Meals When You are Cooking for Two

This has become a challenge for us. For years, we cooked for 3 kids + the 2 of us. Cooking for teenagers requires a lot of food. During that time, I worked part time and was able to work cooking around my work schedule. Even during the Pandemic Shut Downs, we had our grown children living at home with us, so I was once again cooking in large quantities. And since we were all working virtually, cooking meals from scratch was easy-peasy.

But now, at the end of 2021 we find ourselves to be Empty Nesters for the first time. Both my husband and I work full time now, and putting nutritious food on the table quickly has become a challenge. With my food allergies, going out to eat or subscribing to a meal prep service really aren't viable options.  (Not to mention expensive.)

Short of yelling at each other because we're both Hangry and then devolving into peanut butter and jelly sandwiches every night, what do you do?

Enter my spreadsheet. (I am the Queen of Spreadsheets.)

I put this together with the intention of planning out meals a month in advance. I grocery shop weekly, and the spread sheet lets me know what I need to get each week. We will make at least one double batch of something with the express intent of freezing one of the batches for dinner another night in the month. Anything left over from one night's dinner is wrapped up to become lunch for another day.

So, how is it working for us?  Simply put, it's amazing. I have everything in a Google Spreadsheet so that we can both access everything from our own device - this makes preparing dinner and grocery shopping so much easier.

What do you do to plan out your meals?

Christmas Movie of the Day

 White Christmas 

Starring Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye 

Did you know that the song White Christmas was released on Dec. 25, 1941.

This was just weeks after Pear Harbor was bombed.

The movie White Christmas was released in 1954, which was the second Bing Crosby movie that centered around the song White Christmas  

I love the dances with Danny Kaye and Vera Ellen. 

Have you seen this movie? What do you think?

Christmas Movies

It’s a Wonderful Life

This classic film starring Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed was released in 1946. Jimmy Stewart was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor in a leading role for his portrayal of George Bailey,. The award was won by Frederic March for The Best Years of Our Lives.

The Foundation Series

 Have you ever read the classic Foundation Trilogy written by Isaac Asimov? I read it many years ago, and I absolutely loved the book. I enjoyed watching the Foundation grow from the seeds of nothing. However, I admit that I always had a few questions about some of the nuts and bolts of the Foundation, the Second Foundation, and the end of the Empire.  

I enjoyed the series so much, I ran a program on the Foundation at the Library pre-pandemic. I even put together what I consider to be a masterpiece of programming where we compared the Asimov's "I, Robot" series to "Westworld". Let me tell you, we did not have enough time in the day to encompass all of the points that needed to be made when comparing the two universes once you take the Three Laws of Robotics into account. It was a HOT discussion.

But then, Apple TV added a whole new layer into this discussion. They have given us The Foundation.

Season 1 is now fully available on Apple TV.  And I have watched all of it, and I will watch it all again, because there are just so many layers of this thing that I know I missed stuff.  And it was brilliant.  Brilliantly directed, and brilliantly written.  

It's been years since I read the books, but this feels true to the books as they were written. As of this writing, I don't feel a driving need to go back and read the novels - the adaptation makes me that happy.

If you've been on the fence about watching this series, wait no more. 

I really do hope that Apple releases this - either to DVD or another streaming platform.

Christmas Movies

 

  

 It’s Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer!

It’s an oldie but a goodie! It’s actually so old we watch it on VHS.

Did you know that there is a relatively recent book about Rudolph written for adults?

It’s a fascinating look at the history of Rudolph, who was first immortalized by Robert May who worked for Montgomery Ward as part of a Christmas giveaway in 1939.

The book traces Rudolph from his humble beginnings,  through the stop motion movie that I love and adore, and explores the Rudolph universe to the present day.

If you’re looking for a light hearted read about a holiday icon, this would be the book for you! You should be able to find it at your local library!

Trivia Question: Do you know who originally sang the song which has become one of the most popular Christmas songs of all time?

Answer: Gene Autry

Christmas Movies

 I dearly love Christmas Movies. I watch them all - the good, the bad, and the ugly. How about you? 

I try to watch one every night during December. This year, I’ve decided to share my viewing list with you as we go!

Dec. 1 

 How the Grinch stole Christmas. 

Charlie Brown Christmas.

What about you? What are you watching?

2021 Resolutions - December

 I like to keep a list of resolutions on the blog.  It helps keep me accountable and  helps me keep track of my goals - what I wanted to do and whether or not I actually got them accomplished during the year.  I had a few goals in 2020.  Those all went out the window in March.  I don't even want to talk about those goals anymore.  But, this is 2021, and we are all set for a new series of goals.  So, here they are.  It's a short list this year.  

1) Get away with my husband twice this year. 

We made it to Acadia National Park in June! (Pictures to follow.)

We've got our fingers crossed for a weekend later this month.

2) Visit middle child in Kansas.

He's been out here to see us twice now. Once for my Mother in Laws funeral in October, and earlier this month. Will we make it out there? Only time will tell....

3) Visit all of the state parks in Maryland.

Calvert Cliffs  

Patapsco Valley 

Soldier's Delight 

Sandy Point 

Rock

I've got a way to go.... 

4) Get one more stamp in my National Parks Passport

Acadia National Park

Gettysburg

Harper's Ferry

C&O Canal

5) Lose 10% of my body weight.

Why are those last 2 pounds the hardest 2 pounds?

6) Get a storage unit and move stuff there to sort it out.

We had stuff we needed to get out.  And then we cleaned out my Mom's house when we moved her to Assisted Living and then we cleaned out my MIL's condo and apartment and THEN the oldest child moved back in.  AND THEN my Step-Mother's niece called me and gave me BOXES of my Dad's stuff.  You know, my Dad.  Who passed away over 12 years ago.  (There's another story...)  This house looks like a real life episode of Hoarders. 

Update: We have the storage unit. It has been filled. Much of what is in there will be going to the White Elephant Sale at the church in November. And then, we will be moving more stuff over there while we figure out where to put it.

7) Do a minor home improvement project.

There's a lot to choose from.  Which one will we pick?  Fixing the fence line in the back?  Getting the wood trim on the house painted?  Replacing the floor in the utility area in the basement? Hiring the tree guys to come out and get rid of the brush piles in the back? Having someone come out and landscape the front of the house?

Update: nothing visible. The outdoor a/c unit was hit by lightning over the summer during the big heatwave. We had to wait the better part of a week to get that fixed.  

Update #2

I’m counting the installation of the Septic Riser as our minor home improvement project. It’s not a big, showy project, but being able to have the solids sucked out of the tank on a regular basis? That’s a pretty big improvement.

Update #3

Oh, and the pipes in the kitchen sink got clogged. Again. It turns out that when this house was built in 1970, the plumbing code at the time was written by drunk people. (kidding)  Maybe it was just the builders. The pipe leaving the kitchen sink and running down to join the rest of the pipes runs the length of the house. But not the way you'd think.  The pipes run underneath the kitchen floor straight across to the support bean in the middle of the basement and then run the length of the house to the main sewer line. It has a total of 3 turns in the pipes. 

We found a new to us plumber who came in and really fixed the line. He snaked it out to the very end of the sewer line, and he had an assistant down in the basement who verified when the snake got to each turn in the line. After he finished snaking out the lines, he turned the hot water on and then went down to verify that the pipe was hot all the way around just where the sink line joins the line leaving the house. So amazing to have the job done right, and we were thrilled with his work!

Those are minor, but necessary improvements!

8) Visit my cousins in Texas (a trip postponed from 2020.)

Not this year. It's just not going to happen in 2021.

9) Get my kids and all of my sister's kids together in the same place at the same time.

We're still working on this one. It's hard when the kids are all grown and living around the country. We are hoping we can get this done later this month when middle child is home for a week. 

Update: It didn't happen when he was home in October. Nor did it happen in November. I think we just might have to push this off and enjoy it when and if it ever happens.