When one plans menus, one should always check if everything you need for a recipe is on hand. At the very least, that there is something that can be substituted lurking in the back of your pantry. One should not, however, plan to have chili only to realize Monday that both the tomatoes AND the black beans (or any beans ... except garbanzos) that you were convinced were plenty stocked have actually run dry. Ugh. I like to *think* I have a solid handle on what is or isn't hiding in the pantry, but this week between not checking and not making it to the grocery store until Saturday night (super late), we had to move some things around.
Monday ended up being venison ChiliMac Helper. Low, how I hate the box powdered magic meals, but somehow they still rescue me from time to time. I should just stop acquiring them (for free usually), but it's nights like Monday when I'm happy to have a handful of them.
Tuesday we were on menu mostly, except the family wanted mashed potatoes rather than au gratins. I also made a pot of herbs de provence rice to go with my make believe chikin tenders (I don't eat pork ... or meat, if I can help it ... mostly, ps).
Wednesday we had neither ground beef nor diced tomatoes. I had been planning on shopping Tuesday. Lesson learned: Plan your menu only around things you already have, rather than things you may or may not get to the store to pick up. So, instead we pulled out some freezer meatballs (oh thank you, freezer, for being the keeper of such wonderful surprises!) and build a quick red sauce for spaghetti. I turned a crusty loaf of french bread into garlic cheese bread and we called it good. Yum!
Thursday was supposed to be something ... I don't even know. When I called home to ask someone to take the meat out of the freezer (because I perpetually forget to do it ... our freezer is in the basement of an unattached garage ... can you blame me? out of sight = out of mind), I was informed that my mother was treating the family to take out Chinese. Hooray! Fried rice and lo mein for me, please. We still have leftovers, and I endeavor to think of *something* to do with all the extra white rice they sent us.
Friday and Saturday I was gone at work. I have no clue what they ate, but likely one part leftovers and one part drive thru if I know them well enough.
Sunday was supposed to be a roasted chicken. Yea. After being gone for two days, there wasn't so much a likelihood that I was going to do much of anything. I didn't even change out of my pjs. The boys decided on pork steaks and chicken breasts, potatoes au gratins, and another quick change french loaf turned garlic bread.
The moral of this week's story was flexibility. Sometimes juggling is required, and keeping an open mind keeps us out of the take out window. Stay tuned for the upcoming week's menu, and keep your fingers crossed that I actually go to the grocery store at some point.
Simply,
Em.
Showing posts with label Recap. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Recap. Show all posts
11 January 2009
16 May 2008
Frugal Friday
I wish I had a great breakdown for you this week. My transition back to work has thrown a bit of a rock into the gears, but we're getting it worked out.
Sunday, Mother's Day, we had Be's family over. I made chicken bowtie alfredo with carrots and broccoli, garlic bread, salad, and a strawberry jello shortcake dessert. Yum. It ran about $23, served 7 people dinner that night.
Monday, we ate leftovers.
Tuesday, we ate leftovers and pizza rolls ... adding an extra $3 to the week.
Wednesday, we ate leftovers and hard boiled eggs ... an additional $1.50.
Thursday, Be finished the leftovers at lunch and I made chicken fried rice for dinner. Total cost for that was $5.
Tonight, we'll be eating left over chicken fried rice for sure.
That brings my total for the week to $27.50. Yay!
Sunday, Mother's Day, we had Be's family over. I made chicken bowtie alfredo with carrots and broccoli, garlic bread, salad, and a strawberry jello shortcake dessert. Yum. It ran about $23, served 7 people dinner that night.
Monday, we ate leftovers.
Tuesday, we ate leftovers and pizza rolls ... adding an extra $3 to the week.
Wednesday, we ate leftovers and hard boiled eggs ... an additional $1.50.
Thursday, Be finished the leftovers at lunch and I made chicken fried rice for dinner. Total cost for that was $5.
Tonight, we'll be eating left over chicken fried rice for sure.
That brings my total for the week to $27.50. Yay!
05 May 2008
FF and Set Up delayed ... again.
Friday was a crazy busy day here, and I didn't even turn on my computer but to see the radar for the storms we were expecting. It was nutso.
Soooo, first, the recap.
Monday we had shepard's pie as planned. I made a huge pan of it so it would carry over a few days. Three pounds of ground beef was $3 from my freezer stash of clearance meats. Assorted veggies were either from remnants left in the fridge (celery, carrots, onions), or from cans (tomatoes, kernel corn) for a grand total of $2.30. The mashed potatoes were probably 50c or so since I had to use such an enormous quantity to top the entire pan. All that for $5.80. Yay!
Tuesday was leftover shepard's pie because I was a bit on the lazy side as far as putting the chicken in the crock pot. Oops. Oh well, total cost? $0
Wednesday was chili as ordered. I started it in the morning before I left for work, and it simmered all day. Oh how I adore the crockpot for chili making. The house smelled great even before I left for work. Mmmmmm. The ground beef was $2 (the rest of my freezer tube from Monday). The black beans, tomatoes (diced and crushed), and whole kernel corn were $2.47. We didn't have cornbread. Total, $4.47, which also served another couple lunches and leftovers.
Thursday was supposed to be all leftovers. The shepard's pie was gone by Thursday, and we were down to a single bowl of chili, which Be wanted. So, begrudgingly (ha!) I swung by the chinese take out and got myself veggie lo mein. Twist my arm, right? I also got Be some crab rangoons, which I think are inherently disgusting. Total, $13.18.
Friday was grill night. We hit the meat counter in the afternoon and nothing looked good, so I had the meat cutter lady cut down a bigger hunk into 1inch steaks. They wound up running me $26 ... which is not the best, but a pretty darn good deal for 7 giant steaks. We also grilled up some sliced new potatoes with butter and garlic ... an entire 5lbs if you can believe it. What's better? That 5lb bag only cost me $1. There were also grilled red and green peppers, though more green ones than red by the time they were done because a certain someone kept stealing the red ones while raw. They were about $4 total. There was also garlic bread made on the grill, using Italian loaves we found on the day old rack for $1.34. Grand total, not including the new thing of propane we had to go get immediately after we put the steaks on, $32.34. Find a steak house with that kind of deal for 6 people! Ha.
Total for the week, $55.79. Pretty darn good, considering there was steak involved.
As for the menu, I have no idea. Nothing. I'm tired. I won't be home most nights this week. I may see if the boys can figure it out in favor of starving. The menu will be back next week for sure.
Simply,
Em.
Soooo, first, the recap.
Monday we had shepard's pie as planned. I made a huge pan of it so it would carry over a few days. Three pounds of ground beef was $3 from my freezer stash of clearance meats. Assorted veggies were either from remnants left in the fridge (celery, carrots, onions), or from cans (tomatoes, kernel corn) for a grand total of $2.30. The mashed potatoes were probably 50c or so since I had to use such an enormous quantity to top the entire pan. All that for $5.80. Yay!
Tuesday was leftover shepard's pie because I was a bit on the lazy side as far as putting the chicken in the crock pot. Oops. Oh well, total cost? $0
Wednesday was chili as ordered. I started it in the morning before I left for work, and it simmered all day. Oh how I adore the crockpot for chili making. The house smelled great even before I left for work. Mmmmmm. The ground beef was $2 (the rest of my freezer tube from Monday). The black beans, tomatoes (diced and crushed), and whole kernel corn were $2.47. We didn't have cornbread. Total, $4.47, which also served another couple lunches and leftovers.
Thursday was supposed to be all leftovers. The shepard's pie was gone by Thursday, and we were down to a single bowl of chili, which Be wanted. So, begrudgingly (ha!) I swung by the chinese take out and got myself veggie lo mein. Twist my arm, right? I also got Be some crab rangoons, which I think are inherently disgusting. Total, $13.18.
Friday was grill night. We hit the meat counter in the afternoon and nothing looked good, so I had the meat cutter lady cut down a bigger hunk into 1inch steaks. They wound up running me $26 ... which is not the best, but a pretty darn good deal for 7 giant steaks. We also grilled up some sliced new potatoes with butter and garlic ... an entire 5lbs if you can believe it. What's better? That 5lb bag only cost me $1. There were also grilled red and green peppers, though more green ones than red by the time they were done because a certain someone kept stealing the red ones while raw. They were about $4 total. There was also garlic bread made on the grill, using Italian loaves we found on the day old rack for $1.34. Grand total, not including the new thing of propane we had to go get immediately after we put the steaks on, $32.34. Find a steak house with that kind of deal for 6 people! Ha.
Total for the week, $55.79. Pretty darn good, considering there was steak involved.
As for the menu, I have no idea. Nothing. I'm tired. I won't be home most nights this week. I may see if the boys can figure it out in favor of starving. The menu will be back next week for sure.
Simply,
Em.
25 April 2008
Frugal Friday: Not So Frugal Edition
Most times, I make a menu on Sunday and we follow it, basically, throughout the week. Sometimes, however, my family revolts and decides they're not going to eat anything on any darn menu. Blah. This was one of those weeks. Ugh. I was none too thrilled, but alas, on with the recap ...
Monday we had dinner with friends. It was delish and it didn't cost me anything but the bottle of wine from my gift stash. Yay! $0
Tuesday was World Cuisine Wednesday (except a day early). We had cavatappi with a red meatball and bell pepper sauce or an alfredo, roasted red pepper, and mushroom sauce. There was homemade vienna garlic bread, fried raviolis with ricotta or ricotta and mushrooms, and chocolate molten lava cake with espresso ice cream. What's better? The co-founder of World Cuisine Wednesday sprung for the goods to make everything. Thank you, thank you. $0
Wednesday I got home late in the afternoon and we decided to scrub down the walls of our enclosed porch a la spring cleaning craziness. It did afford me the chance to use up to remnant bottles of cleaners diluted in water, though. Yay for that. Scrubbing exterior walls in an interior porch can be a little on the exhausting side at 5 in the afternoon when the setting sun is beating into the windows. Once we were done, there was no convincing anyone that I needed to defrost food and then start the OVEN. Eeeek. Nope. We went to Subway. Lucky for us, they're having a $5 Foot Long promo. That's $26.50 for all of us with the tax.
Thursday also did not go well. Someone, named Em, forgot to start chili in the morning. This does not generally pose a problem. I use smoked paprika and chili powder and cumin and good smelling things that make it seem like it cooked all day regardless. I have to pull this feat of deception off, however, when no one is looking as my entire family seems convinced that chili must cook for 8 hours or it is inedible. An amazing stand to take since they eat my 10 minute chili all the time, but alas. I did not succeed in the bait and switch, so I let them persuade me to run to town for take out. The good news, is everyone paid for their own out of personal money, not the grocery budget, so my cost is still $0. Muahahaha.
Tonight, Friday, we're having leftovers. Well, I am. There is a ton of pasta/sauce/goodness leftover and I am partaking of it. If no one else wants to, they can starve. That's what I've decided. That makes tonight's dinner cost also $0.
That brings my total for the week to $26.50. Ha! It feels entirely weird to me that I feel like we blew the menu all week, and somehow the budget still came out all right. Good timing, I guess, and of course the generosity of friends.
Simply,
Em.
Monday we had dinner with friends. It was delish and it didn't cost me anything but the bottle of wine from my gift stash. Yay! $0
Tuesday was World Cuisine Wednesday (except a day early). We had cavatappi with a red meatball and bell pepper sauce or an alfredo, roasted red pepper, and mushroom sauce. There was homemade vienna garlic bread, fried raviolis with ricotta or ricotta and mushrooms, and chocolate molten lava cake with espresso ice cream. What's better? The co-founder of World Cuisine Wednesday sprung for the goods to make everything. Thank you, thank you. $0
Wednesday I got home late in the afternoon and we decided to scrub down the walls of our enclosed porch a la spring cleaning craziness. It did afford me the chance to use up to remnant bottles of cleaners diluted in water, though. Yay for that. Scrubbing exterior walls in an interior porch can be a little on the exhausting side at 5 in the afternoon when the setting sun is beating into the windows. Once we were done, there was no convincing anyone that I needed to defrost food and then start the OVEN. Eeeek. Nope. We went to Subway. Lucky for us, they're having a $5 Foot Long promo. That's $26.50 for all of us with the tax.
Thursday also did not go well. Someone, named Em, forgot to start chili in the morning. This does not generally pose a problem. I use smoked paprika and chili powder and cumin and good smelling things that make it seem like it cooked all day regardless. I have to pull this feat of deception off, however, when no one is looking as my entire family seems convinced that chili must cook for 8 hours or it is inedible. An amazing stand to take since they eat my 10 minute chili all the time, but alas. I did not succeed in the bait and switch, so I let them persuade me to run to town for take out. The good news, is everyone paid for their own out of personal money, not the grocery budget, so my cost is still $0. Muahahaha.
Tonight, Friday, we're having leftovers. Well, I am. There is a ton of pasta/sauce/goodness leftover and I am partaking of it. If no one else wants to, they can starve. That's what I've decided. That makes tonight's dinner cost also $0.
That brings my total for the week to $26.50. Ha! It feels entirely weird to me that I feel like we blew the menu all week, and somehow the budget still came out all right. Good timing, I guess, and of course the generosity of friends.
Simply,
Em.
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