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.  And by that, I mean its been a craptastic week.  I know, I know.  This is a family-friendly blog so I will try to keep the complaining down.  So, ok...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.  I might have been less than friendly when they finally called me over to discuss repair costs and other bull$hit.

Good:  I got to sit for three hours, reading a book my mother gave me and they have a free cappuchino 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 sooo 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:  Your'e 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.  (I was cleaning and organizing my joory) 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

My owls. All mine.

I was enjoying lunch at my kitchen table, gazing out the window, and thought the tree looked a little different.  The branch moved, so I got up to see.

 O.M.G.  OWLS!!!!! {say that like Buddy the Elf yelled about Santa!}  I watched two small ones hop around the branches of a pecan tree on our fence line.  {Side story:  this pecan tree came from a sack of cracked nuts my mother bought for me and the kids to crack for Christmas cookies and candies about 17ish years ago.  Some of the nuts were too hard to shell, so we left them for the squirrels.  The rest is history.}  They looked too "fuzzy" and small to be anything but chicks.

 And sure enough, I spied the momma in another branch.  Look at her shape.  She's BIG.  

THREE OWLS!  Eastern Screech Owls, to be exact.  I was so excited!!!

Yes, I still see you.  Please stay, you are so adorable.

killing me.
And stay they did - all afternoon.

Mom never moved, but she did fix me with a stare.  When dusk came, the little ones flew into my yard and perched above the deck long enough to study us, bobbing their heads around and making cute little noises.  Then Big Momma Flew across the yard and social time was over.  She was ready to teach them to hunt!  I'm so excited we have all these owls.  Besides being beautiful, they are beneficial to have around.  Maybe we will have to build an owl house for Camp Rustown!

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

Daily routine - Pandemic version

I made a schedule up for myself so that I am never bored or at loose ends on weekday mornings and I get some things DONE.  I am a list person by nature.  It makes me feel like I am in charge of my life.  {HA!, actually less so nowadays it seems!}

Mondays - laundry, blog, order produce box

Tuesday - water my plants, take trash and/or recycle bins to curb

Wednesday - change sheets, vac house

Thursday - clean bathrooms, sweep floors, run load of towels

Friday - pay bills

Saturday morning - grocery shop

I am up between 6:30 and 7 a.m. - its just when I naturally wake up and I rarely set an alarm.  While a pot of coffee is perking I set out all of the things I need to prep for meals.  This day I was making enchilada sauce with some sad looking carrots, bagging up grapes for my lunch, and marinating a split chicken breast in some Italian dressing.  Chard was rinsed and draining in the sink.  

 I drink my coffee and check my email and such until Hubby claims the office - usually around 8:30.  I get a few things done around the house, but I'm not aiming for doing a lot of housework.  {Might empty the dryer, start a load of clothes, roll the trash bins out to the curb, make out a grocery list, etc.}  Then I go back to the kitchen and prep dinner.  Tonight we are having sauteed chard with garlic, and some grilled chicken.

Its easier for me to get dinner arranged in the mornings.  We can either heat the plates of food up, or I can leave Hubby with reheating instructions.

 Its nice to come home to dinner all prepared!

  Today I also have enchilada sauce bubbling - I think we will enjoy this next week!

 While everything cooks I make up some oatmeal to microwave.  I usually add dried fruit, nuts, honey, and water.  Today it was 3 small fresh apricots, a handful of walnuts, and a spoonful of lemon curd with 1/2 cup of whole oats.  I set that aside and get ready to plate up the food.

I cover them with plastic wrap and place in the fridge, then load the dishwasher and set it to delay start so it goes off after showers and such.

 After using my immersion blender on the sauce, into jars it goes and is cooling while I finish clean up.  One of the best things to come home to after a long day is a clean kitchen!  Hubby will unload the dishwasher later.

 Sometimes I tell the Google Lady to play smooth jazz and I light a candle under the wax tart burner.  After food prep its nice to have calm and pretty.  My kitchen might need some updating, but I love it.

Everything gets wiped down. I clean that cast iron grill pan with hot water and a brush, then store it upside down on the warm burners.

 Time to pop the oatmeal in - 3 minutes 40 seconds.  When I get back to it, it will have cooled.  I usually time breakfast for right before I leave the house - that way I can make it until lunch!

But its pushing 9, and that's when I go on a short walk in my neighborhood.  LOTS of my neighbors are out walking at this time.  I just put on my walking shoes and go.  I don't dislike it, but its not my favorite thing.  Its strictly for health benefits!

 I get back and see this...

 ...which takes me just a few minutes to fix!  That's another nice thing to come home to at the end of the day. 

I pull my oatmeal out of the microwave, give it a stir, then a splash of half and half and a drizzle of honey.  If I'm lucky, I have a few minutes left to tie up loose ends, like putting together a lunch for work. 

 I pack my kit full since its small.  Usually I have leftovers, but today its a sammie and chips with fruit.  If I'm lucky, I will get to eat around 2 p.m.  I will be hungry for dinner at 8 p.m.!

 I set all my stuff for work out at the kitchen table, eat my oatmeal, then go get a shower at 10 a.m.  If I leave the house at 10:30, I get to work in plenty of time to clock in at 11 a.m.  A full day ensues and lately, we've been a tad bit busier.  I don't mind being busy - its the slow days that drag you down.

Once I get home, I shower (again), eat, load my plate into the dishwasher, chat with Hubby a bit, tie up any loose ends, thaw out something for dinner tomorrow, then hit the hay with a book.  Lights out by 10:30 p.m.  Since I added walking to my day I noticed I sleep like a rock!  And that's the daily routine for me these days.  Do you have any routines you use to feel sane in these crazy times?

Gina