good stuff I've come across (thanks to Pinterest).

I need this. For real.

It's no secret, I love Pinterest. I have an embarrassing amount of Pins on an embarrassing amount of Boards. And yet...I keep Pinning. I'm not (too) ashamed. As a matter of fact, one of my goals this year (in my effort to be productive) is to actually do some of the things that I Pin. Here are a few of my recent favorites...

• Have you read this wonderful blog on mothering? Well get some tissue if you decide to...it's a tear-jerker. (This wasn't found on Pinterest, but I did Pin it to Pinterest...so...)
• Want to save money on that weekly menu? I came across this gal and she's got some great tips...straight forward, simple, doable, common sense.
• I will.make.this...I WILL. I can almost smell it....
• This needs to be on the weekly menu...and soon. Mm mm mmmm...I do love me some mushrooms.
• I'm hoping to attract more beneficial insects to the garden this summer...maybe Ian will help me put this together.

menu planning (I finally figured it out)

When I first began my quest to simplify things around here a little (5 years ago, or so?) one of the things I learned about (along with chicken keeping and gardening and "making your own" and preserving food) was menu planning. It saves time, it saves money and it prevents food waste.

Do you know how much food I've wasted over the years? It makes me sad (and embarrassed) to think about it. I would throw entire packs of meat away...thaw it for dinner, change my mind or get lazy, pop it in the fridge, let it sit for too many days, now it's gone bad, have to throw it away.

I would make too much food at dinner time, store it as leftovers, then they'd never get eaten. Or I'd buy something that was inexpensive to save money, but then never cook it, throw it away, and now that money that I "saved" is now wasted.

I mean, I may as well have just tossed cash into the trash, right?

Enter the idea of meal planning...planning ahead a week's worth of meals (or two weeks, or some even do a month's worth! And some even cook them all in one day!) and shopping accordingly. Buy what you need, cook what you'll eat. Not to mention, meal planning really takes away the stress of "what's for dinner?". I know the kids liked seeing the menu tacked up on the fridge...they either looked forward to what was coming up...or made plans to be at a friend's house if dinner didn't sound too appealing that night! *wink*

When you think about it, you can't go wrong with a planned menu. Right? Well, leave it to me to complicate things...

For whatever reason, I can't plan a menu to save my life lately. I did it for a while. And it was good. Planned it. Posted it to the fridge. And then actually cooked what each day told me to. But lately it's been such a challenge! I don't know what it is! Too many choices? Too many Pins on the ol' cooking board? Can't decide between Crock Pot or 15 Minute prep? Not sure what time practice is over or starting or whose gonna be where? Yes, yes, yes, yes and yes. Those all play a part in my inability to just make up my mind and make up a dang menu plan.

Not to mention, I'm cooking for three now that Seth is off at college (and doing great and LOVING it, by the way) which doesn't make a difference in what I cook, of course. (Well, it does a little. He wasn't a fan of breakfast dinners.) But more a difference in how much and how often. When Seth was home I could pretty much guarantee that at least one kid would be home for dinner that night. And really, none of that should matter because once these awesome boys of mine are grown and gone for good, Chris and I are still going to need to eat yummy, healthy, home-cooked meals.

ALL THAT to say...I finally figured out how menu planning works for me. And that's the most important part, right? It's gotta work, or it isn't worth the time and effort.

So here you go...menu planning a la Michelle...

First I think about what we have going on during the coming week...bible study, sports practices, band practice, homework at a friends, any appointments or errands that might cut into my time to prep dinner, etc. Tuesday night, for instance, Chris and I both leave around 6:30 for band practice and bible study respectively so I plan to cook something early, something that can be eaten at different times or something that can be prepared quickly. Last week we had BLT's and sliced cucumbers. Quick, easy and we all love a good BLT. Who doesn't? Even vegetarians find a way to eat some sort of fake bacon. (fakon? facon?)

Then I consider what I have on hand. For instance, this next week we will have meals that contain chicken, ground beef, potatoes, broccoli and eggs because these are things I have an abundance of right now. I also have plenty of cheese (to go with those potatoes?), and plenty of rice and pasta (as a side with that chicken?). To shake things up a bit I may try to find recipes that call for fresh bleu cheese and Feta as I have a container of each of those, as well.

I also consider weather...is it hot, cold, rainy? This week it's finally going to rain again so I have Clam Chowder planned for one of  the rainy nights. You can't go wrong with a nice, warm soup on a cold, rainy night. (And we love Dave Lieberman's chowder recipe. I replace the cream with Nonfat milk just because I always have that on hand. But it's still yummy!)

Once I have all of my considerations lined up then I plan the actual dishes. With the items I have on hand for this next week I'm thinking our menu will contain something along the lines of grilled chicken, au gratin potatoes, clam chowder, quiche and homemade mac and cheese. Sides will be salad, steamed or stir-fried broccoli and french bread or rolls. If I do need anything from the store I look at the ads and buy whatever I need on sale.

What I have stopped doing is planning the exact night that I will cook each meal. Instead, I make a list of meals based on what I have then choose as I go throughout the week.  I say "this is what we will eat this week at some point", write it on a sticky note and attach it to my calendar. For whatever reason, I've found that this type of "planning" works best for me. I guess I need a little freedom to choose as I go. Too much "this is how it has to be" and I begin to rebel...even against myself! (See? I make it complicated!)

How about you? Do you plan your menus? What's your technique? I don't think there's a right or a wrong way. As long as it works for you, then it works.

the trick to serving leftovers...at least at our house!

Leftovers. I have always eaten them. I don't mind them at all. I even like them. But my husband wasn't a fan. He would eat certain things leftover, but the selection was limited.

But then I learned a trick.

The trick to serving leftovers is to turn them into something completely different.

Take dinner last night for instance. Last night I made two small pork roasts. We had one of the roasts for dinner last night with Crash Potatoes and tossed salad and I set aside the other roast for tonight's dinner. (I don't always use the leftovers the very next night. Sometimes I skip a night to really shake things up! ;)

I had a package of Dutch Crunch rolls that I needed to use up, half a round of mozzarella and a jar of roasted red peppers from Trader Joe's. Sounded like a recipe I'd seen earlier that day. Pork sandwiches it is!

I toasted the rolls with butter and garlic powder (we won't talk about forgetting one of the rolls in the toaster oven and almost setting the garage on fire. True story. And no, really, I don't want to talk about it.) and then spread a small amount of mayo on each half of the roll. I sliced up the pork roast into thin slices, piled it on the rolls and topped them with a slab of mozzarella and sliced red peppers and put them under the broiler for a few minutes until the cheese was nice and melted.

Served with a side of half a bag of tater tots and it was a meal. A good meal.

There are several things I love about meals like this. First of all I love that it prevents waste. I can't tell you how many leftovers I have thrown away over the years. Such a waste!

I also love that you can cook once and eat twice. Sure, assembling tonight's dinner took some effort, but for the most part, dinner was a cinch because all of the cooking had been done the night before.

And maybe the thing I love most about these types of meals is that they force me to be creative with our menus. Originally, my creativity with our meals came out of necessity when our grocery budget was cut drastically. I still wanted to feed my family good, healthy, tasty food even though I didn't have a lot of money to buy expensive ingredients. So it forced me to be creative...to create meals from what was available and on sale.

Cooking this way saves us money, saves me time, cuts down on waste and exposes us to ingredients I might not otherwise have tried.

I bought an apron.



Apron from Marshall's.
Eggs and lemons from
my backyard.

I don't wear an apron. I didn't even have an apron until last week. It's not to say I don't need an apron...I'm a pretty messy cook. I just have never thought to wear one (until after the bacon grease splattered, of course).

My mom wears an apron. Far as I know, she's always worn an apron. I remember, just around dinner time, she'd head to the kitchen, put on her apron, and get started on making us a yummy dinner.

My grandma Dottie wore an apron. The kind that was more like a smock...with the little ties on the sides. And pockets in the front...I think maybe for her tissues and cigarettes. I can see her now...standing in her kitchen, something onion-y and potato-y simmering on the stove, slicing an apple for me, and even peeling it. What a treat.

But I don't wear an apron.

And now with the apron craze, I almost rebel a little more, refusing to jump on the bandwagon. What a brat, huh? I have my moments...more often than not if you ask some people.

Well...I was at Marshall's last week...one of my favorite stores, the home department especially. I was browsing around and noticed some cute fabric out of the corner of my eye. And whaddya know...it was an apron. It was pretty cute. The price was right. I had some birthday money burning a hole in my new wallet that I also bought with birthday money. I tossed the apron in my cart.

Now I have an apron. I haven't worn it yet. And more than likely won't...until canning time, that is. Canning is even messier than cooking. Think peaches and pickles and tomato sauce. Think strawberry jam. Mm, mm...can't wait.

Backyard improvements...DIY

Our poor backyard has been neglected for a very long time. When we moved in many years ago it consisted of a medium size pecan tree, some berry vines that didn't produce edible fruit and two unkempt cherry plum trees. Now the pecan tree is gargantuan and the berries and one plum tree are gone. Our poor little home had been badly neglected before we moved in so the yard was dirt. And it remained dirt. And...it still is dirt.  But not for long.

My husband and I finally agreed on a garden design that will work for us. It's very simple. And that's a good thing. In the past I wanted a cottage garden...soft edges, flowers everywhere, fluff. Now I have adopted Grandpa Fred's point of view, "Why grow it if you can't eat it?"  This is what we have in mind...

Right now the pecan tree branches span across the yard and a bit over the deck. They shade the back of the yard and much of the garden space. I've got calls in to tree trimmers for bids on having it cut way back. This has to be done to make room for SUN...we need sun for the grass, sun for the chickens and sun for the garden. It would be nice if the tree were to go permanently...but it is very expensive to have it removed...so a trim it is.

To get started, the weekend before last we moved the chicken coop. I love having chickens. But I do not love how messy and destructive they are. I like to let them free-range...but I don't like that they tear up my garden, scratch through my flower pots and poop everywhere! It was time for a change.

We moved the coop behind the shed (that little white building on the left) so now they're between the shed and the back fence. This makes much more sense in the "design" of the backyard. They've got their coop still...but now it's inside a spacious run just for them. They still get to "free-range"...but now it's just a bit more controlled.

The girls may beg to differ as they pace back and forth at the new gate, pining away for the days they were free to eat our innocent seedlings and poop on our deck. But...in time they'll get used to it. They've already found a new dust bathing area...and eventually I will have a sandy area for them as well as some greenery. They'll be OK. They've got it better than many!

Just this past weekend we extended our garden area. It's now about 3 times the size it was! What am I going to do with all that space?!! (I'm sure I'll figure it out...) The garden now spans from the back of the house to the back fence. We installed posts and wire fencing to match the chicken run. It's not fancy. It's actually very utilitarian. But that's fine. At this point, I just want it done. So cost effective utilitarian works for me.

Here's the new garden area...from the wood fence to the newly installed wire fence. And you can see in the foreground the ground tilled up...that will be grass. If you can imagine me standing and taking the picture, the chickens are behind me, opposite the garden area. Poor girls...they'll be able to see it but not get to it. So mean...I know. But don't worry...they'll get plenty of goodies. They always do!

This is a closer shot of the garden and the garden gate the boys built for me a couple of years ago. I think it works perfectly!

Productivity sure does feel good. I can't wait until it's all done and planted and we can sit out on our deck, enjoy a barbecue of grilled veggies from the garden...and look out on a nice yard.

I stopped at the thrift store the other day...

...and look what I found?!

Good stuff! I found a large pottery bowl, actually more like crockery since it's so thick...a small utensil crock to add to my unintentional collection of crocks...and a sweet little teacup. I loved the flowers inside the rim...I couldn't leave it behind. Guess what my grand total was? Are you ready? $6. Yes. I said SIX DOLLARS. For ALL of it.

Don't you just love thrifting? And to think...I almost didn't stop because it was pouring down rain so bad that day. Good thing I don't mind the rain, huh?!

Helping the environment.

Looks impressive, doesn't it? Cute, reusable bags from a popular and trendy organic food store. Looks like I mean it..and know what I'm doing...doesn't it? Looks like I really care about the world...and the environment. It looks like I am really doing my part...wouldn't you say?

Well, doesn't it help to actually use them? I mean, I use them. I take them with me to the beach..and to baseball games...and when we go out of town to carry our hotel room snacks. But I never, ever, ever remember to take them to the store with me! Ever!

Doesn't that defeat the purpose?

Maybe I need some of those bags that stuff in a little sack that attached to your key ring. Then I'd have no choice but to remember them. Maybe something like this cute pink one...it just screams "eco-friendly" doesn't it? Well, it screams something. Maybe I should consider the green one...or black. No need to be all obnoxious about it!

Gray Saturday...and a good find.

{my little boys...about 10 years ago...this picture hangs on the side of the fridge...I miss those days..}

It's Saturday...and rainy...and gray...and lazy! Ian has been playing video games all day. Seth has been laying on the couch...or on his bed...or on MY bed...all day. He did get up first thing and go for a physical and then some conditioning for baseball. But since then? He's been down. And I am letting him. His days are long...Chris drops him off at school at 6:40 on his way to the shop. He goes to school all day...then straight to practice after school...and then home around 5:30 or so. That's an 11 hour day! So I figure if he wants to relax...he should.

Chris has been going like crazy too. He ended up taking a nap today! He rarely naps...so I figure he must have needed it.

And me? I've done some laundry. Run to the store. Stopped at the thrift shop. And then to the used book store. And...guess what I found? One of the exact books I've been looking for!! What are the chances of that? I've had this book on my Wishlist for months! I first found it at the library and loved it. Eventually I had to return it...but then I checked it out again a month or so later and still have it! But now...I can return it because I have my own! And the best part...it was $4!All of the books are half price so it was marked at $7.50. And since I have store credit from bags of books I've taken there in the past...I only had to pay half of that! $3.75 plus tax. It made my DAY!

Oh! You probably want to know what book I'm talking about, eh? This one...1001 Natural Remedies. Its contents are Natural Health Remedies, Natural Beauty, Natural House and Garden and Natural Pet Care. It talks about Natural Medicines and gives a list of items that the author considers to be "indispensable for a basic natural medicine chest." Things like Chamomile, Echinacea, Epsom salts, Ginger, Sea Salt, and Tea Tree Oil.

1001 Natural Remedies has something for everything from acne to water retention. How about making your own facial scrub using oats, yogurt and honey..? Or maybe you want to make your own deodorant. Bring on the witch hazel and your favorite essential oil. Need to remove toilet rings? As easy as Borax, lemon juice and a pumice stick.

I am so excited. I can't even believe that I found it...considering it was on the bottom shelf, behind a big box of books. So how I saw it is beyond me. It was like finding a needle in a haystack. I'm so excited!

the soup.

This is the soup I made yesterday. I used leftover roasted vegetables...tossed them in a pot, added chicken broth and water, a little extra salt, a little bit of thyme...and simmered to let the flavors marry. (Sometimes I like to pretend I'm a Food Network star...)

Once the flavors were well acquainted I took the mixture off the heat. Then I really got the relationship going with my immersion blender. I mashed up those veggies real good...until the soup became a nice creamy consistency. And then I cracked a bit more pepper on top...because I love pepper.

Then...I took pictures! Ahhh...the life of a blogger...fresh photos and cold soup!

And...it was OK. Yes...just OK.

The night before when I roasted all of those veggies I also roasted some garlic cloves. Which is good...I like roasted garlic. But I don't like a LOT of it...and it was just too much for that amount of vegetables. So it was just OK. Edible. But next time? Less garlic...if any at all.

good eating. and a school report.

It's been a busy week. I've been running since... Gosh. Since...um...

Hmmm...I can't remember when I wasn't running this past week or so!

All the more reason I needed to stay home this morning and take a breather. I work at two...but until then, I'm going slow. I'll peck away at some laundry...and I need to dust...but my main goal today was to just take it kind of slow.

I ate some oatmeal for breakfast...with dried cranberries and chopped walnuts. And of course, brown sugar and butter. So yummy...and so good for me. I always feel better instantly once I've eaten a bowl of oatmeal. I feel full...and satisfied. And healthy. There might be some argument about the butter...but..that's OK. At least it's not margarine.

Last night I made a good, healthy dinner. I made some chicken in my grill pan seasoned with salt, pepper and garlic powder. I roasted some potatoes, carrots and leeks mixed with olive oil, fresh cracked pepper and Kosher salt. Then to add some green to the mix I sauteed some broccoli with onion and chopped cabbage seasoned with sesame oil, salt, red pepper flakes, a splash of chicken broth and soy sauce. I sauteed in on high heat then turned the heat off and covered ti to steam for 5 minutes or so until the chicken finished cooking.

And I have to say...it was a good dinner! The broccoli and cabbage mixture tasted like chow mein...which means now I have to try and figure out how to make it! I figure I can just do what I did then add some noodles...and voila...(or however you'd say that in Chinese...tsing tao? No...I think that might be beer, hmmmm)...chow mein! Maybe toss in a little leftover pork or chicken? The possibilities are endless! That could be another great way to use up some leftovers, too. I'm liking this train of thought...

Anyway...thinking ahead I made extra potatoes and carrots in preparation to make myself a yummy, warm and healthy soup for lunch today! I'm going to add the leftover vegetables...including a bit of leftover cabbage, too...to chicken broth. I'll warm it through...then blend it with my immersion blender. Et...voila...roasted vegetable soup! Doesn't that sound good? I think so. But then again, I'm a soup kinda girl.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

So...yeah....I went to my first day of COLLEGE ON TUESDAY. Oh my...all day I was anxious about it. But by the time I got going...and got on the military base where some of the classes are held...and into my classroom...I was fine. And ready.

I'm going to say the average age in the classroom is roughly...oh...35? That's about right. So I'm not TOO old to be there...although I am one of the more mature students. But that's OK...someone said 40 is the new 30...so I'll take it.

The instructor is very nice. And very young. She refused to tell us her age. I'm guessing 30-35. But she looks even younger. Either way...she's nice. And she's engaging. And interesting. Which will make this a whole lot easier to do. I can't think of anything worse than sitting in a classroom for 4 hours listening to a droning instructor. And yes, I said 4 hours. The classes are accelerated...so we meet once a week for four hours. And I have to say, it went by surprisingly fast.

I decided to start with one class at the recommendation of my mom. She thought it would be a good idea to start slow and get my feet wet before diving in. At first I was like, "No way mom! I'm GOING FOR IT! I'm DOING THIS! I'm running out of time. I'm no spring chicken! I have WORK to do! Time is short! Seize the moment!! Get out of my way!"

Or...something like that. (Right, mom?)

Anyway...once all was said and done...and I started actually planning my schedule, it just worked out best that I start with one class. Mother truly does know best...

I had a revelation at the beginning of the week during one of my hyperventilation sessions. I realized that the reason I was so nervous about going back to school is that, this time, I do not have the option to stop. I do not have the option to quit. It is just not in the cards this time around. I have started and stopped college more times than I care to admit. And every time, I had good intentions. And high hopes. But as soon as an obstacle got in the way...I yielded to it. And I stopped. This time? Obstacles must either be moved...or walked around. No stopping. Not this time.

So with this revelation I thought, "Holy cow. This is IT! I am really going to have to DO this. What was I thinking?!"

Not to mention....I've told EVERYONE I know that I am going back to school. And I've given everyone I know permission to hold me accountable. Seriously. What was I thinking?!

I'll tell you what I was thinking. I was thinking that my track record for sticking with something is not the best record out there. And I was also thinking that I know myself...real well. And telling everyone and allowing people to hold me accountable was probably one of the smartest things I've done!

So...we're off. Or at least, I am. And I'm excited. Thank you for listening...and for encouraging me. And...if I start to slack...feel free to smack me upside my head!

closet shopper.

And I mean that literally. When I cleaned out my closet the other day, only to find several brand new items I'd purchased and stored away, it really felt like a bonus shopping trip! I quite literally, shopped my closet!

Among other things, I found these two framed rose pictures. Um...why did I not hang these up when I bought them? Seriously. I have no idea. Because I have to say, I'm really liking how they look hanging above my bed.

I wonder if I didn't hang them because the frames are a brushed silver and nothing else in my room is? Or maybe I thought they were too fancy for my ugly ol' room full of hodge-podge decor. Maybe I was concerned Chris would be opposed to all of the flowery goodness.

Or...maybe I was holding out for our dream house...and didn't want to waste pretty things on this house. I think that's probably more like it. I love to decorate. I love to nest. I love pretty things. I love to shop for household items...decorative items...lamps...towels and bedding...you name it.

So I shop...and I find things that I love...and then I buy them because I have learned that when you shop discount stores like I do (Home Goods, Marshall's, Ross....), you have to grab it when you see it because if you try to go back for it? It's gone. So I buy it...whatever it is...pictures, lamps, quilts, rugs. Then I bring it home and stuff it in the closet...storing it all away for that dream house. You know...the dream house that I still don't have? Yeah. That one.

Cleaning out the closet did more than just provide some much needed storage space. And it did more than prompt me to get rid of a pile of clothes I no longer wear. It encouraged me to dig out these pretty items and actually use them in this house. It encouraged me to turn this house into our dream house until the dream comes true. You know? Because really, what if we live in this house for the rest of our lives? Am I going to live temporarily and with ugly things forever just because we were never able to move? No. I'm not. I can't.

So. I'm hanging pictures. And using area rugs. And lamps. Including lava lamps. And I will continue to pretty up the place. And who knows...maybe just when I get it just like I want it...we'll finally get the opportunity to move to our next dream home!

Meyer Lemon Marmalade...finally!

Something needed to happen with these beautiful Meyer lemons my Aunt Lisa gave me. And it needed to happen...uh...yesterday!

I'd had them for a while...just waiting for me to MAKE something out of them.

One day I was visiting Thomas' blog, A Growing Tradition...and there it was! A recipe for Meyer Lemon Marmalade! Perfect! Instant inspiration!

Well, as time would have it, I was running OUT of it. Time, that is. So I needed a quicker recipe for marmalade. After an internet search, I found one .

And...after much procrastination...I finally got ready. Canning pot. Check. Scrubbed lemons. Check. Clean jars. Check. Lots of sugar. Check.

I chopped the lemons...reserved the pith, the membrane and the seeds...and tossed it all in a big pot and set it to boiling.

Then I added sugar and boiled some more. In the meantime, the jars were placed in the oven set at 200' to get good and hot. Once the boiling lemon mixture was ready...about 25 minutes or so...I ladled it into the little jars, covered them with clean lids and processed them for about 10 minutes. Honestly, I don't know that the processing was necessary. Some say to just cover the jars and let the heat seal the lids. But...I processed them. And they don't seem any worse for it. If anything it may have cooked the lemons just that much more...ensuring that they were nice and soft.

Making marmalade was a bit of a process...more steps than, say, strawberry jam. Jam is pretty straight forward. Marmalade requires a few more steps. But I have to say...those steps are worth it. Because it turned out quite tasty!

Not to mention, quite pretty!

This was my first time making marmalade. And my first time using the seeds and membranes wrapped in cheesecloth as pectin. (Which I LOVE, by the way. How cool is it that pectin can be made naturally? God's creation never ceases to amaze me.) So each jar has at least one little seed in it. Oops! I'll chalk it up as a learning experience...next time, be more careful about the seeds and use a bit more cheesecloth. No problem!

Hmmmm...all this talk about marmalade has made me hungry...I think I'll go make some sourdough toast with butter and...yep...Meyer lemon marmalade!!

*If you want to make some marmalade of your own, you can follow the links to more detailed recipes. Give it a try!

Leftovers...in cognito.

Along with my rosemary potatoes the other night, I grilled some chicken breasts using my stove top grill pan. They came out so good...tender, juicy and flavorful. I'm giving credit to the grill pan...and making chicken using it from now on!

Looking ahead, I decided to make a few extras pieces of chicken to use in the next night's dinner. I wrapped them in foil and popped them in the fridge.

Well, yesterday turned out to be a long, busy day. Not anything major or earth-shattering...just busy. Life, kids, business, errands, pets, laundry, the usual. Then, of course, dinner needed to be prepared. The one saving grace was knowing that a big part of it was done for me...grilled chicken. I looked in the fridge to see what else I had to work with...and this is what I came up with...

...and this is how I did it. SO easy.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Pasta in Bechamel Sauce with Cubed Roasted Chicken

1/2 stick of butter

4 T flour (more or less, see how your roux looks, adjust accordingly)

1 c. half and half (more or less depending on the consistency of your sauce)

dash nutmeg

dash Italian seasoning

salt and pepper to taste

1 box bow tie pasta, cooked and drained (the pic shows elbows...the bow tie box was alrady recycled! But you can use your favorite pasta)

2 grilled chicken breasts, cubed

fresh parsley, chopped (optional) (I used it because it came in my CSA box, otherwise it never would have happened!)

Cook your pasta according to the directions for the least amount of time so it stays a bit al dente. It will cook more in the sauce and you don't want it mushy. Drain your pasta and set aside in the strainer. Using the same pot that cooked the pasta in melt your butter on medium heat. Once it is all melted, add in your flour, whisking to make sure there are no lumps. Add in your half and half, continuing to whisk and making sure to get all of your roux up from the bottom of the pan. Season with nutmeg, salt pepper, lower heat and let thicken. Stir often. Once your sauce is to your desired thickness (I like mine a bit more on the saucy, creamy side) add in your cubed chicken and warm through. Then add in your pasta. Stir well to make sure all pieces are coated nicely with the sauce. Garnish with chopped parsley if desired and serve! I made some sauteed broccoli with garlic and red pepper flakes and served warm french bread on the side. It got rave reviews from everyone...Ian even said it was "fine" and he's not a past kinda guy! This is a great way to use leftovers...without anyone even knowing that they're eating leftovers!

Hope you like it! We did...so much so Chris and I are eating it for lunch today!

rosemary potatoes...

These are the potatoes and onions I received in my CSA box last week.

As you can see, they're not perfect. And you know, I like that about them. Perfect produce usually means some sort of genetic alterations are involved. So imperfect? Yes. Did it matter? Nope.

I finally had a chance to cook 'em all up last night. I left the skins on the potatoes, halved them and tossed them into a baking dish. Then I cut the onions into small chunks and added them to the potatoes. I drizzled it all with olive oil and added a few pats of butter.

Then I seasoned them with garlic powder, kosher salt, fresh ground pepper, a smidgen of thyme and last but not least, rosemary. Ahhh...rosemary. It blends with potatoes like no other seasoning. It's one of my favorites.

I tossed the potatoes in the oven set at 375' and left them alone for about 45 minutes. They were delicious. I served them with grilled chicken and a tossed salad. And it was GOOD. I even made some extra chicken to use in tonight's dinner...creamy pasta with grilled chicken and broccoli. I'm hungry already! I may have to cook a little early!

choices.

This is the last of last year's dilly beans.

A few weeks ago, I canned four more jars. But I'm afraid...I need more. Note to self: grow more beans next year. LOTS more beans.

I've been thinking a lot about this whole gardening and canning thing lately. And I've come to a conclusion...canning and freezing is not really cost effective unless I grow everything myself. For the cost of a few packets of seeds you can really grow and preserve a lot of food. And that's a good thing. But what if I want to preserve fresh food for the winter that I haven't grown...like corn and beans for example? I have to go and buy it in order to do that. And not only do I have to buy it...then I have to come home, shuck it, remove it from the cob, blanch it and THEN freeze it...all so I can have fresh corn in the winter. Which is fine. And it's a good thing. But then I've paid for MY gas and MY time and the plastic bags I'll use...etc, etc. So all that when I can buy a can of corn for 79 cents on sale?

I don't know...I guess it's because finances have been challenging lately and I can't just go out and buy boxes of fresh, local produce to preserve that I am thinking of all of this. Sometimes you have to make choices based on circumstances. Of course, fresh and local is always the favored option...if life were always ideal, that is. But...sometimes it's not. And sometimes you have to work within your circumstances and do the best with what you've got at the moment. And I figure as long as I am doing the best that I can with what I've got, then that's all I can ask of myself. And when I am in a position to do better...I will. No doubt about it.

Call me "Stretch".

On Friday I bought two large London broil. On Saturday, I marinated them in soy sauce, oil, garlic, ginger, parsley and dried onion. Overnight. On Sunday, after a productive day of garage organizing, Chris grilled these beauties...to perfection, I might add. I had him grill one for dinner that night...and one for use later in the week.

On Sunday we ate one of the slabs with that zucchini you see grilling up there, some flavored rice and some homemade onion rings you see down there.

I should really call them onion strings because they're really light. Luckily, we like them light because I can't get a good batter on an onion to save my life. No matter what I try, they come out light. And we all love them just the same. They're healthy. Yeah. That's what it is. They're healthy.

Well, Seth had a friend over for dinner. A 14 year-old male friend. And if you know 14 year-olds, especially males, you know that a large appetite comes with the package. So we pretty much polished off every bit of food we prepared. Every bit. And licked our fingers. The only thing I had left was quite a bit of rice. So I stuck it in the fridge and hoped to use it up later.

So Monday was a holiday. And I worked (for time and a half...nice!) from 1-5.

When I got home we took half of the leftover London broil, sliced it thinly, layered it on Hoagie rolls with spicy mayo, jack cheese and roasted chiles and broiled them until melted. As a side we had FROZEN FRENCH FRIES...yes, you read it right. Frozen. From Idaho. In plastic. Just making sure we're on the same page here, friends. We're doing what we can...right? And then being thankful for convenience when necessary!! Amen!

Anyway..it was a tasty, and easy, dinner.

Tuesday night was DIY night in the kitchen. Seth had baseball practice. Chris had a meeting at church. Both boys had youth group. Everyone needed to grab what they could, when they could. I was off the hook. I think the majority of us had bagels and cream cheese. And no, I didn't make either one. Again, keepin' it real.

So here comes Wednesday. I worked from 1-5. This could make dinner prep a little dicey...but thank goodness for leftover London broil and TV food hosts like Robin Miller who shows us ways to cook once and eat twice...or three times in our case. Last night was a good dinner night. And it was, essentially, leftovers. I had leftover steak and leftover rice. And I was determined to use it up. After looking at what I had in the fridge I decided that we would have steak quesadillas with a fajita flare and a Spanish style rice.

I sauteed bell pepper and onion until tender, chopped the steak into little pieces, grated a LOT of jack cheese and went to town assembling our dinner. While the rice was warming up with some onion, salsa, chile powder and frozen peas and carrots added in I cooked the quesadillas. And oh my...were they ever GOOD. So cheesy and yummy and filling. And the rice? It was really good. I wasn't sure how that one was going to come out...but we were all pleasantly surprised. With a side of grapes and orange slices we had a complete, nutritious and GOOD meal. And really...in no time at all. I don't know that I'd say "30 minutes or less"...but it was quick enough!

So, even though I bought fries that have traveled more than I have. And bagels that were neatly wrapped in plastic. And a few other things that were convenient and I'm grateful FOR that...I was still able to make a difference in that nothing went to waste. I used it up. All of it. And I call that doing my part and making a difference...in ways that work for me and my family. We got three meals out of $12 worth of meat. Four if you count my lunch yesterday...and five if you count Chris' lunch today. I'm telling you...I'm tempted to change my name to Stretch. Or Cheap-O, I haven't decided yet.

Use it up or do without.

We are up to our eyeballs in zucchini! I'm growing it AND I'm harvesting it from my friend's garden. It's taking over. It's on the countertop, it's on the floor next to the island, it's in the crisper...it's everywhere! And would you believe that I've been giving a lot of it away, too?! It's so nice to be able to share...one more reason to expand next year's garden.

There was no way we'd be able to eat all of this zucchini. I mean, we could if we ate it for all three meals AND dessert...every day...for a week. But my family would definitely not go for that.

So, instead I decided to shred up a lot of it and freeze it for use later in breads and muffins. Won't it be great to have fresh zucchini in the dead of winter?!

I don't remember how many zucchini I shredded...but it was a lot. And it ended up being five Ziplocs full...three 4-cup packs and two 6-cup packs. I decided on those amounts because the majority of the recipes I read for zucchini breads and muffins called for two cups of it in the recipes. I figured with 4 and 6 cup packages I can double and triple recipes and be set!

I am so glad that it didn't go to waste...another step toward feeling like I'm doing my part.

A different point of view.

This photo was taken while standing along the western side of my house.

My goal was to try and get a photo of the birdhouse gourds and the nasturtiums. This is my favorite little spot in the garden...but a good photo of how it really looks eludes me. The birdhouse gourd is climbing up an old swing set ladder and the nasturtiums below it just seem to me to be the perfect little compliment.

If you click on this photo it will take you directly to my Flickr account. And then, if you move your cursor over this photo you will be able to see some little notes about what's what. If you want to...you know...no pressure. (I just learned how to make the little notes...kinda fun. As far as technology is concerned I'm a bit slow ...)

The last couple of days have been packed full of baseball, baseball, baseball. Both of my boys were chosen to be All-Stars in their age groups. So between games for Seth (13) and practices for Ian (11) we have been running from ball field to ball field. And let's not forget...California valley weather over the past couple of days has been triple digits. And I don't just mean 100...101...we're talking TRIPLE DIGITS. On Sunday when Seth played it was 116 when we got back to the car at around 4 or so. ONE HUNDRED SIXTEEN DEGREES. Hot. We should have bought stock in Gatorade...at one point I really thought I could feel the electrolytes pulsing through my veins! We were really worried about the boys...out there in the boiling sun with dark jerseys on....but they were great. Probably because Jennifer, Ben's mom, brought an Igloo full of ice water and wash cloths for the boys to put on their heads and necks...is that not brilliant?! I told her she was a genius. Such good thinking.

So today is no different. Seth has his 4th game tonight in a city about 30 minutes away at 7pm. Ian has practice here in town from 6-8. Luckily, my mom is going to pick Ian up and keep him overnight. It helps us AND Ian gets a sleep over at Grammy's house! (Thanks Mom!)

Until then we're going to try and stay cool. Our local movie theater has FREE movies on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. We're going to go pick up my nephew and then we'll all head to a movie, Journey to the Center of the Earth. We'll buy a refillable popcorn and a drink or two and we'll eat the candy I already bought at the Dollar Store. So for about $20 or so, four of us can enjoy a movie and some snacks and stay cool for a couple of hours. Not bad!

Oh, and wish us luck tonight! We want to WIN!

I've never made bread in my life.

But I'm going to. Soon.

I have been dying to read Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day for months. My intention was to buy it when I had some extra money. But, extra money has not been in my vocabulary as of late...so the book had to wait.

Until I remembered my most favorite thing in the world: putting books on hold at the library online. Man, I love that feature. (Have I mentioned how much I love putting books on hold online at my local library? What? Only 22 times? Well...I LOVE putting books on hold at my local library! I love it so much I even tell strangers! I may even tell the people around the corner with orange trees in their front yard. That would give me an excuse to knock on their door!)

I put the book on hold a few weeks ago and the other day I got the anticipated call that it was IN. Yes!

I started reading it last night and so far, so good. And definitely worth owning. My plan was to actually TRY it today but after reading the intro there is some set-up and preparation involved in making this happen. Thermometers...large covered containers...cooking stones...etc. I have most of the items...but need an oven thermometer and a container to store the dough in the fridge. And...I have to make sure I have the ROOM to store a large container in my fridge. This is where a garage fridge would come in handy. This is always a touchy subject...we have a one-car garage. And it's packed to the gills with...stuff. Much of which we'll be getting RID OF when I can schedule my dang garage sale. And now that baseball season is over...I can.

I digress. Somehow it always boils down to my messy garage! I really need to DO something about that.

Anyway...where was I? Oh yes...artisan bread. Not just bread. But artisan bread. Doesn't bread sound so much more yummy and good for you when it has the word "artisan" in front of it? Yeah...I think so, too. (I think I need to slow down on the coffee this morning...)

So...yeah...I need supplies first. Luckily, I get to keep the book for three weeks. And I can renew once online. So that's six weeks to get ready. That should be plenty of time. Good heavens I should HOPE so. If I can't get a grip inside of six weeks then I deserve to eat store-bought bread full of preservatives and fake sweeteners.

I'll let you know how it goes!

Oh yeah! In doing a search for a decent picture of the book cover I came across the official Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day web site. Nice.

The mood is lifting...

Amazing what a little digging in the dirt and hanging clothes on the line will do for a mood. Who knew?

After griping about the state of my garden I decided to go out and DO something about it. I ripped out the diseased plants and replaced them with healthy ones. I planted more beet seeds, more lettuce seeds and fertilized everything. I watered, weeded and staked.

Then I washed up and got a cool drink of water.

Then I noticed the neighbors cat in my backyard. I was worried that he might be seeing the girls as cooked up fryers like on the old cartoons so I shoo'ed him off and tucked the girls back in their coop.

Then I hung the sheets on the line.

Then I stood back and admired my work.

Amazing how happy it made me to know that I was NOT wasting energy by using my dryer. You'd have thought I won the lottery. I am loving my clothes line. And I think the sheets and clothes dry FASTER than they do in the dryer!!

I'm feeling a little better about this whole "self-sufficiency" thing...