November Goals

There are officially TWO months left in the year.  2022 is coming to and end.  And I need to get myself right with it. Anyone else fall off the train the last few months?  No?  Just me! I just haven't been able to get myself going again and its about time I did something about it.  

I don't have any monthly goals from October to cross off.  I was pretty much just putting one foot in front of the other and getting through day by day. Knowing damn well that its no way to live.  And not the kind of life I am trying to live.  But its a new month and Im ready and excited to get this show on the road.

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Menu Plan 9•19

Things are looking a little normal around here. Yeah I said it! You know me, always putting things to the test. Now we sit back and wait for all hell to break loose. Just kidding. Im not waiting for anything. Theres much to do around here. Cleaning, cooking, and all the things that stay at home moms do. Its not all nap times and bonbons y'all! 

But in the spirit of working on routines and getting back to the usual flow of things, lets talk menus! Anyone else ready to just fully jump in to Fall foods? Soups and stews, fresh breads and all the savory flavors! I know I am. But truth is, these guys could eat brighter summer meals year round. So I am trying to slowly adjust and not just all in. It doesn't help that its Texas and hot as hell. Hard to enjoy a hearty stew when the weather is hotter than the bubbling pot on the stove.

Here is what will be cooking up in our kitchen this week.

• Spicy Salmon Maki Bowls
• Chicken and CauliFried Rice
• Sausage and Veggie Sheet Pan Dinner
• Stuffed Pork Chops and Salads
• Leftover/Sandwich Night 

I still have a whole chicken in the freezer that I can cook up if heaven forbid, the boys eat everything. and I also grabbed a family pack of chicken legs that were on sale.  Those can find their way to the grill ir they need to!  If you know me, you know I try to buy at least one OhShit dinner for the nights Im not able to cook or something comes up. This week I grabbed the boys some fish sticks and mac-n-cheese. Sure its not the healthiest, but they can make it themselves. Oh the joys of parenting with chronic illness.  Gotta be prepared for the bad days.

Whats cooking in your kitchen this week? Does your cooking change with the seasons?  Have you started cooking more Fall like dinners?  

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Mom down!

I really should know better by now but who am I kidding. I am a glutton for punishment and also an optimist. So here I am. I just had to write out the words. "Im ready for the week and to get my life together... again!" Thats me, journaling on Tuesday morning. Monday was a holiday. Anyways, the powers that be must have heard me thinking that and laughed till they peed their pants. 

By the time Alex and I were on our way to school all I could think was that I must have slept with my mouth open because my throat was itchy. I have been running low on energy the past few weeks. Not sick just feeling like everything was the slightest bit harder to get though. By lunch time I knew I was in trouble. But even still I was sure it was just the stomach bug Anthony had over the weekend. I was nauseous and my stomach was angry. Throat still hurt though. Then around bed time, the chills hit and I hurt in my bones. Thats when I knew it wasn't just a stomach bug.

So I cracked open a test. Took it. And sat and stared at my hands. I said I wasn't going to look until the 15 minutes were up. Come on one pink line. Oops I peeked. Crap. There were two very dark pink lines.  

Holy Crap it finally got me. Stupid Covid.

I went though the house real quick with some lysol. Then I taped a sign to my door letting the boys know that I tested positive and for them to test too. I let Alex know I set his phone in the kitchen and for them to text me their results. Alex was negative. Anthony was positive. That explains the "stomach bug!"  Bingo.  He had a cold the week before. Tested for covid twice that week and both were negative. SO who knows when he got it. But he did. And so did I.

Wednesday was the worst day of all. Anthony checked on me so many times that day. All I can remember is the look in his eyes every time I lifted my head up to let him know I was ok. Clearly he didn't believe me. I remember the puking. And crying on the floor of the shower around 2am because everything hurt and I just wanted to shave my legs incase I ended up in the hospital. It hurt to do even that. Like, my skin burned. I was dehydrated, exhausted and in pain. Anthony got up with Alex and made sure he went to school. I think he might have even rode with him that morning. Aside from a cough and some aches he was feeling ok but because he tested positive he had to stay home for five days.

By Thursday things were perking up. I had finally eaten a bit. I was still exhausted and achy. And the cough was super gross but it was nothing like the day before and thats all that really mattered. I slept through most of it. David got home that night. I was so happy to see him I could have tackled him. Not that that was an option, even though I was feeling better I was still pretty pitiful.

Friday morning, David took me to the Urgent care.  They tested again and I was positive again. But after looking over my history they told me that my liver doctors would have to prescribe my treatment because of my liver cirrhosis. And at the time, I still wasn't thinking clearly so I went home and called the liver clinic. Who pointed out the fact that they treat liver disease not covid.  So my only other options were to go back to the ER or just ride it out.  At that point I was 4 days in and feeling better than day 1 so I decided to see what happened.  

Saturday was spent resting.  I love me a good nap but by that point I was so over it.  I got up.  Face timed with some family and then friends. David and Alex went out for lunch again and brought us some home too.  When the boys were both upstairs I came out and picked up a little. Loaded up the dishwasher and sanitized again. Mostly just stretched a little. I ordered groceries, cleaned my room and bathroom.  Shredded a bunch of junk mail and cleared out a ton of emails.  

The doctor said I have to isolate until the 15th.  Anthonys school says 5 days and then he can go back.  Probably because they only give them 10 missed school days before their credits get affected.  But thats a whole other story. Did you hear that, the sound of my eyes rolling. HA! Covid may have taken away my taste but not my humor. Actually I can still taste, just not well. Who knows what tomorrow will bring!

Anyways. Thats how it went down. Thats where I have been. Maybe now that Im locked in here for a few more days I might actually get my life together. Promises, promises. I said maybe! OK! But Im open to any more tv suggestions because Ive cleared off my to watch list! What should I watch next?

I was kinda feeling like I was the minority not having caught this. Anyone else out there who hasn't had it yet? Y'all keep doing whatever it is you're doing because this is BS! Hits out of nowhere and hits hard. I know everyones experience is different but this is how it went for me. Anthonys was more mild and poor David might have had it worse and was home sick but working out of bed. Hes the real MVP! Per usual!

Stay Healthy!

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Menu Plan 9•5

Oh hello!  Its been a while since Ive popped in on Monday to talk food.  But here I am. Trying to get my life together.  And what better way to start than with food.  Labor Day weekend went by so fast and I totally forgot it was Monday already.  Le sigh...

But I did get my grocery delivery today and I have to admit it feels so much better when I know there is food in the house. Boys eat all the time and all the things so I try my best to make sure we stay stocked up on healthy and yes, some not so healthy snacks.

Here is this weeks menu in no particular order because I'll be picking meals based off how I feel each day. Classic life with chronic illness.  I have learned to keep my expectations a little more realistic.

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Its about time to say goodbye

Its time to say goodbye, to Summer Break. The boys will be back to school in a week and Im having mixed feelings about it. So much changed and yet we are back to square one. The crazy part is, Im totally ok with it.  Not sure how long things will stay this way. We are in a super fluid time. Plans are changing on the daily and as a person who prefers stability, I may be struggling a bit. But doing my best not to lose my cool. Full disclosure, Im a little bit of a mess. But embracing it.  

I have so many road photos from this summer.  It will be nice to stay put for more than a few weeks.

David has been on the fence about staying with the company hes working for. Y'all, life is to short to work at a job that makes you unhappy. So for now it looks like the boys and I are staying put until he decides what he wants to do. Who knows what will come of the whole situation, but I figured I might as well enjoy my house. We never did get around to selling, so if we are going to pay for it, Im going to live in it. Plus, I don't have to wear pants here! 

So heres to an August that will be spent trying to get my life back together. There is so much that just kind of fell apart this summer. Ok, maybe not fell apart. I may have just threw it all to the wind. I tend to do that in the summer. Just live wild. Bedtimes, carbs, routines, it all kinda struggles in June and July. So here I am, 2 days into August, and 3 days before I say goodbye to my 30s and Im trying to get my life right with the universe. How?  I don't really know. Im totally still winging it, but Im about to outline a plan here. So feel free to continue reading along and also feel free to throw in any suggestions or comments you have. Im gonna need some help on this for sure.

AUGUST TO DO LIST

Get back to a school routine. The older the boys get the harder this gets. Remember when we were teens and we thought we didn't need sleep?  As a teen I was raising my younger siblings, so I tried to enforce bed time for them, but then I would stay up to all hours of the night. Now I find myself doing the same with the boys.  I keep telling myself once we get home and into a routine it will be easier. It will be, right?

School lunches and dinners. My boys love to eat. Everyone knows this. Last year school lunches were free and I didn't pack one single lunch. The schools here have great lunch options. Multiple stations. A sushi day. Its a little over the top, but the boys enjoyed it. This year, its back to paid lunches and we have decided that they will be taking lunch a few days a week. Mostly because we all know that while its good, its not the healthiest. And partly because according to Alex, the best lunch stations have the longest lines, so he ate a whole lot of chicken sandwiches last year. It was the shortest line and he has zero patience. BUT, they hit me again with the "no sandwich" plea.  So, Im pulling together a list of ideas. And earlier dinners will be back.  Yay-ish. That means menu plans and grocery shopping on time will be happening.  And Im open to all the lunch and easy dinner suggestions.

Taking my health back. I didn't really go to far off the tracks here. I have been moving and making good food choices for the most part, but my overall health did get back burnered for a few months. Ive been awful about taking my lactulose daily. Ive been sleeping like the boys, minus the sleeping in. Pretty much running off of 4 -5 hrs of sleep. I havent been journaling and enjoying my coffee with the sunrise. The past couple of weeks Ive been horrible about working out. And my menu plans have been pretty sad. And I need to get caught up on doctors appointments! I really need to get back to it all.

Whats next? And in the middle of all the back to school/life stuff, I guess we just need to figure that out. I threw out the idea of just buying an RV and traveling. Anyone remember that show Promised Land. I want to do that but go around the US saving animals. Is there an application for that? Guess that would be hard to do with all the doctor appointments. Maybe we could open an Alpaca farm? Can you imagine?  What ever comes next, I hope its gets up all back under one roof for more than a day. 

Im excited and scared all in one.  Its going to be a hard month, but I have no doubt, ok maybe just a smidge, that we will get through it just fine.  

Who is ready for the back to school fun/madness?  Or are we needing a few more months of Summer?

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Menu Plan 7•25

Y'all its Monday and I am ready for a week of good food. Groceries have been ordered and delivered. Snacks have been hidden away. There might be some fresh bread being made at some point or maybe a cake for a certain someone who better come home this weekend. Fingers crossed. But my point is, its Menu Monday.  And I actually have somethings planned this week. After winging it for most of the Summer, damn, this feels good.

School starts in 2 weeks and I really need to get my life together.  We have been so all over the place.  Spending time mostly at Grandmas then here every other couple of weeks.  I have missed my kitchen and am excited to be here.  That being said, this weeks menu isn't much to fuss over.  I kept things quick and easy because, we are trying to enjoy the last days of summer OK!  

Buffalo Chicken Quesadillas.  This one was Anthonys idea.  He got it from a friend.  He asked if I could get the stuff so dinner is all him tonight.  Although I will stick to just just cheese.

Tex Mex Chopped Salad.  The boys ask for this salad every week.  And while it really is good, I need to change things up.  Saw this one on pinterest and figured we would give it a try.  And I can take out the chicken and still have black beans!  

Mushroom Chicken.  OK, this is our comfort meal for the week.  And its also the meal I will eat just as it is because its one of my favorites.  And if I take the chicken out all I will have is rice and mushrooms.  So, Im all in!

BLT's and fries.  This is my attempt to finish up a few things in the kitchen before we go down to SA for a week.  Bread from the pantry.  Lettuce from the fridge.  Tomatoes from the counter.  And that pack of bacon I bought weeks ago even though no one wakes up in time for breakfast in the summer!  

Nachos.  Saving this for the end of the week when David can be here.  He is always asking me for nachos and for some reason I refuse to call them dinner.  But hes been so busy with work and we are missing his birthday and I just miss him something big, so...Nachos it is.  And a strawberry cake to celebrate for dessert!

Am I the only one who is curious about what others eat?  I love talking to people about groceries.  Shopping and budgets and menu plans.  I love it all.  So, here is what I got for the week.  I spent $137. I got the meat and veggies needed for the five dinners.  The cereal and Eggos are for lunch.  I'd say breakfast but Im not going to pretend like they are up before noon during the summer.  Alex asked for spicy ramen too and turkey necks for lunch so I got those too.  I use the broth from that to make egg drop soup the next day. For snacks I got popcorn, chips/guac and chewy bars. Oh and potatoes, eggs and more bacon incase they do actually wake up and feel like breakfast! Oh and there is a bag of pizza rolls hiding in there somewhere. Thats it for the week. 13$ under budget because they didn't have the ice cream cups or apples I ordered. 

When I last shared my grocery haul on IG someone told me there was no way I fed my family of 4 on so little groceries.  I don't buy a lot of extra stuff for lunches and snacks usually because the boys tend to just eat whatever leftovers I have in the fridge. During the summer they are kinda like free range chickens.  They prefer a solid dinner but the rest of the day is just whatever.

What does a weeks worth of groceries look like for y'all?  No judgement.  Im just weird and curious like that.  

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