Upside Down Cats

 

















And you thought it was cold in your neck of the woods!

I would have worn a warmer jacket!

I am inspired to share a photo I took today of our Winter Wonderland. We are currently situated inside an "ice sandwich" - packed snow on the ground covered in a tasty solid layer of ice from last night's ice storm, topped off with a fresh dusting of today's snow. I am so moved by the weather in fact, that I am finally going to put the finishing touches on the following Holiday post and share it already!

There are several subjects I won't broach here on Upside Down Cats, namely, religion, politics and sports. Simply stated I have nothing good to say about any of them and Mom always told me" If you can't say something nice..." and well, you know the rest.

I do believe, however, that a person's Christmas song preferences are every bit as personally subjective as her opinions on the aforementioned subjects. Yet in the spirit of the season I am perfectly willing to divulge my favorites, knowing full well that they are likely to spark as much controversy as my opinions on those other highly-charged topics of discussion.

Sadly, an appreciation of Christmas songs is not a memory Scott and I can share. Not having been raised celebrating Christmas is a bulletproof excuse though, so I really can't fault him for not waxing nostalgic when it comes to the seasonal tunes. Recently Scott has posted an awesome list of his favorite Non-Traditional Christmas songs on his blog. Although he has developed an appreciation throughout the years for songs about Christmas, Scott would be the first to note that it is different than the songs being ingrained in one's psyche since day one.

It's OK, though...fear not for our shared cultural reference quotient. We'll always have Trilogy of Terror and Caddyshack, so we've got that going for us...

Continue reading "It's Beginning To Sound A Lot Like..." »

With cool Autumn temperatures turning decidedly Wintry, I'll be enjoying my time spent in the warm kitchen even more than usual. I've planned a week's worth of meals in advance to keep ourselves full of good home cooking. Here's a peek at the food in our immediate future...

 

Homemade Fettucini Tossed w/ Garlic Butter, Chipotle Shrimp Skewers & Spring Mix Salad

Oriental Spare Ribs & Vegetable Fried Rice

Roast Beef, Turkey Salami & Provolone Sub Sandwiches, American Fries & Ramen Coleslaw

Seafood Risotto & Caesar Salad

Garlic Lemon Pepper Chicken Strips Over Couscous & Oven Roasted Vegetables

Sour Cream Cinnamon Struesel Waffles, Maple Pork Sausage Links & Orange Sections

 

And now on to the remainder of a supposedly relaxing Sunday.

Another Sunday has arrived and it's time once again to post the meals I've planned in advance for the week ahead. Autumn has finally descended upon us and so I'm in the mood for hearty fare. Here's some what I'll be making...

 

Breakfast Taco Skillet w/ Scrambled Eggs & Mexican Blend Cheese

Spaghetti w/ Homemade Meat Sauce & Mixed Greens Salad

Marinated, Pan-Seared Sirloin Steak, Garlic Mashed Potatoes & Steamed Vegetable Medley

Grilled Multi-Cheese Sandwiches on Buttermilk White Bread, Cross-Cut Fries & Assorted Vegetable Platter w/ Ranch Dip

Beer-Simmered Bratwurst w/ Carmelized Onions, Red Potato Wedges & Mixed Greens Salad w/ Hot Bacon Dressing

New England Clam Chowder & Bacon, Lettuce & Tomato Sandwiches on Whole Wheat Bread

Thai Chicken w/ Rice Noodles, Broccoli & Bean Sprouts

Chicken Parmesan Sandwiches, Cross-Cut French Fries & Marinated Broccoli/Cauliflower/Carrot Salad

Scrambled Eggs, Sausage Links & Bagels

 

Wishing everyone a great week and great eating!

Then (1974) in Mom and Dad's front yard in Northern New Jersey (with niece and nephew)...



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And Now... In my own front yard in Illinois the colors are equally striking.



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For about a week each year we get a front row seat to this breathtaking Autumn splendor. Combined with memories from past Autumns it makes for a very satisfying circle of memories.

It made me happy so I just thought I'd share with the class.

We're in for our first taste of Wintry weather tomorrow. I've tried to be mindful of the weather as I planned our meals in advance for the upcoming week. That way the weather compliments the meal and the meal, in turn, compliments the weather. Here's a peek at what I'll be cooking...

 

Homemade Cheese Broccoli Soup & Multi-Grain Bread w/ Olive Oil & Balsamic Vinegar for Dipping

Chicken Fettuccini & Mixed Greens Salad

Italian Herb Chicken Breasts Roasted Over Potato Slices & Corn w/ Red Peppers & Green Onions

Fried Eggs, Thick-Sliced Bacon, Hash Brown Potatoes & Whole Wheat Toast

Lemon Pepper Shrimp, Buttered White Rice & Mixed Greens Salad

Cinnamon & Spice French Toast & Brown Sugar Sausage Links

 

Hopefully this chilly weather is just an early preview and we'll still have plenty of mild Autumn days for a few more weeks.

On this entirely-too-hot October day I'm enjoying the coolness of our lower level to plan meals for the week ahead. Here's a peek into my kitchen this week...

 

Spaghetti Carbonara & Romaine & Green Leaf Lettuce Salad

Creamy Chicken & Rice Casserole w/ Broccoli & Slivered Almonds

Double Shell Beef Tacos w/ Chorizo Refried Beans, Cheddar-Jack Cheese, Lettuce & Tomatoes

Chicken Breasts Rolled in Parmesan-Basil Cracker Crumbs, Stuffed w/ Artichoke-Garlic Cream Cheese, Rotini Tossed w/ Broccoli, Carrots & Cauliflower in Butter & Garlic Sauce

Sausage, Egg & Cheese English Muffin Sandwiches, Hash Brown Potatoes & Cranberry-Pomegranate Juice

Homemade Seafood Gumbo & Italian Bread w/ Olive Oil & Parmesan Cheese for Dipping

Puffy Roller Coaster Breakfast & Thick-Cut Apple Wood Smoked Bacon

 

I sure hope we get to enjoy some Autumnal weather before Winter descends upon us! I'm so done with it feeling too hot to cook!

As I mentioned in a previous post I've recently been spending some time outside, even though It's June in Illinois. Normally by this time of the year it is already too hot and humid for me to choose to leave the confines of Home Sweet Air-Conditioned Home unless absolutely necessary.

We have been privileged, however, to be the recipients of several gorgeously temperate days lately, so I have spent a few relaxing late afternoons sitting in the back yard.

On this particular day I was struck by the reflection of our Welcome sign on our house. Maybe it was the combination of the lucky vantage point of my lawn chair that day and the sentiment, welcoming balmy days in the yard - twice, even.

Whatever the reason, I felt compelled to capture the image for posterity - a reminder of a quietly lovely sight.

So, Welcome - and Welcome again - to a little corner of my yard on a late Spring day.

I have been an uncharacteristically conscientious homeowner this week.

I am a fairly fastidious housekeeper inside the pleasantly climate-controlled walls of our house. It's funny, then, how it can look like the Amazon jungle in my back yard and it usually doesn't bother me one bit. Once Summer parks it's humid unpleasantness on us, I don't go in my yard if I can avoid it. The thought of just sitting in that muggy rainforest of a yard is enough to make me, nauseous let alone exerting myself with physical labor. Frankly, we are doing good by our standards if the lawn gets mowed on a fairly regular basis during the hottest months.

This year, however, we've been blessed by the weather gods with several pleasant days when I've actually enjoyed spending time sitting - and yes, even sprucing up - out in the yard.

Being outside has forced me to actually experience the leafy walls enveloping our yard... The horror movie they will undoubtedly make about our yard will surely be titled, Attack of the Honeysuckles! I couldn't stand the look of it! I dragged out the hedge clippers and the branch cutters - wishing I had a machete as well - and set about cutting and clipping the beastly bushes down to size!

The downside of this project is nothing surprising...

I expected the sore muscles and joints from the repetitive motion, bending and stretching.

I expected the multitude of scratches and gouges from immersing myself in the branches.

I expected to get leaves and sticks in my hair and clothing.

I expected to be inundated with insects... Perhaps you are aware of my revulsion for insects?

The upside seemed straightforward as well...

I expected to see my yard again.

I expected to like the improvement as I regained control over the foliage.

I expected to burn a few extra calories.

I expected that was all that was to be expected.

But I didn't expect to find this...

Continue reading "Serendipity In My Own Back Yard" »

Sunny Spot...

Here comes the sun...finally!!!

Here's Abbey and Cooper worshiping the Sun King!

And while we're on the subject, (what subject was that, exactly?) let us take a moment to enjoy a very cool musical interlude...

Continue reading "Happiness Is A Warm..." »