My Weekly W's

What's top of my mind:  My mind is all over the place. Work was bit stressful this week.  Since we lost a lot of our permanent doctors, I think the group is going through an adjustment phase and it isn't good.  I'm worried about the World as a whole. So much violence, prices through the roof among so many other things. The big guy is sick for the second time in just over a month.  It's nothing serious and he was checked out by his doctor, but it just seems like he keeps catching things and he never did before. Hopefully this week will be a bit calmer.

Where I've been: Work, home and one trip to the store for fruit, veggies and dairy.  Don't be jealous of my adventurous life.  

Where I'm going:  This depends on the weather.  If it is as cold as they say it's going to be I'll probably again just go back and forth to work.  I always take advantage of this time of year to be home.

What I'm watching:  We caught up on Kids Baking Championship.  It just blows my mind how talented these kids are.  

What I'm reading:  I bought Midnight Chicken and Other Recipes Worth Living For along with The Year of Miracles...recipes about love and grief and growing things.  By Ella Risbridger.  They are part memoir, part cookbooks and both beautifully illustrated.  I can't wait to start reading them this week.  I've also been reading up on dehydrating as I plan to do a LOT of that this summer.

What I'm listening to: As little as possible.  I find myself enjoying the quiet more and more as I get older.

What I'm eating:

BBQ chicken, mashed potato patties, salad

Veggie Pasta, salad

Steak, baked sweet potato, salad

Beef and bean Chili, cheese and crackers

Moroccan Lamb meatballs, rice, Naan

Spicy chicken Kielbasa, Baked potato and garlic knots

This morning for brunch I made chicken and waffles.  SO good.  The siracha maple syrup brings it all together.

Dinner tonight will be left over lamb meatballs with a butter, garlic, parm pasta and salad.

What I'm planning:  I'm still doing my spring cleaning.  I've taken two large boxes to the thrift store and one computer tower and monitor to Staples.  If you need to get rid of things like that, they have a long list of what they will take free of charge to recycle.  My goal is to be completely done by the end of February which is totally doable. 

Who needs a good slap:  Everyone involved in the murder of Tyre Nichols.  Jim Jordan made the comment that "There's no law that can stop that level of evil."  I totally agree.

What's making me smile:  Ticking things off of my to do list and reviewing my intentions list for the year every day helps keep me sane.  And that is worth a smile.  I can't control the outside world, but I can control what I do and how I react to it all.

Stay warm and safe and have a wonderful Sunday!!

My Weekly W's

What's top of my mind:  My lifelong best friend lost her sister on Christmas and three blogger friends have also unexpectedly lost spouses.  When life changing things like this happen there really are no words to express how sorry I am for what they're going through.  It is a big reminder to focus on those we deeply love because that truly is all that is important in life.

Where I've been:  Friday the big guy and I had lunch at a new restaurant here in town. We were not impressed at all so won't be going back.  

Where I'm going:  We have no plans this week. 

What I'm watching:  I watched That 90's Show this weekend and really enjoyed it. They did a wonderful job of combining the past show with the present one. Red and Kitty are as fabulous as ever.

What I'm reading:  I didn't read much this week.  I've mentioned before that I typically do most of my yearly reading in the warmer months because I enjoy sitting outside reading.  I'm not sure why it's so hard for me to pick up a book during the winter.  You would think this would be the perfect time of year to curl up with a good book.

What I'm listening to:  We had a lunch meeting this week with the Patient Experience leader.  She talked about the damage the last three years have done to society.  People are madder, people are distant.  Relationships are strained. She stressed the importance of selfcare and compassion for others as the way we will turn this around.  

What I'm eating:

BIG salad

Left over spicy chicken soup. 

Meatloaf, baked potato and green beans.

Veggie pasta, salad and garlic bread.

Pizza and salad

Cheeseburger eggrolls and oven fries

Tonight, I am roasting a chicken and serving with mashed potatoes and either salad or corn.

Who needs a good slap:  Another mass shooter!!  I just have no words for this.

What I'm planning:  This week I did a bit of deep cleaning and decluttering which will continue this week.  I'm making a want/need list as I go through each room and it seems so far there will be quite a bit of painting in my future.

What's making me smile:  I woke up to get a drink of water about 2 am and I noticed how bright it seemed outside, so I went to look out.  Everything was covered in snow, and it was coming down in huge flakes. The sidewalks and roads are clear because it's been so warm, but the trees and every other surface is coated, and it is gorgeous.  Snow makes me smile because we really do not get much most years.

I'm off to get my day started.  I hope everyone is well.  Remember to hug your loved ones and appreciate all of the small joys in life as it's all we really have. 

5 Favorite Cookbooks

 

Good Housekeeping Illustrated Cookbook-This book was actually my mom's.  She bought it in the early 80's and I used to love flipping through it looking at all of the pictures and the descriptions of each recipe and technique in cooking.  She gave it to me a few years ago and it was like a reunion of two old friends.  Compared to other books out at the time, I think this one was ahead of its time.

The Food Lab-This is a fascinating book.  It teaches you better home cooking through science.  It also has many photos and a very thorough look into cooking techniques. 

The New Making of a Cook-This is actually the only book you would ever need to learn how to cook and bake like a professional.  It's extremely detailed on the how and the why of everything you do in the kitchen.

King Arthur Baking School-This is my newest book and I am loving the lessons on all things baking.  It's filled with part science, part using the best ingredients and techniques to make your baking stand out.

Joy of Cooking-This was one of the first cookbooks that I bought for myself back in the 80's and I still love it. It literally covers everything from the foods we eat to pantry suggestions, entertaining to creating a menu and 100's of delicious recipes in every category. 

I have a HUGE cookbook collection and when I first thought what would my favorite 5 be I thought there was absolutely no way I could come down to just 5.  While I love all of my specialty cookbooks on every ingredient and cuisine imaginable, I realized that what I really love the most is books that teach me how to cook and bake so that I do not have to follow recipes but use them as inspiration.  

Do you have any favorite cookbooks? 

My Weekly W's

The second week of 2023 has passed and I honestly don't know where it went.  It seems like the week went by in a flash.

What's top of my mind: All three of my favorite seed company's catalogs have arrived.  I plan on spending some time this afternoon going through them and getting my orders ready.  We are changing things up a bit this year in the garden. We are expanding a bit and I want to focus on growing what I can't get from friends or the famers market.  

Where I've been: Other than picking up a few basics at the grocery store and having lunch yesterday at Freddy's with the big guy, I haven't been anywhere this week.

Where I'm going:  The big guy is off this week so we may pick up dinner from Yellin Helen's one night and then next weekend we'll be going out of town to run a few errands.

What I'm watching: We watched Father Stu and both really enjoyed it.  I didn't realize until the end that it was based on a true store.  I also found the series Down to Earth on Netflix.  There are two seasons and I started from the beginning.  To say it is a fascinating documentary is putting it mildly.  I watched Iceland and France and stopped because my head was just overwhelmed.  The things that other countries are doing to make their countries better is amazing.  The US is far, far behind.

What I'm reading: I flipped through a few older cookbooks and I'm going through seed catalogs.  That is about it for this week.

What I'm listening to: I'm keeping it quiet every chance I get.

What I'm eating: 

Lamb burgers and oven fries

Chicken fajita rice bowls and cheese roll up

Ham, Havarti, red onion hand pie with oven fried potatoes

Chili from the freezer and cornbread

Beef sausage, peppers, onions and mac and cheese with broccoli

I also made an apple crisp, and it was delicious with vanilla ice cream.

Apple Crisp

Spiced Apples:

6 apples-I used gala

3 Tbsp. sugar

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 Tbsp. flour

1/4 tsp. ginger

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

1/2 tsp. vanilla

1 Tbsp. lemon juice

Oat topping:

1/4 Cup flour

1/3 Cup rolled oats

1/2Cup brown sugar

1/4 cup butter, cut in cubes

pinch salt

1/4 tsp. cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Core and slice the apples (peel if desired) Mix in a large bowl with the spiced apple ingredients.  Set aside.

Combine all of the oat topping ingredients in a separate bowl.

Butter an 8x8 square pan.  Pour in the apple mixture and top with the oat topping.

Bake for 45 minutes.

Who needs a good slap: No one particular is coming to mind.

What I'm planning: This week I'm going to start my Spring cleaning. I have a list of projects to start on.  I know it's early but I like to get it all done before March when I start spending as much time outside as I can.  

What's making me smile:  Binx.  I can't believe he is 10 months old already.  This is our first selfie and Binx didn't look happy about it. 

Wishing everyone a wonderful Sunday and week ahead!!

My Weekly W's

What's top of my mind: The first week after the holidays has come to an end.  Returning to work wasn't too bad.  I went back on Monday and since the rest of Administration took that day as a holiday it was quiet and peaceful.  It's amazing how much you can get done when you aren't interrupted by meetings and phone calls. 

Where I've been:  Yesterday I picked up a few groceries and household items that we needed. I stopped by my favorite home store Newell's but I got there at 9 and they don't open until 9:30 now so I decided not to wait. Later I picked up pizzas from Joes's to take the school for the big guy's seminar and then spent the rest of the day at home.

Where I'm going: Other than work, I don't have any plans on going anywhere.  January is my month to relax.

What I'm watching: I caught up on the latest season of Family Kharma. Other than that, I didn't watch any TV or movies.

What I'm reading: I found this interesting.

What I'm listening to: Binx running through the house like the wild animal he is.  How can such a little kitty make so much noise?

What I'm eating:

Veg pasta and no knead bread

Spicey chicken and bean soup one night with bread and one night with cheese roll ups.

Bulgogi beef with broccoli, rice and naan

Grits and eggs (I wasn't hungry so this is what the big guy had)

Lamb chops, baked potato, salad and garlic knots

Who needs a good slap:  Harry and Meghan.  I'd really like to throat punch both of them.  Their behavior and the things they've said and done are unforgivable.  I feel for the rest of the family.

What I'm planning: I'm planning a day trip to Indiana for us. There is an Amish restaurant there that we love and the big guy is wanting to go back.  The weather is so unpredictable around here I'm keeping the date flexible.  

What's making me smile: We had a lot of sunny days this week and the full wolf moon Friday was gorgeous.  The moon and the sun always make me smile.

Have a great week!!

5 Favorite Kitchen Helpers

I don't like a lot of kitchen gadgets that have just one use.  When I buy something new for the kitchen it has to be able to have a huge impact.

Here in no particular order are my five favorite kitchen helpers.

 

The crock pot Dutch oven.  From loaves of bread to whole roasted chickens, you name it.  I use this a lot.  It's very versatile on the stove or in the oven. 

13 in 1 Ninja foodie flip.  I've had this for over a year now and I LOVE it.  Fresh pizza, frozen pizza, bake, dehydrate, sear, toast, air fry and so much more.  This gets used a lot. We've never had a microwave.  Well technically we did in our house in Florida because it came built in with the house, but we never used it.  I just don't care for them.  This Ninja foodie replaced a toaster and a convection oven that were getting pretty old.  This saves so much room on the counter when it's not in use.

Ninja blender and food processor.  Frozen drinks, milkshakes, sauces, dicing, chopping, crushing, dough, smoothies...this does it all.  The power of it is a bit amazing.

Cuisinart double oven Mit/potholders. I've had every kind of potholder you could think of over the years and still seemed to burn myself quite a bit.  I first saw these probably 10 years ago on Great British Bake Off and set out to find them.  I can honestly say I haven't burnt myself since and the quality is impressive.  The blue one was the first one I bought, and it is still in really good shape.  They wash up very well.

Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer.  This is one speaks for itself.  I think we all know this is a powerful kitchen helper.

What are some of your favorite kitchen helpers.  Curious minds want to know.

Have a wonderful weekend!!

My Weekly W's - New Year 2023

What's top of my mind:  Every year during the week between Christmas and New Year I spend a little time thinking about the past year and planning for the new year.  This year I ticked a lot of things off my master to do list, read a lot of books, made a lot of memories and paid it forward a number of times.  All and all I consider it a pretty good year.

Where I've been:  We've always enjoyed eating out a bit more than normal during the holidays and this is the first time since covid we've been able to do that.  We enjoy it because everyone is festive, the eateries are usually decorated for the holiday, and we get a chance to pay it forward if we have good service. We took one last chance on Cracker Barrell and went to breakfast on Christmas Eve.  It actually was really good.  Wednesday, we had a wonderful lunch at Firefly Grill and Thursday took us to our local Italian place for lunch.  Other than eating out, we relaxed at home and it was lovely.

Where I'm going:  It's back to work tomorrow.  I can't say I'm excited but I'm not dreading it.  Other than a quick shop for veggies and fruit I don't think I'll be going anywhere.  We were gifted a lot of meat, so the freezer is full.

What I'm watching: I didn't watch much of anything this week.

What I'm reading:  King Arthur Baking School book was one of my gifts.  I always wished I lived closer so I could attend classes in person.  They offer online classes but that doesn't appeal to me so the book will do fine.

What I'm listening to: Nothing comes to mind.

What I'm eating: I had a number of items I've added to the freezer over the last couple of weeks so we could have quick dinners this week.

Left over Moroccan Lamb meatballs, rice and naan

Left over lasagna, salad and garlic knots

Left over chili, jalapeno poppers

Chicken legs, mac and cheese, broccoli and garlic knots

Fish and chips for the big guy and chicken parm for me.  SO good!!

We had a few slices of ham left over from Christmas, so I made ham and cheese roll ups with chips and dip.  They were tasty as well.

I'm making popovers and bacon for brunch and roasting a chicken for dinner tonight.  I made my grandmothers 'creamy dessert' yesterday.  The recipe said to make it the day before.  I don't know how it turned out yet but I'll share the recipe this week.  I LOVED it when I was young but haven't had it for probably over 30 years.

Who needs a good slap:  No one pops to mind right now but I'm sure once I return to the real world tomorrow I'll have a slap to pass out next week.

What I'm planning: January and February are the two months I just take it day by day.  I enjoy a slower pace and being home as much as possible.  

What's making me smile: I won a 1967 cookbook from My Tireless Retirement  

1967 is the year I was born, so I'm excited to checked it out and possibly make something from it. Be sure and check out her blog if you're interested in ways to save money and organizing your home.  

I hope everyone had a nice Holiday.  I'm wishing you all the best for the New Year!!