Monday menus #96

 Pizza rolls and pizza, along with chocolate chip cookies and Caesar Salad were enjoyed on Halloween night aka Scout's birthday.  The three of us listened to "spooky" music and ate by candlelight in the kitchen.

No candy was purchased, which solved two problems: having to hang out near the door or outside and hand candy out over the space of two hours, and/or having candy leftover, which I then would have had a hard time staying out of.  

Monday - kitchen closed

Tuesday - (freezer) Chicken Fajita Salad

Wednesday - BBQ Shrimp, skinny mashed potatoes, zucchini {morning telehealth appt.}

Thursday - Bowtie Pasta with Meaty Marinara, side salad (make an extra for the freezer), the rest of the chopped salad

Friday - Thanksgiving Sub - make an extra one for the weekend {morning audiologist appt.}

Saturday and Sunday - kitchen closed

Hooray for November!

Gina

5 thing Friday - Thanksgiving sub, widowing, front door spiffing, walking, Fall heat

 One day last week I had a Thanksgiving sub from Firehouse on the suggestion of a friend - and I also ate it al fresco at a local park.

It was delish, but I thought "Oh, I could make a better one", then I remembered I wasn't going to make a traditional Thanksgiving dinner.  I'm going to have to buy the ingredients to make one these sammies.  I'm thinking some sliced deli turkey, a box of Stovetop, a can of cranberry jelly, and a sub roll.  I'm already looking forward to recreating it.

I know some people will be shocked to see this ring on this blog, but I feel like wearing it on my wedding ring finger will make me chuckle and give rise to some very honest thoughts.  I didn't want to be a widow and I hate having to do everything that Mark never showed me how to do, no matter how capable I feel.  And I think it is normal and OK to express that.  I'm not wearing it for anyone but me.  Same as the tat.

I did a load of errands the other day (getting my hair cut, mailing a box, doing a bit of thrifting) and as I passed Home Depot I remembered I wanted to replace the front door outside mat.  Decisions, decisions. I picked the black and brown one which matches the front door.

I also popped in to Hob Lob for a spray of artificial Fall leaves to add to the hanging basket.

I wiped down the door, spiffed the basket of greenery, swept the bricks.  Pretty soon it will be time to take Fall down and decorate for Christmas!  I was going to put up the trees today (no ornaments) but we will see how industrious I feel.

I know it looks like Fall in this photo, but the A/C is on at my house and the temp outside is 83.  In November!  This dead tree on the grounds of the church a few blocks away looks like it could tell some stories.  This whole area was pasture way back when.  Imagine how many cows sat under its shade.  I like that they left it here like some kind of sculpture!  I have really enjoyed my walks and see something new every time, but I wish we could get a break from the heat.

Happy November!

Gina

Monday menus #95

 I spent a gleeful 30 minutes finding and printing the perfect photos for these cute gourd place card holders that  I got from someone on the FB Buy Nothing page:

Will my peeps notice them here?  They make me laugh to see them.

Don't trash all the photos where your kids are acting the fool.  You might use them someday.  Follow me for more decorating tips, ha ha.

Monday - kitchen closed

Tuesday - Chicken Pad Thai {buy groceries, catch up laundry, on call tonight}

Wednesday - Grilled Pork Chop, (freezer) baked sweet potato, (freezer) veggie {thrifting, on call tonight}

Thursday - Pizza Rolls, chopped salad {Happy Birthday, Scout!}

Friday - (crockpot) Pulled Pork, (freezer) corn, rest of the chopped salad {putting up the Christmas tree - no judging, taking myself to a movie}

Saturday and Sunday - kitchen closed

Gina

5 thing Friday - enchiladas, Scout, yards, protein, projects

 I'm doing OK with the "cook once, eat twice" method.  Last week I did a couple of small dishes of enchilada casserole using up some corn tortillas, cheese, taco meat, and sauce from the freezer.

These little glass dishes are perfect for that.  They come with lids that snap on, and they are easy to pack in my lunchkit.

This person (Scout) has a birthday coming up next week.  Its been a tough couple of years for him, and though I will miss him terribly,  I feel like I need to encourage him more to find an apartment and make a stab at autonomous living.  I'm going to make him some homemade cookies, buy a birthday gift or two, chat with him again.

I've said it before: parenting adults is hard.

My yards are fully into drought mode, the grass barely growing.  The sprinkler system went kaput and I spent a tiny fraction of time watering them over the summer.  It just seemed so pointless with the triple digit temps.  I read somewhere that we are wasting way too much water on our lawns and we really should be xeriscaping, with native grasses and plants.  There is ONE house on my entire block that has green grass and I imagine they water it often.

I bought some protein snacks at HEB that were buy two, get one free.  I'm actually not a fan of protein added foods - have you ever noticed they have a weird texture?  Its like sawdust is the prime ingredient.  That being said, I have managed to add more protein to my day, and according to the dermatologist, this is key for hair growth.

I got as far as purchasing the weather stripping for a couple of Fall projects - now if I could only get started on them. Procrastination is high at Camp Rustown, motivation is low.  If we could just get some Fall-like weather!

Gina

Monday menus #94

I did get my decal for the Brumate mug: 

And at work someone said "No, you DIDN'T put RT(R)* on it", to which I said "I sure did - its a mug my employer gave me and I use it at work and I worked hard for that RT(R) so don't be a hater". Ha! It was a man who said it, OF COURSE.

Monday - kitchen closed, but I am off today so I will maybe throw a couple of chicken drums in my mini crockpot and go read a book

Tuesday - (freezer) Beef and Black Bean Tacos, onions and peppers

Wednesday - (bagged) Chopped Salad with (freezer) grilled lemon garlic chicken breast strips {a.m. therapy appt., p.m. rescheduled financial appt.}

Thursday - Order out - save 1/2 for a weekend lunch

Friday - (freezer) Coconut Shrimp, (pre-cooked) Mexican Street Corn Rice, rest of the Chopped Salad

Saturday and Sunday - kitchen closed

Gina

*R.T.(R) is a certification for a Registered Radiologic Technologist, which demonstrates a professional's expertise in creating medical images using X-ray technology.  To become an R.T.(R), you must:

• Graduate from an accredited program (mine was an Associate of Applied Science from Austin Community College)
• Pass a certification exam administered by the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT)
Meet any additional state licensure requirements (register with the Texas Medical Board)

5 thing Friday - hair, eating out vs. cooking, pancakes, Teddy, chai latte

Just a reminder: this is where I am starting out with my hair loss: 

I did see the dermatologist and she took two scalp biopsies which, along with hair loss from stress,  shows a type of problem that will respond to Minoxidil.  (Did you know that Minoxidil is a blood pressure medication?  I did not!)

Since I am already on a BP med, I have to keep better track of my BP and any symptoms that are related, like dizziness.  I'm not going to let this weird me out.  My PCP said we can adjust my BP med.  The dermatologist also suggested deep tissue scalp massage, a red light, and rosemary oil.  As usual, I am on board with trying everything to see if it works.

This reasonably sized lunch was $17(!) and is the conundrum I am having with not wanting to cook.  There's always a trade-off, so I may have to rethink my stance on not cooking. (it was delicious, however!)

Something I will never get tired of is a fresh bed of greens topped with a protein and various veggies, with a squiggle of dressing.  So this will likely be on all of my menus forever.  I usually buy a 2# package of ground beef, make my own taco seasoning, then store it in ziplocs in the freezer.  Easy peasey.

I also mixed up a big batch of pumpkin pancakes this week and froze some in containers for work breakfasts.  I added in egg, pumpkin puree, and vanilla protein milk.  They are delightful! Having something good to look forward to eating at work goes a long way on a long shift.

Teddy came to visit.

He alternated between ignoring me, and begging for attention.  His mama gave him a bath before he came over, but little does she know he's been rolling around in the grass and taking naps outside.

Which is OK, because a work friend turned me on to this instant tea and I sip it while he does his thing.  Tis the season for a warm comforting cuppa while you are wrapped in a blanket on the back patio.  I highly recommend!

Gina

Monday menus #93

While I was on my mini-vacay I noticed how terrible my old cheapo men's moccasins looked, with their soles falling apart and zero foot comfort - I could feel every rock I stepped on.  Why should I continue to "make do" with worn out things that don't serve my purpose?

So I ordered myself a new pair of very good quality moccasins, using a discount and getting free shipping.  I love that they aren't lined with sherpa, which makes my feet sweat, and they have fairly rugged soles so I can basically wear them anywhere.  Its not a gift for anything in particular - you don't need an excuse to buy yourself something nice now and again!

Monday - kitchen closed

Tuesday - Taco Bowl (freezer taco meat) {cut out the photinia stump today!}

Wednesday - (freezer) Coconut Shrimp, chopped salad {zoom meeting with therapist}

Thursday - Order out (save 1/2 for a weekend meal) 

Friday - Cheese Enchiladas, rest of the chopped salad {zoom meet with dietician}

Saturday and Sunday - kitchen closed

Gina