May. 5, 2008 - My Usual Rat Race AND the microwave is out
Seems like it’s been since forever that I last posted. I guess it has been awhile. I was working on our newsletter today and then one thing after another and… you get the picture.If that wasn’t bad enough, a circuit or something or another blew and it happened to be the one where the microwave is as well as my computer and some night lights. Since my computer is a laptop, I just found another spot for it. The microwave is another issue – it’s built into a unit of cabinets. It’s not going anywhere. If we ever need to change it out, we might have to get a carpenter. Usually, my husband takes care of it, but this time it proved beyond his skills. Until we can get an electrician, I am doomed to having to reheat food on the stove and put 2-minute hot pockets, etc. in the oven for 30 minutes!!!!! Talk about messing up a schedule!!!! I know, I know, there are soooooo many people who wish they had a hot pocket and here I am complaining about a little temporary inconvenience. Ok, let me get a grip.
Here’s my menu for this week:
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Apr. 16, 2008 - Do It YOUR Way!
I feel like I haven’t blogged in ages – Let’s just jump right into the menu.Here’s the shorter and the longer version:SHORTER VERSION:Sunday: OptionsMonday/Tuesday: chicken salad on toasted croissants / strawberries (or your choice of fresh fruit) / tossed saladWednesday/Thursday: barbeque meatballs / rice / stringbeansFriday/Saturday: turkey burgers / fries / fruitLONGER VERSION:Here’s where you really make it YOUR way. Sunday will remain as Options. Some people have expressed concern that this system is just a pile of fast food. They want to have for real home cooked meals. These menus can EASILY be adapted to YOUR style of cooking. My style of cooking is not cooking at all. JFor example: Monday/Tuesday: chicken salad on toasted croissants, strawberries, and tossed salad. Because I make a pretty bad chicken salad, I opt to purchase it ready made from Cosco as well as the croissants, and fruit. There’s enough chicken salad in that one package to feed my family two meals. I toast the croissants and cut up the lettuce. If I’m really pressed for time, I use bag salad. On the other hand, the person who wants to have a more home cooked meal would cook their own chicken, chop their own celery, and create their own chicken salad.For Wednesday/Thursday, you know me, I’m opting for the precooked/bagged meatballs. I pour a bottle of honey barbeque sauce of them and put them in the oven. If you’re looking for the more home cooked flavor then take your own ground beef (or whatever you use), season and shape your meatballs and add your own special sauce.You can go through the menu and simply make it your own by doing it YOUR way.If you’re still stumped, shoot me an email at ladydell@dellsplace.net Maybe if we put our heads together we can come up with a plan just for your situation.Thanks for stopping by and visiting my Only on Mondays blog for a meal planning system sure to save you hours in the kitchen and help you to have fun for the time you do spend in the kitchen. If you don’t know the details on how it all works, you can read it hereThanks again for stopping by.
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Apr. 6, 2008 - Jehovah Jireh - God provides
Have you ever had those one of days when the cupboard was bare? I mean “Good night, what are we going to eat” kind of bare. I thank God it hasn’t been recently, but I’ve been there. Actually, since I’ve been doing the meal planning system, I always know and have what we’re going to eat (ok almost always). But just in case, “life” gets in the way of getting it together, here’s an idea. I like to call this my macaroni miracle. I’m sure it’s not anything new – sometimes we just need to have someone remind us of things.We have 7 people in our family all adults and teens. I found myself one day with 3 pieces of leftover chicken and not much else. I figured trying to stretch 3 pieces of chicken for 7 people would boil down to choosing which 3 people get to eat. Obviously, that wasn’t a good idea. Plan B: cut up the chicken, it will stretch a whole lot further.I had some macaroni but I didn’t have any cheese, then I remembered I had a few boxes of mac and cheese. I dug out the powered milk because I was out of milk too. I found a can of peas. I kept digging in the fridge and found a couple of slices of leftover ham. I had the makings of the filling meal.I was a dicing and slicing queen! I got all my stuff together, mixed it up, cooked it, and served generous portions to all 7 of us with leftovers for the next day. Indeed Jehovah Jireh: God provides!This week’s menu:Sunday: OptionsMonday/Tuesday: pork chops / rice / broccoli saladWednesday/Thursday: fish / seasoned potatoes / stringbeansFriday/Saturday: Subway (or make your own sub sandwiches) and smoothiesThanks for stopping by and visiting my Only on Mondays blog for a meal planning system sure to save you hours in the kitchen and help you to have fun for the time you do spend in the kitchen. If you don’t know the details on how it all works, you can read it hereThanks again for stopping by.
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Mar. 31, 2008 - I Can't Eat at My Mother-in-Law's
As you know, I have a super simple meal planning system: I cook only 2 meals on Monday for the week – generally. There are exceptions, but that will have to be another blog entry.Anyway, we eat at my mother-in-law’s on Sundays with FEW exceptions. When we don’t eat there we go out. Not everyone has this luxury so here are some ideas to stick with the plan and still manage Sundays.Rather than cooking a full 3rd meal, here are some simple ideas to help you “cook” for Sunday on Monday (or whatever day you choose as your cooking day). If your budget is like mine and most normal people, it will not allow for eating out EVERY Sunday, try these.Soup Day:You can make it fresh Monday and then freeze it or let everyone pick out their favorite can of soup when you go grocery shopping. Serve with your favorite thick and hearty bread that you also bought on the last shopping trip (or made from scratch Monday) and put it in the freezer for Sunday. You can also serve with a sandwich instead of just bread. Whatever it is just make sure it’s something that can be frozen. Maybe some pie a la mode baked from scratch or store bought – either way it was prepared or purchased the previous week and frozen.Just heat and eat!How about breakfast for dinner? I have a dear friend who cooks breakfast for dinner on Sundays because Sunday mornings they’re rushing to get out the door. After church, there’s always plenty of time to leisurely cook and enjoy a hearty meal. Rather than coming home and still having to cook, why not prepare a breakfast/brunch type item and freeze it until Sunday. Pair it with some biscuits (homemade or store bought – either way do it the week before and freeze until Sunday). Add in some can, jar, or frozen fruit as a side. I only use fresh fruit if it will stay fresh from the last shopping trip until Sunday.
Or…. Any type of freezable casserole. Or…. Make nice with the crock pot. Whatever you do, plan ahead so you don’t have to make another trip to the grocery store.If you’re still stumped, shoot me an email at ladydell@dellsplace.net Maybe if we put our heads together we can come up with a plan just for your situation.Thanks for stopping by and visiting my Only on Mondays blog for a meal planning system sure to save you hours in the kitchen and help you to have fun for the time you do spend in the kitchen. If you don’t know the details on how it all works, you can read it hereThanks again for stopping by.
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Mar. 29, 2008 - How it All Began
This is the blog that started it all.
“Only on Mondays” is an ongoing series that I hope to be able to bring you each Wednesday or Thursday – I know I said Mondays, I’m getting to that part. J Anyway, this is about menus for the week. If someone had said years ago that I would be engaging in a weekly (or thereabouts) column/blog/whatever on cooking and menus, I would have assumed that one of us was confused. Let there be no mistake – I HATE COOKING!!!! I just can’t be bothered with it. I do it because I have to and I can’t afford to eat out everyday. This “Only on Mondays” blog is designed for the person who would rather be boiled in oil than cook AND for the person who lives to cook because they see it as therapeutic or something or another and for everyone in-between. I’ve been doing this for almost a year and it works every time.I guess God got tired of my slamming pots around or forcing my family to eat one more meal of potato chips and hot dogs or cereal for dinner. Frankly, I don’t see the real harm in either of the aforementioned item, but a steady diet of that does NOT work. Anyway, as I was tossing some innocent food item across the counter, God dropped it in my spirit to cook 2 meals instead of one. My first thought was that I didn’t want to cook the first one much less cook two. I began to think about it and God laid it all out for me. It does involve leftovers. Some people take issue with leftovers. Here’s my philosophy on that. I always give two options:· option 1:o eat it or don’t eat it· option 2:o eat it or eat air (variation on option 1)Sunday· eat at mother-in-law’sMonday/Tuesday· meat/starch/veggie or casserole containing a meat/starch/veggieWednesday/Thursday· meat/starch/veggie or casserole containing a meat/starch/veggieFriday/Saturday· fast food, or take out, or super simple mealHere’s a sample:Sunday· eat at my mother-in-law’s or eat outMonday/Tuesday:· sliced turkey/sweet potatoes/ steamed zucchini & squashWednesday/Thursday:· lasagna/bread sticks/tossed salad or mixed veggiesFriday/Saturday· pizza!The only thing I actually cooked was two meals. Most foods, not all, are perfectly safe for 3-5 days if properly packaged in the fridge. Some things I simply have to freeze. If we were having shrimp fried rice, then I would make sure we have that Monday/Tuesday because fish is one of those 3-5 day ain’t gonna’ happen foods.Because I’m thinking about the meals in advance, I PLAN for at least a reasonably nutritious meal. Since I don’t bake bread, grow anything other than weeds (the legal ones) in the backyard (most of our backyard is now concrete – yeah!!! Ok, that’s another story for a later date), and the only thing I milk is my husband for cash (shhhhh, don’t tell him that), hence the best I could hope for is a reasonably healthy meal.Here’s the deal – BEFORE you go to the grocery store write out the menu. Be certain to include everything you need to make that dish so you don’t have to go back to the store. List everything right down to the eggs and condiments. Even if you doing something as simple as burgers and fries – chances are you’ll remember the meat whether it’s ground turkey, turkey burgers, ground beef, or a lean ground beef, or some kind of ground of mystery stuff that was on sale. However, did you remember to list/get the hamburger buns, French fries, ketchup, and other condiments? Do you have a special spice or seasoning you use for your burgers? Do you have it? If it needs to be purchased, put it on the list.Think about two meals to cook. Depending upon your circumstances, you may have to cook three meals. Either way, think of 2 (or 3) meats, 2 starches, 2 veggies. If you’re vegetarian then 2 veggies and 1 starch or however that works. OR!!!!! You can check my “Only On Mondays” blog for some menu ideas, tips, and shortcuts. I do hope you come back and visit. I’m going to help you get in and out the kitchen or if you actually want to be there, I’ll help you be able to do more and enjoy your time doing it.I’ll give you the menu now and the rest in snippets later. I have company coming and it would be nice if I swept the floor or something. I also need to work on eBay a bit. And speaking of eBay… ok I guess I was the only one speaking of it…This week’s menu:Monday/Tuesday:· baked chicken breasts (or whatever part you prefer) / rice (white, brown, wild – it’s your choice/ mixed veggies / assorted fruitWednesday/Thursday:· baked (or grilled) salmon / baked potatoes / asparagus (or whatever)Friday/Saturday· hot dogs / fries / tossed salad / red or black seedless grapes (or whatever fruit)Enjoy the journey!
