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Monday, November 11, 2024

Cool Yet Tragically Unhip

This was a mostly low key week. I need a couple more of them to get things ready for Thanksgiving. November is generally a low social activity month for us with the exception of a play and Thanksgiving. I honestly like it that way, because December can be harried.
Did I mention how much I hate the time change! Nights last forever!
As part of my holiday prep I decided I needed to defrost the freezer, and that decision changed my last week's meal plan a good bit. Additionally it took over this week's menu, as well as many in the upcoming weeks.
Meals may not be exactly what we want, but it should be a challenge that might be interesting at least. We have always decided what we feel like eating on any given week rather than rely on what we have at the house. We are just going to have to see dinners in a different light.



Monday joy: I was able to stay home all day long and loved it. There are days I just want to  throw on a pair of shorts and a tee shirt, pull my hair back, and get some things done. (Even though I did not do as much  as I should have)
Monday dinner: I had previously made enough spaghetti sauce and frozen it in containers for 2 different dinners. Nothing like having an almost thaw and heat meal
Spaghetti with meat sauce, tossed salad, dinner rolls

Tuesday joy: I was able to vote easily. 
After voting we stopped by ThePig to pick up a couple of items and to grab the weekly free item. This week it was a bag of croutons, which we do not eat, but it will be a great thing to have while the family is in town for Thanksgiving.
I also got to speak via phone to all 3 sons. It is unusual to do that except on my birthday or Mother's Day. Don't misunderstand me, I do talk to all of them regularly, but all three is one day does not usually happen.
Tuesday dinner: We used our monthly minimum to purchase an offered takeout meal. It was enough for dinner with sides left over for an additional meal, plus TheHub still had my slice of cheesecake to eat another night.
Fried chicken, mashed potatoes, green beans, tossed salad, cheesecake

Wednesday joy: I was supposed to go to my Wednesday class, but had stayed up until 3:45 waiting on the election to be called. They outlasted me and I was unable to keep my eyes open any longer. At 7:00 I woke and made the decision to skip class. I was tired but figured I would just spend the morning with my best friend ___caffeine. 
I am so glad I didn't go because DIL2 called to let me know the number of participants from Independence Place who would be there that afternoon.  What? I had not put it in my calendar and if it is not written there, it does not exist in my world. How could I possibly forget to about going to my happy place?
At least I had a little time to scrounge around and figure out what to do. This is why I keep a well stocked kitchen. (OK not really, I am a little bit of a food hoarder and I have no idea why) I was able to pull all the ingredients for individual cheesecake mousse cups, including the cups to serve it in, and the necessary fixings for a graham cracker base.
I have learned that I need to have enough steps in every recipe for each participant to be able to have a hand in the process. This worked perfectly with all 16 having a specific chore, even if it did mean cutting the cream cheese into 4 blocks for 4 different people to add and mix. It really is critical for each of them to feel like they are a major part of it. 
Once they finished eating what they made I always ask if the final product was a thumbs up, thumbs down or thumbs sideways (neutral). 
There is always someone who doesn't like something, but this time 👍 was unanimous. Even "T", whom My Beloved Sister and I refer to as Eeyore, liked everything about it, which was a first!. Every other time there was at least one thing to complain about.
Thanks to hands free phone options, I was able to have a call with Sluggy and Mr. Sluggy on the drive home. Laughing is good for the soul.
Wednesday dinner: Monday afternoon I had cleaned and organized my "Stash" which is non-perishable food items that I store in my laundry room, because my pantry is always at full capacity. It means checking the dates on the cans (which I truly believe is just a suggestion and has nothing to do with the quality of the food inside) and rotating them so the nearest expiration dates will be used first. 
I found a can of pumpkin puree (I had no idea it was even in there) that was past its "best by" date by 3 years (if you will notice most cans are not labeled "expiration"). I pulled it out as a "use immediately" item. I opened the can and it looked and smelled no different than one I had bought and used recently, so it became part of our supper. 
(Plus I do not mind living life on the edge, but please do not tell TheHub. He is an extreme rule follower and even though he has been eating what I cook for decades and lived in spite of my disregard for the dates, it would freak him out.)
Pumpkin sausage chowder*, dinner rolls

Thursday joy: Our tomatoes are still producing like gangbusters and every day I am getting 4 or 5. For the past several days, I cooked them into either thick sauce or cooked them down even more to a paste consistency to be frozen for future meals. Today was no exception and I put them on before I was having my first cup of coffee.
Then it was off to tackle the laundry room. TheHub promised me he would help me defrost the freezer, so I needed everything to be ready for said chore. It is a cold messy job, but with four hands rather than just mine, the process should go much faster.
Thursday dinner: I had too many leftover items so we had a smorgasbord of sorts.
Conecuh sausage, mashed potatoes, green beans, broccoli, cauliflower, sliced tomatoes 

Friday joy: This was not terribly joyful other than the joy that it was over and I don't have to think about it for another 6 months. I have a fairly large upright freezer that was filled to the gills, but so much frost had accumulated that it was hard to move things to find what I needed/wanted. 
When that happens, the only thing to do is defrost the dang thing.  I always dread doing it because no matter what, at the end I am a freezing cold damp mess.
TheHub was here and I had guilted him into helping, which he did.  And I truly do thank him for lugging the large pot of steaming water to the freezer, then taking it out and dumping it x 4. I normally have to do it all and it does take longer when you are doing everything. Then he did hold the hairdryer while I scraped the buildup. I am fairly certain if I had kept it all I could have built a very tiny snowman. 
However, once it was defrosted I had the honor of cleaning the insides, wiping each item that was going back in and reorganizing.  And anyone who messes with that organization will meet  the wrath of Anne.
One upside was finding several single serving frozen leftovers that I placed in a separate plastic bin for grab, thaw, and warm lunches. TheHub was not too sad I also found an apple strudel that needed to be cooked right away.
An aside: I am pretty sure we could eat for 3 months buying only produce and milk, and if I buy anymore Conecuh sausage before the first of the year I need to have my head examined!
Friday dinner: So of course after cleaning out the freezer and seeing such an overabundance of food available without leaving the house, we did take out from Zaxby's.
Chicken tenders, coleslaw

Saturday joy: It was ball game day and our plans were to stay at home, watch games, and do some chores whenever the games were boring or in between them. We pretty much accomplished our goals. 
Bama beat LSU which I was not expecting, but was happy with the outcome.
Saturday dinner: We needed a quick meal that we could scarf down between football games
Grilled tuna steaks, baked potato, tossed salad

Sunday joy: We woke and went to church, came home and talked with two of our sons. Of course we/they talked about the ball game.
The day was gloomy and TheHub decided not to hit golf balls. Instead we had a leftover soup lunch and a catnap. I am not one of those people who can actually get in or on the bed during the day, but I can curl up on the loveseat in the most uncomfortable position known to man for a 20 minute snooze.
Sunday dinner: The roast had thawed and needed to be cooked. It was delicious but we have tons of leftovers.
Rump roast, potatoes, carrots, onions, tomato slices, cucumber slices, dinner rolls


Menu plan for the week (based of things I had forgotten were in the freezer)**
1. Corned beef^ and cabbage
2. Hot dogs^, coleslaw, corn on the cob^
3. Chicken fried rice^ shishito peppers
4. Beef stew with traditional stew vegetables + green beans***^, tossed salad or coleslaw
5. Grilled salmon^,  dilled potatoes, tossed salad
6. Meatloaf^ squash casserole, brussels sprouts
7. Out to eat

Used from the freezer:
1 pack spaghetti sauce - dinner
2 keto hot dog buns (not particularly good, but they were eaten anyway - lunch
1 bag riced cauliflower - dinner
1 pack Conecuh sausage ( 4 pound pack separated into meal size portions ) - dinner
2 tuna steaks - dinner
3.5 lb rump roast - dinner
2 s/f popsicles (had no idea they were even in the freezer, purchased by TheHub who had forgotten them) - snacks
4 keto "cornbread" mini muffins - lunch

Added to the freezer:
Leftover cooked roast for beef tips and rice some other week
2 strip steaks (too good of a deal to pass up)
1 lb Italian sausage  "

Books read in November
What Have You Done?
The Goddess of Warsaw
 

*This was delicious
** All I really need to buy for the week is cabbage, lettuce, and possibly a cucumber or two. Unfortunately Aldi has their Holiday baking supplies on sale so, most likely, I will succumb before Wednesday. But at least there will be no freezer purchases.
***Odd stew ingredient, but it will get rid of one small pack of cooked green beans, and the extra vegetable surely won't hurt us.

^ Found in the freezer when defrosting



34 comments:

  1. Heat and humidity of the South in summer vs fresh tomatoes from the garden in November...it's a trade-off I might like to try some day. I love when you write about Independence Place. What a reciprocal gift.

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    1. Going to IP is without a doubt the best part of any week I go. I know it is not for everyone, but I adore seeing each and every one of them, and truly appreciate how our relationships have grown over the years.

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  2. I love seeing your menu each week. Many hugs and blessings your way.
    www.rsrue.blogspot.com

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  3. Laughing is good for the soul......so true! You should add a frost-free freezer to your X'mas wish list.

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    1. The freezer does a magnificent job maintaining its temperature, but that comes with the cost of defrosting. As long as it is still working I will keep it, unless I find an incredible deal on a frost free unit.

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  4. Well done on the defrosting caper. Something I/we NEED to do.
    And hooray for joys. You are so very right about laughter too.

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    1. I need to be more intentional about defrosting and do it maybe once a quarter instead of twice a year.
      I think laughter is the worlds best tonic.

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  5. Sounds like a good week and the meal plan sounds delicious. :)

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    1. It does not reflect what I want to have right now for meals, but that really doesn't matter. We are going to eat it anyway.

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  6. Your meals always sound great. And, very envious of your napping abilities! (Hawaii Planner)

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    1. I don't like a long nap but a twenty minute one is restorative for me

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  7. Gosh, I've not defrosted anything since 1970-something! Must remember your experience lest I get to thinking we, too, could use a freezer! I'm giggling about the "best by" dates because I'm exactly like your hubby -- a rule follower. Tom's like, "Whatever."

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    1. Rules are made to be broken, unless it is something sensible like do not use a hairdryer while bathing.

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  8. We defrosted our chest freezer this week and it was easier than I thought it was going to be. However, I don't think our freezer is as full as yours.

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    1. I had an old chest freezer that was in the basement. I could roll it out to the driveway, unplug the drain hole and the sun would do the work for me.
      Mine is about as full as it can get, but I am not buying anything else to be frozen until we use at least 1/4 of the contents___unless I find some really good buys!

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  9. While a freezer you have to defrost is supposed to be better than a frost free freezer, I still chose frost free. My mother set a fan in front of the freezer and put a pan of hot water in the freezer also. At least no one has to hold a hairdryer!

    Even Eeyore should like cheesecake! Having a job for each one is a smart teaching strategy as well as kind.

    I am a rule-follower, too. But, I look at cans and say, "Surely, it won't kill me." I am still here.

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    1. I am not a rule follower. After reading all the private studies of commercially canned foods I am not going to toss something because it is past the best by or use by dates, which we all know are there to avoid lawsuits.

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  10. I only use "best before" dates as a suggestion too. For the most part, that's what we have eyes and a nose for!

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  11. Thanks to my husband causing things to fall out of our freezer, the meals this week are based on what's in there (the oldest). A friend gifted us walleye and perch, so walleye is being thawed for this week. Have a great week. Your meals sound amazing.

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    1. Sometimes I guess we have to let the freezer decide what direction our weekly meals will take. I have a huge bag of grouper in the freezer that was given to us. I am going to need to have at least 4 dinner guests when I make it, because it is just not good when it is leftover and too tasty to waste.

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  12. So glad you to have a happy place to go to. It's so important. Our freezer is FULL too so I'm not buying anything for awhile. Have a great week.

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    1. I do agree about my happy place. They are very important to me!

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  13. I'm glad you have some breathing space in front of the holiday. For me, I'm just in freefall from Halloween to New Years.

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    1. I thought I did but all of a sudden things are getting. added to the calendar. At least it is not a freefall. I have had years like yours and I am glad I no longer do. It's one of the perks of getting old!

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  14. We do a freezer defrost in the summer - it is tough as it is inside our basement in the den. But ours has a little plug at the bottom - once you take it out, the water drains and I think it has a little hose too for the water - but it is a pain either way.

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    1. Ours is in the laundry room. I do have the plug but no drain hose and if I don't do it like I do the water would be all over the room. It is bad enough to manage as it is. I put defrosting it again on the calendar for March.

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  15. You certainly have a well stocked freezer! My daughter keeps track of the freezer here and I'm pretty certain, without looking, that we could eat from it for several weeks too.
    Your cheesecakes sound delicious!

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    1. Mine is what everyone who looks in it considers overstocked. We have got to have our meals from it for more than a couple of weeks.

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  16. A super productive week for you! and isn't a freshly defrosted freezer such a thing of beauty?

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  18. It is such a wonderful thing once it is accomplished, but what a pain to get it done!

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