lifestyle

Joe’s Restaurant, Utica, NY

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I’d have to say even though Utica, NY has been named the worst of the worst cities in New York, as of the past two years it has made some drastic changes for the better. A new hospital has been approved to be built in the downtown Utica area. The Utica auditorium also has a new renovation underway and some of the major roads have been under construction. It definitely is looking a lot better.

I am not one to talk politics or go to my towns monthly board meetings. That’s just not me. But when I see our surrounding areas doing better I’m relieved for my kids. Changes are great but there is a lot to be said about the existing establishments that have been around for decades.

You walk into certain places like old bakeries, restaurants, and grocery stores that take you back in time and stir up old memories. How do we hold on to that if those types of places are going extinct? Some businesses are passed on from generation to generation but eventually begin to be phased out due to lack of interest or monetary funds to keep a place going.

I’m just happy that there are still places around like Joe’s Restaurant so that new generations realize that life isn’t about glitz and glamour, that simplicity is what creates values and appreciation for the little things such as good food and time spent with family and friends.

The food served here is a totally different subject all in its own. First and only rule at Joe’s is DO NOT ASK FOR BUTTER or you will be thrown out lol. Another key factor you need to know about Joe’s are the hours of operation. Tuesday’s 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Saturday 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.  Yup that’s right only two days of blessing you with their home cooked meals, patina decor, and an at home type of feel atmosphere. Just expect to wait for a table if you don’t get there before 11:00.  Even though it is small it definitely gives you a welcoming feel.

Joe’s Restaurant in Utica, NY located on Jay Street,  are one of those places that leave memories etched in your mind forever.

 

 

 

Self Sabotage, No Money but Wants Mo Money..it can be done

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I feel like my wheels are always spinning.  I seem to never get out of this vicious cycle of feeling poor. I am always asking myself, where in the world does my money go? Out the window that’s where. I spend it foolishly on nonsense and that’s about to end! 

So I found this free budget app called Daily Budget.  (No this isn’t an advertisement for them). It has a little piggy bank  as its icon and I found it very simple to use.

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First though I have a planner that I buy from Walmart every year to keep my appointments, subbing jobs, and ahh yes of course my bills in.  The planner cost $8 (if that)and without it I’d be lost.  It doesn’t have any bells or whistles. It’s just easy to follow because it has a month at a view glance which is great because you can see everything coming up right in front of you.

I love the idea of putting stickers in here or using bright colored markers but in reality I don’t have the time right now. That’s all a part of my bigger picture and my time management adventure that I’ll be tackling soon.

Sorry to cut this post short so for now I’m going to leave you with this but at the end of the week I’ll update you on my budgeting progress!!

Chicken Cordon Bye Bye Blue

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Okay so I made chicken cordon blue today but had to prepare it ahead of time because of our busy schedule and it came out delish. I had made it before but this time I did it a little different just to give it a little zip.

The problem is that we ate it so fast I forgot to take a “pretty” blog pic to post with the recipe. So the pic I posted was of my sons next to last piece before it disappeared.

My whole philosophy on cooking is that it isn’t an exact science. Yes, to some degree you have to follow the amount of ingredients and preparation but there is room for adding a little pizzazz here and there. One mistake I’ve made in the past is don’t over due it on the salt. Use your other salt free spices and be creative!

Here are the ingredients and the prep which took me about 10 to 15 minutes total.

Chicken Cordon Bye Bye Blue

~ 2 lbs. chicken breast (de-fatted, sliced thin and long)

~ Virginia Baked Ham, 1 slice per piece of chicken

~ Swiss cheese, any kind 1 slice per piece of chicken

1/2 cup of seasoned bread crumbs

salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder about 4 shakes of each on top of the rolled chicken cordon blue pieces

Cream Sauce

3/4 quarter stick of butter

1/3 cup of flour

1 cup of 2% milk

1/4 parmesan cheese

2 tsp. spicy brown mustard

1/3 cup of Honey Mustard dipping sauce/dressing

salt, pepper, onion powder to taste

Roll pieces of chicken with one slice of ham and one slice of Swiss cheese. Hold each piece with a tooth pick or two if needed. Put a few shakes of salt, pepper, and onion powder on each piece.

Drizzle bread crumbs on top of each piece to coat lightly.

Sauce/Gravy Preparation

Melt butter and then add flour to make a roux. Add milk slowly and stir until you see a smooth consistency.

Add mustard and honey mustard.

Add salt, pepper, onion powder.

Preheat oven to 350

Cover chicken pieces with gravy. Cook 45 minutes on 350. Voila!

115/65

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There is a lot to be said in those numbers. That is my blood pressure. One year ago today it was 199/100. I had an ekg done, stress test, and a numerous amounts of other tests. It all boiled down to my lifestyle which consisted of a tremendous amount of stress and a poor diet. So what I did was eliminate the stressors that caused me to “stress out” and I changed my diet.

It has been one week and two days since I’ve been off my Bystolic (BP) medicine and it is still down.

The reason why I am so ecstatic over this is because my sister died at the age of 47 and ultimately it was stress and her lifestyle that robbed her life at such a young age. I couldn’t do that to my kids so I knew I had to change something and I did.

I can’t finish this up now because Mike is picking us up and we are going to the mall and I have a ton more to say! But I hope you are all well out there xo