WIS, WWA | $116
What I Spent
How about a Chiquita picture first?
What she does:
And how I feel about it:
I spent:
- $11 at Safeway
- $30 on a Hungry Harvest box
- $75 at Sam's Club
So, $116 for me.
What We Ate
Saturday
Zoe was at work, and I made myself a bowl of mashed potatoes, green peppers, roasted carrots, and sausage.
Sunday
I made waffles, fried cornmeal mush, and bacon.
Monday
Monday and Tuesday were my clinical days this week, and as you already know, we get out at 8:3o, and we get a dinner break around 6:00.
Sooo, on Monday morning I made a pot of this creamy tortellini and kale soup, and I packed that as my dinner, along with some fruit.
Ok, I also packed some cinnamon pretzels. Ha.
Tuesday
Just a repeat of Tuesday, because what is the point of making things harder than they need to be??
Wednesday
I had a dinner get-together with some friends, and I brought some French bread.
Zoe made herself some French toast.
Thursday
I used the leftover French bread to make some grilled ham and cheese sandwiches, with roasted carrots and fruit on the side.
Friday
Zoe's got a late shift tonight so....I'll probably make one of my usual egg/veggie bowls for one. 😉
Hey, I made your French bread recipe this week too! 🙂
Bread question. What type of flour do you use to make the bread?
Thanks!
p.s. Love the cat photo!
@Julie, Not Kristen, but I use bread flour.
I use unbleached all purpose flour usually, but also sometimes bread flour. I don't typically like off brand flour; I've found it's worth it to pay for Gold Medal over the generic.
@Kristen,
Thank You to both of you!
@Julie,
We are also brand snobs for basically flour only. (Everything else we are happy with store brands.) We use King Arthur flour and buy it in bulk from a restaurant supply.
@Becca, @Rose, @Kristen, could someone 'splain to me why Gold Medal or King Arthur is better than generic?
I have noticed that generic flour just does not behave like name brand flour in yeast bread; it makes the dough surprisingly stuff and unwieldy. I don't know why!
@Central Calif. Artist Jana,
My husband is the baker and he insists on KA. I think part of it is the quality control and consistency, but also he uses primarily sourdough starter and it can be fussy if you use bleached flour because the bleach inhibits the growth of the yeast. I'm sure there are all kinds of scientific studies done by test kitchens, etc, but for us it just comes down to sticking with what is reliable.
@Becca, I buy unbleached flour and whole wheat from the bulk bins at Winco. I've tried KA but my frugal self can't discern noticeable quality increase that is proportional to the price increase. So, I'll just figure that I'm not very discerning, and go with my Inner Cheapstress.
@Central Calif. Artist Jana,
Sounds good to me. If I were the baker, I'd probably be tempted to experiment with cheaper options more, but seeing as he makes homemade bread 3-4 times a week, I figure he can be stuck up about his flour. Since I buy it in bulk, it averages out to about a dollar a pound, and that's about how much he uses for one loaf of bread. A dollar for a loaf of homemade artisan bread ain't too shabby, especially considering I didn't have to make it. 😉
I have experimented with a lot of cheaper flours, and none from around here performs as well, except that I did like the organic unbleached flour that was a special buy at Aldi once.
@Becca, I agree - when the "better half" actively takes on a task, quibbling over a few cents, maybe a dollar is "not the right call". Mine cooks, mine cleans. I will suck it up when he uses paper towels. Mine also builds and does repairs. Mine could do clothe diapers. Pick your battle(s) as I say.
We ate at home all week with the meat from the freezer. Altho we did eat out on Wednesday at Jersey Mike's to help out with their day of giving to local charities. 100% of sales went to the local children's hospital. And it was crowded.
Your French bread recipe is my family's favorite. I have given the link to the recipe many times. My beloved Dad absolutely adored it. Thank you for sharing this and all of your recipes.
My grocery bills have settled back into the $80-100 range with only one eat out a week. Here's what we ate:
Monday - Spaghetti Bolognese, green beans
Tuesday - I ate a Chicken Sammie and 1/2 a small bag of fried okra as I was driving home from clearing out my Mom's house. Not the healthiest, but I had not eaten for the entire day. If I had a snack at home I don't remember.
Wednesday - Chopped Salad with shredded rotisserie chicken, Cheesy Garlic Crescent Rolls
Thursday - Chopped Hoagies on garlicky sub rolls
Friday - Beef Burrito Bowl with avocado cream sauce
Saturday and Sunday - kitchen closed as I work all weekend
Happy Easter Weekend!
@Gina from The Cannary Family,
Clearing out a family members home is hard work. It took my hubby and I many, many weekends to clean out his parents house after my mother in law passed away (FIL had passed 6 years before). You get to eat *whatever you can get easily*. Hugs.
Saturday: family dinner out at a favorite restaurant
Sunday: black bean burritos
Monday: spinach lemon bulgar soup
Tuesday: sausage broccoli pasta
Wednesday: freezer Veggie burgers and roasted potatoes
Thursday: spontaneous leftover dinner with neighbors! Salmon, rice, beans and salad
Friday: probably tofu/bok choy stir fry
Tonight, the gumbo z'herbe.
Last night, lasagna with salad.
Wednesday: Chinese takeout.
Tuesday: steak fajitas.
Monday: um.....
Tomorrow, I don't know. Easter Sunday, we are going to a huge and delicious brunch buffet and I told the kids to load up on prime rib and seafood. Hopefully no one will need dinner after that.
WIS: 155.86 @Aldi, 47.19 @Lidl for loss leaders only, 38.15 on take out pizza, and 152.85 on some fancy locally made liquor from the farmer's market, so 394.05 this week.
WWA:
Fri: salad (spring mix, celery, yellow peppers and tomato marinade dressing) and focaccia (mozzarella, Parmesan and turkey bacon).
Sat: I was visiting my college roommate and we had assorted treat foods like chips and chocolate covered strawberries, but we also had salad, fruit and cheese and crackers. My people at home had lobster ravioli and salad.
Sun: still visiting my friend. I had another salad (this time she suggested we add some drained chickpeas and drained canned tomatoes and I made a mental note to try these two at home.) We also put avocado and crumbled fancy Gouda and some pork pot stickers on top. My people at home ordered pizza and I think they had salad on the side.
Mon: salad (spring mix, spray dressing) and nachos with Monterey jack cheese, black beans and guacamole. We had something for dessert this night, but I can't remember what.
Tue: salad (spring mix, crispy onions, spray dressing) and pizza bagels on homemade everything bagels. Strawberry ice cream cones for dessert.
Wed: salad (spring mix, cucumber, carrots, red pepper, avocado, spray dressing and crispy onions), spaghetti and meatballs that used up some leftover marinara sauce. I ended up making not quite enough spaghetti, so my husband ate a ramen bowl instead and I had a smaller amount than my kids and then had an apple.
Thu: salad (spring mix, cucumbers, avocado and tomato with spray dressing and crispy onions) and chicken pot pie using canned chicken and a homemade pie crust leftover from pi day.
Tonight: we are planning to grill hotdogs over the fire pit tonight, so maybe I'll cut up watermelon to go with them.
Have a great weekend, everyone!
WIS: $11.50 at Wegmans and $73.50 at Price Chopper.
WIA: The highlights were a ham and bean soup with some of last week's Wegmans ham (I did end up freezing the bone and a pound of the meat for future use); a homemade olive, onion, and mushroom pizza; and a pasta dish that used up some more mushrooms, some grape tomatoes, the last of a bag of Aldi spinach, and an oddball 6 oz. package of pasta I scored off the clearance rack at Price Chopper.
@A. Marie, You are a brave lady to take on another ham. I still have Christmas ham in the freezer. Eternity!
@Bee, well, I bought the smallest $1.49 ham Wegmans had, and I did so knowing that I would freeze part of it. Doing both these things shortened the "eternity" factor.
@Bee, Everyone here voted for turkey rather than ham for Easter. One of my kids thoughtfully pointed out that he wasn't sure Jesus would have eaten a ham, being Jewish and all.
@Karen A., He wouldn't have eaten a turkey either, because it's a New World only bird, but I hate ham and love turkey, so I guess I'm with Jesus.
@Karen A.,
A very cleaver kiddo!
Sunday: Muffin tin meatloaves that were on the menu for Saturday but got pushed back.
Monday: National waffle day! We had a waffle bar.
Tuesday: Preschooler's choice, she asked to go to a burger place with a play place. Eating out isn't usually one of her options, but we said yes.
Wednesday: It was supposed to be leftovers, but we actually didn't have too many so we dug some mini egg rolls out of the chest freezer.
Thursday: Rotisserie chicken and sweet potato fries with a super easy Peruvian green sauce. It's a blender sauce, so it's super easy for weeknights.
Friday: Sheet pan chicken parm with spaghetti. I have a craving, and I'm excited for it!
Saturday: Birthday dinner at a neighbor's house.
Have a good weekend everyone!
Saturday: date night and we picked up burritos from food truck
Sunday: leftover burritos with apple slices
Monday: breakfast for dinner
Tuesday: taco salad
Wednesday: taco salad
Thursday: Chinese take-out
Friday: leftover take-out
My cat does the same thing when I'm trying to work. My keyboard is always full of cat hair!
SAME.
@Tobye, Gotta be a drill sargeant when it comes to cats. NOT going to be on my desk, much less my keyboard. Occasional on my lap (not so much since the elder cat was PTS) when I am working. NOT on my chair when I get up (again, dearly departed elder cat). While we all love them and just like kids, WE are the parents.
A short one from me since we were in Hawaii until Tuesday and then made the simplest meals possible upon return since I hadn’t grocery shopped.
Tuesday - our flight got in that evening and my mom had fed the kids dinner. They were excited we were home so we put them to bed and then just ate some snacks for dinner.
Wednesday - sausage and potato soup from the freezer and crescent rolls
Thursday - grilled chicken sandwich for husband, veggie burger cut up over a salad for me, baked sweet potato with plant-based queso (which was actually really good for not having any cheese in it), diced sweet potato for kids, steamed broccoli for all
Friday - probably our favorite easy meal, spaghetti and meatballs (using frozen meatballs and jarred sauce)
Saturday: All the random bits and pieces from cutting up two sheep were simmered and spiced to make a burrito filling, with the addition of some beans, because it wasn't really that much meat. I also made myself a broccoli salad, knowing no one else would eat it and that it was the very definition of Mom Food. Actually two of the kids tried it, but I mostly ate it all myself. Which is how I wanted it, to be honest, so that worked out.
Sunday: We got an excess rooster from our neighbor that my husband prepared and cooked. He roasted it on a bed of potatoes, carrots, onions, and green garlic (from the garcen, yay!). He even made giblet gravy. I contributed a salad, and we had chocolate ice cream for Sunday dessert.
Monday: The rest of the sheep burrito filling, but used in quesadillas this time. also raw broccoli, and yogurt with strawberry jam for those who were still hungry. Which was all the children, because who can resist homemade yogurt with homemade strawberry jam? No one. And that is why I'm making strawberry jam every week now.
Tuesday: Lamb chops, rolls I had made a couple of days previously for a dinner that I had planned and changed, carrot sticks with curry dip.
Wednesday: Chicken soup made with the rooster carcass, all the leftover potatoes and gravy, and some green peas. Also oatmeal-walnut muffins. I prepared this whole meal the day before so it just needed to be re-heated when I got home at 5:30 p.m.
Thursday: I prepared THIS meal almost entirely at five in the morning, because that's when I had time to do it before my insane day commenced. I went from the grocery store (90-mile drive) to a track meet (92-mile drive) to Holy Thursday Mass (89-mile drive) to home (10 miles). And my sister arrived in the afternoon. AND my husband was driving the school bus until 5:30 p.m. For all these reasons, I steamed peas, boiled and seasoned potatoes, and marinated elk steaks early in the morning, so all my husband needed to do was re-heat the sides and fry the steaks. He also made a sauce for the steaks with red wine and cream, and it was delicious. Well, I'm told. I was eating bits of cold rotisserie chicken in the car with the trackster while we drove to Mass from his meet.
Today: Surprisingly, we got a bag of wild, USA-caught, tiny "salad" shrimp from excess commodities this week. Just in time for Good Friday. So, tonight we will have shrimp tacos. Refried beans, too, as a nice side dish and also those of us not wild about seafood can have bean tacos.
@kristin @ going country, I have never tried sheep before! What does it taste like? So interesting
This week, we enjoyed:
* Dinner at neighbors: salad, pasta, bread, fruit and cookies
* Vegetarian shepherd's pie
* Carrot coconut soup
* Gyozas with sweet chili sauce (x2)
* Pasta with mushrooms and peas
* Salad at restaurant: spinach, green olives, artichoke hearts, snow peas and broccoli (made enough for three meals)
I spent a lot more this last time shopping, because I made three farm orders and an Azure Standard order on top of the grocery stores, so $268.69. Ouch.
WIA:
Chopped up bacon cooked with shredded collards (from my lone collard plant), sweet potato.
Grill-pan cooked goat sirloin chops, green salad and mashed white potatoes.
I fried the fish that the neighbors gave me and made sweet potato salad and raw garden carrots to go with it.
Picadinho with banana farofa (Brazilian stew recipe) and I actually used a real tomato in the Picadinho.
Farm bratwurst, twice: once with kraut and potato salad, once with a big green salad and homemade ranch. I have to eat up my lettuce before it goes bitter and bolts. I'll leave some to flower, though, so I can collect the seeds again.
Hungry harvest isn't available in my area. Does anyone know if there is a similar one available for Alabama?
@Kathy, There's another similar service called Misfits Market. Not sure if they're in Alabama.
@Heather, I will check...thanks!
@Kathy, I use Misfits Market in NEMO and I like it. I order only every other week or every third week, because I don't use the stuff up fast enough as a single person. I find the fruits and veggies more expensive than the store unless you consider the organic factor. I also like being able to select items not routinely available in my area. There is a cold pack selection and wine selection which I also do not use. I do also order from the pantry selections and they routinely carry KA AP and bread flour.
Thank you so much for the picture of your beautiful kitty. I want to reach out and pet her!
We can't have kitties anymore because my husband has respiratory issues.
WIS: Approximately $88 divided between Aldi and Food Lion.
WWA: Cheese, salami, whole-grain crackers, apples, oranges, salad, some purchased frozen meals, sandwiches, and protein shakes. It turned into a not much cooking week due to me going to hand therapy so often and my husband not being interested in eating, a side effect of his new diabetes medication.
WWS:
It was an expensive week. Totals only include food items.
Trader Joe’s - $70
Whole Foods - $45
Publix - $32
Restaurants - ?
Friday-Sunday
We visited my son for his birthday. He is a Graduate Student in another state. My daughter joined us. We ate out and treated the kiddos. I have no idea what we spent, but much more than usual. We did eat free breakfast at the hotel, but beyond that I just don’t know. I brought road snacks and water with us.
Monday - Steak and Salad. Added a baked potato for DH.
Tuesday - Tacos
Wednesday - Taco salad for DH.(Leftovers) Soup and salad for me.
Thursday - roast chicken, rice and Lima beans.
Friday -DIL’s birthday. Grilling out at son’s house. I’m bringing the cake and a salad.
Happy Easter to those who celebrate. But wishing all peace and hope this season.
Thankful Thursday -- surely for you and the record of all your adventures--but for the beautiful sustaining hand of God through all our calm and/or choppy "seas."
WIS $34 @ Walmart for 25 lb bag of flour, sun dried tomatoes, orzo, coffee creamer, cottage cheese, lettuce, strawberries, spinach
WWA:
Saturday - chicken Parmesan sliders
Sunday - French dip grilled cheese on homemade crusty bread with sweet corn from freezer (cooked chicken and prepped chicken salad for weekday lunches)
Monday - leftover roast with fettuccine Alfredo (I had noodles frozen from a batch I made last month, copy cat Olive Garden Alfredo)
Tuesday - beef tostadas (use up the last of the corn tortillas that have been in the fridge for a few weeks)
Wednesday - creamy garlic Tuscan shrimp with orzo, garlic bread (used up the last of the crusty bread from Sunday)
Thursday - leftovers
Friday - kids are coming home and it’s warm. We may roast some brats and hotdogs on the fire.
How do you do mashed potatoes for one? I don’t eat potatoes but know my husband likes them. The instant don’t look so good. You manage to make one-serving meals look scrumptious!
I just make a small pot of them (it doesn't take very long if you cut the potatoes up into pieces)...usually about two servings. Then I eat the leftovers with a fried egg for breakfast.
@Judy, You could also just microwave a couple of potatoes and scoop them out and then make mashed potatoes. The flavor is slightly different, but not much.
@Judy, better half found a brand of instant mashed potatoes that pass muster with this generations of farmers-Irish girl. Small package, Idahoan, might make a bit more than you need but we've froze the leftovers.
@Judy, Bob Evans have "fresh" mashed potatoes and they are so good! They can be purchased meal size for 3-4 servings or a two pack individual servings.
I find them at the end of the meat section with other prepared food.
Kristen, your Saturday meal looks delish! What kind of sausage did you use?
I just used italian sausage, and I browned it in a cast iron skillet. 🙂
I made vegetarian vegetable soup from the Weight Watchers recipes, except I don't throw in the cabbage until I'm ready to reheat my bowl of soup, because over-boiled cabbage. Which I ate all week. And now I find myself irresistibly drawn to cinnamon pretzels, so I may have to make a trip to Walmart, where they might be a few pennies less expensive. Bon appetit!
I love your bowl dinners - I could eat veggies all the time. My biggest trouble with them is the time to prepare them, especially for a "quick" dinner. I'm curious your method. Are those all things you had in the fridge from leftovers? Are you meal prepping earlier in the week in anticipation of wanting veggie bowls? I can't quite find my groove with that stuff, and I'd love to hear what works for you.
That bowl I did make from scratch; the potatoes took about 15 minutes to cook, I sautéed the peppers in the same pan that I browned the sausage in, and I roasted the carrots in the oven.
I guess the time doesn't seem exorbitant to me; the sausage required no prep, it's fast to slice up a pepper, the carrots are pretty fast prep too, and a small quantity of mashed potatoes is pretty fast to peel/chop.
I do eyeball everything for a meal like that, so that helps it go faster; I'm not checking any recipes as go!
@Heather, you could also cook a couple potatoes in the microwave and then scoop them out to make mashed potatoes.
@Heather...sorry, I commented on the wrong person's post.
I spent $79.65....not bad especially considering I bought a ham for Easter.
What we ate:
Saturday was a mix of leftovers to clean out the fridge
Sunday: homemade chicken noodle soup and grilled cheese sandwiches
Monday: smoked a small ham from the freezer to try a new recipe for pulled ham. Had that with mashed potatoes and asparagus
Tuesday: Chili dogs, baked beans, corn, salad
Wednesday: Leftovers
Thursday: Chicken enchiladas and salad
Friday: Potato soup and putting the rest of the smoked ham in there.
The ham I bought is going to my mom's on Easter.
I had a little flair-up with a chronic condition I have so to quote Kristen, "I pushed the easy button" this week. That along with my daughter's cat was missing from Sunday am until 10pm on Wed. night. It's been a doozy!
Sat - We went to a gathering and I brought chips and dip and deviled eggs. Fun fact, you can make boiled eggs in the air fryer.
Sun - Taco and for sides, rice and pintos
Mon - Frozen Pizzas
Tues - Chili Cheese Dogs. I had a bible study, so I stopped at McDonalds on my way home.
Wed - (Frozen) Chicken Nuggets and wedge fries
Thurs - Spaghetti and Meatballs and a salad.
I won zero prizes for healthy this week but the fact the family was fed, I'll take as a "I did okay". And the only take out was when I stopped at McD's. But I used my app to get a discount on my order. You win some, you lose some, lol.
On Sunday morning I made my usual 4 serving pot of steel cut oats. As I was eating my bowlful, I realized my mouth was slightly burning. I reviewed the ingredients wondering if I was possibly having an allergic reaction. Didn’t think so … went back over to the prep area and realized that in my early morning, 6 week post shoulder replacement brain fog, I had added 1/2 t. of cayenne pepper instead of my usual 1/2 t. of cinnamon! My husband declined his Sunday morning bowl of oatmeal. I had been seeing recipes touting the use of oats in savory preparations. The previous week, I had actually tried my usual oatmeal as a breakfast bowl with a poached egg on top and some more savory additions. The nuttiness of the steel cut oats actually worked. Since I generally put hot sauce on my eggs, I decided to go for the savory bowls this week. I used all the peppered oatmeal in bowls with a poached egg, avocado, and chopped bacon. It worked, even with the dried fruit I’d added when I cooked the oats.
FYI … the two spices were in similar containers and I didn’t seem to “notice” a difference in color or smell! Note to self: be more observant in the future!!!
One batch of oatmeal salvaged. Final verdict … oatmeal, especially steel cut oats, can be used in savory applications.
@Casey, I only make them savory typically. I drizzle it with olive oil and parm, and eat it with nuts. Delish!
We LOVE fried cornmeal mush with butter and syrup or honey butter. We also like it for lunch (retired folks here) with tomato sauce or marinara sauce. You can also stir in cooked sausage to the hot mush, cool as usual then fry for a scrapple-esque type lunch. Really good.
@Terri, oh I love the idea of added sausage. And polenta is a favorite of mine!
Monday and Tuesday evenings we had a broccoli/onion/chicken stir-fry over rice. Wednesday and Thursday were salad with chicken on top and tonight we’re having the same thing. Tomorrow I’m cooking a turkey meal ( with stuffing, gravy, green beans and apple pie) then for Easter, we’ll have turkey sandwiches and pie after church.
Happy Easter to everyone!!
WIS: Farmers Market-$24; Neighborhood-$27; S&S-$8; Flashfood-$138; Milk delivery-$19.50; Meat Delivery-$158 Total-$364.50
WWA: Sat/Sun: Completely drawing a blank on the weekend
Mon: Butternut squash stuffed shells
Tues: Lentil sloppy joes and loaded cauliflower
Wed: Left over butternut squash stuffed shells and salad
Thurs: Broccoli-cheddar soup and cajun chicken stew w/ rice
Fri: Cuban-style mahi-mahi w/ rice and margaritas
Ordered a six pack case of Tazo Chai Latte concentrate. I don't know if the price has gone up in the store, but this still has free shipping. Three cases ago it was $29. Last time it was $26. And this time it was $36. I can also consider that it was dropped off at my door so it all averages out.
I ate out for lunch on Thursday, in time to still order from the breakfast menu. That meal was $11.00plus tip. It was a breaded tenderloin with sausage gravy. Was supposed to have grits but they'd served the last and got American fries. This meal fed me twice. Also picked up $3.00 worth of fried chicken livers at Haymakers (gas station) to warm up in the air fryer. Those fed me twice, too.
I picked up some Lebanon bologna and swiss cheese at a Mennonite market and fixed it into "lunchables" with club crackers for supper at work Monday and Tuesday night along with red pepper strips and grape tomatoes from Misfits box. The peppers have been especially sweet.
In my $39.00 mixed groceries from Aldi, I picked up two plantains and nearly forgot about them so they were very ripe. I sliced them, sprinkled them with olive oil and fixed them in the air fryer. I actually fixed one first because it had been a looooong time since I had any and had only fixed them once before. It was so good, I fixed the other one. I think it would be better a little less ripe and less sweet. I also routinely buy bananas, ignore them and then am left with the dilemma of spending more by adding flour and sugar and nuts adding expense or chucking them under the rose briars and not worrying about using them. I have four right now.
Going to use up the two small zucchinis I have in a recipe with jiffy mix corn bread mix, the egg, some onion and sour cream (more than the 1/3 cup that is usually milk or buttermilk) for "Zucchini Casserole." tonight. It serves for at least four meals and is one of my faves. Probably not the healthiest, but I'm a sucker for sweet cornbread. Unsure of protein at this point.
Will work on using up corned beef this weekend for supper at work. Thankfully it was not very big. But I got kraut, thousand island dressing, marble rye, swiss cheese just for the occasion. Or I may fix corned beef hash so I can warm it in the microwave. Decisions, decisions...
May the Lord Bless you all this Resurrection Sunday!
@Chrissy,
Maybe you could try tossing a banana in the air fryer.
I consider Chiquita's photos to be a subsection of your blog ha! I’m just glad you don’t tire of taking pix of her because they make me smile every time. By the way, your expression in her first pic is priceless.
We enjoy a fair number of your recipes but your food photographs better than mine usually turn out. However, you’ve inspired me: when I do have a dish that looks cool on the plate, I now take a picture and send it to other cookbook aficionados in my circle.
Haha, my phone's camera roll is littered with Chiquita pictures! 😉
@Kristen, Some people might come for the Chiquita pictures, and stay for the frugal tips. Just a possibility ...
WWS, WWA, Spring Break edition:
DH, myself and two of our kids went for a quick trip down to North Carolina. DH had business to conduct and we like to combine business and family trips. Our youngest had never been down there, and one of the older kids needed a break. The two staying home fended for themselves, and our oldest bought their groceries.
Saturday/Sunday: We were still at home and had homemade pizzas, as usual.
Monday: DH headed out early, so he could make a side trip to drop some stuff off to relatives in Atlanta. I headed out that morning with the two kids. Packed some brownies, fruit and chips for snacks. We stopped at Chick Fil A for a treat lunch around 3 pm. $47. Eek. But that was for three very hungry people, one of whom decided he needed a sandwich AND nuggets. I indulged in a Kale Crunch salad along with my nuggets and fries, which was all delicious.
Got in around 6 pm to the cabin, where DH had some groceries and we made pizzas. He had thoughtfully gotten me some fresh broccoli, along with the stuff for dinner, so I had some cooked ground beef with broccoli, as I had no cheese substitutes . No idea what he spent, we were just happy to be together and safe.
Tuesday: It was raining cats and dogs, so the kayaking we had planned was out, but we went for a wet hike and checked out a hike to do the next day, and got more groceries. I think we spent around $100 at Ingles, after DH had determined the Piggly Wiggly he'd gone to the day before was dreadful and more expensive. I forgot to get butter or mayonnaise for sandwiches, but DH had gotten olive oil and we learned you can make a fine grilled cheese with olive oil instead of butter! I also learned, when we made pizzas, that I do not like Follow Your Heart dairy-free mozzarella. Bleck. I ate it but I didn't enjoy it.
Wednesday: DH had his business a few hours away, so the boys and I were on our own. I was on a mission to use up as much perishable food as possible, so I made omelets for breakfast, and, when we got back from our hike and a terrifying mountain road drive to and back from a gem mine, the boys had grilled cheese and ham sandwiches with a fried egg tucked inside. We also had lots of chips, which are required on road trips. I stopped at Ingles to get a few more bananas and a gallon of water. $4. Pizza for dinner again. It's just easier on a trip to do the same dinners.
Thursday: Back on the road; our goal was to make it home a) alive and b) in time to volunteer at the cat shelter. Despite some crazy traffic around the Kentucky/Ohio border, we managed! We didn't stop at all for food, just gas and a bathroom trip. Our third-youngest made a delicious taco bar. So good. We were so hungry.
Today: Most of us are fasting until Sunday, but we went out and got the groceries we need for our Easter dinner. $61 at Kroger.
WIS: $0
Sun: Used up the last winter squash in a big pot of Minestrone, GF french bread
M: Green Salad, leftover soup and peanut butter/oatmeal breakfast cookies
T: BBQ chicken thighs, orzo greek salad, coleslaw
W: Big batch of Clam Chowder, angel biscuits, layered salad & chocolate lava cake, invited 3 families to dinner
Th: Lamb chops, roasted root veggies, citrus/sweet onion/mixed baby greens salad
F: Pizza and green salad w/cousin's family
S: Community potluck to celebrate Easter & children's egg hunt @ church
DS17 loves making your French bread recipe, Kristen! He's rarely home these days, but learned during COVID & is a big fan.
Why can I never remember what we ate?
-DH grilled chicken (with lots of fresh herbs in his marinade) and made rice x2
-We had Korean beef (freezer) over leftover rice
-We had wings & edamame + salad last Friday, I think
-Philly cheesesteaks another night
-Spaghetti & meatballs yet another night
I know the teens weren't home for at least 1-2 other dinners, so we probably had salmon & salad.
For tonight, I'm thinking either pad thai with shrimp, or breaded shrimp + a mystery Trader Joes appetizer leftover from the Super Bowl. I've been trying to get it out of my freezer forever.
Oh my goodness, I just had an idea. She likes the keyboard because it is warm. Do you have a heating pad or a warmer that heats up in the microwave? Can you make room on the desk for it? If you created a special warm spot that was only available when you're at the keyboard, she might be persuaded to move over. I wish I'd thought of this when my keyboard-hog kitty was still alive.