My weekly menu is a little different this week because of guest we have coming in on Tuesday. I'm not bothering with planning out many meals when we usually get together with family when company is in town and dinner tends to fall into place. If we have a free night where it's just my husband and myself I can just stop by the store after work to pick up what I need.
I've only written down two meals for this week, and one of those is even a roll-over from last week that we didn't eat.
1. Baked chicken with brown rice and roasted brussels sprouts and a salad
(here is the roll-over meal, I just changed the green beans to brussels sprouts)
2. Large salad with roasted black beans and corn with all the toppings
(if there's any chicken left we'll usually put it on the salad as well)
We like to eat these salads pretty often and we load it up with all sorts of veggies but I like to add in the black beans to help give some extra protein and substance to the meal.
Sunday, June 30, 2013
Saturday, June 29, 2013
Handy Guest Supplies
We have company coming into town and staying with us next week which means I've been in deep cleaning/organizing mode for the last few days. There's nothing like company coming over to get your cleaning act together right?
As I was going through and getting everything ready I thought about how a little basket in the guest bathroom filled with some basic toiletries would be nice for guest in case they forgot to pack or lost theirs.
I tucked it right into the cabinet below the sink. I just have towels (obviously) , a heater because it gets chilly in the winter and air freshener because well...it is a bathroom. It's hidden out of sight but easily found if someone is looking around for what they need.
I picked up the basket for about $5 bucks at Wal-Mart.
In it I put....
-Toothbrush, toothpaste, floss and mouthwash
-Feminine products
-Deodorant
-Razors
-Face wipes and face lotion
Of course this doesn't cover all the bases, but that'd take up the whole cabinet if it did. This just takes care of the necessities until they can go out and replace what they need.
As for food, I like to keep snack type items handy. I have a basket in my pantry with granola bars, crackers and fruit snacks in there. Fresh fruit and yogurt in the fridge are handy too. I always keep bottle water around because even though I might be fine with the tap water here, others might not be. One item I needed to stock up on were K-cups. I try to always buy them on sale anyway but I've been grabbing a few extra here and there because I knew we'd be having company. They can get quite expensive if you're going through 5-6 of them a day.
I keep this little candy/cookie jar on the counter to hold them. I also keep a sugar dish and the stirrer right next to the coffee maker so that you don't have to go hunting for what you need, I always feel weird opening every cabinet in somebodies kitchen looking for the one thing that's alluding me. We use half & half as creamer and that's kept in the fridge for obvious reasons.
Side note, my husband is not too fond of my k-cup jar. He says it's too hard to get his hands down in there when it gets low, so I try and keep it full or else I have to set the cups out at night before bed (he makes the coffee in the morning)
As I was going through and getting everything ready I thought about how a little basket in the guest bathroom filled with some basic toiletries would be nice for guest in case they forgot to pack or lost theirs.
I tucked it right into the cabinet below the sink. I just have towels (obviously) , a heater because it gets chilly in the winter and air freshener because well...it is a bathroom. It's hidden out of sight but easily found if someone is looking around for what they need.
I picked up the basket for about $5 bucks at Wal-Mart.
In it I put....
-Toothbrush, toothpaste, floss and mouthwash
-Feminine products
-Deodorant
-Razors
-Face wipes and face lotion
Of course this doesn't cover all the bases, but that'd take up the whole cabinet if it did. This just takes care of the necessities until they can go out and replace what they need.
As for food, I like to keep snack type items handy. I have a basket in my pantry with granola bars, crackers and fruit snacks in there. Fresh fruit and yogurt in the fridge are handy too. I always keep bottle water around because even though I might be fine with the tap water here, others might not be. One item I needed to stock up on were K-cups. I try to always buy them on sale anyway but I've been grabbing a few extra here and there because I knew we'd be having company. They can get quite expensive if you're going through 5-6 of them a day.
Side note, my husband is not too fond of my k-cup jar. He says it's too hard to get his hands down in there when it gets low, so I try and keep it full or else I have to set the cups out at night before bed (he makes the coffee in the morning)
Wednesday, June 26, 2013
Our DIY Deck Extension
To help you guys get more acquainted with out house I thought I would share a project that we are working on. And when I say "we" I mean my husband.
We wanted a more usable space for us to enjoy the summer evenings. So we decided to extend the deck out a few feet to better accommodate a table set.
The deck dimensions before were basically 10ft x 14ft so to keep it as even as possible, we decided to go out another 5ft to make it 15ft x 14ft. We really just needed room for a small patio table, a grill and maybe room for a lounge chair. Plus we didn't exactly have endless amounts of money to spend on this project so we wanted to keep it as low as we could but still make it worth while.
I don't have many progress pictures but it went together fairly quick. I had very little to do with the project once the building began. My husband spent half of a Sunday and got the bulk of the framing done. He finished the rest of it, the floors and railings, throughout the next week or two putting in an hour here and there after work.
And once that part of the deck is done we want to gravel in the section from the corner of the house to the corner of the (soon to be) deck. That little addition will probably be next year though.
To take out our deck five more feet, these are the items we needed:
(the prices are what we paid at our local Lowes)
-Concrete Feet : 3 @ about $7.00 (forgot the actual price but they were under $10.00)
-Post 4x4x8 :3 @ $7.57
-Framing Support Underneath 2x8x10 : 5 @ $11.97 (we halved each)
-Bracing Between the Framing 2x8x10 : 1 @ $11.97
-Side Bottom Outside Framing 2x8x10 : 1 @ $11.97 (we halved it)
-Front Bottom Outside Framing 2x8x16 : 1 @ $18.97
-Flooring 2x6x16 : 11 @ $10.97
-Top Rail Sides 2x8x10 : 1 @ $11.97 (we halved it)
-Top Rail Front 2x8x16 : 1 @ $18.97
-Under Rail Support for the Spindles Side 2x4x10 : 1 @ $4.97 (we halved it)
-Under Rail Support for the Spindles Front 2x4x16 : 1 @ $7.97
-Spindles : I'm not sure how many we needed but they're about $1.00 each ( $40.00 probably)
- Don't forget screws and other miscellaneous hardware : another $40.00 or so
Grand Total: $379.05
Excuse the husband, it was the only close up I had
This is how our deck used to look. Before we bought our house my husband and I both had our ownapartments, which meant very little outdoor space. We were excited enough just at the thought of having our own house and the deck was just icing on the cake. There was nothing wrong with the deck, and we were happy with it for a while but this spring ideas started floating around in our heads.
We wanted a more usable space for us to enjoy the summer evenings. So we decided to extend the deck out a few feet to better accommodate a table set.
The deck dimensions before were basically 10ft x 14ft so to keep it as even as possible, we decided to go out another 5ft to make it 15ft x 14ft. We really just needed room for a small patio table, a grill and maybe room for a lounge chair. Plus we didn't exactly have endless amounts of money to spend on this project so we wanted to keep it as low as we could but still make it worth while.
Don't worry, those flowers have since been dealt with, they did not like me at all.
I'm thrilled with how it turned out. Once the wood sits for a while we plan on staining is so that all the sections match. You might notice how part of the railing isn't up on one side. That's because after spending a few evenings out there we liked it so much that we decided to keep going with it. We're going to take it out about seven feet or so towards the corner of the house and make it a step down. lower section. The half railing and stairs will be moved/taken down.
And once that part of the deck is done we want to gravel in the section from the corner of the house to the corner of the (soon to be) deck. That little addition will probably be next year though.
To take out our deck five more feet, these are the items we needed:
(the prices are what we paid at our local Lowes)
-Concrete Feet : 3 @ about $7.00 (forgot the actual price but they were under $10.00)
-Post 4x4x8 :3 @ $7.57
-Framing Support Underneath 2x8x10 : 5 @ $11.97 (we halved each)
-Bracing Between the Framing 2x8x10 : 1 @ $11.97
-Side Bottom Outside Framing 2x8x10 : 1 @ $11.97 (we halved it)
-Front Bottom Outside Framing 2x8x16 : 1 @ $18.97
-Flooring 2x6x16 : 11 @ $10.97
-Top Rail Sides 2x8x10 : 1 @ $11.97 (we halved it)
-Top Rail Front 2x8x16 : 1 @ $18.97
-Under Rail Support for the Spindles Side 2x4x10 : 1 @ $4.97 (we halved it)
-Under Rail Support for the Spindles Front 2x4x16 : 1 @ $7.97
-Spindles : I'm not sure how many we needed but they're about $1.00 each ( $40.00 probably)
- Don't forget screws and other miscellaneous hardware : another $40.00 or so
Grand Total: $379.05
Sunday, June 23, 2013
Weekly Menu June 23rd 2013
I don't know about you but when I go grocery shopping without a list, I spend way too much to come away with no real food. I could just stop by the store every couple days after work and pick up something to make for dinner, but I spend too much money that way too. Making a list is the only way for me, and to have a list I need meals in mind.
I make myself sit down on Thursday or Friday and think up some meals for the coming week. I try and think of five or so meals each week. I rarely cook on Saturdays, we usually go out or pick something up, so that leaves me with one freebie day for when I'm not in a cooking mood. When I'm thinking up the meals, I also try and think of a few that will be good for leftovers since my husband takes his lunch to work a few days a week.
Here's my planned menu for June 23rd - June 29th
1. Grilled marinated pork chops with mashed potatoes, lima beans and a salad
2. Chili dogs with homemade fries or potato wedges
3. Alfredo with corn on the cob, garlic bread and a salad
4. Baked chickens with brown rice, green beans and a salad
5. Cheesy broccoli potato soup with bread
I know, potato soup in the middle of June? But I couldn't think of anything else and it's easy. Maybe it'll be rainy one night this week and I can make it then.
I try to limit myself to a pretty tight food budget so I try my best to use the ingredients I have to buy for one meal in other meals if I can. Now I know potatoes aren't the best example here because they're cheap and I usually always have a bag handy, but you'll notice I'm using potatoes in three of my five meals. They're on sale with a 10lb bag only being $2.50, I'll have plenty to go into next week as well.
I make myself sit down on Thursday or Friday and think up some meals for the coming week. I try and think of five or so meals each week. I rarely cook on Saturdays, we usually go out or pick something up, so that leaves me with one freebie day for when I'm not in a cooking mood. When I'm thinking up the meals, I also try and think of a few that will be good for leftovers since my husband takes his lunch to work a few days a week.
Here's my planned menu for June 23rd - June 29th
1. Grilled marinated pork chops with mashed potatoes, lima beans and a salad
2. Chili dogs with homemade fries or potato wedges
3. Alfredo with corn on the cob, garlic bread and a salad
4. Baked chickens with brown rice, green beans and a salad
5. Cheesy broccoli potato soup with bread
I know, potato soup in the middle of June? But I couldn't think of anything else and it's easy. Maybe it'll be rainy one night this week and I can make it then.
I try to limit myself to a pretty tight food budget so I try my best to use the ingredients I have to buy for one meal in other meals if I can. Now I know potatoes aren't the best example here because they're cheap and I usually always have a bag handy, but you'll notice I'm using potatoes in three of my five meals. They're on sale with a 10lb bag only being $2.50, I'll have plenty to go into next week as well.
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