WIS, WWA | I passed!

Was there ever any doubt that you would do well? Congrats. Am so grateful you still have time to blog.

Kristen, congrats on passing the competencies! But we are not surprised. Waiting w bated breath on the good news! I like to guess so I will see if I'm correct! My meal planning is nil. I try to have "quick and easy" things to fix for right before and to pack for "lunch" at work. Ham or turkey or turkey almond salad for sandwiches or with crackers. Mornings, even the ones I've worked the night before, lately are chai latte and cinnamon bread toast (made from cinnamon bread from Misfits Market) or wide pan Killer Dave's seedy bread. Otherwise, when I plan to cook, it is something special r/t what meat I have thawed or bought. Yesterday, I was so hungry at lunch time, I air fried an Aldi crab cake and roasted a cut up potato at the same time with some onions. Then at supper I had a bowl of microwaved old fashioned oats. We've had some intestinal issues/illness at work and my tummy has been "on the edge" for a week although surprisingly the crab cake tasted pretty good and did not offend. Since at least three days out of the I week, I sleep during the day, breakfast for supper is not unusual. And that is biscuits and sausage gravy or bacon, fried potatoes with whatever veggies are on hand. Favorite are peppers, onions, mushrooms. Or sometimes broccoli or spinach or cabbage. Egg roll in a bowl is another favorite. Since I currently have very good beef, sometimes a plain burger, no bun but cheese and hand cut air fried fries are good. (The Scot in my cannot do w/o potatoes)(even sweet potatoes.) I fry the burger in a hot steel skillet with salt and pepper. Ground beef stroganoff over mashed potatoes is a favorite since I always have mushrooms and onions. I have some brats that need used, and have found that they are delish fixed in the air fryer. My favorite soups are (you guessed it) potato soup with any other veggies available, cauliflower, cheeseburger, vegetable beef. I love chili w/o beans (simply because adding beans makes that much more to consume) but it is dreadful for GERD issues. Another quick favorite is pasta with garlic and egg sauce. I know this is all over the place, and a disciplined approach would be beneficial. But I don't know if I have it in me, this late in the game.

I knew you would pass with flying colors, and I'm excited to hear your good news. Even with another test coming up, take some time to relax and enjoy your friend's visit. It's good to recharge your batteries.

Wow, we eat out so rarely except birthdays and our anniversary which are splurges, so I'm shocked at prices. We decided to get burgers and share garlic fries at a somewhat upscale burger chain in our neighborhood. We took them home so we didn't buy drinks and it was over $40. Home cooking for the win, that same meal would have cost us much less at home but it was one of those days where nobody felt like cooking what we had in the house.

We're eating a lot of soups right now to ward off the cold, rainy weather. We got butternut squash in our CSA so that made a delicious butternut squash soup, and we turned a bounty of onions into French onion soup. Our latest favorite winter meal is "many bean soup" and we spent a bit on a beef shank in the "used meat" bin (as my husband likes to call the bin for meat about to pass its' sell-by date) for the soup.

Kristen, Big, big congrats on the competencies; your practice group really paid off. And, it was probably more fun than preparing alone. I’m really impressed with the connections you’ve made with classmates. Though it helps you, too, I feel that they’re the lucky ones.

I’m excited to hear your good news! I hope it offsets that awful comment that "someone" made to say you are becoming a nurse to get attention. Such a comment is only made to undermine a person, not in any way constructive. Just plain mean. You can’t be having someone like that around you because they are clearly jealous of your progress and do not respect you (or nurses!).

January not so great on the frugal grocery front. The meat delivery was the bulk of this week though which was our normal monthly delivery plus 5 pork loins so those will last a while (and somewhat frugal as I got a deal for buying 5 at once). Here's hoping Feb will be better. I think it will.

WIS: Neighborhood-$8.50; Milk Delivery-$19; Meat delivery-$214; Farmer's Market-$19; Whole Foods-$28; Flashfood-$72 Total: $360.50

WWA: Sat- Can't remember Sun- Chicken parm w/ spaghetti Mon- Tuscan soup, garlic and cheese chicken sausage w/ raviolis Tues- Shrimp and grits Wed- Left over shrimp and grits Thurs- Cheddar and potato dumplings, sweet and sour chicken w/ a side of mushrooms, peapods, and bean sprouts Fri- Lasagna w/ lasagna noodles, butternut squash sauce, ground turkey, ricotta, and mozzarella