Happy Monday my sweet little Butter Beans.
I wish I had a witty intro for you today. Alas, I do not. In fact, the use of the word alas is about all I’ve got. No matter since today is all about our love of lists and what better way to showcase it then the Week In Review.
It’s probably best I just skip the beginning banter and jump right into it anyway, because I’ve got a lot of ground to cover today. That’s right; I was a mad list accomplishing machine last week. Booyah.
Let’s get listing:
- I worked forty plus hours on the job, since I’m now the sole bread-winner. Oddly enough, I’m also the bread maker. For anyone new here, I’m a happily married woman who lives alone the majority of every week. One could argue it’s why I’m happily married, although I would not be that one.
- Speaking of the men in my life, I hit up the farmers market and paid a special visit to the Cheese Man. Purchases were made, the kind that taste like pizza, only in cheese form.
- I went for a run on three separate occasions and then wailed, and I do mean wailed, on the heavy bag another day. Punching things is such great stress relief. I also ran my fastest mile since I started tracking time a few short weeks ago. I know, it’s hard to believe there’s something I wasn’t tracking before. At least I haven’t put it in an excel spreadsheet….yet.
- I got tired of watching my leftover cilantro wilt away on the counter, so I turned it into butter. Yep, that’s right, I made Cilantro Lemon Butter. It sounds fancy, but it’s super easy. All you do is combine your fresh cilantro, some butter, a splash of olive oil and a touch of lemon juice in a bowl. Mash it all together with the utensil of your choice, and you’re done. My new Herb Butter is hanging out in my freezer until I come up with a plan or a plate of unseasoned veggies, whichever happens first.
This is what happens when you don’t take the time to do a photo shoot. You have blobs of butter on wax paper. Such is life.
- I steam cleaned the carpets on the second floor of our house. The basement is up next, and my god does it need it. I have one of those scary basements, where I’m sure some creepy stranger is lurking behind the furnace or in the dirt room I haven’t gone in since the day we purchased our home. He or she (I’m an equal opportunity creeper) is just waiting for the opportunity to come out and maul me or even worse, force me to eat McDonalds.
- On Saturday, I made Tomato Basil Soup, Three Bean Chili, and Thai Inspired Veggie Soup. Three soups, one day; how’s that for impressive? I know what I’ll be eating this week and also come wintertime, because of course I added some to my deep freezer. Oh, how my stockpile grows. Excellent.
- I submitted my Blackberry Peach Grilled Goat Cheese sandwich to Food Gawker and a host of other recipe submission sites. Cross your fingers for me since I haven’t been able to get a recipe picture approved by Food Gawker yet. The rejection reasons thus far all translate to my photos aren’t up to snuff. Sigh. I’m working on them, cilantro butter aside.
- I took a cat nap with Oscar on Saturday, which is kind of my favorite nap to take.
Is that a cat tucked into your bosom or are you just happy to see me?
- I was a total closer this past week. In book world, I completed Maeve Binchy’s A Week In Winter. I’m thrilled to finally finish a book, which is something that happens way too infrequently since I started blogging.
- In TV land, I completed season two of The Newsroom and the first season of the Stephen King series Under The Dome. The Newsroom is a great show, and Under the Dome well… not so much. I stuck with it because I’m a huge fan of anything Stephen King, which is another great reason to stay away from the dirt room in the basement.
- I did a lousy job of eating my bananas throughout the week, which translated to weekend baking: Banana Date Pecan Muffins and Banana Strawberry bread. Turns out, I’m pretty happy I didn’t get to my bananas sooner.
- I finally got down and dirty, literally, doing yard work on Sunday, and I have the blisters and back pain to prove it. I also planted mums because mums make me happy. I think I’m finally ready to accept the start of Fall. Coincidentally, I just ate the last of my fresh peaches so bring on the soups, the chili and the banana bread.
Enough about me. Let’s hear from you.
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Interested in participating in the Week In Review.
- Your post should be about all the things you accomplished in the last seven days or so.
- Your post can be about food, social outings, workouts, home improvement projects, fun excursions, none of the above, or all of the above. The idea is to recognize all the things you accomplished in the past seven days. It’s an ode to yourself, a celebration of sorts, and a virtual pat on the back. Plus you get to write in list form, which rocks my socks. Although if you want to stick to prose go ahead; it’s your world.
- Add the Week in Review button to your post, link up and link back to Clean Eats, Fast Feets and get your list on.
- Or you can be like me and make up own your rules. If you can justify it, I’ll accept it. How’s that for lenient?
What did you get down and dirty with last week? What book are you currently reading, and how long have you been reading it?
You really did get a lot done! Bravo. Cheese that tastes like pizza sounds so… convenient. 😉 Like, instead of having to make the dough and all just eat a piece of pizza cheese… Instead of making grilled cheese just pick up a piece of grilled “cheese” cheese (cheese that tastes like grilled cheese… bahaha. I’m a crazy one).
Speaking of, have you seen The Crazy Ones yet with Robin Williams? There are so many new tv shows to watch this fall. I’m getting excited.
You’re a baking machine. The strawberry banana bread sounds delicious!
Good job with the time on your run!
I’ve seen the promo for The Crazy Ones but not the actually show. The promo looked pretty funny, but then again most promos do.
A grilled cheese flavored cheese is genius. I’m going to talk to the cheese guy about that.
I want cheese that tastes like pizza!! Actually all of your eats sound really good, so if you do find a creeper in your basement it may just be me raiding your deep freezer 😉
The cat nap sounds like a perfect way to spend the afternoon, and the flowers are beautiful (even if the rest of the work made you sore).
Congrats on the run time, not gonna lie I kind of figured you were the excel spreadsheet type for everything in your life… good to see you’re relaxed on some things!
You cracked me up with your first paragraph.
I’m totally the excel spreadsheet type. Guilty as charged, although there are a few exceptions. Running is one of them.
Busy Girl…As always!! Soup time is coming…my favorite time! Have a great day, Meghan!!
I love soup time.
I hope your having a great time in New Mexico, Fran.
Meghan,
I am glad you liked the muffins. I did too, and the bunch of bananas I bought “for the potassium post-half marathon” (in my defense, I did eat two) are now overripe and buried under the heap of tomatoes that was my counter.
Your dirt room in the basement is a root cellar. I’d be happy to use it, as the recently-adopted/recently de-balled mature senior wiener dogs will pee all over the squash if I house my Strategic Winter Squash Reserve in the same location in my breakfast nook as I did last winter.
Napping with 3 dogs is fun, too. Not so much with a pig, though Crystal is too dainty to poop on you like Quarty did.
I added 7 more pints of canned tomatoes, this time in unseasoned sauce form, to the ever-growing collection of jars of tomato product in my pantry. And the plants are still laden with even more. As are the countertops. Sigh. I’ll find my kitchen at some point.
You may notice I’m avoiding sharing Map My Walk stats. It’s because I really didn’t track my walks this week. Suffice to say that the dogs got walked, a lot, because that’s how we roll (ok, get it, my son does his dog walks in his wheelchair, so he rolls . . . riiiiight). I will say that I took Simon on a 90 min walk yesterday, through the woods and hills and everywhere since his nice long nonwienerdog legs could go far. . . but part of that 90 minutes was me chatting with the weekend cheese man at the grocery store down the road all about Melt, and sheep’s milk gouda, and my blog, and his European cheese-related travels. I’m sure we walked at least 4-5 miles though.
Have a lovely week!
A root cellar. Hmm, it seems so obvious now that you say that. I may have to look in there again, although I will wait for the Hubby’s return and enlist his services just in case. If the coast is clear, you are welcome to store your winter squash and whatever else you like down there.
I bet Simon loves his walks with just the two of you.
WHOO what a week!! I never realized people had to submit their photos to Food Gawker and get approved..aH! I want to try, but surely wouldn’t make it if you haven’t. I wish we were closer, so we could play while your hubby is away. Although we both work, and you work Mon-Fri so maybe that wouldn’t work.
Can you imagine the running shenanigans we’d get into?! Plus, the crazy cat time.
I say submit your stuff to Food Gawker anyways. Your pictures are good and they worst thing they can say is No. I myself got rejected yet again, but I’m going to keep on trying.
Mmmm cilantro butter and muffins… can I come over?
Yep, see ya soon.
I got cleared to hit things today!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Whoop!!
Great news! After all the tire flipping, I can’t wait to see what you start hitting.
I love mums! Even if I don’t like fall. Okay, I like fall–apples and (decorative) pumpkins and crunchy leaves to purposely step on when I walk–I just don’t like that it means winter and the end of gardens and sunshine (for a few months at least). Good thing freezers exist. I’ve already broken into my blueberries. Time to make some soup…
I just realized that implied I was going to make blueberry soup, but those were, in fact, two independent statements. I enjoyed blueberries from the freezer. I will make (veggie) soup to save. Although blueberry soup might be a very good thing. With a grilled brie sandwich to dunk in it. Now that needs to happen.
I like Fall too. Just not the pumpkin mania.
Blueberry soup and a grilled brie sandwich. That does need to happen. I’m salivating just thinking about it. I’ve had blueberry soup before too, and it was amazing; at The Roots café. Same place we had breakfast when you were here.
Pfft, of course that’s where amazing blueberry soup would be to be had! I need to come back. As if that wasn’t already a given.
🙂 🙂
You got a lot done in a week girl! DANG! Come motivate me?? lol I love hitting a punching bag… so therapeutic!
Punching bags are therapeutic.
Getting things down is almost easy when you’re a list loving, self diagnosed OCD and ADD nut job. Heck, it practically comes naturally, and I’d be happy to motivate you.
In my ever so humble opinion, bread in pizza is kinda overrated- it’s all about the cheese so I’m ALL over that cheese you bought…yum! And Food Gawker must be really tight with who they approve because your picture, especially that sandwich, has me SALIVATING—> sad but true 😀
Rejected. Again. Sigh.
Better luck next time and of course there will be a next time. I think I might make it my personal mission to get a recipe approved by them.
Urgh, currently reading my textbooks for stats. Been reading it for TOO LONG.
Those muffins look amazing- I’ve never put strawberry and banana together in a muffin before- next time I will though!
Man I remember stats. My college roommate took that class and it was rough. I feel for you since my eyes would have glazed over hours ago, right along with my mind. Well unless you can somehow incorporate food into the statistics. 🙂
The muffins are amazing, but Kirsten’s muffins always are. These ones are actually sugar free too since the dates make them sweet enough. I always mix fruit into other things people sneak chocolate into; I can’t help it. I’m a fruit junkie.
37th edition already? Geesh, I remember the first edition like it were just yesterday. Where in the world has time gone? So glad to see it’s still going strong – if not stronger than before <3
Hey Sunshine! Welcome back. I hope your trip home was fabulous and I can’t wait to go read all about it now. 🙂
Some weeks are better than others, although you are always welcome to link up again. The more the merrier.
I swear there is nothing better than wailing on a punching bag…as LONG as your gloves are secure! Yeah, after the adrenaline wore off, the pain set in! Yee-ouch!
Love the kitty cuddles…and the soup…and basically just how freakin’ badass you are at getting shit done! *fist bump* BAM! And good luck the FG…they’re a bunch of bastards. I mean…yeah, can you believe they didn’t take my Almond Joy Granola?! What theeeeee hell?! Wow, I am in rare sailor form this morning, aren’t I? Someone’s getting sleeeeeeeeepy! Haha!
So I have a question…at what point are you actually going to start EATING from the freezer you little squirrel? 😉
Oh I make sure the gloves are secure. Otherwise, it’s a hot mess.
I got rejected by FG yet again. Oh well, next time although I’m shocked they didn’t take one of your pictures either. Bastards is right.
That is a very good question and one I ask myself all the time. Since this my first year freezing everything, I have no idea what the protocol is on eating it all and being the ridiculous planner and structured person I am, there has to be some sort of protocol for tapping into the freezer stash. I just don’t know what it is. Yes, I’ve lost sleep wondering about this, and yes I’m neurotic.