It's winter...

so you must forgive me for not having a brain...

I don't mind the snow, I love how it's so beautiful when it's newly fallen!

I don't even mind the cold....altho' I would love not having the heating bills!

But, something just takes over my head on these short days. With little light, with snow and rain and ice. Something that makes it sooo hard to stay organized, awake & happy!

It's helped a lot by this....

Walks with the girls on sunny days....

Sweet finds on my thrifting adventures....

Good foods...

Good Coffee....

AND

Impromtu Dance Parties before bed!!!

Hope you are living the high life this winter!!

My lovely Valentine...

Brought me a delish, Hot Cinnamon Spice tea latte @ work today (he was on his way to work this afternoon)!

He also brought me this...

A handmade Valentine card. It's always special when I get something handmade from him. He's not the craftiest on DIY's, but, that doesn't matter to me, it's always the thought that's really special!

Inside...#1

Inside...#2
The man of "The Frumpy House" is always leaving me little notes here & there. Even tho' his spelling could always use spellcheck, there is always one thing spelled out perfectly clear....I am one loved "Frumpy House" wife!!
This is hisValentine's letter to me (excerpts):
Baby doll, (yes that's what he calls me)
I can't get out of my mind, colors (colors is underlined).
How colorful you are.
Red- Love you have to offer.
Blue- When you're sad.
Yellow- I picture your smile; bright, cheerful, can light up a room.
Green- Your sense of direction & mission. Your accomplishments; past, present & future.
Pink- The romantic side of you ( he drew a smiley face there).
Purple- Passionate about family & Christ
Gray- Coffee, or when you need a pick me up (prob'ly referring to chocolate).
Black- Not so much-I was going to say when my eyes were closed, but, even then I'm thinking about you. You're always in my heart
Turquoise- vintage (as in I like it, not I am...)
You're just beautiful inside & out.
So many colors can be represented or lived out by you.
....he ends with:
I so enjoyed our time the other night @ Shiraz (a wonderful, WONDERFUL Mediterranean restaurant he found) & look forward to many more dates & romances & conversations & whatever life brings us.
Happy Valentines Day
Your Loving Husband, (that's truth right there)
Greg
Now don't think he's sharing his love only w/ me...he surprised the girlies @ school this morning w/ some tulips. He reported happy, surprised faces! He's such a thoughtful, loving & generously giving man!! The females in "The Frumpy House" think he's the bomb!!!
I will say he is my valentine every day!! I love him....immensely!

The Thrift Bug...

keeps biting me!! Not surprised are you? Le *sigh*, me neither...

Yesterday, was one of my days off work, girls were both in school and it was nice and sunny out, a combo that had not happened in a long time! So, I took myself out of the house and made a run to some local thrift stores.

The first was the usual GW, there I found 2 more vintage pillowcases (pinks), and a 1970's game "My Grandmother went to Market" (a memory game), a piece of pottery from "HIVELY" out of Oregon, 4 colored lunch trays, 2 mens shirts (for me) and an adorable Mikasa plate....none of which I have pictures of.

That's because I'm obsessed with the finds at another thrift...Wise Shopper. I was just gonna drive by, but saw something in the front window and had to pull into the parking lot and go inside. Glad I did!

I found a wonderful 2 1/2 Qt. Corning Ware casserole dish from the Buffet Service line. It's a wonderful heavy white (I'm assuming it's ceramic as I don't think they did enamel covered cast iron). It was a little grungy; but warm soapy water and a little baking soda clean that puppy right up!!!

Nicely "made in the USA"!

This beauty came with a black metal, wooden handled tray....they don't call it a buffet server for nothing!

Taa-Daa! She is good at this balancing act!! How handy is that!?

                                   Ain't she purty!! $4...don't hate me.

I would like to know if any of you wiser cooks, chefs,
  or cookware experts could give me an idea if I can
 use this
 on the stove top.
 I'd like to use it for soups and stews!! Thanks!

In The Frumpy

Kitchen. There are usually good things to eat.  There are sometimes fresh things and always quick & easy!!

It's been one of those January's that seem to creep by, yet at the same time speed past & all of a sudden it's February 2!!

Well, not for lack of trying, but, I have been making some strides in eating better this past month. I threw down a challenge at the family Christmas this year....who can lose the highest % of body weight in the next 12 months. So, about 7 of us are "competing". I don't know how the others are doing...as the parental units have been in Florida all month with my youngest sister. There have been some ups and downs in "The Frumpy House".  All in all I have cut back on portions, have tried using more "natural", as in came from the ground or the animal....not from the factory, foods for cooking. Trying my hardest to go with foods that are as close to how nature intended them to be (do any of you know how hard it is to buy raw milk? how much money it will cost to buy grass fed meats? ai-yi-yi).

Well, just for the sake of writing a post for you all to read, I thought I'd share some of my latest creations....

Heading out the door to a baby shower, made a quick skillet meal for G.  2 small potatoes, fresh spinach, diced onions & garlic, sun dried tomatoes, salt/pepper, red pepper flakes. Sautee'd until brown then mixed in 2 eggs (beaten), heavy cream (beaten w/ eggs) and goat cheese. He said it was good...it must have been he ate it all!!

Breakfast: a small bowl of Greek yogurt, chopped walnuts & dried apples, cinnamon and honey mixed in! Yummy! Of course the coffee is a given for me @ breakfast...

On one of the girlies snow days Lauryn asked for spaghetti for lunch (no sauce just olive oil & butter). Easy enough...but tasty enough?!?! Not according to moi!! Taking some clues from a new blog I'd read, I added: garlic powder, lemon zest and lemon juice to the pasta. She wasn't happy but I convinced her since she likes lemons she'd like this (turns out mom's right!) To my bowl I added: red pepper flakes & herbed goat cheese.

The other night I knew I wanted a soup/stew and since I had made chili the week before I went for pintos. A large can of pinto beans (undrained since I wanted the starchy thickness), one can of diced tomatoes (drained since I didn't want the extra liquid), 5 garlic cloves chopped, 1/2 lg onion chopped, olive oil/ghee to sautee' them in. Added a bit of black pepper, crushed red pepper and cumin. Let that pot simmer for about 2 hours, stirring it whenever I walked by (which was a lot since I walk through the kitchen to get to the laundry....) I baked a cake pan of corn bread. When G got home from work, I fried a couple eggs. Layered a slice of corn bread, beans and topped it with an soft fried egg!! Yummy and so good for you!! The man of the "Frumpy House" also gave this dish a thumbs up!! I took some leftovers to work for lunch the next day and added fresh spinach to the beans while reheating them...super yummy!
Note: I did not add any cheese to this dish (goat or otherwise)!! hahaha

Are you a recipe reader or pantry picker when it comes to preparing meals? Believe me when I say that there is never enough time to fix the meals I dream of fixing...but there is usually time (& energy) @ the end of the day to fix something filling and good!  Bon appetite mes amis!

In addition to cooking I've been doing some enjoyable reading this past month....

This is an etsy.com purchase...1950's BHG New Cookbook! Even though I don't often follow recipes verbatim I do like reading them. Many, many ideas that are spring boards for a meal here or there!!

I couldn't recommend a book any higher than to write about it on my blog. This book has been almost a constant companion this past month...reading now and then when I get a chance. It was loaned from the library, but it is on my shopping list. Easy to read, easy to understand, and very insightful!!
Thanks to a fellow blogess, Miss Cedar for recommending it! (pssst if you want to see her and her sweet baby Lucy check out the Vintage Wife on my left sidebar or here) She's already planting her spring garden as she lives out in sunny California!

I take reading recommendations very seriously folks...if it has something to do with my life and making it healthier and easier...I would love ideas.  Leave 'em below in that nice little box labeled "comments"...I'll read 'em, promise I will!!

Oh, dear,

it's been almost a month since I've last posted anything on this old blogeroo!! It's not that I don't want to post and share wonderful things with all you who stop by...there's just not anything interesting or wonderful going on during the dull, cloudy grey winter month of January.

The highlight of our month was a trip to Ohio to visit the Man of the Frumpy House's family. Well, they are my family now too, but you know...


As always it was a long and busy weekend. Trying to get around and see as many people as we could. As always on the way home the girls were fussing about not wanting to go home (some was due to knowing they were going to be going back to school ((that's another story)) some had to do with being tired!)

A wonderful tin coin bank that my FIL has....

We had the opportunity to sit and look at some wonderful family pictures...

The rest of our month has been busy with work, church, a little bit of play and some great strides in girly lessons...you know the kind, if you don't pick it up...it's going, going, GONE!! That, and Lauryn was given the responsibility of doing the dishes after dinner each night, those that are there as G and I have a penchant for doing dishes quickly so that they aren't sitting around on the counters.

It doesn't look like anyone is doing chores...Saturday morning, snowy and Shirley Temple's "Heidi"

I've been going to see the chiropractor (I worked in their office back in my hey day of early 20's) trying to get this horrible pain gone...
The good news is that the pain has subsided about 80% and I'm able to walk upright again.  Most of my problems are in the early morning after being in bed all night...whoowhee, it doesn't help that I'm not a morning person to begin with!! Pray for me, and my family!

After taking the girlies out of school for a Thursday, Friday and Monday for the trip to Ohio...they proceeded to have 2 weeks with a plethora of snow days!! If I'm remembering right they had 3 days of school in the 2 weeks. Lets just say, that those days inevitably fell on my days off. I was glad this Monday, to have the whole house to myself!!!  It was like a mini vacation (even the sun came out a few times).

We are gearing up for Valentines day...on Pinterest there are many ideas for decor and fun crafty things. I would link you to them, but then you would actually think I was going to do them, and then you would be sooo disappointed. I hate to disappoint....
I will be getting boxes and letting the girls decorate them for their school party. Lauryn will make sure of that...believe me!

What's up for you and yours during the winter months? Have you had a mild mannered winter? Or have you gotten the winter weather your region was meant to have? We've truly gotten both...& I'm now ready for spring!!

If it's spring I won't feel so guilty about putting this cutie out...allergies!! I feel bad on the nights where it gets below 0 degrees Fahrenheit & I let her in...just call me a softie!