Procrastination

It's Saturday afternoon and I am waiting for inspiration to strike so I can get my kitchen sparkling clean!

So far, I am not inspired. I made some pink lemonade and I am watching the birds and squirrels in my backyard at the feeders. I got this solar light, bird feeder, planter dealie-o - which I LOVE - but it is really tiny! Just about 4' tall. Right now I have a wren, sparrows, cardinal and purple finch all eating from it! It makes me happy! The squirrels like it too.

I have a pretty long "ta do" list hanging over my head, but my mind is just elsewhere!

I have been planning out our 4th-grade homeschool year for Emme. You can see what I've decided on so far at my homeschool blog.

I'm also trying to rearrange my control journal (homemaking binder) to fit in with my work/homeschool schedule. I never seem to have enough time to get everything done. A year from now we should be debt free (except for the house) and then I will be able to cut back to part time. Until then - I need a workable schedule!

I found this FlyLady printable that I plan on customizing for my own schedule.

I have a few new recipes I plan on trying this week! I will post them tomorrow or Monday.

Enjoy your weekend!

Sherry

Slow Cooking Thursday: Peach Crisp

Welcome to Slow Cooking Thursday! Please visit Sandra at Diary of a SAHM for more slow cooker recipes!

I thought this sounded really yummy! Peaches are in season right now and I think it would be delish with some vanilla bean ice cream!

PEACH CRISP

3/4 cup old fashioned oats
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup Bisquick
1/2 tsp cinnamon
4 cups of fresh peaches or 2 15 oz cans of peaches (drained)


In a bowl combine sugars, Bisquick, oats, and cinnamon

Add in peaches and mix

Put in sprayed slow cooker for 4=5 hours on low.

Solar Eclipse is coming!

clipped from www.naturalhistorymag.com The astronomical event of the summer occurs on July 22: a total eclipse of the Sun. The Moon’s dark umbral shadow will touch down in the Arabian Sea off the west coast of India at 6:23 a.m. local time, then sweep across Asia and over the Pacific Ocean. About 200 miles east-southeast of Iwo Jima, the eclipse hits the “sweet spot,” where viewers stationed at sea should enjoy six minutes and thirty-nine seconds of totality, beginning at 11:32 a.m. local time, when the Sun is almost directly overhead. Thereafter, the umbra will move southeast, finally lifting off a little beyond the international date line. (Ecliptomaniacs east of the line should mark their calendars for July 21!)

Happy Homemaker Monday

Welcome to Happy Homemaker Monday hosted by one of my very favorite blogger, Sandra, at Diary of a SAHM.

The weather in my neck of the woods:

We are having a simply gorgeous bout of weather right now in the upper 80's and mostly sunny! It is the perfect weather to be outside in the garden, birdwatching, cooking out, or just sitting outside.

Around the house:

This week the FLY zone is the kitchen. I will be focusing my efforts in there. I also have a lot of laundry to get to and there is always more decluttering to do!

On my bedside table:

I am finally finishing up "Stones for Ibarra" It's different from anything I've read in a long time, but I am so happy that I picked it up!

On my TV:

I have been watching WAY too much Netflix straight from my computer! I am watching 30 Rock and Jeremiah right now. I'm also watching a bit of "How Clean is Your House" on Youtube!

On the menu for tonight:

It is dh's birthday and he chose mozzarella stuffed meatloaf with mashed potatoes and corn.

Cooking ahead for the week:

Southern baked chicken

Beef with broccoli

Beef stew

Wendy's copycat chili

In the backyard:

Today I planted some begonias and peonies (both bright pink) at the base of my bird feeding sanctuary. It holds 2 seed feeders, one small bird bath, one large seed container, suet feeder, has a planter on the bottom, and a solar powered light on the top. It's only about 4 feet tall in total!

Homemaking Tip for this week:

Take a lemon, cut it in half and scoop out the inside. Fill the lemon half with salt and place in a small plastic dish. Place in your fridge or freezer. The lemon smells fresh while the salt absorbs odor!

Favorite Blog Post of the week (mine or other):

A High and Noble Calling's post about free Bible studies for women

and a blog post I found through Twitter for a free curriculum planner for homeschoolers

Favorite photo from last week:.

Much like Sandra's 4th of July cake -- here is my Mother's version with raspberries:

Special appointments:

Call MARVIN for unemployment for dh on Monday (he is back to work, Thank God)

Take Gracie for a full bath at Petco on Wednesday

Soccer game on Thursday

On my Prayer List:

My sister who is expecting a boy in the fall, family and friends.

Devotionals, Scripture Reading, Key Verses

"If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”

2 Chronicles 7:14, New King James version

Friday Check In

Hello all!

I was looking over my Plan Ahead Sunday post to see if I had done most of the things I had listed. I see that I finished about 60% and hope to get another 20% done by Sunday morning. So MOST of the list will be done! I think I'll do it again this Sunday. It was helpful to see what my week had in store for me!

Today I am working on the living room and kitchen. Just bits and pieces - no big production. The living room needs a good vacuum thanks to Goldfish crackers being on sale 10/10 this week! ha

My menu plan with cooking ahead has still been a wonderful time saver and fast food deterrent for me! We veered away from the plan a little, but we had Rigatoni with meat sauce from the freezer with mozzarella and parmesan cheese one night, Roasted chicken with potatoes, broccoli, and garlic bread another. Mike got Shepard's pie and I got bbq chicken wraps instead of calzones, but they were delish!

Tonight we're going to my Mom's for Mike's 36th birthday. (Yes, I am a cradle robber at 39) MY Mom made him a b-day from scratch cheesecake - and he can't wait for it! He requested it about 4 months ago. LOL

Have a very blessed weekend and 4th of July holiday!

Sherry

Plan Ahead Sunday

Sunday is officially my day to cook ahead for the week! It is also the day where I plan ahead for all the things coming up during the next seven days.

COOK AHEAD

Meat from my freezer: (These things were bought over the past several weeks when found at a good price)

5 lbs ground beef
1 3-lb pork roast
3 pounds bone-in chicken breast
Tilapia

To cook ahead:

Herb-roasted pork

2 lbs BBQ chicken

Leftover BBQ chicken kept frozen for BBQ chicken calzones:
http://www.recipezaar.com/BBQ-Chicken-Calzones-161669

Baked chicken used for chicken chimichangas :
http://www.recipezaar.com/Oven-Fried-Chicken-Chimichangas-28148

Hamburger with garlic, onion, Italian seasoning, etc for pizza topping/tator tot casserole/shepard's pie

Black bean Chili

Grilled herbed tilapia
http://www.recipezaar.com/Healthy-Grilled-Herbed-Fish-46737

Still in the freezer from last week's cooking: Mediterranean chicken, 1/2 of a meatloaf, 2 salisbury steaks, and 2 dinners' worth of spaghetti sauce.

Cooking this way I have a good 10-15 days' worth of meals ready to go with just a little preparation. Next week I plan to add on some cook ahead side dishes too.

PLAN AHEAD:

Appointments/Gatherings/Etc.

Soccer games: Monday and Tuesday
Work 9-2 at office: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday
Work at home 15-20 hours
Mike's B-day party at my parent's house: Friday
4th of July: Saturday at parent's house


Netflix to watch:

Lilies Disc 3 (LOVE)
True Blood Disc 2 (LOVE!)
Swingtown episode 8-9 (like a lot)

Books to finish:

"Home to Big Stone Gap" Adriana Trigiani
"Stones for Ibarra"
(won't finish, but reading:) Grapes of Wrath

Fly Lady zone of the week:

Living Room

Every day there is a mission from Kelly that only takes a few minutes. It's more detail work than cleaning. Here are Fly Lady's rules from her website www.flylady.net :

"Before you start, review the rules of zone cleaning:

1. Be fully dressed to shoes before you start.
   
2. Your daily cleaning chores should be finished and preferably weekly vacuuming done.
   
3. The room has to be fairly straight.
   
4. Do not pull out more than you can put back in 1 hour.
   
5. Clean one drawer or one pile at a time.
   
6. If you do not know how to declutter, go to How to Declutter
   
7. Be consistent. Do a little every day. Don't try to accomplish this in one day. You will burn out and will hate this system. BabySteps!
   
8. Set your timer and work for 15 minutes. That's all. It did not get junked up in one day and it won't get clean in one day either. Patience and BabySteps. You can do this."
   

Other Ta Do's around the house this week:

Clean off desk in kitchen and cover with pretty table cloth and centerpiece. (desk is about 200 lbs - I want to get rid of it because we no longer use it; however, it's too darn heavy! so for now I will just make it into an extra table with storage underneath)

Declutter in the bedrooms (My goal is to get rid of as much unneeded STUFF as possible!)

Good scrub of the bathroom

Bible reading of the week:

Numbers 16 - Numbers 29
Mark 16 - Luke 3
Psalm 54-Psalm 61
Proverbs 11:5 - Proverbs 11:17

Memory verse of the week:

"But I will call on God, and the Lord will rescue me.
Morning, noon, and night I plead aloud in my distress,
and the Lord hears my voice.

He rescues me and keeps me safe from the battle waged against me,
although many still oppose me.

God, who is king forever, will hear me and will humble them."

Psalm 55:16-19

Summer Homeschool:

Jennah, 13: Begin reading "Island of the Blue Dolphins" by Scott Dell. Learn 10 new Spanish words and use them in a letter to Diana.

Jacob, 10: www.time4learning.com all 5 subjects, three days.

Emme, 9: www.time4learning.com all 5 subjects, three days. Handwriting 3 days. Bible stories 3 days. Reading: 1 chapter per day.

Important calls to make/appointments to make:

Call regarding fall football for Jake
Call to make Dr. appt. for Mike
Call MARVIN on Monday

Letters/ packages to send:

Mail Netflix, check each day
Mail letter to bff
Letter to Diana
Emme letter to pen pal
Book chain letter

DON'T FORGET!

Call MARVIN on Monday for Mike's unemployment
Renew car registration
Pay car insurance

Having everything planned out like this makes my life a LITTLE less overwhelming! Now I am going to go and get started with this week's cooking!

Have a very blessed and fun week!

Sherry

HOT STUFF

It is hot. I don't do hot very well. Of course, being the sensible girl that I am, I chose today to tackle the yardwork. I still have some to do, but taking breaks in the 68-degree house is just a little too tempting. Yes! You heard me. 68 degrees. And I have pink lemonade on ice, too. I would never make it as a Southern Belle.

I actually saw a butterfly at my butterfly bush! I planted it 2-3 summers ago and it has yet to bud. It gets bigger every year -- but no flowers. The 30-year old rose bush planted by Mike's mother is covered in wine-colored blooms. Gorgeous. The tigerlilies transplanted from my Mom's house (which were transplanted by my grandfather from my grandparents' house) are ready to open. I love the history. The morning glory vines are winding their way around the bird trellis. The snapdragons, pansies, johnny jump ups, begonias, petunias and other assorted bright-colored flowers are relishing in the June sun. Every time I go out back I want to run and get more flowers! It's a sickness I tell you!

As for books -- I started reading "Home to Big Stone Gap" by Adriana Trigiani and put it down to start "Stones for Ibirra" and put it down to start "Grapes of Wrath" by John Steinbeck! I can't decide which to finish so I just read each one in small bites.

I finished watching "Wives and Daughters" from Netflix streaming on my computer. I LOVED IT! I wish there were more episodes of it!

I am almost done watching "Lilies" - I have one episode to go. I have loved it too.

I have in my queue some series to watch instantly:

Mansfield Park
Bleak House
The Duchess of Duke Street
Monarch of the Glen
All Creatures Great and Small
As Time Goes By

And to watch on DVD at home this summer:

True Blood (first disc arrives tomorrow!)
Elizabeth I: The Virgin Queen
Regency House Party
The Forsyte Saga
Manor House
and of course I can finish up Road to Avonlea and there is always CSI and Ghost Whisperer!

I think I should have enough to occupy my late nights! (I usually watch an episode of something on the computer before I go to sleep at night)

The girls and I went to the drive in and saw "Year One" (don't bother) and "Land of the Lost" which was actually pretty good! The girls both liked it and I did too.

I am taking THE BOY to the drive in tomorrow night to see the new Terminator movie.

Speaking of THE BOY -- he plays soccer 3x a week now. He's getting much better than he used to be!

Finally -- just wanted to say that I do read blogs almost daily! I'm sorry I don't post much or comment. I will keep trying to do better!

Love and hugs,

Sherry

It's cooking day!

Cooking ahead for the next couple of weeks:

6 pounds ground beef @1.19 per pound=

1-1/2 pounds taco meat for tacos

1-1/2 pounds burgers

1-1/2 pounds salisbury steaks

1-1/2 pounds with onions, garlic, mushrooms, green peppers and spaghetti sauce for stuffed shells

4 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts @ 1.39 per pound:

2 pounds chicken cooked with bbq sauce

1 pound chicken cooked with cumin, olives, tomatoes to serve over rice

1 pound cooked with mushrooms and garlic for fettucini alfredo with chicken
Also cooking ahead:

Pinto beans from this recipe: http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/note.php?note_id=92558961732&id=1416626102&ref=mf

Ricecooker full of rice