Vacuum cleaners tend to come with cords that are too short!  Mine is no exception.  If I used it as is, I would have to re-plug it every time I switched rooms.  That is not okay.  I don’t have the time or the patience to do that.

The solution is to use an extension cord.  The cord is awesome and allows me to vacuum every room of the main floor without moving the plug.  Unfortunately the long cord frequently catches on various pieces of furniture or corners and comes unplugged.  Annoying.  And it defeats the purpose of having the cord.

But handy husband came to my rescue using a trick he learned in his 26 years as a remodeling contractor.  It’s simple and works perfectly!  You just tie a knot like this:

No more extension cord problems.  The cord stays put even when it catches on anything and everything.  Genius.

I’ve had a lot of requests lately for copies of some of the pages shown in my planner, my daughter’s planner and my daughter-in-law’s planner.  So to make it easy, I’m including them here along with a few other pages that you might find interesting.  So let’s get started.

Ashley’s Page
(you can read about her set-up here)

 Daily Page Ashley – PERSONAL
Daily Page Ashley – FC COMPACT
Daily Page Ashley – CLASSIC OR A5

Ashley’s Notes PERSONAL
Ashley’s Notes – FC COMPACT
Ashley’s Notes – CLASSIC OR A5

 Rachel’s Daily Page
(you can read about her original set-up here)

 Rachel’s Daily Page – PERSONAL
Rachel’s Daily Page – FC COMPACT
Rachel’s Daily Page – CLASSIC OR A5

Rachel’s Schedule Page – PERSONAL
Rachel’s Schedule Page – FC COMPACT
Rachel’s Schedule Page – CLASSIC OR A5

NOTE:  Rachel started out with just the daily page but then realized she needed to see her schedule for the day.  So she added the schedule page to the left side.

Rachel’s Weekly Page
(Rachel changed from daily to weekly and you can read about that here)

 Rachel’s Weekly Page – PERSONAL
Rachel’s Weekly Page – FC COMPACT
Rachel’s Weekly Page – CLASSIC OR A5

 Patty’s Daily Pages

I’ve been trying all kinds of different page set-ups to figure out what I want.  I’ve been a long-time Franklin Covey Compact 2 pages per day user and I’m having trouble making the transition.  Here are some of the pages I’ve tried or am trying.

 Daily Page Patty 2 PERSONAL
Daily Page Patty 2 FC COMPACT
Daily Page Patty 2 – CLASSIC OR A5

Things to Do PERSONAL
Things to Do FC COMPACT
Things to Do CLASSIC OR A5

Daily Page Patty 1 – PERSONAL
Daily Page Patty 1 – FC COMPACT
Daily Page Patty 1 – CLASSIC OR A5

Things to Do PERSONAL
Things to Do FC COMPACT
Things to Do CLASSIC OR A5

Daily Page Patty 1 – PERSONAL
Daily Page Patty 1 – FC COMPACT
Daily Page Patty 1 – CLASSIC OR A5

 Patty’s Notes Page – PERSONAL
Patty’s Notes Page – FC COMPACT
Patty’s Notes Page – CLASSIC OR A5

 Weekly Page with Categories PERSONAL
Weekly Page with Categories FC COMPACT
Weekly Page with Categories CLASSIC OR A5

I think that just about covers everything.  If you have any questions or if I missed anything or messed anything up, just let me know.

And just an FYI, I made these custom pages using an older version of Word.  I print them on one side and then turn them over and print them on the other side.  I use a Brother MFC-J835DW printer.  Your printer may print them a little differently, and if that’s the case, you should be able to fiddle with the settings a little bit to get the pages to work.

I am SO becoming my mother!  My mom hasn’t ever met a recipe she couldn’t (and didn’t) change.  Lately I’ve been doing a lot of that, too – not because I want to but because I’ve either read the recipe wrong or bought the wrong ingredients.  Like for this recipe.  You’re probably looking at the photo and wondering where the ravioli is.  It’s not there.  I bought ravioli but I bought beef ravioli.  I considered using it anyway but I just didn’t think it would taste good with chicken!  And I didn’t have time to come up with something else so I had to modify.

So I’m giving you the original recipe, which I’ve made before and it’s delicious, and the modified version.  The modified version is just as good as the original and probably a little better for you.  So here goes.

Pesto Ravioli With Chicken

Ingredients:

• 2 teaspoons olive or vegetable oil
• 1 pound chicken breast tenders
• ¾ cup chicken broth
• 1 package (9 oz.) refrigerated cheese-filled ravioli
• 3 small zucchini, cut into ¼-inch slices
• 1 large red bell pepper, thinly sliced
• ¼ cup basil pesto
• grated parmesan cheese, if desired

Directions:

In a 12-inch skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat.  Cook chicken in oil about 4 minutes, turning occasionally, until brown.  Remove chicken from skillet.

Add broth and ravioli to skillet.  Heat to boiling; reduce heat.  Cover and simmer about 4 minutes or until ravioli are tender.

Stir zucchini, bell pepper and chicken into ravioli.  Cook over medium-high heat about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are crisp-tender and chicken is no longer pink in center.  Toss with pesto.  Sprinkle with cheese.  4 servings

from Betty Crocker Cookbook

Pesto Pasta With Chicken

Ingredients:

• 2 teaspoons olive or vegetable oil (I used more)
• 1 pound chicken breast tenders, cut in chunks
• ¾ cup chicken broth
• 6 ounces whole wheat spiral pasta
• 3 small zucchini, cut into ¼-inch slices (I used 2 and it was plenty)
• 1 large red bell pepper, thinly sliced
• ¼ cup basil pesto
• grated Parmesan cheese, if desired

Directions:

Cook pasta according to package directions.  Drain.  Set aside.

In a 12-inch skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat.  Cook chicken in oil about 4 minutes, turning occasionally, until brown.

Add broth, zucchini, bell pepper and chicken.  Cook over medium-high heat about 3 minutes (I cooked it more like 7 or 8 minutes), stirring occasionally, until vegetables are crisp-tender and chicken is no longer pink in center.  Add cooked pasta.  Toss with pesto.  Sprinkle with cheese.  4 servings

Note:  If you want to make your own pesto, here’s a really simple and inexpensive recipe:  Basil Pesto

Have you ever forgotten to thaw the meat you need for dinner? Have you tried defrosting it in the microwave but it ended up partially cooked or with a weird texture?  I’ve been there and done that.

I HATE thawing meat in the microwave!  And unfortunately, sometimes you can’t use that method even if you want to.  Like the other day when I decided at 1:00 that I wanted to grill burgers for dinner.  I was unexpectedly having company and I thought the burgers would be perfect for dinner.  But the ground beef was frozen.  Rock solid.  I thought about driving to the grocery store and buying more beef but I didn’t really have time to do that.  So I did some research and came up with this method of thawing meat that is safe and really works!

Here’s what you do:

Take the meat (any kind of meat can be thawed this way) out of the original packaging and put it in a zip lock bag.  Press out any air and seal the bag.  Be sure it’s sealed.  You don’t want water seeping into the bag.

Then place the bag in COLD water – not warm, not hot.  It needs to be COLD to be safe.

If your meat floats to the top like mine did, you can try it that way or put something over to keep it in the water.

After about an hour, replace the water with more COLD water.

I haven’t tested this on every kind of meat but I thawed 2 pounds of beef in about 3 hours and 1 pound of chicken tenders in about 2.

Obviously the best method of defrosting meat is in the refrigerator but if life gets in the way, this method just might save dinner!

This was another week where I planned my usual 5 meals but only ended up making a couple of them.  I’m not sure what was up but I didn’t end up doing much cooking.  But here was the plan:

1-
Round Steak w/Gravy
Refrigerator Mashed Potatoes
Green Beans

 2-
Italian Sausage Roll
Salad

 3-
Herbed Chicken & Rice (NEW)
Peas
Italian Garlic Toast

 4-
Pesto Ravioli with Chicken (NEW)
Salad

 5-
Grilled Hamburgers
Oven Baked Fries (Ore Ida)
Green Beans

 DESSERT:  Earthquake Cake (NEW)

 More menu ideas are available here and
tons of recipes are available here. 

I actually have two versions of this recipe and finally had an opportunity to try one.  The responses were mixed but the biggest complaint was that the fettuccine noodles were really hard to eat.  I’m not sure if I didn’t cook them long enough or if fettuccine is just hard to eat.  We also didn’t like having a full-size piece of chicken on top of the pasta.

So, because this recipe had really good flavor, we all decided it was a keeper as long as we made a few changes.  Changes include using spaghetti noodles and cutting the chicken into chunks.  We think that will make it just about perfect.

Ingredients:

• 4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves *
• 1 can (10-3/4 ounces) condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted **
• 1 cup milk
• 1 envelope garlic and herb pasta sauce mix ***
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
• Hot cooked fettuccine ****

Directions:

Place chicken in a slow cooker.  Combine the soup, milk, sauce mix, thyme and parsley; pour over chicken.  Cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours or until chicken juices run clear.  Serve over fettuccine.  Yield:  4 servings

Notes:

*        Next time I’m going to cut the chicken into chunks.

**      Here’s a recipe for making your own cream of chicken soup:  Cream of Chicken Soup 

***    I couldn’t find the pasta sauce mix at Wal-mart but HyVee had it.  I found it in the pasta section.  Here’s what it looks like:

****  I will not be using fettuccine again.  Next time I’ll use spaghetti.

from Quick Cooking Magazine

If you like mint, you’re going to LOVE these cookies!  They’re easy to make but do require 1 hour of chilling time.  So plan ahead!!!

Ingredients:

• ½ cup salted butter, softened
• ¾ cup dark brown sugar
• ½ cup white granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 1 package (10 ounces) Andes Crème de Menthe Baking Chips *
• 2-2/3 cups all-purpose flour

Directions:

1. Beat butter, sugars, baking soda, baking powder, vanilla and eggs until mixed.  Stir in Andes Baking Chips then flour.

2. Chill approximately one hour in refrigerator.

3. Measure out approximately 1 ounce dough **.  Form ball and slightly flatten.  Raise oven rack one level above middle and bake on non-stick baking pans.

4. Bake at 350 for approximately 8-10 minutes.  Cool on pans for two minutes before removing.

5. Makes 4 dozen cookies.

Notes:

*        If you can’t find the baking chips, you can buy 10 ounces of Andes Mints and chop them yourself.

**      I used my cookie scoop and it was just the right size.

I have ADHD.  I haven’t been officially diagnosed but I know I have it.  My family knows, too.  As a result, managing my life and time has always been challenging.  But over the years I’ve developed strategies that have helped me manage better.  And most of those strategies would also benefit people who don’t  have ADHD/ADD.  Here are my top 10:

1.       Write everything down in one place.  I use a paper planner but you can use a spiral notebook, a computer program, index cards, a desk calendar, a wall calendar – whatever works for you is fine but you need a consistent place for appointments and information.  You think you’ll remember but you won’t.

2.       Use timers or reminders.  I have a tendency to hyper focus and forget about everything around me – you know, appointments, laundry, important tasks, etc.  So I use timers a LOT.  I use timers to remind me to:

• switch the laundry
• get ready for an appointment
• leave for an appointment
• make dinner
• take dinner out of the oven (sometimes I set two timers because I occasionally ignore the first timer thinking I’ll go in a minute but then get distracted and bad things happen)
• pick kids up from various locations (they’re grown now but I did this a lot before they were able to drive themselves)
• stop working on something (so I don’t spend all day on it and forget everything else)

My Timer Collection

3.       Leave myself notes.  If I need to do something ASAP or at a specific time, I leave myself a note in a strategic location.  Most notes go in my planner but if it’s something I need to do as soon as I wake up (before I look at my planner) or when I’m on my way out, I might put it on a post-it on the bathroom mirror or on the door to the garage.  That way there’s a better chance I’ll remember.

4.       Put things where I won’t forget them.  If I need to go to the library, I’ll gather the books the day before and put them in my car, probably on the front seat.  If I need to take something with me when I’m leaving, I might put it with my cell phone or car keys.  I know that when I’m headed out I’m going to be focused on getting out the door so I’m apt to forget about anything I need to take with me.  Gathering things in advance insures I won’t forget them.  Now making sure I actually stop at the library . . .

5.       Make lists on post-it notes.  Most of the things I need to do go in my planner but if I’m going shopping or running errands, I put those items on a post-it note in my planner and pull off the post-it note when I leave.  Usually I stick the post-it note on the center of my steering wheel or on my dash.  That way I have a visual reminder of everything I need to do and everything I need to buy.

6.       Buy and prepare birthday cards in advance.  I don’t mean that I have a supply of cards and pull one out when someone has a birthday.  At the end of each month, I look to see what birthdays are coming up the next month.  I put those names on my grocery list and when I go grocery shopping, I pick out cards for each person on the list.  I enjoy sending cards so I spend as much time as it takes to find the right card for each person.  When I get home, I make notes in my planner as to when to prepare the card and when to mail it.  Yes, I do that in two steps.  I find that if I wait until the day the card needs mailed, bad things can happen and it doesn’t get mailed on time.  So I put a note in my planner a day before the card needs to be mailed to prep the card.  Then I put the card on the entry table so I’ll remember to mail it the next day.  There’s also a reminder in my planner.

See the note “Mail Matt’s Card”?

7.       Have a place for everything and put everything in its place.  I have a tendency to put things down wherever I happen to be.  That’s not good.  It results in a lot of wasted time spent searching for things.  And I hate looking for things.  So I have certain places that I put things.  As long as I put them there (which I’ve gotten pretty good at) things go much better.

I always put my purse on my desk chair.

8.       Double check.  I’m terrified I’m going to leave the gas station with my gas cap on my bumper or the nozzle still in my gas tank.  Or back out of the garage before the door is all the way up or without opening it.  Or lock my keys in my car.  Hmm.  I just realized my top three fears are car related.  I’ll have to give that some thought.  Anyway, before I pull out of the gas station, I look back to be sure everything is in order.  And before I back out of the garage, I look to make sure the door is up.  And before I shut the door on my car, I look in my purse to be sure my keys are in there. Double checking has saved me a lot of trouble!

9.       I try to keep my schedule manageable and allow an adequate amount of down time.  I know a lot of people do fine going, going, going, but I’m not one of them.  I function much better if I’m rested and relaxed.  It’s been harder lately but I’m working hard to stay on track with these two items.  Life just goes a lot better!

10.     I always wear a watch and I look at it frequently.  I don’t really have a good concept of time so I need a way to track it so I know what time it is and what I need to be doing.  When my kids were little, I had the tv on a lot but none of us really watched it.  A friend suggested I kept it on so I would know what time it was.  I think she was right.  I don’t keep the tv on anymore – I just look at my watch.  A lot.  A couple of years ago when the watch I was wearing stopped working, I immediately took my daughter’s until I could get it fixed.  I need my watch!

Do you struggle with any of these issues?  What strategies do you use?

A reader asked me recently if I had ever considered combining paper planning and electronic planning.  And the answer is yes.  I considered it.  I tried it.  I didn’t like it.  Here’s why:

1.       I like writing things down.  Somehow, for me, the act of writing something down cements it in my mind.  Typing it isn’t the same.  It has to be written on paper with a pen or pencil.  And then, magically, I will probably remember it even if I never look at the paper again.

2.       I have my paper planner open at all times.  It’s usually on my desk or on the kitchen counter.  I need to be able to see what’s on my list every time I pass by.  If I want to check the list on my iPhone, I have to unlock it and turn it back on.  Even if I set it to be on all the time, it’s not the same.

3.       I keep my paper planners forever.  I have 20 years of archive books in my office closet.  I look back at previous years often.  Not only have I recorded important dates but also interesting information about my family.  Those books are treasures.  Electronic planning doesn’t give me that permanent printed record.  And I definitely can’t write notes about my family in my iPhone.  Yes, I could write those notes in a separate journal but that doesn’t work for me.  I’ve tried.  The only way I can “journal” faithfully is if I do it in my planner.

4.       Looking back to see when I did things this month or last month is much easier in my paper planner than on my iPhone.

5.       I like being able to see the big picture and that’s easier in my paper planner.

6.       I have my to-do list designed exactly the way I want it.  I don’t think I can get this set-up in an electronic form unless I can write an app – which I most definitely cannot do.

7.       My planner does more than just keep track of my appointments.  It also includes my financial information, blog ideas, contact information, goals, food journals, health information, car repair information – I can’t keep all that in my phone.  Yes, I could keep a lot of it in Evernote or a similar program but it’s not the same and accessing it isn’t as easy as just flipping to a section in my planner.

8.       I don’t have to charge the battery on my paper planner.

9.       My iPhone doesn’t have cool accessories like clips, washi tape and stickers.  And colorful and fun markers just don’t work on an electronic device.

And while I love my paper planner, I’d be foolish not to notice that electronic planners provide some amazing advantages.  I wish my paper planner could:

1.       Provide audible reminders.

2.       Automatically plug in all the repeating information.

3.       Have an on-line back-up.

4.       Be small like my phone but hold all the information I want it to.

5.       Take a photo.

But my paper planner doesn’t do those things.  And yet, I still prefer paper.  It actually seems that the perfect set-up would be a combination of electronic and paper planning.  But I haven’t figured out how to do that yet.  So for now, it’s paper planning for me.  And I’m okay with that.

What about you?  Which do you prefer?  Paper planning or electronic planning?  If you combine the two, how do you make it work?

This recipe from was easy to put together and tasted great.  Serve it with a salad and you’re good to go.

Ingredients:

• 1 broiler/fryer chicken (about 3 pounds) cut up *
• 1 pound red potatoes, cut into chunks **
• ½ to ¾ cup prepared Italian salad dressing
• 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
• ½ to ¾ cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Place chicken in a greased 13x9x2 baking dish.  Arrange potatoes around chicken.  ***  Drizzle with dressing; sprinkle with Italian seasoning and Parmesan cheese.

Cover and bake at 400 for 20 minutes.  Uncover; bake 20-30 minutes longer or until potatoes are tender and chicken juices run clear. ****  4 servings

NOTES:

*        I couldn’t find a cut-up chicken so I bought a package with 4 chicken breasts, 4 legs and 4 wings.  I left out the wings and it worked well.

**      You could use whatever potatoes you have on hand and it would taste fine.

***    Be sure the potatoes are touching the bottom of the pan.  Some of mine that weren’t touching the bottom were just a little crunchy.  It’s okay if the chicken covers them a little bit.

****  I ended up cooking mine for about 60 minutes.  I used an instant read thermometer to be sure the chicken was done.

Quick Cooking Magazine (May/June 2001)