April Week 3 Meal Plan Review and Week 4 Meal Plan

Ham and Split Pea Soup

This was the plan for April Week 3:

Brunches: Leftover milkrice✔; Leftover turkey and veg soup; Bread, butter, and bananas; chicken sandwich;  French toast; tuna salad sandwiches; ramen noodles; scrambled egg, bacon, and fried potato; pancakes or waffles; leftovers

Dinners: Ham and split pea soup✔;rice and peas with ground beef; rice and curries✔ (lentils, eggplant, cabbage); sauteed chicken breast and vegetables✔; leftovers✔.

The meal plan was based on what I had on hand, but, I did some grocery shopping during the week and that resulted in some changes to the planned meals!  And, on Sunday, my friend brought me Easter Dinner, so that was another change.

As a result, this is what was actually eaten:

Monday:

Brunch: The last bit of turkey and vegetable soup, drop biscuits, blueberries from the garden
Dinner: Ham and split pea soup, a piece of chocolate cake

Tuesday:

Brunch: Leftover milkrice, the last of the seeni sambol, lunu miris; strawberries

Dinner: Ham and split pea soup, a biscuit, a piece of chocolate cake

Wednesday:

Breakfast: Bread and butter, banana
Lunch: Ham and split pea soup, a biscuit

Dinner: Rice with peas, ground beef and vegetables mixture

Rice, Ground Beef & Vegetables Dinner

Dessert:  Strawberries and yogurt 

Thursday:

Brunch: Banana

Dinner: Rice and ground beef mixture (same as Wednesday)
Dessert: Yogurt and palm treacle

Friday:

Brunch: Chicken sandwich

Dinner: Chicken sandwich
Dessert: Chocolate cake, strawberries

Saturday:

Brunch: Chicken sandwich

Dinner Saline crackers; plain toast (slight tummy issues)

Sunday:

Brunch: Bread, butter, banana

Dinner: Easter dinner compliments of friend S: yellow rice, chicken curry, cashew curry, mixed pickle, sauteed eggplant "moju", pappadum
Dessert: Homemade marshmallows

I went mostly off the plan, but, didn't go hungry!

The meal plan for April Week 4 will be fairly simple: leftovers!   In addition to the leftovers from last week, my late friend A's daughter, who had invited me to join her family for Easter dinner, brought me a plate of pasta and roast beef for my dinner on Monday and I have leftovers from that, too!

I might freeze some of the leftovers, but, here are my meal plan options:

Brunches: Bread/toast/sandwiches with peanut butter, scrambled eggs, tuna salad, roast beef; or cereal and milk 

Dinners: Leftover pasta and roast beef, leftover rice with peas and ground beef, leftover curries with freshly cooked rice, leftover ham soup with leftover drop biscuits, etc.

Snacks/desserts: fresh fruit, granola bars, yogurt, leftover cake, crackers

We shall see how that works out!

Are you making a meal plan this week?

Easter Sunday

 

Gazanias

It was another warm (high of 77F) and sunny day, on Easter Sunday.  I had a very relaxed morning and spent some time in the garden, checking on the plants and getting a few steps in.  I picked some lemons and a few serrano chilies, too.

In the afternoon, I put away two loads of laundry and tidied up the big table in the family room.  It's the full sized folding table I brought in when the smaller dining table broke.  I keep it covered with a table cloth and it functions well as a convenient place to do crafts projects, prepare food, etc. (I don't have a kitchen table as the kitchen is too small for one), but, it is also a convenient place to put things like mail, packages, and baskets of laundry waiting to be folded and put away!  

Later, I was busy in the kitchen, doing dishes and wiping down the stove top and counters, etc., when my friend S called (not neighbor S) to ask if I was home.  I said yes, and she said she would stop by.  I knew what that meant - she was bringing me some Easter dinner!  I quickly put the lemons I had picked earlier into a bag to give her and a bunch of curry leaves, too.  And I was so glad that I had finished tidying the house!  I know she was not coming to see the state of the house (and she has seen it quite messy, at times), but, it felt good to have the place looking somewhat presentable.  Friend S, her husband, and their daughter brought me a lovely meal of yellow rice and curries (chicken curry, mixed pickle, cashew curry, sauteed eggplant "moju", and fried pappadum) plus a few pieces of S's homemade marshmallows.  I was going to take a photo, but, I forgot!  I gave S the bag of lemons and the curry leaves and she was very happy to receive them.  

Brunch had been buttered bread and a banana.  Dinner was some of the Easter dinner that friend S brought me.  Marshmallows for dessert.

Much later in the evening, around 8:00 p.m., the power went out!  The whole block was in darkness.  I switched on the flashlight I usually keep by my side and lit a few candles in the living room.  As always, when the power goes out in the evening, I become even more aware of how much I depend on having electricity!  Candle light is lovely, but, I can't see well enough to read, sew, or knit by it.  I can't go on the computer because there is no internet and I don't want to use my phone because I don't want to run down the battery.  And I worry about the food in the fridge (I know the contents of the freezer will keep cold for several hours).  What do you do when the power goes off and it is too dark to read, etc.?  I played the piano for a little bit. playing one or two songs I know to play by ear, while Dancer complained about the noise.  Then, I sort of snoozed a bit and waited for the lights to come back on!  The power was restored around 8:45 p.m. and I heaved a big sigh of relief!  

Today, I am grateful for:

- A lovely, sunny and warm day
- Friend S bringing me Easter dinner
- Lemons and curry leaves from the garden
- Electricity!
- Working appliances

Today's joyful activity was friend S visiting and bringing me dinner.

Plans for Monday include:

- A load of laundry (my bed sheets, etc.)
- Meal planning for the week
- Cooking
- Taking the trash cans to the curb
- A little more tidying
- Watering the back garden
- Maybe a visit from friend R in the afternoon

What are your plans for Monday?

On Saturday

 

Pink Rose

On Saturday, we finally had some sunshine and warmer temperatures, with a high of 73F.  I sat outside to warm up because the house was still chilly.  And, of course, I walked around the garden and took a few pictures of the garden and admired the roses.

Later, I did a load of laundry (some of the knitted and crocheted blankets) and put away some laundry that I had done earlier, including a couple of quilts.

I also continued with cleaning the family room, tidying, dusting, vacuuming, and doing a bit of furniture rearranging.  I found a few things to declutter, too, and sorted through some paperwork, as well.  I still have a few last little bits and pieces to put away, including some files and another basket of clean laundry, but, the room is mostly done.  

On Saturday, I was grateful for:

- A sunny and warmer day
- Working appliances
- Time spent in the garden
- Phone calls and texts with family and friends
- What I was able to accomplish

Saturday's joyful activity was spending time in the garden

I am planning to have a quiet, relaxed day on Sunday.  My late friend A's daughter called and invited me to Easter lunch with her family and a few of their friends, but, I declined the invitation.  I did appreciate the invitation, though.  

I wish my blog friends a blessed day on Sunday, whether you are observing Easter, Passover, or, like me, a day of rest and relaxation.

On Friday

 

Roses are Red

These are the red roses in the front garden.  Sometimes, they bloom as individual flowers; sometimes, they bloom in clusters.

And then, we have this color-changing rose;

And Mostly Yellow

Until it Turns Orangey Red!

It's the same flower, it was yellow when it first bloomed and the next day, it was orangey-red!

Friday was another grey, cool day, with a high of only 63F.  I know that might sound quite warm for some, but, for me, that's chilly!  A hot shower warmed me up and I dressed in layers.  

Dancer had an appointment at the vet's clinic for his arthritis injection.  I gave him his sedative before we left, but, he was not happy on the ride to the clinic.  He was very vocal about how he felt and threw up for good measure.  He was very subdued on the ride home, though.  

"I don't like going to the vet's"

After I brought him home, I went to the ethnic grocery store to get my 10 lb. bag of potatoes for $1.99 (in comparison, the supermarket is selling a 5 lb. bag of potatoes for $3.99 and the 10 lb. bag for $4.99).  The bananas I had bought for $0.59/lb. on Tuesday was now priced at $0.89/lb., which is more than the price of bananas ($0.69/lb.) at the supermarket.  Romaine lettuce was on sale for 2/$0.99, so I bought one (they are $1.99 each at the supermarket).  

After I came home, again, I put away my groceries and made myself a chicken sandwich for brunch.  Dancer received a tiny bit of the cooked chicken as a treat for having endured the trauma of a visit to the vet clinic.  It was whisker-licking good, he said.  

In the evening, M arrived to tend to the garden.  He had picked up a couple of bags of mulch for me and I reimbursed him for them.  He mulched some of the fruit trees and watered the garden.

Later, I started to tidy and clean the family room.  I changed the sofa dust sheets, cleared and dusted the coffee table, and vacuumed the area rug.  I still have to do the rest of the room, but, that will be done on Saturday.  

On Friday, I was grateful for:

- Dancer received his injection
- We had a safe drive to the clinic and back

- M's help with the garden
- Bargains at the grocery store
- Phone calls and emails from friends

Friday's joyful activity was spending time in the garden.

Plans for Saturday include tidying the rest of the family room and maybe a visit from friend R?

How was your Friday?  What are your plans for Saturday?

More Grocery Shopping

April Groceries - Part 3

April Grocery Shopping Part 3

After dithering about getting the ham on sale, I decided to go ahead and do so, fully aware of the fact that I will be going over my grocery budget for April.  Since I needed a minimum purchase of $25 in order to qualify for the sale price (which was $1.69/lb., not $1.65), I decided to stock up on butter which was also on sale with a digital coupon (I was down to 2 lbs. butter in the freezer; 1 lb. will last me 1-2 months depending how much I bake), milk and bread which I needed, and a whole pineapple which was on sale for $1.99.  I put in the order for groceries around 3:00 p.m. and was able to pick up the items at 5:00 p.m.

Here's the receipt:

Order Summary

Original Item Total$70.19

Item Coupons/Sales-$31.22

Fulfillment Fee+$0.00

Sales Tax$0.00

Order Total$38.97

---

Item Details

9 Items

Farmer John's Bone-In Smoked Ham Half-Portion Limit 1 at Sale Price, 10 lb*$18.05

10.68 lbs x $1.69 $3.49 each (approx.)

Item Coupon/Sale: -$19.22

Fresh Ripe Whole Pineapple, 1 ct$1.99

1 x $1.99 $3.99 each

Item Coupon/Sale: -$2.00

Kroger® Butter Sticks, 16 oz$14.95

5 x $2.99 $4.99 each (approx.)

Item Coupon/Sale: -$2.00

Item Coupon/Sale: -$2.00

Item Coupon/Sale: -$2.00

Item Coupon/Sale: -$2.00

Item Coupon/Sale: -$2.00

Kroger® White Sandwich Bread, 20 oz$0.99

1 x $0.99 each

Ralphs® Vitamin D Whole Milk Half Gallon, 1/2 gal$2.99

1 x $2.99 each

Total = $38.97

* The label on the ham that I was given states 9.36 lbs. and shows the price as $15.82; I'm not sure why I was charged for a bigger ham.  Maybe it is because the rest of my groceries didn't quite amount to the minimum order of $25 when the discount for the butter was applied?  Or, maybe the store clerk who shopped the order picked up a bigger ham and then saw my request for a smaller ham.  In any case, I am not going to argue with the store!

I paid a total of $38.97

I had $29.79 left in my grocery budget and, obviously, I went over budget by $9.18 with today's grocery shopping and I am still wanting to buy the 10 lb. bag of potatoes for $1.99.

I think I will increase my April grocery budget from $100 to $125 and see how that works (the extra $25 will come from the car gas budget).

As always, I am grateful for:

- The availability of groceries
- Free curbside pick-up (with a minimum purchase)
- A safe drive to the store and back
- Being able to stock up when there is a sale
- Being able to increase the grocery budget

What do you think?

On Wednesday

 

Roses

I was up quite early on Wednesday, for a change.  I had gone to bed after 3:30 a.m., fell asleep sometime after 4:00 a.m. and then, was wide awake at 6:30 a.m.!  I tried to go back to sleep because less than three hours of sleep is not enough.  It was a cold, grey morning, too, not bright and sunny; ideal for sleeping in, but, I couldn't sleep, so, by 7:30 a.m., I gave up trying to go back to sleep and got up.

I had a cup of tea, said my morning prayers, checked my emails, read the news online, did a load of laundry, and tried to get myself enthused about cleaning the living room.  I couldn't quite manage the enthusiasm, but, I did tidy and dust the living room.  Afterwards, I had a banana and two slices of bread and butter for breakfast.

M was here in the early afternoon to tend to the garden and he enjoyed a piece of cake and the ripe blueberries I left on the bush for him.  Then, he watered and tidied the garden.  

After M left, I had a bowl of soup for lunch and then, I took a nap for almost two hours.  I had a cup of tea, watched the evening news, played some online sudoku, and watched a few online videos.  

Then, I did some not-quite batch cooking (the quantities I cooked were very small).  I cooked the salmon fillet, sauteing it with onions and tomato.  I kept half of the fillet in the fridge for later this week, and froze the other half for a future meal.

Then, I cooked the ground beef, browning it with an assortment of vegetables.  First, I sauteed onions, tomatoes, diced bell pepper, grated zucchini, a small amount of onion leaves, and red stemmed celery (all from the freezer) and two grated carrots:

Sauteed Vegetables

Then, added the ground beef and some basic spices (garlic powder, salt, black pepper, etc.) and cooked it:

Ground Beef & Vegetables Mixture

The vegetables not only adds some extra nutrition, it also helps to extend the ground beef.  I portioned out two thirds of the ground beef mixture and once cooled, I froze them for future meals.  One portion might be mixed with a jar of spaghetti sauce for a couple of pasta meals; the other portion might be made into a keema curry or turned into a sort of cottage pie with a mashed potato topping.  I added some frozen corn to the balance one third:  

Ground Beef and Vegetable Mixture with Corn

and had some of it with rice cooked with green peas for my dinner:

Dinner

There are leftovers in the fridge for upcoming meals.  

I was planning to cook the sauteed chicken I had included in my meal plans for the week, but, I got tired.  I will cook the chicken on Thursday.  

On Wednesday, I was grateful for:

- The early start to the day
- Afternoon naps
- M's help with the garden
- Water for the garden
- What I was able to accomplish

Wednesday's joyful activity was tending to the garden.  

Plans for Thursday include cleaning the family room and another load of laundry.

How was your Wednesday?  What are your plans for Thursday?

April Grocery Shopping - Week 2

April 15 Groceries

I went grocery shopping, today.  The store was having a one-day only sale on organic jumbo brown eggs for $4.49/doz., which is the cheapest eggs have been in my area for several months.  

The store was fairly crowded for a Tuesday afternoon, but, not too bad.  There were several shoppers gathered around the area where the eggs are kept, waiting.  Apparently, the sale priced eggs that were on the shelves had sold out and they were waiting for new eggs to be brought out from the back of the store.  Several of us formed a line and we stood for about 15 minutes before more eggs were brought out and suddenly, the line dissolved into a crowd of people reaching for the eggs!  One of the store workers was handing out the cartons of eggs, asking how many the customers wanted (apparently, there was no limit and some people were taking 5 or 6 cartons).  At the same time, other customers where helping themselves directly from the cases of eggs that had been brought out and some who stood in line protested that they had been waiting in line and others who hadn't been in line were getting the eggs.  I almost wanted to leave the eggs and just get out of there, but, the lady behind me nudged me forward until I was at the front and I asked the store worker for one carton (which was all I wanted, anyway) and got out of the crush!  My goodness!  

The rest of the store was not bad and the meat counter (they have a full service meat/seafood department), which is usually quite crowded was actually empty and I was served right away.  I bought a pound of ground beef that was also on a one-day only sale for $4.99/lb. and one salmon steak (priced $6.49/lb.)

I had made my shopping list based on the sale items and I wanted to get one or two additional fruits and vegetables, giving myself a budget of $25 to spend on this grocery shopping trip.

I bought:

1 lb. (just a bit over a pound @ $4.99/lb.) 15% fat ground beef = $5.29
1 salmon steak (a little under a pound @ $6.49/lb.) = $5.22
(next week's grocery ad, prices effective 4/16 has salmon fillet for $8.99/lb. which is still cheaper than the supermarket's $11.99/lb. for a full fillet or $12.99/lb. for center cut)

1 doz. eggs = $4.49
1 (16 oz.) yogurt (labne) = $1.99

2 Granny Smith apples @ $0.69/lb. ($1.99/lb. at the supermarket) = $0.95
1 Ever Crisp apple @ $0.79/lb. = $0.32 (a little more expensive, but, I wanted to try it)
2 x 1 lb. strawberries @ $1.50 ($4.99/lb. at the supermarket or $3.49 with digital coupon) = $3.00
3 bananas @ $0.59/lb. ($0.69/lb. at the supermarket) = $0.63

1 broccoli crown @ $0.99/lb. ($1.99/lb. at the supermarket) = $0.50
1 lb. carrots ($0.99/lb. if you buy the 2 lb. bag at the supermarket) = $0.89
4 onions @ 4lb/$0.99  ($1.29/lb. at the supermarket) = $0.40

I wanted to buy potatoes, too, but, the 10 lb. bag will be on sale for $1.99 as of Wednesday, when the new prices come into effect.  So, I plan to buy that later this week.

My total came to $23.68, so I stayed within my budget.

April 15 Grocery Receipt

My April budget is $100 + $8.54 carried over from March = $108.54

Spent to date: $55.07 + $23.68 = $78.75

Balance left in the budget = $29.79

So far, so good.  However, the supermarket's ads for the upcoming week includes store brand butter on sale for $2.99/lb. (my new stock up price), chicken on buy one get one sale, whole pineapple for $1.99 each, not to mention the ham on sale for $1.65/lb. with $25 purchase!  And I'm going to need bread and milk at some point before the end of the month.

Will I go over my budget?  Will I increase it by $25? (I haven't put gas to the car, yet, in April).  Will I not get the ham or the chicken this time around?  

How is your grocery shopping coming along, this month?