Empty Nest menu #143

I know I don't post a pic of each of my kids on their birthdays...but I should.  After all, the kids made us a family, Mark and I.  And here is Scout, 27 years old today, my Halloween baby: 

I think I will start making them the star of menu posts when their birthdays come around.  Why not?  It makes me smile.

Monday - Potato Chip Chicken, green beans, carrots {Happy Birthday, Scout!}

Tuesday - Tilapia with wild rice, broccoli

Wednesday - Free sub sammy, fries at home {3rd tree estimate today}

Thursday - Teriyaki Chicken Ramen Soup with veggies

Friday - Dr, Martin's Mix, Harvest style (Harvest sausage, onion, carrot, apple) {on call all weekend}

Saturday - Stuffed Peppers, sweet potato, corn 

Sunday - TBD, but The Girls is coming over {Fall back!}

Gina

5 thing Friday - stitching, labyrinth, tranquility, bacon fat, Mark

 I've been setting my alarm for a little earlier than usual each day, making coffee, journaling and working on my GriefShare notebook, checking email...then turning off the computer and spending at least 30 minutes stitching before I pack a lunch, take a shower, and eat breakfast.

It's strangely relaxing.  I listen to meditative music and think of nothing, just stitches.  It is 100% better than spending time staring at the computer screen and is a calming start to my day.

At work we have a tranquility room.  I forgot about it for years, but its been there, all along.  One of my favorite aspects is this labyrinth plaque.  The message, framed below it, instructs you.  After I trace it with a fingertip, I sit for a few minutes and take in the calm.

There is usually a sound machine on - you can choose from a range of sounds.  Sometimes there are painted rocks - take one and reflect on the hand-painted message someone drew on it.  Or aromatherapy sachets that smell of lavender - you can tuck it into your pocket or use its sticker back and attach it to your name badge.  On this particular day there were small cards that had inspirational messages - read one and place it back into the deck.  This is just a lovely place to be for a few minutes in the midst of your day.

For so long I have purchased turkey sausages, thinking they were better for me than low salt, low sugar bacon.  They aren't.  And bacon fat is a happy by-product of a package of bacon that when cooked, equals 6 servings of bacon for me to go with one of my weekday breakfasts.  Cook it, freeze it, save the fat.

Someone set up a Dia de los Muertos display in our breakroom and it is so colorful and beautiful and full of life...so I made a copy of this favorite photo of Mark to add to the display along with other co-worker's loved one's photos.  I hope I will not cry when I place it there.

But I make no promises.

Gina

Empty Nest menu #142

I have been really restraining myself from setting up my Christmas tree early... 

{after all, I wasn't planning on decorating it yet}

...but then I see something Fall-themed at my house and I think "why are you rushing the seasons?"  Life goes at its own pace - fast enough and no need to rush.

Monday - Italian Herb Tenderloin, sweet potato, green beans

Tuesday - Chili Crockpot, chopped onions, and Fritos

Wednesday - Free sub from Jersey Mike's, a fancy yogurt for dessert!

Thursday - Coconut Shrimp, broccoli, seasoned skillet potatoes {getting my flu shot today}

Friday - Indian Butter Chicken, rice, peas 

Saturday - Flatbread Pepperoni Pizza, salad

Sunday - Dinner with The Girl after GriefShare

Gina

5 thing Friday - pancakes, piles, leftovers, traffic again, memes

I've had such a craving for pancakes lately!  But I don't want to budget in a giant box of pancake mix, so I buy those little Pan-Kits bags. My mother used to make pancakes from these when we were kids.

I cooked up the entire package, ate a few for breakfast, then froze the rest in individual ziploc bags and added three slices of bacon to each one.  I can thaw and re-heat these easily on work mornings.

Of course I am waffling about the whole garage sale idea - as my sister pointed out, its a lot of work for not much return.  I'm so tired of making trips to Goodwill.  I know some places will pick up items, but I'm just going to get this pile out of here asap so I can work on the next one.  I have to tell you - it feels good to be in control of getting rid of all this cargo.

The Girl made me a delish chicken pot pie for dinner last Sunday.  She always sends me home with leftovers, and I do the same when she comes to my house.  Its like love in a plastic container and made our entire breakroom smell good.

Will not miss this traffic.  Will. Not. 

I estimate I spend an hour and half of my life each day sitting in my car.  No wonder I am not getting anything done except sleep, drive, work, drive, eat, sleep.  I am ready to be out of this particular hamster wheel Monday through Friday.

I've been trying to send funny memes and such to my work friend who is struggling.  Some of them are silly, others are biting and sarcastic, all of them are designed to make her (and me) laugh for a minute or two.  Its been very rough at work and respiratory season is ramping up and we will lose our travel techs soon.  Its not going to get completely easy when I start weekends in February.  But I am looking forward to the change.  

Happy Weekend!

Gina

Empty Nest menu #141

Cooking for one can be tricky, so I have been cooking a meal for two and just stashing away the extra serving.  I work it into the menus, thaw it out, then reheat it in a way that makes it feel new.

Here I reheated some spaghetti in the already hot pan that I cooked a large zucchini in.  It was as delish as if I had just cooked it.  The psychology of leftovers, right?

Monday - (freezer) Beef and Broccoli with potstickers

Tuesday - Free sub, with chips I have at home

Wednesday - (freezer) Fiochetti Pasta with chicken sausage, green beans

Thursday - Tilapia with wild rice, peas

Friday - Chicken and Veggie Stir Fry with rice, potstickers

Saturday - Shrimp and Grits, kale

Sunday - Fettucine tossed with (freezer) pork sausage and spinach from a meal I fixed The Girl on her birthday, corn or carrots as a side {GriefShare class 3-5}

Gina

5 thing Friday - the backyard, firepit, free subs!, garage sale prep, hawk

The City of Austin sent out some super helpful tree trimmers who decided to remove at least a quarter of my backyard tree to get it off the power lines:

Believe me when I say I had to self talk myself out of panic over this.  Now I need to get the original tree company to come out and finish trimming up the tree by getting the branches off my roof and correcting the butcher job cuts from the other tree company.  Tree company #2 hasn't replied back to my email with photos and I'm about to be done with them and find another company.

And meanwhile I need to work on the grass.

To that effect, I went to Home Depot last Saturday to inquire about their remaining sod (how much is it) and the guy said "just take all of it, Merry Christmas from Home Depot".  Quick as a wink I had it loaded into my car, then onto my backyard as soon as I had mowed and raked.  I have never placed sod.  I have no idea what I am doing.  I am watering it every day and am going to buy a couple bags of topsoil to blend it in with the existing lawn.  If you look carefully, you can see some of it in the photo above just along my backyard deck!

I overloaded the Coleman firepit and I feel like an idiot because it caused the handle on the top to catch fire.  But who the heck makes handles for a firepit that are WOODEN?

I replaced ALL of the handles with these stainless ones, courtesy of Amazon and a suggestion from Bubbie.  I may also scrub the rust down to get my little firepit officially ready for fall campfires.

A former co-worker sent me at least 200 Jersey Mike's free sub cards so I had a great time handing them out at work.  Then I enjoyed one for lunch last Saturday.  They remind me of Firehouse Subs - really good.  But her art was the best part.  And yes, she's an adult...young at heart.

I have decided to do a garage sale in Spring, so I am collecting boxes.  Here's the plan:

*do another thorough clean and organize of the garage (3rd one in a year)

*organize the garage sale stuff

*have the garage sale in the spring - say May

*paint the garage

*enjoy the garage

I think my plan will be successful but involve a lot of hard work.  Good thing I have a friend coming over to give me some advice/help/assistance and I have several months to go.

Hawk at the hospital - I wondered why everyone was crowding around the window.  I missed the murder scene - darn.

It had just killed a pigeon and I guess was resting after lunch?

I don't know what the thought process of a hawk is, and he left a large portion of dead pigeon on someone's window ledge, but he's a beautiful bird.

And on that note, Happy Weekend!

Gina 

Empty Nest menu #140

I guess its time to start thinking about Thanksgiving which is NEXT MONTH. 

Not to sound like an old lady or anything but the year really has flown by

Monday - Chili-topped baked potato, side salad

Tuesday - Beef and Broccoli Lo Mein, pot stickers

Wednesday - Pumpkin Ravioli with harvest sausage, kale

Thursday - Chicken Stew in my little cast iron skillet

Friday - Salmon Patty, twice baked, peas or green beans

Saturday - TBD, but I will scavenge my freezer

Sunday - Dinner at The Girl's apartment after GriefShare

Gina

How I spent my 37th anniversary

Wednesday was our 37th wedding anniversary, so I took the day off.  I needed a break from work and I had some things to get done.  Zero guilt.  I started off by making myself french toast for breakfast, then met with my retirement advisor, followed by a consult with my colonoscopy doc (YAY NO COLONOSCOPY for me!).  Obligations managed, I then picked up some stuff for a pedicure at home later, and headed to Liberty Hill for lunch:

This place was one of our favs.  The weather was beautiful and the food and service were a ten.

Chicken fried steak, yes please.  If you're ever in this neck of the woods, I highly recommend.  From there I went to Highlands to continue gathering more things to take home.  I had told the realtor I would be there, even reminded him by text message, and he completely ghosted me, not even calling back.  Time to find a different realtor.

Next stop was Perissos.  It pains me to let this wine club go, but I've given it alot of thought and it is time for me to move on, both literally and figuratively.  Since I missed the pick-up party I had my complimentary tasting which included the 2018 Tempranillo that Mark and I helped pick!

I showed this to the tasting lady and she was only mildly interested.  I remember that harvest - we had such a great time.  The bottle of Tempranillo from my allocation might get cellared a good loooong while.

At home I unloaded the truck, which included this gem which was hung on the outside of the front of the barn.  Mark helped The Girl build it, so it has great sentimental value.  I will keep it safe and sound for her until she has a house to hang it at (hopefully next year!).

here we are at a winery, of course

After emptying the truck I poured myself a glass of wine, made a skillet dinner of gnocci with a side of green beans, did a pedicure, took a hot bath, drank some pumpkin spice cocoa, and tucked myself into bed by 9 p.m.  I didn't spend time crying or looking at photos or reminiscing about our wedding or playing on social media.  I just ended the day as calmly as it started.

And just like that, its the weekend again!

Gina

Empty Nest menu #139

I finished the Mourning Heart and hung it up in the closet over my vanity shelf. 

I think I love the idea that I finished it more than the actual piece.  I'm ready to move out of mourning, for sure.

Monday - (freezer container) Chicken Bowtie Pasta with broccoli

Tuesday - (freezer container) Carnitas, rissotto, brussels sprouts

Wednesday - Crockpot BBQ Chicken, honey carrots, mashed potatoes {Today marks what would have been our 37th wedding anniversary, and I took the day off to: visit with my financial planner, have a consult with a doc for my colonoscopy, take myself out to lunch, visit Highlands and load some more stuff, pick up my wine from Perissos and close my wine club membership}

Thursday - Shrimp Tacos with pico and grated mont jack cheese

Friday - Catfish dinner from Short Stop, yellow squash {make a weekend dessert - apple pie sounds good!, Teddy stays overnight}

Saturday - Steak Bites, twice baked potato, salad 

Sunday - TBD {GriefShare class 3-5}  For lunch today I will make tilapia with zucchini on the side.

Gina