WIS, WWA | Ok, never mind about the low spending
What I Spent
Last week, I wondered if my low spending weeks were a pattern or an anomaly.
I'm leaning toward anomaly because my surprising string of low spending went out the window this week! Mostly it was because of a BJs trip that involved two containers of laundry detergent and a huge package of toilet paper, among other things.
But mercifully it will take us a super long time to use up all of that laundry detergent.
We spent:
- $15 at Aldi
- $50 at Harris Teeter
- $25 on a Hungry Harvest box
- $11 at Giant
- $20 on Chinese takeout
- $77 at BJs
And that rings up to $198.
September Spending
Week 2: $101
Week 3: $198
What We Ate
Saturday
Mr. FG and I went on our usual date night while Sonia and Zoe ate chicken tikka masala and naan at home.
Sunday
We went to my sister-in-law's house to celebrate her birthday, and I brought these overnight potato rolls, along with some cinnamon butter.
I used a new-to-me recipe from The Spruce Eats, and I thought the rolls were really tasty. Plus, because they have potatoes in them, they stayed soft for several days (the recipe made 48, so we had leftovers!)
I'm mystified about the addition of baking soda and baking powder, though; I have never seen those added to a yeast recipe before. I feel slightly skeptical that they actually did anything, so I think I might try a batch without 'em and see what happens.
Monday
Sonia had to go babysit so she took some leftover chicken tikka masala with her.
That left Mr. FG, Zoe, and me, plus a bag of leftover crabs from Sunday.
Zoe is allergic to crabs, so she ate some leftover chicken tikka masala, and Mr. FG and I ate leftover crabs, corn, and rolls.
Tuesday
Zoe requested French toast, so that's what we had, topped with whipped cream and peaches; bacon on the side.
Wednesday
It was a fend-for-yourself night due to some schedule conflicts. Two of us ate leftover French toast and bacon; two got Chinese takeout.
Part of the schedule conflict: a cat-feeding shift. Doesn't this guy look so much like our cat??
Thursday
I grabbed some bratwurst and buns from the freezer, and we ate those with watermelon and corn. Super easy!
It was raining, so I just heated the bratwurst and toasted the buns on the stovetop.
Friday
The weather is cool enough for me to make pizza, but I just ate some reheated pizza for lunch yesterday. So, I think I will opt to make something else.
This week was:
Chicken salad on green salad with fruit as a side
Pork chops baked, with corn and cinnamon apples
Lemon black pepper chicken, carrots, green beans and Mac and cheese
Takeout- Greek food
Tonight chicken capers and brown rice
@Alison R, caprese not capers!
Good morning!
Monday: BLT and corn on the cob
Tuesday: Monday's dinner redux
Wednesday: Stuffed pork chops with oven roasted broccolini
Thursday: Tacos
Tonight aka Friday: TBD
Saturday: Planning steaks, potatoes, and salad
Sunday: Have a gift card to a restaurant that I may use. If not, I'm thinking Chinese food takeout.
Hello Kristen,
I just love angel biscuits, and recipes for those typically call for baking powder and soda along with the yeast.
Some examples:
https://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/angel-biscuits/153e3d3e-9fb0-4593-bba8-12111dbaf6b8
https://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/angel_biscuits/
https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/trisha-yearwood/trisha-yearwoods-angel-biscuits-3236443
https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/angel-biscuits/
Lisa
@Lisa V., Yes, this. I was drawing a blank on the name so I'm glad you said it. I've made angel biscuits several times and I don't think they'd be the same with just one leavening source.
@Lisa V., How fun, I had never heard of these! Making a mental note to try …
@Lisa V., I also love angel biscuits and had similar thoughts. I'm hoping Kristen does try the rolls without the chemical leaveners so we can all learn from her experience.
@Lisa V., Thanks for posting these links. I made the Betty Crocker recipe & the rolls were easy & tasty!
Your menus seems to be getting very interesting...crabs? We used to go crabbing when I was a child in Galveston. One or two would always escape in the kitchen with kids and mom scrambling and screaming. My mother cooked them and painstakingly picked out the meat to make crab patties in her cast iron skillet. Fun times... This week we ate:
Monday - Rotisserie Chicken and a chopped salad (easy peasy Monday)
Tuesday - Tilapia Mexicano, broccoli, garlic ciabatta toast
Wednesday - Pork Chop, seasoned pintos, collards
Thursday - Taco Salads with ground beef, cheese, avocado, tomato, fritos
Tonight - Chicken and Rice Skillet with peas
Saturday - TBD {morning chores, wine club pick-up for lunch!}
Sunday - TBD, but I am doing yard work today so maybe something light like chicken salad sammies on toast
Happy weekend!
Yep, steamed crabs are a popular summer food here. But they are very expensive so they're not a regular occurrence.
God bless your mom for picking all those crabs for everyone else. It's a lot of work!
Saturday: Bunless cheeseburgers, boiled potatoes, fried mushrooms, coleslaw
Sunday: Roasted chicken, potatoes, and green beans; leftover broccoli; and some of that no-churn ice cream that uses condensed milk as the base. We tried the recipe in my son's ATK for kids cookbook, and it was way too sweet. I mean, the kids liked it of course, but it was a little much. It had a lot of melted chocolate chips in addition to the condensed milk, so the next time we try it, I'll leave those out.
Monday: Leftover chicken diced and fried in olive oil with salt, pepper, paprika, and garlic powder, bread and butter, leftover coleslaw, leftover ice cream
Tuesday: Barbecue beef sandwiches, frozen peas
Wednesday: Ground beef tacos, carrot sticks, random kidney beans because I accidentally opened the wrong can when I was making roasted chickpeas earlier in the week
Thursday: Roast beef, roasted potatoes, green beans
Tonight: Husband and two eldest sons are gone for a very away football game (7-hour drive) and are going to camp tonight so they can fish in the mountains tomorrow. So it's just me and the younger two. They'll have chicken salad sandwiches made with the last of the leftover chicken, and probably sliced cucumbers. I'll finish up the taco meat in a salad. The campers have leftover roast beef, bread, and apples, although they might eat on the road before they get to their campsite.
Cocoa powder gives ice cream a nice chocolate flavor and could cut the sweetness of all that condensed milk.
Monday: Galantine de Vollaile
Ortolans
Tuesday: Escargots
Noix de Veau Bourgeoise
Wednesday: Canapes de Anchois
Filet a la Royale
Thursday: Dindenneau Periogod, truffes
Poires a la Conde
Friday: I’m thinking Crevettes and bouchees a la Victoria
Ok, ok, no need to flex on us with this fancy menu. 😉
@Kristen, OK, so it was really beef stew (it did have cognac and red wine in it), hamburgers and pasta. Chili tonight.
We spent $119 at the grocery store this week. Non-food stuff included paper towels, which we buy a few because we have pets who occasionally throw up or have a potty accident, and a big box of trash bags. That was about $17, so we were a bit over budget.
I did spy a huge can of my favorite coffee on sale for $6 and snagged that to put in the pantry, so that counts toward stocking up a bit.
My suppers were toasted cheese sandwiches with grapes and pickles on the side or peanut butter sandwiches with fresh peaches. I had very nice brown bag lunches all week and I did not want a big supper.
Saturday - takeout taqueria food
Sunday - pot roast with carrots and corn muffins
Monday - Enchilada pie
Tuesday - creamy mushrooms chicken with crispy onions, green beans, canned biscuits
Wednesday - waffles and bacon
Thursday - blue apron one-pan prosciutto gnocchi with Brussels sprouts and lemon
Friday - blue apron southern-style pork and creamy relish with green beans and rice (will probably add corn on the cob to this since we have some that needs to be used)
Happy Friday!
Kristin! Your own English muffin bread recipe has baking soda 😉
https://www.thefrugalgirl.com/a-very-very-easy-bread-recipe/
I've tried leaving it out, and it definitely changes the texture and flavor of the bread.
The baking powder I would attempt leaving out - in the amount listed I doubt it's doing much!
Oh my gosh, you're right.
Maybe that seemed less odd to me because of the short time between mixing and baking. The potato roll recipe involves an overnight rise, so I guess I wondered; would the baking powder and baking soda lose all their pizazz by then?
Saturday - Sirloin steak, zucchini tart, cantaloupe (note to self that sirloin, while cheap, isn’t the most tender)
Sunday - Chicken and veggie kabobs, friends brought sides
Monday - Creamy spiced red beans and lentils (from 100 Dollars a Month) with rice; I thought these might taste like the pouches of Madras Lentils we love so much but they had a much more Mexican vibe, prob because I used Mexican spices instead of Indian. Still quite tasty!
Tuesday - Baked hummus chicken with zucchini and tomatoes, naan on the side
Wednesday - Burrito bowls
Thursday - Leftover lentils or hummus chicken
Friday - frozen taquitos for the kids, husband and I are getting Indian takeout
@mkmitch, hi - would you mind posting the recipe for Hummus Chicken? Sounds very interesting!
This week we have eaten pasta three nights running. Very boring but very cheap. I make up huge batches and generally freeze some for later. This time I didn't. Monday night was soy sauce chicken drumsticks, rice and salad. Tonight was fend for yourself.
I spent $15 at Publix for some Powerade, a bit of pasta, and some sugar free syrup for the hubs. I also spent $127 at Kroger.
Saturday - the hubby had a copycat version of Zuppa Toscana with white beans, spicy sausage, potatoes, and loads of kale per his request; I made a large pot of three sisters soup entirely out of fresh veggies that we grew in our garden; we all had bread and butter
Sunday - Leftovers plus veggie fried rice using up the last of leftover rice and a remnant of a random bag of frozen veggies
Monday - Swedish meatballs, rice, peas & carrots; peach cobbler for dessert
Tuesday - Leftovers
Wednesday - Tuna casserole, steamed broccoli and roasted sweet potatoes
Thursday - honey sesame chicken in the crockpot, jasmine rice, sauteed spinach
Friday - buffalo chicken sandwiches in the oven
I don't have any real plans for the weekend but I am certain that some batch cooking will occur. Having easy meals during the week is such a lifesaver with a young one in school and working parents.
Happy weekend everyone!
It's been an incredibly busy time at work, so not a stellar week:
-The last of the chicken curry
-Homemade grilled burgers (x2) with Mediterranean coleslaw
-Taco cauliflower rice skillet (x2) with guacamole, & fresh tomatoes
-Takeout pizza & salad
For tonight, I think we'll make potstickers & chicken. We have no kid activities, which will be an unexpected bonus.
I was visiting relatives in Nebraska for part of this week and my husband ate very little while I was gone. I did a little grocery shopping when I got back to replace the fresh stuff we needed.
Here's what we ate:
Saturday - Baked ziti with meat sauce and garlic cheese bread.
Sunday - Pulled pork sandwiches and various summer salads at my cousin's house.
Monday - Noodle bowls at the Mongolian grill.
Tuesday - Hubby took me out to dinner after picking me up at the airport. I ordered eggs benedict.
Wednesday - Bacon cheeseburgers and onion rings.
Thursday - Rotisserie chicken, corn on the cob and garlic mashed potatoes.
Friday - Chicken salad sandwiches made with leftover rotisserie chicken, pickles, chips.
Uh, oh, left the menu at home. What do I remember? And will it even be from this week?
We had seasoned and sautéed pork chops along with skillet cooked broccoli and cauliflower. Watermelon for dessert.
Chicken wings (with beans for him), cut up raw veggies and ranch dressing. Watermelon again.
Beef stew from the pressure cooker. I make mine with beef, homemade stock, seasonings, carrots, onions, mushrooms, celery and white-colored sweet potato (so that it looks more like regular potato.) I thicken it with cassava flour or cornstarch.
Grilled bacon, cheese and pickles sandwiches (gluten-free for me) with sides of chips for him, cut up cucumbers for both of us.
Homemade "hamburger helper" using cassava pasta and nomato sauce, with a vegetable side I've forgotten.
Tonight is cassava crust pizza, with nomato sauce on my half, and lots of veggies.
I discovered this avocado chocolate pudding recipe this week, and it made me think of your daughter. Perhaps it's something she could have (with a change in nut milk)? I've already made it twice this week. It's very tasty, rich, and FILLING. Seriously, resist the urge to double the recipe, as one serving is plenty!
https://www.makingthymeforhealth.com/easy-superfood-chocolate-pudding/
@N, I have a similar recipe for avocado chocolate fruit dip--I suspect it's a bit thicker than yours since it doesn't have any kind of milk in it. It also uses honey rather than maple syrup. My family has been known to fight over the last remaining dip--it's very tasty.
@Kris, I thought about using honey last time I made it. Now that you’ve told me that it still turns out,I definitely will!
Saturday: BBQ chicken leg quarters, summer squash (probably the last of it), and applesauce
Sunday: Pork roast, green beans (also the last batch from our garden), and fried potatoes for lunch. Pizza for dinner.
Monday: Spaghetti
Tuesday: Kabobs and grilled peaches
Wednesday: Minestrone macaroni
Thursday: Chicken fajitas
Friday: I'm planning to make the last turkey from our freezer. (I'm happy to have more space to freeze veggies for the winter!) I'm going to make stuffing and broccoli/cauliflower with cheese to go with the turkey.
Also - shoutout to your energy-saving post from this summer and whoever mentioned Crock-Pot cooking outside! It's in the mid-80's today, so I'm going to put my turkey in the roaster pan and cook it on the back deck!
Also, Kristen, those rolls look SO GOOD!
They were! And I love how potato baked goods stay soft for severaldays.
I spent $86 this week. $29 was for my weekly farm bag that is delivered to my door. The remainder I spent at the grocery store where are used $13 in coupons. I bought 1/2 gallon of milk, 1 pound of boneless chicken thighs, and 7 pounds of ground sirloin that was on special this week. I froze all but one beef patty for future use.
I was the only one at home this week so I ate whatever I wanted whenever I wanted it. After 35 years of cooking dinner for everyone, this is always a treat.
Monday- I ate leftovers.
Tuesday- I made shawarma.
Wednesday - I had tea and cinnamon toast.
Thursday - I went out to dinner with my sister.
Friday - Salad and baked potatoes in case my husband’s plane is late.
Bon appétit!
Sunday-mushroom gnocchi with cantaloupe and tomato/basil/mozzarella
Monday-leftovers
Tuesday-leftovers
Wednesday-chicken broccoli rice casserole with pomegranate pear salad
Thursday-zucchini fritters, corn on the cob, salad, and peaches
Friday-turkey chili, corn on the cob, sautéed zucchini
It was the week before the mid-autumn festival here, which means lots of lunches and other get togethers with clients. As a result, I barely cooked anything this week!
I made a big batch of chicken scarpariello pasta (the pinnacle of Italian American cuisine, I am so happy I learned of it a couple of years ago!), which we ate for a couple of nights. One night we ate all the random leftovers in the fridge. On Ted Lasso night, my boyfriend make fancy grilled cheeses with ham. We ate out with friends once and got takeout the final night. I'm about 60% into my grocery/ take out budget for the month. Since about 60% of the month is gone, I figure I'm on track, even though we didn't really cook this week!
@a curious reader, Ted Lasso is sooooo good
1. Veggie Burgers w/Fruit
2. Vegan Pesto Pasta w/Veggies
3. Curry Chickpeas, Rice
4. Pizza & Salad
5. Indian Takeout for Birthday
6. Mock Chicken Wraps w/Butternut Squash & Kale Salad
7. Fried Tofu and Slaw w/Peanut Sauce & Couscous