Category: SWEATPANTS & COFFEE

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

LAST WEEK RECAPPED

WOW once again last week sped by and here we are again at Monday. Today is our anniversary, but it’s Monday and everywhere we’d like to go to celebrate is closed so will celebrate tomorrow while we are at the coast for an appointment for hubby.

I’ve spent most of last week packing away and sorting the things from the estate sale for donation this week. When I wasn’t doing that I was prepping for the Blackberry Festival special that some friends and I talked another friend into running. We did a Blackberry Brisket Biscuit and it was a huge success. I made the homemade biscuits and Blackberry Jalapeno jam (I even strained it 3 times to get rid of the seeds) and my girlfriend’s hubby smoked a brisket. He’s also a graphic artist and made us a cool banner.

The Festival itself was fun, even with the rain! The rain kept the temperatures down and I even found myself wanting a hoodie at one point while we were checking out all the old classic cars. I’ll put some pictures down in the favorite photos from the camera section. We then went downtown to the Farmer’s Market for some gorgeous carrots, fresh small head cabbage, sun dried tomatoes and then went by my favorite permanent Veggie farm where I bought some sourdough cinnamon rolls and peaches. 

I do have to get back on track this week and get some things done!!!

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

THE WEATHER OUTSIDE

It’s been quite cloudy since the rain and that’s making it A LOT humid and muggy! We’re supposed to move back to the high 80’s and clouds most the week.

ON MY MIND

There has been so much going on for so long I can’t even keep my thoughts straight. Just when things seemed to be settling down we found out my brother will be having open heart surgery in a couple weeks because of an aneurysm. Trying to stay positive for him and keep my mom from worrying too much. He has good doctors. He’s only 3 years older than my dad was when he passed from a massive heart attack so it’s a bit scary.

TO DO, APPOINTMENTS, DVR/TV & PROJECTS

THIS WEEK’S TO DO LIST, PROJECTS, APPOINTMENTS & DVR/TV

LAUNDRY & CLEANING I have quite a bit of both to do before the memorial for my stepdad on Saturday as I’m sure people will be coming back to the house after. GROCERIES & ERRANDS I’ll be doing the grocery shopping on Thursday because of hubby’s out of town appointment on Tuesday, working at the Eagles on Wednesday and our anniversary today. PROJECTS & TRAVELS Once again we’ve postponed ALL our trips until things settle down with family. RECIPE RESEARCH & MENU PLANNING Fall is quickly approaching and I’m anxious to do some stews and slow cooking. DVR/TV We’ve been so busy I’ve barely seen many of my favorite shows, but look at this more this week.

READING TIME

I’m reading THE BOOK of Lost and FOUND by Lucy Foley. I chose this book based on the last one I read by her and I love her style though this book is quite a bit different, but in a good way.

FUNNIES

MENU PLANS

BREAKFAST is always a work in progress for me – it will generally be hot water and a fruit yogurt 😀 This will be a strange week with the upcoming memorial on Saturday and friends and family in and out for several days so am not planning too many meals and just going with the flow.

	8/18 MONDAY	8/19 TUESDAY	8/20 WEDNESDAY	8/21 THURSDAY	8/22 FRIDAY	8/23 SATURDAY	8/24 SUNDAY
DINNER	FRENCH ONION MEAT LOAF, ROASTED BABY POTATOES & BUTTERNUT SQUASH	OUT for the day with hubby so will celebrate our anniversary somewhere nice	OUT with GIRLFRIENDS	??	??	CORN/YOYO clean out refrigerator night or you’re on your own	CORN/YOYO clean out refrigerator night or you’re on your own
DESSERT

FAVORITE PHOTOS FROM THE CAMERA

INSPIRATIONS

LIFE TIP

HOMEMAKING / COOKING TIP

RECIPES COMING UP THIS WEEK

• HAWAIIAN SHEET PAN CHICKEN
• CHEESY ITALIAN & SAUSAGE PASTA

RECIPE LINKS FROM LAST WEEK

• BURRITO BAKE
• CHICKEN SAUSAGE PARMESAN SOUP

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

LAST WEEK RECAPPED

WHEW, am I glad last week is over! I know I missed getting by to see most of you, but I REALLY didn’t have a minute to myself. I promise to get by this week.

Tuesday and Wednesday were spent dealing with the shopping and prep to lay in the necessary ingredients for the 3 day CRIBBAGE Tournament being held at the Eagles. They rent the hall from us, but my girlfriend and I do all the meals for all 3 days for 50+ people. I spent ALL day Thursday preparing the soups, breakfast bakes and biscuits for our Friday meals. On Friday, while we were working, Annette’s hubby smoked all the pork to be pulled for the Saturday sandwiches and she prepped the baked beans between breakfast and lunch. I did the dessert baking.

Our days begin at 6AM and this particular event also fell on my auxiliary dinner night on Friday so I had an extra event to plan and work. Friday I left home at 530AM to go to the Eagles and didn’t leave there until almost 9PM to come back home and still managed to do over 23,000 steps.

Then I had to be back at 6AM Saturday to start all over! On Sunday morning when we arrived we found the kitchen refrigerator died during the night. Fortunately our middle name is PIVOT so we emptied the fridge and moved it outside while moving our storage room fridge to the kitchen. Unfortunately we had to throw out most everything which will only make this week’s shopping so much more!

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

THE WEATHER OUTSIDE

“The Northwest will stay soggy as multiple systems take aim mid-to-late week. Here’s what we’re watching this week.” This is never the way I want a weather report to start.

Yesterday was pretty nice, today and tomorrow are supposed to be great with highs even closing in on 70, BUT (and there is ALWAYS a BUT at this time of year) Wednesday brings back the cooler temperatures in the 40’s and 50’s and you guessed it, MORE rain!

TO DO LIST, APPOINTMENTS & PROJECTS

THIS WEEK’S TO DO LIST, PROJECTS & APPOINTMENTS

LAUNDRY, CLEANING, GROCERIES & ERRANDS Desperately need groceries today and to do a deep clean this week after all the food prep for last week’s cribbage tournament and auxiliary fundraiser dinner. And tonight is meeting night that I HAVE to be at. RECIPE RESEARCH & MENU PLANNING I so very seriously need to get re-organized and do a plan for the next month.

DVR/TV TIME

WHAT’S ON THE DVR/TV

STREAMING We have been re-watching GILMORE GIRLS late at night CABLE TOURNAMENT of CHAMPIONS, SPRING BAKING CHAMPIONSHIP and I will need to empty the DVR soon before the spring season begins in earnest.

READING TIME

Who had time this week?

FUNNIES

MENU PLANS

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

	3/24 MONDAY	3/25 TUESDAY	3/26 WEDNESDAY	3/27 THURSDAY	3/28 FRIDAY	3/29 SATURDAY	3/30 SUNDAY
DINNER	I cleaned out the fridge last night and found enough leftovers for 3 nights 😀	OUT	CORN/YOYO	CORN/YOYO	OUT	ASPARAGUS CHEDDAR CASSEROLE with PAN SEARED CHICKEN	CHICKEN in COCONUT PEANUT SAUCE
DESSERT		GRAN’S old fashioned CARROT CAKE with DRUNKEN RAISINS

FAVORITE PHOTOS FROM THE CAMERA

The sun actually came out late yesterday afternoon and as you can see the water is beginning to recede and is beginning to look normal again under one of my favorite bridges. The Rochester one lane bridge is over 100 years old and one of my favorite routes to a favorite dive tavern that’s equally as old 🙂

INSPIRATIONS

LIFE TIP

HOMEMAKING / COOKING TIP

RECIPES COMING UP THIS WEEK

• RASPBERRY TRUFFLE BROWNIES
  
• PRETTY IN PINK TRES LECHES CAKE
  
• ITALIAN PASTA with SAUSAGE in CREAMY SPINACH, GARLIC and WHITE WINE SAUCE
  

RECIPE LINKS FROM LAST WEEK

• SPICY CHICKEN & DUMPLINGS
  
• BRAISED BALSAMIC CHICKEN & MASHED CARROTS

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

LAST WEEK RECAPPED

Last week was better than the week before, but was still super busy putting out fires and trying to stay one step ahead of everything that was thrown my way. We were hit with back to back winter storms that made everything more difficult, but it is March in the Pacific Northwest 🙁 Sump pumps are working harder than ever, but unfortunately there is more water than drainage ability. A Lot of sandbagging going on coupled with prayers!

I started preparing and getting ready to serve the St. Patrick’s Day meal yesterday at the Eagles. The weather took a turn for the worse shortly after I put it in the oven and our town as well as many around us were closed down due to floods and eventually snow, so I had to go back, put a closed sign on the door and finish cooking at home. There’s nothing scarier than when your phone goes off with that emergency signal! And I HATE those words to “stay put and shelter in place”! I’ll use the leftovers for a Tuesday special and to make a soup for the cribbage tournament next weekend.

On Friday we were able to get a few things accomplished (the stars must have been aligned perfectly) to speed up hubby’s torn rotator cuff surgery. The medical system with all the referrals and extra people in the “middle” is so frustrating!!! When you add in the lack of enough medical professionals here in our area, it makes it difficult to get quality care, let alone any care sometimes.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

THE WEATHER OUTSIDE

It’s cold and it has snowed, sleeted and poured down rain for days! It’s too late to build an ark, but we really need one. We’re on river flood watch after a couple of horrendous storms. The puddles have puddles and the ducks are wearing galoshes. LOTS and lots of layers are on the agenda this week. Highs in 50’s and lows in 30’s with lots more rain. As of today we’ve had almost 9 inches for JUST the month of March.

ON MY MIND

The first Cribbage event of the season is next weekend and the friend I work with for the tournament is currently in Arizona and not sure she’ll be able to get back in time because of these storms. Right now the menu, shopping and food prep is all on me 🙂 but I have faith she’ll get here in time for us to fall into sync 🙂

TO DO LIST, APPOINTMENTS & PROJECTS

THIS WEEK’S TO DO LIST, PROJECTS & APPOINTMENTS

LAUNDRY & CLEANING I’m pretty up to date, but do have some pantry sorting to finish. I’m also deep cleaning the baseboards and window sills. GROCERIES & ERRANDS I have the normal Eagles shopping to do and ALSO the shopping for the Cribbage Tournament. Our meals will be simpler this week using things on hand because I’ll be so busy!

DVR/TV TIME

WHAT’S ON THE DVR/TV

STREAMING I’m still watching Gilmore Girls, Crossing Jordan and Steel Magnolias CABLE I’ve finally all but emptied out the DVR from the build up during this really wet weekend so just Tournament of Champions, Spring Baking Championship, Ghosts, Matlock, Elsbeth and Georgie and Mandy’s First Marriage THEATRE there’s a new Jason Statham movie coming out that hubby wants to see – A WORKING MAN

READING TIME

FUNNIES

MENU PLANS

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

	3/17 MONDAY	3/18 TUESDAY	3/19 WEDNESDAY	3/20 THURSDAY	3/21 FRIDAY	3/22 SATURDAY	3/23 SUNDAY
DINNER	CORNED BEEF & CABBAGE (BIG SURPRISE 😀 )	CHICKEN SALTIMBOCCA	CHICKEN FRIED CHICKEN, MASHED POTATOES & GRAVY	CORN/YOYO  clean out refrigerator night or you’re on your own	BEEF ENCHILADAS, CHILE CORNBREAD SALAD	OUT	OUT
DESSERT					TRES LECHES CAKE

FAVORITE PHOTOS FROM THE CAMERA

We’ve had a ton of rain this year and several slides. On this particular route we encountered a previous slide clean up on a rare sunny day. Look closely at the guy in orange. You couldn’t pay me to be where he is. It looks like the boulder he’s working on could go at any time! This was a few weeks ago. I can only imagine what it looks like after this past weekend. There were SEVERAL more slides, road washouts and flooding. I’m sure there are many more I haven’t even heard of yet!

The water is usually about 20 feet below this bridge, except yesterday. This was about 3PM long before the high water peak later last night.

On another note, beautiful spring blossoms and snow are NOT something you see very often around here! We went from lots and lots of rain and flooding to snow in just hours!

INSPIRATIONS

LIFE TIP

HOMEMAKING / COOKING TIP

RECIPES COMING UP THIS WEEK

• SPICY CHICKEN & DUMPLINGS
  
• BRAISED BALSAMIC CHICKEN & MASHED CARROTS
  

RECIPE LINKS FROM LAST WEEK

• BEEF & SWEET ONIONS
• BUFFALO CRUSTED BAKED FISH & CHIPS

WEEKLY FEATURED PARTY LINKS

• CHICKEN PARMESAN LASAGNA
• EARTHQUAKE CAKE
• LOADED SEAFOOD CHOWDER