The snow is finally melting!

Hopefully (knock on wood) Spring is on its way! The snow is finally starting to melt...which is actually good and bad. It's good because I much prefer the warmer temperatures...but it's bad because it means the backyard is muddy...and Boz likes mud. Between the above-ground pool we used to have back there and all the dogs over the years, the grass is pretty sad. :P It is in desperate need of some dirt and grass seed...because it's basically just patches of grass and the rest is mostly just dirt (or mud).  Bozley also likes to dig...so that typically means pretty muddy paws. He'd gotten so muddy last night that Johnny ended up giving him a bath...because even his belly was muddy. He'd even gotten mud on his face! :P He can be such a mess. I need to schedule him a groomer appointment...I've just been putting it off while it was snowy and now muddy. I want him to be all sparkly clean as long as possible. :P 

I have had a horrible headache off and on for the last week or so. It seems worse after I wake up...which is generally more tension headache than migraine headache. I think it's from sleeping wrong or something...since it seems worse after I wake up in the morning. The ibuprofen hasn't been helping a whole lot...so I've been relying on my muscle relaxers which help a lot more for this type of headache. But man do they make me TIRED. How tired, you ask? (I know you didn't ask, but I'm gonna tell you). So tired that I just made Johnny a cup of coffee and got everything right...except for actually putting the coffee grounds in the new filter I'd just put in there. Yeah...that tired. :P 

The chihuahuas turned 2 years old yesterday! Ashlyn decided to go to Chuck & Don's to get some treats and a new toy for Neko. She came home with a birthday cookie and two pupcakes for Neko and Boz. They really enjoyed the pupcakes and Neko liked the icing from his cookie. :P 

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RECIPE: Air Fryer Cheez-It Chicken Fried Steak

I used my Power XL Grill Air Fryer Combo to make my Cheez-It Chicken Fried Steak and it turned out great! It's much more convenient than frying in oil AND it's healthier! :) Only 3 of them would fit in my air fryer, which worked out well since there were three of us eating. 

Air Fryer Cheez-It Chicken Fried Steak 

Ingredients:

3 cubed steaks
Box of Cheez-Its 
1/2 cup flour

1/4 tsp paprika 
1/4 tsp garlic salt

1/4 tsp ground pepper 

2 eggs 

1/2 cup milk 

Directions: 
1. Preheat Air Fryer at 400 degrees F for 5 minutes. 

2. Finely crush the Cheez-Its with a rolling pin. Pour them into an 8x8 container and set aside.

3. Whisk together flour, paprika, garlic salt, and ground pepper in a shallow dish. Set aside. 

4. Beat together eggs and milk in a shallow dish. Set aside. 

5. Set up an assembly line of flour mixture, egg mixture, and Cheez-Its. 

6. For each steak, pat it with a paper towel to remove moisture. Dredge each steak in the flour mixture, then the egg mixture, then press firmly into the Cheez-Its to make sure it's well-coated. 

7. Arrange the steaks on the grill plate in the air fryer so they overlap as little as possible. 

8. Set to Air Fry at 400 degrees for 4 minutes. 

9. Flip and set to Air Fry at 400 degrees for 5 minutes. 

Then that's it! Super easy! :) 

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I'm not a fan of winter!

Ugh. It has been SO COLD lately. Like...record low temperatures cold. When we woke up this morning, the temperature was -16°F. That's the actual temperature, not the wind chill (or what it feels like outside). According to my weather map, the wind chill this morning was -32° F. We also got about 3-4 inches of snow over the weekend. Oh and on top of that? The power company is asking everyone to conserve energy and are implementing rolling outages for about 30-60 minutes to help prevent unplanned outages that can last hours and even days. Our internet has also gone out a few times since the inclement weather started...which doesn't work very well when working from home. Needless to say, it's super fun times in the Midwest right now. :P 

Speaking of fun times (not!), we finally got our car back from the repair shop. What. A. Mess. Our experience with the insurance company (GEICO) was fine...everyone we spoke with was extremely nice and tried to be very helpful. However, the Collision Works place that GEICO uses for their Auto Repair Xpress® program...well everyone we talked to was nice, but their work was not. 

The first time we picked up our car, the hood was off and they completely missed the fact that the windshield washer reservoir was cracked. So we took it back. We picked it up again, and it was making horrendous noises (we realized there were rocks all over the engine bay flying around while we drove) and the hood was still off. So we took it back AGAIN. And then it snowed...so we haven't really had much chance to inspect it, but I know the hood is still up on one corner. And when I went to the store the day after we got it back, I saw that there is still glass all over the dash and on the floor despite "glass cleanup" plainly listed on the estimate. But...that's whatever. The vehicle seems to be running fine...I just don't know that I'd choose to use that shop again...especially when it's pretty far from where we live and we had to go back up there multiple times. 

OH! And Hertz Rental car was a horrid experience as well. I'd contacted GEICO about the rental and the woman on the phone was super nice and had everything ready for us to pick up the car...which would be paid for by GEICO since it's part of our insurance coverage. I called Hertz to confirm everything, and they said they only had a little compact 2-door Chevy Spark. The guy said they should have standard size vehicles the following day...and to call and check the following morning. I also confirmed with the guy that my debit card would work to reserve the rental...and he said it would. So the next day, I called and there was a standard-size vehicle available so my mom drove me up there to pick it up while Johnny was working. Luckily she did...because we ended up having to use her credit card because they wouldn't accept my debit card. Ugh. Then it was a nightmare trying to extend the rental when we had to take the car back. The first time I called, the woman on the phone said it would charge another $50 deposit if she tried to extend it, so she would just make a note of it. Then when we had to take the vehicle back again, the GEICO claims adjuster said that he would take care of extending the rental...and sent us a message saying it was taken care of until the 20th. However, then I started getting calls, texts, and emails from Hertz saying that the rental was "seriously overdue." I called them and they weren't even showing that it was extended beyond the first five days we were originally scheduled for the rental. It took MULTIPLE phone calls between Hertz and the claims adjuster before it was finally taken care of...the day we picked up the car for the final time. We were told that we could leave the rental at GEICO's repair place and they would return the rental...so hopefully that works out like it's supposed to. UGH. What a mess! 

I let Ashlyn spend the night with XH's parents over the weekend. She hadn't been since Christmas and when she comes home, we make her "quarantine" for a few days just in case. They didn't have school Monday for President's day and then school was called off today because of inclement weather...so she was able to stay until this afternoon. Tomorrow they'll have remote-only because of the cold weather...but Ashlyn has been doing remote-only all year so that's no different for her. She is still really liking her journalism class...and so far she's been doing well with social distancing (it was an issue during drama club in the beginning of the year). We also ordered her class ring last week. WHAT?! I can't believe I'm ordering the last class ring...my baby is growing up so fast!  

Other than that, things have been same ol' around here. Johnny is still working from home. This is his last week of training for an additional "department" type of thing...so after that we can go back to sleeping in a little longer since he'll be back to his regular hours. I wasn't able to get any files last week but I picked up three files today totaling 156 minutes (and I'd gotten one 156 minute file two weeks ago). So I'll be busy with those over the next week. I'm planning to make Cheez-it Fried Steak in the new PowerXL sometime this week and something with chicken since I have a whole package of chicken breasts. I'm sure I'll make spaghetti at some point as well...that's a typical staple in our house.  

I'm definitely ready for spring to bring warmer weather, that's for sure! Bozley loves the cold weather and the snow though. After it snowed, he would go to the back door every 5-30 minutes just to go roll around in it and come back in...then do it all over again. He really needs to go to the groomer...but I keep waiting until it isn't snowy or muddy outside so the freshness lasts a little bit longer. :P But his toe floofs are starting to get pretty long! 

Well...I should probably get back to work! :) 

Happy Valentine's Day!

I posted a similar version of this to Facebook...but here is a quick survey about me and Johnny in recognition of Valentine's Day. 

When and where did you meet? In January 2005 when we were both working for the USPS.
Who was interested first? Johnny started flirting with me first and then I fell hard. 

When and where was your first date? Dinner at Red Lobster then we saw "Must Love Dogs" at the movie theater in August 2005.

When and where was your first kiss? In the Walmart parking lot after work in June 2005. 

Who initiated the first kiss? Johnny did. We were chatting and listening to a Matchbox20 CD in his truck and he held my face with both of his hands...and gave me the best first kiss I've ever had. :) 
How long have you been together? It'll be NINE YEARS in August 2021 (not counting the 4 months we were together in 2005). 
If married, how long? It'll be 4 years in August 2021!

How long did it take you to get serious? Well we fell in love in June 2005, were together for 4 months, then we didn't get back together until 2012 so...7 years! ;) 

What is your age difference? Johnny is 13 years older than I am.  
Who is taller: Johnny. 
Who said I love you first? I said "I'm falling in love with you," first. He said "I love you," first. 
Who has the worst temper? Johnny. And he stays mad longer than I do. 
Who is the most sensitive? Johnny.
Who is the most crazy? Define crazy. :P Johnny is more adventurous. I'm more nosey. So it depends on how you look at it. ;) 
Who is the loudest? Johnny. 
Who is the most stubborn? Johnny
Who falls asleep first? It definitely depends on the night. 
Who is the better driver? ME! Johnny would say him...but it's definitely me. :P 
Who drives when you are together? Usually Johnny (which doesn't mesh real well with the previous question). ;) LOL.
Who is the most competitive? Johnny...largely because it goes back to being stubborn. 
Who is the most social? Definitely Johnny. We were both more social when we were younger, but he is still more social than I am.
Who is the best cook? We're both good cooks...I just cook a lot more often than Johnny does and I cook a wider variety of things. And he's the one who cooks out on the grill. 
Who is the better morning person? Definitely me...but I hate mornings! It just takes Johnny a lot longer to get up and going where I can just bounce out of bed and get ready for the day if I have to.
Who is the funniest? We're both funny in different ways. Johnny is silly and playful where I'm more smartass and witty. 

Who is the bigger neat freak? Again, both in different ways. I'm more OCPD about organization and Johnny is more of an OCD surface cleaner. 
Where do you eat out most as a couple? We don't eat out as much as we get food and bring it home to eat. But actually eating at the restaurant...probably Olive Garden or Abuelos. 
Who plans date night? Either/Both. We don't usually do a lot of planning for date nights...we typically just decide and go. Johnny usually wants to go out more than I do so he "plans" it more, I suppose. 
Who picks where you go to dinner? I tell Johnny to pick because he's more picky about what he feels like on any given day...where I can just find something I like from pretty much anywhere. But it usually ends up with him making me pick...which means I say a few places until he decides which one sounds the best. ;) 

Who is the first one to admit when they’re wrong? Me. 
Who wears the pants in the relationship? We both wear pants (and since we're both working from home now...it's usually PJ pants!) ;) I like to joke that Johnny wears the pants, I just tell him which pair to wear...but he doesn't listen to me anyway (like when I tell him to change into his work jeans when he's doing stuff around the yard but he wears his good jeans and ends up with grass stains). ;) LOL! 
Who has more tattoos? Johnny...he has one and I have none. 
Who sings better? We're probably about the same. We really just sing along to the radio in the car.
Who hogs the remote? Johnny, definitely! Usually we try to pick something to watch together in the evening, though. 
Who spends the most money? If you don't count the fact that I pay the bills and get the groceries, Johnny typically has more money going out each month than I do.  
Did you go to the same school? Definitely not. Johnny graduated high school a year before I started Kindergarten. ;) LOL. But we didn't go to school in the same towns, either. 
Where is the farthest you have traveled together? We've only been to Missouri and Oklahoma together. We almost got to the Texas border when we picked up Bozley from the breeder...that's the farthest we've been. We definitely need a vacation! 

Post a picture of you and your valentine: 💕🥰💕

Candi and Johnny - Easter 2013

RECIPE: Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

I have been craving Reese's Peanut Butter Cups lately, and I decided I was going to make these cookies for Valentine's Day. I just changed my Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe slightly because I really love that recipe. So here's what I came up with. My husband said they are dangerously yummy. :) 

Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Cookies 

Ingredients:

1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter  
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
2 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla 
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
2 1/2 cups flour
48 unwrapped Reese's Miniature Peanut Butter Cups

Mini Muffin Tin (mine makes 24 mini muffins) & muffin liners

Directions: 
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Put muffin liners in mini muffin pan. 
Mix butter, peanut butter, brown sugar, sugar, eggs, and vanilla.
Sift together salt, flour, and baking soda. 
Gradually add flour mixture to batter and mix well. 

Put 1 tbs of cookie dough in each muffin liner. Press in the middle of each cookie to make a round indention. 

Bake for 8 minutes (any longer and they'll get crispy). Remove the pan from the oven and press a peanut butter cup into the middle of each cookie. Let sit in the muffin pan for at least 3 minutes before removing to a cooling rack...that way they'll finish firming up a bit. The chocolate WILL be very melty, so be careful. I used a butter knife to slide the cookies out of the muffin pan enough to grab it without dumping the cookie over and getting melted chocolate everywhere. :P 

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RECIPE: Instant Pot Creamy Chicken & Noodles

It is SUPER cold outside right now...and Creamy Chicken & Noodles is always a winter favorite in this house. Normally it takes 8 hours in the Crock-Pot, but tonight I made in in the Instant Pot in about an hour total. It's just as delicious but in a lot less time! :) 

Instant Pot Creamy Chicken & Noodles 

Ingredients:

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
4 cans chicken broth

1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, sliced 
2 can cream of chicken soup
24oz Reames Frozen Egg Noodles 

Directions:

1. Pour the chicken broth in the Instant Pot. Add chicken, butter, and cream of chicken soup in that order. Do not stir! 
2. Close the lid and pressure cook on high for 10 minutes. 

3. Allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes, then quick release. 
4. Open the lid and carefully remove chicken, shred, then return to the inner pot.  

5. Add the frozen Reames egg noodles to the inner pot and stir. 

6. Put the lid back on the Instant Pot. Set to "Soup" for 5 minutes. 

7. Allow the pressure to release naturally for 8 minutes. Then quick release remaining pressure, remove lid, and stir again before serving. 

I serve this over mashed potatoes and corn...it's delicious! 

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*This recipe was made in the 6qt Viva Instant Pot

RECIPE: PowerXL Smoked Mozzarella Chicken CopyCat

I used to get the Smoked Mozzarella Chicken dish from Olive Garden...but they haven't had it available in a long time. Back in 2019 I came up with my Creamy Tuscan Chicken recipe and it's really tasty. So with my new PowerXL Grill Air Fryer Combo, I tweaked the recipe a little bit to make everything in one pot (except the noodles that I'd cooked ahead of time). It turned out delicious! Johnny said it's even better than Olive Garden! :) Oh and I did NOT pre-heat the air fryer before cooking the chicken...I laid the strips on the grill plate as I finished coating them. 

PowerXL Smoked Mozzarella Chicken CopyCat 

Ingredients:

1 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast tenderloins
1 large egg

1 quart heavy cream
1/2 cup flour
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1/2 tsp paprika
1 can chicken broth
1 tsp garlic powder 
1 1/2 tsp Smoked Paprika 
1 cup Parmesan cheese
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup spinach
3/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes
16 oz cooked penne pasta 

Directions: 
Mix flour, garlic salt, and paprika in a shallow bowl. 

Beat egg and 1/4 cup of the heavy cream together in a separate shallow bowl. 
Cover the chicken tenderloins in the egg mixture then lightly coat with the flour mixture. 
Arrange the chicken in a single layer on the grill plate in the inner pot of the PowerXL. 

Turn the PowerXL to Air Fryer at 375 degrees for 10 minutes (should be 165 degrees when finished). 

Using oven mitts, carefully remove the grill pan. Transfer chicken to a plate and cut into bite-size pieces.  

In the inner pot, add chicken broth, the remainder of the heavy cream, garlic powder, smoked paprika, parmesan cheese, mozzarella cheese, and sun dried tomatoes. 

Turn the PowerXL to Simmer and whisk until thickened.   
After sauce has thickened, stir in spinach and chicken. 

Serve over cooked penne pasta. 

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February showed up quick!

It's hard to believe that we've been in "pandemic mode" for almost a year already. I think most of the changes we've made during this time have actually been pretty beneficial.  

Johnny is still working from home through March...not sure if it will continue after that yet. We're hoping so! It's been so nice having him here all day and it's definitely more convenient. He's in training over the next three weeks at earlier hours. I miss being able to sleep in a little bit more! :P 

Ashlyn has been doing remote learning the whole year so far, and it's been going really well. Her grades are better than they were when she was attending in-person, so that's always good! There have been limited classes that she can take...especially electives. But this term she started Newspaper and she's really enjoying it. It does require some in-person activities, but so far she has been responsible about social distancing. They have four work nights at the school where they get everything ready for print and since Ashlyn is participating as a photographer, she has had to attend some activities to take pictures. Right now she's working on basketball and bowling, and I believe she'll be covering swim team next. 

I'm still sporadically finding files for work. I only had a couple files in November, none in December, three in January, and then today I was able to grab a file that's more than 2.5 hours long. I don't typically choose single files that long in case the audio isn't very good quality, but it's the only file I've seen come available for awhile, so I went ahead and grabbed it before someone else could. I definitely lucked out...because the audio quality is much better than normal. So that's good! 

Mr. Bozley Reddington turned 8 months old on Monday! Our beautiful boy has gotten so big. He needs another appointment at the groomer! He still doesn't need a haircut...but a good bath, brushing, trim, nails rounded, and teeth brushed will freshen him up a bit. :) I generally decide when to schedule his appointment based on how long the tufts of hair on his feet get and how long his nails are. His feet are starting to look pretty scraggly! But here's an adorable picture of him hanging out with me on the couch. <3 

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So... we got our car picked up...then had to take it back up to the repair shop. :P Luckily we picked it up on Friday evening and since the car rental place was already closed for the weekend, we still had the rental car. Johnny noticed that the hood was a little off on one side, so we had to get that adjusted. I'd also noticed that the windshield wiper fluid warning had popped up...so I wasn't sure if they'd drained it during the repair or if the reservoir was actually broken. It turns out that it was broken! So they had to get the part for that...which means we'll have the rental a little bit longer. It should be done in the next day or two, though. EDIT TO UPDATE: The hood is still off and they left a ton of rocks all over the engine bay. So we'll be taking it back AGAIN. Ugh.

Well I better get back to work!