Monday, May 24, 2010

Menu Plan Monday

I do more than plan the weeks' menu on Monday, but it has a nice ring to it.  I stole it from Jennifer at PJ Academy blog.  I also fill my son's snack drawers-1 in the fridge with fruit, cheese, boiled eggs, and small cans of V8; and another in the drawer where his cups, plates and bowls go with mixed nuts, dried fruit, and bunny crackers.  We also have a basket on the counter with fruit in it (he and I prefer it room temp).  He can choose snacks from any of these throughout the day, giving him independence and a bit of responsibility.
I also make more yogurt, buttermilk, cheese and any other dairy product I can come up with to reduce the qty of milk in the fridge.  Even after two weeks of having other avenues for milk consumption I have three and a half gallons of milk.  Two and a half qts of yogurt, a pint of buttermilk, and another half pint incubating along with another batch of chevre and ice cream round out the variety of our dairy products.  I write milk on our menu plan at each dinner, but that doesn't always translate into drinking it every night.  I also have smoothies down each morning, but the same thing applies.

I know that if I were drinking more of the milk I'd be better nourished and thus less fatigued.  It's hard to overcome 30 years of non milk drinking though.  I am getting better though.

Polly-we tried the chevre warmed and it was more creamy.  I took it to a BBQ and the hosts loved  it, so I'm making a batch for them.  I tell everyone that tries any of our dairy made concoctions that they won't hurt my feelings if they don't like it.  I think most have been honest, as I get a variety of responses.

Today for MPM I even cleaned out the fridge and made an inventory of contents.  Then I planned meals around what I could make from those ingredients.  We bought a large bag of organic carrots a while back and I need to get them used up.  I used two for carrot raisin muffins this morning and will put a bunch in the crock pot tomorrow for pot roast.

6 comments:

  1. OK ,I have to whine...I waaaant an over load of miiilk!!!!!!And to make cheese and all the good stuff! Soon I hope!

    ReplyDelete
  2. So glad your milking effors are paying off and you have the goodies to show for it!!!!
    I had to stop milking China, I may have said so, because she is trying to wean tardy and her production for me was down to about a cup a day-not really worth getting the equipment out and dirty.
    Now I am waiting on Pebbles to kid so we can have milk again.
    I also plan my menu for the whole week, but on Fridays. My big stock up day is Saturday, because farmers' market is usually then.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I thought when you weaned a kid you'd be getting more milk because they weren't getting it? We have one to wean so I can get to mama and try nubian milk. I bought a collar for her yesterday and will take her out of the pen for a little while during the day to see if mama freaks out, with the ultimate goal being a separate pen for her overnight. Boht cry a lot when they get separated, so this might be a challenge!
    Melody-how close are you to having your own milk?

    ReplyDelete
  4. I love the idea of a drawer in the fridge just for snacks! That would make the afternoons so much more peaceful without hearing, "MOM! I'm hungry...again!"
    Also jealous about the milk. I want a milk cow someday, maybe when my son is big enough to milk. But with hubby starting school again, it's just too hard to find an apartment with a barn. :) Maybe in a few years...

    ReplyDelete
  5. Teekaroo-the snack drawer has worked wonderfully and now I'm also going to fill a large water bottle each morning for him to get a drink. I hear that more than anything-mom I'm thirsty.

    I re-read your comment before replying and found this funny: I want a milk cow someday, maybe when my son is big enough to milk. I know you mean when he's old enough to HELP, but it looks like you'll wait til he's older and then milk HIM! HAHAHA!

    ReplyDelete