On Saturday morning, we decided to go to the St. Louis Zoo. It’s free to the public; however, some exhibits cost money. Between eight and nine o’clock, visitors can visit certain exhibits for free. We rode the Conservation Carousel and petted the sting rays during that hour.
We loved the zoo and probably would have stayed longer if it wasn’t so hot (90-plus degrees). By the time we left, the heat was beginning to become unbearable. I was drinking liquids like crazy because I was so hot.
These pictures are the best of the pictures that were taken at the St. Louis Zoo.
Last Tuesday, I had a stomach virus, so I didn’t cook anything. So we didn’t have the almost famous chicken sandwiches. I am going to save the meal for the first week of August.
Since I’m returning to work in two weeks, I need to start planning our meals for certain days of the week so that hubby can help with the meal. Sometimes I will prepare the meal, and all he has to do is cook it. Sometimes I cook it in the crock pot, and he might have to do the side dishes or bread. It all depends on what we are going to have for supper. I assume since I will get home earlier in the day, it will be easier for me to get the meal on the table without rushing like I have been for the past two years. (For those who don’t know, I’m an Intervention Specialist (special education teacher) during the day and the primary caretaker in the evenings. My hubby is the primary caretaker during the day and a pizza delivery person in the evenings. He leaves for work soon after I come home. We eat supper before he goes to work.)
Dinners
Monday – pancakes or waffles, bacon or sausage, fresh fruit
Tuesday – 50’s Prime Time Meatloaf (in the freezer), mashed potatoes, pasta Roni, or mac and cheese, veggies
Wednesday – Skyline chili made in the crock pot. The chili will be served over spaghetti. I will use the extra spaghetti on Friday.
Thursday – chili dogs, chips, fresh veggies
Friday – spaghetti with meatballs (in the freezer), Italian bread sticks, salad, applesauce
A while ago, I was looking for a recipe for biscuits or rolls on Paula Deen’s website. I found this recipe for Easy Rolls. They looked easy, so I decided to try them. Once I tried them, I was hooked. They have a slightly sweet taste and are so tender.
The Imaginative one tasted one, and his response was “M-M-M.” After you try them, I’m sure you will say the same thing.
This weekend, hubby and I went away without the boys. Our destination was St. Louis. He had driven through the city many times when he went on super trips with the Explorer Post (Boy Scouts). They would go on long trips to places like Yellowstone National Park. They never stopped, so he was fascinated with the Arch.
On the other hand, I had only been to the Arch once in my entire life, which was almost 25 years ago. I had flown out to Colorado to visit my aunt. We then drove home and went past the Arch. I fell asleep soon after seeing it.
Here are some pictures of the Arch, inside it, and then the view from it. Enjoy!
My Great Uncle Lew was an artist. In the 1970’s, he painted some pictures for a local tavern/hotel. When I went there in 2004, I took a picture of the painting.
My mom gave us various vegetable seeds last April. My hubby decided to plant some of them. One of the vegetables was carrots. Last night, I harvested some of the carrots. I decided to make brown sugar carrots for dinner.
This recipe is so simple, but the taste is superb.
Brown Sugar Carrots
Stars of the Recipe:
carrots cut into circles (about 2 cups)
2 Tbsp. of butter or margarine
3 Tbsp. of brown sugar (You can add more if you want it sweeter.)
2 tsp. of ground cinnamon
Steps:
Cut up the carrots. Put in a microwaveable bowl.
Put the rest of the ingredients in the bowl.
Place the bowl in the microwave and cook for 3 to 5 minutes. You want them tender, crisp, and not mushy.
After they are finished, take the bowl out of the microwave and then stir the syrup up.
On Thursday of last week, the Imaginative One and I ventured to a local fruit/vegetable stand for their delicious corn on the cob. While there, I got some fresh green beans, so I changed my menu for the next day. Instead of making the quick pork lo mein, I made green beans, potatoes, and ham, which my grandma often made. It’s budget-friendly and easy, which are two positives. I’m moving the quick pork lo mein to this week’s menu.
Later in the week, my hubby and I are going on a long-awaited trip to St. Louis. We haven’t gone on a vacation by ourselves for nine years. So I don’t need to plan for much this week.
Green beans, potatoes, and ham
Stars of the recipe:
Green beans – two pounds of fresh greens or two to three cans of green beans, drained
peeled and diced potatoes – I used four potatoes when I made mine. You can use more or less.
2 c. diced ham
salt to taste
Steps:
Put the potatoes, green beans, and ham in the crockpot.
Fill the crockpot with water to cover the potatoes, green beans, and ham. Add salt
I have so many memories of this salad. One of my best memories is when I worked at Walt Disney World in 1995. My grandma sent me various family recipes so that I could have a little bit of home while down there. When Thanksgiving came, I decided to make a Thanksgiving meal for my friends and me to share. We had a Thanksgiving meal with all the trimmings, except we had chicken instead of turkey. One of the dishes I made was grandma’s white salad. For two weeks afterward, I would take portions of the Thanksgiving meal to work for my lunches.
That Thanksgiving weekend was also when I almost met Rider Strong and Ben Savage from Boy Meets World. At Disney-MGM Studios, now Hollywood Studios, they would have celebrities put their hands in cement at the Chinese Theater. Both Rider and Ben put their hands in the cement and then went to have a talk. I “ran” along the side of their convertible as they traveled between venues and ended up sitting behind their families. Too bad Fred Savage was not there. I would have gone up and said hi to him.
My Grandma’s White Salad
Stars of the recipe:
1 sm. lemon or lime jello
2 c. hot water
1 (8 oz.) package of cream cheese
1 (15 oz.) can of crushed pineapple drained (med. can)
1 & 2/3 c. mini marshmallows
1 & ½ c. chopped pecans or walnuts (My grandma used pecans.)
1 (8 oz.) container of Cool Whip
Steps:
Mix jello with water. Add cream cheese and beat until smooth.
Put in fridge until semi-solid. Remove and then put in the rest of the ingredients.
Chill.
Or how my grandma made it:
Mix jello with water. Add cream cheese and beat until smooth.
Put the rest of the ingredients in a flat pan (9 by 13 glass dish). Put it in the fridge to chill.
![IMG_1723[1]](https://cookingwithtraci.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/img_17231.jpg)
