Author: Widow Badass

What’s On Your Plate Blog Challenge – Taco Salad Bowl Edition

On By Widow BadassIn Adventures in Food, What's On Your Plate51 Comments

It’s still summertime and the living is crazy. At least it is where I am at. I created this blog post several months ago, anticipating a summer full of packing, moving and renovations and I was not wrong. As of the date this post goes live, I’ll have moved to my new place, and be neck deep in Renovation Hell, Address: RIGHT HERE 🤪

I’ve been looking for recipes that are easy to make initially, and then easy to pull together from the fridge for a meal after a busy day. This one ticks all the boxes!

I came across this recipe from Dani Spies’ wonderful YouTube channel, Clean and Delicious. I’ve posted WOYPBC recipes from her before, and this one is another winner.

Dani used bison but that would mean another trip to another store so I settled for extra lean ground beef instead. Frying the veggies next to the ground beef. I mistakenly threw the tomatoes in with the veggie mix, instead of saving them to add to the bowl later. Still good!
Finished brown rice, in the rice cooker
This is my favourite brown rice. Chewy and nutty tasting. Delish! (Their white rice is awesome too.)
Beans, spices, and beef broth added and everything simmering nicely.
Rinsing the chopped romaine.
Bowl assembled and topped with tex-mex cheese blend.
Closeup of bowl.
I added some salsa and sour cream to really amp things up. Guacamole would make a nice addition too…for those whose stomachs can handle avocado…unfortunately mine can’t. I’ll live vicariously through you, if you don’t mind…

What I really like about this recipe is that it has inspired me to think of so many ways I could vary it. For instance, I could use ground chicken or turkey. I could make it vegetarian with beans only, or a veggie crumble instead of ground meat. I could add in extra greens. I could skip the rice and I could add some crushed tortilla chips instead. I could throw it all in a soft tortilla, to make a burrito. Etc. You get the idea.

Please let me know what’s on your plate this month! Either in the comments or by using InLinkz to link your post (🤞it works this time) or at Donna’s blog!

Rock on,

The WB

The Sunday Schnauzer – Lie Down With Dogs…

On By Widow BadassIn Adventures with dogs, Bowser the Schnauzer47 Comments

…Wake up like this! The kids went to the mainland so Oma was on overnight dog-sitter duty.

Most of the night he slept down by my feet. Then in the morning he decided to move up by my head.
One of us is not getting any more sleep. Sigh…
OK, this is kinda cute.
Really, Bowser?
Don’t get too comfortable, my friend!
OK, I give up. I’ll read my book for a while. Also, my hair matches Bowser’s fur kinda perfectly, doncha think?
Uhhhh, maybe I won’t be reading. Might as well get up!
Even after I got up, this pupster was STILL not ready to greet the day. Sheesh!

Rock on,

The WB

The Sunday Schnauzer – Some of My Other Favourite Things

On By Widow BadassIn Adventures with dogs, Bowser the Schnauzer38 Comments

Two weeks ago I showed you my ballie. Oma said this week I could show you other things I love but not as much as my ballie, and that mostly end up in my mouth. Oma is still busy with her move to the Bowserlands. She says she will be here soon. I cannot wait.

Strawberries! (Any berry, actually)
Napping with my family!
Especially when I lay on them so they can’t get away when I am asleep!
Mommy’s toes!
Shaking and chewing on Placeholder, Oma’s fake dog! Oma, you don’t need a Placeholder any more – I’m here now!
Tug of War!
Running!
Supervising renovations at the Bowserlands!
Even if it is tiring work!
Exploring!
Watermelon!
And last but not least, playing in the ocean!

I hope you have lots of favourite things too.

Rock on (I still don’t know what this means but Oma says Her blogge, Her rules),

The Bowz 🐾

The Sunday Schnauzer – Paper Roses

On By Widow BadassIn Adventures with dogs, Bowser the Schnauzer40 Comments

Here’s how my days are going this summer:

  1. Spend the early morning (or previous evening) packing up a load to take to the new place.
  2. Unload into Homer (the storage unit at the new place, so named by the previous owners).
  3. Go into my unit and prep for renovating, joined by the next door neighbour’s dog, You-Know-Who.
  4. Clean up the mess made by the neighbour dog.
  5. Go back to the apartment.
  6. Rinse and repeat.

Case in point:

I wasn’t doing anything, Oma. Why are you staring at my beard?
I really don’t know what you’re talking about.
What tissue paper flower?
Oh, THAT one…
Am I forgiven?

Of course he was. Once I stopped laughing. That magenta tongue!!! 🤣

We hope you have lots of laughs today and everyday. Here’s a bonus ear worm for you, because I can’t get this song out of my head either.

Rock on,

The WB and

The Bowz 🐾

The Sunday Schnauzer – My Ballie

On By Widow BadassIn Adventures with dogs, Bowser the Schnauzer30 Comments

Oma said I could write another dog blog because she is busy packing stuff to move to the Bowserlands. She has a lot of stuff. I don’t know why humans need so much stuff to be happy. I only need one thing (after food, water and love) and I can play for hours: my ballie.

Me and my ballie.
I love to play a game my humans call “Fetch”.
My ballie comes to the beach with me. I love to play fetch anywhere!
I brought the ballie back. Now I wait.
I double-dog dare you to take my ballie from me. Please?

I hope you have a ballie to play with today (along with food, water, and love).

Rock on,

The Bowz 🐾

What’s On Your Plate Blog Challenge – Birthday Breakfast Edition

On By Widow BadassIn Adventures in Food, What's On Your Plate49 Comments

I had a whole ‘nother post lined up for August’s WOYPBC and now it will have to wait until September…because of a conversation Joanne and I had on the morning of my birthday (July 27 – mark your calendars 😉). We FaceTime most mornings (I know – lucky me, right? 😄) and this was my birthday morning and the conversation turned to food. Well, OK it usually does. Specifically what was I going to eat on my special day. I mentally went through my cupboards and my fridge and decided I had all the ingredients to make myself French toast for breakfast on this most auspicious day – fresh BC raspberries, sourdough bread, eggs, vanilla, cinnamon and milk. And maple syrup, of course!

So after our call I got to “work”. And while I was assembling everything I had another thought: I wonder if I could make French toast in the air fryer? A quick Google search confirmed that I most certainly can. I didn’t follow a specific recipe but just noted the approximate times and temperatures, and off I went!

Fresh and local. It doesn’t get better than this!
Bread soaking in beaten egg, milk, vanilla and cinnamon.
In parchment-lined air fryer basket. I used a temp of 370F, for 4 minutes. Then I flipped the toast and did the other side for another 3-4 minutes.
The finished product. Beauty!
Plated and ready to eat!
Food p*rn money shot 😜
Mmmmmmm. Happy birthday to ME! 😁

Please let my co-host Donna or myself know what’s on your plate at your house, in the Comments section of either of our WOYPBC posts (or both, if you are so inclined!). Please check out Donna’s August post where she details her typical meals!

Trying this InLinkz thing yet again – thanks to Donna for setting this up! Please use this if you’d rather:

Rock on,

The WB

(Almost) Wordless Wednesday – Sand Sculpture Competition

On By Widow BadassIn Good Times, See the Beauty42 Comments

Last Friday, I reunited with Donna (home from an extended visit to the mainland) and we went for a walk down to the Parksville Community Beach. The annual Sand Sculpture competition had resumed, after a 2 year hiatus due to Covid-19. This was my first visit. I hope you enjoy the photos as much as I did taking them. The theme was the Roaring 20’s. Here are the sculptures that I deemed the best of the best (and they were all great!).

Very literal interpretation of the theme.
The Algorithm – my personal favourite. Giving me Metropolis vibes.
Another view of above sculpture, showing both the young and the old woman’s beauty in the mirror.
Communication
Front view of the prize-winning sculpture
Back view of Unbearabull
Greetings from Parksville

Rock on,

The WB

The Sunday Schnauzer – My People and Me

On By Widow BadassIn Adventures with dogs, Bowser the Schnauzer35 Comments

Oma said I could write another dog blog post for her because she is pupped pooped out from helping Mom and Dad paint and renovate their new house AND from moving some stuff from her place over to their storage building every day. (Oma says she will be living real close to me soon, at the Bowserlands!!!) So anyways, here goes…

Oma is trying to get the perfect picture of her, Mommy and me. Mommy’s hair has got the zoomies.
Mommy’s hair is calmed down but Oma says I am not showing my best side. I don’t get it. I am perfect from all sides.
Oma says this isn’t perfect but will have to do. I am happy because I want to get down and explore.
This is Daddy. He says he is used to having big dogs only. You can see I am working on him. Plus I AM a big dog. I don’t know why humans can’t see that. I weigh 10 pounds now.

There are 2 more humans in my life now. Daddy’s two other pups are here for the summer. So I have lots of people to play with me even when the grown ups are busy with their renovating/moving/painting. Life is good. I hope you have lots of playmates too.

Rock on, (I don’t know what this means but Oma says I have to say it)

The Bowz 🐾