Monday menus #9

I can highly recommend chunky peanut butter on waffles for breakfast

Monday - Italian seasoned Chicken Skillet, green beans

Tuesday - Apple and Gouda Sausage with pintos, onions, peppers, cornbread

Wednesday - Pork Chop, broccoli, baked potato {change water filters}

Thursday - Pizza, salad {Happy 93rd Birthday to my momma}

Friday - Lentil and Pasta Soup, garlic toast

Saturday - OUT {go to Brenham?}

Sunday - One Pot Chili Mac, corn

Gina

5 thing Friday - home, work, wax tart burner, wine, laundry

Sometimes I pause in the mornings and say goodbye to my house before I leave for the day.  {The Google lady usually responds "have a good day, Gina" in a monotone voice...}

I clean the kitchen counters off, blow out that candle, load or start the dishwasher, then head out into the world, with the intention of making the most of my day and doing my best.

Then hours later, I am spent.

And I know I could start some new healthy habits to help me move thru the day a little better, and I will.  But my schedule is about to change, so I will wait until then to reassess. 

Me - in a late day surgery case, waiting on one of the evening crew people to relieve me.

I used to use electric wax tart warmers, which are probably far safer, but the glow from the ones that require tea lights does double duty - soft candle glow and a beautiful scent.  Had I known this one was further marked to 56 cents I would have bought all of the ones I saw.  It smells divine!

Even a self-professed wine lover sometimes gives in to the cheap stuff.  It lasts a loooong time, and I can leave the pricey bottles tucked safely away in my wine fridge.  I do enjoy a glass of wine while I make dinner.

Unapologetically me.

Today I will make a decision about this room.  No one has slept in it for over a year.  It does not have to stay a guest room.  And I think it would make a perfect sewing and crafts room, with the bonus of my office being a little less cramped.  I may not have this luxury in the future, especially if I downsize.  Why not create a sewing room?  No reason, I say.  Stay tuned.

Inspired by a post about tee shirts on another blog, I made a sweep of my closet and decided to define my clothes style.  I like comfort, and things that fit and flatter.  I love a good jeans and tee shirt combo with comfy clogs or sandals.  Simple dresses, Flip flops. Basics.  So I ordered myself some reasonably priced tees, a couple of sports bras to wear under those sleeveless tops that I love, and a tee shirt dress.  I also bought 5 new scrub tops for the new hospital, some new markers, and a pair of shoes for days off.

Turns out February was a spendy month!

My closet/dressing room is one of my favorite spaces, and it doesn't have to be complicated or jam-packed, but I do want to get the most use out of what I have.

My sister and I spent 5 hours cleaning my mother's house last weekend and still couldn't get everything done.  It was clear to us that no housekeeping had been done for months.  I took home two rugs and two sheet sets to clean, since she will not let us use her dryer and the clothes line was FULL.  I can't be driving back and forth to Brenham to do her laundry so we talked about her maybe doing one load every couple of days, forecast be damned.  And really, she needs to hire someone local to come help her.  All good things to remember and think on when I am in her position some day...

Gina 

Monday menus #8

 Disclaimer:  every now and then I veer wildly off the path of healthy eats and food budget...

If I go to the trouble of cleaning out both vehicles and taking them to the car wash, I get Sonic, which is right next door.  Its a rule that you have to.  Pretty sure.

Monday - Rotisserie Chicken, chopped salad (cabbage, carrots, celery, romaine)

Tuesday - Carne Guisada in the crock pot, corn, green chile rice {dentist at 7 a.m.}

Wednesday - Freezer Pizza, rest of Monday salad

Thursday - Pork Chop, sauteed cabbage with carrots

Friday - Shrimp Po Boy, coleslaw (probably the last of the cabbage!) {payday}

Saturday - Out {check on Highlands?}

Sunday - Italian Sausage Polenta Skillet, broccoli

Gina

5 thing Friday - winery, cleaning, trees, Valentine's, home

I took an old friend to the pick-up party at Perissos last weekend:

We had a really good time - sipping and strolling through a tasting, enjoying a chicken alfredo pasta lunch and a cranberry/coconut cheeseball for dessert, sitting and chatting for four hours... 

The weather was gorgeous, the wine exceptional.

The music on the patio was an amazing backdrop to a beautiful afternoon.

And by yesterday evening, I had opened one of my favorites

Some weeks are like that.

Tomorrow my sister and I are going to help out mother with some housekeeping.  We have become increasingly worried about the state of her home. She can't smell odors and she doesn't see well.  And let's face it, she has never been one for housework.  But we want her to have a clean place to welcome visitors to her home, which is vitally important for someone in her circumstances and age group. She will be 93 in two weeks' time.  And we will try to convince her that more regular housecleaning help will need to be addressed.

I thought I had dodged a bullet and only lost a few branches off my trees - but no, there was more damage up there, just waiting for me to discover it.  I called the landscape guy that helps my neighbors, and he was out the next day, removing big broken branches from my trees.  I came home to an even bigger pile of branches, since the city has not come yet to remove all of the piles around my neighborhood.

  My poor oak tree out front - it makes me want to cry.  She looks so barren.

"What can you do?, it's nature" he said.  There was nothing I could have done to protect my trees, (other than keep them pruned) same for all of my neighbors.  But it kills me.

Valentine's Day passed without incident.

I didn't make any special treats for anyone, including myself.  Didn't go out of my way to decorate for it, except for this burlap banner I made years ago.  Didn't spend the day crying, didn't eat too much candy at work.

I call it a win, overall.

My home is my sanctuary, and that includes good days, and bad days, too.  For holidays.  Special calendar days.  Fridays.  I am lonely here sometimes, but I feel a warm glow remembering good times here as well.  And It makes me feel safe to be here at the end of a long day.  And really, always.

Happy Friday,

Gina

Monday Menus #7

 I've been indulging in my favorite comfort foods lately and I have no guilt about it.  Ramen noodles (made with bone broth, fresh spinach, and those leftover ham balls which will not go away) made for a delicious bowl of lunch on one of those ice days we had recently.

I could eat ramen a couple of days a week.  It reminds me of college and being poor, but happy.  And nowadays I have more than just water to make it taste fantastic.  It still warms my tummy and gives me all of the feels.

Monday - (freezer) Enchiladas con Carne, corn

Tuesday - Apple and Gouda Chicken Sausage with pinto beans, garlic toast {taking call for a friend}

Wednesday - Curry Chicken Bites, rice, broccoli {roll my incredibly full recycle bin to the curb since I missed doing that on the ice week}

Thursday - (freezer) Stuffed Peppers, baked potato

Friday -  (deboned) Rotisserie Chicken in spiral Mac and Cheese, peas and carrots

Saturday - Tilapia, couscous, onions and peppers {cleaning day at my mother's house}

Sunday - Crockpot of Lima beans and Ham, butter dip biscuits {I will freeze individual portions of this}

Gina

Like a Boss...for about a minute*

I don't have 5 things for a Friday post this week, but I do have ONE thing that I feel I handled well and I should celebrate those small wins for myself more often.

When we had the ice storm last week, I stayed home from work, rather than try to be a hero and get out on the road.  I don't feel one ounce of bad for not taking what I felt was an unacceptable risk!  Being home alone for those three days was hard.  Was I a little weirded out over my tree limbs laying across the truck, resting on the chimney, and falling into my front yard?  Yes.  But did I get out there on Saturday and using my loppers, power saw, and chain saw take care of it while three men sat in in the driveway next door, watching me?  Also yes.

I cut the limbs into manageable lengths, stacked them neatly, raked my yard, put up my tools, then went inside and made a lunch for myself.  It didn't take whiskers.

*And sometimes I think to myself, "I can handle these things".  And then Thursday happened.  But that is a story for another day...

Gina

Monday Menus #6

Week two of omeprazole for gastritis*.

Its improving, not totally gone. 

Interestingly, the doc said that spicy foods do not matter all that much, which I can understand.  Its the acid pumps that need to be turned off, not the spicy food.  That being said, here are some mild dinners without much spice:

Monday - Pan Fried Tilapia, (freezer) El Dorado rice, brussels sprouts

Tuesday - (freezer) Ham Balls**, mashed potatoes, peas and carrots

Wednesday - Bean and Veggie Taco Bowl {brown rice, (freezer) Frijoles Charritos, cheese, bell pepper, green onion, mild salsa}

Thursday - Chicken thigh/sweet potato/onion skillet

Friday - Grilled Cheese Sandwich, lentil and bowtie soup 

Saturday - Out {wine club pick-up at Perissos for lunch}

Sunday - Salmon Patty, brussels sprouts, baked potato

Gina

*never ask "what else can go wrong"...

**I have decided to retire this recipe!  I passed the recipe card on to The Girl.  It was a family tradition, but now it is time for me to make new traditions!

5 thing Friday - winter decor, tree trimming, cheap eats, beans, me

I'm not ready to decorate for Spring, especially considering that its 30 degrees outside and everything is covered in ice as I type.

So, to lighten up the wreath on my front door, I added in some white silk poinsettias I forgot I had.  Meanwhile, I am slowly deconstructing things inside the house to look more neutral for winter.  And since I was iced in yesterday, I refreshed quite a few spaces around my house.

My knee hasn't hurt since right before Christmas, praise!, so I took a chance on a pretty day and stood on a step stool to trim this silly garage tree away from the motion light.  And while I was at it, I trimmed the one on the other side of the garage as well.

I took a good chunk of it off, but it still managed to get tangled in oak branches that are bent waaay down from ice accumulation overnight.

So far down that they are lightly laying on top of the truck and frozen there.  In hindsight, yes, I should have parked in the center of the driveway.  If it warms up a little later, I will move the truck.  {My Forester, aka work car, is in the shop getting a huge repair done.}

A fried egg over cheese grits and orange bell pepper strips.

See?  I can eat well for $50 a week.  It just takes a little creativity.

I took advantage of an empty crockpot to cook a bag of pinto beans, lightly seasoned with bacon fat and salt.  When cooled, I was able to make 5 ziploc bags full for my freezer.  That comes out to 23 cents per ziploc vs. $1.68 a can. Pintos are good in so many things - as are black beans which are also as cheap when you cook them yourself.

I follow people on blogs who can post about their cute daily outfits with such ease, then I see a pic of me and think:

*what is she wearing

*why can she not take a selfie

*she needs new clothes

*oh well, she looks comfortable and she's smiling

And I guess what matters is how I feel, but now that I have so much closet space I need to spend some time figuring out my own style and being confident in it.  A work in progress.

Gina