January 20, 2010 by jnanevans
Well, the weekly menus fell apart a bit over the holidays, but hopefully we are getting back on track now. Sorta…If I will ever get more than 2-3 hours of sleep at one time again, I may not know what to do with myself.
I tried this new gluten-free cornbread mix from Bob’s Red Mill with very positive results.
W: This cornbread is different
Me: Different good or different bad?
W: Good
That, ladies and gentlemen, is a major compliment.
- Poached catfish with steamed fresh green beans and baked sweet potato
- Pork loin chop with beets and brown rice
- Steak with cauliflower mash and peas
- Spaghetti with marinara sauce
That’s it for this week. I have to work late tomorrow (Thursday) and Friday, so I went ahead and made the rice since it takes 30 minutes to cook.
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January 16, 2010 by jnanevans
I had such a good day today! It’s probably one of the most enjoyable days I have had in a long time. W and LM went to West Virginia this morning, so FH and I had a relaxing morning.
Went to Kohls and got a few things–extra 20% off. Had lunch with the sisters and mom. Went to Borders and had ample time just to browse. There are so many books that I could have gotten! Used a gift card to get The Gluten-Free Almond Flour Cookbook. The recipes look fabulous; I can’t wait to try them. Then I went to Toys R Us and used another gift card to get baby food (that was also on sale) and birthday presents for the twins.
I love coming home from shopping with items that are exactly what you want and without spending hardly any cash at all. FH was on his absolute best behavior today. No screaming or crying in the stores–for the most part he just slept. Bedtime went well with LM, and we had a good time earlier reading the new animal book that I got on mega sale at Borders.
Isn’t the photo above lovely? It is: Henry Essenhigh Corke (1883-1919); Autochrome Collection of National Media Museum courtesy of Flickr. It reminds me of the countless times I have peered over the edge of the basinet much in the same way–love, concern, pride.
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January 16, 2010 by jnanevans
Question: What is going on in the picture below?
a) a mess that would drive any self-respecting mother nuts
b) styrofoam scattered on the floor
c) corn for the deer to eat tonight
Answer: C, of course. Isn’t it obvious?
(If you look closely, you can see a large Porter Cable box in the room as well, which is currently housing the 50+ stuffed animals that MUST be kept.)
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January 13, 2010 by jnanevans
Often, I find myself spending more time reading blogs than actually writing on mine or doing some other productive task. It’s nice to see what other people are doing/thinking, but I think I will trim down the blog roll a bit.
On a totally different note, today is my birthday. Long day at work with a lot of meetings and teaching a training class. I came home to a wonderful surprise though. I didn’t think W and the boys would have done anything since we have plans for a family celebration this weekend. When I got home though, they surprised me with a special cake that they had made and decorated as well as a bunch of flowers.
Perfect, perfect. Heart felt. The simple act of going to the store and making the cake meant more to me than any purchased gift. Sometimes when W and I have differences in opinion, I wonder what we are doing together. When you have an evening like tonight, there is no question.
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January 10, 2010 by jnanevans
I love this photo.
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January 9, 2010 by jnanevans
Call me crazy, but I just don’t feel right not sending thank you notes for gifts received.
With LM getting older, I like to come up with ways that he can participate in the activity as well.
- This year we made thank you notes out of postcard-size card stock that I already had.
- LM painted, drew, and/or colored on the cards.
- I selected photographs from Christmas with pictures of the person to whom we were sending the card and printed them out as a contact sheet. This size was perfect for cutting out and attaching to the postcard.
- I jotted a quick note on all of the cards and did the addresses.
- LM added the stamps.
We had a good time working on the project together, and we ended up with some cute cards made with much love.
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January 3, 2010 by jnanevans
I have never real been one to make New Year’s resolutions, but I like the idea of setting some goals for the next twelve months.
- Plant a garden
- Pay off student loan
- Build up emergency fund
- Write at least 40 blog posts
- Stop drinking soda on a regular basis
- Exercise at least once a week
- Sew the couch cushion cover for the sun room
- Sew sun room curtains
- Finish the photo books for 2007 , 2008, and 2009
- Finish FH’s baby book
- Finish cross stitch for niece
- Paint entryway wall
- Get will made
- Organize the office/files
- Clean out the storage room
- Sell college books
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December 26, 2009 by jnanevans
LM and I had fun making this snowman out of cotton balls. I think we had more fun though sifting through all of the buttons I had squirreled away. It is funny how something as small as a button can evoke a strong memory or emotion. There was one from my grandmother’s military uniform and a set from a pair of jeans I had in high school. There was one from a red and black skirt suit that I wore the weekend we got engaged, and two others from a light green dress that I gave away recently.
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December 5, 2009 by jnanevans
I can’t believe it has been almost three weeks since I last posted. The combination of a baby who doesn’t sleep much, going back to work, and holiday preparation have severely limited my “spare” time.
I have this idea to publish a family cookbook, so Mom brought over some of Granny’s old books, including Rare Recipes and Budget Savers: As Compiled from the Columns of the Wichita Eagle’s HomeTown News.
I don’t know about you, but I think this sounds disgusting:
A very nice, cheap drink which may be made to take the place of lemonade, and be found fully as healthful, is made with one cupful of pure cider vinegar, half a cupful of good molasses, put into one quart pitcher of ice water. A tablespoon of ground ginger added makes a healthful beverage.
How about his one:
Good for Worms in Children–1/2 teaspoon sugar, 2 or 3 drops of turpentine or coal oil
An Old Indian Remedy for Lockjaw:
Take a plug of strong smoking tobacco, soak in hot water. Split it and bind on the pit of the patient’s stomach. This will make him sick at the stomach and the jaws will open. If need be, repeat the process next day, soaking the same tobacco and apply as before.
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November 14, 2009 by jnanevans
Here we are with another week starting already. I picked out a few new recipes to try this week. Looking forward to testing the chicken parmigiana and salmon kabayaki. I mixed these recipes in with a few standbys like chili.
- Chili with Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
Sirloin steak cooked and served over lettuce with artichoke hearts, feta cheese, cucumber, and whatever else we have to throw in.
Cooked in the crockpot with carrots, potatoes, and onions.
- Chicken with apricot sauce
The apricot sauce is taken from the P90X recipe book and consists of apricot preserves, Dijon mustard, and soy sauce.
GF wheat tortilla layered with refried beans, tomato, lettuce, sour cream, and salsa
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