This Week's Menu

Monday Dec. 21-Sunday Dec. 27

Monday
Meatloaf, mashed potatoes (make double), green beans

Tuesday
McCormick Seasonings Slow-Cook Italian Herb Chicken Thighs
peas, leftover mashed potatoes with garlic sesaoning

Wednesday
Linguine with Seafood and Sundried Tomatoes

Thursday Christmas Eve
Stouffer's or Soup

Friday Christmas Day!
Ham, etc.

Saturday
Leftovers

Sunday
Bill's choice

This Week's Menu

Monday Dec. 14-Sunday Dec. 20

Monday
Sundee's Chili (in honor of their moving)

Tuesday
Spaghetti and Italian Sausage

Wednesday
Tai's Birthday!
Ginger Beef Stir-Fry

Thursday (Dad's out)
Slow Cooker Chicken and Dumplings

Friday: Celebrate Tai's Birthday!
Dinner at Crab Shanty

Saturday
Bill's Choice

Sunday: Mary's Nutcracker
Ham BBQ at Linda's

Nature Notes: Birds

We had our first snowfall of the season this weekend, once again on Dec. 5th. Some record-keepers are saying this is the fifth year in a row on the 5th! The forecast started out as a mere inch but ended up putting egg all over the meteorologists' faces with a total of over six! Haha! Anyway, it sure puts everyone in the right frame of mind.
Coming home from a nice morning walk through the woods, we saw my fav little winter bird, the Nuthatch.
Actually FOUR all going "nyack, nyack, nyack" and chasing up and down the trees. They were so cute bopping all around the mature trees in the woods, like a bunch of schoolkids playing tag.

White-Breasted Nuthatch

At first, because of my declining eyesight (that ageing thing again. errg!), I couldn't be sure if they were Red-Breasted or White-Breasted 'Hatches. I had to depend on MeiWei to be my "eyes". She confirmed the red undersides, but I couldn't remember if the Whites had any red as well.

Red-Breasted Nuthatch

So back home, I went straight to Cornell Lab's All About Birds site and found that Whites will be habitating deciduous woods (check!), and then I listened to the recorded calls and songs. They were definitely Whites.
Knowing now that Red prefer coniferous forests, I will be less inclined to make the same mistake. And now I know why I see them at the lake house!

This Week's Menu

Monday
Breaded Parmesan Chicken , rice, salad
Tuesday
Italian Stew

Wednesday
Ginger Beef Stir Fry
Rice

Thursday
Potato-Broccoli and Cheese Soup
WW Rolls, salad


Friday
Honey Hoison Chicken in the Slow Cooker
Steamed broccoli and sticky rice

Saturday Bill Gone
Girls' Nite Out to Pizza Hut
(Use that Book-it coupon!)

Sunday
Tai's Choice

Nature Study: Oak Trees: It's All About the Acorns!

I had been apprehensive about Ambleside's timing of a tree study in the winter. Who studies trees when the leaves are all off?? But yesterday, as we took our walk around the lake, I was excited to find several trees that had cones or seedpods or even fruit in early December! The best thing is MeiWei was also excited. I think my enthusiasm for nature study is beginning to rub off!

A couple of weeks ago we had stopped to pick up a few different oak leaves near the house. I have never been good at oak ID and determined to do better. Well, after reading in Handbook of Nature Study
, I found that scientists have trouble with certain types of oaks because the same tree can produce several different leaf shapes! Boy, did that make me feel better. (It's the little things, you know.)
So to really know what you're dealing with you need the ACORNS!

How To Identify an Oak Tree video

Menu Review

Well, I bombed this week with the Slow Cooker Orange Chicken . Left it to cook all day (noon 'til 6) and ended up with orange-tainted chicken bbq chunks that were half-dried and slightly scorched. It was even more disappointing because I wanted to prove to Tai that Chinese could be done in the crock. (She had pleaded with me not to try.) It showed so much promise, but alas. I gave some of it a try and Bill didn't even mind it, but it would have been so much better. Guess "Fix It and Forget It" is not always the case.
The Turkey Soup also had issues because of the rice--I substituted white for the wild--as it cooked to a gruel-like consistency. However, the flavor was still great and provided lots of leftovers for lunches.

This Week's Menu

Nov. 30 -Dec. 6

Monday
Leftovers

Tuesday
Crockpot Turkey and Wild Rice Soup
Whole Wheat French Rolls

Wednesday
Slow Cooker Orange Chicken
Sticky Rice
French-style Green Beans

Thursday
Pork Chops with Mushroom Sauce
Cranberry-Stuffed Acorn Squash
Stuffing (box with leftover mashed potatoes added)
Apple Pie a la Mode

Friday
BUNCO night!
Bringing Jet Swirl Pizza Appetizers a calzone-like pinwheel filled with pepperoni, salami, provolone, and mozzarella. Very fattening, but no one will be making a whole meal on them!! Named after the originator's favorite football team. Whatever.

Saturday
Meatloaf
Mashed Potatoes
Frozen Peas and Carrots

Sunday
Tai or Bill's choice