Tuesday, November 25, 2008

M.E.N.U.

I've been trying to think of a clever anagram; "Make Eating Nominally Unstressful" ?

"More Excitement, No Umbrage"?

"Mental Exertion Necessarily Used"?

"Meeting Everyone's Nutritional Urgencies"?

Bah. Let's face it.

I'm just avoiding the unavoidable at this point.

Back in the old days, when we were young, newbie Pastor people in Winnipeg- 20 years ago (oh MAN. Now I REALLY feel old...) there was often more month than money.

I learned to make a menu.

My menu was less about creativity then about getting the food safely in my pantry and freezer before we frittered away the pay cheque on toilet paper and gasoline.

In Prince Albert, especially since children started driving and we had 2 vehicles, I quickly slipped into Non-Menu mode.

It was so easy to just zip out to the closest grocery store and grab the things I'd need for tonight and tomorrow. Or to text whichever juvenile had the car with instructions to pick up something on their way home.

Not so anymore.

Now, the nearest grocer is at least 20 minutes away. Too far to justify "popping out" for a litre of milk or a box of crackers.

SO.

Ever since I finished unpacking the majority of the main floor, I have determined to knuckle down and make a MENU. To get on with it. To PLAN.

I've gotten out of practice, though. So it's taken until this morning. Today. Right now. (as soon as I quit lolly-gagging about...)

I'm getting out the cookbooks and I'll begin the Menu making process.

I think "Arsenic and Old Lace" is on TCM at 11:15, so that's my motivation.

To be ready to work on the menu while I watch the movie.

And I can start thinking about the Christmas baking while I'm at it.

3 comments:

  1. I usually look in my pantry and see what I "do" have to see what I can make for supper! Hence the 600 dollar trips to Costco and Superstore when we actually do make it in for groceries! Yikes!

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  2. My Excrement's Nutritionally Useless?

    Sorry - had to be done.

    I don't do menu, so much as approximate what we need and then make do. So if we DO plan ahead for something then I'll buy stuff in, but otherwise it's down to what cuts of meat look good and cheap, potatoes, passata, carrots, peppers, a couple of sauce jars: y'know the kind of stuff. As long as we don't eat the same meal more than once a week then that's fine. Most stuff just requires about 30 min and a frying pan (1 hour if doing baked potatoes). Yoghurt makes a great and simple low-fat pudding.

    Improvisation is a way of life to me.

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  3. That would've been a nice way to spend a morning. If I wasn't a province away and didn't have two kids that would've pestered us, I would've been there.

    Miss you.

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