Friday Hodge Podge

I'm go glad its Friday, because since Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years, I don't think I've worked a full 5 days in a row until this week. So I'm definitely ready for a couple of days for "homemaking dreams".

I've been chugging right along with using my menu planner this week. I did switch some things around and learned a lesson or two.

Lesson No. 1: If my son is working night shift during a certain week, it would be better to plan easier and faster meals, such as hotdogs, spaghetti, sloppy joes, pizza, etc. I get home from work at 5:20 and he leaves for work at about 6:10, so there's no way to get a big meal on the table in time for him to eat. All week he's been taking a plate of whatever we were having for supper with him or just eating something quick from a can or the freezer. Picture a hungry guy standing over your shoulder saying, "How much longer?, I've got to go".

Lesson No. 2: Weeknight meals need to be quicker and easier. I need to do some of it ahead of time on the weekend, etc. In other words, get organized!

This is one meal from the week that was easy, inexpensive, nutritious, and good. A while back I bought a small pack of sirloin steak, less than a pound, that was marked down, and froze it for a future meal. I thawed it in the fridge while at work, sliced it into bite size pieces and browned it in a small amount of hot oil along with some onion. I only seasoned it with some garlic powder and black pepper.

I had a "steam in the microwave" bag of Food Lion brand frozen vegetables (broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, water chestnuts, etc.) I cooked this in the microwave according to the directions and then added it to the meat and onion in the frying pan. Then I just splashed some soy sauce in there and mixed it all up. I let it simmer for a few minutes.






In another pot I made some rice and served the stir fry mixture on top of that.

The whole meal was only 2 or 3 dollars, tops.

Tomorrow I plan to make chicken thief stew using some leftover chicken we have in the fridge. This is one of my goals for 2009, to use left overs in soups or stews in an effort to waste less food. All I need is the chicken, frozen butter beans, canned corn, onion, canned tomatoes, etc. and I have all of that on hand, so it should be easy to do. Here is one version of the recipe from a prior post. I probably won't add the same veggies I used in that prior post, but it gives you an idea of what can be used!

My plans for the weekend are to tackle another goal from my "Home To Do List". I'm thinking I'll work on the closet in the living room or maybe our bedroom closet. There are so many jobs to choose from! I hope to post before and after pictures tomorrow or Sunday.

I also plan to work on the Valentine's Day Pocketbook listed on my "Sewing To Do List".

All week I have been working on laundry and a few cleaning chores hoping to free up Saturday for more fulfilling things, such as sewing and accomplishing other goals. I have done at least 4 loads of laundry, vacuumed some of the carpet and since I did a thorough job of cleaning the bathrooms last weekend, they will only need a good going over. I hope to get the kitchen floor vacuumed and mopped ahead of time as well, if my energy holds out!

I have been loosely following Flylady's plan this week. It really does help me to get motivated. For instance, Wednesday is "Anti-Procrastination Day". So Wednesday I got some tax stuff done that could have been done 6 months ago, but of course waited until now. However, I still got it done ahead of schedule. I also started sorting our 2008 tax info. I have made a list of things to choose from for next week's Anti-Procrastination Day.

Yesterday was "Errand Day". I made a list of errands and got the following done: Exchanged son's belt he got as a Christmas gift, made bank deposit and returned library books.

Today is "Declutter your purse and car" day. My purse isn't bad, but the car can use some decluttering!

So there's a hodge podge of my week and weekend plans! What are you up to today?