HAPPY HOMEMAKER MONDAY, MENUS, RECIPE LINKS week 38 of 2024 ~ BLOG 366.267

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

As we say in Texas, Happy Fall Y’ALL

WEEKEND RECAP

Good morning dear friends. Can you believe we are in the last week of September already? It blows my mind how fast time is going these days. I’m sitting here having some butterscotch coffee and getting my day/week organized – it’s going to be a busy one! Come sit with me and have a cup while we chat.

My weekend started early again this week. Some girlfriends took me and a bestie out for dinner and a play for our birthdays. At this age we’ve decided that we have birthday months and if it isn’t something to do or food we don’t need it 😀

We had a GREAT time. In this small community we don’t have A LOT of choices or venues for good food and cultural events, yet the night was wonderful. We saw Agatha Christie’s THE MOUSETRAP which I learned has been playing somewhere in the world (with the exception of during COVID) continuously for over 70 years!

Dinner was at a “new” restaurant, but I also found out that it is the same owners of an old favorite restaurant that has recently shut it’s doors EXCEPT for Sunday brunch and special events. The Parrot House is an old Victorian house that had been renovated into a restaurant several years back and was always a place for special occasions. The owner had sold a couple years back, but was doing the financing for the new owners and had to take it back when the mortgage wasn’t being paid. Unfortunately, the buyers had run it down horribly during the term and the necessary required maintenance and overhaul made it so they couldn’t continue on a day to day basis 🙁 So, they opened a smaller venue downtown with many of the same menu items and it seems to be a success.The food was really good! Here’s a small sampling of what we had. Glazed shrimp, braised short ribs, pickled beet salad and a Brazilian meat board. Thursday night special is a Surf and Turf night, but somehow missed that picture.

Friday was chores for a friend who had knee replacement surgery recently and getting her to physical therapy and some lunch.Today will be much of the same with getting her to X-RAY, surgeon follow up appointment and physical therapy.

Saturday was a bunch of us “girls” getting together to go U-PICKing for fruits, veggies, nuts and berries at a local favorite farm. I normally go to their market stand in town where they also have a small bakery and provisional products. You definitely save a bit of money picking your own though. It’s end of season up here and they’ll only be open a few more weeks so being there during this ‘change of season’ weekend was perfect timing for this outing.

We followed it up with drinks and lunch at a favorite little vineyard with flights, avalanches and a charcuterie style selection on cheeses and wood fired pizza on their patio since the weather was so nice.

Sunday was football and lunch with the bestie and then dinner with my mom at a favorite old tavern for sandwiches. Now let’s get on with the week. Welcome to Monday!

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

THE WEATHER OUTSIDE

That dreaded Indian Summer is trying to creep into my fall vibes, but I refuse to let it dampen my attitude. Today and tomorrow will be in the low 80’s but at least the nighttime lows will be just that, LOWS in the 40’s and 50’s. We’ll then go back down into the low 70’s thank you autumn for arriving on time!

ON MY MIND

I just keep shaking my head in disbelief. In my mind I keep hearing my aunt who used to say P.U.S.H all the time to us when we had problems. PRAY UNTIL SOMETHING HAPPENS. So, I keep PUSHing that this world will do the same and right itself.

TO DO LIST, APPOINTMENTS & PROJECTS

THIS WEEK’S TO DO LIST, PROJECTS & APPOINTMENTS

LAUNDRY & CLEANING I did the deep clean on our bedroom last week and started the pantry trying to get the canned goods and freezer cleaned out.
GROCERIES & ERRANDS Just a few groceries for me and whatever a friend who just had her knee replaced needs. Hubby will be doing some yard work for her and I’m going to get her hummingbird feeders fixed as well as get her to physical therapy a few days. I’m sure she’ll need a few groceries, but I’m keeping her in dinners for now.
PAPERWORK, PHONE CALLS, PROJECTS & TRAVELS I’m still organizing all the papers and files I found and/or changed around during last week’s deep clean.
RECIPE RESEARCH & MENU PLANNING I’ve been taking this just a few days at a time because the weather keeps changing. So, I’m cooking on a whim these days 😀

DVR/TV TIME

WHAT’S ON THE DVR/TV

STREAMING ~ We’re still binge watching FRINGE of an evening and probably will until the DVR gets a few more fall shows its coffers.
CABLE ~ The fall shows are beginning, but I’m still figuring it all out and haven’t had a chance yet to watch anything. We did watch the sneak peek of the new Matlock show with Kathy Bates and I think it will be really good.

READING TIME

I’m still reading Recipe for A Perfect Wife by Karma Brown

FUNNIES

MENU PLANS

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

	9/23 MONDAY	9/24 TUESDAY	9/25 WEDNESDAY	9/26 THURSDAY	9/27 FRIDAY	9/28 SATURDAY	9/29 SUNDAY
DINNER	PORK CAKE and SALAD	BBQ BACON MEATBALL SLIDERS and COLESLAW	CIDER GLAZED CHICKEN THIGHS and ??	CORN/YOYO clean out refrigerator night or you’re on your own	ORANGE TERIYAKI CHICKEN and RICE	GOULASH and VEGGIES	MISSISSIPPI CHICKEN
DESSERT		PEAR WALNUT CRISP