In My Home This Week: Get Ahead

So often when watching English decor programs or YouTubes, etc. I see these narrow little rooms, often referred to as 'box rooms' and wonder, "How on earth do you call this a bedroom?!"  Well this room kind of answers that question and in a lovely way I think.  It's a design plan for a room that I believe was made about turn of the century.  Not how long and narrow it is.  It's meant to be a bed sitting room and I think it's made the most clever use of the space.

Let's start all the way at the window end.   Note the table in front of the window with the vanity mirror set upon it.  I think that table could double as a desk for the room as well.  To the right of that window is a doorway.  And then beyond the door is a wall hung bookshelf above a small chest of drawers.

The small fireplace, likely meant for coal fires is right across from the narrow single bed, which is unconventionally set up in the middle of the room with one side against the wall, so it might be used as a sofa/daybed as well as for sleep.

Of course the  furnishings help a lot.  The  antique pieces, upholstered bed, wall paper, curtains, rug, lovely table covering, paintings, lamps, etc. just all add to the luxurious appearance of the room.  This little illustration  totally has me rethinking the impossibility of a long narrow room being useful.

In my home this week:  

I'm thinking long and hard about Thanksgiving next week and the fact that I shall have little or no time off between keeping Caleb and the day itself.  I don't worry about decorating nor special table settings.  John will only be mighty disappointed in me if I pull out good china and make a lovely table.  He's too concerned about my overdoing that week to care whether I get the beauty I long for...So it's Chinet plates and plastic cups and cutlery and if I find I have pretty paper napkins to use then we'll use them and if I don't we'll use neatly folded paper towels.   No one will miss the pretty except for me.

I don't have a clue who all will be guests or for how long.  I hate this about family but there you are.  My need to know means nothing.   I do know Katie and Sam will be here with their families and they will go home that same day.  Other guests?  No clue.  No clue how many to expect, nor who thinks they are staying.  No clue either as to whether I have Friday free or if I must keep Caleb that day and frankly having a big day middle of a 'work week', which is what we've come to call them because it is work, and that makes a huge difference in how guests will be enjoyed and entertained.  However, I'm not going to let what I don't know bother me overmuch beyond that minor worrying I've just done.  It shall all work out somehow.  I've made it plain to John that while we might have overnight guests on Thursday and possibly even on Friday, he is under NO circumstance to agree to anyone staying any longer!  I shall remind him of that closer to the date because he is often the one who agrees to "We thought we'd stay just a little longer..."

All that aside let us plan ahead and work ahead and get things done this week.

Work:  

I won't share a lot of kitchen work this week because it's mostly all kitchen work this week.  

Turkeys will need to thaw as will turkey broth.  I won't take them out at the front end of the week but I will put them in the fridge Friday.

Bake cornbread and biscuit bread to make stuffing.

Bake sweet potatoes and mash and freeze.   Must BUY sweet potatoes first...Go ahead and make the brown sugar and coconut topping half of us love.  I can keep that in the fridge.

Arrange dishes in my oven to see how well they will fit. Of course, I have my microwave, crockpot and toaster oven that can also be used if needed.

Make out a comprehensive list of what I'm responsible for making and do all I can ahead this week or first part of next.   I find it's always best to work with a planned time line. 

I can't think what else I ought to be thinking about Thanksgiving just now but I'll start a list and get it all knocked out if I can this week.  That will leave next week free to rest up prior to the big day.

Onto Christmas.  We bought one portion of a present this past week.  I wanted to get the same gift items for both girls but I'm running into a funny sort of situation.   First the seller wouldn't let me buy two of one item as I'd meant to do and then my credit card company sent me an email because I'd bought two of another item, certain there'd been a mistake.  Regardless I still have three or four gifts to go before I can breathe freely thinking Christmas is done.   Then I'll pick up the little things I give each year, the favorite candy, funny little things we like to give.

Kitchen:

I make three meals a day pretty much 7 days a week.  I  run loose on the first two meals of the day.  I make whatever I choose most mornings, or whatever John has asked for the night before,  planned or not and serve leftovers or do the same for lunch.  It's worked fine for me thus far.  Those two meals are easy to work with.

One area though where I need a little help is to have easy meals for those difficult, extra long or sick days.  I would have given much on Friday evening to have a take out meal.  John came up with the solution Friday night when I was feeling especially weary and sick.  He brought out cheese and bread and a can of tomato soup.  That worked just fine.

In our town, the local take out places close before 5pm except one questionable place where we won't go at all.  What's more, now that time has changed, it's getting dark about 5:40 or so.  That means that a trip to the dump just 1 mile away often has us running in bare daylight and a ride over to the next town would take at least 45 minutes (ride, wait in line, ride back) and that means riding in the pitch dark on country roads.  Then there's the whole issue of coming home with cold food that needs to be warmed because it wasn't really hot when we got it... We're just not keen on that.  The most reasonable solution is to have easy to prepare meal items on hand that I can move from pantry or freezer to table in about 20-30 minutes.   

However, it's made me mindful that I really need to make up some of those Shoe Box Suppers to keep on a shelf handy for such evenings.  And maybe even to prep a few bags of items for the freezer to just pull out and prepare.  As it was, I was high and dry Friday evening.   Too weary and sick to even think what I might pull out to have.  I had pretty much determined that if John offered to make a fried egg sandwich I'd accept and be grateful.

BTW, SeeMindyMom on YouTube has been doing some pantry shelf dinners, the same concept idea as my Shoe Box Suppers and they sound pretty good.  She titles hers as "Shelf Stable Emergency Meals".    She made a Broccoli Rice Chicken dish in her last video using a packet of dry Broccoli Cheddar soup, some cooked rice and a can of chicken breast meat that looked really good as a finished product.  It's something I'd be interested in trying for my own Shoe Box Suppers.  

Anyway, I'm feeling a bit better after roughly 12 hours sleep last night.  Not so much better that I'm not thinking about having a nap this afternoon as a booster, but better.   And feeling better means I can think better.  I was so sick last night that I'd completely forgotten the roast beef I'd pulled from the freezer and slipped into the fridge to thaw.  So in addition to having the ready meals tagged and bagged, a list on my fridge each week of planned meals might also be a big help on a weary day.   

Suppers:  Cherry Braised Roast Beef, Mashed Potatoes, Green beans   

Chicken with Butternut Squash and Root Vegetables, Pear Salad

Mushroom, Sausage and Cream Cheese Calzone or Stromboli, Salad

Hamburger Stroganoff casserole, Pickled Beets, Green Peas This makes enough for a freezer meal, too.

Black Beans and Yellow Rice, Salad, Tortilla Chips, Salsa and Sour Cream another easy meal and I had all ingredients on hand...Just plain not thinking at all!

New England Corned Beef Dinner, Cornbread

Homemade Vegetable Beef Soup

Personal/Leisure:

I'd planned last week to get my haircut this weekend, even asked John if we could run by salon on Sunday.  We'll try and go this week.  In the meantime, I need to do a pedicure.  I haven't done a mini spa day in a few weeks.  About time to do one of those as well.  If Katie's hours change as she thinks they will this week (we have to wait until Monday to find out) I may work one into an early morning rising before I begin my day with Caleb.

I don't think I touched on a single thing I'd meant to do last week.  I certainly didn't take up a book and read and I didn't work on a new genealogy blog post and I didn't do any research of any sort.  I've been slowly making my way through the  "Our Hearts Are In England" Victoria magazine and I've decided I'd like to subscribe to this magazine for 2022.  I sent out the card included in my magazine this week.  A little gift to me.  I've always enjoyed the Victoria magazines and I let all my old vintage issues go quite a long while back.  Not in the least sorry I did, mind you, but I've missed having a magazine I might pick up and truly enjoy and this one looks like it will hold my interest and inspire me.

Work on my annual review and think long and hard about what I want to do in the year ahead.

Continue working on my new Bible Study.  I've really enjoyed this so far.  I finished up the first chapter today and will listen to Video 2 and begin work on that chapter this week.  I'm right up with the class at church.