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Monday, August 31, 2020

Master List and Menu Monday - August 31, 2020

Greetings, Dear One! 💗

Can you believe it??? The last Monday of August and...just like that...in a few hours we fall into September! 🍁🍂🍁 (And I'm so excited!!!) 🤭 How was your week and weekend?

Our week was good here...slower...more relaxed, I think, than the rest of the month has been.

A huge storm moved through on Saturday morning, bringing heavy rains and straight-line winds with it. A lot of damage was done locally and we were without electricity at the park for several hours; our son and daughter-in-law in Lamar were without until late in the day on Sunday.

The Storm Front Approaching From The West


The Approaching Storm

When the storm hit, the wind was so strong that we, physically, could not open the front door of the nature center against it and it was driving rain in around the front windows. I, personally, had never seen anything like it. It must have been what they call a derecho (an inland hurricane), but, whatever they end up labeling it as, it got pretty wild there for a while and left a lot of damage in it's path.


Photo Credit

Sunday was quiet. John and I logged a couple of new geocaches in the afternoon, which is always fun, and now...here it is...Monday again and time to go to work! 😊 

Let's take a look at this week's master to-do list and menu plan, shall we?


This Week's Master To-Do List...

- my weekly "home blessing" 🏡
- complete a data-entry job that I've been working on at work 
- figure September budget and bills 💲
- go to the bank 💰
- pay bills 💵
- do laundry 👚
- continue to work on the Van Gogh room (have made progress, but am still at it) 🎨
- walk daily 👟
- do some planning (low-spend September, fall cleaning schedule) 📔
- check a few things off my summer bucket list 🏊
- think about things I want to add to my autumn bucket list 🍁
- prepare for an upcoming giveaway on this blog 🎁
- read 📖
- write a few blog posts 💻
- do a little geocaching 🧭


This Week's Menus...

Monday - Breakfast for supper 🥓
Tuesday - Broiled salmon, oven-roasted potatoes and carrots, fresh tomatoes, and scalloped onions  🐟
Wednesday - Grilled burgers with lettuce and tomatoes and no-fry onion rings 🧅
Thursday - Stuffed pepper casserole, sauteed zucchini, and fresh tomatoes
Friday - Oven-roasted chicken breasts with sauteed peppers, tomatoes, and onions, black beans, and rice
Saturday - Pasta, sauce, sauteed zucchini, and homemade bread 🍝
Sunday - Leftovers

Well, Ladies, that's it for this time! I pray that all is well with you and yours and that you have a blessed week ahead!

Until next time...
~Rebecca

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Friday, August 28, 2020

Upcoming Autumn Posts - Family-Fun Ideas or Recipes To Share?


I'm hoping to do some special posts this fall and would like to include family fun ideas and special recipes from you...my dear Hearth and Home readers.

I am specifically looking for ideas that feature fall family-fun and recipes that feature apples and pumpkins. 

Years ago one of our daughters-in-law hosted a fall tea
and fun day for the grandlittles. Activities that they enjoyed 
included making and eating caramel apples! 🍎

If you have ideas or recipes to share, please, send them to in a private message on Facebook (Rebecca Brown Knox) or email them to me at proverbs31heart@yahoo.com. Be sure and put HEARTH AND HOME on the subject line so I don't accidentally overlook your email! 

Fall Pumpkins and Mums


I hope to hear from you soon! 

Until next time...

~Rebecca

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Teleidoscope Thursday - August 27, 2020

Master List and Menu Monday - August 24, 2020

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Thursday, August 27, 2020

Teleidoscope Thursday - August 27, 2020

It's been a busy week, a busy day, and now it's late, but I'm determined to get this post out before midnight. It's more or less just a hodge-podge of what's been going on this week.

- I worked on Monday and it was great! The bison herd came down down to the nature center and hung around for quite some time THAT hasn't happened in a long time! At least not when I've been on duty! 💗

Image may contain: sky, outdoor and nature

Image may contain: grass, outdoor and nature

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- On Tuesday I made a double batch of French bread, put sixteen half-cup portions of diced onion in the freezer, and four two-cup portions of zucchini. 🥖

- On Wednesday I took a family member grocery shopping and my cousin and I did a little geocaching. 🧭

- Then, this morning, I did the unthinkable! I unplugged the phone, shut down the computer, and went to work on a list of odd jobs that have needed doing for a long time. Without interruption I was able to move from thing to thing and accomplished quite a bit.

Throughout the day I ...

... cut my hair

... cleaned my silver rings and Celtic cross necklace

... ordered a fall supply of pumpkin spice tea and coffee creamer

Amazon.com : Bigelow Pumpkin Spice Tea, 20 Bags (Pack of 3) : Black Teas : Grocery & Gourmet Food

... worked in the Van Gogh room

... finally got the roll-away bed and bedding put away from when our youngest daughter visited more than two weeks ago

... finally got a chance to look at, and put away, some of the gifts that I received for my birthday on the 13th

... pulled out the tote of autumn stuff and started going through it

... made taco salad for lunch and used up the last of the avocados

... put together a couple of gift baskets

... had a cup of tea with dd

... started planning an out of town trip for this fall and made reservations

This evening I...

... straightened up the house

... made supper

... watched a few episodes of Bringing Up Bates

... and watched President Trump's acceptance speech.

It's been a long day and I'm going to go ahead and get this post out before midnight. 

I hope that you and yours are doing well and that you've had a great week. I will talk to you again soon!

Until next time...

~Rebecca

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Master List and Menu Monday - August 24, 2020


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Monday, August 24, 2020

Master List and Menu Monday - August 24, 2020

Good morning, Everyone! 💗

How was your week and weekend?

Our week was busy and full here with much of it centered on food preservation. I was able to share quite a bit of that with you along the way, so I won't waste time reiterating.

Thursday's "evening stroll" at work went great! Nineteen adventure-seeking folks joined me as, together, we discovered the changes that take place as evening turns to night on the tallgrass prairies of southwest Missouri. Even the coyotes participated by tuning up and singing for us at just the right time! 🐺

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Image may contain: sky, cloud, twilight, ocean, outdoor and nature

Without having anything pressing that needed to be done, Friday ended up being our down day for the week and I worked on Saturday (got to work outside all day which was awesome!).

After church on Sunday, we spent a quiet afternoon and evening at home, and now it's Monday and time to go to work again. 

Let's get started on this week's master list and menu plan, shall we?


This Week's Master To-Do List...

- my weekly "home blessing" 🏡
- work 
- clean out the fridge 🍗🥬🍉 (didn't get to this last week)
- have company over for supper 🍲
- do laundry 👚
- make bread 🥖
- go to the grocery store 🛒
- host a church movie night 🎥
- chop and freeze onions 🧅
- do some planning 📔
- work on cleaning and organizing the Van Gogh room (a.k.a. my office and, here lately, the catch-all room) 🎨
- read 📖
- write a few blog posts 💻
- do a little geocaching (if we get the time and opportunity) 🧭
- walk daily 👟



This Week's Menus...

We were given a large amount of yellow onions, so, in addition to preserving what I can of them (chopping and freezing), they will be the star of the show in this week's menu plans. 

Monday - Breakfast for supper 🥓
Tuesday - Pasta, sauce, meatballs, salad, and homemade bread 🍝
Wednesday - Turkey burgers and no-fry onion rings
Thursday - Grilled cheese sandwiches and onion soup
Friday - Broiled salmon, oven-roasted potatoes, oven-roasted carrots, and scalloped onions
Saturday - Homemade pizza 🍕
Sunday - Leftovers

Well, Ladies, that's it for this time! I pray that all is well with you and yours and that you have a blessed week ahead!

Until next time...
~Rebecca

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Thursday, August 20, 2020

Avocado Blessings

Our daughter and her family were blessed with a large amount of produce yesterday. She passed on two nice cantaloupes and two 5-count bags of large avocados to us. 

The cantaloupes needed to ripen a few more days, but the avocados were at peak and needed to be used. How was I going to use up ten large avocados in a hurry?

In talking with Amber about them a little while ago, I discovered that she had frozen her avocados in halves. I didn't realize that avocados could be frozen! Wow! 😲

After talking with her, and doing a little further research on the California Avocado site, I decided to turn our avocados into guacamole and freeze it that way.

I saved back two avocados to be eaten fresh. We love them in salads, made into deviled egg filling, baked in the oven with bacon and eggs (see recipe below), and a variety of other ways. 


The remaining eight avocados I turned into guacamole (avocados peeled, pitted, and mashed mixed with lemon juice, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt to taste).


Then I divided it into half-cup portions and wrapped each portion tightly in cling-wrap and flattened to about the size of a deck of cards.


Out of eight large avocados I ended up with twelve pre-made packages of guacamole. 


To be used they just have to thaw in the fridge overnight.

To find out more about avocados and how to freeze them visit the California Avocado page by clicking HERE.


AVOCADO, BACON, AND EGGS

1 avocado
2 eggs
2 strips of pre-cooked, crumbled bacon

Cut the avocado in half and remove the pit. Scoop out enough avocado to make a hole that matches the size of your egg.

Stabilize avocado halves by balancing them upright, and level, on the top of a muffin tin. Crack an egg into each avocado half and top with crumbled bacon. I added a sprinkling of black pepper over ours, but you can season, or not season, as you choose.

Bake in a preheated 425 degree oven for 15 minutes or until eggs are cooked through.

Until next time...
~Rebecca

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Midnight Musings

 

After spending a day of fun with our youngest son and his family today (yesterday now), and shopping the Amish and Mennonite stores to the north of us, I was in bed early tonight (last night)...like...by 8:15! Now...here it is after midnight and I'm wide awake. 😳 

We had a great day! We met early and headed north, doing a little geocaching along the way. We visited the herb shop, the bulk food store, the bakery, and museum before lunch; after lunch we visited the Amish store out in the country.

John and I picked up bulk food items that we were low on or out of (whole wheat flour, rolled oats, popcorn, tapioca, and real salt), as well as a few basic spices and flavorings (black pepper, cinnamon, and vanilla); at the herb shop I got Ginger Chews and selected a few flavors of Zevia to try. I don't know if I'm going to like them or not, but will find out soon enough.

While visiting the museum we found a few little trinkets of interest in their gift shop. I was delighted to find this life-sized pumpkin for only $3.00 and just in time for fall!

We had lunch at a friend's restaurant and it was good to just sit and visit with them a bit and catch up.

Afterwards, we headed for the Amish store and rounded out our day by purchasing a brand new teakettle.

Actually, John had bought me a Pioneer Woman teakettle for my birthday, but, upon receiving it, and taking the lid off, we discovered that the enamel inside the pot was chipped, so we returned it. It's a shame, too! Pioneer Woman's stuff is so pretty, but the quality of it is really low...especially when considering what you pay for it.

We found this stainless steel teakettle at the Amish store for several dollars less than what he had paid for the Pioneer Woman one and it has twice the holding capacity.

After the Amish store we hit the freeway and headed our separate ways. John and I stopped by Dollar Tree and the grocery store on our way home and dropped a few things off to our daughter on the way through.

After that, it was get home, get stuff put away, and relax. We had brought leftovers home from lunch, so we had that for supper, watched an episode or two of Bringing Up Bates, and, then, it was off to bed. I was beat!

Now, it's nearly 1:00 in the morning and I'm starting to get sleepy again. I think it's time to head back to bed, but it was great getting to spend a few minutes with you...even if it is the middle of the night! 😆

Have a blessed Thursday and I'll talk to you again soon!

Until next time...

~Rebecca

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Putting Up Garden Produce

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Tuesday, August 18, 2020

Putting Up Garden Produce

Today I was able to slow down, stay home, and put up garden produce...which was really nice. 💗


My husband picked everything yesterday.


















I ended up putting up a gallon of banana peppers, three gallons of green peppers, and four quarts of tomatoes this morning.


My BFFF came over in the afternoon and rescued me with caffeine and chocolate. She also helped me snap green beans while we visited.

We were recently given a couple of bags of potatoes, so I decided to cut the potatoes up and add them to the beans. We ended up with a total of 14-quarts of green beans and potatoes.


I was also given some cucumbers at work last week, so I diced them up, added a couple of onions and a few other ingredients, and made a quart of cucumber salad. John and I had some of it with supper tonight and it was so good! 😋

It was wonderful getting to spend the day at home doing some of the things that I love most!

Until next time...
~Rebecca

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Monday, August 17, 2020

Master List and Menu Monday - August 17, 2020

Good morning, Everyone! 💗

How was your week and weekend?

Our week was busy and full here. In fact, for the most part, I've been on a dead run since last we visited a week ago.

Amanda arrived late Monday evening; early Tuesday morning she and I headed to Springfield where we enjoyed shopping at Bass Pro, lunch at Hemingway's, and going through Wonders of Wildlife and the National Aquarium. It was a lot of fun!

Me and Our Youngest Daughter, Amanda, At Bass Pro

On Wednesday Amber treated us to a special birthday lunch and home spa party where we enjoyed home-concocted facials and sugar-scrubbed foot treatments. Our son-in-law's 99-year-old great-grandma joined us and she is a hoot! We had so much fun listening to her stories and hearing about some of her many antics! After the spa treatments we enjoyed homemade banana splits. Yum! 😋

Granddaughter, Kira, Is A-Okay With This Spa Stuff 😆

Wednesday night our youngest son and his family, and one of my cousins, joined us for an evening of entertainment and stargazing. Amanda and Nicole and I laid out in the yard on blankets and watched the Perseid's meteor shower for a while and, I'm happy to say, we weren't disappointed! We saw several really lovely meteors!

Perseid's Meteor Shower 2020 

Amanda left on Thursday and on Friday (in celebration of my birthday and her return to school as a teacher this week) a friend from work and her sister invited me to join them for a picnic lunch at a local park. It was a lot of fun and it was nice visiting with them. I will miss Claudia at work, though...especially on Mondays. 😞

I worked Saturday and, last night, we were invited to our next-to-the-youngest son and dil's for supper. While there, we celebrated our granddaughter's 15th birthday, which is today. 

We did a little geocaching throughout the week, too, which is sooooo much fun! 

Now it's Monday and it's time to go to get to work. Let's get started on this week's master list and menu plan, shall we?

This Week's Master To-Do List...

- clean house 🏡
- pick and put up garden produce (tomatoes, green beans, green peppers, and banana peppers) 🍅
- work 💲
- clean out the fridge 🍗🥬🍉
- do laundry 👚
- get together with my BFFF 👩
- make bread 🥖
- shop the Amish and Mennonite stores north of us 🛒
- lead an evening hike at the park 🥾
- write and mail 'thank you' notes ✉
- do some planning 📔
- write a few blog posts 💻
- read 📖
- do a little geocaching (if we get the time and opportunity) 🧭
- walk daily 👟


This Week's Menus...

Monday - Breakfast for supper 🥓
Tuesday - Oven-roasted chicken breasts, baked potatoes, cottage cheese, sliced tomatoes and green beans 🐔
Wednesday - ? 
Thursday - Turkey burgers and oven fries 🍔
Friday - Broiled salmon, baked potatoes, cottage cheese, and brussel sprouts 🐟
Saturday - Pasta, sauce, and homemade bread 🍝
Sunday - Leftovers

Well, Ladies, that's it for this time! I pray that all is well with you and yours and that you have a blessed week ahead!

Until next time...
~Rebecca

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Monday, August 10, 2020

Master List and Menu Monday - August 10, 2020

Hello, Everyone! 💗 

How was your weekend? Our weekend here was great! 

We had friends over Friday evening, I worked Saturday, we had a good service Sunday morning, and Sunday afternoon and evening were spent cleaning house, doing laundry, and getting ready for the week ahead. Ruby went home Saturday night.

Now, here it is Monday morning and it's time to go to work. 

Passion Flower

Let's get started on this week's master list and menu plans, shall we?

Blue Sage

This Week's Master To-Do List...

- clean house 🏡
- do laundry 👚
- work 
- spend time with family and friends
- celebrate my birthday 🎂
- make a batch of French bread 🥖
- write a few blog posts 💻
- read 📚
- do a little geocaching 🧭
- walk daily 👟

White-tailed Deer Hidden in the Grasses

This Week's Menus...

I tried a couple of new recipes over the weekend. One was for a low-carb peanut butter shake; the other for a lentil salad. I did tweak the lentil recipe a bit, but both dishes turned out great. I will definitely make the shake again and probably the lentil salad, too.

Monday - Turkey burgers and oven fries 🦃
Tuesday - out
Wednesday - out
Thursday - Breakfast for supper 🥓
Friday - Broiled salmon, baked potatoes, and oven-roasted carrots 🐟
Saturday - Pasta, sauce, and homemade bread 🍝
Sunday - Leftovers

Well, Ladies, that's it for this time! I pray that all is well with you and yours and that you have a blessed week ahead!

Until next time...
~Rebecca

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Friday, August 7, 2020

Good FRIDAY Morning - August 7, 2020

Greetings All!

Despite the best of intentions, here it is...Friday...and I've not posted a single mid-week blog post. For some reason, I cannot consistently seem to make it past my Monday home management posts and I do miss it. 😢

It's been a lusciously cool week...more like fall than summer...but temperatures are creeping back up and it looks like the heat is going to return with a vengence starting tomorrow. It is raining right now.

It's been a busy week. I worked on Monday and, on that same day, our youngest son celebrated his 25th birthday and our eldest daughter and her husband celebrated 18 years of marriage. It was a good day!

We voted on Tuesday and discovered our first Geocache...which, even though it was small, was very exciting! 


That evening we went out to see our next-to-the-youngest son and his wife's new place (which is absolutely beautiful!!!) and celebrate granddaughter, Ruth's, 5th birthday. It was another good day!

Wednesday I put up peppers; today I need to put up tomatoes.

Yesterday I met our eldest daughter-in-law for our quarterly breakfast date and, in the afternoon, I got together with my BFFF. Both of these sweet ladies remembered my birthday early and both blessed me with, among other things, the same pretty pumpkin! What's even funnier is, I had blessed my daughter-in-law with the same pumpkin in a different color! So funny! What are the chances??? LOL! 😆

                      


                                         

Today is our oldest son's birthday. After I get done putting up tomatoes, I plan on dropping a card off and visiting with him for a bit. Then, I will probably stop in and enjoy a cup of tea with my eldest daughter. After that I plan on coming home and preparing for tonight's movie night.

I mentioned on Monday that we were dog-sitting for a friend. Having Ruby here has been a complete joy! John and I have had more fun playing frisbee with her and she's so smart! She's an amazing dog and we will miss her greatly when she goes home.


Well, I better get going. It was nice spending some time with you this morning, but I better get started on those tomatoes. You all have a nice day and a great weekend, and blessings to all!

Until next time...
~Rebecca

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Monday, August 3, 2020

Master List and Menu Monday - August 3, 2020

Good morning, Ladies! 

Can you believe that it's the first Monday of August already? 2020 is, literally, flying by! 🌞

How was your week and weekend? Other than Clementine passing away on Thursday, ours wasn't bad...just busy with lots of activity.

Tiger Swallowtail on One of My Zinnias

I have to head to work shortly, so I don't have a whole lot of time this morning, but, hopefully, I will be able to sit down and spend some time with you tomorrow or a little later in the week.

Let's get right on into this week's master list and menu plans, shall we?

This Week's Master To-Do List...

- clean house 🏡
- do laundry 👚
- work 
- celebrate three birthdays...youngest son, oldest son, and a granddaughter 🎂
- wish eldest daughter and s-i-l a Happy Anniversary 💓💓
- VOTE in Tuesday's primary 🗳
- get together with d-i-l for breakfast 🥓
- get together with my BFFF 
- dog-sit for a friend 🐕
- host WLMO movie night 🎥
- post a few blog posts 💻
- read (if I get a chance) 📚
- go for daily walks 👟

This Week's Menus...

We're getting lots of tomatoes out of the garden and are enjoying them in a variety of ways. They will be featured daily in this week's menus. 🍅

Monday - Oven-roasted chicken breasts with a green salad, tomato salad, and feta cheese 🐔
Tuesday - Bacon, lettuce, and tomato sandwiches 🥓
Wednesday - Meatloaf with boiled, buttered potatoes, frozen peas, and fresh tomato slices 🐄
Thursday - Homemade pizza with fresh tomatoes, fresh basil, garlic, and provolone cheese 🍕
Friday - Broiled salmon with baked potatoes, green beans, and fresh tomato slices 🐟
Saturday - Pasta, sauce, and homemade bread 🍝
Sunday - Leftovers

Well, Ladies, that's it for this time! I pray that all is well with you and yours and that you have a blessed week ahead!

Until next time...
~Rebecca

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