A 2023 recap, of sorts

 I wrote a 2023 post on my other blog and it was a virtual litany of all of the calamities that befell me...  Its not like good things didn't also happen!  During the year I learned a lot about myself - some of it reaffirming.  Yes, its been very hard to lose both Mark and Mother, and those losses seem magnified at the end of the year.  But also yes that I have made progress with several things this year that I am proud of: moving into a new job, continuing to manage my house, making new friends.

Change is tough, but so am I.

Bubbie turned 25 on Christmas Day, not 52 ha!

All four of my peeps came over for Christmas. Everyone seemed to get along and enjoy each other's company, they were pleased with their gifts from me, and we all enjoyed a good dinner and firepit time.  So the year is ending (mostly) softly and I've had a good five days off from work to rest and recharge, to organize and clean, think about plans. 

This weekend I will sit with my calendar and make resolutions. I will fill in important dates for 2024. I will make out menus and a grocery list for fillers.

And I know there will be hard days still, since turning a page in a calendar doesn't change everything. But I am ready to leave 2023 behind.

You, too?

Happy New Year!  Its going to be great, but that's because we'll make it so!

Gina

Christmas 2023

 This year I did several things differently than in the past:  I decorated the tree, with Scout's help, on Thanksgiving afternoon.  Had 99% of my shopping done that weekend.  Set a much lower budget (compared to years past) and stayed well within it.  Planned a simpler meal with a defined invite time.  Made plans for myself.  Didn't send Christmas cards out.  Didn't gift my kids a sentimental "Dad" gift (like the pocketknives from last year, the Santa hats, the photo mugs...).

Christmas looks so different this year - uncluttered of expectation and obligation.

Yesterday I decided to go ahead and put presents under the tree.  It looks far emptier than last year but I think it is reasonable and fitting for where we're all at in our lives.  The large tote bags each hold a beautiful sweater for each of them. {I think I will follow the "signature gift" idea for next year, too}

The books I collected for each person got a burlap ribbon and homemade bookmark tied on, then got hidden behind the tree.  Each stack includes a sentimental book for Christmas and a calendar for the year, along with books I thought each person would like.

The fudge, though simple, turned out very well, and each person got two full quart size ziplocs of two different flavors.  The stockings got filled (one for me, too!) and are ready to place under the tree.  Christmas lunch is a two hour affair for anyone who wants to come.  We will sing Happy Birthday to Bubbie and have cake for dessert.  And I am hopeful its at least cool enough for a firepit with a glass of wine that afternoon. 

******

The weekend will zoom by fast.  Just as the years have.

I'm not sad that December 2023 is almost over, and I am looking forward to next year and am hopeful it will bring happiness and peace to my family.  And yours!

Merry Christmas,

Gina 

Monday menus #50 {the last one for the year!}

My Christmas decorating this year was a touch on the minimalistic side.

I was 100% OK with that as I had purged my Christmas stash earlier this year and was left only with things that I wanted to keep and display.  I bought: some red berry picks for the main tree, some picks for the mantel swag, 4 thrifted ornaments, and some battery operated lights.  Not bad.  And it will be so much easier to pack it all away in January.

Monday - kitchen closed

Tuesday - (freezer) Thanksgiving Shepherd's Pie {thaw the ham}

Wednesday - Creamy Baked Potato Soup with crispy bacon and grated cheddar {grocery shop, go see a movie, on call in the p.m.}

Thursday - Brisket Sausage and Beans, corn muffins {I want to go here for some holiday fun and queso}

Friday - Pork Tenderloin, Cajun pasta, green beans {Fudge Day}

Saturday - kitchen closed

Sunday - Pulled Pork Sammies and chips {Gina to church in the evening after work}

Monday - Spiral Sliced Ham, Corn Casserole, Caesar Salad, rolls, birthday cake for my new 25 year old!

Tuesday through Sunday - we will eat leftovers, freezer items, and take-out!  {and really, the boys can fend for themselves...}

Gina

5 thing Friday - ottoman, puzzle, firewood, outfit, illness

One day last week I decided I was tired of not being able to put my feet up while I read in the craftroom/office aka The Lounge. 

No one sits on the den couch at all, so I swiped the ottoman from in there, and using about $10 worth of upholstery fabric I fashioned a slipcover for it.

I think it looks better in person, you'll just have to trust me on this.

I found some of those upholstery twist pins in my stash and added them at the corners so the cover wouldn't shift around.  They work like a charm. (p.s. they will also keep your bed's dustruffle from shifting around)

With my lap blankie from The Girl I am all set to read.

On on of my trips to Goodwill recently, I found this fully intact, never used puzzle for $3.  It is now happily spread across my dining table and if I don't finish it by Christmas Day at lunch, oh well, we can eat somewhere else.

Priorities, people.

This firewood has been sitting on my patio for two winters and it was at Highlands before that.  Its too big for the firepit and a pain to split, so I put most of it out at the curb and a notice to my FB Buy Nothing Group who quickly carted it away.

Once the remaining wood is gone I will get rid of that big holder doo-dad and simply buy smaller logs from the grocery store whenever I want a fire.  Also, I will clean the rust stains from said holder off my patio.

I found a J. Jill shift dress for $5 at Goodwill and decided to wear some shoes I already have.  Christmas Eve church service outfit solved.

I have been battling sinusitis and a possible infection (as of this writing) and let me just say, I am neither dignified nor graceful as a sick person.  And there's nothing more effective than an illness to remind you that you are your own life raft.

Scout did bring me some herbal tea, tho.

Healthier days are coming!

Gina

Monday menus #49

 More thrifting lately.  Finds:

A pretty china dish to set on my dresser,

unbreakable ornaments and a couple of books; one vintage,

a lightweight tee for layering, brand new.

Thrifting at Christmastime is always so satisfying for whatever reason.  Total cost of this haul was $6.50.

Monday - kitchen closed, and I am home nursing a ferocious cold

Tuesday - might not cook today either, we shall see

Wednesday - Cast Iron Chicken Thighs, onions and peppers, new potatoes {change air filters}

Thursday - Chipotle-Style Pork Bowls (pulled pork, rice, romaine, roasted corn, shredded jack cheese, pico, guacamole), tortilla chips {send money to the senior center in honor of Mom}

Friday - Tilapia, oven roasted veggies (mushrooms, zucchini, red bell pepper), couscous {payday}

Saturday and Sunday - kitchen closed

Gina

5 thing Friday - quiche, Thanksgiving, soup, candy dish, Christmas-ing

I got a wild hair and decided to make a quiche for work as part of our Thanksgiving potluck.  Since the crust package came with two, I made one for home as well

It turned out great, even though this time I used no chorizo.  Go here for the recipe.  I should make this more often!

The dessert "station" in my kitchen for Thanksgiving - no pie in sight! 

I worked 6 hours on Thanksgiving Day, which boosted my paycheck a little and it was an easy morning.  But next year, I know I will do things very differently.

Long story short: we just did not connect as a family.  I'm not sure what all is at play here, but probably several things.  I am one adult out of five.  Not just a mom - a person.  And it isn't fair for me to have to swallow down my grief and sadness in order to "make the holidays" for everyone else.  You'd think I would have learned something on New Year's Day and Easter.  Takes me a minute.

"Day after Turkey" soup was enjoyed.  This version had tiny star pasta with loads of peas and carrots.  I still have a turkey backbone to simmer into stock, but I will wait until I have enough veggie scraps to really flavor it.  I see lots of soup ahead!

This Fitz and Floyd candy dish was a freebie from my Facebook Buy Nothing group.  I looked it up on Ebay, just for funsies, and its actually a well sought-after item!  Mine is staying put on the counter, with the leftover birthday candy from The Girl.

The un-china cabinet full of Christmas-y things makes me smile every time I pass by.  I kept the small doilies because I love the vintage vibe they bring.  The little pinecone trees were made by my kids, the books are from a basket of them I used to put out each December, the 50's mistletoe bell plays "Jingle Bells", the silver Santa with candy canes was a gift from my late MIL when Firstborn was very small, the embroidered tree in a hoop was made by The Girl, and the House of Hattan angel is from 1993.  

When I came home one Christmas from college, my mother had sewn me a new stocking and loaded it up with goodies. (she also did Easter baskets for me well into adulthood!)  I have held on to it all these years, and this year I filled it with some quilt batting, slip-stitched the top closed, and made it into a little pillow.  It looks a little wonky in this photo, but its cute with the Santa pillow and a new one I ordered from Kirkland's.

For the most part, I used what I already had from the Big Christmas Purge of summer and Scout helped me decorate the tree on Thanksgiving evening.  This year I added in ONE ornament each that the kids made me while they were in grade school.  The rest are ornaments I had from over the years.  Most of them bring very happy memories.  But I am mindful that it is time to create new memories.  What a concept!  You could say that this holiday season has brought something of an epiphany for me.

Gina

Frugal Friday meal prep

 I haven't posted on a Wednesday for a loooong time.

But please enjoy this photo of all of the things that I pulled out of the fridge in advance of picking up my curbside order...

I can't do food waste.  I just can't.  I think its something my mother ingrained in me from an early age - she was so frugal.  {disclaimer: I am not saving those two bowls of pumpkin dump cake. Yuck.} So on Fridays, I pull out all of the things and see what I can make with them to feed myself over the weekend aka my "kitchen closed" days.

Here's what I ended up setting aside for my work meals:

*hummus and the rest of the pita chips

*a small container of applesauce that I will add a scoop of cottage cheese to

*three mandarins, almost past their prime, sectioned, in a snack cup

*almond butter on a protein English muffin

*Turkey stirred into the rest of some mini bowtie Pasta with gravy

*the rest of a chopped salad, a few Fritos, and a can of tuna

For dinner, I combined rice, leftover salsas, some freezer corn, and taco meat with black beans, which I will serve with the rest of those corn chalupas.  Then I topped it with the rest of the cheddar, grated.  And I added a pint of vanilla bean ice cream to my cart, which I will stir chopped Thanksgiving cookies and brownies into. Friday = dessert night.

Everything got wiped down, the trash got emptied, the dishwasher is running, and I have the rest of the day to sew and read.  Not bad for a Frugal Friday!

Gina

Monday menus #48

Have you ever eaten a KFC bowl? 

You can make it at home!

Last week I whipped myself up one, by layering a couple of potatoes I mashed, with some cooked corn from the freezer, gravy from a mix, chicken nuggets, and the rest of two nubs of cheese, grated. Use it up and make do never tasted so good!

Monday - kitchen closed

Tuesday - Crockpot pintos with ham hock, cornbread {yardwork}

Wednesday - Black Truffle Alfredo Chicken Pasta, green beans {on call}

Thursday - Pan Fried Pork Chops, onions and peppers, baked potato

Friday - Cafe Rio Chicken Soft Tacos, leftover beans

Saturday and Sunday - kitchen closed

Gina

Bedroom Christmas tree and blinged out snowflakes

 I have wanted a Christmas tree in my bedroom for a couple of years now.  Just something for pretty and to give a festive holiday vibe to the room.

This pre-lit flocked tree seems small for this area but its actually the perfect size for a bedroom!

I kept the top pretty simple - a snowflake pick, assorted bits of greenery,and some of that mesh ribbon.  But my favorite part is the clothespin snowflakes I made a couple years ago.

(Go here for a tutorial for the original craft)

I didn't want to paint them but thought they could use some bling so I hauled out my late MIL's costume jewelry and a bracelet from my grandmother.  I pulled the clip backs off the earrings and arranged them on the snowflakes just so, then I used hot glue to secure them.

Just the right amount of shabby chic!

These clothespins are from years ago and have their own history!

More random greenery was tucked into the tree, as well as crochet snowflakes I have had for years.  I tucked some burlap scraps in side of the tree collar to disguise the tree stand.  Then I added in some ornaments that I have had forever - pearly, glittery, iridescent, and girly.

(might spray paint the tree collar for next year!)

A little bit of Marie on my tree that I treasure, with her vintage jewelry from the 40s and 50s.  The pearl drop is from a Laura Ashley earring ca. 1987.

I put the tree on a timer so that it is on when I come home from work, then goes off at "lights out" around 10 p.m.  Then it comes back on at 6 a.m. to start my day off on a beautiful note.  Its the little things!

Happy December,

Gina

Monday menus #47

 Back to our regularly scheduled program.

Work three days, off four. Repeat.

Sometimes the hum drum routine of life keeps you safe from the stress of the holidays.  Thought for the week:  YOU are not Christmas, you are YOU*.

Monday - kitchen closed

Tuesday - Buffalo Chicken Salads {change air filters, go to Brenham, take Mom's mail to the executor}

Wednesday - Gnocci with Pepper and Onion Marinara, garlic toast {finish out the trim in the boy's bathroom}

Thursday - Crockpot Chicken Drums, chopped salad {pay bills, take items to James Avery for cleaning, do a craft, Bubbie's last day of classes?}

Friday - Tilapia, carrots, baked potato {payday, weekend food prep, change sheets}

Saturday and Sunday - kitchen closed

*something to remember when I feel like I have to "make it up to" my peeps for the loss of Mark in their lives.

Gina

5 thing Friday - oatmeal, anniversary ring, unfinished project, bread bowl, Mom

Why is it that starting a good habit is harder than kicking a bad one? 

I actually enjoy my microwave oatmeal al work.  So much more so than an Egg McMuffin.  Sometimes It all comes down to habit - getting yourself prepped and ready for work the day before helps.  For the most part, I do well at cooking and eating the food I purchase from the store.  I guess an occasional fast food breakfast won't kill me, but its not exactly good for me, either.

My favorite jeweler cleaned and resized this simple ring that Mark gave me for our 11th anniversary, meant to "match" his wedding band, and including four tiny diamonds.  I know nugget jewelry is no longer "in" but I'm OK with that.  This ring brings back many happy memories and makes me feel grounded. 

Very small project: installing a new potty seat.  I needed it after feeling so down about the tile job.  I won't go into great detail...

...other than to say the grout job was not done well.  So now I have to decide whether to:

*get the tile guy to fix it 

*fix it myself

*hire someone else to fix it

*stain it a darker color?

Stay tuned.

This giant ironstone bowl is something of a family heirloom.  Mark's grandmother used it to make bread dough - her specialty was brown bread.  He was close to his grandmother, an immigrant from Norway who spoke only little English but had the love of a dear little boy who enjoyed her bread.  The bowl is retired from bread-baking and now holds cinnamon potpourri.

On my birthday, I paused and thought of my mother.

How brave she was to make a life for herself as a single woman at 70 years young.  May I be as strong, creative, courageous, and ready to live a life worth living.

Gina

Monday menus #46

 I followed a budget and formula this year for my peep's Christmas gifts, and I think I did well.  One of the categories is "something to read".  Rather than spend $20 for one book apiece, I scoured two local Goodwills and bought maybe 6 or 7 books per person.  I stacked them with a heavy duty rubber band, tied burlap ribbon over that, and included a scrappy bookmark. 

Yet another "tacky homemade"! 

If I want to be more frugal, I have to flex my creative muscle!

Monday - I'm back to not worrying about making a dinner.  The people who currently live with me are adults and can fend for themselves. {Gina off today}

Tuesday - Alamo Bowls (rice, taco meat, black beans, corn, salsa, cheese) {Happy Birthday to me!, taking a beginner Tai Chi class}

Wednesday - Freezer Pizza and likely a side salad {cooking Thanksgiving food  today, on call in the evening}

Thursday - Turkey and Dressing, gravy and cranberry sauce, Bacon Green Beans, Cinnamon Sweet Potatoes, brownie and cookie tray {Gina works 7 a.m. to 1 p.m., eating Thanksgiving Meal around 2:30}

Friday - Day After Turkey Soup* {put all of the Christmas decor out}

Saturday and Sunday - kitchen closed

Gina

*I have been making this for years.  I simmer the turkey carcass on the stove (or in the crockpot) for hours, strain off the bones and etc.  Then add a can of condensed soup to the broth along with whatever fresh veggies I have in the fridge, some chopped leftover turkey, back to the soup pot and simmer it until the veggies are almost done.  Add some pasta and seasonings and cook another 10 minutes or so. Comfort in a bowl and it always reminds me of my mother.

Gift idea: Easy Christmas Fudge

 A friend gave me the most delish fudge a few Christmases ago so I got the recipe from her!  The perfect "tacky homemade*" for my peeps.

Easy Christmas Fudge

1 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk

2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips (I'll be using this brand)

1 cup milk chocolate chips

2 T butter

1 t vanilla extract (plus a T of bourbon or rum if you like!)

Lightly grease a 9 inch square pan, lining with plastic wrap that extends over the edges of the dish so that you have handles to lift the fudge out later.  In a double boiler over simmering water, combine the condensed milk, chocolate chips, butter, and vanilla.  Stir until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth. Stir in nuts or other items, if you like. Pour it into the prepared dish, smooth out the top, refrigerate 'til firm, then cut into squares.

Now. Here are the variations I am doing:

White Chocolate Fudge with Pistachios (might add a swirl of green to this)

White Chocolate Toasted Coconut

Gingerbread Crumble Dark Chocolate Fudge

Peanut Butter Pretzel Dark Chocolate Fudge

I plan on giving each person two different zip bags of fudge in these burlap sacks I made.  Tied up with a cinnadough ornament and maybe tucking the recipe inside, I think it will be sweet!

Afterwards, they can hang these and let the scent remind them of Christmas!

Gina

*"tacky homemades" is what my mother always called it when she made you something for Christmas - and yet I treasure these things, especially now.

Monday menus #45

One of the things I dread the most is going to Mother's house one last time and cleaning it out.  For good.  Dividing it all up has the potential of being both painful and stressful.

On the one hand, the quilts are treasured heirlooms.

On the other, they are beautiful burdens.

I am ready for the distraction of the holidays, how about you?

Monday - Crockpot boneless pork ribs, mashed potatoes, carrots

Tuesday - Market Spice Bowl, Cava style (rice, romaine, pickled red onion, tzatziki, corn, cucumber, yellow bell pepper, falafel, garlic dressing) {seal the bathroom grout in both bathrooms}

Wednesday - Chicken Francaise, (freezer) twice bakeds, rest of the rice, greens {cleaning out my pantry in advance of the holidays, painting the trim in both bathrooms}

Thursday - Smash Burger, melon, chips {taking myself to this movie, grocery shopping for Thanksgiving}

Friday - Skillet Tilapia, zucchini {payday, do errands, decorating my bedroom for Christmas}

Saturday and Sunday - kitchen closed

Gina