It has been a little bit of a weird couple of weeks. Work has been both great and horrible at the same time as it’s testing season. It’s horrible because all I do all day is test one kid after another and I can’t do anything else except think about all the work piling up on my desk. It’s great because I get to talk to my students a little more than I use to and I can avoid the computer and phone because … well … I can’t have access to either while testing.

So this means the pets have had to entertain themselves the last few weeks. Jessie is suffering from one walk a day syndrome and the cats … well …

they are darn cute but very needy. Tigger has been singing the song of his people at 3:30 am and Gracie remembers that she wants cuddles at 5 am. I adore them, I really do, but I actually slept in the other room the other night just so I could sleep. Yes, I tried closing them out of the bedroom, but between Jessie (who we let in) and Leia (who knew???) it was worse then the other two. So, I made use of the spare room and actually slept.

Which did not prevent me form getting Bob’s cold. He got the nasty-totally-drain-you bug and then lovingly passed it on to me, so I’ve spent the whole weekend in bed or on the couch, generally with two or three furry creatures surrounding me. I’ve managed to start planning the Chicago trip and have a few things nailed down and am now also looking at a Disney weekend since Miss Erin will be coming down (thank you Mel, you have my eternal gratitude for getting her to come down! Dinner is on us!) I’ve also picked up the iPad version of Hearthstone just because. It’s a card game of a sort and I was pretty sure I would not like it. Boy was I wrong. I’m hooked. Bob even joked that I was way more into it than he is and he’s right. It’s nice that I can sit and play for a few minutes between resting or for a few minutes here and there. Since it’s on the tablet, no strain on my shoulder and it doesn’t require money or long tine commitments. And really, it’s just kind of fun.

I’ve been going between my a HelloFresh and Blue Apron boxes the last few weeks. They really have saved my sanity for dinner prep. And while the picture above is a a HelloFresh dinner, it was so incredible I had to post it. Thai Beef Lettuce wraps. Substitute quinoa for the beef and you can probably make this a vegetarian version.

Lettuce leaves (I think they were butter lettuce) – for wrapping

Cook 12 oz ground beef in pan with 2 tablespoons soy sauce and 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce. Cook until beef is cooked through then add 1 small can of water chestnuts and two cloves of garlic, both chopped up. Stir to combine and cook about a minute.

While the beef is cooking peel a carrot and then use the peeler to make ribbons from the carrot. Cut into strips one red bell pepper. Chop about three or four sprigs of cilantro leaves; combine all of that in a bowl with the juice of one lime and a little salt and pepper.

For playing, fill the lettuce with a scoop or two of the beef mixture and top with the carrot mix and a few chopped peanuts. Warning, this is not first date food – it’s messy but oh so good.

I hope to be back to feeling better and cooking soon. Hope all is well!