What I Spent, What We Ate | $230 (!)
What I Spent
Well, we started October off with a bang, in a kind of bad way, spending $230 on food.
But on the upside, we had pretty low spending in September, and my monthly averages for the year are still quite low. Plus, it's just the beginning of the month!
What We Ate
Monday
We had chicken burrito bowls, kind of like you'd get at Chipotle (chicken, rice, lettuce, sour cream, salsa, avocado, etc.)
Tuesday
We had enough of the chicken burrito bowl ingredients for two meals, so we just had leftovers for dinner. Easy!
Wednesday
I tried a new recipe from a recent Cook's Country magazine...pesto-stuffed chicken breasts. The pesto had no nuts in it, which is what piqued my interest ( Sonia cannot eat nuts).
It was a pretty simple recipe, and I'll definitely make it again, especially in the summertime when my basil plant is thriving.
Thursday
We had extra burgers and buns from our camping trip last weekend, so we grilled those.
And we also had cantaloupe, green beans, and acorn squash.
(Not mixed together. !!)
Friday
I'm not too sure! I just have to feed myself tonight, which is a delightful situation to be in every now and then. I can eat whatever I want! Hmmmmm....
""I just have to feed myself tonight, which is a delightful situation to be in every now and then. I can eat whatever I want! ""
Me too! Hubby and the kids are leaving at 3h pm for the weekend, it's ME time, yay! Probably going to grab a Poutine for dinner (Google it! Unhealthy but deliiiiicious!)
I google it - looks delicious!
When it's just me, I eat things my husband hates, like breakfast for dinner, a veggie omelet or a salad with meat on it, like a chicken strip salad. Or gizzards. I like 'em, he hates 'em.
What we ate -- I actually have my menu handy, so...
Homemade chicken pot pie with cassava crust
Steak with parsnip fries, something we have almost every Friday and I for one am getting tired of it, but my husband isn't.
Ribs with homemade onion rings and salad
Bacon, okra, butternut squash for me and mashed potatoes for him.
Pork chops, roasted sweet potato cubes and broccoli
Veggie beef soup, no tomato in it
Beef and Mushroom Carbonara with spaghetti squash as the "pasta"
I'm still staying under on my grocery budget, but not as under as I think I should be, what with having so much meat on hand already. I have to work more on that.
Publix opened a new Greenwise (their organic/natural store brand) store in the town where I work, and the grand opening was yesterday, so I went after work. I found some really good deals (organic grapes for 99 cents a pound! ) but that was for the grand opening. It remains to be seen if the deals will continue to be good.
When it's just me, I eat junk like chips and dip, so it's a good thing I literally never eat by myself.
This week in food . . .
Monday: Skirt steak with mushrooms and onions, bread and butter, corn on the cob, fried cabbage/carrots/onions, tomatoes with mayonnaise, cucumbers, peaches and cream for dessert
Tuesday: Pork shoulder, porky rice (cooked the rice in the pork juices), creamy cucumbers, leftover zucchini, baked apples and cream for dessert
Wednesday: Scrambled eggs, fried potatoes, leftover black beans, tomato with mayonnaise, green salad
Thursday: Pulled pork sandwiches with leftover pork shoulder, rice for those who didn't want a sandwich, raw carrots and cucumbers
Tonight: My MiL is visiting, so we're having the arduous but delicious sourdough pizza--one with cheese, one with half chorizo and onion and half mushrooms and greens--salad, and sauteed zucchini. I can't let an opportunity to cook zucchini go by.
Can I come over to eat? Please?
Sure, if you don't mind driving for literally hours. Doesn't matter where you are, it will be hours to where I am. 🙂
Me too! Me too! 🙂
Me three 🙂
I am a single empty nester so most days/nights I am cooking for just me 🙂 some of my favorite really quick things are a salmon fillet with a side (rice/broccoli, pasta,potato...something equally as quick), a quesadilla, a grilled cheese sandwich or any sandwich for that matter...
This weeks menu
Sunday-baked ziti
Monday-chili w/ baked potato
Tuesday- teriyaki chicken, rice, stir fry veggies
Weds-salmon and baby broccoli
Thurs- homemade french fries, frozen breaded shirmp (baked of course)
Friday- idk yet...I at my friday meal yesterday when all heck broke loose and I had a crock pot meal planned that did not get put in the crockpot. I think I am going to see what I feel like doing when I get off of work.
I think you do very well. One of my Friday treats is reading what people eat and trying to incorporate that into our eating plan. I am still making myself use up things.
Sunday we had steak and vegetables.
Monday was a potato and celeriac bake with steak for me and pork for mum.
Tuesday night says lamb stew but I made that Thursday night and we ate it tonight.
Wednesday was use it up night.
Thursday we had pizza.
Tonight we had lamb stew.
Speaking of incorporating ideas . . . my MiL just brought me a bunch of celeriac she grew, and I am intrigued at the idea of baking it with potatoes. I've only ever used it in soup, but I think the combination with potatoes might be more palatable for my sons. Thanks for the idea!
IT also works well if mashed into potatoes. I have not succeeded in making a smooth celeriac puree. Jamie Oliver has a recipe for roasting a whole celeriac.
My sis recently made a mash of potato/celeriac/parsnips to have with coq o vin chicken and it was delicious - and a crowd of non-vegie enjoying people ate it with gusto thinking it was just mashed potato...
When it’s just me i usually do something quick since I’m udually working on some kind of project so: baked potatoe with sour cream and broccoli, leftovers, pasta with olive oil, garlic and parmigiana cheese.
This week we had: Monday Chili, Tuesday Chili, Wednesday meatball subs coleslaw and applesauce at church Thursday grilled cheese tomato soup and fruit and tonight will be fish cakes, turkey burgers on the grill French fries and salad.
Monday: Turkey Meatloaf, brown rice and broccoli
Tuesday: split pea soup and ciabatta bread
Wednesday: Thai Take-Out (Veggie Pad Thai with Tofu; mixed veggies in red curry)
Thursday: Leftover Thai Take-out
Friday: Probably omelettes (I have 4 dozen eggs in the fridge)
I so love an evening when I only feed myself! I usually stick to whatever is quick and easy to maximize my evening. I can enjoy a nice meal with my family, but I can't really read, write or binge-watch Netflix with them, so those are my go-to items when I have time by myself.
I like it when it's just me and myself at lunch or dinner sometimes. It means I don't have to prepare a big meal and can eat whatever my heart desires 😀 I usually watch YouTube when I eat by myself hehe.
When it's just me, I usually stick to leftovers. I'm the only one in the house that really enjoys them, so it's my job to make sure they don't go to waste!
This week we had curried vegetables and tofu over rice, lentil taco soup and corn muffins, pizza, and a southwestern flavored pasta with black beans. Tonight, it's leftovers, unless my husband gets grumbly about leftovers, in which case we'll go somewhere...
I thought the stuffed chicken breasts from CC were a little bland, but I'm glad you all liked them!
How come you spent so much this week? It reads like you ate a lot of leftovers.....
Aw, enjoy your delicious dilemma tonight -- maybe something full of all the stuff your crew doesn't particularly love/can't have? Or really, just anything you crave 🙂
Well, out of town until Tuesday so only have a couple days to report on:
1. Tuesday: After getting back from east coast at 6:30pm, spent 40 minutes with husband trying to figure out what to eat. Went for Pollo Loco (Mexican style grilled chicken with sides).
Husband polished off the leftovers for Wednesday lunch and there are several leftover corn tortillas for egg tacos and some lovely homemade salsa given to me by a coworker.
2. Wednesday: Husband returned from afar so I Cooked An Actual Meal. Cue the chorus of angels and little chubby cupids floating in the clouds! Defrosted chicken, cooked in sauce from canned tomatoes, onions, etc, served over pasta with broccoli on the side -- mostly pantry meal.
3. Thursday: After very annoying, exhausting day that ended with me exiting the gas station where there weren't no exit and getting stuck with one tire over the curb with the other three on the other side and so many people offering to help (people are NICE) and the AAA finally winching my car back over the curb, I WENT TO THE GROCERY STORE, yes, and bought stuff we needed and got my extra reward point and husband doctored up a frozen pizza and tossed together a salad and we ate it with leftover chicken at about 8:30. PRO TIP: Try to look where you're going when driving. Also, frozen pizza is your friend.
Friday: Well, I think it's dinner with daughter and husband. Not sure yet . . .
Happy weekend, all!
Hmm. Back in my single days, I would occasionally have frozen yogurt with peanut butter mixed in. 🙂 On the rare occasions I have to eat dinner alone, I eat breakfast-for-dinner (aka brinner). French toast with applesauce .... baked eggs .... quick, light, and minimal dishes to wash!
Eating by yourself... sounds absolutely wonderful.
My dinners this week have all been surrounded by the chitter-chatter, chewing habits and opinions of three littles.
What we ate:
Monday - Meatloaf, mashed potatoes, broccoli and carrots
Tuesday - Leftover meatloaf, brown rice and salad
Wednesday - Roast chicken, rice carrots and cukes
Thursday - Leftover meatloaf again... (I thawed the extra piece that I froze on Monday) We do boring around here. Brown rice. Broccoli, peas and tomatoes.
Friday - Would you believe meatloaf again?!! *facepalm* brown rice, peas and salad.
At least there will be no meatloaf going bad in a dark corner of the fridge.
I love a good meatloaf! Warm meatloaf with ketchup on top between two slices of toasted bread is one of my faves.
I have ground turkey in the refrigerator. Time to make a.... Meatloaf!!!! Thanks for the idea!
Budgetbytes has an excellent recipe for turkey spinach feta meatballs. They’re easy to make and are really tasty! We make a homemade spaghetti sauce at the same time and finish cooking the meatballs in the sauce.
One of my favorite lazy dinners is mixed steamed vegies stirred through mac & cheese pasta with a good sprinkling of pepper on top
My meal plans are still very hap-hazard after moving I am grabbing what I can when I can
not sure of the nights but here goes:
- steamed vegies through mac and cheese
- tomato & onion tuna on wholewheat mixed grain crackers
- chicken and mushroom filo parcel
- errr don't remember
- fish & chips
- lamb souvlaki
Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday we had a beef Bolognese over pasta. Sauce was made with tomatoes from our garden.
Thursday and Friday we had pizzas. Homemade whole wheat crust, Italian Sausage a friend gave us for free, homemade pizza sauce using tomatoes/herbs from our garden, mozzarella, peppers from our garden, broccoli, and homemade sundried cherry tomatoes from our garden. Yum!