Monday menus #46

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

5 thing Friday - skinny tree, Thanksgiving prep, cinna dough, giving up habits, Rad Tech Week

 I bought a skinny Christmas tree for my bedroom - I have always wanted one and had no luck finding one at a thrift store.  So I just ordered off Amazon.

It came with just a few lights, which I like.  I think I will give it a wintry theme with crochet snowflakes, little birds, and a ribbon and berry spray topper.

I am done with buying 99% of Christmas. I followed the "something you want/need/wear/read" formula for my peeps and I think I did a good job!  I bought four gift totes and tissue and all I have left to get is some wide ribbon. I stuck to a budget and got it done.  Now I can focus on deciding how to spend some stress-free holiday down time.

I was going to press the easy button on Thanksgiving, but my hours at work changed, so since I will be able to enjoy part of the day at home, I decided to go ahead and roast a turkey, make my own gravy and cranberry sauce, and fix the dressing from scratch.  I know I will have at least three of my peeps here for a late lunch.  The rest of the menu is fairly straightforward: mashed sweet potatoes, seasoned green beans, and a brownie tray for dessert!

I haven't made cinnamon dough ornaments in ages, so I ordered some new cookie cutters and mixed up a batch of the dough.  I don't add anything but unsweet applesauce and cinnamon and I set them on a cookie sheet to dry for days.  I poked holes in most of them, intending for them to be ornaments or package tie on's.  Bonus: my kitchen smells very festive.

What possessed me to buy peppermint mocha creamer - zero out of ten stars.  Mint cancels out coffee and tastes like someone spit toothpaste into your cup.

I guess I should really stop with the creamer altogether.

My life just three short years ago looked so different than it does today.  And as time goes by, I find I am one by one dropping some things from it.  No more wine clubs, no more writing for the wine blog, no need for all of these glasses as I am drinking far less wine.  Someone from the Buy Nothing group came and collected them and it didn't make me feel all that sad.

Happy Rad Tech Week!

My boss gave us sussies, has games and an activity or two planned, and ordered food for us several days this week, including the weekend.

There's a week for every aspect of hospital life now.  Time we can recognize and celebrate the fact that we are all still here in our chosen professions.  Go us!

Gina

Monday menus #45

 Geez Louise, I'm happy to see the backside of October!

Monday - Crockpot Chicken Drums, cracked pepper Caesar chopped salad

Tuesday - Beef Fajita Salads (beef fajita meat, romaine, corn, black beans, purple onion, cheese) {touch up painted trim in bathrooms}

Wednesday - One Pot Spaghetti, broccoli

Thursday - Crispy Chicken Sandos, sweet potato fries {the tile guy is supposed to come finish the master bathroom - I will not hold my breath}

Friday - Lemon Garlic Shrimp, rice, Swiss chard

Saturday and Sunday - kitchen closed

Gina

5 thing Friday - tile floors, quilts, Brenham, chalupas, anticipating the holidays

The floor in the boys' bathroom is 99% finished, so I just went ahead and spiffed up, bought a new rug, some delightful scented pump soap, and added some Fall touches.

I went to Mom's house yesterday to check on it.

 

Upstairs, her sewing room is exactly as she left it on July 4th, including a quilt block in mid-construction. 

I have to have faith that it will all work out, but I miss her so much.  

My favorite artist, years ago.  Grand Champion!

I stopped at a burger place in downtown Brenham for lunch on Wednesday. Hopefully, I won't be going to Brenham more than another time or two.

I picked up all of her mail that the stellar Brenham post office did not forward me.  "Its all junk mail", the guy at the counter said.  May I look?  Oh, here's a refund check, some sympathy cards, a few statements.  Definitely not junk, sir.

A lot of it was wet and moldy.  I gave it to the attorney anyway. 

Last night was taco night.  I do love me a good chalupa with refried black beans, Cafe Rio style beef taco filling, loads of cheese and sour cream, lettuce and tomato to round it out.

YUM.

Does anyone else do this thing where they set all the ingredients out early, then wander off and do other stuff, then come back and make dinner once the meat is thawed?  Just me? Oh.

Fall feels like it is officially here and I am ready for a change in seasons.  I know that the rest of the year will zoooom by and I am 100% OK with that.  Its been a hard summer. 

Gina

Monday menus #44

Scout has a birthday coming up on Tuesday! How is it possible that he is 28?

The focus of my family blog has shifted away from my "kids" as they are all grown now.  But that doesn't mean that I don't celebrate them in real life. I wish I knew a way to bundle up enough birthday hugs that would last him for the next 50 years or so.

Monday - 15 Bean Soup with garlic knots (crockpot)

Tuesday - Fried Chicken, potato salad, corn on cob {Happy Birthday, Scout!}

Wednesday - Spinach Baked Gnocci, honey carrots {meet with Mom's executor in Brenham, on call in p.m.}

Thursday - Coconut Shrimp, chopped salad, sweet potato fries {lunchtime retirement planning webinar}

Friday - Chalupas (refried black beans, green chili seasoned taco meat, lettuce, tomato, sour cream) {payday, and putting my Christmas trees up!)

Saturday and Sunday - kitchen closed {Fall back!}

Gina

Big project: painting my office

Long story short:

 

"Train" by Glidden, twenty bucks

I didn't feel much like blogging last week.  I would love to say that depression and grief are not still doing a number on me, but that would be false.  However, I am trying to pull up.  I did a refresh of my craft room/office this week.  

time for a refresh of these walls

Originally I was just going to clean and organize it really well and move some stuff around on the walls.  But then I discovered that the touch up paint that I used was not quite right...see the splotches?  I brought a paint sample home that was a very close, almost exact, match to what was already in here, and for good measure I bought a gallon of it and repainted the whole room.

before - why do these shelves not match? weird.

I started around 1030 a.m. and ended precisely at 1 p.m.!  That includes taking everything off the walls and shelves and painting.  I used a pad painter to go along the ceiling and baseboards, took all of the switch and outlet covers off, patched more holes.  Putting it back together again took another hour.

that rack was overloaded, so some of the quilts got moved  

When I put stuff back, I realized that a lot of it could just go.  So its purged and dusted, not perfectly decorated.  I am ok with that.  

 its quiet in here, too

I ordered a couple of mats for the frames that hold my college degrees.  For years I did not display them, but I find that as I go along in this life/house I want to celebrate and explore all of the things that make it mine.  I love having a place to sit and read in this room.  The color is calming, and there are fewer things in it, which makes it much less distracting than it was before.

 eventually the furniture will be painted!

not fancy, but just right

Its hard to get good pics in here because its so overcast this week!  But I love that all of the walls are freshened and the space is less cluttered.  And I love the feeling that I am not too old or too inexperienced to work on my house and get a few things done, like repainting a room.

It definitely takes my mind off other things!  Happy Weekend,

Gina

Monday menus #43

 Lately.

The above photo seems accurate.

Monday - Beef Tacos, seasoned black beans, grated cheese, etc. (I will put all of this together and have it on a shelf in the fridge) {working until 8:30 p.m.}

Tuesday - Dr. Martin's Mix, garlic toast {p/u groceries at 830, visit recycle center at 930}

Wednesday - (freezer) Chicken and Stuffing, bacon-y fresh green beans

Thursday - Schwarma Salads (romaine, gyro slices, feta, tomato, cucumber, kalamata olives, purple onion, lemon dressing) {morning SS webinar, evening Beer Necessities}

Friday - Tilapia, butternut squash bulgogi pilaf, broccoli {plan Scout's birthday dinner!}

Saturday and Sunday - kitchen closed

Gina