This week's menu- 1/30-2/6

This week's menu choices-

For dinners-

Halibut Cheeks

Tamali Pie

Home Made Crunchy Chicken Tenders with Tangy dipping sauce

Curry with Rice

Beef Stew with biscuits

Steak with steamed veggies

 Coconut, Rockfish & Bamboo Shoot Tai Soup

Ruben Sandwiches


For Lunches-

Minestroni soup with no pasta

Rueben Sandwiches

Sloppy Joes made with organic hamburger on whole grain buns

Burritos

Mini Pizzas on whole grain english muffin crusts

Edemame', Rice and Miso Soup

Turkey dogs on whole grain buns

Turkey sandwiches


Some how this week, despite it's crazieness, I managed to get everything prepped by the end of the day today.  ( did better than last week!) 

 I had a wonderful although bittersweet and unexpected visit this week from my dad.  ( he is very sick now and goes in for major surgery this next week and has recently been diagnosed with cancer)   It was so nice that when he came and arrived right about dinner time I had things made to make a very nice meal to enjoy with him and the family even though when he arrived I had only gotten home from work just a few minutes before.  This is one of those times that I am thanking heaven for doing my menu planning, normally I would be running around like crazy maybe would have had to waste some of my precious time with him shopping for dinner!  I served him the Fish Cakes with Corn Relish that I had planned for last week.  ( it took forever on a Saturday to make, but it was wonderful)

He left on Tuesday afternoon after we ate out for lunch together.  I went back to work on Wednesday and Thursday and Friday.  Kids came with me to work on Friday....then.....I got a call from my husband Friday late afternoon letting me know that my Mom in Law was coming to visit....you guessed it, in about 2 hours.  Of course this ends of being the day that my housekeeper and I have a miscommunication and she thusly does not come as scheduled....and it is the first time in over 20 years my Mom in Law has visited and stayed over at our house!....needless to say I was a bit stressed....all for no reason, the kids and I got things fairly together as we could in the time we had....( ie the 2 hours minus our drive time back from the office) AND we had a nice visit....

After staying up too late talking I got to bed Friday night and still managed to get the menu planning done prior to sleeping and to be up by 6:30 and out the door by 7:30am grocery shopping.  The ladies at the Starbuck's in our Fred Meyers store are so impressed now with the fact I have managed to show up sans 3 of the kids and wearing the 4th and still be in and out of the store with a week's worth of groceries in just about an hour or less.  I am not sure which is more impressive to me, the time or being there with out all of my gang.....but do know it sure makes it faster!

Then from there I went to show homes in University Place WA to some of my clients and still made it with 7 minutes to spare to my dental appointment @ 10:30, got 3 overdue cavities drilled and filled ( with out any pain meds and while holding Peter since it was easier than listening to him cry) and was home by noon....just in time of course to make LUNCH!

My Mom in Law taught me to make kim chee this week end which was really nice and I actually really enjoyed her visit even though or maybe because she and I spent most of the weekend in the kitchen...and of course it is my "One Butt" kitchen and I did most of it wearing a 6 month old child so....it was interesting.  None the less, she made some of the best tasting kimchee I have ever had and helped me cook and everything for next week is prepped too.....Poor Hiroko is used to a much better equipped kitchen, a cleaner kitchen and you know one that has things like....well mixing bowls and an oven that works instead of a toaster oven, but she was a good sport and we got almost all the prep done before she left, I managed to finish the rest.....however I know I will be cleaning while over seeing schooling tomorrow morning, the kitchen is a MESS.

This week made me think and one of the things I thought about is this....no matter what is going on in your life, having meals ready is a help and makes things better.  Also family meal time is really really important, and what I serve up may make all the difference in the world now and later in terms of today's and tomorrow's health and also in terms of relationships.  I really enjoyed the time I shared with our family and my extended family this week and most of it centered on physical and spiritiual meals.....

Have a great week...more soon on saving @ the grocery store!