weekly meal plan

Sundays at Walmart are a confusing mix of terrifying and hilarious, an oversensory conflict challenging even the most seasoned shopper. Lots of impoverished and irritated middle americans of all ages in a neck-snapping post-service rush, some still in their church clothes, all unable to yield even the slightest to oncoming strangers, in the right or otherwise. Today gives casual cart-pushers an opportunity to bear witness to some aggressive consumer dynamics. While scratching items off my itemized list, I observe forty-somethings in heavy perfume mean mugging overweight elderlies in mobility scooters blocking an entire aisle to eye the sausages for an eternity, and pairs of hoodied high-school girls weaving through the shoppers without a cart, giggling uncontrollably. Some chick without makeup on slammed into a scootered shopper while attempting to pass her at the same time as I. It wasn't funny, but I had the right of way, and you've gotta gear down when it's crunch time and let these bitches know you mean business!

I navigate well, I can make it from the back to the front in one pass based on my list, even found an empty lane to check out in. Julia knows how to help unload, too, and puts the egg/bread first, then the produce, then the frozen, refrigerated, box/cans, and lastly the non-food items. Good people put the divider before and after their cart contents, remember that before I judge your inconsiderate ass as I wait behind you next week. Forgot the cabbage, except I didn't, I forgot to go to another store for it, because I'm not buying a fist-sized head wrapped in inedible outer leaf. Gotta get it later this week.

I'm starting to get distracted, I just ate like three pizza rolls I made when I got home (wrap pepperoni, pizza sauce and mozzarella in crescent roll dough and bake for like ten minutes), and I want to get back to my schedule planning for next semester. Gonna be busy!

MEAL PLAN:
SU -- burgers
M -- broccoli quiche
T -- meatball pasta
W -- kielbasa and cabbage and latkes
TH -- chicken alfredo with broccoli and mushrooms
F -- stir friday
S -- pierogis

I saw these insane burgers on Facebook first thing this morning, and I haven't made them in a while. I don't eat the bun or pasta on the days listed, I keep the noodle separate from the rest of it so I don't need to pick it out. i'm so used to taking the bun off and abstaining from noodle that i figure why add it again, right? quiche is easy and tasty and quick, plus making my pie crust is the way to go, saves money and yields a higher quality product. latkes are cheap to make, just potato and onion, and i needed the cabbage for my pierogis on saturday, so i figured, cook with it twice, easy dinner. pierogis need sour cream, to dip and for the dough, AND to dip the latkes in.

Alfredo is easy, again, and mushroom-broccoli alfredo has a comforting smell to me, especially after i put like six cloves of garlic in it. i make cajun chicken for it, it's spicy and colorful, and turns the sauce an orangish color. stir fry is usually egg rolls and crab rangoons, but this week i was on a crazy tight budget and decided to make chicken stir fry with broccoli, baby corn, water chestnuts and bamboo shoots. i'm experimenting with stir-fry sauce, should be pretty tasty with garlic and lime and soy sauce and garam masala. i make pierogis two ways, cabbage/bacon/onion and mashed potato/cheese/bacon. so good, and fish loves to help with that.

this was my list for this week's meal plan:
potatoes
buns
mozzarella
kielbasa
cabbage
bacon
egg
oatmeal
baby corn (which i already had, ugh)
chicken
onion
garlic
pepperoni
crescent rolls
lettuce
sour cream
alfredo sauce
peanuts
apples
pocky
fuzzy water (all four for julia)
Dr. Pepper (gabe)
toilet paper

which all came to under $75, believe it or not. my dad gave me his burger meat, which saved me quite a bit. julia likes taking leftovers with her for lunch at school, and i make bacon and eggs or oatmeal for her in the morning. I'm trying to wake up around 6 instead of 7 so I can walk the dog and run at the rec center right after dropping off fish at her bus, instead of drinking coffee and surfing the internet for an hour after she leaves for school. i'm trying to get into next semester's habit now, so it isn't hard for me next month.

okay, attention level nosediving. i'll upload food photos as they appear.