Sunday, August 26, 2012

Meal Plan 8/26/12 and a Bovine Update


Please excuse the "poo" in the above picture, but these days, poo is the last thing on our minds. We're still on calf watch, and to be honest, it's getting quite old. Seriously, our days are spent looking at cow butt. Hours and hours of cow butt. Not because we have nothing better to do, but because every single person in this house makes at least 1 trip up to the barn a day and comes running back down to the house to announce, "It's time!"

I've come to realize that my family thrives in the melodrama of farm life. The reality of the cow situation is this~there is still no calf. And yes, Tilly is fully bagged. Yes, she is sagging and drooping in all the right places. And yes, eventually the calf has to come out. But I'm not going to worry until it happens. For real this time. No more cow butt updates from me. Promise....

In the meantime, I've been working on meal plans again. This week, daughter #3 and her hubby will be moving in with us while they save for a down payment on their first house. That will put our grand total at 13. That's 13 mouths to feed. 12 people using the toilets. 11 people who eat full-sized meals. 10 people who are not gluten-intolerant. 9 ladies dancing, 8 maids-a-milking...oops. Got a little carried away there for a minute. I'm not too worried about the size of our family (while doing foster care a few years ago we were up to 15 kids), but in order to avoid spending thousands of dollars at the grocery store, I need to be diligent about planning meals. I also need to be diligent about not straying too far from the plan.

Which would pretty much sum up my entire summer of meal planning.☺

Here's what's cooking this week...

~Sunday~
cereal
almond butter/jam sandwiches
Cube steak, mashed potatoes/gravy, fresh green beans, deviled eggs, gf Peach Streusel Cake & ice cream
 
~Monday~
Scrambled eggs with bacon, toast
Roasted hot dogs, sauerkraut, apple slices
Crockpot Salsa Chicken, brown rice, corn, salad
 
~Tuesday~
Egg salad sandwiches, carrot sticks, apple slices
Salmon Patties with Tarter Sauce, Coconut Rice, green peas, Biscuits with homemade Apple Butter
 
~Wednesday~
Quiche Lorraine, gf Blueberry Muffins
Baked Bean Dip, tortilla chips, lacto-fermented salsa, Kefir Fruit Smoothies
gf Brunch Bake (new), Broccoli Salad
 
~Thursday~
Cinnamon Spiced Granola
Corndog Muffins, Apple Slices
Macaroni & Cheese, fresh green beans, baked chicken
 
~Friday~
Ham & Swiss Omelet
Tuna sandwiches, apple slices
Cincinnati Chili, green salad
 
~Saturday~
Buckwheat Pancakes with Spiced Plum Syrup
Leftovers
Grilled Hamburgers, Crockpot Baked Beans
 
Now, I'm off to check...ummm...the floor of the barn. Yep. That's it.
 


That's my story, and I'm sticking to...oh never mind. I'm sure you understand.☺

This post is linked to Menu Monday.

6 comments:

Unknown said...

You are so funny! We raise goats and when its near kidding time, we check goat butts for days on end:)
We fostered children as well..thank you for the menus you post..they spark frugal creativity.
Now, go check that cow butt one more time:):)

Carolyn said...

Oh, you'll be out there checking cow butt until it happens! I know, I do goat-butt-checks on an almost hourly basis when it's kidding time.
Can't wait for the good news :)

Candy C. said...

I think she's holding that calf in for the fun of watching ya'll run around checking her! ;-)

Lady Hawke said...

What is bad is after all the butt-checking, she will probably have
1. while you are asleep or 2. while everyone is away from home. How about putting a nanny cam up at the barn to send video down to the house? It would at least save wear and tear on the legs. Just sayin'. :) Love your blog. Keep up the good work.

Mama Pea said...

Animals can be just as contrary when it comes to birthing little ones as humans, can't they? (Wonder if the to-be-mama cow is as uncomfortable as we people mamas sometimes get right at the end?)

Thirteen people in the house? Please tell me you have a big house! In many ways I envy you all the love a big family living together can bring. Also, many hands to help when they're needed! Cooking for that many on a daily basis would require organization. And it sounds as if you have it under control.

Kim said...

We DO have a big house...for now. If the kids keep coming home, we're going to have to down-size! ;) We're having a good time while it lasts, and I am definitely taking advantage of the extra hands!