Summery Saturday

Up until now, August has been an especially cool month, but today felt more like summer, again. Since we didn't have any major projects planned, we were in no hurry to get out of bed this morning, so it was after 8 a.m. before we rolled out.

After breakfast, I spent 40 minutes doing a treadmill exercise routine, including warm-up, stretches and working with weights, and cool-down. Mother came over after I was dressed and ready for the day, and we all set about straightening the house, doing laundry, and planning a menu for the week.

After lunch, Hubbie and I went to the farmer's market and to the WDCS to pick up groceries for the week's meals...particularly for Sunday lunch tomorrow, when Granddaughter and her significant other will visit to show us the car she purchased recently. Lunch will be chicken breasts cooked in the slow cooker (recipe below), baked potatoes, corn on the cob, sliced tomatoes, and dinner rolls. Dessert will be slices of cold watermelon.

Chicken Recipe: spray slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray. Place two chopped onions, 3 stalks of chopped celery, 1 tbsp. chopped garlic (from a jar), in the cooker. Put the chicken breasts on top (can also use a whole chicken or a turkey breast). Combine 1 tsp. dried rosemary, 1 tsp. dried thyme, 1 tsp. sage (I don't use sage, because I’m allergic to it), 1/8 tsp. pepper, and ¼ cup fat-free, low-sodium chicken broth, and pour over chicken. Cook on low 2-3 hours (or 5-7 hours for a turkey breast), or until poultry is tender and registers 170 degrees.

Mother and I spent a lazy rest of the afternoon chatting and relaxing, while Hubbie gave Shih Tzu a bath and watched TV.

Supper was the "Week in Review"...leftover beef hash, sauteed okra, steamed squash, a combination of Lima and butter beans, Chinese beets, and fresh sliced tomatoes and cucumbers.

Note: last night's movie fare was "The Messengers," rated PG13, for violence and scary scenes. In this 2007 haunted house movie, a family, including a mom, a dad, a troubled teen, and a traumatized little boy who doesn't speak, but points a lot, moves into a deteriorated house on a sunflower farm, where strange things happen that will keep you on the edge of your seat.