By hand and homemade!

As a working mom, I have generally avoided things that need to be done "by hand" or that are "homemade" but I've seen a change in this recently. I found that I've actually wanted to make things myself more than being pre-packaged or prepared foods.

There are some limits. I still buy wine at the store. I'm not in a position to start my own vineyard! I buy milk and cheese since I cannot have livestock in the city limits.

I took a few days off work while my husband enjoys a vacation in Allentown, Pennsylvania at the IDPA National Shooting Competition with his friend Mike. I figured this would give me a chance to get some things done that I've wanted to get done. On Thursday, I made a large pot of soup from a recipe in "Good Housekeeping" that was part of a soup diet. The article included some variations to jazz up the basic vegetable soup recipe. My goal is to use homemade soup that I freeze in containers instead of buying pre-packaged frozen dinners as often. My basket in the upstairs freezer is full of soup!

Today, I was very busy in the kitchen. For breakfast, I made waffles, from scratch. The leftovers heat nicely in the toaster for breakfasts later. This afternoon, I made Jonnie a surprise batch of brownies from scratch. Jonnie loves the "brown & white" at Cici's pizza so I tracked down a brownie recipe and whipped up a batch. I put my own twist by poking pieces of chocolate into the batter. I dusted the top with powdered sugar after they were baked so they looked like the "brown & white". For dinner, I made macaroni and cheese from scratch! I have to say it was really good. Mind you, I could have easily grabbed a box of mac & cheese from the cupboard with the neon orange cheese and served that for dinner. However, I was in the mood for a homemade cheese sauce and a bubbly casserole out of the oven.

When it comes to fixing things around the house, I've often suggested replacing it or hiring someone to fix it. This is why I think Jon will be surprised when he comes home to find that I sanded down the rust spots on our grill and painted it with high heat paint. I think it looks much better. I tried to renew the grates inside the grill but these are more rust than anything else. Replacement is inevitable.

Speaking of fixing things, I need to fix one of Jon's battery operated trains. This is the 4th train that has needed a new battery this weekend. Another had it's face fall off which I tried to fix with glue and ended up added tape.

Have a wonderful rest of the weekend! If all goes well, Jonnie & I will go to 8:30 AM mass tomorrow and plant some crocus and hyacinth bulbs.