A Year and a Half……….Umm, Anyone Still With Me?

Oh….hi friends.
Anyone still here..?

What has this past 1.5 years looked like for me? Well, still workin’ the same job. Still dating the same person. Not a whole lot has changed for me, personally.

This past April (2022), I was able to have an amazing (and much-needed) vacation with my boyfriend outside of our little city to the bigger city, up north of us. Got to see some family and friends that we don’t see super-often. We loved the vacation so much, we’re planning to do it again, the same time next year. I cannot wait!

I guess I have a bit of news, but I’m not fully ready to share it here, just because I know that I’m not fully ready to share it. But it’s fun news. No worries.

Life, as you know, if you’ve stuck around here with me for long enough, has gotten away from me, and I just haven’t been very present here on my blog. I do love to write. I just haven’t had a ton to write about, you know?

I know this hasn’t been much of an update, but thank you, to those of you who have been waiting (im?)patiently for me to come back. Thank you.

Until next time…

The Best Damn Hearty Soup [I’ve Ever Made]

Ingredients:

1 8-oz. can (each)

– garbanzo beans (drained)

– kidney beans (drained)

– black beans (drained)

– great northern beans (drained)

– sweet kernel corn (drained)

– stewed tomatoes (low-sodium, whole can)

1-lb. ground mild Italian sausage

2 stalks celery, chopped

1 medium yellow sweet onion, chopped

3 white potatoes, chopped

1 cube pork bouillon *found this in the Asian section of my local grocery store*

1 small bag of quick-cooking barley

Seasonings/Spices:

Worcestershire sauce, rubbed sage, Italian seasoning, onion powder, ground black pepper, garlic salt, old bay seasoning, and ground mustard powder. (I just eyeballed all of these as I went.)

Cooking Time!:

1. In a large soup/stock pot, add all chopped veg, all cans of beans and tomatoes, pork bouillon cube, and enough water to cover the ingredients. Set to medium heat.

2. As that’s going (or probably before), brown the mild Italian sausage over medium heat; mix in the rubbed sage, Italian seasoning, onion powder, pepper, garlic salt, old bay, and ground mustard powder. (Yes, you’ll want all these, as it really makes a difference!) Add a few splashes of Worcestershire here. Once browned (or most of the way done), throw it in the pot.

3. In the last 15 minutes of cooking, add the quick-cooking barley, along with a couple more shakes of all the seasonings. Soup is done when barley is plump & the potatoes are tender.

Enjoy with a slice of buttered bread! This makes about a week of leftovers for two people.

**If you do make this, please post a comment and let me know!**

My First Time…Making Turkey Legs!

Oh, hey all! Super-long time no see. I haven’t really been inspired to post anything, recently. Today, I made a major (to me) culinary achievement.

I made turkey legs for the first time! I pat them dry, stuffed some butter under the skin, put some onion powder, some salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning on top, and baked them at 375° for 1.5ish hours.

It turned out so damn well, and I cannot tell you how proud I am of myself.

If y’all try this at home, drop a comment and let a girl know!!

Until next time! 💜💜

My, Oh My…Look How the Time Flies……(Oops!)

Hello & Good Morning, friends!

Dear goddess, has it been a while since my last vlog update. As I sat here on this quiet Sunday morning, listening to “We’re Not Friends” by Ingrid Andress and watching Hailey Reese on YouTube, I was suddenly struck with the urge to write — so, here I am.

About a month and a half ago, the bf got laid off from work, so that made me the sole bread-winner for a bit, and holy hell, that was rough. A few emotional breakdowns went down as we tried to recover from the news, and also as we tried (what seemed like it was in vain, at the time) to find him a new job. Finally, within the past two weeks, we got word back from the local school district; he has officially been a paid crossing guard for the past week, and I am so, so happy for him. When he finished his first shift on his first day, I decided to treat him to some Halo Top Peanut Butter Cup ice cream — it was on sale, and it was something he hadn’t tried before, so I thought it necessary to jump on this opportunity to try it. **He said it was “all right”, and would get it again if it was on sale.**

I had my own meltdown, recently, as I’d paid some bills, only to realize that I wouldn’t have any money for our usual Sunday breakfast routine with our high school friend M. — that just broke my freaking heart. I’d become accustomed to that routine, and for it not to go down because I couldn’t afford our part was just…ugh…it was a mess. I was a mess. Thankfully, my bf was very supportive during that time and just let me cry it out. My well had overflowed, as I like to put it.

But, on a positive note, my (other) friend M. and I are picking up where we left off, so to speak, with our years of story-building online, like we did in high school. Back then, it was our form of escapism — and while MSN Messenger has come and gone — we’ve moved to Discord, and are slowly but surely finding our groove, again. Matter of fact, I hope to dedicate most of today to this activity.

Anyhow, I hope you all have been well. Have a great day/night, wherever you are in the world.

Until next time… ❤ ❤

Supporting Independent Projects

Hey, good day, all!

I’m just popping on here to drop a link to a short indie horror film that needs a bit of help with funding. If you’re into horror films, or the history of the Alaskan Gold Rush, please click here.

Until next time!!! 💗💗

Who I Am & Where I Excel

Hey all!

Happy 2019, first off. Hope you all had a happy holiday season (and if you didn’t, I hope 2019 treats you well).

In talks with a guy friend from high school, M., earlier today, he told me after a serious note that he, “appreciates my empathy”.

Anyone who knows me, knows that (even when I was in elementary-turned-middle school), I was wise in my young age; I was also a good listener, which I feel stemmed from issues with other kids [btw, kids are still mean!] and other personal shit.

As I grew older, my empathetic heart has grown bigger and stronger; I’m the kind of person where if a friend is feeling down, I do my best to make them feel better — I even get pushy about it — and as much as I want my friends to be happier, quicker, my pushiness isn’t going to help.

But I listen, and I watch; I cry when others around me are crying. I feed off of others’ positive energy. My empathy is a good quality that I possess. I’ve been told that I am easy to talk to, and I think that’s another great quality I possess. I excel at (for the most part) just being a kind, big-hearted young lady, and that makes me feel super-good.

I love my close friends with all of my heart, and I love attempting to make new friends, when possible (but holy hell, has anyone else noticed how difficult it is to make new friends as a freaking adult???).

Anyhow, I hope y’all have a wonderful week. I don’t have a resolution for New Year’s, and probably never will again — for reasons that are obvious to all of you…😅🤦🏻‍♀️

Until next time! 💗💗💗

Healthy Turkey & 4-Bean Soup

Healthy Turkey & 4-Bean Soup

1 can (each) stewed tomatoes, garbanzo beans, black beans, white beans, kidney beans

1 bag frozen corn

2 carrots, chopped

1 bunch spinach

1 lb. ground turkey

1 chopped russet potato

In a skillet over medium/medium-low heat, add some non-stick spray (or butter, if you prefer) and put in the ground turkey, and cook until the turkey is no longer pink. Add seasonings as you see fit. (I used pepper, Italian seasoning, sea salt, paprika, and no-salt garlic & Herb seasoning.)

Meanwhile, in a large pot, add all of the other ingredients and enough water to just meet the top of the menagerie of ingredients. Once the turkey is done cooking, throw that in the pot with everything else.

Put a lid on the pot and cook on medium-low heat for about a half-hour, or until spinach is wilted and potatoes & carrots are softened.

Season as you will; this dish will warm any home on a cold winter day!

Good Morning & Happy Gobble-Gobble!

Hey all!

It is currently 10:27a, as I’m typing this, and watching Loey Lane’s trainer “beat her face” — and before you freak out about the verbage I used, in layman’s terms, that phrase literally just means to put on makeup. The boyfriend just woke up, and dinner with the fam is at 2p. (Dad did this, just in case we had other places to be, today.) I am so excited for ham and grandma’s corn pudding.

What are you all up to, today? Anything on the Thanksgiving dinner table you’re looking forward to having? Family you’re looking forward to seeing? Do you have family to be with during the holiday? (…if you don’t, I’m so sorry.) Do you have a dysfunctional family? Comment down below; lemme know!

A small blurb of a post, but I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving — or even if you’re having a Friends-giving — that’s awesome too!!
Until next time!! ❤ ❤

Weekend Things

Hey all!

How goes your weekend, thus far? I’m enjoying day 1 of 2 of my weekend, so far, watching Hailey Reese, on YouTube. (Seriously, she seems like such a sweet person; I’d love to meet her, someday. Her bff Loey seems the same; super-sweet, bubbly, and genuine.) Later on, I’m going to be meeting with my friend Tama to go to a local bazaar. I’m so excited!! Due to my work schedule, I haven’t been able to attend one in a while! Maybe afterward, we’ll go over to get some food…I want a sub sandwich.

I need to find my arts & crafts tote — it’s got my friendship bracelet supplies in it — and I’d love to get back into that hobby; maybe I’ll make something for friends. It was time-consuming, but it was also very fun, and handmade gifts are the best thing ever.

Anyhow, another short & sweet entry, in the books.
Until next time! ❤ ❤

Don’t Know What to Title This…

Happy Sunday (and early Veteran’s Day), all!

Thank you to our veterans, and those who are still serving.

How have you all been? It has been such a long time since I’ve sat down and written a blog post — I just had nothing to write — still don’t know how this is going to turn out, but here it is.

This next month is going to be insane, as the holidays are coming — people will be sending off and receiving gifts, and I get the feeling that the post office is going to be a freaking madhouse. Lots of naps will be had, for sure. And perhaps, a lot of early nights. I am nervous that I won’t be able to keep up, but at the same time, I’m totally up for the challenge. I’ve also heard that our patrons have been known to bring us cocoa or coffee as an act of appreciation for what we do and all the chaos the holidays bring.

Over the past week, my sister has come and gone to California with a few gal-pals of hers — honestly, kind of jealous, as I haven’t had a decent vacation in more than 5 years (I do believe). I’ll have to try to take one, next year. We shall see.

Also over the past week, my friend Tamie’s hubby was on a hunting trip with a friend of his. They didn’t get anything, while out, but she and I were able to hang out for a little bit, one day. We went to Subway, because she hadn’t yet had anything substantial to eat, yet, and then we took her dog, Murphy, on a walk one of our many local beaches. (Maybe she’ll post any pictures she might’ve gotten, that day, on her blog..?)

Speaking of photos, I really want to go take photos with friends, but I feel like life gets in the way so much. I don’t want to be that person who has to “pencil you in” just to meet up for coffee and a chat, you know? I think that’s the one thing I hate most about being an “adult”. I mean, I get it; we can only get older and “grow up” — we can’t cling to the past and the way things used to be. *sighs*

I guess I’ll wrap it up, for now. I hope to be back soon with more content.
Until next time! ❤ ❤