Recipe of the Month

Summer Menu Ideas – Here’s What I’m Thinking

JanetLeave a comment

Summer heat is approaching faster and faster after a few (?) too many rainy days. I’ve been thinking about my next grocery order / meal plan and the heat.

Gelatin Salads and/or Desserts

Honestly, I’ve been craving a cool, luscious, creamy, dreamy Orange Bavarian for a while. It is easy to make, and relatively easy on the budget. I can change up the flavors, too, depending upon the gelatin flavor I get. And, surprisingly, there are a lot of interesting ideas out there – not just the traditional Jello brand… Anna over at Cooking The Books on YouTube has posted her Lemon Ice Box Cake. It sounds amazing!

Sandwiches

I’m thinking maybe sub sandwiches, chicken or tuna salad, maybe some ham and cheese. I can take advantage of wraps in addition to a variety of buns.

I could grill some chicken, too.

Pasta Salads

When the days are hot and muggy, sometimes all I want is something cold and filling – and, of course, flavorful. There are loads of recipes out there to try. I can take advantage of what is available from the Farmer’s Market, too.

Speaking of Salad

I love a good salad but, really, lettuce goes only so far with me. That being said, a good refreshing Taco Salad won’t require a lot of time over the stove. I could grab a bag of chicken tenders or nuggets or bites, bake them up and use them for a Fried Chicken Salad. Add in some ripe tomatoes, onions, celery, peppers, beans, it could be quite a nice change of pace.

And Don’t Forget

I often have to remind myself not to overlook those 3 bean salads, cheese balls (with good crackers), Hummus, fresh veg plates.

So, here’s what I’ve been thinking for July menus….What have you been thinking about yours?

Card Making · Craftroom

In The Craft Room: Single Layer Cards

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As with most crafts, card making can be as simple or complicated as we choose to make it. Sometimes I think that newbies to the craft can be easily overwhelmed by what the see. When Justine Hovey posted the following video, however, I found myself getting a bit excited. Check it out:

Jackie Bolhuis over at Klompen Stampers loves SIP cards; Stamps, Ink, Paper. She loves to use designer series paper to make beautiful cards without breaking the bank on ‘stuff’. While her cards aren’t always a single layer, they are beautiful.

I enjoy watching crafters work their magic. There is a lot of magic in that process! There are stamps, inks, card stock, stencils, embellishments, etc., etc. Each one adds something interesting to a card, but the truth is you don’t need to have all of them, you don’t need the fancy machines, all you need is an idea and the courage to sit down and get your hands inky. 😀 Justine is right, keep those fingers clean or you will get prints on your cards.

At the end of the day most recipients won’t be judging your hand made cards, they will be enjoying them because you took the time to make and send them.

And isn’t that the point of the craft?

Musings

Cozy Comforts

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There is something special – magical – about a house that is truly a home and not a place keeper for the next occupant. I don’t know about you but I am past tired of the mentality of decorating a home just to entice the next owner. When you realize that almost every new owner rips out everything the prior owner did to put their own mark on the place you really have to wonder… At least I hope you do.

Shelby’s Cottage is one of those rare YouTube channels devoted to making her (their) house a home. Their home. Colors, decor, window treatments, and all the other odds and ends that make a house a home.

They recently completed the addition of a breakfast nook and I have to tell you I love it! Check it out:

Comfortable seating. Pleasant lighting. Useful and attractive window treatments. This one has everything including accommodating the cats.

I also appreciate that it is a well thought out space. Every inch has been considered. It is a fully functioning space.

Wish I had room in my home for one!

Musings

Armchair Traveling or How To Discover Treasures

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If you have been around here for any length of time you will know that Sunday mornings are my anticipated adventures in arm chair traveling with Mr. Carrington. Iwan takes us on all sorts of excursions and introduces us to lots of things. One of those ‘things’ is the artist Beryl Cook. Check out his recent Escape to Plymouth:

I have to admit I find Cook’s work entertaining on many levels. I love her use of color and the unique way she creates her people. That touch of humor and whimsy mixed with truth is refreshing. I get the feeling that buried in each work is a mischievous elf sharing some magic.

You might find THIS article from the BBC of interest, too. There is something radical about painting people who are living their true lives and not being afraid to add a touch of sauciness, too. For more background check out THIS article from 2014.

Enjoy!

Crafting

Celebrating The Great British Sewing Bee

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There is joy in creating. Even if you aren’t very good at it. One of the reasons I love watching shows like The Great British Sewing Bee is that I learn things. Mostly stuff I know I will never use but… <shrug>

I just finished watching series 10 (2024) of the Great British Sewing Bee and I have to say I have rarely been as thrilled with the winner as I am with this one. And, no, I won’t be sharing the name here. Look it up.

I can appreciate the skills that are showcased in that show while also recognizing that they aren’t for me. I can also acknowledge that some folks will watch and decide that those skills are exactly right for them. Win/Win!

My mom was an amazing sewist, making a wide variety of clothes over the years. Her skills were amazing. Having watched her work a project taught me a lot about the process. Translate that to watching a variety of sewists learn, explore, create, grow in their craft can be a lot of fun.

Roku has the series from series one through ten free on the Roku Channel. It is worth checking out. You never know what you might discover as you watch these incredible sewists work their way through pattern challenges, made to measures and more.

Audiobooks

From The Reading Table: The Homefront Sleuths

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The search for new authors / books is a constant effort but one that can be rewarding. I recently came across the Homefront Sleuths series on audio and am hooked!

Set in 1940s England, the books center around a group of friends / neighbors in a small Kentish village. They are a diverse and interesting collection of folks and their stories are anything but boring. So far, at least. LOL!

Check out the website by clicking HERE.

Food

Rethinking the Meal Plan and the Budget

JanetLeave a comment

See Mindy Mom recently posted that she has had to rethink her food plans not only because of budget but the ages of her kids – all now in their teen years. That got me to thinking. Have you found yourself dealing with shrinking budget and a list of meals that just aren’t hitting the mark anymore?

For those with kids, it can be deceptively easy to forget that what was once sufficient because they didn’t eat as much or their tastes were a bit limited but now that they have grown a bit things have changed. Growing kids need a lot more good healthy foods to help them keep growing and keep them healthy. Adults, too, need good healthy foods but their tastes have changed a bit, too.

Recently I was meandering through the weekly ad from one of my local markets and found myself seeing things I hadn’t bought in a Very Long Time. Why? Because I was tired of eating them. We have also had shortage issues with a few things and by the time the shortages were resolved, I’d forgotten all about what used to be a regular item in my pantry.

As we head into the Summer season when school is out and kids are home more, many will be challenged to find items that the kids can snack on and meal items that won’t break the bank. Farmer’s Markets will, I hope, become a fast favorite to find those locally grown foods that will check many of your meal plan boxes.

If possible, plan to put some of that produce aside in the freezer for later. My mom used to take peaches, peel and slice them and then put them into freezer containers and tuck them away. The sweet summer flavor would be a welcome surprise when they made their way out of the freezer in Autumn.

Waste not, want not!

Now might also be a good time to sit down and make a list of what you, and your family, actually wants to eat. Once you’ve found uses for the left overs in the fridge, freezer and pantry (the stuff that kept being pushed aside…) it is a good time to refresh with items that you will actually look forward to using.

I don’t know about you but in my house the meal plans change with the season. Winter’s stews, roasts and such give way to lighter fare once the weather warms up a bit. And, really, who wants to have the oven on when it is hot outside?

That being said, habit tends to get in the way when putting a shopping list together. Sometimes I have to literally sit myself down and remind myself that it might not be the right time for that particular dish…

So, the Summer Menu Reset is on! Let’s see what we can find to make us look forward to meals rather than just eat.

Enjoy!

TV

Legend

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Have you been watching NCIS Partners and Probies on YouTube? I have to admit it has become a favorite podcast.

This week the legendary Joe Spano visited. The conversation got me to thinking about all the years, not to mention all the shows, I’ve seen various folks in and the impact they have had.

We don’t always realize that we are watching legendary performers as they are developing their craft and evolving into their current iteration.

Head on over, settle in with your favorite cuppa and enjoy the conversation.

Musings

Doesn’t Seem Possible

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Around my neck of the woods, Memorial Day signals the end of school and the beginning of Summer. Unless, of course, we have had an exceptionally bad Winter where kids were out of school due to weather more than usual.

As I browse the telly today I see a lot of commercials for all sorts of Long Weekend Projects – if the weather is good, it might be a good time to paint – and a lot (!) of cookery shows focusing on grilling and / or barb-e-queing.

Today, however, has been cool and damp and threatening more thunderstorms. Somehow I think there won’t be a rush to putter in the garden let along tackle that big painting project. LOL!

Here’s hoping your Memorial Day Weekend has been a good one!

Musings

Protecting My Peace

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One of the most prevalent topics I’ve seen lately is along the lines of Protecting My Peace. Finding calm. Recharging my own batteries. I suspect most of us are in that same boat, overwhelmed by what is in the news on an hourly, if not daily, cycle. There comes a point when my sanity is far more important than finding out who is having another tantrum and how things (that I have no control over) are falling apart.

Sound familiar?

I’ve started looking for ways to enjoy music that is calming and relaxing. That could be playlists I’ve developed for finding new ones – much to my amazement there seems to be a lot of them on a variety of platforms.

I am also in that dreaded ‘in between’ space where my authors have not yet published, so I am looking to find new authors to read/listen to.

In the past few years I have endeavored to use the good dishes, etc. I think this is important because waiting for some ‘special occasion’ could mean those wonderful treasures might never be used at all.

Which reminds me, if you find yourself wanting treasures, don’t forget to check out your local second hand, antique, or charity shops. You might be amazed to see what they have on hand.

One Man’s Trash Is Another Man’s Treasure.

Speaking of such shops, if you find yourself overwhelmed by the ‘stuff’ in your home, why not embark on a clear out program? Choose a room, a spot, a drawer, a closet and start clearing out the things that you no longer use, don’t want, don’t need. I don’t endorse a radical major clear out but a methodical purge. As we are heading into the end of school term now might be the opportune moment to get rid of things that no longer fit are no longer used, etc. Make it a summer project.

Meal planning could be a place where more organization and control would reduce, if not eliminate, stress. Farmer’s Markets will be gearing up so fresh fruits and veg will be available. Prime opportunities to try new recipes and explore new things. Cheaper, too.

I’m looking around and seeing opportunities to return to hobbies that got lost in the shuffle. These were one of those ‘I’ll get around to it later.’ things that might just be exactly what is needed.

Take a deep breath. Turn off the noise. Take it one step at a time.

😀