This week we’re going to have a more lighthearted episode. As with life, there are moments filled with joy and despair. This series reflects both in the characters’ lives. In this episode, Tony and Amanda are trying for a baby. Will they be successful? To answer that question, please stop and watch Episode 14 down below. If you have already watched, let’s get into the deep dive.

As we start the episode, we learn that Nina is trying to work on herself and find a good place in her life. Mental illness is a real struggle for a lot of people. Nina’s anxiety and depression is stopping her from enjoying life, and now she’s finally taking steps in getting it under control.

In my life, I have had my own struggles with it. For years I didn’t know what it was, until I finally learned to control it. My method of control is not medication, it is meditation. Now when you think meditating, you probably thinking of chanting and sitting cross-legged on the floor with incense, as we see below from one of my favorite movies The Good-Bye Girl.

But switching from Nina’s struggles, we find Amanda and Tony have moved into their new house. For about a year they’ve been struggling to have a baby. Many couples face this struggle, I was one of them for a long time. But to help lift Amanda’s spirits with the baby blues, Tony and she adopt a little puppy from the local shelter, and they name her Floof. This is a reminder that if you do decide to get a dog for your home, please adopt and don’t shop. There are so many pets in shelters in need of a home. Please be one of those special souls that adopts a pet and give them a fur-ever home.

Every month when Amanda takes a test it comes up negative. This actually happened in my game at the time. I often wondered if Tony and her wouldn’t have children but when Amanda decides to get professional help and doesn’t take a pregnancy test. She finds out from her doctor, after they run a pregnancy test – she is in fact pregnant!

Amanda is shocked to learn that she’s pregnant. Maybe she should have taken the test this month after all and saved herself the cost of the doctor’s visit. Feeling like she’s going to burst with happiness, she needs to tell someone her good news. Tony is already at work and won’t be home until later, and she doesn’t want to call him at work. So, she decides to make a surprise visit at someone else’s house.

Amanda arrives calling out for her mother and grandmother. Olive, her mother, who hears her calling her downstairs is annoyed by the noise and comes down the stairs saying, “What in the world are you hollering about?”

When she learns of Amanda’s news – she’s ecstatic. Another grandchild is on the way. Alexa who is with her when she comes down the stairs is delighted to learn of another great-grandchild for her and Gideon. But, Olive reveals even more news about her sisters. and no, I’m not revealing it here. I know some of you like to read the deep-dive first and then watch. So for that reason, I’m not talking about it here.

But it is something that has happened in my own family and one of the reasons why my cousins are myself are like brothers and sisters to this day. I’ll just leave you with this: baby batch.

When Amanda returns home, she surprises Tony by making his recipe for Black Bean Chili (which is really my recipe in real-life, I’ve included it down below for you.) Tony is naturally suspicious of why the table is set up with candles and the nice dinnerware. What’s going on? Did Floof eat something of his? Did she crash the car? What could possibly be happening here?

It’s then he’s told after he finishes dinner that he’s about to become a father, and he is ecstatic. He asks Amanda for a favor, and she is only too happy to grant it to him. Again, I will not spoil that final scene. If you know what it is, don’t spoil it for others either. Eventually, we will have a section where we can talk pure spoilers but that will be coming much later. I will keep you posted.

For Episode 15, Carrie has aged up to a teen! But she is not having an easy time with it. What could be happening? I’ll release a sneak peek both on IG and X. You can follow me on both @GXSimmer

Have a great day, and as promised, below is the recipe for Tony’s Black Bean Chili which is my real-life Jen’s Black Bean Chili recipe. Enjoy!

TONY’S BLACK BEAN CHILI

Ingredients:

1 lb Ground Beef 80/20 (Ground Turkey will work too, or Plant-Based Meat Substitute)

1 medium sized onion, diced. Pampered Chef Mandoline is amazing for this! I use it all the time.

1 clove of garlic

2 tsp olive oil

1 32 oz can crushed tomatoes

1 16 oz can of black beans (drained)

2 jalapenos (or any other hot peppers you like) diced

1 Red Bell Pepper (or whatever color you like) diced

1 1/4 cup brown sugar

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp oregano

1 tsp chili powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

Serves up to 4

Start by dicing garlic, you can use Pampered Chef’s Garlic press for that (see below.) It does a really great job on mincing the garlic.

Add oil to a large pot that’s been warmed (not too hot to start.) On a gas stove, low flame or electric low. Pampered Chef’s Rock Crock does this nicely the bottom is thick, and it will warm quickly.

Add diced onions and brown sugar. Cook until garlic has aroma and onions are translucent, and brown sugar has been absorbed by the onions. Remove half of the onions/garlic from the pot.

Add Ground Beef. Raise heat to medium.

To ground beef: add 1 tsp of cumin, paprika, oregano, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder and a pinch of salt. Mix and stir thoroughly. One of the best ways is PC’s Stir & Mix it’s a great tool (see below) and will mix all of the ingredients well. It will also break apart the beef quickly. Cook meat until browned.

Add in remaining onions, peppers, black beans and crushed tomatoes. Stir and bring flame down to low. Simmer for 30min to 1 hr. I do the full one hour to ferment. Cover partially with a little space for steam to escape. Stir every 15 minutes.

After simmering for one hour, serve.

Optional: Garnish with lime juice, cilantro, shredded cheese and sour cream. Add tortilla chips for dipping.

Enjoy!

If you make this recipe, tag me on social media @GXSimmer on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Youtube.

Want something new for the kitchen? Check out my link for Pampered Chef!

I love to cook in real-life and Pampered Chef has been a big part of my journey. Is it part of yours too? Check it out https://www.pamperedchef.com/pws/jwgiresi which is my personal consultant’s page. I admit I do PC mainly for the discounts because I love my kitchen toys. My favorite PC gadget has to be my Mix N Chop. I love that thing! So, is my Air Fryer. I have made some awesome things in it like Jalapeno Poppers. I cannot take credit for that recipe because it belongs to the amazing Laura Vitale. I’ll link her recipe down below. If you’re looking for a fun side hustle, check it out. It might be something you’d like too. If you do, let me know. Shoot me an email gxsimmer@gmail.com

Above, I made these in my air fryer. If you make them, let me know! If you want to get involved with my PC page, share recipes, learn about gadgets and maybe host your own virtual party – let me know!

Thanks for reading and for your support. In closing, GXSimmer Youtube just hit 50 subs and I am so happy! I thank you all for helping us to reach this milestone. As I say at the end of every video, it’s all because of you and I thank you so much. Our next milestone is 100! Let’s do this!

Take care,

Jen.