Happy Homemaker Monday - 08/18/2014

Good morning my friends, come on in, I have hot coffee and some Orange cake for breakfast.

Woke up this morning to 60 degrees, and I think 60 degrees should be the temperature all year long, summer and winter.  What do you think?

Oh it feels so good outside.  After I'm done with this post, I'm going to open all the windows in the house and enjoy the fresh air.

Right, now, let's move on with our Happy Homemaker Monday!

Breakfast time....what is on the plate this morning::::
Just some instant coffee, I usually set the coffee machine to start in the morning so that when I get up, I have hot coffee to drink...but I forgot to do it last night and this morning I didn't want to mess with it, so instant coffee it is.  I added some Vanilla creamer and it's good to go.  I have a slice of Orange Cake to go with.  I am updating the recipe later with new photos as the current ones are so old and taken with my very old little camera.


On today's to do list::::

1. Laundry - Lots of it
2. Vacuum living room and bedrooms
3. Sweep and Mop
4. Water plants

Currently reading::::
Finished both The Queen of Subleties and The Glass Kitchen and have started Anne Boleyn by Norah Lofts.  Loving this one.  It is not a fiction book per se, it is more of an actual account of Anne's life, and how she met King Henry VIII, their marriage, the people surrounding them etc.  Fascinating read.


On the TV today::::
Portuguese Soaps - Beijo do Escorpiao, Mulheres
The White Queen
Documentary - The Real White Queen and Her Rivals
Documentary - The Winter King:  King Henry VIII (if you want to watch, you can do so on my sidebar at the top)
Anne of Green Gables:  The Continuing Story

The weather outside is::::
Sunny, not a cloud in the sky.  The week ahead doesn't look too bad, but I could do with Fall weather, I've noticed the older I get, the less I like heat hahahah

On the menu this week::::


Monday
L:  French Bread Pizzas
D:  Pork Chops with Parmesan Potatoes
Tuesday
L:  Clam Chowder with Oyster Crackers, Sliced Peaches
D: Steaks with Cream Sauce, lemon garlic spaghetti
Wednesday
L:  Green chile and bean burritos
D:  Bratwurst Hoagies w/ Sauerkraut, Fries
Thursday
L:  Grilled Cheese and Ham Sandwiches
D:  Slow Cooker Pot Roast, Rice, Veggies
Friday
L:  Ramen Noodles (we love these for a quick lunch)
D:  Spaghetti Pizza Pie, Salad
Saturday
L:  Hotdogs
D: Portuguese Bean Stew, Rice
Sunday
L:  Bacon, Eggs, Toast
D: Mini Cheese Topped Meatloaves, Mashed Potatoes, Steamed Broccoli


If I have a few minutes to myself, I will::::
Work on my embroidery.  Finished one of the small ones tomorrow and want to get the others going.


New recipe I tried, or want to try this week::::
Making some Soft Pretzels from my new Amish Cookbook, will share that recipe when I make it.


In the garden::::
The lettuce died, but there is one little seedling coming through again.  The spinach survived and is doing well.  My chili peppers are now going red so I will be able to harvest them soon.


Favorite photo from the camera::::
My basil.  I love basil so very much, so to see it growing so well makes me very happy.

Homemaking Tip::::
Have you ever gone to make a recipe and realized that you needed softened butter but it's hard?  Then you try to soften it a bit in the microwave and end up with melted butter?  I've been there, done that many times and it's frustrating.

About a year ago, I figured out how to get the butter softened without melting.  It is actually very easy.  Pop the stick of butter in the microwave, don't unwrap.  Microwave for 5 seconds, stop, turn it once to the right or left whichever way, go for another 5 seconds, stop, turn it again, another 5 seconds.  Do this until you've done 5 seconds on each side of the stick.  Pull it out, and you have perfect softened and non melted butter.


Visiting with Blog friends (blog you want to share, blog post that caught your eye)::::
Still going back through my blog and reading, I haven't even made it out of 2006 yet.  Boy I wrote a lot back then, and I'm actually hoping to keep up with that, I think my blog should have an entry of some kind every single day, that is what will make it fun to go back and read in the future.
As for blog friends, I've been visiting old friends and new, but other than that I haven't really had a chance this week to search for new ones.


Praying for::::
My husband is currently switching colleges and trying to get enrolled in Boise State.  Enrollment is this week and he had to wait until his previous semester with the other college ended before being able to get this ball rolling....problem is that everything is on a tight schedule, and he has to get two more transcripts sent over to BSU.  If he can't make the enrollment date, then he won't be able to do anything for the next 3 months, which also means no money coming in from his GI Bill, and that is something that will affect us enormously because it is what we use to pay rent and bills with.  Please if you could send up a prayer that everything gets done on time, I would really appreciate it.


Bible Verse, Devotional that is resonating with me at the moment::::
I love this, love it, love it, love it.  If we could all take this to heart, the world would be a much better place.

PLEASE, don't add links to this list that are not part of the Happy Homemaker Monday. I've asked numerous times, and I'm frankly quite tired of having to remove links to other posts that shouldn't be in this list. Please be respectful of my request!