WIS, WWA | on a two-exam week
What I Spent
It's the end of week four in second semester, and so far we've had four exams, plus the competency testing. Nursing school is a little crazy.
But ya know what? We're 25% of the way through this 16-week semester already!
I spent:
- $15 at Target (for two bags of Starbucks coffee)
- $30 on a Hungry Harvest box
- $51 at Sam's Club
- $17 at Safeway
So, $113.
What We Ate
Saturday
Zoe was at work, and I went up to visit my friend with the broken foot. She was feeling kinda sad and isolated since she can't drive; I took her out to a little Mexican restaurant near where she lives, and then she treated us both to a massage, since she had a gift card.
Sunday
Since Zoe and I do not care about football, this was just another Sunday for us. 😉
I felt a little stumped about what to make for dinner, and I stopped at Safeway rather aimlessly, hoping for inspiration to strike.
I walked out with a container of heavy cream (I guess I find heavy cream inspiring. Ha.), and then I went home and made an alfredo sauce for pasta, with some kale and leftover ham mixed in.
Monday
I made waffles with whipped cream and berries, with bacon on the side.
Tuesday
I grabbed a rotisserie chicken from Sam's Club, and we had that along with some orange slices, and a broccoli salad.
Wednesday
I had leftover broccoli salad + pasta, and Zoe had tomato soup and a grilled cheese sandwich.
Thursday
I used some of the leftover rotisserie chicken to make a little pan of chicken enchiladas for us, plus some pico de gallo, and we had orange slices on the side.
Friday
I believe Zoe's making plans to have friends over, but she and her friend group are very last-minute with nailing plans down, so I'm gonna remain flexible. 🙂
Almost scary how fast time seems to fly!
Is Zoey still in school? Is she interested in nursing? My sister and one brother are nurses- brother is a CRNA now. It’s a good field for employment. As for exams, just remember you’d rather have several than just a midterm and final. I had several classes in college with that regimen and it was tough- many an all nighter for me. I actually had 1 class with just a final! Enjoy your weekend.
Yes, Zoe is in school too, doing her two year transfer degree. She's definitely NOT interested in nursing. Most of my kids are way way more squeamish than I am, and they cannot imagine willingly subjecting themselves to so many bodily fluids for a job. lol
And yes, I totally agree about multiple exams. I really, really dislike classes that only have two exams because it's just so much pressure for each exam.
I didn't have a firm plan going into this week, just a lot of different ingredients after a trip to the market, but it all worked out!
Saturday: Brunswick stew
Sunday: Pizza and salad
Monday: Sausage and roasted sweet potatoes
Tuesday: Chicken with roasted cauliflower/broccoli and leftover sweet potatoes
Wednesday: Spaghetti and meatballs with salad
Thursday: A savory vegetable crumble with butternut squash, fennel, leeks, carrots and goat cheese + salad
Friday: No idea, but takeout is very tempting!
This week, from what I remember..
Saturday: Veggie stir-fry
Sunday: Disastrous veggie lasagne
Monday: Disastrous leftovers
Tuesday: Veggie Chilli
Wednesday: Leftovers with a baked sweet potato
Thursday: Skillet lasagne
Tonight: Leftovers
@Sophie in Denmark,
Your Sunday and Monday meals made me chuckle.
@JD, haha thanks! I put too much water in the sauce but it was redeemed slightly the next day after being heated through more.
When in doubt, buy the cream.
Saturday: Two pizzas--one cheese, one pepperoni--cucumbers, and baked strawberries/blueberries/overly sweet peach jam. With cream. 🙂
Sunday: My eldest son's birthday. He requested lobster tails, shrimp, and boudin sausage. To this elaborate spread of proteins, I added spaghetti (roasted tomato sauce and butter) and a green salad with ranch dressing. His birthday dessert request was a cheesecake, which I underbaked. Boo. Still tasty, though.
Monday: Leftover shrimp, sausage, spaghetti, stew (so alliterative!), cheesecake, AND baked fruit. A banner leftover night.
Tuesday: Fat Tuesday! I always make something traditional to New Orleans on Fat Tuesday. This year it was jambalaya. Many of the recipes are my mother's, because she is from New Orleans. This one was not her recipe. She did make jambalaya when I was younger, but I don't know if she used a recipe. Anyway. This one I made a ham stock for, since I didn't have any homemade chicken stock, and then I used the ham stripped from the bone in the jambalaya, along with andouille sausage and chicken. We also had chocolate pudding. Not traditional to New Orleans, but I had some milk that needed to be used.
Wednesday: Ash Wednesday Mass at our church is always at 5 p.m., and we always just stay in the village after work/school for it since our school gets out at 4 p.m. That means everyone is always famished when we get home at 6 p.m. and I need to get food on the table quickly. Breakfast burritos are good for that. I scrambled eggs with salsa, cheese, and pinto beans and put it all in flour tortillas.
Thursday: I went to a far-away basketball game and brought leftover pizza to eat in the car with the basketball player on the way home. He also had the last of the pudding, put in a half-pint jar with some cream. Reasonably portable. The home crew had leftover elk stew and jambalaya.
Tonight: I'm leaving in a few hours to take my eldest son for his second foot surgery. I anticipate getting home fairly close to dinner (the hospital is more than two hours away, so travel time is most of it), and being very tired. Also, it's a Friday in Lent. Before I leave I will make some tuna salad, and we will have either tuna melts, or tuna quesadillas, which are tuna melts with corn tortillas instead of bread. Whatever raw vegetable or fruit I find will accompany those, I suppose. We'll see.
@kristin @ going country, good luck to your eldest son (and to all of you) on the second foot surgery.
Kristen, next time you're at Target, check the price on their heavy cream! It's actually the cheapest I've found in our area at just over $5 for a full quart vs. that much for just a pint at a regular store. I always buy two at a time,a s it keeps and is very much a staple in our house. My husband uses it in morning coffee; I've multiple recipes that require a blurp of it; and heavy cream watered down makes a good milk substitute in baking.
Monday: Vegan peanut stew from BudgetBytes.com.
Tuesday: Crockpot borscht, which cleaned out an assortment of random things from the fridge and freezer.
Wednesday: For Valentine's, we cashed in a coupon for a free Dairy Queen mini Blizzard and also got a free chocolate bar from one of the organic markets for being rewards program members. We split these treats, then my husband made brats from the freezer since he was craving them.
Thursday: Another fridge clean out night! Sauteed vegetables, fancy cheese, and perfectly ripe pears for dessert.
Friday: Tonight will be our fancy Valentine's date night, with homemade pesto salmon, forbidden rice, and a vegetable to be determined.
@N,
A quart of cream is 4.69 at Aldi, if you have one. The price probably fluctuates regionally, but I bet it's below five dollars most places.
@Becca, I'm afraid that $6+ for a quart of heavy whipping cream is normal for around here--hence my zeroing in on Target's price. We do have an Aldi, but it's on the opposite side of the city from where I do most of our grocery shopping, whereas there is a Target right there. I visit for cat supplies often enough (Chewy.com is great but doesn't always beat brick and mortar), and I always grab creamer, too.
@N, your "blurp" of cream reminds me of a cabin neighbor telling me to come over if I needed a "plop" of sour cream. 😎
@N,
I meant below five at most Aldi locations. I totally believe you that it is 6 dollars plus elsewhere. Grocery staples are quickly getting to untenable levels... 🙁
Please tell me you bought other things at Safeway because surely a container of heavy cream is not 17 dollars...yet...
WIS: 35.06 @Aldi and 37.69 @Lidl, but both of these trips were primarily for Valentine's day-Aldi for snack for my class and gifts for coworkers, and Lidl was my husband and kids getting me treats, so I don't know if really any of this should count as grocery expenditures, so I guess either 72.75 or 0 for this week depending on how you look at it.
WWA:
Fri: my mom brought the fixings for a really complicated layered salad that my boys enjoyed assembling with her. My husband made turkey bacon to go with her salad and then used the rest of the package on the focaccia along with chipotle pumpkin sauce and mozzarella and parmesan cheese. He also made a salad with sushi rice, fresh salmon, spinach and hardboiled eggs, because he is very egg-stra when my parents come over. It was delicious and we had lots of leftover salad.
Sat: the last of my mom's leftover salad and leftover Ethiopian injera plus sourdough discard crackers.
Sun: we also don't care one iota about the super bowl, but we do like snacky food, so I made a big pot of chili and we grilled hotdogs. We had them on brioche buns topped with chili and shredded cheddar cheese with chips, salsa and guacamole on the side. We also had carrots and hummus. Then we made microwave s'mores for dessert.
Mon: loaded nachos using the leftover chips, chili, cheddar cheese and guacamole, plus spinach salad.
Tue: salad (mixed greens, cucumber, carrots, feta cheese, crispy onions, spray dressing), take and bake cheese pizza from Aldi.
Wed: fancy ramen bowls using hardboiled eggs marinated in soy sauce, turkey meat balls, diced leftover hotdogs, tomatoes, carrots, celery, red peppers and sesame seeds. They were delicious.
Thu: salad (mixed greens, carrots, celery, cucumber, feta, crispy onions, tajin, salt, pepper, and spray dressing), rice and beans, but we didn't have any more cans of black beans or kidney beans, so my husband used chick peas rather grudgingly. I actually think it turned out really good. Sort of like Mexican and Indian fusion food.
Tonight: salad and focach...I reckon.
Have a great weekend, everyone!
Oh my gracious, I neglected to consider that my post made it sound like I paid $17 for a quart of cream. lol Yes, I did buy other things too!
@Kristen,
It didn't. I just thought it would be funny to ask that. A little frugal humor for ya...
My menus this week feel uninspiring..but I am cooking allll of the food that I buy and eating from home as much as possible. I kind of fell off that wagon last weekend!
Monday - kitchen closed, and I picked up a Cabana Bowl from TC that did not sit right. Note to self not to go there any more.
Tuesday - Cowboy Chicken over rice, zucchini
Wednesday - Sloppy Joes on Hawaiian buns, chips/pickles/onions, kale salad
Thursday - Beef Tips with onion and mushroom gravy, mashed potatoes, the rest of the kale salad
Friday - Teriyaki Tilapia with stir fry veggies (one son got chicken strips with his)
Saturday and Sunday - kitchen closed, but I'm making a basic quiche to have on hand
Happy Weekend!
That's a lot of testing, Kristen!!
The week before this was very intense with play rehearsals, sports, and planning for my daughter's birthday. So I think once the birthday was done, my brain just took a break from planning altogether. My husband is also working a ton of hours right now, so I'm not very motivated on the dinner front. (He is most appreciative of my cooking efforts and the extra parenting while he's gone is tiring.) But we ate food!
Saturday: Lunch was my daughter's birthday party. Since we were on a time crunch (brother's basketball game and daughter's play practice ended an hour before the party started), we got pizza from Little Caesar's this year, plus we had kettle corn popcorn, cake, and ice cream.
Sunday: Her actual birthday! She requested a taco bar for her party with my family. Everyone here loves taco bars, so I was happy with this choice! We had Italian ice cups for dessert. For the Super Bowl, we took potato chips and dip, drinks, and another birthday cake over to a friend's house.
Monday: Instant pot shells and cheese, pineapple, and leftover chips and dip.
Tuesday: Leftovers and smiley potatoes
Wednesday: Burritos (I pulled the burrito filling out of the freezer)
Thursday: Pierogis and cut up veggies
Friday: My husband has to work until 9:30 and the kids and I have a movie night planned. I will probably just pop some popcorn and cut up some fruits and veggies and call that good. I'm looking forward to Sunday lunch when everyone will be home and I can make a good meal!
Last week of the Kitchen Remodel addition, hip hip hooray.
I have already planned the menu for next week, plus done the grocery shopping. I feel exactly like the expression about the horse 'chomping at the bit.'
Sat- A nearby brewery & cafe with friends.
Sun- Return trip to brewery (we can walk to it from our home) to drink, nosh, and watch the Superbowl.
Mon- Pizza & bag salad
Tue- Leftover pizza and bag salad
Wed- A very fun Valentine's Day couples cooking class where we made bruscheta with a smear of honey & ricotta, garlic and butter shrimp over polenta, filet mignon topped with a gorgonzola butter, and pavlova and berries for dessert. Such a fun class and time together.
Thur- Valentine's cooking class leftovers.
Fri- Last of the leftover pizza, plus bag salad.
Assuming kitchen sink and appliances go it without issue, next week's menu should be much more inspired!
Thank you for being kind to your friend with the broken foot. I was that person a couple of decades ago. People did so many kind things for me. So thank you.
I mean, I did get a massage out of the deal, so don't give me too big of a halo.
Although obviously, I would still have gone to see her without the promise of a free massage.
@Kristen, Yes, but it was so nice to get out. Being stuck at home was a bummer, and I only wanted to ask for help for the needs (a ride to work, groceries).
WIS: $25 at Wegmans, $5 at the bakery outlet, $22 at the grocery outlet, $53 at Price Chopper, and $34 at Ollie's. (Side note: All but one of my Ollie's purchases were bird food--lots of unsalted peanuts in the shell and dried mealworms. I want a good turnout at my feeders for the 2024 Great Backyard Bird Count, which runs from today through Monday. If you're interested in participating, go to birdcount.org.)
WIA: Well, not mealworms! My culinary highlight this week was a lamb stew, made with the following: boneless lamb from the freezer (bought Reduced for Quick Sale); a bottle of Guinness (one of five I found in a recycling bin last year--I don't drink Guinness, but I cook with it); some potatoes, carrots, and a parsnip that all needed to be used; an 8-ounce can of tomato sauce from the grocery outlet; and a container of beef stock from the freezer with a fall 2022 date. (My next-door neighbor, the Bestest Neighbors, and I have all enjoyed the stew and are all still standing, so I guess the ancient beef stock was OK.)
@A. Marie,
I am quite relieved that you didn't eat the mealworms!
I'm always gone for the bird count - too busy doing housework and errands or away at work and don't get home in time to see them. I leave in the near dark, so I don' t see them before work, either. I have noticed an increase in birds that don't normally come to my feeder, since the hurricane, which is a reminder that animals lost food and habitat, too.
@JD, I'm sorry that you can't participate in the GBBC, but I certainly understand the many demands on your time. I'm guessing that reports from areas that have had recent hurricanes will be particularly valuable, for the reason you mention.
@A. Marie, In my yard: seagull, seagull, seagull, seagull, seagull, seagull, seagull, seagull, seagull, seagull, seagull, seagull, cormorant, seagull, seagull, seagull, osprey, seagull, seagull, seagull, cardinal, two seagulls fighting over the bowl of spaghetti my daughter left on the table on our deck, seagull, seagull, seagull, seagull, seagull, seagull, red-winged blackbird, sandpiper, seagull.
pic of gull fight here: https://ibb.co/y8TPx3B
@A. Marie,
I finally had the opportunity to go to an Ollie's - there aren't any near our small town, but there is one further away and near where I needed to run an errand. Sadly, they did not have unsalted peanuts for the birds! I realize each store probably gets different things. I did buy some fancy-pants Danish fruit preserves (because, yum). I was also thrilled this morning to find out I was hearing a Carolina wren singing his or her song this morning (thank you, Sound ID on the Merlin app!).
Also, I am not a Guinness drinker myself, but I do make a killer Guinness chocolate Bundt cake that is frequently requested by pretty much anyone who has ever tried it. I keep a small stock of Guinness on hand for just such occasions. 🙂
@A. Marie,
Not right now, but last year shortly after the hurricane, some flamingoes were sighted at a park not far from my house, for the first time ever. SW Ohio is not a typical habitat for them, and while they didn't stay at the park, they could be seen throughout the summer in and around the southern edge of Indiana where it meets Kentucky (at the Ohio River).
@Rose,
lol. As a kid, I always thought seagulls were all the same kind. I know at some of the beaches in Nassau County, you can see Oystercatchers at certain times of the year. They're quite beautiful. I do envy you your osprey sightings.
@Rose, sorry, but for the GBBC's purposes, you're gonna have to identify those seagulls. (There are a lot of different ones, ya know.) Same with the sandpiper. 🙂
@A. Marie, They're mostly herring gulls. Some of them are black backed, and we've had Bonaparte's gulls sometimes. They're very striking! The sandpipers are mostly piping plovers.
Carolina wrens are so loud! We have one that yells GERMANY GERMANY GERMANY every morning.
Liz, if you're ever out this way, we could go to Lazy Point and watch the ospreys catch fish. It's very cool. There's also one every day on a certain tree that I see after dropping off the feral cats' food. We even have bald eagles again on Long Island--they've been seen out here but I haven't seen any.
Also, if I go to a certain beach during the summer, I can watch terns catch little minnows. It's so cool how they fold their wings back before they dive, so they're basically one pointy torpedo about to catch a fish.
@Rose, Did I mention this fall that when we visited Maine, my youngest (8yo) got to dip her little toes into the Atlantic for the first time? Well, at the same time, she got to experience seagulls in a special way; one ate her sock-- swallowed it completely. (The kids saw it happen!)
@Rose,
Man, I'd LOVE to see those ospreys fishing!! We have several osprey's nests in my general area, but I've only seen one from afar. I love watching shore birds catching prey. You are so right about Long Island having bald eagles....I've seen some incredible photos taken by several very talented LI photographers I'm acquainted with. There's even a Facebook page devoted to the "bald eagles of Centerport".
@Jody S., Well, I guess that's memorable!
I play a game at the beach called Which of You Will Eat from My Hand? I always seem to bring tortilla chips with me, and I hold one out in my hand, and watch, amused, as the seagulls gather their courage. One will always, always take it from my hand.
When I was a child, my mother always stationed one of us to sit by the barbeque, after a seagull flew off with an expensive steak on time. Ha! After dinner, we'd put the leftovers out and it's really comical seeing seagulls swallow large chicken bones whole.
@Liz B., I've seen that! Centerport is so nice. Although Willie Vanderbilt named his house Osprey's Nest not Eagle's Aerie. Have you ever been there? That place is wild, with the hand carved marble tubs filled with seawater, etc.
My sister and I once impressed our tour group by translating Latin carved into the fireplace (which the docent didn't know, sigh) and from some depth of my brain, I was able to answer the question the docent asked about his most famous quote: "The public be damned!" Anydoodle. I like Centerport.
@A. Marie, It is all black ravens here, all winter. Anchorage does have a white raven whose antics are breathlessly followed in social media and sometimes by the Anchorage paper. What I miss are the majestic snowy white owls, sometimes known as polar owls, that we would see all the time when we lived in what was then named Barrow, at the top of the state. They are among the largest of owls and are mostly white.
Rose, I always enjoy your comments, but this one has me cracking up!
@Rose,
I've never been to Osprey's Nest, but I've seen photos....sigh, what an incredible place! A photographer friend of mine contributes to the Centerport eagles fb page frequently. Centerport is lovely.
@Lindsey,
I've never seen a snowy owl in real life, but a few years ago, one decided to nest in the rafters of a very large sports stadium in downtown Cincinnati (Ohio). A very odd, and definitely urban, spot for a nest! Same thing, it was a huge deal among the local community (as it should be), especially the local birders and bird photographers. I did not have the opportunity to see it, unfortunately.
Also, for anyone interested in birds and specifically owls: the book What An Owl Knows is a fascinating read.
Sounds like it is going to be an intense semester to say the least.
I spent: $113.63 at 3 different groceries.
We ate:
Saturday: we had leftovers that day after a day of errands and yard work.
Sunday: We had snacky stuff and watched the Superbowl. White bean dip/chips/crab rangoon/pizza topping on leftover homemade bread.
Monday: bbq ribs/rice/brussels sprouts
Tuesday: used the leftover meat from the ribs and put on top of potato wedges like a bbq poutine with cheese sauce in place of gravy. We had a salad to try to correct the damage to our arteries ha!
Wednesday: Husband was out of town for Valentines. My son brought a pizza over and we watched Love on the Spectrum.
Thursday: pork loin, roasted root veggies
Friday: This afternoon my husband and I are going to a museum with a planetarium and watching a Northern Lights show and then getting a late lunch out somewhere.
Have a great weekend!
121 Kroger pick up
Monday: cereal for supper and fruit
Tuesday: air fryer egg rolls. Cabbage salad. Steamed green beans.
Wednesday: I had won a 25 dollar gift card. We went out.
Thursday: frozen pizza and sliced apples with cottage cheese
Friday: lent air fryer fish. Mac n cheese. Corn
Saturday: I am going to make Cajun pinto beans and cornbread. This will last all weekend.
Last weekend I spent $102 and change for two weeks, including two farm orders. I also bought a lunch for my daughter and myself after the great water heater exchange, but I don't count that in my food total, mainly because it's such a rarity for me to eat out, I consider it a treat, not regular food. I spent $31 on that meal, but it was worth it, after all that work.
WIA, in random order:
I finished up the pulled pork in two meals, which I had with cranberry sauce, carrots from my garden and roasted broccoli.
I got another farm order of turkey gizzards, which are huge, and had them with roasted yellow beets and more of the roasted broccoli. There were two gizzards, and each one was enough for one meal, so I got two meals out of them.
I pulled cubed Christmas ham from the freezer and had it with broccoli and beets - I had roasted a lot of broccoli and beets.
I made an omelet one night with cheese, ham cubes and mushrooms. Cut up garden carrots on the side.
Fat Tuesday! All the pancakes, using a gluten-free recipe of cassava and coconut flours, real maple syrup and real butter. A big glass of cold milk washed them down. They were so good. I fast through breakfast and lunch on Ash Wednesday, so I was loading up in preparation. At least, that was my excuse to pig out on pancakes, ha.
I get home later on Tuesdays and Thursdays, so to save time on the pancakes, I mixed the dry ingredients in a bowl and mixed the wet ingredients in another bowl on Monday night then combined them on Tuesday while the griddle heated. I also freeze the extra pancakes, separated by waxed paper and pop them still frozen in the toaster, when I want a pancake or two.
@JD, how do you cook the turkey gizzards? Inquiring minds want to know.
@A. Marie, I trimmed the gristly parts and slow roasted them until tender. I sometime plan to simmer some then fry them like I will do chicken gizzards at times.
Saturday - out to dinner at a pizza place that had a ton of claw machines and quarter machines. The kids grandpa always gives them quarters so they brought a bunch and had a blast!
Sunday - our rescheduled celebration of my mom’s birthday. We had a heart shaped pizza and some Super Bowl type food like chicken wings and chips. Carrot cake for dessert
Monday - mushroom kale lasagna rolls
Tuesday - ham and pineapple fried rice (slowly making my way through the leftover new years ham in the freezer)
Wednesday - wanted to make something a little special for Valentine’s Day, so I picked a few things I don’t really cook often. Shrimp scampi, fettuccine Alfredo, steamed broccoli and a chocolate cream pie for dessert (purchased the pie from Whole Foods, I wasn’t that ambitious after working all day!)
Thursday - went to a happy hour with coworkers and had a hummus and pita plate, husband and kids had Kraft Mac n cheese
Friday - Trader Joe’s orange chicken and steamed broccoli
Ashamed how much takeout we had this week. Sheesh.
Last night we ordered from the pizza place--I had salad, Daughter had sausage and peppers hero and Son had shrimp scampi. The reason we ordered was because he was dying for scampi.
We also had takeout from the gourmet store on Sunday (wings etc) and Chinese because Daughter was pining for wonton soup. And I get a wave of relief when someone announces they want takeout so I don't have to cook. I also made chicken cutlets with saffron rice this week, and I may make some kinda chicken soup tonight.
Sunday: Hubby smoked pork butts and ribs on the smoker, so we had pulled pork sandwiches, rigs, homemade mac n cheese, coleslaw, deviled eggs and homemade sugar cookies for dessert. We ate before the super bowl.
Monday: hubby and I had leftovers from Sunday's fare.
Tuesday: chicken quesadillas, strawberries
Wednesday: hubby and I cooked dinner at home for Valentine's day...we had grilled steaks, baby potatoes with butter & parsley, steamed broccoli, mini banana cream pies for dessert (I made in morning before work)
Thursday: takeout....I had fish, fried and a caesar salad. Hubby had a build-your-own stromboli
Friday: tonight will be sloppy joes & fries
I too find cream inspiring!
Sunday: Takeout pizza. We don't watch the superbowl but I didn't feel like cooking.
Monday: We ate cottage pie that I prepped on Sunday, with cucumbers.
Tuesday: leftovers from Monday
Wednesday: I made baked breaded tilapia and freezer-section french fries, plus cucumber salad.
Thursday: Mr. B made pasta with tomato sauce, and we had some cut fruit. I split some whole cashews, trying to tempt my daughter, and to my surprise she called them "ducks" and ate a (toddler-sized) handful!
Friday: Salmon, vegetables tbd, and challah.
Well my friends we got hit with the stomach bug that has been lurking around my town for the last several weeks. Let me tell you - it was a one, two knock out punch horrible sickness. Not Covid and not the flu just general intestinal utter misery.
With that said, there were no real scheduled meals this week. Everyone kinda ate what they felt like when they felt like it. There was toast, gingerale, ramen noodles, Body Armour, Powerade, hot tea, white rice, bananas and that was it. I am grateful for the long weekend ahead to recover and get my house in order. Happy Friday to all!
Am relieved to see the end of a long week of mostly leftovers and freezer meals. (Also a little thankful that I batch cook occasionally.)
WWA:
Saturday- leftover spaghetti with veggies
Sunday - pork roast, roast mixed veggies, pineapple upside down cake
Monday - leftovers
Tuesday - chicken curry, rice, naan from the freezer
Wednesday- beef bourguignon, baguette from the freezer
Thursday- quick Greek salad, falafels (from a stash of uncooked homemade I had in the freezer), tzatziki, leftover naan
Friday - planning chicken stir fry, rice
Happy weekend to everyone
Sigh...we eat the same meals just about every week per my family's preference, so it's starting to feel boring. At least this week I wasn't sick, so I could enjoy fish burger night!
Saturday/Sunday: Homemade pizzas, jazzed up with caramelized onions, some roasted red pepper slices I found in the pantry, and leftover roasted broccoli. And the usual meats: ground beef, turkey bacon, deli sliced ham, and turkey pepperoni. Clark, as always, begged for and got his little bit of turkey bacon.
Monday: Baked chicken thighs, steamed brown rice, roasted broccoli. I'm trying to wean the family off white rice by serving brown rice on the nights I cook. Taco night I won't mess with, and let them have white rice if the kid who's cooking wants it. I baked myself some crispy tofu instead of chicken, as I don't like dark meat.
Tuesday: Burgers and red lentil soup--leaving out the kale this time, I'm still leery of leafy greens after last week. Also a big bowl of air popped popcorn.
Wednesday: Hamburger stew, using leftover hamburgers. Mac and cheese for the Selective Eater. We ate early, to accommodate a late class for one of of the kids, and DH and I went out to Half Price bookstore and stopped at Kroger to grab some berries he needed for Thursday's dinner, and he suggested I get a box of unsweetened soymilk and ask the Starbucks there if I could have a latte made with that, rather than the sweetened kind they use. They will do it--they charge full price, even if you bought the milk but they'll do it! That was my Valentine's Day treat. 😉
Thursday: Fish burger night--DH experimented with canned salmon last week, which he said is pretty much the same price as the canned tuna, and everyone loved them. So he made mostly salmon burgers (1 large can salmon, 1 egg, 1 cup of oat flour, a bit of olive oil), and they were so good. I mixed some mayo and sriracha sauce plus some soy sauce to dip mine in. No regrets. I suspect one of the reasons everyone loves Dad's cooking night is because he also makes yogurt parfaits and no vegetables grace the table.
Tonight will be taco night. I actually got some cilantro and green onions this week, here's hoping they don't give anyone listeria!
WIS: $0 on groceries but $25 (including tax and tip) on dinner out with friends for a very generously sized vegetarian Greek platter of dolmas, tabouli, spanikopita, hummus, feta cheese, olives and grilled pita. Still working my way through the leftovers. OPA!
WIS: $14 Stop & Shop; $8 ShopRite (4 packs of bacon) WIA:
Sat: took Dad out for a mystery shop dinner. I had a Buddha bowl and we split fried calamari and artichoke-spinach dip to start.
Sun: my 80-year-old mom watched the SuperBowl, but my dad and I were in it for the "snack dinner": shrimp cocktail, olive-cream cheese stuffed celery (my fav!), leftover artichoke-spinach dip (to which I added leftover broccoli from dad's Sat. night dinner) and more creamy goodness, French onion dip & chips, sliced cucumbers
Mon: leftover calzone & tomato sauce from the week before
Tues: liverwurst sandwich, popcorn, homemade pickles
Wed: ate at work: skate with beurre noisette & roasted root veg
Thurs: liverwurst sandwich, popcorn, homemade pickles
Fri: roasted root veg sheet pan
@BettafrmdaVille, It does make me so happy to see you doing mystery shopping! I think you are the only person who has taken up that side gig, despite how I have urged friends to supplement their incomes with, especially, the grocery store, gas station and oil change ones.
@Lindsey, if there were more grocery stores than just one in my town, I would definitely do this. I loved your tutorial on it awhile back in response to my question. Alas, not driving 35 miles to grocery shop except when necessary (about every 6-7 weeks).
@BettafrmdaVille, interesting you call it artichoke-spinach dip. In my area, it is known as spinach-artichoke dip. Po-tay-to, to-mah-to I guess. Regardless, it is good.
@Lindsey,
I would love to do it, but my current full time job limits my availability. I did sign up with a mystery shop company awhile back, but was only sent shops that took place during my working hours (even though I specified my availability). I definitely want to give it a try once I retire! Your tutorial awhile back was most helpful.
@Lindsey, I remember seeing your tutorial at the time, but could you or someone else remind when that was? I’d love to re-read it and consider this option for cutting a few expenses! What I can’t remember - did that include specifics about which companies are good to work with?
@Pauline in Upstate NY,
https://www.thefrugalgirl.com/a-mystery-shopping-primer-from-alaska-lindsey/
Friday: Ramen Stir Fry. I pulled two pork tenderloins out of the deep freeze that we forgot to separate before freezing. One went into this stir fry along with all the veggie odds and ends I could find in the fridge since I put off going to the grocery store.
Saturday: Pasties and roasted green beans. I avoided the grocery store again today but I realized the puff pastry package I had in the fridge wasn’t going to be enough for my pasty filling so I texted my husband to pick up another package on the way home. He brought home two, so I’m back to trying to find a way to use one package of puff pastry.
Sunday: Sheet Pan Nachos. On Saturday I cooked and shredded the second pork tenderloin in hot sauce to use on the nachos. I also finally braved the grocery store – not bad for a few hours before the Super Bowl.
Monday: Green Chili Pork Enchiladas and Yellow Rice. I used the pork and black beans that didn’t make it on the nachos as filling for the enchiladas.
Tuesday: Tomato and Eggplant Soup and grilled cheese
Wednesday: Spatchcocked chicken, mashed potatoes, Caesar salad. I forgot to defrost the chicken I was planning on making so I was kind to myself and picked up a marinaded spatchcocked chicken from Trader Joe’s when I went to pick up some candy for my son for Valentine’s Day.
Thursday: Frozen pizza. My son had a band concert that ended after 8 and my parents came over after the concert. We had leftovers planned but pushed the easy button and popped a couple frozen pizzas in the oven.
Friday - leftovers ahead of a late soccer game
Saturday - birthday dinner out
Sunday - Superbowl snacks
Monday - chicken pesto pasta
Tuesday - I forgot to eat dinner, during the craziness of senior night. I made pizza for the teens when I got home.
Wednesday - garlic shrimp + pasta
Thursday - baked chicken & spring rolls
Friday - I think we'll have the last of the chicken curry from the freezer
WIS: About $140, divided roughly $60 at Aldi, $60 at Food Lion and $20 at Ollie's Outlet. Also bought some pet items and paper goods that are not part of the food budget.
WWA: Pancakes with bacon and eggs. Chili. Frozen chicken-black bean burritos from Aldi. Smoked fish cakes with sautéed veggies and rice. Roasted chicken with carrots and onuons. Smoothies with frozen berries, fresh fruit, fresh veggies, cheese, and crackers.
Kristin have you ever made King Ranch casserole? It seems like it might be right up your alley. We love it. I haven't made it using canned soup- I googled "King Ranch casserole from scratch" and found a good recipe. It freezes well and everyone in my family loves it!
@MB, I also make this from scratch and love it! It’s especially good for when we have an almost empty bag of tortilla chips that just has a bunch of broken pieces at the bottom.
All the ways I am impressed by Kristen and Commentariat (because I don't keep track of WIA or WIS:
• FOUR WEEKS gone in the semester already
• Kristen's thoughtfulness to her friend during these weeks of intense testing
• The variety of dinner entrees by all, many of which I don't recognize.
• The fact that anyone remembers what they ate.
• How much heavy cream costs (I occasionally buy 1/2 & 1/2 although the price always gobsmacks me right in the frugal-plex.)
@Central Calif. Artist Jana,
I agree 100%! Our meals are generally "whatever we can throw together", and not very memorable to start with....and I seriously wouldn't be able to recall what we ate *any* day last week. Lol. I recently bought some heavy cream (to use in a copycat McAlister Deli chicken tortilla soup recipe), and was flabbergasted by the price. I didn't have time to buy it at my local Aldi or Target....lesson learned. The leftover cream was fabulous in my morning coffee.
@Liz B.,
My secret is I take a picture of dinner every night. Otherwise I would definitely not remember. My brain has too many holes in it from the effects of chronic stress.
@Liz B., I'm too chicken to see what it costs in our little local grocery store. But the more I read about it here, the more I want some!
@Becca, I could take about 5 photos and then use them week after week after week after week. . . my husband BBQs and makes a salad almost every night. Once in awhile I make something, but my menu is down to about 3 options. I will never ever complain about his cooking and thank him every night.
@Central Calif. Artist Jana,
I mean, if you took out the details, my family's menus would be pretty monotonous too. I take the pictures so I can remember exactly what I put in our salads and when we had which meals. I like how it gives me sort of a touch point for each week. Then I can say "oh yeah, here's where all the groceries went..." I also love watching grocery hauls and home cooking videos, so I fully recognize that I'm very weird in maybe the most boring way possible...but then again...some people watch football, so...we all have our little foibles, I suppose.
@Becca,
Thst is brilliant!
@Central Calif. Artist Jana,
I rarely buy it, unless I have a dedicated use for it...but it is SO luxurious. Happy sigh. Worth whatever it costs, lol.
@Liz B.,
*That*
WIS: $60 @ Costco, $11 Scratch and Dent, $24 @ Restaurant Supply, $14 @ Grocery Outlet
Super Bowl Party: Smoked Brisket, GF pasta Salad, homemade slider buns, texas sheet cake & scotcheroos.
M: Unmarked ocean fish (DOH) made into fish sticks, oven fries & coleslaw
T: Pancake party @ church
W: Ash Wednesday pizza and peanut butter stuffed brownies
Th: big green salad & leftover pizza
F: Meeting w/ catered Mexican buffet
S: Chicken carcass made into soup or white chicken enchiladas
Always, always buy the cream!
Not the greatest week:
- last weekend I ordered takeout food from a local chicken place. For those in Canada it rhymes with "Miss Ballet", I had a gift card from Christmas to spend. The meal was expensive, $44.00 (for 2 people) including the tax and I also gave a tip. My HB and I landed up with horrendous food poisoning, so needless to say that is the last time I will ever eat from that restaurant.
- I actually cooked. (Been uninspired as of late). I made schnitzel, boxed stuffing and roasted cauliflower. Leftovers the next night.
- Sticky 5-spice ribs (out of the freezer, present me was thankful that past me had frozen the leftover ribs), seasoned rice and succotash.
- canned soup and a salad
- Raman noodles with spinach with an egg on top.
- my poor HB got food poisoning a 2nd time this week. There were some clementines languishing in the fridge that I bought specifically for him around Christmas time. He took 3 to eat, he ate 2 and the 3rd one was mouldy on the inside. I cut open the rest of the clementines and found most of them mouldy so threw them out. But the damage was done, they did not sit well with him.
Putting it out there for a better food week this coming week!
Happy weekend to everyone.
@Linda in Canada,
Whoa, food poisoning twice in a week!? That is rough! I've had it twice, years apart, both times from eating out, and it is horrible to have. My sympathies.
This week, we enjoyed:
* Barley, bean and butternut squash stew (x2)
* Baked potato and broccoli
* Wild rice pancakes
* Scrambled eggs with spinach and wild rice mixed in
* Salad with homemade croutons, walnuts, raisins and shallot vinaigrette
* Potato soup that I had frozen earlier in 3-cup containers
WIS: $30 Whole Foods, $27 Kroger
WIA:
Friday: Pumpkin curry, pita, yogurt
Saturday: Shrimp Stew
Sunday: Cheddar cheese, orzo salad, mandarin, cookies
Monday: Pumpkin curry, pita, yogurt, cookies
Tuesday: Stuffed cabbage
Wednesday: Persian Beet Soup
Thursday: Broccoli salad, zucchini soup
We have friends visiting this week, so I'm feeding 11 (5 of which are teenagers)
- Bean soup and potato soup
- burrito bowls
- Chicken pasta
- the guys smoked a brisket and I made mashed potatoes and cobbler.
- Tonight we'll have spaghetti and maybe go to DQ for ice cream.
I too find heavy cream to be inspiring.