Weekly Menu and Jobs Plan

It was a full week last week.  I finished it off feeling a little under the weather...then company came in and my under the weather went into hiding for a bit.  Who has time for feeling unwell when there are grandchildren running about?  We've really enjoyed this visit.  Most fun of all was the time the children spent outdoors running about.  They took Grandpa for a walk. Twice. lol  He got to see almost the whole of the place, I think.

We kept the twins for a few hours while the parents and oldest grandson went off on a special field trip.  I discovered that a piece of kraft paper and a piece of chalk was great fun for the twins.  It kept them occupied for about 45 minutes which is years in a toddler's life and a tired Gramma's, too!.  The next best fun we had was blowing bubbles on the front porch with all three and watching our granddaughter do her 'Bubble dance'. Gosh but this weekend flew past!



Meals were not hard for the weekend, though not what I'd originally planned.  I'll start with those two menus and then we'll move into the week ahead of us.

Chicken Sandwiches, Chips, Fruit, Doughnuts
I cooked the chicken in the crock pot.  I really prefer a roasted chicken, but I needed the oven to make a cake earlier in the day.  The bones/broth/skin all went into the freezer for a future broth making session.  The resulting chicken breast was fine for sandwiches, while the dark meat became softer and more suited to chicken salad for sandwiches later this week.

Something I noted on my chicken package: the chicken had been infused with broth...which contained Cargeenan.  I've shared before that this particular product creates a slight allergic reaction in me and has been noted to cause gastric ulcers and distress in many.  I most typically run across it in dairy products but here it is sneaking into my chicken.  I'll be watching for this in future and avoiding it.  This particular chicken was a roaster, Pilgrim's brand, bought at Aldi.

Beefy Ravioli Bake, Green Beans, Salad, Marble Cake
I really enjoy this recipe and make it with whatever cheese filled pasta I have on hand.  This week it happens to have been frozen cheese tortellini.  Zach really enjoyed this meal.  While his brother and sister left it all behind, he had two servings.


leftovers for me
The kids brought in leftovers from their lunch out yesterday and since John is working and they are headed home, I'll have those leftovers for my meal today.


PoppySeed Chicken, 24 hour Salad, Rolls
I will use some of the chicken to make up a half recipe of one of my favorite casserole dishes.  I'll assemble the salad today and mix up yeast rolls tomorrow.


Rump Roast, Baked Potatoes, Peas with Mushrooms, Yorkshire Puddings
I haven't made a proper Roast Beef in ages upon.  I keep meaning to do so and end up making something else instead.  Somehow this meal seems like a Spring dinner to me, and the weather is feeling spring-like.


Philly Cheese Beef Sandwiches, Fruit Salad
I'll use leftover burger buns, leftover beef to make the sandwiches.  I have a variety of fruits on hand that I'll use in the salad, unless I decide to make the new 'Apple Ambrosia' salad Mama shared today.  She said it was grated apple, crushed pineapple, a little orange juice and some frozen shredded coconut.  Very tasty and cool and refreshing.


Breakfast Casserole, Broccoli and Apple Salad, Banana bread
I have a lot of end pieces of bread in the freezer that I want to use and I though this would be a somewhat lighter meal than many we'll be having this week.  We bought extra bananas over the weekend, which I want to use up as well (banana nut bread is also in my near future).  I may well move this meal to position it on Monday.


March 2 - 8
Home:  Sewing to be done.  I have about three or four sewing projects to do.  I'd like to complete at least one this week: sleeping bag, a roman shade, two valances  I also took up two pairs of jeans that have gotten too big (yea,me!).  I cleaned guest room for company, so that counts as project worthy (you'd have had to seen it to know how much so it was!)

Grocery shopping day this week.  We will have a 'short' check due next pay period.  I need to buy things I will need in two weeks now in order to cut down on groceries next pay period.  As well I'm lowering my budget to help pay for this porch project.  Lots of thinking needs to go into this list, not just making out an auto list! overspent this week's budget, will cut hard next pay's budget.  We should manage with produce and bread, dairy.

Yard:  Clean up the yard.  It won't be long before John's thinking of mowing.  This week we'll be free of frost for the first time in months.  Time to get Maddie's messes picked up.  At least she keeps them right up around the house and I don't have to traipse over the full three acres to gather it.  Picked up the cut branches that were prickly so the grandchildren wouldn't grab or walk through them.    Maddie's stuff was ALL picked up.  Stubborn girl then strowed them all over the yard again and this time didn't keep them up near house.  Boo!

Booth:  Get items gathered and tagged and put in car in preparation for the big makeover.  Didn't have a thing new tagged to take into booth this week but stopped by to pay any rent owing.  Didn't owe any (picked up a check!) and won't owe any for the month of March either!  Talked with store owner and she discouraged me taking everything out and setting up fresh, suggested just freshening by removing the very oldest and putting in a few new things.

Week of Mar 8-14
Home:  Sewing valance and shade for my bath.

Yard:  Pick up Maddie's 'stuff' again and put some of it away for next winter.  She doesn't need every rug and old sheet/blanket she has laying about the place.  Mind you I hung several items on the clothes line to air before putting away and we came home to find them on ground, with her pulling on one that remained.  Never does that to our laundry, just hers.  Silly red dog.

Booth:  Peaches to Beaches this on Friday and Saturday.  Would like to ride the length of the thing but won't.  Will visit some portions of it, most likely on Friday and try to find a bit of stuff for the booth.  Lowered my original planned budget for this considerably.  I have a good bit of new stock on hand at present.