A Romaine Tale

 Sometime you just stumble upon something and then you say, 'Why have I not known about this before now?'

This post is about romaine lettuce. Yep... just lettuce.

I grew up on iceberg, then switched over to butter lettuce and occasionally use mixed greens but you might say I was 'stuck in a rut.'

Then came that surprise grocery delivery on Jan. 26th and there was this bag with 3 heads of romaine lettuce in there. I started to give it away. I really did but then I thought better of that idea.

Fast forward to Feb. 20 when I ate the last of that lettuce. It was still fresh, green. I only lost 3 outer leaves in these 3 weeks that I had it. 

Living alone I'd get so mad when I'd buy lettuce and in a couple days it would wilt, turn brown and in the trash it would go. Then, I got smart. I started wrapping my lettuce with a wet paper towel (don't wash the head of lettuce first) and dropping it into a small plastic grocery bag. Didn't close it or anything, just tossed it into the crisper drawer of the fridge. 

Let me tell you... it works wonderfully with romaine! Like I say. I ate the last of that 3 weeks after getting it. 

Now, I am hooked on that stuff! Just think what a surprise someone gave you can change your life. Well, maybe not my life but certainly my taste in the green stuff. 

Boy, you can tell that I have run out of anything interesting to post about. Reducing to talking about lettuce is pretty low!

Feeling Blessed and On Top of the World

 I am so excited. The dress I ordered for my grandson's wedding May 9th came today and it fits!! And, it's so comfy and the shoes I already had match great. I couldn't be happier. Check that off my 'to do' list!! No sneak peak... you'll have to wait! 

I guess I am finally getting old! Arthritis has attacked my hands and I've had to make some adjustments. I suppose it's time something slowed me down (grin). I have used those hands heavily over the years. Poor ole things, they are tired! 

I made me something to eat that I hadn't made in a hundred years (grin). Time to try stuffed peppers once again and they turned out great. I used yellow pepper (didn't have the green ones), I  used bulk sausage 'cause I didn't have any hamburger and I believe I like the sausage better. Gave it more flavor. And, I had rice in the freezer just waiting to be thawed. You make do with what you have. 

   I'm tacking on the recipe in case you are interested. 

On Valentine's Day I got a delivery. Susan sent me a large bouquet of white roses, one of those cheesecakes that has all the different flavors in the selection and a bag of Lindor truffles. I was one happy gal. 

She called and woke me up this morning so I am still in my nightgown when she says that I have another delivery due at any minute. I scurried around to find my robe in time to answer the knock on the door. It was my breakfast. What am I gonna do with that girl! but I love it. We gals always love attention and she's having so much fun sending some my way. 

Enough for this morning and tomorrow morning, as well. Wow. 

Hope you all are doing great. Each of you is such a bright spot in my life and I just want to say 

Hugs and Kisses For Valentine's Day

 It's spring.... 

No, not really but we did have a couple days of near 60 degrees. It was gorgeous and a precursor to what we can expect a little later on if we can just hang on through the rest of the winter. 

So, naturally I took advantage of it being so nice. Had lunch with dau Shirley and granddau. Brittany on Wednesday. Then the very next day I had lunch out with Shirley again.... Tomorrow we are having a valentine's day party here at Centerbrooke.

What do you all plan to do for Valentine's Day? Guess it depends on who your sweetheart is! I'm my own best sweetheart these days. We gals decorated white lunch bags and tomorrow we'll drop our valentine's into each other's bags. Do you remember those days in school when you'd do something like that?  

I still have Valentines that were given to me as a child not yet school age... Here's one or two of them.

Valentine's don't look like that anymore.

You all have a wonderful Valentine's Day! 

Hope you get lots of chocolate and flowers and hugs and kisses! 

Time Does Fly By!

 It's Sunday morning and the wind chill factor is in the single digits. BRRRRR!! Okay, countdown to spring starts right now. I am so over this bitterly cold weather. 

One thing about it being too cold to get outside, you try to find things to do inside. I decided I'd try a new recipe. I did  make a couple changes to suit what I had to work with. I had large chicken tenders instead of the breast and I used balsamic vinegar instead of regular vinegar. I was happy with my choices. And, it was so quick and easy. I'm all about quick and easy these days. 

Are you watching the Olympics? I don't follow any of the sports until they go head to head in the Qlympics and then I am hooked. Loved the American couple who ice danced the story about the matador. So well done. 

And, how about that Ollie ? Doing the Big Air at 17 years old, a broken arm and he was unbelivable!! 

It all is a nice diversion from the usual mundane tv stuff we have to watch. I stream everything now. Feel like I can be more selective, when and if I want to.

Today would have been my husband's 96th birthday had he lived. He's been gone 15 years now. I can't believe it's been that long and too, that I am still here. I feel very blessed in that regard. Also very blessed to have been married to such an amazing man for 60 years. God's certainly been good to me. 

This was taken at the last birthday he celebrated (2010). He was in an assisted living facility then and some of the family joined him for his big day. 

and here he is in happier times with his grandson, Griffin. This was taken in 2001 at the beginning of his Alzheimer's journey.

How time does fly!! And, the older we get the faster it goes. 

As the author, Elizabeth Keebler-Ross, wrote:

"It's only when we truly know and understand that we have a limited time on earth - and that we have no way of knowing when our time is up - that we begin to live each day to the fullest, as if it was the only one we had." 

I Escaped The Apartment

 Shirley had a doctor appt. so she swung by and picked me up. it was so nice to get out and be with people again. 

We'd been wanting to go to a new restaurant that opened nearby. First Watch... ever heard of it? The place has been packed since opening but with this snow around, it's easier to get a table and that's what we did. 

I got the Farmers Breakfast (eggs, bacon, cheese all piled on top of country potatoes). 

That was good but my favorite is the breakfast with turkey sausage gravy over a biscuit with an egg. 

She took some pictures while we were out so I will share those with you. It's interesting how the terrain changes at different times, constantly being different. Makes looking at this world exciting every time you take time to do that. These are from around my apartment building. 

It's gonna be 40 degrees today, folks!! Wow. But. later today we have a dusting of snow coming back in. It's a bad winter that's for sure. 

I just finished a painting. What's a gal to do when she's stuck indoors? Right?

The Snow Falleth....

 Well, it got here. Such fun to watch the snow falling and so thankful I was inside and warm and safe. The wind was horrific... 

That is supposed to be a video that shows the wind but something happened in the transfer. Oh well. 

Someone went for a walk. I don't see dog tracks so they weren't out walking their dog... Who in the world would be out in temps in the teens just to stroll around!! I don't get it. 

Not my car but the view looking out my dining room window. 

I did venture out ONE STEP on my balcony so I could take the picture below. 

Pond half frozen over with snow on the ice. First time I've seen that! 

So, now it's here. I just wish the temps would warm up. Wind chill factor when I got up. -3 degrees. Now, folks that's cold in my book!