In My Home This Week: Planning the Week Ahead

It's another new week...they do seem to keep coming around regularly don't they?  I haven't gotten nearly as much done as I wanted for this month and here we are in the last week.  I'm going to approach the week cautiously, not wanting to aggravate my back which has been acting up to some degree all month long.  Old pesky thing.  I finally determined there were plenty of jobs I could do that were low stress on the back.   Trouble is they are just not the jobs I want most to be doing.  I was thinking more along the lines of mulching and digging and painting and shifting furniture.  Well.  Instead I am sorting out drawers and trying to make things look a tiny bit fresh.

My pantry and freezer are full.  I need to purchase only produce, bread and dairy for foodstuffs.  I think this next month I shall focus on stocking paper and personal care products and one or two pantry items that are very low (rice and pasta comes to mind).  That's the plan for the next two pay periods...



Now it's time to plan another week of meals.  I always start these menus and just as I am at the end of the planning and ready to post, my mind goes, "Nooooo....I'd rather have xxx and yyy instead."  I am trying to stick to my plan when it's merely a matter of taste at the moment and altering it only when I find I have leftovers or other items that need to be used.  The reason I do stick hard is that first planning session is all about a balance of meat/meatless, budget/higher end budget.  If I alter the menu overmuch, I get out of balance.  This week I want to be careful because I know that next weekend will be a little pricier for us.  Good incentive to keep the meals lower budget.

Breakfasts:
Egg, Hash Browns, Toast
Bagels and Cream Cheese
Raspberry Rolls, Sausage
Bran Muffins, Cheese and Turkey Bacon Grits
Banana Nut Doughnuts, Cheese Omelet
Fried Eggs and Toast (x2)

Suppers:
Turkey Noodle Soup, Apples
PBJ, Chips (x2)
Toasted Cheese and Turkey Spam Sandwiches, Pickles
Tuna Salad
Baked Potato with broccoli and cheese
Chicken Sliders

Dinners:
Roast Chicken, Roasted Asparagus, Wild Rice Pilaf, Brownies
 I love the chicken from the meat market but these birds are little ones.  I used the thighs for salads the night before.  We easily ate the two tiny legs, and breast quarters for our dinner.  The rice dish was a leftover portion from last week that I made into a fresh side.

Pot Roast with Vegetables, Salad, Rolls
I put this on to cook while we were out at church.  It's easy enough to make a salad when we walk in.
Even though I have the roasts cut in half when I buy them, I am hopeful to have at least 1 serving leftover which will be enough to stretch to a second meal combined with leftovers later in the week.

Out with Mama/On My Own (x2)
I'll have a day out with Mama and a day when John is at work this week.  There are leftovers in the freezer and fridge which will suffice for my dinner.

Cowboy Pinto Beans, Coleslaw, Cornbread
I hope I can find the recipe I saved for these.  I am sure there will be leftovers...In fact I'm counting on it to make the next meal!

Beef and Bean Enchiladas, Corn, Green Salad
The beans and beef leftovers will combine for this dish. I will make enchilada sauce and freeze the leftovers. I always use Rhonda's good sauce recipe.
There was no pot roast leftover.  It turned out to be a fatty piece and much smaller overall once it shrank as a chuck roast will.  So here I am already planning over.  I might make bean enchiladas from them but we shall see.  Or I might take the broth and make a soup from it.  Or I might just plan another meal entirely.  At the moment I want to go on and post this and I've no idea what I'm going to do for that seventh meal...I'll let you know when I know, okay?

Philly Cheese steak Sandwiches, Steak Fries, Baked Apples
I'm going to shave a frozen sirloin steak and then cook it with onions and frozen green peppers to make our sandwiches. I'll serve on the good bread we buy at Aldi rather than rolls.  It's a nice sturdy bread and will work fine.

Jobs This Week:

Last week:

deep cleaning  the kitchen  in increments. WIP  (Work In Progress)

Put things Christmas things in shed.

Write a letter and get a package off to my oldest grand daughter and daughter.

Hem 2 pairs of jeans and set up as outfits with my list of possible 'looks'.  No.  

Mop floors (if it isn't raining). No....

Wash and freshen napkins, tablecloths (if not raining).  I'm going to hang them on the line and put the drying rack on the front porch too.  I may have to wash in increments.  

Pay bills, run local errands.

Grocery Shop

Tag and place a few new items in the booth.  I pulled some things from the stash for this.  I bought new shelving 

Take a bag of things to donate. Still gathering items.

Return a purchase I made last week. 

This Week:

deep cleaning  the kitchen  in increments.

This stays on the list this week.  I cleaned all the counter tops and the items on them, rearranged things, etc.  I would like to sort out another bank of cupboards this week.  And take down the chickens on the soffit and clean those.  This week I will also include 

Mop floors.

Tag and take items and shelves to the booth, set up and arrange display.  I'll get John to go with me to put the shelves together.

Make the necessary returns.

Make reservations for a planned visit to see Kingsland family later next month.

Re-pot some pansies that are not doing well where they are.  The planter they are in will not stand up to weather so I'll put them in one of the now empty pots in the little flower bed next to the steps.