Friday night the college kids came home for dinner and we got Shiraz Mediterranean and watch some tv together!
Saturday morning I got out the Trader Joe’s bagels I keep in the freezer. We just can’t use them fast enough so the freezer is a life saver.
I did some blog catch up and had my new fave cake batter delight. Walmart.com is sending me more because this flavor is hard to find in stores.
I made a trip to the library and got to see the spring display in person!
I did a new Essie Day Drift Away mani.
And, it was super cold all weekend, but it warmed up enough Saturday afternoon for me to read a new library cookbook.
Saturday night J and M had to go tear down the set of the play and Tom was all too happy to stay home. I had plans to go to a French restaurant with my two college besties.
Yum!
I think I have given up on this…
in favor of this… it is like Below Deck from Bravo in book form!
Sunday was meal prep – still on the breakfast burrito kick!
I use these from The Dollar Tree:
And, I made my mid-morning hard boiled eggs:
I enjoyed a chocolate iced coffee. I love my frother! Look at that!
I went to the gym and to The Dollar Tree for some school stuff. The college kids had come back after the tearing down the set Saturday night so they hung out with us some more and left at 4:00 and Tom and I went to see the movie Lost City with Sandra Bullock and Channing Tatum. It was cute.
I love you, Friday! It’s time to link up with Andrea and Erika for Friday Favorites.
One big favorite is signs of spring!
I stole this photo from their social media, but look what my library has done now:
So pretty! Remember the green display for St. Patrick’s Day?
Look at my tree blooming!
We finally got our Thin Mints! I let myself have several one time and hopefully I’m done! Tom is still enjoying them.
Another favorite was more spaghetti squash! This time I did a lasagna thing with it! Yum!
Look at baby Ernie that turned up on Facebook!
I made a really yummy teriyaki chicken dish!
I also did meal prep smarter this week. I took the squash for our lunch the next day and I took the teriyaki for our lunch the next day.
We had a fun ceremony for Spanish Honor Society this week!
I made the sherbet punch with rainbow sherbet and ginger-ale.
New favorite flavor:
OMG – so delicious! Anyone tried it?
Another new favorite flavor:
I think LaCroix might be my favorite brand? What is your favorite sparkling water?
I did a Kroger pick up! Love my Wednesday or Thursday pick ups. It is so nice to be fully stocked going into the weekend and I think they have more in stock, too.
And, that’s about it. I feel like all I did was work, eat, and sleep! I made it to the gym three mornings and I walked after school once.
This is a re-post from last March! I am going to try this with my healthy noodles or spaghetti squash. I didn’t have a fresh blog idea so I thought I would bring back a recipe in case anyone is struggling right now. I may not see you back here until Friday for Favorites; I’m on the struggle bus before Spring Break!
O.k., here is a recipe that Tom really, really liked! I have now made it three times and I am really bad about following recipes so each time I have done it slightly differently! Also, I didn’t really know what to call it! I am no food blogger, so I hope I can explain this well. I know we don’t like back stories with our recipes, but indulge me for just a moment!
I saw a recipe and I thought it said Balsamic Chicken, but it actually said Bruschetta Chicken. So, I basically added the balsamic glaze to the bruschetta chicken recipe. I also decided to employ the Tik Tok pasta method and I added angel hair. So, this is really Tik Tok Balsamic Bruschetta Chicken! Whoa!
You need:
chicken (I like the tenders)
grape tomatoes
red onion
basil (if you want; mine went bad so I left it out this time)
garlic
salt
pepper
angel hair (optional – you could do zucchini noodles or just have the chicken)
olive oil
balsamic glaze
mozzarella (I like fresh and I forgot to picture it)
Trigger warning! Raw chicken!
Preheat oven to 400 and assemble your tomatoes, red onion, garlic, salt, pepper, olive oil. Don’t get mad at me, but just throw in the amounts you want. You really can’t mess it up.
That will go in the oven for about 20 minutes.
Now you will use my “moist method” for chicken on the stove top. Trigger warning! Raw chicken!
Season chicken with s, p, and garlic powder if desired. Use medium high heat and put seasoned side down and then season other side. Cook first side until you see white edges.
Flip to other side and cook for about 3 more minutes. Now cover the pan and keep on heat for another 2 minutes or so. Remove from heat but leave lid on. This magically helps to keep chicken moist.
Now drizzle balsamic glaze.
Here’s where my photos kinda dropped off. Your tomato mixture should be done. Take out and smush the tomatoes and mix all around. Put a piece of fresh mozzarella on top of each chicken piece and put in oven for a couple of minutes.
Serve!
Now, this really opens up lots of possibilities. You could totally leave the balsamic out and add this chicken to the true Tik Tok pasta recipe. You could also leave the pasta out and just add the chicken.
I find myself wondering why I haven’t been doing this to tomatoes all of my life. I really like the flavor!
Also, in the summer I love to do a grape tomato and a tiny mozzarella ball on a toothpick and then drizzle balsamic. The flavors are amazing.
I feel like I’m getting to see old friends when I change shoe seasons.
Here is what I like to do:
I first ask myself these questions…
Am I excited to see this shoe?
Would I still buy this shoe today?
Does this shoe still fit my foot, my lifestyle, my clothing style?
I was able to answer YES to the Birkenstock/Faux Birk/Crockenstock collection below:
From left to right…
I wore these gold Birks so much last summer. They are pricey, but I find that they last for multiple seasons. I have already worn them over the weekend, too.
The black patent Birkenstocks were a Mother’s Day gift like 6 years ago. Remember that cost per wear philosophy? Yup.
The black plastic were worn a ton and they came from Target. Still love them. They are a bit lower than I prefer in the heel and the arch, though.
The white plastic were from Amazon and I prefer their heel and arch height.
The Tory Burch were $70 ish at a consignment shop like 8 years ago. I have worn them a lot when I wanted a bit of an elevated look withouth the heel height.
I love the MIA clog sandals. Would you believe I bought these like three years ago? Now, you see this style everywhere! I love these for going out to dinner. They work with jeans and dresses.
The black are Soda brand from Amazon and I have had them for maybe 4 years. I’m not sure if they are still in style, but I always struggle with black sandals for summer.
I love the women sandal. Those were from last year and I wore them out a lot.
And, finally..the Marc Fisher lace up gold. I was “influenced” by a blogger and I loved them so much. I am excited to wear them!
And, as far as new spring and summer sandals for 2022..
Introducing the Sorel blush sandals from a consignment store for $17. I think they retail for about $120.
And, I wanted to try the clear trend. I think these from Target are gonna be good. I love the woven heel. I first saw these on Instagram because of Lindsay.
I still have them attached, so this photo was awkward. Also, I have a bit of hammertime going on in the foot department, but I plan to get a professional pedicure soon.
One should never make others look at their feet, so for this I apologize. I did it for you; I wanted you to be able to see the sandal.
Some people talk about a “starter” piece to see if they fully embrace/like a trend. So, Target is a good place to try trends, even though I have a rule to not buy Target shoes if I can help it. I have failed from time to time. The siren song is just too strong.
I am not sure what holes are in my spring and summer shoe wardrobe yet.
I do have some in my donate/sell pile. I just know that I shouldn’t keep something that wasn’t able to be answered affirmatively in my questions above.
What about you? Have you been sandal shopping? Any trends you want to try? Any favorite summer shoe brands? I guess you can tell I love Birkenstock, but I also love Reef. They make the best flip flops in my opinion.
I still have 9 more school days to go until Spring Break! Limping along! I am happy to link up with Holly and Sarah today for Hello Monday!
Let’s go back to Thursday…I put Jen’s corned beef brisket in the crockpot with veggies, but I wanted to do something fun and the weather was gorgeous!
So, green beer and first time of the year 2022 at Captain’s Quarters on the river!
with Erica, my co-worker, meal prep partner, and friend who is always game for a happy hour.
This is new freedom for me to be able to go out after school on a whim- just a couple of years ago and I was still running around with after school activities and mom duties, you know!
We both agreed that just sitting by the water helped to relieve some stress.
Then, I was home by 5:30 to have dinner!
Friday lunch was buffalo turkey meatballs – yum! This was Erica’s turn:
I got a fun photo after school of my seniors who were in the musical…
They were eating at McAlister’s before call time.
It was time for the first live theatre event at my school since 2019!
But first, dinner at Mojito! Elizabeth had a sick dog and couldn’t end up joining Erica and I, sadly.
I ordered salad with grilled chicken:
and we split some potatoes:
and Erica got a mushroom flatbread:
I got to sit next to a former student at the play!
and current students were in front of us:
Our Snoopy!
Snoopy and Snoopy’s beau:
I got home around 9:30 and then watched some tv and fell asleep on the couch. As I was heading to bed, the tornado sirens started going off! I had no idea that the weather had turned.
In addition to the sirens, our phones went off, and our Alexas went off. They kept extending the warnings and I am not kidding when I say the sirens went off for almost an hour from 11:00 p.m.- midnight. Our college kids had been hanging out together and the dorms had them huddle in the laundry room. They were texting me and a bit shaken, I think.
I just can’t sleep in that much anymore, so I was tired all day Saturday.
Saturday morning coffee – much needed:
I did some cleaning, organizing, and a bit of cooking. I ran to Trader Joe’s and did the gym.
Then, Tom and I left to try to get brunch or lunch and we tried 3 places and it wasn’t meant to be! We tried two that had a 40 minute wait and the third was no wait, but we couldn’t get waited on and had to leave in time to see a tiny college play that both kids were in. They had small roles, but since we are close we wanted to see it. There were like 20 people in the audience and it was like a horror videogame theme. I am glad I had a Built bar in my purse.
Group of friends:
So, we left and I finally got my lunch at 5:00!
I had an Angry Orchard:
Tom wanted nachos and I had some, too:
I had a salad and
grilled chicken tenders with buffalo sauce:
Yum!
I was so tired when we got home but I decided to try Life & Beth – the new Amy Schumer show. Um, not good, unless I was just too tired to focus…
I got in bed early and then got up Sunday around 7:00 and did a bit of reading and coffee drinking…
and then some meal prep:
I really enjoy this morning weekend time and had an iced foamy protein coffee, too.
I am trying to either wear all of my spring stuff or put it in the donate/sell pile. I steamed some stuff for the week. I’m obsessed with steaming!
Then, on the first official day of spring…I got out my lemon decor!
It was beautiful out and I got some needed Vitamin D. But, I also had a quick Target return and ironically enough, I had to buy my Vitamin D gummies – ha!
The college kids were coming home for the day! They came for lunch and dinner and then went back. I made them some snacks and a…
copycat McD’s honey mustard snack wrap:
and homemade mac and cheese with the giant noodles from Trader Joe’s. I used my cousin April’s recipe!
And, they were happy to have their mom’s cooking! We hung out and watched a couple of shows and chatted. They are already starting to wrap up the second semester – believe it or not. I think classes end in about a month and then they have a study break and then finals. It has gone by so quickly.
How was your weekend? As usual, we need another day, right?
Happy St. Patrick’s Day and happy birthday to my sister Kate!
It’s time to link up with Jill and Kellyann for Fashion Files.
Let’s go back to last week…
This is the day the mask came off! I think you can tell how happy I am. I am wearing my Walmart Scoop blazer (I have it in black, too, and I have worn each of them 3-4 times already!) I wish you could feel the material. It’s divine. I don’t use that word lightly. I wore my light jeans and my new bow mule flats – more information to come on those…
Don’t you love my photo backgrounds? Some bloggers find cool painted buildings or architectural details, but I have lockers.
The next day I wore my old JCPenney Liz Claiborne (name dropping!) chambray popover that finally fits correctly and my Hue jeggings with the bow mule flats.
Here is a better view:
I picked these up a few weeks ago at DSW.
Saturday for the pre-parade party and parade I wore a new green Target cardigan and my new green beer earrings and shamrock headband. Beth is in the middle and Erica is on the right. Erica doesn’t get excited about holidays at all, does she?
I love this dress! I bought it at Target back in the fall and it has pockets. So, yes, it has a bit of that Target Little House on the Prairie vibe, but I am ok with that. My gold clogs are a lewk, right? I cannot tell you how many students that I don’t even know tell me that they love them. And, it’s mostly boys! Street cred, maybe? I wonder if they talk about me and say, “you know – that middle aged teacher lady with those gold clogs?”
I just want to tell you again how perfect these gold hoops are. They would make an excellent gift. They look way more expensive than $12 and they are lightweight! Love!
I ordered this blouse from an online boutique called Shop.Set.Apart because I fell in love at first sight. It’s a light pink background. I love palm leaves. I’m not sure about the jeans or the clogs with it, but oh well. I found the boutique because the owner lost weight on WW and sometimes gives recipes/meal ideas. I enjoy these little boutiques because I feel like they have different things than what you see in the stores. Do you have any favorite online boutiques. Sizing can be tricky sometimes, though.
Do you have a favorite outfit from above? This is the craziest time to get dressed. One of the above outfits was for 30 degrees and one was for 70 degrees!
Are you a fan of spaghetti squash? I am a pretty new fan. Here is the easiest way I have found to cook it and once you do the possibilities are endless, really!
Microwave your uncut spaghetti squash for about 3 minutes for a smallish one and maybe 4 or 5 for a bigger one. Allow to cool for a bit and then slice down the middle. It is very hard to cut without the microwave step.
Then, the microwave also has made the cleaning out process easier. With a spoon, dig out all of the seeds.
Pour a bit of olive oil and add salt and pepper to each half and then put cut side down on a cookie sheet lined with foil. Cook for about 30 minutes at 375.
When you take it out, you should be able to easily create “spaghetti” with a fork.
Follow Allie.Carte.Dishes on Instagram! She said to add a wedge of laughing cow to create an alfredo taste.
It is amazing! I then added some cajun spice, cooked chicken, and broccoli. I can’t wait to make this dish again.
I have also had a burrito bowl this week:
I have really been taking the time to marinate my chicken lately. You can just throw spices and olive oil in a bag or you can use a packet of taco seasoning or this:
I really like this mojito lime packet.
Erica made us a grilled chicken spinach strawberry salad with feta. She just brought olive oil and balsamic vinegar to dress it. Yum!
How was your Spring Forward Monday? Were you as tired as I was?
Here is our family’s favorite salad:
I make a dressing from about 1/2 cup olive oil, 1/2 cup honey, and about 1/4 cup of either yellow or dijon mustard or a combo of both. I add some cajun spice, some pepper, some garlic powder, and a bit of water to thin it out. That’s it!
I think this calls for good old iceberg lettuce!
Then, I add cucumbers, tomatoes, cheese, bacon, hard boiled egg (why is hard boiled egg so good in salads?), and I like the Texas Toast croutons if you can find them.
I leave off a few things for myself and sometimes add a bit of sliced avocado. This salad also is wonderful with grilled chicken or frozen breaded chicken heated in the oven or airfryer.
I am really craving salads right now! Are you a big salad person?
Would your family go for this salad? By the way, the dressing is great for dipping pretzels or just plain chicken, too!
My first favorite it that it is FRIDAY! And, we are supposed to get some snow overnight – Say what?
My second favorite is that it is Daylight Savings Time change weekend! Are you ready to “spring forward”? I am!
Another really big favorite..
we were allowed to remove the mask yesterday! It just kinda came about all of a sudden in my district. It may seem silly or that it is such a small thing, but it feels huge to me. I had not taught in person without a mask since March 13, 2020. That is two calendar years and a really long time.
It was so fun seeing full faces! I had some fun with a senior:
Hello, old friends:
Now I can wear bigger earrings and lipstick to work. Now I can breathe!
I changed up my home mani this week:
I forgot to show/tell you, but I bought two bundles of the $1.99 daffodils at Trader Joe’s last weekend and I added them to these cool vases I found for 70% off at Meijer. I got a wild hair and added green food coloring to the water.
New favorite flavor of sparkling water…
La Croix passionfruit!
My sister did a cute gel polish and sent me this pic:
I think I will do alternating green and white for St. Patrick’s Day?
I did something crazy to keep myself motivated and kinda as a reward for my health journey…
Sun Tany City spray tan:
Awkward photo of my legs:
And, even more shocking…I went to the gym at 5:00 a.m. everyday this week. I knew it was time to add this and it has been really nice, but I’m a little sore. I am not exactly sure what my routine will be but this week I did legs one day, upper body the next, cardio only the next, then back to legs, then upper body. I am still walking after school, too.
This week I did Sunday at 7:00 a.m., and then Monday-Thursday. I think I will do Monday-Thursday and take Friday morning off. I’m not sure yet. I felt it important to do it everyday this week to start the habit off well. I think an every other day plan would have made it easier to just not do it.
Peep Tom in the white shirt:
He goes at 5:00, too. It’s a no frills gym really close to our house.
And, lastly, I want to say that I tried my cheap silk pillowcase from Amazon again and it’s made a huge difference in how my hair looks in the morning. It keeps it really smooth. I hope it’s keeping my face smooth, too. Honestly, I prefer a “cooler” feeling pillow, but I can sacrifice because of the benefits I’m seeing with my hair.
What were your favorites this week? I hope you had many!
It is time for another edition of Fashion Files! I am joining Kellyann and Jill!
Last week I showed you my fun new spring accessories – two headbands and some St. Paddy’s day beaded earrings.
And…
It hadn’t yet arrived for the price of $15.99 from Walmart.com, but I also showed you my lemon sweater in the stock photo…
Here I wore it to have breakfast with my friend Beth. It really seems like better quality than one would expect from a $15 sweater! It’s also a nice soft material.
And, the ever stylish Beth:
I was also able to wear it to school this week because it got colder. I am happy to report that I was not hot at all!
And, it was still cold enough the next day to wear my bright pink sweater!
I think it is so nice to look for elevated basics for your wardrobe. Everyone needs a few solid color tops, but I like looking for an element that makes it a little more special. I can vouch for the Amazon Essentials quality and the price is much better than the Tuckernuck or the BR versions.
What have you been wearing lately?
Amy
P.S. – As you are reading this, it will be my first day since March 13, 2020 to teach in person without a mask and to see my students in person without masks. Not to be overly dramatic, but I am crying because I’m so happy and I really didn’t think this would ever happen in my district this year. Hello lipstick!
Coffee and Cocktails at the Casa 