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Monday, August 30, 2021

Master To Do List and Menu Plan Monday - August 30, 2021

Good morning, Dear One! 💗

It's Monday! In fact, it's the LAST Monday of August! Can you believe it? 😲 Summer is nearly over and fall is upon us! 🍁 I, for one, am not complaining...nope...not one little bit! 😁

How was your week and weekend? My week was good. I didn't get everything accomplished that I wanted to, but I did make progress. 

Bumble Bee on Zinnia

Now that school is back in session, I was able to get a hold of the automotive teacher at the vo-tech in Lamar and, thankfully, even though I had to have a tow truck to get it there, my car is finally at the mechanic's. It will still be a week or two before the students are certified to work in the shop and get it fixed, but, at least, it's there and the process has begun. Pray that everything goes well and that they are able to do everything that it needs. My children have been kind enough to give me rides and a couple of them have allowed me the use of their second vehicles throughout this time and I appreciate it, but, after not having a running vehicle of my own for nearly three months, it will be nice to be back on the road. 

Other than that, the main thing I accomplished last week, was to deep-clean the bedroom and do a little redecorating. I added a desk and lamp and took down the bear, moose, and cabin stuff.

Before

I lightened the room up by adding lace curtains, paper shades, and a floral motif. It appears much brighter and airier now.

After
(Lace Curtain Panels - Amazon; Bed Spread and Pillow Shams - Home Depot)

Peonies and Vase
(Dollar General)

Other than that I got little done. This past week has been the hardest since my husband passed. At first I was so relieved that he wasn't hurting anymore that it was a blessing. Now I'm remembering the good times and thinking about what we really had. I am missing him more and more every day. 😢 

Okay...that's enough of that! Let's get on with today's post...shall we?

Sunflower Cross
(Made and sent to me by my friend, Bev. Isn't it lovely?)

This week's master to-do list...

- clean house 
- do laundry 
- figure September budget and bills 
- go to the bank 
- pay bills 
- start thinking about fall and making lists of things that need to be done before winter 
- get together with my BFFF 
- go with dil to visit oldest granddaughter and see her new home 
- get groceries 
- work (if I can muster up the courage...haven't worked on site since mid-March) 
- deep clean bathroom and hallway 
- lay tile in bathroom and hallway 
- finish weed-eating 

Hummingbird @ the Feeder

This week's menu plan...

Monday - Salisbury steak (freezer), baked sweet potato, and sautéed spinach
Tuesday - Chicken and Lentil Soup with baking powder biscuits
Wednesday - Stuffed peppers in sauce over spaghetti squash (freezer) with green beans and sour dough bread
Thursday - Chicken Angelo Parmesano with pasta (freezer), oven-roasted carrots, and sautéed celery
Friday - Broiled salmon, baked sweet potato, and steamed broccoli
Saturday - Curry Soup
Sunday - Leftovers



Well, that's it for today. Have a beautiful day and a great week ahead! 

Until next time...
~Rebecca

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Wednesday, August 25, 2021

Wisdom Wednesday - August 25 - Proverbs 25

How are the words that you choose to speak? Are they 'fitly spoken'? 

Proverbs 18:21 tells us that "life and death are in the power of the tongue." Therefore we should choose our words wisely. 

Here are a few more verses from the book of Proverbs concerning our tongue and the words that roll off of it...

"A wholesome tongue is a tree of life: but perverseness therein is a breach in the spirit." (Proverbs 15:4)

"Pleasant words are as an honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones." (Proverbs 16:14)

"The words of a man's mouth are as deep waters, and the wellspring of wisdom as a flowing brook." (Proverbs 18:4)

Until next time...
~Rebecca

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Monday, August 23, 2021

Master List and Menu Plan Monday - August 23, 2021

Good morning, Dear One! It's Monday! 💗

How are you? How was your week and weekend? 

My week here was good. I accomplished much more than I expected to and was able to cross several small jobs off my to-do list. The main thing I accomplished was deep-cleaning the kitchen. It wasn't even on my current to-do list, but the mood struck and I jumped on it! It took the better part of three full days to finish it, but it was worth it. I took out tons of trash and things to be donated and recycled. Everything looks and feels so much better now and, soon, it will be time to decorate for fall! Yeah!!! 

I hit the ground with my feet running this morning. I have sour dough bread rising in a bowl on the counter, have done three loads of laundry, washed and rehung curtains, and have taken care of quite a bit of business on the phone. 

I'm expecting a tow truck to arrive soon. My car has been down since April. With everything happening with John and him being home on hospice, the car being broke down wasn't even on my list of priorities. By the time it was, my mechanic at the vo-tech in Lamar was out of school for the summer. I would have to wait. 

I finally got a hold of the mechanic this morning. School is back in session and, even though it will still be a few days before the boys are certified to work in the shop, the mechanic said to go ahead and get it down there and they will get started on it as soon as possible. When the tow truck arrives, my car will finally be on the road to recovery! Praise the Lord! 

Since I've been working inside so much this week, I didn't even think about taking pictures. I did take a picture of the birdfeeder that I got for my birthday after filling it, so I will post that. 



And this one of one of the pretty cups I received for my birthday, as well..


Let's get started, shall we?


This week's master 'to-do' list...

- clean house
- do laundry
- make sourdough bread
- get car to mechanic
- write a few cards and letters
- deep clean bedroom
- purchase pull shades
- order new bedding and curtains
- deep clean bathroom and hallway
- lay tile in bathroom and hallway
- weed-eat

This week's menu plan...

Monday - Homemade pizza 🍕
Tuesday - Chicken Angelo Parmesano with pasta (freezer), oven-roasted carrots, and green beans 🐔
Wednesday - Tuna patties with baked potato and mixed vegetables 🐟
Thursday - Stuffed banana peppers in sauce over baked spaghetti squash with sour dough bread and leftover green beans 🦃
Friday - Broiled salmon, baked sweet potato, and steamed broccoli 🐟
Saturday - Salisbury steak in gravy with mashed potatoes and corn 🦃
Sunday - Leftovers

Well, that's it for today! I wish you and yours a nice day and a great week ahead! 

Until next time...
~Rebecca

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Friday, August 20, 2021

Recipes For Sourdough Starter, Pancakes, and Biscuits and Link To a Beginner's Sourdough Bread Recipe

It's been a while since I've made any sourdough starter, but due to a renewed interest in my own health and healing, I determined, this morning, to find a half-gallon jar and get some starter going.


I've shared these recipes before, but it's been a while, so I've decided to share them again. 

What about you? Have you tried your hand at sourdough before? If so, what's been your experience? Do you have any recipes to share?

Here are the recipes that I have to share and, since I can't find my mother's recipe for sourdough bread, I will share a link to the Beginner's Sourdough Bread Recipe that I am going to try next. You can get to that recipe by clicking HERE.

NOTE: You can use the following starter for the 2 teaspoons of sourdough starter called for to make the 1/4 cup of Active Sourdough Starter in the recipe mentioned above at Little Spoon Farm.


Should you choose to do so, have fun experimenting with, cooking, and baking with sourdough! 

SOURDOUGH STARTER

1 package active dry yeast
1/4 cup lukewarm water (potato water is good)
2 cups warm water
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tablespoon sugar

Using a quart size (or half-gallon) mason jar or crock, dissolve yeast with 1/4 cup water. Allow to stand several minutes then stir in water, flour, and sugar. Cover with a cloth. Leave overnight at room temperature. Stir down several times as mixture rises to top. The longer the mixture stands at room temperature, the stronger the sour taste. Replace cover and refrigerate until ready to use. To maintain an ample supply of starter, each time you use it, replenish it with equal amounts of warm water and flour. Makes about 2 cups.


SOURDOUGH PANCAKES

(This is the sourdough recipe that we usually use.)

Mix the night before using:

2 cups flour
2 cups milk
1 cup starter

Let stand overnight at room temperature.

When ready to cook, add:

2 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt

Stir batter until well mixed. Grease griddle if necessary. Pour or spoon pancake batter onto hot griddle. When bubbly and puffed, turn and brown other side. Serve with your favorite syrup. Makes 16 pancakes.

For future use, add to starter:

1 cup water to original jar
1 cup flour
1 tablespoon sugar

Keep refrigerated.


SOUR DOUGH BISCUITS

Mix the night before using:

1 cup sourdough starter, at room temperature
1/2 cup warm water
1 cup flour

Let stand overnight at room temperature.

1 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon sugar
Bacon drippings or butter or olive oil

About 1 hour before serving, turn dough out on 1 cup of the flour on a bread board. Combine remaining 1/2 cup flour with baking powder, soda, salt, and sugar. Knead flour lightly into batter. Make a well in the dough and mix dry ingredients into the batter, kneading lightly to get correct consistency for rolling dough without sticking. Roll to 1/2 inch thickness. Cut biscuits with a cutter or into 2" x 3" rectangles. Brush tops with warm bacon drippings or warm butter or olive oil. Place biscuits 1/2 inch apart on baking sheet, or close together in a 9-inch square pan, and set in a warm place to rise about 1/2 hour. Bake at 400 degrees about 20 minutes. Makes 14 biscuits.

Until next time...

~Rebecca

P.S. - After posting this post I found my original Sourdough Bread recipe. You can get to it by clicking HERE. 

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Wisdom Wednesday - August 18 - Proverbs 18


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Wednesday, August 18, 2021

Wisdom Wednesday - August 18 - Proverbs 18

"A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother." (Proverbs 18:24)


Until next time...
~Rebecca

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Monday, August 16, 2021

Master List and Menu Plan Monday - August 16, 2021

Greetings, Dear One! It's Monday! 💗

How was your weekend? My weekend here was good...full...with lots going on. 

Friday, of course, was my birthday. Daughter, Amber, and the grands picked me up Friday morning and we headed home to Blue Springs. It rained most of the way up, but, by the time we got there the rain had stopped and the sun was shining. 

A Boat Moored @ Sailboat Cove

We had a lovely picnic lunch at Sailboat Cove on Lake Jacomo. Afterwards, we visited some of our old haunts and my old school chum, Nancy. In doing so, I got to say goodbye (in my own way) to two more dear-to-my-heart friends that have passed this year. I can't say that it was a fun day, but it was a good day that gave me a bit of closure and I enjoyed spending time with my daughter and grands.

Grands Audrey, Silas, Isaiah, Esther, and Mercy
@ Sailboat Cove

Saturday was quiet. I went to Dollar General to pick up a few things in the morning, then, spent the rest of the day piddling around the house. I washed a couple of loads of bedding, watched Road to Avonlea, did some reading, and worked on my current embroidery project. (I'm still awaiting the arrival of the basic embroidery thread colors that I ordered a couple of weeks or so ago. I ordered a big package of assorted colors early on and they are beautiful, but there's not a single black, white, brown, or gray among them. I've got two tea towels completely done except for the areas that need filled in with those colors. I probably should be checking on that order and find out where it is.) 😕

Sunday afternoon and evening were spent at Buddy and Christy's (next-to-the-youngest son and his wife's) place out in the country. While there I got to wish granddaughter, Liz, a Happy Birthday and enjoyed a good supper with homemade ice cream for dessert.

Buddy and Christy's Pond

After supper we enjoyed a walk down to the pond where I took a few frog pictures. 

A Prince of a Frog

On the way home I saw a deer and fawn in a farm field and four wild turkeys flew across the road in front of me. It was a beautiful evening in rural Missouri farm country.

Our Two Youngest Granddaughters,
Cousin, Kira and Hannah

Now, here it is, Monday morning and time to get on with another week! Let's get started...shall we?

This week's master to-do list...

- clean house
- do laundry
- celebrate granddaughter, Liz's, birthday
- celebrate granddaughter, Gianna's, birthday
- see my doctor
- weed-eat 
- figure some things out and make some decisions

Sunflower Birdfeeder

This week's menu plan...

This week I am going to focus on using up fresh vegetables and freezer meals for supper, and I have a lot of fresh fruits that will be used for breakfasts and snacks.

Monday - Out
Tuesday - Turkey sausage patty with sautéed peppers and onions and fried potatoes
Wednesday - Chicken Angelo Parmesano (freezer) with oven-roasted carrots and sautéed spinach
Thursday - Taco spaghetti squash boat (freezer)
Friday - Broiled salmon, baked sweet potato, sautéed spinach and fried apples
Saturday - Turkey burger and oven fries
Sunday - Leftovers


Well, Ladies, that's it for today! You all have a great day and a wonderful week ahead and I'll be with you again soon.

Until next time...
~Rebecca

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Thursday, August 12, 2021

Thursday Things - A Visit From Youngest Daughter, a Crescent Moon, Meteor Shower, Splendor, and More

It's Thursday afternoon and the smell of fresh basil drying in the oven fills the house. I harvested some soon after Amanda and the girls left.

Freshly Picked Basil

They arrived Tuesday evening after Amanda got off work. Soon after arrival we grabbed some blankets and headed out  to watch the Perseids meteor shower..."my annual birthday party in the sky" ...as I call it. 

The Crescent Moon and Venus in the Western Sky

The night sky was absolutely gorgeous! The crescent moon and Venus hung low in the western sky and soon disappeared below the horizon. Overhead we caught sight of several lovely meteors as they went streaking across the darkening nighttime sky; a few of them were quite brilliant. We observed again last night, but the meteor shower peaks tonight (the 12th into the wee hours of the morning on the 13th). If I can muster up the courage to go out by myself I might take one last stab at observation tonight on my own. 🌠


Amanda, her girls, and I went to Mary's for breakfast yesterday morning and Patrick and Amber invited us for supper last night. Tony and Nicole treated us to homemade banana splits for dessert.

Banana Split
A Favorite Birthday Treat

The rest of our visit was spent playing Splendor. It's a great strategy game in which the players are described as "...Renaissance merchants racing to grab gems, acquire property, and please nobility." I'm afraid that Amanda has got me quite hooked on it! 

Splendor

Now it's time to straighten the house a bit, do some laundry, and get ready for tomorrow. Amber is taking me home (Blue Springs) tomorrow for my birthday. 

Until next time...
~Rebecca

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Wednesday, August 11, 2021

Wisdom Wednesday - August 11 - Proverbs 11:22

"As a jewel of gold in a swine's snout, so is a fair woman which is without discretion." (Proverbs 11:22)

That brings a pretty picture to mind, doesn't it? Maybe something like this...



Just think how ridiculous it would it be for a farmer to ring his hogs' noses with gold and jewels! Yet, that is exactly what this verse in Proverbs 11 likens a woman without discretion to no matter how pretty she is!



Discretion - "prudent, circumspect, and judicious (that is, having good or well-reasoned judgment) in one's words or actions; being modestly unobtrusive in behavior."

Discretion, Ladies! 

Let each of us invite the Lord to reveal our indiscretions as we allow Him to heal us and help us in using Biblical discretion at all times.

Until next time...
~Rebecca

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Tuesday, August 10, 2021

Tuesday Tidbits - Hot Temperatures, A Broken Vacuum Cleaner, An Impending Visit, and More

It's a hot and humid Tuesday here in southwest Missouri. The actual temperature is only 94 degrees, but it feels like 107. We are under a heat advisory until 8:00 p.m. Thursday.

Gulf Fritillary Butterfly on Zinnia

The past two days have been productive. I've gotten a variety of things done that have needed doing for quite some time. Slowly, but surely, I feel like I'm regaining some control over this house. 

The vacuum cleaner conked out on me today. It sounded funny when I first turned it on, then it made a loud noise, and quit. It won't even turn on now. The sad thing is, I haven't had it that long, but I can't find the receipt for it and I seriously doubt that, with all that was going on with my husband at the time, that I sent the warranty information in. I just went ahead and ordered a new one online and will make sure and get that sent in with this one as soon as it arrives. I'm so disappointed.

Speaking of my husband, today marks the one-month anniversary since his passing. I can't believe that it's been that long already. I miss him so much and feel that a part of me is missing, too. When he died a part of me went with him.

My Husband Back in the Late 80's

Amanda (my youngest daughter) and her family are coming down this evening and plan on spending two nights. I hope that, after they get here tonight, we can lay out in the yard and watch the Perseid meteor shower. It happens every year around my birthday and it's an annual event that I very much look forward to each year. 

The Perseids Meteor Shower

Well, I need to get back to work. I've enjoyed having a cup of tea and visiting with you while taking a short break. Have a great Tuesday afternoon and evening and I'll see you again soon.

Until next time...
~Rebecca

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Monday, August 9, 2021

Master List and Menu Plan Monday - August 9, 2021

Greetings, Dear One! 💗

It's Monday and the week ahead promises to be a busy one! How was your weekend?

Skipper on Zinnia

My weekend here was good. Friday night I went to bed a bit earlier than I have been because Amber was picking me up early on Saturday to head to Springfield. A lot of good it did me! I really wasn't ready to go to bed that early and couldn't go to sleep. I didn't end up doing so until 3:00 in the morning. 🙄

Saturday was Dorothy's Celebration of Life. Our pastor from back in the day (late 80's...early 90's) at the Blue Spring Free Will Baptist Church conducted the service and it was such a blessing! It was great getting to see him and to visit with him and his wife for well over an hour before the service. Everything went well and Alvin did a great job! Dorothy was definitely honored. 

Dorothy and I

I know she's had a rough time of it...especially this last year...but, man! I'm going to miss her! I wish we could have gotten together just one more time. We were so looking forward to celebrating our 60th birthdays together! Please continue to remember Dorothy's children and grands in your prayers. Thanks!

Butterfly on Zinnia

Saturday evening was spent embroidering while listening to the first part of my one of my grandchildren's audio CD's (The Robber's Cave); I listened to the second part after church on Sunday. I think I enjoy listening to those as much as they do! 

Macramé Plant Hanger

While listening to the second part, I made this simple macramé plant hanger out of cording I had purchased. The plant and pretty planter pot were given to me by a dear friend when John passed away.

Sunday evening was spent piddling around the house with a variety of projects and visiting family and friends via telephone and text.

Now...here it is Monday and it's time to get on with a brand new week! Let's get started...shall we?

This week's master to-do list...

- take one day at a time 📆
- pray and seek the Lord at every turn 🙏
- clean house 🏡
- do laundry 👕
- return finished data entry project to my boss 💻
- renew my library card 💳
- return a few items that belong at households other than my own 📘
- enjoy a visit with my youngest daughter and her family 👪
- keep a couple of telephone appointments 📞
- enjoy the Perseid meteor shower (my annual birthday extravaganza in the heavenlies) 🌠
- celebrate my 60th birthday 🎂

Funny-Faced Grasshopper in the Garden

This week's menu plan...

Monday - Chicken Angelo Parmesano (except I'm using turkey instead of chicken), baked sweet potato, and sautéed spinach 🦃
Tuesday - Broiled salmon with baked potato, oven-roasted carrot, and sautéed spinach 🐟
Wednesday - ?
Thursday - Turkey breakfast sausage with sautéed peppers and onions and fried potatoes 🦃
Friday - ?
Saturday - Sue Gregg's Enchilada Casserole (vegetarian option made with black beans instead of ground turkey) 🍲
Sunday - Leftovers

Well, that's it for today! I hope you all have a great Monday and an absolutely fantastic week ahead! 

Until next time...
~Rebecca

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