WIS, WWA | Plus Sonia & Kitten Photos
What I Spent
First, would you like to see a few kitten pictures? Sonia came with me to do the cat shift this week, and there was this teeny tuxedo kitten that was unbearably cute.
Seriously!
Also, look at the pink nose on the cat in the photo below. SO CUTE.
I spent $130 at Aldi and then we spent $25 on takeout.
So, $155 for the week!
September Grocery Spending
Week 1: $99
Week 2: $155
What We Ate
Saturday
Mr. FG and I got subs together; Sonia ate a chicken sausage on a bun and Zoe and Lisey ate mac n cheese.
Last week a reader asked if our kids are upset when we have a date night meal together; the answer is no. They've been used to this because even when they were pretty young, we did takeout date nights at home.
Sunday
I made a spaghetti pie from the ATK Quick Family Cookbook*, and it was fine except that next time, I'd honestly just serve it hot from the pot rather than baking it in a pie pan.
That seemed like sort of an unnecessary step.
*Cookbook is out of print. Used copies on Amazon are just a few dollars. Ebay has copies as well, but they are a little more expensive.
Monday
I made hamburgers and hot dogs, which we ate with garlic potato chips and watermelon.
Tuesday
I had an afternoon appointment followed by a 6:00 pm meeting, and I did not plan very well for that.
Lisey was studying with a friend, and I wasn't hungry before the meeting, so Mr. FG, Sonia, and Zoe got Chick Fil A.
Incidentally, someone once was upset with me for giving "free advertising" to Chick Fil A by mentioning them in my WIS, WWA posts.
This was funny to me because every Chick Fil A I have ever seen has business out the wazoo. I highly doubt they need me to advertise for them.
And if we get takeout from CFA, I'm not sure what I'm supposed to do...be more vague?
"We got chicken nuggets from a place that shall not be named."
Anyway. Three of us ate Chick Fil A on Tuesday of this week.
And that is that!
Wednesday
I grilled some pork tenderloins and tried a Spanish potatoes recipe from Cook's Illustrated (sliced potatoes cooked in a pan like scalloped potatoes, but the sauce is oil and white wine.)
The potato recipe caught my eye because it had no dairy; it was pretty good, but obviously not as good as scalloped potatoes.
Thursday
I made panini with leftover pork and some ciabatta rolls from Aldi, and we had broccoli on the side.
Friday
Since it's not blazing hot anymore, I think I'll make pizza for the first time in a long while.
And here's why your homemade pizza might be terrible.
(Also in that post: how to fix terrible pizza!)
This week has seen us eat soup for five nights in a row. The first soup was minestrone, the second a chicken pho and the last was a recipe that someone we knew brought back form Hong Kong. Our tastes have changed and that soup form Hong Kong won't be appearing on our rotation again.
Love the kittens.
We also do not eat CFA any more. We support LGBTQ ️ folks and this is one small way we do that. Eating at CFA and actively promoting it suggests to me that perhaps the eater agrees with CFA on such matters.
I have wondered why you always name this restaurant and Panera, but not others. Maybe the others are local places? It’s totally fine to say “we got some take out chicken nuggets”, it really doesn’t seem weird at all.
sigh. why make this blog political? there are all stripes here, and we come here for respite from the 24/7 politics...most esp now (and conservatives don't tend to speak up which may skew the percentage of folks who disagree with you, which may skew what those folks outside of the great US think of us US folks, etc. ad nauseum). Innocent frugal post with a lot of *virtue* signaling responses (not *value* signaling, though there's that).
I agree. As a long time reader, first time poster. it makes me sad to see this excellent and, almost always, non-judgmental blog drag us away from the respite that it has provided from non-stop politics.
I respectfully disagree. I fully support our local diner even though the owner and I don't always see eye to eye politically. He employs a lot of lovely people and his staff provides great service and great food. I do not hesitate to recommend it to others, and if they choose not to support him due to his views that is their choice.
We have a family member who is openly gay and loves CFA. They are well aware of their stance, do not agree with it, and choose to eat there anyway. We've asked how they feel about others eating there and they said "to each their own", so my husband and I chose not to eat there for the same reason you do but don't question their choice to enjoy it as they see fit.
Ha. The place that shall not be named sounds like it's Voldemort's side hustle
Do we know that it's NOT? lol
Saturday: Beef pot roast, pasta with cream cheese and butter, green salad with ranch dressing, baked custard
Sunday: Pork spareribs, baked potatoes made in the morning with the ribs then scooped out and mashed, mashed squash (also cooked with the ribs), green salad with ranch dressing, ice cream sandwiches
Monday: Leftover ribs, rice, carrots
Tuesday: Ribs again (it was a HUGE package of ribs), pizza, roasted green beans, roasted tomatoes, leftover mashed squash, and FINALLY a really good watermelon from our garden. Hooray! The others have been okay at best. This one was a volunteer, so we don't know what it is exactly, but we are definitely saving the seeds for next year.
Wednesday: Quick tacos (ground beef+already cooked onion+salsa+cumin+chili powder, and storebought tortillas), pinto beans
Thursday: Fried eggs, curried split peas, rice, green salad with ranch dressing
Tonight: I have to work, so a fast skillet meal when I get home of leftover taco meat+rice+cheese, plus probably a tomato salad
I have three kids 5 and under, including a newborn. It’s been difficult to get meals on the table when the newborn can sometimes be fussy for hours at a time. What did you do for meals when your kids were little? Did you stick with easy meals like quesadillas, hot dogs, and sandwiches?
Ps—I love your blog. I never comment but I read it every day. I have since college, probably ten years ago. 🙂
Oh man, that is so hard. I was right there five years ago, and still remember the exhaustion.
Anyway, if I may jump in here . . .
There's nothing wrong with sandwiches for dinner, for sure. But what I used to do was do as much prep work for dinner as I could throughout the day anytime I had a few minutes (and I know even a few minutes seems impossible some days). So peel the potatoes and put them in a pan of water. Marinate meat, or cut it into smaller chunks for faster cooking. Make and form meatballs and leave in the refrigerator before shoving in the oven for dinner. Make a salad, except for the dressing, and stick in the refrigerator. Or, the best ever, get a whole pot of something in the oven--pot roast and potatoes and carrots, or chicken and tomato sauce--early in the day so it can cook and then be reheated at dinner time. Oven cooking is MUCH better than trying to stove cooking with little kids and a baby on hand. Slow cookers are also good for this.
Good luck! It will get better, promise.
Big hugs to you! That's a tough stage of life, especially if your newborn is not particularly low-maintenance.
My first baby was by far my hardest, and honestly, those first 9 months are such a blur, I can hardly remember what we ate! The subsequent three babies were much easier.
If you are dealing with a fussy baby for hours a day, then I definitely think you should press the easy button as often as possible. If people are fed, that's good enough for right now. Your fussy newborn is not going to be a fussy newborn forever, as you know! So, this is just a temporary stage for you; once this super intense stage is over, you can worry about making more creative meals.
Hang in there, mama!
Oh, and I am very complimented that you have stuck with my blog for so long. Thank you!
Someone told me once that the only really important thing is to make sure people eat. Don't feel bad if it's not super balanced, or if it's five kinds of leftovers, or if it's cereal for supper. Some days go like that and sometimes entire years go like that. 🙂
Thank you all!!!
Saturday-for the life of me can not think what we had a mom/dads, I know I made brownies, and lemon bars.
Sunday- Steaks, Baked Potatoes, corn/peas, I made Banana pudding, more desserts leftover from Saturday.
Monday- mom/dads, hamburgers, Hot Dogs, baked beans, I picked up corn on the cob, left over desserts
Tuesday- French toast, and sausage
Wednesday-BBQ chicken on the grill, butter noodles, mixed veggies.
Thursday- no one was really hungry, so later dd had eggs and a bagel, I had a pork roll sandwich, DH and DS picked something up on the way home from soccer practice.
Friday- yesterday I took out chicken to make chicken Alfaro, so that is what is on the menu tonight.
A question, do you own a panini press or just cook the in a frying pan?
I don't have a press; I just usually cook them in a skillet and if I want to flatten them, I put a cast iron skillet on top.
It's a little wonky, but it works. I just do not have room in my kitchen for another appliance!
Thank you! Wonky works for me if it leaves more room in the cupboard!
Kristen, I'm curious: Have you ever tried any of Brother Victor's cookbooks? "From A Monastery Kitchen" is the most used cookbook in our household--the vichyssoise recipe is a fall/winter staple!--and it's one I always recommend to friends who enjoy from-scratch cooking. Recipes are organized by season and use easy-to-find ingredients. Our local used bookstore usually has a few copies of Brother Victor's books (he has several), but they are fairly affordable on Amazon, too. Used copies started at $2 when I looked just now.
Full search term/author: Brother Victor-Antoine D'avila-Latourrette
https://www.amazon.com/Monastery-Kitchen-Classic-Natural-Cookbook/dp/0764808508/
FYI, some recipes call for heavy cream and butter, but I seem to recall those being okay for your daughter? If not, they're easy to sub out (we have to watch fat and sodium at our house). Most recipes are very vegetable heavy, so there are only a few--like the divine cream of mushroom toast--that are total calorie bombs. 😉
PS--I swear, this post is not sponsored by Brother Victor. 😛 Since it cooled down here, my husband and I have been going through our (very worn, stained) copy of "From a Monastery Kitchen" for our soup shopping list, so it's been freshly on my mind.
I have never heard of that one, but I'll check it out. And yep, Sonia can do cream and butter, which is a serious mercy.
I was 85% certain Sonia had the food sensitivities, but 15% afraid I was about to name the wrong daughter! Thank you. In that case, I'll double-down on my recommendation, as any recipe that includes dairy does so in the form of the safe cream and butter. If you do get a copy, I hope it's helpful for all of you!
This is so funny, because I just very randomly got a book from the library by this brother all about salads, and here someone is mentioning him when I'd never heard of him before I got this book. I'll probably never make the salads--they're mostly much more involved that I want to do for a salad, since apparently the monks are mostly vegetarian and use the salads as their main courses--but I would be interested to read more of them. They grow a lot of their own food, so the recipes assume good ingredients, which I always appreciate. Actually, I hardly ever actually make recipes from cookbooks; I just like to read the cookbooks like novels. 🙂
That IS funny—I didn’t know he had a salad book! In addition to “From a Monastery Kitchen,” we have “Twelve Months of Monastery Soups” because I am the Crock-Pot Queen in winter. They are beautiful books—I’m a sucker for woodcut prints!—so I can well understand just reading them for pleasure. I hope you seek the others out, and thanks for putting the salad book on my radar!
He has a show too, I believe it's on EWTN (not totally sure, I just know that he's been on tv [maybe try utube])
I am in awe of your meal plans, its so diverse! How do you meal plan?
Hmm, did you mean this in response to Kristin @ Going Country? Her menus are usually way more interesting than mine!
What DID we eat this week? Going backwards...
Last night - zucchini and onion pie (taste of home recipe) and salad
Thursday - quesadillas with leftover grilled chicken, corn and pintos w/ salad
Wednesday - Popcorn shrimp tacos
Tuesday - zucchini caprese stacks (we got these cute round zucchini in our produce box this week so I lightly pan fried them and created "stacks" with those, tomato, and fresh mozzarella. Drizzled with balsamic dressing) and grilled chicken
Sunday or Monday we had Vietnamese Black Pepper shrimp
Oh my! Tuxedo kitty would hitch a ride home with me. I just couldn’t do it. So precious! Love your postings!
This is definitely a problem for Sonia. She wants to adopt all of them!
I do a lot of volunteer work and also send checks every month to a blind cat shelter. Someone once asked me why I don't work at the animal shelter and I truthfully replied that I would leave there with an animal in each of my pockets every single week.
I simply don't have the objectivity to do it.
Also, our two current cats were both originally ferals. But they came right to our door and begged for love and we took them both to our hearts.
And one more thing. At our house, we call those black and white cats an Oreo. Shows you exactly where our minds run.
I had a tuxedo kitty that was initially called Oreo but it ended up that everyone just called her Little Girl. She was super tiny and adorable but she could really let everyone know her opinion!
yep, that is exactly how Sonia is. She has a particular soft spot for cats with special needs, so she would be a goner at the shelter for blind cats!
I can't remember what we ate but Sonia and the kitten are both adorable! Don't worry about the CFA comment, you can't make all the people happy all the time. Some people are never happy! Have a great weekend everyone!
It has nothing to do with being happy. I’m happy and easy to please and avoid CFA.
I don’t think it has a thing about making one happy- it’s Kristin’s blog and she can support who she chooses. I wonder why her daughters don’t cook a meal every week though. That was a responsibility my sibs and I had once we turned 12- laundry too. My 3 kids were responsible for at least one meal a week. They cleaned the kitchen after also.
Do your girls ever ask you if they can adopt another cat? It must be hard to resist, but I guess you see them find good homes.
They do sometimes want to take one home. But Sonia does have mild cat allergies, so that's a hesitation (would double the cat dander be a problem?). Also, we are not quite sure if our current cat is good with other cats. We could give it a trial run, but so far we haven't taken the leap.
When it comes to a kitten vs. a full grown cat, I'm the one with hesitations. I like that our current cat is older and not crazy!
Knowing this posting is coming up on Fridays is helping to keep me responsible with my food.
In Feb. my Lent choice was to be more responsible about my food waste. I am doing better.
There are some times I forget what I have in the 'frig.
Sat: We ate with daughter & family. She had chicken, salad,
Sunday: We had burgers, oven fries, squash
Monday: Taco dip, tortillas, tomatoes. with some leftover squash to finish it up.
Tuesday: Honey chicken thighs. Bought at a local farm. A bit more expensive but worth the price--good size, taste, no waste. The recipe itself was quick and easy. Will be used again.
Wednesday: Raviolis from a BOGO & sauce from the freezer.
Thursday: Pasta (an open box of pasta & leftover sauce from ravioli)
My total spending for food since 8/22 has been about $300.
Last weekend 80/20 hamburg was on sale. I used your recipe + a bit more seasoning and onions and made 16 burgers. Plus we had the taco dip for dinner and 2 lunches this week. I have started buying frozen crusty rolls for when we would like Italian/French bread with our meals--taking out just 2 rolls, rather than needing to go to the store for a loaf of bread and spending more and also needing to eat up or sometimes waste a half loaf.
Pizza sounds good for this weekend. I had bought a large block of cheddar cheese a few weeks ago and my daughter grated it for me in her food processor. I also have a bit of eggplant & ricotta salata left in the freezer from a farm box my daughter and I share. I think it will be good on the pizza.
Saturday: We were at camp. We grilled steaks over the fire and served with baked potatoes or baked sweet potatoes.
Sunday: we made firehouse chicken over charcoal and served with corn on the cob, potato salad and garlicky green beans. Ice cream cake for dessert
Monday: I made homemade broccoli, bacon and cheddar soup served with garlic cheese bread
Tuesday: meatball subs and french fries
Wednesday: sweet italian sausages, boiled and buttered mini potatoes, corn
Thursday: Italian sliders, pumpkin cookies
Such cute kitties.
We grilled over the long weekend & then had leftovers:
-Burgers with mozzarella/peach/basil salad
-Hot dogs with watermelon & corn
-Steak with asparagus & sauteed mushrooms
-Grilled chicken & rice
Lol for CFL there are non locally so a co worker drives across the state for it. They also while traveling with a tall camping trailer which would not fit in their drive thru she placed order online then stood in a pick up parking spot to get the order Ha! 🙂 Her hubby posted FB pics of her standing in the parking spot.
Kroger had a hamburg sale. Bought about 30 #'s. Friends corn came in so froze up 5 dozen. All the burg was made into patties, meatloafs, meatballs & just ground which I cook then freeze. Also took a meatloaf meal to my dad.
Meatloaf made with oatmeal & turned out ok! Corn on cob
Had peeps over for burgers with fruit, taters & nacho dip
Tacos and nachos, potato salad to use up last of cucs
Pork chops & herb noodles corn again.
Couple of cold rainy days it was potato & ham soup.
Aldi Cheese bread (it is soooo good!!) super easy for a quick meal too. The ones in with the fresh pizzas.
Off to make some apple bread. I have apple sauce to use up.
WIS: $37; WWA:
Saturday: grilled Greek shrimp; halloumi & golden zucchini. Homemade flatbread topped with za'atar
Sunday: cevap, lepinja, kaymak & ajvar
Monday: garlic-ginger tofu (bonappetite.com); sauteéd broccoli, golden zucchini, red peppper & carrot; rice
Tuesday: butter chicken over rice; kale
Wednesday: [easy] spanakopita (serious eats) -- this recipe you don't have to blanch the greens making the prep SO easy!
Thursday: Lebanese lamb arayes on homemade pita; tzatziki
Friday: homemade pizza
Also, included in the $37 was a box of the cereal that has the rebate that Kristin mentioned. I don't eat it, but a friend's kid does, and free food made us all excited! So thank you for that. So really, it is $32.50
That is a wonderful menu and $37 bucks -- yahoo and congratulations!! I am salivating 🙂
I LOVE CFA. I also believe that they have really good customer service. Plug away. This week I had these things planned:
Monday - Grilled chicken, chard, leftover pie from Sunday
Tuesday - Pork Chops, sauteed squash, seasoned rice
Wednesday - Meatloaf, mashed potatoes, carrots with broccoli
Thursday - Link Sausage with onions and peppers, borracho beans
Friday - (freezer) OUT
Saturday - Freezer meals we will heat up
Sunday - another freezer meal (both of these are homemade leftovers)
I didn't stick to the plan precisely as my daughter stayed in town for an additional week, so I tweaked the menus to include a third person. But we didn't do take out, so mostly winning. We will be traveling this weekend, so we give ourselves grace on grabbing a meal out. (:
I do always flinch when you mention that restaurant. I'm not even American and yet I know why it is problematic. Personally I would absolutely boycott it, but luckily I don't need to! https://london.eater.com/2019/10/18/20920646/chick-fil-a-uk-restaurant-closing-oracle-reading-lgbtq-protest
I won’t go there either.! Never!
Yup. Same here. I can't uncouple their policies from their goods enough in my mind to want their food. Don't get me started on Hobby Lobby.
If you researched almost any American chain restaurant, you would discover nearly all of them or some of their franchisees have questionable ethics or politics and you would wind up growing your own food and never eating out! 😉 (The one you cite is definitely a well-known case but it's hardly an anomaly in the U.S.)
Like pretty much all companies (or their owners and shareholders to be more exact) these days, CFA supports the causes and organizations the owners believe in. They may not be your causes and organizations, so you may not want to patronize them, and that’s fine. But whatever causes CFA supports, they do not discriminate with regard to who they serve, and they provide excellent, friendly service to everyone. It’s entirely possible to disagree with people politically or even with their chosen lifestyles and still treat them with courtesy and respect.
Linda, Thank you, thank you, thank you. Yes - when did we lose the ability to politely disagree with one another without taking sides?!! I am so very weary of being labeled intolerant or hateful because I do not share the same views as someone else may. We all need to practice focusing on good things, and not zero in on something to try to cause division.
I always enjoy your posts and hope you enjoyed your CFL.
Kittens! Some of the cutest animals on earth! Only the knowledge that my fat, old, tuxedo cat would go ballistic would keep me from taking a cutie home.
This week we had:
Fish that was given to us, with homemade slaw and corn on the cob.
Steak, with roasted cubed potatoes for the husband, roasted radishes and onions for me.
Red cabbage sauteed with sausage, and pear sauce from our tree's pears.
Sauteed eggplant and sauteed okra, with bacon ends from a local farm.
Homemade chicken tenders, corn on the cob, slaw, and potatoes for my husband. I overdid it on the corn for me this week.
The lunch a relative brought for my husband yesterday was not eaten until dinner -- he had already eaten a sandwich when they brought it over. So he ate his greens, pork and corn bread, and I ate rice pasta with pesto and capers. I was going to make a salad, but got too lazy. So, my vegetable intake was not that great yesterday.
Today is anyone's guess. I have to drive 50 miles home from work after lunch, pick up my husband, and drive him 50 miles right back to a place a half mile from where I work, so he can have his annual eye appointment, then I have to grocery shop with him waiting impatiently in the car. I wish there was a better way to do this! We have little in the way of grocery stores, optometrists, dentists and specialists in the town where we live, so driving a distance to a doctor or a store of almost any kind except Walmart is basically inevitable.
I. WANT. THAT. KITTEN.
Me too. So much.
That kitten is SO ADORABLE and it has white whiskers and a pink nose? LOL
Bless you for graciously handling the various opinions on where/how you eat/live that get shared with you. 🙂
Saturday - BLTs, grapes, chips
Sunday - Baked ziti and green beans
Monday - Pizza
Tuesday - Ham, green beans, squash/potatoes
Wednesday - Sloppy joes, corn on the cob, pineapple
Thursday - Burrito bowls
Friday - Spaghetti with meat sauce, roasted brussel sprouts, and maybe corn cut off the cob
Long time reader, first time poster. I cook for my 21 year old son who works night shift at Fed Ex and my husband, who is in poor health.
M- potato soup in the crockpot
T- roast beef in the crockpot and mashed potatoes
W- fried chicken from grocery store deli, corn on the cob, macaroni salad
Th- spaghetti and salad
Tonight- grilled chicken and oven roasted potatoes.
I spend about 200 dollars a week, but that includes food and supplies for 4 dogs and 3 cats, cleaning supplies, and toiletries. I love your blog and look forward to your posts.
Ohhh, so glad you delurked! I love it when readers coming out of hiding as it were. Welcome, welcome!
I think $200 a week is very good considering how many pets you feed. 🙂
Haha yes. They are very spoiled in the food department- and in all ways really! Thank you for the kind welcome.
NEVER apologize for giving a plug to CFA!!!!!! Never ever ever.
Some of us as part of this blog community disagree with the historic practice of CFA giving money to discriminate against GLBT folks. I think that may have been the concern. I normally choose not to comment on it since it is the choice of Kristin and it is her blog (and we can either stay or leave,). I just thought it might be worth a mention of the other side of the issue since you so enthusiastically endorsed the company.
100% agree with Betta.
While I like ChickFilA food, I dislike their political and social leanings very much, and it is off-putting that so many bloggers promote it. I certainly would prefer “fast food chicken from un-named chain”! I have no emotional feelings about Five Guys, also often mentioned here, but I just don’t like their food. Just my two cents.
So to you, does it feel like I'm promoting something just by mentioning it (even though it's not sponsored or affiliated)?
A little bit. Yes, it does.
You may be more influential than you know! Since you ask, yes.
Feel free to Google Five Guys politics and social leanings and you might dislike more than their food. 😉
The truth is if you really delve into the politics and social leanings of many restaurants and businesses, you will find your acceptable list will dwindle. CFA's politics became notorious but the secrets of other organizations might surprise you if you research them.
I'm not trying to be snarky here, just want to point out that while some things (like CFA's issues) have been widely reported, there are literally thousands more that have not.
Yep, that's basically the gist of what I wrote in this post on boycotting: https://www.thefrugalgirl.com/why-i-mostly-dont-boycott/
But there's about 5 companies in the whole world that own an enormous % of brands. Like nestle and Cadbury. If bloggers aimed to never mention a brand that did bad stuff then they'd never mention brands and that would make for weird language. I mean, Johnson&Johnson has the cervical mesh stuff, Nestle so much dodgy water products...
I think Kristen is trying her best.
And I wouldn’t have mentioned it except that you brought it up. Several other bloggers also write a lot about ChickFil-A and I realize it’s thought of as a good-Christian-family corporation to the general public. I figured ChickFil-A and other chain restaurants sponsor bloggers or gives free food to them. I know blogging helps support your household, and of course I absolutely agree that you can eat what you want, spend money how you want, and write about what you want! I will keep reading!
Saturday-chef salad
Sunday-bean burritos
Monday-I wasn't hungry after having a big lunch so I didn't eat anything.
Tuesday-taco salad
Wednesday-zucchini pie, salad, peaches
Thursday-another taco salad
Friday-herbed white sauce angel hair pasta with roasted zucchini and snacking tomatoes
Have you tried oat milk for Sonia? We've been using oat milk for environmental reasons. It goes in coffee, I've used it in multiple recipes with good results. The only time I wouldn't substitute it would be for buttermilk or something high fat (like cream). Just a thought.
The oat milk she's tried so far, she hated! What brand do you use?
For drinking, the silk brand is really good, but for cooking, smoothies, etc, I use the Aldi brand. I know this isn't my original comment, but I'm an oat milk drinker too!
Real talk...oat milk is the easiest and most frugal thing to make yourself (plus then you know the ingredients). I get my oats from costco and blend with water and let it drain overnight. A few cups of oats makes almost a half gallon of milk. Plus oats are SO much better for the environment. Most almond milk is made in CA and uses up much more water for irrigation than we have to give (hence why my state is continuously on fire).
Just make sure you use organic oats. Conventional oats are very high in the pesticide in round up.
I want that kitty.
Oh my goodness. Me too!
Wow it is difficult to remember the week in reverse but here goes....
Saturday: Steaks on the grill, sauteed spinach with onion & garlic, corn on the cob, baked potatoes
Sunday: Leftovers
Monday: Soft Tacos made with ground beef, lettuce, tomatoes & shredded cheese, homemade black beans, rice, tortilla chips and peach salsa. Peach cobbler for dessert.
Tuesday: Leftovers
Wednesday: Baked chicken thighs with peach salsa & bbq sauce...so simple and SO good, mashed potatoes, & green beans
Thursday: Fried Flounder, Rice, and Peas & Carrots
Friday: Clean out the fridge - whatever leftovers remain, this Mom is tired and the kitchen is closed tonight.
Happy weekend to all!!
I'm impressed you came up with it. I just don't post on these days because I can rarely remember what I had the day before!
Angie, do you have a recipe for your Baked chicken thighs with peach salsa & bbq sauce? I’d love to have it.
Saturday: fridge leftovers, so bits of this and that. Grapes for dessert.
Sunday: BLTs with garden tomatoes. Ice Cream for dessert.
Monday: Mac and Cheese. Baked apples for dessert.
Tuesday: deli turkey and cheese sandwiches on home made ciabatta.
Wednesday: Halibut, garden peas, oven fries.
Thursday: Caribou roast, baked potatoes, carrots.
Today: it will be Filet of Fish from McDonalds!
Spent $132.70
Saturday - sweet potato, black bean, lime crema tacos + corn and avocado salad
Sunday - steak + potatoes + green beans + pasta salad (in-laws hosted dinner)
Monday - hot dogs + baked mac and cheese
Tuesday - black bean avocado enchiladas + cilantro lime rice
Wednesday - bbq tofu sliders + coleslaw + cowboy caviar (bean/corn salad)
Thursday - chipotle portobello fajitas + rice
Friday - coconut curried lentils + roasted carrots + rice
Oh, your Saturday dinner sounds so, so good.
It was delicious! The recipe for both is from Budget Bytes - I'm using a vegetarian meal plan from her and it's been great.
Hi Kristen,
Since you have one dairy-free child, I thought I would suggest you try scalloped potatoes and just sub with almond, soy or cashew milk. We do this all the time and it is fabulous. 🙂
Christie
Sonia is allergic to nuts, so we couldn't do the almond or cashew milk, but I could try soy. I guess I have to get over my own issues because the idea of it sounds super unappetizing to me. Maybe I should try a small batch to taste test!
Kristen if she handles cheese try using chicken broth thickened with your choice of flour or whatever, then melt in the cheese, and make basically a cheese gravy. That’s how AIP Diet folks make cream sauces. I use arrowroot or cassava flour to thicken it.
Unfortunately, cheese is a problem for her. Which is super sad because she loves cheese!
I’ve literally not tried this but wanted to list oatmilk and hemp milk as dairy subs (I’m also lactose intolerant!). Also, I’ve had good results with the fair life brand lactose free milk if useful at all!
For the past few months, we have salad for dinner in my house. Lunch is the more exciting meal for me to report.
Monday: no cooking for me - family cookout
Tuesday: veggie burger with lots of fixings and fruit for me (beef burgers for my meat-eaters)
Wednesday: split pea soup and chapati (east african flatbread)
Thursday: split pea soup and chapati
Friday: homemade deep dish pizza
I have not commented on a post in forever, it feels nice to participate.
Salad for dinner is a perfect summer thing!
FYI The CFA comment may be us because so many of us are boycotting them because of their labor practices and political stances. Not uneven free advertising.
I can agree with the boycotting too. Adding this: In the eons I have been reading Frugal Girl, I cannot recall other fast foods being mentioned by name, only CFA. This week, for example, "Mr. FG and I got subs together" --where?
Hmm, I know I've mentioned Five Guys, Panera, Panda Express, Noodles and Company, Little Caesar's, Pizza Hut, and Firehouse subs. And this isn't fast food but I know I've mentioned Starbucks.
When it's a local shop, of course, I prefer not to say.
The subs Mr. FG and I got were from Firehouse. I don't know why I didn't specifically name the subs; it wasn't anything intentional.
The reader I mentioned was unhappy about the "free advertising", so I assumed she had an issue with that. I didn't pursue it with her further, so I don't have any more specifics than that.
I won’t give CFA my business. I don’t like the company’s political views, how intolerant they are of LGBTQ. I also take offense to the MSG in the cooking of the chicken. I have no idea how or why this company has such a squeaky clean image. I won’t, however, tell someone not to mention the company’s name. Kristen has mentioned lots of franchises in her posts, as she should if she wants.
Thank you. I'm a lesbian and I can't/won't support CFA, even though I love their sugar free lemonade. I had it once before I knew about their politics. Personally, I don't think the chicken is all that, I don't understand the really long lines we have here in SoCal.
Just for balance - I like that they are closed on Sunday, that they employ gracious, happy people (I've never met a CFA grump lol), that they promote school fundraising, and that they do not value signal (the hypocrisy of the world is killing me slowly). Plus I love their chicken.
Thanks. My daughter and I love Chick Fil A and how nice their staff is.
This is your blog and you can post what you want! Everyone can make their own choice on where to eat.
Monday- Indoor Labor Day picnic- burgers, potato salad, raw veggies - It rained ALL day.
Tuesday- Balsamic Dijon pork chops on the grill with leftover potato salad, raw veggies
Wednesday- Crockpot Kielbasa casserole.
Thursday- We continue to support local restaurants that have been struggling.
Friday- Chicken Noodle Soup Casserole
What is chicken noodle soup casserole? That sounds interesting!
It is a basic chicken noodle casserole- we cook up 1 pound chicken chunks and 8 oz egg noodles and set aside. Then dice up a bunch of celery, carrots, onions and saute them in a bit of butter -add the spices that sound good- thyme, rosemary, garlic -add a little flour and pour in 1 cup chicken broth and 1 cup milk (the flour will thicken it up) add the noodles and chicken stir to combine. Add to baking dish- we normally do a 9x9. Top the casserole with crushed up soda crackers quickly coated in melted butter. Bake at 350 for 30 min. It is a very lazy and forgiving recipe. 🙂
Thanks! It sounds wonderful!
I love cats and had a tuxedo named Felix. He was loving, protective, funny and everything wonderful that I could've wanted in a pet. One of his fave foods was steak with ketchup and he enjoyed Christmas by sleeping in the tree and sitting on the presents so he could whack the glass ornaments and break them.
Dinner this week was good eats. We've had snow for a couple of days, so the menu was designed to heat the house... We had smoked ribs, roast turkey with mashed potatoes, turkey barley soup, shrimp & noodle soup, pizza, turkey tikka masala and chicken salad.
Please continue to mention where you go to eat or shop simply as a proper noun such as: Costco, Five Guys, Aldi, Panera, or Chick Fil-A. People can interpret and have their opinions about the titles and react according to what’s best for their belief systems. This is your blog and you can do whet you what. I like that your readers for the most part remain respectful when making comments. Let’s keep that up!
Love these thoughts--fully support you sharing your life, without judgment/fear of judgment from others (sorry you have to deal with that in this context of sharing).
I rarely eat out but when I do it’s a local place. I never give the chain restaurants my business, even when out of town. The locals really need our business now.
I 110% agree!
Do you ask the cat shelter if they want some photos? We volunteer and our group often uses cute photos for social media to promote adoptions. And you are an excellent photographer!
Thank you! Before the pandemic, we did used to advertise the cats online, and they did need volunteers to take photos.
But ever since we reopened post-pandemic, all of the cats have been getting adopted in a matter of days, which is great! I wonder if since people are home more, they're more interested in looking for a pet companion.
Yes, we’ve seen the same, especially with kittens. I’m glad you all can help!
Love the silicone wrapper!
We ate in all meals except for Friday (Pollo Loco take out) and Sunday (Arby's takeout). The other nights were one of the following (remember which is which) We have been spending about $100 - 115/week on groceries (including all paper, household, and personal hygiene items) which seems high for the 2 of us -- I must overbuy since I only shop once a week and don't want to run out -- COVID and all. Anyhoo, here is what we et:
* Last of frozen chicken thighs in teriyaki sauce (combined a bunch of stuff from the 'frig), brown rice and broccoli, watermelon
* Chicken tacos, using up last of frozen bag of breasts, refried beans, big salad
*Leftover chicken tacos (?) with salad, watermelon
*Doctored frozen pizza, big salad, watermelon
*Frozen meal for spouse; big salad for both of us; granola for me. Weirdly.
Stay well, everyone!
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I spent $41 on groceries and we ate at Cracker Barrel for $32.
Saturday - I accompanied my DH for the weekend for one of his motocross races. I packed us deli subs because they were easy and didn't have to cook.
Sunday - We stopped at Cracker Barrel on the way home from the races. We each had fried chicken and two different sides. Tons of leftovers to take home.
Monday - Leftovers from the night before.
Tuesday - Ham hash, green beans.
Wednesday - pulled pork sandwiches, french fries and corn.
Thursday - Venison steaks, fried green tomatoes from the garden and fresh baked bread.
Friday - Emptied out the refrigerator and we had yummy leftovers from the week.
One of the things I love when I read your blog is that it is so positive, real life, and no politics. I'm weary of the arguing and want to read about anything other than that. This is one of those places. Thank you for your positivity, helpful tips, and friendly conversational style.
I LOVE you Kristen and I LOVE this blog.
The end. 🙂
Aww, thank you!
I love your blog--thank you for continuing to write and share, especially during such a hard time for you! I read your post about your current relationship with your son and have been thinking about you and hoping things turn out better soon.
Also, I love how gracious you are. My husband's profession means our family is subjected to constant opinions and often criticism from others who don't know us well, and it's really tough not to get discouraged. Your gracious responses are always an inspiration to me. Hang in there. 🙂
That cat is so sweet!!! Had to laugh about going to grocery store then buying takeout, I do that all the time. After spending so much time in the grocery store the last thing I want to do is cook when I get home, weird cause I love cooking, just not on shopping day. 🙂