Wanda over at The Shambled Shack posed a few questions that I figured I would answer.
1. Why is it so hard to stick to a menu plan? Honestly, I have no idea but it happens to me all the time. I end up making meal plans with meals that I love on them but something ALWAYS happens that makes me deviate from it.
2. Am I the only one that deviates this much? Definitely not. Life happens and you deal with it.
3. Is it really worth making a plan if your constantly changing up the plan? I think it is. This week I didn't make a meal plan at all, and I went food shopping without a list and I felt kind of lost. I just bought things on sale or things I wanted to buy and it felt weird not knowing where everything was going to be used. Even though a lot of things don't get used as they were intended because the meal plans change.
4. When making your plan, do you grocery shop first or plan your meals around what is on sale for the week? I make my meal plan and then go shopping. I generally stock up on proteins whenever they're on sale or I can get a good deal so I don't plan my meals according to the sales. I just go food shopping to pick up random missing ingredients and veggies/fruits.
5. How often do you grocery shop? It depends.. usually every other week or so but sometimes weekly. If I'm feeling particularly lazy it can go about 2.5-3 weeks. It's just me and my husband so it's not like we need gallons of fresh milk in the fridge.
6. How in the world do you get your pantry stocked up enough to do a pantry challenge for an entire month? I'm a packrat? I don't really. I think it's a combination of going shopping while hungry so I buy weird things and then stock up on random sales or whatever looks good. Then I get home and forget what I bought so I make other things and the new random foods get stocked into the pantry. I also tend to forget what I bought so one week I may buy 5lbs of chicken because its a good sale. Then the next week I might do the same because I forgot that we have plenty so then we end up with a ton of stuff.
7. What problems have you had with menu planning and how did you solve them? My main problems are just sticking to the actual menu plan. I always put good stuff on there. Life just jumps in the way. Friends/family want to go out to dinner and of course I'm not going to say no. Plus, sometimes I'm just not in the mood for that meal on that day when it actually happens. I've learned to solve these problems by just going with the flow and hoping for the best. I keep making the plans and sometimes I stick to them sometimes I don't.
8. What kind of variety do you give your menu plans? Do you stick with only three or four and rotate them? They're all completely different. Depending on if I'm following a diet plan (which I should be currently.. ) there may be certain meals that I really like and I know will help me stick with it. I generally like to try out new recipes so there is at least 1 recipe that is new on there and an old standby. It would probably be easier to rotate a few different plans but we like change and trying out new/different food so that wouldn't work for us. I find that if I'm eating lower carb, I tend to make monthly plans. If I'm eating lower fat or just whatever I want, I make 1-2 week meal plans. I have no idea why I differentiate, it's just always what I've done and I know it makes no sense whatsoever.
As for Food Waste Friday: No picture sorry. I dumped out the mashed potatoes from last week and one leftover chick pea cutlet. There's quite a bit of leftovers in there that we need to finish up this weekend.
Friday, February 19, 2010
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Reading
One of my new year's resolutions this year was to read more. I have lots of books that I want to read (currently 4 sitting on my night table). I've also decided if I hate a book, I don't need to finish it. There's one sitting on my nightstand for about a year and a half now with like 50 pages left that I just can't bring myself to open again. Maybe one day.
It dawned on me recently that I really should read more. I have plenty of time to read and yet, I never have the time to read. I'm always super busy watching tv or roaming the Internet. One of my friends has 2 kids, 2 dogs, a job, a husband, and a house. Yet, she reads a ton. So my resolution was just to read one chapter a day. Not too much that it's impossible and daunting and I could easily read more if I wanted to.
Of course, I read 8 chapters of a book one day and then decided I was good to go for the week. I'm trying to change that. Over the past weekend I've read 2.5 books. My latest discovery is I really like series.
I get so involved in these characters and their lives for 300+ pages and then never hear from them again. Sometimes, I actually get sad that I won't get to find out what happened to a character. Books that just leave you hanging and then never come out with a sequel.. that annoys me. So I decided to try out some series and see how that were. I'm enjoying that I already know the characters and that I can keep picking up the next one to hear about their latest adventures.
I'm currently reading the Sookie Stackhouse series by Charlaine Harris. I didn't say the books have to be life-changing but I really enjoy the way she writes and how in depth she makes the characters. Even though they're about vampires and all sorts of other mythical creatures, it's believable. I'm up to book 8 and I'm trying not to finish it too quickly since there is only one more book to go. Plus, I have this terrible terrible habit of buying books and the last book is still only available in hardcover. Even when I can pick up a paperback for $7.99, after 8 books it really starts to add up. At this point, I also have 8 of the 9 books, I'm a completist.. when the next book is available in paperback, I will need to buy it.
I'm really going to try to go to the library more often than the twice a year I'm currently averaging. It's silly to buy all these books because I read pretty quickly (once I actually sit down with a book) and I rarely reread things. Plus, since I'm into serials lately, it's going to take up too much room in my house and my wallet.
I'm thinking of starting one of the Janet Evanovich series because I've heard from a few people that they're great. Have any suggestions for books? Series or single books are good. I'll read pretty much any genre.
It dawned on me recently that I really should read more. I have plenty of time to read and yet, I never have the time to read. I'm always super busy watching tv or roaming the Internet. One of my friends has 2 kids, 2 dogs, a job, a husband, and a house. Yet, she reads a ton. So my resolution was just to read one chapter a day. Not too much that it's impossible and daunting and I could easily read more if I wanted to.
Of course, I read 8 chapters of a book one day and then decided I was good to go for the week. I'm trying to change that. Over the past weekend I've read 2.5 books. My latest discovery is I really like series.
I get so involved in these characters and their lives for 300+ pages and then never hear from them again. Sometimes, I actually get sad that I won't get to find out what happened to a character. Books that just leave you hanging and then never come out with a sequel.. that annoys me. So I decided to try out some series and see how that were. I'm enjoying that I already know the characters and that I can keep picking up the next one to hear about their latest adventures.
I'm currently reading the Sookie Stackhouse series by Charlaine Harris. I didn't say the books have to be life-changing but I really enjoy the way she writes and how in depth she makes the characters. Even though they're about vampires and all sorts of other mythical creatures, it's believable. I'm up to book 8 and I'm trying not to finish it too quickly since there is only one more book to go. Plus, I have this terrible terrible habit of buying books and the last book is still only available in hardcover. Even when I can pick up a paperback for $7.99, after 8 books it really starts to add up. At this point, I also have 8 of the 9 books, I'm a completist.. when the next book is available in paperback, I will need to buy it.
I'm really going to try to go to the library more often than the twice a year I'm currently averaging. It's silly to buy all these books because I read pretty quickly (once I actually sit down with a book) and I rarely reread things. Plus, since I'm into serials lately, it's going to take up too much room in my house and my wallet.
I'm thinking of starting one of the Janet Evanovich series because I've heard from a few people that they're great. Have any suggestions for books? Series or single books are good. I'll read pretty much any genre.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Crock Pot Wednesday
If you haven't noticed, I like simple crock pot recipes. Since I don't have much control once all the ingredients go in, I like to keep it easy.
Today, I'm not even sure if you can call it a recipe, but I am. .
6 Chicken Legs
1/2 bottle of your favorite BBQ sauce (or whatever bottle is lurking in your fridge)
Put chicken legs on bottom. Pour sauce on top. Cook until done.
Eat and enjoy.
Short, simple, and tasty. My kind of recipe. I also saw this Crockpot curry recipe the other day that looked really good. Of course, I didn't write it down/print it out so I'll have to go by memory and fudging it along the way. Hopefully I'll remember and try it in a few days.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Pompeii
At my school, in third through fifth grade, a Latin teacher would come in and teach us Latin. I also took Latin again in 8th grade because it was offered as an elective and I had nothing better to do. I told you I was a weird kid. The only thing I remember from those classes is how to count to ten in Latin to the tune of "Ten Little Indians" and Pompeii.
I remember our teacher telling us all about Pompeii and how it was covered in ash and lava from an erupting volcano. I remember thinking how horrible that must have been and picturing all these people trying to run and save their lives. I later learned more about Pompeii in a random archeology class in college (yes, I took random electives in college too..) and how much they had unearthed and how much of the city they were still excavating.
We went on a Mediterranean cruise for our honeymoon and one of the stops was actually in Pompeii. I was so excited! I had always thought it would be awesome to go there (and the Galapagos Islands but that's another story) but never thought I would actually get the chance.
We docked that day and found our tour group. I was right in front all day wandering through the streets of Pompeii. Honestly, I was awestruck. Even though I had always thought about it, I guess I never really realized that an entire CITY was covered. It was huge. I knew it was a city, but in my head I guess I always just imagined a few blocks. No, this was the size of an actual city and we were walking through it.
Our guide showed us their versions of fast food restaurants, penis signs that pointed the way to brothels, wealthy houses, poor houses, an ampitheater. There were even still "people" there. When they were being excavated, they would pump in cement (probably not actual cement but that's what I'm rememberding at this point) and fill in the holes where bodies were so you could make out the outlines of mothers protecting children and people trying to hide. He showed us the theater were a woman was found in a rather compromsing position with one of the gladiators. What a way to go out. It was all really sad and surreal at the same time.
I remember our teacher telling us all about Pompeii and how it was covered in ash and lava from an erupting volcano. I remember thinking how horrible that must have been and picturing all these people trying to run and save their lives. I later learned more about Pompeii in a random archeology class in college (yes, I took random electives in college too..) and how much they had unearthed and how much of the city they were still excavating.
We went on a Mediterranean cruise for our honeymoon and one of the stops was actually in Pompeii. I was so excited! I had always thought it would be awesome to go there (and the Galapagos Islands but that's another story) but never thought I would actually get the chance.
We docked that day and found our tour group. I was right in front all day wandering through the streets of Pompeii. Honestly, I was awestruck. Even though I had always thought about it, I guess I never really realized that an entire CITY was covered. It was huge. I knew it was a city, but in my head I guess I always just imagined a few blocks. No, this was the size of an actual city and we were walking through it.
Our guide showed us their versions of fast food restaurants, penis signs that pointed the way to brothels, wealthy houses, poor houses, an ampitheater. There were even still "people" there. When they were being excavated, they would pump in cement (probably not actual cement but that's what I'm rememberding at this point) and fill in the holes where bodies were so you could make out the outlines of mothers protecting children and people trying to hide. He showed us the theater were a woman was found in a rather compromsing position with one of the gladiators. What a way to go out. It was all really sad and surreal at the same time.
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