family dinner

Sunday Night Goal Post

I realize that most of you are reading this on Monday morning (all 5 of you! I love you guys! You rock! I am having you all over for a Baked Ziti Extravaganza soon!), but I like the Sunday Night football reference of ‘Goal Post’ so I’m sticking with it. Cheepie likes birds (Cheep Cheep!)  and football, it seems.

I’m really working from the freezer for meat this week, given the space taken by turkeys. It’s also the end of the year, and while it doesn’t make sense, given I buy meat all year, I feel like I need to empty what I can from the fridge/freezer/pantry at this time.  So I want to use what I’ve got. 

I feel like I need to renew, so I’m trying to use up the pantry staples like dried beans and random condiments up, to make room. Room for what? Room for new things I find on sale and new projects!  I really want to start making vanilla, and I need to get Eldest on board with pancakes not from Bisquick. We’ve got everything to make pancakes right here, and she knows it.

So this week’s kind of plain plan, in between the big holidays:

  • Mon: meatloaf, sweet potatoes, green salad. blackberries. peas.
  • Tue: pan-fried halibut, pineapple, couscous, green salad
  • Wed: sandwiches, veggie sticks and ranch, apple slices
  • Thur: End of Term Pizza Day!
  • Fri:  Oven Ribs, potato salad, bbq etc.

Here’s hoping for the best. Cheep Cheep!

This Week’s Dinners, Week 7

The goals were simple this week, and made with the many school and social plans in mind. It was a partly successful week.Where partly is ‘if this were a class in school, you’d be getting quite a few notes home about not being precisely ‘successful’, young lady’.

Here’s the goal list:

  • Mon: salmon croquettes, rice, steamed spinach, sliced apples, carrot sticks
  • Tue:  soup & salad
  • Wed: Prince Spaghetti Day!  spaghetti and meatballs. possibly homemade tortellini if I feel ambitious. caesar salad. peas. fruit.
  • Thur:  Breakfast for Dinner. 
  • Fri: Movie Night!

And the actual:

  • Mon: salmon croquettes, steamed spinach, carrot sticks, apple slices, rice. 4 people. Score: 2 points.
    Tue:  spaghetti, cooked broccoli/cauliflower, carrot sticks, oranges. 3 people.  Score: 0.5 points.
  • Wed: sandwiches, leftovers. 3 people, not together. Score: 0
  • Thurs: meatballs, fishsticks, macaroni and cheese, cucumbers, apple and orange slices. 4 people, not together. Score: 0.5 points.
  • Fri: burgers at movie night. no supplement with healthy stuff. 3 people. Score: 1 point.

As ever, with DH coming home at variable times, and Eldest having two performances  this week it was tough.  We did manage to not eat take out, so that’s a step in the right direction. P. Terry’s was looming large in my mind on Wed and Thurs, but we ate at home, and that’s always been a tough call when I know we’ll all be happy with fries.

So I’m well back into failing range, but given a week involving banging up the car, working a fundraiser and planning another, and the general mayhem that the holiday season brings, like school posters needing supplies (?) and hosting an origami bird sale in the front yard (!?!), that I didn’t order pizza, pick up burgers, and then go right back to Conan’s for more pizza the night after that is a miracle indeed.

Week 7

  • Score: 4/10
  • Plan followed?: 2.5/5 (half point for spaghetti on the wrong night)
  • Effort?: low

Tune in later today for this week’s Goal Post!  Cheep Cheep!

Sunday Night Goal Post

Last week went well in part because I stood in front of the open fridge and thought for a bit about how the week would go.  I realize it’s not optimal for this thinking to be done in front of an open refrigerator, but given that it got me from a 4 to a 7, I’m going to stick with it.  So give me a minute, here… Ok. Here’s my week, after looking at both the fridge and the pantry, and then remembering to ALSO check my calendar.

  • Mon: salmon croquettes, rice, steamed spinach, sliced apples, carrot sticks
  • Tue:  soup & salad
  • Wed: Prince Spaghetti Day!  spaghetti and meatballs. possibly homemade tortellini if I feel ambitious. caesar salad. peas. fruit.
  • Thur:  Breakfast for Dinner.  Pancakes and scrambled eggs, cinnamon toast and English muffins, berries and sliced tomatoes (those are for me)(yes, I’m going to slice them, put them on a plate like everyone will help themselves to some, and then eat them all myself with a bit of salt)(it’s not a crime)(at least not yet)(it’s ‘misrepresenting familial interest in vegetables’, at best, and I don’t think they’ve got that one on the books yet).
  • Fri: Movie Night! I will supplement cheeseburgers/chicken strips/fried cheese with fruit and veg. Enjoy a chuckle with me here, as we imagine me re-packing the cucumber rounds and cuties.

I think this is practical, and do-able, but I always think that on Sunday night.  Apparently, Sunday night is when I dream big, and somewhere about Wednesday my Dream Engine gives up and it’s all frito pie and P. Terry’s from there. So here’s hoping, my friends. Cheep Cheep!

This Week’s Dinners, Week 6

This week was a recovery week, given the holiday travels. Generally, we eat out too much on a recovery week, because DH and I feel an acute lack of tex-mex immediately on leaving Texas, and it takes us 2-3 doses to recover. My sub goal, after a perfect 10 for family dinner, was to just not eat out this week. Even with all my plans, we often eat out not as a whole family but as a subset. The Call of the Queso is a lure, among us.

Here’s the goal for this week, written after Monday’s supper, looking at a vacation-empty fridge and with an eye toward the pantry and freezer:

  • Mon: tri tip, salad, broccoli/cauliflower, applesauce, cucumber and carrots
  • Tue:  Taco Tuesday!  tacos al pastor, refried beans, queso,tortillas and fixings
  • Wed: Prince Spaghetti day!  alfredo noodles, roasted chicken legs, carrots, salad
  • Thur: egg drop soup, fried rice
  • Fri: pizza/calzone night!

And the actual:

  • Mon:   It’s possible for my self-esteem I should always make the plan after the fact. 4 people. Score: 1.5 points.
  • Tue:  Taco Tuesday! completely as advertised.  7:30 pm. 5 people. Score: 2 points.
  • Wed: Prince Spaghetti day! also as advertised. 7:15 pm. 4 people. Score: 1.5 points.
  • Thur: Refrigerator Buffet.Varied times. 5 people, different times. Score: 0.5 points.
  • Fri: Pizza Night. No calzones, which should mean zero points, but I’m a wuss. 8:30pm. 4 people. Score: 1.5 points.

This is a marked improvement from the Land of 4s!   In the land of 7.0!  This is a lofty area, indeed.

I think what helped me this week was standing in front of the empty fridge, and being able to plan from the freezer/pantry. I posted in front of a zero shopping idea, and it worked. I bought fruit and vegetables, but other than that it was a pantry freezer/week.  I should work on doing that more.

Week 6

  • Score: 7.0/10
  • Plan followed?: 4/5 (point off for Refrigerator buffet)
  • Effort?: middle

This is a definite boost, after the last two weeks.  Tomorrow’s Goal Post will be centered around what was successful this week–using what’s on hand, and supplementing.

Monday Night Goal Post

A delay, but I’m giving this week a go, keeping in mind that this week I’m going to try to get better than a 4. I can retroactively already give myself a point for tonight, so I’ve got a realistic shot at reaching this goal.

Small steps, my Cheepsters. That’s how I’m going to get everyone on board this week.

That, and possibly queso at every meal.  Queso is not technically a food, more of a substance, but I’m willing to waive the requirement that all the food served must be food, especially since I never made a hard commitment to that rule (having only just thought of it) (after remembering Velveeta is a ‘cheese product’).  Mmmmmmmm, cheese product.

This week’s non-lofty, completely adequate chance at a score of 5.0 plan is as follows:

  • Mon: tri tip, salad, broccoli/cauliflower, applesauce, cucumber and carrots
  • Tue:  Taco Tuesday!  tacos al pastor, refried beans, queso,tortillas and fixings
  • Wed: Prince Spaghetti day!  alfredo noodles, roasted chicken legs, carrots, salad
  • Thur: egg drop soup, fried rice
  • Fri: pizza/calzone night!

See what I did there on Wednesday? Alfredo–it’s like sneaky queso that you eat on noodles!

This is a week of stuff I could make in my sleep, with items mostly already in the house. I really think I can get an upwards trend started. This makes me happy, because I refuse to make a bar graph of the weekly scores until it’s going up, and this is hard, because I LOVE making bar graphs.

Wish me luck, and I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving. I’m looking forward to navigating the holiday season, and hope we all find great deals.  Cheep Cheep!

Cheepie Is Out and About

Cheepie is late on this week’s meal planning post.

This is due to the reasons you most likely suspected, which is this week’s meal plan is completely focused on Turkey Day, and cares for all the other days very little, indeed. A vacation week and family time is hopefully just what I need to reset and get back on the Family Dinner wagon.

I’ll still get the ad post up for this week, as usual.  Keep in mind that shopping for groceries on Wednesday is like heading to Daytona for Spring Break.  You need to be mentally prepared for the crowds, and a drink will help it all go more smoothly.

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday, with a giant meal shared by many people being one of my favorite ways to spend time. I love shopping for the food, making three kinds of cranberry sauce, making sandwiches with leftovers, and googling yet another turkey tetrazzini recipe because I forgot which one I made last time.

Here are two quotes from someone who saw the fun in family life: Erma Bombeck.

What we’re really talking about is a wonderful day set aside on the fourth Thursday of November when no one diets.  I mean, why else would they call it Thanksgiving?
~ “No One Diets on Thanksgiving,” 26 November 1981

Thanksgiving dinners take eighteen hours to prepare.  They are consumed in twelve minutes.  Half-times take twelve minutes.  This is not coincidence.

Erma was a wise one.  If you haven’t read any of her collections, this week might be a good time to give one a try, especially if you find forced family togetherness trying!

Have a great holiday, Cheepsters, and check in for the ad post on Wednesday. Cheep Cheep!

This Week’s Dinners, Week 5

I dread and love this post. I get to recap goals I set just a few days ago. It’s a chance to  evaluate how I’m doing on things that are important to me.

Let’s be happy you’re not on the list of things that are unimportant to me.

This week, I did somewhat follow the plan, but the nature of life with kids of varying ages and two adults working odd schedules shows its toll this week, with a lot of low scoring meals.

The goal:

  • Mon:  chicken fried rice, egg drop soup, steamed spinach, carrots and ranch, apples
  • Tue:  leftover ziti, caesar salad, celery and carrot sticks, cuties
  • Wed: baked fish, potatoes, peas, salad
  • Thur: Taco Thursday! quesadillas, beans, lettuce/tomato/cheese/sour cream, berries
  • Fri: potato soup, homemade bread, fruit & veg

The actual:

  • Mon:  chicken fried rice, egg drop soup, steamed spinach, pomegranate seeds. two kids ate sandwiches instead. Score: 1.5. -0.5 for sandwiches and no deduction for DH not showing because he didn’t feel well.  That is beyond Cheepie’s control, especially if he won’t eat vegetables.
  • Tue: leftover ziti, leftover meatballs, caesar salad. caesar with leftover chicken.  We didn’t eat together, but that’s what 4/5 people ate. Score:  1.5 points.
  • Wed: kid event. meant to cook, didn’t, Eldest and DH ate out. Others ate sandwiches and cereal. Score: 0 points.
  • Thur: Nursery supper: fishsticks, apples, carrots, salad. Meeting for adults. Score: 0 points.
  • Fri: Taco Friday! We made tortillas, and had a lot of fixings. All the people home ate this, but not together.  Score: 1 point.

That sums up to a rockin’ 4.0 points! That’s a new low! I’m incredibly bad at this!

I can’t believe I’m not improving even when I plan to be awful. I thought this weeks plan accommodated our activities, and it didn’t. I also thought it would work when I wasn’t there, and that didn’t happen.

This is an Internet Accountability Plan. What do you think I could do differently? Do you think my ‘meat, veg, raw veg, fruit, grain’ plan is not something I can do on a daily basis?  At this point I’ve learned I need to work with our actual life better when planning meals, but I’m not sure how to do that, and have us all at the table.  Having us all there is really not happening at all, despite our 7pm dinner time. DH isn’t home then, often, and Eldest has other priorities. Do I pull rank? I’m considering. We’ll see how the next month goes.

Cheep Cheep!

Sunday Night Goal Post

After last week’s larger fail than usual, my plan this week will be very straightforward.  I’ll continue awarding one point for sticking with the plan, and one point for everyone showing up, with half points assigned if I think it was at least half-worthy.

This week I’m using boneless skinless chicken breasts (from now on: bscb) frozen from last week’s sale, berries, carrots (also last week), tomatoes, and apples that I bought on sale.  The rice was also a sale item, but I’m not sure which week, but I know that I always buy rice on sale.

Here’s the game plan:

  • Mon:  chicken fried rice, egg drop soup, steamed spinach, carrots and ranch, apples
  • Tue:  leftover ziti, caesar salad, celery and carrot sticks, cuties
  • Wed: baked fish, potatoes, peas, salad
  • Thur: Taco Thursday! quesadillas, beans, lettuce/tomato/cheese/sour cream, berries
  • Fri: potato soup, homemade bread, fruit & veg

Because of kid activities and meetings, I shifted Taco Tuesday, and Prince Spaghetti Day (not sure what I’m talking about? Here ya go). This is part of my be-honest-about-what-you-can-get-done enterprise. I’m feeling confident this week can work.

I’m going to write a full Grocery Theory post  later in the week, but I’d like to make a quick note about desserts and snacks. I think a lot of people lose a chunk of their grocery budget to these items, with both nutrition and frugality taking a backseat, as I’ve posted about before (remember that post where I linked the music video? and wrote a lot more about popcorn than you thought anyone really could?). Last week was a poor showing, and I think part of it was I had focused on getting meals, not just dinner but all of them, as we all do, squared away, and I forgot about having snacks and dessert on hand.

Sometimes I need to follow my own advice better! Cheep Cheep!

This Weeks Dinners, Week 4

Looking back, I see the error of my ways. This week’s plan was a very pretty week, and I feel like I need to make sure my meal plan is pretty, and will be up to snuff for friends and strangers reading it.

In reality, I was pretty sure my week would look nothing like this list. I did try to take things into account–I knew Tuesday would kick my ass, so planned for a crockpot meal, Thursday I made a guess at a birthday meal for Tiny.  But with DH’s new work schedule, four (!) sleepovers, and a movie night party at the house, this was likely the worst score yet. Let’s see the box score!

Here’s the Goal Post:

  • Mon: chicken korma, rice, stir fry broccoli and carrots, raspberries
  • Tue: crockpot beef stew, green salad, peas, cuties
  • Wed:  grilled ham and cheese sandwiches and leftovers
  • Thur:  salmon, angel hair pasta, caesar salad, pears
  • Fri:  Backyard Movie Night! Popcorn and S’mores for all!

And the Actual:

  • Mon:  spontaneous date night, kids ate at home. Score: 0 points.
  • Tue: kids: grilled cheese, carrot sticks, cuties, apples. adults: grilled ham and cheese and soup. 5 people, in shifts. Score: 0.5 points.
  • Wed: crockpot beef stew. 4 people. various times. Score: 0.5 points
  • Thur: P Terry’s, at request of the birthday kid. 6pm. 4 people. Score: 1 point.
  • Fri: Backyard movie night! 6pm. 5 people + guests. Score: 2 points.

I’m giving myself leniency here, and I’m still only at 4 points! Even if the meal wasn’t correct for that day, I gave myself a half point for Wednesday, because it was in the week, and everyone home that night ate some.

Tuesday was a throwback to something I did a lot when the kids were younger. My husband works late, and usually gets home somewhere from 7-9pm. So I’d do ‘nursery supper’, which was feeding the kids earlier, and eating with him when he got home–usually in front of the tv. I gave myself a half point for all of us eating at home, if separately.

I don’t regret doing this, because it was necessary given our schedules. Well, maybe not the tv part. That might not have been strictly necessary, though we did bond a lot over My Name is Earl  (Stay rad, Crab Man!).  I do think that early pattern is playing part in how difficult it is to get everyone to the table at 7pm on a regular basis.  Getting this new routine in place hasn’t happened yet, but I am still hopeful!

The spontaneous date night was funny, because I actually brought up that I would have to give myself zero points for the day. Husband said, ” Okay, no points for you!”, and grabbed his coat. The lure of quiet, calm talk and deep fried things won over the Internet Accountability Plan. I love my Cheepsters, but I don’t turn down fried jalepenos very often.

So this is a step backward, here at the end of Month 1. That’ll happen. It was a week with three home-cooked meals, four if you were a kid living here, and that’s better than some weeks we’ve had her at Rancho del Cheepie. Still a solid fail, but it was a fail ending in style–that movie night rocked!

Lessons from this week: be more honest about what the week holds.

Week 4

  • Score: 4.0 /10
  • Plan followed?: 2.5/5 (half-point for the crockpot meal on wrong day, full points Thur/Fri)
  • Effort?: tiresome. 75%.

Tomorrow the new weekly plan will be up. Cheep Cheep!

Sunday Night Goal Post

This week is a ‘pare down the freezer and pantry week’. With Turkey Season upon us, I need more freezer and fridge space available.  Using things that I’ve stocked up on is important if I’m going to deal with things like buying three turkeys because I found them for 59c/lb, or fifteen cans of cranberry sauce because they were 50% off (what? you don’t eat a turkey and cranberry on white bread with mayo every day from Thanksgiving until Christmas? fine, you heathen.)

Sale items I’m using this week are boneless skinless chicken breasts, raspberries, rice, and cheese (a J4U Randalls deal),

  • Mon: chicken korma, rice, stri fry broccoli and carrots, raspberries
  • Tue: crockpot beef stew, green salad, peas, cuties
  • Wed:  grilled ham and cheese sandwiches and leftovers
  • Thur:  salmon, angel hair pasta, caesar salad, pears
  • Fri:  Backyard Movie Night! Popcorn and S’mores for all!

This isn’t following the usual weekly schedule, but we’re accommodating a few different things–new work schedules, field trips and a talent show–that aren’t usually on deck, along with the freezer/pantry slimdown.

This is week 4 of the Internet-Accountable Family Dinner plan. We are having more dinners together than before.  Scoring myself seems to pry me into marshalling the troops at 7:30 pm, when otherwise I might have just put it all on the counter and yelled, “Dinner!”.  Midweek is still a hurdle, even with planned take-out breaks.

Let’s see if I break the 6.5 point ceiling this week–Cheep Cheep!