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Tag Archives: Family
Life Of Two Best Friends: High School CHPT 34
CHAPTER 34
Monday again. Two days until finals. I know, I know, I skipped over way too much, give me a break. But there was really nothing to report. I guess I’ll recap the highlights. Thursday after returning to school after the burritos, I didn’t notice the so called ‘change‘ to Jenny. Sure, she was quiet and wouldn’t be around me, but as I had said, that is how she acted after the John incident. I wish the guys had not mentioned it; it really isn’t something to worry over. Still, I had hoped she would have been more confident after how she held herself in front of Jeremy, but maybe with time she would be confident once again.
Dad has been pretty much living in his recording studio; he has been in a tornado of inspiration; which I am happy for him. School is normal as usual; some days we learn, some days we are used to vent at about: the cruelties of teaching the youth. I explained to Coach what had happened to Jenny and my actions; Coach was not impressed that I almost started another incident, but he was impressed that I controlled myself and not hit the guy. Practices have been excellent. We have occasionally been training with Ken to work on his freestyle for the relay, but mostly it was been long distance recovery sets.
Oh, right I forgot to say, there have been no more morning practices. It has been so great to turn off my four-thirty alarms. Sleeping in has done wonders for my muscles. Finals is going to be sweet.
…
Today’s practice was again chill. We have done about twenty-four hundred yards for warm-up; though we would be doing a short sprint set soon. Coach was working with the lower lanes while Jenny and Brit were watching our lane and the two below us. Watching us swim is probably boring. We have broken all our bad habits because we have Coach usually staring us down if we make a mistake; so we now just swim and swim and swim. Lily was at the Bailey’s again; I’m guessing Coach has grown accustomed to having someone to watch his daughter.
Everything was going smoothly. After our last two hundred Jerry and I pulled ourselves up and onto the deck to cool off and enjoy the Gatorades Jenny had brought to share.
“How do you guys just keep swimming without stopping? It seems like it would get boring after a while,” Brit questioned as she threw Gatorades to Ken, Matthew, and the other two lanes.
“Slow days like today,” Michael, a swimmer in the lane next to us, said as he sipped the Gatorade, “make us appreciate these easy days as much as possible. They don’t come often, especially that lane,” thumbing toward us.
“Yep. I am soaking up the easy!” Jerry sighed and gulped the remainder of the gatorade.
Just as we were almost completely relaxed, “Well. I see you all are finished…what shall we do next?” Coach had walked over gripping his hands in a similar manner he does when we are about to die. The lower lanes were already getting out of the pool.
‘Lucky.’ “Okay,” I put the cap on the bottle and slip back into the pool. Jerry follows pursuit. “What is next?”
“These two lanes divide into your normal freestyle relays, and be one lane apart.” Coach waved them to other lanes.
‘What’s Coach up to?’ We stayed put.
“As you know…relays…but the catch is…” Coach smirked, “swimming backwards. George demonstrate.”
‘He knows Jerry is better at it than I am…’ “Okay.” Leaving the wall feet first and trying to attempt to look correct. Popping my head up Coach is laughing…actually laughing…I swam normal to the wall.
“That was almost as good as your backstroke swimming,” Coach sputtered between his deep belly laughs. “Be happy you don’t have to do that competitively.” Coach stopped finally, “Follow George’s example. Each person has four 50s each. Treat this as your cooldown. Let’s begin.”
Journey With Cookbooks #11
The chuck roast recipe…😎 and a surprise…!
As I said in #10’s post that it had to marinate for 24hrs.
So it’s not the most exciting process…and I also tweaked the recipe. The recipe called for using a barbecue to grill the meat in a foil container…I didn’t want to break the hubby’s grill while he was out so I made do with a crockpot. I looked up various crockpot chuck roast recipes and they all said similar: Low 8-10hrs. 😎
At this point we have about 3hrs to go…
Okay so at this point we have eaten lunch and I have been skimming through this new cookbook and come upon…churros…😳
Who can skip the churros recipe…
They might have looked strange but they were yummy!!
Okay back to the roast. It is almost ready!!
I didn’t realize the recipe was going to have me make a BBQ sauce, but I am happy it did. Costco has not been selling our favorite BBQ sauce, so we’ve been pretty limited.
Well I kind of followed it. When I was reading the ingredients my brain change cider to white. So I added 1/2 cup of white vinegar. I realized after I pour it in, and decided to try and ladle some out. I then added about 1/4 cup of cider vinegar. Nobody in my household will know! 😎
Hopefully I am making you hungry!!
I had to taste it at this point…Yum!
I know I always say be healthy but we do occasionally eat other veggies besides salad, I’ve just been too lazy.
So…this recipe is a must for anyone out there that loves meat and barbecue…A MUST!
Look Like Photo: Chuck Roast: Maybe an 8. Since I didn’t smoke/ grill the meat it didn’t take on as much color….I think. I’m not really sure; I’m still new at cooking big chunks of meat.
Churros: 0…it did not in the slightest look like the photo…😒
Taste: Chuck Roast: 10!!!!!!!!!!! I would say 100! But it is out of 10 so 10!!!!!!! The hubby would have had seconds but I said no.
Churros: I would give a 9! It tasted amazing but I think I will follow a different recipe. The dough seemed more like funnel cake batter…that probably would have worked better.
Easiness: 10! Because it was cooked in a crockpot it was super easy!! I think the churros were harder; giving churros a 7.
So overall I had another busy day! Hopefully this drive to cook continues…I love food! I have been exercising…I exercise to eat food!! Mwahahahaha! 😎
Husbands in the world…if you want some new varieties give your wife a cookbook. But make sure she knows you aren’t saying her food is awful. So maybe give her some flowers too!
Enjoy!
Growing up…
Friends fade.
While families grow.
You mature;
While others stay.
New meanings.
Bright beginnings;
While years drift into the shade.
As life continues,
Will I change?
A bit;
But not as much as some.
I had some inspiration, from talking to some old friends. I really am at a different stage of life, and it’s hard to make conversation with them now. I’ve always had trouble making conversations; me being an introvert, but it is harder now with non-moms… 😓
I never thought I would be the one to grow apart from friends….I thought I would be the one left behind.
I guess this poem is for all the non-moms out there. If you are drifting apart from your friend who can’t seem to make conversation, unless it revolves around baby or husband… just know they are trying. It is difficult to remember small details from before kids or marriage.
4-17-21
Journey With Cookbooks #10
So I lied when I said I would be starting the other Ree Drummond cookbook. I needed to find a recipe for 4lbs of chuck roast…so I dove into this one instead!!
However this blog post is not about the chuck roast. It had to marinate for 24hrs, so I decided to make chicken nuggets from the same cookbook.
You should know. After getting the chuck roast ready I decided upon a crazy idea…I have been in the kitchen since 11:45am…it is currently 4:40pm. I cleaned the refrigerator…
I thought I would have a break to sit down after my madness of cleaning…nope. Dinner here I come!
I forgot I needed to defrost the chicken; so that I could put it in the brine concoction. It had to sit in the fridge for 30min….
It was actually an easy process. I was quite surprised how easy. It was a nice change for starting a new cookbook.
When the recipe tells you to cut even pieces it’s actually for a reason. Because then the piece cook the same amount of time. I had to cook the big pieces together, and cook them a little longer.
Since I was using a pot and not a dutch oven I had to do a few more rounds. Try four more rounds…
Keeping it healthy…we had a salad!
Again this recipe does not seem so exciting but it actually was! I fried chicken and it came out done and still moist…I have become a master at frying…at least in my household!
The hubby and Elizabeth both said yum yum when I served them.
The fries, sadly, did not survive to this dinner, they were hard and were kind of chewy, but Elizabeth still ate them all off her plate…😳
Look Like Photo: 10! I think because I did not use the vegetable oil it looks a bit different in color but overall…10!! 😎
Taste: Hubby 10! Elizabeth 10! Me 10! So delicious. Will definitely be making this again. And might use the temp, time, and breading for other various chicken recipes!!
Easiness: I give it a solid 9. One point off of perfect because I had to do several extra rounds. But the rounds were only 3-4min long. So we are talking an extra 12-16min. That’s why I give it a 9!!
My next cooking post will be about the chuck roast recipe!! It was delicious as well!!
Life As A Mama #36
The woes of toys…all parents understand…
The living room looks worse than it did last night….so we will be cleaning again! All parents understand the legos…Whoever invented them did not think about the pain caused when stepping on them. If they had…
When the older kid legos become a big thing in my house…we will have to have a designated area…
Enjoy your Thursday!! 😊
Journey With Cookbooks #9
This is sadly not a recipe post…
I have slowly discovered that not all days will be a new recipe day…sometimes you want an easy dinner that you know exactly how to make it and you are not panicking.
I’ve had those nights for the past two dinners. One night I made hamburgers; the other I made One Pot Beef Stroganoff. Both delicious!
I really do love this cookbook. Anyone who wants to mix up their Cooking, or husband who want a change…get her or yourself this cookbook!
Which I do think having dinner plans made ahead of time is a smart idea, but not when you are on a mission to discover new recipes. So I think I will keep this one around, but I’m going to start a new cookbook.
I already glanced through, and it looks delicious!
So hopefully by my next cooking post I will have a recipe planned. But this post is for all the moms…exploring is good, but don’t burn yourself out at the beginning. Do your everyday recipes when you get tired. Keep cooking as a fun thing to do not a hassle.
Have a happy Wednesday. It is currently 28 degrees….this is a normal Spring…🙄 I do miss actually Spring…
Journey With Cookbooks #8
Another recipe!! Today is called Ranch-Style Chicken. From the Frontier Cookbook.
I actually looked through the recipe and decided to cut it in half. It calls for 6 chicken breast and will serve 12…so 3 chicken breast serving 6 is better for a family of 2 and a bigger smidge.
The only difference for this recipe is I have a horseradish mustard instead of Dijon…should be interesting.
To begin!!
I was focusing on getting it done and in the fridge, that I totally forgot I was going to use this experience for my blog…see, this is what happens when I “read” the recipe…I forget other things…haha
Husbands…baby brain is a thing. If your wife is being really frustrating just remember part of our smartness goes to our children. Be happy for intelligent children. 😜
The hubby went to help a friend so I’m going to finish them off by broiling when he tells me he is coming back.
She always helps me when there are apples present.
We have leftover garlic mashed potatoes that the hubby will probably want with dinner. I’m not really a mashed potato type of person. Don’t get me wrong I LOVE potatoes, but not mashed. My older brother is that way too.
Let’s see the finished product…
Looks like picture: I would say 10. It looks pretty similar. Taste?
Taste: The hubby said…”give it an 8. It tasted delicious, just I was late getting go back and the bacon had been sitting too long in the cheese.” Personally, I think that’s an okay rating! I give it an 8 as well. It was good but nothing too exciting.
Easiness: the marinating part was the longest. So ignoring that, I would give easiness a 10. It was super simple. A good recipe for when I have baby brain.
This recipe was strange. It was easy, it tasted good, but I don’t know if I will make it often. We will have to see in the future.
Enjoy your Friday!!👋
Journey With Cookbooks #7
So last night I ventured into another recipe from the two cookbooks…still the Frontier Cookbook. We had some leftover guacamole that needed to be eaten…Beef and Bean Burritos!! We had all the ingredients and it seemed like it would be a very easy recipe.
Her enchilada sauce is medium…whereas mine is mild, so I added a can of diced green chilies that are medium. It works! 🥸 And the recipe called for refried beans…I’m not a big fan, but the hubby is; so I improvised by including black beans.
The recipe called for a whole medium onion…I had half a large onion in the fridge….I called it good. 😎
I love it when the entire stove is in use!! It makes it seem like I’m doing a billion things at once! 😎 I just wish it wouldn’t mean more dishes…
At this point I have turned on the heat for the beans. It shouldn’t be too long now…
So between these two pictures it was potty time for Elizabeth, so I hired the hubby to stir and add the enchilada sauce. He will be rehired in the future. 😎
Look, they are so little and cute!! 😍 I was eating celery as I was cooking. I got hungry and decided to eat something healthy while I waited.
It doesn’t look pretty but it was so yummy!!! It reminded me of a Paco’s burrito.
The rating shall begin…
Look Like Picture: 9! Hers just looked super pretty with the cilantro…but it was close!!
Taste: The hubby gives it a 9. He said I added too much enchilada sauce to the top, and that it made it a little soggy as he got to the end…but still he said it was yummy!! Elizabeth kind of cheated…she had a bean & cheese burrito…she liked that. Especially as she used it as a vessel to get the sour cream to her mouth.
Easiness: 10! Again like the Tortilla Soup or Sloppy Joe’s recipes it was super easy. Just slowly add and then finish it off with melting cheese via a microwave…
I might tweak this recipe the next time…but we shall see when that is, because…
We will be eating this for a while…
1 1/2 burrito was almost too much for me…We might be eating this for Easter…?? We will see 🧐
Enjoy your Friday!! ❤️
Journey With Cookbooks #6
Well I felt super ambitious the other night. I decided to make the Sloppy Joe’s recipe from the, The Frontier Cookbook. I already have a recipe that I’ve always used, my sister found it. But I decided to branch out and try a new one…I also decided to make those “fluffy rolls” again!
If you can’t tell I am taking this rematch seriously…😜
So it turns out…I killed the yeast last time. I thought my thermometer worked…nope. I had the water about 60 degrees too warm. We got a meat thermometer; I was able to use it for the water, it’s digital. 😎 Well must wait two hours…
Well my plan of making half went okay…except I forgot about cutting the garlic in half…at least my hubby and I like garlic.
Don’t kill the yeast, best advice ever!…and I have to admit I didn’t wait the full 2 hrs. It was more like 1.5 hrs. Just because I wanted the rolls to be done around the same time as the Sloppy Joe’s.
Yep that’s right. I decided to be ambitious…French fries it is…but not only that, I’m going to fry them!! I normally bake them in the oven, but since the oven is being used and now I find frying interesting, let’s try it!
So because my knowledge of frying is still small I looked up a fries recipe on google. It was Chef John’s French Fries. I only referenced the temp of the oil and how long. Just because I wanted them to be plain because we already have enough salt… but also I plan to eat them with lots of ketchup!
I cut the fries a little thicker than when I baked them, because I like my fries to be crunchy on the outside and fluffy on the inside!!
This is the same oil from when I did the Spicy Asian Wings. So there is a little bit of flavor added because of the oil. It smells delicious!!
And this time I tasted it…as I said normally I don’t taste as I go. But I had a little nibble and it was delicious!! 😎
I try and keep the dinners somewhat healthy. Maybe I should say, I try to have one healthy thing to make it seem like we are healthy…haha.
I will say it looks delicious, but it taste way better!!
The hubby and Elizabeth are already eating. I had to finish the fries so I ate my salad first. Maybe two sloppy Joe’s is too much for me, but I’ll just exercise extra tomorrow!! I’m going to enjoy my hard work!!
Well I guess I will be saying goodbye to two recipes I’ve used for forever. “So long, my baked fries and sloppy Joe recipe. You have been great through my journey of cooking but I’ve found my perfect match.” So long!
Well, let’s start the grading!
Look like picture: 10! Except for the bun it looks the same!!
Taste: I guess through this blog post I gave my input. Maybe I was especially hungry this time…But I would also give it a 10! Definitely trying again! The hubby said, “Mmmmmm,” and “I love the fries!” Elizabeth proceeded to copy her daddy. So they would give it a 10 as well!
Easiness: The sloppy Joe’s: 10! It was super easy. Pretty much just prepare and then let simmer. The rolls: 8! I think when I’m less rushed it might even make it to a 10. The fries: 8.5. The time it takes to fry, but still have the fries hot to eat was difficult. But worth it! Baking is easier in that way…you just put in the oven 20min and can still do other things. But since I’ve tasted these French fries…never again…
So all in all a fun and delicious dinner!! It was great that I was able to be ambitious and actually accomplished my goals. I’m getting more confident in my cooking. A big thank you to my hubby’s friend who gifted us the cookbooks!! Cooking has become fun again!!
