What I Spent
I made a trip to Aldi, where I spent $86.
And then the next day, because of my pork mistake (See Tuesday in the section below), I went to Harris Teeter and spent another $32.
I also got a Hungry Harvest box, and it cost $20 instead of $25 because I had a $5 order credit from when something was wrong with a previous order.
So, my total this week is $138.
Which means I am continuing my streak of unusually low grocery spending in January. Yay me!
January Grocery Spending
Week 1: $101
Week 2: $59
Week 3: $138
What We Ate
Saturday
The girls ate Chick-Fil-A while Mr. FG and I got Potbelly, which we ate while watching Law and Order. 🙂
Sunday
Local takeout night: we tried a poke and ramen place nearby, and it was good; we’d definitely order from them again.
And I was freshly reminded how much I love soy-marinated eggs!
The servings were very generous; we all had leftovers for the next day.
And for some reason, we drew cats on the lids of our leftover containers.
Monday
I made grilled teriyaki chicken over rice (a Cook’s Country recipe that uses boneless chicken thighs), and we had raw produce on the side.
This recipe makes quite a bit, but the leftovers are really good for lunch. So all is well.
Tuesday (the day the pork went wrong)
Well. I tried to make pork tinga with rice. But I carelessly picked up pork loin, not pork butt at Aldi.
(WHEN will I learn to be more careful??)
By the time I realized this, the pork loin was cooked to chewy oblivion. You can’t bake pork loin for two hours any more than you can bake chicken breasts for two hours!
I was pretty frustrated with myself, but I:
- removed the leathery pork and threw it out (seriously inedible)
- saved the cooking sauce
- went to the store and bought a pork butt
- also bought two bags of ravioli, because pork butt takes a long time to cook
So, we had ravioli and jarred sauce for dinner. And at least I hung in there and didn’t get takeout.
Wednesday
I made pork tinga and rice, this time with pork butt. Ha. That worked out much better.
Apologies for the dark photo! This is more delicious than it looks.
We had raw produce and applesauce on the side of our pork and rice.
Thursday
I tried a Cook’s Country recipe for brioche rolls and a Cook’s Illustrated recipe for smoked and pulled chicken.
Surprise, surprise: raw produce on the side.
I think I shaped my rolls too flat; they are definitely supposed to be taller than this.
But, this is the sort of thing you learn when you try a new recipe. There’s always next time to get it right!
Friday
I’m at the end of the meals that I planned out, so today I need to sit down and plan the next seven nights of food.
I sort of feel like making French bread pizzas tonight, which would be nice and simple.
a curious reader
Saturday 16th of January 2021
Saturday - we had takeout from a new sushi spot. Barely a 2 min walk from our apartment and the sushi was great! Sunday - whole chicken roasted in the oven (!!! it fit !!! ). We roasted some tomatoes along with the chicken and had it on ciabatta. Monday - leftover chicken sandwiches Tuesday - vegetable soup with orzo and white beans Wednesday - pasta with pancetta, eggplant, onion and carrots Thursday - Tofu and ground pork, loosely inspired by Mapo Tofu. It was my first time not ruining the tofu I tried making! Friday - takeout dumplings from another spot down the road. This is resuming a tradition we had before the holidays.
Samantha
Saturday 16th of January 2021
I love these posts! They always give me new ideas for dinner.
Sunday- I worked and had leftover pasta and salad. My family had takeout burritos.
Monday- Pan fried chicken breast with mushroom/wine sauce from America’s Test Kitchen. Boiled Yukon gold potatoes. Sautéed kale and skillet carrots from the Orangette blog (my family’s favorite cooked carrots).
Tuesday- Veggie stir fry with tofu, noodles and a fried egg on top.
Wednesday- Take out Pho (Vietnamese beef noodle soup).
Thursday- Homemade pizza with raw veggies on the side.
Friday- Raviolis and salad
Saturday- Not sure yet. I have a lot of veggies in the fridge. I may make soup.
Thanks for sharing!
priskill
Saturday 16th of January 2021
Must try the Tinga!
Friday -- Take out from neighborhood Thai -- Yum :) Saturday -- big salad with chicken breast Sunday -- Homemade chicken soup from thighs, veggies, potatoes-growing-eyes, etc. Monday --Last of the chicken soup, green salad Tuesday -- Stinky Fish From A Can Day! Wild-caught red salmon (most fragrant but tasty) and a little marked down can of Portuguese mackerel that was very mild. Plus a green salad kit that came with chicken (on sale) Wednesday -- Husband microwaved chicken breasts on bone and it was delish! with brown rice and steamed broccoli Thursday -- 2nd green salad kit that came with chicken, plus leftover chicken Friday -- Ah, treat night and my choice -- Mexican from a neighborhood place -- chicken flautas for me and steak for husband. Plus ice cream and a bottle of half-price beer.
Happy Weekend to all!
Becca
Saturday 16th of January 2021
F: foccacia w onions, peppers, tomatoes and cheese, mixed greens salad S: leftover foccacia and salad S: turkey tacos, salad M: pasta carbonara (bacon and peas), salad T: Brussels sprouts, rice, eggs, salad W: shrimp fried rice, corn poele, salad T: leftover fried rice, warm mustard greens salad, butternut squash au gratin, salad F: foccacia with olives, tomatoes, peppers, mushrooms and cheese, salad
Holly G
Saturday 16th of January 2021
This week I made a ham and bean soup with the bone my mother in law dropped off with the leftovers they shared from the Christmas dinner we did not attend. We had fish tacos to use up some red cabbage and kale and I used more of the kale (seriously this bag was huge) in a chicken alfredo pasta. Next week's meal plan is already made: pasta e fagioli soup, salmon patties and a pork loin with roasted brussel sprouts and sweet potatoes. There's only the two of us so I tend to make 3 meals a week and we either get take out or eat something from the freezer if needed to fill in any gaps.
Kristen
Saturday 16th of January 2021
Haha, sometimes those bags of greens seem to expand in the fridge!