WIS, WWA | & some kitten photos
Sonia and I went to feed the rescue cats last night, and it was a full house! So many crazy kittens.
This was one of Sonia's favorites.
And this was one of my favorites. She's so cute with that little head tilt!
Our own cat always seems so large (and calm!) after we see the kittens.
What I Spent
I spent $127 at Aldi and got a $25 Hungry Harvest box delivery.
So, I'm at $152 for this week.
October Grocery Spending
Week 1: $224
Week 2: $152
What We Ate
Saturday
I had (virtual) book club, and we all fended for ourselves.
I mashed a sweet potato and topped it with browned apple sausage slices, diced hot peppers, and a splash of cream.
A very good combo, if I do say so myself.
Sunday
I still hadn't gone to the grocery store post-beach trip, so it was a weird night.
Zoe and Lisey ate boxed mac n cheese, Mr. FG ate a frozen pizza, and Sonia and I had Swedish pancakes made with coconut milk.
Monday
I went to Aldi, finally! We had Swedish meatballs on top of noodles, with raw veggies on the side.
Tuesday
We had chili over rice with a sour cream/cilantro/lime sauce on top (recipe from the most recent Cook's Country issue).
Wednesday
I made apple pfannekuchen with some of my bruised apples.
Thursday
I made fried chicken fingers, which we ate with some bread from the freezer and some raw fruits/veggies.
Friday
Well, Mr. FG, Sonia, and Lisey are on their own, because Zoe and I are going to spend a night camping with some of my family.
Camping is not Sonia's thing (which you probably could have guessed!), so Mr. FG said he'd stay home with her. And Lisey's working, of course.
So, Zoe and me it is.
Camping isn't my thing either, and I have made sure to set that expectation so when a camping trip is planned, the kids know it's all Daddy. And then I get a night by myself. Whee!
Okay, food.
Saturday: Brisket, fried potatoes, mashed squash, green salad with ranch dressing
Sunday: Bunless cheeseburgers, rice, green beans, apricot-oat bars my eldest son decided on for our Sunday dessert. Kind of a pain to make (for an ambivalent baker like me, that is), but everyone liked them and they used up some of the quick oats my neighbor gave me.
Monday: Loose meat sandwiches (I need to come up with a more appetizing name for these), raw tomatoes
Tuesday: Arroz con Pollo made with the last of the saffron my husband grew a couple of years ago, and an extra rooster given to us by a friend. Clean chicken is such a treat. Every year I saw we should raise meat chickens. Maybe next year we actually will.
Wednesday: Various leftovers--elk chili, curry stew, some of the loose meat stuff--with a connecting theme of rice. And no extra vegetables, because that happens sometimes.
Thursday: Carnitas-style pork, rice, coleslaw
Tonight: It's going to be pretty hot today--88 degrees--but I think I'm going to make a pizza anyway, because I'm already making bread, so I have the dough and the oven will be on anyway. Also I made roasted tomato sauce yesterday that I can use for the sauce, and there's a little asadero cheese that needs to be used. The children will be pleased. I also have some lettuce in the refrigerator that needs to be used so I can harvest more. And some ranch dressing already made. The menu was foreordained.
If you did not make pizza/salad supper it would almost be a crime...all those items sitting waiting to be used up... lol
I have never been so thrilled for a Friday.. this has been an extra long week !
I cannot recall the order but I know this week we ate
a large container of beef/bean chili I had in the freezer.. I know I originally made it with baked potatoes... but eventually some was eaten with white rice.. although I cannot recall what I cooked all that rice for??
I made a pot of chicken and dumplings with some chicken thighs I poached and homemade broth.. added a bag of frozen mixed veggies for the veg factor...
Grilled burgers one night, served with fresh broccoli, the remains of a jar of cheese sauce... and tator tots...
I cooked down about a dozen apples that were getting too soft too quick from the orchard.. seasoned them and I ate those cinnamon apples over rice for 2 lunches at work this week..
on the nights we did not cook leftovers were eaten.. I just pulled a container of frozen meatballs in tomato sauce out to defrost.. will be a quick meal/snack for the kids this weekend I am sure..
Definitely need to grocery shop for fresh items but need to organize and rotate freezer stuff too!
I am firmly on the "No camping" team. I just can't see any fun in it.
Sunday: Homemade chicken soup. Few things in this life as as wonderful as homemade chicken soup in autumn. We also had some sandwiches
Monday: Leftover soup and this time we made garlic bread.
Tuesday: Tacos using shredded chicken instead of beef.
Wednesday: My wife's birthday and we had a terrible 15 minute storm which knocked out power for most of the evening. We ordered a pizza and wings (her choice.)
Thursday: Cleaning out the fridge of leftovers.
Friday: I have no idea. I might make a stir fry as we have a bunch of rice leftover.
Saturday- dd, had a soccer game, near my MIL, so we went out for something with her and my niece and sil. we did Friday's outside. story here is, we had to wait to be seated, ok, but when we finally got seated, 10 min passed, an not one server came over. So I got up and explained to the 3 servers that where on their phones, took a few more min, finally some one came over and took our totally order, Manager came by and said, they gave us chips and salsa on them, and that they would be taking 20% off the bill. NICE!
Sunday-mom/dad, my sister/bil made chicken parm, served with mac/cheese, I know, sounds strange but this is how my bil always has it.... and he is full Italian!!!!
Monday-BBQ chicken on the grill, buttered noodles, corn
Tuesday- home made Belgium waffles, breakfast sausage, sliced apple. after ds HS soccer game
Wednesday-Ds soccer game for high school, did hot dogs, tater tots.
Thursday- Sausage pepper/onions/ patotes, kids had naan pizza as neither of them like what I made.
Friday. sister gave us left over chicken parm, so we are going to have that, and I am going to make pasta with it. (sauce is in the crock pot cooking)
WWS: $10.24; WWA:
Friday: grilled swordfish with a cherry tomato-caper sauce; green beans
Saturday: homemade pizza
Sunday: roasted herb chicken with carrots & spaghetti squash; sherry jus
Monday: 3-meat & ricotta meatballs; roasted spaghetti squash
Tuesday: leftovers
Wednesday: French omelette with ricotta; salad
Thursday: giant salad
Friday: lemongrass grilled pork chops, rice, green beans
I had a lot of food on hand so I only spent $11 at the store this week.
Saturday - boxed macaroni and cheese, frozen meatballs, green beans, and apple slices. I know. Not fancy at all.
Sunday - bbq ribs with a few friends outside (socially distanced)
Monday - corn chowder
Tuesday - leftovers
Wednesday- green chicken enchiladas and salad
Thursday- teriyaki chicken, coconut rice, and green beans.
I left my notebook with last week's menu and this week's shopping list at home on the table. Rats. I will be shopping as best I can, trying to remember what I had dutifully noted on that list that I already have in stock...
I know last night I pressure cooked homemade chicken soup. Re: Battra99 on Sunday's menu for comment on chicken soup.
Wednesday, I think, we had meatloaf with roasted winter squash and raw sliced cucumbers.
One night we had tuna salad made with carrot, celery, green onions and raisins, with a side of farm-made cottage cheese and some fruit.
We had pork chops with roasted beets and a roasted delicata squash.
We had braised flanken (I'll admit, I had never heard of flanken before this, but it turned out well) with several root vegetables cooked in the pan with it.
And we had steak with some unremembered sides.
That's all I can remember. The temperature is back up to muggy mid and upper eighties, so the oven meals will probably be less this week. I think I spent about $125 last week. The grocery sales continue to be pitiful in this area.
This has been the longest week ever. Actually every week since March has been the longest week ever.
So food...let’s see....
Sunday we trimmed lots of tree limbs in the yard and I had planned to cook until
I got hit in the head with a limb...takeout pizza for the win. I used a coupon so $21 fed 4 people dinner and lunch the next day. Not too bad.
Monday I made a large pot of Bolognese sauce and added chicken liver to the sauce. Sounds awful but was fantastic and the liver was unnoticed by the whole fam. We had that with fettuccine, Italian bread, and green salad.
Tuesday was rice, Spanish stewed pinto beans with butternut squash, green salad, and fried chicken drumsticks.
Wednesday...leftovers.
Thursday we are on the third day of burning all limbs and yard debris. Burger King gave us a quick cheeseburger before we all collapsed from exhaustion.
Friday...burgers on the grill, sautéed mushrooms, lemon parsley potatoes, lettuce, tomato and homemade applesauce.
Saturday and Sunday are yet to be planned.
I did not go to the grocery store this week but will have to go this weekend as we are out of milk, low on eggs and a few other fresh items.
Happy weekend everyone!!
Sunday- chicken tacos
Monday- chicken taco bowls (with leftover meat from Sunday)
Tuesday- creamy salmon pasta
Wednesday- pumpkin pancakes + eggs
Thursday- eggs, bacon, and toast
Friday- BBQ chicken salad
Saturday- leftovers
I've commented this before, but really thankful for your uplifting space here on the internet!
Chili over rice is a new one for me. We sometimes serve it over elbow noodles.
It was cilantro/lime rice, so it's a bit like having a burrito bowl. 🙂
I almost always serve chili over rice. It helps tame the heat for the children if the chili ends up spicier than I expected. Which, given New Mexico chilis, is pretty frequently.
It's common where I'm living. Chili suppers at fundraisers always include rice to put in the bottom of the bowl. I'm sure that is sacrilege to some chili lovers :).
We always serve with elbows mixed in for chili mac. Going to try rice next time
I grew up eating chili over rice (just plain white rice). My mom made her own chili, which was always seasoned just right (not overly hot/spicy, but flavorful). Imagine my surprise when I moved to the Cincinnati area 40+ years ago, where they make their chili differently (with chocolate, cinnamon, etc) and serve it over spaghetti. I don't care for Cincinnati-style chili, but I do love "regular" chili over spaghetti.
Oh, those kittens .... so stinkin' cute.
I love camping and am envious that you and Zoe get to go. And yes, we stay in a tent, so I am fully aware of the discomforts. The beauty of fall camping is the lack of insects. But I think it's wise to only have the people along who enjoy the experience.
Meals. Let's see. Tonight I'm either having some sort of Chinese meal with chicken or chicken fajitas. Last night, homemade mac and cheese (and yes, I was a hero for making that). Wednesday my husband was on kitchen duty due to my work schedule and he made pulled pork. Yum. Tuesday was tuna noodle casserole and Monday we had chicken thighs in honey/soy sauce--super simple, super tasty.
Can't remember what we ate last weekend.
Monday: the Ultimate Cabbage Rolls Hack from Nosher.com. I love cabbage rolls but am usually disappointed because they fall apart. This recipe does not involve rolling them and we liked the taste so now on the rotation. Oranges.
Tuesday: Leftover cabbage rolls. Applesauce.
Wednesday: Had a small amount of cabbage rolls left. Add it to a quart of chicken stock, a can of beans, a carrot and a small can of corn. Enough soup for a dinner and a lunch. Oranges.
Thursday: breakfast for dinner. Oranges.
Friday: Got a coupon for a free Subway, so we are sharing a foot long. Fruit salad.
Sat: We had the grandchildren. My husband decided he want to get pizza. The kids liked that. One pizza was half pineapple and ham and half olive. Quite a mix to me.
Sun: Marsala with leftover vegetables in the 'frig.
Mon: My daughter made squash (and other vegetables) soup. Cornbread.
Tues: Remainder of the marsala, roasted sweet potato fingerlings.
Wed: Pasta with remaining sauce in 'frig.
Thurs: Burger with salad, baked beans and corn.
Tonight: Skillet pork chops with cranberries, rice, and delicata squash.
I bought special because it is our 49th anniversary today. In lieu of eating out, I did special food purchasing from local small businesses.
We are taking care of 10 growing baby chickens and one older dog for the weekend.
Congratulations on your anniversary!
Let's see, whatever did we have? It's always hard to remember!
-We used an UberEats promo to get pizza & breadsticks
-My son made chicken shwarma bowls, chicken with arugula salad, & butter chicken. This week, he's trying to make fish for the first time. Fingers crossed. 😉
-I made a huge bolognese sauce to use up a box of produce that I forgot to customize.
-We had salmon & asparagus another night
Let me see what I can remember that we ate.
Friday: leftover penne Bolognese from Thursday, and asparagus and potato frittata I made for a late lunch.
Thursday: penne Bolognese.
Wednesday: grilled boneless chicken thighs, jacket potatoes and mixed frozen vegetables.
Tuesday: turkey rissoles, more jacket potatoes and mixed vegetables.
Monday: fish, salmon, rice, salad, and veggies.
Sunday: toad on the road, tuna and rice, toasted sandwiches.
Saturday I can't remember.
This last week has seen us eat the same thing over and over.
I had made some meals out of ground beef so we had spaghetti and meatballs. Four lamb shanks were cooked into a curry that fed us twice so far. My mother likes smoked fish so I made a pate out of some and we had that with crush bread and crispy fruits and vegetables.
There probably was a different meal but I can't remember.
I love that I'm not the only one who can't remember what they ate!
Friday night - we had smothered chile relleno burritos using poblanos we got in our produce box this week
Thursday - I was going to make mushroom risotto with button and Lion's Mane mushrooms (also from the produce box) but I tried a bite of the mushrooms raw and they were SO bitter. (Turns out you have to cook them until they're crispy and then they're edible) so it became mushroom and broccoli risotto. We also had a panzanella salad.
Wednesday - Leftover pasta from Monday
Tuesday - Parmesan Crusted Tilapia from the freezer, potatoes, salad
Monday - I think we had pizza with whole wheat pizza crust
Sunday - one pot pasta with tomatoes, spinach, some leftover chicken and a bit of leftover turkey sausage
Kittens!!!
So cute.
I am pro-camping in theory but not so much in practice anymore. I like a comfortable bed and I like to be clean! Glamping maybe.
I wasn't feeling super for part of the week so nothing fancy.
Saturday - tacos
Sunday - more tacos
Monday - ramen bowl
Tuesday - BLT
Wednesday - omelet with fruit and toast
Thursday - pork chop, broccoli and mashed potatoes
Friday - cheeseburger and fries with a friend eaten on the patio of a local burger place.
The week has been a lazy one as far as dinners. Some were planned and others not so much. A brief run down: onion rings, oven fry chicken, macaroni with a pork/beef meat sauce, scrambled eggs, frozen chicken sandwiches/burritos / breaded chicken patties.
I will try new recipes this week like a crockpot asian dish. It can be hit or miss when I cook, so I cross my fingers. DS2 says the garbage can eats better than we do.......:(
Aww. I hate it when I go to the effort of cooking and then the recipe is not good. So frustrating!
I keep coming back to look at the kittens as I respond to student writing. Both kittens in this post are so sweet. But look at that cuddle that's happening between the grey and white and your daughter. She really knows how to love on a cat! I'm thankful and hope they find the best, best, best of homes with endless love and fun.
I spent $99 on groceries this week because my daughter came home from college after the covid rate went up to 32%. She was worried about staying on campus. Plus, being a vegetarian, food choices from the limited cafeteria deliveries (they couldn't go to the dining hall) were hit or miss at best. She was eating a lot of bread and butter, she said. As much as I wanted her to stay at school for the education component, I'm glad to have her home doing everything online. Here's what we ate:
Saturday - Taco salad with all the fixings
Sunday - Soup and grilled cheese sandwiches
Monday - Leftover soup and homemade biscuits
Tuesday - Homemade mac & cheese
Wednesday - Lo mein bowls loaded with vegetables (added Canadian bacon for the omnivores in the family)
Thursday - Frozen pizzas
Friday - Yummy leftovers from the week.