Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Summer Projects

Okay, I've survived the school meetings and have had the opportunity to work in my library and that is the best part.  I've created a new schedule and checked out some books to a few teachers.  I'm working on some lessons plans; long range and the next week or two.  Things are coming together.

At home I had two summer projects that I wanted to accomplish:

1.Bring less packaging home by buying in bulk using my own containers

2. Menu Planning so I'm not crazy during the week.

The packaging project has gone quite well and I now have half a shelf in my pantry dedicated to my bulk buying.  I planned on practice menu planning this summer but I never got to it!!  We DID eat over the summer but it was just fly-by-the-seat-of-our-pants-eating.  We ate a lot of food from the farmer's market over the summer and I did a lot of food-related posts for Weekend Cooking  but the actually writing out of a plan did not happen. Sooooo.... Beginning of the school year is the perfect time to do this.

I've copied off the cute little menu plans from The Sister's Cafe and I'm reusing a  pink binder of Groovy Girl's.  She's into lime green now and so the pink binder has been tossed out of her room and into my recycling hands.

This week's plan:

Monday:  Pasta with red sauce (prepared by husband because I had Good Spirits Book Club)
Tuesday:  Mushroom Soup from She Likes Bento. Take out Pizza purchased by husband because I'm not feeling well and am slacking on the sofa.
Wednesday:  Mushroom Soup-I have all the ingredients and it begs to be made.
Thursday:  Tofu Stir Fry with garden produce
Friday:  White Beans with Garlic and Herbs (from In The Green Kitchen; Alice Waters)
Saturday: Leftovers
Sunday: Roast Chicken with garden potatoes

My plan is to only try two new recipes during the week.  The tofu stir fry is an easy recipe for me that I improvise all the time.  Just like lesson planning helps me to stay organized at work so to should this menu planning for my after school time.

How is your week shaping up?

5 comments:

Tina's Blog said...

I have my menus planned, too, but already tonight we veered off and had take-out because of gymnastics and school registration - just not enough time at home to get food made. I am hoping though to be better organized so I don't get home from school and wonder what we are eating or need to stop at the store for ingredients.

Deb G-T said...

Ahh...fall is kind of like January with all it resolutions right? Getting organized just seems to go along with new pencils and empty academic year calendars waiting to be written in. I miss that now that my kids have long since flown the nest.
I just finished reading "The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey" which I really enjoyed. Very interesteing to read it from the perspective of one who has dementia as my mom suffers from this too. I can imagine this is what it might be like to be her. I loved the characters and the style in which it was written once I got used to the rhythem of it.
I have a good recipe to give you PR if I can just find it in the shoebox full of "Recipes to Organize!" Maybe this could be my school year project!

D G-T said...

Whoops...I do know how to spell "interesting" but probably need to go back to school to review "rhythm!"

Rachel Brooks said...

Sounds like you have a very busy week ahead. I like being busy though, especially when it's with reading and writing!

Also, I’m a new follower— wonderful blog! Stop by my blog and follow me too? :) http://rachelbrookswrites.blogspot.com/

TheBookGirl said...

I'm impressed with your meal planning. When my daughter went off to college last fall, I found myself slacking off totally, and my husband and I ate way too much prepared food. With her home over the summer, I returned to more structured meal preps, and I want to continue with that even when she returns to school (next week, sigh).
Tonite, I wasn't sure what to make as I am at the library bookshop till 7, but your post gave me inspiration -- I have tofu in the refrigerator that needs to be used, so a veggie-tofu stir fry it is!