Project Life 2020 - Week 52

 

 

 

Project Life 2020 - Week 51

 

Project Life 2020 - Week 50

 

 

 

Project Life 2020 - Week 49

 

Project Life 2020 - Week 48

 

Instant Pot Chicken Chili

 

The weather turned a little cooler this week so I decided to make an Instant Pot chili recipe. I decided to try something a little different - a Chicken Chili recipe so off I went to Pinterest and luckily I found a recipe from "Pink When".

I made a few tiny modifications (very tiny).  I follow a recipe as written the first time I make it and then tweak it the next time until I get it exactly to my taste.

 

Instant Pot Chicken Chili
Click Here for Printable version from PinkWhen

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 medium chicken breasts boneless, skinless
• 14.5 oz. chicken broth
• 15 oz cannellini beans, rinsed
  
• 15 oz diced tomatoes with juice (I used regular but will use Rotel from now on)
  
• 15 oz black beans, rinsed
• 1 package ranch dressing mix
  
• 8 oz cream cheese, cubed
  
• 8 pieces bacon cooked & crumbled (I will omit this from now on)
  
• 2 cups cheddar cheese shredded 
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      Using the saute function on Instant Pot, add olive oil, then chicken breasts and cook for 2 minutes on each side to lightly brown the chicken  Drain & rinse the black beans and canellini beans
  
  
  
  
  
   Add ranch seasoning, chicken broth, tomatoes, black beans, and then top with cubed cream cheese. Do not stir.  Secure lid into place, making sure the vent is set to seal. Manual cook for 5 minutes. Allow to natural release for 5 minutes and then carefully manually release until all steam has been released.

  

  
  
  Remove the chicken breasts and shred, using 2 forks.  Return the shredded chicken to the Instant Pot and stir the contents well. 

  

  
   Add the crumbled bacon and cheddar cheese and stir until combined.  Serve. 

  

  
    The next time I make this, I will add Rotel Tomatoes and omit the bacon.  In my opinion, the bacon doesn't really add much to it and I think adding the Rotel Tomatoes will give it a little bit more of a kick (which I like). 
  

Project Life 2020 - Week 47

 

Project Life 2020 - Week 46

 

Project Life 2020 - Week 45

 It was an interesting week, as America waited to see who would be our President for the next 4 years.  

As of this writing, my state still hasn’t finalized the results.

I find it interesting that it is week 45 and we found out that we will have a new 46th President 

Project Life 2020 - Week 44

New construction starting in our work building...

My sister and I FINALLY made it to Rhodes Hall - on Halloween no less - it was incredible.

Click on photos to enlarge)

 

Indigo Girls - Bonus Pages

 More photos from the Indigo Girls Drive In Concert 

Project Life 2020 - Week 43

 I thought I had posted this week already.

I am still so proud of myself for keeping up to day on Project Life this year.  Normally, I am month's behind by now.  It is nice to know that when the year is over....I will be done and ready for the annual sale in January (hopefully there will be a print sale in January, there usually is)

The highlight of the week - seeing the Indigo Girls perform live!!  I miss live music and miss Indigo Girls a lot!  

It was a DRIVE-IN Concert.  We had four people in our car and 3 parking spaces...one for our car, one for our chairs and a place for us to sit outside under the stars and an empty space to distance from the other car. 

We were on the front row and it was PRETTY AWESOME !!!

Tuna Dumplings

 Recently, I was going through some saved recipes on Allrecipes.com and came across some that I haven't made in a while.  I have been working on using the Project Life app to make recipe pages and thought I would make this dish (which I haven't made in years, but used to make often).  I'm haven't made it in a long time because I generally eat low carb now but since I haven't made this in such a long time, and I remembered how much I use to love it...I decided to make it.

I also made a Project Life page for it.

It is a simple recipe and if you are not a fan of Tuna, you can substitute Chicken - I have done that before too, but I just like the Tuna better.

If you don't want Cream of Broccoli Soup, you can use Cream of Chicken or Cream of Celery or any "Cream of" soup you like.  I tend to use Cream of Chicken since I usually have that on hand.

Tuna Dumplings

• 1 (5 ounce) can tuna, drained
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley
• ½ cup shredded Cheddar cheese
  
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of broccoli soup
• 1 (12 fluid ounce) can evaporated milk
• 2 teaspoons chopped pimento (optional)
• 1 (8 ounce) package refrigerated crescent rolls

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
  In a small mixing bowl, combine tuna, egg, parsley, cheese, salt and pepper. In another small bowl, mix the soup, milk, and pimentos together. 

   

   

  
  

  

  
   

• Flatten the crescent rolls one at a time, and place a small amount of tuna mixture on each roll. Fold over and seal edges.

   

  

  
  

  

  
  

• Arrange stuffed crescent rolls in the preheated oven. Pour the soup and milk mixture over the rolls. Bake in preheated oven until the dumplings are richly browned, about 30 minutes.

  

  
  

   

   

  

  
   

  
   

Daddy Memory

 You know....grief is a curious thing ... memories are a curious thing....

They both just pop up out of NOWHERE and surprise you.  It is odd at what can trigger memories.

This morning on the way to work, I was sitting at a red light, in the rain, behind an 18-wheeler gasoline hauler.  The company was Florida Rock & Tank Lines.  My dad worked for them but he he didn't drive for them.

He drove for Mabbett Hauling Company, later they promoted him to dispatcher, then Terminal Manager.  After he was Terminal Manager for several years, they sold the company to Florida Rock & Tank Lines.  

Anyway....

This truck that I was sitting behind at the red light, didn't have a ladder on the back of it and I was wonder...how does he get to the top of the trailer? (Which is where the gas is loaded into the truck).

Thinking of the ladder, made me recall that when we were small and lived in Columbus, GA and my dad was a driver at the time...we sometimes would go visit him at the Crown Terminal, which is where he parked his truck and also loaded the gasoline into the truck for hauling.

We loved to go when he was loading the truck because he was on this really tall structure (similar to the photo below) and hoses when from the structure and he would have to put them in the top of the trailer to load the gasoline inside.

 

Well..this structure was about 6 feet away from the truck so to get from the structure to the top of the truck, my dad hung a rope up.  He would grab the roper and swing from the structure to the top of the trailer....like Tarzan.

When we were visiting, he would grab the rope, swing over and do the Tarzan yell for us (not as good as Carol Burnett does but we knew it was the Tarzan yell)

 We'd get such a kick out of that.  I wish I had some photos of him doing that but back in the late 1960s, you just didn't take photos much because film and developing were expensive, plus who carried a camera around for everyday things - cameras were mostly pulled out for birthdays, holidays and vacations only.  

But it doesn't matter - I do have a picture of it - in my mind of daddy grabbing that rope, swinging across and yelling like Tarzan just to amuse his little kids.

Just a sweet memory.  I sure miss him, I miss him so much.

 

Project Life 2020 - Week 42

 Can you believe there are only 10 more weeks in the  year?

Can you believe I have managed to keep up with my Project Life pages (and I have even done extra - that I haven't shared here)

There has been a lot of sorrow this month

Oct 1 - Long time church member, friend and beautiful person, Mary (Bobo) Thomas passed away

Oct 6 - Another long time church member, friend and spiritual mentor, Andrianne Susong passed away

Oct 11 - A former co-worker (and boss) lost his father.

Oct 13 - A friend for over 25 years gave me some upsetting news.

Oct 14 - Another friend for over 25 years (and former co-worker) passed away after a 2 year cancer battle- she actually passed away late on the 13th but we were told on the 14th.

 

My next door neighbor started chemo (after having a double mastectomy)  and another church friend (who I have known for 18 years) started chemo (after being diagnosed with throat cancer)

There is just a lot of sorrow around.  My prayers are with all the families and people involved - and for the ones that passed away, we can't even give them proper funerals.  The two ladies from church had on-line memorial services and the friend that passed from cancer had a grave-side service.

I had several medical tests this month and they are not over yet.  I have an appointment tomorrow with a specialist that I hope will not turn into surgery.  I don't think it will...but there will be a procedure of some kind involved.

Anyway.....on the positive side of things....I was able to vote early without any problems, my Lean Six Sigma class, while challenging, is going along smoothly, my mom, sister, sister in law, niece and her family are all doing well.  The weather is cool and clear and pretty!  The leaves are changing and I have two cute little kitties that love to make me smile.

Project Life 2020 - Week 41

Birthday week!

Mom was in town this week (and last week too) and we were able to celebrate our birthday together (I was born on her b-day).  This was a milestone birthday for mom and I had wanted to have a gathering of her sisters and my cousins but alas...the Coronavirus robbed us of that...but I am grateful that we got to spend the past couple of weeks together.

I received 2 bouquets of flowers - one from my friend Lynn (which contained daisies - my favorite!) and one from my friend Anita (which contained a yellow rose - another favorite) - what a nice surprise!!

Sadly, I took mom back home at the end of the week but we got to spend the whole weekend together, which was nice!

 

Project Life 2020 - Week 40

My mom was in town visiting this week, which was super great...however, I still had to work...Grateful for my job but just wish I didn't have to work while mom was in town.  I admit, I am a bit jealous looking at the photos of mom and my sis having a good time together during the day.

My doctor has ordered 4 tests due to various things and this week I completed the first two.  Personally, I think they are both pointless but...I guess it is better to err on the side of caution.

 

Project Life 2020 - Weeks 37 - 39

 It is time to play catch up on this blog.  I am so happy with myself that I have kept up with Project Life each week and have stayed current the entire year (YEAH Me!) but I haven't kept posted weekly on my blog - so....

Here are the past few week (click on image to enlarge)

Week 37 

Week 38 

 

 

Week 39