Friday's Prepping Challenge - 05-16-14

Meals

FRIDAY
B:Waffles and apples - only I swapped it around - egg frittata with onions, mushrooms, cheese; grapefruit  (what is it with eggs and me?  Almost as bad as the caramel mochas.... which reminds me.....lemonade time!)
L:LO lunch menu (blintzes and raspberries - lo from last night - YUM!!!!)
D:Pasta Mezzalune with Eggplant, marinated mushrooms, salad - greens?, fruit salad

Other Things to Do Today

It doesn't really appear like I did a lot of much yesterday - but actually did.  I did paperwork - then worked on my lesson plans, my studies, and some lapbooks.  Wendy called in the evening and we had some quilting/piecing time on Skype!  She attached borders, pinned her new baby quilt to the batting and backing - and then her chronic fatigue took over and she was done for the day.  I just wish I could make it "all better" for her - and can't even give her a hug long distance (she's in NB Canada.  I'm here in MA) so Skype and quilting or chatting has to do - which we have been doing a lot.  She had some great news - which is exciting - but is hers to relate, not mine! and I'm happy for her!  Just wish she weren't ill.

While she was working on HER quilt, I sewed strings on Jamestown Landing.  Actually I had a bunch of other items I had planned on doing - but felt more like doing some mindless sewing - and sewing string and crumb blocks is about as mindless as it gets!  Just wish there weren't so many (168 4-1/2 inch LIGHTS)!  However - this is my Leader Ender challenge for now!  Although, truth be told - I AM already planning on my NEXT LE challenge (Charlotte's baskets - only 32 needed! and I'm doing them in pastels - not lights or brights!)

GO AND DO

• DONE Stashbusters quilt retreat (a Stay at Home retreat!) that begins Thurs or Fri and continues over the weekend (I extended mine through the following Monday!)
• DONE 3 meals a day

HOUSE - springtime decluttering - and freecycling

• PAPERWORK - a mountain of it! work on at least a half hour a day
• DONE W + 1 hour - Filing

GARDEN - It's raining out!  no raking!
STUDIES - (NOTE - will work on week's assignments - Mon AM to update from weekend frenzy)

• RELIGION

• DONE Work on "Counting Omer" lapbooks 
• DONE Work on lapbooks (Thurs)
• THE EARTH
• EH 
• DONE pp. 31-34
• DONE Lapbook
• MATH
• DONE 90
• HANDWRITING
• Book A
• DONE R
• DONE F
• LIFE SKILLS
• DONE Paperwork 

KITCHEN

• BREAD
• DONE Challah
• MAIN DISHES
• DONE Pasta Mezzalune with Eggplant

QUILT  (Depending on what I finish today - I may add other projects!)

DONE STASHBUSTER RETREAT (FRI, SAT, SUN, MON - I extended the times by 3 days!)

PIECE 

• Some are DONE LE - Jamestown Landing - String  blocks

Learned

• Today was mostly a ho-hum day, although a sleepy one!  Only foods prepared were from what was on hand - BUT I will need to go shopping soon - am almost out of cheese!  Only have another week or two left (I freeze my cheese).
• Question regarding long term storage of cheese....  I COULD buy in freeze-dried cheese - but that really isn't cost effective plus I don't like the kind of cheese I can buy  in that way.  
• OR I could buy whole horns or wheels of cheese - dipped in paraffin and store on shelving for use in the future.  Concern though is that if the paraffin does not completely exclude air it will admit molds where the cheese requires bacterial change - or that it will have bacterial change where that isn't wanted or that it would be the kind of bacteria or mold that makes the red or yellow ring (this is not good!!!)  
• I've made cheese from scratch before - and enjoy doing that.  BUT cheese has a lot of butterfat in it - amount dependent on the kind of milk used (each kind produces a different cheese) and whether or not the milk is whole milk, cream, 2% or skim - or whether it is whey.  The problem with butterfat is that as a fat it will tend to spoil or go rancid unless something is done to prevent that.
• Still and all - I would love to buy cheese - much as I used to in Arthur IL at the cheese factory - and store that.  
• I would love to store brown rice as well - and most certainly can - for relatively short periods.  Sad thing is that it is the white rice that lasts longest!