I like Jon Stewart (more than Billy Crystal), but I didn't get the Dennis Hopper (who lives in my neighborhood) thing either. We had lasagne, and we didn't watch most of it, although we did start with the local pre-Oscars shows. I like the Golden Globes better - they have better categories. I thought it was stupid to have an Oscar for Best Sound and then another for Best Sound Editing. I also think it is stupid to have only dark movies (or basically dramas only) nominated. I prefer comedies, and comedies never win. They need a separate category for Comedies/Musicals like the Golden Globes has. Even the Greeks had two masks - one for comedy and one for tragedy. Hollywood should do the same. We have the option of watching two shows at once on our TV, and so we took advantage of this during the Oscars and had the sound off on the Oscars most of the time. This also allowed us to eliminate all the musical previews (which DB and I both hate) as well as the commercials without missing parts that we really did want to see. DB had an interest in it because he had entered a contest at Sony (where he works) and stood the chance to win a prize. Fortunately, he did not have to pay to enter. Lars

Linda, DD used to love when her flights through DFW put her in Terminal C. They had a cereal bar, Cereality, that served mix and match cereals with various toppings. The Sweet Potato Hash I make is caramelized onions, mixed with cooked sausage (or bacon, if I'm making it), seasoned with garlic and rosemary. It is cooked until the sweet potato chunks are tender. Then you make wells in the hash, crack in an egg, and put it in the oven until the eggs are done to your liking. Check out the recipe I linked above. It is soooo good. plllog, good point. Plans can become fluid, whether you want them to or not. Which reminds me. I need something in reserve for Saturday lunch. The Saturday buffet is an outdoor tailgating party. If it rains, we won't be tailgating. I have a pork tenderloin in the fridge that can be ready in less than an hour. This recipe for Pork Sliders with PIckled Onions and Cranberry Sauce is really good. I need to pickle some onions to be ready. I have everything else at hand. Time is getting short! First guests arrive in 2 days and I'm in the middle of finishing up a decorating project that I put on hold for way too long! And I have to get the container to the florist for flowers; and, it would be nice to get the handyman in to wash the front lights, and, and, and,.......

Wow, lots of great information for you RNMom! I love that you're taking the time exploring what's out there to see what will work with your kids and to help -- cause that's what moms do best:) My daughter has been with her husband for about two years; if I were to guess what was one of the biggest "adulting" (don't you just love these words?) constants was What's for Dinner? Oh, and we have to carve out time to buy it? In Boston? Oh, and what do you mean we don't have that (fill in the blank) in the cupboard? Oh, and you mean that meat really isn't good on the seventh day? Oh, zucchini actually turns into mush if kept too long? You get the idea. She actually has a blog and wrote about her "meal prep staples." I'll snip her ideas here as it's a younger voice and may resonate with your kids a bit (not that we oldies (ME!) don't) Both she and her husband are professionals, Boston (driving is lunacy and serious TIME!!!!!!), long hours, both have food issues (LOW FODMAP , dairy allergy), he long distance runs, she runs, yoga, etc. etc. I guess what I'm saying is it will work, it evolves, and keeps progressing. I'm going to share that Saving Dinner website with her and some of these other ideas. Here is what she's worked out for now: "Shop on Friday // Don't be afraid of ordering: My first tip is that my husband and I have switched to 1) shopping on Friday night (if we don't have any other obligations) or 2) using Insta-cart for grocery delivery. I've actually always LOVED grocery shopping, but I've come to terms in the past couple of months that some weeks, it just isn't an efficient use of my time (I have a lot of other things I'd much rather be working on than battling my way through Whole Foods). .... Must-haves: I also wanted to share my absolute meal-prep must-haves each week that reduce my cooking time. This doesn't include my pantry staples that we always have on hand such as flours, sugars, spices, almond milks, etc. but I always keep these items in my freezer/fridge and can easily make a quick meal at any point during the week. Keeping these items in the fridge makes for an efficient meal-prep! Frozen sweet potatoes (I pick these up at Whole Foods) Frozen peas, spinach, and carrots Baby potatoes Organic broccoli or brussel sprouts Shredded broccoli slaw & shredded carrots Pre-cut peppers from the chop shop at Whole Foods Organic eggs One protein for the week (we usually do either organic chicken, organic pork, or salmon), a lot of times we will freeze and de-thaw when needed One sauce (typically tahini or hummus) In-season fruit - we always pick up bananas and clementines, but have been subbing in strawberries in recent weeks Organic brown rice Spend a couple hours to set yourself up: In all honesty, my meal prep for the week is NEVER more than a couple of hours, and I find that allocating this time pays dividends during the week. In those couple of hours I roast veggies (usually sweet potatoes, broccoli, and brussel sprouts), make a quick broccoli slaw, prep a quick sauce (tahini or hummus), throw rice in the rice-maker, and roast or cook the protein for the week. I never look forward to prepping food by any means, but I find that if I put on a good podcast and zone out, I'm actually really efficient and have food ready to go for the week. My husband also loves to cook, so between the two of us we divide and conquer. If you're feeling really crazy, plan for a mid-week meal: One area that I really struggle in is planning far enough ahead so that when I shop for groceries on Friday, I'm picking up ingredients for a mid-week dinner. One tip that's helped me out is to buy some frozen meats on Thrive. That way, the only additional items I need to pick up are veggies/starches. Her last sentence:)" Is this always a perfect formula for every week? Of course not. There's a lot of weeks where I'm not prepared, or not super excited by the food I'm eating. But that's ok - it's all a learning process!" Maybe some of that will resonate with your kids, RNMom. I know that money, time, enjoyment are all individual variables to take into consideration. BTW, I have no idea what Thrive is LOL! The other thing that I know that they do is some batch cooking on weekends, she eats tons of salads and does sheet pan meals. Maybe some of those ideas will help. Good luck! CathyinSWPA One last thing: When we were in Boston, my SIL and I made a Blue Apron meal together. While it was delicious, it really took a bit of time (I feel fairly adept in the kitchen), a lot of clean up for the amount of food it made for some active adults. It just wasn't a good fit for them, but may work for yours.

i know i said "I'm out," a few days ago. if you seriously want a strict rectangle, go shopping and looking i. a oistwar, va lian beighbhood bear you. many of us either grew up in these little ranches, or had friends who lived in them. Rectangular boxes, maybe a small porch. No exterior decorations to speak of, other than, pethaps, a bsnd of brick or stone... somewhere, optional. These were highly efficient little homes. Front door usually opened to the living room, back door to the kitchen for groceries. some people added a breezeway/ mudroom, especially if they had a nearby detached garage. 900 to 1000 sf on the main floor had eatin kitchen, tiny dining, living room, and, usually, 3 bedrooms and 1 or maybe 1.5 baths . but, they weren't terribly squeezed, because of the traffic patterns, and very limited halls. not very interesting from the outside, but in my town, clean, neat, and big back yards... including the clothesline, and little vegetable garden. Very rectangular. very simple and cheap to build. of course, ni media room, as everyone gathered in the living room for an hour or so at night to watch a small black and white tv. kids did homework at the kitchen table. mom had no granite, no dishwasher, ( other than us kids...) laundry was often a washer in the breezeway, or basement. Solar dryer was the clothesline. no pantry, except perhaps, a few cleverly installed shallow cabinets by the back kitchen entrance. if you want a strict rectangle, still, look at the postwar gi bill ranches. expand at will... but take note of the highly efficient (even though plain) use of space...