Goal Update 2/24

Ten Goals for the 2018-2019 school year


1. Read one non-fiction book per month :

Not happening unless you want to count cookbooks.

2. Monthly date with the husband : 

Nothing this week.

3. Weekly Game Night : 

Well chess didn't happen, but we did play some two person board games, and we are looking forward to spring break when the college kids come home. We have an adventure planned to a restaurant that also has board games.

4. Try a new recipe each week - 

This Week I made French Onion Soup from the Dinner in an Instant cookbook, both I and my husband enjoyed it. I used my electric pressure cooker to make it and while it did involve a few steps so, not a walk away and forget it recipe it still was a weeknight recipe. I was able to make a homemade bowl of French Onion soup in 30 min, instead of an hour or more. 

I also made Slow cooker Honey Garlic Chicken from Dinner Made Easy with Six Sisters Stuff , this was a little sweeter then I liked but still very good and will make it again just with a little less brown sugar and honey. I served it with white rice and while that was okay I think adding a bag of peas and carrots to the rice will make it even better. In fact since this recipe made enough for 6, was able to freeze some for a quick weeknight meal.

5. Fall Garden- Spring Garden

The peppers and tomatoes haven't yet sprouted, and it was cold and snowy this week so no outside work. So the garden work this week was just dreaming of warmer weather.

6. De-clutter- 

This week I went though the youngest child's room and filled a bag with clothes that no longer fit, and put away some stuff the college daughter had brought home over winter break. I plan on working on the college son's clothing that they have left behind.
7. Loose some weight- 

It wouldn't be a list of goals with out at least one healthy living goal. 

8. Learn a new skill - 

Well I have looked and looked for a class locally and haven't found one. But I did find a you-tuber that has an on-line class and offers a kit on her website that has everything that you need to make 11 bars of soap. Thinking of ordering that kit and taking the plunge of making soap. I have read plenty of books on soap making, but when it comes to new skills a live person or you tube seems to work best for me.

9. Reduce trash- 

Bit by Bit

10. A Financial goal-

 I am not going to share to much on this publicly but I do have a saving goal.

Trying New Recipies

One of my goals this year was to try new recipes, but this goal wasn't going well until I modified it. I now take one or two cookbooks out of the library each week and I have to make at least one recipe out of each book. 

Since I started doing this I have been trying new things, and it has been fun. I just needed to find a way to follow though with trying new things.

I have made a different style of pizza from Cook it in Cast Iron Cookbook, Fried Chicken Taco's from a Pioneer Women Cookbook, Key Lime Squares and Chocolate Chip Muffins from Baking with Friends.

This Week I made French Onion Soup from the Dinner in an Instant cookbook, both I and my husband enjoyed it. I used my electric pressure cooker to make it and while it did involve a few steps so, not a walk away and forget it recipe it still was a weeknight recipe. I was able to make a homemade bowl of French Onion soup in 30 min, instead of an hour or more. 

I also made Slow cooker Honey Garlic Chicken from Dinner Made Easy with Six Sisters Stuff , this was a little sweeter then I liked but still very good and will make it again just with a little less brown sugar and honey. I served it with white rice and while that was okay I think adding a bag of peas and carrots to the rice will make it even better. In fact since this recipe made enough for 6, was able to freeze some for a quick weeknight meal.

Looking forward to this weeks cookbooks, and I challenge you to take out a cookbook from the library and try something new. While it is fun to find recipes on line there is something about paging though a cookbook.

 

2/17 Goal Update

Ten Goals for the 2018-2019 school year



1. Read one non-fiction book per month :

OK I am just giving up on this goal, non fiction just isn't inspiring right now. I have been enjoying a channel on You tube CrowsEyeProductions  that show's short films on dressing in the past, all the layers and how they were all assembled along with a bit of history. Makes the fiction I do enjoy reading come more alive.

2. Monthly date with the husband : 

We did go on some family dates this month with the youngest who is the only one at home, as it was both my birthday and the husband's this month. We did pull off an evening in our room with onion rings and chicken nuggets and watched the new show on Netflix the Umbrella Academy, while the son at home enjoyed Fortnight online with his brother who is 4 hours away at college.

3. Weekly Game Night : 

This week it was just some two person games between Aidan and I ,as the husband was on odd work shifts so the games that I know how to play. This week since he is on a regular day shift we hope to fit in some chess lessons with Dad.

4. Try a new recipe each week - 

This time I have been baking form this cookbook Baking With Friends  I have made the Key Lime Squares, and the Chocolate Chip Muffins. The muffins used sour cream in them and they are the best Chocolate Chip muffins I have made, not to sweet and great with a cup of tea or glass of milk. The Key Lime bars were fast and easy to make I can see making them for a summer potluck or even just a summer dessert, even Aidan who can be very picky liked them. Next up I have two more cookbooks for this week, one using the electric pressure cooker and another that has a few chicken recipes I want to try.

5. Fall Garden- Spring Garden

Well the Cabbage, Broccoli and Bee Balm seeds were planted and have sprouted, today I will be planting the tomato and pepper seeds. The grow lights are working well and are not heating up so I feel okay leaving them on when we are not home. I did have to add some netting to the shelving unit where I have the grow lights as we have a puppy who likes to check everything out. 

6. De-clutter- 



Still working bit by bit, waiting till spring to get the garage de-clutter going. But did pick up some more boxes for under my bed from Michaels , I got some last year on sale and they fit perfectly. I just  was waiting for this years sale in order to have a few more plus side is that they help from anything else getting lost under the bed. I use them to store my tea cups and other decor that I switch out seasonally, and papers that no longer need to be in the file cabinet.

7. Loose some weight- 

It wouldn't be a list of goals with out at least one healthy living goal. 

8. Learn a new skill - 

This has been on past goal lists but this year I will learn to make soap. Still working on it.

9. Reduce trash- 

During a break in the snow and cold I was able to get out to the compost bins to check on them and they look good. I do believe that I want to try worm composting this summer but need to do some more research. Thinking of adding a bin to the garage just for glass since we don't have curbside recycling for that and that might help keep it in one spot.

10. A Financial goal-

 I am not going to share to much on this publicly but I do have a saving goal.

Garden 2019

It's January it's cold out and it's looking like it's going to get colder this week so no better time to think about gardening. Last year the garden did not go well at all since I was traveling most of the summer and the kids at home didn't water what I had planted. I was able to get a bed of hostas started and I will see what happens with them when they come up again this year. It has been an adjustment to change from gardening in NY to Gardening in Kansas but this year I have put more time into learning and planning for the differences. I also an still battling the poison ivy but getting better at identifying it in all the seasons.

Kansas Garden 2017

I have plans for tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, summer squash, basil, oregano, lettuce, broccoli, cabbage and adding a watermelon, pumpkin patch area. I also will be updating the garden beds and adding another one, just haven't told the husband yet about that project.

Kansas Garden 2017

This week I will be starting cabbage and broccoli in the house, and if it warms up this upcoming weekend spending some time on clean up jobs and finding a weed killer to keep the grass out of the stone walk.

 

New York Garden, where the summers are wet and cooler

Goal Up date

Ten Goals for the 2018-2019 school year

1. Read one non-fiction book per month :

Yep not doing so well on this, but I have one checked out from the library and time set aside this weekend to try to read it.

2. Monthly date with the husband : 

No new dates this month, since the husband happens to a Federal Employee so no extra spending for the next while.  But have on the list a at home date night like we used to do when we were first dating, chicken nuggets, french fry's, onion rings and a movie at the time usually Uncle Buck or Teen Age Mutant Teenagers on VHS. Will set the at home kid up with his own tv show in a different room, so it will be a date and not a family movie night.

3. Weekly Game Night : 

The youngest is loving a new game his sister bought him for Christmas, Fortnight Monopoly. With the brothers back at college we are back to two person game time. 

4. Try a new recipe each week - 

Planning on cooking from cookbooks that I take out of the library is working really well, we tried a pizza recipe from Cook it in Cast Iron Cookbook by Cook's Country and we really liked it. There are a few more recipes in there I would like to try before returning it to the library.

5. Fall Garden- Spring Garden

This week we ordered our grow lights and got them hooked up, and I have placed my seed order at Rareseeds. I also spent some time making a list of planting times and reading up on Gardening in Kansas at the K- State College Website. I will have a garden this year that will grow. 

6. De-clutter- 

Working on this bit by bit, we have friends that have a fundraiser that collects soft goods like clothing, shoes, etc and pays them by weight. My goal is by Sat to have at least 5 bags for them to pick up.  

7. Loose some weight- 

It wouldn't be a list of goals with out at least one healthy living goal. 

8. Learn a new skill - 

This has been on past goal lists but this year I will learn to make soap. Still working on it.

9. Reduce trash- 

Increase our recycling, reusing, and composting. Doing much better and working on taking our own bags to the store. 

10. A Financial goal-

 I am not going to share to much on this publicly but I do have a saving goal which is on hold for now.

A Harry Potter Inspired Photo Day

So yesterday the weather was wonderful and the lighting perfect and Kat had received a camera for Christmas so time to take some pictures

Goal Update:

Good thing that I didn't make blogging more a goal, but I have been working on things bit by bit some more then others. 

First of all starting in January I added a  new goal which should make my other goals more reachable and that is no Facebook until 2:30 in the afternoon.


Ten Goals for the 2018-2019 school year

1. Read one non-fiction book per month :

Only managed one non fiction book so far this year and plenty of fiction. Wondering if I could make cook books count as non fiction. I did read A Fine Romance, Falling in Love with the English Countryside by Susan Branch and really enjoyed it. As it is a trip I would love to do someday with my husband.

2. Monthly date with the husband : 

We  usually have been going to breakfast and we might have brought the 12 year old along on our dinner out for our 25 year anniversary.

But we did do a overnight train trip to St Louis just the two of us and it was a lot of fun. To watch the Buffalo Sabres Play. 

3. Weekly Game Night : 

This has been hit and miss but we have been trying, often its a two person game but now that the brothers are home on break we have been trying some other games.

4. Try a new recipe each week - 

This hasn't been really happening but I have added to the goal and will be trying a a recipe from each cook book I take out from the library. This past week we had Fried chicken tacos 

5. Fall Garden-

This was a bust so on to the spring garden

6. De-clutter- 

Working on this bit by bit

7. Loose some weight- 

It wouldn't be a list of goals with out at least one healthy living goal. 

8. Learn a new skill - 

This has been on past goal lists but this year I will learn to make soap. Still working on it.

9. Reduce trash- 

Increase our recycling, reusing, and composting. Doing much better and working on taking our own bags to the store.

10. A Financial goal-

 I am not going to share to much on this publicly but I do have a saving goal which is going well.