Empty Nest Menu #59

We had a great weekend eating all of the things!

Monday - Anniversary dinner OUT {Happy Hour on the fly}

Tuesday - Salmon, green beans with garlic {start walking in the mornings}

Wednesday - Pinto Bean Soup with green onion and avocado, garlic bread

Thursday - Adobo Pork Chop, butternut squash

Friday - Chicken and Bacon BBQ Cubes, sweet potato

Saturday - TBD {work on projects at Camp Rustown}

Sunday - Polenta with peppers, onions, and marinara, broccoli

Gina

Weekend re-cap: putseying at Highlands

 It was a very low key weekend that started out with tacos and yardwork at Camp Rustown. {yes, I  grated cheese directly on the table}  I figured it would be easier to order the tacos on-line, then drive over there and have them place them in my front seat.  But when I called the number posted at the parking space, they told me to drive thru.  I could've just done that to begin with! Note to future self: make your own tacos.

We kept the adult drinking down to a minimum this weekend, but I did enjoy a lemon Pellegrino with frozen strawberries and splash of gin.  It was cool and refreshing - the weekend weather was just regular old summer heat.  We headed over to Save The World with our late lunch after picking up a few things at the bustling Marble Falls Wally World. 

We took our beer to go and later we enjoyed it during the cool of the evening at Highlands while Hubby made a chicken and potato Dutch oven dinner.  Everything seems greener at the end of the summer when we get so much rain.

We played cards until bedtime, and both of us were so tired. Since we had put some carpet down in the barn, we slept on the cots in there to see how comfortable it would be for guests.  The A/C kept it nice and cool and the cots are OK, we just need new pillows.  It was a nice Saturday.

The next day I cut Hubby's hair, he trimmed some trees, we finally got the swing repainted and on solid ground.

We took four of the pavers from up at the barn and gave the swing feet a solid surface to rest on.  We had to sink a couple of them further down to get it to hang level and we spray painted it first since it had some rust here and there.  We also cut back some evil stick cactus that was a little too close for comfort.  This swing is over 20 years old.

It sits a little lower on this particular hill, but still has a pretty sweet view.

And after we admired it a bit, it was time to head back home.  This week promises some cooler weather and we have a wedding anniversary coming up! 

Gina

Empty Nest Menu #58

Monday - Mexican Chicken Breast with avocado and green onion, cilantro rice {order my produce box}

Tuesday - Tilapia, butternut squash

Wednesday - Pot of Beans (seasoned with bacon ends and pieces because I'm not a monster) with onions and peppers, freezer cornbread {going to Brenham today, chores in the p.m.}

Thursday - Grilled Pork Chop, brussels sprouts with carrots {grocery shop*}

Friday - Grilled Chicken, baked sweet potato, zucchini 

Saturday - Free choice all day - anniversary weekend begins!

Sunday - Sea Scallop Stir Fry with green beans and lo mein noodles

Gina

5 thing Friday - smoky sunset, weeds, work friends, views, change

The smoke from fires in California made for an interesting sunset last Saturday.  A pink sky and a tiny orange pink sun.  Pretty, but so ominous.

In the foreground of the above pic you can just make out these flowers.  They are Septic Weed (Senna Occidentalis).  Ugly name, pretty flowers.  They are all over Highlands as we have had a wet end to our summer in Central Texas.

I have known a woman for years who is one of those people that you either like or don't like, and I felt  both ways as we had a tricky relationship at work. We came to an understanding eventually, and she emails me occasionally.  Its nice to be on the other side of all that work drama.  So when I saw her lunch kit in the window at work,  I froze for a moment!  I sent her a pic of it and she laughed, wondering what had happened to it.  Someone is using it!

The scene from the top of the parking garage.  I am treated to various degrees of beautiful skies at the end of my workday, and for that I am grateful.  Particularly as I can now use the elevator so I park allthewayatthetop just to catch the views.

I planted a tiny thumb of a cactus from Highlands in a pretty pot for another work friend who is leaving.  (and there's a pretty sparkly rock there that will look more to scale as the cactus grows) I feel like that was more sentimental than anything I could buy.  A piece of my future home to a spot in her future home.   Its hard to say goodbye to even casual work friends, and all around me seems to be change and more change.  I feel like I'm still here, and all of them are leaving.

Gina

Curtains for the Barn

One of the main things I wanted to work on last Saturday was getting some curtains made for the bottoms of these two tables in the Barn.  Underneath both of them is storage that I don't necessarily want to see all of the time - snake boots, first aid kit, and pee potty* to name a few. This little kitchen has everything we need, except a "cute" factor.  So I hauled my machine up there, along with some vintage flour sack fabric.

I didn't have enough of any one fabric to make all of the curtains so I figured I would do sections of all the fabrics - sort of a boho look.  And all of them were already the same size and pressed.

I spread out a towel to press seams on, plugged in my machine and my iron, and got to sewing while Hubby mowed Highlands.  The weather was perfect, so I had the doors and windows open and the music going - it was a nice way to spend a Saturday morning!

So far, so good!  I made one long panel for the first one.  Under this table are boots, the fondue kit, the pizza stone, and a plastic bin with extra drinks.  We won't have to access it all that often so it can pretty much stay closed.

A short time later, I had the other panels done - these separate in the middle to allow us to access the bucket that the sink drains into, the pee potty, and a first aid kit.  (notice the sub-floor which will eventually be covered with actual flooring)

I used tension rods and stretched them from wall to fridge.  Originally I planned to attach them to the underside of the tables, but the lip was so slick and too narrow for the tension rod foot to get a grip on.  I am entirely pleased with how they came out!

The next day we hung blinds from both small windows - the Barn is starting to look more and more like a tiny home away from home.  

Gina

*the pee potty is a safe way for me to go in the middle of the night, rather than with a flashlight over to the pumphouse.  I empty it every week end and keep it very clean so if you didn't see it, you wouldn't know its there!

Empty Nest Menu #57

Simple is the name of the game with these menus. 

Monday - Seasoned Chicken Cubes, butternut squash, small serving of seasoned rice {order produce box}

Tuesday - Tuna Salad on toast with sliced avocado, Hatch chili corn chips

Wednesday - Polenta with bell pepper and onion marinara, green beans

Thursday - Crock Pot Roast Beef with carrots, onions, potatoes {freeze some for later meals}

Friday - Grilled Chicken, chard, baked sweet potato {change out kitchen water filters}

Saturday - Freezer meal - I have many containers in there that we need to empty! {work on the "folding chairs" project}

Sunday - Grilled Shrimp with mini peppers, brussels sprouts

Gina

5 thing Friday - parking, moth, schnitzel, cards, empty nest once more

 After a couple of back and forth emails I was somehow able to convince an administrator that the elevators in the employee parking garage weren't opening in the evenings.  I was always winded when I finally got to my car.

 Glory Be, she saw to it and now I do not feel about to pass out when I reach my car.  And the view is great up there.  Above you can see the old Mueller airport tower from one side of the garage,

and on the other you can see a pretty sweet sunset.

 I spied a giant moth above the barn door last Sunday.  Huh.  Neat. 

I forgot all about it until it fluttered down to rest at my feet and scare me half to death.

Does it not look like a creepy cat face?

 Pork Schnitzel, sammich of my dreams.  The meat is too big for the bun!  Its glorious and I ate the whole thing.  I have only ever eaten them at Fiesta Winery.  I hope that particular food truck stays there forever.

Hubby and I created a makeshift coffee/cards table out of an old scout camp locker and played cards at Highlands last weekend. We munched on M&M's and enjoyed the a/c.

Coming home to an empty house is something we had to get used to all over again, as The Girl headed back to Houston with Teddy last Friday.  I will miss pestering her when I get home from work.

Gina