And this is why I'm "Just Making It"

This week has been a blur. I had a sinus headache for the entire week, which really cut down on my sleep. I was secretly hoping for a snow day yesterday, not so that I wouldn't have to go in to work, but so that I could go into work without the students in the room. I just needed a break -- and it was only 4 days into the new year. Finally, in a fit of total desperation, I swallowed a sinus pill found in the back of the cabinet and ONLY 3 years past its expiration date. Just like magic, there was no more headache. Priceless.

Since I was feeling so much better, and the first week back to work had been so very long,

the two boys, Jim, and I enjoyed a wonderful dinner out at one of our favorite restaurants, Trio. The yummy beef bourguignon and a French silk martini, combined with the simple pleasure of not cooking or cleaning for another night, left me relaxed and ready for a good night's sleep. I woke this morning refreshed and ready to tackle several organizational projects.

My plan was wonderful. I was going to get all the meals planned for the week, do the shopping, and even do some prep work so that meals would simply fall together this week. With the time saved during the week, I would be able to jump on my exercise bike for 30 minutes every evening, or perhaps do a few yoga positions to ward off stress eating. I started off strong. I downloaded a week's worth of yummy meal ideas from one of my favorite websites, The Six O'Clock Scramble. Not only does author Aviva Goldfarb send me weekly meal ideas, she includes a shopping list for everything I plan to cook. All I have to do is print the recipes and lists, check my cabinets, and go shopping.

With my plan and list in hand, I tackled the coupon fliers from the last few weeks. I was almost through clipping the coupons when I heard a strange sound.

The dog was slurping water from under the refrigerator. Not a good sign.

I decided that instead of buying new food, we needed to try to use up some of the older food lurking in the depths of the freezer because it is time to empty the whole thing and start over. The problem with using what is hiding in the freezer is that there is never a complete meal for everyone. There are bits and pieces -- and a lot of waffles, it seems. I warned the family that it would be a week of weird meals, but we have to use it up as quickly as possible.

My new challenge -- putting together meals from a hodge-podge of bits and pieces.

On a positive note -- I didn't spend much at the grocery today!