Another Year Gone

Till memory fades and life departs, you live forever in our hearts.

Jeanne Marie

1942 - 2018

This Sunday, April 27th, marks seven years since my mother passed.  I still miss her and think of her often.  I picture her not in heaven but at the rainbow bridge keeping all the animals company until their people join them.

Just A Quiet Day

Today marks the beginning of a five day weekend for my wife.  She normally has Fridays off, so her Good Friday stat has been moved to Tuesday.  It appears that the plan for today is to have no plan.  Not going anywhere or doing anything.

Dr. Pepper BBQ Sloppy Joes

This recipe come from Facebook.  It was originally posted on Easy Recipes.  A sweet and savory twist on a childhood favorite.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. ground beef
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 small green bell pepper, diced
• 1 cup Dr. Pepper soda
• 1/2 cup barbecue sauce (your favorite variety)
• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 6 hamburger buns

Directions:

• In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the ground beef until browned, breaking it apart as it cooks. 
• Drain excess fat.
• Add diced onion and bell pepper to the skillet. 
• Cook for 3–4 minutes until softened.
• Stir in Dr. Pepper, barbecue sauce, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, garlic powder, smoked paprika, salt, and black pepper. 
• Reduce heat and simmer the mixture for 10–15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens and coats the meat.
• Spoon the sloppy joe mixture onto hamburger buns. 
• Serve warm.

Tired All The Time

It has been 11 months since I underwent bypass surgery.  A procedure that I am sure both saved and extended my life.  However, over the pass year I have found that I feel weaker and tired all the time.

As a result I have not been a very good steward of my blog.  For that I apologize and hope to do better.  So here we go on reboot # whatever.

Bourbon BBQ Cheeseburger Meatball Subs

A fun twist on the classic meatball sub with bourbon BBQ sauce, bacon, and cheeseburger flavors.  This recipe came from Facebook and was originally posted by Grandma's Cooking Recipes.  Serve with a side of fries or chips.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb ground beef
• 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
• 1/4 cup grated cheddar cheese
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup bourbon BBQ sauce
• 6 slices cooked bacon, crumbled
• 4 sub rolls
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
• Mix ground beef, breadcrumbs, cheddar cheese, egg, salt, and pepper.
• Form into meatballs and bake for 15 minutes.
• Drizzle meatballs with bourbon BBQ sauce and bake for another 5 minutes.
• Serve on sub rolls, topped with crumbled bacon.
• Note: Add pickles or onions for extra flavor.

When Did I Get Old

I wonder what my teenage self would say if I could go back and tell him what life is like at 55.  Tell him that in the past year we have had a heart attack, had a stent inserted in our heart, and had bypass surgery.  That we now take 9 pills every morning, 6 of which are for our heart.

There was a time when I didn't hurt all the time.  There was a time when it was not uncommon for me to sleep through the night as opposed to 3 hour stints with an hour or 2 in between.  There was a time when I was sure that I was invincible.

Now I worry about falling when I lift a foot up to put my slipper on.  Now I make sure that along with wallet, phone, and keys, I have a nitro spray in my pocket when I leave the house.  Now I stop when I see a washroom...just in case.

When I was 27 my father was 55.  I would have never referred to him as old.  However, I am not so sure that a 27 year old wouldn't refer to me as old  now.

A Dilemma

I try my best to not let politics or religion slip into my posts.  That being said, I will keep this as apolitical as possible.  In light of events that occurred this past weekend I am dealing with a dilemma.

As a result of those events, there is a push to put my country first.  My wife and I do a lot of that now.  Our meat is from a local farm and some of our produce and baked goods from the local farmer's market.

However it has been suggest that I do away with certain platforms and services.  In particular Facebook and Amazon.  I use both of these services daily and cancelling them would cause me some inconveniences to say the least.

Facebook is where I connect with family and friends the majority of which live at least 3,176 km away.  Amazon always has what I need when I need it without having to go check multiple stores.  Also I listen to music via Amazon and I must say that as a member of Generation X I do not want to have to change my music collection format yet again.