Commuter Life

I have almost 6 months in as a commuter & it's not bad, but it's not my favorite thing. Snow storms & cold weather don't make me happy on my commute, but sometimes that 20 minutes alone after a long day is relaxing, I turn off the radio & drive in silence. It gives me a chance to regroup before getting home.

• I have learned the the last minute I can leave my house & still make it to work at 8. 7:36 is my daily goal.
• I have learned if I don't get out of the door, along with not getting to work by 8am I will also be stuck behind the school bus going down the main road in Waverly & making many stops. 
• I have learned that Kwik Star's weekly gas text saves me 7 cents off a gallon of gas & has amounted to a decent savings in the last 6 months.
• I have learned that if I fill up every Friday at lunch, I will have enough for the next week & don't have to worry about that day I am running late & also running on 'E'.
• I have learned to pack a lunch. This helps reduce my costs & fast food intake, as well as reduce my impulse shopping over the lunch hour.
• I have learned that Bluetooth is great. I have it turned on on my phone which then stays in my purse or center console which then assists with preventing me from the temptation to look at a text.
• I have learned the shortcuts through Waverly that can get me to the south side a bit quicker, however this shortcut was put to a stop when the city closed the historic 'Green Bridge' until it meets inspector requirements for safety. (Now, I am questioning my life as I drove over it nearly 2 times a day for 6 months & thankful I am here).
• I have learned Carnation Instant breakfast thrown into a waterbottle with milk & shaken makes a quick breakfast on the go. But when feeling like I have a bit more time it goes in a blender with yogurt, banana & milk for a delicious smoothie. Strawberry & milk chocolate are my go-tos.
• I have learned that some people are awful drivers, don't use cruise control, lights when it is foggy or drive in the left lane going slower than the right. 

I am sure I will have more, but that is what I have learned about driving 24 miles each way everyday vs. my 1.5 miles each way everyday.

Pressure Cooker Teriyaki Chicken

Okay, one of our wedding gifts was a pressure cooker. Never in my life had I used a pressure cooker or seen one used. But this was one of Greg's requests for our registry so we did it. It's not used much at this point, but I have tried to figure it out, but everytime I do so Greg reminds me how high pressure can explode if not done right. Okay, so I've managed to find 1 recipe that I can do in it & it tastes great. Pretty much 20 minutes & it's ready!

Ingredients:
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup cider vinegar
2 tablespoons ground ginger
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 (20 oz) can crushed pineapple
1 cup chicken stock
2-3 pounds boneless, chicken breast (or thighs)

Directions:

1. Combine brown sugar, soy sauce, cider vinegar, ginger, garlic powder, pepper, crushed pineapple and juice, and chicken stock in a bowl and stir until the brown sugar is dissolved.
2. Place chicken thighs in the pressure cooker and pour in the sauce. Stir gently to coat. Bring the pressure cooker up to high pressure over high heat, then reduce the heat to low, maintaining high pressure. Cook for 20 minutes.
3. Reduce the pressure using the rapid-release method. Let cool and serve the chicken over rice.