WIS, WWA | a new year of grocery shopping!
What I Spent
I know sometimes at the start of a new year, people make grocery-bill-reduction goals, but honestly, I'm not even gonna stress over that. Maybe after the semester is over, I can do a bang-up job with the grocery bill over the summer.
But until then, I'm just gonna keep on focusing on keeping us fed in a reasonably health way, and that will be good enough!
I spent:
- $47 at Aldi
- $27 at Panera
- $23 on Domino's for Zoe's New Year's party
So, $97 for the two of us this week.
What We Ate
Saturday
Zoe and I met up at Panera after her work shift, got some dinner together, and then went home and watched a movie together. 🙂
Sunday
Zoe had a friend get-together for New Year's Eve, and they all ate pizza.
I'm trying to remember what I ate! I think I did one of my frequent egg + veggie skillet meals.
Monday
I'd gotten a loaf of cinnamon bread out of the freezer on New Year's Eve day, so I used some of that on Monday to make French toast, which we ate with whipped cream and berries.
Tuesday
I made some penne with an Alfredo sauce, and I pan-sauteed some chicken thighs to slice on top of the pasta.
I also picked up a salad kit at Aldi, because I thought, "Hmm, this seems like a good thing for a two-person household." The salad was tasty, but as expected, a little short on the toppings.
Like....it had bacon, but only a very TINY bit of bacon.
I think I might be better off buying a bag of salad greens and then adding my own toppings.
On the other hand, a salad kit did ensure that we actually ate a salad, so I don't know. The jury is out on whether or not I will continue to buy them!
Wednesday
A repeat of Tuesday, complete with the other half of the salad.
Thursday
Zoe picked up some fast food for herself after work, and I ate some random stuff from the fridge (leftover pasta and some butternut squash soup, plus a grilled cheese sandwich).
Friday
I don't know! But I can tell you that the pasta is ALL gone now, so dinner will not include leftover pasta again. Ha.
I cannot recall what we ate on Sat, probably something veggy based as we usulaly do that before holidays start.
New Year's eve: charcuterie board with several fruits, and an abundance of apple turnovers and deep fried sweet dumplings [cannot find translation to do justice]
New Years day: leftovers of the same, with a light vegetable soup based on chicken stock from the freezer, and toasted bread with leftover cheese
Tue: Carrot/onion/beef stew
Wed Brussels sprouts and beef, apple cruble with whipped cream that surfaced in my fridge
Thu Mac n Cheese
Today Most likely panfried potatoes with hamburgers and sauteed cabbage and or salad. I also have a full bag of apples so maybe apple crumble again. And the remainder will be apple sauce for the fridge.
The fridge is in better order than usual at the start of the new year, I cleaned it out and reordered it after Christmas. Next week both of us will be at work again so I had better plan some meals for next week already.
Happy new year! The holidays are done and we still have so much food in the house. Am planning to do a much needed fridge audit and clean-out today. I foresee a low-spend “use up what we already have” next few weeks. WWA:
Saturday - cauliflower soup, cheese & beer quick-bread
Sunday - angel hair pasta with lemon and Calabrian chili sauce & shrimp, coleslaw, raspberries & citrus fruits
Monday - roast beef with horse radish, yorkshire pudding, mashed potatoes, gravy, corn, butter tarts
Tuesday - Chinese takeaway (by request from the youngest before she left to go back to university in another city)
Wednesday - leftovers
Thursday - pizza bagels, Horiatiki salad
Friday - planning on spaghetti, homemade meatballs, leftover jarred sauce from the freezer (will add herbs and some Calabrian chili paste)
Wishing everyone a wonderful weekend
WIS: 238.43 @Aldi on a big protein stock up trip. This trip also included a twenty dollar weighted blanket because I had bought two for my boys and decided I wanted one too. It's so luxurious! I'm trying to treat myself a little in 2024, and this seemed like a good, practical splurge. Then in that treat yourself vein...I decided I really love the mochi ice cream treats that Aldi sells, so I went on a solely ice cream-related excursion and I spent another 40.44 for a total of 278.87 this week. In addition to the treats, this does cover proteins for at least 25 dinners for my family, so I'm honestly not that bothered about the amount.
WWA: several of these dinners featured mochi ice cream for dessert because I share my treats. Usually. 😉
Fri: fancy ramen bowls featuring chicken sausage, Swiss Chard, celery, yellow pepper, carrot and hard boiled eggs. The celery was the stand out ingredient because it was so sweet and delicious!
Sat: salad (mixed greens, Asian trail mix and spicy guacamole) and chicken curry using a jarred Tikka masala sauce over jasmine rice.
Sun: New Year's Eve, so we had cheese pizza (a frozen take and bake), crudites and fancy cheeses with crackers.
Mon: New Year's Day, and in true frugal fashion, we had leftovers: crudites and Tikka masala chicken
Tue: salad (mixed greens, spray dressing and Asian trail mix), a dish my husband made up to use up the last cabbage of 2023-it was sauteed cabbage, chicken sausage, toasted bread cubes and shredded cheese. It's a little hard to describe, but it was super delicious. Kind of hard to believe it was made with old cabbage...
Wed: salad (same as Tuesday. I'm on a streak.) And chicken/Swiss Chard crescent dough ring using canned chicken, shredded cheese and refrigerated biscuit dough-tasty, cheap and easy.
Thu: salad (yup, the very same formula) and leftovers of the crescent dough ring and the cabbage.
Tonight: salad and focaccia because we're back in the groove! And also...out of leftovers!
Happy weekend, everyone!
@Becca,
Cabbage rules!
Is super healthy, versatile and keeps well. Winter superfood, and still so modest 🙂
@Becca, I just discovered I like red cabbage yesterday. I roasted some for lunch. I don't like many veggies so I was happy to find another one that I do!
@Becca, Weirdly, I hated my weighted blanket and gave it away. The weird part is that my whole life, I loved getting the lead aprons put on for x rays. I thought I was the only one who did; turns out autistic people like me love them. Then I bought myself a weighted vest and that's not right either. Apparently you can get old lead x ray aprons, so maybe I'll try that.
@Marlena,
I don't like *raw* red cabbage, but I wonder if I would like it cooked? Hmm. Something to try! Thank you!
@Liz B., Or pickle it!
@Liz B., I shredded it pretty finely, roasted with some olive oil and garlic salt til some was a bit crunchy. It was great!
@JNL,
Haha, well we do like cabbage, but sometimes because I have multiple farm shares we end up with ungodly amounts of cabbage in the fridge at one time. This year, I think there may have been a moment where there were ten (10, not a typo!) different heads of cabbage in the fridge. So, even though we like it and it does keep well, there comes a day when we are all happy to say goodbye to that last cabbage. 😉
@Marlena,
When we have red cabbage we slice it (think like you do cauliflower steaks or something, so its like a thin slab of cabbage) and roast it in the oven with parmesan. So good.
@Jaime, oh...I'll try that next time. Thanks!
@Becca,
Also, in reading through the comments, I realized I did not answer your question about salad kits. I felt that as the resident daily salad consumer, I should respond. I do not currently buy them. It's not because I am morally opposed to them or even their price, it's just that they don't really work for our family. For one thing, they are small. Also, they often have added ingredients that my kids or husband cannot have. Finally, I am often swimming in greens from various farm shares, and if I bought more salad, something might go to waste. I do, however, indulge in the boxes of prewashed greens when I am between shares. I do various things to make sure they last like putting a paper towel on top and storing it flipped over, but I find that even with diligence, I still end up sorting out slimy pieces which really bugs me. When I compare the slime sort to the full on lettuce wash routine though, boxed salads are still a time saver. I would likely buy a bagged salad if I found one that met our specific dietary restrictions, but for now I just put toppings on the boxed salads and make peace with my smaller corner cutting. I do also buy lettuce heads occasionally like the romaine or the artisan types from Aldi, but then I glower at them when i think about how I will need to wash them for like fifteen minutes in cold water. Then I think "crap, it's winter and I'm tired...whelp, applesauce it is..." So I have no judgement whatsoever for the bagged salad lovers.
@Marlena,
That sounds deelish!
@Becca, I do the exact same on the plastic boxes of greens! They keep nicely if you place a paper towel on top and flip them over stored in the coldest part of thefridge.
Also, the bagged salads get yukky much sooner than the boxed ones so I only get them if we can eat them right away.
@Erika JS,
If they indeed get yucky sooner, then that would be another point against the salad kits. I absolutely despise doing the slime sort!
@Becca,
I can get that! Too much of a good thing.
The one I have is not that big-twin sized and I just put it in my lap when I'm on the couch. I don't know if I would like sleeping under it.
WIS: $13.50 at the Regional Market and $49 at Ollie's. (I also got an Ollie's Army membership in my own name, since Army points reset at the start of every year. Up to now, I've been using DH's membership.)
WIA: Well, nothing I can make for a while is going to beat those extra lobster tails I was given to take home from the New Year's Day open house I attended! But my thriftiest effort was some linguine with leftover tomatoes, chopped basil, and spinach that the Bestest Neighbors gave me on their way out of town, plus some mushrooms. I sauteed the veg in olive oil just till the tomatoes were breaking down, and then added the pasta.
P.S. I also used the cup or so of souring milk that the BNs left behind to make a nice batch of (No @#$%!! Sugar in the) Cornbread yesterday afternoon.
And to answer the salad kit question: No.
I think you know my answer to that second questions . . .
Saturday: Ram and elk stew, cheese, cornbread
Sunday: Elk chorizo and scrambled eggs, leftover cornbread, chocolate ice cream
Monday: New Year's Day is for health, wealth, and happiness in the form of pork, greens, and black-eyed peas. And rice for peace, which is my children's comtribution to this very old Southern family tradition. This year my greens were a small amount of beet greens frozen two years ago--because all my greens were destroyed in the garden this year by hail and grasshoppers--and sauerkraut. I know sauerkraut is traditional in some more northerly places, and I love it, so I think I'll keep that as part of my own traditional meal. I also made a pecan pie for the first time, by request.
Tuesday: I used some of the leftover rice to make a tuna-rice casserole. and we had still-frozen peas and pureed squash, too.
Wednesday: Elk burgers on homemade buns, roasted potatoes, green salad with ranch dressing, chocolate chip-peanut butter cookies
Thursday: Carnitas tacos on homemade corn tortillas (we had guests, hence the extra effort with the carbs), brownies I found in the freezer
Tonight: Depends. If my husband takes one of the boys on their planned overnight trip, then we'll have leftovers here at home. If the snow makes the trip inadvisable, then I'll figure something else out. Maybe ram meat.
@kristin @ going country, I don't like pecan pie (too sweet), so I never make it, but I did for the first time at BFF's Thanksgiving 2022. She said it was the best one she'd ever had, so I made another a day or so later and she kept eating pieces for breakfast with slices of banana on top. Makes me happy to know I made her happy with a stupid pie.
I primarily buy salad kits for when we travel in our RV due to its extremely limited fridge & prep space. At home? Not so much for dinners, but on occasion I will pick up one for my lunch as a treat. I can get two generous lunches from one salad kit, and generally only purchase when they are on sale, so a pretty modest splurge.
This week we are eating in and amongst contractors, so pretty much batch cooking over the weekend when the house is quiet, than lots of leftovers!
Sat- Out with friends at a smoked BBQ spot rated #1 in our county. It was yum!
Sun- Marinara & meatballs over pasta, Caesar salad, garlic btead, homemade peppermint ice cream with peppermint brownies.
Mon-Wed- Above as leftovers. Served over pasta, then atop bagels as mini-pizzas.
Thur-Fri- Defrosted and then nuked lemon chicken & rice casserole, plus steamed some broccoli to serve alongside each night.
Above is a good dry run for my upcoming kitchen remodel. During which I'm sure salad kits will make their way onto my dinner menu at some point!
@Tamara R, homemade peppermint ice cream and brownies? May I come over to your house??
@A. Marie,
Right?? I'll meet you at @Tamara R's place for dessert. 🙂
@Liz B., @A.Marie - LOL. I do love to entertain, and I try to have at least one meal item that will make my guests feel special. 🙂
The hardest part of making ice cream is remembering to freeze the ice cream maker bowl a good two days ahead of time!
I think right now just getting fed and school is enough.
I used to be opposed to salad kits, as they are pretty expensive compared to buying plain lettuce and making your own. But, guess what? I despise washing lettuce for some reason. I still do it sometimes, but those kits that you can just open and eat right away make me more likely to eat salad. So I do buy them occasionally.
This week, we ate:
- grilled cheese, tomato soup, sliced apples, raw carrots and cucumber
- Chinese takeout
- pork and sauerkraut with mashed potatoes and green beans, courtesy of my MIL
-hot dogs, homemade macaroni and cheese with shell noodles instead of elbow per kids request, and peas
- my daughter requested garlic bread sticks for her birthday, which I made along with spaghetti and homemade meatballs, and salad from a bag
- leftover night
- tonight will probably be tacos. I also may make a soup or two to have on hand for the snowy weekend ahead, and for my husband to take in his lunches to work next week
@JP, I also HATE washing lettuce. I do it (mainly because I hate the space the bagged lettuce takes...I chop my lettuce and squish all the air out in a baggie with a paper towel), but every week I hate that chore. I may delegate it to my husband for 2024 🙂
What version of Emma did you watch with Shelly and Zoe?
WWS - approximately $60 split fairly evenly between Publix and Trader Joe’s
WWA:
It has been a leftover filled week!!!
Saturday: I was still feeling poorly from a stomach bug. I ate homemade chicken soup from the freezer.
Sunday: DH and I took care of our grandchildren. With 2 children under 2, my son and DIL needed a break. My son made a pot of chili in the crockpot before he left to go out. We had that.
Monday: I made a traditional New Year’s Eve dinner of roast pork, black eyed peas, rice, greens and cornbread.
Tuesday: After eating leftovers for lunch, DH who is home this week wanted hamburgers. This required a trip to the store.
Wednesday: We had reimagined leftovers, bar-b-que pork sandwiches with a side of greens.
Thursday: This was a repeat of Wednesday.
Friday: I have used or frozen all the remaining leftovers. I’m not sure what I’ll fix. It won’t involve pork.
Have a nice weekend!!!
@Bee, I too want to know which Emma this was. I'm guessing it was the 202o version with Anya Taylor-Joy as Emma (which I have not watched myself), but I'm hoping Kristen will tell us.
IMHO, there is no perfect version of Emma out there because of the problems with cramming a long novel into a 2-hour movie, but my favorite thus far is the 1996 BBC version with Kate Beckinsale as Emma.
On the other hand, there's such a thing as a too-long version of Emma as well. The 1970s BBC version (eight episodes, I think) is a total snore!
@A. Marie, I preferred the Kate Beckinsale version of Emma to the 2020 version starring Anya Taylor-Joy. I don’t remember why now. Maybe I need to watch them back to back again. I have never watched the BBC version. It sounds as though it lacked the magic of the Pride and Prejudice miniseries.
BTW, my cornbread was definitely made without sugar!!!
@Bee, re: the cornbread: Glad to hear it.
And re: the various Emmas: Some of those 1970s BBC series versions would kill anybody's love for Jane Austen. The 1970s Persuasion featured an actress who was too old for the role of Anne Elliot (yeah, I know Anne is supposed to be a 27-year-old washed-up spinster, but...?) and was also wearing a wig that looked like a dead weasel.
We are a two person household and use bagged salads and greens all the time. I hate chopping and cleaning. I buy salad kits only when they're on sale. We especially enjoy the chopped ones as there are some unique toppings like crispy beets, flatbread and wonton strips and freeze dried corn, but as you noted, the portions of toppings are not generous. A cheaper way to use bagged salads is to buy cole slaw mix or shredded lettuce and add other bagged greens like spinach or arugula and your own toppings and dressings. We always have a selection of seeds, nuts, cheese and croutons but I'd love to find a source for the crispy beets and corn that the kits supply.
@Bobi, not sure about the beets, but our grocery store carries packages of the freeze dried corn. It is in the same section with dried fruit, apple chips, etc. There are some other dried veggies that would be good on salads.
@Carla G, Thanks I'll check that section.
@Bobi, Forgot to say that Lidl carries the best selection of bagged salads & kits. My Lidl carries at least 4 different brands with lots of varieties.
Sendiks - $64
Sunday - Crab legs we bought for a steal in November, with a take & bake roll and glass of wine
Monday - Pork Chops, bkd potato and steamed broccoli (potatoes left from a Christmas purchase when it was 2 - 5lb. bags of Yukons for $4!!)
Tuesday - Cream of Potato soup
Wednesday - Chicken stir-fry and rice
Thursday - Leftover soup
Friday - Leftover stir-fry
We buy salad kits occasionally because it is convienent for just the two of us, but they are more expensive than making your own. However, they are cheaper than me driving to get takeout!
WIS: One of my new year/new me things is really to keep control of the spending for my groceries. Covid hit about the same time as my younger son was moving out into his first apartment. I felt the need to stock up on things with Covid so we wouldn’t need to go out to stores as often….then kept buying like the kids were home, etc. Prices keep going up now so I continue to stock up when I find a deal….it’s all getting out of hand.
So, the goal is to get through some of the pantry and the big freezer stuff in January and start cleaning out all older stuff and get back to a reasonable amount. Trying not to purchase anything this month except fresh veggies/fruit (and using frozen/canned when I can), and dairy products.
Sorry this turned into a missive of thoughts I probably need a therapist for ha!
I already had a small fail this week, but at least keeping track makes me realize it and maybe awareness will help me think twice next time.
Lowes Foods: $7.10 (bread/fruit/salad) Lidl:$6.62 veggies/butter Food Lion: $38.72 ($20 was for four 1 lb packages of shaved brisket for Philly sandwiches…that was my fail. It was on sale for $5 so I bought a few for the freezer cause we love Phillies…and though it was a good price, I don’t need more in the freezer!)
So, $52.44 for the week
Saturday: we went out to a casual local place we have been wanting to try. (I track our dining out from a different budget line…we go out usually twice a month)
Sunday: Chilidogs/salad/oven fries
Monday: a sticky/soy/ginger chicken over ramen with broccoli (chicken breasts from the freezer…ramen packages from forever ago, but used the sticky sauce I made, not the packets for flavor)
Tuesday: ham and bean soup (used a ham bone from the freezer) and cornbread
Wednesday: We both had soup for lunch. My husband wasn’t home this night so I had tater tots with the leftover chili from the chilidogs on top. I’m healthy like that…good grief.
Thursday: fried hot honey chicken breasts over salad. Husband also had roasted sweet potato fries.
Friday: Grilled pizza
I have a menu for next week already planned, so hopefully I will continue to get through the freezer!
Sat: I made chicken & wild rice soup and we ate that with some store bought croissants
Sun: My Mom purchased a prime rib so I cooked that and we had boursin scalloped potatoes, collard greens, black-eyed peas, and a creamy horseradish sauce. A very yummy start to 2024.
Mon: Leftovers, snacky items while we worked a jigsaw puzzle
Tues: a smorgasbord of leftovers, Ramen, and chicken & wild rice soup
Wed: leftover soup, leftover prime rib & a big mac for the little guy cause he wanted to try one
Thurs: homemade SpaghettiOs with some meatballs from the freezer that needed to be used
Fri: you guessed it! Leftovers again 🙂 fridges to be cleaned out this weekend and non-holiday life & food will resume thank goodness!!
WWA:
Saturday: I cannot recall!
Sunday: taco soup
Monday: black-eyed peas, collard greens, and cornbread
Tuesday: leftover taco soup
Wednesday: homemade pizza using Kristen's pizza dough recipe
Thursday: cheese omelet and toast
Friday: probably leftover soup and pizza
Sat: I truly cannot remember!
Sun: Spaghetti & Meatballs
Mon: Curry Lentil Soup
Tues: Eggs & Toast
Wed: Cheesy Orzo Pasta Bake
Thurs: Grits, Eggs, and Bagels
We'll probably be finishing up the orzo bake tonight.
I like to get the salad kits when I'm short on time and/or motivation to deal with buying and prepping all of the veggies for a salad. I know it's probably better to buy and prep the veggies, but a kit beats takeout and/or not having a salad.
Lately I've been buying three packs of romaine as its so versatile and not expensive. I add a protein and whatever other veggies I have, go easy on the dressing, and its a good lunch. And I do love those chopped salads that involve cabbage and such with their own dressings. This week we ate:
Monday - kitchen closed - I ate, but couldn't tell you what
Tuesday - Cafe Rio Beef Tacos, refried beans (leftovers were enjoyed by me yesterday for lunch)
Wednesday - Pot of white beans with Christmas ham bone, corn muffins
Thursday - Crispy Chicken Thighs, baked sweet potato, steamed broccoli
Friday - Dr. Martin's Mix, rolls
Saturday and Sunday - kitchen closed (but we have containers to heat up for meals)
Happy Weekend!
https://cannaryfamily.blogspot.com/
I bought a salad kit yesterday at H-E-B, when I was making a "milk run."
I needed to get some buttermilk bc the doctor prescribed antibiotics and that usually causes me to break out in an itchy skin rash. A nurse practitioner once told me to drink cultured buttermilk for this, as it has the same active live cultures as yogurt but gets into your bloodstream faster since it's a liquid. And I also got a probiotic blueberry drink and their Hill Country Fare brand of milk -- a gallon of HCF is $2.41. Cheaper than the half-gallon of buttermilk, another of their store brands, which was $2.93. Also cheaper than a gallon of milk at our drug store, which is more than $4....which is why I don't buy milk at work. Gotta check those prices!
Anyway, the individual-sized salad was $5 -- too high, I know, for just one person's meal -- but I was really tired and decided that I needed more veggies. Like you, I found it scarce on the toppings although it had a large dollop of cranberry turkey salad on top. I added some more tomato chunks to it when I got home. But after eating a meal's worth, I still have half a container of greens. Plan to add more veggies and make another meal out of it this weekend. And I'm like you: next time, I'll just get the salad greens and do my own thing.
@Fru-gal Lisa,
Registered Dietitian (in the US) here. Respectfully, the "good" bacteria from probiotic foods (or probiotic supplements) should not enter your bloodstream. If they do, they could potentially cause a serious infection. (Probiotic bacteria colonize in your gut, and help prevent antibiotic-caused diarrhea). I've never heard that getting probiotics in a liquid form is a quicker way to get said "good" bacteria, but it certainly wouldn't hurt. Whichever form works best for you is the way to go.
(Takes off RD lab coat. :-))
@Liz B.,
Fellow RD here! I had the same thoughts!
@Jaime,
High five, fellow RD! 😉
The only food related New Year's resolution I ever make is to keep buying food on sale & from farmer (if possible) & limit take out. Otherwise I just keep us fed.
What I spent--- $30 Applebees
What we ate---
●teens (usual) pizza & popcorn snack most days
●Pancakes & scrambled eggs
●Applebees teen had whiskey bacon burger (with all toppings) & fries, I had prime rib dipper sandwich with fries
●mini corn dogs with Checkers fries
●chicken bowls (pulled chicken with mashed potatoes, cheese, corn & gravy)
●ham slider sandwiches
●chicken strips & Arby's curly fries (teen) & leftover mashed potatoes for me
●no idea.....food as teen would say. 🙂
Happy weekend everybody.
WIS: $19.97 at Sprouts for 2 cartons of free range eggs and 2 loaves of multigrain bread. As I predicted in this week’s FFT, that was all I needed after making a thorough inventory of what was already on hand.
But a Public Service Announcement: If eggs and bread are all you need, DO NOT go to the grocery store the afternoon of New Year’s Eve. Yikes! (Said my cashier: “I don’t know what happened! Everybody came in all at once!”)
And I do buy salad kits. If I buy all the separate components, I can’t get through all of them before they go bad. So it’s actually more frugal to buy a kit and add other toppings if need be.
WIA: Trying to up my vegetable intake, so: Roasted delicata squash stuffed with wild rice, mushrooms and Italian sausage. Fish tacos with cole slaw. Roasted sweet potatoes, carrots and red potatoes seasoned with sea salt, black pepper and herbs. Roasted broccoli and cauliflower seasoned likewise. Omelets with spinach, mushrooms and feta cheese.
Friday: My son had a friend spend the night so I pulled some cooked chicken and tortillas out of the freezer for chicken Caesar wraps. My husband picked up curly fries and fancy root beers for the boys on the way home. They also finished off the rest of the holiday treats throughout the night.
Saturday: Out for pizza and a holiday concert
Sunday: Chicken Pot Pie
Monday: Baked Pasta (using from the freezer: Eggplant and Tomato sauce, ground beef, mozzarella)
Tuesday: Chicken Posole
Wednesday: Gyro Beef Roast with all the gyro fixings
Thursday: leftover night
I have a small family of 3 and what I do with salad kits is use about 3/4 of the lettuce and all of the toppings. Then use the rest of the lettuce in something else, like on a sandwich, or making a small salad for one another day. Better topping to lettuce ratio, and they are so convenient.
I do buy salad kits! because, like you said it ensures a salad is eaten. I’m in an “easy button” phase of life and those are easy! some salad kits are better than others, though!
Busy work week = easy dinners
WWS: $9 @ Grocery Outlet, $7 @ scratch & dent, $34 @ restaurant supply & $67 @ Costco. We are expecting bad weather, so stocked up on cat and dog food.
WWA: S: charcuterie boards (savory and sweet)
M: White Chicken Chili, cornbread, veggies and dirty martini dip
T: Leftover Chili and cornbread w/green salad
W: Elk Shank slow cooked French dip style, potato salad shared w/neighbors
Th: Grilled ham sammies - spent the whole day in city
F: Grilled burgers, french fries
Sat: Housewarming party for friend who is downsizing/moving off farm. I am making my layered taco salad, taquitos w/guac and turtle brownies
How I survived nursing school and balanced meals. I've been doing this for 30+ years.
I make my green salads in bulk. Wash the lettuces (romaine holds up very well) dry/spin well.
Chop cabbage (purple), celery, carrots into a big bowl. Divvy up into quart canning jars (wide mouth), on the day that you eat, all you need to add is softer veggies like red pepper, onion, radish, etc. These quarts will last 5 days in the fridge. It really saves $$ and time. On the same day that I prep the "pour salads" I also make my salad dressings if needed.
One thing I like about salad kits: a reasonable supply of lettuce versus five bushels at a time.
Sunday and Monday: SNAXXXX for daughter and me. Baked camembert with chutney and bread, pigs in blankets, spanikopita, TJ's tarte d'Alsace, and fruit salad (my favorite combo: just sliced strawberries, blueberries and pineapple).
Tuesday: Chicken parm with spaghetti
Wed: Meatball soup
Thur: Chicken pot pie with puff pastry top
Friday: finally the CPK tostada pizza.
On the salad question, I don't buy the kits because nothing is universal or substantial enough for a house of seven eaters, ha. But, I always look at the washed-and-chopped area because when they're on sale or close-dated they're a lot cheaper than heads of lettuce, and often comparable to heads of cabbage.
I don't know what happened to me this week. Normally I write out a two-week menu when I do my two-week shopping, then check them as I eat them. This week I checked nothing, but I most certainly did eat:
Here's what I know I ate:
New Year's Day: Turnip greens, smoked hog jowl (my family's traditional New Year's Day form of pork) but no black-eyed peas or cornbread. Dried beans/peas and corn products can be a difficult combination for me, so I just left them off the menu this year. Instead I included my daddy's favorite "dessert" of softened butter smooshed and stirred into molasses then spread on bread, which is gluten-free in my case. We used to go yearly to a farm where the owners grew and ground their own sugar cane with mules then cooked down the juice to make molasses. We kids were allowed to suck the sweet juice out of a short piece of cane while we watched. My dad would buy one or two of the gallon tins of finished molasses. Where I live now, it's called cane syrup.
I had cooked a goat leg roast and eaten most of it, so I boiled the leg bone to make broth and used that with the last of the cooked meat to make shepherd's pie with leftover vegetables. I may have eaten that twice.
I used the breast meat from a fresh chicken to make a recipe from A Squirrel in the Kitchen in the crockpot. It uses carrots, chicken, onions, apples and a few prunes, and is cooked in coconut milk. I might have eaten this twice, who knows.
I made white chicken "chili" with ground turkey meat because the store was out of ground chicken and I don't have a grinder. I base this recipe off the white chicken chili that's available frozen from an AIP food service. No beans or hot pepper - it uses chicken broth, celery, onions, garlic, zucchini, lemon juice and chunks of avocado. I recently found peeled and frozen avocado chunks in a bag, which definitely upped my avocado game.
@JD, I would love to see the recipe with chicken/veggies/coconut milk. Do you know what it’s called & I’ll Google it. Thanks!
@Diane,
Here it is -
https://asquirrelinthekitchen.com/aip-paleo-slow-cooker-chicken-stew-with-plums-carrots-and-apples/
The name is pretty self-explanatory, ha.
This week, I bought a couple of salad kits from Trader Joe's and enjoyed them, although I agree, the toppings can be spare (one advertised roasted chickpeas but had perhaps ten peas in total for the whole salad. I dumped a can of fresh chickpeas in there for added protein).
I buy ahead these and other kind prepped veggies (looking at you, cut up and washed broccoli spears in a bag) during weeks that I know will be busy and hard, although normally we make salads and veggie sides from "scratch". Sometimes it also helps to cut down on food waste as we tend to have lettuce go bad on us.
-Saturday was a crazy day when my husband had to rush to fly to the bedside of his mother who passed away this week. I had crackers and cheese for dinner that night and my kids had pizza at a friend's house.
-Sunday for New Year's Eve we had tamales and a Southwestern type of salad, both from TJs. Kids were happy as they had wanted tamales for a while.
-Monday, scalloped potatoes, roasted beets and chickpeas, chicken breasts and a green salad with feta and pomegranate seeds to celebrate New Year's day.
-Tuesday, spinach soup and boiled eggs. Some bread on the side.
-Wednesday, scallion pancake wraps with chicken bites, shredded carrots, leftover feta salad, tzatziki. For veggie option falafel.
-Thursday, last of the scalloped potatoes and chicken bites, green beans, and a microwave meal veggie gratin that I couldn't really stomach due to some stress.
-Might just order poke bowls as we are getting ready to travel to the funeral.
@Kristina M.,
Condolences on the loss of your husband's mother. It sounds like things happened suddenly (no need to offer details), and that is doubly stressful. (There's really *never* a good time to lose a loved one) I hope you and your family can find some peace in the coming weeks and months.
@Kristina M., I am sorry for your loss
@Liz B., thank you for your kind words. It was good to be with family this week.
@Diane, thank you. I appreciate it.
Kristen,
I agree about salad kits. I think they are overly expensive for what they are BUT its likely the only way my husband and I will eat a salad right now.
Salad Kit: The main one I buy is chopped Chinese salad kit and that is not even for the salad but as a base for egg roll in a bowl. I sometimes use the dressing as the seasoning and the wonton strips on top. Though I like most nuts, almonds are not my favorite. I prefer the Caesar salad kits if any.
This week I fixed a big pot of egg roll in a bowl with the bok choy and Chinese cabbage, fresh ginger and garlic I got in Misfits box, along with a variety of vegetables I had on hand that were suitable. The meat base was bulk pork sausage and some pieces of ham steak.
Monday morning on the way home from work, I stopped at Casey's and got bacon breakfast pizza and a long john. This was downhill from being sick when I had eaten very little, the guaifenesin killed my appetite and I was ready to eat. That said, the pizza slice served me twice.
On the way to med appointments Wednesday I ran in to Casey's after getting gas and got a container of pumpkin spice donut holes. They are very good! and have still been eating on them. On my trip back from med appointments, I stopped at Haymakers and got some fried chicken livers and potato wedges. The livers were delicious and still have some to warm up in the air fryer. The wedges were mhhh and a waste.
Yesterday I ate a Crispy McChicken sandwich and apple pie while at the laundromat.
Other wise I scrap around with Killer Dave's wide pan bread toasted with peanut butter, very good yogurt bought by the case from a local Mennonite store that is inexpensive because it is at sell by date. An occasional bowl of vanilla ice cream with hazelnut spread is also a snack.
Tonight my Niece is coming over so that we can finally celebrate Christmas. I may make breakfast for supper. I have bacon, ham steak, and am hungry for waffles. Plus I have some oranges and apples to slice.
Since I am better (I still wear out fast, low on energy) got the laundry done, and get to have some personal Christmas I feel like I'm finally catching up with the world. I also called rapid -rooter for the slow drain issue and he's coming this afternoon after putting that off for some time.
Hope everyone has a great weekend!
Your cinnamon bread is SO GOOD!!! Thanks for sharing the recipe with us all!
This week we had...
Saturday: My father-in-law and my son made dinner. We had 2 kinds of shrimp, some fish filets, french fries, and I think we had something healthy, too.
Sunday: We have a bunch of Christmas "party foods" that worked better to have on NYE this year. Tortilla chips and tex-mex dip, cocktail sausages, pimiento cheese and Wheat Thins, puppy chow, a veggie tray, Lebanon bologna rolls, Muenster/pepper jack/cheddar cheese slices with crackers, pineapple, and my grandma's Christmas punch. Most of these foods have been part of a family tradition on my husband's side that is almost 40 years running now and someday we should tell our kids the history of the assortment.
Monday: Leftovers! After doing 3 meals almost every day for 7 people for nearly a week, I was done cooking and didn't make a thing all day!
Tuesday: Chicken legs made in the air fryer (by far the most delicious way I've ever found to make them), buttered corn, and orange slices
Wednesday: A pan of enchiladas from the freezer, peaches, and chips and salsa
Thursday: Brats, french fries, and broccoli with cheese
Friday: My morning menu planning and grocery shopping plan got cancelled due to a last-minute call into work, so I'm still figuring it out. I swung by Jimmy John's on the way home to grab my free cookie (inspired by Kristen about a month ago) and grabbed 3 loaves of day-old bread. My JJ sells them for 49 cents a loaf! I think I'll use them to make Philly cheesesteaks. We need some fruits and veggies on the side, but I don't know what they will be yet. It's gotta be quick and easy because one of my kiddos has something at 6 tonight.
Oh, and I buy the big tub of spring mix from Aldi and it makes about week's worth of salads for me. It's under $5 and it helps me eat lots of greens for lunch!
@Ruth T,
I used to buy the big tub at Aldi, too, when I was bringing my lunch to work (I now get a free lunch every day I work, which is a lovely perk). I put a paper towel across the top of the lettuce, closed the lid, and stored it upside down in the fridge to keep it fresher longer.
I do like the salad kits! I don't get them every week, however in a pinch when I really need a vegetable side dish but don't have a lot of time, they can be a great solution. Sometimes I tweak them a little with a different dressing or I will add some of my own salad greens or toppings to finish them off. My three favorites are the Asian style chopped salad, maple bourbon bacon chopped salad, and the dill pickle salad kits.
Hi there, no I don't buy salad kits.
I get the large containers of mixed greens from safeway. I have salad for lunch that is topped with whatever leftovers look good that's lurking in the fridge.
Pre prepped mixed greens helps speed lunch prep along in the mornings when I'm heading out the door to work.
Works well for wraps to...meat, shredded cheese, greens, peppers, tomatoes and a drizzle of ranch wrapped in a tortilla is husband's favorite....easy to.
Anyway. This week we ate:
Sunday - Red Robin burgers and fries. They were just..meh. And dang...expensive, glad it was husband's work who paid the bill...25 dollars for a simple bacon burger with fries. No drink, just water...for real.
Monday - Roast dinner (roast, spuds, carrots, cherry tomatoes) in the crockpot, bread from the bread machine, side salad.
Tuesday - Leftover roast enchiladas with toppings, guacamole, corn chips.
Wendsday - Teriyaki chicken with peppers, rice, avocado halves.
Thursday - Shrimp scampi, spinach and mandarin salad, bread.
Friday - Going out with friends so who knows what will take my fancy.
Saturday - In the mood for a movie I've been meaning to watch with a big bowl of pasta with meat sauce and veggies to eat while wearing PJs so that's the plan.
Happy weekend everyone.
WIS: $78 and some change at Aldi.
WWA: Our NYE meal was breakfast for dinner: pancakes, eggs, and bacon. The rest of the week was fresh fruit and veg, cheeses, rye and whole wheat crackers, nuts, trail mix, homemade muffins, protein shakes, homemade smoked fish patties with veggies and quinoa, chicken/black bean chili, and a frozen shrimp and rice bowl from Aldi.
I buy prepared fresh salads from the grocery store deli and top them with extra cherry tomatoes. One deli salad makes two meals for me. My husband's eating habits are frankly weird and I can never count on him to eat a salad, though he will eat all the raw vegetables that go into a salad. Go figure.
I've been getting salad kits from Taylor Farms on the flashfood app. Yes, it gets us to eat more salads. Despite the fact I could use more toppings, I like the variety. Unlike Becca's amazing salads, ours are usually a little basic (lettuce, tomato, cucumber) and the salad kits give multiple toppings which is nice.
Last year I was going to get better with groceries and...yeah that didn't really work out so we will try again this year. Did start off with a few stock-ups so week 1 is high...subsequent weeks hopefully will be a lot less. Here goes:
WIS: Whole Foods-$88, Wegmans-$85, Milk delivery-$20, Cheese Brothers-$142, TGTG-$5, Flashfood-$86, S&S-$5 Total:$431
WWA: Sat: My sister, BIL, and niece were visiting from Vermont so had the family over for dinner. We had garlic bread, apple-cranberry-walnut salad, stuffed shells, meatballs, and sausages. Dessert was apple pie and vanilla ice cream.
Sun: NYE---some sort of leftovers before heading to a friends house. I can't remember what
Mon: Hoppin' John
Tues: Chicken Caesar salad, chicken-spinach-orzo soup
Wed: Caesar salad, spinach-feta-turkey meatballs w/ lemon sauce and spaghetti squash
Thurs: Chicken-spinach-orzo soup, Bolognese ravioli
Fri: Tonight is swordfish w/ parsley/oil, scalloped potatoes, and maybe carrots
I buy salad kits almost every week. I’m the only one in the house who eats them, I usually make half at a time. I find it an easy way right now to eat more vegetables and I can usually top them with leftovers for a fast, healthyish meal. I could make my own salad for less and with more toppings but I know I wouldn’t in this phase of life right now!
Saturday - I was at my parents and they picked up Taco Bell for all of us
Sunday - I did appetizer night again, with shrimp cocktail, cut fruit and veggies, cheese, mozzarella sticks, crackers and the kids wanted hot dogs roasted over the fire pit again so they had those as well. Champagne for the adults and sparkling apple juice for the kids for our New Year’s Eve toast. I also cooked and delivered a cottage pie to a neighbor who just had a baby, and made a second one for us to freeze for later.
Monday - I cooked a ham (first time in years since I’m the only one who looks it, will take me awhile to get through these leftovers!), cheese and potato pierogis, steamed broccoli and buttermilk rolls
Tuesday - my husband really wanted Chinese food, which we don’t normally get takeout during the week but it’s still like a holiday here and I’m fine with a cooking break.
Wednesday - husband and I went out for a date night at a Greek restaurant (his Christmas gift to me was to organize one date night a month for the next 12 months since we’ve been pretty lacking lately in doing date nights) It was delicious and so nice to have some time together without kids.
Thursday - we rented a cabin at a state park for one night. We again had hot dogs over a campfire and s’mores for dessert.
Friday - we are going to my mother in laws for a belated Christmas celebration and will have pizza for dinner there.
I made a beef barley soup. We raise the animal and grow garden produce.
I made an apple walnut pie with apples and walnuts neighbor gave us.
Jazzed a box of brownie mix with chocolate chips for more flavor.
We got 10 lb bag of chicken leg quarters. It was 79 cents per pound. I made baked chicken, flavored some rice, and freezer green beans from garden.
We had pork chops under broiler, stuffing, and freezer peas from garden.
Good choice on penne rigate ("lined") - that does a much better job of holding the sauce than lisce (smooth). I prefer rigate but the actual Italian prefers lisce.
And yes, we've bought salad kits. Usually Caesar which comes in two different varieties. The more upscale has shaved Parmesan (or a reasonable facsimile of shaved Parmesan) as well as croutons that are not just crumbs. Upscale also has a small packet of black pepper. Dressing appears to be identical in both.
Funny you should bring up salads. We're on the road in the US right now. We've mostly done sandwiches, and one restaurant. But last night we went to a store and got salad greens little individual dressings, a roasted chicken and cheese. We enjoyed delicious salads (and sandwiches for those who wanted it). It was still cheaper than going to a fast food place.
I actually buy salad kits fairly often, although I don't care for the smell of the preservative some companies use on their lettuce. Because I'm counting calories, I don't mind that the toppings are a little skimpy. Each bag makes two huge salads for me. Sometimes I add miscellaneous items from the fridge -- tomato or avocado or whatever leftover meat in is there. It's a matter of keeping ingredients fresh, I think -- if I bought leaf lettuce and arugula and kale and spinach plus the toppings I'd have trouble using everything before it gets wimpy. Sometimes the convenience pays for itself (despite the cost), and think of all the vitamins and minerals are stuffed in one little bag!
WIA - we were at Harpers ferry West Virginia at a cabin (was beautiful!) with some friends for part of the time and we’re still wrapping up some holiday get togethers. Looking forward to our first regular full week next week as I’m craving some routine
Saturday - ordered dinner at a local cafe
Sunday - steak with mashed potatoes and green beans
Monday - shrimp, rice and bean bowls
Tuesday - sushi take out
Wednesday - pasta with sausage and salad
Thursday - Asian ramen and ground turkey with vegetables skillet
Friday - pizza out with some extended family to belatedly celebrate Christmas
The salad kit dilemma has been a struggle for me! If I buy them, I'm significantly more likely to eat salad. I don't love the waste (the tiny bags of all of the ingredients) or the cost. I've tried multiple times to replicate something similar at home, & ... it just doesn't work for me. So for this phase of my life, I buy them.
We were skiing this week, so our meals were a bit everywhere:
-We went out to eat 3x during skiing (unusual, but this year we didn't get a place with a kitchen). I had steak 2x, and chicken fajitas another night.
-Last night was a rotisserie chicken over a caesar salad kit 😉
-We had coconut shrimp & spring rolls (pulling random things out of the freezer ahead of our trip) one night
-And, I honestly can't remember the other two nights. Maybe soup & a grilled cheese?
We do a lot of bagged salads. I know we could do it much less cheaper ourselves. But, we know they are costly and we don't want to waste them, so I think it gets us eating more veggies + not wasting food. Always a trade-off somewhere....
I have started eating a fair amoung of salad kits in the past few months. I have been really struggling with my mental health and decided to just embrace them rather than essentially only eat pizza and kebabs for months on end (it wasn't really quite that bad but also not terribly far away from being that bad either). I will go back to making my own salads the way I like them when I can find the wherewithal to actually prepare them again. Like you, I figure at least this way I am eating some salad.
In the meantime, I probably eat one about three times a week. I can't eat bell peppers or cucumber so I have a limited selection but depending on the supermarket I can usually find a Caesar-stlye, feta & olives, or ham & gouda one. The ham and gouda one comes with little tiny croutons and I really like the crunch from them so even though it's the cheapest, most basic one, it always feels like a treat.
My other stuff-I-can-just-eat favourites are kimchi and onigiri. Lots of supermarkets have started doing onigiri recently and two of those seaweed-wrapped rice triangles make for a very substantial meal. And I go to the Asian supermarket a few times a year and buy one or two of the not-cabbage kimchi pouches. I really like young radish leaf kimchi. Jury's still out on radish cubes. I get the 'ordinary' cabbage kimchi all the time, too. Having kimchi in the fridge is just a really handy way to have some kind of vegetable on hand without having to worry too much about it spoiling before I can eat it. Same goes for pickled onions. I frequently wish I liked eating raw veg more but I just don't so pickles seem to be the way to go for me.
It was funny to see the picture of your groceries at the top of your post. Reminded me of days gone by playing spot the cuddly toy among your groceries. LOL
You seem to be watching a few movies lately, I would love to get some recommendations from you!