Supper Swap

Good Wednesday morning!

The Gallery Pics are from the Old-Fashioned Picnic we had last Friday celebrating the last day of school. Since it had rained the day before, I changed the "sitting on a blanket on the wet ground" idea. And since it had been 20 years or more since I had been to Star Lake, I wasn't sure if it was still the nice picnic spot I remembered or not.

But I knew Aldridge Gardens was a good spot. And it had bathrooms. CLEAN bathrooms.

So we took the girls to a beautiful picnic spot with geese, ducks, turtles and high/dry picnic tables and benches. And we had fun.

We ate fried chicken, cheese and crackers and fresh fruit with dip. We threw any and all leftovers to the ducks, geese and turtles. We took pictures. And then we did what all picnickers have done since the beginning of time. We went to Yolo's Dessert Bar for gourmet cupcakes.

Yep. All that was missing was our Little House on the Prairie bonnets and Pa yelling for us to "Get in the wagon." Good times. Good times.

RANDOMNESS - I was ready to make the Chicken and Potato Pancakes last night for supper. Yes, I was! The family unit was preparing themselves for yet another culinary delight.

However, we had a guest in our home, and when I mentioned the dinner choice for the evening, he just stared at me. Contrary to popular belief, I am a pleaser by nature, and while I will subject MY family to strange and exotic dinner choices, I hesitate to put someone outside of the Faulkner Five through that experience, too.

I hesitate a lot. Mainly because I don't want another family talking about me behind my back like my family does... or how I think they do. Have you heard anything?

Long excuse, short... I didn't flip Chicken and Potato Pancakes last night. We ordered "Wednesday night" pizza (on Tuesday night), and that means I'll be cooking dinner before church tonight. Ugh!

I hate it when I put others first AND I'm flexible. It's a bad combo for me.

Pics tomorrow!

Wednesday Wisdom - Enjoy the plethora of quotes I have chosen for you this lovely Wednesday. Also, enjoy the word "plethora." I don't get to use it as much as I would like.

"History will be kind to me for I intend to write it." Winston Churchill (Brilliant! That is why I call myself "The Enchanting Belinda." I'm not "enchanting," but because I refer to myself that way, other people now call me that, too!)

"To love oneself is the beginning of a lifelong romance." Oscar Wilde

"I paint objects as I think them, not as I see them." Pablo Picasso (This explains so much.)

"Man's heart away from nature becomes hard." Standing Bear (I don't think I've ever used a quote from a Native American. Hmmm.)

"I installed a skylight in my apartment... the people who live above me are furious!" Steven Wright (Fun fact for you... I love Steven Wright! I may devote next week's Wednesday Wisdom entirely to him.)

Supper Swap

I found this idea in the same old Southern Living Magazine which had the Chicken and Potato Pancake recipe. I like the sound of this. What do you think?

You want to prepare exciting, nutritious meals throughout the week, but busy schedules often mean the same ho-hum recipes. Wouldn't it be nice to have a fresh, home-cooked supper delivered a few nights a week? A cooking co-op could be the answer, and it's easier to set up than you might think.

"The idea is pretty simple," says nine-year co-op veteran Leigh Fran Jones of Indian Springs, Alabama. "You cook a big meal once a week to share with your co-op and, depending on the number of people in your group, you get two or three in return. That means you save trips to the grocery store and really only mess up the kitchen once," she says with a big smile. For the rest of the week, Leigh Fran and fellow co-op members take advantage of leftovers or prepare simpler meals.

Since I have had a few days to think about this, I believe I would do the following:

1. Find two friends interested in swapping meals.

2. Have everyone meet and bring five or six recipes they enjoy making for their family. (I would show the other girls the recipes I use for Chicken Casserole, Chicken Pot Pie, Pepper Steak and Mushrooms, etc., etc.) Everyone has to make sure the dishes are something the other families would enjoy eating.

3. Decide on the first week's recipes the three of you will be using.

4. Decide on the days of the week you will be swapping. (Monday, Tuesday and Thursday sound good to me.)

5. The week of the swap, prepare THREE separate dishes of your chosen recipe. Go ahead and cook in disposable pans. Cover and refrigerate all three of them.

6. If your day to "swap" is Monday, arrange a time to drop off the two meals to your friends. (To save time, you can pick up the meals they have prepared for your family as you drop off.)

You may choose to do this once a month, or once a quarter... or maybe just during the months of May and December (busy, busy months). Whatever you and your friends decide, be flexible and enjoy!

Have a wonderful Wednesday! I'll be back Thursday with Blog Linkage, a date idea, a picture or two and Randomness.

Take care, and I'll talk to you in the morning.

Sincerely,

The Enchanting Belinda