WIS, WWA: I'm late, I'm late!
I almost never publish posts this late. I'm off today, but I came home last night, crawled into bed, and slept for ten hours. (!!) I must have been very tired.
Ok, so grocery spending and food! Let's get to it.
But first, please appreciate how round Chiquita's head is. Very circular.
What I Spent
I spent:
- $102 at Sam's Club
- $51 at Aldi
So, $153, which is what happens when you throw a Sam's Club trip in there. 😉
What We Ate
Saturday
I worked, and I ate more of my polenta with sausage and tomato sauce for lunch.
I ate some cereal when I got home, and of course, went straight to bed after that.
Sunday
I made some easy chicken quesadillas, and we had fruit on the side.
Monday
I had more of the chicken quesadilla filling left, so I made some more. No thinking required. All of my brain cells are used up for chemistry right now. 😉
Tuesday
Zoe needed a quick bite to eat before she left in the evening, so I threw a frozen pizza in the oven.
Wednesday
I did some kind of last-minute lunch prep this time around; I made some cilantro-lime rice and a cilantro-lime sauce, chopped up some tomatoes with cilantro, and then paired it all with two different proteins that I already had made.
So, day one was some chicken:
I had some yogurt and fruit after work.
Thursday
For this lunch, I grabbed some taco meat from the freezer and combined it with the rice, tomatoes, and sauce.
After work, Brittany and I went to grab a free chicken sandwich from Chick-Fil-A because they had a healthcare worker appreciation day.
Friday
I am off today, and I am going to try to enjoy my last day where I am allowed to eat raw fruits and vegetables. After this, it's cooked-only for several days, since my colonoscopy is coming up next week.
This is going to be a challenge because I love my raw fruits and veggies. Sigh. I am probably going to complain. 😉
Thank you for the picture of Chiquita! Her head is a perfect orb. Good luck with colonscopy prep!
This week was kind of weird because I was busy most evenings, so my dinner schedule felt off!
Saturday: I can't remember - I think I had a baked sweet potato with some sautéed veg on the side
Sunday: Burritos with brown rice, mixed vegetables, black beans and sauce
Monday: Aubergine curry with leftover black beans and rice I was dubious but it turned out well!
Tuesday: I went out for sushi with work (I had a vegetarian option)
Wednesday: I had a quick pasta dish with the end of some squash (zucchini), garlic and onion
Thursday: This was the night I hosted dinner for my friend. I made ratatouille with roasted vegetables, red pesto, feta cheese and eggs over pasta and bought a loaf of bread from a local bakery. For dessert I made apple crumble which we had with Skyr. My friend brought a bottle of wine. It was a lot of work but we had a lot of fun!
Friday: I'm going to bookclub later so will have something quick; possibly an omelette
I giggle-snorted at the orb comment. Chiquita has an adorable fluffy orb-head for sure 😉
It is impossibly circular!
Glad the hosting went well! I seem to remember you were nervous about hosting. The meal sounds absolutely delicious.
Thank you! I was somewhat nervous. We had a great time and now I'm enjoying the tidy apartment as an extra benefit!
As I may have mentioned mentioned before, I enjoy maintaining my English by reading health care and wellness articles on the BBC website. I recently stumbled upon an article by Melisse Hoogenboom on the benefits of variety in plantbased foods. I do not care for challenges a lot, so a "eat 50 kinds of plants a week" challenge was wasted on me. Instead I decided to jot down the kinds I ate this week, from my existing plan. I was not disappointed. We had:
Oats, wheat, rye, millet, corn, white beans, black tea, green tea, (fresh) ginger tea, (fresh) sage tea, chickory coffee and black coffee, sprouts, carrot, leek, onion, garlic, cauliflower, potato, sweet potato, spinach, tomato, blueberries, banana, pear, plum, cashew, almonds, pecan, walnut, hazelnut, ground cocos.
I am disregarding the dried herbs from the herb cupboard, the rice and olives in the rice oil and olive oil, and the strawberry in the jam. All ingredients mentioned were at least a proper spoonful and most vegetables are in season.
That brings me to a decent 32 plants with three more days to go in this week. Beluga lentils, beetroot, apples and mushrooms will most likely be added to the list, and also red cabbage and cooking apples. And there is salad and cucumber that needs to be eaten.
Apologies for listing all this good stuff when you need to go without soon.
I love this list! I've never heard of this type of challenge but I'll be doing some reading on it today - thanks for sharing!
I spent $120.
We ate:
turkey soup with cornmeal dumplings (made turkey stock last week and canned it, but still had some to use up).
pinto beans and cornbread
pulled pork from the freezer with potato wedges and okra
braised brisket with mashed potatoes and brussels sprouts
Went out one night for chinese
and I had a frozen pizza one night while DH was out of town
Saturday - My husband took the kids to visit his mom so I had a much appreciated half day all to myself, a rare event! I picked up Turkish food for dinner since no one else in my family likes it, it was a falafel plate with falafel, rice, pita, hummus and salad and I got their rice pudding for dessert.
Sunday - I made Emeril as alphabet soup (a veggie soup with alphabet noodles) and biscuits from a can. I had homemade pumpkin bread with peanut butter rather than a biscuit.
Monday - Morningstar farm “chicken” patty sandwiches, frozen french fries and sweet potato fries, steamed broccoli and carrots
Tuesday - My son had a doctors appt so I picked up Taco Bell for us after, my mom and daughter were at home and also had some sort of takeout.
Wednesday - bean burritos, Spanish rice and corn for the kids, homemade black bean dip spread on crisped corn tortillas, topped with avocado and salsa for me
Thursday - veggie dumplings and shrimp dumplings with peas for the kids, I had a bean, tofu and sautéed cabbage burrito from the freezer, and more pumpkin bread with peanut butter.
Friday - I’m hosting my book club tonight so will snack there, I’ll make Swedish meatballs and steamed veggies for the kids beforehand though.
I like to roast tomatoes. (I've also roasted bell peppers, onions, carrots, and zucchini in various amounts.) I blend w a little liquid if needed. It makes a thick sauce for pizza. Add on pasta w a little pasta water to thin a bit. Or thin out w liquid to make soup. It freezes well if you get an abundance. (I get the occasional box of clearanced tomatoes that needs to be prepped in a day or two. Works beautifully.)
I just eat the roasted tomatoes! I enjoy them with all those roasted veggies, but I just put on the pasta without blending. I like the textures.
Yum!
Do you find large tomatoes roast ok? I usually roast small cherry tomatoes.
That is true! I love roasted tomatoes.
I considered using the Tightwad Gazette’s universal casserole recipe this week when dinner plans had to change but after seeing if I had ingredients I decided on pulling some pasta sauce out of the freezer instead. I knew I would have leftovers with a casserole and I wanted to avoid that but I appreciated the inspiration this blog gave me!
Friday: Chipotle chicken bowls (using the bagged chipotle chicken from Costco) – black beans, rice, poblano peppers, salsa, Greek yogurt, cheese
Saturday: Pizza cooked in the outdoor pizza oven. It was our first time using the pizza oven this year!
Sunday: Chick Fil A sandwiches (using the patties from Aldi), tater tots, fresh veggies
Monday: Lasagna rolls and Caesar salad
Tuesday: leftover chipotle chicken bowls
Wednesday: Beef and summer squash enchilada bake
Thursday: Lamb ragu with protein pasta
WIS: $177, mostly at Food Lion, but there were side trips to Dollar Tree, Walmart Market and Ollie's Outlet.
WWA: I made chili and corn muffins for DH, who otherwise ate sandwiches, fresh fruit and veg, pickles and protein crackers. For myself, there were leftovers from the freezer of various soups and casseroles. I made a use-it-up vegetable chowder that used up some bits and bobs of frozen veggies and most of a bag of shredded cheddar.
For dessert this week we had gluten-free chocolate brownies.
WIS: $45 at Walmart, but used a gift card, so nothing out of pocket.
WIA:
Saturday: Creamy chickpea pasta
Sunday: same
Monday; hot dogs, broccoli
Tuesday: veggies and Swiss cheese on sourdough bun, oven-baked. Applesauce.
Wednesday: cheese and crackers
Thursday: beef stew from the freezer
Today -- I don't know. I'm getting ready for a trip, so I don't want to start anything that will create leftovers. May make an artichoke dip to have with crackers and carrots.
Love the photo of Chiquita's very round head!
Good luck with the colonoscopy. The prep is the worst part -- the procedure is a breeze.
I think it's so interesting how different our meal plans are. We are also a household of two who likes our fruits and veggies, but I do not enjoy cooking every night. So I often make large batches of things, we eat it for two nights, I package up the rest in meal-size containers in the freezer, and then I do it again. For instance, last night we had African peanut stew, which we'll have again tonight, and then tomorrow I'll make a large batch of squash soup. And then next week I might make a single-night dinner of pierogies and garden pesto, or grilled cheese and tomato soup, and then we'll eat meals I've made in previous weeks. Keeps us from getting tired of leftovers, and also keeps me from having to cook every night but still getting to eat homemade food.
My colonoscopy prep made me realize that perhaps my diet wasn't as unhealthy as I thought. Silver lining. (Knowing I have healthy insides makes it all worthwhile.)
Chiquita's positioning reminds me of my dog last night. I spent 9-12 last night doing the VA's caregiver training. The tedium thereof was mitigated by my dog's company - he loves my leg rest on the couch.
Sunday: roast beef with gravy, mashed potatoes, carrots
Monday: takeout Texas roadhouse....I had a 6 oz sirloin steak, house salad, mashed potatoes with brown gravy & rolls
Tuesday: pulled pork nachos
Wednesday: Hubby had a reverse raffle to go to with his dad & they had dinner there. My daughter and her husband invited me to the club for dinner and I had a Italian melt with french fries
Thursday: homemade macaroni & cheese, breaded chicken tenders, applesauce
Friday: Tonight I'm making chicken tortellini soup with biscuits on the side
Let's see, what did we eat:
-One night I had popcorn for dinner, because no one else was home 😉
-We were out with DS19 & his friends, & had chicken sandwiches before the football game at family weekend.
-I planned ahead for getting home from the airport on Sunday, so I had ready to go: Trader Joes veggie fried rice, soyaki sauce, chicken meatballs & a salad kit. Combined those into a bowl style dinner.
-Another night I wasn't feeling well, so I had soup from the freezer, along with some cheese & an apple. DH & DS20 had leftover chicken fajitas (freezer).
-DH made rice, and we had that with teriyaki chicken (TJs freezer section)
-It was our anniversary, so DH & I were out to dinner. I had a French dip, and brought leftovers home for DS20.
For tonight, I'm planning to make a chicken sausage + veggie oven bake.
Here to cheer on the popcorn for dinner!
Next thing you know we'll all be ordering Bobblehead Chiquitas 🙂 She's adorable!
Aldi $160
Now for the hard part–remembering (backwards is the only way sometimes)...
Thurs: green pea soup for me, beef chili for the guys, apples
Wed: tacos
Tues: Shepherds pie
Mon: rice, shrimp, mixed veg all cooked together then put soy & brown sugar on it
Sun: sandwiches, fruit, veg
Sat: I think it was pasta w/red sauce & sausage & green beans
Glad you got some needed rest. Thanks for posting. Good luck with the colonoscopy.
Sunday individual pizzas, salad, sundae bar
Monday Chicken veg over rice
Tuesday leftovers, fruit salad
Wed fajitas, rice beans Pico pumpkin the as sheet cake
Thursday - venison lo mein lots of veg
Friday halibut, last of the corn on the cob, coleslaw
Not sure.
Happy Friday, everyone! We spent $33 at Target.
-- Pasta and peas
-- Mashed potatoes and blueberries with a dollop of vanilla yogurt
-- Red lentil soup and bread
-- Pasta and broccoli
-- Cottage cheese and red grapes
-- Coleslaw and mashed potatoes
-- BBQ rice bowl with veggies and tofu (using Aldi's Burman's brand of Japanese style BBQ sauce)
Although I didn't have Kristen's cilantro sauce with anything for dinner, be assured that it appeared at lunch as it's a staple for us!
That sauce can really make a dish!
WiS $96.31 at Fred Meyers
and about $15 out at dinner Saturday
Saturday: Clam chowder and split a turkey club with my sister at our hotel bar in Boston.
Sunday: Lasagna soup
Monday: leftover lasagna soup
Tuesday: I took clam chowder from the freezer to work, not sure what he had.
Wednesday: Turkey burgers, chips, carrots and salad
Thursday: Trader Joe's teriyaki chicken and chicken fried rice, carrots
Friday: we will probably go out since I work Saturday night
Highlight meal this week was ground venison served one evening with rice and peas seasoned with soy sauce (tamari), ginger, and garlic. The next day it was rice/venison/eggs/onions/peppers with a random spice blend.
Quite affordable as the venison was shared by my FIL and is much appreciated!
WIS: the Star-$31; McKinnon's-$33; CSCA store-$7; milk delivery-$22 Total: $93 I guess it sometimes helps to not do a whole shopping trip and focus on using what you have and picking up a few needed items to supplement
WWA: Sat: Spaghetti Casserole (Ree Drummond)- would recommend
Sun: Cottage pie w/ biscuit
Mon: I can't remember but it very likely contained chicken and pasta
Tues: Supper Club- Various dishes from Hello, Home Cooking by Ham El-Waylly; we made the kale pesto pasta
Wed: Kielbasa, cabbage, potato soup w/ biscuit
Thurs: Ground turkey, zucchini in tomatoes over pasta
Fri: Beet and farro salad with some protein pulled from the freezer or leftover kielbasa
Since you do use your cilantro lime sauce in a bowl. I have found that if you were making plain rice, that mixes in very very well to give you a tasty kick. We have a place called Tijuana Flats that is a Florida homegrown chain, and they make a cilantro lime rice that is one of their side dishes , but I always get a tiny portion of cilantro lime sauce to mix in with it. That and a chicken taco, and I'm good to go.
Have a lovely weekend and sleep well during your colonoscopy.
Oooh, that is a good idea!
I'm late, too! I forgot to visit you this morning since I was out of the door early for an oil change. Fear not! I think I spent about $127 at HEB, $18 at Chuy's, $12 qt Short Stop, and $10 at Luby's. Sheesh. $167 total, but I did re-stock my freezer and buy non-food items.
M - Chuy's! I had the rest for breakfast and lunch one day (:
T - Link sausage with some butternut squash, chard
W - TJ Mushroom Ravioli with some crock pot chicken, chard
Th - Lazy Daisy Meatballs, a small baked potato, some peas
F - Tonight is Carne Guisada-style cubed steak with some Birria rice, and the leftover peas
Lunches this weekend are leftovers and will be yum!
Remember you were thankful for the colonoscopy so no kvetching over being unable to eat raw fruits and veggies. No being thankful on Thursday then complaining on Friday (and several days more).
Au contraire: I think it is possible to be grateful for access to a colonoscopy but also notice that dietary restrictions and prep-induced diarrhea aren't fun.
I agree!
Kristen, that's such a gracious response.
I'd heard of 30 plants a week - that's pretty popular in the UK. But not 50! I tracked my 30 plants/week for a year and found it much easier than I'd expected. Often I'd be way over, especially from May-September when I love buying all the fresh veg. It also gave me a love of pumpkin seeds (often the perfect final sprinkle on a dish) and got me into the habit of adding mixed spices and seeds (cinnamon, ginger, chia seeds etc.) to my porridge!
Sorry, the comment above was meant for JNL and Geneva!
I was also supposed to have a colonoscopy earlier in the month, but I got sick. I guess that means now it’s January for me. Hold strong!
Oh man, that's frustrating! It took so many months to get mine scheduled, I would be very annoyed if I got sick. But mine is tomorrow, and all is well. Whew!