Category Archives: meal planning

A bit of catch up

Posted in California, cooking, meal planning, swimming, Walking by

I finally broke the ice, so to speak, and went to the pool. I felt ready to do it. I kept it very low-key and did about 20 minutes. The pool was not overly busy, so that was nice. Still sharing lanes but no waiting. I can certainly feel it this morning though.

I walked this morning, although slowly, as I am sore from swimming and my knee feels a bit stressed. My daughter is taking B to infusion, so I will be home doing some odds and ends stuff. I want to get another box of canning jars to Goodwill, so I will do that.

Menu things are not so interesting as I’m not too motivated to cook with,B not eating much.

Last night I made blueberry pancakes and scrambled eggs, so not very exciting.

Tonight, I’ll check the freezer and see what needs to be used up.

Wednesday- Chicken on the BBQ and tofu

Thursday- ginger soy ramen ( recipe from the NYT)

Friday- pizza

Saturday- TBD

What’s on your menu plan?? I could use some inspiration.

Memorial Day and some menu ideas

Posted in California, cooking, meal planning, Uncategorized by

Memorial Day is the day to remember those who gave their lives in service to this country. If you’ve read my blog long enough, you know my brother was killed in Vietnam in 1968. So young.

Menu stuff.

Last night we had another BBQ with hot dogs and macaroni salad, and baked beans.

Monday- ( Memorial Day)- I have chicken to grill up. I probably will do a side of salad with avocado with tomato.

Tuesday- This is the day I’m out almost all day, so I might order a pizza or see if my daughter wants to cook something.

Wednesday- Breaded cod with fries, both from the freezer.

Thursday- I need to check the freezer and see what needs using up. I might do pasta with pesto sauce and salad.

Friday- If we’ve had pizza already, I’ll just do something else.

Saturday- I think it’ll be back to BBQ. I have some veggies to skewer, and I will add tofu and maybe some steak bits.

My daughter and I had a wonderful brunch at High Hand Nursery/Cafe.- It’s quite a unique place as it it is a very posh nursery with absolutely beautiful plants, flowers and trees plus a cafe. It is very popular and you almost always need a reservation.

We both had Eggs Benedict. yummy.

Ha, I had started eating and remembered to take at least one picture.

Menu Monday

Posted in cancer, cooking, meal planning, Political things by

Last night we had corn on the cob and baked potatoes with lots of toppings and a small salad on the side.

Monday- I might do corn again, but on the grill, chicken sausages on the grill too. Boca burger for the veggie.

Tuesday- I defrosted some carne asada, and I’ll have that with a tortilla and toppings. I have beans too, so I’ll make up a bean burrito for B.

Wednesday- I have lots of eggs, so I think I’ll do brinner. Scrambled eggs, and I’ll do some potatoes on the side.

Thursday- I’ve been wanting to make some minestrone, and I got all the ingredients so I might do that.

Friday- Regular pizza night

Saturday- I think I’ll do another BBQ with steak and veggies. Tofu for B.

The week ahead looks good. We’ll know his blood counts by late afternoon, which will really determine the week. I have my appointment on Thursday, so I can’t do that day or Friday, but my daughter could do Friday if necessary. It’s wait and see again.

I’ve just finished my house reset and still need to sweep the kitchen floor.

Just a comment about Biden being diagnosed with cancer. He summed it up well, ‘that we all are affected by cancer’, one way or another. I just wish the orange man in the white house would give up his bashing of Biden. Biden did the best he could and took us out of tRump’s first disastrous term, especially dealing with the aftermath of COVID-19. Was he mentally competent? I’m sure he was until maybe this last year when the decline was evident. But look at tRump, he’s definitely not all there with his ramblings and impulses. Plus, Biden cherishes democracy, and tRump wants to destroy it in the name of righteousness. What a joke, a dangerous joke though.

Menu Monday

Posted in budgets, California, cooking, meal planning by

We did end up having salmon and halibut last night for dinner. I put the salmon on parchment paper, added tomatoes and olives, and then used olive oil to coat it all. It was quite good.

Monday- quiche and salad

Tuesday- bean burritos with toppings

Wednesday- soup of some sort, I need to get creative here and maybe look through some recipes. I think,actually, I’m going to do ramen bowls.

Thursday: Chicken from the freezer. I have French fries, too, so I might make chicken burgers.

Friday- pizza

Saturday- TBD

It’s raining here this morning, which is a bit of a surprise but welcome. I have a few house chores to do, along with making a sourdough jalapeno cheddar loaf.

Menu Monday

Posted in Blood test, bread, California, cancer, cooking, meal planning, Uncategorized by

Last night we had the TJ’s kung pao with rice, and B had the vegetarian Pad Thai from Costco. The TJ’s K P is quite excellent and a good freezer item. The Pad Thai was okay, but I only had a bite to try.

Monday- I’ll probably do something simple, like salad and tofu. Probably a tofu scramble since I have celery, carrots, mushrooms, etc to use.

Tuesday: I’ll make a pot of Rancho Gordo beans and serve them with tortillas, cheese, avocado, and salsa.

Wednesday- I’ll probably do Brinner with eggs and pancakes or maybe waffles would be fun.

Thursday- Soup of some sort. I need to look through the fridge/freezer and see what might need using up.

Friday- pizza, of course, but I’d like to use the free coupon that’s still in my wallet.

Saturday- TBD, if it’s nice out, I’ll use the Weber outside.

The cheddar olive loaf came out delicious.

Toasted, it is yummy.

Well, today is another home day, now that I’m back from my labs. I need to vacuum, mop, and I’ll do a few inside windows.

Tomorrow is a busy day down in Roseville with B getting his 2nd immuno and I plan to get gas, and go to Costco for a few things, and I’d like to hit up Winco for salad stuff. Buying the salad stuff from Costco is probably cheaper in the long run, but it’s just too much for us to get through. Plus, Winco’s prices are so low and so reasonable. His infusion is only 2 hours or less, so that’s perfect timing for me.

Menu for the week

Posted in Blood test, California, cancer, home stuff, meal planning, Walking by

I actually write out a menu for the month. But usually, it is somewhat generic, like Taco Tuesday. So that may end up as burritos or enchiladas. It’s more of a guideline ( remember that funny line in Pirates of the Caribbean)!!

Anyway, we had the home-canned chicken tortilla soup and the vegetable barley the other night. Last night, I made spaghetti sauce and we had spaghetti with that, and B had some ravioli. The tomatoes were the last bag I found in the freezer from last summer, so I wanted to use that up, but I didn’t want to get out the canner, so I froze a few pints.

Tonight, I plan on chicken enchiladas from the freezer with home made refried beans. I’ll make B a few bean/cheese quesadillas.

Wednesday- I think I’ll do some sort of burger with fries.

Thursday- grilled chicken and a Boca burger for B.

Friday- pizza, and this week I will use the coupon I have for a free pizza.

Saturday-??TBD

It’s raining again this morning, so no walking. Plus, it’s quite cold, and a Sierra storm is hitting Tahoe pretty hard. I was going to go down to the Roseville gym, but I think I’ll skip that today. Tomorrow the sun is back and I’ll go to the pool.

Thursday, I have my doctor appt, and on the way back I’ll either go to the gym or Costco. I’m leaving it open, as you never know how long the doctor’s appointment is.

I ordered my Rancho Gordo beans last week, and they should be arriving soon. If you haven’t tried RG beans and you eat beans, you should try them. These are all heirloom beans and the flavor is unsurpassed. I always cook my beans in the crockpot, no soaking first. I put it on high for 6 hours or so.

I’ve been good about not ordering from Amazon although I did order a bamboo blind for the sunroom. That’s the kind of thing I’m not going to go search for. Back in the day(Ha Ha), you could go to an import-type store and find these, but I wouldn’t even know where to start today.

B has labs today, so we’ll see how the hemoglobin is. He still seems tired all the time, but I think that’s the cancer. Tomorrow, hopefully, when he talks to the UCD doctor, we’ll know more. What a shit show. Anyway, I’m just going on the assumption that everything is on schedule till we hear otherwise.

Simple Sunday

Posted in Blood test, California, cancer, canning tomato salsa, meal planning by

We woke up to rain so no walking today. I’m going to the Auburn gym later, so I’ll use the treadmill there.

I did all the canning yesterday and ended up with 9 pints of tomato sauce and 6 pints of chicken broth. One of the chicken broth didn’t seal which is very rare for me, but I think I had wiped the rim with the vinegar solution and left too much on.

It looks like there was some siphoning as well. As long as their sealed it’s fine.

I had both canners going on the stove, so that was new to me. but tomatoes only take 25 minutes in the water bath and chicken broth only 20 in the pressure canner. That cleared out quite a bit of space in the freezer, so I’m happy about that. My goal for the last month or so has been to use down the freezer items, and this certainly helped.

I don’t plan on making any jams this year. We just don’t eat enough jam to warrant it. I can buy a quality Bonne maman, and that will last a few months in the fridge. I do love canning, but it has to be something I’m going to use.

I don’t have a lot of house chores today. Mostly dust, and do another quick vacuum.

I’m planning soup for dinner. I have chicken tortilla soup and vegetable barley. I’ll do some homemade tortilla strips on the side. The rest of the week I’ll have to figure out.

I have my labs tomorrow and will see Dr. L on Thursday this week, so that will change up my swimming and other gym plans.

Menu Monday

Posted in California, cancer, cooking, home stuff, meal planning by

Another week another menu. I guess the good thing is it keeps me accountable for what I have in the fridge and freezer/pantry.

Last night we had yummy artichokes, B had the TJ’s quiche and we had a pasta carbonara from TJ’s. The pasta was fair, I wouldn’t buy it again. I do like their frozen fettuccine alfredo though.

Monday- I have leftover rotisserie chicken. I might make chicken enchiladas or freeze the leftover chicken. I pulled some beans out of the freezer so that’s a possibility.

Tuesday- This normally would be taco Tuesday but if I do the enchiladas on Monday then this would be the day I use the BBQ. I have chicken burgers and bean burgers and some fries I can cook up.

Wednesday- I have some quinoa to use so I think I’ll do that with salmon.

Thursday- brown rice and? I could use a bag of chicken Kung Poa or maybe a tofu.

Friday- Another pizza night. I do have a coupon for a free pizza so I’ll either do that or use my frozen dough. I also have one frozen Costco pizza and I would like to use that up. Decisions, decisions,,,,

Saturday- TBD

Because we only have the Santa Fe now to use( the truck we don’t use very often and I don’t drive the truck at all), I’ll stay home while B goes to Sacramento for his scan. Too bad it wasn’t scheduled in Rocklin. That’s about half the time and distance.

I plan on doing my Monday house reset and then painting some window sills. Did you know they don’t sell high gloss paint in California anymore? At least that’s what the Ace hardware guy said when I went in to get a quart. I got semi-gloss but I’m sure that’s going to be somewhat different from the high gloss I’m used to.

Menu Monday

Posted in Blood test, budgets, California, cancer, cooking, Flylady, meal planning by

Happy St. Patricks day!!

We don’t really do the corned beef and cabbage. I like cabbage but mostly as sauerkraut or cole slaw. Tonight I’m planning baked tofu with sauerkraut and something else.

Tuesday- Probably tacos of some sort. I have some taco meat I made last week and froze so I’ll pull that out and open a jar of my home canned pintos.

Wednesday- I want to start using up the fish I have so I’ll either do salmon or cod. I have a box of Near East rice mix so I’ll make that up too.

Thursday- soup of some sort. This is questionable as I’m not sure what I have. I do have lots of ramen packs so that’s probably what I’ll do and add an egg and veggies.

Friday- I still have frozen pizza but I’m feeling like making homemade. I have an unopened bag of 00 flour so I could use that. plus I have mozzarella and some other toppings.

Saturday- I have a Trader Joe’s mac and cheese I want to use up so that may be it.

I’m home today and plan on doing a Monday tidy-up and home blessing day( which is just a few extra chores). Usually I like to go and do a quick clean of each zone and then something extra.

This week is mellow and no appts. Yay!! But I do plan on going to the gym and the pool at least once. I also want to get a few things at TJ’s like chili powder and ancho if they have it.

Our water bill comes out this week and then that’s it for March’s bills. I’m working on April’s budget this week too. I’m also hoping B gets in for that CT. He’ll probably need to go to Sacramento but that’s ok as long as it gets done. The sooner he gets it the sooner we’ll know how serious it is. 😦

Menu Monday on Tuesday and a few other things.

Posted in Blood test, California, cancer, cooking, library, meal planning, Walking by

We got to the park at 6:30 and had to use the headlamps for a bit. So this is an ok time for right now. It’ll start getting light earlier so we can keep backing up our time. My ideal is time is 6-6:30. although in the summer we are often out there at 5:30.

It’s a clear sunny day today but the next storm is expected tomorrow. My plan is to go the gym today, and the library then if the weather is awful later in the week I won’t feel as bad not going. I’m not a fan of driving in the rain.

The pantry challenge is going great.

Last night it was wonton soup except what I thought were wontons were periogi. Actually, it was quite delicious with lots of fresh grated ginger. Now I have to go find the wontons in the freezer. I tried one of the Costco beef burgers for lunch the other day. I only had half because they’re huge. But it was ok. Not great but I’ll try and use the rest up somehow. Not something I’d buy again.

Tuesday- tacos for Taco Tuesday. I have some crunch shells so I may do bean tacos.

Wednesday- Breakfast for dinner -pancake mix that needs to be used and scrambled eggs.

Thursday- macaroni and cheese from the freezer and a big salad.

Friday- one of the frozen pizzas

Saturday?? TBD

The good news is the ultrasound came back on the liver ‘unremarkable’. so that’s a very good thing. But it’s still not good that he’s still having some abdominal pain. I told him to ask Dr. Singhal if it could have to do with the gallbladder?? He’s going for labs either today or tomorrow so we’ll see what that looks like. This has certainly screwed up his surgery( although this is not official at all) but it’s just a waiting game.