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Thursday, January 19, 2023

Cheap & Cheerful Suppers Even When I Feel Lackluster

I'm sorry I haven't been posting this week. I'm just tired. I usually catch a cold about this time of year, shortly after the holidays. This year I didn't. But the holidays still tired me. And its all caught up to me this week. When I'm tired, I feel lackluster and boring, nothing to blog about. I did keep track of what we ate this week, though. Even when I'm boring, I can still make note of meals and share those. 

I also included some photos from our yard and nearby. It's turned cold and very wet this week, with highs in the low to mid-40s and puddles everywhere. Despite the less-than-wonderful weather, I push myself to get outdoors each day. I would rather stay inside where it's warm and comfy. But getting outside, even when it's raining, is better for my overall mood.

My son and daughter-in-law gave me this hummingbird feeder
for Christmas and I already have a "regular" hummer visiting.
He/she visits several times per day.

Friday

Friday 
scratch pepperoni, mushroom, olive pizza (using up those olives that had been lingering in the fridge since Thanksgiving) 
roasted Brussel sprouts
gingered fig-applesauce

This was the evening we took down the Christmas tree. We always wait until after Epiphany, and then have to find a night that works for the whole household. We played Christmas music while eating our pizza by the Christmas tree one last time.

Saturday

Saturday
bean burritos
canned green beans

The garlic that I planted in October is just now coming up!


Sunday

Sunday
TVP, eggs, and vegetables over rice
mashed winter squash
pumpkin pie

The last couple of winter squash desperately needed cooking. So I split them into halves and roasted them.  We'll be eating winter squash as a side dish for lunches and dinners this week.

Monday

Monday
cheese and vegetable lasagna
winter squash

Last time I was in Fred Meyer I found some cottage cheese on markdown. Most of the containers were priced at 99 cents each. However, there were 2 16-oz containers priced at 50 cents each. I bought both. When I got home, my 2 daughters told me they don't really like cottage cheese. I'm lactose intolerant, so that meant my husband had to eat all the cottage cheese, unless I found a plan to use some of it. So I made a cheesy lasagna for the 3 of them and a vegetable, noodle, and sauce layered casserole for myself. I added some chopped veggies to the cheese filling -- garlic, chopped canned carrots, and some fresh from the garden kale. Yep! We've got some kale to harvest already, or maybe it's "still."

On my walk this week, I spied some snowdrops
peeking up through the soil in a neighbor's yard.

Tuesday
assorted leftovers, plus orange wedges and pan-fried potatoes

Our potatoes are beginning to sprout and go a little soft. I baked about 10 small potatoes in the microwave today. I enjoy these, sliced and pan-fried in saved bacon fat mixed with oil.

Wednesday

Wednesday
beef hot dogs
brown rice
beet salad
canned green beans
leftover pumpkin pie

No buns tonight, but rice tastes good as a starchy side. We're using lots of canned veggies right now. The beet salad was simply vinaigrette-marinated canned beets. I saved the beet liquid and may try making pink rice with it.

I have a peculiar streak that pops up from time to time.
The pink spots are rose petals from a bouquet of roses last month.
Instead of composting the flowers and stems. I scattered the
petals over one of the vegetable beds (cuz I thought they would
look pretty). Every day when I take the 
compost out, seeing the rose petals scattered
across the soil makes me smile.



Thursday
tuna salad
canned pineapple chunks
avocado wedge
applesauce-rice muffins (using up applesauce that smelled like it was fermenting and leftover rice, pureed with the liquids)


Do you get the blahs after the holidays? Or does life (and your mood) just pick up, post-holiday season, where you left off in early November? I hope your luster isn't lacking this month.

What was on your menu this week? Have a great weekend, friends!

Thursday, January 12, 2023

Cheap & Cheerful Suppers for Early January


Friday
(pizza and movie night -- we watched Field of Dreams)
scratch pepperoni pizza
gingered fig-applesauce (home canned unripe garden figs blended with applesauce and spice)
cabbage and sprout slaw


Saturday
bean burritos in homemade flour tortillas
orange wedges
slaw
avocado

Sunday
bean and vegetable soup

Dinner sounds like a small meal today. That's because our main meal was a lunch-time winter tea. My daughters helped me put together a menu of scones, various spreads, egg salad sandwiches, tangerines, 2 pots of tea, mixed nuts, cookies, and homemade truffles. At dinner time, we all wanted a simple meal, and soup fit the bill.


Monday
scrambled eggs
grilled mushrooms
brown rice (topped with soy sauce and sesame oil)
mashed winter squash
roasted Brussel sprouts

This was the day I went to Costco with my daughter-in-law. You may recall, I bought mushrooms and Brussel sprouts. As you'll see, those packages last for a few meals. I got home with one hour to pull together dinner before one daughter had to leave for rehearsal. Eggs are pretty quick and easy. I pre-cooked the winter squash halves in the microwave before roasting them until done, along with the Brussel sprouts (on a different baking tray). I sautéed the mushrooms with garlic in butter and oil -- very, very tasty.


Tuesday
pot roast, potatoes, and gravy
grilled mushrooms
Brussel sprouts
mashed winter squash

I bought a chuck roast at Fred Meyer the week before. We haven't had pot roast in about 2 years, I think. I made a gravy, sautéed more mushrooms with garlic, and added some potato wedges to the pot in the last 20-30 minutes. The roast was large enough for 4 family meals. I froze half the cooked meat and used the other portion on Wednesday.


Wednesday
leftover beef from roast heated in salsa
corn tortillas
Brussel sprouts
orange wedges

A quick meal, using the leftover cooked meat and some salsa. In place of adding salt and water to the salsa and meat, I used some olive brine leftover from canned black olives, both salty and liquid to thin the salsa a bit.


Thursday
pancakes
bacon
pumpkin souffle
blackberries and blackberry syrup for topping pancakes


We still have mushrooms and Brussel spouts leftover from Monday's shopping. I'll be making a pizza with some of the mushrooms and serve a side of Brussel sprouts for tonight's dinner.  

I'm still cooking up fresh pumpkins and winter squash for both freezing and use in current meals. One pumpkin, upon checking earlier this week, was beginning to wrinkle and soften. So I cooked a large pot of pumpkin this week, using the skin-on technique for cooking and pureeing. Some of the pumpkin puree went into the freezer and some was used in Thursday's dinner. Lots of repeating ingredients this week.

Those were our main meals this week. What was on your menu?


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