Good morning everyone. Ready for the new week? It's a bit chilly this morning, but can't complain about the weather temperature wise. It's been a pretty warm beginning to the new year. Friday and Saturday were wet, yes, but not torrential rains. Just that annoying misty rain that doesn't go away.
Had a busy weekend. On Saturday I went to put money on my metrocard, put cash in the bank to cover my bills, and do a bit of shopping. I needed the ingredients for my pernil soup.
Hubby had bought such a huge pernil, and I just hate to throw any away so two meals are in the freezer and we had the soup on Saturday. I have to make another to take to my Goddaughter's house...when everyone is finally well.
Speaking of cash. That's one of my goals this year. Pay off or pay down credit cards and stop buying so much. Online shopping has become quite addictive to me, and I can easily spiral out of control. Time to rein things in. I spend a lot on books so I enrolled in a 3 month trial of Kindle Unlimited for 99 cent a month. After that it's $9.99 a month. It's working out well, too. I can read as many books a month that I want.
Also made a pot of American goulash for this week. Had the sauce already made and in the freezer. Had to make some room.
I was busy, busy, busy in the kitchen. I felt like having something Mexican and found a great recipe for Black Bean Chelaquili. Of course, changed a few things around to make it mine....and so glad I did. It was a delicious meatless meal. Served it with a Greek Salad. Go figure.
Dinner last night for me. So yummy. Made with corn tortillas, black beans
made with salsa, cumin, onion powder, garlic powder, and chili powder,
and topped with Mexican 4 cheeses. Served with avocado and tomato
cucumber salad.
Had a bit of a scare yesterday. Woke up and found my balance was all off. Was staggering and holding onto the walls just to make it to the bathroom. As the day wore on it got better, and this morning it is gone. Seems to have been coming from the ear I have some hearing loss in. Must have had a fluid buildup.
Have a wonderful day.
The theme of December's Inked Goddess box is Shadow Working. So appropriate for this time of the year when utilize the longer nights as a time for self-reflection.
Each year at this time, when the chaos of preparing for the holidays subsides I make plans to spend my evenings shadow working, but just never seem able to get into it. This box offers all I need to keep myself motivated.
Shadow Working Envelope Spell Kit. Herbs, parchment, and directions to perform your own cleansing and banishing spell work.
Shadow Working Eclectic Witch Card Deck Expansion--Shadow Work, Snowflake Obsidian, and Journaling.
Snowflake Obsidian and Onyx Bracelet. Helps comfort, ground, and protect you during shadow work.
Shadow Votive Candle. Amber, Patchouli, and Ylang Ylang.
Altar Card.
Stickers for journal.
Metal Match Box with Shadow Working Matches. To light the way.
Beautiful Phoenix Journal. The phoenix reminds us that we, too, can rise from the ashes. It is really gorgeous.
And I bought this book to work with.
January's box will be Legendary Creatures of Myth. Should be interesting.
Good Friday morning everyone. Funny how this has been such a busy week, but this seems like any normal Friday. It's warm and drizzling out this morning. I am thankful it is not snow.
I went to the center on Monday and Tuesday. I hadn't been there the week before, and it was good to be back among my friends. Loneliness was getting to me. We all brought goodies left over from Christmas, and I am happy to say that I had only TWO cookies and NO candy. Getting sick last week made me realize how badly I needed to get back on track because not only did I come down with a tummy flu, but I had not been admitting to myself that my crappy diet was stirring up my IBS which has been in remission for years.
A very special friend gave me this gift. It means the world to me.
Been making simple dinners for myself.
Chicken broccoli stir fry. Simple. Very simple. Three ingredients--broccoli, chicken, and teriyaki. On days I go to the center I eat half the food there and bring the other half home for dinner.
There is an organization called "Bay Ridge Rocks". They go around the neighborhood painting large rocks. They gifted all of us at the center with a hand painted rock for the holidays. This is the one that I chose.
New Year's Day dinner consisted the the pernil I was too sick to cook on Christmas.
It was so good. Had it with arroz gondulas, carrots and string beans. Had the leftovers last night. Put some in the freezer for a future meal and put some aside for soup. I make it just like I make my turkey soup. Lots of veggies and seasonings. Can't wait.
Have a wonderful weekend.
Hi all. Thanks for bearing with me during my break. Everything was just catching up to me all at once. Still have issues, but working on them. Learning to deal better with my pain. In all honesty, I was really beginning to worry that I was going to lose my mobility, but that was just my over-active mind working. Even if I do, it will be a good long while.
As usual, our Christmas plans went awry, and we have yet to celebrate our big family Christmas nor my Christmas with my Goddaughter....but I get ahead of myself. Christmas Eve was wonderful. My two youngest, who live in New York, met me at church for Christmas Mass.
Afterwards, we headed to the house for a feast.
Shrimp sauteed in butter and garlic for hubby.
Two huge pans of lasagna.
Meatballs, sausage, and ribs. Yummy.
We also had buffalo wings, chips and dip, candy, cookies, jelly donuts (in honor of my Jewish ancestors), and Christmas cupcakes.
All in all, it was a wonderful evening....despite the fact that my Goddaughter decided to invite us to spend Christmas Eve there.....at the last minute....and then got mad at us when we said we couldn't do it. Now, I WOULD have invited them here, but my place is small, I have lots of breakables, and she has the most unmanageable kids in the city. I've mentioned them before. The littlest runs around non-stop throwing things at you and calling you a bitch, the 7 year old has been put out of two schools, and after school program, and told she can no longer attend the Fresh Air Fund. The teen age girl is a young prostitute. The only good one is the boy who does well in school and plans on leaving home as soon as he graduates. The problem is my Goddaughter DOES NOT discipline. And says it is all someone else's fault. Just can't understand why they are not wanted anyplace.
I woke up Christmas morning sicker than I have been in over 50 years. Stomach flu. The pernil went into freezer for another day, and I went right back to bed where I spent the entire day. We were supposed to go to New Jersey on the 28 for Christmas there, but the day before my granddaughter found herself nursing 3 sick children. One was vomiting, the other had a croup like cough, and the third a fever and ear infection so that was out. Then we planned on New Year's Day over there, but my daughter and my son are both sick. So, like last year, Christmas waits on us.
Whew!!! That was a lot.
Just put my pernil in the oven. It will only be hubby and I. A quiet day.
May you all have a wonderful New Year.
I thought I could keep up here during the holiday season, but, alas, it hasn't worked out. So I'll be taking a short leave until after the holidays. And when I get back, I'm sure I will have a lot to tell. Have an awesome holiday. See you in January.
Good morning. Finally got out of the house yesterday and went to the center. Wasn't so icy out there, but it was cold and windy. Was good seeing my friends again.
Had my turkey soup last night. Tasted so good on such a cold, windy evening. Have a couple of containers in the freezer, and once that's gone, it will be until November 2020 that I make it again.
I put everything in my soup--turkey, rest of the gravy, red and green peppers, onions, carrots, parsnips, turnips, potatoes, string beans, celery, parsley, thyme, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and sodium free broth. Simmers for hours. I put a couple slices of avocado in when serving. So yummy.
It was so windy that this is what I found when I looked out the window in the morning.
I can't believe I'm still shopping for Christmas. Thought I was done, then realized I had forgotten my nephew. I also needed to order more bars of homemade soaps. I am giving a gift bag of a candle, a homemade soap, and something I made to workers and close friends at the center. Others are getting either a bar of homemade soap or something I made. The men are getting a bar a men's homemade soap and some Peppermint Bark candy.
Have a wonderful day.
Good Monday morning all. Been so busy with cooking, shopping, and cooking. Haven't had time to keep up here. Did my last minute shopping (forgotten things) on Tuesday and took off Wednesday to begin the cooking. The turkey hubby bought wasn't as large this year but with all the other items I made we had plenty to eat, to send home with the boys, have a leftover dinner, and make my famous turkey soup.
I made turkey and gravy, stuffing, turnips, mashed potatoes, broccoli in garlic and oil, sauteed green beans, gondulas and rice, creamed onions, baked sweet potatoes, orecchiette with white beans and spinach, and seasoned corn.
Hubby, me, Anthony, Jerry, and Tahnee.
Jerry, hubby, me, and Anthony.
It's the first Thanksgiving in 3 years that Anthony has been with us. He was living out in California. I really enjoyed it. Wish the entire family could have been together, but my daughter and her hubby are in the process of moving, and since they both work, they needed this day to do some work on their new place. Still, it would have been nice because I am not sure I can do this next year.
I will be 73
years old in March. I have cooked a huge Thanksgiving dinner since I
was 20 years old. I love it. My kids have special foods I make for them
each year. But I fear that the way things are going this might be my
last year of being able to do this. I
came home in tears the other day after going out there shopping. My
body is in so much pain. Osteoarthritis has touched every part of it. I
think one of the hardest things about growing older is being unable to
continue doing the things we love.
The weather is kind of icky out there this morning, and I decided not to go to the center. I will miss seeing my friends, for sure. It's been since last Tuesday, but I'd rather be safe than sorry.
