What I Spent, What We Ate | restocking is no joke
What I Spent
First up, last Saturday, I got my $25 Hungry Harvest box.
For those of you asking about the value of the Hungry Harvest produce, I weighed mine this week, and my box held 20 pounds of produce.
So, that's $1.25/pound, averaged out.
I haven't weighed mine regularly, but I'll try to remember to do that to get an idea of how much it averages per pound.
(New to Hungry Harvest? Here's an FAQ post I wrote about them. Get $5 off your first box through this referral link.)
Then I went to Aldi and spent $124 on a very full cart of groceries. I was out of a lot of things, apparently.
(!)
And I needed some things that Aldi didn't carry, so I spent $45 at a regular grocery store.
The difficulty of late is that I can't really depend on my freezer stash to help fill out my meals, and this is particularly problematic for proteins, which cost a lot. I figure my grocery bill will just be higher for a while as I work on restocking the freezer.
I also spent $17 on food items at Costco, which takes me up to $211.
What We Ate
Saturday
Sonia and Zoe ate mac n cheese plus fresh fruit, Mr. FG and I went on our date night (calzone for him, gnocchi for me...so good!), and Lisey ate our leftovers after her work shift. 😉
Sunday
Lisey was at a Super Bowl party, and Sonia and Zoe had eaten at a friend's house.
So it was just Mr. FG and me who were hungry at dinnertime, and we ate bratwurst, fresh fruit, and Doritos while kinda-sorta watching the last of the Super Bowl.
Monday
I tried a recipe from Dinner Illustrated for Drunken Noodles, which apparently is a Thai dish that's good for eating after you're hung over.
This was just ok...I thought the molasses in the sauce was a little too strong. I kind of felt like I was eating molasses oatmeal bread, except in a pork dish.
(This is the oatmeal bread recipe I'm mentioning.)
I like molasses in my bread, but not with my pork and noodles.
Tuesday
I pressed the easy button and boiled frozen tortellini and added jarred sauce plus sauteed chicken sausage slices.
We had spaghetti squash and fresh fruit on the side.
Wednesday
Two easy button nights in a row! I made French toast, at Zoe's request, topped with fresh berries and whipped cream. We also had sausage from the freezer.
Thursday
I tried a recipe for Korean pork tacos, and while the recipe was all right, it was nothing remarkable and I probably won't make it again.
Friday
I think I'm going to make a cilantro-lime quinoa dish, largely because it gets topped with avocado and I have a lot of ripe avocados right now. Strike while the iron's hot, I say.
(Worry not, I put all the ripe avocados in the fridge to extend their perfect ripeness life.)
Sat- Chicken cutlet, butter noodles, corn before DS soccer game.
sunday- for super bowl, we had a sub sandwich, pigs in the blanket, and my part was buffalo chicken dip, brownies, and store bought cookies on sale w/coupon (at mom/dads)
Monday- Pot roast, potatoes, carrots, leafa (you should know that one) (mom/dad stayed for dinner)
tues-pasta w/sauce, salad
weds- sausage, peppers, potatoes ,onions, dd has tortellini, ds, chicken parm (made out of leftovers)
Thursday- breakfast for diner, pancakes, bacon, apple slices. (made chocolate chip cookies for son dance tomorrow)
Friday- ds has dance at school (valentines), me, dh, dd have a GC for a dinner so that is what we are doing.
Have been trying top make something new each week, but non this week.
I was over guacamole and had 2 very ripe avocados so I made avocado mousse- DELICIOUS. It was just a little vanilla, pureed avocado, and cocoa/Stevia for sweetness. You can add melted chocolate if you wish but this was fine for me. I'm really trying to have little waste with food- it seems like I overbuy and cook too much!
My week went south quickly, when I had to put my husband in the hospital, where he still is. He's getting better, but my meal for this past Sunday night was a bag of plantain chips, and his was an IV. Not the best ever.
Monday I had the rest of the small pizza I'd made Saturday night -- he didn't feel well enough to eat any of it that night. I found a recipe for a really good cassava crust and I'd loaded on the veggies.
Tuesday I made pork chop with persimmon glaze. Sides were spinach and a beet and butternut "curry." My husband would not have liked the curry or spinach, so I cooked them when he didn't have to eat them.
Wednesday, let's see, I made a sweet potato, apple, onion and ground pork casserole, seasoned with sage and cinnamon, making a few modifications to an autoimmune-diet recipe. It turned out quite well in my opinion.
Thursday was soup made of bone broth, the other half of the pack of ground pork, cauliflower, celery, onion and garlic, then I hand mashed it to make it thicker, but not pureed. I'm not a fan of pureed meat.
Tonight, I don't know yet. My husband and I usually eat something like steak or shrimp, but he's stuck with hospital food and I don't know what I'll feel like doing. It's hard that he's 2 hours away!
I hope your husband is well enough to come home soon!
Oh no, I'm so sorry he's in the hospital! I hope he's better soon.
Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday- terikayi chicken (made with $.49/lb bone-in chicken thighs) and vegetable fried rice
Thursday and Friday- sesame baked pork loin with mac and cheese
Spent $60 on groceries this week, which included enough chicken and pork loin for another few weeks.
I know what you mean about not being able to depend on the freezer for proteins. I was having that problem as well, and as a result didn't know what to cook. Thanks to a sale on happy ground beef, and buying 3 of the January bog from my local farm, I'm well stocked with meat including a lot of beef, which is unusual for me.
Sunday - Superbowl Snacky, heavy on the tex-mex.
Monday - pork chops, I think
Tuesday- smorgesborg supplemented with dim sum
Wednesday - taco night, including both braised chix from Superbowl and ground beef
Thursday- sirloin steak, apples & oranges, baby carrots & mini cukes
Friday - I have plans so no cooking
Right? It's weird to not shop your freezer!
Sunday: Homemade Guac with chips, fruit, cheese
Monday: Scrambled eggs, home fries, left-over Guac
Tuesday: Dined Out (Burgers and Fries)
Wednesday: Chicken sausage, brown rice, green beans
Thursday: Spinach salad, brown rice stir fry, boiled plantains (Hubby cooked dinner (and cleaned up) making it the best home-cooked meal, like ever!)
Friday: I think spinach salad
Oh MAN! Thai Drunken Noodles is my FAVE. Never made it at home before (Pad Kee Mow on a Thai menu) I am going to have to get Dinner Illustrated at the library to see if I like the homemade version (despite your negative experience 🙂 )
Ooh, I'd be interested in your opinion! I've never had it at a restaurant, so I don't know if I don't like Pad Kee Mow or if I just don't like this version.
Speaking of Thai, your Thai Curry Soup made it to my dinner table again last night - so, so good! This time I made enough that I can have leftovers for lunch. Looking forward to it.
I need to defrost my freezer, but I keep finding great deals at Grocery Outlet and the 99 Cents Only Store!
OTOH, DH and I need to make a quick trip out of town to do some repairs on a rental property, and I won't need to grocery shop for the rest of the family in advance, woot! Plus there's plenty on hand to pack for the road trip. Best of all, there's an Aldi near the rental! Happy, happy! We always travel with snacks to avoid all but the briefest of gas/pit stops, but knowing I can replenish for the return trip (a seven+ hour drive) at Aldi is a frugal thrill indeed!
Finally, learning from you that avocados can be refrigerated was a complete game changer! I have wasted so many in my lifetime, but no more, thanks to your tip. Thanks, Kristen!
So glad you are enjoying that soup. Yay!
I had a majorly disappointing meal plan! I'd made some lovely burrito bowls with rice, black beans, salsa, cheese, and lime--all neatly packed and stacked in the fridge, and by Wednesday I figured out that the terrible stomach pains and bloating I was having must have been from the beans. There were, um, also some even less pleasant side effects but let's not talk about it. Seriously, though, I looked pregnant, I was so bloated! It was surprising because I eat canned black beans a lot; I assume it's because I usually would cook them further in a soup or stew. So that was kind of a fail. Yesterday I managed to go home for lunch and have scrambled eggs, but today there wasn't time, so I grabbed some very delicious grilled cheese with sides from a local place. Expensive, not too healthy. But oh man, melted cheese is so great.
Monday - Leftovers from the Super Bowl. I had made pulled pork but my brother-in-law had brought over some Hot and Readys. For some reason almost everyone chose pizza over the pulled pork so we have a ton of that leftover. I already put some in the freezer. With the pulled pork sandwiches we also had leftover mac & cheese.
Tuesday - More leftovers for my husband (I had them for lunch on Mon & Tues and was already sick of them). So I had ham sliders (with ham frozen from Christmas!) with a cucumber salad.
Wednesday - Used thefrugalgirl's crust again to make BBQ chicken pizza with a side of salad. The crust was so sticky again - I am using King Arthur's flour, but it doesn't specifically say bread flour on it, so perhaps that's the reason. Still tastes good though!
Thursday - I have class. Usually I use this as an excuse to stop somewhere on the way (using a coupon) to pick up dinner but I still had lettuce so I packed myself a salad with black beans and a hard boiled egg. My husband made himself mac and cheese. I always leave him something to eat but didn't this week because he was supposed to go out with a friend, who ended up canceling last minute.
Friday - I am really not sure. My husband will be out and I probably should eat something from the freezer but I have a $2 off a You Pick Two at Panera that is really calling my name...
Panera coupons are the best.
Another week of the whole family being ill 🙁
Saturday : MIL dropped off Burger King
Sunday : curry with cheese stuffed mini peppers
Monday : bratwurst and spaghetti squash Alfredo
Tuesday : leftovers for me, husband was too sick to eat dinner
Wednesday : rotisserie chicken, broccoli, and potato salad
Thursday : pork loin, brussel sprouts, carrots
Friday : split pea soup, tomato mozzarella foccacia
I have been following your posts for a while now. This is the first time I am responding.
Saturday- I can’t remember
Sunday - take out Thai food (green curry, red curry and pad Thai) for my birthday and a cake.
Monday- whole wheat crepes (not sweet) with salad: torn Romain lettuce and thinly shredded carrot ( dressed with lemon juice, oil, salt and pepper). My son likes to eat his with peanut butter.
Tuesday- flower shaped pasta with tofu- fake ground beef and broccoli.
Wednesday- brown rice, black beans, guacamole, sliced lettuce, diced tomato and sour cream so that the kids can help themselves.
Thursday- blackened tilapia, white rice and oven roasted green beans
Today- since I woke up at 4:30 AM I think I might just make fish
I remembered the missing meal, not sweet French toast with a salad. The pasta night also came with a caprese salad.
I made the Thai chicken soup recipe you posted; thank you. It was delicious. I look forward to eating it again for lunch tomorrow. Yay, leftovers!
I love the look of the oat bread. I wonder if I could halve the amount of molasses?
This week has been a week of soup, soft foods and more soup. Mum had six teeth removed last Friday and she is still miserable.
Well, after a long siege of holiday and holiday travel related expenses, we are finally getting back into shape, food-wise. So, focusing on the improvement 🙂
This week I made:
Not great sauteed chicken breasts (tough -- forgot to smack them around first) with lots of veggies and salad to go with
Spaghetti from jar with added veg and ground turkey from the freezer; leftovers made another appearance later this week -- used up very reduced Barilla WW pasta and favorite VONS house brand marinara which they are discontinuing!! They have redone the packaging and the ingredients -- twice the sugar and a bunch more stuff. This may get me to make my own!
frozen pizza TWICE ( I know, I know) that I had bought very cheaply on sale and served with broccoli and salad.
Possibly Chipotle take out one tired night -- bowls and no tip or drinks.
Friday night take out from favorite Mexican restaurant -- flautas for me and steak for husband, followed by last of the ice cream and Netflix.
Plus a couple lunches out during work week -- the pistons weren't all charging 🙁
Tonight -- hmmm thinking . . .
Sigh . . . not great but better -- will keep trying!
Hey, you served two types of vegetables with your frozen pizza which is more than I can muster on frozen pizza nights haha
Aw, i feel better, thanks!!
Ha! I noticed that and thought the same thing, lol!
Progress, not perfection! And yes, two veggies with frozen pizza is impressive. 😉
Aw thanks! We are trying!!