Nailing it - and a resolution update

Back in February of this year I decided it was time to act on one of my New Year's resolutions and get my nails attended to.  They had become very dry, were peeling and breaking sometimes, down past the quick!  This had been going on since before last May.

 I know it might be hard to see in this photo, but take my word for it, they were looking rough.  I was using every over-the-counter thing I could think of, and was having zero success.

But 2 months into using the topical nail solution the derm prescribed and I feel like they might well recover!  In fact, in celebration, I painted them, just in time to visit my mother today (: 

They aren't long, but they will get where I want them to be.  And that's one item I can cross of my list!  It's almost April and I feel good about what I have been working on.  And the bonus to that is that I am taking better care of me and what it takes to feel better.  What about you?  Are you still working on New Year's resolutions?

Gina

Wednesday menus #13, and overtime

It's great to earn OT, but the downside is   

that meals tend to be haphazard.

Wednesday - Pan-fried Italian chicken thighs, brussels sprouts
Thursday - BBQ seasoned pork chops, pintos, Tex Mex Corn Bread
Friday - Southwestern Potato Casserole with Spam (YUM), carrots
Saturday - Dad grills
Sunday - Mom brings home Chinese?
Monday - Creamy Bacon Pasta, salad
Tuesday - Eggs, King Cake Bubble Up

Gina

What the week holds, and hanging with Scout

If I were going to pick one of the boys to hang out with at a beautiful place on a day off, it might well be any of them.  But I love it that with Scout, the feeling is almost always mutual. So that seals the deal.

He's not much of a wine drinker, so he tags along with us on these pick-up parties for the heck of it.  

This week, I have two more nights of call, then no more of that for another two weeks.  Yay!  I have one doc appointment this week, then I'm planning on visiting my mother in Brenham on Friday.  I would love to get the front door painted, so I might do that on Thursday.  Otherwise, I am catching up on some book reading and making plans for planting the backyard as I lay on my couch!

What does your week look like?

Gina

5 thing Friday - random bits of camera, cake, crust, headshot, and cactus.

Life feels fairly random lately.  Sometimes I find myself drifting off into a mini coma while doing the simplest of things.  I blame being tired after the time change.

Sometimes I just snap a photo for no reason, really.  This one above is in the teeny tiny drive through at Torchy's.  

And this one is a mostly empty restaurant with pretty lighting on a recent lunch date with Hubby.  But mostly I have been forgetting to document life, such as it is.

I added dessert back on to the menus,  and made a lovely green Irish Cream bundt cake right before Spring Break.  It was very moist and didn't taste a thing like Irish Cream.  That stopped no one from eating it.

My freezer pie crusts have been a giant win.  I admit they look homemade - not magazine-pretty, but they have a nice flavor and it takes only a short while to thaw them out, so they are super convenient.  I can use them for savory or sweet - today I will make a sweet pie.

 Do I look tired?  I feel tired.  I would love to start back up on my walking.  It's so hard to get started on at again - I mostly just forget to add it into my day.  And I do walk a lot at work, so it's hard to get motivated but I am trying. 

I put together a "tacky homemade" for a friend's birthday that involved this cactus and some other goodies.  Sometimes I feel like I don't get it right with gifts.  But a sweet little pot of cactus tied with burlap is a delightful thing.

Gina

Wednesday menus #12 and a band concert

Wednesday - Jalapeno Chicken (HEB), yellow squash
Thursday - Salmon, asparagus, fettucine alfredo
Friday - Crispy Buttermilk Chicken Salad
Saturday - Dad grills
Sunday - Crockpot Pork Tacos
Monday - Grilled Cheese with avocado and bacon, celery and carrot sticks
Tuesday -  Burger patties with sweet tomato glaze, okra (random freezer items)

Last night was a pre-UIL concert - the last one for Bubbie.  In fact, he has only one more concert and that is the Senior one.  The last semester of his senior year is whizzing past!

Gina

What the week holds, and picking a door color

One the simplest projects at the top of my list involves painting the front door.  Years ago I gave it a new coat of varnish, but I did a sloppy job.  Then Hubby changed out the hardware and the previous footprint was noticeable.  Then, I spray painted the hardware and that was a flop.

I like our front door but I have done a shabby job of trying to pretty it up!  Time to get motivated, pick a color and get this one crossed off my list!

 I still want to hang a wreath here.  I want to clean up the hardware and make it sparkle, too.

See the wooden bird in the wreath?  It was a find at Highlands.  I don't know what is was supposed to be originally, but I painted a pearly eye on it and onto the front door wreath it went.  Decor by happenstance.  This week I am pulling a lot of call, in addition to ending my 11 day streak at work.  Whew!  There is much to catch up on around the house.  On Wednesday there's a Pre-UIL concert to attend, then a wine club pick-up at Bell Springs that I hope to be able to attend. I know I sound like a broken record, but where do the weeks seem to go?!

What does your week look like?

Gina

Wednesday Menus #10, and Freezer Meals #17

It's been August since I have made a batch of more than one or two meals.  So I bought groceries yesterday, then hurried home to assemble them while Scout and GF ate leftover chicken tacos at the table.  Now she knows my secret - I'm not a great cook.  More like a Cook of Opportunity!

 

Most of these are for the crock.

I made:
Pomegranate Beef from A Year of Slow Cooking
Shredded Pork for Tacos
Ranch BBQ Chicken
Sweet Oniony Turkey - 1/2 jar carmelized onions, 1 can cranberry jelly, one 5# turkey breast
Mexican Chicken
Pesto Chicken (skillet)
And a pork roast that used the other half of the carmelized onions along with various spices

I am careful to stack my blobs of gallon zip locs until they are frozen, then they will all go onto the same shelf.

*******

Wednesday - Crockpot Poor Man's Stew
Thursday - Turkey Pot Pie
Friday - Crunchy Crumbs Fish with peppers and onions, quinoa
Saturday - Dad grill
Sunday - Crockpot Pork Roast, baked 'fried' okra (hubby bought two bags of these recently, and this is the extra one)
Monday - Chicken Enchiladas, corn
Tuesday - Meat patties with brown gravy, mashed, peas (a fav meal of Hubbys' from college)
Dessert is a St. Patrick's Pistachio Bundt cake from The Cake Mix Doctor

I didn't make as big of a mess as I thought. I managed to get the dishwasher unloaded and reloaded quickly, though. 

Gina

What the week holds, and monkeying around

Late posting as often happens on Monday. Last week, The Girl's busy season at work ended on Monday, and she told us she would come into town on Wednesday afternoon for a long weekend.  That was fine by me, even though I had to miss work due to illness on Tuesday.

So after laying around in bed all day Tuesday,  I cleaned up the house and shopped on Wednesday - Hubby's first day at his new job.  The rest of the week passed in a blur, and on Friday, The Girl and I picked up the quarterly shipment at Infinite Monkey and enjoyed a glass of Malbec out on their "patio".  As wineries go, this is one of the most low key ones we are members of.  But we were pleased to read on the bottle that a portion of the profits goes directly to The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.  Great wine and a great cause.

The shipment this go-round was tempranillo, and we enjoyed a bottle of that with our Chinese stir fry at home.  I'm not sure about that particular wine pairing, but the wine was delightful.  And all too soon the week was over and a new workweek had begun.  This week Bubbie has a doc appointment at lunchtime on Wednesday so he and I get to enjoy a lunch on the run together, I have a birthday gift for a friend to finish up, and I will probably visit Brenham to take my mother her birthday gifts.  

What does your week look like?

Gina

5 thing Friday - Winery visits, slobbiness, craftin', potatoes, chicken salad

A couple of weeks ago, Hubby and I found a winery in Lampasas we we wanted to try.  Turns out that the winery down the road a bit is owned by the twin brother to the winemaker at Legato.  The tasting lady said they are fairly competitive brothers,  but share a vineyard.

 Anyway, the family reunion blend had every grape they grow: Merlot, Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite Verdot & Petite Syrah.  It was a very relaxed place - I'm sure we'll visit again.

 

This is the scene at work about a week ago. It's discouraging.  I was going to straighten it up and pretty up the bulletin board, then didn't.  Maybe I will spruce and clean tomorrow when only three of us will be at work.  With a note that says: Your mother doesn't work here and we fired the maid.

 A bright Spring project is in the works!  I am gradually making my way through the mountain of scrap fabrics I have acquired and flexing my creative muscle, too.

Hubby and I enjoy us some breakfast out, and a couple of weeks ago we enjoyed some really good skillet potatoes.  The secret to fully cooked and browned potatoes is to cook the potatoes first, cool them, dice them, then fry in a little hot fat.  It might not be health food but I so love potatoes this way!

Wine pick-up party at Torr Na Loch. We had absolutely the best spot to sit with an amazing view.

Inks Lake to the distant left, Buchanan Lake to the distant right.

Ever eat something, then think "why don't we have that more often?"  We enjoyed rotisserie chicken salad sammies on toast for Sunday lunch, with some colorful chips.  It sure hit the spot!

Gina

Wednesday (un)Menu #9, and ch-ch-changes

Today is hubby's official first day at his new job. And for the past two weeks we have been hanging out together more, eating at Mexican restaurants and visiting wineries.  Because, vacation. 

 At our new favorite place in Burnet, eating breakfast

Wednesday - Spaghetti Casserole with meatballs and ricotta

Thursday - Turkey Pot Pie
Friday - Chicken Teriyaki, salad
Saturday - Dad grills
Sunday - Crock Pot meal from freezer
Monday - Chicken tacos
Tuesday - Dr. Martin's Mix, veggie

 

Another fun place, this one in Austin

Gina