going to lose jobs to AI.  Just imagine going to work like you have done for the last 20 years or more and walk in to be told you are done, you will get 18 weeks of severance and then be walked out.  It's just not right.

Where I'm going:  Thankfully I have no appointments or commitments this week outside of work.  I will go out to pick up a few things at the farm and meet Elijah on Friday and Saturday we're getting out of town for the day.  Other than that, we'll see what comes up.

What I'm watching:  I've taken some down time the last two weeks to watch a number of movies I've been wanting to see on Netflix, and I really enjoyed them all quite a bit.

Elenore The Great

About My Father

Flipped

Moxie

The Family Next Door

What we ate:

Big salad with chicken and a yeast roll

LO lamb and potato hand pies with a salad

Meat loaf, mac and cheese and green beans

Chicken fajita and rice bowls with a cheese roll up

Veggie pizza and salad

Applewood chicken sausage with pesto pasta and a salad

Who needs a good slap:  See where I've been for that answer.

Who deserves a fist pump:  We all need to continue to not buy things that are not aligned with what we want but someone like him stepping up and calling them out, helps too.

Brad Reese, the grandson of the inventor of Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, has publicly criticized The Hershey Company for allegedly replacing traditional ingredients like milk chocolate and peanut butter with cheaper substitutes. In an open letter, he accused the company of damaging the brand's legacy by altering the recipe, which he believes has eroded consumer trust. He expressed his disappointment over the changes, stating that some products, like Reese's Mini Hearts, are no longer edible.

What is making me smile:  TBG is finally feeling a LOT better, and we both couldn't be happier.  He's had a few rough patches the last two years or so and it feels so nice to have him doing well.  It's so hard to watch someone you love go through things with their health.  

I hope everyone is doing well!!

26 New to me Recipes for 2026 #2 Lemon Garlic Salmon Tray Bake

We usually eat Salmon once or twice a month, so I am always looking for new ways to change it up with different flavor profiles.  I found this one from Nagi at Recipetin Eats.

Ingredients:

2 to 4 6 oz salmon fillets (I used Coho salmon)

Marinade:

Zest from 1 lemon

1 Tbsp. lemon juice

2 Tbsp. olive oil

1 tsp. Dijon mustard

2 garlic cloves (grated)

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

Vegetables:

Asparagus (Woody ends removed)

7 oz. cherry or grape tomatoes

2 tsp. olive oil

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

Topping:

Olive oil

Finely grated parmesan cheese

Mix the ingredients for the marinade in a small bowl.  Slather onto the top and sides of the salmon.  Mariate for 1 hour.

Preheat your oven/broiler to 525 F.  

Toss the asparagus and cherries with the oil and salt and pepper and place on a baking sheet.  Add the marinated salmon on the tray.  Nagi mixed everything on the tray.  I did the veggies and the salmon separate for no particular reason. 😉

Cook for around 11 minutes.  The internal temperature of the salmon should be around 122 F.

Remove from the oven and plate.  Sprinkle the grated parmesan cheese over the veggies and ENJOY.

We both enjoyed this one and gave it a 7 out of 10.  I failed at getting a picture of the finished dish but did take this one before putting it in the oven.

Culinary Adventures with Lori: 26 New to me Recipes for 2026 No. 1 Texas Cowboy Chicken

Weekly Wrap Up

Happy Sunday!  Aside from work, which is a real shit show, it was a pretty good week.  Then yesterday afternoon TBG said he felt like he caught something.  It started with a runny nose and eyes and just feeling tired.  He slept from around 4-6 and then got up for dinner.  He took about 4 bites of soup and went back to bed sleeping until 7 this morning.  I made bacon and waffles for breakfast and again he took a few bites then went back to bed with the chills and a little coughing.  I hope whatever it is passes soon and that I miraculously do not catch it. 

Last night I made a batch of homemade cough drops.

1/4 cup of lemon juice

4 tablespoons of honey

6 slices of ginger

Warm all of this up for about 5 or 10 minutes.  Do not let it boil.  When it cools off a bit, remove the ginger and then spoon it into a silicone mold of small squares.  Let it cool in the mold for about 6 hours.  They work really well and last for a month or more in a glass jar.

So when did paint get outrageous?  I went and bought 1 gallon of paint to do the three doors in the garage.  I always buy Sherwyn Williams because it is really good paint that lasts a long time.  They were having a paint sale of 40% off so I figured I would get it now to have when Spring gets here so I can get it done.  Talk about sticker shock.  

What we ate this week...

Lamb meatballs, rice, salad and naan.  

BIG salad.  I turned the TV on last night and it went right to Seinfeld, and it was the Big Salad episode.  It always cracks me up.

Basil pesto pasta, chicken sausage sauteed with peppers and onions and a salad

Fried chicken sandwich with sweet potato 'fries'

Lamb chops, baked potato and asparagus

I am making another big pot of chicken soup later this morning because it seems like we are going to need it. I'm going to double up on the ginger and garlic to chase this stuff away hopefully.

I have chicken legs that I wanted to cook tonight for dinner, but we'll see how things go.

Well, that's all I have for now.  Enjoy the week ahead and stay well!!

Food For Thought

 "What I love about cooking is that after a hard day, there is something comforting about the fact that if you melt butter and add flour and then hot stock, it will get thick!  It's a sure thing.  It's a sure thing in a world where nothing is sure: it has a mathematical certainty in a world where those of us who long for some kind of certainty are forced to settle for crossword puzzles."

Nora Ephron

In My Kitchen January 2026

I love reading Sherry's IMK posts and everyone that links to it.  It's been quite a while since I've done one and I decided this year I will make more of an effort.  It's a fun way to see what is going on in kitchens all over the world and share what's happening in my kitchen.

I also decided this year I would make 26 new to me recipes in 2026 and the first one did not disappoint.  You can read about it here. Culinary Adventures with Lori: 26 New to me Recipes for 2026 No. 1 Texas Cowboy Chicken  I've actually made it twice this month, it is that good.

January wasn't exactly an exciting month in my kitchen, but I did cook and we did eat.  It's been an unusually cold and snowy month for us here, so we've been eating a lot of comfort food, soups, stews and chili.  Stuffed shells is one of my favorite comfort meals and this one did not disappoint.  Paired with a salad it makes an amazing meal on a cold night.

Another favorite is chicken and white bean soup.  This soup just warms your soul.  Even though I do love winter and the long nights, I will be happy to see a bit more light later in the day so my photos don't come out so dark. 😀

New in my kitchen was this popcorn.  I usually make popcorn but decided to give this a try since the ingredient list is pretty clean.  It's a great snack.

A friend of mine gifted me a couple of bottles of her honey.  I so wish I had time to start a beehive and collect my own honey because it's always been something I've wanted to do.  That isn't going to happen until after I retire so I'm thankful for a number of friends that do have hives.  

I also stocked up on chocolate for some candy making I want to do in February.  Hopefully it all turns out wonderful, and I'll share with you next time. Ghirardelli really is a delicious chocolate.  I've been using their 100% Dutch process cocoa powder in baking for years, so I've been wanting to try these.

Another book fell in my cart even though I keep saying I won't get anymore.  I am week though.  It is on top of the to read pile as soon as I finish what I'm reading now. It sounds like a great read, and I want to dig in before Winter is over.

Thank you, Sherry, for hosting every month.  I hope February is a good month for everyone!

                                             sherrys pickings: In My Kitchen - February 2026