September seems like a sudden change, doesn’t it? 
It’s not the like weather magically shifts on September 1st, but somehow, turning the calendar to September makes it promptly feel like a completely different season.
Even if you ARE still wearing shorts at first.
What I Spent
I spent $21 at the grocery store where Lisey works, buying some odds and ends for Joshua’s birthday dinner on Saturday night.
(Gyros! Plus carrot cake. I use the recipe in this cookbook and it is marvelous.)
I also spent $65.04 on the same day at Aldi, buying these groceries.
I got my $25 Hungry Harvest box on Saturday (lots of organic stuff this week).
On Monday, Joshua picked up a container of buttermilk ($1.79) when he went to get Lisey from work.
And on Wednesday when I got Lisey from her shift, I picked up soy sauce, bean sprouts, grapes, limes, and cilantro for $8.59.
My total is $121.42, which is a nice low start to September. Whee!
What We Ate
Monday
I pushed the easy button! I sent Joshua out to get buttermilk and I made a big batch of these buttermilk waffles. I also thawed some local sausage and cooked it in a cast iron skillet (such lovely browning!)
I cut up some of the Asian pears from my Hungry Harvest box too.
Tuesday
We had a very random night. Joshua was gone for dinner, Mr. FG had a late lunch and wasn’t hungry, and same story for Lisey.
So, it was really just Sonia and Zoe and me. I’d made homemade pitas* for the gyros Joshua requested for his birthday meal (which was on Saturday), so I spread tomato sauce on those, topped them with cheese and baked/broiled them to make mini pizzas.
*not to be snobby, but store-bought pitas resemble shoe leather, in my opinion. WHY ARE THEY SO TOUGH? And they’re expensive to boot.
I also cooked up some broccoli from our Hungry Harvest box.
Wednesday
I made Shrimp Pad Thai, and we had more Asian pears (which, you know, seemed kind of fitting with Pad Thai!)
Thursday
Mr. FG and I went out for a bite to eat after music rehearsal, and the girls ate cheese tortellini with alfredo sauce, plus broccoli.
Friday
It’s not hot! So, homemade pizza it is.
How’s your September grocery spending going? And what did you eat this week?
P.S. I bravely did a Facebook Live video yesterday for the first time. I don’t think I can link directly to it, but you can see it on my Facebook page.
Also, the free cleaning concentrates offer from Grove is still going on. Order here.
Suzan Warnes
Wednesday 13th of September 2017
Our last week was very strange. My daughter has had a pregnancy filled with hyperemesis gravidarum. I watched her get sicker every day. On Thursday night she had her last vomit and had a quick labour of five and half hours that went too fast for pain relief she had a tiny baby girl. Mia weighs just under five lbs and is now home. So hopefully after 37 weeks of nastiness I am hoping the dear daughter will be eating better.
Kristen
Wednesday 13th of September 2017
Ohhh! Congratulations! I am so very happy that your little granddaughter is here and healthy, and that your daughter is feeling better. I had hyperemesis with all four of my pregnancies, and I felt immediately better after delivery. Like, I was even able to eat the hospital food.
I hope your daughter has her appetite back. Give her my congrats!
WilliamB
Saturday 9th of September 2017
FG, have you considered used buttermilk powder for baking? I find that the baked goods (including CI's waffles) come out just as good, and you can keep the powder a long time. Put it in the fridge after you open it, unless you want the powder to cake something awful.
Monday - Annual neighborhood potluck.
Tuesday - ribs, carrots & tomatoes, fruit smoothie (strawberries & bananas frozen from previous excesses, peaches & melon & oranges that were beyond their prime).
Wednesday - Dimsum, watermelon, spinach & tomatoes.
Thursday - Hard, late day at work; so smorgesborg.
Friday - Taco movie night: taco'ed ground beef, romaine, salsa, cheese, taco flats; strawberries.
Saturday - Dimsum surimi, spinach. Had lots of watermelon at an afternoon pool party.
I'm finally making visible progress clearing out my deep freezer. I'm down to a couple of weeks of proteins: a smoked chicken, 1 meal of chix thighs; 2 meals of sausage; 2 meals of hot dogs; 4 meals of shrimp; 3 lbs ground meat; 2 meals of ribs. The "other stuff," however, (such as the 20 lb stash of butter, and enough smoked pig parts of a year's worth of bean cooking) will take longer to use up.
Jessica S
Sunday 10th of September 2017
See I totally disagree. I have tried buttermilk a few different times.. The lemon and vinegar works in a desperate pinch.. but if I am really wanting to make something fabulous that calls for buttermilk I am going to make sure I buy the fresh stuff and enjoy it!
Sometimes I score big at my local discount outlet and get a half gallon for a buck fifty or less.. then I will be all about all buttermilk baked goods !!!
Kristen
Saturday 9th of September 2017
I've used it in the past, but it seems to me to be more expensive than regular buttermilk. Though admittedly, I haven't done the calculations!
Also, I use a whole quart of buttermilk to make waffles for my crew, so I felt like I went through the powdered stuff awfully quickly.
I can totally see the appeal for something like biscuits, though, which require less buttermilk.
Cindy
Saturday 9th of September 2017
Monday- Meat loaf, baked beans, lettuce salad
Tuesday- baked chicken, brown rice, mixed veggie
Wednesday- Pepperoni pizza
Thursday- Strawberry Field Salad at Culvers
Friday- Ham sandwiches, potato chips, fruit
BooksNCooks
Saturday 9th of September 2017
The nasty cold that my daughter had when she visited us last weekend is slowly wending its way through the rest of the family. I finally came down with it at the end of the week--hence, the take n bake instead of the homemade version I'd planned! :-)
Sat: dinner out with friends
Sun: lemon pepper chicken and orzo, green beans
Mon: burgers, corn on the cob, potato salad, strawberries
Tues: saucy Italian sausage orzo w spinach, cornbread
Wed: pancakes, grapes
Thurs: creamy tomato pasta w spinach
Fri: take n bake pizza
Petey
Friday 8th of September 2017
My usual boring entrees...it cooling off but not cool enough to cook fall season foods..very ready for the season to change. Going to browse and find a vegatable beef stew to put together this week or next. Doing a good job with taking leftovers for lunch...zero food waste this week.
Monday-- Shared an entree with my husband at a fave local restaurant . (My Excuse for Eating Out? Its a holiday!)
Tuesday- Baked Chicken Strips/Brocolli
Wednesday - $5 Burger night !! No cooking! No Dishes! ( My excuse, ummmm..Lazy?.. And its Fun!)
Thursday-Baked Chicken Thighs, Rice Pilaf (for him) and green beans
Friday -Soft Chicken Tacos with Pineapple Habenero Salsa