Category: MENU PLAN MONDAY

Good Morning! I had a SUPER productive weekend. ALL the Christmas decorations are organized and put away and I’m ready to do some deep cleaning.  It’s Monday morning so be sure to join in with Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom  for Happy Homemaker Monday.  Go check it out to see what it’s all about!

I need some help!!!  I need ideas for a bread an butter gift (a gesture of gratitude for hosting) for my SIL on an upcoming trip. I always look for something I know she’d like, but probably doesn’t have, but I’m honestly out of ideas.  She loves “frogs” but think I’ve done those a little too much over the years.  What do you get or make for someone who has everything or the money to buy what they want when they want it?

ON THE BREAKFAST MENU

• Grocery Shopping
• Errands
• Laundry
• Cleaning

CURRENTLY (STILL) READING

• The Heartbreak Cafe (Lakeview #1) 
• Sand Castles

TV SHOWS THIS WEEK

Catching up on the DVR from last week:

• Good Wife
• Mentalist
• Law and Order SVU
• Forever
• Sleepy Hollow

WEATHER OUTSIDE MY WINDOW
Rain, fog and dreary.

NEW RECIPES TO TRY

• TEX MEX BLT’s
• BUFFALO CHICKEN MONKEY BREAD
• HOME ON THE RANGE BREAKFAST CASSEROLE 

I also tried several other successful new recipes in December and they will be popping up a little here and a little there over the next few weeks.

I’m back to trying recipes from my experimentation file this month so am hopeful that there will be many to pass on to you soon.

IN THE YARD & GARDEN
Nothing this week.

HOMEMAKING TIP OF THE WEEK

As I put up the Christmas decorations each year I save the tissue paper to reuse as stuffing in shipping boxes and then as I put away the Christmas decorations each year I use new tissue paper to wrap them in.  The new tissue paper has a stronger tensile strength to protect the ornaments and decorations.

Trying to understand the world and what is going through people’s minds with all the senseless violence that is happening everywhere.

INSPIRATIONAL

Good Morning! I had a SUPER productive weekend. NOW I am ready for CHRISTMAS and a great new week!   I hope you are too.  It’s Monday morning so be sure to join in with Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom  for Happy Homemaker Monday.  Go check it out to see what it’s all about!

ON THE BREAKFAST MENU:

• Phone Calls
• Cleaning
• Baking

CURRENTLY (STILL) READING:

• Dancing Tides (A Pelican Pointe Novel Book 3) 
• The Heartbreak Cafe (Lakeview #1) 
• Sand Castles   

TV SHOWS THIS WEEK:

Christmas Movies

WEATHER OUTSIDE MY WINDOW:
Rain, rain and more rain, but there is a slight chance of Snow for a white Christmas.

NEW RECIPES TO TRY:
Nothing this week.

IN THE YARD & GARDEN
Nothing this week.

HOMEMAKING TIP OF THE WEEK:

• Add a dry paper towel to your salad spinner and it will help absorb ALL the moisture.
• If you’re like me at this time of year, you have batch after batch of goodies going into the oven.  To save time, line your pan with heavy duty foil before adding your recipe.  After cooling, you can lift the foil out with the goodies and start over with the next batch without having to stop and wash the pan.  Plus the foil gives you an easy, flat cutting surface. 

Hoping everyone has a safe and Merry Christmas and Wonderful New Year.

Good Morning! I had a SUPER Thanksgiving and a VERY productive weekend. NOW I am ready for a great new week!   I will finish my Christmas shopping today and ship by the end of the week.  This way I will be able to enjoy the Holiday season without tearing my hair out.

It’s Monday morning so be sure to join in with Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom  for Happy Homemaker Monday.  Go check it out to see what it’s all about!

ON THE BREAKFAST MENU:

• Phone Calls
• Errands
• Christmas Shopping (store and online)
• Grocery Shopping 
• Christmas Tree

CURRENTLY (STILL) READING:

• Hidden Moon Bay (A Pelican Pointe Novel Book 2) 
• The Heartbreak Cafe (Lakeview #1) 
• Sand Castles   

TV SHOWS THIS WEEK:

• Good Wife
• Mentalist
• Scorpion
• CSI

WEATHER OUTSIDE MY WINDOW:

38^°F High

Partly Cloudy

Chance of rain: 0%

Wind: NNE at 8 mph

28^°Low

Rain moving in

PLAY TIME (if I can find any ~ yeah right)

As always do a little quilting and finish a few older projects though I have yet to have a few minutes to myself LOL like that’s going to happen.

NEW RECIPES TO TRY:

Everything on this week’s menu is an experiment LOL

IN THE YARD & GARDEN

Replanted the Christmas Cacti and they are thriving. 

HOMEMAKING TIP OF THE WEEK:

As you wrap your holiday gifts, set the ones to be shipped in piles by location so it will be easier to chose a shipping box.

Oh so much – way too much to put into words quite yet. JUST TRYING TO STAY ORGANIZED and do prep for the holidays.

Good Morning! I had a SUPER productive weekend getting settled after the first leg of the move as well as watched the race and football, but now I am ready for a great new week!

It’s Monday morning so be sure to join in with Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom  for Happy Homemaker Monday.  Go check it out to see what it’s all about!

ON THE BREAKFAST MENU:

• Cleaning
• Laundry
• Errands
• Phone Calls
• Grocery Shopping

CURRENTLY (STILL) READING:

Not much this week

TV SHOWS THIS WEEK:

Catching up on the DVR!

WEATHER OUTSIDE MY WINDOW:

Cloudy and cool (60’s) with a chance of rain – YAY!!!!!! I’m loving the shift in temperatures since the move north!

PLAY TIME (if I can find any ~ yeah right)

As always do a little quilting and finish a few older projects though I have yet to have a few minutes to myself LOL like that’s going to happen.

NEW RECIPES TO TRY:

Making a couple of new desserts this week – Cheesecake Egg Rolls and Chocolate Rum Banana Empanadas.

IN THE YARD & GARDEN

HOMEMAKING TIP OF THE WEEK:

Also as we head into cooler weather Menu Planning is a great way to save some money as well as trips to the store in the cold weather.

Oh so much – way too much to put into words quite yet.

Good Morning! I had a SUPER productive weekend as well as watched the race and football, but now I am ready for a great new week – lots of last minute projects to finish as the BIG move is now closer.

It’s Monday morning so be sure to join in with Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom  for Happy Homemaker Monday.  Go check it out to see what it’s all about!

ON THE BREAKFAST MENU:

• Dr. appointment
• Packing
• Errands
• Phone Calls

CURRENTLY (STILL) READING:

• ONCE UPON A TIME – Summerhill Book #5 by Kate Perry
• KISSES AFTER DARK – A Gansett Island Book #12 by Marie Force 

TV SHOWS THIS WEEK:

Now that the FALL schedule has started there so many new shows and we are STILL trying to work out our new fall choices.

WEATHER OUTSIDE MY WINDOW:

Still really warm here during the day despite the 10-15 degree drop in temperatures during the day, but evenings are feeling fantastic with a slight breeze also.  I keep reminding myself that it’s only for a very short time more as I really look forward to the much cooler temperatures and rain. 

The temps were supposed drop an additional 10 degrees this week, but changed last minute and are still in high 90’s and we have to finish painting no matter what so we can leave here – that’s my big project for the week.

PLAY TIME (if I can find any ~ yeah right)

As always do a little quilting and finish a few older projects though I have yet to have a few minutes to myself LOL like that’s going to happen.

NEW RECIPES TO TRY:

Not trying anything new the next couple of weeks since I’m on the countdown clean out so we don’t move any food!

IN THE YARD & GARDEN

HOMEMAKING TIP OF THE WEEK:

Start at the top of a room (fans and light fixtures, etc…) when you’re cleaning.  That way the dust settles at the bottom and you vacuum it all away.

Also as we head into cooler weather Menu Planning is a great way to save some money as well as trips to the store in the cold weather.

Sorry for last week’s rant, I’ll just keep it to myself for this week. 😀

Good Morning! I had a productive weekend as well as watched the race and football, but now I am ready for a great new week especially as I get closer and closer to the BIG move.

It’s Monday morning so be sure to join in with Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom  for Happy Homemaker Monday.  Go check it out to see what it’s all about!

ON THE BREAKFAST MENU:

• Laundry
• Packing
• Errands
• Paperwork
• Phone Calls

CURRENTLY READING:

• ONCE UPON A TIME – Summerhill Book #5 by Kate Perry
• KISSES AFTER DARK – A Gansett Island Book #12 by Marie Force 

TV SHOWS THIS WEEK:

Now that the FALL schedule has started there so many new shows and we are STILL trying to work out our new fall choices.

WEATHER OUTSIDE MY WINDOW:

PLAY TIME (if I can find any ~ yeah right)

As always do a little quilting and finish a few older projects though I have yet to have a few minutes to myself LOL like that’s going to happen.

NEW RECIPES TO TRY:

Not trying anything new the next couple of weeks since I’m on the countdown clean out so we don’t move any food!

IN THE YARD & GARDEN

NOT A THING.

HOMEMAKING TIP OF THE WEEK:

Periodically use a toothbrush in your window tracks to loosen settled dust and then vacuum it all up easily.

PRAYING FOR:

Good Morning! I had a productive weekend as well as watched the race and football, but now I am ready for a great new week especially now that it’s my favorite season – FALL is here Y’ALL!.

It’s Monday morning so be sure to join in with Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom  for Happy Homemaker Monday.  Go check it out to see what it’s all about!

• Pool Time
• Laundry
• Oil Deck, clean railings and wash outside windows from the dust left in the last windstorm.
• Errands
• Paperwork
• Phone Calls

• Stay the Night – Summerhill Book 4 by Kate Perry

Now that the FALL schedule has started there so many new shows and we are trying to work out our new fall choices.

Still really warm here during the day despite the 10 degree drop in temperatures, but evenings are feeling glorious with a slight breeze also.  I just keep reminding myself that it’s only for a short time more as I really look forward to the much cooler temperatures and rain.

As always do a little quilting and finish a few older projects though I have yet to have a few minutes to myself LOL like that’s going to happen.

Probably not trying anything new this week since I’m on the countdown clean out so we don’t move any food.  Did try Sandra’s Pizza in a Pot Last Week and loved it!

Cleaned the spider webs off the bushes (the drought has made the overhead watering less since we installed the bubblers and the spiders seem to really like that) and pruned the Lantanas back a bit.

Roll your citrus fruit on the counter top with your palm before cutting, slicing or juicing to loosen the pulp and juice.

Still trying to get organized for the move so have not done as much blog hopping as I’d like.  I promise I will be so much better after the move.

Society and today’s parents as they raise tomorrow’s adults. From what I saw this weekend, society is doomed.

Good Morning! I had a no so quiet weekend due to a knee injury so just read and watched the race and football, but now I am ready for a great new week especially now that it’s my favorite season – FALL is here Y’ALL!.  It’s Monday morning so join in with Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom  for Happy Homemaker Monday.  Be sure and stop by to see what it’s all about!

• Pool Time
• Laundry
• Groceries
• Errands
• Paperwork
• Phone Calls

• Lost in Love – Summerhill Book 2 by Kate Perry

The FALL schedule starts so many new shows to try before working out our new fall routine.

Still really warm here, but supposedly we will drop down to double digits later this week.  I just keep reminding myself that it’s only for a short time more.

Do a little quilting and finish a few older projects though I have yet to have a few minutes to myself LOL like that’s going to happen.

I have a list of tons of recipes I want to try, but this week I think I’ll try one I found in my box of tricks for Peanut Butter Cup Cookies as well as the 5 new ones above for dinners.

Garden is looking good and in need of just a little pruning this week.

I tend to eyeball some measurements because that’s the way I was taught, but often, especially with a new recipe I’m exact.

There are 2 different types (many people don’t realize this) – dry and wet measure.

Liquid measure tend to be glass or plastic with a pour spout.

Dry measures are your nested cups and spoons.

Been a busy week with my knee, emergency vet and such so I really haven’t done any blog hopping to see what’s going on out there.

Common Sense to prevail with some medical issues and the imbeciles, idiots, ignorant, clueless people handling the paperwork and appointments dealing with it.

BREAKFAST TIME & MAKING MY TO DO LIST

TV SHOWS THIS WEEK
A few new TV shows start this week, but it will mainly be whatever strikes our fancy off the DVR.  I try not to plan this in advance and just go with the flow at least until the NEW Fall schedule starts for real though Haven did begin this past week and the fall season is getting close enough I should start programing the DVR.

WEATHER OUTSIDE MY WINDOW
Hot as usual! New hurricane warnings for Mexico and it is still monsoon season so the humidity is really high and making it miserable as we wait for the next round of thunder storms. COME ON FALL! COME ON MOVE to cooler climate!

ON THE MENU
Hubby is taking me on a little getaway next month for my birthday.  Yeah, I know today is my birthday, but I really didn’t want to go while the weather was still so warm, so we compromised on October.  Now in the meantime he wanted to take me out for dinner tonight, but it’s football!  He’d skip football, but I don’t want to and am really looking to grilling at home and watching the game.  He thinks it’s silly for me to be cooking, but like I told him, at least I’ll be able to get EXACTLY what I want.  I’m tried a new recipe for a carrot cheesecake too that so far looks great and smelled amazing as it was baking – can’t wait to cut into it.  So here’s a sneak peek at tomorrow’s dinner.

I made the marinade yesterday so all the flavors would meld together.  This is one of our favorite grill meals.  I’ll share the recipe tomorrow.

 

 PLAY TIME (if I can find any)
I’m hoping to do a little photography this week to get caught up with some Instagrams and do a little quilting and finish a few older projects though I have yet to have a few minutes to myself LOL like that’s going to happen.

NEW RECIPES TO TRY 
As I combine all my old blogs into this new one I’m also keeping a list of those recipes that I cannot in good conscience bring over until I remake them and take some decent pictures LOL.  This week is Red Neck Tacos – Corn Pancakes topped with Pulled pork, tangy crispy coleslaw topped with Dixie BBQ sauce.

In the meantime I’m trying to concentrate on some football food for tailgating time which starts on Thursday.  Be sure and stop by to link up.

IN THE GARDEN
Absolutely nothing until the end of the month!

HELPFUL HINTS FOR FRUITS & VEGETABLES

• Never store carrots and apples together. Apples release a gas that gives carrots a bitter taste.
• Don’t slice onions for soup. Peel and put onion in whole to make a sweeter soup.
• Always slice tomatoes vertically so they retain their shape and keeping the pulp together.
• Add a potato to soups or stews to reduce saltiness.
• To get more juice from your lemons (or any citrus) roll the fruit between your palm and the counter top to soften before cutting to squeeze.
• To clean fresh mushrooms just add 3-4 tablespoons flour to a medium bowl of cold water.  Wash the mushrooms in the water and the dirt will adhere to the flour particles.  The mushrooms will come out clean.

I’m finding that more and more of my favorite blogs are posting less and less, if at all, but I have found a few new ones that I’ve added to my feed.  Check out A Beautiful Mess.  They have some great food photography, everyday life, interesting crafts and recipes.

Continued guidance as we work on the research on our new adventure and home search.  We are having so much fun just researching via the internet and can’t wait until we do it in person.