WIS, WWA | a restock
What I Spent
I did make it out to Aldi to restock my poor empty fridge/pantry!
I spent:
- $25 at Sam's Club
- $98 at Aldi
- $30 on a Hungry Harvest box
- $15 on pizza with my group
So, $168, which is unsurprising given how little I spent last week!
What We Ate
Saturday
After clinical, I boiled some Aldi ravioli and mixed it with some pesto; salad on the side.
I went outside to eat my pasta and as I was sitting there in the beautiful weather, surrounded by green, on the steps of my little rental house, I felt so blissfully content.
I felt almost like I needed to pinch myself to believe that I get to keep living here, that this life of freedom is really mine to keep.
I never have to go back, and sometimes that still feels astounding to me.
Sunday
I went out for pizza with my clinical group to celebrate our last day! I split a pizza with a friend in my group who is also named Kristen. And she even spells it the same way (which is obviously The Correct and Superior Way).
Monday
I heated up some leftover pizza from my outing plus some leftover pizza that Zoe had baked on an earlier evening. And I ate some fresh produce on the side.
Tuesday
I satueed some tilapia and broccoli; an odoriferous combo to be sure. Thank goodness it was weather for open windows!
While I was making dinner, I noticed the light by the dandelions in my backyard was nice, so I paused and went to take a picture.
Wednesday
A green salad with chicken and a cilantro/lime dressing.
Thursday
I baked some sweet potatoes, sauteed some tilapia, added some sliced red peppers on the side, and called it good.
Friday
I am having a study session with these two classmates:
If our last sessions are any indication, this one may bleed into dinnertime. We'll see how much stamina we have!
I did a big restock yesterday, too, and I have been eating at home. However, I will bend that to get Chinese for lunch (saving half for a weekend meal).
M - I ate something, but can't remember what. Ham sammie?
T - Skillet sweet potato with pulled pork from the freezer, and some red pepper and onion
W - a frozen seasoned chicken thigh and some carrots in my mini crockpot, with TJ's gnocci on the side
T - (all freezer) Meatloaf for one, peas, seasoned fries
F - Making a new to me dish of Queso Pasta with a side salad (save some for a weekend meal)
I'll be at the hospital allll weekend with mama's of sick kiddos! Happy Mother's Day weekend!
I'm gonna give you a pass on what what obviously a dig at me and my "i." 🙂
Saturday: I used some of the Easter ham I froze to make a ham and potato gratin. It's a Julia Child recipe, except I don't ever have Swiss cheese, so I used cheddar. Still good. We also had asparagus (from the garden, yay!) and still-frozen green beans (from last year's garden).
Sunday: Pork spareribs, garlic bread, green salad with vinaigrette, pots de creme. I wasn't feeling very well in the afternoon, so it was lucky the ribs, garlic bread, and pots de creme were started earlier. My daughter made the salad using already-washed lettuce (from the garden, yay!), grape tomatoes, and already-made vinaigrette. She was very proud of herself.
Monday: I always do something for Cinco de Mayo, but this year's something was pretty lame, due to the fact that I had to work and was still not feeling great. All I managed was putting out chips and salsa before dinner. That's what Cinco de Mayo gets for being on a Monday. For actual food, I just re-heated leftover ribs, gratin, and jambalaya for everyone to serve themselves.
Tuesday: I was subbing, so I used the last of the ham and leftover rice to make a skillet meal. There were a few ribs left, too, because I had made two whole racks of ribs on purpose for the leftovers. Good call.
Wednesday: Another work day, no leftovers left. I used some ground elk to make workday taco meat--which means I use salsa and spices instead of dicing onions or garlic --and then made toasted burritos with flour tortillas.
Thursday: I was at a school event with three of my children, at which they ate many snacks. When we got home, my husband made some Snow's clam chowder, and then there was rotisserie chicken from my trip to Walmart earlier in the day. We also had the Great Value version of Oreos I wanted to try--named, most unfortunately, Twist and Shout cookies--which are literally half the price of the name brand and I honestly could not tell a difference. Great Value wins again.
Tonight: This very minute was the first time I had considered tonight's dinner. I don't think I have anything particular that needs to be used up right now, except lettuce in the garden (yay!), so I suppose I'll go freezer diving to see what I surface with and go from there. Most likely lamb or elk.
Hehe, I do think Kristin with an I makes sense. But some of the other spellings...I imagine the Krystyns, Christyns, Chrystins, Chrystyns, and Kristyns spend a lot of time telling people how to spell their names!
@Kristen,
My husband's great-niece is Kristyn. Yes, she does spell it for people a lot. My own great-niece is Kiersten. She spells out her name a whole lot because they always think her name is Kristen/Kristin.
@JD, my parents wanted to name be Kirstin/Kierstin, but couldn't agree if it should be pronounced Curr-sten or Kieer-sten (does that make sense? lol).
Thankfully they landed on Andrea, because by husband's first wife is actually named Kristen, and he said he avoided anyone with that name or similar after their divorce!
Haha, I can understand that. I will not be repeating a marriage to someone of the same name either. I just can't do it.
@Andrea G / Midwest Andrea, I have a cousin in Sweden named Kiersten. She pronounces it as ‘Cheerstin!’
@Lizzy,
A friend at work is married to a Swedish man, and has mentioned in the past that he pronounces it "Shur - sten". Maybe it depends on where in Sweden you're from?
@Kristen, I knew another student in college who was named Karon. Or maybe it was Caron. Either way, I wonder about it! Even so, I am often asked how I spell my name--one can, apparently, spell it Karin, Carin, Karyn, Caryn, or, as seen previously, Caron.
@kristin @ going country, some "great value" as I call it is a penny or two less than name brand. Size availability is spotty - all too often large which probably works for your family. But do take a look at the label. Better half noticed "great value" beef stock had over triple of Swanson's. A non-starter for those watching his/her sodium. I am not knocking "great value" but I do take homage with people assuming it is a great value.
@Andrea G / Midwest Andrea, @Kristen - wife one and two of my dad's classmate had the same name. Sad to say their names weren't the only similarity. Wife number three had a different name and that marriage lasted long than the first two combined.
Delurking to say that your Saturday hit me where I live. Good wishes to you — the deepest, the best, all of them. You never have to go back.
@Elizabeth, ditto! Those few lines hit hard, in a good way.
Kristen, I love your beautiful photo of the dandelion blooming in the beautiful sunlight. It is an excellent metaphor of your place in life right now.
Until I became the grandmother of military children, I thought of dandelions as weeds. Then my daughter-in-law told me that Army kids are called Dandelion Kids. This is from the Army's website:
"Dandelions are able to grow and bloom just about anywhere their roots are planted. Not only that, but they symbolize happiness, joy, perseverance, endurance and hope. That is why they are the perfect representation of a military child."
Thank you for sharing your happiness, joy, perseverance, endurance, and hope with us here.
Does anyone here follow the Mediterranean Diet? If so, do you have recipe suggestions? My husband's doctor recommended it and we've been powering through for about three weeks now but I need help.
We eat most low carb which can be a cousin of Mediterranian. We eat a lot of salads/above ground veggies and various proteins and very occasional rice/sweet potato/fruit.
Honestly, there are as many variations of Mediterranian there are countries in that area. I think the biggest thing is as much whole food as possible and adjust your carbs to your own tolerance and metabolic health.
@Book Club Elaine, America’s Test Kitchen has a cookbook for the Mediterranean Diet, which might help! Maybe your library carries it so you could try it out before purchasing. Good luck!
@Book Club Elaine, the website “The Mediterranean Dish” has a lot of delicious recipes. I have made some of them and DH loves the results.
@kj,
A friend of mine raves about "The Mediterranean Dish". I have to admit, I haven't tried anything from that web site, but the food she has made looks and sounds delicious!
@Book Club Elaine, Have you checked for cookbooks at the library? I always see recipes online. I'm not "on" the plan, but I am slowly wading my way in. I have been buying pasta made of chickpea and 2 other weird things I can't remember. Will your DH's insurance cover a dietician visit? That would be a great resource thatknows other great resources. If it is covered I would go too and take notes, lots of notes. Good luck to you both! I am still waiting for a Mediterranean fairy godmother to show up and take over.
@Book Club Elaine, I was just on FaceBook and saw an ad for a free cookbook, the Mediterranean Refresh, Under 30 Minutes. By Veronica Miles, PEAPIL PUBLISHING. It is a legitimate free deal. I got it in April for free. 256 pages. No, I haven't used it yet, but plan to. Hope that helps!
I'm so happy for you that have have achieved a freedom that brings you joy and contentment. I forgot to mention yesterday how palpable your happiness is in your last day of class picture. There was no faking joy in the photos from that post.
It’s obvious from your tone lately that you’re in a good place right now. I’m so happy for you!
WIS: 300 @Aldi
WWA:
Fri: salad and focaccia.
Sat: leek and potato soup with sourdough croutons and puff pastry stuffed with garleeks and mascarpone cheese.
Sun: leftovers of Saturday.
Mon: sourdough Brie bread ring, chicken piccata and sautéed green beans with turkey bacon.
Tue: tacos stuffed with crumbled beyond burgers, buttered mixed veggies and Mexican style queso. This dinner made by ten year old.
Wed: waffles, scrambled eggs, shrimp on a spicy pasta sauce, pineapple and dates.
Thu: salmon burgers on homemade buns with lots of veggie toppings. This dinner made by twelve year old.
Tonight: salad and focaccia.
Have a great weekend, everyone!!!
@Becca, I am inspired by your stuffed puff pastry (and impressed with your kids’ abilities)
@kj,
I found the puff pastry as a seasonal item in Aldi’s freezer and bought 6 packages hoping we would like it. I then immediately wished I had bought 20 packages because it’s delicious and gone now. Who knows when it’ll be back? The kids are currently getting lots of cooking instruction and support from daddy, but the idea is eventual independence. I feel very strongly that home cooking skills are essential for every kid to learn.
You're so close!
Monday: I made baked schnitzel and slicee cucumbers.
Tuesday: Mr. B made pasta for the home crew, my former supervisor took me out for dinner.
Wednesday: I made hard-boiled eggs, baby carrots and green macaroni and cheese (pea-and-cheese.) I thought it was great, my toddler licked one noodle and said, "I don't like this." Alas. Then Mr. B and I went to look at a prospective rental and got coffee while my mom babysat.
Thursday: We got a pizza from the grocery store.
Friday: Mr. B will make salmon and vegetables.
WIS: $39 at Food Lion.
WWA: Pork roast with veggies. Roasted chicken drumsticks with salad. Veggie casserole. Pizza bagel bites with fruit because sometimes I am burned out on cooking.
@Ruby,
I am also burned out on cooking. DH has been working from home for several months instead of traveling. He has a much larger appetite than I do, so three meals a day come out of my kitchen. Thankfully I do not cook them all.
@Bee and @Ruby, yeah, I sometimes get burned out on cooking too. In my case, it's because cooking for one gets a little boring--so that's why I describe only my most interesting effort of the week in my WIA. But I'm determined to avoid eating out/takeout unless there's a genuine social occasion for doing either. So I keep plugging unspectacularly along, as you both do too.
@A. Marie, we really cannot afford to eat out, both financially and physically, and there's almost nowhere DH can eat anyhow because he has to be gluten-free. That even limits a lot of quick to prepare stuff. I see people mention delicious heat and eat entrees from Trader Joe's and just sigh. So our meals are well-balanced for nutrition but quite unspectacular. I sure do get tired sometimes, but try to think about my grandmothers who never had the option of taking a night off.
@Ruby, after 25 years of cooking gluten free day in and day out (including making all our own bread and baked goods from scratch because I am also intolerant of corn and oats), I can say that while I get burned out on cooking from time to time, nothing makes me feel more loved or nurtured than someone else cooking for me, whether that’s a friend boiling rice noodles and chopping tomatoes, my sister making gluten free bread from scratch, or my dad frying a morning egg for me. There are silver linings to cooking every day.
I spent $112.03 at Sam's, Target, Fresh Thyme and another Sam's pop-in. Includes food items to put out by the mailbox for the USPS mail carriers pickup of donations to go to local food banks tomorrow. Also $12 for a cajun veg meal takeaway as a treat for my husband - one of his fave meals - when I was out most of the day and wasn't hungry myself.
Meals included a tasty convenience meal of Gardein's spicy plant-based chicken with fresh fruit and cut tomatoes, chickpea salad on sliced toasted ciabatta thins, vegan italian stew, simple baked potatoes with salad one night, and fried rice twice, using up leftover brown rice and anything I could find to pop in it - lots of onions, carrots, peppers, edamame, cabbage, etc. I was kind of proud of all the veg I'd chopped to add in and DH goes, what no broccoli? haha - no it was all brown at the market.
My stepdaughter reached out and asked if they could come for dinner this evening and she'd cook at her home (an hour away) and bring dinner for mother's day, since she works all weekend. That was a very kind thought, esp as they're solid meat eaters and we're vegan so a bit of a challenge for her when she does cook. We settled on ordering Thai takeout and it will be a savored splurge. I'll make two desserts that I know they like as well and will also probably make my grandson a noodle dish he asks for every time he comes (doesn't GET it but asks for every time :>) and so less food waste. A nice cap to the week to see the grandkids (7 and 1).
WIS: $9 at the Regional Market, $22 at the grocery outlet, $30 at Wegmans, and $44 at Price Chopper.
WIA: My best effort was what Kristin with an "i" would probably have called a Snow's clam chowder, since I did indeed use two cans of Snow's clams, as well as part of a can of Progresso's white clam sauce. I cubed two large potatoes and added them, some more of my lobster stock, and some half and half to the mix. For a seat-of-the-pants "let's clean out the pantry" effort, it came out very well.
@A. Marie, What I call Snow's clam chowder is actually just Snow's canned clam chowder--very important that it be the condensed kind, though, so you add your own milk/cream--but I bet yours was way better.
@kristin @ going country, praise from you is praise indeed!
@A. Marie, just curious - what is the sodium on Progresso white clam sauce? We quit eating their soups (which were the best of the canned soup IMHO) due to the sodium. Bertolli's frozen meals as well. Better half can pretty much cook the same from scratch. Except for an Alfredo based one which I'm sure he could do if he was so motivated. I like Alfredo far more than he.
Happy Friday, everyone! This week, we enjoyed eating:
- Broccoli mushroom casserole
- Quesadillas with avocadoes, corn, black beans, salsa and sour cream
- Vegetarian Reubens with mushrooms, cabbage and sauerkraut
- Peanut noodles with tofu, peas and carrots
- Concoction of brown rice, sauteed peppers, onions, corn, kidney beans and bottled creole sauce
- Salad
- Snacks
you deserve every ounce of contentment you feel. after such a rough patch the light is here. enjoy, enjoy. surely rough patches are on the horizon. and you know you will sail through them. have a great weekend and a wonderful mother's day.
I left my menu at home, so I'll see what I can remember.
WIS: $88 at grocery stores, $50 with farmers and over $70 eating out. The eating out was for the grandkids and we got two meals out of some of it. We did not get two meals out of our trip to the bakery for doughnuts for breakfast, ha.
What I (and we) ate:
I made burgers and fries for the grandkids and myself one night.
The next night was leftover pizza and pasta with meatballs, which we'd had for lunch. I had the cauliflower crust pizza, which was good, and I'm glad the pizzeria offers it now. The cost of this meal included a large tip to the teen granddaughter who took our order, made part of our meal and served us, of course :).
I made pork chops and had them twice at night and twice for lunch with asparagus, mashed celeriac/celery root, and green peas when the asparagus ran out.
I had made chicken shawarma so I finished that up with salad which included both longevity spinach and carrots that were homegrown. Homemade ranch dressing on the salad.
Last night I cooked smoked pork jowl and used some of the fat to sauté beet greens from my one and only successful beet in my garden, plus longevity spinach. Baked sweet potato as well, made in the potato wrap in the microwave.
Seems like I'm missing a night. Oh well. Tonight is up in the air, but I strongly suspect eggs will be involved.
Wishing you the best on your final exam!
This week was a win for me in terms of food… incredibly busy work week but I found enough prepared ingredients or leftovers to pack lunch everyday.
I had to laugh when I read about your odiferous combo of fish and broccoli. Many years ago when my son was in high school, I made this exact thing for dinner. That night one of his friends came by to pick-up a book for school, and I heard him say to my son, "Whoa dude, your house smells like farts." I have never cooked fish and broccoli together again. It is always fish, salad, and an open window.
Contentment is a wonderful thing. I hope that you continue to find joy in everyday. I wish you the best on the next leg of your journey.
@Bee, I was sitting here dreading cooking supper (something my husband wants that I'm not wild about--he's disabled or I'd have him cook it), tired, and with a throbbing thumb from a dumb accident (not bad, but sore at the moment). But then I read your comment and laughed aloud at the "your house smells like farts." It pepped me up and now I'm ready to face fixing supper. Thanks!
You have worked so hard to get to where you are. I am happy to see you revelling in it!
WWA:
Saturday- Vietnamese vermicelli bowls at a local restaurant before the symphony
Sunday- air fryer jerk chicken thighs, oven fries, green salad
Monday - stir fry beef and veggies, steamed rice
Tuesday - shepherd’s pie from the freezer
Wednesday - shrimp tacos
Thursday - pasta puttanesca
Friday - planning to make steelhead trout packets with lemon, asparagus, red pepper, and zucchini, steamed rice
Wishing everyone a peaceful weekend
I know you must have a real sense of satisfaction. You have a lot to be proud of! Enjoy your new life!
I spent $40 at Kroger and $100 at Sam's. (Much of Sam's receipt was for steaks and paper products)
Sunday – grilled strip steaks, buttered cooked turnips, baked sweet potatoes.
Monday – cheese burgers out at a local burger joint.
Tuesday – potato frittata with broccoli, cheese and ham, mixed green salad
Wednesday – chicken, garlic and Parmesan rice mix and broccoli.
Thursday – I had some leftover Hawaiian bread sliders a friend gave me and I made hubby baked salmon, green peas, cucumber kimchi and leftover rice.
Friday – black bean, cheese and salsa quesadillas with cucumber kimchi.
I actually got mostly back in the groove of cooking again, at least earlier in the week. The last part of the week was non-stop interviewing.
We had:
-Orange chicken & cauliflower rice
-Philly cheese steaks, fruit salad & chocolate chip cookies (hosted a group of teens). We have regular salad with every meal as well.
-Chicken taco skillet, which featured a rotisserie chicken, for ease of prep. Plus guac. We had this 2x.
-Chicken fajitas + guac x2
-DH grilled the last of the steak leftover from Philly cheese steak night, and served that with some fries he picked up at Costco. I was teaching my class, and had 5 interviews, so I had one meal of "linner", where I baked some chicken, and tossed that on a salad.
Sunday - flatbread pizza, salad, sesame snacking cake
Monday - healthified tuna noodle casserole, salad, leftover cake
Tuesday - See Monday
Wednesday - quesadillas with homemade flour tortillas, black beans and pineapple salsa
Thursday - (migraine edition) tuna sandwiches, salad, fresh raspberries
Tonight - Turkey burgers on homemade buns, chips, slaw, oranges and probably brownies
Thanks to meal planning, I can keep track of my meals so I can participate in the comments....
Saturday: chicken enchiladas
Sunday: chicken tortilla soup and ham & cheese sub pieces
Monday: Grilled cheese sandwiches and the rest of the chicken tortilla soup
Tuesday: penne pasta with meat sauce, garlic breadsticks
Wednesday: Blt sandwiches and French fries
Thursday: popcorn chicken mashed potato bowls
Friday: dinner is at a friend's house since we are helping them move refrigerators
Tilapia gets a bad rap. But I like it, so sue me. Lol
@Stephanie, it does. I’ve heard it described as a “garbage fish”, but I like it because it doesn’t taste fishy, in spite of making the house stink.
@Central Calif. Artist Jana, it has been given that name because it is farm raise. How it is raised is not highly regulated. They are also fed with pellets, corn, and soybeans. I have heard stories regarding its processing that leave me to wonder, but that is true of most animal based protein sources. Grocery store shrimp and salmon are also farm raised. Much of it is also imported.
I'm a seafood purist myself, but on the Florida coast it is readily available.
Ooh, careful, don’t be insulting to KristIn @ Going Country!
Hehe, she can think my name is not the correct spelling too. 😉
I am soooo excited for your next steps in your journey: THE BEST IS YET TO COME!!!!!!!
YES!
I just wanted to say I am so happy for you! What a beautiful life you built for yourself
Thank you!
We are deep in “May-cember” and I’ve been hitting the easy button.
Friday: We tried a new ramen restaurant that just opened in town.
Saturday: My son was invited to a sleepover so my husband used rewards points to order a pizza for the two of us – free at home date night! I pulled some buffalo chicken wings out of the freezer since the rewards points only covered pizzas.
Sunday: Loco Mocos! My husband really enjoyed these while were in Hawaii so we picked up the sauce packets at the grocery store while we were there. We needed a side so pineapple and fresh veggies felt like the best choice.
Monday: Tacos (soft shell and hard shell), Spanish rice, and refried beans. I had planned on making NYT’s Cheesy Green Chili Bean Bake but when I opened my can of beans it was complete mush. It was a new can so I was super bummed to not be able to try out a new recipe.
Tuesday: My son had a game an hour away so I picked up Jimmy John’s to eat on the way home.
Wednesday: Ragu over pasta, garlic breadsticks made using the Greek yogurt pizza crust recipe.
Thursday: NYT’s Hoisin Garlic Noodles with thinly sliced beef added for a little protein. The teen LOVED it!
I spent about $170, which is a lot for us, but I did help restock younger son's fridge after his surgery. His fridge died sometime when he had surgery. After he stayed with us a couple days, he went home to find it was dead. He ordered a new one online, and his dad and I went to clean out his old one and haul it away since he couldn't lift anything. When the new one was delivered I stocked it with milk, eggs, cheese, condiments, etc. to make sure he had the basics to get him through the first week of his recovery.
We ate:
Saturday: corned beef with potatoes and carrots
Sunday: we got a quick bite out at a local place. I have a french dip sandwich with sweet potato fries.
Monday: corned beef hash from the leftover corned beef with fried eggs on top.
Tuesday: Spaghetti, salad, garlic bread
Wednesday: different leftovers
Thursday: pork chops, potato patties, spinach
Friday: we are grilling pizzas with the kids tonight
@Marlena, what a nice thing to do - I hope he gets well soon and that you have a lovely Mother's Day! Sounds like some good home cooking at your house. (:
Kristen, I got a lump in my throat, in the best possible way, when I read your sweet words of contentment. I am so happy for you!
Yeah, I ate stuff this week too. Hamburgers for dinner for a few nights, lots of peanuts in the shell, lamb chops & risotto on Sunday (that one I remember). Happy Friday!
WWS $128 @ costco, $23 @ scratch & dent, $9 @ grocery outlet and $38 @ restaurant supply
Bought 50 lbs of onions for $7. I chopped them and froze for canning season.
Sun: work + family dinner stew, layered green salad, angel biscuits and apple slab pie
M: bbq salmon, grilled veggies + birthday cake (mom)
T: salmon patties, coleslaw and air fried potato wedges
W: elk fajita meat taco salad this was tuesday
Th: Rotisserie chicken, green salad
F: Chicken primavera, green salad
S: work
WIS: The Star-$22; S&S-$1; Flashfood-$40; Milk delivery-$21 Total: $84 Likely my lowest week ever...and probably the last w/ the farmers market starting up this weekend.
WWA: Sat: Can't remember
Sun: Frozen toasted ravs and tater tots after a Star Wars concert
Mon: Cinco de Mayo- Beef tacos, Mexican style rice, refried beans, Mexican street corn salad
Tues: Leftover Cinco de Mayo food
Wed: Pasta w/ turkey, spinach, feta meatballs, and green beans on the side
Thur: Lasagna soup w/ brioche rolls
Fri: Cabbage buns
Saturday
Sunday - dominos
Monday - taquitos
Tuesday - roll your own hand rolls
Wednesday - cheesy zucchini bake
Thursday - lemon garlic mahi mahi
Friday - not sure yet. little sister has a school event so I’ll make something that big sister likes. She’s gracing me by practicing piano right now. I’m so lucky she plays an instrument I like to hear. She took violin for a year and while my husband liked it, I wasn’t such a fan.
Speaking of which, Kristen, I think you answered this before but do you play much these days? I saw your piano in your office and hope you get the opportunity to play (if it brings you joy).
Your disbelief and joy and gratitude at your life and freedom is wonderful and well-deserved!
We’re never going back to that life!
Good luck on your final exam! You are very inspiring ! Keep shining!
I tried the pinto beans from Dollar Tree and they taste good but really fell apart a lot. I think I will probably pay a little more and get beans that stay prettier. I can’t even imagine what causes the difference in fall-apartness. I never really notice any difference in cabbage no matter where I buy it. I haven’t had eggs for the longest time but was in a Sam’s Club and noticed they were 5 dollars for two dozen so eggs are on the menu again.
No menu, but food for thought:
The most inspiring thing has been watching you climb out of the depths of despair to where you are today and where you will soon be thanks to all of your hard work and perseverance. It's lovely to see you recognize your growth. No, you will NOT go back and you will continue to walk forward into joy and accomplishment. Thanks for sharing your journey.
@Jan, Beautifully put, @Jan. Kristen, I concur with @Jan's eloquently articulated thoughts!
Dandelion greens are a good addition to a green salad!
The first school I worked at had an abundance of Kristin(s) and it was a running joke that Kristin with 2 "i"s was the only "right" spelling for that name. I kind of felt sorry for the Kristen that got hired with the "wrong" spelling.
Your pansies are beautiful! Such happy faces!
Well, it’s been a busy spring here. Planting is finished! And graduation parties and ceremonies in full swing! As of 12:01 p.m. today we are officially through with the graduation activities. We had two grandchildren graduate from high school this year. I made a twin size quilt for them and then a monetary gift along with it. One is getting married to a boy she graduated with…have been sweethearts since 8th grade. The boy is going on to college about an hour from home.
So as for eating meals….haha! We did grill a steak Thursday night and had fresh asparagus from the garden. Otherwise it was hit and miss with trips to Sioux Falls and eating out.
I anxious to see your graduation pictures.
How else do you spell Kristen?
Sat - Culver’s with a coupon. Found a boatload of morels so better half cooked a post dinner small treat with bacon, HG asparagus, HG garlic.
Sun - Mexican dine out
Mon - leftover enhanced Mexican
Tue - “mother’s day” dinner as I have to work/sleep on mother’s day
Wed - grilled burgers, beans
Thu - leftover lasagna/pizza
Fri - leftover freezer steak for me, baked fish for better half, with browned potatoes
My team has been down one person since last October (STD to LTD), I don't expect this co-worker to be back. In April another member said he was retiring, believe he got another job, why the subterfuge is beyond me. Explains only two weeks notice however. Another person is leaving end of this month. My remaining co-worker is the oldest of us all and yes, has health issues. Already told the boss I'm not gonna burn out. I'm already past crispy. I was spending 1/4+ time on this team while 3/4~ with the other team under our manager.
Odds of finding a person to replace one of the team members is going to be hard. Replacing what appears to be the other two is a Vegas bet I would not place. Upside is I too am retirement eligible. Might be time to work 3 or 4 days a week to get to the just less than a year for Medicare. I'd hoped to make it to the 2026 mid-term. We'll see and thanks for being an ear.
In Norway Kristen is a man's name and Kristin is a women's name. Just a fun fact 🙂