Meal Planning - September Week 2 Review and Week 3 Plan

This was the meal plan for September Week 2:

Brunches: Pancakes and mackerel curry (Monday), leftover pancakes and mackerel curry, French toast, scrambled egg, peanut butter and toast,  salads

Dinners: Smoked sausage stir fry and rice (Monday), chicken beef curry with rice, spicy potatoes, eggplant, cucumber, and tomato chutney, hamburgers, potatoes, green beans, and corn salad, leftovers 

Snacks: Yogurt, cereal, apples, crackers with cheese or peanut butter, granola bars, canned fruit, maybe muffins if I bake some

And here's how it worked out:

Monday:
Brunch: Pancakes and mackerel curry
Dinner: Smoked sausage stir fry and rice
Snacks/Desserts: Yogurt, apple slices, leftover pancakes with syrup (very late night snack)

Tuesday:
Brunch: Scrambled egg by itself (eaten after we got home from the vet clinic, around 4:00 p.m.); chocolate
Dinner: Leftover smoked sausage stir fry and rice
Snacks: Yogurt, apple slices, crackers, cheese and toast (another very late night snack)

Wednesday:
Breakfast - Peanut butter on a slice of toast
Lunch - Fried breaded shrimp
Dinner - Chicken sandwich roll
Snacks: Banana, ice cream

Thursday:
Brunch: Scrambled egg
Dinner: Rice, beef curry, tomato chutney, cucumber salad
Snacks - Banana, yogurt, canned peaches

Friday:
Brunch - Bread and beef curry
Dinner - Fried breaded shrimp with tomato chutney
Snacks -Peanuts, canned peaches 

Saturday:
Brunch - Pancakes and mackerel curry
Dinner - Hamburger patty, green beans, corn, potatoes, tomato chutney
Snacks - Blueberry pancake; canned peaches

Sunday:
Brunch - Pancakes and mackerel curry
Dinner - Cheese burek compliments of neighbor S
Snacks - Rice pudding, gata, apple

I think it worked out well, even with several changes.  I couldn't find the chicken curry in the freezer, so  I thawed a packet of beef curry, instead, and that worked out just as well.  I've since located the chicken curry, and have taken out a packet of 2 pieces to thaw for this week.  I have one more packet of beef curry and two packets of chicken curry, in the freezer.  That's at least 3 more weeks of chicken and beef curry before I need to make more (there's plenty of sauted or baked chicken in the freezer as well).

On to this week's meal plan:

Brunches: Leftover blueberry pancakes (Monday); French toast; scrambled eggs (with or without bacon and fried potatoes or toast); uppuma (Indian style cream of wheat); soup (?; it's supposed to rain on Thursday); leftovers

Dinners: Leftover beef curry with rice and eggplant curry; leftover cheese burek with salad; leftover hamburger patty with salad or cooked vegetables; chicken curry with rice and moringa curry (from the freezer); leftover chicken curry, moringa curry, and rice; gyoza (from the freezer); leftovers or a breakfast for dinner 

The theme for this week's dinners seems to be leftovers!  LOL.

Snacks/Desserts: Yogurt, cereal, apples, crackers with cheese or peanut butter, granola bars, canned fruit, maybe a peach dump cake with frozen peaches?

That is the plan, anyway.  While my meal plans are subject to change, I've some leftovers in the fridge that I need to finish up!  

How about you?  Are you making a meal plan this week?  If so, would you care to share in the comments?

Meal Plans: March Week 5 Review and April Week 1

These were my meal plan options for the last week in March:

Brunches: Sauteed garbanzo beans (Monday)✔, banana muffins✔, scrambled egg and toast✔, salad✔, frozen burrito, milkrice with seeni sambol and mackerel curry (on Saturday, April 1)✔, leftover milkrice and mackerel curry✔,  bread pudding, cornbread

Dinners:
- Smoked sausage/vegetables stir fry with rice (Monday)✔
- Beef pot pie stew (using canned beef stew)✔ 
- Turkey and vegetable soup; biscuits
- Leftovers✔

Here's how it worked out:

Monday:

Brunch: Sauteed garbanzo beans, banana muffin
Dinner: Smoked sausage/vegetables stir fry with rice
Snack: Cereal with milk; raisins

Tuesday:

Brunch: Banana muffin

Dinner: Salad, smoked sausage stir fry and rice, canned pineapple for dessert
Snack: Crackers with peanut butter and apple/cranberry jam

Wednesday:

Brunch: Scrambled egg (1 egg), toast, apple juice
Dinner: Canned beef stew with frozen green peas added.

Thursday:

Brunch: Bara Brith bread pudding
Dinner: Smoked sausage stir fry and rice, another piece of bread pudding for dessert

Friday:

Brunch: Salad (lettuce from the garden, grapes, bottled dressing)
Dinner: Smoked sausage stir fry and rice, bread pudding with custard for dessert
Snack: Canned beef stew

Saturday:

Brunch: Milkrice, mackerel curry, seeni sambol

Dinner: Pancakes, mackerel curry, bread pudding with custard for dessert

Sunday:

Breakfast: Cornbread

Lunch: Milkrice and mackerel curry, apple juice

Dinner: Scrambled egg (1 egg) and toast

Snack: Apple

Well, that didn't turn out too badly, did it?  I followed the meal plan for the most part.

I didn't make the pot pie, but, ate the stew as a stew because it was easier (and I probably didn't need the extra calories from pastry, anyway, especially since I had made bread pudding and custard, etc.)  There is a little more stew left, so there might still be a pot pie, next week!

I also didn't make the turkey and vegetable soup because I didn't feel like having soup, this week.  

Moving on to April!

I start the first full week of April with lots of leftovers and they will dictate the meal plan options!

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?)

- Chicken curry, rice, dhal, broccoli

- Battered fish fillets (frozen), rice, snow pea pods
- 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

At least, that is the plan.  How things will actually work out will depend on a number of factors including if I will put in an order for groceries during the first week of April or not!  The above meal plan is made based on what I currently have on hand.

How about you?  Did you make a meal plan for the last week in March and if you did, did you follow it?  Will you be making a meal plan for the first week in April?  If you are celebrating Easter, what will you be having for Easter dinner?  

November Meal Plans - Week 2 Review and Week 3

I am late with my weekly meal plans!  Better late than never?

I started out Week 2 with a few leftovers that had to be eaten - a piece of baked chicken, a small amount of canned corned beef, potato curry, fish curry, and stringhoppers.

These were my November Week 2 Meal Plan Options:

Breakfast/Brunch/Lunch:  Fruit, French toast, salad, toast✓, sandwiches (tuna or egg salad), milk rice with fish curry✓

Dinner:  Baked chicken with salad, string hoppers with fish curry and potato curry✓, fried rice, "breakfast for dinner" (pancakes waffles or scrambled eggs on toast✓), spaghetti with meat sauce, leftovers✓

Snacks/Desserts: Fruit✓, nuts. cereal, etc.  Maybe cornbread or a pie, if I feel like baking!

And this is how it all worked out:

Sunday:

Brunch:  Toast, butter, homemade strawberry jam

Dinner:  Scrambled egg on toast 

Snacks/Dessert: Grapes, pineapple guava (feijoa), a piece of chocolate

Monday: 

Brunch:  Toast and seeni sambol

Dinner: Chicken noodle soup

Snacks/Dessert: Grapes; grilled cheese sandwich

 

Tuesday:

Brunch:  Stringhoppers with potato curry and seeni sambol

Dinner:  Macaroni and cheese

Snacks/Dessert: Apple, toast and seeni sambol, a piece of chocolate

Wednesday:

Brunch: Milk rice and mackerel curry  

Dinner: Baked potato

Snacks/Dessert: Grapes, apple slices with peanut butter

Thursday:

Brunch: Leftover milk rice and seeni sambol

Dinner: Chicken noodle soup

Snacks/Dessert: apple slices, cereal

Friday: 

Brunch: Stringhoppers, seeni sambol

Dinner:  Waffles, fish curry

Snacks/Dessert: Creme brulee

Saturday:

Brunch:  Leftover waffles and seeni sambol

Dinner:  Curry puffs filled with a mixture of leftovers (baked chicken, corned beef, potato curry)

Snacks/Dessert: Tres leches cake

Leftovers Curry Puffs

Well, that was a bit "hit or miss", wasn't it?  And, did I mention that I was on a seeni sambol (sweet and spicy onion relish) kick?  It seems I had it at practically every meal!  

November Week 3 Meal Plan Options:

I started Week 3 with several leftover curry puffs, a little bit of mackerel curry, and some of the gravy from the potato curry.

Breakfast/Brunch/Lunch:  Fruit, curry puffs, French toast, pancakes, sandwiches (cheese, tuna or egg salad), soup

Dinner:  Curry puffs, coconut roti with fish curry, spaghetti with meat sauce, pork chops, oven fried chicken.

Snacks/Desserts: Fruit, nuts. cereal, etc. 

Of course, November Week 3 has already started.  

Sunday: I had curry puffs for both brunch and dinner!  Snacks included a pomegranate from the tree and cashews.

Monday: Again, curry puffs for brunch and dinner!  Snacks included a banana, another pomegranate, and a cheese sandwich.

Tuesday: I had a banana for brunch and some vada (a fried snack made with lentils and spices) with my afternoon tea.  Haven't decided what I'll have for dinner, yet (it's a little after 6:00 p.m. as I type this).  Maybe I'll make the coconut roti to have with the fish curry, tonight.  

How are your weekly meal plans coming along? 

Mackerel Curry Recipe

Both Eileen and Nil wanted to know how I make my mackerel curry, so I am posting my "recipe".   I really don't use precise amounts of ingredients, but I tried to estimate how much of what I put in, because my daughter used to hate it when she'd ask me how to cook something and I'd say, "some onions, some tomatoes, some curry powder", etc.  (But now that she's been cooking for herself for over 5 years, she cooks the same way I do - some of this and some of that!  LOL.)

I use canned (tinned) mackerel packed in either water or brine.  I can find mackerel in water at the grocery store; the ones I buy at the dollar store tend to be packed in brine.  If I buy the ones in brine, I don't add any additional salt to the dish.  I don't discard the liquid the fish is in; I use that for my gravy.  But, you may discard it, if you prefer, and use fresh water and milk to make the gravy, or, only the milk (either coconut milk or regular milk).

1 can mackerel, packed in water or brine
1 small onion or half a larger onion, sliced (you can add more if you really like onions)
1 tomato, chopped or sliced (again, add more if you like lots of tomato)
1 green chili, sliced (remove seeds or omit if you don't want it too spicy)
2-3 cloves of garlic, sliced
1 small piece of ginger
1 sprig (several leaves) of curry leaves (can substitute a bay leaf if needed)
1 piece pandan leaf (optional, don't worry if you don't have it)
1-2 heaped teaspoons of curry powder (I use a mixture of dark roasted and yellow curry powder; my daughter tends to use turmeric instead of yellow curry powder)
1 tsp chili powder (adjust to how spicy you want the curry; can add less chili powder and add paprika for color, if you like); yes, I add both chili powder and green chilies to my curries
1-2 whole cloves
1-2 whole pods of cardamom
1/2 - 1 can coconut milk (can substitute regular milk, if needed)
1-2 table spoons of oil
1/2 lemon (or a lime)
Salt to taste (if needed)

Saute the onions and tomato in the oil, add the green chili, garlic and ginger, curry leaves and pandan leaf and saute for about a minute.  Add the liquid from the can (or water) and the coconut milk (or regular milk), add the curry powder, chili powder, cloves and cardamom, and bring to a boil; reduce the heat and let the gravy simmer for about 5 minutes.  I add the fish at the very end, and simmer only until the fish is warmed through, since it is already cooked.  That way, the fish stays whole (unless you wish to break it apart).  The final step is to add lemon juice.  I add lemon because I have lemons growing in my garden; one can add lime juice, if preferred.

Now, the short-cut method, which I've been known to use, occasionally, is to skip the sauteing of the onions and tomatoes, etc., just dump the liquid from the can into a saucepan, add all the ingredients other than the fish and lemon juice, bring the gravy to a boil, add the fish and lemon juice!  That's what I did the other night!  My daughter was shocked when I told her I did that, because she does the sauteing, etc., the way I told her to do.  I've even been known to omit the garlic and ginger, on occasion (often when I don't have these ingredients on hand).  It still makes a very good curry, in my opinion. 

I hope you make this curry and enjoy it.

September Meal Plans - Week 1 Review; Week 2 Plan

This was the meal plan for the first week in September:

Brunches: Milkrice and beef smore (Monday)✔, scrambled egg and toast✔(for dinner), French peanut butter toast✔, egg salad or tuna salad✔, leftovers✔ 

Dinners: Roti and mackerel curry✔, bread and beef smore,  smoked sausage stir fry and rice✔, soup (?), leftovers✔ 

Snacks: Yogurt✔, apples, crackers with cheese or peanut butter✔, granola bars✔, canned fruit, maybe something baked (although the forecast says that temperatures will be going back up to the upper 90s by the end of the week)

And here's how it worked out:

Monday:
Brunch: Milkrice and beef smore
Dinner: Chicken Sandwich Roll from the freezer
Snacks: Cheese and crackers

Tuesday:
Breakfast: Yogurt with peach jam and half a granola bar crumbled into it
Lunch: Milkrice and beef smore
Dinner: Breakfast for Dinner - Scrambled eggs, bacon, toast
Snacks: Cereal (dry, no milk), yogurt, Asian pears, homemade potato chips from homegrown potatoes

Wednesday:
Brunch - Tuna salad sandwich
Dinner - Coconut roti with the last of the beef smore I kept in the fridge (there's more in the freezer)
Snacks: Cereal (dry, no milk), yogurt, homemade potato chips

Thursday:
Brunch: Coconut roti and mackerel curry
Tea: Bread and butter
Dinner: Leftover ground turkey keema curry
Snacks - Asian pears, ice cream, cereal

Friday:
Brunch - Tuna salad sandwiches
Dinner - Leftover ground turkey keema curry, fries
Snacks - Asian pears, ice cream, cereal

Saturday:
Breakfast - Scrambled egg and toast
Lunch - Tuna salad sandwich
Dinner - Smoked sausage stirfry (with carrots, broccoli, snowpea pods) and rice 
Snacks - Yogurt, crackers with peanut butter

Sunday:
Brunch - Peanut butter and toast (I had planned to make French toast, but, I couldn't be bothered!)
Dinner - Leftover smoked sausage stirfry and rice
Snacks - Yogurt, cereal, crackers, chocolate

I think it worked out well enough, although, there seems to be a sad lack of vegetables!

Time to make a meal plan for this week!

Brunches: Pancakes and mackerel curry (Monday), leftover pancakes and mackerel curry, French toast, scrambled egg and toast,  salads

Dinners: Smoked sausage stir fry and rice (Monday), chicken curry with rice, spicy potatoes, and eggplant, hamburgers and salad, leftovers 

Snacks: Yogurt, cereal, apples, crackers with cheese or peanut butter, granola bars, canned fruit, maybe muffins if I bake some

That is the plan, at least.  My meal plans are subject to change. though, depending on what I feel like cooking!  

How about you?  Are you making a meal plan this week?

December Meal Plans - Week 4 Review and Week 5

I started Week 4 with a new grocery pick up and some leftovers in the fridge, along with a few perishables my daughter brought home from her fridge.  I hadn't planned a special Christmas dinner, however, a friend blessed us with dinner.  I cooked a dinner and took over to another friend and there were additional exchanges of food gifts, as well.  With daughter being home on holiday and it being Christmas, I am afraid I didn't keep close track of what we had for meals, especially as daughter and I chose to have different things for breakfasts and lunches on some days.  

These were the December Week 4 Menu Plan Options:

Breakfast/Brunch/Lunch:  Waffles✓, French toast, bagels✓, croissants✓, scrambled eggs and toast, cereal and milk, oatmeal (for daughter; I don't much care for oatmeal), soup✓, salad✓, sandwiches, or leftovers✓

Dinner:  Chicken curry with rice, lentils, and cabbage green beans✓; coconut flat bread with chicken curry✓; turkey meatball curry with rice and green beans cabbage, leftovers✓.

Snacks/Desserts: Fruit✓, fish cutlets✓, nuts✓, granola bars, fried breadfruit chips✓, popcorn✓, Christmas candy✓

Here's how it all turned out, more or less!

Monday: 

Breakfast:  Half a bagel (me); rice and chicken curry (daughter)

Lunch: Soup (me); rice, green beans, and chicken curry (daughter)

Dinner: Rice and chicken curry with green beans (both of us; yes, daughter ate rice and chicken curry for all three meals as she said she couldn't get enough of my chicken curry after not having it for 9 months!  LOL!) 

Snacks/Dessert: Fresh oranges, home canned peaches (daughter can't get enough of that, either!)

Tuesday:

Brunch: Croissants with butter and homemade peach jam; bananas (daughter might have had rice and chicken curry for lunch, as well)

Dinner: Coconut flat bread, chicken curry

Snacks/Dessert: Cookies, pears, banana

Wednesday: 

Brunch:  Croissants; daughter had leftover coconut flat bread with chicken curry, later

Dinner: Rice, chicken curry, dhal, sauteed cabbage (took some over to a friend, as well)

Snacks/Dessert:  Cookies, fruit, popcorn, candy, etc.!

Thursday: 

Breakfast:  Croissants

Lunch: Rice, turkey meatball curry, sauteed green beans

Dinner: Rice with Korean style chicken stir fry (with onions, zucchini and mushrooms) that daughter cooked

Snacks/Dessert: Vietnamese meat pies, cake, cookies, fruit

Friday: 

Breakfast: Waffles and bacon

Lunch: Leftover rice and turkey meatball curry

Dinner: Sri Lankan yellow rice, mutton curry, cashew and green peas curry, fried eggplant, cucumber salad, fried pappadum, and fresh pineapple

Snacks/Dessert:  Cake, cookies, fruit, peanuts

Saturday:

Breakfast: Half a bagel (me); banana (daughter)

Lunch: Leftovers from Christmas dinner 

Dinner: Parathas and mutton curry and leftover curry gravies

Snacks/Dessert: Fried breadfruit chips, popcorn, cake, canned peaches

Sunday: 

Brunch: Leftover waffles and bacon (me)

Dinner: Salad, turkey tetrazzini (it was the first time I'd made it and my daughter liked it very much)

Turkey Tetrazzini

Snacks/Dessert:  Lime gelatin with condensed milk; chocolate; banana

According to my way of thinking, the week's meal plan options worked out quite well.  

 

I am going to consider the week starting December 28 as Week 5.  I start Week 5 with some leftovers from Christmas lunch and about half the dish of turkey tetrazzini.  There are also some fresh vegetables that must be cooked before they spoil and some fruit that must be eaten.  

These are my December Week 5 Menu Plan Options:

Breakfast/Brunch:  French toast, scrambled eggs and toast, cereal and milk, oatmeal (for daughter), milk rice (on January 1)

Lunch: Salad, sandwiches, fried rice, or leftovers

Dinner:  Turkey tetrazzini; rice, with chicken curry, green beans, and pumpkin curry; paratha with chicken curry; rice with mackerel curry, dhal, and broccoli; leftovers.

Snacks/Desserts: The house is well stocked with snacks, but, I need to go back to being careful about what and how much of it I eat!  Ideally, my snacks will consist of fruit and nuts.  I will be keeping track of only the snacks and desserts I will be eating and not what my daughter eats!

What's your meal plan for this week?

Medical Appointment on Tuesday

Squill (Drimia maritima) Flower Stalk

It feels like all I did today was drive to the clinic, wait to receive my injection, and drive back!  But, I did manage to get a few other things done, too.  My appointment at the clinic was for 1:00 p.m. and I was asked arrive 15 minutes early.  The drive usually takes about one hour, depending on traffic.  At 11:40 a.m., I pulled the car out of the garage and noticed the tire pressure gauge light was on!  I walked around the car and noticed that the right front tire looked a bit deflated.  I was so glad I decided to leave a little bit earlier than I had to!  I drove to a tire shop/service center that I've been to before and they checked the tire pressures and inflated the right front tire.  I was glad it was not a puncture.

Even with the slight delay to get the tire pressure checked, I arrived at the clinic at 12:45 p.m.  The waiting room was practically full (only every other chair was available for seating), but, I was able to get the last available seat.  There was a short wait and I was called in to be weighed, my pressure taken, etc.  Then, I was asked to go back to the waiting room until an examination room was available.  I explained that I had been seen by the nurse practitioner on my earlier visit, that I was only there to receive my injection which hadn't been available at the earlier visit, but, apparently, I needed to be seen by the nurse practitioner again before the injection could be given!  

When I went back to the waiting room, it was packed!  There was a line of people waiting to check in and others waiting to be called in.  Not a single seat was available!  There were at least two or three people standing, waiting to be called in.  I joined them and stood for some time.  I was glad that I could stand without my leg hurting.  Eventually, I was called in and shown to an examination room and I sat and waited.  I had taken a book of sudoku to work on while I waited and I was able to amuse myself while I waited.  And waited.  And waited.  The assistant who had called me in noticed me waiting and asked me if I was still waiting to be seen and I said, "Yes".  He said he will find the nurse practitioner and notify her.  Another 15 minutes or so passed and the nurse practitioner came in, with another person who was in training or observing, and apologized for the long wait time.  She didn't do another physical examination, this time, just asked a few questions to see if everything was the same and I had no new concerns, and authorized the administration of the injection.  It was 2:45 p.m. (I texted daughter to let her know that I had just been seen by the nurse practitioner).  There was another short wait for the nurse to come in and actually give me the injection and have me sign the form stating I received the injection.  After that, I was able to leave the clinic.  It was 3:00 p.m.!

Of course there was quite a bit of traffic on the freeway on the way home, but, at least it was moving.  I was getting tired and hungry by the time I got off the freeway (I had a cup of tea in the morning and, although I had some cheese crackers with me, I didn't eat while at the clinic or in the car).  I mentally reviewed what we had at home for a quick lunch, but, everything required some sort of preparation (plenty of pasta sauce, but, have to cook pasta to have with it, etc.) and  decided to pick up a pizza on my way home (there is a chain of pizza shops that have pre-made pizza to go, no need to order ahead of time).  I bought the pizza and got home just before 4:00 p.m.

Daughter hadn't eaten, either; we had some of the pizza for our lunch.  Afterwards, I rested a bit and watched some of the Olympics.

Then, I brought in the trash cans from the curb, collected the empty food containers from neighbor T (the ones I had given the pasta and sauce in, yesterday), and  cooked a mackerel curry, with canned mackerel.  I took some of the mackerel curry and a container of the pasta sauce I had made to friend R, who gave me some of the stringhoppers she had ordered.   

Daughter and I enjoyed the stringhoppers with some of the mackerel curry for dinner.  Afterwards, she helped me put away the leftovers and I did the dishes.  I also froze some of the pasta sauce for another time.

Today, I am grateful for:

- Helpful workers at the tire place and the tire was not a flat!
- A safe drive to and from the clinic
- The injection was approved and administered
- Medical insurance
- Friend R sharing stringhoppers with us
- Being able to do all what I did without any sciatica pain!

Today's joyful activity was taking some curry and pasta sauce to friend R and receiving some stringhoppers in return.  When I called friend R to thank her, again, for the stringhoppers, she said she had just finished eating some of her stringhoppers with the mackerel curry and enjoyed the curry very much.

Plans for tomorrow include having M water the garden and maybe mopping the kitchen.

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

August Meal Plans: Week 1 Update and Week 2

August Week 1 meal plan: these are the options I had listed for August Week 1:-

Breakfast/Brunch: Leftover milk rice with fish curry✓, French toast✓, pastrami sandwiches✓, salad✓, scrambled egg with fried potatoes✓, cereal and milk (had this as snacks, instead)

Dinners:  Smoked sausage stir fry with rice✓; fish curry with rice and broccoli sauteed green beans and lentils ✓; leftover roast beef slices (from the freezer) made into a stir fry or stew✓; homemade tomato soup; salad✓

Snacks/desserts:  Fresh fruits✓, crackers with peanut butter, cereal✓

Monday:

Breakfast - French toast, banana

Lunch - Salad (lettuce, cucumber, grapes); bottled dressing; 1/2 pastrami sandwich

Dinner  - Rice, mackerel curry, sauteed broccoli

Snacks - Dry cereal, lemon puff cookies (3)

Tuesday:

Breakfast - French toast

Lunch - Salad (lettuce, carrots, cucumber); bottled dressing; 1/2 pastrami sandwich

Dinner - Beef saute/"stew" - leftover roast beef, potatoes, carrots, broccoli

Beef "Stew"

Snacks: Orange; a spoon of chocolate hazelnut spread!

Wednesday

Brunch - Leftover milk rice and mackerel curry

Dinner - Beef stew, salad

Snacks - Apple, 1/2 sandwich, peanuts

Thursday

Brunch - Scrambled eggs, bacon, hash brown potatoes 

Dinner - Beef stew, salad

Snacks - Honey barbecue chicken wings, orange, cereal

Friday

Breakfast - Pancakes, bacon, syrup

Lunch - Pancakes, fish curry

Dinner - Beef stew

Snacks - Cereal, orange

Saturday

Brunch - Uppuma (Indian style semolina/cream of wheat)

Dinner - Rice, sausage stir fry

Snacks - Orange, lemon puff cookies

Sunday

Breakfast - Leftover uppuma

Lunch - Tuna sandwich

Dinner - Leftover rice and sausage stir fry; salad

Snacks - Orange, slice of bread with peach jam

This weeks meal planning options worked well for the most part.  I had most of the meal options I listed as well as some I didn't list!  

August Week 2:  

I am starting this week with hardly any leftovers to finish up; just a spoonful of rice and a little bit of mackerel curry.   I took out two pieces of rotisserie chicken to thaw in the fridge, so I will be looking at some chicken recipes, this week.

These are the meal options for August Week 2:

Breakfast/Brunch/Lunch:  Pancakes, pastrami sandwiches, scrambled egg and bacon with fried potatoes, cereal and milk, salad

Dinners:  Rotisserie chicken made over (sauteed?), served with potato and green salad; Armenian kebabs made over (sauteed with onions and tomato, maybe), served with rice and cucumber salad; ground beef served with potato and vegetables (carrots and green beans) or made into keema curry and served with rice and vegetables; gyoza/potstickers.  

Snacks/desserts:  Fresh fruits (oranges, apples), canned fruits, crackers with peanut butter, cereal, cookies, peanuts, etc.

This week, I am not being very specific with dinner menus, because I really don't know what I will end up cooking!

July Week 5 Meal Plan Review & August Week 1 Meal Plan

July Week 5:

These were the options I had decided on for July Week 5 -

Breakfast/Brunch: Cereal and milk, French toast, pancakes/waffles, ham sandwiches, scrambled egg with fried potatoes, spaghetti with sauce, milk rice with fish curry and/or spicy onion sambol

Dinners:  Chicken (baked or broiled) with baked or mashed potatoes and broccoli; pot roast beef made into a stew; fish curry with rice and sauteed green beans and lentils; smoked sausage stir fry with rice or noodles

Snacks/desserts:  Fresh fruits, yogurt, cereal, cake, maybe muffins?

This is how the week turned out in terms of meals:

Monday:
Breakfast: Cereal with milk
Lunch: Spaghetti with sauce
Dinner: Scrambled eggs, bacon, toast
Snacks: Orange

Tuesday:

Brunch: French toast 

Dinner: ?? Ham sandwich??  I didn't write down what I ate and now, I can't remember!

Snacks: Crackers with peanut butter, cereal with milk

Wednesday:

Breakfast: Banana

Lunch: Cup of noodles soup

Dinner: Teriyaki chicken with vegetables, rice

Snacks: Grapes, cereal

Teriyaki Chicken and Vegetables

Thursday:

Breakfast: Banana

Lunch: Cold cuts sandwich

Tea: Buffalo chicken wings (3), cup of tea

Dinner:  Teriyaki chicken with vegetables, rice; cake and ice cream for dessert!

Snacks: Roasted peanuts

(Apparently, I was very hungry on Thursday!)

Friday:

Breakfast: Banana

Lunch: Salad (red leaf lettuce, cucumber, etc. with bottled Caesar salad dressing); Buffalo chicken wings (4)

Dinner: Leftover teriyaki chicken and vegetables with pasta "noodles"; ice cream for dessert

Snacks: iced coffee

Saturday: (August 1)

Brunch: Milk rice and mackerel curry, banana

Milk Rice and Mackerel Curry

Dinner: Cold cuts (pastrami) sandwich, yogurt  

Snacks: Peanuts, crackers with peanut butter, dry cereal

Sunday:

Brunch: Leftover milk rice and mackerel curry

Dinner:  Armenian pizza (lahmajoon) and pumpkin muffin compliments of neighbor S and her daughter N; S even gave me a candle if I wanted to make it a candle-lit dinner!

Armenian Pizza (Lahmajoon) and Pumpkin Muffin

Snacks: Pastrami sandwich

The week's meal plans worked out well, even if I didn't make everything I thought I might make!  I certainly didn't go hungry!  LOL.

Which brings me to the August Week 1 meal plan.

Breakfast/Brunch: Leftover milk rice with fish curry, French toast, pastrami sandwiches, salad, scrambled egg with fried potatoes, cereal and milk

Dinners:  Smoked sausage stir fry with rice; fish curry with rice, sauteed green beans and lentils; leftover roast beef slices (from the freezer) made into a stir fry or stew; homemade tomato soup; salad

Snacks/desserts:  Fresh fruits, crackers with peanut butter, cereal

That is the plan, at least.  Let's see how it works out.  Anyone else meal planning?

Meal Plans: August Week 2 Update and Week 3

 August Week 2:  

I started this week with hardly any leftovers to finish up; just a spoonful of rice and a little bit of mackerel curry.   I took out two pieces of rotisserie chicken from the freezer and made some spicy shredded chicken.  

These were the meal options for August Week 2:

Breakfast/Brunch/Lunch:  Pancakes✓, pastrami sandwiches✓, scrambled egg and bacon with fried potatoes✓, cereal and milk✓, salad✓

Dinners:  Rotisserie chicken made over (sauteed?), served with potato and green cucumber salad✓; Armenian kebabs made over (sauteed with onions and tomato, maybe), served with rice and cucumber salad; ground beef served with potato and vegetables (carrots and green beans) or made into keema curry and served with rice and vegetables; gyoza/potstickers✓.  

Snacks/desserts:  Fresh fruits (oranges, apples)✓, canned fruits, crackers✓ with peanut butter, cereal✓, cookies, peanuts, etc.

This is how it all worked out:

Monday:

Breakfast: Half pastrami sandwich

Lunch: The other half of the sandwich

Dinner: Shredded chicken, spicy sauteed potatoes, cucumber slices

Snacks/desserts; caramelized apple slices (dessert)

Tuesday:

Brunch: Pancakes with leftover mackerel curry (that finished the mackerel curry)

Dinner: Shredded chicken and potatoes; salad

Snacks: Slice of banana bread, cereal

Wednesday:

Brunch: Pancakes and bacon

Dinner: Scrambled egg and potatoes, salad

Snacks: cereal; cheese and crackers; orange

Thursday:

Breakfast: Cereal with milk

Lunch: Salad and pastrami sandwich (that finished the bread and the cold cuts)

Dinner: Parathas with shredded chicken and spicy potatoes

Snacks: Raisins, apple, last piece of banana bread

Friday:

Brunch:  Scrambled egg and fried potatoes; orange

Dinner: Gyoza (potstickers)

Snacks: Banana-peach "ice cream"

Banana-Peach "Ice Cream"

Saturday:

Breakfast: Cereal with milk

Lunch: Paratha with made over shredded chicken (I turned it into a curry by adding some milk because I wanted some gravy) and potatoes

Dinner: Gyoza (pot stickers)

Snacks: Apples, crackers with chocolate hazelnut spread

Sunday:

Breakfast: Cereal with milk

Lunch: Paratha with shredded "curried" chicken and spicy potatoes; cucumber salad

Dinner: Cup of noodles instant soup

Snacks: Almonds, orange

Well, the curried shredded chicken and spicy potatoes sort of carried me through the week!  In fact, I finished the last of the curried shredded chicken and potatoes, this afternoon, for my lunch.   I suppose I could have frozen some of it, but, I took advantage of it to avoid cooking a lot during a rather hot week.  I had enough variety for my liking with a couple of additional meals from the freezer (the gyoza/potstickers) and pantry (the cup of noodles).

So, onwards to Week 3!  

It has been a couple of weeks since my last grocery delivery (received July 29).  I still have fresh produce, but I have finished my bread.  Of course, now that I have yeast, I can make some, but, it is too hot to switch on the oven!  I am also coming to the end of my fresh dairy milk; it had a "best by 8/8/20" date on it, so, I am trying to use it up before it goes bad.  I will probably put in a small grocery order sometime this week.

Week 3 Meal Plans:

Breakfast/Brunch/Lunch:  Pancakes; scrambled egg and fried potatoes with or without bacon; cereal and milk; uppuma (Indian style semolina), salad

Dinners:  Armenian kebabs made over (sauteed with onions and tomato, maybe), served with rice and salad; ground beef served with potato and vegetables (carrots and green beans) or made into keema curry and served with rice and vegetables; smoked sausage stir fry served with rice or noodles.

Snacks/desserts:  Fresh fruits (oranges, apples), canned fruits, crackers with peanut butter, cereal, cookies, peanuts, etc.

How about you?  Are you making any meal plans?  

November Meal Plans Week 3 Review and Week 4

November Week 3 Meal Plan Options:

I started Week 3 with several leftover curry puffs, a little bit of mackerel curry, and some of the gravy from the potato curry.  These were the meal plan options I thought might work out for Week 3 - 

Breakfast/Brunch/Lunch:  Fruit✓, curry puffs✓, French toast, pancakes, sandwiches (cheese✓, tuna or egg salad), soup✓

Dinner:  Curry puffs✓, coconut roti with fish curry✓, spaghetti with meat sauce✓, pork chops✓, oven fried chicken.

Snacks/Desserts: Fruit✓, nuts✓. cereal✓, etc. 

And this is how it worked out:

Sunday:

Brunch:  Curry puffs with tomato chutney

Dinner:  More curry puffs, tomato chutney 

Snacks/Dessert: Pomegranate, cashews

Monday: 

Brunch:  Curry puffs, tomato chutney

Dinner: Curry puffs, tomato chutney

Snacks/Dessert: Pomegranate, banana, cheese sandwich

 

Tuesday:

Brunch:  Banana

Tea: Vada (lentil snacks)

Dinner:  Coconut roti, fish curry

Snacks/Dessert: Cassava chips

Coconut Roti/Flat Bread

Wednesday:

Brunch: Curry puff, tomato chutney

Dinner: Coconut roti, the last of the fish curry

Snacks/Dessert: Banana, raisins and cashews, small piece of halapa

Thursday:

Brunch: Banana, curry puff

Dinner: Pork stir fry with rice

Snacks/Dessert: Vada, cassava chips, 

Pork Stir Fry and Rice

Friday: 

Brunch: Chicken noodle soup; crackers

Dinner:  Leftover rice and stir fry

Snacks/Dessert: Stewed apple with ice cream; granola bar, chocolate

Saturday:

Brunch:  Roti with katta sambol (a mixture of onions, chilies, and Maldive fish, ground together with lime juice)

Dinner:  Spaghetti with meat sauce 

Snacks/Dessert: Pomegranates, cheese and crackers

I think it worked out quite well, although all I ate at the beginning of the week (from choice) were curry puffs!  LOL.  Obviously, I liked them! 

On to Week 4!  Week 4 includes Thanksgiving Day.  At the beginning of the month, I thought I might do another grocery shopping order closer to Thanksgiving, but, since my daughter will not be joining me, I think I will simply make a Thanksgiving meal using what I have on hand.  Although, I am debating if it is worth ordering a pumpkin pie and whipped cream for dessert.

November Week 4 Meal Plan Options:

Breakfast/Brunch/Lunch:  Fruit, scrambled egg and toast, grilled cheese sandwich, French toast, pancakes, waffles

Dinner:  Spaghetti with meat sauce, pork chops, Thanksgiving dinner (roast chicken, mashed potatoes, corn bread, green beans or broccoli, cranberry sauce), leftovers.

Snacks/Desserts: Fruit, nuts. pumpkin pie?  

Of course, since I am posting this on Monday, I've already started on Week 4 -

Sunday:

Brunch:  Grilled cheese sandwich

Tea: Almond Danish

Dinner:  Spaghetti and sauce 

Snacks/Dessert: crackers

Monday: 

Brunch:  Scrambled egg and toast

Dinner: Spaghetti and sauce

Snacks/Dessert: Jalebi, tangerine

How are you doing with your meal planning?

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.  

On the First Day of August

Milk Rice and Mackerel Curry

On the first day of August, I made milk rice for brunch and a mackerel curry (using canned mackerel) to go with it.  I used regular dairy milk for the rice, but, used the remainder from a can of coconut milk (that I had kept in a jar in the fridge) for the curry.  In case anyone is wondering, the red bits in the curry are pieces of tomato and the green leaves are curry leaves.  I also had a banana while I was waiting for the milk rice and the curry to cook.

It was another warm day, with a high of 97F.  I did the dishes (the plates, etc., in the dishwasher; the pots and pans by hand), scrubbed the stove top and the counters, had a long conversation with cousin P and a shorter one with friend R, practiced the piano, swept my bathroom and cleaned the litter box, watched some of my favorite cooking shows on TV and watched the video of today's temple services, online. Later in the evening, I video chatted with my daughter.  

I received a reminder in the mail, today, from my gynecologist that I needed to make an appointment for an annual exam!  I am not sure if I am ready for all this, yet!

It was a fairly relaxed day, but, I am content with what I accomplished.  In between doing the few household tasks I did today, I sat on the sofa with my foot elevated, icing my toe, which is still a bit painful (it has been a week since I bruised it).  I am wondering if I might have a hairline fracture, after all.  

Dinner was a sandwich as I wasn't very hungry, followed by some yogurt.  Later, I had crackers with peanut butter for a snack.

Today, I am grateful for:

- The beginning of a new month

- Being able to watch the video of the temple services

- Working appliances (fridge/freezer, dishwasher, fans, TV, computers, etc.)

- Electricity to run the appliances

- Chatting with my daughter, cousin, and friend

Today's joyful activity was watching cooking shows on TV!

According to the weather forecast, tomorrow's high will be 100F.  I am planning to have another relaxed day, although I really need to start the car!

How was your Saturday?  Did you do anything special to mark it being the first of the month?  What are your plans for tomorrow?

Meal Planning July Week 2

I'm a bit late with the meal planning for this week!

But, first, a review of last week's planned meals.

This is what I had planned for meals during the first week of July:

Brunches: Milkrice and seeni sambol✔ (Saturday, Sunday, and Monday, too, with some chicken curry, as well); toast and cream cheese; cereal and milk, egg salad✔ or and tuna salad✔ sandwiches, pancakes

Dinners: Hamburger✔ (with the ends of bread for the bun; Saturday and Tuesday); Rice, chicken curry, lentil curry, curried sauteed green beans✔ (Sunday and Wednesday); Chicken curry sandwich with potato chips and sliced cucumber ✔(Monday; who needs cold cuts when there is chicken curry?);  coconut roti with leftover chicken curry✔ and lentils or seeni sambol mackerel curry; breakfast for dinner (scrambled eggs and baked potato wedges or pancakes with bacon); baked chicken with vegetables

Snacks/desserts: ice cream bars✔, the last zucchini muffin✔, fresh fruit✔, canned fruit cocktail✔, cereal✔, banana-nut muffins✔

Monday:
Brunch - Milkrice with seeni sambol and chicken curry
Dinner - Chicken curry sandwiches, potato chips, cucumber slices

Tuesday:
Brunch - Pancakes with chicken curry and lentils (and one with syrup)
Dinner - Hamburger with "bread ends bun" and cucumber slices

Wednesday:
Brunch - Egg salad sandwiches
Dinner - Rice and curries (chicken, lentils, green beans)

Thursday:
Brunch - Egg salad sandwich and doughnuts!
Dinner - Rice and curries

Friday:
Brunch - Tuna salad sandwich
Dinner - Rice and curries

Saturday:
Brunch - Tuna salad on toast
Tea - Banana muffins
Dinner - Coconut roti with chicken curry and lentils

Sunday:
Brunch - Coconut roti with seeni sambol
Dinner - Baked chicken (from the freezer) made over with sauteed onions, tomatoes (from the garden), potatoes, and green peas; banana muffins

It worked out quite well, I think.  I didn't make the breakfasts for dinner; instead, I thawed three baked chicken thighs and added them to sauteed onions, tomatoes, potato, and frozen green peas to make a sort of "skillet dinner", which gave me leftovers to take me into this week!

The meal plan for this week (which started yesterday, on Monday) is as follows:

Brunches:  Banana nut muffins and cheese sandwich (Monday), Toast with butter and peach jam (Tuesday), scrambled egg and hash browns,  pancakes and bacon, blueberry muffins, uppuma (Indian style cream of wheat - haven't had that in a long time), leftovers.

Dinners: Leftover chicken "skillet dinner" with added green beans (from the garden) and sliced carrots (Monday);  Shrimp curry with rice, chutney, and cucumber salad, Sausage stir fry with rice and vegetables, leftovers

Snacks: Fresh fruit (grapes, apples, oranges), canned fruit, muffins, cereal, chips, etc.

That is the plan; we'll see how it all turns out!

Did you do a meal plan for last week?  If so, how did it work out?  Are you making a meal plan this week?

Visiting Family on Sunday

I hope that those who celebrate Palm Sunday had a special day today. 

I was able to go to the rosary gathering, yesterday, after all, and didn't have to drive, as cousin called later, after I had posted my blog post, yesterday, and said she had been able to talk her daughter into driving us.  I enjoyed the gathering and seeing everyone there.  I got home around 11:30 p.m., video chatted with my daughter till around 12:30 a.m., and then, went to bed around 1:30 a.m.

Daughter went grocery shopping at the dollar store, yesterday:

Grocery Haul Part 1

Sara Lee honey wheat bread, spinach, Oscar Mayer applewood smoked uncured ham cold cuts, Mexican guavas, 2 packs blueberries, orange cauliflower, hass avocados, 2 mangos, 4 plantains.

Grocery Haul Part 2

2 cans coconut milk, 5 cans mackerel, 6 cans garbanzo beans, vanilla extract 3 ramen bowl (nong shim, tonkotsu, and sukiyaki flavors), teriyaki flavored dry roasted seaweed, taro chips, 2 boxes of ginger tea.  She said she stocked up on the cans of mackerel and garbanzo beans because they don't always have them in stock.

Today, she cooked:

Daughter's Cooking

She said she made: gingerbread chickpeas, sauted plantains, butter garlic basil cauliflower rice, spinach spaghetti and butternut squash pasta with meatballs and Thai yellow curry sauce, sweet and spicy roasted orange cauliflower, maple roasted yams with pecans, ranch chickpeas, kabocha soup, mackerel curry.  She thinks she has cooked enough food for 2 weeks!  My goodness!  She says she prefers to spend 2 hours cooking, once a week, and having to wash one set of pots and pans, rather than cook daily and wash pots and pans every day!  It all looks good, doesn't it?  

Today, I slept in again and woke up around 10:30 a.m.  I had a relaxed morning.  It was a partly cloudy day and on the cool side, but no rain.  Neighbor T called around 11:30 a.m. and we chatted a bit.

Later, in the afternoon, I went to see my Aunt T, who is now in a nursing home after falling and being in hospital for observation.  Aunt T is the widow of one of my uncles who was my mother's younger brother.  I had asked my cousin V (who is Aunt T's daughter) at yesterday's rosary gathering, if I could come to her place and go with her to the nursing home and she had said yes.  When I asked what time would be best, she said any time.   Today, I called her around 1:00 p.m. and asked if 3:00 p.m. would be good and what would Aunt like to have.  Cousin said 3:00 p.m. would be fine, or even 2:30 p.m., as she wanted to go to church at 5:00 p.m., and to bring some Sri Lankan food, as Aunt doesn't much care for the food at the nursing home.

So, I cooked rice, a fish curry (using canned mackerel - just like my daughter did!), sauted/curried cabbage, and a lentil curry (dhal).  I didn't take any pictures, though!  I fear my cooking pales in comparison to my daughter's!  LOL.  Then, I served two plates of food - one for Aunt and one for Cousin.  I used microwave safe containers with covers that some carry out food had come in; they are considered as "disposable", but I wash and save them for just such purposes.  This way, the recipients don't have to worry about returning the containers.

I was at my cousin's house at exactly 2:30 p.m.  (takes about 20 minutes to get there).  We visited Aunt and stayed there for about half an hour.  Then, we went back to cousin's house and had a cup of tea.  While I was there, cousin's daughter face timed her from New York where she lives with her husband and son and when she knew that I was visiting cousin, she showed me that the quilt I had made was being used as a play mat for her son.  She said that everyone who visits admires the quilt.  I was glad to see that the gift I made (with things I had on hand) is something useful.    

After I came home, I aired the house so it doesn't smell of fish curry, did the dishes (washed some by hand and the rest in the dishwasher), wiped down the kitchen counters and stove top (I am a messy cook!), put away the rest of the food I cooked, as I cooked a little extra so there would be some for me for the week as well, and ate some leftover pancakes (from yesterday) with some of the fish curry for a late lunch/early dinner.  After that, it got cold, so I closed the windows and turned on the heater!  

Today, I am grateful for:

- Being able to visit Aunt and cousin

- My turn to cook and take food to others

- Knowing that cousin's daughter is using the baby quilt I made

- Being able to produce a meal using pantry/fridge/freezer items 

- A safe drive to cousin's house and back

Plans for tomorrow (I have the day off work) include grocery shopping, paperwork, and house cleaning.

How was your Sunday?  What are your plans for the upcoming week?

July Meal Planning, Week 1

Sunday Dinner: Rice & Curries (Chicken, Lentils, Green Beans)

Time to start the month off right and plan a few meals!

I picked up groceries on Friday, June 30 and did just a little bit of meal prep over the weekend.  I cooked milkrice, seeni sambol, and 10 hamburger patties on Saturday and cooked a chicken curry with 4 lbs. chicken thighs and a lentil curry and curried sauteed green beans (from the garden) on Sunday.   I'm not sure if that counts as batch cooking, but, meals during the week will be based on what I've cooked over the weekend, with other items prepared to supplement them as needed.

Brunches: Milkrice and seeni sambol (Saturday, Sunday, and Monday, too, with some chicken curry, as well); toast and cream cheese; cereal and milk, egg salad or tuna salad sandwiches

Dinners: Hamburger (with the ends of bread for the bun; Saturday and Tuesday); Rice, chicken curry, lentil curry, curried sauteed green beans (Sunday and Wednesday); Chicken curry sandwich with potato chips and sliced cucumber (Monday; who needs cold cuts when there is chicken curry?);  coconut roti with leftover chicken curry or mackerel curry; breakfast for dinner (scrambled eggs and baked potato wedges or pancakes with bacon).

Snacks/desserts: ice cream bars, the last zucchini muffin, fresh fruit, canned fruit cocktail, cereal

That is the plan; we'll see how it all turns out!

How about you?  Are you making a meal plan this week?  If you are in the U.S., are you planning a special meal for July 4th to celebrate Independence Day?  

Ending May

Blurry Orange Rose

On Tuesday, I went to my doctor's appointment.  Thank you for all the crossed fingers and good vibes and well wishes on the lab tests!  The majority of the results were good!  The doctor wants me to do one additional follow up blood test and she also recommended physical therapy for the pain I feel when I walk (she didn't think it was sciatica!).  I need to check with my insurance to see if it is covered.  Otherwise, she said to come back in 6 months unless I need to see her before that.  

I had a safe drive to the clinic and back.  After I came home, I had a scrambled egg with bacon and toast for brunch.  Dancer let me know that he likes bacon and enjoyed the small piece I gave him (and asked for more!)  In the evening, I cooked rice and a mackerel curry and made a cucumber salad for dinner, with some peach chutney, as well.  Went off the meal plan, of course, but, that's OK.  :)

Lettuce Flowers

The lettuce has bolted and flowered!  The bees seem to like them!

Today, Wednesday, was another cool, overcast day!  However, I had a productive day, tidying the house and cleaning the family room. 

Gardener M was here this morning and I gave him one of the ripening peaches from the tree (he has helped me so much with the peach tree that I told him that half the peaches were his!) 

He helped me bring in the four 30 lb. bags of kitty litter that had been delivered, two weeks ago (the delivery person stacked them by the front door and said he wasn't allowed to bring them inside; I persuaded him to push them just inside the door and I pushed them further into the living room and they stayed in the living room until today).  Today, M took them out of the boxes and stacked them in the bathroom for me and helped me to break down the boxes and put them in the recycling bin.  I also got rid of four smaller cardboard boxes in which smaller items had been delivered.  I have a tendency to hold onto small boxes, thinking I could reuse them for storage; instead, they just clutter up the room!  

In the afternoon, I tidied and vacuumed the family room and made room for the new filing cabinet.  I also called neighbor T to check on her and to let her know that I returned the back door key to her daughter and had chosen the file cabinet.  She already knew about the file cabinet!  I suppose her daughter told her.  T was happy I will be taking the file cabinet and urged me to take anything else I liked.  I told her I will attend the yard sale and check things out!

Later in the evening, neighbor S called to say that they were in the process of clearing out her mother-in-law's house (a separate dwelling unit at the back of their house) and invited me to come over to see if there was anything I wanted!  I really didn't want anything, but, it seemed rude to refuse.  Besides, S's sister-in-law was also there and I had not yet condoled with her over the death of her mother.  So, I picked a few peaches that were just starting to ripen and took them over, rather than going empty handed.  The peaches were very appreciated, as they knew they were from my tree; I told them they weren't fully ripe, yet, but they cut them and ate them, anyway.

They had spread all the kitchenware and dishes on tables in their carport and were calling friends and family to take what they wanted!  I picked a whisk (I have a whisk, but, sometimes, it's nice to have two), a set of four small bowls (I'm always looking for small bowls), and a flat bed sheet to use as a backing for my latest quilt.  I declined dinner sets, coffee mugs, crystal bowls, and a wall clock, but, one of S's nieces gave me two new burgundy and gold brocade table covers/bed spreads from Armenia, saying grandmother would have liked me to have them.  How could I refuse?  

I had a small peach and a slice of peanut butter toast for brunch, today.  I wasn't hungry for the second slice of toast, so I had that with some mackerel curry at tea time, along with a cup of tea.  Dinner was leftovers (rice, mackerel curry, cucumber salad, peach chutney, and broccoli leaf mallung):

Wednesday Dinner

Manderines for dessert.

I am grateful for:

- A relatively good doctor's appointment on Tuesday
- A safe drive there and back
- Dancer's vet called back and there are treatment options available
- M helping me with the garden and in the house as needed
- Neighbor S inviting me to pick what I want of her late MIL's household items
- Peaches to share with M and S
- Working appliances

- Emails and phone calls 

Joyful activities have included eating freshly picked peaches and sharing them with friends, video chatting with my daughter, knitting myself a new pair of socks with leftover yarn:

New Wool Socks

Plans for Thursday include making milkrice for brunch, cleaning the kitchen, and vacuuming my bedroom.

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

August Meal Plan: Week 1

But, first, a review of last week's (July Week 5) meal plan.  This was the plan:

Brunches: Cheese and crackers (Monday), almond croissant (Tuesday), scrambled eggs and bacon with toast or fried potatoes, salad, milk rice with seeni sambol and mackerel curry; cereal

Dinners: Rice with green peas and grated carrots added to it and sauteed cabbage with roasted cashews (Monday and Tuesday); ground turkey keema curry with rice and vegetables; spaghetti with ground turkey and pasta sauce;  gyoza/pot stickers; leftovers  

Snacks/Desserts: Rice pudding, cake, fresh fruit, smoothies, yogurt

And this is how it worked out (new plant based foods are bolded; my curry powder is a blend of 12 spices and gets 3 points)

Monday
Brunch: Cheese and crackers
Dinner:  Rice with green peas and grated carrots added to it and sauteed curried cabbage with roasted cashews (curry powder & curry leaves) = 7.25 points

Snacks/Desserts: Nectarine = 1 point

Daily Points Total: 8.25

Tuesday:
Brunch: Almond croissant 
Dinner: Leftovers from Monday's dinner
Snacks/Desserts: Rice pudding (almonds, walnuts, raisins = 3 points)

Daily Points Total: 3 

Wednesday:
Breakfast: Scrambled egg, bacon, hot dog bun
Lunch: Nectarine and yogurt
Dinner: Chicken & vegetable (mostly cabbage) gyoza 

Daily Points Total: 0

Thursday:
Brunch: Milkrice, seeni sambol (onions, spices), katta sambol, jaggary
Dinner: Scrambled eggs, bacon, toast
Snacks/Desserts: Peanuts, palmyra sprouts, grapes, strawberries (5)

Daily Points Total: 6.25

Friday:
Brunch: Milkrice, seeni sambol, katta sambol
Dinner: Rice, okra, corn on the cob, ground turkey keema curry
Snacks/Dessert: Palmyra sprouts, yogurt and treacle

Daily Points Total: 2

Saturday:
Brunch: Milkrice, seeni sambol; corn on the cob
Dinner: Leftover rice, okra, keema curry
Snacks/Desserts: Grapes, nectarine, yogurt

Sunday:
Brunch: Potato salad
Dinner: Baked breaded shrimp, potato salad
Snacks/Desserts: Ice cream, grapes

Daily Points Total:0

Edited to add:

Angela reminded me that I get to add a point each for tea, coffee, fruit juice, and chocolate!

Tea: 1 point; cranberry juice: 1 point; 

Weekly Plant Foods Point Total - 19.5 + 2 = 21.5

I didn't meet my 5/day goal, either.

Moving on...

Monday's High

August Week 1 is going to be a hot week.  We reached 100F today and I actually considered putting the a/c on in my bedroom, but, I didn't.  I am planning to have a lot of cold foods this week.  

August Week 1 Meal Plan:

Brunches: Chocolate milk (Monday), cereal and milk, egg salad sandwiches, tuna salad sandwiches, salad, fruit smoothies

Dinners: Rice with keema curry, okra, and green beans; egg salad sandwiches, spaghetti with ground turkey and pasta sauce; breakfast for dinner, leftovers

Snacks/Desserts: Yogurt, fresh fruits, nuts, ice cream, chocolate, corn on the cob

Did you make a meal plan last week?  Are you meal planning this week?

March Meal Plans - Week 2

First a review of how my March Week 1 meal plan worked out.  

Breakfasts/Brunches:  Banana muffins (3 left)✔, pancakes or waffles, milk rice with seeni sambol (March 1)✔, turkey soup (1 serving left)(added to dinner)✔, scrambled eggs✔ with fried potatoes or hash browns, leftovers✔. cinnamon rolls

Dinners:
- Leftover shredded turkey made into something!  It's been sitting in the fridge for several days, now!✔
- Rice with sauteed shredded turkey chicken* or mackerel curry, dhal, moringa curry*, chutney
- Ham* and split pea soup?
- Ground beef* with mashed potatoes, snow pea pods* or broccol
- Leftovers✔
*Items from the freezer

- Macaroni and cheese
- Roti
- Cup noodle soup
- Lasagna

Ha!  See all the items crossed out?  I didn't make them! The items in blue are what I had, instead! Here's how it all turned out:

Monday:
Brunch: banana muffin
Dinner: Made-over shredded turkey with rice cooked with the last of the turkey soup, cucumber slices

Tuesday:
Brunch: Scrambled egg (by itself)
Dinner: Leftover rice, shredded sauteed turkey, cucumber slices
Snack: Cheese and crackers, banana muffins

Wednesday:
Brunch: Milk rice, seeni sambol
Dinner: Milk rice, chicken curry
Dessert: Home canned peaches with non-dairy whipped topping

Thursday:
Brunch: Leftover Milk rice and chicken curry
Dinner: Roti, chicken curry, seeni sambol
Dessert: Home canned peaches with non-dairy whipped topping

Friday:
Brunch: Leftover roti with chicken curry and seeni sambol
Dinner: Boxed macaroni and cheese, leftover shredded sauteed turkey
Snacks: Half the sugarbee apple, home canned peaches, cheese and crackers

Saturday:
Brunch: Lasagna and cinnamon roll
Dinner:  Cup noodle soup (mostly the broth from it; saved the noodles for another day); half a bagel with cream cheese, mandarin 

Sunday:
Brunch: Half a bagel with cream cheese
Dinner: Lasagna
Dessert/Snacks: Cinnamon roll, the other half of the sugarbee apple

I see a sad lack of vegetables, but, I did add some vegetables to the sauteed shredded turkey.

************

Here is the plan for Week 2.  Once again, I am going with options, instead of a set menu by day, as that seems to work best for me.

Breakfasts/Brunches:  Bagels and cream cheese, leftover noodles from the cup noodles with some leftover shredded turkey added to it (Monday),  scrambled eggs with toast or fried potatoes, lasagna.

Dinners:

- Leftover macaroni and cheese with the last of the shredded sauteed turkey, salad (Monday) 

- Leftover macaroni and cheese with chicken curry

- Rice, chicken curry, dhal, cucumber slices

- Ham and split pea soup?

- Ground beef with mashed potatoes, broccoli

- Leftovers

As always, subject to change depending on how I feel!  

Did you make a meal plan, last week?  Did you keep to it?  Have you made a meal plan for this week?  Or, do you decide on the day of?  

Rainy Days

There's rain water pooled at the base of the petals

Tuesday and Wednesday have been rainy days.  Tuesday afternoon, we had a shower of rain which cleared long enough for me to take the pictures of the roses with rain drops on them.  Then, in the evening, it began to pour with rain.  Today (Wednesday), again, the morning was cloudy, but, no rain, until around noon, when it started to rain.  But, it cleared in the evening.

The pharmacy called me on Tuesday morning to ask if I wanted my asthma inhaler refill delivered and I said, yes, please.  They estimated it would be delivered on Thursday, but, I received it, today!

On Tuesday, I brought in the trash cans from the curb, did a little bit of weeding, tidied and dusted the family room, watered the indoor plants, folded and put away a load of laundry I had done earlier, and handwashed two of my wool sweaters that I had knitted.  I had stringhoppers for brunch, rice with chicken curry, green beans, and beetroot curry for dinner, and homemade baked potato chips for a snack!

Homemade Baked Potato Chips

They turned out quite crispy, although some that were sliced more thinly got a bit burned!

I finished knitting the scarf I was making:

New Knitted Scarf

I couldn't decide on a pattern and kept taking it apart and reknitting, until I decided to just do a garter stitch (knit on both sides) and be done with it!

Of course, someone claimed it as his own, the minute I finished making it:

"My Scarf!"

On Wednesday, I continued with cleaning the family room.  I took the dust sheets off the sofas and washed them.  I covered the sofas with sheets I had washed, earlier.

Later, I practiced the piano, starting at the beginning of the book and playing all the pieces I learned earlier until I reached the latest piece, including ones in between that S had me skip over, which I taught myself during the last three weeks.  Much later, in the evening, I discovered that there are some online tutorials for at least some of the pieces that I taught myself!  I need to look into that a bit more!

Breakfast was a tuna salad sandwich; lunch was the leftover "roast beef and vegetables makeover" I had made the other day.  I cooked a mackerel curry in the evening.  Dinner was the last of the string hoppers with the coconut milk gravy and mackerel curry.  Dessert was avocado pudding.  There's more avocado pudding for tomorrow.

I am grateful for:
- Rain for the garden
- A good roof above me
- A home in which to shelter and be safe
- Pharmacy offering free delivery
- My daughter's help with online stuff
- A new scarf
- Roses in the garden
- Phone calls with family and friends
- Online chats with my daughter
- Emails from friends

My joyful activities include reading, piano playing, and chatting with my daughter

Thursday' To Do List:

- Clean the kitchen
- Dust my bedroom
- Vacuum
- Start the car

More rain is in the forecast for tomorrow!

How is your week coming along?  What are your plans for Thursday?