Tag: Food

Clam Chowder, YUM!

Clam Chowder

So good and so easy to make…

  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 2 stalks of celery, chopped
  • 4 medium size potatoes, chopped
  • 2 – 8 oz. bottles of clam juice
  • 2 cups of whole milk
  • 2 – 10 oz. cans of clams
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 tsp of dried thyme
  • S&P to taste

In large pot, saute onion and celery in olive oil ( I use leftover bacon grease and olive oil) add potatoes and saute for 2 or 3 minutes more.  Add clam juice and let simmer (covered) for 7 – 10 minutes.  Add milk, clams, bay leaves, and thyme and turn heat down to a very low simmer for about 15 minutes.  S&P to taste.  (If I want to make the chowder a little thicker I’ll add a Tbsp of masa corn flour when I add the milk and stir well)

I love that this big pot of soup cost me about $12.00 and it makes 5 large servings.  Or more like 1 dinner and 2 lunches for the Z Man and me.  Because it’s SOOOOO good!!!

Enjoy!

Lori

Simple Is The New Special

One would wonder why she would start a blog right before the busy season at work.  Well, I did….. and that’s exactly why I haven’t posted in almost 5 months.  But, things have settled down a bit and I’m looking forward to getting back to the Z Life blog.

It seems like everywhere you look now a days someone is talking or writing about “keeping it simple”  The Z Man and I were talking just the other day about how “simple is the new special”

But sometimes just because it seems simple, doesn’t mean it is.  It takes a lot of work to run a home on a budget, it takes a lot of work to make a monthly meal plan, it takes a lot of time and thought to do the things that make it look like our lives are simple.

Sure, you may see me hanging clothes on the line and think well how simple… but I just can’t throw a load of laundry in the washer any day, I have to check the weather and make sure it’s not going to rain so I can hang them to dry.  Can you imagine what clean sheet night would be like if I didn’t plan it for a sunny, dry day.  Sure we have a dryer, but I would much rather sleep on line dried sheets instead.  And, if I don’t have to use the electricity to dry clothes, I would rather save our money.

 

laundry pic

 

You may see me eating leftovers for lunch and think, gosh she is so simple, she never eats lunch out “it’s always leftovers”  How boring…

Well, that’s not so simple either, because more often than not that is a container of soup I’ve pulled from the freezer that morning, which came from a weekend of cooking soups, using the stocks that I made from the chicken (bones) I roasted and put in the freezer.

We may seem simple to some, but in reality it takes more planning of the details to do the things we do.

This past weekend consisted of spending Saturday with my parents, cutting down (dead) trees and eating homemade peach cobbler.  We worked hard, ate good and enjoyed every bit of it.  Sundays at the Z house is usually getting our chores done around the house and eating some good food and watching football.  Although, I’m sad to say that my Redskins and the Z Man’s Steelers aren’t having the best seasons so far.

So, maybe simple is the new special…  but I think we all have different perspectives of “simple”

The Z Man and I love our special life and I’m looking forward to slowing down a bit and simply enjoying it.

 

With Love,

Lori

 

Splurges… Friday Fun…

I was talking with one of my customers this week about the things we will splurge on and the things we wont.

She was asking me about my hairdresser.  The hairdresser that I went to 6 months ago and got my hair cut for the first time in 5 years.  It was a wonderful experience, he is the perfect mix of personable and professional and gave me exactly what I asked for.  He used about 4 different pair of scissors to cut my hair and he styled it perfectly.  Then took the time to show me alternative ways to wear it.  It was everything I had hoped for.  Honestly after he was done I felt like I needed a cigarette.

The crazy thing is that, while I loved that experience, I just find myself being too… oh let’s call it frugal (instead of cheap) to splurge on routine cuts and colors.  Or for that matter manicures or pedicures.  I’ll admit that there is a part of me (being a woman and all) that feels guilty about not doing these things for myself, and I’m sure if I did do them some of those hard mirror days might not be so hard.

(Sidebar here…  I do realize that a cut and color is not going to take the place of or cover up the lack of exercise and healthy living.  Those two things are still a struggle for me to get enough of what I should…. I’m going to go make a green smoothie right after this post!!!)

Now, I don’t want you to get the impression that I walk around looking like a hairy gorilla with dirty nails and toes.  That’s not the case at all.  I mean I do shave my legs, and I paint my toe nails, and I color my own hair (sometimes successfully).  I just find these things to be “doable” for me.  Does it look as good?  That would be a big fat NO.  But, I look ok.  The ZMan thinks I’m beautiful (he says so anyway, and it’s not just when he is wanting something) so I believe him, and that’s what matters to me the most.

However, having stood on this soap box for the last 5 minutes claiming to be this frugal smugal woman of sensibility….  Did I tell you that I now have about $326.52 worth of olive oil and aged balsamic vinegars in my pantry.  No, it’s not huge vats of olive oil and vinegar, the volume is much less.  It’s approximately 10 bottles the size of a regular wine bottle.  (which used to be 750 ml  I’m not sure anymore because I’ve graduated to the large bottles and the boxes) 😉

Anyway, I digress, but isn’t that the point of a blog? HA!

It got me thinking about the things we’ll splurge on and the things we wont.  Now, I’m certainly not passing judgement on anyone who goes for weekly pedicures, I just happen to be the type of girl who gets one once a year.

It’s just that I can not press my own olives into a beautiful oil, or age my own vinegars into a thick, rich, sweet balsamic vinegar.

I suppose the point of my post might be that I certainly would if I could.  But the chances of the ZMan and I owning a vineyard in Napa valley growing our own grapes and olives is very slim.  Oh, how I would love that!  But it’s still unlikely.  So, I’ll keep buying my good olive oils and vinegars and be happy that I can.

And tomorrow I’ll be going by Sally’s Beauty Supply to pick up hair color to color my hair this weekend, because I have a very special wedding to attend next weekend, and the roots are a little too prominent right now.

What do you splurge on?   I’d love to know.

Tonight is pizza and beer night for me and the ZMan.  I think it’ll be a ham and pineapple pizza tonight.  YUM!

I hope you have a fun Friday and lovely weekend.

 

Blog Food Pics 167   Just a little something pretty for you  🙂

 

Y’all Take Care!

Lori