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I worked this past week at the same temp job as last week. It is going good but I’m starting to feel the stress of working a full time job, a part time job (still doing bookkeeping from home), tending chickens, cooking and trying to keep the house in some sort of order. The house part is not going very well but we have been eating pretty good.

Lots more quick meals and crock pot meals this week.

Monday

Slow Cooker Orange Beef recipe from A Year of Slow Cooking. Only I subbed a couple of carrots for the red pepper and left out the bok choy and squeezed two oranges to make the orange juice. Also had a Lulu put a double batch of white rice in the rice cooker. The Orange Beef was quite tasty. I cut and marinated the beef on Sunday night and cut the veggies up too storing all in the fridge in one container (veggies in one container, marinating meat in a separate container). When I got home from work, I used my bucket of no knead sourdough and made some Rustic Biscuits and a loaf of bread while the rice was cooking. We had the biscuits with dinner and also with Tuesday’s breakfast.

Tuesday

Spaghetti Squash with Meat Sauce. I used a jarred sauce and added 1/2 pound grassfed beef to it along with some sliced tomatoes and about a 1/2 cup of red wine. The loaf of bread I made Monday night, I split and but garlic butter on and topped with a little cheddar, mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses and broiled to melt.

Wednesday

Sourdough Tortillas (made last week and stashed in the freezer) topped with bean puree (also made last week and stashed in the freezer), something resembling Spanish Rice (rice leftover from Monday night), shredded cheese, tomatoes, green onions, shredded cabbage, sour cream and salsa. I ‘sold’ it to the family as a burrito but it was really more of a tostada since most filled them too full to close them up.

Thursday

A yummy soup based on this recipe for Cheeseburger Soup but with six potatoes (I’d made the original soup before and Joe thought is too thin, with the extra potatoes it was a hit) plus a beautiful but slightly undercooked loaf of artisan bread made out of my bucket of refrigerator dough. The soup went together pretty easily. I had cooked a pound of ground beef on Tuesday night and put half of it aside for the soup. I made antelope broth in my crock pot this week which was the broth I used. I like that the artisan bread does not need to take time to rise. I just heat up the oven and pop it in. I do have to wait for it to bake which I tend to rush (my family is getting pretty used to doughy bread) but it couldn’t be easier to have fresh homemade sourdough bread.

Friday

Steaks from our CSA order (one package from this month’s order and one from last month), baked potatoes topped with butter and Parmesan cheese, sliced pears. Steaks were a great way to end a long week.

I’m not sure what we are eating tonight (Saturday). We have a busy day ahead that includes chicken processing. I have a bit over a half gallon of broth (antelope) that I can use for something. Maybe another soup with some more no knead bread. Or maybe Salmon Patties which we haven’t had for a while but love.

I’m pleased with how well our meals have been working out even with me not home cooking all day. I’m spending very little time in the kitchen and we are still eating Real Food. Plus keeping our budget under control. I’m really liking my crock pots for having a hot meal ready with little work.

I’m struggling a little with eating breakfast myself. Getting up and ready, tending chickens (with Joe’s help), tidying up the house a bit, putting food in crock pot if needed and doing whatever else before I leave for work I seem to not eat. Plus it is sooooo early (I leave at 7:30). I’m usually quite hungry about 10. I’ve bought granola bars out of the ‘honor box’ a few times which I’m okay with (I usually try to eat soaked grains) but at 80 cents a bar that will add up. I did try to pack snack most days this week and broke down and bought a box of granola bars and breakfast bars from the store. The ingredients are not the best but they are an okay compromise and will keep me from buying the chocolate bars the honor box also has. I plan to make some muffins this week for next weeks snacks and hope to think of something else to make too. Lunches have been leftovers this week which has worked out very well.

Tomorrow I’ll need to do some planning and cooking for the week. I’m not sure what all yet (other than muffins) but I’m hopeful I can do a few things to make the week go easier since I’m working at the same place next week too (and maybe the following week, not sure yet on that). I guess I also ought to spend some time getting the house in order this weekend too.