WIS, WWA | $125
First, one of you asked what recipe I used for the chicken lo mein that I packed in my lunches last week: I used this one from Chef Savvy. I mainly follow the recipe, except I use more chicken and veggies and fewer noodles.
What I Spent
I spent:
- $90 at Aldi
- $35 on our Mother's Day food
So, $125 this week, which is way better than the $255 I spent last week.
What We Ate
Saturday
This was a work day for me, the one where I was the circulator and walked almost 20,000 steps.
I know I ate my packed chicken lo mein for lunch, and I'm fairly sure I just ate a quick bowl of cereal when I came home!
Sunday
It was Mother's Day, of course, but Zoe and I both had homework to do. So, we just got some takeout salads from a local restaurant and called it good. 😉
Monday
I worked and I packed a sandwich for lunch.
I ate a very late lunch because my day was nuts, so I just had a fruit and yogurt bowl when I got home.
Tuesday
I had a work shift (it was another ham sandwich day!), and I had a bowl of cereal when I got home.
Wednesday
I tried making Marry Me Chickpeas with cannellini beans instead, and I do think I prefer that! I also used spinach that I'd tossed into the freezer, and that worked out just great.
Thursday
I was off, but I had a rather late lunch, which happened to have 55 grams of protein. So, I wasn't terribly hungry at dinnertime, and I just heated up a frozen Aldi burrito.
Friday
It's Friday, so of course it's a work day for me.
By Friday, June 5th, I will have worked 13 out of 15 Fridays! However, I don't really mind; my unit needs Friday nurses, and it's not like I have big Friday night plans at this stage of my life. 😉
Anyway....I had scrambled eggs, toast, and an orange for breakfast, I'm eating leftover Marry Me beans for lunch, and I probably will have some kind of uninspiring dinner. Ha.
Maybe Cheerios.
Happy weekend everyone!
Saturday: Potato and spinach frittata. I think I had garlic bread on the side.
Sunday: Veggie stir-fry with black beans
Monday: Succumbed to takeout!
Tuesday: Chilli mac and cheese
Wednesday: Leftovers
Thursday: Burritos with mixed veg, brown rice, black beans and sauce
Friday: I'm going out after work so undecided - possibly pizza.
Sophie, your lineup sounds delicious, as always. Do you follow a recipe for your chilli mac and cheese?
Thanks MB! I use this recipe:)
https://www.budgetbytes.com/cheesy-vegetarian-chili-mac/
Wow, that sounds amazing! I love Budget Bytes. Thank you!
We'll be away for the weekend, and the catsitter aka eldest prefers to not be responsible for any foods in the fridge.
I just sliced and froze some organic lemons and once they can be put in a bag I will clean and freeze some leftover leek and bell peppers. I cleaned the fridge with soda water and it has not been this empty since pre Christmas.
This week we had lasagna, sole, salads on several days, beef stew with three vegetables (and local strawberrys for dessert) when our kids came over for dinner, broccoli soup and pizza.
Tonight will be defrosted leftover macaroni and chicken cacciatore and perhaps some apples as a side. Or we can take the apples with us this weekend. Two pears for morning oats/yoghurt tomorrow and then all fresh greens and fruits have been accounted for. Very gratifying.
Have a good weekend all!
This week I ate lots of dry-brined chicken! DH learned this technique and has perfected it. Just salt, pepper, rest time, and baking to proper temp. (I make it sound easy but idk how to do it yet and need to learn!). Bagged frozen Aldi chicken breasts come out to perfection. Awesome to have this main ingredient for my meals ready to go. Highlight meal was the chicken with sauteed onions and peppers, muenster cheese, then broccoli and avocado on the side.
Also great for meal salads or bowl-style meals kinda like Chipotle offers. Or shred and put on sandwiches. He seasons thr chicken neutrally so it can adapt to whatever style of meal!
Saturday: My daughter and I went on an adventure to town to do a Walmart stock-up and then stop at one of the farther of our parish's mission churches on our way home for their once-a-month Mass. So we had Sonic in town before Mass, and my husband made omelets at home.
Sunday: I make my own Mother's Day food, because I like my own food best. But I always make something ahead so I'm not actually cooking on the day. This year, that was Frito pie, which I love but rarely eat given it's not exactly health food. I made the chili the day before, as well as the cheesecake bars (Smitten Kitchen recipe) we had for dessert. I had also made some strawberry-rhubarb sauce for those who enjoy fruit on their cheesecake. I do not, but it was appreciated by those who do.
Monday: I found one of the roosters we butchered at the bottom of the freezer, so I cooked that by just simmering it until I could pull the meat off. Then I used that and the chicken stock to make chicken and rice with caramelized onions. We also had asparagus and green peas.
Tuesday: Tuna patties, mashed potatoes, green salad with vinaigrette, Mexican wedding cookies for the disgruntled middle schooler who had lots of standardized testing this day. Everyone else got cookies, too, of course. Incidentally, I realized when I had already started the cookies that I was out of the powdered sugar I would need to roll them in. So I made it for the first time and learned that blenders are the way to go when attempting to powder sugar. The food processor didn't work.
Wednesday: I was the FFA awards dinner with my two eldest, who are FFA members. It was at the restaurant in town, which put out a big Mexican buffet. Those at home had leftover chili.
Thursday: Lamb steaks, leftover mashed potatoes, asparagus or still-frozen green beans
Tonight: I really need to make a dent in the many eggs in my refrigerator, so I think a Spanish omelet. I'm sure there will be some sort of vegetable, but it probably won't be too inspiring.
My moyth always waters when I read your menu!
Thanks! I have not felt inspired to do anything very exciting in the kitchen lately, so it's lucky that I have such good ingredients to start with. It makes it easy to make things taste good.
Did you make the new raspberry swirl bars? Did you like?
No, these were the older recipe for "cheesecake bars with all the berries." They're very good, although I do increase the sugar a bit in the sour cream layer on top. And I made a nut crust for them instead of graham cracker crust, both because I never have graham crackers and because we had a guest who doesn't eat gluten. I like the nut crust better anyway.
Roche Bros $27.87
Market Basket $85.20
Elks Club $24
It has been a lazy cooking week and I had some evening programs. So I stopped a t market to find something for DH. They had Asian Bowls 4/$20, usually $8.99. I thought I would try them. I have been looking at some quick recipes for lo mein and other Asian-style recipes. Now I have an idea for them. I would like a little more sauce though.
Friday: Leftovers
Saturday:
Sunday: Mother's Day at daughter's house
Monday: Asian Bowls from Market
Tuesday: Bridge work has been making me late gettilng home. Asian Bowls from Market again
Wednesday: Went out to lunch with friends at Elks Club and brought home a Watermelon Salad for dinner. After I finished mowing the lawn, decided on quick left over from Asian Bowls because I had a zentangle art class.
Thursday: Watermelon salad from Elks Club--it was huge and we have leftover for Friday with whatever I make.
As it turned out, that $12 take out watermelon (loaded) salad from the Elks Club lasted 2 people 2 dinners (the 2nd dinner being as a side); but boy was that a big salad with a lot of "stuff" in it for $12. Very fresh ingredients.
We are finally back home, after being away for several months, and still in the process of getting settled. It was a real pleasure being in my own kitchen again this week! WWA:
Saturday - I made falafel from scratch and we had them in pita bread with chopped veggies and tzatziki
Sunday - friends and family came over for grilled steaks, potato salad, Caesar salad, and ricotta cake topped with whipped cream and strawberries
Monday - meat and cheese sandwiches, green salad
Tuesday - low energy day, so we had individual meat pies (from my freezer stash)
Wednesday - DS25 and DS28 were over for a chicken and veggie stir fry with rice
Thursday - my eyes were dilated (by ophthalmologist) and DH was exhausted, so we had A&W hamburgers
Friday - it’s quite cold and rainy today, so it’s looking like dinner will be pork chops, egg noodles, and green salad
Happy (long in Canada) weekend to all
Happy Friday, everyone! We spent $57 at Target.
- Eggplant parmesan
- Broccoli, mushroom and rice casserole
- Salad (mixed greens, chickpeas, radishes, raisins, walnuts, homemade croutons, homemade vinaigrette)
- Popcorn and cuties
- Mac 'n' cheese and broccoli
- Veggies and dip
- Veggie-tofu spring rolls made by husband, this time with cellophane noodles added inside
My schedule was insane this weekm, which results in non frugal meals. Sometimes dinner looks like this, too.
Sunday - 10 hours car ride home from memorial service - Chipotle burrito in the car.
Monday - Roasted fish from fish share, roasted potatoes, and salad. A home cooked meal!
Tuesday - Canned soup and ham sandwiches after two sports practices.
Wednesday - Honey nut cheerios and half a smoothie before a floral class (515pm), a frozen waffle with peanut butter after the floral class (830 pm).
Thursday - Chicken Shwarma bowl from Mezeh, eaten on the bleachers at baseball practice before driving to a softball game. My first time at Mezeh and the veggie portions were great - highly recommend if you are looking for a veg forward bowl. The boy got Culvers in between and the husband/daughter ate at home before softball.
Friday - Dinner out to celebrate a friends engagement.
I am very much looking forward to more home cooked meals next week.
have a nice weekend everyone. i did not get the last two posts in my inbox. glad to see this one today. I missed thankful thursday but i am grateful to be feeling much better now than i was.
I didn't spend anything on groceries this week -- or on restaurants or takeout, for that matter!
On Saturday I attended a wedding, and my main meal was at the reception -- and boy, was it good! Roast beef sliders, mushrooms stuffed with crab meat, brie and pecans, shrimp, all kinds of sides and platters. Cupcakes instead of wedding cake.
Sunday was Mother's Day and I had another great meal, this one cooked by my son and grandson. Panko-crusted salmon, Marry Me shrimp, roasted asparagus, egg bites, and strawberry layer cake for dessert.
On Monday I had leftovers from my Mother's Day dinner.
On Tuesday I had an everything bagel with cream cheese, dried mango on the side.
Wednesday: an olive-cream cheese- walnut sandwich.
Thursday: Creamy Mac and cheese, carrots.
Today I'll have more Mac and cheese, because I made too much!
WIS: $116 @ Food Lion
WWA: For DH: salami sandwiches, ham sandwiches, cheese, fruit, sweet peppers, and an array of spendy gluten-free snacks. For myself: hamburger-vegetable soup eaten with crackers and cantaloupe. Vegetarian burger with tangerine. Dessert this week has been chocolate pudding and gluten-free Oreos.
WIS: $26.30.
WIA: Chicken and steak fajitas. (Did you know you can buy freezer bags of pre-sliced onions and red and green peppers? Sure speeds up making fajitas.) Thin cut sirloin steaks with smashed roasted red potatoes and roasted asparagus. Chicken Caesar Salad wraps. Been trying to up my protein intake.
I spent about $142.00. My weekly average seems to be ranging between $120 and $180 as of late.
I can't remember the order of my meals as I'm going from memory, and for some of them, it was leftovers the next day. I bought a new cookbook "Sheet Pan Everything" by Ricardo (Canadian) because I wanted easy one pan meals. This was a birthday gift to myself as I was sent a 20% off coupon for the bookstore, and I just haven't seen the book at the thrift stores.
(Sheet pan) Nachos - these were totally awesome!
(Sheet pan) Chicken Wings and cauliflower with honey-mustard sauce - also totally awesome!
Eggs for dinner, with kolbassa and Tasti Taters.
(Sheet pan) Fish and chips - not so great, I prefer my usual tried and true recipe.
(Sheet pan) Pineapple chicken - it was good, not as great as the first 2 recipes above. Leftover for a second meal.
And for tonight, I have a wee bit of leftovers which I will throw onto an everything salad.
Wishing everyone a happy weekend! The SUN is out! (i.e. a break from the relentless rain).
Could you share the recipe for chicken wings and cauliflower?
Hi Gretchen, According to the front blurb in the book, it is an infringement of copyright laws for me to post this recipe.
His website is ricardocuisine.com. You will have to select English, as he is French. Select chicken. I did not see this recipe, so what I will say, is that if you can get my email address from Kristen, I will send it to you privately. I hope that helps somewhat.
Ooooops forgot to select notify me if anyone answers my comments.
I'm going to check that book out. The library has it available. I like to see books before I decide if I really have to buy it. One sheet cooking may make me happy. Dinnertime has become a stressful time for me as it is all up to me from the beginning to the end. Each day I can feel tension growing in my body as it comes to dinnertime. I like food. I like to cook. But lately that has gotten in the way.
I hear you on doing all the cooking... me too. I am in a bit of a cooking slump, so anything that can help me I'm all for it. Though going forward I'm going to hand off everything for HB to BBQ outside (too hot to use the oven for the summer), I will make the salads. (That being said, I bought another cookbook about salads, called "Every Salad ever" by Greta Podleski (Canadian). I've only glanced through the book but it looks promising.
A little caveat (from me) about Ricardo's cookbook. He is a chef, so therefore it seems to me that he uses a really large sheet pan. I have to use 2 of them for everything to fit on, I use 2 of the smaller size ones, I measured them, they are 17" x 11" (that includes the lip on the sides). They both fit on the (middle) rack in the oven, mostly which he uses. Wishing you the best.
Saturday: takeout.....fried chicken, mashed potatoes & gravy, coleslaw & biscuits
Sunday: scalloped potatoes & ham, bread
Monday: leftover chicken & some chicken patties, mac n cheese, cottage cheese, garlic bread
Tuesday: leftover scalloped potatoes & ham, pickles
Wednesday: chicken salad on croissants, chips
Thursday: polish sausage, garlic alfredo noodles, peas
Friday: hubby is having pizza with our kids & I'm on my own...undecided for me...
A simple sandwich is fine with me sometimes. A while back I made sliders from a Pinterest recipe I had saved. They were wonderful and fetus for several days. I'm going make those in the coming week. Your lo mein sounds yummy. Another one to try!
I got off easy this week with cooking and shopping. I spent $87 at Walmart.
Sat – Crock-Pot beef and broccoli over ramen noodles with egg rolls.
We have family in from out of town for Mother's Day and the week following so dinners will probably be a little random.
S – family spaghetti dinner at another relative's home.
M – chicken and veggie dinner at relative's home.
T – for just me – leftover beef and broccoli at home. My husband and some of his family went out of town for a few days so I'm on my own. I I had dr. appts I didn't want to change, so I didn't go with them.
W – for just me – hot dog on a bun with mustard, onions and relish.
Th – I made a family dinner of Mexican lasagna, black bean and corn salad, cucumber salad and garlic bread.
F – probably leftover Mexican lasagna.
Oops, wish there was a way to fix typos on here. The sliders fed us for several days, I meant to say!
We are still very much in our cook once, eat multiple times phase. It started when the kids were little & it basically saved us on week nights. Now it's just how we do things, and is helpful when I'm working late or going to a workout class, etc.
We had
Friday - no idea
Saturday - chicken fajitas
Sunday - DH made a glorious zereshk polo (Persian rice dish) with beef kebabs & yogurt sauce
Monday-Thursday - a combo of the above was eaten for the rest of the week
Friday - not sure what we are having. Maybe pot stickers & chicken
I'm also a big fan of cooking a few times then having leftovers the other nights. Less work!
*DH does shopping since I am non ambulatory and we go over spending every week but don't always remember but is usually around $75 food for week.
M- Leftovers from Mother's Day brought by daughters- pulled pork buns, slaw, daughter made baked beans and strawberry shortcake
T- Boiled eggs, half pimento sandwich, pear salad
W- chicken salad made by DH and cheesy popcorn puffs, small green salad w/homemade thousand island dressing, apple sauce
T- Don't remember
F- Salmon patties, pea salad, green salad, homemade herb dressing for lunch today
Hope all have good weekend!
*Dr. has me on more protein so am not eating as many veggies now
Friday: We had some old T-bones in freezer so husband experimented with smoking them, a friend dropped off a bag of morel mushrooms which we sauteed, and rounded the meal out with mashed potatoes.
Saturday: We had prepaid for a dinner back in February but the restaurant closed to protest ICE the day of our reservation – we were finally able to reschedule and enjoyed their Forager Dinner. Lots of plates of ramps, fiddle head ferns, mushrooms, wild sorrel, nasturtium – things that can be foraged this time of year. My favorite bite was a spruce tip focaccia!
Sunday: We hosted my parents and my grandmother for Mother’s Day dinner. My husband made smoked salmon, lemon dill rice, and sauteed sugar snap peas. My dad brought over lemon bars for dessert.
Monday: I picked up Culver’s on my way home from a day of volunteering so I didn’t have to cook before taking my son to practice. My husband stayed at the event for dinner.
Tuesday: The boys had leftover salmon with whatever side they could find, I had cheese and crackers on my way to watercolor class and a bowl of soup when I got home.
Wednesday: Stadium food because we attended a concert that started at dinnertime. When we got home close to midnight my son had just taken a frozen pizza out of the oven (he had just got home from a game) so I stole a couple of slices.
Thursday: BBQ Chicken over baked potatoes (the only thing on my planned menu that actually worked out!)
The cannellini Marry Me beans look delicious!
Saturday and Sunday we spent at a friend's house in the English countryside, where the meat was sourced locally:
-Roasted venison, baked pasta, salad, and roasted portabella mushrooms for me as I don't eat meat
-Slowcooked lamb, roasted potatoes, green asparagus, and cannellini beans in a yummy sauce for me. For pudding we had meringue with whipped cream and berries.
Monday: Flying home, so airplane food for dinner.
Tuesday: Pasta in tomato sauce, pork (breaded lemon black pepper tofu chunks for me), and green beans.
Wednesday: One-dish meal of chicken thighs on a bed of pearl couscous with bell peppers, onions and carrots, with chickpeas and parmesan as well.
Thursday: Smash burger takeout from a food truck that came to our neighborhood, we also made a green salad for a side.
Friday: Since we did takeout yesterday I think we will eat at home, probably similar to Tuesday's meal but with small boiler potatoes instead of pasta, and whatever veggies/meat we have on hand.
I love Marry me cannelinis, they are my fav and so silky & creamy.
WIS: $6.20 on milk
Super frugal, make do kinda week. We need a big restock run to the big city, but mom was having issues, so we stayed home. My cousin picked up milk for me.
Mother's Day - Pizza party, garden salad bar, Sunday Sundae bar
Mon - leftover pizza and green salad
Tue - grilled sausages, sauerkraut, fried apples
Wed - lamb shanks, cabbage and onions, oven fried potatoes and rhubarb strawberry crisp.
Thursday - grilled elk steaks, kale salad, cauliflower steaks also grilled. Mom had ice cream.
Friday - High school dinner theater
Saturday - wedding
I’ve been following the blog for about 12 years. I love that you no longer have to spend extended periods of time in the kitchen making breakfast lunch and dinner for everyone . I’m still in the thick of it. Looking forward to a season where I can just eat cereal for dinner, too, and have all that time back .
Do you have a link to the marry me beans?
The Marry Me Chickpeas (but white bean) looks delicious!
I had chicken burritos on repeat this week (rotisserie chicken for the win!). I am trying to up my protein and this is an easy way.
Wednesday was pumpkin curry (I make it with acorn or butternut when I'm home. I think 'pumpkin' loosely means hard squash here).
Last night was pad krapow (minced pork with basil and an umami sauce) with fried egg over rice. Cucumber on the side.
One night was pb&j and my gosh how much I missed peanut butter- it's quite expensive here, so that is definitely a splurge meal ha!
Oh! And I've sorely been missing baking (for the treats but also because I just really enjoy baking). I stuffed some of my prized peanut butter in dates and topped with dark chocolate chips and I can confirm it is delicious.