We Now Resume Normal Programming

Today starts the first day of the resumption of our households normal programming.  While technically today is sill the weekend, I find Sundays set the tone for the rest of the week.  How organized is the calendar for the week?  Does everyone have clean laundry for the week, or will I need to get a few loads done before nightfall. Is there adequate food reserves for breakfast, and supper, and quick things that can be brought along for lunches, or for DH to warm up on a quick lunch trip home?  Normalizing might will feel particularly onerous as I haven't worked a full week in the office since the week of December 1st. Between medical days and holidays, I've either had full days off or worked from home, slipping that load in the washer or filling and running the dishwasher were easily accomplished between rest,work, and socializing.

I honestly though am looking forward to resumption of normal.  I'm approaching 2015 as an open book.  I have decided that I will strive to fly under the radar at work.  I will not let my professional standards slip, but I  am not going to waste energy and induce stress trying to uphold standards that others  do not share.  I will be ethical, diligent, but subtle in how I let issues surface, or will just go about my job correcting quietly when needed.  I want the 2015 focus to be on my family, friends, and home, and truly remember that the job is my means to my ends, not the end itself. An opportunity is still on the horizon, but so far in comparing each facet, I would be giving up so much more than just a reduction of salary.  I'll have a few weeks still to decide as things came to a screeching halt the end of December.

It is Sunday, and while soup will feature prominently on our winter menus, I have a batch of both bean and wild rice soup frozen, as well as assorted chunky variety's of canned soup, purchased at very low prices, which make for an easy to grab lunch as I am heading out the door. Because we have so much soup on hand, I'm not making a batch today.  Instead I will putter through my pantry and freezer and use up stocks so I can do a very thorough clean before refilling. We will dine today, and leftovers for later in the week, on delicious crockpot au gratin potatoes.  I tweaked a bit today to use what I had on hand, but it's a basic recipe.  I clean 6-8 russet potatoes, and leaving the skin on, I slice in discs about 1/4 inch thick.  Separately I mix a can of cream of something soup, 3/4 of a can of milk, and about 1/2 cup grated cheese.  This is where I switched it up and used 1/2 an envelope of cheese powder from boxed mac and cheese, and added another couple tablespoons of milk.  I only had pepper jack cheese in the house, which I didn't think would be a good fit for the potatoes.  We rarely eat mac and cheese any more that DD#2 is out of the house, so I'll use the other  half packet and the macaroni in a tuna hot dish for tomorrow night. I pour about 1/3 of the sauce in the bottom of the crock pot after spraying with cooking spray.  I layer the slices, adding a little more salt and pepper between layers.  Then I top the whole thing with the remaining sauce.  Cook on high for about  2 1/2-3 hours depending on how big a cooker is used.  I hope they taste as good with the powdered cheese as they have with cheddar or Colby-jack.  I have broccoli to steam in the microwave, and maybe will cook up some bacon slices as well. 

Eating more healthy is a priority for the year, and unfortunately I've still got a lot of the instant and prepackaged convenience foods in the pantry.  I will try and use them up as sides, and as ingredients.  It doesn't seem right to donate poor quality food to food shelves, and I can't justify the waste of throwing, so I will use in more moderation until they are used up.  I'm getting really good inspiration on many blogs of home chefs that do just that.  All things in moderation.

DH and I have to work the closing clean-up shift at a basketball tournament tonight but while it is hard work, it is also social and kind of fun hanging with other parents doing their shift.  I used to be on the board, but now am just a regular old parent volunteer, so it feels like no work at all compared to past years. DD#2 still has some lingering homework as she had missed a few days before break, but other than these two commitments, Sunday will be spent getting organized for the week. Who else is back to normalizing starting tomorrow?  Are you dreading or do you have a little positive anticipation as I do?  Here's to a peaceful and simplistic 2015.

"Write it on your heart that every day is the best day of the year." -Ralph Waldo Emerson