Food For Friday 11/9-11/22

Again this week I am lacking the motivation to really come up with a menu…plus, nothing really sounds all *that* good to me.  I guess lately I’ve just been too tired to really care about food…or anything really for that matter…just ask Darling Hubby.

Monday - Craft Night – my turn to cook – Taco soup
Tuesday - Rotisserie chicken, stuffing and veggies
Wednesday - Chicken ceasar wraps
Thursday - Game Night – dinner TBD
Friday - Fettucini Alfredo – homemade – recipe courtesy of Manda
Saturday -  Spanish Rice
Sunday -LO/FFY

Monday - Craft Night – Leana’s turn to cook
Tuesday - Catalina Cranberry Chicken
Wednesday - Pork Tenderloin
Thursday - Thanksgiving Meatloaf
Friday - Cheese Lover’s Pasta Roll-ups
Saturday - French Toast
Sunday - LO/FFY

Food for Friday – 10/26-11/8

Monday - Craft Night – Leana’s turn to cook
Tuesday - Ham with a pasta side, mixed veggies and acorn squash
Wednesday - Old Fashioned Macaroni and Cheese with ham chunks
Thursday - Game Night – dinner TBD
Friday - Chicken cordon bleu
Saturday -
Sunday -

Monday - Craft Night – My turn – ???
Tuesday - Chili with tortilla chips
Wednesday - Homemade meatlovers pizza – pepperoni, ground beef and ham
Thursday - Frito pie
Friday - Philly cheese steaks
Saturday -
Sunday -

I’m not planning anything for the weekends this time around.  We’ll probably have lots of leftovers (though I’m trying to make multiple dishes out of an earlier dish to alleviate that issue) and this last couple weeks we’ve had a big build up of leftovers in our fridge and they aren’t getting eaten quickly.  Darling Hubby usually takes some portion to work with him for lunch, but there still ends up being stuff in the fridge since I’m not good about eating leftovers…

Food For Friday -9/28-10/11

Both Darling Hubby and I are having a terrible time coming up with a menu for the next 2 weeks.  There is nothing really on sale, which doesn’t help, add to the fact that I have a head cold and it’s puts me in a sort of fog.  I’m just having a hard time thinking and, honestly, nothing sounds appealing…I think this time around our menu is not on the creative side…

Monday - Craft night – Rose’s turn to cook
Tuesday - Pork Chops
Wednesday - KFC – Bug’s request!
Thursday - Game Night – Chicken Cordon Bleu Sandwiches
Friday - Calzones
Saturday - Easy Shepherd’s Pie
Sunday -Roast chicken with veggies and potatoes

Monday - Craft Night – My turn to cook – Tacos, as per RAT’s request
Tuesday - Chicken Helper – Chicken Fried Rice
Wednesday - Turkey, apple and white bean chili
Thursday - Angel Chicken
Friday - Old Fashioned Macaroni and Cheese
Saturday - London broil
Sunday - Fend for yourself

Bitten…By the Vampire Bug

When it comes to books I’m not the first one to jump on the “everyone is reading it bandwagon.”   I’ll admit I did with the Harry Potter books, but it was more because I had easy access to them at the library where I worked so I did, and was instantly hooked.  One reason I don’t get on the bandwagon is because I’m afraid I’ll enjoy the book and then, like everyone else, I have to wait for the next book in the series to be written and released.  I hate waiting.  I much rather be able to pick up the next book and keep reading so I don’t forget what happened already.  I will admit that in the months before the final Harry Potter book was to be released, I re-read the first 6 to refresh my memory, but since those books were actually geared toward teens, I whipped through all 6 in probably a month.

I recently finished re-reading the Clan of the Cave Bear (Earth’s Children Series) by Jean M. Auel.  It’s my favorite all time series and I got the urge to read it all again, so I did.  Since I finished the last book that’s been released so far (I’m hoping she’ll come out with the next book soon, although there hasn’t been any talk of it) I needed to move on to something else.  My friend Shannon gave me her paperback copy of Twilight and I figured since it was another young adult novel, I’d burn through it fast.   I was right.  I read a couple chapters Thursday night, picked it up a couple times on Friday, read a bit before bed on Saturday and finished it today cause I curled up on the couch with it.

My opinion on it?  Well, it’s definitely an easy read.  I had a bit of trouble getting into it initially, not because of the writing style or anything like that, but because it was all about the teenage drama that happens daily…I kinda lived through that in high school and it seemed to be typical day to day drama – new girl comes to a small country town, she’s pretty, all the boys faun over her, she’s attracted to the bad boy type, who has his own issues with her…then comes the part where you find out he’s a vampire and things start to heat up (which is kinda ironic since vampires are cold!)

By the end of the book, I was actually really hoping that Edward would turn Bella and give her what she wants, a life forever with Edward.  I really enjoyed seeing how much they really loved each other and how much Edward has to do to keep her safe, both from himself and from other vampires.  As for the sparkling in the sunlight thing, I’d heard about this from people who where down on the movies, calling the vampires “fairies,” but I actually found it to be an interesting twist on why vampires only come out at night, or in this case, on overcast days, which gives them a little more freedom.

As for seeing the movies, I think I’m going to wait until I’ve read all the books first, then I’ll watch the movies.  I don’t want someone else’s vision of Bella, Edward and the other Cullens to cloud my mind’s eye.

I think tomorrow after I drop Darling Hubby off at work, I’ll swing by the Walmart (I could go to Borders, but they don’t open til 10 – boo) and pick up the other 3 books.  I was going to borrow them from the library, but apparently the copies that are “checked in” are in fact missing and I don’t feel much like waiting.  I guess you can say, I’ve been “bitten by the vampire bug.”

Overdue Update and Food For Friday – 9/14-9/27

Wow!  I can’t beleive it’s September already…Where has the time gone?  I’ve been so busy with things that I’ve been neglecting my blog pretty severely and it’s time I get back into the swing of things.   Here’s e a quick update on what we’ve been up to lately…

Let’s see…gosh, I don’t even know where to start…At the beginning of August, Darling Hubby and I went on a mini vacation to the Corning Museum of Glass in Corning, NY.  It was a lot of fun and a very memorable trip…I have tons of pictures that I wanted to share, but I haven’t really had much time or inclination to edit them.  We didn’t take Bug with us, as we wanted to get away just the 2 of us.  He stayed with his “Auntie Shannon” and they had a great time together.  They went swimming in her pool, went to Friendly’s for dinner and ice cream and even went bowling.  He talked about everything and her cats for weeks afterward.

On September 1st I officially became a big girl…I passed my road test and can officially drive the roads of NY.  Scary!  It was something that I should have done many, many years ago and just kept putting it off.  The sad thing was that we had to drive 2+ hours back to my home town where I should have taken the test to begin with…it seriously took less than 10 minutes for the test….then we had to drive 2+ hours back home…But, it’s done and I passed.  It was necessary for me to get it so I could drop Bug and Darling Hubby off at school and work and pick them up, too, since logistically, it would have been impossible for Darling Hubby to do it all.  Actually, it’s been rather fun driving around all alone in the car.  I get to pick my own music and I have freedom.  This morning I went to Walmart all by myself…it was just to buy dog food, which isn’t all that exciting, but I did it and I enjoyed it!  lol

On the 8th Bug started Pre-K.  So far he’s loving it and the first few days he cried cause he didn’t want to come home…I’m not sure if it was because he loved school that much or if it was because he loves their awesome playground!   In just the past couple days he’s come back with little school art projects…things I could never get him to do at home.  Maybe he just needed that extra peer pressure from the other kids doing the projects.  I’m thinking school is going to be really good for him and it warms my heart that he enjoys it so much.  I’m enjoying having quiet time at home, which allows me to get my cleaning done quickly and not have to worry about ignoring Bug while I scrub a toilet or something he can’t help me with.  It’s hard to take care of a house and a kid at the same time…something is going to get neglected.

As for me, I’ve been working on my crochet projects and recently decided to start working on Christmas presents.  I want to get a head start on everything this year so I don’t feel like I have to rush.  Right now I’m working on a blanket for a certain someone who may or may not read this blog, so I’m going to keep it a secret.  Once I finish this blanket, I’m going to start on something for my mom, who I know doesn’t read this blog.  I’m thinking of making her a snuggy…you know, one of those blankets with sleeves…essentially a reverse bathrobe.  I think it might be something useful for her…maybe I’ll even make one for my dad, too, in nice manly colors!

Monday - Craft night – my turn to cook -
Tuesday -  Pizza
Wednesday - Beef Stew
Thursday - Game Night – Dinner TBD
Friday - Cabbage Casserole
Saturday - Pan Fried Chicken
Sunday -Southwest burgers

Monday - Craft night – Leana’s turn to cook
Tuesday - Rotisserie Chicken with veggies and mashed potatoes
Wednesday - Homemade Chicken Soup
Thursday - Spaghaetti with homemade sauce
Friday - SPAM and eggs
Saturday - Fend
Sunday - Fend

Food For Friday – 8/31-9/13

Monday - Craft night – Rose’s turn to cook
Tuesday - Fast Food
Wednesday – Cheesy Chicken and Broccoli Rice
Thursday – Game Night – Dinner TBD
Friday – Tacos
Saturday – Fend for yourself/Leftovers
Sunday -FFY/LO

Monday - Our 7th anniversary – Easy Chicken Cordon Bleu
Tuesday - Bug’s first day of school – Chicken Fingers and Fries
Wednesday – Pulled pork sandwiches (crockpot)
Thursday – Creamed chipped beef (made with hamburger) on toast (aka – SOS- shite on a shingle)
Friday – Chili
Saturday -FFY/LO
Sunday – FFY/LO

Food For Friday – 8/17-8/30

Monday - Craft night  – my turn to cook – Baked Ziti with Texas Toast
Tuesday - Breakfast for dinner – bacon and eggs
Wednesday - Pizza
Thursday - Game Night – dinner TBD
Friday - Steak, potatoes, coleslaw
Saturday - Fend For Yourself
Sunday - FFY

Monday - Craft night  – Leana’s turn to cook – dinner TBD
Tuesday - Rotisserie chicken, pasta and veggies
Wednesday - Bug’s Pre-K Orientation – Fish sticks and fries
Thursday - Chicken Pot Pie
Friday - Burgers/dogs and fries with coleslaw
Saturday - FFY
Sunday - FFY

Going on Vacation

It’s been a long time since Darling Hubby and I have been on vacation and since the plans fell through for my trip to Ireland this fall, Darling Hubby and I decided it was time for a quick and inexpensive getway.  A few years ago we took an overnight trip to Vermont for our anniversary, but we had Bug in tow.  This time, we are going alone!  Gasp!  We’ll be leaving Bug behind with his Auntie Shannon and her husband Jay for the weekend.  It’s actually the 2nd time I’ll be away from Bug in his 4 and a half years and the first time for Daddy.   I’m a bit nervous about leaving him…but I trust Shannon and Jay completely and they have a fun filled weekend planned for him.  I think they might spoil him rotten with bowling trips, jaunts to the park and pool, movies, snacks, boardgames and fun in general.   I’m hoping that bedtime is easy and that he sleeps through the night without any nightmares (which have been popping up recently) and that he doesn’t have a meltdown because we aren’t there to tuck him in and won’t be there in the morning like we usually are.

So, where are we going you ask?  Well, we are taking a romantic getaway to….dat da da dah – Corning, NY!  Ok, so there’s really nothing romantic about Corning, but we’ve never been there and they have a cool museum of glass that we both want to see.  We got a hotel room in Painted Post, not too far from Corning.  We made reservations to try our hand at some glass blowing at the museum and will have dinner at a local pub called The Glory Hole.  The name aside, it sounded like a neat place and the menu had some interesting items that sounded worth a try.  Plus, I’ve never been to a pub before.  On the way home on Sunday we plan, weather permitting, to take a side trip to Watkins Glen State Park and maybe find one of the many waterfalls and have a picnic lunch.

Darling Hubby and I both grew up east of Corning (past Binghamton) but have never actually been there so this is a nice opportunity for the both of us and we can have a break from Bug and not have to worry about him every second: what he’s touching or what he’s getting into.  I’ll leave that up to Auntie Shannon!  lol

I’m sure we’ll both miss Bug terribly and will only be a phone call away (espcially to say goodnight at bedtime and hear how his day went), but the break for all of us will be good (plus Auntie Shannon and Jay can get some child rearing experience for when they decide to expand their family.)  I’m sure we’ll all be, as Bug always says, “very glad and happy” to see each other upon our return.

Food For Friday – 8/3-8/16

I’ve been bad about not writing down my menu here online and because of that I’ve had some issues tracking down recipes that I was planning to use…I have to be better about that!

Monday - Craft Night – my turn to cook -  Baked Ziti and Texas Toast
Tuesday - Chili and chips
Wednesday - Turkey Burgers and fries (chili?)
Thursday - Game Night -  Dinner TBD
Friday - Marinated Chicken breasts with potatoes and veggies
Saturday - Caesar salad
Sunday -Caesar chicken wraps

Monday - Craft Night – Leana’s turn to cook
Tuesday - Subs
Wednesday - French Toast with bacon
Thursday - Bacon wrapped pork chops with green beans and pasta
Friday - Steak and potatoes
Saturday - Leftovers/fend
Sunday - Leftovers/fend

Sick and Worried – Updated

Bug is one of the healthiest kids I know and when he gets sick it really puts both Daddy and myself on edge.  Yesterday Bug was supposed to have a play date with Baby Girl (the little girl I babysat for) and shortly before her arrival he started complaining of a headache.  I gave him some Motrin just before she arrived and within 5 minutes of them starting to play, he started throwing up…

Baby Girl and her mommy left and Bug and I curled up on the couch with a cold washcloth.  I made the room as dark as possible and had Daddy run to the store to pick up some Children’s Tylenol and some ginger ale since we didn’t have any.  Bug was reluctant to take the meds because he was afraid he was going to throw up again…he finally took it and kept it down.  Unfortunately, I couldn’t get him to eat or drink anything…which is very out of character for him…as is the sudden headache and vomiting.

It was late so we got him to bed and he did fall asleep.  I brought the baby monitor in my room so I could hear him better if he got sick or needed me.  He woke up to pee at 3 and still complained of the headache.  I gave him more Tylenol and got him back to bed.  He seemed ok this morning.  He was hungry, ate an apple, drank some water and some ginger ale. We laid in my bed for most of the morning.

Around 11 he was playing downstairs and curled up on the floor, again holding his head, and started to vomit again…thankfully, it was a false alarm and everything stayed down.  He seems fine as long as he’s laying down and is currently laying on his bean bag chair watching a cartoon with the volume down low…hey, it’s keeping him still and happy.

I called the doctor and they said it could be strep throat…he’s never complained of a sore throat, but when I asked him while I was on the phone with the nurse he said, “yes, it hurt.”  I didn’t see anything inside his mouth, though…I’m wondering if it’s an ear infection.  The pain seems to radiate from the left side…It’s either those things or a migraine…

Until we see the doctor at 2:45 I’m going to be on edge and I know that Daddy is very worried (he keeps calling me from work to check on him).  I’m hoping it’s something simple with an easy fix and that my little munchkin can go back to his happy go lucky self.

It doesn’t help that Darling Hubby and I are planning a get away without Bug this coming weekend and are planning to leave Bug with his Auntie Shannon…I’m hoping he’ll be ok by then.  I don’t want to ruin the fun for all involved.  He’s so looking forward to staying with Auntie Shannon.

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So, we are back from the doctors.  They did a strep test and checked his ears and both came up negative.  Dr. B is going to chalk it up to a virus right now.  I’m to call if he gets worse or if this happens again in the future (something similar happened in June), which might be a sign of something (benign) called Cyclical Vomiting Syndrome.  I’m not going to worry about this now, but it is a possible diagnosis if this keeps happening.  Honestly, I much rather it be something treatable like an ear infection or strep.

On the up side, Bug seems to be pretty much back to normal this afternoon.  He was pretty normal just before we went to the doctors appointment – go figure!  I think it was the Tylenol at 12:30 that perked him back up.  It also helps that he’s got food/drink in him.  He  ate an apple for breakfast, a piece of lightly buttered toast for lunch, and a slice of pizza for dinner <–his choice.  He’s also been drinking water, ginger ale and, per the doctors recommendation, Gatorade.  I’m hoping that this is the last bout of this…it really gets Darling Hubby and me worked up.  So, if you wouldn’t mind, keep your fingers crossed for us and/or say a little prayer if that’s your thing.