Archive for February, 2010

Organizing Wednesday February 24

Wednesday, February 24th, 2010

Organizing Wednesday!

I finally got 99% of my miniatures organized. Okay, I still need to do some fine tuning – especially with tiny accessories – but I feel good about getting things into LABELED tubs and containers. Instead of jumbled piles, I finally have like things with like things. Kits are with kits. Doors and windows are in one place. Pieces that need repair are together in one tub. The bottom line is that I can FIND things!

I was happy to be able to get two Amvet bags out of the house last week. My mother is always getting Amvet bags and she gives them to me to fill. I can fill them, but I never seem to get over to her house to drop them off in time for a pick-up. I finally had the opportunity to take them to her house in advance and found out there was a pick-up that Monday! Hooray!

Getting things out of the house has been a real issue with all the snow this month. My mission for March is to make at least one trip a week to unload some of the things I have designated to be donated. It is not really purging if the items sit in piles taking up space. Let’s hope the weather cooperates!

Something I have been noticing lately is that odd things are finding their way into organized drawers. Twist ties, spare rubber bands, etc. etc. My goal for this week is to throw out all these odds and ends that end up in tidy drawers. Getting organized is one thing. Maintenance is just as important, I think, to keep things from descending back to their former state of chaos. I need to work on maintenance!

How was your week?

Sandra

No More News!

Tuesday, February 23rd, 2010

My husband has given up watching the news.

I admit, we can be real news junkies. Especially during an election year.

But my husband has decided he has had enough. He is worn out with local news that occupies so much time on the air that it is required to fill the space with stories about car crashes in Oklahoma (we live in Virginia) and contradictory health features. He is tired of Mr. Food telling him about how there are different varieties of apples or cheese. He is weary of the National News that spends more time self-promoting the network than it does doing any sort of substantive reporting. He has even abandoned NPR with its features that got his blood boiling on the car ride home every evening.

My husband has made some significant changes. He listens to books on tape in the car. He reads or does a crossword puzzle during the evening news. We have taken to watching Star Trek TNG reruns during the News Hour.

He has slowly been winning me over to his point of view. Do we really need to know everything that happens 24/7? Not really. Are we being informed by interviews and news segments that cater to persons with the shortest attention span? Maybe not.

However, I refuse to give up Meet The Press. I require a good Sunday Morning rant!

Sandra

Menu Plan Monday February 22

Monday, February 22nd, 2010

Menu Plan Monday!

Things are finally beginning to feel back to normal around here.There was a full week of school last week! The power and DSL stayed on all week! The snow is melting (albeit slowly) and we have had some warmer days. It’s all good!

One of the best things was that my daughter’s dad was able to take my daughter for an overnight. If you have a child with a disability (or young children for that matter!) you may be able to relate to how refreshing it can be to just not be responsible for someone else for 24 hours. Of course, there’s still the cats, the dogs, and the husband…

I have posted two new recipes in my recipe section. One is for Curried Seitan and the other is for the “Sausage” Casserole I developed using Morningstar Farms Sausage Crumbles.

I have been a vegetarian for 20 years. In that time I have grown to love many different soy products. It is always sad when a favorite is discontinued and it is frustrating because contacting the company is generally useless. I always wish I had advance warning so that I could stock up beforehand.

RIP

Tuno
Veat
Boca Italian, Smoked, and Bratwurst Sausages
Morningstar Farms Hot Dogs

I guess I mention this because my recipes are designed with one particular soy product. However, if this product is not available in your area or gets discontinued (sigh), feel free to substitute what you can find. The recipes are flexible and should turn out just fine and maybe even better.

Now here are my menus for this week.

Monday – Spaghetti Squash and Pesto Salad
Tuesday – Morningstar Farms Ribs and Scalloped Potatoes
Wednesday – Kasha Varnishkes and Greek Salad
Thursday – Can Can Chili
Friday – Leftovers or Pizza

What’s on your menu?

Sandra

Menu Plan Monday February 15

Monday, February 15th, 2010

Menu Plan Monday!

We lost our DSL last week due to the snow. I was surprised at how anxious I felt about not being able to read my email or post on this blog or just plain surf.

I am old enough to remember a time without the Internet. In fact, there was a time when there were no cell phones and computers – believe it or not! We all managed to survive and thrive without these things, but now when they are out of commission its panic time.

Why is that I wonder? Is it that our Internet habits have become so ingrained in our daily lives? Or have we developed such a mind set of connectedness that we can no longer be satisfied with isolation? Or is it just that checking email deludes us into thinking that we are doing something important or at the least something more interesting then washing the bathroom floor?

One of the things I do when we are having inconveniences (these are NOT crises!) such as too much snow to go any where or no electricity or no DSL is pull out my daughter’s old copy of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Long Winter. Reading about seven months of blizzards with minimal heat and starvation rations of food puts things into perspective.

Since we were pretty much stuck at home last week, we did a lot of pantry eating. I finally got a chance to restock on Saturday – hooray! Now, on to the menus that we will be enjoying this week.

Monday – Curried Seitan and Rice (I never did get around to this one)

Tuesday – Tortellini with Pesto and Fresh Mozzarella and Tomato Salad

Wednesday – Morningstar Farms Ribs and Scalloped Potatoes

Thursday – Veggie Burgers and Fries

Friday – Leftovers or Pizza

Sandra

Organizing Wednesday February 3

Wednesday, February 3rd, 2010

Organizing Wednesday!

Another week another drawer cleared out!

This week I sorted through a computer desk drawer filled with vintage software. I did keep some since my daughter is still using my Mac Performa circa 1996. But, there was a lot of stuff that I don’t need any more or is backed up on something more substantial than floppy disks (do you remember floppy disks?). What is really exciting is that I saw that there is a vintage computing section on eBay and I may be able to find someone who wants vintage software. (You know how I hate just throwing things away!)

I totally lost my momentum with miniatures sorting, but intend to get back to it this coming week.This weekend may be a great time to sort as we are expecting more snow (12 to 18 inches!!) this weekend.

I worked at a coffee shop for a while where the owner was an absolute labeling fanatic. It amused the employees a bit and someone even labeled a stool “stool” for a joke. However, labeling is a most useful tool.

Believe it or not, I used to put things in tubs and NOT label them. When I wanted the Halloween decorations or the Christmas ornaments, I would end up peeking in many tubs to find the right one. Now wasn’t that silly!!

Now, all my tubs are labeled and I go staight to the one I need.

I also use labels to help my sweet husband find tools or know where to put them back. We have a couple of utility closets that have clearly marked shelves. No more searching for paint supplies or the spare 18 volt battery.

Something else I learned is that it really is worth the money to invest in a good label maker. Scraps of paper and scotch tape don’t last as well as the real deal. And our labelmaker can be fun – I can label old kid’s toys with candy wrappers for example. Way cool!

How was your week?

Sandra

Menu Plan Monday February 1

Monday, February 1st, 2010

Menu Plan Monday!

I thought I would give myself a double challenge this week. I am eating out of the pantry and freezer AND doing dairy-free dinners.

The biggest reason I have stayed vegetarian and never gone vegan is cheese. Particularily Parmesan Cheese. Yes, I have tried the soy variety, but I’m sorry it is a poor substitutue for shredded parmesan.

So, in order to have dairy free dinners, I decided I needed to shake things up a bit. No pasta and no soup as these both demand (!) cheese on top.

Monday – “Chicken” Fajita Wraps

Tuesday – “Meatloaf” and Baked Potato Wedges

Wednesday – Curried Seitan and Brown Rice

Thursday – Brocolli Souffle (a dairy free recipe) and Salad

Friday – Leftovers

We got snow again over the weekend and, according to the weather reports, we may get some more next weekend.  Eating out of the pantry is even easier when you can’t get out to the grocery store!

Sandra