WIS, WWA | chicken > steak
Happy Friday, everyone! My slightly controversial take for today is that chicken is better than steak. Please see my comments on Sunday's meal. 😉
What I Spent
I spent:
- $58 at Aldi
- $22 at Weis
So, $80 this week. 🙂
What We Ate
Saturday
Zoe wasn't here, so I cobbled together a dish using shrimp, some leftover corn/cilantro/lime mixture, a jalapeno, and some other veggies.
Sunday
Steak plus broccoli, and some sweet potatoes. Eating the steak reminded me that I am not a particular fan of steak; I honestly just find chicken and seafood easier to prepare and eat.
But hopefully the beef helped boost my iron a little. 😉
(Also, if you think steak is better than chicken/seafood, no hate. I just disagree. And unfortunately, my iron levels do reflect this preference. Ha.)
Monday
Sweet potato, shrimp, and sauteed broccoli, for a pretty basic meal!
Tuesday
I had a very late lunch, and was not hungry at dinnertime, so I just ate some fruit and called it good.
Wednesday
I worked, and I actually used my cafeteria certificate to buy lunch (my floor manager gave these out when we came in to work during that snow/ice storm, so I'd been holding onto mine for a while!)
I got a walking taco, which is basically a bag of chips with whatever taco fillings you ask for. I chose meat, queso, guacamole, lettuce, and pico de gallo. Super good.
When I came home, I made a raisin bran-ish bowl of cereal by combining bran flakes and raisins.
I figured it would be sort of like raisin bran, except with less added sugar, but honestly, I missed the cereal raisins because they have a particular texture that I'm used to.
The self-added raisins were too plump and they didn't feel quite right.
Thursday
I was off, and I made some butter chicken so that it could serve as dinner and also as packed lunches for the next two days.
Friday
I'm working today and tomorrow, which means tonight is a tight turnaround. I predict some cereal.
Or a fruit and yogurt bowl.
But of course I will be having butter chicken for lunch, so my midday meal will be at least somewhat substantial!
I wonder if we've been subconsciously programmed to think that we should think that steak is better than chicken, especially as frugal people because we notice that the steak is a premium price compared to chicken prices. I enjoy steak for sure, but chicken that's well-prepared is so fabulous! It's the heart of my favorite Chipotle meal.
I feel the same way about lobster. I know it's the fancier, more expensive option, but I enjoy eating shrimp more!
I was surprised when I had lobster for the first time because I thought it would taste just like crab, but it didn't. It was not as good to me, and I was disappointed because it was "fancier" in my mind. But my taste likes crab (and steak) best 🙂
Lobster is overrated. Crab is MUCH better.
After our Price Chopper seafood specials splurge of last week (this is what I was describing in the WIS/WIA comment last week that disappeared), Dr. Bestest Neighbor (who bought us a bag of 50 steamed clams one day) and I (who bought us two steamed lobsters the next day) agreed that the clams were actually much more "bang for the buck."
My issue with lobster is that it is so much chewier than shrimp or scallops. It tastes good but I wish the texture was different!
Steak can be had at a reasonable price if one is not stuck shopping on a given day at a given time. Personally I need to eat red meat at least 3 times a week - I do not feel well when I don't eat enough red meat. I do like chicken (as does my entire family). I looked up butter chicken and it is not on my list to eat - too many ingredients. I do like most seafood but I'm partial to scallops. Butcher shop sells them frozen (we are no where near a coast) at a reasonable price. Same goes with shrimp. I do like lobster but am not paying what very few non-chain restaurants charge. Red Lobster is not high on my list either.
After a hugely disappointing mystery meat "burger" and grease laden fake french fries, I did some homework on food at the ballpark we'll be going to this summer. The gluten warning for french fries at another vendor at ballpark has me thinking I need to pack a lunch to eat in the car or go to Mickey D's before entering the ballpark. At least I know what I am getting at Mickey D's and they take cash.
Mickey D's fries might not be much different:
https://www.foodandwine.com/mcdonalds-french-fries-not-gluten-free-8663584
An additive is one thing but "Franken fries" are another thing. The "fries" from the ballpark to which I refer do not start with cut potatoes. It is some concoction shaped like a French Fry. And are totally gross.
I absolutely love chicken! I cook several breasts every week to prep for lunches and eat for Sunday dinner. Lately I've learned to bake it with lemon and olive oil instead of just herbs or garlic, the lemon makes it so good. I love shrimp too, but its not as easy for me to prep. Since moving to a coastal town, I only buy local shrimp, not farmed or imported, and it takes more prep to peel, etc. I could try to get in the habit of peeling a bunch then freezing, but I'm not sure how to prevent freezer burn if I peel them first. I learned the hard way not to freeze them peel on in plastic bags because the tails are so sharp it leaks the fluid all over the freezer!
I grew up on the Mississippi Gulf Coast and we always froze shrimp in the plastic, tall square containers filled with water. The water protects from freezer burn. We typically (almost always) frozen beheaded, peel on. I guess I've cleaned/peeled so many shrimp in my life I don't find it yo be too cumbersome. Now when we travel coastal, we buy local seafood to prepare at our camper. Love seafood, but like a good steak or chicken.
Happy Friday, everyone! We spent $138 ($27 at Trader Joe's and $111 at Target). This is gonna be an easy recap - I had a salad every night except for Tuesday night's fruit parfait (slightly heated up frozen fruit, vanilla yogurt and homemade granola).
I feel the same way about beef. I am happy to eat chicken and fish but I'm just not a big fan of beef. On the plus side I believe chicken has a much lower environmental footprint.
I think it really depends on how it's raised. Having lived in a place where cows graze the hillsides and chickens are packed into large, stinky houses and never see the light of day AND must have their feed trucked in, my mind can't wrap itself around the environmental argument.
Jody, I totally agree. Here in GA and SC we have cattle and chicken.
I'm not completely sold that any meat has a smaller footprint. It all takes effort that impacts the environment to feed everyone. But I am sure there are those who beg to differ. Humanely raised meat does come at a cost, no matter the kind. We like bison, elk and deer, some of that is wild caught and some through the commercial side. I'm curious to see how the beef situation plays out with all the obstacles it faces. We currently buy grass fed with a local guy and we have been very pleased.
Can you share your method for prepping the chicken that you used in the butter chicken recipe? It looks so good! I like having pre-cooked proteins as easy options for building meals, and often we grill a mass amount then freeze portions. When these are not available, I cut up raw chicken into bite size pieces and saute it. This usually works well, but your method looks great, too! (Bonus is it looks like the cutting up step happens after cooking- and I don't enjoy cutting raw chicken into small pieces!). Thanks, and have a wonderful weekend!
Yes! It's two pounds of boneless skinless chicken thighs, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 cup of greek yogurt. Mix all together, broil on a rack in a foil covered baking sheet for about 16 minutes total, flipping half way.
Oddly delicious!
My daughter and I were recently talking about her preference for chicken and that she actually feels gross when she eats pretty much any red meat. She was chatting with a coworker and blood type was brought up and she has read that it is not uncommon for Type A blood carriers to struggle and thus it has sent us both down the blood type diet reading path!
Thank you for the reminder- I have a container of butter chicken sauce in the freezer I saved for a quick supper! Might need to pull that out!
It's the reverse here — it seems to be too easy to overcook chicken, which I don't find appealing at all. Steak is not so difficult, it seems. Also, the different cuts do have different textures/conformations, and that can make a big difference. Sirloin and filet are my favorites. Some of my family members have the patience for a ribeye or T-bone, but I get annoyed.
Not a fan of filet but that is because I like my steak well done AND with some marble/fat. Nothing better than crisped up fat on a Rib-eye (with or without bone) or Porterhouse.
And yes, my HDL/LDL/LDL-C (the "new one") and overall cholesterol levels are fine.
Your walking taco is similar to the Frito pie I love that I had never had until moving to New Mexico. Except Frito pie is served in a bowl, and thus you get a lot more of it. 🙂 Plus, I would think it would be really hard to eat out of a small bag like that. How do you fish everything out onto one bite when it's so vertical? Anyway . . .
Saturday: We were in Phoenix for my niece's graduation party, for which my brother got Hawaiian barbecue from her favorite restaurant. I had never had it before. It was kind of like chicken/beef teriyaki, so of course I liked it. I also very much enjoyed the pasta salad, which was more or less just pasta with mayonnaise, thereby calling into question the "salad" designation. I do love mayonnaise, though.
Sunday: We drove to my parents' house in Tucson for a few days. My mom made Reuben sandwiches with leftover corned beef, or just grilled cheese for those who didn't want Reubens. She can't have sandwiches without chips, apparently, so there were also potato chips, and then she had asked the two kids who were with me what their favorite ice cream is and bought that for them. Unfortunately, their favorites are strawberry and mint chip, which are some of my least favorite, so I didn't have any ice cream.
Monday: My dad grilled hamburgers and my mom made broccoli salad and oven fries. I just ate the salad and fries, which is pretty much my idea of a perfect meal. Protein? What? (There was actually some cheese and hardboiled egg in the broccoli salad, and potatoes have a little bit, but still.)
Tuesday: My mom made an entire brisket, and then there was leftover rice, roasted vegetables, and she let my children eat multiple helpings of ice cream, because we were leaving the next day and my parents don't eat ice cream much. My children were happy to help.
Wednesday: We drove home this day, arriving around 4:15 p.m. My husband had been making nothing but hamburgers for himself while he was home alone (the older boys were at the state FFA convention, which is why they didn't come to Arizona with us), and there was some ground beef in the refrigerator. I combined that with a can of pinto beans, salsa, and spices, and put that into corn tortillas with cheese.
Thursday: There was also a package of Italian sausage links in the refrigerator, which I roasted with potatoes. We had canned peas too, because I got a few cans from commodities. I grew up with canned peas and still like them. They were a new thing for the rest of my family. I think we'll stick with frozen peas. 🙂
Tonight: I'm baking bread, so I'll use some of the dough for pizza. I'm still only cooking for four people, which means I can get away with just one (half-sheet-pan-size) pizza. I always have to make ranch dip for the pizza, too, so I guess I'll make a salad and use some of the thinned-out dip for that.
Kristin asking the questions I was wondering too! How did you eat this walking taco?? Have never had one before.
Typically, you eat it with a spoon so you can get everything. When I was still working we used to have a big craft fair/bazaar to raise funds for Christmas gifts for foster kids. They always had good to buy. They always had walking tacos because it was just easier to deal with than handing everyone a plate or bowl. I had never seen them up till that poiny, but they were good.
My mother served canned peas for a family dinner. I was raised on canned or fresh. My kids could not be convinced that canned peas were peas. They loved frozen.
Mayo is at the base of my food pyramid lol. Arby's has their pecan chicken salad which I pair with potato salad (with egg - I like egg in my potato salad).
So, the bags made for walking tacos are more horizontal; like a regular bag flipped sideways. So, they're wider than they are deep.
I sat down to eat mine, of course, but the meal is def more portable and easier to eat than actual tacos. 🙂
Speaking as one who still orders a 1/4 steer each year even as a single woman, I obviously adore beef. And the friends who raise the steer still sell it to me at an amazingly low price. (They're devout folks, and I think they regard this as a form of ministry.) But I have been eating much less of it and sharing much more of it with friends at my low cost for several years now, given the health ramifications and so on. And I do love me a family pack of chicken drumsticks; frankly, I wish chickens had four legs apiece! I'll roast these on a sheet pan with some sweet potatoes about every other week and eat them for several days.
Now, WIS: $18 at Aldi and $26.50 at Price Chopper.
WIA: It's stir-fry season for me. I made a very respectable one yesterday with boneless pork rib meat (RFQS at Wegmans a while ago and stored in the freezer), some aging veg (carrot, cauliflower, onions, and garlic), and fresh spinach and cilantro from the garden.
I rarely ate steak (and only on rare occasions now) but this prep method was a game changer: heat ~ 2 T butter/ bacon grease, etc... in a cast iron skillet; cook 2 mins on first side, flip; 2 mins on second side -> place skillet in preheated 400° oven for 2 mins, then, flip. Cook on second side 2 minutes. Remove from oven and cover pan with foil. Allow to rest 5-10 mins. Done.
Depending on the thickness of your steak and your doneness preference, you may need to add 30 seconds or more at various points.
Voila !!😎
Now, if I could get a loan to purchase steak. . . .
I only recently resumed eating red meat after a 25 year hiatus! Since I cook 90% of the meals, our red meat consumption is typically low. This week is an anomaly.
Monday - crock pot BBQ chicken, corn bread, broccoli
Tuesday - Leftovers or burgers (not enough chicken leftovers for the four of us)
Wednesday - Steak tacos using Costco flank steak.
Thursday - Leftovers and Culvers for the kids (softball game and the boys birthday)
Friday - Driveshack party for the boys 15th birthday!
It's rare that I eat steak. I love a good hamburger but can be quite happy with chicken or meatness meals.
We spent $200 ish at Costco for food basics restock and about that much at Jewel (Albertsons). Groceries are extra $$ for us due to gluten free diet.
We ate:
Grad party Sunday so no cooking.
Monday: pork chops, baked sweet potato, peas
Tuesday: turkey burgers with tater tots
Wednesday: pasta with veggies, meatballs, Alfredo sauce
Thursday; Greek salad with chicken
Friday: probably take out Thai
It is a pity my huaband does not take ti chicken the way I do. Upside is that we often opt for meatless meals.
We had a lot of salad this week, plus himemade pasta bake one day.
I broke one of my molars and cannot reach the dentist this afternoon unless there is an emergency. So I foresee a lot of yoghurt and soft fruits, as well as soups, in the coming days. I'll think of more soft and slurpy foods in case I cannot get an appointment quickly.
How is a broken molar not an emergency??? It would be for me! LOL!
I'm on Team Steak although I do like chicken too. I find steak to be much more forgiving to cook particularly as we all eat it rare anyway. Our favorite cuts are ribeye and skirt. I've occasionally made rubbery chicken which is not enjoyable to eat. I try to use your brinerade recipe, Kristen, when prepping chicken breast.
Walking tacos are my guilty pleasure. I had my first one at a Little Gridders football game about 15 years ago. We had them a lot when the kids were little and now just have them a few times a year. But mine are better than concession stand.
I always liked chicken more than steak. Which was fortunate for me as I was bitten by some insect (likely a tick) and then almost immediately started having a reaction to eating beef (and drinking milk). I can eat small amounts of beef here and there, but we mostly stick to poultry and vegetarian meals now.
I think I am team chicken, but only because beef feels “trickier.” If we go to a steakhouse, I order fish because my husband makes better steak at home. Sometimes when we eat beef at home (specifically a cut with a bone) I struggle because all I can taste is BARN. I’m a former taste tester and some flavors stand out to me more than others. Chicken is chicken is chicken – I just have to pick light or dark meat.
And I just realized we didn’t eat any chicken this week….
Friday: Carnitas Bowls – carnitas (freezer), rice, beans, cheese, Greek yogurt, salsa
Saturday: Ragu Bianco over protein pasta
Sunday: Santa Maria BBQ! Tri-tip, beans, roasted cauliflower, toast, salsa, chimichurri, and cherry pistachio streusel pie. (my husband is always trying to perfect this meal because it is a favorite of my family)
Monday: Leftover tri-tip, mashed potatoes, beans, garlic bread
Tuesday: Slow cooker beef gyros served with naan, red onions, feta, cucumbers, tomatoes, kalamata olives, and tzatziki sauce
Wednesday: leftovers fridge clean out night
Thursday: Honey Sriracha Salmon Bowls – salmon, rice, cucumbers, avocado, edamame, sriracha mayo
Yes, sometimes when I eat beef, which I like, I will say “ugh! This tastes like cow!”
Ooh, slow cooker beef gyros sound yummy! Care to share your recipe?
I had to make a return at Costco this week, and since it was after work and I had no idea what was for supper...I snagged one of their yummy rotisserie chickens! For $4.99, we got several meals this week!
We had some the first night, with broccoli and then I froze the rest.
For lunch at work this week, I made a salad and tossed a handful of frozen chicken on top, and by lunchtime it was perfect!
On top of all those meals...my chickens were thrilled to clean the carcass! Did you know they are somewhat cannibalistic?!
I don't remember how much I spent on groceries over the week. But I do know that I am due for a lunch out today since I've been cooking everything at home. (: Maybe just a burger and fries? Also considering Luby's. this week:
*ate some potstickers when I got home from work
*Creamy Mushroom Chicken with mini potatoes, broccoli
*Beef Link Sausage, Butternut pasta sauce over linguini, corn on the cob
*Tilapia, baked sweet potato, corn on cob
*Mandarin Chicken, fried rice, broccoli
My schedule is wonky for the weekend, which means I will eat a late breakfast and dinner at lunchtime. Then Tuesday, back to normal!
I love a good steak once every 2-3 months or so, but chicken is my go to and I marvel that I never really get tired of it the way I do with beef. I also prefer ground chicken over ground turkey for whatever thats worth. But much prefer chicken breast to ground meat.
This week I spent a lot. $133 at Costco, $20 something at Sam's club, $60 ish at trader Joe's and another $20 or so at Raleys to stock up on sale cheeses.
Saturday - I was excited for summer sides. I had baked beans, corn on the cob and roasted fingerling potatoes with strawberries for dessert.
Sunday - rotisserie chicken and an artichoke.
Monday- chicken sandwich made with the rotisserie chicken and and apple on the side.
Tuesday - went out to dinner before a show. Split a Caesar salad and a pizza with salami, artichoke hearts and mushrooms with a friend.
Wednesday- made the mistake running errands after work. I bought a giant bag of boom chicka pop kettle corn at Sam's club and snacked on that in the car between errands. Needless to say I was not hungry for a real dinner.
Thursday - Brought home leftovers from a BBQ at work. I had a hot dog and macaroni salad.
Friday - probably more leftovers.
A truly excellently prepared steak wins in my book, but that's also reasonably rare (see what I did there)? One of my favorite meals is a particular steakhouse in Las Vegas & their steaks come out perfect every time. Far trumps chicken. But, if I'm prepping at home? Chicken for sure.
The weekly test of what we had for dinner continues:
-We bought a Costco celery/grain prepped salad & a rotisserie chicken, which was a super easy dinner, x2
-DH grilled chicken & we had that with rice, x2
-DH & I went out one night, and I had chicken parmesan
-No clue what we consumed on Friday night
-I defrosted taco meat for dinner last night, as it's one of DS19's favorites & I needed an easy meal
As for tonight, I'll probably check out the fridge for the last scraps of leftovers & see what I can pull together.
Happy Friday!
This week's eats:
Saturday: Aubergine and mushrooms in a garlic and basil tomato sauce over spaghetti
Sunday: Veggie stir-fry with black beans
Monday: Burritos with mixed veg, black beans, brown rice and sauce
Tuesday: Chilli mac and cheese
Wednesday: Leftovers
Thursday: Baked sweet potato and a mushroom omelette
Friday: No idea! I'm going out, so something quick.
How is one supposed to eat a walking taco, especially while walking? It looks messy to me.
With a spoon. And don't walk too fast!
With a spoon! or fork!
This probably makes me weird... but I'm SUPER picky about chicken, whereas I'm less picky about steak. Some of the extremely cheap chicken out there breaks down weird between my teeth and it squeaks. Can't handle it... Steak never did me wrong (unless I overcooked it. and that is decidedly a 'me' problem ;p).
For years I only ate steak if we went out because I didn't enjoy cooking it or cleaning up after it (even grilling was a pain for that). The past few years though we cook them over a burner outside in a cast iron pan....while they're resting I pour a glass of water in the hot cast iron and it rinses right out. Dishes done before we even eat. Now we eat it more often at home than out.
I spent about $65 this week. I didn't keep a list of what we ate, but I know we had build your own burritos with chipotle spiced chicken breasts and black beans, spaghetti, meatloaf, and some smoked pork bbq. We also ate out at a small french restaurant for lunch one day because we were in Charleston for some appts. I had a croque madame.
Although we have steak almost every week, I agree, I'd choose chicken almost every time over steak. You can cook chicken 100+ ways and it's way cheaper than steak.
When we got married 31 years ago, my husband, then a truly starving bachelor who did not cook and used to microwave steaks, (I once ed asked him, "what's that gray thing on a plate in the microwave?") asked me if we could have steak every week. So pretty much every week -- we call it Steak-in Sunday, I grill us some sort of steak. I remember our son as a kid, saying , "could we PLEASE have something besides steak?"
We now laugh about that as now that he's an adult, he would live steak more often but it's too expensive. I also told him that I grew up in a family of six and never saw a steak until I was 18, joined in the Army and had it.
I spent $69 at Kroger for things we needed and that were also on sale. I downloaded a coupon and got a 4x fuel points credit which will help when gas prices are so crazy high. I also spent $67 at Walmart, so $136 total.
Sat – pork roast in the crockpot, onion potatoes, green salad
S – grilled strip steaks, baked seasoned sweet potato chunks, roasted garlic broccoli.
M – we had a few relatives over for the holiday because we had extra food. I re-made leftover pork roast as BBQ pork sandwiches, along with cole slaw, chips, hot dogs and baked beans I had in the freezer. They brought an apple pie and ice cream. It was a nice, casual meal.
T – oven fried chicken, homemade coleslaw, green beans, onion potatoes, cucumber kimchi.
W – we went out with a friend for a big lunch so we had a light dinner of leftovers from the past 2 days.
Th –homemade chicken enchiladas, crockpot charro beans, green salad with tomatoes and lettuce from our garden.
F – we might go out to eat or have beef kabobs with rice at home. I'm still deciding.
I too prefer the cereal raisins.
I am not a steak person and prefer chicken and seafood as well. I happened to try a steak entree salad at Outback awhile back. It was delicious and I have been doing a version of it at home. All the deliciousness of a salad with a touch of medium rare steak.
Cooking in a cast skillet is a good way to increase your iron intake.
Different strokes for different folks...
I eat "Raisin Branish" all the time. I prefer the texture of raisins that are plump and not covered with sugar.
I leave the raisins out of my granola recipe too. Then add them when I pour a bowl.
Saturday - takeout night, Chinese food for the family, a tofu banh mi sandwich for me
Sunday - I’m using Sunday as my day to test out new plant based recipes on the family, since weeknights are a bit too rushed to try new recipes. I made a vegan mushroom stroganoff and it was a huge hit, everyone devoured it and it was so creamy without actually having any cream in it! I will be adding it to the recipe rotation.
Monday - impossible burgers, corn on the cob and potatoe wedges, a slice of leftover pizza from a birthday party for the kid who doesn’t eat burgers (or any type of sandwich for that matter)
Tuesday - my daughters birthday, she requested sushi so we went to a sushi restaurant where the sushi is on a conveyor belt going past the tables and you just grab what you want, and there are robot servers that bring out the drinks. Really fun experience and good food too!
Wednesday - bean burritos with rice and corn for the kids, and a sautéed cabbage, bean and baked tofu burrito for me, with avocado and salsa added.
Thursday - my daughter loves the grilled cheese that her school cafeteria serves, she said it’s her favorite food ever. It’s made with white bread and American cheese, and since we usually only have whole wheat bread and sharp cheddar at home, she has rejected my home grilled cheese. I picked up a too good to go bag from a local bakery though and one of the items in it was a loaf of white bread. So I bought American cheese and made her a grilled cheese with it last night. She was delighted! I made steamed veggie dumplings and rice for my son and then I had ratatouille over cauliflower millet mash (one of my prepped freezer meals)
Friday - I have book club so I’ll eat there, maybe will make spaghetti and meatballs for the kids.
Have you been frugal with steak cuts? Expensive cuts cook nicely in my air fryer and taste divine. (I’m sure professional chefs would be horrified.)
I’m happy happily eating your cilantro lime dressing on everything the past few weeks. 🙂
Beef rancher here! Come August, will be my 50th year of raising my very own herd.
We eat more venison, elk and moose than beef. We also eat salmon, steelhead, bottom fish and trout. I raise bass and crappie.
I raise chicken, ducks and we have wild turkeys.
I have a wait list for our grass fed beef.
Sunday dinner was a repeat of last Sunday's dinner: Sushi by Yoshiki! What a treat.
Monday Memorial Day activities, bbq potluck for 45
Tues - bbq ribs, 3 bean salad and cornbread muffins.
Wed - community potluck
Thurs - rest of leftover ribs, Air fried sweet potato wedges, green salad
Fri - family dinner at a friends restaurant for the yummiest prime rib.
Saturday is picnic dinner and concert in the park.
Not to worry I will eat your steak and my steak and all the steak LOL. I like chicken too.
I love a really good steak. My parents liked steak well done. Like almost shoe leather done - have to use ketchup or steak sauce to get it down. When my husband and I started dating, his dad grilled steaks for us, and I had never had a steak so delicious! But I also love a good ahi tuna steak.
Saturday - chicken tacos - the easy way of putting chicken breast in the crock pot with a packet of taco seasoning and a jar of salsa and letting them cook all afternoon. The house smelled wonderful.
Sunday for dinner after church we had pot roast. I don't remember what I had for supper - everyone fends for themselves on Sunday nights, so I don't keep up with it!
Monday night we had hot dogs and hamburgers.
Tuesday - leftovers
Wednesday - church supper; I had rewards points on an app, so got free fried chicken to take!
Thursday - pasta carbonara
Friday - we are eating out of the freezer tonight
WIS: Just back from Sprouts where I spent $76.54, which included $14.47 for a one and a half pound 100% Angus grass-fed beef London Broil, originally $22.10 (because beef is sometimes better than chicken (cough!)); a half dozen fresh-baked croissants that I need to take to a going-away dinner for a friend tomorrow night (together with Japanese cucumber salad which is an entire day's work); one enormous Asian pear; two enormous heirloom tomatoes; organic baby bok choy; "one pound thick asparagus spears" and white miso for a NYTimes recipe for "miso-parmesan asparagus"; some chicken (because you can't eat only beef); and a pound of roasted and salted whole cashews.
WIMEATD (What I May Eat At Tomorrow's Dinner): The hostess is making an enormous crab salad, and a friend is bring something called a Chantilly Cake from Costco. I have no idea what that is but it was a special request from the friend who's moving away.
I was raised with a strong multi-generational preference for beef. I however like most proteins and try to vary them throughout the week (acknowledging that circumstances inevitably challenge plans). WWA:
Saturday- grilled hamburgers, ceasar salad
Sunday - roast chicken, mashed potatoes, broccoli
Monday - leftovers
Tuesday - ordered Indian food after a (now resolved) family emergency derailed plans for DH’s birthday dinner which is postponed to Sunday
Wednesday - black bean quesadillas
Thursday - was too tired and it was too hot to cook, so DH picked up fried chicken and potato salad from the grocery store deli
Friday - will make pesto chicken pasta to use the chicken that is thawed
Happy weekend wishes for all
Definetly love a good steak on the bbq but DS swears by the air fryer! Chicken is much more versatile though,
This week's food;
Sat: Crockpot roast beef,mashed taters and asparagus
Sun: leftover roast turned into beef dip, sliced cucmbers and peppers
Mon: Chili from the freezer over homemade fries
Tues: Roast beef sandwich with really good horseradish from the Polish deli
Wed: Hot dogs on the grill
Thurs: Veggie/cheese omelet
Fri: Chicken noodle soup from the freezer
I keep my raisins for bran flakes in a mason jar in the back of the fridge. The only time I eat raisins is with bran flakes, and I find cold raisons have a much firmer and better texture. I buy the no-name yellow raisins, and mix them with cheap no-name bran flakes. Perfect bed lunch, and sets you up for a good morning! 😉
Angela
Ohhh, I can see how the cold ones would be more like the type that come in cereal.
My dad used to make us kids raise a bottle-fed calf for the freezer. Thus I never eat steak and not much red meat.
This week I spent about $130 on food for people. For DH, I cooked a meatloaf followed by roasted chicken. Sides for him are always a baked potato and/or roasted carrots plus fruit. For myself, I had leftover red beans and rice, followed by chicken-black bean-rice soup. Had grapes or tangerines as a fruit side. Store-bought cookies and a big milk chocolate bar as desserts.
I grew up having pot roast for Sunday dinner and eating on it all week. My father hated chicken, so we seldom had it. (As a child he had to help the family kill chickens and those memories stayed through his adulthood.) Also, when low fat chicken overtook the dietary recommendations in the 1980's (or was it 1970's??), most recipes instructed baking chicken breast which made it tough, dry and not tasty. So, I seldom had it and that was totally ok.
However, when we had beef or pork (which was a lot), it was thinly sliced and never took up more than 1/4 of the dinner plate. So I grew up eating lots of vegetables and not a whole lot of meat. Thomas Jefferson (before falling from grace) considered meat a condiment which I think is a good way to look at it.
All that to say, I prefer lots of vegetables and a side of either beef or chicken (dark meat).
lol.. sounds like my FIL re: chicken. I don't do well with a meal without protein (likely genetic as I come from a long, long line of farmers). Tis rare when our pasta sauce does not have some type of protein. When it doesn't, cheese and pepper make it more palatable.
Oooh I am not with you on this one, Kristen! I love steak. LOVE it. I eat it rarely. But I love it.
For an odd reason, it surprises people when I say that. We keep kosher, but when I'm not at a kosher place I'm comfortable eating vegetarian food and some fish. I think maybe people have stereotypes of what vegetarians or pescetarians are like, and when I pop out with "actually, I'm a FIEND for red meat" even friends who've known me for two decades seem to find it surprising and funny.
What we ate: I'm going back 2 weeks, but you'll understand why at the end. ( It's a very fisht post).
Sunday- fish and chips from a local spot. 42.00 and it fed the 4 of us.
Monday-(Victoria day)- fresh caught sea bass- battered and fried. Salad on the side. ( The girls and my partner caught them. It was the girls first time fishing and they loved it)
Tuesday - baked sea bass with mashed potatoes and veggies
Wednesday - Sweet and sour pork with pineapple and peppers, served with rice.
Thursday spaghetti Bolognese with garlic bread.( I made a double batch and froze half)
Friday - It was a split day... My partner and 1 girl did a lobster boil at his parents house. I was with the other at a sports event, we treated her friend to fried chicken. Then they tried lobster, which they enjoyed.
Saturday - lobster rolls -( it has to be soft sided hotdog buns toasted and buttered). Potatoe chips and salad on the side.
Sunday - baked ham with Caesar salad, pesto pasta salad, creamy pasta salad. Dessert was brownies and banana bread.
Monday- finger rolls ( ground beef with ketchup, mustard, relish and chez whiz added). Salad and fried potatoes.
Tuesday - leftover potatoes with peppers, onions, mushrooms and arugula, topped with eggs and feta, sour dough to dunk in the eggs
Wednesday - we ate out- 65.00 everyone had leftovers for lunch on Thursday.
Thursday - we had a birthday here. She chose Indian for supper - 120.00 for 4 people and again more leftovers.
Friday - I had a Drs appointment in another city. We had a very late lunch. 120.00 and again leftovers.
My partner bought the lobster - he spent 200.00 and it filled 2 coolers. I'm guessing that there was probably 25 lobster in total?
I spent 300.00 at Costco yesterday, and about another 150 during the past 2 weeks.
I do enjoy steak, but we don’t eat it very often due to price! When we eat it, I always marinate it overnight in a marinade with some acid in it and then grill or pan fry it to get a nice char. One of the keys to good steak is a good marinade, but the other is making sure you picked the right cut for the prep & cooking method. I like skirt steak or New York strip, personally. Not a huge fan of most other cuts - they tend to be too fatty, tough, or flavorless.
However, we DO eat ground beef a LOT.
I get very specific cravings for beef fairly regularly, which I think is one reason I’ve never had trouble with my iron.
Most of my preferred ways to eat ground beef are in the form of meatballs: Swedish meatballs, Greek meatballs, Italian meatballs, etc.
Greek meatballs are a big favorite around here, usually stuffed in pita with tzatziki, hummus, and cucumber/tomato salad. I usually bake them, but if it’s super hot outside, I’ll grill them instead (either right on the grill or in a cast iron pan on the grill).
I usually make meatballs with a pannade (milk-soaked bread or bread crumbs) and I use a combination of 1/2 ground beef and 1/2 ground pork both for flavor and because ground pork is usually about half the cost (even cheaper if I’ve ground it myself from the ends of a pork loin leftover from cutting up boneless pork chops!).
Honestly, I would rather eat meatballs than steak. Ha.