What I Spent, What We Ate | Mostly a March week

I'm thinking of having an "empty the store cupboard month". It's a good way of using up all those things that you use once then lurk in the back of the cupboard for all of eternity. And when you need them again, they're usually out of date, so you buy again, and the cycle goes on...

Not sure I remember all the meals from this past week but here goes:

Taco salad, spaghetti, Italian wedding soup with grilled cheese, turkey burgers and dogs with coleslaw, pizza and maybe a stir fry? Tonight the plan is either quiche or frittata with sausage and salad.

Spent about $190 this week which is fairly average. Bought a few splurge items such as steak for homemade jerky, snack foods that are completely extras like Barbara's cheese puffs (um, yum:) and then I spent extra on the final winter CSA to load up in beets, potatoes, apples and carrots.

Spring Break is over and DS#2 wasn't happy about it. He enjoys relaxing. The week wasn't terribly busy so here was my dinner menu: mon-leftover chicken, mashed potatoes, homemade bread tues-leftover chicken,spinach, bananas & strawberries w/cream wed-chicken potpie (using boxed pie crust/frozen veg/can of cream of chicken/leftover chicken) thurs- jersey mike's turkey sub, bacon pretzels and a cookie fri- beef stew (freezer) and homemade bread

Monday - leftover stuffed pasta shells from Easter; I made peas and carrots to go with it. Tuesday - quick takeout from Whole Foods: shredded pork, mashed potatoes. I made a green salad Wednesday - chicken and cheese sandwiches on sourdough bread, broccoli Thursday - chicken noodle soup at Panera, with a cookie (had a salad earlier that day) Tonight - tuna melt with diced onion, celery, tomato, avocado, and a bit of cheese

Ate out twice this past week, just wasn't up to cooking every day for just myself. Still I'm doing more menu planning, using up leftovers, and saving money!

My week has been crazy. My mother was admitted to hospital. Most unexpected and at the time quite dramatic. I am sure that a tv show would have great fun producing a version of it as I had my father with me who is blind and has advanced Alzheimer's disease. Mum was quite ill and dad was very confused and the restaurant was so very small. She is on the mend now but I have eaten so many sandwiches bought at the hospital canteen that I feel like a lump of bread.

I know I spent about $140 (Aus) but much of that was toiletries etc.

I understand about potato. If I never saw another potato meal in my lifetime I would not notice. I have grown to dislike it as a plain vegetable, mashed, fried, scalloped, roasted, chips, salads and even as gnocchi. My family find it amusing that almost every meal I prepare it for them and then force myself to eat a little of it. The joys of being a three generational household.