WIS, WWA | Also, about those bars
So you know how yesterday I said I was thankful for the bars by my walking trails?
Well, a lot of you read that and your first thought was that perhaps there were microbreweries along my wooded trails.
But nope. These are the aforementioned bars:
Since I don't drink (I just don't like alcohol!), these types of bars are actually much more useful for me. 😉
What I Spent
I made it to Aldi this week for the first time in a bit!
I spent:
- $120 at Aldi
- $29 at Safeway
- $30 on fast food (See Monday below)
So...$179 this week. A little higher than my previous few weeks!
What We Ate
Saturday
This is the night I made that shrimp taco salad I mentioned in this week's Five Frugal Things post.
Sunday
BLTs: an inevitable result of Lisey and me being in the house together for any length of time. She is a fellow sandwich-lover. 🙂
Monday
Monday involved sitting in a very long traffic backup and barely getting home before my evening chemistry class started.
So...we picked up fast food.
Tuesday
I had a few sub rolls in the freezer that needed to be used, so I made pizza subs, and we had raw veggies on the side.
Wednesday
I made this tortellini Caesar salad, with toasted cheese bread on the side.
Thursday
Zoe and I made those classic King's Hawaiian slider sandwiches, plus a fruit salad.
Friday
Well...I am waiting to find out what my girls' plans are for tonight. A couple of things are up in the air and I don't know who will be here and who will not!
What did you have for dinner this week?
P.S. Yes, I know we had sandwiches three times this week. I see no issue. 😉
I got a sandwiches cookbook from the library and wrote down a number of recipes that I want to try, so I suspect that we will have a lot of sandwiches next week!
Saturday: Chicken nuggets, grapes, and chips eaten in the van on the way to a college volleyball game. Avoided takeout!
Sunday: Pizza and breadsticks
Monday: Tacos
Tuesday: Black bean chimichangas with salsa and guacamole. This was a new recipe for us and it's a keeper!!
Wednesday: Ravioli, green beans, and leftover breadsticks that were great when reheated in the air fryer
Thursday: Fish sticks, baked beans, and carrots with homemade roasted red pepper hummus
Friday: I'm not sure! We're watching my daughter's friend for a few hours, so maybe I'll do instant pot macaroni and cheese since it's a pretty safe bet that she'll like that. If I get to making applesauce today we'll have that on the side. If I get to the garden to pick green beans we can have those on the side.
@Ruth T, do you have the recipe for the black bean chimichangas? Those sound really good!
@Ruth T, I love library cookbooks! What was this one called?
@Danielle Zecher, It's from the Taste of Home - Everyday Air Fryer Volume 2 cookbook (that I also got from the library.) The basic premise is a mixture of black beans, rice, frozen corn, cilantro, and green onions (I used diced red onions because that's what I had) rolled up in an 8-inch tortilla, brush it with oil, then cook in a 400 degree preheated air fryer for 2-3 minutes until golden and crispy. Serve with guacamole and/or salsa. Quick and simple!
@Natalie J, It's Sandwiches! by Alison Deering and Bob Lentz. The subtitle is More Than You've Ever Wanted to Know About Making and Eating America's Favorite Food. I got it from the children's nonfiction section.
@Ruth T, thanks! I'm going to request that book from the library.
@Ruth T, thanks so much! It sounds great.
WIS: $7 at the Regional Market, $7.50 at Wegmans, $42 at Price Chopper.
WIA: This week's fail/win was that I was making chicken drumsticks with a panko breading and considerably overestimated the amount of panko bread crumbs I'd need. So I made breaded pork chops the next night to use up the crumbs. Didn't have to cook for the rest of the week except for veggies on the side!
@A. Marie, sounds more like a win! You can freeze those panko crumbs, too.
Yes, please do freeze them, or they go rancid over time. 🙁
The rest of humanity: "Sandwiches?Again?"
Kristen: "Mmm...sandwiches..."
WIS: 68.76 @Giant and 209.95 @Aldi...so much for Shelftember...oh, well. I really do need to rein in the spending though because I am making less money this year as I am working fewer hours. I did use a 100 gift card for part of this, so there's that. Note to self: stop stocking up!!!
WWA:
Fri: cubed watermelon and pepperoni focaccia.
Sat: salad, grapes, take and bake cheese pizza and rose ice cream cones.
Sun: sauteed Brussels sprouts, leftover eggplant gratin, leftover rice and fish sticks.
Mon: salad, hotdogs on buns topped with ikra (eggplant "caviar" which is basically a paste made from roasted eggplants, peppers and tomatoes. It tasted a bit like fancy ketchup to me.), sourdough bread wreath with brie in the middle.
Tue: salad, spaghetti and meatballs with "immediate sauce" from the freezer topped with shredded parmesan.
Wed: salad, hotdogs with leftover ikra on buns topped with shredded cheddar cheese and pumpkin spice rolled wafer cookies.
Thu: "Thaco Thursday." I'm loving this night for using up leftovers. This time it was chili from the freezer and pinto beans made with a ham bone from the freezer. We also had brown rice, cheddar cheese, avocado, shredded lettuce, diced orange bell pepper, diced tomatoes, salsa, sour cream, and chipotle Cholula sauce. We put it in crunch wraps (homemade tortillas wrapped around crunchy tacos from Aldi).
Tonight: focaccia and some sort of salad.
Have a great weekend, everyone!
I can NEVER get tired of sandwiches. 🙂
@Kristen, me either!
@Kristen, Me neither! Even as a kid, I always experimented with new types of sandwiches, by putting my leftovers between bread. (Think spaghetti sandwiches, potato sandwiches, etc.!)
I feel about tacos the way you feel about sammies - but really, they are the same thing...My groceries last week were higher than my usual stipend of $50, but I did some re-stocking of basics (bags of potatoes and onions) and this week will be closer to $35. This week:
Monday - Chicken Fried Rice using freezer rotisserie chicken, frozen veggies, and an egg
Tuesday - Chilled Cheese and Ham with a bowl of creamy tomato soup
Wednesday - Shrimp Quesadillas with roasted corn and avocado crema - I really outdid myself on these! So good!
Thursday - Crockpot Indian Chicken with mashed potatoes and a side salad
Friday - Going out with a friend after work
Saturday - Making Garlic Butter Steak Bites, twice baked potato (freezer) and broccoli (also freezer).
Sunday - A burger at home for me and my daughter with some rosemary garlic fries
Maybe its the change in seasons (still hot here, tho) but things are starting to taste good again. (: Happy weekend!
https://cannaryfamily.blogspot.com/
@gina, I was listening to a podcast the other day and they were talking about how pretty much every culture has some version of "carb put around filling" (sandwiches, tacos, pitas, etc) and it made me very hungry haha
@gina, I am sure it was just a typo, but my brain got very stuck on the idea of a chilled cheese and ham sandwich. I was thinking, is it left very cold to help contrast the heat of the soup?? Because I would think that GRILLED... Ohhhhhhh lol!
WIS — Approximately $175 and one rather nice meal out for our anniversary.
WWA — My husband was home this week so I actually cooked.
Saturday - Low Country Boil (We ate leftovers for lunch on Sunday.)
Sunday - We took care of our grand baby in the afternoon so we had a snacky dinner
Monday - Burrito Bowls on spinach
Tuesday - sautéed chicken breast, roasted carrots, rice
Wednesday - dinner out at a nice restaurant
Thursday - Stir-fry chicken and veggies
Friday - I’m not sure
Have a great weekend!!!!
Happy, happy anniversary, Bee!!
This week we had
Sausage and beetroot
Leek casserole (a favorite from student days - vegetarian)
Stew and baked potatoes, with crepes for dessert
Cauliflower pie (also from our student days)
Sushi
And tonight may be french beans
This week we had
chicken vindaloo
pizza
meatloaf
cheese crusted leek cottage pie
jerk chicken sandwiches
and not sure about tonight. I have more pickled watermelon in the fridge.
Tell me about the jerk chicken sandwiches!
@Rose, Yes, please tell us about the jerk chicken sandwiches! That sounds good!
I love Jamaican food. It combines quite spicy with sweet.
Blend in blender
5 cloves garlic, chopped
2 Scotch bonnet peppers, roughly chopped
1 thumb ginger, chopped
1 yellow onion, chopped
1/4 fresh pineapple, chopped (or could use canned, about a cup or so)
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons allspice
2 tablespoons dried thyme
1.5 teaspoons nutmeg
1 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 limes, juiced
olive oil, about ½ cup or so, drip into blender until smooth.
Then marinade chicken in some of the jerk seasoning, cook it (slow cooker is easy or Instant Pot), pull it apart, serve on toasted, buttered buns with coleslaw and/or grilled pineapple. More jerk seasoning is used as a dipping sauce.
You could possibly try it with one Scotch bonnet first. I love food quite spicy though.
@Rose, that sounds AMAZING!!! Thank you for sharing!
This week was parent teacher conferences, so it was a little crazy!
Sunday: Salsa Verde chicken and dumplings. This was the only night that went according to our regular plan haha
Monday: Was supposed to be rotisserie chicken, green beans, and Peruvian green sauce, but life got crazy and it ended up being a "fend for yourself" situation. I had a banana and PB tortilla roll up
Tuesday: Chicken, green beans, and Peruvian green sauce. My 3 year old ate half of the rotisserie chicken! We were surprised, she must have a growth spurt coming
Wednesday/Thursday: Parent teacher conferences. I got fed at school, my family had chicken quesadillas one night and mac and cheese the other night
Friday: We're going to eat a a friends house, and my friend and I are going to stay late and watch the bachelorette finale. It's a train wreck, but it's nice mindless bonding with my friend haha
Saturday: Leftovers? Who knows?
@Natalie J, Salsa verde chicken and dumplings?? That sounds amazing!
@Hananh, it's one of our favorites, and it's a one skillet meal. It starts on the stove and finishes in the oven.
We ate white bean soup with French bread; salmon loaf (recipe from old church cookbook, can also be made with tuna) with potato salad and roasted sweet onions; sausage and cheese ravioli with green salad. Dessert, lemon pound cake (mix from Aldi), with grapes, and ginger snaps a few times. I love leftovers!
ummm this week was like $700 but $551 of that was a beef order I went in on with a co worker.. so I have PLENTY of beef for the next few months... lol
Monday night I grilled a 4 pack of steaks I already had in the freezer and baked a pile of potatoes. There was some homemade bread also involved... everyone strolled on for supper after school, college and sports practice.
Tuesday was a quick grab and go before we went to volleyball.
Weds I went easy and turned the last of the bread into garlic bread and chicken patties into chicken parm.. served with pasta and sauce. Lots of leftovers
which led into
Thursdays grab and go supper!- before volleyball!
Friday- I tossed 2 bags of stew beef (still frozen) into the crock pot with seasoning and broths. Whipped up a quick bowl of bread dough and to help warm the chilly kitchen made a quick batch of banana pancakes for the kids to grab on their way to school.
Will serve beef and gravy with bread... maybe I will go all out and peel some taters and make garlicy mash for supper, and some frozen veg.
WIS: $100 at Food Lion. We alternate shopping there and at Aldi, as there are some things Aldi does not carry, like my beloved Aunt Nellie's pickled beets. I stocked up on canned beans and we bought a lot of frozen vegetables.
WWA: I made a meatloaf for Sunday night supper that used up the last of some ground beef and a pack of Italian sausage, along with some bread heels from the freezer. We had that along with baked potatoes and green beans. That meal made leftover meat loaf that my husband made into supper sandwiches most of the week.
I also turned the last three elderly (getting wizened) apples into apple bran muffins. I get home last every day, so I had either a peanut butter sandwich or an apple bran muffin with a little wedge of the Aldi version of Laughing Cow cheese every night.
For my work lunches, I went through the freezer before making a grocery list on Saturday morning and made up five plates of food out of various partially used bags of veggies and opened boxes of veggie patties, crab cakes, etc. This used up all the opened bags and boxes in the freezer. I would have sworn before starting there wasn't that much food in there!
Sat. I had ramen. Hubby had Chef Boyardee ravioli.
Sun. We ordered pizza.
Mon. Cheese enchiladas and cowboy caviar.
Tues. Chicken and black bean quesadillas.
Wed. Instant Pot Lasagna Ravioli.
Thurs. Cereal.
I'm planning on trying out a new taco recipe tonight.
That kind of bar is definitely healthier, too. 🙂
Saturday: Pizza, cucumber spears with ranch dip
Sunday: Some of the commodities canned pork fried in butter, spaghetti with roasted tomato and garlic sauce, green salad with vinaigrette, and way overbaked maple custard that separated. Boo.
Monday: Leftover steak, leftover rice, raw tomatoes
Tuesday: Meatloaf, baked potatoes, green salad with ranch dressing
Wednesday: Leftover fried pork, leftover baked potatoes diced and fried and butter, green salad with ranch dressing
Thursday: Leftover meatloaf for the adults, tuna salad with kids, rice, raw tomatoes, and the overbaked edge of the chocolate chip cookie bars I made for the silent auction bake sale at school today.
Tonight: Oh boy. Well, we're going to be at a football game until about 5:30 p.m., and will then go to the school play twenty miles away. I'll bring some snacks to the game--pistachios, cheese, apples--and will make an omelet to bring for at least my dinner. I suspect my husband and daughter will eat at the concession stand. The other two boys will eat at school before their play. I'll bring a tuna sandwich for my older son to eat in the car after his game on the way to the play. There's always lots of cookies and cupcakes after the play for the kids.
@kristin @ going country, Tuna salad "for" kids, not "with" kids. That had a Brothers Grimm sound to it . . .
@kristin @ going country, love this remark!
Saturday - takeout Chinese food
Sunday - dinner at my grandmas house, we had lasagna, focaccia, salad and cupcakes for dessert and I didn’t have to cook any of it!
Monday - cheesy sausage pasta
Tuesday - my son ended up being home with an ear infection so I was trying to work from home and take care of him, it’s amazing any dinner was made after that! We had baked chicken Parmesan, pasta with butter and Parmesan, peas
Wednesday - oven fajitas
Thursday - I had an event to go to so I ate there (mostly just Trader Joe’s cheese and snacks, the ideal dinner for me!) My husband made the kids Kraft with the addition of lil smokies sausages which was apparently a big hit, even the kid who doesn’t like meat loved the little sausages.
Friday - bbq chicken, steamed broccoli, biscuits
There’s nothing wrong with sandwiches….I’d eat them more often if it was up to me. Things we ate this week:
Carne asada with tortillas and refried beans- we went to a Mexican grocery store for epazote and also got the preseasoned meat at the meat counter- delicious!
Vegetarian chili and chili with meat with tortillas
Grilled chicken, romaine salad, fruit, garlic bread
Grilled steak, green beans with bacon, salad, fruit
Chicken meatballs, ravioli with sauce, garlic toast, salad
Sloppy joes, baked beans, salad, fruit
Grilled mango jalapeño sausage, red beans and rice, salad, homemade apple crisp
I froze some of the chili for future meals and used up some wrinkly potatoes and made a pot of potato soup for my mom.
Tonight we are going to an Oktoberfest dinner at a German deli, tomorrow is dinner at a restaurant for our daughter’s birthday and Sunday is family birthday party for her with takeout pizza, salad, fruit tray, and her favorite Texas sheet cake from a restaurant…easy food weekend for me- yay!
WIS: $12 @ Publix for some hoagie rolls & white vinegar.
Saturday: I roasted a pork shoulder on Friday and took the leftovers and made Cuban Sandwiches for us. We ate plantain chips along with those.
Sunday: I used the remaining pork shoulder to make a pot of Chili Verde
Monday: Leftovers
Tuesday: I threw two pot roasts into the crockpot with some seasonings and a jar of homegrown pickled banana peppers. I made pot roast sandwiches with sauteed homegrown peppers, onions and cheese. We ate pasta salad with these.
Wednesday: Leftovers
Thursday: a long day at work, take out pizza for the win
Friday: Leftovers for some as we have a church conference to attend
Happy first weekend of Fall 🙂
M. Homemade stroganoff skillet pasta
T. Tortellini bake with homemade marinara from the freezer and random bits of pesto cottage cheese Parm and mozz cheese. GREAT
W. Leftovers with a cucumber sour cream and dill salad
Th. Sandwich and air fryer tater tots with sliced apples. FALL! Apples!!
F. Our version of takeout. Frozen pizza and bag Cesar salad
S. Will be making sweet potato black been chili. Spicy. Will only be using 1/2 pound of ground beef.
Last week was a no-shop week for me. On with what I ate:
A big salad with leftover chicken in it.
Leftover chicken with peas and nectarines - the peas and nectarines were not served together, however :).
Skillet pork chops and a medley of vegetables cooked in the chop skillet. I bought the vegetables as an unseasoned frozen mix, and I didn't realize that it was full of red bell peppers, which I avoid, so it wasn't a great success. I ate around them and picked them out.
Chops, cauliflower rice and honey carrots.
Beef and vegetable soup pulled from the freezer, with mandarins for dessert.
Leftover chicken and dumplings with leftover vegetable medley, already "de-peppered."
A late night getting home and I had someone come over for a while, too, so it was cassava pasta with jarred pesto and an apple for dessert.
I will have someone drop by tonight as well, so it will probably be a cheese sandwich on gluten-free bread and some carrot sticks when I get the chance. We'll see.
This past weekend was slammed pack and I had such high hopes for my week but poor planning equaled a poor dinner week. Next week WILL be better.
Monday- grocery pickup after gymnastics practice. Picked up a bucket of jambalaya from our local jambalaya place. It was a crazy Monday.
Tuesday- I roasted a whole chicken along with carrots and homemade mashed potatoes. I underestimated the roasting time by A LOT. My husband ran out and got Domino's wings to go along with the sides. I was SO mad at myself. I even brined that dang bird. Oh well, we had tasty lunches that next day.
Wednesday- open house for my pre-schooler so we had hamburger steaks over rice with some random veggies before that started.
Thursday- Dance for my daughter so we do breakfast for dinner on these nights. Bacon, avocado, oranges, grits, and bell peppers. She was hungry after dance so she got leftover roasted chicken. haha
Friday- thinking bell pepper and sausage stirfry.
Is it the weekend yet?!?!
@Hannah, I love that you have a local jambalaya place, that sounds so good!
@Natalie J, South Louisiana has its advantages. 🙂
Hahaha, microbreweries along your trail! I first read that at like 5am (CA) this morning while waiting for my dog to do her business in the backyard. I was cracking up and I still love the little misunderstanding!
WIS: $87 in groceries; not sure how much at In n Out
WWA:
Today: Maybe some pasta? Not sure yet but I have some broccoli and some corn to use up.
Thursday: Zucchini Bake
Wednesday: Orange Chicken and Ramen
Tuesday: Fried Rice and fruit (In n Out for younger daughter and her dad)
Monday: Taquitos
Sunday: Indian food at mom's house
Saturday: Thai food at a friend's house
Monday-cheesy baked tomatoes with spinach
Tuesday-toasted, herbed egg/ cheese with salad
Wednesday-baked chicken, rice, green beans
Thursday-leftovers from Wednesday
Friday-steak/ cheese subs
Oh that shrimp taco salad looks soooooo good!
I can't remember exactly what we had this week, but hubby made a really good beef roast on Sunday and I sliced it as thin as I could so we could get a lot meals from it. We had it with steamed herbed potatoes and various green veggies such as peas, spinach, and salads, as well as the last of the corn on the cob. It's been our dinner each night until we had the rest for lunch today as sandwiches.
Tonight we are treating ourselves for Fish Fry Friday and ordering in from a local place that does really good flounder with a side salad and a bit of seafood rice.
I don't want to talk about what I spent. Either I screwed up (probably) or prices are just insane (probably). But we were fed, and didn't eat out, so I suppose that's a win. But I still feel bad about myself.
Monday I made chicken and rice. Everyone loved it. I make two big pans, and there were no leftovers. Frozen (cooked) broccoli on the side.
Tuesday: tacos, as always
Wednesday: salmon burgers and corn on the cob (this was the last hot day of the week, so the corn was made in the crockpot and the burgers on the outside cooker).
Thursday: beef burgers and fries.
Tonight is tuna burgers and tater tots. Lots of burgers.
@Karen A.,
Oh, Karen, don't feel bad about yourself!!! Prices are very challenging right now and you are doing a great job feeding your family delicious homemade food! That is definitely a win!
As always, I struggle to remember. But:
-Beef kebabs & rice x2
-Tacos x2
-Chicken fajitas (freezer leftovers, which were good, but the peppers don't reheat well)
-Roasted chicken
Tonight will be: chicken wings, gyozas & salads. One of my kids isn't a fan of this meal, but he'll be at school watching a volleyball match, & likely eating at the concessions.
Sandwich week here too!
Friday night: linguini with squash and zucchini, with Jello and yogurt for dessert
Thursday: tuna salad sandwiches with raw veggie on the side
Wed: Tomatoes (from the garden) on open faced sandwiches and veggies on side
Tuesday: It was our anniversary and we SPLURGED (door dash) lobster, caesar salad, onion rings and cheese cake.
Monday: huge salad
Sunday: Halibut with loaded rice (broccoli ,bok choy and spinach)
We had leftovers from a restaurant meal on Saturday (that's when our week starts), on Sunday we picked up Fried chicken at the grocery deli and got macaroni salad and potato salads to go with it. On Monday I made spaghetti and meatballs, Tuesday we had bologna and cheese sandwiches and chips. Wednesday, I made Arroz con Pollo, served with peas and pineapple tidbits. Thursday, we had Stuffed Cabbage Rolls and mashed potatoes. Friday nights with our three year old grandson are always hotdogs and chips. This week I served them with mandarin oranges.
It was a chemo week here, so meals were easy.
Saturday - PC chicken burger, raw veggies on the side
Sunday - roast chicken, mashed potatoes, gravy, grilled acorn squash (from my garden!)
Monday - chicken salsa, new potatoes, broccoli
Tuesday - frozen spicy chicken pizza, green salad (start of chemo cycle, lucky to have anything beyond cereal, haha)
Wednesday - Costco broccoli and ham quiche, bagged salad mix (Taylor farms Maple Bourbon Bacon mix was delicious!)
Thursday - oven baked halibut (frozen prepared), petit pois (frozen), oven fries (frozen)
Friday - steak, loaded baked potatoes, green beans
This is not the most frugal week as I've paid more for some convenience foods. I've come to terms with this as I feel I must do what works for us right now. I do look at what's on sale and menu plan accordingly. For example, there's a few bagged salad mixes that we really like. They were on sale last week at No Frills and we tried a couple we hadn't had before. The Maple Bourbon Bacon mix was delicious and we'll definitely have it again. And it means we are both getting some healthy food into us on the challenging chemo week and that's the priority. Well, actually taste is the priority because it would seem we're food snobs, lol.
I think that in challenging times like chemo weeks (!!!) you need to do whatever is necessary to keep people fed. I think you are doing such a great job of this.
@Kristen, Thanks, Kristen, this means a lot to me. I think I am doing pretty well too. It's probably a good thing I still have a 15 yo to think about, if left to myself it might be tea and toast, lol! And considering I'm supposed to get 115 grams of protein every day according to the cancer clinic dietician, that would not be a good diet.
Birthday part for our boys. We served pulled beef sandwiches, chips and dip, pasta salad, potato salad, watermelon, veggies and dip. Chocolate cake and ice cream for dessert.
Used leftover beef for for burritos. Also in the burritos black beans, rice, sour cream, cheese, roasted red peppers, avocado, and lettuce.
Creamy garlic mushroom pasta
Salads with beets, mandarin oranges, garlic vinaigrette, feta cheese, and walnuts. 7 minute eggs on top.
Vegetable and bean chili with sour cream, cheese, and tortilla chips.
Mac and cheese with leftover chili on top.
Bibimbap bowls with leftover beef, mushrooms, fried sweet potatoes, and pickled radishes.