Food With Little Thought

I did very little actual cooking this week. It was more of a week using leftovers or just throwing something together quickly (or eating out. No matter, we ate even if it was not very inspiring.

The upside is there is a new day coming, and I can start over with a new outlook and a better plan __maybe. 

This is what was planned

1. Takeout using monthly minimum ✔️

2. Out to eat✔️

3. Halloween dinner, hot dog, baked beans, coleslaw✔️

4. Chicken scampi, broccoli, rice

5. Pork tenderloin, roasted vegetables, tossed salad

6. Smoked sausage w/ peppers & onions, potatoes, coleslaw✔️

7. Stuffed bell pepper, green beans, mashed potatoes

And this is what happened:

Wednesday:

Lunch Green salad with grilled chicken

Dinner: Club minimum Chicken parm. tossed salad, tiramisu

Thursday: 

Lunch: Me, Collards, okra, mac and cheese (lunch w/ bookclub)

TheHub, 2 Corndogs

Dinner: Smoked sausage, grilled peppers and onions, coleslaw

Friday:

Lunch: Me, Burger, onion rings (lunch with Beloved Sis and DIL2)

TheHub,BBQ pork plate (lunch w/ Parkinson's board)

Dinner: Meatloaf, green beans, coleslaw

Saturday:

Lunch: Tossed salad

Dinner: Halloween meal, hot dogs and fixings, coleslaw, chips

Sunday:

Lunch: Leftover Chicken parm, salad

Dinner: Tacos, nachos, cake (Birthday party for a friend)

Monday:

Lunch: Me, leftover crack chicken, toast

TheHub, sausage and biscuit

Dinner: Leftover veggie beef soup

Tuesday:

Lunch: Me, gyro salad (We went to Pita Cafe for lunch)

TheHub, Racer sandwich, tabbouleh

Dinner: Me, large salad (Dinner at The Electric for trivia)

TheHub, pepperoni flatbread, coleslaw

Possibilities for the week.

1. Stuffed peppers, mashed potatoes, green beans

2. Pumpkin sausage soup, coleslaw

3. Chicken scampi, broccoli, rice

4. Pork tenderloin, roasted veggies, tossed salad

5. Out to eat

6. Tacos and all the fixings

7. Asian lettuce wraps, Thai cucumber salad

Have a great food week staying on plan, going off plan or with no plan at all.

This Week? Here's A Clue(ney)

Spotify continues to mess with me, This week I was given "Come On-A My House" as the first song on the Discover Weekly play list. I am pretty certain I never listen to Rosemary Clooney, but it must be imperative that I do. I decided the song for each day needed to have the word house in the title. I had to think hard to come up with one for Sunday!

Monday: I had a morning coffee visit planned with 2 members of our Sunday School class. I have known one of them forever, but one is new to our class and you just don't have time to get to know someone with the few minutes of chit chat before the class begins. 

It was great to get to know her a little better! 

It was also TheHub's and my anniversary. We did not go out to celebrate, but cooked a delicious meal here at home instead. Since TheHub manned the grill I only had to make a few things.

Learned: I got to know about my friends life and family.

Listened to: Our House

Tuesday: We decided to take a quick anniversary trip to Northwest Alabama for a couple of days. It takes just under 2 hours to get to the beautiful Quad City area, and there were a couple of things we wanted to do there. 

Our first stop was a lovely little off the beaten path meat and 3 for lunch.

Next we went to the W.C. Handy museum, and the Alabama Music Hall of Fame museum.

We had reservations to a restaurant in Florence for dinner, but had no idea they block several blocks of Court Street for a Halloween celebration. (The restaurant was in the middle of the blocked off area)

We were delighted to be able to see tons of kids in costumes along with their parents there to Trick or Treat the downtown merchants) 

Learned WC handy played at Dwight Eisenhower's inauguration

Listened to: A House Is Not A Home

Who knew listening to  Broadway on Sirius while driving to Florence would come in so handy

Wednesday: We rode thorough the downtown areas of Tuscumbia and Sheffield and  marveled at the homes on the bluff in Sheffield that overlooked the Tennessee river. Both the stately homes and the views were spectacular.

Afterward we drove to The Rattlesnake Saloon to have lunch. The person in our family who obsesses over every detail, evidently did not read the website carefully and did not know they were closed Mon.-Wed. It seems they change schedules during the fall, before closing for the winter. I am glad I am not the obsessive one because I would still be hearing about it.

Learned: Tuscumbia boasts the distinction of having the oldest commercial district in the state of Alabama

Listened to: This Old House

I must have had Rosemary Clooney on the brain

Thursday:  I had an uneventful morning and should have been doing more than I was doing, but I wasn't. 

Bookclub met for lunch and we ate and talked for nearly 2 hours. We always choose a restaurant that has a small lunch crowd so we will not be taking a table from someone who is in a hurry to eat and run back to work.

I ran a couple of errands before returning home, then spent the rest of the day doing little. I am quite adept at doing little.

What I learned: Learned my new favorite wine is from a vineyard in Spain

Listened to:  Brick House

Friday: I had a wonderful day with My Beloved Sister and DIL2. We went to Smith's to see what they have that is new, beautiful, and/or different. I walked out with a few Christmas presents and some early Christmas spirit. 

Since we were already in Mt. Brook Village (and had found a parking place which is a premium there) we decided to stay and eat lunch there.  
The food was fine but the company was great. And we were able to enjoy another serendipitous event. They have an annual "Witches Ride" through the village to raise money for charity. There was a "coven" sitting at a large round table at the restaurant. The costumes were fantastic!

What I learned: I learned the lovely Glasshouse candles, though very pretty and look so festive while burning are not worth the price, at least not to me. (Though I did put one in my basket and walk around the store with it before common sense prevailed and I put it back)

Listened to: House of the Rising Son

Saturday: My Beloved Sister and I had to run cakes for my cousins retirement party Sunday, to his nephews house. They live close to me and the party was to be held about 45 minutes away. Neither my sister nor I planned on going to the party and his wife volunteered to take them when she went.

The rest of the day was spent doing laundry and getting the house ready for the little ghosts and goblins that would be coming by. My sister's neighborhood never gets any action so we invited her to come eat with us and enjoy the Trick or Treaters. We had close to 80 kids come by. I give out full size Hershey Bars, but I make them work to get them. They either have to tell me a joke or listen to one. A lot of the kids remembered from last year and had a joke ready. It make it a lot more fun than just grabbing and running. And I may have heard "why did the chicken cross the road" about 20 times. That said, one girl put a new twist on it. Her answer was "BECAWS!!!"

After the night was over, I went outside and got all the Halloween decorations and brought them in.

What I learned: I am so tragically unhip I had no idea, even after being told, who some of the costumes were supposed to be.

Listened to: Burning Down the House

Sunday: This was our usual Sunday morning church routine, plus it was communion Sunday at our traditional worship service, so we had communion twice Sunday morning.

After church we came home and goofed around the house until it was time to get ready to go to our friend's surprise party. It was a lovely party (This is what happens when you have daughter's.  I have only sons and the only surprise I will get will be when they stick me in the cheapest nursing home)

We saw folks at the party that we have not seen in years and years.  It was great!

What I learned: One of the people at the party was a guy who is close to our older sons' ages. I would never have recognized the 6'4" tree of a man who was a 5'9" and to use his terms was a kid weighing "a buck twenty soaking wet". That was  the teen I knew.

Listened to: House at Pooh Corner 

Personal Tidbit about me: I did not grow even a half inch in height after I was 10. I was the tallest person in the 5th grade.

Read this week: Lost Lambs

Have a great week.

May all your weeds be wildflowers.

Anne

Christms Update

I am continuing the Christmas update. Everything in the  red front was from the previous Christmas post. The black font is what was done the past week toward Christmas. I am doing this to keep me on track. I am very scatterbrained and tend to forget to do things that need to be done. I am hoping a weekly account will force my hand to get things done very timely. Now all of a sudden it is November and Christmas is just 54 days away. Lots to do and little time to get it done!

10/19  Bought a 6 dollar 4 foot tree at Dollar Tree, figuring it would either work for the location I want to put it or it  would not. When I got it home I fluffed it out and it did fit on the dining room buffet. I took a before photo of the tree and will take an after once it is fully decorated (if I decide I like it) If I don't like it I am only out 6 bucks and some time.

10/20 Bought bulk stamps for our Christmas Cards. I still send them out each year.

10/21 To have a tree in the den I have to move one of the end tables that sits by the couch and staircase.  I store board games on the shelf in the table and really have no other place to put them on the main level of the house during the holidays. 

Instead I wrap them in old wrapping paper, and "hide" them in plain sight on the shelf where they always are. Sometimes decorating is nothing but smoke and mirrors, right. They are wrapped and waiting for me to move the table to the dining room. (Friday after Thanksgiving)  

We will not be playing them until real winter hits here sometime in January, so they will not be missed at all.

10/22 I started playing with the ribbon I want woven through the 6 dollar tree. I think it might work. I got the tree topper bow done and am undecided about weaving more through the branches. It'a a small tree and the extra ribbon might overpower it.

10/23 Got all the presents that have been bought so far wrapped. Also made the clay to cut out Pip's little 3 year old handprint for a garland. The clay did not work because of a user error (me). I could not get the edges as smooth as I wanted them to be. Instead I dug through my stash and found some wonderful Christmas card stock. I cut enough to make 15 toddler hands, gluing front to back papers, so there is a design on both sides. Now I need to decide exactly how I am going to use them. 

10/24 Ordered a hard to find gift for a hard to shop for person.

10/25 Made a list of party foods to serve at the Dec.2 party, and also listed cookies and candies to make and give to friends.

New week:

10/26 Downloaded (Thanks Libby app) 4 Christmas magazines. Skimmed through all 4 but knew I had them for 7 days to study when I had more time.

Went shopping briefly and found 2 Christmas presents for 2 special people

10/27 On our way to Florence (that would be Florence Alabama, rather than Florence Italy) we stopped at Smith Farms. I walked out with 2 Christmas gifts

Then I found another few gifts at a museum gift shop.

10/28 We stopped at a really cute little shop in Florence and I found the perfect gift for Son2. Then we made one more stop on the way home and I found another present for Son3.

Once home I got all the newly purchased gifts wrapped.

10/29 Got all the presents I bought on the trip wrapped

10/30 Went to Smith's just to see what they currently have. Walked out with 5 Christmas gifts and a couple of ideas for later!

10/31 Wrapped the gifts bought Friday. Covered a large Amazon boxes exterior in wrapping paper to hold all the gifts I have wrapped. Enjoyed Halloween.

11/1 Read several Christmas magazines and found a couple of recipes I want to try during the holiday including making both chocolate and butter candles. I can say, with confidence, I am doing nothing else before tomorrow
 

The Meals We Really Ate

The week came and went. Some meals happened and some didn't. We should stay home and eat here more often, but we probably won't. I am practicing saying yes whenever TheHub suggests going somewhere, though it not not easy for me to do.

Possibilities for last Wednesday- Tuesday

1. Stuffed bell pepper, green beans, croissant, tossed salad

2. Veggie dinner TBD, but will include leftover butter peas✔️

3. Tacos with all the fixings, coleslaw✔️

4. Almost chicken parm, broccoli, tossed salad

5. Crack chicken, brussels sprouts, mashed potatoes✔️

6. Out to eat✔️

7. Grilled tuna steak, cheese grits, tossed salad

Wednesday : TheHub with some of the Parkinson's board members had lunch for the staff of Alabama Parkinson's Association in appreciation of their hard work toward the big fundraiser. I was left at home with my thoughts and laundry!

Lunch: He ate a mixed green salad with salmon on top.

I had a smidgen of leftover coleslaw and about 1/4 cup of leftover Waldorf salad.

Dinner: Taco's with all the fixings, side salad

Thursday: I was out during lunch but TheHub was home

Lunch: Burger, Diet Dr Pepper for me, 

Turkey sandwich for TheHub

Dinner: Crack chicken, mashed potatoes, coleslaw

Friday: We were both home most of the day. No eating out

Lunch: TheHub had leftover chili, I ate leftover spaghetti sauce over cauliflower

Dinner: Veggie meal of leftover butter peas, turnip greens, baked sweet potato

Saturday: Ball game day meant lots of ball game watching.

Lunch: Zaxby's. We always split a 6 piece tenders plate and order an additional coleslaw

Dinner: Vegetable soup

Sunday: We did our church routine, then headed home for a quick bite to eat.

Lunch: 

Dinner. Meatloaf, mashed potatoes, leftover turnip greens, pear slices

Monday: I had early morning coffee plans with friends and got home just in time to have lunch, though neither of us were hungry.

Lunch: cheese toast

Dinner: This was our actual anniversary.

Steak, baked potato, tossed salad, croissant

Tuesday: We took a quick road trip

Lunch: At Clauch. Fried chicken broccoli casserole green beans mashed potatoes biscuit 

Dinner: Ate at Odette in Florence, Al. This was one of the best meals I have eaten this year.

TheHub had seared tile fish in a coconut-red curry lentil stew, swiss chard, pickled red pearl onions, mixed green salad with buttermilk vinaigrette

I had seared scallops & pork belly with cauliflower purée, apples, sorghum sweet potatoes, pistachio-mustard green gremolata, mixed green salad with buttermilk vinaigrette

1. Takeout using monthly minimum

2. Out to eat

3. Traditional Halloween dinner, hot dog, baked beans, coleslaw

4. Chicken scampi, broccoli, rice

5. Pork tenderloin, roasted vegetables, tossed salad

6. Smoked sausage w/ peppers & onions, potatoes, coleslaw

7. Stuffed bell pepper, green beans, mashed potatoes

Have a great week staying on plan, going off plan, or with no plan at all.

A Foolish Week?

The Spotify gods decided I needed to hear Why Do Fools Fall in love and sent it as the number one song on my Discover Weekly playlist. So, I supposed I would need to think of songs with Fool in the title or lyrics.

Monday: This was a wonderful stay at home day. I had a lot to get done, and did part of what was on the list. Oh, well! I suppose part is better than none.

Learned: William H Taft is the only president other than JFK who was buried in Arlington National Cemetery

Listened to: What kind of Fool do you think I am

Tuesday: I was at home a good part of the day, before doing some last minute cherry picking before the food ads for the week disappeared. That evening we went to trivia at The Electric for a quick dinner followed by a little game play. We actually scored decently high, but we never turn our sheet in. We just enjoy the play and being in a room with other people.

Learned: Vicki Vale was Batman's one time gal pal (trivia q we missed)

Listened to:  The Fool on the Hill

Wednesday: This was my weekly class day. I really wanted to go but woke sneezing and coughing my head off. I was hoping it was just seasonal allergies, but I would not like being in a room with someone who sounded like I did, so I stayed home. As the morning got a bit later I felt much better, because Buckley's is some magic elixir created by some sadist, crossing oil of skunk with pine tree sap. Not really but it is what it tastes like.

I cannot find that wretched syrup anywhere in Alabama, and almost panicked for I only had enough for 2 doses. Thanks to Amazon, I had 2 more bottles of the evil liquid delivered to my door. Can you tell I have a love/hate relationship with it?

I had posted a kids bench with a bookshelf beneath the seat on our local Facebook "Buy Nothing" site. I was very happy to see it leave, though it did not go far. A person who recently moved into the neighborhood wanted it. Hope her grandkids enjoy it.

What I learned: Never eat a chocolate chip too soon after taking Buckley's. It ruins the taste of everything that comes near it.

Listened to: A Fool in Love 

Thursday: I woke feeling so much better than I had the day before, which was great because I was going to be volunteering at my happy place. My Beloved Sister and I headed that way but had to stop at Aldi to pick up a couple of necessary ingredients to make BOO Berry shakes. I live a good 30 minute drive (if traffic is kind) from Independence Place and did not want two quarts of ice cream melting in the back of my car. We allowed an additional 30 minutes time to grab it and still get to IP in time. 

Of course before we began I told the participants I had kale, brussels sprouts, and broccoli to make a healthy green drink. They were not unhappy when one by one they added the ingredients to create blueberry milkshakes complete with candy eyeballs on top of the whipped cream.

Different days of the week has different participants, and they want me to make the "green drink" when I go to my next Monday volunteer day. (Probably because I told them Monday's group wanted me to make the green stuff with the Thursday participants.)

What I learned: The Rattlesnake Cafe, near Tuscumbia, Alabama is in a cave that was once home to indigenous people.

Listened to: Fools Rush In

Friday: This was another day at home to do some laundry catching up, with a little Christmas creative time. I have needed to do something creative with my hands lately. 

What I learned: Getting our immediate family all on the same page to plan a family vacation is not easy!!! 

Listened to: What Kind Of Fool am I

Saturday: Naturally it was ball game day here for college football fans like we are. TheHub had tickets to the game but sold them to the folks who have season tickets next to ours so we watched the game together. In truth we started watching the Auburn, LSU game but ran to the store and to pick up lunch during the 2nd quarter.

Then we watched Alabama while flipping back and forth keeping up with Tennessee/ South Carolina, and BYU/ Central Florida. 

After a quick break for dinner, we resumed watching Texas/Ole Miss, and Vandy/Kentucky

What I learned: Too many games start running together and I forget who I am watching.

Listened to: Everybody's Somebody's Fool

Sunday: We began our Sunday like we do each week going to the communion service, followed by the traditional service and ending with Sunday School.

On our way home we ran by Publix to cherry pick the week's ad.

Once home we changed into shorts and sweatshirts and did  house stuff, talked via phone to My Beloved Sister, Son1, and Son2. 

What I learned: I learned Aaron Neville sang Sunday's song. I knew the song but had no idea who sang it until I found it on YouTube.

Listened to : Everybody Plays the Fool

Read The Anniversary

Getting personal: I am not a terribly picky eater and there are foods like fried eggs that I dislike intensely but could choke down if I absolutely had to. There are 3 foods that never come in contact with my mouth. Beets, bananas, and liver (which includes all forms of liver or liver by products including foie gras)

Have a great week.

May all yourt weeds be wildflowers.

Anne

Daily Christmas Countdown

Last Monday I began a concentrated list if what I am doing toward Christmas each day. Since today is exactly 2 months until the big day, I am planning on posting each Sunday, until the last Sunday prior to Christmas. I might do a final update on the 23rd, but only if I am still chasing my tail then. Fingers crossed I will not be!

10/19  Bought a 6 dollar 4 foot tree at Dollar Tree, figuring it would either work for the location I want to put it or it  would not. When I got it home I fluffed it out and it did fit on the dining room buffet. I took a before photo of the tree and will take an after once it is fully decorated (if I decide I like it) If I don't like it I am only out 6 bucks and some time.

                                        Sad little tree isn't she

10/20 Bought bulk stamps for our Christmas Cards. I still send them out each year.

10/21 To have a tree in the den I have to move one of the end tables that sits by the couch and staircase.  I store board games on the shelf in the table and really have no other place to put them on the main level of the house during the holidays. 

Instead I wrap them in old wrapping paper, and "hide" them in plain sight on the shelf where they always are. Sometimes decorating is nothing but smoke and mirrors, right. They are wrapped and waiting for me to move the table to the dining room. (Friday after Thanksgiving)  

We will not be playing them until real winter hits here sometime in January, so they will not be missed at all.

10/22 I started playing with the ribbon I want woven through the 6 dollar tree. I think it might work. I got the tree topper bow done and am undecided about weaving more through the branches. It'a a small tree and the extra ribbon might overpower it.

10/23 Got all the presents that have been bought so far wrapped. Also made the clay to cut out Pip's little 3 year old handprint for a garland. The clay did not work because of a user error (me). I could not get the edges as smooth as I wanted them to be. Instead I dug through my stash and found some wonderful Christmas card stock. I cut enough to make 15 toddler hands, gluing front to back papers, so there is a design on both sides. Now I need to decide exactly how I am going to use them. 

10/24 Ordered a hard to find gift for a hard to shop for person.

10/25 Made a list of party foods to serve at the Dec.2 party, and also listed cookies and candies to make and give to friends.

And that is it for this week. I am going to be out of town for a couple of days next week. Hopefully I can find something Christmas related there, because time is passing me by so quickly!

Ho, Ho, Hop to it!

Recap and What's Possible

I was out of just about all produce and needed to replenish it. Additionally, the canned goods supply in my food storage was low and needed to be updated. Two different stores had some pretty good prices on some of those that I keep all the time, so it made economical sense to stock up.

Between those 2 stores and an unplanned visit to Costco, I have so much on hand there is no reason for us to go out to eat, even though I know we will.

Planned for Wednesday - Tuesday:

1. Spaghetti with meat sauce, tossed salad, birthday cake ✔️

2. Ball game meal TBD ✔️

3. Baked chicken, broccoli, rice, waldorf salad ✔️

4. Meatloaf, mashed potatoes, green beans, coleslaw

5. Stuffed sweet potatoes, coleslaw

6. Out to eat ✔️

7. Grilled steak, baked potato, tossed salad ✔️

What we actually ate: I am including lunches now. I am also adding whatever TheHub had that was different from me. He charts everything he eats, but sometimes forgets. I am keeping this so he can add it on those days he does not remember to do it.

This will also help me to keep up better with using things I have on hand or in the fridge.

Wednesday: Just the two of us celebrated TheHub's birthday on the actual day.

Lunch: We went to Senlek Thai for lunch. I had cucumber salad and steamed dumplings. TheHub had coconut soup and spring rolls.

Dinner: I made TheHubs favorite meal for him. Spaghetti with meat sauce, tossed salad, cake.

Thursday: TheHub had meetings and I was doing house things.

Lunch: We had a couple of hot dogs left in a pack, along with a couple of buns. We each had one. 

Dinner: Chicken, broccoli, croissant, Waldorf salad

Friday: The birthday celebration continued. We met Son2 and DIL2 for lunch at Seasons 52

Lunch: TheHub ate planked salmon, steamed vegetables, new potatoes

I had a mixed green salad with seared tuna and red peppers

Dinner: Neither of us were really hungry.

Small bit of leftover pulled pork split between us, corn on 

the cob

Saturday: This was a ball game day

Lunch: Steamed shrimp, tuna dip w/ crackers, marinated coleslaw

Dinner: Ball game meal + a cooler night meant chili.

Sunday: We like to begin the week going to church, and most Sundays we stop at a grocery store on the way home. This time Trader Joe's was the store of choice.

Lunch: Dumplings and spring rolls bought at TJ's

Dinner: Grilled steak, potato, tossed salad

 Monday: This was a day long stay at home day for both of us, which is pretty rare. Usually one or both of us are out doing something.

Lunch: Leftover Chili

Dinner: Almost veggie dinner. Butter peas, sautéed squash and onions, coleslaw, leftover tuna dip and crackers

Tuesday: We were in and out during the day. Lunch was eaten at home, dinner was eaten out.

Lunch: Toasted bacon and cheese sandwich

Dinner: Out to eat, pepperoni flatbread and coleslaw for TheHub. Mixed greens salad with apples and walnuts for me.

Possibilities for Wednesday- Tuesday

1. Stuffed bell pepper, green beans, croissant, tossed salad

2. Veggie dinner TBD, but will include leftover butter peas

3. Tacos with all the fixings, coleslaw

4. Almost chicken parm, broccoli, tossed salad

5. Crack chicken, brussels sprouts, mashed potatoes

6. Out to eat

7. Grilled tuna steak, cheese grits, tossed salad

Lunches should be sandwiches or whatever is leftover. TheHub has still not learned that lunch does not have to be what sounds good at the moment. I blame it on all of his working years and eating out daily at a variety of restaurants for lunch. 

* I bought one slice of cake and we split it