Clean freezers and cooking

I have had a renewed interest in cooking and doing a menu. Friday, Papa Bear and I defrosted, cleaned and organized all three big freezes. I found strawberries in the bottom of the chest freezer I had vacuum packed before we got married (which will be 10 years in July) YIKES! Now that there is a place for everything and everything in its place, I can actually see what I have and am excited to be using it! Unfortunately, I ended up throwing out a 5 gallon bucket full of freezer burnt meat. It's my own fault though, and it did me good to see how wasteful and costly my disorganization can be.

I'm so very happy with the work we accomplished, I have gone out to the garage just to open the freezer doors and admire it all. I'm not being proud or boastful, just feeling accomplished at starting a project and actually seeing it through!

I am now inspired to start cooking again. WooHoo! I am very blessed to be married to a man who enjoys my making supper, but is also completely fine with getting himself something to eat. With the schedules we both keep, we aren't always able to be home at a decent meal time together, which just compounds the problem of cooking. This week seems to be looking pretty good, so I'm going to enjoy some meal planning and preparation.

Monday
Wild hog ribs

Tuesday
Turkey and dressing

Wednesday
Venison ham and beans

Thursday
Crispy oven fried chicken

Friday
Grilled salmon

Menu and Alice

.


If you have been reading Bear Necessities for awhile, you know my struggles with making a weekly menu and staying on a cleaning schedule. Oh, I have the desire to keep up on these things, sadly, I don't have the follow through. {hangs head in shame} I am a weak weak person.

*sigh*

I am happy to share my menu for this week! Yippee Skippee!

Monday
Wild hog and scalloped potatoes
green beans
applesauce

Tuesday
Goose
mashed taters and gravy
carrots

Wednesday
wait for it......

wait for it......

Venison heart! MmMmMmMmMmMmmmmmm
steamed cabbage
peaches

Thursday
Leftovers

Friday
Leftovers

I also picked Alice (my homemakers binder) up off the shelf, dusted her off and spent some quality time with her this weekend. It was a lovely time re-kindling an old friendship. I apologized for my absence and she forgave me. This morning she and I will once again be spending time together. Alice has already warned me there will be tough consequences if she is left on the shelf again (she looked pretty mean too, I don't think I'm going to test it).

Would love to spend a bit more time blogging with you, Alice is giving me 'the eye' and clearing her throat, I do believe it would be in my best interest to get going.

The last few weeks have been tough on the old menu making. Papa Bear isn't home until late every night and I have a hard time making a whole meal just for myself. Because of this, my eating habits have gone by the wayside. Time to get back to real meals and healthier eating.

Monday
Beef stir-fry over noodles
pears

Tuesday
Baked Tilapia
seasoned rice
asparagus

Wednesday
Meal at the Rescue Unit

Thursday
Grilled marinated chicken breast
Fried potatoes and beets
applesauce

Friday
Dinner at the Cafe`

Goodness gracious, I haven't posted since Wednesday...what ever was I thinking? I do believe I will excuse it with being busy..yeah, that's it, I was busy.

For real though, I have been keeping myself busy with odds and ends stuff. I also received my fruit from the co-op which I needed to start on. The two bushels of apples will wait in the garage a bit as I have a list of items I want/need to accomplish in the home. *Sigh* Isn't a household list something that never goes away?

One day, my yard will be perfectly groomed. My home will be perfectly clean and organized. My cooking will rival that of any chef. My free time...well, I'll HAVE free time.

Oh, sorry about that, I was daydreaming again.

Here goes the menu for the week:

Monday
Homemade ham and bean soup
crescent rolls
home canned peaches

Tuesday
Grilled pork chops
seasoned rice
homemade applesauce

Wednesday and Thursday
Working on cleaning out the freezer, so will be cooking things long since forgotten out of it.

Friday
Buffet at the Cafe`

Still working the menu!

I am pleased to say I am still (for the most part) working the weekly menu!! I know, I know, I haven't posted the last couple of weeks, but I DID have a plan to work from!

Monday
Roast w/gravy
salt potatoes
green beans

Tuesday
Grilled chicken salad
cantaloupe

Wednesday
Blue cheese burgers on the grill
steamed broccoli
fresh tomato

Thursday
Marinated elk steak on the grill
grilled potatoes
fresh fruit

Friday
Buffet at the Cafe`

Monday's Menu

Good Monday morning dear friends. I do hope you were able to have a restful weekend. I'm happy to announce my menu planning went well for last week, I was able to follow it every day! So, here goes with my second weekly menu.

Monday
BBQ pork sandwiches
sauteed zucchini
watermelon

Tuesday
Hamburger Helper
green salad
peaches

Wednesday
Leftovers for Papa Bear as I have a dinner-meeting

Thursday
Tacos!!!

Friday
Buffet at the Cafe`

I am very much looking forward to Taco night, it has been years since I've made them and they are just so yummy!

Monday's Menu

Wow, it's been 12 days since my last post...what's up with that? I guess with the weather turning nice I'm out with the daycare children more. I've also spent quite a bit of time working on the house...not that my cleaning list is anywhere near done, but it sure does look much better in here. I've also been working hard on clearing my calendar some. Instead of being gone 3-4 nights every week, I'm down to 1-2 instead. I'm enjoying spending more of my free time with Papa Bear! We were actually able to take the motorcycle out two weekends in a row!

Now that things are getting a bit more settled in my new routine, I'm finding myself able to do blogging again. Thanks you, dear friends, for being patient with me as I try to find a healthy balance between real life and internet time.

In my new schedule, I'm going back (trying to anyway) of having a weekly menu. This is the first week (and we'll see how many weeks actually follow! LOL )

Monday
Tuna pasta salad
fresh fruit salad
fancy crackers

Tuesday
grilled chicken breast
fettuccine Alfredo
green beans
applesauce

Wednesday
seasoned burgers on the grill
homemade fries
fresh tomato

Thursday
baked fish on the grill
seasoned rice
watermelon

Friday
Buffet at the cafe`

Monday meal

I don't have a menu made for the whole week...but this is what's for lunch today! MmMmMmmm....this is a google picture, but mine looks just as good. Venison roast that Papa Bear shot, Carrots and green beans from a friends garden, potatoes and onions from the store. I was going to make some bread to go with it, but didn't get it started in time.

Sniff

Sniff

Sniff

Do you smell that? My home is smelling so good right now.


.

Menu

It's almost time for me to go to bed and I remembered I hadn't blogged yet!

Monday: I was the only one eating so I just opened a can of soup

Tuesday: Venison burger casserole (Rescue Unit function)

Wednesday: Marinated doves (Community Club meeting)

Thursday: Spaghetti (EMT class)

Friday: Teryaki steaks we didn't have last week

Menu Monday

Monday: Garlic chicken with veggies over pasta, green salad (showing camper)

Tuesday: Teriyaki steak, Natalie potatoes, stewed tomatoes

Wednesday: HM fresh veggie soup, HM bread (church meeting)

Thursday: Crockpot layered dinner (EMT class)

Friday: Going camping!!!

Menu Monday

Here are before/after shots of the freezer above my fridge. It's all too easy to just open that little door and stuff things in there...even when that's not where they belong. In my cleaning, I found all sorts of things that need to be used up, so that is how we are eating this week.

Before giving my menu, I want you to notice the box in the bottom picture..the one on the top left of the freezer. That is where I will be putting my supper items for the week after I make up my menu. That way everything is right there and ready to be made.

Monday: Venison Steak, baked potato, peas

Tuesday: Venison brats, fried potatoes, sliced tomatoes

Wednesday: Turkey meatloaf, mashed potatoes, greenbeans, HM applesauce

Thursday: Spaghetti and meatballs, lettuce salad, garlic bread

Friday: Going to the fair and making myself sick on fair food!!

Monday Menu

Today is the time for my menu to share with you friends...but it isn't what you expect. I can tell you that I honestly don't know what I'm feeding my family. I say this knowing that each morning I am going to open the big chest freezer and pull something off the top...and that is going to be the base for our meal.

I have 3 large, 1 medium and 1 small freezer all full to exploding...it's time to start to empty them out. So...for the next few weeks it will be a suprise each and every day.

I guess I can only hope that somewhere in that big freezer lies a hug tub of ice cream that I can somehow figure out how to work into the main course of a meal. :)

Monday: Gone

Tuesday: Spaghetti, garlic bread, salad

Wednesday: Garlic shrimp stir fry

Thursday: Grilled BBQ chicken, potato salad, sliced tomato

Friday: Elk steak, baked potato, peaches

Monday's Menu

Monday: PBJ, chips, pickle (work outside night)

.

Tuesday: Marinated baked chicken breast, white cheese sauce over pasta, asparagus

.

Wednesday: Baked fish, rice, peaches, salad

.

Thursday: Chef salad

.

Friday: Going out for dinner

Monday Menu

I know, it's Wednesday and I'm just now getting my menu out. Honest, we have been eating!

Monday: Leftovers

Tuesday: Elk burgers, fried potatoes and applesauce

Wednesday: Ham steak, scalloped potatoes, asparagus, pears

Thursday: Tilapia, Asian Garlic pasta, brocolli

Friday: Grilled Chicken breast, mushroom sauce over noodles, green beans,

Monday: Bacon wrapped filet, baked potato, green salad, peaches

Tuesday: Creamed eggs with crabmeat over biscuits, HM applesauce, broccoli

Wednesday: Honey Marinated turkey breast over chef salad, beer bread

Thursday: Marinated venison steak, cheesy grilled hashbrowns, pears

Friday: Tuna casserole, peas, fruit cocktail

Monday Menu

Monday: Venison bratwurst, fried potatoes, cottage cheese

Tuesday: Chicken breast, brocolli, pasta salad

Wednesday: Meatloaf, mashed potatoes, green beans, pears

Thursday: Spaghetti, garlic bread, peas, peaches

Friday: Leftovers

Menu Monday

Monday: Baked Tilapia, cheesy potatoes, asparagus, peaches

Tuesday: Nothing...going to be gone

Wednesday: Gingered pork chops in orange juice over rice, peas, HM applesauce

Thursday: Grilled chicken breast, fried potatoes with carrots and onions, pears

Friday: Venison roast with all the roast fixin's, Caribbean banana's, beer bread

Monday Menu

Monday: HM Cornchowder

Tuesday: Mini Egg rolls, steamed cabbage, HM applesauce

Wednesday: Venison steak, baked potato, HC greenbeans

Thursday: Brocolli/cheese stuffed chicken breast, asparagus, HC peaches

Friday: Leftovers