What I Spent, What We Ate | I am SO on budget
What I Spent
I got my $25 Hungry Harvest box, and you guys, I forgot to take a photo. Which is weird, because I am normally so faithful at doing that.
Please enjoy these squash friends instead:
I spent $27.80 at Aldi, on chicken, oats, milks, syrup, naan, vanilla, and a jar of Tikka Masala sauce.
I made a small stop at Lisey's grocery store ($10.46).
I went to Costco where I spent $59 on frozen fruit. And also on one box of Costco brand granola bars that are basically the same as Kind bars.
And I made a stop for milk, kielbasa, and an onion ($8.74).
So, I'm at $121, which is very fabulous for a week that I went to Costco.
November Spending
Week One: $127
Week Two: $181
Week Three: $121
What We Ate
Monday
Hibachi night to use up zucchini from Hungry Harvest!
Tuesday
I made a double batch of pulled pork. We ate one batch and I put the other one in the freezer for a future easy meal.
This recipe is super easy, and it turns out such tender, delicious pork. You need to try it!
Wednesday
This was the day I was crabby, and while my thankful list helped some, I just wasn't really at 100% all day long.
Time for the easy button!
Mr. FG had a super late lunch, so he didn't want dinner, and Joshua and Lisey were at work. So, Sonia and Zoe ate cheese tortellini topped with jarred marinara sauce, and I ate some leftovers.
Thursday
I grilled kebabs with kielbasa, shrimp, onions, and peppers. And I roasted some fingerling potatoes from my Hungry Harvest box.
The potatoes were red outside AND inside. Which made them look kind of like little pieces of ham once I roasted them.
We also had cucumber slices and apple slices.
Friday
Last Friday night, Mr. FG and I ended up going out on a date (whee!), so I didn't make pizza. But this week, I think I'll do the small thin crust pizzas like I've been making lately.
So handy to be able to easily customize everyone's pizza!
Whatcha been cooking for dinner at your house this week?
And have you been sticking to your grocery budget?
We have eaten most evening meals at home this week. Tonight we have had home made spaghetti bolognese with salad. Last night was a trip to the sushi store. We have had English sausages and mash, salmon and salad, and I can'r remember anymore.
Monday: Seared top round steaks with garlic butter, tomato and mozzarella salad, rice, and a stir fry of cabbage, carrots and onion in a peanut sauce. The stir fry was mostly for me, and I cut off some of the steak to mix with it before adding the butter. Man, I love stir fry with peanut sauce.
Tuesday: Pork shoulder braised in the oven with a totally made up mustard sauce (I think it was country style Dijon mustard, dry Vermouth, chicken stock, and maple syrup), mashed acorn squash with butter and maple syrup, leftover rice, and a green salad.
Wednesday: Lamb chili, corn tortillas with cheese (melted in the microwave for a cheater's quesadilla), roasted butternut squash, and another green salad.
Thursday: Spaghetti in the school cafeteria for open house night. My kids were very excited.
Tonight: Pizza. And I'M very excited. I haven't made pizza in months (because of the gestational diabetes, I didn't trust myself to make it and not eat too much), but I love it. My parents are coming from Arizona today for my daughter's baptism, so I'm calling it a special enough occasion to make pizza and I started the dough yesterday. Sourdough pizza is the only kind everyone in my house can eat, and it's a significant time investment, but it does make amazing pizza.
I need to start taking photos.. My mind cannot recall squat lately!
Monday I know I had kids home from school sick.. ........ I believe that was the night I re-heated shredded pork from the freezer.. so sandwiches, alfredo noodles and nasty frozen veggie blend that I allowed the kids to not eat.. because I hated it first! lol
Tuesday they had Pizza at TKD belt ceremony while I was at a work dinner meeting...
Weds- roast beef and gravy from the crock pot, boxed mashed taters and frozen corn.. with leftover bakery bread and rolls from my previous night work meeting
Thur- had to go out to supper before great grandpa flies south for the winter.. with all the *illness* in my house inlaws preferred eating out in *large public area where less of our sickness could get them!*(don't ask!)
Fri- I am thinking of pulling out some chicken breast and grilling or sauteing.. probably bake some sweet potatos
Monday - Butternut Squash Noodle Soup packed with 10 vegetables (I can't believe I've never oven roasted butternut squash, that's in the plans for this weekend's Friendsgiving)
Tuesday - Spaghetti Squash bake
Wednesday - Leftovers, since I went to a play!
Thursday - I made an awesome creamy Garlic, Pumpkin, Zucchini Pasta! It was delicious, and I am looking forward to eating it for lunch!
Friday - We are going out to dinner to celebrate some big changes in our home!
The squash look so cute! Congrats on staying on budget. Our family of 4 is trying to keep our groceries around $500 this month.
We spent $400 after the second week of this month and totally freaked out. Mr. FAF decided that we won't do any grocery shopping until Thanksgiving. I'm happy about that because we can keep our food expenses low.
It was an easy week to follow my menus because I wanted to avoid the crazy at the grocery store!
Monday - Dr. Martin's Mix, corn
Tuesday - Beef Stew Crockpot, garlic toast
Wednesday - Omellette, hash browns, fruit
Thursday - Pinto beans in crockpot, corn muffins
Tonight - Garlic Roasted Chicken crockpot, mashed potatoes, veggie
Saturday we will prob get Chinese, and Sunday we are invited to my son's apartment for dinner. I've resolved that we have to spend around $200 each week, but it also covers non-food items and we seem to be eating all of the food up!
The garlic Naan bread from Aldi makes fabulous pizza crust! We grill them and they are yummy! Have a great weekend!
I make Naan pizza frequently. It is yum.
This has been something of a boring week, food wise. We're working on trying to introduce my daughter to new foods and get her to eat since she's a super picky eater all of a sudden and at the same time just doesn't want to eat much.
Sunday: I cut up a whole chicken and made Chicken with 40 cloves. Yes, there were 40 cloves of garlic in there and whoa boy was it good! My wife wasn't too happy with me eating whole cloves of garlic that night.
Monday: Leftover chicken from the night before, along with tossed salads and rice.
Tuesday: Fish sticks, homemade fries and vegetables. I know, not exactly health food but I had potatoes that needed to be used up and my wife wanted the fish.
Wednesday: A chuck roast with roasted potatoes and carrots.
Thursday: Repeat of Wednesday (we're kind of boring people sometimes)
Friday: Probably going to take what's left of the roast beef and either make sandwiches or wraps with it. If not, then we can do something else with it. We'll see.
Tomorrow I get to roast a turkey for my wife's "Friendsgiving" where she'll have all of her friends over.
It's turned chilly here, so we've been eating bowls of hearty soup. Soup can be frugal for us when we stretch it with beans or cabbage. YES, we're sticking to our grocery budget. We were 34 dollars under on our last grocery shopping trip, and put that 34 immediately toward debt, woohoo!
It is amazing how you stay on budget. Do you ever get bored with the foods that you eat and want to splurge?
Maybe sometimes...but honestly, Aldi has really great foods at such great prices, I can have hummus and fancy cheeses and sausages and berries and whatnot.
My bigger temptation is to skip cooking and get takeout! If I got a million dollars, I'd probably not cook at home as much as I do, at least for a little while. Oh, the luxury.
I to went to Costco and walked out with a few things that weren't necessarily on my list...BUT...I've been craving steak and caramelized onions (I splurged on the steak, cheesy breadsticks and Havarti ...bad april)...sooo last Sunday I found myself roasting veggies for the week ahead, dividing the steak I got...it'll stretch for 3 meals and caramelizing an embarrassing amount of onions...it was onions in everything it seemed...they were good though.
Monday: Roasted veggie spaghetti (so quick when the veggies are all ready to go), breadsticks
Tuesday: Beef (marinated ahead of time) and peppers stir-fry, rice (rice cooker), avocado halves
Wednesday: Caramelized onion and Havarti on puff pastry ( I do cheat and get the pepperage farm brand...got it with a coupon though 🙂 it speedy and good) , mixed greens salad, bread sticks
Thursday: Baked acorn squash (crockpot), mixed greens salad (again) topped with pears, blue cheese crumbles and walnuts, bread sticks
Friday: looking forward to beef stew (crockpot), breadsticks, cheese
Saturday: I made enough stew for leftovers ...what is it about stew that makes it taste even better as leftovers?? Must be the caramelized onions heh heh
Everyone have a good weekend!!
Over the weekend I tried CI's faster onion carmelization method. Takes about 20 min. Slice 3 lbs onions from pole to pole (as opposed to the usual along-the-equator method), put in non-stick pan with 3/4c. water, 2T oil, about 1 t each salt and sugar. Simmer till water almost evaporated. Then saute on med-low, stirring occasionally, till onions mostly golden brown. Sprinkle with 1/8 t. baking soda and saute, stirring, for about a minute.
It is definitely faster, I haven't tried them yet but they look good.
Mon.- Ground turkey sandwiches and tortilla chips
Tues.- Subway Spicy Italian sandwiches and fruit
Wed.- Grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup
Thurs- Spaghetti and marinara sauce, garlic bread and applesauce
Fri.- Pepperoni pizza
S Pizza, salad, fruit
M Poppyseed chicken casserole, buttered noodles, spinach orange salad with toasted sesame dressing
T 6 yr. old Mr. had a school program so we had grilled sandwiches and fruit salad
W Bbq chicken, brown rice, green beans, fruit
T Fried chicken, wheat rolls, carrots, fruit
F Not sure as of yet.........................
Saturday -out for Chinese
Sunday mashed taters, pork cutlets & corn
Monday spaghetti and garlic toast
Tuesday leftovers
Wednesday Paninis
Thursday - rough busy day and I nuked a boxed lasagna (and it was horrible!)
Friday mustard chicken, rice and veggies or a salad.
I am amazed that I am not a particular fan of mustard but I found a mustard chicken marinade and it just adds so much flavor with out tasting like mustard. go figure.
I have been under budget for a while but not today. However I am over only by the amount of the sale ham I will freeze for Christmas. I have moved my shopping day from Sunday to Friday as I now work in the town where I prefer to shop.
Monday was sautéed okra, summer squash and onions and pork cutlets.
Tuesday was stir fry which included pork I held out just for this.
Wednesday was crockpot Brunswick stew.
Thursday was a no cook day as I babysat two of the grandchildren at their house and my meal was provided. The husband had leftovers.
Tonight is a steak I bought on sale plus a salad.