What I Spent
Thank you all so much for your bean suggestions last week! I decided to turn my beans into refrigerator dilly beans, which were quite easy to make. They’re supposed to sit in the fridge for a week or two before I eat them, but I have sampled some and they’re good!
Kind of like a dill pickles except they’re beans.
And since they’re just refrigerated, not canned, they are still nice and crunchy.
I spent:
- $11 on a taco plate
- $48 at Aldi
So, $59.
What We Ate
Saturday
I have zero recollection of what I made for dinner, actually! I know I didn’t get takeout or anything but I have no memory of what I cooked.
Sunday
This was moving day for my girl (as I mentioned on Thursday).
She and her friends were getting pizza for dinner, but it was getting a little on the late side for me, so I headed out and just picked up some tacos on the way home.
Monday
Burgers! And some fresh cherries on the side.
Tuesday
I cooked up a bunch of chicken tenderloins, partly to have for my work lunches, and I ate those with some kale salad (also for work lunches), plus some mashed potatoes.
The sauce is onions and tomatoes sauteed in the pan I cooked the chicken in, plus enough half and half to deglaze the pan.
Wednesday
Before I left for work, I put some fish in the fridge to thaw. And then when I got home, I sauteed it, heated up some mashed potatoes and leftover sauce from Tuesday night, cut up a red pepper, and ate some of the dilly beans I made.
Thursday
Similar to the night before, but it was chicken, mashed potatoes, sour cream, and green onions, plus the rest of the kale salad. Basically just a cobbled-together post-work meal!
Friday
I haven’t decided yet, but I do have two more work shifts coming up on Sunday and Monday (I’m off today and tomorrow). So whatever I cook tonight and tomorrow, it’ll be with an eye to something I can turn into work lunches.
Selena
Friday 13th of June 2025
@Kristen - I do *not* know that kristen @going country would use food stamps or not. I've seen too many pig headed people, including a relative, willing to commit child abuse instead of accepting help. For most women, having kids is easy - heck you don't even have to conscious. But not enough women give thought to supporting said children by herself and/or during hard times even with a committed partner.
Kristen
Saturday 14th of June 2025
Understood that you’ve seen that. But to ask someone, essentially, “Are you a pig-headed mother too?” is not kind or considerate.
I have had a dreadful marriage experience and I’ve seen hundreds of women with my same story. But it would be presumptive and insulting for me to assume that same husband behavior onto some guy by asking some variation of, “Are you also a terrible husband?”
Karen.
Friday 13th of June 2025
Here's what's interesting to me, though kind of off topic. :)
So many of these meal recaps say "work" in them. The reason I think this is cool is that usually by the time people are (roughly) our age, work/workplace is so not the interesting focal point. It's getting home. It's doing the things that *don't* involve the bosses or the co-workers. Not so for you. It's like getting to do my early 20s all over again through someone else's eyes.
JDinNM
Saturday 14th of June 2025
@Kristen, I see a lot of gold stars in your future! You've already collected quite a few, Ms. Top of Her Class Graduate Who Should Have Thrown Her Nursing Cap in the Ring for Class Valedictorian.
Kristen
Friday 13th of June 2025
Sometimes I say I am going back and doing a stage I skipped! Ha.
It's like when your kids play a video game and realize they missed collecting some stars on an earlier level and they go back to get them. ;)
JDinNM
Friday 13th of June 2025
@Karen., It's like Kristen is living backward through time. Kinda neat!
Joyce from Arkansas
Friday 13th of June 2025
I spent $73 at Kroger I have to try those dolly beans. They sound good!
– Sunday – grilled steaks, cucumber/onion salad, baked sweet potatoes. – Monday – we went out to lunch with friends. Hubby brought another entree home to eat, I ate a ham sandwich. – Tuesday – sheetpan meal with Italian sausage meat balls, onions, tomatoes, broccoli and garlic over linguine, garlic bread. – Wednesday – baked chicken, carrot/raisin salad, corn, pickled squash. – Thursday – Sloppy joes, carrot/raisin salad, fresh green beans, potato chips – Friday – we’ll have beef pot pies with some brown rice, more fresh green beans, fried cheese curds I got from Aldi to try. Aldi opened in Little Rock about 6-8 months ago, nuto hadn't been there. Hubby and I checked it out on a recent outings . We are getting one where we live in North Little Rock by the end of the year Yippee! – Saturday - we'll have ground beef enchiladas in corn tortillas, green salad, refried beans
Ruby
Friday 13th of June 2025
WIS: About $68 at Food Lion, Ollie's and Dollar Tree WWA: Salami tray with cheese, grapes and fresh veggies. Lots of cheese and tomato sandwiches. Spaghetti with a homemade red sauce livened up with sausage, mushrooms, sweet red peppers and onion. Chili tonight or tuna salad with crackers.
I took Lindsey's tip about refreshing stale crackers with a quick toasting in the oven and it worked great,
Marcia
Friday 13th of June 2025
PICKLED. I should try that. Oof, I went to the grocery store today and boy howdy. School ended yesterday for the almost-13 year old boy, and my 19-yo son the college student comes home today. Now I have to feed them. Sheesh
Kristen
Friday 13th of June 2025
I see a higher food bill in your future. Hehe.