I have been trying to plan and follow a weekly menu, and honestly most of the time I have a few things I plan and a lot more random meals that just happen as the chinks appear in my week. This was what I had planned for last week.
1. Pork tenderloin, Thai chili noodles or cauliflower mash, tossed salad, green beans
2 Reuben roll-ups , baked potatoes (or not) cucumber slices
3. Smoked sausage, with grilled peppers, onions and tomatoes
4. Smoked pork butt, corn on the cob (or not), coleslaw
5. Spaghetti sauce over noodles or zoodles, garlic bread, tossed salad
6. Grilled tuna steaks, mashed potatoes (or cauli mash), tomato slices, spinach salad
7. White bbq chicken, potato salad or caulitato salad, baked beans, cuke tomato and onion salad
Vs. what really happened
Monday: I had a relatively quiet day with little mama drama so I actually got to take something out of the freezer in the morning and could mostly follow my plan.
Pork tenderloin in a Thai chili glaze, Thai chili noodles (or cauli mash) green beans
Tuesday: My Beloved Sister and I came to a major agreement about an unresolved Mother issue. We have hired a lovely young woman to be a caregiver/companion Monday through Friday until 2 in the afternoon. She needs more help but we are taking baby steps right now, and it is mostly working out. Except__she was calling me every morning to run pick up something from the store, usually for their lunch. WTH? That dog will no longer hunt and we made Mom go with "T" to the store and buy her own groceries. Mom accused us of turning against her and it was a pretty unpleasant day with some unpleasant conversations between Mom and me. I was occupied with her drama and took nothing out of the freezer that morning. I did a frustration cleaning of the fridge (It was either clean furiously or do something immoral if not illegal) and found a boatload of eggs I needed to prepare.
Frittata, coleslaw, toast or keto toast
Wednesday: Except for running by the pharmacy to pick up Mom's meds, I very selfishly took the entire day to do what I wanted, including buying tuna steaks that were on sale. I had already seen the ad and knew they were going to be priced at an acceptable to me cost.
Tuna Steaks, mashed potatoes or cauli mash, asparagus
Thursday: Son3 came home for a long weekend to go to his best friends wedding. He and Laura have been great pals since the 6th grade and even though they went off to colleges in different states and have vastly different lives and careers, she has been a constant friend and the only one he stays in touch with all the time. I knew TheHub and I had Mandarin class that evening and I know Son3 loves my spaghetti. Since I could and did make the sauce a couple of days early our meal was ready shortly after I got home.
Meat sauce over spaghetti (or zoodles) tossed salad
Friday: The day came and went with Son3 and me visiting Mom before he left for the rehearsal dinner. TheHub and I opted for a simple dinner,
Sautéed sausage with peppers, onions, and tomatoes, green salad
Saturday: Take out for lunch was the big meal. when someone lives in Manhattan and heads south, the rules say at least one meal has to be all about the BBQ. Yes I could have made it, but in Alabama you don't have to go more than a half a mile in just about any direction to find a barbecue joint. I am a lot of things, but stupid is not one of them.
BBQ pork, with baked beans, potato salad, chips, (or if you are keto just tossed salad)
Sunday: Since it was Mother's Day and a crappy weather day, TheHub and I went out to eat very early after church. In fact we were there so early, we had to sit int he car until it opened. Glad we were early because the bit about Mother's day being the biggest day for dining out proved to be true. We were the third group in the restaurant and before we had even ordered all tables were filled and the crowd was lined out the door. Personally I would have left and picked up a hamburger before I would have waited, but that is just me. There are only a couple of restaurants in town that are worth that kind of wait, but they are both by reservation and you never have to wait long at all.
At dinner we were not terribly hungry, plus we had to eat around a basketball game, The NCAA softball selection show and of course Game of Thrones. I made a quick snacky meal. We never eat in front of the TV, but exceptions can be made if it is something I really want/need to see (like GOT)
Buffalo chicken dip on crackers and/or celery sticks, spinach salad
And now this is on the what's next or at least what's possible plan, in no particular order.
Crack chicken over rice or cauli rice, coleslaw
Keto burger fat bombs, lettuce, pickles and tomatoes, cauliflower potato salad
White bbq chicken , green beans, cauli mash or regular mashed potatoes
Fathead Pizza (TheHub has a business dinner and this is easy)
Mandarin class (take out)
Cauliflower bread ham sandwich, coleslaw
Ground beef and zucchini, tossed salad
If I were betting I would guess maybe 3 out of 7 night might actually hit!
1. Pork tenderloin, Thai chili noodles or cauliflower mash, tossed salad, green beans
2 Reuben roll-ups , baked potatoes (or not) cucumber slices
3. Smoked sausage, with grilled peppers, onions and tomatoes
4. Smoked pork butt, corn on the cob (or not), coleslaw
5. Spaghetti sauce over noodles or zoodles, garlic bread, tossed salad
6. Grilled tuna steaks, mashed potatoes (or cauli mash), tomato slices, spinach salad
7. White bbq chicken, potato salad or caulitato salad, baked beans, cuke tomato and onion salad
Vs. what really happened
Monday: I had a relatively quiet day with little mama drama so I actually got to take something out of the freezer in the morning and could mostly follow my plan.
Pork tenderloin in a Thai chili glaze, Thai chili noodles (or cauli mash) green beans
Tuesday: My Beloved Sister and I came to a major agreement about an unresolved Mother issue. We have hired a lovely young woman to be a caregiver/companion Monday through Friday until 2 in the afternoon. She needs more help but we are taking baby steps right now, and it is mostly working out. Except__she was calling me every morning to run pick up something from the store, usually for their lunch. WTH? That dog will no longer hunt and we made Mom go with "T" to the store and buy her own groceries. Mom accused us of turning against her and it was a pretty unpleasant day with some unpleasant conversations between Mom and me. I was occupied with her drama and took nothing out of the freezer that morning. I did a frustration cleaning of the fridge (It was either clean furiously or do something immoral if not illegal) and found a boatload of eggs I needed to prepare.
Frittata, coleslaw, toast or keto toast
Wednesday: Except for running by the pharmacy to pick up Mom's meds, I very selfishly took the entire day to do what I wanted, including buying tuna steaks that were on sale. I had already seen the ad and knew they were going to be priced at an acceptable to me cost.
Tuna Steaks, mashed potatoes or cauli mash, asparagus
Thursday: Son3 came home for a long weekend to go to his best friends wedding. He and Laura have been great pals since the 6th grade and even though they went off to colleges in different states and have vastly different lives and careers, she has been a constant friend and the only one he stays in touch with all the time. I knew TheHub and I had Mandarin class that evening and I know Son3 loves my spaghetti. Since I could and did make the sauce a couple of days early our meal was ready shortly after I got home.
Meat sauce over spaghetti (or zoodles) tossed salad
Friday: The day came and went with Son3 and me visiting Mom before he left for the rehearsal dinner. TheHub and I opted for a simple dinner,
Sautéed sausage with peppers, onions, and tomatoes, green salad
Saturday: Take out for lunch was the big meal. when someone lives in Manhattan and heads south, the rules say at least one meal has to be all about the BBQ. Yes I could have made it, but in Alabama you don't have to go more than a half a mile in just about any direction to find a barbecue joint. I am a lot of things, but stupid is not one of them.
BBQ pork, with baked beans, potato salad, chips, (or if you are keto just tossed salad)
Sunday: Since it was Mother's Day and a crappy weather day, TheHub and I went out to eat very early after church. In fact we were there so early, we had to sit int he car until it opened. Glad we were early because the bit about Mother's day being the biggest day for dining out proved to be true. We were the third group in the restaurant and before we had even ordered all tables were filled and the crowd was lined out the door. Personally I would have left and picked up a hamburger before I would have waited, but that is just me. There are only a couple of restaurants in town that are worth that kind of wait, but they are both by reservation and you never have to wait long at all.
At dinner we were not terribly hungry, plus we had to eat around a basketball game, The NCAA softball selection show and of course Game of Thrones. I made a quick snacky meal. We never eat in front of the TV, but exceptions can be made if it is something I really want/need to see (like GOT)
Buffalo chicken dip on crackers and/or celery sticks, spinach salad
And now this is on the what's next or at least what's possible plan, in no particular order.
Crack chicken over rice or cauli rice, coleslaw
Keto burger fat bombs, lettuce, pickles and tomatoes, cauliflower potato salad
White bbq chicken , green beans, cauli mash or regular mashed potatoes
Fathead Pizza (TheHub has a business dinner and this is easy)
Mandarin class (take out)
Cauliflower bread ham sandwich, coleslaw
Ground beef and zucchini, tossed salad
If I were betting I would guess maybe 3 out of 7 night might actually hit!
You are MUCH more organised that I am. We have a very picky eater arriving to stay today and I am still racking my brain about what to feed her.
ReplyDeleteI am not at all organized, but I generally have a plan with a couple of alternate ideas to back up the plan. We are having a lot of house guests in June and several have specialized diets. I am going to wait until June to think about it though.
DeleteThe important thing is, you all ate and, by the sound of it, very good meals, too. :) I like having options when it comes to meals. Pick and choose, or make something entirely different, if I feel like it! It works for me. :D
ReplyDeleteWe ate and the meals were fine, some better than others but they were fine just the same.
DeleteMmmmm, I can't imagine what it would be like to just be able to pull over and buy BBQ pork! Sounds like heaven to me!
ReplyDeleteI can find hickory pit smoked bbq 4 different places within a 2 mile radius. In the mornings when they first start cooking the smell is heavenly.
DeleteI'd say you did very well especially given all that was going on. Sometimes a supper of just snacks sounds perfect to me.
ReplyDeleteI am fine with snacks for dinner, TheHub usually likes something a little more substantial though.
DeleteI have a friend who has a snacky supper every Sunday evening. Cheese and crackers, fruit, etc. Sounds like fun to me.
ReplyDeleteAs the days get warmer we will start swimming in the evening or at night and our dinners will become snacks or something grilled
DeleteGood luck with your mom. I’m a caregiver, but taking a break from it now due to my other jobs paying better and three main clients dying in the same month (grief). Make sure you get a good one. 👍🏼
ReplyDeleteI never meal plan. I always say, we meal plan and God laughs. I can’t cook a lot right now due to a shoulder fracture, and I can’t believe how much I took it for granted. I often ask my dad to do the chopping. Good luck to you
We found a wonderful caregiver for Mom. It is such a hard job.
DeleteI hope you find some more clients (if that is what you want). Here good caregivers are a rare commodity and are snapped up as soon as they are available.
If I buy any gadgets, it will be a veggie spiralizer. I love the idea of zoodles!
ReplyDeleteI bought one that spins and does the work for you, but keep using the one that is like a zucchini pencil sharpener. It fits in the dishwasher easily and requires no set up. I am not fond of zucchini, but the zoodles work very well for me since they are just a delivery vehicle for some delicious sauces.
Delete