QuiltLady – Chasing MY Life WHEREVER it Leads ME

HAPPY HOMEMAKER MONDAY week 30 of 2026 with MENU & RECIPE LINKS ~ BLOG 365.208

Be sure to join Happy Homemaker Monday with our host, Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom

LAST WEEK RECAPPED

GOOD MORNING last week of July!!! I never even had a chance to think about doing Christmas in July projects let alone watching any Hallmark Christmas in July movies!!! August is only a favorite month for me because of our anniversary, but it is also a stepping stone to AUTUMN, my favorite time of year!!!!

MONDAY~THURSDAY It was a tumultuous week with the Eagles ending with me FINALLY deciding to back away from most duties. It came down to the old adage you can lead a horse to water, but you cannot make them drink…

After reaching out to EVERYONE on the volunteer list and NO ONE returning even a text I decided it was time to end this charade and spend my time more productively!! I’m submitting my last Friday night dinner suggestions to the secretary for tonight’s meeting. I was going to go in person, but she’s my friend and she knew I’d be more productive, as well as have more fun playing trivia tonight so she suggested I put it in writing and not show up to make a statement. I cannot begin to tell you what a relief this decision is to me.

FRIDAY~SUNDAY Friday was an errand and deal with the VA day before having dinner with a friend. One of my besties and I did the local Vintage Street Fair, Flea market, Bake Sale and Lunch for the 3rd year in a row on Saturday. It’s become our little tradition. We always find such fun stuff like this blueberry peach pie 🙂 Sunday was a lunch and drinks with a friend, an old movie and some cookbook reading.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

THE WEATHER OUTSIDE

Fortunately our night time lows have returned to the low 50’s and the humidity has returned to a much lower percentage so the high 80’s during the day are really tolerable!! I see a lot of sandals and capris in my future for this week.

TO DO, APPOINTMENTS, DVR/TV & PROJECTS

THIS WEEK’S TO DO LIST, PROJECTS, TRAVEL, APPOINTMENTS, MENUS & DVR/TV

LAUNDRY & CLEANING The nice thing about summer is not wearing as many clothes which makes the laundry so much easier!!!
GROCERIES & ERRANDS I’m still working on using things from the pantry and freezer! I do have a pedicure on Tuesday and will do some shopping for my girlfriend’s business.
PROJECTS & TRAVELS Waiting to decide on our trip while we wait on some test results for my mom…
THINGS THAT MAKE ME HAPPY music in the park… play dates with besties… discovering favorite old movies AGAIN…
PARTIES I’ve been having an online Pampered Chef party for a friend. The party will close at after the weekend. The link to order is: https://www.pamperedchef.com/party/tamybollar0611THANK YOU Sandra for your order.

READING TIME

I keep trying to read, but have been falling asleep REALLY FAST almost ever night! I just finished THE GERMAN GIRL by Eoin DEMPSEY and am starting STATE OF UNREST First Family series Book #11 by Marie Force.

FUNNIES

MENU PLANS

BREAKFAST is always a work in progress for me – it will generally be hot water and a fruit yogurt 😀

	7/27 MONDAY	7/28 TUESDAY	7/29 WEDNESDAY	7/30 THURSDAY	7/31 FRIDAY	8/1 SATURDAY	8/2 SUNDAY
DINNER	TRIVIA NIGHT CORN/YOYO clean out refrigerator night or you’re on your own	SWEET & SOUR MEATBALLS & WARM POTATO SALAD with RED ONION & BACON	CORN/YOYO clean out refrigerator night or you’re on your own	WHITE WINE BRAISED CHICKEN with GNOCCHI in CIDER BUTTER SAUCE	CHICKEN FRIED CHICKEN & GRAVY with HOMEMADE STUFFING	PORCINI CHICKEN & WILTED SPINACH with TOMATO FRITTERS	CHICKEN MADEIRA with MINI MAC & CHEESE BITES
DESSERT			APPLE WALNUT PIE

FAVORITE PHOTOS FROM THE CAMERA

I have some fun photos from this past week. I did collages to get them into a smaller space here on the blog. My Garden is literally growing like weeds!

My tomato plants are over 6 foot tall. The planter is 8 foot long and 3 feet wide, but the plants have expanded all the way to the fence making it actually 4 feet wide. I had to add some extra cage support between the bed and the fence.

My girlfriend and I went to the vintage fair in a neighboring town on Saturday and were pleased to see that the county FINALLY red tagged this old hotel. The locals have been wanting it restored, BUT it is beyond restoration! As you can see from the pictures the 2nd and 3rd floor are now in the basement and the windows are falling in. And there is a permanent “skylight” with the hole in the non-existent roof. So no matter what you paint or plant, you can’t fix “beyond broken”. The really weird part is that you can walk right up to the broken windows and take these pictures. And the dolls are just creepy!!

There are quite a few things happening in this old little town and some of the local business owners are taking their fight to the street as you can see from the “Kick OUT Keehley ~ New Mayor Wanted” sign!

There is a small little church on the edge of town that joins in every year. Along that same road is an old house and school. The school hosts a flea market and bake sale while in a small little “shed” like building next to the church where a little old lady (she’s in her 90’s) sells various things for money to go towards the upkeep of the church. They were fixing the bell tower when we were there on Saturday. Turns out the “shed” like building is where the brides gets ready for a wedding. The wedding dress and pictures as well as the cake topper and veil were hers from her 1949 wedding.

I found this 1932 cookbook and a few other little things to buy.Her prices were way too low so I just gave her a big donation towards the church up keep after hearing her story.

It turns out that the old woman is the great grand daughter of the man that homesteaded the 300 acres in 1858 pre-civil war. He built the church, the school and the original farmhouse as well as the house and barn where she still lives. It ALL stayed in the family until after her parents died. Her older sister sold off the farmhouse for money. She and her husband spent the next 2 years convincing the people that bought it to sell it back to the family. Her son eventually built his own home on the property and now manages the sheep herd and property for her.

INSPIRATIONS

LIFE TIP

HOMEMAKING / COOKING TIP

COOKING THURSDAY RECIPES COMING UP THIS WEEK

NUTTY BROCCOLI GRATINS
BOSTON CREAM PIE CHEESECAKE
CHEESY TOMATO BASIL BAKED ORZO
SMOKEY CARAMELIZED BALSAMIC CHICKEN

COOKING THURSDAY RECIPE LINKS FROM LAST WEEK

SILENT SUNDAY ~ BLOG 365.207

SATURDAY COFFEE TIME ~ BLOG 365.206

TGIF ~ BLOG 365.205

COOKING THURSDAY ~ CHICKEN CAMPFIRE STEW aka HOBO STEW ~ BLOG 365.204D

CHICKEN CAMPFIRE STEW serves 6

This recipe was originally one from my days as a girl scout where we cooked it in tinfoil pouches over an open fire, but over the years I’ve adapted it to grown up tastes cooked at home.

It is also VERY versatile and adapts to pork or beef quite easily. It can be cooked as easily over a campfire as on a stove.

2 pounds chicken breasts or thighs, cut into large bite sized chunks
2 tablespoons avocado oil
FRESH ground sea salt and rainbow peppercorns, to taste
¼ cup WONDRA flour
4 cups homemade chicken bone broth
2 tablespoons cream sherry
1 LARGE Vidalia onion, diced
1 pound baby potatoes or Golden Yukons cut into large chunks
3 large carrots, sliced
3 celery stalks, sliced
2 cloves garlic, FINELY minced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon ground bay leaves
1 tablespoon FRESH chopped thyme
Pinch red pepper flakes, to taste

Season chicken generously with FRESH ground sea salt and rainbow peppercorns.
Place chicken in ziplock bag with the avocado oil to marinade for 30 minutes.

When ready to prepare heat a heavy duty dutch oven over medium high heat.
Add chicken along with the oil, stir and saute’ until slightly golden.
Add onions, celery, carrots, potatoes and garlic, stirring and sautéing 5-10 minutes until vegetables start to soften.
Whisk together the bone broth, tomato paste, bay leaves, thyme, pinch red pepper flakes and WONDRA flour until smooth.
Pour broth mixture into dutch oven, stirring to mix well and bring to a SLOW boil.
Reduce heat and simmer for an hour or so, stirring occasionally, until desired consistency.  
Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Serve warm with bread for dunking.

COOKING THURSDAY ~ WHISKEY CAKE KITCHEN CHICKEN MELT ~ BLOG 365.204C

One of my favorite sandwiches at Whiskey Cake Kitchen & Bar was their popular “Chicken & Cheese Melt”, an elevated club-style sandwich. But, it’s also VERY good as an entree without the bread! The key to a GREAT meal is using QUALITY components.

It’s easy to replicate it at home by layering quality toasted sourdough with sliced roasted rotisserie chicken breast with crispy peppered bacon topped with melted Fontina cheese, fresh avocado, sliced tomatoes, shredded lettuce and roasted shallot mayo. The shallot mayo is THE BEST component of this sandwich!!

WHISKEY CAKE KITCHEN CHICKEN MELT (copy cat)

SHALLOT MAYO
Avocado oil
2 SMALL shallots, peeled
1/2 cup Duke’s mayonnaise

Preheat oven to 400°.
Place peeled shallots on a small baking sheet. Drizzle them with avocado oil.
Roast for 20 minutes until caramelized and soft.
Mash the shallot and fold into the mayonnaise.
Set aside until needed.

SANDWICH
Thick cut QUALITY sourdough bread
Butter
Thick sliced rotisserie chicken
Thick sliced peppered bacon, cooked crisp
Avocado slices, optional & seasonal)
Tomato slices
Crisp green leaf lettuce

Butter one side of your sourdough slices.
Place them butter-side down in a hot skillet or panini press.
Smear the inside of both slices with the roasted shallot mayo.
On one slice, layer your Fontina cheese, sliced chicken, peppered bacon, avocado, tomato, and lettuce.
Top with the second slice of bread.
Press lightly, and flip until both sides are golden-brown and the cheese is beautifully melted.
Slice in half and serve warm.

COOKING THURSDAY ~ MARDI GRAS CAJUN SEAFOOD PASTA ~ BLOG 365.204B

Mardi Gras Cajun Seafood Pasta brings the creamy Creole Cajun flavors and linguine together for a bright and bold weeknight feast.

MARDI GRAS CAJUN SEAFOOD PASTA copy cat SERVES 6

1 pound COLOSSAL (if you can find them) shrimp peeled and de-veined, patted dry
8 ounces smoked sausage sliced into ¼ inch rounds
2 ½ cups heavy whipping cream
15 ounce can crushed tomatoes with herbs (Rotel works great)
1 package Beech mushrooms, trimmed
12 ounces crawfish tail meat preferably fresh cooked, but canned is okay, drained (or lobster)
12 ounces linguine pasta
2-3 cloves garlic FINELY minced
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
1-2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning, divided
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 red bell pepper diced
½ medium Vidalia onion, diced
Juice of 1 LARGE lemon
FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper, to taste

Boil linguine 8-9 minutes in salted water until ALMOST al dente. Reserve 1 cup pasta water; drain.
Season shrimp with salt, pepper and cajun seasoning to taste.
Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter over medium-high heat.
Add sausage rounds and brown 3 to 4 minutes. Remove to a plate.
Add remaining butter and sauté 4-5 minutes bell pepper, onion and mushrooms until soft and lightly golden.
Add minced garlic and cook 30 seconds.
Stir in garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, and remaining Cajun seasoning; toast 30 seconds. Remove to the plate with the sausage.
Add shrimp to pan cooking 2 minutes per side until opaque. Remove to plate with sausage
Pour in crushed tomatoes; simmer for 2 minutes, scraping fond up as your stir.
Add heavy cream; GENTLY simmer 6 to 8 minutes until thick enough to coat a spoon.
Fold sausage, crawfish, shrimp and veggies, warm 2 minutes.
Toss in linguine, loosening with pasta water until glossy and well-coated.
Finish with lemon juice; taste and adjust salt, pepper, and spice.
Rest 2 minutes, then serve hot.

NOTES: Pappadeaux’s uses green bell pepper, but I can’t eat it so make it with red bell pepper and we actually prefer it.

Colossal shrimp are the largest commercially available shrimp, typically 8 to 12 pieces per pound.
Their massive, steak-like texture makes them perfect for upscale presentations like shrimp cocktails OR scampi.

COOKING THURSDAY ~ KUNG FU CHICKEN ~ BLOG 365.204A

Johnny Chang’s Kung Fu Chicken is a signature dish at Grace’s in Houston, featuring crispy chicken bites in a spicy-sweet Asian glaze served alongside pork fried rice. The exact proprietary recipe is closely guarded, though owner Johnny Carrabba shares select family favorites in his cookbook, A Gift from the Heart.

Because the official restaurant recipe isn’t published online, you can recreate the famous Houston dish at home using a highly rated copycat approach that mirrors its signature flavor profile.

JOHNNY CHANG’S KUNG FU CHICKEN copy cat recipe

CHICKEN
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
1/2 cup cornstarch
Salt and black pepper to taste
Avocado oil for frying

Toss the chicken chunks in the cornstarch, salt, and pepper until well coated.
Heat about 1 inch of oil in a DEEP pan or wok over medium-high heat.
Fry the chicken 5-7 minutes until golden brown and cooked through. DO NOT CROWD pan – cook in batches as necessary.
Remove chicken and drain on paper towels.

SAUCE & GLAZE
1/3 cup BRAGG’S liquid aminos
1/3 cup PACKED brown sugar
1/4 cup QUALITY honey
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon FRESH grated ginger or 1 teaspoon Garden Gourmet ginger paste
3 cloves garlic, minced or 1 teaspoon Garden Gourmet garlic paste
1–2 FRESH Thai red chilies or serrano peppers, taste, FINELY sliced
Zest and juice of 1 small orange
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon water
Sliced Green onions, for garnish
Sesame seeds, for garnish

In a saucepan, combine the liquid aminos, brown sugar, honey, rice vinegar, ginger, garlic, chilies and orange juice/zest.
Bring to a simmer over medium heat.

Whisk the cornstarch into the water for a slurry.
Whisk slurry into the sauce and let simmer until thick and sticky.
Toss the fried chicken into the sauce, stirring continuously for 1-2 minutes until fully coated.
Garnish with green onions and sesame seeds.
Serve with your favorite fried rice.

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY ~ BLOG 365.203

TUESDAY TRIVIA ~ BLOG 365.202

HAPPY HOMEMAKER MONDAY with RECIPE LINKS & MENU ~ week 29 of 2026 ~ BLOG 365.201

Be sure to join Happy Homemaker Monday with our host, Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom

LAST WEEK RECAPPED

MONDAY~ FRIDAY Once again the weeks seem to be flying by! I CANNOT believe July is half over already!!! It was a week of regular chores and running around that ended in me filling in to cook Friday night dinner at the Eagles on the eve of a busy weekend in town so it was less than successful OR satisfying. At this point it would save me a ton of time and even money to just write a check to my charity of choice. You know the old saying, “you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink…” well that is the Auxiliary for this particular Eagle’s lodge. I think I’m finally done…

SATURDAY & SUNDAY The BBQ Throw Down was this past weekend and was extremely toned down this year and disappointing. We went on Saturday for a bit.. On Sunday we had lunch with friends to watch the Soccer World Cup and then relaxed the rest of the day…

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

THE WEATHER OUTSIDE

Summer has finally come to the Pacific North West. Fortunately our evenings will still be in the 50’s so it takes the better part of the day to get hot, but our daytime highs this week will be in the upper 90’s which is quite warm for us. So capris and loose blouses with favorite sandals are on the hanger for this week.

TO DO, APPOINTMENTS, DVR/TV & PROJECTS

THIS WEEK’S TO DO LIST, PROJECTS, TRAVEL, APPOINTMENTS, MENUS & DVR/TV

LAUNDRY & CLEANING I did get 5 loads of laundry done on Saturday.
GROCERIES & ERRANDS I just need a few produce items this week.
PROJECTS & TRAVELS We have put everything on the back burner for now while we wait to find out a few health issues for my mom.
RECIPE RESEARCH & MENU PLANNING Trying to keep things lighter for the heat of the summer months.
THINGS THAT MAKE ME HAPPY empty laundry baskets… successful recipes… cool summer breezes…

READING TIME

I still reading THE GERMAN GIRL by Eoin Dempsey.

FUNNIES

MENU PLANS

BREAKFAST is always a work in progress for me – it will generally be hot water and a fruit yogurt 😀

	7/20 MONDAY	7/21 TUESDAY	7/22 WEDNESDAY	7/23 THURSDAY	7/24 FRIDAY	7/25 SATURDAY	7/26 SUNDAY
DINNER	TRIVIA NIGHT CORN/YOYO clean out refrigerator night or you’re on your own	CHICKEN & DUMPLINGS	CORN/YOYO clean out refrigerator night or you’re on your own	SWEET & SOUR MEATBALLS & RICE	CRAB SALAD	CORN/YOYO clean out refrigerator night or you’re on your own	WHITE WINE BRAISED CHICKEN & BUTTERED NOODLES
DESSERT		BLUEBERRY BUCKLE

FAVORITE PHOTOS FROM THE CAMERA

I didn’t take too many pictures this past week, but did get a few from a charcuterie board dinner with friends, some grazing deer eating apples directly from the tree, my favorite place to start my morning coffee in the garden and the BBQ throwdown.