Recipe of the Week - Pistachio Walnut Cake

 Pistachio is a flavor that I often forget that I enjoy and I have not had much of it as an adult.  Growing up, there were always pistachios around at the holidays.  Pistachio ice cream was often in our freezer and, of course, Watergate salad was something Grandmother would make from time to time.  One day while I was grocery shopping, I threw a couple of boxes of pistachio pudding mix into my cart thinking I would do something with them.  Then I came across this recipe online and thought I would give it a try.  I really liked the way this cake turned out and my friends who tried it also gave it a thumbs up!  I hope you enjoy it.  It's easy and tastes delicious!

Pistachio Walnut Cake

1 (15.25 oz) box of yellow cake mix

2 (3.4oz) boxes of instant pistachio pudding

1 cup sour cream

1/2 cup vegetable oil

4 eggs

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1 tsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350.  Grease and flour a bundt pan.  In a medium bowl, stir together cake mix and pudding.  Add sour cream, oil and eggs.  Mix well.  Pour half the batter into the bundt pan.  Combine brown sugar, walnuts and cinnamon.  Sprinkle over batter in pan.  Cover with remaining batter.  Bake for 1 hour.  Cool on wire rack.  

This batter is going to be very stiff so don't let that worry you!

Processing and moving forward

 This past weekend as I was going through another box of stuff from my garage, I came across my high school annuals. As I thumbed through them, they brought back a lot of memories, both good and bad. It was fun to see the pictures of old friends and how we have changed over the years and how we haven't really changed over the years. But this time, going through them brought some things to the surface that I need to process. 

Struggling with my sexuality during my teenage years was incredibly hard for me.  I was having to hide who I was because at that time it was still a very much taboo thing to be gay. And, the thing is, most everyone knew it deep down or at least suspected it.  Still, in that process of not being myself, I did hurt other people because I was deflecting the situation in my mind. I did not know about some of these hurts until decades later when I was confronted with some of them and it really blew my mind.  It really never occurred to me that this journey I was on not only affected me but other people.  It makes sense looking back now, but at the time I was only focused on myself. 

Looking back through these annuals, I now realize that there were others that got their feelings hurt because of my journey and I am truly sorry for that.  I don't know if I will ever get the chance to express that in real time, face to face, but I am finally expressing it openly that I regret having done that.  I'm not saying that I would go back and change it, because it was how I had to deal with it at the time.  But I do feel badly about how that affected others when I look back on it.  Ah, well.  I really cannot do anything to change it but I can accept it, process it and move forward.  That is all. 

My 10 Favorite Rides at Disney World

 There is not any doubt that I love going to Disney World.  Granted, I have not been a lot but each time I love it.  It has been 10 years since I have been there.  Michael took me there on spring break for my 40th birthday.  We had a blast, and it was a wonderful trip! I hope I get to go again sometime in the next decade LOL We shall see.  But here is my list of my favorite 10 rides from Disney World in no particular order. BTW, I chose rides only for this and not attractions like Country Bear Jamboree and Carousel of Progress. What are some of your favorite rides?

1. Big Thunder Mountain Railroad

2. Pirates of the Caribbean

3. The Haunted Mansion

4. Seven Dwarfs Mine Train

5. Dumbo

6. Jungle Cruise

7. Under the Sea

8. It's a Small World

9. Peter Pan

10. Mad Tea Party

One Drawer at a Time - Bedroom update

 

The next part of the bedroom that I tackled was the closet.  And, let me tell you, it was packed to the brim with stuff.  Unfortunately, it is mostly stuff that I am going to keep because I either use it, wear it, or it has much sentimental value.  I did go through all of my hanging clothes to see what I could no longer wear and donated that to a yard sale they were having at work.  Thankfully it was not too much this time, so I hope that means the weight gain has levelled off for a while!

But my biggest problem with the closet was the organization or lack thereof.  That became my primary goal with the closet.  And it worked. I was able to condense things and put like things together.  There were many things that I'd forgotten that I had but now I know they are there and can find them much more easily than before.  That is if I can remember LOL  Still, it looks much better than it did and I feel good about the progress I have been making.  

I do not have much left in the bedroom and that is a good thing.  The next room will be the living room which should not be too bad at all either.  It's a good process and I am able to purge things that still have some life left in them.  And it keeps me occupied and gives me something to do.  That is all. 

50 at 50....another week has gone by LOL

 I haven't done much on my 50 at 50 list this week.  I know you're all surprised by that LOL  But I still enjoy having this list and knowing it's there gives me something to look forward to.  I did try a few new recipes this week:  Boursin chicken with orzo and spinach and a picante peach pork.  Both crock pot recipes that were very good and definitely keepers!  I will put the recipes on here later on for sure.  I have also been looking at the documents I need for my passport application.  I never realized that getting a copy, an official copy that is, of my birth certificate would be so involved.  And thanks to all of this "real ID" mess, it is going to take 4 times as long.  But, oh well.  It's not like I'm going anywhere anytime soon.  I don't even have a real ID yet, so that is also on my list.  I do not have any out of country travel plans any time soon, but I want to have the option available if the opportunity arises!

I also started looking up local(ish) marching band competitions.  Now that fall is upon us, it is that time of year.  And there are a lot more around the state than I anticipated.  Hopefully I will find one that is not too far from Greensboro and make a day of it.  We shall see.  There's still so much to do on my list but so much to look forward to.  I don't mind carrying it into year 51.  It's nice to make plans!  That is all. 

Ways to Save Money

 I am doing my best to increase my savings but that is easier said than done.  On the one hand, I am happy that I have something in savings for when life happens and I need a little extra to get me through.  On the other hand, it gets frustrating when life happens and I need to dip into the savings.  And life has been happening a lot lately.  Overall, though, I am still very pleased that I can take care of myself financially right now.  That is pretty awesome in my eyes.  And hopefully down the road, that will increase. 

I am always looking at ways to save money.  I have really curbed my extra spending.  When I get out and go to antiques malls and estate sales, I rarely buy anything anymore unless it is for someone else. I am always Christmas shopping!  I used to just buy whatever because I thought it was nice but I don't do that anymore really.  I have always cut way back on online shopping for myself.  As much as I love Ebay and have found great things there, I can go months now without buying anything there.  But there have been some real temptations there.  But I stayed strong.

I also have changed some of my grocery shopping habits.  I now go into the grocery store with a very specific list and, for the most part, I stick to that list.  I will, though, peruse the meats on sale and snag things that are good deals, but not always.  I will also give myself one or two impulse purchases when I'm there as long as I don't overspend. Because I love my grocery shopping and cooking, I rarely eat out anymore.  While I think it is great and important to support local businesses, I am very picky about where I go and how often.  If I eat out once a month, that's a lot for me. I used to eat out all the time.  Being single helps with not eating out a lot but that's for another blog LOL

Thinking about shopping, with Christmas coming up, I have decided to limit the amount of money I spend on gifts.  I have found some very great deals with this in mind and now I am always on the lookout for sales and clearance racks.  You never know what you're going to find there that will come in handy later as a gift.  As much as I love gift giving, it is just as important not to break the bank for the sake of holiday cheer, ya know?

I would love to know what some of your ways are in which to save money.  I am always looking for new ideas!  That is all. 

Recipe of the Week - Chinese Beef Casserole

 I do love a good casserole, and this recipe fits that bill.  I found this recipe in the 1982 cookbook "A Cook's Tour of the Azalea Coast" that was published by the Auxiliary to the New Hanover, Pender, Brunswick County Medical Society.  I love these kinds of regional cookbooks, and I have collected more than my share over the years.  This particular one belonged to Mom and was most likely a gift from one of our relatives who lived in Wilmington. 

I have only made this casserole once, but I really did enjoy it. Of course, it is not authentic Chinese but because it has been sprouts and soy sauce in it, it is labeled Chinese.  Still, it is a good casserole and like most casseroles, it is better the next day.  Enjoy!

Chinese Beef Casserole

I pound ground beef

2 cups onion, chopped

2 cups celery, chopped

1/2 cup uncooked rice

1 10.5 ounce can cream of mushroom soup

1 soup can of water

1 16 ounce can of bean sprouts, drained

1/2 cup soy sauce

1 4 ounce can of mushrooms, drained

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Brown beef in a large skillet. Drain.  Mix all ingredients together and turn into a large casserole dish.  Cover and bake for 2 hours.  Serves 6 to 8.