Thoughts, Plans And Shenanigans
Eighteen years is a long time.
No matter how you slice it, it’s a long time.
But, in this case it has been a GOOD eighteen years. Eighteen years I look back on with affection.
You see, eighteen years ago, today, I “pledged my troth” to my soul mate.
For better or worse, in sickness and in health, for richer or for poorer.
I think we’ve hit all of those in the past eighteen years.
And it’s only made US better.
I can’t wait to see what the NEXT eighteen years have in store.
Grandfather Mountain, NC
I'm gettin' that Fall feeling…
I haven’t been in the mood to cook all week. We’ve been eating on leftovers and sandwiches for dinner most nights. My best intentions from Monday’s menu planning have been for naught. Today, however, I feel a little different – thinking about what to cook for dinner and I’ve tossed out the “plan” from Monday and moving on to cooking something that inspires me.
So, today I am baking.
First up was the baked oatmeal I love and that I make WLS-friendly so I can have it for breakfast. That’s cooling on the counter now. (minus a square I’ve already nibbled for my breakfast)
Next up is my beef with egg noodles & gravy. That will be supper. I’ll be getting it into the crock pot soon.
I’m also going to bake some bread.
Trying to decide between my recipe for Portuguese Sweet Bread or a new recipe I found for Oatmeal Bread. The Portuguese Sweet Bread never survives for more than a few minutes after it comes out of the oven. The kids and SuperMan LOVE it. The Oatmeal bread sounds yummy (and healthy) so I’m not sure which one I will make.
Do you make homemade bread? I love doing it and it’s one of my favorite fall traditions. It’s so easy if you have a bread machine – and so much better for you than the store-bought breads with all their preservatives and additives.
And, it makes the house smell so good. Add that smell to the crock-pot smells, and who WOULDN’T want to come home for supper?
I’m off to channel my inner Betty Crocker…
I discovered something new about myself this weekend.
Something I would’ve never imagined.
Something that has caused me to look at myself a little differently.
What is that, you ask?
Well, I found out I love, love, love dance/hip-hop music. I guess that is what you call it. I have no clue what it’s categorized as. I don’t really care. I just love it.
La Roux
Enrique Iglesias
Lady Gaga
Taoi Cruz
Ke$ha
Seriously.
Me?
I love the beat of the songs – not that crazy about the suggestive lyrics (some of them had me going “WHAT did they just say?!”) but I’m loving that rhythmic beat.
Especially driving down the road as fast as I dare with the radio turned up as loud as I can stand.
Goodness.
The Middle-Aged-Mommy-Me is shocked.
The Other-Me is thrilled.
🙂
Fall doesn’t officially start until September 23 – but around here, the day after Labor Day is the unofficial first day of Fall. And it sure felt Fall-ish this morning when I woke to fifty-something degree temperatures outside. How wonderful it was to feel that coolness in the air! Of course, it will be ninety before the day is out, but at least we’re getting a taste of Fall temperatures already. The girls are anxious for the cool weather, too. They have new clothes to try out and they’re ready to be able to run amok outside without coming in soaked and stinky and sweaty.
Fall is my favorite time of the year. I love it for so many reasons:
I could probably go on and on about the things I love about Fall.
What is your favorite season? Why?
Well, not actually the wizard, but I’m taking a little break this weekend.
Enjoying my Labor Day weekend with the family and trying
(hard) to stay off the computer
(unless I do a little digi scrapping, that is)
Hope you have a wonderful weekend.
Have you ever wondered what monkeys eat for breakfast?
I don’t mean the monkeys you’ll find at the zoo.
I mean the monkeys you’ll find if you visit my house!
Curious?
Well, most, days, the monkeys have exciting things like Carnation Instant Breakfast served with side of toast or pop tarts.
But on Fridays, we mix things up a bit. SuperMan is off on Fridays, so I have a little more time in the mornings. Less rush-rush-rush and more nurture-the-family time.
So, I make things like this
Yep, you guessed it!
Monkey Bread!
The kids were not sure they were going to like it – Little Bit was afraid there were monkeys in the bread. Big Girl said it didn’t sound good.
But they LOVED it.
And SuperMan (after telling me I was ruining his diet) ate some, too.
Even Mr. Droopy-Pants had a taste.
And I sent them all away for the day, full of sugar and carbs and bouncing off the walls.
I’m sure their teachers appreciated it.
I’m such a good mom.
If you’d like to indulge in a little sugary goodness one morning, here’s the recipe. I am most definitely not a morning person and this wasn’t painful to make, even though it was five-stinkin’-thirty in the morning. I’ll do it again for sure. It was worth the effort.
Monkey Bread
It’s what monkeys eat for breakfast!
2 packages Pillsbury Grands Biscuits
1 cup sugar (I used 1/4 c Splenda 1/2 c sugar)
2 tbs ground cinnamon (I just dump a bunch in)
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1 cup, packed, brown sugar (I used 1/2 c Splenda/brown sugar blend)
1 tsp vanilla
OPTIONAL:
1/2 c chopped walnuts
1/2 c raisins
(the monkeys at my house don’t like raisins or walnuts)
Thoughts Along Life's Highway 