Just a Little Superstitious…

Much as it sometimes plagues me, I’m thankful for my superstitious imagination, which has led to some fascinating dreams, and some noteworthy art and creative writing.

I came across a tea leaf reading Instagram reel that halted me in my tracks for a bit, but I’ve since bounced back– with help from my friend Barbara who reassured me it was more like a chain letter type thing than something over which I should be unduly concerned.

On a more concrete level, my kitchen canisters arrived, and they are very 70’s retro-tastic. I didn’t ask the seller to clarify, but the listing said something about 1970’s, still in the plastic. Are they legitimately 70’s era canisters? Perhaps! They do match the color scheme of my kitchen nicely, either way.

I was able to pick up baking supplies with which to fill them and have since made some delicious homemade chocolate chip cookies. They’re very chocolatey. I used what was left of the milk chocolate chips, and half a bag of white chocolate chips.

I’m excited to possibly share some of the cookies with my coworkers and family. I’m off today but will be stopping by work to pick up my W2 and sign some papers for retirement contributions. May take some cookies with me.

I had the chips on hand from when I tried making S’mores Nachos and didn’t end up needing them as I already had plenty of chocolate to use. You’ll have to Google the recipe for those if you like since it wasn’t something I came up with.

I did, however, make Franken-toast with some things I had around the house, to use up some of the chips and leftover marshmallows, before I made the cookies.

It’s very carby and maybe not the most nutritious way to start your day for that reason, but it is more of a once-in-awhile indulgence, not something I have every morning.

I make up French Toast batter with a packet of instant green tea and Matcha latte mix (the brand I buy is Private Selection), an egg, and some oat milk or oat milk creamer. I then prepare the French toast as one normally would.

Once it’s cooked to my satisfaction, I plate it and decorate it to look like Frankenstein’s Monster (since we know from Mary Shelley that it was the doctor who was named Frankenstein, not the creature).

I’ve only done it twice so far, once with marshmallows and chocolate chips and the other time with breakfast sausage things and chocolate chips. Here they be:

Next, I plan to try my hand at some Gumbo and the like, for Mardi Gras, from the True Blood cookbook I got for about $5.

I’m thankful for the bounty of my household and the ability to restock pantry items and such as needed, for the delight of receiving new kitchen canisters and filling them, then making tasty cookies. For the inspiration that led to the Franken-Toast (Chai mix in vanilla or caramel from the same brand makes for amazing French toast, too).

I’m thankful for all the little luxuries, down to the scented soaps I got around the holidays, that I used when I showered today, and the last of the conditioner from a box of hair dye, that made my hair extra soft and smooth.

I’m thankful I have people I can reach out to, even as I sometimes struggle against the urge to isolate, or worry that maybe they’re dealing with too much, already.

I’m thankful for this blog and the way it challenges me to be on the lookout for blessings every day– not always an easy thing to do, and definitely made more challenging by depression, but even more important for those reasons.

Still working on myself, and my creative pursuits, and my home. Things’ve backed up a bit again at the hacienda, so I’ve gotta get back on that. It’s hard. I put a lot in at work and don’t always have much leftover for housework. Or else, the energy that does remain seems better put to use in other ways, like doing something fun. But I shall try, again. First, I need some lunch.

I just realized I never shared my epic chili. I did stretch it with some canned chili, and I used some store-bought Chi-Chi’s salsa as part of the base. Still, I put a lot of love into it, and it tasted amazing.

The BBQ Chicken Strips were also quite good, as were the frozen burger patties. Still have 3 patties left. Might make them up today as an easy reheatable go-to meal, and dinner. Will have to hit up the grocery store again soon. Perhaps tomorrow. We shall see.

OH before I forget… I also went on a short adventure with my dad the other day, stopping at Barnes and Noble and the grocery store (when I stocked my kitchen canisters). I had such a great time seeing what I could see at the bookstore and taking pictures of awesome finds, like the cropped Hamsa art I shared above, which came off the cover of a journal they’re selling. Browsing can be immensely satisfying, especially when you make it interactive and share your finds online. At least, I find it to be so.

Have a great day! If you’re somewhere cold, may your winter be full of fuzzy socks, comfort foods, and relaxing, hot showers with your favorite bath products. I’m gonna heat up some sipping soup and pore over Cajun recipes– see what I might need for that gumbo. Until next time, my peeps!