Quick grocery day

I just had my Walmart groceries delivered.  It's been about a month since I've gone into the store, or my local base commissary.  My car has been out of commission and we are still trying to get it fixed, so to make it easier all around, I just get my groceries delivered, and then on Saturday after the gym, I hit the base commissary with hubby and grab the meat products that I need.  

 

I could get them at Walmart but I much prefer the meat department at the commissary.....and it's cheaper than Walmart too.

 

As you all know I grocery shop for 2 weeks at a time, and I used to be able to go all two weeks without needing to top anything off, or pick up any last minute item, but unfortunately I've noticed that for the past year or so, I always and I mean ALWAYS have to run out again for something later on in the week or a few days before the next grocery run.

 

Wish I knew why, but it just is lately. 

 

One thing I learned pretty early on with Walmart deliveries and even pickup, is that every so often, an item or more will be missing.  I used to just get the stuck and put it all away and not even think about it, because I wasn't thinking about every single item on the list.  What happened though is that I would get ready to cook only to find that an ingredient was missing, which was extremely frustrating.

 

So, I changed the way I do it now.  The minute I bring groceries inside, as I take them out of the bags and before packing them away, I cross them off my grocery list in my Meal Plan/Grocery List notebook.  If you don't know what that is, I have made a post about it before showing you how I keep myself organized when it comes to meal planning and groceries. 

It has helped me so much.  I can immediately spot what is missing and then go directly to my Walmart app, check the details of the delivery or pickup, check the whole list and if the item is not on the list then it means they were out.  But 90% of the time, the item is listed as being delivered but is in fact missing, so I can quick check it on the list and ask for a refund of the money I spent on it.  It takes but 2 minutes!

 

Something I also do as I get the items out of the bags, is to refill containers.  I used to put everything away and then pull them all back out again later to do this, but I find it easier to just do it immediately and throw out the empty boxes.

 

Here I was refilling my pasta jars.

I always love seeing the fridge and pantry after a grocery run.  The filled shelves bring me so much joy, knowing that I am equipped for another two weeks to feed my family and nourish their bodies.

 

I will leave you with the meal plan for the next two weeks.

 

Tuesday 26th

Turkish Tantuni Wraps, Chickpea Salad

Wednesday 27th

Sausage and spinach lasagna roll ups, Caesar Salad

Thursday 28th

Pork Chops, Roast yellow and sweet potatoes, Sweet and Spicy Collard Greens

Friday 29th

Pizza with spicy Italian crumble 

Saturday 30th

Family Get Together in Oklahoma, will not be eating at home

Sunday 31st

Chicken Curry, Basmati rice, Homemade Garlic Naan

Monday 1st

Penne a la Vodka, Roasted Brussel Sprouts

Tuesday 2nd

Shrimp Tacos, Cilantro Rice

Wednesday 3rd

Chicken Casserole, Mashed Potatoes, Broccoli

Thursday 4th

Sausage Bake, Macaroni Salad

Friday 5th

Homemade Pizza

Saturday 6th

Best Chili Ever, Rice 

Sunday 7th

Braised Short Ribs, Potato Wedges, Southwest Salad

Monday 8th

Roast Mediterranean Chicken Legs, Quinoa, Tomato and Cucumber Salad

Tuesday 9th

Ground Turkey and Zucchini Skillet, Brown Rice, Salad 

{ Recipe binder and new notebooks }

 

Every year, I buy new notebooks to use for my budget and meal plan. It's something I've been doing for a long time, and can't really imagine trying to function without them. 

 

They keep me organized, they keep me on track, and I love having a record of everything I've done throughout the year. 

 

This year, I also purchased a planner. I am not a fan of planners, I'll just throw that out there. 

 

Not because I don't think they're helpful, but because I have never been able to stick to one consistently. I start off great, and within a few weeks it has been set aside, and never looked at again. 

 

But this coming year, I want to try and be consistent. I will probably not use it like others do, and I'll have to adapt it to my needs, so it will probably end up being more of another place to record weekly meals, birthdays or important dates, and blog posts I want to work on. 

 

I don't think it will be a place to keep appointments and so forth, because as I stated above, I don't stick to it, and I forget to even look at the planner. 

 

I have a new budget book. I've mentioned before how I keep mine, but basically, I just organize it by month, I write down all the income that comes in and then all the expenses. 

 

As I pay my bills, I check it off, write down the total and the confirmation number alongside it too for future reference. 

 

I also got a new meal plan and grocery shopping book. Again, I've mentioned it before in my blog, you can read that post here.

 

On one side is the menu, on the opposite page is the grocery list. I take this book with me when I go shopping and if for some reason I can't find an item I need for a specific meal, or if something is on sale, I can easily change the meal plan, right there in the store. Love it, it's helped me immensely. And it also helps when I'm planning a new menu, to go back and see what we were eating and what our favorites were. 

 

The new book I got this year, is actually a dream journal. I dream a lot, like every night, and I usually remember all of my dreams. Some are strange, some are no doubt visitations by family members who have passed on. They tend to show up in my dreams anytime I'm going through a hard time. 

 

I just thought it would be fun to keep a dream journal. A place I can jot down my dreams, first thing in the morning. It will be interesting to go back and read those. 

 

 

 

Next year, I also plan on bringing back my recipe binder. I used to have one, and for some reason I can't find it. I think with all our moves while active duty, and then state wide moves after retiring etc., it seems to have been misplaced or lost, I don't know. 

 

 

 

But as much as I love my food blog online, and the ease of having thousands of recipes at our fingertips, I still feel like there is nothing as amazing as actual recipes in your hand. 

 

My recipe binder was one of my favorite possessions, so I've decided to bring it back to life. I've been working on it and will do a more in depth post, this upcoming week. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Days have been otherwise slow here at home.  Curt is on leave, Nick is on Winter break.  I've spent a lot of time reading, baking and snuggling with these two sweet boys.

They've become so sweet with each other, a cute bond has been forming.  Yes there are still moments Elliott aggravates Marley and Marley will bark at him once, then it's done.  Hahaha

I do thank God daily for the blessing of Elliott in our lives.   It seems a strange thing to say since I've never liked cats, and now here I am, completely besotted with this little boy.  

The funny thing is that he has taken to me as well, and because he has been with us and Marley his whole life, he acts more like a dog than a cat.  It is quite funny to see.

 

I have also been enjoying catching up on tv shows.  I binged the whole Bridgerton series on Friday.  So good, and I had been eagerly waiting for a new period piece to watch.

 

I will say, there were far too many sex scenes, it actually made me a bit uncomfortable at times, but it was a brilliant series and I'm glad I stuck with it.

 

Also watched The Christmas Chronicles 2, Virgin River Season 2 and something else that I can't for the life of me remember.  Goodness.

 

I will be watching the documentary on Netflix called, Diana in Her Own Words, later today.   And I'm sure I'll find some other period pieces to enjoy as well.

 

Right now though, I will finish off this post, then need to get dressed, have some breakfast and take Jasmine to work.

 

I hope you are all having a blessed weekend and I hope your Christmas was an amazing one.  I for one am very much looking forward to the new year, I think it's safe to say we are all ready to put 2020 behind us. 

{ Day of rest, a Netflix show and more doctor appointments }

Good evening everyone, come on in and sit a bit with me.  I have coffee and tea and a slice of this delicious Portuguese Milk and Cinnamon Tart. (recipe on the food blog, if you're interested).

So, news.

Meal Plan Friday #10

Good morning everyone, and a very happy Friday to you all :)

It's that time again, meal planning day, so let me show you what is on the menu for the upcoming week.

This past week I managed to stay on track.  I did change up on meal, I ended up not making the breaded pork chops last night, I was not feeling well at all and needed something quick, so made the Chourico Carbonara instead. It was delicious.  I don't have a recipe for it, I basically fried up some onions with garlic, olive oil and half of a green bell pepper.

I then sliced up some chourizo and popped that in.  Cooked it until it was done, then added a small can of Media Crema (cream), some parsley and cilantro and seasoned it with salt and pepper.  Mixed it all up with some noodles and popped it in the oven topped with some cheese.  Easy peasy and usually one of the family's favorite meals.
Hey guys welcome back to my blog.

I have a few Portuguese recipes this week, I've really been missing the food I grew up on, and so it's time to get a few served up.  The theme will more than likely continue on through next two weeks as well, but we will see how that goes.

As always you can check out the food blog, there are a ton of recipes on there that I'm sure you will enjoy.

I made the brownies a few days ago, they were delicious, and I'll try to get the recipe up either today or tomorrow, whenever I get a chance.  For desserts next week, I'll be whipping up a simple Portuguese pudding of sorts made with Maria Biscuits and condensed milk.  I'll share when I make it :) 



SHEET PAN CHOURICO PIZZA

 
BREADED PORK CHOPS, TOMATO RICE, PORTUGUESE SALAD

 
BACON CHEESEBURGER SLIDERS

 
FRANGO COM CHOURICO NO TACHO (Chicken and Chourico Bake)

 
CROQUETES DE ATUM (Tuna Croquetes)

 
BIFE A CERVEJARIA (Steaks Brewery Style) with homemade chips

 
SPAGHETTI, GARLIC BREAD, SALAD







Doce da Casa (Biscuit Coffee Pudding)

Meal Plan Friday #8

Hi everyone, welcome back to another Meal Plan Friday.  I can't believe I've already been posting these for 8 weeks, goodness.

I do love sharing the meal plan as I find that it keeps me on track and there have been many mornings, where I'm trying to remember what to take out of the freezer, and I just take a quick look at the post and know exactly what meat to take out.

I have 2 new recipes this week, the Sheet Pan Nachos tonight and the Asian Beef Stir Fry next week.  The rest of the recipes are a few Portuguese as well as two family favorites.  All links have been provided for you, where available.

As for desserts, this week I was supposed to make the Peach Cake, but last minute decided to actually make some Lemon Curd Bars.  They are delicious.  I'll be sharing the recipe for those later today, over on the food blog.

This coming week, I'll be making some brownies.  Nothing out of this world, but just some good ol' brownies, and who doesn't love a brownie either with a cup of milk or with some cream or a scoop of ice cream?



Sheet Pan Steak Nachos Supreme

 
 Orange Chicken

 
Chipotle Burrito Bowls

 
Asian Rice and Beef Stir Fry

 
Rissois de Atum, Arroz de Tomate (Tuna Rissoles with Tomato Rice)

 
Easy Roast Chicken with Potatoes, Salad

 
Chourico Carbonara

Best Brownies