Later, in the afternoon, I got started on my To Do list. Afternoons seem to be the time when I am most productive, these days! I changed my bed sheets and did a load of laundry (the patched flannel bed sheet seems to be holding out just fine!), dusted the living room, dining area, and the family room, cleaned the fridge, and went through the freezer, too (tossed a few really, really old frozen bananas!). Later in the evening, I took the trash cans to the curb.
Breakfast was a rice cake spread with peanut butter. Lunch was a salad. For dinner, I took out a baked chicken breast from the freezer, warmed half of it with a little plum sauce glaze, and had it with some fresh green beans and carrots that I cooked up with some frozen corn (sorry, I cut up the chicken breast before I remembered to take a photo):
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| Dinner - baked chicken and vegetables |
When I cleaned out the freezer, I took a quick freezer inventory. I only have the freezer that comes with my side-by-side fridge/freezer. I have been eating from the freezer these past few weeks in an attempt to reduce its contents and, finally, it is starting to look a bit empty! I know the conventional wisdom is to keep the freezer stocked up, but the recent power outage reminded me that keeping a freezer full of food can have its downside, too, especially since I don't have a generator to keep the freezer running if the power is out for a long period of time. I will still stock up when things are on sale, especially things like butter, but I will keep only reasonable quantities of meats. Speaking of butter, I have 2 lbs. of butter in the freezer. It should last me at least two months, if not more. But, if butter does go on sale for $3.00 or under between now and when I use up the last stick of butter, I will buy at least another couple of pounds to have on hand.
Currently, in my freezer, I have:
5 lb. unopened bag of whole wheat flour
5 lb. opened bag of all purpose flour (almost full)
opened package of uncooked red rice
several packages of cooked white rice
5 1/2 packages of frozen puff pastry
1 package grated coconut
4 pouches of honey mustard glaze (came with bags of frozen meatballs I bought to make curried meatballs)
1 lb. bacon
1 package cooked beef pot roast
1 whole roast chicken breast
1 piece baked chicken breast
opened package cocktail sausages
small container of leftover salsa
Frozen tomatoes (will be made into tomato soup, tomorrow)
1 bag cranberries
2 bags edamame
opened bag of green peas (about 1/4 bag)
opened bag of corn (about 1/2 bag)
couple of small baggies of sliced onion
whole green chilies
opened package of pandan leaves
opened package of sunflower seeds
opened package of walnut pieces
1 loaf of sliced white bread (the next time someone asks me to bring a dessert, I will make a bread pudding!)
1 loaf banana bread
1 container of corn bread pieces
1 opened package of pita bread
2 lbs. butter
open package of margarine (3/4 package left)
In the evening, I went for a walk. I haven't been walking regularly at all, but, I was inspired by Eileen who has started on a walking program, herself. She not only sent me a link to the walking program she has adapted to suit her, she also gently nudged me in a comment! LOL! Today, I set my timer for 15 minutes and walked in one direction, with a target point in mind. I reached my target point in 12 1/2 minutes, however. But, instead of continuing for another 2 1/2 minutes, I turned around and walked back. I reset the timer for the walk back, but, apparently, I didn't start it, because I still had 15 minutes on the timer when I got home! LOL!
Today, I am grateful for:
- I did not need to report for jury duty today and I don't have to go in tomorrow, either!
- Being able to sleep in!
- A productive afternoon
- Daughter was able to work from home
- Being able to go for a walk
Monday's To Do List:
- Change bed sheets - DONE
- Load of laundry (bed sheets/towels) - DONE
- Dust living room/dining area and family room - DONE
- Clean the fridge - DONE
- Take trash cans to the curb for Tuesday trash pick up - DONE
- Call to see if I need to report for jury duty on Tuesday - DONE; don't have to go in
- Water the garden, front and back the newly planted tomatoes, etc. - NOT DONE
I meant to water the newly planted tomato plants, but, when I checked on them, it seemed like they didn't need watering. I will water them tomorrow, instead.
Tuesday's To Do List:
- Dust my bedroom
- Errands, if any (grocery shopping, etc.)
- Water the garden and house plants
- 15 mins of paperwork
- Do the dishes
- Make tomato soup
- Cook the rest of the green beans
- Call to see if I need to go in for jury duty on Wednesday
- 15 mins of paperwork
- Do the dishes
- Make tomato soup
- Cook the rest of the green beans
- Call to see if I need to go in for jury duty on Wednesday
How was your Monday? Have you done a freezer inventory, lately? What's in your freezer?
Well done on going out for a walk. Are you still going to do you original plan of walking for 30 minutes a day?
ReplyDeleteMy freezer is full of portions of home cooked soups and meals, frozen veg and bread, and some bags of frozen fruit. I find it easier and cheaper to bulk cook and freeze in portions- that way I can manage my food allergies and have a good selection of different meals easily available.
Thank you, Eileen. I want to walk for 30 minutes as that is what my doctors told me to do. But, I am giving myself permission to do 30 mins. on days when I feel I am up to it and 15 mins. on the days when I don't. A day like today, for example, when it is so gloomy and overcast.
DeleteYou have a good plan and system going with your bulk cooking and frozen meals. I sometimes cook in bulk and freeze, but, lately, I seem to prefer to buy and cook for the week.
Chicken and veggies is such a great combo for dinner☺ In my freezer thete is a lot goin on, cos I don't waste any food☺
ReplyDeleteThank you, Natalia. You are a good cook, going by the delicious sounding recipes you post, so, I imagine there's a lot of yummy food in your freezer. I hate food waste, myself, but, occasionally, even I realize that certain things must be tossed because I am not going to eat them!
DeleteWhen our freezer is sparse, we add jugs of ice to help it run more efficiently.
ReplyDeleteI understand what you mean about not keeping it full because of electricity concerns. I have lost a whole freezer of stuff before and it's not fun.
I do have containers of ice in there. And, soon, I shall have containers of frozen lemon juice, as I need to pick all the lemons on my trees and do something with them before they all rot!
DeleteI wanted to use up all the old food that was in there. Now, the oldest food is the whole chicken breast, which was leftover from the last prayer gathering I hosted, which was in October. Almost 6 months ago and that's long enough, I think!
Do you mind me asking, is your extended family Buddhist as well? Do you mind me asking what is your ethnicity? I’m mostly Greek, but also Middle Eastern and Jewish. My extended family extends to the entire religious spectrum, except maybe Hinduism.
ReplyDeleteAkasha, the extended family from my mother's side are all Catholic. My mother was born to a Catholic family and was, herself, a Catholic until she converted to Buddhism, shortly before she married my father. My father was Buddhist, so all the relatives from his side of the family are Buddhist. My step father was also Catholic, so my relatives from his side of the family are Catholic. I consider myself as Buddhist, and attend the temple out of my own free will, but I attend the monthly rosary prayer gathering (like the one held last Sunday) and host one at my home, too, and, in turn, my cousins come to my home when I hold a Buddhist religious ceremony known as an almsgiving. As for ethnicity, I am originally from Sri Lanka. :)
DeleteI read your blog first thing this morning and now I am surprised that I did not comment. My thinking is that I saw all the items on your to-do list checked off, and my first thought was, "I'd better get cracking". Because that is what I did. I made my breakfast while unloading the dishwasher, then started the day by watering all the downstairs plants. Next I put a second coat of mud on areas of my kitchen wall, and I put it on rather thick, so it may take a couple of days to dry thoroughly. I washed my livingroom window inside and out. I ate some pea soup for lunch that was in my freezer before I went outside to gather up garbage from the property. I quit when my left hip started to ache, so I will take it easy for the rest of the afternoon.
ReplyDeleteAre you required to call in every day until they need you for Jury Duty? At what point are you free to go?
Wow, Susan, you sure accomplished a lot! Much, much more than I did! It's 10:20 p.m., now, and there's a bunch of undone tasks of my list for today!
DeleteI need to call in, every day, this week, until they call me in. If I don't get called in by Friday, then, I don't have to serve this time around. But, what they usually do is, they wait until Thursday night and then, tell you to report for jury duty on Friday! That's how they make sure they have enough potential jurors for the following week! LOL!
That's great that you didn't have to go to jury duty. You might not get called in all week! I don't keep an inventory of my freezer. I take it out a few times a month when I make soap. I have to put the goat's milk bars in there for thirty minutes before switching them to the fridge. I just keep a small amount of meat/poultry in my freezer, too. I have turkey jerky in the cupboard in case I need emergency food.
ReplyDeleteI am hoping I don't get called, but, more than likely, I will! Maybe on Thursday or on Friday - they seem to wait until the end of the week and then, call you in!
DeleteI didn't realize you had to put some of your soaps in the freezer and fridge, during the process of making them! Yes, I guess you'd want to keep some space in your freezer for those. :)
You are wise to limit the amount of food in your freezer. Even though we have a generator, I don't go overboard because sometimes we are away for a weekend or more. I keep a mug full of ice with a penny on top in the freezer, so that if we are away and there is an outage and then power returns, I will know if the freezer items are safe or not. If the penny sinks, then things have thawed and refrozen and certain things get tossed.
ReplyDeleteI'm always happy to find something for supper in my freezer if I don't feel like cooking. The other day I had some frozen pasta sauce to heat up and it wasn't much effort to boil up some spaghetti. I just love pasta!
Bushlady, I like that penny on a mug of ice, idea! I told my daughter about it, too. :)
DeleteI, too, like having something quick and easy in the freezer, but, there are some items in there that are in danger of becoming frozen fossils! I made a big pot of tomato soup, today, and froze three portions for future meals. Now I need to figure out what to do with that whole chicken breast...