Relax & Rewind

Could NOT have been a more perfect weekend :) Don't you just need those sometimes?  The type of weekend where you REFUSE to make a plan with anyone.  You REFUSE to be held accountable to be anywhere at a specific time.  You just need to wake up when you wake up.  You just need to eat...when you're hungry :)   Most of my weekends used to be like that.  I miss the feeling of waking up and thinking "hmmm...what shall I do today??".  I'm trying to get back to that!

~~~ Friday ~~~

Friday TEN and I stayed in.  The TV never even came on!  All evening long we enjoyed wine, made a fire in the fireplace and talked.  It was bliss!

We tried to put Louis into his Halloween costume, and we came to a realization.  HE HATES IT :( 

Whatever are we going to do?  He cried, and struggled and just did not like this Yoda costume one bit.  After a few unsuccessful attempts at getting him into it, he threw himself down in front of the fire...and sighed deeply.

The good news is, that was the most excitement we had on Friday evening :)

~~~ Saturday ~~~

Saturday we woke up late and I made breakfast.  As simple as that sounds, it rarely happens at Seersucker Central.  There is never time.  We're always rushing off somewhere :(  Eggs, turkey bacon and Weight Watchers bagels were on the menu.  Mmmmm.....

We spent the day doing small chores (I have a new brass kick plate on my door - thank you TEN!!!), and then we ventured down to the corner wine shop for their open house.  They had chili in a crock pot, and a wine tasting that we eagerly participated in!

After that, it was back to the house to watch a bit of football. 

And then.....

It was time for the Smalltown, VA Ghost Tour!!

I learned quite a few things about Smalltown, VA on the tour...and most exciting was our visit to a little known cemetery.  Spoooooky!

Here are some of my favorite pictures...

(that little box is a bell box.  when the Spanish Influenza struck...people were often thought to be dead, and they were buried.  only to wake up in their grave!!  bell boxes were installed, with a string tied to the person's wrist, in case they awoke and needed to be rescued. YIKES)

After the tour we met up with a few friends downtown, and were in bed by 11pm :) 

~~~ Sunday ~~~

Sunday we ran a few more errands, and I made Gina's Crock Pot Chicken Taco Chili.  I HIGHLY recommend this recipe, as it was absolutely delish!  Daisy came over to join TEN and I for dinner, and we all scarfed down our meals :)

Here are the "stats" for the chili:

Servings: 10 • Size: 1 1/4 cups • Old Points: 3 pts • Points+: 5 pts

Calories: 203.7 • Fat: 1.4 g • Carb: 33.3 g • Fiber: 10.0 g • Protein: 16.9 g



It's funny how much my taste has changed, and how much I like spicy things now.  We ate those stuffed peppers the other night, and although they were good....they really could have used some SPICE!  I was sure to make this recipe as spicy as possible.  I've made a few notations on the recipe (in red) to tell you what I changed to make it a bit "hotter". 

• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 16-oz can black beans
• 1 16-oz can kidney beans
• 1 8-oz can tomato sauce
• 10 oz package frozen corn kernels
• 2 14.5-oz cans diced tomatoes w/chilies
• 1 packet taco seasoning  (I used the "hot and spicy" Old El Paso seasoning)
• 1 tbsp cumin
• 1 tbsp chili powder
• 24 oz (3-4) boneless skinless chicken breasts
• chili peppers, chopped (optional)  (I used 3 cayenne peppers from my garden)
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Top with fresh cilantro. Also try it with low fat cheese and sour cream (extra points). 
 
We definitely loaded up on the cheese and sour cream, and I made long grained white rice to serve the chili on.  I don't think you need to serve it on the rice at all, and probably wouldn't the next time. 
 

I'm rested and ready to face the week, which is a good thing because It's a busy one.  AND...we're going to another wedding this weekend :)

Happy Monday!

T

Just How Clever IS My Pup?

My laundry is done, and the dishes are clean and put away.  I unpacked my suitcase, and packed up the dresses that need to be altered and those that need dry cleaning.  I think I'm almost situated, and back to normal :)

Louis and I had major snuggle time last night, and I fell asleep on the couch with him.  Morning kisses from my little man make everything right with the world.

Speaking of Louis...he has a hair appointment on Monday.  He rolled in the mud at TEN's house (I think I told you that), and TEN washed him.  The thing is, Louis has wavy hair.  When he's groomed properly they blow out his hair (or something??) and he looks like a proper westie.  When we wash him he looks like this:

(no, that isn't a lazy eye.  his hair is just so long he can't see!!!)

Yesterday, while taking him to day care I jokingly said "Hey Louis...why don't you roll in poo today so that you can get a free bath?".  I WAS JOKING.  I swear!  So, you can only imagine my surprise when I went to pick him up and he looked like this:

Yep.  He rolled in poo and got a free bath.  EGADS!  Can my pup really understand me?  And wasn't I just totally embarrassed?!??!!  They now call it "pulling a Louis" when a pup rolls in poo :( 

Not to dwell on the poo convo, but Louis NEVER does this anywhere but at daycare.  He's done it a few times, and honestly...it's mostly when he's already dirty.  And I wonder......does he just want a bath, and know they will give him one?  Could he be that clever?  OR...do they just feel sorry for him, because he's so nappy, and bathe him and use the poo as an excuse?  I just don't know. 

Tomorrow a local winery is having a Wine & Wet Noses Festival.  Pups are welcome, and an animal rescue group will be there letting us know how we can help.  I really want to go.  I probably need to just lay on the couch and relax, but....well....they are having a costume contest for the pups!  And I really don't want to miss that.  Hmmm....we'll see.

Tomorrow evening we are going on a Ghost Tour of Smalltown, VA. 

We have a town trolley, and we will ride around on the trolley while hearing stories of murder and mayhem.  I'm excited!  A ghost tour in Charleston, SC is one thing.  But a ghost tour here in MY smalltown?  I'm giddy :)

After that we're going to head to a local establishment to have a few cocktails 'FOR THE CAUSE'.  Marilyn Monroe is going to zumba her heart out at the Party in Pink on Saturday day, and then there is an after party where a portion of the proceeds from cocktails sold will go to breast cancer research.  I guess that means we'll be forced to have some cocktails :)

Sunday I'm going to make Gina's Crock Pot Chicken Taco Chili, and I'll tell you all about how that goes on Monday.

It's been raining cats and dogs here for the last few days, and the basement of Seersucker Central has flooded again.  My yellow wellies were finally laid to rest, and I'm rocking red wellies now.  I have to admit...I rather miss looking like Paddington Bear in my rain gear.  The Ronald McDonald look isn't quite as appealing.

Happy Weekend!!

T

Peppers With Ground Beef, Rice & Cheese? Yes, Please!

I haven't been cooking very much lately.  With everything I've got on my plate, unfortunately the things I enjoy the most seem to be getting pushed aside :( 

I was whining talking about this the other day, and TEN took action!  He sent me a recipe yesterday, and I decided that I would head to the grocery store after work to get the things we needed to cook. 

The recipe is for Stuffed Peppers.  Now, I will be the first to admit that the idea of stuffed peppers has always made me gag a little bit.  My mother made these when I was growing up.  The peppers were always soggy, there was always a bunch of ketchup in the meat (I abhor ketchup), and most of the time I just moved everything around on my plate hoping my parents would think I had eaten. 

It wasn't that my mother was not good at cooking, because she was.  It's just that I'm not a fan of peppers, or onions, or ketchup or....well, you get the point. 

So TEN sends this recipe and my first response is to gag a little bit.  But then I thought "T, your taste buds have really grown in the last year.  You are eating many things you would never have considered in the past.  Perhaps you should give this a try?"  And so.....I did.

I'm pleased to announce that the peppers were NOT soggy.  We did not use ketchup.  And I enjoyed EVERY BITE :)

Now, get your pen and paper and I'll tell you how to make these tasty peppers!

Stuffed Peppers with Ground Beef, Rice & Cheese

Total Time: 1 hour, 25 minutes


Ingredients:

· 6 green bell peppers
· 1 tablespoons butter
· 1 tablespoon olive oil
· 1/2 cup chopped onion
· 1/2 cup chopped celery
· 1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes
· 1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce
· 1 clove garlic, crushed
· 1 teaspoon dried leaf oregano
· 1/2 teaspoon dried leaf basil
· 2 teaspoons salt, divided
· 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper, divided
· 1 egg, lightly beaten
· 1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
· 1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef or chuck
· 1 1/2 cups cooked long-grain rice
· shredded mild Cheddar cheese, about 1/2 to 3/4 cup, optional

**A couple of things.  DO NOT brown the ground beef.  The recipe doesn't specify that, and we wondered, but you do not cook the ground beef ahead of time.  Also if you happen to forget to pick up the 8 ounce can of tomato sauce (like we did), and you happen to have a can of diced tomatoes with chilies added....you can puree that in the Cuisinart to make tomato sauce.  And you end up adding a little bit of spice too!

 

Preparation:

Cut tops off peppers; remove seeds and membranes. Chop edible part of tops and set aside. Rinse peppers under cold water. Place peppers in a large pot; cover with salted water. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 5 minutes. Drain peppers and set aside.

Heat olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium heat until hot. Sauté chopped green pepper (from tops), chopped onion, and chopped celery for about 5 minutes, or until vegetables are tender. Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, crushed garlic, oregano, basil, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper. Simmer for about 10 minutes.

In a large mixing bowl, combine egg with remaining 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and Worcestershire sauce. Gently stir to blend; add ground beef, cooked rice, and 1 cup of the tomato mixture. Mix well. Stuff peppers with meat mixture and place in a 3-quart baking dish.

Pour remaining tomato mixture over the stuffed peppers. Bake at 350° for 55 to 65 minutes. If desired, top stuffed peppers with a little shredded Cheddar cheese just before peppers are done; bake until cheese is melted.

Recipe for stuffed peppers serves 6.

I cannot tell you how pleasantly surprised I was.  We definitely added more cheddar cheese to the tops of the peppers than was called for, AND...we ate them in a bowl with chips and sour cream.  Just to be different :)


T

Here Comes Another Bride....

A few pictures from the wedding over the weekend, in Big City, VA:

(yes, this actually happened.  yes, this picture is lopsided thanks to Blogger...my nemesis)

(sometimes a girl just has to have her own party :)

Their's is a sweet story, and I'm not sure I've ever been to a wedding where it was so obviously how in love the bride and groom were.  They weren't able to quit looking at each other, or kissing each other, or holding each other's hand.  Not in a creepy way...in a really sweet "no one else matters today but us" type of way.  It was refreshing.

I'm off to another wedding in a week and a half.  I'm not going to lie....all I can do lately is think about weddings.  TEN's sister and I had an in depth conversation about wedding favors just the other day.  It's starting to stress me out.....

T

Westie Wednesday

I just realized that it's Westie Wednesday!  Boy, Louis sure would be perturbed if I forgot to tell you about him. 

I'm a bit behind, but I will tell you that 2 weekends ago we took Louis to Dogtoberfest.  It is just what it sounds like.  A huge festival for dogs, with spa services...tasty treats...and even the PawCasso Studio if your pup wants to paint. I kid you not.

We resisted the urge to let Louis demonstrate his artistic ability, but we did sit for a portrait.  Well, a caricature really.  What do you think??

Then, it was off to Big City, VA to help my mother.  While I was gone, Louis stayed with TEN.  That's nothing new, of course, but what WAS new was that he found a muddy corner of TEN's yard and tried to give himself a bath.  He was covered in mud, and S-T-I-N-K-Y!  TEN gave him a bath, but didn't have a dryer or brush.  I so wish I could share the picture he sent me, but alas...the blackberry isn't cooperating.

The poor little guy has been shuffled around so much these 2 weeks, he hasn't a clue what's going on :(  And then...last night when I got home, his Halloween Costume had arrived.  So........well......of course I wanted him to try it on. 

Let's just say it didn't go very well.  At all.  And I can't imagine why?  It's the cutest costume.  Here, have a peek:

So that's what Louis has been up to.  He's really happy to have his mummy home, and he's going to daycare tomorrow...so the week is really looking up :)

Westie Licks,

T & Louis

Smile For the Camera!

Hi there!  Just popping in for a second to say "hello" .

I'm back in Smalltown, VA.  Mother's surgery on her wrist went well.  She's in pain, but getting better every day :)

Thank you so much for all of the well wishes!

TEN and I did manage to attend a wedding over the weekend for one of his nearest and dearest.  It was nice to have a moment to forget about everything, and to enjoy some time together.

I've come to the conclusion that photo booths at weddings are genius. 

I have pictures and stories and silliness to share.  I'll try to get myself together tomorrow.

xoxo,

T

CRASH!

Hello, loves!

I've been a bit silent as of late.  It's because I've been on the road.

My mother was in a horrible head on collision last weekend.  She's going to be just fine, but I went to help her out in Big City, VA for a few days. 

I'm off to Big City, VA again this afternoon.  TEN's friend is getting married, and then my mother has to to have surgery Monday morning due to a broken wrist :(

Things will settle down soon enough, and I've got so much to tell you!

In the meantime, all of the excitement has just exhausted Louis.

Have a lovely weekend, and be safe behind the wheel.  Watch out for speeding taxis.  I hear they can be pretty dangerous!

xoxo,

T