Friday, November 13, 2015
Fall
It is beautiful today. The sun is shining, the remaining leaves on the trees are slowly finding their way to the ground...Moving on! There is so much to be done to get ready for the inevitable! SNOW. The flowerbeds are clean, the grass is cut, the leaves are raked. One job remains. We have to clean the garage. Now, while we were moving in, the man's pride and joy was a repository of postponed decisions. Just what he will use and what he will donate is completely up to him, at this moment. I know that we have to carve out a spot for the snow blower, the lawn mower, the garden tools, the things that actually deserve a home in a garage. Like vehicles! Add to that trade show displays, extra gadgets that he sells for a living and several antiques? It will be quite the process I can assure you. The man has also promised to paint one room this weekend. Which one? Who knows? Who cares? It all needs to be done! Where we start doesn't really matter. We will end up getting it all done eventually. When we finish painting a room, I will order window treatments, buy anything we may need to complete the room and move on to the next. I like to keep a simple house without a lot of clutter, and often I find that my decorating involves getting rid of things rather than adding things to the room. Less is more.
Monday, November 2, 2015
Konmari Method
If you haven't had the pleasure of listening to this lovely woman, take the time and find her videos on Youtube. I have confessed to an obsession with tidy drawers, but never in my life have I managed to keep them that way. Until I found this method of folding. My dresser has never looked neater! Everything is easily accessed because it is all visible, so there is no rooting through all of the items to find the one you want. I seem to have one challenge. That is folding the items to be the same size. It seems though, that when they are all neatly placed in the drawer, it doesn't seem to matter that some parcels are a little longer, or a little fatter than the others. They just stand there neatly waiting for their turn to be worn. So if you have a moment or two to make a huge difference in your organizing life, check out the KonMari method. You will not be sorry.
Another Day Another Drawer
Drawers. There is never a time that I don't enjoy tidying a drawer! I love the promise of a "new and improved" super organized drawer. I fall for every tray, box or organizer I come across, and yes, I do use every one of them. Mind you, you just might find refrigerator organizers in the bathroom cabinets, and makeup organizers in my kitchen drawers, and once or twice I have been known to use tool boxes for lace trims and thread! It is all about following the flow of your life, how and what you use. And of course, that changes with the seasons of your life. At one time, I used a lot of cosmetics, and loved to try new things. Now I am a "use it to the last drop" type of person because I only use what works for me, and usually repurchase the same item. It really makes life a lot easier when you don't have too many choices. Enough for variety, but not too many that it boggles your mind in the morning!
I started my day today tidying my makeup and hair products in my vanity drawer. It is huge, so I was able to fit everything from blush to hairbrushes in one single drawer! The tower is well on it's way to be organized as well...I am using it for the final "gilding of the lily". Things that I put on last, and take off first! My eyeglass collection, for instance. They have found a home in the second drawer down, with no need of cumbersome cases.
There were a few other little victories today. We found a buffet to use as a beverage station in the dinette. This is more than a convenience, it is pretty much a necessity in a home that only has one plug in to use at the kitchen counter! By moving the toaster and coffee pot to the dinette, it will solve the "bumping" problem that we seem to have every morning. The one we chose has two doors, and a center area for 'more pleasant to look' at things. The doors on either side will cover an ample supply of coffee pods, tea bags and hot chocolate packets. I am anticipating that this piece of furniture will also house a fair amount of "air"!
There is so much to do in this house that it could easily become overwhelming. However, we keep on an even keel by going to bed on time every night, and doing what we can every day. We have a carpet cleaner scheduled for Thursday to see if we can coax the family room carpet into living for another year or so. Not having to replace 100 square yards of carpeting will certainly ease our stretched budget! We hadn't really counted on redoing the bathroom, but it was so badly done that we really have no choice. There is nothing worse than an older home that has had "improvements" that are just not suitable. That is the case with our main bathroom. So, there is no choice but to demolish and do it again. The good news is, that it is just the vanity, mirror, lighting, tiles and flooring that need replacing. The tub and surround are fine, as is the toilet. But how are we going to manage without those things while the tiling is being done? The downstairs bath is so far away from our bedroom, that we will get our 10,000 steps in before waking in the morning...maybe we will just give in and sleep in the guest room until it is all done and dusted!
Sunday, November 1, 2015
Taking Time
Since I have been on this planet for sixty-five plus years, I think I have learned a thing or two about time. I have learned how it passes, mainly. Sometimes too fast, sometimes too slow, but this I know, it always passes.
I am looking forward to this phase of my life. There is a freedom that is available when you are an old lady that just isn't there when you are younger. Take body image for instance. What a waste of time. I am happy now if it works, and isn't in the process of falling off! Your body is YOUR body. It is something to be nourished and respected. Not pummeled and neglected. What a contrast to obsessing over the calorie count in the only meal you will allow yourself for the day! Foolishness.
If wishes were horses, beggars would ride. This beggar should have ridden all over anyone who suggested it was necessary to starve myself like I used to. It all ended badly, for as you know, I am still not remotely close to slim, although years of deprivation should show different results. I have the type of system that just adjusted to the rigid patterns, and stubbornly held on even tighter to the pounds. But that is only one thing that has stolen time from me.
Another thing is time to speak. Speak up. Speak out. Speak! To whom I like, when I like. Funny thing? I haven't met too many people that object to this. If, of course, I am not rocking their boat! People are very protective of their status quo. New thoughts and ideas scare them. Why? Because they are new and yes, people are lazy. It takes effort to think through a new concept! So, they continue doing and saying the same things year after year, and wonder why nothing changes. Telling themselves that they will be "happy when....". When never comes. You wake up every morning and you have a choice. Be happy. Don't be happy. There are always blesisngs in the day, no matter how rotten things look. There is a bright side somewhere. Don't stop turning things over till you find it! Take the time to do that, above all else. Hopefully you are younger than I am and will have more time to enjoy your life as it is, not as you dream it should be. Take the time. You won't regret it.
I am looking forward to this phase of my life. There is a freedom that is available when you are an old lady that just isn't there when you are younger. Take body image for instance. What a waste of time. I am happy now if it works, and isn't in the process of falling off! Your body is YOUR body. It is something to be nourished and respected. Not pummeled and neglected. What a contrast to obsessing over the calorie count in the only meal you will allow yourself for the day! Foolishness.
If wishes were horses, beggars would ride. This beggar should have ridden all over anyone who suggested it was necessary to starve myself like I used to. It all ended badly, for as you know, I am still not remotely close to slim, although years of deprivation should show different results. I have the type of system that just adjusted to the rigid patterns, and stubbornly held on even tighter to the pounds. But that is only one thing that has stolen time from me.
Another thing is time to speak. Speak up. Speak out. Speak! To whom I like, when I like. Funny thing? I haven't met too many people that object to this. If, of course, I am not rocking their boat! People are very protective of their status quo. New thoughts and ideas scare them. Why? Because they are new and yes, people are lazy. It takes effort to think through a new concept! So, they continue doing and saying the same things year after year, and wonder why nothing changes. Telling themselves that they will be "happy when....". When never comes. You wake up every morning and you have a choice. Be happy. Don't be happy. There are always blesisngs in the day, no matter how rotten things look. There is a bright side somewhere. Don't stop turning things over till you find it! Take the time to do that, above all else. Hopefully you are younger than I am and will have more time to enjoy your life as it is, not as you dream it should be. Take the time. You won't regret it.
IKEA Vanity
The man came home from Winnipeg, with the vehicle fairly bursting! He is upstairs as we speak, putting together a nifty little tower that will house every scarf and bauble that I own. Last night, he put together the vanity, which came complete with a glass top, and one long top drawer to house all of my paints, powders and brushes!
I am so looking forward to getting all of my bits and bobs organized! The problem with smaller closets, is that they are smaller. The good thing about smaller closets? They are smaller! Absolutely no room to collect things you will never wear again. You need to find alternative ways to keep everything accessible. After all, if you can't get at it in a few seconds, you may as well not have it. Being basically lazy human beings, we have a tendency not to bother getting something that is difficult to reach, opting instead to wear the thing that is conveniently close at hand.
After these little numbers are put together, I will sort and purge once again. Then, the painting will begin We have decided to reno the bathrooms first. Then it will the the kitchen's turn. THEN the new flooring will come. There is absolutely no point in having a floor put down, and then tracking all sorts over it! But there is no harm in installing new hardware, lighting, and putting down a few coats of paint in the bedrooms while we wait for the bathrooms to be done. We are happily living in squalor. There is something to be said for not having to be so careful with your home! And, we aren't in a rush. Yes, that is me talking. By not in a rush? I mean ASAP but taking a few hours to enjoy life along the way!
Wednesday, October 28, 2015
50 Shades of Beige
The super shopper of the family has done it again. After numerous texts and pictures, we decided to buy this vanity for my change room
and a kitchen table to paint to match the cupboards
at Ikea. Being his usual thoughtful self, Rick asked me if I would like the organizer trays that were displayed with the vanity. I already have them, so they weren't necessary, but I was totally impressed that he was so thoughtful. Of course, they have been in the house for years, but I guess he just hasn't needed to go through my makeup for anything. That is a good sign, no matter which way you look at it!
Both items will require a little personalizing, but what are we if not inventive? My catch phrase for this house is "cheap and cheerful" which replaces the previous owner's motto of "cheap and ugly make-do"! After following a trail of owners through the security system papers, I have determined that the original owners were not afraid to buy wisely. The subsequent owners? Not so much. The original owners of the home lived here for quite awhile, raising a rather large family by the size of the place for the era. I grew up in a house a little more than half the size of this place with five in our family, and my father provided a comfortable life. The OO (original owners) did extra things like having lights installed in all of the closets, a hall closet fitted with shelves for "stuff" which of course in my case translates into "china". It is a deep hall closet and service for twelve including every imaginable serving piece took only two shelves of the available four!There are also two other hall closets (very long hall!) one for linens and one for out of season outerwear. At the time the house was built, the fittings were "state of the art". Pull out drawers for appliances in the kitchen. Primitive to today's standards, granted, but how special were they then? There is a broom closet in the kitchen, and a coat closet with shelves above. And above that? More cupboard space to the ceiling for things you seldom use but don't want to go down to the cold room to get...like the bread machine, and hundreds of rolls of paper towels! AND there is a guest closet in the living room, close by the front door. Things like that just make my heart sing. Storage space galore, that I am determined to use for the storage of a fewer things and a lot of air! It occurred to me while sorting and slaving, that I have still got far too much stuff! Our closets were together in half an hour. We both took the Konmari system to heart and discarded or donated all old, unloved and unused clothing before we moved. Just between you and me, one day a fat lady will hit Goodwill and made out like a bandit. But what use is something if you don't use it! I wish her well!
But I digress. The second owners had the property for just a couple of years, and may have done a bit of painting. Badly. The last owners? Put in a deluxe garage, and just cheaped out on everything else. There are some things that require attention in an older home. Windows for one. Using silicone to stick them shut, requiring a 150 dollar service call to remedy? Not a good plan. They also had a fondness for doing things themselves. You can tell by the bathroom tile. Imagine if you will, a grey marbled tub and surround. Nice shiny chrome faucet, brushed nickel grab bars. A off white shower curtain with a brown naked tree printed on it that they kindly left behind. And the shower curtain rod. A curved one that protrudes into the narrow room about a foot, so you have to leave the shower curtain pulled to one side in order not to have that tree in your face when sitting on the throne. Moving on to the walls...rectangular modern tiles. Taupe. With grey metallic corner tiles. AND a chocolate brown strip running around the top and the bottom of the tile walls. A beige lino floor that really wanted to be cork but didn't make it. And the vanity? A slap dash paint job to the outside, beige of course, and a spray painted effort on the handles- lumpy metallic grey. Could they not find the time to wash them before painting? Anyway, this is offset nicely by the yellow cast to the lighting, and yet another shade of beige on the upper portion of the walls. The absolutely lovely toiletries cupboard is yet another shade of beige, with another type of handle on the door. French provincial this time. Spray painted lumpy metallic as well. Sigh. I didn't mention the khaki green cellular blind did I? Can't miss that one! They still work like a charm though and were purchased by the OO. I found the information on the blind itself. We took down a thermometer by the window, and at one time the trim actually matched the blinds, in the kitchen anyway. Did I mention that these blinds are on six windows of the house? It is such a shame because the blinds would have been great if they were white. Anyway, in a month or two it should be done. White. Pristine. Grey. Done. You know, even my towels look dirty in there at the moment! And I go out of my way to have absolutely white and bright linens. It boggles the mind what went into these decisions, but I am thinking not much! Not much at all. Anyway, moving on with less whining...
Both items will require a little personalizing, but what are we if not inventive? My catch phrase for this house is "cheap and cheerful" which replaces the previous owner's motto of "cheap and ugly make-do"! After following a trail of owners through the security system papers, I have determined that the original owners were not afraid to buy wisely. The subsequent owners? Not so much. The original owners of the home lived here for quite awhile, raising a rather large family by the size of the place for the era. I grew up in a house a little more than half the size of this place with five in our family, and my father provided a comfortable life. The OO (original owners) did extra things like having lights installed in all of the closets, a hall closet fitted with shelves for "stuff" which of course in my case translates into "china". It is a deep hall closet and service for twelve including every imaginable serving piece took only two shelves of the available four!There are also two other hall closets (very long hall!) one for linens and one for out of season outerwear. At the time the house was built, the fittings were "state of the art". Pull out drawers for appliances in the kitchen. Primitive to today's standards, granted, but how special were they then? There is a broom closet in the kitchen, and a coat closet with shelves above. And above that? More cupboard space to the ceiling for things you seldom use but don't want to go down to the cold room to get...like the bread machine, and hundreds of rolls of paper towels! AND there is a guest closet in the living room, close by the front door. Things like that just make my heart sing. Storage space galore, that I am determined to use for the storage of a fewer things and a lot of air! It occurred to me while sorting and slaving, that I have still got far too much stuff! Our closets were together in half an hour. We both took the Konmari system to heart and discarded or donated all old, unloved and unused clothing before we moved. Just between you and me, one day a fat lady will hit Goodwill and made out like a bandit. But what use is something if you don't use it! I wish her well!
But I digress. The second owners had the property for just a couple of years, and may have done a bit of painting. Badly. The last owners? Put in a deluxe garage, and just cheaped out on everything else. There are some things that require attention in an older home. Windows for one. Using silicone to stick them shut, requiring a 150 dollar service call to remedy? Not a good plan. They also had a fondness for doing things themselves. You can tell by the bathroom tile. Imagine if you will, a grey marbled tub and surround. Nice shiny chrome faucet, brushed nickel grab bars. A off white shower curtain with a brown naked tree printed on it that they kindly left behind. And the shower curtain rod. A curved one that protrudes into the narrow room about a foot, so you have to leave the shower curtain pulled to one side in order not to have that tree in your face when sitting on the throne. Moving on to the walls...rectangular modern tiles. Taupe. With grey metallic corner tiles. AND a chocolate brown strip running around the top and the bottom of the tile walls. A beige lino floor that really wanted to be cork but didn't make it. And the vanity? A slap dash paint job to the outside, beige of course, and a spray painted effort on the handles- lumpy metallic grey. Could they not find the time to wash them before painting? Anyway, this is offset nicely by the yellow cast to the lighting, and yet another shade of beige on the upper portion of the walls. The absolutely lovely toiletries cupboard is yet another shade of beige, with another type of handle on the door. French provincial this time. Spray painted lumpy metallic as well. Sigh. I didn't mention the khaki green cellular blind did I? Can't miss that one! They still work like a charm though and were purchased by the OO. I found the information on the blind itself. We took down a thermometer by the window, and at one time the trim actually matched the blinds, in the kitchen anyway. Did I mention that these blinds are on six windows of the house? It is such a shame because the blinds would have been great if they were white. Anyway, in a month or two it should be done. White. Pristine. Grey. Done. You know, even my towels look dirty in there at the moment! And I go out of my way to have absolutely white and bright linens. It boggles the mind what went into these decisions, but I am thinking not much! Not much at all. Anyway, moving on with less whining...
My goal is to declutter by another 30% but I must admit, I am going to take my time doing so. There isn't a rush, but it is a necessity to get rid of stuff before there is an urgent need to get rid of it, if you follow my line of thought. The kids have their own taste, they don't want our old stuff. So if something should happen to one of us, the other would be left with quite a burden. So, we need to be able to live a full life while here, but realize that we will need to be able to turn on a dime. Can't do that with a ton of stuff under your arm, can you?
Last night I watched a movie in the rumpus room. I curled up on the settee with a wool blanket I bought in Scotland years ago and never used. It was soooooo warm and toasty! And our family tartan to boot. Well, it was Rick's mum's family tartan. I have always loved the Royal Stuart tartan, but now I have a right to it through marriage! I just wish I had saved my Highland Queen kilt I had years and years ago...it would have made great pillows and chair upholstery for the writing desk chair! Some day I will find a meter or so.....maybe even pj flannel for cushion covers! I have pajamas on the brain today since there are no deliveries, no installers, NADA, nuttin', zippo. Today is officially a pajama day. Rick is in Winnipeg, I am free as a bird. I have a piece of fish thawing for supper and leftover potatoes in the frig. Add a bit of butter and voila. I will be one happy camper! I haven't had a PJ day in forever, so I am looking forward to sneaking in a nap or two as well. Netflix here I come!
Tuesday, October 27, 2015
Stalking the Pantry
I confess. I am a stalker. I spy, I pry. I interfere with the natural flow of foodstuffs into our house by observation.Although I love to peruse, I just can't seem to work up any interest in acquiring great amounts of food. I like to go to the grocery store and fill my eyes with neat rows of consumables. I fondly touch the spices that are lined up on the shelves and know better than to bring them home. I have tons of spices I never seem to use after that initial recipe. Having a pantry full of food to use up before we left our old house did this to me. I kept imagining tickets to musicals on the shelf next to a box of tins. I found myself thinking "I could have gone there instead of buying all of this!" So, if there is a famine anytime soon, I will just have to live off of my ample reserves that I am carrying with me. The days of having a mini grocery store in my house are long gone. I rather morbidly think, what would the kids do with pounds of food that I might leave behind one day...after all, I have been suggesting pulling a Thelma and Louise trick to several of my friends. Worst luck, no takers. Even worse luck than that, none of us could find Brad Pitt or even a reasonable facsimile. At any rate, we are at the age where any meal could be our last. So we may as well buy week to week and let the future sort itself out! It is rather pleasant to visit a store, but between you and me? It is even more pleasant not having to drag it all home to place it in neat orderly rows on my cold room shelves! I am not completely adverse to the concept of food storage. Really. Even old people need a dozen cans of Bush's beans on hand. And God help us all if we ran out of coffee for the Keurig or perish the thought, toilet paper! But all that other stuff? One week at a time please.
This just in!
Remember the old movies where there would be a radio guy announcing "This just in...."? Must be this house that is bringing back all the old memories, because that is the first thing I thought when I checked my stats and found out that you are out there, reading my posts! For that I thank you. You have changed me from a rambling old lady into someone who has conversations with people...somewhere! France, the USA, and of course my home girls here in Canada THANK YOU! It is lovely to know I am not talking to myself! Please feel free to introduce yourself I would love to know what is driving you to my drivel!
A Tale of Two Cookers
It was the best of times... at first. We bought a slide in stove, with convection, turbo boost burners, a warming drawer, and tons of other features we didn't need. The first time I baked a cake, I pulled out the rack and it tipped my pineapple upside down cake right out of the oven. I guess you aren't supposed to pull out an oven rack more than six inches? What is with that I ask you? The oven also vented right above the oven door. Interesting design. Since I do a lot of my kitchen work in a sitting position, I was beside the stove, not in front of it, thank goodness. PLUS that convection feature? Sounded like a jet taking off. Even when I chose the regular bake cycle, it still roared...it was supposed to shut down after reaching temperature, but for the thirty minutes I required of it, the roar continued. To make a long story short, Sears was kind enough to take it back. BUT I had to pay a 69 dollar delivery fee. AND a twenty-five dollar pick up fee to return the old one. Hmmmm. Whatever. I now have a great, quiet little number that does a great job...plus? It has a new type of rack that you do not have to take out of the oven when you clean it! HOW GREAT IS THAT??? It is self-cleaning and is white. What is not to love! And once again, credit goes to my dear hubby who purchased it for me. I am learning a valuable lesson from this whole moving experience. If you tell my man what you need, and what you want? He is quite capable of going out and buying it! No need to micromanage this guy. He is a much better shopper than I will ever be. He has stamina. Determination. A credit card. What else do you need? This week he is in Winnipeg, buying a new kitchen table, a dressing table for my change room and some sort of storage unit also for my change room. I can hardly wait! Imagine. I will finally have a place to sit and do my makeup. Maybe I will even start wearing more of it? I just lose interest in face painting if I have to do it standing at the mirror in the bathroom. We won't even venture into the blow drying, hair curling segment of getting ready. I often do that sitting down on that cold white chair, without aid of a mirror in the bathroom. Imagine. A warm seat. A drawer to put my tools in. Sigh. Life will be good!
Anyway, all of these choices to be made when you move into a new to you house are quite daunting. But I am going to restrict myself to doing one room at a time...when it comes to contracting out that is. The painting is easy. Just paint it all white, and sort out the accents later. Not that builder beige they call white, but a lovely soft pure cotton white. We had all three bedrooms in our other house painted in Decorator White and there was never a moment when I didn't love it. It always looked fresh. It made any little bit of colour "pop". It was so soothing and restful, and bright. I am going whole hog in this house, with the exception of a couple exciting feature walls. Lime green, coral red...yep, your basic neutrals! And of course my sixties rumpus room. It will remain paneled in birch, with a grass cloth panel above the chair rail. For some weird reason, I really like it down here. The furniture placement is a bit odd, due to the placement of plug-ins. Back in the day, I guess there just wasn't the need for a lot of electrical outlets. There are three in this room. It is twelve by thirty.Yep. And one plug in is all mine for my desk. The other one fires the TV power bar. And that leaves one left over for a lamp in the TV viewing area. In the end it was simple to arrange the furniture. We just put things where we could plug them in easily!
Anyway, all of these choices to be made when you move into a new to you house are quite daunting. But I am going to restrict myself to doing one room at a time...when it comes to contracting out that is. The painting is easy. Just paint it all white, and sort out the accents later. Not that builder beige they call white, but a lovely soft pure cotton white. We had all three bedrooms in our other house painted in Decorator White and there was never a moment when I didn't love it. It always looked fresh. It made any little bit of colour "pop". It was so soothing and restful, and bright. I am going whole hog in this house, with the exception of a couple exciting feature walls. Lime green, coral red...yep, your basic neutrals! And of course my sixties rumpus room. It will remain paneled in birch, with a grass cloth panel above the chair rail. For some weird reason, I really like it down here. The furniture placement is a bit odd, due to the placement of plug-ins. Back in the day, I guess there just wasn't the need for a lot of electrical outlets. There are three in this room. It is twelve by thirty.Yep. And one plug in is all mine for my desk. The other one fires the TV power bar. And that leaves one left over for a lamp in the TV viewing area. In the end it was simple to arrange the furniture. We just put things where we could plug them in easily!
Monday, October 26, 2015
Monday morning....I really don't see why people don't like it! Mind you, I haven't had a job in over thirty odd years, so my "relax" time is when everyone else gets back to work, and I am left with my own little queendom to myself!
The bring home the bacon guy left for points west this morning at seven thirty or so...I immediately put on a load of dishes, folded laundry and came down to the family room to sort out all of the papers that have been accumulating over the move.
There were so many forms, booklets, and receipts! I really didn't know where we stood financially, but I do know that we spend money wisely, and we haven't been going overboard...problem is that things like car and house insurance, taxes and appliances are expensive! So, while there may not be any savings this month, there is a "break even" point. We haven't started our renos yet, preferring to let things sit for a bit while we really consider what we are doing. First instincts aren't necessarily right. For instance, once we got everything put away in the family room? The old carpet didn't look so bad. So, I will call in a professional, and get it cleaned. That will at least buy us time.
As for the bathroom, there is no time like the present. We have the vanity and sink waiting in the wings - all we need is our tile guy to rip down the Cowboy's efforts which basically consisted of taking a thousand dollars worth of materials and totally messing up the bathroom. The vanity was badly painted...even the handles! The countertop was nice, but far too big for the space. The tile was taupe. Problem is, the tub surround and tub are grey marble effect. Yeah, I know. Ugly. BUT we are going to put in a white floor ( the present one is a cork look...another shade of brown? Was the Cowboy colour blind?) The electrical shenanigans behind the mirror are dangerous. To add insult to injury, there was a lovely big hole that at one time housed a medicine chest. Who wouldn't want that? The lights were on the side, but now there is one light at the top of the mirror. I would have preferred side lights for the aesthetics...do they provide good lighting I wonder? We also need an exhaust fan installed. These are necessities in my books! When we are done, we should be okay sharing one bathroom. We will be in there just long enough to "get the job done" and then move to our respective change rooms to polish of the remainder of our grooming. People managed large families with one bathroom, we should be able to manage two people! Then of course, there always is the downstairs bathroom for the man of the house.....
So, there are the plans. Today I am waiting for a window repairman. It will be nice to be able to close the dinette window before the winter sets in! These little details will make a big difference overall. I don't know why the people that lived here did what they did...they had a fondness for mixing a lot of beige with grey. I don't know who sold them the floor in the kitchen, but it must have been someone with a lot of grey flooring to shift! It is horrible! Made even worse by the pink beige paint on walls and cupboards. So that will be the next project! I think it would be good to start that one once the majority of painting is done, so we will just have touch ups to do, to keep the floor as clean as possible for as long as possible! Good thing Rick has a couple more weeks of holidays! If we do one room a weekend, we should be done the upstairs by the new year. The kitchen will be time consuming, but the bedrooms and bathroom will go quickly...famous last words! But it is good that Rick is optomistic because there is a whole lot of panelling to deal with here in the family room! I like this quirky old shack so much! All of our stuff just sort of fits....every new house I ever lived in seemed to require purchase of a ton of stuff to make it homey...our old stuff never worked for some reason. This time? It is surprising what goes where, and how little things just seem to sing when they are placed in their new surroundings! My mission this week, is to put away the big piles in each room that came about after sorting piles that that the movers unpacked. Fun, eh?
The bring home the bacon guy left for points west this morning at seven thirty or so...I immediately put on a load of dishes, folded laundry and came down to the family room to sort out all of the papers that have been accumulating over the move.
There were so many forms, booklets, and receipts! I really didn't know where we stood financially, but I do know that we spend money wisely, and we haven't been going overboard...problem is that things like car and house insurance, taxes and appliances are expensive! So, while there may not be any savings this month, there is a "break even" point. We haven't started our renos yet, preferring to let things sit for a bit while we really consider what we are doing. First instincts aren't necessarily right. For instance, once we got everything put away in the family room? The old carpet didn't look so bad. So, I will call in a professional, and get it cleaned. That will at least buy us time.
As for the bathroom, there is no time like the present. We have the vanity and sink waiting in the wings - all we need is our tile guy to rip down the Cowboy's efforts which basically consisted of taking a thousand dollars worth of materials and totally messing up the bathroom. The vanity was badly painted...even the handles! The countertop was nice, but far too big for the space. The tile was taupe. Problem is, the tub surround and tub are grey marble effect. Yeah, I know. Ugly. BUT we are going to put in a white floor ( the present one is a cork look...another shade of brown? Was the Cowboy colour blind?) The electrical shenanigans behind the mirror are dangerous. To add insult to injury, there was a lovely big hole that at one time housed a medicine chest. Who wouldn't want that? The lights were on the side, but now there is one light at the top of the mirror. I would have preferred side lights for the aesthetics...do they provide good lighting I wonder? We also need an exhaust fan installed. These are necessities in my books! When we are done, we should be okay sharing one bathroom. We will be in there just long enough to "get the job done" and then move to our respective change rooms to polish of the remainder of our grooming. People managed large families with one bathroom, we should be able to manage two people! Then of course, there always is the downstairs bathroom for the man of the house.....
So, there are the plans. Today I am waiting for a window repairman. It will be nice to be able to close the dinette window before the winter sets in! These little details will make a big difference overall. I don't know why the people that lived here did what they did...they had a fondness for mixing a lot of beige with grey. I don't know who sold them the floor in the kitchen, but it must have been someone with a lot of grey flooring to shift! It is horrible! Made even worse by the pink beige paint on walls and cupboards. So that will be the next project! I think it would be good to start that one once the majority of painting is done, so we will just have touch ups to do, to keep the floor as clean as possible for as long as possible! Good thing Rick has a couple more weeks of holidays! If we do one room a weekend, we should be done the upstairs by the new year. The kitchen will be time consuming, but the bedrooms and bathroom will go quickly...famous last words! But it is good that Rick is optomistic because there is a whole lot of panelling to deal with here in the family room! I like this quirky old shack so much! All of our stuff just sort of fits....every new house I ever lived in seemed to require purchase of a ton of stuff to make it homey...our old stuff never worked for some reason. This time? It is surprising what goes where, and how little things just seem to sing when they are placed in their new surroundings! My mission this week, is to put away the big piles in each room that came about after sorting piles that that the movers unpacked. Fun, eh?
Saturday, October 24, 2015
Well look what I found!
I thought this blog would have been swept away by now. Life has changed so much over the last six months, and all for the better, I may add!
Health issues had me down for the count for quite awhile, but my strength is coming back and I am poised over the keyboard ready to regale you with stories of my new found life! The first good thing, was the birth of our second grandchild! A bonny wee baby, born in May. We are totally in love with her, and of course, her big sister. Funny how life just gives you way more than you deserve, doesn't it?
Anyway, we have a new life in Saskatchewan. I love being home, and in a smaller community. Winnipeg was just getting too big for these old folks! The new house requires quite a bit of work, but all in all the bones are good. And as I heard repeatedly when I asked mundane details about the house, such as "is there a closet for coats", THE GARAGE IS 24X24!! IT HAS A WORKBENCH ADN ROOM TO PARK MY TRUCK!!! IT IS DRYWALLED!!!! PAINTED WHITE!!! ROOM FOR MY GOLF CLUBS....well, I gave up after awhile, because every question ended with a golden review of the manshack! Two actually. He also has a garden shed that is big enough for the patio furniture and the barbque! And the hose box, and the cushion box...and the pots....get the picture? LOL Priorities are so different for each one of us, right? Anyway onward and upward!
We have started by painting Rick's office, and the clothes closets over the course of this past week. There are three hall closets to paint yet (dishes, out of season coat closet and a linen cupboard. I thought they had lost some of my towels because there was so much room in there! I counted them, and they were all present and accounted for!) and we have already burned through three gallons of paint. There is a lot more to go, let me assure you! The house is circa 1953, and has all the "housewifey" things a woman could want to care for her family in that era. Plus some pretty cool modern stuff...like closets with lights that turn on when you open the door! Truly an atomic age new fangled gadget! LOL There is a bit more square footage than our old house, but when the family visits, it will easily fill up, now that there are 6 of us. There are two bedrooms down and a bath, with a large laundry room and get this folks, a cold room! Shelves upon shelves upon shelves for canning! Add our chrome shelving from our old storage room and we have one super storage area for everything from pots to cans of beans!
The upstairs has three bedrooms, all about 12x12. So, in our wisdom, we put our bed in one, my dresser in another, and Rick's dresser in the third. I like air around my furniture! LOL This is going to be the house we will grow old in, so it needs to be very easy to get around in, and take care of. There is only one bathroom, as it was back in the day, but we are renovating that to accommodate us. There is a bathroom downstairs for company as well. I do have a "toilet on every level" rule to maintain after all!
We took possession on Sept 28 and the movers brought our stuff on the 1st of October. Then, unwrapped things and left them hither and yon. We managed to buy appliances without a divorce and will only have to exhange the range. It is a convection oven, as I have been used to, but this one roars. And even when the convection feature is off, the fan is busy. Not my favourite thing indeed. Reminds me of sitting for hours in a running vehicle, and that can drive a person to insanity.
Rick bought the house on a business trip. I had not seen it, but I must tell you, he did a wonderful job. I have always wanted a house of this era, and it will be a joy to bring back to life. I am aiming at the general feel of 1953...I don't think anyone wants to go back to wringer washers or not having a dishwasher! There are hardwood floors in the living and dining rooms, but there will be "happy tile" in the kitchen and dinette. Anyone else remember the wild tile patterns way back when? I found some vinyl that mimics the old rubber tiles, in the bright colours. We are keeping the old cupboards, because I love them. It would be so much easier to rip them out and redesign, but I like the cupboards that actually will hold your dinner plates without keeping the cupboard door ajar! Rick has already installed sliding bins for recycling and trash, bread and pasta. There are two lazy susans so for the first time in my married life, I actually have food in my kitchen cupboards! He is off to Winnipeg for business, and I am hoping he will return with an appliance station and a little table for the dinette. There is so much to do in this house. For instance the bathroom. For instance 200 square feet of carpeting. For instance another 350 feet of tiling. But it will be done hopefully over the next six months. I see no point in waiting to do things. I want to get on with life and enjoy ourselves! We have already been to one show - Rosie and the Riveters. Fantastic group of girls, extremely entertaining. We broke the pattern of our lifetime, "We'll have fun when the work's all done". We have officially taken our stance for the "We'll have work when the fun's all done!" team! I have had quite enough of isolation over the past few years. I want to get out there and observe, if not participate!
It seemed to me that there were a lot more things to do this move than last...health cards, car safeties, utilities, telephone, internet, PHEW! It has taken us three weeks to get around to all of these places and give them all of the information required. But it is done now...just in time for the first snowfall! I thought I would be upset about leaving our old house, but no. I didn't even know where I was going to be living! But Rick is a good man, and has always looked after me, especially the last couple of years when I have been at an all time low with my health. But I am on the come back trail now! I can even manage to stand for a few moments as I do things in the kitchen. I enjoy going out and getting groceries, and managed to do a whole Superstore the other day...if you don't count the aisles that I didn't need to buy anything from! So life is good. And if perchance you stumble upon this blog, thank you for listening! It is nice you dropped by!
Health issues had me down for the count for quite awhile, but my strength is coming back and I am poised over the keyboard ready to regale you with stories of my new found life! The first good thing, was the birth of our second grandchild! A bonny wee baby, born in May. We are totally in love with her, and of course, her big sister. Funny how life just gives you way more than you deserve, doesn't it?
Anyway, we have a new life in Saskatchewan. I love being home, and in a smaller community. Winnipeg was just getting too big for these old folks! The new house requires quite a bit of work, but all in all the bones are good. And as I heard repeatedly when I asked mundane details about the house, such as "is there a closet for coats", THE GARAGE IS 24X24!! IT HAS A WORKBENCH ADN ROOM TO PARK MY TRUCK!!! IT IS DRYWALLED!!!! PAINTED WHITE!!! ROOM FOR MY GOLF CLUBS....well, I gave up after awhile, because every question ended with a golden review of the manshack! Two actually. He also has a garden shed that is big enough for the patio furniture and the barbque! And the hose box, and the cushion box...and the pots....get the picture? LOL Priorities are so different for each one of us, right? Anyway onward and upward!
We have started by painting Rick's office, and the clothes closets over the course of this past week. There are three hall closets to paint yet (dishes, out of season coat closet and a linen cupboard. I thought they had lost some of my towels because there was so much room in there! I counted them, and they were all present and accounted for!) and we have already burned through three gallons of paint. There is a lot more to go, let me assure you! The house is circa 1953, and has all the "housewifey" things a woman could want to care for her family in that era. Plus some pretty cool modern stuff...like closets with lights that turn on when you open the door! Truly an atomic age new fangled gadget! LOL There is a bit more square footage than our old house, but when the family visits, it will easily fill up, now that there are 6 of us. There are two bedrooms down and a bath, with a large laundry room and get this folks, a cold room! Shelves upon shelves upon shelves for canning! Add our chrome shelving from our old storage room and we have one super storage area for everything from pots to cans of beans!
The upstairs has three bedrooms, all about 12x12. So, in our wisdom, we put our bed in one, my dresser in another, and Rick's dresser in the third. I like air around my furniture! LOL This is going to be the house we will grow old in, so it needs to be very easy to get around in, and take care of. There is only one bathroom, as it was back in the day, but we are renovating that to accommodate us. There is a bathroom downstairs for company as well. I do have a "toilet on every level" rule to maintain after all!
We took possession on Sept 28 and the movers brought our stuff on the 1st of October. Then, unwrapped things and left them hither and yon. We managed to buy appliances without a divorce and will only have to exhange the range. It is a convection oven, as I have been used to, but this one roars. And even when the convection feature is off, the fan is busy. Not my favourite thing indeed. Reminds me of sitting for hours in a running vehicle, and that can drive a person to insanity.
Rick bought the house on a business trip. I had not seen it, but I must tell you, he did a wonderful job. I have always wanted a house of this era, and it will be a joy to bring back to life. I am aiming at the general feel of 1953...I don't think anyone wants to go back to wringer washers or not having a dishwasher! There are hardwood floors in the living and dining rooms, but there will be "happy tile" in the kitchen and dinette. Anyone else remember the wild tile patterns way back when? I found some vinyl that mimics the old rubber tiles, in the bright colours. We are keeping the old cupboards, because I love them. It would be so much easier to rip them out and redesign, but I like the cupboards that actually will hold your dinner plates without keeping the cupboard door ajar! Rick has already installed sliding bins for recycling and trash, bread and pasta. There are two lazy susans so for the first time in my married life, I actually have food in my kitchen cupboards! He is off to Winnipeg for business, and I am hoping he will return with an appliance station and a little table for the dinette. There is so much to do in this house. For instance the bathroom. For instance 200 square feet of carpeting. For instance another 350 feet of tiling. But it will be done hopefully over the next six months. I see no point in waiting to do things. I want to get on with life and enjoy ourselves! We have already been to one show - Rosie and the Riveters. Fantastic group of girls, extremely entertaining. We broke the pattern of our lifetime, "We'll have fun when the work's all done". We have officially taken our stance for the "We'll have work when the fun's all done!" team! I have had quite enough of isolation over the past few years. I want to get out there and observe, if not participate!
It seemed to me that there were a lot more things to do this move than last...health cards, car safeties, utilities, telephone, internet, PHEW! It has taken us three weeks to get around to all of these places and give them all of the information required. But it is done now...just in time for the first snowfall! I thought I would be upset about leaving our old house, but no. I didn't even know where I was going to be living! But Rick is a good man, and has always looked after me, especially the last couple of years when I have been at an all time low with my health. But I am on the come back trail now! I can even manage to stand for a few moments as I do things in the kitchen. I enjoy going out and getting groceries, and managed to do a whole Superstore the other day...if you don't count the aisles that I didn't need to buy anything from! So life is good. And if perchance you stumble upon this blog, thank you for listening! It is nice you dropped by!
Monday, May 26, 2014
I'm BACK!!!
It has been a long time since I have written a word, but now with health issues starting to come under some semblance of control, I hope to start up again! I finally had enough energy to figure out how to log on to blog, truth be told! So now, what shall we talk about?
News? I have rejoined Weight Watchers. Hope springs eternal. There really is something to be said for the program....what exactly, I am not sure. The PointsPlus program keeps me eating regularly, and lot of the right things, so it does seem to work. I have tracked every calorie since I left WW online, but to no avail. It isn't about the calories, it would seem. I am doing the tracker method rather than the Smart Start thing...more reassuring to see the numbers on a page. And, it does seem to be working. I have lost about seven pounds since I restarted, so every little bit helps. And I do like the variety and quantity in this program. It is all good until I lose interest in making so many meals in a day. Lazy to the bone, I am!
Another subject dear to my heart is frugality. We are practicing for retirement, so I am keeping a close watch on the pennies these days.Any tips or tricks you have to add, would be greatly appreciated!
On other frontiers, we have our flowers in for the summer....although we were outside in the bitter winds doing it last weekend. Well, the man was doing it...I cheered from the warm side of the patio door! This year we have some herbs and some tomatoes as well as the usual flowers. I am hopeful that they will not take too long to fill out, since I know that winter is just mere months away!I am determined to enjoy our yard this year!
News? I have rejoined Weight Watchers. Hope springs eternal. There really is something to be said for the program....what exactly, I am not sure. The PointsPlus program keeps me eating regularly, and lot of the right things, so it does seem to work. I have tracked every calorie since I left WW online, but to no avail. It isn't about the calories, it would seem. I am doing the tracker method rather than the Smart Start thing...more reassuring to see the numbers on a page. And, it does seem to be working. I have lost about seven pounds since I restarted, so every little bit helps. And I do like the variety and quantity in this program. It is all good until I lose interest in making so many meals in a day. Lazy to the bone, I am!
Another subject dear to my heart is frugality. We are practicing for retirement, so I am keeping a close watch on the pennies these days.Any tips or tricks you have to add, would be greatly appreciated!
On other frontiers, we have our flowers in for the summer....although we were outside in the bitter winds doing it last weekend. Well, the man was doing it...I cheered from the warm side of the patio door! This year we have some herbs and some tomatoes as well as the usual flowers. I am hopeful that they will not take too long to fill out, since I know that winter is just mere months away!I am determined to enjoy our yard this year!
Thursday, January 17, 2013
Crackers and Jam Who Knew?
So, I am struggling along with the new changes. That is totally said with tongue in cheek, of course. How hard can it be to add such delectable things?
This morning, I had (1/4 cup before cooking) oatmeal with a tablespoon of brown sugar and a glass of milk. Lunch was a cream cheese and cucumber sandwich with a bowl of romaine, onion and apple salad. I just polished off a snack of gluten free crackers and two tablespoons full of fruit spread, and I am thinking of all the lovely options there are for my evening meal! It will likely involve a fish fillet and baked potato of some sort, with whatever I can dig up for vegetables. Possibly an onion, beet and goat cheese salad to start with perhaps a side of green beans garnished with toasted almonds?
The pickin's are getting pretty sparse! I am down to the last dregs of produce in my refrigerator. I have a list as long as my arm of all the foods that will work well for me now that I am back in the carb eating world, and I know for a fact I can easily buy them all without worrying that they will go bad. No longer will I have to limit the carbs so severely. The basic plan is to include 30 - 45 grams of carb with every meal and 15 for each snack. The diet may not do anything for the scale, but it is doing wonders for my moral! And the best thing is, that my sugars have leveled out to just where they need to be, pretty well through the day. I really have an appetite now - something that I really haven`t had in quite a while. Why bother feeling hungry when you can`t eat my body was saying! Well, now, it reminds me that it is feeding time at the zoo before I even glance at the clock. Life is good!
This morning, I had (1/4 cup before cooking) oatmeal with a tablespoon of brown sugar and a glass of milk. Lunch was a cream cheese and cucumber sandwich with a bowl of romaine, onion and apple salad. I just polished off a snack of gluten free crackers and two tablespoons full of fruit spread, and I am thinking of all the lovely options there are for my evening meal! It will likely involve a fish fillet and baked potato of some sort, with whatever I can dig up for vegetables. Possibly an onion, beet and goat cheese salad to start with perhaps a side of green beans garnished with toasted almonds?
The pickin's are getting pretty sparse! I am down to the last dregs of produce in my refrigerator. I have a list as long as my arm of all the foods that will work well for me now that I am back in the carb eating world, and I know for a fact I can easily buy them all without worrying that they will go bad. No longer will I have to limit the carbs so severely. The basic plan is to include 30 - 45 grams of carb with every meal and 15 for each snack. The diet may not do anything for the scale, but it is doing wonders for my moral! And the best thing is, that my sugars have leveled out to just where they need to be, pretty well through the day. I really have an appetite now - something that I really haven`t had in quite a while. Why bother feeling hungry when you can`t eat my body was saying! Well, now, it reminds me that it is feeding time at the zoo before I even glance at the clock. Life is good!
Monday, January 14, 2013
MMMMM LUNCH!!!
All sorts of adventures are happening under our roof! For one, we had a drain pipe burst and render our family room useless. Thank goodness it was covered by our insurance. The wet is gone, but the disorder lingers on as we await dry-wall and carpet men. I have also started insulin therapy, which has rendered me pretty useless for anything other than testing and figuring out how to stuff more carbs into my life! For years, I have avoided them, because they just did not make me feel good, but now? They are an unmovable requirement of the new regime. It is finally coming together, and I am getting the hang of the new rules.
So, I have started to eat more carbs. And to eat every three hours, to snack....all those things that 'dieting' has preached against, are the very things that I need to do! Just goes to show, that when you think you know it all, you just may not. I would like to burn every diet book I have ever read, every program I have ever been on, and every mean spirited word out of every doctor that didn`t bother to check why I was able to thrive on so little, choosing to believe instead, that I was lying about my diet. But that is all water under the bridge, and I am just happy to have a team of professionals on my side that have heard this all before, and don`t doubt me for a minute. Instead, they are putting their efforts into helping me find a balance. Hopefully, this will remedy the years of misguided information that has rendered my body extremely proficient at retaining every calorie.
Of course, there is always a downside. More carbs has equaled weight gain for me, but it is unavoidable. Hopefully I will have more energy and move more, to compensate, but if not? I will have to learn to live with the consequences. Nothing in life is free, is it?
And I have gained over six pounds to date. Sigh. BUT my levels are the best they have been in years. I do best when in my own kitchen, and it definitely shows in my numbers. For the last couple of days, I, have been hovering at a normal level! This is a miracle for me. I have been gradually adjusting my dosage, but being the impatient person I am, it was difficult not to go overboard and add more insulin too quickly.
There must be some merit in this fill your face with carbs diabetic diet. Lunch today was a major coup. Goat cheese, Craisin, walnut, apple salad. MMM good. 250 calories, 14 carbs. Still not enough carbs, but Rome wasn't built in a day. My goal is to have 30-45 grams carbs per meal, and 15 grams for my bedtime snack. My afternoon snack is usually something from lunch that I didn't have room for! I also had a slice of gluten free bread, toasted with 5 gms of butter, three slices of Piller's turkey breast and five olives. (Only four in the picture, but there were five! Kitchen duty is hungry work!) I think the trick is to use small bits of tasty things that give you a luxurious feel to the dish....who wants to face a lettuce and tomato salad when you can have variety like this? I am determined to use foods that are natural occurring carbs in fruits and vegetables, rather than too many baked or overly processed items. Gluten free baking is very carb dense, and not very filling, whereas this lunch? Should keep me until 2:30 when it is time for a snack!
So, I have started to eat more carbs. And to eat every three hours, to snack....all those things that 'dieting' has preached against, are the very things that I need to do! Just goes to show, that when you think you know it all, you just may not. I would like to burn every diet book I have ever read, every program I have ever been on, and every mean spirited word out of every doctor that didn`t bother to check why I was able to thrive on so little, choosing to believe instead, that I was lying about my diet. But that is all water under the bridge, and I am just happy to have a team of professionals on my side that have heard this all before, and don`t doubt me for a minute. Instead, they are putting their efforts into helping me find a balance. Hopefully, this will remedy the years of misguided information that has rendered my body extremely proficient at retaining every calorie.
Of course, there is always a downside. More carbs has equaled weight gain for me, but it is unavoidable. Hopefully I will have more energy and move more, to compensate, but if not? I will have to learn to live with the consequences. Nothing in life is free, is it?
And I have gained over six pounds to date. Sigh. BUT my levels are the best they have been in years. I do best when in my own kitchen, and it definitely shows in my numbers. For the last couple of days, I, have been hovering at a normal level! This is a miracle for me. I have been gradually adjusting my dosage, but being the impatient person I am, it was difficult not to go overboard and add more insulin too quickly.
There must be some merit in this fill your face with carbs diabetic diet. Lunch today was a major coup. Goat cheese, Craisin, walnut, apple salad. MMM good. 250 calories, 14 carbs. Still not enough carbs, but Rome wasn't built in a day. My goal is to have 30-45 grams carbs per meal, and 15 grams for my bedtime snack. My afternoon snack is usually something from lunch that I didn't have room for! I also had a slice of gluten free bread, toasted with 5 gms of butter, three slices of Piller's turkey breast and five olives. (Only four in the picture, but there were five! Kitchen duty is hungry work!) I think the trick is to use small bits of tasty things that give you a luxurious feel to the dish....who wants to face a lettuce and tomato salad when you can have variety like this? I am determined to use foods that are natural occurring carbs in fruits and vegetables, rather than too many baked or overly processed items. Gluten free baking is very carb dense, and not very filling, whereas this lunch? Should keep me until 2:30 when it is time for a snack!
Goat Cheese Craisin Apple Salad
Toast 10 gms of walnuts.
In a mixing bowl, whisk 1 T of Miracle Whip with 1 T skim milk and a dash of vinegar.
Add 10 gms of craisins, then stir well .
Dice a small apple and toss in with the dressing.
Add a few slices of sweet onion.
Add a well packed cup of sliced romaine lettuce.
Sprinkle toasted walnuts and 10 gms of unripe goat cheese over all.
250 Calories 14 carbs 13.5 grams of fat
Friday, November 30, 2012
Menu Plan November 28 to December 4
Wednesday November 28
Tilapia fillets with roasted peppers, carrots, onions and mushrooms
Basmati Rice
Thursday November 29
Baked potato with cottage cheese
Friday November 30
Roast chicken
Mashed potatoes
Peas & Carrots
Saturday December 1
Leftover chicken, potatoes and veg in fry pan
Side salad
Sunday December 2
Pork Tenderloin with orange whiskey sauce
Rice
Roasted mushrooms, pepper, onion and celery
Monday December 3
Shrimp & Rice
Salad
Tuesday December 4
Mac & Cheese
Beets
Side salad
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
Saturday, November 3, 2012
V I C T O R Y
Drum roll please. Today I baked a loaf of gluten free bread that actually tastes good.
Now, you must realize by now, I am not a world class baker when using mixes. For some reason, I just can't handle simplified directions....I am always looking for more detail, a few more complications...basically, I think the simple instructions are a trick. I know you have to alternate liquid with dry ingredients to get a good cake....and I am expected to just dump and mix? I can't believe it is so simple. I find myself reading, and rereading because I can not believe there is so little to do!
ANYWAY, today, I bit the bullet and pulled out a gluten free bread mix. I tossed everything into the mix master, and let 'er rip for two minute, plopped the goo ball into a 'single noodle' sized lasagna dish, and covered with Saran to proof. 45 minutes later, it went into the oven and stayed there for another 40 minutes. At the end of it all, I had a great 'baguette-like' crusty bread! I will definitely do this again. If I really let my imagination run, I could almost believe it was a yeasty, crusty baguette. Of course, it is a difficult fantasy to maintain! That makes two GF mix victories so far...first the muffins, and now the bread...my oh my. I am becoming quite proficient in opening packages, adding eggs, milk and butter!
Menu Plan November 2 to November 9
Friday: Costco rotisserie chicken with mashed potatoes, carrots and peas, home made GF "gravy". Tossed salad.
Saturday:
Sunday: Home made GF pizza with pesto, ham, green pepper, onion and pineapple chunks Side salad of course.
Monday: Salad with a side of avocado toast - drizzled with olive oil, sprinkled with pepper flakes, hot chocolate for dessert
Tuesday: Home made soup, GF oat crackers, cheese and pickles.
Wednesday: Roasted ham (freezer stash from a couple of weeks ago) served with hot mustard sauce, ginger carrots and baked potato - salad
Thursday: Fridge pickin's
Friday: Dinner out
Saturday:
- Lunch: Chili with a light sprinkling of cheddar on top , GF toast
- Supper: Chicken Sandwiches
- Baking: GF Baguette
Sunday: Home made GF pizza with pesto, ham, green pepper, onion and pineapple chunks Side salad of course.
Monday: Salad with a side of avocado toast - drizzled with olive oil, sprinkled with pepper flakes, hot chocolate for dessert
Tuesday: Home made soup, GF oat crackers, cheese and pickles.
Wednesday: Roasted ham (freezer stash from a couple of weeks ago) served with hot mustard sauce, ginger carrots and baked potato - salad
Thursday: Fridge pickin's
Friday: Dinner out
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
As usual....
My menu plan has been corrupted! I made soup for lunch on Monday, and stir fry veggies and shrimp for supper. Tonight? I am dealing with a couple of pretty plump chicken breasts. One will do for our supper with a spinach, raspberry, apple pecan tossed salad and one will languish in the refrigerator to be used later on for lunch meat.
It is quite obvious that I think the whole point of a menu plan is to know generally what you want to eat for the week, then deal with each day as the mood or degrading produce dictates. I try to follow the plan, but often, the will just isn't there when hunger strikes! For instance? We are having a run on raspberries here, and it definitely is not a hardship to shift things around a bit to use them up! I am fond of sweet salads with chicken, and already I am drooling!
I bought some Almond Breeze to try, and for drinking? Do not care for it. But, since it was in the refrigerator, I made the muffins yesterday, rather than Wednesday. I even went to the bother of topping them with a little glaze, to make them just a little special. I ended up adding coconut to the basic mix, and a vanilla icing drizzle seemed to round them out nicely. Yesterday, I made a small bowl of orange gelatin for supper tonight, so we are living pretty high on the hog indeed!
One by one, the freezer Tupperware containers are being emptied. I am not refilling them, as that will be a task best handled when we return from vacation. Right now, I am thinking of Tequila, copious amounts of guacamole and nice hot beach!
Tomorrow will be busy. The housekeepers arrive at eight thirty, and the roofers will begin work as well. I picked a colour called driftwood, but now, I am a bit aprehensive. Will it be brown? Grey? Whatever. We need to change the lighting fixtures anyway, so it will all work out in the end. It should be done by the end of the week, which will be good for the house but really bad for my checking account! By the way. Did anyone else notice that cheques are now checks? What a shame. Anyway, we will have to write a doozy when they are done!
Life.
It is quite obvious that I think the whole point of a menu plan is to know generally what you want to eat for the week, then deal with each day as the mood or degrading produce dictates. I try to follow the plan, but often, the will just isn't there when hunger strikes! For instance? We are having a run on raspberries here, and it definitely is not a hardship to shift things around a bit to use them up! I am fond of sweet salads with chicken, and already I am drooling!
I bought some Almond Breeze to try, and for drinking? Do not care for it. But, since it was in the refrigerator, I made the muffins yesterday, rather than Wednesday. I even went to the bother of topping them with a little glaze, to make them just a little special. I ended up adding coconut to the basic mix, and a vanilla icing drizzle seemed to round them out nicely. Yesterday, I made a small bowl of orange gelatin for supper tonight, so we are living pretty high on the hog indeed!
One by one, the freezer Tupperware containers are being emptied. I am not refilling them, as that will be a task best handled when we return from vacation. Right now, I am thinking of Tequila, copious amounts of guacamole and nice hot beach!
Tomorrow will be busy. The housekeepers arrive at eight thirty, and the roofers will begin work as well. I picked a colour called driftwood, but now, I am a bit aprehensive. Will it be brown? Grey? Whatever. We need to change the lighting fixtures anyway, so it will all work out in the end. It should be done by the end of the week, which will be good for the house but really bad for my checking account! By the way. Did anyone else notice that cheques are now checks? What a shame. Anyway, we will have to write a doozy when they are done!
Life.
Saturday, October 27, 2012
A Night On The Town
Last night we went to the Forks and had dinner at the Beachcomber Restaurant. A zillion calories later, I am here to tell the tale.
Being the fussy, hard to please, gluten intolerant person that I am, I found everything to be tasty, and as of this morning? Safe! The bacon wrapped scallops were a bit disappointing because the bacon was not crispy, but there were two others at the table to help munch through them so they didn't go to waste.
For starters, I had a 'California Dreaming' salad that was amazing. It was loaded with fruit, creamy goat cheese and topped a fabulous dressing. It was a good thing I wasn't counting calories, because the salad was a meal in itself! For my main, I had a baseball steak. Now, for a "little" meat eater, this was quite the feat. I ate the WHOLE THING! It was served with pomme frites that just rocked! Crispy, crispy, crispy, with the tender beef? Perfect combo. A nice amount of steamed vegetables filled out the plate nicely. When the dessert menu came, since I was about to blow up from sheer fullness, I left the choice to dear husband, and asked for a spoon to "taste" his choice of rice pudding. The waiter actually brought a nice long handled iced tea spoon to make it easier to steal his dessert! Now that was impressive. All in all, we were out to the wee hours, arriving home at nine o'clock - barely enough time to put on our PJ's and share a cup of peppermint tea! Such wild people we are, eh? It was a lovely night with good friends, and I was very pleased with my dinner!
Being the fussy, hard to please, gluten intolerant person that I am, I found everything to be tasty, and as of this morning? Safe! The bacon wrapped scallops were a bit disappointing because the bacon was not crispy, but there were two others at the table to help munch through them so they didn't go to waste.
For starters, I had a 'California Dreaming' salad that was amazing. It was loaded with fruit, creamy goat cheese and topped a fabulous dressing. It was a good thing I wasn't counting calories, because the salad was a meal in itself! For my main, I had a baseball steak. Now, for a "little" meat eater, this was quite the feat. I ate the WHOLE THING! It was served with pomme frites that just rocked! Crispy, crispy, crispy, with the tender beef? Perfect combo. A nice amount of steamed vegetables filled out the plate nicely. When the dessert menu came, since I was about to blow up from sheer fullness, I left the choice to dear husband, and asked for a spoon to "taste" his choice of rice pudding. The waiter actually brought a nice long handled iced tea spoon to make it easier to steal his dessert! Now that was impressive. All in all, we were out to the wee hours, arriving home at nine o'clock - barely enough time to put on our PJ's and share a cup of peppermint tea! Such wild people we are, eh? It was a lovely night with good friends, and I was very pleased with my dinner!
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