My Weekly W's

What's top of my mind:  My aunt always told me to prepare for the worst and hope for the best.  I took that to heart and have always tried to save money, stay out of debt, have food and household items stored, and to appreciate every day.  The older I get the more I realize there is no way to prepare for everything.  The future is unknown.  Weather events, job loss, and so many other things can happen. Worry is useless because things you can't imagine can happen and things you worry about may never happen. However, I will never regret doing these things and will continue as they've given me peace of mind, but another important thing we need to do is to hug our loved ones as often as possible and to enjoy all of the joys that happen in our daily lives. We must look at each day as a special occasion.  That is my main focus.

Where I've been:  The big guy and I were able to enjoy a nice lunch out Friday afternoon at Joes, our local Italian restaurant.  It was delicious and we had a good time.  I stopped at Kroger for their butter deal this week and stocked the freezer back up.  2.99 a pound is now a great deal.  

Where I'm going: Other than work this week, I don't have any appointments or plans other than to stop at the garden center and pick up a few things I need.

What I'm watching:  I watched a Netflix movie...Tara vs. Bilal and it was a good movie.  A bit of drama, comedy and a really sweet story.  I enjoyed it.  

What I'm reading:  I didn't read much this week.

What I'm listening to:  Binx is running through the house like a mad man.  How can such a small cat make SO much noise?

What I'm eating:

From the freezer, spicey chicken, white bean soup and crusty bread

BIG salad and cheese roll up

Bacon, eggs, toast and roasted potatoes

Loaded baked potato pierogis and salad. I made a huge batch so there are plenty in the freezer for other meals or snacks.

We were still pretty full from our lunch so I made grilled cheese sandwiches and they hit the spot.

Spaghetti and meatballs, salad and garlic knots.  I will share this meatball recipe that I made later this week because they were absolutely delicious.

Who needs a good slap:  Mother Nature!  She has not been kind to so many people all across the country lately.  I give her a good 5 slaps for the tornado that hit Mississippi alone.  My heart goes out to everyone that has been affected by weather events.  That is something you definitely can't plan much for.  So many of my friends are still dealing with the aftermath of hurricane Ian this past Fall.  

What I'm planning:  Nothing comes to mind right now.

What is making me smile:

Grace Linn's powerful speech against Book Bans at a Florida School Board Meeting is worth watching - YouTube

I watched an interview with Grace Linn yesterday and they showed her speech that she gave to her local school board.  I highly recommend watching.  Her message needs to be heard by everyone.  

I hope all is well in your world and that the day and the coming week brings you joy!

5 Favorite-Sandwiches

I love a good sandwich so picking just 5 was a bit difficult because lets face it, there are so many to choose from. So many different breads, toppings, sauces, meats, cheeses.  YUM! After much thought, here are my top 5 favorites in random order.

The club sandwich.  One of my earliest memories is splitting a club sandwich with my Grandmother way back when I was a child and falling in love with them.  Honestly what isn't to love?  Turkey, bacon, ham, lettuce, tomato and cheese all topped on tasty toasted bread.  This one is from Drakes and it is always fresh and delicious.  The bread is a tasty wheatberry bread and the honey mustard they serve on the side is fabulous to dip in to.  I can never finish one now but I can report that the last wedge or two is in fact just as tasty cold.

Bacon, Lettuce and Tomato Sandwich. I can seriously eat my weight in these.  I have to admit that I am very picky when it comes to my BLT's.  I will only eat them with garden fresh tomatoes and Behrmann's bacon (which is a local brand), crisp lettuce and Dukes mayo. From the first of July through usually late September early October I get to enjoy them and I try to enjoy one every single week if I can.

Italian Beef with Au Jus on the side.  I can't remember where I had my first Italian Beef but I know it's been a favorite for years.  I make them at home from time to time and I'm happy to say we have two local restaurants that serve them and they are both amazing.  I like mine plain, no cheese, no giardiniera and the au jus on the side to prevent soggy bread. 

Yellen Hellen's Chicken Salad Sandwich.  I honestly was never a big fan of chicken salad sandwiches and rarely if ever ate one until I tried this one.  They use big chunks of moist chicken, just a light mayo dressing, diced celery and sliced red grapes with just the right seasoning. The buns are always so soft yet hold up well. So good!  

Lamb burgers  I know there has been a lot of debate on is a burger a sandwich.  I was almost swayed once by a discussion with a friend until I thought about a fried chicken 'sandwich' that is also usually served on a bun but still classifies as a sandwich.  I'm going with it.  I love a good lamb burger with a good melty cheese, garlic aioli or tzatziki sauce and sliced red onions. Beef burgers are ok but lamb is my top choice.

So what about you?  Any favorite sandwiches?   

My Week

This was the longest work week in recent memory.  Between the time change and the return of super cold, windy weather, I was exhausted.  Now of course the weekend is flying by as they usually do.  It's snowing right now but the temps are supposed to go up each day so hopefully I will get my mojo back.

I went to get my hair cut this week and had him take three inches off of the length so I'm set for a few months.  My seed orders both came in so I'm in planning mode.  I decided to not grow the things I can always get at the farmers market like tomatoes, bell peppers, onions and grow the more difficult things to find like poblanos, radishes, lettuce, etc.  I'm widening my herb garden this year also so I'm busy making a list of ideas and things to pick up.  I'll be starting some seeds this weekend to get ready for Spring.  Bakers Creek included a free packet of seeds for Japanese Wasabi Radish.  Can't wait to try that.

Meals this week:

Lambchops, baked potato and asparagus

Pasta bake, salad and garlic knots

BIG salad

Beef tacos-we haven't had them in a LONG time and they really hit the spot.

Chicken, white bean spicy soup

Chicken breast strips, mashed potatoes and salad

Yesterday I made a pie crust so in a bit I'll pull that out of the fridge and make an apple pie.  I actually remembered to add ice cream to my pickup this week so we can have it ala mode.  I'm trying a new to me apple recipe from The Joy of Cooking.  It's only a bit different from the one I usually use so I'm pretty confident it will be delicious.

I caught up on just a bit of world news on Aljerezza and wow, there are so many that deserve a slap or five that I just can't choose one.  The US and the world as a whole is getting scarier by the day.  No more news for me for a week at least.  It's just draining.

Tomorrow is the first day of Spring and I'm hoping it starts to feel a bit more like it.  I know we'll have a few more cold days but I hope they are few and far between.

What is happening with you?

My Week

Happy Sunday!  I really wish they would end changing the time. There was a meme I saw on FB that said, "Only our government would think you could cut a foot off the top of a blanket and sew in on to the end and think it makes it longer."  SO true!  I will either be taking a nap today or going to bed super early because 4:30 am is going to be brutal this week.  Whoever is responsible for this deserves three slaps.

It's been crazy weather here like so many other places.  Monday through Wednesday was in the 60's and 70's and then Thursday brought the wind, rain and cold temperatures back.  This has been the pattern the last few weeks.  Our forsythia tree is in full bloom and everything else is starting to bud.  I'm hoping these crazy low temperatures don't harm anything.  One of my two seed orders arrived this week so I'm almost ready for garden season when it comes.  One of the doctors that has been on the receiving end of my garden requested I grow some edible flowers.  He loves making gourmet dishes with them, so I included a few packets to give them a try.

What we ate this week:

Beef tips with au jus, mashed potatoes, asparagus and garlic, cheddar biscuits

BIG salad.  It's funny because the big guy has a few veggies that he claims he doesn't like yet I've been hiding those same veggies in dishes for years and he has always happily eaten them.  His newest thing is he doesn't like avocado.  So I diced up an avocado and tossed it in with the lettuce before adding all of the other veggies and toppings.  He cleaned his plate and said it was delicious...totally clueless.

Cheeseburger, oven fries

Cheese, pasta bake with salad and garlic toast

Fried chicken breast with a large salad

Chili and jalapeno poppers

Tonight, I'm roasting a whole chicken, scalloped cheese potatoes and asparagus.  

Work was work.  What more can I say? Spring cleaning has continued, and I'm convinced that the more you clean the more you find to clean.  I made one stop at Kroger to pick up fresh veg and milk.  Came across a good sale on TP and PT so we're stocked for quite a while. I also picked up a head of cauliflower for the new recipe I found in the book Israeli Soul for Cauliflower Shawarma that I'm making this week.  We finished watching the new series on Netflix Pressure Cooker and both really enjoyed it.  I loved the two that ended up in the finale.  Both of their menus looked amazing.  All and all it was a decent week.

Anything exciting in your world?

Have a great Sunday and a wonderful week!

Things That Make Me Smile

Something to always remember!

 

In My Kitchen-February 2023

February came and went so quickly just like all months seem to do now.  I really think as you get older, time goes by faster.  I try to live in the moment, but man, the moments slip by with the blink of an eye. Here is a glimpse of a few things that happened in my kitchen.

I opened my last bottle of vanilla, so it was time to make another batch.  I picked up a bottle of Smirnoff Vodka and ordered Native Vanilla Grade A Bourbon vanilla beans.  So for $28.00 I have two large jars of vanilla in the back of the baking cabinet marinating until I need them. These also make wonderful gifts so if you want to gift them at Christmas it's time to get them made now.

I like to use wood or bamboo lazy Susan's in my kitchen cabinets to keep like with like and have everything neat and tidy and easy to access.  I picked up another one to organize some of our sauces in the top cabinet.  This one is bamboo and I found it at Target.

The freezer still has a very large bag of jalapeno peppers from the summer, so I decided to make a batch of Peruvian green sauce.  See my recipe here.   Culinary Adventures with Lori: Search results for peruvian green sauce  We enjoyed it on chili, lamb meatballs and a few other dishes.  It really gives a kick that I love.

While out shopping for groceries I came across this taco sauce.  I usually make my own taco sauce but wanted to give this one a try since the ingredient list is pretty clean.  I made soft shell beef tacos and gave it a try.  For a jarred sauce, it is actually very good.  So I will keep one on hand to use when I don't have time to make my own.  I love finding good quality cheats to help out in the kitchen.

Last but certainly not least, I tried a new recipe for chocolate cake with Chantilly cream that Sherry posted.  sherrys pickings: Forever Chocolate Cake

Wow, this is a delicious cake.  The big guy is not a fan of chocolate cake but loved this one. I followed the recipe completely and I used a cup of fresh coffee instead of the instant coffee powder because I didn't have any.  The coffee gives the chocolate an amazing flavor and the cake is so moist.  I think it must have been named Forever Chocolate Cake because when you try it you will want to eat it forever.  It's really that good.

Thank you again Sherry sherrys pickings  for hosting In My Kitchen.  I really enjoy seeing what others are doing in their kitchens all across the world. 

My Weekly W's

Happy March!!  How are we in the third month of the year when we just celebrated Christmas?  Crazy.  I changed up "Where I'm going and Where I've been" because honestly, I'm bored with the same thing every week from my lack of going anywhere.  I may do away with my weekly w's all together, we'll see.

What's top of my mind: My best friend and her husband.  He suffered a stroke two weeks ago and will be in rehab until Wednesday. They both have such an amazing outlook on life and are handling this all with such humor and grace.  I don't know if I could do the same. Thankfully they believe he will make a full recovery, but it will be a while.  

What I've been doing: This week I spent a good bit of time in the evenings purging and cleaning and I dropped everything off at Goodwill.  I'm going room by room making a list of to-do's and things that I want to spruce up.  I've tried other ways of cleaning and honestly room by room works best for me. I did really well on doing yoga this week and meditation. We also went out to breakfast yesterday and really enjoyed the down time together.

What I plan to do: I need to keep chipping away on my to do lists.  I want these projects done so I can enjoy the summer.  I plan on expanding the garden a bit and I've been reading a lot on dehydrating as I plan to do a lot more of that instead of freezing.  My Ninja does an amazing job on dehydrating, so I need to use that to my advantage and save on freezer space.

What I'm watching: I watched the final episode of Family Karma and teared up at Nick and Amrit's wedding ceremony.  It was just filled with love.  Yes, I know this is a reality show, but it is one that really sucks me in.  I love the entire cast.  I watched Julie and Julia again while cleaning the kitchen yesterday. Just the thought of cooking 500+ new recipes in 365 days gives me anxiety.  We also started a new series Pressure Cooker on Netflix.  It is a Big Brother type of show but with cooking competitions instead.  We're two episodes in and are enjoying it. 

What I'm listening to: Very little.

What I'm eating: 

Chicken legs, baked potato, asparagus and salad

BIG salad

Chicken Tikka Masala, rice and naan

Chili and cheese rollup

Calzones, salad

Pancakes and bacon

Who needs a good slap: Murdaugh.  Wow, what a train wreck of a man.

What I'm planning: No planning going on right now.

What's making me smile:  We bought a new bird feeder yesterday and more seed.  Binx spent HOURS watching the birds and squirrels in the yard.  Feeding nature and entertaining Binx, that brings me a smile.