Coffee and Cocktails at the Casa

Monday, March 21, 2022

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?

Amy

Thursday, March 17, 2022

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!

Thanks for visiting me,

Amy

Wednesday, March 16, 2022

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!

Let me know if you try the spaghetti squash!

Amy

Tuesday, March 15, 2022

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!

Amy

Friday, March 11, 2022

It is time to link up here for Friday Favorites!

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!

Happy Weekend,

Amy

Thursday, March 10, 2022

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!

Do you remember my pink Amazon Essentials tee?

Well..I wanted to tell you that I have seen this style tee on Tuckernuck and Banana Republic so I think this style is a trend for spring and summer.

Here is mine:

And, I think I like this version even better!

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!

Wednesday, March 9, 2022

My blog post title today might seem a bit dramatic…

Let me explain…

I am piggybacking off of The Lazy Genius podcast and Modern Mrs. Darcy blog. Both of these ladies, Kendra and Anne, have taken this question from author Barbara Brown Taylor. They periodically update their audiences with answers to this question. Brown Taylor says that is the more positive side of the question, “What’s killing you right now?”, which people seem ready to answer at the drop of a hat; we as humans do really like to complain, no? This resonated with me each time I read or heard the responses and it prompted me to name my things that are saving me right now. Forgive me if I am a broken record, because I probably am in some of my responses. I do a version of this each Friday with Friday Favorites, but today I will go a bit deeper.

1. Meal Prep

I choose to take a bit of time on the weekend to make my life easier during the week. Last weekend I did a breakfast casserole and the weekend before I did breakfast burritos, boiled some eggs, and baked some potatoes, along with cooking up some cauliflower rice. I usually watch a show while I cook and I just really enjoy this time and consider it a gift to my future self – or my self of a few days later – ha! I use this throughout the week and I do vary what I prep each week.

In addition to that, I also make two-three lunches for myself and my work meal prep partner.

This week I made chicken sausage, brussel sprouts, mushrooms, and potatoes:

and turkey meatballs, fake pasta (made from hearts of palm), and broccoli.

I am a reflective person and when I reflect on this school year, one of the highlights will be our lunches. That may sound silly, but it really helped me to be healthier and to lose weight. I didn’t feel that I was sacrificing and it was nice to have someone to share in the lunch duty. We can’t easily order in or do anything but bring a lunch as teachers and we both say we have never eaten better.

So, this may be silly, but it really helped/is helping us through one of the hardest years of our teaching careers. I keep it pretty positive here on the blog, but teaching has gotten much harder and it was already crazy hard. Supporting young people during a pandemic is hard. The responsibilities placed in the hands of schools that trickle down to little ol’ me are overwhelming. The technology addiction is crazy. We have opened Pandora’s Box and I don’t think we can close it now. I could say more, but I won’t.

2. The hints of spring weather we have been having

Yeah, so it’s cold again this week, but the respite from the cold was good for me. Even though I knew it wasn’t really spring yet, it reminded me of what spring feels like and looks like. I love when the world comes to life again. Winter in a pandemic is even more depressing! So, why not move to a warmer climate? I love the four distinct-ish seasons and maybe I like to complain about winter like other old people – I don’t know. I do think the winter helps us to appreciate the spring and summer.

3. Boundaries between work and home life

I have gotten better about just not checking email after I arrive home and not checking it until I get to school the next morning. I mean…am I ever going to get good news via work email? Probably not! I am going to get a message about one.more.thing.I.need.to.do or an email from a student saying, “can I still make up this assignment?” and I can just tell them the next day in class or respond during my work hours. Please don’t think I don’t care, because I do. I am willing to work with kids up to an hour before school starts any day of the week or most days after school for as long as they need. But, we have got to create more of a work/life balance in this age of 24/7 availability.

I actually took work email off of my phone and can only access it by using my phone’s browser or getting out my laptop. I also got rid of Google Classroom on my phone and my school’s grading program app.

I am a much better teacher when I get the rest I need to be 100% the next day at school!

So… what’s saving you right now?

Amy

Tuesday, March 8 2022

In my opinion, it has never been easier to eat healthy at a restaurant! There are so many more healthy options today! I love going out to eat! Do you? These days, I am getting very little take out because I am cooking more at home. I know it looks like I go out a lot, but I really don’t. I am cooking most of my meals at home. When I do go out now, it feels like more of a treat. Also, I was pretty strict during the almost two years of Covid and didn’t eat out indoors very much at all.

So, here’s the deal with our current empty nest situation. Tom goes out to lunch every.single.workday with only a few exceptions. Every now and then his office will order food and every now and then he will come home for lunch, but it’s not that convenient to do so, so he rarely does. It used to really bother me that he ate lunch out every day – because of the expense and maybe I was a tad jealous? But, when I took the time to ask him why – finally – he said he just needs the mental break and the change of scenery from being in his office all day. That really helped me and now I just don’t think about it. He often brings leftovers home that I serve him for dinner another night! Ha! He is really good about stopping when he is full and he doesn’t like to waste food.

So, because Tom goes out to lunch every day, he is not that excited to go out to dinner – even on a Friday night. Plus, Friday nights are crazy around here at our restaurants and we are both tired and it’s just not that enjoyable. I think many restaurants are still struggling from Covid-related issues and many are short staffed. So, we go out on Saturday nights maybe two-three nights a month. I have found that a good compromise for me is that I have an almost weekly happy hour with a friend so that I feel like I got to go out. This is working for us right now in this season of life. And, when our kids come home, they want to eat home cooked food at home.

Here is my plan when I do go out to eat.

Like I mentioned, I try to only eat out on the weekends when I use up my extra WW Weeklies. I get 23 points a day and then an additional 28 to use as needed. I try to use those mostly on Saturdays. I can earn extra points for exercise, vegetables, and water, but I try not to add those on. If I do eat out on a weeknight or have a happy hour during the week, that’s ok – I just try to plan ahead with the rest of my day – or week.

-I plan ahead. If I know I am going out to dinner I try to keep my breakfast and lunch lighter and healthier.

-I always look up the menu online. This is a game changer. I try to always know what I am going to order before getting there. Pre-WW I was super indecisive when looking at menus, so this has been nice in that regard, too. I don’t overthink it anymore. You know when you arrive at a restaurant with friends and you want to visit with them right away but you also have to decide what to order? This method has helped with that.

-Breakfast or brunch can be an easy meal to eat out – eggs are always a great choice for me. I really have been enjoying the omelette with a salad on the side thing. I also love to try to re-create restaurant meals at home, so I started doing this sometimes for dinner.

My favorite farmer’s market skillet at one of my fave breakfast spots:

I do try not to “drink” too many calories so I get either a plain coffee or an Americano:

But, you know I do save some points for my cocktails! Ha! You may have peeped a mimosa or two in my photos above. I love a mimosa!

I recently met a friend for breakfast and did the bagel sandwich thing. The rest of my day was a salad and a veggie and lean protein dinner. So, I stayed within my daily range!

A Mexican omelette at a Mexican breakfast place:

I really have grown to love vegetable sushi:

I split things a lot! My friend and I split this chicken teriyaki bowl and I have since re-created it as much as I could at home!

It’s not always easy to figure out the points in restaurants, but the WW app is pretty cool and you can get pretty close.

I always get my salad dressings on the side because I cannot stand when they go crazy with dressing and I have always been that way. It ruins a salad.

And, ultimately I eat what I’m craving at a restaurant because I still want to live my life! I never want to be that overly fussy person at a restaurant either.

You can tell them not to bring bread so you aren’t tempted, but when you are with other people that would just be plain mean to do to them! I do eat bread when it’s worth it, like this bread:

I’ve had dreams about this bread… ahhhhh…I could live on bread and potatoes!

Anyway, what’s your best restaurant tip?

Amy

Monday, March 7, 2022

This post is coming to you late because of technical problems – again! Ugh!

Also, I slept in today because we had a three day weekend!

I started my weekend on Friday after school with a little happy hour here with Erica:

Then, I stopped and got our favorite mediterranean food and Blizzards. We had been waiting for Jack to return home from NYC to have this meal.

I also made a pan of brownies!

We are watching The Great on Hulu with them now – it is very R.

Saturday morning it felt like spring!

I did TJ’s and Target pretty early and it was wonderful!

I had the sun roof open!

I spent some time on my deck reading and it was just what I needed!

Breakfast on the deck, too:

For dinner, I made honey mustard salad with chicken:

and loaded potato rounds with ciabatta bread:

I did a variation for me:

Also, I made a healthy copycat shamrock shake! It was pretty good!

I went back out to read after dinner:

And, another breakfast on the deck on Sunday:

We went to the movies – all four of us – to see the new Batman.

Then, I made chicken teriyaki bowls and our college kids left to go back to campus.

What was the highlight of your weekend?

Amy

Friday, March 4, 2022

Well, I am trying to re-do this post as it didn’t save yesterday – oh well. So, it will be a bit shorter.

I am linking up with Friday Favorites here!

My first favorite is that Jack arrived back late Wednesday night from NYC and we still have a few more days left of the college kids home for spring break!

Do you use Flight Aware to track flights? It’s really cool!

Another fave this week was walking into my library and seeing this green display! I love color!

I am reading this:

with this on deck:

Did you celebrate Mardi Gras? I made Tom an old favorite that I have been making him for like 24 years – no joke. Emeril Lagasse’s couscous jambalaya with spoon bread was our meal. I actually used cauliflower rice for my portion and I may do that again. It was really good!

I tried another flavor of Bubly. I am using this in the afternoons to make myself think I’m having a cocktail – and it helps me reach my daily water goal.

I love Essie marshmallow!

I love my Thrive Causemetics mascara and using a primer with it is a game changer. I’m really happy with this very affordable Essence option.

And, I am new to the brow game, but I like to make sure I put some face lotion on each brow and let it set it a bit, then glide the NYX Fill and Fluff pencil over each brow, followed by the sponge at the other end. Then, I use the brow mascara. It lasts all day.

I can’t wait to wear my new accessories! Did you catch my Fashion Files yesterday here?

Actually, I did already wear the headband to school to mark the beginning of March!

What were your favorites this week? I hope you had many!

Cheers to the weekend,

Amy