Cozy Chilly Game Days and All the Tea

Thanks everyone for your kind and supportive comments on the last post. It's been fascinating and encouraging to read how many others have made similar decisions during this time or before. I'm excited to try some of the teas and other drinks you suggested, and for those wondering- this is the Instant Hot Water Dispenser I have. James got it for me for Christmas last year and it took a long time for us to find someone willing to drill a hole in our marble countertop to kick off the project. And then a big thanks to my dad for installing it when they stopped here on the way to their Colorado house earlier this month. I use it at least eight times a day- instant 200 degree waters you guys, it's my most favorite toy ever.

As for teas, my current faves are Adagio Citrus Green, Stash Breakfast in Paris (delightful!), and Trader Joe's Pumpkin Spice Rooibus. I also semi-accidentally ordered 13 boxes of Twinings tea yesterday because I wanted to try their Black Christmas Tea and Herbal Winter Spice (and Chamomile, Honey & Vanilla) and you have to spend $50 for free shipping. It was $10 to ship a lesser amount and I just couldn't do it, so 13 boxes later I was at $51.67 and free shipping and I can't wait for the unboxing to my tea drawer. Reviews to come!

But I read your comments and smiled throughout the weekend. A weekend that was rainy and near-freezing, requiring a fire and fuzzy pj's for all. Maggie was here for it.

And by "here for it," I mean she lay unmoving in a furry pile of near-unconscious bliss until I decided she was probably boiling inside and I turned the fire off rather than disturb her.

I'm not sure I can ever have another dog who isn't deaf and/or has an energy level higher than that of a bulldog. She adds the perfect element of smiley, soothing unconditional love and happiness without raising the overall energy level in the house one bit. I love her so much.

Which is good, because there is other energy in this house.

In keeping with our theme of cozy family fun, I decided we should play games and bond all day on Sunday.

Me: Okay! Everyone will get to pick a game to play, so start thinking about what you want to pi--
Landon, melting in horror: oh god.

But he was game (no pun originally intended), as he always is. We started with Cora's choice of Life. She chose it so she could have babies and name them "Luna and Emma and Mia" and then she ended up with no kids while Landon had 5, 4 boys and 1 girl, all of which he named "Lil Timmy." (We name all our tiny stick players in Life, it's a very important element in the game.)

I baked up our Christmas cinnamon rolls after game 1 while everyone else did something I wasn't paying attention to because I was focused on the cinnamon rolls.

Did I even bake cinnamon rolls if I didn't take a picture of the cinnamon rolls?

I heard Legos being sorted through, so I assume Cora was back to building with Landon's old Lego collection and the stalwart assistance of both Rescue Pets, as is her currant wont.

Claire's choice was Skip Bo, which is a fun card game based almost entirely on luck and yet Landon has won EVERY SINGLE GAME we have played since purchasing the game in October. All of them. It's become a joke and while I'm SURE the streak will end at some point, it did not end on Sunday.

Pick-Up-Sticks was next. I bought that game years ago and for whatever reason it has recently swept the house like a new sensation. We play a LOT and yesterday was no exception.

The kids had to go outside to do some pool chores and walk Maggie (who switched from pj's to her puffer vest and then back to pj's) and Cora dressed for the occasion.

By the time it was James and my turn, we decided to punt our original choices of Sequence and Ticket to Ride to next weekend and opt for a movie. No one argued.

Dinner was Mississippi Pot Roast and it was absolutely incredible. People have told me to make this recipe for years and I have no idea what took me so long. I don't know why it's so good, but IT IS. James declared it our greatest meal of 2020. I strained all the sauce in the crockpot and then whisked it with some Wondra flour over low heat to make a gravy and served it over the mashed potatoes and crazy tender beef and cooked carrots and OMG. A perfect cozy meal for a lazy cozy day.

And now it's Tuesday and I'm finishing this post up before work while drinking tea in front of my sparkling lights. The girls are masked up and off to school and Landon leaves in a few minutes.

Maggie is bundled up for the cold and Moose is camped under the family Christmas tree.

I'm using my last few sips of Breakfast in Paris tea and my last few minutes before my first call to round up our menu from last week, this week, and next week up until the holidays.

Meals:
Mon: Beef Barley Soup (with a bag of frozen green beans added halfway through the cook time).
Tues: Chicken Verde Enchiladas, Mexican Rice, Black Beans (I make this recipe up, but it's chicken breasts in the crockpot on low wth verde salsa, shredded, and rolled into tortillas with a sprinkling of Monterrey Jack cheese and then everything is topped with some sour cream and a jar of verde enchilada sauce. Bake at 375 for 25 minutes.)
Wed: Garlic Herb Spaghetti with Chicken Meatballs (family favorite; those meatballs are so good, I try to make a double batch and freeze the other for a future fast spaghetti with tomato cream sauce kind of night).
Thurs: BBQ Chicken Sandwiches (frozen chicken breasts + cup of bbq sauce in the crockpot, cooked on low 8 hours, shredded, add more BBQ sauce before serving on wheat rolls with cheese, sliced tomato, and crispy onions), Tater Tots, Frozen Mixed Veggies.
Fri:Takeout Thai to celebrate 50 days!
Sat: Homemade Pizza (this dough recipe; Claire will make BBQ Chicken Pizza with the leftovers from Thursday, the rest of us will make whatever concoction sounds good with the remaining items in the fridge).
Sun: Mississippi Pot Roast, Mashed Potatoes (it's cheating, but the refrigerated 2-pack at Costco is so dang good, I buy them whenever they're available and just try to think of meals I can eat with them), Cooked Carrots. (This was AMAZING. I now see why people have recommended this impossibly simple recipe. James declared it the best meal of 2020; I strained the au jus and made a gravy with a bit of Wondra fluor and OMG.)

Mon: Clean Eating Instant Pot Summer Soup (SO GOOD; I did it in the crockpot with frozen chicken breasts, 1 cup farro, cooked on low for 9 hours. Then I shredded the chicken and added the diced zucchini and a briefly microwaved bag of frozen mixed vegetables isntead of just corn. It was hearty and filling but not heavy; winter perfection, even if it does say summer), crackers and cheese on the side.
Tues: Tamales (steamed from frozen; Costco's are great!), Mexican Rice, Black Beans, avocado and other toppings.
Wed: Creamy Mushroom Chicken with Crispy Onions, Mashed Potatoes (2nd tray from the Costco 2-pack), Steamed Green Beans.
Thurs: Gigi's Smoked Sausage and Meaty Spaghetti, Whole Wheat Spaghetti, Side Salad.
Fri: Frozen Pizza! Everyone picks one, I cook nothing, and we celebrate the start of winter break.
Sat: Leftover Spaghetti, maybe with penne this time, just to be crazy.
Sun: Rustic Potato and Leek Soup, Homemade Bread (2 new recipes that look amazing!)
Mon: Big Salad Night, Leftover Soup, Crackers and Cheese (I'd say leftover bread, but there's no way there will be any).
Tues: Gyros, Naan, Tzatziki, Roasted Potatoes, Greek Salad.