Valentine's Day Tree

I need to get some more decorations, but the Valentine's Day tree is up!

 

This Weeks Menu and a Missing Family Member

 We are missing someone this week.  Sunday we took the oldest back to college.  We all miss him and it's going to take some time to get used to family life without him.  I feel like we are just not complete.  But I know he's where he needs to be.  

Last weeks menu included all of his favorite meals and some take out that he requested.  It certainly wasn't the healthiest of eating plans.  I feel like I need a detox.  Since we are down a family member, I am truly trying to cut our grocery bill.  It was really getting out of control.  I'm embarrassed to write down what it got up to.  So I am making some changes.  2 in private school and 1 in college means money is very tight.  It's up to me to do a better job being a steward of our finances.  

This weeks menu:

Fri:  Pierogi's (from a Cleveland bakery) and baked cod (sprinkled with lemon juice and fish seasoning. Baked at 400 F until done)

Sat:  Take out Pizza (per son's request)

Sun:  Left overs/sandwiches after our 8 hour trip

Mon:  Dirty Rice (I used venison and used this recipe from Grandbaby Cakes as a guide)

Tues:  Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup (from Baked By Rachel)

Wed:  Mini venison meat loaves,  mashed potatoes, vegetable (mashed potatoes in the slow cooker from Made It. Ate It. Loved It.)

Thurs:  Honey Sesame Chicken in the slow cooker over rice (from The Gunny Sack)

I spent a lot less at the grocery for this week than I had been.  But we bought the pierogi's, pizza, and lunch on the road Sunday so the savings wasn't as much as I had hoped.  There's no eating out next week so hopefully I can see a bigger savings.  One thing I am going to try to do more is soups.  Soups with rolls can be filling, healthy, and cost effective.  

Hop on over to Orgjunkie.com for more menu planning inspiration on her Menu Plan Monday post for this week (and yes, it's Tuesday.  I'm a day behind). 

Meal Planning: Week of 1/8 thru 1/14/2021

 We are only a family of five but I feel like I spend a lot of time buying food, prepping food, finding recipes, and cooking food. The only way I can keep everything straight is to meal plan.  I usually start doing this on Tuesdays by getting recipes together and figuring out what stores I will need to shop.  Because of the pandemic, I do a lot of pick up orders. Most of the stores didn't have a pick up option before Covid, but now that I've been doing it for a while, I prefer it to actually going into the store. 

I skipped doing any exercise this morning so that I could meal plan for next week and schedule my pick up order for Friday.  My meals plans usually run Friday-Thursday since my shopping day is typically on Friday.  

Cookbooks I used for next week's menu

Fridays are meatless at our house.  I try to make Saturday something fun.  And Sundays are comfort meals.  Usually Tuesday is something Mexican.  And every other day is just what works for that particular day.  We are not in sports season right now, but when we are, I plan many more meals that utilize the slow cooker.

This weeks menu was as follows:

Friday:  Fish, rice, and vegetables (ended up being Barramundi, rice, and steamed broccoli)

Saturday:  Chicken Lettuce Wraps from the Make It Fast, Cook It Slow cook book and left over rice

Sunday:  BBQ Pulled Pork from the same cook book.

Monday:  Left over BBQ Pork and Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Tuesday:  Quick Cajun Dirty Rice from Gwen's Nest

Wednesday:  Taco Bake from Spaceships and Laser Beams.  I will sub corn tortillas for the flour tortillas in the recipe so that this will be allergy friendly for our family.

Thursday:  Chicken Tortilla Soup from Baked By Rachel

Lunch is left overs, deli meat sandwiches, or salads
The only one who eats breakfast is the eight year old and he usually has pancakes, waffles, fruit smoothies, yogurt or toast.  I made a few Egg Cups last week for me to have at lunch, but he wanted to try them and he really liked them.  He normally does not like eggs so I was excited that he ate them.  I made him scrambled eggs this week and he was not a fan.  So I hope to make more egg cups this weekend for his breakfast next week.  I used to participate in Menu Plan Monday on Orgjunkie.com but I got out of the habit.  I hope to get back into it for 2021.  It helps keep me organized.

When The World Seems Crazy

 The last week has been horrible for our country.  We all know what happened and we all know who is using it to further their own agenda.  I do not want to get political on this blog.  I will say that I'm weary.  I'm so weary of all the vitriol spewed on social media, the mainstream media, and politicians.

I'm weary, but I'm not giving up.  I'm focusing on my people.  My people. The people that God gave me to take care of.  I'm also going to continue to pray, read my bible, and be kind to everyone around me.  I will spread kindness and smiles (behind my mask...I try to have smiling eyes)  to all those I come in contact with.

I am trying to stay off social media as much as I can.  I have moved my Facebook app to the last page of my phone which is empty.  If I don't see it or it's notifications, I will not be tempted to check it.  I really don't have much to do with Twitter anyway, so I'm not about to start now.  I'm contemplating deleting both of these platforms, and only time will tell.  I am still checking my Instagram.  I always loved Instagram because it really wasn't political, until the last year or two.  Then politics also crept in there too.  I have removed or muted anyone (from either side) that has decided to be angry, share lies, or put people down.  Life is too short to be slapped with hate every time you pick up your phone.  I will keep Instagram for now, but again, nothing is written in stone.  

As for the news, I stopped watching any news about 8 years ago.  I always got what I needed from various outlets through Facebook.  Now that I'm not really on Facebook, I still have one local news app on my phone.  If anything happens that I need to know about, I'll get my information from that (which even though local, is still leaning to one side and loves to share salacious headlines).

My TV viewing is pretty limited as it is.  I either watch Hallmark or HGTV/DIY Network.  I'm sticking with that.

But there are some bright spots in this beginning of the new year.

Bible In A Year with Fr. Mike Schmitz and Ascension Press is my new favorite podcast.  I am so blessed by this podcast.  I love that he reads a section of the bible every day, prays with us, then gives an explanation of what was just read.  You do not have to listen to the podcast.  You can download the reading plan.  But I enjoy listening to Fr. Mike.

A Bowl Full Of Lemons 2021 Home Organization Challenge and The Clean Mama 2021 Quick Clean Home Reset Challenge :  I love both of these ladies.  They make cleaning easy, and enjoyable.  And believe me, if anyone needs help organizing, it's me.  I'm also enjoying tips from Go Clean Instagram Page . I can't control the dumpster fire around me, but I can control my own home.

Daily Connoisseur on YouTube.  I mentioned her in a previous post, but I really enjoy her videos.  

The App from Kira Stokes :  I'm not going to lie to you.  This app is HARD.  Especially for an out of shape, fifty one year old mom.  I'm taking it slow.  And I'm modifying it where I need to.  But when I finish a workout, I feel so accomplished.  I'm working on my muscles this year and this app will do it.

I'm also hoping to be here more this year.  I used to blog all the time.  I know the blogging community isn't the same as it was when I originally started in 2006, but I truly miss blogging.  I miss putting my thoughts down and not for likes or comments.  I just like having a place to share.  

The Best of 2020: Recipe Addition

Of all the things 2020 gave us, we seemed to get a renewed interest in cooking, gardening, and apparently making sourdough bread.  While I didn't personally make sourdough bread, I did do a lot of cooking.  The following are some of my favorite NEW recipes from 2020.

1.  Mississippi Chicken by Plain Chicken
It's just got a good flavor and is so juicy.  

2.  Sticky, Sweet, and Spicy Meatballs from Our Happy Mess
I call these sriracha meatballs.  I use gluten free panko crumbs and skip the egg to make these allergy friendly for our family.  I like to serve them over brown rice with steamed broccoli on the side.
  
3.  Greek Turkey and Rice Skillet from Budget Bytes
This is a good "bulk" meal to feed my hungry men.  It can be done cost effective and fills up their bellies.  The olives and the feta give it great flavor.  

4.  Easy Taco Mac from Maebell's Simply Easy Recipes.
Another good bulk meal.  My people love all things "taco".  This more than fits the bill and again, can be done economically.  

5.  Triple Decker Club Sandwich from Oh Sweet Basil
I'm not sure why I don't think of sandwiches for dinner more often, but I don't.  I make these to everyone's taste.  One is allergic to mayo so I leave that off for him.  Two don't like avocados so I leave those off for them and give extra avocado to the child obsessed with them.  Sandwiches can be quick and are great in the summer when it's hot out and you don't feel like cooking.

6. Fast and Easy Pesto Lasagna from Food & Wine
I used a nut free jarred Pesto sauce, gluten free lasagna noodles, and skipped the egg.  Easy and allergy friendly.

7.  Smothered Philly Cheese Cube Steak from Melissa's  Southern Style Kitchen
We bought a quarter cow last year and it came with cube steaks.  I never used cube steaks before and didn't have a clue what to do with them.  This recipe was a real crowd pleaser.  I used gluten free buns for the child with food allergies.  Just be careful if you put buns under the broiler.  They go FAST and I incinerated the first batch.

Some Extras:

8.  Pressure Cooker Beans from A Mindfull Mom
I ALWAYS forget to soak the beans.  With this recipe, you don't have to.  

9.  Teriyaki Sauce from The Genuine Table
I have a hard time finding allergy friendly teriyaki sauce.  Now I can just make my own.

10.  Sweet and Spicy Asian Coleslaw
We did garden this year.  And I got several giant cabbage.  Two children refuse to eat cabbage and one of those children has the food allergies.  I made the recipe as is, but if he liked cabbage, I would have subbed the mayo with a vegan version.  

You can find photos of most of these over on The Prayer, Grace, and Tea Instagram

I would like to give a BIG THANK YOU to all the workers of Giant Eagle Curbside and Delivery, Instacart Pick Up and Delivery, and Walmart Store Pick Up for all their hard work keeping us in food this year.  I am so grateful to you for all your hard work when I either couldn't get into the store or didn't feel safe going into the store.  My son works in the meat department of Giant Eagle so I know exactly how hard you all worked and what you had to go through.  THANK YOU!

The Best of 2020: Reading Addition

 Honestly, looking back at the year we had, you would think that I would have read more.  My goal was to read 25 books this year and I managed to read 27.  But with being quarantined for a few months, I would have expected to read more.  I'm sad that I did not.  I need to cut down on my "online time" in 2021 (Facebook, Instagram, and just random scrolling).  That is a goal of mine for the new year.  Less online time, and more reading.

One thing that the pandemic did do for me was that I got used to reading e-books.  I used to have a Kindle reader but it is so old (I think it's a first gen) that it no longer works so I had been using my phone.  I actually had a library book at home when the pandemic first hit the U.S. and we were locked down.  But the library was closed after that and no more books were being lent out.  They were, however, loaning out e-books and that became my way to keep up with my reading.  I still prefer a book in my hands and reading them on my phone can be a bit hard (I'm 51 and still don't need reading glasses, but I'm getting there), even when I increase the font size (I really wish my Kindle worked).

I also discovered audio books.  Boy was I against those.  The sacrilege!!  But I actually discovered those before quarantine.  My son had an out of town wrestling tournament that happened to be 4 hours away.  He rode with the team and I drove alone so I downloaded an audio book (again, free from the library) to keep me company.  Then I discovered that I could listen to audio books while I cleaned and it made cleaning so much more pleasant.  The 8 year old and I are currently listening to "The Little House on the Prairie" before bed each night and enjoying it immensely.  

I enjoyed most of the books I read this year.  One was just so bad that I couldn't finish it, and once again that is just something that I just don't do.  No matter how bad the book is, I will gut it out.  This particular book was so disjointed, repetitive, and just made no sense that I had to stop reading it.  It was actually making me angry.

Here is my list of the top 10 books that I read in 2020:

10.  The Little Book of Hygge:  The Danish Way to Live Well by Meik Wiking
I love the thought of Hygge.  Winters here in Ohio can be so long and dreary that the art of hygge appeals to me.  I need comfort and peace to help me get through.  I do not enjoy the snow and cold at all, but this is where I live and the older I get the more I'm trying to embrace it.  I read two other books about hygge and one was ok but used much of the information from this book (even quoting this book in every chapter) and the other one was the book I didn't finish.

9.  The Jane Austen Diet:  Austen's Secrets to Food, Health, and Incandescent Happiness by Jane Austen, Bryan Kozlowski 
This book was just a fun read.  I love cookbooks, diet books, and self help books about health.  I may not agree with or use everything in the books, but I just enjoyed reading this book and there were many useful ideas.  Plus I love all things Jane Austen, and Bryan Kozlowski's humor kept me laughing.

8.  Polish Your Poise with Madame Chic:  Lessons in Everday Elegance by Jennifer L. Scott

7.  At Home with Madame Chic:  Becoming a Connoisseur of Daily Life by Jennifer L. Scott

6.  Lessons from Madam Chic:  20 Stylish Secrets I Learned While Living in Paris by Jennifer L. Scott
The three books above by Jennifer L. Scott were also very fun reads.  I am a Francophile at heart and I really love reading anything that has a French flare or talks about how the French live and eat.  I also found her You tube channel at the Daily Connoisseur and I have really been enjoying that too.

5.  The Blue Zones Kitchen:  100 Recipes to Live to 100 by Dan Buettner
The book and photos are beautifully done.  I have tried several of the recipes and they are very good and my family likes them also.  

4. The Lost Girls of Paris by Pam Jenoff
This book is set in WWII and centers around an all female spy ring that was deployed around Occupied Europe.  A suitcase is found in New York City and it contains numerous photos of women.  Grace Healey, the woman who found the suitcase, sets out to solve the mystery of who were these woman, and what happened to them.  

3.  The Gown by Jennifer Robson
Things are bleak in post war Europe. But the upcoming wedding of Queen Elizabeth II is one bright spot and something that all of Britain is looking forward to.  The book mostly takes place during that time period, and follows the lives of two women chosen to help embroider the Queen's gown.  It flashes back and forth between post war Britain and 2016 Toronto where a granddaughter finds some embroidery that would have been made for the Queens dress among her late grandmother's things.  The grandmother never really spoke about her life before she came to Toronto so the granddaughter sets out to solve the mystery of how the embroidery came into her grandmother's possession.  

2.  The Girl Who Came Home by Hazel Gaynor
The book follows Maggie Murphy and 13 other residents from a small Irish town on their ill fated journey to America abroad the Titanic.  Maggie is among one of the few survivors from steerage and vows to never speak of what happened to her.  After her father's death, Maggie's great granddaughter Grace struggles to decide what direction her life should take, and Maggie decides to share her terrible experience aboard the Titanic.  This gives Grace a new direction and helps both women to reunite with people they had lost or thought they lost.  The book deals with disaster, survivors guilt, and the lasting repercussions of the Titanic's tragedy.  The book is based on true events and blends fact with fiction.

1.  Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
I really enjoyed this book even though it's outside of my usual reading choices. There are a few risque scenes and some racy language.  It's not for the younger crowd.  Every one of my Good Reads friends read it and it was on the best seller list forever.  Usually I shy away from books like that but my mother read it and recommended it and I had to see what the fuss was all about.  I won't give a synopsis of it here, because you can find that anywhere on line.  I will say that it is a bittersweet story.  The main character experiences so much loss that I just couldn't see how she could go on.  But she does.  And while the book is sad and my heart broke for the lead character, her strength gave me hope and made the book inspirational.