UPDATE on our
Pantry Challenge:
This week, we returned to some semblance of normal after our almost two-week vacation. We didn't have much in the fridge, but the pantry looked okay. I started off the week at the grocery store and bought milk, yogurt, ricotta (I wanted to make lasagna), cheese, eggs, and some other miscellaneous items. I spent $70.19 at Publix.
We got a freebie coupon for Coke in the mail, so I went back to Publix to buy 2 and get 2 with their sale (using my coupon, I actually bought one and got three free!). I spent $6.82.
Saturday morning, in the pouring rain, hubs & I went to the local Farmer's Market. We bought a dozen ears of corn ($4), a nice fat watermelon ($7), 2 pints of blackberries ($7), homemade ricotta and homemade mozzarella ($12), artisan bread ($5 - yes I know I can make this, but hubs knew the vendor and I don't feel bad supporting local business), local honey ($8), and some local bacon and sausage ($21). Total spent at the market: $64.
Then I went
back to Publix on Saturday to get things I didn't get at the Farmer's Market: beef broth/chicken broth (B1G1), organic milk, organic cream, and organic butter. I had some coupons for the organics and I spent $15.41.
Which brings the total spending for the week to $156.42.
I've not tracked my spending like this before
(I know....yikes!) so this will be eye-opening for everybody.
We have been trying to eat fruits & veggies with every single meal, which we're not very good at. And we ran out of fruit fast, so I tried to buy more this week. Last week, I made lasagna on
Monday, and we ate the last piece on Thursday for lunch, so I guess we stretched that!
Tuesday, we ate leftovers for dinner.
Friday, we ate at a friend's birthday party so Mom didn't have to cook.
Saturday, I re-purposed leftover roast and added some mushrooms, made gravy & mashed potatoes, and green beans to go along with the meal.
Hubs has a workshop to attend all week this coming week, and he has already agreed to take his lunch, which will save us some dough. I made the veggie tart pictured here from last week's eggplant, tomatoes from the garden, and zucchini from our friend. I'll eat this for lunch during the week. Ds#3 is a pasta lover, and his teeth have been sore from braces, so that's probably what he will be eating.
Breakfast is usually our time to incorporate fruit; I'm experimenting with all kinds of smoothies in my Nutri-Bullet (Mother's Day present). I'd love to hear your successes! I usually fix a bowl of cut-up fruit for hubs before he eats his eggs & bacon. Ds#3 has been sleeping late, so he's been missing breakfast
(but hasn't been too hungry because his teeth hurt). I'm trying to find a smoothie he'll love so I can get some fruit in him.
And now.... for the
Weekly Dinner Menu!
Sunday~ Mexican Rice Casserole, Taco Salad
Monday~ Roast chicken, roasted new potatoes, green beans or broccoli (both in the freezer, from the garden), zucchini 'fries'
edited to add: had some cucumbers in the garden that needed to be used, so we'll have cucumber salad with this meal.
Tuesday~ Breakfast: scrambled eggs, local sausage, grits, fruit
Wednesday~ Depending on how much is left, Leftover beef from Sunday's Taco Salad morphs into the
Pioneer Woman's Simple Perfect Chili. Or nachos. Just depends on how much there is. My guys love this.
edited to add: the verdict is chili.
Thursday~ We may have my parents over for dinner; waiting for confirmation and then I'll make a plan.
Friday~ Ds#3 goes camping for the weekend, so I'm leaving it open for Hubs & I
Saturday~ Parents Choice night (the kid's gone camping)
Some of these, like vacation, were planned for and welcomed and anticipated.
And as much as I'd like a couple more weeks to deal with these things, I don't have them, so we've got to get ourselves back into a routine before school begins.
