Weekly Menu 6/1+

Saturday		hamburgers sweet potato fries
Sunday		huli huli chicken grilled corn
Monday		italian sausage sandwiches salad
Tuesday		fish & chips broccoli strawberries
Wednesday		frito taco salad brownies
Thursday		impossible spinach/feta pie watermelon
Friday		bbq pork pizza

Grocery Deals 5/29+

Sprouts:    Grapes .99/lb., cherries 2.49/lb. (vs. 3.49 Randalls), strawberries 2.50/lb., apples .99/lb., oranges .99/lb., cucumbers .49, red bell peppers .49, onions .49/lb., lettuce .88, broccoli .99/lb., chicken legs .99/lb.

Randalls:   90% lean ground beef 2.99/lb.,

Friday only: organic strawberries 2#/$5 (vs $3/lb. HEB), eggs $1/dozen, oreos 1.67, fritos 1.67

 

HEB:          peaches .77/lb. (vs 1.49 Sprouts), blueberries 2.99/pt (vs 2.50 6oz Sprouts), whole chicken .88/lb., beef fajitas 2,97/lb., pork chops 1.97/lb.

Weekly Menu 5/25+

Saturday		cuban chicken rice squash
Sunday		chicken & zucchini enchiladas tomato/avocado salad
Monday		BBQ ribs potato salad apple turnovers
Tuesday		summer stir fry garlic bread cherries
Wednesday		salisbury steak mashed potatoes peas
Thursday		beanie weenies carrots
Friday		spaghetti salad

This summer I’m going to do different marinades each week so we can take advantage of the grilling season and a lower calorie meal, because after all if you cook the food over open flame it burns all the bad calories out.  If you have a favorite you’d like to share with the group, please feel free to send it over.

Saturday

--Cook extra chicken for Sunday’s enchiladas

--This chicken needs to marinate so start early

Cuban Chicken

6 cloves garlic

½ c lime juice

1T honey

1 tsp salt

2 tsp vinegar

½ tsp pepper

1 tsp oregano

½ tsp cumin

Combine all ingredients and add chicken pieces to marinate.  This works best with skin-on pieces, but work with what you like.  Allow to marinate at least one hour and is best overnight.  Cook on the grill, or bake in the oven.

Rice

Squash

Sunday

Chicken & Zucchini Enchiladas (Woman’s Day)

16 oz mild green salsa

2 c cilantro

½ c sour cream

1T olive oil

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

12 oz zucchini cut into ½” pieces

1 tsp ground coriander

½ tsp chili powder

Salt

2 c cooked chicken

4 oz Muenster (or Monster) cheese, grated

8 corn tortillas

Heat oven to 400. In a food processor, purée the salsa and cilantro until smooth.  Add sour cream and pulse to combine.  Spread 1c in a 9x13 pan.  Heat oil in skillet add garlic and zucchini, tossing for ~2min.  Stir in coriander, chili powder and 1tsp salt.  Add chicken and ¾ c of cheese.  Heat tortillas in microwave or in a hot skillet.  Fill with ½ c of the filling, roll up and place seam side down in baking dish.  Repeat with remaining tortillas.  Spoon remaining salsa mixture over enchiladas.  Sprinkling remaining cheese on top and bake 12-15 minutes.  Serve with chopped onion.

Tomato/Avocado Salad

Monday—Memorial Day

BBQ ribs

Potato Salad

Apple Turnovers

Watermelon

Tuesday

Summer Veggie Stir-Fry (Pioneer Woman)

2 Tablespoons Butter

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

4 cloves Garlic, Minced

12 whole Jumbo Shrimp, Peeled, Deveined, Tails Left On

2 whole Zucchini, Sliced On A Slight Diagonal

2 ears Corn, Kernels Sliced Off

½ cups Grape Tomatoes, Sliced In Half Lengthwise

Salt And Freshly Ground Pepper, To Taste

Chopped Fresh Herbs, If Desired

Heat 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add minced garlic. When oil/butter is hot, add shrimp and cook for 3 minutes. Remove to a plate. Do not clean skillet.

Add the rest of the butter and oil and heat over medium heat. Add zucchini slices in a single layer and cook for one minute, tossing once. Scoot the zucchini to the edges of the pan, then add corn kernels to the middle of the pan. Cook for one minute. Add grape tomatoes, salt, and pepper, and toss around, then add shrimp. Cook for an additional 30 seconds, then remove from heat. Serve on a big platter.

Garlic Bread

Cherries

Wednesday

Salisbury Steak

Mashed Potatoes

Peas

Thursday

Beanie Weenies

Carrots

Friday

Spaghetti

Salad

Grocery Deals 5/22+

Sprouts:  Cherries 1.99/lb (vs 4.99 HEB & Randalls), apricots 1.99/lb, peaches 1.49/lb, strawberries $2/lb, apples .99/lb, tomatoes .49/lb, red bell peppers .49, cucumbers .49, avocados .49, broccoli .99/lb (vs 1.49 Randalls), cantaloupe $2

HEB:        lettuce .88 (vs .99 Sprouts), corn .20, blackberries 1.77, mangos .33 (vs .49Sprouts),  chicken/pork fajitas 1.97/lb

Randalls:  NY strip 4.99/lb, pork ribs 1.29/lb, corn .20, Bluebell ice cream $4

Sailing: Yesterday and Today

Way, way back in the day I used to sail on the lake with my Sissy.  We had such fun during the summers sailing our sunfish sailboats, standing them on their sides going fast.

We even had a chance to ride on a 14' Hobie Cat once and that was a lot of fun because that boat could go SO much faster and really lean over.  We're sorry mom's that we rode with a complete stranger, but his dog was so cute, how could he be creepy???  Except that he was picking up two almost teen-aged girls.  I'll invoke the 20 year rule, so that we won't be in trouble.  We recognize now, that we were crazy, if that counts for anything.

All of that is just to tell you that I know how to sail a boat.  Move forward a few years from those crazy teen age years, or now back almost 30 years and one November after L and I were first married we had a chance to go out on the same lake in someone's sailboat.  The downside is that just as we were getting down to the water a cold front blew in and the wind was blowing like crazy from the north.  We get started and sailing out of the cove is not too difficult, after all the wind is at our back.  But when I start trying to get us back in, well it's not going well.

To say it is not going well, is quite an understatement, because eventually we are blown out into the middle of the white capping lake and it is clear that I am completely powerless to get us back to the right place. I keep thinking and then saying, just one more turn and I can get us going in the right direction.

Mercifully, a powerboat comes to our aid and tows us back to the other side of the lake and back into our cove.  But this sets in motion a strong conviction in L's mind that I am completely incapable of operating a sailboat and therefore he has refused to board any watercraft with me that is powered by wind.

Until last weekend.

Let me be clear, it was not without a great deal of hesitation on his part.  When we were set for the Miami trip we were given a choice by the planning group of one activity to participate in.  I read him the options: Walking food tour of South Beach, Everglades, Botanical Gardens, Shopping, Golf, Spa Day, Catamaran Cruise. I knew what I wanted to do right away, but also knew that he might not be willing, and said he did not have to go with me.  After I found out enough details, he did agree to also take the catamaran cruise.

The one key factor: at no time would I be in charge of the sailboat.

Instead, our captain

did a great job of motoring through the wharf/bay/pier areas with all of the container ships loading up (this one is headed to St Louis.  Hey, J&C let us know if you see this ship this week),

 and getting us out to the open waters

You can see the boat is spacious and easily accommodates all 36 of us.  

We sailed up the beach side almost all the way back to our hotel

before turning around and heading back.

Finally, one in our party was able to relax and no longer worry that we would be bound for the Western coast of Africa looking for a tow back 'as soon as I make this next turn'.

Grocery Deals 5/15+

Sprouts     mangoes .33, strawberries $2/lb, apples .99/lb, cherries $4/lb, corn.25, avocados .49, cucumbers .49, green bell peppers .49, red/gold/orange  peppers .99, lettuce .99, broccoli crowns .99, tomatoes .99/lb

HEB             legs/thighs $1/lb, pork chops 1.97/lb, chicken br fajitas 1.97/lb, sirloin steak 3.97/lb, apples .98/lb, oragnes .77/lb, green bell peppers .50, potatoes $2/5#,

Randall's     Legs/thighs .99/lb, pork chops 1.99/lb, TX ribs 2.99/lb,

Friday only: strawberries 4#/$5

  

Weekly Menu 5/18+

Saturday		hamburgers smores
Sunday		chicken alfredo pasta/ spinach lemon lush
Monday		pork roast cole slaw
Tuesday		grilled chicken squash
Wednesday		potato crusted quiche bananas & oj
Thursday		beef stroganoff broccoli
Friday		onion muffin cups green beans

Birds of a Feather

A few weeks ago now, we got to bring home a cute little pair of ducks from J's school.  Mrs. K, the science teacher, seems always willing to take on a new little creature, from lizard  to snake, to bunny... oh the bunnies we have a school.  The bunnies will be passing third grade; they have definitely learned to multiply.  

She's incubated and hatched a dozen baby chicks.  
When someone brought her ducklings she welcomed them.  And then she reached her limit.  Not on their cuteness, but on the level of well...oh, how do I put this delicately....poop.  

When she heard from J that I was willing to give them a new home she was thrilled, beaming across the courtyard and nodding.  Then I found out her limits on animals.  

J had had enough of them at school, but I just thought they were too darling to pass up.  So we took the carrier to school a few Fridays ago and brought them home.  They have been eating the chicken feed and sleeping with the chickens in the coop.  

They have grown quite a bit since we brought them home, but please meet Daffy and Aflac.

I know y'all are smart enough to figure out which is which. They do NOT like to be separated from each other.  

Today we tried to herd them down to the tank so that they could swim for 'real' vs. dipping into the small plastic tub that I have for them in the coop.  We ended up carrying them and putting them at waters edge, but they were not interested and started heading back up the hill.  

So we caught them again and gently made sure they got more in the water.  They swam just fine, but got out of the water as quickly as they could and ran, with their little bottoms waddling back and forth, all the way back to the coop.  They might think they are chickens; can their food do that???  

Thursday night we had quite a storm blow through and Friday afternoon L noticed that this guy was hanging around.  Friday night another storm came through and Saturday morning I caught him napping on the post in the morning sun.  

he continued to rest there for quite a while and then finally I heard him move to the roof.  

Where he walked up from behind the chimney all the way to the peak of the roof and

he walked over the other side.  I didn't follow him, I assumed he wanted some privacy. 

We've had pigeons take refuge here before particularly after a bad storm and they had leg bands.  This guy did not have a band that we could see.  

I guess he got his bearings straight again, was rested and was ready to go back on the road.  We were glad to have him stop by.  

Grocery Deals 5/8+

Sprouts   strawberries 1.25/lb (vs 1.50 Randalls), mangos .49 (vs .99 HEB), seedless watermelon $4, apples .99/lb, oranges .99/lb, green bell peppers .49, red/yellow/orange peppers .99, lettuce .99, avocados .49, broccoli .99/lb, tomatoes .99/lb

Randalls   90% lean ground beef 2.99/lb, sirloin 3.99/lb, NY strip 4.99/lb, ribeye 5.99/lb, corn .33 (vs .49 Sprouts)

HEB          strawberries 1.24/lb, tomatoes .98/lb, cucumbers .49, green bell peppers .49, corn .25 (vs .49 Sprouts), beef fajitas 2.97/lb

Weekly Menu 5/11+

Saturday		lasagna soup
Sunday		ranch chicken rice spinach
Monday		sloppy joes carrots
Tuesday		chicken parmesan buttered noodles zucchini
Wednesday		shake and bake pork chops broccoli rice casserole
Thursday		chicken fried rice egg rolls orange slices
Friday		filet-o-fish tater tots broccoli

Little Baby Calf

A couple of weeks ago one of the momma cows had a baby.  Well not a human baby, but a calf.

Weekly Menu 5/4+

Saturday		meatloaf dakota bread peas
cinco de mayo		cheese enchiladas guacamole
Monday		skillet chicken & veggies rice
Tuesday		spaghetti garlic bread
Wednesday		sausage mac & cheese green beans
Thursday		pancakes eggs oj + bananas
Friday		weeknight chicken tacos

Grocery Deals 5/1+

Sprouts    bananas .49/lb., grapefruit .33, mangos .33, strawberries 2/lb., oranges .88/lb., green beans .88/lb., zucchini .88/lb., cucumbers .49, avocados .33, tomatoes .88/lb., onions .49/lb., red/green bell peppers .49, broccoli .99/lb., chicken breast 1.99/lb.