Monday menus #88

My new favorite way to fix taco salad: 

On the bottom of the bowl I place chopped romaine.  Then I pile on the toppings, in this case it was tomato, red onion, chopped bell pepper, avocado, jalapeno salsa, taco meat, and cottage cheese.  I could eat this once a week!

Monday - kitchen closed

Tuesday - Pesto Pasta with Meatballs, brussels sprouts {tattoo day}

Wednesday - Shrimp Quesadillas, apple and kale salad {groceries}

Thursday - Taco Salad {Happy Birthday to The Girl!}

Friday - (freezer) BBQ Pork Chop, acorn squash, salad

Saturday and Sunday - kitchen closed

Gina

5 thing Friday - cooking, thinning hair, frozen yogurt, The Girl, new toy

 I'm pretty much still on the "I hate cooking" train.

Obviously I have to prepare food to eat, so I have been relying on one bowl or one pot meals for the most part.  A cooked and flaked salmon filet is delightful on a bagged chopped salad, for example.

And a one pan stir fry with beef tips, pre-cut stir fry veggies and some microwaved ramen noodles hit the spot one night.  My menus may sound like I'm going to a lot of trouble, but that's all smoke and mirrors.

I'm actually spending my available brain space in working on myself.  I finally made an appointment to see a dermatologist about my hair, which continues to fall out at an alarming rate.  I'm almost ready to just shave it close to my head.

Two core biopsies and two weeks to wait and hopefully we will have some answers.

I read somewhere that Grape-Nuts cereal is a popular ice cream flavor and I had definitely never heard of that.  So, of course, I had to try it, but I am not about to make my own ice cream.  Instead, I bought some frozen yogurt, softened it, mixed the cereal in, then popped it back into the freezer.  I gotta tell you, the flavor combo is great, but the cereal is still very crunchy.  Like, don't-eat-this-if-you-have-weak-teeth crunchy.  Even as a cereal you need to let it sit in milk for a bit to soften up.  

Consuela charm, Fall candy, fiddle leaf, moola

The Girl has a birthday next week.  I haven't seen her in months.  I am well aware that kids grow up and leave home and live their lives but I also cannot reconcile the fact that we are a family, first and foremost, and it takes mere seconds to check in with each other given all the instant technology we have now to do so.  All that to say: I miss her very much. Rant over.

For my 30th workiversary, my employer sent me a 30 year pin, and my choice from a "prize" catalog.  So I picked out a tablet, as the Nook is not going to be as helpful as I thought it would for watching exercise videos and Hulu and whatnot.  It came with a stand, headphones, keyboard, and carrying case.  I can't wait to get it all set up today!

Gina

Monday menus #87

When the kids were young and I was walking far more often, I feel like I was in touch with my own neighborhood.  But I realized recently that there are streets nearby that I haven't physically been on in years. You miss a lot when you follow one path in and one path out, sitting in your car.

Like blooming vines on telephone poles, little ole ladies sweeping their porch, or even other people out walking.  My introverted-ness these last three years has been a mixed blessing.  Allowing me to give myself space to heal, yes, but at the cost of some isolation.

Monday - kitchen closed 

Tuesday - Salmon, Little Gem Kale Crunch Salad, half a ciabatta roll {buy groceries}

Wednesday - Stir Fry Beef Teriyaki (no rice!) {mow grass depending on rain situation}

Thursday - Link Sausage and Butternut Squash skillet, salad {go see a movie, change sink water filter}

Friday - BBQ Shrimp, yellow squash, green beans {payday}

Saturday and Sunday - kitchen closed

Gina

A milestone

 Last weekend marked my 30th year as a Radiologic Technologist - a healthcare profession that many are starting to see plays an absolutely vital role in the medical world.  

I graduated from a local community college program with good grades and my family intact, although the two years of school and financial struggles took it's toll on us at the time.  And we had many more miles to go...

After graduation I got hired at the city's trauma hospital, and that's when the real education began.

But I had loving support and a drive to succeed.

Going to school and clinic full time, while working part time and raising kids left me exhausted most of the time, even for the relatively young age of 34.  So working full-time and continuing on with raising and expanding our family seemed like a seamless transition.

Not gonna lie - Mark and I faced many struggles until we found the right pace of life.  And I think that my mother was right to encourage me into this profession, as it has helped me in so many ways, not just financially.  I feel proud of myself and the example I set for my children.  And I know that through the job I have done all these years, I have been able to provide for my family in a meaningful way.

Happy 30th milestone, indeed!

Gina

Monday menus #86

Maybe its the heat, but we've been treated so some really pretty sunsets in Austin lately.  It always makes me pause and want to take a photo, like its the first time I'm seeing it.

And really, its gone within a few minutes!

No rain came out of those clouds, but it made for a pretty sky to admire on the way to my car.

Monday - kitchen closed

Tuesday - Taco Salad (romaine, taco meat, avocado, cheese, orange bell pepper){buy groceries}

Wednesday - Butternut Ravioli*, zucchini {on call in p.m.}

Thursday - Burger Parry with O&P, BBQ beans {change air filters}

Friday - Chicken Tacos (chicken breast strips, cheese, lettuce, tomato) {meet with dietician}

Saturday and Sunday - kitchen closed

Gina

*I still don't feel like cooking, and I have a BUNCH of food in the freezer, so I'm gonna roll with it

5 thing Friday - pumpkin pillow, fall decor, nuts, "dead" tree, happy hour

 I saw this cute pumpkin pillow on Instagram and ran right over to Wal-mart to get it.  As pillows go, its purely decorative.

Did I need it?  No.  But look how cute it is!  I set out the rest of my Fall stuff, too.

And I made a couple of floral arrangements using stuff I already had.  The one in my bedroom looks fuller in person - the vase has old potpourri filler and tiny pinecones.  I also spruced up the room, changing out the linens and giving every surface a good clean.

The one on the dining table seems wackily large but I'm going with it.

A squirrel is feasting DAILY under my patio set,

eating the pecans that are falling from what my neighbor referred to as a "dead" tree that he was planning on cutting down.  Besides it being a very healthy tree, it makes pecans now, and its sitting smack dab on the fence line.  So much so that a cut out was made in the fence to accommodate it.

So, no, it stays.

The 100 degree plus days means its too hot to even leave the house.  So I made my own stay-at-home-fun by slicing up some spicey cheese and peaches, and adding in some blueberries and crackers.

Happy Hour is served - stay cool!

Gina

Monday menus #85

I am very ready for Fall's cooler temps.

Its not just the heat, although that definitely is dragging my psyche down.  Its the desire to have something change in a positive way.  

Monday - fridge clean-out.  Might do Taco Quesadillas to use up some tortillas. {I'm off today, buy groceries}

Tuesday - Meatloaf with Portobello Mushroom Sauce, mashed potatoes, frozen veggie (make a plate for Friday) {do a bit of yardwork}

Wednesday - Grilled Lemon Garlic Chicken on salad with fresh berries {cross something off my home improvement list of small projects}

Thursday - BBQ Pork Loin Chop, mac and cheese, collards {library day}

Friday - Leftovers from Tuesday {payday}

Saturday and Sunday - kitchen closed

Gina