HAPPY HOMEMAKER MONDAY with MENU PLANS week 38 of 2023 ~ BLOG 365.261

We officially move into my favorite season of the year next Sunday, and I for one, CANNOT wait for it to be even chillier in the mornings and evenings, wearing hoodies and UGGs, drinking hot tea of an evening, maybe eating some popcorn and a movie while curled up with a cozy blanket and/or a book :SIGH: I’m about to be in heaven 😀

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

YAY! By this time next week we are supposed to be back into our normal rain and fall situation!!! This makes me VERY happy. This week is supposed to be in the mid 70’s and sunny.

This is a category weighing heavy on my mind as to how to handle the issues occurring within the Eagles Auxiliary and how much I want to deal with it. It’s one of those situations that needs to be rectified, but will be like a horror show to watch it unfold.

My dilemma is do I want to be the one to champion the cause to get the ball rolling or let it play out which will likely take months of bad feelings and inappropriate behavior by a self appointed “dictator” who is constantly overstepping her position by demanding people say please and thank you to her, but then turning around and commanding them to do things at her bidding instead of asking them to be involved, demanding people do things her way (instead of Robert’s Rules of Order) and doing their (i.e., the secretary) jobs her way like preparing an agenda that only SHE has pre-approved of in advance and forcing any NEW BUSINESS not pre-approved by her for the agenda to be tabled until the next meeting, rewriting decisions she doesn’t like, etc… BUT, everyone is walking on eggshells around her because she is such an unpredictable nightmare to be around and is someone they just don’t want to deal with. :SIGH: It is a VERY sad situation. Everyone is just trying to keep the peace and hope the situation works itself out.

My husband called this one though I’m sorry to say. He said before the election was ever even held that if she got elected she’d be trying to run the show and the whole facility before it was all over.

Within the Eagles organization her position, which she ran unopposed because NOBODY wanted to poke that hornet’s nest, is supposed to have only 2 main functions 1) facilitate our meetings and 2) be a tie-breaker vote NOT be the self appointed dictator she has made herself.

No one believed it would be a BIG deal for her in this position because it was so limited in duties. She is also not to head any committees, but can be a member of them, though once again she is controlling them all. At this point even the strong members are “afraid” to confront her when she is in the wrong and I think are just hoping to wait it out. Unfortunately, he was right and many members have “drunk the kool-aid” or stepped down all together to avoid confrontation. VERY SUPER SAD FOR AN ORGANIZATION THAT HAS A MOTTO OF PEOPLE HELPING PEOPLE.

The husband of the woman in question was overheard saying to her not to back down or “they” win. They in this case being me who has reportedly sided with the other” side. What was my offense you wonder? I had the audacity to volunteer to take the minutes (something I am extremely qualified to do) for my friend who is the secretary while she is out having ankle replacement surgery and it was only for 2-3 meetings. And it truly was just to write down the meeting minutes and my friend would still have been doing the computer work from home. My bigger offense according to hubby is that I’m positive and capable and friendly plus I follow the rules and ask others about how they want things. The dictator sees this as a threat. This is a woman who in the beginning would walk up to people and say things like, “You don’t like me very much do you?” or order a drink at the bar and when the bartender asked for money would say things like “Find someone to buy it for me” and walk away…

Ironically, if I have “sided” with the other side, it’s of their own making by playing so many games. In reality I haven’t “sided” with other side but with the ENTIRE organization and used my talents where they were most needed at any given time, especially during the recent crisis and rebuild in the aftermath of the water main break. I might mention that she and her crony (yes I believe there is only one) did not lift a finger to help during the crisis.

Quick bite today of peach yogurt and 2 sips of coffee before I move to ice tea as I have projects and meetings all day at the Eagles to move towards this upcoming conference.

THIS WEEK’S TO DO LIST, PROJECTS & APPOINTMENTS
  • LAUNDRY & CLEANING I have some ironing to do, but with the weather changing have been putting it off since I probably won’t be wearing these things for months. I’m actually caught up on everything else.
  • GROCERIES & ERRANDS I seriously need to get to the grocery stor later today! The errands are really caught up though.

WHAT’S ON THE DVR/TV
FALL season starts next week, but this week I’m catching up on cooking shows (Beat Bobby Flay, Girl Meets Farm, Guy’s Grocery Games) that have been DVRed all summer as well as Halloween Baking started last week. We also watched a season of SHINING VALE with Courtney Cox and Greg Kinnear which is a bit weird, but weird like a train wreck you can’t NOT watch! We also started watching an old western show I’d never heard of called LARAMIE.

I’m in between books, but plan to start a couple after the conference is over this next weekend. I also have a couple new fall baking/recipe magazines to read and am waiting on my newest Taste of Home Special Delivery box which is sure to have a new cook book in it. I’m also waiting on a Season’s Best cook pamphlet from my Pampered Chef order.

MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
SUNDAY
DINNER THIS WEEK PAN SEARED CHICKEN & RICE PILAF with GARLIC CREAM GRAVY CREAMSICLE CHICKEN & MASHED POTATOES with OVEN ROASTED CARROTS BEEF STEW & ANGEL BISCUITS with SALAD EAGLES CONFERENCE YOYO or CORN You’re on YOUR own or Clean Out the Refrigerator EAGLES CONFERENCE YOYO or CORN You’re on YOUR own or Clean Out the Refrigerator EAGLES CONFERENCE YOYO or CORN You’re on YOUR own or Clean Out the Refrigerator EAGLES CONFERENCE YOYO or CORN You’re on YOUR own or Clean Out the Refrigerator
DINNER NEXT WEEK
CASSOULET & SMASHED POTATOES
MARSALA PORK CHOPS & CRANBERRY RICE
TEXAS RANCH CHICKEN CASSEROLE & COPPER PENNIES
OVEN BRISKET & POTATO SALAD
 ANTIPASTO SQUARES and SALAD
YOYO or CORN You’re on YOUR own or Clean Out the Refrigerator
YOYO or CORN You’re on YOUR own or Clean Out the Refrigerator
DESSERT
 
 

It was a FUN week around here. Went to breakfast Friday morning with a good friend and then to lunch with hubby and to see a movie. After that a few friends surprised me with a big cake and balloons and party with drinks. And then I spent Saturday with one of them out playing, shopping and for a wonderful lunch.

BEEF TIPS IN ONION WINE SAUCE ~ COOKING THURSDAY ~ BLOG 365.257

This is an easy, go to fall favorite at our house when the mornings AND the evenings have that cool crisp feel that out last the 2-3 hours of warmth in the midday afternoons.

BEEF TIPS IN ONION WINE SAUCE
3-4 pounds boneless beef chuck roast, cut into 2 inch cubes
FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper
2 tablespoons garlic powder
16 ounce package baby carrots
1 cup rough chopped Vidalia onion
2 stalks celery, minced
2 cans Campbell’s Golden Mushroom soup
8 ounces sliced mushrooms
3/4 cup Marsala wine
1 (1 ounce) package Lipton onion soup

  • Preheat oven to 325°.
  • Spray a dutch oven with non-stick cooking spray.
  • Generously season the beef chunks with the FRESH ground sea salt, black pepper and garlic powder.
  • Place beef in dutch oven, cover with carrots and onions.
  • Whisk together the golden mushroom soup, Lipton soup mix and Marsala wine until well combined.
  • Pour over meat and veggies.
  • Bake completely undisturbed for 3 hours until meat is tender.
  • Serve over mashed potatoes.

CHICKEN & CHEESE PIE aka MEXICAN QUICHE ~ BLOG 365.255

CHICKEN & CHEESE PIE aka MEXICAN QUICHE – servings: 8 servings

Whether you eat this for breakfast, lunch or dinner this chicken and cheese Quesadilla Pie is a combination of a quiche and a quesadilla.

Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 30 minutes Total Time: 40 minutes

1 10-inch flour tortilla, burrito size
3 cups rotisserie chicken shredded pieces
4 ounce can chopped green chiles, drained WELL
1 can ROTEL tomatoes, drained WELL
2 tablespoons pampered chef taco seasoning or 1 package Taco Bell taco seasoning

1/4 cup FINELY chopped FRESH cilantro leaves, PLUS some for garnish
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper
2 LARGE eggs
1 cup WHOLE milk
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
Garnishes – sour cream, salsa, guacamole, diced green onions, cotija cheese crumbles

  • Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 425-450 degrees.
  • Grease 9-inch pie plate.
  • Press tortilla into prepared pie plate and spray lightly with cooking spray.
  • Toss chicken, cilantro, jalapeños (optional), 1 cup of the cheese, FRESH ground sea salt, and black pepper in large bowl until combined.
  • Spread filling over tortilla.
  • Whisk eggs, milk, flour, baking powder in bowl until smooth.
  • Slowly pour over filling.
  • Bake 20-25 minutes until surface is golden brown and knife inserted into the center comes out clean.
  • Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup of cheese on top and bake for about 3-5 minutes more or until cheese melts.
  • Let cool 5 minutes.
  • Cut into wedges and serve.
  • Top with sour cream, salsa, and guacamole if desired.

NOTES: Adding 1/4 cup drained chopped pickled jalapeños in place of the or in addition to the green chiles oomphs this recipe up quite a bit.

HAPPY HOMEMAKER MONDAY & MENUS week 37 of 2023 ~ BLOG 365.254

Good morning ladies. I can’t believe we are almost 3/4’s of the way through 2023! Seems like the summer has flown by. Now, I know I’ve been excessively busy, but still where did summer go? I thought I was done with work at the Eagles, but lo and behold we forgot a few things so there are a couple things to do today. Despite that I will be able to regroup this week and play catch up. I can’t wait to visit you all again!!

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

This week our daily highs are predicted to be in the high 80’s and 90’s edging us towards an Indian summer, but fortunately our night time lows will still be in the low 50’s meaning that those 80’s and 90’s will be only for a couple hours each afternoon. I can live with that 😀

I have on Levi’s with a favorite old t-shirt for my truly FINAL day of my Eagles building work! Well, for this week anyway. We did find a few more MUST DO SOON projects that HAVE to be done, but will be waiting until after the conference at the end of September to do them.

Hot water and black cherry yogurt

THIS WEEK’S TO DO LIST, PROJECTS & APPOINTMENTS
  • LAUNDRY & CLEANING I spent Saturday doing a deep clean, several loads of laundry and setting up the new TV we had to buy for the bedroom.
  • GROCERIES & ERRANDS I have a hair cut and pedicure on Thursday so will arrange my grocery shopping and errands around those appointments to save time and gas.
  • PAPERWORK, PHONE CALLS, PROJECTS & TRAVELS no travels planned right now, but I do NEED to get the paperwork and calls up to date.
  • RECIPE RESEARCH & MENU PLANNING Last night I was able to get the menus and recipes organized for a plan through October.

WHAT’S ON THE DVR/TV
CABLE We’re binge watching Justified Primeval right now and watching The Middle reruns. We’re about to finish BIG BANG reruns (AGAIN) at night. We will start getting caught up on the DVR now that we’re not so tired every night.

I’ve FINALLY forced myself to read at night again, but I’m reading slowly to savor reading Marie Force’s State of Denial #5 in the First Family series.

MONDAY 9/11
TUESDAY 9/12
WEDNESDAY 9/13
THURSDAY 9/14
FRIDAY 9/15
SATURDAY 9/16
SUNDAY 9/17
BREAKFAST
YOGURT and COFFEE
YOGURT and COFFEE
YOGURT and COFFEE
YOGURT and COFFEE
YOGURT and COFFEE
QUICHE LORRAINE
PANCAKES & BACON
LUNCH
TUNA SALAD
FRUIT & YOGURT
SOUP & SANDWICHES
OUT
OUT
PASTRAMI SANDWICHES
FOOTBALL FOOD
DINNER
PAN SEARED PORK CHOPS with PARMESAN BUTTER POTATOES
SALISBURY STEAKS with MUSHROOM GRAVY
CHICKEN GUMBO and SALAD
YOYO or CORN You’re on YOUR own or Clean Out the Refrigerator
OUT for my birthday
BUNLESS BURGERS CRY BABY BURGERS with 
SEAFOOD SALAD with PARMESAN CRUSTED ROLLS
DESSERT
 
 SNICKER DOODLES

I saw this on a table at our favorite pub and thought it was kinda fun! And this quilt was made by a friend of mine to raffle off at the Eagles for our scholarship fund. I’m definitely buying tickets for this one!