A to Z Challenge – N


 

N- Notes & Notebooks

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20160415_100654Old school is still the best way for me to brainstorm. I pot my notes into a notebook, this one is a cheap composition book  purchased during back to school sales. I think it was all of 49 cents. I tab my pages at the beginning of a section. When I have something I add to it. It may sit untouched for weeks, but when I need to go find that one thing that I wrote down, I will have it. Those tab things from post-its are great!

 

 

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N-Nails

Such handy little things, nails.  These are for hanging decor and picture hangers. No, it’s not the same thing.  Sometimes you need a nail to hang something, other times you need one of those angled metal hook things –  a picture hanger. I’ve been tackling a few  things on my to do list.

I’ve waited for the hubs to “get around to it” for ages. It’s actually better if I tackle it because I know what I want. Never mind the extra holes in the wall.  They will get patched next time we paint. I’m nonplussed by little details like that –  I try to get it right the first time,  but hey, life goes on when you get your nail half an inch to the left too far and have to do it over. A little dab of toothpaste, smoothed out with an old gift card hides that sucker. And a little dab of paint from the leftover can we keep stored in the basement.

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The beginning  of one of my family’s favorite meals:

Crab alfredo

Bear with me on this one,  I am trying to remember as if I were making it because  this was a throw together meal.

1 package of medium egg noodles

3 cups water

1 package of artificial crab meat, torn into pieces

1 package of scallions chopped into small pieces ( about 1/2 cup of scallions)

fresh spinach with the stems removed ( about 2 cups of fresh spinach)

1 jar alfredo sauce

1/2 cup of  parmesan

1 cup milk

2 Tablespoons butter

salt and pepper

In a large skillet or electric skillet (this is what I use to make this dish), put noodles in skillet, add water and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil. Stir occasionally to keep pasta from sticking to the pan. Water will absorb. Once the pasta is cooked al dente –  which is only about seven minutes – egg noodles cook fast. Add butter and stir around. Pour jar of alfredo sauce over noodles. Stir to coat evenly, pour milk into the jar, shake up and add. ( Sauce thickens so this isn’t going to make your sauce too thin, plus you’re going to add more cheese.)  Add milk, stirring in.

Make sure the pasta is evenly coated. Add torn pieces of crab meat. Add scallions.  Layer  fresh spinach over the top. Add salt and pepper, cover for just a couple of minutes while preparing your salad and setting the table.

Uncover, scoop onto the plate, top with  some grated parmesan and a twist of freshly ground black pepper.

Super simple, healthy and satisfying.

Let me know if you decide to try my concoction! My kids love it and they have never complained about the spinach!

Have a fabulous day!

 Write on my friends, write on!

Ellie

 

10 comments on “A to Z Challenge – N

    • It’s a cinch! Super easy – alfredo sauce in a jar. Most of the time they say not to add water or milk to dilute, but I’ve found that al dente pasta tends to absorb much of the liquid. I like my pasta saucy, not dry and barely coated. Trust me this is so simple my daughters can make it!

      Liked by 1 person

  1. I love old-school notebooks. I regret throwing away the ones I had before. I bought so many journals from the bookstores, it was hard to keep up with them. I have two composition books now. One for my daily journaling and one for drafting stories and brainstorming story ideas. I haven’t written in either one in a long time. Mostly because I have an app on my phone that I use more frequently. But I am trying not to use it so often.

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    • I have to be honest here, after having my phone die on me – losing all of my contacts, photos, and notes -I am not a fan of using my phone app for writing. I regularly download my pictures so that I don’t lose them. I have my contacts on a handwritten piece of paper at the back of my journal. Once burned twice shy.
      As to the journals that you haven’t touched in a long time – WHY NOT????

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      • As far as why I haven’t touched my journals, I keep misplacing them. I don’t have a definitive spot for them. Also, I don’t like bringing them to work with me because I’m afraid they’ll get lost. I almost lost a draft book at work. It might have been a blessing in disguise, but starting over from scratch was not what I wanted to do.

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      • Gotcha! I understand the misplacing of items. Trust me – I have recently come to the conclusion that part of my “clutter” problem is simply that I don’t have a proper place for my stuff as in, my own office. This is something that will be addressed and taken care of this year. Currently, my “Office” for writing is at our kitchen table, which I have to pick up my stuff and move every night. Which results in stacks of notebooks, resource books, to be addressed items, and whatnots on the shelf behind where I work. When we have company I have to pick up and stash elsewhere. Can’t tell you how much I hate this and finally had enough. Project Permanent Office is top priority. (Well semi-permanent until we move anyway.)
        I’ve recently misplaced the beginning of a murder mystery idea that I had four scenes written and I feel sick to my stomach over. Don’t want to start over, but I will if I have to.

        Liked by 1 person

  2. I’m old school, too. There’s nothing quite like putting pen to paper and making notes plus my eyes don’t get as tired as they do after staring a computer screen for too long.

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    • OH yes – the screen doth play havoc with the eyes! I’ve gotten eye strain, complete with headaches from too long on a computer screen. Plus there is just something soothing and relaxing about handwriting. (Even if mine is messy.)

      Liked by 1 person

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