What are we eating around here?

 Happy Monday everyone! Did you survive the weekend? Ours was quite busy as usual, with my running the kids all over. It is the season of life we are in, and I am not complaining. 

Today, the sun was out, and it was rather warm out at 38 degrees! LOL Considering it was in the teens and single digits over the last week, we shall take it. It is supposed to be 48 tomorrow, before rain and potential winter storm is supposed to hit Wednesday night through Friday. They have already issued a Winter Storm Watch for that time period so we will probably get something. I just don't want to get the ice that they are talking about. 

On to a different subject: what are we eating this week? Well, here is what we are eating, and I am putting the gluten-free modifications in there as well in case anyone is interested. 

Monday: Loaded baked potatoes (with butter, cheddar cheese, bacon, and green onions) and chicken nuggets (gluten free ones for Ben and I.)

Tuesday: Chicken enchiladas (make a couple using corn tortillas for Ben and me, use homemade gluten free cream of chicken soup)

Wednesday: Potato soup and salad (use gluten free cream of chicken soup)

Thursday: Smoked sausage and potato bake and green beans

Friday: Pizza (gluten free cheese for Ben and me)

Saturday: Homemade big macs (using gluten free buns for Ben and me) and French fries

Sunday:?? 

So, there you have it. I have found that we haven't really found any gluten-free items that we haven't like so far. I am interested to see how this cream of chicken soup turns out. I will run to the store tomorrow to get bread and buns and another gallon of milk before the craziness hits the stores on Wednesday. 

What are you eating this week? Any winter storms going on in your area? 

The Secrets Between Us and The Ex Talk (book reviews)

Happy Sunday everyone! Brrr...🥶 It's cold! When the cold weather hits, so do my desire to curl up with a cozy blanket and read. In fact, I think that may be what I do this afternoon after we go to church and after I drop Rebecca off at her friend's house. I think I may come home, put football on for the boys and curl up and read. So far in January, I have read 7 books! I think I am on a good pace to meet my challenge of reading 26 books this year. Today, I thought I'd review the last 2 books that I have read.

 

First up was The Secrets Between Us by Thrity Umrigar. This is the sequel to a book I reviewed earlier in January, The Space Between Us.

FROM THE BACK COVER: Bhima, the unforgettable main character of Thrity Umrigar’s beloved national bestseller The Space Between Us, returns in this triumphant sequel—a poignant and compelling novel in which the former servant struggles against the circumstances of class and misfortune to forge a new path for herself and her granddaughter in modern India.

Poor and illiterate, Bhima had faithfully worked for the Dubash family, an upper-middle-class Parsi household, for more than twenty years. Yet after courageously speaking the truth about a heinous crime perpetrated against her own family, the devoted servant was cruelly fired. The sting of that dismissal was made more painful coming from Sera Dubash, the temperamental employer who had long been Bhima’s only confidante. A woman who has endured despair and loss with stoicism, Bhima must now find some other way to support herself and her granddaughter, Maya.

Bhima’s fortunes take an unexpected turn when her path intersects with Parvati, a bitter, taciturn older woman. The two acquaintances soon form a tentative business partnership, selling fruits and vegetables at the local market. As they work together, these two women seemingly bound by fate grow closer, each confessing the truth about their lives and the wounds that haunt them. Discovering her first true friend, Bhima pieces together a new life, and together, the two women learn to stand on their own.

A dazzling story of gender, strength, friendship, and second chances, The Secrets Between Us is a powerful and perceptive novel that brilliantly evokes the complexities of life in modern India and the harsh realities faced by women born without privilege as they struggle to survive.  

MY THOUGHTS: Just like with The Space Between Us, The Secrets Between Us is a deep read that covers topics such as relationships between women trying to survive, a look into the caste system in India, and between different beliefs and how those beliefs clash and shape who we are. I really enjoyed reading this and finishing up the story of the main character Bhima. I was a little disappointed in that the ending seemed like a Hallmark ending and superficial in some ways after I had invested in the Bhima's story for 2 books. It was still a wonderful read, and I would recommend this book. 

MY STAR RATING (OUT OF 5): ⭐⭐⭐⭐

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I also read The Ex Talk by Rachel Lynn Solomon. 

This is the February read for the online book club that I am a part of. This is not a book that I would typically pick, as it seemed too "Hallmarky". What I mean by that is that it seems like it would be some story that you would see in a Hallmark or Lifetime movie. Not that there is anything wrong with those types of stories, they are just not the type that I gravitate towards. 

FROM THE BACK COVER: Shay Goldstein has been a producer at her Seattle public radio station for nearly a decade, and she can't imagine working anywhere else. But lately it's been a constant clash between her and her newest colleague, Dominic Yun, who's fresh off a journalism master's program and convinced he knows everything about public radio. 

When the struggling station needs a new concept, Shay proposes a show that her boss green-lights with excitement. On The Ex Talk, two exes will deliver relationship advice live on air. Their boss decides Shay and Dominic are the perfect co-hosts, given how much they already despise each other. Neither loves the idea of lying to listeners, but it's this or unemployment. Their audience gets invested fast, and it's not long before The Ex Talk becomes a must-listen in Seattle and climbs podcast charts.  

As the show gets bigger, so does their deception, especially when Shay and Dominic start to fall for each other. In an industry that values truth, getting caught could mean the end of more than just their careers. 

MY THOUGHTS: Well, I have mixed feelings about this book. One, as I mentioned, is that it seemed very Hallmarky. The characters were stereotypical, with maybe too much of an emphasis on characters that were part of different communities---the LGBTQ+, Asian, African, etc. There were several areas of the book that seemed awkward and that was because out of nowhere there was conversations about race that didn't fit with the story. The 2 main characters, Shay and Dominic, come off as whiny and just over-developed if that makes sense. I did like the premise of the book better than I thought that I would. The book started off slow however once Shay and Dominic stop fighting with each other and begin to learn about each other then I became invested with their relationship. I doubt that I would reread this book in the future, but it isn't in my list of books that I would never read again.  

MY STAR RATING (OUT OF 5): ⭐⭐

So, there you have it. 2 more books that I read this month. One I would recommend, and one that I wouldn't necessarily recommend. Right now, I am currently reading Flying Angels by Danielle Steel.

 

What are you reading right now? 

Cold, yummy Soup, Gluten-Free now, and Basketball

Happy Saturday everyone! Hope everyone is staying warm and cozy today. Prayers for those in the path of the blizzard hitting the east coast. I can't even imagine that kind of weather. Here, the weather has been cold, cold, COLD. We have had single digit temperatures and windchills of -10 to -20 the last couple of nights. Thursday morning when I took the kids to school my van said it was -8 outside and that does not include the windchill. What else has been happening around here?

Well, I worked Wednesday, Thursday and Friday at my sub food service job. I really like working at this certain elementary school as I really like the head cook there. So that makes working there a little easier. I will also be working there next week as far as I know, as they haven't hired anyone yet for an open position. 

I made what has probably become my favorite soup recipe the other night for dinner. I originally found it on the blog "One Hundred Dollars a Month" and it is SO GOOD!!! It is called Copycat Panera Cream of Chicken and Wild Rice Soup. Everyone in the family loves it! I was able to have it for again for dinner Thursday night, when I made the family hamburger helper and then again for lunch on Friday after work. It is so good!

Speaking of food though, we are making some changes to Benjamin's diet. Over the last 2 months, he has lost weight, been really tired all the time, can't concentrate and has been complaining after he eats that his belly hurts and when we ask him where it is around his intestine area. At first, Bill and I thought it was a phase and he just didn't want to eat what I made as this kid used to eat more than any of us. Well, I got tired of fighting with him on it and with the noticing of the weight loss, Ben not wanting to even eat snack foods or McDonald's (which was his favorite) I called his doctor. Bill took him to his appointment on Thursday morning before school and the doctor, along with us, suspected that he has at the very least a wheat allergy and possibly celiac disease. So, they did some blood work to figure it out. We also talked about that it may be a gluten sensitivity and so we are going to cut gluten out of his diet for the time being to see if that helps. 

So, the last few days have been me going to the Kroger and Walmart and scouting out gluten free items to replace everyday items for him--- the priorities being bread, chicken nuggets, pasta, and some snack foods. Well, I am pleased to say that I think I accomplished that, and he was THRILLED when I showed him the gluten-free pizza and chicken nuggets that I found. 

We did find out on Friday evening, that the test for celiac came back negative as did the test for the wheat allergy. So, we are thinking it is a gluten sensitivity. We are to continue on the gluten-free diet for a few weeks to see if that helps and if it does not, we are to contact the doctor again and she will refer us to a g.i. doctor.

 

We started him on the new way of eating on Thursday night and I noticed a difference Friday in him. He was more active, he ate more, and he said that while his belly hurt, it did not hurt as much as before. I told Ben that when I am eating with him that I would also follow his gluten free diet, so he is not alone. So last night, I made frozen pizzas for dinner. I made regular Red Baron ones for Bill and the older 2 kids and for Benjamin and I, we tried the Freschetta Gluten-Free cheese pizza. I will say it was pretty good and I am not usually a fan of frozen pizza.

One of Ben's favorite things that I bought though was Gluten-free Oreos. I tried one yesterday and they taste just like regular Oreos! So, if anyone has any tried-and-true gluten-free recipes or products that you love that are gluten-free, please let me know!

Today, has been pretty eventful. This morning, I had to have Rebecca at the high school to help with a service project. The choirs were coming out to help sort sheet music that the previous choir director had in no way shape or form organized. She was the previous director for 20+ years so there was a ton to do. Rebecca volunteered to come help from 8am to noon today. After I dropped her off, I went to Walmart to try out the Ibotta app, as I signed up last night and they had several freebies for new sign-ups. It was a super easy process! Then it was off to Kroger to finish up my grocery shopping and home to put it all away before going back out to pick Rebecca up. Then it was time to head out to the boys' Upward basketball games.

Thankfully, their games were back-to-back today. Both played really well.

Benjamin scored 8 points today and played great defense. Jacob scored 4 points while playing for the other team (as they only had 4 kids show up.) 

Now I am typing this up and thinking about what I want for dinner. It is supposed to be date night for Bill and I and usually he wants me to decide. Not sure what I am in the mood for. I will be making the kids some macaroni and cheese, including a gluten-free variety for Ben. So, I should end this so that I can get started on their dinner. 

What's the weather like where you are? Do you have any tried-and-true gluten-free recipes or gluten-free products that you love? What are you having for dinner?

Happenings around here

Happy Tuesday everyone! Sorry for disappearing for about a week. I didn't mean for that to happen. Just sort of got busy with working and that crazy thing called life with three kids. LOL 

I worked 2 days last week. Wednesday, I worked at one school and when I got off of work, I thought I had really overdone it. My chest and back hurt and I was just not in good shape. I think it was just because I hadn't worked in about 4 weeks. I didn't work Thursday but Bill surprised me with donuts :)

Friday, I worked at a different school, and I felt much better when I got off work. I was supposed to work both Monday and Tuesday this week, but we have had 2 snow days in a row so no work for me. 

This weekend we were pretty busy. Saturday, Bill took the boys to their basketball games while I took Rebecca to her choir ensemble and solo contest which was being held in the same town where I graduated college. She was so nervous about performing in the ensemble contest, but her ensemble did so well. They earned a I which is the highest mark. She was so excited. 

Sunday, we went to church and while I was teaching PSR it started snowing and snowing. By the time we left church, roads were covered, and it just kept coming down. We got several inches throughout the day on Sunday and a little more Sunday night. Enough that they closed school on Monday. During the morning and afternoon on Monday, we got another couple of inches of snow and the roads were just miserable. This morning, we were still under a snow emergency and side roads were untreated and icy, so they cancelled school again. 

The kids have had fun playing outside in the snow despite the cold.

 

Today the sun was out for most of the day resulting in some pretty icicles.

 

Tonight, it is supposed to be dip down to zero degrees! Not looking forward to that. Hopefully the kids will be able to go to school tomorrow and I can work. 

What else have I been up to? Well, laundry... reading... trying new recipes. I made a new chicken parmesan recipe on Sunday that everyone loved, including Jacob who requested it. 

Well, I should hop off of here and put some laundry away. I have the last load in the dryer and am going to try to finish it up tonight. Rebecca is at choir practice, Jacob is playing on his phone, Ben is watching basketball and Bill is messing around on his phone. Hopefully, it won't be another week before I have time to hop back on here. 

What's been going on in your world? Have you gotten any snow? What is your favorite thing to do in the snow? 

Something to think about

 

Menu Plan... Tuesday?

Happy Tuesday everyone! It's another cold one here today and it's a snow day for the kiddos. Last night they called for a 2 hour delay this morning as there is still snow and ice on the side roads, but then at 7:30 this morning they cancelled school for the day due to ice on the roads. The city road crews barely touched the side roads yesterday and those are the roads that the buses have to travel. The state routes in town look pretty good. Jacob and Ben were happy there is no school. Right now I am waiting for my babysitting kiddo's grandma to come pick her up. She was dropped off at 7 this morning as her mom has to be at work at 7:30 so before they cancelled school. It is what it is.  

Today, I want to get some laundry done. I also told the boys that I would take them outside after lunch if the weather warms up a bit. Also, last night I realized that I forgot to post about my menu plan yesterday, so today will become Menu Plan Tuesday. 

Last week, what I had planned and what we ate: 

• Monday: Campbell's Chicken Noodle soup and grilled cheese
  
  
  
• Tuesday: Chicken pot pies and salad 
  
  
  
• Wednesday: Tacos
• Thursday: Baked Denver Omelet, hash browns, English muffins, fruit
• Friday: Make your own pizza
• Saturday: ??? We had hot dogs and baked beans and chips

I didn't do too bad last week. We had a lot of convenience foods, which wasn't that good but we ate and that is what matters. This week, I am trying to make some heartier, cold weather food since it is snowy and cold. This week we will be eating:

• Sunday: Beef Stew and cornbread (using beef from freezer as I was not about to pay $22 for 2 lbs of stew meat at the store!) 
• Monday: Tex-Mex Chicken in the crockpot over rice
• Tuesday: Philly Cheesesteak Sloppy Joes, tator tots in air fryer, and fruit
• Wednesday: Baked pork loin, steamed red potatoes and green beans, crescent rolls
• Thursday: Smoked sausage potato bake and applesauce
• Friday: Frozen pizzas and fruit
• Saturday: ?? I am unsure as the boys have basketball and Rebecca has a choir ensemble competition, so it may be fend for yourself. 

 What are you eating this week? What are your plans for today?  

Basketball, Becoming, and a Snowy Monday

Happy Monday everyone! How was your weekend? We had a busy weekend with the boys' basketball games on Saturday. The boys had fun and were glad that I was well enough to go. They both played well and had a lot of fun. 

I finished reading Michelle Obama's book Becoming. 

It was an interesting read for someone who typically shies away from political reads. I will say that I enjoyed hearing her perspectives as a mom, and a wife who is being swept along in an area that she really wants no part of (ie. politics). I will say though that towards the end, I became sick of the message that you can be anything you put your mind to and that you can overcome everything if you push hard enough. It became apparent to me that this was just a name-dropping book, with who she worked with and who allowed her to have a job. After a while it became more about that than her thoughts and ideologies. To me, that took A LOT away from the book. 

Today, it's a snowy, cold Monday. We got several inches of snow overnight last night. The kids are excited, especially since they were already off of school today. We spent some time outside after lunch even though real feel temperature was 7 degrees. It was pretty cold. 

When we came in, I finally was able to make the kids their hot chocolate bombs that I had ordered them at Christmas. We have been too sick or busy to enjoy them. The kids love them. 

Not sure what the rest of the week will bring. Rebecca does not have school tomorrow. Apparently last week there were so many kids out at the high school that missed their midterms that they are taking tomorrow as a make-up midterm day. Rebecca completed all her mid-terms so she has a free day. I still have to take the boys to school though. Technically, I am free to go back to subbing as well. 

For now, I am snuggled here in my chair covered up with 2 blankets as I am cold.  I am dealing with chest pain again and being out of breath when I do stairs. I don't know what to do. It is not a good feeling. I just want to feel better. 

What's going on in your world? Got any snow? 

Wish You Were Here and The Searcher (Day 14/365)

Happy Friday everyone! Thank goodness it is Friday. No school for the kids today, so we are just relaxing at home. At least this is the plan. It also seems like a good time to read. Speaking of reading, I finished 2 books that I received for Christmas from my sister's girlfriend Cecilia. They were both really good so I thought I would share in case you were looking for something to read this weekend.

First up, last week I read Jodi Picoult's new novel, Wish You Were Here. 

FROM THE BACK COVER: Diana O’Toole is perfectly on track. She will be married by thirty, done having kids by thirty-five, and move out to the New York City suburbs, all while climbing the professional ladder in the cutthroat art auction world. She’s an associate specialist at Sotheby’s now, but her boss has hinted at a promotion if she can close a deal with a high-profile client. She’s not engaged just yet, but she knows her boyfriend, Finn, a surgical resident, is about to propose on their romantic getaway to the Galápagos—days before her thirtieth birthday. Right on time.

But then a virus that felt worlds away has appeared in the city, and on the eve of their departure, Finn breaks the news: It’s all hands on deck at the hospital. He has to stay behind. You should still go, he assures her, since it would be a shame for all of their nonrefundable trip to go to waste. And so, reluctantly, she goes.

Almost immediately, Diana’s dream vacation goes awry. Her luggage is lost, the Wi-Fi is nearly nonexistent, and the hotel they’d booked is shut down due to the pandemic. In fact, the whole island is now under quarantine, and she is stranded until the borders reopen. Completely isolated, she must venture beyond her comfort zone. Slowly, she carves out a connection with a local family when a teenager with a secret opens up to Diana, despite her father’s suspicion of outsiders.

In the Galápagos Islands, where Darwin’s theory of evolution by natural selection was formed, Diana finds herself examining her relationships, her choices, and herself—and wondering if when she goes home, she too will have evolved into someone completely different.

MY THOUGHTS: I have read a few of Picoult's works in the past and I know that they are usually really emotional reads and take a lot out of me when I am reading them. I had never heard of this book and so went into reading it completely blind. I was a little apprehensive as it is set in 2020 New York City just as the pandemic is getting started and gaining speed. She explores the isolation, dread, decision making that we each have had to make in the light of the COVID filled world and the impact those decisions make and how our lives will never be the same again. I don't want to give away too much of the plot, however I will say that I did not expect the way the story was going to go. Saying that I will say that I absolutely LOVED, LOVED, LOVED this book. I would highly recommend this book and would give it a 5 out of 5 stars!

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This week I read another book that Cecilia got me for Christmas. I had never heard of Tana French and this style of book (Crime fiction/ suspense) is not typically something I would gravitate toward. However, I am trying to expand my reading tastes so figured I would give this book a try. Cecilia gifted me with Tana French's The Searcher.

FROM THE BACK COVER: Cal Hooper thought a fixer-upper in a bucolic Irish village would be the perfect escape. After twenty-five years in the Chicago police force and a bruising divorce, he just wants to build a new life in a pretty spot with a good pub where nothing much happens. But when a local kid whose brother has gone missing arm-twists him into investigating, Cal uncovers layers of darkness beneath his picturesque retreat, and starts to realize that even small towns shelter dangerous secrets.

MY THOUGHTS: Again, I will say that this book exceeded my expectations. I had never read anything by or even heard of author Tana French. I usually do not like crime/ suspense books due to gore or the fact that I can figure out who done it pretty quickly. French however kept me entertained, second guessing myself, and not really figuring things out until the end. I loved her descriptions of the Irish countryside and how life moves in those areas. I love how she incorporates Irish country language (which having grown up with immigrant Great-Grandparents from Ireland was not always politically correct or clean) into her book.  I have seen some reviews where others have said that the plot is slow-moving, but I think that that is part of what makes it work. It goes along with that way of life, kind of meandering along with twists and turns and underlying twists and not seeing things that are coming around the bend. I really did enjoy the pace and the visualizations and ultimately the journey that French took her readers on in The Searcher.  I would give this book a 4 out of 5 stars. 

So, there you have it. I would recommend both Jodi Picoult's Wish You Were Here and Tana French's The Searcher as good reads. I think I might read Michelle Obama's book Becoming next. We are supposed to get some snow, maybe, this weekend so it seems like a good way to relax. What are you reading now? Have you read any of these books that I mentioned? If so, what did you think of them? 

Haircut before and after (Day 13/365)

Happy Thursday everyone! How is your week going? First, I wanted to share this beautiful sunrise we had yesterday morning! It was absolutely stunning outside my kitchen window.

I am currently sitting here on my couch, listening to Rebecca and her friend giggling as they are watching videos on their phones. This week was midterm exams for the high school and today Rebecca and her friend only had one. Originally, they were supposed to get out of school at 9:10AM this morning, but we had a 2 hour delay this morning due to black ice and slippery roads, so they got done at 11:20. Rebecca is so glad to be done with her first round of midterms. The boys were not happy that Rebecca got to get out of school early, lol. 

I am feeling somewhat better. Still coughing, although not as much. Still blowing yellow crap out of my sinuses. Thankfully the kids have a four-day weekend so I can rest some more. 

I mentioned on Tuesday that I was scheduled to get my haircut on Wednesday. Well, I almost chickened out. I need to make some changes and step out of my comfort zone this year. I just feel called to make changes. And I would say that this haircut was a huge change for me. I have always had longish hair. My dad didn't allow me to cut my hair, other than a trim until I was 18. The day I turned 18 I got it cut into a shoulder length bob and it has pretty much been shoulder length or mid-length ever since. Well, I went in and told Ashlie, the hairstylist, that I wanted short, sassy and not fluffy. I needed something completely different than anything I have ever done before. I will say she delivered. So here was my hair the night before:

And this was after: 

She cut so much hair off! I think that I shocked so many people, but it felt freeing. Seriously. It makes me feel like I am different person. Bill said he feels like he is cheating on his wife. LOL.

 

It is super simple to style too. I let it air dry this morning and this is how it ended up. I need to get some pomade that helps the front stay down, but I really do like the hairstyle. It is part of my saying yes to things outside my comfort zone this year. 

What else has been going on? 

Well, Bill finally got the outside Christmas lights taken down. I think that means that all the Christmas stuff is put away as of now. My mom seems to be doing better with her COVID diagnosis. She still can't taste or smell but is coughing somewhat less and has more energy. She is supposed to be cleared for work as of tomorrow by her doctor. This weekend I am hoping to get to go to the boys' basketball games. Rebecca starts youth group back up again this Sunday as well. I have 3 books that I need to post about that I have read in last 2 weeks. They have all been really good. Maybe I will post about them tomorrow....

Well, I should be off and work on folding laundry before its time to start picking the boys up from school. I hope everyone is having a good Thursday!