euphrasyne

We went on the enormous stock up grocery trip today. We went to Food Lion, BJs, Aldis, and Kroger. It was amazing what they were out of. Lots of empty isles. I did manage to find most of what I wanted. Baby formula and food was redone in all stores and was VERY sparce compared to usual. I did find beef roast on sale at BJs for 4.59 for eye of round. 4.99 for top round.

We are back. We went down to MS to see my family for christmas. Grandmother is having some health issues, as are my mom and step dad. It was good to catch up with everyone. It took 3 days of traveling total and over 2500 miles round trip. UNGH. I remember why I don't make it often. It is very good to be home with my cats, husband, kids, and my stuffs. It is time to relax, take stock, and plan next year.

3 different recipes. We're pretty creative here so I make all kinds of slime, playdough, 'clay' paint, etc.

Homemade Silly Putty: 1. Equal amounts of Cornstarch and dish soap Mix and knead. 2. 2oz white glue, 1/8c water, 1/2 tsp baking soda, few drops saline (contact lens solution) Mix and add saline as needed 3. 1 1/2 c water, 4 Tab borax, 8oz white glue, Mix water and borax, add glue and knead till firm *5m

We don't do fancy often, so my family likes it. DD13 was in charge of setting the table however she wanted. This is what she decided on XD Those green beans look great. I do something similar with asparagus. Wrap bundles of asparagus in bacon then top with garlic, brown sugar, and soy sauce. Bake for about 20m. I cheat and use bottled teriyaki sometimes instead of making it. Even DD13 will eat asparagus that way.

Lots of Thanksgiving leftovers which we have mostly been just heating up. I did end up with a bunch of leftover gravy and nothing to put it on. Smothered Pork Chops 3 large bone in pork chops leftover gravy * 1 1/2 c (mine was onion gravy) 1 can cream whatever soup (I used mushroom or maybe chicken. i forget.) 1 can mushrooms splash of milk Season meat with salt and pepper and brown in skillet. I had to do mine in batches because mine were too big. Dump gravy, can of soup, mushrooms into skillet and mix well. Add a bit of milk till consistency. Maybe 1/4c? Put pork chops back in skillet and poke down under sauce. Simmer and turn down heat. Cover and let simmer for about an hour. I used a dutch oven. This could easily have been done in the oven or over a campfire with the same result. Serve over rice or noodles or potatoes. Lots of gravy. We served it over buttered rice. If my gravy had not been onion gravy with lots of onions, I would have added an onion.

That looks amazing. We did a slightly smaller meal since there were so few of us this year. I had a lot of help preparing it though. The baby likes sausage balls. Go figure.

I made some club sandwiches and soup for dinner last night. It went over very well and I used up more of the frozen school veggies. Country Chicken Noodle Soup 2 cans chicken noodle soup 8c water sprinkle chicken bullion large sprinkle garlic herb steak seasoning 1 tray mixed frozen vegetables 1c frozen peas 1c diced frozen carrots 1 can chicken 1/2 c frozen diced celery sprinkle dehydrated onion Dump all in a pot and bring to a boil. Turn down to low and simmer about 45m.

I had a cinnamon lab/chow mix called Max many years ago. He was the best. We found a really good deal on a huge desk on craigslist and have spent the last week moving my stuff into the other downstairs room. Desk, return, file cabinet, hutch, and lateral file for $145 and it is in great condition. SCORE. DH and I now have separate offices and i finally have room for all my craft stuff. They changed my meds a bit and the new dosage seems to be working. I was able to go out to dinner with DH without having an anxiety attack.

Cookie sheet works in the tub too and it fills a lot faster than the sink. I used to do baby and child stuff at a church a long time ago. We had limited areas for stuff and I'm lazy.

I used to put a chair in front of the sink, set the bucket on the chair, then place a cookie sheet under the faucet and down towards the bucket. But if you have access to a bathtub or shower sprayer, that is easier.

Its interesting that shortages are such a perspective thing. Mostly we only notice what we are looking to buy. For the last 3 months I cannot find frozen breakfast chicken biscuits of any type at all --big or small. (Tennessee Pride mini preferred) Nowhere has them. We've looked at more than 30 places. The sausage frozen sausage biscuits are hit and miss. DH loves Cx biscuits for breakfast so he is super sad about this. Nothing really basic, mostly comfort and junk food. Things I cannot find or hard to find in 2021: Lumber jack brand smoked sausage --hard chicken biscuits--cannot find. i think they are mythical and don't exist anymore Ravioli cans--limited types/brands Vitamins--brands hard to find had to swap Flat ramen noodles --very hard Lipton diet green tea citrus bottled ---hard to find and limited amounts on shelf coffee flavors I like- out of stock constantly Pepperidge farm chessmen cookies--very hard to find Baby food varieties I like---out of stock constantly Baby formula--stock is always low. I'll order it and they will not fill it b/c they are out. check back and out. Caramel coloring (for my brown bread)--very hard finally had to order from amazon and they only had 1 option Planners and planner supplies--very limited. fewer options out and Michaels discontinued Recollections. new TF line is more like WTF wouldn't pay $1 for it. Feminine Supplies-- Super long, thin, with wings. I have some cloth ones but kid likes these b/c easier at school. Bottled Indian Sauce options are much fewer Caron Simply Soft yarn---prices are higher and colors I want are almost impossible to find; especially in quantity enough to make something Country Crock Light margarine--hit and miss. They are out of it every other shopping trip. 409--Its a myth, but I did find a bottle last month. Plain water tends to make me nauseous also. If I add flavor drops to it or drink the lipton diet citrus green tea instead, it stays down. Not as good for me as plain water, but at least it stays down. My dietician says this is common in people with GI issues.

Last week brought us a lot of leftovers and some eating out. Things I did make included: Meatball Subs Take leftover meatballs and mix with copious amount of marinara. Heat through on stove or microwave. Lightly toast hoagie buns. Spoon hot meatballs and marinara over it and top with provolone. Microwave 20-30s to melt cheese if sauce isn't hot enough to melt it. Roast 2 days: Day 1 roast with baked potatoes, asparagus, and carrots. Make veg to desired methd. Roast into crockpot 8h on low Roast: 2.5lb top round london broil 1 onion sliced 2 c beef broth (2 c water, 2 cubes bullion) 1 envelope brown gravy 1 envelope onion soup mix Worcestershire sauce to taste *maybe 3T? Day 2 French Dip Subs: Shred leftover beef. Put in pot on stove with broth and onion. Add a can of mushrooms. Heat through. Toast Hoagie buns. Spoon meat over, top with provolone. Spoon broth into ramekins and serve as french-dip subs. I served it with defrosted and reheated soup I'd made awhile back. It was mexican chicken. Green beans 1 can green beans 4 slices thin cut bacon salt & pepper garlic powder handful dried onion handful dried mushrooms extra water *3/4 c Place all in a pot over medium heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 45m. Pistachio Mushroom Rice world's easiest recipe. can be made with fresh ingredients on stove if you want something harder to make. 1 c rice white or Jasmine 2 c milk made up from powder small handful dehydrated onions 1 can sliced mushrooms handful or more of shelled pistachios (i use the salted type) Dump all in large bowl and microwave 10m. Stir. Add water if needed. usually need 1/2c at this point. It should look slightly soupy still. Microwave 10m. Add salt & pepper to taste. Mix in a very large spoon margarine or butter to taste. Stir well and Serve.

Today I ran out of sugar. I have no idea how that happened. I guess I wasn't paying attention to my spreadsheet and the shelf I thought was sugar was flour. I have plenty of honey, fake sugar (like splenda,) powdered sugar, brown sugar, syrup, molasses. But no white granulated sugar for my tea. FAIL. Well I did have the 'emergency' half gallon in my GO bag. I have resorted to stealing sugar from my go bag. I see a shopping trip in my future. On the plus side, I still have at least 100 lb each of flour and milk so there is that. I'm trying to transition the baby to table food. DH doesn't have as much patience as me, and he feeds the baby a few times a week. So I ordered a bunch of stage 3/4 baby food shipped from Kroger. Free shipping. To my front door. And the prices are the same. WIN! I do some homemade baby food, but DH really likes the pouches. Its a mental thing for him and I think it is easier. He squeezes it onto a baby spoon and stuffs it in her. It works and it gives me a breathing room to cook dinner so.....I'm really glad I'm not a young first time mamma screaming about organic and touching the floor. Ordered new sheets from Amazon. They were actually pretty cheap. I was expecting the prices to be higher. Should be here today. Trying to get urine smell out of carpet and mattress. I'm doing the hydrogen peroxide/baking soda method. I may have to try something stronger. We cut down a peach tree awhile back and gave a neighbor the wood so he could use it in his BBQ. He gave us a plate of BBQ for it ---mmmmm. So I gave him a loaf of brown bread and some apple butter. Apparently his dad, who lives with them, LOVES my apple butter. So I gave him some more. My grandfather taught me to love homemade jelly and I like being appreciated. He brought back and empty jar and insisted on paying for it. I tried to make it a gift, but he was insistent. We've done this several times now. I'm actually thinking about doing a farmer's market and selling some, but I'm not sure what type of permits, etc I'd need. Not sure if I want to bother with it or not. We went to the fall craft fair to support DD13's school. I bought the cutest squirrel wreath, some candied peppers, jam, Hot cocoa bombs, BBQ from the local boy scout chapter, and the cutest fall apron that is River (toddler) sized. It is making me want to sew something old fashioned. I have to give a shoutout to DD13 for sewing the baby a jumper. It is kitty-licous. There are snaps all the way from one leg bottom across the diaper area to the other leg bottom. It is easy to open and change her. DD13 can sew, cook, and can. She is in all honors classes. There is hope for the next generation.

It has been a busy few weeks. I went to the neighborhood Halloween parade with my 2 youngest and husband. I won a medal for cutest costume and DD13 won the medal for most original. She was a Minecraft character (looked like a general to me) and she sewed the entire thing herself. Thanks to my ex-MIL, DD13 sews better than me. I'm lucky she is able to learn from that side of the family. Having a baby in my 40s is an interesting experience. Very different from the ones I had in my 20s and 30s. I'm old and tried, but more patient and less stressful about baby related issues. I see all these young women and first time moms getting upset about being given baby advice (not from me,) but I just smile and nod when I get it. I'm old enough to realize that people are just trying to connect and relate their experience. I see all of these young people basically 'canceling' anyone who doesn't conform to everything they want and it makes me sad for the future. Kroger had meat on sale, so I stocked up on some top round. We had several school functions so we ended up eating out several times because of timing/fundraisers. DD13 has strep throat and is home from school this week. Comfort food and soup. I'd ordered some new contacts for Halloween from candylens back in July and they finally came in. My script is -7 and -9, so It is really hard to find anything I like. Glasses are an issue too since they cannot cut the lenses properly for certain shapes or smaller sizes. The new contacts are huge purple things that make me look odd and I love them. Perfect to dress up with. I wore them yesterday and forgot I had them in. A guy knocked on my door trying to get me to give him some yardwork business and I freaked him out. It was hilarious. DH is on a rant because he saw a squirrel burying something in one of the flower pots. He is convinced they ate all his peppers and that is the reason they did not grow. It couldn't have anything to do with the fact that he planted them in September.

People have been sick and lots of school functions lately, so my fridge is overflowing with bits and bobs. In the spirit of use it up, we had a Clean Out the Fridge Dinner. Its important to use how to cook knowledge more so than using how to follow a recipe knowledge. Quesadillas last 2 large tortillas from pack, 1 from new pack, and 2 small ones leftover from a kit used a awhile back. total 3 lg, 2sm Leftover minced pork carolina BBQ from school fundraiser. maybe 1 1/2c? BBQ sauce to taste Shredded cheddar Mix pork and BBQ sauce, heat till warm. Spread on half tortilla and sprinkle with cheese. Fold over and fry on griddle about 3m per side. Serve with sour cream. Hot German Potato Salad Remainder of sliced potatoes from school fundraiser *1c 1 can whole baby potatoes sliced Bacon bits to taste *1/8c about 1/8c dehydrated onions small handful frozen celery Place all in pot and heat through. Drain and add some butter *1-2T, *1 T sugar, powdered mustard 1 T, and apple cider vinegar to taste * 1/3 c. Serve hot. Cheese Dip Remainder of spinach dip from outback takeout remainder of outback 3 cheese steak dip from outback takeout remainder of panera onion chive cream cheese (prob about 1c total of above items) remainder of pack of shredded cheddar used in quesadillas * 1/3 to 1/2 c 1 1/2 T Worcestershire sauce sprinkle garlic powder sprinkle paprika Mix all together and serve cold like a creamy cheeseball or heat through and serve as a gooey dip. Used triscut like crackers. I preferred it uncooked, but kid liked it cooked better. This morning I made sweet potatoes for baby/adults 1 can sweet potato 1/2 can mandarin oranges 2 T powdered sugar 1 T cinnamon Puree all together. Bake with pecans and a sprinkle of brown sugar 350F 45m for adults or just heat through without nuts for baby. Everyone loves it. Baby even likes it cold unheated. (mamma does too)

Kroger had top round london broil on sale for 2.99lb so I got several. 3 into freezer and 1 for dinner. Happy Husband Beef Tips *2lb top round cubed small 1 onion chopped small (used a red one b/c that is what I had) 1 qt beef broth 8oz canned sliced mushrooms (2 cans) 1 envelope onion soup mix 1 can golden mushroom soup 1 T minced garlic Italian seasoning to taste *2T Worcestershire sauce to taste * 1/4c Dump in crockpot and cook on low 7 hours. Make a slurry with about 1/3 c cornstarch and pot liquid. Stir in and add more as needed to gravy consistency. Cook 1h on low. Serve over mashed potatoes or rice. Leftovers can be reheated, mixed with sour cream and served over egg noodles as stroganoff.

Squash Soup 3 T evoo 3 med onions 3lb squash peeled and cubed 2 t salt and pepper 1 t cumin 3 sprigs thyme 3 to 6c broth Chop and cook onions over medium heat in oil. Cover, reduce heat to low cook 15m. Add squash, salt, pepper, cumin, thyme. Cover cook 15m. Add broth and bring to a boil. Simmer 30m. Puree all, heat through and serve. I like to add a dollop of cream and a few crotons to serve. The cumin is what makes it. I usually use butternut but any winter squash will work. Freezes well. Recipe is easy to make bigger or smaller, amounts are all adjustable to taste.

Baby Food: Drain 1 can anything (commercial or home canned) and process with a stick blender. Heat and season or not as to baby's taste. Alternatively, scoop up any part of your dinner and stick blender it to consistency. Peaches blended and then mixed with a bit of applesauce are a current favorite. Pineapple blended with a bit of applesauce is awesome beside porridge. Carrots and lemon pepper Peas are great by themselves White Chili (used an Insta pot it pressure and slow cooks) 1 lb great northern or navy beans 1 lg onion diced 3 Bay leaf 1 can cream of chicken soup 1 T chicken bullion Minced garlic to taste (I used a heaping Tablespoon) 2 cans tinned chicken 2 c Monterrey jack cheese 2 c sour cream bacon bits or tvp *1/4 c Seasoning of choice I used a huge sprinkle of tropical sazon. Original recipe seasoning was (1 t cayenne, 2 t cumin, 2 t oregano, 2 t cilantro) Rinse and sort beans. Add to pressure cooker with 7 cups water, diced onion, bay leaves, and a sprinkle of sazon. Pressure cook 25m. After natural release, add remainder and slow cook on low for 4 hours. Serve with cornbread. Italian Beef 16 oz beef cut in 4 oz strips lemon pepper flour 1/2 c dehydrated bell pepper rehydrated 1 can mushrooms 1/4 c dehydrated onion rehydrated 1 can tomato paste 1 can diced tomato 1/4c tomato pesto 1/8 c basil pesto 1/4 c cooking wine 1 t celery seed 1t basil 2 T Worcestershire sauce Rub beef strips with lemon pepper and dredge in flour. Brown in oil to sear. Place in bottom of cassarole. Combine remainder and spoon over beef. Bake 350F 60m. Serve over rice or pasta. *To rehydrate dump items in a bowl of water while you do remainder and drain just before use. They can all be rehydrated together. It is a heavy flavor and makes a very tender beef. I used some I had frozen almost 2 years ago in the dish and it came out amazing.

I've done that, but it needs way more than a capful. I usually add about half a bottle or more of conditioner and let a few things soak.

I made a lot of roasted and baked things last week because we love fall. It was mostly fancier dishes with fresh meat and vegetables. To get some balance I went full on use it up redneck over the weekend. I have a large decorative bowl full of unused restaurant condiments. I'm trying to convince everyone to use it up. Buffalo Chicken Sandwich Pull 3 ciabatta rolls out of freezer. Butter, garlic powder, toaster. Pull out 3 breaded chicken patties. Open 1 leftover tub of Domino's Pizza buffalo sauce and dump half over chicken. microwave 90s. Flip, dump remaining sauce over. Microwave 90s + until done. Place a slice of Munster cheese on top of each chicken patty. Wash lettuce, slice tomato, and set out some ranch. Allow everyone to assemble their own sandwich. Banana Bread (husband and kid favorite) 2 small bananas that look way past ripe and are almost oozing when you start to peel 1 c sugar 1/4 c butter 1/2 c milk (made from powder) 1/2 c pecans 1 1/2 c flour 1 T baking powder 1/2 t salt 1 egg 1/2 t vanilla Cream sugar with butter and banana. Add remainder and mix. Bake in greased loaf pan 350F 60m. Turn out of pan and cool. Dulce De Leche Rice Krispie Treats Caramel part (dulce de leche) 2 cans sweetened condensed milk Remove wrapers from cans and place unopened cans in crockpot full of water. Submerge 1-2 inches. Bake low 12 hours or high 8 hours. Overnight is fine. Allow to cool before opening or make sure you open with a knife away from you, it will be boiling hot. Try not to 'taste' it. You will not be able to stop and will gain 20lb. I told my daughter that the caramel had failed and I'd just sacrifice myself and eat it so that it wasn't a waste. She didn't believe me. This is seriously the best way to make dulce de leche. Rice Krispie Part (you will need to make 2 layers so double it for this recipe.) 5c rice krispies (6 containers school serving rice krispie that has been in pantry way longer than it should) 7oz jar marshmallow creme/fluff 4 T butter Melt butter over low heat. Add marshmallow and stir until melted. Stir in a bit of the caramel. Dump into rice krispies and mix. Lightly press into greased 9x13 casserole dish. Spread top with remainder of can of dulce and a bit of the next can. Make a 2nd batch of rice krispies using the same method. Do not just make a big batch and divide. It doesn't turn out well. Lightly press 2nd batch on top of 1st with the caramel on top. Use any remaining caramel to either lightly ice top or drizzle decoratively. Chill 2h+ to set. It is fall and the baby likes all things pumpkin and squash. The Pumpkin Spice must flow! Pumpkin Yogurt Mix about half a container of yogurt (I used the oikos triple protein vanilla) with slightly more canned pumpkin and about a a fourth cup of applesauce. Mix thoroughly. Tastes almost like a pumpkin cheesecake. Baby approved! She got it on her nose and tried to lick her nose. Pumpkin Spice Cereal Mix up a bowl of mixed grain baby cereal (gerber.) Add in some canned pumpkin and a shake of pumpkin pie spice. Stir thoroughly. Yum! baby loves. Pumpkin Pancakes Make up your favorite pancake recipe. Use about half a can of pumpkin for every 2c flour in it. (I used a half a can got 15 pancakes) Sprinkle in a bit of pumpkin pie spice. Stir well and fry like normal. Serve to everyone, cut up little sticks or squares for baby. It was approved by ages 8months to 86 years.

DH is going nutso about supply chain issues. On the one hand...yea? On the other hand....I'm still stocked from the last few scares. I mean STOCKED. So I did what any good wife would do. I compromised and we went did a big shopping trip last Friday. We hit up 3 stores with baby in tow and I really overdid it. I'm thankful that DD13 was home from school by the time we got back and she and DH unloaded the van. I got enough cheese to have a fondue river and ten tons of junk food that DH just had to have. As for me, I was already stocked so I just got a few steaks, some bacon, and lots and lots of breakfast sandwiches for the freezer. I mean lots. I'm sure the cashier thought I probably never cook. I got some odd looks. They are DH's weakness. He gets up at 4:15 and leaves before 5am, so he likes to just nuke a frozen sandwich. I've tried making homemade, but its really just cheaper to buy them. I get a few different types and the Tennessee Pride chicken ones are almost impossible to find for the last year and it is getting worse. I was unable to find any chicken biscuits of any type on this trip. I dumped them out of the original boxes into a freezer bin because the boxes take up triple the room the frozen biscuits do. We are overflowing on cardboard atm, so I got DH to make me some shelves with drawers to store baby stuff downstairs. I was having trouble finding certain things and I really don't need anything permanent or big. He used shipping tape, duct tape, and wood glue on old diaper and chip boxes along with some creative cutting. He did a really good job too. I want to reconfigure them a few times so I made him not attach them together. I had them stacked low and in the baby jail at first, but they were too much of a temptation to climb on so I moved them outside and stacked tall. I think they are going to work out pretty well.

I have a pen fetish, not going to lie. They definitely sell refill cartridges for all types of pen. You can also buy refill cartridges that are basically a tube of ink that the end is like a toothpaste top and it bursts when it is put into the fountain pen. They even make refillable calligraphy pens. You can also still buy bottles of ink if you want to dip an old style one. Amazon.com : 30 PCS Jinhao Fountain Pen Ink Cartridges Refill 6 Colors Set（ Black, Blue, Apple Green, Purple, Red and Orange) International Standard Size 2.6mm bore diameter : Office Products Statistically, men are more likely to block print, women are more likely to use cursive, and you are more likely to use a mix as you get older. Graphology (study of handwriting) used to fascinate me. I'm extremely OCD (not a good thing) so I always have a lot of handwritten notes and lists as well as multiple paper planners. I can do Zaner Bloser, D'Nealian, and Spencerian. I find that quick notes to myself are mostly fast D'Nealian (or a Peterson derivative) cursive with a few mixed in print letters and that notes to proper places like the school are mostly proper D'Nealian cursive. When I write to my kids or husband or generic people I specifically use a very proper Zaner Blouser print because it is easily recognizable for everyone. They all tell me that it looks like a grade 2 teacher wrote them notes. I use the same style in my appointment/to do planner and the master calendar so everyone can see it quickly and clearly. DH writes in a print so small and blocky that I cannot read it at all. I have to rewrite it as he tells me what it says. I have never seen him write cursive other than his signature. I know he can read it but I'm actually uncertain if he can write it. DD24 has good handwriting mostly D'Nealian. DD18 is an amazing artist but her handwriting looks like a 5 year old was given mountain dew--she was never taught cursive in school and only knows what I taught her. When she feels like it, she can do amazing calligraphy. That is crazy to me. My brother is the same--his handwriting is trash but he can do amazing calligraphy to the point where he is the one that used to write names on the awards certificates for the school (back in the day they were written in not printed.) Same DD18 has a lot of trouble reading cursive. DD13 was taught cursive in school and can read it but not write it. Her handwriting is large and not uniform. DD1's idea of handwriting is to eat the pen. ^^ I blame DH. They did not get this from me.

It will not let me post the link for some reason. I bought it off Amazon. It was only $200 when I bought it May 2020, but it is up to $240 now. They accidentally sent me 50lbs of king arthur bread flour, but when I contacted the seller he told me to keep the flour and sent me the milk I was supposed to get. It was worth the price to me because it was whole powdered milk, not the nonfat stuff you usually find.

We have an Ikea Kallax 5x5 (the above cubes) and used it for DD18's clothes. She had trouble getting dresser drawers open and closed and the cube bins worked a lot better. She left it here when she moved out and now I'm storing yarn in the bottom cubes and using the top ones for books, etc. The Ikea one even fits my 12x12 scrapbooks which makes the inside size awesome. They come in all different sizes like 1x1, 1x3, 1x4, 3x3, 4x4, 5x5. I really love ours. KALLAX Shelf unit, white, 715/8x715/8" - IKEA