I had a great day today! First of all, four of the kiddies slept over a friend's house, so I made eggs and toast for Les before he went on no-heat service calls (and was subsequently gone all day long...), and hard-boiled eggs for the other two kiddies and myself, accompanied by oranges, for breakfast. For lunch we had some tomato soup, solely due to the cold. For supper I was going to put together chicken and dumplings, but I had baked two loaves of bread so we were low on flour. Instead, I used what I had to concoct a chicken, leek and veggie soup. This went great with the hot and crusty bread -- which I served with homemade honey butter spread (using up some of the butter I had stocked up on for Christmas baking). To top off this meal, I made chocolate chip pan cookies. Les loves these, and since he'd worked so hard both yesterday and today, I thought it was a nice way to show my love and appreciation.
I did go to the grocery store, but I only went to purchase dish soap and laundry soap because we were in dire need of both -- funny, I must've forgotten to stock up during December because I usually have back-ups in abundance! So I did pay a little more than I would normally, but Les was in need of work clothes since he worked through the weekend, and that just couldn't wait til our usual trip to Walmart for things like paper towels, toiletries and such. I did add three other cleaning items to my trip that we probably could have waited on, but I wanted to get a good start on cleaning this week. I spent just under $20 and was pretty frustrated that I hadn't had a chance to look for a sale or coupons. However, I know that I am low on those specific items so I can keep an eye out for sales in the next few weeks. The nice thing is that we can hold off on our Walmart trip -- maybe even til next month if all goes well and the kiddies don't waste what toiletries we have by purposeful spills or the like. So yay!!!
I am really praying about being more purposeful in my planning, and in my spending, and in taking time in general to show my family how much I love them. I know that the Lord has been calling me to prepare a little more too. So this pantry challenge is helping me to think a little creatively about how I can fulfill several goals. One thing I especially want to do in this is to rely more on His grace and wisdom - and less on my own self. Sometimes I worry so much about doing everything "just so", and in this I think I can learn to improvise a little and to trust that He can meet the needs of our family in various ways. Meanwhile, I am praying to be a blessing to others. Today I had the opportunity to drive a car-less neighbor to the hospital for a sleep study. While sometimes this does not seem like much to me, or even maybe to others, it gives me a chance to do "something" just where I am. As a busy homeschooling mother, sometimes I feel like I don't do enough. But I am praying that He will lead me to do that "something", even if it seems small and insignificant to me.
Anyway, we'll see how things go tomorrow. I am really looking forward to emptying the freezer so nothing is wasted, and getting it cleaned and defrosted in time for next month, where I will attempt a Once a Month (or maybe slightly modified) cooking plan! So stay tuned....
No comments:
Post a Comment