Friday Photos And Favorite Weekly Recipe

Well, Happy Friday, my friends! I hope your week was happy, healthy, and a little cozy too. We had snow one day this week, and Flynn and I watched someone kayaking on the lake the next! Let's see; what else did my week include?

Coffee every morning.

Healthy lunches for the husband.

A Penguin hockey game for the guys and a movie night, complete with Titanic and Mcdonald's for the girls! 

The favorite meal of the week, besides the gumbo, was simple chicken tenders and macaroni and cheese. I shared the chicken tenders recipe before, but I will link it below, just in case!

Have a cozy weekend! Thanks so much for visiting, my friends. I am always happy that you do.

Billie Jo

Macaroni and Cheese

Chicken Tenders

Wrapping Up The Week

Good Friday morning, my friends! I hope the week has been good to you. Here are a few photos from the week in my little part of the world. 

Crisp, clear mornings ~ 

Lunches for the husband ~

A guest room tidy ~

A favorite meal ~ 

A cozy kitchen view ~ 

A backseat driver on a ride to the beach ~ 

 Fresh jammies in my spot on the couch there ~

A favorite breakfast ~

And a beautiful view ~

Not pictured: Laundry, washed and folded, homeschool afternoons at the kitchen table, a quick clean with a wet rag and the vacuum, and cups of coffee on the cozy couch.

Have a lovely weekend, my friends. Any plans? We are spending it at the beach for a few days of relaxation and family fun. See you back here Monday!

Billie Jo

Tilapia Florentine recipe

 

With Apologies To Rachel Ray

 

I am a meal planner by nature. Every Saturday, I check the calendar for the upcoming week, look around and see what we have in the pantry and the fridge, and decide on what meals to make. Usually. Sometimes I don't. Those days, I throw something together at the last minute so we don't resort to takeout again. (Trust me. We do that too.)

This meal is one I often make when I need something quick and easy. And good. It is a simple tortellini alfredo with chicken. The express version! I made it last night when I looked at the clock and realized what time it was! I had a couple bags of Barilla Cheese Tortellini and two jars of Bertolli Alfredo Sauce in the pantry. I stock up when they are on sale for just this reason. I grabbed a bag of fully cooked chicken breast strips from the freezer and heated them with the sauce while the pasta boiled. When the pasta was done, I drained it and added it to the sauce. I added some frozen broccoli and fresh Italian bread, and we had dinner in less than thirty minutes! 

Do you have a favorite quick meal to share? 

Have a wonderful Wednesday, my friends.

Oh! In the interest of full disclosure, I must add that we like this dish better when I make it with shrimp! 

Billie Jo

Friday And A Pasta Dish

 

Good Friday morning! This morning, the sun is shining through the kitchen windows, but don't let that fool you! It is COLD! This past week was a quiet one here. After finally locating my winter boots in the basement under the shuffleboard table, I did venture out to get my hair cut and colored. And in breaking news...

I got rid of the blond. Apparently, years of adding bleach can result in less than healthy locks. Who knew? I decided to return to my natural color and had her cut off some dead ends to start fresh. So far, so good.

Last night  I made an easy, fresh, delicious pasta dish for dinner. I had some freshly chopped ~ from the store ~ onions and tomatoes, so I sauteed them in some olive oil along with some freshly minced cloves of garlic. I threw in some dried basil, salt and pepper, and a little bit of the water in which I was boiling the pasta. I let that simmer while I cooked some penne pasta. Once drained, I added the pasta to the tomatoes mixture and gave it a good stir. To finish it off, I grated some fresh parmesan cheese, and that was that. An easy but delicious dinner that literally took twenty minutes to prepare!

Well, I need to go make our menu plan and grocery order. I also need to call the dentist and pour a cup of coffee. Our weekend looks cold and basically uneventful, just the way I like it. There may or may not be quite a bit of this...

It's January, right? Thank you for all the fun comments on my previous post. It is so fun to get to know more about each other, don't you think? Have a lovely, cozy weekend, my friends. Stay safe, sound, warm, and healthy! Thanks for visiting!

Billie Jo

November Days And An Easy Dinner

 

Usually much more muted, November is certainly showing her beauty this year. It is cold but sunny, and the leaves are hanging on quite a bit longer. This week we noticed the dark coming earlier, the evenings lasting longer. We gather together after dinner, light the fireplace, and watch tv together. 

Dinners are heartier these days. This week's favorite was an easy Baked Penne. I boiled some penne, drained it, and put it in a baking dish. Then I topped the pasta with fresh mozzarella slices and our favorite pasta sauce. Finally, I shredded fresh parmesan, covered the whole pan in foil, and baked until it was all hot and bubbly. I added an easy Chopped Salad Kit and these delicious Dinner Rolls. 

And finally, I leave you with this shot of our evening visitor last night. Isn't he amazing?! And not the least bit concerned with us!

Have a lovely weekend, my friends. Not too much going on around here except packing away all our deck furniture and clearing the front porch of all things fall and Halloween. How about you? Whatever you do,  enjoy!

Billie Jo

Halfway Through Already, Some Movie Ideas, And A Quick Recipe

We are halfway through October already. Halfway through the cozy, spooky, relaxing month leading up to the festive months of holidays. I've tried to be more mindful of the changes outside my front door so far. The gradual transition of leaves from bright to muted green to red, yellow, and gold before breaking off and falling to the ground. I've tried to breathe in that indescribable, crisp scent exclusive to this month whenever I take the pups out. Although, to be honest, it has been a bit too warm here for my taste. Temperatures in the upper 70's mean my sweaters and sweatshirts don't work quite as well. : )

If you haven't had time to savor all that October has to offer, don't worry! We still have some time left. Go for that ride to look at the changing leaves. Sit outside with your morning coffee. Light a scented candle after dinner and watch a Halloween movie with your people. Not sure what to watch? No worries. I keep an ongoing list on my phone for just that reason. Here are a few of my favorites.

Halloween Movies

Halloweentown

Halloweentown ll

Halloweentowntown High

Twitches

Twitches Too

It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown

Hotel Transylvania 

Psycho (1960)

The Wolf Man (1941)

Frankeinstein (1931)

Halloween (1978)

( The last ones are for when the kids are asleep.)

Nothing to see here. Just my daughter's dog Draper not creepily staring at me while Flynn and I watch Drake and Josh in bed.

I made an old but favorite meal last night. We call it Turkey Pie, because apparently you can make it with ground turkey, but I use ground beef now. Just brown a pound of meat, drain, and add 2 cups of your favorite salsa. Put in a pie pan greased and lined with your favorite pizza crust or a can of crescent roll dough like I did this time. Then bake at 450 degrees for 20 minutes. Top with some shredded cheddar cheese and bake until melted.  I actually double this and use a 13x9 glass pan.

Ok. That is all I have this morning. Have a fabulous October weekend, my friends. Thanks for visiting!

Billie Jo

Friday Photos And This Week's Meal

Hello! And welcome to Friday! Mocha and I hope you all have a cozy and lovely weekend. I hope those of you who need rain get it soon. I also join those of you who are praying for the heartwrenching situation in Afghanistan. Thank you for your suggestions on my dinner the other evening when Steve had a business dinner! Would you believe I did order takeout indeed? My favorite pizza. Pizza Hut. And what did I get there? A personal pan pizza with cheese! Simple makes me happy. The photo I shared of my very favorite scary movie ever was guessed by one reader, and she correctly guessed Halloween! The original 1978 movie is my favorite ever! 

The favorite meal of the week we did have at home was delicious. And easy as can be! Doesn't it look amazing? Well, let me tell you, it was. And although it looks as if I slaved over a hot stove all day, I did not. I picked up a couple rotisserie chickens from our local grocery store deli, cut them up, whipped up some Hungry Jack Potatoes, heated up some Heinz Chicken Gravy, and microwaved some Bird's Eye Broccoli with Cheese Sauce. And my family loved it! Me too. 

Well, that is all I have for you today. I will throw some laundry in, make a few phone calls that have been on my ToDo list, and watch some tv with Flynn. Have a nice day, my friends. Thank you for visiting!

Leaving you with this today. It is not mine, and I do not have an author for it.

But maybe someone can use it just the same.

Billie Jo

Meal Of The Week And Shark Week Starts

 

We had an extra set of paws here yesterday as Flynn watched Madison and Nicolas's pup Draper. He is a cutie!

The meal of the week was this quick and delicious pasta I threw together last evening. I was feeling pasta, so I boiled some ziti noodles, drained them, and put them in a baking dish. I had some amazing mozzarella and provolone cheese slices from the Italian grocery, so I laid the mozzarella on first, added some pasta sauce, then laid the provolone slices next. I chopped some fresh basil and sprinkled that on along with some grated parmesan, covered it with foil, and baked it until it was bubbly. It was delicious. The perfect meal for a rainy summer evening. 

And I am slowly making my way back to the mixer, folks. I decided to whip up a chocolate cake for a special treat because I always like a little chocolate with my pasta. Peyton has me spoiled, and I honestly haven't baked in forever. This was a box mix, Duncan Hines is the very best, but it turned out delicious. Who knows? By the end of summer, I may be able to make cookies again!

Here is the schedule for shark week! Can we watch programs about sharks any other week of the year? Sure. But there is something special about joining in with so many others and watching together. Enjoy!

Finishing off with some photos of the lake. I took a few this week as we were out tubing with the kids. Steve took some last evening as he sat on the dock fishing. I am thankful for this lake I didn't even know I wanted. It brings fun and excitement in the form of tubing with music playing, and it also brings peace and contentment in the form of moments spent sipping coffee or sitting quietly. I suppose we all need some of both.

Have a wonderful weekend, my friends.

Enjoy and be cozy.

Meal Of The Week And Happy Fourth Of July!

 

Happy July, my friends! And Happy Fourth of July! I love this holiday. And this year, celebrating seems even more significant. I always get choked up watching the fireworks and listening to John Philip Sousa's The Stars and Stripes Forever. I know you have heard it, but if you want to hear it again, there is an amazing rendition right HERE. I hope and pray this Fourth of July will somehow serve as more than a few extra days off of work or as a chance to have a cookout with family and friends. I hope that it will be a reminder of what this country stands for, what those who came before sacrificed, that the past is important and cannot nor should not be erased, but rather studied and learned from, that those of us who are proud of our country, our flag, and our history have a voice and are not intimidated by fear of being canceled or mocked. 

This holiday is bigger than the hatred that pervades our government today. Through years and years of history, of good times and bad, our country and our flag remain tributes to freedom, courage, struggle, and pride. Those who disagree have that right. But those who love our flag and all it represents have a right to be heard and be proud as well. I rarely write about my thoughts on current topics like this, but I cannot apologize for loving my country and acknowledging that I am blessed to be an American. And I cannot be afraid to stand for what I believe in while accepting others may feel differently. 

 

On a lighter note, here is one of my favorite simple meals we enjoyed this week. I actually purchased some chicken kabobs at the grocery store and brushed them with a simple marinade I made of avocado oil, fresh garlic that I minced, fresh basil leaves, salt, and pepper. Steve grilled them while I boiled some egg noodles and made a delicious salad of baby romaine, cherry tomatoes, and fetta cheese. I drizzled some balsamic vinegar over it, and dinner was served!

Have a wonderful weekend, my friends.

Thank you for all the anniversary wishes.

Enjoy all the red, white, and blue!

Meal Of The Week And Other Random Things

 

Summer in Pennsylvania means a few weeks of these sweet things appearing at a little fruit and vegetable stand in the parking lot near the bowling alley. I serve them with pound cake. Madison makes a delicious Danish dessert called Rødgrød med fløde, which translates to red porridge with cream. I also throw some in my smoothie, but they are best eaten right as is, sweeter than candy.

Summer also means easier and lighter meals. This is one of my favorites. I made an easy slow cooker chicken cacciatore recipe this week for dinner, and it was delicious. I used this recipe RIGHT HERE. I added a large can of Italian Style diced tomatoes because I had some, as well as some fresh basil leaves. I served it over angel hair pasta to make it lighter. And using fresh parmesan makes a world of difference! 

Leaving you with this precious picture. 

Because who doesn't love a pup in a basket of freshly washed and folded beach towels? Have a nice weekend, my friends! Thanks for visiting!