We Interrupt This Lull in Blogging to Say, "Happy New Year!"

 

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Happy 2024! (A Mary Engelbreit illustration ☝always makes an occasion happy!)

Our New Year's Eve was fairly laid back, as John's been sick. We did appetizers- fancy cheese & fancy crackers, French bread, veggies and dill dip, Mongolian meatballs, and crab & artichoke dip. The last two recipes were "new to us," and they were honestly very good!

We normally eat on the coffee table, but with a four-legged nudge in the mix, we had to cobble together some end tables that were a bit higher and sort of out of his reach. 

A co-worker mentioned the TV series Six Feet Under as being good, so we started that over the weekend and watched a few episodes yesterday afternoon. It's been a while since we've found a show that makes us both laugh out loud!

I wasn't sure I could make it to midnight, but we both did and per our usual tradition, we toasted the new year with the flutes from our wedding. 

Murray was very confused as to why we were up so late, but he made it, too.

And then today we had the pleasure of going to urgent care- turns out John has strep throat. What a way to start the new year! (But, as we've learned, it could be much worse and the old adage applies, i.e., this too shall pass.)

Cheers to 2024! 🍷

Don't Try a New Recipe on a Holiday

Leading up to Christmas, some friends/co-workers and I were talking about what we would serve/eat on the big holiday. One of them related that her husband felt she shouldn't try a new recipe on a holiday. 

I started thinking about that, as I was planning on breaking that "rule." 

I'd been craving stuffed mushrooms and as John doesn't care for mushrooms, I thought I'd make them when I had a wider audience. I started searching for recipes in Pinterest, with the key qualifier, "easy." 

Let's stop here for a moment, shall we?

Apparently, I have lived 50 years (gasp!) only knowing one kind of stuffed mushroom. A mushroom with bread crumb stuffing. Plain and simple.

Pinterest was giving me recipes for mushrooms with cream cheese stuffing (not for me!), sausage stuffing (maybe?), and seafood stuffing (possibly?). I was overwhelmed and slightly annoyed that I couldn't find a "regular" stuffed mushroom recipe.

Then, all of sudden and randomly, I came across this one.

Stuffed mushroom recipe from a Chinese food blog? YES!

I was a bit reticent at first, but this was the simplest, most straightforward recipe I could find for what I wanted.

Prep was easy/straightforward. If you've never made them, do pay attention to the "do not soak the mushrooms" instruction. (My mother reinforced this while I was wiping mine off.)

I will say that I ended up with a fair amount of extra stuffing, so depending on whether you have extra mushrooms to stuff or not, you may want to cut back on that.

I only got a pre-cooked photo, but you can see they are stuffed generously.

They came out GREAT! Cooking time/temperature was just right. Texture/flavor was great. 

They were a crowd pleaser (even John had one!) and I would definitely make them again. Even on a holiday. 😀 I guess I proved that adage wrong!

Thank you Woks of Life blog for coming through!

It's Amazing What an Extra Day Off Can Do For the Soul!

 

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I feel like John & I really made the most of this three-day weekend.

On Thursday (or Friday?) I declared that I wanted to try a "new to us" restaurant. (During the pandemic, I spent a lot of time researching restaurants in the area that I wanted to try once things got "better." Let's just say I came to the discussion with John with plenty of places bookmarked. 😜)

We chose a place that I'd heard good things about from friends on Facebook and the local Facebook restaurant/food group. John has been on an eggroll kick lately and they had steak & cheese eggrolls, so that sealed the deal. (And guess what...I didn't have it bookmarked!)

Saturday we got all of our errands done in the morning, took Murray for a walk in a nearby park, and then made our way to Pica's Pub & Grill, which is about 10 miles from our house.

The inside was much smaller than I anticipated and I think the bar had more seats than the tables did. (Ok, not really, but you catch my drift.) There was one table open (lucky us!) right behind the host station (meh), but we took it.

We started with drinks- a pomegranate martini for me and red sangria for John.

Both were very good. We did get the steak & cheese eggrolls for an appetizer and they didn't disappoint. The queso they came with was yummy, as well. 

For our meals, we decided on burgers. I got the Bacon Onion Jamburger with homemade potato chips and John got the poutine burger with homemade chips. Both were cooked just right and had a great taste- would definitely recommend. I had read a post in the local Facebook restaurant/food group about the cornbread with maple bacon butter and knew we had to try it. (We get something similar at a restaurant in Portsmouth, NH that we absolutely LOVE.) This didn't quite meet our expectations. We expected a side of the maple bacon butter next to the slab of cornbread. Instead, it was melted onto the bread. I'd say that was probably the only thing I wouldn't recommend or get again.

Overall, it was a great meal and I'm glad we "found" it. I think next time we'll try lunch there, as dinnertime is very busy (they don't take reservations) and it can get loud in there. 

Sunday we celebrated John on Father's Day. My mom and Grace came over and John grilled steak & shrimp. My mom tried a new recipe for Caramelized Onion Potato Salad- it was very good! For dessert, we made homemade Raspberry Turnovers. (Well, John made them...lol.) Making them was a little dicey- the filling was watery and John didn't think it would stay inside while baking. Oh, and we were about 1/4 cup short of white sugar, so had to substitute brown sugar for the filling and powdered sugar for the topping. They were a hit! 

Well, with everyone except Grace. 

Me: Do you like it? 

Grace: It's different. 

That's code for "not so much" 😉

Grace brought a dress over to wear, however it was ridiculously cold, so on her own she layered with a skirt underneath the dress and I recommended the sweater layer. Whatever works!

Today I took the opportunity to have a very relaxing day. I didn't sleep in as I'd hoped, but I stayed in my pajamas and laid on the couch and read for a few hours. That was very relaxing. John went golfing, so I braved the park and took Murray for a walk, which went better than I thought (he's a puller). I then came home, had lunch, and sat outside on our beautiful porch with our four-legged friend. 

Monday is Pilates day and since not enough people were around to do the class I usually go to (mat class), I did an equipment class an hour earlier and was able to come home and eat dinner at a reasonable time. 

Now? I lounge in my pajamas sipping a Strawberry Banana Smoothie and watching the Red Sox. 

All in all, the three-day weekend was a success!

I Have Questions...Lots of Questions (And Maybe Some Answers)

Let's jump right in, shall we? Some are rhetorical and some are legitimate.

• Why is Anna Duggar having a SEVENTH child?
• Admittedly I stalk her on IG. That whole family is a train wreck and I can't look away. I wish I had. Seven kids with pedophile...good idea! 

• Why do major league baseball games take 3+ hours to play?
• I thought they were trying to make these games go faster? No?

• Why in 2021 are some cancers still uncurable?
• Ugh.

• Why does my neighbor insist on revving his Mini Cooper whenever he drives away or drives into his driveway?
• Drives John crazy when I complain about this.😅

• Why did I think it was OK in my teen years to buy cute shoes...even if they only had them in a 1/2 size too small for me? (Had two podiatrist appointments already; bunion it is!)
• I'm thinking specifically of a pair of purple "velvet" shoes with pointy toes and tassels that came from Fayva (who remembers Fayva?) I take an 8. They only had 7 1/2. Sold! I'm paying for that now.

• Why did Secret discontinue the deodorant I've been using for YEARS?
• While I wanted to switch to a deodorant without aluminum, I wanted to do it on my own terms- not be forced into it.
• Have you tried Schmidt's? I tried using the Bergamot & Lime. I love the way it smells but it irritated my skin. (That was the stick. They have a cream, which I may try.)

• Why are newscasters insensitive/clueless when doing stories about people with disabilities?
• A story I saw on the local news the other night started with the newscaster saying, "So & so lives with Down syndrome..." Um, it's not a disease. I know I am extra sensitive about this topic, but I cringed big time when I heard that.

• Why are tray tables so stinking expensive?
• We've had our wood tray tables for years and they're starting to break down/get crappy. I did some Googling and say what? Over $100 for tray tables? Nope- you can hold your food in your lap!

• Why did the store that's less than two miles away from my house stop carrying my favorite wine?
• This is it, in case you were wondering- Toad Hollow Rose. 
• The "Wine Locator" says the store has it, but I think that's a big fat lie.

• Why does it take me months to publish a blog post?
• I started this post on 4/27 and am just publishing it now. 
• I thought about finishing and publishing the post I started about our master bath reno (you know, the one that happened two-ish years ago? 🙄), but thought that could simmer just a little longer.

I hope you've had a great 4th of July! Rainy and gray here in New England, so we laid low and John made chili in the Crockpot. (He makes a really basic recipe, which you can find here, but it's delish!)

Week 2 of 2021: What Do I Love About Sunday?

Usually the answer to that question is "not much." 

I usually have the "Sunday Scaries" and mourn the end of the weekend.

However, on this particular Sunday, I can say I love the following about it:

• It's not really a Sunday- it's a second Saturday! Tomorrow is MLK Jr. Day and I have the day off from work. I am extremely thankful for an extra day!

• Sunday (not just this one, but every one) is "change the sheets on the bed day." I really have to rank sleeping on clean sheets up there as one of my favorites things. So, even though it's only 8:00PM, I already look forward to going to bed!

• I made Snickerdoodle Chex Mix. I may have extolled the virtues of this sweet treat in previous blog posts, but I'll do it here. Again. I make it for Christmas and we always end up with lots of leftover cereal that we don't eat, so this year I will make batches until there is no more cereal. It's the simplest recipe and if our house is like yours, you'll find if you turn your head, the entire batch will be gone!

• I was able to make serious progress on one of the puzzles I got for Christmas. I love Charles Wysocki's art, so I expect that this will be beautiful once completed. Fun fact about this- the Amazon driver apparently didn't think it mattered if the box was crushed/broken open. Luckily, the pieces are in a plastic bag inside the box, which was NOT ripped. Of course, I say that now- watch, there will be one piece missing at the end.

• I get to watch one of my top five all-time favorite movies, Sweet Home Alabama. Granted, it's the 7,675th time I've seen it, but it still makes me laugh & smile.

Plenty of stuff to love about this Sunday! I hope you've enjoyed yours, as much as I have enjoyed mine!

BOOK REVIEWS 2021

Book #3: The Frangipani Tree Mystery by Ovidia Yu

Summary: This mystery is set in Singapore in 1936. The main character, Chen Su Lin, is 16 years of age and had been afflicted by polio. Su Lin no longer has any parents. She becomes the nanny of a disabled girl, Dee-Dee Palin, the daughter of the Governor of Singapore, after dodging attempts to have her married off.  The previous nanny, an Irishwoman, died from a neck injury sustained from falling off of a balcony a possible act of foul play. Therefore Su Lin takes over Charity's job. Su Lin decides to investigate Charity's death herself.

Rating: B+. I read all of the book in Yu's other Singaporean mystery series and really enjoyed them, so thought I'd give this one a try. This is the first book in the series and Su Lin is an endearing character. I will definitely read the next one in the series.

Book #4: The Day the World Came to Town by Jim DeFede

Summary: When 38 jetliners bound for the United States were forced to land at Gander International Airport in Canada by the closing of U.S. airspace on September 11, the population of this small town on Newfoundland Island swelled from 10,300 to nearly 17,000. The citizens of Gander met the stranded passengers with an overwhelming display of friendship and goodwill.

Rating: A+. This book came to me at just the right time. At a time in this country where there have been no "feel good" stories of late, I was glad to read this one from 19 years ago. While 9/11 was an absolutely horrific tragedy, the residents of Gander, Newfoundland were a bright light in a dark time. I can't stop thinking of the acts of goodwill that they performed, for not only the humans on the planes, but the animals, as well.

Captain's Log: Stardate 247 Since Quarantine Happened

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I was never a big Star Trek fan, but the title seemed fitting.

Here's what's new here:

• Yes indeed- we are at day 247 since quarantine happened. I am still working from home and as of now, will be doing so until the end of April (I firmly believe that will be extended to the end of June.)

• I still miss seeing family, friends, and co-workers. I realized recently it's been over a year since I've seen my parents. This has been tough for me. However, a few weeks ago, we Zoomed and it was so good to see them (vs. just talking to them). (Hi Mom & Dad- my faithful readers. 😅)

• Here in New England we had some 70 degree days last week (HALLELUJAH!), but are back to "real" fall weather- 40's and chilly. It looks like snow here today (gray), but none is in the forecast (hoping that's not a jinx...)

• I have done a fair amount of Christmas & John's birthday shopping online, so I feel that's somewhat under control. Knowing that there have been hiccups in delivery times, I decided to start early. 

• Thanksgiving is not far away and not sure how that will look this year. I do know that we are going to cook a turkey breast in the air fryer (John's new favorite cooking tool!) I also know that I'll be making Pecan Pie Cake for dessert (even if it's just the two of us!) John LOVES pecan pie. While I'm not a fan, I decided that this might be a decent compromise. It calls for a Butter Pecan Cake Mix, which I'd never seen before, but stumbled upon in Walmart, so I grabbed it!

• I have dipped my toe in the yoga arena. My supervisor told me about Yoga with Adriene, a YouTube channel with short yoga videos for all levels of ability. I found a 20 minute video for beginners and I've done it a few times now. It complements the mat Pilates class I do via Zoom very nicely. 

• I've done some (semi) crafty things, which I'll share, but they deserve their own post. We've also made a bunch of new recipes, also deserving their own post. However, here's a sneak peek at one we did recently- Ham & Gruyere Sliders with Raspberry Mayo. They were really good! We had a ham dinner and instead of making regular old ham sandwiches, we decided to try these. The raspberry mayo is a nice twist on just regular old mayo.

• And lastly, before I hammer out some book reviews, a picture is worth a thousand words-

I just realized I read four memoirs in a row...completely unintentional!

Book #46- The Upside of Being Down by Jen Gotch

Summary: Memoir of ban.do Chief Creative Officer. Gotch suffers from serious mental health issues throughout her life and this memoir chronicles those travails. 

Rating: B+. I thought this was an inspirational story- showing that mental health issues don't have to impede success and living. However, (and yes, I know it's a memoir) I felt like Gotch tooted her own horn. A lot.

Book #47- A Backward Glance by Edith Wharton

Summary: A collection of autobiographical sketches by the famed writer, detailing New York society in which she grew up and the relationship she developed with Henry James.

Rating: D+. I loved Ethan Frome & House of Mirth. Thus, I thought what better way to get an insight into how and why these were written than reading Wharton's memoir. Wrong. So.much.minutiae. (About nothing.) And more time was spent on the first book she wrote, which was architectural in nature. Snooze. I skimmed the middle and read the beginning and end.

Book #48- Everything Beautiful In Its Time by Jenna Bush Hager

Summary: Jenna Bush Hager, the former first daughter and granddaughter, shares moving, funny stories about her beloved grandparents and the wisdom they passed on that has shaped her life.

Rating: A+.  I absolutely positively loved this book. It was honestly the best of the memoirs I read in this stretch. It was honest and really portrayed The Bush presidents as humans, with real lives and familial relationships. 

Book #49- The Making of a Miracle by Mike Eruzione

Summary: On the fortieth anniversary of the historic "Miracle on Ice," Mike Eruzione—the captain of the 1980 U.S Men’s Olympic Hockey Team, who scored the winning goal—recounts his career on ice, the legendary upset against the Soviets, and winning the gold medal.

Rating: C+. I loved the movie Miracle (about the amazing upset of the Soviets in 1980) and since Eruzione is a local hero, I thought I'd love this book. Meh. Another one that toots his own horn to a fault. And strikes me as someone who is not very personable  (I have zero proof of this- just my impression.). 

Table for 2...Order for 12

I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving- whatever that looked like!

John & I had a "table for two" Thanksgiving.

(Don't mind the extremely wrinkled tablecloth)

Grace was with her Mom & some friends and [little] John stayed in DC. It seemed like most everyone else had plans of their own, so we had a quiet day.

We did a "traditional" Thanksgiving meal, although a lot of it was low-maintenance (as you'll see from below). 

Frozen whole turkeys were on sale a few weeks prior to Thanksgiving, so we figured, "why not?" We got an 11 lb turkey...

We had gravy from the packet in the turkey.

We had pre-made stuffing (aka stuffing in a box).

We had pre-made scalloped potatoes (they're actually pretty good and SO much less work than real scalloped potatoes.)

Cranberry sauce from a can.

We had Pillsbury crescent rolls.

For vegetables, we did probably the most "homemade" work. We had mashed butternut squash (which we both really like but generally only have on holidays). I just mash it it with butter, maple syrup & nutmeg. 

We also did brussels sprouts. Generally, I roast them (just tossed in olive oil, salt & pepper) and then top with melted butter, but since we inherited an air fryer, we decided to try them that way. I found a simple recipe from the Food Network and we did that. They came out ok, but were drier than the roasted (I think because no melted butter was poured over them.)

Oh, and some cheap Rose wine (we should NOT have cheaped out there...lesson learned.)

Here's our "table for twelve." (I should've put the gigantic turkey on the table- would've made for a better image.)

We had lots of leftovers (which is never a bad thing!)

For dessert we had a great homemade apple pie that a friend made, which was very thoughtful of her.

How did you celebrate Thanksgiving? 

Looking Ahead

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2019 is almost here- less than 48 hours away!

As a lot of other people do, I always reflect on what I want to do better or more of in the upcoming year. At the ripe old age of 46, I know that I won't achieve all of my goals. If I can achieve a small percentage and maybe partially complete some others, I will be satisfied.

Here goes:

1) Pull this blog off of life support and get it breathing again. That sounds familiar, doesn't it? I've said it frequently in the past. I've meant it at the time I said it, but it never came to fruition. So...let's try again, shall we? I won't try to set a goal like, "blog at least once a week" because I know I won't do it. How about we go with blog more than 2018? (I wrote SIX blog posts in 2018 [including this one]). SAD! I love writing. I need to be more intentional about my free time. (Translation- less time sitting on Facebook & Instagram.)

2) Share what I read. I list my books read with a letter rating in the right column of this blog. I keep track on Goodreads. I occasionally share via Instagram or Facebook. I've had people message me on Facebook or email asking for reading recommendations, so why not share on a wider/more consistent basis? In 2019, for each book I finish reading, I will post on Instagram & Facebook with a photo of the book, the name/author, a snippet of what the book is about, my letter rating, and a snippet review. Because I want to speak the "kids" language, I will be creating/using a hashtag for this project- #katiereads2019 (Brilliant, right?) Hopefully this will give followers exposure to books they might not otherwise get and they might give recommendations back.

3) Lose the 10 lbs I lost in 2018 but gained back. Yeah, not much to say here. I need to suck it up buttercup and do it. I'm back on the Couch to 5K program (week 2, day 1 completed earlier today.) I use the 5K Runner app and it's great. Eating is really where the problem lies. Holidays and eating healthy are just not a good match. But, as they say in Weight Watchers, there's always tomorrow.

4) Spend time doing calligraphy and lettering. I have collected a few books about calligraphy and lettering and want to actually sit down and open them up and use them. I also have some Tombow Dual Brush Pens/Markers that I bought a while ago to go with the books. I need to dust them off and spend a 1/2 hour on a weekend just doing that.

5) Do what I like. Like what I do. 

See you in 2019! Happy New Year!

Nothing Says "Happy New Year" Like This

That's right, people!

I spent the first day of 2018 cleaning the bathroom.

Have you ever noticed how toilet bowl cleaner can look like abstract art? A Rorschach test? Or, just toilet bowl cleaner in a toilet. I digress. (What else is new?)

In all seriousness, John and I had a nice New Year's Eve.

We made a bunch of tapas/finger foods:

L to R: Sticky Baked Asian Chicken Wings from Valerie's Kitchen. This has been a go-to recipe for us for a few years. It's easy and the wings are delicious! Onion dip & chips. There's a story there, but I'll get to that. Slow Cooker Cranberry BBQ Meatballs from Tastes Better from Scratch. This was a new recipe for us and it was very tasty. Mixed fruit and a homemade garlic loaf.

Our drinks of choice were sangria (for John) and chardonnay (for me) in my new purple crackle stemless wine glasses.

So, about the dip. I've been having nostalgia lately for clam dip. Yes, clam dip. My grandma always used to have that at her house on a holiday and I loved it! After she passed (more than 30 years ago) I stopped eating it (for no particular reason.) So, while I've found recipes on Pinterest for it, I thought, why not go old school and buy the packaged stuff (as my grandma did- she was not fond of cooking...lol.)  I went to two grocery stores and couldn't find it, so we just went with onion dip.

While writing this blog, I started Googling clam dip brands. Guess what, peeps? The main supplier (Helluva Good) stopped.making.it. OUTRAGEOUS! (And yes, someone devoted an entire blog post to this) And it's from seven years ago. I'm so out of the clam dip loop!

I guess I HAVE to make it from scratch. I found this recipe from Foodie Crush. I may try that once I've come out of mourning for the loss of pre-made clam dip.

Moving right along!

We watched an Amazon movie- The Big Sick.

It was GREAT! Two thumbs up- highly recommend! It was funny and real. It had its element of sadness, but ended perfectly. Watch it!

We also started watching Ozark, a Netflix series-

We only watched one episode, but so far so good. (Does Jason Bateman age? No, I didn't think so.)

We then watched the ball drop & toasted (using the flutes from our wedding). It was a nice evening. (And we realized it was our 21st New Year's Even together- time flies.)


How did you spend New Year's Eve & the first day of 2018?

Is This Thing On???

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It's been foreverrrrrrrr since I've posted, but here I am. I'm clearing the cobwebs, pushing aside the tumbleweeds, and dusting off the microphone/keyboard.

Testing, testing, testing...1 2 3.

OK, I think everything's in working order.

Since this (^) is happening right now, I figured there was no better time than to crank out a blog post.

First, let me just say that I'm highly annoyed that it's snowing out. It's the last "real" Saturday before Christmas and I have a TON of errands/shopping to do. Grrrrrrrr. However, I've been sick for the past three days, so a forced day of staying inside isn't necessarily bad (although cabin fever is ramping up). 

While I did do a fair amount of shopping online, there are some things I prefer to/have to do in person, i.e., stocking stuffers, certain clothing items. Browsing in a "real" store also helps if I'm at a loss for a gift for someone. 

Our basement is 95% done!!! (I'll do a separate post with pictures to do it justice. No, really, I will.) I'm actually blogging from there, right now! We have a double recliner on order (to be delivered on New Year's Eve), 

It looks nicer in person, but here it is:

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I'm on the hunt for a desk for down here. Preferably a white one with a large surface for writing/organizing. I've been looking on Overstock and Wayfair, but part of me thinks I'll find a nice older one on Craiglist or a used furniture store.

We have three cement poles that we're going to cover (well, I say "we," but John will really do it.) That has to be done and some touch up on the painting. We also need to build something to cover the electric panel and then find something for the BluRay player, cable box, etc...

John's vision is coming to life and he did an AMAZING job!

I'm dealing with a cold or a sinus infection. I think it's the former with some sinus pressure thrown in. I've had more peppermint tea in the past three days than I've had in my life.

Thanksgiving was quiet here. And by quiet, I mean silent.

Just John and I. Little John stayed in Baltimore and Grace was with her Mom. We still made a turkey breast and the sides we prefer- brussels sprouts, scalloped potatoes. It was relaxing.

What are you watching? A co-worker INSISTED I watch "Divorce," an HBO show. It's hilarioius!

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It's more of a dark-ish comedy. I like it.

I've also been told to watch "The Crown."

We watched the first episode of "This is Us" and we were somewhat confused. Apparently that was a common reaction and we were told to push forward.

Oh, and I also watched the new "Gilmore Girls" four part series. I didn't love it. I didn't hate it. Let's just say that I was sufficiently underwhelmed.

Monday night we celebrated John's birthday by going out to eat at a fun restaurant in the Theatre District in Boston- Abby Lane.

We started out with Grilled Italian Hot Pepper-Parmesan Wings. They were delicious!

We each got a "Shut the Front Door" drink- very refreshing.

And then we had sandwiches/flatbreads for our main course.

Great place if you're seeing a show (they also give 15% off your bill if you show them your show tickets.)

We then saw "An Evening with David Crosby" at the Wilbur Theatre (thankfully right across the street from the restaurant, as we had a second round...)

I knew one song. So, yeah.

He was on stage with three twenty-somethings, clearly trying to promote their music. Not a bad thing, just not what I expected. Of the three, I really enjoyed Michelle Willis. She sang one of her songs solo and it was very moving. The other two? Meh.

So, I took a break from writing this. Had lunch. It's now stopped snowing.

John's last words before he went outside were, "I hope the snowblower works."

I haven't heard it churning yet, so I'm stealthily hiding out inside, wondering how long before I hear, "Um, it's not working."

And then we have to go old school with shovels. Happy happy joy joy!

State of Affairs Here

We have a LOT of snow here in northeastern Massachusetts.

Like, 17-20".

I now know what it's like to live in the tundra.

This was from my Weather Channel app last night.

Brrrrrr.

Even the deer thought it was chilly and were hunkered down. (In my backyard.)

In other non-weather related news...

I have a blog to profile for my next installment of "50 States? 50 Blogs!" Georgia's up and I have a really unique blog to write about (at least I consider it unique). I'm  hoping to get that published tomorrow.

I've been a cooking maniac again!

I haven't been taking pics, but I can share the recipes with you.

For New Year's Eve, I made two new recipes:

Spicy Kielbasa Dip from the blog From Valerie's Kitchen. It was AWESOME! A hot dip (temperature and spice-wise) was perfect for a cold night.

PSA: I'm totally loving recipes From Valerie's Kitchen. Check it out. (I also made her Crock-Pot Cocktail Meatballs, which I'd made before. This time I just did them on the stovetop, though and they were just as good!)

The other recipe I made for New Year's Eve was not quite as good as the Spicy Kielbasa Dip.

Long story short -- I had a coupon for Stonewall Kitchen's Apple Cranberry Chutney, so I had to buy it (of course). I immediately set off on their website to find a recipe to go with it. I selected Cranberry Brie Bites, because who doesn't like brie and who doesn't like pastry? (I've also had good luck with other Stonewall recipes.)

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First let me say that I think I thought chutney was something altogether different. (I didn't realize it would have an Indian spice twist to it). 

Second, let me say that my bites didn't look quite as lovely/crispy as above photo.

They weren't bad, but they weren't superb, either. If you're into chutney you might like them. We didn't.

This is my next project:

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Chorizo-Queso Egg Rolls. Because again, who doesn't like cheese? I'll let you know how these work out.

After dining on our yummy apps on New Year's Eve, we watched this "interesting" movie:

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Jayne Mansfield's Car. Weird name for a weird movie. Admittedly it was the only non-kids/semi-interesting movie left at Redbox. It's a Billy Bob Thornton movie. Need I say more? (He's in it, too. What a weirdo.) To summarize it, I'd say Southern dysfunctional family meets British dysfunctional family. Ok then.

My Mom comes for a visit on Friday...I can't wait to see her! Hopefully it will have warmed up and maybe some cleaning fairies will have appeared and whipped this place into shape?

Oh, and yeah, about that last blog post? I lasted 48 hours and then reactivated Facebook.

Not bad.

It probably wasn't the best idea to quit cold turkey in the middle of a snowstorm during which it was too cold to go outside, my office was closed, etc..

It's all good, however. Social media relapse is a part of that personalized 12-step program I mentioned. It was fully expected. I can only hope to go twice as long next time I quit!

Happy Mother's Day Mamacita Senorita!

Thanks for everything you do and for all of the unconditional love you've given me throughout my life.

 

I wouldn't be where I am today without you.

Welcome 2013!

John and I celebrated New Year's Eve in a fairly low-key fashion -- food, movies, sparkling wine & the ball dropping.

We decided that we would just do low maintenance appetizers for our meal. Here's the spread:

At 12 o'clock, we have John's Poinsettia. At about 2:30/3:00 in the middle, we have Parisian bread with butter. At about 4:00 in the middle, we have my Little Penguin Chardonnay. At 6:00, we have strawberries, watermelon, and pineapple. From 8:00-9:00, we have Colby-Jack cheese, crackers, and a Sun-Dried Tomato Feta Spread. At 10:00, we have the piece de resistance -- Hot Pepper Jelly Kielbasa Appetizer. I was shopping in Stonewall Kitchen recently and picked up some hot pepper jelly in the hopes that we'd put it out with cream cheese as an appetizer on Christmas. Totally forgot it. So, came across this recipe and it's SO easy and a tasty take on plain old kielbasa. Highly recommend!

We decided to watch the movie "Drive" based on the recommendation of my stepson.

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I texted him after it was done and said, "Were you drinking when you watched this?" It was just plain WEIRD. Very little dialogue. Longgggggg bouts of silence. Odd, just odd. John and I just kind of looked at each other when it was over and were like, "Ok...."

We figured it could only get better from there and since it was still fairly early, we decided to watch another movie. A baseball movie. Clint Eastwood. Amy Adams. Has to be better, right?

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I'm pretty sure that "Trouble with the Curve" was Movie Studio B's counter to "Moneyball" by Movie Studio A. I really like Amy Adams and I love baseball, but this movie just didn't have "it." It was definitely better than "Drive" but still not two thumbs up. I'd say one thumb up.

We had our traditional sparkling wine in the toasting flutes that we used at our wedding (awwww) and watched the ball drop.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

2012 Christmas Festivities (The Day AFTER!)

December 26th

I always say I'm going to go shopping on "Black Friday" (day after Thanksgiving), but it never comes to fruition. I'm always too tired!

So, this year I decided to take the 26th off and make it my own version of "Black Friday." It worked out rather well, as Grace needed to go to her program, so she needed a lift fairly early. I was up and out of the house by 8AM!

After dropping her off, I headed up to Salem, NH (strip mall mecca) and made a beeline for HomeGoods. I love getting cards & wrapping paper there! They were out of wrapping paper, but I was able to get four boxes of Christmas cards for a total of $11!

I then popped over to Annie's Hallmark. I had JUST missed the event that gave an extra 10% off (by about 20 minutes), but I was still able to get some good deals.

The cards I'd just purchased moments before weren't enough, so I got yet another box. I also got a Holiday Address book. The Christmas Card Address book I have now has seen much better days, so I decided to springs for a new one. (These were 40% off original price.)

Now comes the fun stuff! Not only does Annie's sell Hallmark stuff, but they also sell Vera Bradley! Danger, danger -- I could spend all of my Christmas loot there! Of course I tend to shop off of the retired/being phased out/40% off rack. Look what I stumbled upon? A new laptop bag!
Mine -- all mine!

Next I hopped over to TJ Maxx and grabbed about five rolls of Christmas wrapping paper. (I'd bought a bunch last year at a store that will remain nameless and it ended up being crap. Tossed it.)

Kohl's was next. I got myself a new robe. I know what you're thinking -- "Um, she got a new robe for Christmas." Well, I got a comfy fuzzy robe. I require two robes. (Crazy, I know.) I like to have an absorbent towel-like robe when getting out of the shower (wet comfy fuzzy robe= weirdness.) It's a Turkish robe -- nothing fancy.

Then I picked up this Christmas dish (because, you know, we need one more.) Enjoy this sucky photo.

 

 

I then headed to Target. Got two more boxes of Christmas cards. (YES, I know...I might have a slight problem when it comes to buying Christmas cards.) Got two more rolls of Christmas wrapping paper. (Yes, yes, I know...) I'd tell you that I got some Christmas cocktail napkins & cocktail plates, but then I'd have to join the witness protection program...from my husband. (Let's just say that due to my mother-in-law's generosity, we could open our own holiday paper plate/napkin store.) I probably didn't need to buy those at Target...

 

Hopped on Rte. 495 and went one exit south to Burlington Coat Factory (nothing of any note there) and to Marshall's. Jackpot at Marshall's!!!

 

I got a new hamper for the bedroom (which I've commandeered as my own). It fits the style of our bedroom perfectly! As you know, you generally only find one of everything at Marshall's, but if I see another one, I'm scooping it up for John!

 

 

 

 

 

I also snagged some shower curtain hooks for the brand new shower curtain that I bought a week or so ago. (Even though it wasn't part of this Black Friday shopping excursion, I'll still grant you a photo.)

 

All in all, a succesful day, wouldn't you say?

To top it all off, later that afternoon, John, John, and I went to see Lincoln.

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I was very tired from my shopping excursion so I dozed off during the first 20 or so minutes (as did the person sitting to my left...) I get the feeling that it was one of those movies that I'm supposed to think was awesome/amazing. It was good.

 

There, I said it. It was "good." Daniel Day Lewis was GREAT. The others? Eh. I'm sure I'm in the minority.

2012 Christmas Festivities: Day Three (THE day!)

Christmas Day

It's finally here! It was pretty much crazy from the word GO, so I did not take one.single.picture. Bummer.

John and I opened gifts pretty much first thing and I got a LOT of wonderful things. I'm truly lucky!

Here are a few of my gifts from my generous husband:

Purple Columbia fleece hoodie:

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Lavender amethyst earrings:

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Tuxedo Freshwater Cultured Pearl Triple Strand Bracelet:

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You know that commercial for Jared jewelers? "He went to Jared!" I can say, "John went to my Pinterest Wish Board!" All three of these things came from there. The first I specifically asked for and pointed out in Kohl's. The second and third he totally surprised me with (little bugger).


Robe:

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Do you see a theme here? Purple, purple, purple. Ahhh...my fave color. (I also got purple slippers, too!)

He gave me lots of other nice stuff -- Burt's Bees gift set, gift cards, candy, and a cool salad bowl with servers from Pier 1.

My wonderful stepson John gave me two calendars (one for work, one for home):

For home, the Charles Wysocki calendar (one of my favorite artists):

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For work, the 365 Days of Shoes calendar:

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After the gift opening, we got to work with the food! We ended up with 13 adults plus 1 baby (if I counted correctly!).

Christmas Menu

Appetizers/Munchies:

• Shrimp cocktail
• Onion dip & chips
• Traditional Chex Mix
• Snickerdoodle Chex Mix (if you haven't tried this, you MUST! Recipe can be found here. It's very sweet -- almost more of a dessert.)
• Prosciutto/Mozzarella with crackers
• Sun-Dried Tomato Spread from Stonewall Kitchen (AMAZING!) with their Dipping Pretzels.
• Deviled eggs and cheeses from my mother-in-law.

Main course:

• Roast pork
• Spoon roast (beef) (cooked in my brother-in-law's Set It & Forget It -- AMAZING!)
• Rolls
• Mashed potatoes
• Carrots
• Squash
• Roasted brussels sprouts
• Gravy

Dessert:

• Cheesecake sampler
• Congo bars from my mother-in-law
• Jello cups from my sister-in-law
• Tiramisu Brownie Trifle (this is another recipe found via Pinterest -- from Pampered Chef) (It came out pretty darn good.)
• Cranberry Pear Crumble (this is from Woman's Day) (Not so much...something about the crust just didn't work out. It was edible, but not something I'd make again.)

After we ate, we opened some more gifts from my mother-in-law and then pretty much everyone left! It was an extremely tiring day, but not tiring enough that I didn't get up early the next morning to have my own version of "Black Friday." Stay tuned for the next post!