WIS, WWA | with an attitude report
I'm pleased to report that I am feeling slightly less negative than yesterday.
I cleaned up my room.
I went for a walk.
I had a phone call with Lisey, texted with Sonia, and had in-real-life convos with Zoe. 🙂
I got myself a little more organized on the school front.
I went to an open lab at school for extra practice with injections and vital signs.
I snuggled with Chiquita.
I dunno if any of those things in particular helped, or if it was a combo of them all, but I feel a little more equipped for life today than I did yesterday.
What I Spent
I spent:
- $30 at Lidl
- $16 at the Hispanic grocery store
- $30 on pizza
So, $76 for me this week.
What We Ate
Saturday
Lisey was so exhausted when she got here, she ended up hitting the hay at like 6:30 pm and she didn't even want dinner.
Zoe was at work. And I honestly do not remember what I ate! I remember I watched a ton of lab videos that evening, but my dinner has completely fallen out of my brain.
Sunday
Zoe had a night off of work, so the three of us went out for pizza and then went to Target, where we did some clothes shopping.
But then when we got to the fitting room, it was closed!
So we just bought everything we were going to try on, then went home and had a big try-on session at my house, which honestly was probably more fun than using the Target fitting rooms.
And then we returned the didn't-fit items the next day.
Monday
Lisey's last night here; I grilled chipotle chicken kebabs, which we ate on a green salad with the cilantro-lime sauce as a dressing.
Here's a real-life photo, with dark lighting.
But in nice lighting, here's what the kebabs look like.
Tuesday
Zoe had some pizza leftovers, and I ate leftover salad, but this time I dumped the last crumbs from a Doritos bag on my salad, and that was 10/10.
I would do that again!
Wednesday
I had a late lunch with Sonia at the tea room, and then I had lab from 5:30-9:30, so Zoe fended for herself and I ate a Clif bar (I wasn't super hungry due to my late lunch!)
Thursday
I got back from lab at 6:30, so I threw together a quick dinner of waffles and berries with whipped cream. Girl dinner?
Friday
I have some chicken thighs in the freezer so maybe I will do something with those for the two of us.
I'm glad you're feeling slightly better. Like you've said before, life comes in waves and sometimes all we can do is ride them.
WIS: nothing. I was too tired to grocery shop this week, so we just ate from what we had. We're also working on eating down the freezer. I think we made a dent.
WWA:
Fri: sourdough focaccia with tomatoes, mozzarella and parmesan cheeses. I got home very late and was super tired, so we just had whole apples for our salad.
Sat: I made a really yummy salad made with spicy mixed greens from our farm share, and topped with pecans, dried cherries, goat cheese crumbles, balsamic vinegar and honey. My husband made chicken and rice and it was also really yummy.
Sun: celery and carrots with roasted red pepper hummus, leftover salad, frozen collards that I microwaved and jazzed up with brown sugar and spices, and air fried leftover focaccia. We also had chocolate cookie ice cream treats for dessert.
Mon: baby carrots, celery sticks and apple slices dipped in roasted red pepper hummus, frozen corn that I microwaved and jazzed up with butter, honey, gochujang, and tajin, tofu burgers battered in corn flakes and served on brioche buns that had been broiled with Colby jack cheese slices on them and then topped with pickles. We all thought this was a particularly delicious meal that came from really random stuff we had on hand.
Tue: apple slices and caramel dipping sauce, carrot sticks, garlic naan pizza topped with leftover Sunday gravy from the freezer, shredded mozzarella and sauteed shrimp.
Wed: carrot sticks and ranch, sourdough discard crackers, chicken fried rice made from the leftover chicken and rice.
Thu: carrot sticks and ranch, leftover chicken fried rice, fruit cups for dessert.
Tonight: focaccia, but we are going to use leftover Sunday gravy from the freezer and some mozzarella string cheese to make mummy pizza with olive eyeballs. I'm excited to see how my husband and the kids execute this plan. Should be fun. I think we'll just have apple slices for a salad. We'll see.
Have a great weekend, everyone! Just keep surfing those waves and I'll try to do the same!
@Becca, ooh, I wouldn't have thought of combining gochujang and tajin on corn with honey, but I have all of those things and now I want to give it a try!
@Becca, Try making foccacia with grapes (for the little one) with a little bit of sugar and fennel added to the dough.
@Natalie J,
Don't forget the butter! It was really good!
@Rose,
That sounds similar to what my husband typically does because he uses halved grape tomatoes and he marinates them in olive oil and spices which does have fennel seed in it.
WIS: $27 at Wegmans, $40 at Ollie's, and $21 at Price Chopper.
WIA: My most satisfying score: After my annual Medicare wellness check (and medical clearance for my upcoming cataract surgeries) at my GP’s yesterday, I made my second quick stop this week at my usual Wegmans supermarket, which is right on the way home. Since football season started, Wegmans has been doing a so-called "Game Day Special" of 20 wing *pieces* (not whole wings) for $20–and though Weggies’ wings make me drool, I’m NOT going to pay $1 per wing piece for them.
Well, on my trip through the meat department, I found a 4.78-lb. package of whole wings marked down from $15.78 to $10.99. I pounced on this and gave myself a post-lipid-test indulgence in chicken wings, using a combination of recipes off the internet. (BTW, it seems to be true that a spoonful or two of baking powder makes the wings crisp up better.) So for a little over half of what Wegmans is charging for 20 wing pieces, I got 18 whole wings. Take that, Danny Wegman!
@A. Marie, Now, now. Vengeance is mine, sayeth the Lord.
@A. Marie,
I've not tried baking powder for crisping. I'll have to give that a try.
@A. Marie, I saw that trick of using baking powder to make crispy wings that are baked a bunch of years ago online and never looked back to fried. Every little healthy step adds up just as every little savings adds up—both frugal.
@JDinNM, hey, I don't wish Danny Wegman any harm; I just like to hit him in the pocketbook now and again. (It's probably clear that I have a love/hate relationship with Wegmans, same as I do with Martha Stewart.)
@JDinNM, literally lol’ed!!
I always find tidying up my living space improves the mood immensely! Plus cats help, too. 🙂 $311.96 at Kroger. We bought extra yogurt and cottage cheese, due to a family member having oral surgery.
Saturday/Sunday--homemade pizzas. Gosh, those are good. I use small corn tortillas for mine, since I avoid wheat, and they crisp up so nicely if you're light on the sauce.
Monday--Baked chicken thighs, roasted broccoli, rice. This is currently a 10/10 dinner, everybody likes it. Our family tends to like meals where you have components and can choose your own adventure.
Tuesday--Oral surgery day (four wisdom teeth) for one of the boys; Lentil crockpot soup (blended and cooled for him), and burgers for those who were chewing.
Wednesday--Hamburger stew courtesy of the oldest
Thursday--day off for DH; we stayed home from volunteering and he made some tuna burgers to go with our leftover smorgasbord (stew, soup, chicken).
Tonight--taco night!
Saturday: I made a casserole with shredded potatoes and processed bull meat, but I didn't squeeze the potatoes and the casserole ended up really gluey. Unappetizingly so. Tasted good, though, so I spread the casserole out in a thin layer on a parchment covered pan and broiled it until the top was crispy. The end result was sort of like hash browns with shredded meat in it. Pretty good. We also had frozen peas and watermelon.
Sunday: Baked ham, cornbread, mashed squash, cucumbers, baked rice pudding. A hearty meal for the hunters, who had walked literal miles this day hunting and hauling the elk to the car, and were very, very hungry. Also, I wanted to make something that would help me out in the busy week ahead. A big ham is good like that.
Monday: Leftovers for a workday, plus cantaloupe
Tuesday: I was in the city with my eldest son for his podiatrist's appointment, and my husband had about fifteen minutes to feed the younger three children after finishing the school bus run and before judo. Ham to the rescue! He made them ham and cheese tortillas. Eldest son had wanted to try Buffalo Wild Wings in the city, where he got a LOT of wings, and then spent the rest of the day eating the leftovers as we went from errand to errand, so he didn't want dinner. I wasn't super hungry either, so I just had a rye cracker and some cottage cheese for dinner.
Wednesday: Okay, I know you were all waiting with avid curiosity to hear about the elk. Would it be as gross and testosterone-tainted as the last giant elk I struggled through years ago? I am so relieved to tell you it is not. My husband cooked some steaks from the tenderloin this night--in a surprisingly fancy preparation with mushrooms, onions, fresh parsley, some flat beer, and cream--and it tasted mostly like beef with just a hint of game flavor as an aftertaste. Such a relief to know that the 199 more pounds we're going to cut up and package today won't be a challenge to use. Oh, I added bread and butter and carrot sticks to the elk extravaganza, because while my husband enjoys going all out with meat, he doesn't really get into the concept of a balanced meal. 🙂
Thursday: I was subbing for a teacher this day, so I didn't have much time between getting home and getting kids to judo. Ham to the rescue again! I made ham and cheese chimichangas for the children, which was just like what my husband made, except I fried the rolled-up tortillas in butter to make them crispy. And I gave them raw cabbage. Husband had some ham and cheese in corn tortillas, plus the rest of the elk. I had ham with some sauteed green beans (from my garden! I have harvested exactly 25 green beans this year, boo hail) and onions.
Tonight: We'll spend much of the day up to our wrists in elk meat as we trim, cut, grind, and stuff it in bags for the freezer. My motivation to cook on butchering days is pretty low--as is, to be honest, my motivation to eat--so I'll either let my husband cook some more of the meat if he wants it, or I'll just cook some of the boudin and andouille sausage we surprisingly found at the grocery store in the city. Plus rice and cucumbers. I have a LOT of cucumbers right now, thanks to a generous neighbor. Must make pickles. . .
@kristin @ going country, I'm delighted to hear that this year's elk is much better-tasting than the last one. I look forward to further culinary adventures with it once a reasonable amount of time has passed after butchering day.
@kristin @ going country, brlliant idea to broil the gluey casserole into something more palatable. Nice save!
A combination of cleaning and outside time usually helps me too. I've actually been off all week, so probably I need to take some of that advice myself!
Sunday: Covid hit our household over the weekend, so Sunday was a fend for yourself situation
Monday: My family had frozen gnocchi from Trader Joe's, I went to my "Cook the Book" club at the library and had a wonderful variety of Indian food.
Tuesday: Husband still wasn't feeling completely well, so I ended up being the one to take the preschooler to her first movie. We had popcorn for dinner haha.
Wednesday: Preschooler's choice, she chose spaghetti and meatballs because "then it looks like real basketti" Apparently our usual meat sauce doesn't look like real spaghetti, who knew?
Thursday: Scallion pancakes and red bean buns from the freezer. We're trying to use up freezer stuff and not let it get too old.
Friday/Saturday: Leftovers
88 dollars Kroger pickup
First soup Sunday coming up! Chicken and rice with beer bread. Woooo!
Monday: leftovers
Tuesday: chicken tenders in air fryer. Steamed veggies. Big salad.
Wednesday: Mexican skillet ( random chicken black beans jalepeno onion and tomatoes cooked down with taco spice) over yellow rice. Tortilla chips.
Thursday: cereal and blueberries for supper yay!
Friday: dinner and a live show with a friend
Sat: grilled meats and football snacks
I was in France on a girls trip (got back on Wednesday), so I don't have details of what my at home people ate, but here's what I was eating:
Friday - we went to a rooftop restaurant in Nice, and shared a few things. The risotto was my favorite.
Saturday - we picked up to go pizza that a friend recommended, and ate that on our patio, with champagne we bought while on a champagne tour earlier in the week. We also had amazing gelato with it.
Sunday - I had roasted chicken & a beet salad at a lovely, tiny outdoor cafe.
Monday - we felt like Italian, so found the highest rated Italian restaurant in Nice. I will forever dream about the goat cheese honey salad & the pizza. We also finally had profiteroles for dessert, and the entire meal was incredible.
Tuesday - we flew from Nice to Paris, ahead of our flights home. We were staying at a hotel near the airport, and there's nothing to see in that area. We turned it into a "slumber party", bought snacks & watched movies in our room, after packing & prepping for our flight home. We did end up making our way to the restaurant in the hotel, and I was incredibly impressed by the food. The cheeseboard was one of the best I've ever seen, and a bargain at 12 Euros. The risotto was another standout.
Wednesday - flew home, so I ordered a salad delivery & ate some of that & went to bed at 5 pm. So jet lagged.
Thursday - I made an incredibly lazy dinner of Trader Joes orange chicken + salad.
Friday - both of my teens are going to homecoming, & my husband will be out of town. I'll likely find something out of the freezer.
@Hawaii Planner, that sounds like my ideal trip!
@Hawaii Planner, adding “go to France on a girls trip” to my bucket list!!! i hope you had a wonderful time!!
We had a busy week, lots of early mornings and late nights.
Saturday: We were at my parents' and I think we had salmon, but I'm not sure.
Sunday: We were at my parents again for a family party, and we had a big spread of lots of things that I didn't have to cook. Yay!
Monday: I was at a professional association meeting; they provided sushi. Mr. B and toddler had frozen pizza.
Tuesday: Mr. B was out; toddler and I had salmon, rice, and cucumber salad.
Wednesday: We roasted some chicken breasts and had something on the side.
Thursday: We had pasta with tomato sauce and leftover chicken.
Friday: I'm off today, hurrah! Not sure what we'll have.
I'm sorry to point out that you did NOT completely clean up your room. You left a cat out on one chair instead of putting it away.
Last week was not grocery shopping week, so I spent $0.
WIA: I got home later than intended some nights, so I stepped off plan a bit, but I managed.
I made West African Ground Nut stew using the recipe from a West African. It was okay, but since I couldn't add the hot pepper the recipe calls for, it was lacking the oomph that I'm sure the pepper gives it.
Cuban Picadillo from A Squirrel in the Kitchen. I ate the rest of it in lunches.
Leftover chicken from the freezer, roasted winter squash and... something. Spinach?
Once I ate a lunch sub so late in the afternoon that I didn't eat anything for dinner, I just snacked on some fruit.
I got home quite late one night so I made a quick sandwich of Lebanon bologna and cheese on GF bread, with a tiny apple and a banana as the sides.
Late again last night - I cooked eggs, heated leftover winter squash and cut up the very last of my garden's cucumbers in a cucumber salad. An odd mix, but I was fed.
Tonight I'm going to use a partial package of beef to make a recipe my daughter sent me, Garlic-butter Beef Bites. I will go shopping today, plus I will have two farm orders, so the grocery total number will be big again this week, I'm afraid.
@JD, I hesitate to think what it might take to put Chiquita away. The song "The Cat Came Back" comes to mind.
@JD, I have decided to play a version of "Where's Waldo?" with Chiquita. Every picture Kristen posts I look for her. I know she's hiding in plaint sight!
@JDinNM, "plain sight". Geesh...
All of your meals sounded great! Especially those kebabs. I do to figure out a more workable grill situation for next year. This week I had a plan and I followed it all but two days. Spent $137 at HEB, but I think that included non-food items.
Monday - The Girl and Scout came with me to Mom's funeral and we ate at a diner on the way home in the booming metropolis of Rockdale, Texas. One of the best chicken sandos I have ever had. For dinner I ordered pizza and pizza rolls from Double Daves, ate one piece of pizza, one roll, then fell into my bed!
Tuesday - I cooked some shrimp I found in the freezer, mini new potatoes with asparagus, and corn
Wednesday - Chicken in a Hurry, mashed potatoes, bbq beans
Thursday - Creamy Pumpkin Soup, bacon and cheese quesadillas (this would have been our 38th wedding anniversary)
Tonight- Turkey Scampi over Pasta, honey carrots (gonna feed myself a nice lunch today)
Saturday and Sunday - kitchen closed, but I have loads of leftovers in there to eat up
I'm not sad this week is over - it had its moments of terrible. I am looking forward to going back to my routine in all things!
@Gina from The Cannary Family, your anniversary dinner sounds delicious. I'm sorry your beloved is gone. My heart hurts for you.
I am fighting the desire to not post when I have spent more than intended on groceries.
$14 - Marshalls (Coffee)
$6 - Kinney Drugs (clearance snacks)
$16- Target (snacks and bars)
$57 - Wegmans (Produce, dairy, snacks)
$93 for me this week. Woops. The benefit is that a lot of this food should carry over at least a week, and maybe two. I am still working through some of my stores of food, but also apparently am craving fresh produce, and forever snacking. Ironic given how much produce I ate this week.
WIA
Saturday - Hot Dogs
Sunday - Ribs + Noodles
Monday - Pork Chops + something else. I think it was a day where I somewhat ate in courses between appointments. Probably pickled okra, or an apple.
Tuesday - Smoked turkey wraps (they had leftovers at work, and it was quite delicious and had lettuce so some nutrition)
Wednesday - Steak Tacos
Thursday - Ate at a work event after work, and had some apple and parmesan when I got home.
Friday - Dinner at my folks house if all goes to plan.
I am feeling fairly light on veggies this week. Luckily next week is a new week!
@ElbowGrease, I don't post how much I spend because 1. I have no idea most of the time, and 2. I am sure if I did know, I'd have to go have a good cry. Ignorance is bliss! My son does most of the grocery shopping for me and my daughter, if she's home, frequently orders Insta. They both use my debit card for family meals.
@ElbowGrease, I can't speak for others, but my "weekly" grocery spends are up and down, depending on whether I'm restocking or just filling in cracks, if that makes sense. So I'm trying to pay more attention to monthly, rather than weekly, totals.
Saturday - at my cousins wedding, it was delicious family style barbecue type foods: Cesar salad, brisket, chicken, baked beans, roast potatoes, corn bread and honey butter
Sunday - we got home from the wedding and hadn’t planned anything for dinner so got takeout sushi (udon noodles for the kids, we have them try sushi every time we get it but so far they still don’t care for it)
Monday - I hadn’t gone to the grocery store since we’d been gone all weekend, so I picked up a ready made meal from a grocery store near work on my lunch break. I then ended up needing to work late so didn’t need it anyways. Husband picked up some deli counter items at a grocery store for him and the kids and I ate a pb&j when I got home.
Tuesday - I used the ready made meal I’d bought the day before, it was Mac n cheese with chicken tenders
Wednesday - it was a hot day here (I know everyone else is ready for cool days but we don’t get many hot days here so I always enjoy them) so I packed a picnic dinner and we walked to the beach. It was a perfect beach evening, we really enjoyed it!
Thursday - Swedish meatballs (using Kristen’s recipe but I microwave frozen meatballs rather than making meatballs, to save time)
Friday - I have a moms night meet up so something fast, maybe beyond burgers for adults and mini corn dogs for the kids with some steamed broccoli.
This week I cooked:
- pulled-pork+potatoes+green beans
- mini naans pizzas (naans breads+tomatoes paste+spices+veggies and cheese)
- salmon Alfredo pasta (alfredo sauce +canned salmon +mushrooms+ zucchinis+peppers, on pasta)
- lasagna
WIS: I had a very long shopping list but spent only $15.97 at Albertsons for 2 cauliflower crust pizzas and a carton of eggs because I COULD NOT BELIEVE THE PRICES! So I went down the street to my little Neighborhood Walmart where EVERYTHING on my list was far, far, far less expensive. I spent $123.21 stocking up on everything from cooking oils to fruits and vegetables to selzer and tuna fish to organic corn and carrots to add to soups. So $139.18 (ouch!) but most of that was inventory replenishment (and less than $7 on dark chocolate – I swear!). And I spent a lot at Target – enough to earn a $15 gift card – on household stuff but I don’t include that with my grocery spend. Sue me. I may not have to buy another roll of toilet paper until 2024. (Remember when we couldn’t find toilet paper in the stores?) And if I do need more, I have a $15 gift card!
WIA: Popcorn with nutritional yeast because everybody was pushing that last week. Had to give it a try in solidarity with the Frugal Commentariat. Verdict: Excellent “nutritious” snack! Thumbs up. Would recommend. Also Korean Beef (made with last week’s half price ground chuck) with rice and heavily seasoned Brussel sprouts (IMHO they need all the help they can get); roast chicken with roasted broccoli and cauliflower; vegetable barley soup; frittata made with sauteed salad greens well on their way to their “past due” date. And strawberries for dessert – still a ton of berries in the stores.
Bon appetit!
P.S. Does everyone but me have an air fryer? Is it a worthwhile appliance? I really don’t want something else taking up counter space but people seem to really like them.
@JDinNM,
I don't have an air fryer! My sister and my daughter each have one, and they love them. I don't like the counterspace they take, either, which is why I still don't have one.
@JDinNM, I don't have one.
@JDinNM, no air fryer for me either, for the counterspace reason.
@JDinNM, headed to Target myself to do shopping, I too will be stocking up on toilet paper (most likely). Did you clip the 10% off total order & buy $25 get $5/buy $59 get $10 gift card on essentials (toilet paper, etc)? Those were part of the bonus specials this week.
@Regina, I keep the Target app on my phone and as I wander through the store I scan the offers for the things I need to buy. I should be more intentional and advance plan like you! It's amazing how much you can save. I did get the $15 gift card for "household essentials" like toilet paper and paper towels and dish detergent, etc. And (sneak peek!) in next week's installment of 5 Frugal Things I'll share how I used that stacked on top of other discounts and the 5% off for using the Target credit card (that gets paid off every month). Ta da! I felt like a magician at checkout.
@JDinNM, I love my air fryer. I avoided cooking fish until I got one because I could stand the lingering fish smell. Now we have fish more often. It is also amazing for reheating and roasting veggies!
I do not have an air fryer! I do own a toaster oven which has an air fryer setting, but it's probably not quite as good at that as an actual air fryer. But like a lot of other readers, I lack the counter space for an air fryer.
@JDinNM, I don't have one and don't plan to. I've lasted 64 years without one and figure I'm good til the end. However, I did just splurge on a high-end compact breadmaker, so I guess I'm an inconsistent gal when it comes to gadgets.
@Geneva, it's the roasting vegetables that's pulling me in. The oven just doesn't seem to get them "crisp" enough without reducing them to charcoal. And this is definitely roasting season!
@JDinNM, No air fryer here. I already have a crockpot, a rice cooker, and a lovely toaster oven in which I can fit a 9x13 pan--and literally no counterspace/storage for anything else.
@JDinNM,
When we got our new oven, we got one with an air fryer setting and it's amazing! We love it! My husband still occasionally uses our regular air fryer that sits on the counter when he wants to make a smaller amount of something-usually as a midnight snack. This air fryer is actually our second air fryer because we used the first one we had until it stopped working. I guess you could say we are definitely votes in favor of the air fryer...
@JD, I bought a Cuisinart air fryer/toaster oven last year. It's not great for toast but we use it almost every day for cooking. Like 2 homemade enchiladas for dinner tonight. They were hot and cooked in minutes with no waiting for the oven to warm up. I used the bake dial, not air fryer for them. I cook mainly with it instead of my conventional oven and won't be without one now, even though I miss the counter space it takes.
I think air fryers can make a lot of sense for small households! Same for toaster ovens.
So glad you are feeling better, Kristen. A clean room, a walk and some organization can do wonders.
WIS: $90 and some change, but $20 of that was stuff for our adult son to supplement his meager food budget.
WWA: Meatloaf, baked chicken thighs, turkey-black bean-veggie chili, and the old standbys of fresh veggies, grapes, apples, tangerines, crackers, cheese, nuts, and protein shakes. Mini ice cream sandwiches and popsicles for desserts.
There was one inexpensive meal out at our favorite Tex-Mex place after I spent the day on the phone doing my duties as executor of a relative's estate. I count that meal as a mental health expense. 😀
WIS: $156 @ Walmart
WIA:
Sat:
Sun: I pulled two quarts of spaghetti sauce from the freezer added some extra ground beef and we had spaghetti for dinner with a green salad and garlic bread. Chocolate chip cookies for dessert
Mon: Leftovers
Tues: Porkchops in the crockpot and jasmine rice - sadly no veggie on this night since I had a late workout and my husband was left to serve dinner
Wed: we had church so we grabbed takeout at a local bbq spot
Thurs: Pot Roast in the crockpot with potatoes & carrots, jasmine rice on the side because I was lazy
Fri: Leftovers
We had a crazy week, so I didn't do much cooking (shame on me).... I spent $20 on takeout and $28.97 at grocery store.
Friday: my nephew got married so they served a taco/fajita bar at the wedding. It was a hit.
Saturday: we were at camp. We had ham steaks, seasoned potatoes, asparagus
Sunday: my neighbor fell in her driveway at 4 pm and I ended up taking her to the E.R. since her husband had just left to go out of town for the week. I had a few slices of pizza that my daughter bought for us due to the circumstances.
Monday: Hubby worked a double, so I had 2 homemade buns with peanut butter on them. I had been waiting for him to get home & eat late, but he ended up working til 12:30 am
Tuesday: Hubby and I were both too tired after work, so I used a gift card I got 2.5 months ago for my birthday and got takeout (I only spent less than $6 OOP)
Wednesday: I had a late work meeting and hubby had a late eye doctor appointment, so I heated up some chicken bites in oven, served with french fries and applesauce.
Thursday: Hubby and I and a few of his co-workers went to visit another of his co-workers who has been off work for a few months due to a broken neck. We got tacos on the way home at 9 pm.
Boy oh boy! I will do way better next week.
@Gina, no shame in having a busy life and sometimes that means you forgo cooking and just get fed! And your week sounds frugal in the meals department, so good job. (:
Kristen,
Glad you are feeling a little less glum-me too! Work has been driving me crazy but my daughter and I are meeting a close friend at a craft class tomorrow and our weather is spectacular right now so it will be a great weekend.
Things we ate:
Friday- takeout pizza
Saturday- I don’t remember
Sunday- White bean soup with garlic toast
Monday- honey garlic beef, steamed rice, roasted broccoli, garlic toast
Tuesday- chicken ravioli w/ red sauce, broccoli, garlic toast
Wednesday- burrito bowls w/ shredded chicken, black beans and veggies
Thursday- tostados using ingredients from yesterday
Friday- flatbread pizza, salad
I’m away on business for 3 nights next week so I’m sure my husband and daughter will get be tempted to get takeout but I’m going to leave good choices in the fridge so maybe they won’t go the takeout route.
Glad you are feeling better. Whenever I have days where I’m angry, depressed, or overwhelmed, I try to remind myself that it will pass. Tomorrow is a new day. These bad feelings can’t last forever.
Monday we invited my vegan niece and her children over for dinner, so I made cauliflower curry over rice. I served some leftover chicken legs for the meat eaters.
Tuesday shrimp tacos and coleslaw.
Wednesday spaghetti with meatballs.
Thursday crock pot chicken enchilada soup.
Tonight is a date night for me and my husband, so the kids will fend for themselves!
Glad you're doing better today.
What we spent--
Subway $20
Legos $53
Pretty much been at home except for appointments (so used little gas) & walked if needed to go out. No new job prospects 🙁
What we ate--
I'm trying to get back into writing it all on calendar (did for years before divorce/moving) which helped a lot when needed info. Plus my tax guy laughs at me when I bring in my last year calendar to look up info & sees dinner on each day.
● Subway (3 footlong subs/teen eats 2)
● pizza (teen)/baked potato(myself)
● meatballs
●shredded Rotisserie chicken with sweet potatoes
●grilled pork chops with garlic mashed potatoes
●breakfast (pancakes with maple syrup & bacon
●ate 2 large pumpkin pies throughout week (snack/dessert)
● not sure about tonight yet, headed out to do shopping/errands.
Professional curiosity - when you are practicing injections are you practicing on models or real patients/other students? I run professional development workshops in the healthcare arena and I just find the different out there models so amazing!
Friday: September Birthday Dinner! My FIL and I both have September birthdays so the family gets together for one big dinner to celebrate (we do the same in April for my husband and my MIL since they both have April birthdays). My MIL is not an adventurous eater so we settled on an easy win for everyone, a tried and true fried chicken restaurant that never disappoints and is always delicious.
Saturday: Date-Night In. Leek and Potato Soup and homemade focaccia bread. I used the NYT Cooking app for the soup and I got the best laugh because nowhere in the recipe does it say when to add the potatoes. This does not go unnoticed in the comment section. I took an educated guess and the soup turned out wonderfully.
Sunday: Acorn Squash Macaroni and Cheese
Monday: Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps
Tuesday: American Style Goulash
Wednesday: Leftover Night
Thursday: Husband and I attended an event, my son was supposed to have leftovers but he was too caught up with video games and forgot to eat.
So, we have these little squares that are meant for practicing. Ours look a lot like this: https://www.zoro.com/remedy-paddy-small-injection-pad-dark-inj-sp-01d/i/G904194598/
Thank goodness we don't have to practice on each other!
So glad today is a better day. If everything feels out of control for me, I do the same as Kristen, make my room beautiful and make the bathroom spotless. A little Lavender and Chamomile in the diffuser is my special treat.
Big week of painting the house and prepping inside for many guests.
Sunday - bbq chicken, new potatoes, fresh peas & apple salad
M- BLT, cucumbers and onions, fresh cookies
T - Volunteered at the community resource center Taco Soup & cornbread waffles
W - Breakfast for dinner
Th - Freezer Enchilada Meatballs, beans and rice, fresh corn and tomatoes
F - Late lunch w/friends, probably will eat fruit if I get hungry
Sat - Guests - Mississippi Pot Roast, grilled veggies, homemade artisan dutch oven bread https://www.theseasonedmom.com/dutch-oven-bread/
Slab apple pie and ice cream
I’m new to your site! It was recommended by Jo, and I haven’t figured out if you are a young out of high school student or a young mom with two daughters? I’ll figure it out some day. I am a farm wife (53 years) and so this time of year can be kind of crazy. We raise soybeans and corn and no livestock. We live in iowa and there is a freeze warning tomorrow. Jay was kind of wishing for 95 and windy this morning, ha!
So our meals in the evening this week were…went out for pizza on Monday (our 53rd anniversary), Tuesday I attended and meeting which is calls ‘Sewing for Missions’ and it was our annual meeting so we had mission speakers and we all brought salads to share so Jay and I had left over taco salad, Wednesday taco salad, and Thursday taco salad. Exciting right? Tonight it will be fish….maybe. Jay is a guy that can eat the same thing everyday and never get tired of it. Well, enough is enough. I enjoy your blog.
Hi Joy! I'm 45, and a returning college student, getting my RN. I raised four kids, homeschooled them, and I just have the youngest (my 17 year old) here at home with me now. And I am currently navigating a divorce.
So glad to have you here!
@Kristen, the "young" part is a key compliment, ha!
"Uh, yes, TOTALLY right out of high school."
It's been so busy around here that dinner has been suffering. We finally have cooler weather today, so I am ready to bust out the soups and such next week.
Monday - Beer Butt Chicken and roasated veg (our last day of vacation)
Tuesday - Brats and Beans (eating out of the pantry because we didn't shop while on vacation)
Wednesday - Went out with friend (DH had leftovers)
Thursday - Cottage cheese w/salsa and chips at 9:30pm (had exercise class than a CPR/AED training after so got home WAY later than normal)
Friday - BLT's with cucumber salad (Last of the garden tomatoes & cucs)
Glad to hear that you're feeling a little better!
This week I hit up a big store-brand sale at a local place, plus got some clearance items at both that local store and then today at Meijer. I'm feeling quite a bit more encouraged about grocery spending right now. This week we ate:
Saturday: My husband and I went out on a date. We dropped the kids off at my parents' house, then went to dinner at a place that's an hour from our home (but not terribly far from my parents) and got seated right next to some friends of ours! It was such a fun surprise to be put there out of all of the tables at the restaurant. As for the food,
I tried poutine for the first time and had pulled pork on top.
Sunday: Pizza and a movie night. We went to the zoo in the afternoon and it felt like a real win to make dinner at home.
Monday: Cheeseburgers, tater tots, and California mixed veggies. I had to do some parenting of big emotions for the hour before dinner, so I was thankful for the tots and veggies in the freezer for a Plan B to make a faster dinner.
Tuesday: Rice and bean burritos, then for dessert my husband brought home a couple of little pies from a work event and we had those with vanilla ice cream.
Wednesday: IP mac and cheese, grapes, and peas. It was me and 5 kids for dinner (my 3 plus 2 friends) so the meal had to be quick, easy, and kid-friendly.
Thursday: Pork chops (a clearance purchase from the morning) with corn casserole and chocolate pudding. I bought a half gallon of milk for 50 cents that morning that was dated 10/6, which was great until I got home and realized that the half of the gallon we still had in the fridge was also dated 10/6. So we had pudding for dessert and I changed my Friday dinner plan...
Friday: Creamy chicken noodle soup. I found a recipe that uses 5 cups of milk (whoo hoo!) and I had a couple of chicken breasts that needed cooked up anyways. Perfect! If I get around to it I'll make some rolls or bread, too.
Some combination of apples, cotton candy grapes, golden kiwi, raspberries, blackberries, strawberries and pomegranate were served with the following this week:
Saturday: Spanikopita (spinach pie) for me and zucchini bake for the rest of the crew
Sunday: Take out pizza (took care of lunch for a few days too)
Monday: Taquitos + guac for the kids, throw together salad and granola for us
Tuesday: Garlic Chili Noodles (my goodness, so delicious)
Wednesday: Rice, dahl, and indian flat bread
Thursday: Refrigerator clean out (grain bowls, left over spanikopita and indian food)
Friday: Out to dinner to celebrate daughter's taekwondo belt test. We'll let her pick.
A cow was slaughtered in the village, so we bought 5 kilos of beautiful beef.
- I pressure cooked some of the beef into a roast type meal with potatos, carrots and leftover corn from one cob. I made a simple gravy and served it with your choice of rice or bread.
- Fish soup sauce over rice.
- Chicken and rice burrito bowls.
- Lentils and rice.
- Sandwiches
I’m so glad you got to see your Hawaiian adventurer! I hope that things continue to look up and you keep finding the good. Happy Friday 🙂
@Caitlie, also!! I’m adding those kebabs to my menu! Quick, new and protein! I need more quit tasty protein In our rotation!