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Monday, March 25, 2019

Whatever Happened to Menu Plans

This is what I thought might be a good idea for our meals for the past week. As usual some things worked and some didn't.

1. Reuben casserole (Hooray for leftover corned beef)
2. Hamburger patty, steamed asparagus, leftover St Paddy's potatoes or cauli mash.
3. Wedge salad, rolls or grilled keto bread
4. Chicken enchiladas, tossed salad, avocado slices
5. Smoked ribs, baked beans or green beans potato salad or cauliflower salad, rolls or keto rolls.
6. Meat sauce over spaghetti or zoodles, mixed green salad
7. Piri piri over rice or cauli rice, cucumbers, green beans

Monday: I had cleaned the fridge and found bits and pieces of various meats that needed to be used right then. I also had a few random mushrooms and about 1/2 of a zucchini. Since I had some leftover marinara sauce from the pizza casserole, I chopped and combined a lot of items for a different take on a traditional meal.
Spaghetti sauce hybrid over pasta or zoodles, leftover tossed salad or leftover coleslaw

Tuesday: I got stuck at Mom's for a protracted amount of time and decided I was not cooking. TheHub and I went to a local meat and 3 joint. It had no atmosphere and the food was so-so at best, but it was a meal that I did not have to cook or clean so it was fine.
Bluff Park Diner meal

Wednesday:  I was at Mom's doing her taxes when I heard some commotion in the basement, then I heard her scream for my Dad (who died nearly 4 years ago). When I got to the basement stairs Mom started yelling that there was water everywhere. I told her to come upstairs, I called the plumber (of course it was after 4 p.m.  so the rates were time and a half). When water backs up from her basement plumbing it means there is a blockage in her sewer line. Usually it is because tiny roots grow through the terra cotta pipes  and eventually cause a block.age I was surprised because I have been very regular about flushing the toilet with an enzyme made to keep the roots decayed.  
Anyway, I was in nice clothes and nice shoes so I drove like a bat out of hell to my house (2 minutes away when driving fast) changed into work clothes and work shoes, gathered cleaning supplies and flew back to Mom's to begin the cleanup.
While I was sweeping massive amounts of water out her basement door, My Beloved Sister came and joined in. When we had swept out the brunt of the water, we decided to tag team, in the finished part of the basement. I sucked the remaining water with the wet vac and she followed behind me with the wet jet and a bleach solution. At about 7:30 we had things cleaned and mostly dried, so it was time to go home and start my dinner. Thank goodness for leftover corned beef.
Reuben casserole with nothing else because it was late and I was pissy.

Thursday: Had to get ready for more houseguests, plus do crap for Mom. 
Wedge salad

Friday: TheHub called mid day to see if we might go to the lake for the weekend. I had not planned on going and I had no food planned for the weekend, but had to run some papers out for Mom, then pick up what she needed at the grocery store, so I bought a couple of things to take to the lake. Meanwhile TheHub got stuck in traffic and we got away later than we thought we would, plus it was the beginning of Spring Break. Everyone and their brother was on their way to Florida. Since we were headed south also we sat in a virtual parking lot on 65. By the time we had driven about 12 miles on the interstate but had been in the car about 1 hour 15 minutes, we decided to scoot off 3 exits before our usual one, grab some takeout food, then hit the back roads to the lake. Smart move on our part. After we got our food we were only in the car another 20 minutes. I understand from traffic reports the snarl was far beyond our normal lake place exit.
Smoked wings in white sauce, collard greens and coleslaw eaten to the sound of crickets and geese honks.

Saturday: Blissful day at the lake. Not so blissful for my beloved sister who was stuck taking care of Mom's needs. Thank you, thank you, thank you for allowing me to take the break!
Grilled pork chops, broccoli, tossed salad, tater tots or cauli mash. Nothing is better than grilling on the deck at the lake!

Sunday: We pushed the day at the lake as long as we could to still get off the back roads before dark. We have owned the lake place for 6 years and have never spent longer than a weekend there. This year I want to go and stay  vegetate at least a full week just sitting in the rocking chair on the deck, reading and watching the water birds, sunrise and sunset. We got home late and had al the fixings for a quick meal. Keto had to take a backseat for the evening.
Tacos and fixings

And what is planned for next week?
I have no earthly idea. I know I have chicken, ground beef and ribs frozen, fresh cauliflower, lettuce, tomatoes and cucumbers, frozen broccoli, cauliflower and brussels sprouts. I will create some meals from this but right now your guess is as good as mine as to what it might be. I am open for suggestions. I am also Mothered and companied out, but Mom has already called with demands beginning Monday morning.  I am truly sorry she is so unhappy with the way her life is now and I wish I could change it for her, but I can't. She can be so unrealistic with her demands  (most of this is from her less than realistic grasp of reality, and not truly her fault) that my sister and I are often at our wits end. Anyway, I am playing this week blind, with no plans. 

12 comments:

  1. I'd love a place to escape to, your lake place sounds fabulous (pictures?). Sounds like a super busy aggravating at times week. Such is life. Seriously, this is why I don't menu plan because it would get thrown out of the window. Even when I unthaw things it sometimes goes to the next day because life gets in the way. Tonight though is meatloaf (https://www.marthastewart.com/872741/pork-and-potato-meatloaf) but I add in all sorts of other veggies like celery, red pepper and some mushrooms). No idea what the rest of the week holds but since I am nearly at my grocery budget it will be whatever is in the fridge and freezer lol.

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    1. I do understand the whatever is around menu. I am on the fence about menu planning. Most of the time what I plan on Sunday night either does not sound appealing during the week or time, tide and all that other junk makes the meal impossible or at least improbable. This week I am winging it.

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  2. Some days/weeks are just like that. Sorry to hear about your mom's water problems, but glad you could get away for a quick break.

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    1. This is just one of those weeks. Things will get better I am sure.

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  3. Sounds like it was a trying week. Glad you were able to get a break over the weekend. I don't meal plan much in advance. Last night, I took out a chicken breast to make a stir fry for tonight's dinner and I ended up making a cold cuts sandwich, instead! :D

    I see something chicken for dinner, one night, at your house - a curry, maybe? Something ground beef on another night - meatloaf? Cottage pie? And something ribs, another night. Leftovers on the remaining nights with, maybe one meal out?

    Have a lovely week. (((HUGS)))

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    1. I was so glad to get away for the weekend. I still have no idea what is for dinner this week!

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  4. I think you're amazing to deal with flooded basements, grocery emergencies and unexpected weekends away!
    I'm clearly winging it way too much lately, my daughter informed me she misses food that's been "thought about"

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    1. I think sometimes you just had to wing it because you can only think about so many things and food is an easy thing to let go.

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  5. You're really going above and beyond with your mom. But of course you have to -- what else can you do? Nice you got a bit of a break over the weekend.

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    1. The mom thing is just what is required. She was never what you might call an easy personality and now time and age have just exacerbate it.

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  6. Any menu with a reuben in it is a hit with me!
    We usually fly by the seat of our pants around here. When things slow down a little, I'll do a menu. I love the idea of one.

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  7. I like the concept of one but the concept and my reality rarely coincide.

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