This past week had gorgeous weather, warmer temperatures and a lot of sun. My hibiscus plants are showing off, and my lime tree is covered with blossoms. The redbud trees in the backyard are in full bloom, daffodils are up everywhere, and I am sneezing a little. It must be spring.
Plans that mostly didn't happen:
1. California roll cucumber salad, dinner rolls
2. Steak, baked potato, salad
3. Spaghetti with meat sauce, tossed salad, rolls
4. Smoked trout toasts, coleslaw
5. Veggie meal TBD
6. Out to eat
7. Thai chicken curry, rice
Monday joy: I spent the day doing laundry and catching up with the TV show "Lost". It is Pip's favorite show and since we will be seeing her the end of March it is always good to have something in common to talk about. That said, I really do not like the show, but have found a different way of "watching " it.
There is a website called TV Tropes which has a summery of each episode. I watched the first 3 shows in the first season to establish the characters. From there on I read the summery of the episodes, and only have to watch when a new character is introduced. I understand this is like a Cliff Notes approach, but it is working for me.
Monday dinner: Once again the freezer came to the rescue.
Spaghetti w/ meat sauce, tossed salad, dinner rolls
Tuesday joy: I went to Independence Place, was met at the door with smiles and hugs, then proceeded to show them how to make the worlds easiest chicken and dumplings.
It only takes chicken broth, canned chicken breast chunks, a can of cream of chicken soup, water, and flour tortillas* cut into 8ths like a pizza.
Put the broth, chicken, cream of chicken soup and water into a large boiler (Had to have a large one because they had 10 participants Tuesday but you can scale down as much as you want since there are no official measurements. Just eyeball everything)
Once it is boiling toss in the tortilla bits, one at a time, stirring so they won't clump. (Stir after each addition.)
Cook until the tortillas are soft and hold their shape and the broth thickens up a bit.
They loved it, and it is a meal they could make either by themselves, or with minimal assistance.
I did have a request for next time I am there that I will not honor. Miss H wants me to cook a turkey with mashed potatoes and gravy. Not happening!
Tuesday dinner: We were in the mood for a veggie dinner
Squash casserole, green beans, coleslaw
Wednesday joy: I had my Wednesday class, and since I was dressed anyway TheHub wanted to go out for lunch. We went to a meat and three on the bluff and had veggie plates with a view! While we were out we ran a couple of errands before coming home.
Sprouts grinds their own peanut butter and I really do prefer getting it there rather than the jarred stuff from the regular grocery store. Since I was stopping by anyway, I picked up several things there I am unable to find at some other places I buy groceries.
I wish their store nearest me had not closed because I went there every Wednesday on my way home from class. Now I have to make an effort to go, so I don't get by there as often as I used to.
The day was so gorgeous it was easy to justify staying out anyway.
Wednesday dinner: The evening was perfect for firing up the grill.
Steak, baked potato, tossed salad
Thursday joy: Fiber as an internet option was finally available in my neighborhood . We were seriously glad to make the change from Spectrum as it is about 30 bucks a month cheaper and a good bit faster. But we had to wait around for the installer, so we both planned stuff to do while hanging around the house. The upside is that I got a good spring cleaning job done to the den.
Shortly before sunset we rode to The Pig to grab a few things then planned to swing by the bluff to watch it disappear. We missed the actual setting but did get to see some of the beautiful afterglow. We probably should have ridden to the bluff first, Oh well!
Thursday dinner: Because of the installation, we both had lunch much later than usual and we just did not want much for dinner.
Tossed salad
Friday joy: We left the house a bit after nine and headed to Athens, Alabama to meet Son3 and DIL3 for lunch. Athens is halfway between Birmingham and Nashville and a good meeting spot.
The day was just perfect and TheHub and I talked the entire way up there. We pulled in to The Southern Table restaurant right as they got there too. The food was delicious, the restaurant was charming and the company was great. We were able to have a leisurely lunch, then shopped at a delightful gift shop next door.
I had been to Athens before but never to the downtown area. It is a beautiful Southern town that is thriving. TheHub and I will definitely be going back.
On our way home we stopped at the Dutch Oven Bakery in Falkville. We did quite a bit of damage there, but came home with 3 bags of deliciousness. We actually needed to take something to two of our friends, so it was not all for us.
One friend's mom had recently passed away so we dropped by her house to give her a cake, and visited for a little bit.
Then from there we stopped by to take a cake to another friend who is recovering from a knee replacement. While we were at their house we also saw their neighbors, who are mutual friends. The results? A glass of wine and some wonderful conversation with everyone.
We left, had one more stop then finally made it home by about 6:45.
And, at about 9:30 that night our neighbor rang the doorbell. They had a Mardi Gras party Friday night that we had to decline. I figured we would be cutting the time close, but I had also screwed up my left knee and knew I could not manage climbing her driveway without re-injuring it. Wonderful friend and neighbor that she is, she came bearing gifts. She stayed and we had a nice visit for a couple of hours.
Friday dinner: I forgot we had to use February's monthly minimum we are obligated for, and being as we had been gone all day, we opted for takeout rather than dine in.
Grilled cobia, broccolini, rice pilaf
Saturday joy: We hung around doing odd jobs, laundry and watching (off and on) Alabama softball and men's basketball. The men were literally beaten at the buzzer.
Saturday dinner: The gifts my neighbor (the one who came over with Friday night) brought were the most delicious edible kind.
Gumbo, jambalaya, cornbread, king cake.
Sunday joy: We woke early for our church's communion service, followed by early church, then Sunday school. It was also communion Sunday at the early service, so we were double communed that day.
Our Sunday school class had a guest speaker who was about 30 years younger than all of us, but it was very nice to hear the perspectives from someone of a different generation.
TheHub and I came home, ate lunch then watched both Alabama softball and women's basketball. Sunday is the only day of the week I take a little nap, so I obliged and fell asleep on the loveseat for about 35 minutes. It was bliss.
Sunday dinner: I did not really feel like cooking but there was a package of ground chuck I had thawed that had to be used.
SOS*, coleslaw
Possibilities for the week that probably won't happen:
1. Smoked trout toast***, coleslaw or salad
2. Pancake dinner, sausage, bacon, fruit compote, decaf latte
3. Hamburger with all the fixings, tater tots (weather may change this)
4. Leftover gumbo, cornbread, cajun coleslaw
5. Meatloaf, mashed potatoes, green beans, cucumber onion tomato salad
6. Chicken and waffles w/hot honey, tossed salad
7. Out to eat
Books Read in February:
Confessions of a Christmasoholic
Long List
A Confederacy of Dunces (a re-read)
Anxious People
You Like It Darker
Have a great week staying on plan, going off plan, or with no plan at all.
May all your weeds be wildflowers.
Anne
* for 10 people (about 3/4 c. serving) I used 2 lg. cans of chicken, one family size container of broth, 1 standard size cream of chicken soup, 1 1/2 soup cans water, and about 18 tortillas
** You either know what this is, or you are really young and have never heard people who served in various military operations speak of their not so hot K-rations. For anyone trying to figure it out, the 2nd S stands for shingle.
***The smoked trout is vaccuum sealed in the freezer, so it has just been hanging out in a controlled setting for the past few weeks that I have had it on the menu plans and not yet made it.
