WIS, WWA | $112
What I Spent
I spent:
- $95.57 at Aldi (click here to see an item-by-item rundown of that shopping trip)
- $17 at Safeway
So, $112.
The bottle in the above picture has agua de pepino in it, and it's in a little glass bottle Lisey got for me a few years ago. 🙂
What We Ate
Saturday
Mashed potatoes topped with shrimp and a pan sauce, and I made extra shrimp so I could pack them with a sweet potato for my work lunch the next day.
I also made a little batch of chocolate banana "ice cream" in my food processor, using frozen bananas, cocoa powder, and a little half and half.
Sunday
After my shift, I made an ugly grilled ham and Swiss sandwich, using the two heels of the loaf of bread.
Monday
This was my last of the seven shifts, and I made blueberry pancakes when I got home (naturally).
Tuesday
Zoe and I were both home for dinner at the same time (a rarity these days). We had baked ham and Swiss sandwiches, plus a fruit salad on the side (her request).
Wednesday
I tried the packet of tuna that I bought this week (it was ranch flavored) and I wasn't terribly impressed. I thought it would taste way better than the canned variety, but it didn't.
So, I think I will stick with the canned stuff since it's cheaper and it also comes in a recyclable container.
Thursday
I just seasoned and sauteed some fish and also ate half of the mini watermelon that came in my Hungry Harvest box. SO GOOD.
Friday
I have a very large bunch of kale in my fridge that needs to be eaten so I think I'll make some kale salad and then just cook some kind of protein to go with that.
For those who have entered this summer's Zucchini Gauntlet (TM), I heartily recommend this sublime soup recipe:
https://www.thekitchn.com/recipe-zucchini-1-32520#post-recipe-12001
Seriously, it's so good! We tried it Wednesday night, and I'm already looking forward to our next zucchini so I can try some of the spice variations mentioned in the comments.
@N, For the record, I cooked my soup in the crockpot to avoid heating up the house, and it turned out fantastic.
@N, The New York Times Cooking section has THREE HUNDRED (300!) zucchini recipes if you run out of inspiration. I got tons of yellow summer squash this year but only ONE (1!) zucchini. ;-{
@N, And thanks for the soup recipe. It looks both easy and delicious, two things I love in a recipe.
@N, I absolutely can't wait to make this soup! I have a plethora of zucchini! Thanks for sharing!
Curious about the guests you’d never met! Were they friends of your husband?
@Kristen, My son's (long-distance) girlfriend, her mom and brother. They were on their way home from a cross-country road trip and took a detour to stop here.
Ohhh that makes sense! Also: how is it that you have kids old enough to date now?? GEEZ.
@kristin @ going country, Though I have also hosted friends of my husbands that I have never met before they show up at my house. 🙂
The week was uneventful. WWA:
Saturday - had a low grade headache most of the day, so just got Mary Brown’s chicken. I had enough points on their app to get the chicken for free and we only paid for the sides. Headache lifted slightly 🙂
Sunday - souvlaki skewers, boiled baby potatoes, ratatouille, cherries
Monday - leftovers
Tuesday - hamburger soup, sourdough bread
Wednesday - bacon cheeseburger sausages, potato salad, last of the ratatouille
Thursday - shrimp tacos
Friday - the plan is to grill the steaks I bought on sale, potato salad, and corn on the cob
Wishing all a super fun long weekend
Its feels so hot here to me so that pretty much zaps my desire to cook. So I ate out for lunch yesterday and on Monday evening. All told, I probably spent around $200 on food and various sundries this week. I totally agree with you about the packets of tuna - its better to get the canned variety.
M - a Short Stop chicken slammer
T - Chicken Sausage with sweet potatoes
W - Half of a deli flatbread pizza that I added some pulled pork to - just to get more protein
Th - Hamburger Helper! And some asparagus on the side.
F - Tonight I will do shrimp tacos with some chorizo refrieds from the freezer
Saturday and Sunday will be leftovers - one day is Chinese Beef, the other will be a pasta salad with tuna. And Monday will likely be a kale side and grilled nuggets from
Chik-Fil-A. I have been eating a LOT of salads for lunch, too. Summer is such a great time for produce. Happy August!
S- Marinated pork loin on the grill, potatoes/carrot packet on the grill salad
S- chicken parm/eggplant/ravolois salad
m- Sausage pepper onion patotoes
T- Pork roll sandwiches with chips
W- kalbasa on the grill, perogoies
T- Pulled pork on buns (pulled from Freezer) mac/cheese
F- out someplace
wow, I cooked all week
I spent $95 at Trader Joe's and $26 at Panera.
We had a very busy week. I only cooked a few times.
Saturday - I don't remember. We must have eaten what was on hand.
Sunday- Everyone came over to swim. I made Baked Snapper, rice, and sautéed green beans with almonds. Ice cream cones for dessert.
Monday - Leftovers from Sunday
Tuesday - Panera' summer salad with strawberries and chicken. Poppyseed dressing.
Wednesday - I didn't have time to eat. It was a very stressful and busy day. I had a protein shake and a banana.
Thursday - chicken Shawarma with rice. Fresh fruit for dessert.
Friday -- ? Today is setting up to look like Wednesday.
Bon appétit and have a great weekend!
I love that glass bottle! I'm seeking recommendations for a travel mug for tea--I like mine with milk, so anything that's plastic or un-cleanable rubber gets stinky and yucky. It has to be spill-resistant, but not spill-proof. Ideally I'd really like ceramic or glass.
I was exhausted and kept it simple this week.
Sunday: We were at my parents'.
Monday: Mr. B made us steak, rice, and green beans.
Tuesday: I made roasted veggie sandwiches (roasted veg, hard-boiled eggs, goat cheese, bread.)
Wednesday: Mr. B was out so we had stovetop macaroni and cheese, and sliced cucumbers with my mom.
Thursday: Mr. B was out again, so we had pancakes with maple syrup and blueberries.
Friday: Mr. B is cooking. Salmon, vegetables, challah.
@Meira (meirathebear.wordpress.com), I would suggest you look in an Asian grocery store for your tea mug. I don’t know if they have H Mart in Canada. Personally, I use a hydro flask for my coffee with cream. The entire lid comes apart to clean and it’s worked well! No problems!! My insulated tea mug has a lid I have to unscrew to take a drink. It works quite well as tea is always hotter. I can leave the lid off and it stays hot while I drink it. I keep the lid on while on the move. Can’t tell you the brand as it was a freebie/swag when I had cataract surgery.
@Meira (meirathebear.wordpress.com),
I have two ceramic mugs with some type of plastic top that I bought at home sense a few years ago after Christmas. They had hot chocolate packets inside them...
@PNW Casey, we do have H-Mart in Canada: I do not know where @Meirathebear lives, but if she is in Southern Ontario, there is an H-Mart in the City of Richmond Hill north of Toronto.
@Meira (meirathebear.wordpress.com),
I have a Contigo stainless steel travel mug that I have used for tea for years. It keeps a cup of tea hot for 3 to 4 hours easy and has a spill-proof top. Mine is several years old, but they used to sell them at Target.
Happy Friday, everyone! We spent $134 ($56 @ Trader Joe's, $57 @ Target and $21 at natural foods co-op).
- Dinner at a friend's house: Veggie burger and fixings, grapes, berries, green bean salad, corn on the cob
- Pineapple black bean enchiladas
- "Meatloaf" made from TVP (textured vegetable protein) and potato salad
- Stewed lentils and tomatoes topped with fried egg
- Roasted carrots, sauteed mushrooms and brown rice
- Spinach salad (x2)
- Orzo salad
@MB in MN, pineapple - black bean enchiladas sound delicious. What kind of sauce do you put on the top of them so they don't dry out?
@Bee, for the top I mixed salsa with some leftover tomato paste and chili powder (as I didn't have any enchilada sauce) and then topped that with shredded cheese.
I developed some kind of cold/sinus headache misery this week so there was a lot of meal craziness.
Saturday: turkey, mashed potatoes & gravy, green peas
Sunday: in the ER with my Aunt all day & late into the night until she was admitted to the hospital - I ate some watermelon while I waited and then my family and I ate sandwiches when we got home; caprese for me and they all had turkey.
Monday:
Tuesday: Big Mac Smash Tacos & frozen fried a la air fryer
Wednesday: Chicken tacos with chicken I cooked with salsa in the crockpot
Thursday: takeout pizza for some, yogurt and fresh fruit for me
Friday: clean out the fridge
We ate out a few times, as we were in Napa. Our best meal was lunch at a fancy place (lunch selected to minimize cost, but still enjoy the fabulousness). We also had a fabulous dinner at a place with owns both a cattle ranch & a winery, and they grow most of their own food. Incredible. The last dinner out was fine, but nothing too exciting.
Last night, I scraped some leftovers out of the fridge for everyone else, and made myself a ...grilled cheese, like the high class chef I am.
Before we left, we had:
-Sesame chicken
-Hot dogs & potato salad
-Salmon/halibut
Monday - Ghanaian peanut soup with rice (clearing out my freezer)
Tuesday - skillet turkey lasagna - a stove top option that was so much faster for weekdays
Wednesday - tacos with rice and beans
Thursday - leftovers turned into baked tacos (slightly burnt, oops!) with a summer cucumber, tomato, chickpea salad, and cantaloupe
It’s a busy season, but trying to keep up with eating at home! It’s always so much more affordable and mostly, it just feels so much easier than takeout or going out to eat in this season
Sunday: sirloin burgers, french fries, fresh peaches
Monday: Blt sandwiches, corn on the cob
Tuesday: late dinner, so i made us a charcuterie board with lunchmeat, cheeses, crackers, pickles
Wednesday: General Tso's chicken over chicken fried rice
Thursday: peach seasoned grilled pork chops, potato salad, garlicky green beans
Friday: takeout pizza on way to camp
Friday: Gyros with roasted broccoli and cauliflower.
Saturday: I was at a work event with heavy apps, the boys had Dude Night and enjoyed steak and hashbrowns.
Sunday: Salad Bar! I pulled everything out of the fridge that could be used in a salad and let everyone build their own.
Monday: Hibachi Ramen – all the chicken hibachi goodness served with ramen noodles in place of rice.
Tuesday: Cauliflower, Sausage, and Kale soup. Similar to Zuppa Toscana but the cauliflower is pureed with the chicken stock to make it creamy.
Wednesday: Impromptu date night – my son spent the night at a friend’s house so my husband and I met at our favorite Italian restaurant.
Thursday: Chicken and Collared Green Enchiladas (using the chicken that was in the crock pot that would have been Wednesday’s dinner) and agua de pepino! We had so many cucumbers in the CSA box that this was easy thing to try.
CSA veggies used this week: broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, zucchini, yellow squash, onion, cucumber, kale, collard greens, tomato, mushrooms
I spent So. Much. Money. on food this week. At least for me. Part of this is because I shopped early for next week so this is basically 2 weeks of groceries instead of one, although I still need milk. I also ate out more than usual.
So for 2 trips to trader joes, 2 trips to Raleys, some international goodies from World Market and some heirloom beans from Rancho Gordo (not frugal, but delicious!) I spent $140.67. For coffee out, lunches with friends, and a pizza delivery I spent $99.02. Definitely need to reign in the spending for August.
Saturday & Sunday - ravioli bake and salad
Monday - broccoli cheddar soup and half a cheese sandwich
Tuesday - pizza and salad
Wednesday - chicken, broccoli and rice
Thursday - leftover pizza
Friday - maybe leftover pasta from a lunch out yesterday. And a green salad to go with it.
The good thing about spending so much is that my cupboards are full and my freezer is full of leftovers so I won't need much for awhile.
I spent about $63.
Saturday: chicken shawarma pitas
Sunday: meatloaf, mashed potatoes, okra
Monday: arroz con pollo
Tuesday: bbq over baked potatoes and salad
Wednesday: leftovers
Thursday: skirt steak on the grill, mac & cheese, green beans
Tonight we are going to a nice restaurant we have never been to before for DH's birthday.
WIS: $56.50 at Wegmans and $625.00 for 243 lbs. (hanging weight) of beef from the friends from whom I buy the annual quarter-steer. Unless my math's at fault, the beef works out to a little over $2.57/lb. I can't afford beef even Reduced for Quick Sale in supermarkets these days--and this is better beef, believe me.
WIA: Well, I confess I did celebrate the arrival of the beef by making some hamburgers! But meanwhile, Martha Stewart is not going to waste any energy giving me any subtle (or not so subtle) putdowns as a wannabe influencer (see https://people.com/martha-stewart-thoughts-meghan-markle-gwyneth-paltrow-lifestyle-influencers-11782908).
@A. Marie, If your beef price includes processing, that is an incredible deal. Last time we bought a steer--two years ago--it came out to about $4/pound after paying both the friend who raised the steer and the processor. We pay the auction price whenever we buy an animal, and that's gone up a lot for all beef animals, so I'm anticipating the cow we're getting from our neighbor this fall will be more than that. Worth it, though, because that also includes all the fancy steaks and all, and, as you noted, the meat is waaay better.
@kristin @ going country, yup, the $625 includes all auxiliary costs. I think these good folks keep the price so low as a form of ministry (they are devout Christians). Whatever the reasons, blessings on them.
WIS: $54 at Food Lion and Dollar Tree.
WWA: Leftover gluten-free spaghetti with sausage-pepper marinara for DH. Various frozen homemade meals for me: mostly vegetarian cottage pie and tuna-pasta bake.
To use up some wafer-thin pork chops, I cut them into slivers and made sweet chili pork and veggies with a pot of Dixie Lily spicy yellow rice on the side. That fed DH twice. The leftover rice I jazzed up with a chopped up veggie burger, a handful of cherry tomatoes from the garden, and a little cheese, and it fed me twice.
I became obsessed with Thai chili or Spicy Tuna as some stores call it in the packets. I wish I knew how to season a regular can as it would be much more economical.
WIS: $3.96 for mayonnaise and mustard. I was going to spring for some tartar sauce, but it’s so easy to make from mayonnaise and mustard, dill pickle relish, lemon juice, capers and dill.
And $36.88 for a long overdue lunch out with friends, which included a $10 (40%) tip for a brand new waiter who had to handle a table of six (6!) talkative women ordering six different entrees and appetizers. He needed to know he did a really good job, and I told him so, but I thought a nice tip would do even more to encourage him.
WIA: Appetizer-sized servings of tempura battered vegetables and steamed dumplings that, while supposedly “appetizer-sized”, were generous enough not only for lunch but for dinner that evening and another lunch the next day.
@JDinNM, love that you gave your server a big tip!
@BJS, He was working so hard, and he was so nervous, I just had to give him some reassurance!
WIS: 320ish @Aldi
WWA:
Fri: salad, spaghetti and meat sauce, California veggies, and buttered bread.
Sat: salad and chicken bratwurst in brioche hotdog buns.
Sun: polish breakfast for dinner: bacon and sausages, cheese and crackers, scrambled eggs, apples and strawberries, pepper strips, olives and artichoke hearts, and salad.
Mon: salad and rice and beans.
Tue: salad, chicken salad on rice cakes, roasted carrots and beets, leftover rice and beans, turkey egg muffins and a chocolate bear cake that collapsed hysterically while we ate. My reputation for delicious mess cakes remains firm even if my cakes don’t.
Wed: salad and chicken bratwurst again.
Thu: tacos with lots of veggies.
Tonight: salad and focaccia.
@Becca, Comic relief beats firm every time.
@JDinNM,
No can ever say that my cakes are not memorable…
My cakes are always more delicious than beautiful as well. Ha.
I haven't been able to really cook this week due to work being done on the house, so I spent $82 at Tom Thumb on mostly convenience foods and ate frozen meals of chicken nuggets and french fries, bean burritos, and pineapple chicken (I had never tried this before and was unsure I would like it, but it was very good). I did manage to bake some cornbread on Monday and have been snacking on that throughout the week. I've also had real-fruit popsicles and coconut milk ice cream for desserts.
Do you have a recipe for the shrimp sauce and banana "ice cream" somewhere? I'll go look, but if you don't have one, could you please write one up, soon? Thanks!
I spent about 70 on groceries and about 70 on take out coffee and a lunch out. The other half spent 100 on our dinner date, and we had 5 meals out of it... Lunches were leftovers, hummus and crackers, and sandwiches.
We had taco dip on Sunday, Monday ham sandwiches,
Tuesday tourtiere ( French Canadian meat pie) with yellow beans and carrots, Wednesday was date night,
Thursday was leftovers ( I ate Indian and he ate the meat pie and veggies)
. Tonight is jalapeno cheddar sausages on buns and yellow beans.
Tomorrow night will be salad with roasted beets and scallops.
Flavored tuna in a packet is best mixed with a packet of regular tuna. I just cannot eat canned tuna these days, all I taste is can.
I spent $78 at Kroger and $258 at Sam's club (most of it on steaks for the next few weeks) and stock up other things. I took hubby with to Sam's and I always spend more when he joins me.
– Sunday – steak, baked potatoes, 3 bean salad, sliced tomatoes
– Monday – frozen Trader Joe's spicy Kung Pao chicken with vegetables that I added some peppers and onions to, brown rice, corn on the cob.
– Tuesday – gyros sandwiches from a kit from Sam's, cole slaw, tater tots
– Wednesday – baked pork chops, salad, rice.
– Thursday – hot dogs, cole slaw, potato chips
– Friday – I was out of town all day visiting a friend. I had a Mexican food lunch. Hubby also ate Mexican food at lunch, so dinner was simple. I warmed up a Sam's rotisserie chicken and added a kale salad from a kit, also from Sam's.
I’ve been uninspired and flying by seat of my pants with meals this week and it is AWFUL! PLANNING meals out a week ahead is so much less stress!!
Learned my lesson. I went into my freezer and pantry and made up a meal plan for the coming week, I think having a TOO FULL FREEZER makes me nervous.. If I don’t know what is in there, and I don’t plan.. well.. not good.
This coming week:
Bang Bang chicken in air fryer over a bunch of salad greens
Rotini and sausage and Greek salad
Lime Dragon Shrimp over brown rice and a broccoli salad
BBQ chicken legs, small potatoes in air fryer, corn on cob
Eggplant parmesan and garlic broccoli
Tilapia in air fryer with orzo /tomatoes/feta and carrots side dish
Leftover eggplant parm.
With plenty of watermelon,peaches,nectarines and blueberries all week! Cottage cheese,eggs, tuna and egg salad lunches and breakfasts.
I bought an air fryer about 6 months ago and I use it almost every day! No more hot oven (live in Arizona) and no bending down.. (I don’t have a wall oven anymore.)
Whew I feel better already.