WIS, WWA | Instagram vs. Reality

What I Spent

Before we get to the spending…you know how people on Instagram do those Instagram vs Reality side-by-sizes, showing how easy it is to look good just by posing?

Well, here is the Instagram level version of some fried chicken I made (SLR photo):

And here’s a less glamorous version (a phone photo):

Same food, different photos.

So, just a reminder not to compare the food you put on the table every night to what you see on food blogs. If you had a food photographer documenting what you make, your dinners would probably look pretty darn attractive.

On to the spending!

First, I dropped $111 at Aldi.

And then I needed some things at a non-Aldi store, and I spent $90 there.

That puts me at $201 for the week. But, since I didn’t spent much the first week of September, I’m still on track for $150/week for September. 

September Grocery Spending

Week 1: $99

Week 2: $155

Week 3: $201

What We Ate

Saturday

I had virtual book club, so we did not do our usual date night. Instead, we got takeout subs for all of us from Firehouse.

I always put in my phone number for the rewards, and now I have enough points for a free medium sub next time.

Sunday

I tried two new recipes from a Cook’s Illustrated issue:

• Japanese fried chicken (what you saw at the top of this post)
• Parker house rolls

 

The two really do not go together at all, but hey, no one here cared.

The fried chicken was really good, and not too messy or difficult, as fried chicken goes. I liked that it called for chicken thighs instead of breasts; cheaper and also easier to not dry out.

Monday

I tried a Cook’s Country recipe for spaghetti carbonara, and I don’t know quite what I did wrong, but I had trouble with the eggs cooking too fast. They’re supposed to make a creamy sauce, cooked just by the heat of the pasta, but my eggs clumped up.

Also, I have decided that I just prefer the taste of regular bacon over pancetta. Pancetta doesn’t taste as good to me, and it costs more anyway.

So, if I try this again, I will cool the spaghetti a bit first, and I will use bacon in place of pancetta.

Tuesday

I did breakfast for dinner because I had some buttermilk to use up. 

So, I made buttermilk waffles topped with whipped cream and fresh peaches from my box of bruised peaches.

In case you were as slow to realize this as me: whipped cream is actually a lower-sugar alternative to syrup. And it feels more decadent to me.

Whipped cream and fruit trump butter and syrup for me every time. And if it’s less sugar, well, even better!

Wednesday

I grilled chicken sausages, which we ate on toasted buns.

For sides, we had a green salad and some potato chips.

Thursday

I tried a recipe from the latest Cook’s Country for chili over rice, topped with cilantro-lime crema. 

This was easy, tasty, and I will definitely add it to my rotation.

Friday

Well. My new oven is installed, so maybe I will give it a test run and see how it does with pizza! 

Here’s how I make my pizza.

What did you eat for dinner this week?