A Busy but Fun September here on the Farm

September was crazy around the Farm this year.  We demolished and remodeled the kitchen.  I have been sharing that journey as we went along on my facebook page but wanted to show you the finished project here on the blog.

It is completely finished, except we had a little oops with the corner cabinet door and we are waiting for a replacement.

A Weekly Menu when Living without a Kitchen.........

 This is the current state of my kitchen........

Not much cooking going on in there LOL........

Holy Cow, it is August!!! Here is what's on the Menu.

It is seriously hard to believe that it is already August.  This summer is just flying by.  Most of our July was spent remodeling the Master Bath.  Here are the results of all that hard work and disruption of life.  I would say it was well worth it.

The Pool is FINALLY open, the Bathroom Remodel continues and the Weekly Menu

The pool liner was finally able to be installed and the pool filled on Monday.  Of course, that meant that cold weather came in and the high Tuesday did not even reach 70*.  Frank spent Tuesday installing and hooking up the slide. Yesterday he got the heater turned on and hopefully the weather is nice for this weekend so we can enjoy our pool.

The new liner and slide with a guest appearance from Cocoa.

The bathroom is ready for tile installation. Unfortunately the timing was a little off and our tile guy is on vacation.  We hope to get started on the installation early next week and he said it should only take a few days to complete.

We have a very busy weekend coming up.  Saturday we are taking the Angel Face to Jurrasic Quest.  It is a drive through exhibit that I understand is supposed to be pretty astounding.  We are all looking forward to it.

When we are done with the exhibit we are heading over to our great nephew's (Frank's Godson) graduation party.  He has grown into a fine young man and I'm sure has a great future ahead of him.

Sunday is the Teen's birthday and we are having a gathering here at the house.  She, of course, wanted Chicken Enchiladas.  I will make up a couple of trays and I'm also grilling up the fixings for Steak Fajitas.  Beans, Rice, Margaritas (virgin for the underage and drivers) and dinner is served.

Kirsten's twin sister, Katrina, and her husband are in town so we will have them, John and Kirsten's Mom over for dinner one day during the week, depending on their availability.

The rest of the week will be spent on the bathroom remodel and enjoying our pool.  I am planning a lot of al fresco meals.  What's on your menu this week?

Saturday

Dylan's Grad Party

Sunday-Birthday Gathering

Chips with Salsa and Guac

Chicken Enchiladas

Steak Fajitas

Refried Beans

Mexican Rice

Birthday Cake

Meatless Monday

Vegetarian Buddha Bowl

Tuesday

Char Sui Pork and Noodles

Wednesday

Steak Stacks

Potato Puffs

Thursday

Asian Pork Satay

Steamed Rice

Cucumber Salad

Fish Friday

Sweet and Spicy Scallops

Grilled Pineapple

Another Week Has Passed....Where does the time go??

One thing about doing a remodel is that while it takes a looooong time, that time flies by because you are so busy.  Over the weekend the mud guy came and finished off the walls, due to humidity the sanding of the walls didn't happen until Monday. 

The master closet with a cubby for storage.  A desk top will be under the window.  

Shelving will be above the cubby for the printer and supplies.

Summertime, Summertime, Sum, Sum, Summertime Weekly Menu

We got the Angel Face yesterday and get to keep her right through the weekend.  Last night we hung out at Michelle and Mark's so we could play in the pool.  I took my fish and all the fixins' over to their house and we had dinner together.

Water, Wine and the Weekly Menu

We are heading down to the Waterfront this evening for a Beer and Wine Festival.  We are joining our friends, the Luths and our friend, Mickey for dinner at a local restaurant before heading to the festival.  I'm looking forward to it.  The best part is that it's only a mile down the road so we can walk it if the wines are too delicious to stop at a few sips.

Tuesday Trivia on the Farm

I hope you all enjoyed the long weekend and the kick-off to the summer season.  And I hope you all remembered to bow your heads in gratitude for those who sacrificed their lives for our freedoms and safety.  It is because of our heroes that we have the opportunity to freely celebrate our blessings that we enjoy.

I'm sharing a new pasta salad recipe with you today that is going to be perfect for those hot summer evenings that we will be enjoying soon........

The Master Bath Progress, Rhubarb Galore and the Weekly Menu

We are overdosing on rhubarb around here!!!  We had to cut it back to make room for my tomato plants and cucumbers and it is coming back stronger than ever.

Let the Good Times Roll and the Weekly Menu

Last night we hosted a Mardi Gras get together at the house.  It was a great time starting with Hurricanes and ending with Beignets.

You can't have a Mardi Gras Celebration without Hurricanes.  These sweet fruity drinks with plenty of rum are an iconic New Orleans cocktail.

Step in as I share details of the party, our upcoming week, a Hurricane recipe and the Weekly Menu......

Happy Father's Day and The Weekly Menu

Happy Father's Day to all of you out there that take on the important role of "Dad" each and every day.  You are the unsung heroes.  You are the men that embrace your role and take serious your responsibility of supporting, directing and forming these precious lives for whom you are responsible.  Many of you are not even the "biological" father but take pride in being "Daddy". Some of you are uncles and grandpas who step in to fill the void of a father who cannot or will not be in their child's life.  Some of you are women, trying to "do it all" because you have no other choice.

My Pops with Me and my sister, Dawn.

Progress Happening here on the Farm and the Weekly Menu

The Remodel:  The room is coming along nicely.  The floor is down and should be grouted today.  The tile should also be installed on the fireplace today.  Frank has started working on the wood for the trim around the windows, ceiling and floors.  It will be ready to install as soon as the grout is dry.

The First Week of June and the Weekly Menu

I can't believe that it is already June.  The year is half over.  People say that the years fly by and the days crawl.  I don't know....all of my time seems to fly by in the blink of an eye.

The rebuilding of the back room is complete.  The outside is short a few strips of siding as they had to be special ordered and will be in next week.  Yesterday we primed the walls and ceiling and Frank got the ceiling painted while I was at a meeting.

One Week until Vacation and the Weekly Menu

We are counting down to vacation here.  Next Saturday we leave for a dive trip to Granada.  This is a new island for us and I'm looking forward to it.

We thought that the remodel would be relatively complete by the time we left.  Now it's not looking so promising.  Every time the roofer pulls off a board from the roof he finds that the next board is also bad.  He has one last section to replace and then he can get on with the shingling and putting the new roof onto the addition.

Once he is done with that the carpenter can get back to the drywall installation.  But first the fireplace install needs to be completed.  Hopefully that is happening today.

So that is our hope now.  That we get to the point that the drywall is up and ready for painting when we return home.  Once the painting is done, the floor can be installed and then we just need to get the pantry built and the cupboards installed.

In other news, Frank bought me 5 fruit trees for our Anniversary.  I bought another with money I had been given by our daughter, Nicole, for that purpose last mother's day.  So today, all 6 trees are being planted. I have 2 apple, 2 pear, a sweet cherry and a plum.  Next year I hope to add a peach and prune plum to the mix.  I'm excited.  I have missed my fruit trees.

Tomorrow, we are participating in a 5K with Amy and Doug.  It was supposed to be a run but, yeah, that didn't happen so now it is a walk.  Better than sitting around anyway.  After the race walk, we are meeting Jessica and Melody for Mother's Day Brunch.  Then we will all be going to my nephew, Jake's, graduation/going away party.  He finished school in the Upper Peninsula last week and leaves for a new job in Miami next week....serious culture shock in store for him.  From the northern most point of the continental US to the southern most.

Sunday we sing at Mass and then it should be a pretty quiet day, perhaps some gardening will get done.

The rest of the week is typical.  Meetings at church on Monday and Aunt Irene's on Tuesday.  Choir practice has been moved to Wednesday.  I'll attend immediately after Food Pantry.  We are having friends over for dinner on Thursday.  Friday will be spent packing and early to bed.  Our flight is at 6 am which means we will leave here about 3 am for the airport.

But we gotta eat....so here is the Weekly Menu.


Saturday
Race, Brunch, Party

Sunday
Frank is making me dinner....I'll let you know

Monday
BBQ Chicken
Potato Salad
Cole Slaw

Tuesday
Carry out at Aunt Irene's

Wednesday
Dinner out after Pantry/Choir

Thursday-Friends for Dinner
Cheese and Fruit Board
Grilled Italian Sausage Sandwiches with Peppers and Onions
Antipasto Pasta Salad
Peach Bundt Cake

Friday
Grilled Tuna Steak
Garlic Green Beans
New Potatoes tossed in Olive Oil

Status of the Remodel and the Weekly Menu

The remodel is coming along.  We now have walls awaiting the windows and doorwall.   The electrical is all run so that they can start on the inside of the room.  The outside only needs the siding installed.

They have still not been able to start on the roof.  For those coming late to the game, we are remodeling a Sunroom Addition that had been put onto our home prior to our purchasing it.  It is a nice, large room but not very practical for Michigan weather. 

We decided to tear down the outside walls and replace them with stick built.  We are keeping a good number of windows so we will still have the view, but adding more walls and insulation (as well as better windows) to assist with temperature control.

The room prior to this remodel was definitely an addition.  After the remodel, the French doors leading from the rest of the house to the addition will be removed and the room will just flow from the kitchen.  It will become a room that is used daily instead of occasionally.

Back to the roof....when Frank was tearing down the paneling so that drywall can be installed, he discovered the flashing around the chimney had not been installed properly.  You could see daylight through our roof.....Not a good thing.

It is going to be an expensive fix.  That is the reason for the delay.  It looks like our insurance is going to cover this damage.  Woohooooooo....this has me doing a happy dance!!!  So the roof repair had to wait for the adjustor and now we are waiting for his determination which promises to be positive.  

The roofer is scheduled to begin work on Monday.  Once the roof is fixed then the siding, gutters, windows and doors can be installed.  Then the work on the inside can begin in earnest.  I think we are looking at another couple of weeks but it is going to be well worth it.

In the meanwhile.....because this is taking longer than anticipated, all the stuff we had all over our house is now in the garage.  This is necessary because we are having family dinner on Sunday to celebrate Frank and Tingting's birthdays.

Speaking of Tingting, she uses the name Jessica with everyone other than those of us who knew and loved her from the very beginning.  It is very difficult for me to remember to call her Jessica but I am making a valiant effort.  So, from this day forward, I will be referring to her in my writings as Jessica or, of course, the Mama.

On to the Weekly Menu.  Last Tuesday we ended up going out for dinner so those Enchiladas are moved to this week.

Our Little Miss will be home from vacation and staying with us Sunday and Monday nights.  Other than that our life will revolve around this remodeling project.  

Here is our Weekly Menu. This week our menu includes lunches as we are feeding the work crew.

Please stop by to visit each day.  We are celebrating Brunch Week in addition to my regular monthly groups so there is going to be a ton of recipes shared each day.

Saturday

Out for dinner

Sunday-Birthday Celebration

Chips and Salsa

Mexican Hamburgers

Easy Tex Mex Enchiladas

Grilled Corn Salad

Black Bean and Mango Salad

Tropical Fruit Salad

Hibiscus Margaritas

Cake by Amy

Melody Monday

Lunch- Italian Sausage Sandwiches

Carnitas

Refried Beans

Spanish Rice

Tuesday

Lunch-Tamales (using leftover Carnitas)

Chicken Pot Pie

Wednesday

Lunch-Hot Chicken Sandwiches

Grilled Chicken Breasts

Sweet Potato Planks

Steamed Broccoli

Thursday

Lunch- Michigan Grilled Chicken Salad

Pork and Green Chile Stew

Friday

Lunch-Leftover Stew

Out for dinner

Where is Spring?? I'm going to serve it each day on my Weekly Menu

I think one of the problems is that Easter was so early this year.  I always tend to think of Easter as the beginning of Spring.  We actually have snow on the ground this morning.

We are in the middle of a remodel, where outside walls are coming down and new are being installed.  It is mighty cold in that room.  Luckily there is a door sealing it from the rest of the house that can stay intact until the walls are installed.

In the meantime, everything that was in that room (which included my pantry) is now scattered throughout the rest of the house.  Add to that, the fact that we are also rearranging sleeping quarters in two of our bedrooms and it makes for a confusing, busy household.

But we still gotta eat....so I am composing my Weekly Menu to share with you today.

Tomorrow we have a funeral service to attend.  A friend of ours lost her mother who had been battling cancer.  It was discovered in the form of an inoperable brain tumor.  After the funeral we need to take two of the mutts in for their rabies shots.

Sunday I will be attending the fundraiser that was previously planned to help pay medical expenses for my friend's mom.  Even though she is gone, they will continue with the fundraiser because the bills keep coming in.  It's going to be a sad weekend, I think.

Monday we get our Little Miss.  She has been signed up for swimming lessons so we will go right from her house to the pool on Mondays for the next few weeks.  After swim lessons we are meeting our daughter, Nicole and her husband, Pierre, for lunch.

Tuesday we will take a ride into the city to renew the dog's licenses and then in the evening we will be making our weekly visit to Aunt Irene after dropping the Angel Face off at home.

Thursday is choir and Friday we will be attending a Mexican Fiesta that our church is hosting for all of the parishioners who volunteer their time and services all year long.

Please stop by each day and see what's new on the Farm.  Monday I am celebrating National Cupcake Day with Breakfast....yep, a breakfast cupcake that is sure to be a hit at your next brunch.  Tuesday we are traveling the world with stops in Italy and Thailand.  Thursday I'm sharing a quick and delicious Asparagus Soup recipe.

Here is the Weekly Menu.  Any special plans for you this week?  Have you finished all those Easter Leftovers?

Saturday
Pasta Primavera

Sunday
Honey Lemon Grilled Chicken
Spring Risotto

Melody Monday
Japanese Steak Rolls
Garlic Lime Rice

Tuesday
Carry out at Aunt Irene's

Wednesday
Beef Sliders
French Fries

Thursday
Chicken Shawarma
Marinated Vegetables

Friday
Mexican Fiesta at Church

Tuesday Talks

It has been a crazy month since we have moved into the new digs.  I feel like I have barely had time to connect with all of my guests here on the blog.  I barely have found time to post the recipes I was sharing for the different events and groups to which I belong.  But things are finally calming down around here.  The light at the end of the tunnel is very bright right now.

So we locked up our babies and found a few minutes to shoot some photos of the (mostly) finished project.

The flooring is nearly complete.  It is only missing the trim between the carpet and wood flooring that had not been sent with the order.  Hopefully it will be in soon and the installer will come back out to finish the project.  The window treatments in the great room are scheduled for installation on Thursday.

The master bedroom is entirely complete.  I cannot tell you how thrilled I am with my tropical oasis. It is like we are going on vacation every time we walk into the room.

Tomorrow starts the 12 Days of Christmas Cookies event.  I am travelling the world for the next 12 days and sharing cookies from a different Country each day.  This is just a sampling of some of my cookies that I took with me to our Alpha meeting last night at the church.

Mel, for her part, is very comfortable in the new home.  She no longer calls it the new house just Grammy and Grampy's house.  She loves coming to visit and we adore having her.  It is going to be a perfect Holiday Season!!!

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What's New???

What's new with you as you go into the holiday season?  There is a lot new here.  I shared the photos of the wood flooring that we had installed with you last week.  This past weekend they finished installing the tile flooring through the kitchen, laundry room and hallway.

The kitchen had been recently remodeled.  I love the cupboards and I didn't mind the floor except that it was wood which I worry about in case there would be dishwasher leak.  The previous owners didn't have that concern as they didn't have a dishwasher.  We added one nearly immediately losing the cupboard next to the stove. You can see this in the two photos on the left of this collage.  I loved many things about this house.  The layout and the open floor plan is amazing.  My one complaint was that it was a dark house.  I felt as if I couldn't get enough light into it.  Frank changed all the lighting to LED's and amped up the wattage but I was constantly turning on every light in the house because it felt dank to me. 

Changing the flooring has made all the difference in the world.  This house had deep wine colored carpet throughout.  The only rooms that were not carpeted in this dark color were the kitchen which had dark flooring and the bathrooms. Removing this carpet from the dining area and hallway has made world of difference.  The new flooring in these areas make the house much more airy and bright.  I am one happy camper.  

The painters were here yesterday and are back today and tomorrow.  The entire house is being painted before Thanksgiving except for our bedroom area which will be painted on Friday.  The carpet installers will be here tomorrow to remove the remaining carpet from the living area and master suite. It is being replaced with a lighter carpet in neutral tones.  I am very excited.

I am also very excited to introduce you to the newest member of the family.  Meet Cocoa.  She is 10 weeks old and is fitting into the pack very well.  Our Bella girl immediately became maternal and took Cocoa under her wing.  The boys want to play all the time, but being boys, they try to let others know they want to play by growling at them.  It took Cocoa a few days to realize that it was a friendly, fun growl.  Now she jumps right into the mix.

Okay, I'm off to go get my food for the Thanksgiving feast.  Stop by tomorrow when I will be sharing another great #CranberryWeek recipe for your Thanksgiving table. 

What's Happening in the Klik Household......

What a week this has been.  So much has been going on that I had to look back at my posts to see what I have shared with you.  The last update shared on the house was the Four Season Room but since then we have added a rug and some shelving to the room.  Now, it is complete except for new windows which will be replaced as soon as funds are available.

In other big news....We went shopping on Veteran's day and Frank took advantage of his discount from Bed, Bath and Beyond to purchase 2 stools for the kitchen counter and an IRobot vacuuming system.  Guys...this vacuum is the bomb!!!!  It is very expensive and worth every single darn penny. There's an app for that!  You can set the IRobot to clean according to your schedule.  It starts itself up and systematically goes through your whole house, adjusting automatically to floor type.  When the battery is exhausted the IRobot takes itself home, recharges and then finishes where it left off. There is a little brush that goes around the baseboards and furniture legs to make sure the whole house is spotless.  I will take a video and share with you soon but I can't right now because......

Speaking of floors.....the installation has begun!!  So far all the flooring from the kitchen, hallway, utility room and dining area has been removed.  The wood flooring is in place in the dining area of the great room.  We chose a eucalyptus wood that is sustainable and durable.  Not to be biased or anything but....It is the most BEAUTIFUL floor I have ever seen!!!

I cannot wait for the tile to be completed and for the carpeting guys to arrive.  This should all be done by Monday and then the painters are coming on Tuesday to try to get at least the great room completed before Thanksgiving.

Speaking of Thanksgiving. Our son, Chuck, who is stationed in Virginia is coming home for a couple of weeks.  I am very excited, not only because I miss him but also because he is bringing a new member of our family with him.  Yep, call us crazy but we have adopted another 4 legged daughter. Stay tuned for more information on that little bit of news!!  We're also excited because once the painters are done we move our bedroom furniture from the barn into the house.  Our furniture is HEAVY and big so Chuck will be a huge help.

I was going to share some Christmas projects that I had been working on but this post is getting rather lengthy so let's get right to the upcoming week and the Weekly Menu.

Chuck arrives home sometime Saturday evening so Sunday we are having a family Sunday Supper. Three of the five kids can attend.  Anthony had a previous commitment and Nicole has to work so we will work on getting together with them at a later date.

Monday I will be picking up Turkeys for the Thanksgiving Basket distribution for the Food Pantry and putting them into the cooler to start defrosting.  Distribution is on Wednesday.  In the evening, on Monday, we will be helping John and Kirsten unload a trailer.  They are heading to Alabama to be with Kirsie's mom and bringing back some of her furniture as she is moving to our neck of the woods.

Tuesday will be spent shopping for our Thanksgiving feast and Thursday we will share this feast with family and friends.

So, without further ado, here is the Weekly Menu.  Enjoy!!

Saturday
Cornflake Breaded Pork Chops
Baked Potatoes
Broccoli

Sunday Supper
Spinach Salad
Prime Rib Roast
Loaded Stuffed Potatoes
Green Beans Almondine

Meatless Monday
Baked Mac and Cheese

Tuesday
French Dip Sandwiches (using leftover Prime Rib)

Wednesday 
Beef Vegetable Soup (using Meaty Prime Rib Bones)

Thanksgiving
See large Menu

Friday
Leftovers, of course