Now that I am out of the first trimester and, for the most part, past the throwing up, the desire to sleep 22.5 hours a day, and the inability to string a coherent thought together, it is time to get back to the business of...well, er...whatever it was that I was doing before.
Most of you who read this blog already know, but for anyone who doesn't, The Hubs and I are having twins! I am currently 13 weeks and they were both healthy and strong as of our last ultrasound a few weeks ago.
Now, onto the show.
Lately, the improvements I have been making to my life have felt more like trying to keep my head above water whilst baking two buns in the oven. Cooking dinner after working a ten hour day felt like a major accomplishment and after hauling myself out of bed at 5:00 am for an entire workweek, I felt like I deserved a medal. However, as the first trimester unpleasantries have started to fade, my focus has been staying on top of my house work. It is soooooo terribly easy to say "that dirty kitchen can wait til.... someday in the not-too-distant future...."
I have always been more of an Amelia Bedelia than a Martha Stewart, but I want to raise my kids in a clean, organized, put-together environment. I am sure that my definition of those particular adjectives will change a bit once I have two newborns to care for, but I figure its best to get a habit established anyway. I have been making an effort to at least stay on top of the laundry, do the dishes more than once a week, and keep The Hubs' shirts ironed and presentable-looking. The Hubs was recently asked to start wearing shirt and tie to work, so the throw-it-in-the-dryer-with-a-wet-towel trick doesn't quite cut it anymore. Suprisingly, however, I have found the regular ironing to be quite enjoyable. It is a chore in which no scum is involved (such as shower scum or baked-on food scum) and the results are so crisp looking. I feel positively June Cleaver-ish while I'm ironing. Maybe I should start wearing an apron and pearls...
Tomorrow, I am going to bathe the dogs and tackle a long-neglected and scum covered shower. The dogs love baths so that will be the easy part. (We regularly find our younger dog, Lucy, just hanging out in the tub...) The shower, on the other hand, is full of soap scum, dirt from Lucy's paws, and hard water stains. Not an easy mixture to clean. I have previously used Arm & Hammer shower cleaner, but that has strong fumes that I can't bring myself to consider safe for gestating fetuses. So I will be trying Ajax, a heavy duty scrub brush, and a lot of prayer.
I realize that my cleaning routine probably doesn't interest much of anyone, but I am trying to embrace the idea that once these babies are born (and I have recovered from the c-section,) I am going to be taking sole responsibility for the upkeep of my house. I will not be working outside the home, won't be going to school for a while, so I want to be able to take pride in my little kingdom. Bring it on June Cleaver.
I do, however, promise not to regale you with tales of the babies' latest bowel movements or any other gore of that nature, and that's just going to have to be good enough.
About Me
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Saturday, May 15, 2010
A New Reason to Improve
As of Thursday morning, I have an entirely new reason to do the things I do, to be come a better person- Thursday morning, after ten long months of trying, I found out that I am finally pregnant! It is just barely sort of starting to sink in that I am going to be somebody's mother. I feel prepared and inadequate all at once. Anyway, in order to prevent this blog from becoming a "Johnny threw up today" kind of blog, I will stay brief and just say that I am excited beyond what words can express. So in the spirit of my announcement, the artist I will feature today is Anne Geddes ;) (No analysis needed).
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Bosch and Scale
The next artist I'd like to feature is a fascinating sixteenth-century Dutch painter named Hieronymus Bosch. There are so many reasons why I love Bosch's work. Let's take a look at the painting that is cosidered his masterpiece: The Garden of Earthly Delights
I apologize for the somewhat poor quality of the picture, its the best I could find online. This is oil paint on wood. There is an INCREDIBLE amount of detail in this painting that you just can't see in small scale. I encourage all of you to go to the library and look up a book with a larger image of this painting- its amazing. Here are some close-ups of the right side panel:
_-_detail_1_(devil).JPG)
Now- why do I like these jumbled, slightly disturbing paintings so much? Firstly, consider the period in history in which they were painted. The Garden of Earthly Delights was completed in 1510! Martin Luther wouldn't post his Ninety-Five Theses for another seven years! This was a time in which portaits and religious paintings were the norm. To my (very limited) knowledge, although they contained religious content, nothing like these paintings had ever been done before. Look at the surreal creatures and objects in the close-ups. Its plain to see that later surrealist artists like Salvador Dali were heavily influenced by Bosch's work which was so entirely ahead of its time.
So how did Bosch create such a surreal, even nightmarish mood? It wasn't just his use of strange creatures- look at how he messes with the scale of everyday objects. All of the human figures are propotional to one another, but the flute, the bagpipes, and the animal skull, for example, are all gigantic in proportion to the humans. It gives the viewer an feeling of vague uneasiness which the theme of the painting only enhances.
Scale is an interesting tool that artists use to inspire certain feelings in the viewer. Consider the Sistine Chapel, for example. A viewer's breath is simply taken away by the massive scale of the work. Then after the feeling of overwhelming awe subsides, the viewer can look at the individual frescoes. As you're out and about looking at various advertisements, buildings, landscape designs, etc., consider how the creator used scale to convey his point. In advertisements, a product is often portrayed as being much larger than it actually is. Like this ad, for example:
If the bottle were actually this big, it would take an NFL player to lift it. But the proportionally large scale of the bottle draws your attention to it.
On a somewhat unrelated note: Donovan McNabb, I hope you enjoy the death of your career with the Washington Redskins.
I apologize for the somewhat poor quality of the picture, its the best I could find online. This is oil paint on wood. There is an INCREDIBLE amount of detail in this painting that you just can't see in small scale. I encourage all of you to go to the library and look up a book with a larger image of this painting- its amazing. Here are some close-ups of the right side panel:
_-_detail_1_(devil).JPG)
Now- why do I like these jumbled, slightly disturbing paintings so much? Firstly, consider the period in history in which they were painted. The Garden of Earthly Delights was completed in 1510! Martin Luther wouldn't post his Ninety-Five Theses for another seven years! This was a time in which portaits and religious paintings were the norm. To my (very limited) knowledge, although they contained religious content, nothing like these paintings had ever been done before. Look at the surreal creatures and objects in the close-ups. Its plain to see that later surrealist artists like Salvador Dali were heavily influenced by Bosch's work which was so entirely ahead of its time.
So how did Bosch create such a surreal, even nightmarish mood? It wasn't just his use of strange creatures- look at how he messes with the scale of everyday objects. All of the human figures are propotional to one another, but the flute, the bagpipes, and the animal skull, for example, are all gigantic in proportion to the humans. It gives the viewer an feeling of vague uneasiness which the theme of the painting only enhances.
Scale is an interesting tool that artists use to inspire certain feelings in the viewer. Consider the Sistine Chapel, for example. A viewer's breath is simply taken away by the massive scale of the work. Then after the feeling of overwhelming awe subsides, the viewer can look at the individual frescoes. As you're out and about looking at various advertisements, buildings, landscape designs, etc., consider how the creator used scale to convey his point. In advertisements, a product is often portrayed as being much larger than it actually is. Like this ad, for example:
If the bottle were actually this big, it would take an NFL player to lift it. But the proportionally large scale of the bottle draws your attention to it.
On a somewhat unrelated note: Donovan McNabb, I hope you enjoy the death of your career with the Washington Redskins.
Monday, May 3, 2010
Art Lesson
Going back to school in a creative field has made me realize just how important the creative process is in my life. Being in an art class again has made me feel like a big part of me that was asleep for a long time is alive and engaged again. Since art is once again a big part of my life, I'd like to start featuring an artist each week (or, let's be honest here, as often as I get to it). For the most part I will not be featuring artists like DaVinci and Van Gogh whose work everyone is fairly familiar with- I want to talk about some lesser-known artists. Not obscure, necessarily, but not uber-famous either. So without further ado, I'd like to introduce you to the work of a Collage artist named Dick Allowatt. (I'm starting with him because I'm currently doing a project based on his work.) Dick started his art career as a Graphic Designer but now works in collage and assemblage. I like his work because not only is the composition great, but his work is also quite thought-provoking. Take this collage for example:
This collage is called "Golden Girl". It is an interesting take on our obsession with beauty and body image. Note the asymmetrical balance of the angels and the fabric and the unity brought to the whole piece by the repetition of the blue shade in the angels' tunics, the girl's swimming suit and the saints' outfits and by the gold in the background, the arches, and the girl's hair. This is a really well put together piece. Let's look at another one:
This piece, entitled "Miss Fortune" is a really neat mixed-media collage. I love the combination of the renaissance-style painting with the Bookie's log. A lot of collage is purely aesthetic, but Dick Allowatt really says something with each piece. The project I am currently composing is based on "Golden Girl" and I will post a picture of my piece when it is complete.
Here is more of Dick Allowatt's work:
So there's your art lesson for the day. Or week. Or however long it takes me to post again.
This collage is called "Golden Girl". It is an interesting take on our obsession with beauty and body image. Note the asymmetrical balance of the angels and the fabric and the unity brought to the whole piece by the repetition of the blue shade in the angels' tunics, the girl's swimming suit and the saints' outfits and by the gold in the background, the arches, and the girl's hair. This is a really well put together piece. Let's look at another one:
This piece, entitled "Miss Fortune" is a really neat mixed-media collage. I love the combination of the renaissance-style painting with the Bookie's log. A lot of collage is purely aesthetic, but Dick Allowatt really says something with each piece. The project I am currently composing is based on "Golden Girl" and I will post a picture of my piece when it is complete.
Here is more of Dick Allowatt's work:
So there's your art lesson for the day. Or week. Or however long it takes me to post again.
Friday, April 30, 2010
Time for a Change
Another day, another dollar. It sounds so simple, but employment is such a big part of modern life. For the last two years I have worked at a job that was good for a while, terrible for a while, and then ended up being great. My coworkers are nice, my boss is the best boss I've ever had, and the hours are completely ideal- but I have hit a dead end. A few weeks ago I was promised a promotion, and then a change in company policy made said promotion impossible. In fact, this change made it highly unlikely that I will ever be able to advance. My boss laments the fact that I will not be able to do this other job he had intended for me, but this bolt from the blue came from high above his head. So although there are a lot of things that I really like about my job, it is time for a change. I am putting the feelers out there for a new job. Although some people would be fine with a never-changing job, I am not one of those people. I need to be able to grow and improve. So I will take my time and find just the right job that will probably be pretty similar to the one I have now, but with advancement opportunities. I have been at my current job long enough so that it won't look like I can't hold onto a job, and I will be leaving on great terms with lots of good recommendations. So I feel that the time is right for a change in employment, hopefully at a place where I can stay until I have my degree, 45 years from now.
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Anna Returns
After a shamefully long hiatus (attributable to an increase in my professional workload, starting school, and a rather nasty bout of food poisoning,) I'm back!
To be completely honest, one of the reasons I haven't written anything in the last few weeks is that I haven't had much to say. I have all of these good ideas, but implementing them one after the other sort of defeats the purpose since I can't really establish a habit for any of them. Since I can't really start anything new right now, I thought a simple status report might suffice:
Good Idea#1: Freezer Cooking- We still actually have several of these meals in the freezer. We will be eating one of them tonight, as a matter of fact.
Good Idea #2: Debt-Busting- After about 3K in unexpected expenses this spring (Damn you, Murphy, damn you.) we haven't made much headway. Our "budget" has pretty much consisted of getting the bills paid and feeling pretty good about it.
Good Idea #3: Non-Negotiable Priorities- Haaaah! Ummm yeah. These are still all-too-negotiable. It comes down to 2 factors, the foremost of which is that I don't have a lot of time. The second factor is that when I do have the time to exercise or read scripture, I just don't want to. Now that it is staying light out so late (isn't it lovely?) I think I am going to start walking my dogs after dinner. Goodness knows they would like it. As for scripture study, I just don't know. I'm right in the thick of the Mosaic Law right now and....ZZZZzZzzzzzz.....*snork!* What was I saying? Oh right...Old Testament. There's a lot of interesting stuff in there but MAN do you have to work to find it. I guess church as a whole is not yeilding much satisfaction right now. I think most of us churchgoers go through phases like this where church just loses meaning for a while. I guess I'm in a bit of a spiritual funk. I'm sure it will pass.
Good Idea #4: Going Back to School- This is going swimmingly. I love being back in the classroom and doing something I absolutely love. I finally feel like I am headed in the right direction, academically speaking. I really can't wait until I'm designing professionally. *sigh* It will be bliss.
Good Idea #5: Eating Healthy- This has been going fairly well except for the aforementioned food poisoning. I am currently trying for the nth time in my life to give up soda. I loves me some Coca Cola. I haven't had a coke since last Thursday which has to be some kind of record. I did drink a lot of sprite over the weekend, but since it was the only thing I could keep down for about 48 hours, I didn't feel too bad about it. The Hubs is down to the last notch on his belt and is going to have to buy a new one soon. Why can't weight loss be that easy for women? Garrrr. One good thing that seems to have come from my recent illness is that I now have somewhat of an aversion to fast food (from whence the food poisoning came). Certainly less fast food in my diet will be a great thing.
And thus are the good ideas.
I would also like to add that I crocheted 2 (count 'em- TWO) dish cloths this weekend. Next stop, dish towels. OOOooooo.....
To be completely honest, one of the reasons I haven't written anything in the last few weeks is that I haven't had much to say. I have all of these good ideas, but implementing them one after the other sort of defeats the purpose since I can't really establish a habit for any of them. Since I can't really start anything new right now, I thought a simple status report might suffice:
Good Idea#1: Freezer Cooking- We still actually have several of these meals in the freezer. We will be eating one of them tonight, as a matter of fact.
Good Idea #2: Debt-Busting- After about 3K in unexpected expenses this spring (Damn you, Murphy, damn you.) we haven't made much headway. Our "budget" has pretty much consisted of getting the bills paid and feeling pretty good about it.
Good Idea #3: Non-Negotiable Priorities- Haaaah! Ummm yeah. These are still all-too-negotiable. It comes down to 2 factors, the foremost of which is that I don't have a lot of time. The second factor is that when I do have the time to exercise or read scripture, I just don't want to. Now that it is staying light out so late (isn't it lovely?) I think I am going to start walking my dogs after dinner. Goodness knows they would like it. As for scripture study, I just don't know. I'm right in the thick of the Mosaic Law right now and....ZZZZzZzzzzzz.....*snork!* What was I saying? Oh right...Old Testament. There's a lot of interesting stuff in there but MAN do you have to work to find it. I guess church as a whole is not yeilding much satisfaction right now. I think most of us churchgoers go through phases like this where church just loses meaning for a while. I guess I'm in a bit of a spiritual funk. I'm sure it will pass.
Good Idea #4: Going Back to School- This is going swimmingly. I love being back in the classroom and doing something I absolutely love. I finally feel like I am headed in the right direction, academically speaking. I really can't wait until I'm designing professionally. *sigh* It will be bliss.
Good Idea #5: Eating Healthy- This has been going fairly well except for the aforementioned food poisoning. I am currently trying for the nth time in my life to give up soda. I loves me some Coca Cola. I haven't had a coke since last Thursday which has to be some kind of record. I did drink a lot of sprite over the weekend, but since it was the only thing I could keep down for about 48 hours, I didn't feel too bad about it. The Hubs is down to the last notch on his belt and is going to have to buy a new one soon. Why can't weight loss be that easy for women? Garrrr. One good thing that seems to have come from my recent illness is that I now have somewhat of an aversion to fast food (from whence the food poisoning came). Certainly less fast food in my diet will be a great thing.
And thus are the good ideas.
I would also like to add that I crocheted 2 (count 'em- TWO) dish cloths this weekend. Next stop, dish towels. OOOooooo.....
Monday, March 29, 2010
Good Idea #5: Healthy Eating
In a recent development, The Hubs has become terrified of diabetes. He is strong and fit and healthy as a horse, but all of a sudden he wants to take steps to ensure that he doesn't become diabetic and have to have his feet amputated. A worthy goal, undoubtedly. However, I'm not sure why the sudden worry. Maybe it has to do with the fact that he is turning 25 in June (yay car insurance discounts!).
Anyway, we are cutting way back on the sugar (I have always had a very insistant sweet tooth) and upping our intake of fruits and veggies. I am also trying to eat more whole grains and use less processed food in my cooking. On that note, I am proud to announce that last week, I made my own butter. It is fabulous. It is creamy and delicious and contains only two ingredients: cream and salt. No monohydroxyunsaturated anything in my butter.
If you'd like to try making your own butter, take heavy cream and put it into a large bowl. I started with a gallon of cream and ended up with what looks like about 5 lbs of butter. You can use a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, or if you are like me and do not have the counterspace for a stand mixer, (*sulks bitterly*) you can use a hand mixer with the whisk attachment. Just beat it! First it will form thick strands off of the whisk, then soft peaks, then stiff peaks, then something a little firmer and then all of a sudden the cream siezes and buttermilk floods out, leaving butter behind. Now, since you didn't start out with cultured cream, the buttermilk isn't cultured which means its basically like unhomogonized 1% milk. It is delicious over cereal. Anyway, once your butter gets to that point, drain out the buttermilk and knead the butter in a bowl of cold water. Once the water becomes cloudy, dump it out and fill it again with fresh water. Repeat until the water stays clear. It is important to wash all of the buttermilk out because if you don't, the butter will spoil much more quickly. Incidentally, I am in the market for a French Butter Crock. If anyone knows where I can buy one locally, please enlighten me in the comments.
I am really excited about our foray into healthy eating. I have tried to make this change on my own before, but without the support of a spouse, it is infinitely more difficult. The Hubs, for most of our marriage, has worked at fairly labor-intensive jobs, during which a dinner of Chicken Ceasar Salad was completely insufficient. Now he is behind a desk a lot of the time and his caloric needs are much closer to my own so that, in order for me to eat healthy, I don't have to cook 2 dinners. Yay desk.
On a less healthy note, we ate a freezer dinner last night that made all of the other freezer dinners we muscled through completely worth it: Bacon Wrapped Chicken.
It was divine. Not something you'd want to make often because there isn't much that's healthy about it, but wow. It was good. It would be a great dish to take to a party because its easy (albeit time-consuming) to make but looks and tastes tre gourmet. I served it with fresh broccoli to up the healthiness factor and what a meal.
Hopefully the healthy changes to my diet and the regular (I can't yet say daily...) walking will make for a more energetic me that can keep up with full-time employment, part-time scholarship, and all-the-time wife-ing. Go me.
Anyway, we are cutting way back on the sugar (I have always had a very insistant sweet tooth) and upping our intake of fruits and veggies. I am also trying to eat more whole grains and use less processed food in my cooking. On that note, I am proud to announce that last week, I made my own butter. It is fabulous. It is creamy and delicious and contains only two ingredients: cream and salt. No monohydroxyunsaturated anything in my butter.
If you'd like to try making your own butter, take heavy cream and put it into a large bowl. I started with a gallon of cream and ended up with what looks like about 5 lbs of butter. You can use a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, or if you are like me and do not have the counterspace for a stand mixer, (*sulks bitterly*) you can use a hand mixer with the whisk attachment. Just beat it! First it will form thick strands off of the whisk, then soft peaks, then stiff peaks, then something a little firmer and then all of a sudden the cream siezes and buttermilk floods out, leaving butter behind. Now, since you didn't start out with cultured cream, the buttermilk isn't cultured which means its basically like unhomogonized 1% milk. It is delicious over cereal. Anyway, once your butter gets to that point, drain out the buttermilk and knead the butter in a bowl of cold water. Once the water becomes cloudy, dump it out and fill it again with fresh water. Repeat until the water stays clear. It is important to wash all of the buttermilk out because if you don't, the butter will spoil much more quickly. Incidentally, I am in the market for a French Butter Crock. If anyone knows where I can buy one locally, please enlighten me in the comments.
I am really excited about our foray into healthy eating. I have tried to make this change on my own before, but without the support of a spouse, it is infinitely more difficult. The Hubs, for most of our marriage, has worked at fairly labor-intensive jobs, during which a dinner of Chicken Ceasar Salad was completely insufficient. Now he is behind a desk a lot of the time and his caloric needs are much closer to my own so that, in order for me to eat healthy, I don't have to cook 2 dinners. Yay desk.
On a less healthy note, we ate a freezer dinner last night that made all of the other freezer dinners we muscled through completely worth it: Bacon Wrapped Chicken.
It was divine. Not something you'd want to make often because there isn't much that's healthy about it, but wow. It was good. It would be a great dish to take to a party because its easy (albeit time-consuming) to make but looks and tastes tre gourmet. I served it with fresh broccoli to up the healthiness factor and what a meal.
Hopefully the healthy changes to my diet and the regular (I can't yet say daily...) walking will make for a more energetic me that can keep up with full-time employment, part-time scholarship, and all-the-time wife-ing. Go me.
Monday, March 22, 2010
Good Idea #4: Going back to School
Back to school, back to school, to prove to Dad I'm not a fool...
And to earn a degree that will let me do something I actually enjoy doing and make money doing it. That's right folks, I'm going back to school for a degree in Graphic Design. I started college as an art major, but since I didn't really know much about what I wanted to do, everyone convinced me that I'd be a starving artist or a secretary with a useless degree. So I switched my major, sort of foundered around for a while, and ultimately dropped out because of some personal and family issues. Now that I've been a working adult for several years (as a secretary with NO degree,) I have figured out how I can use my artistic abilities to earn a living. I am SO excited to be going back to school. I wouldn't change the choices I made- I still believe that they were the right ones. Still, it was really tough watching all of my friends graduate and feeling like I'd never get there. I am tying up all of the loose ends concerning enrollment, registration, and the like, and I will be starting my first class(Fundamentals of Design- YAY!!!!) 2 weeks from this Friday.
Education has always been really important to me and my lack of a college degree has always left me feeling, well, lacking. This is a self-improvement that I have wanted to make for quite some time and it feels so good to finally be getting there.
I'z goin too bei smarterr nau...
Since I have been out of town for the past few days, I have no food review for today. Honestly, I'm getting pretty tired of the freezer dinners. They just aren't the same as fresh food. Yes, it was quite enchanting the first week, not having to cook, but the quality of the food was just blah and after an entire month of it, I don't think I can do it again. I am, however, going to try a different method of making things ahead. I am going to go back to planning 2 weeks of meals at a time, shopping every other Friday, and just doing everything I can do ahead of time as soon as I get home from the grocery. Chopping, browning, etc. That way I will still have a plan, still save time on work nights, and still have fresh food that isn't a drudgery to eat. We will finish up the freezer meals we haven't eaten yet (except maybe the Chili...I may just throw that out when Alex isn't looking) and next payday I'll buy groceries like a normal person.
So overall, I'd say OAMC has its merits, but it isn't for me. I enjoy cooking (and eating) too much. When I know I am capable of "Wow!", "meh..." just isn't good enough. Also, I plan to start using coupons a lot more in the coming months, and that isn't easy to do when you only shop once a month. That takes a kind of planning that is well beyond my abilities.
And so, Good Idea#1 dies a quiet death after it fell on the "error" side of the trial and error process. So long OAMC, I will remember the good times.
And to earn a degree that will let me do something I actually enjoy doing and make money doing it. That's right folks, I'm going back to school for a degree in Graphic Design. I started college as an art major, but since I didn't really know much about what I wanted to do, everyone convinced me that I'd be a starving artist or a secretary with a useless degree. So I switched my major, sort of foundered around for a while, and ultimately dropped out because of some personal and family issues. Now that I've been a working adult for several years (as a secretary with NO degree,) I have figured out how I can use my artistic abilities to earn a living. I am SO excited to be going back to school. I wouldn't change the choices I made- I still believe that they were the right ones. Still, it was really tough watching all of my friends graduate and feeling like I'd never get there. I am tying up all of the loose ends concerning enrollment, registration, and the like, and I will be starting my first class(Fundamentals of Design- YAY!!!!) 2 weeks from this Friday.
Education has always been really important to me and my lack of a college degree has always left me feeling, well, lacking. This is a self-improvement that I have wanted to make for quite some time and it feels so good to finally be getting there.
I'z goin too bei smarterr nau...
Since I have been out of town for the past few days, I have no food review for today. Honestly, I'm getting pretty tired of the freezer dinners. They just aren't the same as fresh food. Yes, it was quite enchanting the first week, not having to cook, but the quality of the food was just blah and after an entire month of it, I don't think I can do it again. I am, however, going to try a different method of making things ahead. I am going to go back to planning 2 weeks of meals at a time, shopping every other Friday, and just doing everything I can do ahead of time as soon as I get home from the grocery. Chopping, browning, etc. That way I will still have a plan, still save time on work nights, and still have fresh food that isn't a drudgery to eat. We will finish up the freezer meals we haven't eaten yet (except maybe the Chili...I may just throw that out when Alex isn't looking) and next payday I'll buy groceries like a normal person.
So overall, I'd say OAMC has its merits, but it isn't for me. I enjoy cooking (and eating) too much. When I know I am capable of "Wow!", "meh..." just isn't good enough. Also, I plan to start using coupons a lot more in the coming months, and that isn't easy to do when you only shop once a month. That takes a kind of planning that is well beyond my abilities.
And so, Good Idea#1 dies a quiet death after it fell on the "error" side of the trial and error process. So long OAMC, I will remember the good times.
Monday, March 15, 2010
Anna Rambles
Being sick has gotten in the way of a lot of things recently, namely my Non-negotiable priorities. Still, I have found that categorizing exercise and scripture study as non-negotiable keeps them on my mind a bit more than they heretofore were. The past few weeks I have done them about 40% of the time, which, while it is not perfect, is better than the < 5% I was averaging before. My hope is that as my cold disappears and the weather improves, my batting average will increase.
In other news:
I cleaned my ENTIRE house on saturday. Dishes, Laundry, sweeping, vacuuming, mopping, dusting, the works. I am the queen of my domain.
Daylight savings time started which means last night it was light out well after 8 o'clock. I can smell camping season quickly approaching.
I am going to Vegas this weekend with The Girls. A few weeks ago, The Hubs gave me a few dollars to get a coke and I told him I was going to save it for my trip. When he asked why I would hang on to such a paltry amount, I replied that where Las Vegas is concerned, one never knows when a girl will need some singles. He wasn't nearly as amused as I was.
My favorite dessert is Tiramisu.
That is all.
And now, the dinners we have tried since my last post: Spaghetti and Sweet Onion Pork Chops.
The Spaghetti sauce was good. That's a pretty tough one to screw up. I think I may save that recipe, make a whole stock pot full of it, and can it someday when I am feeling adventurous. (Maybe canning will be a "Good Idea" in the future. I have never tried it. Frankly, the idea that something may explode in my kitchen is not confidence-inspiring.) When I asked The Hubs what he thought about it, he said "Its spaghetti- what's not to like?" It was really nice, however, not to have to brown the meat. Cook noodles, dump in sauce, warm through. Nice.
The Sweet Onion Pork Chops were really tasty. The sauce was tangy and sweet (although next time I will be adding a prodigious amount of hot sauce and liquid smoke) and was quite good. It could have used more onion. I also think that it would taste better over chicken, but don't tell The Hubs I said that. He doesn't like it when I blaspheme.
Sweet Onion Pork Chops:
The Hubs: 9 (I believe this is his highest score yet)
Me: 8
Wrench: "Its good"
Tonight we will be having Creamy Lemon Chicken, which I am looking forward to. The promise of broiled swiss cheese topped with fresh lemon slices gives me great anticipation. *wipes drool off of chin* Tune in tomorrow for the review!
In other news:
I cleaned my ENTIRE house on saturday. Dishes, Laundry, sweeping, vacuuming, mopping, dusting, the works. I am the queen of my domain.
Daylight savings time started which means last night it was light out well after 8 o'clock. I can smell camping season quickly approaching.
I am going to Vegas this weekend with The Girls. A few weeks ago, The Hubs gave me a few dollars to get a coke and I told him I was going to save it for my trip. When he asked why I would hang on to such a paltry amount, I replied that where Las Vegas is concerned, one never knows when a girl will need some singles. He wasn't nearly as amused as I was.
My favorite dessert is Tiramisu.
That is all.
And now, the dinners we have tried since my last post: Spaghetti and Sweet Onion Pork Chops.
The Spaghetti sauce was good. That's a pretty tough one to screw up. I think I may save that recipe, make a whole stock pot full of it, and can it someday when I am feeling adventurous. (Maybe canning will be a "Good Idea" in the future. I have never tried it. Frankly, the idea that something may explode in my kitchen is not confidence-inspiring.) When I asked The Hubs what he thought about it, he said "Its spaghetti- what's not to like?" It was really nice, however, not to have to brown the meat. Cook noodles, dump in sauce, warm through. Nice.
The Sweet Onion Pork Chops were really tasty. The sauce was tangy and sweet (although next time I will be adding a prodigious amount of hot sauce and liquid smoke) and was quite good. It could have used more onion. I also think that it would taste better over chicken, but don't tell The Hubs I said that. He doesn't like it when I blaspheme.
Sweet Onion Pork Chops:
The Hubs: 9 (I believe this is his highest score yet)
Me: 8
Wrench: "Its good"
Tonight we will be having Creamy Lemon Chicken, which I am looking forward to. The promise of broiled swiss cheese topped with fresh lemon slices gives me great anticipation. *wipes drool off of chin* Tune in tomorrow for the review!
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
The Hubs Has a Good Idea
He's a pretty smart cookie actually, he has good ideas quite frequently. But don't tell him I said that, I'd never live it down. Last night as we were eating Lime Pepper Chicken (more on that later), The Hubs suggested that some of our dinners for next month come from the Crock Pot. I readily agreed and so, next month some of our Freezer Meals will be designed for the Crock Pot. Also, since none of the freezer recipes we have thus far eaten have wowed me with their excellence, I will be keeping only the best of the freezer recipes and then just making and freezing a bunch of stuff that I already make. Jamaican Jerk Chicken, for example.
The Lime Pepper Chicken was good. Nothing fancy, the flavors were not complex, but it was good. Oddly enough, there was no pepper of any sort in the recipe. If I make this again I will add some habaneros or scotch bonnets for a little kick. Once again, I forgot to get scores from The Hubs and Wrench, but they both approved. I'll give it an 8. Not bad for a work night.
My cold persists and so without further ado, I bid you adieu.
The Lime Pepper Chicken was good. Nothing fancy, the flavors were not complex, but it was good. Oddly enough, there was no pepper of any sort in the recipe. If I make this again I will add some habaneros or scotch bonnets for a little kick. Once again, I forgot to get scores from The Hubs and Wrench, but they both approved. I'll give it an 8. Not bad for a work night.
My cold persists and so without further ado, I bid you adieu.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
If, in today's post, you find grammatical errors, stories with no conclusion, or other nonsensical ravings, please forgive yours truly. I. Am. Exhausted. I forsee a nap in my lunch-break future.
Since I am scarcely able to string together a coherent sentence, I will be brief. Beef and Broccoli = yuck. After running a slew of errands both on my lunch break ( I still squeezed in a walk later in the day!) and after work, by the time I got home I was tired and starving. Usually in that state I am able to wolf down large amounts of dinner without even tasting it, but the unsavoriness of the Beef and Broccoli trumped my tum. The flavors were weird, the meat was tough, and the broccoli was soggy- not a good combo. The Hubs and Wrench said it was fine (I was too tired to even remember to ask for their scores) and that they didn't mind it at all, but as for me, I will not be making it again.
Beef and Broccoli:
Me: 1.5
The Hubs: "tastes fine"
Wrench: "Its good"
As part of my debt-busting good idea, I'd like to share some ways in which I save money. Today's tip, FREECYCLE. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the concept of freecycling, it is based out of a website with local groups all over the country. You sign up (free!) with your local group and start the fun! You can post things that you don't want anymore (I'm talking anything- from an old lawn mower that may or may not work to your leftover coupons to the couch that you just replaced) and people come and get them. You can also post things you want or need. I have gotten many items from freecycle. For instance, last night I acquired a whole bag of jeans. I wear a really hard-to-find size (translation: expensive) and although these are much too short, I am going to cut them all down into capris for the summer, saving about $100 I had planned for just such an expense. So now I can use some of that money to replace other parts of my wardrobe that are nearing the end of their life-spans. Unless, of course, I can find those on freecycle too...
Since I am scarcely able to string together a coherent sentence, I will be brief. Beef and Broccoli = yuck. After running a slew of errands both on my lunch break ( I still squeezed in a walk later in the day!) and after work, by the time I got home I was tired and starving. Usually in that state I am able to wolf down large amounts of dinner without even tasting it, but the unsavoriness of the Beef and Broccoli trumped my tum. The flavors were weird, the meat was tough, and the broccoli was soggy- not a good combo. The Hubs and Wrench said it was fine (I was too tired to even remember to ask for their scores) and that they didn't mind it at all, but as for me, I will not be making it again.
Beef and Broccoli:
Me: 1.5
The Hubs: "tastes fine"
Wrench: "Its good"
As part of my debt-busting good idea, I'd like to share some ways in which I save money. Today's tip, FREECYCLE. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the concept of freecycling, it is based out of a website with local groups all over the country. You sign up (free!) with your local group and start the fun! You can post things that you don't want anymore (I'm talking anything- from an old lawn mower that may or may not work to your leftover coupons to the couch that you just replaced) and people come and get them. You can also post things you want or need. I have gotten many items from freecycle. For instance, last night I acquired a whole bag of jeans. I wear a really hard-to-find size (translation: expensive) and although these are much too short, I am going to cut them all down into capris for the summer, saving about $100 I had planned for just such an expense. So now I can use some of that money to replace other parts of my wardrobe that are nearing the end of their life-spans. Unless, of course, I can find those on freecycle too...
Monday, March 8, 2010
A Week Gone By
This weekend was somewhat tiring. We were not at home for more than a few hours each day and consequently did not eat dinner at home except for Friday night, when we had the Rotini. It was delicious. That one is definitely going on the menu for next month. The scores were in almost perfect harmony:
Rotini:
The Hubs: 8
Me: 8.6
So what have I learned after a week of eating freezer meals? Firstly, next month I will be planning side dishes such as salads, breads, etc. to go with the majority of the meals. Secondly, next month I don't think I will plan freezer meals for the weekends. We are usually quite busy and, oddly enough, I miss cooking a nice dinner on Saturday and Sunday. Don't get me wrong- the freezer meals are good, but they're nothing compared to my usual fare. (I know, I'm so humble. Just ask me.) I still want to be able to cook mouthwatering apple and white wine pork chops. Or Jumbalaya. Or Gumbo. So- next month I will do freezer meals for Monday through Thursday and then have my delicious dishes Friday through Sunday.
In other news, I got a new car this weekend! Now, this may seem like a strange way to go about paying off debt, but I assure you: it fits right into the plan. How is that, you ask?
A long, long time ago, in a galaxy far far away, The Hubs and I had a 1989 Ford F350 that, to make an exceedingly long and painful story short, blew up in Middle-of-Nowhere, Wyoming. We still owed money on said truck, so when we rolled into the Salt Lake Valley completely car-less, we didn't have many other options aside from rolling the loan for the truck into our new vehicle. Fast forward to last week: we were still fairly upside-down in our vehicle. The mileage was getting high, it was starting to have a lot of issues, and we felt strongly that it wasn't going to live to see the day when we had it all paid off. SO- after lots of looking at several dealerships over the course of a few months, we finally found a great trade that, while it would raise our monthly payment, would erase the negative equity we had in the old vehicle and would give us something that would actually last, hopefully well beyond the day when it is paid off. Clear as mud? Good.
So this is what I got:
Its a 2010 Hyundai Sonata. *Sigh* Love. What we save on gas is going to easily make up the difference in our monthly payment. (We have a 60 mile round-trip commute, so you do the math...)
Anyway, just wanted to share my good news. Also, this weekend made me realize how grateful I am for The Hubs' family. I got to see them a lot this weekend and, though I'm not sure what exactly it was that brought this on, I realized just how important they have all become in my life and just how much I have become a part of the family. Living accross the country from all of my blood-relatives is difficult to say the least, but my in-law family makes it much, much easier.
I am done rambling now, kudos for reading this far. Tune in tomorrow for a review of Beef and Broccoli.
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Differences of Opinion
Tonight marks the end of my work week and for the first time in I-can't-remember-when, there is no gigantic smelly pile of crusty dishes waiting to ruin my Friday. My sink is so clean it sparkles. OAMC be praised! Instead of playing scullery maid, tomorrow I will be able to devote my attention to my mutts and to a long-neglected project.
Last night's dinner was a split decision. We had the Cheeseburger Soup and I loved it! The Hubs, not so much. The soup was flavorful (although not as cheesy as one would expect) and filling, and although I will be making changes the next time around, (about 3x the potatoes, 1/2 the broth) I enjoyed it thoroughly. The Hubs, however, had had a bad day and was starving (which, in our household is a synonym for extreme crankiness) by the time he got home, so I think he would have been better served with something more substantial than a soup. I learned last night that he doesn't really like soup. We've been together over 8 years now and I never knew that. Chowder, sure. Chili, great. Stew, awesome. Soup, no. Live and learn I guess. So our scores are as follows:
Cheeseburger Soup:
The Hubs: 2 (and he said that was being generous)
Me: A wholehearted 8 (although with the changes I plan to make, it could easily be a 9.6)
So there you have it. Maybe next month once I make it thicker I will tell him it is Cheeseburger Chowder. Maybe I will stick to serving this as a side dish. The spread of these scores is interesting to me. Even though we spend more time together than almost any married couple I know, we are still our own people with differences of opinion. Namely, pork chops v. steak, sliced bread, and Bob Dylan. How fascinating.
And now, a request. To those of you who read the blog even occasionally, would you do me the honor of becoming a follower? I would just like to be able to gauge my readership a little better. You don't have to if you don't want to, but I know several of you who read regularly that aren't followers and I'd just like to know who's out there!
Thanks sincerely,
Anna
Last night's dinner was a split decision. We had the Cheeseburger Soup and I loved it! The Hubs, not so much. The soup was flavorful (although not as cheesy as one would expect) and filling, and although I will be making changes the next time around, (about 3x the potatoes, 1/2 the broth) I enjoyed it thoroughly. The Hubs, however, had had a bad day and was starving (which, in our household is a synonym for extreme crankiness) by the time he got home, so I think he would have been better served with something more substantial than a soup. I learned last night that he doesn't really like soup. We've been together over 8 years now and I never knew that. Chowder, sure. Chili, great. Stew, awesome. Soup, no. Live and learn I guess. So our scores are as follows:
Cheeseburger Soup:
The Hubs: 2 (and he said that was being generous)
Me: A wholehearted 8 (although with the changes I plan to make, it could easily be a 9.6)
So there you have it. Maybe next month once I make it thicker I will tell him it is Cheeseburger Chowder. Maybe I will stick to serving this as a side dish. The spread of these scores is interesting to me. Even though we spend more time together than almost any married couple I know, we are still our own people with differences of opinion. Namely, pork chops v. steak, sliced bread, and Bob Dylan. How fascinating.
And now, a request. To those of you who read the blog even occasionally, would you do me the honor of becoming a follower? I would just like to be able to gauge my readership a little better. You don't have to if you don't want to, but I know several of you who read regularly that aren't followers and I'd just like to know who's out there!
Thanks sincerely,
Anna
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Back to Debt-Busting
So I said a while ago that I was going to take March and April to get used to living on a budget and, slowly but surely, it is all starting to come together. As of now, the debit cards (both mine and The Hubs') are officially retired. I will be writing checks for all of the bills that go in the mail, but everything else I plan to do in cash. I will be using The Envelope System to help us stick to the new budget.
If you aren't familiar with the envelope system, here's how it works:
1. Make an envelope for each category of expenses you have and label it accordingly. One envelope for gas money, one for grocery money, one for savings, one for your electric bill, etc.
2. Fill each envelope with the money that you have budgeted for that particular expense.
3. Each time you make a purchase, you put the receipt into the envelope the cash came from.
4. No borrowing from other envelopes!
5. At the end of the pay period, whatever you have left in the envelopes goes into savings. (Until my emergency fund reaches the desired amount, then whatever is left will go toward debt.)
That's the plan anyway. I have yet to implement it, but I think it will be great. I think I will be setting everything up over the next few days.
And now, last night's dinner.
The Chicken Chow Mein, most feared of all my freezer dinners, wasn't actually that bad. While it in no way resembled anything Chinese, it wasn't vile. It tasted like chicken and rice with cream of mushroom soup. Nothing fancy, but decent. I will concede, however, that the water chestnuts were odd and unnecessary. So overall, it was a keeper, but I will not insult the Chinese people by calling it Chicken Chow Mein next time I make it. I will call it...hmmmm...Mushroom Chicken. Yep, that'll do. I think I will also add broccoli next time.
Chicken Chow Mein a.k.a. Mushroom Chicken:
The Hubs: 5
Me: 5.5
Not spectacular, but reasonably good. Tonight, Cheddar Cheese Soup. (which I added hamburger to, so I call it Cheeseburger Soup instead...)
If you aren't familiar with the envelope system, here's how it works:
1. Make an envelope for each category of expenses you have and label it accordingly. One envelope for gas money, one for grocery money, one for savings, one for your electric bill, etc.
2. Fill each envelope with the money that you have budgeted for that particular expense.
3. Each time you make a purchase, you put the receipt into the envelope the cash came from.
4. No borrowing from other envelopes!
5. At the end of the pay period, whatever you have left in the envelopes goes into savings. (Until my emergency fund reaches the desired amount, then whatever is left will go toward debt.)
That's the plan anyway. I have yet to implement it, but I think it will be great. I think I will be setting everything up over the next few days.
And now, last night's dinner.
The Chicken Chow Mein, most feared of all my freezer dinners, wasn't actually that bad. While it in no way resembled anything Chinese, it wasn't vile. It tasted like chicken and rice with cream of mushroom soup. Nothing fancy, but decent. I will concede, however, that the water chestnuts were odd and unnecessary. So overall, it was a keeper, but I will not insult the Chinese people by calling it Chicken Chow Mein next time I make it. I will call it...hmmmm...Mushroom Chicken. Yep, that'll do. I think I will also add broccoli next time.
Chicken Chow Mein a.k.a. Mushroom Chicken:
The Hubs: 5
Me: 5.5
Not spectacular, but reasonably good. Tonight, Cheddar Cheese Soup. (which I added hamburger to, so I call it Cheeseburger Soup instead...)
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Thus it Begins
Last night, how to describe it? The peace. The tranquility. The harmony. I came home from working late, popped my casserole dish into the oven, hit the button on the rice cooker, and viola! A mere 40 minutes later, a hot dinner came out of the oven as if by magic. I had 40 entire minutes to clean the kitchen, play with my dogs, and read with The Hubs!
Shall I compose a sonnet to thee, o freezer full of food? How shall I ennumerate thy goodnesses?
My nightly routine went from "Night on Bald Mountain" to Beethoven's 6th.
For those of you who are more visual:
from THIS:
To THIS:
From Berlin 1945 to Pax Romana. From The Osbournes to the Cleavers. Ahhh. Much better.
And now, as promised, a review of the dinner:
We ate the Chinese Honey Ginger Chicken and it was...meh. It wasn't bad, it was just very, very bland. When all else fails, add hot sauce.
On a scale of one to 10, 1 being "even the smell made me gag" and 10 being Nectar of the Gods, The Hubs and I will each be giving the recipes a score.
Chinese Honey Ginger Chicken:
The Hubs' Score: 5
My Score: 4.2
That being said, this recipe has the potential to be at least a 9.6. Next time, I am going to treble all of the seasonings and use either white wine or apple juice instead of water.
Tonight's dish, Chicken Chow Mein. *gulp* I am dreading the eating of this dish so much that I have set aside cash in preparation for the drive-thru trip that I foresee following the tasting of this...err....meal...
Shall I compose a sonnet to thee, o freezer full of food? How shall I ennumerate thy goodnesses?
My nightly routine went from "Night on Bald Mountain" to Beethoven's 6th.
For those of you who are more visual:
from THIS:
To THIS:
From Berlin 1945 to Pax Romana. From The Osbournes to the Cleavers. Ahhh. Much better.
And now, as promised, a review of the dinner:
We ate the Chinese Honey Ginger Chicken and it was...meh. It wasn't bad, it was just very, very bland. When all else fails, add hot sauce.
On a scale of one to 10, 1 being "even the smell made me gag" and 10 being Nectar of the Gods, The Hubs and I will each be giving the recipes a score.
Chinese Honey Ginger Chicken:
The Hubs' Score: 5
My Score: 4.2
That being said, this recipe has the potential to be at least a 9.6. Next time, I am going to treble all of the seasonings and use either white wine or apple juice instead of water.
Tonight's dish, Chicken Chow Mein. *gulp* I am dreading the eating of this dish so much that I have set aside cash in preparation for the drive-thru trip that I foresee following the tasting of this...err....meal...
Monday, March 1, 2010
C-Day
Let me begin by saying that Once-A-Month-Cooking is not for the faint of heart. It was confusing, overwhelming, and exhausting.
But oh, the rewards! All of the finished products looked and smelled delicious and my freezer is brimming over with meals that I won't have to cook after work.
When I say all of the recipes looked and smelled delicious, I mean that they all looked and smelled delicious except for the Chili (which smelled less-than-appetizing) and the Chicken Chow Mein. I must have been asleep at the keyboard when I let this one onto my recipe list. It was a casserole. And not only a casserole, but the casserole that other casseroles have nightmares about. It was a horrid concoction that jiggled ominously and made splurping noises when stirred. Seriously, why oh why would one need Cream of Mushroom soup to make Chicken Chow Mein? Maybe I should have just cut my losses and substituted green Jell-O. But, in the name of frugality (lest we should forget Good Idea #2,) I didn't throw out either the Chili or the Chicken Blob.
Here are some things I learned on C-Day:
What I will do differently next month:
1. I won't come down with a cold on C-Day Eve.
2. I will get all of my advanced preparations done in advance. That ate up a LOT of time on C-day.
3. I will not get all of the ingredients for all 15 recipes out ahead of time. This proved to be a huge waste of my already scarce counterspace.
4. I will not open all of the cans in advance. Due to my cold and my lack of advanced prep, I didn't get all of the recipes made in one day. I did 10 recipes on C-day with the help of my afore-stated lovely friend and her equally lovely sister, 4 recipes on Saturday, and I will do the very last one tonight. I had to put plastic bags over the cans that I had prematurely opened.
What proved invaluable:
1. A healthy supply of paper towels.
2. Burn Salve.
3. Mariah Carey on the iPod....(only those of you who know me personally will know just how much I am kidding when I say that...)
As for my predictions about how I and my kitchen would look at the end of the day, "Cut me Mick" was just about right. I really did feel like I had gone ten rounds. My kitchen, on the other hand, fared a little better than I had predicted. Due to my friend helping with dishes while she was here and my own periodic dishwashing breaks (and my dogs gobbling up everything that hit the floor...), my kitchen looked less like a Hurricane Katrina zone and more like the site of some pansy little tropical storm. Still wrecked, but no casualties.
And last night, I asked The Hubs (as I always do) what he would like for dinner. He asked me (as he always does) what his options were. I simply referred him to the list of meals I had in the freezer, he chose the Chinese Honey Ginger Chicken, I got it out of the freezer and measured the rice and water for the rice cooker so that all I have to do tonight is pop the chicken in the oven and start the rice cooker! No tears or throwing things involved. Tune in tomorrow for my review of our first freezer dinner.
So: all in all, I declare C-Day a success. Even though right now I feel like death warmed up, when I look in my freezer, I feel like a domestic goddess. Bow to me, oh ye kitchen utensils- I am no mere mortal.
Anyone know where I can get a cape?
But oh, the rewards! All of the finished products looked and smelled delicious and my freezer is brimming over with meals that I won't have to cook after work.
When I say all of the recipes looked and smelled delicious, I mean that they all looked and smelled delicious except for the Chili (which smelled less-than-appetizing) and the Chicken Chow Mein. I must have been asleep at the keyboard when I let this one onto my recipe list. It was a casserole. And not only a casserole, but the casserole that other casseroles have nightmares about. It was a horrid concoction that jiggled ominously and made splurping noises when stirred. Seriously, why oh why would one need Cream of Mushroom soup to make Chicken Chow Mein? Maybe I should have just cut my losses and substituted green Jell-O. But, in the name of frugality (lest we should forget Good Idea #2,) I didn't throw out either the Chili or the Chicken Blob.
Here are some things I learned on C-Day:
What I will do differently next month:
1. I won't come down with a cold on C-Day Eve.
2. I will get all of my advanced preparations done in advance. That ate up a LOT of time on C-day.
3. I will not get all of the ingredients for all 15 recipes out ahead of time. This proved to be a huge waste of my already scarce counterspace.
4. I will not open all of the cans in advance. Due to my cold and my lack of advanced prep, I didn't get all of the recipes made in one day. I did 10 recipes on C-day with the help of my afore-stated lovely friend and her equally lovely sister, 4 recipes on Saturday, and I will do the very last one tonight. I had to put plastic bags over the cans that I had prematurely opened.
What proved invaluable:
1. A healthy supply of paper towels.
2. Burn Salve.
3. Mariah Carey on the iPod....(only those of you who know me personally will know just how much I am kidding when I say that...)
As for my predictions about how I and my kitchen would look at the end of the day, "Cut me Mick" was just about right. I really did feel like I had gone ten rounds. My kitchen, on the other hand, fared a little better than I had predicted. Due to my friend helping with dishes while she was here and my own periodic dishwashing breaks (and my dogs gobbling up everything that hit the floor...), my kitchen looked less like a Hurricane Katrina zone and more like the site of some pansy little tropical storm. Still wrecked, but no casualties.
And last night, I asked The Hubs (as I always do) what he would like for dinner. He asked me (as he always does) what his options were. I simply referred him to the list of meals I had in the freezer, he chose the Chinese Honey Ginger Chicken, I got it out of the freezer and measured the rice and water for the rice cooker so that all I have to do tonight is pop the chicken in the oven and start the rice cooker! No tears or throwing things involved. Tune in tomorrow for my review of our first freezer dinner.
So: all in all, I declare C-Day a success. Even though right now I feel like death warmed up, when I look in my freezer, I feel like a domestic goddess. Bow to me, oh ye kitchen utensils- I am no mere mortal.
Anyone know where I can get a cape?
Thursday, February 25, 2010
C-Day Eve
I'd like to appologize for yesterday's lack of post. As a beloved uncle always says, "I was busier than a one-legged man in an ass-kicking contest." That's been the case pretty much all week.
Due to said business, my advanced preparations remain unprepared except for the 20 lbs of chicken that The Hubs and Wrench were kind enough to prepare for me. Raw chicken is not my thing so I am eternally grateful to them for handling that particularly unsavory aspect of C-day.
Here are my predictions about how tomorrow will go:
My kitchen before:
Yeah...WISH that was my kitchen...
My kitchen after:
Me before:
Wish I had that sweet hair bow...
Me after:
Luckily, my lovely friend of many nicknames is coming over tomorrow to help stir, chop, and dial 911.
Cut me Mick.
Due to said business, my advanced preparations remain unprepared except for the 20 lbs of chicken that The Hubs and Wrench were kind enough to prepare for me. Raw chicken is not my thing so I am eternally grateful to them for handling that particularly unsavory aspect of C-day.
Here are my predictions about how tomorrow will go:
My kitchen before:
Yeah...WISH that was my kitchen...
My kitchen after:
Me before:
Wish I had that sweet hair bow...
Me after:
Luckily, my lovely friend of many nicknames is coming over tomorrow to help stir, chop, and dial 911.
Cut me Mick.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Good Idea #3: Non-Negotiable Priorities
I am a busy gal with a lot on my plate. I usually manage to keep about 3 out of 10 (or so) balls in the air and, considering how hopelessly clumsy I am, that's quite a feat. However, on an all-too-regular basis, important things slip through the cracks. Usually those are things that will benefit only me so they sort of get pushed aside, namely, my health and my spiritual wellbeing. My next good idea is to remedy the sweeping-under-the-rug of these important aspects of my life by making them Non-Negotiable Priorities.
1- My health: I work 40 hours a week as a desk jockey. I work 10 hour days with a 40 minute commute each way. After work, there is almost always something going on that requires my attention and by the time the weekend rolls around, all I want to do is sleep. In short, I don't get much exercise. Deplorably little, in fact.
In the past I have gone through spurts of furious gym activity, but they are invariably short-lived. I sat pondering when to carve out time for regular exercise: before work? I have done that for short periods of time, but since an AM workout requires me to get up at 4:30 am (the hour my husband affectionately calls "the buttcrack of dawn"), after a few weeks I am exhausted. After work? There are about 27.5 reasons that a PM workout doesn't work, I'll spare you the details. So when, me hearties, am I supposed to exercise? During the one glorious hour of the day that is mine to use how I will -my lunchbreak.
I am not going to train for a 5K (yet) or start pumping iron, I am just going to get out and walk. Walking is simple and requires no special equipment, and is easy to commit to. Basically, I just want to get in the habit of being active, so 30 minutes of physical activity most days of the week is hereafter a Non-Negotiable Priority.
2- My Spiritual Wellbeing: For those of you that don't know me personally, you may or may not know that I am LDS. A Mormon. A member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. (For those of you who don't know much about us Mormon folk, we don't all go door-to-door in white shirts and ties, that's only the missionaries. And I am and always will be my husband's only wife. That is all.) As a practicing member of the church, regular scripture reading should be a more important priority than it has heretofore been. I will read every day, even if I only have time for a few verses. I used to be really good about this but life has sort of gotten in the way. Not anymore. Now my scripture study is a Non-Negotiable Priority.
What personal needs do you have that are not being met? How would your quality of life be better if those needs were satisfied? My challenge to you is to find a need in your life and make the filling of that need a Non-Negotiable Priority. Maybe you need a creative outlet. Maybe you need more "me" time. Whatever it is, share it in the comments!
1- My health: I work 40 hours a week as a desk jockey. I work 10 hour days with a 40 minute commute each way. After work, there is almost always something going on that requires my attention and by the time the weekend rolls around, all I want to do is sleep. In short, I don't get much exercise. Deplorably little, in fact.
In the past I have gone through spurts of furious gym activity, but they are invariably short-lived. I sat pondering when to carve out time for regular exercise: before work? I have done that for short periods of time, but since an AM workout requires me to get up at 4:30 am (the hour my husband affectionately calls "the buttcrack of dawn"), after a few weeks I am exhausted. After work? There are about 27.5 reasons that a PM workout doesn't work, I'll spare you the details. So when, me hearties, am I supposed to exercise? During the one glorious hour of the day that is mine to use how I will -my lunchbreak.
I am not going to train for a 5K (yet) or start pumping iron, I am just going to get out and walk. Walking is simple and requires no special equipment, and is easy to commit to. Basically, I just want to get in the habit of being active, so 30 minutes of physical activity most days of the week is hereafter a Non-Negotiable Priority.
2- My Spiritual Wellbeing: For those of you that don't know me personally, you may or may not know that I am LDS. A Mormon. A member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. (For those of you who don't know much about us Mormon folk, we don't all go door-to-door in white shirts and ties, that's only the missionaries. And I am and always will be my husband's only wife. That is all.) As a practicing member of the church, regular scripture reading should be a more important priority than it has heretofore been. I will read every day, even if I only have time for a few verses. I used to be really good about this but life has sort of gotten in the way. Not anymore. Now my scripture study is a Non-Negotiable Priority.
What personal needs do you have that are not being met? How would your quality of life be better if those needs were satisfied? My challenge to you is to find a need in your life and make the filling of that need a Non-Negotiable Priority. Maybe you need a creative outlet. Maybe you need more "me" time. Whatever it is, share it in the comments!
Monday, February 22, 2010
"The Prep Work" and "I hate the DMV"
I went shopping on Friday and came in about $40 dollars under budget! That even includes some non-food items. So, all told, a month's worth of delicious dinners cost us about $190. Sweeeeet.
Today I filled out my handy-dandy Advanced Preparations List. It was a bit of a pain, but I think it will save me a lot of insanity on C-Day. I took my shopping list and crossed off every item that did not need any advanced preparation. (Pretty much everything that is either in a can or just needs measurement.) Then for the items left, I looked through the recipes and figured out what needed to be done. With a little luck, I will have all of the thawing, chopping, dicing, browning, and shredding done Thursday night (C-Day Eve...bohm, bohm, baaaahhhhh...)
In other news, today on my way to work I got pulled over. What a wonderful way to start the work week. Since Mondays are so exceedingly joyous to begin with, you can imagine my excitement at seeing the flashing lights in my rearview mirror. For once, I wasn't speeding- my plates had expired. 3 months ago. I calmly explained to the friendly civil servant shining the flashlight in my face that I honestly had had no idea that my plates had expired and that I had never received the customary notice from the DMV. He was kind enough to let me off with a ticket and an admonishment to "Git-r-done." I proceeded to work bubbling with anticipation for the week ahead.
At 11:45 I got on the DMV website to find the location nearest to my office. Lo and behold, there is a branch just down the street! At noon I jumped into my car and drove very carefully down to the Tax Commission building where everything is all puppies and rainbows. After waiting in line for 15 minutes, the cheery-eyed, rosy-cheeked receptionist informs me with astounding empathy that this branch only handles fleet vehicles now and the website from which I got my information has yet to be made aware of the fact. She kindly directed me to the next-closest branch, a mere 30 blocks away. I skipped my way through lunch-hour-rush traffic humming a merry tune, parked, and walked through the door into a sea of people who had, down to a person, had a wonderful day and showered in the recent past. After waiting for another 15 minutes, another bright-eyed receptionist informs me that there is a 2 hour wait and, no, since my plates have expired I cannot complete the renewal process online. So I left DMV#2 feeling like a million bucks and headed to the nearest McDonalds where the speaker-boy got my order wrong three times. Yes, three. And it was a combo. I drove back to work like a bat out of hell and arrived just in time to tell my boss that I would be late yet again tomorrow because the DMV is a ________ piece of ________ _________ with a _______ ___________-_____ ___. (Insert whichever explitives you deem appropriate.)
All in all, it was the kind of day that makes you want to stand up and sing.
I hate the DMV.
Today I filled out my handy-dandy Advanced Preparations List. It was a bit of a pain, but I think it will save me a lot of insanity on C-Day. I took my shopping list and crossed off every item that did not need any advanced preparation. (Pretty much everything that is either in a can or just needs measurement.) Then for the items left, I looked through the recipes and figured out what needed to be done. With a little luck, I will have all of the thawing, chopping, dicing, browning, and shredding done Thursday night (C-Day Eve...bohm, bohm, baaaahhhhh...)
In other news, today on my way to work I got pulled over. What a wonderful way to start the work week. Since Mondays are so exceedingly joyous to begin with, you can imagine my excitement at seeing the flashing lights in my rearview mirror. For once, I wasn't speeding- my plates had expired. 3 months ago. I calmly explained to the friendly civil servant shining the flashlight in my face that I honestly had had no idea that my plates had expired and that I had never received the customary notice from the DMV. He was kind enough to let me off with a ticket and an admonishment to "Git-r-done." I proceeded to work bubbling with anticipation for the week ahead.
At 11:45 I got on the DMV website to find the location nearest to my office. Lo and behold, there is a branch just down the street! At noon I jumped into my car and drove very carefully down to the Tax Commission building where everything is all puppies and rainbows. After waiting in line for 15 minutes, the cheery-eyed, rosy-cheeked receptionist informs me with astounding empathy that this branch only handles fleet vehicles now and the website from which I got my information has yet to be made aware of the fact. She kindly directed me to the next-closest branch, a mere 30 blocks away. I skipped my way through lunch-hour-rush traffic humming a merry tune, parked, and walked through the door into a sea of people who had, down to a person, had a wonderful day and showered in the recent past. After waiting for another 15 minutes, another bright-eyed receptionist informs me that there is a 2 hour wait and, no, since my plates have expired I cannot complete the renewal process online. So I left DMV#2 feeling like a million bucks and headed to the nearest McDonalds where the speaker-boy got my order wrong three times. Yes, three. And it was a combo. I drove back to work like a bat out of hell and arrived just in time to tell my boss that I would be late yet again tomorrow because the DMV is a ________ piece of ________ _________ with a _______ ___________-_____ ___. (Insert whichever explitives you deem appropriate.)
All in all, it was the kind of day that makes you want to stand up and sing.
I hate the DMV.
Thursday, February 18, 2010
A Wrench
A wrench has been thrown into the gears of my carefully-planned freezer meal machine. A friend in need has moved in with us for the time being, we'll call this friend "Wrench." Wrench may be with us for 6 days or 6 months, I don't know, but he's a good guy and we're happy he's joining us. Since we will have an extra person dining with us for potentially the entire month, my plans for how many dinners each recipe would make were thrown off. I sat down to look at it all again and realized that, while we won't have any lunch leftovers, everything else should still work out.
I am going to do The Big Shopping tomorrow at WinCo. (For those of you in the Salt Lake Valley, I highly recommend WinCo. Their prices are phenomenal but they have a full selection of brand-name, high quality foods, unlike an Aldi or something like that. And their prices aren't low because all of the boxes are partially crushed- they're low because the company is employee owned and magical. Like I said, I recommend it. Even if its a drive, its worth your time. Have you ever seen an entire parenthetical paragraph before? I didn't think so.)
To aid me on my flour-in-the-eyebrows-kitchen-warfare OAMC day, I have found some handy, printable lists to keep the chaos down to a dull roar.
Advanced Preparations List- so I can have everything ready to throw together, and thereby reduce the number of burns/knifewounds I will incur on C-Day.
Freezer Inventory List- Although the freezing temperatures cut down on the "science experiment" factor, I still want to keep track of what we've eaten and what we have left.
My shopping budget is $250, but I think I'll come in pretty far below that. I am buying my 20 lbs of chicken breasts from a relative who works at a food distribution company, so I'm getting them for like $1.50/lb! Woot!
I am going to do The Big Shopping tomorrow at WinCo. (For those of you in the Salt Lake Valley, I highly recommend WinCo. Their prices are phenomenal but they have a full selection of brand-name, high quality foods, unlike an Aldi or something like that. And their prices aren't low because all of the boxes are partially crushed- they're low because the company is employee owned and magical. Like I said, I recommend it. Even if its a drive, its worth your time. Have you ever seen an entire parenthetical paragraph before? I didn't think so.)
To aid me on my flour-in-the-eyebrows-kitchen-warfare OAMC day, I have found some handy, printable lists to keep the chaos down to a dull roar.
Advanced Preparations List- so I can have everything ready to throw together, and thereby reduce the number of burns/knifewounds I will incur on C-Day.
Freezer Inventory List- Although the freezing temperatures cut down on the "science experiment" factor, I still want to keep track of what we've eaten and what we have left.
My shopping budget is $250, but I think I'll come in pretty far below that. I am buying my 20 lbs of chicken breasts from a relative who works at a food distribution company, so I'm getting them for like $1.50/lb! Woot!
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Slow it Down
Yesterday I filled out my budget forms. I filled out the basic form and found it was entirely too basic and not much help at all, so I moved on to the cash flow form which I found very helpful and informative. As I talked to some people that have followed Dave Ramsey's plan, I realized that I am not ready to throw myself headlong into it. I don't want to become a Madame Budgetnazi overnight-I am going to take a few months to get into the habit of sticking to our budget, tweak it as needed, and revisit the issue of serious savings in May. Until our savings is up to $1000, we will only make the minimum payment on all of our debt. To me this sounded pretty counter-productive at first, but people I have talked to say that it really works. One thing I am going to do between now and May is to take any money left in our checking account the day before payday and put it into savings. I think that will at least give us a little boost.
Anyone have any tips? What has worked/not worked for you in the past?
Anyone have any tips? What has worked/not worked for you in the past?
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Good Idea #2: Debt-busting
Compared to a lot of people, The Hubs and I don't have a lot of debt. In fact, for as young as we are, I'd say we're relatively comfortable financially. We own a house, we pay our bills, and we have enough money to have a lot of fun. HOWEVER- we are bad about budgeting. And saving. And paying off debt. I have always admired people who know where every penny of their income is going to go before they even get paid. People like that seem to be in so much more control over their finances and thus have a greater degree of financial freedom than people like me who budget/save/pay off debt sporadically. But how to do it?
I've come up with a plan loosely based on Dave Ramsey's teachings. I've never read any of his books, heard a radio show, or been to one of his seminars, but I have read about his ideas and they seem pretty logical. The whole process seems large and looming, so I've broken this down into steps. (If I'm plagiarizing anyone here, its unintentional. I promise.)
Step 1: Make a Budget.
This seems pretty daunting to me, but I found a basic budgeting form that breaks it down a little bit. (Here is a more detailed form.) I am going to start using cash for a lot more things, pretty much everything but bills. The Hubs is unwilling to give up his debit card but has agreed to use cash for lunches, entertainment, etc. I haven't filled out the form yet, but once I do, I'll let you know how it goes.
Step 2: Mini-Emergency Fund
Stash away $1000.00 for small emergencies- car repairs, unexpected large-ish expenses, etc. When we have paid off our credit card in the past, invariably some small emergency arises that we don't have the cash for, and boom- We're back in debt. So before we REALLY start throwing money at our debt, we are going to accumulate $1000.00 in savings. Once we reach that, we will start putting more towards our debt, but keep building this fund until, probably YEARS from now, we have an entire year's income in savings.
Step 3: The Snowball
This is pretty basic- I listed all of my debts in an Excel document in order of the amount owed. Then beneath each one I put the minimum monthly payment. Then below that I listed what my payments would be once the smallest debt was paid off and I could add what I had been paying towards Debt X to the minimum monthly payment for Debt Y:
Debt X was $40 a month, Debt Y is $50 a month. Once Debt X is paid off, I can put $90 a month towards Debt Y)
And so on.
There are more steps in Dave Ramsey's plan, but these are the ones I'm going to work on for now. We just paid off one debt so technically we could start The Snowball rolling, but I'm going to take what we were paying on it and put it into our Mini Emergency Fund first.
So my next challenge: Fill out the budget sheet and find ways to cut back. Coincidentally, I think the Freezer Cooking will be a big help to our food budget! (sidenote: I dreamed last night that I went to do my freezer shopping and forgot my list...)
I've come up with a plan loosely based on Dave Ramsey's teachings. I've never read any of his books, heard a radio show, or been to one of his seminars, but I have read about his ideas and they seem pretty logical. The whole process seems large and looming, so I've broken this down into steps. (If I'm plagiarizing anyone here, its unintentional. I promise.)
Step 1: Make a Budget.
This seems pretty daunting to me, but I found a basic budgeting form that breaks it down a little bit. (Here is a more detailed form.) I am going to start using cash for a lot more things, pretty much everything but bills. The Hubs is unwilling to give up his debit card but has agreed to use cash for lunches, entertainment, etc. I haven't filled out the form yet, but once I do, I'll let you know how it goes.
Step 2: Mini-Emergency Fund
Stash away $1000.00 for small emergencies- car repairs, unexpected large-ish expenses, etc. When we have paid off our credit card in the past, invariably some small emergency arises that we don't have the cash for, and boom- We're back in debt. So before we REALLY start throwing money at our debt, we are going to accumulate $1000.00 in savings. Once we reach that, we will start putting more towards our debt, but keep building this fund until, probably YEARS from now, we have an entire year's income in savings.
Step 3: The Snowball
This is pretty basic- I listed all of my debts in an Excel document in order of the amount owed. Then beneath each one I put the minimum monthly payment. Then below that I listed what my payments would be once the smallest debt was paid off and I could add what I had been paying towards Debt X to the minimum monthly payment for Debt Y:
Debt X was $40 a month, Debt Y is $50 a month. Once Debt X is paid off, I can put $90 a month towards Debt Y)
And so on.
There are more steps in Dave Ramsey's plan, but these are the ones I'm going to work on for now. We just paid off one debt so technically we could start The Snowball rolling, but I'm going to take what we were paying on it and put it into our Mini Emergency Fund first.
So my next challenge: Fill out the budget sheet and find ways to cut back. Coincidentally, I think the Freezer Cooking will be a big help to our food budget! (sidenote: I dreamed last night that I went to do my freezer shopping and forgot my list...)
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Good Idea #1: Part 2- The List
After I compiled all of my recipes, I made a shopping list. Seems pretty straightforward, but I wanted to make sure I didn't miss anything so I went about the list-writing in a methodical fashion. I looked at one recipe at a time and wrote down all of the ingredients. The amount of each ingredient I would need, I put in parentheses next to it:
Chicken Breasts (6)
Salt (2T)
Then I moved on to the next recipe. If there were duplicate ingredients, I put the amounts in parenthses next to the amount for the last recipe. If there was a new ingredient, I added it to the list as follows:
Chicken Breasts (6) (8)
Salt (2T) (.5T)
Bacon (2lbs)
Once I had gone through all of my recipes in this fashion, I added up all of the amounts to get the total I would need for my big cooking D-day:
Chicken Breasts (14)
Salt (2.5T)
Bacon (2lbs)
Next, when the shopping day arrives, I will root through my freezer, fridge, and pantry to see what and how much I already have. If I have enough of a particular ingredient, I will cross it off of the list and forbid The Hubs to touch it. (If anyone would like a copy of my shopping list, email me.)
Also, after checking pay dates, time off work, proximity to March, and the alignment of the planets, I have scheduled my cooking day: February 26th. August 6th 1945 ain't got NUTTIN' on what my kitchen is going to look like at about 5pm February 26th 2010.
Chicken Breasts (6)
Salt (2T)
Then I moved on to the next recipe. If there were duplicate ingredients, I put the amounts in parenthses next to the amount for the last recipe. If there was a new ingredient, I added it to the list as follows:
Chicken Breasts (6) (8)
Salt (2T) (.5T)
Bacon (2lbs)
Once I had gone through all of my recipes in this fashion, I added up all of the amounts to get the total I would need for my big cooking D-day:
Chicken Breasts (14)
Salt (2.5T)
Bacon (2lbs)
Next, when the shopping day arrives, I will root through my freezer, fridge, and pantry to see what and how much I already have. If I have enough of a particular ingredient, I will cross it off of the list and forbid The Hubs to touch it. (If anyone would like a copy of my shopping list, email me.)
Also, after checking pay dates, time off work, proximity to March, and the alignment of the planets, I have scheduled my cooking day: February 26th. August 6th 1945 ain't got NUTTIN' on what my kitchen is going to look like at about 5pm February 26th 2010.
Monday, February 8, 2010
A Deviation
Lest anyone should start to believe that this blog is solely dedicated to the wonders of Once-A-Month Cooking, I'd like to take a minute to respond to a comment and reiterate why I'm writing this blog. The comment:
"I'm a believer in REAL accomplishment...things that take time and effort and gives one some real satisfaction. As for cleaning and bills...pshh. What fulfillment does that provide?"
Accomplishments in life come in almost as many flavors as Jelly Bellies. I have a rather long list of things I want to do that could be considered "real" accomplishments (learning Italian, hiking the Appalachian Trail, writing a novel,) but the little things in life that pile up can get in the way of "real" accomplishments. For instance, I am going to be going back to school in April and will need my weeknights for homework. However, since I still have a house to run, things like freezer-stocking will help me to stay on top of both homework and housework.
That being said, I do find a certain fulfillment in having my house/home/life in order. When my house is spotless, the laundry is done, the bills are paid and there's a pan of chocolate chip cookies ready to come out of the oven the moment The Hubs comes home, I feel like the world is my kumquat. *Puffs out chest, puts fists on hips, stares stoically into the distance*
This blog is to help me (and anyone like me) experience that feeling more often.
"I'm a believer in REAL accomplishment...things that take time and effort and gives one some real satisfaction. As for cleaning and bills...pshh. What fulfillment does that provide?"
Accomplishments in life come in almost as many flavors as Jelly Bellies. I have a rather long list of things I want to do that could be considered "real" accomplishments (learning Italian, hiking the Appalachian Trail, writing a novel,) but the little things in life that pile up can get in the way of "real" accomplishments. For instance, I am going to be going back to school in April and will need my weeknights for homework. However, since I still have a house to run, things like freezer-stocking will help me to stay on top of both homework and housework.
That being said, I do find a certain fulfillment in having my house/home/life in order. When my house is spotless, the laundry is done, the bills are paid and there's a pan of chocolate chip cookies ready to come out of the oven the moment The Hubs comes home, I feel like the world is my kumquat. *Puffs out chest, puts fists on hips, stares stoically into the distance*
This blog is to help me (and anyone like me) experience that feeling more often.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
The Plan: Part One- Meals
This part took some thinking. How to change a good idea into a full freezer? Here we go:
Step One: I made a list with a blank space for each day of the month.
1. _________________
2. _________________
3. _________________
etc.
Step 2: I looked for recipes. The Hubs despises casseroles, so that hacked off about half of the recipes in line. For each recipe I considered the following:
1. Does it sound good? Is it really going to reheat well?
2. Will it make enough for at least one dinner with leftovers for lunch the next day?
3. Is there pork involved?
If the recipe answered "yes" to all of these questions, it made the cut. (Note: not all of them involve pork- that was an extra credit question. The Hubs loves him some pig...) I picked 14 recipes that met my criteria and wrote them down next to #s 1-14 on my list.
Step 3: I asked each recipe how many servings it made (I had to guess with almost all of them). If it would make 2 dinners, I wrote it down on the list again. If it would make 3 dinners, I wrote it down 2 more times. I did this until #s 1-31 were filled. Then I rearranged everything so that all the meals were grouped together.
Step 4:Next I copied all of the recipes into the same Word document and after each one I typed the following three questions: How many servings did this really make? Is it a keeper? Did you make any changes? (I rarely, if ever, make a recipe exactly as it is written. Usually I remember what I did, but since I will be cooking 15 dishes in the same day I figured I'd better keep track.)
Here are the recipes I chose:
Cranberry Chicken - 2 dinners* plus lunch leftovers (hereafter "PLL")
Zesty Pineapple Chicken - 1 dinner PLL (I will doubling all "1 dinner" recipes, hereafter, "x2")
Chinese Honey Ginger Chicken - 2 dinners PLL
Lime Pepper Chicken - 2 dinners PLL
Sweet and Sour Pork - 1 dinner PLL (x2)
Chicken Chow Mein - 1 dinner maybe PLL if we're lucky (x2)
Rotini - 3 dinners PLL
Cheddar Cheese Soup - 3 dinners PLL
Creamy Lemon Chicken - 2 dinners PLL
Spaghetti (sauce only) - 1 dinner PLL (makes 2 batches of sauce) (x2)
Chili - 3 dinners PLL
Sweet Onion Pork Chops - 1 dinner PLL (x2)
Beef and Broccoli - 2 dinners PLL
Bacon Wrapped Chicken - 1 dinner (no PLL. This one made the cut on merits of deliciousness.) (x2)
*# of dinners is based on 2 people dining. Remember to adjust accordingly.
The recipes that make only 1 dinner PLL, I will make 2 batches of. So my meal plan looks something like this:
1. Cranberry Chicken
2. Cranberry Chicken
3. Zesty Pineapple Chicken
4. Zesty Pineapple Chicken
5. Chinese Honey Ginger Chicken
6. Chinese Honey Ginger Chicken
7. Lime Pepper Chicken
8. Lime Pepper Chicken
9. Sweet and Sour Pork
10. Sweet and Sour Pork
11. Chicken Chow Mein
12. Chicken Chow Mein
13. Rotini
14. Rotini
15. Rotini
16. Cheddar Cheese Soup
17. Cheddar Cheese Soup
18. Cheddar Cheese Soup
19. Creamy Lemon Chicken
20. Creamy Lemon Chicken
21. Spaghetti
22. Spaghetti
23. Chili
24. Chili
25. Chili
26. Sweet Onion Pork Chops
27. Sweet Onion Pork Chops
28. Beef and Broccoli
29. Beef and Broccoli
30. Bacon Wrapped Chicken
31. Bacon Wrapped Chicken
Step One: I made a list with a blank space for each day of the month.
1. _________________
2. _________________
3. _________________
etc.
Step 2: I looked for recipes. The Hubs despises casseroles, so that hacked off about half of the recipes in line. For each recipe I considered the following:
1. Does it sound good? Is it really going to reheat well?
2. Will it make enough for at least one dinner with leftovers for lunch the next day?
3. Is there pork involved?
If the recipe answered "yes" to all of these questions, it made the cut. (Note: not all of them involve pork- that was an extra credit question. The Hubs loves him some pig...) I picked 14 recipes that met my criteria and wrote them down next to #s 1-14 on my list.
Step 3: I asked each recipe how many servings it made (I had to guess with almost all of them). If it would make 2 dinners, I wrote it down on the list again. If it would make 3 dinners, I wrote it down 2 more times. I did this until #s 1-31 were filled. Then I rearranged everything so that all the meals were grouped together.
Step 4:Next I copied all of the recipes into the same Word document and after each one I typed the following three questions: How many servings did this really make? Is it a keeper? Did you make any changes? (I rarely, if ever, make a recipe exactly as it is written. Usually I remember what I did, but since I will be cooking 15 dishes in the same day I figured I'd better keep track.)
Here are the recipes I chose:
Cranberry Chicken - 2 dinners* plus lunch leftovers (hereafter "PLL")
Zesty Pineapple Chicken - 1 dinner PLL (I will doubling all "1 dinner" recipes, hereafter, "x2")
Chinese Honey Ginger Chicken - 2 dinners PLL
Lime Pepper Chicken - 2 dinners PLL
Sweet and Sour Pork - 1 dinner PLL (x2)
Chicken Chow Mein - 1 dinner maybe PLL if we're lucky (x2)
Rotini - 3 dinners PLL
Cheddar Cheese Soup - 3 dinners PLL
Creamy Lemon Chicken - 2 dinners PLL
Spaghetti (sauce only) - 1 dinner PLL (makes 2 batches of sauce) (x2)
Chili - 3 dinners PLL
Sweet Onion Pork Chops - 1 dinner PLL (x2)
Beef and Broccoli - 2 dinners PLL
Bacon Wrapped Chicken - 1 dinner (no PLL. This one made the cut on merits of deliciousness.) (x2)
*# of dinners is based on 2 people dining. Remember to adjust accordingly.
The recipes that make only 1 dinner PLL, I will make 2 batches of. So my meal plan looks something like this:
1. Cranberry Chicken
2. Cranberry Chicken
3. Zesty Pineapple Chicken
4. Zesty Pineapple Chicken
5. Chinese Honey Ginger Chicken
6. Chinese Honey Ginger Chicken
7. Lime Pepper Chicken
8. Lime Pepper Chicken
9. Sweet and Sour Pork
10. Sweet and Sour Pork
11. Chicken Chow Mein
12. Chicken Chow Mein
13. Rotini
14. Rotini
15. Rotini
16. Cheddar Cheese Soup
17. Cheddar Cheese Soup
18. Cheddar Cheese Soup
19. Creamy Lemon Chicken
20. Creamy Lemon Chicken
21. Spaghetti
22. Spaghetti
23. Chili
24. Chili
25. Chili
26. Sweet Onion Pork Chops
27. Sweet Onion Pork Chops
28. Beef and Broccoli
29. Beef and Broccoli
30. Bacon Wrapped Chicken
31. Bacon Wrapped Chicken
I'm not going to assign specific meals to specific days. Since they all have to be taken out of the freezer about 24 hours before they're eaten, I figured we could choose each day what we want to eat tomorrow.
Is that horribly confusing to anyone else? Yeah, I thought so. Put that brain to work (yes, I'll wait.... ready now? Ok.) and join me in my foray into Once-A-Month Cooking.Good Idea #1: Freezer Meals
Do I enjoy cooking? That would depend on when you asked. If you were to ask me on a weekend I'd tell you that I love to cook and would promptly show you my grease-stained, dog-eared collection of cookbooks. If you were to ask me at about 6pm on, say, a Tuesday, my answer would probably involve crying and throwing things.
I really do love to cook, it gives me great fulfillment to make something delicious. However, I also work full time. My weeknights are usually hectic and by the time Friday rolls around, there is invariably a week's worth of dirty dishes in the sink. That is, unless we've eaten take out every night that week.
Therefore, in the interest of kitchen cleanliness, chaos saving, and my waistline, I am going to try once-a-month freezer cooking. I will plan a month's worth of freezer-friendly meals for March, empty my wallet at the grocery store, and spend one entire day up to my elbows in food. I will stock my freezer, keep an inventory of what is in there, and breathe a little easier after work. Once my meal plan is complete, I will post it for all to salivate over. I will post about my experiences with the meals, the time saving, the process, and the general feeling of being on top of things. If anyone has any freezer meal tips, I'd love to hear them!
Here is a great list of freezer-friendly recipes!
I really do love to cook, it gives me great fulfillment to make something delicious. However, I also work full time. My weeknights are usually hectic and by the time Friday rolls around, there is invariably a week's worth of dirty dishes in the sink. That is, unless we've eaten take out every night that week.
Therefore, in the interest of kitchen cleanliness, chaos saving, and my waistline, I am going to try once-a-month freezer cooking. I will plan a month's worth of freezer-friendly meals for March, empty my wallet at the grocery store, and spend one entire day up to my elbows in food. I will stock my freezer, keep an inventory of what is in there, and breathe a little easier after work. Once my meal plan is complete, I will post it for all to salivate over. I will post about my experiences with the meals, the time saving, the process, and the general feeling of being on top of things. If anyone has any freezer meal tips, I'd love to hear them!
Here is a great list of freezer-friendly recipes!
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Confessions of a Scatterbrain
I have good ideas. Lots of them, in fact. I have so many good ideas that they all sort of rattle around, clamoring for my attention. There are so many cool things in the world and I want to do them all. And that's where the trouble starts. I rarely finish anything that I start, my house (much to my shame) is a semi-permanent wreck, and I constantly, reliably, forget things. This month I forgot to pay 3 bills. We had the money to pay them, I had the due dates written on my calendar, I just...you know...didn't pay them on time.
This blog is my attempt to get organized and stay committed. I want to actually do some of those cool things that the world has to offer. If any of you would like to follow along and join me on my journey of self-improvement, please do. (I may be the only one who ever reads this, but hey- I'm fine with that. I find myself to be excellent company.)
So here is my first step: Now that I have aired my dirty laundry and made my craziness public, I'd like to take a minute to list some things that I have done right. Hmm...there's got to be something...ooo! I know.
I finished a denim quilt for The Hubs's Christmas present in under a month! (It wasn't some cop-out tie quilt either. Yep, it was a real deal man quilt made from The Hubs's old work jeans and Chicago Bears flannel.)
I helped a friend.
I made a friend.
I made broccoli.
See? I have my redeeming qualities.
So to anyone following along, start by making a list of the things YOU have recently done right. Acknowledge your victories and, if you should feel so inclined, post them in the comments.
This blog is my attempt to get organized and stay committed. I want to actually do some of those cool things that the world has to offer. If any of you would like to follow along and join me on my journey of self-improvement, please do. (I may be the only one who ever reads this, but hey- I'm fine with that. I find myself to be excellent company.)
So here is my first step: Now that I have aired my dirty laundry and made my craziness public, I'd like to take a minute to list some things that I have done right. Hmm...there's got to be something...ooo! I know.
I finished a denim quilt for The Hubs's Christmas present in under a month! (It wasn't some cop-out tie quilt either. Yep, it was a real deal man quilt made from The Hubs's old work jeans and Chicago Bears flannel.)
I helped a friend.
I made a friend.
I made broccoli.
See? I have my redeeming qualities.
So to anyone following along, start by making a list of the things YOU have recently done right. Acknowledge your victories and, if you should feel so inclined, post them in the comments.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)