Acutely Felicia: October 2026

Easy Corn Relish

Last night for dinner, we had Tilapia with a Greek cucumber sauce on pita bread, topped with an amazing corn relish that I made up as I went along in an attempt to use some veggies that were about to expire. It was so yummy that Mister said I should share it here.

I don't usually do a lot of recipes, even back in the day when I blogged as Living Like Grandma (oh, how I wish I still had that blog). However, when I post them, I don't do a lot of 'blabbing' and loads of pictures. If you're here for this post, you're here for the recipe, not my ramblings. So, with that said, let's get to it.

Corn Relish

Ingredients

4 Tbs of olive oil, separated
4 ears of corn
1 medium jalapeño
1 medium red onion
2 Tbs minced garlic
1 medium zucchini
1 cup cherry tomatoes
2 Tbs liquid smoke
water
1 Tbs of Cajun seasoning (or more if you like)
salt and pepper to taste
2 Tbs heavy cream *optional

Directions

Using 3 Tbs of the olive oil, coat the ears of corn and char. I like to char mine over an open flame, but you can also do it in the oven under broil or in a skillet on high. Once cooled, cut the kernels off the cob.

Dice the onion, jalapeño, and zucchini. Cut the cherry tomatoes into quarters.

Heat the last Tbs of olive oil in a large skillet. Sauté the onions and jalapeños until soft and lightly browned. Add in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Next, add in the zucchini and continue to cook until the vegetables are cooked down. Toss in the tomatoes and cook for another minute, then add in the liquid smoke and just enough water to simmer it all in. I may have used 1/4 cup; this was the one thing I didn't measure. Add in the seasoning and give it a good stir.

Once cooked through, about 5 minutes, if using, add in the heavy cream. Cook for about two minutes, then turn off, letting the corn relish thicken.

We ate this over grilled tilapia, but it would work great over chicken, beef, or just in a bowl.

Pre-Empty Nest Thoughts

With Ms H turning 19, the hard realization that I'll be an empty nester within a year is starting to sink in.

I'm not sure I'm ready.

I'm proud of the woman she's becoming, and I know it's time (nearly) for her to spread her wings, but y'all. She 'needs' me less and less each day, which, again, I know is a good thing, but I miss that small girl who needed me to tie her shoes. Ms H is fiercely independent, tackling things like ACT testing, signing up for community college, and doctor and dentist appointments on her own. It's strange to not be needed for all the 'things' I did for her so often over the years.

I know in the grand scheme she still needs me. I mean, after all, I'm 43 and still need my momma. Yet, it's not quite the same.

No matter how big she gets, she'll always be my munchkin

I've spent the last 24 years raising babies, and much of that time as a stay-at-home wife and mother. It's weird thinking that part of my life is over. I'm learning to be 'me' again, not only the 'mom' version of myself. I've worked hard over the last half-decade to find myself after raising little ones, but the kids came first.

Now it'll just be me and Mister the majority of our days. That freedom is a touch scary and exciting. I'm discovering new hobbies, things to fill my days. I'm learning to be at peace with an empty and quiet house during the day. The quiet isn't so weird, but the emptiness is very odd.

I couldn't ask for a better person to spend the rest of my days with.

I'm trying to get accustomed to an empty house most of the day with Mister and Ms H both working. I put on an audiobook to help cut the dead silence, but still, the emptiness is a lot to bear.

I really don't know how I'll ever get used to it. We did just adopt a sweet fur baby; I'm hoping her presence will bring me some additional comfort once Ms H does move out.

Lord, I can see it now. I'm going to be one of those little old ladies carrying on full conversations with her pup. Ya know, that's something I can look forward to.

Homemaker Sunday ~ 10/18-10/24

Good morning!

I can't remember why I ever stopped drinking coffee in the mornings.

It was a wonderful weekend. Mister and I spent Saturday at home enjoying relaxing, football, and the new puppy Wednesday. We are all quite smitten with her. She's so stinking smart too! She figured out the doggy door in about 10 minutes. I really think she was abandoned because she wasn't spayed and had puppies. She's definitely house trained, minus the jumping up on couches, which will have to be corrected. I don't mind a pup on my furniture but Mister doesn't want her on the leather couches, to be fair I understand,they are new and costly.

How you could not be smitten when looking at this sweet girl.

Alas, I can't spend the whole post talking about my sweet girl. On to the week ahead.

So far this is what my week is shaping up to look like:

Weather

Sunday: 68/43

Monday: 71/47

Tuesday: 73/48

Wednesday: 76/49

Thursday: 79/22

Friday: 81/54

Saturday: 81/56

Current Mood

Utterly content. The weather is gorgeous this morning, on the chilly side with bright sunshine and the house is peaceful while everyone else sleeps in. I got the morning dishes done and am now relaxing in my book nook before heading to work.

My book nook before I brought my plants in

Meal Plan

Sunday: Fend For Yourself

Monday: Baked tilapia with cucumber sauce and a corn salad

Tuesday: Three cheese tortellini with homemade sauce and garlic French bread

Wednesday: Homemade pizza

Thursday: Date night-Kpot with the team

Friday: Chicken with Cajun cream sauce, mashed potatoes, green beans

Saturday: Korean Beef Bowls

Going Ons

Sunday: Spark Driving

Monday: Call about allergies for Ms H, look into housing for Mrs K
(oldest daughter)

Wednesday: Take Wednesday to get spayed and microchipped

Thursday: Date night...Kpot!

Saturday: Taking bestie out for birthday fun

Around the House

Morning dishes are done

Work on cleaning entryway section of floor (I'm officially halfway through the floors!)
Laundry/ironing
Clean kitchen cabinets
Go through small inside freezer and plan next week's meals around it
Make beef broth

Working Out

In an attempt to not undo all the work my physical therapist has done, I'm starting a gentle workout routine this week. My goal is stretching joints and nerves daily, strengthening twice a week, and cardio three times a week. I'm aiming to do around 15 minutes of cardio and build up from there slowly.

Currently Reading

Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell (audiobook about 10 hours of 49 left)

Out of the Deeps by John Wyndham

An sci-fi from the 1950s

Creative Outlet

This week I'm going to let cooking be my creative outlet. It's a hobby I really enjoy, and I am thoroughly in the mood to cook. I think it's the cooler weather.

Favorite Photo

Ms H falling in love with Wednesday.

And that's my week in a nutshell. What are you up to this week?

What I Spent What We Ate: Meet Wednesday

Everyone, meet Wednesday, the newest member of our household.

Wednesday is the sweetest girl

We rescued her from the local pet center yesterday. She's the sweetest; she loves to play and lie back chilling. It's been sixteen months since we lost our last fur baby, and we are finally healed enough to open our hearts to another precious doggo.

And because I didn't get many dinner shots this week, instead you get Wednesday pictures.

What I Spent:

$45 and some change at Aldi's, which includes a bit of food for next week

$65.32 at Walmart

$85 eating out

What we ate:

Monday

We had pulled pork sliders with chickpea fries. I wasn't overly impressed with the 'fries'; the texture was off. The pulled pork was a hit as always. We put it on Hawaiian bread topped with provolone cheese. Yum!

Her first hours home were spent sniffing and relaxing on the carpet

Tuesday

This was Ms H's birthday, and we ate food from India Mart. There was butter chicken curry, paneer tikka masala, palak paneer, and lots of naan. This was a large chunk of the $85 we spent eating out this week; however, it was planned for birthday fun!

The only food picture of the week.

Wednesday

We had leftovers for lunch and potluck goodness for dinner. I really wish I'd taken time to take a few snapshots of the feast that was laid out. There was deer sausage soup, red beans and rice, a paneer curry, chili, Thai chicken curry, cheese dips, potato mac and cheese, appetizers, desserts, and much more. I love that Mister has so many cultures represented on his team; we get ALL the food! There was one dish in particular; it was more of an appetizer that I've got to figure out how to make. It was a boiled egg on a puff pastry with some sort of onion relish. Oh my dear Lord, I could have made myself sick on those.

She is loving the big backyard

Thursday through Saturday

One of the perks of hosting a potluck is the copious amounts of leftovers. We've been eating leftover Indian food, chili, and red beans and rice.

Lots of good morning yawns

What did you eat this week?

Thankful Thursday: Rain, Quiet, and Sleep

It rained for most of yesterday and a good part of today. And ya'll after last night's party, I needed a good, quiet rainy day.

Which leads me into this week's thankfulness post.

I'm thankful the party went so well

We had a grand time; everyone showed up around 6 and didn't leave till after 9. There was a ton of food, and most of it got eaten. What didn't will feed us for the rest of the week. I didn't get any pictures but the obligatory group shot at the end; I was having too much fun being hostess and visiting with all my guests.

(faces blurred for privacy)

I'm thankful we have such a large house

We had 22 adults and 9 children last night, and we all fit comfortably. Having a large home is a privilege I'm always very grateful for. I love to host, and having a larger home to do so with ease has been a dream.

I'm thankful for Ms H

After everyone left last night, she jumped in to help put the house back together. It would have taken me all day to clean the house, but with her help, I only needed to put up dishes and mop the floors this morning. I really don't know what I'm going to do when she moves out in a year.

I'm thankful for the quiet and the rain

While I love hosting big get-togethers, they always wear me out. So it was nice today that both Mister and Ms H headed into work, leaving me to breathe in the quiet. Add the darkened sky, the sound of rain and wind, and it was a perfect day to recharge. After chores, I catnapped most of the day and got a few hours of my current audiobook in.

What are you thankful for this week?

Semi-Wordless Wednesday: This Is Halloween

A quick peek around the house at my Halloween decor. It all makes me so happy.

Happy Birthday Ms H

I can't believe it's been 19 years since this sweet angel came into my world.

Ms H has been a whirlwind of laughter and love in our lives; I can't imagine a world without her sassy commentary and laughter in it.

She's always helping

And her love of makeup started early

She's always been serious

and super opinionated

She's full of sass

and full of confidence.

She knows who she is

and has grown into quite a young woman.

I am proud of the woman she's turning into.

What Physical Therapy Has Taught Me

I turned 43 this year, and my body started betraying me. Small, weird things that wouldn't normally cause soreness or, worse, injury have, in fact, started causing issues.

A few months ago, I tweaked my right trapezius, rhomboid, and the scapulae, which started a domino effect of injuries. I really don't know what I did; my physical therapist thinks it was a combination of things, like bad posture for years, lack of exercise, and lifting something in a way that made it all set off.

Going to physical therapy the last few weeks has taught me

That

Not all of the issues I am having are just because of the strain in the muscles I mentioned above. A lot of the numbing issues I am having are from a nerve in my elbow being compressed. This happens because I spend way too much time playing on my phone. Working on correcting that now.

That

I have been too sedentary after my ATV accident back in 2019. I let a year of being unable to walk affect my mentality, which, in turn, affected my physical health. I need to start moving more

That

I need to focus on strengthening my joints and muscles more than stretching and even more than cardio. While cardio is important for my overall health, the issues I'm correcting in physical therapy all correlate to my muscles and joints being really weak. Mister is going to be so thrilled; he's been trying to get me to work on my strengthening for ages now. Guess this one time he was right; that was bound to happen at least once *evil laugh*

and finally

That

I've been so focused on not causing any issues in my fused ankle that I've neglected everything else. But I've also learned it's not too late to fix this.