Dennis and Stephen have been gone on their annual hunting trip to the Hill Country this week. I have enjoyed my "solitary time". Even though I've been excited to have some time to myself, I haven't exactly been a hermit! I've been to visit several people and spent one afternoon with Sheila and Nam. Tuesday afternoon, we went to the theatre to watch The Chosen Christmas Special. We were the only ones in the theatre, so we sang along with all of the songs that we knew. It was fun, and heart-warming! Afterwards we went out to eat together. We all decided we wanted sushi, which is a special treat for me. Good times!
I've used this week to try out several new recipes that I didn't figure Dennis would like. I had a mango chicken salad for lunch today that is definitely a keeper! Dennis won't eat it, but I plan to fix it on a regular basis for myself. It was chock full of yummy and healthy stuff! I did try a new chicken recipe tonight that I think even Dennis might like. It is similar to an easy meal that I fix regularly using chicken and veggies, but the seasoning is quite different...more of a Middle Eastern twist. My house still smells wonderful!
I also took the time this week to clean out my closet. I had a LOT of clothes that were too big for me now, so I took them to a local charity to be sold in their resale shop. I'm trying not to buy many new clothes yet, since I still have a long way to go before I reach my weight goal. I still have quite a few things from several years back that I can now fit into again.
My little herb garden has germinated! Every pot has several tiny plants coming up. It is exciting to watch them pop up! I'm hoping that I can just keep them growing until they are big enough to begin harvesting. I love using fresh herbs in my cooking.
Last week I brought in my pumpkins from the front porch and roasted them. Then I pureed them and packaged them in different size bags for using in various recipes. I even cooked the white pumpkin which turned out good. It has more moisture than the regular pie pumpkins, but I used it for making some pumpkin bread, and it turned out just fine. I sent most of it with the guys this week, but I kept a couple of large muffins for breakfast and snacking. I used whole wheat pastry flour, LOTS of pecans, and lightly sweetened them with maple syrup, so they are pretty nutritious.
Dennis is heading home in the morning with an 8-point buck and 2 does. Stephen also killed his 3 deer, plus a turkey! I cleaned and reorganized my freezers today, so I'm ready! I'm also excited to hear all about their week. Dennis had really been looking forward to it.
Next week, I have a night out planned with several ladies from the HC congregation. Two years ago, we went to the historic theatre in Grapevine to watch "White Christmas". We enjoyed it so much, that we decided we wanted to make it a yearly event. Then COVID happened! Hopefully we can get it back on track now! Afterwards, I'll spend the night with Diane. I always enjoy our girls' night!
Ricky's family plans to be here next weekend. They'll be doing Christmas with Amber's family, but they'll be staying here at night. I am so ready to spend some more time with our little Archer! They change so quickly at this age! He was still sleeping most of the time the last time we saw him. They say that he is awake a lot during the day now. I can't wait to hold him again!
The following week, Nam is coming for a sleepover, ending on New Year's Day. His family will be coming for our annual Seafood Boil. I always look forward to that! I really love this time of year!
I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas, safe travels, and special time with loved ones!
