Last Minute Changes

The beauty in life comes from all the drama of last minute changes. Like the saying goes, "best laid intentions" so it seems. I finally put down in print, a sort of commitment to stay on course, and then it all changes. I had the week end menu all set, but...things happen and it all changes.

I got up this morning, made breakfast for hubby and DD12, yes I actually cooked breakfast. Got the coffee going (for hubby, can't stand the smell of coffee myself) set the oven to preheat and got the biscuits ready to bake. While they baked I fried up 1 1/2 pounds of bacon. Yes I know, that is a lot for just three of us, but I needed cooked bacon for the marinated green beans and the left over bacon is in the fridge ready for hubby to build his favorite BLT. Then I cooked the eggs and we three had a rather nice breakfast all together. I then cleaned up the kitchen, did the dishes and all (yes I know, me doing dishes?) and set about preparing the green beans to put in the fridge and marinate until supper time.

The beans are still marinating.

Somewhere after putting the beans in the fridge and before supper the schedule went totally out the door and in to oblivion. First of all, the dark dreary fog and rain caused us all to sleep in later than normal. By the time all three of us were up and about with tummy full of breakfast it was time to make a store run. I got a gift card for Christmas and was determined to find a pair of black and a pair of brown dress slacks with it. Well, poor hubby followed my directions to the store only to find out that we couldn't locate that one so off to Walmart we went for hubby to return his toy and for me to get a few things we needed. Brown hair color for one to create this wonderful reverse frost job. Did you hear my sarcasm there? Then, it was off to the WinCo Grocery which is of course only on that side of town, the opposite side of town from where we live, to pick up a couple of more chunks of the fillet Mignon that was so amazing tasting last night. Read yesterday's posting. Hubby was not feeling up to snuff and I knew it was time to take him home, so that is where we headed dropping J (DD12) off at my oldest DS and wife's apartment. DDL has boldly taken J shopping two days in a row now. I am deeply grateful for this. At any rate, after getting home, I decided to hit the store location I knew was there to use the gift card for some black and brown slacks. Man did I exceed that goal. Burlington Coat Factory is awesome. I added a little bit to the gift card and came home with 17 items. Okay, one was for J which was marked down to 4.99 and two of the tops I bought for myself are being returned tomorrow. They swallow me. WHAT AN AWESOME FEELING! I know have a full week's worth of wardrobe to wear to work that does not involve denim. I just have decided it is time to evolve a bit with my personal appearance as far as the career is concerned. I was especially delighted that the pants were all size 18W, considering that two years ago this time I was wearing size 24W. That is three sizes and I still have about 80 pounds to go to be to goal.

It took me twenty years to let myself get this way, guess I can give it a few years to go back. At least I can say that I am doing it all the right way, healthier eating and exercise. It is staying off for the most part, had a little backwards trip there, but very short and that is a direct result of my lack of gym time. That is on goal to correct itself for the new year. Have a new support system in place as well. That being J asking me to take her to the gym (she likes the rock wall) and DDL goes there regularly and even has my son going now too.

Back to the focus of this post, menu planning.

I got so caught up at the store that I lost all track of time until hubby called to check on me. Had told J she needed to be home by 5 so I could take her to get her nails done, here it was 5:10 and I wasn't even headed to check out. Oh well, she had gone to gym with DS and DDL and was running a bit late as well. After checking out I headed to the car and start running the time constraints through my head. No time to make meatloaf, but had some pork chops thawed and of course the beans only had to be heated, mac & cheese wouldn't take long, still doing okay here so called home to have them start the oven preheating. I could get the chops in the oven and they would bake while I took J to get nails done. Hubby informed me he was hungry and that we had some how missed lunch so to bring home a pizza. I gave in, picking up his pepperoni and my box of wings from the pizza place. They have the best BBQ wings. So, home I go, with the food, sweet little J runs out to the car and takes the food in then back to the car to go to the nail place. I then stopped at Subway for her on the way back home.

Now, since the planned menu was not prepared, that will be tomorrow's meal. Well with a couple of changes.
Sunday: Pork chops, marinated green beans, mac & cheese, cheese cake. Not sure if this is lunch or supper yet.

The ground beef thawed for the meatloaf will now be made in to stuffed peppers. Since I hit a big sale on bell peppers when we got the meat tonight. I will have them ready in the fridge for DS G (college doesn't start up for another week) or hubby to pop in the oven and bake on Monday for supper. I have to go back to work and am sure there is a pile of paper work waiting on me. I kind of figure that cooking up a few dishes in advance would be no different than cooking up the dishes for the meal. You know, I am making 6 dishes, just 3 for freezer and 3 for the table. If I do that several times, the freezer will be packed with dinner that just needs to be pulled out. That is why I am finishing up the menu plan for next week (probably two weeks) and bit by bit cooking it ahead. Yesterday, found some really great sounding recipes from my Yahoo groups that am going to try out. Mostly for the crock pot.

That is about it for tonight. Will post my menu plan for the week tomorrow night. Darn it, all that running around and I forgot to get milk. Oh well, guess I will be getting out early in the morning. Hmm...blueberry pancakes are sounding really good. Haven't told hubby, but am going to make my best effort to make myself go to church once again. That is a whole other story better left untold I think.