Reading rocks!
~Mamie
"When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro!"
(Hunter S. Thompson)
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Nearly Wordless Wednesday 10/21/10
~Mamie
"When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro!"
(Hunter S. Thompson)
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Ten Things Tuesday 10/19/10
Ten phrases I might as well record because I say them at least ten times a day:
1. Sit on your pockets! Criss-cross apple sauce!
2. Your pencil's broken? OK fine, what do we do. That's right, put it in the "bad pencil" can and get a new one from the "good pencil" can. [It's 47 days into the school year and this still seems complicated.]
3. Really? You have to go to the bathroom? We just came in from recess. Try to wait.
4. Lunch is not for another 47 minutes. It's not that long. You do not have to eat your pencil while waiting.
5. Sit on your pockets! Criss-cross apple sauce!
6. Please keep your hands/feet/tongue to yourself.
7. Don't forget to write your name, number, and date at the top. NAME, then number, then date... look at the board for the date.... NAME first.... then number.... then date.
8. One, two, three - eyes on me!
9. Really? You have to go to the bathroom? We just came in from recess. Try to wait.
10. Sit on your pockets! Criss-cross apple sauce!
~Mamie "When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro!" (Hunter S. Thompson)
1. Sit on your pockets! Criss-cross apple sauce!
2. Your pencil's broken? OK fine, what do we do. That's right, put it in the "bad pencil" can and get a new one from the "good pencil" can. [It's 47 days into the school year and this still seems complicated.]
3. Really? You have to go to the bathroom? We just came in from recess. Try to wait.
4. Lunch is not for another 47 minutes. It's not that long. You do not have to eat your pencil while waiting.
5. Sit on your pockets! Criss-cross apple sauce!
6. Please keep your hands/feet/tongue to yourself.
7. Don't forget to write your name, number, and date at the top. NAME, then number, then date... look at the board for the date.... NAME first.... then number.... then date.
8. One, two, three - eyes on me!
9. Really? You have to go to the bathroom? We just came in from recess. Try to wait.
10. Sit on your pockets! Criss-cross apple sauce!
~Mamie "When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro!" (Hunter S. Thompson)
Monday, October 18, 2010
Monday Meme
It's a good thing Mrs. Chili always has something to offer, otherwise I'd have nothing!
1. What is the closest item near you that is blue? A bottle of Crabtree and Evelyn La Source Hand Therapy lotion that my wonderful aunt aunt gave me for Christmas.
2. What is your favorite color? Purple all they way!
3. When is your birthday? April 2, which is also Favorite Uncle's birthday.
4. When did you last go to the mall? I was about to say SO LONG AGO I CAN'T EVEN REMEMBER! - but then I remembered that Barnsie is technically connected to the mall, so I guess about two weeks ago. But I ONLY go to Barnes and Noble; NEVER into the rest of the mall.
5. When was the last time you bought a pair of pants? I can't really remember! Probably last winter.
6. What do you want for your birthday? Birthday's a long time away... ask me closer. But the default answer is an iPad.
7. Who will be your next kiss? Mr. Mamie for sure!
8. What was the last candy you ate? A Nerds Rope that Nephew carelessly left here last night. Hope he doesn't think he's getting it back!
9. Are you wearing socks right now? Nope.
10. When was the last time you went out of the state? June, when we took The Little Mermaid to the closest major airport after her visit.
11. Have you been to the movies in the last 5 days? Nope! And probably won't go until the next Harry Potter comes out in November.
12. What was the last thing you had to drink? Iced water, yum, in a big lime-green plastic cup emblazoned with the crest of my grad school.
13. What are you wearing right now? Plaid mens "lounge shorts" and a black t-shirt. It's the last day of fall break and I am home lounging!
14. What was your last purchase? A giant, cold, delicious dietCoke (for me) and a giant, hot, sweet coffee (for Mr. Mamie) at Maverik at 9 this morning.
15. Who was the last person you talked to on the phone? Um... actually talked? Maybe GolfDad on Saturday? Texting is more likely, and that would be my brother, Igor, this morning.
16. Have you bought any clothing items in the last week? Nope.
17. Do you have a pet? Beagle and Laprador, woof!
18. What’s the last sporting event you watched? Broncos/Jets yesterday afternoon.
19. What’s the most played song on your iTunes? A kids' song we use in the classroom almost daily - "Clap Your Hands" by They Might Be Giants.
Clap Your Hands - They Might Be Giants from They Might Be Giants on Vimeo.
20. If you could be anywhere right now, where would you be? Exactly where I am, in my chair in the living room! Except maybe I would rather be at Grammie's house in Kansas, 'cause I miss her.
21. What is the last thing you purchased online? Books from Scholastic.
22. One thing you hate about yourself? My tendency to procrastinate, like I am doing right now... I have SMARTBoard files to build for school this week, cookie dough in the fridge to get baked, bread drying on the counter to make into croutons, both the washer and the dryer have finished their cycles, and I have ironing to finish. But here I am answering a long meme!
23. What’s your favorite soup? Many! Here are a few: Spicy Cheeseburger Soup, Ruby Tuesday Potato-Cheese Soup, Creamy Mexican Turkey Soup (works great with chicken).
24. Do you miss anyone? My mom, endlessly. Family who are far away, like Travellin'Dad, Grammie, and Favorite Uncle.
25. Last play you saw? Hmmmm, probably something at my state's Shakespearean Festival. Or, "Man of La Mancha" put on by a local musical theater company.
26. What are your plans for the day? Refer back to #22.
27. Last person you messaged? Igor. The Maverik manager wondered when he'd be back in town so he could clean the windows (of the Maverik).
28. What do you know about the future? That no one can predict it.
29. Are you wearing any perfume or cologne? Nope.
30. Where are your best friends located? The bestest one is in this room! Other than that, they're all over - here locally; in Berkeley, CA; in Portland, OR; in NYC....
31. How old do you want to be when you have kids? That ship has sailed!
32. Who was the last person who made you cry? Someone from #30.
33. Do you have any tattoos or piercings? Ears pierced; no ink.
34. How do you like your soda? Very cold! And diet.
35. Do you like hot sauce? YES!!!
36. Next time you’ll take a shower? Later today.
37. What was the last movie you watched at home? A short movie that Mr. Mamie downloaded from the Interwebz.
38. What is your mood? Mellow. Yay, fall break!
39. What kind of car do you drive? Toyota RAV-4. 160,000 miles and going strong! We also have a Nissan Pathfinder with 100,000+ on it.
40. Have you ever been to Virginia? Yes, early '90s as part of a trip to D.C. I can still hear the voice on the metro: "Orange train to Vienna!"
41. What are you doing right now? Answering these questions, and them returning to the list in #22!
~Mamie
"When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro!"
(Hunter S. Thompson)
1. What is the closest item near you that is blue? A bottle of Crabtree and Evelyn La Source Hand Therapy lotion that my wonderful aunt aunt gave me for Christmas.
2. What is your favorite color? Purple all they way!
3. When is your birthday? April 2, which is also Favorite Uncle's birthday.
4. When did you last go to the mall? I was about to say SO LONG AGO I CAN'T EVEN REMEMBER! - but then I remembered that Barnsie is technically connected to the mall, so I guess about two weeks ago. But I ONLY go to Barnes and Noble; NEVER into the rest of the mall.
5. When was the last time you bought a pair of pants? I can't really remember! Probably last winter.
6. What do you want for your birthday? Birthday's a long time away... ask me closer. But the default answer is an iPad.
7. Who will be your next kiss? Mr. Mamie for sure!
8. What was the last candy you ate? A Nerds Rope that Nephew carelessly left here last night. Hope he doesn't think he's getting it back!
9. Are you wearing socks right now? Nope.
10. When was the last time you went out of the state? June, when we took The Little Mermaid to the closest major airport after her visit.
11. Have you been to the movies in the last 5 days? Nope! And probably won't go until the next Harry Potter comes out in November.
12. What was the last thing you had to drink? Iced water, yum, in a big lime-green plastic cup emblazoned with the crest of my grad school.
13. What are you wearing right now? Plaid mens "lounge shorts" and a black t-shirt. It's the last day of fall break and I am home lounging!
14. What was your last purchase? A giant, cold, delicious dietCoke (for me) and a giant, hot, sweet coffee (for Mr. Mamie) at Maverik at 9 this morning.
15. Who was the last person you talked to on the phone? Um... actually talked? Maybe GolfDad on Saturday? Texting is more likely, and that would be my brother, Igor, this morning.
16. Have you bought any clothing items in the last week? Nope.
17. Do you have a pet? Beagle and Laprador, woof!
18. What’s the last sporting event you watched? Broncos/Jets yesterday afternoon.
19. What’s the most played song on your iTunes? A kids' song we use in the classroom almost daily - "Clap Your Hands" by They Might Be Giants.
Clap Your Hands - They Might Be Giants from They Might Be Giants on Vimeo.
20. If you could be anywhere right now, where would you be? Exactly where I am, in my chair in the living room! Except maybe I would rather be at Grammie's house in Kansas, 'cause I miss her.
21. What is the last thing you purchased online? Books from Scholastic.
22. One thing you hate about yourself? My tendency to procrastinate, like I am doing right now... I have SMARTBoard files to build for school this week, cookie dough in the fridge to get baked, bread drying on the counter to make into croutons, both the washer and the dryer have finished their cycles, and I have ironing to finish. But here I am answering a long meme!
23. What’s your favorite soup? Many! Here are a few: Spicy Cheeseburger Soup, Ruby Tuesday Potato-Cheese Soup, Creamy Mexican Turkey Soup (works great with chicken).
24. Do you miss anyone? My mom, endlessly. Family who are far away, like Travellin'Dad, Grammie, and Favorite Uncle.
25. Last play you saw? Hmmmm, probably something at my state's Shakespearean Festival. Or, "Man of La Mancha" put on by a local musical theater company.
26. What are your plans for the day? Refer back to #22.
27. Last person you messaged? Igor. The Maverik manager wondered when he'd be back in town so he could clean the windows (of the Maverik).
28. What do you know about the future? That no one can predict it.
29. Are you wearing any perfume or cologne? Nope.
30. Where are your best friends located? The bestest one is in this room! Other than that, they're all over - here locally; in Berkeley, CA; in Portland, OR; in NYC....
31. How old do you want to be when you have kids? That ship has sailed!
32. Who was the last person who made you cry? Someone from #30.
33. Do you have any tattoos or piercings? Ears pierced; no ink.
34. How do you like your soda? Very cold! And diet.
35. Do you like hot sauce? YES!!!
36. Next time you’ll take a shower? Later today.
37. What was the last movie you watched at home? A short movie that Mr. Mamie downloaded from the Interwebz.
38. What is your mood? Mellow. Yay, fall break!
39. What kind of car do you drive? Toyota RAV-4. 160,000 miles and going strong! We also have a Nissan Pathfinder with 100,000+ on it.
40. Have you ever been to Virginia? Yes, early '90s as part of a trip to D.C. I can still hear the voice on the metro: "Orange train to Vienna!"
41. What are you doing right now? Answering these questions, and them returning to the list in #22!
~Mamie
"When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro!"
(Hunter S. Thompson)
Cool!
Your results:
You are Spider-Man
Click here to take the Superhero Personality Quiz
~Mamie "When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro!" (Hunter S. Thompson)
You are Spider-Man
|
You are intelligent, witty, a bit geeky and have great power and responsibility.  |
Click here to take the Superhero Personality Quiz
~Mamie "When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro!" (Hunter S. Thompson)
Funny
I just read this joke, and it made me laugh. No, my sense of humor is not very sophisticated!
"Last night I dreamed I ate a 10-pound marshmallow. This morning I woke up and the pillow was gone!"
Image credit
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Menus 10/18/10 - 10/23/10 + Re-cap of Last Week
(Of course, I do my menu planning on Sunday, but....)
The Goulash was a new recipe, and it was excellent! Very flavorful and filling. It worked great as left-overs in my school lunch.
I thought that the new Crockpot Orange Beef was so-so, though Mr. Mamie proclaimed it to be "very good." GrandmaT liked it as well, though we all agreed the the previous night's new recipe (Goulash) was better.
Bacon Ranch Slow Cooked Chicken got skipped... for some reason I just didn't feel like making this. I've been fighting a head/chest cold for days, and wanted something soupy and spicy. So we had this White Bean Chicken Chili instead, and it was GREAT!
The Spicy Lentil Soup got skipped also; I decided that it would be a good one to make together with Niece, so we'll do it on a weekend sometime. Instead, we had grilled hot links for Mr. and Mrs. Mamie, hot dogs for the kids, and a veggie burger for GrandmaT with oven roasted white/sweet potatoes. I use the seasoning mix from this recipe, which I make by the large jar-full (a re-purposed seasoning jar from something else, with a sprinkle top). It was time to make new fry sauce (which is just a 3:1 mayo/ketchup mix), and I added a healthy dose of the seasoning to it - awesome!
Black Bean and Brown Rice Bowls/Tacos with corn tortillas and taco toppings are always a hit around here, and there was plenty to serve as weekend left-over lunches.
Homemade Pizza! We love it. 'Nuff said. It's a great breakfast, too! I want to add a recipe tab to my blog, and the sauce and dough recipes will be the first ones I put on there whenever I get to it.
BBQ Turkey Meatloaf, Cheddar Cheese Biscuits, and green salad will be happening tonight. Niece is going to help cook.
Menu this week:
Monday, 10/18: There's no school today, and Nephew has a football game this evening (in the college stadium!), so I think it's going to be a C.O.R.N. (clean out the refrigerator night) dinner.
Tuesday, 10/19: Chicken Indonesian, whole-wheat linguini, green salad.
Wednesday, 10/20: Mr. Mamie has class on Wednesday and Thursday evenings, so I try to do Crock-Pot meals or soups that "hold" well. Tonight it's taco soup, and while I clearly got the recipe from somewhere, it doesn't have a citation/link on it. Oh well, if you need a recipe, Google it - there are a million variations on "taco soup" out there! I'll probably make garlic muffins to go with it.
Thursday, 10/21: Kids are here tonight, and Mr. Mamie has class, so it's going to be soup again. That's okay though, 'cause we love soup! The kids don't seem to mind participating in the "meatless meals" project, so tonight it will be Ruby Tuesday Potato-Cheese Soup, which is our favorite of my many collected potato soup recipes. We'll have green salad too, of course.
Friday, 10/22: The kids are here again, and I get home a little earlier on Fridays (early-out day at school). I'm planning to make this Shepherd's Pie, which again, is a favorite from our collection. Green salad as usual.
Saturday, 10/23: Kids here, and I'm springing something new and very different on everyone: Pumpkin Chipotle Chili. I personally am very excited to try this! We'll have green salad and Sinfully Sweet Cornbread with the chili. BTW, this cornbread is one of the "homemade baking mixes" I keep on hand - every few months I fill several Ziploc bags with the dry ingredients for cornbread, brownies, chocolate chip cookies, and basic muffins (to which many things can be added) so they're handy for grabbing and making with dinners. I made labels with the wet ingredients and directions listed and stuck them on each bag. Definitely cheaper and yummier (and possibly healthier) than store-bought
mixes!
Sunday, 10/24: Kids here, and we often have "breakfast for dinner" on Sundays with some variation on pancakes/waffles, eggs, potatoes, and maybe sausage/bacon (depends on if we happen to have any; meat is optional). Typically I make smoothies also. I don't usually decide which kind of pancakes/waffles until the day of; depends on mood and available ingredients. For the eggs, either Mr. Mamie makes omlettes or Niece makes scrambled.
Baking, etc. this week:
For whatever reason, we didn't go through bread as rapidly as usual last week, so GrandmaT froze half of each loaf to use this week. So no bread making. Niece is here, and as soon as I finish this blog post, we're going to start on this Paula Deen fresh apple cake recipe from Food Network, and then move on to some peanut butter chocolate chip cookies. YUM!!!
Happy cooking and eating!
Sunday Morning
One thing that's annoying me at the moment are the colors of the links on my blog. I have changed them over and over, and they will not switch from the blue/purple. So, sorry for the ugliness! I will keep trying.
Saturday, October 16, 2010
I love a deal! And, some "food politics"
There's some interesting discussions that have happened on various food/frugality blogs about "cheap food." Many of the writers are looking at the issue from the perspective of cheap food = often unhealthy food. They say that food is something we should NOT skimp on. After all, it goes into our bodies and has a lasting impact on our health. Also, our "food dollars" are pretty powerful, and we make value statements buy what and how we purchase food.
I pretty much agree that too much emphasis has been placed on trying to get food costs as low as possible in a family. The media will run a story on someone who got two full carts of food for $4.00 becasue he/she used piles of coupons, and it's like OH WOW, ISN'T THIS GREAT?! The thing is, most (not all) coupons are for processed foods like Hamburger Helper, refrigerated biscuits, sugary cereals, and the like.
We've tried to change our eating habits so that we are eating more FRESH, WHOLE foods - organic when possible, but we're not militant about it. We don't buy commercial breads, or cookies (well, once in a while, if it's like Halloween Oreos!), or frozen pizza, or "dinner mixes/bases" because those are things that I can make much less expensively and and at least slightly more healthfully at home. We've chosen to try to avoid processed, chemical-laden "foods" to the extent that is reasonable, given various budget and time restraints.
Here's an example Mr. Mamie and I were discussing when we were out doing errands this morning. In the last couple years I have discovered the fun of making homemade ice cream. GolfDad long-term loaned me his Cuisinart ice cream maker, and about once a month (probably less) I've made homemade ice cream using real cream, whole milk, sugar, and fruits or coffee or whatever sounded good. The ice cream is delicious, of course, but also not especially healthy, given the fat-laden dairy products and the white sugar that are involved. It's definitely something that's a once-in-a-while treat.
A few weeks ago we were in a grocery store, and they had Dreyer's brand ice cream "specialty flavors" on sale - 2 gallons for $6. Except, they're not gallons anymore, didja know? The grocery shrink ray has hit the ice cream! Nevertheless, it sounded appealing so we bought one each of the special flavors Pecan Praline and Apple Pie. We tried each flavor once on two consecutive nights, and guess what? I thought they were pretty awful! They tasted so artificial, and just like they were full of fillers and chemicals and air. And this is supposed to be "premium" ice cream. Well, they've sat in the freezer ever since, and I guess at some point I'll end up tossing them because they'll be frost-bitten and totally inedible. So, did we get out $6 worth? No, I don;t think so, and I could have made two - maybe more - batches of homemade ice cream with REAL ingredients for the same price.
So anyway, I'm wandering, but the point is we've been willing to spend a little more if needed to get better food. It's not all about getting the cheapest deal. I have come to believe, though, that you CAN buy real food for a decent price, if you are willing to cook it yourself.
Today at Albertson's I think we did a pretty good job. Now mind you, we weren't buying organic (because Albertson's just doesn't have that many organic options), and when organic is available and in our budget, it's what we prefer, but sometimes you just gotta go with the flow.
For $19.50 we got:
In other deal news, I usually buy printer ink for my HP printer that I use at here at home at OfficeMax. I have a teacher rewards card, and I always take the empty ink cartridges back to OfficeMax for the recycling credit. I go through a LOT of ink (when I need something in color, like various school items and recipes, and both these type things get printed frequently) so I buy a lot and have empty cartridges to take in every time. Yesterday in my email there was an OfficeMax rewards certificate for $46. I took it in today and got an extra large black cartridge and one each of the regular size color cartridges, and only had to pay 47 cents - YAHOO!!!
I pretty much agree that too much emphasis has been placed on trying to get food costs as low as possible in a family. The media will run a story on someone who got two full carts of food for $4.00 becasue he/she used piles of coupons, and it's like OH WOW, ISN'T THIS GREAT?! The thing is, most (not all) coupons are for processed foods like Hamburger Helper, refrigerated biscuits, sugary cereals, and the like.
We've tried to change our eating habits so that we are eating more FRESH, WHOLE foods - organic when possible, but we're not militant about it. We don't buy commercial breads, or cookies (well, once in a while, if it's like Halloween Oreos!), or frozen pizza, or "dinner mixes/bases" because those are things that I can make much less expensively and and at least slightly more healthfully at home. We've chosen to try to avoid processed, chemical-laden "foods" to the extent that is reasonable, given various budget and time restraints.
Here's an example Mr. Mamie and I were discussing when we were out doing errands this morning. In the last couple years I have discovered the fun of making homemade ice cream. GolfDad long-term loaned me his Cuisinart ice cream maker, and about once a month (probably less) I've made homemade ice cream using real cream, whole milk, sugar, and fruits or coffee or whatever sounded good. The ice cream is delicious, of course, but also not especially healthy, given the fat-laden dairy products and the white sugar that are involved. It's definitely something that's a once-in-a-while treat.
A few weeks ago we were in a grocery store, and they had Dreyer's brand ice cream "specialty flavors" on sale - 2 gallons for $6. Except, they're not gallons anymore, didja know? The grocery shrink ray has hit the ice cream! Nevertheless, it sounded appealing so we bought one each of the special flavors Pecan Praline and Apple Pie. We tried each flavor once on two consecutive nights, and guess what? I thought they were pretty awful! They tasted so artificial, and just like they were full of fillers and chemicals and air. And this is supposed to be "premium" ice cream. Well, they've sat in the freezer ever since, and I guess at some point I'll end up tossing them because they'll be frost-bitten and totally inedible. So, did we get out $6 worth? No, I don;t think so, and I could have made two - maybe more - batches of homemade ice cream with REAL ingredients for the same price.
So anyway, I'm wandering, but the point is we've been willing to spend a little more if needed to get better food. It's not all about getting the cheapest deal. I have come to believe, though, that you CAN buy real food for a decent price, if you are willing to cook it yourself.
Today at Albertson's I think we did a pretty good job. Now mind you, we weren't buying organic (because Albertson's just doesn't have that many organic options), and when organic is available and in our budget, it's what we prefer, but sometimes you just gotta go with the flow.
For $19.50 we got:
- 10 pounds of russet potatoes
- 2 bags of salad mix (we typically by whole heads of lettuce, but these were on an extreme sale; they'll be mixed with whole romaine leaves and fresh spinach)
- 3 dozen eggs
- 2 pounds of frozen corn
- 3 pounds of chicken breasts
- A big bag of fish sticks - which was the only "processed" food, and probably not coincidentally, the most expensive item. But, Mr. Mamie had a craving, and who am I to deny a man is crunchy processed fish bits?
In other deal news, I usually buy printer ink for my HP printer that I use at here at home at OfficeMax. I have a teacher rewards card, and I always take the empty ink cartridges back to OfficeMax for the recycling credit. I go through a LOT of ink (when I need something in color, like various school items and recipes, and both these type things get printed frequently) so I buy a lot and have empty cartridges to take in every time. Yesterday in my email there was an OfficeMax rewards certificate for $46. I took it in today and got an extra large black cartridge and one each of the regular size color cartridges, and only had to pay 47 cents - YAHOO!!!
Monday, October 11, 2010
Monday Meme
As usual, this came from Mrs. Chili.
1. When you looked at yourself in the mirror today, what was the first thing you thought? You should still be in bed....
2. How much cash do you have on you? There's about $4 in my purse, I think, if I am lucky.
3. What’s a word that rhymes with DOOR? SNORE!
4. Favorite planet? I'm partial to Pluto.
5. Who is the 4th person on your missed call list on your cell phone? A parent, who left a voicemail saying that she would not be able to come in for her volunteer time in the classroom.
6. What is your favorite ring tone on your phone? Monday Night Football theme song.
7. What shirt are you wearing? An old black T-shirt from Tar-jay - I'm in comfy couch-sitting clothes at the moment.
8. Do you label yourself? Yes, but the labels will not be publicly displayed.
9. Name the brand of the shoes you’re currently wearing? Barefoot - for reason see #7. For school today I wore a pair of black and charcoal gray Mootsies Tootsies flats.
10. Bright or dark room? Lots of natural light in the day, nice and dark for sleepytime.
11. Did you do anything to celebrate John Lennon’s 70th Saturday? Played with the Google logo!
12. What does your watch look like? The one I usually wear to school is a light gray Timex Ironaman. All the little alarm noises are helpful!
13. What were you doing at midnight last night? Tossing and turning and coughing and groaning.
14. What did your last text message you received on your cell say? From Mrs. Igor about her changing work schedule.
15. Where is your nearest 7-11? 300 miles away. But Maverik is only 1/4 mile. :)
16. What’s a word that you say a lot? "Shhhhhhhhh" - it IS a word, at least the way I say it!
17. Who told you he/she loved you last? Mr. Mamie - he's the bestest!
18. Last furry thing you touched? BeagleDog, who's sharing the couch with me.
19. How many drugs have you done in the last three days? LOTS of DayQuil and NyQuil!
20. How many rolls of film do you need developed? Like, ZERO! Hello, digital!
21. Favorite age you have been so far? Many have been good... how can I pick among them? Someone's feelings might get hurt.
22. Your worst enemy? Piles of papers.
23. What is your current desktop picture (extra points if you post it.)? At home, a fall leaf covered in raindrops; at school, a stormy sea. Time to change to Halloween pix!
24. What was the last thing you said to someone? "I told you it was that guy!" - to Mr. Mamie, we're watching "24" on streaming Netflix as I write.
25. If you had to choose between a million bucks or to be able to fly what would it be? Couldn't I use the money to buy flying lessons?
1. When you looked at yourself in the mirror today, what was the first thing you thought? You should still be in bed....
2. How much cash do you have on you? There's about $4 in my purse, I think, if I am lucky.
3. What’s a word that rhymes with DOOR? SNORE!
4. Favorite planet? I'm partial to Pluto.
5. Who is the 4th person on your missed call list on your cell phone? A parent, who left a voicemail saying that she would not be able to come in for her volunteer time in the classroom.
6. What is your favorite ring tone on your phone? Monday Night Football theme song.
7. What shirt are you wearing? An old black T-shirt from Tar-jay - I'm in comfy couch-sitting clothes at the moment.
8. Do you label yourself? Yes, but the labels will not be publicly displayed.
9. Name the brand of the shoes you’re currently wearing? Barefoot - for reason see #7. For school today I wore a pair of black and charcoal gray Mootsies Tootsies flats.
10. Bright or dark room? Lots of natural light in the day, nice and dark for sleepytime.
11. Did you do anything to celebrate John Lennon’s 70th Saturday? Played with the Google logo!
12. What does your watch look like? The one I usually wear to school is a light gray Timex Ironaman. All the little alarm noises are helpful!
13. What were you doing at midnight last night? Tossing and turning and coughing and groaning.
14. What did your last text message you received on your cell say? From Mrs. Igor about her changing work schedule.
15. Where is your nearest 7-11? 300 miles away. But Maverik is only 1/4 mile. :)
16. What’s a word that you say a lot? "Shhhhhhhhh" - it IS a word, at least the way I say it!
17. Who told you he/she loved you last? Mr. Mamie - he's the bestest!
18. Last furry thing you touched? BeagleDog, who's sharing the couch with me.
19. How many drugs have you done in the last three days? LOTS of DayQuil and NyQuil!
20. How many rolls of film do you need developed? Like, ZERO! Hello, digital!
21. Favorite age you have been so far? Many have been good... how can I pick among them? Someone's feelings might get hurt.
22. Your worst enemy? Piles of papers.
23. What is your current desktop picture (extra points if you post it.)? At home, a fall leaf covered in raindrops; at school, a stormy sea. Time to change to Halloween pix!
24. What was the last thing you said to someone? "I told you it was that guy!" - to Mr. Mamie, we're watching "24" on streaming Netflix as I write.
25. If you had to choose between a million bucks or to be able to fly what would it be? Couldn't I use the money to buy flying lessons?
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Menus 10/11/10 - 10/17/10
I know, it's been like forever, RIGHT? All I can say is that the first 42 days of school have been kickin' my you-know-what! And being that I'm 7 years older than the last time I taught first grade, lemme tell ya that the more aged you are, the harder it is to keep up with them!
Nevertheless, people still have to eat, and both the menu planning and cooking have continued as usual. Now that I'm back in the classroom I realize the incredible benefits of having a PLAN for meals more than ever! Since the beginning of August, school has started, GolfDad had hip replacement surgery, we've had multiple birthdays, Nephew's football season has started again plus he's had Scout activities and a more "teen-age" social life, Igor has been on the road in the big rig, Mrs. Igor has been working two jobs (yes, 7 days a week), Mr. Mamie has started working from home which actually means a more irregular schedule, etc. I realize that this is just LIFE, but hey - it's a busy life! So yeah, YAY for having SOMETHING that can follow a plan.
Menu this week:
Monday, 10/11: Goulash, green beans, green salad. This a new recipe, and it sounds REALLY yummy!
Tuesday, 10/12: Crockpot Orange Beef, brown rice, green salad. Another new recipe that I think will be super good.
Wednesday, 10/13: Bacon Ranch Slow Cooked Chicken, egg noodles, Italian Cheese Bread, green salad. I've had this recipe for a while, but don't remember ever making it. I picked it because it's very "Mr. Mamie-ish." The Italian Cheese Bread is one of our absolute favorites, and makes frequent appearances on the table here!
Thursday, 10/14: Spicy Lentil Soup, Garlic Muffins, green salad. The soup is a new recipe and sounds good; also, it's meatless and we try to have one or two meatless meals weekly. I'm hoping the kids will like this! We have made the garlic muffins many times and love them.
Friday, 10/15: Black Bean and Brown Rice Bowls/Tacos with corn tortillas and taco toppings. Another meatless meal, and one we've made lots of times - everyone (including the kids) really likes this combo.
Saturday, 10/16: Homemade Pizza! Yep, homemade dough (from my bread machine recipe book), homemade sauce (I wrote a post on that a long time ago....), and a buffet of toppings. This is usually something we do two or three times monthly, and the kids LOVE it.
Sunday, 10/17: BBQ Turkey Meatloaf, Cheddar Cheese Biscuits, green salad. Mr. Mamie, GrandmaT, and I all love this version of meatloaf. Niece made disparaging comments about meatloaf recently, so I decided that she ought to try this! The cheddar cheese biscuits are a perennial favorite.
Baking, etc. this week:
Salad dressing - I often make our own, as the store-bought kind is either full of HFCS (the cheaper kinds), or rather expensive (the good ones, like Annie's or OrganicVille). I'm making two of our favorites today: Julia Child's Vinaigrette and Cafe Rio Style Cream Tomatillo. Be warned... the second one is ADDICTING!!! It's also really good as a sauce/salsa on tacos, quesadillas, etc. I've even used it as sandwich spread!
Buttermilk Waffles, which I made this morning for breakfast with enough for the freezer (weekday breakfasts, yay!)
Amish White Bread and Whole Wheat Bread - we go through a loaf of each weekly. As I have mentioned in previous posts, I let the bread machine do the mixing and first rise, then I put the dough in the bread pan for a second rise. It's then baked in the oven, which I much prefer to baking in the bread machine itself.
My Grammie's recipe for oatmeal cookies, which I call "Kansas Oatmeal Cookies." I'll post the recipe later today. Niece and I are making these this afternoon.
Pumpkin Muffins, which I plan to make Tuesday evening to take to a meeting Wednesday morning. I have a huge box of the Krustez brand mix from Costco, which I LOVE! However, my mom had a really yummy "scratch" pumpkin bread/muffin recipe, which I'll also be making soon. I'll share the recipe when I do.
Funfetti Halloween Cupcakes - I bought the mix and frosting for cheap at The Walmartz, because it's the kind of thing Niece loves to bake... in fact, she's getting everything out right now (including the way cute Halloween cupcake liners), so I better go supervise!
Nevertheless, people still have to eat, and both the menu planning and cooking have continued as usual. Now that I'm back in the classroom I realize the incredible benefits of having a PLAN for meals more than ever! Since the beginning of August, school has started, GolfDad had hip replacement surgery, we've had multiple birthdays, Nephew's football season has started again plus he's had Scout activities and a more "teen-age" social life, Igor has been on the road in the big rig, Mrs. Igor has been working two jobs (yes, 7 days a week), Mr. Mamie has started working from home which actually means a more irregular schedule, etc. I realize that this is just LIFE, but hey - it's a busy life! So yeah, YAY for having SOMETHING that can follow a plan.
Menu this week:
Monday, 10/11: Goulash, green beans, green salad. This a new recipe, and it sounds REALLY yummy!
Tuesday, 10/12: Crockpot Orange Beef, brown rice, green salad. Another new recipe that I think will be super good.
Wednesday, 10/13: Bacon Ranch Slow Cooked Chicken, egg noodles, Italian Cheese Bread, green salad. I've had this recipe for a while, but don't remember ever making it. I picked it because it's very "Mr. Mamie-ish." The Italian Cheese Bread is one of our absolute favorites, and makes frequent appearances on the table here!
Thursday, 10/14: Spicy Lentil Soup, Garlic Muffins, green salad. The soup is a new recipe and sounds good; also, it's meatless and we try to have one or two meatless meals weekly. I'm hoping the kids will like this! We have made the garlic muffins many times and love them.
Friday, 10/15: Black Bean and Brown Rice Bowls/Tacos with corn tortillas and taco toppings. Another meatless meal, and one we've made lots of times - everyone (including the kids) really likes this combo.
Saturday, 10/16: Homemade Pizza! Yep, homemade dough (from my bread machine recipe book), homemade sauce (I wrote a post on that a long time ago....), and a buffet of toppings. This is usually something we do two or three times monthly, and the kids LOVE it.
Sunday, 10/17: BBQ Turkey Meatloaf, Cheddar Cheese Biscuits, green salad. Mr. Mamie, GrandmaT, and I all love this version of meatloaf. Niece made disparaging comments about meatloaf recently, so I decided that she ought to try this! The cheddar cheese biscuits are a perennial favorite.
Baking, etc. this week:
Salad dressing - I often make our own, as the store-bought kind is either full of HFCS (the cheaper kinds), or rather expensive (the good ones, like Annie's or OrganicVille). I'm making two of our favorites today: Julia Child's Vinaigrette and Cafe Rio Style Cream Tomatillo. Be warned... the second one is ADDICTING!!! It's also really good as a sauce/salsa on tacos, quesadillas, etc. I've even used it as sandwich spread!
Buttermilk Waffles, which I made this morning for breakfast with enough for the freezer (weekday breakfasts, yay!)
Amish White Bread and Whole Wheat Bread - we go through a loaf of each weekly. As I have mentioned in previous posts, I let the bread machine do the mixing and first rise, then I put the dough in the bread pan for a second rise. It's then baked in the oven, which I much prefer to baking in the bread machine itself.
My Grammie's recipe for oatmeal cookies, which I call "Kansas Oatmeal Cookies." I'll post the recipe later today. Niece and I are making these this afternoon.
Pumpkin Muffins, which I plan to make Tuesday evening to take to a meeting Wednesday morning. I have a huge box of the Krustez brand mix from Costco, which I LOVE! However, my mom had a really yummy "scratch" pumpkin bread/muffin recipe, which I'll also be making soon. I'll share the recipe when I do.
Funfetti Halloween Cupcakes - I bought the mix and frosting for cheap at The Walmartz, because it's the kind of thing Niece loves to bake... in fact, she's getting everything out right now (including the way cute Halloween cupcake liners), so I better go supervise!
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Menus 8/23/10 - 8/29/10 + Re-cap of Last Week
I didn't get around to posting menu last week - the "school thing" had me pretty wiped out! But here's a short re-cap with the links, in case anything sounds good to ya.
CrockPot Beef Burgundy - Mr. Mamie did NOT like this very much, which was a rare event. He thought the red wine taste was too strong, and I agreed. I think if I tried it again, I would replace the red wine that goes into the Crockpot for the main cooking time with beef stock, and only use the smaller amount of red wine that's added at the end (with flour) to flavor and thicken the gravy.
Shredded Chicken Sandwiches - These were quick and easy to do in the CrockPot. I used about three pounds of chicken but the same amount of seasoning and liquid. We had them on little panini rolls, broiled with cheese (Swiss was especially good!). Since there were only three people here for dinner that night, there were plenty of extras to freeze and have available for a future dinner.
Mexican Corn Chowder - DELICIOUS! For the corn kernels I used FRESH corn cut from the 50 ears I got from Bountiful Basket (which I had blanched, stripped, and frozen). We really liked the flavor and texture of this soup. I took it for lunch two days in a row, and got some ogles and comments from other teachers. Highly recommended!
Italian Pot Roast - This was a good way to fix pot roast in the CrockPot. I added carrots at the beginning, and 30 minutes before serving put some sliced yellow squash in on top to get steamed. It was moist and flavorful, and Mr. Mamie especially loved the addition of the yellow squash.
Beef and Bean Chimichangas - Loved these too! I thought Nephew would especially like them, but he ended up leaving before dinner to go to the high school football game, where he ate heaven-knows-what. Niece was asleep in the recliner, exhausted after a long week in second grade, and didn't appreciate be woken up for dinner (I know, how rude). So although her enthusiasm was at a somewhat low ebb, the rest of us liked this version of chimis very much. Again, I used fresh corn kernels, which makes SUCH a difference! The filling + one can of Amy's Kitchen organic refried beans gave us 8 large-ish chimis (using the larger-sized flour tortillas from Costco). There was enough filling left over to make 4 more burritos (with no beans), which I froze along with the leftover chimis. Mr. Mamie is eating one for breakfast right now as I type....
Tonight it's "breakfast for dinner" featuring banana pancakes, which I am really looking forward to! I will surely need to double this recipe to serve five, and I'll definitely use at whole wheat flour for at least half the total amount. I'll also add some wheat germ and ground flax meal as well. We'll have scrambled eggs made by either Mr. Mamie or Niece, and potatoes and/or sausage. I LOVE having breakfast for dinner on Sunday nights!
You can read about our yummy birthday dinner for Niece and GolfDad soon... as soon as stoopid Blogger will let me add all my photos!
This week's menu:
Pork Scallopini (organic, Maverick Ranch brand), organic wild rice, sauteed yellow squash (from our garden!), green salad.
Grilled "Flat" Chicken (Coleman brand organic chicken breast from Costco), fettuccine Alfredo (whole wheat noodles with sauce made from the "Simply Organic" brand mix), green salad. "Flat" chicken is made by pounding boneless/skinless breasts quite thin, then marinating in Italian salad dressing. The chicken grills super-fast, and is VERY yummy! I learned this years ago while at the cabin with my cousin L and our Grammie.
Ground Beef and Barley Soup, cheddar muffins, green salad.
Spaghetti using whole wheat noodles and homemade sauce from the freezer, Italian Cheese Bread, green salad.
Bean and Brown Rice Burritos, using Eden brand organic pinto beans and Lundberg organic brown rice (available from Costco in a HUGE bag!).
Homemade pizza - create-yer-own!
Breakfast for Dinner, with the pancake/waffle course yet to be determined.
Have a great week filled with yummy meals!
CrockPot Beef Burgundy - Mr. Mamie did NOT like this very much, which was a rare event. He thought the red wine taste was too strong, and I agreed. I think if I tried it again, I would replace the red wine that goes into the Crockpot for the main cooking time with beef stock, and only use the smaller amount of red wine that's added at the end (with flour) to flavor and thicken the gravy.
Shredded Chicken Sandwiches - These were quick and easy to do in the CrockPot. I used about three pounds of chicken but the same amount of seasoning and liquid. We had them on little panini rolls, broiled with cheese (Swiss was especially good!). Since there were only three people here for dinner that night, there were plenty of extras to freeze and have available for a future dinner.
Mexican Corn Chowder - DELICIOUS! For the corn kernels I used FRESH corn cut from the 50 ears I got from Bountiful Basket (which I had blanched, stripped, and frozen). We really liked the flavor and texture of this soup. I took it for lunch two days in a row, and got some ogles and comments from other teachers. Highly recommended!
Italian Pot Roast - This was a good way to fix pot roast in the CrockPot. I added carrots at the beginning, and 30 minutes before serving put some sliced yellow squash in on top to get steamed. It was moist and flavorful, and Mr. Mamie especially loved the addition of the yellow squash.
Beef and Bean Chimichangas - Loved these too! I thought Nephew would especially like them, but he ended up leaving before dinner to go to the high school football game, where he ate heaven-knows-what. Niece was asleep in the recliner, exhausted after a long week in second grade, and didn't appreciate be woken up for dinner (I know, how rude). So although her enthusiasm was at a somewhat low ebb, the rest of us liked this version of chimis very much. Again, I used fresh corn kernels, which makes SUCH a difference! The filling + one can of Amy's Kitchen organic refried beans gave us 8 large-ish chimis (using the larger-sized flour tortillas from Costco). There was enough filling left over to make 4 more burritos (with no beans), which I froze along with the leftover chimis. Mr. Mamie is eating one for breakfast right now as I type....
Tonight it's "breakfast for dinner" featuring banana pancakes, which I am really looking forward to! I will surely need to double this recipe to serve five, and I'll definitely use at whole wheat flour for at least half the total amount. I'll also add some wheat germ and ground flax meal as well. We'll have scrambled eggs made by either Mr. Mamie or Niece, and potatoes and/or sausage. I LOVE having breakfast for dinner on Sunday nights!
You can read about our yummy birthday dinner for Niece and GolfDad soon... as soon as stoopid Blogger will let me add all my photos!
This week's menu:
Pork Scallopini (organic, Maverick Ranch brand), organic wild rice, sauteed yellow squash (from our garden!), green salad.
Grilled "Flat" Chicken (Coleman brand organic chicken breast from Costco), fettuccine Alfredo (whole wheat noodles with sauce made from the "Simply Organic" brand mix), green salad. "Flat" chicken is made by pounding boneless/skinless breasts quite thin, then marinating in Italian salad dressing. The chicken grills super-fast, and is VERY yummy! I learned this years ago while at the cabin with my cousin L and our Grammie.
Ground Beef and Barley Soup, cheddar muffins, green salad.
Spaghetti using whole wheat noodles and homemade sauce from the freezer, Italian Cheese Bread, green salad.
Bean and Brown Rice Burritos, using Eden brand organic pinto beans and Lundberg organic brown rice (available from Costco in a HUGE bag!).
Homemade pizza - create-yer-own!
Breakfast for Dinner, with the pancake/waffle course yet to be determined.
Have a great week filled with yummy meals!
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Menus 8/9/10 - 8/15/10
Re-cap from last week:
- Bean and Cheese Enchiladas with Spanish Brown Rice - the enchiladas were VERY yummy, especially since we added lotsa cheese! This made a good "meatless meal," since beans + rice = complete protein. The filling made 8 LARGE enchiladas (flour tortillas), which was enough for four people for dinner and two lunch left-overs.
- Brown Jug Soup with Garlic Muffins - the soup was tasty, though it needed a healthy dose of salt and pepper at serving time. NO WAY did I cook it in the CrockPot for 10-12 hours on low, as the directions stated - about 5 - 6 hours on low was PLENTY, at least in our CrockPot (which I had anticipated). These muffins were new to us, and VERY yummy. I was a little leery of the chopped raw onion in the muffin batter, but they baked up deliciously.
- Mustard Grilled Chicken with Wild Rice - we always love this chicken; it's very flavorful with a hint of spiciness. I cooked the wild rice in an onion soup broth, which made it very good.
- Beef and Barley Skillet Dinner - another tried-and-true favorite. I cooked this over at GolfDad's house the night he came home from the hospital after his hip replacement surgery, and it met his requirements for low fat/high protein and fiber. If you use NON-quick-cooking barley be sure to allow close to an hour of simmering time for the barley to get tender. This freezes well and makes a good take-to-work lunch.
- Stuffed Pita Pockets - made this at GolfDad's, using fresh corn kernels, chopped red and green bell pepper, garlic, red onions, and black beans in a vinaigrette of olive oil, red wine vinegar, and lime juice.
- Herb and Cheese Stuffed Burgers with Zesty Italian Potatoes - didn't have these, as a some friends of GolfDad brought over a hot spaghetti dinner. These burgers will get bumped to next week.
- Israeli Chickpea Salad in Pita Pockets - this was a new recipe I found on while cruising the Interwebz Saturday afternoon, and since I had all the ingredients, we made it for Sunday lunch. I had intended to put the container of feta cheese out on the table to add to the pitas, but forgot. Mr. Mamie and I both liked the salad, and we think that adding feta will make it perfect. There was enough left over that we'll get to test that theory tomorrow! This will also make an excellent lunch item for me to take to school.
- Sesame and Chicken Pasta Salad - this is put together and sitting in the fridge for us to have for dinner tonight at GolfDad's. I think it's going to be very good, based on the aroma. I used two organic, boneless/skinless chicken breasts, which I cooked in the oven with some salt, pepper, and herbs de Provence as seasoning. The pasta bow ties are the Barilla "plus" variety. There should be a fair amount left over to serve as work/school lunches this week.
- Monday, 8/9: Tender Grilled Pork Chops, Wild Rice w/ Mixed Vegetables, Green Salad [report-back day for teachers!]
- Tuesday, 8/10: Skillet BBQ Chicken Pasta, French Bread (from the freezer), Green Salad
- Wednesday, 8/11: Beef and Brown Rice Soup (CrockPot), Cheddar Muffins, Green Salad [first day of school with kids!]
- Thursday, 8/12: Leftovers/C.O.R.N [Back-to-School night, and Mr. Mamie has an evening class]
- Friday, 8/13: Italian CrockPot Supper, Italian Cheese Bread, Green Salad
- Saturday, 8/14: Herb and Cheese Stuffed Burgers , Zesty Italian Potatoes, Fruit Salad (made from whatever we get in our Bountiful Basket today)
- Sunday, 8/15: Breakfast for Dinner - Spiced Pumpkin Waffles, Scrambled Eggs, Sausage, Fresh Fruit (from our Bountiful Basket)
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Ten Things Tuesday 8/2/10
Ten plus one things ready in the classroom...
Tables, with name tags and number lines.
Assessments, dictionaries, and "Morning Work" to keep us busy in the first few days.
Clipboards with name grids for math, literacy, writing, and behavior.
Classroom library.
Team points, team jobs, and daily schedule.
Rug area.
Teacher tools cart by the rug.
Manipulative bins.
Writing Center and Listening Center.
Math Center.
Homework basket and backpack cubbies.
Monday, August 2, 2010
Ever need a weekend after your weekend?
Some weekends just feel like a constant round of running, shopping, cleaning, cooking, fixing, etc. I always feel like I need a weekend to recover from those weekends!
The most recent whirlwind started on Friday, the day designated for kids’ back-to-school shoe and supply shopping. I started by dropping Mr. Mamie off at his office, and then I went to Tar-jay to do some back-to-school shopping myself. I got a bunch of various classroom items, plus household stuff, dog treats, toiletries, etc. Headed home to pick up the kids (who had been dropped off by Mrs. Igor), then returned to the BigTown, where we collected Mr. Mamie.
After a late-ish lunch at SmashBurger, we hit the shoe store. Niece ended up with some very cute Nikes, while Nephew chose some cool black skater shoes. Then it was BACK to Target for their school supplies – Nephew had a very specific list, provided by the Village Intermediate School. We got those items, plus two sets of “at home” supplies for homework time both at Casa Mamie and at their own house. Niece got a nice new backpack, and I needed a few MORE items for my classroom, so those were obtained as well. Dropped Nephew off at a friend’s for a sleepover, and then returned Niece to our house to stay with GrandmaT.
Mr. Mamie and I then headed to town AGAIN, but this time for “date night!” We saw “Salt,” which was GREAT – very exciting with some twists. I love a good spy movie, and it’s even better when the hero is an a**-kickin’ girl! After the movie we had dinner at “Rexus Toadhouse,” as Mr. Mamie calls it. Not to fancy or spendy, but fun and a nice change. After that it was home to bed.
Saturday was the big monthly shopping day for the Mamies. We started at Costco, which is where the bulk of our food and household items are purchased. $296 later we took that carload home, then loaded up all the recycling (which FILLED the Rav!) and hauled it into town. We got a whopping $6.84 for our aluminum and steel cans (nothing paid for the plastic and paper). Lunch at Wingers, and then we spent our “big” recycling payment on an iced green tea (me) and a caramel frappucino (Mr. Mamie) at Starbucks.
We then hit Home Depot, where I exchanged the staple gun and staples I purchased last week for a better model – my hallway bulletin board at school requires “the big guns.” OfficeMax took our money in exchange for a couple of printer ink cartridges and some Velcro dots, and then we went to Natural Grocers for part two of our grocery shopping.
Headed home and collected GrandmaT and the kids for a trip to NewWalmart. Grandma got the kids some shorts and jeans for school, as well as Nephew’s required P.E. outfit while Mr. Mamie and I gathered a few final grocery and household items. Finally, home again for good… at which point I was so exhausted that I gave in and ordered Domino’s Pizza for dinner. As expected, it was vile, but it was fast and easy and that was a higher priority at the time!
Sunday we slept in quite a bit, and then Mr. Mamie and I made trip to OldWalmart for a replacement toilet handle (the one in the master bath broke in the night) and some other odds and ends. Back home to laundry and other fun things.
The kids had husked 6 ears of corn from the week’s Bountiful Basket, which I blanched and stripped to get some fresh corn kernels for the freezer. I had three roasts purchased at Costco to deal with – two went directly in the freezer, and one got cut into stew meat. Cleaned out the kitchen fridge and started some brown rice cooking. Made the pinto bean filling for enchiladas, then rolled 8 and got them baking. Finished the rice, steamed some brocoflour, cut some fresh pineapple, and then we could sit down to dinner – finally!
After dinner Nephew had to be driven home to grab his Scout shirt, and then taken to the church for his Scout Review Board. While he was there, Mr. Mamie cut up a cantaloupe and mango for the week’s breakfast smoothies while I prepped celery, onion, carrots, and potatoes to go into the Crockpot for Monday’s dinner. Niece took the opportunity for an hour-long bath in our jetted tub – she loves it, because you can see the TV in our bedroom from the bathtub. OK, I love it too! Picked Nephew up from the church, and congratulated him on achieving Boy Scout First Class rank. On to Star! Except, football starts TODAY, so he won’t be doing much Scouting for the next three months.
I spent the rest of the evening under the ceiling fan on the bed surfing the interwebz and reading my latest trashy mystery while Mr. Mamie continued the work of networking various computers as part of his home-office set-up (today is his last day in the physical office, and then he’s going to be working at home). There was a flurry of excitement when Mrs. Igor came to pick the kids up – she was confronted by a 6-inch long scorpion hanging out on the wall of our house right by the front door! Mr. Mamie got the task of capturing it and disposing of it while the other 5 of us watched and screeched and shouted directions (I’m sure we were very helpful).
By the time I collapsed in bed at close to 11, I was ready for some gooooooood rest. Too bad we were up early to haul GolfDad to the hospital for his hip replacement surgery! He’s being sawed open right now, while I lounge in the waiting room and Mr. Mamie’s at the office for the last day. It’s going to be an interesting month, with GolfDad virtually incapacitated and pretty dependent on us, Mr. Mamie beginning to work from home, school starting, and who knows what else… by September, I’ll need a vacation!
The most recent whirlwind started on Friday, the day designated for kids’ back-to-school shoe and supply shopping. I started by dropping Mr. Mamie off at his office, and then I went to Tar-jay to do some back-to-school shopping myself. I got a bunch of various classroom items, plus household stuff, dog treats, toiletries, etc. Headed home to pick up the kids (who had been dropped off by Mrs. Igor), then returned to the BigTown, where we collected Mr. Mamie.
After a late-ish lunch at SmashBurger, we hit the shoe store. Niece ended up with some very cute Nikes, while Nephew chose some cool black skater shoes. Then it was BACK to Target for their school supplies – Nephew had a very specific list, provided by the Village Intermediate School. We got those items, plus two sets of “at home” supplies for homework time both at Casa Mamie and at their own house. Niece got a nice new backpack, and I needed a few MORE items for my classroom, so those were obtained as well. Dropped Nephew off at a friend’s for a sleepover, and then returned Niece to our house to stay with GrandmaT.
Mr. Mamie and I then headed to town AGAIN, but this time for “date night!” We saw “Salt,” which was GREAT – very exciting with some twists. I love a good spy movie, and it’s even better when the hero is an a**-kickin’ girl! After the movie we had dinner at “Rexus Toadhouse,” as Mr. Mamie calls it. Not to fancy or spendy, but fun and a nice change. After that it was home to bed.
Saturday was the big monthly shopping day for the Mamies. We started at Costco, which is where the bulk of our food and household items are purchased. $296 later we took that carload home, then loaded up all the recycling (which FILLED the Rav!) and hauled it into town. We got a whopping $6.84 for our aluminum and steel cans (nothing paid for the plastic and paper). Lunch at Wingers, and then we spent our “big” recycling payment on an iced green tea (me) and a caramel frappucino (Mr. Mamie) at Starbucks.
We then hit Home Depot, where I exchanged the staple gun and staples I purchased last week for a better model – my hallway bulletin board at school requires “the big guns.” OfficeMax took our money in exchange for a couple of printer ink cartridges and some Velcro dots, and then we went to Natural Grocers for part two of our grocery shopping.
Headed home and collected GrandmaT and the kids for a trip to NewWalmart. Grandma got the kids some shorts and jeans for school, as well as Nephew’s required P.E. outfit while Mr. Mamie and I gathered a few final grocery and household items. Finally, home again for good… at which point I was so exhausted that I gave in and ordered Domino’s Pizza for dinner. As expected, it was vile, but it was fast and easy and that was a higher priority at the time!
Sunday we slept in quite a bit, and then Mr. Mamie and I made trip to OldWalmart for a replacement toilet handle (the one in the master bath broke in the night) and some other odds and ends. Back home to laundry and other fun things.
The kids had husked 6 ears of corn from the week’s Bountiful Basket, which I blanched and stripped to get some fresh corn kernels for the freezer. I had three roasts purchased at Costco to deal with – two went directly in the freezer, and one got cut into stew meat. Cleaned out the kitchen fridge and started some brown rice cooking. Made the pinto bean filling for enchiladas, then rolled 8 and got them baking. Finished the rice, steamed some brocoflour, cut some fresh pineapple, and then we could sit down to dinner – finally!
After dinner Nephew had to be driven home to grab his Scout shirt, and then taken to the church for his Scout Review Board. While he was there, Mr. Mamie cut up a cantaloupe and mango for the week’s breakfast smoothies while I prepped celery, onion, carrots, and potatoes to go into the Crockpot for Monday’s dinner. Niece took the opportunity for an hour-long bath in our jetted tub – she loves it, because you can see the TV in our bedroom from the bathtub. OK, I love it too! Picked Nephew up from the church, and congratulated him on achieving Boy Scout First Class rank. On to Star! Except, football starts TODAY, so he won’t be doing much Scouting for the next three months.
I spent the rest of the evening under the ceiling fan on the bed surfing the interwebz and reading my latest trashy mystery while Mr. Mamie continued the work of networking various computers as part of his home-office set-up (today is his last day in the physical office, and then he’s going to be working at home). There was a flurry of excitement when Mrs. Igor came to pick the kids up – she was confronted by a 6-inch long scorpion hanging out on the wall of our house right by the front door! Mr. Mamie got the task of capturing it and disposing of it while the other 5 of us watched and screeched and shouted directions (I’m sure we were very helpful).
By the time I collapsed in bed at close to 11, I was ready for some gooooooood rest. Too bad we were up early to haul GolfDad to the hospital for his hip replacement surgery! He’s being sawed open right now, while I lounge in the waiting room and Mr. Mamie’s at the office for the last day. It’s going to be an interesting month, with GolfDad virtually incapacitated and pretty dependent on us, Mr. Mamie beginning to work from home, school starting, and who knows what else… by September, I’ll need a vacation!
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Menus 8/1/10 - 8/7/10
This week's menu (with links) is posted on the left-hand sidebar of the blog - you'll need to click through if you're viewing this via a feed reader.
Have a great week!
Have a great week!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)