Menu Monday 11/9/20 Homemaking in Uncertainty

 

Who could have foreseen we would be where we are today.... a nation full of uncertainty both for right now and for the future. A "projected" answer is out there, but final analysis is still to be determined and litigation begins. For those of us who weathered 2008 and the subsequent years, we know what "change" means.... and it comes with many mixed feelings and a mighty big cost.

For me, as a housewife in a single-income home with a husband employed in the oil and gas industry (currently layed-off because of shut-downs) prospects in this possible new future of "change" look more like eternal unemployment 15 years shy of official retirement. Questions and discouragement spark everywhere in my mind and, over this past week, I have had many moments of just wanting to give up. It has been hard to find the path before me as I wonder if we will still have this home a year from now and if I will need to take a job outside the house to help us make ends-meat.

Then I remember....

Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world.

~ 1 Peter 5:6-9 (emphasis added)~

#1 - give it all to God, He's got this and He cares!

#2 - know that the enemy is at work but I can resist Him and stand firm in my faith

#3 - I am not alone. Not only is God with me, but others are struggling too.

I've seen this struggling in the strong undertones of many Instagramers I follow. Everyone is numb. Countless women (and men) are squinting to try and see the path ahead. But.... that is OK.

As I have plucked along, just enough fog finally lifted Friday for me to be able to confidently say it will be OK. THINGS might not be OK, but I will.... and you will.... and life will. We may struggle a little in the process... or a lot.... or, by grace, not at all. But God.

As housewives we still have a job to do. We may be weary as we do it right now, but it still must be done. Dishes need washing, children need tending, homeschoolers need teaching, husbands need serving, laundry needs washing, house needs cleaning.... and the list goes on. Life does not stop because the world around us is in limbo. It merely requires a little more faith than the day before... one-foot-in-front-of -the-other. Perhaps the fog has only lifted enough to allow limited view of just the step in front.... that is OK... take THAT step and trust, when the next one comes, fog will lift for it as well.

This Past Week

Other than the roller-coaster of emotion and processing Tuesday, I started a new planner this week. My other was set to run out and with MIL here now and appointments for her already being scheduled into 2021, I thought it would be prudent to get a jump on the new one. It's strange not needing space for homeschooling or children's activities for the first time in 26 years!!!

It is an Amy Knapp "Christian Family Organizer". I will review it in more detail as I use it more but I can give this positive note.... I like the columns for Menu and Grocery list.

I feel as though it helped me stay on top of meal prep, having it in front of me along with our weekly schedule.

I did muster to finish wintering my garden spaces. We do still technically need to get leaves off the ground from countless trees around our yard. 

Hopefully we can still do that, it snowed today but we do expect it to melt by next week. I am secretly glad to have the bulk of yard and garden done so I can have a break from the outside chores for a few months and focus on the inside (especially with baking season here!)

I took MIL to the zoo after lunch on Thursday. It is a smallish zoo but cute, especially in the hues of fall. She loves seeing the animals and knowing hubby was manning the grill on yet another warm day, I could really relax for our adventure.

As a result of moods, nerves, yard and such, our menu plan actually fluctuated quite a bit this week, as you will see below. But that is OK. Having the menu was still good to help us stay on track and keep aiming for structure and nutrition!

Lets have a look (an asterisks indicates a change of plans)...

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Sunday  

Breakfast:  Eggs and Turkey Sausage

Lunch:  Chicken Salad

Dinner:  Roasted Rosemary Butter Chicken and Red Potatoes with Green Beans. For Dessert: *All the Flavors of Thanksgiving bunt cake (had planned Pumpkin Upside Down Cake but didn't have everything together in time)

I decided to start having a Sunday Dessert! This one, for the first Sunday of November, was meant to pull together all the flavors of Thanksgiving and November as a whole! I used some leftover Cream Cheese Frosting from the week before which had been frozen.

 Monday   

Breakfast: Breakfast Bowls

Lunch:  *Grilled Cheese and Chips (was going to do egg salad but forgot to hard boil the eggs!)

Dinner:  Burgers and Homemade *Potato Chips (had hoped to make baked or fried potato wedges but these are best with cold baked potato and I forgot to bake extra for this meal!)

Tuesday   

Breakfast: Breakfast Smoothies

Lunch:  *Egg Salad and Chips (I had planned BLT but the bacon went bad before I could use it! But the eggs were done!!)

Dinner: Greek Seasoned Chicken with Herb Roasted Mixed Veggies and Quinoa

It warmed up into the 70s this week so we decided to grill out. I thawed a few cups of the "Normandy" mix of veggies and tossed them with some olive oil and Greek Seasoning, poured onto some foil and made a sealed pouch. Hubby grilled them beside the chicken and they were delicious!

Wednesday   

Breakfast:  Fried Eggs and Sausage

Lunch:  Leftover Chicken

Dinner:  *Loaded Baked Potato and Toasted Sourdough (Had planned wrapped hot dogs and chips but hubby had an upset stomach and requested baked potato. I picked up some regular bacon, cut it into big chunks and fried it up to go on top of potato. The meal was so hearty, everyone was full!)

Thursday   

Breakfast:  *Eggs and Turkey Sausage (I was going to start making a mid-week dessert as well but realized, for our waste-line and MIL diabetes, that would be a bad idea!! I had intended Apple Bars for Wednesday's dessert to also be used for Thursday's breakfast... but with no Wed dessert, breakfast got changed)

Lunch:  *Hot Dogs and Mac N Cheese (Originally planned Chicken Salad but MIL and I ran to store after her a.m. doctor's appointment and decided to get Mac)

Dinner:  *Grilled Steak, Seasoned Skewered Brussels Sprouts and Deli Salads with Grilled Sourdough Toast (Intended London Broil, Mashed Potato and Green Beans but I forgot to lay out the Broil and so picked up steaks while we were already at the store instead)

I don't usually make Brussels but hubby has been craving them for months since a catered event at work before lay-offs. We used fresh with bottoms cut off. I threw them in a bowl and tossed with some olive and sesame oils as well as garlic powder, onion powder, parsley, salt and pepper. We skewered them alternating with whole cloves of garlic... they were delicious!

Friday   

Breakfast: *Scrambled Eggs and Sausage (planned Egg Cups but procrastinate making them because only 3 of us like them and no one eats the leftovers!!)

Lunch:  *Leftover Hot Dogs and Deli Salads (I was going to pull some leftover Shepherd's Pie out of the freezer but opted for more recent leftovers!)

Dinner:  *Taco Salad (Chicken Picata was on the menu but I forgot to lay out the chicken and we all just wanted something fun and relaxing we could enjoy as a "TV dinner" since everyone has gotten into keeping up with the Mandelorian Series on Disney+) (We eat most meals, except finger food, at the dinner table as a family)

Saturday   

Breakfast:  *Omelet (I had planned Breakfast Smoothies but hubby had other plans and cooked up for us!!)

Lunch:  Leftovers from Taco Salad

Dinner:  *Wrapped Hot Dogs and Chips (instead of planned Burgers since we just had ground beef the night before)

I did up a basic white bread dough recipe in my bread machine. Once the cycle was complete I took a small fist full of dough and rolled into an oval, placed dog in the middle and cinched up. We used the mega Costco Dogs and I actually pre-roasted them for about 5 minutes. My son thought to slice down the middle of the dog and insert strips of cheese then, place the dog slit-side-down on the dough and wrap up. We baked them at 375 for about 10 minutes.

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So that was my week in the kitchen... what does yours look like? Also, how have you been weathering the 'storms' this past week? Is there a particular piece of advice or scripture which helps you keep stepping forward in the middle of uncertainty?

Happy cooking and prayers for peaceful Homemaking in uncertainty!

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*** Why the asterisks? ***

Planning ahead with menus is always a good idea. It helps to stay on budget and balanced in diet... but lets be real, not every day goes as beautifully planned. I know, when I was a young wife, I found menus fascinating but was also often quickly discouraged by how hard it was to stay-on task. As I collected kids and schedules and all those unexpected demands on my time, I learned how to juggle. I like to alternate meats, spice levels and the nutritional balance from meal-to-meal and day-to-day. I also like to try 1-2 new recipes each week, though some weeks are all old favorites! I hope, seeing not just what we ate, but also how it changed, encourages you to menu plan and give yourself grace and flexibility to change it up a bit when needed! 

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You can click here to see some of the great blogs I am linking up today ...

 

For an old article on one way I've done menu planning (free printables included) you can visit:

Menu Monday: Menu-Making Edition!

 

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