Veni Vidi Voravi

Ok our meals were not an exact translation of the title, except for possibly Thursday night, when the meal did inspire eating with gusto.

We ate some of the meals that were planned and we did not eat some of the others. I  plan knowing that I will most likely change my mind along the way, but we still eat every single night. 

Most of our dinners are not horrible, even though there are some nights when a meal is just fodder. We eat it anyway.

It is what it is, and will be whatever it will be.

What was planned:

1. Leftover bbq pork salad

2. Veggie dinner TBD later with the exception of okra which is a given right now

3. Meatloaf, mashed potatoes or caulimash, green beans, coleslaw

4. Sweet and sour chicken (keto version) rice or caulirice, sliced cucumbers and tomatoes

5. Out to eat

6. Out to eat again(no longer delusional)

7. Something cooked on the grill (TBD), tossed salad or chopped salad.

What we really ate:

Monday: TheHub was out of town so I was left to my own dinner prep, which meant no prep at all. Thank goodness for washed salad greens and leftover pork.

Salad topped with leftover pulled pork

Tuesday: I wanted a meal that I could make ahead of time and this was it.

Meatloaf, mashed potatoes or caulimash*, sliced tomatoes

Wednesday: Our okra is producing like crazy. It was the perfect night for a veggie meal.

Okra (fried or steamed) pink eyed peas, sliced tomatoes

Thursday: So glad that TheHub and I are not picky about sharing meals. Usually my entree is better than his, but this time I would call them dead even. I was glad to have a couple of bites of his snapper 

Dinner at Hot and Hot: Tomato salad, broiled diver scallops over lemon vinaigrette infused cucumbers and cherry tomatoes, or Red snapper over braised greens, sautéed baby turnips, and mushrooms. 

Friday: TheHub wanted to go out to eat again. I was fine with it as long as we went somewhere I could get a salad.

Dinner at The Electric: Wedge salad or flatbreads

Saturday: Son2, DIL2, and TGS came over to watch the Alabama game. It was a beautiful day, perfect for grilling after the game

Grilled burgers and all the fixings, ice cream

Sunday: Neither of us wanted anything particular and we had a couple of burgers left from Saturday night, but we did not want a sandwich.

Leftover burger patty, scalloped potatoes (made from a box**) or leftover steamed cauliflower, tossed salad

What's next, or what might be next.

1. Shrimp and grits, tossed salad

2. Veggie dinner TBD later but it will include okra

3. Chicken-broccoli casserole, coleslaw

4. Sweet and sour chicken, rice or caulirice, sliced cucumbers, sliced tomatoes

5. Steak, tossed salad, keto fries or leftover scalloped potatoes 

6. Out to eat

7. Out to eat or leftovers

* I added a few drops of the mashed potato OOOflavoring to the caulimash I made Tuesday night. The taste difference was remarkable!

**I did not want anyone to think I was too ambitious and actually made scalloped potatoes from scratch. This was from an Aldi item that just needed water, a tad of milk and some butter. TheHub thought it was fine and sometimes fine is good enough.

Just For Fun

 My granddaughter and two of her neighborhood friends decided to launch a new business.  Son1 sent this to me Saturday afternoon. I wish them the best in their endeavor and feel sorry for all the creeps they will be investigating.

I assume this is their business card/flyer/whatever

Temporary GrandSon for those who may not know, is a differently abled young man living temporarily with Son2 and DIL2.  He gave this card to me Saturday afternoon.  Son2 and DIL2 said he could not be swayed once he saw it. He is unable to read and picked the card because he thought I would love the front of it. 

He can relay what he wants to  personally say on the card and I think he copied his sentiments but I am not positive. Best birthday card ever!

I told everyone in my family I wanted no gifts. I have more than I could ever want. Of course every family has that one person with a unique sense of humor, who gives you something specifically to see your reaction. 

I am not sure who laughed more, him or me. Nothing says love like a dust cloth, but I seriously do like this even though I might never use it for its intended purpose. I would have to remove the cardboard and that is what makes it so funny. Whoever said it is not fun to have adult kids is just lying! 

It is also entirely possibly that I should have named Son2 "Peter".

Life in the not so fast lane

Another week has come and gone (the 37th if you are counting) and it scares me to think how quickly the holidays will be here, the year will be gone and I will start another year keeping up with the joys I look for each day. And trust me when I tell you there are days I have to search high and low to find even one joyful thing.

Sometimes I look around and see people who live so much more exciting lives than I do, and I think there is no way they could possibly count their joyous moments. Or perhaps I am wrong and they find things they do boring or chaotic. I'm not sure, but I might like to walk in their shoes a day or two. Oh well, this is the life I lead.

BTW, I love show tunes!

Saturday: We got up and got out of the house early to run by the produce stand and get out usual Saturday morning running around done before an early ball game.  I understand TV revenue benefits to colleges and airing as many televised games as possible, but an 11 o'clock start time really messes up the day. We watched and cringed as Texas played extremely well and Alabama played extremely poorly. They pulled out the win at the last minute but I don't see how!

Sunday: The day was a routine Sunday. TheHub had to work a little but at least he was able to do it from home rather than having to drive into the office. I did at least try to make his day a little easier and made an actual hot breakfast for him. I don't eat breakfast and do not usually make one for him, but every now and then (OK, once in a blue moon) I pretend like I am a nice wife and whip him up some bacon and eggs over medium. 

Sunday evening we did a little running around to do a couple of errands, then we managed somehow to stop at our favorite bbq joint (Full Moon) for a quick dinner.  If your clothes do not smell faintly of hickory smoke when you leave a bbq restaurant, then you have chosen the wrong place to eat. The aroma from the pit is essential for the ultimate eating experience.

Monday: This was a regular type of day. Some days just getting all the laundry done, folded and put away is a huge joy. I don't count ironing though; I do that on demand and I don't demand it that often. TheHub went out of town so I had the entire night to do exactly what I wanted to do___read!

Tuesday: The day was cooler with sunny skies and low humidity, perfect for coffee on the porch. In fact I left the door to the screened porch opened all day. 

I remember when I was a kid and everyone had screened doors at the front of the house. I wish I had one right now to get a good cross-breeze on days like we had Tuesday.

 Wednesday: I had a lovely lunch at Bistro V with my former neighbor and really good friend, F.  We have been trying to find time to get together for several months, and it was great to finally be able to meet and talk. I have missed seeing her.

I also had a lengthy phone conversation with one of my friends. 

To top off the day, TheHub brought a beautiful bouquet of cut flowers home when he stopped at Publix after work.  His recreational shopping habit does have its perks.

Thursday: My Beloved Sister and I went out to lunch, then stopped by a new to her Walmart Everyday Market. It is a grocery store that is outside our suburb, but is always well stocked, neat and tidy. I hate Walmart, but I will voluntarily go to that particular store. It was nice to see her reaction to it, and like me she is going to start using it for her go-to Walmart grocery stop.

I was lucky to talk with all three sons and had messages from my DIL's. 

Son1 had some very exciting news. His car was stolen from his driveway a couple of weeks ago and was found mostly unharmed Thursday. 

TheHub and I went to Hot and Hot Fish Club for an early dinner. I was so happy the signature tomato salad was still on the menu. If you are in Birmingham and want to try somewhere really good, this is a nice place to go.

We came home and settled in to watch an episode of  Better Call Saul. It was a really good day.

Friday: The day was a perfect day to have coffee outside. After a couple of cups I decided to let Alexa blast me with music while I cleaned. About mid-day I wound up in the dining room. Big mistake. I should have started earlier. 

Instead of a china cabinet, I have corner cabinets built in on either side of the dining room window. Do you have any idea how much junk can accumulate there? 

I had already decided I would go though each and every single item, choosing anything I no longer use to go in a donations box for a local thrift store. I sorted enough for a big box, and I have only gone through the corner cabinets and about half of the sideboard.

 I found a lot of things I had forgotten I owned, and I also found my grandmother's punchbowl and cups. I could have sworn I had already given it to my cousin who will actually use it. I am leaving it on the dining room tables as a reminder to take it to her next week.

And as an aside, exactly how many table cloths are too many? 

TheHub called while I was still in the middle of sorting, polishing, and storing, to say he wanted to go to a casual restaurant for dinner.  It meant I had to stop what I was doing and get ready to go out.

Even though I was not keen on going, we ate on the patio, the weather was great, there were a couple of adorable kids playing by our table while their parents finished eating, we had a great conversation, and finished  by driving to the crest to see the remnants of a butter colored sky following the sunset. 

And now I can type this and not have to worry about it Saturday morning. Looks like I am going to be   stuck in the dining room instead!

Look for your joys each day. They are always there!

May all your weeds be wildflowers,

Anne

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Low Carb Doughnuts???

 I have mentioned several times that I have been maintaining a keto way of eating for a while. The bad thing about staying on it is that the meals can get very boring. Another is that a lot of the recipes for ketofying foods results in a mouth full of disappointment. I do try new keto recipes often and about 8 out of 10 are tried once and never tried again. The best ones are usually for savory dishes that are eaten either as a main course, or served as a side dish (like the caulitato salad that I make frequently).

The worst recipes are usually the desserts. They tend to be a horrible rendition of what should be a thoroughly lovely end to the meal. This week, however, I had some success. 

TheHub is not doing keto, and he eats bread, pasta and all sorts of things I am not eating, but he has almost given up eating sugars. This weekend he had said he really wanted something sweet and I had been toying with a recipe I found for keto  apple cider doughnuts. The only problem I had was the recipe called for apple flavoring and I had none. I did have some carrot cake* flavoring that came in a variety pack I bought the first time I ordered corn bread flavoring. It had been sitting unopened and I figured it would work just as well as the apple flavoring.

(Notice the holes.  I had to use the spatula to get these suckers out of the pan)

Almost Carrot Cake Doughnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Dry ingredients:

1 1/4 cup sifted almond flour

1/2 cup powdered swerve

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

pinch of salt

pinch of nutmeg

Wet ingredients:

2 eggs

2 tablespoons unsweetened almond milk (I am sure you could use regular milk)

1/2 teaspoon carrot cake flavoring

2 tablespoons butter, melted

Mix all the dry ingredients together in a medium bowl. Mix all the wet ingredients in a small bowl, stirring well to combine it all. Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl containing the dry mixture and stir until it is all well combined.

Easy Peasy, right?

Now comes the only critical part to making these. I have non stick doughnut pans*, and even though I was warned the doughnuts would stick in them I thought how silly. The folks who made these must not have sprayed the pans well and relied solely on the non-stick surface. So I liberally sprayed each section well with Pam, poured my dough equally into the 6 doughnut molds and popped them into the oven. I took them out in about 15 minutes and let them cool as recommended. Then I turned the pan over onto a cutting board so they would have nice flat surface to fall onto when they released. 

I lifted the pan and voila! Not a bloomin' thing had happened. The doughnuts were stuck and were not about to let go of the pan. I got my thinnest silicon spatula and ran it around the pan sides and the "hole" to loosen them, then repeated the action of turning the pan upside down on the cutting board. 2 of them released, kind of. They both tore a bit on the underside but still looked mostly like a doughnut.  Doughnuts 3-6 fared a little worse. Edible? Yes, but they had big gaps where parts of the doughnut remained in the pan.

Topping:

1/2 cup swerve granulated sweetener

2 teaspoons cinnamon

Mix in a flat bottomed bowl

When the doughnuts are completely cool to the touch, spray both sides with Pam then put into the bowl  to coat one side, flipping it over to coat the other side. Repeat until all the doughnuts are covered in "sugar"

The verdict? These were really good. TheHub snatched one before it was coated with the sweetener, and thought it was really good plain. He was wowed after he tried one with the topping on it. I liked them too and liked it even better the next day.

They were so easy to make I am going to start making them about once a week. Up next? Blueberry flavored doughnuts.

* I will not make them until the silicon doughnut pans I ordered from Amazon arrive. Evidently once they have cooled** in the pans you can just apply a little pressure to the bottom of each doughnut and they will pop right out of the pan.

**Almond flour based baked goods have to cool completely before you remove them from the pan or cookie sheet or they will completely crumble into a formless pile of crumbs.

p.s The carrot cake flavoring came from OOO Flavors.  I have no affiliation with anyone, so any product I mention here is something I have bought and had some success with. I am waiting for my purchase of apple flavoring  I ordered from Lor Ann Oils. I have never used this company for flavoring so the jury is still out.

Tuesday 4

 Well that time has come again to ponder the questions from Annie @Tuesday 4 

1. Are you happy with the way your life is going?

My life is not moving as I imagined TheHub is working more than I ever thought he would and though he occasionally says the "r" word, I do not see him retiring any time soon. I have a granddaughter living on the other coast and I am no longer willing to wait for him to take time off from his job to go see her. I have no qualms about traveling alone so if he is going to continue to work at this pace, I will make solo trips to Portland whenever I want to go.

Ditto for seeing Son3 and DIL3 in New York.

2. Are you planning any trips in the future?

See above, plus a girl trip to the beach in a few weeks! I am looking forward to that!

3. Are you reading anything at the moment or do you plan on reading something interesting? 

I am always reading something and usually have 2 or 3 books going at once.  One of the books I am reading right now, "Revenge Wears Prada: The Devil Returns", is one I would never recommend. Nothing about it even remotely rings true and though I enjoy fiction, the books have to be plausible. In all honesty I did not read the first one so I had nothing to base the writing stone on but had a friend tell me this one was a must read.  That is the only reason I am continuing to read it.

4. What's for supper tonight at your house? 

Most likely we will have a veggie dinner. Okra from the back yard is producing abundantly and I have squash in the refrigerator that needs to be cooked.

I did this post in the early morning and forgot to publish it. We did not have a veggie meal, but had a meatloaf instead.

Come on and join in and let us know what your plans are.

Dinner Plan Conundrum

When is a plan not a plan? Oh, that would be whenever I make one. Judging from the last two weeks I should just start planning where we are going out to eat instead of planning meals. Come to think of it, we  already have dinner reservations for at least one night this week. 

Delusional planning for last week:

1.BBQ chicken casserole, brussels sprouts

2. Grilled tuna steak, rice or caulirice, tossed salad, green beans

3. Meatloaf, mashed potatoes or caulimash, peas and carrots, coleslaw

4. Hamburgers with all the fixings, chips and/or keto "fries"

5. Stuffed peppers, rice, broccoli. tossed salad

6. Veggie meal TBD later

7. Out to eat    

What or where we actually ate:

Monday: We had a lazy rainy Labor Day. Instead of trying to grill I just cooked the burgers on the stovetop. It was not much of a celebration dinner, but sometimes , even on a holiday, a meal is just a meal.

Burgers and all the fixings

Tuesday: Our okra plants are going full force and have to be harvested each day. Since I had other veggies in the fridge the meal was a no-brainer.

Squash, peas, okra, sliced tomatoes

Wednesday: Along with the okra, our pepper plants are producing like gangbusters and I get about 3 new ones every day. 

Stuffed peppers, mashed potatoes (or none), tossed salad

Thursday: After going to a reception for a new art exhibit, we decided to go out to eat. I had a bit of a headache, so we just grabbed something and brought it home.

Whataburger's avocado burger (sans toast) or burger and onion rings. 

Friday: TheHub does not like to eat at home on Friday's, and even though I had planned on grilling outside, he still wanted to get out of the house for dinner. I was not about the argue with him as long as the thawed tuna was not wasted.

Fried Green Tomato's (a local meat and three) roasted chicken, stewed okra and tomatoes, coleslaw or fried catfish (it looked and smelled so good), 

Saturday: Woo hoo, it was a ball game day, which meant we were going to be home so we could watch games at 11, 2:30, and 6. To be honest except for watching Alabama, the term watch is subjective. It really means the games were on the TV with the volume kind of loud, while we were doing other things, going in an out of the den just catching up on what was happening, and flipping the stations to different games to check on them.

Grilled tuna steaks, tossed salad

Sunday: I was all set to make a meatloaf for dinner, but TheHub thought since we had bypassed bbq on Labor Day we should have it Sunday night. Fine with me!

Full Moon's bbq pork, chow chow, baked beans (or none), coleslaw

And on to this week:

(Nothing sounds good and nothing sounds bad. The only certainty is that I will have a lot of okra and peppers to use.)

1. Leftover bbq pork salad

2. Veggie dinner TBD later with the exception of okra which is a given right now

3. Meatloaf, mashed potatoes or caulimash, green beans, coleslaw

4. Sweet and sour chicken (keto version) rice or caulirice, sliced cucumbers and tomatoes

5. Out to eat

6. Out to eat (no longer delusional)

7. Something cooked on the grill (TBD), tossed salad or chopped salad.

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

36th Week of Small Joys

This week came and went, actually it flew by kind of like all the weeks are doing now. I would like to say I had wonderful adventures, and a glorious time hanging with all the beautiful people in the city, but I did not. Instead I had a week just running normal errands, seeing the folks I see on a regular basis, listening to music, reading, cleaning (minimally) and other fun stuff. In other words I was just my usual pretty boring self.

TheHub and I did sit down recently and make a list of things we need to get rid of, and we made a list of adventures we would like to have. Things may or may not happen as we planned, but I'm trying.

Saturday: We woke and did our usual running around, but this particular Saturday morning TheHub wanted to go out for breakfast. We do that about twice a year and it was so nice. I love coffee but there is something so much better about "restaurant" coffee. Maybe it is because every time the waiter passes he/she tops off the cup with steaming hot deliciousness.

We gave the Alabama football tickets to Son2, DIL2, and TGS so they stopped by for a few minutes to grab the parking pass. Any time I see them is a good day.

That night we watched the game on TV while munching on ball game snacks instead of a real dinner, which is always a treat.

Sunday: This was a traditional Sunday for us, but we did watch the LSU Florida State game on TV along with an episode of "Better Call Saul".

Monday: I had a couple of library books that were about to be due, which meant I had to do some serious reading, which is a huge joy!  I know it was Labor Day and we should have done something but TheHub was at home and he needed some serious downtime to recharge his batteries. Does cooking a hamburger on the grill count as a celebration?

Tuesday: More reading was followed by some deep cleaning in the bedroom. Cleaning is not joyful to me, but the after effects are.

Wednesday: Besides having a wonderful phone conversation with my cousin S. the day was pretty ordinary. Cooking, cleaning, dusting . . . all the stuff I really do not like to do. 

Thursday: We were invited to a pre-show reception of the works of a deceased Alabama artist, Thornton Dial. He was an untrained artist and created his works using found objects. 

I am posting pictures of a few of my favorites. I was very happy there were some benches to sit and study some fo the pieces. He used everything From old socks, to little kids pop beads in his pieces and looking at some of them was like trying to find Waldo. 

A small joy was actually having an occasion to get dressed a bit nicer than I normally do.

They had cocktails and finger foods, which neither of us had the hankering for at 6 pm. We passed on it and went out to eat afterward. Not cooking is another true joy.

Friday: I ran a few errands, dodged a storm or two then came home, had a lovely conversation with fellow blogger, Kim, fixed a simple dinner then we settled in for a "Better Call Saul" marathon, which is a true joy because TheHub does not usually like to watch more than one episode per day, of any series.

Small joys? Yes indeed! But joys, large and small, are out there if we just look for them.

May all your weeds be wildflowers,

Anne

Heavenly (Keto) Fries

 

When doing keto there are a lot of foods I miss. One is the starchy foods like rice or potatoes that tend to round out a meal. I have found decent substitutes for most things and though I am not a French fry connoisseur, I occasionally like them. When I saw this recipe for keto fries on the Youtube site Heavenly Fan I thought I might try it. Then I saw an updated version on KetoFocus YouTube channel. She had used the original recipe and done some experimenting to see if she could make them a little tastier. I am all about someone else experimenting for me

Heavenly Fan had two different recipes for making them and I will share both, since I tried both recipes.

This photo has some of both recipes. You can't even tell which is which by the color since I cooked both recipes to different levels of doneness as a taste/feel comparison.

#1. 100 grams almond flour (about  1 1/8 cups)

      3 teaspoons xanthan gum

      6 tablespoons hot water

      22 drops mashed potato flavoring*

      1/3 teaspoon salt

      Oil for frying **

Mix the almond flour and xanthan gum, Add the hot water then stir like crazy to mix everything well. When it is all mixed add 20 drops mashed potato flavoring and the salt. I found I had to mix it with my hands very well. Make a ball and let it rest in a covered bowl for about 15 minutes. I did not read the directions or watch the video so I let it rest about 7 minutes and it was fine. 

Put the dough ball in the center of two sheets of parchment. mash it down in the most rectangular shape you can manage, then using a rolling pin roll it a little less than 1/4 inch thick.***  Once the dough was rolled out I used a pizza cutter to cut the dough in about 1/4 inch wide strips, which I then cut in half, just to make them look a little more like the fries I would have made from potatoes.

Heat a skillet with about 2/3 inch of oil. I used avocado oil because it has a pretty high smoking point (not necessary) Heat the oil somewhere between medium and low. It has to be low enough for the center to cook through, but high enough for the outside to crisp up.  Put just a few at a time in the pan and cook to a golden brown on the bottom.  I used small tongs to turn them very gently when it came time to flip them. After the flip you do not have to be as gentle with them. When they are nice and golden remove from the heat and drain on paper towels. Continue cooking until they are all done, enjoy.

#2. 50 grams coconut flour (about 1/2 cup)

      3 teaspoons xanthan gum

     7-8 tablespoons hot water

      22 drops mashed potato flavoring

      1/3 teaspoon cajun seasoning (I used Slap Your Mama)

The directions are the same as the almond flour one, except the dough does not roll quite as smooth and you will have a few ragged edges.

The verdict? I actually like the coconut one best, but I think it was because I put the cajun seasoning in it, and I do love a bit of spice in my food. TheHub was my guinea pig and tried both without knowing which was which. He also preferred the coconut flour ones, but again I think the flavor profile with the cajun seasoning was a little tastier. The consistency of the almond flour was smoother but did not affect the taste or consistency of the cooked "fries"

I ate them with a little sugar free ketchup and was pretty darn pleased with them.

After I had them all cooked and blotted, I placed them  in a single layer on a parchment lined jelly roll pan and stuck them in the freezer. Once they froze I put them in a ziplock freezer bag. I think I should be able to pull out a few and heat them in the air fryer, but that is an experiment I have not tried yet. Hopefully I will sometime this week.

I also read in a comment on one of the Youtube videos that you could omit the flavoring and salt, then dust them with a sugar substitute like Swerve which has been mixed with a sprinkle of cinnamon for a ketofied churro. I might try it using the coconut flour, but that is for sometime in the future. 

If you are counting carbs or doing keto, give it a try. You might like love it like I did!

*mashed potato flavoring

** Avocado oil is a neutral flavored oil. I think next time (if I remember to buy some) I might use a teaspoon or two of beef tallow. I think it would improve the flavor.  Now ask me if I have ever bought beef tallow before and the answer would be a big resounding no. I am not even sure where to find it. Amazon probably.

** *When rolling the dough out put the parchments on a large cutting board, roll it out and cut it on the board. That way you can carry the board to the stove top and put the dough directly into the oil instead of doing what I did. The first recipe I made I put the parchment directly on the countertop and transferred the strips to a plate before putting them in the hot oil. They are a little delicate and can break so move them as little as possible.

Tuesday 4

Annie at Tuesday 4 has posted some questions about September for this week's questions. Whenever I remember it is Tuesday I try and answer them, but like everything in my life it is hit or miss. This week I remembered!

                                                                   I love his voice

1. When you were in school or university, did you look forward to returning? 

Yes and no

Why or why not? 

Alabama is still very hot when school starts, so the first few weeks of school were blazing. Until I was in high school none of the classrooms were air-conditioned and it was pretty miserable. In college you still had to get to class when it was sweltering and those 2 pm classes walking or biking across campus were not fun.

I did like getting back to seeing my friends, I loved all the new notebooks, pens, pencils, crayons. Each year I would promise myself that I would just do homework or take notes in my notebooks. It would last until the first class when I would find myself doodling in them. I think each year in every class I had a pencil drawing of every teacher I ever had, not to mention doodles of every shape and kind.

2. September has  Labor Day, which, for many is the signal of summer's end and fall's grand entrance.  Do you celebrate Labor Day in any way or is it just a day off for you?

When I was a kid we cooked out at my grandparents house and many of my cousins, aunts and uncles were there. By the time I was a teen that had stopped and Labor Day was just a school holiday when my sister and I could sleep late.

Now we may have bbq or maybe That is the extent of celebrating.

3. September's birthstone is the Sapphire which is 2nd only to a diamond in hardness. (Ruby is a red sapphire by the way) It comes in many colors.  Do you know your birthstone and do you like it?

September is my birth month and I have a gorgeous sapphire and diamond cluster ring, that I never wear. My parents gave it to me when I was 17 and I wore it for a few years, but since then it has been in my jewelry box. When I was deep cleaning my room I saw it and decided to take it to the jewelers to have it resized (Thanks arthritic knuckles)

4. September's birth flower is the Astor. What is yours ? 

Since I am a September baby I guess mine is an aster, but I never knew that before.  I have never planted them in any of my yards which is a shame because they are happy flowers.

Come on and join in! 

Dinner Plan Detour

The plan detour this week was not my fault. Someone hijacked me and forced me to eat out__a lot!

Planned:

1. Squash casserole, pink eyed peas, okra, tomato slices

2. Grilled tuna steaks,  mashed potatoes or caulimash, tossed salad, green beans

3. White bbq chicken, caulitato salad , baked beans (or none) coleslaw, keto cornbread

4. Stuffed peppers, rice, coleslaw, rolls or keto rolls

5, Keto sweet and sour chicken (have to use some of these peppers) rice or caulirice

6. Philly cheesesteak casserole, tossed salad

7. Out to eat/ takeout or Alabama football starts this week so there is the possibility of a ball game  snack type meal. Depends on whether TheHub goes to the game or not.

Monday: I had ground chuck that needed to be cooked, and a gozillion peppers that are growing by leaps and bounds. This dinner was a no brainer.

Philly cheesesteak casserole, tossed salad

Tuesday: Veggies were in the fridge or the backyard.

Squash casserole, pink eyed peas, okra, tomato slices

Wednesday: TheHub wanted to go out to eat. When he gets really stressed he like to change things up a bit.

The Electric Wedge salad or Pastrami sandwich

Thursday: Again TheHub wanted to do something different. I was gross and not restaurant ready, so we drove to a meat and 3 on the crest.

Bluff park Diner, Veggie plate of green beans and turnip greens or pork chop, carrots and something else (I forget what TheHub had)

Friday: TheHub wanted to continue our Friday night date night even though we had been out the 2 previous nights. Thankfully he gave me enough lead time to get dressed for dinner.

Applebee's  Chicken caesar salad or plain caesar salad

Saturday: TheHub did not go to the ballgame. I am glad he stayed home because he was out like a light the middle of the third quarter.

Ball game snack supper either buffalo chicken dip with cukes and celery or nachos (TheHub)

Sunday: We decided we would watch the LSU FSU ball game, and TheHub wanted his favorite ball game meal.

Game dinner, Hot dog, coleslaw, chips or keto "fries"

What's up for this week, possibly, maybe, probably not

1.BBQ chicken casserole, brussels sprouts

2. Grilled tuna steak, rice or caulirice, tossed salad, green beans

3. Meatloaf, mashed potatoes or caulimash, peas and carrots, coleslaw

4. Hamburgers with all the fixings, chips and/or keto "fries"

5. Stuffed peppers, rice, broccoli. tossed salad

6. Veggie meal TBD later

7. Out to eat    

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

Joys of the Week

Well, I have no idea why I had this written late Friday night and did not post it until late Saturday night. TheHub worked until about 9 am and then we headed out to get a lot of things done, plus a little indulgence, But that is for next weeks joy list. This is a small snippet of the joys for week 35. Can you believe how fast 2022 has flown?

Saturday: We had our annual family reunion at my cousins house. He and his wife have a lovely home with some acreage a bit out of town. They are so generous to host it every year, and honestly it is the perfect place for a large crowd. The rains had stopped and the day was sunny and warm, perfect for an inside/outside event.

Everyone brings several dishes and it is set out as a buffet style potluck meal, so the burden of feeding a crowd is a shared responsibility. As usual for our group, there was enough food to feed a small army, and at the end of the day everyone waddled walked away full and happy.

I grew up with a large extended family (lots of cousins) and now their kids are married and most have kids of their own so the numbers have grown and grown.

Only one uncle is still living and he made the trek with his daughter and son-in -law, but that means with the exception of UB I am one of the older generation. How did that happen? 

Sunday: TheHub had to go into the office until about noon so I had the house to myself. I would love to say I did something more exciting than reading, but I didn't. After he came home we watched (I read but did sit in the den with him) the Fedex golf championship (congrats to Rory), cooked a burger on the grill, then watched an episode of Better Call Saul. We are really enjoying it, even though we did start it late.

I guess we are just tragically unhip.

Monday: The day was a pretty boring, though beautiful, Monday. It was fine weather for swimming with blue skies and huge fluffy clouds. 

I would like to say I got all sorts of things done, but I would pretty much be lying. I did take note of what all I needed to do,  but I am pretty sure that counts for very little.

TheHub came home late__again, and after a quick dinner we drove to the post office to stick some mail in the official post box. On our way there we notice how beautiful the night sky was, so we drove to our usual sunset watching spot on the crest. Though the sun was past setting, there was still a tinge of orange right at the horizon framed by the deep purple sky and a tiny sliver of a waxing crescent moon. We only sat there about 10 minutes but it was long enough to see the last vestige of gorgeous colors disappear.

Tuesday: Well at least Monday was beautiful. Tuesday the rains returned, with a bit of lightning and thunder thrown in just to make sure I was paying attention and taking advantage of beautiful days. 

Wednesday: The day was hot but lovely. My Beloved Sister and I went out shopping a bit, then came back to my house for Diet Coke and conversation. 

I had been having trouble sleeping at night and actually took about a 30 minute nap after she left. Wow! It was great.

TheHub called on his way home to see if we could go to The Electric to eat. It was fine with me. I mean who can say no when it means no cooking? The grill is very near the crest so afterward we drove to it, parked and watched the last tiny bit of color disappear. I think what I like most (other than the view) is that every clear day there are several cars parked to see the sun set. Wednesday night there was a group of teenagers, a couple of dudes on Harleys, young couples, and of course us, the old birds!

Thursday: I have mentioned before how unhappy I am with the hours TheHub has been working, but not  how this is affecting him. I  have known all this work is taxing, but by Thursday he was wearing the stress visibly . He looked worn out.

When he called before leaving work, I could tell just in his voice how fried he was. When he is under extreme stress, he likes a temporary break from the norm. I did not want to go out to eat again (I had been working in the house all day and was not dressed for dinner ) but he wanted to at least pick up something from a little mom and pop restaurant directly on the crest. So, he got his needed deviation, we got to see a bit of another sunset, and I did not have to cook. 

After we ate, he turned on the West Virginia/Pitt game (the Tennessee game was already a blowout), got on the sofa and promptly fell asleep, but not the deep sleep you get in a bed. My job, while he was cat napping, was to keep the game on so I could tell him what was happening each time he stirred. I read until the last three minutes and I must confess it was a very exciting ending.

Friday: I have been attacking the Master Bedroom, and am horrified at all the things I have accumulated that I not only don't need, but really don't want. I am going through the bookshelves, every drawer, every container, literally every single thing in the bedroom, closet, and adjoining bath. It is time to wear it, use it up, or get rid of it. 

In the midst of cleaning I got a call from Sluggy who was taking a break from her packing, pitching, and donating. Talking with her is always fun, but I do not envy what she is going through. Reading about her move is what inspired me to get cracking dealing with my own mess. Vapor Thrift Store, get ready for me!

TheHub called while he was on his way home and suggested I take my dust covered self, clean up right quickly and get read to go out to eat. So I did and we had restaurant food for the third time in one week.  Now I wonder if he continues to work just to pay for meals out? I had rather he retire. Cooking every night would be better than seeing him so stressed from his job.

Have a great week looking for your joys. Hidden or not they are always out there.

May all your weeds be wildflowers,

Anne