Randomness on the Home Front

Sometimes we need cheese. Yum. I am very proud of my newly organized shoe closet. I'm glad I didn't think to take a before photo, or I would have been obliged to post it and feel the shame. Instead, I just have this wonderful photo of shoe-organization perfection. All is well with my soul.

This is what I call a "close call". This is HOT cream of celery soup and a not quite tight enough blender lid. Could have been ugly. Whew!

The point to this post is just to present evidence that I'm back to my old self!!!

No more school projects, papers, tests. I'm back to enjoying my life and picking up my camera several times a day. Blogging. And a not so rare trip to a store or two. ;)

Egocentric much?

I want to attend the Minnesota State Fair one day.

I am constantly concerned when the last time was that my dog pooped and if she is about to go again....constantly.

I want to take voice and guitar lessons, just for fun.

I know I have too many shoes and purses but...I don't think I'll ever feel like I have enough purses and shoes.

I lost 7 pounds last year.

I love sweet potatoes and cottage cheese.

I laugh out loud very easily.

I am moved to tears by something almost every day, usually while I'm in my car.

I want to see Hawaii, not just a short visit, but live there for awhile.

I get motion sick super easy. I can feel it by just thinking about it. It's a total bummer.

I love the hospital and being around blood. It excites me!

I wanted to be a social worker or a children's book writer when I was a kid.

I've dyed my hair many colors but never blonde. Maybe someday.

I love mac and cheese.

I like gangsta and mob movies like The Godfather and The Departed.

Ok, enough about me....for now.
Well, it is my life and I'll blog if I want to!


FYI: my dog pooped while I was writing this post.

BABIES! BABIES! BABIES!

This is where I was last weekend. Well, this isn't EXACTLY where I was but it looks pretty much the same. I found the following photos online since I don't think it's allowed for me to take pictures in the hospital.

Saying I went to the NICU is one thing but actually SHOWING you what the NICU is like, is what I really want to relay.

So when I tell you how completely amazing it is....you can kinda get an idea of what I mean by....AMAZING.

I am finally doing my LONG awaited 90 hour preceptorship at the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at St. Joseph's Hospital. I was there last Friday, Saturday, and Sunday (for a total of 36 hours). Getting up at 5am was a bit rough but the thought of being with these babies kept me going.

I got to do and see so much. I started feeling like a real RN.

What did you get to do, Olivia?

I'm glad you asked!

These little guys get a full assessment every 4 or 6 hours. That means writing down 4 different temps, listening to lung and bowel sounds, suctioning their mouths and down their tube if they are on a ventilator, measuring their head, belly and whatever extremity their IV line is on. They get turned to prevent the pancake head that premies are known for, and a diaper change (don't forget to weigh it!). I did lots of medication calculations and gave lots of IV meds and fluids. I put down a feeding tube (orally) and hooked up the breast milk or formula they get via a pump system. Some babies can only tolerate 1/2 cc over an hour! Tiny. Everything is tiny. I did computer charting (very, very detailed assessment of everything a baby does and looks like). I monitored their heart and breathing monitors (especially the babies on ventilators) and reviewed their labs to find out how well their lungs were functioning.

These babies are so sick that there is not alot of holding and feeding going on. I did get the sweet opportunity to feed and hold 2 different babies so that was a treat!

Did I mention staring at tiny fingers and toes and sweet baby expressions all day long?

I know, best job in the world, right!?

I only thought I was obsessed with the NICU before I started, now I know I am.

Unfortunately, there are not many job openings in this area since the economy has really affected all areas of healthcare. Fortunately, I already have a job that I love so I'm in a good place to just keep working and waiting for that perfect opportunity to show itself....in due time...or, as in the premie world...maybe sooner than expected!

:)

Love on the Road Becomes Reality

We have something to show you.....

We went on a little road trip over the weekend. Delilah's first experience in the car that was longer than 5 minutes. There was panting and shaking until the point of exhaustion. Luckily, she survived, although a bit worse for the wear...can you tell?

She cracks us up. Here she patiently (or reluctantly, not sure which) poses for a photo.

Here she is cursing the bright desert sunshine and dust....longing for her cool house with her cozy blanket.

But that's not what we wanted to show you...THIS IS!

We went away for a relaxing weekend and came home owners of this cute little trailer.

We have been researching like crazy, for months, what will meet our needs and travel goals. So when we wondered into a RV dealership, because that's our new hobby, we couldn't pass up this opportunity. The old owners just moved out of it the same day we were in town. We think we couldn't have gotten a better deal and are super pleased with how everything went. I have 3 more weeks of school and then we can go back to Tucson and pick it up.

It's only 18 feet and that's all we need to make Love on the Road a reality!

That's what I'm calling our adventure.

Love on the Road, because what we have is more than just life...we have LOVE.

Sappy, I know, but it's true! What is life without love?

One of the RV salesman said we have "gypsy blood". SO true! We don't care where we go or when, just as long as we GO. KOA and National Forests, here we come!

Life just got alot more fun!

Thoughts and stuff

Prepare to be amazed as 4lb puppy leaps with large toy in her mouth!






She's so fun!



Now, on to other things...

Until now, I haven't had the motivation to take time to put into words all that has been going on over the last month. So much going on in my head. I need time to process things. I'm learning so much about myself and the world around me. I will be 35 this year and finally feel like I really am getting "it". Life is something to be learned and lived well. That's what this past year has been about. The upcoming year will be about having fun and enjoying the fruits of our labor...CAN'T WAIT for that part to start.

First let me say that I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. It is only dimmed a bit by the 2 tests, 1 final exam, 4 clinical days, 2 group projects, 2 case studies, and 3 written papers that are all due within the next 3 weeks. Whew! Then I'm home free!

Between now and then, we are getting away for a much needed weekend away from it all. Two nights at a nice hotel, a drive into the mountains, and more RV shopping. We are taking Delilah with us for her first road trip and hotel stay. I told her to not get used to hotel living because soon enough we will be doing all our traveling in this....

We are 95% sure this is the one we want. Alot has to happen (like finish school and get a RN job)before we get it but it sure is fun to look forward to it. Time to start planning our many road trips!! We both just love this little thing. We always like the same stuff, we are just "that couple".

I got my first choice to do my 96 hour preceptorship at St. Joe's Hospital NICU! I start that sometime mid-April. I am SO EXCITED!! I'm already dreaming of babies.



I've been doing ICU clinicals for the last 4 Saturdays. It hasn't been near as exhausting as I expected. It HAS been just as amazing and exciting as I expected. The technology is facinating. I love the intensive care environment. The nurses have been really, really great to work with. I don't really do alot as a student but just being there is better than any lecture or book.



I can't believe I'm almost done with school. It makes my heart race with anticipation.

Life is GREAT. It's Spring time again. The air is warm and the sky is bright blue. My brother and his wife are having a little girl in June. Soon I'll be out of school and free to travel again. My husband says he loves me more and more everyday. My house is a mess and I don't care.

And then there's this little thing that loves to sit in my lap and gaze into my eyes...

:)

That's all for now.

2nd Year of Wedded Bliss

He did good.
When he went out on Tuesday evening to go buy me a card, I wanted so badly to ask him to not wait until Wednesday to buy me flowers. Since I knew I would be home all day Wednesday, I thought how lovely it would be to have flowers to enjoy all day long. But like a good wife, I held my tongue and let him do it his way, however he felt led. Imagine my joy when he returned home with these!! Turns out that he had the same thought. Just one of the many examples of how easy our marriage is. Things like this happen all the time.

Roses & eukalyptus smell sooooo good!

Here's a little snap-shot of our dinner at P.F. Changs

She's happy. He's happy.

We happy!!!

Two years down, a lifetime more to go.

Not about "Climate Change"

I'm listening to talk radio as I type up this blog. There's a record breaking blizzard in the northeast and of course, "global warming" is a hot topic right now.
Well, this blog is NOT about global war....er...climate change(?).
And aren't YOU glad about that!?

Now, on to more enjoyable things......
So, I did some cooking the other day.
Just a simple little recipe with just a few simple ingredients......

Ok, ok. I know it looks complicated but it's fun, creative and yummy! Since I first made these a few weeks ago, we eat them every single day. It's great with the morning coffee or as an afternoon snack (with the afternoon coffee). You can't beat these ingredients. Don't forget to keep them stored in the fridge or freezer. I will carry one in my bag all day long when I'm at school so I don't think they are too perishable.

Based on Jo-Ann's Power Bars recipe
on allrecipes.com.

Ingredients
1 cup quick-cooking rolled oats
1/2 cup whole wheat flour-
you could use 1/2 protein powder if you have some.
1/2 cup wheat and barley nugget cereal (e.g. Grape-Nuts™)-
I've also added ground flax seed.
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon-
I always add more and it's still never too much.
1 beaten egg-
I might leave out the yolk next time.
1/4 cup applesauce
1/4 cup honey
3 tablespoons brown sugar -
I use less, depends on the sweetness of the other mix-ins I add.
2 tablespoons vegetable oil-
I don't use oil. I just up the applesauce amount.
1/4 cup unsalted sunflower seeds-
I've also added buckwheat-it's crunchy and high fiber!
1/4 cup chopped walnuts-
or whole almonds is great!
1 (7 ounce) bag chopped dried mixed fruit-
I used fresh shredded coconut, chocolate chips, & chopped dates in the batch pictured below. I've made a batch with big, plump golden raisins, dried pineapple, dried dates and white chocolate chips (and a touch of almond extract)! That batch was so moist! I cut these into bars and freeze them in quart sized bags. We LOVE these! You can't go wrong with this recipe. I've added peanut butter or almond butter and jelly (used less applesauce). Chocolate is a must for us. If you like coconut, it adds wonderful flavor.

Directions
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Line a 9 inch square baking pan with aluminum foil. Spray the foil with cooking spray.
In a large bowl, stir together the oats, flour, cereal, and cinnamon. Add the egg, applesauce, honey, brown sugar, and oil. Mix well. Stir in the sunflower seeds, walnuts, and dried fruit. Spread mixture evenly in the prepared pan.
Bake 30 minutes, or until firm and lightly browned around the edges. Let cool. Use the foil to lift from the pan. Cut into bars or squares, and store in the refrigerator.

I guess I could show them cut up into bars, but I just don't have a picture of that.

Ginger, I hope you make these! :)

Another recipe I'm excited about is
Herbed Butter Crackers.
I never, ever, ever imagined I could make my own crackers!
Then I discovered this wonderful blog, Finding Joy in my Kitchen, that continues to thrill me with each recipe. She even has a recipe to make English Muffins! Hello!

Can you tell I love my breads?

So, I made the recipe and of course had to add stuff because that's just how I cook. Variety is truely the spice of life! Here you can see the ground flax seeds and maybe some sunflower seeds.



They are so yummy! She also has recipes for plain wheat crackers and cheese crackers.
How cool is that?!

Okay, now that I'm full of power bars and crackers, I think I'll go to the gym.

:)

Menu Planning: Take Five

I post a link to Menu Planning Monday where lots of other bloggers link their blog menu plans. I've found it a great source of menu ideas and started following a few new foodie blogs just on my first visit. Monday: Carmelized chicken, baked zucchini, quinoa. Recipes from allrecipes.com
Tuesday: canned soup or chili, tortilla chips & salsa
Wednesday: Out to dinner for our 2nd Anniversary!!! I'm thinking P.F.Chang's. Lately we've only been going out to dinner to IHOP so this is quite a step up!
Thursday: Crockpot Beef for stir-fry. I think I was gonna make this last week but we had too many leftovers to eat instead.
Friday: Pizza
Saturday: I found these new ravioli at Costco....you want to know what flavor? You are gonna be jealous....Brie and Roasted Garlic Ravioli. I can't wait! Doesn't that sound amazing?

I don't have anything to say about last week's menu. The week just flew by. This week I only have to buy zucchini. Another easy week. Whew!

About something other than food....

Current coffee table reading material.

Nursing school.
It's not as relaxing to talk about as my cooking adventures.
But I want to tell you all alittle about it.
I'll start with the most important detail.
April 12.
That's when my final is.
Ahhh...I just have to sit and savor that detail. Seriously, I'm sitting here, staring at that sentence and I feel so warm and relaxed when I focus on that one little detail.
Until that date I have about 50 test and assignments to complete. I constantly tell myself,

"One day at a time. One assignment at a time.

You can do this. Just get things done, one thing at a time."

Here's a little excerpt of something I had to do this week. Guess what we are studying?

Disturbed sensory perception: auditory
r/t
auditory hallucinations as evidenced by
pt states “the medicine never makes the voices go away completely.”

Goal:Pt will contract to seek staff assistance at any point the hallucinations become distressing / intrusive to her functioning .

Intervention:
Assess for changes in pt affect, behavior, anxiety or agitation. Maintain an open, supportive and safe nurse-patient relationship to foster pt seeking help. Daily ask the pt directly if she has had or is hearing voices and what she is specifically hearing.

Goal
Pt will daily give a 1-10 scale rating to the level of intensity the voices are to her.

Intervention:Teach how to use the 1-10 scale and allow pt frequent opportunities to use the scale. Teach pt to recognize when medications and interventions are effective in controlling the intensity of intrusive thoughts.

Goal:Pt will verbalize 3 triggers to the hallucinations and 3 ways to avoid those triggers by 2/1.

Intervention:Provide nonthreatening conversation and group process time to assist pt in discovering stressors and needs that may underlie the cause of the hallucinations. Help pt identify ways to decrease stressors that trigger the voices. Help pt define past effective coping mechanisms or discover new ways/activities that are effective in distracting from the voices. Encourage participation in games, music, religious services and craft times.

Goal:Pt will verbalize voices are not distressing or intrusive to her daily functioning by 2/1.

Intervention:Encourage pt’s taking daily antipsychotics and group therapy classes. Monitor pt for possible need to titrate meds or needs for prn’s. Help pt identify when the voices are distressing to her by offering feedback on assessed nonverbal s/sx agitation.
.
Goal:
Pt will verbalize 2 community activities or resources that she can turn to after d/c that will help minimize or avoid triggers to her hallucinations by 2/1.

Intervention:Assist pt with creating a list of the activities/events/resources she has used in the past that have helped reduce/avoid her triggers. Provide 3 community resources/events that pt can utilize after d/c that she has identified as ways to reduce/avoid triggers.

Yeah, I know, it's long. But it's only a fraction of the entire assignment. And, I'm kinda proud. I think I did a good job.



We are studying Critical Care and Psych this semester. Going really in-depth about the heart and the mind. Facinating. I feel challenged and competent and professional. A far cry from how I felt last semester....that would be, um, bored, underminded, powerless, ineffective.



I wish I could put into words the specifics of what I am enjoying learning about right now but I'm still processing the new information so I'd just sound unintelligent if I tried to summarize anything right now. Pretty much, I'm learning how to be a nurse in the ICU and that's pretty cool. I start ICU clinicals at the end of February and will do 12hr shifts every Saturday for 7 weeks. After April 12 I will start a 90 hr preceptorship at a hospital (hopefully in the area I selected-NICU). I will complete that rotation by mid-May and then I'M DONE!



Well, almost.....



I will have to take the RN licensing exam after I graduate. It must be important because it costs $500 to take it!



So much work to be done in just a few short months. I am learning so much about myself through this. Just how strong mentally, emotionally, intellectually am I? What expectations do I have for myself and how do I feel about myself when I don't meet those expectations? I don't have many answers except for one....YES! I'm gonna be SO glad when I am done!



One day at a time.

(now you know why I like to talk about cooking so much)

Menu Planning: Take Four

Monday: Frozen Ravioli (that's been in the freezer taking up valuable space for months!) with fresh broccoli (that I bought last week so it's really "not so fresh broccoli")



Tuesday: Salsa Meatloaf and instant potatoes



Wednesday: Salmon Patties, boxed mac & cheese, frozen veggies (I get the normandy style mix from Costco. VERY good.)



Thursday: Crockpot beef made into a stir-fry. Costco also has a frozen veggie stir-fry mix that we like.



Friday: Leftovers

Two great things about this week: Brian really helped with coming up with ideas and best of all, I don't need to do any grocery shopping! How lucky was that?

Last week menu went well. We were pleased with the recipes.

Polenta Veggie Bake

Doesn't he look pleased? He even volunteered for the photo.

Okay, he didn't suggest to BE in the photo with the food. That was my idea. He likes my ideas. Right sweetie? Like cutting his hair short like this. My idea. He likes it. We just click like that. Our 2 yr anniversary is this month. Seriously, it's been a piece of cake, being married to this sweet man.

I recommend....

on those days that you find yourself crawling out of bed at 10:30 am because your husband encouraged you to sleep in because he saw how exhausted you were the night before.....
and then you find yourself lost in 300 news feed updates on Facebook.....only to look up and see that it is almost noon....Well, for those days, I highly recommend having pumpkin chocolate chip pancakes in your freezer......and some of this.

I'm not saying you have to blog about it so that everyone knows how lucky you are to have such a sweet husband that does his very best to not wake you at 5:45am....even though he always depends on you to get his smoothie and sandwich ready for work....but if that did happened to you and you felt so lovingly taken care of because you and your sweet husband had such a blessed life together and you wanted people to know how happy you were with your man...well, I'd recommend you blog about it, too.

Love you, Sweetie!

Getting to know me

olivia,
Your personality is Choleric Melancholy
Melancholy Strength:5 Weakness:2
18%
Strengths of a MelancholyThe Introvert The Thinker The Pessimist
The Melancholy's Emotions
Deep and thoughtful I hope so!
Analytical
Serious and purposeful oh, yes.
Genius prone
Talented and creative
Artistic or musical
Philosophical and poetic Maybe more than the "average" person. I need to work on this.
appreciative of beauty who isn't?
Sensitive to others yes.
Self-sacrificing to a point.
Conscientious
Idealistic not too much.
The Melancholy At Work
Schedule oriented
Perfectionist, high standards
Detail conscious YES!
Persistent and thorough oh, yes.
Orderly and organized
Neat and tidy
Economical
Sees the problems all the time.
Finds creative solutions absolutely.
Needs to finish what he starts
Likes charts, graphs, figures, lists oh, that's why. I never realized this was related to personality.
The Melancholy As a Friend
Makes friends cautiously
Content to stay in background
Avoids causing attention
Faithful and devoted i like to think so.
Will listen to complaints
Can solve other's problems oh, yes.
Deep concern for other people
Moved to tears with compassion seriously, almost every day.
Seeks ideal mate Description of Personality/Temperament Traits

Weakness of a MelancholyThe Introvert The Thinker The Pessimist
The Melancholy's Emotions
Remembers the negatives
Moody and depressed
Enjoys being hurt huh? no way.
Has false humility nope. i have no humility. :)
Off in another world
Low self-image
Has selective hearing
Self-centered
Too introspective
Guilt feelings
Persecution complex
Tends to hypochondria
The Melancholy At Work
Not people oriented
depressed over imperfections
Chooses difficult work maybe that's why i want to work in the NICU? it suits me.
Hesitant to start projects
Spends too much time planning 100% true!
Prefers analysis to work yep.
Self-deprecating
Hard to please not really.
Standards often to high they are high but i understand if you can't meet them.
Deep need for approval I need it and appreciate it, ALOT. but i can survive without it.
The Melancholy As a Friend
Lives through others that's why I enjoy Facebook so much!
Insecure socially
Withdrawn and remote
critical of others
Holds back affections
Dislikes those in opposition um, yeah, kinda..cause if i can't convince you of my way, what's wrong with you?
Suspicious of people maybe just skeptical...but isn't that being wise?
Antagonistic and vengeful
Unforgiving
Full of contradictions
Skeptical of compliments oh, no. I believe you!

Choleric Strength:10 Weakness:16

65%

Strengths of a CholericThe Extrovert The Doer The Optimist
The Choleric's Emotions
Born leader
Dynamic and active yes but alway room for improvement.
Compulsive need for change not too intense but it's there.
Must correct wrongs yes
Strong-willed and decisive yes!
Unemotional I can be.
Not easily discouraged Discouragement? What is that?
Independent and self sufficient Is there any other way to be?
Exudes confidence see above :)
Can run anything yes, please!
The Choleric As A Parent...or wife, in my case
Exerts sound leadership
Establishes Goals 100%!
Motivates family to action yes, and he is glad about that.
Knows the right answer :) um, usually.
Organizes household 100% word documents, excel documents, calendars, chore lists. that's me.

The Choleric As a Friend
Has little need for friends little need doesn't mean no need.
Will work for group activity
Will lead and organize
Is usually right
Excels in emergencies
The Choleric At Work
Goal oriented
Sees the whole picture 100%! that came up in my personal evals!
Organizes well of course.
Seeks practical solutions
Moves quickly to action yep!
Delegates work yep!
Insists on production and I help in making things happen too.
Makes the goal
Stimulates activity
Thrives on opposition

Weaknesses of a CholericThe Extrovert The Doer The Optimist
The Choleric's Emotions
Bossy I may have heard that before...starting from when I was 8 yrs old.
Impatient
Quick-tempered
Can't Relax nope. I can relax. I just need to be doing something while I'm relaxing.
Too impetuous
Enjoys controversy and arguments not really.
Won't give up when loosing
Comes on too strong
Inflexible
Is not complimentary I try to work on this one.
Dislikes tears and emotions depends....can I help fix the problem?
Is unsympathetic
The Choleric As A Parent ...or wife and puppy parent, in my case.
Tends to over dominate
Too busy for family
Gives answers too quickly
Impatient with poor performance
Won't let children relax
May send them into depression
The Choleric At Work
Little tolerance for mistakes yes! i have to bite my tongue!
Doesn't analyze details
Bored by trivia YES!! Just the FACTS, please.
May make rash decisions
May be rude or tactless some people are so sensitive.
Manipulates people
Demanding of others
End justifies the means
Demands loyalty in the ranks
The Choleric As a Friend
Tends to use people
Dominates others
Knows everything
Decides for others
Can do everything better
Is too independent
Possessive of friends and mate
Can't say, "I'm Sorry"
May be right, but unpopular

I think being a nurse and being in school has really brought out certain coping skills? I really wish I was less of the above and more of the below

Phlegmatic Strength:3 Weakness:1 10%

Sanguine Strength:2 Weakness:1 8%

These are barely worth mentioning since it makes up so little part of my personality but I used to be way more Phlegmatic and Sanguine. I guess I've lost some of that nice, easygoing, low-key, balanced element.

But I guess I am what I am. I just REALLY need to work on being NICE. Great goal, huh?

"Let's try to be nice today, Olivia. Ok? Can you do that?"

My personality type tends to rub people the wrong way. I know it. I regret it and it hurts sometimes. But it seems my inner confidence and self-assurance keeps it from hurting too much for too long. And, apparently, I "thrive on opposition". Yikes. That can't be good.

Any Cholerics out there that can relate?

If you'd like to get to know yourself a bit better, go to this website.

Menu Planning: Take Three

A little update on the past week...because it's important to know that things don't always go as planned but they work out. (I'm talking to myself here. But you can listen.)

Crockpot Broccoli Beef was amazing. YOU MUST get this woman's cookbook!

I didn't make the Salmon soup on Tuesday but there was extra spaghetti sauce that I cooked up to freeze. So Brian had spaghetti and salad. He passed on the strawberries with the honey-basalmic dressing. More for me! I had tons of amazing salad with avocado, strawberries and red bell pepper. That helped me resist the temptation to order Indian Fry Bread at work with everyone else. Well, they were nice enough to give me a bite to taste since I couldn't stop exclaiming HOW GOOD their food smelled. But I ate all my salad. Go me.

The coconut beef wasn't so great. Great ingredients but I think maybe because I used lite coconut milk? Curried red potatoes? Let's just say there's lots leftover in the fridge....4 days later. I like the idea of Indian food more than I like the actual flavors. Oh, well.

Here's the plan this week:
Sunday: Salmon stew. Roasted brussel sprouts.
Monday: Polenta veggie bake from allrecipes.com
Tuesday: Chicken and yellow rice casserole from allrecipies.com I will make this on Monday since I work on Tuesday.
Wednesday: Frozen Salmon patties, boxed mac & cheese, frozen veggies. This is a stand-by meal. I'm trying to make myself take it easy some nights. I may end up working so Brian will undoubtedly have something out of a can. :)
Thursday: I don't know how to explain this recipe...I'm making something out of something that I made that didn't really make anything at that time. The ingredients are in my freezer. Rice, hamburger, diced tomatoes, & black beans. I will configure that with flour tortillas, enchilada sauce, cheese...ect. Honestly, I have bags of this stuff in my freezer that I need to use. And I need to learn my lesson to not just cook for the sake of cooking! That seems to only complicate things and fill up my freezer and leave me in a quandry.
Friday: PIZZA Friday!
Saturday: We shall see because there's just some days you cannot anticipate how things are gonna go down.

Of course, I bought some broccoli today since it was on sale. I already had the menu plan done sans broccoli. Why did I do that? I guess I'll fit some in our meals somewhere. Stay tuned to find out how!
(how long is broccoli good for?)

Now that I've done this menu planning thing for just a few weeks, I'm starting to think...how did I ever manage before?

Now I'm going to give all my attention to the football game...in overtime! Go Vikings!

Menu Planning: Take two

Last week went very well.

We ate well and I had good meals to take to work with me on Tuesday and Wednesday. Usually I just grab some cottage cheese, protein bar, and whatever I spy in the pantry and then supplement that with extra trays at work. Needless to say, I ate like a normal person this week and it was good. I'm especially pleased that almost NO food went to waste. (Just a half of potato. And I made extra on purpose.)
I didn't make the scheduled Thursday chicken dish. Mostly because I wasn't sold on what chicken breast recipe to use and I know Brian prefers Mexican dishes. So I made Crockpot Tamale Pie. We ate it all weekend. It was good.

I started to work on week two during the past week. I had everything planned out and got groceries on Sunday. Then I up and did what I always do and now I'm left with a mess to clean up. Yes, the kitchen is a mess. I dare say, there's not a clean spoon or tupperware available. I made several batches of a granola power bar concoction and a huge batch of black beans. I will freeze the beans in 2 cup baggies to use instead of canned beans. I thought since I have them ready, I should make a black bean based meal. Despite my well planned out menu (which nowhere includes black beans) and specifically chosen and purchased produce...I just had to make something off the menu. Now I'm stuck with this black bean and rice and tomato dish. Sounds good but I was planning on using up the not so fresh broccoli on Monday and then the just ripe and ready strawberries and avocado on Tuesday...you see? This dish throws off everything I've worked so hard for. I guess I'm allowed to make a mistake. I've tried to fit it into the menu but it's just not working. So I'm gonna cook up some hamburger (that I took out of the freezer yesterday....I don't know why...cause bell peppers where a great price? Ugg! I'm making more problems than I'm fixing.)....anyway, I'll cook up the hamburger, mix it with the beans and rice and then throw it back into the freezer. I know, you aren't supposed to freeze things multiple times. Sometimes I can't help it. I rest assured that Brian will gladly eat it when I'm not home to cook something. He's good like that.

Okay, now that problem is resolved, I can go on to my gorgeous menu plan for this week.
(I will add pictures as they come available. Haha...that sounds so formal...you know what I mean...I've gotta cook the stuff first! Duh.)

Monday: Crockpot Broccoli beef with brown rice
Tuesday: (I will cook on Monday since I work on Tuesday and I think the flavors will be even better the next day) Salmon soup and strawberry-avocado salad (with dill! yum!)
I'm really excited about this meal. The salad has some special honey type dressing. I can't wait to make it. And I've heard avocado and strawberries go great together but I've never experienced that before! So excited!
Wednesday: Crockpot Coconut beef with crockpot tomato curried red potatoes (with fresh ginger! yum, again!)
Thursday: Crockpot Chicken and brown rice casserole. This will make good leftovers for Friday or Saturday.
Friday: Free-for-all. I have my first day of all day lectures at school so I may just feel like I deserve to go out to dinner. Don't you think I deserve that? ;)
Saturday: leftovers in the freezer. There's meatloaf or broccoli cheese soup. He's not gonna starve and I'll be at the hospital for 12 hrs. Some hospitals have great and cheap salad bars. Is it lame that I'm looking forward to that?

It's almost 8 am and still dark outside.
Oh, it's called cloudy. This week the weather is supposed to be ....what's it called...rainy? The ground is moist right now and there is something dripping from the roof but I wouldn't say it's raining just yet. I told myself at 7 am that I couldn't start studying until it got brighter outside. I guess I can't use that excuse this week or I won't get anything done. I need to start reading my Critical Care and Psych books and lectures like, NOW.

If you were thinking that I'd really rather go cook, you'd be right!
Alas, cooking may make my husband happy but it don't pay the bills.

Menu Planning: Take one

Since life is about to get hectic again (school starting this week), I feel the need to get ahead of the game.

I have seen many people blog that they do menu planning and I just never 'got it'.
How do you know what you will feel like eating next Thursday?

That's pretty much a symptom of how I do things. Or better said, it's a symptom of how I let my emotions rule things in my life.

With the building stress and anxiety of the craziness of school upon me, I am in survival mode and that means I need to get CONTROL of whatever I can right now. Lord knows that I can't control ANYTHING related to nursing school. But I can control what happens at home.

That being said, I am SO feeling this menu planning thing this week!

We sat down on Saturday and tossed around some meal ideas (he just agreed with me. Good job, husband!). Then I picked up the things I needed for the recipes. Then I had to strategize what to make and when because I work on Tuesday and Wednesday so I am not home for dinner. I get home around 8pm those nights. I will prepare those meals on Monday as Brian assures me he can boil the noodles. :)

According to the football on the tv...it's Sunday now. I have the crockpot going with Creamy Beef over noodles. And I'm loving this feeling of planning ahead and have started an Excel spreadsheet of ingredients I have on hand and potential meal ideas. And I'm browsing blogs I follow and my recipe box on allrecipes.com for ideas. Getting a bit OCD about it all but I'm glad I have the time right now to get things in order.

Here's my plan for the week. I am using lots of recipes from my new favorite cookbook...Make if fast, cook it slow. I bought it after enjoying her blog.

Sunday- Creamy beef over noodles with fresh green beans.

Monday-Buffalo chicken tenders (frozen item, thank you very much!), crockpot garlic baked potatoes, crockpot broccoli with toasted garlic and hazelnuts.

How good does this look? Can't go wrong with lots of garlic and melted butter and olive oil. Right?

Tuesday-crockpot basalmic chicken thighs with spring veggies (squash, zucchini, red onion) and quinoa. (edited: didn't care for this straight out of the crockpot but it was really good the second day. I'm keeping that in mind for more recipes in the future.)
Wednesday - spaghetti (I already made the meat sauce and it's in the freezer). I'll add some yellow squash to the sauce since I have some in the house to use.

Thursday-chicken breast (haven't decided how I will cook these), instant mashed potatoes (don't judge. these are great! only ingredients are potatoes and butter..nothing artificial.) and crockpot sweet and sour caramelized onions (with raisins and pine nuts. sounds interesting. I can't wait to try it.)

Friday- Brian's favorite day, we order pizza. I like this day too. No cooking or cleaning. Oh, I like pizza too, don't get me wrong. I just really like the no cooking/cleaning part. Especially since I have school all day long on Fridays.

Saturday-he's on his own. That probably means it's mac & cheese day in our house. I have clinicals all day and am totally worthless. I could use this as a day to go out to dinner but I'm usually even too tired to go out. Unless it's to IHOP. We could go to IHOP.

Another thing I'm excited about is that I'm buying produce with an actual plan to use it. That's a novel idea for me. Usually I just grab veggies and hope I feel like cooking it ....eventually.