Now and then I like to share the helpful, enjoyable, and inspirational things that I have come across lately. Perhaps some of these might be just the thing you were looking for…
#1 — Gerard Manley Hopkins
I’ve been reading the poems of Catholic poet Gerard Manley Hopkins for one of the Catholic Reading Challenge categories. (Stay tuned for the upcoming blog post on that category at the end of the month.) They’re so beautiful and inspiring! Here’s a stanza from one poem titled, Easter, speaking of Mary’s anointing of Jesus’ feet with expensive ointment:
Break the box and shed the nard;
Stop not now to count the cost;
Hither bring pearl, opal, sard;
Reck not what the poor have lost;
Upon Christ throw all away:
Know ye, this is Easter Day.
#2 — Meal Plans (using Excel)
I’ve been frustrated lately with my (lack of) meal planning. So the other day I buckled down and created something that seems to be a keeper. I got the idea from this blogger, and tweaked it to fit for me. Basically, I created a meal planning and grocery list all in one Excel file. Each “sheet” in the file lists the dinners and shopping list for one week of dinners. I am in the process of creating 4 sheets, 4 weeks of dinners to rotate through. I also have a separate sheet for “staples” to keep stocked for breakfasts, lunches, and household items. At the beginning of the week I can just print off the list of staples and the list of that week’s dinners, cross off items I already have, and shop for what’s left on the list. My favorite feature: the “shopping list” column can be sorted according to the store where I typically purchase that item. I’m still tweaking it, but this is a super-helpful first step! Here’s a PDF screen shot of one list:
#3 — Monkfruit
For preventative health reasons, I have been largely avoiding grains, dairy, and sugar — challenging! But here’s one thing that has made recipes easier and yummy — Monkfruit. I kept calling it Monkey Fruit initially. 🙂 It is natural, zero-calorie, zero-glycemic, 1:1 sugar substitute in baking, and (the best part) it tastes like sugar! This brand also sells a maple syrup made of the stuff. So that means that pancakes are back on the table…as soon as I find the right recipe using coconut or cassava flour. 😉
Do you have any favorite finds to pass on to me? Post them in the comments, please!
Copyright 2018 Jessica Ptomey