Seeking Redemption & SpreadTheKindness Link Up #174
Today is a day that I will be seeking redemption…all day long. You see, between losing all track of the days in quarantine and then suffering from a severe abdominal issue yesterday (which turned out to be nothing more than really bad gas), I completely and totally forgot today was Jeff’s birthday. We woke as normal, went through all the normal morning routines, I kissed him good-bye as he left for work, and about an hour later I looked at the calendar and I gasped. And I cursed. A lot. And I sent off a hasty text message which could in no way make up for my oversight.
The guilt is strong this morning. So I am writing this post as part of my efforts to seek redemption. Then I am going to head off to the grocery store for a few items so I can cook up all of Jeff’s favorite things for dinner tonight. And hopefully, just hopefully, he will not remind me forever of his 39th birthday spent in quarantine when his wife and kids forgot it was his birthday.
In the meantime, let me also share some photos from our May Birthday Celebration on Saturday. I mean, Jeff’s birthday wasn’t entirely forgotten, we did celebrate this weekend with friends and neighbors in a small group. Our favorite baker in the world, Monica of EuropeCakes, has worked her baking magic once again with a chocolate cake that had raspberry filling and it did not disappoint. She never disappoints.
We made all sorts of goodies to eat, the drinks were overflowing, and we ended the night on Saturday in a state of inebriation and happiness. And just for the hell of it, I am going to share two our favorite cook out recipes. They are easy and delicious and always a hit.
That big bowl in the middle contains Liz Veloz’s Chicken Macaroni Salad. It is actually Liz Veloz’s mother’s recipe straight from the Dominican Republic. Liz is a very dear friend of mine from many, many years ago. This pasta dish was a staple at all of her barbecues as well. I made one minor adjustment to it specifically for my husband which was to substitute craisins for raisins because he hates raisins.
Liz Veloz’s Chicken Macaroni Salad
Ingredients:
- 1 pound elbow macaroni, cooked and drained.
- 2 large chicken breasts, boiled and shredded.
- 1 jar of roasted red peppers, drained and diced.
- 1 cup of mayo, more if needed to reach desired consistency.
- 1/2 cup of raisins (or craisins or pine nuts).
- 1/2 cup Vidalia onion, chopped.
- Juice from one small lime.
- Salt and pepper to taste.
Instructions:
Mix it all together. Chill and serve.
I cannot take credit for these Chicken Bacon Wraps either. This is a Paula Dean recipe that I found many years ago. It is super easy to make and always a hit.
Paula Dean’s Sweet Chicken Bacon Wraps
Ingredients:
- 1 1/4 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast (I used two large breasts).
- 1 pound bacon (I used turkey bacon).
- 2/3 cup brown sugar.
- 2 tablespoons chili powder.
- Pinch of salt.
- Toothpicks.
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Mix brown sugar, chili powder, and salt together in a large mixing bowl.
- Cut raw chicken breasts into 1 inch cubes.
- Cut raw bacon slices into thirds.
- Wrap the bacon around the chicken cubes and secure with a toothpick.
- Dredge the chicken bacon wraps in the brown sugar mixture until it is coated.
- Place the wraps on a sprayed broiler pan.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes until the bacon is crisp and the chicken is cooked.
Before I sign off, I want to send a huge Happy Birthday out to my favorite person in the world! I would be nothing without this amazing man in my life! Also a very Happy Birthday to our friend and neighbor, Anna, who celebrates her birthday on May 28. We were so happy that she could join us this weekend for the birthday celebration!
What did you all do for the Memorial Day weekend? We clearly celebrated birthdays galore!
And now your featured favorites from last week.
Reader Favorite (Most Clicked)
Joanne of Slices of Life shared her post, Shows We’ve Been Streaming as a Family. Lots of you were interested in Joanne’s list of family friendly movies and television shows ranging from new films to old classics. There is something for everyone on this list.
My Favorite Fashion Post
Ashley of Le Stylo Rouge shared her post, A Bright Fuchsia Babydoll Dress for KC Homes & Style. I couldn’t resist the fun color and style of Ashley’s dress paired with her magnificent matching pumps to add a little extra zest to an already fabulous dress.
My Favorite Non-Fashion Post
Tiina of Dilettante Artist shared her post, Graffiti Portrait, which fuses pop art and graffiti in this gorgeous photograph of her beautiful mother.
Sitting on the edge hoping for redemption,
Shelbee
Linking up with these Fabulous Link Parties.
Shop my look…
Outfit Details: Shorts and Cami-Torrid / Top-Charlotte Russe / Sandals-Target / Belt-Gap / Hat-Linda Gibbs Handmade / Necklace-Moontide Arts / Earrings-Thrifted
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
I am a midlife woman, wife, and stay-at-home mother of 2 boys and 2 cats. I have a passion for helping other women feel fabulous in the midst of this crazy, beautiful life.
54 Comments
eva @ StyleMyThrift
shelbee! i completely understand how you forgot!…i forgot that memorial day was a day off, since we had friends over on friday…completely confused…but at least you did remember!…i am not very sensitive about those things, but my husband is so sensitive about these things…ie if his b-day falls on a weekday and i suggest we celebrate that following weekend–bad idea…doesn’t sound like your husband was upset?….
xo eva
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks, Eva! My husband was not at all upset, but he also had no problem taking advantage of my self-induced guilt. Haha. We had an amazing dinner and I overcooked as usual, so he invited a few neighbors over to help us eat some of it. We had a great night. And I don’t think either of us are really sensitive about these things, but we do like to tease each other for little oversights like that.
xoxo
Shelbee
Mitch
I am excited for corn on the cob this season, I get it at the farmers market, so I know it is super fresh. I cannnot wait to try that milk addition for extra sweetness, that sounds brilliant! I usually add a packet of sugar, milk seems smarter! Thanks! And HBD to your hubby!
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Mitch, thanks so much! There is nothing quite like super fresh corn on the cob! And apparently, based on some other comments, adding milk and sugar to the water is the way to go!
xoxo
Shelbee
Tamar A Strauss-Benjamin
You’re human!!
I am sure he will forget it and have a great day!!
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks, Tamar! He was never even upset with me. But he was very happy with the results of my guilt!
xoxo
Shelbee
mireille
That blue and red are such great colors you. I have done things like that before, I am sure your hubby will be forgiving. Sometimes it is hard to think about everything and at least you all had celebrated on the weekend. Give yourself grace.
http://www.chezmireillefashiontravelmom.com
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Mireille, thank you so much! All is good. Jeff was never even upset with me. But the guilt was strong coming from inside myself. And of course, it was super hot yesterday while I sweated off half of my body weight cooking and baking all day! Haha.
xoxo
Shelbee
Ashley
I am loving your super cute floral look, Shelbee! And I’m sure Jeff was a good sport- you only forgot for a minute! 🙂
Thanks so much for featuring my look from last week- I’m so glad you liked it!
-Ashley
Le Stylo Rouge
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Ashley! Jeff was absolutely a good sport and we had a fantastic evening after he got home from work!
xoxo
Shelbee
Nora Minassian
It’s ok Shelbee, I am sure he will forgive you as soon as he sees his favorite food and gets a few hugs and kisses. I like your cute look for the weekend, looks perfect.
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Nora! All has been forgiven, but he was never really mad anyway. We had an amazing feast for dinner as a result of my guilt. And everyone was happy. (And I was a little bit tired from cooking all day.)
xoxo
Shelbee
Patrick Weseman
Looking already for summer and always remember, they still feel the love you have for them even though you forgot. That is the most important thing. Something that I have learned over the years.
Looking great and I hope you enjoy your week. Thanks for hosting.
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Patrick! All is harmonious in my household…because guilt drives me to make up for my oversight. And it was all beneficial to Jeff in the end. He enjoyed every bit of my guilt! Haha. Have a great day, my friend.
xoxo
Shelbee
Tiina L
Oh dear… couldn’t you pass it off as totally planned? You know: ’ha-ha, you thought I forgot your birthday but it was just to make the surprise bigger’? I’m sure he’ll forgive you. After all, we’re all caught in this Groundhog Day vortex, it’s a miracle if we can remember what day of the week it is…
Thank you for the feature!
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks, Tiina! You know, I thought of playing it off as planned, but that wasn’t until after I panicked and texted him at work admitting my oversight. But he was never upset to begin with and reaped some major benefits from my guilt-induced actions! Ha.
xoxo
Shelbee
Christina Morley
Oh my! I’m glad you were able to salvage that one! My hubby’s birthday is tomorrow. God bless!
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks, Tina! I hope you didn’t make the same oversight today as I did yesterday! Haha. Happy Birthday to your husband!
xoxo
Shelbee
Katie
I have no idea what day it is either, so I can see how easy it would be to forget a birthday! Sounds like you were able to make up for it, so hopefully all is forgiven! Those Paula Dean bacon wraps look amazing! Hope you have a good rest of your week!
Katie
http://www.hellokatiegirlblog.com/
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Katie! I totally made up for my oversight and Jeff was a very happy man. He did enjoy taking advantage of my guilt, too. Haha. The Paula Dean wraps are so stinking easy to make, I highly recommend them if you need a quick appetizer for something. Everyone loves them!
xoxo
Shelbee
Laura Bambrick
Oh no! Poor you and poor Jeff! I hope he had a happy birthday and I’m sure he understands. I had no idea about that splash of milk in corn! I need to try that asap! We normally microwave our corn in the husk just for ease. Both of your recipes look so yummy!
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks, Laura! Jeff was very understanding and very happy when he came home to a feast of his favorite things! I don’t think I have ever made corn on the cob in the microwave. That is a great idea. However, we usually only make it when we have parties so bulk cooking is how we go! Have you have tried cooler corn?
xoxo
Shelbee
Nancy
Yeah yeah, and you think you can distract us with some recipes? Boy oh boy, you are so lucky that Jeff is such a good man! Ha ha ha, oh dear, I hope you make it up with him….. I’ll bet you do! Happy birthday Jeff!
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Haha, Nancy! I made all of Jeff’s favorite things and he enjoyed taking advantage of my guilt! He was never actually upset anyway, but he sure did enjoy the dinner I made for him.
xoxo
Shelbee
Gail
Your feast looked amazing and I’m sure Jeff has forgiven you. These are such strange times it’s all too easy to forget things.
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks, Gail! Jeff was never even mad at me and I spent the whole day sweating in the kitchen! Haha. But everything I made turned out amazing!
xoxo
Shelbee
Joanne
I am so honored that my family shows post was most clicked from last week. That cake sounds delicious (I love chocolate and raspberry together!). I have had the hardest time of keeping track of dates throughout this whole pandemic and have had a few birthdays and things sneak up on me. You’ll just have to do up his 40th extra big next year to make up for it.
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Joanne! It seems to get more and more difficult lately to keep track of anything! And yes, next year we will have do something really, really special for Jeff’s milestone birthday!
xoxo
Shelbee
Cheryl Shops
To be fair, forgetting someone’s birthday during all of this feels like an honest mistake—I barely know what day or month it is! But happy birthday to your hubs, and I hope it’s a memorable one for him!
Cheryl Shops | http://www.cherylshops.net
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Cheryl! I really have no idea what is going on and rarely check the calendar these days, it seems. I think we all had memorable birthdays this year in quarantine. And we definitely will remember them fondly!
xoxo
Shelbee
Carrie @ Curly Crafty Mom
Oh no! It is so easy to lose track of days and time while we’re off our schedules. At least you remembered later in the day it was his birthday! And, I add a touch of milk AND sugar to my pot of boiling water when I make corn. I love that blue floral top, I have a similar one. That knit cap is cute with the braids!
Carrie
curlycraftymom.com
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Carrie! I swear I don’t even look at a calendar these days so I have no idea what the heck is going on most of the time. Jeff was very happy with my guilt response because he was anticipating leftovers for dinner…instead he got a feast of all of his favorite things! And I am going to add sugar and milk to the corn cob pot next time, for sure! Thanks for the tip.
xoxo
Shelbee
Michelle
I think it’s easy to overlook an actual birth date when you’ve had a joint celebration previous too it. It happened to me once. We had celebrated my birthday a week early when family was around, and when the actual day rolled around my parents forgot. LOL! I had to tease them about it. But I wasn’t upset.
The cookout celebration sounds fun and looks delicious!
Michelle
https://mybijoulifeonline.com
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Michelle! You are right, we had already celebrated and I didn’t totally forget his birthday. But Jeff will tease me forever about it just like you teased your parents! Haha. He really enjoyed that my guilt pushed me to make all of his favorite things though. And he wasn’t at all mad. I just felt like an idiot.
xoxo
Shelbee
Jennifer
It’s so hard to keep track of what day it is!
Jennifer
Effortlessly Sophisticated
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
It really is, Jennifer! My birthday is this Saturday and I will probably forget that, too!
xoxo
Shelbee
Lucy Bertoldi
Forgetting a Bday I think has happened to most of us! And as long as you can redeem- there’s always understanding:) Love that beanie btw!!
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks, Lucy! I actually enjoyed myself on the road to redemption! Haha. I haven’t been cooking much lately so it was nice to get back to it.
xoxo
Shelbee
Nanchi
Hey dear! It’s quite normal to slip off things from your mind. Better late than never, right!? The treat looks yum. Also, the top you wore has gorgeous color! 🙂
https://nanchi.blog/
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Nanchi! It definitely happens to me more often than most! But all is well when there is great food on the table.
xoxo
Shelbee
linda cassidy
I have to keep looking at the date on my computer and my calendar or I would be totally lost. Loving this look on yoou
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Linda! Yeah, if I don’t check the calendar, I am totally lost! I guess I need to make sure to look at the calendar first thing in the morning.
xoxo
Shelbee
Darlene
Oh, yum! Gotta try a couple of those!! Thanks for sharing. You look super cute and I’m sure all this hard work and good food will make up for your tiny little relapse! Lol! Cute outfit, too! Wasn’t it just snowing there? Crazy weather!
xx Darlene
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thank you, Darlene! I think all the food did the trick and we have leftovers for the rest of the week, too. Always a plus for me! And yes, it was snowing over Mother’s Day weekend and now it is brutally hot and will be dropping down to a high of 58 by the weekend. So weird.
xoxo
Shelbee
Marilee Judith Gramith
Forgive yourself. Quarantining has made for gobs of sameness…
Looks like Jeff is a Grateful Dead fan.? My husband Jay has followed them forever! I’ve been to at least 3 of their concerts myself!
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Jude! Jeff is a huge Grateful Dead fan but I don’t think he ever had the opportunity to see them. That is so awesome that you have seen them play live!
xoxo
Shelbee
Jacqui Berry
Good food Shelbee and the cake looks delicious! I’ve stuffed my face with cake over the past couple of months and really need to stop now! Thanks for sharing and hosting and hope you’ve had a Happy Birthday Hun. Jacqui x
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Jacqui! I have gained so much weight during this quarantine! And it sure didn’t help all the birthdays we have had during this time…my whole family had birthdays during lockdown. But I am slowly getting back on track now that warm weather has finally arrived and I am showing off more skin! Haha.
xoxo
Shelbee
ROBIN LAMONTE
Shelbee,
The holidays, the birthdays, and parties canceled during our social distancing have been so hard for many of us.
I think we’ve all gained weight since March!
I love the Paula Deen recipe! I am having family over this weekend and will use it for an appetizer!
Hugs,
Robin
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Robin! Yeah, it has definitely been crazy for everyone! Let me know how you like the Paula Dean chicken bacon wraps! And have a wonderful time with your family this weekend.
xoxo
Shelbee
Ruth Josey
Owwww! I’ve done this before but not with the hubby. Surely after coming home and seeing how cute you looked, all was forgotten. I love this outfit on you and those shoes are super cute! Those recipes are wonderful to have because I’m sure there will be get-togethers and parties again and I’ll need something to take. I’m not totally sure I can tell the difference between craisins and raisins. I don’t love either by themselves but I’m good with raisins in bread and toast and oatmeal and cookies. Just not straight. Craisins I don’t understand. They’ve got to add a ton of sugar to those things before they let them die and shrivel because they’re not sweet at all in their raw state. Or do they not really start out as cranberries? And I didn’t know that about cooking corn! That poor little ear that wasn’t as perfect as the rest. I’ll bet its big kernels were way sweeter than the others, though. I can’t wait to read the sequel to this post! Thanks so much for the linkup!
Ruth
https://voguefauxreal.com/2020/05/25
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Ruth, thanks so much! Ralphie ate that last wonky corn cob yesterday and he devoured it as if it were the best one in the whole batch! I am not a fan of raisins or craisins alone either, but I do like them mixed into things. Today is my day to sit back and enjoy all the special treats Jeff is preparing! Have a wonderful weekend, my friend.
xoxo
Shelbee
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