some recent baking i have done

I've been doing some baking recently, and shockingly it has all been well received by the family!  This is something that I have been complaining about for years, that the family (kids) would rather have store bought baking than mine.  But I'm on a small roll right now.  Victory is mine.

The first and biggest win was some lemon bars I made that went so quickly I didn't even get a photo.  And now I can't find the recipe either.  But!  Everyone loved them.

I made these pineapple muffins because we'd opened a can of crushed pineapple for homemade pizza night  and I needed to use up the rest of the can.  These were quite light in flavor but nice and moist.

 These cheese muffins were also a pretty big hit.  I added some garlic powder to them and MMMMM!

 

reading watching listening loving eating

 reading- just finished Circe.  it took me a LONG time to read, but I really liked it.

watching - metal lords!  

listening - to playlists of rain.

loving - spring

 

eating - want to bribe the girl?  bubble tea. 

decluttering! here we go

 i hate clutter, but i also hate getting rid of things i have paid money for, have 2 kids and am married to someone with hoarder tendencies.  so we have clutter.  and i don't want clutter any more!  or, at least less.  i decided on june 1 that i would do that de-cluttering where for every day in a month you get rid of the number of the day of the month - i'm not writing that correctly, but on the 1st, you get rid of 1 thing, on the 2nd you get rid of 2 things, etc.  Here's the first week - 

we started easy, with a box i'd been saving in case i wanted to put things into a box.

then we donated a pair of slipper shoes that are too slippery on the bottom for me, and a bag that i was saving, in case i wanted to put things in a bag. 

then we added 3 old school books to the donation pile

 halloween face stickers, and some old makeup went into the garbage.

a bag in case i needed to put things in a bag, a wooden box that is hiding under the bag, and 3 plastic organizing trays went next.  

The last 6 things were a little canvas basket, more old makeup, and a beaded heart I managed to sneak past the girl into the garbage.

An easy 21 things out of the house!  

book club 31 - vagabond by tim curry

 2026-31

 

the pond county market

 we went to the pond to get some plants for the planters by the front door and after buying the plants we had some lunch on their beautiful outdoor patio.  that salad dressing is THE BEST dressing i've ever had.  missing - the veggie wrap - 10/10 like all the rest.

i love you, pond!

 

 

 

lunch at my desk - my current favorite lunch - and breakfast

 

grocery shop - fresh street market may 17

 

clamato, kitchen bags, tomato paste, peanut butter, spaghetti x2, milk, eggs, steak, tuna steak x 2, noodles, bananas, grapes, celery, parsley

$86 

book club 30 - everyone on this train is a suspect by benjamin stevenson

 2026-30

 

book club 29 - the yukon grieves for no one by lynn m berk

 2026-29

 

grocery shop - fresh street market may 24

 

juice x 3, rice, pickles, crackers, soup, pretzels, caul wings, tea, margarine, cream cheese, bratwursts, bananas, lettuce, cauliflower, apples, strawberries, parsley, tomatos, buns, baguette, cookies

$116

lunch at my desk - the pickings were slim - toasted everything bagel and cheese

 

weekend walk - macarthur island

 

book club 28 - the nightingale by kristin hannah

 2026-28

 

book club 27- remarkably bright creaturs by shelby van pelt

 2026-27

 

happy friday

 a delicious apple crisp!

 a spot of journaling

 

chicken and bacon pasta

 i wish i was talented

 trying out a dairy free, fish free version of smoked salmon cream cheese

 happy friday!

chocolate sauce!

 nothing says happy mothers day like having to plan and cook your own meals.  i guess i could have been more pushy about it, but i didn't want to.  i wanted a certain kind of beef kebab to bbq, but neither of the butchers that usually carries them had them.  actual steak is so expensive it should be a crime, so I reluctantly chose an alternative that was fine.  

dessert choosing was no better - i didn't want to make it but couldn't find any pre-made alternatives i liked, and then i didn't have the heart or the energy to make my own, so i let The Girl choose some ice cream from the store, and then last minute i decided to treat myself with some chocolate sauce for the top.

 we also had no heavy cream at home, so i needed a super simple recipe - and here it is - Homemade Chocolate Sauce from Bellyful.  A short list of ingredients you most likely have on hand, a few minutes at the stove, and boom!  you have a delicious sauce to top your store bought cookies and cream ice cream that had barely any cookies in it.  

 

 

grocery shop costco may 2

 

gingerale, corn, breakfast burritos, fruit cups, bao bun kit, milk, cheese, lettuce, kiwis, bagels, granola bars, chicken, gloves, butter, pico, gouda, cheerios, pasta, creamer, corn chips, apples, lime, juice, cucmbers

$323 

book club 26 - the troop by nick cutter

 2026-26

 

a most delicious salad dressing

 this is my current favorite salad dressing and not only do i happily eat more salads when it's around but it's super easy to make too. Honey Mustard Dressing

 all packed up for work - dressing on the bottom, then lettuce, then tomato and croutons.

book club 25 - dandelion by jamie chai yun liew

2026-25