I did fairly well on week one of sticking to the menus I had planned. We did deviate twice. One night because we had a lot of leftovers and tonight because I didn't feel like cooking so DH made soup and sandwiches. I think I have a stomach bug. I am trying to will it away, but it's really not working. Hopefully it will pass quickly.

We did buy a couple of things to fill in the gaps for this coming week, some lettuce and cabbage and some oranges, but mostly meals will be from what we have on hand and repurposing leftovers into new meals.

Here's the plan for this week:

Monday--Meatloaf (didn't get made week one), fried potatoes, pears, salad

Tuesday--Herb Roasted Rabbit, baked sweet potatoes, green beans, oranges

Wednesday--Rabbit stir-fry--broccoli, carrots, onions, cauliflower, celery--Pineapple, Stir-fried Rice

Thursday--Beef stew (didn't get made week one)--carrots, potatoes, parsnips--celery sticks with blue cheese dressing, oranges

Friday--Bacon cheeseburgers, sweet potato fries/fries, cole slaw, pears

Saturday--Spaghetti and Meatballs, cole slaw, oranges

Sunday--Beef pot roast, baked sweet potatoes, broccoli, oranges

I've gotten out of the habit of meal planning and it is making it very hard to stay organized right now with things, so it has gone back on the agenda as a must do. I am trying to make use of everything I have on hand as much as possible this week. We pulled some meat from the freezer and then I went through all the frozen veg/fruit and the home canned fruit and veg, and then what was in the fridge and made a list. From that list I pulled together my meal plan for the week.

The grocery bill has been getting a bit too high and I need to get it down. While I was down with the severely sprained ankle we were buying more convenience foods and that needs to stop now. It may not be completely healed, but I am cooking even if I have to pull up a chair to do it because it still hurts to stand on it too long. Walking is fine, just more than five minutes of standing without moving makes it ache. So cooking it is.

We have some fresh greens in the low tunnels hoops over the garden, mostly lettuce, spinach, kale, and chard, but a lot of that gets eaten at lunch time. I am trying to cook enough at dinner so that there are leftovers for the next day's lunch for DH and DS. I think I will do up a big breakfast bake casserole to cover a few breakfasts as well, since we have a lot of duck eggs now that the ducks have ramped back up to laying 4 eggs a day.

This is what I've figured out for this week, though I may swap some days around if the whim takes me.

Monday:
Pork chops
Green beans (home canned)
Applesauce (home canned)

Tuesday:
Beef pot roast
Sweet potatoes
Broccoli (frozen)
Oranges

Wednesday:
Pork ribs with a glaze made from apricot jelly (home canned), honey (melting down some that crystalized), garlic, and soy sauce
Ginger rice
Salad--lettuce, radishes, cucumbers, carrots, red onion, dressing of choice
Apples

Thursday:
Meatloaf--hamburger, ground rabbit, onions, carrots, cheddar cheese, duck eggs, Parmesan cheese, Romano cheese, oat meal
Fried potatoes
Pears (home canned)

Friday:
Chicken and Herb Tortellini with homemade pesto
Broccoli
Oranges

Saturday:
Beef stew--beef (home canned), carrots (home canned), potatoes (home canned), parsnips (home canned)
Green beans (home canned)
Oranges

Sunday:
Homemade pizza--ham (frozen, diced, leftovers from the holiday), sausage (homemade), onions, mozzarella, cheddar, Parmesan, and Romano cheeses, garlic butter parsley sauce for mine and homemade pizza sauce (canned) for everyone else
Salad--lettuce, radishes, cucumbers, carrots, red onions, dressing of choice
Pears (home canned)

I meant to get this up yesterday, but didn't. Here is my menu planning for the next week, starting yesterday. I am mostly planning based off of what is in the freezer or on the canning shelves, or in the case of fruit what I already have in the fridge or freezer. This is keeping my grocery budget well under while we are trying to save extra money for the down payment and to pay our medical bills.

Wednesday:
Braided Chili Loaf
Cantaloupe
Coleslaw

Thursday:
Sloppy Hoppies on Leftover Kaiser Rolls
Cantaloupe
Leftover Coleslaw

Friday:
BBQ and Teriyaki Honey Rabbit Wings
Broccoli
Leftover Coleslaw
Fried potatoes

Saturday:
Bacon Wrapped Pekin Duck
Baked Potatoes
Green Beans
Apples

Sunday:
Short ribs
Fried potatoes
Leftover green beans
Oranges

Monday:
Garlic Herbed Shrimp over Chicken Fried Rice
Onions and Bell Peppers
Canned Nectarines

Tuesday:
Beef pot roast
Baked Sweet Potatoes
Green Beans
Berries

It was so nice to get back in the pool yesterday after about 8 weeks away due to the cold/sinus infection/general yuck thing I was dealing with last year. The prednisone seems to have seen it most of the way out the door and I have energy to do things again beyond the minimum. I'm off the prednisone now and hoping it doesn't come back, but so far seem to be doing okay.

Anyway, I did a water aerobics class yesterday. It was a full hour and boy do I feel it today, but it felt great, I am happy to be back. I will go again tomorrow.

I have lost 7 pounds so far since the start of the year. I am sure part of that is my commitment to cooking at home right now. About six days a week are from scratch and one day a week is maybe a convenience type thing. Last night was mini chicken tacos from Trader Joe's, so the ingredients at least, are not suspect. More sodium, of course, than I would use, but as long as we keep that kind of meal to a minimum, not so bad.

So far I have spent $35 of the $80.06 I have left of the original $400 I am trying to keep this month's grocery spending to. I need to make the rest of the $55 last until the 22nd and I will have made it through the month on half my grocery budget. Not an easy feat, but it seems to be working okay so far.

I am being diligent with sticking to the meal plan this week. My only alteration was making the mini-tacos instead of actual tacos last night. And sometimes I switch the fruit around as I may not be in the mood for the fruit I planned, but all of the planned fruit still gets eaten in a week.

I have stayed on top of leftover management quite well, too. I haven't had to throw out anything this week, but have made sure it gets eaten for lunches or breakfasts, or rolled into later meals in the week. This makes a huge difference, as well.

I think all of the savings will get eaten up by medical expenses, though. I had hoped to put it in the down payment fund, but at least I shouldn't have to take the money I normally put in the down payment fund each month and use it for the medical expenses, so that is something.

I didn't have time to write about this when I started, but 12 days ago I did one big grocery shop with the intention of cutting my grocery spending for the month in half. I gave myself a budget of $400, and spent $319.94. That left me with $80.06 for things like milk, bread (if I don't bake it), lettuce, and fresh fruit.

Yesterday I spent $11.85 on 15 pounds of oranges, and $8.99 on a quart of fresh organic strawberries. So that is $20.84 and it leaves me with $59.22 to get through until the 22nd of January. $60 for 20 more days. I have 2 gallons of milk left so I am fine there, and I still have some greens growing under my little umbrella green houses, so I may not need to buy lettuce at all. I also have a loaf of bread left and plenty of ingredients to make more.

The $400 I am hoping to save (my usual budget is $800 a month) will go into the down payment fund. I have been successful in saving anywhere from around $200 to $250 for the past couple of months, but I really want to try to make this goal.

I do not have to buy any meat at all. The freezer is still packed with chicken, rabbit, beef, pork, and lamb. I have a ton of home canned food still on my canning shelves, and some frozen fruit and veg as well. So this is very doable as long as I don't get lazy. So far I have been sticking pretty well to the meal planning, though I've switched things up a couple times when I wasn't feeling as good. But it was all stuff we had available.

We also have not eaten out in that amount of time and I am hoping to make that go for the entire month long period as well. I am in full on savings mode. The faster I can save, the sooner we can move.

Wednesday:
Pork chops
Fried potatoes
Green Beans
Apples/apple sauce

Thursday:
Baked chicken
Baked potatoes
Oranges
Salad

Friday:
Garlic Ginger Rabbit Stir-fry

Saturday:
Homemade pizza
Cole slaw

Sunday:
Crockpot roast beef with carrots, potatoes, and parsnips,
Cole slaw
Oranges

Monday:
Meatball subs
Cole slaw
Apples

Tuesday:
Tacos
Canned nectarines

Wednesday:
Pancakes and Ham (leftover picnic ham)
Canned Nectarines

Thursday:
Macaroni Rabbit Bake
Broccoli/Cauliflower
Grapes

Friday:
BBQ Rabbit Wings
Fried Potatoes
Broccoli/Cauliflower
Apples

Saturday:
Homemade Pizza--Italian sausage, pepperoni, bell peppers, onions, ham (leftover picnic ham)
Oranges

Sunday:
Steak
Baked potatoes
Green Beans
Drop biscuits with dandelion jelly

Monday:
Fried Chicken
Baked potatoes
Green Beans
Blueberry Cornbread Muffins

Tuesday:
Spaghetti with homemade sauce
Meatballs (lamb, beef, rabbit, Italian sausage)
Garlic Bread
Salad

I've switched to a Wednesday through Tuesday system, since I go shopping Wednesday mornings, generally. But I forgot to post it yesterday.

Wednesday:
Chicken Fajitas
Fresh pineapple
Pumpkin bread

Thursday:
Club Sandwiches
Salad
Cameo apples

Friday:
Bacon Cheeseburgers
Fries
Fresh Pineapple
Cole slaw
Pumpkin Bread

Saturday:
Teriyaki Beef Flank Steak
Fried Potatoes
Green Beans
Oranges

Sunday:
Slow-cooked turkey necks
Mashed potatoes and gravy
Roasted zucchini and yellow squash
Ambrosia apples

Monday:
Southern Fried Rabbit
Mashed potatoes and gravy
Broccoli and Cauliflower
Grapes
Pumpkin bread

Tuesday:
Tropical Rabbit Stir-fry
Canned pineapple

Monday:
Baked potato soup
Leftover lamb and beef pot roast
Salad

Tuesday:
Tacos (beef, onions, tomatoes, seasonings)
Apples

Wednesday:
BBQ rabbit "wings"
Fried potatoes
Green beans
Oranges

Thursday:
Rabbit stir-fry with onions, peppers, broccoli, carrots, celery, and snow peas
Pineapple

Friday:
Sloppy Hoppies
Cole slaw
Apples

Saturday:
Spaghetti and Meatballs
Salad
Grapes

Sunday:
Rabbit stew with potatoes and carrots
Cole slaw
Canned nectarines

Monday:
Baked chicken
Mashed potatoes and gravy
Broccoli/cauliflower
Orange/banana/yogurt smoothie

Tuesday:
Chicken Tortellini with homemade ugly sauce
Garlic bread
Salad
Pineapple

Wednesday:
Beef pot roast
Mashed potatoes and gravy (leftovers)
Green Beans
Orange/banana/yogurt smoothie

Thursday:
Sloppy Hoppies on Kaiser rolls
Sweet potato fries
Coleslaw
Grapes

Friday:
Rabbit stew with carrots and potatoes
Fresh baked bread
Coleslaw
Strawberry/banana/yogurt smoothie

Saturday:
Homemade pizza with pepperoni, ham, onions, bell peppers, and fresh basil leaves
Pineapple

Sunday:
BBQ pulled pork on Kaiser rolls
Fried potatoes
Green Beans
Strawberry/banana/yogurt smoothie

Monday:
Spaghetti with Homemade Sauce and Meatballs
Salad
Grapes

Tuesday:
Baked chicken
Baked sweet potatoes
Broccoli/cauliflower
Pineapple

Wednesday:
Stir-fried chicken, peppers, and onions
Salad
Apples

Thursday:
Southern Fried Rabbit
Baked potatoes
Broccoli/cauliflower
Oranges

Friday:
Bacon rabbit cheeseburgers
Fried potatoes
Salad
Canned nectarines

Saturday:
Homemade pizza with pepperoni, sausage, peppers, onions, and fresh basil
Cole slaw

Sunday:
Rabbit stew
Green Beans
Pineapple

And I am glad that a new week is starting. I had such a bad cold this week. It's my own fault. I accidentally grabbed my son's nasal spray and not mine and 2 days later, BAM, I was in misery. On Wednesday I wasn't sure I was ever going to feel better again, but by Thursday morning my fever had broken. I am still pretty stuffy headed, but am doing so much better.

I didn't exercise at all this week. I will be glad to get into the pool again tomorrow, although I am sure I will be sore afterwards. And I am going to go sit in the sauna afterwards and try to bake the rest of this thing out of me.

I did really well, though, on the food front. No eating out at all, finally, for a whole week. Of course when you are too sick to drive anywhere, that helps with the whole will-power situation. I had been going out at least once per week to get take out. I don't know, but that needs to stop. Twice a month is enough, especially with our savings goals.

Anyway, here is the plan for this week.

Sunday:
Baked chicken
Baked yams
Green beans
Grapes

Monday:
Pork chops
Broccoli/Cauliflower
Fried Potatoes
Grapes

Tuesday:
Southern Fried Rabbit
Baked potatoes
Green beans
Oranges

Wednesday:
Spaghetti and Meatballs
Garlic bread
Salad
Apples

Thursday:
Baked chicken tortellini
Garlic Bread
Green Beans
Canned nectarines

Friday:
Homemade pizza with pepperoni, salami, sausage, onions, peppers, basil, mozzarella, parmesan, romano, homemade pizza sauce
Salad

Saturday:
Bacon rabbit cheeseburgers
French fries
Cole slaw
Canned pineapple

Sunday:
Rabbit stew
Salad
Applesauce

Monday:
Teriyaki Beef short ribs
Acorn squash (from the garden)
Strawberries (from the garden)
Salad (from the garden)

Tuesday:
Garlic Butter Chicken
Baked sweet potatoes
Broccoli and cauliflower
Apple

Wednesday:
Beef Pot roast
Roasted Zucchini and Summer Squash (from the garden)
Baked potatoes (from the garden)
Watermelon (from the garden)

Thursday:
Herb roasted rabbit (home raised)
Fried potatoes (from the garden)
Green beans (from the garden)
Home canned nectarines

Friday:
Sloppy Hoppies (home raised rabbit) on homemade buns
Cole slaw (cabbage from the garden)
Canned pineapple

Saturday:
Spaghetti with home grown and homemade spaghetti sauce and rabbit meatballs
Garlic bread
Oranges

Sunday:
Barbecue Rabbit Wings
Leftover vegetables from the week
Applesauce

Househopeful reminded me with her post that I haven't been menu planning in a while and it is something I want to get back to. Especially since we are trying so hard not to eat out. This week was a bust, though. DH and I went out to eat on Thursday since it was the 25th Anniversary of our first date. We didn't spend too much there, it was $41 including a good tip. I had a chicken quesadilla and garden salad and he had beef fajitas, rice, and beans. We went at 4:30 so we could still get lunch prices and portions, but still eat close to dinner time.

Then yesterday my fever spiked and I lost all interest in cooking and DH was still jet-lagged, so we got take away from the Polynesian place, which was almost $50. So there can definitely be no more eating out.

I have enough leftovers between the Mexican and Polynesian foods for my dinner tonight. The kids have enough leftovers from last night. I'm not sure what DH has, but he can have some of my rice and build around that. Plus there is some leftover lasagna, too.

So my meal plan will start with tomorrow.

Sunday:
Rabbit Macaroni Casserole (from the freezer)
Salad
Watermelon

Monday:
Barbecue Chicken Wings
Fried Potatoes
Cole slaw
Watermelon

Tuesday:
Sloppy Hoppies
Oranges
Cole slaw

Wednesday:
Korean Short Ribs
Sweet Meat Squash, mashed
Green Beans

Thursday:
Rabbit Stir-fry with peppers, onions, broccoli, carrots, celery, snow peas
Oranges

Friday:
Rabbit Chili
Garlic Bread
Salad

Saturday:
Pork Chops
Applesauce
Cole slaw

I am struggling a little bit with wanting to eat out right now. I don't want to do it because it is expensive and I'm trying to save money. I know it is simply a reaction to being in pain. Well, it's more a reaction to having an almost constant headache.

Between the broken nose and the mild concussion, it just almost never goes away except when I am sleeping and that has more to do with the narcotics the doctor gave me knocking me out for the night. Headache pain has always been much harder for me to deal with than any other type of pain because it always makes me feel like I'm not myself.

It is really hard to want to make meals from scratch when you feel sick, but pain is even harder, at least for me. But I don't feel up to driving either. I had to drive Thursday to go to my doctor's appointment and my son's doctor's appointment. I don't want to drive again for a while. It takes too much focus. So that is keeping my spending in check.

Since I am fundamentally against paying extra to have food delivered to my home, and not much delivers here anyway, I am trying to focus on simpler meals, or meals my daughter can make while I am nearby for help or reassurance. I have been teaching her to cook more things this year, but she lacks confidence to do it without a lot of hand holding yet.

The doctor says the break still looks straight, but the swelling isn't fully gone and we can't determine everything until it is. So far it is looking good enough he doesn't think I will need to go to an ENT doctor. Now that there is a lot less swelling I can actually feel the break when I touch the bridge of my nose. There is a little ripple there that was not there before. It's nothing you can see, though. The abrasion has almost completely healed. I really wish I didn't wear glasses right now, though. I know they are adding to some of the discomfort.

More concerning are the concussion symptoms, at least to me. The doctor doesn't seem to be worried, though. I am a little forgetful and find myself searching for words a lot more than usual. And I feel like a space cadet. Just a lot of brain fog. I am not used to having headaches. I haven't had them since I took all of the additives and preservatives and MSG and stuff out of my diet several years ago, except on very rare occasions or with a sinus or kidney infection or lack of sleep or my neck was out of alignment. And those were quickly remedied.

I know I will get better with time, but it is hard to push through right now. I am getting as much rest as I can. That is what the doctor said to do. But I still have animals to take care of and a garden to keep under control. The kids are helping, but I can't just check out like I could if DH was home. He will be home the day after school starts so I won't have to do too much driving in the early a.m. when I am not alert and am very foggy. In fact, if DS rides his bike the first 2 days of school I won't have to drive at all. Hopefully it won't rain.

So far I am managing to stick to my meal plans. I know I haven't been posting them, but I have still been making them. They are generally easier foods, though. No one is up for super complicated.

I do find that I'm not eating much outside of dinner. It's too much work. I'll grab a string cheese so I can take my medicine without it making me queasy, but that's about it. Not very healthy. I ought to make up some hard-boiled eggs so I'd at least have something a little more substantial during the day. I do have my electric egg cooker and it turns off when done, so I don't have to pay attention to it. Maybe I should do that.

Okay, this is getting long and rambling and may or may not make sense. I am not the best judge of that right now. So I'll stop babbling for now.

I did really well on this. I spent maybe $75 on groceries for the entire month of June. I saved $750 from eating from the pantry, freezer, and garden and not going out to eat at all. I only went into the grocery stores to buy milk and a little bit of vegetables. I stopped by a fruit stand for cherries a couple of times. In season WA state cherries are something I seemingly can't resist.

I did videos of the meals if anyone wants to see them. If you go to the actual entry they are hyperlinked and you can just click through. They don't seem to be hyperlinked otherwise.

Week 3:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t5v1V_ExMTk

Week 4:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yEkj54qsp2U

And if you are curious to see how I did my meal planning under these circumstances, I did a video on that as well. I really learned a lot about myself and my habits from this challenge. I was also surprised at just how much more variety I had in my meals than usual when I buy groceries more often. I had thought it would go the other way, but it didn't.

Pantry Meal Planning:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1LdgFPZ4aQM

This has gone much better than expected. I did give in any buy fresh local WA state cherries and the husband got his jar of bread and butter pickle chips and the yogurt he likes. He doesn't like what is on hand that the kids eat. Otherwise no spending on groceries this week.

I am starting to see space in my freezer again and that is good. I will need that room and any more I can make when we purchase a half a beef later this year and for when we butcher our 30 meat chickens in 10 more weeks. Not to mention the 8 rabbits we are doing this week, though I may debone and can it instead of freezing it. I like having it canned, but I don't like picking out the bones when I open the jar.

Anyway I posted this week's meal plan. I deviated somewhat from my last meal plan, but not from the pantry challenge really, other than to get those cherries.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n8duz3Dlkoc

Monday:
BBQ Chicken Legs
Broccoli/cauliflower
Cherries
Home canned corn
Chocolate

Tuesday:
Grilled ham and cheese sandwiches
Chili for boys
Chicken noodle soup for the girls
Strawberries
Kohlrabi

Wednesday:
Brined pork chops
Fried potatoes
Home canned Applesauce
Broccoli/cauliflower

Thursday:
Sloppy Hoppies on homemade buns
Sweet potato fries
Blueberries
Salad

Friday:
Meatloaf
Fried potatoes
Green beans
Snow peas

Saturday:
Homemade pizza with ham, sausage, pepperoni, bell pepper strips, onion strips, basil
Salad

Sunday:
Tacos
Strawberries

I feel like I am starting to settle into a routine now between the garden and the farm chores and making all of my meals from what is available here and not by making a quick run to the store or getting take out. As the garden moves into heavier production more time needs to be spent there.

I have harvested a pound of snow peas from the garden this week, 2 bunches of kale, 1 head of lettuce, 2 bunches of green onions, and 3 kohlrabi. My broccoli is getting close to harvest size, which astounds me. It is all so early, but with this weather, I can't blame it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jzII-hvqugA

I am enjoying the cooking this week more than I have in a long while. I don't know if it is just access to super fresh ingredients from the garden or knowing it is all food I grew and/or preserved myself, but it feels different. I haven't felt any resentment over cooking like I sometimes do. I mean I love cooking, but I am often irritated when it all falls on me. This last week I don't seem to care about that. It's like an attitude has shifted. Of course the children are helping far more than they ever have before so maybe that is why?

Some things were quite challenging since the hot water tank that feeds the main kitchen went out and had to be replaced. We couldn't use the dishwasher and every pot and pan that we cooked in had to be hauled down to the half-kitchen that had hot water. That went on for 5 days, but we got a new tank put in and had hot water again last night.

As promised here is the video of my meals for the first week of the challenge:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pEWnzVbQ7UA

I am looking forward to the rest of this challenge. It is good to be feeling so positive about it.

So far the Eat from the Pantry/Freezer/Garden Challenge is going very well here. The garden is really getting going so I am very happy with it. Tomorrow will be my seventh day on it, so after dinner I will post a video with all 7 meals so you can see what I've been doing if you want.

I had to shift some things based on what I had already and the kids wanting pizza, but for the most part I stuck to last week's meal plan. This week's will be:

Monday:
Southern Fried Rabbit (this got shifted)
Fried potatoes
Cole slaw
Grapes

Tuesday:
Lamb chops (for me and the kids)
Pulled pork (for DH)
Broccoli
Canned pineapple

Wednesday:
Rabbit enchiladas
Mexican rice
Salad
Canned nectarines

Thursday:
Spaghetti and Meatballs
Garlic bread
Snow peas

Friday:
Brined pork chops
Fried potatoes
Green beans
Applesauce

Saturday:
Homemade pizza (pepperoni, ham, bell peppers and onions)
Cole slaw

Sunday:
Rabbit bacon cheeseburgers
French fries
Salad
Strawberries (frozen if not enough are ripe yet)

I have decided to take Mrs. Frugalista up on the eating only from the Pantry challenge. My only exception will be to buy milk and also strawberries for making jam, because it is jam making time and my own strawberries will not be enough for that. I will start tomorrow. Today I had to go and buy flour and sugar because I was low on the former and out of the latter, and I can't make jam without sugar.

The garden is doing well enough that we will have lettuce, kale, chard, snow peas, and kohlrabi from it this week. And the broccoli is starting to head up so we should have some later this month. We have canned nectarines and applesauce and pineapple for when we run out of fresh fruit. And our own strawberries are just starting to turn color.

I am hoping to make it the whole month.

Tuesday:
Picnic Ham
Baked potatoes
Green beans
Fruit salad

Wednesday:
Chicken and Vegetable Stir-fry
Fruit Salad

Thursday:
Baked turkey thighs
Mashed potatoes and gravy
Salad

Friday:
Duck in rabbit broth in the crockpot
Baked potato soup
Kohlrabi

Saturday:
Southern Fried Rabbit
Mashed potatoes and gravy
Cole slaw

Sunday:
Brined pork chops
Fried potatoes
Applesauce
Cole slaw

Monday:
Chicken Enchiladas
Cole slaw
Cantaloupe

Tuesday:
Chicken Stew
Green Beans
Pineapple

Wednesday:
Meatloaf
Mashed potatoes and gravy
Blueberries
Salad

Thursday:
Black Pepper Chicken (has veggies)
Canned nectarines

Friday:
Spaghetti and Meatballs
Cole slaw

Saturday:
Homemade Pizza
Cole slaw

Sunday:
Meatball Sandwiches
Salad
Oranges

I am trying to use up some stuff in the freezer and keep things easy for myself this week. I don't know if I am starting a cold or if my allergies are just trying to overwhelm me. Cottonwood seeds are blowing about like snow right now, so I suspect it is the latter, but a scratchy throat and runny/stuffy back and forth nose still feels like a cold even if it is allergies. So all that to say you'll see much simpler meals this week from me.

Monday:
Fish Sticks and Mini-Tacos from TJ's (cleaning out the freezer)
Sweet potato fries
Salad from the garden

Tuesday:
Toasted ham and cheese sandwiches
French fries
Salad from the garden

Wednesday:
Spaghetti and Ground Meat (no fancy meatballs)
Garlic bread
Salad from the garden

Thursday:
Barbecue chicken legs
Baked potatoes
Green beans

Friday:
Baked potato soup
Chicken Enchiladas
Cole slaw

Saturday:
Pizza with homemade rabbit sausage, prosciutto, peppers, and onions
Cole slaw

Sunday:
Southern Fried Rabbit
Mashed potatoes and gravy
Roasted zucchini and yellow summer squash

I took all the cut up chicken breasts from our meat chickens last year out of the freezer to thaw and I am going to can it once it is and use it for making enchiladas. Canning makes it super tender and provides much ease of use.

I have been forgetting to post my meal plans each week for about 3 weeks now. Mostly because I've just been throwing things together by the seat of my pants. Which is okay, but not very organized and I like to be organized. So I am at least going to post my meals for the rest of the week.

Thursday:
Spaghetti and Meatballs
Cole slaw
Strawberries and Blueberries

Friday:
Meatloaf (half ground rabbit, half ground beef, made with duck eggs)
Baked potatoes
Green beans

Saturday:
Homemade pizza with rabbit sausage, pepperoni, ham, green, red, and yellow bell pepper strips, and onions
Cole slaw

Sunday:
Beef pot roast
Mashed potatoes and gravy
Broccoli

Monday:
Barbecue Chicken Wings
Baked Potatoes
Roasted Zucchini
Cornbread Blueberry Muffins

Tuesday:
Duck and Bacon Cheeseburgers
Fried Potatoes
Green Beans
Strawberries

Wednesday:
Rabbit Stir-fry with carrots, celery, broccoli, cauliflower, snow peas, and bean sprouts
Pineapple

Thursday:
Barbecue Pork Short ribs
Baked potatoes
Cole slaw
Strawberries

Friday:
Southern Fried Rabbit
Mashed Potatoes and Gravy
Roasted Zucchini
Canned Nectarines

Saturday:
Homemade Pizza with onions, bell peppers, rabbit sausage, and pepperoni
Cole slaw
Garlic Bread

Sunday:
Sloppy Hoppies
Tater Tots
Cole slaw
Strawberries

Monday:
Baked cod in foil packets with asparagus and zucchini
Homemade French fries

Tuesday:
Pork chops (brined and pan-fried then oven-finished)
Fried potatoes
Broccoli

Wednesday:
Beef stew with potatoes and carrots
Cole slaw

Thursday:
Fried rabbit
Mashed potatoes and gravy
Green beans

Friday:
Homemade pizza with pepperoni, rabbit sausage, onions, and bell peppers
Cole slaw

Saturday:
Spaghetti with homemade sauce
Meatballs (Beef, lamb, pork, and rabbit)
Green beans

Sunday:
Meatball sandwiches
Cole slaw
Oranges

Monday:
Wild caught salmon
Broccoli
Fried potatoes

Tuesday:
Teriyaki Flank Steak
Baked potatoes
Leftover broccoli

Wednesday:
Chicken Fajitas
Spanish Rice

Thursday:
Fried rabbit
Baked potatoes
Green beans

Friday:
Homemade pizza with rabbit sausage, onions, and bell peppers
Cole slaw

Saturday:
Beef stir-fry (broccoli, cauliflower, onions, carrots, celery, water chestnuts)
Pineapple

Sunday:
Rabbit Stew
Homemade drop biscuits with choice of homemade jams
Cole slaw

Monday:
Rabbit Stew
Green Beans
Strawberries

Tuesday:
Homemade Pizza (pepperoni, mozzarella, onions, bell peppers)
Cole slaw

Wednesday:
Sloppy Hoppies
Cole slaw

Thursday:
Chicken stir-fry (broccoli, carrots, onions, celery)
Homemade bread

Friday:
Braided Chili Loaf
Green Beans
Strawberries

Saturday:
Fried Chicken
Fried Potatoes
Green Beans
Oranges

Sunday:
Beef Hanging Tender
Mashed potatoes and gravy
Broccoli
Pineapple

Monday:
Meatball Sandwiches (on homemade bread, using leftover homemade spaghetti sauce)
Cole slaw
Strawberries (from my freezer stash)

Tuesday:
Chicken stir-fry (carrots, onions, broccoli, cauliflower)
Oranges
Home canned corn

Wednesday:
Fried Rabbit
Fried Potatoes
Home canned green beans
Strawberries

Thursday:
Cheeseburgers
Sweet potato and regular potato fries
Cole slaw
Frozen Italian plums (from our tree)

Friday:
Meatloaf made ground beef and ground rabbit, minced garlic, diced onions and peppers, shredded carrots
Mashed potatoes and gravy
Home canned green beans
Canned pineapple

Saturday:
Homemade pizza with leftover homemade spaghetti sauce, mozzarella, homemade rabbit sausage, pepperoni, onions, and bell peppers
Cole slaw
Oranges

Sunday:
Barbecue Chicken Legs
Home canned corn
Drop biscuits with choice of jam
Broccoli

Monday:
Garlic Butter Chicken
Broccoli
Biscuits with choice of homemade jam
Oranges

Tuesday:
Beef stir-fry with broccoli, cauliflower, onions, carrots, peppers
Apples

Wednesday:
Pork chops
Fried potatoes
Applesauce
Green beans

Thursday:
Braided chili loaf
Corn
Green beans
Strawberries (from our freezer stash)

Friday:
Rabbit stew
Coleslaw
Oranges

Saturday:
Duck burgers
Fried potatoes
Coleslaw
Pineapple (canned)

Sunday:
Southern fried rabbit
Baked potatoes
Green Beans (home canned)
Nectarines (home canned)