Tuesday, April 11, 2023

April Meal Planning: Week 1 Review and Week 2

I started the first full week of April with lots of leftovers and they dictated the meal plan options, which were as follows:

Brunches:  Leftover pancakes (1 serving)✔, leftover milkrice (1 serving)✔, leftover mackerel curry (at least 2 servings) ✔, a leftover piece of cornbread✔, salads✔, frozen burritos, boiled mung beans

Dinners:
- Leftover beef stew (1-2 servings; maybe I will make that pot pie, after all?)✔(twice)
- Chicken drumsticks in teriyaki sauce curry, rice, dhal, broccoli stir-fry, baked potato chunks(Saturday)
- Battered fish fillets (frozen), rice, snow pea pods✔ (twice)
- Stir-fried shrimp, rice, tabouleh (Good Friday night)
- Easter meals compliments of friends and neighbors
- Turkey and vegetable soup
- Leftovers

Desserts/Snacks: leftover bread pudding (about 3 servings) plus a bit of leftover custard✔, fresh fruit (apples and mandarins)✔, canned fruit, baked chicken wings, cookies, chocolates/Easter candy

I'm afraid I didn't keep a detailed record of what I ate each day, but, I ate leftover pancakes with mackerel curry for brunch on Monday, leftover milkrice and mackerel curry for brunch on Tuesday, salads for brunch on Wednesday and Thursday, the leftover piece of cornbread on Friday, followed by a banana after I picked up my groceries.  On Saturday, I had a banana and a bagel with cream cheese for brunch and, on Sunday, I had another bagel with cream cheese.

I had stew for dinner twice, battered fish fillets with rice and pea pods twice, stir-fried shrimp with rice and tabouleh on Friday, sauteed chicken drumsticks with baked potato chunks and stir-fry on Saturday, and on Easter Sunday, I had Sri Lankan rice and curries (compliments of friend S) for a late lunch and Armenian rice pilaf, fried tilapia, and cabbage salad (compliments of neighbor S) for dinner!  

Moving on to this week (Week 2).  Once again, the fridge is full of leftovers!

Brunch options: Leftover Easter rice and curries (Monday), bagels with cream cheese, tabouleh, garden lettuce salads, cereal, milkrice (Thursday)*, leftover milkrice, egg salad sandwiches

Dinner options:
- Leftover Easter dinner (rice pilaf, fried tilapia, cabbage salad) (Monday and Tuesday)
- Sauteed chicken drumsticks with stir fried vegetables and rice
- Lavash (Armenian flat bread) made into Sri Lankan koththu roti
- Rice, chicken curry, and vegetables
- Leftovers

That is the plan and, as always, it is subject to change!  Are you making a meal plan for this week?

* Milkrice on Thursday - April 13th is the Sri Lankan New Year and it is customary to make milkrice for the first meal of the new year.  

10 comments:

  1. Does the Sri Lankan New Year come on the same day each year?

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    1. Actually, the date varies from year to year between April 13 and April 14. The exact date (and time! This new year doesn't automatically begin at midnight!) are determined by astrologers, based, apparently, on the time the sun moves from the house of Pisces to the house of Aries! Usually, the new year is celebrated over both days as there are auspicious times to do everything (when to light the fire and boil the milk and make milkrice, when to eat the first meal, when to do the first transactions of money, etc.) as well as an "inauspicious" time during which one is not supposed to do various things - this time is usually devoted for participating in religious activities or play.
      According to this year's almanac, the new year dawns at 2:59 a.m. on April 14th, in Sri Lanka. But, Sri Lanka is 12 1/2 hours ahead of my time, so, that would be approximately 2:30 p.m. on April 13th for me. That is not the specified time to light the fire for the first time or to have the first meal of the new year, but, I don't do all that! I just make milkrice on the day and that is that! LOL.

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    2. Thanks for that interesting information.

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    3. You are welcome, June. Thank you for asking. I never know just how much I should write about such cultural things, especially since I left Sri Lanka almost 50 years ago (it will be 50 years this August!) I am surprised that I still keep up with some traditions after all these years!

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  2. We had beef sirloin tip roasts cooked in the slow cooker for Easter Monday dinner and they turned out well. The family had good portions and then there was plenty left for them to take some home, and we have some for today. I have some vague ideas for the rest of the week!

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    1. That sounds like a truly delicious meal, Bushlady. Glad you have some vague ideas for the rest of the week's meals! :D It was my turn to be without electricity, today! It went out in the afternoon and stayed sort of off until around 8:00 p.m. I say sort of off because some lights worked (but, very dimly) and others didn't! The internet didn't work, the TV didn't work, and the house phone didn't work! I was very glad I had fully charged my cell phone!

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  3. Your meals from your friend and neighbour looked delicious. Thank you for explaining about the Sri Lankan New Year as I was curious to learn too. We usually only have a sandwich mid-day so Easter Sunday's three course meal was very nice and very filling I only had a hot cross bun at tea time.

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    1. The meals were delicious, Eileen, and quite a treat! Well, the experts do say that it is better to have the main meal of the day at or around noon and then, have a lighter meal later in the evening. So, you did well having the three course meal at mid-day. :)
      You are welcome, Eileen; I'm glad you enjoyed reading about our new year celebrations. :)

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  4. Lots of variety reading through your foods. I love that. Many different flavors are always good in my book.
    It must be so nice to have your refrigerator full of such wonderful things for this week.
    Tonight we will finish up the noodle soup I made yesterday then for tomorrow I may use the dregs of that soup as a base to whip up an oriental broth and float some dumplings in the bowl along with more spinach of course! lol. At least that's what I'm thinking about for tomorrow.

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    1. Thank you, Debra; yes, plenty of variety and good food! Very grateful to have a fridge full of food, and yesterday's power outage had me very concerned, but, I don't think anything spoiled. The power came back on later in the evening and nothing spoiled!
      Your plans for the soup sounds good! I think I'll be making some soup later this week with some of the bits and pieces left in the fridge!

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