I am in so much trouble! ......

I am in so much trouble! I talked to my dd this AM - who gave me 2 delightful recipes - and some possibilities for variation (Strawberry-spinach salad) - MARVELOUS! This girl would rival most chefs with her cooking skills and her creativity!

Then - I made the mistake of going to both Allrecipes.com as well as to the Spark People chef site. I like Wendy's salad better - a LOT better! BUT while I was there at the other two sites - I fell in love with some additional recipes for items I have on hand (it isn't payday week so I like to actually use what I have on hand!) I swear I gained 5 thousand pounds just looking at all the stuff! I even started to plot what I was going to eat when on my menu plan (menu plan GOOD - using what my eyes and salivary glands see online - NOT so good!)

Now I know better than to do this! The last time I did this I spent double what I usually do when I went to the store - and that for only a week's worth (most of which is left over - but that's another story and has to do with starving myself from Mon eve to Wed eve - a whole other adventure in messed up hospital schedules for a procedure!) This time, my saving grace is that I have most if not almost all, the ingredients on hand. So - I will make these items. And freeze the leftovers for NEXT week! If possible. And if I can get them packed for the freezer as soon as the items are done and my day's portion is out.

I am actually looking forward to lunch time this week - neat salads, neat pita sandwiches, neat soups. Yup! all there! Now to keep from eating the items when the 8 PM munchies hit me! (Hmmm - maybe I need to plan for that one as well - so far it has been fruit - which I eat - and then want MORE - and don't really care WHAT more I want either!)

Wendy has been ill - sounds awful - and she's supposedly on the mend. I hate it when my kids are sick - even if my kids are fully grown and have been for some time.
Still I worry.

Oh yes, - Nathan was right about seed starting/planting dates hereabouts - and he was really nice enough (so far) about it when I admitted he was right (I looked at the Old Farmer's Almanac online! Plugged in the addy for Westfield - where I live - and again for Sturbridge where he lives. His plants start a little more than a week later than mine - still earlier than he thought it would.

Mine are not ready yet - BUT I need to have a whole bunch of stuff planted by March 15. That's 2 days from now. First though I need to brush the snow off......

Actually I will get stuff in the ground - just as soon as possible. If I do the beds (not made up yet, of course) then it will be sooner. Otherwise it will be as I can. Stuff that needs to be transplanted - well, most was to be started Feb 28 - but if I get it in the flats tomorrow eve - that will be great! Just don't know where I'll put the flats! And I am not crazy about bringing them here to Sturbridge - however that may be what I need to do - we'll see. I wonder if the flats have lids - that may be the only thing to keep McB away from eating the tender little plants! NEXT year - my side porch will turn into a sort of greenhouse - which I think will work just fine. Greenhouse for early spring and summer/fall sitting place and winter veggie/greens raising place - MAYBE.

Otherwise - today - I am sorting papers - and sewing. Mostly sewing since paperwork is NOT my favorite thing to do! Hopefully will almost finish the Underground RR quilt that I didn't work on during the last week. Think I will declare ANOTHER retreat for this week. Maybe I will actually get some work done!