three on thursday

Thing one:  this is midterms/finals week.  I have been reading a LOT.  My wonky eye is driving me nuts.

Thing two:  I will go to sleep early (again) tonight.  I'm pooped.

Thing three:  I will make this over the weekend:

Italian Sausage Soup

Ingredients
8 ounces hot or sweet turkey Italian sausage
2 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 (14.5-ounce) can of diced tomatoes with basil, garlic, and oregano
1/2 cup uncooked small shell pasta
2 cups bagged baby spinach leaves
2 tablespoons grated fresh Parmesan or Romano cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

Preparation
Heat a large saucepan over medium heat. Remove casings from sausage. Add sausage to pan, and cook about 5 minutes or until browned, stirring to crumble. Drain; return to pan.
Add broth, tomatoes, and pasta to the pan, and boil over high heat. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes or until pasta is done. Remove from heat; stir in spinach until wilted. Sprinkle each serving with cheese and basil.

happy day 24 & 25

I forgot to post on Saturday the 24th, so I'll include it in today's since they're related: My oldest sister and I spent time together and went out to lunch in a neighboring town on Saturday.  Today we went farther away to another town to have their kolaches.  They are divine.  

I'm happy that my sister and I make time for each other.  We have a comfortable relationship after years of friction.  I know it makes my whole family happy, too.

August Happy Challenge 2024

 

happy day 18

Today I got up early-ish to take my bestie for breakfast at Northern Maine Kolache Co.  It's about a 45-minute drive to get there so we had plenty of time to gab.  

August Happy Challenge 2024

 

happy day 2

August Happy Challenge 2024

I am happy to have reconciled with my local sister.  We get together once or twice a week and message often.  Tonight we went to the town's First Friday Art Walk and saw some neat art, heard some sweet sax  music, and had ice cream for supper.

challenge day 11

 

Click here for the prompts!

 

April 11th:   Have you ever tried a food trend that looked amazing online but tasted...not so great?

YES! During the pandemic, there were several recipe trends on social media (I'm looking at you, TikTok) and one of them was a pasta and shrimp dish that had some creamy garlic sauce that was horrible. Everything came out gummy--the pasta AND the shrimp. Ewww! 😬

wordless wednesday

 

finished reading

A typical celebrity memoir is about glamorous tales.  This is about food!  Stanley relates stories of his upbringing that explain how food shaped his world, including the recipes.   His delightful anecdotes are filled with gatherings around a table.  And he uses meals as memories.  He openly discusses his battle with cancer and describes how his relationship with food has been forever altered.  His name-dropping is fun, I loved hearing about his celebrity network.  His audio narration makes it even better!

From the publisher:

From award-winning actor and food obsessive Stanley Tucci comes an intimate and charming memoir of life in and out of the kitchen.

Stanley Tucci grew up in an Italian American family that spent every night around the kitchen table. He shared the magic of those meals with us in The Tucci Cookbook and The Tucci Table, and now he takes us beyond the savory recipes and into the compelling stories behind them.​

Taste is a reflection on the intersection of food and life, filled with anecdotes about his growing up in Westchester, New York; preparing for and shooting the foodie films Big Night and Julie & Julia; falling in love over dinner; and teaming up with his wife to create meals for a multitude of children. Each morsel of this gastronomic journey through good times and bad, five-star meals and burned dishes, is as heartfelt and delicious as the last.

holiday spirit

I went to an actual, grown-up Christmas party tonight.  And I had a nice time.  Lots of laughter and storytelling.  A Yankee Swap gift exchange.  Delicious hors d'oeuvres.  People I hadn't met.

It was a very nice way to start vacation.

self-care sunday

 A day like today makes me happy to be alive:  sleeping in as long as I wanted to, not rushing to shower and dress, leisurely coffee run, a trip to the market for fresh veggies, a week's worth of chicken in the crock pot, washed dishes, texts and messages with my nieces and some friends.

I'm happy, I have small projects for the day, I'm prepping for the week ahead, and it's not snowing.

 

 

#31DaysofSelfLove

three on thursday

 

Thing one:

fresh manicure color is called Scorpio Seduction

Thing two: 

The only snowmen I like

Thing three: 

Thank you for your service

happy day 13

August 13:  I made Butterfinger ice cream with my Pampered Chef ice cream machine.

happy day 7 & 8

August 7:  I made a Dorito taco salad that was so delicious!

August 8:  I had a meeting for school today and stopped by my classroom--usually when I make my initial stop I am overwhelmed by the amount of work I need to do to get my room put together.  But this year it's manageable.  I didn't feel overwhelmed.  It felt good to be in my classroom.

happy day 4

August 4: I didn't feel like going out or doing anything today.  So I didn't.  I did get some dinner delivery.  That made me happy.

ten things tuesday

Ten kinds of cereal I like, in no particular order:

1) Bite-size frosted mini wheat.

2)  Honey Nut Cheerios.

3)  Life.

4)  Peanut Butter Cap'n Crunch.

5)  Puffins original.

6)  Raisin Bran.

7)  Rice Krispies.

8)  Frosted Flakes.

9)  Special K original.

10) Crispix.

three on thursday

 

Click here to join in

Thing one:  Newman's Own Thin Crust pizza is my favorite.

Thing two:  I forgot to take lunch to school today.

Thing three:  I have the munchies.  Probably because of Thing Two.

ten things tuesday

Ten food dishes I would not live without (in no particular order):

1) Potatoes.  The humble potato is my favorite.  Baked, mashed, boiled, fried, just about any way you can name.

2)  Chocolate cake with peanut butter frosting.

3)  Original Chex Mix.

4)  Pizza.  Lately, it's been Newman's Own thin and crispy supreme.  Or harvest vegetable.

5)  Ritz crackers.

6)  Oreo thins.

7)  Honeycrisp apples.  

8)  Fresh pineapple.  I'm so glad I got a Pampered Chef pineapple wedge.

9)  Noodles with butter and Parmesan cheese.  Talk about comfort food.  I especially like angel hair or spaghetti this way.

10)  Oatmeal.  Especially when I don't want to cook dinner.

october 15

Day 15: Round up your favorite pumpkin recipes.

I haven't made the coffee cake in a long time but it was super popular whenever I took it to school.

Sour Cream Pumpkin Coffee Cake

1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 eggs
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup sour cream
1 3/4 cup (16-ounce can) solid pack pumpkin
1 slightly beaten egg
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
Streusel

Cream butter, 3/4 cup sugar, and vanilla in mixing bowl. Add 3 eggs, beating well. Combine flour, baking powder and baking soda. Add dry ingredients to butter mixture alternately with sour cream.

Combine pumpkin, beaten egg, 1/3 cup sugar and pie spice. Spoon half of batter into 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking dish, spread to corners. Sprinkle half of the Streusel over batter. Spread pumpkin mixture over Streusel. Carefully spread remaining batter over pumpkin mixture. Spread remaining Streusel over top. Bake at 325 degrees F for 50 to 60 minutes or until a wooden pick comes out clean.

Makes 12 servings.

Streusel
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/3 cup butter
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 cup chopped nuts

Combine brown sugar, butter and cinnamon until blended. Stir in chopped nuts.

Soft Pumpkin Chip Cookies

1 cup pumpkin puree

1 cup granulated sugar

 ½ cup oil (canola or vegetable)

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 large egg

2 cup flour

2 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon cinnamon

 ½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon milk

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 cup chopped walnuts (optional but highly recommended)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or lightly grease them.  Combine pumpkin, sugar, oil, vanilla, and egg.  Mix until well combined.  In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.  In a small bowl, dissolve the baking soda with the milk.  Add the dry flour mixture and the wet baking soda mixture to the pumpkin mixture and mix well.  Add the chocolate chips and nuts and stir until evenly combined.  Drop mounds (1½ tablespoons) of the dough on the prepared sheets.  Bake for 10 to 12 minutes.  Allow the cookies to cool slightly before removing them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Find the prompts here!

october 1

Day 1: Share your best soup recipe.  This is a family favorite!

Taco soup:

1 lb ground beef

1 chopped onion

1 package of taco seasoning

1 jar salsa

1 cup of water

1 can of rinsed and drained chickpeas

1 can of rinsed and drained black beans

1 can of tomato sauce

1 can of stewed tomatoes with chilis

Serve with shredded cheese, a dollop of sour cream, and tortilla chips.

Find the prompts here!

 

happy day 24

 

August 24: I am enjoying a Dunkin' Blood Orange refresher.  A new fall flavor.  Delish!

happy day 1

 

August 1: I had a delicious summery meal: freshly baked bread (from a local bakery) with fresh tomatoes and a dash of seasoning.  YUM!