I feel the motivation

creeping back. Maybe January is my primer button... hopefully. 

So, I mentioned the cutting back on eating out and making more meals at home. We'd started talking about that last year, and we really started acting on it at the end of November. I think it all started when I bought an extra turkey so we could have sandwiches. Trying to keep it going, I decided to try a recipe for a meal that I've always hated.

Chicken pot pie. I've never liked them, but they kept coming up in conversations. Then a video for recipe popped up. It was this one HERE. Guess what. I'm totally a fan now. Well, I'm a fan of these chicken pot pies. I'll definitely make these again.

I was immediately inspired to start cooking more. Right after that was Dad's birthday, and he requested biscuits with sausage gravy for breakfast. I tried a recipe for 7Up biscuits. They were awesome.

I was on a roll so I decided I needed a new dutch oven for Christmas. I picked out this Le Creuset and it's so pretty.

I knew the first dish I would make would be coq au vin because it's been a while since I've made it.

Next up was a copycat recipe, ish. I wanted the mushroom sauce from La Madeleine. I went ahead and pan fried chicken breasts to go with it.

I forgot that I was trying to get into the habit of taking pictures of things I'm making (to help with the motivation) and it was almost gone by the time I remembered. oops.

I stepped aside and let Cosme make something that he'd been wanting, and it was something that I'd never had. He made butter chicken and we all liked it.

Next up was something I'd been seeing on Pinterest and it didn't go over so well. I made orzo with roasted vegetables. I thought it was decent.

I went into the next one from Pinterest and wasn't expecting much after the orzo, but it was surprisingly good. Let me clarify. I hoped it would be good. Once I started mixing and sampling, I had doubts. It called for roasting strawberries and rustic bread. I had a loaf of brioche and a loaf of sourdough. I decided to sample each. I tried whipping the ricotta with honey as instructed, but it wasn't enough and I pulled the powdered sugar out. That did it. The brioche tasted better, but the sourdough's texture worked better. I'd probably stick with the brioche. I also learned that I'm not a fan of roasted strawberries. I will keep them plain and sweetened next time.

First with sourdough,

and next with brioche.

Anyway, since I feel the motivation coming back, I figured I'd post all of this to help keep me on track.

Now I've got to get a grocery order placed because I'm planning on red beans and rice today or tomorrow.

I tried a new

 recipe and I think it might be Mediterranean Diet friendly. If it isn't, it's still a healthier version. It's THIS spinach dip recipe.

I wasn't sure how I'd feel since I'm not a fan of Greek yogurt, but it's a winner for me.

No, I know the Fritos in the back aren't Mediterranean Diet friendly, but I needed something tried and true for an accurate taste test.

I made the dip because I'd planned on having it for Cosme's tennis tournament that was postponed due to a case of the crud. I needed to use everything before it went bad. Now I have plenty of vegetables for snacking. I also made all the kabobs from the tournament menu. While I was out at the grill, I noticed a plant coming through the landscaping rocks. I had a feeling a knew what it was, so I searched for an ID and I was right.

I don't know how a tomato plant would end up growing right there.  It looks like I'm also growing a straw wrapper from a juice box. 

That's it for now. I just had to share that healthier recipe.

I'm not 100%

in the Mediterranean Diet groove yet. You know what's better than nothing? Baby steps. I wouldn't even say I'm taking baby steps. Let's go with preteen steps. For example, several times I've had a snack of nuts, grapes, and a little cheese. I've been making more choices like that. Today's lunch was along those lines. 

I made chicken salad yesterday and since all the bread was white, I used some new crackers I found. Beet and seed. 

Are they better for me than white bread or white crackers? I don't know, but it kind of felt like it. Now, let's talk about that chicken salad. (Yes, I know that chicken isn't on the top of the list for the Mediterranean Diet... Like I said, preteen steps.) I normally make it with chicken, mayo, celery, salt, and pepper. The other day I picked up a jar of Hellman's with olive oil. I'd never tried it, but I figured that using it without even sampling in almost a pound of chicken was a good idea. You know what? It is not the same. It tastes fine, I guess, but it really threw me off in chicken salad. It does not taste the same as plain mayo. I added more salt. I added apples. I didn't know what else to do so I gave up and put it in the refrigerator. Maybe being chilled helped. Maybe the crackers helped.

I also decided that this afternoon was the perfect time to try my hand at a loaf of einkorn bread. I used this recipe. I think my flour being all-purpose might've made a difference. While I do like the bread, the dough was pretty sticky. And looking back to link the recipe, I see that I actually made the wrong one. Oh, well. Live and learn. All that said, here's my loaf.

I'm happy with it. Maybe it'll be good with my latest batch of chicken salad. Maybe it'll be good in the morning as cinnamon toast. PRETEEN STEPS.

I've been thinking about the

Pullman loaf pans for a few years, but I didn't think I'd stick to making sandwich bread enough to commit to them. Mrs Baird's has been fine and is good. Last year though, I started noticing that I would forget about a loaf for a while and there was never any mold. Bread used to always mold, always. I left some in the drawer and a month past its expiration date, it looked and smelled fine. That's not right. I kept on with my store bought bread and that was that. A few months later, I saw a video of a guy pointing out the same thing. That was it. I started buying store made bread and it would get moldy days later, but it didn't taste great. Back to those Pullman pans...

I ordered a couple of the pans with lids off Amazon. I've emailed USA Pan because that lid with the sticker? That one has a sticky residue that I can't get off.

Anyway, I went ahead and tried a sandwich bread recipe from She's In Her Apron. She made it with three pans, but that didn't work great for me. I did try it three different ways. I made one loaf in the pan with the lid, one in the other pan without a lid, and the third loaf was in a small loaf pan. 

The small loaf had issues.

See the little chunks? What causes this? Did I cut it before it cooled completely?

The next two did fine.

No lid on the left and with the lid on the right.

I also bought a slicer.

I waited longer for those two to cool and I think that helped.

I also bought bags.

I bagged it all up and that was that. It is good, but it's more crumbly than Mrs Baird's - not as soft, chewy, and flexible. Is that from the preservatives? I need to do some more research. I need to practice more. I mean this was my first attempt. I need to figure out where to make changes. I'm sure it's operator error, but still. I just need to work on it.

I want to keep on. I want to know what's in my bread. I want to know it won't last long and will mold like bread always used to - like it is supposed to.

i didn't take the Christmas

lights down from the trees in the front yard after Christmas 2018. Well, I didn't take all of the lights down. I still wasn't cleared for normal activities after my surgery,  so any lights that required a ladder to reach were left behind. When Christmas 2019 came to an end, I hauled the ladder out to take everything down. I didn't think the tree would grow that much in a year.

I cut the lights off, except for those stuck in the tree. Oh well, I thought I'd share since I just found that pic. 

I'm trying a new brisket recipe. It calls for curing salt. I figured any of the three grocery stores would have it. I checked the apps to order some. Nope. You know who does have it?

The sporting goods store. I'm still trying to figure that one out. 

Speaking of new recipes, I found one HERE for waffles. 

It's a keeper. And I didn't even have to go to Academy for any ingredients. 

When we got back from Academy with the curing salt, I put tots, fries, and shrimp in the oven while I prepped the brisket. The brisket went into the fridge and lunch came out of the oven. The baby wanted to stay outside so we made a picnic of it. 

I sure wish we had more weather like this. It's so nice out there. Maybe we can do it again tomorrow, but with a delicious brisket. 

let's talk a little about

Lent. The meatless Fridays aren't always easy for a picky eater like me. Want something fast? A filet o' fish is out of the question because I don't like fish. For me, it's either shrimp or cheese enchiladas. Yeah, I can get shrimp at Popeye's drive-thru, but I'm not always in the mood for fried shrimp. Another thing, I don't always want to eat out. I've come across two things I have to share. 

First, for a fast and easy meal at home, I found these frozen shrimp at HEB. 

Put them on a tray in the oven with tator tots and bam. It's easier than driving anywhere. Yes, they're breaded and practically fried, but it was fast and easy. Oh, cheap too. 

The second is a video from a channel I recently started following on YouTube. It's a recipe for Mexican Shrimp. Cosme asked me to please make it again. I definitely will. 

I didn't know if I would like it (onions, tomatoes, jalapeños), BUT I DID. It was easy and different from other shrimp recipes I have in my box. The only thing I did differently from the video was to add my tomatoes to the pan before the shrimp. Since I don't like raw tomatoes, I thought a little more cook time would help.  Oh, I also used ½ tsp of each of the seasonings because it was what I had in my hand. For the rice, I did as she said and seasoned the rice the way I normally would, minus tomatoes. We ate it all.  I don't know how to share the video without my computer, but THIS is a link to it. 

And now, I'm off to TCB. It's going to be a busy week and this is my day to get things done. The bad thing is, allergies. Boy, are they hitting hard right now. I'm sticking to drops instead of Benadryl but if I didn't need to TCB, I'd totally take one and pass out right now. 

a restaurant opened a while

back and I'm not crazy about their food. I'll explain. First of all, it's not a new restaurant but it's new to Angleton. Another one has been in Lake Jackson for years. Anyway, we went one day and picked up dinner. I ordered the Italian panini and Cosme ordered soemthing else. I got red pepper or tomato soup with mine and he got the cream of poblano. Apparently, it's what they're known for. I probably would've enjoyed my meal if they hadn't put it on rye bread, but the soups were good. We decided to try it again for lunch. Nope. We split a burger and it tasted like a frozen patty. It wasn't good and the sweet sourdough bun wasn't enough to save it. We decided to give them one last chance and we got breakfast. No, no, no. I decided I would only go if I ever wanted soup. 

Well, a few days ago, we went to pick up an order of the cream of poblano soup and made sandwiches at home. I really do like that soup. 

Guess what I made today...

I found the recipe HERE. 

I didn't add the carrots or jalapeños but everything else is the same. I'm tempted to add corn to it.

Another thing I tried today was this pizza. 

I found it in the frozen section at HEB. 

It wasn't much different from other frozen pizzas. It was fine, but nothing like a fresh one from the restaurant. 

That's that. Time to try a bowl of this soup with the cheese and chips sprinkled in. 

i was going to post last

night but I was having issues with the pictures.

First thing's first.  I have wrapping paper and supplies out because 'tis the season.  When the baby got here this morning, I put the tape dispenser next to the tv where she can't reach it.  I saw this a little later.

She didn't do this because she can't reach it.  I didn't do it because I just didn't.  Cosme and Eric didn't do it either.  The tape rolled itself out and stuck to the tv?  I don't think so.  Just saying...

Okay, now on to what I wanted to share last night.

I tried a new recipe for Ranger Cookies that I found HERE and I like them.  I cut down on the coconut because I wanted to like the cookies and not spit them out.

I'd make them again.

I think our snowman's fallen off the wagon.

His scarf is around his head and his nose is stuck up in his hat.  He's smiling so it must have been worth it.

I know I said I was done with all my Christmas shopping the other day BUT... I saw a good deal and had to get it for Little E.

Not even $15.  How could I pass it up?  I couldn't.  I didn't.  It's already wrapped and under the tree.

NOW I'm done Christmas shopping... until I see another good deal.  Little E won't be here for a couple of days so that means one of two things: I don't buy anything because I'm too busy to stop and look online OR I have more time to sit and focus on what's on sale.  My to-do list says I'll be too busy.  We'll see.

So that broccoli cheddar soup I made

last night was good.  I found the recipe HERE.  As usual, I didn't really measure anything.  I used one thing (head? crown?) of broccoli, two carrots, and part of an onion.  I eyeballed all of the seasonings.  I almost had two cups of broth in my carton so instead of opening a new one for 1/8 c, I just added water to top it off.  I didn't have half and half so I used 1 c milk and 1 c cream.  I didn't use the full amount of cheese.  I kept it at about two handfuls of sharp cheddar and then sprinkled 1/8 to 1/4 c of parmesan.  I also cooked the broccoli and carrots in the microwave for about five minutes before adding them to the pot.  Anyway, here it is.

I'd make it again.  I am glad I made it last night though.  I don't know if it was because of it being a new recipe or me just being unprepared (or both), but I was definitely all over the place.  There's no way I could've done it with the baby here.  Oh, another reason I'm glad I made it last night?  It's cold and we had hot soup ready to go today.

I should have a helper with cooking before too long if everything goes according to plan.  I gave the baby a pot this morning with a spoon and she was on the floor stirring.  I added some Cheerios so she could stir those and snack.  So basically, she ate breakfast on the kitchen floor out of a pot.  We're prim and proper like that.

Let's get back to that cup of soup.  It was really good five hours ago.  Now, where's the rest of my dinner?

I don't know if I should bother

posting the blondie recipe or not because I read it wrong.  Whatever, I'll share it.  I followed this recipe HERE but only did part one, the blondie part.  I have a bad habit of not paying attention sometimes.  If there's a backstory to a recipe, I probably didn't read it.  I glanced over this recipe so assumed the cookie dough portion was like if you want to make cookies instead of blondies.  That's not how it is.  I think you're supposed to make the blondies then bake cookie dough on top.

So after mixing up the blondie ingredients, I added a few handfuls of white chocolate chips and macadamia nuts... and it worked.  I'd make them again just like I did, wrong.

In dog news:

• Archer seems to be limping slightly less.
• He just took his third dose of meds, seven more to go.
• He still hasn't pooped.
• The image of him lying on the side of the road didn't make me cry today.

Oh, and all the food I prepped on Sunday?  We finally had some for dinner tonight.

That just about covers everything.  I really like uneventful days.  I'm going to TCB and enjoy it.

I've had carrot cake on

the brain for a few weeks.  I bought carrots and have been looking around at recipes.  I finally settled on THIS one.  It was at this point right here that I decided I wasn't really in the mood for carrot cake anymore, but strawberry cake was sounding better.

But while I didn't have any strawberries, I had three cups of grated carrots.  What else do you do with grated carrots?  I know Luby's has that carrot and raisin salad but do people really eat that?  Yuck.  I went ahead and powered through.

I'm glad I did.  That's the first time I've ever made a carrot cake from scratch and I thought it was pretty good.  But let's not talk about that right now.  I just had a piece and I might've overdosed.

I just watched Yesterday.  Well, I watched most of Yesterday.  I don't think Cosme saw any of it.  We both did some major napping.  Anyway, the movie is based on some glitch or alternate universe where The Beatles don't exist (but some people remember the songs).  The part that really got me was the main character's mom handing him a Pepsi.  He gave it a weird look and asked if they had Coke.  She didn't know what he was talking about.  GASP.  That seems like a bigger story for me.  I can do without Strawberry Fields Forever, but Coke?

Ugh.  Maybe that's what I need to wash down the carrot cake.  I need something.  Popcorn would be good but I barely feel like starting the dishwasher.  I should probably just settle for another nap, an eight hour one would be cool.

I can't believe it

but I did it.  I made the eggplant parmesan parmigiana with the baby watching on.  I was feeling bold... and hungry.  At first I thought I'd take the easy way out.  What if I just used canned spaghetti sauce?  Then I felt a little disappointed in myself.  No.  If I was going to make it, I was going to do it right.  I didn't use canned sauce, but made her gravy.  (Just an FYI for my fellow non-Italians, that's what it's called.  Gravy.)

I'm so glad I did.  I'm also glad I made the eggplant parmesan parmigiana.

It was good.

I used the video from the same lady on YouTube.

Two out of two.  She hasn't let me down yet.  I think I might've put a little more cheese on top than I was supposed to.  Oh well, worse things have happened.

But now, I'm exhausted.  I'm seriously tired.  I need to do laundry.  I need a shower.  I need to feed the animals.  I need to finish cleaning the kitchen.  I need to relax.  I need to clean out the refrigerator.

I need to get busy.

I figured I could make it a

solid week between my last post and this one, but then I decided I'd go ahead and do it because I have time RIGHT NOW.

Here's what's been going on.

Something came over me this weekend and I baked.  It's like I was going through withdrawals and had to bake everything.

I made Strawberry Shortcake Scones.

I did the glaze a little different this time.  Instead of using only vanilla, I used half vanilla and half almond extract.  I also added a couple of TBS of melted butter.  I'm giving those two thumbs up.

I also made cookies.  I found this recipe online for Chunky Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookies. Peanut butter cookies are right up there alongside sugar cookies as far as my favorites go.  While chocolate chip isn't my favorite cookie, I usually won't turn one down.  Oh, and I do like chocolate and peanut butter candy.  When I found this recipe, it sounded like it'd be the ultimate cookie.

I was not disappointed.  Looks at those pieces of peanut right there with the chocolate chips.

Yum.

I also made Skillet Focaccia.

I've made it before but I also decided I'd make chicken with fettuccini alfredo so I thought that bread would be a good match.  I've mentioned lots of times that as far as Italian food goes, I prefer marinara.  I can eat the creamy sauces if I'm in the mood, but it can't be much.  Marinara on the other hand, I could eat that every day.  So I broke down and made alfredo sauce.  I made the chicken like I'd do it for chicken parmesan.  We had the pasta and sauce served over it.  It was really good.  So good, I didn't stop to get a picture until I was done.

I found the recipe on YouTube.

I subscribed after that.  I sent the leftovers home with Eric and Paige because I don't think I'll have alfredo sauce for a while.  I seriously OD'd.  I spent the rest of the night with major indigestion, lots of nausea and a little vomiting.  I did watch her video for eggplant parmesan and plan on making that this week.

I haven't only been baking.  I also ordered a new pair of tennis shoes.

I tried them out this morning, going for a walk around the block.

I stopped to get this picture while I was out.

We had the house and driveway pressure washed the other day.  This is our section of sidewalk at the property line.

Here's everything.

It looks SO much better.

I'm also really excited about Mulligan's, a Top Golf-like place they're opening close to the house.  Yes, we used to live closer to an actual golf course and driving range but this is different, it's more chill.  Wait, I guess golf is pretty chill.  It's just different.

Anyway, I can't wait.  I followed them on fb just so I can stay updated.  They're opening pretty soon.

I also had Amazon suggest a few things to me:

For him.  Because girls don't like Star Wars?  Or is it because girls don't make waffles?

For her.  Because guys don't like to relax in overgrown fields?

For teens.  And grown men acting like teenagers?

For kids.  Bath bombs?  That's weird.

Speaking of Amazon, I need to go order new earbuds.  They were recommended for the dogs.  Just kidding.  I think I'll do some laundry after that.  I guess I should check the refrigerator for dinner options.  There definitely won't be any baking.