Coffee and Cocktails at the Casa

Friday, July 15, 2022

It is my 22nd anniversary today! We have a reservation for dinner!

It’s time to link up for everyones’ favorite with the ladies here! Check out some new blogs and maybe you’ll find some keepers.

So, it was a good week here for me. I had lots of time at home, time to run errands (but not many this week – just Costco and a Kroger pick up), time to sit outside and read, time to watch tv, time to cook for myself and my family, time to be a bit social, and just time to summer! Yes, I am using that as a verb!

As I let my hair grow longer, it has been super tangly. I have stick straight really fine hair, but lots of it. My old Wet Brush was not working and I had some de-tangling spray that also wasn’t really working. Someone (sorry!) shared this new to me style of Wet Brush and it really works. I don’t even think I need to find a spray anymore.

I used my new purse this week to go to brunch. You cannot beat the price of this purse and it looks like it costs more. I think they offer 26 different colors! I think it looks super cute with the thick guitar straps, too. These straps can be removed so that you can put a different one on.

I did pretty well at Costco as far as sticking to my list, but I bought myself a new blanket. When your college kids come home, they steal all of your phone chargers and blankets. Just a fair warning! Our basement is finished and that’s where I like to be in the summer because the AC is so cold down there!

Even Ernie likes it!

I made myself a lunch one day this week from some arugula that I bought and needed to use and some pasta salad I made this weekend. So, the arugula was just covered in a dressing I made up with olive oil, lemon juice, and some spices and then I put the pasta salad next to it and added grilled chicken.

For the pasta salad, I used whole wheat bow ties, mozzarella balls cut in fourths, grape tomatoes cut in half, and then I googled caprese pasta salad and followed directions for a balsamic dressing. I took this on the boat on Sunday and my friend Elizabeth loved it so I sent her home with the leftovers, but I had another container at home. Funny story – my sister Molly had also made caprese pasta salad and we didn’t even talk about it ahead of time! We are also #jamsisters this summer. I have made 3 batches (2 that weren’t exactly right) and 1 that is amazing! And, she has made strawberry and blueberry. My other sister hates to cook and hates to be in conversations where people are talking about cooking.

So, I have been to Whole Foods twice this summer and I don’t hate it. In fact, I think that the prices seem more in line with “normal” grocery stores now. Is this the Amazon influence or is this the “everything costs a lot now” issue?

This frosting mix – I didn’t even know that was a thing – is to die for. It was recommended by one of my IG follows – Rosie in Real Life – and I am buying this again. You mix it with a stick of butter and add milk. And, yes, I made a no occasion chocolate cake just so I could try it. And, try it I did!

Will I become a regular Whole Foods shopper? I don’t know. Ours is in a highly congested traffic area so I would have to be a super early bird to make it work.

A fun outing this week was a brunch with my niece Morgan. We went to Gralehaus which is behind Holy Grale. Gralehaus is mostly breakfast food and closes at 2:00 and Holy Grale opens at 2:00, I think. They have the cutest little German-ish biergarten inspired garden in between the two.

Morgan got a matcha drink and I tried a beermosa. It was pretty good – orange juice and beer.

I got the ugly fritatta – the only thing I’ve ever gotten here because it’s so good!

Morgan got an eggs and grains bowl that looked really good and she enjoyed.

Look how cute she is! She is a nurse and works nights.

My Hokas arrived. Can I just wear these shoes everyday now?

Ernie helped me do a test drive and they feel amazing.

My friend just got back from Paris and London and showed me some pictures and then I found this picture of my Dad and his girls from our European adventure. I think I was 23, Kate was 20, and Molly was 17. I am on the left, Molly is the beanpole in the middle, and Kate is on the right. My Dad stayed for two weeks and the rest of us traveled for four weeks. We did Amsterdam and some smaller towns in Holland, Paris, Brussels and the little town where our exchange student was from, a tiny bit of Germany, a tiny bit of Luxumbourg, Italy and Spain. The year was 1995 I think. Look at those 90s fashions that are all back in style!

And, this is my friend who went to Paris and London and this is us on our first day on college campus. She is getting ready to send her first to college so I went this for her.

I’ve been cleaning out papers and photos this week, too!

Did you shop the Nordstrom Sale or Prime Day deals? I ordered three little Prime Day things and today I am going to try to get some Wit and Wisdom jeans now that I can shop the N Sale.

I had a really good lunch another day. Did you read my cajun bowl idea? I roasted a spaghetti squash and then used the leftover diced tomatoes and turkey sausage and green beans and added lots of cajun seasoning and this was delish!

And, I had a walking meet up with my friend Victoria. This is called The Reservoir and is part of our water company. I never think to walk here and need to do this more. I’m the worst selfie taker and I’m concentrating so hard I forgot to smile!

This is the gatehouse for the reservoir. Victoria was wondering if someone actually used to live here to keep watch on the water supply.

Looks kinda European, right? You just walk around the outside perimeter and several other people were doing the same.

What a hodgepodge of favorites this week, right?

What were your favorites?

If you are new around here, this week I posted Hello Monday, Healthy-ish, Cajun Bowls, and Fashion Files and welcome – I’m glad you’re here!

Amy

Thursday, July 14, 2022

It’s been awhile since I felt that I could link up with Fashion Files and I’m still just barely able to! Thank you to Kellyann and Jill for providing this link up!

From about June 28 until about July 9, I didn’t see anyone except my immediate family and I didn’t go anywhere other than out to buy supplies because 75% of my house had Covid. I was the only one who had had Covid back in the winter, but still I was a bit worried I would get it again, so I did lay low and wear a mask.

I actually think the fact that I have a closet full of clothes and I was only wearing lounge wear and active wear helped me to look away from all the Nordstrom sale talk and the Amazon Prime talk. Is it just me or does Nordstrom’s sale offerings look exactly the same as they have for years? The booties are the same, the jackets are the same, the sweaters are the same…I know it would be great to buy one investment piece at a lower price, but there has not been anything that tempted me. It’s a great way to get a tried and true beauty product, I think, but I am using up what I have right now. I am going to see if the Wit and Wisdom Itty Bitty Bootcut jeans are available in my size tomorrow.

Loved this from one of my IG follows!

From Prime Days, I did buy a headband, some straws, and some of the Deep Sleep pillow spray.

I am a bit disgruntled with the blogging/influencer community right now. I need more blogs that help me stay satisfied with my own wardrobe and give me new ways to wear old things. I guess there is no money to be made that way, right? It just all looks the same on every blog I read. Maybe I’m the problem!

Anyway, I did get “dressed” to have a date night last Saturday. I wore my Walmart black cut offs, a black tank, and my new Kohl’s super soft button down. I wore my last year’s Mark Fisher sandals that I love. I wanted to use my black Amazon purse but my friend took it to Paris and London (with my blessing!) so I did my clear purse.

I was comfortable and I was trying out the open shirt look. By keeping the colors the same – black shorts with black tank – it can give off a slimming effect, in my opinion.

So, my friend said that this Amazon purse was the perfect size for her Paris and London trip. She proceeded to order both colors for herself and I proceeded to add “beige” to my collection. I think it looks more cream, but Amazon calls it “beige” in the listing. Here is that purse if you are interested.

It has a side pocket for your phone and an inside pocket, too. I think they look super cute with the wider guitar straps, too. I decided to get the lighter color because I have wished for it so many times this summer as I was deciding which purse to carry. I think it will be great to have! The tassel is super cute, too.

I still love my ON shoes and I love that fact that you don’t have to tie them, but I was in the market for a new exercise shoe.

I ordered some Hokas from Zappos after trying them on in a store to see how I liked them. I would have bought them from the store, but they only had a really dark purple and I just didn’t want that color.

I took my first walk in them yesterday and they are so cushiony!

What have you been wearing lately?

Amy

Wednesday, July 13, 2022

I have a new “recipe” for you! I put recipe in quotes because you could really throw anything together for this. And, you will see by my photo that I kinda did! Now, this received the Tom stamp of approval. He was sad that he couldn’t finish his because he got full.

A word about my “bowls”. Tom is super easy to please in the dinner department. He doesn’t want to have to make another decision so the fact that I have something ready for him at 6:00 ish makes him very happy. He is happy with tuna and crackers, tomato soup and grilled cheese, frozen Totino’s pizza, etc. I just put pressure on myself to make a nice meal most nights. He never cooks, by the way. He leaves for work at 7:00 am and gets home close to 6:00 pm and it’s just not his gift. He goes to bed at 8:30 so he likes to eat fairly early. #weold

I have been obsessed with “bowls”. I do a burrito bowl, egg roll in a bowl, an Asian/Teriyaki chicken bowl, buffalo bowl (for me – Tom doesn’t like buffalo sauce), KFC copycat bowl, and probably more that I can’t think of right now.

One night I did ask what Tom wanted for dinner and he said “anything NOT in a bowl”.

I told him that I would put his on a plate then.

Anyway…Tom loves cajun food and still bemoans the fact that his favorite cajun place went out of business. In fact, I think I hooked him with Emeril’s couscous jambalaya when we were dating…

So, I started with a base of Zatarain’s jambalaya rice in the box. It’s super easy – you just bring water and the rice mix to a boil and then simmer for 25 minutes. Then, I used already cooked, grilled chicken, and turkey sausage that I browned up. I sauteed the holy trinity of cajun cooking – onions, green peppers, and celery. Emeril taught me that this is called “the holy trinity”. I added frozen corn to the same skillet, then I roasted green beans in the air fryer just for some more veg/green. Oh, and I also added diced tomatoes and sprinkled some Tony Cachere’s on them.

For my bowl, I used cauliflower rice and just a spoonful of the jambalaya for flavor. I also measured out my turkey sausage to get 3 WW points worth. I estimate this meal was about 5 WW points in total for me.

Here is another meal that I think my meal prep partner Erica would enjoy.

You could also do shrimp in this bowl. You could do okra. I googled “cajun ingredients” and there are lots of variations on this. I also got images that looked like a “low country boil”, which could also make a great bowl! I think the next time I make this I will add the holy trinity and the diced tomatoes to the cauliflower rice along with the cajun spice and really incorporate it. This would be great for using up leftovers, too.

What do you think? Would you make a cajun bowl? Are you into bowls?

Amy

Tuesday, July 12, 2022

Let’s talk about what I’m doing to try to be healthier these days! I have lots of Eating Lately posts – just go to my search bar – but today’s post will include some other things and be a little bit different I hope.

First of all, I have started taking one of these Ashwagandha gummies in the evenings. According to the bottle, you can take up to four a day, but I am just doing one. I feel like I’m sleeping pretty soundly and waking up less. This could be in my head? They taste amazing.

I purchased Redmond’s real salt at Whole Foods. I am trying to get used to it; it doesn’t taste as salty as I am used to.

I added electrolyte water to my daily routine. I also picked this up at Whole Foods.

I like that they also had some individual sticks to try out different flavors. I think I like blue raspberry the best, but they are all good.

Ok, so I firmly believe that to lose weight it is 80% diet and 20% exercise. I started my getting healthy journey with just the eating part of it. I then added walking after I had lost some weight. If you exercise but don’t change your diet, you probably will not lose. I have done this, so I know.

In the last year, I have learned so much more about nutrition. I knew a fair amount before and I knew what I needed to do, but I just didn’t have the mental discipline to make it happen.

One of the things that I firmly believe is that women are not getting enough protein. We need about 30-40 grams of protein per meal.

This is 30 grams:

It is about a cup of chopped chicken. I used to think I was being healthy by ordering the “vegetarian sandwich” or the entree without meat. I think this left me unsatisfied which led to snacking.

There are lots of ways that I get my protein: grilled chicken, ground turkey, turkey sausage, eggs, fat free cottage cheese, my protein shake, high protein yogurt, high protein granola in said yogurt…

I highly recommend these breakfast sausages:

My low carb egg casserole with the sausages. The egg casserole has 6 eggs, fat free cottage cheese, and then with the sausages you are getting a good amount of protein.

Black beans are another way I get some protein. I usually have black beans a few times a week in one of my burrito bowls. I like this boxed container I found at Whole Foods but I always have a few cans on hand in my pantry.

Fajitas at your favorite Mexican place are a great way to get that protein. I prefer just chicken and shrimp, but this order also had some chorizo. I skip their rice and beans and use my own cauliflower rice at home or I just do without at the restaurant. Now, I could totally have some rice if I wanted, but it’s not something that I really love.

Recent “sub in a tub” for lunch:

This was just lettuce, turkey, cheese, pickles, banana peppers, and a simple olive oil dressing with italian seasonings. I have been trying to have one salad a day with protein on it. If you don’t have the protein, you won’t be full and will start looking around for more food!

My green beans got a little overcooked, but this is just already cooked grilled chicken, cauliflower rice, buffalo sauce, and a homemade ranch dressing.

The most important condiments/sauces in my repertoire:

buffalo sauce, mustard, fat free sour cream, plain non-fat Greek yogurt, lemon juice (the big bottle), lime juice (the big bottle), soy sauce, Pam spray, avocado oil, olive oil, and water. I add water to so many of my sauces to thin them out.

A recent meal of zucchini noodles/zoodles. I bought a little hand held contraption years ago called a “vegetti” where you insert your zucchini and spirals come out. I added Trader Joe’s turkey meatballs (not good – make your own!) My friend Kim gave me this amazing recipe and I have used it in italian cuisine and I have added buffalo sauce. They freeze well, too!

I have found that some Asian sauces are pretty low in calories and you really don’t need much.

My beloved protein shake/iced coffee:

The low carb egg casserole:

Mix together 6 eggs, half cup of fat free cottage cheese, and one container of green chiles. Add some salt, pepper, cajun seasoning, garlic powder, whatever spices you enjoy. Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes. I like it a little more golden on top. This is zero WW points for me.

My Spanish omelette. I used two whole eggs and two egg whites and add some water. I add thinly sliced potato and onion. I let one side get browned and then using a plate I flip that bad boy and cook the other side. The Spaniards cut it like a pizza and they like it room temp. Potatoes are not the enemy in my opinion.

I refuse to hate what I eat! I can eat anything I want, but I want to feel good. Spices and sauces are my friends. I had some fried food Saturday night and I overate. It’s not a good feeling. The Japanese stop eating at 80% full. I wish I knew my 80% but I’m working on it.

I plate everything I eat. I’m worth it. I make it look nice. That is part of enjoying and savoring your meals, no?

I want to give a plug to Amanda Nighbert. You should follow her on Instagram. I have not done her LEAN program, but I think it is probably really good. The thing is that many programs can be good, but only if you are ready to do them.

Amanda is a registered dietician and gives mountains of information for free. She doesn’t have to do this, but she does. She will answer your questions on IG even if you aren’t a client.

Summer Eating Schedule:

So, I have two cups of coffee in the morning, a protein/iced coffee late morning, lots of water, two cups of electrolyte water, and just continue drinking water the rest of the day. I try to only drink alcohol on the weekends.

I eat breakfast between 8-10 depending on what I am doing and I try to workout before eating. I always have eggs with either vegetables or sausage or both.

I eat lunch around 12-1 and I try to have salad with protein or vegetables and protein.

I get a little snacky and usually do popcorn, avocado toast, string cheese, or yogurt.

For dinner around 6:00, I eat whatever my family is eating with a few variations or substitutions. I cook around 3:00 so that Mason can eat before work and then it’s ready. I don’t do this every night because sometimes we eat leftovers.

I am happy to report that I stopped the evening snacking! After dinner I will have a Dove mini ice cream bar (3 WW points) or a Dum Dum. If I didn’t have popcorn in the afternoon, I will sometimes have that in the evening, but I was able to stop the snacking in the last couple of weeks and I am so happy! If I brush my teeth early, I usually don’t want to ruin that. Ha!

Now, the perfect day is when I go to bed between 9-10 and get up around 6. I just don’t feel great when I push it past 10. I also think this is where the snacking comes in. I need to go to bed before I get the idea to snack.

Now let’s talk exercise:

I started out really strong June 1 and since then, your girl has struggled. I was Jazzercising, going to the gym, or walking 4-5 times a week. Then, Covid hit my house at the end of June and I didn’t think I should risk taking it to the gym or to the Jazzercise studio so I sat out for a week. It was super hot that week and I didn’t walk, either. Then, it was 4th of July and my week was discombobulated. So, I am currently working on gym and walking. I am having a hard time making the Jazzercise times work for me. The class I want is not at the time I want. I also knew it was just a summer thing, so maybe that is part of it. Just being real. Hangs head. I am also going to buy myself some Hokas, so hoping that will energize my walking. My shoes are in need of replacing.

I am actually going back to basics with tracking my food on my WW app more diligently and I will be checking out my own posts for some new old food ideas. Check out Eating Lately here, here, here.

And, listen…I am trying not to be obsessive. I am living my life and I am not asking for special accomodations when I go somewhere. It’s all about balance.

How are you doing this summer?

Amy

Monday, July 11, 2022

How was your weekend? Mine was better with everyone pretty much back to “normal” in my house. I am linking up with Holly and Sarah to share!

Also, I want to remind/tell everyone that I have a search bar on this amateur blog! If you are reading from a tablet/phone you need to scroll all the way down to the bottom just as far as you can scroll. Then type in a topic that you are looking for – for example “Greek Bowl”. If you are on a computer/laptop, there is a magnifying glass in the top right hand corner and that is where you would type.

If I have a recipe, I will always link it, so the type will be in red and you click on it. If I don’t do that it probably means there is no formal recipe and that I just describe what I did to make a certain meal.

I hope this helps!

Let’s go back to Thursday night. I had purchased tickets to Beyond Van Gogh back in March not really knowing anyones’ schedule for the summer. It was a bit of a scramble, but the four of us made it downtown.

I was underwhelmed. I heard so much hype and I guess I didn’t realize it was just panels that you had to read about Van Gogh and then digital projected images of his art. It was definitely not worth $40 a person. I have heard other people gush about it. I do think that the exhibit is set up differently in different cities so maybe Louisville didn’t come through as well as others?

I was hoping we would all eat dinner somewhere afterwards, but Tom still wasn’t feeling great so J, M, and I picked up Joella’s Hot Chicken and took it home.

Friday morning was the day…my third attempt at freezer jam. I measured my fruit before crushing it on the first two attempts so there was a problem with my fruit to pectin ratio. Third time was the charm. I will warn you that this jam is really sweet. I am going to do another attempt at using the lower sugar pectin. It is really delicious and you should definitely try it.

And, on Friday, I made the famous Chuy’s jalapeno ranch dip just for fun. I just looked up a copycat recipe and left out the fresh cilantro, used leftover canned jalapenos and some canned green chiles. I ate way too much of this Friday while watching tv.

Friday was a rainy and stormy day so I didn’t do the errands I needed to do. It was a good day to stay home. For dinner, I made this bowl again for the whole family. I don’t have a recipe – it’s just grilled chicken, broccoli, cauliflower rice, shredded carrots and thai sweet ginger sauce.

Saturday morning we had a plumber come to start the hall bath. So, I let Tom do his thing and I went out to do my errands. It was still raining. We finally are getting the rain we need, though!

I stopped at the farmer’s market:

The creator of this brand was there and was doing tastings. I left with this flavor and it is so good! It’s only 35 calories! Check out my low calorie cocktail post here.

I went to Whole Foods before it got too busy. I used to think it was too expensive, but now it seems more reasonable and I appreciate that I can trust that what I am getting is better for me. I am also learning to only buy the amount I need.

Turkey and cheese from the deli and the price isn’t that bad:

I bought an 18 cent baby banana as a joke for Tom.

I also had a library pick up that included this:

But, I am finishing this still. I like it and it has some depth. The main character is only 18.

My Swedish friend Tintin told me to spray hairspray on a toothbrush to control the wispies at the top of my head and it worked! I chose to try this first because I didn’t have to buy anything. I didn’t use MY toothbrush, by the way. I used Tom’s. Just kidding!

Saturday it just rained and rained but around 5:00 the sun came out and it was time for date night! We tried a newish German restaurant across the bridge in Indiana.

We took home two full boxes of leftovers. It was really good!

Then, we tried a new to us ice cream place back in downtown Louisville.

I got a kid’s cup of a very kid flavor – Cookie Monster! Doesn’t it look just like him? And, do I get bonus points for the matching nails?

Sunday morning I went to the gym because I hadn’t done very well with this over the last two weeks. Hangs head.

And, then Tom, Ernie, and I spent most of the day on the river with Elizabeth, her fiance Andrew, and their dog Bruno.

Ernie was worn out!

I didn’t get many pictures because I was too busy enjoying the beautiful weather and fun day.

What was the highlight of your weekend?

Amy

Friday, July 8, 2022

It’s time for the Friday Favorites link up here!

This week was weird, right? 4th of July on Monday kinda threw everything off. Did you feel that way, too?

So, good news…Tom was negative and able to go back to work Tuesday, but he is still not 100%. I think he might be expecting too much of himself, but I also have heard people say it took them a few weeks to get back to “normal”. He got up at 4:30 and went to the gym Tuesday and Wednesday, but took a break yesterday morning and I think it was a good idea.

I never want to see another Covid test in my life after giving maybe ten (no one else thinks they can do their own in my house) over the last two weeks! Plus, I think I spent another $75 on tests!

Mason tested positive a couple of days after Tom and Jack had three negative tests but had all the same symptoms as Mason did. So, we just assumed that all three of them had it! Maybe we should have done an official drive through test site, but many of them have closed around here and honestly, it didn’t even cross my mind to find one until some time had passed.

Can I make a confession, though? I kinda like putting the drops in the test kit. I feel like a super serious lab worker.

And, thank you for all of your well wishes for my crew!

So, let’s talk about some favorites…

I guess my first has to be that everyone is on the mend and that the timing wasn’t worse. I’m glad the kids weren’t in school and in the middle of finals, you know?

My next favorite is that I have been texting back “STOP” to all of the sales texts I now get. I guess it’s my fault that I started getting so many. I would sign up to get a discount and then just continue to get so.many.texts from a company that I probably wasn’t going to order from again.

Try it if you are having the same problem!

I have been struggling to find a show to watch on my own besides the weekly Bravo and Peacock shows I’ve been watching.

I really enjoyed this one season, six episode show. Check it out! Also, I love the fun wardrobe of Katherine!

I started reading this and I’m really into it. I didn’t realize the main character was only 18 so it probably qualifies as “young adult”, but I’m still really enjoying it – about halfway through right now.

I cut some hydrangeas to put on my mantle!

I love these vines hanging over my fence, too.

This is my cleaner of summer from Target. It’s super cheap and it smells like the Capri Volcano candle. I have shared it before and I have purchased it a few times!

I made up a new lunch this week. I did cauliflower rice sauteed in a skillet with shredded carrots (pre-shredded in a bag from the grocery), broccoli, chicken and…

this sauce that looked interesting from Trader Joe’s. If you aren’t close to a TJ, I bet the regular grocery has something similar.

It was so good! If Erica agrees to do lunches again next year, this will definitely go in my rotation. Please, Erica!

I’m loving my little lemon dish; I learned the hard way to always bring this kind of stuff in and not leave it out in the elements. I also bring in the cushions every night.

and this little peach black tea candle from Trader Joe’s.

I made probably the best Rice Krispies treats ever for the non-existent 4th of July we had here. I had picked up the seasonal 4th of July box when I first saw it because they don’t last. We didn’t end up doing anything because of our sickies, but I still had to make them!

It was 6 tablespoons of salted butter melted, add to that 8 cups of mini marshmallows. When all melted (I just use the microwave) and stirred, add 1 teaspoon of vanilla. Then, add in 6 cups of cereal and one more cup of non-melted mini marshmallows. Put in a greased (Pam) 8×8 pan so they are thicker and then let sit. Yum! I’m usually a “chocolate for dessert” person, but if you give me one of these I am happy! The packaged Rice Krispies treats taste so bad to me, unless I’m going to dip them in a chocolate fountain! Ha!

Have you ever added Nutella or peanut butter to the melted marshmallow mixture? That’s amazing, too!

My favorite little specialty store – Paul’s Fruit Market – sells Fruity Pebbles treats! They sub out the Rice Krispies for Fruity Pebbles! Remember when I used Cap’n Crunch?

Sorry I talked about sweet treats for so long!

Tom’s parents sent a cute little Edible Arrangements fruit bouquet for the sickies in the house.

This next picture is a cry for help:

Any suggestions for these little wispies at the top of my head? I am having some breakage and I do not take any collagen or anything. Should I start taking Vital Proteins? I don’t even blow dry my hair and this summer I am only using a curling iron a couple of times a week. So, this is not a favorite, but it will be if I can get this under control.

So, I need a suggestion to improve this problem and a temporary fix to hold them down.

Also, I am wearing my re-ordered Seint makeup and my old lady Florida lip color in this photo.

I think “Things I Bought and Liked” on Instagram recommended this, but this 7 minute arm workout is a killer. I could only do half the first time I did it and now I am working my way up to not cheating at all through the whole thing. I’m trying to do it everyday!

I polished my nails this color this week:

And, I did another try on the freezer jam. Shay conviced me to try it, but my first two attempts were more like an ice cream or waffle topping. My sister Molly has been inspired, too, and she had more success using powdered pectin, so that is what I did this time.

It’s really fun and easy to make! I will let you know how my third attempt turns out.

What were your favorites this week?

Amy

Thursday, July 7, 2022

The name of my blog is “Coffee and Cocktails at the Casa” so I gotta earn my keep! I wanted to do a more comprehensive post about enjoying cocktails – but with a more calorie conscious frame of mind.

Now, click away if talking about alcohol is a trigger for you. I actually have several people in my life who abstain and I totally respect that. Some of these can be made into “mocktails”. I am not sure I love that term, but there it is.

I indulge in a cocktail more in the warm weather but honestly, my favorite drink is water! Then, coffee! And, I am weird in that I prefer a cocktail before my food or without any food. Is anyone else like that?

Maybe it’s a sign of getting old, but I can’t believe the cocktail prices! If it’s a good one or something special, I don’t mind to pay $12. The cocktails at the Omni rooftop pool were so bad at $12-$14 a pop!

My famous skinny margarita is seriously better than most restaurant ones I have had. You tired of hearing about it yet?

But, this restaurant skinny was pretty good, too. The problem is is that you just don’t know how “skinny” it is! Also, if it’s the size of your head, is it really “skinny” anymore?

My margarita:

one shot of tequila mixed with half of a Crystal Light lemonade powder stick (individual size), fresh lime juice to taste, ice, and then filled to the top with Fresca. Don’t skimp on the Fresca. Lemon lime soda isn’t as good. Trust me on this!

Here is the “Transfusion” cocktail:

Go here for full details!

This is my “Old Fashioned” given to me by my friend Victoria.

One shot of bourbon (you might like this even if you don’t think you are a bourbon drinker), a half shot of lemon juice, a full shot of the Modica cocktail mix (I found mine at Total Wine) and this is only 30 calories so no worries, mix all together and then add ice and fill to top with Diet Ginger Ale. Even if you aren’t counting calories, the diet version keeps it from being too sweet.

I am new to rum but I really like this brand called Saltwater Woody.

Then, I keep bourbon (this is Trader Joe’s), Tito’s vodka, and a light tequila (also Trader Joe’s) on hand.

If you are on WW, most of your hard liquors are going to be 3 points per shot.

The key is keeping your mixers at zero calories/points.

I start most of my cocktails with some Crystal Light powder. I then add the shot and mix well. Fresh lime or lemon juice is really great, but I just keep the bottles of juice on hand. Then, I always like a sparkling element. My favorite sparkling elements are Fresca, Diet Canada Dry, the Sparkling ICE beverage (not pictured but easy to find in grocery stores), and I am new to adding seltzers. The one pictured is Trader Joe’s pineapple and I really like it alone or with cocktails.

I just get such a kick out of being able to make a really good cocktail that is lower in calories and in cost than what I would get at a restaurant. Do you?

I do enjoy a hard seltzer and they are easier to take to the pool or on the boat. My favorite are Vizzy Mimosa, High Noon, and Truly lemonade and poolside. Jen says the margarita Trulys are really good so I am going to try those.

Examples of the Truly poolside flavors:

I just started adding electrolyte powder to a couple of my waters and it got me thinking that these would make great mixers. I did check with the dietician I follow on IG and she said they would be great, too.

I found this at Whole Foods and also picked up some individual sticks to try different flavors.

And, now I will leave you with a new cocktail recipe.

1 shot of rum mixed with half of a Crystal Light lemonade stick, a splash of lemon juice, and fill to the top with ice and a pineapple sparkling water. Yum! Sorry I don’t have a photo.

So, do you indulge in a cocktail or two? What is your drink of choice? You have any cocktail inspo for me?

Cheers!

Amy

Wednesday, July 6, 2022

Let’s talk about money today! Do you enjoy this topic? I think summer can be really hard because you feel like you are just hemorrhaging money with all of the unstructured time, right?

Well, it is absolutely true that everything costs more these days! I totaled out my May 15th – June 15th grocery and gas purchases and it ain’t pretty. Our college kids came home May 9th so this is for a family of four. Also, we pay for gas for 3 vehicles.

Groceries: $1300

Gas: $600

I believe that is double or close to double from a year ago! What about you? Are you spending double? I am trying to lower that this month without sacrificing quality of life.

My recent fill up:

I believe this is the most I have ever spent. I should also say that I never let my car get below 1/4 of a tank. #anxiety!

I only have one credit card and one debit card. The credit card is a Kroger credit card. I use it for all of my gas and groceries (and other stuff that I charge) and I get rewards in the form of gift cards and money off of my gas. This time I chose to save the 45 cents off per gallon for Tom and I chose to just use the 3 cents off. His car is more expensive to fill up. It is super easy to track how much we spent on groceries and gas because of this card, too. We pay it in full every month because we are not comfortable with having debt other than our mortgage.

Here are my tips and how I make them work in my life. I am sure I’m not sharing anything mind blowing here, but I would love to hear your tips in the comments, too.

I would like to say I live a luxuriuosly frugal life. I save where I can and I spend out on the things that matter to me or that make my life feel luxurious.

I try not to be impulsive when I buy things. I add to cart and then leave it there for awhile until I decide if I really want to buy it.

Saving Money on Gas:

Now, I have always done this, but I am even more conscious about it this summer. I bundle all of my errands. I do these two things together because they are close to each other. I will go here while I am in the neighborhood – stuff like that.

Saving Money on Food:

And, what about the cost of restaurant and carry out pizza? Is it encrusted with gold flakes? I recently made this pizza in my air fryer at 450 degrees and bonus that it is “skinny”. Seriously, try making your own; it’s so good! Here is the recipe I use. I bought fresh mozzarella balls at Costco and it really tastes like something you would pay $20 for in a restaurant. I think this would be fun for your kids, too! If you don’t want to use this recipe, you can use a regular dough recipe.

Do not buy pre-cut fruit. It is nasty and you are paying way more for someone else to cut it. Sorry I said it was nasty, but it really isn’t as good. Fruit is expensive, so I try to stick with in-season fruit. It’s better anyway.

Do whatever it takes to enjoy coffee at home. For me, that means a nice creamer or a flavored syrup. My favorite syrups are brown sugar cinnamon and caramel cream. You can also find these at TJ Maxx for about half of the price. Get yourself a frother! It has changed my coffee life. Starbucks who?

And, you know I also love my protein cold brew coffee or “profee” as some call it.

You really do have to know your prices on groceries. I was in Target getting a couple of things recently and I went to the grocery section. I couldn’t believe how much better their prices were on a few things. Also, this Laura’s Lean Beef was priced the same as at my Kroger – about $8 a pound. But, it had a $5 off sticker. I bought two packs and got myself a bargain!

Figure out how to get the rewards from your store. It took some work, but I cashed in those points from my Kroger credit card and got $200 worth of groceries out of it.

Cook and eat at home and save going out for special ocassions. It really makes it feel like more of a treat.

Plan your meals. Get a cute little pad like this if you like to go old school.

Also, not everything has to be “cooked”. You can simply heat up and prepare things if you don’t have the energy to really cook. You will still save money and time.

Examples:

Ham, canned green beans, Bob Evans mashed potatoes, rolls

BBQ, Texas toast, baked beans

Fish sticks, Kraft mac and cheese, peas

KFC bowls – corn, frozen chicken nuggets, Bob Evans mashed potatoes, gravy, shredded cheese

Trader Joe’s frozen orange chicken, jasmine rice, broccoli

Soup and grilled cheese

Breakfast for dinner

Dedicated leftover night where everyone eats something different

Have a few of these types of things on hand.

I love my electric griddle. This is great for making pancakes or a bunch of grilled cheese sandwiches. This would be great to take on vacation if you have a house/condo and need to make meals for a larger group. My aunt did this for french toast when we were in Michigan once. These cost about $20.

You can never go wrong with the Krusteaz brand in the baking aisle. My kids have been requesting chocolate chip pancakes a lot this summer (well, a lot is like 3 times) and I will happily cook for them. It brings me joy! You can even make a big batch and freeze some for another day.

When you do go out, split meals. The portions are so big! Another tip is to go out for lunch when the prices are way less. If you are doing take out, you can get lunch prices until about 3:00 and just re-heat it later. I have not done this tip yet, but I plan to soon since my kids are on a weird eating schedule this summer with their jobs.

Re-create restaurant foods at home. I have been making some restaurant quality salads this summer! It’s not that hard. I love a hard boiled egg in my salads.

Bring your own food if it makes sense. I recently did this and it was so yummy for the boat. We can pull up to a river restaurant and spend at least $40 or we can bring our own food so I try to limit how often we buy food because it adds up.

These pretzel slider buns were new to me when I finally stepped foot into my Kroger instead of doing pick up!

You just put them right back in the bag and transport or if you are staying home you can heat them up.

The biggest tip to save money on food is to not waste it! This is why planning is so important. Only buy what you need and can reasonably use. Your freezer is your best friend. I freeze all of our bread, buns, bagels, so that we just take out what we need and it doesn’t grow mold. Tom has a special bread that only he eats and likes and he gets kind of annoyed that I keep it in the freezer, but he will have a sandwich once a week so it just makes sense.

Also, I try to do some meal prep in the morning when I have more energy. If I wait until the late afternoon I am not so motivated. There is also nothing wrong with cooking in the morning and heating it up at dinner time!

This summer I am keeping a list of breakfast, lunch, and dinner ideas on my memo board. It is really helping me to reduce food waste!

Use your library! If you are like me and you don’t plan to re-read the books and don’t want the clutter, this only makes sense. I request all of the books I want to read on my library app and then go pick them up when they are ready. I can get brand new books really quickly. Our library lets you keep books for 3 weeks but they no longer have late fees.

Entertainment:

Pay attention to the free entertainment your city offers and then take photos and put it in your calendar. Also, check out this post if you have kids! Playdates are really fun for the kids and the moms if you are at the boredom stage of summer. I always invited the mom to stay and we chatted and had a drink or snack and then it was fun for me, too.

Other:

Get organized! I get so mad at myself when I buy a new something of a something I already owned but couldn’t find! Argh! Care for what you have and use what you have. I am constantly trying to do better with this.

Repair things instead of buying new. I had two kimonos mended (for $25) and one pair of eyeglasses fixed for free where I purchased them.

Sell or donate what you aren’t using. Yes, maybe it hurts to think of the money wasted, but with less stuff you will really know what you have and be able to use it. I have made almost $300 this summer selling clothing and shoes that were just taking up space in my closet.

So, give me your best tips and vent in the comments about the cost of living!

Amy

Tuesday, July 5, 2022

Are you ready to see what Amazon brought to my door this month? It’s time to link up with Tanya to find out…

And, stay tuned at the end, because I will about some other clothing purchases.

First up, I bought a pair of espadrilles. Amazon Essentials has not let me down yet. I really like the flattering v shape on the top of the foot and they stay on well. I think these will be a teacher shoe for me, but they will also look chic for other things, too! And, these never go out of style. Did you know the espadrille is from Spain? Fun fact from a Spanish teacher!

Then, on the recommendation of Melanie Shankle on The Big Boo Cast podcast, I bought the Goli Ashwagandha gummies. I take only one a day and usually take it between 4 in the afternoon and 9 at night. Melanie said she takes hers in the afternoon. You can take two at two different times during the day according to the bottle. I have slept very soundly, even when I was on the couch while Tom was Covid positive. Plus, it’s just a fun word to say. My kids are tired of me saying it, though.

Next up, we have the old lady Florida lip color that I really like for summer. It looks best with a gloss on top, in my opinion or else it does look too old lady Florida! But, no offense to anyone because I can assure you that they are having more fun than I did last week. This is my second purchase of it, by the way. I got this recommendation by Bev Cooks. It looks great on her.

I am using this lotion on my chin, upper lip, arm pits, and legs. I think it’s really helped my face, but I can’t tell or I haven’t used it enough yet on the other areas. It has a pleasant smell, though! I can’t remember where I read about it.

Don’t waste your money on the portable air conditioner. This was a temporary fix for my kids’ car. Their AC is now fixed. I am going to take it on the boat and see what I think.

I have only used these floats once and one of them ripped a bit in the mesh area, but it is still usable. It’s probably my fault because of the way I was getting on the float while already in the water. This style float is all the rage at the pool I go to, by the way. So, I don’t recommend this one, but I really like this style.

I needed a new sunshade for my car and I personally think this is genius. It folds up like an umbrella instead of you having to fold the standard kind all awkwardly because of the size of it. I really like this product!

Can’t live without my popcorn spray!

I love my new long coverup! And, I love my new straw bag. It does have a bit of a strong straw smell, but I think it will fade as I use it more.

So, I think I did ok this month on Amazon. I had a couple of misses but that’s alright.

I do try to not be impulsive on Amazon. I usually add to cart and then let it sit to see if I really need the item. I do not hesitate to make returns, either. I have a UPS store really close to my house and if it doesn’t work out (usually clothing), I return it.

It has been nice lately to not have to do any returns because I have limited my clothing purchases, I guess.

Now, for some other purchases…

This first one was kind of impulsive. Oops – but I do think I will wear them a lot in the fall, winter, and spring.

I live very close to a nice outdoor shopping center with locally owned boutiques and restaurants. I pop in to the shops there about once every couple of weeks. I like that they have unique things and I like to support my local businesses.

I thought these were so cute and I am really enjoying wearing sneakers to work more. There is nothing worse as a teacher than being in uncomfortable footwear all day. Well, there are some worse things, but I have learned that my feet need to be cared for because I almost never sit down and the floors are really hard concrete. Who designs schools anyway?

I am hoping to be able to wear these with dresses and skirts. I love that you don’t have to tie them!

I hope I don’t offend anyone, but I am not a fan of Kohl’s. I was near one the other day, though, and saw that they had opened a Sephora inside of it! Did you know that Sephoras are now in some Kohl’s? I was looking for a particular product that I knew was sold in Sephora so I went in. They didn’t have it; it’s like a mini Sephora, by the way.

I gravitated toward the clothing and reached out and touched this white button down shirt and it was so soft and it was not as long as a typical white button down shirt is, which is good for me. I’m in love. I got it a bit oversized and I am so happy to have this closet staple in a way that I think will work for me. And, yes, I have already worn it to run an errand. That is the true test for me – do I wear the item right away?

And, you know I love a blouse. This pattern stopped me in my tracks. It is a Lauren Conrad – Laguna Beach, the reality show, you know?

The material is super soft, too.

Very bad mirror selfie:

So, I am super happy with my two Kohl’s purchases. I’m sorry for what I said about you, Kohl’s!

Now, let’s talk about Coastal Grandmother chic. I have long been a fan of linen, which is one of the major tenents of CGC. I have a bunch of linen drawstring shorts from Old Navy and I have one pair of white linen pants. I heard about the Target A New Day version on a podcast and thought I might try to add some to my closet. I ordered them in white/tan stripe and black.

Some people have said to size down, but since I carry a lot of my weight in my stomach, that won’t work for me. So, here I am in my normal size:

I am 5’4 and even with a heel, I would have to get them hemmed (which would be about $20 at my tailor) making the pants now cost $45. I also felt that the legs were too voluminous for me. I’m sorry I didn’t get a better photo of the bottoms of the pants.

I tried on my Old Navy version that are really old and I think they are much more flattering and the length is perfect on me, even though I’m short. So, I am going to check out what their version looks like for this year. Maybe I can’t do the really trendy wide leg and these work because the legs aren’t so wide. Remember that for some reason, Old Navy’s online prices tend to be better than their in store prices.

Please remember that it’s not you, it’s the clothes. I have so many different sizes in my closet right now becauses sizes just aren’t standard and I’m trying to not get hung up on the number. Also, if you shop consignment like I do, you probably need to look in the next size up because the clothes have been washed multiple times. I actually like that because you can see how they have held up. Just a little PSA if you are frustrated about this.

So, what having you been buying on Amazon lately? Any thoughts on my purchases?

Thanks for reading,

Amy

Monday, July 4, 2022

Happy 4th of July! I wasn’t sure if I would re-cap my weekend today or tomorrow or if there would be a Hello Monday link up, but since my weekend was very light and tomorrow is Prime Purchases with Tanya, I decided to go ahead and post today. That was lots of words that you probably didn’t need to know…

So, last Monday night Covid reared its ugly head in our home. All of us are vaccinated and single boosted, but not double boosted. I was the only one that had had Covid (end of January of this year) as far as we know. Tom started having some symptoms last Saturday that we thought were allergies due to yard work. But, Monday night we tested him and he was positive. Mason started having symptoms on Wednesday and then we had another positive person. Jack started having symptoms on Friday and has had three negative tests, so who knows, but we are assuming he has it, too? Again lots of words, but it all boils down to lots of sick people in my house and I have been sleeping on the couch, “cooking” and making plates for people, chasing people around with my can of Lysol, and leaving the house to go get more supplies (while wearing a mask just in case), and repeat.

Friday we couldn’t ignore the fact that Ernie needed a bath. Ernie has been really confused as to why his favorite person has been living in the bedroom. Tom had enough energy to use our dog bath in our mudroom. This dog loves all bodies of water, except the bath! Very pitiful!

I made my super easy egg bake. I was almost out of eggs so I used 4 eggs, a half cup of fat free cottage cheese, and about 1/4 can of jalapenos. I baked it at 350 for about 30 minutes. Yum! This is zero WW points for me.

One of my trips out was to Whole Foods. I found and bought these and give them my stamp of approval. I can have 3 for 2 WW points!

The reason why I say “I can have” is because the current WW plan is called Personal Points. There is a lot of negativity surrounding WW right now in my Instagram feed. Many have abandoned it in favor of My Fitness Pal or calorie counting or other programs because they don’t feel that it is a healthy eating plan anymore. They also feel that it is too restrictive. I get that, but I also think many plans are what you make of them. If you are in a bad cycle of eating like I was, I think it can be very helpful to teach you what you need or to get you out of that rut. So, anyway, do what works for you. I am still doing this but I am “cheating” a little bit this summer. What this means is that I am having more fruit, peanuts, pistachios, avocado, etc. that go over my points on my plan. I am also having more treats and not beating myself up over it. I don’t want to be food obsessed. It’s a fine line between planning/prepping and becoming all consumed by food. I want to only think about food when I’m hungry, but that also means you haven’t prepped. Still learning here…

And, here is evidence that I am indulging…

Have you heard of the Tik Tok Cinnamon Roll “recipe”? You just cover the can of cinnamon rolls with 1/2 cup of heavy cream and bake according to directions.

It was good, but it wasn’t the best cinnamon roll I’ve ever tried.

Friday night, Tom changed locations and we sat together on the porch.

I went to World Market and found this cute lemon tray on Friday, too!

I made “sub in a tub” for the first time. This is basically anything that you would put on a turkey sub. It was pretty good.

I was super tired of eating at home so Friday night we got Mexican take out and I paired my fajitas with cauliflower rice.

I worked on this most of the weekend. It isn’t as good as Beach Read in my opinion. I didn’t like her second book at all. So, I would say she is no longer a favorite author.

I am so happy this plant has been revived! I think it has liked the warmth outside. I was down to one green frond and then this started happening!

Saturday afternoon I made myself an “old fashioned”.

This is so yummy!

And, I read on my porch a bit before walking Ernie with Tom.

I made nachos with the leftover fajitas for Tom and I and the kids had soup.

I downloaded Tubi for free and found Real Housewives of Vancouver. There are lots of obscure housewives on that streaming service – I found Johannesburg, S. Africa, and Durban, S. Africa and I definitely had to Google the second one.

Sunday morning I made a Trader Joe’s run and found this candle and it came home with me. It smells really good even though I didn’t think it would!

Next up, I am deciding between these two:

Finally, Sunday afternoon I got out with my sister in law and it was so nice!

I picked up pizza for dinner at Tom’s request.

What about you?

Amy