I stopped on Friday for a couple special requests and shopped for the weekend and meals at least through Wednesday. DD2 will be home some time Wednesday, and I may or may not have to meet her for a car pool, depending on who she rides with. No doubt she will dine and dash to meet friends. Our eating out spending is pretty low this month. I took DD2 to Panera for supper when I was at her college, but we ate breakfast at the hotel and lunch the day before in the dining services. I met a colleague for coffee Friday, but otherwise have packed lunches and used up leftovers pretty well. The refrigerator was a disaster though. Remnants in jars, leftovers from before he was sick needing to be thrown. With both a mind to keep the refrigerator clean for holiday food, I am trying to streamline meals. Here's sort of my plan to Saturday.
- Sunday: Turkey Meatloaf, potatoes, steamed carrots
- Monday: Burritos or burrito bowls with seasoned rice, beans, corn, cheese, and tomatoes
- Tuesday: Cheddar brats, French fries
- Wednesday: Splurge on Chinese Take out, which will leave lunch leftovers for DD2 on Thursday
- Thursday: Spaghetti and marinara sauce and garlic toast
- Friday: Tuna Hot dish, steamed vegetables
- Saturday: Fried Rice with chicken and vegetables
I have odds and ends from the freezer to use up so might have a little smorgasbord kind of meal on Friday or Saturday instead of the hotdishes. I'll need more eggs (DH has been wanting scrambled eggs), fruit, steamed vegetables, spaghetti noodles and marinara, but otherwise have everything from the kitchen or my Friday shop. I'll also need some items to complete my baking and treats. I did some over the weekend, but wanted to save some to do with the girls. These are all meals that should yield leftovers for lunches, plus I have sandwich stuff and a couple containers of frozen soup.
DS will be here first thing Sunday, but will need to crash and get some more sleep as he leaves LA at 11 and arrives in Minneapolis at 5:00. I invited my mother-in-law, assuming DH will finally be on the mend, for Sunday for our family Christmas dinner so she can see my kids without the chaos of Christmas day. I'm thinking of doing steak and salmon, roasted sweet potatoes and breaded eggplant, with a salad. It will be simple, but different from what we normally eat. I also bought some easy appetizer bits at Trader Joe's last week-pilak paneer, bruschetta, spinach-artichoke dip, olive tapenade, and will get some cheeses and salami, crackers and breads. I may save some of the items for Chiristmas day as I don't want people to fill up and then not be ready to eat the nice meal. I have items I'm assigned/volunteered to bring both Christmas eve and Christmas day and will do all that shopping for Sunday-Friday on Saturday.
Today, I don't feel ready for Christmas at all. I still have shopping and wrapping of gifts to do. My house doesn't feel very festive. Still, I'll have my family, some tasty food, and hopefully a husband who will be on the mend soon. The good thing about the snowy December, it naturally makes it feel Christmasy. What's on your menu this week?
I certainly hope your husband finds out what is the problem soon.
ReplyDeleteIt could just be a really long lingering flu. I just do not know anymore what to think. He's never been sick like this.
DeleteA sick family member certainly can drain the Christmas spirit. Our weather isn't very Christmas-y here, (high 40's and sunny) but it's perfect for the grilled steaks I had planned for dinner.
ReplyDeleteWhenever I start to yearn for white Christmases, I force myself to remember just how oppressive the shoveling was. As a kid living in New England, we'd be awakened in the morning to shovel the car out from the snow banks the plows had created in front of the driveway. Oh, how we hated that. It's only now that I am realizing how difficult it had to be for the elderly to keep their sidewalks cleared.
I may wander to the end of the cul de sac in either direction and see if the teenagers might want a job for the season whenever it snows! We have no sidewalks to clear, but I do think that is an awful lot of extra works for some people.
DeleteHas anyone suggested your husband might have pleurisy? It lasts a long time for me. Thankfully, I have not had it in years.
ReplyDeleteFortunately, he is not having the chest pains that pleurisy usual has. The Chest s-ray should have ruled it out as well.
DeleteHoping your husband is on the mend soon! That sounds awful.
ReplyDeleteWe are having a very easy menu week. I also feel woefully behind getting ready for the holidays, but I know I'm realistically mostly there. All gifts are purchased, my special bread is baked & in the freezer, everyone knows what they are making for their craft, and now I just have to make a packing list & actually pack!
Time away sure sounds like something I would really love to have over the holidays. AS I commented on your post, you have such nice freezer options-scaled down maybe as to not have to cook, but delicious.
DeleteHaving your husband so sick has certainly put a damper on your Holidays, but you will weather through, just down size a bit. You still get to see your children, enjoy what you can.
ReplyDeleteI hauled out the tree myself and got it and the lights on. I put some lights around the fire place. I'll find the ornaments and the stockings and some soft decorations and may call it good. I went and got the last items I need for baking and treat making and will do some tonight, and the net two nights. It will be fine. Seeing my kids is most important.
DeleteI feel the same way
ReplyDelete