What I Spent, What We Ate | a quick one!
No grocery pictures this week, because it was just that kind of week. 😉
What I Spent
I got a $25 Hungry Harvest box.
I spent $45 at Costco.
I spent $106 at non-Costco stores.
So, I'm at $176, which is more than my $150/week budget. But I underspent last week, so it's all good.
December Spending
Week 1: $99.97
Week 2: $176
What We Ate
Note: I include links to recipes whenever possible. If there's no link, it's because I haven't shared the recipe and it's not available online. If you'd like to browse the main dish recipes I've posted, they're all right here.
Monday
Mr. FG and I had a dinner meeting, and the people at home ate cheese tortellini with pesto sauce (both from Aldi).
Tuesday
I grabbed some pulled pork from the freezer, and we had that on buns. I also made these sauteed green beans and we had potato chips.
Wednesday
I made Aussie Chicken, mashed potatoes, and this garlic and white wine braised cauliflower.
Thursday
I had music rehearsal, but I left a pot of clam chowder and a fruit salad for my people.
Friday
It's a pizza night. But I'm thinking of maybe making stromboli instead, which I haven't made in eons. Hopefully I remember how!
Monday: Pork chops, sauerkraut, mashed potatoes, roasted tomatoes
Tuesday: Venison roast wrapped in bacon, cooked over halved leeks; baked potatoes; sauteed cabbage with cheese; frozen peas
Wednesday: Boneless leg of lamb; roasted tomatoes and onion; rice cooked with tomatoes, onion, and chicken broth; delicata squash with butter and brown sugar
Thursday: Top round steak with sauteed mushrooms, leftover mashed potatoes, green salad
Tonight: Birthday-boy husband requested carnitas and a baked custard for dessert. Custard is already in the fridge, pork is on the stove, and now I just have to do all the toppings before dinner. I like make-ahead birthday food. 🙂
Boy, I agree with you! Make-ahead is just the best for special occasions.
I love your food budget these past two weeks! You're also an inspiration for me to keep our food expenses low and cook more delicious at home more often.
We're traveling and have been eating out a lot, so I think our Dec food budget is going to be higher. Other than that, we're having lots of fun not having to cook hehe.
Eating out is so much fun, isn't it? I just wish it was more affordable!
We love to eat out for brunch, MUCH cheaper and we can go to the "nice" places...but actually, some of the local diners and bars are even better food than the fancy places.
A better week since everyone was back to eating food, yay!!!
Monday - Pizza, salad
Tuesday - Grilled sandwiches, tomato soup, fruit
Wednesday - Meatloaf, baked sweet potatoes, string beans, fruit
Thursday - Teriyaki chicken, peanut noodles, grilled pineapple
Friday - Planned dinner out
We had chicken thighs two nights, once with mashed potatoes and once with potato cakes (guess where I got that idea?) and assorted green sides, salad one night and spinach one night.
One night was hamburgers with tater tots and Waldorf salad.
One night was spaghetti squash with pasta sauce using the last of the ground beef not used in the burgers and the last of the fresh mushrooms in my frig.
A neighbor gifted us with a mess of fresh-caught fish yesterday, and a relative will clean all of it in exchange for us sharing the bounty with him, so it's fish tonight. We feel doubly lucky!
We had chicken stir fry with rice, chicken Parmesan with spaghetti and garlic bread, a new Mac and cheese recipe with bacon in it (delicious), and tonight will be pork chops with salad and roasted potatoes.
This is the link to the Mac and cheese- it was delicious- http://www.pbs.org/food/fresh-tastes/bourbon-mac-cheese/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=pbsofficial&utm_campaign=PBS%20Food&linkId=100000001590805
It's interesting seeing everyone's weekday dinners because with kids activities those are far less interesting here.
On a separate note, I recall you saying cauliflower wasn't a family favorite and that garlic/wine recipe was the go to when you got it in your Hungry Harvest box. You should try Alton Brown's version: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/cauliflower-say-cheese-recipe-1923976. I leave it as is and it has a bit of a kick, but you could certainly take it up a notch by doubling the cayenne pepper. I could even see chopped chipotle peppers. We think it goes particularly well with ham.
We've been eating out of the pantry as DH wants to buy 4 hams....We need freezer space. Here's the weekly menu:
Mon- leftovers and pizza
Tue- BLT's, homemade pumpkin pie
Wed- oven chicken w/fries
Thurs- fish sandwiches w/fries
Fri- chili, homemade artisan bread
I'm making macaroons in different flavors for a cookie contest at work. I've never made them before and got creative with flavors. I've asked 6 co-workers to taste them and give me an opinion. So far, most people can't choose a favorite.... I may make several batches, each batch a different flavor. Is that cheating?!
Monday- we went to a Christmas parade so I put ham and cheese inside canned biscuits and chocolate/oatmeal /peanut butter boiled cookies to take with us to eat as we watched
Tuesday-hamburger steaks with sweet potatoes and Texas toast
Wednesday-chicken, rice, and broccoli stir fry with Asian soy sauce glaze over top
Thursday- pizza casserole and Brussels sprouts
Friday- hmmm, not sure. We are minus one kid so we may go out to eat
Thank you so much for sharing that cauliflower recipe! I fed the kids really early and took them to Zoo Lights, and then by the time I put them to bed I was sooo hungry again. So, umm, I cooked up the whole pound of cauliflower and ate every bite of it myself. Yum.
Sunday - crockpot black bean soup (from budgetbytes.com) and quesadillas
Monday - Ham/vegetable/barley soup, made with leftover ham from the freezer
Tuesday - our 4 year old had his Christmas program at preschool...so we grabbed Chick-fil-a drive through
Wednesday - red beans and rice with turkey sausage
Thursday - pancakes, bacon, fruit
Tonight - probably pita pizzas and a veggie of some sort
It was a weird week - I wasn't feeling well for a couple days, I broke a crown (dental, not royal, haha) and I was super busy with holiday stuff which means meals were super simple and often unbalanced, but that is just the way things go sometimes.
Saturday/Sunday - broccoli and chicken casserole with rice
Monday/Tuesday - Turkey, bacon and tomato sandwiches
Wednesday - macaroni and cheese
Thursday - dinner at a friend's house - white turkey chili and salad.
Friday - I am 98% sure I am making spaghetti with cooked meat from the freezer and a jar of sauce because simple is still supreme. I forgot to buy lettuce for salad though. Oh well.
Just the stress of more dental work would send me thru a drive thru so good for u for cooking!! I’d say that’s a win
Monday-dijon chicken thighs and butternut squash
Tuesday-cranberry chicken sausage over salad
Wednesday-taco
Thursday-taco pie ( from leftovers) with green beans
Friday-rotisserie chicken with salad
As usual I haven't kept a record of our meals. I am trying desperately to use meat from the freezer. This week we have had mushroom risotto, ham salad, cheese and ham sandwiches, corned beef and vegetables and chicken tikka. Ham has been very cheap at $6 (AUS) a kilo so less than $3 a pound. Four have been bought as their use by dates are into June next year. It has been very hot here so a cold meal is been appreciated. We have eaten a lot of tomato, lettuce etc and for fruits bananas, mangoes, cherries, some berries, apples and pears.
Trying to eating it of freezer and angry and have a lot w spend month for December. So far I'm about $130 u set budget for this far in the month!!! Monday was chicken stir fry over rice, Tuesday was steaks, baked potatoes and corn, Wednesday was chicken tortilla soup with Italian bread, Thursday was takeout pizza and Stromboli from our favorite joInt, tonight hubby and girls had subs as they were out Christmas shopping and I had leftover soup with a roll.
Monday- Baked chicken, brown rice, peas, brownie and peppermint ice cream
Tuesday- Salmon, lettuce salad, corn
Wednesday- Scrambled eggs, bagel, turkey sausage, and fruit
Thursday- Veggie pizza and salad
Friday- ham with cheese sandwiches, chips, sugar cookies
I have made a switch to cooking 2 or 3 large dishes on weekends so it cover meals till midweek. This saves me from the "I have no energy to cook" when I get home from work. We don't eat out much anyway.
Saturday & Sunday I made chicken, vegetable & dumpling soup. Ham, potato & carrot soup. Thursday we had Bosco sticks & fried rice, Friday we had breakfast.
I spent $11 on a ham and $23 at Aldi this week.
Let it snow! Let it snow! Let it snow! We had 9" Monday night and at least 2" each day this week. We will have a white Christmas. Great week for car repair places.
Hope everyone has a great holiday!
Monday - sick with virus and off food so just had 2 minute noodles
Tuesday - see above
Wednesday - I can't remember for the life of me
Thursday - disorganised and bought a chicken schnitzel/salad foccacia for lunch and it was huge so had half for lunch half for dinner
Friday - Work Christmas dinner - spit roast with baked potato and salads
Tonight - canned spaghetti in tomato cheese sauce on wholemeal toast
Tomorrow - no idea yet but reviewing the above I better make it healthy with lots of veg
Incidentally as an Aussie that Aussie chicken and braised cauli look so delicious and I will definitely be making those at some point (I also love vegemite but in case you don't know Aussies only eat it very thinly spread on toast or crackers or in sandwiches with butter as it is a salty savoury spread - think anchovy/olive tapenade rather than Nutella. I love it thinly spread on toast with a thick layer of avocado on top)
..and I can't stress this enough - very very thinly spread
...like a blob the size of 2 M&Ms would do for a piece of toast and the coverage will be patchy...
...and I forgot cheese, we eat it with cheese - especially in savoury bread scrolls with vegemite and cheese...
The Aussie chicken is SO not an authentic Aussie recipe, as you well know! It's only called that because it's a knock-off of a recipe served at Outback Steakhouse, a chain restaurant here with an Australian theme.
No vegemite anywhere to be found at that restaurant!
...It still looks yum:)
I just pinned the Aussie Chicken in my “ to make soon”board. I know hubby will love it.
As for vegemite.....a friend of mine went on his mission for church right out of high school and brought back a jar of it. Now, after reading this, I think all us about 20 year olds tried it way wrong.....stuck a spoon in jar and popped it in mouth! It made a lasting enough impression on me I don’t need to try it again.....even spread thin 🙂
Thinking back I think this was a joke he played on us ( 30years ago!) because I do remember him saying something about it was eaten like peanut butter....then laughing his head off as gaged....,probably getting even for the tooth paste us 18 year old girls put under his door handles one night!
I meant laughing his head of as WE gagged.......it was memorable forsure!
Tami I feel for you that would have been totally disgusting & I quite understand your aversion now, a while ago Cadbury's brought out a 'vegemite chocolate' that a friend bought cos 'we just HAVE to try it..." It was the most disgusting thing I've ever eaten & it took me weeks to get rid the memory of that taste... but I still love vegemite:)
...and I love all the other Cadbury's flavours...and kudos to them for having a go...