Maternity Leave

It feels very strange being home on a Monday. The Friday off wasn't that strange but I keep feeling like I'm supposed to go back to work at anytime.

I'm keeping busy and have chores to do each day. I got out to return some stuff on Friday and today I ran to Walmart to pick up a new lampshade and a bunch of other stuff. Then I get tired and come home and rest. :)

Now I just do my chores around the house and wait... like I said it still feels very odd. I worked at State Farm almost 10 years. Before that I worked in an office for 4 years. It's been awhile since I didn't work or go to school...actually I can't remember ever not doing either.

Kitty 1993-2009

We lost our beautiful outdoor tabby, Kitty, this morning. It was expected, she was 16, and lived far longer then most outdoor cats, but we're still sad. She was very sweet and extremely independent.



Kitty as a kitten



With her daughter Bear at my old house



Helping me plant bulbs last year



I'm glad we decided to move her, it was always nice to come home to her friendly face. We'll miss her.

New Car

We got a new car yesterday to replace my Ford. Here's some photos:

http://gallery.boom.net/julie-2009nissanquests

I got weepy when I uploaded the photo of my Ford. I'm blaming the pregnancy, but it was the first car I really bought myself...first car loan and I got it all by myself. I think it was like the first grown up thing I did. Yes, it was when I was like 27, but I got lucky with the car my parents passed onto me out of High School and kept it 11 years. The Explorer is 9 years old...and was starting to show it's age, so I know it had to go, but I am still a little sad. LOVE the new car though, and I don't want my husband to think otherwise. I'm sure it's mostly just heightened emotions from the hormones.

Walgreens Savings

I'm joining the line of coupon shoppers. I went out Sunday, got the newspaper and clipped all the coupons that I thought we could use. Then I looked at all the weekly ads for the stores and found the best way to save. My first shopping trip was to Walgreens. Got this:



Includes:

3 Boxes of Puffs Plus 72 count
2 Olay Ribbons Body Wash
2 10.3 oz Dawn Dish Detergent
3 pack Gillette Venus Razors
6 cans Campbell's soup
325 ml Vasoline lotion
3 Dove 3.15 oz soap bars
60 oz Cascade dish detergent
Vasoline cocoa butter smoothing body butter (Marked down from $8.99, to $4.59)

The retail on the product total was $71 and I paid $41.40. I know people who get more savings, but I'm just starting out, so I'm sure I'll get better as I get going. I also got a $2 register coupon from Walgreens so I'll be able to use that next time. I have a spreadsheet started, a shopping list and my envelope of coupons.

Cannelloni

We had a Cannelloni meal from Dream Dinners last night. Quite good, but I realized after I had put the meal together I forgot to spray the bottom of the pan with cooking spray...oops. Didn't turn out too bad, just stuck a tiny bit. We were supposed to have 2 pieces each, but I ended up just having one, a salad and some cherry tomatoes. Worked out just fine. Don't have a description, sorry... I have quite a few meals left, but will probably make an order from SS at the end of this month. I've enjoyed the convenience of the meals.

Pecan Crusted Pork Chops with Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Had this last night. This was one of the more high maintenance meals. Here's the description:

"Our boneless pork chops are tenderized in a seasoned buttermilk mixture to moisten and sweeten, then sprinkled with crunchy pecans and crispy bread crumbs. Serve this easy baked dish with our fluffy mashed potatoes (provided) for the perfect end to a busy day."

Johannes liked it a lot. I liked it, but the crust was a little dry. I think I'd have sprayed it a little more with the pam so it oven fried a bit more. Still a success. The mashed potatoes were quite good and I admit I was really surprised by that.

Flank Steak with Horseradish Sauce

I'm behind on my reviews, but only two meals behind. We had this one a couple weeks back. Here's the description:

"Satisfy your steak craving with this lean and tender version, flavored with fresh lemon juice, Dijon mustard and garlic. The juicy steak tastes great on its own, or for an extra kick and authentic steakhouse flavor, serve it with our zesty horseradish sauce. Grill or Broiler – 15-20 minutes if thawed, 25 minutes if frozen."

It was very good, but we didn't use a lot of the sauce because Johannes isn't a fan of horseradish. I like it, but the steak was marinated enough it didn't really need a sauce. Also, the flank steak was folded, and I didn't realize it and cooked it partway rolled up. It seemed to still work. :)