Empty Nest Menu #48

My One Pot Wonder from last week:  Chicken sausage sauteed with onion and garlic, about 1/3 pound whole wheat spaghetti, a pint jar of homemade pasta sauce, a little extra water, and a bunch of chopped fresh baby spinach.  Simmered gently on low until the pasta was al dente, because I knew we would be heating it up later.

We topped it with some fancy schmancy grated Parmesan and it was wonderful

Monday - Beefy Bean Tacos with toppings (onion, cilantro, cheese, and sour cream), salad with avocado and tomato {order my Imperfect box}
Tuesday - Honey Garlic Chicken over rice, Butternut squash
Wednesday - Gyros with Tzatziki sauce, low salt kettle chips, peppers and onions {early morning appt at the Subaru place for a broken A/C!}
Thursday - Pesto Salmon* over seasoned chickpeas, green beans
Friday - Tuna Salad on Brioche buns, Superfood Salad, the rest of the chips {Safelight is coming to replace my windshield}
Saturday - TBD {Harvest Day at Narrow Path - will we go?}
Sunday - Shakshuka, garlic knots, any leftover fresh veg

Gina

How I spent a rare weekend at home...Monday included

Its hot as blue blazes here and I was on call this last weekend, so we pretty much stayed home and did a whole lot of putseying.  Much to Hubby's disgust.  However, since I am the one leaving the house 5 days a week, it is GREAT for me to get a day or two of home time.  I had a fun time doing odds and ends around the house.

I made pesto with a big bunch of basil that I hadn't ended up using in last week's menus.  I froze it in these little containers.  Mine had basil, lime juice, olive oil, salt, walnuts, garlic, and Parmesan - it is DELISH.  Can't wait to slather it over salmon!

 I also went through all of my solid black scrubs and pulled out the faded or bleach-speckled ones and gave them a dye bath of jet black on the stovetop.  It was time-consuming, so I don't know if I ever want to try that again.  A lot of work, too.  But my scrubs came out looking SHARP.

I got all of them cleaned, dried, hung, and sorted, then straightened up the closet, which was very satisfying!  I know it looks crowded in here, but Hubby and I have  room for all of our things.  His side still looks neat from a month ago when I ironed all of the wrinkly things.  That's because he wears shorts and tees to "work".

 Hubby's big project this last weekend was to CLEAN UP HIS OWN MESS in the garage.  This was created by simply emptying and moving a desk into The Lounge, now known as The Office. 

I offered to help but he declined.  Its just as well - I have cleaned and organized this garage at least twice a year since we have lived here - 23 years.  Do the math.  And it never stays the way I left it.  I think I earned a pass.

 Saturday lunch was some pulled pork rescued from the freezer, with toasted brioche buns, bread and butter pickles and red onion slices, and truffle corn chips.  Oh!  And a beer.  I cleaned my plate.

I had to do at least ONE artsy project.  This is the box that we use for wine club pick-ups for Esperanza.  Decorate it, she said.  Bring it back to get your wine, she said.  So I used some of that flour sack fabric my mother gave me.

 I carefully peeled off the winery tag and re-glued it onto the front of the box, bordered with some rickrack from my stash.  Total cost was zero and I think its quite snazzy.  I am looking forward to visiting this winery again soon!

 Thrift shopping happened.  I found a small table I think will do perfectly between the armchairs in the front room.  No more Hubby balancing his coffee mug on the chair arm. No more coffee rings on the upholstery. 

 I also found a cute lil frame to put a snarky cross stitch in, a suncatcher of a spray of bluebonnets, and this top which I already have one of in olive green that I love (so I know I will wear it).  Spent $6 but I will return for that table.  When I get it purchased and painted, I will show you where it will live!  I got loads of other things done - replaced the A/C filters, made a Wal-Mart run, washed and vac'd my car, cooked a glorious Sunday dinner.  Among other things.  And never got called in.

No place like home.

Gina

Empty Nest Menu #47

 I think I can put off going to HEB until Saturday!

Monday - Turkey Chili over Rice, chopped onions and peppers {off today - maybe thrift shop, customize the produce box}
Tuesday - Chicken Sausage with whole wheat pasta and homemade pasta sauce with spinach {water the landscaping, make out next week menus}
Wednesday - Enchilada Chicken, mashed potatoes, frozen veggie
Thursday - Meat Patties (prob turkey) with onions, grilled radicchio, cannellini beans
Friday - Beefy Goulash, corn {on call, today only}
Saturday - Eating here {because someone gave us a gift certificate!}
Sunday - (freezer) Pot Roast, mashed sweet potatoes, brussels sprouts

Gina

5 thing Friday - dinner, cacti, Teddy, winery, sweet potatoes

Its been a heckova week, so in no particular order...

Tonight's dinner was to have involved gnocci, but I found half a package of tortellini in the freezer and chose that, instead.  I cooked some lean beef in olive oil, added one of my freezer jars of pasta sauce, the rest of a jar of pesto (maybe a tablespoon?), a little extra water, the rest of the peppers and onions from a previous meal, and the tortellini and cooked another four minutes.  Smells divine.

 A couple of weekends ago I dug up some cacti from Highlands and brought it home to see if I could get them big enough to plant in the yard.  You can see where there was minor deer damage on this one, but its already bigger!  I don't think the squirrels are interested and it seems to love this sunny edge of the deck.

 Teddy was here last weekend!  Once he got over being worried that The Girl would leave, he thoroughly enjoyed the backyard.  Running laps, playing with the tug rope, splashing in his pool, and laying in the sun, exhausted.  Living his best life.

 Hubby and I visited a winery on Sunday that has a great view from their fenced yard of ... nothing.  We sat there and drank rose and ate leftover cucumber salad with chunks of salami.  'Twas nice.  This winery has had a rough go of it, like most other wineries.  We were pretty much the only people who sat outside and enjoyed a bottle - most people came, bought a bottle, and left.  It was like having our own private winery.

 I bought some sweet potatoes, intending to cook them in the crock pot, and mash them with butter and brown sugar.  When I peeled them I got a surprise - they were purple inside.  I cooked them anyway.  What did I have to lose?

They look exactly like refried beans, but I'm not tossing them.  I looked them up and they supposedly have 2.5 times the antioxidants of regular sweet potatoes and take twice as long to cook.  That wasn't an issue in the crockpot, which I had going overnight.  I'm going to add brown sugar and cinnamon and serve them up.  Mostly because I don't want to waste them, but also because its fun to discover new things!*

Gina

*they weren't good - whomp, whomp

Empty Nest Menu #46

Monday - (freezer) Sliced Brisket Sammies, Truffle Corn Chips, onions and peppers {Gina doc appt}
Tuesday - Grilled Chicken, carrots, smashed red potatoes (make enough for two meals)
Wednesday - Lazy Daisy Turkey Meatballs, leftover red potatoes, chard
Thursday - Dr. Martin's Mix, sliced honeydew melon
Friday - Gnocci with beefy marinara, green beans {Gina on call the next three days}
Saturday - Take-out {big list of things to do at HOME}
Sunday - Pizza, or those salmon patties we didn't eat last week
*This week I'm making a batch of Enchilada Sauce and some chocolate chip cookie dough for the freezer.

Gina

Intentional time off

I got an email from my employer a couple of weeks ago, noting how many hours of PTO I had in my bank and reminding me that you can't pour from an empty cup.  So take some intentional time off and re-charge! 

So, I filled out my PTO slips right away.  I mean, who doesn't want paid time off to stay at home and do nothing?  Turns out that one of the days I asked for is the one that The Girl would be coming for the weekend. 

 And also the one that Bubbie would choose to come home for the weekend.  Which called for a celebration: lunch at Pinthouse Pizza and a beer run to the Growler Room.  And after naps there will be cards and I will fix my peeps a homemade meal.  Then tomorrow, Firstborn and LA will join us for grilled hotdogs.  And Sunday will likely entail drinking wine under shady oaks near Highlands. 

Far from work.

Just filling my cup up as we head into another crazy month of the 'rona.

Gina

Weekend re-cap: trailer food, pasta sauce, Dahlia Cafe, Fiesta Winery

As weekends go, it was pretty sweet.  I started the day off by stimulating the economy of the food truck not too far from our house.  As I collected my breakfast tacos, a line had formed - that's always a good sign!

I even got a few things done around the house before we left for Highlands, including making my own blender pasta sauce with some tomatoes that were going wrinkly:

I label them with scotch tape that is easily pulled off - I know that a couple of months from now I will be glad I labeled them even though they are clear jars!  Into the freezer they go for future pasta nights at Highlands and Camp Rustown.

 For lunch, we enjoyed some shady seating at Dahlia Cafe, just up the road in Liberty Hill.

 

 

 Just look at all that space to stay socially distant while enjoying some great food!  From here, we went directly to Lometa to visit Fiesta Winery on a non-wine club pick-up day.

 There were very few people and the weather could not have been better.  Cool breezes were blowing and we sat and sipped our chilled wine while looking out over the vineyard.

 

 Hubby bought this bag that you freeze and stick your wine bottle in.  It lasts for exactly one bottle of wine, but I'm sure we will be freezing and using it all summer long.  We headed towards Highlands in the late afternoon and enjoyed some of that fresh pasta sauce on whole wheat pasta with steamed broccoli by the firepit.  A fun Saturday!

The next day we did NOTHING.  The morning started off with a pretty intense thunderstorm, so we spent the next few hours literally laying around in our chairs, watching wildlife and snoozing.  I ordered us a pizza for a late lunch and we enjoyed a chilled Picpoul Blanc.  Delightful, but it was getting to be very hot, even in the shade.

We timed our departure a little late as we ran into this on the way into Austin!  It was a little dicey driving right through it on the toll road, but we arrived home safely and enjoyed our dinner of leftovers.  And this week it isn't likely that we will be at Highlands, since a couple of our peeps will be home and we are thinking of grilling hot dogs on Saturday.  Can you believe July is here already?

Gina