This Week In My Home: Sept 14 - 20

Just a little behind....We went off to visit the Grands this past weekend and spent yesterday driving home and running an errand or two, then out to do errands and grocery shopping this morning.  I had my first boiled peanuts of the season yesterday on our way home, appropriately enough we got to see many fields of peanuts being harvested while we were on our way home.  One sign of the season...

The goldenrod is golden, the leaves are tumbling to the ground.  It's getting dark about 7:30 and I find myself yawning mightily about 8:30.  I'm craving stew and chili and pot roast...And I've searched in vain for the cooler temperatures!  We were promised it would be cooler last week but those temperatures were surpassed and the lower temps moved to this week but somehow I think we won't see them this week either.  So what do I do?  I make a warm hearty meal and we regret mightily the heaviness of it or I make a summer meal and it's not quite substantial enough.  I don't have any 'in between' recipes!  And that's what I need, recipes meant for that time between two seasons.  I'll do my best, but it's a balancing act I'm not very adept at!



Pigs In Blankets, Coleslaw, Hash Brown Casserole
I generally use biscuit dough as my 'blanket'.  Since I mix a regular recipe of biscuit dough, I'll save the rest, cutting it into biscuits and set aside for tomorrow's meal.

Chicken N Biscuits with cream gravy, Mashed Potatoes, Mixed Vegetables, Green Salad
If it's terribly hot out, I'll leave off the mashed potatoes and perhaps I'll make a nice cool fruit salad.  We'll likely have enough biscuits for breakfast one morning as well.  The chicken dish is really just an oven fried chicken sort of dish, to which you add canned evaporated milk and the biscuits in the last 20 minutes or so of baking.

Red Beans and Rice, Carrot Raisin Salad, Cornbread, Baked Apples
If I can find red beans at Aldi that is...otherwise we'll have Pinto beans or black beans or black eyed peas...I made baked apples this past week and yum!  It's like having apple pie with out the pastry.  I stuffed with a little oatmeal streusel which added a bit of fiber and substance.  Whipped cream topped ours last week.

Macaroni and Cheese, Whole roasted Green Beans, Tossed Salad
I watched Pioneer Woman roast Green Beans last week and it looked good.  I thought I'd try them and see how John likes them.

Roast Beef, English Pea Salad, Baked Potatoes, Sliced Tomatoes
I plan several meals from this piece of beef...which I never made last week.  This week it's the real back bone of my menu plan.

Open Faced Warm Roast Beef and Gravy sandwiches, Mashed potatoes, Lettuce and Tomato Salad
That's meal two...

Shepherd's Pie, Green Salad, Rolls
Leftover roast, gravy, and mashed potaotes will turn into a casserole.  I'll add a few frozen mixed vegetables to the meat and gravy to extend it a bit.  The roast isn't huge but we should get enough for all two meals and this extended meal.

Last week:
1. Bake cookies
2. Run errands: paying bills, pick up Rxs, pick up items needed to complete a project, thrift store plunder
3. Dig up last of iris
4. Mulch bed Nope...John said we'd pick up mulch this week.
5. Bake cookies Seriously must have had cookies on the brain!
6. Move items in guest room that don't belong there and take to shed or put in car to donate while out running errands.
7. Clean out my top dresser drawer and organize
8. Move linens from guest/craft closet (which is a pantry) and into our master closet  Started that task this afternoon and realized that the back closet is larger than ours.  I would have to move some paperwork I'd rather keep in the master closet, so things stay put.  Neatened up and made it look nice...and found a quilt I can use in my guest room makeover if I can find sham/dust ruffle material.
9. Work on outfits for this season.  Photos and print out so I have a reference notebook to put things together.  I hope this will help me better utilize my wardrobe pieces.
10.  Work out new daily schedules to better utilize time.

This week:
 No big plans.  John has a full week off.  We'll see our southern most Grandkids...
1. BUY mulch and  Mulch the flower bed.
2.  Stop in town during open hours and see if I can get a good look at the bed on the front porch of the 'antique' shop.
3.  Tag a few items and take into booth.  Plan to pick up a few more of the older items and bring home.
4. Grocery shopping, not a big shop this time, just produce, bread and dairy.  I could use the extra money elsewhere in the grocery budget.