WIS, WWA | kombucha girl
In an effort to repopulate the good bacteria in my gut, I've been faithfully drinking kombucha.
It's not the most delicious beverage in the world, but it has been shown to be benficial for digestive systems, so I figure it's worth trying. Because my system took a whooping when I got sick!
What I Spent
I spent:
- $21 at Aldi
- $30 on a Hungry Harvest box
- $20 at Chick Fil A
So, $71.
What We Ate
Saturday
I had a work shift, and I got out right on time. I realized I had time to get to my sunset park, and I had some leftovers from my lunch still to eat. So, I went to the park, ate the rest of my food, and enjoyed the sunset.
I did feel slightly silly going to the park in my scrubs, but it was worth it.
Sunday
I made some barbecue chicken sandwiches and I do not remember what produce we had with those. I only have a photo of the sandwich!
Monday
I made cheese quesadillas with some avocado on the side, plus some fruit.
Tuesday
I spent my day doing homework, housework, and meal prepping for my shifts, and I did do a good job of that. But I did not make anything for dinner. Ha.
Sooo, Zoe and I got some Chick-Fil-A for dinner.
You win some, you lose some. 😉
Wednesday
Shift ⅓: I prepped carrot overnight oats for my breakfast, and for lunch, I made polenta topped with a sauce that has fire-roasted canned tomatoes in it, and sausage.
I've never tried packing it for lunch before, but I figured it was worth a try to see how it travels and reheats.
After work: some cottage cheese with mandarin oranges, while I caught up on blog comments.
Thursday
Shift 2! And of course, my food was a repeat of Wednesday.
Friday
Shift 3! More oats, more polenta with sausage and tomato sauce, and after work...probably either cereal or yogurt. 🙂 Although hmm, maybe a bowl of cream of wheat would be good.
I will see how I feel.
Happy Friday, everyone! We spent $160 ($74 at Target, $48 at Aldi and $38 at Trader Joe's).
-- Cottage cheese, strawberries and blueberries
-- Salad (arugula, radishes, quinoa, raisins, walnuts, cottage cheese, vinaigrette)
-- Plant-based chicken southwest skillet
-- Arugula, tomato, and havarti cheese sandwich
-- Rice and veggie bowl
-- Cheese pizza
-- Happy Hour appetizers with friends later today
Happy Friday. First of all, I'd like to say that whenever I see anyone in scrubs, I know that they've been doing good works and they're probably tired! I think they're kind of a badge of honor and should be worn proudly. I silently thank them for all they do.
It's so hot where I live that cooking is almost unthinkable.
I've been making a lot of fruit salads combining with cottage cheese & nuts and drizzled with honey for being a shameless sweet tooth.
When I was a child, my mother made something called favorite casserole which was elbow macaroni and sort of a chili mix all in one pot. A long time ago I realized that Wendy's chili had the same flavor base, so now I splurge on a small chili and add my own macaroni which brings me back a thousand years. Also Frosty's were a dollar this week, so again I splurged.
I'm an unapologetic carbohydrate eater. So for dinner, if I don't have a fruit salad, I'll have a bowl of grits (with a crumbled hard-boiled egg mixed in) or maybe cream of wheat (or rice). All of these are relatively low cooking items when even one pot on the stove is a lot. Oh , and I always keep a couple of hard-boiled eggs around in case I need a protein fix.
I took the time to make fresh rolls, one of my favorite things but very time consuming. Julienned vegetables, basil and chilled shrimp, on lightly dampened rice paper wrappers. The trick is to just barely wet the wrappers. You can even put one on top of another if you think they're going to tear. Wrap them up like a burrito and dip in your favorite dipping sauce and Bob's your uncle!
Everybody have a wonderful weekend!
Oh my goodness but the veggie rolls sound delicious! I'll be looking for rice paper today! Good luck with the heat! We used to live in NC and that was plenty hot for me; I wish you well with the increased heat from the changing climate!
I totally agree about scrubs being a badge of honor! We live near a hospital and it’s common to see people out and about in scrubs.
I once was asked if I was a nurse, because I was wearing a pink T-shirt and teal stretchy pants. I was proud to be asked (but I'm not).
I don't remember all the meals from this week, and I don't really wish to, as I seem to have got one of those stomach infections going around 🙁 I did have a takeaway when I was cat-sitting one night, from a place which isn't available in Denmark.
Hope you're feeling better soon, Sophie!
Thank you!
Good morning everyone 🙂 good to read that you're feeling better, Kristen!
$302 between Aldi & Wegman's
I spent WAAAAYYY lots because our daughter with celiac moved back in and as the parents in the mix, we pay for groceries–it's just how we do it. Although she's big on produce, other items are definitely more expensive like the bag of certified gluten-free ravioli that was $9.99, and a small loaf of cgf bread for $6.99 or $7.99. Yes, Aldi does carry some GF products, and she can safely eat some of them, but if certified gluten-free isn't specified on the label, she's not going to eat it.
And because there are literally 4 different diet styles in the house, I don't make one dinner for all. I might make other's meals, but with four adults, they're welcome to cook for themselves. So, some of the meals were:
turkey chili w/fruit & veg
the same chili over Annie's macs w/watermelon
quesadillas & carrots
chicken on the grill, mashed potatoes, veg
salads
rice & beans w/fruit & veg
Texas caviar w/tortilla chips, coleslaw, & strawberry yogurt for dessert
eggs w/has & cheese or eggs w/veg, toast w/jam
I'm not a fan of summer heat, but I do love melons so I buy several a week and there's always a cut-up melon in the fridge. Everyone knows to wash their hands before touching the common bowl so the girl doesn't get glutened.
Also, it was birthday week, and the non-GF carrot cake I made a few days ago is (not) amazingly all gone–I found the pan in the sink last evening.
My grocery bill goes up whenever my vegetarian or gluten intolerant kids come to visit. I know rice and beans are cheap, but I like to get them some of the special but pricey treats.
Let me see, in reverse order we had
-Fish n chips with homemade pickles
-Fend for yourself - I heated nachos with cheese and cut up an avocado and a (huge) coeur de boeuf tomato
-Chili con carne
-Millet with vegetables, almonds and cheese
-Salad and a cutlet
-Salad with pulled beef
Today: more salad, and a burger.
No plans for the next days as I have a long weekend off.
WIS: $88 at Food Lion and $2.47 at Walmart Market.
WWA: DH ate sandwiches with fruit, sweet peppers pickles and carrot sticks on the side, except fot one day when he ate a bowl of homemade beef-veggie-barley soup.
It's been very hot again, so I had a protein shake blended with frozen strawberries and peanut butter toast every day until last night, when I enhanced a snack-size frozen cheese pizza with slivered basil and cherry tomatoes from the garden and added three slices of chopped pepperoni and some grated Parmesan. Cooked it in the air fryer and it was delicious.
I spent $160 at Costco, $120 at Harris Teeter, $30 on ice cream, $50 at Alpaca Rotisserie chicken, and $60 at the Farmers market. So $320 for two adults and two teens.
Sunday - Grilled Pork chops, asparagus, peaches with mashed potatoes.
Monday - Waffles, bacon, strawberries, scrambled eggs
Tuesday - pasta with meat sauce from the freezer, caprese salad + ice cream
Wednesday - steak stir fry with rice
Thursday - Alpaca rotisserie chicken
Friday - we'll have random leftover bits, burgers for the kids, and some fresh corn from the market.
I've never tried Kombucha but I know some people swear by it and even make their own. I'd be interested to know if you feel any difference in your gut health. And how often do you drink it?
WIS/ WWA this week
I spent $63 at Walmart, $40 at Kroger, so $103. As I was waiting to check out at Kroger, I noticed Tic Tacs on the rack and that they were now $2.29! I was flabbergasted. Seems like not long ago, they were about a dollar.
Saturday – I had planned to make your Frugal Girl's butter chicken! But when our air conditioning died on one of the hottest days of the year and couldn't be fixed until Monday, I decided to use the microwave and make teriyaki chicken and used the toaster oven for egg rolls. But even that heated up the kitchen too much. Better luck with butter chicken next week.
Sunday – our air was still dead so we went out to eat steak after spending most of the day away from home in air conditioned spaces.
Monday – I ate leftover chicken. My husband ate a bowl of cereal. Neither one of us felt like eating much. We finally got our air conditioning fixed. Yippee!
Tuesday - We went and ate take out Chinese food with relatives. We brought dessert.
Wednesday – chicken salad sandwiches, potato chips and carrot/raisin/pineapple salad.
Thursday – crockpot baked pork tenderloin with green beans and buttered Parmesan noodles, tomatoes from our nearly dead garden.
Friday – up in the air so far – maybe beef and broccoli in the crockpot over a noodle or rice or out for a burger.
I do make my own kombucha - and I swear it has fixed my gut bloating, gas, pain, etc. Now I just have a drink or two 3-4 times a week. When I have an issue (I have colitis, so I'm pretty careful with diet/gluten free and I know my triggers) I drink 1/3 C every day. I usually bottle mine and add in flavors for second brew - tart cherry (1/4C per 16 oz) is my favorite!
Saturday: Grilled steaks, rice cooked in bouillon and tomato sauce, green salad with ranch dressing, ice cream
Sunday: We went to the parish potluck. This was our anniversary dinner, actually, which was just fine with me because I mostly didn't have to cook :-). I brought German potato salad and crispy rice treats.
Monday: I had frozen a bunch of the gyro-spiced ground beef I made the week before. I thawed some of that and mixed it with leftover tomato-y rice for most of the kids. There wasn't quite enough of that for everyone so my husband and one of the kids had a cheese omelet and leftover German potato salad. Raw cabbage (a favorite of a couple of my kids) or cucumbers for a vegetable, and ice cream again.
Tuesday: I made pesto for the freezer this day and used a little of it for pesto bread with the last couple rolls I had made when I baked bread. I pretty much structured the rest of the meal around that, so Italian sausages, and green salad with ranch dressing. Plus, after dinner, some canned peaches we got from commodities.
Wednesday: This meal was structured around the last of the German potato salad that I wanted eaten. To go with that, I made bunless hamburgers. Refrigerator dill pickles for a nutrionally-lightweight vegetable.
Thursday: One of my sons one time had a Popeye's fried chicken sandwich--just chicken with mayonnaise and dill pickles--and has been a big fan ever since. We have made them at home sometimes, when I've been to a store that has fried chicken because I don't deep-fry anything. I went to Walmart this day and told him I would get some fried chicken at the deli there for sandwiches. Sadly, they only had chicken wings. But! My Walmart sometimes has half-price frozen rotisserie chickens in the meat section, and this time, for the first time, there was also one of the eight-piece fried chicken meals there, frozen and half price as well. It was fate. So we had the sandwiches, plus the coleslaw I had made in the morning.
Friday: I was planning on making bread today to take advantage of the slightly cooler weather. I make sourdough, which is a two-day process. I realized on my way to town yesterday (a 100-mile drive) that I had forgotten to start the dough and would be home way too late for that. So I called home and the boy who answered the phone followed my directions to start it for me. I promised him I would make pizza with some of the dough, which is a good option for our meatless Fridays. Then I bought five dozen eggs at the store and came home to three dozen that had been dropped off by our neighbor. Plus the two and a half dozen I already had. I really should make something with eggs today. However, I think reneging on the pizza would be very sad for my children, so I'll probably make it anyway--one cheese, one vegetable--and then make deviled eggs, too. We also got an absurd quantity of white-fleshed nectarines from commodities that are very good and very ripe, so I think I'll make a crisp with some of those since the oven will be on for the bread anyway.
Oh, and just for fun . . . I don't ever post what I spent, but since I was just at the store yesterday and remember, I can tell you that it was around $400, if I don't count the school supplies I bought. Seems like $400 is about what I spend every time I go to Walmart, because that's where I do the stock-up stuff, sort of like Costco for normal people, I guess. When we go to the store depends on when we have to go to town for other things, and where we go also depends on that. Any of the stores in the other four towns we might be in are much more expensive than Walmart, so even if I'm not buying as much, it's usually still around $200. But that's not every week. So how much do I really spend on groceries? No idea!
WIS: $4 Walgreens -- that was for a couple of protein bars on sale
WIA: It was a weird week, food wise, since I lost power for 8 hours and had to throw out some food. I recall that I had a pasta dish from the freezer, meatballs and penne (before the storm -- I had to throw out the leftovers after the storm). Protein bars. Toast. Peanut butter on a spoon. Prunes. That's all I can remember. As I said, weird week.
Today I am thawing chicken noodle soup. Tomorrow, I grocery shop.
Did you eat the prunes with the peanut butter on the spoon because YUM.
No, I didn't combine them, but maybe I should some time!
Oh I love polenta for lunch, with ratatouille on top. I pour it into the lunch container when it's runny, then it solidifies and makes for a very pretty packed lunch.
I'm trying really hard to make dinners where my kindergartener can have a plain version and the grownups can have something more flavorful. I need flavor!
Saturday: Sheet pan meal of sausage, zucchini, and frozen fries.
Sunday: We were at my parents' for salmon, broccolini, rice, fruit, and ice cream.
Monday: Pancakes, eggs, and fruit salad, with some fruit set aside for my daughter.
Tuesday: Roasted chicken breasts (plain for my daughter, seasoned for us,) mashed potato (literally just one lol) and peas. Frozen for my daughter, tossed with basil for us.
Wednesday: Peanut soba noodles with leftover chicken, carrots, cucumbers, peppers, and green onions. Very proud of my kindergartener for trying reheated chicken (she didn't like it) BUT she ate the soba noodles plain and loved the thinly sliced carrots. Hooray!
Thursday: Takeout pizza.
Friday: Unsure. Mr. B is making it.
WIS: $75 at Price Chopper (which included some supplements), $48.50 at Wegmans (which included beer), $12 at the India Bazaar, and $600 for my annual 1/4 steer from the friends who raise the animal. As always, however, the beef will be worth it to me and the friends with whom I share it at my cost. I can't afford beef at Wegmans any more even when it's marked Reduced for Quick Sale.
WIA: I made a rather interesting bowl yesterday, using some sauteed Weggies salmon trimmings (I reserved the skin for salmon "jerky"), a cucumber, some rice that was a little crunchy (I think it's been in the pantry too long), some tzatziki/feta dip I'd bought for another occasion, and some of my homemade "capers" (pickled green nasturtium seeds). I'll try this again with fresher rice and a few other tweaks.
If I were to see someone in scrubs at a park, I would think, "Look at that person supporting their wellness and enjoying their evening even after a long day of healthcare work." I'm so glad you went anyway. Gorgeous!
WIS: $55 at Sharp Shopper (regional grocery outlet) for more low-prep foods.
My meals have been tough this week due to medical issues, intermittent food aversions (annoying!!), and jaw pain/swallowing issues. All of them are in the works to be addressed, but gosh, it's been hard to keep myself nourished some days. What's working for me today is a frozen meal egg/cheese/meat breakfast bowl but I dumped it into grits to make the texture more acceptable. A real, delicious meal!
WIS: $5 on 3 pineapples
Crazy busy. We had street tacos, fruit salsa, various meats with huge salads and more fruit. Fish last night and halibut tacos tonight. It is fair season, so food truck food.
My friend makes kombucha, I make apple cider vinegar, we supply each other. The other nourishing add inqq is adding beef gelatin to your tea or coffee.
Cat landed on me. Not inqq, *in*. Ha. Good kitty.
WIS: about 156 @ Aldi
WWA:
Fri: focaccia and salad
Sat: chicken tikka masala, jasmine rice, broccoli
Sun: pasta with meat sauce and California veg
Mon: leftovers
Tue: pancakes, bacon, eggs, watermelon
Wed: turkey burgers on buns and spinach salad
Thu: pasta carbonara and watermelon
Tonight: focaccia and salad
Have a great weekend, everyone!
We have been eating lots of peaches as we went to the orchard last week. Most of the peaches are being dried in the dehydrator for Christmas gifts. I will make a Peach and Goldenberry Gazpacho on Saturday.
We left church on Sunday very late so stopped by Mission BBQ for pulled pork and lovely collards and snaps (green beans). This is one restaurant where we can get "real" vegetables. Dinner was cheese & crackers, cucumbers and tomatoes since we ate lunch so late.
Monday since I was baking chicken thighs, halved onions and peaches went in with the chicken.
Tuesday I don't remember what we ate.
Wednesday we have snacky foods during Bible Study
Thursday I made my version of taco salad with ground beef, lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream, homemade peach salsa, gluten free taco chips and whatever else we decide to put on our own salad, I added pesto.
Tonight - not sure yet but will check the freezer once I get up to do my lunch which is generally a salad. The base of the salad is arugula from my garden and whatever takes my fancy when I am making it - usually, tomatoes, cucumbers, pickled red onions, an apple and so on.
Saturday - I took my daughter to her first broadway show and when we got home my husband and son were out. So I ordered takeout just for the two of us and we each got what we wanted from different but nearby restaurants. She got sushi and I have a tofu banh mi sandwich.
Sunday - My parents hosted for for a lunchtime bbq, I was still pretty full from it at dinner but the kids were hungry so I made them udon noodles and veggie dumplings from Trader Joe’s.
Monday - I ended up needing to work a little late so I made a quick spaghetti and meatballs when I got home using jarred sauce and frozen meatballs. I had some toasted sourdough with hummus and a meatless Italian sausage sliced on top.
Tuesday - I took the kids to a water park and then we stayed in a hotel in the area. They were so tired from the water park they did not want to leave the hotel to get dinner and it wasn’t a nice enough hotel to have room service. We could see a jack in the box from our window though so I finally convinced them to walk there for a quick dinner. Not my first choice, when I can’t eat entirely plant based though I at least try to avoid meat and Jack in the box had a grilled cheese that worked for that (plus French fries)
Wednesday - Bean burritos, Spanish rice and steamed baby corn for the kids. I had more toasted sourdough with hummus, topped with sliced heirloom tomatoes and peach balsamic glaze.
Thursday - I made orzo with broccolini, alba mushrooms and peas.
Friday - I have book club tonight so I’ll make something simple for the kids and then have book club snacks for dinner.
Thank you so much for posting what you spent and what you ate each week. It's very helpful! And I'm so glad you're feeling so much better, and that becoming "Kombucha Girl"was a big help. 😄
I'd love to hear about the plexiglass stand you have above your PC keyboard. I would assume it's very helpful in keeping dust and debris off your keyboard. And makes a great stand for food and drink, obviously. 😉 But how much does it get in the way of your hands when you're typing?
It's to keep Chiquita from stepping on my keyboard and deleting my work. Ha.
So, what did you think about how the polenta leftovers did traveling to your work for your lunch that day? Did that work well for you? It certainly sounded delicious!
I have no idea what we spent. I know I went to Vons 3 times in 3 days, but that was over the weekend. And hubby did the Costco run. I do know we are out of a lot of things.
What we ate... we made lasagna on Saturday, and had a couple of days of leftovers. I made spring rolls with ginger soy tofu, and had one day of leftovers. We had burritos and green beans. For lunch, I had a lot of beans and rice, and I have no idea what the hubby ate, except for some leftovers. Last night was takeout (pupusas). Tonight is probably frozen pizza.
The vampire child (20) gets up at 1 pm, so I don't know what he eats. The 14 yo is in camp, so he feeds himself lunch. Some days that means grilled cheese. Some days it's trail mix. Whatever. I make a smoothie for the 3 of us at 3-4 pm, because that's when I transition from the office to home for ALL THE MEETINGS.
Its so nice you have Zoe at home still! Actually it's great for both of you! What a blessing! The kitties as well!
I feel like I did a good job feeding myself this week. Spent $100 at Trader Joe's, which will cover me a little over 2 weeks. Ate lunch out twice, but going forward I am eating out only once a week.
M - Grilled Cheese on Sourdough bread
T - Sweet Potato Gnocci with mini meatballs, peas
W - Chicken Tamale, rice, beans
Th - Had a chicken sammie and fries from Short Stop
F - Panko Tilapia and some roasted brussels sprouts, plus I made a batch of chocolate chip cookie dough, so I will bake a couple.
I see people out grocery shopping and doing life in their scrubs all the time. After awhile, you probably will, too! This is especially true for me if I have somewhere I need to go after work.