Working on Menu Planning

I am going to work on menu planning.  The biggest advantage I think it will have for my family is that we will have a greater variety of meals.  They always appreciate it when I take the time to plan something new or at least something other than spaghetti.

In my current system of menu planning I usually buy the same things at the grocery store because we have standard dishes that we have every week with a few variations thrown in.  I have a few standard meals in my repertoire that can be made relatively quickly when I don't have anything else. These would include pizza, frozen burritos, and spaghetti. 

So, for example, when I buy groceries every two weeks,  I make sure I have enough spaghetti, sauce, and ground turkey for at least three meals of spaghetti;  I buy enough cheese for at least two pizzas and always be sure to have flour and tomato sauce on hand.  I buy two packages of burritos just in case we want something really quickly. For sides I try to have canned and frozen vegetables handy as well as a good supply of Romaine lettuce for salads. 

The more formal "planning" comes in when I incorporate new dishes.  For example, I have a new soup cook  book so I may pick four recipes from this, planning on two new soups for each week along with home made bread.  I  try to think ahead so as to make these recipes and the bread on days that aren't so busy so there is plenty of time for chopping vegetables and/or I start chopping vegetables a day or two ahead whenever I have time so I can make these recipes more quickly on the days that they will be served. 

So its not like I'm completely without a plan, but I am trying to formalize it a bit by writing down a specific menu for supper during weekdays.  It has been rather time consuming up front expecially when I try to plan two weeks at a time.  It has been helpful tough as long as I remember to look at my menu throughout the week and make sure I have everything ready (meat thawed or beans soaked)for a specific day.  Sometimes I don't use the menu I have planned for the day that I planned it.  I switch things around to different days but this still works well.  Just having something down is the important part.

Seven Quick Takes Vol. 12

1.  For Valentine's Day my husband made lobster tail and pork chops; and as if that were not enough he made chocolate mousse also. (I made the home made whip cream.)  Neither of us had had chocolate mousse before.  It was heavenly and it makes me so happy just thinking about it.

2.  Angelboy and I are seriously thinking that he will go to high school next year.  I think it will give us both more space and perhaps strengthen our relationship.  We may decide to go back to homeschooling but you don't know what will work until you try. 

3.  I am making French Lentil soup, salmon croquettes (recipe on back of can, I was originally going to make tuna salad using salmon), and homemade bread.  That sounds really good for a Lenten Friday supper.

4. I read a lot of the benefits of menu planning.  The only time I really plan a menu per se, is when I am going to try a new recipe and I need to make sure I get the proper ingredients from the store.  Otherwise I mostly buy the same stuff at the store and work with this.  Could anyone tell me why they think or don't think planning menus is helpful?

5.  One thing I am trying to do this Lent is to keep my in between meal eating to a minimum.  I think this will help me to be more mindful of what I eat.  Am I hungry?  How much do I need to eat to satisfy me?  What can I choose that is healthy?  I try to focus on the fact that I need Jesus more than I need that slice of cheese and learn to rely on him for happiness.  O.k. I am trying to loose a little weight too.

6.  I wasn't going to do seven quick takes but its much more fun to read everyone else's when you have some of your own to share.

7.  I'm trying to teach pumpkingirl how to help me clean the kitchen by sweeping, wiping, scraping off her plate and putting the recycling in its proper place.  That should keep her busy for a while.

For more quick takes see Jen and http://www.conversiondiary.com/.

Some Plans for Lent

Here are a few of my more solid Lenten plans:

40 days for life-signed up for one hour of prayer to end abortion every Wednesday with Angelboy.

Weekday Mass-at least once per week

Fasting-Give up sweets and eat meat only at the main meal.  Try to maintain a spirit of fasting everyday of Lent.
Here is a good list of things to do for lent from Nadja at Patch O' Dirt Farm.  I may be referring to this throughout Lent.

Seven Quick Takes Vol 11

1.  I just don't feel like I can think of a whole lot to write about these days.  I get these little snippets of things in my head that I think would be good to write about but then I get stuck.  I suppose that's what Seven Quick Takes are for: writing down all those little snippets that come into my head and there's not much more that can be said about them; at this stage of my writing ability anyway.

2.  Yes, I suppose its Valentine's Day on Sunday.  I usually buy the kids little boxes of candy or another trinket.  My mother did this for us and it was fun.  Maybe someday I'll make trinkets instead of buying them.  It's just a matter of finding the time.  Perhaps we could just all make cookies together?

3.  Speaking of making things, I'd like to learn to knit.  Are there any projects that anyone could suggest for a beginning knitter with very little experience?

4.  There is a string quartet concert that I would like to go to on Saturday night.  I'll probably take Angelboy with me.   There is a part of me that doesn't want to go as I will feel sad that as a musician I am not doing more with my music.  On the other hand I know that getting out to hear classical music will feed my spirit and I will enjoy it immensely.

5.  I saw the Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist on Oprah Tuesday.  It was really a great segment.  I liked the dialogue that was taking place between the sisters, Oprah and Lisa Ling.  When else do you get to hear talk of the dignity of the human person and chastity as being part of the integration of one's sexuality on network television?  These topics and philosophies are so foreign to the popular culture and there they were being discussed with the foremost television mogul of our day.   Hooray for the Sisters for agreeing to be on Oprah and hooray for Oprah for having them on!

6.  I have been decluttering my kitchen cabinets this week by completely taking everything off of a shelf or two.  I have been applying the suggestions that I got here to a degree.  The gist of it is to take everything off or out and only put back what you have determined belongs there.  This has been proving very helpful.

7.  I have been intending on buying an external hard drive to back up the data on my computer.  My husbands hard drive crashed not too long ago and therefore the issue has been brought to the forefront of my mind.  I better not put it off too much longer.

Thanks for reading.  For more quick takes go to conversiondiary.com.

Prayer Schedule-Work in Progress

Here is a general prayer schedule that I have been trying to do:

Morning offering along with praying for whoever and whatever I am inspired to pray for.

9:30 Prayer with Angelboy and Pumpkingirl (if she is so inclined.)  We read about the saint of the day on catholicculture.org then we pray the morning liturgy of the hours or another prayer that would preferably have to do with the feast day.  These are usually suggested on the sidebar with the page about the saint.

12:00  We pray the Angelus before lunch.  Sometimes we forget and just do it whenever we think of it.

Naptime-I read blogs or write on my own which I suppose could count as spiritual reading since most of what I read is Christian/Catholic housewives and others. 

7:30 is family prayer time with the rosary or another prayer.

Before bed-My husband and I read and/or say a short prayer together.

Other-I try to pray whenever I am nursing though this can be difficult as the baby is easily distracted from the task at hand and have been having to wrestle with him a bit.

The Simple Woman's Daybook

From Julia's daybook...February 8, 2010

Outside my window...it is snowing.

I am thinking...that I wish I had more time to write on my blog.

I am thankful for...the fact that we made it to visit my Dad in the  nursing home yesterday.  The roads were a bit slick on the way back so I am also thankful we made it back home o.k.

I am wearing...jeans, blue three quarter sleeve cotton shirt with v-neck and black courderoy blazer.  Perhaps a bit more dressed up than normal because I had an appointment this morning.

I am remembering...how we sang "Yes Jesus love me" yesterday and how Dad joined in.

I am going...to go grocery shopping to night.

I am reading...The Creative Family by Amanda Blake Soule.  It is basically about encouraging creativity in your family and being creative with your kids through various means. There are a few good ideas I might try.  I like the idea of a fabric basket.  This is a basket with different pieces of cloth with varying textures, etc.  Sounds simple enough.

I am hoping...that I can make a shopping list and possibly get some menu ideas together before we go shopping. 

On my mind...how I need more time to get things done especially those things that I enjoy doing and help me to feel good.

From the learning rooms... working on polishing up a writing assignment.

Noticing that...the baby is occupied so I can continue writing.

Pondering these words...The same thing that happened last week will probably happen again next week.  You can anticipate what will happen and think about how you will react or you can keep reacting in the same way you always have.

From the kitchen...Spaghetti for supper. 

Around the house...I straightened and dusted my upstairs bookshelf this weekend.

One of my favorite things...Getting away by myself to plan homeschool, prayer time, family schedule, etc.

From my picture journal...

Christmas presents!

For more day books go to http://thesimplewomansdaybook.blogspot.com/.

Very Doable Exercise Routine

These are my goals for a basic exercise regimen:

Walk for 30 minutes at least 4x per week in the afternoon. If the weather is bad I stay in and dance around to music while kids are napping and otherwise occupied.  Many times the baby is up to watch me though. 

Strenght and stretching exercises 3x per week in the early morning.

Strengthening and toning exercises include: push-up type exercises (until I can do actual push-ups), a few simple pilates exercises, and crunches. 

For stretching I basically get up, sit on the floor, extend my legs to the front or side, sit with my legs crossed, reach over with my arm,  move any way that I feel like stretching.   The main thing here is to get up and start moving in ways that stretch and strengthen my body.  Pretty simple.  Now I just have to stick to it.