HAPPY HOMEMAKER MONDAY, MENUS & RECIPES week 35 of 2025 ~ BLOG 365.244

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

LAST WEEK RECAPPED/ON MY MIND

GOOD MORNING sweet friends. Last week was busy and sped by just as the whole summer seems to have done. But, I am looking forward to Fall. Fall is my season and my happy place! Especially when I can be home! I cooked Friday night’s dinner at the Eagles and it was slow, but consistent! So, all and all we had a good night for charity!

Saturday we went to the farmer’s market and had lunch out. I also made a BIG batch of Sunday Gravy using up a bunch of the overripe tomatoes from the garden.

Then on Sunday we went to brunch with the gang that put on the DIGG’s BBQ competition, BBQ Throw Down and breakfast for the Blackberry Festival weekend before relaxing for the rest of the day. I spent the relaxing part getting caught up on some dinner menu profit reports for the Eagles. We also finally got our plaque and apron for winning at the DIGG’s competition.

We tied for 1st in the BEEF category with Tony’s beef, placed 2nd with Dan’s BBQ Beans in meaty side dishes and 2nd and 3rd in side salads with Heather’s Macaroni salad and my Mac Slaw.

We are still dealing with some things regarding my stepdad’s passing and the estate sale that need resolution, but we’re moving forward day by day with grace to resolve those things. I spent a couple of days boxing up the remaining unsold items and cleaning the garage out. I placed the unsold items in the shed and will give it 30 days for my step sisters to pick up the items before donating those things also. Of course I’ll get donation receipts to forward on to his estate. It’s just so sad that it became all about money to them 🙁 and that what’s left of his life is pieces of furniture and tools that no one wants. To me, it’s even sadder that I’ve been more of a daughter to him than his own flesh and blood. They never came to visit him until he was dying. At that they didn’t even offer to help him until the very end. His getting to see them was always on their terms and he had to travel to them – it’s just so sad. Several years ago (PRE-COVID) when he and mom returned from a trip to Nova Scotia they both were sick. They thought they’d get over it in time, but I finally insisted they at least go to urgent care where they were both diagnosed with pneumonia. His was bad enough that they promptly admitted him to the hospital where he spent 2 weeks. He was so week he was then transferred to rehab for several more weeks. Neither step sister came to visit then or even offer to help as I dealt with our sick parents. One of them did send me a text asking to let her know if he was going to die so she could come visit. They only leave a few hours away!!!

I have the solace of the last few years in knowing that he thanked me regularly for taking care of him and mom as they got older. One of the last things he said to me was thank you and to be sure and take care of my mom, the love of his later life.

They stormed out (literally) last week without several things, one of which was his spare change collection of $18.46. When they stormed out they slammed the storm door into the porch light breaking the storm door, pulling it out of the casing and leaving the screws hanging. So, I put the spare change to good use buying the replacement parts to fix the door. Ironically, the youngest one in her mind had turned the very existence of that spare change collection into a missing silver bar collection that never even existed.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

THE WEATHER OUTSIDE

One more week of high temps (high 80’s and low 90’s), but at least nights are REALLY starting to cool off (low 50’s) so the mornings have been absolutely gorgeous!

TO DO, APPOINTMENTS, DVR/TV & PROJECTS

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

LAUNDRY & CLEANING Both are caught up! YAY!!!
GROCERIES & ERRANDS Just a few short errands this week besides working at closing out the last fiscal year and boxing up Eagle’s Auxiliary records as well as the shopping for the Eagles and Offyce.
PROJECTS & TRAVELS Still on hold a bit longer.
RECIPE RESEARCH & MENU PLANNING I have a list of several new things I want to try, but will research them deeper this week.
DVR/TV We’ve started watching STARGATE SG1 over again of an evening. We then switch to the BOB NEWHART SHOW for comedy before going to sleep.

READING TIME

I’m just about finished with THE BOOK OF LOST & FOUND by Lucy Foley and will then be starting A FLICKER IN THE DARK by Stacy Willingham for book club.

FUNNIES

MENU PLANS

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

	9/1 MONDAY	9/2 TUESDAY	9/3 WEDNESDAY	9/4 THURSDAY	9/5 FRIDAY	9/6 SATURDAY	9/7 SUNDAY
DINNER	HOMEMADE CARNITAS, REFRIED BEANS AND RICE	CHICKEN STROGANOFF & GREEN BEANS	CORN/YOYO clean out refrigerator night or you’re on your own	MONTE CRISTOS & COLESLAW	CROCKPOT REUBENS	CORN/YOYO clean out refrigerator night or you’re on your own	CHICKEN JOES & PASTA SALAD
DESSERT			CHOCOLATE CHIP PEANUT BUTTER CHEESECAKE BARS		PEACH SQUARES

FAVORITE PHOTOS FROM THE CAMERA

The Farmer’s Market was WONDERFUL this week and I’m really sad that this season has so few weeks left to it. I did LOVE this adorable little girl who was out trying to catch bubbles 🙂 The stray husbands holding bags are always fun to watch also. I got everything from my list and then some.