Groceries.

I'm going to be busy making muffins, breakfast burritos, cookies, granola and a whole lot more. I didn't buy cereal again today. It really does make for a bit more work for me. In fact, I'm not entirely sure why I think not buying cereal makes a big difference. I've obviously got it on the brain and I'm not letting go.

I stuck to my list today - so far so good. Hopefully I've got enough there to keep everyone full and not whining about the lack of granola bars and snacks; by "everyone", I mean me... The total food expenditure for today was $104.34. Without a doubt fresh food is far more expensive than frozen and snack food - and the kids tend to eat more of it. I swear my boys will have the two bags of apples and all those bananas gone by Friday! Drives me nuts.

As a side note: I'm looking for a good Masala Curry Sauce recipe. Anyone out there have one?

Edit: I have since made these muffins from Smitten Kitchen. I haven't tasted them but they look exactly like the picture - so YUM! Also from Smitten Kitchen, these lovely looking peanut butter cookies of which I've already eaten 3. I'm not a big fan (3 and I don't really like them. what if I did?) they're a little dry and bland. I think I'm more partial to the sugar/butter laden ones that stick to the top of your mouth. Lastly, I also whipped up a batch of these chocolate breakfast muffins. TO DIE FOR! And not just for breakfast - especially if you add a little oat bran, flax seeds and walnuts - then they taste just like brownies! For an extra special treat, don't sprinkle with sugar at the end... instead... wait for it... use a sprinkling of coarse sea salt on the top of each. Oh, yes, yes, I did....

Shopping Extravaganza

This trip was a mild $73.94. Don't get excited... it gets worse...

I then remembered that I forgot to get olive oil (yes, there's some sort of oxymoron thing going in there). $19.74 later I have olive oil ($2.29) and a few other items I probably didn't need.... darn it. Not only that, but later I remembered that I had forgotten to buy Parmesan cheese and went to Trader Joe's to get some (again). Trader Joe's is like crack to me. CRACK! Yah, so $26.26 later (tater tots, scones, fondue, chicken bouillon, cheese, tortellini, ravioli and olives - extra large) I walked out of TJ's. Double darn. So, if you were keeping track or had a calculator handy, you'd realize that this weeks total- which started at a mere $73.94 - is now $119.94.

The boys are on break next week so I'm hoping aside from a gallon of milk and a bag of apples I won't have any other reason to spend money on food. Famous last words....

This weeks menu:

Monday: Pasta with broccoli, olive oil, garlic, pine nuts and zucchini served with bread and cheese. Thank goodness for bread and cheese...

Tuesday: Grilled cheese sandwiches, tater tots and yogurt. (see Mondays reference to cheese and bread)

Wednesday: Rice with tofu, baby corn, carrots, edamame and egg.

Thursday: Meatloaf with potatoes and squash.

Friday: Nachos - beef with green chilies, the leftover rice from Wednesday, carrots and onion. Cheese on top. Fresh salsa (tomatoes and onions chopped with olive oil, salt, pepper and lemon juice). Plain yogurt.

Saturday: Roast chicken and orzo with olives and shredded cheese and tomatoes.

Sunday: Chicken tortellini soup.

So when should I expect you?

Once upon a Sales Receipt...

Way too many cans of tomatoes and one too many bags of Tortillas. But all in all a pretty good trip to the grocery store - $108.72. I got everything on my list - aside from toilet paper, dishwasher liquid and dish soap (those I got from Target and I had coupons and a gift certificate). I think I could probably stop buying those Dannon drinkables - yah, that's not going to happen... At some point convenience has to come into play. I used the eggs and the tortillas to make our breakfast burritos! Thanks Robin - I think I'm addicted to them...
You may have noticed the box O' wine in the first picture and here it is even bigger! I hadn't tried this before and I'm feeling like I'm saving the environment just by buying it (made with recycled materials...). It's even good. That's an added bonus! Not listed in either pictures is the 12 Blue Light my husband has already broken into. Beer doesn't last long in our house. If you've got a recommendation for a good cheap beer I'd love for you to share it.

Monday. Blech.

Today was pay bills day. I hate pay bills day. It sucks. I do it once a month (we only get one check a month anyway) and that day is usually the one day I'm in a really crappy mood. Today was a little different however; today was also grocery day. So, I paid bills in the morning and then went on my grumpy ass way to buy the weeks worth.

And you know what happened? I put A LOT of stuff back on the shelf or just walked right by it. Cookies? No. Cereal? No. Snacks for the boys? No. It was great - almost liberating. With the Christmas break (yes, it's almost February but it takes me a long time to break a trend) I got out of the habit of making things for the boys. Oh, sure I'd make the odd batch of granola and I still make tons of meals at home - from scratch (no boxes are usually hurt/opened) but I was relying on granola bars or store bought cookies as snacks for my kids. I even purchased the ol' 4/$10 cereal specials. I shake my head at myself.

Now, first, let me say that there's nothing wrong with that per se but I notice a difference in my mood (as with lack of exercise) and the moods of my children - Mr. S is especially susceptible to a sugar and processed foods - ie. he gets down right ignorant. With more grains, real fruits and veggies and less processed food we're all completely different people. I'm sure there's some study somewhere that backs me up... I'm not getting on a high horse believe you me, last night we ordered in pizza! (Note: Papa John's has a special 2/$20, Large and it's not bad - not great - but not bad)

And with that I'm happy to report that my grocery bill was only $67.90 today. Don't get too excited for me - I forgot sugar. Crap. That's a good $5.00 right there. I've got quite a bit of stuff sitting in the pantry as well (dried fruit, different flours, dried beans, etc). Right now I've got cookies baking, cupcakes cooling, a mixed fruit filling ready for date squares and sweet bread ready for the oven. That should last until the kids get home and eat them all.... Darn kids.

Last weeks groceries.... a grand total of $119.69 and I had a gift card for $50.00! Yippee.. I went a little crazy - what you don't see in the photo is the 2 (yes 2) 12 packs of beer. Some things are justified!

This weeks bill came to $87.41. Those pumpkins are freakin' expensive (3.99 - yikes). I did go to Whole Foods today as well ($37.63) just to get coffee and go sampling with E! Problem was we both liked everything we tried. Darn samples.

It took me a week to get my computer up and running again. I could have used Mr. A's but I dislike (hate is such an ugly word) loading my grocery pictures onto his work computer. Nothing like giving a talk to a bunch of academics and having your wife's grocery list pop up! Not that it's ever happened or anything....

Has anyone else noticed that it's getting harder to keep the grocery bill down. I've found that things are getting a little more expensive lately. I'm not sure why that is (no rain? too much rain? too much oil being spilled...) but it's starting to irk me. Luckily the Kraft Caramels are the same price or else I'd be livid. It could also be that I'm having a hard time getting motivated to make items from scratch. Could it be the lack of large junks of time? 2 hour snippets every now and then just doesn't seem to cut it.

I haven't been buying wine lately either. Frick. I knew there was a reason I'm grumpy these days (no PMS has nothing to do with it). I know what your thinking, "Where's all that beer?" It's gone. One case was a belated gift for a friend and the other one can't be expected to last longer than a week. It's just unrealistic.

I seem to have a lot of questions this week. Just noticed that. Who has the answers? Tomorrow I'll give you a list of what's for dinner this week. As for now, I haven't made it up so I can't post it but I can tell you tonight is Beef & Barley soup night. I made a roast in the crock pot last night with a side of sweet potatoes and corn. The temperature is starting to drop and I have a feeling my crock pot is going to be extra useful this year!

My Monday in pictures.

These are the grocery bags I brought in and emptied. Then I realized I should have taken a picture of everything that was in them... oops... Trust me, they were full. Very, very full. I'm hoping that next week all I have to buy is milk and flour. Cross your fingers 'cause there's not much left in the bank account for anything else!

Probably because I bought a LOT of this kind of stuff! It's summer and around here that means there's going to be snacking - and more snacking and probably not a real meal to be found. I try to keep our 'snacks' fairly filling so you'll notice theres bagels, nuts, carrots and tortellini's on the menu. The kids aren't yet aware that most of this is good for them and if any of you tell them you're going to be in trouble!

I just threw this picture in 'cause I was sooo happy to find this in my garden! The peas are up and producing and E and I are eating them faster than any thing. I don't think they'll make it into the house but who can get mad at a kid eating raw peas?! The squash plants are in full bloom now too. The backyard is a sea of yellow flowers. With any luck the squash borers won't get at the plants and I'll be able to have a boatload of goodness. I'm currently battling the slugs - they're winning...

Dinner Menu for the week.

It's been raining quite a bit. There's a lake in my backyard. It seems that there's always a lake in my backyard. I really have to work on that rain garden. It's a might bit soggy over there...

Luckily, the rain stopped long enough for E. and I to walk/run/skip/jump downtown and go to the local farmers market. Today was "Go Green Day". I love our little town and all their little gimmics to keep us all happy.

I didn't spend a whole lot, never really do and that's one good reason to shop locally! The potatoes you see were the same price as the bars of soap ($1.00 for both). The soap is made by a place called Marvin Goods. It's glycerin and so far it seems lovely. No scent, pure glycerin and rain water! Fabulous! If you interested you can email them at: clanmarvin@gmail.com and remember it's only 50 cents a bar. I'm also looking into rain barrels from a guy who lives down the street. They deliver and each barrel is $70. Not too shabby.

I'm hoping the plants I got will make it to the fall. There's rosemary, eggplant and a black pepper plant. Cross your fingers! I'm dreaming, dreaming, dreaming of veggie lasagnas and caponatas - as I watch a squirrel dig through the herb garden. Darn squirrels.

Anyway, I ramble... Here's this weeks dinner list. I'm not sure what order they'll be in. Tonight might be roast chicken but I'm currently feeling a little sluggish so it could be nachos and cheese instead...

1. roast chicken, rice and asparagus (from the market today).

2. pizza w/ chicken, spinach and camembart cheese.

3. lentil burgers with salad (lettuce from the garden, shredded apple and carrots).

3. quiche with ham and spinach (also from the garden).

4. chicken soup w/homemade bread (I'm putting flax seed, sesame seeds and sunflower seeds in the bread in hopes of lowering A. and my cholesterol levels).

5. chili

6. baked potatoes with chili and cheese.

And that should take us to next Saturday - market day. The first week in June is the first day of our new Tuesday market! Oh, I'm so excited. Until the garden comes in it really does make it easier to have two market days. I go through a ton (TON) of eggs in our house. I asked the local egg lady if they are going to be at the market... they don't know yet though they are really hoping to be. They make an awesome chicken chorizo. Mmmm.... hungry yet?

Groceries.

Alright, so I didn't actually go get groceries today and with any luck I won't have to go any time this week. I did however make a trip on Friday and spent $65.60 on stuff like ice cream and coffee creamer. I'm a little relaxed - chillin' out and all that...

Actually, I've got tons left over from last week and all I really needed was yogurt, wraps and milk. How I ended up spending more than 20 dollars remains to be seen! I think it might have been because I was hungry or because I thought that the english muffin sale was just too good to pass up. I may have also taken upon myself to keep the dairy farmers in business. I'd really hate for them to start feeling the effects of the recession.

So for your reading enjoyment, here's the list (yah, just a list today) of what went into my reusable bags:

Ice cream cones - sugar variety
Klondike bars (4) - 100 calorie each!
Edys frozen yogurt
Yoplait yogurt. Nothing nutrious at all in these ones.
Silk almondmilk (I'm trying to lower Mr.A's cholesterol)
Baileys coffee creamers - vanilla and original flavour - NEW and yummy!
Gallon of skim milk
Old fashioned oats - time to make some more granola
Unbleached bread flour
Cage free eggs
English muffins - cinnamon and whole wheat
Flour tortilla - omega 3 variety
Boathouse Vanilla Chai Protein Juice.
Bananas
Cored Pineapple - cause it was on sale and my kids will eat it.

Sunshine in a bottle.

Even if your head feels like someone hit you with a shovel and your eyes are sealed shut and there's crud gushing from your nose (ie. you have allergies), this little jar will make you smile. Spread it on a good piece of toast (don't waste it on Wonderbread... ick), grab a nice hot tea and enjoy.

And yes, I went to Trader Joes' last night. I spent $20 on Lemon Curd and bread (there might be a few more items in there...). I can't find my receipt and I didn't take a picture. I also have no ambition to go to another grocery store this week - none - none - none. The menu for this week was so boring I didn't feel I could justify using a whole blog day for it. There's a lot of turkey sandwiches, turkey soup and just reheated turkey. This is not an apology. I'm PMSing and if you didn't get it from the above, I'm in full fledged allergy mode. Translation: I'm ready to annihilate anything within 100 meters.

Groceries and Dinner Menu.

It must be Monday. It's a big week here - our Papa is coming to visit (A.'s dad) and Nana is flying in for Easter weekend. That means the grocery bill is going to be a little bigger than it has been (one more trip later on in the week for the turkey). Brace yourselves.... note: I had a second picture of the groceries and for some unknown (at least to me) reason I can't load it.

Today's shopping trip was $98.35. Yikes. I did buy cereal (see it way in the back) just in case our visitors aren't big on homemade granola and breakfast burritos. And I've got a lot more fruit there than I would normally have. I think on Friday I'll have to get the bird for Sunday. I can't do it sooner as our fridge is a side-by-side and it's impossible to fit a turkey in. All good - it'll be fresher that way anyway.

Dinner Menu for this week:

Monday: Tofu with peanut coconut sauce (I'm leaving out the spinach), brown rice and steamed brocolli and cut up Mango (I was going to use the Mango for Sticky Coconut Rice but maybe next time).

Tuesday: Beef Stew and No Knead Bread.

Wednesday: Cheesy Casserole (recipe given to me by Stacy).

Thursday: Pork Loin, roasted potatoes, yams and carrots.

Friday: Stuffed Clams (I bought these ready made) and rice pilaf.

Saturday: Night out! I think this is going to be a family outing. Each time Papa and Nana come to visit we usually stay home and relax. I thought this time we might actually show them some of the sights Columbus has to offer... maybe German Village for some Schnitzel?

Sunday: Turkey Day! Happy Easter Sunday. Besides the lovely bacon wrapped turkey (is there any other way to cook it?) we'll have: stuffing, potatoes, asparagus, carrots, beets and of course, cranberry sauce. Mmm... yum.

It's Monday!

I'm feeling a might bit refreshed today. I blame it all on the viewing of Twilight and New Moon at my friend Melissa's last night. Nothing gets you all revved up and ready for the week like a half naked werewolf and a sparkly vampire. (Hee hee hee - giggling like a school girl)

So, I've already got the walnuts roasted with some of that honey you see above (add a dash of cinnamon and a pinch of allspice and your taste buds will be all a flutter). There's also a loaf of Kitchen Sink Bread in the oven - as it contains almost every leftover veggie, fruit and the ends of old cereal. E.'s munching on his lunch of nuts, pears and yogurt so I've got about 5 minutes before he's asking me for something else...

Here we go... today's shopping extravaganza was $78.68 until I noticed I forgot 2 cartons of eggs on the side ($5.98 for 2). All in all I'm feeling pretty good about the suppers this week and I might not have to think too hard about what's going to go in the lunches. I've still got a few odds and sods to pick up but I'm going to see if I can get by without them; if not, there will be another picture popping up this week.

Dinner List:

Monday: homemade pizza - toppings are the leftover taco meat from last week (mixed with cauliflower and carrots).

Tuesday: Soba noodles with broccoli and peanut sauce.

Wednesday: Roasted Cauliflower Soup with soda bread (I'm roasted the cauliflower at the same time as making the Kitchen Sink Bread).

Thursday: Breaded tofu sticks, potato salad and steamed honey carrots.

Friday: Pasta salad - farfalle noodles, feta, cucumbers, olives, cauliflower (this makes enough for all of us to have lunch on Saturday).

Saturday: lamb burgers and salad. The salad will be made from any cauliflower, broccoli and/or carrots I might have leftover from the week. If I've got none then it's homemade french fries. What would you prefer?!

Now, off to do that laundry that keeps growing. I might even get some granola and burritos made! The skies the limit. Seriously, all it took it Bella slamming into a bolder and I was done (oh, you know what scene I'm talking about)!

The sun will come out....

Not shown in the picture is 2 bags of red potatoes. But there seems to be an awful lot of twizzlers... not sure where that ranks on the necessity scale...

After I posted on Friday it rained, and rained, and rained. The backyard was a bit of a mud pool/lake/swamp area and the clouds were dark and dreary - and thus, so was I. The sun is out again today and I still can't get over how much that effects my moods. I'm a melanopsin study waiting to happen!





Due to the rain and aforementioned depression, I missed the market on Saturday. I ventured out Sunday and got most of the groceries for the week. Grand total: $88.60. That's going to go up.... I haven't bought wine yet! And yes, the breakfast burritos are on the menu (hence the eggs & the potatoes)! Have a good one - I'm going out to enjoy the sun before the clouds come back again.

Grocery Day!

3 bottles of wine = one happy Tracy! I've tried them already - the sun was out, I was happy, it couldn't be helped. Honestly, you can't go wrong with a naked redhead on a motorbike, really, it's always a crowd pleaser. The Mad Housewife - who wouldn't want to try that out?! However, if you can, please refrain from buying the Chardonnay. I'm not sure if they've got a better one but this one made my face do funny things. So, read the little quip on the back and then, put it back on the shelf. Spend your $5.99 on House Wine instead or put it toward the redhead (usually priced at $9.99).

This was yesterdays shopping. Grand total of $67.29. Now, before you freak out (Kristi), keep in mind I went to the market on Saturday and I had leftovers from the 'other' shopping trip I had to make Saturday morning (remember last week when I said I had to go back for a few essentials?). And notice I've got 2 more bottles of wine?! They were on sale! At $2.99 a bottle they just couldn't be passed up and if they're better than the Mad Housewife then I'm going back for more. For goodness sake, that's cheaper that 5 buck Chuck! I'll keep you posted - they had tons (and if you buy a case you usually get 10% off - I wonder if that works for sale items)!

Market Day total = $28.98. *sigh* The eggs are the best buy. Farm fresh, free range, organic eggs - $3.00/12. The Cheddar Curds are not, but darn it they are good! We couldn't pass on the blueberries and at $15.00 a bucket I'm not feeling bad about it. I see pancakes and muffins in my future... maybe even crepes with blueberry sauce....

This was a bit of a whopper shopping trip. $48.21 on veggies and wine - sounds like a party doesn't it?! Well, it was. Happy Birthday goes out to Stacy! Her husband organized a WONDERFUL 40th b-day party for her on Saturday and most of what is pictured above was placed on a platter with some dip and now sits in Stacy's fridge. Hee hee... Great party - there was even a naked redhead (I never get tired of saying that).

And now, the GRAND TOTAL for food for this week is: $144.48! ACK! I'm okay, really, I'm fine. You'll noticed that there's a few items that I'll be able to stretch into next week and maybe even the next (I've already started planning next weeks menu). I'll post my menu for this week later on today but for now I feel I should go pay attention to E. I'm not sure how much Mario Kart one kid should play but for him, it's a LOT! Have a good one. Enjoy the sun!

Update: I'm going back for more of the Merlot! The Oak Creek (Californian) at $2.99 a bottle is a freakin' steal. If you like Charles Shaw (no one really does, we're just cheap) then you'll LOVE the Oak Creek Merlot. I'm having some right now and though I probably wouldn't serve it at an elegant dinner party (though, really, do they know the difference anyway) it's certainly good enough for me and my friends (that's saying a lot actually)! It's not awful (like the Mad Housewife - oh, maybe that's what she was mad at...), it's not going to blow you away but for a meal during the week or an afternoon on the patio it's delightful. So, buy up ladies!

Groceries and a New Addition.

That's it. Nothing too spectacular this week - if fact, it's starting to feel a bit monotonous. Flour, sugar, milk, cheese, yogurt - apparently we like milk products and we're definitely a carb based family! I've got the basics and the grand total for today was (are you sitting on the edge of your seat in anticipation?): $69.23 . Feeling quite proud of myself for that. I did have $7.00 in coupons today and I only use coupons if it makes the price of the item lower than the lowest identical product. Don't get too excited yet though - I already know I've got one more food trip this weekend. Shouldn't be more than $20.00 however, so I'm still in budget for the week (which I'm hoping is under $100).

Now the other thing I thought I'd add in this week (giddy with excitement?) is "What I make my kids for lunch". You know, just in case you thought I was getting away with buying this food only for dinners or something. Much to his dismay, S. hasn't bought his lunch once this year. I did bring McD's in to share (treat) and to spend the lunch hour but really, that was it. This is a big deal apparently for kids - he feels he's the only one to bring lunch E-VER-Y-DAY! I'm sure he's not... sort of... okay, I'm not.... The thing is, the lunches at school are awful (see photo above) - except for the French toast/omelet day. I'd be all over that. What is 'Cook's special'? How about a week of Cheese pizza stix, corn dogs, popcorn chicken and hot dogs? How healthy is that?! Ick. What really, really makes me chuckle is the "SAVE MONEY: EAT SCHOOL LUNCH" at the bottom. It's $2.60 a day! That's $13.00 a week or $52.00 a month! Yah, amazing how it adds up isn't it?

I also did a little googlin' (oh, how I love googlin') just to see how other kids across the nation are eating. It's not good. There's a lot of chicken stix out there - who knew? I did come across this one site and just by the lunch menu alone I want to attend this preschool - in all fairness, it's in France and if there's one thing the French know, it's food! As an aside, if you've got time, check out her pics... it'll make you *sigh*. So, here it is... this is what I'm feeding my kid these days for lunch. It's not great either but I'd like to think it's a heck of a lot better than whatever chicken fryz are.

Monday: Lunch: Squash/banana bread with apple butter (2 pcs), orange slices, rice krispy squares. Snack: graham crackers.

Tuesday: Lunch: Chicken noodle soup (homemade from last nights supper), granola bar (also homemade - recipe from SmittenKitchen), orange slices and homemade apple crisp. Snack: pretzels and cheese (we had some leftover - he's going to be soooo excited).

Wednesday: Lunch: Crackers and cheese slices, yogurt, orange slices, squash/banana bread with apple butter. Snack: granola bar.

Thursday: Lunch: Mac & Cheese leftovers, yogurt, pineapple/coconut muffin (on the list of thing I have to make), an apple. Snack: almonds (just plain).

Friday: No school. Probably just going to make leftovers or a grilled cheese...

Now wait a second before you go! I'd like to just say that I'm not trying to get on a pedestal here or anything. You feed your family whatever you can - we're all just getting by - I get that. I'm on that budget/Lent thing and I've also found that S. really responds to what's going in and so I'm trying to make a conscious decision to make sure he's getting enough nutrition and not a lot of stuff I can't even name and quite frankly, isn't even spelled right. He's a picky kid (in a good way... sort of...). He likes his lunches to be different and he likes to be able to see what he's eating. It's my fault. I accept responsibility.... sort of...