This and That

Yesterday was a day into town.  Twice.  First I had a haircut with Daughter E, then a few errands, and I could not find hanging baskets that I like (for the front porch).  Second, we all went out for dinner for my husband's birthday. I got out of cooking dinner for the night, ha ha!  He picked Mexican, so that's where we went.

I started on Daughter T's hot pads.  She is getting the color "Swimming Pool."  I will do some sorting of the cotton I have and getting a plan for using it up.  I have many colors they discontinued.

Thoughts while entering a new garden year. . .

I don't have to can cowboy candy this summer.  We have plenty from last year to eat up.

Corn.  Well, I have plenty in the freezer, but I noticed I can freeze it in smaller amounts. I may buy the same amount this year but gift my Mom some of it (frozen and fresh).

Green peppers.  We have two bags left in the freezer and we were so happy to not have to buy any from harvest up until this last bag is gone.  So happy we planted so many.

Garlic.  We are still enjoying last year's harvest.  I will most likely need to make garlic powder this coming fall.

I'd like to locate a new meat supplier to stock that up this year.  Organic/non-gmo of course.

I'd like to plant popcorn this year.  We didn't the last few years due to weather issues.

We exhausted our frozen tomatoes a while back.  I'll need to up that number this year. 

We are still getting asparagus, but will be planting more this year.

Happy Homemaker Monday

Today is the day Daughter E looks at the apt.  I'm still not ready for this. I finished her hot pads.

She loves them.  Go figure, the color Daughter T wants light blue.  I have one ball in all the yarn I have.  Wal-mart is a sorry place to shop for the yarn I love anymore.  They are selling a different brand, and balls are smaller.  I don't like what Hobby Lobby sells (higher price) and Meijer doesn't sell much of it (cotton).  My husband picked out a variegated blue.  I will be checking with her to see if she likes it or not.

I haven't even thought about my to-do list yet.  It's been a weekend of riding.  Our birthdays are coming up, so we are talking about that, and dinner plans.  

One of the bike rides we had planned, was to head to the cemetery to place my solar cross on Dad's plot, but Hubby invited others to ride, and we ended up elsewhere.  That's okay, it's sort of a private thing to do on our own anyway, so the cross light is still in the saddle bag.

I know I need to make some egg salad for a quick lunch.  I need to check laundry, and figure out a day to go get my hair cut, but otherwise I haven't drawn up a to-do plan this week. Oh, I need to make homemade laundry soap for sure.

Today I am joining Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom. 

The weather outside is . . .

Rain.  68°F/61°.  A lot of rain in the forecast over the next two weeks.  I sure hope we can get some tilling and planting in.  It will also make hardening my plants difficult.

How I am feeling this morning . . .

Exhausted.  We rode the bike all weekend, and even had the largest group on Sunday (21 bikers), but the wind was horrible.

On the breakfast plate . . .

I most likely make a breakfast casserole.  We had burritos last week, so I'd like to eliminate the flour.

On my reading pile . . .

Nothing.  Mostly your blogs ha ha!  I just haven't been in the reading kind of mood.  I'm starting to think I'm a vacation or seasonal type of reader.  I tend to take a book to the island, but end up playing cards or going to listen to live music.  I tend to crochet on long truck rides vs. read too.

On my TV . . .

Godless, Netflix

Greater.  Based on a true story.  I bawled my eyes out.  If you want to see what my daughter looked like when she found out her boyfriend died in an accident, the mother's reaction was similar to hers.

On the menu this week . . .

-slow cooker tomato basil chicken, quoina, roasted rosemary asparagus

-sheet pan dinner

-baked chicken, veggie

-leftovers

From the camera . . .

Looking around the house . . .

Well, I've almost finished the spring cleaning in the master bedroom, so my options are the utility room and room leading to garage.  If Daughter E moves out, it'll be the master walk-in closet first.  

To relax this week, I will . . .

I honestly have no idea.  I normally crochet.  We'll see I guess.

Something I want to share . . .

I tired two new recipes last week.  Just zip on over to my previous post for the recipe links.

Devotional, inspirational, prayer list or Bible verse . . .

From Pile to File ~ New Recipes Tried

French Onion Dip.  I wanted to try this out for family cook outs etc.   Made with fresh onion and garlic, and gruyere cheese.  We found it good, but felt leaving it in the fridge the night before thickened it and tasted better than when we tasted it right after making it.  Also, using less than the 1/4 cup of milk (it's suggested to add the milk last until the desired thickness).  Of course I adapted organic ingredients and used home grown garlic, but we liked it.  The recipe is online with I am a baker.

Sorry, I didn't get a photo.

I made these too.  First time for me to ever make soft pretzels.  I used the recipe from  Served from Scratch.  The only problem I had...

They stuck to the parchment paper.  I had to slice them off basically.  I did exactly what the recipe said to do - lightly grease the paper.  Anyone have any suggestions on the next time I bake these?  So they don't stick?

They were very good!

A Mother's Thoughts

Started out yesterday morning with a power outage.  I literally had nothing I could do, but use my neck light and crochet.  I guess I could have read a book too, but anyway it was back on quite soon.

 I was at the computer looking over my emails, and Daughter E came running in and said, "Mom!  Mom!  Come help me open my trunk, I wanna show you something!"

She was so excited about moving out that she had gone shopping and bought herself kitchen cookware, a coffee pot, toaster, silverware and more. 

 

I'm happy to see her so excited, and hope it really works out for her, but deep down this Mother is not ready to see her "leave the nest" to say.

I gifted the younger two girls pastry cloths, a pastry blender and other items last Christmas, in hopes to teach them how to make homemade biscuits, and biscuits and gravy.  So far, it hasn't happened. 

Daughter K is never home, and when she is, she has a friend here (and all that friend does is bring Taco Bell food with her).

Daughter E said, "I can't wait!  You can come to my new apartment and teach me to cook!"  Ha!  Not sure that'll happen, but I can hope it will. 

I know I want to teach her how to make hummus, which will require her to have a food processor.  She loves hummus.

She bought some cute kitchen towels with coffee cup patterns on them.  I told her don't buy too many, I had gifted her hand embroidered kitchen towels with a cat pattern on each one for each day of the week (to put in her Hope Chest).

She even bought a lunch bag and reusable bowls to pack her lunch for work vs. buying take out.

She picked out this yarn for her hot pads (she likes blue and green and it has both, plus white), and I almost have the last piece done to sew them together.

She will need a few end tables, lamps, and at least a small-ish sofa, but we have a kitchen table and chairs for her.  A friend is giving her a microwave (kids today! Just want things quick).  She has plenty of coffee mugs and of course the dishes I packed up for her.  I gave her a radio/clock, and some decor.  She'll be taking a desk that she uses for makeup, a desk for writing, her bed, and dresser.  Sigh, I am just not ready for this, but hope it all works out for her.

I will make her a magnetic clip board and pen for her fridge, but spray paint weather is not here right now.  It dipped down to the low 30's last night.  I may have one all ready to go.  I'll have to check my craft stash.

Speaking of crafting stash, I am still going thru my "stash" and purging it.  I am keeping all my jewelry making, and some other items, but stuff the kids used while in school are going.

I have a stack of large tablecloths that I'm debating over.  I haven't used them in years, but they would be nice to have for camping or for outdoor cookouts with family/friends over.  Hm.  I just don't know yet.

Anyway, we will know for sure after May 3rd, if and when and what apartment she'll move into.  She has an appointment for a walk-thru.

Random Tidbits

I figured it out for those who write posts on your blog.  Look just above your last posted blog post for the word "All" and click on the down arrow next to it.  You can find you drafts that way, and just click on "drafts."  You are welcome.

Purged more and cleaned more, filling up 2 more boxes to donate.

Planted indoor thyme and basil.  Just have to get more soil and plant rosemary and parsley for indoors too.  I have killed my plants.  I'm terrible at watering them.

Boiled more eggs.  Yum!

April Warm Up

 

(sunrise)

We hit a high of 85°F yesterday.  It was a gorgeous day (but overly windy) for hanging laundry on the line, but too dry to weed flower beds. The rain arrives today and tomorrow, so weeding will be easy after that.

The world we live it is scary right now.  I'm told to be careful wearing anything to support the police.  Not sure I'll get very many of my blue thin line hats sold this coming fall.

I offered to take Mom to Amish for a Mother's Day gift, but she cannot go, but has plans to go another time with someone else.  Not sure what to do for Mother's day for her yet.

I literally got straight into the extreme clean mode, garbage bag in hand, box for donations, and the phone rang.  It was my husband.  He was taking the afternoon off to help Daughter T move a bed to her new apt.  Off went the cleaning mode, other than I boxed up some dishes for her and grabbed bed pillows for her new place.  Not only did we load the bed, but had to take it up 2 flights of stairs.  It's a cute apt. though.

So far, no rain yet this morning, but it's on the way.  I'm okay with that.  It'll put me back into extreme clean mode.

I am sad about our youngest moving out, but plan to help her as much as I can.  We were secretly hoping the Daughter K would be moving out this year, but it doesn't sound like it.  I hate to say it, but her housekeeping skills make you roll your eyes.  I don't feel guilty charging her rent. She dumped the dog food into the storage container, threw the bag over the half door that leads into my utility room (which is directly across the hall from the door to the driveway where the trash can is).  I went in to get cat food to feed the cats, and I threw it in front of the side door for her to take out when she left for work.  Where did I find it this morning???  Back over the half door.  She is 21 years old turning 22 in 2 months.  Urgh.  My husband (tee hee) said to throw it in the front seat of her car.  Why, why why does she live like this?  I did not teach her to be so dang nab-it lazy.

I'm thinking that Daughter K needs a nudge, so her birthday presents (tee hee) will involve items for living on her own.

Okay, off my soapbox on housekeeping.

Today is the birthday of our grandson that passed away at the age of 4 months.  Daughter T is needing some comforting.

I'm sort of looking forward to the rain, so I'll get deep into spring cleaning. I want a very tidy house come planting season.  Even though I started my seeds in Feb (early) this year, some look a bit smallish.  I have grow lights on them too.

My habanero seeds never came up.  I have never grown habanero myself from seed.  My husband says they need more heat on them, but it's too late now.  I'll have to buy a few plants if I can find any.  Last year it was slim pickin's.