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So not only is it Monday, the start of the week, but it’s also September 1, the start of the month. That means a few things: Rent is due, vacation is in FOUR days, and it’s time to put up my menu plan for the month of September.

I’ve made a few revisions since my first attempt at this whole menu planning thing, deciding some things were too heavy or time consuming to plan to do every week, and other things needed a whole night of their own. All of my “themes” are totally just a starting point, and not set in stone – because this is supposed to make planning my dinners easier not mundane, boring and restrictive.

So here’s my menu plan for September:

The Themes

Mondays: freezer food-ish
Tuesdays: italian night
Wednesdays: all american meal
Thursdays: stir fry / skillet meal
Fridays: soup & sandwich
Saturdays: pizza night / mexican night
Sundays: something easy & preferably light

Week One

Monday: LABOR DAY Brie wrapped in filo dough w/ cherry preserves and fresh fruit
Tuesday: Spaghetti & Meatballs
Wednesday: Grilled Cheese & Tomato Soup sounds heavenly
Thursday: Orange Chicken w/ basmati rice & Asian veggies
Friday: We’ll be on Vacation until…

Week Two

Monday: Beer-battered fish, French Fries & Caesar Salad
Tuesday: Gnocchi, Red Sauce w/ Ground Beef, Garlic Bread
Wednesday: Chicken Strips, mashed potatoes & corn on the cob
Thursday: Trader Joes Chicken BBQ Teriyaki, Asian Veggies, Basmati Rice
Friday: grilled cheese & chili
Saturday: Build Your Own Soft Taco / Burrito Night
Sunday: Chicken Pot Pie (Mrs Budds)

Week Three

Monday: chicken strips, mashed potatoes & corn on the cob
Tuesday: Multi-Colored Spiral Pasta (w/ garlic, olive oil, Parmesan cheese), Caesar salad & a peasant bread
Wednesday: Hot Dogs, Mac’N'Cheese, Baked Beans (the magical fruit)
Thursday: Orange Chicken w/ basmati rice & Asian veggies
Friday: grilled cheese & Italian Wedding soup
Saturday: Spinach and Feta Pizza perhaps?
Sunday: Mexican Pizza Enchilada Style

Week Four

Monday: Frozen Pizzas w/ frozen apps
Tuesday: fettuccine Alfredo, broccoli, grilled chicken
Wednesday: Hamburgers w/ build your own sides
Thursday: Trader Joes BBQ Teriyaki chicken, Asian veggies, basmati rice
Friday: Grilled Cheese & clam chowder
Saturday: It’s Game Night at Chez Momma, so we’ll do a cheese pizza, pepperoni pizza and two spinach feta pizzas and maybe some homemade breadsticks, too? I might even make a dessert (maybe)
Sunday: Brie wrapped in filo dough w/ cherry preserves and fresh fruit

Week Five

Monday: steak and cheese sandwiches, Caesar salads
Tuesday: Swedish meatballs & pasta
Wednesday: FIRST DAY OF OCTOBER, beer battered fish, mased potatoes & crinkle cut carrots
Thursday: Orange Chicken, Asian veggies, and basmati rice
Friday: Grilled Cheese & chicken noodle soup
Saturday: fried chicken, potato wedges & corn on the cob
Sunday: Build Your Own Burritos

Huge thanks to Simple Mom who inspired me with this whole menu planning idea in the first place!

What’s on your menu plan this month?

Well, since PackRat has decided it hates me and doesn’t WANT to hook a sister up with some swim fins or sandals, I thought I’d post Karen @ Write From Karen‘s Monday Morning meme – it looks to be a good one. I didn’t think I’d have time to post again today but we decided to nix going out again and just relax for a bit, and now MM is napping and PackRat is being a jerk, so let’s get this party started, shall we?

September 1st Questions:

1. If you mixed up the letters in the name of your blog, what new name would you come up with? (Anagram fun website – http://wordsmith.org/anagram/) Now take your favorite anagram and tell us what sort of blog it might be based on that title.

There were quite a few good ones, like Bag Slam Tool Mom, Mama Mobs Go Toll, Atlas Mob Log Mom (this one is my favorite), Llama Sob Got Mom, Saga Mob Toll Mom… and yes I’m noticing a theme – I’m guessing anyway you go I become a Mob Mom perhaps in an Atlas Mob – like they steal atlases maybe? or sob over llamas. It’s an ugly world out there in anagram land.

2. What three sounds do you love? Okay, now tell us WHY you love these sounds.

I love the sound of my son’s laughter, really his voice in general. It’s amazing to think that little man, who is so funny and smart and absolutely heart wrenchingly loveable, came from me – that I made that. That was me.

I also love opera music, like in Phantom of the Opera – just that deep dramatic echoing of feeling that you hear in a lot of those songs, it’s like they are daring you to try not to feel what they are feeling – and know you will fail if you try. I love any song that just immediately sucks you into their emotions like that. It’s amazing.

I love the sound of a cat purring – you know it means they are oh so happy and content. Growing up we always had a cat in the house (I didn’t know I was allergic then) so I’ve always loved cats and obviously prefer they be happy than not.

3. What is it about you that makes everyone want to know you? Wait, you’re not done yet. Now tell us WHY that one particular thing? What makes that element of yourself so special? (Come on, don’t be shy. This is your opportunity to write about something positive about yourself).

Okay THIS is a hard question and I’m feeling all chicken shit, like I don’t want people to be like, “Actually Jen, I’ve never thought that about you.” Or, “Gosh, Jen, could you be more conceited.” Yes. I could be a lot more conceited, btw. But, um, I have noticed that people seem to find me funny and a lot of people never expect me to be as funny as I am (I’m not like saying I’m ape shit funny or anything, just that my level of funniness often seems to surprise people. I think I come across as awfully sweet and unassuming, but I have a very snarky sense of humor, often, and when I’m comfortable around people I often let that show, in addition to my stellar self deprecating humor and you know all that other funny shit I say.

Am I wrong?

4. What is the oldest thing you own? What is the newest?

The newest thing I own (this is easier to remember as I just bought it about 2 hours ago) is a brand spanking new CD player for my car. Our old one broke yesterday, much to our dismay since we’re going on vacation in FOUR days, but after getting nervous and complaining, we went to Circuit City, and realized a basic CD player is not as much as I would have guessed and that they have come a long way since 2003, when I last bought one. We got this amazing little Sony that has a cable hooked up for my iPod as well as an auxilary jack thing for any other kind of MP3 player and you know all that other cool stuff. It’s way nicer than the old one and the process of getting it was nearly painless, apart from that sudden lack of $200 once all was said and done. Good thing we’ve been cutting down our spending!

Let’s see, the oldest thing though?  Gosh, I’m not sure… Most of our furniture is very old, like at least as old as me, ditto with a lot of our plates and glasses, etc. A lot of those things we inherited from our parents, and since they are at least as old as we are, they must be the oldest things we own…

Hey, look at that, I finished! And while I was in the middle of picking my 3rd favorite sound, I found a swim fin over at PackRat and managed to vault a set! And you probably have no idea what that means, but trust me, it was exciting. Don’t forget to link up at Write From Karen if you fill out this meme, too!

In honor of this auspicious occasion, you know Labor Day, Rocks in My Dryer had the stellar idea that we should all post our Labor Stories – truly the greatest feat of labor for most women, and a labor most men will never truly know. So before you run off to your family cookout or whatever, grab yourself a cold beer and settle in for this Laborious Tale of Terror, or you know, how MM was borned:

How long were your labors?

Well, so far it’s been only just the one. At 6 am we arrived to be induced. 8am the gave me petocin. I began dilating, though I never got far. Around 10am they gave me something – maybe more petocin, maybe something else – then I went into what we call “labor” something resembling serious contractions and my eyes rolling into the back of my head. She (Dr. Evil) broke my water (by force) sometime in the afternoon. Then I spent the evening being all in labor, MM trying desperately to come out, and my fool cervix (or whatever, can you tell I failed all biology courses ever?) never dilating past 2 cm or whatever they call it. My son had the pointiest head in like history or something for all his efforts…

How did you know you were in labor?

Well my eyes rolled into the back of my head for what seemed like permanently, and my MIL and husband informed me that was labor, then tried to get the nurse or Dr. Evil to come in an do something about it.

Where did you deliver?

All over the hospital – haha like as in I started in one room, got wheeled to another hotter room with lots of sharp tools, and then ended up in another room, where I stayed for like 10 days or something. That part was almost worse than living with your parents and in-laws combined. Because all your extended family pops in unannounced at odd hours, and the nurses are anti-nursing nazis who figure, “If she ain’t figured it out yet, she never will – give the kid a bottle.” Thanks nurses.

Drugs?

I think I had all of them. They probably had to order a fresh supply after I left.

C-section?

Yes, I mentioned I went in at 6am. Well just before midnight the next morning, we had a c-section. If they’d made the call 10 minutes later, my son’s birthday would be 4/8 – which is not my favorite numbers (that is NOT the reason I chose 4/7 as the birthday, despite being my favorite numbers, it was also “exactly one week after his duedate, and Dr. Evil had a schedule to keep you know, so she signed me up for arrival that morning probably just before her yoga class and just after her morning enema.

Who delivered?

Just before she began cutting my child out of my body, she informed me (Dr. Evil, My Deliveress of Doom) that I need not worry, as she’d had all 3 of her children this way, and well look how terrific she is. I’m wondering if she meant the c-section, or the nearly 24 hours of unnecessary torture. Maybe she likes it like that? All crazy and mind-blowing? All those drugs are like the world’s best frat party before the poop party begins? Who knows. She also told me like a week or a month or whatever later, during my checkup, that my stitches were like “her best work ever.” I’m sure her mother is very proud.

So Happy Labor Day everyone. After you’ve gotten this nasty image out of your mind, I hope you’ll all enjoy a day of cookouts or replacing your car stereo – you know, whatever. I know I’m doing one of those things today.

Want to gross out your readers and share your labor story, too? Or maybe, unlike myself, your labor was a beautiful blend of blessings and birth and other beautiful b words… Well definitely share that shit so we can do that next time instead! And then link up at Rocks in My Dryer, as she’s the mastermind behind all this.

* Disclaimer * No real names were used in the duration of this House of Horrors Tale of Labor. The Real Dr. Evil, if there is one (outside of the movies), did not deliver my baby. I won’t list the “good doctor’s” name here, for fear that she Googles herself. Seriously, ever since blogging began, this has become my newest greatest fear? What’s up with that, yo?

Hope you all have a happy Labor Day today. Yeah. So. It’s now been one week of this whole Looking Fine by 2009 ambition of mine & Jen’s @ Daily Mish Mash. So far I’ve learned that if I force myself to drink more water, it gradually tastes better. It also saves money, as water is ridiculously free. I’m a pretty big fan of that part. It ALSO makes anything you eat look healthier – from hamburgers, to enchiladas, to a giant cookie / birthday cake – water makes it all better. It’s okay, I’m dieting.

In all seriousness, in just one week, I now drink water with almost every meal. Before last week, I drank about 3 glasses of water a week. Before last year, I didn’t drink water. Seriously. Now I think I’ll be one of those trendy water drinkers for life – it’s a pretty cool club once you get in. It makes me feel better for my dismal attempts at exercise… Here’s my exercise log for the week:

monday 8/25/08 exercise: 2 minutes ; 9 calories burned (step machine)
does several minutes of playing “barking dog” with son count as exercise?
tuesday 8/26/08 exercise: does playing “pretend baseball” count?
wednesday 8/27/08 exercise: cleaning in a fit of rage
thursday: 8/28/08 exercise: apparently not worth even joking about
friday 8/29/08 exercise: making mental snarky remarks to myself about the wedding party @ wedding I attended (for people I don’t know, to be fair)
saturday 8/30/08 exercise: being a drunken fool
sunday 8/31/08 exercise: watching my son at a less than toddler proof BBQ up and down stairs several times

My diet began the week pretty average, over the course of a few days it definitely improved, possibly because I was recording it. But then the weekend came, and brought with it weddings, family parties, friend parties & a new restaurant. And then my great eating habits kind of jumped out the window – but I am drinking more water, so that’s a start right?

So, I’m thinking the goals for this week are to stick with the water, try not to go all nutso with my eating when we leave for Vacation on Thursday and to look into this strange concept of “exercise” and see if I can’t figure something out besides using my massive imagination to pretend I’ve done something constructive.

Anyone else rearing to be Looking Fine by 2009? How’s that working out for you?

ps: when it’s actually Monday (right now I’m posting this in advance to publish tomorrow – what’s that called, post dating? pre dating?) I’ll probably weigh myself and see if anything has changed. And I probably won’t keep a food diary anymore because it’s tedious and I don’t want to quit this “diet” I’m attempting just because logging my food got boring. I really will keep trying, I swear. And I’ll keep logging my weight once a week. MKay?

- edit –

Well it’s Monday, and I’ve either lost 4.5 pounds & thus this is the greatest diet ever, or I need a new scale.