Week 22, Day 4

Breakfast: egg sandwiches.  I made it on homemade bread because we still have a lot left from camping.  I also put two eggs on each because it was swim team day and I wanted them to have extra  calories.  Usually it is just one.  Jason put the last slice of pepperjack from camping on his.

Lunch:  peanut butter sandwiches, Cheez-ita and raisins.  I got a freezer jam from one of my visiting teachers and we started in on that today.

Dinner:  Phyllis and Jason are having macaroni and cheese on their daddy-daughter camp trip. Originally she said bean burritos and Jason was so thrilled because they almost always want mac-n-cheese on their campouts - a food he has to specially buy.  He also took some leftover green salad.   Because neither of them like fish, I planned fish for tonight.  I made a lemon caper sauce with it.  Dai doesn't like capers.  I thawed three filets - but Cress doesn't like fish either, so she is having carrot fennel soup.  I also served the escarole.  It is good flavor but too spicy so next time I will use less red chili flakes.

For dessert Cress had mando with cinnamon sprinkled on top.  Dai had a popsicle and I had a mango.

Week 22, Day 3

Breakfast: oatmeal.  Cress says she no longer wants raisins.

Lunch: I packed everyone the same lunch.  Ham sandwiches, CSA strawberries, CSA carrots, CSA kohlrabi.  I ate some of the carrot fennel soup I made.  I had to shop special for it but we had two weeks worth of CSA fennel to use up.  It is quite good and very easy.  I linked it below. I would use maybe only one or two tablespoons of oil not three in the future.  I also did not garnish with fennel tufts and Parmesan.  Jason had leftover baked ziti and salad.

http://www.liveearthfarm.net/carrot-and-fennel-soup/

Dinner:  Carrot Fennel soup

Prep ahead - I sauteed the fennel in anticipation of making frittata but didn't so I just put it in the fridge for future use.  Jason did the chard with chick peas.

Week 22, Day 2

Breakfast: grits.  Phyllis said to make sure that I left enough for her father-daughter camp breakfast.

Lunch: meat and cheese sandwiches.  Cress had dates, apple and a carrot.  Dai had apple, carrot (whole) and dried apricots.  Phyllis had pickles, apple and a whole carrot.  They all got Cheetos, too, which I bought on a whim yesterday.  I had salad that I bought at Costco thinking it was not a salad mix, just the greens, but it was a mix so I made it up and ate it.  I also made and ate roasted cabbage with balsamic vinaigrette that was good.  I also ate some of the snacky junk food that is around and a mango.

After school snack was a banana - but Dai also had leftover oatmeal before going to gym.

Dinner:  Baked Ziti with salad.  Still eating in shifts (and brief ones at that today) so I had more salad left than expected.  In the salad was CSA butterleaf lettuce and romaine, heirloom cherry tomatoes (Cress thought it was  funny color, Dai thinks they are delicious) and kohlrabi.  Phyllis was glad to hear there was more in the CSA today - she wants it in her lunch again.  Each kid got an Oreo for dessert and strawberries - we have a ton from the CSA.

Shopping:

Nob Hill
Wild Rice	$5.19
Lemon peel spice	$7.49
parsley	$0.79
Lemon	$0.79
whipping cream	$5.39
	$19.65
Costco
Grape tomaotes	$4.99
Butter	$8.99
Pan Spray Oil	$5.99
Cherry tomatoes	$5.79
Sour Cream	$4.39
bananas	$1.39
Alfredo sauce	$7.59
Kale Salad	$4.49
Lettuce	$3.69
Mangoes (12)	$10.98
Tilapia	$14.99
Eggs	$7.99
Milk	$6.59
Ramen	$8.29
	$96.15
	$115.80

Technically pay day isn't until tomorrow - so I need to count this toward the budget.

Prep ahead:
Jason cooked the kale from last week's CSA and this weeks along with the kohlrabi greens from this week and last.  We tossed last weeks chard (it got a bit frozen) and he will do this week's chard another day.

Cooked the CSA escarole today using a CSA recipe.  I have never had it before so this will be new.

Week 22, Day 1 - Weds

Breakfast: oatmeal

Lunch: meat and cheese sandwiches for Phyllis and Cress to use up leftover meat, cheese and bread from camping.  Cress had an apple (I slice them these days for all the girls), two dates and a CSA carrot.  Phyllis and Dai had celery, CSA carrots and apples.  Dai had peanut butter and honey because Jason assumed she wouldn't want meat, when in fact she did, so Dai ate the sandwich Jason had made for Cress.

Dinner: Taco salads, but eaten in shifts.  I dislike shift eating.  Jason thinks {Phyllis needs more than a salad before swim because she got kicked out of the pool and was less than well behaved while she, Jason, Cress and I played Triple Triumph.

Prep ahead: made new balsamic vinaigrette and white dressing to put in the fridge because I hope we return to salads.  

Week 21, Day 7

Breakfast: oatmeal - thankfully, Larry lives near  a Winco and he brought us some

Lunch: peanut butter and honey sandwiches for the girls.  Each had an apple.  Cress also had dates and dried apricots.  Dai and Phyllis had carrots and celery.  Jason took carrots, nut crunch and burrito stuff. I had tomato sandwiches and some leftover onions and peppers.

Dinner: meat sandwiches

Week 21, Day 6

Breakfast: CAMPING

Lunch: we brought dried apricots, Oreos, nut crunch all to the beach.  I had been quite sunburned during packing and was feeling totally wiped out by the time we left the day beach.  We returned to the campground to rinse our feet and change into regular clothes.  We had packed the coolers close in case we wanted to make sandwiches but I was so wiped out.  We hit McD's on the way and I got hamburgers, everyone else got a McDouble.  Fairly inexpensive.  Jason said it was weird to see me bonked - he has been but isn't used to it happening to me.

Dinner: Jason, Phyllis and Cressida had bean burritos using leftover beans from camping.  Di had a sandwich.  I had the last of the potato salad.  

Camping Week 21, Days 3 - 6

Dinner Friday: Larry and Lisa did hamburgers.  not frozen patties either, good handmade ones.

Breakfast: Eggs, hash browns, breakfast sausage.  Honeydew.  Coffee, hot chocolate, etc. too. A common camping meal for us.  The hashbrowns were made from pre-shredded potatoes.  I put them in water but they looked pretty dark in color but tasted fine.  We started with this so any leftover potatoes could go in burritos but there weren't any left.

Having hot chocolate in the morning.

I bought the melons at a fruit stand from their "sale" melons (means they are older) because we were going to use them right away anyway.  Fifty cents each and they were good.  We had to cut out a small piece of one, but that was it.

Lunch: sandwiches every day.  We always do meat sandwiches and I always et too much sliced cheese.  It is because I like provolone.  Jason like pepper jack and then I get the mix, too.  Really, the girls could probably make do with provolone.  Or Jason could do without pepper jack and just do the mix.  But I like being able to get him something special.  We have ham or turkey this time, plus of course, the regular lettuce, mustard, tomatoes, onions, pickles, mayo.  I was getting ready to do camping shopping.  I asked Jason if he wanted me to get jalapenos for his sandwich and he passed.  I told him I wanted to make sure he loved the food and I knew that was a treat.  He replied, "I always love camping sandwiches."  Aw!

Last Sunday, we were at the Tervalons and Noah made himself a sandwich - piled high with meat, cheese, lettuce, tomatoes.  We just don't do that at home so "camping sandwiches" it is.

Plus we have dried fruit, this nut crunch stuff Jason likes, Oreos, Cheez-its, juice boxes, potato salad. But it is the same lunch every day.

Dinner: sausages with onions and bell peppers on hoagies.  This has also become a staple camping meal.  I got brats for us and hot links for Jason.

Breakfast:  French toast by Larry and Lisa.  Cantaloupe.

Dinner: Bean burritos with all the fixings, including sliced avocados.  We had a lot of leftover avocados and tomatoes.  Dai ate the tomatoes and Cress finished off the avocados.

While we did marshmallows and/or s'mores each night, this night we also did the banana thing.  Lisa and I cut open bananas and filled them with chocolate and marshmallows and then wrapped them in tinfoil and cooked them in the coals.  Tonight our fire was on the beach - so amazing!  The place not the dessert.

Me stuffing a banana, Lisa is not seen across from me.

Breakfast: breakfast burritos deluxe.  We had bacon and avocados in addition to the regular stuff. WE chopped up the leftover brats, too.  This is a our regular camping breakfast - every time.  For fruit we had kiwis - a splurge at the fruit stand.

As we were preparing the potato salad Wednesday night, I was telling JAson that I felt divided by easy dinner and good dinners while camping.  He said he thought I must feel that way because of all the advance prep.  Maybe.  I recall, as a kid, like hot dogs and chili or Pork 'n Beans, spaghetti with green beans, maybe even occasionally Kraft Macaroni 'n Cheese, maybe hamburgers.

He is right, these things require far less advance prep, but they aren't as nice to eat, right?  Or are they? Is food just wonderful when you are camping?  Well, we don't do Kraft Mac 'n Cheese and Jason never finds spaghetti to be filling enough.  Plus if we do spaghetti, we should do garlic bread over the fire. Then it isn't really so easy, right?

Maybe for a trip we will try to do it more simply.  But truly, I guess not.  Our next trip is with Sam and he has been most flattering about how he has never eaten anything I have cooked that he didn't like. So, I want to do it nicely for then. The next is with the Tervalons and I think they are part of why we got schmancy to begin with.  Maybe the final camping of the year which we are doing at Big Sur with the Castros.  

Week 21, Day 3

Breakfast: leftover brown rice.  The girls wiped it out (Cress prefers almond milk and her daddy is such a good guy - he remembers that!) so Jason and I had breakfast burritos.

Lunch:  Girls had leftover chicken, CSA strawberries, CSA kohlrabi peeled and sliced, Cressida had dates and all had steamed CSA broccoli.

Dinner - see camping entry next

Week 21, Day 2

Breakfast: brown rice cereal.

Lunch: all the girls had quesadillas.  Jason took leftover chicken from a couple of nights ago for his. He can put it together and nuke it at school.  Cress took dates. apples (quartered for each girl), pickled cucumbers.  Dai got celery, carrots (with buffalo ranch for dip) and apples.  Phyllis pickled cucumbers, apples, pickles.  Sometimes our produce selections are very mundane, but sometimes they are not.

Dinner: The afternoon was crazy.  I left at noon to get Cress from school, but she still hadn't presented her science project, so I waited for that (we still had to leave before all the judges could see her present), and we got the otehr girls from school with the right amount of time (I had left early to get Cress), then off to the dentist.  From there, I dropped Cress at gym with  leotard to change into (she was still 20 minutes late.)  Then I took Dai to gym, got Cress from gym (she put her clothes on over her leotard in the car) and we went to the Open House for her school, where we a little late, but it is a flexible thing so OK.  Jason picked up Dai at 6:30, got ice for camping, got the CSA.  He as driving, I was returning from SMG, and I called to ask if they had eaten and if not should I pick something up?  He said yes.

We went to Nob Hill and got a bag of chicken fingers and bag of grilled chicken.  At home I broke out the potato salad (what was left fit into the designated container and all of wouldn't have), put the chicken in two different bowls and peeled and sliced two cucumbers.  That was dinner.  It was on the table almost as fast as any fast food i could have picked up but I felt much better about that - and the chicken was under $18, which it would have cost at least that much at any fast food place.

We have some leftovers but it is just the right amount to send with the girls for lunch tomorrow - about which they are pleased.

After packing for camping, our fridge looks so bare - but I guess that is better than returning to spoiled food.  

Week 21, Day 1

Breakfast: cracked wheat cereal

Lunches: PBH (peanut butter and honey) and nectarines, pickled cucumbers carrots for Cress.  Phyllis had the same sandwich, carrots, celery and pickled cucumbers.  Dai had the same sandwich carrots, celery and an apple because she doesn't like the cucumbers.  

Dinner: Breakfast burritos.  Jason and Cress also split a quesadilla and had apricots.

Prep ahead: Making more bread dough and baked yesterday's dough - so total of four loaves baked today.  Grated potatoes for hash browns while camping.  Made potato salad - a lot of potato salad. More than would fit in the container - but I told Jason I expected he would take some today.  He was pleasantly surprised.  Cooked brown rice for cereal this morning.  Also did the second batch of refried beans so we now have way more than we need, but one pound (dry) wasn't enough.

I had started on the potato salad when Heather Castro asked if I wanted to go to Costco with her.  He was just getting home and he said I could, so I did.  When I got home, the kids were already abed so we got to work on the salad together.  I like cooking with him.

Jason went to the store with Cressia and my list to get some needed camping items that I had been unable to get elsewhere.

Lucky
Dr. Pepper	$5.00
Root Beer	$5.00
Chocolate bars (6)	$3.50
Marshmallows	$1.50
Pepsi throwback	$5.00
Dill Pickle halves	$3.99
Beer	$25.22
	$49.22

Cracked Wheat

Couldn't find my recipe again and it takes so long to hunt it down.  So, I am linking it here.

http://safelygatheredin.blogspot.com/2011/12/food-storage-friday-cracked-wheat.html

Week 20, Day 7 - Camp shop

Breakfast: Cress had oatmeal, Phyllis and I had grits and Dai fried herself eggs and then had apricots, too.

Lunch: PBJ with honey rather than jelly for Cress plus carrots and celery.  Phyllis and Dai both had soup and a roll and celery and carrots.  Phyllis also had pickles and Dai had beets.  I had a BLT using the leftover two slices of bacon from Sunday (Cress didn't eat hers - she doesn't like bacon.)

Dinner: chicken breasts grilled on the george forman - three of them and then cut into strips.  Basic seasoning - salt and pepper and paprika.  A box of Noodle Roni.  To that, when it was done and still thin, I added some leftover spaghetti noodles.  Parmesan as an option of course.  Except this wasn't really enough to feed five, so Jason had a burrito and some cottage cheese.  We have all been enjoying nectarines today, too, and had those for dessert.  Dai came home from swim hungry so she is having a leftover roll.  They pretty much need to go - not as good a fresh.

Prep ahead: Made gringa beans for camping.  One pound done and another started in the pressure cooker.  Bread dough started.

Shopping (mostly for camping):

Grocery Outlet:
Bell Peppers (4)	$3.96	camping
Apples	$7.98
Potatoes (10 lbs)	$3.98	camping
hot links	$4.99	camping
Mayo	$1.99	camping
Cucumbers (2)	$1.00
Pepperjack cheese	$2.39	camping
sausage	$1.99	camping
	$28.28
Costco:
Milk	$6.59
Carrots	$4.59
Nectarines	$8.99
Hoagie rolls	$2.59	camping
Cheez-its	$5.99	camping
Lunchmeat	$9.99	camping
Provolone	$8.69	camping
Sliced Cheese	$9.89	camping
Brats	$12.59	camping
Bacon	$17.49
Eggs (2 dozen)	$3.39	camping
Dried Apricots	$9.49	camping
Oreos	$6.49	camping
Nut clusters	$9.39	camping
Graham crackers	$7.69	camping
Coffee	$8.99
Onions	$8.49
Avocados	$3.50	camping
Mangoes	$5.49
	$150.32
	$178.60

So, some stuff is strictly for home, like milk.  But some is mixed, like coffee, bacon, onions, apples.  Camping shopping isn't cheap but we didn't do too badly, I think.  Some of our longer trips will cost more.

Week 20, Day 6

Breakfast: grits

Lunch: PBJ's and produce.  I had soup and Jason had burritos.

Dinner: Mountain Mike's pizza - eat in.  You know they want $4.99 for a salad?!  They have a salad bar, but it is tiny.  And they give you a cereal bowl.  One time through.  Really?  Because I complained they gave me twice through, with the comment, "But there's a lot of stuff there, not just lettuce."  It wasn't a lot of variety by any standards I know.  But I wanted to talk to Jason about my appointment with Masada and not cook - and it totally fit the bill.  Plus it was empty so Cress and Phyllis sat at another table and Jason and I got to talk without them.  Dai was at swim practice.  We brought her home a piece of pizza.  She had soup, too, because she was hungry.

Week 20, Day 5

Breakfast: bacon (leftover from the fava bean soup which only used four slices), grits, cantaloupe, a fried egg each.

Lunch: Mac'n'cheese at Al Tervalon's after stake conference.  We also had a lot of watermelon and cantaloupe.

Dinner: Spaghetti with meat sauce and salad at the Tervalon's

Making cookies tonight and finished bread because last night I only did the dough and then put it in the fridge after the first rising cycle.  

Popsicles

I remember my mom making popsicles when I was a kid.  Usually we made Kool-Aid and used that for popsicles.  However, I keep popsicles around using fruit juices.  When we finish a jar of apricots, I freeze the juice into pops.  I had some leftover one day and just put it in the fridge because my popsicles were all full.  Later that day, I opened a can of pineapple and added that juice to the jar.  That night I notice I had some baby bananas that were past their prime, so I blended the juices with the bananas and stuck it back in the fridge.  I have been using that to make new ones when popsicles get eaten.  It is delicious.

Today, I opened a can of mandarin oranges for chicken salad and made a popsicle out that juice.  It is so easy, frugal and I am surprised my mother didn't do that, too.  I know we had lots of canned fruit, too, when I was a kid.  Of course, i think we only had one set of Tupperware popsicle makers and I pick up different varieties at thrift stores sometimes, so I have the Tupperware ones, the start ones, some push-up style ones and a set that has straws in bowl shaped lids to catch the drips.

Sometimes, I even take some canned apricots and blend the whole jar (less the pit, of course) and make a not totally smooth puree that I make into popsicles.  

Week 20, Day 4

Breakfast: Today was the Los Paseos Penguins breakfast fundraiser.  But with Chinese, it is harder to go - it starts when Chinese starts.  We went last year right when it started and we were done in plenty of time for Jason and Dai to go to volleyball.  This year, only Jason and Phyllis went and they had volleyball after so they went at opening.  Jason made breakfast burritos for the rest of us before Chinese.

Lunch: chicken salad sandwiches.  Pretty much using up the bread, so I really need to make bread again.

Dinner: ham and white bean soup - a new recipe.  Dai says it seems a little bland when I let her taste it earlier, but it seemed to go okay - except Cress, who wouldn't eat it.  She doesn't care for the ham, I guess.   Also had leftover salad and canned green beans. I also made rolls that were rolled in butter and garlic, then Parmesan and baked.  These were a big hit - especially with Jason.  I think he had five.  He is going to take ham sandwiches on them to the range as part of his packed lunch tomorrow.

We made the dough in the bre

ad machine.  There were two problems - I think Dai maybe miscounted the flour and we did it before I left for gym, but I forgot to tell Jason so when I came home, it had risen way too high.  It was still thin, so Jason added a bit more flour and incorporated it manually.  Dai is sure she didn't, but he added about a cup, so I think she did.  The good news is that she read the recipe and did it herself (mostly) and that makes me very proud.  Dough in the Kitchen-Aid yesterday and in the bread machine today.

I also got the girls to manually grind some wheat.  After they went to bed, Jason and I finished manually grinding it and then ran it through the electric to make it finer.  I started dough tonight.  Dai asked why I didn't just grind it all.  I think she meant all the wheat in the can - and eventually i did but it wouldn't initially fit in the spout so I had been measuring it out.  Phyllis, my smart little miss-know-it-all said, "Because it isn't as good if it's not fresh."  She is right from a nutritional standpoint, but I think it interesting that that piece of info really stuck with her.

I don't mind making bread, but grinding 5-7 cups of wheat is long, loud and lonely.  So, I thought I would shake things up by getting the girls' help and they really enjoyed it.

My Favorite Cinnamon Pull-Apart Bread

I found this on the Internet via Pinterest.  Then my link became bad and I had to hunt it down via other means.  So I am making a copy here for me.  It needs to cook a little longer than it says and it really is best served warm.

Time: 90 minutes
Yield: 2 loaves
Recipe from Jamie Cooks It Up!

DOUGH:
1 C hot milk
3/4 C hot water
1 T yeast (I use active dry)
1 1/2 t salt
1/2 C sugar
4 T butter
2 eggs
5-6 C flour

FILLING:
1/2 C butter, softened
1 1/2 t cinnamon
1 C brown sugar

GLAZE:
2 C powdered sugar
3 T milk
4 T butter, melted
1 t vanilla

1. Preheat your oven to 170 degrees. Heat the 1 cup of milk in the microwave for 1 minute. Carefully place the 4 tablespoons of butter into the hot milk. Let it sit for a minute or two, or until the butter starts to melt.

2. Into your stand mixer place 2 C flour, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, 1/2 cup sugar and 2 eggs. Let it mix for just a few seconds. Just long enough for the egg to get a bit covered up. Pour in 3/4 cup hot water.

3. Add the milk/butter mixture. Mix for 30 seconds.

4. Add the 1 tablespoon yeast and mix until combined.

5. With the mixer on low, begin to add the rest of your flour. Add the flour until the dough pulls away from the side of the bowl. Once you have the right amount of flour, mix on medium speed for 5 minutes.

6. Cut the dough into two equal parts. Shape each half into a round ball and let it rest for about 5 minutes. Letting the dough rest will make it much, much easier to roll it out.

7. Roll each ball of dough out into a large rectangle. Spread 4 tablespoons softened butter over the top of each rectangle.

Sprinkle 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon and 1/2 cup brown sugar over the butter. Using your loaf pan for a guide, cut the rectangle into three long strips the width of your pan. Cut each strip into 6 or 7 pieces. Stack the pieces on top of each other and carefully set them into the loaf pans. Place them into a 170 degree oven for about 15-20 minutes, or until the dough has risen up and over the top of the pans (about 1-2 inches). Turn your oven temperatureto 350 degrees, leaving the pans in the oven to rise a bit more as the temperature increases. Once the oven reaches 350 degrees bake the loaves for 15-20 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the loaves are cooked through.

8. While your loaves are baking make the glaze. Into a small mixing bowl place 2 cups powdered sugar, 3 tablespoons milk, 4 tablespoons melted butter and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Whisk it all together with a fork until it's nice and smooth.

9. When the loaves are done baking take them out of the oven and let them rest for about 10 minutes. Then remove the bread from the pans to a serving plate and drizzle the glaze over the tops and between a few of the layers while the loaves are still warm.

Week 20, Day 3

Breakfast: Corn Pops - since I have been eating tons of cereal and most of the Crispix is gone, I let them eat "my cereal."  I had a an egg sandwich.

Lunch: Cress had PBJ, Phyllis has a ham sandwich and Dai has soup.  Of course they all have produce. Jason took a burritos, the greens and some seasoned cucumbers.

Dinner: rib eye steaks - yes, we have leftovers.  Lot of fat on those steaks, so Daisy was happy.  salad and instant mashed potatoes.  I meant to do pine nuts for the salad (last time the girls asked for it but I had not done it) but I forgot.

We ate four of us at one time while Dai was at swim and then she ate alone.

For Activity Days we made cinnamon pull-apart bread, which many people call moneky-bread, which is really very similar.  We had ten girls and not quite enough to go around, so I told my kids we would make some at home.  At home, we used my old recipe - which I much prefer.  Dai actually made the dough mostly by herself in the Kitchen-Aid.  She even rolled out the first loaf before she had to go to swim, so Jason and I finished it up.  We took a loaf to the park where we met Heather.  We ate some of their loaf together and they took the rest home.

My recipe is from http://jamiecooksitup.net/2012/10/cinnamon-pull-a-part-bread/.  I will put it in a separate entry.

I also soaked white beans before leaving in the morning.  So, I made a different white bean and ham soup.  We shall see how it goes over.  I planned to serve it with pull apart rolls, but we shall see.  

Week 20, Day 2

Breakfast: Crispix

After breakfast, I sliced cucumbers and put them in vinegar and water with Lawry's and pepper.  My mom did them sometimes but just water and vinegar.  Mickie added the seasoning.  Dai was like, "Ugh," but Phyllis was excited about them.  I had intended we would have them for dinner, but totally forgot.  Then, after dinner, Jason saw them in the fridge and he was quite excited.  Ate a whole bunch right then.

Lunch: PBJ's and produce - I had Vietnamese since I was out shopping at that time

Dinner: White bean and ham soup.

Cressida and Jason said it seemed to have too much ham.  I felt like no one liked it and that lately my soups have been ill-received.  But, I guess Phyllis and Dai quiet;y ate it - part of it is the eating in shifts - I only hear the complaints.  Though, to be fair, Jason wasn't exactly complaining, just replying when I said about Cress's complaint.

Costco
Romaine Lettuce	$3.69
Celery	$2.59
Bananas	$1.39
Mayo	$5.39
Almond Milk	$8.79
Peanut Butter	$9.99
Dog Food	$30.11
	$61.95
Real Produce
Cantaloupe	$0.99
Persian Cucumbers (3)	$0.64
Plum	$0.55
	$2.18
	$64.13

Week 20, Day 1

Breakfast: Crispix, except Jason who usually has cold cereal at work had a breakfast burrito because he made one for Cress forgetting that we had cereal for today

Lunch: Cress had a ham sandwich on church bread but it was multiseed and apparently she doesn't like poppy seeds.

Snack: popsicle - 100 degrees today!

Dinner: sandwiches. I cooked white beans yesterday but it is just too hot to do the soup.

Week 19, Day 7

Week 26 will be my halfway point - this takes a surprising amount of focus.  It feels like forever....

Breakfast: Cress had oatmeal.  Dai and Phyllis had fried eggs.  They cooked them themselves.

Lunch: Cress and Phyllis took taco beans and chips.  Jason couldn't find the frozen church bread in the freezer when this was offered.  I found it - they still wanted beans and chips.  Dai had a ham sandwich.

Dinner: spaghetti with green beans and a green salad.  Dai asked for spaghetti yesterday.  I told her I didn't have any, but I got some today.  I had to go the Tully Costco anyway to get tortillas so I thought I would grab spaghetti makings at Grocery Outlet.  You can see how that went in the shopping section below.

I bought a small can of spaghetti sauce (my girls eat it because I make them but they don't love it so if I buy the other size we usually have leftovers) and I put sliced mushrooms, garlic and basil form our plant in it.  Dai helped sautee the mushrooms since I was mid-sautee when I had to leave to get Phyllis.
So we ate four of us and then Dai ate when she was done.  Shift eating but not terrible on Mondays.

Jason had to go to Ace so I asked him to get "something popsicley."  He brought back fruit popsicles.  Not exactly what I wanted but also Sugar Free.  Aspartame - so he might get me something else - the girls can have those.  I have had two diet sodas, one today and one yesterday, and have a headache.

Costco
Eggs	$7.39
Grated Cheddar Jack Mix	$15.69
Jack cheese	$6.19
Flour Tortillas	$2.99
	$32.26
Grocery Outlet
Thin spaghetti noodles (2 lbs)	$1.78
Mushrooms	$1.99
Can of spaghetti sauce	$0.59	$4.36
Crispix	$5.98
Corn Pops	$3.49	total munchy food for me
Garlic Powder	$3.99
Pickles	$3.87
Bread	$1.98
Tomatoes	$0.99
Cucumber (5)	$1.67
Quick Grits	$2.49	splurge
60% Chocolate chips	$2.49	for Dai's class basket
Tollhouse caramel bars mix	$2.49	for Dai's class basket
	$33.80
	$66.06

So, cold cereal is a splurge - and I could have been out of there with only the spaghetti stuff for under $5.  It makes me think about if I made a plan and only bought enough food for the plan, working down to nothing in the house in between - how cheaply could I do it?  I recall that I could do it more cheaply than I have been.  And Jack in the Box two days in a row doesn't help, either.

Week 19, Day 6

Breakfast: burritos (we are down to our last flour tortilla)

Lunch: ham sandwiches for the girls on church bread. Jason took the rest of the fava bean soup and I had Jack in the Box - didn't pack because it wasn't a smooth morning.

Dinner: taco salads - except with no cheese because we are out.  With swim we still ate in shifts, but not sandwiches and not soup.

Make-ahead: potato leek soup.  Using the last of the potatoes (one had gone bad!) and leeks - a smaller batch.  It is prepared to the point where I blend it and add the cream - man, it is so easy!  But I need to make bread - blech! It isn't hard just time consuming and I have much to do tomorrow.

I made peach ice-tea but it wasn't ready for dinner.  I will love scarfing that down.  Probably need a new batch for dinner tomorrow.  I feel so much better drinking herbal iced tea than diet soda.  

Week 19, Day 5

Breakfast: crepes with lemon juice and powdered sugar.  Jason sked last night if I would be okay having crepes twice in a row or if I would feel cheated - but that had been his original Mother's Day breakfast plan.  Not cheated at all - one of my very favorite things for homemade breakfast.

Lunch: Fava bean soup with church bread.  Cress and Phyllis really didn't like it.

Dinner: Potato leek soup with church bread.  The soup is all gone.

We also cut up the rest of the church bread into chunks for sandwiches this week - I am outof wheat bread and didn't want to make more.  

Week 19, Day 4

Breakfast: burritos

Lunch: fava bean or hamburger soup (the hamburger soup is gone now)

Dinner: Breakfast for dinner at the Wunderli's for Abigail's birthday.  Whole wheat pancakes, crepes with fruit, yogurt, Nutella, whipped cream, scrambled eggs, sausage and bacon, juice.  Cake followed, of course, as it was a birthday party.  So nice not to have to cook or clean up.  I did help a little but not much - I cracked eggs for Dan.

We also made  hcolalte chip cookies.  I started the dough before we went to the party and then put it in the fridge.  Jason cooked it after preparing the greens tonight.  

Week 19, Day 3

Breakfast: burrito for girls, I had a smoothie

Lunch:

Dinner: Hamburger cabbage soup

Prep ahead: gringa beans, fava bean soup and potato leek soup

Week 19, Day 2

Breakfast: eggs - Dai did an egg sandwich, the rest of us did egg burritos.  I was then totally out of eggs - but Heather went to Costco and got us some.

Lunch: PBJ's and produce.

Dinner: BLT's

Shopping:

From Heather Castro's Costco trip - she got me egs and we split the other two

Quart Ziplocks  $8
Bacon                $9
Eggs                  $7.29
                          $24.29

Week19, Day 1

Breakfast: burritos

Lunch: PBJ's with produce

Dinner: peanut butter and honey sandwiches - sandwiches are so easy during May with wim and gym and MMA and volleyball and babysitting in the evenings

Week 18, Day 7

Breakfast: burritos for Jason and the girls

Lunch: PBJ's with baby bananas, cucumbers and jicama.  I did lunches entirely today so they are very uniform.

Dinner: beefs spare and baby back ribs, artichokes for Phyllis and Cress who hadn't already eaten theirs, leftover creamed leeks.  Dai wasn't thrilled about having to have leeks to get dessert (watermelon) but when she tried them she liked them after all.  When we have steak, etc. we put A-1 and BBQ sauce on the table.  Dai is the only one who wants the BBQ sauce.  For these ribs, since not Jason's favorite, I bought Sweet Baby Rays BBQ sauce since it supposed to be the best.  Just original.  Jason thought it was pretty good and he doesn't like ribs or BBQ sauce terribly so that is saying something.  Dai didn't like the BBQ sauce, so she had leftover New York Steak.

Shopping:

FoodMaxx
Dryer Sheets	$4.56
Light Mayo	$3.46
BBQ Sauce	$3.99
Watermelon	$3.99
Tea	$4.98
	$20.98

Week 18, Day 6

Breakfast: breakfast burritos

Lunch: PBJ sandwiches with produce for everyone - I finally peeled and cut up some jicama and cucumbers for the girls' lunches.

Dinner: We had the elders for dinner.  We reheated the pinto bean soup and served it with asparagus on the side and chips to go on top or in the soup.  That soup needs more heat.  I may add cumin next time.

Shopping:

Kachy's
Mangoes (7)	$5.25
Artichokes (4)	$1.00
Asparagus (1.82 lbs)	$5.44
Costillon Bananas	$1.74
Baby Bananas	$2.05
Hass Avocados (2)	$1.98
Leeks (2)	$1.00
White Nectarines (2)	$1.15
Tangeloes (9)	$1.04
	$20.65

Costco
Flour Tortillas	$2.99
	$23.64

Week 18, Day 5

FAST SUNDAY

Jason and Cressida had burritos for breakfast.  Cressida had her church bread toasted with peanut butter and honey and an apple, but she only ate the apple - Jason ate the rest, plus his burrito.

Dinner: we made taco beans, diced tomatoes and took a canned of mandarin oranges to Heather Castro's home.  She made pork for tacos and did lettuce and cheese and tortillas (flour or corn).  Jenn Zhang brought sour cream and avocados.  Heather used our oranges and her apples, watermelon and grapes to make a fruit salad.  Not only tasty food, but good company.

Phyllis also brought her loaf of Sunday bread and we had balsamic and oil to dip it in.

Week 18, Day 4

Breakfast: breakfast burritos (we are out of oatmeal)

Lunch: bean burritos

Dinner: 1.25 lbs. of New York steak, but it was two steaks so we fried it and then sliced it - we ended up having leftovers, if you can believe that.  Jason says he feels like he is getting better at mea.  We also had steamed zucchini and instant mashed potatoes - and yes, my kids asked if they were real or not this time, too

Shopping:
Root Beer                   .99
Vanilla Ice-cream     3.29
                               $4.37

Week 18, Day 3

Breakfast: Jason made burritos for us

Lunch: Phyllis took pinto bean soup, Cress had PBJ (well, honey not jelly) and Dai got to eat at Great America for her field trip with GATE.  Such a bummer they cut GATE to only be fifth and sixth because otherwise Phyllis would be testing right now for next year

Dinner: Jason made the girls and he burritos because I stuck around at swim to talk to Heather a bit and they all left without me because I was taking so long.  He made me an egg sandwich plus I had radishes.  We forgot our CSA though yesterday - pretty bummed about that.

Week 18, day 2

Breakfast: leftover oatmeal for Dai, Phyllis fired herself two eggs and had toast, Cressida had a burritos as did I

Lunch: white bean and ham soup for Dai and Phyllis, PBJ for Cress.  I love when they like a sop enough to ask for it for lunch.  Cress didn't really choose, we do hers so early.

Dinner: I made a pinto bean soup which seem to have been well received, but it was all scattered due to swim again.