Author: Lois Houston

I'm a sweet tea drinkin' southern gal who loves to cook, bake, crochet, and read. Check out my blog for posts about parenting, faith, books, crafts, planning, baking, cooking, and life in general.

Things I wish I knew

I didn’t realize, as a young person, how much the stories of my grandparents’ lives would mean to me later. I was busy – busy with the things I thought were important in my twenty-something life – too busy to listen and ask and listen some more.

Now, I wish I had.

One of the things I’ve discovered, thanks to my mom, is a little more about my grandparents’ machining business – and I wish they were here to ask them more questions about it.

Here is the letter she sent with the books she found:

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And here is a picture of their business (I think):

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And some of the pages of the record book:

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I love looking at my grandma’s handwriting. Makes me miss her and feel close to her at the same time.

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Look at the prices!

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Some of their receipts – from 1947….

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And an ad for their business…

Sigh.

I miss my grandparents. Wish they were here to tell me more about this.

What was it like? How did grandma WIND MOTORS at the same time as caring for my mom and uncle AND keeping the house?!?  (Mom was around 4 and my uncle around 7? I think)

I wish I knew.

Menu Planning Tips & Thoughts

I’ve had so many of you say to me in conversation – “I don’t know HOW you do all that menu planning!” or something like “I just can’t do that menu planning like you do.”  And, usually, I smile and say something banal in response… but what I am really thinking and what I really want to shout at you is –

WHY NOT!?!?

It’s not like it is hard.  It is not complex.  It is actually SO VERY EASY and it makes SUCH a HUGE difference in your stress levels, your family’s schedule, your family’s eating habits and your budget!

It’s almost crazy NOT to menu plan.

Seriously.

I’m sorry, as I write this, my critic on my shoulder is telling me that I probably shouldn’t be so “in your face” with this as I am being. But this is truly how I feel. 

It seems daunting, I know.  Overwhelming, at times, I’m sure.

But it is SO WORTH IT to at least TRY it.

So, I have a challenge for you.  For the next three weeks, I want you to PLAN YOUR FAMILY’S MENU for dinners for the week. One menu per week for three weeks.

And to help you do that, I’m going to give you some suggestions – so that you will have a place to get started and to help you not feel so overwhelmed.

It’s not as hard as you think it is, I promise. If it was, I wouldn’t be doing it.

Let go of the notion that you have to plan meals for every single day of the week.

I never do.

I usually plan for 3-4 definite meals and then 1-2 “maybe” meals –

things I can cook if plans change or if something doesn’t appeal to me on the day I was planning to cook it.

I never adapted to the idea of specifying which day I would cook what.

It seems to rigid to me and I didn’t like the thought that I’d have to cook tacos on a night when I really wanted soup instead.  So, instead, I come up with my list of menu items and then I pick and choose what I will cook that day based on how I feel, what food needs to be cooked first, weather, kids’ requests, etc.  I have a general plan in mind, but I leave it open to the flexibility my life demands. You can too. Don’t feel stuck in having to cook exactly in the order you plan.IMG_0286

Pick at least one family favorite per week

– one sure thing that you know everyone will love and that you can fix easily.

Try to pick at least one crock pot or oven- type meal per week.

Make one day easy on yourself – pick something you can toss in the crock pot or oven and forget about until it’s time to eat. You will love this and it will free up time for you to do something else you might otherwise not get to do because you’re busy cooking – like spending some time with your kids – or taking a walk!

Another advantage is that these type of meals usually have leftovers and you can count on two meals from one preparation! (or some really good lunches if there isn’t enough for another family dinner)

Check your freezer and your pantry before you plan

What can you cook that you already have? Save some money and utilize what you have before you go shopping.

There are some great money saving ideas on this post over at Beauty and Bedlam regarding saving money for your groceries. I’m not a big coupon girl – too many of them are for processed foods and I’m trying to stay away from those things these days… but there are still some great ideas there beyond the coupon tricks.

Try to focus on cooking from scratch and not from “convenience” foods

This may sound counter-productive – why wouldn’t you utilize Hamburger Helper or Shake and Bake to make your dinnertime easier?  Well, for a couple reasons – one, they are more expensive, two, they usually are full of processed ingredients, preservatives and goodness-knows-what-else, and three, they usually don’t simplify things THAT much. I have found that it is just as easy to make my own homemade “shake and bake” when I need it than it is to pay for the already-made stuff. And I control what goes in there – making sure my family gets the healthiest, freshest ingredients I can buy.

It’s not really THAT much more difficult or challenging to cook from scratch – and the payoff is so much better for you.

Utilize websites to help you plan

Check out AllRecipes.com or Menu Plan Monday over on orgjunkie.com – there are lots and lots of websites with links to menus and recipes.  Don’t be afraid to pick one new thing each week to try out.  You will increase your repertoire of recipes to use and hopefully find some new family favorites!

Think about leftovers and include them in your plan.

This was something I didn’t learn for a long time. I would plan five or six meals, thinking we’d have one night to eat out or something and then I’d end up with all of these leftovers and no  idea what to do with them.

Now, I plan for at least one night where we’ll eat leftovers. Some nights that is just a “free for all” type meal where I put everything out and each person picks what they want and we warm it in the microwave. The girls like these “buffet-style” dinners (as I call them – it’s all about the marketing!) as they feel like they have control over what they eat.

Other nights, I plan for a ‘reinvented’ dinner – where I plan to utilize leftovers to make something entirely new – like using the grilled chicken leftovers from one night to make chicken & rice soup for dinner another night (something that wasn’t on my original menu this week, but soup that a rainy night called for)

Here are some other tips and tricks from some of my older posts:

And so, now, the challenge is out there for you – will you accept it?

Will you give menu planning a try?!?

YES – YOU! I’m talking to YOU!

Please do.

I really, sincerely, hope you will. It’s scary to start, but once you get in the groove, it is oh, so freeing. Liberating to have one less thing to worry about – to not have that 4PM panic of “oh, my gosh, WHAT am I going to cook for dinner?!?”

If you are going to join the menu planning bandwagon, let us know in the comments… I’d love to know how things go for you – and I’m HAPPY to help you get started – cheering you on as you go!!

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The Plight of the Widow in Zambia

It is awful enough to contemplate losing your spouse and being left alone to raise your children… it is almost inconceivable to contemplate what happens to widows in Zambia.

Please take a minute to read and to consider how you might help.

The plight of the widow in Zambia

As I am learning more about this situation, my heart feels compelled to DO – to figure out what I can do, blessed as I am, to ease the plight of these women who lose not only their spouse, but their belongings, their homes and their helpmeet.  It is tragic and heartbreaking.

To learn more about wiphan.org, please click through. There are many ways one can support the organization.

Project Life Tuesday ~ October 2011

I haven’t done very well at keeping up with the Project Life posts… or with the photos, actually. I got so busy in September and then got sick and all that stuff just fell by the wayside.

Here’s my attempt to “catch up” – mostly photos from my iPhone, but they are capturing everyday life, so they don’t have to be “professional” quality, right?

I think the page turned out pretty well…

OCT Photos

I love that I got some of Big Girl – she is not always interested in having her picture taken these days… and the puppies, who have been enjoying time with us lately.

Did you notice the adorable “vampire” pumpkin she created? So cute.

The dark photo – the one you can barely see what is in it – is the graveyard close to our house. We drove through there the other night at dusk. The people who have family members have these “candles” that light at dusk and the whole graveyard was lit up with them – tiny, flickering lights as far as you could see. It was kind of spooky and kind of sweet at the same time.

The rainbow was one I saw on the way to knit the other night. It had been an absolutely horrible day and I was so “done” with things. I was just begging the universe for a break when I saw the rainbow.  As one of my friends said on Facebook “He is listening!” – Amen to that! It sure turned my mood around!

And of course, my piles and piles of books for studying for my PMP exam… and the pizza we enjoyed last Friday night (SO good!) at the new pizza joint we tried.

And piles of Kleenex! and cough drops! and hot tea! for the sick girl!!

And finally, the “shrubbery” SuperMan brought home to me on Saturday.  That’s what I get for quoting Monty Python to him as he walked out the door… (hee hee) I was totally shocked and absolutely thrilled.

And how has your picture taking been going?

Join the Project Life link-ups over at these sites:

Menu Plan Monday & some Random Thoughts

And a Happy Monday to all of you!

I am FINALLY starting to feel a little more like my usual self again. Two long weeks of coughing, sneezing and sniffling and I hope I am over it. I hate feeling bad. Sad smile

We have a fun week planned – well, I guess you’d call it fun. SuperMan is home this week (in between contracts) and I’ve got the humdinger of a honey-do list for him. Not sure it’ll all get done, but even if he gets just a couple things off the list, I’ll be a happy girl. 

Like getting my bedroom painted. It’s a dark navy blue and I haven’t liked it since we moved in. I’ve had other, more important things to worry about, though and I figured since all we do in there is sleep, it really didn’t matter. But, I’m so tired of it and ready for a change. I think we’re going to go with a nice neutral in there – something light enough to brighten up the room and yet not a boring white or off-white. Maybe a light caramel or something. I’ll be sure to share pictures…

And then we’re off to the North Carolina mountains to do some leaf peeping this weekend. I can’t wait. It will be a much-needed respite from the hectic lives we’ve been leading since the first of September. I am looking forward to spending some quality time on the porch with my Nook and my knitting.

I’m working on a really pretty scarf – I’ll share pictures later this week – and I have some yarn that I got a few weeks ago that I’m in search of the perfect pattern for… I have some great projects to work on this fall and I’m back into the swing of knitting again. 

As for menus for the week (is that why you’re really here? not to listen to me ramble?) here’s what I have planned (roughly) – since we’ll be in a cabin in the mountains with little nearby for food or eating out, I’ve had to plan the weekend pretty carefully.  This week will be a little more loosey-goosey since SuperMan is home and there is no telling what that will do to my schedule in the evenings!

  • Monday: leftover chili, served with baked potatoesThanksgiving
  • Tuesday: Pizza braid served with salad. I want to make some lasagna, too, so that I can take some to my mom in the mountains this weekend.
  • Wednesday: probably eat on the run as we have plans that evening. Either leftovers or something quick like sandwiches.
  • Thursday: Baked ham, macaroni & cheese, veggies.
  • Friday: Baked chicken, rice & gravy
  • Saturday: grilled steaks, corn & veggies
  • Sunday: Chicken & dumplings from the leftover baked chicken (or we may eat at the Dillard House on our way home)

It’s going to be interesting packing to go to the cabin – I’m trying to anticipate everything that I will need (including cookware) but I’m sure I will forget something. Oh well, I guess that is why it is called “roughing it!?!”

Hop on over to orgjunkie.com for some more menu ideas!

And we’ll end this Monday post with a little silliness compliments of Bill Cosby:

 

Chocolate Cake for Breakfast! Sounds good to me!

What I’m Reading Right Now ~ October 2011

What I'm reading right nowI haven’t had a lot of time to read this month, but I have been reading. And I’ve been reading a really good book, too.  Well, it’s good if you like action/adventure/spy/thriller type books, that is.

The Jefferson Allegiance,
by Bob Mayer

The story is similar to Clive Cussler’s books, or even some of Robert Ludlum’s Bourne books (Bourne Ultimatum, Bourne Identity, etc.)

The Jefferson Allegiance by Bob Mayer: NOOK Book Cover

The premise of the book is based around a top-secret agreement that was created by Thomas Jefferson and his political arch-enemy Alexander Hamilton.  The Jefferson Allegiance is a document designed to keep the powers of the president, “big business,” and Congress, in check.  Should any of these become out of balance, the Allegiance can be called into play which has the power to completely change the face of the American democratic system – ousting presidents who have extended their reach beyond their office, for example.

As the story begins, two “Philosophers,” members of the American Philosophical Society (and keepers of the secret of the Allegiance) are brutally murdered.  Their heirs are unknowingly targeted as well and the story follows the cat-and-mouse chase as these heirs seek to unravel the mystery of what they  have been thrown into and the killer seeks to kill them and destroy the Allegiance.

The book has quite a few twists and turns and keeps you entertained. There have been many nights I’ve been reading and had the words swimming in front of my on my Nook, and yet been unwilling to put the book down because I just had to see what was going to happen.

There is quite a bit of the usual macho-posturing familiar in this type of book – the hero struggling with his “inner beast,” the techno-speak and military lingo that I have no clue whether it is accurate or not (nor do I really care).  However, the interesting pieces, the ties back into American History, are what really kept me reading.

I liked how he tied real historical facts into the story, weaving a plausible scenario that has you wondering as you read if something like the Allegiance really exists.

Well worth the $3 price tag for the Nook Book.

Read it if you have a hankering for a little history and action all in one.

Pure randomness: 5 things I love, 5 things I hate

My thoughts are scattered this morning. Too many things going on – too many things to think through – plan “a,” plan “b,” plan “whatever” and so forth.  I am finding it hard to settle on one thing – my mind tosses back and forth between topics, jumping from one to another almost before a thought is finished.

I need some solitude. I need some peace.

I need to go find a cabin in the mountains and pretend that my greatest concern is whether to nap or eat lunch first.

But, that’s not going to happen right now. So, instead, I thought I’d share some of these random thoughts with you today.

5 things I love right now

  1. Warm blankets to snuggle under – especially as the air turns cooler and there’s a chill in the evening.
  2. Hot tea to nurture my throat and my soul, warm my body and soothe my mind.
  3. The changing leaves – God’s glory, visible for us all to see.
  4. Soup. So warm and comforting as the weather cools and the evenings are dark earlier.
  5. Snuggles from my girls, reminding me of what is really important in life -to stop and be present in the moment and relish those simple, special times together.

5 things I don’t!

  1. The obnoxious squirrels who scavenge all the birdseed and make a mess of my deck in the process.
  2. People who say one thing and mean another, who make mountains out of molehills and who aren’t straightforward or honest with you.
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  3. The colds and viruses that run rampant this time of year.
  4. Stress that comes from the unknown and unplannable happenings in life.
  5. Drama!

And now I am off to create a list – of things to do, things to remember, things to accomplish. I’m hopeful that capturing it all in one place will allow my brain to settle a bit – focus on the task at hand – and lower my stress level a little.

Recipes to come later this week – and maybe some more scrapbook pages!

Make it a great day!

Crawling out from under a rock

Sorry for the silence on the blog lately. I have been sick with a rotten case of bronchitis for the past week. It came on rather suddenly and pretty much knocked me off my feet for a week. I’m on the second round of antibiotics now and am starting to finally feel more like myself again.

No menu plan this week. I kinda sorta have a plan, but really am leaving it open as it will depend a lot on how I’m feeling. 

I did manage to do a tiny little bit of scrapbooking last weekend – I got two pages (somewhat) done – think I may tweak them a little more before I’m finished with them, but thought I’d share with you anyway.  The other four pages I can’t remember if I shared with you already or not, so I thought I’d share them today.

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I downloaded the newest version of Creative Memories’ StoryBook Creator(4.0) and am in love. It is the best of the old SBC+ and Photoshop Elements all in one. Lots more power, lots more flexibility but the same user friendliness that CM products are known for. 

I can’t wait to spend more time in the software and play around a bit.  One of the things I have discovered that I REALLY love is the fact that it handles all my non-CM content so much better than before. I just pointed the software to the folder where all my digital content is and presto! it was available in the software. No more creating packages and all that jazz.  That was one of my biggest headaches with the old CM software because I have A LOT of digital content.  So this makes me really, really happy.  Worth the price of the upgrade alone.

I’ll continue to play around and try to get a review posted soon.  If any of you are using the CM software, let me know what you think!

coming to a screeching halt

the last two weeks have been intense.

well, actually, the last MONTH has been that way.

hectic, busy, frantic, insane – all of these words apply.

I’m ready for the merry-go-round to slow down a little  bit.

and apparently, so is my body.

I woke up this morning with no voice and a screaming headache – you know the kind? When you want to scream because it hurts so bad, but screaming would only make it worse?

Yeah, that’s what I had.

owie.

(and screaming is not very effective when you have no voice anyway)

So, I did the only thing I could do.

I listened to my body.

Well, after I got the kids off to school, that is.

I took some migraine medicine and rested on the sofa for a little while.

I’m feeling a little better now, but that headache is lingering back there just waiting for the opportunity to jump back up and take over my head.

So, today I will focus on doing what is NECESSARY – not on tackling every single thing on my to-do list.  Some of those things will just have to wait until tomorrow, or even the next day.

Right now, it’s about priorities.

Menu Plan Monday ~ 3 October

Happy Monday!

I’m happily returning to my usual routine this morning.  After last week’s craziness of commuting, classrooms and traffic, I am quite happy to be back working from home and spending time with my family.  Today is a special day – our anniversary – and so I am even happier to be home!mealplanmonday_v2

Here’s what we have planned for dinners this week – the weather is turning cooler (hooray!) and so my thoughts are turning more to soups, stews and heartier home cooking.

Are there any fall-weather favorites you cook for your family?

Here’s our plan:

Hop on over to orgjunkie.com for some more menu ideas!

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