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How Does the Hubbs Garden Grow?

How does the garden grow. . .

The hubbs garden is growing crazy these days. We have zucchini covering every surface in the kitchen. I am getting creative with recipes, adding zucchini to everything. The cucumbers are also coming in very well. Love a crips cool cucumber with a little vinegar.

Zucchini recipes. . .

Last night I added sautéed zucchini to my homemade alfredo with protein angel hair pasta. My homemade alfredo sauce is the best ever comfort food. I also added fresh sautéed mushrooms, the hubbs says that they added a meaty texture to my alfredo.

For the Zucchini: slice thin and sauté in olive oil and some white wine. I add some oregano, basil, thyme, rosemary, and marjoram. For the mushrooms: slice and sauté with olive oil, and white wine till brown and set aside. Little tip on washing mushrooms. Do not run water over them, use a damp paper towel to wipe them off. Putting them under running water makes the mushrooms mushy and soggy.

The Alfredo Sauce: melt 4 tbsp butter and sauté fresh garlic ( 3 cloves pressed). When garlic is almost brown and you can smell it cooking add flour whisk so it is not lumpy then add heavy cream (about 3 cups). Keep whisking so it does not scorch or burn. I add grated fresh parmesan cheese (2 cups) whisking to incorporate. Cook over med warm and stir so it does not burn or boil over.

To Serve: pasta first, zucchini, alfredo sauce, and top with mushrooms, fresh chives if you have it and fresh grated parmesan cheese.

This goes well with fresh bread and homemade garlic butter. Stay tuned for those recipes.

Stay tuned for the best ever Zucchini bread recipe, it might even fool your kiddos into eating zucchini.

It has Been a Hard Couple of Months

It has been a hard couple of months. . .

We have had a hard few months since my Dad passed away. I have struggled to write and wonder if I should. This blog was started to tell funny stories about me trying to raise two wild and crazy boys that I love dearly. Stories on my mistakes in child rearing.

Started a new position at work. . .

Started a new position at work just weeks after Dad had passed away. This did give me something to focus on besides how very sad I was. Work kept my mind busy so that I did not fall into a deep depression, it also slowed my grieving process. So many days I am thankful that I work from home, if I actually had to interact in person I would be a mess. At home, nobody asks how I am doing and for that I am thankful.

Many firsts without Daddy. . .

It seems all the firsts without Dad were all at the first of this year. Dad’s Birthday, Father’s Day, Mom and Dad’s Wedding Anniversary and Christmas last year. All of these Celebrations without my Dad, they are just not the same. These are a distinct reminder that one of the most important people in my life is no longer here. The man that I called for advice on everything and the one I called to share exciting news, is not on the end of that phone anymore. Below is a picture of Dad and I on his Birthday.

Conclusion. . .

In conclusion, not sure where my blog is going this year since the boys are grown and have their own lives now. Big T never liked me writing about him to start with, he used to give me grief every time I posted. Oh well, add that to my mistakes made by Mom list.

What is Your Favorite Chili Recipe?

What is your favorite Chili recipe. . .

The hubbs and I love Chili on a cool winter day. I believe my chili is one of the many reasons he married me. Do not laugh, chili means a lot to these football playing and watching men. One cool winter day the hubbs invited his buddies over to watch football and being the best girlfriend in the world I cooked a BIG pot of my infamous chili.

When the hubbs and I were first married I traveled a bit with my job. One of my trips took me to Cincinnati where I was introduced to Cincinnati Chili. The Montgomery Inn severed a fabulous Cincinnati Chili that they are very well known for. I had never had chili served over spaghetti before but it was very interesting. They would not share their recipe but I did find a magnet at the airport with the recipe.

Cincinnati chili magnet recipe. . .

1 1/2 lb lean ground beef
29 oz can tomato sauce
14 oz peeled whole tomatoes
small onion chopped
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp allspice
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 1/2 T chili powder
1 T white vinegar
1 clove garlic
3 bay leaves

Saute onions and garlic pressed, add meat and brown. Add to crock pot along with the other ingredients and cook 6-8 hrs on low. Once cooked remove bay leaves and serve over spaghetti with cheese, onions and sour cream. Enjoy. . .

Crater’s infamous chili. . .

1 1/2 lb lean ground beef
small onion
2 cloves garlic
1 T chili powder
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp cocoa powder
1 tsp cilantro
3 T tomato paste
1 can tomato sauce
2 cups water
2 tsp ancho chili powder
1 tsp dry mustard powder
1/4 tsp nutmeg
2-3 whole jalapeno peppers
2 cans dark red kidney beans
1 can cannellini beans

Saute onion and garlic in a little olive oil once translucent add tomato sauce and paste then add all seasonings. In another pan brown ground beef add a splash of white wine. Once meat is browned add to crock pot then add your sauce and stir. Drain and rinse your beans and add to the crock pot. Place your whole jalapenos in your pot and cover to Cook 6-8 hrs on low. I put the jalapenos in whole so I can take them out when ready to eat. I like to serve my chili with: tortilla chips, shredded cheese, onion and sour cream.

Conclusion. . .

If you fix either of these recipes please post back and let me know what you think. Stay tuned for more of my infamous recipes and how I found them. Finding the recipes is part of the fun.

Things I Learned in Boston. . .

Driving that fourteen hours is not easy

Driving fourteen hours in one day is not easy. It would most definitely be bad if you did not like the person you were trapped in the car with. Luckily I was trapped, I mean ridding with my hubby. He drives all the time for work so, he is a pretty good driver and does not tire of it quickly. I did pitch in for the last little bit of the drive home.

The Verve. . .

The Verve was the name of the hotel we stayed in this time. It was 80’s themed and it had some very cool 80’s memorabilia scattered throughout the hotel. There were old arcade games, an old phone booth, motorcycle, art, and 80’s music playing over the PA system in the hotel. There were a set of TV’s mounted to the wall playing 80’s commercials, these were hilarious. The Flintstones advertising Winston cigarettes, if you can believe that.

this old telephone booth was in the lobby of the hotel too. It had the Terminator playing on the video screen.

Riding the T/ subway system in Boston is easy. . .

The hubbs and I rode the T into Boston one day while the boys were in class. Parking was easy but trying to buy that Charlie pass was a bear, especially if you do not know what your are doing. We were grateful to a very kind young man that helped us out. We were the country bumpkins come to the big city. Very proud of both the boys for mastering this mode of transportation, I am pretty sure I would not have been able to do it at their age. Once downtown Boston there was much to see. The architecture of the old buildings were beautiful. We walked down to the Aquarium and checked out the harbor.

The infamous lobster roll, I have been waiting on this one since 2018

Now on to lacrosse. . .

We got to see two good games of lacrosse. They lost the first one but it was still a good game and they won the second game in high fashion. It was great watching this young team come together. I have high hopes that Big T will be off the injured list soon and hopefully get in the game. There are a few on the injured list and I hope they will be back and game ready soon also.

Sprat in #55 Burgundy. thankful for local parents to snap these pictures.

I think this one is my favorite of Sprat

Wrap up. . .

We had a wonderful time getting to meet the boys’ friends, teammates, and families. So thankful for the local parents taking care of the team. Heading back up for two more games and we hope to see Big T on that field. It would be fabulous to see brother D poles on that field.

I Detest the Media. . .

Growing up. . .

When I was in school and we talked about journalism and news reporters we talked about bias. We were taught that reporters reported facts not their own opinions. It did not matter what their feelings were on the subject they were reporting they did not interject their opinion. I know I sound like I am 100 years old but, I am not. It has only been in recent years that the media has lost sight of reporting fact.

“And that’s the way it is. . . “

That was the sign off for one of the most respected men in journalism, Mr Walter Cronkite. I wish more reporters would strive to be as honorable and forth right as Mr Cronkite. He gave you the facts without his opinion or personal commentary. There was no wondering if what he was reporting was the truth or not, you could trust him. These days I have no trust for any reporter, lying and stretching the truth has become part of the job description.

Reporters today . . .

Reporters today are trying to sensationalize everything just to get the rating points. It seems the more of a frenzy they can whip up the better it is for their job performance. What ever happened to reporting the truth? What happened to giving the public the facts of a story?

Case and Point. . .

The Coronavirus is a perfect example of the media blowing everything out of proportion. Some idiot on Facebook was telling everyone from a news source that there are 100,000 cases the Coronavirus in the United States. That is false per the CDC web site as of March 13th there were 1,629 cases affecting 46 States. Of the 1,629 cases 1,362 are under investigation so they are not even positive cases yet. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/cases-in-us.html There are 41 deaths due to the virus but let us put that into perspective; flu deaths are estimated, per the CDC, between 20,000-52,000. Those deaths are from October 1, 2019-February 20, 2020. Think about that, why is the media not reporting that?

Conclusion. . .

In conclusion, please do your own research before you believe anything that you see or hear anywhere. Oh, and please wash your hands and keep them away from your face!! That is the best method of preventing spread of all virus and disease.

Pinterest. . . Need I Say More?

Pinterest, YouTube, Google What Else do You Need. . .

Pinterest can show you almost anything, I like it almost as much as I like YouTube. I have found inspiration, travel tips, cute hairstyles, crafts and some incredible recipes. Check out my board, “Things I have made and Like.” It contains recipes that I found on Pinterest and made that my family loved.

Broiled figs with balsamic vinegar and mascarpone cheese.

Travel and Explore. . .

Travel and Explore is one of my new boards on Pinterest. I have pinned places that I would like to explore. This board has come in very handy these last few months. The hubbs and I are planning a visit to see Sprat play lacrosse in Maine and Massachusetts next month and we are beyond excited. My pins for this board are all about where to go and what to eat. I may have to call this our food tour of New England.

Frugal Me. . .

What on Earth do I mean by frugal? Frugal is one of those old timey words that means; economical, sparing, or thrifty. On this board I pin things that I think will help me as I continue my Dave Ramsey journey. If you read my posts long enough you will realize I am a huge Dave Ramsey fan. Do not know Dave Ramsey, Google him. He is the author of Financial Peace University and The Total Money Makeover. If you are looking to be debt free, or want financial peace check him out.

Things that Make You Say Hmmmmm??

This board is all about the absurd things you might see on social media. It is all about humor and the silly things you find on the internet. I pin things that make me laugh and that make me say hmmmm, how about that…

Background on Our Crew. . .

This is my crew many years ago, Sprat lower right, Big T on the left and of course the hubby and I. This was taken at one of their birthday parties at a tumble gym.

Mom and my sister and myself, this would have been Christmas 1986 or ’87. I cannot remember which.

We took the boys on the Polar Express train ride. We had a blast, when I made the reservation the lady said, “wear your PJ’s everyone does.” We all showed up in our PJ’s, to my husbands chagrin, and we were the only adults in PJ’s. Sprat said, Mom you all are the only parents in PJ’s, I simply replied yes and we are the only ones that know how to have fun.

The boys enjoying the Fair and the bumper cars. The hubbs and I always took the boys to the Fair each year. We always went when the boys could get the ride all day bands. These are just some of our family traditions.

We also used to go tubing with the boys in the Summer. When the boys were little we had a couple Summers where we did stay-cations. The boys loved it, we went to local AA baseball games and I took them to the pool during the day, this was during my stay at home mom days.

We took a few trips here and there with the boys. This is on our trip to Sea World. This was the boys petting the Rays, notice the hubbs holding Big T by the shirt so he does not fall face first in the water.

This was just a little background on my family. Stay tuned for updates on the boys and all the goings on with high school and college lacrosse.

Welcome to the New Site of My Old Blog. . .

Boston Butt on the Smoker Early Tomorrow. . .

My husband got a new pellet smoker grill “thing” for Christmas this year and the man has smoked everything possible, the only we have not smoked is chicken and a pizza. The pizza I would like to try, I think it would be very good.

Let us recap the things my husband has smoked: burgers, salmon, turkey, meatloaf, Boston butt, and let us not forget the ribs. We will be smoking another butt this weekend for Super Bowl. I personally could not care less about the Super Bowl but I do love all the food and fun that surrounds it. Such entertaining commercials and all of the food, can I say that again, all the food.

The hubbs has purchased the butt and it is chilling in the fridge and we will start the rub down on Friday evening, this butt will cook all day on Saturday to be ready for Sunday. I am still mulling over my appetizers that I want to serve. The hubbs wants my fabulous beer cheese dip for sure but I am not sure what else, perhaps some olives, cheese and pickles, I think I need another dip and maybe some veggies. We will have to wait and see.

Here is your trivia for the Super Bowl: What four teams have never been to a Super Bowl? Detroit Lions, Jacksonville Jaguars, Cleveland Browns, and the Houston Texans. Go and impress your friends at your Super Bowl parties.