Tex here, and it's finally here. The week I have waited for all year. I mean, this is almost bigger than Christmas. It's the annual ACFW Conference!!!!!!!!!!!
I have tons to do to get ready, part of which is keeping my men fed in manner to which they are accustom. Translation: The fridge and freezer better be full!
Maybe I'll make up a couple of casseroles they can just heat and eat. They love Mexican Casserole (recipe here). But they also like my chicken and rice (recipe here). And to help ease the pain of my departure, perhaps I'll whip them up a batch of Ruthy's Famous Chocolate Chip Cookies (recipe here). Their sure to put a smile on everyone's face.
So when you go somewhere for more than a day, how/what do you prepare for your family?
as i have no family I dont have the issue but I do have plenty of cans of spaghetti and baked beans in the pantry.
ReplyDeleteJenny, we're your family! But conveniently we are half a world away, so you don't have to feed us!
Deleteme too! no family to worry about. my mom wasn't gone overnight often but she did have classes a couple of days a week for several years off and on and we fended for ourselves - of course since I was middle school and the girl it fell on me a lot to at least start dinner and she'd finish when she came in or we'd do sandwiches or something. I still don't understand it falling on me since I was a girl..and ironically my brother loves to cook and luckily he learned on his own since his wife doesn't cook!
DeleteSusanna
Ruthy should I reclarify I dont have family living in my house with me unless you count my bears which seem to be multiplying but they don't eat much. But I do have about 8 meals of spaghetti sauce in the freezer just needing the pasta. I had some tonight (yes I got myself some food for tea and actually feel better for it)
DeleteJenny, I'm glad you're feeling better. And you bring up a good point, I need to stock the pantry with some of their faves.
DeleteSusanna, I guess it's just that whole gender thing. Funny about your brother though.
DeleteI grew up with my Dad doing the cooking. As a pastor, he could arrange his office hours to work at home in the late afternoons - so he was there when we got home from school and was able to start supper.
DeleteMy Mom was a teacher, and always stayed for a couple hours after school let out.
But does my brother cook after that example from my Dad? Sometimes, but usually not willingly...
well Mindy I'll take cooking any day over mowing the yard! my brother got stuck with that a LOT - at least the yard at home - there was another yard that we all had to take a turn at except my dad managed to get out of a lot of it - we had 2 lawn mowers going at that lake lot and he was the 'chief mechanic' and 'gas-filler-upper' but at the house my brother did a lot of the mowing and my mom seemed to like being outside as well - not me!
Deleteand it's nice you fix all that special stuff for your guys! I dont think my mom ever froze anything homemade- it got eaten the day we smelled it cooking! :-)
Susanna
Susanna
I love no cooking blogs, LOL!!!! Aw, Tex, I wish I was gonna see ya'.... chat with ya.... have morning coffee in our jammies.
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, I have been known to creep through the hotel lobby in my jammies to get to Starbucks. If it's early enough I figure it's no different than my living room. I've met some interesting peeps that way!!! :) Flannel jammies are the RAGE!
well at least you have on your jammies! :-) also I sorta answered your question about Matt in that entry from the other day - I was late getting to it since I was on night shift...and I pre-ordered the Christmas book - think amazon said Dec 1 - makes me mad I have to wait when walmart gets them early sometimes but I"m trying to do ebooks now and the regular print is really hard to read for me and that's all they seem to sell here unless I order from harlequin.
DeleteSusanna
Ruthy, I SO wish you were coming to conference this year. And yes, we'd do coffee/tea in our jammed. Can't forget the fuzzy slippers though :)
DeleteJammies for morning tea? I'm so glad I bought a new pair!
DeleteSeriously, I think the coolest people are the ones unafraid to make a 7:00 AM (or whenever it opens) run to the lobby for jammy-coffee... This does not necessarily mean that all of the SEEKERS ARE UNCOOL... but some do not willingly rush to the lobby in their P.J.'s.... Janet, are you listening???? :)
DeleteI can see if I'm ever at a conference with you, Ruthy, I'll have to go all out in the jammy and slipper category.
DeleteIt may even be a more important wardrobe decision than the gala!
I bought stuff last week so my crew would have plenty to eat while I was gone.
ReplyDeleteTheir reaction? My husband said he'll eat at work, one son has classes most nights and will be gone, another son works most nights and will be gone, my daughter is house-sitting - gone, and the oldest? He'll eat cold pasta out of a can and be happy.
Sigh.
At least there will be convenience foods for the week after I get back - beef stew, tacos, frozen pizza...
Okay, Jan. Which morning are we doing jammie tea?
DeleteMaybe not jams...but tea, definitely.
DeleteWhile we're on this topic.... Do your husbands stock up the food for you when they're going somewhere?
ReplyDeleteJust wondering.
Dave would say, "I bring you firewood. That's good, right?"
To which I would reply, "I do your laundry 52 weeks of the year."
Hmmm.....
We want to make sure everything is comfy for men when we're away. But (at least with most men I know) they do not think to do this same thing for the wife...
Am I wrong?
I don't worry about it too much, Ruthy. My dear husband works hard to make the money to buy the food and I work hard to make sure he has nutritious meals. It's a win/win as far as I'm concerned!
DeleteAnd he goes out of his way to make sure I'm going to be all right in other ways. If I'm going to be driving on a trip, he makes sure the oil is changed, tires good, etc. Since I'm flying on this trip he made sure I have my itinerary all set and he has a copy.
Most of all, when we were in the midst of moving and we lived apart for 6 months, he skimped on his own housing and meals so we would have enough to live comfortably until our house in Kansas sold. Six months of a crummy motel room and cold sandwiches. Six months of nothing to do in the evening but look through the MLS listings for a house to buy. Six months of going to church alone. Every week.
What a guy. I think I'll marry him all over again.
Actually, Ruthy, I think it's just that we fear our men can't survive without us. They know we can survive without them, plus they like being doted over.
DeleteJan, you made me smile! And I will hug your husband when I meet him.
DeleteDon't tell him ahead of time. He'll get nervous.
Mindy, see, that's the Yank in me. Dagnabbit... I'm a cold-hearted Northerner. Although I love my firewood. Stacks and stacks of it. And I feed him well... But I've gotten beyond the prepping him for conference stage. I figure I'm lucky that I get my stuff together... And he's good with taking over the little ones and feeding everyone and checking homework... but I do hire a second pair of hands so he's not against the wall with urchins all day. I think it's been decided that I need to go back to "nice wife" class and renew my graduation certificate!
Can I borrow your hubby? would love someone to bring up the wood. actually if they were here when the load arrives and need shifting from the driveway to the shed would be wonderful.
DeleteI have some fun stories of men fending for themselves. The wivies had left food and they had tins of food. Well this one time this man (not named to protect the you fill in the right word). He had a mate over opened the can and warmed it up they thought it tasted different but ate it anyway well it was dog food.
The other story I heard yesterday was the wife had left food and there were ham steaks in the fridge. They were eating them and one said do you think these need to be cooked, to which the older (husband of wife) said no my wife just gives them to us like this. They survived and we got a laugh. One other man was given a bun (it was a sweat bun like a danish) well you just eat it its had cream and apple in it. When asked how he liked it he said he didn't know what to do with it so he microwaved it said it was ok a bit soggy but ok. They told him it was a bun you just eat it.
Oh my dr is so impressed I now can make spaghetti sauce as she knew I couldn't cook much. Lamb is on special this week considering doing a roast (if someone can tell me how long to cook carrots and to roast potatoes I would be very happy) (dont laugh I really dont know how long to cook them for).
hmm I have no idea either Jenny! my mom used to do a beef roast in the oven in one of those roaster pans and she'd cut the potatoes in half(we had the brown kind - russets? - and the carrots inwith them and let it cook while we were at church - hmm maybe 6 or 7 am til 12:30 or 1pm? I know she wasn't up before then. a friend of mine roasts everything in those Reynolds brand roasting bags- dunno if you have those there or not.
Deletesusanna
I made sure there was a Stouffers casserole in the freezer. Does that count? :)
ReplyDeleteI also made sure they have plenty of produce for salads and some fruit. That's my attempt at being a good wife and mom! :)
But the big question is, do they EAT the casseroles and salads while you're gone, or do they go out for burgers every night?
DeleteLOL jan! They actually do eat it. And he usually takes them out once. He always brags that they only ate out once while I was gone! :)
DeleteA little bit of both here too. They eat what I left, then the boys talk dad into pizza or burgers.
DeleteMissy, you have saved me from looking like a totally neglectful wife/mother/grandmother...
DeleteI OWE YOU.
Sob! Have fun!!! Maybe I'll make Ruthy's chocolate chip cookies this weekend and munch on them while I tune in 'live' Saturday night. :-( :-)
ReplyDeleteAw.... I'm so sorry, Kav. I guess it'll be up to you to keep Ruthy company. I hope you're up to the task.
DeleteKAV!!! You and me, babe. And Cara... Sandra... Glynna... Julie....
DeleteWe're all at home, watching the fun from afar. I'll bring the cookies!!! Fresh and warm from the oven... But I'll leave some for Dave so youse don't think I'm THAT evil, LOL!
I thought of cooking some little cakes (cup cakes) but then I got up. I always knew thoughts were dangerous.
ReplyDelete