menu plan monday ~ september 14, 2009

September 13, 2009 – 10:53 pm

I’ve been working on uploading vintage family photos this past week, so didn’t spend much time taking pictures. I want to get back on track this week. But first things first. It’s time for Menu Plan Monday.

Monday
eat out

Tuesday
order pizza

Wednesday
Rosemary Mustard Grilled Chicken
coleslaw
corn on the cob
tomatoes / cucumber slices

Thursday
turkey in the crock pot
rice
Caesar salad
corn / peas
Farmhouse Potato Bread

Friday
Shrimp-Salmon Kabobs
leftover rice
stir fried sugar snap peas and cherry tomatoes
spinach salad with strawberries

Saturday
fridge food

Sunday
Pineapple Pork Tenderloin in the crock pot
mashed potatoes
green beans
homemade biscuits
green salad with homemade Ranch Dressing

You’ll find more menus and recipes at Menu Plan Monday. Check it out!

~~Rhonda

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sunday morning snooze

September 13, 2009 – 4:21 pm

Buttercup loves to sit on the stool in the kitchen. This morning she found it in a spot of sun and took a little snooze.

Buttercup

~~Rhonda

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silly zilli

September 8, 2009 – 11:11 pm

Monday we spent some time camming with our daughters who are out east, attending college and pursuing their paths in life.

camming with our girls

They were laughing at Zilli. We were teasing her with a foxtail.

peeking

Zilli...she's waiting...she's waiting...she's waiting...

pounce!

got it!

hey, come back here!

Fun was had by all. 🙂 ~~Rhonda

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macro mondays

September 7, 2009 – 11:09 pm

I participate in a flickr group called Macro Mondays. I haven’t posted many pictures the last month or so, because I’ve been adjusting to a new-to-me camera. My old camera, which finally died, let me get *real* close to a subject. I’ve had to get used to the new one, which DD gave me when she got an even better one. Anyhoo, members of Macro Mondays can post up to five pictures to the group each Monday. The pictures have to correspond to the week’s theme. Here are my submissions for this week’s theme “fuzzy.”

Fuzzy pipecleaners…I took this shot in the scrapbook room. I have drawers full of fun things the shoot.

fuzzy pipe cleaners

These fuzzy fibers came from my scrapbook room drawers, too. Isn’t the sparkle great?

fuzzy fibers

Love the colors and the sparkle on these fuzzy pompoms.

18 fuzzy things

DH brought the foxtails in for me to shoot. I put them in a black tray and used a desk lamp to light them.

fuzzy foxes

The wooly lamb’s ear was fun to shoot. I was at riding lessons with DD. While she and the trainers were on a trail ride, I picked the leaf and took some pictures for the flickr theme. I set it on my day planner for the black background and used the sun light to highlight the leaf’s detail. It was interesting to see how transparent the leaf was when the sun hit it from the back. All the veins became visible. That spot has as much fuzz on it as the left side where the sun hits it from the top of the leaf.

fuzzy lamb's ear

Macros are such fun. They bring to life amazing detail that usually goes unnoticed. ~~Rhonda 🙂

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menu plan monday ~ september 7, 2009

September 7, 2009 – 9:02 pm

I haven’t done much outside during the past week or so, but here are a few pictures of the yard. Autumn is creeping in.

ornamental grass

This tired fellow fluttered around the same spot on the pampas grass for a long time. Looks like he had a run in with a bird. I’m not sure he’ll make it back to Mexico.

male Monarch butterfly

The Autumn Joy sedum is turning beautiful shades of pink.

sedum 'Autumn Joy'

And now, back to our previously scheduled program…the menu for the week.

Monday
eat out

Tuesday
Pork Chops in the crock pot
rice
asparagus
corn on the cob
Caesar Salad

Wednesday
Rosemary Ranch Chicken Kabobs
Quick and Easy Home Fries
grilled green and yellow squash
tomatoes and cucumber slices

Thursday
Parmesan Chicken
mashed potatoes
peas
corn
green salad w/ ranch dressing

Friday
tilapia
steamed red potatoes
lima beans
corn
tomatoes

Saturday
fridge food

Sunday
marinated pork strips
cole slaw
baby baked potatoes
corn on the cob

Sopapilla Cheesecake

You can find lots of menu ideas and recipe links at Menu Plan Monday. Click on over and see what’s up.

~~Rhonda

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done!

September 3, 2009 – 11:21 pm

The Christmas open house invitations are done! Yeah!

done!

~~Rhonda ::happy::

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mexican chopped salad

September 3, 2009 – 5:19 pm

Because I changed this recipe so much from the one I found online, I am putting up my own version here, as a complete recipe. Delicious and easy to make. Give it a try!

Mexican Chopped Salad

Mexican Chopped Salad

8 cups shredded romaine lettuce and/or spinach
2 tomatoes, chopped (I didn’t peel mine, but peel away if you like)
1 cup cucumber, chopped (did peel and seed these…again, your choice)
2 T finely crumbled Feta cheese

1 cup broken tortilla chips

Dressing

1/4 cup olive oil
Juice of one lime (or 2 T. bottled lime or lemon juice)
1 T salsa
2 T parsley, finely chopped
salt and pepper to taste

1. Place the lettuce/spinach, tomato, cucumber, and Feta in a salad bowl.

2. In a lidded container, place olive oil, lime juice, salsa and parsley. Close and shake vigorously until well mixed. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

3. Toss salad with the dressing. At the last minute, toss in tortilla chips.

Serves four.

The ingredients can be adjusted to any amount that floats your boat. And the original recipe uses 1/2 c. red (or substitute white) onion, but DH doesn’t eat onions, so I leave those out. They’d be great in there.

~~Rhonda

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fudge…the good stuff…

September 2, 2009 – 10:48 pm

I have to say, my husband makes GREAT fudge.

he makes the BEST fudge

Yes, that’s a fudge smudge on his lip. And, yes, I did hug him. Several times. 🙂

Here’s his recipe for homemade, from scratch fudge.

Ingredients:

2/3 cup cocoa
3 cups sugar
3/4 cup milk

6 T butter
1 tsp. vanilla extract

In a sauce pan (DH uses a 3 quart straight sided one) combine the cocoa and sugar. DH says complete and thorough mixing at this point is key to good fudge. He uses a kitchamajig to combine the ingredients.

sugar and cocoa mixing the ingredients

After mixing, add the milk in small amounts and mix together after each addition. If you add the milk all at once you will have lumps of cocoa.

mixing the ingredients making fudge

Heat the mixture over medium heat, stirring with a wooden spoon until the mixture starts to boil. After boiling starts, do not mix anymore. Heat to soft ball stage (234 degrees F, 112.2 C).

homemade fudge homemade fudge

When the fudge comes to the soft ball stage, remove from heat, and add the butter, then the vanilla.

add the butter vanilla's next

Butter a pan for the fudge. We use a 8 1/2″ by 7″ pyrex bakeware pan.

butter THE FUDGE PAN

Let the mixture cool to about 170 degrees F then begin stirring vigorously for about 2 minutes. The sheen of the mixture will become somewhat dull when ready. If it starts to harden put it in the pan earlier.

stir and stir and stir

ooooo, yummy!

wanna bite?

Oh, so good!

~~Rhonda

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menu plan monday ~ august 31, 2009

August 31, 2009 – 11:47 am

Monday
chicken salad sandwich
chips

Tuesday
sauteed sea scallops stuffed with basil
cheese tortellini
peas
spinach salad with strawberries

Wednesday
tacos

Thursday
crock pot BBQ chicken / homemade buns
corn on the cob
Mexican Chopped Salad

Friday
Chicken Caesar pitas

Saturday
fridge food

Sunday
spaghetti
garlic bread
peas
corn
green salad

You will find more menu ideas and recipes at Menu Plan Monday. Lots of links with lots of ideas!

~~Rhonda

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pumpkin cake and a birthday party

August 29, 2009 – 10:47 pm

We traveled to my sister’s house to celebrate our mother’s birthday. I made a white cake with chocolate ganache frosting and a pumpkin cake with cream cheese frosting. Several people asked for the pumpkin cake recipe, so I’m posting it here.

pumpkin cake

Pumpkin Cake
Mix together:

2 c. all purpose flour
2 c. sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt

Add and mix well:

4 eggs
1 c. vegetable oil
2 c. canned pumpkin (15 oz. can)

pumpkin cake batter

Pour into greased 9×13 pan. Bake 325* F for 55-60 minutes. Cool completely and frost with cream cheese frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting
Mix ingredients together until smooth:

1/2 c. butter, softened
1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened
1 (1 lb.) box powdered sugar
2 tsp. vanilla extract

You may add 1/2 cup of raisins and/or nuts to the batter, if you like. I made it plain, no additions.

pumpkin cake

The daughter of my niece gives Booker some tickles. She said, “I touch him all the time!” He’s her grandma’s doggy.

tickles for Booker

Booker is shy, but he let DD give him some attention, too.

shy Booker

My parents and their seven children. I’m in the back, in the left corner (white shirt).

my parents and their children

Happy birthday, Mom! ~~Rhonda

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