HAPPY HOMEMAKER MONDAY, MENU & RECIPE LINKS week 6 of 2025 ~ BLOG 365.41

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

LAST WEEK RECAPPED

Happy day after the Super Bowl! I understand they are trying to move the Super Bowl to the 3rd weekend of February in the future so that people will already have Monday off after celebrating their team (win or lose) too much on Sunday night. So sorry Jean that the Chiefs had a really rough day! My friend Lu won the silent bid for the Chief’s jersey we auctioned off at the Eagle’s (no pun intended) so she modeled it in your honor, despite the vibe and the score at the time we auctioned it šŸ˜€

It was a SUPER busy week! Sadly šŸ™Ā  it began with the passing of my favorite uncle, who was more like a brother. In the end, pancreatic cancer won. He passed quietly surrounded by his loving family. My cousins have been rock stars taking care of him and my aunt through this ordeal. 🙏 Prayers for them as they continue to adjust to this new world. My aunt and uncle have been raising two of their grandsons from another cousin who are both older teenagers now and this has been extremely difficult for them especially.

I worked Tuesday night during line dancing at the Eagle’s, did the shopping for 2 businesses on Wednesday and then did fundraising events Thursday through yesterday and have a meeting tonight before this week turns into a copy cat of last week. I hate these back to back weeks of non-stop events.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

THE WEATHER OUTSIDE

BRRRR it’s wet cold again! We didn’t get enough snow to do much though it’s quite pretty in the surrounding mountains still. Today through Wednesday we’re supposed to have highs in the 30’s and lows in the 20’s with Rain to Snow beginning Thursday. So, LOTS of layers are still on the foreseeable future with UGGs, sweaters and flannels.

TO DO LIST, APPOINTMENTS & PROJECTS

THIS WEEK’S TO DO LIST, PROJECTS & APPOINTMENTS
  • LAUNDRY & CLEANING I had been so busy last week the laundry piled up, but I was able to get most of that done when I got home from Saturday’s event.
  • GROCERIES & ERRANDS My shopping is up to date, but I do have quite a bit to do for the Eagles this week. I also have a pedicure appointment early tomorrow morning.
  • RECIPE RESEARCH & MENU PLANNING I have a pile of recipes I’ve chosen for the next 6 weeks, but now need to arrange them and make a final menu plan.

DVR/TV TIME

WHAT’S ON THE DVR/TV
  • STREAMING We’re about 11 seasons through BONES. I’ll be sad for it to be over.
  • CABLE The DVR has plenty to choose from, but now for the time to play catch up šŸ™‚
  • THEATRE We went and saw FLIGHT RISK one rainy day last week. Seriously low budget, but psychological thriller. Honestly I expected more from the movie.

READING TIME

I just started PICTURES OF YOU by Emma Grey. I really hated the last book, NONE OF THIS IS TRUE by Lisa Jewell for book club! I want this one to be better!

FUNNIES

MENU PLANS

2/10 MONDAY
2/11 TUESDAY
2/12 WEDNESDAY
2/13 THURSDAY
2/14 FRIDAY
2/15 SATURDAY
2/16 SUNDAY
DINNER
FROZEN PIZZA (meeting night)
Ā BAKED FISH & CHIPS
Ā BRAISED BALSAMIC CHICKEN & MASHED CARROTS
Ā SPICY CHICKEN & DUMPLINGS
Ā EAGLE’S VOLUNTEER APPRECIATION DINNER NIGHT
Ā CHICKEN & NOODLES
ITALIAN PASTA & SAUSAGE IN GARLIC & WHITE WINE SAUCE
DESSERT
Ā 
Ā 
WACKY CAKE
Ā 

FAVORITE PHOTOS FROM THE CAMERA

One of the fundraiser events this past weekend was for a Create & Sip. It was a rather disjointed event (unlike our normal) and I spent a lot of time away from working on my picture. I’ll try and finish it later this week. It still needs a lot of fine tuning, but I think it will get there. šŸ˜€

INSPIRATIONS

LIFE TIP

HOMEMAKING / COOKING TIP

RECIPES COMING UP THIS WEEK

  • BAKED SWEET CORN DIP
  • CHICKEN CABBAGE STEW

RECIPE LINKS FROM LAST WEEK

WEEKLY FEATURED PARTY LINKS

HAPPY HOMEMAKER MONDAY, MENU & RECIPES week 4 of 2025 ~ BLOG 365.27

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 a bit of a blur as I worked hard to get all my Eagles and Offyce shopping (and they were BIG shopping weeks! – my car, a BIG SUV was SUPER full!) done and work shifts (Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday) before leaving Friday on our long weekend at the beach which was glorious (COLD, but glorious) by the way!

While we didn’t have snow last Tuesday like so much of the rest of the country (Houston, New Orleans, Alabama, Florida beaches…), but we did have the largest power outage in the country and on our coldest day yet this winter. Our bird bath has been frozen solid for over a week!

We got home yesterday in time for the last football game – YAY for Jean as the Chiefs try to break a record of back to back to back Superbowl wins. I have all the laundry from last week and the trip to do as well as get some groceries shopped for and the house cleaned. I’ll be working again this week on Tuesday night and making the dessert for Friday night as well as the Eagles and Offyce shopping all over again this week so am just going to jump in and finish this post quickly so I can get going even though the temperature outside is only up to 18Ā°.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

THE WEATHER OUTSIDE

It’s still SUPER COLD! The rain is returning at the end of the week and our first SNOW is forecasted for the weekend! This is just how SNOWMAGGEDON began!

TO DO LIST, APPOINTMENTS & PROJECTS

THIS WEEK’S TO DO LIST, PROJECTS & APPOINTMENTS
  • LAUNDRY & CLEANING LOTS of both to do!
  • GROCERIES & ERRANDS LOTS of groceries to do!
  • PROJECTS & TRAVELS I need to edit the trip photos.
  • RECIPE RESEARCH & MENU PLANNING I made a freezer inventory and am sticking to meals that will clean it out so I can start fresh in February.

DVR/TV TIME

WHAT’S ON THE DVR/TV
  • STREAMING Trying to finish binging BONES
  • CABLE Need to clean out the DVR

READING TIME

Trying to finish LILAC INK THE KNOCKNASHEE STORY by Jean Grainger. We did start Hang the Moon by Jeanette Walls on audio while we were gone, but that didn’t get very far. I have one to start for book club this weekend, but I hate that it feels like a class assignment so may be skipping this one.

FUNNIES

MENU PLANS

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

1/27 MONDAY
1/28 TUESDAY
1/29 WEDNESDAY
1/30 THURSDAY
1/31 FRIDAY
2/1 SATURDAY
2/2 SUNDAY
DINNER
AUXILIARY MEETING so will pick up take out on the way home
Ā WORKING THE EAGLE’S KITCHEN so will eat there.
Ā CHICKEN WINGS and
CORN on the COB
Ā TOMALITO CHICKEN ENCHILADAS
CHICKEN TETRAZZINI supporting Lu’s dinner at the Eagles
Ā POT ROAST & VEGGIES
CHILI & CORNBREAD
DESSERT
Ā 
Ā BLUEBERRY CHEESECAKE BREAD PUDDING
BLUEBERRY PEAR SLAB PIE making this for Lu’s dinner

FAVORITE PHOTOS FROM THE CAMERA

It was such a packed weekend that I’m just making a collage of some of my favorite foods, scenes and activities. The picture with the odd guy in it was really funny. He was a window washer and he only washed ONE window out of twenty. We guessed that someone reserved that table for a special dinner that night and paid extra to have it washed šŸ˜€

INSPIRATIONS

LIFE TIP

HOMEMAKING / COOKING TIP

RECIPES COMING UP THIS WEEK

  • RASPBERRY TRUFFLES
  • PORK & SCALLOPED POTATO STEW

RECIPE LINKS FROM LAST WEEK

WEEKLY FEATURED PARTY LINKS

HAPPY HOMEMAKER MONDAY, MENU & RECIPES week 3 of 2025 ~ BLOG 365.20

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

LAST WEEK RECAPPED

Last week started fairly SLOWLY, but then took own a life of its own… and by the time it was over I was putting out fires all over the place and trying to cover shifts at the Eagles because so many people are coming down quite sick. I spent Saturday and Sunday avoiding people and staying home to watch the NFL playoff games. (YAY Jean)

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

THE WEATHER OUTSIDE

It’s been absolutely beautiful this past weekend after the fog FINALLY cleared and we once again saw the sun. Unfortunately, clear nights also mean COLD nights in the mid 20’s.Ā  We’ve been lucky to see 40 degrees during the day. Obviously we’re still in layer season šŸ™‚ with UGGs and comfy flannels.

ON MY MIND

Ā On this holiday Monday I decided this quote was perfect! Now if the rest of the world would just listen!

TO DO LIST, APPOINTMENTS & PROJECTS

THIS WEEK’S TO DO LIST, PROJECTS & APPOINTMENTS
  • LAUNDRY & CLEANING YAY!! COMPLETELY caught up!
  • GROCERIES & ERRANDS I have a pedicure on Wednesday and lunch with a girlfriend on Thursday before we leave for a quick trip to the coast on Friday.
  • PROJECTS & TRAVELS We’re going to a charity CRABFEST on Saturday with friends and have a quiet weekend at the coast and antiquing – kind of an early Valentine’s weekend since we have Eagle’s functions the first two weekends of February.
  • RECIPE RESEARCH & MENU PLANNING

DVR/TV TIME

WHAT’S ON THE DVR/TV
  • STREAMING We’ve been watching BONES and also started watching CROSSING JORDAN as well.
  • CABLE Waiting for the new season to begin again.

READING TIME

I’m back to falling asleep so quickly I forget what I’ve read and end up reading the same paragraph over and over days on end šŸ™ I’m STILL 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 šŸ˜€

1/20 MONDAY
1/21 TUESDAY
1/22 WEDNESDAY
1/23 THURSDAY
1/24 FRIDAY
1/25 SATURDAY
1/26 SUNDAY
DINNER
Ā REUBEN SOUP & GRILLED CHEESE
Ā PORK CHOPS with SPINACH SAUCE and HALUSKI
Ā FLANK STEAK, SMASHED TATERS & GLAZE CARROTS
Ā CORN/YOYO clean out refrigerator night or you’re on your own
Ā OUT OF TOWN
Ā OUT OF TOWNĀ 
Ā OUT OF TOWN
DESSERT
Ā 
Ā WACKY CAKE
Ā 

FAVORITE PHOTOS FROM THE CAMERA

Meet TITO, an adorable puppy I saw last week. I popped in to pick up a couple things from our local co-op and found Linda snuggling this little guy that another customer was out and about socializing. I think TITO likes socializing šŸ˜€

INSPIRATIONS

LIFE TIP

HOMEMAKING / COOKING TIP

RECIPES COMING UP THIS WEEK

MAPLE WHISKEY PUMPKIN BUTTER SALTED CARAMEL APPLE BUTTER

RECIPE LINKS FROM LAST WEEK

WEEKLY FEATURED PARTY LINKS

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! šŸ™ ) 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.Ā  🙃

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

šŸ™ 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. šŸ™

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. šŸ˜€

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 šŸ˜€

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
Ā REUBEN SOUP
BEEF & SWEET ONIONS over RICE
Ā PORK CHOPS IN CREAMY GARLIC SPINACH SAUCE
Ā CHICKEN ENCHILADAS and RE-FRIED BEANS for the Eagle’s Auxiliary Fundraiser Dinner
Ā CORN/YOYO clean out refrigerator night or you’re on your own!
PORK & BEAN BREAD
DESSERT
Ā 
Ā 
GOLDEN BREAD PUDDING
Ā 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

HAPPY HOMEMAKER MONDAY with RECIPE LINKS & MENU ~ week 1 of 2025 ~ BLOG 365.6B

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

WEEKEND RECAP

I don’t care for Christmas and New Years falling in the middle of the week! Last Wednesday felt like a Sunday and I was messed up for the rest of the week! I’m looking to return to a routine this week!

So our “weekend” really began last Wednesday. We watched the Rose Parade, went and saw a friend who had to work (fortunately she runs a bar and grill so we got breakfast) and then watched the Rose Bowl before we ate Black Eyed Pea Chili made from our left over Christmas Prime Rib for dinner.

I spent Thursday cleaning the refrigerator and freezer and making an inventory list for both to start the year out fresh. Fortunately, it was also trash day, so that helped a lot. The woman who normally mans the Eagle’s kitchen for me on Thursdays had to bow out because her grandson came down with the flu virus while he was staying with her and we didn’t want to expose people, so I ended up covering for her.

Friday we were getting a bit of cabin fever from all the rain so decided to take a drive down to the river and were rewarded with a fantastic new little restaurant. On the way we encountered a barn that made me think of Jean so I took a picture for her. But, Jean and Carrie, I’m so sorry about the Chiefs and Packers yesterday šŸ™

The rest of Friday through Sunday was spent de-cluttering and washing linens from Christmas and beginning to pack it all away for another year. I’ll finish packing away Christmas today. We also watched A LOT of football for the final regular season day.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

THE WEATHER OUTSIDE

While the temperatures are still supposed to be in the 40’s we are supposed to FINALLY dry out a bit this week, at least enough to dry out a bit and not be so soggy. That said, nighttime lows will be much lower with clear skies.

ON MY MIND

I was so saddened to wake up on the 1st to hear about all the senseless terror situations in New Orleans, Las Vegas and all over the world! I pray for an answer every day to the senseless violence!

TO DO LIST, APPOINTMENTS & PROJECTS

THIS WEEK’S TO DO LIST, PROJECTS & APPOINTMENTS
  • LAUNDRY & CLEANING I’ll need to deep clean after I finish putting away the Christmas decorations. I also am going to try and deep clean the baseboards. Fortunately, I’m up to date on the laundry.
  • GROCERIES & ERRANDS I’ve searched high and low for an 11×14 frame for my small jewelry tree and finally resorted to ordering one from Amazon. I TRIED to shop local!!!
  • PROJECTS & TRAVELS I’m trying to finish my jewelry “forest” so I can get it packed away until next Christmas.
  • RECIPE RESEARCH & MENU PLANNING working on next week’s menu

DVR/TV TIME

WHAT’S ON THE DVR/TV
  • STREAMING We finished season 6 of Virgin River and Man on the Inside – can’t wait for the new seasons of both.
  • HALLMARK When Calls the Heart’s new season started last night. I’m excited for the changes that this new season will bring. And The Way Home started last Friday.
  • CABLE New season starts this week so we’ll see – looks like a couple of promising new shows.
  • THEATRE I saw a preview for FLIGHT RISK (opens 1/24) with Mark Wahlberg that looks like it’s going to be pretty good.

READING TIME

I’m reading The Rose Code by Kate Quinn. I LOVE WWII stories that empower women! The new book club book was supposed to be announced last night, so we’ll see what her “wheel of chance” chose for us. We’ve all been feeding her titles and to make it fair she’s using an APP that chooses at random. I just checked again and the book has been chosen, NONE Of This Is TRUE by Lisa Jewell. So many of the titles the others are throwing out have such a sinister true crime, psychological thriller type vibe to them, not titles I would choose on my own šŸ™ we’ll try another month and see what comes of it.

FUNNIES

MENU PLANS

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

 

1/6 MONDAY
1/7 TUESDAY
1/8 WEDNESDAY
1/9 THURSDAY
1/10 FRIDAY
1/11 SATURDAY
1/12 SUNDAY
DINNER
NUMERO UNO PIZZA REMAKE
COCA COLA PORK LOIN with CARROT CASSEROLE
PIZZA EGG ROLLS
Ā BEEF & BBQ BEAN STEW
Ā GREEN CHICKEN CHILE
Ā SWEET CORN DIP & HOT DOGS
BEEF & NOODLES
DESSERT
Ā 
Ā 
Ā 

FAVORITE PHOTOS FROM THE CAMERA

INSPIRATIONS

LIFE TIP

HOMEMAKING / COOKING TIP

RECIPES POSTING THIS WEEK

  • CREAMY LEMON PARMESAN CHICKEN
  • CLASSIC BURGERS with BACON AIOLI
  • SLOW COOKER TEX MEX CHICKEN

RECIPE LINKS FROM LAST WEEK

  • CHICKEN TOSTADA CUPS
  • COUNTRY FRENCH CHICKEN GARLIC SOUP

WEEKLY FEATURED PARTY LINKS

HAPPY HOMEMAKER MONDAY & MENUS & RECIPE LINKS week 50 of 2024 ~ BLOG 366.351

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

WEEKEND RECAP

LONG AND BUSY weekend here. Friday was a chaotic and odd day putting out fires for the Eagles. Saturday we helped an elderly friend get rid of her moving boxes and trash and then I spent a good amount of time getting presents wrapped as well as preparing the chicken wings and doing some baking for the Christmas party at the Eagles yesterday. The Christmas Party was a success, but super busy! It was a lot of work and I was exhausted!!! I still am, but have A LOT to do this week so need to get on with it!!!

And I have my first delayed package of the season. It originated about 500 miles away and almost made it here, but then somehow ended up on a plane to Kentucky! It was supposed to be delivered yesterday, but they’re now saying Friday! As long as it’s here by Christmas I guess it’s all part of the season. I hope you all have a blessed and productive week.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

THE WEATHER OUTSIDE

Can you spell W E T? or even C O L D? It’s our normal Pacific North West winter that’s quite gray, wet and cold though not as cold as normal, but wet enough to make it feel even more cold. šŸ˜€ I prefer a dryer cold. Snow is preferable to ALL this rain!

12/16 MONDAY 49Ā°High 37Ā°Low Rain
12/17 TUESDAY 49Ā°High 40Ā°Low Rain
12/18 WEDNESDAY 49Ā°High 47Ā°Low Rain
12/19 THURSDAY 47Ā°High 43Ā°Low Clouds & Rain
12/20 FRIDAY 48Ā°High 46Ā°Low Clouds & Rain
12/21 SATURDAY 48Ā°High 44Ā°Low Rain
12/22 SUNDAY 47Ā°High 43Ā°Low Rain

TO DO LIST, APPOINTMENTS & PROJECTS

THIS WEEK’S TO DO LIST, PROJECTS & APPOINTMENTS
  • LAUNDRY & CLEANING Need to deep clean this week after all the girl’s night projects and gift wrapping, but the laundry is up to date.
  • GROCERIES & ERRANDS BUSY, BUSY week starting with a pedicure today. I’ll pick up everything I need today for dinners I’m hosting Tuesday and Wednesday as well as potluck dishes for parties Friday and Saturday while I’m in town.
  • EVENTS
    • Tuesday hosting dinner here with friends
    • Wednesday hosting dinner here with another friend
    • Thursday out with the girls for dinner and a play
    • Friday Christmas Party
    • Saturday Christmas Parade Tailgating

DVR/TV TIME

WHAT’S ON THE DVR/TV
  • CABLE FINALLY getting caught up on the DVR and back up of the past couple months.

READING TIME

Book club met yesterday, but no one had much time to read the new book so that made me feel better. I’m about to start the book now, THE LAST ONE AT THE WEDDING by Jason Rekulak

FUNNIES

MENU PLANS

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

MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
SUNDAY
DINNER
Ā TARRAGON CHICKEN & PASTA
Ā APRICOT HABANERO ROAST CHICKEN, ROAST CARROTS and CREAMY MAC & CHEESE
BACON CHEESEBURGER BALLS, CREAMY MAC & CHEESE
GIRL’S NIGHTĀ  OUT to DINNER AND PLAY
Ā CHRISTMAS PARTY POTLUCK
Ā OUT
LEMON CHICKEN & RICE SOUP with BUTTERMILK BISCUITS
DESSERT
Ā 
CRAN CHERRY CHEESECAKES
CRAN CHERRY CHEESECAKES
Ā 

FAVORITE PHOTOS FROM THE CAMERA

The first batch of foster gifts has been delivered! Niki and I tried out the photo booth before the dance and I found this adorable cow chowing down when I went to retrieve a donated tree for the Eagles.

And here are a couple of alternate trees from girl’s night. I didn’t get a picture of Lu’s finished one, but as you can see she has a fun eye for color as does Dana. šŸ˜€

INSPIRATIONS

LIFE TIP

HOMEMAKING / COOKING TIP

RECIPES TO LOOK FOR THIS WEEK

  • ROAST TURKEY BREAST
  • RB’S BAKED BEANS
  • PUMPKIN PULL APARTS

RECIPE LINKS FROM LAST WEEK

WEEKLY FEATURED PARTY LINKS

HAPPY HOMEMAKER MONDAY with MENUS & RECIPES week 47 of 2024 ~ BLOG 366.330

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

WEEKEND RECAP

My weekend was a whirlwind that began with the bomb cyclone hitting us here in the Pacific North West with lots of wind, rain, slippery roads and power outages early in the week. It also started with prep for a charity meal that my friend Dana and I did on Friday night for the Eagles. We had shopped on Tuesday to avoid crowds and being last minute which was fortunate because the bulk of that storm hit Tuesday night and the first round of power outages.

For the dinner we made Brisket sandwiches, her yummy baked beans and coleslaw and I made a fun new recipe for dessert, Neapolitan cake full of fudgy chocolate, french vanilla and raspberry strawberry cake topped with a lemon cream cheese frosting.

Saturday I went to a friend’s craft fair, did laundry and cleaning and Sunday was the normal lunch with a friend and football. I made a yummy smoked brisket potato soup using up my portion of the leftover brisket from Friday night.

While this week is the same length as any other, it ALWAYS seems shorter because of all the prep for a mid week holiday!

Here’s your reminder to start defrosting your turkey if it’s frozen šŸ˜€ And if you’re traveling this week, be safe! HAVE A BLESSED AND HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

And don’t forget BLOGMAS begins on Friday, November 29th. I look forward to you joining in.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

THE WEATHER OUTSIDE

Highs in the 40’s with lows in the 30’s ALL week and LOTS of rain today, but then we’re supposed to get some actual sunshine for the rest of the week! šŸ˜€

TO DO LIST, APPOINTMENTS & PROJECTS

THIS WEEK’S TO DO LIST, PROJECTS & APPOINTMENTS
  • LAUNDRY & CLEANING COMPLETELY caught up for a few minutes at least. šŸ™‚
  • GROCERIES & ERRANDS I did all the major shopping for the holiday last week, but I do need to pick up the turkey and a few fresh produce items on Tuesday. Dana and I are taking her mom on Friday to get a Christmas tree and our wreaths and will then go to lunch.
  • PAPERWORK & PHONE CALLS I’m not even going to try and make calls this week with it being such a short work week. I do have a couple meetings today, but after that I’m good.
  • PROJECTS I’ll be adding a bit of an extension to the bed frame today to accommodate a bulky mattress. I’m also building a nativity scene for decorating this Christmas season.
  • RECIPE RESEARCH & MENU PLANNING After I get the projects and Christmas decorating done over the next week I’ll get back to thinking about menus.

DVR/TV TIME

WHAT’S ON THE DVR/TV
  • STREAMING We’re still watching BONES and late night we’re re-watching THE MIDDLE
  • CABLE A lot of shows have gone onto winter hiatus this week giving me time to get caught up on the DVR before they begin again in January.

READING TIME

I’m reading SOCIETY of LIES by Lauren Ling Brown for book club next Sunday. It’s not a book I would have chosen on my own, but I’m getting it done!

FUNNIES

 

MENU PLANS

BREAKFAST is always a work in progress for me – it will generally be hot water and a fruit yogurt šŸ˜€ And lunches are generally leftovers or out depending on the schedule for the day.

11/25 MONDAY
11/26 TUESDAY
11/27 WEDNESDAY
11/28 THURSDAY
11/29 FRIDAY
11/30 SATURDAY
12/1 SUNDAY
DINNER
Ā OUT WITH FRIENDS FOR A LATE LUNCH/EARLY DINNER BEFORE SEVERAL MEETINGS
CHICKEN NOODLE CASSEROLE
OUT with a friend before PAINTING CLASS
Ā BRINED TURKEY BREAST, DADDY’S STUFFING, GREEN BEANS ALMONDINE, MASHED POTATOES & GRAVY, PINEAPPLE CRANBERRY SAUCE
CORN/YOYO clean out refrigerator night or you’re on your own
Ā OPEN FACED BURGERS with BACON AIOLI and CORNBREAD SALAD
CORN/YOYO clean out refrigerator night or you’re on your own
DESSERT
Ā 
Ā 
APPLE WALNUT CAKE
Ā 

FAVORITE PHOTOS FROM THE CAMERA

There was a short break in the rain yesterday and I came across this cat slinking across the sheep field.

INSPIRATIONS

LIFE TIP

HOMEMAKING / COOKING TIP

RECIPES COMING UP THIS WEEK

  • PEAR WALNUT CRISP
  • PEASANT STEW
  • CHICKEN CHILES HOT DISH CASSEROLE

RECIPE LINKS FROM LAST WEEK

WEEKLY FEATURED PARTY LINKS

HAPPY HOMEMAKER MONDAY with MENUS & RECIPES week 46 of 2024 ~ BLOG 366.323

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

WEEKEND RECAP

It was a whirlwind weekend, but a good one that really started on Thursday again. We went to pick up my holiday Hallmark order and made a day of it since the nearest Hallmark is an hour and a half away. Hallmark stores are far and few between here and when the one I normally dealt with closed a family owned and run old time drugstore took over for Hallmark. This drugstore is like an old time Woolworths or TG&Y and so much fun and the woman who runs the Hallmark section is so nice. Because I live so far away she puts back for me anything I need until I can get there. I even one the door prize from last month’s premiere event! So, I picked up a nice little haul to get me in the Christmas spirit.

While we were there we visited a local hardware chain that does their garden area as a Tinsel town for the holidays. We didn’t need much, but it’s always fun to look. I did pick up a white projector light for the new nativity we’re doing this year and some paper white bulbs.

We had a wonderful lunch along the river at a favorite haunt and then did some antiquing on the way back in a favorite store, 5 Flying Monkeys and finished the day with a dinner at another favorite haunt and had a yummy Thankful Thursday turkey dinner. On Thursdays they do Thankful Thursday for veterans, first responders and moms at half price. They rotate meals throughout the year doing either the turkey, pot roast or meatloaf. All three are exceptional! My favorite is the turkey or the pot roast because it comes with the BEST glazed roasted carrots I think I’ve ever had!

Saturday brought the annual craft fair at the community center. I had several friends selling their wares there so that was a lot of fun! Then Sunday was spent with a bestie. I was also able to get a lot of organization done during the weekend as well as catch up on laundry, football and NASCAR as it was super wet and cold ALL weekend.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

The first one is probably better for next week, but is also something we should all remember this time of year as we are getting together with friends and family. We should all remember that our differences aren’t as important as our commonalities and love for each other. So enjoy your friends and families over the holidays.

THE WEATHER OUTSIDE

I’m going to sound like a broken record, but it’s cold, wet and rainy šŸ˜€ like always in November. We’ve had a fairly mild autumn up until now, but it feels like winter is going to hit a bit early. Highs this week in the 40’s and 50’s with lows in the 30’s and 40’s. Layers and flannels are a definite for this week.

ON MY MIND

There’s a “GIRLS NIGHT” in a a couple weeks to finish the Jewelry Christmas Trees we began last year. We’ve decided to “simplify” things this year and just order pizza. We’ll each provide a little something else like a favorite cookie, drink makings or ???? I’m thinking of making this cute charcuterie board appetizer board with some crackers. How cute is that?

TO DO LIST, APPOINTMENTS & PROJECTS

THIS WEEK’S TO DO LIST, PROJECTS & APPOINTMENTS
  • LAUNDRY & CLEANING I got all the laundry done yesterday!
  • GROCERIES & ERRANDS I’m putting together my list for this week to get all the errands and groceries done this week. Crowds are already crazy around her and I have no inclinations of going near stores the week of Thanksgiving EXCEPT to pick up the turkey from the butcher next Tuesday.
  • PAPERWORK & PHONE CALLS & PROJECTS I’m chairing this year for the Eagle’s holiday families and foster kids so have LOTS of paperwork and organizing to do.
  • RECIPE RESEARCH & MENU PLANNING Menus are done through November, but I’m starting on December. With the cold we’re having I’m envisioning a lot of soups, stews and chilis.

DVR/TV TIME

WHAT’S ON THE DVR/TV
  • STREAMING I’m getting caught up on the things on the DVR FINALLY
  • CABLE I’ve been recording all the new Hallmark Christmas movies and am saving them up for when I start decorating for Christmas.

READING TIME

I joined a book club that started yesterday and we’ll be meeting every 2 weeks. I missed the first meeting, but they chose the book, SOCIETY OF LIES by Lauren Ling Brown. I downloaded the book and started it last night.

FUNNIES

MENU PLANS

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

11/18 MONDAY
11/19 TUESDAY
11/20 WEDNESDAY
11/21 THURSDAY
11/22 FRIDAY
11/23 SATURDAY
11/24 SUNDAY
DINNER
Ā RB BEANS AND CHARRED HOT DOGS
Ā BURGERS & CHILI CORNBREAD SALAD
CORN/YOYO clean out refrigerator night or you’re on your own
CHICKEN ALA KING and PEA STUFFING
Ā COOKING AT THE EAGLES with a FRIEND – BRISKET SANDWICHES, COLESLAW, BAKED BEANS and
Ā BEEF & BEAN STEW
GOULASH and ROASTED CARROTS
DESSERT
Ā 
Ā 
NEOPOLITAN CAKE

FAVORITE PHOTOS FROM THE CAMERA

There is a BIG hardware store called Jerry’s here that reminds me of a combination Fleet & Farm plus a Menards that turns their garden area into a Tinsel Town for Christmas. I never need much, but it’s always fun to look. I LOVE how they display their lights making it easy to envision what they’ll look like on your house or project.

INSPIRATIONS

LIFE TIP

HOMEMAKING / COOKING TIP

RECIPES COMING UP THIS WEEK

  • PICKLED PLUM CRUMBLE/CRISP
  • GO TO SLOW COOKER RECIPES ~ BLACK BEAN SALSA CHICKEN, GREEN CHILE CHICKEN, BUTTERMILK RANCH PORK CHOPS and TERIYAKI WINGS

RECIPE LINKS FROM LAST WEEK

WEEKLY FEATURED PARTY LINKS