HAPPY HOMEMAKER MONDAY, MENUS & RECIPE LINKS ~ week 10 OF 2026 ~ BLOG 365.68

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

LAST WEEK RECAPPED

Last week went by way too quickly, but was VERY productive for me. I finished my recipe books, donated several bags to St. Vinnies, finalized the February books for the Eagle’s kitchen, the shopping for the Eagle’s bar and a friend’s business, prepped a good deal of the parts for the Loaded Baked Potato Bar I’m doing on Friday as my last Eagle’s meal. I also helped a friend set up a new computer/printer for her mom and will finalize that later this week. And I can’t believe it’s already time to change the clocks! Did you remember to do yours? I know a couple people who didn’t and ended up missing appointments yesterday. 🙂

I’m hoping to keep up the momentum this week though I have a few appointments and am taking a friend who had knee replacement surgery to physical therapy this week.

There is an Eagle’s meeting tonight, but I’m REALLY backing away and will be attending Trivia night with my team instead. It’s not the same, but I will be resuming my “normal” larger monthly donations to my favorite charities until I decide what to replace my Eagle’s time with.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

THE WEATHER OUTSIDE

The weekend was absolutely gorgeous, but today we’re back to highs in the low 50’s with rain and night time lows in the 30’s and 40’s. It’s time to put away the UGG’s (I hope) and go with some lighter tennies and cute spring shoes though I’m still in the layering phase.

TO DO, APPOINTMENTS, DVR/TV & PROJECTS

THIS WEEK’S TO DO LIST, PROJECTS, TRAVEL,  APPOINTMENTS, MENUS & DVR/TV
  • LAUNDRY & CLEANING I have a couple loads of laundry to do, but did get some deep cleaning done last week as well as pack a few totes of unused winter clothes.
  • GROCERIES & ERRANDS I spent last Saturday out shopping all by myself which was heaven. It was a beautiful day and I got the car washed and vacuumed, went to the butcher for chicken, Marshalls for a couple spring blouses and a dress and sweater, the Farm Stand for produce and danish, the grocery store for a few can goods and only because I had to, Walmart.
  • RECIPE RESEARCH & MENU PLANNING I just finished printing out our favorite recipes and creating an index of the recipes. A friend just gave me the old recipe boxes from Barbara, one of her charges and in them I found even older recipes from Barbara’s mother Thelma. I’m looking forward to making some Blueberry Oatmeal Cookies and Biscuit Rhapsody soon while I continue combing through the recipes. I try to make the least common recipes first 🙂
  • DVR/TV Cooking shows ~ TOC, FLAVOR TOWN, Wild Card Kitchen, Spring Baking Championship…
  • THINGS THAT MAKE ME HAPPY Sunny days… Rainy weekends… Cozy fires… lunch dates with old friends… dinner dates with hubby… Shiny balloons… spring flowers

READING TIME

FUNNIES

MENU PLANS

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

3/9
MONDAY
 3/10
TUESDAY
 3/11
WEDNESDAY
 3/12
THURSDAY
3/13
FRIDAY
3/14
SATURDAY
3/15
SUNDAY
DINNER
CORN/YOYO clean out refrigerator night or you’re on your own
CORN CHICKEN PASTA & SALAD
CORN/YOYO clean out refrigerator night or you’re on your own
CHEESEBURGER WRAPS & TOTS
CORN/YOYO clean out refrigerator night or you’re on your own
BAKED PAPRIKA CHICKEN, MASHED POTATOES & GLAZED CARROTS
CORNED BEEF & CARROTS with BABY POTATOES
DESSERT
 
CHERRY PINEAPPLE PANDOWDY aka BREAD PUDDING 

FAVORITE PHOTOS FROM THE CAMERA

This week’s favorite photos are one of my favorite barns that is going to probably collapse any day now. I’m always afraid the cows that hang out near it and even in it are going to get hurt. There is also this really cool mushroom I found near the Japanese maple tree and I’m going to paint this picture soon.

Screenshot

INSPIRATIONS

LIFE TIP

HOMEMAKING / COOKING TIP

COOKING THURSDAY RECIPES COMING UP THIS WEEK

  • SCRUFFED CARBONARA POTATOES
  • MANHATTAN (RED) CLAM CHOWDER

COOKING THURSDAY RECIPE LINKS FROM LAST WEEK

WEEKLY FEATURED PARTY LINKS

BLOG 365.12 ~ HAPPY HOMEMAKER MONDAY ~ week 2 of 2026 ~ with MENUS & RECIPE LINKS

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

LAST WEEK RECAPPED

The first part of the week was full of errands and trying to get back on track with a routine. My girlfriend and I ventured to the BIG (ha 😂 ha) city on Wednesday to go shopping at the mall and have a nice lunch. Then we stopped at the Chef’s store (Cash & Carry, Smart & Final) to get the food for our Friday dinner and the rest of the month’s shopping for the Eagle’s kitchen. YAY my last time shopping for the kitchen, but at least I was able to set them up for success, now it’s on them to find the wherewithal to follow thru and keep it going “correctly” without getting lazy and short cutting everything which unfortunately is the tendancy. Thursday was the shopping for the Eagle’s bar, my girlfriend’s bar & grill and some food prep for Friday’s meal.

I cannot believe the first full week of January flew by that quickly! I NEED things to slow down a bit so I can catch up!

We’re NOT really college football watchers other than the Rose Bowl, but we live in a small town only an hour or so away from the Oregon University Ducks, so they are a BIG deal around here. Unfortunately, or maybe fortunately, they played Friday evening during the Auxiliary charity dinner that my girl friend and I were preparing so we ended up twice as busy as we’ve been in recent months. The unfortunate part is that we didn’t plan for that many people, but, the fortunate part is that we SOLD OUT and didn’t have leftovers 🙂

Saturday I was finally able to get my own shopping and errands accomplished and picked up some fried chicken for lunch on the way back so hubby and I could watch WILD CARD NFL games. 4 of the 5 times we rooted for won 🙂 Sunday was more football with friends and then some relaxing before the week started all over again. I did get some meal planning done and a few odd organizational tasks accomplished.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

THE WEATHER OUTSIDE

Last Friday we finally woke to the first snow of the winter, NOT on the valley floor, but absolutely beautiful none the less on the hills around us. Our rain is gone for the next week or so, but it’s not full sun either. All week should be highs in the 40’s with lows in the low 30’s. Lots of layering still going on here.

TO DO, APPOINTMENTS, DVR/TV & PROJECTS

THIS WEEK’S TO DO LIST, PROJECTS, APPOINTMENTS & DVR/TV
  • LAUNDRY & CLEANING Laundry is done and I’m hoping to finish the holiday clean-up today 🙂
  • GROCERIES & ERRANDS Up to date on my personal shopping. I just have the business shopping to do. I have 2 meetings today, but may skip them both under the current political climate. I was going to skip the 2nd one anyway to go and support my friend’s new “Trivia Night” at the bar and grill she manages. But… ??????
  • PROJECTS & TRAVELS Need to make reservations for the trip next month.
  • RECIPE RESEARCH & MENU PLANNING I’m working on a couple of new and unusual recipes to combat winter doldrums of the same old soup and stew flavor profile.
  • DVR/TV We watched BEST MEDICINE last week and will give it another try this week, but so far it isn’t as good as the original, DOC MARTIN. Also have a few cooking shows to catch up on as well as the regular season shows that have started again.
  • THINGS THAT MAKE ME HAPPY A rainy Sunday in yoga pants, fuzzy socks and Football… brunch with good friends and Football… puppy kisses… clean sheets and cozy quilt…
  • ON MY MIND I’m not technically an officer at the Eagles, but I do have many responsibilities and am the “back up” secretary for my friend. She asked me to go to the officer’s meeting today in her place and I’m a bit concerned about saying the wrong thing to the wrong person. From a business standpoint there are some really poor choices being made and as the saying goes, you can read the writing on the wall if they follow down this path. But, as the other saying goes, you can lead a horse to water, but you cannot make it drinkQue sera

READING TIME

Book club was kind of a wash I guess and they haven’t picked a new book ::SIGH:: so I’ve just bee reading whatever strikes my fancy. Right now I’m reading WHY I HOLD YOUR HAND by Augusta Reily.

FUNNIES

MENU PLANS

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

1/12
MONDAY
 1/13
TUESDAY
 1/14
WEDNESDAY
 1/15
THURSDAY
1/16
FRIDAY
1/17
SATURDAY
1/18
SUNDAY
DINNER
CORN/YOYO
BEST MEATBALLS and PASTA
MARRY ME CHICKEN & NOODLES
ASIAN POT PIE and SALAD
CORN/YOYO
CHICKEN FETTUCCINE CARBONARA
ORICIETTE with BROWN BUTTER WALNUT SAUCE
DESSERT
 
PUMPKIN APPLE POKE CAKE
 

FAVORITE PHOTOS FROM THE CAMERA

Incredible sunsets over the pond again this past weekend!!!

INSPIRATIONS

LIFE TIP

HOMEMAKING / COOKING TIP

COOKING THURSDAY RECIPES COMING UP THIS WEEK

  • CREAMY TUSCAN TORTELLINI SOUP
  • APPLEBEE’S COPY CAT ORIENTAL CHICKEN SALAD DRESSING

COOKING THURSDAY RECIPE LINKS FROM LAST WEEK

WEEKLY FEATURED PARTY LINKS