Planning a Menu

I recently read a poem over at Ditchin' the Kitchen. Jaime has a really fun blog where she writes poetry about her daily life, from discovering what the strange smell in her bathroom was, to reading to her son at night. Go check her out....

But, the point of this post is that her most recent poem relates to her struggle to decide what to fix for dinner. I also hate to decide what to cook in the evenings. Especially, because I'm starving and all I want to do is eat, not cook! I want to dive into a bag of chips. I want to eat spoon after spoon of peanut butter...I would prefer to snack until my appetite is completely ruined than decide what to cook when I'm already hungry. That's why I love to plan menus. I know, most people cringe at planning a menu. Many of you feel it takes too long, and makes it too strict on what you will eat. I find planning a menu liberating. It is such a relief for me to know that no matter how hectic our life will get, I have 14 meals planned to feed us.

For example, on Mondays I work a 10 hour day. Studmuffin coaches Popcorn's basketball team that same day. This means that the earliest he will be home is around 6:30. So, I got out some fish to thaw this morning. I planned for him to cook some new potatoes with this, and a salad. The potatoes are sliced, add a few pats of butter and top with parsley and garlic salt. Microwave covered until done. The fish is cooked in EVOO with greek season in a skillet on the stove. Dinner can be on the table in less than 15 minutes if you plan ahead and slice potatoes the night before.

On Tuesdays I work an 8 hour day. I pick the kids up from the sitter's, then it's off to piano, and after piano, Bookworm has basketball for an hour. Hence: We will not be home before 7pm. I planned for homemade hamburger helper for one of these nights, and spaghetti for another. Both of these meals can be on the table in about 30 minutes.

So, yes, we are eating relatively late both nights, (I am a freak about the kids being in bed, lights out by 8:30. But, then they have to be on the bus by 7:20 am) it would take longer for us to drive out of our way in our little town to grab a fast food meal, then go home than it would to just cook the meal at home.

So, that was a just a really long, rambling explanation of why I plan a menu, leading up to an example of my menu. I typically write a brief note to myself on each day of what is going on. Of course, I have the same notes in my planner, but I'm just psycho that way. I decided to post this riveting bit of info for you! Aren't you excited?

Wednesday, February 3rd:
Grocery store day, laundry day, bill pay day, church
Dinner: Tacos, Refried Beans, Mexican Rice...sides include lettuce, tomatoes, and all of the usual toppings.
*I usually cook at least 3 lb of hamburger at a time, then freeze it in one pound portions for a quick add in for chili, or hamburger helper.

Thursday, Feb 4th
Work.
Dinner: Pizza
*you will note that Thursday is ALWAYS pizza night. This began with the advent of Survivor. We used to order Papa John's, but that was when we lived in a place that actually had such a luxury, and we had money to burn...Now, I keep Chef Boyardee pizza kits, along with frozen pizzas and refrigerated pizza dough on hand. Yes, I have a wide variety of choices, just to keep it fresh.

Friday, Feb 5th
Work.
Dinner: meatballs, mac & cheese, green beans
*did you know my kids don't like green beans? Can you believe that? My brother-in-laws grandma always said that green beans give you big boobs. I have perpetuated this legend with my girls. They will eat all of their green beans, but only because they think it'll give them big boobs some day. Kind of like Popeye with spinach. Aren't I shameless?

Saturday, February 6th
basketball games
lunch: chicken & rice
dinner: dove, marinated then placed in a jalapeno half and wrapped in bacon, cooked on the grill

Sunday, February 7th.
lunch: Spaghetti, or one of those Bertollie frozen pasta meals. We love those things!
dinner: popcorn, cheese,and apples
*this is the meal we ate frequently at suppertime when we were growing up. Mom cooked a big meal for lunch, or dinner as they call the noon meal on the farm, so everyone had plenty to eat to get through the day. Then, we ate a light meal for supper.

Monday, February 8th
work, basketball
dinner: pan-seared fish (bass in this case) cooked in evoo and Greek seasoning in a skillet...okay this meal is already mentioned, but replace salad with cole slaw.

Tuesday, February 9th
work, piano, basketball
dinner: chicken quesadillas made with the extra chicken I made when I cooked chicken & rice

Wednesday, February 10
chores, chores, chores
Dinner: ham, pasta salad, steamed broccoli
*You will have leftover ham. Freeze this in 1 c portions and freeze for later.

Thursday, February 11
Work
PIZZA!!!!

Friday, February 12
Work
Parent's Night Out at church. No cooking tonight!

Saturday, February 13
lunch: hamburgers
*Try sauteing or grilling some poblano peppers and onions to top your burger with. Add some guacamole and ancho mayo and you have a real treat!
Dinner: Nachos. I will probably still have a bit of taco meat and chicken left over as topping for these.

Sunday, February 14
Lunch: EAT OUT!!! Or, if I don't feel like it, there's always ingredients on hand for chili, which I can start before we leave for church, then put in the crock pot on low until we get home from church.
Dinner: You guessed it, popcorn, cheese and apples

Monday, February 15
work, basketball
Dinner: Homemade Hamburger Helper, salad
*Check out this recipe over at Chickens in the Road. It is really good, and super easy. Plus, I have to admit I love hb helper, but had given up eating it after kids because I didn't know what was actually in it, and decided that I was obviously too grown up to still eat it. Now that I've discovered these recipes, I'm totally hooked again.

Tuesday, February 16
work, piano, basketball
Dinner: ham & noodles, salad
*I simply have to share this recipe with you. It is the ultimate in comfort food, and it is quick & easy!

Ham & Noodles
1 c cubed cooked ham (okay, I use a lot more, more like 2 cups, but just add however much you want)
1 can cream of mushroom
1/2 can milk
2 c cooked egg noodles (I recommend the frozen egg noodles. They are way better than the dry)
cubed cheddar cheese
Combine all ingredients in a casserole dish and bake 30 minutes at 375, or until it bubbles.


WHEW!!!!

That was way more information than any of you asked for, isn't it? I just wanted you to see how the menu thing works for me. I try new recipes at least twice a month. I get them out of magazines, the internet, whatever. If I like them, they go in my arsenal, if not, we move on. Also, I always keep plenty of spaghetti on hand, tortillas for quesadillas, and eggs and ham for sandwiches or omelets. I realize there aren't nearly enough vegetables listed here. I usually serve carrots at dinner. I realize that's not much variety in veggies, but my kids love them, and there's a lot to be said for that!

Anyway, plan a menu! Plan a grocery list according to the menu! Organize the list in order of the store, and before you know it, you will be every bit as psycho as me!

Don't Look at Me! I'm Hideous!

Remember Oliver? Of course you do! Who could forget such a specimen of cathood! We even gave him his own name for Wile E. Coyote from Looney Tunes: Maximus furballius felinicus (remember those crazy latin names that would pop in those cartoons? Am I the only Looney Tune fanatic around these parts?).....He's gorgeous! He's strong! He's bold! He gets Holly in trouble for his shenanigans!


He's.....


He's.....




He's.....


Ummmm.....

NAKED!!!!

Oh, good grief. Isn't it just disgraceful! Well, it's all because of this:



He hurt himself. I won't go into the details and arguments and fury I had during my visit to the vet, but the short story is this: He had a big nasty wound. It required stitches. They said they would "have to clip around the wound, and would also remove the matting he had on his belly...." Ummm, excuse me, but this is not his belly. This is his whole body. Even after I emphasized he is an outside cat (who believes himself to be an indoor and/or garage cat, depending on his whims.) However, he ran out of the house when a door wasn't closed quick enough and was shivering within minutes of being outside. So, now he's stuck inside. And yes, you will notice him bleeding in the above picture. He ripped out a stitch between the vet and here. So, now he has Vick's on it. He's leaving it alone now.



I was horrified when I saw him. Kelsey was too. You should have seen their reunion. Oliver ran up to Kelsey like she was his long lost, best friend in the world, rubbed all over her, and all Kelsey would do is sniff him and try to sidle away at the same time. It was cute. And sad. I decided to get my camera to document the reunion, but of course it was done by then. Of course he smells like the vet's office and Vicks so I really can't blame Kelsey. But Oliver was pretty traumatized by the whole experience...

"Don't look at me. I'm hideous!"

So, Lord Fluffy is not so very fluffy anymore. And, as it turns out, not nearly as huge as I thought he was going to be under all of that fur....

Redneck Moments...Sometimes they're the most creative.

Raise your hand if you know Studmuffin is creative!

Yes. That is a car battery you see in that picture. Yes. It is in my bathroom.

Yes, that is a sump pump you see in my bathtub. Yes. That is pvc pipe attached to said sump pump.

Yes. That is a garden hose attached to the pvc which is attached to the sump pump which is in turn attached to the car battery. On the floor of my bathroom. Oh, and yes. Those are buckets and a mixing bowl you see for scooping in the lower left corner. I won't be using these as much in the next few days.

No. It didn't stop raining. Well, it did. The sun is out today. And supposedly again tomorrow. Rain is returning Sunday.

Yes. That is the garden hose, which is strung from the bathroom to the front door to drain the bathtub water. All of which result in me carrying approximately 20 fewer buckets of water per day. Now that is something to celebrate!

Yes. My husband is pretty stinkin' handy to have around.

I guess I'll keep him and all his redneck ways...

A Vocabulary Lesson

Bookworm is one smart cookie. Always has been.....

Two weeks ago, Studmuffin had a friend come to help rebuild the dog house. The dog house we bought builds up condensation with their body heat, thus they get wet. The doghouse that was existing under the deck when we moved in leaks. We tried putting tar paper on it, but the Oklahoma wind blew it right back off. The existing doghouse was built very strangely and very shabbily. I fear that numerous words not fit for small ears (or big ears) may have leaked out as they were removing it.

Bookworm and Popcorn were big help. They helped hammer off old, rotted plywood, they yanked nails out. They carted off old wood and put it in the back of the pickup. They were industrious little gals, I'm telling ya...

"Well, this doghouse is so much better than the Abominable," Bookworm told us.

"Abominable? What's abominable?"

"The old doghouse! That old doghouse was so stupid it was an abominable!"

"Honey, I think the word you're looking for is abomination. If you are saying something as a noun, it's an abomination. If you are describing something it is abominable. Like the Abominable Snowman..." Okay, yes, I corrected her, but call me impressed that my 4th grader was using the word abominable in context!

Fast forward to tonight....

"Hey, Dad? Do you remember when we had to bring something living, once living, and non-living to school in first grade? Remember, I brought a bunch of rattle snake rattles and a jar of grubs?"

"Yes," her daddy replied. He should remember, he was determined to think of something to bring that nobody else would match. Oh, by the way, the jar was the non living object...

"Well, when I went to the bathroom, I came back, and my whole class was totally like, 'Guess what? Your grubs laid eggs!' I just rolled my eyes and said, 'whatever' because it wasn't eggs. It was excretory...."

We both stopped eating, chili cheese hot dogs (homemade thankyouverymuch) poised in the air and looked at each other...

Studmuffin did a long, slow blink and then said, "Do you mean excrement?"

So. Here is my question for you...How many of you could use the word abomination and excretory at 9 years old?

You know you're a bookworm when you use words in every day conversation that basically only exist in books...I can remember making a total doof of myself when I would inadvertently use words in front of my friends growing up that I thought everyone knew. All conversation would stop, then I'd feel dumb and blush and start sweating, and get giant armpit rings, and...

Well. Suffice to say it wasn't pretty.

Well, Poop. Literally.

The storm came.

Remember we had rain and snow over Christmas and once again since then?

Did you know our puddles never dried up?

Do you have any idea what this means to me?

Well, it means that my moat is full. I'm back to scullery maid duties. Yes. I live in a castle, but not as a princess. I decided to post a refresher post for any of you who may have forgotten about my wonderful adventures of living in a castle.

Click here to learn all about it!

Out of My Everfluffin' Mind

The storm came. Of course it did. I said it wouldn't so it came...

Sarah came to stay with us. Her entire town lost power the first night, so she loaded up her car and came to see us. We lost power for a few hours late Thursday night, but it was back up by morning. However, I just got my internet back today, due to the ice accumulation on my dish.

It was a good thing Sarah was here. She kept me productive. When I would have sat on the couch and read a book all day, she busted out the dad gum quilt square for her sister's graduation quilt that their grandmother makes them. I felt compelled to work on mine too. I hate being crafty, and dang it, I already did 3 crafts for Christmas! I thought I was done with all things crafty until at least December 14th, when I would officially become panicked about the homemade gift exchange for my family...

But I showed Sarah! She is currently napping on the couch after finishing up her block. I decided to show her who's boss, and catch up on all of my blog stuff. Of course, I also worked in cooking all of the meals, the laundry, baking a batch of cookies and 3 movies since the storm started... Oops, I think she's starting to stir. I need to hurry up and get to the point of this post so I can get back to the quilt block before she wakes up!

Last night as we were eating dinner, Studmuffin said, "Has anyone seen Oliver?" All action stopped. You see, last time we had a cold snap, he decided he was a house cat. Every time a door was opened either a dog was running out as he was dashing under the dogs legs to get in, or 2 dogs and him were trying to run over the top of the children as they came in covered in snow and ice. It was like a menagerie in this place. But, back to Oliver's whereabouts...

"Well, I thought he was hiding in the garage all day."

"We saw him under the bedroom window when we were playing."

"I think he ran under the garage door as I was leaving for work, because it raised back up as I was driving away." Oliver is famous for dashing back into the garage after we've chased him out when we leave. You have to stay and make sure the door is all the way down, or he will dart in at the last minute, and we'll come home from being gone all day to discover the door has been up.

Well, none of these statements told me for sure that Mr. Flufferpants was okay. I got up from the table and opened the garage door. He was not on his usual chair, or in his usual corner where he hides when he doesn't want to leave. I opened the garage door, and he didn't immediately dash in. I called him. No mass of black and white fur came running to me. Holly came to the back gate and stretched and whimpered to me, but no Flufferupugus was to be seen.

I decided to check out the front door. I opened the door. Nothing but snow and ice met my eyes. I called again.

No response.

The family, obviously deeply concerned about the whereabouts of our precious Lord Fluffy was finishing up dinner and had broken out a carton of Braum's Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup frozen yogurt. Glad to see their distress was not affecting anyone's appetite!

I put on my coat and snow boots and headed out to look for him. I decided I should check the back yard before I got too adventurous. I stepped out the door, called his name, and...

He walked to the door of the doghouse. He stretched, blinked, yawned and looked at me. I called him, "Oliver! Come here, kitty, kitty, kitty..."

He blinked his eyes at me, stretched one paw out the doghouse door, to daintily touch the ground....He quickly snatched the paw back, keeping it poised in the air as if it had been burned, and let out a long, demand "meow." Which, in my expert cat wisdom immediately understood to mean, "You are out of your everfluffin' mind if you think I'm walking across that snow to get to you." And since, I understand cat lingo so well, I climbed the 2 foot snow drift off our back porch, walked to the doghouse, and scooped the big ole ball of fluff up.

And carried him to the safety of the house....

Where he promptly laid down in the middle of the floor....



And proceeded to show the entire family his disgust at being left in the cold all day....




by falling asleep right smack dab in the floor where every person that walked by had to step over him.

Grocery Shopping 101: What NOT to Do

We interrupt this post for an important public service announcement:

Before we begin our lesson, I have a follow up statement on Facebook. Apparently, if someone signs you up, whether you even touch the account, everyone in the universe finds out you have an account and immediately wants to be your friend. I have no idea what to do with all of these friend requests I have in my email. Well, I know what to do, just not how to get there..I do not know my account name or password. I'm giving up and asking Studmuffin to show me that tonight. So, I'm officially going on the record as saying Studmuffin better not gripe when the house is a pit, and I have no time to talk to him at night, because I simply did not realize how far behind I was on the lives of every single person I've ever met.

We now return to our regularly scheduled programing.

We have a big storm coming our way. I got off work about 15 minutes early today, so I thought I'd run to Walmart on my way home and pick up a few "nonperishables" per Studmuffin's instructions. I had roughly 30 minutes to grab my stuff and git...

Lesson Number One:

DO NOT go to the store straight from work when you haven't had a chance to eat lunch. The little packet of oatmeal at 11 am doesn't count. You will end up with all sorts of "necessary" stuff that will jack your budget all up. Remember: It's January 27th. I had $17 left in the "grocery" envelope when I walked into Walmart with debit card firmly in hand...

I have a handy list of sudden necessities that I discovered I needed as I sprinted through the store. You'd think the idea that I had to hurry would have limited my purchases, but apparently it allowed me to not contemplate anything. Grab and go, baby, grab and go. Anyhoo, here's the list:

2 cans of refrigerated pizza dough AND a box of Chef Boyardee pizza mix. Tomorrow is pizza night at our house, but I'm not sure we needed a pizza each...

Nacho Cheese Doritos

Poblano peppers and onion and buns, all for a hamburger, ya know, because I'm pretty sure I will want to grill up a burger in the snow/ice/wind.

Spinach & artichoke dip. Is this a nonperishable? I feel pretty confident the crackers I grabbed to go with it qualify.

No? Well, how about feta cheese? I'm pretty sure that stuff has a shelf life of like, forever... I bought a bag of spinach, sunflower seeds and strawberries to join this happy purchase. I already have leftover chicken and raspberry walnut vinaigrette to complete the picture.

Oh! Let's not forget Dr. Pepper with Imperial Pure Cane Sugar! Dr Pepper never goes bad! And, since it's going to be so cold, I'm pretty sure that I need the extra fluids to keep myself hydrated. I haven't had a DP in weeks, and I can already feel the burn...Burn baby burn, disco fever! Burn baby burn!

Let's see, what else did I find absolutely necessary to my survival during the winter storm that I'm going to have to go to work in anyway, so when am I going to eat all of this?......

There are Apple Jacks...Okay, actually the MaltoMeal version...Those truly are for my kids. I have no desire to eat those. And if they're going to be stuck at home, I know they will eat nonstop.

And bagels. Let me tell you, I haven't bought bagels in years. Literally. I even celebrated that little purchase with some cream cheese to go with it! I can hardly wait!

The rest is just boring soups and a loaf of bread and milk, just so Studmuffin wouldn't say I didn't get any of the stuff he told me to get...None of which I truly needed, but I'm sure I bought all of this emergency food, and we will not need it at all.

Nonetheless, my feta cheese and I are prepared!