I am on the computer! Remember I was having computer trouble and we thought it was fixed? Well, I couldn't even get ON yesterday at all..it kept crashing!! And today it has crashed (so far) 3 times since I booted it up. And ran 2 diagnostics... (I am pretty sure it is a internal computer problem with the hardware..so we'll see what happens)
I can not take it anywhere to be looked at, until (I HOPE!) Thursday!!
SO if you don't hear from me, I an off line maybe without a computer!!
I will get on when I can, but Saturdays post was interrupted about 4 times before I could finally get it out...so what I am hoping to do while "incommunicado", is LOTS of early spring work outside...it shouldn't BE "early" spring work, but it feels like it!! Hopefully I can take pictures as I go along...
See you later, (I hope)
Janie
Monday, March 28, 2011
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Help With Planning Menues
In todays world things are expensive. I don't know about anyone else out there, but my grocery bill just doubled in about 2 weeks, many items were put back, and I certainly didn't seem to get any "good" things..(aka junk/fun food...not that we eat a lot of that anyway, but it is nice to have a good snack around sometimes) and where it will end who knows!
Unfortunately when they tell you can go grocery shopping, and spend such and such for ONE week, they are not including other grocery store needs like toilet paper, and aluminum foil, shampoos, etc....not to mention things you might want to have on hand for baking, or restocking (or even keeping it stocked in the first place) pantry.
This week I have been cooking out of the pantry and freezer I have been sorting and labeling and purging out of. So I didn't post a menu, because it is anything goes!!
But I found this really good blog about making frugal dinners. Some of them I even remember from when I was a kid, like the "Poor Man's Spahagetti dinner, only we used elbow macaroni. (Did anyone ever read White Trash Cooking? What a hoot...unfortunately growing up in the 50's I remembered a LOT of those recipes!! LOL! I am not sure my guys would eat it at this point in their lives, but there are some really good recipes on this site.
http://frugalfamilyrecipes.blogspot.com/
My goal for the coming month of April, is to find healthy, local grown, spring like meals, that aren't going to rob me of what income I have!! (I also have to get a skylight replaced and both of our cars are going to need transmission work soon..AND I haven't gone to the store for seeds for the garden yet!)
Thinking, and dreaming, of Spring on a February feeling day (where IS Spring??)
Here are some "borrowed" pictures of spring flowering trees (in parks) to remind me of whats to come. Our town is so full of spring flowering trees that it DOES look like a park in spring..I will be glad to snap some local pictures when the time comes..
See you later...
Janie
Unfortunately when they tell you can go grocery shopping, and spend such and such for ONE week, they are not including other grocery store needs like toilet paper, and aluminum foil, shampoos, etc....not to mention things you might want to have on hand for baking, or restocking (or even keeping it stocked in the first place) pantry.
This week I have been cooking out of the pantry and freezer I have been sorting and labeling and purging out of. So I didn't post a menu, because it is anything goes!!
But I found this really good blog about making frugal dinners. Some of them I even remember from when I was a kid, like the "Poor Man's Spahagetti dinner, only we used elbow macaroni. (Did anyone ever read White Trash Cooking? What a hoot...unfortunately growing up in the 50's I remembered a LOT of those recipes!! LOL! I am not sure my guys would eat it at this point in their lives, but there are some really good recipes on this site.
http://frugalfamilyrecipes.blogspot.com/
My goal for the coming month of April, is to find healthy, local grown, spring like meals, that aren't going to rob me of what income I have!! (I also have to get a skylight replaced and both of our cars are going to need transmission work soon..AND I haven't gone to the store for seeds for the garden yet!)
Thinking, and dreaming, of Spring on a February feeling day (where IS Spring??)
Here are some "borrowed" pictures of spring flowering trees (in parks) to remind me of whats to come. Our town is so full of spring flowering trees that it DOES look like a park in spring..I will be glad to snap some local pictures when the time comes..
See you later...
Janie
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Our Onion Snow....
Well lets hope this is it for March..only a short time left then on to April...(the "Lettuce" snow is generally only flurries and not much else...mostly rain for April right?)
Woke up this morning to a couple of inches of wet stuff...that is already gone...ground is hard though and they expect February temps for the weekend and most of next week. I brought my hoses in again...
And we thought it was done!
My potted pine...
Emerging Daffodils and budding shrubs.....
This is a picture of our "Super Moon"..as good as it gets with what we have. My son shot this...he laughed because be stepped forward before he took it to "get closer"....
I am off to continue "Pantry Spring Cleaning"...I didn't post a menu this week because I am purging the pantry and just using what we have there and in the freezer, so nothing is planned....
See you later,
Janie
Woke up this morning to a couple of inches of wet stuff...that is already gone...ground is hard though and they expect February temps for the weekend and most of next week. I brought my hoses in again...
And we thought it was done!
My potted pine...
Emerging Daffodils and budding shrubs.....
This is a picture of our "Super Moon"..as good as it gets with what we have. My son shot this...he laughed because be stepped forward before he took it to "get closer"....
I am off to continue "Pantry Spring Cleaning"...I didn't post a menu this week because I am purging the pantry and just using what we have there and in the freezer, so nothing is planned....
See you later,
Janie
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
The Girl With The Beautiful Eyes......
I just learned that Elizabeth Taylor died today.
The first time I ever saw her was in Lassie Come Home..and then National Velvet ... ANYTHING that had animals or horses in it I watched! Of course these movies were on Million Dollar Movie and we watched them over and over and over...all week....even though they were made before I was born... (but not too much before!)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_Taylor
She actually (but my families standards anyway) was not that old..so that is sad...
My thoughts, and prayers are with her family and close friends at this time.....
See you later,
Janie
The first time I ever saw her was in Lassie Come Home..and then National Velvet ... ANYTHING that had animals or horses in it I watched! Of course these movies were on Million Dollar Movie and we watched them over and over and over...all week....even though they were made before I was born... (but not too much before!)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_Taylor
She actually (but my families standards anyway) was not that old..so that is sad...
My thoughts, and prayers are with her family and close friends at this time.....
See you later,
Janie
Saturday, March 19, 2011
A Blustery Chilly Day To Reminds Us.....
It is still March! After 72 degrees yesterday we get March back. I hear we might get some wet snow this coming week..maybe it is our onion snow..one more to go right?
If we do get snow..any snow, it is most likely the Onion Snow. The Onion Snow is commonly known by farmers as the snow that comes around the time you plant onions. Cool huh?
It usually looks like this
A reminder that it is still March.
As a side note-I changed my profile picture and put a real one for a change...
We have had computer trouble all day, not even being able to connect to the Internet all morning. After working with Tech for a long time, we finally are connecting..but my computer just crashed again..so continuing story!!
Bye for now,
See you later,
Janie
If we do get snow..any snow, it is most likely the Onion Snow. The Onion Snow is commonly known by farmers as the snow that comes around the time you plant onions. Cool huh?
It usually looks like this
A reminder that it is still March.
As a side note-I changed my profile picture and put a real one for a change...
We have had computer trouble all day, not even being able to connect to the Internet all morning. After working with Tech for a long time, we finally are connecting..but my computer just crashed again..so continuing story!!
Bye for now,
See you later,
Janie
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Signs of Spring-Finally!
With thoughts for healing for Japan, I am off to do what I can do in our corner of the world....
“The art of healing comes from nature, not from the physician.
Therefore the physician must start from nature, with an open mind.”
We are finally getting signs of Spring. Yesterday and this morning I walked around (and my youngest son did too) and took some crocus pictures, while looking over what needs to be done.
I found some crocus after the rain we had yesterday morning
This is one of my son's shots
We tried to get the rain drops left on the flower but even with macro setting it was hard.
Today brings sun and nearly 60 degrees at 1pm.
This is in a wooded area in the back. One of the gardens I am planning on completely changing over.
The whole area was alive with the movement of bees...busy and happy after a long winter, to finally find something to collect.......
The purple crocus is in the cactus garden. These cactus simply jump out at you form even a foot away, so they are cleared around, and handled VERY carefully....
My oldest son has the day off, so we are looking forward to a warm and pleasant day together...a little sprucing here and a little sprucing there....
I am going to scout around and see if I can find anything to add to a salad yet!
Just to let you know..this computer crashed on me 3 times while I was writing this post...(and too several tries each time to restart!) Glad I saved it!!
See you later,
Janie
“The art of healing comes from nature, not from the physician.
Therefore the physician must start from nature, with an open mind.”
We are finally getting signs of Spring. Yesterday and this morning I walked around (and my youngest son did too) and took some crocus pictures, while looking over what needs to be done.
I found some crocus after the rain we had yesterday morning
This is one of my son's shots
We tried to get the rain drops left on the flower but even with macro setting it was hard.
Today brings sun and nearly 60 degrees at 1pm.
This is in a wooded area in the back. One of the gardens I am planning on completely changing over.
The whole area was alive with the movement of bees...busy and happy after a long winter, to finally find something to collect.......
The purple crocus is in the cactus garden. These cactus simply jump out at you form even a foot away, so they are cleared around, and handled VERY carefully....
My oldest son has the day off, so we are looking forward to a warm and pleasant day together...a little sprucing here and a little sprucing there....
I am going to scout around and see if I can find anything to add to a salad yet!
Just to let you know..this computer crashed on me 3 times while I was writing this post...(and too several tries each time to restart!) Glad I saved it!!
See you later,
Janie
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
A Day Late But Here It Is None The Less....This Weeks Menu
Yesterday found me so busy I forgot to post the week menu.
Of course with the weather lightening up there is more to do outside, so I just lost track of time....
Thoughts turn to warmer weather and lighter meals...(but not quite yet) also faster meals so one can DO the work needed outside... I have many errands to run today and possibly tomorrow also.
I am posting in no particular order because who knows what the days will bring...
1-English muffin pizzas
2-Hamburgers, french fries (home fries), and cole slaw
3-Freezer ready (homemade) stuffed shells (the last of them)
4-PAD THAI WITH CHICKEN (and veg that do not normally go into this dish but some a Philippine friend used to make it healthier) (I didn't make this last week because our schedule got turned around so it's back on this week with left over shredded chicken)
5-Tuna Sandwich with red onion
6-Wild caught Salmon if I can find it-I think I might make a Greek salad with this
7-Slow Cooker Chicken Stroganoff (saute pearl onions and mushroom, and garlic, and 1" pieces of carrot. Make a cream sauce, and toss in the sauteed veg. Cube chicken to 1/2 to 1" pieces, and place in the slow cooker. Add the veg and cream sauce. Cook low 6-7 hours or high 3-3 1/2hours)
When time is finished, add 1 container of sour cream (light or regular) and stir. serve with cooked noodles and a green salad..easy dinner on a busy day...
Last week I wanted to make a salad with dinner but had no lettuce. All I had left was carrots. So I shredded them, and added crumbled feta..it went over really really big. I made a vinaigrette to go with it, and my oldest had his with Ranch..(he puts Ranch on everything...it's his Ketchup)
I plan on making some Irish Soda bread this week, to go with a meal or 2. REAL Irish soda bread is generally white flour (not dark although they do make it with whole wheat sometimes too) with no caraway or raisins. It is a plain white soda bread they use at the table with dinner.
And am also looking for a good brisket to corn some beef. It will take longer then a couple of week so it will be a "belated Irish treat..." (I am not Irish, but my son's have Irish on their father's side...so for them...)
See you later,
Janie
Of course with the weather lightening up there is more to do outside, so I just lost track of time....
Thoughts turn to warmer weather and lighter meals...(but not quite yet) also faster meals so one can DO the work needed outside... I have many errands to run today and possibly tomorrow also.
I am posting in no particular order because who knows what the days will bring...
1-English muffin pizzas
2-Hamburgers, french fries (home fries), and cole slaw
3-Freezer ready (homemade) stuffed shells (the last of them)
4-PAD THAI WITH CHICKEN (and veg that do not normally go into this dish but some a Philippine friend used to make it healthier) (I didn't make this last week because our schedule got turned around so it's back on this week with left over shredded chicken)
5-Tuna Sandwich with red onion
6-Wild caught Salmon if I can find it-I think I might make a Greek salad with this
7-Slow Cooker Chicken Stroganoff (saute pearl onions and mushroom, and garlic, and 1" pieces of carrot. Make a cream sauce, and toss in the sauteed veg. Cube chicken to 1/2 to 1" pieces, and place in the slow cooker. Add the veg and cream sauce. Cook low 6-7 hours or high 3-3 1/2hours)
When time is finished, add 1 container of sour cream (light or regular) and stir. serve with cooked noodles and a green salad..easy dinner on a busy day...
Last week I wanted to make a salad with dinner but had no lettuce. All I had left was carrots. So I shredded them, and added crumbled feta..it went over really really big. I made a vinaigrette to go with it, and my oldest had his with Ranch..(he puts Ranch on everything...it's his Ketchup)
I plan on making some Irish Soda bread this week, to go with a meal or 2. REAL Irish soda bread is generally white flour (not dark although they do make it with whole wheat sometimes too) with no caraway or raisins. It is a plain white soda bread they use at the table with dinner.
And am also looking for a good brisket to corn some beef. It will take longer then a couple of week so it will be a "belated Irish treat..." (I am not Irish, but my son's have Irish on their father's side...so for them...)
See you later,
Janie
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