What's at the top of my to-do list?
---I need to make up a menu before I go shopping. This is my new thing. I'm trying to go prepared with a menu. I'm thinking Lasagna one day, maybe a Ham Steak another day and I need to come up with the rest. I've just joined allrecipes.com (someday I'll learn how to do link words in HTML).
From the allrecipe.com website....
Top Reasons to become a Member
1. Join the Fun
Rate and Review Recipes
Create and Share Recipes, Photos, Meal Ideas, and much more
Publish a Cook's Profile
2. Get Organized
Save and Organize favorite recipes to your online recipe box
Plan meals and print detailed shopping lists
3. It's FREE!
Doesn't that sound GREAT??? Wow. I can see a lot of obsessive time forthcoming! Like I have soooo much time to kill!
--Ted and I are going to create a loose budget. His paychecks vary so much because of his salary depending heavily on commission, that we don't have a good guideline on spending. The need to do this stemmed from the other day when I was at a shop looking at a table to be my crop table. I called him and he didn't feel great about me spending the money. HUH? I got all the way here and NOW you tell me? So, I came home...deflated...and we discussed. Of course, all of this is following 3 fall birthdays, big dinner parties for each, Christmas shopping, and a $2500 car repair *ouch*. We use Quicken and on-line bill paying so it's easy to run report and get a great snapshot of our spending...but do we do it? Not often enough. I think it's a good wake up call to see where we are spending. Even if you feel like jumping into a lake afterwards...
--I just bought 2 digital cameras for my kids on Ebay! They were 41 and 50 dollars. Pretty good, huh? But it took me forever to research, figure out what a good deal was, and what cameras were good quality because I can't just buy any stinkin' toy camera. I gotta have one that's gonna last and be worth it! (I think I'mborderlineg Type A...is there an A-?)
What have I accomplished?
--All the nooks and crannies in my house have been vacuumed. See "latest obsession" to find out why.
--I've updated my lovely Excel spreadsheet on Christmas purchases and know where I stand. I don't have too much more shopping to do. (I told you, I'm an A-!)
--I'm fully weaned off of Zoloft.
What's bugging me?
--Mary's lack of naps and clinginess. Those molars are coming in and they aren't fun!
--The fact that the kids are asking me all kinds of questions right now....while it's MY free time and they should be in BED (or at least settling in their rooms)!
(Actual dialog>>) Sam: Mom, what's this? (looking at paper's on the counters) Me: Dad's.
Sam: Abby, did you make this? A: Yah! S: What did you try to draw...Pikachu? A: Yah.
Sam is eating snacks because he's "huuunngry!" while Abby is digging through her crafts.
Me: Abby, what are you doing? A: Just like...getting some stuff...
What's my latest obsession?
I know, you were on the edge of your seat waiting for the answer. I'm hot and heavy into my brand new, 2005, see-through plastic DUSTBUSTER! OMG...why didn't someone EVER tell me how awesome these are??? I just bought one the other day and I'm constantly cleaning up little spills with my dustbuster. This is especially good for me, and you should know if you are a faithful reader of my blog (and I think maybe there are two people out there who are *blowkisstoAnnandTheresa*), that my little ones scream in terror whenever I turn on the vacuum cleaner and cling to my legs to be held. Needless to say, my carpets don't get vacuumed much....UNTIL NOW! I'm using this thing way beyond it's design I think. I vacuumed my whole staircase, so EASY! I got into all the nooks and crannies that were full of dust bunnies. Even when the cable guy came by and moved my entertainment center forward to get to the back, I drew out my dustbuster like a woman in the old west! The little ones love it! They get right next to me and watch me do it all! Abby and Sam both took it up into their rooms and did their floors! I don't have to watch something hit the floor and wonder when it will ever come up. It's the cordless feature that makes you want to whip it out at a moment's notice. And the fact that it's small makes you look at vacuuming in a whole new light. I don't feel like I'm dragging out a huge appliance. I'm surprised FlyLady doesn't sell her own version on her website! She sells ostrich feather dusters, after all. I'm going to fly much better now with this dustbuster.
(Actual dialog>>) A: Mom, how do you spell "remember?" (If there's one thing I do a lot for her...it's spell words)
What's been making me happy?
--Duh! My dustbuster!
--Keeping my house clean makes me happy. It's not always clean...but I'm happy when it is.
--Having a meal plan makes me happy. I want to collect good, solid recipes to put on a rotation for meals. I've heard people say they have enough for 6 weeks and then start over. I think that's a good goal. Theresa, Ann, do you have any good family recipes or crowd pleasers?
5 comments:
Oh Missy, you made me smile on this one! Yes, I am a faithful reader and log on everyday to see if you've added anymore interesting tidbits! I really feel like I am 'catching up' on lost time with you as I hear all of your news!
Recipes...hhmmm...it's always a struggle for me too! I do have a chicken broccoli casserole that my kids LOVE and a crock-pot french dip sandwich recipe I think I shared with you a few years ago. I'll post both recipes in a few days. It is nearly midnight here and I have to work in the morning...shouldn't really be rummaging in my recipe box!
Back to the recipe and meal thing... One thing we often do in the winter is have a roast beef one night and use the leftover meat for french dip sandwiches a few nights later. Another thing I've just started doing is making a 9x13 lasagna for dinner and make another one for later. I don't freeze the second one whole. I cut it into 6 individual pieces when it is cool and freeze them. That way when I am working a late shift or when we are too busy (or lazy) to cook, we can pulll a few pieces out of the freezer, heat up some garlic bread and have a meal.
Ok, I have to go to bed, but I just typed "freezer meals" into google and got this site that looks good... http://busycooks.about.com/cs/freezerrecipes/
Talk to you soon!
Theresa
ok...not in bed yet...two more things...
Is the fascination with the dustbuster because it is clear and you can see all of the interesting stuff it is sucking up? We had one years ago... it was beige and heavy. We used it a lot way back then, but can't remember when it disappeared and didn't realise I might miss it until you got so excited over yours!
Last...did I tell you I am a faithful reader? How did you know? :-}
Good night..
CHICKEN BROCCOLI CASSEROLE
4 boneless chicken breasts (cooked)
large bunch of broccoli, steamed
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1c mayonnaise
1t lemon juice
1t curry powder
shredded cheddar cheese
breadcrumbs
Mix together soup, mayo, lemon juice and curry powder. Grease 9x13 casserole dish. Arrange chicken and broccoli in bottom of dish and pour sauce over the top. Sprinkle with cheese and breadcrumbs. Bake 45 min at 300.
CROCK POT FRENCH DIP SANDWICHES
3lb beef chuck roast (trimmed)
2 cups water
1/2c soy sauce
1t dried rosemary
1t dried thyme
1t garlic powder
1 bay leaf
4 whole black pepper (balls)
8 french rolls
Place roast, water soy sauce and seasonings into crock pot and cook on high for 5-6 hours. Remove meat from broth, shred with a fork and keep warm. Strain broth and skim off fat. Pour broth into small cups and serve with sandwiches.
Another crockpot sandwich one...
BBQ BEEF SANDWICHES
4lb chuck roast
1 1/2c ketchup
1/4c brown sugar
1/4c red wine vinegar
2TB dijon mustard
2TB worchester sauce
1t liquid smoke
1/2t salt
1/4t pepper
1/4t garlic powder
Combine all ingredients and pour over meat in crockpot. Cook on low for 8-10 hours (or high for 5-6 hours). Shred meat and serve on rolls.
I know I have some good recipes, but I'll have to pull some out for you. Nothing pops to mind right now because with Dan being at home, he's been fixing dinner most nights, so I haven't planned meals for awhile now.
I HAVE to tell you though, that the recipe for Chicken & Broccoli casserole that Theresa posted is the very same one we talked about a few weeks ago with Laura and Anne! Theresa made it for us all one night years ago (at the condo on Gallatin) and gave the recipe on an index card which I still have and use by the way!! My husband LOVES this meal! We serve it over rice. The distinct flavor about it is the curry, so depending on how much your family likes it, you can adjust the amount of curry.
It sounds like your dustbuster would be a great investment for me, if only to use on the stairs! The big vacuum is such a pain to use there, even with the attachment and extension tube! I'm always afraid I'm going to pull too hard and that vacuum is going to topple right down the steps on top of me!
Ann
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