Finally On The Mend - MPM 3/10-16

I can actually say that I am finally...FINALLY...on the road to recovery.  Still having coughing bouts at the stupidest of moments, but they are getting few and far between.  Am I ever glad, because it seems the older you get the harder it is to hold in the bodily functions when you are coughing, sneezing, and coughing.  Makes for a lot of laundry.  Grand babies are doing great and for that I am very thankful.  Would rather it be me that is sick and miserable than them.

Once again I am linking up with MPM over at Organized Junkie.  If you haven't looked it over, there are over a hundred blogs linked up all sharing what their menu plan for the week is.  Some are even thoughtful enough to post the recipes or links to the recipes.  I don't have recipes or links today, but am hoping to post some through the week.

So far, this is the plan for the week.

Mon. - Rolled Meatloaf, green beans, mashed potatoes
Tue. - King Ranch Chicken casserole, corn, beans
Wed. - Meatball tortellini soup
Thu. - Tilapia, rice, broccoli
Fri. - Beef tips and noodles
Sat. - Waiting to see if we will be in town
Sun. - Steak, potato, salad

This is not set in stone, but it is the general plan.  I have the freezer stocked well with a variety of meet.  Local grocery had ground beef (93%) on sale for $2.99 a pound, which is a savings of $2.50 a pound.  I loaded up, brought home just over 12 pounds and divided it up and packaged it in one pound packages for the freezer.  Sunday may change if I end up having a family dinner, I have a big ham but was planning on it for Easter.  The family has no clue, but I am implementing the "slash" plan this week.  "Slashing" fast food, bad food by cutting portions a little but cooking healthier and more from scratch.  "Slashing" spending as well.  I have gotten cash for my budget for the next two weeks.  Will be recording every penny I spend on a spread sheet to see where I am spending the most so I can figure out where I can cut the easiest.  "Slashing" time wasters as well.  At least where I can given that my day revolves around caring for a toddler and an infant.

This past week was pretty good as far as meals.

 Slow cooked brisket.  Man have I missed this.  Still have a big portion in the freezer, already cooked, just waiting to be eaten.

Rotisserie chicken and noodles with butter cracker crumbs.  My mom fixed this a lot when I was growing up and I was feeling a nostalgic so I made some.  Of course I was the only one to eat them since hubby will not eat pasta of any kind.

 My oldest daughter sent this box of heaven to me.  A really sweet note telling me she had some good memories of me and wanted to thank me.

I made roast beef sandwiches one evening as well.  They were good too.

No really great cooking went on, I was still a bit under the weather and it was a strange week with the little ones.  However, no meals out, nothing brought home, hubby is happy we had home cooked meals each night.  Okay, so the chicken was brought home from Costco, BUT...I can't buy chicken and spices  to cook it up for less money than I buy one, and there is always some left over for other dishes.

Well, that is it for today.  I have a huge stack of recipes printed out that I want to try so have to figure out how to throw them in the meal plan.  I have some bananas that have for sure seen better days so am hoping to get them made up in to banana bread or muffins in the next day or two.

Thanks for stopping in, hope you enjoyed the visit.  Come back soon to visit again.

MPM - 12/9 - 15 Week Two of Kitchen Remodel

Wow what a week.  Look back over the last few post to catch up with the new kitchen remodel.

Now, for Meal Plan Monday over at Organized Junkie.  I have to be honest, I have no menu plan for this week, here is why.  I don't have a kitchen at the moment.  I have tried to cook, really I have, even bought a fancy toaster over that is also a rotisserie cooker as well.  Still trying to decide if I am going to keep it though.  At any rate, the problem with cooking is not really the cooking part, it is the prep part and the fact that I would have to wash all the dishes in the bathtub which kills my back.  The sink will not be hooked up until after the counter tops are installed, which is about three more weeks at this point.  Which hits during the week of Christmas, so if they can't deliver by the 20th, they will have to wait until after the 30th. 

However, I do have the old microwave hooked up in the garage so can use it now, which does help. My new appliances are being delivered today.  Hubby promised to install the stove and microwave this evening.   Also, the new fridge as well, it will need to run a while before I start putting food in there.  Here are some photos of how we have progressed.

 There is actually a dining room table at the other end of these boxes.  It is loaded down with small appliances (can opener, coffee maker, toaster oven) absolutely no room for any prep work for a meal.

First, the cabinets all arrived.  All the boxes were stacked in my dining area.  What a mess trying to live around these boxes.  I am just thankful that it was only for the week.  Hubby was waiting for his days off.  I am so thankful for his willingness to be my labor and for him to have the skills to be my labor.  He has some installing of appliances, repair to floor tiles and paint touch up yet, but actually for the most part he is finished until the counter top is installed (installation was included in the price) which thankfully, Home Depot was having a sale on.

And, hubby decided to let me know how he felt about my taking a picture and the labor he is doing.

I would be more than happy to help, if I just knew what to do and how. AND...if he would let me.

Hubby was hard at work Saturday morning, putting doors back on.  Notice the space between the wall and the cabinets?  They listed it as a 3in. space, added in a filler piece.  This just shows that  they do not look at these computer generated design diagrams (the designers turn in a set for each customer's job) all that closely, because there is not 3 inches of space left so hubby is having to cut down the filler board.  There is one other wall that the same thing happened with.  Actually, the bottom set of cabinets I just told hubby to leave the filler out completely.  There is such a narrow amount of space left that we just moved the cabinets all the way to one end and just left a little space between the cabinet and the doorway.  The counter top will still come all the way to end so it won't be noticeable at all.

So, how many people does it take to work on a sink base?  Several when you find out your home's wall is bowed.  Actually, the man in the yellow is our next door neighbor, he is a construction contractor and kitchens and bathrooms are what he does for a living.  We were so very thankful that he gave up a little of his time and popped over to show hubby some pointers and help get through some rough spots.

My daughter's cat is checking it all out.  You would think that with two cats in the house there would be no mice.  Not so, we have one that the remodel forced to relocate, unfortunately it is in the wall of our bedroom and making it's presence known at all hours during the night and early morning.  I have no idea how we will be able to get rid of the thing.

Measuring to cut out the back of the cabinet for access to the plumbing and electrical outlets to install the sink, dishwasher, garbage disposal and water line for refrigerator.

I think it is coming along so nicely.  Now, today, I get to position the cabinet shelves where I want and can start loading the food in the new pantry and what ever I am locating in the upper cabinets as well.

I plan to go to Home Depot this afternoon and see if I can exchange the faucet I bought for a different that I think will look much nicer with the over all design.  I have to have the faucet here tomorrow when they measure for the counter tops, so if they don't have it in stock I will just keep the one I bought.  I even have decided on the knobs that I will be putting on the cabinets and have already purchased all the outlet plate covers as well.  Was very lucky there as I found some that totally match the wall color and the glass tile for the backsplash which all matches the counter top I ended up going with.

Check back in a few weeks for the finished kitchen. This is the old fridge, but I just love the new design of the kitchen.  You can check older postings for the before photos.  Yes, once we get the floor repaired, some paint touch ups, the lights put back, new appliances installed, the counter tops and back splash all installed.  NEW KITCHEN will be done.  I am hoping to christen the new kitchen with New Year's Day dinner.  Wish me luck.