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

I'm Curious...

 

And Mocha is too!

1. Does your pet sleep in your bed with you? 

2. How often do you floss? 

3. Do you fold your fitted sheet? Or are you a stuffer?

4. When do you put on your pajamas? 

5. Coke or Pepsi?

6. Who is your favorite movie actor?

7. What is one unique talent you have?

Looking forward to your responses!

And if you are wondering, here are my answers...

1. Yes. Mocha literally sleeps right beside me.

2. I floss every single day. It's a thing with me.

3. I have never mastered the art of folding the fitted sheet. I currently jam all my sheets in a wicker clothes hamper because I can't stand looking at them all crumpled up!

4. I put my pajamas on right after dinner. Provided I ever took them off.

5. Pepsi. But my true loyalty lies with Dr. Pepper.

6. Two words. Jake Gyllenhaal. 

7. I can cook any type of pasta perfectly. Every single time.

Just sayin'.

Happy Wednesday!

Billie Jo

Monday Morning Coffee Talk

Good morning! Today finds our little lake home nestled in a winter wonderland. I took the above pictures Saturday afternoon before the impending storm arrived. And the following I took this morning after the storm moved through and left behind a beautiful, silent scene for us to enjoy.

I am sure many of you saw wintery weather too. I hope you are safe and sound and cozy as well. Our Steelers began their game last night with a valiant effort against a superior team who deserved a win. Next year begins a new chapter in the Steeler franchise, and we are waiting to see who our new quarterback will be. 

Last night before the game, all my people were here together for the first time in a few weeks, and it was wonderful! I made some homemade pizza, we played some cards, and we had some laughs. Have you ever made homemade pizza sauce? It is easy and so much better than store-bought. Just add a couple of tablespoons of olive oil to a pot with freshly minced garlic cloves. Let that simmer on low for a few minutes, then add a big can of crushed tomatoes and a tiny can of tomato paste. Then throw in some sugar to taste, and a teaspoon of dried oregano, basil, some fresh parsley, and some fresh ground pepper. I let that simmer while I prepare the dough for about a half-hour. That's it!

Today will be quiet. Flynn and I will do school, and I have some laundry to finish. I am making tilapia and rice for dinner. The Bachelor isn't on tonight because of football, so I will have to find something else to watch before bed. Any suggestions? 

Have a relaxing day, my friends.

Thanks for visiting.

Happy Monday!

Billie Jo

 

Weekend Plans

 

My view for the weekend.

I used to write a "Weekend Plans" post every Friday. Of course, that was when my children were little,  I was younger, and Covid was yet an unheard of threat similar to the fictitious virus in the movie Outbreak with Dustin Hoffman. I thought I would write about our weekend plans again for some reason or other, no matter how uninspiring they may be. So, here goes! 

My sister Margie is coming to spend the weekend with us while Steve and her husband head to camp to do camp things. I think that involves takeout bar food, something to do with crossbows, and comedy movies from the '70s and '80s. Tomorrow we will watch tv, play cards, call my mom, and order takeout. We will watch mass online again, as so much sickness is swirling around here, and I try to avoid it like the plague. Literally. 

Sunday, we will do much the same. I plan on doing laundry and making a meal plan and a grocery list. Then Sunday evening, we will watch the Steelers in the playoff game that should not have been! I have minimal hope they will win, but I do hope for a good match and a happy career-ending moment for our quarterback, Ben. Sunday evening, we are also expecting our first big snow event of the year. I am actually excited about the possibility of snow because I think it should snow when it is supposed to and then be gone. Snow in January is pretty and fun. Snow in April is not. 

Lastly, thank you for your kind comments of support on my previous post. I appreciate each and every one. Thank you also for your concern over Rhett's influenza. He went to the doctor yesterday and got much-needed medication. I encouraged that because sickness always worsens over the weekend, doesn't it? While he was gone, I put on a mask, opened the windows in his room, and sprayed the heck out of it with Lysol. I also changed and washed his bedsheets. I couldn't find any of his own sheets to put on his bed, so he is currently enjoying sleeping on the Charlie Brown Great Pumpkin Halloween sheets I dug out of my stash. As per Rhett, he didn't complain. 

Well, that is all I have today, my friends. 

Thank you for visiting.

Leaving you with some Pinterest finds because who doesn't like a smile on a wintry January weekend? 

Billie Jo