Things I Am No Longer Apologizing For

Staying home 

Avoiding conflict for the sake of peace

Sayin No

Being me

Eating pasta

And loving dessert.

How about you, my friends?

Have a cozy Wednesday!

Billie Jo

Monday Morning Coffee

 

Good Monday morning, my friends. How was your weekend? Steve, Flynn, and I spent our weekend at the condo, venturing out for mass on a cold Sunday evening. Thank you for the kind words and messages on my last post. I appreciate every single one. Saturday, my mom sent a beautiful sunrise...

And my family sent me some beautiful flowers to brighten my day. 

I don't have many more pictures from the weekend, but I did take this one. Remember when your children were little, and you couldn't go to the bathroom without them right outside the door? Well, don't expect much to change when they grow up!

Yesterday was cold, dark, and rainy. Not that I minded! But today is clear and calm. Perhaps a reminder to me to begin this new week the same way? 

We will tidy up here and head across the bridge soon. Today, Flynn and I will do homeschooling. I have a chicken recipe to try tonight, and then some of us will watch the college football championship. Others may be snuggled by the fire with a good book. Just sayin'.  

Have a wonderful day, my friends! Thank you for visiting.

Billie Jo

Wrapping Up A Week

Hello, my friends. Here we are again on a Friday. Time is flying so quickly anymore, I can hardly keep up! How are we entering the second half of January when I was planning Thanksgiving dinner yesterday?? In any case, we are helpless to stop it, so we might as well enjoy it. This week was a relatively quiet one here, with one exception. Little Mocha had to have a dental procedure to remove more of her teeth. This time, the vet removed eight teeth and also did a chest X-ray of her. She has been wheezing recently, and the X-ray showed some activity that could be bronchial in origin. So, she is on an antibiotic and medication for her mouth. I am having flashbacks to those days of the sticky pink liquid and bribes, if you know what I mean! 

She was a little uncomfortable the first day or two,

But soon enough, she felt better, and these two were back up to their antics.

Rhett and Kyrstin went up to Pennsylvania this week. First stop? The Steeler playoff game on Monday night!

The game started off great, and then? Not so much. Maybe next year! They also spent a day with Peyton and Chris at the skating rink, followed by lunch at Longhorn Steakhouse. I can remember Rhett and Peyton sitting at our kitchen table after lunch on homeschool days, playing Battleship. Years later, they still enjoy spending lunchtime together! 

Our favorite meals this week were two old-time ones. 

Sloppy Joes

Servings: 4-6

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 lb. lean ground beef

• 2 T. Worcestershire sauce

• 2 T. mustard

• ½ C. ketchup

• 2 T. vinegar

• 2 T. sugar

• 4-6 hamburger rolls

• American cheese slices (optional, for topping)

Instructions

1. Cook the Ground Beef: In a large skillet over medium heat, lightly fry the

ground beef until browned, breaking it apart as it cooks. Drain any excess fat.

2. Make the Sauce: Add the Worcestershire sauce, mustard, ketchup,

vinegar, and sugar to the skillet with the ground beef. Stir well to combine all

the ingredients.

3. Simmer: Reduce the heat to low and let the mixture simmer for 10-15

minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens and the flavors meld

together. If desired, mix in American cheese slices until melted and well

incorporated.

4. Serve: Spoon the Sloppy Joe mixture onto hamburger rolls. Serve hot.

Taco Pie

8-oz. tube refrigerated crescent rolls

1 cup tortilla chips, crushed and divided

1lb. ground beef

1 onion, chopped

8-oz. can tomato sauce

1-¼ oz. pkg. taco seasoning mix

3 T. sour cream

1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Separate crescent rolls and line an ungreased 9" pie plate with them; press together to form a pie crust. Sprinkle with 1/3 cup crushed tortilla chips and set aside. Brown ground beef and onion in a skillet; drain. Add tomato sauce and taco seasoning; simmer for 5 minutes. Pour into the pie plate. Spread sour cream over top; sprinkle with cheese and remaining chips. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

With this, I double it and bake it in a 13x9 dish. 

And for lunch this week?

I've been enjoying this arugula salad. And yes. I eat on the job. : )

Arugula Salad

And finally, tomorrow marks one year since my dear momma passed. I miss her so much every single day. My sister asked me to write something for the local paper. This is what I wrote for my mom.

Have a lovely weekend, my friends. See you back here Monday. Thanks for visiting!

Billie Jo

Would You Believe? On a Random Wednesday

 Would you believe...

1. I have never pumped gas in my life. 

2. I once met Chris Harrison, the previous host of The Bachelor, in a Las Vegas airport.

3. I have never gotten any form of traffic ticket.

4. I wore braces for over four years in high school and still wear my retainer.

5. I once missed a Shania Twain concert due to a flood. 

I once randomly saw my Grandma walking right behind the parade in Disney World.

Well. These statements are true. All of them. Except one. Can you guess which one isn't true?

(Answer down below.)

Just something fun on a random Wednesday in January.

Have a cozy day, my friends!

Billie Jo

P.S. Thanks to Google for the clipart.

ANSWER!

1. True. I have never pumped gas. Back in the day, they did it for you. Steve then just always did it or made sure I had enough gas, and thus, I never put gas in my car. 

2. True. I wrote a post about it. I saw him and said, "Chris?" as if he were my best friend from high school! He was super nice and very unassuming.

3. True. Only once in my life have I ever been pulled over, and that was when my best friend and I were in high school, heading to McDonald's. I was speeding, and I begged the officer not to give me a warning or a ticket because my parents would find out. He took pity on my blabbering teenage soul and just told me to slow down. I was relieved, but of course, by the time I got home, everyone and their brother with a police scanner had already called my Dad and told him! He was so funny about it, and when he told me he knew, he said that that was punishment enough, and I would never forget it. To this day, I haven't, and I do not speed!

4. Untrue! I did, in fact, have braces in high school for four+ years. And I did faithfully wear my retainer for a long time. Then I lost it. And I had no idea where it went. Fortunately, my teeth were trained to stay put, and I don't appear to need it!

5. True. Steve and I were on our way to Pittsburgh years ago to see her. We heard on the radio that the rain was so bad, it was flooding the outdoor arena. So we turned around, got some food, and went home. I never did see her live. Yet!

6. True! Yes. One of my favorite memories from growing up was when my high school went to Disney World. We marched in a parade one day, and another day we were free to spend in the Magic Kingdom. I had no idea my Grandma was there with my uncle and his family until we were watching a parade down Main Street, and the first person I saw walking behind was my Grandma Mil, smiling and waving! True story. 

Monday Morning Coffee And Recipes!

Good Morning! Happy Monday! We are waking up at the condo and will be going to sleep at home. I am so thankful we chose to live near the ocean, and that we have but a short ride over the bridge to get there. We had a quiet weekend, my favorite. I swam in the mornings, then read, and napped in the afternoon. We went to Mass Saturday night and had dinner with Madison and Nicolas. Sunday, I made dinner, and we settled in for football and a cozy time. Today, I am going to take one more swim before we head home for homeschool and Steeler Football. 

Saturday, we tried a new Mediterranean restaurant. It was amazing. The atmosphere was so neat, and the food? Delicious.

The food was Turkish and Moroccan-inspired, and it was delicious.

The weather last week was unbelievable for January. I even took a walk on Friday. I don't know who was more excited, me or Mocha!

And then I was happy to settle in for coffee and a delicious cranberry orange scone made by my Madison.

I had a few requests for the meals I posted last Friday. Here they are!

Mediterranean Chicken

( I used boneless/skinless thighs )

Stuffed Peppers

Have a nice day, my friends. Thanks for stopping!

Billie Jo

Wrapping Up The Week

Well, the first week back to reality passed in a lovely haze of normalcy around here. I hope it was the same for you. Now, the holidays may be over, but that does not mean we can't still be cozy, right? So while Santa may be packed away, the snowflakes, winterberries, and twinkling lights remain. 

Aside from homeschooling, packing Christmas away, and drinking coffee, both hot and iced, I also made a valiant effort to cook a reasonably healthy meal each night this week. On Monday, I started slowly with a sheet-pan meal: Mediterranean Chicken. 

Tuesday was taco bowls, as you already know.

Wednesday was Flynn's favorite: Breakfast for dinner. 

And last night? A meal I have been making since Steve and I got married. Stuffed Peppers!

Tonight? Steve's turn!

My word for the year...So far. So good!

Have a good weekend, my friends. We are heading to the condo for the weekend. I am looking forward to getting some swimming time in. It has been a while! I am also looking forward to getting cozy on the couch and visiting with you all. Thanks for visiting. I am always so happy you do!

Billie Jo

If It Is Wednesday

 

Then last night must have been Taco Tuesday! And indeed it was. This is one meal we never tire of, and it is also a very easy one to prepare. Steve browned the meat and added the seasonings, and I did the rest...This translates to washing, chopping, and displaying several different types of toppings. I opened a couple of cans of vegetables, too! 

But seriously, we all love this and can eat it however we choose. I prefer a taco bowl, Flynn is all about the hard shell tacos, and Rhett will eat whatever he is feeling at the moment. I realized recently that if I lay a piece of parchment paper down and put the toppings on that, I have way fewer bowls to wash! Cleanup is always foremost in my mind.

Last night, we had rice, ground beef, shredded lettuce, cherry tomatoes, shredded cheese, corn, black beans, avocado, Greek yogurt, salsa, and cilantro to choose from. Greek yogurt is the perfect substitute for sour cream, by the way. 

In other Tuesday news, Flynn and I resumed homeschool, and suddenly my days went from coffee and naps to something like this...

We needed a minute to adapt to the change! Fortunately, our homeschool mascot was ready and waiting for us to begin.

And that is all I have for you today, my friends. Have a wonderful Wednesday! The sun is shining here!

Billie Jo