M. Suzanne Terry

This took me two hours.  Just these two lists.  I’m exhausted and hungry and want all these things right now.  Some of these things are repeats from a previous list, but they’re so good, I know you’ll want to read about them twice anyway.

Step 1 – The meal list

1. Pizza Puffs – pizza in a muffin – easy to make in bulk and freeze.  I will be adjusting this recipe, probably to include more vegetables and maybe no meat.  

2.  Kale/chicken egg rolls – because I NEED them.  Ditto on the making in bulk and freezing.  Baked, not fried.

3.  Lasagna – the basics with variations.  This has the benefit of combining something that can be made for company or for leftovers, and it can be made with things that I usually keep on hand.

4.  Veggie enchiladas – the basics with variations – for the same reasons listed in #3.

5.  Lazy Sunday Casserole – it’s easy, and sometimes, I just need my house to smell like this.  I am not above putting apples in it.

6.  Chicken and dumplings – basic and awesome.  It freezes beautifully, and it tastes even better the second time around.  I could eat this every day for the rest of my life.  I won’t, because I’d like to be able to fit through the door.  But yeah.  Love me some dumplings.

7.  Caponata – this is probably my favorite thing to make in the slow cooker.  It’s so versatile.  It can be put over rice, eaten as a stew, top a baked potato, served on toast – the possibilities abound.

8.  Chickpea curry – I adapt this one to whatever veggies I have around.  Careful with that pepper.  Your more faint-of-heart guests will not like it.  If I’m coming over, add another.  I like the spice.

9.  Black bean chili – another thing that I can eat alone or serve over ten thousand things.

10. Green bean casserole – I make my own mushroom soup, and I make it vegan-ish, but otherwise, it’s pretty traditional.

11. Roast with carrots and potatoes – another thing I love to come home to after it’s been simmering in the slow cooker.

The last four are meals with a base and a variety of fixins.

12.  Pasta, etc. – particularly drunken noodles.  Otherwise, this is something I typically keep in the house.  It’s a quick meal that I like better and can fix faster than I can drive through Sonic.  My favorite pasta creation is usually something with black olives and either goat cheese or my mom’s pesto.

13.  Simple tacos, etc. – I will add just about anything to it, but I’m also happy with beans, cheese, and tortillas.

14.  Burgers, etc. – as with tacos, I like to experiment, but I’m happy with just meat, bread, mustard, and cheese.  Maybe pickles and a tomato.

15.  Baked potatoes, etc. – I can make a whole mess of potatoes in the slow cooker and just reheat them as needed.

I also want to make sure that I have everything that I need for morning oatmeal, beer bread, muffins, waffles, and those delicious mini-egg cups that I can freeze and reheat for a quick breakfast.

Also wine.  Because.

Step 2 – The grocery list

I have three different lists – one for the things that go in the pantry or on fruit/veggie storage bins, one for the things that go in the fridge, and one for the things that go in the freezer.

I think I’m going to go ahead and get the generally non-perishable items  and the frozen things all this weekend.  And I’ll get the refrigerated items that I’m going to cook up or prepare for freezing this weekend as well.  For instance, I can wait on the roast and the sausages, as I’m making those meals later in the month.  But I think most of this list I will either use this weekend, or it will keep until I do use it.  

This looks like a huge list.  I must remember that this is a list of the things I need for this month, not for things I necessarily have to buy.  I bet that I have at least half this list at home already.  I will check things off as I clean tomorrow.  No need to hyperventilate, self.

Pantry/fruit and veggie bins:

Baking aisle:  baking powder, baking soda, flours (self-rising, whole wheat, and AP), almond milk, coconut milk, brown sugar, muffin tin liners, spices (just going to refill what I’m missing from the bulk bins)

Canned (i.e., jarred): tomato paste, salsa, broth (2 chicken, 1 beef, 3 veggie), french fried onions, olives, roasted red peppers, tomatoes, applesauce

Oils/condiments:  oils (grapeseed, olive, coconut), vinegars (red wine, balsamic), honey, molasses, soy sauce, chili paste, maple syrup

Dry goods/bulk: quinoa, rice (long-grain), dried fruit, beans (black, pinto, garbanzo, northern), oatmeal

Fresh fruits/veggies: onions, butternut squash, lemon, lime, ginger root, scallions, potatoes, tomatoes, serrano chile, mushrooms, sweet potatoes, apples, eggplant, zucchini, fresh herbs/spices (garlic, cilantro, parsley, basil),

Random: bread, potato chips (I put eggs on them…don’t judge me…it’s delicious), wine, beer

Fridge:

eggs, cheese (Parmesan, mozzarella, ricotta, goat), meat (ground sausage, sausage links, ground beef, roast, chicken), veggies (kale, bell peppers, celery, carrots), egg roll wrappers, corn tortillas, flour tortillas, butter

Freezer:

Mixed veggies, spinach, green beans, hash browns

That doesn’t look as bad as it does on my handwritten list.  That’s do-able.  And like I said, a lot of it is in my house already.  

Themes, Observations, and Lessons:

– I imagine that meal-planning is faster when you regularly keep staples in the house.  There might be musings about that next week.

– Meal-planning helps me minimize food waste.  I like that.  

– Thinking about all this food I need to make room to store reminds me that tomorrow is fridge-cleaning day.  I’m dreading it.  

I’m going 31 days without fast food.

Most Novembers, I participate in National Novel Writing Month.  This means that, most Octobers, I participate in NaNoPrep – adjusting my habits to make room for NaNoWriMo.

Today, we do Phase One – making the to-do list.

Most of my to-do list centers around meal planning, because that’s what tends to go out the window when the OMG-I-am-soooo-far-behind panic hits.  I don’t really outline when I write.  I’m a big ol’ Pantser.  There’s not a lot of need, therefore, for me to plan ahead with an outline.  I will usually write out my character’s names and a brief description, and I’ll update my account on the main site (I’m coffeesnob, if you want to be writing buddies). But most of my prep work is food-related. Since the general theme of this 31-day challenge so far seems to be “I need to plan better,” NaNoPrep fits right into this quest.

Confession:  the reason that I don’t meal-plan?  It’s more work in reality than I ever think it’s going to be.  The meal planning system that works for me is a four-step process.

The weekend before November (so…this upcoming weekend) is when I ready my kitchen for the neglect it might be feeling during the following month.  A little special time with the kitchen.  It makes the kitchen feel loved.

As I am familiar with me, I know that this much-needed preparation won’t occur unless I make a detailed plan.  I can’t just say, “I’m going to cook all the things!” and expect that to be what actually takes place.  That’s how frustration and a spontaneous Gilmore Girls marathon, complete with junk food and the mild guilt of avoidance/gluttony, happen.  That’s also how a November full of fast food happens, which is exactly what I want to avoid.

The to-do list:

Step 1:  Choose fifteen meals that can be made in bulk and be frozen (or prepped for the slow cooker) for a quick reheat.  Fifteen meals give me fifteen days of suppers and about 45 meals of leftovers (plus it always leaves me with extra, so that I can have people over and avoid hermit status), so that no food goes to waste.  I’ve starting this part already.  Some of the meals from Day Seventeen will make an appearance on this list. I will also include chili and various soups, as well as fast breakfast options (which are a good idea any time of the year).

Step 2: Make a grocery list that is based on the Final Fifteen.  The list also includes quick foods – sandwich fixin’s, cereal, etc. – because not every meal has to be a production.  The overall list will then be divided into weeks, because my freezer is small, so it’s unreasonable to think that everything for the month will fit there.  Every week’s list will, of course, include repeats of the perishable items that won’t last the whole month.

Step 3:  Make a schedule for the weekend.  My general plan:

Friday afternoon/evening – cleaning out the fridge and cleaning the kitchen

Saturday morning – going to the store(s)

Saturday afternoon/evening – bulk cooking a few meals

Sunday morning – making breakfasts

Sunday afternoon – brief outing to the Fort Worth Library book sale

Sunday evening – cleaning up catastrophic mess from a weekend of cooking

A more detailed schedule coming soon.

Then Step 5, of course, is the weekend.

Themes, Observations, and Lessons:

– Hey, this meal planning thing really works out every November.  Maybe I should do something like this every month.

– I’m super excited about this weekend.  I might call in help.  Friends make it festive.

I’m going 31 days without eating fast food.

So Monday’s terrible choices (and perhaps the fact that I work in a giant petri dish/residence hall) took its toll.  I felt awful Tuesday.  I came to work anyway, because no one could cover for me, and leaving the desk un-staffed is not an option.  I ate a bowl of rice for breakfast.  I added a little bit of coconut milk to it for flavor.

It was okay.  Not my favorite.  But okay.

I worked until noon, then took the afternoon off.  After a substantial nap, I made tacos.

They were simple tacos. I took the last jar of pinto beans that I had left from my canning frenzy, so they were already seasoned (onions, garlic, salt, a little cumin – “little” being the operative word because cumin likes to increase in intensity as it sits).  I warmed them up, added a sprinkle of cheese, and put them in tortillas.

So simple.  So good.

Themes, Observations, and Lessons:

– Twenty-two part-time employees cannot do my job, even for a day.  Clearly, I am very important and irreplaceable.

– It was nice to be able to open a jar and make a meal.  It took me less than ten minutes, and I have lots of leftovers.  I feel an urge to visit the pressure cooker again.  Maybe that will have to wait until Christmas break, because it is a Process.

I’m going 31 days without eating fast food.

So I didn’t plan anything to eat for breakfast, and Mondays are one of the no-lunch-break days, so I usually bring lunch to work.  But I didn’t.

Under normal circumstances, I would have used this lack of planning as an excuse to have someone watch the desk for fifteen minutes so that I could drive through and get a burger or a taco salad.  But not this month.  Driving through is off the table this month.

This meant that I didn’t consume anything but coffee and water until about 4:30 p.m.

This was a terrible idea.

It’s one thing to plan to fast and take the necessary, prayerful dietary precautions.

It is quite another to fast because, once again, I failed to plan.

Just one themes, observation, and lesson:

– Broken record theme – meal planning, meal planning, meal planning.

I’m going 31 days without fast food.

I have read a lot of books and blogs that talk about a group of friends that gather on a regular basis to eat and share and laugh and drink and pray and discuss things both wise and frivolous.  Every time I read about it, I want it.  I want to get together with people.  I want to have them over, not just occasionally, but as a regular part of my schedule – maybe even a regular part of each week.

Phase One is the wanting – the vague idea of what I want this to look like.

I would like for it to be on Sunday evenings.  That would be the best time for me.

I would like to discuss books and current events, but I don’t necessarily want it to be a book club or to devolve into a debate.

I would like for it to be potluck.

I would like for it to be at my house, but I’m open to switching venues, if that’s what the group ends up wanting.

I don’t want to be the leader.  I don’t want anyone to be the leader.  I just love having nights that involve dinner and friends, and once every other month isn’t often enough to please me.

Themes, Observations, and Lessons:

– I know myself well enough to know that if I don’t make something a part of a regular schedule, it doesn’t happen.

– I also know myself well enough to know that if it’s something social, and I’m the only one planning it, it doesn’t happen.  So Phase Two will be enlisting interested others.

I’m going 31 days without fast food.

Michelle, Steve, and Savvy came to visit me on Saturday.

To get Savvy to look at me, we were all saying, “Where’s Suzanne?”  Then she pointed.  I felt a little like a pop star.  I like it.

As they are moving toward a more Whole 30 diet, the main course was asparagus soup.

Y’all.  I love soup.

This soup was pretty good, if I do say so myself.  It was simple – just vegetables, oil, and broth – but it was tasty.  I attribute most of that to the decision to take my time with the onions – they were well on their way to being caramelized by the time everything else got added in.

Michelle had to share with her peeps:

And I had to take a picture of her taking a picture.  Meta-share.

It was a fun visit.  We talked and danced with Savvy and watched Gilmore Girls and went to the Cupboard.  Fun day!

Themes, Observations, and Lessons:

– Simple food makes me happy.

– An afternoon/evening with friends makes me happy, too.

– Toddler laughs are the best.

I’m going 31 days without fast food.

This post is not going to be pretty.

I feel the need to stall – to tell you a funny story – to put you in a good mood before I reveal what my fridge looks like.

But here it is, my most common saboteur when it comes to avoiding fast food:

It is so deceptive.  It is stuffed to the brim with things that look like consumables.  It looks like it is full of food, just waiting for me to come and get it.  A lot of it looks edible.

And (most of) it still is.  It’s just not in consumable form yet.  Or it doesn’t match anything else (almond milk and sauerkraut, anyone?  I didn’t think so.).

So I open the fridge, sigh, and then close the fridge.  Then I remember that I’m going without fast food this month, so I open it again, sigh, and close it.  Open, sigh, close.  This can go on for the better part of an hour.

This ritual is what makes popcorn-for-supper look like a good plan.

Themes, Observations, and Lessons:

– Meal planning.  Seriously, how hard can it be?

– Some days, I love to cook.  Most days, however, if it’s not fast, it’s not happening.

– So it looks like cleaning out the fridge is on an upcoming agenda.  Oh, the treasures that await me.

I’m going 31 days without fast food…because I’m crazy.

I like to play with my food.  I like to take something that I have eaten one way all my life and throw in different spices (broccoli masala, anyone?) or make it into a fritter (kalamata olive and spinach fritter – just one of the best things ever) or roast it when it’s “supposed” to be baked (insert anything here, because I am a big, big fan of roasting).

But sometimes, I just need plain fried okra.  Because I’m Southern, and that’s what we do.  I don’t bread it, because breading vegetables is generally more trouble to me than having a crunchy shell is worth.  I just want the okra.

Also, I love that pan, but that’s another story.

I suppose I did something non-traditional with it.  I put it over rice – something simple to let the good, honest flavor of the okra shine.

Themes, Observations, and Lessons:

– Few (inanimate) things make me happier than fried okra.  I am fighting the urge to throw a stereotypical Southern metaphor in here.  Suffice it to say that, if I were a porcine animal, tossing myself to and fro in a pit of filth, I wouldn’t be any happier than when I’m eating fried okra.

– This is another example of a meal that doesn’t take a lot of time but yields results so delicious that it trumps anything I could ever get from fast food.  Yes, even Whataburger onion rings.  Big talk.

– I like planning elaborate meals, but I rarely have time to do so.  This does not stop me from making Cooking For Myself And Others a bigger deal in my head than it actually is in reality.  I will continue to practice cooking simple, tasty meals like this one on my own, but I also want to make a couple of simple meals to share with friends.

I’m going 31 days without fast food.

I don’t care what Olivia Pope (Scandal.  Watch it.) says.  Popcorn and wine do not a real meal make.

Especially when I can have a nice supper, lovingly prepared, and enjoy a nice glass of Chianti with it.  I can make a big meal and have two or three servings left over for future meals.  This is a nice, standard practice.

But occasionally, I want to have a not-real meal.

The not-real meal is one of the things that doesn’t suck about being single.  I mean, maybe married people do this, too.  But it’s hard to talk myself into just snacking for dinner, so it’s something that I can’t see myself putting a lot of effort into justifying well enough to take another person down with me.

But sometimes, I just want popcorn.  I want to air pop some kernels, drizzle them with just enough coconut oil to make the salt stick, pour a glass of wine, and not think about anything but catching up on TV.

That’s what I did last night.  It was awesome.

Themes, Observations, and Lessons:

– David and Barbara know what’s up.

– Grace.  Scandalous, eat-popcorn-for-supper grace.  A healthy lifestyle allows for a little touch of this.

I’m going 31 days without eating fast food.