Yesterday morning I thought for sure it was Kyle the squirrel looking for food by the back door. I put out more granola. Yep, I even put it in a dish!
Turns out it was an interloper. Every time I opened the door to take a picture, the squirrel ran away. If it were Kyle, she would have greeted me at the back door!
I know it’s January in Chicagoland, but I am really, really getting tired of winter. Seems like we start to catch a break and have temps near 30, only to have more snow and this morning sub zero temps. Right now it’s 1 degree, but with the wind chill feels like –20. Our high today? Seven fricken degrees! Tony and I keep talking about where we’d like to live when we retire – some place that doesn’t get too cold, or too hot. Have any suggestions??!! Where would you retire to?
Breakfast was an egg white and zucchini breakfast taco with a 100 calorie pack of Wholly Guacamole and some grapes on the side.
I was meeting Hannah for lunch at a new place to me called Wok n Fire. Tony and I used to go to this place when it was called Nozumi. They had the best calamari fries!
One day a few months back we went to go eat there, only to have a sign say “Wok n Fire . . . Coming Soon!”
I of course already looked at the menu and knew what I was going to get – the red Thai curry stir fry with tofu and brown rice. Hannah got the Pad Thai.
Um, I ate every bite. Well, except for the icky green onions – I quickly took those off and garnished Hannah’s plate with them – she loves them. The sauce was so flavorful and I liked that it wasn’t swimming in sauce, just enough to coat everything. The prices were reasonable too – most dishes were around $8.95. We don’t do sushi, but it must be good because nearly every table around us got it! Sadly, it went by all too quickly and I had to get back to work – it was great seeing you Hannah – next time we’ll plan a longer visit!
Last week Tony was on Facebook when he saw one of his friends pin a recipe from Pinterest and he said “this looks kinda good!” I quickly put it on the menu for this week! One Pot Cheezy Smoked Sausage.
This dish couldn’t have been easier to put together. It was literally ready in about 15 minutes – perfect for a night when you have to get dinner on the table fast.
I ended up adding a cup of baby spinach to my pasta and crushed red pepper because I thought it was a bit bland without it. The smoked sausage I got was just okay too – one that was a bit more flavorful would have helped with the dish, but it wasn’t too bad.
I had to laugh yesterday because I saw a few search terms that people used that found my blog somehow:
- Ham Hock Ass (3 searches) and
- Getting Piss Busy in My Kitchen and my favorite . . .
- Kath Younger Annoying (Ha! – if you haven’t seen it, here’s my post about Kath Eats)
And check out this guest post on Courtney’s blog! Courtney is the SIL of one of my attorneys I work for. Courtney is on vacation, so her SIL (my bosses wife) did a guest post. I guess they make my chicken tikka masala most Friday nights – love it!
Alright – I am off to brave the elements and get to the gym before work. I was actually okay with taking a rest day yesterday! Make it a great day!
R. would love to retire in Italy but I’d rather stay in Holland.
I’m not all that tired of winter except for the veggies in my Beebox 🙂 Since it’s seasonal and there is the least choice in Winter here in Holland I was kind of disappointed to see I got pumpkin again in my box this week. I know: luxury problem.
If you have time today, would you read my last post. I would like to know your opinion on my dilemma.
I did see that you are lost Fran. It’s something that my brother and I call “the switch.” It’s either on and you are eating healthy and working out routinely, or it’s off and you have a desire to do neither.
I wish I had the magic suggestion for you – you eat pretty healthy, and you love your wine like I do. I think strength training may be the way to go – while I first only lost 8 pounds, I had already lost inches!
Sending big hugs your way!
I am so tired of winter. And I don’t even live in the midwest. In the middle of another blizzard with polar vortex temps expected. Ugh! We are retiring to Healdsburg, CA (Sonoma Valley). Best place in the world.
I think I remember the posts you’ve done about that place – California is on my bucket list to get to someday!
If I could move someplace warmer, I think it would be Hawaii or Nevada….dream on Louise 🙂 The food from Wok n fire looks really good. I think I need to do some wok cooking, more healthy eating. Course it is always fun to go out to eat at wok places, we have a few here also.
Funny the different search terms people use to find your blog….how do you find that information? Would be fun to see how they fine me, if they even try.
Your breakfast looks really good, must try that tomorrow.
You use blogspot Louise, so I am not sure – do you know how to find your dashboard??
Can’t wait to see the cards you made me in person! Hugs!
Love the squirrel pic! Poor little guy….
Loved your beach birthday this year Lisa!
Our weather here in Nebraska has been similar, except we haven’t had much snow at all. We NEED the snow; the farmers around here are starting to get pissy thinking about how much irrigation they’re going to need this summer.
I’m not a huge smoked sausage fan; I have horrible memories of this greasy kielbasa crap that my mom used to serve us when we were kids. I can eat a bratwurst or hot dog every now and then, but I certainly don’t make a habit of it. ICK!
Yeah, this wasn’t the best smoked sausage – I think I like the ones that are more cured? But I’ll eat a hot dog any day!
I live in Georgia. We have pretty mild winters and it hardly ever snows here 🙂 The trade off of course are the brutally hot summers.
I’ve only driven through Georgia on our way to Florida – so I did assume that it gets pretty hot in the summer there.
I saw that post on Courtney’s blog – everyone loves your recipes!!!
I’m over winter, too and we haven’t had nearly as much snow as y’all have!
We are going to retire to a beach – top choice is Hawaii but that is sort-of pricey so I’m willing to compromise:)
Yep, everything is more expensive in Hawaii!
Thank you so much for the shout out!! 🙂 I can’t wait to try the recipe – Becky obviously raves about it a lot 🙂
I hope to bring some warmer temps back with me although it doesn’t look like thats going to happen. It’s just been BRUTAL 🙁
I’m laughing at the dish you put out for the squirrel! too cute 🙂
Have a safe trip home Courtney!
Thanks for popping in to say Hi, you always brighten my day! I’ve let school take over blogging, but don’t you have a full time job? How do you do it all? Oh yeah I have 3 needy kids 🙂 No I have not gotten my infusion yet and I swear I am gonna cut my right foot off if it doesn’t happen soon, I’ll keep you posted.
Come to Temecula! The weather is fantastic and the people really nice. We’re close to the beach and have a million wineries 5 minutes down the road. We have a good mix of suburbia and lots of ranch homes with horses on big properties. I bet the cost of living is cheaper here than Chicago too. Make it happen Biz.
Happy New Year and have a fantastic day!!!
Rats, hope you’ll get some relief from your arthritis soon! I have never been to California – I’ll have to ask Tony if he’s ever been to Temecula – wineries nearby – winning!
And it’s Tony’s dream to have a ranch house someday – no stairs!
oh my gosh…I would be frozen in that weather! Stay warm !!! I want to live and retire right where I am. I love the humidity in the summer and actually wish it stayed warmer through the winter. I could live in 90 degree temperatures year round haha. Love adding spinach to pasta dishes- it adds great bulk and staying power
My aunt lives in Hilton Head, SC – so pretty there! I am always jealous of your instagram pics of your daughter in short sleeves going down the slide!
So proud of your marathon time Erica!!
Yeh, I’m really tired of this winter – endless snow and extreme cold. Not sure where I’d retire to, but right now I sure wish I had the kind of job where I could work out of Arizona for the coldest months.
Me too sista!
Glad you had a nice lunch with Hannah! And the food looks so good!
We have customers that have a home here in N. Alabama on the lake and also a home in N. Dakota. Bet you can’t guess where they’re living right now! lol I could not deal with all that snow and cold weather. I grew up in S. Georgia where it’s hot and humid. I can take the heat any day but I can’t stand being cold – it’s to the bone! Where are my hot flashes when I need them! lol
Retirement – what’s that? lol I’ll be working until I’m 100!. lol
Alabama is a state I’ve never been to! OMG, I am thinking North Dakota’s weather would be way worse than ours!
hee hee I love seeing how people find your blog!
I hope everyone in your house is healthy Marcia!
I will retire to my land that overlooks a gorgeous lagoon in Mozambique. Hopefully my dream home will be built by the time that day comes! At this point I’d take a reed hut. I keep begging my husband to let me truly be a full time stay at home mom/wife. He’s not going for it!
What a nice shout out to your blog and recipes on the guest post. I could go for some Indian or Thai food myself. I love how formal you are about serving the granola to Kyle. That’s one lucky squirrel!!
Someday you’ll get back there Aimee!! And if it weren’t for the granola being lost in the snow, not sure I would let the squirrels use my nice dishes!
That sausage looks good.
And that restaurant decor is very busy! Very distracting. LOL
The food was really good and reasonable, so I’ll live with the decor. 😀
Now I’m craving Thai food! How nice that you got to have lunch with Hannah!
Thanks Dana – hope you are feeling happy today!
Retirement… sounds like a far too distant dream. I have worked since I was 14 so not working is such a foreign concept. I guess Kyle has spread the word about the yummy goodness and fine dining experience at your home. Only an hour to spend with Hannah that had to be hard to let her go. I really needed the fast and easy dinner recipe. I haven’t been feeling my kitchen mojo lately so thank you.
I know – it does seem so far away! I’ve worked since I was 16 – the only length of time I’ve ever had off was when I stayed home with Hannah that first six weeks, then it was back to work I went. I told her next time we need to plan a minimum of an afternoon!
Yes, we’re saying the same thing north of you – enough winter already! We actually haven’t had any huge snowstorms, but the cold has been pretty relentless and it started early…I think that’s why we’re all tired of it. I keep saying that since it started early, it will end early and spring will be here before we know it! My folks retired to northern Wisconsin – NO THANKS! We plan to head south for at least Jan-March when we retire and use our cabin in the northwoods April-Nov/Dec. We went to Gulf Shores in Alabama last spring and loved it. Also love the Carolinas. We’ll see where the road takes us. There are places like San Diego where the weather is pretty temperate year-round.
Well, when the weather gets better Lynne, we’ll have to meet each other half way for lunch! 😀
Maui. That’s the plan for retirement (or earlier, if we can figure out how to live realllllly cheaply). Yes, it’s warm, but it’s never cold. And it’s Hawaii!!!
It looks like your hat is arriving via Pony Express…I hope you get it while it’s still winter!
Tony and I have talked about Hawaii but we don’t like how long the plane ride is! I got my hat yesterday and I LOVE IT! So soft, and sadly I think I’ll get a lot of use out of it yet this winter!
I am ready for spring too! Though our weather is not nearly as bad as yours.
The cheezy sausage looks good, and anything easy is a win in my book. I never have time/energy anymore to make elaborate meals.
Well, being that you are 7 months pregnant Maggie, low energy is understandable!