Click HERE to see the blog parties I will be linking up to.
Julie
Julie
Hello friends. I have an easy recipe to make vegetable barley soup. You only need a few ingredients for this soup and the prep work is so easy. You can have this soup made in less than an hour.
This soup is perfect to serve on a cold day for lunch or dinner. I've made this soup two times this winter and it's delicious tasting and warms you up. I hope you enjoy this soup.
VEGETABLE BARLEY SOUP
INGREDIENTS:
- 3/4 cup barley, rinsed and drained
- 6 1/2 cups of vegetable broth or chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 medium onion, diced small
- 2 carrots, peeled and diced small
- 1 medium potato, peeled and cut into small cubes
- 1 large celery rib, sliced
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 teaspoon oregano
DIRECTIONS:
- Warm the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Once the oil is simmering, add the onion, carrots, and celery. Cook until the onion has softened and turns translucent, about 7 minutes.
- Add the garlic, barley, potatoes, and mix all together.
- Add the vegetable broth, salt and pepper. Raise the heat and bring the mixture to a boil, then cover the pot, reduce the heat and cook for 30 minutes. If you need more liquid, add an extra cup of broth or water.
NOTES:
LEFTOVERS: The soup keeps well in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. You can also freeze the soup in an airtight container.
BROTH: Both vegetable or chicken broth are fine to use.
Warm yourself up on a cold day with this vegetable barley soup.
Happy Friday! What a week of events. I hope you all enjoyed the super bowl on Sunday. We also had Valentine's Day this week. I hope you enjoy my Friday Favorites.
We just saw Jerry Seinfeld for the second time perform two weeks ago at the Beacon Theatre. It was one of the coldest nights we had this winter. The first time we saw Jerry perform was right before the pandemic. Jerry had a comedian perform before he came out who was funny. We love Jerry Seinfeld and we had a lot of laughs.
We ordered Domino's pizza for Sunday to watch the super bowl game. We ordered pizza, cheesy bread, wings, and loaded tater tots. We also enjoyed the leftovers the next day.
I am enjoying the TV series Gilmore Girls. I love the relationship between Loreli and Rory.
I enjoy taking yoga classes at least two to three times a week at my gym. This week the teacher said I was doing a good job. I feel like I am getting stronger, it's great for my balance, and a stress reliever.
I also took a half-hour express weights class this week. I want to look good for the spring and summer which will be upon us soon.
To celebrate Valentine's Day on Tuesday my husband, daughter, and I went to our local diner for dinner. We had a good time together and sometimes it's the casual places that are the most fun.
I had pancakes, bacon, and decaf coffee. The pancakes and bacon were so good. I cannot make good pancakes for the life of me. They always come out thin and small.
My husband had a gyro wrap, salad, and water.
My daughter enjoyed a feta omelet, french fries, and iced tea.
I hope you all had a good week. Wishing you a happy Friday and weekend.
Click HERE to see the blog parties I will be linking up to.
Julie
Julie
Hi friends. I discovered a new to me link-up through some blogger friends. I'm linking up for the first time with Jennifer at Overflowing With Thankfulness to talk about what I'm currently loving, feeling, posting, receiving, and seeing.
LOVING:
We recently went to lunch at Shake Shack. We both had a Shack Burger, we shared french fries, and we both had water. I love their hamburgers and they have a great-tasting chicken burger. Have you ever been to Shake Shack?
FEELING:
I am starting to feel better since our dog Bosco passed away in November. We are still talking about all of the good times we've had with him. I do miss posting photos of Bosco on the blog and Instagram.
POSTING:
I did a blog post about what I'm Reading and Watching.
I recently made Air Fryer Chicken for dinner. I love that the chicken cooks fast in the air fryer. I'm hoping to find some new air fryer recipes to try out.
RECEIVING:
I haven't received anything or done any online shopping for myself this month.
SEEING:
I was in the drug store Rite Aid recently and I noticed that the makeup was in a glass door and locked up. If you want to purchase any makeup you now have to go to the staff to unlock the door. This makes me sad and I miss the days when you could just look at everything on the shelves and buy the item.
What is currently new with you?
Happy Friday! I'd love to share with you my favorites from last month.
We all decided to participate in dry January last month. I was pretty good and only went off of it two times.
I decided that after the holidays I wanted to try and cook healthy meals for our dinner. I made fish with zucchini and string beans one night. Another night I made pasta with broccoli rabe. We enjoyed Impossible burgers with sweet potato fries, and zucchini. I'm still trying to be good and cook a lot of veggies with our dinner.
We went to see the matinee show Michael Jackson on Broadway. I enjoyed the music and learning more about Michael Jackson's life. After the show went out to eat at K Pot for Korean BBQ which we all liked.
I took a friend out to lunch for her birthday. I got a chicken BLT sandwich, and my friend got a steak dinner. We had a good time together.
During the winter months, I like crocheting. I had some yarn in my stash and I made a crocheted infinity scarf. I like that this scarf keeps me warm on the cold days we've had this winter.
My husband is a huge Rangers fan. We had a fun evening out at the Rangers game at Madison Square Garden.
I hope you all have a happy Friday and weekend.
Click HERE to see the blog parties I will be linking up to.
Julie
Hello friends. I've been watching a lot of shows lately and reading books. I'd love share them with you!
Books I recently read:
The Secret History by Donna Tartt -
Under the influence of their charismatic classics professor, a group of clever, eccentric misfits at an elite New England college discover a way of thinking and living that is a world away from the humdrum existence of their contemporaries. But when they go beyond the boundaries of normal morality their lives are changed profoundly and forever, and they discover how hard it can be to truly live and how easy it is to kill.
This book was recommended to me by my daughter. This book was a challenge for me as it has 576 pages and the chapters are long. The story is narrated by one of the students who reflects years later about a situation that led to an unfortunate happening of his friend, and the events leading up to a dark secret. I also read The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt. I liked this book and I also enjoyed the movie.
One Day in December by Josie Silver
Laurie is pretty sure love at first sight doesn't exist anywhere but the movies. But then, through a misted-up bus window one snowy December day, she sees a man who she knows instantly is the one. Their eyes meet, there's a moment of pure magic...and then her bus drives away.
Certain they're fated to find each other again, Laurie spends a year scanning every bus stop and cafe in London for him. But she doesn't find him, not when it matters anyway. Instead they "reunite" at a Christmas party, when her best friend Sarah giddily introduces her new boyfriend to Laurie. It's Jack, the man from the bus. It would be.
What follows for Laurie, Sarah and Jack is ten years of friendship, heartbreak, missed opportunities, roads not taken, and destinies reconsidered. One Day in December is a joyous, heartwarming and immensely moving love story to escape into and a reminder that fate takes inexplicable turns along the route to happiness.
Certain they're fated to find each other again, Laurie spends a year scanning every bus stop and cafe in London for him. But she doesn't find him, not when it matters anyway. Instead they "reunite" at a Christmas party, when her best friend Sarah giddily introduces her new boyfriend to Laurie. It's Jack, the man from the bus. It would be.
What follows for Laurie, Sarah and Jack is ten years of friendship, heartbreak, missed opportunities, roads not taken, and destinies reconsidered. One Day in December is a joyous, heartwarming and immensely moving love story to escape into and a reminder that fate takes inexplicable turns along the route to happiness.
I bought this book in the beginning of December at a discount for only four dollars at Thriftbooks.com. It took me a while to read this book as December was a busy month for me. I enjoyed this romance book about three people who are all friends and what happens to them over the course of ten years. This was the perfect book for me to read for the month of December. I would recommend this light read.
Carrie Soto is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Carrie Soto is fierce, and her determination to win at any cost has not made her popular. But by the time she retires from tennis, she is the best player the world has ever seen. She has shattered every record and claimed twenty Grand Slam titles. And if you ask Carrie, she is entitled to every one. She sacrificed nearly everything to become the best, with her father, Javier, as her coach. A former champion himself, Javier has trained her since the age of two.
But six years after her retirement, Carrie finds herself sitting in the stands of the 1994 US Open, watching her record be taken from her by a brutal, stunning player named Nicki Chan.
At thirty-seven years old, Carrie makes the monumental decision to come out of retirement and be coached by her father for one last year in an attempt to reclaim her record. Even if the sports media says that they never liked “the Battle-Axe” anyway. Even if her body doesn’t move as fast as it did. And even if it means swallowing her pride to train with a man she once almost opened her heart to: Bowe Huntley. Like her, he has something to prove before he gives up the game forever.
But six years after her retirement, Carrie finds herself sitting in the stands of the 1994 US Open, watching her record be taken from her by a brutal, stunning player named Nicki Chan.
At thirty-seven years old, Carrie makes the monumental decision to come out of retirement and be coached by her father for one last year in an attempt to reclaim her record. Even if the sports media says that they never liked “the Battle-Axe” anyway. Even if her body doesn’t move as fast as it did. And even if it means swallowing her pride to train with a man she once almost opened her heart to: Bowe Huntley. Like her, he has something to prove before he gives up the game forever.
In spite of it all, Carrie Soto is back, for one epic final season. In this riveting and unforgettable novel, Taylor Jenkins Reid tells her most vulnerable, emotional story yet.
I've read a few books by this author. I've read Malibu Rising, Daisy Jones and The Six, and The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. This is another book I can add to my list that I've enjoyed. This book is about the tennis world and Carrie Soto's return out of retirement to play tennis again. If you are a TJR lover then you'll like this book.
The Next Book on my Reading List:
The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson
This book was recommended by my daughter. I'm looking forward to reading this book next.
What book are you reading?
Watching:
Here is a list of the latest movies and shows I've watched recently:
The Banshees of Insisherin - I did not like this movie.
Falling for Christmas - Lindsay Lohan - Enjoyable.
Catastrophe - This was so funny and it was recommended by my brother-in-law.
White Lotus - Season 2 - I enjoyed this season which takes place in Sicily, Italy.
Emily in Paris - Season 3 - I enjoyed this season and I loved the fashion and romance. This show makes me want to visit Paris in the worst way.
See How They Run - This is a Mystery/Comedy that I enjoyed.
Glass Onion - A Knives Out Mystery - I enjoyed this murder mystery with a full cast of actors.
Derry Girls - Netflix - This is a comedy that takes place Ireland in the 1990s and is centered around the lives of five high school students and their families. We just got done with all the seasons and loved this funny show.
Gilmore Girls - I started watching GG and I love it already. I can't believe I missed this show when it was out in the year 2000. I'm happy I'm watching it now.
What are you been watching lately?
Click HERE to see the blog parties I will be linking up to.
Julie
Julie
Happy February Friends!
I love making easy weeknight dinner meals for my family. One of the ways is by occasionally using my Gormia Air Fryer - Model #GAF575.
I made chicken cutlets that took only eight minutes to cook in the air fryer. I like making quick and easy meals for dinner.
I'm hoping to find more recipes using the air fryer. I made air fryer salmon back in September that my family liked.
AIR FRYER CHICKEN
This recipe can be found at: Easy Chicken Recipes
INGREDIENTS:
- 2 pounds chicken tenders
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 eggs
- 1 1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1/3 cup parmesan cheese
DIRECTIONS:
- Season the chicken tenders with salt and pepper.
- Whisk the eggs in a shallow dish.
- In a separate shallow dish, combine the panko breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese.
- Dip each chicken tender in the egg mixture and coat in the breadcrumbs.
- Place the chicken tenders in the air fryer.
- Cook at 400 degrees for 8 minutes, flipping the tenders halfway through.
- Check that the internal temperature of the tenders is at least 165 degrees before serving.
NOTES:
- Don't overcrowd the air fryer basket. The chicken tenders should be placed in a single layer, so cook them in two batches if needed.
- Panko breadcrumbs create a super crispy outside layer, but you can use normal breadcrumbs if that's what you have.
- I used normal breadcrumbs to make the air fryer chicken.
- I cooked the chicken tenders for 6 minutes and then I flipped them over and cooked them for another 6 minutes. I then checked the inside of the tenders to make sure they were cooked through.
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Do you have a favorite air fryer recipe that you like?
Click HERE to see the blog parties I will be linking up to.
Julie
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