Each week I try to plan a menu and now, in this current state of existence, I am trying to plan based on what I have on hand., For now the possibility/probability of running out to pick up whatever sounds good for dinner is no longer an option. I will change all shopping to either delivery or pick up, so I need to be much more intentional with our plan. I do have many bags of frozen vegetables and I have a good bit of fruit (berries) that I previously froze also. This week my aim is to only purchase salad veggies.
This is what I thought our meals for the past week would be:
1. Pork tenderloin, tossed salad, baked potato (or none), broccoli, keto cornbread
2. Chopped Salad, garlic bread or keto dinner roll
3. Ham slices, carrots, green beans, coleslaw, keto cornbread
4. Hamburger helper, coleslaw or cooked cabbage (undecided) I am fasting one day this week so TheHub can have this and then have leftovers for lunch a couple of days
5. Take out from a locally owned place
6. Mac and cheese (or fake mac and cheese, since there is no such thing as keto mac) turnip greens, coleslaw, keto cornbread or real cornbread for the non ketonian.
7. "Night at the movies meal" Snacks that are non-keto for the keto day off. Right now I am thinking popcorn and a corndog, but it is subject to and probably will change.
This is what I thought our meals for the past week would be:
1. Pork tenderloin, tossed salad, baked potato (or none), broccoli, keto cornbread
2. Chopped Salad, garlic bread or keto dinner roll
3. Ham slices, carrots, green beans, coleslaw, keto cornbread
4. Hamburger helper, coleslaw or cooked cabbage (undecided) I am fasting one day this week so TheHub can have this and then have leftovers for lunch a couple of days
5. Take out from a locally owned place
6. Mac and cheese (or fake mac and cheese, since there is no such thing as keto mac) turnip greens, coleslaw, keto cornbread or real cornbread for the non ketonian.
7. "Night at the movies meal" Snacks that are non-keto for the keto day off. Right now I am thinking popcorn and a corndog, but it is subject to and probably will change.
And this is what really happened:
Monday: Even though I had a lot of frozen meats, seafoods and chicken in the freezer, I planned on having a few vegetarian meals during this period of isolation since we have no idea how long it is going to last, and I really do not want to have to resort to having a delivery service choose my proteins for me. I feel like this might go on much longer than we expect it to. Meals are not big deal for me during the day because I will eat a plate of coleslaw anything else that is leftover and call it lunch, but I do try to make our evening meal a little better. (TheHub is still working in an essential business so it's just me during the day)
I have said before that I keep foods stored so it was not surprising when I inventoried everything to find I have the capabilities to make a lot of pasta meals plus I have many blocks of cheese in the freezer.
Mac and cheese (or caulimac and cheese for me) turnip greens (canned) coleslaw, keto corn muffins
Tuesday: I found a container of stewed tomatoes in the fridge that had to be used that day. I am trying desperately to have zero food waste, so the menu plan had to be altered.
Spaghetti sauce over pasta or zoodles, shredded romaine with black olives and scallions
Wednesday: Once again my plan changed based on a bag of coleslaw mix that needed to be used immediately. I need to get a better handle on our produce consumption because I am finding too many things that are on their last leg.
Smoked sausage with sautéed coleslaw and onions
Thursday: Hopefully this was the last day for me to play catch up using slightly wilted produce. I had instacart deliver a rather large produce stock up purchase. While I was processing everything (Washing every veggie with peels with Dr. Bronner's peppermint soap, rinse and dry or soaking soft surface produce in vinegar water before letting them join the refrigerator items) I had a couple of bell peppers in the crisper. One still looked very good, so I sliced it into strips and froze it for a meal later, but one screamed "Use me__right now!"
Stuffed bell pepper, baked potato or not, cucumber tomato and onion salad, keto cornbread or rolls
Friday: At last I had all the produce processed and everything could be used as it was intended instead of as an emergency salvage mission. After washing the zucchini I processed them into zoodles. It always leaves the center of the squash (like a zucchini pencil), as well as an end piece of the zucchini that is about 1/2 inch thick. I was not about to let that go to waste so I cooked it and added it to a can of well drained, chopped yellow squash. (That close to zero waste thing again!)
Pork tenderloin, squash casserole, mashed potatoes or steamed cauliflower, tossed salad
Saturday: Saturday was a gathering of the fragments meal (Notice how skillfully I reworded the term leftovers)
Ham slices (last of the Christmas ham from the freezer) turnip greens, rosemary potatoes (box taken from the lake place) coleslaw.
Sunday: For a period of quarantine we actually had a busy day, yet we never went farther than the driveway (except for my daily time at Mom's and even that is just a few blocks from my house) We visited with neighbors in the driveway, all maintaining the 10 feet apart rule until after dark. TheHub and I came inside and scratched up a crappy dinner. Thank goodness it was not a keto day.
Leftover Mac and cheese, corndogs
And the plan moving forward, in no particular order:
1. Chopped salad, rolls or keto rolls
2. Pasta or zoodles with Alfredo sauce, broccoli, roll or keto roll
3. Leftover pork tenderloin, green beans, wilted spinach salad, rolls or keto rolls
4. Grilled halibut steaks, tossed salad, baked potato or caulimash
5. Taco salad, corn chips (or none) keto cornbread
6. Hot dog hash, coleslaw
7. Easter meal, Stuffed boneless leg of lamb, rice, asparagus (? I think I have some frozen) , salad, something lemony for dessert.
Taken from the freezer:
2 small packs of ground beef
6 mini corn muffins
1 pork tenderloin
small pack of ham slices
2 corndogs
large container of Mardi Gras punch
Added to the freezer:
6 zucchi made into zoodles (5 frozen zoodle "nests")
1 sliced bell pepper
assorted bread slices (they will become either garlic toast or French toast at another time)
keto cookies
leftover snicker doodle cake (cut into squares, frozen on a cookie sheet then bagged)
caulimash
keto freezer slaw
What I need to make/bake
Keto rolls
Keto cookies (not a need but definitely a want)
Lemon cake?
Monday: Even though I had a lot of frozen meats, seafoods and chicken in the freezer, I planned on having a few vegetarian meals during this period of isolation since we have no idea how long it is going to last, and I really do not want to have to resort to having a delivery service choose my proteins for me. I feel like this might go on much longer than we expect it to. Meals are not big deal for me during the day because I will eat a plate of coleslaw anything else that is leftover and call it lunch, but I do try to make our evening meal a little better. (TheHub is still working in an essential business so it's just me during the day)
I have said before that I keep foods stored so it was not surprising when I inventoried everything to find I have the capabilities to make a lot of pasta meals plus I have many blocks of cheese in the freezer.
Mac and cheese (or caulimac and cheese for me) turnip greens (canned) coleslaw, keto corn muffins
Tuesday: I found a container of stewed tomatoes in the fridge that had to be used that day. I am trying desperately to have zero food waste, so the menu plan had to be altered.
Spaghetti sauce over pasta or zoodles, shredded romaine with black olives and scallions
Wednesday: Once again my plan changed based on a bag of coleslaw mix that needed to be used immediately. I need to get a better handle on our produce consumption because I am finding too many things that are on their last leg.
Smoked sausage with sautéed coleslaw and onions
Thursday: Hopefully this was the last day for me to play catch up using slightly wilted produce. I had instacart deliver a rather large produce stock up purchase. While I was processing everything (Washing every veggie with peels with Dr. Bronner's peppermint soap, rinse and dry or soaking soft surface produce in vinegar water before letting them join the refrigerator items) I had a couple of bell peppers in the crisper. One still looked very good, so I sliced it into strips and froze it for a meal later, but one screamed "Use me__right now!"
Stuffed bell pepper, baked potato or not, cucumber tomato and onion salad, keto cornbread or rolls
Friday: At last I had all the produce processed and everything could be used as it was intended instead of as an emergency salvage mission. After washing the zucchini I processed them into zoodles. It always leaves the center of the squash (like a zucchini pencil), as well as an end piece of the zucchini that is about 1/2 inch thick. I was not about to let that go to waste so I cooked it and added it to a can of well drained, chopped yellow squash. (That close to zero waste thing again!)
Pork tenderloin, squash casserole, mashed potatoes or steamed cauliflower, tossed salad
Saturday: Saturday was a gathering of the fragments meal (Notice how skillfully I reworded the term leftovers)
Ham slices (last of the Christmas ham from the freezer) turnip greens, rosemary potatoes (box taken from the lake place) coleslaw.
Sunday: For a period of quarantine we actually had a busy day, yet we never went farther than the driveway (except for my daily time at Mom's and even that is just a few blocks from my house) We visited with neighbors in the driveway, all maintaining the 10 feet apart rule until after dark. TheHub and I came inside and scratched up a crappy dinner. Thank goodness it was not a keto day.
Leftover Mac and cheese, corndogs
And the plan moving forward, in no particular order:
1. Chopped salad, rolls or keto rolls
2. Pasta or zoodles with Alfredo sauce, broccoli, roll or keto roll
3. Leftover pork tenderloin, green beans, wilted spinach salad, rolls or keto rolls
4. Grilled halibut steaks, tossed salad, baked potato or caulimash
5. Taco salad, corn chips (or none) keto cornbread
6. Hot dog hash, coleslaw
7. Easter meal, Stuffed boneless leg of lamb, rice, asparagus (? I think I have some frozen) , salad, something lemony for dessert.
Taken from the freezer:
2 small packs of ground beef
6 mini corn muffins
1 pork tenderloin
small pack of ham slices
2 corndogs
large container of Mardi Gras punch
Added to the freezer:
6 zucchi made into zoodles (5 frozen zoodle "nests")
1 sliced bell pepper
assorted bread slices (they will become either garlic toast or French toast at another time)
keto cookies
leftover snicker doodle cake (cut into squares, frozen on a cookie sheet then bagged)
caulimash
keto freezer slaw
What I need to make/bake
Keto rolls
Keto cookies (not a need but definitely a want)
Lemon cake?
I bought both navy and pinto beans two weeks ago-part of the "better have beans and rice" mode of the early days of planning for stay at home. I do like them both, but now not sure what I want o make. I have frozen bean soup, which I am the only true fan of.
ReplyDeleteI am sticking with keto way of eating except for Sunday so I will limit my beans and rice till then, but I do have them available if this goes for a much longer period. I honestly do suspect it will, and I can make a boatload of rice and bean meals before I ever run out of them. I guess I need to go ahead and start looking for tasty ways to fix (Southernism for the word make ) them.
DeleteGood eating at your place! We visit in the driveway and street also, but rain today will stop that. Take care
ReplyDeleteIt was so nice to be able to sit and visit. It was gorgeous here yesterday and a great day for visiting.
DeleteI laughed when I read about your zucchini pencil. Yes, I hate food waste also. I slice my pencil into slices to add to soups or my morning omelettes. I also peel my broccoli stalks and slice those up and freeze, to add to soups or as a side for my entree. (I call them broccoli coins for lack of a name) I will soon be out of veggies, so will be planning a home delivery this week.
ReplyDeletePre-corona I was not so worried about a bit of zucchini or a thin slice of onion being tossed. Now I am salvaging every usable bit of everything to make it last, even to the point of making veggie stock with all the leftover peelings and parings.
DeleteWe too are saving every scrap. I need to chop up one of my peppers before it goes off and freeze it. My freezer is full to bursting though. Love "fragments meal". You've developed a new term!
ReplyDeleteWe had a neighborhood driveway party yesterday so I could get rid of a large container of frozen punch, which packs a punch, because I needed the freezer space. I do wonder if anyone woke with a hangover.
DeleteI am posting my bean soup recipe today. I hate to find veggies going off.
ReplyDeleteyep I think we all do, especially now
DeleteMaking two meals a day (one vegetarian and one not) is getting old fast here. I hope to do some shopping today and have no idea what will be available. Next week's meals might be fairly random.
ReplyDeleteI have a lot in storage so I am just planning from what is on hand. Even so I am not sticking to a plan but seem to be doing a lot of rescue missions.
DeleteWe don't really cook so I thank God for Panera's free delivery offer. But I swear I'll bake a banana cake soon, before the bananas have to go in the garbage because they're turning ugly colors.
ReplyDeleteLove,
Janie
I do cook and I feel like I have cooked apps.3,278 meals these past few weeks
DeleteThat's a lot of cooking.
DeleteYou are continuing to do great with meal planning and eating what is on hand and has to be used up! I'm not even planning meals, because, well, there's me, myself, and I, and we tend to be rather fickle about what we feel like eating until 5 minutes before meal time! LOL.
ReplyDeleteWe normally have that fickle thing going, but even TheHub is on board this time.
DeleteI don't plan meals, but am very mindful of using what I have in the pantry and the freezer. Like you said I too think this could go on much longer than expected.
ReplyDeleteI think we are just seeing the tip of the iceberg
DeleteI agree with you and Nil. This is going to go on for a long while. I don't even expect there will be school this fall. I was reading about the 1918 pandemic and it's all so eerily familiar. Since we are not meat eaters, we are stocked up on cheese and eggs. It's just the two of us, so no big fancy meals. We had fish tacos last night with bean salad. We bought pizza crust so we make pizzas a lot or we have pasta with veggie sausage. We also make veggie burgers with fries or onion rings. I was smart and picked up yeast before it disappeared so we can make Easter bread this weekend. Stay safe.
ReplyDeleteYou stay safe also. I am prepared for the long haul with all of this.
DeleteYum.
ReplyDelete