Reading // Before bed, at the Toyota dealership, while on the treadmill. It’s only been 2 weeks, but my intention to read a little every day this year is going like gangbusters so far!
Writing // Lots of to-do lists for stuff to get done after Emma goes to bed, but then throwing them out the window and doing something else instead, like reading, or watching TV, or just lying on the couch in a heap.
Feeling // Frustrated by the state of our house. I just feel like we have no space for anything anymore! The living room has basically turned into a glorified playroom. The dining room is my sewing room (which, yes, I’ve said is good but it’s also cluttery). We have a treadmill is in our bedroom. Jose’s telescopes (yes, multiple) sit by the back door because there’s no other good place to put them.
Thinking // About how to use our house a little more effectively, thanks to the frustrations I just mentioned. Our house is not small, and there’s only 3 of us. There MUST be a more functional way to use the space. Three possibilities that might go a long way:
- Replace the big furniture in the guest room with smaller furniture, then move the treadmill in there. (As a bonus, early morning workouts would then be possible since it wouldn’t wake up the other person.) Jose could then keep his telescopes either in there too, or in our bedroom.
- Relocate some of Emma’s toys to the bonus room and start using it as a playroom. She’s not old enough to send upstairs on her own yet, but we could all hang out up there together, and it’d get some of the toy overflow out of the living room. We have this huge room that we basically never use, which I recognize is silly.
- Get rid of stuff we don’t need/use. ‘Nuff said.
Creating // Photos with my new camera! My 70D arrived as scheduled last week and I immediately began playing around with it. I took these photos on Saturday morning while we were just hanging out. The low light performance is, as expected, a total game changer — any shots inside the house with my 20D always had some noise, even during the day, but these are so much better.
On the flip side, the focus seems slightly off to me here. I nearly always use auto-focus and the 70D has a different focusing scheme than my 20D, so I probably need to just read the manual.
Hoping // For the return of sunny days very soon. It’s been gray and rainy for what feels like forever — even following us to Charlotte and back over the holidays. What do you do with an active 2-year-old when it’s too cold and wet to play outside and they’ve been cooped up in the house all day? If this weekend is still gray and rainy, I honestly don’t know what I will do.
Needing // Some new recipes that are simple enough for weeknights. On Monday, I made a baked pasta dish that we all really like, but it takes over an hour to make. I need meals that take 60 minutes, tops — and that means the recipe needs to advertise itself as no more than 45 minutes, because I’m always slower than whatever time is given. We’ve been rotating through the same 8-10 meals for months and I’m ready for something new. Please give me suggestions!
Anticipating // Flex Friday this week. After all the togetherness of the holidays and then coming back to work, I really need some “me” time.
i feel like we’re stuck in a meal rut too… makes it so hard to cook! Hope we both find some inspiration soon!
have you ever tried skillet lasagna? i tweak the recipe but i like this base
http://jamiecooksitup.net/2014/03/30-minute-skillet-lasagna-of-wonder/
And anything crockpot is a disaster for me…
That looks good — and easy! I’ll try it soon.
Yeah, I have also not had a lot of luck with the crockpot, although I haven’t tried it much either. I just think crockpot stuff tends to come out as mush. :-/
So best way to combat the mush — first of all only use tough meats (e.g. roasts, dark meat chicken, ribs, stews, chilis, etc.) that you wouldn’t even want to eat unless they are slow cooked. Do not add any vegetables but onions when you begin the crock pot cooking. Examples: Add potatoes/yams about 1 hr before you want to eat, and add carrots about 30 minutes before you want to eat, for instances (just pre-cut them and have them waiting), and they come out with some crunch and more solid, but still absorbing the yummy stew flavors. Still crock pot food only really appeals to me on days like today where you really want a warm hardy stew.
Texas: Home of the house with a million square feet and no storage space.
Recipe ideas: You should fall back on the casseroles and the crock pot – both of which can be prepared in advance too. Favorites recently: Tamale casserole (mix up HEB that green sauce, cheese, sour cream, pour over tamales, bake for 45 minutes, but very unhealthy). Pork ribs in crock pot (bbq sauce, wine, olive oil) + a big farm salad (e.g. with corn, cheddar cheese, lots of greens of various types). Salmon burgers are also a standby for me. As is this super fast salmon recipe: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/salmon-baked-in-foil-recipe.html; Also in general dutch oven / crock pot stews, etc., but they need to cook all day, they are fast to prep and serve when ready; homemaid pizza (in a couple years, or maybe now, kid assistance is welcome).
This is also good, I add cherry tomatoes: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/roasted-shrimp-and-orzo-recipe.html