Flowers...

Love and Hugs
Phoebe x

Whats For Dinner ~ Meal Plan Monday

 This week I was due to go for blood tests ready for my six month check up next Monday... but the oncologist phoned this morning to cancel. So after a bit of reshuffling... my next appointement will be the end of May. A month to wait.. but if they are not worried neither am I. I feel good..and Im sure everything is doing well

My daughter on the other hand is feeling pretty rough as she has the dreaded C19. Please keep her in your prayers... and hope that her hubby and little girl dont come down with it.Shes a strong girl... and she says it feels like the flu. Im confident she will be ok

We dont have any plans for this week. MrD will be going to work an hour earlier every day...so getting up at 1.30am is going to be hard.. He is so amazing and works so hard... I am so grateful. Saturday is our monthly shop... I really dont mind if he stays in the car and naps while I run around.

This week I plan to do some dehyrading and freezing and dehydrating onions after finding the for 25 cents a pound. Bargain! The rest of the time I will just potter around..working in the garden..in the house... and doing a bit of stitching.

Here's this weeks menu..

Weekly Plan - 25th April 2022

Monday               Shepherds Pie, Cabbage

Tuesday                Poblano Chicken Enchiladas

Wednesday          Parmesan Chicken Tenders, Potatoes Au Gratin, Salad

Thursday             Spaghetti and Meatballs

Friday                  Pizza

Saturday              Grilled Pineapple Pork Sandwiches

Sunday                 Loaded Jacket Potatoes

In The Kitchen ~ Turkey Curry...

The turkey turned out really well... very moist and full of flavour 

Yesterday I stripped off all the meat and made three turkey pot pies for the freezer.. 

and bagged the rest up to freeze too... reserving some for a lovely turkey curry.... and yummy chimichangas on Saturday. The turkey has provided so many meals for us.. Im going to definitely buy one when they go on sale again

Leftover Turkey Curry and Rice

An easy recipe for a very flavorful and filling turkey curry. It’s one of my favorite ways to use up leftover turkey. I served it over rice..wth a warm naan bread and some tangy mango chutney..

1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 teaspoon coriander
1 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon oil
1 medium onion , chopped (6 oz)
3 bell peppers, chopped
1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic
1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger root
3 cups cooked turkey breast skinless, cut into chunks 
2 cups chicken broth
2 teaspoons cornstarch

• Mix the spices in a small bowl. Set aside.
• Heat the oil in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat, about 2 minutes. 
• Add the onions and bell peppers. 
• Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, adding a splash of water if the pan gets too dry, about 5 minutes.
• Stir in the garlic, the ginger and the spices, 
• Add the turkey and stir to coat.
• Add the broth. and bring to a boil over high heat, 
• Turn the heat down to medium-low and simmer the curry, uncovered, for 5 minutes.
• Mix the cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of cold water. 
• Stir the mixture into the curry. 
• Keep stirring until the curry thickens, about 1 more minute. 
• Serve over rice or cauliflower rice.

Love and Hugs

Phoebe x

New Growth..

After the vegetable garden was decimated last month and I had to start again ...

But look......

my babies are now starting to grow babies...

Im so excited!!

Love and Hugs

Phoebe x

Whats For Dinner ~ Meal Plan Monday...

 

Good Morning and what a lovely spring morning it is here at the Blue House.

I hope everyone had a lovely Easter weekend... We did...culminating with a sunrise service at church... It was very cold but very uplifting. We then went to a friends and Mr D helped with his gazebo...and we were rewarded with delicious Fish Tacos.. absolutely my favourite Mexican food right now...  Great food..great hospitality..great friendship.

Because there was a change in menu yesterday... Im cooking the planned turkey today... with all its trimmings... and will get a couple of extra meals..and food for the freezer from its leftovers  

Here's this weeks menu..

Weekly Plan - 18th April 2022

Monday               Turkey, Stuffing, Honey Dijon Roast Potatoes, Veg

Tuesday               Grilled Ham, Tator Tots, Peas

Wednesday          Turkey Curry

Thursday             Cajun Shrimp Pasta

Friday                  Pizza

Saturday              Baked Turkey Chimichangas

Sunday                 Parmesan Chicken Tenders, Mac and Cheese

Sunday Thought ~ Romans 5:8

Love and Hugs

Phoebe x

Egg Hunt..

When the kids were here a couple of weeks ago.. I realized  they wouldnt be here for Easter and I would be missing out on an Easter Egg Hunt with Little Miss… so I surprised her with an early one in the garden..

My daughter made a quick TikTok to share the fun

Happy Easter Everyone

Love and Hugs

Phoebe x

Happy Birthday Mrs A...

 Happy Birthday to this Gorgeous Girl... who is beautiful both inside and out.

She is kind..thoughtful.. considerate with a heart of gold and will do anything for anyone...

but dont ever cross her. 

She was the most wanted baby girl..who has gone through so much with no fault of her own

and has emerged an amazing daughter..wife.. mother and friend. 

Nana and Gaga would be so proud with all you have achieved... 

and it is a complete privilege to be your Mum. 

Love you Caroline xx

In The Kitchen~ Kielbasa Sausage and Tator Tot Casserole

Maundy Thursday...and the weather is quite pleasant here at the Blue House. With the roses blooming in the garden,.. it feels like a British summer. Im looking forward to this weekend, starting with tomorrows Good Friday Service and planning Sundays menu.. Are you cooking anything special for Easter this year?

I havent made Hot Cross Buns or Easter Biscuits this time as there is only the two of us..and we are watching the waistline. The picture is from last year. But we are having a huge turkey that we bought in the sales after Christmas for 45c lb...and we wont go overboard with the side dishes. Still... I think we will be eating it til Next Christmas.. so I will have to look for a couple of new recipes for leftovers

And talking of new recipes... I tried out a really simple one last night and MrD really enjoyed it Sausage and Tator Tot Casserole. He really enjoyed it..

Polska Kielbasa Sausage and Tator Tot Casserole

This is so quick and easy to make... any kind of smoked sausage can be used. As there are only two of us.. I halved the sausage and eggs amount. The cheese is also optional..but in this house...cheese is a must

1 package Hillshire Polska Kielbasa Smoked Sausage, cut into bite-sized pieces

1 package (32 ounces) frozen tater tots
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped (optional)
1 medium red onion, chopped (optional)

4oz Mushrooms
Handful of spinach
salt and pepper
4 over-easy eggs
Shredded cheddar cheese 

• Prepare tater tots according to package directions. 
• Season with salt and pepper.
• Meanwhile in a large stock pot over medium/high heat, brown the sausage stirring occasionally
• Stir in the green bell pepper, onion, mushrooms and spinach
• Saute an additional 3-4 minutes until the vegetables are tender.
• Add the cooked tater tots into the pot with the sausage mix and stir gently to combine. 
• Pour into a 4 quart casserole dish and top with shredded cheddar cheese if desired. 
• Place in the oven to melt the cheese and keep warm while preparing  over easy eggs
• Top the casserole with the eggs that have been seasoned with salt and pepper. 
• Serve hot.

Enjoy!

Love and Hugs

Phoebe x

Wednesday Walk..

Love and Hugs
Phoebe x

Cold and Windy...

 Happy Tuesday from the Blue House

After last weeks heatwave.. the last couple have been chilly...very windy...and we even had rain...which wasnt on any weather reports. What was forecast tho was a sand storm...but luckily that stayed in the distance... although the sky became very dark over the mountains. Perfect for a cosy breakfast of homemade marmalade on toast... and a huge mug of coffee.

After my walk (which I did in record time cos I was a bit chilled) I did a quick check of the sunflowers that Ive grown from seed (first time ever) and planted against the neighbours fence.  Although the sun has come out...they are being buffeted by this strong wind... but they are doing ok. It strengthens them Ive been told. 

And Im so pleased the bottle brush tree is starting to flower.. although...

I'm not too sure about the mushrooms that have appeared in the veggie bed over night. 

Love and Hugs

Phoebe x

Whats for Dinner ~ Meal Plan Monday...

Passion week.. and next to Christmas.. my favourite week in the year. The lead up to Easter is always special.. culminating in the Good Friday evening service and the 'Son Rise' service at 6am on Sunday.

Ive done a bit of decorating...putting a few bunnies and coloured eggs around the house..but Im not going overboard. For me this week is about thinking about our Saviour... more than fluffy bunnies... although I do like a bit of chocolate...

For our Easter Sunday meal... we are actually having turkey. We hve a huge 22lb one we bought when prices went to 40c a pound. I think we will be eating it til Christmas!

Here's this weeks menu..

Weekly Plan - 11th April 2022

Monday               Chicken Low Mein

Tuesday               Shrimp Tacos, Rice and Beans

Wednesday          Smoked Sausage and Tator Tot Casserole

Thursday             Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta

Friday                  Salmon, Baby Potatoes, Peas, Parsley Sauce

Saturday              Ham and Cheese Sliders

Sunday                 Turkey, Stuffing, Honey Dijon Roast Potatoes, Veg

 

Sunday Thought ~ Luke 19:38

 Love and Hugs
Phoebe x

Grasshoppers...

A couple of weeks ago I shared that we had got back from three days away and something had eaten all our seedlings. We determined it must have been birds.. even tho there was massive damage in such a short time. MrD threw together some net structures.. I replanted and my veggies are coming on a treat. 

Then today.. these fellas descended on my garden.. there were only four or five of them.. but they were huge!!!! Grasshoppers the size of my plam. As a Brit… I have never seen a real life grasshopper but I know they eat copious amounts… so Im questioning if they did the damage.. not the birds.

Thank goodness the beds are covered.. but I will have to diligent and deal with them as soon as I see them as I don’t want them laying eggs

Birds.. heat.. now grasshoppers.. how does anyone succeed in growing veggies in SoCal?

Gardening at the Blue House is certainly throwing up some challenges

And I hope the birds will forgive me for jumping to conclusions

Love and Hugs

Phoebe x

 

 

𝅘𝅥𝅯𝅘𝅥𝅯 We're Having a Heatwave 𝅘𝅥𝅯𝅘𝅥𝅯....

After a busy week... Im ready to spend time with MrD this weekend.

After the huge disaster, my vegetable garden has been dug over and replanted . Everything is growing nicely in the beds again...

as are the carrots and potatoes in tubs..

The sunflowers and squash are doing well against the neighbours fence and I have sown some lettuce and spinach in trays to plant out in a week or so.

All three beds now have net covers to protect from the pesky birds... ok they are not a concern right now. The biggest worry is the weather... Its very hot.. we peaked at 98F/33C today. In fact..Im writing this at 7pm...and its still 91F/33C. This SoCal veggie growing is so different from my last garden in Wales. 

Im hoping we wont all scorch!

Love and Hugs

Phoebe x

In The Kitchen~Awesome Sauce Chicken

The Orange and Ginger Marmalade is done and stored away... 

and I made a couple of Chocolate Chip Banana Bread.. just for the heck of it.

I also had a bag of apples that needed using up so I made apple sauce for the freezer... 

I love it with a chicken dinner.

 Its been incredibly hot today... so no hot kitchen cooking for me toinight... We had barbeque...and it was deliciously simple

Awesome Sauce Chicken 

With only 3 ingredients chicken breasts were marinated in honey mustard, teriyaki sauce, and hot sauce. We had it with a baked potato, salad and homemade coleslaw. (excuse the terrible picture) It tastesd awesome. As theres only two of us... I have kept the leftovers to be chopped up on top of a salad or us in a sandwich or wrap over the weekend

1/3 cup honey mustard dressing
1/3 cup teriyaki sauce
1/3 cup hot sauce (or a little less if you dont want it so spicy)
4 to 6 boneless skinless chicken breasts

• Whisk together honey mustard dressing, teriyaki sauce, and hot sauce.
• Place chicken in a gallon size ziplock bag. 
• Pour marinade over chicken. 
• Seal bag and toss to coat. 
• Refrigerate chicken 1 hour to overnight.
• Prepare grill. 
• Remove chicken from marinade and place on grill. 
• Cook until internal temperate reaches 165ºF, approximately 12 to 15 minutes.

Love and Hugs
Phoebe x