WIS, WWA | on a Saturday!
What I Spent
Well, hi there, friends! My day just kept going sideways yesterday, so here we are on a Saturday morning. 😉
I should have sort of a quiet weekend ahead of me, which is good because I have a zillion school things to do.
As it turns out, a full-semester class squished into eight weeks makes for a very heavy workload between classes, labs, simulations, projects, lectures, clinicals, homework, and studying.
I am getting things done on time, but sheesh, it is a lot of work.
ANYWAY! Let's focus on food for a minute. 🙂
I spent:
- $60 at Sam's Club
- $11 at Trader Joe's
- $75 at Aldi
- $11 at Safeway
So, $157. I told you it'd be a more expensive week after my low one last time around!
What We Ate
Saturday
I made a random clean-out-the-fridge bowl with black beans, lettuce, dressing, plus some mozzarella cheese that I kinda pan fried into something like a cheese chip (but since mozzarella is a soft cheese, it only gets so crispy).
Sunday
Zoe was at work, and I made myself some asparagus soup for dinner.
Monday
Zoe was at work again, so I ate the rest of the soup. Easy peasy. 🙂
Tuesday
I made ground beef tacos, and we had some fruit on the side.
Wednesday
I used the leftover ground beef to make taco salads, with some fried tortilla strips on top, and a blended cilantro dressing.
Thursday
I made some chicken fingers, and we ate them with an assortment of raw fruits and veggies.
Friday
At the end of a sideways day, we decided to get Panera. But it was free because I used a gift card!
I commend you for cooking at all. Here is our list, reverse order:
Pasta carbonara
Spinach pie
Vegetarian stew over rice with a pulled beans type of protein. I will finish what we still have and not buy again, it does not inspire me in the least.
Pork cutlets and french beans, with homemade relish
Sausage and fresh spinach, leftover apple sauce
Birthday buffet at a cousin's - soups, salads and fresh fruits
Last Saturday I cannot recall.
The weather will be sunny next weeks so perhaps Ploughman's with cheddar, salad and pickles?
And or steak with salad and pickles.
Also I plan to make a batch of red sauce with oven roasted tomatoes and peppers. I have a few more empty jars and red sauce is good to have on hand in busy weeks.
After next week autumn will really start and that means that I will make pear/bramble crumble to kick off the season. (We do not eat generally eat dessert, but no fall is complete without the occasional crumble).
@JNL, apple crumble is my favourite dessert! And I make it all year round! It's especially good in autumn though - last year my parents and I went blackberry picking and added that to the dish.
@Sophie in Denmark, I love a good apple and blackberry crumble with apples from neighbours and blackberries that are literally everywhere at the moment! I have to be careful because I already still have a bag full of frozen ones that I'm using up.
I spent $28 at Aldi for produce and drinks, we were out of town and I did not have time to shop.
I am going to a Farmers market and apple orchard today for produce. The end of our local produce season is ending soon.
Nothing special to eat this week, we had leftover Chinese (yum), Burgers rolled in parmesan & italian bread crumbs. My son made a chuck roast into sliders with pickles. They were delish! I am making smoked turkey vegetable soup today. I have a salad for lunch every day and a nice addition this time of the year is a nice crisp cut up apple in the salad.
@Mar, going to the farmer stands is my favorite part of summer and fall! It might be part mental, but the stuff there tastes way better than the grocery store.
@Natalie J, So true! I spent $80 at 2 markets and $110 at Sam's Club. I bought locally grown cauliflower and so very tasty.
I don't know what I spent but I didn't get takeout this week!
I also don't remember the exact order of these meals but they included baked sweet potato, veggie chilli, a courgette (zucchini) omelette, pitta bread and aubergine pasta with garlic bread. I also made some smoothies with protein powder (I can finally look at them again after wisdom teeth week).
@Sophie in Denmark, I forgot to say that I highly approve of the Chiquita pics. She seems to help with studying the same way my cat did.
@Sophie in Denmark, No takeout!
@JDinNM, yeah! I don't buy it every week but I have got into the habit of buying it every other week, and I'm trying to get out of that. I still want to buy it occasionally but choose it as more of a treat.
Saturday: Lamb shanks, simmered until I could pull the meat off. Then I used the meat plus some of the stock to make a sort of very thick stew. It also had a can of chick peas in it (plus pureed tomatoes, onion, garlic, yogurt, and lemon juice), and I really like the combination of the lamb and chick peas. I made rice to put it over, and then a tomato/feta/cucumber salad.
Sunday: The day my oven stopped working, so the baked chicken thighs and drumsticks turned into sauteed chicken and I finished the baked potatoes in the microwave. We also had leftover corn, cucumbers with salt and vinegar, and brownie sundaes made with brownies I had baked earlier in the day when the oven was still actually heating up.
Monday: Various leftovers. Even leftover brownies, which is the most fun leftover.
Tuesday: Cheeseburgers on homemade buns (from the freezer, since my oven is dead), potato chips, corn on the cob, cucumbers, peaches and cream. The peaches we're getting from our little tree for the first time are the sweetest peaches ever. So good.
Wednesday: I had a rotisserie chicken I bought the day before at Walmart, so I used the breast meat from that to add to pasta shells with the last of the roasted tomato sauce I made a bit ago, and Parmesan. I also had enough ground beef left to make four small hamburger patties, and one bun that my husband ate. Cucumbers for a vegetable, because it's that time of year.
Thursday: Pork loin chunks, fried, and then I made a gravy with diced shallot, milk, and cornstarch. Mashed potatoes, corn on the cob, and watermelon. The last corn on the cob and watermelon for the year, I'm sure.
Friday: I had made stock with the chicken bones left from Sunday. My children definitely do not get all the meat off the bones, and there's always a surprising amount I can pick off after they're simmered for awhile. I used the stock made from simmering those, and the meat, to make something like Spanish rice with pureed tomatoes, cheese, spices, onions, and some of the leftover corn cut off the cob. I had also made a big pot of pinto beans with a ham bone in the morning, mostly to put in the freezer to have for later, but we had some of those with the chicken and rice. This was before and after the volleyball game at which my daughter was cheering. The cheerleader and the two boys who came with us ate beef jerky and dried apple slices (apples from our tree, yay!) during the game.
Chiquita is an awesome study buddy, except for when her sleeping head blocks your page! However, I’m sure you will fit give her.
Hang in there!
Sunday: Chicken, cheddar, and tomato soup with homemade croutons made from bread scraps. Both the bread and the chicken came from the freezer.
Monday: I had dinner with a friend, my husband made rice to go along with some leftover chicken tandoori (also from the freezer).
Tuesday: Kindergartner's choice, she wanted ramen. And then shed tears because it was the wrong brand of chicken ramen. Oh well, you can't win 'em all.
Wednesday: Leftovers
Thursday: Was supposed to be burgers, but husband got too busy to make them (he works from home), so I got breaded chicken on the way home and we had chicken sandwiches instead, with salad.
Friday: Leftovers
Saturday: Husband will be out, kindergartner and I traditionally have shrimp cocktail when he's gone (he doesn't like shrimp, but we do).
I had an insufferably long week, too, but I also have nothing planned this weekend, so I should be able to get some rest. That will be good, since I'm now sick with a beginning of the school year cold. Sigh.
Anyway, WIS: about 238 @Aldi and about 40 @Walnart.
WWA:
Fri: salad and focaccia.
Sat: vegetarian chili topped with spinach, cheese, sour cream and oyster crackers.
Sun: leftover chili made into nachos with the same toppings minus the oyster crackers.
Mon: the last of the chili in bowls topped with the same toppings plus some chip pieces from the bottom of the bag.
Tue: salad and pasta carbonara with peas.
Wed: salad, air fried chicken legs, and sourdough Brie bread ring.
Thu: I had back to school night so I scrounged for leftover food in my classroom, and my people at home got pizza topped with all the toppings I hate: olives, pineapple, and anchovies...barf...I was much happier with my random dinner of cold school lunch and a yogurt.
Fri: salad, avocado halves with salt and pepper, focaccia.
Tonight: I dunno...we have lots of eggplant to use up, so maybe something that disguises that.
I hope you have either a productive or a relaxing weekend, whatever your preference is
That’s an impressive amount of cooking for a busy week!
Saturday - takeout night, we picked up food from a sandwich and soup type place (not Panera but similar) I got a mozzarella and tomato sandwich, husband got pastrami sandwich and the kids got Mac n cheese which they did not like and did not eat, made a note of that in the takeout options list I keep!
Sunday - I tried Kristen’s chicken brinerade for the first time, whoa was it a big hit! My daughter, who enjoys meat anyways, loved it and ate so much and my son, who rarely eats meat, actually ate the whole small serving I gave him. We had that with pearl cous cous, roasted delicata squash and savoy cabbage and steamed carrots
Monday - cheesy chicken, vegetable and rice casserole
Tuesday - impossible burger for husband, black bean burger for me, chicken nuggets for the kids, twice baked potatoes, corn
Wednesday - salad night, with chicken on it for husband and a chopped up black bean burger on mine, kids had either popcorn shrimp, or leftover nuggets and brineraded chicken, and we had biscuits or corn muffins from the freezer
Thursday - I had a chaotic work day and didn’t eat my packed lunch until 4:00 so I was not hungry for dinner. I made some cheese tortellini with jarred sauce and steamed broccoli for everyone else and then had some cereal later in the evening
Friday - Another chaos day at work, I was very tempted to just pickup takeout on my way home, but then I remembered I’d bought a can of pilsbury mini pizza crusts at grocery outlet awhile ago. So I got those out, and then the kids “made” dinner for us by putting on the sauce and toppings, they were very excited by this so it worked out well. I also made a salad to go with my pizza, my weekly produce box delivery makes sure I don’t skip vegetables at any meal or I end up behind and scrambling to use it up before the next box comes!
@LB, I second your recommendation of Kristen's chicken brinerade recipe. I need to pick up some chicken breasts and do that again....
What is the world coming to???!! Five Frugal things on a … Monday??!! WIS/WIA on a … Saturday??!! When I came back after taking the dog for a walk this morning (which I almost typed as “Monday”), I kept asking her “Is this Sunday?” But the Sunday paper hadn’t been delivered so it must be … Saturday, right?
WIS: $84.29, but the previous two weeks combined were only $39.06. So … an average of $41.12 per week. Not bad.
It sure pays (saves, really) to inventory the pantry and refrigerator/freezer before you shop. My not-at-all-fancy-not-at-all-ready-for-sharing on YouTube “pantry” is just some redeployed bookshelves and cabinets in the laundry/utility room (or “futility room”, as I call it). But open shelving makes it easy to see what’s there.
WIA: Wild Alaskan salmon (from the freezer) with rice pilaf (from the pantry) and roasted asparagus (2X); Asian chicken lettuce wraps (ground chicken from the freezer) a la P. F Chang (recipe found online)(2X plus leftovers for the freezer); Greek yogurt with wild blueberries (from the freezer) and granola (from the pantry); Japanese stir fried zucchini on ramen noodles; mushroom ravioli (from the freezer) with a mushroom pasta sauce (from the pantry); organic strawberries for dessert.
I think I’ll go back to bed now and wait for … Sunday? Monday?
Haha this is nursing school life for me. All is topsy turvy!
@JDinNM,
"Futility room." LOL!
Busy or not busy, I feel so over cooking. We can blame my schedule, the heat, whatever. But at my age and place of life I am OVER it. However, I do eat, ha ha. This week:
Monday - kitchen closed. I ate a sammie and yogurt at work that I packed at home.
Tuesday - Meatballs and mixed veggies, cooked with rice in a small pot. It was yum.
Wednesday - Shrimp Tacos, and I can't remember the side
Thursday - I ordered a pizza and split it with the boys
Friday - I made two black bean enchiladas out of stuff I already had on hand.
Saturday and Sunday - kitchen closed, but as per usual, I have a snaky dinner packed with a half sammie, yogurt, fruit.
I barely followed my own menus this week...
First, Kristen, we understand that you're crazy busy right now. Most of us won't panic if you have to miss a post or two (or put up a "placeholder" as you did yesterday).
Now, WIS: $27 at Wegmans, $23 at Price Chopper, $38 at Ollie's, and $10 at Panera. ($10 of the Ollie's tab was for Twinings tea bags to make one or two new tea bag wreaths for the holidays.)
WIA: Once again, nothing terribly exciting. My best effort was probably roasting a Wegmans "Food You Feel Good About" chicken that was Reduced for Quick Sale, and then making a chicken salad with the white meat. I also used some of my home-produced "capers" (pickled green nasturtium seeds) in the salad.
@A. Marie, We went to not-the-same-as-yours Price Chopper, Midwest version. Only bought adult beverages but the store was clean. I probably could have disputed the charge on one item - I suspected the tag on the display should have been taken down - but why burn time over a few bucks when the time could be better spent enjoying time with family?
That you are still managing all this and cooking is quite impressive!
WIS: $64 at Food Lion, buying only the few items Aldi does not sell.
WWA: leftover Italian meatloaf and blackberry-apple crisp for DH, as that's all gluten-free. He also had home made chili and some toasted home made GF bread. I ate some veggie burgers on English muffins and various veggie casseroles I made in the past and portioned up for the freezer, with fruit and rye crackers spread with Laughing Cow cheese on the side. We eat entirely differently and I have kind of given up on the concept of a meal everyone likes.
Why is an entire semester’s class squished into 8 weeks?? I must have missed something. Sounds impossible!
Maybe the pressure and topsy-turveyness is prep for working nights.
Well, for the second half of the semester we have an 8-week pediatric class. So, instead of classes running concurrently, this semester they make them two condensed, non-concurrent classes.
I don't know for sure if I prefer this or the other way. I think I might prefer the regular way because you have more time between tests to let exam material marinate in your brain. This is just so quick!
@Kristen, reminds me of being on the quarter system in college. It crammed stuff into my head on a surface level, which I regurgitated onto the tests and immediately forgot. The semester system made more sense.
@Central Calif. Artist Jana, this is common now, especially for online classes. I teach 8-week classes almost exclusively.
I wouldn't mind it so much for a class like, say, psychology 101. But there is SO MUCH MATERIAL here, it's a lot to squeeze into 8 weeks.
@Central Calif. Artist Jana,
Definitely concur - knowledge needs time to be digested.
@Dee in AZ, sometimes its hard to keep up with the grading! But teaching a 16 week class feels like its going at a snail's pace and will never end.
Boy that is true about the grading. We all have a LOT of ungraded assignments in Canvas right now. lol
Sounds to me like a wheat separated from chaff class.
Kudos to you for cooking at all. I have but one class right now (B term starts in October, then I'll have two), and between that and helping two college kids with their classes, and studying for bio exam, I'm glad I have other cooks in the house.
WWS: $456 at Kroger, not too bad.
Saturday/Sunday: homemade pizzas, still trying to tweak my homemade sauce so Selective Eater will try it.
Monday: DH cooked burgers and extra tuna burgers for the next day;
Tuesday: Tuna burgers and I forget what we had for a side. I think I picked up grapes for 99 cents a pound. They were good grapes, too!
Wednesday: Leftovers. We had extra because DH was fasting on Sunday.
Thursday: taco night
Friday: chicken shawarma, salad bar, rice
After watching my step-daughter go through nursing school (she’s now a NICU nurse), I can’t imagine how you keep up your grades and your blog!
I don’t track weekly spending. Maybe I should start! But here’s what we ate;
Monday: Italian sausage with mushrooms and pasta (my 14yo cooked)
Tuesday: Date Night (I was inspired by your date nights years ago, and my husband and I don’t miss a week) My 17yo cooked Italian chicken with zucchini and pasta
Wednesday: Copycat Panera broccoli cheese soup with sourdough (had to add some cauliflower, and it was still good!)
Thursday: grandson’s birthday dinner at Texas Roadhouse
Friday: grilled chicken kabobs, yellow rice, and salad
Saturday: spaghetti and meatballs
For real! Nursing school is nuts, and it feels like each semester gets even more nuts!
YOU CAN DO IT!!!
66 spent. Low spend September. I will have to go buy milk and lettuce this week. Maybe celery too.
Sun. Mon. Tues. Italian zucchini( free from a friend) rice skillet. With marked down ground turkey.
Wed and Thurs. shrimp and pesto pasta with fresh diced tomatoes and black olives.
Fri and Sat. Pesto pasta salad with lots of odds n ends. Fresh herbs. Rest of mayo. Rest of pesto. Rest of black olives and tomatoes. Half a bag of frozen peas. Bits of cucumber.
I have been eating lots of egg sandwiches and crudite for breakfasts and lunches. Sliced apples and Walnuts too. I am working down a big bag.
Starting to have chilly nights. It’s almost SOUP SEASON!!!
@Stephanie, huzzah for soup season!
@A. Marie, it is always soup season. We eat it year round, especially for lunch. Greatly decreases me wanting to be napping when I go back to work.
Most of the money I spent this week on groceries was today at the Farmer's Market. I bought a peck of lovely yellow apples, Colorado peaches (they've lifted the "grown within 50mi, rule on some things) zucchini, two big onions, probably a pound of shishito peppers (mine have waned in production)(but a pound is a world of them!). I'm getting my Misfit's Box today with a little more produce not available here. The only meal I've cooked this week was last night for supper. I quartered and "oiled" two small yellow potatoes, a few shishitos, sliced some okra and quartered a couple of medium sized cremini mushrooms and cooked those in varying stage with an Aldi Fremont crab cake in the air fryer. I made some dill sauce with fresh dill and mayonnaise. The rest of the week was ham and Lebanon bologna half sandwiches or tomato toast. I did get a meal at work Tuesday night. Last weekend was our family traditional get together at the Rodeo so suppers were at Rodeo park. Saturday lunch was KFC with peach cobbler that I had taken. Sunday morning on the way home, I dined alone at Denny's.
No shopping this week so WIS=nada.
WIA: I started off the week with the last of some shrimp from the freezer and a side salad but after that it was cook and eat again and again.
My kind farmer gave me the last package of her smoked pork hocks for free since she is about to butcher again. I made collards and hocks in the pressure cooker and cooked fresh beets as a side. It was too hot for cornbread.
I ate this several times for lunch and dinner.
I tried mujadara with fresh cut up vegetables on the side. It made plenty so I am glad I liked it. I ate this for lunches and dinners too.
Finally, I made pulled pork in the pressure cooker and had it with potato salad, fried okra (waving to A. Marie) cut up bell peppers and refrigerator pickles, and I have more to go. I will put some in the freezer for later though.
Tonight is tuna salad.
I was on a hiking trip with a friend for part of the week, so we ate at the lodge we were staying at. I had: a delicious salad & homemade bread with pesto, a roasted veggie bowl, & 1/2 a burger, over the course of three nights.
For the nights I was at home, I got home & DH had hosted a debate viewing party for one of DS17's classes, & our house was cleared out of food. If you ever need to clean out your leftovers, I can recommend having 20+ teens at your house. We scrabbled together leftover burger patties one night, and the very eclectic meatballs + spring rolls (freezer) another night.
We actually have a menu plan together for this week, but we are dropping dS18 at college, so it will be a bit haphazard.
Friday: My son had his first ever reffing job! The game took place over our regular dinner time so my husband pulled some tamales from the freezer and made Spanish Rice.
Saturday: My best friend from college and her now husband got married on Saturday! My husband was the officiant and I was one of the witnesses. Her brother hosted dinner at his house – pulled pork sandwiches, salads, beans, cheesy potatoes, fruit, and dessert from her mom’s bakery.
Sunday: Anaheim Stuffed Peppers/Brown Rice.
Monday: Zuppa Toscana Orzo – a nice change from one of our favorite soups.
Tuesday: Honey Sriracha Salmon Bowls
Wednesday: Chicken Corn Chowder
Thursday: Frozen Pizza/Kale Salad
Saturday - steak and oven cooked potatoes with onions and maybe something else
Sunday - dine out Mexican
Monday - burnt ends and doctored mac-n-cheese (asparagus and onions)
Tuesday - hot dogs with perhaps I had chips
Wednesday - grilled (better half rarely pan fries them) burgers and baked beans
Thursday - cheese and asparagus stuffed chicken breast wrapped in bacon w/potatoes and carrots (better half ate them)
Friday - dine out with kiddo and kiddo's spouse - we visited and treated