PROJECT:
I was determined to get the table set done this weekend and I did it! It took me all of Saturday and left me exhausted but I did it. I think it turned out really nice. I painted it antique white. The antique white is a little bit more white than I'd planned but it looks great. Matt and Jordon carried the table in from the mudroom and Matt put it back together today. The paint is still a bit tacky today so we weren't able to use it for supper tonight. I stained in the mudroom to have better ventilation. I'm asthmatic and I didn't think the stain fumes would be good to be breathing all day and night while the chairs and table dried. Total cost for this project was somewhere between $40 and $50. I think it was still a good deal. The new set definitely brightens up the dining room.
My second project this weekend was putting up the fall/Halloween decorations. This is my favorite holiday and I'm so disappointed that it's hardly observed here. We've gotten no trick-or-treaters in the two years we've been here. I'll have candy on hand just to be safe but I'm sure we'll end up eating it. Thankfully Jordon enjoys Halloween as much as I do so it made it more exciting to get everything out this year.
Matt and Jordon took our old table to our storage unit and I'm giving it to Jordon to use once he gets his own place. They also took Jordon's kayak to the storage unit since it's doubtful he'll be using it again this year.
MENUS:
With my overtime starting to disappear I'm needing to watch my pennies more closely and that means I have to meal plan. I haven't been doing weekly menus for a while so I'm bringing them back. Matt looked at the menu plan for the week and informed me he really liked the look of it so this menu is stamped Matt approved.
Sunday: Maple chicken thighs, loaded mashed potatoes, country style green beans and carrot salad.
Monday: Jambalaya
Tuesday: Sausage patties and mac & cheese
Wednesday: Chicken tortilla soup
Thursday: Tacos and home canned refried beans with homemade salsa
Friday: Cube steak & pepper sandwiches and steak fries
Saturday: Tortellini and sausage with 3 cheese sauce and asparagus
Sunday: Homemade fried cod, fried potatoes and cole slaw
READING NOOK:
The Art of Imperfection by Veronique Vienne
This is another little book by author Veronique Vienne. I really like her little books and grab one whenever I find one I don't have. This one covers our needing to embrace not being perfect and rejoicing in our imperfections.
The Amish Cook's Anniversary Book - 20 Years of Food, Family and Faith by Lovina Eicher with Kevin Williams
I've really enjoyed reading The Amish Cook since I discovered it a couple months ago. Kevin Williams worked for a newspaper and wanted to add an Amish recipe section to it and searched and found a woman to write the column. Elizabeth Coblentz was the original Amish Cook. Her daughter Lovina Eicher took over on Elizabeth's death and in this book Lovina's oldest daughter, Elizabeth who was named after her Grandmother, would occasionally pen a column for her mother. The first one she wrote was at age 11 and she even included a recipe for no bake cookies with it. Besides the newspaper column, they also wrote several cookbooks together which are a wonderful combination of recipes, news about the family and life in the area. They give an interesting glimpse into the Amish life. It's amazing to me to read how people would drop by unexpected for a visit and she'd feed 40+ without much thought. Reading the work involved with an Amish wedding was fascinating too.
