Monday Musings

 Monday Musings:

--Think about it.

--Talk about it.

--Plan for it.

--Do it.

Over or Under

In light of my most recent post I have decided I need more veggies in my life but I "loathe" buying a boatload of veggies when so often we don't eat them fast enough (and they spoil) and/or don't eat them at all. Such a waste either way.

My daughter loves salad so I try to incorporate a green salad with tomatoes, cucumbers, and croutons in a lot of our dinners. Ohh and these yummy Salad Toppers. These literally make the salad for me; just sayin.  Problem is that we then drench it in Ranch.  Not really (lol but still probably use too much). I am trying to create a new habit of dipping my salad in the ranch rather than pouring the ranch on the salad. It makes a difference of how much I use, for sure. I learned this little trick years back when I was part of Weight Watchers. Do they still recommend that trick?

Now I just need to convince my son to eat more vegetables. He literally will only eat snap peas and cucumbers. Cucumbers are super yummy though especially fresh from the garden or farmers market. Not that I have had either recently (my failure at my garden this past spring/summer is a whole other post).  And farmers markets these days are closed due to either Covid or the cold weather that is now settling in. Ughh.

Cucumbers. They really do pack a punch. They are full of water (in case you are thirsty) and loads of vitamins (Vitamin B1, B2, B3, B5 and B6, Folic Acid, Vitamin C, Iron, Calcium, Zinc, Magnesium, Phosphorus and Potassium). Some say they are over rated, I personally think they deserve more credit. 

You can also use cucumbers to cool sunburns. I may need this, this next week for where I am headed.  I will share that on another blog post.  You can place on your eyes to reduce puffiness. I can go on...but I won't. You get it. 

Cucumbers are amazing! 

Just make sure you peel them. I use a peeler that is similar to the OXO Good Grip Swivel Peeler.  Check it out on Amazon. Super affordable and just in time for peeling potatoes for those famous mashed potatoes for your holiday gatherings. (I must confess there are some recent years where I use instant potatoes. I don't have time for that. The peeling. The boiling. The mashing...Sorry, just keeping it real.)

Did you know: That the "cool as a cucumber" came about because there is sometimes a  20° temperature difference between the inside of a cucumber and the actual temperature outside.

What do you think?  Cucumbers. Over rated or under rated?

What is your favorite vegetable?  

You might also like this post: Confessions of a Non Superwoman # 31.

Source: Fact Site

This is not a paid endorsement however if you purchase the item from my link I will receive a small commission. 

It's No Wonder

The Covid 19  quarantine weight gain, it is the REAL deal. But in my case probably double that...seriously. Let's call it what is is..Covid 40.  It sucks. And it isn't necessarily the food I am eating but rather lack of much exercise.

Ok, so it might have a little bit to do with "some" of the food I eat because I really like to cook and I am one of those that actually like to eat the food I cook. 

It is kind of funny when my daughter got engaged last Christmas (2019), we all jumped on the "we need to lose weight for the wedding" bandwagon and then Feb-Mar came with the shut down of the whole universe. And well, needless to say, we never climbed back on that wagon. 

But this....this is part of the reason why. 

Chicken Stuffing Casserole

Ingredients

2lbs of Chicken Tenderloin (or you can use left over chicken, Rotisserie Chicken from your local store deli, it's up to you how much time you want to spend on dinner)

2 boxes (total 12 ozs)  of stuffing (preseasoned) or you can make your own

2 cans of Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup

16 oz Frozen Mixed Vegetables (I prefer the ones you can steam really quick)

1/2 Cup Sour Cream

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

1. If using uncooked chicken (like I did), fire up a pan, add some olive oil and cook chicken. Once cooked, dice or shred into smaller pieces. Set aside. (if using left over cooked chicken or Rotisserie Chicken then shred or dice up, no need to cook separate) 

2. (While the chicken is cooking) Pour your stuffing into a large bowl and add hot water; mix. Let it sit to absorb the water.  I added about 1/2 cup hot water per 6 oz box (not as much water as the directions state since you are not fully cooking it and you don't want the stuffing to be soggy). 

3. Steam vegetables as instructed on bag. Set aside.

4. In a 10 x 13 casserole dish pour in the 2 cans of condensed soup (no water), add in the 1/2 cup sour cream, add some salt and pepper. Mix. Now pour the steamed vegetables in (if in water; drain). Add the diced or shredded chicken. Mix until both the chicken and vegetables are smothered with the soup/sour cream mixture.

5. Spread the moist stuffing on top of the chicken/vegetables. (I use a spatula or fork to pack the stuffing on top so it also can absorb some of the soup/sour cream mixture while it cooks).

6. Cook in oven on 350 degrees for 20-30 mins until the top layer of the stuffing is golden brown and crispy. You should see the chicken/soup underneath the stuffing bubbling.

And so this is my problem. It is no wonder. 

Enjoy! 

This I Know For Sure

My mom. May she rest in peace. 

Growing up I didn't spend a whole lot of time with my mom for various reasons (that I will probably share in another blog post down the road). But when I did, there were definite things that I hold on to, to this day...some are heavy while others are light hearted.

Heavy

Don't rely on anyone, especially a man, for your financial well being. Make your own money. 

Light

If you can't beat them, join them. (It was always in an odd context that she would use this)

Heavy

Never trust someone who says "trust me" or who opens a sentence with "to be honest"...That has always been a no brainer.

Light

Moisturize. Moisturize. Moisturize.  LOL

In all seriousness, trust me, (lol). Do that last one for sure!  My daughter always gets compliments on her great looking skin. And for sure genetics has something to do with mine and my daughters skin BUT I took this to heart and have washed my face and moisturized DAILY for as long as I can remember. 

It makes such a world of difference. And for the longest time I would use the "expensive" stuff from the local department store. Think Clinique or Estee Lauder from Macy's...paying an arm and a leg or two for a super small bottle of moisturizer.... 

UNTIL a few years ago when one of my more experienced friends shared her secret of her soft, smooth, minimally, wrinkled skin. Wanna know the secret?

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Something so simple and not very expensive AT ALL. You can buy it here on Amazon, Walgreens, Target, Walmart...and you don't have to use much so it lasts a long time. But use it daily after you shower or washing your face**. I am in the upper half of my 40s and I still get carded at times and people think I am my oldest daughter's sister. 

Gotta love that!

**There are several types of Cerave lotion specific for your face or other body parts. They are also labeled with different skin types so please read the labels to choose the one that best fits your skin type. 

You might also like this post. The "G" word.

This is not a paid endorsement however if you purchase the item from my link I will receive a small commission. 

The Closest I Get

 What day is it anyways?

Between distant learning. Trying to keep up with the household stuff, not actually working thankfully....(I was able to take a leave of absence while kids are at home)...I am not sure how I did it before...or how I will do it again once I have to go back to work (especially if kids are still not in school).  I almost feel like I am on maternity leave with the absence of crying babies and poopy diapers...but time, it just blurs together and gets away from me to the point of, shower? What's that?  Clean clothes everyday, sooo overrated.  Self-care is pretty much non existent at this point. 

The closest I get to a facial these days is when I open up the dishwasher while it is still steam drying the dishes. 

Or when I am draining the mac n cheese in the strainer. Ahh, bliss.

What was the last self care thing that you did for yourself? Do you find it hard to do?  Here is an article of why self care is so important but so hard to practice.

When and How It All Began

 My very first post to this blog was Wednesday October 27th, 2010!

This blog is 10 years old!  Happy Blogiversary to me! I can hardly believe it. Can you? And you may notice a few minor changes...what do you think? 

I know I have been a bit absent the last couple years for various reasons but my goal is to start blogging again "consistently".  This blog, is pretty much the only thing that is my "own" and I really need an outlet to just be, to write about whatever, whenever, to debrief, to laugh about, to cry (commiserate) and celebrate all of life's imperfections (or indiscretions) because LORD knows there are tons.  I know blogging might be a bit passe now in 2020 but I'm still going to do it. I hope you continue to stop by every now and then. And drop a comment or two.

How the whole idea of this blog came to be in case you want a refresher:

Women's Retreat

I recently returned from a Women's Only weekend retreat in Lincoln City.   As much as I struggled with the "mommy" guilt leading up to the weekend I am glad I went... It was definitely food for my soul and I didn't realize how much I needed it until I was there! 

But man did I feel guilty right up until I got into my friends car to leave...I mean I was leaving the children (18yr,12yr,3yr & 5 months) behind for my (capable) husband to care for, for a whole weekend.  So many things crossed my mind leading up to the "big" event... How would he be able to do it without me?  Would they have three square meals while I was gone? Would they get baths?  What about clean clothes?  Don't even get me going on, "What if he forgets to change K's diaper? (often enough)"

In the end, the house didn't burn down, the kids ate, their clothes were dirty but I am sure that was because it was 6:30 pm on Sunday when I returned (ohhhh yes, we milked the weekend right up until dusk).  Heck the kids, they barely even noticed I was gone; husband on the other hand....I think he might have a better appreciation for how much "I" (woman in general do EVERYDAY)....Now the house looked like a tornado hit it (that would be Hayden)...but I learned something from the retreat that I put to use the second I walked through the door....IT'S OK IF THE HOUSE IS A MESS (sometimes).  Life is too short to cry over spilled milk (the cat will lick it up anyways).  It is now time to sit back, relax and spend some time with my husband and kids.  They missed me!  They truly missed me....(maybe just a little bit).

In closing, one of the "wiser" woman at the retreat  said it best, "Womans Lib, sure wasn't liberating, now was it? Now we are not only expected to work in the home but also outside the home."    So often we find that we try and be everything to everyone at all times and we often fail miserably...at something.  I mean really can we be good---perfect at everything?  Can women *now* truly have it all?

What do you think?

You might also like all of my confessional posts. 

Rock The Vote?

 Is that even a thing anymore?

Back in my day, it was huge!  I remember back in 1992, all the music groups and actors trying to get all of us youngn's registered to vote (and of course actually getting to the polls to cast our vote). 

On a side note: Polls, I haven't been to those in ages since I live in Oregon where we have been able to vote by mail, long before Covid. (Sorry got sidetracked).

Madonna, LL Cool J, Michael Jackson and heck even Dee-lite, remember them? They were all over the airwaves telling us what to do!

But alas, I had just turned 17 so it would be another long 4 years before I could vote but you bet your bottom dollar that I registered the second I could because you know Marky Mark said to.

And now how many years later, I have voted EVERY.SINGLE election because it's a civic responsibility that I take very seriously.  The main reason why I choose to vote is because it allows me to participate in choosing who represents me and my beliefs.  It gives me a voice! The problem though is not everyone thinks the way I do.  I see it in some of my friends, family...Some have the mentality that their vote doesn't matter, it's just ONE vote.  BUT it does (even more so on a local state/community level).  If to many people have that same train of thought, then it is just not the ONE vote but who knows how many other votes. Think about that. 

The one thing I ask though is do your research, ask questions, watch the debates, make sure whatever you are voting for (local measures) or whoever you are voting for (President, City Counsel, etc) that you are making an educated decision. 

Here is a great article that I ran across about Why Voting Is Important.

Now what are you waiting for?  V-O-T-E! 

 

{Recipes} Taco Casserole

Anything that resembles a taco or burrito is always a big hit at our dinner table.  I made this partially on the stove and then put it in the oven to finish up. This can be made completely on the stove as a "One Pot Wonder". 

Ingredients

3 lb ground beef (I bought mine at Kroger this week on sale for $7.47; that's $2.49/lb!)

 15 oz can of Black Beans (.69 @ Winco; had from previous shopping trip)

2 Roma Tomatoes, diced. (.88/lb)

4 oz Preshredded Lettuce ($1.69 for 8oz bag; I only used about 1/2 of the bag)

4.5 oz Kroger Sliced Olives ($1.50 for 2.25 oz; $3.00)

8 oz Nacho and Taco Blend Shredded Cheese ($2.69)

Directions

1) Turn oven on to preheat to 400 degrees.

2) Brown hamburger on stove in a large skillet, drain.

3) Add Taco/Fajita or Burrito Seasoning* of choice and 15 oz can of Black Beans into skillet with hamburger. Continue to heat up for approximately 3-5 minutes.

4) While hamburger is browning, dice up the 2 tomatoes, set aside.

5) Once the hamburger, beans and seasoning is ready, pour into a 13x9 casserole dish.

6) Spread layer of cheese on top of hamburger.

7) Cook in oven for approximate 5 minutes to allow the cheese to fully melt.

8) Remove from oven, spread a layer of lettuce on top of cheese, spread layer of diced tomotoes and olives on top of lettuce. Add another layer of cheese, if you really like cheese like us. 

9) Cook in oven for another 5 minutes.

10) Remove from oven and serve! 

Add a dollop of sour cream* and/or roll into a tortilla ($2.69)

Total Dinner Cost: $18.26 (includes tortillas even though we only used 2). 

Serves 8. 

$2.28 per serving. (We have tons of left over so I will be using this for lunch tomorrow)

*I did not include cost of seasoning or sour cream in total dinner cost since I have a large containers of both on hand and did not purchase specifically for this dinner.

Going To The Chapel...

Going to the chapel and were going to get married. Nope, not me.  My oldest daughter!

After 15 years of dating they "finally" married in a rustic barn on October 10th. And her vision of a rustic wedding was "on point."

Even though we had to improvise a tad bit due to weather (it had been raining quite a bit prior to the wedding so we had to move their outdoor, on the grass next to the lake wedding under an awning next to the barn)....but it all worked out beautifully. And for several hours before and after the wedding it did not rain! We even saw a rainbow! And fireworks! 

First Look

Lighting the Unity Candle

Husband & Wife

The Lake

The groom was handsome. The bride was beautiful and now to begin the next chapter of their lives (which hopefully means a few grand babies for me).

I wish these two so much love and happiness in their life together.

Coming Soon!

What a whirlwind of a weekend! My oldest daughter got married this past Saturday!

Now to shift my focus....BIG changes coming soon to the blog! My 10 year blogiversary is coming up! Can you believe it?

I hope you stick around and come visit again to see the rebranded site!

Confessions of A Non-Superwoman #31

 It's been a hot minute...not that I have not had anything to confess because boy have I!  

1. I have been so inconsistent in writing on this blog, it is not even funny.  Funny thing, is there still seems to be a bit of traffic, not sure how but ok. Keep a look out for some upcoming changes here. 

2. My dishes have literally sat in the sink since Sunday night.  In my defense (since for some reason I feel like I need to defend myself), we started distant learning this week, my son is camped out on our kitchen bar so time in the kitchen while he is zooming, to distracting. And then to clean the kitchen later in the afternoon/evening, what?  I'm tired! LOL. So they have sat for a few days.                                  

NOT.THE.END.OF.THE.WORLD. NOBODY.DIED.

3. AND distant learning.  We are only 4 days in but if I am overwhelmed, even though I am only still supervising at the moment (no major assignments assigned just yet)..I can only imagine how the kids are feeling being stuck on these zoom calls, 3-4x a day.  One thing for certain, I *loathe* zoom calls. Did you get a chance to see this "The Different Types of Students On Zoom" from a few months ago? Which one is your child?

How are you holding up?  Any confessionals? Remember you are safe here!  We are all imperfect and in this together. 

Menu Plan Monday Sept 21, 2020

Wow, it has been just a minute since I have done one of these posts.  Like years....not to say that I am not meal planning because I am just not posting it here on this little ol' blog or linking it to Laura over at  I'm An Organizing Junkie. So without further delay...

Monday

Taco Casserole

Tuesday

Grilled Cheese Sammich & Tomatoe Soup (I am going to use a few different types of cheese to make it extra cheesy)

Wednesday

Crockpot Chili (w/cheese and sour cream)

Thursday

Stuffed Green Peppers and Corn on The Cob

Friday

Orange Chicken & Rice

**Orange sauce made with BBQ Sauce, Orange Marmalade Jelly & Soy Sauce.

Saturday

TBA-Going out to dinner for my oldest daughter's Bachlorette Party! 

What is on your menu for this week?  Need some more inspiration?  

Monday Musings 9/21/2020

 Monday Musings:

--The future depends on what you do TODAY.

--You have 86,400 seconds today to create opportunity.

--Seize the day!

20 Days But Who Is Counting?

 20 days!  Holy moly!  

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I can't believe that in 20 days my oldest daughter will become a wife?  How is that even possible since I am only 25?  LOL.

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In this time of Covid and limited stores being consistently open, inventory being scarce, etc...I never thought I would say this but thank goodness for Amazon and (mainly) all their amazing affiliates/sellers....without them this wedding may not be possible. 

I have probably single handedly kept many of them in business, for sure. And I still have 20 days to go so who knows what else I will be buying with my Amazon Prime to make sure it gets here on time.  

Here is my latest find. I searched all over for something "blue" and this is perfect! 

This will be easy to clip into her dress, close to her heart and hopefully will be a treasured keepsake for years to come.

What was your "blue" item when you or your children married?

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