HAPPY HOMEMAKER MONDAY with RECIPES & MENUS week 44 of 2026 ~ BLOG 365.306

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

LAST WEEK RECAPPED

GOOD MORNING friends! Can you believe we’re in November already?? I hate to be the one to tell you this, but we’re only 56 days until Christmas.

I hope your week was absolutely blessed with good weather and productivity. Mine was busy, as always of late, but at least we got an hour back yesterday LOL.

Saturday night’s Halloween party was my last co-chair BIG event for the Eagles. WHEW, glad that’s over! It could have gone A LOT better, but it also could have gone A LOT worse too. Attitudes still seem to be changing and not for the better so when my duties are done I will be donating my time to other causes. As my dad used to say, “You can’t teach common sense and you can’t have a battle of wits with an unarmed person.” Both sentiments apply here, but it’s more like too many people set in their ways of procrastinating and not open to new ideas or other ways of doing things efficiently. So, for now I’m just glad it’s over.

I’m the chair for the Christmas donations for children, but that is a JOY to do and very close to my heart.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

THE WEATHER OUTSIDE

The weather here never quite lives up to the forecast and can literally change at the drop of a hat, so I tend to multi-layer this time of year with cozy flannels and fluffy socks. I’m going to update this daily since the weather is so unreliable!

11/2 Monday ~ 55° / 40° ~ Clouds followed by a brightening sky
      ACTUAL 47° and is now going down without the sky ever brightening, PLUS it’s been misting ALL day
11/3 Tuesday ~ 61° / 37° ~ Sun and areas of high clouds
      ACTUAL

11/4 Wednesday ~ 62° / 41° ~ Some sun, then turning cloudy
      ACTUAL
11/5 Thursday ~ 61° / 44° ~ Mostly cloudy
      ACTUAL

11/6 Friday ~ 62° / 41° ~ Mostly cloudy
      ACTUAL

11/7 Saturday ~ 61° / 46° ~ Intervals of clouds and sun
     ACTUAL

11/8 Sunday ~ 61° / 44° ~ Sun through high clouds
     ACTUAL

TO DO, APPOINTMENTS, DVR/TV & PROJECTS

THIS WEEK’S TO DO LIST, PROJECTS, TRAVEL,  APPOINTMENTS, MENUS & DVR/TV
  • LAUNDRY & CLEANING I have a little ironing to do, but otherwise things are looking good.
  • GROCERIES & ERRANDS We we’re planning to go away for a few days after the craft fair and bazaar next weekend, but that’s now been pushed out a week so will try and cook out of the pantry and freezer.
  • PROJECTS & TRAVELS I’m finishing up my centerpieces, snowmen, wreaths and “bark” for the craft fair and bazaar on Saturday so it’s going to be a VERY busy week. It’s also that time of year when I crave some indoor creativity and these 2 painting classes caught my eye. I will be signing up this week for the snowman on the 14th and the covered bridge on the 29th. I’m hoping hubby will go with me for one or both 🙂
  • THINGS THAT MAKE ME HAPPY time to myself for honing creative juices… curling up in a cozy blanket with a book on a cool fall evening… simple meals… laughing with friends… date nights with hubby…

READING TIME

I’m reading THE BAKER and THE BODY, BLYTHE RIVER MYSTERIES #1 by Jesse Leigh Murray

“A poisoned landlord was just the beginning. If Maddie wants to survive, it’s going to take more than cupcakes and croissants.

Maddie Dixon, proprietress of the Blythe Spirit Bakeshop, is not interested in being a detective. Despite her love of mystery novels, and her penchant for solving them before the book ends, Maddie is content with her little bakery in her placid little hometown of Blythe River.

But when Maddie finds the resident landlord, Otto St. James, dead in his home, the victim of a vicious poisoning, she becomes mixed up in the mystery, setting out to find who killed Otto before they can strike again. When her bakery is targeted, however, Maddie finds that she’s in over her head, and she’s not going to be able to bake away her troubles.

Maddie is going to have to either solve the mystery of who killed Otto St. James, or be the murderer’s next victim.”

FUNNIES

MENU PLANS

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

11/2 MONDAY 11/3 TUESDAY 11/4 WEDNESDAY
11/5 THURSDAY
11/6 FRIDAY 11/7 SATURDAY 11/8 SUNDAY
DINNER
CORN/YOYO CLEAN OUT REFRIGERATOR NIGHT or YOU’RE ON YOUR OWN
BLACK EYED CHILI & CORNBREAD
CORN/YOYO CLEAN OUT REFRIGERATOR NIGHT or YOU’RE ON YOUR OWN
CHICKEN with CAJUN CREAM SAUCE & FIESTA CORN SALAD
CORN/YOYO CLEAN OUT REFRIGERATOR NIGHT or YOU’RE ON YOUR OWN
CHILI RUBBED RIBS & POTATO SALAD
ROOT BEER CHICKEN & GOLDEN BREAD PUDDING
DESSERT
 
11/9 MONDAY 11/10 TUESDAY 11/11 WEDNESDAY
11/12 THURSDAY
11/13 FRIDAY 11/14 SATURDAY 11/15 SUNDAY
DINNER
CORN/YOYO CLEAN OUT REFRIGERATOR NIGHT or YOU’RE ON YOUR OWN
TACO TUESDAY and then a short trip
OOT out of town
OOT out of town
OOT out of town
TUSCAN HERB CHICKEN & CHEESY BAKED POLENTA
PAD THAI CHICKEN
DESSERT
 

FAVORITE PHOTOS FROM THE CAMERA

It always cracks me up how my girlfriend can literally stack 20+ pounds of frozen chicken jenga style in her crock pot when she’s getting ready for Taco Tuesday! She layers it all with all the seasonings and it cooks down into complete deliciousness!

INSPIRATIONS

LIFE TIP

HOMEMAKING / COOKING TIP

COOKING THURSDAY RECIPES COMING UP THIS WEEK

  • ROASTED GREEN BEANS
  • MEMPHIS CHOPPED COLE SLAW
  • CPK COPY CAT SMASHED PEA & BARLEY SOUP

COOKING THURSDAY RECIPE LINKS FROM LAST WEEK

Jean

Your dad’s saying about not being able to have a battle of wits with an unarmed person cracked me up. I love that! I am sorry that things have apparently not improved with the eagles for you though. That’s a lot of chicken in the crock pot. Hope you have a wonderful week!

Felicia

I giggled at the not wanting to adult meme. I’m driving the struggle bus of not wanting to adult. I just posted about needing to cook at home, etc to trim my budget down, but I really don’t want to cook tonight. ugh

So yeah, that really resonated with me lol.

The Baker and the Body sounds really fun; I love cozy mysteries like that. Reminds me of the Gray Whale Inn mystery series. I’m adding it to my ever-growing TBR list.

Hope you have a wonderful week.

Lucie

Very funny about being a dog. craft fair and bazaar that should be fun! Can’t wait to see pictures of what you are doing for those. Have a good week

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