WIS, WWA: Sandwich count = 1
Fewer sandwiches were consumed this week compared to last week!
Chiquita in her newest box, watching me eat my sandwich dinner:
What I Spent
I spent:
- $28 at Safeway
- $25 at Panera
So, $53.
What We Ate
Saturday
I had one uncooked burger left, so I put that on the grill pan on my stove (no sense in heating up a whole grill for one burger!) and made a burger bowl.
I also sautéed some green beans.
And I ate my dinner while doing chemistry work. SIGH.
I have basically been spending every spare moment working through this chemistry course. 0/10, would not recommend.
But it has to be done, and I would rather get it over with so I can be free.
Sunday
I was working on my freezer post when I realized....uh-oh, I haven't used my frozen peaches!
Sooo, I made a smoothie and some whole wheat pancakes for dinner.
Monday
Zoe had a 6:00 PM work shift, so I just threw a frozen pizza in the oven for a quick bite before she left.
Tuesday
I was on my own at dinner, so I sautéed some broccoli and fish:
Wednesday
I did a module of my chemistry class plus two open-book tests, and by the time we got to dinnertime, I was fried. So, we got some Panera despite the fact that I didn't have a gift card.
It was honestly worth it, and even the drive to go pick up the food helped; I felt a little calmer by the time I got back with our food.
(The tests went fine, but I find chemistry tests to be extremely stressful, and that's a large part of why I felt fried!)
Thursday
Another long day of chemistry for me. BOO. But at least this day involved no tests.
I cooked some frozen ravioli, sautéed some broccoli, and called it good.
Friday
Did you notice the absence of work lunches in this report? That's because my two work shifts this week fall on Friday and Saturday. Sooo, I'm off to work today, packed lunch in hand.
Honestly, my workdays are going to provide some welcome chemistry relief; I find nursing much less stressful than studying chemistry.
(Sorry to all of you who love chemistry! I respect you, but I don't understand you. Ha.)
I have a hard time remembering what we ate in the weekend.
Weekday dinners:
Meat loaf, oven cauliflower and cooking pears
Easy pasta (quick pasta with homemade red sauce and grated cheese)
Fries and apple sauce
Millet "curry" with banana, parsnip, leek, almonds and some cheese
Salad and fish; oven pancake for dessert
Tonight: we have leftovers that I love but my husband does not. I'll probably have them for lunch and perhaps we can have takeout for a change to celebrate the end of DIY on the home office
This week was off balance due to being on holiday! I invited a friend around for dinner next week so that's going to be stressful (although I'm sure it will also be fun!), mostly because I live in a studio apartment so there isn't a whole lot of space. If anyone has tips for hosting dinner, I'm all ears!
Saturday: Arrived in Venice and had pizza after going to an art gallery
Sunday: I was super tired from walking a lot so my sister and I had a quick bite in a café near where we were staying
Monday: We went to a Moroccan restaurant and everything there was delicious!
Tuesday: I travelled back that day. I had a pizza at lunchtime and I bought a sandwich at the airport, as my flight was in the evening
Wednesday: Past Me had gone food shopping so I had a baked sweet potato with sautéed vegetables and an egg for protein
Thursday: Succumbed to takeout with no regrets
Friday: I'm going to my bookclub this evening so will probably throw together a quick pasta dish
So glad you enjoyed your holiday!
I don't have any logistical tips but do have a mindset idea to share. Your friend is coming to visit you and enjoy a meal, not judge your kitchen. You are a capable cook and feed yourself well, so just do your best and be yourself and it will be fine. Ok actually one logistical idea is if it is just one friend, think of a meal you enjoy making that has leftovers usually, and there will be enough for both of you without a lot of fuss.
Thanks Heather! I think I'm slightly sensitive about it because years ago a friend came over and remarked on the fact that I hadn't cleared off a table, and seemed kind of annoyed (to this day I don't know why). I don't think this friend would do so, but she is a very tidy and neat person and I am...not. Obviously I'll tidy before she arrives but I worry that my level of tidy is different from others'.
Hi Sophie, I agree with Heather Mar. Sweep the floor and open the door.
Your friend is coming over to enjoy some time with you and you're perfectly able to feed both of you well. Clear off the table if it makes you feel better. A box or any container is an excellent temporary hiding place for things and then you can deal with it the next day–even if dealing with it just means getting it back out on the table so you can use it.
This is a different apartment now and I no longer have that table; it was more the feeling of being judged for forgetting to tidy a particular area. But I appreciate the tip about the box!
Oh, yes, those types of comments can sting, especially if unexpected. It's disappointing how tidiness can be framed as a moral issue, when in reality I think it's just a brain preference. However someone lives in their own home is great, as long as it works for them and doesn't harm anyone. My own level of clutter aversion has changed over the years and depends on the context, even. Not to mention, in a studio apartment, I feel like "everyone" understands that you're working with such limited space. I hope you and your friend have a lovely meal and visit!
When I lived in an ancient, tiny rowhouse, I invited a friend over for dinner. The torturous, redundant plumbing (thank you Lynn for the perfect descriptor) chose that evening to give up, and garbage disposal remnants spewed forth from under the washer just as we started eating, about 2 feet away.
So I guess my tip is: as long as that doesn't happen, you should feel free to consider your evening a success 🙂
Oh my goodness! That's funny as a story but I can imagine it wasn't funny in real life! I'm sorry that happened. I also love that description (and it applies to so many current events).
Sophie, I firmly believe in keeping it simple! Put a large soft quilt on the floor, a bouquet of fall flowers in an old jar, order your favorite take out or some hot and cold appetizers/nibbly bits. Add a good bottle of wine, great music and you have a fun, indoor autumn picnic!
Great idea! I actually have a blanket with autumn leaves on it!
Welcome back!
Anything prepared with love will be appreciated so no worries.
A buddha bowl/pokebowl does not require fancy kitchen appliances? Or a soup with some good bread?
Thanks JNL! Right now I'm leaning towards ratatouille with roasted vegetables and feta cheese (and possibly eggs if she eats them) over rice or pasta with some red pepper pesto. I don't like soup (it's something to do with the texture) but I'm definitely going to buy a loaf of bread from an incredible bakery nearby.
The exclamation mark after the Catalog All of the Atoms is just too much to even handle!!! Ha and ahhh!
One highlight meal for me this week was...ready for it? Chickpea pasta rotini from Aldi with meatballs and sauce. Idk what DH did but the texture was really good and I enjoyed couple servings!
Nothing wrong with using Crash Course! Those are great videos for getting overviews and also pesky details within the material. Goodness knows the biology ones got me through when homeschooling my son - bio is not my thing. ( give me all the math and chemistry! And grammar. But bio was a slog to teach.) I used Crash course for most of his science and history classes.
Have an energizing weekend at work!
CrashCourse is the best! I credit it for getting me through my data analysis course during my master's!
Thanks for sharing your meals. Especially the ones that required some extra effort. It’s hard to motivate myself to cook for one when my family travel for work.
What was the sauce on your fish?
Hi everyone 🙂 We're back from a long-awaited (and just long 5 weeks) in Scotland where I can report that it's beautiful, cold, windy, and wet. Very. Wet. I noticed that although the Scots objected to and suffered because of the Clearances (mid 1700's to mid 1800's), the American population of Scottish heritage throughout the eastern US would indicate that they weren't averse to blue skies, sun, and less rain. Scotland is a wonderful & amazingly friendly country with stunningly gorgeous geography–just make sure you have a fantastic coat. I plan-purchased my new favorite warm, waterproof coat there.
So...being that the first paragraph has nothing to do with our food this week (but helps explain the following meals 🙂 here ya go:
Sat: eggs & toast with whatever people wanted cooked into their eggs
Sun: sandwiches, crunchies, cut up fruit & veg. Made a pot of veg soup for celiac daughter & me.
Mon: hot sandwiches, and ditto Sun
Tues: ravioli & salad; daughter finished Sunday's soup
Wed: chili
Thurs: pizza
Fri: maybe penne with chicken sausage & green beans?
Beth, your story about your time in Scotland reminds me of a story about an old grad school friend whose wife's family had emigrated to Canada from Scotland. As the friend stood with his FIL on one vacation looking at a bleak, wet, windy mountain in Scotland, he thought, "I can see why Jean's family left."
hahahahaha–what a pithy statement
My friend (the same friend coming for dinner) went on holiday to Skye with her husband this summer. She said it was beautiful but it rained A LOT.
Living on the east coast of the US, I'm more used to rain falling relatively straight down or slightly angled. Skye's rain came at us basically horizontally with 30-40 mph winds. Yikes :/
Oof, I've experienced that kind of rain as well!
Ha!
My feelings about Chemistry are exactly as yours are—-and I ended up marrying a college Chemistry professor! 😂 We have agreed not to talk about it!
what i know about science fits on the head of a pin. i married a scientist. our son is a whiz at everything. our daughter not so much but she is a talented artist.
Happy Friday, everyone! We spent $97 -- $68 at Target, $23 at Trader Joe's, and $6 at Cub Foods (for my Cream of Wheat!).
-- Butternut squash soup
-- Salad (twice)
-- Pasta and peas
-- Baked potato and broccoli
-- Avocado toast topped with fried egg, plus red grapes
-- Red lentil soup
WIS: $53 at Food Lion and $12 at Dollar Tree.
WWA: DH had sandwiches with sides of plums, grapes, sweet peppers, carrots, pickles and gluten-free crackers. One day he asked for and I made chili and cheddar-herb corn muffins.
I had protein smoothies with frozen strawberries and peaches and a side of peanut butter toast most days, though last night I used up some eggs to make egg salad and had it with a side of hot honey sweet potato chips. For dessert this week I made chocolate pudding.
Forgot that I also spent about $10 at Walmart Market for bread and canned goods.
I can't remember how much I spent this week on food - maybe around 70? Some of the groceries went directly into the freezer for future me, and some boxed wine was purchased. (:
M - got a Chik-fil-A filet and some free fries and ate at home after busy day at work
T - a big lunch became two meals - fish, hush puppies, coleslaw, waffle fries
W - Chicken Armadillo (chicken breast wrapped around jalapeno, with bacon) (freezer) buttery corn and rice
Th - Herb Chicken thigh with butternut squash and cornbread stuffing leftover from this week's Thank You sandwiches
F - No idea, but maybe something other than chicken or fish! For sure a salad on the side.
Wait, why is the Hyperbole and a Half cartoon on your periodic table screen? That's kind of weird. But I love that website.
(Food on my site today. I'm really tired.)
Having read your blog post, I can see why you're tired! Hope you get a chance to put your feet up and rest at some point.
I had a peek, because I did not want to miss out on the list of scrumptious meals.
But what a week!
Friday: Team dinner on my work trip – Sushi. I am very thankful that even after a long day of work my coworkers are so great that I look forward to dinner with them.
Saturday: I picked up my traditional Las Vegas airport Quizno's sub but only ended up eating a bag of chips and the packet of cheez-its on the plane. My son happily ate my sandwich the next day.
Sunday: Tuscan Chicken Soup, toasted French bread
Monday: Hot Beef sandwiches, oven fries, raw veggies and dip
Tuesday: Leek and potato soup, grilled cheese sandwiches
Wednesday: Pesto pasta dish – chicken sausages, red peppers, cavatelli, zucchini pesto
Thursday: Italian grinder salad, leftover leek and potato soup
I miss Quizno's - the closest one to me is about 50 miles away. The town where I used to work still had one after the other local ones closed. If I have a chance to dine there again, I hope I am not disappointed.
There are a handful of another quasi-fast food restaurant that used to be in my area. Stopped at one but it was not the same. Sad to say where my local on was became a Subway.
Tyler DeWitt channel
On YouTube explains many chemical concepts really well. Check it out if you need a different explanation style than the one you are working with.
virtual hugs from me to you. things will improve very soon. hang in there,
WIS: Nothing, according to my budget, but I used a gift card to buy groceries at Target. Only $4.
WIA: This week I had a veggie & Swiss omelet, pumpkin soup, a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, and I can't remember what else. Maybe the sauerkraut soup fell in this time period? Alas, I should write it down.
Today I will have more pumpkin soup.
WIS: $17.50 at Aldi and $20 at Wegmans (after $8.40 container return).
WIA: My two best efforts this week were the lamb stew with Guinness I made on Sunday (aka "curb stew" because I found the Guinness on the curb a while back) and a batch of croutons. Along with the various candles I purchased at Second Time Around on Monday, I picked up a free though elderly loaf of Wegmans organic "Under the Tuscan Sun" garlic bread (retail value $6). Remember that this store is run in aid of the nearby Catholic church's food pantry, and they must get so much stale bread from Wegmans that they can't give it all away at the pantry. So I used about 2/3 of this loaf to make croutons--which cost me nothing except olive oil, spices, and the gas to run the oven. I've used the croutons in two salads and have nibbled on them freely (in all senses) as snack food!
Love the naming of curb stew! I'm sure it was delicious 🙂
Saturday - takeout night, my husband and daughter wanted Philly cheesesteaks, although my daughter requested hers with no bread, so basically a bowl of meat and cheese (which did exist on the menu thanks to the keto craze) My son only wanted french fries. Not the most nutritious night for them but they enjoyed it! I picked up a tofu banh mi for myself.
Sunday - defrosted some vegan ragu and served that over pasta
Monday - I made a vegan mushroom risotto in the instant pot, it was a hit! So another vegan recipe I can add to the list.
Tuesday - my mom fed the kids dinner, I had a virtual PTO meeting so I quickly ate an eggplant farro bowl and had in the fridge and some toasted pumpkin bread with nut butter.
Wednesday - kids had bean burritos, rice and corn. I had the same dinner again (eggplant farro bowl and toasted pumpkin bread with nut butter)
Thursday - I defrosted some burrito filling I’d previously made, it was sautéed cabbage, baked tofu and beans. I made 6 burritos for the freezer from it and then ate what was left in a bowl with some tortilla chips. The kids had leftover coconut fried rice from the freezer and veggie dumplings and shrimp dumplings.
Friday - there’s a fall festival at the kids school, the kids will eat pizza and the other snacks there, I’ll probably eat at home after but not sure what yet.
Sunday family dinner - chili, baked potato bar, kale salad, sheet pan apple pie with crumb top.
Mon - salad & chicken veggie soup
Tues - no power, no water garden salad
Wed - cowboy beans, cornbread, corn on the cob, pumpkin sheet cake
Thurs - ramen with the last of the baby bok choy, salmon and micro beets
Friday - HS football booster tailgate booth
Sat - Big football game, hosting friends/alumni from the opposing team for the weekend.
You are working so hard! It's all going to be worth it though!
For work lunches I batched chicken with roasted Asian flavoured sweet potatoes, broccoli, leeks and other veg, delicious!
For teas, some were more stuff on toast, my partner did a delicious fried sea bass and chips, and then yesterday we caved to exhaustion and got a delivery pizza (we ordered direct from the shop though which is cheaper than through the apps).
One day I'm going to try Panera, solely based on your posts.
This week we had
Monday- pulled pork sliders and chickpea 'fries' (meh on the 'fries')
Tuesday- Indian food from the local India Mart
Wednesday- potluck Halloween party, lots of different foods
Thursday through Saturday- loads of leftovers from Wednesday night's party
Sorry you're so bummed with chemistry. I lived it so much that I majored in it and built my career on it! Just remember:
Chemists are chool.
Chemistry is like cooking - just don't lick the spoon.
Old chemists never die; they just fail to react.
LOVED, not lived.
I wish I liked it as much as you do!!