Category Archives: Food/Drink

The Simple Woman’s Daybook: December 15, 2019

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For Today… December 15, 2019

Simple Woman's Daybook

Looking out my window… dark. It was in the 30’s today with scattered showers. No snow yet.

I am thinking… about the Lenten devotional book for church. I meet with my priest tomorrow to talk about it. I’m also thinking about the church website and how to include all the information that needs to be included and visible on the first page.

I am thankful… for a wonderful church community. I think the reason I haven’t swum the Tiber yet is that my church is so amazing and feeds me spiritually every week.

One of my favorite things… quiet. I’m waiting for Daniel to go to sleep because I need some. Thankfully, I don’t have a terribly crazy week, so that should help.

I am wearing… a long-sleeved charcoal ribbed shirt and jeans. I’m barefoot as always. Church clothes were a black and green pinstriped t-shirt dress, a black cardigan, black tights, and my black flats. I’m incredibly happy that I can get tights on Amazon.Com and that I know my size so I can get them off of Target.Com instead of having to go into the subpar Target location we have here.

I am creating… *.txt files for when I transition the church website to WordPress on Thursday.

I am listening to… the sound of the washer and dryer so I can know when to move laundry around. I also need the pajama bottoms in the dryer before I shower.

I am hoping… this week goes well and that the new dishwasher gets installed tomorrow. We’ve been without a functional dishwasher since the day after Thanksgiving.

I am learning… possibly how to create a MySQL database from scratch.

In my kitchen… God knows. Probably my favorite pesto pasta from Trader Joe’s.

Post Script… I tell my students this soooo often! I also tell them to date any handouts they get and read their syllabi carefully.

Shared Quote… “Read all the words, not just the ones you like.” — my Accounting instructor

I may or may not quote this to my students daily.

Hosted by The Simple Woman.

7 Quick Takes: My Plate for the Last Few Months Edition

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7 Quick Takes

I was going to just post some videos from my “Advent Songs” playlist, but I have some spare time in front of my laptop, so… here’s what my plate has looked like for the last few months.

Amazon affiliate links may/may not be here because I am an Amazon affiliate.

— 1 —

Put an Advent devotional book together for my church. This involved recruiting people to write reflections, scheduling posts on the church Facebook page, MailChimp, and trying to get them up on the church website. Oh yeah, I also put together a manuscript in *.PDF format for people with e-readers, and I made paper copies for our shut-ins. Because I love going down YouTube rabbit holes, I put together YouTube playlists (here and here) for people who find that music brings them closer to God.

If you want a copy of the *.PDF file, email me (jen [at] this domain) or fill out the contact form.

— 2 —

Crocheted some stuff. I’ve finished three hats and my nephew’s baby/big boy blankie. I’ve started hat #4 and will be starting socks for my mom tomorrow.

— 3 —

Made a bunch of food. I did two batches of cookies for my family’s distribution night for Grandma’s ornaments, did two dishes for Thanksgiving, made a family recipe for people so I’d have lots of leftovers, and I will be baking two batches of cookies next week to fulfill a gift certificate donated to a silent auction for my church. Did I mention that most of this was without a functional dishwasher? My hands are so dry and yucky that they look like I put them through a blender.

— 4 —

Retaught myself some Accounting skills. Oh hai inventory valuation in a perpetual inventory system! I can expound quite a lot on FIFO, LIFO, weighted-average, and specific ID methods now.

— 5 —

Tried to make Daniel’s current bowel blockage go away. We find out how I did with that tomorrow.

— 6 —

Tried to get people to use their computer mouse properly. If your mouse motions are jerky as if you are shifting a Formula 1 car, YOU’RE DOING IT WRONG AND NEED TO PUT DOWN THE MOUSE AND PUT YOUR HANDS IN YOUR LAP!!!!!!!!!!! (I might be a little stabby about this…)

— 7 —

Figured out stuff for a super secret project. I’ll know if the project is a go in a few days.

For more Quick Takes, visit Kelly at This Ain’t The Lyceum.

7 Quick Takes: Halloween Edition

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7 Quick Takes

— 1 —

Halloween Take #1. My conspiracy theorist costume.

My costume.

— 2 —

Halloween Take #2. Here is a close-up picture of some of my conspiracy theories.

A close-up of my costume.

— 3 —

Halloween #3. Even my prince of darkness got in on the action! (And yes, he is planning to kill me while I sleep.)

Minion and me.

— 4 —

Halloween Take #4. I made my dad a pumpkin pi(e).

The pumpkin pi(e) I made for my dad.

— 5 —

An explanation. Three years ago, one of my baristas did an aluminum foil hat for Halloween and I had been wanting to try it. I also put ~30 labels all over my body with the names of various conspiracies. The aluminum foil hat was actually super easy and it fit over my bun. I didn’t wear it all day because it was really hot, but it did the trick.

— 6 —

Coffee Take #1.

Yeah, this is totally me...

— 7 —

Prayer request. Please keep the Witte family in prayer as they bury little Preston today. They were one of our amazing church families in Minnesota, and my heart breaks for them. Also, please wear blue for him today if you can.

For more Quick Takes, visit Kelly at This Ain’t The Lyceum.

The Simple Woman’s Daybook: October 27, 2019

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For Today… October 27, 2019

Simple Woman's Daybook

Looking out my window… sunny. It’s deceptive because it looks warm while it is a bit chilly–about 46F.

I am thinking… about all those affected by the wildfires in California.

I am thankful… to not be in California right now with the fires and power outages. PG&E should be facing criminal charges for the crap their horrible equipment is creating. If they had actually maintained their equipment appropriately and updated safety measures, California wouldn’t be facing this problem.

One of my favorite things… crocheting while watching YouTube.

I am wearing… blue long-sleeved shirt and black khaki-type pants. As usual, I am barefoot.

I am creating… a charcoal-colored ribbed hat.

I am watching… various things on YouTube.

I am hoping… for a good resolution to a situation on my mind. (I’d talk about it, but that would violate some privacy policies and put me at risk of litigation.)

I am learning… that I really need to read EVERY part of a pattern.

In my kitchen… yet to be determined for dinner tonight.

Shared Quote… “Crowley had always known that he would be around when the world ended, because he was immortal and wouldn’t have any alternative. But he hoped it was a long way off. Because he rather liked people. It was major failing in a demon. Oh, he did his best to make their short lives miserable, because that was his job, but nothing he could think up was half as bad as the stuff they thought up themselves. They seemed to have a talent for it. It was built into the design, somehow. They were born into a world that was against them in a thousand little ways, and then devoted most of their energies to making it worse. Over the years Crowley had found it increasingly difficult to find anything demonic to do which showed up against the natural background of generalized nastiness. There had been times, over the past millennium, when he’d felt like sending a message back Below saying, Look we may as well give up right now, we might as well shut down Dis and Pandemonium and everywhere and move up here, there’s nothing we can do to them that they don’t do to themselves and they do things we’ve never even thought of, often involving electrodes. They’ve got what we lack. They’ve got imagination. And electricity, of course. One of them had written it, hadn’t he… ‘Hell is empty, and all the devils are here.'”
? Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman, Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch

A moment from my day… A lot of churches are celebrating Reformation Day today and my former priest posted this today. I’m kind of dying of laughter while watching this…

Hosted by The Simple Woman.

The Simple Woman’s Daybook: September 23, 2019

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For Today… September 23, 2019

Simple Woman's Daybook

Looking out my window… grey. We had a rainy day today, and it was lovely.

I am thinking… about things related to my pre-op appointment and how to deal with getting my family information if both of my parents need to be home with Daniel on surgery day, leaving me at the hospital alone. (The surgery isn’t until October 8th.)

I am thankful… that my pre-op appointment went well and there was no pelvic exam involved!

One of my favorite things… quiet. It’s not happening for another two hours given Daniel being sick with the cold going around his class and me having to give him fluids in small doses every 30 minutes so he doesn’t cough his meds up. #gtubekidproblems

I am wearing… jammies. Clothes today were a long-sleeved blue shirt and jeans.

I am creating… letters and an Advent devotional booklet. Oh… I’m also making lovely progress on my nephew’s baby/big boy blankie.

I am reading… Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman. It’s delightful, so much so that I really don’t want to watch the TV series.

I am hoping… Daniel doesn’t puke up anything tomorrow morning and make me miss my doctor’s appointment.

I am learning… that I really need to practice better sleep hygiene. (Sleep hygiene is defined as turning off electronics and doing things to create a better sleeping environment.)

In my kitchen… defrosting some pesto and tomato linguine from Trader Joe’s.

In the school room… Daniel is happy to be back at school after being out sick on Friday.

Post Script… this is the apple cake I made for church on Sunday.

Shared Quote… “[describing Crowley] An Angel who did not so much Fall as Saunter Vaguely Downwards.” – Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett, Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch

A moment from my day… Duuuuuuude…

Hosted by The Simple Woman.

The Simple Woman’s Daybook: September 17, 2019

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For Today…

Simple Woman's Daybook

Looking out my window… dark. We’ve been having a lot of rain lately. We even had a serious thunder and lightning storm a week and a half ago.

I am thinking… about the Advent devotional book I’m putting together for church. I’m trying to put together the instruction sheet and ask letter.

I am thankful… for the overpayment of a bill 5-6 years ago that was sent to me this week. It is helping out.

One of my favorite things… sleep.

I am wearing… my jammies as it is 12:30 a.m.

I am creating… devotion examples for the ask letter.

I am reading… Nailed It by Anne Kennedy.

I am hoping… to be productive this week.

I am learning… about bullet journals and what spreads work for me.

In my kitchen… scampi linguine.

In the school room… Daniel is loving school being back in session.

Post Script… the rules for posting about a death on social media.

Shared Quote… “It may help to understand human affairs to be clear that most of the great triumphs and tragedies of history are caused, not by people being fundamentally good or fundamentally bad, but by people being fundamentally people.” –Neil Gaiman, Good Omens

Hosted by The Simple Woman.

The Simple Woman’s Daybook: July 21, 2019

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For Today… July 21, 2019

Simple Woman's Daybook

Looking out my window… sunny and in the 80’s. It’s also humid, which is not making me feel good. I don’t do heat well.

I am thinking… about my Camp NaNoWriMo piece. I’m around 3,000 words behind, so I think my character is going to have a long conversation or write a long letter.

I am thankful… for the opportunity to help with VBS for the last two weeks. I was washing dishes for it, and it was fun though exhausting!

Me in dishwashing clothes.

One of my favorite things… calm and quiet. It’s in short supply in these parts with Daniel.

I am wearing… my “All Together Now” shirt from Old Navy and jeans capris.

I am creating… my my Camp NaNoWriMo piece.

I am reading… Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Sir Terry Pratchet. I’m just a few pages in but very much enjoying it.

I finished Inspired by Rachel Held Evans on our 3 (!!!!) hour drive home from Seattle last Tuesday. It was wonderful though bittersweet as it is her last book with her passing on May 4.

I am hoping… the intensive ABA therapy with Daniel works. We are really struggling here.

I am learning… that my sleep deprivation is at a point where my body is just dropping into sleep at night, regardless of my plans to get some writing done.

In my kitchen… Cherry Delicious, a cherry cobbler recipe where the crust is made with cake mix and butter. I made two pans of it for coffee hour this morning, and I think I had one serving left of the gluten-free pan. (It was as good as the regular one, though the crust wasn’t as soft.)

In the school room… Daniel has ESY this week and then he’s off until the first week of September.

Post Script… an excellent guide to tipping.

Shared Quote… “What I love about the Bible is that the story isn’t over. There are still prophets in our midst. There are still dragons and beasts. It might not look like it, but the Resistance is winning. The light is breaking through.
So listen to the weirdos. Listen to the voices crying from the wilderness. They are pointing us to a new King and a better kingdom.” – Rachel Held Evans, Inspired

A moment from my day…

Hosted by The Simple Woman.