I know. I know. I have been a lazy slacker and not posted in way too long. My excuses are: Christmas and a new laptop.
Let’s start with Christmas. I think all in all, this was one of our best Christmas’s in years. I feel like we weren’t rushed and we did a really good job of taking our time with gifts. Tdub got s bike which was pretty fun. Since we have the indestructible vinyl plank floors, we let him take a spin around the first floor. I made beef tips in a red wine sauce, chicken and dumplings and fried shrimp (tradition – Ldub!) for dinner. I think everything turned out really well. The only negative thing I can think of is that I made an awesome carrot cake with cream cheese icing for one of our desserts, that while delicious, was mostly wasted because it was just too much food. I think next year I am join to make the same recipe, but as cupcakes. S got me a new laptop. It’s very pretty. My old one served me well, but it was dangerously close to dying.
The weather has been typical Midwest December and January. We had 50’s for awhile and then highs of 20 for a week. This week it’s back in the 40’s, but there’s lots of rain. I’m just glad it’s not snow. Even though March weather is usually mostly crappy, I do always feel a sense that winter is over once we get to my birthday. It’s like the light at the end of the tunnel.
On to sports news. The Bengals started out the year horribly due to Joey B injuring his calf in training camp. While he didn’t miss any games, he was not very good the first four weeks and was like a statue in the pocket. Then he was okay again and the Bengals went on a run to move back into contention. Then on November 16th we played the Ravens. JB threw a touchdown pass to put Cincy up 10 – 7, but snapped a wrist ligament on the throw. Burrow out for the season. Bummer… On the bright side, our back-up QB went 4-3 and acquitted himself very nicely. He was a good story and definitely earned himself and NFL job, for many years. Cincy finished 9-8 but out of the playoffs. Healthy Joey B + a fourth place schedule for 2024? Sounds like a recipe for a great year. All the Dub men have been getting into football more this season. TDub is remarkably good at catching and throwing a football.
The Flyers are very good this season. They have currently won 13 in a row and are ranked in the top 20 in the nation. Hopefully they stay healthy and there’s no shutdown of the country due to a pandemic this time so they can have a chance to make a run in the tourney.
A couple weeks ago, I baked my first loaf of bread. I was pretty proud of myself! It was a garlic rosemary crusty bread that I baked in my new Dutch oven (Christmas gift from GG). Obviously I baked bread when I worked in the bakery, but this was my first time doing it totally from scratch at home. While there are definitely steps involved in the process, it’s easy and satisfying. What else have I made recently that was really, really good? I did some teriyaki wings with homemade teriyaki sauce. Freaking delicious. There’s such a difference when you make your own dressings, marinades and sauces.
Teriyaki Sauce – Add ingredients below to a saucepan. Simmer for about 5 minutes until sauce starts to thicken. Pour over whatever meat you want to serve with it. Use as a baking/basting sauce. Kabobs? Use as a sauce for wings or veggies. If you want to thicken further, just add a little more cornstarch.
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1 cup soy sauce
- 1/2 cup cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 tablespoon cold water
- 2 clove garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
This weekend I’m going to try short ribs in the Dutch oven. Loving it so far. So much easier to clean than the cast iron.
