Monday, May 31, 2021

Empty Nest Menu #92

I miss this kid who isn't a kid and looks like he doesn't sleep well and needs new clothes. I don't think college has been a lot of fun.

Monday - Hubby and The Girl are going to my sister's house for a burger!  I work, so I will eat something, just don't know what yet.
Tuesday - Skillet Tilapia, yellow squash
Wednesday - Dill Shrimp Salad Sammies, low salt chips
Thursday - Parmesan Bowtie Skillet (use ground pork), brussels sprouts
Friday - Chicken Taco Salads with black beans, tomato, avocado, green onion
Saturday(freezer) Taco Spaghetti {picking up our new RV, visiting my mother in Brenham}
Sunday - Maybe we will grill? {Gina on call}


Gina

Friday, May 28, 2021

5 thing Friday - eating out, bird skull, snake, yucca, rain

 Hubby and I enjoyed the fare at Liberty Hill Beer Market on Saturday, after The Wedding That Wasn't.:
The stuffed pastry was fabulous - ricotta and spinach in flaky pastry, with a cold Convict Hill stout - how can you go wrong?
And we have a weakness for onion rings, too.  Everything tasted amazing and we had the friendliest server.  BUT, they were crowded and had some obnoxious drunk people, not to mention loud kids that no one was supervising, so its safe to say we won't go back on a weekend soon.  
We finally cleaned the nests out of the Barn's overhang last weekend.  Found many unhatched eggs and a gruesome baby bird skull.
Before we knew it was a safe snake, we mortally wounded this friendly snake.  Well, darn.  Don't coil up on the WALL of the storage unit and scare the life out of me!  The head shape and lack of a rattle should have been a dead giveaway, but we missed it.  We will get better at identifying dangers at Highlands, I'm sure.
The good thing about all the rain we've had is that all of our trees and even the yucca are starting to bloom and recover.  The bad is that I need sun!  Rain that goes on for days and days makes me feel very blue around the edges.
Mowing will be a booger, and projects requiring sunny days are on hold.
A rainy weekend meant we ate dinner in the truck near the train depot in Burnet. 
Rain + chicken strips and catfish + truck = fine dining on a Sunday.
Have a good weekend!


Gina

Wednesday, May 26, 2021

Pumphouse refresh

This is 100% not exciting to anyone but me, but I painted the inside of the pumphouse, aka The Shower House.  The inside walls were raw compressed board.  The floors are concrete.  The light fixtures are cheap apartment grade.  BUT.  The shower is hot and delightful in the fall and winter months*.  And as we put together the whole thing ourselves, I think it is pretty darn ingenious.  So I thought it deserved a refresh.
I used a basic white eggshell finish indoor wall paint.  Screwed some hooks into the walls.  Washed and hung up some pool towels that my peeps used years ago when we visited the neighborhood pool on a regular basis in the summer.  (just used cheap screw in hooks here) I added a hook for a blow-dryer (not pictured), and a small mirror as well.
I washed the two heavy duty vinyl shower liners to hang from skinny metal shower hooks - nothing fancy here.  Painted the support box that the shower tub sits on with some oops paint from Lowe's.  Scrubbed the floors and shower tub.  Added an indoor/outdoor rug.  There is a window with a fan, and in the winter we have a small space heater in here.
A friend of mine did this acrylic painting and added Texas beach sand to the bottom of the pic.  I hung it proudly in my new and improved Shower House.  I would show you the rest of the room - its teeny tiny - but you aren't missing much, believe me.  There is a hanging shower organizer with eco-friendly shampoo and soap, brush and comb, toothbrush and toothpaste supplies.  A propane tank attached to a gas powered shower heater, and a spa shower head.  We have a shelving system in here that we rescued from the dumpster at Hubby's old office - on it we store potty essentials, the space heater, and cleaning supplies.  A clock radio from my college days plays the local jazz station 24/7.  
We cleaned up the outside of the Shower House by getting rid of some floor tiles that were stacked around the well head, and I planted some cactus near the door.  Its one of my favorite places now.  Maybe when I get the hang of my Cricut I will make a sign for the door.  (:  There is much to be said about a place to take a hot shower!


Gina

*We still have a spot behind the barn where we can take outdoor showers when it hits 100 degrees out!


Monday, May 24, 2021

Empty Nest Menu #91

 
Monday - Easiest Italian Chicken (made with with potatoes and a bag of frozen Italian veggies) {starting a new schedule today} 
Tuesday - Cod filets, mac and cheese, fresh green beans {off, picking up my mother in Brenham for an appointment in Austin}
Wednesday - (freezer) Pinto Bean Soup, lo-salt Fritos
Thursday - Grilled Pork Burger with sliced cheese, tomato and purple onion, sweet potato fries
Friday - Beefy Spaghetti (freeze half), broccoli and carrots
Saturday - TBD {The Girl is moving back to Austin!}
Sunday - TBD {go see Bubbie in San Marcos for dinner!}
******
This week will be a booger, wish me luck!


Gina

Wednesday, May 19, 2021

Weekend re-cap: Highlands, Marble Falls, Bear King, Fiesta, stress

As weekends go, it was a mix of both fun times and stress times.  Seems to be a theme lately.  We ate All-you-can-eat catfish at Cafe 2300 on Friday, then drove around a neighborhood that had a house for sale since Hubby had set up up with a meeting with that realtor this coming Sunday.  But I think we will cancel that appointment - the neighborhood was verry dicey.
I should have pulled those bird nests down while I had the chance...

We putseyed around Highlands on Saturday, working on projects here and there.  I painted the inside of the pumphouse, Hubby did some weed-whacking and other chores. {One of these days I will post pics of the inside of the pumphouse.  Exciting, I know.} 
On Sunday, we ventured to Marble Falls to look at another small house for sale, on the tip of some friends of ours.  It was very small, needed lots of renovations, and came with sticker shock.  No thanks.  We soothed ourselves with tacos and beer afterwards.  It was an OK lunch, not great.  {Sort of the same theme mentioned in the beginning of this post}
Then, since we are wine club members and close by, we stopped into Fiesta for a tasting and a bottle of wine on the shady patio.
Of course it started to rain,  Of course.
This whole house hunting thing is stressing me out.  We want to build on our property but it will take a good 18 months and we still need somewhere to live...we might have to change up the plan a bit considering what is going on with the housing market.  We don't want two house notes for more than about 2 months or so.  An additional plan might be to park an RV on the property - that was we could be close by while it is being built.  Of course, there are wrinkles to that plan, too.  Do we sell Mabel to buy the new RV?  Fund the septic system first so we can park on Highlands? Move into an apartment or condo instead?
And what about my job?
Cue stress.


Gina 

Monday, May 17, 2021

Empty Nest Menu #90

Why does this pot appear to be  "weeping"?  None of my other pots do this!

Monday - Crockpot Mexican Chicken Tacos (with pico de gallo, cheese, and plain Greek yogurt), borracho beans 
Tuesday - Tuna Salad on whole wheat buns, sweet potato fries
Wednesday - Pork and Veggie Stir Fry Lo Mein {Gina to dentist}
Thursday - Tilapia with onions and peppers, yellow squash
Friday - Grilled Chicken, couscous, broccoli
Saturday - TBD {we have an evening wedding to attend!}
Sunday - Ditto


Gina

Wednesday, May 12, 2021

Weekend re-cap: on call, yardwork, phones, Oakwood, Chuy's

As weekends go, it wasn't bad, just not our usual fun times.  Hubby and I both felt kind of poopy.  Call weekends seem restrictive!
I did get called in on Saturday morning.  Worked 2 1/2 hours, with a little downtime thrown in...
But when I got home around lunchtime I ordered us some take-out and after lunch we worked on the yards.  I finally moved the ficus from its temporary home in the kitchen.
It looks so much bigger in here.  Sweet kitchen table for two with no tree branches on Hubby's head.  {I see we need to find the grill cover and put it back on the BBQ pit}
The ficus, olive tree, and a foxtail fern are in the space behind the dining room window.  {This is the infamous "red rocks" area that I have to use the leaf blower on at least once a month.  It is a pain in the rear!}
I'm hoping the rocks will discourage the squirrel digging, but I have Mr. Plastic Owl sitting out there, too.
Hubby cut all of the dead branches from the fig so it looks strange now.  But at least it didn't die off completely from the winter storm, so there's that.  He also removed some other branches that were shading the yard a little too much, so now I will just get some sod to help the grass gaps fill in.
I mulched the fig and lariope.  I had cut them down to about three inches back in March and they came back like gangbusters. 
After raking it, pulling weeds, mowing, and weed and feed, we are finally getting some healthy grass back.  I'm so glad we rebuilt that deck!  The backyard is becoming a sweet place to sit.  {Need to get the owl houses installed, too}
Hubby pooped out, but I worked on the front yard a couple of hours - raking, cleaning out and adding more mulch to my landscape beds, bundling branches for yard waste day...finally I called it DONE and we headed out to get some dinner at a favorite restaurant.  Sadly, they were having oven issues so we had an appetizer of soft baked pretzel instead.
The beer was delightful, too.
We headed to a BBQ place that was just meh.  
I mean - it wasn't terrible, just nothing to write home about.
For people who live in Austin we are woefully unaware of some of the better places to grab a bit to eat on a random Saturday night!  It was in our old neighborhood so we drove pass the first house we owned.  Trippin' down memory lane...
The next day I was just sure I was going to get called in so we stayed close to home and I putseyed.  Around lunchtime we went over to the T-Mobile store to get new phones.  I really HATE the process of getting a new phone.  It is every bit as stressful and expensive and mind-boggling as getting a new laptop.  Hate, hate, hate it.  Hubby's phone took over and hour and a half to go through the process.  I sat outside listening to terrible outdoor mall muzak!
But when we finally got home there were sussies from Firstborn and LA!! 
Then a short time later, Bubbie's girlfriend, Delilah, dropped off some home baked goods and roses.  I felt very loved.  All four texted me (no one uses their phone to call...) and although I didn't get to hug their necks (except for Delilah) , you better believe I will next time I see them!
We ended the weekend with Tex-Mex and drinks at Chuy's and it really hit the spot.  I always forget that they have very good food.  It is one of our favorite Austin-based restaurants from our earliest days here.  It was a great end to Mother's Day and call weekend and now that we are in the middle of the week, I am wishing I had my hands around another of those Mexican martinis...


Gina 

Monday, May 10, 2021

Empty Nest Menu #89

 In which I do a little cleaning out of the freezer...

Monday - (freezer) Orange Chicken, small serving of rice, steamed broccoli
Tuesday - (freezer) Fish filets, green beans, corn
Wednesday - (freezer) Bean Soup with a cheese quesadilla made with whole wheat tortilla
Thursday - (freezer) Sloppy Joes, coleslaw
Friday - BBQ Chicken Thighs, zucchini, leftover coleslaw {grocery shop for next week}
Saturday - Grilled Chicken over chopped salad {painting the pumphouse today}
Sunday - Salmon Patties, brussels sprouts, maybe a serving of garlicky pasta


Gina

Friday, May 7, 2021

5 thing Friday - weather, insects, bluebonnets, paperwork, meatloaf

We can't be at highlands this weekend because I am on call.  This always makes Hubby grumpy.  And really, truth be told, if I didn't stay busy all weekend, it would make me feel grumpy, too.
I hope my peeps will remember to at least call me!
Last Saturday we tried making a firepit in the evening to drink our wine by, and the weather did not cooperate.  It was misty.  Then started raining.  Then storming.  And we finally gave up and went inside the Barn.
But lo and behold, the next day was beautiful.  Crazy Texas weather.  We've had so much rain, hail, and wind lately.  Usually things settle down right after March.  We keep getting one storm after another but have had only minor damage.  Something to consider for the future house. 
I was hoping that all of the various insects would not be biblical plague proportion this summer, but its anyone's guess how the weather has affected the grasshoppers, scorpions, etc. so far.
Bluebonnets were not impressive this year.  Anywhere in Texas.  Was it the polar vortex apocalypse February we had?  Hopefully I can collect the seed pods before they disburse.  I would like to have a dedicated wildflower patch at Highlands.
We are refinancing Highlands  So my dining table doubles as a staging area for all of the paperwork we have to assemble.  Its a good thing I take records retention seriously.  Today is the day!
Dinner last night was a DELISH turkey meatloaf that featured sauteed onions and peppers and a spicy sweet tomato glaze.  I served it with pan fried squash and a baked sweet potato, and could have licked my plate clean.  With the exception of making us dinner on Sunday, I have zero plans to spend Mother's Day weekend at the stove cooking!



Gina

Wednesday, May 5, 2021

Almond Lime Quick Bread

I wish I could remember where I got this recipe from so I could credit it back - if it looks like one of yours, let me know!  I was in the mood to make the house smell homey.  A slice or two of this bread with our eggs for breakfast made for a great treat on a rainy weekday!
I haven't done much in the way of baking this year, so when I do, it really is a treat for us!  It starts with a baking mix, which made it really easy.  And I bet you can use different flavors of Jell-O - strawberry would be nice.  Here's the recipe:

Almond-Lime Bread
1 small box lime Jell-O (save out 1 t. of dry Jell-O)
3 c. buttermilk baking mix
1/2 c. sugar
3/4 c. sour cream (I used plain Greek yogurt) 
1/2 c. milk
2 eggs
1/4 c. sliced almonds
Glaze:
2 T hot water
1 c. confectioner's sugar
1/4 t. almond extract
1 t. reserved Jell-O powder
(I froze one loaf for future breakfasts!)

Preheat oven to 350, and grease and flour two loaf pans.  Combine Jell-O, baking mix, and sugar.  Add sour cream, milk, and eggs and mix all until well-blended.  Spoon the batter into the pans and bake for 40 minutes.  Let them cool a little while you mix the glaze ingredients until smooth.  Remove loaves from baking pans and drizzle with glaze, then sprinkle with almonds.  So good served warm with your coffee! Or an egg and turkey sausage...
Happy Wednesday,


Gina 

Monday, May 3, 2021

Empty Nest Menu #88

 I spy with my little eye...
...marbles under a cactus almost ready to bloom!

Monday - Greek Chicken, collard greens
Tuesday - Italian Salmon, farro with veggies (green onion, garlic, carrots)
Wednesday - Chili Beans in the crockpot, chopped onion and bell pepper, mystery dessert*
Thursday - Turkey Meatloaf, baked sweet potato
Friday - Chicken Meatballs with marinara and farfalle pasta {Gina on call through Sunday}
Saturday - Eat Out 
Sunday - Pizza {use Papa Johns pizza credits}

*mystery dessert means...something I will pick up to treat Hubby and myself on a random weeknight!  Sometimes it is an apple pie from Mickie D's, sometimes a mini frozen custard from Culver's, sometimes half a Twix bar from the gift shop.  Something to look forward to!


Gina