Wow! The weather turned sharply colder overnight. I'm glad I didn't have anywhere to go today.
Around 9 a.m., after I'd had breakfast, did a session on the treadmill, and got ready for the day, Mother came over and we set to work childproofing the living room and dining room for toddler children we're expecting for Thanksgiving. This meant stowing decorative plates, vases, and knick knacks in plastic totes, where they'll remain until after the holidays. I also unearthed the table clothes to be ironed for Thanksgiving dinner. We'll probably set up at least three tables.
After that, we cleared book and paper paraphernalia that had accumulated around the computer in one corner of the living room so Hubbie can take the computer back up to the office. He brought it to the living room last February, following my heart episode, so I wouldn't have to climb up and down stairs so much. But I'm fine now, so it's time for the computer to go back home to make room in this corner for a "kids' table" at Thanksgiving.
After lunch, we spent the afternoon sorting, filing, and discarding paperwork, and cleaning drawers in the office. There's still a ton more that could be done, but at least now the built-in desk area, which stretches all the way down one wall, is clear and ready for the computer, printer, and stuff related to it. I hope to get back to office organizing in January. We have a very busy holiday season coming up, so I don't plan to stress myself with tasks that can be put off for a couple of months.
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Friday, November 14, 2008
Friday, Nov. 14
It was still warm, though a little windy, this morning going to water aerobics. Our regular leader was absent again today. Word is that she suffered a bad headache and some loss of balance either Wednesday after our session or yesterday, so she's undergoing tests to determine the problem. Her doctor suspects a heart problem. She had a stroke several years ago, and from all I've read, her symptoms sound like those of a stroke, though I'm sure a lot of medical problems exhibit similar symptoms.
One of the very young women led the group today. She's in her mid to late 30s, I think. She's probably the youngest member of the group, though she doesn't attend regularly. I've known her for years, since she has served on the community theater board with me. Her children are in 4-H, and I'm a member of Extension Homemakers, so we have both been involved with county fair activities, as well.
As is usual for a Friday, not as many showed up for aerobics today, but those of us who were there had a good time, and the water was moderately warm.
Back home, we just did this and that until after lunch. As Hubbie was getting ready to go to the barber shop, he discovered that his billfold was missing. We frantically searched for it in the house, and in the vehicles. Hubbie called the last place we'd shopped to see if it had been turned in. No dice.
Since his driver's license was in the billfold, I decided I should go with him to the barber shop. From there, we went straight to the Revenue Office to get his license replaced. Then, when we got back home, he started the long process of calling credit card companies and other businesses to cancel accounts.
Now, we just have to hope we covered all the bases. We also hope the billfold will miraculously show up.
While we were at the barber shop, Hubbie's barber commented that his mother, who has Alzheimer's Disease, hides things. Among the things she has hidden is his father's billfold, which has never turned up, and his own barber's kit, which eventually did turn up in the tool box of his father's truck (unfortunately, not before he had replaced these expensive items).
As the barber was relating this story, Hubbie looked at me quizzically. "No," I said, "I don't think I've hidden your billfold. But if I have, I wouldn't know it, if I have Alzheimer's."
Suffering the disease could be in the cards for me, though, since my grandmother, my father, and a brother were all afflicted. My grandmother hid things, too, like silverware and scissors, which (ouch) she stashed down the front of her dress.
The rest of the day was pretty calm, and we had a good supper of Parmesan baked tilapia fish, with baked sweet potatoes, and cream style corn.
Later, Hubbie and I gathered coats, hats, gloves, and scarves to go downtown for Second Friday events. But since it was raining, and predictions were for wind and a sharp drop in temps, nothing much was going on down there. No musicians were out, and many of the stores were dark, except for a couple of antique/flea market shops, a restaurant, and the art gallery, where a photography workshop was taking place.
So we came back home and turned on the radio to listen to our favorite college basketball team squeak to a win in overtime play.
One of the very young women led the group today. She's in her mid to late 30s, I think. She's probably the youngest member of the group, though she doesn't attend regularly. I've known her for years, since she has served on the community theater board with me. Her children are in 4-H, and I'm a member of Extension Homemakers, so we have both been involved with county fair activities, as well.
As is usual for a Friday, not as many showed up for aerobics today, but those of us who were there had a good time, and the water was moderately warm.
Back home, we just did this and that until after lunch. As Hubbie was getting ready to go to the barber shop, he discovered that his billfold was missing. We frantically searched for it in the house, and in the vehicles. Hubbie called the last place we'd shopped to see if it had been turned in. No dice.
Since his driver's license was in the billfold, I decided I should go with him to the barber shop. From there, we went straight to the Revenue Office to get his license replaced. Then, when we got back home, he started the long process of calling credit card companies and other businesses to cancel accounts.
Now, we just have to hope we covered all the bases. We also hope the billfold will miraculously show up.
While we were at the barber shop, Hubbie's barber commented that his mother, who has Alzheimer's Disease, hides things. Among the things she has hidden is his father's billfold, which has never turned up, and his own barber's kit, which eventually did turn up in the tool box of his father's truck (unfortunately, not before he had replaced these expensive items).
As the barber was relating this story, Hubbie looked at me quizzically. "No," I said, "I don't think I've hidden your billfold. But if I have, I wouldn't know it, if I have Alzheimer's."
Suffering the disease could be in the cards for me, though, since my grandmother, my father, and a brother were all afflicted. My grandmother hid things, too, like silverware and scissors, which (ouch) she stashed down the front of her dress.
The rest of the day was pretty calm, and we had a good supper of Parmesan baked tilapia fish, with baked sweet potatoes, and cream style corn.
Later, Hubbie and I gathered coats, hats, gloves, and scarves to go downtown for Second Friday events. But since it was raining, and predictions were for wind and a sharp drop in temps, nothing much was going on down there. No musicians were out, and many of the stores were dark, except for a couple of antique/flea market shops, a restaurant, and the art gallery, where a photography workshop was taking place.
So we came back home and turned on the radio to listen to our favorite college basketball team squeak to a win in overtime play.
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Thursday, Nov. 13
I overslept this morning, and would have snoozed longer if Hubbie hadn't woke me up at 8:30. I guess I was making up for the sleepless night Tuesday. But since Hubbie had a 10 a.m. Master Gardener meeting, and Mother wanted to go shopping this morning, I needed to be up and about.
I skipped my exercises so I could be ready sooner to drive Mother to where she wanted to go. We left the house about the same time as Hubbie. Our first stop was the art gallery, where I hoped to leave my photo for the hospital display. But it wasn't open (the gallery doesn't always stick to its posted hours). So we went to the greeting card shop, where Mother chose three cards, and I got a children's Christmas storybook edition to add to my collection. With these purchases, I was able to use a $2 coupon I'd received in the mail, plus get the storybook at a reduced price. When we left the card shop around 11 a.m., I drove back by the gallery, but it still wasn't open.
Then we went to the WDCS. I used two $2 coupons to buy a couple of boxes of hair color, but that was my only purchase. Mother, in doing her monthly shopping, used quite a few coupons. Mother, Hubbie and I have always been avid coupon users, and in these difficult economic times, we feel it's even more important to take advantage of savings wherever we find them.
As we were shopping, a lady stopped and commented that the 3-lb. bags of onions we had in our basket were on sale at a new grocery store downtown for 99 cents a bag, and that the WDCS would honor that price at the register. So I mentioned that to the cashier, but she said that in order to get the discount, we had to have the sale paper in hand. We didn't, so I told the cashier we didn't want the onions...we'd just go to the other grocery store and get the sale price.
In the past, the WDCS would take a customer's word for sale prices offered at other stores, but the cashier said they got a letter this week stating the store could no longer do this, because some customers were abusing the privilege by declaring false sale prices. It only takes a few dishonest folks to ruin things for the rest of us.
By the time we got home at 12:30 p.m., Hubbie was back from his meeting and had prepared himself a PB&J sandwich with corn chips. I opted for a few leftover sauteed potatoes scrambled with a quarter cup of egg substitute, a couple of tablespoons of low-fat cottage cheese, and a slice of toast. We shared an orange for dessert.
Since I needed to take the photo to the art gallery this afternoon, Hubbie and I decided to stop at the new supermarket on the way. We've intended to look around this store ever since it opened a few weeks ago, but just didn't get around to it until today. We got two bags of the 99 cent onions, and then picked up a few other of the store's bargains, like turnips (to go with a few that Hubbie brought back from his MG meeting) and sweet potatoes. Soda crackers were also on sale, so we got a box for Mother, who had forgotten to get them on her shopping trip to WDCS.
From the supermarket, we went to the gallery. This time it was open. From there, Hubbie wanted to go look around a plant nursery. The folks who run this nursery had another one down by the river that was ruined during the last flood, so they will be having a big sale Monday to get rid of their remaining inventory and then close the business.
By the time we got back home mid-afternoon, I was ready to relax with the evening newspaper, before fixing bagel pizzas and salad for supper for Hubbie and me. Mother opted to spend her afternoon at home.
What glorious weather we had today! Sunny, with temps in the 70s. I could live with this kind of weather all the time. Tomorrow is predicted to be a carbon copy until later in the day, when the temps will drop and winds will blow. Boo. I don't look forward to it.
I skipped my exercises so I could be ready sooner to drive Mother to where she wanted to go. We left the house about the same time as Hubbie. Our first stop was the art gallery, where I hoped to leave my photo for the hospital display. But it wasn't open (the gallery doesn't always stick to its posted hours). So we went to the greeting card shop, where Mother chose three cards, and I got a children's Christmas storybook edition to add to my collection. With these purchases, I was able to use a $2 coupon I'd received in the mail, plus get the storybook at a reduced price. When we left the card shop around 11 a.m., I drove back by the gallery, but it still wasn't open.
Then we went to the WDCS. I used two $2 coupons to buy a couple of boxes of hair color, but that was my only purchase. Mother, in doing her monthly shopping, used quite a few coupons. Mother, Hubbie and I have always been avid coupon users, and in these difficult economic times, we feel it's even more important to take advantage of savings wherever we find them.
As we were shopping, a lady stopped and commented that the 3-lb. bags of onions we had in our basket were on sale at a new grocery store downtown for 99 cents a bag, and that the WDCS would honor that price at the register. So I mentioned that to the cashier, but she said that in order to get the discount, we had to have the sale paper in hand. We didn't, so I told the cashier we didn't want the onions...we'd just go to the other grocery store and get the sale price.
In the past, the WDCS would take a customer's word for sale prices offered at other stores, but the cashier said they got a letter this week stating the store could no longer do this, because some customers were abusing the privilege by declaring false sale prices. It only takes a few dishonest folks to ruin things for the rest of us.
By the time we got home at 12:30 p.m., Hubbie was back from his meeting and had prepared himself a PB&J sandwich with corn chips. I opted for a few leftover sauteed potatoes scrambled with a quarter cup of egg substitute, a couple of tablespoons of low-fat cottage cheese, and a slice of toast. We shared an orange for dessert.
Since I needed to take the photo to the art gallery this afternoon, Hubbie and I decided to stop at the new supermarket on the way. We've intended to look around this store ever since it opened a few weeks ago, but just didn't get around to it until today. We got two bags of the 99 cent onions, and then picked up a few other of the store's bargains, like turnips (to go with a few that Hubbie brought back from his MG meeting) and sweet potatoes. Soda crackers were also on sale, so we got a box for Mother, who had forgotten to get them on her shopping trip to WDCS.
From the supermarket, we went to the gallery. This time it was open. From there, Hubbie wanted to go look around a plant nursery. The folks who run this nursery had another one down by the river that was ruined during the last flood, so they will be having a big sale Monday to get rid of their remaining inventory and then close the business.
By the time we got back home mid-afternoon, I was ready to relax with the evening newspaper, before fixing bagel pizzas and salad for supper for Hubbie and me. Mother opted to spend her afternoon at home.
What glorious weather we had today! Sunny, with temps in the 70s. I could live with this kind of weather all the time. Tomorrow is predicted to be a carbon copy until later in the day, when the temps will drop and winds will blow. Boo. I don't look forward to it.
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Wednesday, Nov. 12
Well, the rain that was predicted for yesterday arrived today. I could hear it pattering on the roof in the wee hours of the morning. I heard it because I slept fitfully last night, dozing off from time-to-time and then snapping awake to toss and turn, watching the clock until time to get up.
Not as many showed up for water aerobics this morning. Some of the ladies feel insecure walking on wet pavement. Others just don't want to leave the comfort of their beds on inclement days. But although it was rainy the temp was moderate, making the walk from the car to the gym under an umbrella comfortable enough.
In the dressing room, I was told the potty stalls had no toilet tissue. On Monday our leader said the maintenance folks were upset with us because the school was losing too many rolls of paper from being soaked by dripping swimsuits or from being dropped on the wet floor. So was the lack of tissue today our punishment?
I don't know, but I spent a while checking the bathroom out in the hall for tissue (none there, either), and going from office to office trying to find someone who could provide paper to us. No dice. Today we all just drip dried. From now on I'll be carrying my own plastic baggie of tissue.
Because I am the youngest old lady in the group, it fell to me to try to scout around for tissue, which meant I didn't get into the pool in time for a warm-up swim before aerobics started.
Just before I left for water aerobics, Hubbie got a call announcing the birth of our 21st great-grandchild...another little boy. Daughter, who had two daughters of her own, was so hoping for a granddaughter. But she is blessed with four grandsons instead. This newest baby boy, as yet unnamed, weighed 6 lb., 7 oz., and is 19.5 inches long. He was born last night at 10:22 p.m., so the nurse commented that he was born on 11-11 at 22:22 (military time). He was born on the same date as his two-year-old cousin.
So now, Hubbie's two daughters have the same birthday (born two years apart), as do the two great-grandsons mentioned above, plus a four-year-old great-granddaughter and a one-year-old great-grandson, and two great-grandsons (who were born on the same day last June).
After I got back from aerobics I made a cracker crumb pie from some stale saltines. Hubbie bought the saltines in a bulk box at a warehouse discount store, but since he is the only one who eats them, he wasn't able to consume them before they went stale. The other day he complained that they aren't fresh, which reminded me that years ago I used to make "mock apple pie" from stale crackers. Mother found a recipe similar to the one I used to use in one of our cookbooks, which I tried today. The recipe is crustless and turns out more cookie-like than pie-like but Hubbie liked it just the same. Here's the recipe:
Cracker Crumb Pie
1 cup chopped pecans
16 saltine crackers, crumbled
3 egg whites
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup sugar (I used sugar substitute)
1/2 tsp. cream of tartar
1 tsp. cinnamon
Beat egg whites until frothy. Add cream of tartar and beat until the whites are stiff. Fold in the rest of the ingredients. Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes. Serve hot, with whipped topping.
After lunch Hubbie and I ran errands...to the greeting card store, the bank, the veterinary clinic, the other discount store, and the WDCS. Our main goal at the WDCS was to get a picture hanging kit. Last night at the art gallery meeting one of the members asked for six works of art to hang at the hospital. I volunteered a hand tinted photograph (not for sale, just for display). We were asked to deliver the works to the gallery by tomorrow. Others are contributing paintings and stained glass art.
Not as many showed up for water aerobics this morning. Some of the ladies feel insecure walking on wet pavement. Others just don't want to leave the comfort of their beds on inclement days. But although it was rainy the temp was moderate, making the walk from the car to the gym under an umbrella comfortable enough.
In the dressing room, I was told the potty stalls had no toilet tissue. On Monday our leader said the maintenance folks were upset with us because the school was losing too many rolls of paper from being soaked by dripping swimsuits or from being dropped on the wet floor. So was the lack of tissue today our punishment?
I don't know, but I spent a while checking the bathroom out in the hall for tissue (none there, either), and going from office to office trying to find someone who could provide paper to us. No dice. Today we all just drip dried. From now on I'll be carrying my own plastic baggie of tissue.
Because I am the youngest old lady in the group, it fell to me to try to scout around for tissue, which meant I didn't get into the pool in time for a warm-up swim before aerobics started.
Just before I left for water aerobics, Hubbie got a call announcing the birth of our 21st great-grandchild...another little boy. Daughter, who had two daughters of her own, was so hoping for a granddaughter. But she is blessed with four grandsons instead. This newest baby boy, as yet unnamed, weighed 6 lb., 7 oz., and is 19.5 inches long. He was born last night at 10:22 p.m., so the nurse commented that he was born on 11-11 at 22:22 (military time). He was born on the same date as his two-year-old cousin.
So now, Hubbie's two daughters have the same birthday (born two years apart), as do the two great-grandsons mentioned above, plus a four-year-old great-granddaughter and a one-year-old great-grandson, and two great-grandsons (who were born on the same day last June).
After I got back from aerobics I made a cracker crumb pie from some stale saltines. Hubbie bought the saltines in a bulk box at a warehouse discount store, but since he is the only one who eats them, he wasn't able to consume them before they went stale. The other day he complained that they aren't fresh, which reminded me that years ago I used to make "mock apple pie" from stale crackers. Mother found a recipe similar to the one I used to use in one of our cookbooks, which I tried today. The recipe is crustless and turns out more cookie-like than pie-like but Hubbie liked it just the same. Here's the recipe:
Cracker Crumb Pie
1 cup chopped pecans
16 saltine crackers, crumbled
3 egg whites
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup sugar (I used sugar substitute)
1/2 tsp. cream of tartar
1 tsp. cinnamon
Beat egg whites until frothy. Add cream of tartar and beat until the whites are stiff. Fold in the rest of the ingredients. Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes. Serve hot, with whipped topping.
After lunch Hubbie and I ran errands...to the greeting card store, the bank, the veterinary clinic, the other discount store, and the WDCS. Our main goal at the WDCS was to get a picture hanging kit. Last night at the art gallery meeting one of the members asked for six works of art to hang at the hospital. I volunteered a hand tinted photograph (not for sale, just for display). We were asked to deliver the works to the gallery by tomorrow. Others are contributing paintings and stained glass art.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Tuesday, Nov. 11
The fall colors are fading, and withered, crisp, leaves are blanketing the ground. Some trees are wintry bare already. These photos show late autumn hues, including browns and rusts.
We slept late this morning, and didn't get up until 8 a.m. on this Veteran's Day. Since there was a threat of rain, we waited for a while before hanging the flag outdoors. We were anxious to display "Old Glory" in honor of veterans, including members of our family who served, as well as for the men and women (including my granddaughter) who are currently serving.
After breakfast and a treadmill session, I went right to work sorting summer and winter clothes, culling out those that I'll discard. Hubbie laughed at me when he saw the giant stack of turtleneck knit shirts I have, in an assortment of colors. I've accumulated them over several years. I don't wear every one of them every year, but I have enough variations of colors to wear under sweaters during cold weather.
Basically, I wear autumn tones, so I have brown, beige, orange, orangy-red, gold, rust, periwinkle blue, and various shades of green knit shirts. Black is not really my best color, but no wardrobe is complete without some black, so I have knit turtlenecks in that color, too. Black works fine if paired with something that is in my color, like a rust jacket.
I learned a long time ago that unless a knit turtleneck shirt is stained or worn out, I shouldn't discard it, because it's so difficult to find a similar color to replace it. I can find brown and beige easily enough, but although black, white, and bright red are always in stock in the stores, autumn colors seem to run in cycles and are not offered every year.
Organizing my clothes closet spurred me to sort another closet, which led to sorting a downstairs coat closet, which led to going to the WDCS to buy a stack of plastic totes to organize things in. Now, instead of a jumble of scarves, hats and gloves on the shelf in the coat closet, Hubbie and I each have our own tote, neatly holding our individual winter gear.
Upstairs, one tote holds dressy scarves and dickies, while another stores purses. Before getting the totes, I hung my dressy scarves on one of those nifty plastic hangers with lots of holes for poking the scarves into. It was fine, and all my scarves fit on that one hanger, but the hanger was in the way in the closet. Besides, while I used to wear a lot of scarves when I worked in an office, I now rarely wear one, because there are fewer occasions to dress up.
While sorting one of the closets, we turned up a shoe box of old photos of Mother, Dad, my children, and me, which of course required that we take a walk down memory lane. I'll be wanting to make copies of some of these photos to use in scrapbooking.
Closet sorting pretty much took up the day. The only other thing I did was attend an arts council meeting at 5 p.m., which ran on until 6:30. There was a community theater board meeting tonight, too, but I decided to skip it. If anything major happened that involves me, the president can advise me by e-mail.
Monday, November 10, 2008
Shivery Monday
Br-r-r, it was cold enough this morning that there was frost on the windows of the van. Hubbie scurried to find a scraper in the garage to clear the windshield and back window before I left for the college pool.
You might wonder why, if we have a garage, the van wasn't parked in it overnight. Well, the mama cat and kittens seem to have commandeered a good portion of the side the van would be parked in...which was fine during warm weather. But now that it's colder, I guess it's time to make a more convenient housing arrangement for the cat family, until we can find them new homes.
You might wonder why, if we have a garage, the van wasn't parked in it overnight. Well, the mama cat and kittens seem to have commandeered a good portion of the side the van would be parked in...which was fine during warm weather. But now that it's colder, I guess it's time to make a more convenient housing arrangement for the cat family, until we can find them new homes.
Anyway, a coat and gloves felt good for traveling to the pool. The water was cool this morning, though not unbearable. Our regular aerobics leader was back. She said her problem was an injured tendon, rather than a sciatic nerve, so her doctor warned her to be careful during aerobics.
After I got home, I made another friendship cake, using the rest of the fermented fruit that was stored in the refrigerator. Hubbie thought he might want to eat it as topping on ice cream, but didn't get around to it, so I felt I should make another cake to keep the fruit from going to waste.
While the cake was baking, Mother and I framed photos of the three of us to use as part of gifts for upcoming birthdays. I also printed copies of scrapbook pages to put with one of the gifts. In our family, in-laws...and grandchildren who reach age 18...don't receive money for birthdays. Instead, we give them token gifts...generally, handmade items, which they seem to love. This year, for instance, Mother is giving Daughter-in-Law three jars of herb varieties that she grew and dried. She made a pressed flower picture for one of the granddaughters.
At any minute, we expect to get a call announcing the birth of Hubbie's and my 21st great-grandchild. Those, along with 14 grandchildren, and six children between us, make it impossible to give money gifts to everyone for birthdays and Christmas. We do give gifts to our children for their birthdays, but for Christmas, we just exchange small gifts, like tree ornaments or homemade food items.
Today started out sunny, but turned cloudy as the afternoon wore on. But by 5 p.m., it began sprinkling. Predictions are for rain the rest of the night and into tomorrow. If it's icky outside in the morning, I'll probably be satisfied to occupy myself indoors. This cooler weather is making me want to dig out my winter clothes and put away my summer stuff. That requires trying on clothes, and culling things for donation to the Second Time Around store. Maybe I'll make that my major Tuesday project.
I talked with Granddaughter yesterday afternoon. She said five-month-old Great-Grandson has cut a tooth...and bit her with it. This is the great-grandson who weighed 9 lb., 6 oz. at birth, and has continued to beef up and stretch out since then. He has learned to roll over, Granddaughter said, and is rolling all over the place. Are we growing a future football player, maybe?
Great-Granddaughter celebrated her fourth birthday with a party Saturday. Apparently, she raked in some pretty good loot. With the money we sent her, she bought a doll and Tinker Belle pajamas.
This great-granddaughter and another great-grandson have the same birth date (he turned one). A photo of Great-Grandson was featured on one of the state's TV stations, but we missed it, since it was featured while we were in Branson. Phooey.
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Sunday, Nov. 9
We slept late this morning...all the way to 7:30 a.m. Hubbie always looks forward to the mornings when I don't have to get up at 7 a.m. to go to water aerobics, and yet on the days when I don't have to go, he pops up early anyway. Go figure.
Naturally, I don't feel comfortable lying abed if he's ready to get up. So I popped up, too, and joined him for breakfast. Usually, I take Sunday off from exercising, but since I missed water aerobics Friday, I felt I needed to do a treadmill session today as a make-up day.
We had a relaxed Sunday. Today's choice of music was a 3-CD set of "Classics go to the Movies." I guess attending our state's symphony orchestra concert last Sunday put us in the mood to hear more classical music today.
Speaking of classical music, I've noticed the last couple of times we've shopped at the worldwide discount chain store that classical music has been playing in the background...not Christmas music, as in other stores, but classical music! What a refreshing change. I intend to let the store's management know how much I appreciate this. It makes shopping less stressful and so much more pleasantly relaxing. I hope they keep it up.
We settled on leftovers for lunch today...the rest of the shrimp pasta dish I fixed for Hubbie and me last Thursday night. I got the recipe online, but tweaked it quite a bit:
Shrimp Pasta
My version of the recipe: ingredients:
1 lb. spaghetti
1/4 lb. pre-cooked turkey bacon
One can no salt added English peas, or rinse a regular can of the peas
Pre-cooked shrimp
2 tablespoons lite margarine
1/2 to one cup cottage cheese
1/2 cup fresh shredded Parmesan cheese
Seasoned pepper
Directions:
*Cut bacon into two-inch pieces.
*Remove tails from pre-cooked shrimp.
*Cook pasta in boiling water (unsalted).
*Brown the bacon.
*Drain the peas and add to bacon (I inadvertently dumped the whole can in, and it worked fine). *Add shrimp and saute' till mixture is just warm (so as not to toughen the pre-cooked shrimp). Remove the pan from the heat and add the margarine.
*In a separate bowl, mix the cottage cheese (I probably used close to a cup, since that's what was left in the carton), Parmesan cheese and pepper. Add about 1/4 cup of boiling pasta water to the mixture and whisk.
*Drain pasta and add in the cheese mixture.
*Now mix in the bacon, shrimp and peas. Toss and serve.
Naturally, I don't feel comfortable lying abed if he's ready to get up. So I popped up, too, and joined him for breakfast. Usually, I take Sunday off from exercising, but since I missed water aerobics Friday, I felt I needed to do a treadmill session today as a make-up day.
We had a relaxed Sunday. Today's choice of music was a 3-CD set of "Classics go to the Movies." I guess attending our state's symphony orchestra concert last Sunday put us in the mood to hear more classical music today.
Speaking of classical music, I've noticed the last couple of times we've shopped at the worldwide discount chain store that classical music has been playing in the background...not Christmas music, as in other stores, but classical music! What a refreshing change. I intend to let the store's management know how much I appreciate this. It makes shopping less stressful and so much more pleasantly relaxing. I hope they keep it up.
We settled on leftovers for lunch today...the rest of the shrimp pasta dish I fixed for Hubbie and me last Thursday night. I got the recipe online, but tweaked it quite a bit:
Shrimp Pasta
My version of the recipe: ingredients:
1 lb. spaghetti
1/4 lb. pre-cooked turkey bacon
One can no salt added English peas, or rinse a regular can of the peas
Pre-cooked shrimp
2 tablespoons lite margarine
1/2 to one cup cottage cheese
1/2 cup fresh shredded Parmesan cheese
Seasoned pepper
Directions:
*Cut bacon into two-inch pieces.
*Remove tails from pre-cooked shrimp.
*Cook pasta in boiling water (unsalted).
*Brown the bacon.
*Drain the peas and add to bacon (I inadvertently dumped the whole can in, and it worked fine). *Add shrimp and saute' till mixture is just warm (so as not to toughen the pre-cooked shrimp). Remove the pan from the heat and add the margarine.
*In a separate bowl, mix the cottage cheese (I probably used close to a cup, since that's what was left in the carton), Parmesan cheese and pepper. Add about 1/4 cup of boiling pasta water to the mixture and whisk.
*Drain pasta and add in the cheese mixture.
*Now mix in the bacon, shrimp and peas. Toss and serve.
Saturday, Nov. 8
I was willing to sleep late this morning, but Hubbie popped up at the usual 7 a.m. hour on this shivery Saturday, so I soon followed. After breakfast, I did a treadmill session.
Mother wanted to visit the craft fair again, so we all went to the fairgrounds around 9:30 a.m. Mother used to be actively involved in this Extension Homemakers fundraising project, but she hasn't participated in it for several years now, although she still enjoys visiting with the ladies who continue to work there.
After lunch, Mother went home, and Hubbie and I listened to the first half of our favorite college team's football game on radio. Then we shopped for the groceries we'll need for the coming week's menu. Back in the car after shopping, we turned on the radio and learned that our team was going down in defeat.
Later, Mother came back to our house, and we had hamburgers/turkey burgers for supper, with sauteed potatoes and coleslaw.
Even though the central heat thermostat said it was 73 degrees in the house, thanks to hypothyroidism, I still felt chilled. So I spent about 20 minutes in the hot tub, which pleasantly warmed me for the rest of the evening. I really, really dread winter weather, because I won't thaw out until next spring.
Mother wanted to visit the craft fair again, so we all went to the fairgrounds around 9:30 a.m. Mother used to be actively involved in this Extension Homemakers fundraising project, but she hasn't participated in it for several years now, although she still enjoys visiting with the ladies who continue to work there.
After lunch, Mother went home, and Hubbie and I listened to the first half of our favorite college team's football game on radio. Then we shopped for the groceries we'll need for the coming week's menu. Back in the car after shopping, we turned on the radio and learned that our team was going down in defeat.
Later, Mother came back to our house, and we had hamburgers/turkey burgers for supper, with sauteed potatoes and coleslaw.
Even though the central heat thermostat said it was 73 degrees in the house, thanks to hypothyroidism, I still felt chilled. So I spent about 20 minutes in the hot tub, which pleasantly warmed me for the rest of the evening. I really, really dread winter weather, because I won't thaw out until next spring.
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