Merry Christmas

 

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas.  I hope your day is filled with peace and love.  I'll be back tomorrow with my Weekly W's.

It's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas

I finished everything for the year and am officially off work until January 3rd and I couldn't be happier.  The group I work for spoils me so much around the holidays.  I think I can live off of Gift Cards for quite some time.  One of them always send me a flower arrangement and as always, this one is so pretty the picture doesn't do it justice.  

Even though I've been very mindful of time and doing small things each day to celebrate the moment it is still hard to believe tomorrow is Christmas Eve.  I hope the next 10 days slow down a bit.

So far today, we went out for breakfast for the first time in two years and it was horrible. I really wish we had a nice breakfast place here. Our Cracker Barrell is not a good one. Since we got home I've done a few things around the house and whipped up the fruit salad that I love.  One of my grandmothers used to make this and it has always been my favorite.  It is fresh diced pineapple, sliced bananas and marshmallows.  I don't always add the marshmallows, but the big guy had a bag in the cabinet for his hot chocolate, so I added them this time. Something about pineapple and bananas, I could eat this every day.

Tomorrow afternoon we have a Birthday party to go to.  We're having lamb burgers for dinner and plan on having Christmas movies in the background as we play Scrabble.  It's funny to think back pre covid at how different our lives are.  We have really slowed down and I think we both like it this way. The big guy is just excited as I am to have 10 full unplanned days to do as we wish.

I'll leave you with a picture of Jet all snuggled up in his chair last night taking a cat nap.  He's just too cute.

My Weekly W's

                                    My Thanksgiving Cactus at work is blooming.  It's so pretty.

What's top of my mind- Enjoying the Christmas season.  I've been being mindful of my time and of the season and am embracing all that it brings.  I've been lighting up the house each evening with the fairy lights, tree and SO many candles.  It just makes a cozy setting. I have a few days of work left and then have 10 days off to enjoy it all even more.  The big guy always closes the TKD school for the holidays so we will have a lot of time to relax and have some fun.

Where I've been- Other than home and work I picked up a book I had reserved from the library.  I went to Kohls to use up my Kohls cash.  Yesterday we went to do our holiday food shopping so we should need nothing until after the New Year.  Last night we drove around armed with large mugs of cocoa and looked at neighboring Christmas lights.  I wish I would have taken my camera because at one of the nativity scenes at the church down the street there was a deer wandering through. Seeing deer roaming our neighborhood is nothing new but the fact it was sniffing around the nativity was pretty cool.

Where I'm going- I will be going to the office Monday-Wednesday. We have a birthday party to go to on Friday. I'm sure we'll eat out a time or two over the 10 days we're off but I'm purposely making no solid plans.

What I'm watching- A lot of Christmas movies.  This week I watched The Enchanted Christmas Cake, Holiday in Santa Fe, My Sweet Holiday and Stepmom.  I know that isn't technically a Christmas movie but it wraps up on Christmas day, so I counted it.

What I'm reading- Life from Scratch by Sasha Martinn and I'm really enjoying it.

What I'm listening to-While in the car I am listening to Christmas music.

What I'm eating-

The last two servings of Brunswick stew with crusty homemade bread

Beef picadillo, rice

Bacon, scrambled eggs, potatoes and biscuits

Fried Chicken, mashed potatoes and green beans

BIG salad

Last night I made homemade cheese ravioli with tomato sauce.  YUM!

I'm not sure about tonight but it will include Chipotle, Jalapeno chicken sausage that our store makes in house.

Who needs a good slap-Any and all corporations that treat their employees like numbers and not people.  

What I'm planning- I'm planning on taking the remainder of the year to slow down and just enjoy.  Before we know it the days will be getting longer again and the season will be over.

What's making me smile-A lot is making me smile but for some reason Trader Joes Christmas bags really made me smile.  They are just too cute.

 I hope everyone has a wonderful Sunday!!

My Weekly W's

For a while I was doing Wednesday W's and My Week on Sundays which was a bit redundant, so I've decided to do My Weekly W's on Sunday to recap my week

What's top of my mind: I'm focusing more than ever on each and every day and just trying to stay in the moment and make it all special.  Too often we let thoughts of the past or the future creep in and it takes our focus off of just enjoying the here and now.  So top of my mind is living in the moment.  A little planning for the future is one thing, I just don't want to live there yet.

Where I've been: Work and home are the only two places I've been this week.  Wild and crazy I know.

Where I'm going: I need to pick up my requests from the library tomorrow.  I am going to pop into Kohls for a couple of things and use my $40 Kohls cash.  Next Saturday we need to do our grocery shopping for the holidays.  This is my last full work week of the year.  Woo Hoo!!

What I'm watching:  Christmas Movies!! This week I watched A Sweet Christmas Romance, Almost Christmas and A Christmas Story.

What I'm reading: Other than cookbooks, I haven't read much this week.

What I'm listening to: On the quick trip to and from work I've been listening to Christmas Music.  I love everything from Stevie Nicks version of Silent Night to Mariah Carrey's All I want for Christmas is You and everything in between.  

What I'm eating: 

This week's dinners were:

Mexican chicken, rice and roll up

Left over Brunswick stew and bread

Meatloaf, loaded baked potato and salad

Pasta and salad

Pizza and salad

Air fryer chicken legs, mashed potatoes and corn

Sloppy Joes and Air fryer potatoes

Who needs a good slap: I know there are many, but I must be in the holiday spirit because no one is sticking out in the top of my mind.

What I'm planning: I still need to narrow down the menu for Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, NY Eve and NY day.  I want to keep it simple but festive and for some reason cannot decide what I want to do.  I have this week to figure it out before we shop next Saturday.

What's making me smile:  This time of year always makes me smile.  I embrace December thru February and really slow down. It's my hibernation season.  I love the shorter days, the candles lit, twinkle lights, movie nights, game nights, snuggling up and reading. As much as I enjoy all of the seasons, this is my favorite.

How was your week?   Stay safe and enjoy today!

13 in 1? Yes please!

We have never had a microwave.  Well technically we did in our house in Florida but only because it was built in and came with the house.  We never used it.  I have always preferred a toaster or convection oven.  I think they crisp and heat better than a microwave.  

Our toaster and our convection oven were still in working condition but both about 10 years old so I went on a search for something to replace them both.  I also have been wanting a dehydrator for my herbs and veggies.  I had seen commercials for the original Ninja Foodi oven and was smitten but then they upgraded to 13 functions in 1 appliance, and it flips up when not in use, I knew it was perfect for us.

Because of Christmas sales I knew this would be the best time to buy so I have been watching the Ninja website, Amazon and Kohls for the last month.  Finally, Kohls had a deal I couldn't pass up.  The original price was 279.00.  I got it for 229.00, free shipping and 40.00 of Kohls cash and I couldn't be happier.

Look at the extra counter space now that the toaster and convection oven are gone.  Amazing.

This one appliance air fries, air roasts, broils, bakes, toast and bagel, dehydrate, reheats, sear crisp, rapid bake, griddle, fresh pizza and frozen pizza.  It came with a sear pan, air fry basket, removeable crumb tray and wire rack.

To give you an idea of its size, it can bake 12 cookies, a full size pizza, a 4 pound roast, etc.  So it is a good size.  It also goes up to 500 degrees so perfect for searing and crisping at the same time.

I'm sure I'll be sharing a lot of what I make as I experiment in the coming weeks.

Horrible storms passed through the area last night and I know Kentucky was highly impacted by a huge tornado.  My prayers go out to everyone that was in the path of this horrific storm.  

Today I'm spending the day making Christmas cookies.  I hope everyone has a wonderful Saturday!!

My Week

Here we are at the beginning of the Holiday season, and I couldn't be happier.  Mother Nature hasn't gotten the memo because temps this week were in the 60's.  The work week had a couple of hiccups but all in all it was manageable.  The Christmas Movie marathon has started.  Since last weekend we've/I've watched...

This Christmas

Bad Mom's Christmas

Holiday In the Wild

Four Christmases

Christmas Vacation

There will be many more Christmas movies over the next few weeks.  I also have our 'activities list' filled out with things we want to do during this season.  I want each day to be filled with a little Joy.  Not just this month but always. 

I decorated the office tree.  It's hard to get a good picture because of the windows. 

At home, the tree is decorated. It's filled with a lifetime of ornaments that are special to us.  I showed some of them on this post last year. Culinary Adventures with Lori: It's beginning to look like Christmas  I still have to get out a few things and do the entry way bench and the dining room table.  That will be done today.  

We took off early yesterday morning to do the grocery shopping.  We stopped at Panera and picked up a couple of bagels for the ride.  Their bagels just aren't what I'm used to.  In Florida we had Bakin Bagels and they were pure heaven.  I haven't had anything even close here.  The crowds were small since we started so early which was nice.  I always make my own salsa, but I found a local brand and decided to try it.  It's from Home - reinneckranch.com  We used it last night on beef nachos.  I should have bought medium or hot but instead picked up mild.  It was a bit sweet for me but with all of the jalapenos that were on the nachos it worked.  I like the ingredient list and will probably try a hotter version when we return.  It will be nice for New Year's Eve appetizers.

A bag of Chicago style popcorn found its way into the cart as well.  This is made in St. Louis and is always so fresh.  If you haven't had the combo of cheese popcorn and caramel popcorn, you need to give it a try.  It's delicious.

I also made a trip to Hobby Lobby and picked up all of the boxes and tins and bags for Christmas treat gifts.  I will start Christmas baking next weekend doing the ones that freeze well and making the ones that need to be fresh closer to the holiday.  I plan to have them all ready for delivery by the 21st. or 22nd.  I'm keeping it simple this year and only making four different cookies.  Well I say that now but always end up doing more.  We will see.

Meals this week...

Pasta and salad

Cheeseburger and oven fries

Chicken and rice

Big Salad and a couple for the next day's lunch

Hot ham and cheese on homemade buns and onion rings.  They were so good last week I had to make them again.

Beef nachos

If the day goes as planned, I am going to make Naan and Skillet Chicken Shawarma for dinner tonight. I've been craving it for a couple of weeks.

Today is going to be pretty low key.  I'm going to finish up the decorating, do a bit of laundry and just get myself physically and mentally prepared for the week ahead.  I'm having a hard time deciding what to cook for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.  What is on your menu for the holidays?

Stay safe and enjoy your Sunday!!

My Week

I worked Monday-Wednesday and I actually was extremely productive.  Emergencies were few and far between so I was able to focus on some of the things I needed to get done.  Four out of five of the schedules that I do is complete for all of 2022 which is a BIG relief.  The other is done through January and changes often so I'm not too worried about it. Now just to schedule the monthly admin meetings for the year and that all will be done.

I followed the food prep schedule for Thanksgiving dinner and it really made things so much easier.  The big guy was here Wednesday night and helped quite a bit.

Thanksgiving dinner came out really well.  If it is just the two of us next year, I am going to scale back just a bit.  Two pies are just too much and a bone in turkey breast will be more than enough.  The turkey was very moist and tasty which is always good. Thursday night I put the carcass in the crock pot and made a big pot of stock. We've enjoyed another small meal of the left overs, a couple of sandwiches and today I'm making a big pot of Brunswick stew so nothing has gone to waste.  I made a batch of onion rings to have with one of the sandwiches.  It's been years since I've made them and they are so good I need to make them more often.

Friday went to Freddys for burgers and fries.  We went through the drive through and ate in the Jeep instead of going inside.  It's been so long since we'd been there it was SO good. The rest of the day we each did our own thing and then played cards that evening.

Saturday we went to do a little local shopping and picked up a few things for Christmas baskets.  We also decided to have lunch while we were out so we drove to Firefly Grill.  I've mentioned before that this is my favorite place to eat.  We had a gorgeous view and the food was amazing as always.  

We even went out to feed the fish while we were there.  Before we threw the food in there was no sign of them.  As soon as the food hit the water, they came out quickly. 

I took a picture of my salad but was half way through my meal before I realized I didn't take a picture. A sure sign you are having a good time.  I had flank steak with the creamiest, butter mashed potatoes.  The big guy had Korean chili chicken wings with kimchi. It was all so delicious and a nice break from turkey.

We pulled the totes of Christmas decorations out of the closet in the garage and I've slowly started to decorate.  The tree is going up today but may not get fully decorated until sometime this week. I'm hanging lights on the inside of the front windows; our wreath is on the door and a few yard decorations are out and that will be the extent of outside decorations.

Since we did such a large shopping trip last month, this month only came in at 480.00 and that includes the 15 pounds of butter I picked up for 1.77 each.  I think December may be a little higher but shouldn't be too bad.  We're still pretty stocked up on things.  We are planning a shopping trip next Saturday because I want to be ahead of the crowds.

And now just like that, it is already Sunday.  I have a few things to do around the house and I want to do a bit of meal prep for the week.  Other than that, I'm going to take it a bit slow today.  I have really slept in the last four days and getting up at 5 am is going to be a bit brutal.

How was your week?  Stay safe everyone, between Covid and society, it's a bit scary out there.

Thanksgiving 2021

I hope everyone that celebrates enjoyed their Thanksgiving.  Ours was nice.  Good food, spending time with the big guy and relaxing a bit.  A great way to spend the day.  Even though I had small portions of everything, I still ended up stuffed for the day.  I guess you can even out the calories if that's all you ate for the day.  Right?

 

But then there was pie.  Sweet potato for the big guy and pumpkin for me. Thankfully, I don't have much of a sweet tooth so I have no problem limiting myself on dessert. If it is only the two of us again next year, I'm going to simplify the menu a bit.  Two pies are too much. 

Today I am going to do a few things around the house and pull out the Christmas decorations.  It is officially Christmas season.  I can't believe we only have 29 days until Christmas.  I hate it when there is so little time between the two Holidays.  

My mom is really struggling with her dementia and I am a bit overwhelmed with the situation. The past month has been horrible.  This is only going to get worse and that makes me sad.  My hands are tied on most things because she is married and he makes the decisions so I can only do so much which is frustrating.

I'm off to get my day started.  I hope you enjoy this last Friday of November.

Home Alone

 For the first time since November 2019 I am home alone for the entire day and night.  The big guy just left for a TKD tournament and will be back tomorrow.  I will miss him but sometimes it's nice to have the house all to yourself.  I'm armed with a list of things I want to do to make the most of this time and to get ready for Thanksgiving.

It will be the two of us for the holiday but I'm still making a traditional Thanksgiving meal only a little more scaled back.  A couple of years ago I stopped trying to do it all in one day and came up with a plan that works really well for us. I've been making Thanksgiving dinner for so many years it really is easier than it sounds and on Wednesday and Thursday I will have the big guy here to help.

This years menu: Roasted turkey, cornbread stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, cranberries, deviled eggs, brussel sprouts, rolls, sweet potato pie and pumpkin pie

Sunday- move the turkey from the freezer to the fridge.

Tuesday- Make two pie doughs, bake sweet potatoes, dice onions, carrots and celery

Wednesday- Make sweet potato pie, make pumpkin pie, make cornbread, make cranberries

Thursday- Boil eggs and make deviled eggs, make cornbread stuffing, roast turkey, mashed potatoes, bacon parm brussel sprouts, rolls, gravy

I am already really looking forward to the left overs.  Last year I used some of the cornbread stuffing and put it in the waffle maker to heat up.  Then topped with mashed potatoes, turkey a bit of cranberry and a little gravy.  It was AMAZING!! I can't wait to enjoy that again.

Then of course is the big pot of Brunswick stew, my all time favorite for years.

Culinary Adventures with Lori: Search results for brunswick stew

Well I'm off to start my day.  What are your plans for today? 

My Week

 I can't believe it is Sunday again already.  I remember when I was a kid it seemed like time stood still.  Summers seemed endless, the time from one Christmas to the next seemed like eternity.  Now though, it seems to fly by.   

Yesterday we went to do our biweekly shopping. It's a 40 minute ride and I usually read the entire way but everything was so beautiful I found myself gazing out at the gorgeous fall colors. I love this time of year.  The temperature was 36 degrees which usually isn't cold to me but with the wind chill it felt like 26 so it was pretty cold.  I came home and made hot cocoa to warm us up a bit while I put groceries away and prepped all veggies and meat.  It was a no rush, relaxing kind of day.

If you don't have time to make it from scratch I highly recommend Ghiradelli hot cocoa mix.  YUM!

This is the corner of our yard that I see through the kitchen window when I'm doing dishes.  The picture does not show how pretty it really is.  I need to get out and take pictures of our burning bush trees.  They are all bright red right now.

Meals this week were...

Left over pasta and a salad

Left over beef and veggie stew

Cheese burger and oven fries

BIG salad

Veggie quiche

Chicken chili 

This soup is SO good.  It just makes you feel good to eat a bowl.  It's chicken, chicken stock, northern beans, green chilis, poblanos, jalapenos and garlic.  For spices I use turmeric, cumin, coriander, mexican oregano and smoked paprika. A bowl of this with a good piece of sour dough bread is my kind of comfort food on a cold Fall night.

Well it's time to get busy.  I have a list of things to get done before the week starts.  It's a cloudy and cold day so staying inside won't be difficult.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Sunday!!

Wednesday W's

What's top of my mind: 1st world problems but top of my mind this week is my hair.  I have thick curly hair that grows freakishly fast.  I've been having it colored to keep the gray at bay for a number of years.  In August I talked to my stylist and told him I was sick of having to color it but will not go through the halo grow out.  So, I haven't colored it since August and I have close to two inches of very gray growth.  Next Wednesday is my appointment to have it all blended gray.  I'm not an extremely vain person but going full on gray has touched my emotions a little.  I will be glad when it is done though.

Where I've been:  Again, work and home and no where else.

Where I'm going: We will be going out of town this weekend for our biweekly shopping.  Yes I am a wild one now.

What I'm watching:  I've watched The Great British Baking Show each week and I've been watching a lot of the Christmas baking competitions on Food Network while I cook dinner each night.  We watched a really good movie last weekend but I seriously cannot think of the name now.

What I'm reading:  I have been spending my normal reading time on going through my recipes.  I am determined to get them all together and organized ASAP.

What I'm listening to: I'm appreciating the silence as much as I possibly can.

What I'm eating:  I don't like to keep leftovers in the freezer for more than a month so this week we've had the pasta Monday night and the veggie beef stew last night. There is two more servings of chili that will be chili mac probably Friday.  So that only leaves one more serving of the veggie beef stew that I will probably eat for my lunch tomorrow.

Who needs a good slap: Internet bullies.  I don't go on FB very often but there is a community group that I check on from time to time to see what events are going on in the area and some people ask for recommendations, etc. that are helpful to me.  I only read and never comment but some people make the rudest comments and I just don't understand.  If you have no interest in the topic just scroll on.

What I'm planning:  I've slowly started planning out the next three months of Holidays with lists of foods and activities that I want to be sure and indulge in this holiday season.  The big guy started a month ago talking about looking forward to Brunswick stew after Thanksgiving so now I can't wait either.

What's making me smile: I've been smiling a lot lately just counting my simple pleasure and blessings.  I have a lot to be thankful for.

Share your week in the comments if you'd like.  Stay safe!!

My Week

 Happy Sunday!!  

We had our first frost on Thursday morning.  It was a pretty heavy one coating everything outside with a layer of white that almost looked like snow.  For today through Saturday highs will be in the 60's with lows in the 40's. The sun has been shining and the sky has been blue.  Perfect weather to me. The leaves are pretty much at their peak and gorgeous.  Southern Illinois really is beautiful.

I finished I'm Cooking as fast as I can.  It was a good book.  Cat Cora was very frank in writing her story.  Yesterday I started Cook, Eat, Repeat by Nigella Lawson.  It is recipes and stories.  Too soon to tell how much I like it.

Our October total spent came in right under $1000.00.  But remember that includes food, household supplies, health and beauty products, pet food and alcohol. We also ate out one time this month and that is also included in the total. The number was also higher because it includes Thanksgiving and Christmas foods.  We could go until January or February without buying anything but dairy and fruits/vegetables but with the shortages and increase in prices we are going to just continue restocking anything we've used every two weeks.  It's nice to know going into the winter weather and cold/flu season that we're OK if we can't shop for a month or so. 

Meals this week...

BBQ chicken legs, garlic mash potatoes and salad

Beef sausage pasta (SO good)

BIG salad

Hot ham and cheese sandwiches with oven fries

Chicken fajitas and spicy rice

Calzones ( prosciutto, peppers, red onions, mushrooms and motz.)

This morning I made bacon and yeast waffles.  I took one strip of bacon and put it in the batter.

They were delicious but we both agreed bacon on the side is our preference.

I'm off to start my day.  Laundry is calling my name loudly.  I hope everyone has a wonderful Sunday!! Stay safe!