What I Spent, What We Ate | We certainly ate out less!
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We had much better week for eating in than last week, which is admittedly a low standard. 😉
What I Spent
I spent $113 at Aldi and then $25 at another store.
Update after I wrote the first draft of this post: also a $9 stop for cereal, cheese, bananas, cilantro, and candy corn pumpkins (because Lisey really wanted some!)
So my total is now $147.
November Spending
Week 2: $147
What We Ate
Saturday
Mr. FG's band had a gig, so we ate dinner at the restaurant where he was playing.
Sunday
We got real fancy with some frozen pizzas. Ha.
I did not burn them this time, though. See a previous attempt:
Monday
I made a pot of tortellini soup,
and a batch of basic homemade rolls.
The soup has lots of veggies in it, but I'm pretty sure I served some other kind of produce too.
I just don't know what it was!
Tuesday
Mr. FG had an unexpected trip to the ER from work due to terrible vertigo. I drove over to the ER to be with him, of course, and I didn't get home until 9:30 pm.
(He's fine; they tested all sorts of scary causes and it turns out that an ear infection was causing the problem. Whew.)
The girls fended for themselves and I made myself a late night sandwich once I got home.
A sandwich tastes AMAZING when it's been a very long time since lunch.
Wednesday
Mr. FG got to come home from the hospital. He's good to go now that his ear infection is being treated.
I made a pan of shrimp viennese*, which we ate with some leftover homemade rolls and some apples and grapes.
*I have most definitely just added the shrimp viennese post to my list of things to redo. Whyyyy did I put those awkward black letters on that photo in 2011?
Thursday
I made chicken tacos from Dinner Illustrated.
Friday
I will probably make this sausage and orzo dish, using asparagus for the veggie.
What did you eat for dinner this week?
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P.S. It's almost always cheapest to buy groceries and cook dinner that way. But if you need a little help and Blue Apron is too pricey for you, I have a link with a coupon code for Dinnerly, which is half the price of other meal kit boxes. Get $20 off your first two boxes ($10 off each of the first two).
Good morning. My week has been a struggle to eat at home. Let night we popped into a local Thai and had two starters for our dinner. Tonight we met my children at a local club where they have $10 meals. So $40 for two nights dinners. I made a curry on Wednesday and we are still eating it. I made omelette on Tuesday night because I was so very tired after spending all day with my two year old granddaughter. Monday night was BLT's and I have forgotten what we ate on Sunday.
I love that you cook such different meals with lots of differing combinations.
So glad the E.R. visit was relatively minor. Yikes.
Saturday: Barbecue elk, rice, rice. frozen peas
Sunday: Elk tacos, squash soup, chile beans, green salad
Monday: Bunless cheeseburgers, squash soup, cheese, bread and butter, raw carrots
Tuesday: Carnitas beef, leftover rice, roasted sweet potato/ bell pepper/onion, frozen green beans
Wednesday: Leftover beef and hamburgers, corn tortillas and cheese, cucumbers with salt and vinegar
Thursday: Elk garlic bread, frozen peas
Tonight: Well, there's another enormous chunk of untrimmed elk in the refrigerator, so I guess we know our protein. I have an open can of tomatoes to use up, along with the last wrinkled tomatoes from our garden, so I suppose I'll make pasta. Vegetable to be determined,
Typos courtesy of the toddler jumping on and off my lap. 🙂
I just get such a kick out of your postings -- another chunk of untrimmed elk in the 'frig -- how cool! 🙂
Yum elk!!! My favorite game meat. I was raised in what my father got hunting.
Oh the poor elk
Stick to fruit and veg and free-range eggs
I think if you are going to criticize Kristin for eating this elk, you should probably have started by criticizing all of the rest of us here who eat meat from the grocery store. Our grocery store meat consumption has a lot more potential issues than Kristin's game meat consumption.
Saturday- dinner at mom/dads, I supplied the pork roast, so pork roast, mashed, pickled red cabbage, corn, bread. Mom made apple crisp for dessert.
Sunday- date night with DD after her soccer game, she loves Hollianhs, we shared some appys, soup, and a dessert.
Monday- pasta, w/sauce, bread.
Tuesday- Chicken Cutlet, stuffing, corn.
Wednesday- Barber chicken cordon bleu, and the one stuffed with broccoli , mashed, mixed veggies.
Thursday- winged it. tortellini, with crushed tomatoes, chicken, Ricotta cheese mixed in.. turned ok......
Friday- DS has a game, so we are going to grab something after.... and its going to be chilly out there tonight!!!!!
Oh gosh, I sympathize totally with your husband. I suffer from vertigo as well thanks to Meniere's disease. Thankfully the hearing loss wasn't permanent but every now and again I'm dizzy and need to sit down. It's a scary thing!
We're still in a sick house but the tide is finally turning as our coughing is getting better.
Monday: Breakfast for dinner. It was about all we cold handle
Tuesday: I honestly can't remember as I was so sick.
Wednesday: Some roast beef, potatoes and carrots that were left over from the weekend.
Thursday: Cleaned out the fridge of leftovers.
Friday: Barbecue chicken, rice and some sort of vegetables.
Fri: Husband and I went out of town, so we ate at a local seafood restaurant and I had Mahi-Mahi and he had a Ribeye. I gave him half my fish and he gave me half his steak, so we each had surf and turf, lol.
Sat: Our friends invited us over to watch football and we went straight there from our overnight trip, so I wasn't able to bring anything. They however fried up Gator Tail and some Tilapia along w/salad.
Sun: Homemade Pizzas (a ham, pepperoni and bacon; a cheese and a shrimp pesto pizza); breadsticks filled with cheese
Mon: Chicken, Bacon Ranch Pasta; broccoli and Cheddar Biscuits
Tues: Tacos
Wed: Roasted Chicken Thighs with roasted potatoes and carrots
Thurs: Alfredo Sauce with Rotini noodles and I separately cooked some shrimp and some chicken so we could add what we'd like. Also some Italian Bread.
What an unhealthy week of meals I prepared. Note to self, do better this week!
It has been a good week of fall-type soups and casseroles. Fall is subtle here in S. California, but it has definitely arrived.
Sat- We ate out prior to a pops concert, and shared a salmon blt burger, plus some roasted Brussels sprouts. Both were delicious, and came to just $17 after our pops concert subscriber's discount. Plus we enjoyed sitting outside under warm skies while we dined, bonus!
Sun- I hosted our quarterly book club and made/served grilled chicken with a roasted tomatillo and onion salsa, plus rice, salad, plus Ina Gartin's Old Fashioned Banana Cake. I love her cookbooks for entertaining!
Mon- I skipped dinner due to 1) having had lunch out with a friend, and 2) having an evening meeting event, so hubby made himself a veggie burger topped with some of Sunday's leftover salsa, plus a salad.
Tue- I made a fabulous butternut squash posole soup, which I served with cornbread muffins.
Wed- We went down to the beach where friends were RVing. We've hosted them here several times, and they wanted to return the favor via their travel trailer. It was great to be entertained in such a scenic location!
Thur- I had lunch out again with a friend, so skipped dinner, and thus hubby had a repeat of Tuesday's dinner. The posole tasted even better after sitting for a day, so there were no complaints!
Fri- We have friends coming over, and I'm making a tomato pesto dip starter, then pumpkin mushroom lasagna, Caesar salad, and garlic bread for the main, and balsamic marinated berries over ice cream for dessert.
I love cooking the majority of our meals from scratch. Everything has so much more flavor than store bought, plus, leftovers for days.
Was the roasted tomatillo and onion salsa an Ina recipe? Sounds delicious!
Better Homes & Gardens, another go-to recipe source: https://www.bhg.com/recipe/chicken/lime-marinated-chicken-and-tomatillo-corn-salsa/
The butternut squash pozole sounds great. Receipe please. Whwew in So cal are you. I live in Ontario, Inland empire. Thank you.
LOL! Here you go: https://www.sunset.com/recipe/butternut-squash-posole
It's got great depth of flavor from the get go, and would also do well with some added ground pork sausage, depending.
Monday was a roasted turkey breast with dressing, gravy, squash and carrots. Yum!
Tuesday we had lasagna with lemon pepper zucchini and mushrooms on the side.
On Wednesday we finished the lasagna and a couple of slightly soft carrots.
Thursday was pizza night as usual, served with beets salad.
Tonight I'm making lo mein because it's snowing and I need comfort food!
Glad your Hubs is on the mend! Personally I'm tired of eating IN versus OUT. But, I will forge on with meal planning and economy. This week we ate:
Monday - Some chicken with some twice bakeds from the freezer, and some green beans with bacon
Tuesday - Crockpot Pork and Apples and Pears, rice, corn
Wednesday - Link Sausage with quinoa, black beans, and tomatoes in the skillet
Thursday - Hamburger Soup, corn muffins
Friday - up in the air since I'm not sure if I'm feeding just me, or me and Hubby
Saturday - Fondue night with maybe some steak bites to go with
Sunday - Baked Salmon, pot stickers. honeyed carrots
Next week I am getting creative and doing a freezer clean out!
I need to do a freezer clean out as well. Thanks for the reminder. I think there may be a half dozen banana chocolate chip muffins in there somewhere.
I'm glad you were able to get answers for Mr. FG! And kudos on making a sandwich and not grabbing something on the way home.
This has been a different week. All 5 days are either my husband coaching 45 minutes away and we all go (3 nights) or he's out scouting teams they're going to play (2 nights) so the theme has been quick and easy for the kids and I as they've mostly been quick dinners. We'll be healthy again another week.
Monday: Chicken sandwiches and macaroni and cheese
Tuesday: Brats, corn casserole, broccoli with cheese
Wednesday: Rice bowls
Thursday: Chicken sandwiches and pears (Note: this was the night we had the shortest amount of time before leaving for the game and I was super tempted to get a pizza for the kids to eat in the way or just buy food from the concession stand, so it's a win that I didn't give in to those temptations)
Friday: Tacos
My poor aunt lived with severe, but thankfully not frequent, bouts of vertigo for much of her adult life. I saw how miserable that can be. I'm so glad Mr. FG is getting better!
This week we had:
Spatchcocked chicken, Roasted Golden Beets and Apples, roasted asparagus, mushrooms and onions
Pork ribs, leftover Roasted Golden Beets and Apples, leftover roasted asparagus, mushrooms and onions. Not very imaginative, but it worked.
Meatloaf, fried squash n' onions, broccoli
Hamburgers and salad
Chicken and cassava biscuit casserole with broccoli on the side
Easy button -- a frozen pizza for him, leftovers for me
Tonight is going to be an easy button night, too, as my daughter and I are going to be busy prepping for our yard sale tomorrow. It is forecast to be in the 40's tomorrow morning after a week of warm weather. Brrrr.
Just a comment about the Vertigo that Mr FG had. I get it a lot when my ears fill up with liquid due to allergies and also when I have ear infections. Or when the teeny tiny stones in my ear get out of alinement, which is the real reason for vertigo. Glad he is on the mend. And Sonia too. That must be a horrible feeling that I do not envy.
I actually took out some leftover corned beef and potatoes that were supposed to be used for hash, but instead became soup. My husband bought a loaf of rye bread and it’s been delicious!
Yeah, they had him do some movements of his head to try to get the stones back in alignment. So weird!
I live in a very very high cost of living area, with one overpriced supermarket within a 30 minute drive. I love Dinnerly. Some of the meals are better than others, but since I am terrible at meal planning (my mind goes dead and all I can think is ".....maybe pasta?"), I really like to pick out my meals online. Plus I am sure I am saving money.
I will participate this week as I actually remember what we ate 😉
Sunday: Grilled Pork chops with baked potatoes & mixed veggies. DH had a frozen pizza as he doesn't like pork chops.
Monday: Minestrone soup & homemade bread
Tuesday: Chicken and biscuits
Wednesday: Takeout Moe's....came home to eat it to save $ on drinks. Today was National Nacho day & they had a special on their nacho plate $4.99 which DD1 and I shared.
Thursday: Breakfast sandwiches on bagels with bacon from our pig we just had butchered
Tonight: we got invited to have chili at the firehouse.
I love Moe's! We had one in our town when we lived in Indiana, but that was 2 states ago and I miss eating there.
Sunday chorizo and chickpea stew
Monday dahl, onion bhajie, poppodoms, salad and rice
Tuesday white fish stir fry with veggies
Wednesday chicken wraps
Thursday pasta with Green pesto and veggies
Fri egg and tomato stir fry
I've been to the ER for vertigo due to the stones in the ear. It was awful, and it took several days for it to go away. Glad Mr. FG is doing better with the ear stuff taken care of. And prayerfully this coming week won't involve as many interactions with the emergency room!
Yes, it's amazing how awful vertigo can make you feel. He was so, so miserable.
I hope we don't darken the doors of an ER for a nice long time. 😉
A non food comment. Had no idea what "stones in ears" was referring to so I looked it up. Whoa. Tiny crystals of calcium carbonate are found in the inner ear. I must have missed that lesson in school. 🙂 I learned something new which I appreciate!
Glad that your cherished ones are on the mend.
Hi Molly--
I know you looked this up, but here's a link for anyone else wondering about it: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/vertigo/symptoms-causes/syc-20370055
It's typically referred to as crystals in the ear, or BPPV (benign proxysmal positional vertigo) and the treatment to fix that is called the Epley maneuver which is done to reposition the crystals to a less sensitive portion of the ear. Many physical therapists, some occupational therapists, and some ENTs are trained in this technique--one of those "good to know" facts if you are having a problem.
I'm an occupational therapist--this is NOT my specialty area but I wanted to comment about it and add that there are many, many issues which can cause sensations of dizziness and vertigo. Having these symptoms can be serious, so please visit your medical specialist sooner rather than later if you have them. Also, for anyone struggling with ongoing issues of this sort, there are therapists/programs which deal in depth with balance disorders and it is well worth your time to check in with them.
Kristen, I'm glad your husband found relief!
Oh my goodness -- never knew all this! And so common. thank you for the info.
It's quite a common problem but until you or a loved one has an issue with vertigo, you probably won't hear about it. Your primary care physician may misdiagnose it or not be trained in the Epley maneuver--information is power!
Strokes and brain tumors can also cause vertigo, which is why I mentioned seeking medical help immediately. Most people's experience with vertigo is from a less serious cause, but it's better to be safe than sorry. If you get to an ER within 3 hours of the onset of your symptoms and it turns out to be a stroke, you can be treated for it with a clot buster drug, which greatly reduces the effect of the stroke--many people return back to normal after this. I have been practicing for many years and I see far fewer seriously debilitating strokes than I did as a younger practitioner.
I hope I'm not getting too "medical"--I'm very passionate about getting people the information and help they need!
Thank you for posting this! I have had balanced issues and dizziness and have not had any luck with a diagnosis. This will be helpful to have when I see my dr.
Animals can get vertigo as well. It is called vestibular syndrome and it strikes both dogs and cats. Our elderly dog suffered an attack and we thought she was having a stroke. Nope. It took a few weeks for her to recover although she never fully returned to what she was. Many dogs (and cats) do however. Vets don't know what causes it in animals although it is much more common in elderly dogs and cats. I'm not comparing my dog's affliction to what Mr. F.G. suffered, btw. It was a frightening, sad experience to go thru so I wanted to share in case it would help a reader.
Oh wow, I can imagine this being confusing to diagnose in animals since they can't tell you what's going on!
Your poor dog! How upsetting for you to watch her go through that. Glad you had a good vet who could help.
Vertigo must be going around -- my walking partner just struggled with it and from the same cause -- ear infection 🙁 Glad it was "only" an ear infection!
Groceries: $75.50 for the 2 of us, using up some freezeer/pantry stuff.
( and not including the $$$ spent on mini marshmallows for igloos at school.And big
marshmallows, Hershey's bars, and graham crackers for s'mores. Yeah, it was educational.
We learned how to make them in a microwave.)
Sunday -- Discounted salad mixed with discounted frozen pre-cooked chicken, garbanzos, v
eggies etc; steamed carrots
Monday -- FAIL! Had to go down to boulevard for dental work, cajoled husband into meeting
me for dinner at cheapish fish restaurant and a movie (senior discount). 🙁
I had fish tacos, he had fish plate.
Tuesday -- Discounted turkey burgers, a really old potato nuked and rather yummy, plus salad.
Wednes -- Last of discounted turkey burgers, and the other old nuked potato turned into hash
with carrots, onions, etc., plus salad.
Thurs. -- Husband went to an event; I stopped up my ears with wax and lashed myself to the
mast to silence the siren call of take-out. Made salad with all the stuff I had plus
avocado and called it Southwestern Delight. Plus grapes.
Friday -- Probably dinner out but a cheap happy hour or our favorite cheap Mexican.
Thanks to everyone for the continued inspiration here -- I actually find myself thinking back on the wonderful post about mixing it up and everyone's great suggestions. Happy Friday!
"lashed myself to the mast" Ha!
Priskill: Are you perhaps an English teacher in the midst of a unit on "The Odyssey"? 🙂
Hah!! 🙂 🙂 🙂 no, just a special ed teacher of very young children, in the midst of an letter I unit and marshmallow igloos. No Greek heroes, just Hershey's
Haha!! 🙂 No, a special ed teacher in the midst of marshmallow igloos -- no heroes, just Hersheys
Sorry -- i didn't mean to have all those spaces in the middle of the text-- won't let that happen again!
Saturday: we went over to my aunt's for tacos.
Sunday: we had In n Out after church. Then ate random things for dinner.
Monday: We had the final walkthrough of our new house. So we drove through somewhere afterwards where I can't remember.
Tuesday: I think we had pasta.
Wednesday: We went to a friend's house for a birthday party.
Thursday: We closed on our house and ate Chipotle.
Friday. I made cheesy grits for myself and hubby went to dinner with his cousin.
I also did not grocery shop because 1) I knew it was going to be a crazy week and we would be eating out a lot and 2) I don't want to pack and move food.
I always struggle to remember what we've eaten:
Sunday -homemade pizzas (cauliflower crust for 2, regular for the kids) + salad
Monday - chicken sausages & roasted brussel sprouts
Tuesday - salmon & coleslaw
Wednesday - we went out. It was an absolutely chaotic day. We went to a local salad bar place, and ended up bumping into friends. Apparently, it was that day for everyone.
Thursday - We had the rest of the chicken sausages, sprouts & salad
Friday - I've made a big batch of ground beef taco meat & guacamole. We'll be having that with empanadas as soon as my parents arrive from the airport.
Saturday - I'm taking my mom out to dinner. The kids, my husband & dad are having steak & roasted squash
My husband had a bout with vertigo a few years back. Scary when it happened. Hope your husband is better soon.
Here's what we ate:
Saturday - Our vegetarian daughter was home for the weekend from college and was desperate for enchiladas. So, I made black bean enchiladas, refried beans and homemade tortilla chips.
Sunday - Coffee and bagels on the road taking our daughter back to college.
Monday - Leftover enchiladas
Tuesday - Chicken parmesan over spaghetti pasta.
Wednesday - BLT sandwiches.
Thursday - Pulled pork sandwiches, steak fries and green beans.
Friday - Date night dinner out - fish fry with baked potatoes and salad.
Tonight: BBQ chicken thighs, mashed potatoes, cucumbers and bell peppers with hummus
Thursday: shrimp stirfry
Wednesday: delivery pizza
Tuesday: pulled pork, mashed potatoes and green beans
Monday: lasagna
Sunday: leftovers
Saturday: rotisserie chicken, baked beans, pasta salad
Overall not a bad week for dinners.