Category: Cooking/Baking

Animals, anxiety, Cooking/Baking, Creativity, Dogs, Emotions, family, Food, Friends, Gardening, Learning, Life, Love, Nature, Photography, retail, Thinking, Travel, Writing

Planning

1972italy

Normally today I would type “just one most shift” but today I find myself typing “just five more shifts.” 😳 I can sleep in the next three days. Let’s start there. (Oh and I just realized that even though I have next weekend off I will still have to go in Sunday morning at 5:30. I have to let the deli people in and, more to the point, I have to do my liquor order.)

Both pups are on the love seat sleeping. They are in almost a heart shaped head to head. They have been very good the past few days. Here’s to hoping that continues. I’ve told them I have to work on my days off. I have gotten treats as well.

Everything has been arranged for Tuesday as well. Around 1:30pm I will head out to Elk Rapids for the hour long tasting then go back to my store and finish my shift. Fortunately I am not manager that day so that makes things a little easier.

I think I have my food planned for my Oberon event. I have also talked to the deli manager to make sure I can cook there instead of at home and haul everything to the store. I am excited about the menu so far.

Fudge…. I just looked at the clock. I need to wrap this up. Thanks fir reading and stay safe!

Animals, Cooking/Baking, Creativity, Dogs, Emotions, family, Food, Gardening, Learning, Life, Love, Nature, Photography, Writing

Going Italian

1972italy

Aaaaaand here we are at o’dark thirty. Both pups are asleep behind me, despite getting in trouble before bed for destroying yet another pillow.

We made our first batch of homemade pasta together last night! It was a lot more complicated than I first thought. If I followed Gordon Ramsey’s recipe it would’ve taken a lot long than it did. He said to roll things through 10 times on each setting. I have I think 8 on the new pasta machine. 😳

I had planned on making the first batch myself but when the dough was rolling out longer than I could hold I had to have help. It was a fun mess to make together. And to be fair the ravioli didn’t turn it too bad. Now that I know what to do I can plan things a little better. Like the ricotta inside the raviolis can be spiced differently and the boil time can be different.

There is some of the dough leftover so maybe spaghetti or another type of pasta tonight. We do have some meatballs…

Thanks for reading and stay safe!

Aging, Animals, anxiety, Books, Cooking/Baking, Creativity, Dogs, Emotions, family, Food, Gardening, Learning, Life, Love, Medical, Nature, Photography, Reading, Thinking, Writing

Looking For a Way

1972italy

Yesterday did not go exactly as planned. There were a few blips but all in all a good day. My concern is with Mom. She told us via text not to come over because her arthritis was acting up and she was crabby. Ok, we can do that. So we went out to dinner and got a few groceries for today (I’m making ravioli from scratch) and came home. Around 10pm she starts sending me text messages asking where we are and if we are ok. This morning I got several phone messages asking if we were ok. I sent numerous text messages to her last night saying that we were fine and at home. I don’t know if she did not get them??? I don’t know what to do. Dad is the same way. He never seems to “receive” me text messages or emails. If I try calling either of them I get put to voicemail more often than not. They freak out and think that I am not making an effort to keep in touch but I am. I just don’t know anymore.

I did not sleep well at all last night. I tried. This morning everything hurts and my anxiety is through the roof. So now I need to try to talk myself off the ledge. Chris’s gift seems to be on the move finally. It is in Wisconsin. I ordered him another gift off his Amazon list yesterday. It should be here Tuesday. I believe that is the same day he can go get his desktop for his man cave. I am excited to see his new gaming desk come together.

I got two sweet books that I wanted. The first one is called “Ocean” and it is like a guidebook to everything regarding the ocean. Not in depth on any one topic but enough to keep you safe. It’s hard to explain. But if you love the ocean I highly recommend it. It has the basics on sailing, surfing, survival, fishing, science, scuba and snorkeling….. The full title is “The Ocean The Ultimate Handbook of Nautical Knowledge” and it is written by Chris Dixon and Jeremy K. Spencer. The second book I got was “Supernatural The Men of Letters Bestiary, The Winchester Family Edition.” Now I have a version of this that is smaller that I received in one of my Supernatural boxes. I took it off my wish list but apparently Amazon put it back on. Regardless, I am excited to have it. I need to find a space to house my growing Supernatural books.

I purchased an extension cord yesterday as well. I plan to hook my scarecrow back up in the garage today. It was comforting to come home to him every day. For the past few months he has been in a heap on the garage floor. Time to resurrect him!

I am going to wrap this up and get it posted. Thanks for reading and stay safe!

Animals, anxiety, Cooking/Baking, Creativity, Emotions, family, Gardening, Learning, Life, Love, Movies, Nature, Photography, retail, Thinking, Writing

Accomplished

1972italy

It feels good to get things done around here. All three animal cages got cleaned out, floors swept, carpets vacuumed, counters cleaned (Chris did dishes for me), tables washed…. The house feels better. I know there is still a lot of work to be done but it is a big dent. Getting the bookcase from Mom will be a big help.

Mother Nature gave us rain from late afternoon right through the night. There was some blue sky this morning but that had been completely covered by thick grey clouds. More rain soon I am guessing. The plus side is that 3/4 of the snow is now gone. That being said Thursday is supposed to bless us with up to 8 inches (20 cm) of snow. Because welcome to Michigan, lol.

Regardless, Friday is our big day. I am happy to say that Chris’s present will arrive before our anniversary. I did get one of my gifts early (the stinker). The kids/pups and I watched four of the movies from my new Hammer Horror movie collection. Giggity!

Yesterday also saw me get my article turned in and I had a rep from the brewery finally get ahold of me and aske me what I needed for my event. Sooooo I replied to his email. We’ll see what happens. Hopefully we can get some fun swag to give away at the event. I think I will start putting flyers up on Sunday. That will give me almost a month to the day to drum up business for the event. I will have to work a few hours on my day off but oh well. I need to figure out what I am going to make (I went through their website and got a few recipes for both food and cocktails) and how it will be set up.

Ok, I guess I should get things wrapped up with this and work on some stuff here before work. Thanks for reading and stay safe!

Animals, anxiety, Books, Cooking/Baking, Creativity, Dogs, Emotions, family, Food, Gardening, Learning, Life, Love, Medical, Nature, Photography, Thinking, Travel, Writing

Step by Step

1972italy

I slept as late as my body would let me. The sun was just starting to peek out. It is mostly blue sky again today. I hope to use that to my advantage. I have several work related things that I need to do today. But they shouldn’t take very long. I need to do a few things for myself today as well. I would like to try to do a bit of housework if I can. I would like to get things cleaned up a bit for us for our weekend together. I am rather excited to be making pasta for the first time on Saturday. I think I will make some ravioli. I am seriously thinking of doing the sauce from scratch as well. I have several recipes to choose from.

I also need to get my office clean. Part of that is the big pots of plants on the floor (the stacks of magazines and books aren’t helping either). I need to go through things in my office and figure out what I am doing in there. I would like to work more in there but there isn’t enough room to have the dogs. I need more bookcases (no, not less books). Mom has one that she is giving me but I need a space to put it. I have a few ideas but nothing solid. Every time I think I found a spot I see where it’s not going to work.

Nuts. My laptop has just gone into power saver mode. That means I need to pick up my pace with this. I hope to get some new photos to share soon. As the Spring and Summer progress there are a few new places that I would like to take the pups for walks that will have a lot of potential for new photos. We could all use the change.

I guess I need to get this posted. Sorry it is a bit rambly. I hope you have an amazing day! Thanks for reading and stay safe!

Animals, anxiety, Automotive, Cooking/Baking, Creativity, Dogs, Emotions, family, Food, Friends, Gardening, Learning, Life, Love, Nature, Photography, retail, Thinking, Travel, Writing

Do I See A Light?

1972italy

Today will not break me… Today will not break me… Last night was a near thing. I had a lot of customers/friends come in last night. I got a lot of love from everyone. And several good hugs. I told the pups that I still had one more shift to go, as they hunkered in on the love seat. The next time I turn to look at them they both have tear in their eyes and coming down their cheeks. That hit hard. They have been so very good. When I woke up this morning I seriously thought about not going anywhere tomorrow. But I think that they need some time outside of the house. And Archie needs to know that car rides don’t always mean going to the doctor. I think we will just stay in the area though. I don’t know what is wrong with the car yet.

I have heard back several times from the Brewery I contacted for my event in March. I am hoping that they send us some swag to pass out. I thought about doing it from 3-5pm but I might extend it to 6pm. That way anyone that gets out of work at 5pm has a chance to get there. I have several recipes to make but that will depend on when I can get ahold of the beer. If it is that day then it will be a long day for me at work because I will be cooking in the deli all day before the event. If they send the beer a few days before then I can piecemeal it out over two days. Although I might be able to ask the deli to cook for me as well. We’ll see.

I need to water my plants again already. My banana tree looked a bit sad after a few days of being happy. I checked and the dirt is bone dry. I checked several other plants and it is the same. So once I post this I will be going around and watering those that need it. Not all of them do. So I will check each one as I go. I am shocked at how dry some of them are! It’s like they haven’t been watered in a week or more.

I have limited funds this week so I have to make sure that I don’t go crazy. Car payment came out today so that was most of my check. I have to remind myself of that. When I feel like this I tend to overspend. I also need to figure out an anniversary gift for Chris. I am truly at a loss. I do plan to use the pasta maker I got for Christmas and make us some fresh pasta for dinner. Then we can use it together to do something. If I use it first I can hopefully get an understanding of it so that when we both use it, it goes smoothly.

Ok, I ought to get this posted and give the kids their treats. One more shift. One more shift. Thanks for reading and stay safe!

Animals, anxiety, Cooking/Baking, Creativity, Dogs, Emotions, family, Gardening, Life, Medical, Nature, Photography, retail, Thinking, Writing

What Is Up?

1972italy

I am not looking forward to tomorrow. I didn’t sleep well last night despite my best efforts. I woke up at just before 2 then 3 am thinking my alarm was going to go off, only to realize I had more time. Stella needed to go out around 3am so I guess that worked out.

I did a lot of planning yesterday for what was going to change in my departments. One of the things I did was find some recipes that used various liquors that I carry. My goal is to have some recipe cards people can take. That way the liquor isn’t just for drinking. I am also working on pulling different liquors that aren’t selling. I hope to replace them with other liquors.

I am feeling very blah this morning. My anxiety is threatening to creep forward. I just don’t need that today. Or tomorrow for that matter. But I will muddle along as best I can. Ironically my back seems to be improving. I refuse to limp. And when I got home yesterday the sun was out, so the pups and I picked up the yard a bit. My back was screaming by the time I was done but it may have been the right thing to do. It feels almost normal this morning.

I need to wrap this up. I hope you have an amazing day! Thanks for reading and stay safe!

Aging, Animals, anxiety, Cooking/Baking, Creativity, Dogs, dreams, Emotions, family, Friends, Gardening, Holiday, Life, Love, Medical, Nature, Photography, retail, Thinking, Writing

Trying Again

1972italy

Well here we are in 2023. Yesterday was crazy but fun at work. Inventory went well. I stayed up with Chris to ring in the new year. Barely. I kept falling asleep. But I promised myself that I would. The new year has dawned dark, wet and chilly. Not much above freezing but it looks warmer outside since the snow is melting. I have also awakened with a sore throat. I had planned to try to sleep in but I got a tickle in my throat that would not go away. I think the new year brought a bug from last year with it. Everyone at work has been getting sick (the joys of customers coughing on seemingly everything). I guess it’s my turn. Hopefully I can still function tomorrow. I have Archie’s vet appointment. I had to wait almost a month to get it so I can’t cancel. He needs his first round of shots and I want him microchipped. I also need to set up an appointment to get him fixed. I would prefer that done sooner rather than later.

And craziness at work. I have just spent the last 10 minutes trying to help them at work via text messages. Now Archie thinks I need to be done with this and spend the rest of my time with him. It is play time. But we need to stay quiet because Chris is still asleep.

When I got home from work yesterday Chris had made his famous potato soup. It is amazing as always. It should last us several days. I believe it was the first thing he made in his big cast iron pot. That will probably be my breakfast, lol.

2022 had one more surprise left for me. I found out last night that my former store manager from Younker’s died of a massive heart attack. We butted heads a lot but I still really liked her. I am glad she was able to fulfill her dream of retiring to Floridia. Her birthday would’ve been the 27th of December.

I’m sorry I’m not more bright and shiny for the new year. I’m hoping my three days off will help. I wish all of you the best 2023 you can have! Thanks for reading and stay safe!

Animals, anxiety, Cooking/Baking, Creativity, Dogs, Emotions, family, Food, Friends, Holiday, Love, Nature, Photography, retail, Thinking, Writing

The Morning After

1972italy

My week is going to be off. My brain is telling me I should still be asleep in bed. But someone at work is out sick so I am actually going to be working the gas and courtesy counter today. It has been several months since I have been scheduled on the floor.

I meant to call both my parents yesterday but I ended up spending time with Chris and the kids. The pups loved their little Christmas bags of goodies. Each got two toys and three treats. Chris and I had a simple Christmas as well. He got a gift set with 10 year old scotch and the fixings for rice crispy treats. (The rest of his stuff should be here today. I had to improvise as his gifts got delayed in the storms.) I got a new tactile pen (LOVE IT) and a pasta maker. I will probably use the pasta make for New Year’s dinner. I am very excited about doing the pasta. Now I don’t have to borrow Mom’s machine.

I ought to get myself together and get ready for work. I might have enough time to download some photos from yesterday. A big thank you to everyone that has reached out over the past few days! Thanks for reading and stay safe!

Animals, Cooking/Baking, Creativity, Dogs, Emotions, family, Food, Friends, Gardening, Holiday, Life, Love, Nature, Photography, retail, Thinking, Writing

A Quiet Day

1972italy

Another dark morning. Since the furnace keeps going on I just checked the temp outside. 17F (-8C). I didn’t get done what I wanted to yesterday. The plants did get watered though. And I am ok with that. Saturday is going to be my busy day. I am going in at 5:30am to do my liquor order and then after work I am going out shopping with the Girls. Since Sunday is the holiday I don’t have to worry how late I am out and about.

Today is our potluck for work. I will have to buy something to pass because my muffins did not bake properly. They did not come out of the pan in one piece and were essentially useless. So I will do that when I get to work. The snowflakes are steady but their size waxes and wanes. I need to remember to warm up the car before work.

I really don’t have much to share this morning. It has been rather quiet here. We are supposed to get hit hard with storms through the weekend so I don’t know what excitement we will have. We may get none at all.

I guess I will wrap this up. Sorry for the short and boring post. I hope you have an amazing day! Thanks for reading and stay safe!