WIS, WWA | a day late!
I always publish these on Fridays...but my Friday really got away from me this week. So here we are on Saturday. 🙂
What I Spent
I spent:
- $11 at Safeway
- $143 at BJs
- $30 at Chopt
So, $184 for me this week.
What We Ate
Saturday
Zoe was out, and Lisey and I both got bowls from Chopt.
Sunday
This date marked a year since I left my old house...and I decided to mark the occasion by treating myself to a night at the Westin, in a fluffy bed with many pillows, using my brother's hotel discount.
I got some enchiladas for dinner at a nearby local Mexican restaurant.
Monday
I had a random partial bag of bucatini pasta, so I cooked that up and made a pink sauce to go on top.
Tuesday
Sonia was over so I made her favorite: chicken katsu, from Dinner Illustrated.
You can read my full review of Dinner Illustrated here.
Wednesday
We had these burgers, potato cubes, and a fruit salad.
Thursday
I got out several random things that needed to be used; some frozen chili, some frozen tortellini, and some quesadilla fixings, and I cut up a bunch of fruits and veggies for sides.
Friday
Some of us were out, some of us were home, and those of us that were home had a fend-for-yourself night. 🙂
Good for you that you allowed yourself to celebrate your freedom and successful struggles by spending a weekend in a hotel! Congratulations. You are an inspiration.
You passed that milestone Kristen. You are probably glad it is behind you?
I cannot recall every meal we had last week, but we did eat at home every day. What I can remember: Pea soup, Kale stew, Carrot stew, Meat loaf and cauliflower, Leek casserole. We cooked at home and on Tuesday I took the trouble to cut and clean vegetables a few days ahead while our Tue meal was cooking. I did not reaaaallly feel like it but I was reaaaallly grateful later in the week that I had. I am awarding myself points for that, regardsless of the fact if I will have the energy for homecooking tomorrow, the last day of my early shifts. Tonight's ragu is already defrosting (It really helped that I had another big vegetable and fruit delivery on Thu! Shopping from your garage is way easier than going through the supermarket. Winter does have its advantages - temperature there is perfect for storing at the moment).
Yes, I am glad to have passed a one-year mark. Where I live, it's necessary to be separated for a year before filing for divorce, so this is a legal milestone as well.
I store things outside sometimes when the weather is cold here too! It's super handy if you need to chill a bunch of beverages before having a gathering.
@Kristen, Wow! I thought California was extreme with a 6-month waiting period.
So glad you posted even if it is a day later than usual. I was beginning to worry! Even your cat is like "where were you? Hmm?" 😉
WIS: 150.00 for a winter farm share (10 shares total) and 27.63 for a hungry harvest box, so 177.63 this week without even setting foot in a grocery store. Sigh. Vegetables are worth it... right?
WWA:
Fri: salad (mixed greens, blueberries, shredded mozzarella, sunflower seeds), tomato and mozzarella focaccia.
Sat: salad (spinach, cherries, blueberries, pink strawberries, almonds and feta), crock pot ground pork and peppers, jasmine rice, thawed frozen avocado chunks (do not recommend-bought one bag to try and did not like-too hard, maybe frozen unripe?) and sour cream.
Sun: tacos with ground chicken and onions, salad greens, diced red pepper,
Cheddar cheese, sour cream and salsa.
Mon: salad (mixed greens, pink strawberries, walnuts and feta), Aldi take and bake cheese pizza and broiled turnips and radishes.
Tue: salad (lettuce, apples, celery, raisins and a sesame oil dressing that had sort of lime chipotle edge to it), brown rice, mutter paneer (but without the paneer-not sure the word for tofu which is what we had instead of cheese and also added a can of pink beans).
Wed: salad (lettuce, cherries, feta, pink strawberries and almonds with balsamic vinaigrette), fish pie (tilapia and canned oysters in a cream-based casserole topped with mitten and stocking gnocchi).
Thu: salad (lettuce, cherries, a couple tablespoons of plain yogurt, coconut flakes and honey nut Cheerios-a bit unusual, but tasty), fried chicken breasts, chocolate chip waffles, and air fried tree and star gnocchi.
Fri: we had no mozzarella and no pepperoni on account of me not setting foot in grocery stores so my husband made chocolate focaccia with cream cheese, Nutella and canned peaches on top. We had that for dessert and breakfast for dinner to go with-mini French toast and bacon, and sauteed kale and garlic.
Tonight: I don't know, but definitely salad because we have lots of lettuce.
Have a wonderful weekend and Happy Lunar New Year to those who celebrate! Kristen, make a bunch of noise on Sunday to scare away any bad luck for this year and I hope the year of the rabbit brings you blessings upon blessings!
@Becca, ha! I thought the same thing about the cat (: Cheerios as croutons is kind of genius, btw.
@gina,
I might be a salad genius at this point. 😉
@Becca, pink strawberries because they're underripe?
@Molly F. C.,
No, pink strawberries because they are a different variety that are overpriced but novel. They taste the same as regular strawberries-maybe a touch tarter, but I let myself splurge on a couple produce items to celebrate my new bigger paycheck.
@Becca, ah. I've not seen those kind. Understand about splurging on menu items that you're really going to enjoy.
@Molly F. C.,
They are yellowish white with a pink blush. They have them at Aldi for 4.99 a package-pretty sure it's not a full pound, so they are definitely pricier than regular strawberries even out of season, but they are fun. They would be cute for Valentine's day.
Oooh, I have seen those too and have always been curious about what they taste like!
Whoa, I didn't even know frozen avocado was a thing! I've never seen it in the stores here.
Although to be fair, I've also never actually LOOKED for it.
@Becca, super creative menu…
Happy Lunar New Year.
@Kristen,
They have it at...Aldi, of course! I had heard good things, like it makes for easy avocado toast, but I was disappointed. I'm wondering if maybe the one bag I got was just a dud.
@Becca, it’s also sold at my Costco
@Kristen, I’ve seen frozen avocado but I assumed they were for making smoothies? Whenever I buy an avocado to put in my smoothie, I only use part of it before the rest of it goes black.
@Robyn S,
I love avocado, but had become frustrated with the Russian roulette aspect of them, so I have been trying different ways to get my fix more reliably. So far, the frozen was a bit of a bust, but the single serving sized guacamole cups have been pretty good. I wish there was a way to know for sure that the fresh avocado you're buying is not going to be half yucky... As for leftover avocado going bad, that is never a problem here, but only because all five of us love them.
@Becca, I've had excellent luck with the small bagged avocados (4-5 in a mesh bag, and decidedly smaller than the individual ones). I've never opened a yucky one - they've all been perfect.
@RachelB,
Hmm, that's good to know you're having luck with them. I'd have to crunch my numbers and see if percentage wise, I have better luck with them. I have gotten yucky smaller ones too, though, and when I do it just makes me even madder because they're typically more expensive. Oh, my first world problems...
@Becca,
Try this. Remove the stem nub and check the color. Light tan is not ripe, light to medium green is ripe, and brown is overripe.
@Debbie,
Ooh...good to know...now how do I find out if there's a nasty spot in the middle without cutting into it? I feel like that's my biggest frustration. Ripeness I can usually tell by feeling, but I will use your color trick to pick them at the store without squeezing them too much. I also have issues with them just refusing to ripen. I'm wondering if they are refrigerated at the store or something and that messes with the ripening process.
@Becca, avocados from Mexico will ripen if placed in a fruit bowl with a ripe banana and covered with a napkin for a day or so. This did not work with the avocados from Peru. If too many ripen at the same time, they can be cut up and frozen to avoid waste.
@Heather,
I know the trick about keeping them at room temperature and next to apples or bananas. My problem is that sometimes they just won't ripen at all, and other times it's like half of it ripens, but not the other side. Then when I finally try to cut it open, half is mushy and overripe and the other side is still hard as a rock! Or sometimes its half hard, half blackened and rotten, and these are avocados that looked perfect at the store! So frustrating! Every time I see a YouTube video of someone cutting open a perfect avocado, I release a tiny cry of longing...
@Becca, my daughter likes the frozen avocado but it's best used in smoothies.
WIS: $10.50 at Price Chopper, $17 at Aldi, and $11 at Wegmans.
WIA: As noted earlier, I thawed a whole chicken from the freezer and served that with potatoes and green beans for my next-door neighbor's 84th birthday dinner. I then made a small stock with the chicken carcass and used the stock in a mulligatawny with lentils. (Donna Freedman over at Surviving and Thriving says that lentils count toward the "Weekly Beans" challenge she's doing this winter.)
And I commend you on treating yourself well at your 1-year mark, Kristen.
@A. Marie, there were some very good recipes for beans in the comments section of that Donna Freedman article. Some I will try myself.
As I go along with my new grocery budget, I realize...I'm eating pretty well! This week:
Monday - Roast Chicken Thighs, broccoli, salad with avocado
Tuesday - (freezer) New Year's plate (those ham balls with black eyed peas and cabbage)
Wednesday - Tilapia, small potato, green beans, and a package of ramen I made cheesy
Thursday - (mini) Crockpot Beef Stew with garlic toast (made two meals)
Friday - Eat out night - Uchigon Bowl (carnitas, rice, roasted squash, avocado, fried egg, and arbol salsa. Side note: found some lentils, limp celery, carrot nubs, and the rest of a chopped red onion and made a pot of lentil soup for future me.
Tonight - (freezer) Butter Chicken with rice, side salad
Sunday - One Pot Spaghetti, Caesar Salad, garlic bread for Firstborn and The Girl, with peanut butter chunky chocolate chip cookies from Wal-Mart's bakery. This is to celebrate his 33rd birthday (:
**I had emptied all of my freezer containers, but now I have two with lentil soup, one with stew, two with the rest of those NY ham balls that won't go away, and will plan on having at least one or two with leftover spaghetti. All of those will make great lunches to take to work!**
Happy weekend!
https://cannaryfamily.blogspot.com/
I've missed regular post days a couple of times and gotten some very concerned messages from people. I bet you did, too. 🙂 It's nice to be remembered.
Saturday: Bunless cheeseburgers, leftover rice, pan-fried sweet potato, raw broccoli. This was the same exact meal as the night before, except the vegetable, but no one complained. Which makes me feel I made the right decision getting a large part of our last cow processed into ground beef.
Sunday: Italian cube steaks (cooked in a tomato sauce), spaghetti, green salad with ranch dressing, chocolate chip cookies
Monday: Split pea soup, ploughman's lunch (bread, cheese, pickled green beans--no onion, though)
Tuesday: Beef-stiry fry, rice
Wednesday: Sausage I brought home with me from Texas, because there were SO MANY kinds of sausage in the small IGA there and we can't get good sausage here. We had boke smoked boudin and smoked beef sausage. We also had leftover rice, and I heated up a can of corn with butter. And then, the school cook had sent me home with some leftovers. One of the boys wanted a leftover grilled cheese sandwich instead of rice, and my husband and I ate the cafeteria green beans instead of the corn, AND there was cherry cobbler. Such a random collection of foods. Which is the best description of what our dinners are like on days I work.
Thursday: Bunless cheeseburgers (yup, again--still no complaints), roasted potato cubes, carrot sticks with ranch dressing, oatmeal-raisin cookies
Friday: Barbecue meatballs, baked beans, garlic bread, dilly beans
@kristin @ going country, How did "both" become "boke"? I do not know. The keys aren't near each other on the keyboard, and I can't even blame it on auto-correct.
@kristin @ going country, I thought to myself “Boke-smoked boudin- hhmmm- haven’t heard of that; sounds interesting!” Lol!
Good for you, treating yourself! A solitary night away sounds lovely.
A good spending week for us, before a big stock up this weekend (snow expected next week, and we want to hunker down and not go anywhere!). Spent about $190 and ate well.
Saturday/Sunday: homemade personal pizzas, leftovers
Monday: tuna burgers, mashed potatoes and gravy
Tuesday: burgers, tater tots, fruit
Wednesday: hamburger stew (to use up some burgers and leftover beef from the weekend) Youngest had burgers again. DH found some new-to-us varieties of sliced cheese for the burgers which the kids found delightful.
Thursday: Taco bar night
Friday: Lentil soup and homemade cornbread.
I forgot to mention a baking discovery that pleased me and the crew here, as well. I was baking brownies to send to a friend of mine whose husband just had hip replacement surgery. We have a favorite sugar-free brownie recipe (my friend is working on going sugar free), and the kids love them, but I wanted to make a small batch that was vegan as well because one of her daughters, my goddaughter, is vegan.
Anyway, I had flaxseed meal in the freezer, and I remembered reading that you can make a flax "egg" and I thought I'd try it with the brownie recipe I already use, also subbing coconut oil instead of the butter. They were actually BETTER than the brownies with egg. Fudgier and less crumbly. I had my family taste test them and they agreed. So I made our regular recipe, with butter and some chocolate chips, with the flax egg and got the same results.
So if the price of eggs/egg shortage has you down, just know that flax egg can work in brownies, which usually use quite a few eggs! For each egg, I used a tablespoon of flaxmeal mixed with 3 tablespoons of water, and let it sit for maybe 10 minutes before adding it to the recipe.
@Karen A.,
Thanks for the tip, Karen. Another tip, which some of you already know. is to use 1/4 cup of yogurt for every egg in the recipe. This has served me well for all kinds of baking. Secondly, I like using, occasionally, 1 teaspoon of baking soda mixed with one tablespoon of white vinegar as a substitution for an egg. Thanks!
@st, @Karen A., I appreciate the egg substitution ideas.
@st, Oh! I wonder if that would work in my cornbread recipe. It calls for 1 1/2 cups of buttermilk, and I usually just mix some whole yogurt with milk to make that, and 3 eggs. Would that be too much yogurt (if that even is a thing!)? I'm thinking of trying the flax eggs for the cornbread.
@Karen A., I would do the flax eggs, not additional yogurt. I've had great luck using flax eggs in muffins and quick breads.
@Karen A.,
You can do either way, (flax eggs or 3/4 cup of yogurt. I actually do not think it would be too much, since, in my experience, yogurt helps the cornbread stick together, and not be too crumbly.
1-13-23 WIS Roche Bros $6.49; Aldi $34; Shaws $53 ($12 too much)
WWA
Fri: I had my office holiday party. I don’t know what my husband ate.
Sat: hot dogs, leftover baked beans (I only made supper because my husband asked. I had been at my grandson’s delayed birthday party in the afternoon.)
Sun: Tomato bisque, bread; dark chocolate avocado pudding.
Mon: Oven blueberry pancake and breakfast sausage.
Tues: Leftovers after work—Tomato bisque
Wed: Instant pot-Pot roast
Thurs: Leftover pot roast
Fri: Taco casserole, corn souffle
Re: Shaw’s bill being $12 too much. I looked at my receipt in the evening and realized I was not credited the digital coupons. I contacted the supermarket by email and they have put a credit on my computer account.
This week I also tried the ATK chocolate avocado pudding. I am not particularly an avocado person—I don’t get any taste from it. I think it is one of those foods that takes on the flavor of the ingredients added to it.
Today, Saturday, I am off for the whole day. I am going to a book walk. Then the afternoon and evening with friends--handwork and probably a bunch of movies and talk. My husband will be fending for himself.
@JEG, what is a "book walk"? Sounds like a perfect combination of 2 perfect activities, but I cannot picture how this blend works.
@Central Calif. Artist,
Except for Bloomsday, Dublin, I cannot imagine what it might be.
So it feels weird that it's been a year already. I was talking with my wife's aunt at Christmas and she said that it really took her a full year of everything (holidays, birthdays, events etc.) for everything to become the new normal after she was widowed.
So in a way I'm happy for you that you reached the one year, still sad that you're going through this but you know, being on the outside with no real knowledge of things I almost feel like I can't have a strong opinion outside of hoping and praying that things all end up where they need to be.
It's a mixed bag for sure; it is super sad that this marriage needed to end. But since it was wreaking havoc on me, there is also a sense of happiness for me in that I can now move forward with officially dissolving it.
It's interesting you bring up the widowed aunt; during this year I have often thought of widowed people, wondering how my experience compares to theirs. I bet there are overlaps in some ways, and not in others, and I imagine that the grief we both feel is similar, but a slightly different flavor.
Glad everything is well.
WWS - I spent a total of $104.01. $77.65 at Trader Joe’s and $36.36 for a prepared meals from the health food store.
Saturday - We took care of DGB so we had take out from the health food store. Grilled, salmon, salad and sushi.
Sunday - stuffed baked potatoes
Monday - pork carnitas, rice, and broccoli slaw.
Tuesday- leftovers from Monday
Wednesday - I made broth from a chicken carcass and a fennel bulb that needed to be used. I then made ramen with lots of veggies and leftover chicken from the freezer,
Thursday - More Ramen
Friday - I was going to make fried rice to used up the last little bit of pork and Asian veggies, but I was so late getting home from my fun afternoon out. DH had gotten a rotisserie chicken. We had Lima beans and rice which were on hand.
Stir fry for lunch today
A hotel stay sounds like a great option for this week for you. Glad you took that time.
We had:
-Split pea soup with homemade French bread, x2. (I had this, while the boys & my husband were skiing & eating out during their ski trip.)
-Spaghetti & meatballs
-Chicken shawarma x2
-Chicken fajitas x2
This month I'm working very hard to do less takeout, and I'm realizing that means that some days need to be WAY easier than others because we have so many extracurriculars.
Monday: My boys had fast food because my oldest and I were at an appointment that went longer than expected and I couldn't get dinner out before they had to leave. My girls and I had brinner.
Tuesday: Grilled cheese on homemade sourdough, and tomato soup
Wednesday: Spaghetti with meat sauce that I had already made and frozen
Thursday: Chili from the freezer and corn bread out of a box.
Friday: Fried chicken and instant mashed potatoes
Saturday: I'm making pizza, hopefully with a sourdough crust
Sunday: I don't plan Sundays, but I've got enough extra fried chicken that I'm thinking we'll have salad with chicken on top.
My freezer is getting empty. I'm working on getting another half cow for it, but I'm also going to have to start batch cooking some meals for our busy nights.
Saturday - went out to a fast casual chicken and waffle restaurant
Sunday - out to dinner for my cousins birthday. This was at a nicer restaurant at a golf course so always a bit stressful wondering how the kids will do given their young ages and limited restaurant experience. Fortunately they did great and we all enjoyed ourselves! I had a delicious prosciutto and fig pizza.
Monday - my husband smoked a beef roast, I made twice baked potatoes, steamed green beans and reheated rolls from the freezer
Tuesday - cheesy chicken, vegetable and rice casserole
Wednesday - I had an event this evening so I reheated leftover for myself and made boxed Mac n cheese and lil smokies for the kids.
Thursday - bbq meatballs with cheese grits, sautéed kale and green beans
Friday - chicken patty sandwiches, French fries, steamed green beans and carrots
My week to cook.
Sunday-hot dogs, pasta, salad, oranges
Monday-lasagne, green peas, oranges
Tuesday-leftovers
Wednesday-homemade ramen bowls, oranges
Thursday-leftovers
Friday-homemade chicken tenders, sauteed zucchini, oranges
Saturday-chicken enchiladas, sweet potato fries, salad (and probably oranges)
Can you tell we got a big bag of mandarin oranges from Costco?
@DCO, this is a weird question, but if you still have the bag from the mandarins, what town are they from? (I live in citrus growing country, so I am always interested to know where they end up, not that I know where you are!)
Kristen good for you for marking that milestone. It's been a tough year sometimes, but a good year too. (((Hugs)))
WIiS: $87 and some odd cents (the exact amount is figured on the receipt in my budget book) divided between Food City and Food Lion. So far for January, the weekly average is $85.50 for 2.5 adiults (our son buys some of his own food).
WWA: Chili made with ground pork from the freezer stash. Leftover apple-bran muffins and leek-lentil-barley soup with an orange on the side. A couple of nights the weather was warmer and we were tired, so it was nuts, cheese and fruit for DH and a sharp cheese sandwich with an apple for me.
As usual, we had green salads for dinner each night. We have fruit and nuts for an evening snack with an occasional cookie when the sweet tooth is begging.
On Saturday’s however, we usually do a restaurant meal whether carry-out pizza, Mezeh, subs or burgers. It depends on who’s here and what is scheduled for the day. This afternoon we’ll do an in-restaurant meal to celebrate 3 family January birthdays.
WIS- $26.45 at Kroger, $225 seafood order
WIA-
Sun.- hamburger vegetable soup, cornbread
Mon.- leftovers
Tue.- burgers & fries
Wed.- salmon Pattie’s, sweet potato fries, corn, peas, cornbread
Thu.- pulled pork BBQ, cole slaw, baked potato
Fri.- leftover BBQ, hash browns with onions & green peppers
Sat.- homemade pizza? Or something to warm us up at least.
Kristen, that one-year-before-filing law is a mixed bag. One size never does fit all. Some marriages might need the year to heal, but others need to get that band-aid ripped off quickly. Sigh. You are determined, focused, and very admirable in your courageous march forward.
It is a bit frustrating; the only way around it for me would have been for him to agree to sign for a divorce. I think in cases where you can prove something like physical abuse, you can get an exception, but for most cases, you just have to wait it out, unless you can get cooperation from the other party.
@Kristen, sorry you are having to go through this, and admiring your dignity about it. I remember you had online marriage counseling in your folks’ garage but guess that you’ve made your decision. So, I hope things go smoothly for you and your kids. A dear friend is in a similar circumstance and I’ve encouraged her to read your blog. I’ve always gotten so much from it- tips, musings, recipes, kid-related content, budgeting, and I’m so grateful you continue!
Yes; that round of counseling was helpful not so much in fixing the marriage, but in helping me realize that it was irreparably broken. So I am grateful for that insight.
Tell your friend I am so sorry she is walking this path too!
Saturday - I got a date night with my husband as a Christmas gift, so we ate out.
Sunday - Fried rice with egg drop soup
Monday - The kids and I visited my parents and they cooked, pork country ribs with salad and roasted potato wedges
Tuesday - Your apple pfannekuchen recipe with scrambled eggs and breakfast sausage. Egg prices here are crazy, so this wasn’t the frugal meal it usually is! I did use up some squishy apples though, so that was a win.
Wednesday - I found beef roasts on a good sale, so we made instant pot beef stew with baguettes.
Thursday - Two of my crew were out, so the rest of us had a bag of salad with leftover grilled chicken and popcorn.
Friday - Chicken sausage and roasted veg with rice and chimichurri.
Ooh, I haven't had pfannekuchen in a while. And yes, it is a pricier dish than usual right now!
I admire your approach to life’s challenges.
WWA:
Saturday - homemade pizza
Sunday - small beef tenderloin roast from freezer with sauce made from leftover NYE blue cheese, baked potatoes, broccoli, apple crisp made with fading fruit
Monday - leftovers
Tuesday - slow cooker French onion soup (started with beef stock made with the bones of two Christmases worth of prime rib roasts) with leftover NYE emental cheese
Wednesday - Chili from the freezer, taco chips
Thursday - baked crispy chicken with spicy honey sauce, store bought sweet potato fries
Friday - pirates feast (various leftover bits) including pita bread, saucy white beans, leftover chicken
Wishing everyone a wonderful weekend
WWS: $8 Star; $5 FlashFoods $12 Market Basket (in addition to other stuff, bought chicken paws for stock)
WWA: Sat: no idea. homemade ramen? Or was that the week before?
Sun: mystery shop at a high-end restaurant
Mon: chicken stir fry with broccoli, carrots, red pepper, etc. over rice
Tues - Thurs: at work apartment & so ate the exact same thing each night: tomato soup, grilled cheese, cucumbers & cherries. Partner was home and ate homemade soup of some sort, Slovene goulaž over polenta, broccoli
Fri: I did a mystery shop on my way home at a burger joint
@BettafrmdaVille, "chicken paws"? Are these chicken feet, wing tips, etc.? Inquiring minds want to know.
@A. Marie,
They are just chicken feet. They make good stock because they have a lot of collagen. I think the name "chicken paws" is just a marketing gimmick because it makes them sound less gross. They are rather witchy-looking for sure.
@Becca, thanks for the explanation. I still remember DH's and my first trip to the Bay Area in the early 1980s, when my oldest sister and her husband took us to a famous dim sum place in SF Chinatown. That was our first, and memorable, encounter with chicken feet!
Just yesterday I found myself thinking it must be coming up on a year, and wondering what you would do to mark and/or get through that anniversary. A night at the Weston sounds like a great idea. ❤️
Aww, I am touched that you were thinking of me!
This was an easy week for food prep. Boston butt was on sale so I baked it in the oven on Monday. We had pulled pork sandwiches two nights with coleslaw, fresh veggies, and salad. I made a tabbouleh (ish) salad with brown rice instead of bulgur wheat. It was really good! We also had pulled pork tacos with zucchini on the side. Tonight we are having pulled pork with bbq sauce and macaroni and cheese.
I have been really been inspired by Kristen to use up all leftovers and not let anything go to waste. Sometimes my breakfast and lunches are very creative, but so far we have very successful.
Funny seeing you on a weekend! We're on a mission to reduce our grocery spending, so I'm shopping flyers, meal planning a lot, and trying to avoid food waste.
Sunday: Can't recall!
Monday: The end of a bag of frozen ravioli with leftover sauce, plus lentil soup.
Tuesday: Salmon that my mom had put in our freezer before my parents went out of town, which we ate with herb-y couscous (used up the end of a bag of couscous and some shriveling parsley) and broccoli from the freezer.
Wednesday: I was on call, so I had takeout pasta and salad. Mr. B and toddler had chicken nuggets, pasta, and fruit.
Thursday: Chana masala with rice. My friend had kindly given me some of his mother's garam masala in support of my venturing into cooking more Indian food, which was delicious.
Friday: Mr. Bear made beef stew, which we had with bread-machine bread. Delicious.
Saturday: Pizza party at a friend's house!
I hope you had a wonderful breakfast in bed! Not frugal, but oh, so satisfying. ~Sherry
@Sherry, I'm so much the opposite! I hate breakfast in bed because 1) it's not terribly comfortable to sit in bed like that, and 2) it has the potential for being oh-so-messy. Oh, and the only time I've had breakfast in bed has been when I also had children....so they all had to gather round (on the bed, and you know little kids can't be still on a bed unless they are asleep) to watch me eat such a treat. LOL! Now, I would like breakfast served to me at a table 🙂
@Jody S.,
This!!! A thousand times this!!! And you don't even mention the damn toast crumbs that you find in your sheets for days!!! You want me to have a good mother's day? Then get out of my room!!!
@Becca, I agree at home, breakfast in bed sounds horrible (and just reminds me of when I'm too sick to get out of bed!), but in a hotel, where you don't have to wash the sheets, it would be a luxury! 🙂
I can see it working on a honeymoon trip at a hotel, yes. But I don't know that I have ever eaten breakfast in bed at my house!
Is your cat in time out?
I love that you went to the hotel to treat yourself. (It is handy to have a relative in the hotel industry.)
A very boring, eat out of the freezer week, and it will be so for many weeks to come. It is only January, but March and the beginning of periodic thaws is coming so we need to eat up all the stuff sitting in totes on the back porch because our freezer was full.
Sat/Sunday: tuna chowder and biscuits.
Monday/Tuesday: chili and biscuits.
Wednesday: chicken cheesesteak sandwiches.
Thursday: chicken soup to use up the extra chicken from last night.
Friday: waffles.
Every night we had fruit salad made from frozen berries and peaches and a bit of whipped cream.
@Lindsey, no filet-o-fish? Don't upset the apple cart for me.
Yes! I really love my brother's hotel job. Ha.
I know the groceries just not what I spent.
Salad
Blueberries
Avocado
Tomatoes
Eggs
Bananas
Chicken
Broccoli
Apples
Carrots
Celery
Almond butter
I read others mention carrots, me too. Lots. Does winter make you crave fresh fruits and vegetables? I peel and crunch on the big ones. Now I need a beach and crab claws.
Hmm, I don't think winter makes me crave fresh produce as much as it makes me want to eat soup and crusty bread.
Winter does healthier things to you than me, apparently!
That is some excellent self care. Well done!
Glad you got that night away!!
Saturday: Turkey, stuffing, green bean casserole, and not originally planned but added upon request: mashed potatoes and gravy
Sunday: Turkey broccoli Alfredo
Monday: Easy Chicken Enchiladas from AllRecipes
Tuesday: Jambalaya and orange slices
Wednesday: Fajitas
Thursday: Turkey and noodles with a green salad
Friday: Cheeseburgers, fries in the air fryer, and home-canned peaches
Saturday: We ate dinner at Sam's Club. Less than $17 for 5 of us to get dinner and dessert!
Now I'm going back through my receipts to figure out what I spent. 🙂 Enjoy the rest of your weekend!
63 dollars spent at Kroger pick up. 2.87 spent at ALDI. I forgot coffee creamer.
Sun-Large egg sausage and veggie egg bake. Air fryer potatoes
Mon- Egg Roll in a Bowl with lean ground beef found on mark down over Ramen Noodles ( no flavor packet).
Tues- leftovers of Mon and Tues
Wed- sheet pan dinner with Turkey sausage potatoes carrots onions and red pepper. Used Cajun spice this time.
Thurs- cereal or oatmeal for supper. Sliced apples I LOVE CEREAL and seldom eat it.
Fri- Frozen pizza and cucumber salad. Lettuce too pricey in my area right now.
Sat- baked chicken box stuffing and cranberry salad
Cranberry salad
1 can WHOLE cranberry sauce
1 diced unpeeled green apple
right before serving
Fold in diced walnuts or diced pecans prob about 1/3 cup.
This recipe has been in my family for forever. Nice little treat.
One year. I'm glad you marked it with something to treat yourself.
Monday: I made "American Chop Suey" for my family using some extra ingredients leftover from making 100 meatballs in sauce for my colleague who is having cancer treatment. I portioned the meatball and sauce for several meals and also brought her sub rolls and pasta to go with the meatballs, as well as a veggie tray, 2 batches of muffins, brownies and rice crispy treats.
Tuesday: I had done so much cooking the day before that we kept it easy with a rotisserie chicken, which I served with a green salad, roasted squash and mashed potatoes. After dinner I also made chicken salad with the leftover chicken and put the carcass in the crock pot to make stock.
Wednesday: Pork carnitas with rice and beans
Thursday: Baked potatoes with a toppings bar: cheese, broccoli, bacon, etc. I also thawed some leftover chili thinking it would good as a topping, but one child decided to have a bowl of chili rather than a potato.
Friday: We got a take out pizza.
Saturday: Pulled pork and slaw. I realized we had a ton of bags of frozen fruit in the freezer that were all mostly empty so my kids made smoothies to use all those odds and ends of fruit.
Tonight: Homemade ramen using the stock from Tuesday.
I spent about $70 between Lowes Foods and Food Lion. We are moving soon so I bought toilet paper, deodorant, cat food and litter, dog food, eggs, buttermilk, bread, and salad dressing. We are mostly eating out of the freezer and pantry to use up items, but some basics need to be purchased while we are still here.
We had:
wild rice soup with homemade bread
butter chicken/broccoli/naan
hamburgers/salad/cole slaw/baked beans
pork loin, roasted potatoes and roasted brussels sprouts
pizza on the grill
ate out for brunch so we had sandwiches and fruit for supper
chicken enchiladas and homemade refried beans
We had split pea soup for lunches and leftovers also at lunch.
I love that you have leftovers for dinner and "fend for your yourself" nights. It makes your meal plans very "real life."
Yeppp, that's my goal! It's why I do my menu posts looking back rather than planning forward...less aspiration, more real.