In My Home This Week: Brrrrr!

This week in my home...


Lord love February in Georgia! This past week it's been 80F and sunny, cloudy and humid, rainy, and blustery and frosty cold.  Yes, the whole gamut of weather in a week's time. Yet signs of spring will surface here and there.  My own daffodils have been diligent in trying to bloom since December but I saw my first official February bunch growing roadside Friday as we returned home.

We survived the first week of February rather well.  We are now down by two birthdays (just two more to go and one of those is well on its way). We have paid property and car taxes and prepared our tax returns, so all the big heavy stuff is behind us and we start fresh.  I'm ready for a lot of freshness in my life...aren't you?



...I plan meals

I keep promising myself that I will take down the cookbooks now and start fishing for new or forgotten recipes to plan into my meal rotations.  I stay busy though and never do get around to doing that, sigh.  Well I'm consistent in what I choose to make anyway.  I don't know just what it is about February that makes me long for turkey and dressing but I do.  I suppose it's a tradition and who wants to break with tradition?

I've learned to streamline meals on Saturday and while I am all about changing things up in most areas, I'm finding it is very easy to have some 'givens' on Saturdays to keep things simple and easy.  Bagels and coffee for breakfast, whatever meal I've prepped the day before, popcorn as snack and an omelet and toast as our supper.  I don't have to think overmuch about food and it works for me.

on my own 

out with Mama

Beef Stroganoff with Whole Wheat Noodles, Beets, Green Salad

Chicken Enchiladas, Corn, Salsa Fresca Salad

(I made these last week and put in the freezer)

Sirloin Tip Roast, Roasted Potatoes, Asparagus

Vegetable Beef Soup, Cornbread, Baked Apples

Turkey Breast with Dressing, Baked Sweet Potatoes, Green Beans with Mushrooms, Warm Chocolate Pudding Cake


...I plan work:





I managed to get the last of the clutter from the master bedroom closet.  I have a pile of shredding to do now but it feels good to know that one room is now clutter free. I can move on to the living/dining room and front entry.  I've been culling through my vintage magazines as I read them and the bookshelves were done towards the end of  December and the videos were done in November.  So not too much is needed in those rooms but I'll go ahead and expect to find I have a lot to do just as I found in the bedroom.

I'll finish up a sewing project I'm doing for my niece.  It's a surprise for her husband and I'm very happy to be a part of it.  I almost feel like I should put this on the fun list but the truth is it's required some hard thought and a good bit of work, but yeah, I'm having fun with it.

I need to finish up the walls in the kitchen/back entry/kitchen sitting area.

Must get the daffodil bulbs planted.

I need to go to Lowe's and pick up two blinds for our room.  While there I mean to get some mulch for the flower beds and hopefully get it spread on three beds.

I promised myself this week I'd get the guest room back in shape, since I tend to dump my clutter in that room when I'm removing it from other areas.  I'll haul all that out to the shed and gather things that will be going out for donation.

I need to go over the calendar and add Jewish Holy Days to it so that  can be sure and have those dates and the prep time beforehand set aside.  Nothing this month for us but we're getting closer to Passover and that one requires a bit of work ahead.

...I plan fun:

Attend a Super Bowl Party at the home of friends.

Finish this sewing project which I may well be done with this afternoon.  I'm resting my back at the moment.

Library for more reading materials.  I renewed my current book which is due tomorrow but I think by Wednesday I'll be done or very nearly and since that is Mama's day I'll stop by there on my way back home.  Maybe even take along my notebook and look over some of the genealogy stuff they have on hand there.

Pull out March issues of vintage magazines and go through the latest lot Mama gave me.  I don't really have another day this week to myself, besides today (Sunday) so it's all fit stuff in where you can this week.

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

I look at all the too many books I have. I am finally ready to donate many I thought I never would. Now to do it! I am trying to picture this room how I want it to be always and that helps. The extra books etc have to go!! I decided to not renew one magazine I subscribe to. It was a hard decision. Till I cull the many I have here I don't need to bring in more.
Hubby got hurt and we had to cancel the diabetic classes. We rescheduled for next month. Thank you for the new information and encouragement. We have switched from white rice to barley and use brown rice other times. Whole wheat noodles surprised us this time. We tried them years ago and they never would get soft at all. These were great. An easy switch.
My daffodils and paper whites and violets are blooming. So are some shrubs. All too soon it will be time to plant vegetables again. I better get to working out there too. :)
I haven't made enchiladas for a long time. Thank you for the idea. I went through my recipe box and fond several things we love but I haven't prepared for ages. One was a bandanna bread using 3/4 whole wheat flour. Has anyone tried the store brands of Splenda? I see Walmart and others have a knock off. Sarah

Sew Blessed Maw [Judy] said...

Love your laid out plans.. Sounds like you have accomplished a lot and will have a good week .. I too am organizing /cleaning out closets and making my donate piles..It makes a mess but so worth while. I plan on doing my closets this week.. whew!!

Enchiladas sound so good. And I love dishes that I can make extras for the freezer, so nice to have the extra meals on those busy days..

ps Sarah, I use the wal mart brand of Splenda.. Works just as good to me, Can't tell the difference from the real Splenda.

Anonymous said...

Is it the time of year where a big cull out just feels good? I finally tackled my closet yesterday. It is silly of me to keep stuff I cannot wear or won't wear that I know is NEEDED at a women's shelter. I then tackled the kitchen, not much but some. Next is the craft tote. I think most is going. I'm just not into it like I used to be. It feels so good to get rid of the excess and I know for sure it will all be used at the shelter.

I can see how going from 80 degrees to 30 could be very chilly! We are coming from lower teens to 30/40 and it feels good. I went for a mile walk outside on Saturday. It felt wonderful to be out in the fresh air! Enjoy your pretty daffs. I've planted but underground critters get hungry and they must think bulbs make a fine and dandy snack.

Anonymous said...

Oops, I forgot to sign the anonymous post! Pam

Rhonda said...

Hi Terri, yes to decluttering! There are a couple of hot mess rooms here, no there are 3! As we speak, Jeff and my FIL are staining a books left that should hold most all our books and once that is finished, I can get some places back to normal.
Your weeks plans always inspire me and if I lived close to you, I'd come join you reading those vintage magazines.

Belated birthday wishes to you my friend.

Susan in MS said...

Terri, I am interested in the info you gave that we need grains, to keep from affecting our kidneys. It seems to be the thing these days, for diabetics to eat no grains, just maybe carbs like sweet potatoes, legumes, that have fiber. Can you tell me where I might could read more about this? Thanks!

Lana said...

We had three meals at home on Sunday! There are still empty cabinets and much to do but we are getting back to normal and my new kitchen is beautiful! We pulled out items to get rid of while we emptied cabinets and more is going while we are putting back. We are also trying to organize better. I must make menus today. I hate winging it. Turkey and dressing sounds good and I still have packages of turkey, dressing and gravy in my freezer from Thanksgiving so that will go on the menu, too.

Vickie @Vickie's Kitchen and Garden said...

Sounds like a great week Teri - I love the trips to the library and the sewing you are getting done. Visits with Mama sounds so good. Oh how I miss my own Mama.
I too am doing Spring Cleaning-just getting down the kitchen though. I'm very slow at it. One slow step at a time. we are scheduled to get snow tonight through Thursday so I think I will have plenty of time to get something done!

Have a great night
Vickie

Angela said...

Hope you will share your sewing! Turkey and dressing sounds good to me too.

Karla said...

Hope you had a wonderful time at your Super Bowl party! Believe it or not we actually didn't watch any of the game this year. Just had no interest.

I roasted a whole chicken in my electric pressure cooker for supper tonight and served it with Stove Top stuffing and green beans. Took the remaining chicken off the bones and split that into several lunches along with the leftover green beans and rounded out the lunch containers with some chicken flavored rice. Then I dumped the chicken carcass back in the pressure cooker, added 1/2 an onion, bay leaves and a couple of carrots and cooked up a batch of broth. So golden and yummy looking! I can't wait to use it in my recipes.

I just finished another book and am glad to finally have time to read again. If you haven't already signed up, you should try bookbub.com. You sign up for free and they have free e-books you can read on your phone or a computer or other device. They send out an email every day that has low cost and free title. I never pay for any - only download the free ones I'm interested in.

Hope you have a good week!

terricheney said...

Susan in MS, I'll post this again next month when I do a Q&A post but here's the information so you can read now if you happen to check back:
http://www.diabeticlivingonline.com/food-to-eat/count-carbs/carbohydrates-what-you-need-to-know-now?sssdmh=dm17.874503&esrc=nwdlo020916

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