Christmas Notebook

menu plan monday ~ july 27, 2015

July 28, 2015 – 8:16 am

This week we are enjoying a visit from our younger son and his wife. It is a joy to have them here for a few days. They live in Seattle so are becoming reacquainted with the heat and humidity of the Midwest. It’s the kind of heat that slams you in the face and the kind of humidity that sucks the oxygen out of your lungs and makes it hard to breath. They did get to enjoy watching the rain pour down in sheets yesterday evening which is something they don’t see in Seattle. Some close lightening and heavy winds. It pushed through and dropped the temps from 94* to 74*. What a difference! But hot again today, so we’ll enjoy the A/C and stay inside. They’ve been enjoying the kittens a great deal. They have two cats of their own and the kittens are drawn to them. They must sense that they are “cat people.”

Here is the menu for the week.

Monday
Ham Sandwiches on
Homemade Buns
Assorted Cheese and Crackers

Tuesday
Homemade Pizza

Wednesday
Turkey over Rice
Garden Salad
Garlic Bread

Thursday
Oven Tacos

Friday
Fridge Food

Saturday
Oven BBQed Pork Steaks
Boiled Potatoes
Corn on the Cob
Garden Salad

Sunday
Fuss-Free Ravioli and Cheese Bake (made with Tortellini)
Garden Salad
Garlic Bread

You’ll find more menu and recipe ideas at Menu Plan Monday.

~~Rhonda

By ~~Rhonda | Posted in menu, Uncategorized | Comments (0)

menu plan monday ~ july 13, 2015

July 13, 2015 – 10:23 pm

It’s been a busy week. DH and my brother-in-law John bicycled across Indiana in the RAIN ride this past weekend. My sister spent the weekend here. We did a lot of chatting, a little crafting, a little movie watching. It was a lot of fun!

Here’s the menu for this week.

Monday
Ham Sandwiches on
Homemade Buns
Sliced Tomatoes

Tuesday
Chicken and Tortellini

Wednesday
Smoked Ham Hock and Beans
Cornbread

Thursday
Homemade Pizza

Friday
Crock Pot Brown Sugar Chicken
Rice
Garden Salad
Garlic Bread

Saturday
Fridge Food

Sunday
Crock Pot Turkey
Boiled Red Potatoes
Steamed Green Beans
Homemade Rolls

You’ll find more menu and recipe ideas at Menu Plan Monday.

The kittens are growing quickly! Soon, it will be time to send two of them to their new homes. We are keeping Winston and Clark.

~~Rhonda

By ~~Rhonda | Posted in menu | Comments (1)

peak of the daylily season

June 28, 2015 – 9:32 pm

We have been enjoying the daylily blooms for the past month or so. This week they are at peak bloom. We have more than 400 varieties in the garden. It is a sea of color.

‘Chicago Blackout’

‘Egyptian Ibis’

‘South Seas’

‘Allen Wild’

‘Picture Pretty’

FYI, for those in the local area, we are planning to have a plant sale on Wednesday, July 1, from 10:00 – 2:00. All proceeds will, as always, go to the mission fund of our church. We hope to see a good turnout! You are always welcome to stop by at any time and stroll through the front yard. Please enjoy the flowers!

~~Rhonda

By ~~Rhonda | Posted in our garden | Comments (1)

four little kittens

June 24, 2015 – 12:25 am

About three months ago, Youngest Daughter found a stray cat and brought her home. She named her Riley and took her to the vet for a check up. The vet said she was about six or seven months old and underweight (four pounds), but overall in good health. She didn’t have a chip.

Three weeks ago, on May 17, Riley had kittens! We couldn’t believe it. She was so thin when we got her. We could feel each bone. She gained weight and we thought she was just getting better. Calculating back from birth, she must have been only three days pregnant when we found her.

Alex, the dark tabby, was baby number one. One of Middle Daughter’s friends asked to adopt this kitten. Hence the current name, which I am sure will change when Alex the kitty goes home with Alex the adoptive dad. Benny (one of the orange and white ones) was next. The third kitten was the black and white one named Clark. And the last, but not least, was the fluffiest one with the white neck band, named Winston.

When the grands arrived a few days later, Snow White made a sign for the nursery box.

So small, so cute!

Riley is very good about sharing her babies. Initially, we were careful not to push it, but now she is quite happy to have anyone around petting on the kittens. With the exception of our cat Zilli. Poor Zilli. She has no interest in the kittens, but Riley won’t abide her presence in any room Riley may be in with her. Riley goes into offensive mode and Zilli retreats as quickly as she can. Currently, she has taken up residence in our bedroom, staying as far away from Riley as she can.

Ski, on the other hand, is part of the family. Riley is fine with him checking out the kittens, playing with them, and sticking around as long as he likes.

They are as cute as they can be and we have had a wonderful time watching them grow. Now that they can bumble around the floor, they are quite entertaining. Alex, the first to try anything at all, was the first one out of the nursery box. As you can see, we had to put painters’ tape on all the drawers. Riley kept opening them, looking for a new place to put the kittens.

It didn’t take him long to tumble back into the box, though.

Mama says “welcome back!”

And after play time, it’s always nap time!

We are keeping Clark (black and white) and Winston (orange with a white band around his neck). The other two have homes waiting for them.

~~Rhonda

By ~~Rhonda | Posted in cats | Comments (2)

menu plan monday ~ june 22, 2015

June 22, 2015 – 8:43 pm

We are nearing peak bloom time in the daylily beds. They are beautiful this year with many plants displaying larger than normal blossoms.

‘Tallyman’

‘Raspberry Candy’

It’s too bad the weather is so hot and humid. Otherwise, I’d be outdoors much more to enjoy all the color. I know much of the west part of the country is suffering from drought. But here, in our corner, we have had rain almost every day for more than a week. The lawn is waterlogged, but I think the daylilies have found the extra water to their liking.

DH picks spent blossoms from ‘Christmas Ribbons.’

Here’s the menu for the week.

Monday
Fridge Food

Tuesday
Balsamic Quick-Braised Pork Chops
Rice
Sautéed Summer Squash
Corn on the Cob

Wednesday
Homemade Pizza

Thursday
Celebrating our 38th wedding anniversary today!
I am not sure what we will do for supper. Maybe we’ll have Middle Daughter bring us some large shrimp from the big city.

Friday
Chicken and Tortellini Casserole
Garden Salad

Saturday
Ham or Turkey Sandwiches
Sweet and Sour Cucumber Slices

Sunday
Grilled Chicken Tacos with Avocado Salsa
Homemade Tortilla Chips

You’ll find more menu and recipe ideas at Menu Plan Monday.

The kittens are thriving. They wear themselves out playing and chasing each other around. Then they have to take a long nap.

~~Rhonda

By ~~Rhonda | Posted in menu | Comments (0)

menu plan monday ~ june 15, 2015

June 17, 2015 – 4:33 pm

Where has the week (and a half!) gone?! Seems like yesterday that I put up the last post. It’s past Monday, but I’m going to post my menu plan anyway. Need to get back into the habit!

Monday
Fridge Food

Tuesday
Rice and Eggs
Bacon
Toast
Sometimes it’s nice to have breakfast for supper.

Wednesday

Chicken Salad Sandwiches on
Homemade Buns

I left the nuts and grapes out of the chicken salad and added diced sweet pickles. A nice change, though I love the original, too. And I added some minced fresh basil and fresh parsley.

Thursday / Our older son and his family are coming over for supper, as they can’t be here on Father’s Day. So this meal bears a similarity to Sunday’s meal. Some of DH’s favorites.

Pork Chops
Mashed Potatoes
Corn on the Cob
Roasted Brussels Sprouts
Garden Salad
Grapes
Homemade Rolls

Friday

Homemade Pizza

Saturday
Fridge Food

Sunday / Happy Father’s Day!

Marinated Pork Tenderloin
Mashed Potatoes
Creamy Mushroom Bake
Green Beans
Garden Salad
Peach Pie
Homemade Peach Ice Cream / We start with Ben and Jerry’s Sweet Cream Base #2 and add 1 quart of home-canned peaches that have been drained and then blended in the food processor till peach slices are 1/4″ or smaller.

The daylilies and the hostas look great. We have had a lot of rain this spring and that has made a difference in the flowers. I will post more about those later, but here’s a tiny sneak peak…

‘Monterrey Jack’ is one of my favorite daylilies. The shade of yellow is perfect.

The hostas are beginning to bloom. ‘Blue Cadet,’ near the back door, has settled in and the clump is growing a bit larger each year.

More pictures coming soon. We also have kitten pictures to share. If you would like to see more menu and recipe ideas check out Menu Plan Monday.

~~Rhonda

By ~~Rhonda | Posted in menu | Comments (0)

menu plan monday ~ june 8, 2015

June 8, 2015 – 2:49 pm

Hello, all. Thanks to those who have said hello and asked how I was doing. I hope I’m back up to par and able to keep up the blog again. I’ve missed posting, but haven’t had the energy or will to work at it. But things are looking up and here I am. I’ll start with the menu for the week. It’s the one post that usually keeps me going, but I’ve even neglected it lately.

Monday
Homemade Pizza with hamburger and mushroom

Tuesday
Spicy Shredded Pork Sandwiches
Veggies and Dip

I follow the pork recipe’s ingredient list, but I don’t blend them. I put the roast in the crock pot and throw everything in on top. I know it’s not the same as roasting it, so it’s different than the meat the original recipe would produce, but it’s still delicious! And easier.

Wednesday
Chicken Tortellini Soup

Thursday
Tacoritos
Toppings / Sour Cream / Lettuce / Tomatoes
Homemade Baked Tortilla Chips

Friday
Ham and Turkey Sandwiches
Grapes

Saturday
Fridge Food

Sunday
Crunchy Baked Pork Chops
Mashed Potatoes
Creamy Mushroom Bake
Green Beans
Salad

You’ll find more menu and recipe ideas at Menu Plan Monday.

We’ve been enjoying new kittens at our house. More about them soon.

~~Rhonda

By ~~Rhonda | Posted in menu | Comments (4)

menu plan monday ~ march 30, 2015

April 1, 2015 – 9:54 pm

I am way behind on posting. Here it is Wednesday already! The day is so pretty out, that I am sitting in the swing in the backyard, doing some computer work.

I’ll do a quick menu for the week, then will spend some time doing another post. Spring is in our yard and I would love to share some pictures with you. But first the menu…

Monday
Scrambled Eggs
Ham
Bagels

We were able to get five dozen of our niece’s lovely homegrown chicken eggs last weekend. We had them for supper on Sunday and Monday, and for breakfast every day. So good!

Tuesday
Carry-Out Pizza

No one felt like cooking…

Wednesday
Grilled Pork Steaks
Grilled Veggies

DH is grilling enough to have three or four meals on hand.

Thursday
Hamburgers
Homemade Buns
Sauteed Mushrooms
Roasted Asparagus
Green Salad

Friday
Grilled Chicken with BBQ Sauce
Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Carrots
Garden Salad

Saturday
Chicken Tortellini Soup
Rosemary Crackers

Sunday / Happy Easter!
Marinated Pork Tenderloin
Steamed Broccoli/Cauliflower/Carrots
Garden Salad

Easter Egg Hunt
Birthday cake for grand-daughter
Ice Cream

You’ll find more menu and recipe ideas at Menu Plan Monday.

~~Rhonda

By ~~Rhonda | Posted in menu, Uncategorized | Comments (2)

life with grands

March 16, 2015 – 8:23 am

The twins came to see us a week ago. Their older sister stayed home to have some one on one time with Mom. Our daughter-in-law brought the girls over Friday evening. We shared a pot of coffee before she left and caught up on what’s happening at their house. Our DIL’s department at work is undergoing a huge remodel right now and she is ready for that to be done! I can’t blame her.

After she left, it was close to bedtime. DH put the girls in their jams, distributed snacks, read stories and prayed with them. They were pretty good about settling down. Saturday morning, though, Rose Red woke up sick. Poor thing! She had a fever and threw up several times during the day. She spent most of the day asleep.

Snow White took a walk uptown with our Youngest Daughter to get sandwiches for lunch. It was a beautiful day to be outside. On the way home, they found coal by the railroad tracks. Snow White was SO excited!

We spent quite a bit of time online watching videos of coal mining and rock and crysal formations. Snow White is very interested in anything to do with science.

At 10:00 that night, Rose Red woke up and said she felt a lot better. And, of course, after sleeping all day she wasn’t tired. DH started a movie for her and he fell asleep while she watched. When he woke up at 1:00, she was asleep again.

Both girls seemed to feel fine Sunday morning. We kept them home from church just in case. After church, DH took them home. They had a school program at 2:00, so DH stayed for that before coming home.

The program was “Health and Fitness.” As you can see, Rose Red was not really into the topic at that particular time. Still not feeling 100%.

Snow White, on the other hand, was ready to go!

It’s always fun to watch how the girls react to life, to learning something new, to the way they find intense interest in what has become to us mundane. It helps me better appreciate the every day.

~~Rhonda

By ~~Rhonda | Posted in family, twins | Comments (0)

proof of spring

March 13, 2015 – 12:23 pm

Yesterday DH went out into the yard armed with my camera and took some pictures of spring. It’s really here. Thank you, God, for springtime.

For behold, the winter is past; the rain is over and gone. The flowers appear on the earth, the time of singing has come, and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land. Song of Solomon 2:11-12 ESV

Winter is past, though the rain may not be over, and I am happier than you can imagine.

The daffodils are getting taller every day. Some of the patches have buds showing already.

The ‘Von Sion’ daffodil is a very old variety, dating back to 1620. Ours came from DH’s family farm and are usually the first daffodil to bloom in our garden.

The tulip leaves are shooting up. No sign of buds yet, though.

Happy enjoyed walking the yard with DH as he took the pictures.

The maple tree buds are bursting.

The dogwood blossoms survived the winter and are just waiting for the right time to bloom. The trees are loaded with blossoms and should be beautiful this year.