Well, we survived the election. If you’re not in the US, I’m sure you heard that it has been a little tense over here. Some people cope by eating all the things. I, on the other hand, tend to cope with stress by not eating. We’re a little off the dinner plan, but I did make the chili, and half of it went right into the freezer, so we’re set for some busy night next month.
I am always happy when that works out. In fact, several dinners this month will work out that way, so we may have a few nights where things are extra simple, or maybe I’ll be generous and make dessert. (That’s pretty rare around here.)
Now, I am not trying to be an alarmist, but please keep an eye on your area’s case counts. If the numbers are rising and community spread is high in your area, please do what you can to reduce your exposure and contribution. This includes reducing your trips to the store.
How do you do this? Well, menu planning is a good start. <– That link is a basic primer for normal circumstances. This post –> is about menu planning and shopping during COVID-19, and what if you’ve done a great job of stocking your freezer and the power goes out. Crap. Don’t worry. All is not lost. Here’s what to do the first 48 hours, and if the power stays out, here’s how to use up everything else.
Use curbside pickup and drive throughs whenever you can—and please use your mask, the drive through employees don’t want extra exposure, either.
Why do I keep harping on this stuff? Well, there are 5000 of you that get these emails, and while some of you read each email, it’s much more normal for people to open about one in five. (I live and breathe email stats at work) So I am sorry if I sound like a broken record; I want all of you to be safe this late fall and winter. I truly hope that it is overstated, but a friend of mine’s mother passed away last night, right now it’s not feeling one bit overstated.
So, about that menu plan. What are you having this week? Would you like a printable? Here you go.
We are having:
- Monday – Ground Beef and Cabbage Skillet
- Tuesday – Brinner! (Or fine, you can call it pancakes for dinner), bacon, fruit
- Wednesday – Pork Chops, Green Beans, Rice
- Thursday – Clean Out Refrigerator Night
- Friday – Fish Cakes – I think I’m going to go with more of a Thai style, but I’m certain here, I’ve got some tilapia in the freezer to use up.
- Saturday – Red Curry (chicken), Rice
- Sunday – Spaghetti, Salad, Garlic Bread (I’ll double the sauce and freeze half for lasagna later in the month)
And just like that, we’ll make it through another week.
Onward!
Linda says
I appreciate the reminders about our health.
I think we aren’t being as careful as we were.
Cases are up in my area .
We need to pray and watch out for each other.
Heather Solos says
A lot of people are getting lax; it’s normal. We tend to think to ourselves, I wasn’t careful last week, and I was fine. I think the term for it is normalcy bias.
We don’t know if our case will be the mild one or the bad one with lasting consequences.
My oldest teenager and I talk about it regularly. He says, while the chances might not be huge of having lasting consequences, the best bet is never to take the gamble in the first place.
Heather Solos says
He’s pretty smart, I should keep him.