Skipping The Egg, Milk & Cheese Run - 15 Practical Things To Do Before The Storm Comes

Because we live in a rural area, with a lot of trees, winter storms frequently leave us without electricity. And when our power goes out, we are not at the top of the priority list.  Which is as it should be - get the power lines fixed for the hospitals and nursing homes first - most of our neighbors are Amish or have generators, we can all wait.  Over the years, I've learned a few tricks to make weathering the storm a bit easier.

15 Things To Do Before The Power Goes Out:

1. Fill extra containers with water - drink pitchers in the kitchen, 5 gallon buckets in the bathrooms.  I'm generally adverse to plastic water bottles, but I will usually buy a case to keep on hand - great for brushing our teeth, etc. 
2. Charge all of the cell phone battery packs, and keep cell phones plugged in as much as possible while we still have power. (Tip - Watch TJ Maxx for the battery packs, sometimes they are really cheap there!)
3. Use plastic window insulation kits  - to cut down on drafts before we lose heat. (Ideally I do this in December, but often I don't get to it until I'm worried about  the temps dropping really low, in January or February.)  
4. Turn the temp up a few degrees - so if we lose heat, the house is already warm (we typically keep the house fairly cool)
5. Bring a cooler into the laundry room - to store frequently used items & keep from opening the refrigerator door if the power is out.
6. Make sure the grill is close to the front door (protected on the porch) and that we have propane.  We also have a camp stove (the portable kind made for camping trips) that I like to keep handy and prepped - we can use that in the kitchen if it's too blustery to be outside.
7. Cook up a few quick foods that we can eat cold, or heat up easily on the grill or over a campfire.  (Suggestions below)  If you live in town a campfire in your yard is probably not normal - but here it's very normal, and as long as the snow is not too deep or too windy, it's another method for cooking food.
8. Before bed, open up all the closets & cabinets that hold pipes - Under the kitchen sink, the bathroom closet, etc.
9. Check all of the oil lamps, make sure the wicks are trimmed and they have plenty of oil.  We lose power frequently enough that I started collecting pretty, and unique, oil lamps at thrift stores and flea markets, and incorporating them into our decor. 
10. Place flashlights and lighters (for the oil lamps) in the nightstands, and in the living room side table.  I usually pick up a pack of cigarette lighters and stash them around the house.  
11. Check your battery supply.  What batteries do your flashlights use?  Do you have extras?  Battery operated candles - do you have extra batteries for those as well? 
12. Battery operated candles are fantastic for "nightlights" around the house when the power is out.  
13. Make sure all of the laundry is caught up.  We'll go through a lot of extra towels when things thaw out and the dogs are wet and the washer throws water on the floor because the  drain wasn't completely thawed when I tried to use it when the power comes back..  If I think of it a week before a storm, I like to wash the throw blankets in the wash  so they are all fresh and fluffy and smell good.  My washer is also the first thing to freeze and the last thing we thaw - so having the laundry caught up helps.
14. Fill the extra gas cans in the garage.   We've never actually needed extra gas during a storm  - but in theory, if the power was out long enough, we could use the cars for heat and to power the cell phones back up....  This is one of those things that I just think needs done, for no real logical reason. 
15. Stock up on books & games.  As avid readers, this might just be an excuse..  but we download extra ebooks before the storm, and I keep a stack of "real" books on hand in case we need to save power.   We also have a bookshelf full of board games and packs of playing cards - our family plays a lot of cards and games normally, but it's nice to have everything handy when we're stuck inside with "nothing to do".  (Suggestions for our favorites, below)

My storm prep shopping list:

1. Peanut butter
2. Batteries 
3. Lighters & matches
4. Clorox wipes (for quick clean up  - when you have a well pump, if there is no power, you have no water)
5. A case of water

Food Prep

When you are eating cake and playing cards around an oil lamp, not having power doesn't seem all that terrible...

• Peanut Butter is the perfect storm food.  Peanut butter on crackers, PB&J sandwiches..
• Eggs - hard boiled... and quiche can be served hot or cold.  Don't think of a quiche as "fancy" - load it with maple sausage, mushrooms, onion & cheese..  or make one with salsa & diced chicken.. the combinations are endless.  It's a farm staple when the hens are all laying, here.  Hard boiled eggs can be made into deviled eggs, or into egg salad.  Clafoutis is another favorite here- a crustless custard made with eggs, yogurt, and fruit.
• Baked goods.  If you have time, this is a great time to bake a couple of loaves of bread, a cake, and some cookies.  When you are eating cake and playing cards around an oil lamp, not having power doesn't seem all that terrible...  If you don't bake, pick up a few extra treats when grocery shopping.  Consider stocking up on your families favorite candies, and put them in the back of the pantry in a box saved storms.
• Soup.  I usually fill a crock pot with soup before a storm.  It will keep warm in the crock pot for awhile if the power goes out, but it is also easy to warm up on the grill or over a campfire.  And it's a no fuss meal when we come in from the last minute farm chores before the storm hits, even if the power is still on.  
• Think about picking up a cheap french press coffee maker and learning how to use it.  You can heat hot water on the grill, and still have coffee!

Some Of Our Favorite Card  Games:

• Five Crowns
• Phase 10
• Skip BO
• Rummy - How to Play
• Kings In the Corner - How To Play
• 
  

Misc:

https://amzn.to/3nr8Juu

In our car we have an adapter originally meant to run laptop computers from a cigarette lighter.  Mine is a lot older, but it's the same concept.  This will run a crock pot.  So if you want to leave your car running for awhile, you could, theoretically, warm up a meal.  That is not why I bought ours - I bought it way back when it was actually handy to charge my laptop on trips.. and then I discovered that I could take meals, like bbq, to the kids sports practices with the crockpot keeping everything warm while I was driving.  

These are another item that I love - oil filled electric radiators.  We have them in the bedrooms here, because our furnace struggles to adequately heat a couple of the rooms in  this old house.  Because they are oil filled, they stay warm for awhile after the power goes out.  

=================

Raspberry Vinegar

While looking at recipes on Newspapers.com, I came across this 1862 recipe, recommended for the aid of sick and wounded civil war soldiers.

  "It makes an agreeable and refreshing beverage and those who desire to do something for the aid of the sick and wounded soldiers, cannot prepare anything more acceptable than a quantity of this Raspberry vinegar."

It's not quite raspberry season here in Pa, but we may attempt a batch once it is.  

The Shippensburg News 

(Shippensburg, Pennsylvania)

05 Jul 1862, Sat  • Page 3

Farmers Almanac Dandelion Jelly

First Batch, April 2017

"Jelly made from dandelions is similar in taste to spring honey. Try making some of your own with this recipe!" I was skeptical - but it truly does taste like honey!  Just...  not as healthy, with a lot more processed sugar used.  :-)  

Freezer Meals For Teens - Chicken Week

Chicken in enchilada sauce, 2 bags of Hawaiian Chicken, an extra bag of cornflake/ranch breading (went in my pantry) 3 bags of chicken cordon bleu, 2 bags of parmesan ranch chicken.

Last week I made up a bunch of meals with a log of hamburg, this week I brought home two packs of chicken breasts to make freezer meals.

The chicken breasts from Sams Club were huge.  Ridiculously huge.

 I started by cutting them in half - through the middle, so they were half as thick.  Each pack had 5 breasts in it, I bought two packs, so I had roughly 20 breasts to work with.

But even then they were so large that I ended up cutting them in 4ths - so I actually ended up with a lot more.  

making the chicken cordon bleu

Chicken Cordon Bleu
Chicken cordon bleu is one of my favorite meals, and it freezes well.  

Pound the chicken thin
spread with mayo & mustard
top with ham and cheese
fold in half
Dip in egg
Dip in italian bread crumbs

Flash freeze

Except, these were really really large. So after they were in the freezer for about 30 minutes, I pulled them out, cut them in half, sprayed the exposed edge with cooking spray, and dipped in more bread crumbs.  If the kids are still hungry, they can always have seconds, and they will cook better at the smaller size.


Crockpot Hawaiian Chicken
When I cut the chicken in half, not all of the pieces were "neat". The ones that were that were misshapen (about 3 or 4?) I cut into chunks for Hawaiian Chicken. I'll serve this over rice.  

1 can of pineapple chunks
      (pour half the juice into each bag, then half the pineapple into each bag)
1T soy sauce in each bag
3T brown sugar in each bag
2T corn starch
cut up peppers and onions (I used one bag, half in each bag)
baby carrots

I'll cook this in the crock pot, and make rice to go with it.

Parmesan Ranch Chicken

Parmesan Ranch Chicken
For this recipe, I cut the remaining chicken breasts in half again, which is actually 4ths.  I think it will cook better at the smaller size.

1 packet ranch dressing
1 cup crushed corn flakes
1 cup parmesan cheese
      Mix in a ziplock bag  (I doubled this recipe)

1/2 cup butter
       Melt in a small bowl

Dip the chicken in the butter, then drop 1 piece at a time into the ziplock bag, shake to coat.

I placed the chicken in a pan lined with foil and flash froze them before putting them in zip lock bags for the freezer.

Enchilada Chicken
This was 3 of the smaller pieces of chicken in a ziplock bag, with a can of enchilada sauce.  That's it. 

 I'll pop this in the crock pot one morning, then in the afternoon I'll pull the chicken out, shred it, and add cheese, black beans, diced onion...  Fill the tortilla shells, roll, top with the enchilada sauce and more cheese, and bake.  It's a little more work than most of my crockpot meals, but having the chicken ready to go makes this pretty simple and quick any night of the week.

==========================

https://fieldsofhether.blogspot.com/p/recipes.html

Feeding Teens - Eight meals from a 10lb log of Hamburg

8 hamburgers, 2 containers of cheeseburger soup, 1 meatloaf, 2 bags of taco meat & 2 bags of seasoned hamburger for goulash & chili

I love the idea of freezer cooking, but dislike all the chaos it creates.  So I scale it down.  Rather than spend hundreds of dollars and hours in the kitchen, I come home with one meat in bulk, and spend about an hour  (or less) prepping it into meals.  

This week I came home with a 10lb log of hamburg from Sams Club, and I turned it into:

1 large meatloaf
2 crockpots of cheeseburger soup (will need milk and beef broth)
8 Hamburgers
2 qt bags of precooked seasoned beef, destined for chili & goulash
2 qt bags of taco meat for taco nights


How many meals you get out of this will vary greatly by family.  I can't even know how many meals I got out of this, since with a house full of older teens, you can never be sure too far in advance how many will be home for dinner.  8 hamburgers might be one meal, or I might get two meals out of them - depends on the night.  When I say "Eight Meals" - it's really just a guess. 

A list of all the "extra" ingredients I used is at the bottom of this post.  Here is what I did step by step:


Cut the log of beef roughly in half.  Start browning about half  of  the hamburg in one pan (dutch oven sized works well)
 Season with:
Garlic
Pepper
Salt
worcestershire sauce

I put half a stick of butter in a frying pan, and then put an entire large, sweet, onion in my ninja to dice very very fine - almost pureed.  Saute the onion in the butter while browning the hamburg.  

Remove the onion into a bowl to cool, add another half stick of butter to the pan. Put a bag of pepper and onion strips (Wengers in Mifflinburg often has the bags for 99 cents, they are great to keep on hand) and dice. Saute the peppers and onions.  Set aside to cool.

The first batch of beef should be browned and ready to set aside to cool now - I just moved the pan to a cold burner.

Hamburgers

Add about 3lbs of raw hamburg to a mixing bowl.
Add:
  Egg, Salt, pepper, garlic, worcestershire sauce, shredded cheese, the sauted onion, and shredded cheese.  Mix.  Use and ice cream scoop, heaped, to measure out into 8 hamburgers.

Meatloaf

There's a lot of hamburg left in the bowl.  
Add: Oatmeal (or bread crumbs) parmesan cheese,  another egg, 3/4 a can of tomato paste and a lot of italian seasoning. Mix thoroughly. Shape into a meatloaf, top with the rest of the tomato paste, italian seasonings, and coarse sea salt.

You can put this in a pan in the freezer, on saran wrap, flash freeze it,then remove the saran wrap and wrap in foil.  

Cheeseburger Soup

I bought a case of cheap french fries at Wengers.  Using just part of one bag, I fill the ninja about 3/4 full, and pulse, just to roughly dice the french fries.  I put them in to saute in a frying pan, with just a bit of oil. Meanwhile I put carrots in the ninja and dice them very fine, then add them to the pan to cook with the french fries.

In a large mixing bowl I add about half of the cooked ground beef,  I add about a two cups of sour cream, the peppers and onions I sauteed earlier, then the french fries and carrot mixture,and a generous amount of shredded cheese.  I scoop the mixture into two larger rubbermaid containers, and set them aside to cool.  (When I make this, I'll add a little beef bouillon and water to the crockpot, enough to cover the bottom of the pan.  Some milk - maybe two cups?  And this frozen mixture.  I'll leave it in the crockpot on high for a few hours, or on low all day.

Seasoned Beef for Goulash And Chili
The seasoned, browned, beef left in the pan I split into two qt size freezer bags, to use in chili & goulash.  My pantry is well stocked with beans & pasta, and I canned a lot of tomatoes this summer. I keep Tones bouillon on hand all the time too, so these are meals I can now throw together in minutes.

Taco Meat
I put the last of the beef into the pan with taco seasoning, and brown that while cleaning up the kitchen.  I let it cool quite a bit (I typed this post while it cooled) and then put it in ziplock bags.

================================================================

Extra Ingredients:

Seasonings:

• Garlic Powder
• Italian Seasoning
• Salt
• Pepper
• taco seasoning
• Worcestershire Sauce

Misc:

• Parmesan Cheese
• Bag of shredded cheese (I used about 3/4 of one 16 ounce bag of mexican blend cheese, from Sam's club)
• 1 can tomato paste (or you can use ketchup)
• 1 onion
• 1 stick of butter
• 2 cups of sour cream
• 3 eggs
• oatmeal, or bread crumbs, or whatever you use for meatloaf
• Pepper & Onion strips
• french fries, or diced potatoes
• carrots

=============================================================

Other Ground Beef Recipes:
Shepherd's Pie
BBQ (sloppy joes)
meatballs
White Castle Style Sliders

===========================

https://fieldsofhether.blogspot.com/p/recipes.html

From thrift store painting to menu board

When I bought this painting at the thrift store, I actually intended for it to be a sign for my porch.  But then when I was spring cleaning my kitchen, I decided it would make a great menu board..  I had primed the entire thing off white when it was meant as a sign, but that just made it easier to make it a chalkboard.  I used raft paint on the frame, a deep dark red.  When I sprayed on the chalkboard paint some of the overspray got on the frame - I rubbed it on and added a bit more black craft paint giving it that sort of crafty antiqued look.

I'm really surprised by how much my family loves this.  They all really like knowing what is for dinner each night.  Especially my husband!

Tackle It Tuesday - Jewelry Storage

In February I'm working through storage & Organization for all appearance related items.  Last week was make up.  This week was jewelery.  I still have my closet, dressers, and nail care to go.

This is all of my jewelry, gathered up from no less than 4 rooms and 8 locations around the house.  I know, I know.  But when there is no good system for storage, things can get out of hand quickly.  I've tried a few systems over the years. One of the large jewelry cabinets hidden behind a full length mirror, craft boxes to sort earrings, regular jewelry boxes...  so far nothing has worked well for me. 

After sorting it all out, getting rid of about half, and putting the items I'd like to save, but know I will not wear right now (gold hoops will come back in favor eventually - but for now, I really only wear the silver ones..) in that white craft box to pack away, I came up with this solution:

The key to the success here is location, location, location.  :-)  All of my jewelry is now stored beside the mirror I use to get ready each day. I tackled this project last Tuesday  - and although it's only been a week - I am in love with this.  Before I would set jewelry on the cabinet right outside this door, all the time.  I'd take off earrings while sitting on the couch and let them on a stand, etc.. but this is so conveniently located that I haven't set jewelry anywhere but away where it belongs for the past week.  Awesome.

I don't wear the pins frequently - but to keep it easy to access them, the burlap is hung on picture hooks.  (Cup hooks would work too) so I can pull the entire thing down, remove the pin I want, and put the entire thing back up there.

The necklaces hang on a $3 tie hanger (belt hanger?  I don't know for sure what it is!) that I removed the hanger from.  I found it at Dollar General.

My earrings are on an old chain that is broken and tarnished.

Then in the little flip down drawer on our medicine cabinet, I added some scrapbook paper to the back, then inspired by the bottom photo of this post, I found mini cupcake liners in my pantry and used them for holding the earrings that will not hang over a chain well.  While in the pantry, I noticed a thread holder - a very old metal one - on my sewing desk, and I stuck that in here to hold rings.

=====================================

Photos that inspired me:

http://www.tophomeideas.com/32-jewelry-storage-ideas/jewelry-storage-ideas-for-necklaces-7/

I love all the old frames re-purposed to frame jewelry.  

http://brillareboutique.com/blog/jewelry-storage-idea-bracelets/

Right now my bracelets are stored in two small baskets hanging on the wall - but I might eventually do this.  

http://www.popsugar.com/home/Creative-Ways-Display-Jewelry-14181214

I think I'm in love with the luxury of this much space just for accessories.  I love all the different containers here.

I doubt this would be too practical - but I've always loved metal graters, so it amused me

If you had the space, this would be a pretty cheap and quick option.  

Another take on the frame idea - She has a silver one on her site too, and she shows you the thrift store dog photo she started with.  :-)  I love that she used a kitchen towel from the Dollar Store for her backing material!  http://www.320sycamoreblog.com/2012/03/shoe-jewelry-organization.html

http://coolmompicks.com/blog/2014/01/05/jewelry-storage-ideas-diy-vintage-more/

Are The Eggs Fresh? Graphic.

I saw this in a facebook post, I have no idea where it came from..  but it's a cute graphic to show you how to tell how fresh the eggs in your fridge (or nesting box!) are:

Ironing Water Marks Out Of A Table

For a couple of years, I tried everything to remove the water marks, which are almost constantly occurring, from this table.  I tried eggs.  Mayo.  Scrubbing it harder.

Nothing worked.

Then I saw something on tv, some kitchen show I think, where they explained that in highly waxed furniture, you have to iron out the white marks.

It worked!!! 

And it has continued to work on this table, over and over. Someday I'll need to refinish the table, but for now, every couple of months I iron out the spots and then coat it good with some Scotts Liquid Gold.

==================

Home Made Laundry Detergent Recipe

• Ivory or Fels Naptha Soap
• Arm & Hammer Washing Soda
• Borax

This is the laundry detergent I used for about 18 years.  We raised three boys, on a farm, and one was a football player.  And this got our clothes clean.  Now that the kids are grown I admit to being lazy and using Purex...  but for the last year or two that the kids were here, I had switched to a homemade powdered laundry detergent, because the recipe above can be a bit slimy, and powdered detergent was generally easier, and very cheap to make.  

• Ivory or Fels Naptha Soap
• Arm & Hammer Washing Soda
• Borax
• Purex Crystals (Optional) Or Downy Unstoppables
• Oxi Clean (Optional)

The Purex crystals are purely optional!  I like the smell.  They are a "laundry booster", but I am pretty sure you can skip them and not really notice any difference in how clean your clothes are.  :-)  I like to purchase these ingredients at Dollar General on Saturdays - when there is almost always a $5 off $25 coupon.  

===========================

And for stains - especially soda, or oil stains like salad dressing, this is literally the best.  It's usually in the aisle with the pine sol, not the laundry detergents.

https://amzn.to/2XnwA1d

========================

https://fieldsofhether.blogspot.com/p/diary-of-housewife.html

An Index Of  My Soapmaking Posts
https://fieldsofhether.blogspot.com/p/making-soap.html

Kids Daily Chores

Their chore lists are broken down by segments of their days:

Before Breakfast

Afternoon

Before Bed

There is a spot to record (in dry erase marker, this list is also in a page protector on our home management board) which page they are on in our family book club selection this month.  They are fairly competitive, so they enjoy keeping at least a page or two ahead of their siblings whenever possible.  :-)

You can view the document here:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1WUVg4jO96liCYk_6gXfBVveOMf3AgP0IAt1RURklk2A/edit

How to Center A Blog Banner

Blogger has added an option to make centering blog banners much easier.

Go to Template
Choose Customize (under "Live On Blog")
Choose Advanced.

Scroll to the bottom, the last choice should be "Add Css"

Choose that.

Paste this:

#header-inner img {margin: 0 auto !important;}
#header-inner {text-align:center !important;} 

Save.

That's it!

I found my banner at http://www.shabbyblogs.com.  There are more at 

http://thecutestblogontheblock.com/category/banners.  

Choose copy, paste into your graphics program.  Now copy the image in your graphics program, and choose "paste as transparent image".  Now you can add your photos and text.

Covers UP ceiling paint

This stuff is awesome! Dan still wont let me take the dropped ceiling out of the kitchen, and a magic eraser wasn't enough to clean up the metal tracks the tiles sit on. They had yellowed. This stuff made the ceiling look almost new, and SO much cleaner! It covered the water spots in the hall ceiling too. $7 a can, its not cheap, but it was worth it. It sprays straight up, it is meant for ceilings.

(my FB post last week)

A week later, I can see it is a bit splotchy around my stove, where the ceiling was a bit blackened from a cooking error awhile back..  I think a second coat might fix the splotchiness, but even if not, it looks SO much better as is!

Sidewalk / Grass Edger

I LOVE this thing.  It's easy to use, and cleans the sidewalks up so nicely! 

This post keeps showing up as one of the most popular on my blog - and it's one of the least informative posts here.  I feel bad about that.  But I don't know what to tell you..  I think it came from QVC more than 20 years ago.

My mother in law gave this to us years before we moved to the farm.

We moved to the farm nearly 20 years ago.  

The edger still does a great job.

Amazon has a sidewalk edging tool - but it does not look like mine, and I have no idea how well it works.  It's pricey!  If I were going to spend more than $30 for this one, I think I'd be tempted to spend the extra and pay the $60 (it's on sale right now)  for the electric one..  but again, I have no idea how well  they work.

https://amzn.to/3wxx073

https://amzn.to/3vezxl3

================

Glass Cleaner Recipe

I mixed up a batch of glass cleaner this week, and finally remembered to take a pic of the ingredients, to update this old post with the recipe.  Nothing fancy..  super easy to make, and this works SO well!  I used it to clean my car this week, it did a great job there too.

Although this is an awesome no streak glass cleaner - it's also fantastic on things like the bathroom counters, the kitchenaid mixer, and the washer and dryer.  :-)

1  Cup Ammonia
1 bottle of rubbing alcohol
1tbsp Ivory dish liquid

Combine first 2 ingredients in a empty gallon jug.
Fill the rest of the jug with water
At the end put is tbsp dish liquid.
Shake gently to mix all together.

========================

https://fieldsofhether.blogspot.com/p/diary-of-housewife.html

Prepping For The Week-end

I love facebook.  Most of the time.  Did you ever notice on Fridays, how many post "TGIF" or some status about how glad they are that it is the week-end?


That is not me.


Don't get me wrong, I love the week-end!  But where so many of my friends view the week-end as a rest from their work week, I view it as the most chaotic, busy, messy, three days of my week.  Yes, three days.  Because my husband works 3rd shift Friday night, his week-end is more of a Saturday night through Monday.  But I have teenagers who, along with their friends, observe the more traditional Friday through Sunday week-end.  And I'm so thankful that I am able to stay home and accommodate that mix of schedules. Don't get me wrong, I am very, very thankful. I'm often also a bit tired.  :-)

This week-end adds in the time change, which is just... oh lets face it, it is miserable.  We lose an hour on Sunday?  But I am WAY overbooked for Sunday, I need an extra hour, not one less!


So how can I eliminate the stress and enjoy the week-end?  I plan.  I prepare.  I treat our week-ends like we are going away on a vacation.  I plan meals, I plan outfits, I clean & pack the car, I make snacks, I go over the budget I post itineraries...  today (Friday) is all about getting ready for the trip - and our week-ends sure can be a trip!  

This is what my list looks like (except in Evernote it is a checklist..  not sure where my check boxes went when I copied it here)

Planning For The Week-end

Things that need done EVERY Friday - 

quick clean the house top to bottom

work ahead in F, A, T

work ahead in BSF hmwrk

read ahead in b90days

check kids school work, make sure they are completely on track and caught up for the week

go over the week-ends schedule

go over the week-ends menu

go over the week-end budget

make sure camera battery is charged

check the weather forecast for the week-end - how does it change/effect our plans?

On the Go This Week-end:

Men's Breakfast

Latte Ladies 

Work Day at the church

Prom dress shopping

SS, Church, Youth Group

Coffee Connection (our turn)

Youth Group Snack (our turn)

Nursery duty (yep, all 3 things just happened to fall on the same Sunday this time around!)

GAB mtg

J.s family over to feed calves

Choir practice

PSSA's (remember, my week-end encompasses Monday)

Biking Bike Path

For Men's Breakfast:

Remind Dan to invite B.

Are boys staying for work day (does M. have a ride home?)

Budget:

For Latte Ladies:

What time is S. meeting me here?

Put together my recipes & print copies

pick up flowers to thank P?

Have M. look at menu online before we go, for faster ordering

Budget:

Prom Dress Shopping:

Are we taking 2 cars?  Where all are we going?

google options

Budget:

SS, Church, YG:

Do I know my memory verse (our SS teacher has been challenging us - very cool)

Pick out my outfit, make sure it is ironed, hung all together

Check the kids outfits

For Coffee Connection:

I know I can count on cookies from Mrs. F.

make mint meltaways

make lemon cookies

make mini pb eggs

buy danish

make labels

GAB Mtg-

add brochure to my bag for church

mark areas with questions

get sand cup recipe from T.

Youth Group Snack:

ask kids - what to make? 

Family Over to Feed Calves

confirm time, tour dairy barn during milking?

footwear

Choir:

check website, what are we singing this week?

listen to cd with Meg, practice!

PSSA's - 

What to take?  Calculator?  Snacks?  Water bottle?

check weather - bike path during test?

check historical society hours

check local find a grave requests, print

gym? Discuss w/ Dan

Planning the Week-end Menu

Then based on this, I adjust our menu for the week-end.  Fridays are traditionally pizza night here.  Often I will make calzones or Stromboli instead of pizza - but something "in the pizza family".  Sundays are traditional Sunday dinners.  Ham.  Turkey.  Roast.  Pork chops and stuffing.  With a lasagna in the rotation...   Sides are instant (I know, I know, but it is Sunday, week-ends are super busy, and Idaho makes a good instant potato) mashed potatoes, a vegetable, a salad, and applesauce or fruit salad.  When we have lasagna, we skip the mashed potatoes.  :-)  

Sunday after church we always have hotdogs & popcorn and sometimes ice cream.  The traditions - Friday night pizza, Sunday dinner, Sunday night hot dogs - keep my menu planning simple.

The next step in menu planning for the week-end is to see who will actually be here.  In addition to the schedule above, I now need to look at the kids work schedules, and remember that our oldest has sound team this month.  (That means he has to be at church an hour early - his brothers like to go along with him, and they go to Dunkin Donuts on the way to church, no need for me to make them breakfast)  I always make enough food on Sundays for an army, so we can invite extras at a moments notice..  but I know that this week our regular Sunday teenage guest is grounded and probably won't be here. 

Friday Night:

Calzones, Salad, applesauce

Saturday: 

Breakfast - No cooking - Boys at Men's breakfast, girls at Not Just a Bean for latte ladies

Lunch - No cooking - no one home/full from a big breakfast

Supper - early, the boys will be "starving".  Steaks on the grill, baked potatoes, salad

Sunday - 

Breakfast - No cooking - leave a little early and stop by DD ourselves (love their egg white & veggie on flatbread!)

Lunch - Pork chops and stuffing (layered in the crockpot)

Supper  - hot dogs in sauerkraut (put them in the crockpot before we leave for youth group) popcorn

Monday - 

Breakfast - smoothies, sausage, eggs,

Lunch - grilled chicken, salad, potato salad

Dinner - leftovers

Now that I see the menu - back to the to do list to add the following:

Have boys sweep deck, get patio cushions from garage (maybe eat out side this week-end?)

Check with D., do we have enough gas for the grill?

make potato salad on Friday while baking

marinate the meats for the grill on Friday while baking

get sauerkraut out to thaw for Sunday night

make up a large bowl of salad

make stuffing ahead (use up the rolls the kids left the bag open on so they got stale...) for Sunday

It all sounds a bit nuts, doesn't it?  My week-end certainly will not look like the photo above.  BUT, if I get all of that list done today, it will be a great week-end.  I get to go out to my favorite coffee shop with a group of women that I love, and after I sit and talk with them over coffee and the best bagels around, THEN I get to go with my best friend, her daughter and my daughter, prom dress shopping (father daughter banquet dress shopping for my daughter - but she'll be wearing a "prom style" dress).  After that steaks on the grill, hopefully supper on the deck, here at home with my husband and kids.  We might even saddle up the horses and watch the sunset from horseback?

Then Sunday we get to attend  a church that we not only love, but that is truly a family for us.  I love our turns at the coffee connection - because I get to talk to everyone as they come through for coffee and cookies.  The GAB mtg will be quick, and I'm really excited about the ladies conference we are planning!  Then a normal rowdy Sunday dinner where I hear all about what my kids are up to, usually followed by a hand or two of Phase 10, or Skipbo.  After that "city" friends coming over to see the farm and bottle feed the calves.  That is going to be so much fun - I love to see young kids visit the farm!  Choir practice, youth group, and home to watch the Amazing Race before bed Sunday night.  A family tradition, we eat hot dogs in the living room, while watching tv.  :-)

Monday we'll have time to do our regular Monday chores, have lunch togther, and then go for a 15 mile bike ride while our youngest takes his PSSA's.  Most likely that will just be me and Dan, on my favorite bike path - and this is my idea of a perfect date.  

It's busy, no doubt about it, but it is relaxing too - once I get past all of the prep work.