The End?

I'd like to thank everyone who reads this for sticking with me over the years.  I've been blogging on here since 2010. If you've been with me the entire time, we've been through some things together.  So many things. Loss of parents, loss of jobs, raising children - watching them launch themselves into the world.  The struggle to save money and feed children in a tough economy.  Learning how to be empy nesters - the pandemic.  We've covered a lot of ground.

I'm moving over to Word Press now. And I'm combining all of my blogs into one. There will be a little bit of everything related to the Library Nut. (Me)

This blog will remain up. Mostly because of all the recipe links!  I use those all of the time, as do my kids.  I'm not certain how to transfer those links, but if I can find a way, I will. Since my life has changed so much since the inception of that blog, I felt it was time to change how I blog.

If you're interested in following along, My blog is entitled the Library Nut's Library Life.  You can find it here: https://wordpress.com/read.

I have several blogs. I will be moving relevant content over to the new blog in time. 

Thanks so much for sticking with me for the last 13 years! 

Tex-Mex Quinoa

 Well, this recipe takes me back! I was searching for vegetarian recipes and it hit me - I have a tab on the side of the blog of recipes that I have found and made over the years and absolutely loved.

As I was searching through the recipes, I found one that we used to make all of the time, and I loved it.  It’s a Tex-Mex Quinoa, and it’s made with a recipe I found on Chelsea’s Messy Apron.  NOTE - I’m not receiving anything from sharing the link - I want to give credit where credit is due. The recipe is awesome!

I like this recipe for so many reasons. It’s a crock pot recipe.  We put it in the crock before we headed out, and when we got back - dinner was ready! The ingredients were easy to find, and overall it was relatively inexpensive. When you use the garnishes as Chelsea suggests, it elevates this plain looking bowl of  quinoa to amazing. My favorite garnish is Guacamole. (With a capital G.) 

We used to make this recipe for 5 of us.  (2 of those 5 being hungry teenage boys.) When we made it over the weekend, we ended up having enough for us to eat a really good dinner and to have leftovers for 2 days of lunch!  (Pictured above - one of my lunches, ready to go in the fridge.)

Whoop!  That’s a win!

External Link to Tex Mex Quinoa Recipe: https://www.chelseasmessyapron.com/slow-cooker-tex-mex-qunioa-casserole/#_a5y_p=2118221

Random Pictures

 It’s a major photo dump! Okay, I’m going to try to keep it down to only a handful! 

Life, as viewed from my phone!

My attempt at a Gingerbread House!

Sunrise. Busboys & Poets is across the street. 

Watermelon Radishes. They’re beautiful, aren’t they?

I thought they would be sweet, but no - they’re bitter. 

Still good, but not the taste I was expecting with those colors!

The water fountain by Whole Foods has been converted to a light fountain!

The cat, listening in on the weekly phone call with the kids. 

The Udvar-Hazy Museum. 

It’s a branch of the Smithsonian Air & Space Museum.

And it’s not on the mall.  It’s by Dulles Airport. 

Look at the price on this roast.  $147.

$101 with a Bonus Card. 

That’s $10/ pound. 

Granted, it is a rib roast. But still… it feels really high. 

Book Review: Mango, Mambo, and Murder

I found this wonderful cozy mystery last week. It's a wonderful series set in Miami.  Miriam Quinones-Smith is a Cuban American Food Anthropologist who moves from New York with her husband to be closer to his family. Within her first month in Miami, she finds herself immersed in a murder mystery that involves not only her best friend, but also a mysterious connection with her husband's family.  Just who is Juliet and what is this mysterious hold she has on everyone?

I really enjoyed reading this story! I love the smart characters, intelligent dialogue, and the quick moving plot.  Having been a young mother struggling to find a crowd to fit into when my kids were young, I identified with Miriam's quest to fit into the social scene. (Granted, she was being pushed into networking... but it was still a story that I could relate to!)

I love that the author has mixed in references to Cuban culture throughout her book.  From teaching her child to be Bi-Lingual, to the food she cooks to the Spanish mixed in throughout the conversations in the book…. There is just so much to appreciate from this Latinx author.

There is also a fascinating sub-plot that tells the story of Miriam's mother-in-law and her relationship with Miriam and the rest of the family. If you have had difficulties getting along with your Mother-in-law, you will relate well to the story. Actually, I think most of us will read that story and think "Wow". And also "I don't want to be that kind of Mother-in-Law in the future." It's a compelling sub-story that makes you think.

This was a fascinating story, with many layers (like ogres and onions!) 

There are two books in the series, and I am looking forward to the third!

Author Website: http://rvreyes.com/

And hey, there are some great recipes in the back of the book for recipes that Miriam made throughout the book.  I'l looking forward to trying the Cuban Style Chicken Fricassee. 

Mom's Little Dog

For Christmas, Mom received a wonderful little robotic dog. 

As her health has continued to deteriorate, she finds herself wishing for things that used to be. One of those things is a dog. She wants a dog.  Her favorite dog of all time was Geraldine.  Geraldine was a Beagle that my parents brought into their life when they got married.  Geraldine was Mom's companion while Dad was in college. Mom worked to support Dad while he went through college. Geraldine kept her company. When I was born, Geraldine kept me company, sleeping under my crib and standing guard while I slept. I don't remember Geraldine, but Mom still loves that dog.

My husband and I don't have a dog. We have a cat. And the very last thing we want to do is take the cat - who hates card rides - for an hour-long drive down to Virginia and then back up again. 

I found this adorable robotic dog at the Alzheimer's Association Store.

It interacts with the patient when they talk - barking, moving its head towards the sound of the voice, opening and closing its eyes, and moving its ears. You can scratch it on the head and it will have some vocalizations and move it's head around. 

As soon as we took the dog out of the box, the first thing Mom did was turn the dog upside down to see if it was a girl or boy.  She decided that "she's a boy, and her name is Benji."            

 Mom loves her little Benji! She sleeps with him. When she wakes up in the middle of the night and can't go back to sleep, little Benji is there with some nudges and makes some wonderful little noises while she pets him until they both fall asleep. 

If you're interested in finding out more about this little dog, you can find the link here:

https://www.alzstore.com/doll-pet-therapy-dementia-s/1516.htm?utm_source=bing&utm_campaign=Alzheimer%27s%20-%20General%20-%20Exact%20-%20tRoas&utm_medium=ppc&msclkid=76d9cad4994b18f0cc08a91fd7fbfa82

You Can't Make This Stuff Up, part 2

In the apartment building, we park in the garage. 

One day, when I was driving in, I noticed the car that parks next to me going out. What struck me was that not only was the window rolled all the way down on a really cold day, but the driver had their arm out through the window, physically holding the door shut. 

It struck me as weird, but I didn't think anything else about it until a couple days later. I was out in the garage, unloading groceries from the back of my car when the owner of the car next to mine stopped and asked me if I'd seen anything lately?

I asked him what he meant.

"Well you see, my car was broken into last night.  Okay, so I can't shut the door because I was in an accident. I hold the door closed when I drive, and I push the door as closed as I can at night. But last night, my car was broken into and everything was stolen. My cell phone, my work laptop, my wallet, and my extra keys.  Did you see anything?"

I stared at him blankly for a minute and then asked him if he had reported the theft to the police?

"No, no.  I don't want to involve the police. But whoever broke into my car took my apartment keys.  They've been in my apartment, too." 

I asked him again if he'd reported the theft to the police.  I mentioned that he needed to get his lock re-keyed, and the only way that apartment management was going to do that was if they had a police report. 

He stared at me like I had 6 heads. He then said "they got my work laptop".

I repeated again: you need to get a police report. Your IT department needs to know that the laptop was stolen. 

Again, the stare.  "So do you know if they have cameras in the garage of any kind?"

"Well, if they do, the only way any one is going to get a chance to look at them is with a court order. And those are only issued with the help of the police." 

And then, I excused myself and walked away.  That surreal conversation had just crossed the line from odd to something that wasn't making me completely comfortable. Because if all of your electronics, your wallet, and your apartment keys are stolen and you don't want to involve the police, I really don't know what to say.... 

(There was also the insane part of me that wanted to ask: So, what if you do get access to the footage? What exactly are you going to do?)

Eggs - HOLY CHICKENS, BATMAN! THEY'RE EXPENSIVE!

What are you doing to save a few "monies" (as my kids used to say) at the store this week?

Our local farmers whose hens are still laying are charging $5/dozen.  They're $7.23/dozen at my local grocery store. Don't get me wrong. I love eggs, but those prices are deal breakers for me.  I'm not willing to pay over $7 for a dozen eggs. 

We've given up on eggs for the time being.  Right now, I'm using an Egg Replacer. I picked up several bags of Egg Replacer several months ago when they went on sale.  BUT, I have been replacing eggs in baking products for years.  

When you decide to replace eggs, the first important thing to remember is that eggs are a binding agent.  You are looking for something to bind your product together. The second thing to remember is that an egg contains 4 TBSP of binding stuff.

Mashed Bananas or applesauce. 

I feel like these make your baked product a little heavier, and that they tend to go bad faster. When I use bananas or applesauce, we either eat it the same day (muffins), or I will cut whatever it is into smaller servings and freeze them. I've also baked things in small loaf pans and then frozen them to eat later.  Whatever works to keep everything safe and usable in the future.

Yogurt - either dairy or non-dairy. 

This makes for a really nice, creamy texture in your baked good.  Just make certain that you are using unflavored, unsweetened yogurt.  Voice of experience here.  Although, the pina colada yogurt did add an interesting twist to the banana bread.

Chia Seeds

1 TBSP Chia seeds + 3 TBSP water = 1 egg.

Stir the chia seeds and water together in a small bowl. Let sit for 5 minutes until a gel forms, then use this in place of eggs.

Can I just say that using Chia Seeds in meatloaf and applesauce is absolutely amazing? They work really, really well as a binding agent!

So, do you use something in place of eggs?  How much are a dozen eggs where you live?