Menu Plan for the Last Week of October 2024

 

Well last week did not go to plan either, but I wasn't too far off with what we actually ate and what I'd planned.  It's meant to turn off cool this weekend (I'm working on this Friday evening about 8pm).  That makes meal planning a whole lot easier when what you want, really want, are meals suited to the season and not more summer-y meals.

I had this in mind when I shopped at Kroger on Friday.  I thought of things I've been wanting to eat and things I knew John would enjoy, meals that were fairly simple but a hit with him.  I kept my eyes open and found lots of good bargains.  

One of those items I found as a bargain was something I had on my list, simply because I wanted the children to try it.  Turns out they LOVE it!  That item was Pomegranate.  I was really surprised at how much the kids liked it.  Millie would eat all I had put on her plate then go "Yummy!  Yummy!" until I had more shelled out.  She liked it so well that she ate more Pomegranate than cake. 

Chili Dogs, Cheetos, Pomegranate, Cake.  As I expected the kids did not want chili (except Josh).  John had mentioned that he wanted a 'birthday cake'.  He's mentioned it more than once and I had it in mind to make one, but time crunch happened.  And then there was a perfectly nice half cake at the grocery that was a decent price.  My but it was so good!  John was pleased.  When we served the cake, the children were delighted that he insisted on singing, "Happy Birthday to nobody..."

I had more hot dogs left from this meal than I'd thought we would.  I put them in the fridge for us to have over the weekend and then I'll freeze the rest.  I wrapped them all in waxed paper, thinking we could put them in the microwave, lol.  Oops.  I can always wrap them in foil and pop into the toaster oven.  

Obviously, it's going to take me a little bit to remember that I don't have a microwave and have opted out of having one in the future.

Chips and Pico de Gallo, Beef Fajitas, Mexican Rice, Refried Beans.  I have tomatoes and jalapenos, red onion.  I bought a Beef steak that is meant for fajitas on clearance.  Frozen Mexican rice, canned beans.  I made chicken fajitas last month and John raved over it.  

BBQed Ribs, Squash Casserole, Potato Salad.  I'm not going to make a ton of food, though the menu sounds like it.  I have a rack of ribs.  I found them as a markdown.  These already have sauce on them.  I'm going to see if I like it.  Since I can't taste it, I'll settle for smelling it.  If I don't think it smells like a sauce we might like, I'll rinse it off and add our own.  

I didn't make the squash casserole last week...But I do like it so I'm going to make it.  John will happily eat the potato salad.

Alpine Chicken, Peas with Mushrooms, Cranberry sauce.  I still haven't made this even though I keep putting it on my menus.  I really like this dish but it's heartier than a meal you'd want on an 85F evening.

Soup. I don't know what kind.  I have soup in the freezer.  I'm reluctant to make more because there will be leftovers, and leftovers will need to be frozen, and I am out of containers to freeze soup in.  On the other hand, I'd love a good pot of Old-Fashioned Vegetable soup.  

Salisbury Steaks in Gravy, Mashed Potatoes, Green Beans, Peach Salad.  I've been wanting this meal for months now.  It's definitely a cooler weather, comfort food.  

Leftovers.  There are bound to be leftovers this week.  

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To Do List for the Last Week of October 2024

 

It's always a temptation as I come to the final week of the month to not only review my progress with that month's goals but to try and 'catch up' all the missed work, etc., that I haven't done.  It's no different this month.  But I don't care.  I don't.  I came into the month with good intentions, and I've been fairly busy throughout the month.  C'est la vie.  The month is nearly over, and I am already looking ahead.  I can't stop to look behind.

However, this week is my NOW.  Time to focus on what I want to do right away this week.  

Journal of My Week: Autumn Sings

 

Sunday:  I guess we were pretty worn out from our Friday evening out, because we didn't do a single thing yesterday except sleep and eat.  Not a bad way to spend an easy day at home and it certainly does mean we start the week with energy to spare.  

I will quickly share the meals we had yesterday.

Sam's Club (and Dollar General) Grocery Haul

 

Last Tuesday we finally made it to Sam's Club.  I wanted to walk around and look at prices and I did to some extent.  Enough to know about what the better buys were and that I am doing well enough in shopping in other places.  Sam's Club advantage is that I can buy flour in bulk (25-pound bags) and that was totally my reason for going.  There are also some frozen entree things I wanted to price (all were far less than at mainstream groceries).  Again, I'll remind everyone I don't keep a price book, but I am blessed with a head that remembers prices, page numbers, etc. very well. 

I do not have a picture of a single thing I bought.  I had it all divided up and put away before I even thought of taking a picture.  But I'll tell you what I got and how much it all cost.

Final Budget Challenge for October: Shopping Local

 

As I worked with this challenge this month, I felt that had I had some of the items from both stores, spending a bit more, I would have been able to do more.  Well naturally, if you're doubling your money spent, right?  But I did think I could do more with a budget of $50 than I could with a budget of $25.  Perhaps, I might even be able to manage a whole week of meals for the two of us?  Now let me say this, with $25 a week I couldn't swing 3 meals a day for any length of time.   But with just under $50, I managed to figure out three meals a day.  But that's what you can do if you're not limited to ONE store and half the budget.  You can choose to purchase the least expensive items at each store.

So, I thought I'd try to figure out meals using items from both stores and trying my best to get seven days' worth of food for two from it.  I'm choosing, since I have the prices, I spent two weeks ago, to 'purchase' foods from the store that will be the least expensive, so that will slightly alter things.  The goal here is to get the best price and the most food for the money, right?

Meal Planning for the Fourth Week of October

 

Looking back at last week's meals and two weeks' back at those meals, I wonder that I take time to plan meals at all.  I'm tempted to just roll with Lisa's idea of Open Meal Planning (@Farmhouse on Boone).  However, planning ahead does make a difference in both balancing costs overall and in helping me to be aware of what I might need to prep ahead or partially prepare in a week's time.  Bonus points for me if I do those things on a week that is very busy, because it eliminates the need to make decisions and allows me to be prepared.  Yet, I continue to more or less fly by the seat of my pants and just grab things from the freezer, change plans willy-nilly and adjust according to whatever the week brings at me.  

To Do List for the Fourth Week of October

 

Our weekend has been slightly less busy than we'd anticipated it might be.  That's quite all right.  It's hard to be out later on Friday evening and then busy early on Saturday and have a long day on Sunday.  The break between Friday and Sunday is welcome, very welcome.

There are no big plans for the week ahead, really.  I seem to be in a slump where housework is concerned.  I'm not keeping up my zone work at all.  Nor am I doing enough extra to warrant missing out on these tasks I keep saying I want to get done.   No, the house isn't messy.  The house looks decent and that's as far as I'll go.

Journal of My Week: October Breezes

 

Saturday:  

Friday meals:  Eggs and Toast

Chicken and Dumplings leftovers

Country Style Ribs, English Peas, Mexican Cornbread

It's lovely to have a lazy Saturday at home.  I know we're home almost all of the time, but here of late our weeks and weekends both are broken up with bouts of busyness.  However, we get these occasional Saturdays at home, with no company and no obligations and we just relax into the weekend.  It's absolutely awesome.  It really is. 

A Budget Meal Challenge: Local Shopping on $25, Part 2

 

My second stop for shopping was at our local grocery.  This store is still fairly new to us, less than a year old and most welcomed in the community after nearly 3 years without anything but a Dollar General.  I don't mind pointing out that is a true story for many small old towns these days.  The local grocery has shut up and gone and the residents are left with Dollar General.

At the local grocery, I spent $24.26.    I acted as though I had not just spent $27 over at Dollar General, because I wanted to see what I could come up with for meals from just what I'd purchased at each store, first.  

Moody Fall Decor

 

I was so ready for Fall in September!  I decorated the mantel right away and then it took weeks to get the table and buffet done.  I finally finished up the bookcases last week.  That officially saw me finished with the living room.  I'd have done a wee bit more ...Alas, I ran out of autumn picks and was aghast at the cost of what I liked best.  I do have great taste...just can't afford myself.  

Anyway, I've done my bit.  I'll share it, small as it is.

Meal Plan for the Third Week of October

 

Ho Hum.  Here we are planning meals again.  If last week's plans went awry, just imagine how far off the meal plan was...Well you don't have to imagine.  You can go read all about it on last week's Journal, lol.  Anyway, here we are trying again to cough up inspiration for meals.  The nice thing is that the weather is trying to cool down.  Nights will be chilly.  The days will continue to warm up.  

To Do List for Third Week of October

 

1.  Zone Three: Bedrooms and Baths.  I went ahead and started on Friday with this job.  I wanted to feel I'd done something last week and that seemed doable.  It took about 45 minutes and while the job wasn't completely done it was more than half done.  I still need to mop the floor and clean the shower.  Very doable!

Journal of My Week: Autumn Comes Slowly

 

Saturday:  It was a lovely day today.  It was breezy and cooler (still closer to mid-80 but less humid).  I picked the children up at their house for a library day out with Gramma.  This is apparently a much looked forward to by the children and they let me know how happy they were.  

After the library we went to Subway.  Golly gee!  Even being very careful I realized that this simply not a 'cheap' option for meals.  I told the kids next time I'd pack a picnic lunch, and I mean to do just that.  We ate outdoors on the covered patio and had a pretty good time overall.  

A Budget Challenge Meal Plan: Just General Shopping Part 1

 

I decided the other day it was time to bite the bullet and do another pantry challenge.  I went first to our local Dollar General.  Then I went over to the local grocery store.  I've debated how to do this challenge, and I think it's going to turn into three posts.  Two $25 challenge posts and one $50 challenge because that extra $25 opens up a few more meal plans than the $25 challenges allowed.

Here's my why: twice now I've seen some videos about what can be made for a 'budget' dinner with $25.  The food served four people.  I figured if one concentrated and only spent $25 for dinner 7 "budget" days a week, it would cost a family of four $175 for a week of evening meals only.  That's $750 for a month of dinners. That doesn't include breakfasts or lunches.  That figure to me is mind boggling.

Meal Plan for October, Week 2

 

Last week's menu plan proved to be difficult.  I was missing a few ingredients, but didn't realize it at the time I was planning.  I kept switching up the plans, meals stretched further than I thought they might, one meal was prepared but not enough for the number of people who'd be here, so that required a second thought.  

To be honest, this week I come to meal planning with planning fatigue, but not just because of last week.  I've been working on the Budget Meals Challenge I set myself.  Figuring out those meals plus last week's changes has just bogged my thinking down.

To Do List for the Second Week of October

 

1.  Zone 2 The Kitchen.  In my home this zone comprises the back entry and the laundry area as well.  I'm adding the back porch since it does come to my backdoor and serves as the main entry to my home for most everyone.  If I do, that will leave me a whole week for outdoor stuff at the end of the month. Of course, the hope is that by then it will be cooler and more comfortable for outdoor work.

My focus areas in the kitchen: cleaning small appliances (coffee maker, mixer, bread machine, toaster oven, microwave, slow cooker.

Journal of My Week: September 28 - October 4

 

Saturday:  It was lovely to come home yesterday and find no damage to the place.  That was an anxiety for us but as we traveled up the interstate and got closer and closer to our area of the state, we felt pretty sure we would find all was well.

Stock-Up Forecast

 

I had not planned another post for this week beyond the weekly Journal, but I was standing int he kitchen this morning and a thought popped into my mind again that has been recurring the past few days.  I thought perhaps I'd share these thoughts with you all, too.

First and foremost, Hurricane Helene did about as much damage as a hurricane could do to several states: Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina were severely affected.  Other states also affected are Virginia, Tennessee, Kentucky, Ohio and Indiana.   I am not saying these last five states were less affected than the four I mentioned. Truly I have little idea of what occurred in them.   I'm only going by what I've seen online, and the focus has been mostly on the first four states in my area.  

A Year of Stocking Up: October's Best Buys

 

October is such a lovely month!  It is one of my favorite months of Fall.  But it also challenges me a little.  After summer's plentiful and varied crops, I always think that October has fewer good things to offer us.

Part of my reason for starting this series is because I tend to focus on what I think is cheap: potatoes, carrots, cabbage, onions, apples and oranges.  I think there must be many more foods available that are in season and worth looking for.  I'll be interested to see what prices look like on these items, too.  

October Goals: Sugar and Spice

 

Spiritual and Personal:

We're about to enter the Jewish Holy days.  Even though we no longer attend synagogue, or participate in the feasts, I love these days of Yom Kippur and the Feast of Sukkot.  It's a time to celebrate the end of one year and the beginning of a new one, a time to appreciate the blessings the year has brought, and a season of plentiful harvests.   

I feel a little guilty for saying that I'm counting my blessings, knowing how many are living without things we consider to be basics just now, in light of the storm last week and the threat of more weather ahead.  But so many have shared not just pictures of destruction but blessings as neighbor reaches out to neighbor and family and friends and strangers find ways to get things to those in need.  

Meal Plan for October's Every Day Life

 

We had a lovely vacation.  We ate some of what I thought we might (on last week's menu plan) and came home with no more than we left home with.  That's always a challenge to me, not to bring home more than I left with.  

I try to take down just enough food to carry us through three meals (supper, breakfast and lunch) and then we shop for the remaining meals once we arrive.  We go into the store not with a list of ideas, but with a number of meals in mind.  I knew we'd be eating out one meal, and so we planned to have 8 meals.  Those meals were based on ease of preparation and clean-up, what we felt we wanted to eat, and how shocking the price of some items were so that we retrenched and thought things over again.

To Do List: September Out, October In

 

It's a straddle week.  September closes out and October eases in.   Towards the end of the week, it rained and cooled off a bit.  I'm grateful for that.

I know I shared my Journal for the week a bit late this past week, but now you know why.  But play time is over and we're getting right back into routine work.   

Journal of My Days: To Be Continued...

Saturday:  We went to small group last night.  All the way over to Warner Robins, John and I were busy killing ants that had gotten in the car.  I'll bet we killed 200 between us.   They were everywhere, including on the ceiling.  They kept crawling onto or dropping down on us.  

I dropped John off at the church and went around the corner to get some ant spray.  I drove back to the church, let the windows down and sprayed that car down.  We've been fighting ants for two months now.  It happens when it rains that they move into the car.  There's not a food source there.  It's just high ground, but once they move in, getting them to move on is impossible.

Grocery Haul for the Third Week of September

 

I know I said I wasn't going to shop for the third week in September but...

There were a few sales too good to pass up and some outages and I decided to make a run today (September 17).  I meant to take a photo of it all, as it was rather impressive for what I spent.  Not a huge haul but it was not a small amount of food that I carried out in a single bag, which has happened at times with a greater amount of money spent!

Meal Plan for the Fourth Week of September: From Scratch

 

My goal coming into this week was to have little to no leftovers, no gathered fragments.  Just to see if I could be better at planning quantities/portions for us.  Well, I do have a bit of leftovers to deal with this week despite my best efforts.

To Do List: September is Moving Fast

I like to come to the end of a week with a feeling of accomplishment.  I just do.  This past week was a not a great week for accomplishments.  This weekend was a busy one.  The weekend before this was a busy one. I was tired coming into the week behind us and I'm tired coming into this new week.    I said I'd give myself grace if I didn't accomplish all I'd planned.  Now I have to live up to that, don't I?  

Journal of My Week: Scrambling Hard, Still Tired

 

Friday afternoon:  Josh and I had a lovely time at lunch today with lots of conversation.  And y'all...this boy, just 10 years old, is such a lovely gentleman. He held my car door for me, he insisted on opening doors for me.  I was amused, and pleased and flattered all at once.  

He talked pretty much non-stop, and I was able to converse intelligently enough that at one point he stopped and said "Wait, Gramma!  You're talking science to me!"  lol.  We did talk of science and games and at one point we talked about the responsibility and the problems of being the oldest child with younger siblings.  "You were an oldest child, weren't you Gramma?"  "Yep."  "Then you really do understand."  Indeed, I do.

Coffee Chat: Homecoming

 

I stumbled upon a definition on Pinterst not too long ago. he majority of what I'd been scanning was all about being cozy at home, and I thought that was what this word pertained to, but reading the definition I found it was nothing to do with being cozy.  I immediately recognized something I have often experienced.

Hiraeth:  n. (Welsh) A spiritual longing for a home which maybe never was.  Nostalgia for ancient places to which we cannot return.  It is the echo of the lost places of our soul's past and our grief for them.  It is in the wind, and the rocks, and the waves.  It is nowhere and it is everywhere.

Meal Plan for the Third Week of September

 

This is one of my favorite old ads to look at.  It's meant to show the capacity of the new fridge/freezer combination.  I want to know exactly what is being stored in this freezer and fridge!   I've blown up the image often enough so I can look at it all more closely. 

Someone certainly played Tetris in stacking these things, didn't they?  Can you imagine how hard it must be to remove a single item?

The To Do List: Work Ahead not Behind

 

Well last week was a bit more than I anticipated.   I did know it was going to be a busy week.  I got some of the things on last week's list done.  I didn't even begin to think of routine housekeeping tasks, forget looking at Zone Work.  But I got about half the baking done, managed a trip out to the shed, decorated a tiny bit more of my home and most importantly got the checkbook work done.  

Now this week I won't be playing catch-up.  If I missed it last week, it was missed.  I'll make a fresh start this week.    I have a long list of things to get done but I may not be able to do them all.  My goal this week is to look at next week and do what is required to get us through that week which will also be a busy one and actually starts on Friday evening and runs through the next Friday.  And of course, we begin this week with a busy weekend.

A Journal of My Week: So Much

 

Saturday:  Why is it I can fall asleep in my chair and sleep soundly for an hour or so before bedtime but once in bed, my eyes are wide open, and I lie staring into the dark?  

John was up and out early this morning.  He's attending a service day at church.  I did not lie abed.  Once he'd kissed me goodbye, I got up and went to open the blinds in the kitchen.  I watched him as he stopped at the bottom of the drive.  I doubt he could see me, but I almost made it up in time for our little goodbye ritual.  

After coffee, I picked up the house.  It wasn't out of control, but it was messy.  It took me a good half hour or so to pick things up and put them away in all the various rooms. I contemplated meals for this weekend without coming to any conclusion at all.  I photographed some items someone might be interested in having and sent those photos off to them.  I set up my prescriptions for the week.  I had breakfast and then sorted out emails, replying to a couple of them.

I had this plan for today.  I was going into town, and I was going to support my local merchants!  What was I thinking?!  Well, I know what I was thinking.  I was thinking I have a portion of a free day to myself, and I ought to make use of it.  What I wasn't thinking was that my budget is a necessary thing to consider, and we haven't yet been paid so I scratched the idea of going to town and being all community minded with my pocketbook.  Not a bad thing to consider the local economy but one must keep in mind the state of one's own personal economy as well.

I filled the cat food container up this morning and then put the remainder of the bag into an airtight bucket.  Then I filled the dog food bin with the dog food sitting by the back door...NOPE...  Saw the cat face on the package right after I poured about 8 pounds into the dog food container.  Doggone it!  I've been looking at the bag for weeks now thinking I had extra dog food, but I never unrolled the top and really looked at it.  I guess tomorrow when I pick up milk, I'll pick up a bag of dog food.  And I'll empty that cat food into the bucket where I just put the other portion of a large bag.  It's not extra cat food I need to keep on hand, it's extra dog food.

Meal: Chicken Wings, Oven Fries

Leftovers for John, Leftover wings for me with some vegetable or other from the fridge

Sunday:  I wore my brown loafers (have had them for about four years now) to church today and walked all over the place plus went into the grocery wearing them.  Y'all, I am so stuck on athletic shoes that I forget other shoes can actually be comfortable and look nicer than athletic shoes.  Now to get those new black loafers broken in.

I have one issue.  My left foot is about a half size smaller than the right.  That's one reason why I like athletic shoes because I can tie them, so they don't slip on my left heel.  Does anyone have any solutions for slip on loafer type shoes?  I recall back years ago, Mama and Daddy would push tissue paper into the toe of the shoe so that my heel would stay at the back of the shoe and prevent slipping.  

I've tried to use those heel pads that you can stick into place, but I don't find it exactly helps the shoe fit any better.  Solutions from any of you?

The trip to the grocery proved to be a challenge.  I kept my cool, but I was much amused by the way things went...

John knew I'd wanted to try the new Apple Crisp drink at Starbucks, since I'm no Pumpkin Spice fan.  So, before I left the car, he handed me money and said "Get your fancy coffee..."  Now this usually can go one of two ways at this particular Starbucks booth at Kroger: they will be super busy with long lines, or no one will be in line and an employee may or may not be there.

I walked in the door with one young man who went to the other side of the counter.  He kept looking at his phone, so I assumed he had a mobile order.  There was one young lady at the counter placing an order.  For some reason, her order appeared to be a particularly difficult one.  

I step up to the counter and place my order. "I'd like an Apple Crisp Latte with whole milk, please." "I've got four people in front of you...You sure you want to do this?"  I was a little taken aback.  Had I asked to rob the place or simply placed a rather uncomplicated order for a popular product?  I smiled and said "Yes, I'm sure."  The girl muttered and looked at the screen, claiming she couldn't find the item.  "I'll just write it for her, and she can take care of it, " she said, apparently to herself.  I paid, left my tip in the tip jar and walked to the other side to pick-up when my order was ready.

The four people she claimed were in front of me apparently had all placed multiples of orders. And the girl at the pick-up counter (who was also acting barista) said orders and not names which was confusing...You'll understand in a moment why.

Because I knew my order was well down the line, I stepped further back but the woman behind the counter never called out loud enough for anyone to hear.  A small crowd began to gather at the counter as well listened hard to hear her speaking away from the opening where we were to pick up.  Several of us looked at each other and finally I said, "I can't hear her."  "I can't either," "Me either..."   So, we began to read the names on the cups hoping one of us would see an order we recognized. 

After about 9 or 10 cups of coffee had come up, I finally thought I was about due and stepped closer.  As I did, she said, "Brown Sugar Latte".  I stepped back.  "Are you Terri?"  "I am, but that's not my order."  "It says, 'Terri'!"  "I ordered an Apple Crisp latte with whole milk."  That's not what my order form says! Can't you take this instead?"  "I'd really rather have what I ordered."

While she was looking at me like a thundercloud about to shower rain down, another patron walked up and looked at the cups on the counter. "What is this?"  She held up a cup of orange foamy liquid.  "It's your order!"  "I didn't order that.  I ordered a cold brew.  And I told her four or five times I wanted a COLD BREW!"  Then the clerk did something I thought was odd.  She handed her the cup she'd made for me and said, "Do you want this instead?"  The girl looked at it, shrugged and said, "Yeah I'll take it." 

The woman behind the counter realized I still hadn't gotten the coffee I'd paid for, so she began to prepare one.  While she was making my order correctly, the woman she'd given the mis-order to came back.  "This has apple in it.  See it says Apple Brown Sugar...Do you want it back?"  She was speaking to me.  I told John that at this point I didn't know what to make of anyone!  Here was a complete stranger who'd taken the messed-up order, having had a sip of the coffee, offering it back to me!  Meanwhile the woman behind the counter was grumbling and mumbling.

Finally, I walked away with the correct order in hand.  I thanked the woman for the coffee and then said hopefully, "Perhaps the rest of the day will go better for you..."  She glared at me as I backed away  I wasn't upset with her.  No one had been.  We all knew the girl placing the orders had been the one at fault.  I made up my mind at that point that it would be my last visit to that particular Starbucks counter.  I'd wasted a good 20 minutes or more on top of that.   

But it wasn't over y'all.  The coffee tasted fine.  It did.  But every time I'd set the cup down, I'd smell something...and it wasn't pleasant.  I finally realized it was that coffee!  So that was my experience with an Apple Crisp latte, an experience I do not think I shall ever attempt again!

The shopping was frustrating.  Products had been moved.  There was a store key on the buggy seat back that listed aisles where you'd find the most popular items. I'd told John I'd pick up a squeeze tube of peanut butter to take on vacation with us.  The key said, "Aisle 6."  I never found aisle 6.  I don't think they even have an aisle 6.  

Sales items on my list, besides the milk, couldn't be found anywhere.  I'd forgotten burger buns for our lunch today, so I had to walk back about one third of the store.  I passed an aisle of jelly and there was peanut butter.  It was on aisle 11.  The item I wanted wasn't in stock.  I found the bread aisle, grabbed buns and said "Enough! This has been a frustrating experience today."  Seriously, the best thing to come today was that I exercised with all the walking of that big store.

I went to pick up half and half and milk. There was no half and half in the big, closed door refrigerator case.  None.  I'd seen an end cap open refrigerator case filled with half and half about half a store back, but never dreamed they'd emptied the dairy case...Apparently, that was all they had.  

I found one of the two checkout lanes open that had an actual person working the register and began to put my groceries on the conveyor belt.  The clerk behind the counter asked, "Do you want to check out?"  I thought that an odd question...but I smiled and said "Yes, please.  And I have my own bags."  

I placed my cooler bag on the counter.  "There are other bags on the inside of this one."  "Do you want everything in the cold bag?"  "No.  I don't believe it will all fit, so just the cold stuff."  "Do you want me to use your other bags?"  Honestly at this point I was beginning to get puzzled.  Was everyone 'off' today?  "You can use the other bags, yes."  "Shall I put just one item in each bag?"  I looked at the bag boy at the end of the aisle and he looked at me.  

I came up close to the girl at the register and said very quietly, "Sweetie, why don't you just hand him the bags and let him fill them up?  I'm sure he'll do a good job."  She'd already started to ring things up and was struggling to put them in the bags.  She finally passed him the bags and he filled them up.  And yeah, he did a great job.  

When I got to the car, I told John, "Well that whole thing was an experience..."   I told him all about it and then said, "I think this coffee smells bad..." and he, who can smell very little, said "You're right.  It does...I could smell it the moment you got in the car."  Oh. Wow.  So much for a fall cup of coffee, lol!

By the way, I bought the limit of milk on sale and put it all in the freezer.  That's 2.5 gallons in there just now.  I decided to just go back to using regular whole milk in my coffee and give up the half and half.  I really like half and half, but I did glance at the prices of the one-quart cartons as I walked past.  They were $3.99 each...Milk was $1.39 for a half gallon for this sale.  I figure the savings is worth it.  I seldom drink milk anymore, but I do use it to make yogurt, John likes it over his cereal and hey...it works in coffee if you don't have half and half. 

Meals:  Sausage and Cheese Toast

Cheeseburgers, Chips

Leftover Cheeseburgers, Pickles

Monday:  I hit the floor running this morning.  Even before I'd had coffee, I'd started bread dough, pulled out the ingredients to make granola, measured milk for yogurt and sat it on the stove to start to come to room temperature, started mixing an appetizer I want to take on vacation and planned breakfast.

By mid-morning I'd cleaned the bathroom, folded clothes, unloaded the dishwasher, bread rising, milk heating and granola baking. The appetizer had been prepared, baked and flash frozen.  

My trouble this morning is that I wanted to do more.  And I may yet, but I also got hot and tired as I worked this morning.   John has a pair of jeans that I need to mend.  I need to put away my clothes from the weekend and those I folded this morning.  

I haven't yet decorated my buffet for fall, and I've removed the summer decor items.  I saw an idea last night on Pinterest I think I might be able to execute.  Since I intend to go out to the shed anyway, I can look for see what I might have that will help me get a similar look.   

I love the glass pumpkins I have...but they are big and bulky.  I'm thinking maybe I'll use one on top of each of the bookcases and surround them with a few autumn leaves.  I'd really like to use them in other spaces, but they just don't fit on the mantle or buffet and are too much for the center of the dining room table.

There are a few other jobs I want to get to today as well.  I'd like to have my paperwork done for Wednesday before this day ends.  I'm trying to think what I can do today to make tomorrow go smoothly with Caleb here, too.

later:  UGH!  I got a call from Katie they were on their way which was earlier than I expected.  I'd decided earlier to go do the paperwork for payday and I'm so glad I did.    But my UGH isn't because they are arriving sooner than expected.   That just lit a fire under me to get a few more things done before they arrived.

I went to the back closet to look for a missing item and to get sewing supplies out so I could repair John's jeans.  I glanced at the buckets I keep my flour in and thought while I was in the closet I might as well get out a bag of flour to replenish my kitchen supply.  After making bread and such this morning, I knew it was time to refill.  I opened one of the buckets and something flew out...and when I looked in the bottom of the bucket, I could see the flour and meal were infested.  I quickly shut the lid and opened the next one which appeared to be just fine.  But doggone it!  I've just lost 10-pounds of flour and 5-pounds of cornmeal.  Ugh!

I bemoaned the loss to John and that sent John on a search for bulk flour since I've had a heck of a time even finding 10-pound bags in our area.  Those were the first I'd seen in months when I purchased them in July.  Goodness gracious flour is pricey from online sources!  Our best priced items so far are to order from Sam's Club but first I'd need to join.  I told John anyway I looked at it that made the first bags of flour rather pricey.  I'll just wait until they are having a lowered join price and join then.  We have the option then of going to the store (30 minutes away) or if I order $50 worth of stuff, getting it shipped to the house.  

Meals:  Donut Holes, Eggs

????

Pork Roast with Sauerkraut, Apples, Onions, Pierogi

Tuesday:  

Our baby arrived sometime this morning around 9am.  Henry weighed 7 pounds 9 ounces, is 20 inches long, and has a head full of dark hair.  Caleb just cannot quite comprehend that the baby is not an old picture of himself or Taylor.  I think he's going to have to see him in person before he realizes that this is his baby brother.

It's been a hard morning.  Caleb was up early, I slept badly. He came to our room about 7:30 and said "Good Morning!  It's time to get up!"  He'd been awake for a little while but played in his room.  I could hear him from our room.  He wasn't being noisy or loud.  That's just the way it is in a smaller home.  You can easily hear others.

As soon as I walked into the kitchen, he told me what he wanted to eat. He reached in the fridge and grabbed a jar of fruit, "I'll have this and some yogurt..."  So, I made him a bowl of fruit, gave him some of the yogurt I made yesterday and then thought I could get a cup of coffee.  Before it was done brewing (I have a Keurig, so it doesn't take long) he asked, "What's for Next Breakfast?"  lol.  I made him Egg in a Hole.  He not only ate his 'hole' but when John brought his plate to the table, he reached over and took the round toast off John's plate.  

I think I got coffee somewhere around 9am, which is about the time baby pictures started arriving.  Caleb got very hyped up.  I understood how he felt. I sent him outdoors to burn off some energy and I got up and started cleaning up the house.  I figured we both needed to burn off some energy.

Unfortunately, he didn't quite get rid of all his excitement.  I think he's anxious to see his Mama and baby brother.  I have to remember that he's four...

Meals:  Eggs in Holes

????

Cheeseburgers on the go, Banana Split for Caleb

Wednesday:  Caleb is outside screaming his head off and no he's not crying or mad.  He's playing.  I forget that a child can be so very noisy.  

We finally got the call to come visit around 3pm yesterday.  Caleb couldn't sit still and was so excited.  When he saw the baby, the first thing he did was reach out and rub his hand all over his head.  He was so proud to get to hold him.  He kept telling me, "This is Hendry's borning day."

At his Mama's request last night, after he met his baby brother, he was taken to get a Banana Split.  I insisted he eat a hamburger before allowing him to eat the ice cream.  He ate less than half the thing.  We were shocked at two things: the cost and the size.  Lifting that banana split, I realized it was a very hefty dish of ice cream, weighing about a pound.  I think we all three could have eaten from it and still had leftovers.  As it was he got about 1/3 of it and that mostly fruit and a little ice cream.  It was when he decided that he wanted to forgo the spoon and plant his face in it that John had enough.  He picked up the dish and put it in the trash and herded us out the door.  I can't say I blame him.  It was messy enough to have ice cream with a four-year-old without putting his whole face in it.

Today has been a long one.  I have found that no matter how hard I might try to keep my eye on him, I simply cannot relax a moment and think I will get a single task done without turning to find he's done something I'd least expect him to have done.  And it happens in the matter of a turn and then turning back, not a long time without attention focused solely upon him.  I realized finally that I am not going to accomplish anything beyond meals this week.  That's the most I shall get to do.  It's made me antsy as heck but so be it. 

Meals:  Peanut Butter Toast

Chicken Fajita Tacos

Spaghetti with Veggie Meat Sauce

Thursday:  Caleb was considerably better yesterday afternoon after talking with his Mama.  For the most part it was nice enough for him to play outdoors and he stayed on the porch and played for hours.  

This morning, he got up and ordered his breakfast, a rather large meal.  He wanted cereal and yogurt with blueberries.  I had bought milk for his cereal, so he had that.  He had his yogurt and blueberries. He had a cereal bar.  He had a banana.  I thought surely that would hold him but no, he needed a next breakfast as well.  And he begged for cookies all morning long but didn't get any.  

It's rained all day today.  I thought he'd be all right playing on the back porch, but he got wet.  He got his shoes even more wet.  I had to make him come indoors.  We resorted to watching videos for a bit and then we sent him to play in his room for a while.  This afternoon he's succumbed to the rainy weather blues and has fallen asleep.  

While he was watching videos, he said to me, "I really liked school...."  I explained that his teacher knew where he was and wasn't upset.  He hadn't been sent home for any reason. He was just with us until Henry could get into the world and that when Mama went home so would he.  And then he could go back to school. 'My teacher didn't get mad?'   "Nope.  Your teacher thinks you're a good boy and she didn't get mad."  I told Katie it nearly broke my heart to think that the stupid daycare workers we've had over the last 2 years did so much damage to his self-esteem.  And why is it different now?  I'd say because his teacher is a parent as well as an experienced teacher and she has two boys of her own not too much older than Caleb, where the day care people were largely inexperienced.  

And I'm here to say that I'm a proponent of discipline of some sort and whoever the idiot was who determined that it was wrong to put a child in a time out or quiet space for a few minutes until they could self-regulate is a regular jerk of the worst sort.  Children need to know that there is a structure of behavior and that actions have consequences.

I'm just grateful he was never subjected to physical abuse.  I recall fully the one nursery Mama took us to at one point while she was working and the abuse there was horrible. It was not directed at my brothers and myself (at least not at my oldest brother and I think it unlikely my younger brother was abused), but unfortunately all of the children there saw the abuse, so it was still a traumatic thing.  Mama was absolutely horrified when she found out what we'd witnessed on a daily basis.  To this day I feel the absolute sick feeling in the pit of my stomach I felt all those years ago.

Katie has just texted that she's waiting for the pediatrician to release the baby then she is heading home.  And she wants Caleb to come home so he can go back to his beloved school tomorrow.    I just hope they get released prior to dark thirty tonight.

Meals:  Toast for us...Caleb had a meal that lasted two hours, lol

Pot Roast with Veggies

Cheeseburgers again.  Ugh.

Friday:  I'm having a cooling down spell.  I've just finished doing the bulk of my housework.  I still need to remake the guest bed, but I have to wait for those sheets to dry first.  I only have the one set for that bed.  I'd planned, last year, to replace the full-sized bed with twin beds, which I still would like to do...so I wouldn't buy a new set of sheets to go on the bed since it is seldom used.  No twin beds, no twin sets and no full sets, lol.  It's not a problem, but it is a reminder that I must either buy a set of full sheets or get busy and find affordable sturdy twin mattresses and headboards.  

Anyway, the house is picked up. Thunder is rumbling outdoors, and the air is heavy.  The skies are dark.  The AC has barely run the past two days but I'm plenty warm at the moment after doing chores.  I'm going to cool off and then get on my makeup and get ready to take Josh out to lunch.  This is going to prove a little more difficult than planned.  

School was cancelled for today.  There were threats and so the school closed as a precaution.  This means that Millie and Isaac will be wanting to come along as well.  And that would be fine, but this was planned as Josh's day.  In the end, it will be up to him if he wants to share his day out with them or not.  

Last night about 6pm, when Caleb had refused to eat a bite of food, I finally texted Katie, who was still waiting on the pediatrician and told her we'd just head on over.  It takes an hour to get to her house anyway and we needed to stop and pick up prescriptions, so I figured it would be a good hour and a half before we arrived.  

Caleb headed back to the back porch again and I watched him play as I quickly washed the dishes in the sink.  I decided I'd run to the restroom (it is a running thing when Caleb is here, lol) and no kidding, in the three minutes I was gone, he was out in the yard and had found a muddy puddle to dig in.  He didn't get it on his clothes, but his hands and feet and legs were a mess.  How he managed to get none of it on his clothes is beyond me.

Did we yell and fuss?  No, I didn't.  I just told him to stand on the rug and not move then started water running in the tub.  I sent John to go watch him.  We stripped off his clothing, John carried him to the tub, and put him in.  He kept saying "It's my fault...are you mad?"  I told him I wasn't mad; I just wish he'd not waited until we were moments from leaving when he chose to do this.  

I am truly the sort of Gramma (and was that sort of Mama, too) who recalls well the pleasure of splashing in puddles and playing in mud and I won't deny any child the opportunity if it's an appropriate time (i.e. we're not out and about somewhere or in a bad time crunch, which we weren't last night).  Once he got cleaned up and dressed, we headed out of the house.  He was so excited to go home.

He talked for the full hour and a half we were in the car.  I mean, he doesn't stop talking.  He's not just asking questions, he comments on everything, makes up stories and just talks non-stop.  His mama was the same.  Tuesday night when he was rambling on and on, John looked over at me and said, "That is Katie 2.0, right in my back seat."  I laughed because it's so true.

We all arrived at the house at the same moment.  Caleb was so excited that Hendry was home.  He wanted to hold him, but Henry was hungry and ready for a bottle.  Katie asked me to feed him while she puttered around setting things to rights in her house.  Cody made Caleb a sandwich, while I fed Henry.  Poor little Caleb got the boppy and sat down next to me, ready to have his turn at holding him, and I was going to let him, but John said, "No!  That's for his mama and daddy to decide not you."  Caleb and I both were disappointed.  I reckon at this point of my life, I've handled enough babies, I can still manage to help a four-year-old hold a baby...

Of course, the man who told me, "When you're done, we're leaving..." then proceeded to start a conversation with Katie's FIL and I had to remind him three times that we were leaving.  John loses all sense of time when he's started a conversation.

We stopped for a burger on the way home, since we hadn't eaten either.  We'd been waiting on that phone call that might come at any moment saying to head their way...

When we got home, John and I watched a vlog and then I picked up my stuff and headed to bed to watch my own vlogs for a little bit. I'm between books here of late but I just felt I was ready to stretch out and relax.  I saw 3 minutes of my vlog and then I went to sleep and slept hard for two or three hours.  I had leg cramps, so I got some electrolyte drink then went right back to bed and slept until 7:30 this morning.   

How do I know I saw just 3 minutes of my vlog last night?  I found my place in it this morning and finished watching it, lol.  I was exactly three minutes in.  I guess this woman was worn out.

Well, I've cooled off, so I'm headed to put on my makeup and then to take Josh to lunch.  I expect I'll do a few more chores this afternoon, but I doubt I'll write more.  

So, here's wishing you a happy weekend.  Ours will be busy, as we're fetching Taylor this weekend and taking her back again on Sunday.  Then next week we've a busy week getting ready for another busy weekend and week following.    

What are your plans this weekend?  How was your week?

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Kitchen Thinking

 

Good morning!  If I sound cheery, it's because I am.  It's Monday morning, and I jumped out of bed ready to roll this morning.  

While I was working this morning I thought of several things, and I wanted to share them with you all. Some you might have read in part in the Coffee Chat post I am publishing this week.  Some are just thinking about frugal ways, and some are savings of another sort, either of time or frustration.   I think I have time to do a bit now while the granola bakes, the milk heats for yogurt and the bread rises for the last time.

A Year of Stocking Up: September

I thought I'd like to spend a year posting what fruits and vegetables are in season in each month of the year.  I'd also like to share a few ideas of what you might do with those fruits and vegetables.  I'm serious about my desire to begin to put a little something away each month, either by my own hand or by purchasing items that are ready prepared for the season.  

I'd like to take it a step further and also share a list of items that are typically on sale in each month as well as days that are prime shopping days in a month.  

Meal Plan for a Busy Week

 

I didn't cook but once on Saturday of this weekend.  John went off to do something at church, so I made lunch/supper as an all-in-one meal.  We ate a portion of when he came home and a portion of it later that evening.   I decided that from now on this will be my weekend plan.  If we don't have leftovers, I'll make one meal large enough to cover lunch and supper.  I find more and more that from Friday evening on, I'm looking for anything that makes the weekend easy...Is it a sign of age or just that I'm trying to avoid cook's burnout?

The 'To Do' List: I've Gotta Be Productive!

 

Somehow last week, despite all my goals and plans, I lost my steam. It was there and then 'poof!' it was gone and that was that.  Then things got busy.  I was so disappointed in myself when I realized I'd missed a full week of this brand-new month.  This won't do!  

I decided I need a fresh start.  So, I'm switching things up a little bit.

Diary of A Homemaker's Week: Sweet September

 

Saturday:  It's the last day of August...and that's close enough to suit me.  I made Gingerbread coffee this morning.  I recalled that it hadn't quite enough flavor to suit me last year, so I added a spice blend mix to the bag of ground coffee and shook it up. Yum!  I savored that cup of coffee.   Never mind that the humidity hit me in my face when I stepped out to feed the pets this morning while the coffee brewed.  I came back indoors, snugged down in my chair and pretended September was already here.

Thrifty Thursday: Free Water

 

Friday:  We got the new washcloths in the mail today.  I've had some cheap white washcloths for the past two years.  Well...they were white ages ago.  I'd grown quite ashamed of them to be honest, so I ordered new washcloths.  They are grey.  My towels have grey in the stripes.   A dozen washcloths of good quality for about $12. 

The Homemaker Plans Meals: Welcome, September!

 

It's plenty warm for us yet, but towards the end of the week, temperatures will drop by almost 20 degrees.  Not cold weather but cooler and I am all for it.  Of course, it only makes me want to plan a meal that clings to the inside of the belly and warms and comforts all at once.  I'm not going to get too carried away.  That cool down might not even happen...weather forecasts are too fickle to base a full menu upon just yet, but gosh, will I ever be glad when we do get to the cooler days and hearty meals are on the menu once again.

The Homemaker Plans Her Week: September Joy

 

For the past two days, I've heard the song "September in the Rain" wafting through my brain.  It happens every year that either that or "Autumn Leaves" starts humming through my mind.  

I've already said I'm happy that September is here.  And blessed wonder of wonders we're slated for some 'cooler' weather here from mid-week.  It will be in the low 80's!  It's got me thinking fall menus already.

In September: Goals and Ambitions

I think the thing I love most about any new month is setting goals for the days ahead...But in September...I feel such ambition and anticipation that I can barely limit myself to just a few items.  I over plan: I daydream; I am scattered all over the place both planning to work and to savor the new season ahead.  It is no different for me this year.  

I worked in August, but I took my time about it.  The house is pretty much autumn ready now, as far as the cleaning tasks go.  There are a few of those I still want to tackle but the majority of that work is done.  The house is freshly decluttered.  I've slowly placed a few pretty things here and there to delight my eye.  

Diary of a Homemaker's Week: Good to the Last Drop

 

Late Friday:  Katie texted me late this afternoon because the Women's Wellness Center had called her back due to low iron labs.  It has dropped by about .8 points though she is taking a supplement.  However, when she looked up her symptoms, they perfectly align with all of her various ailments, aches, and pains.  However, no one seems to be in a great hurry to do much of anything about it.  Nor did they when they tested her as low iron several weeks ago.  She started taking the supplement on her own...

Thrifty Thursday: Another Month Glides On By

Friday:  Thursday evening meal:  Lasagna (from freezer), Salad, Garlic Bread

We've puttered around the house today.  I did my usual Friday/Shabat cleaning and then I did a few tasks extra.  John stirred himself to go outdoors and do a bit of work, after he'd done all the laundry today.

When I cleaned out the buffet on Wednesday, I had a huge stack of cloth napkins that looked dingy and grey and didn't smell very nice, even though they were all clean and had been put away freshly washed.  I had read of others boiling dishcloths and tea towels and I thought I'd try that with my napkins.  I put them into a tall, heavy bottomed stock pot (an Aldi find some years ago which has lasted very well...Hint:  Don't snooze on the Aldi Crofton cookware offerings!).  I filled the pot with water and baking soda.  Later, when it had begun to 'stew' John and I glanced in the pot and were shocked at how filthy the water looked.  Honestly, you'd think I'd started with dirty mop water, not freshly drawn water!   

Iced Coffee Chat: Playing House

 

I know it is not Autumn.  I know that, even should we have an earlier autumn, that date is likely beyond September 21, but this past week with chilly mornings and breezy, sunny days that were comfortably cool, I got bitten by the Autumn bug.  I'm so ready for it.

I've spent the past few days cleaning and playing in my house.  I've hung pictures, and decorated the mantle in the living room with a fresh look and am constantly looking for some item I can move into a fresh spot where it will once again garner notice.  

The Homemaker Plans Meals: It's HOT Again

 

Mid-week we're soaring back into the upper 90's in temperatures.  I'm not keen on it but it's August and I can expect nothing less.  But boy am I longing for the homier comforting sorts of foods.  I'm this way every single year about this time.  I want soups and stews and casseroles, but it is absolutely salad weather. Ho Hum.  That's how I feel.  

However, planning meals makes my life a lot easier so I'll plan meals, no matter how uninspired I might feel at this moment...I do love to cook, I do love to cook, I do, I do, I do...

The Homemaker Plans Her Week: Squeezing the Last Drops out of August

 

It's going to be HOT this coming week.  But we had the most awesome Autumn preview, much cooler than we're accustomed to having, this past week.  And the truth is that for the most part, we've had one of the most pleasant August's we've had in years.  In fact, the whole summer has been rather nice.  A little stressful here and there but for the most part, an easy relaxed summer.  I've enjoyed it very much.

Diary of a Homemaker's Week: Autumn Preview

 

Saturday:  I was not happy to hear the alarm go off this morning.  The night was far too short for my liking!  But we had plans and a timetable, so I got up and got ready for the day.  I'd planned in enough extra time to have a leisurely cup of coffee.  That's my gift to me on these sorts of days.  I'll do the same tomorrow before church, too.

John performed for the Outreach ministry.  We were all done and wrapped up a good bit earlier than usual.  That's because a different pastor subbed for the one who runs the ministry.  I enjoy the people watching.  Over the past year I've watched one little boy go from baby to toddler boy and each month I look forward to seeing how he's changed.  Another little family came in, a mama and three children.  The glow on her face as she looked at each of those children!  And the care she'd put into making sure those three were presentable.  It was a joy to see how she talked and laughed with them.  It was very genuine.

Thrifty Thursday: It Adds Up

Friday:  Meals yesterday: Plain Toast for both of us

                                           Lunch Out.  We brought half our meals home.

                                           Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole, Green Beans, Sliced Tomatoes

Yesterday we went to the grocery store to pick up my prescription refill.  I did get a couple of BOGO deals that were well priced, and which went into the pantry.  I also got cartons of Orange Juice on sale.  I've been pricing the frozen concentrate, and this was about the same.  The cartons are dated for October, but I freeze them so we can just pull one out to thaw.