March 12 2020

Bacon Pie Recipe

Earlier this week, I tried something kind of new for dinner. It was partly to save money, partly to save calories, and partly just to try to simplify a recipe I remember making years ago that I knew my Hubby really enjoyed. So, I googled recipes for crust-less quiche so I could figure out how long and at what temperature I would need to cook this concoction.

In case you are wondering, this is the pie plate I baked mine in. It is about 11 inches wide and 1 7/8 inches deep. Now I probably could have almost doubled the recipe in this pie plate, but knowing me, I would have spilled some of it before I got it settled in the oven.

I used a 4 cup glass pyrex measuring cup. To start, I put in 1 dozen eggs and scrambled them with a whisk. Then I added 1 cup of pre-cooked bacon bits/crumbles. Then I added 2 cups of sharp shredded cheddar cheese. I added a liberal grind of black pepper with my pepper mill. I then remembered that I had a bunch of green onions and cleaned and cut 2 green onions into mix. I whisked it all together and poured it into a large ceramic pie plate that I had sprayed with cooking spray. I then baked it in a 350 degree oven for 35 minutes until the center was firm.I let it cool for 5 to 10 minutes.

I was shocked at how well it came out. Not just taste wise, but it literally slid out of the well sprayed pie plate and onto the plate. It firmed up really well!

This recipe had exactly 5 ingredients, took no time to throw together and was given several compliments by Hubby, who didn’t mind the missing crust. See below for the reason we cut the crust out of the recipe. Not having a crust saved us a whopping 800 calories for the entire pie.

Pillsbury Refrigerated Pie Crusts, 2 Ct, 14.1 oz Box image 1 out of 10Pillsbury Refrigerated Pie Crusts, 2 Ct, 14.1 oz Box image 1 out of 10
Pillsbury Refrigerated Pie Crusts – 1 pie crust = 800 calories
BONUS Recipe: Feel free to give the recipe in this pie plate a try. I got the pie plate as a wedding gift over 33 years ago and have never tested this recipe. Be sure to let us know in the comments how it turned out if you decide to test it.
Category: Confidence, Recipes | Comments Off on Bacon Pie Recipe
February 6 2020

My Word of the Year

It is something I begin thinking about when fall shows up for a good long stay, but sometime the  new year begins without me having chosen a word. In 2017 I chose a word of the year for the first time. That year, I chose the word FEARLESS to lead me through the year. That was a good word, the pressure was on to pick another good one. So in 2018 I chose the word CONFIDENCE to guide me. In 2019 I decided to not choose a word since nothing was presenting itself, and decided to have a depth year instead. So this year, I decided I needed a word to guide me again and began giving it serious thought. I considered the word SLEEP, or maybe even FINISH, but neither of those felt quite right.

My friend Theresa has a cool business making words into wall art called Wall to Wall Words. She gave us each the words Merry Christmas in white vinyl and the the word Believe in red vinyl as a gift. I wanted to place the red word Believe on the door to my upper cabinet at word where I had displayed my NaNoWriMo word count last November, but my theory is that as soon as I decide to stick it on there, the powers that be will decide I need to move to another desk and I wouldn’t be able to take the word with me. I am still toying with the idea of sticking it to something else that I could display and move more easily.

I had been thinking about what my word for 2020 would be when I got the gift from my friend and thought I wanted Believe to be my word but wanted more of a sign that this was the word for me. Then I found this on January 12th as we drove home from St. Louis. This was taken on one of the main streets in Casey, Illinois. No it isn’t a great photo. There was no way to take a great photo of it given the circumstances. The store was closed and I was losing the light. But it was a sign and I needed a photo of this “sign” of a sign in the store window to remind me that I need to learn to BELIEVE.

I have read the book One Perfect Word by Debbie Macomber a few times and she tells us that the word will often present itself to you. Ok, you don’t have to hit me upside the head with it. I believe. If you want to get your own copy of the book, and click on either the link or the picture of the book, these are affiliate links and I might earn a penny or two at no additional cost to you.

At the beginning of 2019, after I decided not to choose a word, I found out about My Intent bracelets. I liked the idea, but since I still wasn’t permanently employed at that point I didn’t want to spring for the bracelets. I wanted to get all three of my words of the year on the little washers and then make the three of them into something wearable, like a necklace maybe. I did make something but never completely finished it and never wore it. If I can find it I will take a picture of it for you. I knew better this year, so I did better. I ordered the bracelet which normally sells for $20, but used a discount code I got from Mel Robbins (MEL) to save 30%, so it only cost me $14. Well worth the investment if wearing it helps me to remember to BELIEVE in God, to BELIEVE in myself, and to BELIEVE that I can do anything, with God, if I make up my mind to do it. You can see it on my wrist in the photo below. I chose the one I could get with a purple cord, but that probably doesn’t really surprise you.

I have already decided that I believe in myself enough to commit to another three years of writing the blog you are reading this on. I hope you will join me by subscribing using the link at the top or the right and enter your email address so you can be notified when I post something new.

Have you ever chosen a word of the year? What word did you pick and how did it work out for you?

 

Category: Believe, Confidence, Depth Year, Fearless | Comments Off on My Word of the Year
October 31 2019

Getting Into Hot Water

How to get the hot water back on when you have a tankless hot water heater. To be fair I am mostly writing this post so that I can remember how to do this the next time it happens, especially if Hubby isn’t there to help me “fix” it. Note, we are not plumbers or professionals, so try this at your own risk.

The last couple of times the water wouldn’t get hot, Hubby just ran downstairs and did exactly what I did in the brief video shown above. That worked a couple of times but it wasn’t the right way to solve the problem, and we both knew it. It worked until it didn’t and then we had to do it right.

 

This is the top of the water heater and you have to take the screws out of the two spots on the top of the water heater. See the left pipe sticking out of the top? Well, that is where the trouble comes in.

 

Now this is the the bottom, and there are two more screws down there that need to be removed. We didn’t unplug it first, and nothing bad happened.

 

So, this is the inside after the cover is removed. See that white thing just under the left pipe we talked about earlier? Well you need to take out the screw next to it, yes, there on the right. Take the screw out then pay attention to how it comes out so you can put it back together in a few minutes. There is a screen filter on this thing and it is likely covered with spider webs and debris. Clear it off and consider rinsing and drying it before you put it all back together.

For convenience, the cover has a lip on top so it kind of hangs in place while you put the screws back in. Put all the screws back in, the one on the inside is the obvious screw to put back in first. Then all you have to do is push the reset button like I did in the video above. That’s it. It is that easy. So now the next time it happens, I will know what to do.

Category: Confidence, Depth Year, Money Saving, Reclaiming Our Home | 1 Comment on Getting Into Hot Water
May 30 2019

25 More Facts About Me

Today is the 5th Thursday in May, so that means it is Blogger’s Choice. So I thought you might like to learn a few more things that you might not have known about me. So here goes:

  1. I have been hooked on Genealogy since the 5th grade
  2. I have coded hundreds of websites using HTML and Notepad
  3. I love solving problems and finding more efficient ways to get things done
  4. I love to read books (I usually read over 150 books a year)
  5. My new favorite way to read is listening to audio-books
  6. I’ve been sewing since the 2nd grade
  7. I named both our kids (with approval on the names from Hubby)
  8. I can avoid most sweets unless there is pumpkin or chocolate involved
  9. I have hand-fed wild squirrels (and have the YouTube videos to prove it)
  10. I can’t dance, but I still try
  11. I struggle with self-confidence
  12. I am the 2nd of 4 kids, the middle girl (I grew up believing there was nothing special about me)
  13. I have never tried smoking anything, ever
  14. I have had less than 8 oz alcohol my entire life (most of that was due to spiked blue wedding punch)
  15. I used to be a model (hair model for SuperCuts, think free haircuts from trainees)
  16. I once broke a bone in my foot then broke 4 more because I kept walking on it and had no clue it was broken
  17. I took Spanish from 5th through10th grades and even a semester in college but never learned to speak it
  18. I enjoy playing Pokemon (the video games, not card game)
  19. I am a low maintenance spouse (cheap to keep)
  20. I have never had a manicure or pedicure by a person that was paid to do the job
  21. I used to have long hair
  22. I can no longer get permanents in my hair (it makes my scalp peel and gives me a chemical burn)
  23. I am an introvert
  24. I slept in a Honda Civic on my wedding night
  25. I once played a yellow candle in a school holiday play

So, now that you likely know way more than you ever wanted to about me, you can go to the About Me page to learn even more. If you know me, perhaps you realized a few things I have neglected to mention. Feel free to send me a message or post them in the comments below. Stayed tuned, I may do this again in a couple more years.

Category: Confidence, Depth Year | Comments Off on 25 More Facts About Me
February 19 2019

Confident (Five Minute Friday)

Confidence was my 2018 word of the year. I’m not quite as confident with the amount of confidence I mustered up last year, but feel like I did it justice anyway. I get to practice being confident in many ways. When I got for a job interview and assure them that I am a fast learner and pick up new things fairly quickly. I truly feel this is true and believe it to be true mostly because my mother always told me I was a quick study and could learn anything I set my mind to learning. I must admit she was probably right. I have acclimated to not one but two different temp jobs for the same company and am confidently finding new ways to make the job easier for me and more efficient. I confidently let my new supervisors know that I intend to do such a great job while working for them that they won’t want to let me leave when my contract is up and will have no choice but to find a way to keep me. It worked once already and I was chosen to go to a different department and learn a completely different job so my contract could be extended.

I am finding joy in my new job and learning new things. There are opportunities all around us to learn new skills, time-saving tricks and find new people to potentially add to my resume as a reference. Each new task I am asked to do is a chance to prove my worth and increase my skill set. It is also a new chance to be helpful and set a good example of working joyfully. I could see myself working at this company another fifteen to twenty years until we can afford for me to retire. I feel needed but not trapped in my job. I feel like the work I do can help to make the lives of others better in some small way. I have already been told my work is thorough. After completing a task that was thought to require overtime in less than three hours from the time it was assigned, my supervisor commented “Slick!”, which I am interpreting as a positive comment. I am a problem solver. I like being challenged. Each new challenge helps build my confidence a little more. It feels good to know I am doing good, honest work and earning a fair wage for it. I am confident that if there is a way to ensure my contract will be extended, it is by going above and beyond and having a positive attitude. I would like to end with this quote I found recently because I think it fits, “Your success in life will be in direct proportion to what you do after you do what you are expected to do.” Brian Tracy in Chapter 19 of “Goals!: How to Get Everything You Want Faster Than You Ever Thought Possible”

Your success in life will be in direct proportion to what you do after you do what you are expected to do. Click To Tweet

This post is part of the weekly Five Minute Friday link-up!
The prompt this week is: Confident
The assignment: Write for five minutes on the word of the week. This is meant to be a free write, which means: no editing, no over-thinking, no worrying about perfect grammar or punctuation. Just write.

Category: Confidence, Five Minute Friday | Comments Off on Confident (Five Minute Friday)