The Week Behind: Ringing In a New Year

Saturday:  I made sure to light our tree this morning in the gray light after letting it sit unlit all last night.  I couldn't bear it!  Here we've only got a few days left until the New Year and I want to enjoy the  tree a little while.  I've made up my mind to wait until Tuesday afternoon to take it all down.  The little boys are coming to stay while parents attend to something and since they had no tree at home this year I thought they'd enjoy one more time seeing ours.



I had no idea what dinner might be today but finally put a pan of frozen beef enchiladas in the oven.  This turned into complete mush but it was delicious mush all the same.  I made yellow rice and a big green salad to go along with it.

John's not well.  I suspect he's picked up something from Isaac and Josh who are also not well.  Fortunately I have cold medicine, cough drops and tissues on hand, as well as orange juice, mandarins and plenty of pineapple and pineapple juice and canned chicken soup.  I'm so happy to make like a girl scout and 'Be Prepared'.

I wandered down rabbit trails and stumbled over roots this whole day long.  I haven't touched my genealogy notebooks in many weeks.  Nice to wander back down the backroads of the long ago past once again.

Sunday:  I stripped the bed this morning.  John's been alternately cold or hot and so has claimed all the covers or tossed them all off the bed. I felt like I just wanted a fresh set.  It will make ME feel better even if he's not quite feeling well yet.

We stopped by the grocery after church on our way over to Mama's for a post Christmas dinner.  I was to pick up tea and ice.  I stumbled on a lot of half priced and bogo priced items from Christmas.  I stocked up on candies which I'll stash in a bin in the back.

I made sure to grab a Sunday paper.  As hoped the Target ad had the $15 gift card for $50 purchase of cleaning and paper supplies coupon.  Turns out it's also on the app.  After we got home today I took time to go over what I have on hand and wrote out a list of what I think we'll need for the year ahead.  I did pretty well last year with little overage but I did have a few outages, mainly because I shared items with family as they were needed and money was short in households.  I'm trying to be mindful of OUR needs first, and then will add an extra item or two of some things that I typically might be asked to share.

Sat down and worked out what I owe on my credit card after the holiday.  Well I had enough to pay it off yet again and carry no balance into 2020.  It also made clear that while I might have wants for my home and person I need to proceed cautiously, saving as I can to gather a few things at a time.

Packed a work lunch for John for tomorrow.  I always think it sounds as though I'm packing food overnight in his lunch bag but I actually pack it all into a basket in the fridge that I reserve just for his lunches.  Soon I won't need to do that any longer.  That's a happy thought!

Made John a supper of pineapple and cottage cheese salad, plus a bowl of 'special' chicken noodle soup.  This is a soup that his ex-wife used to make when they were ill with colds and which he's waned poetic over for years.  When we finally had a chance to meet a couple of years ago, I asked her to please share this magic recipe.  "You start with a can of chicken noodle soup..." she began and from there it was merely savory additions like onion, black pepper and garlic.  I added a pinch of turmeric, too.

I also made pineapple and cottage cheese for his work lunch but I saved the juice from the can.  I always buy juice packed fruits...  I'll give it to him to drink in the morning as it's about 6 ounces.  Pineapple is a natural healer of bronchial and nasal passages.

Monday:  Washed a full load of dishes as soon as John was gone this morning.   I made sure he drank his pineapple juice with his breakfast, sent him off with a packed lunch.

I washed sheets and towels and hung them to dry after.

I gathered my list, my Target sales sheet and uploaded the app on to my phone.  I made two trips through the store.  I did very well.  I spent $100 and got $30 in gift cards as instant refund.  I didn't get all I need for the year, but I think one more trip through the store next week will see me where I want to be.

I wasn't going to eat out today but I very much wanted fish.  And to sit in the graveyard eating my lunch.

Came home and unloaded the items into my laundry, cleaning cupboard, and pantry.  Absolutely felt great to see those empty spaces filled!

Bess stopped by with a planter her mother sent me.  There appears to be four poinsettia plants in this dish.  I'm going to do my best to carry them through to next year.

Isaac called me "Gamama" for the very first time today.  Oh my heart!

My family was not keen on that Spinach Farro soup with the real lemon zest and juice, an ingredient I've never before had on hand...Well fine.  I liked it okay and I had a big bowl of it.  I thawed it out last night.

I had opportunity to review of few of the purchases made last month.  Nothing shareable really but price checking and quality versus what I paid...Yeah.  Hanukkah review this year sees two areas where I definitely will not make those purchases once again.

I also made up my mind today that I want to begin a price book.  Did I get the very best buys I might have today at Target?  I don't know.  I don't.  I essentially went in to buy items I can't buy at Aldi but a few of them I could.  Were they better priced today?  No clue.  Yes indeed it's high time I got those items priced so I know once and for all that everything I get is the BEST BUY.

Tuesday:  I was not expecting frost this morning.  Fortunately my wagon of plants I'm trying to overwinter were on the porch.  Sure hope they didn't experience any damage!

Breakfast sandwiches this morning.  I took a Breakfast casserole from the freezer to slide in the oven in the morning.

I tried hard to remember what was on the menu and pulled a couple of other items from freezer to thaw as well.  Then John suggested I stop at the grocery and buy steaks or pizza or hamburgers or something, sigh.  I told him I'd go by and see what appealed but truth is nothing really appealed to me, on menu or off.  It seemed safe to go in the grocery in that mood.

I went to the post office and bank in our county seat then drove back to our little town for the grocery.  I  really was good in there. I bought a bottle of liquid smoke which I like to use as a seasoning now and then.  I bought a green bell pepper to go in the red beans and rice dish.  I bought steaks that had been marked down and got a carton of ice cream.  The store carries the Breyer's brand which is carrageenan free.

Ran by Katie's.  She had extra milk she asked me if I'd like.  I had just cleared enough space in the freezer last week and was contemplating what might go in it.  She also handed me several cans of beans (kidney and black) and a box of whole wheat pasta.  These are things she gets on WIC and has quite a supply of at present.

After chatting with them for a bit and holding that chunky baby boy, I went to fill my car with gasoline and then I came home.  We had hotdogs for lunch today and then the little boys were here.

Yesterday at Target I'd picked up two packages of wooden pieces painted to look like food packages from a pantry.  There were two sets for $5 each.  The boys enjoyed playing with them.  It's a nice addition to our toy dishes.    Josh and I took up dominoes and while I don't know really know how to play we had fun matching numbers and making rambling lines of dominoes.  The boys played with a variety of things including a very sturdy tube from aluminum foil which was a spyglass and a horn and a drumstick before it was discarded in favor of something else.   Finally we were all tired and I allowed Josh to have the tv while Isaac asked to watch Baby Grandpa on my Kindle.

And finally the boys were gone.  I really enjoyed their visit today.  Once they'd left I started baking potatoes in the microwave and panfrying steaks.  I'd set the timer and run into the living room to strip the tree of ornaments and then would fly back to the kitchen to flip the steaks and check the potatoes.  Both were complete within ten minutes.

I haven't yet determined what pictures will go back in my frames.  I took the frames off the walls at present, but I'll find something by end of week that will suit me.  I'd kind of like something wintry looking, suited to the season we're in.

Wednesday:  As usual we were in bed well before midnight. In fact, I was asleep before midnight too, a rarity these days.

We started our day with a big breakfast...but I did wonder why I don't do one thing more often and that is to make up smaller breakfast casseroles.  It's such a nice way to use up leftover end pieces of bread and bits of homemade loaves yet I so seldom do it.  And it's so good, too!

I have found myself very nostalgic for a traditional southern New Year's meal but I am limited to what we have on hand...Though I do confess to looking at collards in the grocery yesterday.  I just didn't want three big bunches which is how they were bundled.

Today's meal will be Bbq'd Chicken wings (the only chicken I have on hand at present), Fresh (frozen) black eyed peas, some leftover cauliflower au gratin and steamed cabbage.  Close enough I think to satisfy my feeling that I need the traditional meal and a good use of what was already on hand.

I printed off one picture this morning for my frames.  Then I found a picture on my calendar I thought would be pretty framed.  I tore it off and then realized that January's legend was on the back and I needed that sheet in my calendar or we'd have to wait until February to use that new calendar.  How silly of me!  I"ve taped it back and will copy it on my printer instead, lol  Nothing like starting the New Year with a bit of my usual ditzy ways.  When I told John about it and called myself ditzy, he said "No, not at all...It was just a temporary misuse of brain cells."  Lol, much nicer way of saying it, isn't it?

I don't plan to do much more than I have today.  I've made and cleared up two meals and made the beds. The dishwasher is awaiting one last dish which needs to soak first...and may not go in at all if I must scrub it hard!

I am instead spending my afternoon writing out some of the goals I've shared with various folks or thought about, plans to make my New Year and the start of this new decade,  lovely.

Bess craves chicken salad when she's pregnant and her aunt made her some...only Millie wasn't so fond of it and put up a fuss.  So Bess brought it over to us this morning.  It's very good.  I've no idea what that baby girl was so fussy about.


Thursday:  I have been keeping Idea Notebooks for nearly two years now, using composition books and writing down the things I want to remember, recipes to try, ideas I've had while reading books or magazines or looking at Pinterest.   I have almost filled up my third notebook.  I don't have any more composition books on hand at present, though I do know that they will be on sale in the next week.  However, I've determined I want to go back to using loose-leaf paper and a notebook with dividers so that I can more easily locate quotes or recipes etc.   I have plenty of loose-leaf paper and an empty notebook.

I made red beans and rice for dinner today.  I chopped extra green bell peppers, used up the last of the frozen diced onion, and cut the last of the celery into sticks.  John loves to snack on celery with peanut butter or cream cheese.    I'll save the other chopped vegetables for spaghetti sauce.

Set aside the tiny potato chip bits for tuna casserole.

It's cool and wet and the house is chilly.  After we'd put on extra layers and were still cold I decided it was too cool for comfort and turned the heat up by one degree.

I printed off some more pictures for my wall.  I need a platter or two more frames to fill to finish it up but I'm pleased with the progress thus far.   It's all wintry scenes.  These are not one time use things. I will keep them and use again another time.

Friday:  Last night about 10pm John said, "Well, tomorrow we'll go get groceries..."  That was not exactly my plan but I was down to the dregs in the dog food canister and we were out of potato chips which is something he doesn't eat every day but wants very much if we haven't any.   I'd made up a short list of things to buy and checked sales at all the stores this week more as a matter of habit, so perhaps it's my fault for leaving my list lying in plain view.  Never mind.  Off to the grocery we went this morning.

We ate leftovers of New Year's Day breakfast which seemed easiest.  I've had a small amount of food waste in the past two weeks and am trying hard to avoid losing anymore, so we will eat up leftovers and vegetables and such that are in the fridge.  John was quite happy with our breakfast this morning and said so multiple times as we ate.

I asked to go by Publix first.  Normally we leave it to last but my reasoning today was two fold.  We had no chicken in the freezer except a whole roasting hen.  Finding carrageenan free chicken at Aldi is iffy and Publix had two types of boneless skinless breasts on sale.  Their usual store brand and the green wise.  Both were BOGO priced and that pushed the cost slightly lower than the fancy store in Macon that we usually go to and buy 10pounds or so.  I got 8 pounds today for about $2.84/pound, a savings of $1.20 plus the cost of gas to drive to Macon for a one purpose trip.

We also needed two or three other items that I can't buy at Aldi which were on sale at Publix: cat food, cat treats, and a Gold Bond Healing lotion that John likes very well for his dry skin.

My second reason (having just cited my first reason) for going to Publix first is that it tends to be pricey even if purchasing only good sales and I knew that the total for that stop would help me be mindful of my spending at Aldi.

At Aldi I concentrated on immediate needs and a very few stock up items for the pantry.  I still spent a bit more than I'd planned.  When John asked on the way home if we were 'on budget' I told him we were NOT but I'd done my best, we had a good bit extra this pay period and next pay period we most definitely would not be spending in the same realms we'd spent this week!  I also explained that while I do lump all my spending into the grocery category, it's fact that we cannot eat pet foods nor lotion or cleaning and paper products, all of which comprised a good portion of the spending overall this week but we were well stocked in those areas and shouldn't need to stock up again anytime soon.

I did NOT mention that I'd utterly forgotten dog food...I have a shipment coming next week and in the meantime they may eat cat food.  I've a gracious plenty of that!

We did not stop for lunch while we were out today and that was quite all right by me.  I'd thawed venison to make the Fancy Pants burgers on my menu plan, but I scratched that menu for just burgers and fries which cooked while I unloaded and put away the grocery items.

Renee messaged me that she'd been looking for the recipe for those fancy pants burgers.  I found the recipe in one of my vintage magazines.  It's also available here on this site, which has the vintage ad photos as well.

Katie called and asked if I'd mind going with her to pick up Taylor.  No problem, but it did make me hustle to get dinner for tomorrow prepped and partially cooked so that we can pretty much just walk in and have a meal.