Tuesday, October 28, 2014

ANNA'S MENU FOR A DAY

Someone asked for a daily menu at our house.  I thought it would be easy, but it's not as easy as it sounds.  First, Elmer and I had eight children so we had it that each child could pick breakfast every week or so.  Saturday was either Elmer or mine's choice and Sunday was the Lord's Day so we mostly ate and still do eat cereal that day for breakfast.  Seeing we only have one child still at home, for a short time, now anyone one of us can decide what we want for breakfast. If I don't hear any choices, I make what I want.  I also feel that breakfast is the most important meal.  How we start the day food wise helps the way our day will go both work wise and health wise.

So in the morning we usually have juice or fresh fruit depending on the season.  Elmer and John each like a small bowl of oat meal.  Then we might have pancakes or french toast, or waffles,  etc. with either ham, bacon or sausage.  Sometimes they would like soft boiled eggs or scrambled eggs then I will have homemade bread with homemade jelly in addition to the meat and home fried potatoes. Of course we have coffee.

In midmorning, we have a snack and coffee.  Many times John is over at his farm so it is just Elmer and myself.  I use to bake real fattening coffee cakes or donuts, etc. for this time, but being more health wise, we usually have a muffin or fruit and coffee.

I try to serve the main meal at lunch, but that doesn't always work out with John working at his place and Elmer here.  Sometimes one of the men will tell me what they would like for dinner the night before or I make something - they eat it.

It could be beef stew or chicken stew over noodles.  It could be baked chicken or fish or pot roast.  It could be ham stew over noodles or spaghetti or lots of things.  Sometimes, depending on the weather, Elmer will do burgers or steaks on the grill.  If we don't have noodles, then we have either baked, mash or fried potatoes.  Vegetables, salad, fresh homemade bread with jelly.  Also, we have chow chow or beet eggs or alike.  Elmer always wants desert at the main meal so I have cake or pie or cookies or alike for desert.

In the middle of the afternoon, we sometimes have another snack.  Again, it might be cookies or muffin or fruit and coffee.

If we had the big dinner at lunch, we have a lighter dinner.  Many times I make a salad like a Julian Salad or tuna noodle salad or alike. Then I try to have fruit or a fruit salad.  We usually have bread with jelly.  I do make whole wheat bread when I can, but sometimes the men would prefer white bread.  We may instead of bread have rolls, muffins or alike.  If we have the main meal in the evening that you just switch these two menus.

If it has been a hard day and we have been working or plowing or planting, we sometimes order a pizza or something to deliver.  Then I just add a salad for dinner.

In the evening, we also snack.  It could be popcorn or cookies or if I have left over desert.  We sometimes have cider or coco or tea to drink.  We drink coffee all day and sometimes we just like tea instead.

So that is pretty much what we eat.  I don't make fried foods very often although once in a while Elmer or John will ask me to fry chicken - and I usually do it.  We pay more attention to health than we did when we were children.  Of course views have changed since we were children.

Saturday is usually Elmer's breakfast day. We have juice or fruit, oatmeal, fried eggs, home fries, either bacon sausage or ham, homemade bread,jelly or muffins or rolls.  Elmer calls that his grease day - most everything fried.

As Elmer and John do less work and are less active in the winter than they are in the other three seasons, I try to watch what they eat.  I don't always get away with it, though.  Although Elmer has some jobs that people want done.  He and John are putting siding on another Amish man's house right now.  It was suppose to have been done two years ago, but the man thought he would do it.  Last year Elmer went and gave him a price.  Still the man thought he would so it.  A few weeks ago he called Elmer and asked him if he would do it for the same price he quoted last year.  Elmer stated he would.  The man's wife is a little upset that all you see when people drive by is insulation.  No siding.  The man thought he better get it done.  So he hired Elmer and John.

So here is usual menu.  It isn't perfect because they change every day.

Trust God's Wisdom,
Anna










10 comments:

New York State Of Mind said...

Good Morning folks,
Hope you enjoy Anna this morning.

Suppose to hit the high 70's today and then drop 30 degrees tomorrow.

Marilyn

Anonymous said...

Hi Anna, You're absolutely right when you say breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Why do people think they call the first meal of the day breakfast? It means "break-the-fast". Fill your tank or be running on empty for the rest of the day.
Secondly, it is best to have ones larger meal at mid-day. Right again. One needs good fuel to continue through the rest of one's busy day and one can then also burn off the calories with being so physically busy. Eating lightly at night is best with fruits+veggies in that one is not very active+then one is asleep for 8hrs hopefully, therefore inactive. This country eats their meals in backwards order compared to Europe. I think we'd be healthier and much better off if we all followed the way Anna+Elmer do things.
Hi Marilyn, And now here we go with the rollercoaster weather, the in-between stuff before winter settles in(sometimes called "pneumonia weather"). Everybody dress sensibly, get your flu+pneumonia shots, if you haven't already, and stay well. Blessings to all, Carol

New York State Of Mind said...

Good Morning Carol,
I will see that Anna gets your message and I agree she is right. I do not eat Breakfast and I know I should. Anna and Jean have both spoken to me about that.

Yes, our up and down weather is coming. It's hard to dress because it will change. It's typical upstate New York, if you don't like the weather, wait a minute, it will change.

Blessings to you and yours,
Marilyn

Evie said...

Thank you Anna I enjoyed reading your post.I hope your Granddaughter is enjoying her sewing machine.
Also thank you to Jean for yesterday

I don't always eat enough breakfast
I do find if I eat my main meal too early I get hungry before bedtime

Evie

Countryside Reflections said...

I also agree with the way Anna and Elmer eat. I have a large breakfast too. How can you not eat breakfast and have the energy to go to work Marilyn? My breakfast never consists of anything fried though.

It was nice to hear that you let each of the children pick the breakfast menu when they were young.

Doreen

New York State Of Mind said...

Hi Doreen,
Will see that Anna gets your message. I just can't eat breakfast in the morning. If I could eat it at about 10:00 or 11:00, I am fine, but this eat before work, I just can't do. I very rarely fry mine.

Marilyn

Willow's Quiet Corner said...

Thanks for sharing this, Anna! It sounds like you work up quite an appetite working on a farm! And, I think it is great you have such a good and varied diet and are making some switches to fruit while still enjoying a nice cake or cookies sometimes! :) One can't always be good! ;)

New York State Of Mind said...

Hi Evie,
I don't know how, but I found you in spam this morning. I took you out and put you on this post like you should be.

I will see that Anna gets your message.

Marilyn

Lily said...

Thanks, Anna, for letting us know what you usually eat. It's interesting. It's also ALOT for me. My small family & I do not work on a farm, and, therefore, do not eat quite so much. It's interesting. I'm always looking for ideas how to VERY easily make wholesome meals for my family.

Marilyn, we have the same saying in the CHicagoland area: "If you don't like the weather, just wait a minute." Maybe it has something to do with living in the Great Lakes area.

New York State Of Mind said...

Hi Lily,
I will see that Anna gets your message. People working on farm, burn more energy that we do. I don't eat as much as they do either.

Maybe it is the Great Lakes that makes us get this weird weather.

Thank you for coming,
Marilyn