PRINCESS SASSY PANTS – Chasing MY Life WHEREVER it Leads ME

SATURDAY COFFEE TIME ~ BLOG 365.74

HAPPY HOMEMAKER MONDAY, MENU & RECIPES ~ week 2 of 2025 ~ BLOG 365.13

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

LAST WEEK RECAPPED

Using British slang today – this past week has left me completely knackered! It was just the kind of busy that was non-stop. I did 20,000 steps alone on Monday when I put up the Christmas decorations. Every day since was over 15,000 – just had so much to do! The weekdays were full of Eagle’s maintenance chores and shopping for the bar and kitchen. Two of the older trustees were getting married on Saturday and I wanted to get things stocked up well!

My girlfriend, Dana did the Friday auxiliary meal which had A LOT of moving parts. The menu was a choice of Reuben soup with grilled cheese dippers or Chicken Chile Verde soup with a mini quesadilla and a Kahlua brownie trio. It was all quite delicious. I ended up taking over for her on the grill and soup and then we did an extra deep clean for the kitchen that night as the wedding reception was being held there on Saturday and Nellie (the lady who owned my favorite sandwich shop until she decided to retire! 🙁 ) was catering and I wanted to leave it good and clean for her.

Saturday was the wedding and reception which went well, but no one had made arrangements for keeping things stocked or clean up. Nellie asked me to keep the trays stocked with food and to take charge of her personal items, but I took it upon myself to keep plates, forks and napkins stocked, stray items and bar glasses picked up and the dishes done because we opened at 3PM for business after the reception and had a band that night.

Sunday was spent watching NFL playoff games, helping another friend fish her diamond out of her bathroom sink drain and sorting the pantry and freezer, making menus for the rest of January and February to use what I have on hand in an effort to rotate things well and cleaning as I went so we could take apart the laundry room to clean it well and install new flexible venting on the dryer today. I guess I have really started an early spring cleaning. 🙃

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

THE WEATHER OUTSIDE

BRRRR COLD!!!! Our lows are getting into the 20’s and highs barely into the 40’s which is NOT a great combination when it’s a WET COLD that seeps into your bones!!! Lots of layers are the plan this week for anytime I have to leave the house!

ON MY MIND

🙁 Having grown up in Los Angeles County in Southern California with Santa Ana and Devil Winds, living in rural areas where we always had a go bag packed with important papers and a change of clothing, my heart is just breaking for all of those affected by the devastating fires this past week. 🙁

TO DO LIST, APPOINTMENTS & PROJECTS

THIS WEEK’S TO DO LIST, PROJECTS & APPOINTMENTS

LAUNDRY & CLEANING Christmas is ALL cleaned up and stored so the deep cleaning has begun. I’m starting in the laundry room as I noticed the dryer vent is having an issue so we’ve replacing the flexible venting first. After that I’ll get busy on the baseboards and the dust that collects deep in the edges. I’ve already done under ALL the sink areas.
GROCERIES & ERRANDS I have some things to pick up for my Fundraiser dinner on Friday as well as the shopping for the kitchen and bar at the Eagles. I also have a meeting tonight that I hope goes super quick because it’s in the middle of the playoff game I really want to see!
PROJECTS & TRAVELS Nothing this week, but we are going to the coast for a CRABFEST at the Lions the 24th-26th.
RECIPE RESEARCH & MENU PLANNING I have the next couple weeks planned using much of the freezer and pantry up, but will start working on February’s menu soon.

DVR/TV TIME

WHAT’S ON THE DVR/TV

STREAMING We’re re-watching BONES and then HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER for a late night comedy (we always end the day with a comedy to go to sleep by).
CABLE I think there are a few new shows starting this week. I’ve also been taping the Saturday Night Hallmark movies. 😀

READING TIME

I’m just about done with The Rose Code by Kate Quinn and am going to start LILAC INK THE KNOCKNASHEE STORY by Jean Grainger

FUNNIES

MENU PLANS

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

	1/13 MONDAY	1/14 TUESDAY	1/15 WEDNESDAY	1/16 THURSDAY	1/17 FRIDAY	1/18 SATURDAY	1/19 SUNDAY
DINNER	CHICKEN CABBAGE STEW	REUBEN SOUP	BEEF & SWEET ONIONS over RICE	PORK CHOPS IN CREAMY GARLIC SPINACH SAUCE	CHICKEN ENCHILADAS and RE-FRIED BEANS for the Eagle’s Auxiliary Fundraiser Dinner	CORN/YOYO clean out refrigerator night or you’re on your own!	PORK & BEAN BREAD
DESSERT				GOLDEN BREAD PUDDING	LEMON, CARROT and CHOCOLATE EARTHQUAKE CAKES

FAVORITE PHOTOS FROM THE CAMERA

INSPIRATIONS

LIFE TIP

HOMEMAKING / COOKING TIP

RECIPES COMING UP THIS WEEK

LEMON MELT AWAYS
TEXAS TRASH DIP
BACON CHEESEBURGER BALLS
APPLE WALNUT CAKE with CARAMEL GLAZE

RECIPE LINKS FROM LAST WEEK

WEEKLY FEATURED PARTY LINKS

BLOGMAS 2024 ~ day 25 ~ MEANING OF CHRISTMAS ~ BLOG 366.358B

Christmas is the most important holiday to me and not because Santa comes, though that is pretty important to the kiddos, but more importantly, it’s a caring spirit, a sharing feeling, an attitude that I try to practice all year long. I truly feel good about giving – whether it’s the Angel trees I select gifts for or the smile from the Salvation Army bell ringer as you put your money in their red bucket and wish them Merry Christmas.

For 10 years I chaired an Angel Tree Program for FISH and I loved doing it! I prepared for it earlier and earlier every year and I truly believe each year got better and better because of that preparation. The night before we distributed the gifts I would go shopping for the teenage girls and boys that always seemed to fall through the cracks in the donations. We were ALWAYS lacking in gifts for the teen girls no matter what we tried to boost things up for them. So, now when I choose the angels from the trees in the community I seek out the teenage girls specifically. And the past few years I have helped chair a committee and shop for foster kids in need.

Christmas means lots and lots of memories of family, some no longer with us, but ALWAYS in my heart when I hang an ornament that reminds me of that person or a recipe that they always prepared like my dad’s, Oatnut Sourdough Herb Dressing, crazy Aunt Louise’s Holiday Wreaths or Gram’s Christmas box full of goodies picked out just for each one of us or…

One of the things I try to practice each year is to make at least one homemade gift – nothing too extravagant, but just something that says “I MADE THIS with LOVE JUST FOR YOU“.

The years that we host the Christmas holidays we include a lot of family recipes. But, more importantly, Christmas is the spirit of Love and Giving and it must be felt and shared. Christmas is a gift from above and each year as I grow older I realize more and more that Christmas is about Love, Peace, Sharing, Caring and just being together.

I can only answer for myself, but I assume for those that are not religious, the meaning of Christmas is still a celebration, but one of celebrating friendships and family by gathering to eat together, share their time and share tokens of appreciation in the form of gifts with others.
May we ALL carry the spirit of Christmas in our hearts all throughout the year by remembering the REAL reason for the season.

HAPPY HOMEMAKER MONDAY week 51 of 2024 ~ BLOG 366.358

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

WEEKEND RECAP

GOOD MORNING dear friends! Here we are in the FINAL STRETCH of holiday preparation! Are you ready? I hope you are taking the holiday week by storm and crushing it, BUT also going slow enough to REALLY enjoy it!! One thing fell through the cracks for me this year, mainly because Thanksgiving was so late. I normally have my cards ready before Thanksgiving, but didn’t this year. I have been working on them amongst all my other commitments. So, if you normally get a card from me, they are almost ready, but this year they will be a between Christmas and New Years card 😀

I stay connected by doing BLOGMAS each day to get me started in the right spirit. That said, I often do multiple posts ahead of time and schedule them while we are watching football or a Christmas movies throughout the month of December. I think next year I’ll combine many posts together and go with an every few days approach.

Last week was a SUPER BUSY one for me! There was something BIG literally every day – dinners in with friends and neighbors, dinners out with girlfriends and going to see a play, A Christmas Story at the local community theatre, parties at some of our favorite places with some of our favorite people…

I have FINALLY learned how to slow down a bit and enjoy it even more! I have a girlfriend who comes over every few months and I usually make a “SPECIAL” drink and dinner for us. She has finally convinced me to make it “simpler” and you know what? We had an even better time with bacon cheeseburger balls, super creamy mac and cheese and a simple green salad. I did splurge and make mini raspberry cheesecakes 😀

Have a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS my friends. Enjoy your families and remember the reason for the season! And here’s a clue, it’s not perfection or commercialism.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

THE WEATHER OUTSIDE

We’re in the beginning stages of an atmospheric river back-up of storms here. According to a NY Times article, there is going to be one right after another for the next 10 days or so. So, wet weather attire will be worn at all times as we head into this first full week of winter!

TO DO LIST, APPOINTMENTS & PROJECTS

THIS WEEK’S TO DO LIST, PROJECTS & APPOINTMENTS

LAUNDRY & CLEANING ALL done until the unwrapping mess on Wednesday.
GROCERIES & ERRANDS NOT on your life am I going near a store this week.

DVR/TV TIME

WHAT’S ON THE DVR/TV

CHRISTMAS MOVIES of course and clean out the DVR for the end of the year!

READING TIME

I’m reading The Last One at the Wedding by Jason Rekulak for book club. I’m really hoping to have more time for reading soon.

FUNNIES

MENU PLANS

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

	MONDAY	TUESDAY	WEDNESDAY	THURSDAY	FRIDAY	SATURDAY	SUNDAY
DINNER	LEMON CHICKEN & RICE SOUP	MARINATED FLANK STEAK, FRIED POTATOES and MUNCHIES	CHRISTMAS BREAKFAST CASSEROLE ~~BAKED HAM~~, PRIME RIB, GLAZED ROASTED CARROTS, LOADED MASHED POTATOES	CORN/YOYO clean out refrigerator night or you’re on your own	PEASANT STEW, BUTTERMILK BAKED BISCUITS	CORN/YOYO clean out refrigerator night or you’re on your own	HAM TETRAZZINI, GREEN SALAD
DESSERT			RASPBERRY TRUFFLES, MOCHA BANANA RUM BALLS		CRANBERRY CHEESECAKE