Weekend Wardrobe: 2021 Outfit of the Week #5

Though off topic for this post, January 31st is National Hot Chocolate Day, so of course I had to make myself a nice big mug full of hot chocolate!  My version is made from a praline-flavored white hot chocolate mix, and is topped with decadent chocolate-flavored marshmallows stuffed with more chocolate, called Stuffed Puffs.  If you have not tried chocolate-stuffed marshmallows yet, I highly recommend them, especially in hot chocolate (according to one reviewer, they are also fantastic in coffee).  Our local Walmart carries the vanilla-flavored Stuffed Puffs marshmallows, but no longer has the double chocolate ones.  The latter can be found here or on Amazon, although they are a bit pricey and come in units of two or more bags only.

Back to the topic of the day, I made one quick trip into town last week, mostly to mail some letters and pick up some items for my horse, and I decided that I was going to wear my new Coldwater Creek sweater (which is sadly already sold out!).  I paired it with Coldwater Creek denim leggings I bought a couple of years ago, and added a pink stone turtle pendant necklace which complemented the lighter pink hue in the sweater.  It was a comfortable outfit with just enough color to make me happy - I just wish I had a more colorful coat!  Here is the complete outfit:

Clockwise from top left: Coldwater Creek Spirit Striped Intarsia Pullover Sweater in Fawn Multi (no longer available - I did not wear it with a denim shirt); Pink Coral Turtle Pendant Necklace (similar to mine); Craghoppers Women's Venta Lite Hooded Insulated Jacket in Black (similar to mine); Great American Leatherworks Braid Flap Crossbody Bag in Dark Tan (color no longer available); EMEM Apparel Women's Dress Socks in Navy (similar to mine); Dockers Vargas Boat Shoes in Rust; Coldwater Creek Knit Denim Mid Rise Leggings in Dark Wash (similar to my older version); Anvil Ladies' Featherweight Long-Sleeve Scoop-Neck T-Shirt in Coral (color slightly modified to more closely resemble my similar tee).

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It's hard to believe that January ends today - February is a busy birthday month for my family, and I need to remember to get those birthday cards in the mail on time.  I also have to get both birthday and Valentine's Day gifts ordered and sent to my husband, so I had better get to work.  Have a great week, and a great February as well!

Foodie Fridays: Chickpeas and Dumplings

When it comes to comfort foods, chicken and dumplings is right there at the top of the list.  But when I saw the recipe for Chickpeas and Dumplings on the How Sweet Eats website, I had a feeling I had found a dish I might just enjoy even more.  It turns out I was not mistaken - this recipe is fantastic!  I made a few minor changes, replacing butter with canola oil and using vegetable instead of chicken stock.  I also left out the fresh herbs (which I did not have) and used dried fines herbes instead.  Any herb blend such as Italian seasoning or herbes de Provence would probably work, but fines herbes is my favorite dried herb blend (it can be hard to find but if you want to try it you can find one brand on Amazon here).  I even managed to stretch out the dumpling batter to make 13 dumplings instead of 12 so that I could split the extra one to give to my dogs, because comfort food is meant for sharing.  They loved it, of course, just as much as I loved this recipe!

Chickpeas and Dumplings

Herbed Dumplings:
1 C. flour (I used white whole wheat)
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. poultry seasoning
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/2 C. buttermilk

3 T. vegetable oil
1 small onion, diced
2 carrots, peeled and diced
2 celery stalks, diced
1 T. fines herbes
salt and pepper to taste (I used 1 tsp. salt and just a dash of pepper)
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 T. flour
3-4 C. chicken or vegetable stock
1 can (15 oz.) chickpeas, drained and rinsed (or use 2 C. diced cooked chicken)
1/4 C. heavy cream

Make the dumpling batter: Whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and poultry seasoning in a medium-sized bowl.  Combine the milk and egg, then stir into the flour mixture until just combined.  Set aside..

Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat.  Stir in the onion, carrots, celery, and fines herbes.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Cook until the vegetables soften, about 5 minutes, then add the garlic and cook one minute longer.

Stir the 3 T. flour into the pot, coating the vegetables to create a roux.  Cook, stirring often, for 1-2 minutes, making sure it does not burn (add a bit of stock if it gets too dry).  Slowly stream in 3 C. stock, stirring constantly.  Cook for another 5 minutes, letting the mixture come to a low boil (it should thicken a bit).  Stir in the chickpeas and cream.  The mixture should be lightly bubbling over medium heat.  Taste and season with more salt and pepper if needed.

Drop about 12 spoonfuls of the dumpling batter into the soup.  Cook for 7 minutes, then flip the dumplings and cook them for 7 minutes more.  Add a little more stock if the stew seems too thick.  If the mixture comes to a full boil, decrease the heat while simmering the dumplings.  Spoon the stew into four bowls and top each serving with three dumplings.  Serves 4.

This 'n That Thursdays: Another Cottagecore/ Hygge-Style YouTube Vlog

 

I just discovered another lifestyle vlog on YouTube from Darling Desi that features a cottagecore/hygge theme, and I enjoyed it so much I thought I would share a couple of the videos here.  I normally prefer silent vlogs, but this vlogger has so many great ideas that I don't mind listening to what she has to say.  The video above is a perfect example, with so many tips for adding cozy touches to your home in the winter.  Books are a big focus in most of the vlogs, as this young woman loves to read, and she has many suggestions for seasonal reading, some of which are new to me - I am already putting together a list of some of her recommended books that I need to find and read!  Her most recent video (below) features recipes inspired by scenes in three of her favorite books.  All three recipes look so delicious, and the tablescape she puts together to present the finished dishes is just lovely.  I am now working my way backwards through all of her videos, and looking forward to all future installments!

Wish List Wednesdays: Chico's Cashmere-Blend Embroidered Cheetah Sweater

If you are looking for a soft, cozy, stylish, and unique sweater, then I can highly recommend the Cashmere-Blend Embroidered Cheetah Sweater (on sale for just $34.99!) from Chico's.  The knit is a blend of nylon, viscose, wool, and cashmere, and feels so soft and luxurious!  The slightly relaxed fit means that you can layer a thin long-sleeved shirt underneath for extra warmth if necessary.  And the embroidered cheetahs are quite detailed and a lovely special touch to a sweater that is neutral enough to work with almost any other color.  This top can be dressed up or down - I plan to wear mine for my next shopping trip into town.  You might want to check out some of the other Chico's sale items as well - there are some great bargains to be had!

Weekend Wardrobe: 2021 Outfit of the Week #4

The rather neutral-colored outfit I wore for my essentials shopping trip into town last week featured a necklace that I have been wanting to wear for a while but for some reason never got around to until now.  It is one of my favorites, and features green turquoise beads with a couple of silver ones plus a cute little pony pendant.  This necklace was yet another gift from my husband - I think I am very lucky my husband has such good taste in jewelry!  Here is the outfit:

Clockwise from top left: Kim Rogers Women's Cable Knit V-Neck Sweater in Heather Grey (color modified slightly to resemble my similar sweater); Green Turquoise Horse Pendant Necklace (similar to mine); Craghoppers Women's Venta Lite Hooded Insulated Jacket in Black (similar to mine); Great American Leatherworks Braid Flap Crossbody Bag in Dark Tan (color no longer available); Bombas Women's Solids Calf Socks in Black; Dockers Vargas Boat Shoes in Rust; Land's End Women's High Rise Compression Straight Leg Colorful Jeans in Dark Olive Green (similar to mine); Ultrasofts Mock Turtleneck in Black (similar to mine).

🐎🐴🐎🐴🐎🐴🐎🐴🐎🐴🐎🐴🐎🐴🐎🐴🐎🐴🐎🐴🐎🐴🐎🐴🐎

We are supposed to get some rain and/or snow today, and we could certainly use it as we have been in a drought for quite a while now.  The past couple of days have been unusually warm but it will be turning cold by the middle of the week.  This has been a much milder and drier winter than last year - I don't mind the milder temperatures, but I do hope we get more precipitation soon!  Enjoy your week no matter what the weather!

Foodie Fridays: Lemon Garlic Butter Shrimp and Spinach with Pasta

 

January continues to be my Clean Out the Fridge and Pantry Month.  This week I pulled out a bag of frozen shrimp that had been in the freezer way too long, as well as a bag of frozen spinach.  Two lemons languishing in the fridge were also added to my ingredients list, as well as a container of shredded Parmesan that was threatening to turn moldy.  All I had to add was a package of pasta from the pantry plus some garlic and butter and I had the makings for my version of a shrimp scampi-style recipe.  It turned out surprisingly well considering that half of the ingredients were pretty close to their expiration dates.  It is such an easy recipe that I don't know why I don't make this dish more often.  I will be sure to remedy that mistake in the future!

Lemon Garlic Butter Shrimp and Spinach with Pasta

8 oz. linguine (or other long pasta)
1 bag (12 oz.) frozen chopped spinach
1/2 C. butter, divided (I use this product instead)
4 cloves garlic, minced (or 1 T.)
1 1/2 lbs. shrimp, peeled and deveined (no tails)
juice and zest of 2 lemons
1/2 tsp. salt (or to taste)
1/2 C. shredded Parmesan

Cook the pasta according to package directions.  Add the spinach for the last 1-2 minutes of cooking.  Drain and set aside.

While the pasta cooks, melt 4 T. butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.  Add the shrimp and sauté 2 minutes on one side, stirring occasionally.  Flip and cook 2 minutes on the other side until JUST beginning to turn pink.

Add the remaining butter plus the lemon juice and salt.  Cook, stirring, until the butter melts and the shrimp have cooked through (do not over-cook them).  Remove from the heat.  Stir in the drained pasta and spinach until well combined.  Stir in the lemon zest and serve immediately, topped with the shredded Parmesan.  Serves 4.

This 'n That Thursdays: The Year 2021 in Favorite Dalmatian Pictures

From QWM

Last year I had fun creating my own special image calendar for the year 2020.  I thought I would do it again this year (before the month of January is over!) using pictures of my very favorite dog breed, the Dalmatian, to represent each month. Without further ado, here are my selections for the year 2021:

January

From HipWallpaper

February

From HipWallpaper

March

From Pinterest

April

From WallpaperAccess

May

From 1ZOOM

June

From Sobakino

July

From Fanpop

August

From WeHeartIt

September

From TheWallpapers

October

From OPicture

November

From Dream-Wallpaper

December

From 1ZOOM

Here's hoping that 2021 is a much better year than its predecessor!

Wish List Wednesdays: Two Colorful Sweaters from the Newly Revived Coldwater Creek!

 

Coldwater Creek, one of my favorite apparel websites, went out of business last summer, much to my dismay, so imagine my delight when they recently started up again!  The online site looks very much the same as before, and a lot of my favorite items are still available.  I have always been especially fond of their sweaters, and the new arrivals do not disappoint.  If I did not already have a cream-colored sweater with embroidered hearts, I would be ordering the Floating Hearts Pullover Sweater ($79.95-$89.95) shown above.  Instead, I did order the Spirit Striped Intarsia Pullover Sweater ($89.95-$99.95) shown below.  It is 100% cotton, which is my preferred sweater fabric (wool tends to irritate my skin), and the relaxed fit allows for one or two layers underneath for more warmth.  The geometric southwestern pattern is perfect for Santa Fe, and I like the shades of blue and dusty pink against the fawn-colored background.  I have a feeling this sweater will quickly become one of my favorites this winter!

Weekend Wardrobe: 2021 Outfit of the Week #3

I had no need to go into town last week, but I did have to make a trip to the transfer station (AKA the dump) and the post office which are in the opposite direction, so I decided to wear nice clothes for these activities and post my outfit here.  Otherwise I would have had to settle for showing you the barn clothes I wear pretty much every day, and since they are mostly items that are no longer presentable for wearing in public this would have been a very uninteresting post!  I don't usually wear a necklace when hauling trash to the dump, but I do like to wear one for these posts, so I made an exception and wore one from my extensive collection.  Here is last week's outfit:

Clockwise from top left: MovieJackets The Undoing Grace Fraser Stripe Sweater (similar to mine); Clay Bead Women's Pendant Necklace (similar to mine); Craghoppers Women's Venta Lite Hooded Insulated Jacket in Black (similar to mine); Great American Leatherworks Braid Flap Crossbody Bag in Dark Tan (color no longer available); Bombas Women's Solids Calf Socks in Black; Dockers Vargas Boat Shoes in Rust; Gloria Vanderbilt Amanda Stretch-Fit Jeans in Black (similar to mine); Port & Company Women's Long Sleeve Fan Favorite V-Neck Tee in True Royal (color modified to resemble my similar tee).

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What I did do last week was set a nice tablescape for January and also decorate my foyer table.  I think I must be longing for spring, since birds and the color green dominated both!  The foyer table is shown at the top of the page, and the dining room table below.  I used a table runner that I bought at the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum here in Santa Fe a few years ago, dinner plates bought ages ago from The Cupboard in Fort Collins when we lived in Colorado, Pier 1 salad plates with a green bird design bought in Athens, Georgia, more than a few years ago, and Charley Harper Birds Glasses bought online not too long ago - a sort of tabletop retrospective of the last 30 years of my life!

I also recently completed my latest jigsaw puzzle, and it is a delightful work of art called "Kitchen Chickens".  If you too are hooked on jigsaw puzzles during these pandemic times, I highly recommend this one.  Have a great week!

Foodie Fridays: Cheese Ravioli with Turkey and Broccoli Cream Sauce

I think I am going to officially declare January to be Clean Out the Fridge and Pantry Month.  Like last week, I came up with a recipe using up foods that have been around in my kitchen for a bit too long, this time exclusively from the fridge.  I bought the ravioli and the frozen broccoli last spring at the start of the pandemic to stock up during the lockdown, but they have been sitting in the freezer ever since, so I decided it was time to just use them up.  I had some leftover turkey in the fridge as well as some half 'n half that I forgot was in there, so with just a few more ingredients I put together a main dish that was quick and tasty.  I think I am on a roll here - next up is a bag of frozen shrimp which is just begging to be cooked - perhaps a scampi-style dish?

Cheese Ravioli with Turkey and Broccoli Cream Sauce

1 bag (25 oz.) frozen cheese ravioli
4 T. butter
4 T. flour
2 C. whole milk*
1/2 tsp. salt
1-2 C. diced cooked turkey
2 bags (12 oz. each) frozen broccoli florets

Cook the ravioli in a large pot according to the package directions.

While the ravioli cooks, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat.  Stir in the flour and cook for a couple of minutes until the butter and flour are well mixed.  Gradually pour in the milk, stirring constantly, until there are no lumps and the sauce thickens (this will take about 5 minutes).  Add the turkey to the cream sauce and heat through.  Remove the skillet from the heat.

A few minutes before the ravioli is done, add the broccoli florets and cook until thawed and heated through.  Remove the cooking pot from the heat.  Remove the broccoli to a large cutting board with a slotted spoon.  Drain the ravioli and set aside.

Dice the broccoli onto small pieces and stir into the cream sauce.  Add the ravioli and stir gently until well coated with the sauce.  Serve immediately.  Serves 6.

*I used 1 C. half 'n half and 1 C. water.

This 'n That Thursdays: Puggle Imitates Corgi Viral Video

If you have not seen this video yet, you are in for a treat as well as a good laugh!  A puggle seems to be making fun of his Corgi buddy, imitating his friend's low stance by walking on his knees and elbows.  At one point the Corgi barks at the puggle, who immediately jumps up onto his feet and I swear looks as if he is totally clueless about what the fuss is about, only to resume his silly walk once again.  It is no wonder that this video has gone viral!  I hope this clip makes you smile for the rest of the day - enjoy!

Wish List Wednesdays: Three Posts Teen Bernardston Etagere Bookcase from Wayfair

I found the Three Posts Teen Bernardston Etagere Bookcase ($84.99) at Wayfair last year when I was looking for a small shelf that I could put on my kitchen peninsula countertop, in a corner that had a lot of wasted vertical space.  It worked so well that I recently ordered a second one for the kitchen, on a different countertop with more wasted vertical space.  These solid birch wood four-shelf etageres are very well made and come in four different finishes, although the white finish is currently unavailable.  The 37-inch height makes them perfect for sitting on my kitchen countertops, but they work equally well as a low bookcase on the floor.  You can see how I used these etageres in my kitchen below (I ordered the Espresso finish).  If you are looking for a well-made shelf to help use vertical space in a small area then I highly recommend this one!

Etageres in my kitchen.

Weekend Wardrobe: 2021 Outfit of the Week #2

I made one trip into town last week for essentials shopping, and I decided that I was going to wear happy colors.  I was glad I did, because this was the same day as the domestic terrorist attack in our nation's capitol, and I needed all the upbeat feelings I could muster that day.  I do believe that our nation will get past this dark episode as well as the raging pandemic and end up back on track to better times, so I will continue to post about positive topics here in anticipation of a more optimistic future.  That probably means that I will continue to dress in happy colors for at least the rest of the winter to keep my spirits up, so be prepared to see some interesting color combinations for my upcoming Weekend Wardrobe posts!

Clockwise from top left: Kim Rogers Women's Cable Knit V-Neck Sweater in Yellow (similar to mine); Vintage Brightly Colored Long Lucite Tube Beads Necklace (similar to mine); Craghoppers Women's Venta Lite Hooded Jacket in Warm Ginger (no longer available - similar to my much less expensive version (color no longer available); Great American Leatherworks Braid Flap Crossbody Bag in Dark Tan (color no longer available); Locale Outdoor New Mexico Flag Sock (similar to mine); Dockers Vargas Boat Shoes in Rust; Banana Republic Women's High-Rise Straight Jean in Light Wash; Draper's & Damon's Basic Mock Neck Cotton Poly Long Sleeve Tee in Spicy Chai (similar to mine).

I could not find a necklace that was a close match to mine (shown at the top of the page) but the one I did find has similar bright colors and length.  The New Mexico socks were a Christmas gift from my husband.  I love colorful socks and have drawer full of them - even if the rest of my outfit is mostly neutrals I will often wear a pair of these socks to add a touch of color that usually only I know is there!

🎨🎨🎨🎨🎨🎨🎨🎨🎨🎨🎨🎨🎨🎨🎨🎨🎨🎨🎨🎨🎨🎨🎨🎨

I hope everyone out there is staying safe and doing well.  Here's hoping that this week will be a good one!

Foodie Fridays: Butternut, White Bean, and Spinach Soup

The wintry weather of January is definitely soup weather, and for me the month is also a time to take stock of all the foodstuffs in my pantry and fridge in an attempt to use up those that have been around a little too long.  After checking out my supplies, I came up with a recipe for a soup that used a can of butternut squash purée, a can of white beans, a carton of chicken stock, and an onion from the pantry.  The fridge supplied frozen spinach, some half 'n half, part of a jar of leftover roasted Hatch chiles, and roasted Ancho chiles from my summer garden that I prepared after the last frost.  The resulting combination led to a delightfully warming but not too heavy soup that I have been enjoying for lunch lately along with a sandwich (usually grilled Cheddar cheese and pumpkin butter, which is a great combination that you should try if you can find a jar of pumpkin butter).  If you love soup during the winter, you might want to give this recipe a try some time.

Butternut, White Bean, and Spinach Soup

2 T. olive oil
1 onion, finely diced
1 Ancho chili pepper, minced (optional)
2 C. butternut squash purée (I used this brand)*
4 C. chicken stock
1 tsp. salt (or to taste)
1 can (15 oz.) white beans
1 bag (12 oz.) frozen chopped spinach
3 T. roasted green chile (I used this brand)
1/4 C. cream or half ’n half

Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat.  Add the onion and Ancho chili pepper and sauté until very soft, about 5-7 minutes.  Stir in the chicken stock and salt and heat through.

Remove from the heat, cool slightly, and use an immersion blender to purée the soup until smooth.  Return the pot to medium heat and stir in the white beans, spinach, and roasted green chile.  Heat, stirring, until the spinach thaws and the soup begins to boil.

Turn off the heat and stir in the cream.  Taste for seasoning and add more salt if needed.  Serve immediately, garnished with toasted pumpkin seeds if desired.  Serves 6.

*If you cannot find canned butternut squash, substitute canned pumpkin purée or frozen winter squash purée, or make your own cooked winter squash.

This 'n That Thursdays: Delicious Day Food Vlog on YouTube

I really probably should be talking about the domestic terrorist attack on our US Capitol Building yesterday, but my goal for this year is to keep topics positive and optimistic, so instead I will introduce you to a delightful YouTube food vlog that I recently discovered called Delicious Day.  The South Korean woman who created this vlog makes videos that are all short and sweet, usually averaging about 5 minutes or less.  The recipes tend to be simple and easy to follow, and best of all most look quite delicious, enough to make me want to try making some of them myself.

I have linked to two of the cutest videos, above and below, that feature recipes for uniquely shaped desserts.  The teddy bear head Steamed Custard Buns shown above would be perfect for a spring holiday, and the jack o' lantern Sweet Pumpkin Sticky Rice Cakes shown below are so impressive I am thinking of trying that recipe for Halloween this year.  For me, though, the best thing about this vlog is the amusing English subtitle comments.  They make me smile every time, and sometimes even burst out in the occasional chuckle - this young woman has a way of turning a phrase that is just wonderful.  Most of all, these videos will make you hungry, so I would advise not watching them on an empty stomach.  Bon appétit!

Wish List Wednesdays: Private Selection Black Sesame & Ginger Turkey Jerky

I discovered the Private Selection Black Sesame & Ginger Turkey Jerky ($5.20 for a 2.5 oz. bag) a couple of weeks ago at our local Smith's supermarket (AKA Kroger) and now I am hooked!  The flavor is so good that I only shared a few bits with my dogs, and they were lucky to get any at all.  Much to my delight, Smith's had these treats on sale today for $3.99 a bag, so I picked up several.  If you happen to find this jerky in your neck of the woods, I highly recommend you give it a try.

Weekend Wardrobe: 2021 Outfit of the Week #1

I hope your new year is starting off well!  I am still plagued with internet problems at the moment.  My connection is down most of the time, so hopefully I can get this post done before I lose the connection again!  The only trip to town I made last week was to take my car in on New Year's Eve Day to get a leaking radiator hose fixed.  I had not intended to go into town at all, but as usual that did not work out as planned.  At least the hose now seems to be fixed, and my phone and internet problems are supposed to be fixed tomorrow (if CenturyLink is to be believed, which I am starting to doubt lately).  Here is my first outfit for 2021, which was actually my very last one for 2020:

Clockwise from top left: ModCloth Cozy for You Embroidered Sweater in Cream Hearts (no longer available); Rose Gold Single Cultured Freshwater Pearl Necklace (similar to mine); Craghoppers Women's Venta Lite Hooded Insulated Jacket in Black (similar to mine); Great American Leatherworks Braid Flap Crossbody Bag in Dark Tan (color no longer available); Bombas Women's Solids Calf Socks in Oatmeal; Dockers Vargas Boat Shoes in Rust; Banana Republic Women's High-Rise Straight Jean in Light Wash; Title Nine Samba V Neck Long Sleeve Tee in Auburn (color modified slightly to more closely resemble my similar tee).

I wore the hearts sweater as an optimistic choice to usher in the new year.  My necklace, shown at the top of the page, is a very old one that I think I inherited from my mother (I have had it for so long that I forget where it came from).  It is quite short, only slightly longer than choker length, and the chain is so old that it is more of a tarnished brass color than gold, which I really prefer.  The pearl is tiny and the chain is very fine and delicate, so much so that I broke it while wearing the necklace last week by tugging just a little too hard to readjust it!  Fortunately, with tweezers, my tiniest pliers, and much patience I was able to repair it.  Next time I will remember not to pull on it while I am wearing it.

 🎉💖🎉💖🎉💖🎉 💖🎉💖🎉💖🎉💖🎉 💖🎉💖🎉💖🎉💖🎉 💖🎉

I had better post this now before I lose my internet connection again.  Have a great week, and stay optimistic that 2021 will be the better year we hope it will be!

Foodie Fridays: Sautéed Cabbage with Farfalle and Diced Turkey

Happy New Year, everyone!  True to form, the end of 2020 was just as disastrous as the year as a whole for me.  A phone technician was scheduled to take a look at our landline phone connection, which was working but not usable due to loud static.  He figured out the problem but could not fix it on his own, so he requested a repair team be sent out next week to deal with the issue.  Unfortunately, when he reconnected our service neither the phone nor the internet connection worked (the internet had been working just fine before he came).  I spent pretty much all of yesterday trying to get the phone company to restart the internet service, and finally contacted someone after midnight who seemed to know what to do.  My service was finally restored this morning, but the connection is not that great so hopefully when the phone repair is done on Monday the internet service will also be back to normal.  My car also chose the last day of the year to develop a radiator hose leak, but luckily I was able to get my car in before the repair shop closed and the mechanic tightened the radiator hose clamp, which so far seems to have done the trick.  So for now 2021 is off to a hopeful if rocky start, which is probably the way the rest of the year will go - at least it should be an improvement over 2020!

For New Year's Day I decided to make a meal that reminded me of the Pittsburgh tradition of serving kielbasa with sauerkraut (I grew up in a suburb of the Steel City).  I can no longer eat pork (allergies) and I did not have sauerkraut, but I did have shredded coleslaw mix and a chunk of hickory smoked turkey, so I was at least able to throw together a meal with similar flavors.  I added some pasta to take the place of more traditional potatoes (often in the form of potato-filled pierogi in my home town).  This is actually a variation of my recipe for Noodles with Cabbage and Ham, which I can no longer eat because of the ham, but I think I really do prefer the smoked turkey to the ham.  For a dish that was thrown together rather haphazardly, it was surprisingly good, and I will definitely make it again!

Sautéed Cabbage with Farfalle and Diced Turkey

8 oz. whole wheat farfalle pasta, cooked and drained
2 T. vegetable oil
1 bag (16 oz.) tri-color coleslaw mix
4 T. butter
1 tsp. caraway seeds
1/4 tsp. salt
2 C. diced cooked turkey (I used JENNIE-O Hickory Smoked Turkey Breast)

Cook the pasta according to package directions.  While the pasta cooks, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the coleslaw mix and sauté until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes.  Add the butter and stir until the butter melts.  Mix in the caraways seeds, salt, and turkey and heat through.  Add the drained pasta and stir until combined.  Serve immediately.  Serves 6.

🎉🌟🎉🌟🎉🌟🎉🌟🎉🌟🎉🌟🎉🌟🎉🌟🎉🌟🎉🌟🎉🌟🎉🌟🎉

Here's hoping that 2021 will be a year that we can all enjoy!