Last week, I was all, “Oh, probably next week our eating will be more normal!”
Readers, I severely underestimated what it’s like to move at the end of a semester. And this was not a “normal” move by any stretch of the imagination.
Suffice it to say: it was still a weird week!
And honestly, living here is still going to be weird in a sense, even when we get settled in. I have never really lived on my own; I lived with my parents and three siblings until I was 19, and then I got married.
So, this is the first time I have been the sole adult in the home.
Also a point of adjustment: right now, there’s just Zoe and me here, since Sonia decided she did not want to move from the family home*. I joke with Zoe that she and I have become the Gilmore Girls…at least, until Lisey comes for the summer.
(*In case you are concerned: please trust that Sonia’s ok. She’s 18, she’s free to make her own choices, she’s got a car, she can choose to switch between homes any time she wants, I still see her regularly, and we chat every day.)
Anyway! On to the topic at hand: food.
What I Spent
I spent:
- $25 at Lidl
- $21 at Chipotle
- $155 at Aldi
So, $201. But this is obviously not a representative week; I was starting with a basically empty pantry! I am quite sure it is not going to cost $200 to feed Zoe and me each week. 😉
What We Ate
Saturday
Our last night at my parents’ house and my goodness, I do not remember what we ate. Last Saturday feels like months ago! I’m guessing we had a salad, though. 😉
Sunday
This was the day Zoe and I moved into our rental, and we made a quick trip to Aldi to get some food. I was not in any shape to cook dinner (and my kitchen was not even vaguely unpacked), so we picked up bowls from Chipotle and ate them in our disorganized living room.
Monday
A weird evening; Zoe was at a movie with friends, so she had some snacks there, and I drank a smoothie for dinner because I wasn’t that hungry. And after Zoe’s movie, we went over to my brother’s house to have a birthday dessert (it was my sister-in-law’s birthday…the treasure house sister-in-law!)
Tuesday
Zoe had her college class, and while she was there, I ate a plate of tomatoes, avocado, and fried eggs. Afterward, I picked her up, got some fast food carryout for her and Sonia, and she and Sonia ate that together while they collaborated on some assignments.
Wednesday
I had grabbed some food from my chest freezer when I moved my stuff out of the house…so, we had some ham (frozen from Christmas!), some homemade applesauce, a random box of Paw Patrol mac and cheese (why did we have this? I DO NOT KNOW.), and some sauteed broccolini from Hungry Harvest.
Thursday
Some of our new neighbors had brought us a pan of lasagna (so kind!!) and I froze half and baked half for our dinner. I cooked the rest of the Hungry Harvest broccolini to eat on the side.
Friday
I am most definitely flying by the seat of my pants right now, so…I don’t know. Maybe leftover lasagna?
Rebecca
Saturday 28th of May 2022
I'm glad Sonia's okay! I was scrolling back hoping you'd updated about where she was.
Jan
Monday 16th of May 2022
I know you have finals this week, so just wishing that they go well for you. I'm not wishing you luck because it is all hard work and I know you've done the work. So instead like you tell an actor "break a leg"--break a pencil lead. ;o)
A&P was only eclipsed by neuro-anatomy and neuro-physiology for me, but I took neuro in the summer as my only class so I could devote 100% attention to it and did well. I remember how hard it was, how interesting it was, and how satisfying it was to do well. So I wish the same for you!
Jackie
Monday 16th of May 2022
So glad you got moved in and are getting settled. I laughed at the paw patrol mac & cheese. I have a bunch in my house as well. It was on clearance, so I bought a bunch. The kids don't like it as much as the regular.
Hawaii Planner
Sunday 15th of May 2022
Sending you ongoing support & good thoughts, as you continue to follow & embrace your new life & family situation.
I was in London (for work), last week, and have zero ideas what the family ate. I'm all of the jet lagged feelings (don't sleep on flights), so meals these days have been questionable. -Friday - we were supposed to eat at the airport, but the teen who placed our order determined that there were no salads available for me, and thus skipped my order altogether. This was not realized until the flight took off. I had peanuts. And a cocktail, as I was upgraded to first class, by myself. ;-) Saturday - a very small amount of chicken & potatoes at the wedding. And a piece of chocolate. Sunday - Mother's Day in the sky. I had some sort of pasta bake, and a glass of champagne. Monday - skipped dinner, because of jet lag & all I wanted was to sleep Tuesday - shared mac & cheese at a British pub with my coworker, and we also had a beer. Wednesday - went to my all time favorite Indian restaurant in London (Dishoom) & ate all of the delicious things Thursday - ate a passable but not great gnocchi at a restaurant with colleagues, but did share a lovely bottle of NZ sauvignon blanc with some friends. Friday - my husband heated up a Costco freezer lasagna, so we had that, while I tried valiantly to stay awake
Heather
Saturday 14th of May 2022
You got married at 19?!?!!
Ohh my heck!!!!
Maybe look at life and this change as living your life In reverse (in the traditional sense) and now you can live those years of twenties and thirties travelling, schooling and being independent! Always a nice silver lining with change
Susan M.
Saturday 14th of May 2022
@Kristen, I agree, 100%! Life DOESN’T have to look like we expected for it to be beautiful. My first born was born with cerebral palsy. Not exactly my “dream” for my child! But God has blessed and always been there for each need, even when I didn’t see Him at first. Looking back it is much clearer. Praying for you. I always appreciate your choosing a positive attitude.
Kristen
Saturday 14th of May 2022
Would I make the same choice again? Nope. I think I was too young to know myself as well as I should have.
But it is done now, and yep, I can look forward and see what kind of life I can make for myself now. Life doesn't have to be perfect in order to be beautiful, and I think that life also doesn't have to look as we expected in order to be beautiful.