5 thing Friday - recycled food, flip flops, Covid shot, friends, learning new things

Hubby likes to say that I recycle food.  I guess that's true.  I made a delightful pasta supper with leftover bits of ham, half a package of pasta I found in the pantry, the rest of a crab cheese ball, and the  pesto dip I fixed for NYE.

I browned the ham bits first, then tossed them in.  It was amazing.

With some Christmas monies from my mother, I bought myself a few things, including these flip flops which I practically live in when the weather is warm.  I know its December - today might be cold, but tomorrow will be warm.  Welcome to crazy Central Texas weather!

My first Covid shot seemed like not really a big deal.  The whole set-up at our hospital was orderly and friendly.  My arm hurt for a couple of hours, but I took Motrin at home and didn't notice anything the next day.  HOWEVER, the second shot had a little less than a 24 hour latent effect with malaise, chills, and flushing/fever and a sore arm.  Not fun.  But its over.  Only time will tell if these vaccines work.

I took a pretty tote with Christmas goodies to my friend Carol a couple of  weekends ago.  We met at a winery and had a nice time sitting on their sunny patio and talking about everything.  One of my resolutions for the year will be to meet up with her more often.  I've been bad about making time to spend with friends.  That would be a good thing to do in 2021, pandemic be damned.

I volunteer myself for things at work that I feel like very few people care about.  Like this Kudos board.  Its meant as a way to leave a positive note to a co-worker.  {The one next to it has stars and everyone's name} Its cheery in the hallway.  But I am learning something new at work and won't really have time for such things - time to move forward.  

That's how January makes me feel - get moving!!

Gina

The differences in vibe

Over the holidays and even with the pandemic happening, Hubby and I have managed to get out and about, enjoying some of our favorite wineries and breweries.  All of these places have outside seating available and are following all of the necessary guidelines to keep people safe.  In my view, it isn't healthy to just one day suddenly stop doing all of the things you like to do on your off time.  Change, adapt and keep moving forward.  That's what we are striving to do. 

The differences in those two types of places is mostly the vibe.  You wouldn't catch us playing cards at a winery...

At breweries its a laid back atmosphere without any real "scenery" unless you count occasional live music with a small crowd - this one at Infamous was completely unexpected.  Its a good thing the winters are relatively mild here.

I did not get a pic of the tacquitos before we ate 'em...

Most places here in Central Texas have food trailers or some sort of food they sell to qualify under the governor's orders to operate as a restaurant vs a bar in order to stay open.  A lot of them get creative and offer you "free chips and salsa" then adjust the price of the beer on your ticket.  {Did they have to get crafty with pricing to stay in business? Yes.  But so did wineries.}

Getting out, even with your mask on and socially distancing, is a good thing.  And we've noticed that most of the people we see are in our same age range!

The vibe at a winery is different somehow.  Could be because the ones that have vineyards are out in farming country.  There are many wide open spaces and the sights and sounds are so calming. At 7 Creeks there is an abundance of big trees and big sky...

People are still there, spread out a little more, and time seems to sloooow down.  At both wineries and breweries we know that we are helping small business stay afloat and they are helping us preserve our sanity!

And a lot of times, there's still live music to listen to.

We love them both and not just because they sell wine or beer.  They offer a calm in the storm of the world right now and a break from the weekly grind.

What places have you visited regularly since the pandemic started?

Gina

Shared with:

Let's Add Sprinkles, Keep in Touch

Slightly Less Empty Nest Menu #72

 Last week it was my goal to empty out most of the leftovers from the freezer.  I succeeded. Now I need to go through all of those empty containers, recycling the ones that are worn out or have absorbed odors (yuck), and organizing them under the cabinet.  The freezer got a wipe down and a new box of baking soda.  Then I went shopping.

Bubbie will be with us another week, then its back to Empty Nest as usual.

Monday - Parmesan Chicken Thighs, fresh green beans

Tuesday - Tuna Bowls {Albacore tuna, chick peas, spinach, tomato, green onion, Feta}

Wednesday - Crock Pot Beans with Christmas ham hock, corn muffins

Thursday - Tacos al Pastor Salad (instead of in tacos) with romaine, black beans, cheese, avocado

Friday - Buttermilk Herb Chicken Breasts, cornbread dressing, brussels sprouts

Saturday - Free choice all day

Sunday - Alamo Bowls with shrimp {rice, red and green bell peppers, onions}

Dessert this week will be Christmas cookies from the freezer!

Gina

Cowboy Casserole

I'm not sure where I found this recipe but it is pure comfort food casserole delight.  You couldn't call it healthy by any stretch of the imagination.  But I love it and the leftovers heat up just fine.

Cowboy Casserole

1 1/2 lbs. ground beef

1 medium onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 can corn, drained (I use frozen)

1 can cream of mushroom soup

2 c. shredded cheddar cheese

1/2 c. milk

4 T sour cream

1 bag tater tots (mine was not a full bag.  oh well.)

Defrost the tots.  Cook the onion 1 minute in the skillet.  Add ground beef.  Cook until no longer pink, then drain fat off.  Add garlic and take it off the heat.  In a small bowl combine milk, soup, and sour cream and whisk until smooth.  Add to hamburger mixture and stir.  Add corn and 1 cup of the shredded cheese.  Grease a 13x9 dish and layer tots, hamburger mixture, tots, then cheese.  {you could stop here, cover it with wrap, place in fridge, and leave instructions for the person who is cooking dinner, in this case, Hubby} Bake 25 to 30 minutes at 350.

Serve with a salad and enjoy every bite! 

And don't let NY resolutions stop you from enjoying a good dinner. 

Gina 

Shared with:

Full Plate Thursday at Miz Helen's

Mini holiday re-cap, 2020

I took few pics at Christmastime, but my heart wasn't really into it.  I did the best I could with all the things:  shopping, wrapping, decorating, cooking, spending time with my friends and family, working. But it felt blue.  

On Christmas Eve we gathered for fun around the firepit, some winter sangria, and a delish meal.  With us were Firstborn and LA, The Girl, Bubbie.  

I set the gifts out that morning.  There were many more by the time we had all gathered together.

I set the table in a very simple way.  Everything tasted wonderful and there were zero leftovers of that overnight mac and cheese.  It was to die for!  Next time I make it I will share the recipe.  We had Spiral sliced ham, Arkansas green beans, rolls, and loads of Christmas cookies, too.

We sat out by the firepit - it was quite chilly!

The Girl bundled up with Teddy to stay warm.

We enjoyed some dark beer and socializing.

Hubby was deep in convo here with The Girl.

We opened Secret Santa gifts after dinner and had a great time!

The next morning we gathered again, to open our main gifts and eat brunch before I headed off to work.   

Bubbie's friend, Delilah, joined us for a while.  We had a good time just hanging out together.  I had a crockpot going with Hamburger Soup and the house smelled so good.  It was hard to leave but my shift went by fast.

The next day we ordered pizza and celebrated Bubbie turning 22.  He and Delilah and Hubby watched a movie and I putseyed around.  It was a quiet end to two days of full-on family time. New Year's Day I worked again, and most of us were in bed early on NYE. And now we are in January and Christmas seems far away!

Gina

Slightly Less Empty Nest Menu #71

Something comforting to me during this strange time: a quilt my mother let me choose from her collection.  The name of it is "Peony" and it has this quirky Christmas wreath print on the back.  My mother says she labored over the quilting, which seems very detailed, and it is one of the last applique quilts she has made, due to the difficulty.  I love it and am wrapping myself in it nightly, just like a child would do.

Monday - Bruschetta Meatloaf, baked potatoes, fresh veggie*

Tuesday - Tilapia, fresh veggie, garlic toast

Wednesday - Pot of beans with smoked ham hock, corn muffins

Thursday - Sausage Hashbrown Casserole, fruit

Friday - Swedish Ham Balls, cabbage, black eyed peas, rolls, leftover birthday cake, bubbly {I leave for work at 2:30 p.m.}

Saturday - Crockpot Apricot Chicken over rice, fresh veggie

Sunday - Who knows.  Probably a leftovers smorgasbord.

*fresh veggies this week will be an assortment of kale, zucchini, bell peppers, carrots, green beans, brussels sprouts

Happy New Year!

Gina

Christmas 2020 treats

On Saturday, I bounded into the kitchen like a deranged elf and made Christmas treats.  My plan was to have been done with all of it by Monday and I was way ahead of the game.  Some of the treats didn't turn out quite as planned and I was feeling 2020ish about it, but then I put them all on a pretty plate and thought "I actually did GOOD".

The cookie tray is our traditional dessert for Christmas Eve , since we have a birthday cake for Bubbie on Christmas Day. I made 9 different treats for Christmas - some of them going into containers to give as gifts, others to place on this tray.

Notice the brown triangles in the middle of the container?  Those were supposed to be gingerbread cookies, but I ran out of Crisco and subbed butter, then I realized I did not have quite enough flour.  I forged on and made some very delicious ginger thins!  After I filled these containers I decorated them with stickers and To/From tags.

The above containers are for my peeps to take home with them!  All in all, a morning well-spent.  But before baking next year I will take stock of:

*what pantry baking supplies I need to replenish

*how much time I want to spend on my feet in the kitchen at any one time

*containers I need 

Have you done some Christmas baking?

Gina