Recipe Review: Tasty's taco Stuffed Bell Peppers

I am in the beginning of a personal journey that involves a lot of changes in my life. One of those changes is to prepare homemade meals more often.  I didn't have the time to be home and cook wholesome meals for my family.  Far too often we were eating from a drive thru window or delivered pizza.  If we did cook at home, it was usually a frozen meal or something from a box.  After I decided to quit one of my jobs. I saw this video from Tasty on You Tube for Taco Stuffed Bell Peppers and decided that I needed to try it out.  It looked amazing and seemed delicious.

 

  Shopping:

I started out with a very short shopping list and a trip to the clearance produce.  I found a bag of 3 delicious yellow peppers for only 99 cents.  I purchased a can of Kroger brand black beans and a half a pound of ground chuck from the deli counter.  I had everything else in the pantry already (except the guacamole), so it was a fairly inexpensive meal for two adults and a baby.

  Preparation:

 I followed the recipe and instructions almost exactly.  I forgot to cook rice and didn't have any instant rice on hand, so I left that out.  It would have been better with it.  I also used some cotija cheese along with the cheddar and added some cilantro since I received a bunch in my Door to Door Organics box.   I started by preparing the peppers and baking them.  Then I added the ground beef, Wild Tree Taco Seasoning, onions, and a little cilantro to my oiled pan.  I made a well in the pan and added the black beans, corn, and some Smokey and Salsa brand salsa.   Then I put in about 3/4 cup of shredded cheddar cheese and 1/4 cup of the cotija cheese.  I put my baked peppers into individual ramekins as I was unable to find my bread pans (next organizing project perhaps?) and stuffed them with the taco filling.  I topped them off with shredded cheddar and cotija cheeses and put them in the oven.  After 15 minutes I added some tortilla chips on the top as I forgot about the guacamole when at the store.                
  Results:

Absolutely delicious! Even the almost two year old loved them and asked for more.   I would have loved to have added the rice to the mixture and the guacamole on the top, so that will happen next time when I am more organized. I am glad we only used half of the ingredients as there was enough filling for 3 more peppers left in the pan.  We added a salad and some fresh fruit to the meal to fill us up, but could have just had another pepper each.  The tortilla chips on the top added a little crunch that I feel might have been missing without it.  This meal will be happening again as it was delicious and a very quick dinner recipe.   Thank you Tasty for the great recipe!      

New Year New Me - I Quit My Job!

1/1/16

I recently shared my New Years Resolution to make big changes in my life.  I want to spend more time with my family and friends, my home, and my hobbies.  I want to document my journey to keep me focused and so that I can look back and see how far I've come.  

I made my first  big decision on New Years Eve. 

 I quit my job.

When my ex-husband and I divorced, I reentered the work force.  I had a full schedule with college courses including online college classes and a full time job as a bartender and waitress.  It is what I had to do to keep my family clothed and fed.  I met my fiancee a few years ago and we both kept a full schedule.  We still had time for date night and family game nights.  My hobbies suffered a little, but I was still able to crochet blankets, hem my children's clothing, and keep my closets organized.  When we were surprised by a little bundle of joy, we went into overdrive.  We reorganized our house to make a nursery and homework areas for each of the older kids all while managing complications with the pregnancy.  Those complications led to a hospitalization the night my midterms for my online courses were due and I had to drop the classes.  Once our little bundle of joy arrived, life became even busier.  My two older children were attending a school that was no longer able to accommodate their special needs (even with 504 and IEP plans in place) any longer and my fiance and I were both working 40 or more hours a week.  I was breastfeeding on demand, pumping at work, and trying to gather enough sleep at night to not fall over at the almost daily parent-teacher meetings or phone calls.  Life became chaotic.  

Then something happened that neither my fiancee or I saw coming.  The restaurant where we both worked and were very successful at decided overnight to close it's doors forever.  We were both unemployed a mere 5 weeks before Christmas.  We were mostly caught up on bills after some unexpected medical bills, but our savings were depleted.  I found very part-time employment at my favorite local bar within a week.  The next week I found a second job at a swanky wine bar.  Then, my fiance found a job a week later.  We were still struggling.  The wine bar wasn't bringing in money and I found another job at an Irish Pub and the local bar offered me more hours.  I took both opportunities and during the holiday season I was working over 60 hours a week.  

I was exhausted. 

My health suffered and my mental health began to plummet.  My house became an unfinished game of Jumanji and my family and friends never heard from me.  I couldn't find my keys, work clothes, the baby's shoes, or anything else because of the chaotic condition of my house.  I would load the dishwasher after getting home from work at 3 a.m. while counting how many hours of sleep I could get before going to my other job at 8 a.m.  I felt like a robot.  My relationship with my fiance suffered.  It seemed as though I was living in a surreal dream.  I was lost.

But, I kept going.  I continued to work both jobs and bring home the money.  It payed off as my kiddos had a wonderful Christmas full of giving and receiving.  The bills were still behind, but we were making headway.  We were on an upward slope to remove debt from our lives.  However, the light in my kitchen has been out for a week, the baby ran out of diapers which meant a trip to the grocery store with 3 children at 7 o'clock at night, and McDonalds or Pizza Hut became a nightly dinner decision.  I am convinced that this all happened because I was never home.  On the rare occasion that I didn't work a double shift or both jobs and I was home, my fiancee was at work and all moms know how hard it can be to get everything done with toddlers running around.  I needed more time at the house.  I needed to work less.

It became very clear to me what I needed in life when my boss sat me down one day to talk.  He wanted to know why I was late to work that day.  He wanted to know why I seemed "negative" and the only answer I had (other than his REALLY poor management skills) was that I was tired.  I went home that day and made a decision.  If I was going to make a New Years resolution for 2016 to be happier and spend more time with my family, house, health, and hobbies, I needed to quit my job.

So I did.  I quit.  New Years Day was my first day off in 5 weeks.  It was great.  A day full of optimism, laughter with my children, love with my fiance, and even productivity around the house.  I still work at the local bar and I really enjoy the 2 short days and 1 long day that I am there.  

My first big step.  Now what?   

To be continued...

My Journey Back to Myself

2/31/15

I feel that I have strayed from myself. I work too much.  I spend too much.  The cycle is slowly killing me.  I am so busy that when I have the chance to do something that I enjoy, I end up parking myself in front of the computer or the TV.  I turn down dance parties with the kids and the chance to make penguin cupcakes because my feet hurt, I'm tired, I work early tomorrow, or countless other excuses.  My house is so unorganized and cluttered that I let my 20 month old color on my math notebook from my online college course - from four years ago - so that I could attempt to match the beach tote full of unpaired socks.  I think that bag is going to find the trash, but I digress.

Life has become chaotic and spontaneous in all the ways that I don't want.  I spend at lest 5 minutes every morning looking for my shoes, my work pants, my keys, the kid's mittens, or the baby's stuffed rabbit.  When I do make it out the door, I have forgotten to eat breakfast and left my coffee on top of the car.  I am frazzled.  I never used to be like this, but then again, I never tried to work two jobs with 3 small children at home and one heading to college in a semester.  

There are so many things that I want to do.  I want to go back to school, write a novel, finish a quilt for my mom, publish a cookbook, resume my Project Life book, take the kids to Disney World, foster animals, sell my cute handmade items on Etsy again, and maybe try out some of those make-up tutorials on YouTube.  These are all things that I could do, if I made the time for them.  Ever since getting divorced, going back to school, and re-entering the work force I feel that I have completely stopped most of the things I used to do.  I used to be Mommy the Maid with a successful blog titled "Mommy the Maid."  I wrote sponsored posts about being a mom and housewife, shared recipes from my grandmother's cookbook, and shared my successes and failures being an entrepreneur with my own Etsy store.  My blog contained my life with excerpts and photos of my recipes, short stories, handmade goods, and family vacations.  I organized my closets and posted pictures and tips for others to read.  I miss those those closets.  Now I have to wear a hard hat to enter my bedroom closet.  But I digress...again.

My New Years Resolution for 2016 is to make big changes and I plan to document these changes on Daily Two Cents.  I will share my progress, my set-backs, and my successes with the Daily Two Cents community.  Follow along with me as I pour out my personal journey into words for all the world to see.  I take these steps boldly, yet cautiously.  Here we go! 

Called in Sick, but I have a note!

I have neglected this blog for three weeks...and it is still in it's infancy.

BUT I HAVE A NOTE!!!

Not only do I have all the normal reasons-Thanksgiving, Christmas, working, parenting, etc.,- but I have been crazy sick.  I went to Urgent a few days before Thanksgiving because I felt THAT ill.  It hurt to breath, I was coughing, my body ached at every minuscule movement, and my sinuses were trying to carry a bowling ball.  I figured I had more of my normal sinus issues flaring and a case of the flu.

Nope.

Pneumonia.

Sinusitis.

Bronchitis.

Probable pelvic congestion.

It was awful.  I was given a nebulizer treatment, steroids, and antibiotics and told to rest.  If the treatment wouldn't have worked, Iw ould have been admitted to the hospital.  Then a few days later the doc called to tell me that my strep test came back positive.

DOH!

Then Steven caught strep.  It was a mess.

My sinus problems are still acting up a lot, but my primary doctor is FINALLY able to see me this week.  I made the appointment 3 weeks ago.  Hopefully they will do something for me before they send me to a specialist.

So here is to hoping I get better and get a few decent posts in before the barrage of pictures from the holidays. :D

Sweet Acorn Squash

We received a delicious acorn squash in our Door to Door Organics delivery and Steven instntly knew what he was going to do with it.  I wasn't pleased with the choice in syrup, but I will admit that the end result was delicious.

First, grab a whole stick of butter, about 1/2 cup of brown sugar (you can totally vary how much this is), and a bottle of syrup.  Next time I would use an organic maple syrup.  Whole foods has a jug I really like.

Cut your squash in half and place half a stick of butter in each half.  

Take a fork and stab the squash a lot.  Really take out some aggression because you need a lot of little holes.  Sprinkle the brown sugar over the edge and into the center of the squash. Then, drizzle the syrup in the same way.

Place in a 400 degree oven for about 35-40 minutes.  This varies by the size of the squash.

It will melt and get soupy while baking.  About half way into cooking, give it a little stir.  This is also a good time to check the tenderness and judge how much longer it might need.  You can also stab a few more holes if you think you need it.

When finished, the sugar will be nice and caramelized. 

I didn't get a picture of the finished result because we grubbed like we were starved when this came out of the oven.  Basically, scoop the squash meat and butter mixture out of the shell and mash it with a potato masher until the consistency you like.  Ours was similar to mashed potato consistency.  

ENJOY!

Swap Loot! : Mythological Creatures and Cryptids

What an awesome mail day!  You know those days when there isn't a bill nestled inside your mailbox?  Those days are awesome, but even more awesome is when your mailman has to ring the doorbell because you have a package.  And even better, when you have 2 packages!

Which is what we had today.  It was a massive swap loot day.  I received an amazing package from the Mythological Creatures swap on Ravelry as well as an equally amazing Cryptid package from RantyHippie on Craftster.  

I was so in love with everything that we took about a million pictures.  Since Persephone has seperation anxiety, she had to be in most of the pictures, but she is too cute not to be.  

First, the Cryptid swap on Craftster:  We opened the box to find this: 

An adorable sea serpent, a mermaid dolly, and a GIANT squid.  

The sea serpent was claimed by the kids, the squid has a home on my bed, and there is a funny story behind the mermaid.  Perry is a hair puller and I have been contemplating getting her a dolly to pull it's hair and maybe not mine.  (pipe dream, I know.)  Earlier in the day I was at the store and looking for dollies.  I couldn't find one.  So imagine how awesome it was to find a mermaid dolly in the box!  Perry loves it.

 So many thanks to RantyHippie for the amazing swap loot.

Next I opened the Mythical Creatures package.  Look at these extras!  Gorgeous purple yarn, dragon toys for the kiddos, stickers (that  my older and tomboy daughter declared were for the baby's scrapbook, amigurimi eyes, and delicious smelling tea.  Oh, and Troy has asked to hang the postcard in his room.

 Medusa hair bookmarks.  Such a clever idea!  My daughter has decided that I may have one because I don't get to read as often as she does.

Then we found a present for Steven.  Chthulu.  And he is riding along with Steven at work tonight, although the baby loves him too.

A beautiful mermaid tail scarf that has been confiscated by the girl child...but she looks so cute in it!

And a unicorn lovey for Perry.  I have also been looking at getting her or making her a lovey and instead we have a beautiful homemade lovey...with a unicorn.

And a few bonus pics of the kiddos playing with the dragons.

Social Media is Breeding Rude People

I am all for fighting the neatly labeled boxes that society tries to fit us all into.  There is no reason for us all to be the same. However, I do believe in simple social rules regarding respect for others.

For instance,  I am sitting in the waiting area while Athena is in her OT group and am witnessing some of the most oblivious and rude asssholes I have seen in a waiting room.

I admit it is rude for me to take a picture...even more so that I accidentally left the flash on... whoops.

Anyway,  they are both engaged in their phones which is not a problem...if they were quietly engaged in their phones.  Instead,  the gentleman (term used loosely...in fact,  let's call him the dude) has his headphones so loud that I am recognizing the guitar riffs of ACDC. He is also air mouthing the words, head banging, and loudly announcing his frustrations with various games on his phone. 

Perhaps I could send him a life in Candy Crush in exchange for his mouth to shut.

But the wife. So much worse. She is audibly singing "All About That Bass" (with some wrong lyrics I might add) and loudly cackling at her phone. Then she kicks her husband in the shin and tells him to watch the video or look at what she wants for Christmas.   Then they view together (so politely in her headphones) as we all continue to listen to his mad jams. Then they laugh loudly and pound on the chair or the wall while making that horrible nose laugh. You know, the mix of possible snot rocket and Mr Ed...that noise.

And did I mention that she is doing all this while LOUDLY CHOMPING on her gum.

Now they are loudly bitching about other people harassing them and how rude their daughter (who is sitting right next to them) is because she was chewing on a pen.

And of course the waiting room is a perfect place for a family sing-a-long of "Spider Pig" and a heated debate over whether the name changes to Harry Plopper or Harry Porker.  The first one is correct by the way.

What happened to reading a book, working on paperwork, or even listening to music or watching a video QUIETLY.  It seems this is lost on society in general.

This isn't a library. No one is asking for silence.  However, you do not need to be the loudest thing in the room.  Which is also something I notice a lot. Why do people need to be the loudest thing in the room when conversing with a person or chatting on their phone?

I understand the need to hear yourself ( which is really hard to do when everyone else in the room is annoyingly loud) but there is no need to yell into your phone about picking up the dry cleaning next week.  

Or the need to read a book to your child at extremely amplified volumes.

Athena was only about 2 years old and I took her to the doctor because she was sick. There were two rather rowdy and noisy boys playing and their mother wasn't concerned with their behavior... even when big brother clocked little brother square in the nose with his fist.  Another mother made many (loud) comments to her young daughter complimenting her exemplary behavior.   She wanted to reward her by reading her a book.

She then read the book to everyone in the room over the ruckus of the rowdy brothers. The receptionist  even peered out from behind her desk with a raised eyebrow and asked the boys to settle.  They sat down and quietly stared at their shoes feeling (I hope) guilt.  But Mother Reading Rainbow maintained her tremendous volume.

I really felt that she was reading loudly to prove to us all that she read to her kid.

It is because nothing is private in this age of technology.  Why have a hushed phone conversation to avoid strangers hearing you when you are going to post on Facebook your conversation later? You want Twitter followers to know you read a book to your son and everyone within earshot should know too.  Kids post about their bowel movements on social media sites, so why would it feel weird to discuss them loudly at a elementary school choir concert.

And you know you are far to busy to discuss your divorce in private, so your child's karate lesson is perfect.  TRUE STORY.  It happened.  

As much as I love social media, there really are times when it is appropriate and when it is not.  There are also subjects that are appropriate to discuss on social media...and for the record, Kim Kardashian's photo shopped ass is not one of them.