Weekly Meal Plan and To Do List - Waste No More

I have just posted last week's Frugal Week post. I had a good bit of waste last week.  I think every day but the last two I tossed at least one item into the trash that had spoiled or was way beyond the expiration date.  Not good!  This week I plan to use what I have before anything more can spoil.  I'm over the consequences of not checking the fridge daily to see what needs to be used up!

I didn't make as many meals as planned last week.  I was gone more than I'd thought I might be, used leftovers a couple more times than I thought I would, so there are a couple of repeats from recent weeks in this week's menu.

I need to start quickly with today's meal because honestly, I must use up a half pound of hamburger TODAY.


Chicken Noodle Soup, Waldorf Salad, Molten Lava Cakes
I served this meal yesterday.  Sam contacted me late Friday night and said he and Bess were coming down to spend the day.  I had leftover Chicken Stew with Dumplings that I'd made last week.  I smashed the fluffy dumplings to thicken the stew, cooked egg noodles and dumped them in to make a nice chicken soup.  I used 1 apple and 1 small stem of halved red grapes to make the salad, dressed with a bit of sour cream and orange juice concentrate.



Mini Meatloaf, Mashed Potatoes, Green Beans, Sliced Tomatoes, Corn Muffins, Baked Apples with cream
This is my favorite meal plan and I didn't ever get to make it last week.  The meat didn't all thaw in time the day I planned to make it and I loathe meat thawed in the microwave.  I made up another meal entirely last week (Hamburgers, oven fries, french fried onion rings) instead.  I'll use the remaining half pound of beef to make a small, just for two size, meatloaf.  I bought tomatoes last week and haven't used even one.  I want to make sure I tackle these before they start to get too soft.

Leftover Pizza and Green Salad
On my own today as John works, so leftovers suit me just fine. It means I stop for only moments to prepare food and can work on most any project I choose to tackle.

Chicken Pakistani Style, Yellow Rice, Broccoli Apple Salad
I haven't made this dish in a while.  It's always very aromatic and fragrant while it's cooking.

Brenda's Kielbasa Casserole, Sliced Tomato Salad, Chocolate Pudding Parfait
My former co-worker's dish that I waited far too long to try...She combined potatoes, onions and cheese with slices of Kielbasa sausage and green peas in a casserole dish and baked.  It's quite good!  I cut back a little on the meat serving since there's cheese in the dish.  I'm actually out of potatoes, but will use some of the frozen steak fries we purchased which will work just as well.

Black Beans and Yellow Rice, Pico de Gallo Salad, Chocolate Pudding Parfait
I expect to have leftover rice and I know I shall have leftover pudding.  I want to continue using the tomatoes as well and if they are a little soft at this point it will work out just fine.

Dinner out with Mama 
John's working and I'll have my day out with Mama.

Chicken Spinach Alfredo, Steamed Broccoli, Garlic Bread
Yep, 8 meal plans this week.  I prefer to run my menus from Sunday to Saturday as it allows me to plan ahead for my weekend.  I expect the last package of chicken breasts to be as large and generous as the other two were, so the 'extra' breast will go into this dish which I intended to make last week and didn't.

Here's a new addition to the weekly menu plan.  I am going to put up my to do list because I find that working with a list is a good guide for how to use my time...preventing the waste that comes from wandering aimlessly about trying to think of what I'll tackle next.  It also keeps me mindful when I sit down to rest throughout the day the rest is a temporary stop in my day, not a call to blank out and lose hours of time!

To do this week:

For the flea market:
Get all the new items washed up for flea market booth.
Tag items for placement in booth this week.
Work out which items I mean to bring home or markdown.  It's time to freshen up the displays and remove items that have been sitting for a few months now. 
Make a decision and begin a shop on Etsy or Ebay and get a few items listed.

In my home:  
I have my usual routines I work when home, so it's deeper cleaning projects I'll list under this heading.

Tackle the bathroom cabinets.  Clear them all out, declutter, wipe down and determine what storage pieces are needed to organize them better.

Go through my dresser drawers and dump badly stained house clothes, sort out sweaters and costume jewelry.  Put aside the latter two items that are too nice to remove but aren't being worn as sales items for Etsy or Ebay.

Inventory kitchen freezers and cabinets.

For the blog:

Get a new Modern Home Economics post up.

Have a coffee chat.

Try to work ahead on another post or two.

Yard: 
Pick up sticks.

Plant the bulbs that are sprouting.

Trim back the roses.

Hobby:
Scan another batch of family photos to add to family tree.

Get the next blocks sewn to quilt.  Plan placement and cut the next round of blocks.

Fill out more of the family tree information gathered.