November Meal Plan

1. Homemade Chicken Tenders ovenbaked
2.Applebees- got a gift card
3.Wedge Salads
4.Apple and Onion topped Porkchops
5.Pancakes and Bacon
6.Beer Braised beef
7.Pizza and Salad
8.Grilled Ribeye
9.Kitchen Closed
10.Kitchen Closed
11.Kitchen Closed
12.Chicken Noodle soup
13.Spaghetti
14.Burgers Out
15.Sausage, Peppers and Onions
16.Beef Stew
17.BLT Pasta
18.Quiche
19.Bean Burritos
20.Corn Chowder
21.Chicken Parmesean
22.Tacos
23. Teriyaki Grilled Chicken
24.BBQ pork chops
25.Chili
26.French Dip Sandwiches
27.Thanksgiving
28.leftovers
29.Tortellini
30. Meatball Subs

October in Review

 Make no doubt about it, October is my favorite month of the year. I love all things fall. We were married in this month. The colors that nature brings this month are breathtaking. Love October.

 The month started of with Nana getting really sick and going to puppy emergency. I'm happy to report she is feeling much better and back to her normal self. Such a doll baby and not spoiled or loved at all. HA

 We had two breaks this month. One was fall break when they have the Balloon fiesta here in ABQ and the other we took as a family for our 20th yr Anniversary. We traveled to Pagosa Springs.

 We rented a house near the lake. Nana and I walked around the lake each day we were here. She saw her first deer. Very funny. Doug and Riley and I went out on the canoe two days. We hiked as a family. There was no TV so we read and talked and just relaxed.

 Sunrise- Pagosa Lake
The big lesson I learned on that trip was to take moments in the day to just relax. Get the feeling of vacation at home. Turn the TV off. Take a magazine and a cup of tea and sit outside. It's not easy and I have to be mindful of it but its important to do.

One of my favorite ways to do this is to take walks at dusk. The ABQ skies are like no other.

Mini Quilts Making

 In the last post I mentioned being on a spending diet. Funny thing that. Every advertisement, coupon, email was sent my way in the last two days. I would find myself on facebook and the next thing I know I'm looking at a discounted Toms site. So I walked and stayed away from the computer, threw the ads away (even the ones with coupons) and stitched.

 This is one I made a few weeks ago.

 I was looking at Pinterest this weekend- shocking I know. I came across a saying that said "Create instead of consume" God talks to us in mysterious ways. So create I did. I may have taken a nap too. It was heavenly. Anyhoo- these are the two mini quilts I made this weekend from the stitchings I did earlier. Working on another one now.

Stitching not spending

 We are on fall break now and it is a struggle not to spend money.  I had to stop the bleeding after the Nana bill so I am going on a spending diet. Every bit as painful as a food diet. The stores have sales going on, the balloon fiesta is happening, hubby has been out of town, girls love to shop.....know what I mean?

 So I have been distracting myself with stitching

 I have been playing with scraps and linen. These will be mini quilts or mug rugs.

Fall break lesson#1 we went out to Wecks for breakfast yesterday just the girls and I. They orders pancakes and bacon and I ordered a veggie bowl. Total spent 40.00 with tip(crazy expensive)..... This morning homemade breakfast with thick cut bacon and pancake batter around it and pure maple syrup- the real stuff. Flavor like crazy, not a ton of people, made it together and bonded while doing it. 17.00 dollars for ingredients. Homemade wins!!!! We are making homemade chicken noodle soup tonight.

Homecoming tonight

 What?!? Oh you want to take pictures? You know I'm too coole for that right? Pretty makeup AV.

 Last years dress.... new shoes.... bought a new dress but it was way too sexy......this year going with a friend. Sweet handsome Jeren.

Have fun. Be safe and be home by midnight. Smooches.

It's that time again

 Balloon Fiesta

 For the next week our skies will be full of these balloons

A fun time for all

Adventures of Nana

 October 1st will definately be memorable for us. I had just wrote my thankful post and spent some time going over my credit card debt to make a plan to pay that off ASAP. Came home from work that day. Nana and Riley were playing outside and all of a sudden Riley comes running in the house, " Mom there is something wrong with Nana, she won't stop throwing up." I run out there to witness 4 more vomits and then she starts having uncontrolable diaria. She put herself behind a tree in our yard laid down and started having labored breathing. And if all that didn't freak me out the look in her eyes definately did. I started praying right then and there, called the vet, they wanted us to go to emergency, carryed her into the van, she craps all over my van and I don't care, get to the emergency she craps all over the front desk area, they immediately take her back and I don't see her for the next four hours-xray, ultrasound, examination, iv fluids, medicine.......did I mention all the tears? crying like a baby. They kept her overnight I got to lay on the floor with her for a half an hour before I left and they said she howled and cried for and hour and a half. Because of that I didn't see her at lunch like I wanted to but right after work I went to get her to bring her home and took the day off so I could take care of her. $1500.00 dollars later.Thank you for all of your prayers. Thank you Lord for being with us.

She sleeps alot and still has medicine to take but she is healing. Kicker is they don't know why this happened. thinking a virus.

I am thankful

 For this Nana dog, who I believe was a gift from heaven. I found her a year ago in two days and we have wonderful walks. She is very loving and the balm to my soul when going through teenagerism moments

 The sunrises and sunsets of this land of enchantment. The skies are just magical and declare the glory of the Lord

 The roof over our head. The backyard to play catch with my youngest. The kitchen where we cook as a family.

My Nana. Today is her Heaven Day. It has been a year. The love that we had and the memories we made. Thank you Lord for those 43 years.

Lots of W's on my mind

Ever have moments of thinking and realize all your thoughts begin with the same letter? That is me this weekend. Weird...and no that's not one of my W thoughts.

Weight Loss- I'm breaking a blogging/facebook rule and stating I need to lose weight. This is a need, a goal, a focus. I need to do this for health, for image, for me and my family.

Water- Browsing thru pinterest I saw where if you drink more water and focus on hydration this helps with weight loss. Teachers at my school that have lost weight walk around with gallon jugs of water so there must be something to this right?

Walking- Another goal of mine this week is to walk one hour every day. This is not hard for me as I have that husky dog that needs walking. So I am adding 20 minutes to our daily walks.

Work- I have moments where I wonder what I want to be when I grow up. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy my job. I wish I made more money. I didn't go to college and I'm tossing around how to take a step forward.

Quilt Layout

 I came home from work and decided to play around with my Russian Doll Blocks.

 The best way to do this is to place the blocks down and take a picture. I always see something new that I don't see with my naked eyes. Oops......I said naked....tee hee.

 My main goal is to balance out the colors and spread them out.

Can't wait to have a block of time to put this baby together and I'm itching to buy some fabric for the back, although I should just go to the stash.

Cook Book Reading

 We went to Barnes and Noble and I scored on some awesome cookbooks and they were on CLEARANCE. Wahoo!!!!

 I can't wait to check out all these books and try some new recipes.

October meal planning is going to have some new fun options

 

A Quilt and Doll Quilt Part 1

 I've started quilting again. It's so good for me. This one is very colorful and girlie. I bought the russian doll fat quarter set and then pulled lots of different fabrics from my stash.

 I've ended up with 30 -12.5 inch random log cabin style blocks

 Then because I couldn't waste this cute fabric, I used a few scraps of linen and sewed all the little bits together to make a doll quilt

 Now off to do some stitching.

September Meal Planning

 Meal planning just makes life easier. I go to magazines and internet for ideas or past month meal plans. I keep a binder that I can go back to. Yesterday after the apples ,laundry, cleaning etc. I took a cool drink and my baby Jack out in the backyard, sat in the shade and planned away.

1. Potato soup, bread and salad
2.Pulled Pork sandwiches and cole slaw
3.Grilled chicken and sauteed veggies
4.Ham frittata and red potatoes
5.Grilled sausage (brats and beer)
6. BBQ pork chops, applesauce, broccoli
7.Hamburgers and fries
8.Dog class- out or take in
9.Bean burritos and mex.salad
10.Tortellini and veggies
11.Taco plate
12. BBQ chicken thighs and potato salad
13.Grilled Steak and salad
14.Pork chops and peach chutney, rice
15.Dog Class- out or take in
16.BLT sandwiches
17.Zucchini and pepper Frittata with bacon
18.Sloppy Joes
19.Pizza and salad
20.Roasted Chicken and root veggies
21.Meatball Subs
22.Dog Class- out or take in
23.Spaghetti, caesar salad, french bread
24.Grilled cheese and tomato soup
25.Oakie Nachos
26.Chicken Tenders
27.Grilled Ribeye
28.Lasagna
29.Dog Class- out or take in
30.Chicken pot pie

You'll notice there is no cooking on Mondays. Dog class is from 6-7 and is easier for everyone to just grab something on the go.

Apples Part Two

 Just had to show off our apple goodies. We each had a part of making this pie. I peeled, Avery chopped and Riley assembled. Served with vanilla ice cream and homemade carmel sauce. YUM

 We also finished the applesauce. I missed one very important step with canning and that is letting the air bubbles out so although my cans sealed I unsealed them and in the frig they went. Guess we'll be eating some applesauce the next few weeks. Good thing it was only two quarts. Nothing says fall like applesauce and our mornings are  beginning to feel like fall. Maybe french toast and applesauce....Hmmm possibilities.

Apples Apples Apples

 It's down to this last box of apples, but it's a huge box. I am bound and determined to use it all up so I can start quilting again. So these are the cast of characters that are going to help me

 The dehydrator has helped me make a large freezer bag full of snack bag dehydrated apple slices- a good school snack.

The crockpot has helped me with 6 -8oz jars of apple carmel sauce and now  we are making applesauce. We also have an apple pie in the works.

Nana dog will no longer be able to grab an apple and take it to the livingroom. She guards them. Thank goodness she doesn't chew them up. That would make a mess and she's been saving that for rolls of toilet paper."Look mom confetti"That's what I got to clean up this morning. Good thing I love her.

Pear Transformation

 One of the benefits of not being able to breath or sleep is I got all the pears processed in one night. I promise no snot made its way into these jars. Gross disclaimer but true. The crockpot did most of the work. I left the skins on, diced up the pears, put them in the crock added sugar and vanilla extract and some all spice.  After twelve hours of cooking I blended it and canned it up.It is YUM

                             Pear Butter