Month: March 2023

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A Sweet “Tasty Tuesdays” Treat — In Honor of St. Patrick’s Day

Hello, and welcome to yet another “Tasty Tuesdays” journal post. With St. Patrick’s Day just around the corner, I’ve been trying to decide what to serve for the holiday. I don’t know about you, but one of the first things that comes to mind whenever I think of St. Patrick’s Day (other than corned beef and cabbage, of course) is getting a “Shamrock Shake” from good ol’ McDonald’s. For many years, St. Patrick’s Day wasn’t complete without a quick stop at the local McDonald’s restaurant for one of their “limited time only” Shamrock Shakes. It still doesn’t feel like the holiday will be complete without a Shamrock Shake, BUT (and it’s a big “but”), my nearest McDonald’s is MILES away from home. So… I did what many people these days do: I went onto the Internet and did a quick search for “Shamrock Shake”. I wasn’t disappointed! I found several recipes for “Copycat Shamrock Shakes”!

With the hope of making both of our St. Patrick’s Day holidays complete, I am going to share one of the recipes that I found (one from the “spend with pennies” Web site). So… Without further ado, here’s the recipe for making our own “Shamrock Shakes”:

“Copycat “Shamrock Shakes”

  • 4 cups vanilla ice cream
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • 1/2 teaspoon pure peppermint extract (or more to taste)
  • green food coloring
  • Toppings (whipped cream, maraschino cherries or sprinkles for garnish), optional

Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Garnish as desired and then serve immediately.

Servings: 2 milkshakes

NOTES:

For a healthy-ish version, use vanilla frozen yogurt and swap the liquid for fat-free milk, and omit the whipped cream.

Spike this favorite with a splash of créme de menthe, Baileys, or vodka for a boozy treat!

May the “luck o’ the Irish” be with you as you enjoy a homemade “Shamrock Shake” from your own kitchen. Who needs to go to McDonald’s anymore?

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Another “Tasty Tuesdays” Recipe — Easy Beef Sandwiches

There were not one, but two things that led to the recipe I selected for today’s “Tasty Tuesdays” post. The first of these was going through “my” freezer and creating an inventory of everything in it. In doing so, I noticed that I had several packages of beef that were quickly reaching their “use by” dates. The second was an advertisement for Hardee’s (or Carl’s Junior, as the restaurant chain is better known to me) that I found in a “package” of junk mail I receive in my P.O. Box far too often. While perusing the various ads for fast food restaurants, I spotted Hardee’s “New Philly Cheesesteak Menu”, which had a picture of something that reminded me of the “original Philly Cheesesteak — a sandwich (or san’ich, as I like to say) with shredded beef, sauteed green peppers and onions, slices of cheese all on a French roll. This reminded me that I had some beef in the freezer that could be cooked and shredded for this purpose. In addition, I already had the cheese, green peppers, and onions on hand since they’re two of the most-often-used ingredients in my kitchen. The only thing I needed was the French rolls.

Other than not having the French rolls, the only other problem that remained was I wasn’t quite sure how to cook the beef I had in the freezer, so I started thumbing through some of my cookbooks (in search of another recipe, actually). Fortuitously, I came across a recipe for “Easy Beef Sandwiches”, which was basically what I had in mind when I was thinking about my Philly Cheesesteak san’iches. This recipe includes the beef, cheese, and rolls, but not the main thing that I think makes it a “Philly Cheesesteak” — the green peppers and onions! So, I used this recipe as a starting point (i.e. the directions for cooking the meat I have in the freezer) and then added the grilled green peppers and onions when assembling the Philly Cheesesteak san’ich.

Without further ado, here’s the original recipe for “Easy Beef Sandwiches”:

Easy Beef Sandwiches

  • 1 large onion, sliced
  • 1 boneless beef bottom round roast (about 3 to 5 pounds)
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 package (about 1 ounce) au jus gravy mix
  • French rolls, sliced lengthwise
  • Provolone cheese (optional)

  • Place onion slices in bottom of CROCK-POT slow cooker, top with beef. Stir water into gravy mix in a small bowl; pour over beef. Cover; cook on LOW 7 to 9 hours.
  • Remove beef from CROCK-POT slow cooker; shred meat using two forks. Serve on French rolls, topped with cheese, if desired. Serve cooking liquid on the side for dipping.

Makes 6 to 8 servings

To turn this recipe into one for Philly Cheesesteak san’iches, simply saute some green peppers and onion slices in your preferred fat. I tend to use olive oil, but you can use “regular” oil (canola, etc.) or even butter. Once the veggies are done, add some of the shredded beef and the Provolone cheese. While the cheese is melting, take a moment to toast the buttered rolls (3 to 5 minutes in a 400 degree F oven). At this point, mix the melted cheese into the mixture and then transfer onto the toasted rolls. Serve with the cooking liquid from the CROCK-POT as a dipping sauce.

By the way, serving the cooking liquid (the “au jus”) with the san’ich reminded me of some fond childhood memories of mine: On special occasions, my family and I went to a restaurant called “Sam’s Hof Brau” in Sacramento. The san’iches that I remember most from there were the “French Dip” san’iches that were served with “au jus” for dipping — though it was usually Dad and my sister who got those san’iches. I can’t really remember what Mom and I would order, but I do remember standing — plate in hand — in front of a man wearing the tallest white hat I’d ever seen and holding two knives in his hands. After I told him what kind of meat I wanted (probably either corned beef, ham, roast beef or turkey), he got to work slicing up the big chunk of meat in front of him, his knives moving so fast I didn’t see ’em again until he had plunked some juicy slices of meat on my plate. After thanking him (as my parents taught my sister and I to do), the man with the tall hat and knives would smile and wink at me before I left the head of the line — probably nudged forward by either Mom or my sister. So many wonderful memories were made at Sam’s Hof Brau — a restaurant that is STILL in business AND back in the hands of the family of Sam Gordon, the man who founded the restaurant back in 1959, who is determined to maintain its authenticity. The next time I’m in the Sacramento area, I’ll have to make a point to stop in, so I can recreate those childhood memories.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got another Philly Cheesesteak san’ich to make!

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Third “7th of the month” Journal Post

Welcome to my third “7th of the month” journal post. I will be following the same pattern that I started in January’s “7th of the month” post by discussing events that fell into the following three categories:

  • Holler,
  • Personal, and, of course,
  • Writing.

Holler

Another major purchase I made this year (2023) was that of a Food Saver vacuum sealer. I’m hoping that the new vacuum sealer will prevent food waste by keeping the food I purchase lasting longer — both in the refrigerator AND in the freezer. No more freezer burn for me! Only time will tell… Now, I’ve got to figure out where to store it as well as how to use it. I’m thinking about either on one of the two baker’s racks that I have in the kitchen OR on a shelf in the kitchen island. In any case, I’ll have to clear out both potential locations since A LOT of clutter has accumulated in these two spaces! (It never ceases to amaze me just how fast clutter accumulates, especially on horizontal surfaces.

As far as learning how to use my new Food Saver vacuum sealer is concerned, I’ve noticed something that I hadn’t expected: I am afraid to start learning how to use it! After thinking back on this fear for a few minutes, I realized that it is nothing new. I think I’ve had it for a very long time. No, I haven’t been afraid of vacuum sealers! What I do seem to be afraid of is trying new things! I think I’ve always been afraid of trying new things… mostly because I have trouble getting started on whatever new thing I’m trying to do/learn. I tend to procrastinate and come up with excuses for not getting started, but once I finally do, I often end up kicking myself for not getting started earlier. This Food Saver purchase is no different! I’ve had “clear off the baker’s racks” and “learn how to use my new vacuum sealer” on my list of things to do for an ENTIRE week, but I STILL haven’t gotten started on either of these tasks! I’ve waited so long that some of the first things I wanted to vacuum seal are now only fit for the compost bin. 🙁 So, yeah… I’ve got to just open the box and start playing around with it, so I won’t feel as intimidated by the darned thing (which, I suspect, is also part of the fear factor. I’ve got a ten-pound box of bacon that I need to process for freezing (before it all goes bad, too), so that’s going to be the first use of my new Food Saver vacuum sealer, something I’ve been wanting for quite some time — ever since I discovered that the features of such appliances have changed over the years, resolving one of the problems I had with a similar purchase years ago. Anyway… I’ll give you an update about the curve involved in learning how to use my new Food Saver vacuum sealer in next month’s “7th of the month” post!

Making plans for my 2023 garden continued this month. So far, I have made a list of the materials needed to build more SFG frames, AND I’ve been batting around ideas for covering all of them. At this point, I think I’m just going to go with a “hoop house” design that’s just bent PVC pipe covered with plastic. Of course, finding plastic could be a problem. We’ll see… In addition, I’ve created a planting schedule — something that tells me:

  • when I need to start seeds indoors;
  • when I’ll need to transplant them out into those new SFG frames that I’ll be making; and
  • when I’ll be able to direct sow seeds out in the garden.

As far as my new “grow tent” is concerned, I’m going to have to find better places to put my current “seed babies”, which have really taken off since they’ve been in their “new digs”. I’m looking forward to getting the next batch of “seed babies” started in the new “grow tent”. Just have to figure out something to prevent ’em from getting “leggy” like my first batch of “seed babies” are, especially “Dilly”, my dill plant. I recently discovered an article about creating a DIY seed-starting system, so I’m going to add the things needed to make it to my ever-growing list of things to get from my local building supply store.

Personal

  • spent LOTS of time cuddling with “my boys” — my two “originals” (the first two kittens adopted from one of the many “side porch litters” that enjoyed the shelter of the side porch and my “hospitality” (read: food and water) while they were being weaned from their mother’s milk) AND a VERY persistent kitten from the following year’s “side porch litter”, who returned to the porch after a couple weeks of “freedom” and then made it VERY clear that he wanted inside. After not having any cats for years after “my girls” (Tigger and Gar-Baby) passed away, I was ready for more “fur babies” — hence the initial adoption of Apache and Shawnee, my “wild Indians” (the “originals”) and later, Kasha-san, the persistent one.
  • the “checking on you” phone calls from my darlin’ daughter continued — still when I’ve just sat down to eat. I think this is quickly becoming the family joke since she usually just laughs when I mention her timing. Oh, well… At least she keeps in touch with me, and that’s a good thing.
  • created a list of menus for the month (well… from 2/7 to 3/6, anyway) as well as a list of “Daily Themes for Meals”, which, I’m hoping will help make meal planning easier.
  • listened to the remaining UK games of their 2022/2023 season AND geared up for the first real SEC (Southeastern Conference) Tournament at Bridgestone Arena (in Nashville, TN) since 2019! Go, CATS!!
  • started getting more physical — by exercising on my treadmill and going for “8 1/2 to 10-stone” walks outside (which are basically the same length as a typical treadmill session). Once the weather starts warming up, I’ll be getting outside more, but when it starts getting TOO HOT outside, you can bet I’ll be back on the treadmill since I don’t handle the heat, and especially, the HUMIDITY, very well!
  • continued watching NCIS (and other shows) on Netflix AND started watching movies courtesy of Amazon Prime.
  • had an appointment midway through the month with somebody from a local tax preparation office since the person who had been preparing my income tax return for years recently passed away. Although I was a bit nervous about having someone new prepare my 2022 income tax returns, I’m happy to report that the appointment went very well.

Writing

As far as my writing is concerned, I continued researching Curaçao in preparation for writing a trilogy of historical romance stories set on the island as well as at least one short story set there! (Still trying to write a SHORT story that doesn’t morph into a novel… or trilogy!)

In addition, I transcribed my hand-written planning/plotting notes for “Curaçao Eyes”, so I can use them to come up with a “List of Remaining Scenes Left to Write” (a tactic/strategy that helped me finish my very first completed manuscript!

I also continued working on my author Web site (this one) — to get it up-to-date. In addition to my “7th of the month” posts and my “Tasty Tuesdays” posts, I’m contemplating the addition of a couple more series of posts, which are as follows:

  • “Manuscript Mondays” — in which I’ll share parts of my current “works-in-progress” with y’all;
  • “Tips on Thursdays” — in which I’ll share a variety of tips that are related to the holler (i.e. homesteading), personal (possibly organizing), and, of course, writing;
  • “Saturday Sayings” — in which I’ll share some of my favorite quotes (from a variety of people about a variety of topics, including writing!)

Since none of these series of posts is set in stone yet, I’d love to hear what you think of these ideas. If you have an idea for something else you’d like to see on this Web site, please don’t hesitate to leave a comment to let me know. I’m more than happy to consider (and possibly incorporate) your suggestions!

Lastly, I received a surprise Valentine’s Day card (and “catch up” letter) from one of my NaNoWriMo penpals, AND I started gearing up for April’s CampNaNoWriMo postcard swap by thinking about which photos I want to use for these postcards as well as giving some thought to what I want to say on them. As always, I’m looking forward to keeping in touch with my NaNoWriMo penpals (as well as friends and family, of course) the “old-fashioned way” AND adding more postcards to my ever-growing collection, which I really need to start organizing better. If you’ve got any ideas for organizing my postcard collection, I’d love to hear from you!

Well… I think this sums up the month quite well. I’d love to hear what y’all did during the month, so please leave a comment! Looking forward hearing from you! In the meantime… Take care.