I Missed This!

 Good morning, World!!

I hope everyone is having a Terrific Tuesday!  I miss blogging, I really do.  I just didn't have the time to stick with it then.  I used to work A LOT - But Momma brought home the bacon.  Especially after Bryan became physically disabled and had a heart attack! I lost my job last September, what a mess that was.  I won't go into it now but will eventually.  I got unemployment for a bit, did DoorDash, family helped, friends helped - I ended up getting my life insurance license.  Now I left college for a reason, I do not like studying.  I am a horrible test taker.  It took me 3 times, but I did it finally!  The company I signed up with seemed perfect.  It was all via Zoom, "you make your own hours" but no - they tried to kill me as far as I am concerned.  Working Mon-Sun from 8 am, sometimes getting a 3-hour lunch break but rarely, and then from 3 pm until whenever they felt like you were done.  Some nights I would get maybe 3-4 hours of sleep, and I am one of those people that need 9 plus or I get sick.  Just like I did.  During that time, I had another company, Primerica/Next Level Group reach out to me asking if I would be interested in working for them.  I didn't give it too much thought because I was miserable, tired, sick, and I had tried to talk to 3 different managers, and it was clear to me they either had no clue what their trainers were doing or chose to ignore my concerns.  Mine was hell-bent on changing me.  Yet, all the others I had trained with said how amazing I was.  She even wanted me to change my pitch in my voice by speaking through my stomach or some crap.  Guys, I literally won awards for my customer service "voice".  I am also a "people person" or can be lol, so I like to make relationships with my coworkers.  My trainer said that no one cares what you had for breakfast Nicole.  Excuse me for being friendly.  I am working with these folks for 10 plus hours a day, I would like to get to know them!!  And to make matters worse, she was a health guru so would often make comments about my vaping, this, or that.  Last I checked, I didn't sign up for a health coach.  

With the new company, it has been going well.  I DO get to choose my own schedule, work from home except for Saturdays we go in at 9 am.  And let me tell you, that is tuff sometimes.  I work 11 am to 4 pm or later if I choose to or need to for an appointment.  I ADORE waking up around 9:30-10 am and start my day after working at companies for so long where I got up at 4 am or 6 am.  You guys, I am gonna tell you a secret tho.  Selling Insurance is HARD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Yes, after 3 months I started getting people on board or buying a policy - now a platform I use refuses to "verify" me as a business which sux.  I do love doing this, but maybe it should be part-time instead of full.  Honestly, I don't have any other options at the moment so God, I am here - and I am listening.

PS.  Don't forget to comment, follow, etc.  I still have plenty of Mommy Times - But now we are moving into GIGI status, Perimenopause (is this happening or not, and WTF is the deal with the black hairs and some so white I can't see them but they hurt like hell to pull them!?!??!), Exploring more into Tarot Cards, and still the same ole' family humor.

Speaking of that, If you have read some of my ooolllldddd posts - Oh wait - let me just make a new post!!  Lol.

XOXO ~ Nicole

 As the world turns........

I'm just kidding but it sounded funny.  I started this blog in 2007 - Claire and Taylor are now 26 and 24.  Claire lives in Kansas much to my dismay with her finance Kevin.  She is currently pregnant with our first Grandbaby!!!!  And it is a BOY!!!  We are super excited, wish she lived here, but I will be driving there in December when the baby is due.  I am excited and terrified all at the same time.  I will be driving on my own, in December to Kansas City KS!  Why you ask?

Well, Taylor developed mental health issues in his later teen years.  He will live with us for the rest of his life.  We can get into that another time.  Bryan of course will have to stay home with him which is fine.  I just have to remember that I am one bad-ass bitch and used to drive to Houston to ATL or the other way around all the time.  Also, College Station to San Antonio and Galveston.  Yes, I was a lot younger then, but I refuse to fly.  For one, I suffer from BAD anxiety and haven't been on a plane since 2018 and that was only by "force" lol!!!!  I also take Zoloft and the idea of not being able to "get off the plane" terrifies me so - CAR it is!!  It says 11 hours and, in my mind, that doesn't sound bad at all.  Now, don't go sounding like the hubby Bryan - No!  Are you crazy?  Etc??  Also, have you guys seen the prices for flights??  And she is due in December!!

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I think that will do it for today!  I know I have readers out there so don't be shy!  Say hello!  Ask me questions.  I'm an "open book" as they say.  ;)

Sunday night I made the chicken cacciatore recipe.  Can I just say hands down this is my favorite thing I have ever made.  I had to do a lot of new things I was not familiar with like browning the chicken in extra virgin olive in a screaming hot pan.  I only got popped by it once right above my eye, I whimpered and thought F this but I kept at it.  Simmering the sauce with wine was another new trick.  It's a good thing I don't drink wine or we would have had to skip that step cause Momma would have helped herself.  Glug glug.

As I am finishing the chicken nestled in the sauce (with red bell peppers, onion, and mushrooms) in the oven, I realize that is all I have made.  No sides.  Is chicken cacciatore supposed to be served with something in particular?  So I pop on trusty Google and it suggested you serve it over a pasta like fettuccine or angel hair.  Perfect!  I had some in the pantry but as I was grabbing it Claire came into the kitchen and when I explained to her what the pasta was for, she asked if we could have white rice instead.  I'm all but Google said.....  But then she made a good point how all of the sauce would be soaking into the white rice and I thought you know, that might a be a good idea after all! 

*****This is not recent, but wanted to post it because it seemed like a hidden gem.***

Just a Trim, You'll Look Gorgeous....

Claire took intro to cosmetology last year as a sophomore in high school.  She loves doing her makeup and having her hair fancified so we thought maybe that might be something she would like to do as a "career".  She ended up not liking it which is fine but because she took the class I thought she would be helpful with my fro.  I hate my hair - it is thick, curly, and can eat a brush in a heartbeat. 

I like to keep my hair short but still long enough to put in a bun close to the back of my neck.  She did it for me the first time when it was about waist length and I was sick of it.  She cut it up to my shoulders and it was perfect.  That was the last time it has been cut and it was getting long again.  So last night I asked her if she would cut it for me again and she agreed.

Fast forward to me hopping out of the shower and my hair was not looking happy.  Looked more like she cut it with a weed whacker.  As she was fixing it I mentioned something about how she was holding the scissors. 

Claire:  Well she never really showed us how to hold them properly.

Me:  What?  How is she going to teach ya'll how to cut hair and not show you guys how to use the scissors?

Claire:  We actually never even held scissors or cut hair.

Me:  Wwwhhhaaaat?  Well, what the hell DID she teach you?

Claire:  How to braid.

Me:  But you are a terrible braider.

Claire:  I know.

*Sheesh, I need my money back.  On a positive note though hubby just told me he really liked my hair.  He said it reminded him of how I had it when we first met and then smiled.  Awwww.*

Magic Meatloaf Monday

Monday I made the meatloaf with Claire's help.  I really did appreciate her coming in when she did because I don't like to get my hands dirty while cooking.  I know that sounds crazy and Bryan will be the first to tell me you can't excel at cooking when you don't want to touch the meat, mix, or whatever.  I will do it if I have to but I don't like it.

So Claire walked into the kitchen just as I had finished adding all of the dry and wet ingredients to the hamburger meat which meant it was time to mush it all together.  Technical term right?  She starts mixing and mentions how cold and gross it feels.  Little happy dance for me right there since it isn't my hands in there.  I watched and gave tips to make sure everything was incorporated well.  Once that was done I told her to plop it out onto the oiled pan and shape it like a football.

Claire:  A football??

Me:  Yea. Or like a turd....

Claire:  Oooohhh ok.

So as she is molding, pushing, squeezing she turns to me and says, "This looks like Jason's face on Friday the 13th."

I couldn't stop laughing.



The meatloaf turned out good I think.  I really like the sauce you pour over it which consists of ketchup, mustard, brown sugar and then I add some honey because my fam is a fan of sweet.  It is a great addition to counteract with the large hunk of meat.  Last night I made homemade beef stroganoff.  I was disappointed but Bryan and the kids both loved it.

Bubble Rice

White Rice.  Something so simple but for someone who has never made it before, it actually scared Claire and I.  I have made rice before but it was always the Uncle Ben's brand that is in a clear pouch that you just pop in the pot, boil, and voila I had rice.  But when my oldest dog Paris got sick again, the vet put her back on a bland diet and in the pantry was no Uncle Ben's, just a large ominous looking bag of rice.

Claire came into the kitchen as I was reading the directions on the bag.  I asked her if she wanted to help and she said yes.  Pour water in pot, add rice, bring to boil and then put lid on and lower temp - check!  But then the bubbles started appearing.

Me:  What are those bubbles?

Claire:  I don't know.

Me:  Was there dish soap still in the pot?

Claire:  I don't think so.

Me:  Smell the steam.  (My nose was all stopped up from sinuses.)

Claire: *sniff* Doesn't smell like soap.

Me:  This can't be good.  (Bubbles are now slowing creeping under lid and rolling down side of pot.)

I ended up calling Bryan and telling him what was going on while Claire and I stood watching the mess.  It was Science Class ya'll!!!!  He said it was the starch burning off and literally while he was talking we saw the bubbles start to disappear.  Yay for that but someone should really think about putting that info on the bag with the directions for us non-cookers.

At least now Claire and I will know bubbles are a good thing when cooking rice.  =)

Welcome Back Ya'll!!

Two whole years.  That's how long it has been since I last posted.  A lot has happened in that time but that's not why I am back.  I used to consider myself a mommy blogger and although I am still a mom, Claire is 17 now and Taylor is 15.  My how my world has changed.

I want to still share funny stories of things they say or do.  I want to record family vacations we go on or weekend getaways.  But mostly, I want to take a page out of the book/movie Julie & Julia.  Why?  Well because I can't cook but I want to - sorta.  Lol.  The ironic thing is after digging in the world of Google and finally locating my blog, one of the last posts was me talking about the limited things I could cook.  Nothing has really changed since then.  I still cook the same things and the occasional new thing in the crock pot.  I did venture out and make a taco spaghetti on the stove (it was ok) and a tater tot casserole in the oven (also ok).  Bryan didn't try either and the kids weren't jumping up and down.  Taylor has a weird dislike of spaghetti but will eat the cooked noodles plain or smothered in hot sauce.

I am getting off track here.  Back to me trying to cook new things.  I have a love for The Cooking Network and believe it or not have learned some techniques from some of the shows I watch on there.  I don't think I will ever be an Iron Chef or even have my own show but I love the ideas and confidence I take away.  Another thing I wanted to put out there is Claire can't cook either.  I recently showed her how to make a grilled cheese so at least she won't starve once she moves out.  I know when I left home for the first time the only thing I could make was spaghetti and that was literally boiling noodles and opening jar of sauce.

So last Saturday I had my cooking shows on and thought you know what, it is time I start venturing out on the meals I prepare for my family.  They may not always be a hit but hey, you're trying!  I got me some paper and pen out and began jotting down a week worth of meals.  I used handy dandy Google to pull up recipes and search for ones for a beginner like moi.  Wasn't long at all and before my I had Mon-Thur dinners all planned out with ingredients I didn't have in the kitchen/pantry to pickup Sunday.  I didn't think about including Claire in my adventures until Monday night when I was starting that night's meal and she asked to help. Squeal!  Winner winner!!  I am going to end this post with my schedule for the week (yes it is already Wednesday because I got delayed on my posting AND I have only got to make Monday's so far because Tuesday ended up with Claire having a choir performance) and then for my next post tell you what Claire has learned from me so far and our results from making white rice for the first time plus Monday's meal.  Whew.  That was a mouthful.

Till next time.......

Monday:  Meatloaf & mashed potatoes or baked potato
Tuesday: Chicken Fajita tacos
Wednesday:  Chicken Cacciatore
Thursday:  Homemade Beef Stroganoff