HAPPY HOMEMAKER MONDAY, MENUS, RECIPE LINKS week 34 of 2024 ~ BLOG 366.239

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

WEEKEND RECAP

The weekend weather was ABSOLUTELY beautiful. A girlfriend and I went to a local Vintage Street fair that is held annually. Fortunately the weekend rain fell Friday night before the event and while it was cool enough for flannel shirts in the morning, it was perfect the rest of the day. We had yummy local made sourdough lemon poppy seed treats and lavender ice tea and found some wonderful vintage finds for upcoming Christmas projects and gifts. Sunday was just a lazy day and that was okay by me!! I had so much to catch up on!!

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

THE WEATHER OUTSIDE

We are supposed to heat back up a little bit this week, but fortunately the nighttime lows are going to be perfect so once again, that is just fine by me! Highs in the low 80’s for the most part and lows in the low 50’s 😀

ON MY MIND

My surgery follow up is on Wednesday and I should be released to “normal” activity though my choices for normal will be different by MY choosing. I do have a meeting tonight and expect a bit of blow back from some of my decisions to NOT be involved in some things moving forward. I will continue to do fundraiser dinners on Fridays once a month or so, but am dialing it back A LOT on other levels.

TO DO LIST, APPOINTMENTS & PROJECTS

THIS WEEK’S TO DO LIST, PROJECTS & APPOINTMENTS
  • LAUNDRY & CLEANING I have a couple loads of laundry to do and a bit of vacuuming, but all good otherwise.
  • GROCERIES & ERRANDS I need quite a few things for the fundraiser dinner on Friday and will shop later today so I can get the macaroons done soon. I guess it will be a several trips to town kind of week since my post op is on Wednesday but I need things today and tomorrow 😀
  • RECIPE RESEARCH & MENU PLANNING Hubby bought me a NINJA FOODI POSSIBLE COOKER for my upcoming birthday and I have been busy working on some fun recipes for the upcoming weeks 😀

DVR/TV TIME

WHAT’S ON THE DVR/TV
  • STREAMING We finished STARGATE ATLANTIS and have returned to finish SUPERNATURAL, but aren’t thrilled with that choice so are rethinking for another show. We watched a cute movie on NETFLIX called THE UNION.
  • CABLE We finished the FOOD TRUCK RACE and got caught up on BBQ BRAWL.

READING TIME

FUNNIES

MENU PLANS

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

8/26 MONDAY
8/27 TUESDAY
8/28 WEDNESDAY
8/29 THURSDAY
8/30 FRIDAY
8/31 SATURDAY
9/1 SUNDAY
DINNER
 BEEF TIPS & BROCCOLI
 PORK CHOPS & SCALLOPED POTATOES
CORN/YOYO clean out refrigerator night or you’re on your own
CORN/YOYO clean out refrigerator night or you’re on your own
 MEATLOAF, SAUER MASHED POTATOES, TOMALITOS
 PORK MEDALLIONS with ONION GRAVY and ROAST POTATOES
LEMON CHICKEN AND GLAZED CARROTS
DESSERT
 
 
WHITE CHOCOLATE CRANBERRY MACAROONS

FAVORITE PHOTOS FROM THE CAMERA

I didn’t take many pictures last week, but here are a few from the street fair we went to. I adore the repurposed horse trailers. The lavender ice tea is the daughter (hence the Farmer’s Daughter name) of one of my favorite local community minded farms, LEHNE farms, that has a wonderful fruit and veggie stand and bakery at a local nursery!

INSPIRATIONS

LIFE TIP

HOMEMAKING / COOKING TIP

RECIPE LINKS FROM LAST WEEK

WEEKLY FEATURED PARTY LINKS

HAPPY HOMEMAKER MONDAY & RECIPE LINKS week 26 of 2024 ~ BLOG 366.176

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

WEEKEND RECAP

After working so much and doing the auxiliary dinner at the Eagles last Friday we went for a lazy weekend. We visited a few garage sales. I cleaned and did some laundry, read a little, worked on menus and recipes, but nothing strenuous or that used a lot of brain power.

OH MY, it really just hit me that we are almost literally 1/2 way through the year!!! Can you believe there are only 191 days left in this entire year of 366 days!! Or in realer terms, Christmas Eve is 6 months from today. 😀

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

THE WEATHER OUTSIDE

Lows in the 50’s here and highs in the 70’s here at home. We’re going north to the coast though for the end of the week and it’s supposed to be in the low 60’s during the day and low 50’s at night so no complaints here!

TO DO LIST, APPOINTMENTS & PROJECTS

THIS WEEK’S TO DO LIST, PROJECTS & APPOINTMENTS
  • LAUNDRY & CLEANING ALL caught up as of last night, but you know how laundry is 😀
  • GROCERIES & ERRANDS None other than the Eagle’s shopping on Wednesday before we go.
  • PAPERWORK, PHONE CALLS, PROJECTS & TRAVELS Nothing that won’t wait until next week 😀
  • RECIPE RESEARCH & MENU PLANNING Right now I’m planned through the end of July, but open to changes.

DVR/TV TIME

WHAT’S ON THE DVR/TV
  • We watched ATLAS with Jennifer Lopez which was quite good and LEAVE THE WORLD BEHIND with Julia Roberts and Ethan Hawke that was just plain weird and even a bit disturbing.
  • I’m also watching the SUMMER BAKING CHAMPIONSHIP and GUY’S ROAD TRIP on the food network.
  • We’ve also been binge rewatching EUREKA and COACH at night.

READING TIME

I finished Marie Force’s State of Suspense last night and will start Emily Conlin’s The Memory Thief tonight.

FUNNIES

MENU PLANS

BREAKFAST is always a work in progress for me – it will generally be hot water and a fruit yogurt 😀 With leaving on Thursday for a short trip it’s a pretty basic menu this week.

6/24 MONDAY
6/25 TUESDAY
6/26 WEDNESDAY
6/27 THURSDAY
6/28 FRIDAY
6/29 SATURDAY
6/30 SUNDAY
DINNER
 GREEN CHILE BEEF CALDILLO and REFRIED BEANS
 CAJUN CABBAGE and SALAD
CORN/YOYO clean out refrigerator or your on your own 😀
 OOT
 OOT
 OOT
OOT
DESSERT
 
 
 

FAVORITE PHOTOS FROM THE CAMERA

I’ve been cat/house sitting since Thursday for a neighbor. KitKat and I had a great time together. My English Lavender and Calla Lillies are looking absolutely gorgeous this week. The bees LOVE them! I have rarely seen a spotted cucumber beetle, let alone get a picture of one. They are considered BIG pests, but are so unique looking. And my Clematis are looking really nice also with HUGE purple blossoms.

INSPIRATIONS

LIFE TIP

HOMEMAKING / COOKING TIP

RECIPE LINKS FROM LAST WEEK

WEEKLY FEATURED PARTY LINKS

HAPPY HOMEMAKER MONDAY & RECIPE LINKS week 25 of 2024 ~ BLOG 366.169

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

WEEKEND RECAP

Friday night we were supposed to go to a local winery, Joseph Jane (who has one of my all time favorites, Pink Panik) to meet friends for wine slushies and brick fired pizzas, but they bailed so we did too and will try again in a few weeks after we get back from our trip. Then on Saturday the temperature dropped A LOT! (high was 55°) and it rained off and on so I got the baking done for the Eagles event, researched some recipes and planned our upcoming trip. I actually pulled out a hoodie and then yesterday was Father’s Day and hubby got to choose everything 😀 which did NOT include the father’s day event at the Eagles this year, but I did make a pan of pecan pie bars for them to have. Hubby decided he wanted to exploring so we went down to the river as we hadn’t been there much since the Archie fire a few years ago and ordered our favorite sub sandwiches (the FLY FISHERMAN and the SWIFT WATER SUB) from a favorite little hole in the wall trading post on the way home.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

THE WEATHER OUTSIDE

Whenever I read the title for this section a Christmas song pops into my head! “The weather outside is frightful”…, but in reality it is the BEST time of the year weather wise, at least in my neck of the woods. I absolutely LOVE this time of year when the weather is just about as perfect as possible.

Temperatures are mostly in the 70’s during the day, but still getting down into the low 50’s at night… ABSOLUTELY my PERFECT weather. BTW since I brought it up, it’s time to start those summer Christmas projects so they’re done in time!

😂

ON MY MIND

I’m making a list of all the things I have been putting on the back burner and trying really hard to get back to my organized self! My biggest need is blocking out section of time to make this happen. July seems to be the time this will happen after my obligations are done at the Eagles and we have gotten back from our trip.

TO DO LIST, APPOINTMENTS & PROJECTS

THIS WEEK’S TO DO LIST, PROJECTS & APPOINTMENTS
  • LAUNDRY & CLEANING All caught up!
  • GROCERIES & ERRANDS I have to have a low pressure sensor checked today so will pick up some groceries while I’m in town.
  • PAPERWORK, PHONE CALLS, PROJECTS & TRAVELS I’m beginning to see my way through a couple piles of paperwork.
  • RECIPE RESEARCH & MENU PLANNING I’ve been planning a summer menu, but the cold this weekend kind of left me lacking the energy to plan much for next week.

DVR/TV TIME

WHAT’S ON THE DVR/TV
We watched a wide and varied range of things this past week, EVERYTHING FROM DISNEY+ Marvel movies (MOBIUS and LOGAN) to old classics like CHARADE with Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn and Jimmy Stewart in ROPE by Alfred Hitchcock. I also watched quite a few cooking shows – GUY’S ROAD TRIP, MASTER CHEF, MARY MAKES IT EASY

READING TIME

I finished Jana DeLeon’s Baskets and Beignets so am down to 2 books which is more manageable as I seem to  binge read anyway – Marie Force’s State of Suspense and Philippa Nefri Clark’s The House at Angel’s Beach.

FUNNIES

MENU PLANS

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

6/17 MONDAY
6/18 TUESDAY
6/19 WEDNESDAY
6/20 THURSDAY
6/21 FRIDAY
6/22 SATURDAY
6/23 SUNDAY
DINNER
 TERIYAKI CHICKEN MEATBALLS with RICE NOODLES
 BEEF TIPS IN BALSAMIC SAUCE over GREEN BEANS
CARIBBEAN CHICKEN with PINEAPPLE SALSA
 SALISBURY STEAK, SAUER MASHED POTATOES & GLAZED CARROTS
 YAY!!! LAST CHEF NIGHT AT THE EAGLES!!
 FIRECRACKER CHICKEN with CRISPY PARMESAN POTATOES
PULLED PORK ROLLS & SALAD
DESSERT
 
 
CHOCOLATE CHERRY DOODLES
 

FAVORITE PHOTOS FROM THE CAMERA

Friday afternoon was absolutely beautiful! We had an absolutely gorgeous and unusual double halo rainbow around the sun. From what I read this usually indicates that it is caused by ice crystals when the sun or moon refracts off them in a thin veil of cirrus clouds. It also said snow or ice is coming. We didn’t get either, but did get a severe drop in temperature and rain 🤣

Trees and the landscape are FINALLY trying to grow back after the devastating Archie Fire a few years back.

INSPIRATIONS

LIFE TIP

HOMEMAKING / COOKING TIP

RECIPE LINKS FROM LAST WEEK

WEEKLY FEATURED PARTY LINKS

HAPPY HOMEMAKER MONDAY & RECIPE LINKS week 23 of 2024 ~ BLOG 366.155

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

GOOD MORNING! Can you believe we are in June already? This year is zooming by! There is so much I had hope to have already accomplished by this time, yet here we are almost to summer and I haven’t. For me, it was our lack of a real spring this year and the “extended” wintertime that seems to be holding me back. 😂 At least that’s my story and I’m sticking to it.🤣 I do have the garden beds planted FINALLY! and yesterday’s rain seems to be helping them settle in quite nicely.

We had quite a bit of rain yesterday and a much cooler temperature. Today is supposed cooler still (than normal), but at least sunny and then we should be getting much warmer by the end of the week. Spring temperatures are FINALLY here. I’m still carrying a light sweatshirt in the car at all times because it takes all day to get to the warmer temperatures 😂

THIS WEEK’S TO DO LIST, PROJECTS & APPOINTMENTS
  • LAUNDRY & CLEANING Laundry and cleaning are up to date 😀
  • GROCERIES & ERRANDS I have no pending errands or appointments this week that can’t wait. I do need to get the tires rotated on my car and address a brake squeal that shouldn’t be happening because they are pretty new brakes 😀
  • PAPERWORK, PHONE CALLS, PROJECTS & TRAVELS Because I don’t have many actual errands, I’m hoping to get a bunch of paperwork handled.
  • RECIPE RESEARCH & MENU PLANNING I found some OLD, really OLD taste of home magazines in an antique store and will be going through them  in hopes of finding some new and fun recipes.

WHAT’S ON THE DVR/TV
  • AMAZON PRIME We’ve been re-watching WAREHOUSE 13 ~ it’s been so long that it feels new again, but with characters that feel like family 😀
  • CABLE We ran across an old Hitchcock movie that starred Jimmy Stewart called ROPE which was kind of fun on a rainy Sunday morning.

After a couple of weeks of audio books I’m having a tough time getting back into reading 🙁

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

MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
SUNDAY
DINNER
 BBQ BEEF PATTIES & ASPARAGUS RICE
 SOUR CREAM PORK CHOPS & CORN TAMALITOS with GREEN BEANS
ORANGE TERIYAKI CHICKEN
 HONEY THYME PORK TENDERLOIN
 YOYO CORN your’re on your own or clean out refrigerator night
 BALSAMIC HERB CHICKEN and PARMESAN MASHED POTATOES
JAMBALAYA & SALAD
DESSERT
 
 
PECAN BARS
 

We took a walk around the pond the other day and I found that the blackberries are starting to bloom. Hopefully they’ll be on time this year for the festival in August.

There is a neighbor who spearheaded a grant program to “build up” the pond. Unfortunately, most of us don’t share his vision. There are tons of construction changes (paving walkways where there used to be a well used path, tearing out the trees that lined the south side of the pond, adding pavilions and tons of concrete…) and upgrades going on that are disrupting the local neighborhood peace. Many of the animals aren’t happy either. The 9-10 swans that were living on the island are gone, literally just vanished, many of the birds are no where to be seen, we haven’t heard the frogs this year, the beavers that built this dam have lost most of their trees and vegetation in the area…

HAPPY HOMEMAKER MONDAY with MENU week 15 of 2024 ~ BLOG 366.99

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

What can I say? April in the Pacific North West is unpredictable at best! You hope for the best, plan for the worst and in reality live somewhere in between. So Levis, a comfy sweatshirt and favorite UGGs it is – AGAIN! 😀 The forecast for this week WAS (was being the operative word) high 70’s and sunshine. The reality so far is low 50’s and clouds with pockets of rain.

Last Friday was supposed to be beautiful ALL day per the forecast, but when I went up to our little town to run several errands I encountered 5 different weather patterns within 3 miles! It was sunny and a beautiful 60° when I left my house and when I reached my girlfriend’s house 2 miles later it had clouded over and dropped to 55°. From there I went to the market less than 1/2 mile away to recycle some cans and it was sunny again, but breezy and quite cool. From there I went to the post office, again less than 1/2 mile away and while I was inside it completely clouded over again, dropped to 49° and started drizzling. From there I went to the feed store (our UPS drop off in this small country town) and while I was inside for just 2 minutes the temperature dropped to 36° and started hailing fast and hard with BB size hail that hurt! From there I went 1 mile back towards home to the Tractor Supply and it became sunny again though the temperature only went back up to 50°. It then proceeded to start raining as I got home and continued to do so off and on (more on than off) for the next several hours. And there you have a typical April in the Pacific North West. 😀

I have a lot going on, but so few words to describe it all. My girlfriend’s father passed away early Saturday morning so I want to be available for her and her family if they need anything this week.

THIS WEEK’S TO DO LIST, PROJECTS & APPOINTMENTS
  • LAUNDRY & CLEANING Laundry is up to date, but I need to do some vacuuming and de-cluttering from all the projects I’ve had going. I’m hoping to get some sewing done later in the week.
  • GROCERIES & ERRANDS Eagles shopping on Wednesday and hubby has an eye doctor appointment on Friday.
  • PAPERWORK, PHONE CALLS, PROJECTS & TRAVELS This is all part of the de-cluttering. No travels until May except for the Great Junk Hunt next weekend with a girlfriend for the day.
  • RECIPE RESEARCH & MENU PLANNING Another part of the de-cluttering as I have been searching for spring menu items.

WHAT’S ON THE DVR/TV
  • Been catching up on the DVR still from being away in March and think I’ll be completely caught up by the end of the week 😀 We did watch a couple of oldies on Saturday – Beetjuice which I hadn’t seen since it was new and Real Genius with Val Kilmer as a kid that I had never seen.

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

Once again, have I mentioned that I am absolutely in love with my new slow cooker? 😀

4/8 MONDAY
4/9 TUESDAY
4/10 WEDNESDAY
4/11 THURSDAY
4/12 FRIDAY
4/13 SATURDAY
4/14 SUNDAY
DINNER
 SLOW COOKER BEEF IN GRAVY over MASHED POTATOES
SLOW COOKER SALSA CHICKEN and CHEESE
 SLOW COOKER CHICKEN and SAUSAGE GUMBO
 SLOW COOKER ORANGE TERIYAKI CHICKEN and RICE
 JAMBALAYA
CORN/YOYO CLEAN OUT THE REFRIGERATOR OR YOU’RE ON YOUR OWN
OVEN BAKED BBQ CHICKEN
DESSERT
 
CHILI CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES with CHILI CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
 BLUEBERRY PUDDING CAKE with LEMON SAUCE

My neighbor’s daughter was down visiting last week with her Rag doll cats. This is Miss Blue who is so sweet, soft and pretty! Mister Bear decided to be coy and chose to avoid the camera all together. And yesterday was the “Last Stroll” on our one way bridge. It will be demolished soon as the new two way is about to open completely.