Tag Archives: food

Menu Monday

Posted in bread, cooking, home stuff, meal planning by

Last week ended up kind of a mish-mash of my menus. I did some and not others. Oh well, I’m flexible.

Last night I made a Mexican chicken dish and veggie Chicken patty dish. I grilled the chicken and then when it was done dumped the rest of the salsa in the pan and topped it with Monterey Jack cheese. I did the same in another pan for the veggie chicken patty. We had salad on the side. BTW, Wico has these new chicken veggie patties and for the price point, you can’t beat it compared to Quorn or another name brand.

Monday- I’m either doing fish or the Costco Slice beef, which is sous vide. The reason I’m not sure yet is my son is spending the night so I’ll see which he prefers. I have salad either way.

Tuesday: Quesadillas, beans, and cheese. If there’s any beef left over, I’ll toss that in, too. I bought 2 bags of avocados from Costco so if there are any ripe I’ll top with that. BTW, once the avocados start to ripen put them in the fridge. They will last weeks in there.

Wednesday- Vegetable Barley soup from Costco with homemade sourdough

Thursday- ravioli with marinara sauce with salad

Friday – pizza of some sort.

Saturday- TBD

The sun is out today and it’s a lovely day to be home.

I’m still showing ( apple watch)somewhat elevated sleep dist indicating sleep apnea. There doesn’t seem to be any pattern as to why one day it’s not elevated and the next it is. Does anyone have sleep apnea and what did you do? If I could lose some weight I’m sure that would help:)

I probably should start on our taxes, but not today. 🙂

This was my last boule!

Mid week stuff

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

When I got to the pool Monday, the parking lot was fairly empty. It seems the warming pool was closed because of something so a lot of people weren’t there. Also, the lap lanes were not too crowded. I got my favorite lane by the stairs. I had a good swim and did 950 yards again. My guess is that’s about my limit right now. I was pretty tired when I got home.

I am really enjoying having the Apple watch. I didn’t think I’d like it as much as I do. Usually, I don’t like anything on my wrist but this has really helped me track my steps and swimming and the sleep stuff. I’d definitely recommend it if you’re on the fence.

The baguettes came out GREAT!

The recipe is straight forward and easy to follow. I wouldn’t buy the book though for just this recipe. I took a picture of the recipe to use later. Most of the other recipes are using more unusual grains like Eikorn which I don’t have. Still, this is a great recipe to have. I made this with rosemary and wowza!!

Today is a home day. Usually, I go to the gym but I don’t feel like driving. It’s still early yet so I may go to Costco and get a few things.

Here’s the front room without the rug. We took it up because it seemed every time we vacuumed it was full of lint and fibers. I think it was because the rug was a shag rug and it just had that stuff. I love the fact it’s so easy to clean and when I vacuumed there was very little stuff in the vacuum so my point was taken. I will get another rug eventually but it’ll be something like a Ruggable. I can’t afford that now, especially with the VW in the shop.

My labs came back with my Kappa up some to 19.8 so a bit of a jump from 18.2 but since I’m just over high normal, I’m not too worried. High normal is 19.4. It is what it is and every month there is some variation.

B has his labs today. He’s only going once a week now and all have been good. Tomorrow is the big day with the appt with Dr. Lee so we should have a good idea of what comes next.

The menu plan has changed a bit since I made it up. We had Boca burgers last night and tonight we’ll have the soup( pasta fagioli ). I used some of my canned beans, the Marcella, and kidney. I plan on canning more pintos very soon. It takes some planning and it is time-consuming with the pressure canner going.

Well, that’s it from mi casa.

Frugal Friday

Posted in budgeting, budgets, California, cooking, freezer cooking, frugalism by

It seems this week has been Frugal probably because New Year’s Day was Wednesday. So that meant most stores closed. We didn’t go anywhere on Wednesday. Oh wait, I did go to Safeway on Tuesday with my daughter for the fondue veggies. That ended up $54 I think. After that, we went over to Target and needed dental picks, mouth wash and I picked up a $10 candle. So that was $25.

Wednesday, I made up the freezer double-stuffed potatoes. I had 12 potatoes in there and after they were cut in half and stuffed with potato, butter, cheese, and a little sour cream, I ended up with 15 halves. We definitely eat these and they don’t languish in the freezer.

Yesterday was Velcade and afterward, I stopped at Noah’s for a dozen bagels. I was going to do Trader Joe’s but wasn’t into it so I came home. That saved money, I’m sure.

Noah’s with schmears $21.00.

I took some frozen meals out of the freezer to use. One is lentil soup and it looks ok. The other is greek lemon chicken and I’ll have some of that for lunch. The other was a pulled pork from the fall and that didn’t look too appetizing:( I’m not sure that will get used.

I used the tamales from Costco last night with beans and salad. Tonight might be pizza but it depends on what we all feel like.

Today is a home day for me. I’ll take Dex around 12 or so. I want to vacuum and do some overall tidying. We gave away the Ikea fold-out couch that I used to have in the sunroom. it was a nice little couch but we weren’t using it and it ended up out in the studio and it definitely wasn’t getting used, so I put it on for free in the Facebook marketplace. A nice young couple came and got it. The studio, where my son had his bedroom, is now a catch-all for STUFF and I’m threatening, suggesting we go out there and do a reorganize. We’ll see if I’m up to it today.

Tomorrow, I’m not sure if I’ll go out. I have 3 bags of books to go to the Pet bookstore so that could be a trip out. Most of the books are my daughter’s that she is getting rid of but I have a bag too.

Other than that, I won’t go to the store till next week. Maybe do Trader Joe’s for some fill-in-the-blank stuff. I like their hash browns as they have only potatoes in them. Plus, they have WW tortillas I like too.

I plan on the pool on Monday, but I’ll look at the week and see what else is on the schedule.

Goodbye 2024!!! Hello 2025!!!

Posted in budgeting, California, cancer, cash envelopes, cooking, decluttering, Political things, swimming, Walking by

Well, we made it to the end of the year. After the election, I pretty much haven’t read too much news. Little blips come in now and then but overall, I think my mental health is better for it.

I’m dreading frump taking office. It’s beyond comprehension how he can stand at that podium and take the oath of office after everything he’s done. I’m convinced he’ll go down in history as the worst president EVER. It’s going to be a shit storm for sure. Well, I can only control myself and my little world, so I’ll focus on that.

I was planning on staying home today but I need to return an Amazon purchase. I accidentally clicked on 2 of a calendar and I don’t need two calendars. Since I’ll be in town, I’ll get the veggies for the fondue tonight. if my daughter comes with me, she mentioned needing to go to Target.

The dinner menu was simple for the week :

Pasta bake from the freezer

Costco’s vegetable soup and rolls

fondue (tonight)

nut loaf and potatoes from the freezer

pizza of some sort

something else from the freezer

tofu scramble with leftover veggies

Lots of simple meals this week.

I have a few goals for 2025 but mostly it’s maintaining my swimming, gym workouts, and walking.

I’d like to add finding one new place to camp with full hook-ups and going to the coast, but so much depends on how the surgery goes and recovery. And as of right now, we don’t even know if that’s what will happen. If he gets the green light then we need to plan hotel stays and how that is going to all work out with me staying there. As far as we know B would be in the hospital for probably 2 weeks and then I’m not sure if he needs to stay within 15 minutes of the hospital like he did at UCD. If so we will need something like an extended stay hotel. I guess we’ll know by mid-January as that’s when Dr. Lee is back from vacation.

I could think of lots of other things I’d like to set as goals but I don’t want to commit to anything.

Around the house and yard, we need another carport as the one over the VW broke in the summer. We need to budget for garden stuff.

The VW needs a starter and battery so that needs to be budgeted.

I’d like to start painting some of the rooms, especially the living room.

Anything with remodeling the kitchen is totally on hold as we just don’t have money but we do need a new stove so that will get budgeted. Our stove has knobs on the front and because it’s about 10 years old the knobs will turn on if you lean over the stove and that is way dangerous. We’re all aware of it, so we’re careful but it has happened and then you can smell gas. I think I can find a good stove for around $1000. The one we have is Whirpool and it’s been a great stove except for this knob issue. I’ll check Costco first and then Lowes or Home Depot.

Of course, I’d like to keep minimizing things around the house and making sure we have only the things we need, use, and love. Mostly, that’s just keeping on top of hot spots like the entry way because things do pile up there.

Financially, have most of my cash envelopes fully funded for annual bills. That does take some effort as SS only goes so far. Right now, I have $70 for car maintenance so that needs some money for the VW repair. I’m sure it’s going to be around $1000.

As always, we’ll see what happens.

Wishing you a happy new Year!! “let’s hope it’s a good one without any fear” John Lennon.

Chester helping me at my desk!!

Frugal Friday

Posted in budgeting, budgets, California, cancer, cooking by

We are way over our grocery budget but most of that was extra Costco stuff. It’s ok, some months are like that. I think I’m sitting at about $700 right now. I just checked and it’s more like $900 as I didn’t add in the last Costco trip. Oh well, I have a freezer full and will just need veggies mostly to fill in the blanks.

I got gas at Costco which does save almost $1 a gallon from prices in Auburn. I have enough gas to get through next week. B has his chemo on Tuesday and that will be my last trip to Roseville for the week.

I plan on returning the clothes to Costco today. I did find a pair of the Fila I like and ordered them. If they don’t fit I’ll return them too. I think they were $12.99 at Costco.com.

We didn’t have any meals out and stuck to my menu plan. If we do eat out it’s always lunch anyway. But with B having no appetite it’s not worth going out for lunch.

The turkey order showed up so that’s in the freezer til Monday or Tuesday. I have a coupon for $15 off a whole Diestal turkey down at the Holiday but I’m not sure I’ll use it as they are usually bigger than I need or want. But I may check it out.

We’ve got a small break in the rain today and then it comes back in tonight. It’s supposed to be a colder storm too. From the little news I get now, I did see the PNW got slammed by this storm.

I haven’t checked out any Black Friday deals but B said the new Airpods with hearing enhancement are on sale. I may look at those for him as he does need something to help with hearing. I’ll check that out his weekend.

I have my annual mammogram scheduled for next week too so I can cross that off my list.

Thankful Thursday

Posted in California, Gratitude, home stuff by

Well, I am beyond thankful B has felt good. There is no need for platelets or blood. Whoo hoo!!! He gets labs today, so we’ll see how much more they increase.

We are amid a rain deluge. It’s been raining almost nonstop. I didn’t walk this morning as it was pouring. It looks like next week will be raining off and on. I plan on staying home today but tomorrow I will probably go to the pool. I need to return those sweats so that’s a good reason to go rather than Saturday. Both days will be busy as Thanksgiving is next week. I don’t need anything at this point but I haven’t made a checklist yet. I’ll do that today ( I did it below).

I’m thankful I don’t really stress about Thanksgiving and keep it very simple.

Menu for Thanksgiving:

Turkey roast from Diestal( which didn’t show up yesterday???)

Nut loaf is made and in the freezer,

and mashed potatoes are from Costco and are in the freezer. My son might make homemade made which would be fine too.

cranberry sauce is my canned cranberries from last fall. My son will get or I will a can of Ocean Spray

green beans

rolls, I have a package of Hawaiian rolls in the freezer.

stuffing is just a box of Stouffers. Now that I think about it I need celery and carrots.

I think my son is going to roast some brussels sprouts too.

I have 3/4 of a Costco pumpkin pie in the freezer I’ll defrost. We rarely eat dessert at Thanksgiving but I still want it there.

I’m thankful for quiet times at home. It’s peaceful and cozy.

I’m thankful for my daily routines that keep things running smoothly in our household.

I’m thankful B installed both grab bars in the shower and even though the pan is nonslip it’s best to safer.

Menu Plan

Posted in budgets, California, cancer, cooking, meal planning by

So this week, we’re starting chemo, so I’ll probably keep dinners even more simple.

Last night we had a Costco mushroom and truffle pizza. It was as good as a restaurant. If you see them at your Costco and if you like a thin pizza with mushrooms this is for you.

Tonight I’m grilling some chicken and then there will be leftovers for either soup or something. I am also going to bake one of our delicata squash with butter and brown sugar.

Tomorrow, I think I will plan a ramen soup so B has something easy to digest. I’ll probably add an egg to it too for some protein.

I’m going to cook some rice in the Zojuruishi and make rice bowls. I’m out of tofu so I’ll need to pick some up at our Holiday Market. I won’t be able to get to Costco till next week with everything going on. I have some spinach to use and mushrooms.

A freezer meal of some sort, probably lasagna that I made a while ago and froze.

Something with eggs since I have a lot in the fridge. Either a frittata or scrambled eggs with potatoes.

I will do one fish dish this week. I have some salmon in the freezer so I’ll do that with a rice pilaf.

Here’s the Pullman Pan. or Pain de Mie.

and the loaf of sourdough.

I just had some toasted and it was excellent.

An article I contributed to.

Posted in Uncategorized by

Apartment Guide blog by Freda Nkrumah asked me to contribute to ways to make meal planning easier and faster, so here’s the article.

13 Easy Weeknight Menu Ideas to Try at Home: Save Time and Eat Well

After a long day, the last thing you want to do is spend hours in the kitchen. Fortunately, focusing on weeknight menu ideas can save you time and stress, making it easy to enjoy healthy, delicious dinners even on your busiest nights. 

With a little planning and some smart strategies, you can whip up meals in minutes in your apartment in New York, a rental in Philadelphia, or home in Seattle. Here are 13 practical weeknight menu ideas and tips to make meal prep easier—without sacrificing flavor or nutrition.

1. Batch cooking for the win

Lily Nichols, RDN, recommends preparing large batches of essential meal components, particularly proteins and vegetables. “Roast a chicken or make slow-cooker pulled pork, then pair them with roasted vegetables or a simple coleslaw,” she suggests. Prepping these key ingredients allows you to quickly assemble meals throughout the week, saving time and ensuring you’re eating balanced, nutritious meals. This is one of the best weeknight menu ideas for anyone looking to streamline dinner time.

2. Plan a well-rounded grocery list

Meal prep starts with good planning, according to Wendi Irlbeck, MS, RDN, LD, CISSN. “Take stock of your fridge, pantry, and make a list of what you need,” she says. “Your list should include a variety of food groups—fruits, veggies, proteins, healthy fats, and carbohydrates. Prepping veggies, meats, and carbs in bulk means you’ll have meals for the whole week. Whether it’s a Greek yogurt parfait for breakfast or roasted veggies with grilled chicken for dinner”, these weeknight menu ideas will make your meals hassle-free.

3. Keep it simple and start small

For beginners, starting with easy-to-make meals is key. JM Nutrition advises beginners to start with easy recipes that only require a few ingredients. “Implement easy, simple recipes that don’t take a long time to prep and cook. Once you master a few quick meals, start adding other ingredients.” By making more than you need, you’ll also have leftovers for lunches or quick dinners, saving you even more time.

4. Make meal planning a fun habit

Lifestyle blogger Julie Lopez of La Mami Life inLos Angeles, CA suggests dedicating one day, like Sunday, to meal prep. “Set aside one to three  hours to cook proteins and grains, making it easier to enjoy fresh meals throughout the week.” With some planning, you can whip up delicious meals in no time while reducing food waste by using recipes with similar ingredients.

5. Use tools to simplify your process

ChefPassport’s Matteo Ressa suggests leveraging technology to simplify your meal prep with apps like ChefPassport Family, which provide ultra-personalized, easy, and healthy recipes. By setting aside time on weekends to chop vegetables and cook proteins, you can streamline weeknight meals. Batch cooking and freezing individual portions also ensures you have ready-made meals for those extra busy nights.

6. Let someone else plan your meals

Jessica Braider, recipe blogger at The Scramble in Silver Spring, MD says, “Have someone else do the meal planning for you. Services like hers deliver fresh weeknight menu ideas to your inbox each week, saving you the hassle of deciding what to cook. Each meal is seasonal, healthy, and family-tested, and can usually be made in 30 minutes or less.”

7. Boost flavor with homemade beans

For vegetarians, Letizia Mattiacci from Madonna Del Piatto suggests cooking beans from scratch in an aromatic broth. “Use cooked beans and their broth for soups, curries, or pasta sauces.” This method is a flavor-packed way to get more out of a simple ingredient while saving time on weeknight menu ideas.

8. Stick to a repeating weekly menu

When time is tight, keeping your meals consistent can simplify weeknight cooking. Jess Creatives  keeps meal prep simple by sticking to the same meals throughout the week. “We’ll prep a few pounds of chicken, then shred or chop it up to use in different ways—like tacos, wraps, or rice bowls.” This is one of the easiest weeknight menu ideas that minimizes meal variations, saving time and mental energy.

9. Whip up a quick garlic fried rice

Maricel’s Kitchen from East Brunswick, NJ offers a quick recipe for a flavorful weeknight meal. “For an ultra-fast weeknight dinner, Filipino Garlic Fried Rice (Sinangag) is a perfect choice,” says Maricel’s Kitchen. “Using leftover rice, garlic, and a bit of oil, this dish comes together in under 10 minutes. “Heat garlic and leftover cold rice in a pan, then add leftover meat for a complete meal in under 10 minutes. Serve it with a fried egg or leftover meat, like grilled chicken, for a quick, flavorful weeknight menu idea.”

10. Set a weekly prep day

Consistency is key when it comes to successful meal prepping. Miguel from The Simple Paradise recommends setting a specific grocery and prepping day each week. “Consistency is key. Once you have your plan and tools, like an air fryer or meal prep containers, you’ll stay on track and avoid eating out.” Choosing 2-3 easy go-to meals can also simplify your weekly prep routine.

11. Mix and match for variety

With a few simple components, you can create nearly endless combinations for meals throughout the week. Ryan Jordan (@Gmarketchef) in Chicago, IL loves mixing and matching proteins, veggies, starches, and sauces to create endless weeknight menu ideas. “For example, use roasted chicken with quinoa and veggies one night, then turn them into tacos the next. This keeps your meals interesting and saves time.”

12. Plan your meals in advance

Christina Neumann, a seasoned meal planner in Tahoe, CA, emphasizes the importance of menu planning. “I use a monthly template to plan out meals and make my grocery list accordingly. Basics like frozen pinto beans, tomato sauce, and tortillas are always on hand.” Her tip? Keep a few meals that don’t need a recipe, like roasted chicken or tacos, in your rotation for easy weeknight menu ideas.

13. Focus on basic recipes

When planning meals, Angela Houlie from My Fruitful Body Nutrition advises focusing on simple, basic building blocks like salmon, chicken, and stir-fries for weeknight dinners. “Prep ahead when possible, like crockpot meals, and reduce stress by mapping out a weekly menu.” Sticking to core recipes can help you enjoy healthy, stress-free weeknight menu ideas without overcomplicating things.

Quick and easy meal prep ideas: Wrapping up

With these 13 weeknight menu ideas, you can save time, reduce stress, and still enjoy delicious, homemade meals during busy weeknights. Whether you batch cook proteins, embrace meal planning services, or stick to simple, rotating menus, you’ll find a strategy that fits your lifestyle and makes dinner a breeze so you can live more mindfully.

Thankful Thursday

Posted in Blood test, books, California, cancer, cooking, Gratitude by

Yesterday was lots of fun with my son going to see Deadpool 3. For some weird reason, I just love his character and it’s really quite funny, well if you don’t like heads flying I wouldn’t recommend it. The theatre was empty except for us and that made it even better. After that we went up for pizza and it’s my favorite NY pizza. I’m grateful and thankful for such a great son. He’s very thoughtful and knows me well.

I’m thankful the days are moving along till our Stanford appointment.

I’m thankful the weather is so beautiful and fall like. Both of us, are born in September so maybe that’s why I love the change of season so much.

I’m thankful( actually so grateful) that my labs came back still in the normal range. I’m definitely nervous that somethings going to happen and then I won’t be able to keep up with B’s appts. So far, my daughter has the PET scan covered, and my son will pick up his Dad after his first chemo. That chemo will potentially be ALL day so I’ll do the morning and then he can come after work.

As always I’m thankful for the small things in life that give me so much joy like reading, cooking, walking, and even daily chores.

My son found me a pasta maker at the thrift store. It’s practically new so I’m making some pasta for tomorrow. I don’t have the wood drying pasta thing but I’ll check on Amazon how much it is and how soon it would get here. You can also just make little stacks of the pasta and let it dry on a cookie sheet. He’s a very good cook so he wants to try it after I do.

So I have a question for those of you who read other people’s blogs that have advertisements. I’ve thought of monetizing my blog but every time I start to do it, I’m just kind of turned off by it. Any thoughts? I know when some blogs have ads flying all over I don’t even read the blog and just close it. Frugal Girl’s blog is monetized and the ads seem to just be in the middle of paragraphs and not too intrusive. I think she just mentioned though on her blog that the ads don’t really bring in the money. So how does she earn from the blog? Does anyone know how that works?

Menu Monday

Posted in Blood test, California, cooking, swimming by

I think I’ll do a mix of from scratch meals and then some pantry/freezer meals this week.

Last night we had a broccoli casserole that used broccoli, chicken and tofu on the other side, ranch dressing and then cheese on top. I used up all the broccoli so that was good. It was ok. Not great but ok.

Soup night of some sort. Last week I made homemade mushroom soup ( to use up the Costco mushrooms) and it was quite delicious. I want to add some new soups to my rotation so I’ll be checking out recipes. But if I don’t find something, I’ll just do lentil or minestrone.

I have a meatloaf and mashed potato dinner planned. It’s enough for one dinner and then I’ll freeze the other half. B can have a veggie burger with his potatoes.

I think I’ll plan a brinner this week too. I have lots of eggs so I could do pancakes, eggs, and veggie sausage.

I have a freezer lasagna to use one night with a salad.

I feel like a curry as well, so maybe red lentil curry with rice.

Probably a pizza night but that’s still TBD.

The freezer is low on meats as I haven’t restocked anything so I need to plan a Costco trip for some beef, chicken, and maybe fish.

I got my labs done and was out the door within 10 minutes. Then, I went to the pool. It was crazy busy for some weird reason. Usually, now when I go later, it’s pretty empty so I don’t know if it was just a one-off or what.

I’m home and chilling for the rest of the day. I’m almost done with Fellowship of the Ring.