Sunday, January 29, 2017

Potato Chowder with Corn and Ham




Fast and Easy Recipe for Potato Chowder with Corn and Ham.  You can easily substitute bacon for the ham in this recipe, but I like to use leftover ham.  I love this recipe because it is so fast and easy... 30 minutes and you have soup!

  • 1tablespoons oil
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 2 carrots, diced
1/4 cup flour
  • 2 cups chicken broth
  • 2 cups milk
  • 1 1/2 pounds potatoes, diced
  • 8 ounces ham, diced
  • 1 cup corn
  • salt and pepper to taste
 
See my other recipes here:  Recipe Index

  1. Heat the oil in a large sauce pan over medium-high heat, add the onions, carrots and cook until tender, about 8-10 minutes.
  1. Add flour and cook until the flour is lightly browned, about 2-3 minutes.
  2. Slowly stir in the broth, deglazing the pan as you go, add the milk and potatoes, bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 10-12 minutes.
  1. Add the ham and corn, cook until heated and season with salt and pepper.


Check out my free weekly meal plans here:  http://emmafrancisisathome.blogspot.com/p/weekly-meal-plans.html

Saturday, January 28, 2017

5 Weeks to a Clean and Organized House Week 5

Remember, the goal is not to kill yourself, the goal is to make your house cleaner each week.  At first it might seem overwhelming, but you will get to the point that the organizing portion may take 5 minutes or less each time you do it.



This is the last week, so if you are ready after this week, you can join me for a second trip through the five weeks.  You will find it takes less time the second time through.  Don't be discouraged if you still have mountains of clutter.  It takes time to make clutter and time to clean it up.

Remember, if you cant do it all, try to do something that will stay completed.  Sorting clothing out of your drawers that no longer fits and donating it will stay done, but wipe out the sink and 5 minutes later, some kid throws chocolate milk into it and it's as if you never did it.  Focus on long term.


http://emmafrancisisathome.blogspot.com/2017/01/5-week-cleaning-rotation-week-5.html


If you want to divide the tasks up into a weekly list, try my sample list here:

http://emmafrancisisathome.blogspot.com/2017/01/how-to-divide-tasks-up-for-week-5.html



If you need your family to help, look at my age appropriate tasks here:  Age Appropriate Chores

How to divide the tasks up for Week 5


Do your dailies Every day!

check out the facebook group too!  FaceBook

Monthlies:

Organize a drawer or shelf in your home
Organize kid space
Organize a closet
Organize a bedroom closet
Organize dining room


Sunday:  
Clean out fridge
Plan menu


Monday:
Grocery shop
Clean out car
Organize a shelf or drawer in your home

Tuesday:
Deep clean your main bathroom and change the towels out
Wipe inside and outside of garbage can
Water plants
Organize a kid space

Wednesday:
Wash bedding
Deep clean kitchen

Organize a closet

Thursday:
Dust house
Pay bills
Vacuum entire house

Friday:
Organize dining room
Catch Up


Saturday:
Catch up



Weekly Meal Plan Week 4

Weekly Meal Plan Week 4.  I am trying one new recipe this week thanks to another great recipe blogger.  I realize I am 2 days short of a week, but this week we are going out for pizza with friends one night, and the other night we are having subs.  I am still meeting my goal of cooking at least four nights per week and trying one new recipe each week.  

Did you know you can join me on facebook for other great recipes and cleaning help?  Facebook Group


Day 1: we have a birthday in the house, so I am making grilled steaks, baked potatoes and this vegetable medley.  Veg Medley




Day 2:
Every day Mahogany chicken and rice.  Mahogany Chicken



Day 3:
Chicken Pot Pie Casserole:  Chicken Pot Pie Casserole
I'm buying biscuits, no time to make them this week.



Day 4:
Beef BarBacoa.  Crockpot Recipe!! She serves it on lettuce..we serve it on a bun with frozen French fries.  



Day 5:
Homemade pizza.  I buy premade sauce and mozzarella cheese.  We prefer pineapple on ours and nothing else.  I make each person their own pizza and they can top it, then I cook them.  I will try to post the recipe I use for pizza dough shortly.



If you want to see other weeks, the list is here:  http://emmafrancisisathome.blogspot.com/p/weekly-meal-plans.html


Sunday, January 22, 2017

5 Weeks to a Clean and Organized Home Week 4




Here is the post for week four: http://emmafrancisisathome.blogspot.com/2016/11/week-4-cleaning-list.html


Want to see a different week?  Here is the master list:  http://emmafrancisisathome.blogspot.com/2016/11/4-weeks-to-clean-house.html
This is how I divide them up. You may need to divide them differently if you work, or if you are kid free during some days and not others, but this is how I do it.

Each day I do my dailies....don't forget to close the kitchen.  Once it's closed, any twerp that decides to get a snack must put everything away and wipe the counters and possibly even sweep the floor if they made a mess.  I have been closing the kitchen at 8pm lately except for one night when my daughter gets home from work later.  On that night, I close it after she has eaten.


Besides my dailies, I will do the following items:

Sunday:
Clean out the fridge and make a menu plan.
Spend time with family
If you have not cleaned out your dryer vent this year, get hubby to help you do it.

Monday:
Grocery shop
Clean out the car
water plants
Organize Family Room
Remove Cushions and vacuum in sofa


Tuesday:
Wash bedding
clean main bathroom(quick clean)
Organize books in a bookcase

Wednesday:
Organize entry
Deep Clean Kitchen
Wipe garbage cans inside and out


Thursday:
Organize Office room or office space
Pay Bills


Friday:
Dust entire house
Vacuum entire house


Saturday:
Catchup!  Recruit the family to finish the list


Want to chat or get reminders?  Join our Facebook Group Here:  FaceBook

Meal Plan Week 3

We are back for another week trying to add variety to what my family eats. I post four recipes, but on the other days, we tend to eat things like tacos, plain baked chicken, baked potato bar...the sorts of things that are quick and easy and don't really require a recipe.  This year my resolution is to try to make at least five nights a week of recipes that are tasty and sometimes even healthy.  I want to cook from scratch as much as possible and provide a variety of foods.  I want to try at least one new recipe per week, and that one will be posted here and credited to the blog where I found it.  I hope you enjoy!
Plenty more ideas on my friend's facebook group here:  Facebook Group


Here is week 3:

Day 1
Penne with Crock Pot Spaghetti Sauce, topped with melted mozzerella cheese 
salad



Day 2
Mahogany chicken   http://emmafrancisisathome.blogspot.com/2016/07/mahogany-chicken.html


Day 3
Oven baked pork chops.  Recipe



Day 4
Fiesta Chicken/rice Recipe Fiesta Chicken



Day 5
Stacked enchiladas Recipe Stacked Enchiladas, rice




on Day 6, we are having breakfast for dinner.  No recipe, just eggs, bacon and hash browns. 

Check out my other weekly meal plans here:
http://emmafrancisisathome.blogspot.com/p/weekly-meal-plans.html



Friday, January 20, 2017

Winter Vegetable Medley with Brussel Sprouts, Butternut Squash and Broccoli




See my other recipes here:  Recipe Index


1 package Brussel sprouts, halved and cleaned
1 package butternut squash cut into pieces (or cut your own to make about 3 cups)
2 cups broccoli
½ cup pecans
½ cup dried cranberries
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 tablespoons maple syrup
½ tsp cinnamon



Mix Brussel sprouts with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, then salt and pepper to taste.  In another bowl, mix butternut squash, remaining oil, maple syrup and cinnamon.  On a parchment lined baking sheet, bake both vegetables separately for 25 minutes at 400 degrees. 





With 10 minutes left, add broccoli and nuts to the pan and turn Brussel spouts over then return to oven.     You want your Brussel sprouts to be brown, but not burned on their bottom side.  When finished cooking, remove from heat and combine all ingredients in a bowl with dried cranberries.


Serve Warm





Mix Brussel sprouts with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, then salt and pepper to taste.  In another bowl, mix butternut squash, remaining oil, maple syrup and cinnamon.  On a parchment lined baking sheet, bake both vegetables separately for 25 minutes at 400 degrees. 

With 10 minutes left, add broccoli and nuts to the pan and turn Brussel spouts over then return to oven.     You want your Brussel sprouts to be brown, but not burned on their bottom side.  When finished cooking, remove from heat and combine all ingredients in a bowl with dried cranberries.  Serve warm.


For other great recipes from me and other cooks, join our facebook group here:  Facebook Group

Wednesday, January 18, 2017

5 Week Cleaning Rotation Week 5




Daily list:
Take out trash
Make sure all items for dinner are available and make a list of anything needed
Clean up all breakfast dishes. Wash them and put them away
Quick clean main bathroom: Wipe off counter and sink, wipe off mirror. Put anything away that was left out. 
Make beds 
Start a load of laundry
Fold and put away a load of laundry
Wipe off kitchen counters and sink after each meal
Sweep kitchen floor after dinner
Scoop litter box 
Go through mail and either throw it out, deal with it or put it into the decision file
Run the dishwasher
Unload the dishwasher
Close the kitchen at the end of the day
What does close the kitchen mean? Click here to find out: Close The Kitchen

Weeklies this week:

Clean out the fridge before you grocery shop
Write your menu if you do it weekly
Grocery shop
Clean out the car
Deep clean your main bathroom and change the towels out
Wipe inside and outside of garbage can
Water plants
Wash bedding
Deep clean kitchen
Dust house
Pay bills
Vacuum entire house


Monthlies:

Organize a drawer or shelf in your home
Organize kid space
Organize a closet
Organize a bedroom closet
Organize dining room



Want reminders?  Join the facebook group here:  Facebook Group




Disciplining Your Young Child to Teen- With Chores



The children in my family all have basic chores that they have to complete each day.  They do these chores because they are part of our family.  They do not get paid for these basic chores.  An example is that I load the dishwasher, but one of the kids unloads it and puts it away or when I come home from grocery shopping everyone is expected to pitch in to get groceries put away.  These are expected chores and are the cost of living in our home, just as taxes are your cost for living in your country.

If a child wants money, they can do chores above and beyond what is expected, but we also use chores as discipline.   You can refer to my chore chart for some ideas of age appropriate tasks.

Age Appropriate Chores

Last week, one of my kids didn't get off the school bus.  I phoned their cell and no answer.  I phoned the school and they said my child got onto the bus and the bus was on time.  I phoned my child again with no answer and I texted.   Nothing.  An hour and a half later, I get a text back, "Oh, I got off on a different stop to hang out with a friend".  I had not been told where they were going or when they would be back, which is a rule in our house.  The punishment for this was $5.00 worth of chores.  I made up a list of chores and values.  My child is grounded until she completes $5.00 worth of chores.  This means no cell phone, no tv, no computer games, no computer except for homework that is to be done in the kitchen with me supervising.

This is very effective for my kids.  They tend to finish the extra chores as quickly as possible.

The list was:


Wash and dry all bedding and put it back on the beds.   $1.00
Wash/dry/fold all dirty towels                                             .25
Take full garbage outside to can                                          .25
Remove pet food from bowls, wash, dry bowls then refill  .25
Vacuum entire upstairs                                                       1.00
Wipe baseboards in entire house                                         1.00
Sweep front and back entry way inside and out                  .75
Take everything out of kitchen island, wipe inside
cabinet, then return everything                                            1.00
Remove everything from china cabinet, wipe cabinet
and return everything                                                           1.00
Scrub 2 toilets and 2 tubs in the house                                 1.00


I try to give them a variety that they can choose from, but it's all less then desirable jobs.  All jobs must get a parental sign off on completion or it didn't happen.


For more family/chore and cooking ideas, join my friend's facebook page https://www.facebook.com/groups/263214524048715/

Tuesday, January 17, 2017

Age Appropriate Chores For Your Kids



I was reading responses to my cleaning post and it became obvious to me that a lot of moms think their job is to be the martyr.  I get comments that they can’t possibly keep up with all the chores in my lists.   One mom said she has a family of six including her and she just does not have time to do every chore.  I thought about that for a moment, then emailed her back and asked her kid’s ages.  She said her kids were 14, 10, 8 and 4.  She has four fully capable kids, yet she is trying to do all the work herself!   I decided it’s time for a list of chores that your kids can do. 


For more family/cooking and cleaning ideas, visit my friend's facebook page: Facebook

From ages 2-4
At this age, your kids want to help, but may be less capable of helping.  Take the time to let them think they are helping and make small jobs for them.
Fold Washcloths
Carry washcloths to closet
Pick up toys
Straighten books
Dust anything they can reach
Throw items into trash
Throw items into dirty clothes hamper
Help set the table
Dress themselves with minimal help



Ages 5 -6
Clear kitchen table
Put dishes in dishwasher
Straighten their own bedroom
Dust
Fill pet bowl with water (food containers may still be too heavy or hard to open)

7 -8
Replace paper towel and toilet paper rolls
Rake leaves
Prepare snacks and pack lunches (mom will make sure they are nutritious)
Fold towels
Sort laundry
Help put away groceries

9-10
Can cook and use knives to cut.   Your child may be able to do this younger but that is up to you
Sweep floors
Wipe out a tub or shower
Learn to use washer and dryer

11-12
Clean bathroom
Mow lawn
Help plan meals



Leek and Garlic Chicken with Mashed Potatoes




Find more great recipes on my friend's facebook group here:  FaceBook

This recipe is so delicious and economical since it's made with chicken thighs.  You can make this recipe with breast or legs also and my family will eat either.

Slice your leek and soak it in water.  Mine was especially dirty and I needed to change out the water.  Leeks contain sand and have to be separated and soaked to remove that sand.  Skipping this step will lead to grit in your food...ew!


Fill a pot with water for the potatoes and peel and slice them.  They will boil for about 25 minutes (this may change due to how thick you cut them or your altitude).  They need to be fork tender when done.

Separate out 8 cloves of garlic.  You can use less if you have huge cloves. Smash them with a knife to remove the skin and roughly chop any larger cloves.


Place the oil in a frying pan on medium high heat.  When hot, add chicken skin side down and fry until the skin is brown.

Once the skin is brown remove the chicken to a casserole dish. Pour most of the oil out of the frying pan, then with the heat off, add your drained leeks and your roughly chopped garlic and coat it in the oil.  Add this mixture to the chicken then top with the 1/2 cup of chicken broth.  If you don't have broth, you can add water, it is there to help keep the chicken moist.



 Bake at 450 for 25 to 30 minutes, until juices run clear.


While your chicken is baking, finish mashed potatoes.  My family likes butter and milk in theirs, but you can substitute milk for almond milk or broth.

8 chicken thighs
8 cloves of garlic
1 leek, sliced or chopped
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup oil

For the potatoes:
3 lbs potatoes
milk
butter
salt and pepper to taste





Want to see my other recipes?  Click Here:  Recipe Index
You can find more recipes like this on a fb group a friend of mine runs.  Facebook Group


Sunday, January 15, 2017

Meal Plan Week 2

It's Sunday, that means it is the day I clean out the fridge and plan the menu for next week. I don't grocery shop until tomorrow, but it's so nice coming home to a clean fridge that will hold the groceries.

This year, I wanted to make some different recipes and really plan dinner.  I want dinner to be a sit down enjoyable meal with my family, not rice and broiled chicken every night.  We try to eat vegetarian or vegan at least one meal per week and for us that is usually spaghetti and I really want to get out of that rut and find new family favorites.  My goal this year is to plan meals for at least 5 days per week that are new and cool things that I can try.  This is my second week and so far the family has loved everything I made.  I cant wait to try these recipes!

Don't forget you can find recipes like this from me and other bloggers on the facebook group here: Facebook Group

Day 1:

I found this recipe on a blog and it looked so good that I really felt like I had to try it. It has crispy skin on chicken and creamy mashed potatoes.  At first I thought the leek and kale would taste weird, but I made this ahead to sample it and the leek and kale add depth to the dish and my family loved it.
It's called:

Garlic Baked Chicken with Leek and Kale Mashed Potatoes




Day 2:
Ham Steaks, Oven fries, broccoli

Day 3:
Load Me Up Chicken and Potatoes


This is an easy meal that my family loves.  Who wouldn't love chicken, potatoes, cheese and bacon?  I never knew my family longed for dishes like this. When I made it last, my kids begged me to make it again.

http://emmafrancisisathome.blogspot.com/2016/08/load-me-up-chicken-with-potatoes.html



Day 4:

Hamburgers, homemade fries, steamed green beans.
I could make plain hamburgers, but I wanted to try something tastier.  With a few simple additions, boring hamburgers are elevated.  Hint:  These taste so good you might need to make two per person.  My family usually stopped at one plain burger but they all come back for seconds on this one.   I found this recipe online.
http://3boysandadog.com/best-ever-easy-hamburger-patty-recipe/




Day 5:

Salmon.  I found a recipe that has potatoes and tomatoes right in the pan with the salmon, so I plan on serving it with a side salad.  Trying to get my family to eat fish has been a challenge, but to be honest, I was broiling it and serving it.  I found this recipe that spices the salmon up and the kids ate it.  YUM!

http://livingsweetmoments.com/tangy-salmon-sheet-pan-dinner/





5 amazing dinners from 5 recipes I found online.  I hope you like them and thanks to the wonderful bloggers who came up with these recipes!


Check out my other weekly meal plans here:  http://emmafrancisisathome.blogspot.com/p/weekly-meal-plans.html

Saturday, January 14, 2017

5 Weeks to a Clean House Week 3



This is week 3.  If you want to see any other week, or start over, all the weeks can be found here:
http://emmafrancisisathome.blogspot.com/2016/11/4-weeks-to-clean-house.html

I also have a facebook group that sends out the weekly reminder here:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/263214524048715/?ref=bookmarks&qsefr=1

When you look at these weekly lists, they can seem a bit overwhelming, but I do encourage you to break them down into smaller goals.  I will provide an example below, but since your situation is different, yours may need to change.  If you have kids that can help, you can get them to do tasks, or you can spend a Saturday morning with everyone working to complete the bigger items on the list.

The one thing I want you to remember is that this list is meant to make your house clean enough to have friends and family over, it is not meant to take time away from your friends and family.  On holidays, I do the bare minimum.  I make the bed and wash the dishes and clean a few things as I go, but I focus on people, not tasks.  

If there is a holiday or sick week in your home, back off and take some time off.  Just do the basics and know that your house won't fall apart if you just do the minimum for a few days.


Here is how I divide a weeks worth of tasks up:


Sunday:
Plan Grocery Menu for the week and write out the grocery list
Clean out the fridge in preparation for new groceries to go into it
Spend time with family/friends

Monday:
Grocery Shop
Put the groceries away and put the bags where they can be recycled
Organize the Living room
clean out the car
do dailies

Tuesday:
Do Dailies
Organize Main Bathroom
Clean Main Bathroom
Wash Bedding
Change towels in Main Bathroom

Wednesday:
Do Dailies
Organize other Bathrooms
Wipe the inside and outside of all garbage cans
water plants


Thursday:
Do Dailies
Organize Master Bedroom
Deep Clean Kitchen

Friday:
Do Dailies
Organize Bonus Room
Dust entire house
Vacuum entire house


Saturday:
Complete any task that did not get finished during the week




The goal is to get to the point where the organization of the room takes only a few minutes each week.  If you cant complete all the tasks, try to do something that will stay done once you finish.  If you organize a sock drawer, within a week it will be messy again, but if you organize the high shelf in your master bedroom closet, chances are you won't have to do that again next week.  Focus on the organizing first then clean.

If you want to view the original article, you can find it here:http://emmafrancisisathome.blogspot.com/2016/08/weekly-cleaning-list-week-2.html




Tuesday, January 10, 2017

How To Spot A Toxic Friend Before It's Too Late



Looking back, I should have seen it.  There were warning signs that I chose to ignore.  There were times when I wanted to say something, but didn't.  Toxic friendships can end in many different ways, but mine went up in explosive fireball that took some of my other friends and left me wondering what had just happened.


I remember the day we met.  My son had been invited to a friend's house and I went to pick him up.  I rang the bell and five minutes later I had a new best friend.   A few weeks later she even joked that she felt like we had been friends forever and she wished we had met much sooner.  That should have been a warning sign, but I overlooked it and welcomed her with open arms.  She asked me many questions and the answers were, "Wow, me too!".  One sure sign of a narcissist or possibly a psychopath is that they will lie to you to make you feel like the two of you are so much alike that you can't help but be best friends.  I fell for it.  I was sold a lie.  I was sold a person that did not exist.

She welcomed me into her circle and insisted her friends invite me to their parties.  I felt like we were a close knit circle of four.  I felt like I had found my tribe.  We were four women who enjoyed being together.  Little did I know she was undermining the friendship by making jealousy within the group towards me.

She had a party one day and invited neighbors.  A few hours prior to the party, she told me all about her neighbor and how they were friends.  I was more shy than she was and she suggested I start of by asking the neighbor what she had done that day.  She said her neighbor had spent the day decorating her master bedroom and would be really happy to talk about it, and it was an easy topic.  The neighbor walked in I was so excited to meet her.  I asked her what she had done that day, and I felt the ice daggers.  She shut down and walked away from me.  I stood there wondering what happened.  I later found out that she had a horrible day.  One son had been suspended from school while she was told the other could have a serious disease.  She had phoned my friend and confided in her, and my friend used it to make friction between the two of us.

Another time, I invited a friend to join us for a ladies night out.  She had just moved to town and didn't know anyone but me.  After our ladies night out, my friend pulled me aside and told me to never invite that woman to anything again.  She took an immediate dislike to her for no reason and made me choose between the two of them.  Of course I chose my "I cant believe we didn't meet at birth" best friend over someone who had just moved to town.

The day of the blow up, she revealed something to me.  She was angry with me, and kept demanding I apologize.  I would apologize, but then she would say I wasn't really sorry, and that I had not apologized.  I got an email from one of Queen Bee's friends calling me a bad friend.  I knew the two of them had been talking badly about me, it was obvious by the content of the email.  I decided that  Queen Bee meant I had not apologized for the specific thing that had offended her.   I phoned one of our mutual friends and asked her if Queen Bee had mentioned anything to her that I might have done.  I told her that I wanted to fix the friendship, and I wanted to know what I did, and I wanted to apologize.  She said she would phone my friend and find out for me.

Two minutes later, my phone rang.   When I looked at the caller ID, I knew I had been set up.  There was no way there was any time for a conversation.  Our mutual friend had phoned Queen Bee and said, "She is talking about you".  Even with realizing that I had been set up, I was not prepared for that phone call.

Queen Bee exploded at me on the phone and had me in tears.  She said I had no right to involve anyone else in our friendship.  I made a statement that sent Queen Bee running.  I said, "So what I hear you say is that it's OK for you to talk badly about me to someone, but it's not OK for me to ask a mutual friend what I did that offended you".   She then let me in on her true self.  She said, "Well, it's no secret that you don't get along with the person that emailed you, and of course I am going to talk badly about a you to a person that doesn't like you".  I responded, "But I want friends that talk nicely about me when I am not around".  She announced our friendship was over and slammed the phone down.

Our friendship was over, but the gossip was not.  She used all the tension and jealousy she had cultivated to make our mutual friends turn against me.  She convinced them that I stalked her and that it was unhealthy for anyone associated with her to hang out with me.   She had to be sure that no one wanted to talk to me, because if anyone would listen to me, they would realize she was lying.

That was a year ago.  I have moved on and from what I hear, she has too.  She no longer has any of the friends we hung with and instead has a new clueless group.

There are many types of Toxic Friends and Narcissist Friends and they can have different goals, but I have developed a guide that helps me cut these people out of my life sooner rather than later.


#1   If someone claims we are so much alike, I find ways we are different and point them out.  A real true friend celebrates differences and does not feel that we need to like the same things.  If a new friend does not want to reveal anything except a script of her accomplishments, I know this will turn toxic and distance myself early.   Toxic friends put a lot of time into the front end of a relationship, making you feel you are so much alike.  They can't seem to handle it if you point out their differences.

#2    Early in the relationship, I spend time with other friends and make sure that my new friend finds out about it.  Anyone that is not happy that I share my time with others is toxic and needs to go.  Queen Bee only wanted me to hang out with people she controlled and got angry once when I went shopping with a friend she didn't know.

#3    I refuse to talk badly about other people.  If a friend suggests we talk badly about someone, I just say, "I don't talk badly about others, so let's change the subject".  Normal people will move on quickly.  A toxic friend will stare at you with their mouth open, unable to comprehend why you won't play their game.

#4    I make sure that I plan some of the activities.  I really do not enjoy planning things to do with friends and Queen Bee planned everything, making me feel like she took a burden off me.  It also gave her control of every situation.

#5 Any friend that tries to play the victim card and tell me how they have spent their lives as a victim is probably a narcissist in hiding.  Best to distance yourself from damsels in distress.  Queen Bee confided in me that she found her husband in an online relationship.  I comforted her while she cried.  I found out later that she had played that same game with someone else three years prior.  Same exact story, same exact person she caught him emailing.  I later recalled that her and her husband share an email address.  I doubt it ever happened.


Looking back, every moment I spent with my "best friend" was one big lie.  I was told what to do, who to hang out with, what to think.   When I miss my best friend, I remind myself that I was sold a lie.  I was sold a person that was "just like me" and the only person just like me is....ME.   I pull up old emails where she was telling me how horrible I was for not apologizing for an unknown offense, and I read them.  Once I remind myself that I was sold a lie, it's easier to admit that she was never really my friend at all.

I now have a great group of friends that are very diverse and I enjoy spending time with them.   I am so glad that I got rid of the Queen Bee.  Have you had a toxic friend? How did you rid yourself of them?






Sunday, January 8, 2017

Meal Plan Week 1



Dinner Menu Week 1

 Chicken casserole/steamed green beans
Potato Soup/homemade rolls
Steak Skewers/broccoli with fried garlic
Spaghetti/ homemade rolls

Chicken fried rice



Recipe Links:


I don’t have a recipe yet for chicken fried rice, but it’s simple.  Take cooked chicken, leftover or frozen vegetables and 4 cups cooked rice, plus an egg if you want it.   Add rice to a skillet and heat.  Add soy sauce to moisten (about 2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce).  Add egg now if you want it and scramble until done.  Add vegetables and chicken and heat to warm.  Serve.


Check out my other week's meal plans here:  http://emmafrancisisathome.blogspot.com/p/weekly-meal-plans.html

Sunday, January 1, 2017

Clean And Organize Your Home!!!



You CAN do it!!!  The New Year is here and if you are like me, your New Years Resolution is to clean and organize your home. 

I have come up with a four week rotating schedule of house cleaning.  It seems like a lot, but I recruit my family to help and it is also a list that is the ideal list, not the one I actually accomplish.  This list has every thing on it that I intend to do, but I have found that if I keep rotating through the list, if I miss something the entire house does not fall apart.   I take holidays OFF.  Holidays are for family, not for cleaning!!!!  That is the entire point of the schedule, but since the it is early in the year and I have some time with family and friends busy and not in my home, it's time to get it going!   Each day I try to do one long term item, 2 medium term items and all the dailies.  On Sundays, I write my grocery list and I grocery shop on Monday AFTER cleaning out my fridge.  This list is as much for me as it is for you, so here is to a clean house!