I was going to title this post with something having to do to with miscellany, or miscellaneous, or some such thing. But then I got to thinking that word has been slightly overused so instead I am calling the post “Omnibus,” which among other things means, “Comprising several items.”
Isn’t it exciting to get to throw around a fun, underused word? (Nope. I don’t get out much.)
This is Madison with her other grandparents–our dear friends, Frank and Sheri Hawley.
That little angel gets lots of love.
(And for all the fans of Sheri’s blog, they are still working on getting it back online.)
Sarah went out with three college friends for a “Gal-entines” evening which consisted of dinner at Chick-fil-A, and a shopping trip to an Oriental grocery store and Dollar Tree. Love it!
Also on the subject of Sarah, she just posted on Facebook:
I miss my 1000+ page Webster’s Thesaurus. The Internet is great, but there’s just something about turning the pages, looking for just the right word. I need to remember to pack it the next time I visit home!
This next picture might look just slightly alarming but I just had to share it with you. I mean, what’s the sense of having a blog if not to share episodes of semi-alarmingness?
This is the sight that greeted me last week when I was taking some boiled eggs out of the pan. It seems as though one of the eggs had vigorously ejected its cooked yolk right out of the white! It was fascinating in a weird, eggy sort of way.
Here is one of our favorite bread recipes that we simply call The Bread. (Borrowed from the Pioneer Woman–except we use less butter than she does.)
Get some ciabatta bread. (French or Italian works too, just not as well.)
Slice it in half–top and bottom. (When it’s just Steve and me, I cut the loaf into 4 pieces and freeze three pieces for another meal.)
Spread softened butter (real butter, not whipped butter or margarine) onto the bread, along with a sprinkling of kosher salt and dried rosemary. Bake for 10 minutes at 350 and then broil for 2 minutes. Check it after a minute to be sure it’s not browning too quickly.
You can cut it in squares or thin slices or triangles. This bread is absolutely delicious!
(Note: If you are short on time, you can also spray a large skillet with Pam and brown the bread on both sides.)
And on another cooking subject, make up a box of brownies, adding 1 teaspoon of vanilla for extra flavor. Then sprinkle chips, nuts, etc. on different parts of the batter, being sure to leave part of the batter plain. Cut the brownies in triangles and voila. You have an exotic looking dessert just out of a brownie mix.
If you’re anything like me, you have bookoodles of plastic containers and lids in your cupboard and you spend the better part of your life rooting around attempting to discover with lid fits which container.
Is it the red one? The plain blue one? The blue on with Rubbermaid written on top?
I finally sorted through everything one day and wrote on the bottom of each container the exact description of its matching lid. Anything to make life at least a little simpler.
The Outer Banks can be a windy place to live so days that are almost perfectly still are a special treat.
What about you?
Since this post was all about omnibus-esque miscellaneous happenings of my recent life, tell us one miscellaneous thing about something that you have done in the past week or two. It doesn’t have to be exciting or life-altering; just enough to offer the rest of us a peek into your day and life.
Why do I always think Maddie looks like Sarah? Am I the only one?
Lesley,
I have heard a number of commenters say that but I still don’t quite see it.
Sarah is home for the weekend so maybe I will just spend the day staring at her, looking for traces of Madi. I’m sure she would love that! 🙂
Omnibus…..I like your omnibus much better than the ones I have to file with the court. Those are a grouping of many issues all addressed or responded to in one (usually) very lengthy document…..Omnibus – actually waiting on a ruling on one of those from federal court. Hope it is favorable.
I am playing Bunko tomorrow night – only my second time- lots of fun….not very taxing on the brain which is exactly what I want and need and a lot of conversation and some wine also. I really like my bunko group even though I am very new to the group. They make me feel very welcome and happy.
Mary,
It sounds like you have a very complicated job; you must be a smart lady!
I have never played Bunko but have heard a lot of people say it is fun. Will have to give it a whirl!
Who knew? I had no idea omnibus could mean anything besides a bus! Comes in handy to have a wordy sister! 🙂 Loved reading about the Random Snippets of the Life and Times at Smithellaneous!
Let’s see, my omnibus-ness in the past week has included a trip the Dr with my mom where I made conversation with the other wait-ees in the waiting room instead of reading Reader’s Digest, per your advice in a recent post; made a low carb chocolate cake in a mug the other night–first try–tasted good!; first task this morning–cleaned up after the cat who threw up her breakfast; worked on the nursery, worship team and sunday school snack schedules at church; 60 degrees and sunny in WI today!–had lunch on the sunny porch and got some Vitamin D Therapy; have listened to my cold-afflicted husband cough through the last 6 nights, though I think he has the rougher end of the deal beings he’s the one having to cough.
Life and its never-ending vagaries!
Love to you Smiths! 🙂
Deb
Deb,
I’m proud of you for your waiting room conversations. Good job!
I tried making a cake in a mug last week too (it had unsweetened applauce in it) and it was horrible! You will have to send me your recipe.
I know those sunny, warm days were a real treasure for all of you Wisconsites. Hoping the sunshine and warm weather cures Randy’s cold.
Good Morning Becky: I had the same thing happen to an egg the last time I maee some hard boiled eggs except I was standing right there when it happened. Made quite a noise and definitely startled me.
Friday I had to run an errand and as we live in a little village there are many ways to get to it. On my way home I thought I would take a “shortcut” to save myself all of about 2 minutes. The short cut meant driving down a very short gravel road with my husbands truck. Needless to say, with all the mild weather we have been getting, the road was mud and then the truck was mud and the husband wasn’t real happy. Extra trip into town to wash the truck and hour and a half later, my short cut did not turn out so well as no time was saved. 🙂 Live and learn. Have a great week.
Mel,
It’s intersting that your egg made a noise while it popped out. It would have been cool to have seen it actually happen.
Oh, the allure of those shortcuts! I think your plan would have worked just fine if it hadn’t been for the mild weather and mud. But you ended up with a nice clean truck! 🙂
Hey Becky!
Here’s my Omnibus day. Friday I became a great aunt for the 5th time!!
Robert Earl Browning the IV came into the world!! So happy for my nephew and his wife!!
Catherine,
Thanks for sharing your happy omnibus! Congrats to you and your family.
Spent the afternoon last Monday in ER with a friend and then Tuesday afternoon after our Valentine Party with Alzheimer’s residents, spent time with her husband while she was in surgery. Wednesday made a trip to Durham to the VA for my husband’s appointment and we were there from 10 AM until 6:30 PM. Friday cleaned out my husband’s bathroom so it could be painted on Saturday. Sunday was church day!!!! Oh, did get a haircut on Thursday in Jim’s place as he could not go. This week hopefully will be a little quieter. Our NC District Pilot Governor will be our guest at the meeting tomorrow night. Enjoyed all your pictures as I always do. You are great with a camera.
Ann,
If you have this much energy now I would love to have seen you in your 30’s. 🙂
Such great things you fill your days with–loving your husband and loving others in such practical ways.
Enjoyed sitting outside in short sleeves, capris, and barefoot enjoying the sun! – not common for February in Michigan. I even made a large bowl of potato salad and we grilled cheeseburgers, a slab of ribs, and beer can chicken on three consecutive days. Loved having the windows open and the furnace turned off! Visiting with friends and neighbors, trimmed some stuff in the yard. Read several books by Sharon Scrock (very good).
Omnibus was a great idea, interesting bits and pieces. Loved the photos of the Outer Banks, the recipes sounded great and the idea of cutting the brownies in triangles makes them look so much more appealing. Oh, finally got a recipe from a friend of a friend for a Three Milk Cake that I had tried several years ago at a party.
Kari,
Sitting outside barefoot in Michigan in February? As a Wisconsin girl, I can truly appreciate the amazingness of that occurence.
And might I just add that you can invite me to your grilled out meals any ol’ day. They sound absolutely declicious.
Enjoy these furnace-less days.
Loved your Omnibus. Really strange when an egg does that. Have had that happen. I also have that same container – great way to keep them together. Thanks for the hint. Beautiful pictures as usual. You certainly have an eye for beauty – wherever you go!
Sharyn,
I’m glad that I’m not the only one the egg explosion has happened to; I was a bit worried there!
I’m glad the container hint was helpful; I think most people struggle with trying to keep containers and lids striaght. 🙂
Broil? Grill in Brit-speak?? Like you would for toast if you didn’t have a toaster and used the oven?? Not often I come across US words I can’t decipher!
Wendy,
I’m so glad you asked! It didn’t occur to me that broil does not translate well across the ocean.
I actually think your toast analogy is correct but here is a further explanation just in case. 🙂
When I select broil on my oven, the top heating coils come on and I put my to-be-broiled item on the top shelf just a minute or two. That makes the item brown and a little crispy.
Hope that helps!
Chiming in – my Brit-hubby says US broil = UK grill. 🙂
🙂
Stefanie,
How interesting to know the difference in terms!
My omnibus: I actually had a three-day weekend, so I got a lot done in prep for listing our house. I painted the front door a gorgeous navy blue, painted the living room ceiling, and primed the living room walls. That was Saturday/Sunday. Sunday, we also made a Walmart run to get our groceries and some cleaning supplies when my car-ADD kicked in. I spotted an orange Mustang on a used car lot so Mike obligingly stopped to let me look/drool.
Monday I intended to put the final paint color on the living room walls, but my car-ADD was still going… So I went out and bought a Mustang. Not the orange one, though. You know (by now!) that I’m car-crazy. I allllllmost bought a Miata. 🙂
Stefanie,
Anyone that knows how to pain well (especially ceilings) has my undying admiration. Sounds like you got a lot done in a short time!
And congrats on the Mustang. I’m sure driving your new wheels is MUCH more fun than painting! 🙂
First I loved learning what a word meant,,,had no clue on Omnibus, go figure at almost 58 I didn’t know that, 🙂 Loved seeing all the pics with the omnibus’ ha! I feel a bit boring on not doing much, but I am busy all the time it seems. I did go visit my 97 year old precious aunt, I met my daughter and granddaughter for a spur of the moment shopping trip, had the privilege of watching my 2 granddaughters while their parents went to a concert, and totally enjoyed cooking for my kids who were all home for the weekend, My little house bursts at the seams and the roof raises with our laughter and silliness, but oh how I treasure these times.
Wendy,
I love that your omnibus moments involve so many family members.
An elderly aunt, daughter, granddaughters, granddaughter’s parents . . . couldn’t be any happier days than those.
Toss some grated parmesan cheese on the top of the bread just before broiling. Yum! I also like to use basil or oregano instead of rosemary.
Vicki,
I will try that the next time; I love parmesan cheese.
And basil or oregano sound like a nice change of pace. Thanks for taking the time to share your tips! 🙂
Last Monday, we got 30+ inches of snow in a little less than 24 hours. Everyone is still doing various snow removal tasks now mostly shoveling roofs. But yesterday it was 45 degrees–in Maine in February! This weather is crazy!
JLB,
Thirty inches of snow in 24 hours? That is absolutely beyond my (southern) comprehension.
And the very idea of having to shovel a roof is beyond my comprehension, too. You Maine people are truly to be admired!
On Saturday I washed the bathroom rugs and hung them outside to dry in our unseasonably warm weather. 70 degrees in Nebraska. In mid-February. Unbelievable! And there is nothing like the smell of sunshine kissed and fresh-air-dried rugs. Wow!
Yesterday I exchanged a new interior door at Menards all by myself! A little wrangling and I got it done. Also, figured out why our bar refrigerator wasn’t cooling well and helped my honey run some new electrical outlets and switches in our basement. (I held the flashlight and handed him tools…lol!) I always say that every job needs a good supervisor. 😉
LeAnne,
Seems funny that it’s been warm in so many places across the country but the comment from Maine mentioned 30 inches of snow!
I love reading that you went to Menards; whenever I hear that word, I immediately think of Wisconsin. I know the stores are in other states too, but to me, they always seem like Wisconsin. 🙂
Congrats on wrangling the interior door and good job supervising your hubby!