In My Home This Week: It Looks Like Spring!

 

In my home this week, I mean to keep puttering about indoors.  I'm rethinking some of the things I'd moved into the island.  Seems to me, I ought to use that space for the most often reached for items.  It's a minor bit of rearranging to be done there to be sure but it's proof that for all I've thought about this general turnover of the kitchen, I am not quite there yet.

In the kitchen also, I'm hopeful I have a better week in the than I did this past week. I burned several things. I managed to salvage some of all it, but as I sit here, I'm very aware of the aroma of blackened brown sugar frosting on a cake I'd made for company, sigh.  I'll serve it anyway and we can eat around the burnt parts.  Were I not so tired at the moment, I might scrape it all off and start over but I think I'll leave it alone and make the best I can of it.  I'll pull out the container of whipped topping I picked up yesterday and we'll dollop some of that on top.  

Outdoors, pollen continues to waft about.  I'm having to take a full dose of allergy medicine daily and may have to increase it to get relief for my poor stuffy ears.  No need to wish it would hurry along.  The pines have only begun to bloom and we've pecan and privet to go yet.  It's a long pollen season for us two or three months total.

In the meantime, though it's still March we're getting our share of spring rains which is much appreciated.  Our winter was a bit more dry than usual and I feel heartened to see rain coming in now.  The temperatures continue to play on a sliding scale of up and down.

We're going back to church on Sunday.  John will hopefully manage to get from parking lot to lobby where he can sit down and rest before meandering on into the sanctuary.  We have determined however to skip the senior supper night this month.  That's just a long trek, longer than John feels ready to manage.

Work:  

Zone work will focus on the two beds and baths this week.  I've painted and repainted the frame about the guest bath mirror and I've decided it needs to be white once more.  I'll tackle that this week.  It at least is a small task.

In our bathroom I need cabinet space and I need to figure out how I'm going to go about making that happen.   The cabinets are tidy but I have extra items that really needs to go there.  Or I clear space in my bedroom closet for them.  I'll have to see how that's all going to work out.

In the guest bedroom, I need to pack up all the excess things I've moved there from other rooms and get donations loaded into the car trunk and the keepers into the shed.  I'll take my time in the shed, too to arrange things where they go and not do a dump and run as I've done in the past.  

Then I'll just make the room as pleasant as I can.

In the master bedroom just general cleaning and tidying.  I'm debating bringing out the summer spread and swapping out with the heavy winter one.

Kitchen: 

Seriously need to sit down and plan out a baking day to make bagels and mix up cookie dough for the freezer.  I'm having the children over next weekend and Isaac has requested pizza.  I could make my dough ahead and just thaw it on Friday in the fridge which is super convenient for me on Saturday.  I also want to make hot dog buns this week.  

And of course, there's that kitchen island to sort out one more time.

The kitchen needs some finishing touches overall.  Then I can share photos of the space at this stage.  

Meals:  This week my focus with meals is to put something in the freezer most days that I'm cooking.  One for now and one for later, that's the way I hope to go.  

Pot Roast with Vegetables, Broccoli, Bread and Butter, Chocolate Cake with Whipped Topping   Yes, a big dinner. There's company coming and the meal was requested by Katie for our guest.  The burnt frosting on the cake will just keep it real, won't it?  John and I tried a square of the most burnt bits yesterday and it's not noticeable with the devil food cake base, but topped with whipped cream, it's bound to be just fine.

Spaghetti with Meat Sauce, Garlic Toast, Salad I'll try to triple the recipe and have extra sauce for the freezer.

BBQ Chicken Sandwiches, Chips, Slaw, Pickles I'll cook extra of this and put aside a container for future meals.

Roast Beef Hash, Peas, Pear Salad

Macaroni and Cheese, Pan Roasted Vegetables, Garlic Bread This recipe doesn't have to be doubled but it does make more than we need so that there's one for the freezer.  

Vegetable Beef Soup, Cornbread  I know that we'll have plenty of this for leftovers.  This too will freeze nicely.  I like to have soup in the freezer even if warm weather is coming.  My secret is not to put potatoes into the freezer, so I'll make up the soup, remove what will be frozen then add potatoes to the portion we'll be having for supper.

Cheesy Chicken, Broccoli and Rice Casserole, Tossed Salad  This recipe also makes more than enough for us, so another easy freezer meal to set aside. 

Personal/Leisure:  

I didn't do a thing I'd planned last week.  Nothing.  Mostly I sat about not feeling well.   I'm all better now and I won't waste another day!

Set up a few outfits, or at least attempt to do so.  I would like to photo some of them to share, as I keep having requests to do that.

Read.  I've started Caroline Harvey aka Joanna Trollope's Legacy of Love <<Amazon Affiliate Link>>  You'll recall I read the second book first so I'm interested to start this one.  

Create a list of books to buy this month.  Georgette Heyer keeps being recommended as an author I might enjoy and Darling Desi just gave her books a glowing review on her most recent vlog.  Anyone want to recommend a title to start with?

John has been turning on the Oslo Philharmonic concerts each afternoon.  It's been just wonderful to have that 30-60 minutes each day to listen in on these concerts and to watch the musicians and conductors.  He usually times it about the moment we are having coffee and it's a wonderful break in the day.  I'm looking forward to the performances this week.

I promised myself last week I'd get back to the genealogy notes but didn't.  This week that's on my list of quiet work as is going over my recipe notebook and filling in gaps.

Get a haircut.  It's time once more.