WIS, WWA | Living in the $90s
What I Spent
This week, I spent:
- $10 at Mezeh
- $15 at Firehouse
- $21 at Weis
- $20 at a local store
- $26 at Safeway
That adds up to $92, which, funnily enough, is almost exactly what I spent last week!
The Safeway receipts include a 10:00 run last night because I was like, "ZOE! You know what's distressing?? We have no ice cream bars."
So we hopped into the van and went to the Safeway that is five minutes away. This solved my no-ice-cream-bar distress very nicely. 😉
What We Ate
Saturday
We always seem to end up having a girls' takeout night on Saturdays, just to switch things up a little.
Zoe and Lisey wanted a Firehouse sub (I had points for one free sub, which was nice!) and I got a Mezeh bowl.
Sunday
I wanted to make some waffles for dinner, so Zoe and I went out in search of some buttermilk and we were having serious trouble finding any.
Eventually, we found some powdered buttermilk at a local store, so we rolled with that.
I know there's the whole lemon juice/vinegar + milk thing, but I never think that makes a proper substitute for buttermilk. I think I'm a buttermilk snob!
Also: isn't it lucky that I bought a 1980s waffle iron on eBay during the pandemic? That meant we had two waffle irons, which meant it was easy for me to take one with me when I moved out.
The 1980s one was the obvious choice for me because Lisey is the whole reason I bought it in the first place, and she's living here. So, we are the house with non-Belgian waffles. 😉
Monday
I needed to use up some lunch meat, so I made grilled ham and cheese sandwiches for us.
Sonia was over, so I just did the usual and made hers without the cheese. Chipotle mayo does a sufficient job of making the sandwich un-boring, even without cheese!
Tuesday
I had some dry corn tortillas that needed to be used, so I made a chicken taco salad with fried tortilla strips on top. And we had a fruit salad on the side.
Wednesday
I was going to make burrito bowls, but then Sonia ended up being over for dinner, so I pivoted and made pulled chicken sandwiches (burrito bowls involve a lot of things Sonia can't eat!).
We had fresh fruit and veggies on the side.
Thursday
Zoe and I had tortellini, and Lisey ate leftover pulled chicken.
My basil plants are finally big enough for me to pull a few leaves off. Yay!
Friday
I am forever saying, "I don't know!" when it comes to my Friday plan and today is no exception.
Ummmm...I probably am going to do a fridge clean-out today and that will inform my dinner decision for tonight.
I don’t normally post my grocery totals but I did want to give a shout out to the Safeway app (which I started using thanks to Kristen’s post about getting free potatoes on it), the app gave me a coupon $20 off of $20 in groceries so I got two bags of groceries for free yesterday! I still don’t recommend doing the majority of shopping there, but stopping in to get the discounted items in the app is a nice supplement to my regular shopping.
Saturday - tried a new spot for takeout, a soup, salad, sandwich type place. We had clam chowder, salad, and kids Mac n cheese, it was pretty good and a lot cheaper than other takeout options.
Sunday - smoked tri-tip, twice baked potatoes, steamed broccoli
Monday - spinach lasagna
Tuesday - sloppy joes, French fries, steamed broccoli (my son, who doesn’t normally like meat and won’t eat much of it, devoured the sloppy joe. Maybe his love of tomatoes won out?)
Wednesday - vegetable risotto
Thursday - chicken quesadillas, rice, corn
Friday - slow cooker beef stew and corn muffins (love coming home from work to dinner being finished in the slow cooker, although it does sometimes mean a little more hectic morning as I prepare it)
WHOA, $20 off of $20 is really good!! Here's hoping I get blessed with one of those sometime.
@LB,
My experience with crock pot cooking is minimal, but I'm wondering if it could be prepped the night before and kept in the fridge, then just pulled out and plugged in when you get up. Does anyone else do it that way? I'm very good about making things like overnight oats the night before, so I'm thinking I would be more likely to be crock pot successful if that could also be mostly done at night once children are asleep. Mine wake up early and make getting just about anything done during the day pretty arduous.
@Becca,
Yes! I get my crockpot meals all prepped the night before (usually as I'm making dinner, obviously you need a crock pot with a removable crock to put in the fridge) and all I do before heading out the door is pop the removable crock back into it's cooking unit and turn it on low to cook throughout the day.
Having two jobs plus helping care for my elderly mil when my sil needs a break means that I need all the help and shortcuts I can get to get meals on the table.
Happy crockpotting!
@Becca, I don’t put everything in the crockpot the night before but I’ll chop all my veggies and meat, brown ground beef if it uses that, and have everything in a freezer bag or Tupperware ready to just dump in and go in the morning.
@Becca, yes. I set it out on counter right when I get up to get a little closer to room temp. Then plug in and turn on right before I hit the door. I do this A LOT during the school year.
Thanks everyone! These crock pot tips are helpful. Kristen, do you ever use a crock pot? I'm wondering if it might be a good ask the reader question to hear the collective knowledge, tips and tricks with crock pots because I bet they really save time and money when used efficiently because you could use frozen proteins and not heat up the house too much with the oven. I know lots of people swear by their instapots for some of the same types of cooking tasks, but I think crock pots might be more attainable options since they've been around so long that you can usually find them at thrift stores. I'd also love to hear the details of how people use their crock pot to make dried beans and then how they use the beans in cooking. I've made beans, but then find I have so many beans that I have to freeze leftovers and that makes me less likely to use them compared to a much more convenient can. I guess I just need tips on how to work out the rhythm of making the right amount of beans and fitting it into the existing routine-not sure if that makes sense.
@Becca, I hadn’t thought of that, I did chop the vegetables the night before but hadn’t though to assemble and refrigerate. Sounds like from comments below, that would work well, I will have to try that!
@Becca,
Count me in as a "Prep the crock pot the night before" person. I think most, if not all crock pots since - the 90's maybe? - have removeable crocks, so it's super simple to take it out and pop it in the metal portion the next morning.
I had a crock without a removable crock until just last fall!
@JD, our 70s-tasting doesn’t have a removable insert, so I work meal prep into my routine in other ways. My husband always texts me on his breaks at work, so I alternate between replying and preparing dinner, lunch, whatever.
@Becca,
I would recommend getting a GOOD book of crockpot recipes. I have an America's Test Kitchen book that has excellent recipes and techniques. My friends sometimes complain that crockpot meals are flavorless and lead to mushy vegetables and it doesn't have to be that way.
As an aside, I mostly cook from ATK books and once I became comfortable with their techniques I have been able to convert many oven meals into a crockpot meal to because I feel like I understand how they would cook a certain meal in a crockpot.
@Becca,
Just an aside in case you, or others, do not know. You can take frozen proteins out to de-frost and then use in a crockpot but it is not recommended to cook foods from frozen in them.
Additionally, dried red kidney beans (I think only red kidney beans) need to be boiled first for 10 minutes before putting in the crockpot to ensure they are safe to eat.
@N and Kristen,
Good heavens, I haven't seen those in I don't know how long! What brands were these?
@Jaime,
I did NOT know either of those things, so thank you!!!
@JD,
Not @N or @Kristen, but I had a Crock-Pot brand slow cooker that I bought at Goodwill that did not have a removable crock. It was probably from the 1980s, I'd guess?. It recently died, but my mom gave me her like-new one to replace it (she was downsizing her home).
@JD, my 70s-TASTIC (darn you up above, autocorrect) slow cooker is Crock Pot brand.
@Jaime, whew, I was going to say the same thing about frozen meat. All I can think of when I hear about people putting frozen protein in a crockpot is eww, that could be a trip to the ER.
@Becca, I also prep the crockpot the night before and put the whole thing in the fridge. I find that chopped onions and garlic are too smelly to keep in the fridge though so I freeze those in a ziplock and dump them in (frozen) in the AM. Also add in water/broth in the morning. Makes a huge difference if you are running out to work or school to have most done already then plug it in. Good luck!
@Becca, My daughter uses her instant pot(s) regularly so that they have a decent affordable meal around the sports-school schedules of the children. I had found that the newer crockpots cook at a higher temperature, so cooking time is shorter.
I spent $97 @ Publix and $78 @ Costco this week.
Saturday, Sunday, & Monday: We were out of town delivering some furniture to family. We ate some take out but also had dinner with them and breakfast at the hotel where we stayed.
Tuesday: I made a big pot of beef stew and we had that with rice, squash casserole with fresh squash from our garden!, and carrots with rosemary & Ginger. I made 5 loaves of zucchini bread with zucchini from our garden - we ate one loaf, I gave one to a neighbor & 3 went into our freezer. YUM!
Wednesday: Leftovers
Thursday: I made a bit more rice to go along with the remaining stew and sauteed some spinach with onion, garlic and tomatoes from our garden - YUM!
Friday: I am planning on making a ham & mashed potatoes. Sides are yet to be determined.
Enjoy the weekend everyone!
Weird week for us. My daughter was in camp until Thursday and my husband worked later most nights. So, we all either ate on the road or ate separately.
Saturday : Leftovers day
Sunday: Qdoba
Monday: Stuffed patty pan squash with rice and caprise salad
Tuesday: Tofu stir fry
Wednesday: Veggie burger for myself and my husband ate fast food of some sort
Thursday: Camp ended unexpectely early, so we ate Poke Bowls/Bento Box at QuickWay during our long drive home
Friday:I have a ton of eggplant ready in the garden, so it look slike we'll have eggplant someting. This may be the first dinner we ate at home together this week.
Thanks to it being consistently near or in the 90s, our crock pot continues to be our go-to cooking method barring something quick like burgers or pasta.
Monday--Burgers
Tuesday (designated Lazy Night--we're allowed one a week)--Trader Joe's Indian Dinner pouch over rice
Wednesday--Pesto pasta and sauteed kale
Thursday--Pork roast and vegetables in the crock pot
Friday/Today--Lentil vegetable soup using the leftovers from last night. Since all the meat is gone, I'm busting out the immersion blender for this one.
We've been leaning on the deep freezer and pantry to keep costs down, plus I just picked up part-time work at the local grocery store that is walking distance from home. Gas (which was $3/gallon when we bought the house mere months ago) and prices, in general, ate the wiggle room in our budget; my checks will be outside the budget/designated for savings and extra house payments. Employees also receive 10% off groceries, *including* sale items. Every bit counts!
@N,
What a great and practical part-time gig you found! And so nice that it's walkable!
@Becca, thank you! I still have mixed feelings about being in customer service again (I got so burnt out the last time) but it’s only 15-20 hours a week, unbelievably laid back, and everyone has been truly lovely. Given that my husband and I are semi-professional hermits, it’s also given me a chance to meet more people in our new town!
WIS: 24.27 @ local health food store for things that weren't strictly needed but I picked them up when getting some vitamin supplements that were needed. I noticed they had the Thai red sauce that Kristen uses, so I bought one to try!
WWA:
Fri: leftover arugula and cucumber salad, carrot greens and sliced carrot salad, focaccia with tomatoes, pepperoni and mozzarella cheese. No leftovers from this meal! That's pretty rare around here!
Sat: kale and tomato salad topped with feta cheese, fish and chips (just frozen fish sticks and frozen french fries, but air fried in the new oven this time-so exciting!), air fried green beans. And another no leftover meal!
Sun: warm quinoa salad that used the last of the leftover zucchini fajitas from last week and was really tasty, arroz con pollo (with chicken legs from a big pack I had bought on sale and reportioned into the freezer), spicy and delicious berbere sourdough discard crackers.
Mon: sliced cucumbers and leftover quinoa salad, leftover arroz with fresh air fried pollo (more chicken legs from another freezer portion), less spicy but still good old bay sourdough discard crackers.
Tue: zucchini-ricotta roll (This was so beautiful and very tasty! It used shredded zucchini and shredded carrots mixed with egg and baked sort of like a rectangular omelet, then ricotta cheese was spread on it and it was rolled up using a makisu sushi rolling mat with thinly sliced zucchini rounds on the outside of the roll. Then you refrigerate it for a few hours and you slice it like sushi. We all loved it, so will make again when we get more zucchini.) We also had Thai-flavored ground turkey with vegetables (carrot, celery, onion and tomato) over sushi rice, topped with Thai basil leaves and lime wedges. This used about three teaspoons of the red sauce Kristen recommended. I thought it was good but really not all that spicy, so maybe we just need to use more? I like spice! 😉
Wed: sliced cucumbers, green grapes, assorted leftovers: arroz (sin pollo this time) topped with shredded parmesan and a small amount of the ground turkey with sushi rice.
Thu: sliced cucumbers, purple grapes, coconut rice topped with canned crushed pineapple, grilled tilapia, avocado slices and Sriracha drizzled on top.
Tonight: focaccia and probably crudites or maybe watermelon.
Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!
WIS: $17 at Price Chopper, $18 at Trader Joe's, $3 at the bakery outlet, and $5.5o at the grocery outlet next to the bakery outlet.
WIA: The freezer cleanout continues, but I also made (and enjoyed) Reduced for Quick Sale turkey thighs from Price Chopper. Got four meals out of those.
And I also continue to use salad greens from the neighbors' garden, and weeds from my own garden for stir-fry greens. No other garden produce as yet.
P.S. to preceding: On a more serious note than my usual, I've just read an article on the Grist website about the effects of this summer's heat wave around the world on food production and eventual food prices. I won't post the link without Kristen's permission, but Googling the term "heatflation" will get you there.
@A. Marie, this is a scary reality, along with a less than usual grain harvest from Ukraine.
Ice cream is the best, but we have no self control about it at our house. So we only buy small containers.
Being very fancy this week we had:
-pinto beans and cornbread
-corn dogs
-tacos pastor (which is sold preseasoned at a local store)
-ravioli
-smoked ribs with air fried potatoes
-IKEA deli food at the store
-tonight we’re either having grilled chicken legs or tortellini soup
@April in TX, fed is best! You did it!
Ice cream novelties are my weakness. 🙂
@April in TX, we always say that the proper serving size for ice cream is equal to the size of the container. So we also buy small one serving containers of ice cream. If I buy a quart or a half gallon, we will eat too much!
@April in TX,
Same here - I only buy the small ice cream containers, because I, also, lack self control with ice cream. Hubs and I love pinto beans and corn bread....I need to put that on the menu soon. 🙂
@April in TX, We also buy the wonderfully portioned tiny containers for ice cream self control. Wish more companies made those.
Sunday was, unusually for us, burgers and fries (I say unusually because normally we have homemade pizzas, but Saturday we had just come back from a trip and had none of that stuff around, and I was not ready to make homemade crusts, so burgers and fries it was).
Monday--hottest day of the week, so we had sub sandwiches, chips and watermelon. And here I thank Kristen, the author of this blog, for inspiring me to not cut up the whole watermelon for one meal, but save half of it. If i cut up the whole thing it gets gobbled down at one meal OR I have unwieldy watermelon wedges or strips to store. But a half watermelon stores nicely on one of my big pie plates, cut side down, and then I can surprise the kids with more watermelon the next day.
Tuesday: Tacos, and the leftover watermelon, and cherries that were on sale.
Wednesday: chicken and rice casserole.
Thursday was my birthday, and one of my kids made salmon burgers and fries for dinner, and another made keto blueberry cheesecake cups. The other two cleaned up after. While I admit it's a pain teaching young boys to cook, it is a worthy investment, because my husband was at work all day and he didn't have to worry about making dinner. (Nobody makes their own dinner on their birthday in our family!)
Tonight is lentil soup with tortilla chips and cheese--the kids like to melt cheese on it and dip chips in it.
My mom often cut up half a watermelon at a time, so credit goes to her!
@Karen, interestingly, I'm the opposite - if I leave it uncut (even half), it is more likely that it won't get eaten at all. For some reason in the rush of making dinner or lunch, it feels like more effort than it's worth to cut it right then. So I actually cut it the day I buy it or the next day and refrigerate it so that it's more likely to be consumed. Same story with all the other melons (honeydew, cantaloupe and all their relatives).
@CrunchyCake,
I find if I cube up the watermelon, it gets eaten much faster because it's convenient to grab at meal times. But, of course, cubing up a giant watermelon takes a bit of time, so I tend to cube half the watermelon on a Saturday and then cube the other half on Sunday, or something like that. Sometimes I cube it a quarter at a time, but I always slice off just one section so I can cover and refrigerate the other part. I don't have one of those nifty covers like Kristen has, so I just use a piece of plastic wrap that I rinse and reuse for a couple weeks. Then we just eat it every night with dinner and sometimes with breakfast and lunch too until it's gone. I love watermelon season because it helps stretch the fresh fruit produce longer between grocery shops. When watermelon is on sale, I will buy the two largest ones I can find and they keep at room temperature until we have eaten down most of the more tender produce. By the time I'm ready to cut into a watermelon, there's usually more real estate in the fridge so there's space for the uncubed hunk of watermelon plus the big bowl that I add cubes to and take cubes from for meals.
@Becca, My kids like to eat watermelon in wedges or sticks--lately I've been cutting it in sticks, it goes further and is less messy to eat, in my opinion. So I cut one half in sticks, put the other half face down on a big plate and stick it in the garage fridge (we are very lucky, with four boys, to have an extra fridge!) where it's out of the way.
@Karen,
Sticks...I'm trying to picture that...like with a piece of rind on it still?
Nevermind. I just googled it.
That.
Is.
Brilliant.
@Becca, We put the second half upside down on a dinner or pie plate; no need for plastic wrap or a special cover.
I never have buttermilk, instead just using plain yogurt for all recipes that call for buttermilk.
Lots more desserts than usual for the two children left at home with me while the other half of the family was roadtripping . . .
Saturday: Leftover fried pork and leftover spaghetti, and then chocolate cake at our neighbors' small birthday celebration for their young daugher.
Sunday: Tuna salad sandwiches, raw snap peas, chocolate pudding pops (for the person who asked before: I use this recipe, but add an extra spoonful of cocoa powderhttps://www.inthekitchenwithmatt.com/fudgesicles)
Monday: Beef and bean soft tacos--meat made in the morning before it got hot--raw radishes and carrots, the last two pudding pops for the kids
Tuesday: This was the only day in at least a two-week period that wasn't going to be over 90 degrees, so I had planned to make bread. And my son had been asking wistfully when it would be cool enough to make pizza, so I used some of the dough to make one. Half cheese, half with some leftover taco meat on it. Also raw carrots and snap peas on the side.
Wednesday: Steak, fried potatoes, green salad (all garden-grown, yay!) with vinaigrette, zucchini bread to use the last two bags of shredded calabacita (my zucchini substitute) from the freezer before I start freezing this year's calabacitas
Thursday: When I went out to the garden in the afternoon, I found a few small tomatoes ripe, plus a lot of snap peas, some tiny carrots hiding under the peas, and five eggs (not in the garden). I mentioned to my son I could make dinner from just those things, and he thought that was a fun idea. He thought it was even more fun when I told him he (7 years old) and his sister (4 years old) could cook it all. So they did all the cleaning, chopping, and sauteeing to make a skillet of vegetables and a skillet of fried eggs. They were so proud of themselves. They also had tortillas and cheese, for a little more filler, and vanilla ice cream.
Tonight: Leftover taco meat either just heated in the microwave with corn tortillas and cheese if I'm too wrecked by the heat to turn on the stove, or, if I can handle more sweat, I'll make fried quesadillas with the meat, cheese, and tortillas. (Can you tell these days over 95 degrees are not my favorite? It makes me dramatic. 🙂 Some vegetable provided by the garden. Probably snap peas. Maybe I'll be really motivated and make ranch dip for them.
@kristin @ going country, I'm very impressed by your kids' work on Thursday! Bravo to them!
@kristin @ going country,
Thanks for the pudding pop recipe. I hope to visit my granddaughter in a couple of weeks so this is great timing. Hubby says I should make a test batch before we go and offered to be my taste tester!
@kristin @ going country,
I also use yogurt in all recipes calling for buttermilk. My son, a culinary expert, taught me that.
Traveling edition
Sunday- blt with chips and watermelon
Monday - bbq pork spareribs with polenta
Tuesday - pasties ( like a meat and potato hand held pie)
Wednesday- snacky dinner
Thursday- out for dinner I had a steak salad
Tonight- hubby’s 40th class reunion
@Stephanie,
PASTIES!!! We're going to the U.P. in a couple of weeks and I'll have to remember to have some while we're up there! I should build it into my camping menu plan. 🙂
For those interested, there is a legit Cornish Pasty Association whose mission is to "protect the quality and reputation of authentic Cornish pasties."
@Stephanie, We love pasties here in Ohio. My dad was born in Duluth, MN and had them frequently so I grew up with them. I make them mostly in the winter. I am looking forward to them as it's been a while since we've had them.
Hi, you have inspired me to do a burrito bowl dinner soon! My 13 year old niece is visiting the US for the first time and is here the whole summer. We have been alternating between new flavours/meals and familiar Indian ones for her.
Monday: Eggplant parm (she did not like it but ate it all bcs she's a good sport). Icecream for dessert.
Tuesday: (Matta) Rice, rasam, cabbage palya, and papad. We had bean pie and babka for dessert.
Wednesday: A massive salad w all odds and ends and ranch dressing. Apples for dessert.
Thursday: Made a quick pesto w limp basil and cashews instead of pinenuts and a weird crumbly cheese instead of parm. It worked! Pesto pasta, miso soup (niece loves brothy soups and I wanted to know if she'd like miso soup and added wakame seaweed - she loved it alll), and kimchi. Interesting meal mostly to gauge niece's likes and she loved all. Huzzah. Dessert - babka.
Friday: We are going to the park w mcdonalds - she wants to try a filet-o-fish. I will also pack grapes, some sparkling wine and juice, and brownies.
I use powdered buttermilk all the time. Though you can get it in a grocery store, I most generally buy it at our local bulk food store and keep in the fridge. Always handy when you need it.
WWIS: $123.13 at Food Lion on food. We also spent $2.09 on some freezer bags and $16 on a huge keg of dishwasher tablets.
WWA: I did not cook this week. It was hot, I was very tired, and we had a fridge/pantry stocked with fruit, little sweet peppers, pickles, crackers, nuts, cheese, canteloupe, cottage cheese, and ham for sandwiches. For my work lunches, I brought the last of the frozen leftovers. This means I do have to cook something for my lunches next week, though.
Groceries this week were even more expensive than usual, as we were planning to go up north to a friends new to him house, so I had bought food to take up, various salad type items I would prepare, plus snacks, but said friend cancelled. It's okay as the food items I bought are items I would regularly use at home anyway. Grocery bill was $179.37, but I redeemed $80 in points, so my bill was actually only $99.37. (This was for 3 people only. Groceries in Canada are EXPENSIVE!!)
I only remember some meals, but not on which days they were eaten. I also try not to use the oven or stove top on hot days.
Salad as a meal, with various vegetables thrown in, boiled egg on top, homemade Italian type dressing.
Chicken cutlets "schnitzel", marinated cucumber salad and potato salad. Leftovers the next day.
BBQ sausages on a bun, with Portabella mushrooms also on the BBQ. Leftovers the next day.
Thursday: I did not prepare anything so husband had cereal (his go to if I don't cook, he can eat his body weight in cereal, he just loves it!). I cut up sweet red pepper strips and radishes, added crackers and ate with dip.
Tonight I also have no idea (currently in a brain fog). Possibly something easy like baked beans on toast with a fried egg on top, or I should use up the "in the fridge too long" lettuce and make another salad.
I will also use the food items I bought to make the various salad type items I had planned, for the upcoming week. (coleslaw, orzo salad, marinated cucumber salad, potato salad).
Wow Chipotle mayo sounds amazing! Where did you get it? And if you made it...would you be willing to share the recipe please? : )
@Nici Ink,
I think she's posted about it before, so a search of the site might unearth it, but if memory serves, she blends some chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (canned) with mayo.
Yep, that's precisely what I do. I always, always, always have a jar of blended chipotles in my fridge. That way I can make chipotle sour cream or chipotle mayo right when I want it.
@Becca,
I bet you could also make it by mixing a bit of chipotle Cholula sauce in with mayo. That's the only Cholula sauce worth getting in my opinion! 😉
@Nici Ink,
Just found Kristen's post about it: https://www.thefrugalgirl.com/how-to-store-chipotle-chilies-in-the-refrigerator/
@Becca,
Chipotle Cholula for the win! It’s my favorite, too!
We had some summer sausage in the deep freezer and my hubs brought home some free corn on the cob and some free Asiago Bread. So one night we had sausage with corn and bread and then a second night I made soup with the remaining sausage, corn along with some potatoes and kale I had stashed. Yummy!
Dinners this week:
Saturday: My son had a cookout for friends so we ate party stuff. Buffalo chicken dip with veggies, hamburger (for my husband), cookie dip with butter pretzels (myself), and watermelon.
Sunday: Leftovers from Sunday.
Monday: Venison loin with blackberry sauce, gnocchi, broccoli.
Tuesday: The last 3 burgers from Saturday with battered and fried yellow squash rounds.
Wednesday: Looked at what I had to use up in the fridge so made chicken rice bowls (chicken, avocado, bell pepper, garlic scapes subbing for both onion & garlic, sour cream, and cheese). Had a fresh watermelon from Aldi which was terrible when I cut into it. Back to the store it went.
Thursday: In honor of Bastille Day we made Venison Bourguignon over buttered noodles. Trader Joe's sourdough french bread on the side.
Friday: Going to a local festival so will be dining on overpriced food there. Gulp.
Saturday: Having dinner with friends at their home. Smoking some ribs to bring to compare/contrast our recipe with theirs ala mini rib cookoff. Making Alton Brown's recipe for stovetop mac and cheese to bring as well.
WIS - Only shop every 3 weeks, so about $22 at restaurant supply store and $35 at Costco.
Monday - Orange chicken stir fry to use up older veggies. Jasmine rice and Watermelon.
Tuesday - big day on farm. Leftover stir fry and rice.
Wednesday - big day on farm. Pork steaks, green beans, fried potatoes.
Thursday - Grabbed a frozen chicken carcass, made chicken stock all day, made leftover soup and green salad.
Friday - fun day with friends. Carne asada street tacos, corn on the cob.
Saturday - Big green salad w/leftover carne asada with thick slices of grilled walla walla onions.
Sunday - crock pot french dip sandwich meat, mango salad
Our 15 y.o. was at summer camp, so it was just us the 16 y.o. this week. He started soccer again, so our schedule was a bit crazy, with work (for all three of us), plus soccer practice & carpools. It was a low effort week, as I've been sick.
We had:
-Grilled chicken & rice (x2)
-Burgers & grilled zucchini
-Baked chicken & samosas
-My husband took the 16 y.o & a friend to In & Out after soccer, as I was sick. I had a piece of toast
-Takeout Chinese, using up a gift card we've had forever
-Tonight will be the rest of the Chinese. I figured I should place a big order, and just use up the gift card in one fell swoop, so we have plenty for tonight as well.
No grocery shopping last week, but this week and next week will include 3 farm orders and two weeks' worth of groceries, so I'm resigned to spending lots of cash.
My menu plan got pushed aside somewhat, but that was okay:
I braised pork cutlets, and served them with English peas and honey carrots. I ate that twice.
One night was leftover arroz chaufa con carne (Peruvian fried rice with beef) from our meal out at work. It was still delicious but I figured I had pushed my luck eating two meals in a row with all that rice and all those peppers, so that was it for that dish, even though I had some of it still leftover. The dog loved it, though. I had some itching as a reaction, but didn't do badly at all.
I had hamburgers twice, with grain-free tortilla chips, jicama sticks and strawberries and figs from our tree for dessert.
I used the rest of the big package of ground beef to make a meatloaf, which I had with steamed broccoli plus cassava macaroni and cheese.
I made a grilled lunch meat and cheese sandwich on GF bread and piled up "spinach" from my yard on the sandwich. As a side, I had more fresh figs. The birds, squirrels and I are really racing each other to get the figs.
Yay that you were able to eat the rice and peppers, at least for a bit. That must have felt nice.
@Kristen,
It was a lovely surprise to wake up the next morning without a mouth full of lesions or aching joints! Maybe peppers are inching their way back into my diet!
Some combination of watermelon, nectarines, galia melon, strawberries, apples, sugar snap peas, cucumbers, tomatoes (from our garden!), and carrots were eaten on the side.
Today - the plan is to use up some ingredients and have quiche and corn on the cob on the side
Thursday - Ramen bowls and Bok Choy Salad
Wednesday - tried a new italian place - it was a fail and we won't be going back
Tuesday - Taquito Tuesday for the kids, enchiladas for us
Monday - Sheet pan dinner (field roast vegan sausage, broccoli and sweet potatoes) as a main for us. It served as a side for the kids with Pasta for their main dish
Sunday - Samosas, rice and dahl
Saturday - we were traveling and ate out
Well, maybe I will officially not be a "lurker" anymore and actually be a commenter after a nice experience adding to the comments section yesterday 🙂 This will probably all change though after summer break ends and I'm back in the rat race of teaching in the fall, but I'll enjoy it for now!
Saturday--We were in Las Vegas for a concert, and all the food nearby seemed so overpriced. We found pizza-by-the-slice near the venue, which was our cheapest option at $10 a slice. At least it was good pizza and a large slice!
Sunday--After driving home from Vegas (8 hours) we were tired and had some leftovers from our favorite local burrito place that luckily kept well in the fridge while we were gone for a few days.
Monday--Homemade pizza. I've been starting the crust in a cast iron skillet on the stove, then putting the toppings on, then finishing it in the oven. It turns out really good using this method, and I have an easier time shaping the crust right in the cast iron skillet.
Tuesday--My husband made eggs and toast for us, his specialty 🙂
Wednesday--We tried two different frozen entrees from Trader Joe's (beef and broccoli for my husband and kung pao cauliflower for me since I'm a vegetarian) with brown rice. We agreed the cauliflower was tastier than the beef and broccoli--well, at least my husband did since I didn't eat any of the beef dish!
Thursday--Leftovers from the previous night, which was glorious since I didn't have to turn on the oven or stove in the 100 degree heat! However, we both agreed the cauliflower was much better the night we made it. It got a little soggy in its leftover state.
Friday--We often treat ourselves to take-out on Friday nights. This is definitely my treat during the school year at the end of the week when I am tired, but we find ourselves still doing it a lot in the summer because we are creatures of habit. We usually alternate between Chipotle, sandwiches from Sprouts, the local taco shop, and a local soup and sandwich restaurant. Yay for another night of not having to turn the stove on!!
Yay! I'm so glad you decided to comment again.
I bet the cast iron pizza gives you a really nice browned bottom crust.
@Jamie S.,
Yay for more commenters on WIS, WWA. I love getting more ideas! And ten dollars a slice! Wow, that's so expensive!!! And here I am thinking I should find ways to get our homemade focaccia ingredients to be a little cheaper. At about 15.00 total (it usually has nitrate-free pepperoni, two-three kinds of pricier cheeses, and a container of those tasty mixed cherry tomatoes from Aldi) it's one of our more expensive meals, but I guess I should remind myself how much it would cost if not made at home!
@Jamie S., I'm glad you've joined us. And I do what you do with pizza crust, except that I mix the dough on my bread machine's setting before putting it into the cast iron, letting it rest for a few minutes, and then adding the sauce/cheese/toppings. Kalamata olives, thinly sliced onions, and sliced mushrooms are my toppings of choice.
@Kristen, It does. If I didn't have to make so much pizza at a time, necessitating the use of two half-sheet pans, I would definitely make it in my big cast-iron skillet. If you put a lot of olive oil on the bottom, it makes a really crispy crust that reminds me of the Pizza Hut pan pizzas of my childhood (but better, because homemade pizza is always better).
@A. Marie, bread machine's *dough* setting, of course.
@Becca, Yes--I love getting ideas from here too! I was thinking that exact thing as we paid almost $40 for three of us to eat out in Vegas: no matter how much I pay for organic flour, fancy cheese, and specialty ingredients, it will always be cheaper than eating out! Especially in Vegas apparently.
@kristin @ going country, The cast iron pizza is definitely only good for a smaller crowd! When my parents have been visiting, we have been able to do two cast iron skillets on the stove and in the oven at a time, but that still only makes enough pizza for 4-5 adults. The crust does turn out really crisp on the bottom with the olive oil I put in, and we find that very delicious!
@Jamie S.,
Well, they say that what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas, but I think it must also be true that any money that goes to Vegas also stays in Vegas!
@Jamie S.,
That's an interesting idea for your pizza! I wouldn't have enough to feed my whole family that way, but I like the idea of doing one pizza in a cast iron pan. Thanks for sharing!
@A. Marie,
That sounds deelish. My hubby recently received some cast iron pans as a gift, and now I'm thinking we need to try making pizzas this way. I have a bread machine, too, which sounds like a super easy way to make the crust. Thank you!
@A. Marie, I do the same thing. I love that dough setting!
Canning season has started...and I haven't quite figured out meals around it. Need to grab wicked easy things like frozen pizza to keep in the already full freezer.
Its been a busy week...I can't remember the weekend food
Mon: Canning until 9pm. Cracked open a previously canned mushroom/beef stroganoff which we heated and ate over egg noodles
Tues: It was 830 and we were still canning and hadn't even started dinner...so I broke and ordered pizza and mozzarella sticks. At least it was enough for 3 or 4 meals so lunch was taken care of the next few days
Wed: Chicken w/ artichokes and fava beans w/ red pepper pasta
Thurs: Haddock bake w/ leftover previously roasted potatoes, kohlrabi, and summer squash. Biscuit, fresh strawberries, and whipped cream for dessert
Fri: Leftover chicken dish from Wed with some kind of pasta
@Jaime, It is a great irony that processing food for the future makes it so hard to cook food for the present. What were you canning?
@kristin @ going country,
It definitely does. Every time I say I'll be more prepared and it doesn't always work out that way.
We went cherry picking Sunday (12lbs) so we did whole cherries and cherry pie filling Monday. Tuesday was able to grab some green beans for Dollar Deals at the store so we did 4lbs of Dilly Beans. Tuesday we got 75lbs of peaches that are ripening yesterday, today, and this weekend. We did peach halves and slices yesterday and over the next few days have Bourbon peaches, tea peaches, peach bbq sauce, peach salsa, peach pie filling, and peach chutney on the list.
@Jaime,
All of that sounds so delicious and I bet even with the cost of take out factored in, you are still coming out way ahead by canning your own for winter!
@Jaime, Would you share your recipe for the tea peaches? Google will only show me peach flavored iced tea. That's a lot of hard work!
@Becca, Yes, I would love your recipe for tea peaches as well. 🙂
@Jaime, So . . . pitting, snapping, and peeling, then. That's all the labor intensive stuff. 🙂
@Kathleen in Kansas,
This is the recipe we use. They are really good!
https://production-na-jardenbrandedconsumables.demandware.net/s/BALL/sweet-tea-poached--peaches---ball-recipes-br3550.html
@kristin @ going country,
Yep...But January Jaime will be very happy we expended the effort now 🙂
You are right about the lemon juice/milk thing for buttermilk....not a good substitue at all. A much better substitute is half milk/half yoghurt....that what I do all the time.
Yep! I find that works much better.
@Kristen,
I read (quite awhile ago) that you can use soured milk to cook with, to make things like pancakes? Meaning, milk that is past its prime and has gone sour. I've never tried it, because milk almost never lasts long enough in my household to "go bad".
This is where I heard about it.
https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2015/09/23/441460163/don-t-toss-that-sour-milk-10-tips-cut-food-waste-in-your-kitchen
WIS: This is a luxury that I’m both happy about and feel guilt for spending our grocery money on. There is some additives that my stomac don’t tolerate, so I haven’t eaten ice cream in what seams forever. Recently I found that Mövenpick don’t use these additives, but icecream to $12 a tub is not on our budget. But now a nearby store had 50% off on all ice cream and I bought five tubs.. My deal with myself it’s that it shall last until New Years dinner. In total we spent $212 this week, yikes.
WWA:
Saturday: leftover pizza from Friday
Sunday: steaks (moose) with sweet potato and greens
Monday: pancakes with bacon and tomatosoup with boiled egg.
Tuesday: grilled garlic sausage from the freezer, served with couscous salad and coleslaw. Watermelon for dessert.
Wednesday: wild salmon with cucumber, sour cream and potatoes (first one this season!)
Thursday: grilled some more sausage from the freezer, this time chilicheese (bought so many different sausages last summer as they were always 50% off due to bad weather/bad sale -> short expiration date).
Friday: turkey with Brussels sprouts and waldorf salad. Needed to make place in the freezer for all the ice cream 😉
I cannot believe you ONLY spent $92 in a week and TWICE? WOW My Imperfect Box alone last week was $80 (and I have to supplement it)
Sunday: ribs with coleslaw and pasta salad
Monday: turkey burger with rice and veggies
Tuesday: linguini with shrimp and asparagus
Wednesday: broccoli and rice with turkey hot dogs on a tortilla
Thursday : penne with leftover eggplant parmesan
Tortilla strips are a great idea!! I have a bag of corn tortillas in my pantry that I really need to use up. (Why did I buy them in the first place?? I can't remember at all.)
Saturday: Chicken patty sandwiches, zucchini, smoothies
Sunday: Burgers, baked beans, and chips at a picnic at the lake
Monday: Burrito bowls
Tuesday: Spaghetti and green beans
Wednesday: Pork BBQ sandwiches, zucchini, and cherries
Thursday: Fish sticks, peach slices, and veggies with hummus
Friday: Trying a new recipe... Zucchini fritters! I have half of a watermelon to use up, so we will have that tonight as well. Maybe with some green beans.
My husband did most of the cooking this week. This is reflected in the amount of meat we ate!
Sunday: Chicken, salmon, and veggie skewers with salad and pita
Monday: Pasta with tomato sauce
Tuesday: Beef and vegetable stir-fry with rice
Wednesday: Burgers
Thursday: Chicken and veggie skewers, couscous
Tonight: I'm on call, sadly. I brought a bean burrito. Sigh.
Kristen, the ice cream run sounds like something that would have been on one of your summer bucket lists. Good job; you can mark that one off!
Hmm...I think I actually stayed pretty close to my menu plan this week.
Monday - Beef Taco Salad
Tuesday - Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas, corn
Wednesday - Club Hoagie, chips (this was yuck, IMHO. I used leftover hot dog buns from July 4th and they tasted stale)
Thursday - Spaghetti and Meatballs, freezer veggie
Tonight - I ate a late lunch (taco quesadillas) at 4 p.m., so probably beer*!
Saturday - Shrimp and Red Pepper Stir Fry with rice
Sunday - TBD, but I have some Trader Joes Mandarin Orange Chicken in the freezer
*whew! Its been a week.
https://cannaryfamily.blogspot.com/
We were camping early in the week, so Monday was Elk Burgers I pulled from the freezer, some slaw mix, and leftover roasted potatoes and mushrooms from the night before. We had hookups so we were able to use our microwave camping.
Tuesday we had...pasta and a salad plus the very last of a Sam's baguette.
Wednesday we grilled salmon at home and had that with rice with scallions and green peas and a big salad.
Thursday we had...vegetarian tacos
Friday we're having...Well I'm like Kristen: I don't know!
Perhaps an ignorant question -
I see so many good crock pot recommendations here. If I don’t own a crock pot or an instant pot, should I purchase one over the other? Is there
a recommended combo that includes an air fryer? I’m lost.
@Abigail,
I could be wrong, but I think they are three separate machines. We have an air fryer (and also our new oven has an air fry setting and I'm still excited about it!) We own two crock pots because my husband and I both owned them prior to getting married. We don't use them that often, but whenever I do, I'm pleased with the results. I used to always use mine when I threw parties, but we aren't big partiers these days. We do not own an instapot, but everyone I know who does own one loves it. If you're on a tight budget, I suggest you check out your local thrift store and buy whichever machine they have available-let fate decide for you! 😉
Ps We also own two rice cookers-one large and one small and we use them at least three times a week, so that's another kitchen machine I highly recommend.
Dh spent $140 on groceries and I spent $12.42 at Aldi getting eggs - 2 dozen - cheddar cheese - 2 blocks and two quarts of strawberries.
Sunday - dh (dear husband) made london broil on the grill and baked potatoes. I had a protein shake.
Monday - dh made his family famous pizza. Yum! I had a skinny sliver and a protein shake
Tuesday - spaghetti with meat sauce. I had a protein shake.
Wednesday - dd (dear daughter) made chicken stir fry with rice. I had a protein shake.
Thursday - dh was playing golf after work so dd and I went to Costco. She had a chicken bake and I got one for dh and I had the hot dog with soda. Dd drank the soda and I ate half the hot dog. Other half is still in the fridge. All together it was $10 for us to get take out. Just wanted to try Costco but it won't be going into the rotation.
Friday - I used leftover rice and had boiled the two remaining chicken thighs and tried to make chicken fried rice. The eggs didn't come out or appear in the dish but it was tasty. I liked the tender boiled chicken. Hate dried out chicken. I had about a 1/2 cup of the supper. I've had gastric sleeve surgery thus I can't eat too much and have protein shakes.
$15 Stop & Shop (bacon) & partner went shopping today for a dinner party for tomorrow for 12, and I'm avoiding looking at the bill! All I can say is that I suggested 1 nice hunk of cheese and he came home with 3 + charcuterie... anyhoo...
Sat: dinner at friends. We brought no-bake cheesecake with foraged black raspberry sauce and a fun tiki-inspired dessert cocktail.
Sun: out for dinner at a fabulous restaurant on the North Shore (MA)
Mon: back to reality with homemade pizza
Tues: tacos w/sliced cucumbers
Wedn: I did a mystery shop for dinner
Thurs: cucumber-arugula buttermilk-yogurt soup (it is a big week for buttermilk on the blog!) and leftover pizza
Fri: mystery shop dinner on my long commute home
Waiting for the delivery of my new refrigerator determined how we ate this week.
Mon: I picked up a prepared Greek salad and ready-to-cook ziti dish for the two of us. Leftover was for work the next day.
Tues: We had tuna sandwiches. Easy for me to prepare when I arrived home from work. (I only work 3 days every 2 wks, so it's all good.)
Wed: Subs from Prisco's (a local family-owned, small business). Leftovers were for lunch the next day.
Thurs: Waffles and eggs (from my daughter's chickens). I bought the Aldi protein pancake/waffle mix. It only needs water. The package is smaller and costs more than regular pancake mix or homemade mix but it was good. I wish I could find a good recipe for homemade protein pancake/waffle mix. Anyone have one?
Fri: I tried to go to the market after work but I could not connect with the store app to add the discounts. So we ended up with pizza from Edy's (another family-owned, small business).
So we supported small businesses this week. Back to conservative, careful food spending. Thankfully we are in a position that we could do this without anxiety.
@JEG,
I've not tried it, but this one looks pretty simple:
https://thebigmansworld.com/homemade-protein-pancake-mix/
You can use a blender to make oat flour out of oatmeal. I have done that before and it works great.
I tried Hungry Harvest for one week, and price compared with Aldi, Lidl, Giant, & a farm stand all within 5 minutes of my house. Giant was the only place more expensive than HH. Giant +$5.76; Aldi -$3.58, Lidl -$5.23, and the farm stand... -$21.63!
Just no compelling reason to get Hungry Harvest.
@Beth,
I agree that it is pricier than Aldi, which is why I've stopped getting it every week like I did during the height of lockdown. However, I do find they tend to have items that I can't find at Aldi (which maybe your farm stand covers). Items I tend to get from Hungry Harvest that are comparable to Aldi and/or not available there are parsnips, leeks, certain seasonal fruits like plums or blood oranges, specialty produce like purple potatoes and colorful carrots, tofu (Aldi supposedly carries it, but I never see it in stock) and the extra large eggs (Hungry Harvest now has them at 2.99/dozen which is up .20 from a month ago and is comparable to Aldi's free range egg price. I buy the cheapest eggs at Aldi too, but like to get the Amish eggs from Hungry Harvest because they are giant and often have double yolks too. I also like to check out Hungry Harvest's selection of treat-like add-ons. They are more expensive than Aldi treats but I sometimes find really delicious ones that are definitely comparable in price to my local health food store and also things that Aldi just doesn't carry.
@Becca, I was pleasantly surprised in my price search to find organic rainbow carrots at Lidl for a shocking $1.96/12 oz, or $2.61/lb which brought them in just under the Hungry Harvest price of $2.79/lb. I didn't buy them though, because we already have 2 lbs in the fridge and then there's the "Mom, something's wrong with my carrot!" factor 🙂 Amazingly, they never say things like that to a different ice cream treat. So glad to learn that Aldi carries tofu; I'll look for it. Thank you for the heads up!
@Beth,
I should clarify that the website says they carry tofu at some locations and I have found the spot in the refrigerator section (next to the fancy cheeses) where it is supposed to be in one out of the three Aldis I frequent, but I have never actually seen any tofu available for purchase. It is always sold out, so I don't know if Aldi is a reliable source for it. I can get it at my local health food store, but it is more expensive than Hungry Harvest, so tofu is one of the things I always add to my once a month HH order.
@Beth,
Just looked at the Lidl website and saw the carrots you were referencing. I think I might have come out a bit ahead with the HH ones in my case anyway because they had the tops on and we ate the greens too. Also, I ordered the one lb bunch, but it was definitely less than a lb (I weighed it because it seemed so small to me) and so I emailed HH and ended up getting them free. I always email HH when anything is not right and even though I feel kind of guilty doing it (for no real reason, just my own issue I guess), they are always super prompt and responsive and I often get things for free this way which we then eat whatever parts are salvageable and compost anything not usable. I would never intentionally order damaged produce and then request a refund, but I appreciate their excellent customer service and willingness to offer refunds when something is not quite right because then I feel like there is a lot less risk to ordering produce sight unseen. In addition to this, on my "off" weeks, I find if I order a small 30.00 box from HH, I can get a bit of fruit to help me get to the next week and that keeps me out of the store which definitely saves me money because I am completely incapable of spending less than 30.00 on produce if I go into the store! So many options and we love it all!!! So, for now anyway, I still find HH to be a potential frugal food source for some very specific items when I order infrequently and very judiciously. But, as they say, your mileage may vary. 😉
I just LOVE your meal photos! So enticing! It gives us a reminder of how good our own home cooked meals can be!
It’s so hot in Phoenix right now.It was 116 degrees the other day! I am staying IN and oddly enough, even though it is summer, I love to cook. The A/C HAS TO BE ON,no matter what, so I made any apple pie and a huge pot of New Mexican Posole soup. I baked some potatoes with the pie so we could have twice baked potatoes this week.
With grocery prices as they are we have more vegetarian meals.I heard there is a chick pea shortage coming?? I had bought a 25 pound sack last year so we are good.
Am spending a bit extra on groceries because we are still adding to our pantry stock and I also buy the “ready to expire” meats when I see them and keep my freezer very full.Prices will still be going up for aa while so today’s price is best.ON SALE even better. I have a very full freezer.
1.Spaghetti and marinara sauce,Greek Salad,garlic bread
2. Chick peas Masala (Homemade) over brown rice, cucumber salad
3. POSOLE and garlic bread.Watermelon on side. My posole calls for 2 pounds of pork pieces in it but I only use 1 pound and extra hominy,we like it better that way and save money on meat prices.
4. Twice baked potatoes . Spinach salad, mixed fruit bowl
5. Frozen Meat Lasagna from Trader Joe,steamed garlic broccoli ,watermelon
6. Farfalle pasta with sauce and sliced sausage and peppers. I use 2 sausage links for 3 people, sliced up, that is more than enough meat and we usually have leftovers.
7. Posole and cornbread.Cantaloupe
I've been in a rut dinner wise and after reading some old blog posts I decided to borrow a few Frugal Girl recipes.
Monday - We almost always do breakfast for dinner and today was no different. Protein pancakes, scrambled eggs, bacon, and orange slices
Tuesday - we normally always do taco Tuesday, but I was getting a little bored with it, so we did Chicken Quesadillas instead - everyone likes theirs a different way so I make them to order
Wednesday - Aussie Chicken and asparagus
Thursday - Chicken parmesan and zucchini
Friday - Mushroom swiss chicken and green beans
We normally don't have this much chicken, but I had a freezer full that I needed to use!
Friday- went to a friend’s for a bbq. Burgers, veggies, fresh fruit, and chips!
Thursday- tex mex salads
Wednesday- burgers for dinner (I didn’t think about the Friday bbq.) burgers, green salad, roasted veggies, and chips.
Tues- pasta with shrimp, corn, and greens.
Monday- black bean quesadillas with homemade mango salsa
Sunday- chicken, vegetable, and rice soup that I made to take into some friends that were sick and gluten free.
Just had to share! I recently saw this video about how to prune your basil and it has helped me get so much more out of my basil plants. Maybe everyone else knows this already but it was new to me so I thought I'd pass it along. https://youtu.be/RHZe5sEmtSo