Tuesday February 25th and what have I been doing?

Well, we finished as puzzle, and it was really fun. Have started another one and it is so hard, but we shall persevere.

Both Sissy and Husb have my cold and both are suffering. Sissy is so busy with wedding dresses, and I did manage to make her cookies for church for her.  They are really good.  We have so many dates to use up!

The weather has finally turned warmer and I am four days without cuddle duds on!

We have really been eating out of the freezer and last night I pulled the last of the Prime Rib soup (from Christmas) thawed it and made Popovers (thanks Lori) to go with it!  Darn good I tell you. Everything tastes better with popovers!

We have also eaten two chicken pies and Husb and I will have a beef one tonight and those will be the last, until I make more.

My days are full, and I plan and then Sissy needs something and my plans go awry.  This is okay it is why we moved here.  

This morning, I finally got my Orange Cranberry poundcake in the oven. The batter tasted great, and this is a new recipe, so I am excited to see how it turns out!  If it is good I will make small ones tomorrow to freeze and give away.  Again, we have so many Cranberries to use up.

I pulled chicken legs and thighs from the freezer that were going to get freezer burned and four chicken breasts. I baked the legs and thighs and then put them in my crockpot for 12 hours and took the meat and shredded for Chicken enchiladas and then boiled the breasts just enough to cook them and cut them in chunks for chicken pies.  I got four nice quarts of chicken broth from this endeavor, and I use a lot of broth. I then froze the processed meat.  As long as the meat is cooked and I use it soon, refreezing it into enchiladas and pies is not an issue.  Normally I do not like tom refreeze meat.  But have learned over the years cooking ahead that there is really no harm.

I really want to try and make my own yogurt in my crockpot and am researching recipes. Sissy made blueberry jam, and it would be perfect in yogurt. She thinks it is too thick for jam and too chunky.

We shall see.

I need to run up to Sissy's and dig through Her freezer to see if we have any more piecrusts made.  I also want to make four rolls of pizza dough in her Bosch mixer.  I am craving pizza.  I will also make more piecrusts if we need them.

I am working on a hot pink fluffy scarf for my Auntie who is arriving next Tuesday, and I will need to knit at least two hours a day to get it done. I normally do not put things off but for some reason I did with this scarf and now I am behind the Eightball!

Okay pound cake has been in the oven 45 minutes, and I smell smoke...

This is going to be a failure, as the pan ran over and I failed to put a large sheet pan under it and the bottom of the oven is a mess. So, I clean it as best I could and cake is nor nearly done, covered it with foil and opened every window in the house, set out the huge fan.  Our oven is not vented, and we will have to fix this somehow someway.  Don't know quite how I am going to do it, but it will be a priority.

I also must remember to put a large sheet pan down when I bake. Stay tuned I will let you know?

Hugs;

Kay
 

Where have I been?

The Baby grand where our robot always got stuck and of course Bud!

Morning everyone!  I have been a busy girl since last Friday when I last posted. Don't ask me what I have done as most of it is a blur.  

We had Roscoe (Sissy's Corgi) while she was gone which filled our days in many ways, and we deep cleaned Sissie's house while she was gone.  We absolutely love the Robot vacuum and were astounded by how well it worked.  This will be a God send for Sissy.

Husb and I bought one way back when, no docking station etc.  But I remember it being rather expensive.

We thought it would help keep up with the Cat hair and our house was entirely carpeted on three floors except for the kitchen bathrooms and laundry room. Ours did not work that well and continually got stuck on a baby grand piano leg and whined.  I would set it and come home from the office and there it would be screaming from a piano leg.  It got to the point where it just went to one particular leg, grabbed on and hollered.  So, it went bye-bye, and we bought a very expensive Shark vacuum (which we still have) to replace our very old Sears canister vacuum that we bought used when we first married 40 years ago.

Yes, we grow old with our appliances!

Well, these robot vacuums have vastly improved, and I love the name Clean Elizabeth. Sissy is such a card!  She is thrilled.

I have been doing very well with eating down the freezers, but still have a very, very long way to go. Like maybe two more months and I will be able to start really cooking again.

WE finished a jig saw puzzle while Sissy was gone and started another one which is very fun.  I made a homemade chicken soup on Tuesday night and Sissy came for dinner and she cooked last night and spent the night with us and worked on the puzzle. WE really try to do three or four meals together every week to help us both whittle down the havoc that I have created in our freezers!

There is enough chicken soup for dinner tonight and it allowed me to use up three containers of chicken broth, veggies that had seen their better days and frozen chicken pieces.

We both still have so many baking supplies left over from Christmas baking, so today I am going to make a couple of loaves of cranberry orange poundcake which freezes beautifully.  Dessert for two weeks.

I also want to make those date oatmeal cookies Sissy came up with which are to die for.

The weather is actually turning warmer (Hallelujah!). Maybe I can finally get out of three layers of clothing which can be a bit restrictive. Both Husb and I have really suffered from the different weather here in the west, thirty-six years of east coast weather has changed our bodies.  WE will eventually get used to it, but it will take a couple of years, as it did when we moved east.

I was up at 5:00 this morning and watched the Sun come up and we can actually see the sun for the first time in almost three weeks!

I have done some morning chores as it is now 7:45 and I will let Sissy sleep until 8:30. I know she did not come to bed until midnight.  She has a Bridal fitting at eleven so this will give her time to wake up and get to getting.

I must do a small grocery shop today and I mean small and put gas in the car.  I do not know what Sissy needs from me today, but I will be there for her.

Now I am going to read a couple more blogs and get on with my day!

Have a great and productive day!

Hugs,

Kay

Happy Valentines Day!

 Where has the week gone?  It is now Friday, and I have had a busy week! Sissy made sure of that as I have run errands for her all week long and made her shortbread, and, and, and...

Just got Her on the road an hour ago for McCall and now I have a four-day weekend just to do my own thing.

Pictured left is the shortbread that we put into clear gift bags and had just enough for her crew which makes me happy!

It is snowing heavily but does not seem to stick just melts on top of what is already there.

I woke at 6:00 this morning which is very late for me, and it was 28 degrees outside! A tropical paradise compared to the past week when it has been in the teens.

Sissy spent the night last night as I made dinner, (Tacos and they were very good) and we started a new puzzle.  It was snowing so heavily that we did not want her driving up to the Elks and she was already packed except for the French bread which did not get made (imagine that?).  

We have Rosco for the weekend and she brought him down and then went two stores in heavy snow and no French bread!  I told her if Lewiston was anything like DC there would be no bread anywhere and I was right. So, while I was making dinner, she started her bread here as I had all the fixings.

I worked on the puzzle for about an hour and got a bad sinus headache, so I turned in early, about 8:00. My cold is still lingering a bit.  Sissy crawled into bed about 11:30 and I got her up at nine and she was out the door with French bread!

It looks wonderful and smells wonderful!

Today I am supposed to meet Lil Sis for sisters' lunch across the bridge, so I need to go and clean off my car.

I have done my morning chores and cleaned up after Sissy (how unusual) and we will have tacos again tonight with soft shells this time to change it up!  So, dinner is planned.

I am still in my P.J.s and need to get dressed and ready to greet my public.

Husb is busy working on the puzzle, and I may join Him for a bit.

This one is much easier, and I think we will finish it in record time.  WE only have one more left and Sissy does not want us to start it until she returns, so after I meet little Sis for lunch I will go to Walmart (which I hate but needs must) and buy a couple more.  The weather is just going to be crappy for the next five days so essentially house bound we are.

Picture of the shortbread gift bags which I think turned out very cute.  I put them in a nice box, so would not get crushed on the trip.

I hope everyone has a great day!

Hugs.

K

Sort of punk the last couple of days!

I have been quite busy the past two days while feeling pretty punk. Today I woke full of energy which means this cold has turned the corner...(I hope).

This picture is of some of the Valentine cookies Sissy and Husb made, and they are so good.  Sis flavored the frosting with maraschino cherry juice and almond. Perfect combination.

Sissy has also cooked for us the past two nights as I just was too tired out.

Her chicken enchiladas are to die for.  I do not like to eat the same thing two days in a row, but we had them again last night and I swear they were better than the night before.

I thank God daily for a sister that will take care of me when I am down.

We also finished another puzzle, and this one was very hard!  Can't wait to start the next one.

I cannot rotate this picture, and I do not know why?

 Someday I will figure this out, but not today.

I was up at 5:00 and watched the moon drop and it was beautiful.  Only seven degrees outside, but I bundled up.

I love going out early in the morning with my first cup of coffee and saying my prayers and thanking God for another day!  It recharges my soul.

It is now 7:22 and I am on my second load of laundry which is drying, and I have cleaned the Cat Box (oh joy is mine! - I do this every morning as part of my morning routine, and I swear my Cats are trying to recreate Stone Henge!)

We have company coming this morning at 11:00.  A girlfriend and her Husband that live across the river. We went to grade school and high school together and were Cheerleaders together.  They have not seen the House, so they are coming to see our tiny little Bungalow and then we are going to lunch.  My Friend got Covid two years ago and she was very, very sick and we thought we would lose her.  She is finally on the mend, and I cannot wait to see her!

I went up to Sissy's yesterday afternoon after Husb and I went to Veterans Lunch and made four dozen pecan shortbread cookies.  They are in the fridge to completely harden and then I will dip half in dark chocolate this afternoon after lunch. The heart-shaped pan was difficult, and I lost quite a few cookies until I figured out that I was overfilling the mold.  It had been so long since I had used it, I forgot.  With the price of butter, I was quite annoyed.  But we had about twenty pounds of butter left over from Christmas so I cannot complain.  I will take pics when I dip them this afternoon.

Sissy's shop is starting to fill with wedding dresses and in the dark they look like ghosts.  It will get very busy, very soon and I will be at the spare machine again.

Husb finally got the Idaho plates on our Car in the freezing cold yesterday and we are now Idaho legit.

So many things are so much less expensive than the DC area.  The plates (personalized with Retired Navy which costs more but it made the Husb happy) for two years were only $174.00.  Our Car insurance has gone down by over $1,000.00 a year.

Amazing!

Well, it is now 8:44 and Husb is up, and I have finished my morning chores (including laundry) and am dressed for the extreme cold.  

I am now going to run to Albertsons and get some fresh flowers because I love them.  I will then read for a bit and wait for my Friends.

Hope everyone has a wonderful day!

Hugs.

Kay

What happened to Saturday?

 Yep, this is me!  I have a cold and it is worse at night and early in the morning and then I rally by taking some OTC meds.

Yesterday was cold and snowy but I managed to get quite a bit done, despite my drippy nose.

We are working on another puzzle, and this one is much more difficult.

Sissy spent the night Friday night along with her Dog Roscoe, as the snow was really coming down and we just did not know how the roads were going to be going up to the Elks where she lives.

She went to book club and then stopped here and wanted to work on the puzzle.

I felt so punk Friday afternoon that I laid on the sofa and fell asleep for three hours (I rarely nap, or I should say I am bad napper).  I woke when Sissy arrived and my head was killing me, so I went to bed after taking some more cold medicine and slept 10 hours.  I did not even awaken when she crawled in bed beside me.

We worked on the puzzle on Saturday morning and then Sissy and Hubs went up the Hill to start baking sour cream cookies for Valentines Day and I went to the grocery store (by myself) and I was very good and only spent $28.35 for the week.

I brought my groceries home and went up to Sissies and Husb and she were rolling out cookies.  I stayed away because of my drippy nose and worked on a scarf I am knitting for my aunt for her 90th birthday.

The cookies are frosted and gorgeous.  I will need to take a picture later today.

WE had dinner plans for the evening to celebrate our little Sisters significant others retirement.  It was snowing so heavily that Husb and I were concerned but the sisters were not.

We drove in snow all the time in DC, but there were no hills, and the roads were always salted and plowed.  Both sisters have four-wheel drives (this will definitely be our next Car purchase whenever that may be) so we left our Car in the Elks and Kim drove us to dinner.

It is probably one of the best Restaurants in town for Japanese cuisine, but very pricey. We sat at the large hibachi for the show and Husb, Kim and I split one entree and then ordered three sushi rolls. 

Sorry but I cook better stir fry, fried rice etc. than what we ate, but the sushi was fantastic.  We had a very good time.  It was still snowing heavily when we left the restaurant, but both Sisters mastered the roads.  We stopped by Dairy Queen and got an ice cream cake (again very pricey but of so good) and took it to lil Sis's across the bridge into Washington.  WE had many laughs and then back up to Kim's. 

Husb decided to brave the roads, and our car did just fine.  I fell into bed and slept like a rock.

Still stuffed up today and drippy but the horrible headache is gone.  A sign I am on the mend.

The trees are so beautiful this morning and the roads are clear so that is good. The temperature is really going to drop this next week, so very little melting, but no snow in the long-term forecast.

We are having dinner up at Sissies tonight and I am spending the night up there so I can get an early start on my Valentines cookies.  I make pecan short bread hearts dipped in dark chocolate and they are a favorite.  However, my pan only holds 12 cookies (I paid a fortune for this pan at Williams Sonoma years ago) so I must make many batches in the oven.

Now that the Husb is up I am going to go have a cup of Coffee with Him and work on the puzzle.  WE will listen to Mass on the radio.

Have a blessed Sunday.

Hugs;

Kay

Friday already, where does time go?

Here we are on Friday the 7th of February and I started getting a cold yesterday.  Got it from Sissy I am sure and I had a horrible headache last night, but it has abated and now I am just stuffed  up!

I went up to Sissy's yesterday to get Cold Medicine and we had some good laughs as her medicine bin (which she keeps way up high in the linen closet due to the grands) was overflowing.

Now I remember after Jel passed cleaning this thoroughly and throwing out meds that were 10 years old.  Well, I do not know where some of this stuff came from, but we threw out a counter full of expired things and the bin is almost empty.  She did have some cold medicine so that is great, and it does help.

We did not go to the grocery store as planned as Husb said forget about the milk. I have lost the craving.

So yeah, it is the 7th and I have not been to the store in a week and I am proud of me!

I then invited Sissy for dinner and told her we were starting a new puzzle!

Dinner was bleh!  Not my best effort but we ate it!

Then began work on the puzzle and it is going to be a tough one.

Sissy then had to go to Book Club and I just went to bed as my head was killing me.

She did return and worked on the puzzle with Dan until late last night.

Today I must run to the MVA as I have a question for them and then I will go and fetch Sissy for Sisters lunch.  WE need to plan some Holiday baking.

We have not done Sister's lunch since before Christmas as our schedules just have not jived.

It is very cold and windy today and I doubt there will be any melting of snow, and it is going to get colder next week!  Oh Joy!

I am done my morning chores, and I am ready to greet my public!

Have a great and productive day!

K

 

Thursday and Taxes are finished!

 Well, here it is Thursday, and I have finished the taxes and Maryland was posted yesterday.

I was able to get to the Post Office as the sun did help to melt the streets and they were not bad.

I was also able to make it up to Sissy's yesterday and her House was chaos with the kids in and out.

She made homemade cinnamon rolls, and they were so good.

I had a long conversation with a Friend this morning that I have not spoken to in quite some time.  It was wonderful.  The conversation soon turned to food as we are both foodies and it got me to thinking.

Now here is the scary part (I should not think).  I spend way too much time obsessed with food.  What I am going to eat, what I am going to cook. what, what, what?

I think I cook so much because I am bored and need another outlet of some sort.

Food is meant to nourish our bodies not to be an obsession.  This then led me to the price of groceries, yes, they are high but why complain.  Think on the great depression when People were grateful to fill their bellies with meager resources.  They survived and came up with some very good recipes.  Maybe if we all cooked more, stayed out of Restaurants and cooked like People did in the Great depression prices would go down?  Suppliers are greedy and they know we will pay it, well what if we don't or won't. 

Just something to chew on.

Something else to think on...too much processed food out there and Sissy and I both are really trying to get away from this.  I have learned to make my own cream soups to freeze...no more Cambells for this girl.  I want to learn how to make great crackers without the preservatives.  Cooking whole foods and batch cooking save so much money.

I am slowly working on the freezers and have only been to the grocery store once with Sissy and it is already the 6th.  I am proud of me.

I changed up last night's menu and made stuffed cabbage rolls instead of meatloaf.  Tonight, it will be scalloped potatoes and ham.  I also pulled a quart of chicken vegetable stock from the freezer to make soup.  I have so much chicken that needs to be cooked and lots of pasta and veggies.  

Now I have to go and get Sissy and have her go with me to the grocery store as I am out of milk for the Husb.  I use powdered milk in baking.

Hope everyone has a wonderful day!

Hugs;

K

Still working on taxes!!!

Bud asking me if I am still working on taxes and the answer is yes.

I did manage to get my Federal done and e-filed, but with two states to comply with I am a little confused.  So, I stopped when I got frustrated and will go back in this morning.  I will keep you posted.

I look at it like this, I am honest and if I make a mistake then I will apologize and correct it.  

They are not going to take my Birthday away!
 Okay, I am done for now.  Idaho is e-filed.  I paid them the $10.00 we owe them via direct debit and still do not understand why we owe but whatever.

We are getting money's back for the first time from both Maryland and the Feds! Wow!

I cannot e-file for Maryland because of the multi-State situation so I have everything filled out to snail mail.

It snowed about 4" last night and the streets are very icy.  They do not plow or sand here, so you are at mercy of the sun, and since it will not get above freezing for the next week of so I doubt if much melting will happen.

We own a Ford Taurus Sedan with front wheel drive and we have all season radials, but I do not trust roads that have not been sanded.  We may be stuck at Home for a while.

Sissy has the Kids for the rest of the week as Schools up in Washington are closed where they live, and they got a foot of snow.

She is not feeling Her best, but this is the way it is.  The Parents have to work.

Called Sissy and she said it is beautiful up in the Elks and the Kids were out sledding.

Husb is out shoveling walks, and I made tuna fish for lunch which he will like. Now I must figure out what to make for dinner and I think it will be meatloaf and mashed potatoes, some sort of veg.

I am eating a Date and Oatmeal cookie that Sissy made, and it is so good.  That girl can bake!  WE were given four 4-pound bags of frozen dates and did not really know what to do with them, so she just made this up and I tell you it is a keeper.  They are addictive.  Of course, we did not tell the Grands they were dates as they would not have eaten them.

Now I have to go and find something to do as my morning chores are done.  If we get a little melting as we do have full sun, I may brave the roads and get to the post office.

Have a great and productive day!

Hugs.

Kay

Tuesday the 4th of February 2025

 The puzzle is complete! So much fun and we cannot wait to start another one.

But we will not until Sissy is better and she is down.

I did not blog yesterday as my day got away from me.  

I so wanted to start my taxes but still no documentation from our bank and it was also not available online?

So, I went up to Sissy's and got rid of the child droppings as in vacuuming and dusting.  They are such messy little creatures.  Sissy is punk!

I then came home to find mail and all documents are in so I set up my laptop and I am ready to rock and roll this morning.  I have a huge old Oak desk, but with a laptop and a tower and screen it is now very crowded.

Not a great picture, but in the corner of my desk, sits Lucy our feral who only likes my Husband.

WE found her abandoned in our back yard eleven years ago when she was only three weeks old.  Eyes barely open and such a tiny thing.  We took her immediately to the vet and were told she would not survive, but were given instruction and we took turns for weeks feeding her and stimulating her every two hours and she made it!

I took her to the Office every day and my Employees loved it, and she loved them.

As she matured her feral came out and Husb became her number one!  That is okay as I have Bud.  She and Bud get along great so here she is.  She loves small spaces, and the corner of my desk is one of her safe spots.

I made fried rice and eggrolls for dinner last night and got three more things out of my freezer.  I do have leftovers and will take some up to Sissy later.

Now it is 7:25 and I am going to go and get dressed and do my morning chores and then hit the taxes.

Wish me luck!  Every year is a crap shoot, and we always owe, even with paying quarterlies!

I will also check on Sissy.

Now I am off.

I hope everyone has a great and productive day!

Hugs.

Kay

Sunday February 2nd! Puzzles anyone?

We are having so much fun with this jig saw puzzle, and it is quite difficult.

Sissy, Hubs and I have worked on it off and on for two days.

Forgot how we used to enjoy this during the long winters in Montana growing up!

Sissy really followed me yesterday at the grocery store and I was very good and only spent $27.11 of my $50.00 a week grocery budget.

I found pork stew meat (with lots of fat) marked down to less than $1.00 per pound and bought 4 pounds.

I got out my KitchenAid meatgrinder and ground it this morning.  Will fry it up and use it in Egg Roll in a Bowl and for Egg Rolls.  This was a steel as normally I have to pay at least $4.00 a pound.  Yeah!

I was up early, and all my morning chores are done with the exception of my ironing.  I do not want to do it.  Why is it so easy for me to keep up with Sissy's ironing but not my own? Go figure.

Now I could stop typing and make myself go do it and set my stopwatch and report back and that is what I am going to do.  You can all work with me...It is 10:41...It is now11:30 and I am done and everything is put away!  Now was that so hard?

Sissy is here with the Grands, and they are causing a small riot, so I am taking them downstairs to watch the telly.

Husb and Sissy are working on the jig saw puzzle and I must go and clean my kitchen and plan dinner.  If Sissy is staying, then it will be fried rice and eggrolls.  If not Dan and I will have the last of the French Dips.

Now I am off to the kitchen. Will check on the Grands first!

Hope Everyone has a blessed Sabbath!

Hugs;

Kay

 

Well Folks it is the 1st of February, and the weather has turned bitter cold. A cold front is coming in and the wind is wicked! But at least my Car is not frozen over which is strange, but it will be tomorrow! 

I have gone over my financials for last month and I had some serious fails and also unexpected things I had not budgeted for which I do not call fails as they needed to be done. 

So where did I fail the worst?

 Number One:

 Eating out my one very serious downfall and I must reign this in. Now was it better than other months? Absolutely, but I am a Foodie and I can cook so I have upped my budget by $100.00 for February. to give myself a cushion.  I do not want to feel like a failure, and I will seriously work at this! 

Over by $276.60 

Number Two:

 Grocery Store! I just overbought and cooked and cooked and cooked and this has got to stop this next month. Loss leaders only and only what we need. Wish me luck! I am allowing $200.00 a month or $50.00 per week.

 Over by $381.27

 These are the only two categories that were really out of control.

 I did fail to budget for my computer needs (this has been an ongoing problem and had to be addressed) which were expensive, but the improvements that I made will pay for themselves in 13.49 months. This was $607.00, whew! I still do some consulting work for a firm back in Washington and my printer kept going offline, due to the Rotor/Modem that was provided by my internet service! Come to find out (my mistake in the beginning) they were charging me $45.00 for a faulty piece of equipment and I was not the only one in the Vally suffering from this. So, I did some research and bought my own. Pricey but oh so worth it as I always print in hard copy to read my final drafts before emailing back east. 

I also did not take into account that I got my Idaho Driver's License ($47.00) for four years, titled the Car in Idaho ($211.00) for two-year stickers. 

I also bought $89.00 worth of Cuddle Duds, and I needed no new clothes period, but I was so tired of being cold and they are working like a charm. I got these at T.J. Max, and they were on clearance, so five pair of leggings and long-sleeved tops I think is a steel!

 So, $1,611.87 over the plan, but now I know, I had the money, and I made my savings goals so I should be able to do much better going forward.

I was very proud of myself for tracking every penny and have tried many times to do this and failed.  Sissy has helped a lot on this.

Speaking of Sissy I will go to the Grocery Store with Her today so she can babysit me.  She came for dinner last night and I made porkchop sandwiches on hoagie rolls with provolone cheese and sweet potato fries. Restaurant quality good.

We then started on a Jig Saw puzzle and had so much fun. Will take us several more sittings to finish it.

I have done all my chores for today and wanted to start my taxes, but after going online to my bank, they do not have the interest forms done and apologized, so I will wait.  It is Saturday after all. Sissy is here and we are going to the grocery store. 

Tune in tomorrow for more great news!

Hugs;

K