WIS, WWA | all Safeway
What I Spent
So I went to pull together my grocery spending for the week and I realized that it's all quick trips to Safeway.
This is better than endless nights of eating out, but definitely not as frugal as an organized trip to Aldi.
I spent $63 at Safeway, spread out between an embarrassing number of trips.
And I spent $20 at Chick Fil A for our final Pride and Prejudice viewing night. 😉
What We Ate
Saturday
I made one of Zoe's faves: the baked ham/Swiss sandwiches on King's Hawaiian rolls.
We had some raw veggies and fruit on the side.
Sunday
Leftover sandwiches; they're great reheated in the toaster oven on the air-fryer setting.
I never had room for a toaster oven at my other house, but I do really like having one here, especially for reheating things or making two-person servings of food.
Monday
I had a snacky dinner earlier, and then when Zoe came home from her evening shift at work, she had a frozen pizza.
Tuesday
I made chicken quesadillas and we had fruit on the side.
Wednesday
Leftover chicken quesadillas.
And also I got hungry before bed so I had a bowl of my marked-down cereal.
Thursday
Zoe and I finally had a night where we were both free, without any pressing homework due, so we watched the last two episodes of the 1995 Pride and Prejudice.
Anyway, we ate Chick-fil-A while we watched.
OH! Remember how in A. Marie's post about her husband's passing, she said he was the best man she'd ever known? I didn't realize until this rewatch with Zoe, that that's a direct quote from Pride and Prejudice.
I should have known. <3
I told Zoe about it and we both said that this is goals...to marry a man whom you can honestly say is the best man you've ever known.
Also, Lizzy said this before she married Mr. Darcy, but A. Marie said it at the end of her marriage, which is an even stronger testament to her husband.
Friday
Zoe's working tonight and I have my first evening lab, so no one will be here at dinnertime except for the cats.
It's possible there will be cereal-eating late at night. 😉
I've been married pushing 30 years now and can honestly say my husband is the best man I've ever known. I'm so thankful to be his wife. After Jesus, he's the best thing to ever happen to me and I'm certain he's a gift from God in my life. <3
@DebW, my husband and I are also approaching our 30th anniversary in October. He is truly the best man I have ever known and as you say of your husband, my guy is a gift from God, too. We are different from one another in temperament but we view life similarly and work together well as a team. We love God, each other and other people. We laugh together, cry together , work and play together. We don’t take our relationship for granted. We are so thankful.
Best wishes as you celebrate your 30th!!
@Martha, we just celebrated 35 and I feel the same! I know it's a blessing many do not have so I remind myself daily how kind God has been to me. Congratulations to you and DebW!
A nice post and a great goal. A Marie is always lending us her wisdom. I have been trying to remember what we ate this week. I think it must have been a string of unmemorable meals. Have a great weekend everyone!
Covert narcissist? What a kind thing to say about Mr. Collins. My son wants to audition for Mr. Darcy in an upcoming play; I begged him to try for Mr. Collins. Can you imagine how fun it would be to play him?
What I ate? I need advice. I've been taking some of my children out to Panera for meals when they go with me to therapy. Last night I went to Panera with my son. The pick 2 option looked to me like something that would be a good soup/sandwich combo. I asked if that meant a cup of soup and half a sandwich. Yes. Then out comes a giant bowl with a sandwich that covered an entire plate in length! Way too much. Plus chips. Is there a way to get soup and sandwich in smaller portions there? (And also less money?)
@Jody S., there is now a Value Duo with smaller portions and some different options. Check it out
@Jody S., and lower price I must add.
@Jody S., your comment “what a nice thing to say about Mr. Collins” made me laugh.
Our local high school did a production of Pride and Prejudice in May and I have to agree with you, the person who played Mr. Collins was much more entertaining than Mr. Darcy.
@Pam, Thank you.
@Jody S., There is definitely some mid-level meal option, but I can't for the life of me remember what it's called! We asked the person that took our order for a way to get a you-pick-two but for a child.
@Jody S.,
Another Panera option is to buy their gift cards when they are discounted 20%. Sign up for their emails and download the app so you get their notifications. They usually run the promotion near the holidays
Colin Firth. Yes please!
I love cereal for dinner. That is what I am having tonight because my hubby will be reffing. Faves are Cinnamon Life and Frosted Mini Wheats
( generic). I Ty to throw in blueberries or sliced banana for good measure. Funny enough, I NEVER eat cereal in the morning.
Have a great weekend.
@Stephanie, Kudos to your husband for reffing! It's a tough job, but so necessary for the kids.
@Stephanie,
I adore Colin Firth in everything I've seen him in...but especially in P & P. (multiple fan-girl heart emojis :-))
I read that as you went to Subway 5 x and still wasn’t judging haha
I love your assessment of Lizzy’s comment vs A. Marie’s—I think a lot of people think they’re marrying the best man they know when they’re in the midst of emotional, less-than-real-life courtship, but it’s truly beautiful to hear that after years of real life married to someone. After only 9 years, I wholeheartedly can say that my husband is the best man I know, despite many of less than the best life situations.
Exactly!
Aw, Kristen, that's so sweet of you. Thank you, m'dear. (I certainly wasn't thinking consciously about this version of P&P when I said "You're the best man I've ever known" to DH, but I suppose I've watched it so many times that the phrase "the best man..." is embedded in my brain by now. It's not in the novel itself.)
As for Mr. Collins being a covert narcissist...well, I'll have to give that one some thought! He certainly qualifies for some DSM diagnosis; I'm just not sure which one(s).
Now, WIS: $15 at Aldi and $43 at Wegmans. (Most of the Aldi tab was for four gallons of white vinegar to use in the weed-killing solution I mentioned earlier in the week.)
WIA: The usual collection of things that would not impress Martha Stewart, with the possible exception of the pork stir-fry I made with Reduced for Quick Sale pork, an ear of corn, the last of Dr. Bestest Neighbor's bok choy, and some stir-fry noodles from Ollie's.
@A. Marie,
I know what you mean....meals for hubby and I have been "meh" at best lately. We're fed, that's about all I can say. That stir fry sounds yummy.
Saturday: I more of less followed a Smitten Kitchen recipe for roasted chicken over bread. The chicken was pretty good. The bread was not popular among my children, although my husband loved it. We also had carrot sticks with ranch dressing.
Sunday: My husband took three of the four children fishing and camping. They had foil packets with potatoes and leftover barbecue meatballs. The sick child at home and I had leftover chicken, rice, and green peas. And chocolate ice cream.
Monday: Fried carp provided by the fisherpeople, garlic bread, raw cabbage wedges, and more ice cream.
Tuesday: A can of commodities ground pork with a can of black beans, tomato juice and spices made a Mexican-ish casserole with cheese and corn tortillas. And some raw broccoli.
Wednesday: I used two of our precious packages of Gianelli Italian sausage for a quick and popular after-work dinner. I also fried bread in the pan after the sausages were done. And there were more carrot sticks.
Thursday: Bunless bull burgers made with the ground bull meat, bread and butter, green salad with ranch dressing.
Tonight: Dunno. Our school is typically Monday-Thursday, but since we had to have Monday off for Labor Day, we have school today. And I have to work. I'm thinking either tuna salad, or I might have my husband make crepes. The crepes would be a consolation prize for my children, who are OUTRAGED to be going to school on a Friday. Those kids don't know how good they have it. 🙂
@kristin @ going country,
I didn’t know there’s such thing as a 4-day school week in parts of USA. Curious why.
@Natasha, It's not uncommon in very rural areas that cover huge distances. The kids are coming from so far away--up to 60 miles for some of ours--that having fewer days, but slightly longer (our school day runs from 7:45 a.m.-4 p.m.), is better for them.
@kristin @ going country, what??? Common sense??? Maybe there is more cowboy logic in cattle country than the rest of the country.
In my area of the Midwest, which isn't quite as rural as some, several schools do no Fridays. Also, the community Ccollege also has no Friday classes- this started in the early 2000's when gas prices started to rise; commuter students had a hard time affording the gas to get to school. Cutting one day saved on gas for students and staff, and helped reduce facility costs a bit. With a small population density, schools have to get clever to survive.
@Central Calif. Artist Jana, The state has been trying for years to get four-day schools to go to five days, though. It's a battle every year.
I would have said my husband was the best man I'd ever known, but turns out I was wrong! I guess Dad is up for it, then. He had his flaws but he adored all of us.
We had Kristen's chicken skewers with cilantro dipping sauce this week, chicken yakitori (also skewers), grilled burgers and that's all I can remember. Right now, I'm assessing our storm readiness as there may be a cat 5 hurricane headed our way. If the electricity goes out, I can light our stove with a match and the grill, but we're hosed for water as we have an electric well pump. We'll fill the bathtubs, get some drinking water, and if we run out of water to flush the toilets, I guess it's time to haul some sea water up.
Dad wasn't stridently good--he was quietly good. He was the guy, who, went breaking into a junkie's apartment with an abandoned baby in a filthy state, would take the baby back to the precinct house and bathe and diaper it instead of waiting for social services. He was the cop who protected stray dogs and didn't show up to collect medals for bravery because it was too much of a schlep (he was just modest).
I mean, most of us go into marriages thinking we are marrying a really great man, right? Otherwise we wouldn't get married.
(with some exceptions; I know some people did kinda see red flags and pressed ahead anyway.)
That's why I'm saying the fact that A. Marie could say that at the end of her marriage is a testament to her husband's character. He stood the test of time.
@Rose, Same here! My dad was truly the best man I've ever known, and, like yours, he was quiet and humble. But most everyone who knew him would say he was one of the best they'd ever known.
@Kristen, Well--I would have said that for the first 23 years, anyway! In fact, I think I did. I said I felt sorry for everyone else that they couldn't be married to him. People quite literally envied me my marriage and said so. I was smug about picking well, etc etc etc pride goeth before a fall.
@Rose,
I love your description of your dad. he sounds like someone who did what was right, because that's what you do - not for the glory, pats on the back. etc.
Stay safe if the hurricane does come your way. I hope my other LI friends are doing the same in regards to storm readiness.
I'm menu planning at the moment, so it's great to read about what others are eating.
In the past week we had:
Saturday - My mom gave me a coupon for half off a roasted chicken at Meijer and that was perfect for dinner after a day full of apple picking and a late trip to the grocery store. I can't remember what we ate with it.
Sunday - Pasta with ratatouille sauce (that my neighbor made and gave us), green beans from our garden, apple pie from the apples we picked the day before, and ice cream
Monday - We were on the road at dinnertime and McDonald's is what was available. At least we had enough points for a happy meal.
Tuesday - My original plan A for Monday night... Burgers, cantaloupe, zucchini, and chips. Since I just bumped Monday's plan to Tuesday, I didn't realize that some of us had burgers at McD's Monday night, 2 kids had cheeseburgers for lunch at school on Tuesday, then I made burgers for dinner that night. Good gracious. At least it's something they'll all eat without complaint.
Wednesday - Pizza and salad at a meeting at church.
Thursday - Fajitas and burritos. I had some leftover burrito filling that needed used up and supplemented it with fajitas to use up some of our peppers.
Friday - It's cooler here today, so I'm liking the idea of using the oven. Maybe I'll grill some chicken, make a corn casserole (it's a kid-favorite), and have some more green beans from the garden.
@Ruth T, my goodness I love corn casserole. When it cools off here, I'll be making it too!
OK. Now I'm crying. Again...
I know, I did too when I looked back at A. Marie's post.
Fri: approx.. $50 Aldi
Wed--WIS: $45.41 farm stand; $28 Market Basket
I am trying to do a good stock up based on meals for autumn. Then when it gets close to dinnertime I don't say "what are we going to have". If I give my husband a choice, it's usually--I don't care. My kids and I knew he did not like something when he cleaned his plate and then made toast/English muffins. It was a telltale sign to not make that again.
Friday Naan pizza
Saturday Pasta, meatballs & sausage
Sunday Leftover from Sunday
Monday Fish sandwiches and vegetables
Tuesday Cheeseburgers, vegetables.
Wednesday Salad and small amount of pasta with the remaining meatball and sausage link
Thursday Catch as catch can. I was out all day, ran in to catch a shower and out to a wake for co-worker’s mom.
As I went along the week, the sides were leftovers from a previous meal.
@JEG, Kristen, I am sure your meals will become haphazard now that you are in the thick of school.
Those ham/Swiss sandwiches look so good whenever you feature them. I make a ham/Swiss pie but I’m tempted to try the sandwiches sometime.
Monday- sushi and chicken fried rice from Fuji Grill ( per daughter’s request)
Tuesday- salad with baked chicken on top
Wednesday- Polynesian casserole ( rice, chicken, pineapple, celery, tomato, onion, gravy) to use up some odds and ends)
Thursday- leftover Polynesian casserole
Friday- tonight will be pasta salad
Saturday - will be crockpot sausage and sauerkraut
Monday: Homemade and (unintendedly) searingly spicy Indian food that 2/3 of us enjoyed, the 3rd tasted everything and then made herself some toast with brie, tiny tomatoes and olives. (She likes Indian dishes, but they were JUST.TOO.SPICY to be fun to eat.)
Tuesday: Snack board after late track practice - cheese, tomatoes, olives, bread, crackers, snap peas, strawberries, artichokes
Wednesday: homemade pizza on storebought bake-at-home dough, not really a win. Need to try again in the future with a different approach to the crust. It ended up super soggy.
Thursday: Post Track sushi dinner using the grocery store's $5 sushi deal day + some seaweed salad from Costco.
@Jessica, was it the dough from the store that comes in a ball wrapped in plastic? We have to prebake those for a few minutes before adding toppings.
Like A. Marie, when I think of my late husband the words of Tina Turner resonate “You’re the best, better than all the rest”.
@Leslie, Is this the same Tina Turner who was married to Ike? Or was she talking about someone else?
@JDinNM, “Simply the Best” was written by Mike Chapman and Holly Knight, recorded by Bonnie Tyler in 1988. So not a tribute song for Ike.
Cereal for dinner is a good thing, Martha. Also, the quote about the best man she'd ever known? I think that almost daily about Hubby. I miss him so much, especially lately with my mother's drama. But the thought of him cheers me - he was the best. Anyhoo, here's what I cooked this week:
Monday - (freezer) Pulled Pork Sammies, fritos
Tuesday - Chicken Fajita Tacos, refrieds
Wednesday - Sausage and Bean Skillet with O&P (this turned out like soup but was very good)
Thursday - Thai Peanut Chicken Noodles with green beans, carrots, and purple onion - would not do again. The noodles were so weird.
Tonight - Crockpot Ribs, mashed potatoes (making extra to use up all the potatoes before they go bad - they freeze very well), corn.
Saturday - probably cereal
Sunday - ditto. Or ramen.
I think I'm averaging around $100 each week for groc, but that includes toiletries, cleaning products, etc., and its exclusively at HEB.
@Gina from The Cannary Family, If you used glass or rice noodles and didn't like them (I'm not a huge fan either), you can use wheat noodles or just plain spaghetti if you prefer. It's not a competition to see who's the most authentic*--it's just dinner.
*except in my house, where it is. *eyeroll*
@Gina from The Cannary Family,
I make thai peanut noodles with leftover spaghetti!
@Steph LG, I never have just pain leftover spaghetti noodles...but I do have ramen and next time, I'm just going to use that!
I wouldn’t have said that Mr Collins’ narcissism was covert! He thinks he’s the greatest thing since the thing that was greatest before sliced bread (because as far as I know we didn’t have sliced bread yet then).
We had a plan for early autumn meals but we have a heatwave so it’s been burgers, hot dogs and salads instead.
I can see your point. I think I was mainly considering the way that he makes such efforts to APPEAR humble and self-effacing. Most overt narcissists don't even try to look humble.
Also, one of his top weapons is passive aggression, dressed in a cloak of self-righteous spirituality. That's some classic covert narcissism right there. A lot of overt narcissists are aggressive-aggressive, vs passive aggressive.
But whether he's overt or covert or somewhere in between, we do know that deep inside, he is very insecure. Otherwise he wouldn't so desperately need the approval of Lady Catherine, he wouldn't compliment himself so much, and so on. And that matches up with any kind of narcissism: down deep, it's driven by insecurity.
What about Lady Catherine? She's SO entitled, I wonder if she is a narcissist too. Just maybe more overt?
@Kristen, my version of a match between JA characters that would rival World Championship Wrestling would be Lady Catherine and Sir Walter Elliot from Persuasion. Let the overt narcissists duke it out!
Incidentally, I did once run a local JASNA meeting called "JA Fantasy Baseball," where we matched up different characters from all the different novels. Lady C and Sir W were one of my picks for the "they deserve each other" division.
@Kristen, I think Mr. Collin's narcissism was definitely covert just due to the way that he spoke over everyone else, only about himself and in such a way that made his existence appear far more valuable than anyone else's.
As for Lady Catherine, entitled for SURE. But I think more to do with her opinion of her status in life as royalty. Of course she was a Lady but in those times the title was what you were born into - nothing was earned.
@Angie, well, as the daughter of an earl, she was entitled to be called The Lady Catherine her whole life. Like Lady Diana Spencer. Buuuuuut, just like Diana, she was a commoner. Her husband was either a knight or a baronet, also a commoner*. If Lady C hadn't been the daughter of an earl, she would have been Lady de Bourgh, not Lady Catherine.
*Americans tend to think that anyone who has a title, even a courtesy title like "lady" as the daughter of an earl, is not a commoner, but it's not true. There are two types of people: commoners and peers. If you're not a peer, that is to say, a baron or above, you're a commoner. The wives of peers are peeresses, although some women are peeresses in their own right; ie, they inherited a peer's title.
And yes, that is where the well known line about a "trial of his peers" came from: English common law. Until a hundred years or so ago (last trial 1935), if a peer was accused of a crime, his trial took place in the House of Lords, not the regular criminal courts.
@Rose,
Fascinating! Thank you for sharing this! I love this kind of historical stuff, and the origins of words and phrases.
My parents were married for 53 years, and we lost him this May. My mom has often said over the years that he was the best man she’s ever known & that he was the best thing that ever happened to her. He was one in a million.
My husband says I am his home, and I say the same of him. It's been this way for 15 years, since we met in an online history forum, shared our first ten hour phone call, and then moved 2100 miles to be together just a few months later. Neither of us was looking for anyone at the time--we just found each other, and the immediacy of our first connection remains. I hope we are fortunate enough to share as much time together as admirable A. Marie and so many others here. <3
Foodwise, it was a week of using up odds and ends before our next store stock up trip. One of the employees at our local Walmart saw me scouting for discounted meat and was kind enough to tell me the best days for it at our closest store (Tuesday and Wednesday), as she hates how much they have to throw out. Her advice hasn’t proven wrong yet! Our freezer now boasts fresh salmon, prime rib burger (bought for $3.50/lb!), pork, and chicken for winter roasting. My summer crock pot skills are mighty, but properly roasted chicken remains an oven only endeavor.
WIS: $128 @ Food Lion, Ollie's Outlet, and the Walmart Neighborhood Market. Lots of stocking up was going on.
WWA: Leftover pork roast with rice and roasted veggies. Turkey-black bean chili with sweet potatoes and rye crackers. Then the usual summer menu of crispy fresh veggies, peaches, homemade bread, cheese, pickles, crackers, homegrown tomato sandwiches, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, toast and eggs, protein shakes. Ice cream sandwiches or fruit pops for dessert.
Friday: We spent the morning at the State Fair eating all.the.things so I wanted something light and healthy for dinner – Halibut with sautéed mushroom and brown rice
Saturday: Impromptu Sushi date while running errands (we had the planned and prepped Italian salad for lunch the next day)
Sunday: My parents took us out for their 45th Anniversary
Monday: Honey Sriracha Salmon Bowls
Tuesday: Mississippi Pot Roast with mashed potatoes, roasted broccoli for the boys, roasted beets for me
Wednesday: “girl dinner” – I was home alone so I ate odds and ends from the fridge, it was so random I can’t even remember what I actually ate. Beets for sure.
Thursday: Pantry Raid Night – black beans and rice with polish sausage
Lab on Friday evening? Yuck! I'm totally through all my motivation for the week by Friday evening. But then again, I'm older than you are!
Best to you on your nursing courses! Fun watching it actually happen!
Let's see, what did we eat thia last week....
Breakfast for (hot) weekend breakfast & dinner one night that consists of pancakes with real maple syrup & farm fresh eggs & one night fried/sliced potatoes with farm fresh eggs. Ate (free) donuts from Meijer bakery while still fresh.
Teen has been eating quite a bit of Digiorno thin crust carnivore pizzas this week. Had on sale at Meijer last week & again this week along with coupon(s) $1.25 off each pizza so have stocked up. Tern averages 1 day between snack/dinner.
Grilled burgers & brats when dad came over one day, bbq baked beans on grill with shells & cheese. Had lemon meringue pie for birthday dessert.
Grabbed pizza & pasta Tuesday night to go & see my dad at campground before he left to head back to Florida.
I picked up Sam's club rotisserie chicken one day that has extended into 3 meals this week. Will pull remaining chicken off bones & freeze for future use.
friend chicken from Meijer yesterday that will be leftovers tonight.
Cereal & granola bars for snacks & I have had leftovers or PBJ on whole wheat burger buns (bread bad went to birds).
Finally got microwave (on sale Target) & had delicious Becks seed country farm popcorn. Was gifted some 5+ years ago & loved it. Sad thing is can only get in Atlanta, Indiana which is 6-7 hour round trip drive (only) from Marshall, Michigan. 2 years ago picked up when going through Indiana for daughter wedding. This year ordered & shipped (ouch shipping but cheaper than driving) & got 3 cases (enough for year?). Popcorn is teen favorite go to snack so will be back to eating now that have microwave.
Drinking more (local) spring water since still on sale at Meijer, have picked up 50+ gallons that should be good for few months. Teen started weight training 3 days week in fitness class & seems to be drinking more lately.
This week I ate... what I could. Even after I got power back on, I had bad food in the refrigerator and wanted to wait at least 24 hours to let both the freezer and refrigerator get good and cold before I started emptying the refrigerator and putting good stuff in, and pulling back out the stuff I had crammed into the big freezer before Idalia hit.
However, I got to actually cook these last two days. I cooked a package of pork chops so I had pork chops with spinach and fruit, as well as squash and okra from my brave little garden that survived the hurricane.
Before that it was just more peanut butter, tuna, fruit, cucumbers.... sigh. It beats being hungry, though!
I'll shop today and start back on a menu and real food.
Kristen, batch cooking is my friend, as is my crockpot. Another thing I do is prep, but not cook till later. I prep things such as vegetables chopped for a stir-fry, meat cut up and marinated or brined, a meatloaf mixed, shaped and ready to bake, the ingredients for breading mixed and waiting on the counter-or maybe not on the counter with Chiquita around- hamburgers patted out and ready to grill on their night to be cooked. Anything I can do ahead on a weekend or a night where I have more free time, even if I don't cook it right then, I do it.
@JD, congrats to you for (a) your prudent moves re: the fridge and freezer, and (b) managing to cook anything at all this week. Wishing all of you in the Big Bend fast cleanups and easier times.
Love that quote.
On Saturday, I ordered Chiptole and one of the teens picked it up. I was still recovering from COVID, and couldn't bring myself to cook. I did turn the leftovers into an extra lunch & dinner.
We had spaghetti & meatballs on Sunday.
On Monday, I made a big pan of chicken fajitas, and used up all of the peppers from the garden.
I had leftover Chipotle on Wednesday before Back to School night, and everyone else had tacos (I prepped ground beef taco meat on Friday, but no one was home to eat with me, so I added that to the freezer for a quick weeknight dinner).
Yesterday was fajita leftovers for 3 of us, and meatball leftovers for another.
Tonight. Well, I've learned that teens are rarely home for dinner on Fridays, so I will certainly poll the group before I make plans. My husband said he'd be happy to have the remaining fajitas tonight.
I am in a low spend month. We started off the week with $71 at Tops and a Flashfood order for 13.99.
Saturday was homemade pizza using up odds and ends for toppings.
Sunday was our family reunion and leftover pizza and pasta from Friday.
Monday was a chuck roast that was originally going to be smoked. It was 5 lbs.
Tuesday found me shredding part of the above roast and using garden produce for tacos.
Wednesday my son cooked for us and he made some of the last of a family size bag of hot dogs and made fresh cut fries after figuring out we were out of frozen, (YEAH!)
Thursday we had roasted tomato sauce over pasta with Italian sausage and garlic bread.
Friday my daughter is in charge and its a secret.
After 27 years, not all were sweetness and light, my husband is the best man I have ever met. I loved both my Dad and Stepfather and they were both great, but under the stress of losing jobs and raising kids together there is no contest.
Kristen,
Lab on a Friday…yuck! 3 years ago when I decided to go back to school during Covid…I had everything due on Friday nights…and of course being the procrastinator I am, I waited till the last second to do my posts, finish my papers, take my tests…ughh! You’d think after a lifetime of being a procrastinator, I’d learn…
Things we ate:
Saturday- pork tenderloin, roasted potatoes, green salad, fruit
Sunday- Italian bread soup, garlic knots, apple huckleberry pie
Monday- pan fried steak strips, rice, corn, fruit
Tuesday- pizza, salad, fruit (I bought a take-n-bake pizza from Walmart to try…verdict was meh)
Wednesday- pan grilled shrimp, roasted broccoli, garlic Parmesan potatoes, salad, fruit
Thursday- grilled steak w/mushrooms & onions, roasted sweet potatoes, ginger carrots
Friday- pizza and salad, fruit
We leave to go to the beach Monday and won’t return till Saturday pm so this weekend will be eat up what we can since we‘ll be gone next week. I’ve checked out the Safeway ad since the house we are renting is near a Safeway. My goal is to buy just enough for next week and not have a ton of leftover food to bring back home next Saturday…
We are still on our Last Hurrah Tour. Between breakfasts for free at our hotels, plus the fruit we take with us to tide us over until dinner, and the mystery food shops we are still doing about every other day, we have spent $54 for our food this week (trying food places we don't have in Fairbanks). Monday it is off to New York City and then Europe so no more mystery shops and we plan to blow our travel budget like we are being paid to do so.
I join the chorus of readers who are married to the best human they have ever known. Forty years now and my only regret is that we didn't meet until our late 20s and marry until we were in our 30s. We met a couple yesterday who were at the same hotel celebrating their 62nd anniversary. I had a moment of envy that the husband and I will not live long enough to have that many years together.
@Lindsey, My parents didn't either--even though they married when they were 19 and 23. Frankly, with the life my dad had, he was lucky to make it to 76. So 53 years it was. My mother's theoretically turning 80 at the end of November, but she probably won't live that long.
@Lindsey, well, DH and I didn't make it that far either (45 years total and 43.5 years of legal hitchitude). And, as you say, it wasn't nearly long enough. Kudos to the couple celebrating 62.
And love to you both as you take off for Europe, and to Pound Hound as he settles in for a vacation with his cousins.
@A. Marie, I was married 28 yrs, but we were together for 30 before he died. He was the best man I ever met. My Dad is amazing, too, & still alive at 82. How strange that I still have my Dad, but my children don’t. And my father-in-law just died last month at 92. He was one of the best. Another “what is going on moment?:” attending your FIL’s funeral w/out your husband.
@Lindsey,
My mom and dad married when they were in their early 20s, but my dad passed away at age 67, so they didn't have as long a marriage as some of similar age. My mom is now 89, and she has outlived her second husband and her younger brother.
Am thinking it is time to re-read P&P now with 40 more years of life experience to aid my understanding. (Also, I avoided taking psychology in undergrad so the idea of a narcissist wasn’t even on my radar way back when). WWA:
Saturday- grilled hamburgers, zucchini fritters
Sunday- grilled pork chops, baked potatoes, corn on the cob, ice cream bars
Monday - leftovers
Tuesday- slow cooker sausage & tortellini soup, baguette
Wednesday- sheet pan chicken, onion, and bell pepper fajitas
Thursday- sandwiches
Friday-the plan is for baked sausages & pierogies
Wishing everyone a wonderful weekend
This week the temps are perfect for working long days, making dinners is a mosh pit of bits and bobs from the freezer combined with fresh fruit and veggies from the garden.
I picked 6 bushels of apples to give to the local food bank, veteran's home and community kitchen. I made pear/apple/prune fruit leather that is part of my holiday treat trays and we put up 2 gunny sacks of freezer corn.
Sunday: took 2 chicken carcasses out of the freezer and slow cooked for 5 hours and then made homemade egg noodles to add to the broth at the end. It ended up being a family text - come and get it casual dinner and it fed 15 of us.
Monday - Frozen taco meat into taco salads and fresh pico de gallo
Tuesday - Leftover taco meat turned into taco soup, corn muffins and apple salad for dessert
Wednesday - Frozen braised short ribs, new potatoes from the garden, sliced steak tomatoes and corn on the cob
Thursday - the remaining short ribs made into sliders and 3 bean salad
Friday - stir fry using up the last of the bok choy, broccoli and green beans
Saturday - Going ocean fishing, so whatever we catch we will eat at the cabin, making cookies from three bags of cookie dough found in the freezer/vacuum packed.
I've been married for 34 years and with him for 3 more so I think my husband is the best man I've ever known.
Dinners?
Monday - Labor Day and I was jonesing for a bacon cheeseburger from Fuddruckers, a burger place. I had a $5 off of $25 do hubby and I went out to partake of the offer and fix my urge for the aforementioned burger. Having had gastric sleeve surgery I foolishly thought I could eat the whole burger but only age half and had two sips of soda. Dumb on me for getting the soda. Dh ate the rest of my burger but left my fries alone.
Tuesday - Dh played golf all day and made himself a frozen french bread pizza. I had egg bites.
Wednesday - Dh made himself pork chops and mac n cheese. I had a protein bar.
Thursday - Dh went out to dinner after golf. I had McDonalds. Gross gross and grosser. When will I ever learn?
Friday - dh will be home for dinner after golf? I forget if he'll be home for dinner.
What we spent: $93 at Shop Rite. Groceries are costing us less now that our daughter is out of the house.
Is Zoey a full time student? I don’t think you said. My three all went away to college and just worked summers. GS is graduating early this December and already accepted to grad school. He works weekends at Olive Garden now since his senior year is pretty easy according to him. When I went back to school for my Master’s I used the crock pot a lot and made menus. I still make menus and just me. I mainly shop at Aldi every couple of weeks- I love that store!
She's working part time and taking three classes this semester. 🙂
Saturday - takeout Philly cheesesteaks
Sunday - we were at a pool party with plenty of food provided!
Monday - smoked chicken wings and a new zucchini tian recipe that was a big hit with everyone (including my husband who doesn’t like zucchini, he took a big scoop without knowing what it was and ate it all) and used up a ton of zucchini
Tuesday - beyond burgers for the adults, leftover sloppy joes for the kids, steamed broccoli and carrots
Wednesday - we were supposed to go out to dinner as a belated anniversary celebration but decided to postpone for another week since my husband wasn’t feeling well. We had a frozen pizza instead.
Thursday - I made cheese tortellini with jarred sauce for the kids and then met some friends and had a cheese board and sparkling wine, the best dinner in my opinion!
Friday - salmon for adults, mini corn dogs for the kids, butter noodles, steamed veggies
I spent most of my single 20's eating cereal for dinner!
I personally always think that cereal at night tastes better 🙂
Hold onto your hats friends this was the week that I restocked our freezer/pantry and the costs were pretty large.
WIS: $442 @Costco, $235 @ Kroger and $185 @ Walmart. All totals include paper items as well as some toiletries and some clothing as well. Apologies that I didn't keep a breakdown.
I did a HUGE amount of batch cooking this weekend to add meals to the freezer for busy days ahead. I baked a whole ham which will give us baked sandwiches, diced ham for egg muffins, breakfast sandwiches, split pea soup and a great bone to season a large batch of beans I plan to make and freeze this weekend. I also made 3 meals worth of homemade meatballs, a double batch of blueberry muffins, and a double batch of egg muffins for easy breakfasts.
WWA:
Saturday: Baked salmon with herbs, firehouse potatoes with onions and roasted asparagus
Sunday: Leftovers
Monday: Steak with horseradish cream, leftover potatoes, mushrooms and cabbage
Tuesday: Leftovers for some and I had a green salad with rotisserie chicken
Wednesday: Beef hotdogs on whole wheat buns with homemade relish
Thursday: Unexpected car drama resulted in a takeout dinner of chicken fingers 🙁
Friday: Ham, collard greens, Spanish stewed beans and Jasmine rice
Happy weekend all!
@Angie, Kudos on all of your meal prepping! That's one area where I make plans but have a hard time prioritizing the time to actually get it done.
Mr. Collins is not a covert narcissist. He is a full-blown malignant narcissist, and that's only the beginning.
For some reason, this song always seems to put me in a good mood. (NOT, NOT, NOT a perfect love song by any means, but I apply its message to life in general, not necessarily to love).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=roxohOzFz3E.
We never were promised an easy life by any one, so we should try to look for the good and smile for a while. Kristen, you excel at this, and thank you for your inspiration to so many.
@st, Boy, her hairstyle has aged well.
You found my favorite cereal on sale! Nothing wrong with cereal for dinner in my opinion.
Been a wacky week for us so our meals were all over the place.
Saturday: we were in Tuscaloosa for the football game, so we ate tailgate food I prepared plus peanuts and hot dogs at the stadium.
Sunday: leftover tailgate food
Monday: the plan was to smoke of baby back ribs, but I got tangled up in the extension cords I was carrying down the stairs, twisted my ankle, and fell down the stairs at 9 AM so no cooking for me that day. DH made us sausage, peppers, and onions for dinner
Tuesday: Went to doctor after my fall, just a badly sprained ankle and strained ligaments in other knee so again, no cooking for me. DH made us grilled cheese with chips and fruit for dinner.
Wednesday: Chinese takeout
Thursday: DH had his gallbladder removed that morning so I made him a baked potato and I had leftover Chinese takeout
Friday: Currently have no idea what we'll have since DH is still recovering from surgery and I am still limping around. We may have cereal for dinner. 😉
@Beverly, I’m sorry you fell & got hurt the same week your husband had a scheduled surgery! Hope everyone is healing quickly
This is a little different that a normal daily WIS/WWA. My church host various Life Groups on Wednesday night throughout the school year. You are kind of expected to bring a snack food but this can add up quite a bit on a weekly basis. I have decided to use what I have on hand and purchase very limited items. I completed a pantry/freezer inventory and things are like looking good for the first semester at least. Coconut cake for the win this week!
@Melissa Howard, Coconut cake is a winner EVERY week.
Aww, you got me all choked up thinking about A. Marie and her lovely husband...
WIS: 192.60 @Aldi, 309.48 on a delivery of 300 lbs of flour, and about 110 dollars on food at the Ren Faire for a whopping total of 612.08 this week. It is a year's worth of flour though...
WWA: my youngest has been having some digestive issues with heavier meals, so we had mostly lighter fare this week.
Fri: salad (romaine lettuce and ranch dressing), focaccia (tomatoes, pepperoni, mozzarella and parmesan cheese)
Sat: salad (romaine lettuce and ranch dressing), cucumber maki rolls, broiled beets and harukei turnips.
Sun: we went to the Renaissance festival, so I packed fruits, veggies, and snacks like granola bars, moo tubes and cheese sticks. Then we bought proteins and desserts there. Our choices for lunch and dinner were a pork pocket, chicken tenders and fries, breaded shrimp and fries, Mac and cheese on a stick, cheese bread, some kind of marinated chicken that was also on a stick and then we had cheesecake and chocolate covered strawberries on sticks as well. Lots of sticks and everything except the French fries were tasty treats.
Mon: spinach salad, sliced heirloom tomatoes, figs, and garden omelets (mushrooms, spinach, peppers, tomatoes, Swiss and feta cheeses)
Tue: spinach and arugula salad, BATs (bacon, avocado and tomato sandwiches on sourdough bread).
Wed: salad (mixed greens), brown rice and tofu stir fried with eggplant, red pepper and red onion.
Thu: fish tacos for thaco Thursday. We used crunchy corn shells and toppings were cheddar cheese, diced yellow pepper, diced heirloom tomatoes, mixed salad greens and salmon mixed with salsa and spices. They were nice and light.
Tonight: focaccia and salad but we are going to try a veggie focaccia to see if barfy boy handles it better.
Have a great weekend, everyone!WIS: 192.60 @Aldi, 309.48 on a delivery of 300 lbs of flour, and about 110 dollars on food at the Ren Faire for a whopping total of 612.08 this week. It is a year's worth of flour though...
WWA: my youngest has been having some digestive issues with heavier meals, so we had mostly lighter fare this week.
Fri: salad (romaine lettuce and ranch dressing), focaccia (tomatoes, pepperoni, mozzarella and parmesan cheese)
Sat: salad (romaine lettuce and ranch dressing), cucumber maki rolls, broiled beets and harukei turnips.
Sun: we went to the Renaissance festival, so I packed fruits, veggies, and snacks like granola bars, moo tubes and cheese sticks. Then we bought proteins and desserts there. Our choices for lunch and dinner were a pork pocket, chicken tenders and fries, breaded shrimp and fries, Mac and cheese on a stick, cheese bread, some kind of marinated chicken that was also on a stick and then we had cheesecake and chocolate covered strawberries on sticks as well. Lots of sticks and everything except the French fries were tasty treats.
Mon: spinach salad, sliced heirloom tomatoes, figs, and garden omelets (mushrooms, spinach, peppers, tomatoes, Swiss and feta cheeses)
Tue: spinach and arugula salad, BATs (bacon, avocado and tomato sandwiches on sourdough bread).
Wed: salad (mixed greens), brown rice and tofu stir fried with eggplant, red pepper and red onion.
Thu: fish tacos for thaco Thursday. We used crunchy corn shells and toppings were cheddar cheese, diced yellow pepper, diced heirloom tomatoes, mixed salad greens and salmon mixed with salsa and spices. They were nice and light.
Tonight: focaccia and salad but we are going to try a veggie focaccia to see if barfy boy handles it better.
Have a great weekend, everyone!
I'm envious of you finding the Quaker Oatmeal Squares in a damaged box for half price. That is one of my favorites. For some reason it seems to not go on sale as often as Life or some of the other Quaker cereals.
Usually we stick to the Aldi Raisin Bran, Balance (Life) and Shredded Wheat, but we love those Oat Squares.
Oat Squares are lethal. I can't have them around. If I had them for dinner, I'd never stop eating at night. Lethal.
I know. I consider them to be a treat. Despite the fact that they are made of whole grains, I can't in good conscience consider them a health food. 😉
@ Kristen, give yourself grace. You will get things together It will come together. ❤️
Monday: he had a leftover burger from Sunday, and at work I had leftover pasta from dinner out Saturday.
Tuesday: I was on standby and made soft tacos, while he ate more leftovers and a taco.
Wednesday: Weeknight Chicken Tortellini soup (used chicken/mozzarella tortellini from the freezer) and used a splash of milk rather than heavy cream.
Thursday: One of my girls was visiting so I made burrito type bowls with a new recipe - Chili Lime crockpot chicken (I used the instant pot), added black beans, rice, cheese and he had avocado too.
Tonight: It was a day at the fair (an annual tradition) for my 2 girls and I, where we had BBQ chicken for a late lunch, so probably leftover chili lime chicken in some concoction tonight.
I am married to the best man I have ever known. We will be celebrating 35 years in February.
A Friday evening lab sounds horrible? I had my anatomy lab in the evenings in my freshman year of college, but thankfully not on Fridays.
I would love to hear every week the highlight of what you are learning or doing in nursing school.
Sunday: Potluck with family, we contributed roasted veggie mac and cheese
Monday: Buddha bowls. I found this recipe on the Frugal Girl FB page!
Tuesday: Preschooler's first day of school, so she got to choose a restaurant to eat at. She chose Zupas because she loves the chocolate covered strawberries.
Wednesday: Leftovers
Thursday: Homemade hamburger helper. It was a new recipe and it was really good!
Friday: Hot dogs on the grill
Saturday: Leftovers
Have a good weekend everyone!
My Mom will do cereal for dinner for herself sometimes. Growing up I never really saw the appeal and then after late nights on rotations during school and late nights after working a long shift at work I finally understood. Cereal for dinner is not really my favorite so it doesn’t happen super often but it has happened! Thanks for keeping it real Kristen!
Not sure what I eat or spend. I need to get back to that. I did want to share tonight's meal. Crackers with peanut butter and Nutella. I noticed the Nutella was a bit dry. I checked the expiration date, it's past a bit. So I will work on eating the last of it. Anyone have any ideas on a way to eat that up. If you can find me the private message me that'd be great. If not you can post it in something next week maybe I'll catch it. Hope everybody has a great weekend.
@Ginger Bruce,
My husband will put Nutella into crepes with cream cheese. You can also add strawberries or canned mandarin oranges.
@Becca,
Or bananas would also work.
@Ginger Bruce, I personally love Nutella on banana bread or waffles. Or just on toast! Anything that's a little warm will help the Nutella melt and not seem as dry. Or, maybe just a few drops of a neutral oil stirred in would fix that problem too. 🙂
I once taught a distance class on late Friday afternoons as it was the only time we could get it scheduled and the students were all non traditional. Called it the happy hour class. I actually enjoyed that time slot.
When I was in grad school with children, I always had potatoes that could be baked in the microwave, grated cheese and tortilla chips for nachos, preformed (by me) hamburger patties in the freezer, boxed mac & cheese, and eggs plus bread and peanut butter and jam. My children could feed themselves when necessary that way. The biggest help, though, was meal planning and posting it on the refrigerator. I planned based on my schedule and knew what I could prep ahead, etc.