Busy Monday, January 4

To Do List

• Write this Blog
• Go to work
• Grocery Shopping
• (YMCA Maybe? If I have the time/energy after groceries today.)

Menu

• Monday - Salmon (Grilled Chicken for Peter), Scalloped Potatoes, Peas
• Tuesday - Pot Roast
• Wednesday - Lasagna
• Thursday - Chicken & Rice, Stir Fry Veggies
• Friday - Croissant wrapped Hot Dogs, Baked Beans
• Saturday- Make your own Pizza
• Sunday - Pork Loin Roast, Mashed Potatoes, Corn
  

This Week's 'To-Do' List

• Tuesday 
• Work
• Y (YMCA) - Workout (hoping to get back in the habit I've been out of the habit for months with my workout bag just sitting in the car.
• Wednesday
• Work
• Y - Workout
• Thursday
• Work
• Y - Workout
• Friday
• Work
• Y-Swimming w/kids
• Saturday
• Pokemon League
• Dress Shopping for Brielle's Homecoming
• Sunday
• 
  

Last Week

So last week we went to a friends house for New Years it was the first time we have gone out for New Years in around 10 years so we didn't know what to expect. It was nice and low key and we sat around playing Cards Against Humanity until Midnight when fireworks were set off and then it wasn't long after we all said our goodbyes.
Otherwise it was pretty laid back and didn't really do anything of note for the week other than got the decorations put away. Oh and I had to get a new monitor my old one died so I don't have a way currently to load pictures other than what is on my phone because when my monitor died it took all my USB ports with it and the new monitors don't have those :( We spent all day looking for a monitor I liked and I ended up just settling on one that functioned that we found on open box discount.

Saturday I played the game of "What's in my kitchen" and made up some pretty awesome chicken enchiladas. I just mixed in some cumin, paprika and chili powder with the shredded chicken because we don't like things very bland around this house. As you can tell it made quite a lot and that was just 1.5 lbs of chicken! Plus I found a box of rice-a-roni hiding in the back of the cabinet.  

Sunday since it was the last day before break so Peter had us pick up some pizza and we watched a movie together though it got stressful at the end as my teenager thought that was the perfect time to talk back to me... I can't wait until she's 30 and realizes her mom is awesome again. 

Hope everyone had a safe and responsible New Year.... Now off to work with me. 

Spiced Angel Food Cake

Spiced Angel Food Cake

1 Cup Cake Flour (I never keep cake flour on hand so I take 1 cup of All-Purpose Flour, remove 2 TBSP of Flour and replace with 2 TBSP of Cornstarch and sift well together.)

1 Cup Confectioners' Sugar

1 Tsp ground Cinnamon

1 Tsp ground Ginger

1/4 Tsp ground Allspice

Salt

1 2/3 Cups Egg Whites

1 Tsp Cream of Tartar

1 Tsp Vanilla Extract

3/4 Cup Granulated Sugar

1/4 Cup packed Brown Sugar (Dark is best but I've used either)

Preheat oven to 375 F. Sift flour, confectioners' sugar, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, and 1/4 tsp salt through mesh sieve into a bowl. I normally sift 3-4 times to make sure everything is well blended together and there are no packed bits together. 

In a large bowl with mixer at high speed, beat egg whites, cream of tartar, and 1/2 tsp salt until soft peaks form, beat in vanilla. Beating t high speed, sprinkle in granulated sugar and brown sugar just a little at a time making sure it is well mixed in until whites stand in stiff peaks when beaters are lifted. This means when you lift them up literally it will 'peak' up where the beater was lifted and stay there. You might have to stop and check a few times just to make sure that your whites are stiff enough. With rubber spatula (or if you like a wire whisk), fold in flour mixture just until it disappears. Do not overmix. Pour batter into ungreased 9 to 10 inch pan.

Bake 30 to 35 minutes, until cake springs back when lightly touched. Invert cake in pan you might need a bottle or something depending on your pan. Thankfully the center area of mine is quite a bit taller than the rest so I just balance it on that my grandmother always used an old coke bottle for hers. 

Let the cake cook completely and then use something around the edge and most likely the center to loosen the cake. I generally use a butter knife carefully so as to try and not damage the pan too much. Once the you are able to take the outer ring off you will have to do the same thing to the bottom of the cake to loosen it completely from the inner part of the pan. 

There you have it a wonderful addition to any meal. It's great during the holidays or just for a treat. You can put berries on it if you like or eat it how it is.

December Catch-up Post

No matter how many times I say I'm going to get back on this horse and be good about it I really never seem to be.

I have an excuse... it's called it's December and December is CRAZY!

I hope everyone had/is having a happy holiday no matter what you celebrate. (I'm making this very clear because I'm about to go off on the school district they started sending out emails that make them look like bigots. I'm not kidding it was was bad for any non-Christian and that was coming from a public school!... But that's a rant I won't go into right now.)

Let's focus on the positive so we had a great holiday and we are hoping for a great start to the New Year and I hope everyone else starts their New Year off right too!

Here are some pictures hopping around our craziness. 

 Here is Katherine all dressed up for her "Christmas Formal"

 I also took both girls down to get glasses. Brielle had to get replacements it was just time though her prescription didn't change too much I do try and keep up with it.
Katherine got glasses for the first time. She fought me at first so I let her go without and then she mentioned she had to move up in the classroom to see better and she admitted she needed them. It is easier when they aren't fighting you and I'm glad she came to the realization pretty quick on her own.

 Katherine is in the red hat at her band concert!

I apparently don't have pictures loaded up yet of Brielle at her concert but she had one this month too AND I played with my adult class grouped up with the 6th graders! Yes, my stomach was doing flip but I sure as heck did it!

Stitch 'n' Bitch group got together for our first Holiday Party! We went to the next biggest city over in Indiana and had Thai food and then spend the day in the craft store looking at things, being silly and generally just having an awesome time!

I took both the kids to the Science Museum. I had some free passes for us to get in and while we didn't stay long we went because I promised to take them to the star viewing. They have a portable planetarium they blow up and we all go inside and discuss the stars we can see in the winter sky.
The kids always enjoy this particular trip so even though we were having a rough busy day I made sure to fit it in with them.

Finally we had our holiday dinner. I made my Spiced Angel Food Cake and cooked up bread for bowls and this year's potato soup I did some stuff different and it came out very well so I need to perhaps make some notes to myself about it because it was all ate by the second day which is a record! We also had a ham that was very good though we got much too big of a ham and I'm quite tired of ham by now.

Happy Holidays & Happy New Year!

Busy Monday, December 14

It is actually Tuesday the 15th and I'm at work but not feeling 100%. Things are getting crazy busy. Yesterday I had to drop medical forms off at the middle school because they lost them. Went out to lunch by myself and reorganized my coupons. Went in for my monthly shot. Got groceries and had to pick up Brielle after school because she had to stay over to catch up on some work.
This past weekend Friday Katherine had her first semi formal dance. Saturday, I got both my girls glasses... First set for Katherine and an updated prescription for Brielle. Peter and I went to a friend's birthday party on Saturday and on Sunday we went to a Shakespearean reading of Starwars.
Last night Brielle worked on cookies though Peter and I had to jump in as she was taking too long because the cookie gun wasn't working well because the constancy of her dough was off.
Tonight Katherine has her band concert, tomorrow Brielle has her orchestra concert. Thursday I have my works xmas party. Sunday it is the Stitch 'n' Bitch Christmas party.

Menu
Monday- pork, peas, potatoes.... Turned into rotisserie chicken instead because the pork went bad
Tuesday-Royal Round
Wednesday-3 Ingredient Chicken Tacos
Thursday- Breakfast
Friday-Pizza
Saturday- ? I know I got something I just can't remember what lol
Sunday-Pulled Pork

Busy Monday, December 7

Again not hitting up the traditional layout. I'm trying to get coffee down me and get a hold of the car lot before I make an hour and a half drive down there for them to change out my windshield.

A friend lost his mother last week so last week I was trying to help watch their home while they were dealing with the arrangements for all that. I only met the woman once but heard so many stories from him and his fiance about her so my heart really goes out to them.

I have more orchestra classes this week but I believe this is the last week but there are talks of another School Orchestra Fundraiser to do this again in the new near so you know I will be there.

I have a Christmas Dinner party for work I need to attend later this week so I have to figure out what I will have prepared for the children and hubby since I'm suppose to be there at 5:30. It sounds like a good crockpot night to me since Brielle can handle the pasta.

 On Saturday....

....we went down to the riverfront and walked around and did some shopping at the Holiday Stroll and then stuck around for the town's official lighting of the tree.

On Friday, we drove out and saw The Piano Guys live in concert. We had a very good time there and they put on a very good show. 

Busy Monday, November 30

So not quite the traditional Busy Monday post because I'm not sure I would have the focus to really get through that whole post and I feel so restricted into if I do one part of it I should do all parts of it.

Today's plan is go pay the taxes on Peter's car. My van is GONE we traded it in on Friday and I have a new vehicle so no taxes to pay there though before the first loan is even fully processed I'm trying to refinance because Peter wanted me to put it only in my name and the interest rate I got was horrible I've got a 720 credit score but my income is so low they really raked me over the coals so I'm seeing what I can do.

Also, I need to go grocery shopping and pick up my medications today... oh I also have music class this evening.

Peter is working out of town for the next two months he opted not to get a hotel and will be coming home every night but not for much more than a meal and some sleep.

I have a loose meal plan but I'm having a hard time filling it out. Tonight is the last night for Turkey and then this next week I'm trying to stick with other non bird meats to give us a break.

Last night was Turkey Pot Pie.

I don't make pot pies very often but the kids and I enjoy them when I do.

Peter even said even though he doesn't like pot pies that mine aren't too bad.

(Don't mind the messy stove.)

I did make Lefse for Thanksgiving and normally I have enough to freeze though I'm not so sure about this time.

I made 10 lbs of it like normal and I have a very small stack left. I'm going to try and figure out how to mail some out to my family since I don't think anyone out there makes Lefse any more in the family.


That's about the whole of it. I didn't get pictures of Thanksgiving though my turkey was absolutely gorgeous in my opinion with nice crisp brown skin.... even if it did take an hour and a half longer than I had planned.
Thanksgiving went very well and we didn't have the full 6 guests we were suppose to one didn't even call and another decided they just didn't feel like leaving the house. (Found that out Thanksgiving Day I was a tad irritated needless to say.)
We had a ton of people stop by though but had a good rotation to everyone so our little house while it got crowded it wasn't overly bad at all.

Hope everyone had a happy and safe Thanksgiving.

Update

The last several weeks have been very rough on us and we've had some pretty heavy stuff come down which on top of earlier this year it has us stretched thin so the blog has taken a back burner but we are alive.

Sunday my friend wanted to try to do a pin and I had the tools so that's what we did and it gave me a break away from what is reality at this moment.

So here it is our pallet trees.