My new list of goals

My new list of goals

1/2 - cook about a month worth of meals (20 supper and 20 breakfast)
YES - do some decluttering (who can't say that)
NO - mow the lawn for the first time, maybe even rake
YES - fix door in the addition
YES - put door on pan cabinet
YES - move Tupperware cabinet onto counter
YES - pull out stove and clean behind it
- organize my coupons
- finish painting my stairs
- insulate door in the addition
- put work schedule on outlook
- clean out and drywall addition and mudroom
- wash pillows
- change CFL in living room lamp (tedious and time consuming)
- move storage cabinet into the addition
- golf on Wednesday
- baseball on Thursday

So I haven't cooked any suppers yet and I haven't yet decided what I want to cook. I have to peruse some recipes and figure that out.

I often joke about having adult ADHD but the older I get the more I think that it might be more true than funny. Either that or I have a case of the bi-polar. (No offense intended to anyone clinically diagnosed with either ailment, please read further before you get angry.)

I woke up today and I was terrified because I had this crazy dream about a door being in the wall of my basement that only homeless people knew about and used to congregate in my basement when it was cold or rainy. At any rate, after the terror had passed, I got up with some vigour and excitement about the day ahead. I had no definite plan but I felt that today would be productive. And it appears I was right although nothing I did was actually intended.

I made a nice breakfast of waffles and bacon when I awoke and I have discovered that the downfall of regular meals is that you get hungry on a regular basis. I usually don't eat more than one meal a day so this three meal thing is a pain. So I decided I would take a couple of steaks out of the freezer for later. I went into the addition and immediately got sidetracked by a bag of recycling. Before I got to the freezer, I went back into the house to grab some newspapers for the recycling bag.

ASIDE - Usually when I go grocery shopping, I come in the back door with the bags because the kitchen is right there instead of dragging them through the house. During the winter, probably sometime in January, I came in the back door and then spent about 45 minutes trying to get it shut. It was hard to close and I didn't even try to open it again until last week when I figured that the winter melt was over and the door would be easy to open. Well I didn't try because I noticed that the deadbolt was bent as the door had obviously shifted quite dramatically. (Very scary - what does that mean for my foundation? I won't even worry about that until I have to.)

Anyhoo, when I came back with the recycling, my next thought was, Hmm, I should try to get that door open and I can take the recycling out now. So after about an hour, two screwdriver bits and a fair amount of swearing. I did get the door fixed, which is ok after all it was on my list of goals. Oh yes, I have added a few new goals and added the things I did that I didn't plan on. I know I won't get the drywall up in the mudroom and addition but I do intend on cleaning them out. Then I decided I wanted to move my coffeemaker. That involved moving a small cabinet from one counter to another. I then decided to finally put the door on the counter I had just moved the cabinet from. I had put it off because I thought it would be difficult. Guess what, it took me about 10 seconds. Stupid, stupid, why do I procrastinate?!

So all of this took about two and a half hours. I was sweaty and tired and sat down to take a long gulp of my water bottle. I then noticed an odd pain. Damn, I never did take the bloody steaks out of the freezer.

As a result, I went to the addition and I took out the steaks. It was actually a struggle to stay focused. I had so many little projects zipping through my head. But I did take them out and have them for supper and it was fantastic. All that done because of steaks for supper.

Three and a half days left.

One goal accomplished!

So the casserole was alright. I got up this morning and popped it in the oven. It was nice, I don't normally have breakfast but I woke up pretty excited knowing that it was waiting for me. It doesn't take much to make me happy. It was a little bland without salt but I added some and it was fine. I also discovered that it has to sit for about 10 minutes before you cut into it. It was a little runny, or rather oily from the sausage I think. So after I scarfed down a couple of pieces, I still had four small pieces to throw in the freezer for other happy mornings.

So it is 11 PM and I just finished putting together another one. I didn't have any sausage so I cut up bacon. Also this time, I sauteed, onions and mushrooms and red pepper before adding. I found the onion a little raw for my liking. I also added some wing sauce. Probably too much, I love the taste but I hate the heat. I added it to the saute. I put wax paper in the pan before adding the ingredients and have put it in the fridge for the flavours to mix and then I plan to take it out of the pan, wrap in the appropriate medium and then throw in the freezer. I also have enough of the saute mix for another one. I also have a piece of garlic sausage that I will use as the meat. I am only missing the milk, so I will have to get milk and then I can make one more for the freezer. So there are my 20 breakfasts. Now I have to get organized and decide what I want for suppers. I have about 5 or 6 containers in the freezer with suppers in them that I have been avoiding for a while. the meals were not that appetizing when I made them. However I packaged them up anyway thinking that I would eventually eat them but no. I think I will have to try to eat them at home. That way if they are horrid then I can eat something else.

Crap, did I mention there are critters living in the space between the first and second floor. I hear sounds right now and I don't think it is the cats. Also, I hear them (I am hoping it is only two small squirrels) in the middle of the night when both cats are snuggled up with me. I am kind of ignoring the problem right now because I am sure I can't afford whatever the cost is to get rid of them. Now that winter is over, and oddly I didn't hear them until spring, I will venture into the crawl space when someone is here with me to be my backup and put some poison in there. There cats have no access so there is no fear of a horrible accident.

Six days left.

EIGHT DAYS OFF, WOO HOO!

Ah the benefits of this new work schedule are being felt today. This is day one of eight days off. I know it feels like a lifetime now but I also know that on the morning of day 9 when I head back to work I will be lamenting about how quickly it went. So I am determined to make use of every moment. My goals for this week are to:

- finish painting my stairs
- cook about a month worth of meals (20 supper and 20 breakfast)
- do some decluttering (who can't say that)
- mow the lawn for the first time, maybe even rake
- fix and insulate door for the addition
- clean out and drywall addition and mudroom

It is ambitious I know but gotta aim high right. I am already ahead of the game, I made a breakfast quiche tonight. Damn I just realized I forgot to add salt and pepper. Oh well, I can add it when I eat it. I will bake it tomorrow and then divide into Dollarama containers to eat in the mornings. I am not a morning person at all and don't get up in time for breakfast so this is perfect. Here is the recipe:

Basic Breakfast Casserole

6 eggs
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups milk
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 pound ground sausage
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
6 slices bread, broken into small pieces

Spray a 8 x 12 inch pan with non-stick spray. Brown and drain sausage. Mix eggs, milk and mustard in blender or whisk thoroughly. Add sausage, bread and cheese.. Pour in pan and refrigerate overnight. Bake in the morning at 350 degrees until egg is set, about half an hour.

I made some modifications. I had three buns that were a couple of days from going moldy so I used those for the bread and of course I forgot the salt. I also added about 1/2 cup of onions because I think everything should have onions in it. I also added about 1/2 diced Portobello mushrooms and roasted red pepper, just because. I don't really understand the mustard but I used it anyway. I will let you know how it goes.

Seven days left.