Meals for next week

Menu planning for me is more of planning possibilities, while trying to have as little food waste as possible. I generally eat leftovers for lunch, but occasionally we have to have an unplanned leftover meal because there is just too much for me to finish off at lunch.  This past week was one of those big leftover meals week. I had planned leftovers two days this week and still had to put 2 medium size servings of the chili Mac in the freezer

What was planned?
Leftover chili mac, tossed salad, green beans✓
Chicken pot pie, wilted spinach salad✓
Huge chopped salad, crescent rolls
Stuffed baked potato with all the fixings including chopped broccoli✓
Beans and franks, coleslaw, corn muffins
Grilled scallops, asparagus, baked potato, green salad
Leftover sausage, cabbage, onions and potatoes dish, cooked carrots, rolls✓

What really happened?
Monday: The day was pretty uneventful, but I knew we needed to eat some of the leftovers to prevent food waste.
Leftover sausage, cabbage, onions and carrots, Italian bread toasted, TheHub had leftover strawberry cobbler

Tuesday: After following the ambulance to the ER and being told we could not go in with Mom, my sister and I went back to Mom's house to wait until we got a call from the hospital. At that point we did not know if Mom would be admitted or released.  Hours later we found she would be admitted for at least a couple of days. I felt very fortunate to have leftovers to just warm and call dinner done.
Leftover chili mac, tossed salad, toasted Italian bread

Wednesday: Tuesday night I slept fitfully waking every 30 minutes or so, worried about Mom. It took several cups of coffee and talking to the nursing staff and the doctor to finally feel like getting started on the mountain of laundry I had to do. I hate not being able to be there with her, because I know she is confused and if she is thinking rationally she probably feels abandoned. I decided on comfort food for dinner.
Chicken pot pie, coleslaw, banana pudding

Thursday: We were just not feeling like doing much at all for dinner so we had a small meal.
Plain baked potato, broccoli, cauliflower and carrots

Friday: When I woke Friday morning the pork I smoked overnight was perfect. After I took it off the bone I shredded it and packed it for the freezer. We have enough for 11 more meals. Score!
BBQ pork sandwiches, tater tots, coleslaw

Saturday: It was a gorgeous day so we decided to fire up the grill
Hamburgers, German potato salad, three bean salad (TheHub bought it thinking it was canned green beans)

Sunday: We worked in the yard and then decided to take a shower and go out to eat (If you call getting in the car and ordering to go food going out to eat.)
Fried Chicken, green beans, coleslaw


Bought:
1 gallon milk (we don't even drink milk but it was only a dollar, so I am thinking banana pudding one night)
17.5 pounds whole pork butt (dang it is a lot!)
2 pork tenderloins ( frozen)
10 pounds chicken quarters  cooked, shredded, and frozen)
1 large ham steak (at least 2 dinner meals worth)
1 1/2 pound yellow squash
1 lemon
1 bunch baby Vidalia onion
head romaine
5 cartons mushrooms
bag of scallion
2 blocks cheddar cheese
1 block mozzarella cheese
1 round cheddar/cranberry cheese
snack foods (crackers, chips, vanilla wafers)
4 pound bag boneless chicken thighs
1 bag breaded chicken filets
2 pounds bacon (will be cooked then frozen)
2 pounds turkey sausage (now frozen)

Did I need any of this? No, but I am a little worried about the food chain and just wanted to stock up on a couple of things. Plus the pork butt was the cheapest I ever find it here, and bbq season is just around the corner, so why not go ahead and get it?  I had to watch a couple of quick Youtube tutorials and have a little lesson from Son2, but I did get all the pork smoked, sealed and frozen. (11 packs frozen plus enough for a dinner meal for us and I gave my sister enough for them for a meal)

What was used:

Produce:
1/4 head cabbage
1 zucchini
1/2 onion
1/2 carton mushrooms
1 romaine heart
1/2 tomato
1/2 cucumber
2 cups baby carrots
2 potatoes (small)
1/2 onion
1 banana
1 1/2 bag coleslaw mix
2 potatoes
1 head cauliflower
1 bunch broccoli
5 scallions


From the freezer:
3 sausage patties
1 cup frozen green beans
1 small pack chicken broth
1 small pack cooked chicken
1 pastry crust
1/2 bag tater tots

From the pantry:
1 loaf Italian bread
1/2 box vanilla wafers
1 box jello vanilla cook and serve pudding (lake rescue)
5 hamburger buns
assorted herbs, spices, condiments, oils and vinegars
4 slices bread
flour
sugar
canned 3 bean salad

Dairy:
butter
cream
2 cups milk
5 eggs
1 tube cinnamon rolls

Added to Freezer:
4 leg quarters
3 packs of cooked chicken
5 quarts chicken broth
2 pork tenderloins
1 ham steak, cut in half and packed in 2 packs
11 packs smoked pulled pork

Going into this week, I need very little. The freezer is full, the pantry is stocked and I am uninspired. Technically Alabama is slowly reopening, but the number of Covid cases is still rising, so I will continue doing exactly what I have been doing which is staying at home, taking advantage of delivery or drive and pick up options when I need something.
Fortunately Home Depot is offering curbside service which makes it easy to get  those things I need for working in the yard.
Today Mom will  be released from the hospital to either home care or rehab and I can make my plans for the week based on her needs.

Meal possibilities for the coming week:
1. Huge salad, toast points
2. Hamburgers (already cooked and in the fridge) baked beans, coleslaw
3. Tacos with all the fixings or taco salad, margaritas, churros
4. Mac and cheese, sliced tomatoes, cucumber spears, lady peas, cornbread
5 Grilled steak, asparagus, mashed potatoes, tossed salad, rolls or toast
6. Red beans and rice, spinach salad, cornbread
7. Stuffed peppers, squash, tossed salad

Needed:
tomatoes
coleslaw mix
lady peas
buns

Wants?
Vanilla ice cream
butter cookies

Hope y'all have a more inspired food week than I do. I am just a little down and not feeling it, but the day is gorgeous and I have a bunch of herbs to plant. Maybe digging in the dirt will be good for my soul.