This week I'm spending my time looking back at the year past and planning ahead. I'm planning ahead to next year (and taking a long hard look at the year just past as I'm doing it!). I'm planning ahead for the holidays. I always seem to lack something I really want/need to accomplish the table settings I want or the meals I want for the holidays and I want to take a bit of time to plan and then prepare. After all, I've got Thanksgiving, Chanukah and Christmas in a short 5 week span of time. And we won't even mention New Year's Eve. (Since we seldom do anything why mention it? We do however, often try to do something special on New Year's Day, so there is that.)
I feel, given the year I've had, that I've gotten quite a lot done this year. I think sheer determination is 90% of the success I've experienced in the past few months. I was just doggone determined to make this year (or what remained of it) a year of accomplishment. Today I reviewed the original resolutions for 2015 and the home projects I wanted to accomplish. Wow. That's all I can say, just wow. I accomplished many of them and really stretched my dollars doing it. And then I threw in the back porch decor for good measure.
First and foremost, let's get this meal plan knocked out. I was really disappointed in the Moroccan Chicken recipe last week. In theory it sounded really good. It did tweak my imagination about using a spicy seasoning on oven roasted sweet potato fries in future, but otherwise...not so much. I want to experiment and add in some new flavors but this week I'll return to TNTs, tried and true recipes. I plan to go through my recipe files and look for new ideas to introduce in the next menu cycles...a little more planning ahead.
I'm finding that though I plan a full week of menus most weeks (five days this time since John is working two days), it's best to stop on Thursday afternoon and plan again. It allows me to use up any leftovers that might otherwise end being waste. So what is here for Sunday through Thursday is usually about right and Friday/Saturday is prone to change most weeks.
We're eating lots more oatmeal in some form or another for our breakfasts these days. It's a financial help to be sure; it's a good health thing, too. So I'll cease to share breakfast menus but I will share the one special breakfast we'll have each week. That is not a typical morning meal. It happens only one time a week and not on a weekend as I prefer to have a very simple, no cooking required Saturday morning meal and all four Sundays we're either heading out to church or John is working, both of which necessitate quick and easy meals. The special breakfast will follow one of John's work days or perhaps be saved for a morning when we have more leisure.
Part of my planning ahead this week will include what to do for holiday breakfasts. In the past we've enjoyed canned sweet rolls and cocktail sausages. I looked over the nutrition stats on the canned sweet rolls...Holy Moly! If I'm going to eat my carbohydrates I mean to make them count hard, not have them eaten up in one tiny little sweet roll. So I'm looking for a lower carb, less fatty alternative that is truly special and out of the ordinary.
I'll cease sharing suppers, too. Mostly we have sandwiches, or soup, but mostly sandwiches. I cannot get excited for a menu of sandwiches, lol. So one breakfast menu and dinners from now until end of year and then we'll see how things go, okay?
Breakfast: Sausage Hash brown Casserole, Fruit Salad, Muffins
Dinners: Leftovers of Moroccan Chicken, Butter Beans, Broccoli Slaw
Meatball Heroes, Chips, Green Salad, 100 Cal pack of Chocolate Cookies (a Fit and Active item and boy are these little chocolate cookies good!)
Out with Mama
Lazy Day Beef Stew, Corn Muffins, Pear and Pomegranate Salad
Oven Fried Chicken, Potato Salad, Steamed Brussels Sprouts
Porcupine Meatballs, Green Beans with Walnuts, Pineapple Salad
On my own
Jobs This Week
Plant Pansies
Weed and prune roses. Nope not lots of roses....same bed. This week for sure!
Finish book I need to review.
Move a few items out of house and into shed.
Get Christmas items (I know!) ready for booth at flea market.
Start holiday planning.
Start end of year review.
Get new chair and ottoman moved in.
Move out oldest recliner.
Fun This Week
I realized that most of my supply of vintage images of women portray them happily doing housework, not having fun or being 'at leisure'. I think this is my fault because previously it was all I looked for in a magazine. I am sure there are plenty that portray women having fun in some way...don't they? I'm going to keep looking
A movie, I think. It might well be one of my own DVDs, but a movie.
4 comments:
Great post Terri,
The holiday is getting near. I made my pre-holiday cleaning schedule last week, and got alot done.. Hope to finish up this week.. And then start my list of food menus, grocery list [first shopping in pantry]. It seems early, but, it will be here , before you know it.
So happy for you , that you accomplished so much.. With being sick this year... You really encourage me to get it all done.. thank you.
I always look forward to your next post..
I know I for one certainly thought you have accomplished a LOT with all the ups and downs this year !!
With our schedule.. I laugh at the word schedule! I plan only 3 full meals a week knowing there will be leftover and do overs in those 3 to work with the rest of the days. Some are planned but some just winged. Seeing that each day's activities around here are never planned it seems this works for us. If I cook more we have too much and it can go bad.
With the heavy rains they keep predicting we will have this winter we may be home more. I am taking that into consideration when planning the pantry supplies. Also keeping in mind foods that can be eaten if the electricity goes out due to the weather Every region of the country has its sorts of problems in winter.
I have been contemplating also the last months of this year and 2016. Many issues are there to be worked through. Still there are as always, so many blessings to be thankful for too. More blessings than problems in reality.
With all the heavy news across the world and here in America I almost feel there are two worlds. The world outside our doors and the one in. Keeping the home fires burning is the one to concentrate on. We can only do so much to change the world's problems. After that is done we have to turn inward to keeping our families and close ones near. God knew what He was doing creating home. He knew we would need hoe and family. Some days I have to actually picture closing the home door and to keep out these worrisome news. Picturing it seems to make it more a closed subject. If only my husband was not a tv news hound we could keep it out of the house more! :)
Coming to your blog with its home making news is a warm place to come. You are real not only telling us the sunshine in your life. That I appreciate. You are being yourself. Just what you should be. Thank you again for coming here and writing your blog... Sarah
I have a recipe for Moroccan Chicken that we love. I need to make it again soon and take a picture in order to update the blog post but here it is:
http://lifewithdee.com/moroccan-chicken-recipe/
We have made huge strides toward getting our house ready to sell this year. I am amazed at what we have been able to check off our list and that we have done it all for cash. We have been sidelined on the outside work because of the rain. I am making a list of inside chores. Over the weekend our robin egg blue front door was repainted a nice navy blue which looks great. Next weekend hubby will letter the door again.
I am continuing to use up freezer meals this week. I also need to can pinto beans as I have used all we had. I am thinking of canning some chicken and pork, too.
For fun this week I will attend the free lunchtime concert at the library with a friend.
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