Welcome again to Winter Thursday! Oops. I ended up working all day yesterday. Since the weather was insanely warm, I really wasn’t in the mood for hot chocolate.
Next Wednesday is actually the last Wednesday of Winter though technically it’s already meteorological spring (and feels like summer almost).
Look it’s a summer bloom!
(Full disclosure: I’ve had a little geranium plant inside all winter and it decided to bloom this week)
Enjoy the above photo because the hot chocolate ones aren’t great.
Chai White Hot Chocolate
Yes, you read that right. I tried a white hot chocolate recipe (sort of…)
This chai white hot chocolate recipe inspired me today. However, I think most of you know how I feel about white chocolate (an abomination!) so I didn’t have any on hand. What I did have handy was this:
Going to be honest, I “stole” this from my older son. Someone gave it to him for Christmas but I know he wasn’t interested and it’s been sitting in the kitchen since before Christmas so I claimed it.
Basically, I followed the beginning of the recipe I linked up there, steeping my tea bag in the warm milk for 5 minutes. (And I only had green chai so that’s what I used). Then, stirred in the little mix pictured above.
The little sprinkles all melted into the hot chocolate except for the silver nonpareils which were at the bottom of the cup as a nice little crunchy surprise.
My Thoughts:
I didn’t hate it. It reminded me a bit of the chai lattes I sometimes get at the coffee shop. Afterthought here: I should have added vanilla. Also, if you’re a chai latte kind of person, next time order a vanilla chai latte, takes it up a notch! Did this on barista advice and it was great. And now, back to the hot white hot chocolate review.
As you can see in the photo up there, I opted to skip the whipped cream. Wasn’t in the mood. Also, my cup doesn’t look quite as full because J wanted to try it and so poured a small amount into another cup. He didn’t hate it either and said it was way better than the evaporated milk hot chocolate from a couple of weeks ago.
We both did agree though that it was the chai that saved it. I don’t think either of us would’ve enjoyed white hot chocolate by itself. Maybe hatred of white chocolate is a genetic thing like with the people who think cilantro tastes soapy?
It’s not something I’d want all the time but if more white hot chocolate mixes come our way, I’ll know just what to do!
Oops, I think I overshot the spring forward bit as it’s now Tuesday! Really, just a fairly busy Monday.
I’ll skip the part where I share my opinions on this spring forward stuff and just suffice it to say Sunday wasn’t exactly the best day. Been in a bit of a mood the past couple of days. However, here we are at a beautiful sunny and warm Tuesday!
It’s sunny and in the 50’s this morning. It was almost 80 degrees yesterday. However, rain and cooler temps (should say normal weather) predicted for the weekend.
As I Look Outside My Window
Blue skies and sunshine!
Right Now I Am
Taking a break from my put away the heavy winter sweaters project. So, yes, if it snows (shudder) again, it’ll be my fault. I do think we’re done with the crazy cold though. And I don’t have anything to wear for warmer days (workwise) so it was time for a mini clothing switch.
Something Fun To Share
Kansas City is a host city for the World Cup in 2026 and Tech N9ne released the theme song for our city this morning:
Thinking And Pondering
Do you really want to know? Probably not.
On My Bedside Table
Currently, nothing just the way I like it. We aren’t going to talk about the husband’s table. Suffice it to say: opposite.
On My TV
Excited to watch the first episode of The Spring Baking Championship later this afternoon (or tomorrow if I run out of time today).
On My Reading Pile
Finished The Night We Lost Him by Laura Dave. Gave up on The Righteous Mind by Jonathan Haidt, skimmed it and gave it back for the next person. Now, I’m reading Arkangel by James Rollins.
Listening To
Silence.
On The Menu For This Week
The beginnings of some chicken tortilla soup I made Saturday afternoon
It’s all on my grocery list which is somewhere in my purse….
MONDAY: Stir fried potatoes and ham from the Korean cookbook. *It was a success*
TUESDAY: I’m going out so may just leave it up to the husband
WEDNESDAY: Grilled pork chops, asparagus
THURSDAY: Chicken wraps, air fryer French fries
FRIDAY: Open or Rigatoni pasta with vodka sauce and spicy Italian sausage (probably this)
On My To Do List
just to continue to get the yard and inside ready for spring, also sort through and organize the pantry (I’m trying to stock up a bit here and there just in case), and the usual grocery store/laundry/cleaning/pay the bills stuff
Happening This Week
What idiot makes an haircut appointment for 9AM on the Monday after daylight savings? This one! SIGH.
I work today and Thursday from 2-4 PM (Could change but right now I’m good with a lighter schedule this week)
Mom’s Night Out tonight (Tuesday), meeting friends for dinner/drinks
Grouchiness from the time change
Hopefully, lots of yard clean-up
What I Am Creating
Some “word art” on my mango Pepsi (I read somewhere they weren’t making it anymore so picked some up yesterday, it’s my favorite but I don’t drink it very often which means sometimes other people drink it all before I’ve had a even one can):
My Simple Pleasure
The hope of spring (and summer) flowers starting to bloom
Lesson Learned The Past Week
Sometimes it’s just as important to speak up as it is to KMBMS (keep my big mouth shut). The key is knowing when to do each. Ongoing struggle.
Looking Around The House
I cleaned a bit yesterday so it’s not awful but still needs attention
From The Camera
Yet another week where I didn’t pick up the real camera. Actually, I did pick it up and try to go for a walk but the road to the park I wanted to visit was closed. And the other place was way too busy. SIGH. Maybe tomorrow?
Prayer List
Friends, family, strangers, the country, the world. Health, peace, compassion, and kindness.
Quote For The Week
Matthew 18:21-22
21 Then Peter came to Him and said, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Until seven times?”
22 And Jesus said unto him, “I say not unto thee, until seven times, but until seventy times seven.
Tagged this post with week in review as well as Five on Friday but I honestly can’t remember much about the past week. Ever have weeks like that? Where it just seems a bit like a blur? And I wasn’t even really all that busy.
Maybe I’ll blame it on Wednesday’s weather! Monday and Tuesday were just normal days at home (I think). I do know I stayed up too late watching tv on Tuesday night knowing I had to be at work at 7:30 in the morning on Wednesday. Possibly making a few jokes to the boys about our crazy winds being caused by a certain blowhard. You can read about Wednesday (mostly a work day) in the post I linked.
Yesterday was another working day. A long unplanned one where I worked 9:15 to 6. Mostly good until the end of the day. Kids were (mostly) fun anyway. The end of the day stuff was 100% not kid related. And I did feel loved starting my day as the teacher I work with a lot, called me in a panic as I pulled into the parking lot. She thought the shift I covered started at 9 and was worried because “you are never late!” Oh my, if she only knew the Jean from the 1990’s who was always late. Of course, that me had a very different job she didn’t like much. Lots of sweet hugs and hellos from the kids to start my day as well.
And now, we’ve made it to FriYAY! Here’s how I’m planning to spend this warmer weekend:
ONE: Outside Yard Work
Hey, look what I saw in the corner of the driveway this morning! I noticed the buds as I left for work yesterday and today, flowers! I pushed away the dead leaves to get a good photo of the flowers. And in doing so, saw lots of green shoots. Raking away the leaves from the flower beds is on the weekend agenda. I’ll give them another week before I mulch them up with mower (needs to dry up a bit anyway).
Not quite time to dig holes (unless you’re a mole, very happy in our yard, ugh) but some calendar wisdom here:
TWO: Finally, Take A Walk
Blue skies, not quite as windy, and better temperatures mean I definitely plan to get out there and go on a trail somewhere along with my “real” camera. I do have to consider the mud but I know some places with mostly paved trails.
THREE: Household Chores
Figuring out what to do with a panic buy of 10 pounds of sugar is on the list. We were out and I was worried about prices. I knew we’d use it (hummingbirds go through a lot of sugar water in the summer!) but didn’t think through the storage. SIGH. Or I could bake lots of batches of chocolate chip cookies? Hmmm…
Also, need to do the usual clean ups around the house and water plants. My poor plants in for the winter are barely hanging in there. So ready to move them outside where they thrive.
FOUR: Bookstore Visit and a Spring Break Planning
I finished this last night so my older son and I could go see the movie. It opens today. Of course, he’s busy all weekend so we’ll probably make plans to go see it during spring break (week after next). This weekend, I’d like to perhaps visit a bookstore and just browse, maybe pick up a couple books to add to our collections. Also, this book apparently has a sequel.
FIVE: A Few Random Things
First housekeeping: I tried a new hot chocolate this morning. Pretty basic but I like it.
For the record, I mixed it with my coffee and added a bit of milk. It’s not quite the same flavors as the Starbucks Caramel Macchiato but close enough for me.
Sadly, I think it may be time to call it on the day after Valentine’s Day flowers. Maybe I’ll keep these until the end of the weekend. Will I replace them? Not sure. Happy to have outdoor flowers again and a local garden center just opened back up for the season, so maybe I’ll see if they might have hanging baskets of pansies yet. Ending this post with a close-up of the cheerful yellow crocus:
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What are your weekend plans? Also, don’t forget to go check out The Friday Catch-Up (new name, I like it!) over at My Creative Life.
First, I know it’s Thursday even though I’ve filed this under Winter Wednesdays.
Yesterday, was a winter Wednesday indeed!
I left the house early yesterday morning after spending half an hour clearing snow/ice off the car. UGH. This was the view out the backdoor:
Cloudy, cold, can’t see it but spitting snow. The roads were clear in some areas and slushy, then icy in others. The wind wasn’t quite as bad as during the night. Many schools were closed due to power outages. I feel lucky we kept power here at home.
When I went on my lunch break at work, the sky looked like this:
It was still a bit chilly out but not awful. The wind had died down and the snow/ice started melting quickly. I even spotted a spring robin!
And despite the blizzard weather overnight and into the morning, I simply haven’t been in the mood for a hot chocolate this week (Burnout? Perhaps). However, I did bake cookies on Tuesday so how about a simple recipe instead of a hot chocolate review?
Sour Cream Softies
I only remember my mom making these at Christmas time and saying they were my dad’s favorite.
My mom’s recipe card
They aren’t the prettiest cookies by far but they come together fast and have a good not too sweet flavor.
(Sorry for the vertigo inducing picture)
Changes I make to the recipe: I use butter instead of oleo and parchment paper is a great friend for this recipe. Sprinkle the tops with cinnamon sugar before baking. Please be more generous with the cinnamon sugar than I was in the photo. This a great quick recipe for using up sour cream that’s about to go bad and halves easily (I usually only make a half batch of these). Also, if the dough is too soft at first, just put it in the fridge for about 5-15 minutes.
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While I didn’t have a hot chocolate review today, I did go through a drive through Dutch Bros (coffee shop) yesterday afternoon and can highly recommend a vanilla chai latte.
Weird. It’s been nice but also chilly. When I left for the store this morning, I stepped out onto the front porch in the sunshine and said: Oh, it’s so nice out!
And then, when I stepped out of the store, the clouds were there along with a chilly breeze. SIGH. It is supposed to be almost 60 today so I’m not giving up hope.We’re supposed to get some type of rain/light snow mix overnight Tuesday into Wednesday, I think. Almost wonder if it’s arriving sooner. Then, back to *regular* winter with highs in the mid 40’s for the rest of the week. Spring weather again next week.
Right Now I Am
Working on this post, doing laundry, wondering what to have for lunch
Something Fun To Share
I stumbled across this fun channel on Instagram but he’s also on YouTube: Cookin’ with Congress. I was going to share the video where he ate like Harry S Truman since I’m here in Missouri but alas, I can’t figure out how to share a short on here. Here’s Eisenhower (from Kansas, right next door to us). It’s really fun to see what they all ate!
Thinking And Pondering
Just going to admit it, I was petty and turned down work. I knew if I went, I’d be resentful about a lot of things. Not a great attitude to take in there with the kids. (Plus I’m fairly certain I would’ve been covering in the classroom where the stomach bug’s been flying. Wanting NO part of that). So is it worse to be petty or resentful? I mean neither is good, of course.
On the other hand, I’m human. And I did wake up with a pretty sore shoulder this morning (pulled muscle, maybe?) so I guess it all worked out.
On My TV
Not much, I need to read this week. However, I’ll probably watch Spring Baking Championship if it’s on Max. And Next Level Chef on Thursday. Maybe The Voice with my husband later tonight.
On My Reading Pile
So many books, so little time! How can I have so many books on hold for 8-10 weeks out and then, they all come up for my turn at the exact same time? This week I’m going to focus mainly on reading Mickey7 by Ashton Edward, not even a library book but the movie comes out this weekend.
On the Kindle app, I’m trying to get through The Righteous Mind: Why Good People Are Divided By Politics And Religion by Jonathan Haidt. Um, I had such high hopes but it’s starting a bit (coughs *A LOT*) dry. Feel like I’m back in college and reading a textbook. I’m still interested but it’s slow-going.
Listening To
Silence now, time to switch up the laundry.
On The Menu For This Week
J and I made homemade macaroni and cheese yesterday, Betty Crocker Online recipe solid 3 out 5 stars
Trying to be more mindful and less wasteful so we’ve decided to start leaving Fridays open for leftovers.
MONDAY: Carnitas , corn tortillas (trying to use up a package of these from the fridge)
TUESDAY: Pancakes with strawberries and blueberries
WEDNESDAY: Spaghetti, salad, garlic toast
THURSDAY: Turkey sausage (from freezer, grilled last week), broccoli, and orzo
FRIDAY:
On My To Do List
Usuals: laundry, clean the house, etc
I don’t even know what else…prepare for the apocalypse? Oh, I remember I did want to rake the leaves off the garden…
Happening This Week
I work on Wednesday morning but other than that nothing. And I’m perfectly okay with that. I’m sure things will come up or I’ve forgotten something.
My Simple Pleasure
Cat snuggles.
Lesson Learned The Past Week
If you’re sick, rest is good. And keeps you from ending up with that never-ending stuff. (My poor husband is now sick and not resting so I hope he doesn’t end up with the never-ending stuff. He’s downing the Emergen-C so maybe that’ll help)
Looking Around The House
It’s a mess! If it’s a clear surface, somehow it’s not. Time for a bit of cleaning and clearing.
From The Camera
What camera? Sigh, I must do better with the real camera and actually getting out. (All phone pics in this post)
Prayer List
Family (especially my niece, more on that later), Friends, Neighbors (I saw the neighbor on the corner leave in an ambulance last night, he’s been on hospice so I don’t think that’s a great sign), Strangers, Our Country, the entire world…
Quote For The Week
May your choices reflect your hopes, not your fears. (Nelson Mandela)
Thought for Five on Friday (er, Five on Saturday Morning), it might be fun to share things I didn’t do this week.
Just kind of random.
ONE: I Did Not Throw Away My Valentine’s Day Flowers
Not until this morning anyway. And I still have a few in a new arrangement going strong:
Do you like to do that as well, see how long you can keep the fresh flower arrangements before tossing them?
TWO: Quit My Job
Oh, I did think about it! And I did check out my options. I’m still thinking about it. It’s definitely (mostly) not the kids though this year’s group is a bit needier than years past. It’s all the other stuff. A certain lack of support when dealing with some of the kids. The passive-aggressive, micromanaging e-mails….ugh. And I’m a sub so really don’t even need to deal with it much. However, it’s also that grouchy time of year…things might improve with the weather. Who knows.
THREE: Cook Every Meal on the Grill
However, we did grill on on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday! The weather’s been so nice. Yesterday, I didn’t cook so everyone scrambled for their own dinners. By the way, the Spicy Korean chicken pictured up there is one of our favorite go-to recipes. Everyone likes it! Highly recommend. Usually just keep it simply and serve with rice. Sometimes though I’ll make spring rolls with it.
FOUR: Go on a Walk with the Real Camera
Decided to rest instead. After being sick all last weekend, I didn’t really want to push myself. So, I stuck close to home. We did have a hoot owl in our backyard one evening so I grabbed the real camera to try and grab a picture of it. It wasn’t really light enough but you can see the outline.
Also, I did go to the library! That outing kind of helped me decide to rest up a bit more before venturing off on a walk.
FIVE: Put Away Winter Sweaters and Clothing
I thought about putting away those winter sweaters this week with no jacket/short sleeve weather going strong. However, I made myself wait. Of course, yesterday I planned to wear a short sleeved sweater to work and changed my mind opting for a tee-shirt instead. So glad I did that as it was very warm in the afternoon!
Older photo above but this morning I did finally take down the Chiefs garden flag and replace it with the Spring one.
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We have dinner plans this evening but I’ll probably spend today not reading all those great library books (my e-book holds keep coming up as well) and instead cleaning/putting out spring decor.
Guess what? There are only THREE Winter Wednesdays left in 2025. After that, it’s Spring! Spring starts on a Thursday this year. Spring is officially 21 days away from us! So close. We can get there.
Also, if you want a very exact countdown, check out this Countdown to Spring site (for the Northern Hemisphere). It’s counting down to seconds until Spring arrives!
However, it’s still a Winter Wednesday today despite the wonderful weather (sunshine and feels like 52 degrees at 9:30 in the morning? Sold!).
And I’m still trying a different hot chocolate every week this winter. Two different kinds for this week and a special guest judge for the first tasting.
Evaporated Milk Hot Chocolate
I had high hopes for this Evaporated Milk Hot Chocolate. And a special guest judge as J was home and interested in trying it as well. The nice thing about this recipe was having everything needed in the pantry. J opted to try his with just marshmallows as the topping. He’s a traditionalist.
I wanted something a little fancier so added a bit of whipped cream, marshmallows, and mini chocolate chips to mine.
The verdict: Sadly, neither of us were big fans of this one. J thought it tasted too sharp and thought that came from the chocolate chips in the it. (The recipe calls for 1/3 cup of chocolate chips) He added a bit of whipped cream to his hot chocolate to see if that helped. He said it did not.
My thoughts were simply that it had a bit of a funky aftertaste to it. It wasn’t the worst hot chocolate I’ve tried but definitely not going on the make again list. Only variations I made to original recipe were to cut it in half as I only had one can of evaporated milk in the pantry. Also, I used brown sugar instead of white but I don’t think that had a bearing on our opinions.
Bonus Mug: Banana Peanut Butter Hot Chocolate
As I’ve been under the weather a bit this week, I was still craving something in the warm treat variety for the afternoon yesterday. I’d debated this banana peanut butter hot chocolate while researching recipes to try. Since I had a couple bananas quickly passing the banana bread stage on the counter, I decided to give this a try.
This one I would make again! It was surprisingly good and very satisfying. That’s something as I’m not a huge banana person. I did ocasional get little bits of banana while drinking this but simply mushing the banana better would avoid that.
I followed the recipe more or less. Things I did differently: used a whole almost black banana (I’d definitely only use half a ripe one), didn’t really measure my peanut butter (eye-balled a tablespoon so maybe went a bit over). And I topped my mug with extra peanut butter as opposed to a banana slice.
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As I said at the beginning of the post, only 3 hot chocolates to go! Any suggestions for unique hot chocolates I need to try? Are you counting down the days, hours, minutes, and seconds until spring along with me?
A Spring preview! And I’m happy to enjoy it. It’s currently 57 degrees outside, snow is melting, only places really left are the giant piles from the snowplows. Bring on the mud! This entire week is supposed to be in the 50’s/60’s with a slight chance of rain on Wednesday.
As I Look Outside My Window
An amazing sunrise this morning! Bit later now so not as much to see, blue skies and empty bird feeders. I’m out of bird seed but not as worried, figured I got the birds through the super cold. They can manage for a day in 50 degree weather.
Right Now I Am
Sniffling. SIGH. I’ve been sick a lot this school year and it’s annoying.
Something Fun To Share
Maybe next week. Unless you want this cold? Of course, it’s not fun.
Thinking And Pondering
Just stuff. I want to go for a walk but how muddy is it out there and I really don’t feel great, zombie level 5ish. New job or no? Need to go on a date with the husband. Hoping I feel better for our friend get together on Saturday and can KMBMS (Keep My Big Mouth Shut) depending on where the conversation lands.
On My Bedside Table
A kleenex (clean), book, lamp, phone charger
On My TV
Started getting this crud on Saturday so basically just watching movies I’ve already seen: Infinity Wars, End Game, Speed, and Spider Man: No Way Home. Also, Next Level Chef later this week and maybe catch up on some other regular tv shows. Need to circle back to Brooklyn Nine-Nine, still enjoying it, just took a little break.
On My Reading Pile
I don’t even know. Some random Ginger Bolton cozy mystery, the next in the series. I like to read them at bedtime because they take very little concentration. My library hold came up but I’ve not started it: The Righteous Mind: Why Good People Are Dividedby Politics and Religion by Jonathan Haidt. Mickey-7 by Edward Ashton, need to finish reading it before the movie comes out sometime in March.
And I just remembered, I have an actual book to go pick up at the local library (usually do e-books), Gangsters of Capitalism: Smedley Butler, The Marines, and the Making and Breaking of America’s Empire by Jonathan M. Katz.
Listening To
A quiet house, no tv, no radio, really just the appliances now and then.
On The Menu For This Week
Hooray for a warmer week! Friday’s dinner of vodka pasta with bacon and cherry tomatoes (optional add-ins):
MONDAY: grilled chicken legs, asparagus, corn on the cob
TUESDAY: hamburgers, French Fries
WEDNESDAY: spicy Korean chicken, rice
THURSDAY: grilled turkey sausage with peppers and onions
FRIDAY: Open
Saturday/Sunday: We’ve got dinner plans on Saturday night and I’m thinking possibly spaghetti for Sunday
On My To Do List
Usual items of grocery store, cleaning the house, and laundry. Pay a few bills. Water some plants. Hoping I feel good enough to do outside stuff tomorrow.
Happening This Week
Thankfully not too much, I work (so far) on Friday and then, we have dinner plans out on Saturday
My Simple Pleasure
Fresh flowers. I’m especially looking forward to going outside and seeing flowers on the front porch and in the yard again.
Lesson Learned The Past Week
Doesn’t matter how many vitamins you take, a sick kid hanging on you and getting the coughs in before you can say “Germ Catcher!” has a high probability of sharing the cold with you.
Looking Around The House
Wish I had to the energy to clean up a bit more but I don’t. Carpet needs cleaned although more mud is coming so that might need to wait.
From The Camera
Sadly, I don’t think I picked up the “real” camera last week. Hoping to change that and get some nice outdoor shots this week. Still photographing my Valentine’s Day flowers.
Prayer List
Friends, family, strangers, the country, the world. The Pope. The people I don’t want to pray for because they annoy and anger me but I’m doing it anyway.
How about two favorite Midwestern topics for today? Especially during the winter months, the main topics tend to be weather and food (also, television and sports but let’s save those for now).
So for my Five on Friday, a recap of our crazy weather week along with mostly pictures of what we ate for dinner each night. Before we begin though, a random picture of my Valentine’s Day flowers still going strong.
Okay, onto tidbits of the week, the weather, and what we ate. Oh, and by the way, I didn’t follow the menu plan from Monday at all.
ONE: Monday we ate tacos!
Monday was a holiday here but my husband and G still had to work. Honestly, I can’t remember much about the day but I know we had tacos for dinner. And we were watching the weather because of winter storm/extreme cold warnings. The time of the storm kept shifting.
TWO: Tuesday I tried new recipes. Pork Chops and rice plus applesauce bread!
With the storm starting and the cold temperatures, I knew I wanted to use the oven a lot this week. So I decided to give this Easy Baked Pork Chops and Rice recipe a try. Everyone seemed to enjoy and it was a nice cozy meal for a crazy cold, snowy evening.
As an added bonus, earlier in the day, I made this applesauce bread as well. I knew I was making pork chops but hadn’t decided on recipe yet. Apples always compliment pork.
Random fact about our family: We all with little exception hate applesauce. Apples are yes, applesauce is a NO. However, sometimes I have some in the pantry and found 3 containers on a pantry clear out. (probably leftover from when the husband had dental work and there are only so many soft foods…)
THREE: Wednesday was an unexpected working day for me so I put the husband in charge of dinner!
Hotdogs and onion rings were an odd meal on a freezing cold night. The real temperature was 8 degrees while he was out there grilling! And yes, without a coat. Welcome to living in the Midwest!
Since my work day was unexpected (I only said yes because a teacher had an unexpected loss in her family), I had put together a French Toast Casserole the night before planning to cook it for breakfast and freeze the leftovers for future quick heat and go breakfasts.
Also, unexpected, lunch at work on Wednesday: hot dogs! SIGH. Had no idea that’s what we’d end up with for dinner.
They have that meal too often at my work. I’m currently not scheduled again until next Friday and guess what’s on the menu for lunch? Yep, hot dogs! I’ll be taking my lunch but I do feel for the kids. It’s one of my current gripes, the menu has gone downhill in an effort to cut costs, I get food’s expensive but come on, do better!
All that to say, I ate French Toast Casserole for dinner on Wednesday evening as I didn’t want hot dogs twice in one day. G had some French Toast Casserole for dessert as well.
FOUR: Thursday was the coldest day yet and another (this one scheduled earlier) half-day of working for me. I settled on stuffed peppers for dinner.
I made sure to take a screenshot of the temperature when I woke up to show the crazy cold.
Oddly, I was actually warmer at work yesterday than on Wednesday. I think because I was in the other classroom with a smaller front door. It’s weird when you go outside to go home and 12 degrees feels warm! Once home, I debated on dinner for a bit before landing on stuffed peppers mainly because I remembered I’d bought peppers (on sale!) at the store on Sunday for that purpose.
Orange ones because the red ones didn’t look to be in great condition. Plus they reminded me of sunshine and warmth. Finished product, I was hungry yesterday and almost forgot to take a picture!
I just use the classic Betty Crocker recipe for stuffed peppers only changing it slightly. I like my peppers crisp so I don’t parboil them and also, I use colby-jack cheese as opposed to mozzarella. Did you know as a kid I was not a fan of this meal at all but now I like it.
FIVE: Better Weather, Spring Cleaning Bug, and No Idea About Dinner
Happy Friday! This morning a cat paw in the face woke me up right on time though I didn’t need to go to work. She used to just sit on the nightstand and purr but she’s figured out that pawing at my face works while purring loudly works really well to make a person get out of bed and do her bidding. Sometimes her bidding is she just wants me to sit in the living room while she looks out the windows. SIGH.
This is the downstairs bed/couch, not my bed! I’d never be able to sleep in all that cat hair, adding another cleaning item to the list.
So,cat paw until I got out of bed. Then, had to go to the downstairs for milk since we were out upstairs and oh, yay, stepped in cat puke on the steps. Was I barefoot? Yes. That really wakes a person up fast!
Perhaps, that’s what triggered my spring cleaning bug. Started a bit, as soon as I finish up this post, I’m back to that. Right now, some scented candles going in attempt to refresh things a bit.
And sticking with the food theme, still not sure about dinner but thought I should show a couple healthy things consumed around here. Just so you know it’s not all Oreo hot chocolate all the time.
I drink this almost every day.
Fresh Cantaloupe, out of season but still good
And of course, I still have no idea what we’ll end up with for dinner tonight.
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Whew! This turned into a long post! Thanks for making it this far if you’re still reading. Wanted to give a shoutout to Rachel over at Living Better One Day At A Time for inspiring this post with her pictures of what we ate this past week on her Monday posts. I always enjoy seeing the plates of food. And to Carrie over at Northwoods Scrapbook for her Wordless Wednesday post mentioning weather as a conversation topic and of course, for introducing me the amazing French Toast Casserole. Finally, I can’t leave out Cathy from My Creative Life for bringing back Five on Friday as well as her kitchen post from last week which also inspired this post.
Our crazy cold snap is supposed to go through tomorrow at noon and then, the temp swings upward. It’s so cold right now. Late post as I ended up working today.
Somehow, my work did not close the past couple of days and yet, we are canceling family night on Thursday because of the weather. Make it make sense! So much more I could (but will not) say about my work lately.
Anyway, on my stay home days I made hot chocolate twice this week! Two kinds.
Kind of Normal
Okay, so I did say kind of normal. I made my normal hot chocolate packet but then, did this to it:
Had some leftover marshmallow creme buttercream frosting and thought it might make a nice hot chocolate topping. Slight problem, if you take it straight out of the fridge, it sinks! So, I added some whipped cream and then, added the marshmallow creme buttercream. It was good but I probably need to try it some time with marshmallow creme (or the frosting) at room temperature when I add it to the hot chocolate.
The next kind of hot chocolate was the true winner this week!
Oreo Hot Chocolate
I’ve discovered I need to be careful with the hot chocolate recipes as sometimes more than one of the same type exist out here on the Internet (imagine that). So, after my Nutella disappointment, I carefully curated the Oreo Hot Chocolate recipes out there and settled on this one called Creamy Oreo Hot Chocolate.
Oreos happened to be on sale at the grocery store last time I went and so in addition to snagging a package for lunch treats (my husband and G both usually take their lunches to work, I do sometimes), I knew an Oreo hot chocolate was happening.
I pretty much followed the recipe exactly this time. Only thing I did different was skip the food processing part. A sandwich bag and a rolling pin worked well for me.
This made for a delightful dessert! Perfect for an overly cold and snowy night. Reminded me a bit of the Italian hot chocolate as it got thick but not quite as thick though I did mostly use a spoon for it as opposed to taking sips.
Of all the hot chocolates I’ve tried so far, this one I can absolutely see myself making again!
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Now, not related to my hot chocolate experiments, I just want to share that my husband is doing one of the most Midwestern activities ever. He’s grilling hot dogs in 8 degree weather! He brushed the snow off the grill to do this. No further comments from me at this time.
Maybe I’ll ask if he wants a hot chocolate for dessert.
