I have finally gotten motivated this morning.  I am cleaning the living room.  I have wiped down the walls in 1/2 of the room and now am going go mop and lemon oil the floors then move the furniture back and do the other 1/2 of the room.   After I am done with the floors and walls, I think  I will be done for today I think.   I have a few other things to do and I am jsut not very motivated today!   Later!!

TUESDAY TO DO

VETS Donations out
Make Lambs
Meat Loaf
Calendar Update
Cooking Session - find recipes and make shopping list
Living Room
15 - Minute Room Rescue all around
Letter/Pkg to Kari and Dawn

Day one of vacation was very nice!  I got alot of the storage/craft area all straightened out.  I also spent the evening at a friends house at a Power Sort workshop.  I really enjoyed it and got all of Josh's School memborelia sorted and purged.   I started on sorting pictures too!    I plan on working on that more this week in my free time.  I bought the school times scrapbook from Creative Memories and will start with that for Josh's graduation.   This whole project really feel doable now.  I plan on going to a power layout workshop sometime next month too.  I am grateful that Suzanne invited me and encouraged me to get started.  

I didn't get home until after 10:00.  So it was straight to bed for me!    Tommy had taken a late evening nap so he was up and ready to party! ARGH!!  

Today I am working on the living room.  I need to plasitc windows, wipe down walls, and lemon oil the floors, etc.   The VETS are coming this mornign to pick up donations from yesterday.   I gotta hit the shower and get my day going!    Have a great day!

Day one of vacation was very nice!  I got alot of the storage/craft area all straightened out.  I also spent the evening at a friends house at a Power Sort workshop.  I really enjoyed it and got all of Josh's School memborelia sorted and purged.   I started on sorting pictures too!    I plan on working on that more this week in my free time.  I bought the school times scrapbook from Creative Memories and will start with that for Josh's graduation.   This whole project really feel doable now.  I plan on going to a power layout workshop sometime next month too.  I am grateful that Suzanne invited me and encouraged me to get started.  

I didn't get home until after 10:00.  So it was straight to bed for me!    Tommy had taken a late evening nap so he was up and ready to party! ARGH!!  

Today I am working on the living room.  I need to plasitc windows, wipe down walls, and lemon oil the floors, etc.   The VETS are coming this mornign to pick up donations from yesterday.   I gotta hit the shower and get my day going!    Have a great day!

I am done working on the basement now.  I got most of it done!   I have two boxes on toys and Erik's clothes to go through.   I am going to get ready to go to my Power Sort Workshop, a creative memories class at a friends house.   Supper is in the crockpots and I am off to get my stuff together...and yes,  I did get a nap in today too!!!  My first vacation day has flown by!

MACARONI  AND CHEESE

2-3 Tbsp. Butter or margarine
1 qt of milk (4 cups)
1 lb. mild cheese, grated or Velveeta heese cubed
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1 lb maaroni, Cooked al dente and rinsed

1.  Melt margarine in large saucepan.  Add milkd.  Heat Slowly but do not boil.

2.  When very hot, stir in cheese, salt and pepper.  Stir until cheese is melted.

3.  Stir in macaroni.

4.  Pour into greased slow cooker.

5.  Cover. Cook on high 15 minutes, then on low 30 minutes.

**Fix-It and Forget It Recipes for Entertaining**

Later!  Have a great evening!

Today is my first day of vacation.  I don't have to go to work today!   I have a busy day scheduled and hope to fit in a good nap!   I decided to get up at my normal time or in two weeks time I will be so off schedule it wouldn't be funny.

We are truly blessed with wonderful friends.  A friend of ours gave us a weekend in their time share next month.   So we will be going to Breezie Point for the long weekend.  What a wonderful winter break that will be.   So I might be cleaning this vacationg but next month I will be swimming and relaxing in style.

I had Tommy in underwear all day again yesterday.  He did pretty good.  I am putting him in underwear since I am home to do all the laundry.  He is tell me he has to go potty, but he says it as it runs down his leg.  We are close....I hope he does well at daycare today.  Yes, it is true my little guy is going to daycare even though I am home.  That is the only way to get anything done!

My plan for today is to de-clutter/clean the storage/craft area down stairs.  It is the worse area in the house so I figure I will conquer that first!   I still have dishes to do this morning as well.  I might as well get started.

MONDAY TO DO:

Finish Lambs
Laundry - DONE
Dishes/Floor - DONE
Call HR BLock
Clean Storage/Craft Area -DONE
Make Meatloaf
Start Supper in Crockpot - DONE

It is January and that means organizing to me!!!  I updated my Control Journal and posted my forms/routines on my website.  Take a look if you are interested!  I am determined to have my control journal/Household Notebook done by the end of my vacation!!  I have a good start!

 http://jasmine1931.tripod.com/HOUSEHOLD/Control%20Journal.htm

Supper Tonight......

SLOPPY JOES

 2-1/2 pounds of ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1-1/4 cups catsup
1 medium green sweet pepper, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1/3 cup water
3 tablespoons brown sugar
3 tablespoons prepared mustard
3 tablespoons vinegar
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoons chili powder
16 to 20 hamburger buns, split and toasted

 In a large skillet cook ground beef, onion, and garlic until meat is brown and onion is tender.  Drain off fat. 

 In a 3-1/2 to 4 – quart slow cooker combine catsup, sweet pepper, celery, water, brown sugar, mustard, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, and chili powder.  Stir in meat mixture.

 Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 6 to 8 hours or on high-heat setting for 3 to 4 hours.  Spoon into toasted buns.

 This makes a large batch.  We freeze the remainder for another time.

I am off to read my book and take a little nap.....Later!

Made this for Brunch after church today.....Hubby LOVES Biscuit and Gravy!  

BISCUITS 'N GRAVY

Biscuits

Wesson NO=stick Cooking Spray
2 cups self-rising flour
2 teaspoons sugar
1-1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 cups buttermilk
1/4 cup WESSON vegetable oil

GRAVY

1 pound bulk pork sausage
1/4 cup all-purpose Flour
2 cups milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

BISCUITS

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Lightly spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.  In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar and baking powder; blend well.  In a small bowl, whisk together buttermilk and oil; add to dry ingredients and mix until dough is moist and not sticky.  On a lightly floured surface, knead dough lightly 4 or 5 times.  Roll dough to a 3/4-inch thickness; cut with a 4-inch biscuit cutter.  Knead and scraps together and repeat cutting methods.  Place biscuits on baking sheet and bake 10 to 15 minutes or until lightly browned.  Keep warm.

GRAVY

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook and crumble sausage until brown.  Reserve 1/4 cup of drippings in skillet; drain sausage well.  Set aside.  Add flour to drippings in skillet; stir until smooth.  Cook over medium heat for 2 or 3 minutes or until dark brown, stirring constantly.  Gradually add milk, stirring constantly until smooth and thickened.  (use more milk if necessary to achieve desired consistency.)  Stir in salt, pepper and sausage; heat through.  Serve over hot split biscuits.  

Makes 6 servings (2 biscuits each)  

**NOTE **  This only made 7 biscuits when I made it and we needed more gravy so will need to double that. 
 

Getting ready to watch a movie with hubby, but he is chatting with a friend in the phone.   I got a call from my friend Dawn tonight..so good to hear from her.   I have been so busy I hadn't called her in ages!   I need to be better about that.  I ordered her a new Year gift...but it hasn't come yet.  So I will write a letter and mail that when it comes.   I wish I lived near her since I know we would do alot together with our kids.  She is jsut great!

Today was a lovely day.  We got all our errands ran.  We went to Target and got pull-ups and a few more xmas presents since the toys are now 50% off.  I bought one for Emma, Mason and Samuel.  I am all done for them for next year.  I also picked up a few small toys for my gift bins for b-days throughout the year.  Always good deals! 

Then it was off to the library.  We picked up 4 rental movies and some books for Tommy.  Tommy has already made me read most of the books to him.   I had a book come in on reserves that a friend had recommended.  I didn't think that I would like the book at all, but it is really interesting.   Link to the book below!

They we headed off to have lunch at Applebee's for lunch since I saved so much on groceries!   It was great...I had a oriental wrap which was very good and spinach artichoke dip!    After lunch we went to Toys R Us and bought a toy for Tommy.  A set of Toy Story Figures that he is earning for keeping his underwear dry!    He did well tonight..we will see how he does tomorrow.   We plan on being home all day tomorrow after church so he can be in underwear all day. 

Our last stop was Sam's club where I picked up 10 pounds of hamburger.   I am going to make about 5 pounds of it tomorrow in the crockpot for Sloppy Joes and freeze for future meals.  I will make at least 2 meatloaves and brown the rest of casseroles probably.  

Then we hung out at home and watch Monsters Inc which we checked out from the library.   Now hubby and I are getting ready to head to bed and watching one of the rental movies from the library, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.  Have a great night!!