Meal Planning

Saturday was T's workplace annual shindig. So much fun!

Saturday
out

Sunday
beet salad

Monday
roasted root veg with cornbread

Tues
leftovers

Wed
out

Thurs
Fast Soup

Fri
Stir Fry

Meal Planning

CNY was Monday!! Instead of all those calories in one meal, we spread out the yummies over the entire week.

Saturday
Turnip cake
Chinese BBQ Pork

Sunday
Boiled dumplings and braised mushrooms

Monday
Asian lettuce wraps
Adzuki bean soup

Tues
Steamed fish and rice

Wed
out

Thurs
out

Fri
Fast soup

Gong Hei Fat Choi

Happy New Year! (on the 23rd)

For me, the (western) New Year, with all its pesky resolutions and diets has always paled in comparison to Chinese New Year. If you've never celebrated a Chinese New Year, the closest comparison is Thanksgiving + Christmas. On the serious side, it's a time for family, tradition, and remembering ancestors. There's also plenty of food, lights, decoration and lucky red envelopes.

Here are some of my (food) plans for Chinese New Year 2012, year of the Dragon!

    

Source: steamykitchen.com via m on Pinterest

Source: userealbutter.com via m on Pinterest

Source: en.christinesrecipes.com via m on Pinterest

In a nod to the very real fact that I have some significant weight to lose, this year's cooking fun will be much lighter calorie. Unlike last year's table....

Timeline for Holiday prep

Today (December 14)

• create food shopping lists and schedule (done)
• finish shopping for T's presents. start wrapping!!
• 2 coats poly closet rods (when.will.this.closet.be.dooooone) (one down)
• deep clean downstairs bath

Tomorrow (December 15)

• Pre-cooking shopping trip & place order for roast
• deep clean upstairs bath
• deep clean fridge
• 2 coats poly closet rods

Friday (December 16)

• day 1 croissant dough
• wash floors/vacuum
• prep spare room

Saturday (December 17)

• day 2 croissant dough/kringle
• clean out garage

Sunday (December 18)

• pre-cookie shopping trip
• make ice cream and refrigerator cookie dough
• clean oven

Monday (December 19)

• gingerbread cookies
• declutter
• christmas dinner shopping trip

Tuesday (Dec 20)

• macaroons
• upstairs clean

Wed (Dec 21)

• brown butter cookies
• downstairs clean

Thurs (Dec 22)

• russian tea cakes

Fri (Dec 23)

• make-ahead toffee pudding
• stollen
• pick up roast

Christmas eve (December 24)

• make-ahead stuffed mushrooms 
• make-ahead mashed potatoes
• make-ahead brussel sprouts
• make cranberry cake

Christmas Day 1 (Dec 25)

• heat up ham and mushrooms
• roast cauliflower
• reheat toffee pudding and sauce

Christmas Day2 (Dec 26)

• roast roast
• heat up mashed potatoes & brussel sprouts
• make rolls

December 29 

• new year's shopping trip (except bread)

December 30

• prep any thing for new years' eve
• make shaker pie

New Years' Eve (Dec 31)

• cook all new year's eve foods
• stick roast into crockpot
• buy bread

New Years' (Jan 1)

• bake pickle chips

Pre-cooking shopping trip

• 2 lb butter
• 2 c almonds
• 10 lb flour
• 1.5 c whole milk
• panko bread crumbs
• 9/10 oz frozen chopped spinach
• 9 oz canned artichokes
• 12 oz cream cheese
• cumin
• nutmeg
• 1/3 c shredded parm
• shredded xtra sharp cheddar
• feta
• 14 oz almond paste
• 2 lbs powdered sugar
• dried cranberries, 1 c
• 6 oz dates
• currents
• molasses
• chicken stock
• 3 c cranberries
• brown sugar
• cream of tartar
• cornstarch

Cookie shopping trip

• 3 lbs butter
• 1 lemon
• 2 oranges
• eggs (4)

Christmas dinners shopping trip

• 2 packages mushrooms
• plain yogurt
• 1 head cauliflower
• eggs(10)
• 2 c whole milk
• 5 c cream
• potatoes,  10 lbs
• 2 lbs brussel sprouts
• bacon
• orange juice
• onion & garlic
• 5 lb ham
• roast

New Years dinners shopping trip

• rice noodles
• carrots
• green onions
• 1 lb soft tofu
• hong kong style noodles
• 1.5 lbs sirloin steak
• cabbage
• peas
• 3-4 lb chuck roast
• 16 oz giardiniera
• perpperocini
• good seasonings zesty italian salad dressing mix
• 10 oz beef broth
• 2 bagettes
• eggs (5)
• 3 lemons
• 1/2 lb raw shrimp, deveined
• 1 can condensed milk
• 1/2 c walnut halves
• egg roll wrappers

Holiday Meal Planning - the cookie tray

Just a brain dump of the treats I am considering for the cookie tray

       
smittenkitchen.com via m on Pinterest                                   annies-eats.net via m on Pinterest


101cookbooks.com via m on Pinterest

• mexican wedding cookies/russian teacakes
• browned butter sugar cookies
• refrigerator cookies
• chocolate truffles
• gingerbread cookies
• Grandma V's pepper "biscuits" (not biscuits at all!)
• limoncello macaroons

Holiday Menu Planning - the grand scheme

This year I get to plan food for two days of Christmas!

Both Days: Cookie tray

Day One

• Breakfast: Kringle
• Apps: Stuffed Mushrooms
• Drinks:
• Glazed Ham
• T's cheesy scalloped potatoes
• roasted cauliflower
• Dessert: Eggnog Ice cream and Sticky Toffee Pudding

Day Two

• Breakfast: Stollen
• Apps: Cheese plate
• Drinks: sparkling cranberry juice
• Prime Rib or Porterhouse + gravy
• Mashed potatoes
• Brussel Sprouts
• Salad
• Rolls
• Dessert: Cranberry Upside Down Cake

After we've eaten all the leftovers, it's time for New Year's Day. My mom is visiting from out of town, so we try to do something special both for both New Year's Eve and the big day!

New Year's Eve - Chinese

• Shanghai Style Fried Noodles (mom's secret recipe)
• Fried Tofu
• Creamy shrimp with honey walnuts
• HK style fried noodles (mom's way)
• Chinese hot pot??
• egg rolls?? (only if I can figure out how to fry these in the back yard, trailer-style)
• steamed buns + adzuki beans

New Year's Day - Food to watch football by

• pickle chips
• italian beef sandwiches
• shaker lemon pie
• fresh fruit
• any cookies recipes that didn't make it to the cookie tray :-)

Later in Jan - Chinese New Year!!!!!

Weekend planning blog hop

It's that time of the week again! Thanks to Molly and Gia for kicking my tush in gear to have a plan for the whole weekend (and not just careen around wildly)

Friday
Stat homework
work on closets

Sat
meal plan and grocery shop
study for stat final
work on paper
weekly cleaning, part 1

Sun
Church
study for stat final
weekly cleaning, part2

Meal Planning - Thanksgiving week

Saturday - baked chicken + veg
Sunday -  chicken curry salad
Monday - veg lasagna + veg
Tues - leftovers + veg
Wednesday - Fast soup
Thurs - Tday!!!
Fri - out
Sat - out
Sun - leftovers

Blog Hop Time - weekend planning with MHH

Can you believe I had this post written before Molly's invite went out? yay me. No really, yay Molly and Gina.

*

Fri
Meal plan and grocery shop
Study for stat exam


Sat
Make chocolate truffles for Thanksgiving
Study for Stat exam
vacuum (even the couch!)

Sun
Youth group & church
Finish with the chocolates


Bonus points
work on research paper 1+ hrs
exercise 2x (stationary bike or neighborhood walk)
finish a project blog post
figure out how to network my mac to a linux box
make T get all his stuff off the downstairs guest bed
clear off table in kitchen



* the original code from My Happy House has been modified to display all blog hop posts

Meal planning

Sat - pumpkin spice pancakes + cinnamon apples
Sun - Asian baked chicken + broccoli
Mon - Mediterranean pasta
Tues - fast soup
Wed - green apple curry
Thurs - ravioli + red sauce
Fri - stir fry
Sat - dumplings???

Weekend planning blog hop!

I'm getting better! Friday instead of Saturday morning planning.  Weekend planning blog hop! Courtesy Molly and Gia.

Friday
midterm (eek)
work (4 hours)
celebratory dinner

Saturday
finish guest closet (so overdue on this one)
Still needed: 2nd/3rd coats paint on shelves and baseboard, more caulk, cut/stain/poly closet rod, install rod holders and hooks.
Start framing access panel in T's office: cut away raggedy drywall to studs and add top crosspiece
Express Challenge+
finish slides for Tues presentation w/ ABS
meal plan/grocery run

Sunday
Youth group morning
write up for tuesday meeting w/ H.
spillover from Sat

Weekend Planning Blog Hop!

What does it say about me that I do my weekend planning at 7A on Saturday morning? Well, for starters I'm not as organized as Molly, obv. Check out her site: My Happy House

As for me:

Saturday

• Farmers garden (yams here I come!)
• install closet rod holders and vacuum guest closet 
• 1 coat paint on shelves and trim
• meal plan/grocery shop
• study for midterm
• make new and improved pumpkin sorbet (and take blog photos)

Sunday

• Sunday school for the kiddos
• study for midterm
• weekly deep clean of kitchen
• 1 coat paint shelves and trim

That's all folks!

Weekend planning blog hop

Friday

finally finish hanging curtains
readings for class
second coat of paint on the house back side (around the electric/gas meters)

Sat

IRB submission
weekly cleaning of kitchen
start hmwk for next week
caulk and prime shelves in guest room
dinner out
grocery shop and meal plan

Sun
Go to ed hour - kiddos have homecoming, no Sunday School, yay!
paint closet, one coat.
clean out craft corner in living room


see My Happy House for other weekend plans.

Weekend Planning Blog Hop RECAP

Friday:
Stat homework done! well, does working until 1am count?
Pasta and red sauce for dinner (nom nom)
clean kitchen started on Friday, finished Sat after Costco Run
meal plan for week

Saturday:
Costco Run
stop at big orange for a gift card 
shop for dress for wedding we're going to next week found a shell that will update a dress I already own. score!
grocery shopping
farmers market run
prep for Sunday dinner
clean upstairs bath even unscrewed the drain dohickey and cleaned that out. ew.

Sunday:
Church
Lab homework
prepare for meeting next week
clean small bath, vacuum den
start cutting back bushes
Paint fascia and overhang for front and rear stoop - Prime + 2 coats
homemade mayo
frame closet upstairs for new shelves.

Pinterest is a time sink

... but so useful for organizing project ideas.

much better than the system I was on in gReader.

see my boards here



My new and improved method for using gReader.

1. install the toolbar buttons for both gReader and Pinterest

Let's take a closer look, shall we?

The leftmost one, labeled "Next >>;", allows me to scroll thru gReader unreads in my browser. To install, simply go to Reader Settings, Goodies, scroll down to "Put Reader in a bookmark" and drag the button onto your toolbar. Voila!

Pinterest is rather self-explanatory

2. Now all I do is click "Next >>" and periodically "Pin It". Sooo much easier to see all the effort people are putting into their blogs and comment. Fun times!

Weekend Planning Blog Hop

I'm joining My Happy House and A Life in Progress for the weekend blog hop:

Friday:
Stat homework
Pasta and red sauce for dinner (nom nom)
clean kitchen


Saturday:
Costco Run
stop at big orange for a gift card
shop for dress for wedding we're going to next week
grocery shopping
clean upstairs bath

Sunday:
Church
Lab homework
prepare for meeting next week
clean small bath, vacuum den
start cutting back bushes

Daily

Ate:

kashi bar 170kcal
soup 220kcal
frozen bar 120 kcal
frozen dinner 240 kcal
ice cream bar 120 kcal

daily stuff

ate today

2 ice cream bars 260kcal
1 piece fried chicken ~500kcal
10 small wedges of pineapple ~100kcal
soup ~200 kcal

total 1060 kcal

level 1 of 30 day shred ~100 kcal

net: 960 kcal

Today

very very bad on diet

pria bar 110 kcal
6" subway veggie delite (9 grain bread) + mayo ~450 kcal (ouch!)
1/2 corn on the cob ~40 kcal
3 asparagus spears ~10kcal
chicken breast ~80kcal
ice cream ~150
apple tart ~150


total: 990


Okay, so maybe I freaked. not so awful as I thought.

Today

I ate....

pria bar (110 kcal)
soup (250 kcal)
frozen meal (300 kcal)
ice cream bar (120 kcal)

so far: 790 kcal. Yay! I get to eat another (small) meal.