Meal Planning Thoughts and My Crazy Whims -- UPDATE

 ~Savannah & Sierra "cooking"~

~Sahara (our Goo-Goo) "cooking~

~Caden sweeping~

Photos taken at Fort Jesup historical site in Fort Jesup, Louisiana while we were on Spring Break 2012. 

Well, I failed at the meal planning that I tried this week.  BUT my focus was on it more and meals went a little better this week.  By that I really mean Dinners went a little better.  I don't have a problem with breakfast and lunches.  I don't even mind if several people are eating different things.  I can manage the earlier meals of the day with no problem.  Dinners just exhaust me... just thinking about it.  By that time of the day I am ready to be done with the kitchen.  And it is really not that I want to be done just with the kitchen, it is that  I want to be DONE.  Really done.  Like the housekeeper fairy drops and BOMB on our house that makes all things magically done.  I want to go for walks outside and piddle with my yard and plants and play with my kids and jump on the trampoline and watch ducklings splash in the water and let my kids play with rabbits in the yard and walk their dogs and ride their bicycles around the block as a family and take a long soak in the tub and cuddle my kids on the couch and run to the store for grocery/etc. shopping and about a zillion other things.  But I also want to sit down at a meal together like we always do.  I just don't necessariyly want to cook it and clean it.  LOL! 

And part of this stems from our dishwasher going out a while back and us being determined that it was not really out.  Like it just needed a break.  Well, it got a break all right.  As in a "break"... broken.... doesn't work... doesn't clean the dishes... actually, makes them dirtier... yeah, "break" is what it got.  And that was about a year ago.  I think it was right before Sienna was born.  Oh... and I thought it would be a good "experience" for us all.  We would not take for granted what we had.  The kids would learn the value of really washing dishes and how to wash and drain and such things.  What I learned is that my kids can do that fine.  Daddy... not so much.... so this causes some strife when I am telling him you have to wash the outside of a dish as well as the inside.  He is not one for positive criticism or being taught (by me).  So, I think it is time to get that new dishwasher.  Ugghhh!  And I don't want to go shopping, either... whine and moan....

So, dinner... maybe I can try another approach.  "The night before" approach.  I see problems with this, though.  If I don't have the ingredients, I am gonna get frustrated.  LOL!  Well, we'll see.... I am going to start working on the weekly menu thing.  Even if I can have SOME meals on the plan, then it should be helpful.  I am thinking that I can start with this:

• Monday -- Chicken Fried Steak, Scrambled Eggs, Mashed Potatoes, Brocolli, and White gravy (*we have lots of eggs to use up and scrambled eggs are yumm-O alongside Chicken Fried Steak... and if you have never tried that then, YOU SHOULD)
• Tuesday -- Homemade Pizza Party & Salad (Sierra has been requesting this and I keep forgetting.  She got a little set from her MiMi for her birthday last month that has little aprons, hats, etc. for four kids to decorate and use.  She will be happy, happy, happy!)
• Wednesday -- QUICK MEAL -- Pork Chops, Green Beans, Carrots, Mac-n-Cheese (and rolls if I remember)
• Thursday -- Fried Fish, Rice dish, Some veggie, corn hush puppies (We have access to a lot of fish... free... so I need to really cook it once a week.  I forget... which stems from so many pregnancies and the concern for mercury in fish.)
• Friday -- Co-op Day -- Taco Salad and Chile con Queso with chips
• Saturday -- Last Days of Christ - Might want to go out to eat nearby
• Sunday --  Baked Chicken with potatoes/carrots/onions and seasoned juices with brown rice, homemade bread/rolls

OKAY... so maybe my solution should be to just type it in RIGHT HERE as I am blogging.  Maybe my mind just needs to be in it's "free zone".  I really thought I was going to plan about three meals and leave the other weeks open.  Guess I got it done.  Now let's see if I can follow it!  Ha!!