For those who desire to become the Proverbs 31 woman
That's where I am at tonight as I type in this menu plan. I know it is a basic plan, but I have jury duty this week and with my job, it's enough to keep me pretty busy.
Monday
Beef Stew
Cole Slaw
Tuesday
Potato Soup
Salads
Blueberry Pie
Wednesday
Chicken Tacos (using my home canned chicken breast)
Thursday
Left-overs
Friday
Pizza & Pop
Saturday
Sloppy Joes
Green Beans
Salads
Sunday
On Your Own
I have taken a break from blogging for a short while, mostly due to busyness, but also due to just feeling as if nothing matters in this world, least of all homemaking. However, while I am still busy, I also believe that having a voice about conservative things - and homemaking as well - matters. The United States of America, as well as the rest of the world, is in a bit of *Ahem* disarray. Everyone is looking for something or someone to solve their problems. But the fact of the matter is, there is nobody or no thing that will do the job other than Jesus Christ. Today I can continue blogging and talking about what matters to me - faith. We still have that freedom and I refuse to take it for granted.
I also believe that planning is important, but I don't hold too tightly to it. I plan with the knowledge that tomorrow is not guaranteed. I plan while keeping in mind that "God willing" I will be able to complete a task or a trip or whatever. And menu planning is at the top of my list. It helps me stay organized and I never have to waste time wondering what's for supper. I only have to look at the list on my refrigerator.
My garden is hopping right along and that means fresh vegetables for the table and maybe a full freezer and pantry for the winter months later on.
Wishing you a blessed week and, God willing, I will post more often.
Monday
BBQ (smoke flavored) ribs in crock-pot
Baked potatoes in microwave
Green beans
Tuesday
Sicilian Supper
Garden salads
Birthday cake & ice-cream
Wednesday
Thursday
Left-overs
Friday
Pizza & pop
Saturday
Eating out with a gift from friends
Sunday
On your own
On Friday, I went to the barn to feed my two ewes when I took a peek into my daughter's goat stall. Standing there was a tiny buckling, dried off but shivering. We left him with his mother until Saturday morning, but noticed then that he was very cold and could not nurse. After some research, we determined that he was hypothermic and simply could not latch on enough to nurse. At that point, we had to bring him in the house and get him warm really quick. We did give him supplements along with colostrum from the mother goat. Well, long story short - when this happens you just have to keep the baby inside in the warmth until the cold snap ends or he's big enough to withstand the temperatures.
So...we are keeping this little guy in the house and bringing him outside every two to three hours (with a doggie jacket on) to nurse from his mother. Then, we take a screaming baby from his screaming mother and bring him back inside, where he basks in the warmth on the hearth rug in front of the wood burner. No kidding. Lots of fun. By the way, this is a nigerian dwarf goat and he's really tiny. Right now he's 5 lbs. and gaining weight slowly. Lots of energy and pretty spunky when he's not sleeping.
Monday
Cheeseburger Soup
Tuesday
Vegetable (with cabbage) Soup
Parmesan Chicken Strips with Salads
Baked Potatoes
Wednesday
Thursday
Left-overs and Whatever Else
Friday
Pizza
Saturday
Brats
Warm Potato Salad with Capers
Baked Beans
Sunday
On Your Own
Many years later, and I'm still getting most of my recipes from my collection of cookbooks - real ones that I can hold and sift through. I took most of my menu plan this week from the three books below: The Ohio State Grange Cook Book, Conservation Officers Cooking T.I.P.S., and my mother's handwritten Favorite Recipes. In March of this year, my mom will have been in Heaven for five years. I still miss her dearly and making some of these dishes gives me comfort. After the plan I will share a recipe from that little book.
So, what to create for dinners (or as we Hoosiers always say, suppers) this first week in the year 2021. If I'm honest, I will admit that my heart isn't really in the menu plan this time, but that's the way it goes. When you are a planner and someone who likes to have everything structured, you continue to go ahead with the plans regardless of how you feel. Yesterday, I looked through my pantry and freezers before throwing together a plan.
That's the best way to prepare a weekly menu, you know. The late planning is not ideal, but deciding what you want for meals by using ingredients that you already have on hand is. Being wise in all aspects of our lives is important and spending extra money at the grocery store to prepare whatever sounds good at the time is not the best thing. I want to save money, not spend it all needlessly.
Then, there's the whole thing about how I wanted a large garden and tons of canned (frozen and dried too) goods available in the winter. Now it's winter and I need to be using those foods to feed the family nourishing food. One vegetable that I grew a lot of this last summer is squash. I ran out of good storage places for squash, so I decided to put them under our bed. I read that this is a good idea. I'm happy to say it has been a fantastic place, as the squash are still in great shape and we have been enjoying them since harvest in September.
Happy New Year and may you be blessed in your own planning endeavors.
Monday
Chili
Muffins
Tuesday
Chicken and Rice
Brussels Sprouts
Wednesday
Sausage Stuffed Squash
Baked Potatoes
Salads
Thursday
Enchiladas
Salads
Friday
Pizza & Pop
Saturday
BBQ Ribs
Potatoes
Peas
Sunday
On Your Own
Happy Menu Plan Monday - the last in 2020.
If you're anything like me, I think you will agree that 2020 has been less than desirable and an end to it sounds grand. While our calendar changes to another year, however, please keep in mind that God's perfect timing does not include parameters such as the Gregorian calendar. That's sort of for us because we have such finite minds ....
I have slipped on posting my menu plans and hope to rectify that by being more consistent. I have, however, been very good at planning and posting my menu on our refrigerator for the family to see - and stop asking what's for supper.
I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and best wishes to the new year ahead. I don't think that things are going to look any different than they do now and probably won't be any better, but that doesn't mean that we can't celebrate the freedoms that we do still have. And we can still feast with whatever we have available.
Monday
Pork Roast
Baked Potatoes
Green Beans
Homemade White Bread
Tuesday
Spaghetti
Broccoli
Garden Salads
Wednesday
Beef Stew (minus barley)
Thursday
Cheesy Chicken and Noodle Casserole
Peas
Friday - New Year's Day
Pizza & Pop
Saturday
Burgers and Brats (Hopefully grilled - depends on weather)
Potato Salad
Chips & Dip
Sunday
On Your Own
