Week 7, Day 5

Yes, I skipped a bunch of days.  I have been really busy and TIRED!!  So, sitting down to do this in the morning doesn't work and in the evening after kids go to bed doesn't work.  Will try harder because I suspect I will find this very useful looking back.

I shopped yesterday.

Costco: 40.74
Milk (2 gallons 1%) $5.39
Saltines crackers (12 packs) $4.99
Pot Roasts (2 of them) $ 18.39  (I actually look for the smallest ones and it always seems to be enough and Jason vacuum packs the second for the freezer)
Celery $2.99 (for 4 hearts of celery which seems wasteful to buy in the regular grocery store but is so cheap it is worth it at Costco)
Potatoes, gold $8.99 (15 pounds)

Real Produce: $3.00 (11 Persian cucumbers) they are getting smaller and more expensive

Whole Foods: $7.99 (Pero, extra dark roast)
This is for us to take to Idaho as making teecino when Elsie has actual coffee to make will be challenging

Nob Hill: $31.34
Penne: 1.50 (pasta prices have skyrocketed.  This summer $1 or $1.09 was the sale price not it is $1.50 or $1.69)
4 Farmhouse Pasta Meals $6.00 (Cress and I are struggling with lunch when we are at Open Gym until noon or otherwise out so we got quite a bit of boxed meals as an experiment - otherwise we grab a dollar burger at McD's)
2 Knorr Rice Sides $3.00
Mahatma Beans & Rice $3.78 (different brand is cheaper so I thought we would try)
2 Broccoli & Rice (Raley's brand Rice-a-Roni) $3.00
Thai Curry Rice $2.99
Thai Kitchen Rice $2.99
Bananas, yellow 4.69 pounds for $3.19
Bananas, red 1.36 pounds for $1.21

Both of the Thai rices were priced the same at Whole Foods but they had many more options of that type.

Total: $83.07

While we are under for the week, there was a Christmas tree, there will be extra gas to go to Idaho, there was pizza and beer for games night on Saturday with Elise, Sam and Linda as our guests, etc.  Holiday spending.  :)

We leave Saturday morning for Idaho.  I expect we will buy some food in Idaho but that will be next week.  Our fridge and cupboards have been pretty lean, especially on need-a-quick-dinner nights.  

Last night we had pot roast with Bennett.  We have some beets from leftovers and some Raley's bread and Martinelli's with it.  I do not have that receipt (Jason picked it up) but I would guess about $5 bringing the total to $88.07. 

Tonight we will eat at the Castros.  Jason should be happy.  They have leftover Mexican food from her nephews graduation party and we were going to have oregano chicken.

Meal plan is baked ziti and green beans for Wednesday.  Potato soup for Thursday and chicken or beef stew for Friday.  We hope to pack food for our drive.  Bread, peanut butter, produce, jelly, puffed corn and milk, maybe?  Not sure but we  want to limit our fast food consumption since it $20 a pop for our family usually.    

Week 6, Day 4

For breakfast we had oatmeal.  I was moving slowly so Dai started it.  Cress was mad because I wouldn't give her raisins.  When  asked "Who wants raisins?" she did not answer.  Do I know that she wanted them?  Sure.  At lunch she was picking at her leftovers so I offered her oatmeal.  The kids also got cookies for lunch dessert/after school snack.

Also, Steve gave us a variety of cereal bars, protein bars, etc.  I let them have one with breakfast and after school.

For lunch I ate black bean layers and some of the brownies that Jason made last night.

For dinner we will have PBJ's because we have to have Phyllis downtown by 6:15 for Girl Scouts.  They are seeing their tree at Christmas in the Park.  Jason will run out to get the snake so I will take the other kid to Christmas in the Park.  Jason will just cover the snake with blankets in the back of the car when he picks us up again. We will keep it in the closet until Christmas day. 

Oh, and we are using the wheat bread Jason made for sandwiches.  It is the same kind he made before that I raved about.  I cannot remember the name.  Hearth bread?  We will also have Gouda and apples with dinner.

Week 6, Day 3

Jason made puffed oven pancake this morning for a late breakfast.  He made two double batches (12 eggs total) and cooked them sequentially.  We ate so late that we did not have lunch but just a 4 PM dinner. 

Last night before going to bed I had cooked the black beans that had been soaking the day away.  This morning I added the stuff to make soup.  Then about 3 PM moved them from the pressure cooker to a pan and cooked rice in my pressure cooker using up the last of my white rice.  We ate black bean layers.  Actually, the kids, did.  Jason and I had rice with butter and salt and pepper. 

Week 6, Days 1 and 2

Fresh week (but truthfully I am behind already!!)

Friday we had cold cereal for breakfast.  Cressida and I had beans and rice for lunch. 

For dinner we went to the Ward Christmas Party.  We invited the Tervalons and they did come with us.  But Al expressed a little nervousness at going to a "church" party.  The Tervalons came over after and we played a little Maori.

Saturday we had pancakes for breakfast.  I love that Jason cooks so many weekend breakfasts.

The Tervalon kids were with us for lunch (we were babysitting for Al and Nicole to go to a trade fair.)  Our older two were off with grandma and Grandpa laVanaway at the Nutcracker.  They were apparently very well-bahved (yay!!)  So, I made Oregano Chicken.  Apparently Jason doesn't like it as well as he used to.  As a special treat for me I made white rice instead of brown.  I made seven chicken tenders.  Then Al and Nicole came by right as lunch was getting done.  So, there wasn't really enough for all to be sated but I cut up four apples, too.  Noah ate the extra chicken tender.  Al had a second bowl of rice, as did I.  I do have leftover rice.

As I started to make Oregano Chicken I realized I had no butter so Jason went to the store while I moved on making lunch.  Good thing, too, since I also used up the last of the Soy Sauce and needed more.  Jason bought both before we had lunch but I have put it in the total below.

We played a game of Dominion and they left with plans to return for games that night.  Jason and I grocery shopped.  He was crabby (partially from lack of food, partially from chaos.)

Total grocery money spent for week $61.35

Costco $36.25
Box of canned green beans (the veggie for this whole week)     $7.89
4 lbs of Butter (salted)                                                                 $7.79
2% Milk (2 gallons) we couldn't find 1%                                    $5.59
Apples                                                                                          $5.99
Gouda                                                                                           $9.99

Total                                                                                           $36.25

Lucky $5.84
1 pound salted butter                                                                   $2.95
Soy Sauce                                                                                    $2.89


Total                                                                                            $5.84

Dollar Tree $4.33 (everything is a $1)
Hand soap
Christmas labels
Flossers
Dish Washer Detergent

Nob Hill $14.93
2 pounds black beans                                                               $3.58
2 7 oz. cans of diced green chiles                                            $3.38
Parchment Paper                                                                      $3.69
Cream (2 pints)                                                                        $3.98
Total                                                                                         $14.93


For dinner I cooked three boxes of rice and beans and four cans of green beans.  The Tervalons brought pizza, hot wings and bread sticks.  My kids had already eaten but Jason did enjoy a slice of pizza when he got home from the play with Daitarih about 11 PM.  Kahlan doesn't like pizza, so I thought our option might work for her but she doesn't like rice and beans either.  I have leftovers of both (just a bit.)  We had cookies (from Steve Arnold our next door neighbor) and ice-cream for dessert. 

Games played included Othello, Villa Paletti, Dixit, Ticket to Ride and Dominion.

Week 5, Day 7

Today we had oatmeal and cold cerreal.  Actually, only Phyllis and I had cold cerreal.  The other kids were not getting ready quickly so they had oatmeal.  I told them to have cold cerreal they needed to be ready by 8 AM sharp.

For dinner we had leftover beaker soup.  Except Jason, who had cold cereal because there was no more soup when he got home.  He said he was actually looking forward to the soup.  Then he was irrate becuase there were no more real bowls clean (we are down to four children's bowls that are pink plastic and four of our ceramic ones originally from Dollar Tree.)  I told him he could use one of the big containers which assuaged some of his normal irritation of eating out of containers.

Week 5, Day 6 (I just want this week to be over to start fresh on Day 1)

Good old oatmeal for breakfast.  Our good ol' go to.  The kids love it.

Shopped today, too. I did not get cash because we are switching bill pay software and so I did not pay bills like usual.  We were out of town on payday but I could have done today, except for the planned change.  But Jason had to work late (and has to work really early tomorrow) and so now I am not sure when he will get the new software installed so maybe I should just do it.  

Costco: $24.36
Milk 5.39
Eggs 7.99
Apples 5.99 (1.08 per pound for Galas)
Greenlees Bread: 4.99

Real Produce: Persian cucumbers $2.04

Nob Hill: Cold Cereal 12.73

Phyllis needs a paper bag for class tomorrow and we don't have any so we had to go to Nob Hill and I bought cold cereal as a splurge.  But really, I didn't do much shopping today.

Also, Heather is slowly moving stuff into her new house.  We walked over and chatted a bit.  Then she said she really had to take her kids home to feed them.  Her hubby wasn't home, Jason is working late so I offered to treat to Taco Bell.  That was $26.22.

Total for the week: $65.35

We had popcorn and greenlees toast for after school snack.

Back to Food Tracking Week 5, Day 5

Our trip to Guatemala was fantastic.  Mostly we ate local cuisine.  We had a ball and I didn't track a food budget. 

We got home yesterday in the evening.  Jason and I had leftover Beaker soup.  Presumably this is the same soup I made last Wednesday.  Also in the fridge are leftover beans and rice and baked ziti.  It leads me to think we are very good at using up leftovers. 

This morning we had oatmeal and toast.  I went to gt out the oats to microwave some oatmeal and there was yesterday's oatmeal leftovers in the pantry.  Dai said Grandma Lisa must have done that.  Bizarre.  Cress ate applesauce because she has been throwing up all morning.  After a decent time passing of no throw up I let her have a little applesauce.  Poor baby.  I am also drinking leftover teeccino.  I make a pot and stick it in the fridge to nuke daily.

Back to recording all meals.  Back to $125 per week.  I haven't shopped this week and am unsure when I will since Cress is ill today. 

Jason has a training class today so he gets free lunch today at work.  The girls took boiled eggs, Persian cucumbers, prunes and dried apples.  Phyllis also took bread and butter. 

The dinner plan is leftovers.  Hopefully we will leave enough for Jason's lunch tomorrow.