What's for Dinner?

"What's for Dinner?" is an often asked question around my house. The other day I was at Michael's and I found some really nice pads to hang on my refrigerator that may be able to help me with that question. I haven't started using it yet, but I think when I do, it will help me in several areas.

One, I will have a plan and follow the plan. No one will be ask me what we will have for dinner and whoever gets home first can get a head start on dinner. I think this is a very useful tool and it will hang on my refrigerator as a guide for anyone who asks the important nightly question.

A couple of nights ago, I arrived home to a pleasant surprise. My husband decided to make one of my favorite dishes, Veggie Kabobs. He had them all ready for the grill when I got home.

He grilled them for a wonderful dinner.

Grilled Veggie Kabobs

Assorted vegetables cut into cubes: We used peppers, zucchini, yellow squash, mushrooms, plenty of onion, and eggplant.
Put the cubes onto metal skewers, baste with soy sauce and add salt and pepper to taste.
Grill for fifteen to twenty minutes. Yummy and fat-free.

Fall cleaning

I have been putting off a job I didn't want to do for some time. This past Saturday I finally tackled cleaning the tile in my bathroom and I will admit I feel so much better. That job has been weighing on me for a very long time. I think it is also a good idea to admit that sometimes I just let some things go and even though it might be embarrassing, I am kind of proud of myself to finally get it done.

It was really just grime. Even though I have mopped over and over, I think sometimes I just pushed dust and grime into the grout where it just turned dark over time -- very frustrating.

I have looked over and over again for products that can clean a tile floor with ease but I just can't find any. The only thing I have ever been able to use on tile is bleach and elbow grease. So I took some bleach cleanser, a brush and a cleaning cloth and got to work. After a few minutes, it began to pay off.

I think the main thing I had to watch were the fumes from the bleach. If anyone has a better method, please let me know what you would do. I would prefer to use something other than bleach, a bucket of water and a scrub brush, but it is the best thing I know of for cleaning soiled grout.

I must admit, the tile does look better and I now won't be embarrassed to let someone see my bathroom floor. I need to move on to other projects to finish my fall cleaning. I will be sure to clean more deeply from now on. I don't want my floor to get this bad again.

Eden Amsterdam American Hotels

Eden Amsterdam Interior
Eden Amsterdam Scenery on Night
Eden Amsterdam in Morning
Eden Amsterdam Hall
Eden Amsterdam Meeting Room
Eden Amsterdam Pool
Eden Amsterdam Restaurant
Bedroom Design

Eden Amsterdam American Hotels

Eden Amsterdam Interior
Eden Amsterdam Scenery on Night
Eden Amsterdam in Morning
Eden Amsterdam Hall
Eden Amsterdam Meeting Room
Eden Amsterdam Pool
Eden Amsterdam Restaurant
Bedroom Design

Garden update: 10-10-10

Yesterday we picked vegetables from our garden and I still can't believe that we have so much this late in the season. We are still getting some okra, peppers, squash, cucumbers and eggplant.

The peppers seem to be better than at any time during the summer. It's like they just exploded and we have more of every variety. I didn't get a photo of the jalapenos -- just an oversight on my part. They sure looking good, though. I am hoping to make some pepper sauce one day this week.

The collards are looking very good. We planted plants this year rather than seeds. We do have a few with holes but the bugs are not ravaging everything like they were earlier. We will wait for frost to pick.

The cucumbers are growing a little more slowly but it is exciting to have fresh cucumbers this time of year.

We are also a little surprised by our eggplants. They have been steadily producing. I think tomorrow, my husband is planning to grill some for dinner.

We have a tower of gourds and that is exciting, too. We are hoping to make something decorative out of a few of them but we don't yet know what. I hope the seeds won't be too hard to remove.

We have four large ones growing in the center of the "tower." We are so happy to have them.

Our kale is mostly "undercover." We put the row cover over most of the kale to (we hope) prevent it from having little green worms. I hate bringing them home.

Our pumpkins are really growing and flowering but there isn't very much fruit.

We do have a couple of little ones, like the one above. We are still hoping, but time is running out.

The sunflowers are beginning to droop and should be harvested soon. If we don't get the seeds, the birds surely will. We may put the seed heads out during the winter for the birds. We could also dry them and eat them ourselves.

I forgot to take a photo of the squash but it really looks good, too.

My garden is not too bad at all for the 10th of October!

Fall flu shot reminder

Tonight I am resting with a cup of tea and a couple of pain relievers because I had my yearly flu shot, which incidentally contains H1N1. That means two shots are not needed to protect you from full flu coverage this year (that is if they got it right) and that is a good thing because even though my nurse gave me a pain-free shot, my arm is still sore and swollen and I am glad I don't need two shots.

I really do recommend the shot because I haven't had the flu since I began getting shots a few years ago. Also, I recommend taking it easy on the day you get the shot, drinking plenty of water (or hot tea), eating well, getting plenty of rest, taking Tylenol if you have pain and an antihistamine if you have swelling or allergy symptoms.

I also would like to mention that I like going to a female primary care physician -- the reason -- today she complimented me on my choice of toenail polish in the course of my physical exam. How often could that happen? Sorry guys, if you are reading this. It's a girl thing.

Congratulations Joan. You are the winner of the book, Second Round: Tea-Time at he Masters. I will be emailing you for your snail mail address. Thanks for entering.