The end of the year?!

Well...this crazy year is finally coming to a close! We don't have any New Years plans...just going to hang out at home and watch some movies and enjoy the fact that Johnny doesn't have to get up for work tomorrow! 

Johnny has been on the ODL (Overtime Desired List) throughout the year except for December when they typically mandate overtime for everyone. Well this year, Johnny decided to go ahead and stay on the ODL through December. So he was working a lot of hours this month including Saturday and Sunday. It's a busy time for the United States Postal Service...especially this year when so many more people have done their Christmas shopping online. Interestingly enough, this is the first year that I did NOT do my Christmas shopping online (except for Johnny's present). Johnny wanted to do the shopping together after he got his paycheck the Tuesday before Christmas...so after he got off work (after 9pm) we headed to Kohls Tuesday and Target on Wednesday. Thank goodness for extended shopping hours before Christmas...luckily they were both open until midnight. And as a bonus...there were far less people shopping that late at night. 

Christmas looked a lot different this year. My whole life, we've spent Christmas Eve with my dad's side of the family and then Christmas Day we'd spent it with my mom's side of the family. So it was weird staying [mostly] at home for the entire holiday. It was still a very good Christmas, though. 

The Saturday before Christmas, my mom's paternal side of the family had a Zoom meeting. We happened to have half a dozen small earthquakes in Kansas that day...which meant I was sick with vertigo and orthostatic hypotension issues all day. But Ashlyn was able to join in and she had a great time. I could hear her laughing all the way from upstairs. :) And then a few days later, my grandparents stopped by to drop off gifts and to see Bozley. He's grown so much since they last saw him in August! We had a lovely visit (with masks, of course!) and it was so great to be able to spend that time with them. 

And then on Christmas Eve, my grandpa decided to have one last Christmas Eve get-together...which was one of my Grandma's final wishes. However with the pandemic and Johnny being high risk plus the Covid-related job leave and protection expiring, we decided it would be best for us not to go to the gathering. Johnny had to work on Christmas Eve, but I drove Ashlyn (and the dogs) over so she could go and chatted with my grandpa for awhile before everyone else got there. I also stopped by to see my parents and Bozley really enjoyed seeing them. The chihuahuas are not a fan of my dad (they really don't like any guys except for Johnny...no idea why) but Bozley ran up to dad as soon as we walked in the door. So that was cute. :) He also went and sat by my mom's back door when he needed to go outside...so that was good! He does it all the time at home, but it was the first time he'd done it at someone else's house (mostly because when he was younger I would just take him out every hour or two just in case). He's a smart boy, though, and catches on quick. :) I wasn't looking forward to the drive home without Ashlyn...because Bozley still hates riding in the car unless he's in my lap...but he did much better than I anticipated and actually fell asleep in the passenger seat for part of the 20 minute drive. It was still easier when he was in Ashlyn's lap on the way there, of course. :P 

When I got home, I got all the presents wrapped while Johnny was still working. Then that evening, Aubry brought Ashlyn home and they stayed (with their masks!) so we could open presents here at home. We'd bought them each a body pillow, plush blanket, and plush body pillow covers. Then Aubry got a new vinyl record (Blink182 Greatest Hits) and Ashlyn got the pore extractor that she'd been asking for and some flexible foam no-heat spiral curler things (she got two things because Aubry's record was more expensive and I try to be fair with their Christmas gifts). And then they each got an Amazon gift card. We also opened the gifts from my grandparents and were spoiled as always! I got a neat Instant Pot Bible that I'm really excited about. There are several recipes that I'm already wanting to try soon. They have a "Not-Really Panda Express Orange Chicken" that I think Ashlyn will like. And there were several others that Johnny thought sounded good. My other grandpa had also put together a cookbook of my Grandma's recipes and gave to everyone as a gift this year. It's really neat and has pictures of Grandma throughout the years as well. There's also a picture of my Aunt on the back cover who died this year as well. I really love both my new cookbooks. :) 

After we opened gifts, the girls went to XH's parents house for the weekend. They celebrated Christmas day over there since we didn't have plans this year. Johnny and I hung out at home watching movies. I'd made a turkey breast in the pressure cooker again so we'd have turkey sandwiches. So it was just a nice, relaxing holiday at home. :) With the vaccines rolling out, hopefully the holidays will be a little more "normal" next year. 

Bozley will be 7 months old tomorrow! His fur has continued to get longer and he's still getting bigger. He's less "calm" now than he used to be. He has started to get excited when he sees people he knows. One thing about getting a puppy during 2020 is that we've spent most of our time at home. It seems that now when we leave, he has a lot of separation anxiety. He's gotten used to having us home so he never really got used to us not being home. He's also picked up the habit of waking up during the night the last few nights. He'll climb down off the bed and bark at the bedroom door. He doesn't even want to go outside...we'll let him out and he'll just go outside and lay down. I don't know if he's just getting too hot or what. I think tonight I'm going to put his bed in our room at bedtime and then maybe he'll just get off the bed and lay down in his bed instead of wanting to come out in the living room. He LOVES going outside though. Most of my day is spent getting up and letting him outside at least every half hour (often more) unless he lays down to take a nap. He'll just go out there for about 15 minutes or so and run back and forth, toss things around, lay in the dirt...then come back in to get a drink of water and see what I'm doing. Then he wants to do it all over again. :P Oh and he LOVES snow, rain, and mud. :P Plus...it seems to rain or snow within 2 days of every bath or groomer appointment. He's a mess...but he's such a cute mess. It's still hard to believe how much he's grown from the little 5lb puppy that we brought home in July. Oh and he loves the new fox and duck toys he got for Christmas (and his new, bigger and better dog bed!). 

We are getting a new TV for Christmas! The TV in the living room is...dumb. I mean, Johnny's had the TV since 2011 or something so it's had a lot of good years. But, in the last few months it's been going downhill and now we can't turn it off because it won't turn back on. So...we decided that we're going to "gift" ourselves with a new TV for Christmas. And hopefully it'll help with the electric bill so we don't have to keep the current TV turned on all the time. :P 

Meanwhile, I still haven't been able to claim any transcription files for work. Hopefully things will pick back up again in 2021. 

Now I need to get working on my year in review post! :) 

Hello December!

Well, it's finally the last month of this crazy year. It definitely feels like December...cold and windy. We're in a winter storm watch from tomorrow until Thursday. UGH. I'm not a fan of the cold weather. Actually I don't really like super hot weather, either. I'm a mild 60s-70s kind of girl. :P But I really like the holidays...so at least winter has that going for it. 

We've finally gotten to the last of the holiday leftovers which means I have to actually make dinner tonight. :P We'll probably have tacos and burritos tonight since it's Tuesday and then I plan to make chili and cinnamon rolls tomorrow or Thursday. Then we'll have some leftovers. Beyond that, I haven't really thought about it yet. :P 

There hasn't been much work available lately. Most times when I check the queue or the dashboard, there aren't any files available at all. When there are a couple files, they're gone before I can claim them. I still try to check throughout the day. Many courts are running only limited dockets because of the surge in Covid-19 cases around the country. That means we're back to having very little work available. 

So since I haven't had any work, I've been trying to catch up on backing up my photos to my flickr account and getting some stuff done around the house. 

Mr. Bozley Reddington is 6 months old today! I can hardly believe how much he has grown in just a short amount of time. He was so teeny tiny when we brought him home and now I struggle to carry him because he's gotten so big. Bozley weighs 50 pounds now! He has more feathering in his fur now too...it's getting longer! There for awhile, his tail looked like a lion...smooth with a tuft on the end. Now he has feathering all the way down his tail. He's getting a mane now on his chest and has a fluffy butt. He's so handsome. :) He has another appointment tomorrow with the groomer. Just gonna get a bath with shampoo and conditioner, blow dry, brushed, ears cleaned, paws trimmed, sanitary trim, teeth brushed, and nails rounded. He still doesn't need a haircut yet, but definitely in need of a good bath! Here's a picture of BozzyBear today...he's definitely outgrowing the dog bed!

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RECIPES: Thanksgiving Dinner!

If you're looking for a list of recipes for a complete Thanksgiving meal (at least what our Thanksgiving meal was this year) that doesn't require a whole lot of work...then you've come to the right place! I decided to post them all together in one post instead of making separate posts for each one. 
Note: This was dinner for four people plus leftovers. 

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(left to right, top to bottom) Reame's frozen egg noodles, mashed potatoes, cornbread casserole, green bean casserole, French onion dip with chips, candied yams, banana cake bread, Stovetop stuffing, whole cranberries, Heinz turkey gravy, SteamFresh corn, store-bought pumpkin pie, strawberry whip dream, turkey breast, Hawaiian Rolls, Stouffer's mac n cheese

Pressure Cooker: (Frozen) Turkey Breast

Ingredients:

7 lb young turkey breast with bone and skin, frozen 
1 can chicken broth

1 tsp poultry seasoning

3 tsp celery flakes

1/2 tsp garlic salt 

1/2 tsp paprika

1/4 tsp onion powder

Directions: 

1. Remove turkey breast from the wrapper. Remove gravy packet using hot water and set aside. Pat the turkey dry and place in the pressure cooker. 

2. Mix all of the seasonings together and then rub all over the turkey. 

3. Pour chicken broth into bottom of the pressure cooker pot. Add the turkey.

4. Lock the lid. Cook on high pressure for 45 minutes. 

5. Allow all of the pressure to naturally release completely.  

6. Carefully remove the turkey from the pressure cooker, carve, and enjoy! 

Green Bean Casserole

Ingredients:

2 cans cut green beans, drained 
2 cans Cream of Mushroom soup

1/2 cup milk

1 cup French fried onions 

Directions: 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  
2. Thoroughly mix green beans, soup and milk. Top with French fried onions. 

3. Spread into 2 qt baking dish (mine is 7" by 11"). 
4. Bake for about 15-20 minutes until onions are a dark golden color. 

Cornbread Casserole (recipe from my Grandma)
Ingredients:

1 can cream style corn  

1 can whole kernel corn, drain  

8 oz sour cream  

1 large egg

1 box cornbread muffin mix

Directions: 
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  
2. Mix all ingredients and pour into an 8"x8" baking dish. 

3. Bake for 45 minutes.   

Candied Yams
Ingredients:

40 oz can of Bruce's Yams, drained

1/4 cup butter, sliced into pieces 

1/2 cup brown sugar 

2 cups mini marshmallows 

Directions: 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  

2. Spread yams in an 8" by 8" baking dish. Evenly distribute butter over the yams. 

3. Sprinkle brown sugar on top of the yams and butter. Cover with a layer of marshmallows.

4. Bake for about 15-20 minutes or until marshmallows have browned on top.  

Strawberry Whip Dream
Ingredients:

6 oz strawberry Jell-o mix (not sugar-free!) 

2 cups very hot water

1 3/4 cup cold water 

8 oz Cool Whip, thawed

16 oz sliced, fresh strawberries (plain, no syrup or sugar added) 

Directions: 

1. Pour hot water into 3 qt baking dish. 

2. Stir in Jello-mix until completely dissolved.  

3. Stir in cold water. 

4. Refrigerate for 1 hour. Remove and use hand mixer until Jell-o is very frothy. 

5. Stir in Cool Whip until nice and smooth. 

6. Fold in strawberries. 

7. Return to refrigerator for at least 2 hours or until ready to serve (I left mine in overnight). 

Now...I like to take shortcuts wherever I can...especially when I'm preparing such a big spread. With some things, I just don't want to do more work if I don't have to. The Reame's egg noodles, Stovetop stuffing, Heinz jar of turkey gravy, Bob Evans mashed potatoes, Stouffer's mac n cheese, and Steamfresh corn are all prepared according to the package. The French onion dip is simply a package of Lipton Onion Soup mix stirred together with 16 oz of sour cream. Oh and the banana cake bread recipe I've posted to my blog before. You can find the recipe here. :) 

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving! 

Almost Thanksgiving!

I can't believe Thanksgiving is tomorrow! I keep saying it, but the year really is going by so fast. But then at the same time, it's also seemed like a really long year. 

We're just having Thanksgiving dinner here at home this year. Despite not gathering, our loved ones near and far are always in our hearts! And I do think once the pandemic has subsided (at least once a vaccine is developed) we will have a family gathering where we can all come together again in one big group. But until then, we will continue to love at a distance! <3 

But, just because we can't gather, that doesn't mean we can't eat! In 2018, it was just Johnny and I here at the house. Johnny's kids are adults with their own families so they've often had other plans either at their home or with their spouse's families. So in 2018, his daughter celebrated Thanksgiving at their house the Sunday before and we went over there. Then on Thursday my kids went to have dinner with XH's family so Johnny and I just enjoyed a huge Thanksgiving dinner for two (and plenty of leftovers!) and then Johnny made an appearance at his son's gathering as well (I had a work deadline and couldn't make it). 

our feast at home in 2018

So, this year we'll pretty much be doing the same thing for dinner tomorrow. We'll be having: 

- Turkey 

- Mashed Potatoes

- Reames Egg Noodles 

- Turkey Gravy 

- Corn
- Stuffing
- Candied Yams 
- Green Bean Casserole 

- Cornbread Casserole

- Cranberry sauce
- Macaroni & Cheese 
- Dinner Rolls 

- Pumpkin Pie 

- Banana Cake Bread 
- Strawberry Whip Dream

This will be the first year that Johnny isn't waking up early to put the turkey in the oven. This year, I decided to just get a turkey breast AND I'm going to cook it in the pressure cooker. :) I was late deciding exactly what I wanted to do this year. I got most of the groceries for dinner ahead of time, but was waiting to decide if Johnny was going to pick up a whole turkey or not. Finally I just placed a Walmart pick-up order Tuesday morning...and of course there wasn't a same-day timeslot available. :P So I got the notification that my order was ready...but no turkey breast! They were sold out of that and toilet paper. :P So I ran over to Dillons on my way to pick up the Walmart order and luckily they had plenty of turkey breasts to choose from. But I suppose it worked out...because this way I could make sure that I picked up a big one. Walmart listed the turkey breast as 2.5 to 10 lbs (big difference!) and there's no way to add a note about what you want (they should really consider adding that). Anyway, so I grabbed a 7.68 lb turkey breast at Dillons. And since it's frozen and tomorrow is Thanksgiving...if I cook it in the pressure cooker, it doesn't matter if it's still frozen. ;) Not only that, but it frees up the oven for other things without a turkey cooking all day long. 

I'm also cheating and using Bob Evans mashed potatoes that I can heat up in the microwave along with the large container of Stauffer's macaroni and cheese in the freezer that we were going to have for a different dinner and I forgot about. :P So...that one is basically to just get it out of my freezer! Oh and I'm also using the jar of turkey gravy that Johnny likes because I'm not that picky about turkey gravy...plus I always love a good shortcut. ;) Oh and the cranberries...Johnny always just uses the canned ones. Plus, I'm pretty sure he's the only one who eats it. lol ;) 

The green been casserole I'll bake in the toaster oven and the cornbread casserole and candied yams I'll bake in the oven. Then the stuffing will be on the stovetop with the gravy. I usually make the Reams egg noodles on the stovetop, but I'll probably just make them in the crockpot...pretty simple that way. 

I bought the pumpkin pie from Walmart. I don't eat pumpkin pie and nobody else is picky enough to turn down pumpkin pie even if it is store-bought. ;) And I actually remembered the ReddiWhip in the Walmart order I picked up today. I also decided last minute that strawberry whip dream sounds really good. I can't find where I put the exact recipe from my grandma OR exactly what she called it on the recipe...but I think strawberry whip dream sounds like an awesome name. ;) It's basically strawberry Jell-o, strawberries, and whipped cream. It's SO yummy. Hopefully it'll turn out since I'm just winging it. ;) I'm going to make that tonight so it's in the fridge for a good long time before eating. I'm also going to bake two loaves of banana cake bread today as well. Everything else I'll make tomorrow. 

I'll make a post after Thanksgiving with all the recipes from our Thanksgiving meal. :) Until then, everyone stay safe and have a happy Thanksgiving! 

Weekends don't last long enough!

There never seems to be enough time on the weekends to get everything done. And as the weather gets colder, the amount of things we can get done outside gets more and more limited. Johnny has been doing so much work outside though! Up until 2019, Johnny owned and operated his own swimming pool service and repair businesses (for almost 30 years!). So he really didn't have much time to devote to projects at home...because if the weather was nice, he was doing pool work. So we've finally gotten around to some things that were long overdue. Still...the list of things still to do seems never-ending. Welcome to home ownership! :P 

One of the biggest projects to tackle has been the front porch. Our house was built about 20 years ago, and whoever poured the raised cement slab did not do a great job. And if I remember correctly, they'd already fixed it once...either shortly before or after Johnny bought the house 15 years ago. But...the porch started to sink on the front side again, so the porch was at an angle about 6 inches shorter than the back. And with the ground settling, the front steps (also cement) started slanting down as well. The last estimate we got for having someone else repair it, was like $6k and that was at least 7 years ago. So...as a temporary fix for now, Johnny used a floor jack to raise the porch and then used some cinder blocks and filled it underneath with expanding polystyrene foam to hold it in place for awhile. Now we have no more funhouse porch! :P We still have to get the bricks along the top step put back, but we've made a lot of progress! We'll have to figure out a more permanent solution for the entire front porch area, but this will work for now. 

I had to replace the heating element in the dryer AGAIN. I tried to just replace the entire housing that came with the heating element and thermostats, but somehow the part that was sent was about an inch too long. After two whole days of trying to maneuver that thing to fit, I gave up and put the new parts in the old housing and returned the housing to Amazon for a refund. Ugh. And a few weekends ago, Johnny cleaned out the dryer vent and ducts and replaced the outdoor vent as well. So hopefully the dryer will last a little longer now. I'm tired of taking the darn thing apart. :P 

My computer was also having issues again. It shouldn't be that surprising, considering I bought this computer back in 2013. I've replaced the bottom shell, the DC jack twice and the WLAN card three times now. While I was replacing the WLAN card again this time, I decided to go ahead and upgrade the RAM as well so I'll hopefully have better performance. I'd just replace the whole laptop...but I really, really love the keyboard on this computer. And considering I use my laptop for transcription work...the speed at which I can type depends largely on the keyboard. Johnny has basically an upgraded and slightly larger version of my laptop (Dell Inspiron), and I absolutely hate his keyboard. The subtle differences are enough to throw my words per minute way off. So...hopefully my laptop will keep going at least a few more years. 

Ashlyn had a pretty good end to the first term of her Sophomore year. Her report card showed a lot of improvement over last year so hopefully she can keep up that momentum! :) Since Johnny is considered high risk for complications of Covid-19, we're trying to limit exposure as much as possible. So Ashlyn has been doing remote-only so far. There have been several cases already through the high school, so I'm glad we made that decision. 

Bozley just keeps growing! I haven't weighed him lately...since it requires me holding him on the scale and subtracting my weight. He's getting too big for me to hold very long! :P His coat is getting more feathery spots on his front legs, chest, tail, and butt. I'll be taking him to the groomer again in the next few weeks for a thorough bath, sanitary trim, and trimming the fur on his paws...still no need for an actual haircut yet. This week he finally learned how to catch! We're still practicing, but before he wouldn't even open his mouth and everything would just bounce off his nose. :P  He's also started grabbing his leash and bringing it to us, which I think is adorable. :) I can't believe he'll be 6 months old already in a few weeks! This picture is one of my favorites...taken just a day before he turned 5 months old. 

Dinners have been pretty boring lately. I made spaghetti...which we have once a week or every two weeks. And then a couple days ago I made vegetable beef soup in the pressure cooker. Oh and before that, I made tator tot casserole. One of the funny things I've noticed about Johnny and I coming together later in life, is that we each have our own way of making certain things. For example, Johnny puts green beans in his tator tot casserole with no cheese...and I make it without green beans and with condensed cheddar soup on top before I put the tator tots on. So...I made a half and half pan. ;) Obviously I took the picture before I finished putting all the tator tots on. Oh and if you're wondering, the hamburger is just mixed with 1 can cream of mushroom and 1 can cream of celery. I also cook the tator tots first for about 10-15 minutes before I put them on top so they don't get soggy. 

We need to start getting our groceries for Thanksgiving dinner! We'll just be having dinner at home this year...especially with Covid19 spreading the way it is right now. And I'm excited for yummy food and a bunch of leftovers! My mom is also going to be making me some meatballs and cheesy potatoes for my birthday sometime in the near future...which I look forward to every year. So I'm excited about that! :) 

How is it already November?!

I've been so busy lately...mostly with work. I've been relying on the old system to find files lately. I just prefer the way the queue is laid out with more information about the files so I can get a better idea of what I'm going to be working on. I picked up a 63-minute file due on October 15th and it was very clear audio...which doesn't always happen. Then I happened to see two more files in the queue for the same case that were due on October 16th so I grabbed those 105 minutes. Then when I was done with those, I found another 44 minutes for the same case due on the 27th and then another 137 minutes due on the 29th. And last night I completed another 146 minutes for the same case that were due this morning. So that's almost 500 minutes of pretty good audio all for the same case...my favorite kind of work! :) I really love my job and the freedom it allows our family. I'm so happy that I found this opportunity. :) 

Since I'd been so busy with work, the girls helped out with dinner a couple times last week. Tuesday night, Aubry made chicken fajitas for the first time...and she did a great job! And Ashlyn helped by grating the cheese, shredding the lettuce, and making the guacamole. Then Wednesday night Ashlyn made cheesy chicken broccoli and rice for dinner...which is her favorite. Then Thursday I made chicken and noodles in the crockpot. Mmm! Perfect for the cold weather we've had lately. And since it just cooks in the crockpot all day...I still had plenty of time to work! :) 

I also had a birthday almost a week ago. I'm in the last year of my 30s now! It seems pretty crazy that I'll be 40 next year. Overall, my 30s have been pretty good...so hopefully the 40s will be even better! :) Johnny, Ashlyn, and I went over to my grandparents' house here in town for dinner (Aubry had to work) and we had a lovely time. It was pretty funny...the TV happened to be playing in the background and 60 Minutes came on with the election interviews. We started watching it and talking about the candidates, politics, coronavirus...just all sorts of things. I've always been a Democrat and while I was growing up, my grandpa was always a Republican. But now...we were all pretty much on the same page about everything. It feels a lot like both sides have become pretty radical as of late...while the majority of us are in the middle thinking, "What the hell is going on?!" So while there has been so much division in the current political climate...it's very refreshing to see Democrats and Republicans actually coming together. :) Grandpa asked me if I ever thought I'd be spending my birthday watching 60 Minutes and talking politics...and I can definitely say I didn't see that coming. ;) But it was really a wonderful evening and I enjoyed it tremendously.

Johnny and I also saw my other grandma this weekend. She was needing some help moving a trailer and lawnmower to her house so we got that done for her. I say we...but I mostly just stood around with Bozley and grandma while Johnny drove the trailer and backed it in where it needed to go. ;) Grandma loves to see Boz and he was such a good boy. He still won't ride in the backseat while we're in the car. :/ He only wants to ride in our lap. He did wonderful in my grandma's truck with the bench seat though! 

Johnny has also been busy working in our yard on the weekends. We have had several elm trees and mulberry trees randomly growing next to the house and our fence. They just keep growing back! But Johnny has been working hard getting them cut out at the roots and treating them at the roots so hopefully they don't keep growing back. This year we also had several pokeweeds randomly show up in the front bushes and by the lilac bush in the backyard. Those things can get HUGE! I also read that they're poisonous to the animals so I'm glad Johnny was able to get them all out. 

I still can't believe it's November already. This year has gone by so fast! 

RECIPE: Cheesy Chicken, Broccoli, and Rice

This is one of Ashlyn's favorite meals and she also learned how to make it last year. She even learned how to use the pressure cooker to cook the chicken breasts! Since I've been busy with work, Ashlyn helped out and made this for dinner tonight...after asking for quite awhile if she could make it. It's a very simple recipe for a quick and easy meal. 

Cheesy Chicken, Broccoli, and Rice

Ingredients:

4 chicken breast halves, cooked and cubed
2 cans broccoli cheddar soup

1 can cream of chicken soup

4 cups of water

2 cups uncooked rice

1 tsp salt

2 tbs butter

1 cup cooked broccoli flowerets (which we actually leave out and serve separately since the girls have always picked out the broccoli anyway). 

Directions: 

1. Combine water, rice, salt, and butter in a pot. 

2. Bring to a boil. Turn heat to low and cover with lid. 

3. Allow to simmer for 15 minutes. Fluff the rice with a fork. 

4. Add soups, chicken, and broccoli. Stir to mix. 

5. Cover and heat on low for 5 minutes. Serve. 

RECIPE: McCormick Chicken Fajitas

My tacos/burritos, chili, and spaghetti are all made with store-bought packets or sauces. Why? Because they taste good, the flavor is consistent, and it's convenient. :P My fajitas are the same way. I use the McCormick fajita mix and I *love* the flavor. I don't even order fajitas at restaurants anymore because I prefer the flavor of the McCormick seasoning rather than...whatever the restaurants are using. I don't make it quite the same as the recipe calls for on the back of the package though. It's really just a matter of preference. 

I've been super busy with work lately...so tonight, Aubry made the fajitas for the first time. She cut the chicken, vegetables, and then heated it all up in the electric skillet. That's another thing about the store-bought spice packets...it's super easy for someone else to make them and still taste the same. ;) And I had Ashlyn shred the cheese and lettuce, then she made the guacamole (also from a store-bought packet...the Kroger brand guacamole mix is our favorite). 

This recipe can be made with chicken or beef...I just usually make chicken. This is also a large recipe...because we really like leftovers. ;) 

McCormick Chicken Fajitas

Ingredients:

8 chicken breast halves
6 packets of McCormick fajita mix

1.5 cups of water, divided

2 gallon size Ziploc freezer bags

2 green peppers, cut into 1/2" thick strips

1 onion, cut into 1/2" thick rings

2 tbs oil

1 lg package flour tortillas, soft taco size 

favorite toppings: shredded extra-sharp cheddar, shredded lettuce, salsa or diced tomatoes, sour cream, guacamole, etc. 

Directions: 

1. Cut chicken into strips that are about 3/4" thick. 

2. Split the chicken equally between the Ziploc bags. Add 3 packets of fajita mix and 3/4 cup water to each Ziploc bag. Shake to equally coat all the chicken with the fajita mix (this step can be done ahead of time).

3. Spread oil in the bottom of electric skillet set at 350 degrees F. Add chicken and cover, stirring frequently.

4. Once most of the liquid in the chicken is gone, add the onions and green peppers to the chicken and cover, stirring occasionally until the vegetables are a soft texture. 

5. Serve in flour tortillas with your favorite toppings. 

This is an old photo from when Johnny had made fajitas for dinner one night...because that's our old electric skillet. Since then, we've started cooking off more liquid before adding the vegetables...and I think Johnny used to add more water/oil back then (I can't quite remember).  They still taste the same though! :)

Amazon Prime Day!

I intended to make a blog post just before Amazon Prime Day with deals that I'd found, but I didn't get around to it. Then I was going to make a blog post about my second annual Amazon Prime Day purchase (last year it was two Amazon Fire Sticks) but I didn't get around to that either. I was so busy with work last week that I just made a quick post on Facebook during my break. 

But now that my Amazon Prime Day deal has been delivered and I've actually used it, I thought I'd write a review. :) Disclaimer: I bought this product myself and was not compensated for my opinions on this product. 

This year for Amazon Prime Day, I bought a new vacuum! My mom bought my sister and I (and herself) a Shark Lift-Away lightweight vacuum for Christmas about 10 years ago. They were on a deep discount and she had Kohls cash to use...so it was a great deal! I've loved my vacuum. I even used it when I owned my own cleaning business for a few years. The only bad thing about it was that the brushes constantly got clogged with hair. And this year...it finally gave up and the rollers stopped working all together. :( 

Johnny has had a Dyson vacuum since before we started dating. It's nice...but it's so heavy. And I think it's also on its last leg. So Johnny and I talked it over and decided that with the Amazon Prime Day discount, we'd go ahead and get a new vacuum. 

I decided on the Shark ZU561 Navigator Lift-Away Speed Self Cleaning Brushroll Lightweight Upright Vacuum with HEPA Filter, Red Peony. It is basically like a newer version of my old Shark Lift-Away vacuum. 

After it arrived, I took a picture of the new vacuum (on the left) next to my old vacuum. The red definitely matches the living room more than the old purple one...not that it really matters. ;) 

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My beautiful new vacuum compared to my 10 year old broken vacuum. :) I love the new one! #newtoys #sharkliftaway

A post shared by Candi Pride (@tinycandi) on Oct 16, 2020 at 10:17am PDT

This weekend I got the chance to use it. I will say...it doesn't feel as "lightweight" when I'm actually using it. Carrying it? Yes. Using it? Not so much. It does say that you can reduce the suction to make it move easier, but that seems to defeat the purpose a bit. :P I will say though that it does have pretty good suction. The floor looked great after using it in the hallway, bedroom, and the living room area rug. So far I haven't had a problem with the hair clogging, but we'll see how that continues. And as a personal preference, I also wish that the other two attachments -- the Hair Removal Multi-Tool and Wide Upholstery Tool -- could be stored on the vacuum itself. I just don't like having to store things separately. Next weekend I plan to vacuum the stairs, so we'll see how it does then. 

Had it not been discounted for Amazon Prime Day, I probably wouldn't have gotten it yet, though. But overall, I'm very pleased with the purchase for the price. :) 

Bozley is doing great!

Boz went to the vet Monday. Johnny has been going to the same vet clinic (now animal hospital) since before he and I started dating. All of our dogs and cats are taken care of there. We've seen a variety of vets, and we've been impressed with nearly all of them. Boz saw a different vet today that we hadn't seen before. They went on and on about how wonderful Bozley is and how he is so calm and sweet...even while getting his vaccinations! He didn't even have a problem with the bigger microchip needle. The tech said that he was shaking a bit while she was carrying him, but he calmed down as soon as she put him on the exam table. I love when other people comment about what a good boy he is...because we think he's pretty darn awesome :) 

We got there right before they opened back up after lunch. We had to wait in the car for about an hour before they had an exam room ready for him. Bozley didn't mind though. He just sat on my lap and eventually fell asleep. 

Bozley weighs 29.5 pounds now! He has grown so much from the little 5.4 pound puppy we brought home in July. The vet said his growth is perfect. He does want us to try switching to Purina Pro Plan Large Breed Puppy despite that it is made with chicken. The vet thinks that his intolerance may have been the specific brand of food, but he may not have a problem with the better quality brand. It has a lower fat content than the Purina Pro Plan Puppy Sensitive Skin and Stomach as well as the Glucosamine that he needs for healthy joints...both important for large breed dogs. 

He got his last round of puppy shots as well as his rabies shot, so he will be done with those vaccinations until next year. As I mentioned above, we also decided to get him microchipped. Sunday night, my cat Milo jumped the fence and was not hiding in our front bushes as he usually does when he jumps the fence. He was missing for 55 hours before Johnny found him under a shed at the high school. Milo was wearing his collar, but it's a breakway collar and I was afraid that it would come off and people wouldn't realize that he is a pet...especially since he is so scared of strangers. So I went ahead and got Bozley microchipped while we were there and will eventually get all three cats microchipped as well. The girls can decide if they want to pay to have their chihuahuas microchipped. It's too bad the microchips don't have GPS! That would be even more helpful! :P 

The vet also checked Bozley's heart murmur. He said it was very faint and he really had to get his stethoscope in just the right spot to be able to hear it at all. So it sounds like it is getting better! We're hoping that it will fully resolve as he continues to grow...but he doesn't seem to be having any problems with it so far. We also got his heartworm and flea/tick preventative for this month and next month. So he should be good to go for a little while! 

Then today, Bozley had his first groomer appointment! They said he did SO well during his bath and blow-dry. They, too, said that Bozley is very calm and sweet. Of course, when I went in to pick him up he was jumping all over me and about knocked me over! But he looked so handsome in his new bandana from the groomer. :) 

Since his hair isn't very long yet, he just got the bath, blowdry, brushing, ears cleaned, sanitary trim, the fur on his paws trimmed, and then his nails rounded. It cost a few dollars extra to have his nails rounded instead of just trimmed with the nail clippers, but they're a lot smoother that way. He looks and smells so good now! :) Hopefully he will stay out of the dirt and mud for a little while, but we'll see about that. :P  

Puppy Advice & Products

Bozley is FOUR months old today! It's hard to believe how tiny he was and how fast he's growing! 

I feel like we won the lottery with this boy. He is SUCH a good dog. Just the right amount of playful and silly combined with calm and sweet. He is good around kids and groups of people. He has no problem being off-leash (and actually prefers it to the leash...walking on a leash is still a work in progress). The puppy biting is also something we're still working on. :P It's really nice that Boz doesn't bark at every single sound like the chihuahuas do. And when the chihuahuas start going crazy about something, he'll just sit and watch them. He's very inquisitive. And very smart! He learned sit, shake, and down right away and was potty-trained after the first week we brought him home. I would have a dozen dogs if they were just like Boz!

He sleeps with his tongue out a lot. ;)

I started doing some research when we started talking about getting a golden retriever. And then once we brought him home, I started looking online even more for advice, products, etc. So I thought I would share some of what I found. :) I will add to this list as I find new things as well. 
Please note: these reviews and suggestions were not compensated by the makers/sellers of any of these products. 

When we brought Bozley home, he was having some skin and coat problems. His fur felt dry and he had bald patches on the back of his front legs. He was itching a lot and had even developed scabs. One of our cats had the same type of scabs when she would eat the chihuahua's food. Upon my research, I found that chicken is a common allergy in dogs...so we decided to try removing chicken from his diet and see if that would help. We switched him to Purina Pro Plan Puppy Sensitive Skin and Stomach and he no longer has any scabs or thinning, dry, and dull fur. He has had the salmon and lamb varieties. 

Grain-free foods are not recommended by our veterinarian. There is an increase in canine dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) -- especially in Goldens -- who are fed these formulas. We also don't do raw diet...as it is really expensive in order to do it right and provide all the vitamins and minerals that the dogs need. I know some people who swear by grain-free or raw diets...but we can still provide adequate nutrition with grain-inclusive kibble. We also do not use raised bowls for feeding. They can contribute to bloat, especially in large dogs...and bloat can cause some pretty serious health issues. We also found this really cool slow-feeding bowl/puzzle toy that Bozley really loves. It solves the problem of eating too fast, keeps him busy while we're eating, and usually he takes a nap shortly after he's finished his meal.

We also found treats for Boz that didn't have any chicken in them...and there are a LOT of treats that have some form of chicken listed as an ingredient. I also wanted to find somewhat low calorie options because we use them frequently for training. I got many different flavors but since he does have food sensitivity, I started with only one type at a time to see if there were any reactions. Once he'd had all of these without any problems, I mixed them together in one treat jar. Here are the ones we have been using so far:  

- Zuke's Puppy Naturals Lamb and Chickpea which have 3.5 kcal per treat.
- Bocce's Bakery Quack Quack Quack Duck and Blueberry which have 4 kcal per treat.
- Blue Buffalo Blue Bits Savory Salmon Recipe which have 4 kcal per treat.
- Wellness CORE Petite Treats Lamb, Apples and Cinnamon which have 4 kcal per treat.
- Fruitables Skinny Minis Pumpkin and Berry which have 3 kcal per treat. 

Bozley also really likes these treats a lot that are one of the few available at our local Walmart that don't have chicken in them. It is also the most economical choice...there are a lot of treats for less than $7. 

We also feed him fresh fruits for treats...like sliced apples, frozen berries like strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries (his absolute favorite treat), and frozen bananas. He also likes carrots and sometimes green beans, but not as much as the fruits. We also got two of these things that are similar to Kong fillable products but cheaper. We've filled them with a variety of things: peanut butter (make sure there is no xylitol), Kong Easy Treat, fruit, even baby food (make sure the ingredients don't include onion or garlic). I put them in a quart-sized freezer bag, fill them with some goodies, then put them in the freezer so they'll last longer. 

There are a lot of "human" foods that dogs can eat...either that contain things that are actually good for them or foods that are a good "treat" in small amounts. There are also "human" foods that dogs absolutely should not have. I like this list from the AKC which gives some explanations about what is good, not that great, or very bad for dogs. 

We also got a water dispenser. With multiple dogs and cats, I was constantly refilling the water bowl throughout the day. We were actually Christmas shopping at Walmart and found a 1-gallon water dispenser kind of like the one pictured below. It was been working out great and now I just have to refill it once a day. 

We have been using the Pet Factory brand of chew bones to satisfy chewing since last year after we brought the chihuahuas home. They're basically the only brand I could find that is sourced and made in the USA. They have various sizes and flavors. Make sure to supervise any dogs with any kind of chew bones! 

As I said above, Boz isn't a fan of walking on the leash. If we have it attached to his collar, he just bites at it the whole time and refuses to walk at all. I found this fairly inexpensive Frisco Padded Nylon No Pull Dog Harness from Chewy and it has been amazing. It's easy to put on him, seems comfy, and I can attach the leash to his back which means he no longer bites at it.
UPDATE: At 6 months old, Bozley had outgrown the harness we'd bought. I really like the brand, though, and so I found this Frisco Big Dog Harness from Chewy that has been working even better than the first harness and it's even easier to put on, I think.

I also purchased these car seat belts on Amazon to secure him while we're traveling in the car. 

We purchased this kennel for the chihuahua puppies earlier this year. We trained them by saying "kennel" while walking to the kennel and then giving them a treat while inside. The size of the particular crate that we got is 36L x 23W x 25H. When we first brought Boz home, we used it to crate train him. We would feed him in there and leave the door open for him to go in and out. All the advice I've read says that you should make it a nice, safe place for them where they have "good reasons" to go in there (like to eat) rather than just being put in there to sleep away from their family. Then at night, we would close the door and he would sleep in there. He never had any accidents at all in the kennel. 

However, at the beginning of September Boz started whining after about an hour in the kennel at night...and then started whining immediately. After three sleepless nights in a row, we gave in and let him sleep with us. Since he was already completely potty-trained, the kennel seemed less necessary than before. Since our bed is tall, we did get some pet steps so that he can get up and down from the bed more easily and not stress his joints...which is an important thing to be aware of with large breed dogs so they don't suffer pain and problems later on as they get bigger. This particular one we got will hold up to 150lbs, but they have smaller ones for dogs that won't get that big. It was pretty easy to put together and so far they've been working well! We used treats to encourage him to go up and down the stairs the day we got them and he has used them voluntarily ever since. 

At 6 months old, Bozley had really outgrown the kennel. We'd only actually used it once since September when we went to dinner at my grandparents' house. He still fits in it, but doesn't have enough room to stretch out. We still have the kennel and will probably get a bigger one at some point. But we ended up taking the Kennel down in December to get it out of the living room and put his new dog bed in the same spot. The "jumbo" size is plenty big enough for Bozley at 50lbs and he will have room to grow. We have it in the living room during the day but then take it to the bedroom at night. I think Bozley gets hot on the bed...so at night he tends to go back and forth between our bed, his bed, and the floor. 

One thing that was great through the summer was Boz's puppy pool! He loves playing in the water and it was also a convenient place to give him a bath when it was still warm enough out (especially if he'd gotten dirty while he was in the backyard). But it's so funny to watch his "zoomies" after he jumps out of the pool. I like that this puppy pool folds up easily to be stored in the garage during the winter months. 

The shampoo we bought shortly after bringing Bozley home is Healthy Breeds Oatmeal and Aloe. The oatmeal and aloe are supposed to be good for sensitive skin. I think it has been working really well! His fur is so incredibly soft after his baths and brushing. And it has a nice Pina Colada scent. :) We don't bathe him very often (just a couple times a month and/or when he gets muddy beyond his paws), and we still have plenty left after 7 months.  

As Bozley has gotten bigger, it's gotten a little more difficult to bathe him. We had been spending a lot of time and energy during the bath just trying to keep him in the bathtub. There are a few products we've found that work really well to keep him in relatively the same spot and to keep him busy. This suction cup and this grooming loop have been working great. We also got this to attach to the side of the tub that we put peanut butter on...which keeps him busy. He'll voluntarily get into the tub after we put the peanut butter in there.

We have several different kinds of brushes and combs for the cats and dogs. The first one is a comb that is supposed to be good for shedding and the second is just a regular slicker brush.

Since Bozley goes outside to do his business, there are a lot of times when he gets muddy in the backyard. I was trying to just wipe his paws when he came in, but it didn't work very well. Then I found this thing and it works so much better! Boz doesn't really love it, but he's getting used to it...and doesn't seem to mind it as much as when I was just wiping his paws off with the towel. You just fill it with water and put their feet in there. It's simple and works pretty good! 

One of Bozley's favorite toys to play with are the no-stuffing animals. He and the chihuahuas will chase it and play tug of war together. He loves the squeaker in it too (and luckily doesn't try to tear it out). We have yet to find a toy that he prefers to chew on instead of our arms though. :P We have a LOT of chew toys...just none so far that has curbed the biting. So we're still working on that! But he loves to play with toys likes these: 

Bozley also has a lot of rope toys. But, I've found from my online reading that you do need to be careful and don't let them play with them unsupervised. If there are any snags or lose threads, the dog can swallow it and it can potentially cause some major problems in his bowels. So make sure to discard them if they start falling apart. 

His newest favorite toy is one that is filled with an empty water bottle that has a squeaker cap. When the water bottle is crushed so much that it no longer squeaks, you can just replace the water bottle! Bozley loves it!  

With Johnny working from home right now, we needed a way to keep Bozley from going back there and bothering Johnny. We already had this gate that we put at the top of the stairs, but we also added one in the hallway. They work really well and I like being able to just lift the lever and walk through the gate instead of putting it up and taking it down all the time, or stepping over it. The only bad thing is that sometimes we're not paying attention and stub our toe on the bottom rail that sticks up about two inches or so. But other than that, it works out great! 

I think that's about all that I can think of at the moment. :)