Author: QuiltLady

HAPPY HOMEMAKER & MENU PLAN MONDAY

DOUBLE WOW flew by and here we are back on another Monday. I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend and is bright eyed and bushy tailed ready for the first week of one of my favorite months.

We’re still here trying to finish this rehab!  You know the drill 2 steps forward only to take 10 backwards.  I did finally hear from the contractor and hopefully the last two ig things will be done by mid month and then we can order the carpet.  Looks like we really will be done by the 1 year mark.

I’m still working towards my new web page and hope to have it up and running soon with everything all combined.

OUTSIDE MY WINDOW & THE WEATHER
The sun is shining and the temperatures as well as the humidity have ebbed a bit making life so much more enjoyable.

ON THE BREAKFAST PLATE
Oatmeal and coffee.

AS I LOOK AROUND THE HOUSE I SEE & MY
WEEKLY TO DO LIST & HOUSE PROJECTS
I started cleaning over the weekend and some deep organizing as I try to combine two rooms together giving Carlie a completely empty room to move in to. I’ll try to finish the cleaning and de-cluttering today.

CURRENTLY READING & TELEVISION / DVR
We are trying all the new shows and will narrow them down soon – thank goodness for DVRs!

  • BIG BANG THEORY
  • NCIS
  • BLUE BLOODS
  • THIS IS US
  • BULL
  • SCORPION
  • THE GOOD PLACE
  • THE PITCH
  • LONGMIRE
  • Z-NATION
  • DESIGNATED SURVIVOR
  • MADAME SECRETARY
  • ONCE UPON A TIME 
  • CHESAPEAKE SHORES
  • ETC……. I’m sure I forgot a few…

With everything else going on I’m in between books right now.
MENU PLANS FOR THE WEEK
MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
SUNDAY
BREAKFAST
YOGURT & FRUIT
SCRAMBLED EGGS & CHEESE
FRUIT SMOOTHIE
YOGURT & FRUIT
MAPLE OATMEAL & RAISINS
EGGS in the CLOUDS
BACON & EGGS
LUNCH
FRUIT & CHEESE
SOUP & CRACKERS
C.O.R.N.
??
MEAT & CHEESE
LEFTOVERS
C.O.R.N.
DINNER
HOT WINGS
something in my new crock pot
C.O.R.N.
BUFFALO KING RANCH CHICKEN
SLOPPY JOES
CHILI & CORNBREAD
SOMETHING ON THE GRILL
DESSERT







FAVORITE PHOTO FROM THE CAMERA
Hubby has been working like a dog on the garage. We are at the 11 month mark and it has been a long haul, but hubby finally reached his happy place.  Just to refresh your memory here are a couple of the before pictures of what we “inherited” with the garage followed by pictures from yesterday.

 INSPIRATION

Be sure to link up with Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom for Happy homemaker Monday and with Laura at I’m an Organizing Junkie for Menu Plan Monday.

LOADED BAKED POTATO SOUP

Fall is here, but we are still having seriously warm weather, like Indian Summer warm weather, but I don’t care.  I WANT SOUP!

LOADED BAKED POTATO SOUP
2 medium potatoes
3 tablespoons butter
1 Sweet Vidalia onion, diced
1 small red pepper, roasted, peeled and diced
2 tablespoons flour
4 cups chicken stock
2 cups water
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 1/2 cups mashed potato flakes
1 teaspoon sea salt
3/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon basil
1/8 teaspoon thyme
1 cup half and half
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup crumbled cooked bacon
3 green onions, chopped (green part only)
sour cream (optional)

  • Preheat oven to 400°. 
  • Bake potatoes one hour or until cooked through. 
  • Remove them from the oven to cool.
  • Roast red pepper until singed on all sides.
  • Set aside to cool.
  • As the potatoes and pepper cool, start soup by melting butter in a large saucepan.
  • Sauté onion until light brown. 
  • Add the flour to the onions and stir to make a roux.
  • Add stock, water, cornstarch, potato flakes, and spices to the pot and bring to a slow boil. 
  • Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
  • When potatoes are cool enough to touch, but still warm gently peel the skins away and discard.
  • Do the same with the pepper.
  • Chop potato into chunks about 1/2 inch in size.
  • Chop pepper into pieces about 1/4 inch or smaller. 
  • Fold in the potato and pepper pieces to pan as well as the half and half and bring to a slow boil.
  • Reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes, until desired thickness.
  • Ladle soup into bowls.
  • Top with cheddar cheese, bacon and green onions.
  • For a bit of complete decadence also add the sour cream.

HAPPY HOMEMAKER & MENU PLAN MONDAY

I hope everyone had a great week and weekend. I didn’t quite get around to visit everyone, but I will do better this week. I have to be honest, I’m tired! I’m a big believer in staying positive and “showing up” every day to live life, but like I said, I’m tired. 
 
Part of it is day 335 on this house.  We’re still working towards completing it by the one year mark for several reasons: 

  • 1) we’re just tired of living in a construction zone 
  • 2) the one year mark is only 3 weeks before Thanksgiving and we’re planning on having a normal holiday season this year – that includes Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas AND New Years.
  • 3) my mom is coming to visit just before Christmas
  • 4) Our son and his family are coming just after Christmas and bringing our granddaughter to stay while she begins college here locally. 

The other part of it is medicinal in a round robin kind of way.  Finishing this house would help with a couple of my conditions that are aggravated by heavy manual labor and stress. The last part is trying a new medicine and the side effects that go along with it. I committed to a 3 month round of it and am told it will get better if I just hang in there.

Many of you know I’ve been involved in several different blogs while I was “finding” myself.  It has all become too much though.  With my brother’s help (he’s my server) I am combining and collapsing all my irons in the fire into one new site that will be ALL encompassing no matter where my life takes me from here on out. I will be staying with my original “roots” from 3 Sides of Crazy. I bought my new domain and have made a couple selections for my new header and am now waiting on the behind the scenes completion so I can get busy combining and importing.  I’ll keep you posted on when I make the BIG move.  I’m really excited at de-cluttering my virtual life as well as my real life.
WHICH ONE DO YOU GUYS LIKE? 
Or do you think I need something entirely different?

OUTSIDE MY WINDOW & THE WEATHER OUTSIDE
The sun is shining, FOR NOW, but we’ll see.  We are supposed to be a bit cooler this week with off and on thunderstorms. It is still not where I’d like for fall, but at least it is tolerable enough to get going on the backyard soon.

ON THE BREAKFAST PLATE
Cinnamon Maple Oatmeal and coffee.

AS I LOOK AROUND THE HOUSE I SEE & MY
WEEKLY TO DO LIST & HOUSE PROJECTS

  • I started cleaning on Saturday and got distracted so I’ll finish the cleaning and de-cluttering today. 
  • I’m also getting more serious about donating as I’m beginning the “Make room for Carlie” changes.  We’re so excited to have her coming to live with us until her parents move this way. I keep wondering where ALL this stuff came from, but then I remember, sigh and get busy again.
  • Finish the inventory and call the woman from Texas Children’s Hospital AGAIN.  I’m donating my Barbie and Hallmark ornament collection to them for the kids and am trying to coordinate a drop off.
  • List a few things on eBay.
  • Try and finish the Painted Churches tour post once and for all – I ended up with way too many pictures to edit.
  • Start the drywall work in the living room.  Alas, the great contractor who was going to work us in before October is not returning calls or texts so I guess I’m just going to have to do it myself.  Hubby is busy working on putting up the interior walls in the garage.

CURRENTLY READING & TELEVISION / DVR
We are trying all the new shows and will narrow them down soon – thank goodness for DVRs!

  • BIG BANG THEORY
  • NCIS
  • BLUE BLOODS
  • THIS IS US
  • BULL
  • SCORPION
  • THE GOOD PLACE
  • THE PITCH
  • LONGMIRE
  • Z-NATION
  • DESIGNATED SURVIVOR
  • MADAME SECRETARY
  • ONCE UPON A TIME 
  • CHESAPEAKE SHORES
  • ETC……. I’m sure I forgot a few…

With everything else going on I’m in between books right now.

MENU PLANS FOR THE WEEK
MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
SUNDAY
BREAKFAST
YOGURT & FRUIT
SCRAMBLED EGGS & CHEESE
FRUIT SMOOTHIE
YOGURT & FRUIT
MAPLE OATMEAL & RAISINS
EGGS in HOLES
BACON & PANCAKES
LUNCH
FRUIT & CHEESE
SOUP & CRACKERS
C.O.R.N.
??
MEAT & CHEESE
LEFTOVERS
C.O.R.N.
DINNER
HAM STEAK with MAC & CHEESE
C.O.R.N.


BLACK BEAN CHILI & CORNBREAD
SOMETHING ON THE GRILL
DESSERT







FAVORITE PHOTO FROM THE CAMERA

INSPIRATION

Be sure to link up with Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom for Happy homemaker Monday and with Laura at I’m an Organizing Junkie for Menu Plan Monday.

HAPPY HOMEMAKER & MENU PLAN MONDAY

It’s been a very long week and an even longer weekend and I’m just not feeling up to par. We worked outside several days on the backyard area and it is super slow going.  Digging in clay like mud/dirt and rock is horrible, but worse in the 90+ degree heat and humidity we are still having.  At least things are dry right now near the garage edge so we will be getting the garage sealed inside and out as well as possible and get things fairly level before they deliver the pallet of 100 bags of sand and pavers for the patio area.

OUTSIDE MY WINDOW & THE WEATHER OUTSIDE
The sun is shining and there are a few fluffy clouds, but it is already stifling with high humidity.  We are supposed to hit 95 degrees today so I’m enjoying the AC inside before I tackle outside again.

ON THE BREAKFAST PLATE
French Toast and coffee.

AS I LOOK AROUND THE HOUSE, WEEKLY TO DO LIST & HOUSE PROJECTS
I see tons of things I need to do, but things that will take a backseat to getting the bathroom floor and entryway grouting and a patio area done.

CURRENTLY READING & TELEVISION / DVR
Looking forward to the premiers this week. Oh and we found a cool new show (to us), American Pickers, on the history channel that we’ve been enjoying A LOT!

MENU PLANS FOR THE WEEK
MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
SUNDAY
BREAKFAST
YOGURT & FRUIT
SCRAMBLED EGGS & CHEESE
FRUIT SMOOTHIE
YOGURT & FRUIT
MAPLE OATMEAL & RAISINS
TOASTED FRENCH TOAST
SAUSAGE AND CHEESE FRITTATA
LUNCH
FRUIT & CHEESE
SOUP & CRACKERS
OUT
OUT
MEAT & CHEESE
LEFTOVERS
SANDWICHES
DINNER
LOBSTER CAKES
ROAST CHICKEN with MASHED POTATOES and GRAVY
OUT
SPAGHETTI BOLOGNESE
SLOPPY JOES
CHICKEN POSOZLE
ORANGE CHICKEN & CHOW MEIN
DESSERT

RECIPE FINDS TO TRY LATER
My brother and SIL got me 2 new cookbooks for my  birthday and I’ll reading those this week to fill this list.

FAVORITE PHOTO FROM THE CAMERA
Honestly I haven’t even downloaded the pictures yet so next week I’ll post double.

INSPIRATION

Be sure to link up with Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom for Happy homemaker Monday and with Laura at I’m an Organizing Junkie for Menu Plan Monday.

HAPPY HOMEMAKER & MENU PLAN MONDAY

WOW Last week really got away from me and here we are back on another Monday. I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend and is bright eyed and bushy tailed ready for another week – one week closer to FALL!  I can’t wait.

We’re still here trying to finish this rehab!  You know the drill 2 steps forward only to take 10 backwards.  We really were hoping to be done by now, but it looks like another couple months.  We did hire a contractor for the drywall work, but we’re waiting for him to work us in between other jobs already scheduled.  And until he’s done we can’t finish painting and until the paiting is done we can’t begin the carpeting… you see the way it’s going.

It’s been WAY too warm and humid to work outside, but we did have the opportunity this past week to have a tree company working in the area do a side job for us.  For a very very reasonably expensive price they removed the HUGE, but suffering Magnolia tree from the back yard.  Now the problem is that they don’t do stumps, but there is supposed to be a stump crew out next week and hopefully we can slip them some cash to do ours while they are doing the big one between us and the neighbor.

Our neighbor down the way had a battery emergency this past weekend after her son cleaned the garage while listening to her car radio and ran the battery down.  I was waiting with her for AAA to come so we were chatting and learned so many things about my cousin and her cry for help.  It breaks my heart to hear a neighbor tell me how she didn’t understand why her brother or parents hadn’t done something to help her because it was so obvious that she was drinking and possibly doing drugs. She often sounded like she’d been drinking when we chatted, but it was usually later in the evening and on the phone you can’t see anything. I really wish we hadn’t been 2000 miles away, maybe I would been able to do something…

Just a reminder that September is Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month.   Know the warning signs. More detail here.

 

OUTSIDE MY WINDOW & THE WEATHER OUTSIDE
The sun is shining, FOR NOW, but we’ll see.  We are supposed to be a bit cooler this week with off and on thunderstorms.

ON THE BREAKFAST PLATE
A buttermilk waffle and coffee.

AS I LOOK AROUND THE HOUSE I SEE & MY
WEEKLY TO DO LIST & HOUSE PROJECTS
I started cleaning on Saturday and got distracted so I’ll finish the cleaning and decluttering today.

CURRENTLY READING & TELEVISION / DVR
Dancing with the stars begins tonight as well as Monday night football, but other than that we have cleaned up the DVR and are waiting for new shows.

I’m in between books right now also.

MENU PLANS FOR THE WEEK
MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
SUNDAY
BREAKFAST
YOGURT & FRUIT
SCRAMBLED EGGS & CHEESE
FRUIT SMOOTHIE
YOGURT & FRUIT
MAPLE OATMEAL & RAISINS
EGGS in the CLOUDS
BACON & EGGS
LUNCH
FRUIT & CHEESE
SOUP & CRACKERS
C.O.R.N.
OUT
MEAT & CHEESE
LEFTOVERS
C.O.R.N.
DINNER
HOT WINGS
PEANUT BUTTER BURGERS
C.O.R.N.
OUT FOR MY BIRTHDAY
SLOPPY JOES
CHILI & CORNBREAD
SOMETHING ON THE GRILL
DESSERT







INSPIRATION

Be sure to link up with Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom for Happy homemaker Monday and with Laura at I’m an Organizing Junkie for Menu Plan Monday.

OVARIAN CANCER AWARENESS MONTH – HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME

September is Ovarian Cancer Awareness month and my birthday month.  Is there a correlation?  Probably just for me, but the irony is NOT wasted on me.  At this age many people just say, it’s another day, oh well.  For me, I look forward to it like a small child.  Not because of cake and presents, but because I’m alive to celebrate it. In a few months I will have my 6 year check up, an event fairly rare with this type of cancer, so I’m ecstatic to be having another birthday that puts me that much closer to being labeled cancer free AGAIN! I have vowed to tell my story every year in hopes of raising awareness.  My story was not just pure luck.  In today’s world it’s hard work to stay on top of awareness, healthy eating and a positive lifestyle, but it is also SOOOOO worth it!  BE AWARE. BE VIGILANT. BE HEALTHY. BE POSITIVE.

SEPTEMBER IS OVARIAN CANCER AWARENESS MONTH!

I’ve always been a good girl and gotten my yearly well woman exams. I know my own body.  I started getting my mammograms at a very early age because of a serious family history of breast cancer.  I have a degree in the health field.  I am aware, yet imagine my surprise at my well woman appointment when they said they thought I might have a serious problem – Merry Christmas (December 2010) to me!  Imagine my shock a few weeks later when it was confirmed.

Are you aware of your body?  
Do you get regular check ups?  
Do you get timely cancer screenings.   
Don’t neglect any little pain or irregularity.

  Take control of your health and reduce your cancer risk.

Despite getting my yearly well woman exams I had been having a few pains  here and there for several months before my scheduled appointment, but ignored them because they “mimicked” my chronic appendix of many, many years.  I ignored them and it almost killed me.  Are YOU ignoring something that you should be having a doctor check?  Think twice and make an appointment 1st thing tomorrow.

Ovarian cancer has an ugly step sister too, breast cancer.  If you have any family history please get tested for BRCA also.  You have probably heard about it with a few celebrities having chosen to remove their breasts after testing positive.  It’s a simple blood test and can give you a world of relief to know the answer and if by chance it’s not relief, then your are armed to save your life with positive choices.  You can learn more about it here. Because of my family history I not only got BRCA done, but I was ready to act on it f necessary.  Being prepared mentally is one of the best things to do fo yourself.  I cannot say it enough:

Are you aware of your body?  
Do you get regular check ups?  
Do you get timely cancer screenings.   
Don’t neglect any little pain or irregularity.

Everyday Steps to Help Lower Your Cancer Risk can be found here. 

Go check these out NOW!  
Here are a few other tips to get you started.
  • Stay away from tobacco.

  • Stay at a healthy weight.

  • Get moving with regular physical activity.

  • Eat healthy with plenty of fruits and vegetables.

  • Limit how much alcohol you drink (if you drink at all).

  • Protect your skin.

  • Know yourself, your family history, and your risks.

  • Have regular check-ups and cancer screening tests.

  • For information on how to reduce your cancer risk and other questions about cancer, please call us anytime, day or night, at 1-800-227-2345 or visit THEM online at www.cancer.org.

HAPPY HOMEMAKER & MENU PLAN MONDAY

I’m going with a shortened version today since it’s a holiday.  I hope you are all having a relaxing labor day weekend with your friends and family.

OUTSIDE MY WINDOW & THE WEATHER OUTSIDE
A little gray and VERY humid with the chance of thunderstorms all day.  I just hope it gves us the grill time with no issues for dinner.

ON THE BREAKFAST PLATE
Sausage and Gruyere Fritatta.

AS I LOOK AROUND THE HOUSE
I’m very happy with what I was able get done on the deep clean last Saturday and there is just a few things to be finished and picked up.

WEEKLY TO DO LIST & HOUSE PROJECTS

  • eBay pictures and listings
  • Caulking and trim painting
  • some sorting and organizing

CURRENTLY READING & TELEVISION / DVR

We signed up for NETFLIX this weekend and am going to binge watch a few shows we missed during the past year.

CRAFTS & PROJECTS
Nothing much this week, but hoping to get started on Christmas projects in the next couple weeks.  I have been sorting through some recipes and ideas for the homemade portions.

MENU PLANS FOR THE WEEK
MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
SUNDAY
BREAKFAST
YOGURT & FRUIT
SCRAMBLED EGGS & CHEESE
FRUIT SMOOTHIE
YOGURT & FRUIT
MAPLE OATMEAL & RAISINS
EGGS in the CLOUDS
BACON & EGGS
LUNCH
FRUIT & CHEESE
SOUP & CRACKERS
SANDWICH
OUT
MEAT & CHEESE
LEFTOVERS
SANDWICHES
DINNER
GRILLED STEAKS, MAC & CHEESE, and BRUSSELS SPROUTS
C.O.R.N.
SWEET CORN SOUP and BISCUITS
GLAZED STUFFED PORK CHOPS
SLOPPY JOES
CHICKEN & DUMPLINGS
ORANGE CHICKEN & CHOW MEIN
DESSERT
DUMP CAKE

FAVORITE PHOTO FROM THE CAMERA

INSPIRATION

Be sure to link up with Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom for Happy homemaker Monday and with Laura at I’m an Organizing Junkie for Menu Plan Monday.

SIMPLE MAC & CHEESE – FLAVOR your way

In most worlds THE comfort food is a good MAC & CHEESE. I believe this is one of the simplest, but yet the MOST flavorful recipes I have ever made.  I simply change the cheese and/or seasoning to match my mood or whatever else I’m cooking.

SIMPLE MAC & CHEESE – FLAVOR your way

2 cups Dried Macaroni or penne for a dressier look
1 large egg, beaten
2 tablespoons Butter
2 tablespoons All-purpose Flour
1 cup 1% Milk
3/4 cup buttermilk 
OPTIONAL: 2 heaping teaspoons Coleman’s dry mustard (I omit because of allergy)
**1/3 pound smoked Gruyere cheese, Grated
**6 slices thick quality (Tillamook) medium cheddar cheese – 4 slices set aside, 2 broken into pieces
1/2 teaspoon sea Salt,
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground Black Pepper
1/2 teaspoon Paprika

  • Cook pasta. Pasta should be too firm to eat right out of the pot. Drain WELL.
  • In a small bowl, whisk egg.
  • In a large saucepan, melt butter and sprinkle in flour whisking until smooth and cooking for five minutes, whisking constantly. Do NOT let it burn.
  • Pour in milk, add mustard if using, and whisk until smooth. 
  • Cook for five minutes until very thick.
  • Slowly add 1/4 cup of the sauce into the beaten egg, whisking constantly to avoid cooking the egg whisking until well blended.
  • Pour egg mixture into the sauce, whisking constantly stirring until smooth.
  • Add grated and broken pieces of cheese stirring until melted and well blended.
  • Add salt, pepper, and paprika. 
  • Taste sauce and add more salt/seasoning as needed! DO NOT UNDER SEASON.
  • Fold in pasta until well coated.
  • Spoon into a buttered baking dish, top with cheese, slices.
  • Top with buttered Panko crumbs – optional.
  • Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until bubbly and golden on top. 
  • For a dressier look I stir the melted cheddar on top into the mac & cheese and spoon into a serving dish.

**The beauty of this recipe is that you can simply change the flavor by changing the types of cheese and/or the seasoning.

CINNAMON GRANOLA STUFFED FRENCH TOAST

CINNAMON GRANOLA STUFFED FRENCH TOAST serves 4
TOAST
8 slices think bread – your choice

  • Preheat oven to 350°.
  • Toast bread in oven until golden.

FILLING
3 tablespoons brown sugar
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon powdered vanilla
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel

  • Mix together all the ingredients until smooth.

DRY COATING
3 cups granola, crushed
3 tablespoons brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon powdered vanilla
1 teaspoon orange zest

  • Place all ingredients in a large ziploc bag.  Using a rolling pin, gently crush the cereal to a coarse bread crumb consistency and then mix all together in a shallow dish for dredging.

WET COATING
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon heavy cream

  • Whisk eggs and cream together. Pour into shallow dish for dredging.

SYRUP
1/4 teaspoon grated orange zest
1/4 cup PURE maple syrup

  • Whisk zest and syrup together in a small saucepan.
  • Heat under low flame.

ASSEMBLY
2 tablespoons butter

  • In a large skillet melt 2 tablespoons of butter.
  • Spread an even layer of the cream cheese filling over 4 of the toasts.
  • Put tops on each piece making 4 sandwiches.
  • Coat each sandwich in the egg mixture until well coated and then dredge through the cereal coating.
  • Place in pan and cook until golden on each side.
  • Serve immediately with warm syrup.

HAPPY HOMEMAKER AND MENU PLAN MONDAY

I can’t believe this is last week of August, but it really doesn’t make me sad.  I’m not sure about the rest of you but I am SOOOOOOO ready for fall! And while the actual cooler weather is still several weeks off, just the word September makes me start feeling closer to it.

OUTSIDE MY WINDOW & THE WEATHER OUTSIDE
We had a couple BIG, but short storms over the weekend, but all in all it was cooler and pretty nice.  Hurricane season this close to the coast can be unpredictable and ever changing so you just roll with the changes.  It’s clear right nowas the sun begins to rise, but there are some seriously gray and threatening clouds around the perimeter so we’ll see as the day goes on.

ON THE BREAKFAST PLATE
Apple Cinnamon oatmeal and coffee.

AS I LOOK AROUND THE HOUSE
I see a little tidying up to do and a load of laundry, but all in all, not too bad.  I finished a painting project on Saturday and then went into deep cleaning mode.

WEEKLY TO DO LIST & HOUSE PROJECTS

  • I have lots of paperwork to do this week.
  • Get some packages wrapped and shipped.
  • Photos for ebay sales.
  • Make appointments for getting the A/C fixed on the car and have it detailed.
  • Make appointment for last big drywall project.
  • Finish editing the photos for my post about the Painted Churches, Fredricksburg and the Pacific War Museum.

CURRENTLY READING & TELEVISION / DVR

MENU PLANS FOR THE WEEK
MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
SUNDAY
BREAKFAST
YOGURT & FRUIT
SCRAMBLED EGGS & CHEESE
FRUIT SMOOTHIE
YOGURT & FRUIT
MAPLE OATMEAL & RAISINS
CINNAMON GRANOLA STUFFED FRENCH TOAST
BACON & EGGS
LUNCH
FRUIT & CHEESE
SOUP & CRACKERS
SANDWICH
??
MEAT & CHEESE
LEFTOVERS
SANDWICHES
DINNER
FRIED FISH with SWEET & SPICY AVOCADO SAUCE
PEANUT BUTTER BURGERS
SWEET CORN SOUP
SHALLOT LIME CHICKEN with PEACH & STRAWBERRY SALAD
SLOPPY JOES
PIZZA
C.O.R.N.
DESSERT
COFFEE CINNAMON PEAR FUDGE CAKE

SUCCESSFUL RECIPES and links FROM LAST WEEK

RECIPE FINDS TO TRY LATER
While we were away last week we went to lunch with my oldest, er maybe I should say longest friends.  We’ve known each other since we were 2 and 3 years old, LOL Lisa wasn’t even born yet.  Leslie and Lisa took us to a favorite restaurant of theirs, Jack Allen Kitchen, but it was new to us.  ALL 4 of us cleaned our plates.  The food was AMAZING!  I even bought the cookbook the next day.  I’ve successfully made an appetizer, Pimiento Cheese so far.  When I was a kid Pimiento cheese in a jar was a favorite with crackers on Thanksgiving, but it grossed me out.  I now know that was NOT real food LOL!  Anyway I have read the cookbook from cover to cover and made labels for the recipes to be tried soon:

  • Fried Fish with Sweet & Spicy Avocado Sauce
  • Crunchy Fried Shrimp with Blackberry Sauce
  • Sweet Corn Soup
  • Pickled Cucumbers
  • Black Eyed Peas
  • Sweet Dried Tomato Basil Vinaigrette
  • Cucumber Relish
  • Red Wine Vinaigrette
  • Taco con Todo
  • Turnips & Pot Roast
  • Enchilada Tejana
  • Chocolate Ice Box Cake
  • Blackberry Cobbler
  • Red Velvet Cake with Strawberries
  • Manor Punch
  • Skirt Steak
  • Artichoke Gratin
  • Mustard Caper Dressing (for hubby only)
  • Carrot Soup
  • Cilantro Pesto
  • Pumpkin Bread
  • Pumpkin Goat Cheese Tart
  • Mama’s Chicken
  • Pumpkin Spice Butter
  • Pear Ricotta and Pecan Tart
  • JAK’s Slaw
  • Pickled Beets
  • Gingerbread Cookies
  • Broccoli Casserole
  • Potato Casserole
  • Carmelized Onion Sauce
  • Meatloaf
  • Balsamic Syrup

FAVORITE PHOTO FROM THE CAMERA
Last week I finally started the sealing of the brick on the atrium wall. Once it was done we realized that we weren’t going to be able to save the natural look because of all the repair spots so we would have to paint it.  Let me tell you what a pain that was.  The brick just soaked up the paint.  If only we’d known before we could have had the painters spray it way back when.  BUT, we LOVE the finished look even though it took me 2 days to get into ALL the crevices.

INSPIRATION

Be sure to link up with Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom for Happy homemaker Monday and with Laura at I’m an Organizing Junkie for Menu Plan Monday.

PIMIENTO CHEESE

As a kid I hated Pimiento Cheese.  What I didn’t realize is what my family put out with crackers was NOT real food LOL.  You know the jelly jar cheese spread you find at the grocery store.  Jack Allen’s Kitchen serves a small dab of their Pimiento Cheese with a cracker as a nibble before you order and it is fantastic!  I even bought a jar to bring home and it was the first recipe I tried from their cook book when it arrived. At home we tried it with all sorts of crackers before deciding a simple Ritz cracker was the best.
PIMIENTO CHEESE
8 ounces softened cream cheese
1/2 pound Monterey Jack cheese, grated
1/2 pound Medium Cheddar cheese, grated
1 cup Duke’s mayonnaise
1 large Red Bell Pepper, washed, seeded, roasted and chopped fine
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon Sherry Vinegar*
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

  • Mix together the cream cheese, mayonnaise, Worcestershire sauce, Vinegar and salt until smooth.
  • Blend in the grated Monterey Jack cheese and grated Cheddar cheese.
  • Fold in bell pepper until well distributed.
  • Chill well.
  • Serve with crackers.

*I didn’t have any so I used Golden Balsamic Vinegar

NEW LIFE to an old KITCHENAID

Back in 1994 we lived in Northridge, California. On January 16, 1994 I spent the day setting up banquet tables in my dining room and living room so I could empty out EVERY kitchen cabinet and drawer of dishes, food (including 6 dozen freshly made jars of jam) and cooking utensils onto those tables to prepare for a complete kitchen overhaul.  It was a tough job and in all honesty some things were stacked a bit precariously, but I made it ALL fit onto the tables.

After I accomplished that tiresome job I removed all the cabinet doors and had them stacked and ready for stripping and painting the next day.  I was exhausted, but I was ready for the next day full of painting. Or so I thought.

What I didn’t know when I planned that project was that the 6.9 Northridge earthquake was going to strike at 4:31 the next morning, only a few short hours after I called it a day from the prep work for the kitchen the previous day.  Long story short we lost 95% of EVERYTHING in the house and garage including my car.

It took a FULL month plus to pick up, bag up, box up and haul everything out to the curb to throw away the broken pieces of our life including furniture, walls and the jam mashed into the carpet.  We had no food except what was in the freezer.  We had a 2 week long block party with the neighbors all taking turns at cooking on BBQ’s in the street.   No electricity, no stores, no banks, no phones (the days before everyone having a cell phone)… life came to a grinding halt.

But, when the dust had settled, the insurance inventories had been submitted, insurance checks began to arrive and when we had caught our breath we began rebuilding.

One of the first things I bought was a new mixer.  I had decided that I was going to splurge and so I bought a top of the line (for the time) 6 qt. professional Kitchenaid.  At the time you couldn’t get all the designer colors so I got a simple white.

In early 2007 I couldn’t stand how it looked after so many years of use, but it is a work horse and I love it so I decided to paint it.  No since in spending money just for a prettier mixer so I chose a hammered copper paint which was popular for the time. 

Now, lmost 10 years later it was time again.  This time I chose a teal color to keep with the color theme I have chosen for this house.  Teal is my new favorite color since it’s the awareness color for Ovarian Cancer.  A day doesn’t go by that I don’t thank God for surviving Ovarian Cancer so choosing the teal is a happy reminder that I’m here and healthy. I got a little carried away and started painted a lot of things.

 Of course it began to thunder and sprinkle then rain so I had to move everything inside to finish drying.

All finished! A great 22 1/2 year old KitchenAid professional workhorse in a new custom color.