Where have I been all this time?! My goodness how one day turns into 7 before you even know it. I've had all the things I wanted to post floating around in my head, but it's officially 937 degrees Fahrenheit here (ok, high 80s, probably low 90s today) and when it's that hot I want to do nothing but find a semi-reasonable place to sit (like the basement, in a corner, where it's 'cooler' ... by 2 or 3 degrees) and not move a muscle lest the Niagra Falls of sweat come forth from all parts of me at once. I hate being hot. Hate it. This is why we live in MI and not a warmer state. I would melt. It may happen this week, and I have the mop at the ready in case. Here we go, everything all together now ...
Some Quick Takes
1.
I already told you it's hot, but it begs repeating. I do not like sweat rolling down the sides of my face because I'm standing still washing dishes in less than completely sanitary tepid water because I may just die if it were any warmer. I would really like a breeze, any breeze, even a hot one, to cut the density in the air. We do not have air conditioning, lest you think I'm complaining about hot weather for fun. I know there are many of you that survive much hotter temperatures also without AC, but seriously ... I can't take it. We don't have AC for a number of reasons.
1. It's reaaaaaallllly expensive for my electric bill.
2. It's not so fantastic for the environment with all those AC units pumping out exhaust and such.
3. If we did, I would not be able to control myself and we'd likely have it set at 35 degrees from March until October, bringing us right back to point number 1. When AC is involved, my rational mind desolves to putty and I have no self-control. Total abstinence is out only sound option.
2.
I don't like to cook when it's hot, but this morning I convinced myself to get a roast into the crockpot since I was awake anyway and eventually we'd have to eat. I'm calling it a gold star day just for that. Haha.
3.
I had an unforutnate accident on Sunday that now requires a dentist's appointment and a lot of my conscious attention as to not show anyone the monstrosity when I speak. It doesn't hurt, but come Friday, at the dentist, it likely will. Thank heavens for dental insurance.
4.
The summer semester started yesterday. I promise I was not intentionally skipping class. I really honestly thought it was a T/R class, not a M/W one. Not until the email hit my phone from another girl asking where I had been did I go look at the course schedule. I've been convinced for months that it was on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Ooooops.
Some Shopping Round-Up
I went to Costco and Meijer on Friday. There weren't any super amazing deals I needed to get in on, we were just out of a couple things that I had been putting off picking up for ... more than a little while. I did manage to get one box of half-price minus $1 coupon Snickers ice cream bars, and a raincheck for 12 more. Now, to find coupons ... Em is hot and needs ice creams!
Some Simple Sunday
What's better on a Sunday, especially Father's Day, and most especially when it falls on the longest day of the year ... than a late evening trip to the lake? It was hot. We were melting. We piled in the car at 9pm and headed to the lake for a quick swim. A little chilly at first, sure, but once initially submerged, swimming was heaven. It was like magic. Not hot. No longer puddling into your shoes. Just cool and marvelous, plus the beginnings of a sunset while we were swimming made for an marvelously simply Sunday.
Some Menu Plan Monday
M: Sausages on the Grill, Chips
T: Crockpot Beef Roast, Potatoes, Greens & Spinach Salad
W: Hamburger Helper (which I don't like, fyi), Greens & Spinach Salad
R: Fried Chicken Salads, Cut Veggies
F: Survivor Night ... eat what you can find, or starve. I will likely be having milkshakes ... and pudding ... and other things that don't hurt one's already hurting post-dentist teeth.
S: Pork Chops, Noodle Side, Steamed Veggies, Green Salads
U: Zuppa Toscana
Some Gratituesday
For more Gratituesday, check out The Heavenly Homemakers.
Today, I'm grateful for ...
... warm weather that helps my garden grow, even if it makes me terribly uncomfortable.
... cool swims at dusk.
... ice cream.
... self-employment.
... the appreciation of the women I work with.
... crunching on ice cubes, even if it's horrible for my teeth.
... dental insurance.
... Be, who although I currently look funny, still loves me.
... the tiniest hints of a breeze.
... getting up early of my own volition.
... schedule switching.
... the AC in my car being functional.
... a cool basement to retreat to.
... the library, full of great books, for free!
... money in the bank, bills paid.
... a clean house, easier on the hot weather sanity than a dirty one.
... grace.
... every day, hot or not, that I get to live in this perfect world.
Wasn't that wacky? So long as I don't melt, regular posting will resume. If, instead, I turn into a giant puddle of crazy, I can make no guarantees.
Simply,
Em.
Showing posts with label sundays. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sundays. Show all posts
23 June 2009
14 June 2009
Simple Sunday: Wordless Edition
Ok, not totally wordless. This is the view if you happen to be laying on your back, feet bare, in the grass in my backyard. That line in the middle is a most faint rainbow. Simple, beautiful, perfect.Simply,
Em.
09 June 2009
Simple Sunday: June 7
Note: Blogger and I had a bit of a disagreement about the scheduling of these posts, apparently, so they didn't go up when they were supposed to. For that, I apologize.
Summer time is often busy for a lot of families with events and outings and the like. This Sunday was one of those days for us with two graduation open houses and a wedding. Sitting among the bowls of buttermints and half eaten pieces of cake (also, who only eats half of their cake ...?! ), I had a very 'Simple Sunday' moment. I love the unending smile of a new bride, surrounded by her friends, completely in love with this moment and the toothy grins of new grads, the whole world in front of them. They give me that oh how I love simplicity sigh. I remember those moments. I think that's probably why people attend these events in droves. They want to remember those same moments in their own history and recreate those feelings, if only for a few minutes or a couple hours.
This Simple Sunday I'm in love with rites of passage, community celebrations, and the love between family members that no matter their distance or time apart, can be almost immediately rekindled. It's just a party, just a cake that your mom insisted on putting your face on, just a group of people sharing a meal ... just that until the memories and feelings make it so much more.
Congrats to those whose snapshot (a moment you will always remember like a polaroid, still shot glimpses of a before) moments we got to share in this weekend. Thank you.
Simply,
Em.
Summer time is often busy for a lot of families with events and outings and the like. This Sunday was one of those days for us with two graduation open houses and a wedding. Sitting among the bowls of buttermints and half eaten pieces of cake (also, who only eats half of their cake ...?! ), I had a very 'Simple Sunday' moment. I love the unending smile of a new bride, surrounded by her friends, completely in love with this moment and the toothy grins of new grads, the whole world in front of them. They give me that oh how I love simplicity sigh. I remember those moments. I think that's probably why people attend these events in droves. They want to remember those same moments in their own history and recreate those feelings, if only for a few minutes or a couple hours.
This Simple Sunday I'm in love with rites of passage, community celebrations, and the love between family members that no matter their distance or time apart, can be almost immediately rekindled. It's just a party, just a cake that your mom insisted on putting your face on, just a group of people sharing a meal ... just that until the memories and feelings make it so much more.
Congrats to those whose snapshot (a moment you will always remember like a polaroid, still shot glimpses of a before) moments we got to share in this weekend. Thank you.
Simply,
Em.
05 April 2009
A Frugal Girl's Dilemma
We are a generally broke people, Be and I. We're down to 1/2 an income since he's still battling the work comp people (almost 2 years) and my coaching job takes a hiatus over the spring and summer. Darn those kids and their not wanting to go to school all year so I can get paid! Ha. Really, though, we don't mind our necessitated thrift all that much. We like being good stewards, paying down the debt from when we weren't so great at that, and trying out creative ways to stretch our tiny budget all over the place. My dilemma today, though, is when is it ok to stop being practical for a hot second and splurge?
My knee jerk reaction, after years of penny pinching and general miserly-ness is to say "Never!". Living a super thrifty lifestyle changes you over time, I think. Most things are no longer necessities, but luxuries cut out to make the zero based budget balance. Every extra penny goes to debt payments, and every money related thought is about how to better utilize current resources for even greater needs. Many, especially in our spendthrift populous, would think us thrifty folk nutjobs. We hear our friends, family, finance experts, and people on the street tell us all about how we just have to have discretionary cash to spend as we please without recourse or we will surely go insane and spontaneously combust. Yet, there are many of us, the frugal underground, who have not turned to self-immolation (and shhhhh, but we're happy about it). I have been one of the few, the proud, the unquestioning frugal for years and years ... until possibly, today.
The backstory here is that we have rewards checking accounts through our bank. They're free, and we signed up for the points rewards program when they started offering it to people who already had accounts instead of only new openers a couple years ago. Then, of course, we forgot about it. All this while the bank has been keeping track of the transactions we've made, and has added points (2/$1 plus bonuses for savings account transfers, opening new accounts, direct deposit, and EFTs) accordingly. I remembered this ... today, and logged in to see where I stood as far as points totals and reward costs were concerned.
Ooooooh, boy!
It's apparently good to forget about your rewards account for ... um ... years. I have something over 35,000 points! Immediately, of course, I called Be to make him log into his account and check his balance ... a whopping 33,000! Each of us is sitting on roughly $75 worth of redeemable value whether we choose giftcards, cash, or something from the prize (read: lame) catalog (who needs another umbrella, anyway?). As I skimmed the pages of available gifts, my pulse quickened when I saw that Barnes and Noble giftcards were on the list.
Ok, I confess ... I am a book-a-holic. A bibliophile who agreed at the beginning of this journey toward good stewardship to use the library instead, making a rule that I couldn't spend any money on books until well after we were debt free. As our budget is often precariously arranged, this rule has not been a problem. I don't have credit I can use anymore, so no money = no risk of spending it on books.
Faced with the choice between cashing in my points for more practical giftcards like those for the gas station and CVS or the entirely splurge-tastic (new word! ha) B&N, I am paralyzed. On the one hand, I should be a good steward. I should be practical, always. I should do the right thing and add to my family's budget with a smile on my face. On the other hand, it's free money ... money we would not have otherwise had anyway ... and money I would absolutely looooooooove to spend on books. Oh, my dear frugal friends, what is a girl to do? Be, with his cool exterior told me to do whatever I wanted to do. Ugh. That means nothing when you have a competition going on between wants and probably shoulds.
So, my lovely readers, I'm taking suggestions. What would you do if you could choose a $75 gift card? Would you splurge? Would you be ascetic about it? Would you have to write blog posts about it, and hope the comments helped you decide? Help a girl out here, pretty please?
Simply,
Em.
My knee jerk reaction, after years of penny pinching and general miserly-ness is to say "Never!". Living a super thrifty lifestyle changes you over time, I think. Most things are no longer necessities, but luxuries cut out to make the zero based budget balance. Every extra penny goes to debt payments, and every money related thought is about how to better utilize current resources for even greater needs. Many, especially in our spendthrift populous, would think us thrifty folk nutjobs. We hear our friends, family, finance experts, and people on the street tell us all about how we just have to have discretionary cash to spend as we please without recourse or we will surely go insane and spontaneously combust. Yet, there are many of us, the frugal underground, who have not turned to self-immolation (and shhhhh, but we're happy about it). I have been one of the few, the proud, the unquestioning frugal for years and years ... until possibly, today.
The backstory here is that we have rewards checking accounts through our bank. They're free, and we signed up for the points rewards program when they started offering it to people who already had accounts instead of only new openers a couple years ago. Then, of course, we forgot about it. All this while the bank has been keeping track of the transactions we've made, and has added points (2/$1 plus bonuses for savings account transfers, opening new accounts, direct deposit, and EFTs) accordingly. I remembered this ... today, and logged in to see where I stood as far as points totals and reward costs were concerned.
Ooooooh, boy!
It's apparently good to forget about your rewards account for ... um ... years. I have something over 35,000 points! Immediately, of course, I called Be to make him log into his account and check his balance ... a whopping 33,000! Each of us is sitting on roughly $75 worth of redeemable value whether we choose giftcards, cash, or something from the prize (read: lame) catalog (who needs another umbrella, anyway?). As I skimmed the pages of available gifts, my pulse quickened when I saw that Barnes and Noble giftcards were on the list.
Ok, I confess ... I am a book-a-holic. A bibliophile who agreed at the beginning of this journey toward good stewardship to use the library instead, making a rule that I couldn't spend any money on books until well after we were debt free. As our budget is often precariously arranged, this rule has not been a problem. I don't have credit I can use anymore, so no money = no risk of spending it on books.
Faced with the choice between cashing in my points for more practical giftcards like those for the gas station and CVS or the entirely splurge-tastic (new word! ha) B&N, I am paralyzed. On the one hand, I should be a good steward. I should be practical, always. I should do the right thing and add to my family's budget with a smile on my face. On the other hand, it's free money ... money we would not have otherwise had anyway ... and money I would absolutely looooooooove to spend on books. Oh, my dear frugal friends, what is a girl to do? Be, with his cool exterior told me to do whatever I wanted to do. Ugh. That means nothing when you have a competition going on between wants and probably shoulds.
So, my lovely readers, I'm taking suggestions. What would you do if you could choose a $75 gift card? Would you splurge? Would you be ascetic about it? Would you have to write blog posts about it, and hope the comments helped you decide? Help a girl out here, pretty please?
Simply,
Em.
04 January 2009
New Year, New Goals
I don't really like to make "resolutions".
To resolve, really, is to determine purpose or intention. Is it any surprise then that the average New Year's 'resolution', scribbled hastily and abstractly in the wee hours of a socially lubricated holiday, is often in the trash before you can make it through a round of Auld Lang Syne? I can make many a statement about my purpose or intention without ever actually doing anything about either. Inaction and failure to progress only frustrate people (and me) further, leading away from what could be positive change and back down the road of old habits. For fear of that same old fallback, I don't really make 'resolutions' at the stroke of 12 amid the bubbly and streamers.
I am still, however, a list maker at heart. I like to make goals and have action plans with steps and checklists for me to track my progress along the way. The beginning of a new calendar year is a helpful stop/start point for new goals, and evaluating new goals around this time of year helps me stave off the urge to create random (and oh so popular) "I will lose 50 lbs" or "I will save $10,000" statements that I will inevitably not act on or will forget in the coming weeks. Yes, goals. Goals are objectives with plans to get to them, and I much prefer them to inclinations or determinations.
On Gratitude ...
For the gratitude I have for this life and this world, I've put all of my personal (read: health) related goals under the gratitude category. How better can I give thanks, then by making the very best out of exactly what I was given? I've not paid as much attention as I likely should to the 'body as temple' concept in the past, and I'd like to slowly but surely make efforts to change that.
1. Carve 15 minutes of quiet time out of my day for contemplation, meditation, and devotion.
2. Add 2 Nalgenes (my favorite tried and true reuseable water bottle) of water to my day.
3. Eat 3 meals everday.
4. Take my vitamins and medicines.
5. Find flexible and fun options for 90 minutes of movement every week.
On Simplicity ...
January makes me think that we own too much stuff. Every. Single. Year. January is the month that we make the people at Goodwill the happiest because I get all antsy about the clutter (which there really isn't that much of), and decide to start passing on stuff left and right. If you lived near by, you could have first dibs. Usually, I think I need to sort through every single thing in our house in ... oh ... the next 12 minutes. It always starts our frantic and obsessive, and by about the second room I want to do nothing but climb up on top of the pile of no longer needed clothes on my bed and take a nap. I'm always exhausted, everything is a disaster, and it ends up worse than it started.
This year I am welcoming the Room a Month plan. It may take me the entire year to sift through what we have, but I won't be collapsed in a pile under a shelf in the basement by the second day and perhaps we'll finally get to the bottom of the hidden treasure trove called our basement. We have 11 rooms ... now to figure out what order to put them in.
On Frugality ...
1. Create a menu in an attempt to prevent dinner time spaz-outs. (We used to have a menu, but I let it slip when I went back to school ... I know, I know, the worst possible time.)
2. No more real money spent on fast food. Gift cards earned from points and the like are fine, but can't be purchased by us.
3. All lunches for school and work will be brown bagged.
4. I will challenge myself with a new, much lower grocery budget of $120 for my family of 5. Yay, challenges!
5. We will be debt free by 12/31/2009 (except the student loans and the house) if I can find $156 in extra snowflakes every month for debt. I cannot even believe I can say that, as we have long been convinced we wouldn't be debt free for another 100 years.
Now, before you think I'm going to launch into all of these at the same time, I much prefer the Goal A Month program. It takes the brain 21 or so days of continued effort and repetition to create a new habit, and as such I will focus on only one goal from each category at a time, and intend to blog more specifically about them as they arrive. There are only 5 goals in two of the three categories because I both want the flexibility to take more time if necessary, and the chance to reevaluate as I go. They're goals, remember, not resolutions!
Did you create any goals for the new year? Have you thrown out those crazy 'resolutions' yet?
Simply,
Em.
To resolve, really, is to determine purpose or intention. Is it any surprise then that the average New Year's 'resolution', scribbled hastily and abstractly in the wee hours of a socially lubricated holiday, is often in the trash before you can make it through a round of Auld Lang Syne? I can make many a statement about my purpose or intention without ever actually doing anything about either. Inaction and failure to progress only frustrate people (and me) further, leading away from what could be positive change and back down the road of old habits. For fear of that same old fallback, I don't really make 'resolutions' at the stroke of 12 amid the bubbly and streamers.
I am still, however, a list maker at heart. I like to make goals and have action plans with steps and checklists for me to track my progress along the way. The beginning of a new calendar year is a helpful stop/start point for new goals, and evaluating new goals around this time of year helps me stave off the urge to create random (and oh so popular) "I will lose 50 lbs" or "I will save $10,000" statements that I will inevitably not act on or will forget in the coming weeks. Yes, goals. Goals are objectives with plans to get to them, and I much prefer them to inclinations or determinations.
On Gratitude ...
For the gratitude I have for this life and this world, I've put all of my personal (read: health) related goals under the gratitude category. How better can I give thanks, then by making the very best out of exactly what I was given? I've not paid as much attention as I likely should to the 'body as temple' concept in the past, and I'd like to slowly but surely make efforts to change that.
1. Carve 15 minutes of quiet time out of my day for contemplation, meditation, and devotion.
2. Add 2 Nalgenes (my favorite tried and true reuseable water bottle) of water to my day.
3. Eat 3 meals everday.
4. Take my vitamins and medicines.
5. Find flexible and fun options for 90 minutes of movement every week.
On Simplicity ...
January makes me think that we own too much stuff. Every. Single. Year. January is the month that we make the people at Goodwill the happiest because I get all antsy about the clutter (which there really isn't that much of), and decide to start passing on stuff left and right. If you lived near by, you could have first dibs. Usually, I think I need to sort through every single thing in our house in ... oh ... the next 12 minutes. It always starts our frantic and obsessive, and by about the second room I want to do nothing but climb up on top of the pile of no longer needed clothes on my bed and take a nap. I'm always exhausted, everything is a disaster, and it ends up worse than it started.
This year I am welcoming the Room a Month plan. It may take me the entire year to sift through what we have, but I won't be collapsed in a pile under a shelf in the basement by the second day and perhaps we'll finally get to the bottom of the hidden treasure trove called our basement. We have 11 rooms ... now to figure out what order to put them in.
On Frugality ...
1. Create a menu in an attempt to prevent dinner time spaz-outs. (We used to have a menu, but I let it slip when I went back to school ... I know, I know, the worst possible time.)
2. No more real money spent on fast food. Gift cards earned from points and the like are fine, but can't be purchased by us.
3. All lunches for school and work will be brown bagged.
4. I will challenge myself with a new, much lower grocery budget of $120 for my family of 5. Yay, challenges!
5. We will be debt free by 12/31/2009 (except the student loans and the house) if I can find $156 in extra snowflakes every month for debt. I cannot even believe I can say that, as we have long been convinced we wouldn't be debt free for another 100 years.
Now, before you think I'm going to launch into all of these at the same time, I much prefer the Goal A Month program. It takes the brain 21 or so days of continued effort and repetition to create a new habit, and as such I will focus on only one goal from each category at a time, and intend to blog more specifically about them as they arrive. There are only 5 goals in two of the three categories because I both want the flexibility to take more time if necessary, and the chance to reevaluate as I go. They're goals, remember, not resolutions!
Did you create any goals for the new year? Have you thrown out those crazy 'resolutions' yet?
Simply,
Em.
22 June 2008
Set Up Sunday!
Yay! Two in a row, and on the right day, even!
MONDAY
Leftover Night! We have a ton of random bits of leftovers in the fridge, and I need the room cleaned out. So, while I'm working Monday night, the plan will be to heat up the leftover bits and have a bit of a buffet.
TUESDAY
Breakfast for dinner, specifically eggs and pancakes. Yum.
WEDNESDAY
Chicken parma with spaghetti.
THURSDAY
Firehouse tortilla pizzas.
FRIDAY
BLTs and fries.
SATURDAY
Whatever Night. I'll be working, some of the family will be out of town. It's leftovers or cereal or whatever whomever is home feels like eating.
SUNDAY
Beef roast in the crockpot, cubed potatoes, carrots.
Here's to a great week!
Simply,
Em.
MONDAY
Leftover Night! We have a ton of random bits of leftovers in the fridge, and I need the room cleaned out. So, while I'm working Monday night, the plan will be to heat up the leftover bits and have a bit of a buffet.
TUESDAY
Breakfast for dinner, specifically eggs and pancakes. Yum.
WEDNESDAY
Chicken parma with spaghetti.
THURSDAY
Firehouse tortilla pizzas.
FRIDAY
BLTs and fries.
SATURDAY
Whatever Night. I'll be working, some of the family will be out of town. It's leftovers or cereal or whatever whomever is home feels like eating.
SUNDAY
Beef roast in the crockpot, cubed potatoes, carrots.
Here's to a great week!
Simply,
Em.
15 June 2008
Sunday Set Up Returns!
We've been off menu for longer than I'd like to admit while we've been transitioning back to a crazy schedule. It's been a bit of a disaster, honestly. I'm a big advocate of menus as a tool of frugality. When you have a menu you can shop from a list, take things out ahead of time, and not have that spastic freak out moment after work when you consider pizza or take out rather than the labor of thinking up something to then spend time cooking. I can always tell you what I want for dinner sometime around 2pm, but never ever does anyone have any idea what they'd like to eat at dinner time if there's no menu. It's like I've forgotten how to cook everything, ever.
Menus are my saving grace when my brain vacates my head immediately before dinner, and we've been without one for weeks now. It's killing me. We're eating randomly. It's not healthy. It's not good for one's sanity, and it's super bad for the budget a la "Oh, sure, I'll run down and get syrup for $3.49 so we can have pancakes".
My family has also missed the menu, something I never thought I'd hear. They apparently prefer to look at the menu board and know what is on the line up than wonder if they'll ever eat again. Be would like the menu to return so he can help out by starting dinner before I get home. (awwwww, shucks!) Also, we're trying to dwindle down the deep freeze a bit so we can have room for the new piggie in the fall, so I'm gearing my menu toward things in my freezer already.
Here it is ...
MONDAY: BBQ Chopped Pork Sandwiches, French Fries
TUESDAY: Pepperoni Pizza Rotini Crescent Bake, Green Salad, Green Beans
WEDNESDAY: Whole Roasted Garlic Chicken, Rice and Corn Side, Broccoli
THURSDAY: London Broil, Diced Potatoes, Carrots
FRIDAY: BBQ Chicken Quarters, Cheesy Sour Cream Potatoes, Grilled Asparagus
SATURDAY: Chicken and Cheese Quesadillas
SUNDAY: Oven Glazed Ham, Au Gratin Potatoes, Green Bean Casserole, Cake!
Ah, that feels better.
Simply,
Em.
Menus are my saving grace when my brain vacates my head immediately before dinner, and we've been without one for weeks now. It's killing me. We're eating randomly. It's not healthy. It's not good for one's sanity, and it's super bad for the budget a la "Oh, sure, I'll run down and get syrup for $3.49 so we can have pancakes".
My family has also missed the menu, something I never thought I'd hear. They apparently prefer to look at the menu board and know what is on the line up than wonder if they'll ever eat again. Be would like the menu to return so he can help out by starting dinner before I get home. (awwwww, shucks!) Also, we're trying to dwindle down the deep freeze a bit so we can have room for the new piggie in the fall, so I'm gearing my menu toward things in my freezer already.
Here it is ...
MONDAY: BBQ Chopped Pork Sandwiches, French Fries
TUESDAY: Pepperoni Pizza Rotini Crescent Bake, Green Salad, Green Beans
WEDNESDAY: Whole Roasted Garlic Chicken, Rice and Corn Side, Broccoli
THURSDAY: London Broil, Diced Potatoes, Carrots
FRIDAY: BBQ Chicken Quarters, Cheesy Sour Cream Potatoes, Grilled Asparagus
SATURDAY: Chicken and Cheese Quesadillas
SUNDAY: Oven Glazed Ham, Au Gratin Potatoes, Green Bean Casserole, Cake!
Ah, that feels better.
Simply,
Em.
20 April 2008
Set Up Sunday
ReCap
I should have posted this recap on Friday, but I was busy driving across the state and wandering around IKEA. Oopsies.
Monday was goulash (and finish my taxes day, boo). $2 for 2lbs of close to expiry burger that I froze when I got home, 39c for elbow noodles, 39c for a can of diced tomatoes = Heaven ... and $2.78. I didn't make a veggie or the garlic bread. I was busy trying not to owe my life to the IRS.
Tuesday was meatloaf with mashed potatoes, cream corn, mixed veggies, cucumbers, and brownies for dessert. I was making up for lost vegetable time, it would seem. Oh, and there was garlic toast ... which I overcooked by not paying enough attention to it. $2 for 2lbs of more close to expiry burger, 30c for onion, 1.27 for bacon (on top of the meatloaf), 24c for 2 organic eggs, 5c for breadcrumbs, $1.00 for mashed potato flakes because I was too lazy to boil potatoes, 78c for cream corn, $0 for mixed veggies since they were fridge leftovers that I already counted earlier, $1 for the cucumber, and 50c for the brownie mix and it's ingredients. I had MSF chikin patties instead. $8.59 total, and the meatloaf made for a couple lunches as well.
Wednesday was stir fry, and we ended up feeding 10 instead of the 6 I was planning on. Veggies ran me $12, stupid out of season craziness. I don't ever really buy out of season produce, so these "World Cuisine" nights are kicking my butt. Chicken was $2 (from the freezer) and the ground pork we used was $1.59 a lb orange tagged. We also had crab rangoons (well, they did, not me), but I didn't pay for that part of the meal. Rice was probably about $1 and tortillas 50c. Grand total of $17.09 ... better than last time we had World Cuisine Night for sure.
Thursday ... I do not recall making dinner. Uh oh.
Friday we did not have Fry Day, thank heavens. It wasn't my idea, and I wasn't necessarily looking forward to the mess or the cholesterol. I was out of town on Friday, so there were leftovers for dinner if you weren't lucky enough to be with me at IKEA eating Swedish food. YuM!
Saturday was also leftovers ... must have been ... I don't recall cooking then either.
Sunday ... we've not so much eaten yet. I think Be ate the last of the meatloaf earlier, though. I'm contemplating some fake chikin and some mac and cheese. Total cost, $1.39.
Total for the week, for dinner, for my family of five ... thank you leftovers ... $29.85
Now, the week at hand ...
Appointments/Errands
Dinner w/friends on Monday
PT on Tuesday and Thursday
Grocery/Walgreens trip sometime, probably during PT (to conserve gas)
Menu
Monday: No Plans.
Be and I are having dinner at another couple's house. We'll probably spring for a bottle of Shiraz ... but no other food planned. I'd usually make a dessert, but I know they're having cake.
Tuesday: Fried baby ravioli, some kind of magical amazing pasta that I haven't decided on yet, some other awesome sides. I don't know yet, really.
Taste of Tuscany Tuesday! Ok, it probably won't be Tuscan at all, but it's Italian Night for sure. A friend of ours has been coming over weekly and we've been having a different ethnic or regional cuisine each time. I'd call it World Cuisine Wednesday again, but we can't have it on Wednesday night this week. I enjoy alliteration, what more can I say?
Wednesday: Ham Steaks, Au Gratin Potatoes, Veggies.
I promised the boys I'd make this last week and I didn't. I will remedy this on Wednesday for sure.
Thursday: Black bean chili, super corn bread puffs.
Have you seen the Pancake Puff thing from the infomercials? Yea. I have one. It was a gift, and I must say, one of the coolest things I've ever used. It rocks. It's so worth the $20. Go get one. R.i.g.h.t. N.o.w.
Friday: Chicken fajitas or tacos or something involving chickens and tortillas, depending on what I have left by the end of the week.
Saturday: Leftovers? Frozen pizza? Take Out? Probably not the third, but I'm not cooking anything. Period.
Sunday: Marinaded pork chops, mashed potatoes, veggies, layer cake.
I love cake. <3
Simply,
Em.
I should have posted this recap on Friday, but I was busy driving across the state and wandering around IKEA. Oopsies.
Monday was goulash (and finish my taxes day, boo). $2 for 2lbs of close to expiry burger that I froze when I got home, 39c for elbow noodles, 39c for a can of diced tomatoes = Heaven ... and $2.78. I didn't make a veggie or the garlic bread. I was busy trying not to owe my life to the IRS.
Tuesday was meatloaf with mashed potatoes, cream corn, mixed veggies, cucumbers, and brownies for dessert. I was making up for lost vegetable time, it would seem. Oh, and there was garlic toast ... which I overcooked by not paying enough attention to it. $2 for 2lbs of more close to expiry burger, 30c for onion, 1.27 for bacon (on top of the meatloaf), 24c for 2 organic eggs, 5c for breadcrumbs, $1.00 for mashed potato flakes because I was too lazy to boil potatoes, 78c for cream corn, $0 for mixed veggies since they were fridge leftovers that I already counted earlier, $1 for the cucumber, and 50c for the brownie mix and it's ingredients. I had MSF chikin patties instead. $8.59 total, and the meatloaf made for a couple lunches as well.
Wednesday was stir fry, and we ended up feeding 10 instead of the 6 I was planning on. Veggies ran me $12, stupid out of season craziness. I don't ever really buy out of season produce, so these "World Cuisine" nights are kicking my butt. Chicken was $2 (from the freezer) and the ground pork we used was $1.59 a lb orange tagged. We also had crab rangoons (well, they did, not me), but I didn't pay for that part of the meal. Rice was probably about $1 and tortillas 50c. Grand total of $17.09 ... better than last time we had World Cuisine Night for sure.
Thursday ... I do not recall making dinner. Uh oh.
Friday we did not have Fry Day, thank heavens. It wasn't my idea, and I wasn't necessarily looking forward to the mess or the cholesterol. I was out of town on Friday, so there were leftovers for dinner if you weren't lucky enough to be with me at IKEA eating Swedish food. YuM!
Saturday was also leftovers ... must have been ... I don't recall cooking then either.
Sunday ... we've not so much eaten yet. I think Be ate the last of the meatloaf earlier, though. I'm contemplating some fake chikin and some mac and cheese. Total cost, $1.39.
Total for the week, for dinner, for my family of five ... thank you leftovers ... $29.85
Now, the week at hand ...
Appointments/Errands
Dinner w/friends on Monday
PT on Tuesday and Thursday
Grocery/Walgreens trip sometime, probably during PT (to conserve gas)
Menu
Monday: No Plans.
Be and I are having dinner at another couple's house. We'll probably spring for a bottle of Shiraz ... but no other food planned. I'd usually make a dessert, but I know they're having cake.
Tuesday: Fried baby ravioli, some kind of magical amazing pasta that I haven't decided on yet, some other awesome sides. I don't know yet, really.
Taste of Tuscany Tuesday! Ok, it probably won't be Tuscan at all, but it's Italian Night for sure. A friend of ours has been coming over weekly and we've been having a different ethnic or regional cuisine each time. I'd call it World Cuisine Wednesday again, but we can't have it on Wednesday night this week. I enjoy alliteration, what more can I say?
Wednesday: Ham Steaks, Au Gratin Potatoes, Veggies.
I promised the boys I'd make this last week and I didn't. I will remedy this on Wednesday for sure.
Thursday: Black bean chili, super corn bread puffs.
Have you seen the Pancake Puff thing from the infomercials? Yea. I have one. It was a gift, and I must say, one of the coolest things I've ever used. It rocks. It's so worth the $20. Go get one. R.i.g.h.t. N.o.w.
Friday: Chicken fajitas or tacos or something involving chickens and tortillas, depending on what I have left by the end of the week.
Saturday: Leftovers? Frozen pizza? Take Out? Probably not the third, but I'm not cooking anything. Period.
Sunday: Marinaded pork chops, mashed potatoes, veggies, layer cake.
I love cake. <3
Simply,
Em.
14 April 2008
Set Up Sunday
I like to figure things out ahead of time ... who needs to go where, what we're having for dinner which night, what needs to be prepped or defrosted, etc. I unfortunately do not the greatest at this set up and have a tendency to scramble things together at the last minute increasing both my stress level and my underlying desire to order take out.
Appointments/Errands
PT: Tuesday and Thursday afternoon
Post Office: Tuesday, taxes ... booo.
Grocery?
Menu
Monday
Goulash, steamed veggies, and garlic bread.
Tuesday
Meatloaf, mashed potatoes, veggies, and crescent rolls.
Wednesday
It's World Cuisine Wednesday! This week is mongolian bbq style stir-fry with rice or tortillas. I'm also thinking of making fake crab cream cheese wontons. I wish I had fresh bean sprouts ... boo.
Thursday
Ham steak, au gratin potatoes, stuffing, cauliflower gratin, and biscuits
Friday
It's Fry Friday! Fried fish, cut belge frites, mushrooms, cheese sticks, and blooming onions. Can we just rename it Heart Attack Friday? Maybe we'll even fry up some green beans. Yum.
Saturday
Pizza of some variety or another ... I'm not sure on the crust yet and we don't have much in the way of toppings, but I'm determined to overcome those measly obstacles because everyone loves pizza!
Sunday
Whole roasted chicken, potatoes, roasted carrots, fresh biscuits, and layer cake. Mmmmm, cake. I *heart* cake.
Appointments/Errands
PT: Tuesday and Thursday afternoon
Post Office: Tuesday, taxes ... booo.
Grocery?
Menu
Monday
Goulash, steamed veggies, and garlic bread.
Tuesday
Meatloaf, mashed potatoes, veggies, and crescent rolls.
Wednesday
It's World Cuisine Wednesday! This week is mongolian bbq style stir-fry with rice or tortillas. I'm also thinking of making fake crab cream cheese wontons. I wish I had fresh bean sprouts ... boo.
Thursday
Ham steak, au gratin potatoes, stuffing, cauliflower gratin, and biscuits
Friday
It's Fry Friday! Fried fish, cut belge frites, mushrooms, cheese sticks, and blooming onions. Can we just rename it Heart Attack Friday? Maybe we'll even fry up some green beans. Yum.
Saturday
Pizza of some variety or another ... I'm not sure on the crust yet and we don't have much in the way of toppings, but I'm determined to overcome those measly obstacles because everyone loves pizza!
Sunday
Whole roasted chicken, potatoes, roasted carrots, fresh biscuits, and layer cake. Mmmmm, cake. I *heart* cake.
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