Snapshots: Away I Go

Friday was the day of my annual Mom's Day and Night Off. I choose a day after New Year's Day and before school starts again, book a night at a hotel in a city about 100 miles away, and take myself off for about 24 hours.

This year, in addition to booking the hotel room, I also booked an appointment with a massage therapist in this city. I thought maybe it would help with the muscle tension that led to my debilitating pinched nerve a couple of weeks ago.

Obviously, one session was not going to fix everything, but the massage therapist was very knowledgeable and pointed out some places in my body that were contributing to my problems and that I would never have considered. She also pinpointed those so specifically that it reeealllly hurt later in those places, but that was okay, because I could just take a bath whenever I wanted. Which I did.

Other things I did . . .

I got a slice of pizza and a salad for lunch at this place that also has an arcade. I was not tempted by the arcade, however.

I walked around the plaza where the hotel is located, going in to some of the antique shops. 

The only thing I bought was a five-dollar book: An American Childhood, by Annie Dillard.

While I was in that shop looking at the books, the older guy who owns the shop was listening to the most awful, ridiculous "news" headlines at full volume on his phone. And then he answered a phone call on speaker (!), which meant that I could hear clear as day his friend telling him about the "weird" stuff Mary is getting involved in with some group that led to Mary trying to kill this friend more than once.

Ummm.

I figured a quick exit was prudent at this point. Thankfully, he asked his friend to hold on the phone while I paid for my book, so I didn't have to listen to anymore of that bizarre conversation. I jetted out of there, all the while shaking my head and laughing internally. Such a colorful place, New Mexico.

Exhibit B of Welcome to New Mexico:

It's a . . . tombstone? In a median in the middle of the plaza roundabout?

This was what I saw as I was sitting in the bar eating my dinner. I didn't recall seeing it before, and I asked the bartender about it. She had no idea what it was. I did some online searching, though, and I think maybe it's a memorial for the guy who carved the big wooden statues of the saints that are in the plaza. He died in March of last year, so I'm guessing this is his memorial.

Or maybe he's really buried there. Anything is possible in New Mexico.

Anyway.

One of my favorite things about this hotel is that it has books all over the place. In previous years, I've had a bookcase full of books actually in my room.

Not this year, unfortunately.

That's okay, though, because there are also little collections of books in the hallways.

Totally random ones.

After much searching, I finally found one I would actually read while I had my vodka and soda in the hotel bar.

I did not read while I was eating this, because that sandwich required both hands to manage.

Another thing I like about this hotel: Real Keys.

Also, pretty mirrors. Hi!

After I ate, I watched a movie, took a bath, and went to bed. Which is pretty much what I always do. 

The next morning I got my coffee from the hotel lobby, checked out, and entered the fray at Walmart for grocery shopping before heading home. Not the most gentle re-entry to the real world, but necessary.

There you have it! My (gadabout) life, snapshotted.

Friday Food: More Celebrating

Friday 

Short version: Tuna melt sandwiches, green salad with vinaigrette

Long version: There were only three of us home for dinner this night, as A. was hunting with the younger two boys. For the kids at home, I made tuna melts. I had a salad, and I made them eat some, too. We had been sorely lacking in vegetables in recent days.

I sent leftover ham and scalloped potatoes with A. for their campfire meal.

Saturday

Short version: Ham and rice skillet, vanilla ice cream with chocolate/peanut butter fudge sauce

Long version: This is what I chose for my birthday meal. I had leftover rice and ham, so all I needed to do was heat those in a skillet with butter, already-cooked onion, frozen peas, and shredded carrots.

I actually love this kind of food. I also added the rest of the Christmas mushrooms to my bowl.

Yum.

I didn't want to have any kind of baked dessert for my birthday. We only had vanilla ice cream, which is not my favorite. That's why I made chocolate fudge sauce with peanut butter for it. I made this by following my old recipe for chocolate fudge sauce (corn syrup replaced with honey) to which I added a couple of spoonfuls of peanut butter.

The addition of the peanut butter made it more solid when it got cold, but it also made it more delicious. To me, anyway. And it was my birthday, after all.

Sunday

Short version: Hamburger patties, leftover scalloped potatoes, pickled radishes, dark chocolate

Long version: I had been relying heavily on Christmas leftovers, so I thought it was time for something besides ham. I took out ground beef unsure what I would do with it. In the end, I just made hamburger patties for the three of us at home. 

Instead of bread or buns, I heated up some of the leftover scalloped potatoes, so . . . still Christmas leftovers, actually.

The dark chocolate was one of my birthday gifts from my parents. I had a smooth bar, and one with cocao nibs. We did a taste test of both. The children preferred the smooth dark chocolate.

Monday

Short version: Green chile hamburger stew, cornbread

Long version: The hunters arrived home this day (no elk, unfortunately, though lots of stories). I made hamburger stew with the rest of the ground beef, along with potatoes, carrots, and green beans. I thought everyone could use some vegetables.

I asked A. if he would rather have cornbread or biscuits. He chose the cornbread, because they had been eating a lot of wheat bread while they were camping.

Tuesday

Short version: Rooster in tomato sauce, pasta, carrots, frozen peas, rice pudding

Long version: I took one of the roosters we butchered out of the freezer. I knew I would be gone in the afternoon, so I cooked it in the morning. All I did with it was brown it on the stove, then put it in a deep casserole dish with pureed tomatoes, sliced onion, garlic, and Italian spices. That cooked slowly in the oven with the baked rice pudding until it was done. I also cooked some carrots in there with the rooster.

Rice pudding and rooster.

At dinnertime, I just heated the chicken up and then used most of the tomato sauce the chicken had been cooking in for the pasta, along with cream and butter.

Wednesday

Short version: Daddy burgers, French fries, carrot sticks

Long version: A. came home from hunting with pre-made hamburger patties, bacon, American cheese, and butter bread he had bought to make his usual burgers. They came home before they could use those things, though, so he cooked them this night.

He also made the French fries. He actually pre-cooked them in lard before finishing them in the oven while the burgers cooked.

I added the carrot sticks. Because I'm a mom, and someone has to think about vegetables.

Thursday

Short version: Pork, black-eyed peas, rice, collard greens, pecan pie

Long version: Happy New Year! Of course we must ensure our health, wealth, happiness, peace, and joy with our traditional meal. Every year.

My children have added the peace and joy to the first three. The rice is for peace, and the pecan pie is for joy. Makes sense to me.

The greens this year came from the collard greens that will not die:

We have had a remarkably warm winter. Certainly nothing to discourage famously hearty collard greens.

Refrigerator check:

Okay, your turn! What'd you eat this week?