Getting back in the swing of things- cooking

Its shocking but its true. If you live upstairs without a kitchen and stop cooking for a year and a half, you literally forget how to cook.

I found it was incredibly easy to get out of the habit of cooking, and no matter how much I once enjoyed it, it has been hard to get started again.

I've started slowly. With a frozen pizza.

BBQ chicken pizza- made from a cauliflower vegetable pizza crust. Instead of making my own, I just started with a good one and added fresh mozzarella, sliced chicken breast and bbq sauce. It was a BIG hit.  I did however, drop it in the oven and make a HUGE mess. I blame my re-learning curve.

Red beans and rice. I put them in the crockpot one morning before I went to work. When I got home,  I added a can of red beans to help them along and make them a little more creamy and flavorful. It was just a little cooking aide. 

PB&J bars I'm pretty proud. This is something I can say I really cooked from scratch. It took me quite a while, and the kitchen is a complete mess, but I've got some delicious treats. 

Currently- Simple Woman's Day Book- May 14, 2018

Outside my window:

Its hot and I am miserable. That was one of the reasons I had a very difficult reentry to work, that and SO much work. Its going to take months to catch up. But taking two weeks off work was worth it. I honeymooned  (it was in the 60s!) and then spent the last part of it sitting on the couch with multiple cups of coffee looking at the bird feeder   getting a few house projects completed.

Around the house:


Before the flood, what use to be the upper cypress cabinets in the kitchen are now painted white and hanging in the laundry room. I also got  a countertop in the laundry room above the new washer and dryer and I am not exaggerating that I have always-always-always-always wanted one and I absolutely love it. The laundry room suddenly shaped up. Still no floor, but ....

The stairs and upstairs room have carpet and his china cabinet moved in as well, which was very beneficial since I had no furniture at all.
 

What I'm planning:

Hiring my friend's teenage son for more help organizing and moving things. Its incredible how much energy a 16 year old boy has.


Ive been enjoying:

Piddling around the house. I've cooked big breakfast each morning and elaborate dinner each night. China has been added to one of the china cabinets and two TVs are hooked up and for the first time in two years, cable has been installed. I re-arranged and organized the closet and the dressers to fit in the husband's things. I've moved  half of his pantry into my pantry and I've sat on the swing and taken a nap on the couch every afternoon. I've met friends at TJ Maxx and Marshalls in the middle of the day.  I have had some leisurely lunches out while running errands with the new husband. I really enjoyed it all. But real life started again and its all I can do to get home and take a nap. I'm worn out.

What I'm reading:

Everyday I'm Hustling by Vivica A. Fox. This is partially a book about what has happened to her in her life and career and partially an advice book. Its very interesting. She clearly has worked hard and made some smart decisions. She is also a Christian. 

Bare Bones by Bobby Bones. I actually never heard of this guy but my friend told me he had a compelling story and he really does. He is a pretty well known radio personality, grew up really poor with an alcoholic mother. Its just nice to read success stories from people who are very unlikely to be successful in their life. 

I'm linked here

How to: clean Granite countertop- the cheapest (and the best)

My really cheap granite countertop cleaning trick.

Plain, cheap alcohol.  My cousin told me about it and it works shockingly well.

She has a spray bottle, I just pour a little on and wipe it off. Unbelievably clean and shiny. 

May Goals

First of all, how is it already May? That just seems impossible...

Second, April goals were not completely met.   I did see some progress and I'm still pretty happy about what did get accomplished.

And now, May goals:

1.  Get the carpet installed in the upstairs. It was on my April list, and did not get accomplished due to finances. Carpet is costly. I'm pretty sure its going to happen this month. Fingers crossed. 

2. Use my time off of work productively and return to work rested and refreshed and ready to go.

3. Get wedding photos printed and a few in frames. Still waiting on the professional pics but there were a couple of ones on cell phones that are frame-worthy.  My friends started me an album from the shower, and I will just continue it through the wedding and honeymoon.

4. Clean off the back porch and get some furniture on it. This sounds easier than it will be. There are currently two sinks, two light fixtures, an old shop vac, an old dog bed the cat sometimes sleeps on and the like. This will all be donated- hopefully to an organization that will come pick it up- The new furniture is actually just old furniture from my new husband's house that is also moving in.

5. Go back to the Gym. I joined a Gym about 3 months ago and started walking on the treadmill for 30-45 minutes watching TV  4-5 times a week. I don't really like it, but I feel better afterwards. In the recent busy-ness, I have not been in about 3 weeks. I want to get back in the habit.

Honeymooning in the Ozarks (North Arkansas and South Missouri)

 Cooper Chapel. A little glass chapel on the side of a mountain in the middle of the woods. It was so quiet and peaceful and pretty.

 Pea Ridge Civil War Battlefield, Pea Ridge Arkansas. We spent a lot of time here and it was a beautiful place, and very informative.

Ate the best fried chicken in the South (voted by Southern Living magazine). It was delicious. Really delicious. I expected a bigger place and more crowds. 

The world's largest flower box, Neosho, Missouri (this was incredibly disappointing....no flowers in the largest flower box which is a railroad car, but it may have been too early and not the right season. It was still pretty cool.)







The first Walmart. Bentonville, Arkansas. The little store was still open and there is a museum attached to it and a 50's style ice cream parlor. Walmart owns this whole block now.

 Crystal Bridges Museum, Bentonville, Arkansas. It was very large and very nice. It even had a nice little coffee shop and deli.

 Praying Hands Monument in Webb City, Missouri (it was windy and chilly but sunny and beautiful)

Eloped at that pretty little glass chapel.

 The world's largest wind chime in Eureka Springs, Arkansas. Because it was damaged by high winds, its now  inside the building. This was a little disappointing too. 

Christ of the Ozarks, Eureka Springs, Arkansas. He is 35 feet tall (7 stories) and sits in a little park with a nice gift shop. This was both of our favorite stop.

The DIY wedding bouquet

Just as planned, I went to Whole Foods to find the freshest flowers the morning of the ceremony. It had been grey all day and I wanted something colorful that would be bright in the gray overcast afternoon of the wedding. 

I picked the bright yellow roses, added some greenery and small  white flowers and, after sitting on the floor of the hotel room, I had a little bouquet and a little boutonniere, that  I could not have possibly loved more. The bright yellow was definitely the right choice. It stood out in all the photos and everyone has complimented it. 

And, the entire thing costs $30.