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Company Girl Coffee 2.19.10

Good Morning Company Girls!!! I'm so glad to join you again this week :) I missed last week (and almost all of this week) due to NO INTERNET. UGH! We don't have a television service -- although our small town has a PBS station that saved me with toddlers, and we don't have a newspaper delivered b/c we don't have time to read it, and then we were "snowed" in for two days. . .man, it's been a l.o.n.g. 2 weeks. . .although they went to school 3 days last week, none of them were full days -- 2 were delays and 1 was an early dismissal. This week we've been out 4 days. . .but. . .the kids go back to school today -- one hour late, but I'll take it!!! We need to get back on schedule around here. Counting MLK Day and President's Day we have missed 19 days of school in addition to 20+ hours in delays and early dismissals in 2010. It's not all complaints though. . .I really, really love my children and we are blessed with a home large enough that we are not tripping over one another at all times (although for some reason they mostly do insist on being in the same room at the same time, even if they are arguing. . .)

Here are some of the things that kept us busy:
Yesterday friends were over for a few hours. . .they have a new baby and Margaret was in HEAVEN. I snapped this picture to save and show her when she is a mommy someday. . .she's a natural!

There was reading, and television (yep, PBS!), jumping on the trampoline, and Wii, and decorating Valentine's Day boxes (they did get to go to school for their party last Friday). . .
I also had lots of time to cook this week so I thought I'd share some tried-and-true (by me!) recipes and also some projects I found around blogland that I'd like to tackle. I know Rachel Anne did menus last week and hope it's o.k. to still post some recipes for you to browse. . .as well as a few other things. . .

I made these PW meatballs this week -- I served them with egg noodles that I tossed with butter and parm cheese with a side of broccoli. Definitely a "keeper".

This stew was FABULOUS and yes, as easy as he says.

I was browsing through my March issue of Real Simple one day this week and came across 10 Ideas for Chicken Cutlets (pg 196-197) and immediately made Baked Chicken Parmesan. . .so easy, so good (leave your e-mail in the comments if you want the recipe).

And this week we also had some Chicken Burritos from my Southern Living Busy Moms Weeknight Favorites (again, leave a comment and e-mail if you want the recipe). I used Rotel diced tomatoes for the first time in my life -- they made *all* the difference. I'd also never tried refrigerated mild white cheese dip. . .a new "staple" I may keep around for hungry snack-y kids.

Thomas baked a cake on his own this week. . .the first time he's done it without my direct supervision. It was a tad difficult to watch him spray the pan to death but he's gotta learn in a safe environment and I deem that to be in an environment free of criticism. . .it wasn't hurting anything and the best way to learn is by doing.
And on the project then there is my dining room table. A few thoughts on this. It seems Layla has the same table (except the leaves) and this is what she did:
It's not really my style. The table (or at least mine) is too "heavy" for this treatment. But it got me thinking about maybe blackwashing (is that a term?) the table instead. I also saw a piece at my dentist's office this week and her mother had refinished it by dry brushing it (it was black and more the look I was going for). Then, as I was browsing blogs, catching up this morning, I saw this coffee table at Thrifty Decor Chick.
See? It has the grooves on top like my table. . .I think this might be the answer. . .I'll have to come back to this when it gets warmer and I can get the table into the garage. I'd love your opinions though.

This egg project is a good idea but I don't know if I'd have the patience? Need to get some twine. . .

And I want to make these Chocolate Carmel Oatmeal Bars!

Oh, and we did get back online yesterday and I want to tell you how I told my Dude I appreciate him. . .it's a great idea that I found online somewhere (will link if I find it). . .but it is to write him love notes in the shower. The blogger used bath crayons, but we just have a plain old "regular" shower so I use dry erase markers. I like to leave notes there for him to find in the morning. . .last night when I came home from school he had our bed already made up (I washed and dried the sheets but hadn't gotten to the last step yet. . .) but forgot to mention to him that I appreciated him doing that before he fell asleep. So I wrote him a quick note on the shower wall. . .dry erase markers work well on the mirror too. . .

Can you tell I've been deprived of conversation this week?!? I'll stop here. . .if you're even still with me :) I hope to visit all of you this weekend!!! Hope it's a sun-shine-y beautiful weekend for you, whether the sun is out or not :)

Comments

  1. What a couple of weeks for you! I don't have to imagine too much because we've been cooped up with one of us being runny nosed or coughing for 2 weeks.

    What a precious photo of your girl with the baby!! She will be a wonderful mommy one day.

    PW has some great simple recipes...if only I had time to try them all.

    I can't help you too much on the table front, I have no idea when it comes to stuff like that.

    Neat idea for the dry erase.

    I'm glad your connected now. We don't have a TV by choice so I hope we never have to go without Internet...althoug we do have our phones that can go online and we can youtube stuff on here...yes, I'm a crazy woman typing this on my phone. =p

    Have a wonderful weekend!

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  2. Now that was some good coffee! :) It was nice visiting with you. I don't think it's ever to late to share recipes.

    Glad you could join in this week. I missed last week too. It sounds like maybe you got our snow this year. We have had very little compared to our record breaking-school missing amounts last year!

    Have a great weekend!
    -Melissa

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  3. wow you must have had some really bad cabin fever being cooped up like that with not much around to entertain!

    I may have to try some dry erase markers in our shower, too.

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  4. It's always hard when you're out of your routine. Hopefully, things can get back to normal for you.
    Sharing recipes is always a good idea. I love to look at recipes, and I will even read cookbooks for fun from time to time.
    Hope you have a great weekend.

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  5. Yikes! That is a lot of time off. Do they have to make it up at the end?

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  6. First of all, my high school students in Colorado would be soooo jealous of your kids' snow days and delays. Somehow we've only gotten dustings of snow and haven't even had a single delay this semester. I'm loving all your crafty ideas- the table idea sounds good! I have a friend who's trying to figure out how to fix up her coffee table, too; I'll have to pass along your ideas. And I'm totally going to steal the notes in the shower idea.... how fun! Hope your weekend is wonderful!

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  7. That's a lot of school to be missed...I think I'd go a little crazy too! The recipes sound great...I hope you are able to get back into your routine real soo....I'm getting tired of snow and cold too!

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  8. Here's hoping you get back to a normal schedule soon! I LOVE routine! However, I must say, it sounds like you have had ample opportunities to putter around the kitchen and get some projects done!

    I love the table in black, I definitely think you should go for it!

    Have a great, snow free, week!

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  9. Whew, lots of snow days! It's hard when the routine is off and really difficult when your cooped up and can't go anywhere.
    Love the recipes and I'd love to try your chicken parm. recipe. And I'd like a slice of that cake! :)
    Love your table. I like the black look. Our dining room table which is the only table in our house my dad made for us. I just recently refinished it. I stained the top a dark rich wood color, and then painted the bottom black. The chairs, I stained the seats to match the table top and painted everything else black. Maybe you'd like your table black with the chairs stained?

    Have a great weekend, hope y'all get some sunshine!!
    LydiaCate
    cathyhelms41 at gmail dot com

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  10. Oh, boy, that's a lot of school to miss. I had to smile at the trampolining in the snow! At least the kids could be outside some and work out some of their energy. Will you have to have extra days tacked on at the end of the school year to make up for it?

    I'm a big fan of black paint on furniture. A can of satin spray paint works WONDERS. I like to find the cans that have nozzles that spray in a line, rather than a tiny circle...you get a much more even coat. I love the photos you posted...very inspiring. Can't wait for warmer weather to get out there and spray up some of my junk.

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  11. I love PW Meatballs. Do you have her cookbook? I bought it for myself as a Christmas present to "me", and I've loved several of the recipes in there as well.

    I can't imagine having so much snow that would result in all those days off school. I'm stir crazy after just a weekend at home, I don't know what I'd do with myself with all that snow!

    Hope you have a good week!

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  12. Man...19 days? Craziness...I hope you guys get back on schedule!

    I love the black...I say go for it!

    What a great idea...dry erase in the shower. I have heard of using it on the mirror, but never in the shower..I gotta try that!

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  13. Oh my, hope the kids return to school soon. Mine were out for 10 days, but at least we had TV and internet, and lots of snow for them to play in. Enjoy your week.

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