Empty Nest Menu #49

Hubby and I split a lunch last Saturday in Johnson City at this place.  It was the most ridiculous burger that had carmelized onion and bleu cheese, with an order of onion rings.  As you can see, we are still Clean Plate Club members.

Monday - Sticky Chicky, rice, green beans
Tuesday - Cowboy Beans, garlic toast
Wednesday - Fruited Chicken Salad, low salt chips, melon
Thursday - Taco-topped Baked Potatoes, salad with green onion and avocado
Friday - Garden Veggie Cornbread Casserole, Rudy's brisket
Saturday - TBD
Sunday - Leftovers

As the summer wears on, I am less and less interested in cooking...

Gina

5 thing Friday - car repair, grout, owls, fig tree, frame

Its been a week.  This is a family-friendly blog so I will try to keep the complaining down.  How about a bad/good kind of 5 thing Friday?

Bad:  I waited for three hours at the Subaru dealership in a SCHEDULED APPOINTMENT slot for work to be done on my car, only to told they had "just looked at it" at the bottom of the 3rd hour.  

Good:  I got to sit for three hours, reading a book my mother gave me and they have a free coffee bar.  Hubby gave me a ride to work and took me through the McDonald's drive-thru for breakfast on the way.  Plus, the car's A/C got repaired HALLELUYAH.

Bad:  The grout in the kitchen is looking fairly groddy and I know that it will take many hours and elbow grease to make it look better and I am so tired of these kinds of projects that I have so little free time for.

Good:  So far, it looks like the grout pen I bought is the way to go.  The grout lines look much improved.  I'm going to work on it little by little until it is done.

 I know this picture doesn't show much, but having all of the grout lines be the same color is pretty great.

Bad:  We still haven't built the owl house.  And according to my mother, the owls will eventually disperse since she says owls don't all roost together.

Good:  The owls are still hanging around!  I go out every evening and tell them how adorable they are and ask them to continue staying.

Bad:   The fig tree gave up, even though I was diligently watering the heck out of it.  What remaining figs there were probably got eaten by critters and 99% of the leaves fell off.  The 100 degree heat is to blame as this particular type of fig tree doesn't do well in extreme summer heat.

Good:  You're welcome, birds.  The sprinkler system is on and we have rain in the forecast so at least I don't need to haul the hose over to water it.

Bad:  I didn't have any business buying junk at the thrift store -  I basically only needed to buy a side table for Hubby to put his coffee cup on in the morning.  And I saw this frame and could not put it down. It just appealed to me for some reason.  But truly, we could lose about 99% of the junk we currently own and I don't need to bring home more doo dads.

Good:  I found this tiny pic of Hubby and me from maybe Christmas of 2000 in my jewelry box. Instead of a snarky cross stitch I put in this pic.  A reminder of different times for us and a sweet something for my desk.

Happy Weekend,

Gina

Days of Rose

Its been the summer of rose wine for us this year.  I attribute that to so many breweries being closed to on-site consumption.  {Because beer is really our thing in the summer...}  With tasting rooms being generally closed, and only outdoor seating to be had, Hubby and I embarked on an exploration of Rose wine.  Chilled and ready to enjoy on a summer day!

I'm no expert, but I can tell you what I love about Rose - the fact that you drink it chilled and the fact that it is generally light and refreshing with hints of spring and summer fruit.  That being said, we greatly enjoyed a blended estate Mourvedre and Tannat Rose from Arrowhead Creek that featured very soft citrus and grapefruit.  Perfect on a hot day served in ice!  {And they were some of the nicest people we have come across lately - will definitely return.}

  

 At Ab Astris we discovered Aurora Rose - strawberry and kiwi with a slight effervescence.  This was a beautiful Rose - that slight acidity made it perfect for sipping on a hot day.  

 Still on the strawberry side was the Syrah Rose at 7 Creeks.  {It turns out that his one is our favorites!}  You cannot beat this Rose while you are kicked back under their shady oaks!  This is summer in a glass.

Both the Italian Stallion and Mourvedre/Grenache Roses at Perissos are delightful, with our favorite being the  Mourvedre.  One of our favorite wineries and I can't believe we are just now trying these Roses!  Hmmm...maybe the summer of Rose is changing me from a red wine drinker.

And the Tex Way Rose from Fiesta was also a very nice discovery - Dolcetto is one of my favorite wines so it stands to reason that I would love its Rose version.  There are many more wines of theirs to try so I'm sure we will visit again soon.

But for now, it looks like the summer of Rose is just about to give way to the (rest of the) summer of suds.  We aren't all that into mixed drinks and biergartens are opening up in Central Texas this weekend... so we are ready for it!

Gina

Empty Nest Menu #48

My One Pot Wonder from last week:  Chicken sausage sauteed with onion and garlic, about 1/3 pound whole wheat spaghetti, a pint jar of homemade pasta sauce, a little extra water, and a bunch of chopped fresh baby spinach.  Simmered gently on low until the pasta was al dente, because I knew we would be heating it up later.

We topped it with some fancy schmancy grated Parmesan and it was wonderful

Monday - Beefy Bean Tacos with toppings (onion, cilantro, cheese, and sour cream), salad with avocado and tomato {order my Imperfect box}
Tuesday - Honey Garlic Chicken over rice, Butternut squash
Wednesday - Gyros with Tzatziki sauce, low salt kettle chips, peppers and onions {early morning appt at the Subaru place for a broken A/C!}
Thursday - Pesto Salmon* over seasoned chickpeas*, green beans
Friday - Tuna Salad on Brioche buns, Superfood Salad, the rest of the chips {Safelight is coming to replace my windshield}
Saturday - TBD {Harvest Day at Narrow Path - will we go?}
Sunday - Shakshuka, garlic knots, any leftover fresh veg

*after opening a second can of sub-standard chickpeas, I decided to make my own.  Soaked them overnight, then added them to fresh water and a little salt and cooked them all day in the crockpot.  I froze them in baggies - each baggie is equal to a can of beans.

Gina

How I spent a rare weekend at home...Monday included

Its hot as blue blazes here and I was on call this last weekend, so we pretty much stayed home and did a whole lot of putseying.  Much to Hubby's disgust.  However, since I am the one leaving the house 5 days a week, it is GREAT for me to get a day or two of home time.  I had a fun time doing odds and ends around the house.

I made pesto with a big bunch of basil that I hadn't ended up using in last week's menus.  I froze it in these little containers.  Mine had basil, lime juice, olive oil, salt, walnuts, garlic, and Parmesan - it is DELISH.  Can't wait to slather it over salmon!

 I also went through all of my solid black scrubs and pulled out the faded or bleach-speckled ones and gave them a dye bath of jet black on the stovetop.  It was time-consuming, so I don't know if I ever want to try that again.  A lot of work, too.  But my scrubs came out looking SHARP.

I got all of them cleaned, dried, hung, and sorted, then straightened up the closet, which was very satisfying!  I know it looks crowded in here, but Hubby and I have loads of room for all of our things.  His side still looks neat from a month ago when I ironed all of the wrinkly things.  That's because he wears shorts and tees to "work".

 Hubby's big project this last weekend was to CLEAN UP HIS OWN MESS in the garage.  This was created by simply emptying and moving a desk into The Lounge, now known as The Office.  Ninety percent of this crap could go.

I offered to help (why) but he declined.  Its just as well.  I have cleaned and organized this garage at least twice a year since we have lived here - 23 years.  Do the math.  And it never stays the way I left it.  I think I earned a pass.

 Saturday lunch was some pulled pork rescued from the freezer, with toasted brioche buns, bread and butter pickles and red onion slices, and truffle corn chips.  Oh!  And a beer.  I cleaned my plate.

I had to do at least ONE artsy project.  This is the box that we use for wine club pick-ups for Esperanza.  Decorate it, she said.  Bring it back to get your wine, she said.  So I used some of that flour sack fabric my mother gave me.

 I carefully peeled off the winery tag and re-glued it onto the front of the box, bordered with some rickrack from my stash.  Total cost was zero and I think its quite snazzy.  I am looking forward to visiting this winery again soon!

 Thrift shopping happened.  I found a small table I think will do perfectly between the armchairs in the front room.  No more Hubby balancing his coffee mug on the chair arm. No more coffee rings on the upholstery. (grrrrr) 

 I also found a cute lil frame to put a snarky cross stitch in, a suncatcher of a spray of bluebonnets, and this top which I already have one of in olive green that I love (so I know I will wear it).  Spent $6 but I will return for that table...when I get it purchased and painted, I will show you where it will live!  I got loads of other things done - replaced the A/C filters, made a Wal-Mart run, washed and vac'd my car, cooked a glorious Sunday dinner.  Among other things.  And never got called in.

No place like home.

Gina

Empty Nest Menu #47

I rooted around in the freezer and made a list of things we needed to use up before I grocery shop again, and I think I can put off going to HEB until Saturday!

Monday - Turkey Chili over Rice, chopped onions and peppers {off today - maybe thrift shop, customize the produce box}
Tuesday - Chicken Sausage with whole wheat pasta and homemade pasta sauce with spinach {water the landscaping, make out next week menus}
Wednesday - Enchilada Chicken, mashed potatoes, frozen veggie
Thursday - Meat Patties (prob turkey) with onions, grilled radicchio, cannellini beans
Friday - Beefy Goulash, corn {on call, today only}
Saturday - Eating here {because someone gave us a gift certificate!}
Sunday - (freezer) Pot Roast, mashed sweet potatoes, brussels sprouts

July is almost halfway over - what the what!?

Gina

5 thing Friday - dinner, cacti, Teddy, winery, sweet potatoes

Its been a heckova week, so in no particular order...

Tonight's dinner was to have involved gnocci, but I found half a package of tortellini in the freezer and chose that, instead.  I cooked some lean beef in olive oil, added one of my freezer jars of pasta sauce, the rest of a jar of pesto (maybe a tablespoon?), a little extra water, the rest of the peppers and onions from a previous meal, and the tortellini and cooked another four minutes.  Smells divine.

 A couple of weekends ago I dug up some cacti from Highlands and brought it home to see if I could get them big enough to plant in the yard.  You can see where there was minor deer damage on this one, but its already bigger!  I don't think the squirrels are interested and it seems to love this sunny edge of the deck.

 Teddy was here last weekend!  Once he got over being worried that The Girl would leave, he thoroughly enjoyed the backyard.  Running laps, playing with the tug rope, splashing in his pool, and laying in the sun, exhausted.  Living his best life.

 Hubby and I visited a winery on Sunday that has a great view from their fenced yard of ... nothing.  We sat there and drank rose and ate leftover cucumber salad with chunks of salami.  'Twas nice.  This winery has had a rough go of it, like most other wineries.  We were pretty much the only people who sat outside and enjoyed a bottle - most people came, bought a bottle, and left.  It was like having our own private winery.

 I bought some sweet potatoes, intending to cook them in the crock pot, and mash them with butter and brown sugar.  When I peeled them I got a surprise - they were purple inside.  I cooked them anyway.  What did I have to lose?

They look exactly like refried beans, but I'm not tossing them.  I looked them up and they supposedly have 2.5 times the antioxidants of regular sweet potatoes and take twice as long to cook.  That wasn't an issue in the crockpot, which I had going overnight.  I'm going to add brown sugar and cinnamon and serve them up.  Mostly because I don't want to waste them, but also because its fun to discover new things!*

Gina

*they weren't good - whomp, whomp

Empty Nest Menu #46

Mid-summer and its already time to empty the freezer a little!  Cooking for two is tricky and we have plenty in there, so why buy more food?

Monday - (freezer) Sliced Brisket Sammies, Truffle Corn Chips, onions and peppers {Gina doc appt}
Tuesday - Grilled Chicken, carrots, smashed red potatoes (make enough for two meals)
Wednesday - Lazy Daisy Turkey Meatballs, leftover red potatoes, chard
Thursday - Dr. Martin's Mix, sliced honeydew melon
Friday - Gnocci with beefy marinara, green beans {Gina on call the next three days}
Saturday - Take-out {big list of things to do at HOME}
Sunday - Pizza, or those salmon patties we didn't eat last week
*This week I'm making a batch of Enchilada Sauce and some chocolate chip cookie dough for the freezer.

Gina

Intentional time off

I got an email from my employer a couple of weeks ago, noting how many hours of PTO I had in my bank and reminding me that you can't pour from an empty cup.  So take some intentional time off and re-charge! {after all, I guess it would be bad if their employees started showing signs of burn-out..}

So, I filled out my PTO slips right away.  I mean, who doesn't want paid time off to stay at home and do nothing?  Turns out that one of the days I asked for is the one that The Girl would be coming for the weekend. {here she and Teddy are, playing on the floor of the office as I sneakily type}

 And also the one that Bubbie would choose to come home for the weekend.  Which called for a celebration: lunch at Pinthouse Pizza and a beer run to the Growler Room.  And after naps there will be cards and beer drinking.  And I will fix my peeps a homemade meal.  Then tomorrow, Firstborn and LA will join us for grilled hotdogs and more beer and more cards.  And Sunday will likely entail drinking wine under shady oaks near Highlands. 

Far from work.

Just filling my cup up as we head into another crazy month of the 'rona.

Gina

Weekend re-cap: trailer food, pasta sauce, Dahlia Cafe, Fiesta Winery

As weekends go, it was pretty sweet.  I started the day off by stimulating the economy of the food truck not too far from our house.  As I collected my breakfast tacos, a line had formed - that's always a good sign!

I even got a few things done around the house before we left for Highlands, including making my own blender pasta sauce with some tomatoes that were going wrinkly:

I label them with scotch tape that is easily pulled off - I know that a couple of months from now I will be glad I labeled them even though they are clear jars!  Into the freezer they go for future pasta nights at Highlands and Camp Rustown.

 For lunch, we enjoyed some shady seating at Dahlia Cafe, just up the road in Liberty Hill.

Back before the world went haywire, this was a favorite place of ours - good food, live music, big oak trees...

 ...and I enjoyed this Philly Cheese sammie topped with green chile queso and served with homemade kettle chips.

 I was proud of Hubby for his sammie and salad combo.  Both of us ate every bite and drank a big glass of sweet ice tea.  Summer lunch for the win!

 Just look at all that space to stay socially distant while enjoying some great food!  From here, we went directly to Lometa to visit Fiesta Winery on a non-wine club pick-up day.

 There were very few people and the weather could not have been better.  Cool breezes were blowing and we sat and sipped our chilled wine while looking out over the vineyard.

 Isn't this little vignette cute under a small stand of oaks?  I think I could easily do this at Highlands - maybe I would skip the carpet!  

This winery has cute landscaping and decor outside.  The area where our chairs sat had pea gravel, larger rocks for a border, and these cute red glazed pots with metal garden spheres.  I strolled through the vines a little, but it is far warmer out in the sun.  Our chairs faced out towards a view with no other folks and was so pleasant.

 Hubby bought this bag that you freeze and stick your wine bottle in.  It lasts for exactly one bottle of wine, but I'm sure we will be freezing and using it all summer long.  We headed towards Highlands in the late afternoon and enjoyed some of that fresh pasta sauce on whole wheat pasta with steamed broccoli by the firepit.  A fun Saturday!

The next day we did NOTHING.  The morning started off with a pretty intense thunderstorm, so we spent the next few hours literally laying around in our chairs, watching wildlife and snoozing.  {we have a mama deer and fawn that are fun to watch!}  I ordered us a pizza for a late lunch and we enjoyed a chilled Picpoul Blanc from Perisso's to go with.  Delightful, but it was getting to be very hot, even in the shade.

We timed our departure a little late as we ran into THIS on the way into Austin!  It was a little dicey driving right through it on the toll road, but we arrived home safely and enjoyed our dinner of leftovers.  And this week it isn't likely that we will be at Highlands, since a couple of our peeps will be home and we are thinking of grilling hot dogs on Saturday.  Can you believe July is here already?

Gina