Sweet Potatoes with Sausage and Peppers

It was one of those days where we hadn't gotten groceries in way too long & I didn't feel like going then either. So I Googled pork sausage recipes to see what I could come up with. Luckily, I found this gem which was a hit, had a bunch of veggies in it & even my brother who dislike sweet potatoes enjoyed when he taste tested it!

Ingredients
2 large sweet potatoes, peeled & diced
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/2 pound bulk Italian sausage (we used a pound)
2 red bell peppers chopped (we used green)
1 onion chopped
2 cloves of garlic minced
1 8oz jar of chunky salsa
1 teaspoon ground cumin
salt & pepper to taste

Directions
1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Throw in diced potatoes and cook until tender ~ 15 mins. Drain & set aside.

2. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Crumble sausage into skillet & cook until brown.

3. Remove sausage and pour off all but 1 tablespoon oil from the skillet. Re-heat oil over medium heat adding in the bell peppers, onion & garlic. Cook until softened.

4. Add the potatoes, sausage, salsa & cumin into the skillet. Stir & let cook for 5 minutes to let the flavors come together. Add salt & pepper as necessary.

Quick & simple recipe, but great blend of taste!

Sadie's Birthday

Yes, Sadie's birthday. And yes, I am crazy enough to have a dog's birthday party! And it was a dog pool party!

Sunday, Sadie turned 2. That's like a teenager for dog years & terrible 2 in human years...yikes! I got her a pool, and after she finally decided it was more than a giant water dish, she love it!

We had our families over and fired up the smoker while Sadie and her pup friends ran around the yard and had a pool party. It was a gorgeous day and fun!

I also whipped up some pupsicles, so the pups could enjoy a treat after playing in the heat and pools. They were a hit! It was entertaining to see each pup eat them, one gulped it down in 1 bite, Sadie was a bit slower, but still rather quick. While my moms dog literally licked it until it was gone, much like I had envisioned it being eaten.

Sadie enjoyed her new toys & treats before she finally hit the wall and drifted off to sleep in her new handkerchief!

Pupsicle Recipe

Ingredients

2 ripe bananas

24 – 32 oz. plain yogurt

1 cup peanut butter

2 tablespoons honey

1/4 cup water

Preparation

1. Blend or mix all ingredients together until you have a consistent texture throughout.
2. Pour into ice cube trays, cupcake tins or any small container that will yield a treat appropriately sized for your dog.
3. Garnish (optional). Dog bones, grated cheese, fruits or veggies work great and look cute too.
4. Freeze over night and serve.

We Like Peanut Butter...A lot.

Sadie has several foods she can smell from any corner of the house when they are brought out in the kitchen: apples, yogurt, celery and most importantly peanut butter. She can't handle life when peanut butter is brought out & she isn't getting any of it. Which wrapping a doggy pill in it, she swallows it quickly, so that's good, but when baking for humans, it's not so good. But I found some tasty treats for her & for us using peanut butter, here you go!

Humans:
No Bake Peanut Butter Oat Squares
Ingredients:
1 cup peanut butter (creamy is better than chunky)
1/2 cup honey
3 cups rolled (old fashioned) oats

Directions:

1. Spray a 9x9 pan. 
2. Melt the peanut butter and honey together until smooth, either in the microwave or stove top. Combine mixture with oats.
3. Press into prepared pan. Place in refrigerator until set. 
4. Cut & enjoy!

Note: we store them in the fridge to avoid a soft sticky mess when we eat them.

Dogs: (works in human smoothies too:))
Homemade PB & Yogurt bite-size treats
Ingredients:
2 cups plain yogurt
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 zip-lock bag

Directions:

1. Mix the yogurt and peanut butter together until smooth. 
2. Scoop the mixture into the zip-lock bag.  Press air out and seal.  Push the mixture toward on of the bottom edges of the bag, then twist to upper corner to make a "frosting bag."  Carefully snip the corner of the bag.
3. Use your frosting bag to drop nickle to quarter sized dots of the mixture on a cookie sheet (Make sure the pan you use will fit in your freezer.).
4. Once the sheet is full, put it in your freezer for at least 30 minutes (or until your bites are hardened).  Transfer your bites to a freezer-safe container, and make sure to keep them frozen. 

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.

Up-cycle TV Stand

I have had in mind a style of stand I wanted for our upstairs living room, but wasn't really all that excited to pay for a brand new one, especially after we ordered a couch & chair. So I planned to go thrifting with my mom, but a for sale group I follow on Facebook had an option come up 1st.

Here's the $10 purchase before:

Here's the after sanding it down, giving it a fresh coat of black paint & removing the doors.

It fits the living room perfectly in terms of size & simplicity. I am happy with how it turned out, initially I had planned on leaving the doors on, but they had some issues with the hinges & I think I enjoy the open feel, especially knowing the fabric crates I have will slide in to the bottom shelf area. The project wound up being $15. I'll take it!

Changing Holiday Season

The Holiday Season...a season of joy, stress, happiness, sadness, laughs, tears, just to name a few. You run out and spend money to bring joy to your family & friends. Send holiday cards & perhaps a letter. You bake & eat too much causing you to set workout & weight loss new years resolutions that last 1 month max. You follow the tradition that's been set out for generations before you. It happens every year, it is what the holiday season entails.

And we did nothing short than all of it this year.

However, traditions are starting to change in our families. There are gaps that are new this year & seem to be floating as the elephant in the room. There are jokes that are missing, the typical, 'I didn't want anything for Christmas' voice is gone as they open a box that refreshes their wardrobe was not there. It happens across America, we've dealt with it before. But yet, the 1st holiday season without that voice is different.

A week before Christmas, we still weren't sure what we would be doing. For 26 years of my life, we have had Christmas at home, loaded up the vehicle (2 hours behind the departure time), and headed to NW Iowa for a few days at my grandparents. A 3 hour drive, with frequent pit stops because my dad drank an extra large iced tea, David got car sick or somebody had to be separated from another sibling are no longer there. No more will we spend the day after Christmas at the Y with my grandpa introducing us to the whole staff before he goes to walk or run laps. This year, my grandma lives just across town from my parents now and my grandpa is watching over us.

We made our new tradition this year, both grandmas at our house, with all my siblings, significant others, and pets coming from everywhere, we had a huge spread of food, games & laughs. While our grandpas sat together looking over us with smiles on their faces, because gosh knows if they were with us, they would have been napping next to each other on the couch.

The same evolution happened in Greg's family, there was a missing voice. Missing sarcastic comments that would put a smile on your face. It's different, it's a new feeling, but you adjust. Someone else in the family attempts to say what the missing voice would of said & it's met with a chuckle & a tear. Yet, in that time we found time to enjoy the large spread of food, gifts & sharing stories & laughs with family.

Traditions change, but as long  you have your family with you, you can support each other & adjust.

Happy Holidays from our new family tradition!