Week 39 Tuesday (10/7/14)

Recipe Review       

Today’s Recipe and Location:           Jalapeno Cheddar Scones

         Found in: The Pioneer Woman blog

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2014/07/jalapeno-cheddar-scones/

Look at that cheese oozing out of the edges

You can even see some of the jalapenos if you look closely

       These scones surprised me. I couldn’t imagine these flavors together in a type of bread/cookie but they truly worked. To me, they weren’t really spicy, but every once in awhile there was a little heat. So far I have loved every single scone recipe that Ree has put out there in cyberspace. This one is a keeper!

Special Event:  Shopping for winter clothes

         Okay, so I knew that eventually I would have to go shopping for winter clothes since I only had one or two things that even slightly fit.

         So, after really hearing the heartfelt comments from Jenny Anderson, I resigned myself to the fact that I was going to have to shop. Jenny laughed when I told her that I was waiting for the winter clothes to be out. Apparently, they have been out for some time – HOW WOULD I KNOW????? I don’t go near a store unless it is a grocery store for my blog. She really helped me by giving me a lot of ideas of where to shop.

         I planned the big trip for this past Saturday morning at 9:45 a.m. I wanted to arrive at the outlet mall early to get a good parking space and be in and out as quick as is humanly possible. Of course, it was cold and rainy, which fit my shopping mood perfectly.

         I bought a few things at Lane Bryant and many at Dress Barn. My total for the day was $383.26. After shopping for two entire hours, I was ready to try on some boots and flee to the parking lot. I didn’t find any boots that I loved, so I left. I was literally exhausted for the remainder of the day, but I really love what I bought.

         Okay, JA – I really, really, really, hate to admit it, but I am glad I went to the mall and thrilled with my new clothes.

This is a floor length gray skirt and a t-shirt that I bought at
Lane. It looks boring on the hangers.

The black fancy t-shirt is great, but I nixed the
black and white skirt so now I just have the top.
I am sure eventually I will find something
to wear it with someday.

JA - I know you told me to look for color,
but I fell in love with a lot of gray and black.
What a surprise?

A few more new dresses.
There is a wonderful burgundy dress that I couldn't get to photograph well - you'll have to wait to see it live. 

         I thank God that I won’t have to go back to the mall until the spring. Yikes!  That is only a few months away.

Week 39 Monday (10/6/14)

Recipe Review

Today’s Recipe and Location:           Pineapple Fruit Balls

         Found in: The Pioneer Woman blog

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2012/06/pineapple-fruit-bowl/

            When I saw the title of this recipe I had a flashback to an old Elvis Presley movie called Blue Hawaii. Elvis came home from the war and his Dad wanted him to work on their pineapple plantation. I think the name of the company was The Great Hawaii Pineapple Company. Why does that stick in my head?  There can’t be much room left in there due to the foolish trivia and memories that fill my head. Oh well, I know that pineapple is one of my worst allergies so this recipe is out (even though it does sound refreshing).

Random Reflections - Bucket List

         One of my favorite things to do in the winter is to create quilt tops. Sewing and knitting are much more fun in the winter than they are in the summer. I seem to nest all of the time once the weather begins to turn. This morning I rearranged my closet and planned what I would wear to school for the next two weeks. Yikes – that’s just nuts. Oh well – the cold is coming and I need to gear up to begin sewing.

Bucket List 28

Enter a quilt in a local fair

Write a book about school for parents

Host a game party

Purchase a truck

I would like to learn more about fostering animals

Visit the narrowed list of Kentucky towns each for a weekend

Have a B.M.I. of 24.9 or lower

Return to Florida/Alabama and see old friends

Play tennis again

Learn to play bridge

Have an in-ground pool

Finish writing a book on the Scent Family

Save up enough money for a down payment on my Kentucky house

Research every town in Kentucky in hopes of relocating

Work on learning calligraphy and bettering daily penmanship

Begin making my own clothing using a mannequin

Volunteer at an animal rescue

Visit all 50 states

Photography courses

Complete all of Mom’s and my scrapbooks

Go skiing again in Colorado

Meet the Duggar family

Watch every nominee and winner for the Academy Awards to date

Remodel my kitchen

Take piano lessons

Write 2 books for my great-nephews

Travel to Wales

Travel to Scotland

Alaskan cruise

Why Weight?

9/28                  Sunday                  1,700 calories         nothing                 

9/29                  Monday                 2,046 calories         Curves                 

9/30                  Tuesday                1,593 calories         Curves

10/1                  Wednesday            1,733 calories         Curves

10/2                  Thursday               1,663 calories         Curves

10/3                  Friday                    1,609 calories         nothing

10/4                  Saturday                1,671 calories         nothing

Goal:            68.9  lbs.          (100 lb. loss between 6/1/14 – 6/1/15)

                  -   3.4  lbs.         this week’s loss

                    65.5  lbs. lbs to go

        It was a great week!  I tried hard to stay near 1,600 calories and it made off in a big way. Of course, getting to Curves for four days also helped a great deal.

        

Sun.                   9/28                6,231 steps                  2,439 calories burned

Mon.                  9/29                7,668 steps                  2,820 calories burned

Tues.                 9/30                7,947 steps                  2,890 calories burned

Wed.`               10/1                 7,437 steps                  2,799 calories burned

Thurs.              10/2                  9,051 steps                  2,955 calories burned

Fri.                   10/3                  8,146 steps                  2,877 calories burned

Sat.                   10/4                 6,812 steps                  2,627 calories burned

         Steps are about 1,000 steps better almost every day. Every little thing helps the big picture!

Wants and Wishes

         I want to learn how much my surgery is going to cost next year and hope and wish that it won’t break the bank.  This has been on my mind for awhile, and planning is the key to any elective surgery. Oh well – maybe a trip to the doctors for estimates is the solution to this problem.

Week 38 Sunday (10/5/14)

Recipe Review

Today’s Recipe and Location:           Yummy Grilled Zucchini

         Found in: The Pioneer Woman blog

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2012/08/grilled-zucchini-with-yummy-lemon-salt/

            To me, a zucchini looks like a skinny cucumber. It comes from the Italians. Another name for the zucchini is “summer squash.” The plant originated in Central America in the mid B.C.’s.  Yikes, this veggie has been around a long time.

         As I scanned the internet, I found recipes for zucchini in many forms. They had recipes for: breads, hors de oeuvres, salads, veggie dishes, in pasta, and even quesadillas, and this isn’t even all of them. Who knew it was such a versatile veggie?

      

Trivial Triffles

         Last week Sage discovered a new friend on the back deck. This little guy lives on the deck and catches moths and bugs in the night. He is very personable and the dogs like to check him out. I am so happy that they are not aggressive to him. I’m starting to become attached. I even look for him every time I go outside.

He is kinda cute in a homely sort of way

Memory Musings

         I was just looking through some old pictures, and came upon the graduation party that my friend Donna threw for me for completing my doctorate. Donna is an expert when it comes to hosting a party. She always has the right amount of food, and her home is perfect for a large number of people. She never seems to panic or worry about anything. Every party I have ever attended there, has gone off without a hitch. She is one of the few hostesses that actually enjoys her own parties. I wish I had her skills when it comes to hosting an event. Donna Sue, you are my party role model.

Week 38 Saturday (10/4/14)

Recipe Review

Today’s Recipe and Location:           Panfried Kale

         Found in: The Pioneer blog

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2013/06/panfried-kale/

         Whoa Baby – is this a super food or what? This side dish is even better for you than broccoli. Kale has 133% of the daily value of Vitamin A AND 134% of the Vitamin C.  No wonder I always hear so much about everyone putting kale in drinks and recipes. Well, this one is probably even better because it IS the entire side dish. 

                  

Random Reflections

Yard Art 

Hanging sun

       I love having a tall fence in which to hang objects behind the gardens. This hanging sun is one of my favorite things because it adds a metal texture to the garden and it takes up space on the top of the fence when the plants are shorter. This sun just makes me smile when I look at it.

I love the color and texture

Helpful Home Hints

         I was talking to my nephew, Matt Mendel, of Good Call Plumbing, and he told me that we should never put any cleaner in the back toilet tank. It is fine to put cleaner in the bowl, but never put it in the tank. This can cause all types of problems and rust the vital parts of the tank.  So, please clean that bowl, but leave the tank to the experts.

If you have any plumbing needs call Matt and Steve at:

Good Call Plumbing

630-365-6500

630-443-4100

Fax  630-365-6748

Email:  GoodCallPlumbing@yahoo.com

Tell them Becky sent ya! 

Week 38 Friday (10/3/14)

Recipe Review

Today’s Recipe and Location:           Broccoli Wild Rice Casserole

         Found in: The Pioneer Woman blog

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2013/11/broccoli-wild-rice-casserole/

         The word broccoli comes from the Latin word for arm or branch. That makes a lot of sense to me because I always thought that it looked like little trees with full branches. I did learn that broccoli can either be green or white. Who knew?  White broccoli. If there really is such a thing – then my grocery stores don’t carry it!

         Calorie wise – this is a no brainer. One cup of broccoli has only 31 calories. It is filled with Vitamin C – like 135% of the daily value, and about 11% of Vitamin A. 

      

Fabulous “Family and Friends” Food

Marq’s Banana Pudding

Ingredients:

2.5 cups of milk

1.5 packages vanilla instant pudding

4 oz. sour cream

6.5 oz. Cool Whip

1 box of vanilla wafers

8 bananas (sliced thin)

Directions:

         Beat pudding in milk until creamy.  Add sour cream and half of the Cool Whip. Beat 60 seconds with an electric mixer. You will be layering the first half of the ingredient and then repeating it again. Layer in the following order: the wafers, then the bananas, next the pudding, and top it off with the remaining Cool Whip.  Repeat layers.

Week 38 Thursday (10/2/14)

Recipe Review

Today’s Recipe and Location:           Grilled Nectarine Salad

         Found in: The Pioneer Woman blog

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2014/01/grilled-nectarine-salad/

         Did you know that the nectarine originated in China? It is a member of the peach family. Today’s nectarines are larger and deeper in color than the original ones.

         The nectarine is a really healthy food choice. One medium nectarine is only 59 calories and contains a lot of Vitamin C. So when you need a quick, healthy, snack. Choose the nectarine.

Random Reflections - The Glorious Garden

Liatris “Alba” spicata white

       Liatris are a beautiful tall spiky flower that add a new texture to the gardens. This type are a beautiful white. The butterflies are always around this bed for this plant and the orange butterfly plant. I did cut some for a vase this summer and really enjoyed the look they added to the arrangement.

         The tag says:

         They are called gayfeather, blazing star

         Mine are tall about 3 – 4 feet (mine are 3.5 ft.

         I have them in a full sun garden bed and they love it.

         They bloomed at the very end of June through August.

         I placed mine somewhere between 12 – 18 inches apart.

         They have spread nicely through the bed.

Here is the purple version - I forgot to take a picture of the white ones. 

 

They are tall and willowy

Irksome Ideas and Images

         I hate spam as much as I hate junk mail. Of course, spam is just virtual junk mail.  OMG – I love that expression. Cleaning off my two email accounts is a pain, but I like when I have less than six entries. I file the ones that I need to keep and trash the rest. It takes a while to do this since I have a home and school account but remember – A cluttered email is a cluttered mind.  I just made that up.

Week 38 Wednesday (10/1/14)

Recipe Review       

Today’s Recipe and Location:           Irish Coffee

         Found in: The Pioneer Woman blog

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2014/03/irish-coffee/

         Irish Coffee came to the United States in 1952. The original recipe was created between 1939 and 1945. According to history, the Irish used to add some Irish whiskey to their tea, but tried something new and daring and added it to coffee because Americans love, love, love their coffee. When I worked on the Capt. Anderson Dinner Boat, many customers enjoyed an Irish Coffee after dinner.

         Unfortunately, I don’t like whiskey or coffee, so this is a big no for this Midwestern girl.

Gabbin’ About Gratitude

         During the school year, one of the things I am extremely thankful for are weekends. I love my job and teaching, but it can be stressful, so the weekends are a time to rejuvenate and catch my breath. Thank God for weekends.

Memory Musings

         Games were really important to our neighborhood. There were a lot of kids around and games kept us busy for hours (which our parents loved!). One of the games we played a lot was Blackhawk. I remember that we always played it in Stopka’s side yard. They had the perfect yard for this game. I really don’t remember the rules or anything, but I think it is like a version of tag, where teams line up against each other and when someone yells Blackhawk the goal is to run past the other team and into the safe zone without being tagged. Kathy, you are going to have to tell me if that it right, because the actual game is a little fuzzy in the memory.