Why I'm Thankful for the Emergency Animal Hospital

See I've got this cat, Rhada, and she's no kitten. She's probably over 10 years old but we're not really sure because she was an adult when we acquired her. She has liver disease for which she was treated in January of 2013 (when I was really sure I'd lost her) and she's been pretty much okay ever since. Except this week she's been acting sick. She was sleeping more than usual and acting more irritable than normal.

Menu for 8/25/14-8/31/14

I seriously have one of the sweetest kids on the planet and she has been extra sweet this week.

Monday night at dinner she stole some snuggle time with Nana. They read all of Nana's books at least twice.

2:00 AM Chili

I have been craving chili for weeks now. Aaron keeps saying he's not in the mood for it but I just couldn't wait any longer. I made the decision during nap time today that it was time for chili and he could just deal with it.

Menu for 8/18/14-8/24/14

I hope everyone had a fantastic week! I certainly did. I have an exciting announcement. I was included in the Reader Love post on Annie's Eats this month. I was so pleased to see the photo of Bailey on her blog but when I read what she wrote about it I was deeply touched. She said such kind things! But then she's such a kind person I should have expected it. Anyway, click the link above if you want to check it out.

Taco Stuffed Shells

I would have to call this meal Tex-Mex/Italian fusion. It's a satisfying combination of Italian pasta and Tex-Mex taco meat smothered in cheese with salsa in place of the marinara sauce.

Menu for 8/11/14-8/17/14

What a fun week!

My cousin's new baby was born Monday. After a tough pregnancy with Li'l P and several weeks in the NICU when he was born 12 weeks early, this pregnancy and birth went quite smoothly. I haven't gotten to meet him yet but I have seen some pictures and he's just beautiful. So congratulations to J and her family!

Chicken Parmesan Sliders

I very rarely get to have a sandwich for dinner and even when I do it's not the kind of sandwich where you just slap some meat and bread together and eat. No, if I'm going to have a sandwich for dinner it's going to be something more sophisticated.

Wishlist Wednesday August 2014

Oh man, I have some exciting wishes this month! I've been thinking about this post for weeks now and I almost couldn't wait until August to share it with you. Let's get to it!

A Wish for a Hearty Breakfast:

Black Forest Oats from An Edible Mosaic

As many of you know, I love oatmeal. I have several recipes I rotate regularly but none are as amped up as this and since cherries are in season now it's the perfect time to try this recipe. Chocolate chips, juicy cherries, and toasty pecans combined with rich, nutty steel cut oats are just what I need to jump start my day.

Menu for 8/4/14-8/10/14

I have been a lazy, lazy, no good housewife this week. I haven't cleaned much except to keep the mess at bay and abandoned my menu for breakfast and lunch, resorting to things like store-bought bagels and simple sandwiches. Poor Bailey probably doesn't want to see another pop-tart or bowl of trail mix for a month.

I don't know what got into me this week but I just couldn't motivate myself to do anything. I slept more than usual. Still not enough though, never enough. I've been unbelievably thirsty too which I think is probably due to the heat. Not that we had any abnormally warm weather for the end of July, but it's still warmer than I really care for and heat always makes me feel like lying around the house, watching television, and generally trying to move as little as possible.