Goals!

I'd forgotten that one of today's goals was to publish my goals.

I'm starting small today, this list will be expanded upon.

1. Clear out the paperwork in the binder of hotness.  This includes doing stuff like moving the kids' bank accounts, closing out the safety deposit box in DC, and so forth.
2. File all the paperwork in the office.  Remember, even if done incorrectly it is still better than sitting in a pile.
3. Have the files and office supplies moved to the office unit.  Also have couch moved to office.
4. Purchase and install drapes in bedroom.
5. Purchase and install drapes in living room and dining room.
6. Replace furniture in living room.
7. Purchase and install curtains for porch.
8. Have entire house repainted.
9. Have porches stained.
10. Expansion on house (expand porch, install French doors upstairs and down, create sleep porch upstairs, install more faucets and electrical outlets outside, connect stairs from kitchen with open porch to covered porch).
11. Plan summer trips.
12. Connect with local home school groups.
13. Sign the boy up for local home school swim team.
14. Take one cooking class a month
15. Plan weekly menus
16. Find a way to make money while homeschooling boy and hauling girl to and from school 30+ minutes away.  In short, find a way to earn money while working my own hours at home.  Or on island.

That's it for now.

That's enough!!

I'm about read for spring break to be over

Past ready.

The girl had surgery a week ago.  She's on the mend but both she and Hubby have been ill and the boy has been Mr. Cranky-pants because I've not been able to give him my full attention.  Additionally it has been dark and dreary for the last ten days.

I won't complain, no way.  I know once we get back to school we have a six week schlog until summer break.  The boy has just about given up on school (his present situation is unhappy and we are already starting to home school).  Hubby is itching to get back to full health and back to daily work outs and lots of outdoor activities.  The girl goes with her class to Atlanta the day after she goes back to school and we are all concerned for her (will she be able to keep up with her classmate?  If not, what is to be done for her?)

I'm very ready to be done caring for invalids.  Yes, it's selfish of me, but I want to go out for dinner without having to ask for everything to be packed up to go because one of our family is too ill to sit though dinner.  I want to see a movie without having to race home in the middle because someone is too sick to sit though the show.

And so forth.

So, food today;

I made pancakes and boiled eggs for breakfast.
Ham and cheese for the boy for lunch.  Just cheese for the girl.  Just butter and toast for me.
I made chicken-apple sausages with hash-browns for dinner.
Ice cream for dessert.

You may have noticed that there has been a complete lack of fruit and veggies of late.  The girl can't swallow much and the boy won't eat most fruit or veggies, so I've backed off this week while I have two ill people at home.  Starting tomorrow we go back to 5 servings a day.

State of the Household

The Girl = very ill, indeed.  Fever, ear infection, reaction to medication, recovering from surgery.  She is bouncing back.
The Boy = slightly under the weather.  He's mostly wanting some of the attention I must direct to his sister.
Hubby = mostly ok.  After the major illness of last fall, any little thing lays him low.  He's feeling much better today than yesterday.
Mrs. SD2R = just a tad ill.  I seem to have gotten a minor fever, most likely from popping in and out of doctor's offices and pharmacies all week long.

Baking a potato, boiling an egg.

Seriously, how difficult can baking a potato or boiling an egg be?

Well, if you were raised by a critical, perfectionist parent, either item could be challenging.

I had a dear friend bust up laughing at me when I told her how much I love my egg boiler.  Yeah, I have an egg boiler.  This beauty has made my life so much easier.  Mornings are rushed here, I'm up at 530am, my kids are up at 610am and we are out the door by 705am.  My rice cooker (which makes great oatmeal), my egg poacher, my toaster and my quesadilla maker stand along side my egg boiler as part of my go-to of tools for breakfast.  I've used the egg boiler for so long now that I've forgotten how to properly boil an egg.  I just prick the eggs, add water, flip the switch and let the machine do the work while I shower or do yoga or walk the dog.  When the eggs are done it keeps them hot and ready for the kids when they come to table.

Baking potatoes.  I use the plain, old-fashioned oven for that.  I forget what temperature to set the oven each and every time.   *shrugs*  I'll set the oven to 350F, wash, prick and oil the 'taters and pop 'em in the oven, then run over to the computer to look up the correct temperature and cooking time.

My mother would laugh at me, were she alive today.

But then, she never had to juggle so much as I do.

Chicken, it's what's for dinner

A late afternoon appointment with the girl's ENT required I do a dash and grab dinner.  Thank heaven for Publix's family combo, eight pieces of crispy fried chicken, two large sides and a four pack of Hawaiian bread for $8.99.  While I'm busy grabbing that the pharmacy is pulling together the girl's anti-biotics.  I rounded dinner out with chocolate covered strawberries for dessert.  Yummy.

I ran into a neighbor while at the doctor's office and was sorry to hear her husband fell off the roof and broke his leg.  A clean break, thank heaven, but still, he's flat on his back for a few weeks and for someone who runs his own construction business, that's seriously bad news.

I spoke at length with another neighbor today.  She's planning on moving her daughter over to the school the girl attends.  I continue to be dismayed with the shockingly poor quality of service our local public school gives any student who doesn't fit the box perfectly.  More about that another time.

Apple cart is upset

The girl had surgery last week.  Recovery was progressing well until last night, an ear infection has set in and she is beyond miserable.  Add to the mix, Hubby was exposed to strep.

We were supposed to start in on the school work the girl has missed, but that ain't gonna happen today.

The boy got dressed in something beside his dad's shirt and nothing else.  First day since Saturday that he put real clothes on.

Breakfast was English muffins.  The girl and I had butter and honey.  The boy had pbj.  Hubby had lox and tomatoes.

Hubby replaced the broken bathroom scale.  I almost wish he hadn't.

The Stroganoff

I thought I snagged this off Serious Eats, only no, I didn't, I must have gotten it elsewhere. *shrugs* I'm really sloppy about keeping track of where I get a recipe, but I'll always adapt the recipe and I'll always link back to where I found it or the book it came from, if at all possible. 


Adapted from 365 Days of Slow Cooking


Chicken Stroganoff

• 1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 1 (4 oz) can mushrooms, drained
• 1 (13.75 oz) can cream of chicken soup
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp dry dill
• 1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• Salt and pepper to taste

Combine the chicken, onion, mushrooms, cream of chicken soup, and tomato sauce in slow cooker. Cover and cook on LOW for 5-6 hours or on HIGH for 3 hours. Shred the chicken and add in the paprika, dill, sour cream and salt and pepper. Stir and turn to HIGH. Let sit without lid for 10-15 minutes. Serve over egg noodles.


My daughter is a vegatarian, so this recipe didn't work for her.  To serve a healthy dinner for her I served egg noodles with pesto and Alfredo sauce I purchased from the deli counter at the local Publix.


My son liked the sauce, but didn't care for the mushrooms, nor the chicken.  Oddly, he usually hates pasta  but he snarfed up the eggs noodles and sauce.  I think he liked the sauce for the exact reason I didn't care for it all that much, the spices were weak and it was too salty.  Sadly, my son is very used to under spiced, over salted food, that's what is served at his school. 


I found this to be super easy to make but it tasted very 'canned'.  I'll keep the recipe around for rushed days, as the hands on time was less than five minutes.


We rounded out the meal with a fruit salad.

Hello. Welcome.

Time to start this blog.

SD2R=  ?

It's a name my husband used for one of his companies for a few years.  Maybe you can figure out what that stands for.

This blog will cover what I fix my family to eat, how I deal with having two Asperger's kids and a husband who is recovering from massive clotting from Deep-Vein Thrombosis (and the following Pulmonary Embolisms (4), heart damage (one clot caught on his heart) and very minor stroke).

I will be homeschooling my son, once he finishes up this school year.

I love to travel, that is one of my driving passions.

So, today, Monday, I fixed blueberry cobbler for breakfast, with fresh blueberries and Bisquick mix.  Total flop as far as the kids were concerned.  The only saving grace was the vanilla ice cream I served with the cobbler.
Lunch was nothing for me, PBnJ for the Boy and nothing but juices for the girl, as she's still recovering from surgery.
Dinner is Chicken Stroganoff.  Jury is still out on this new recipe.  Film at 11.