Week 2, Day 3

Breakfast: Egg burritos for all but Cress who had oatmeal.  Jason made egg burritos and oatmeal for all but Dai who was in the shower.  But she competently made her own when she got out.

Lunches: Girls had peanut butter and cracker, plus leftover Oopsie bread and veggies - oranges, carrots, celery, applesauce, etc.

I had oranges and two cream cheese and jelly wraps plus a bag of popcorn.  By 2 PM, I am so hungry I have no self control.  I had the oranges on the bus and shared a slice with an old man next to me.  We just don't interact much with people anymore.  He chatted amiably after, but his voice was soft and hard to hear.

Jason had leftover nut pasta.

After school snack: remaining Oopsie bread

Dinner:  Bean and rice burritos with all the trimmings - except Cress who had some nut pasta leftovers. Peppermint chip cookies for dessert.  I had to make them myself - no girl was interested.  I did grind my own flour and they turned out fine.

Week 2, Day 2

Breakfast: Cressida had leftover rice as cereal.  Jason and I had breakfast burritos.  He didn't make me a drink this morning.  Usually he makes me Roma.  We are out of cream so he had to do non-dairy creamer yesterday.  Could that be why?

Dai had half leftover rice and half leftover oatmeal - each with the correct fixings - but in one bowl. Then she had a bowl of applesauce.  It is the no sugar added commercial stuff Tess gave us when she moved, so I sprinkled cinnamon and sugar on it.  Dai said it was sweeter than homemade but not as good.  Oh, sweet girl.

Phyllis had oatmeal that I microwaved for her.  I definitely prefer stove top cooked, but the girls don't seem to mind microwaved.  Of course she had brown sugar and raisins.  We go through a lot of raisins in this house!

Lunch: Cress had peanut butter on saltines.  My girls love saltines - often choosing them over Ritz, etc. Though I rarely get crackers anymore, and when I do it is most likely saltines for in a pinch mornings when there is no bread.  She has mangoes, applesauce with cinnamon and sugar and an orange.

Dai and Phyllis have peanut butter on pancakes (I found the ones that had gone missing in the freezer) - Dai's with honey and Phyllis's plain.  Phyllis has celery sticks with balsamic, a carrot and applesauce like I did Dai's for breakfast.  Dai has a carrot, orange and applesauce.

Jason took leftover nuts sauce and macaroni and the remaining balsamic Brussels sprouts.

I need to remember to grab oranges and cheese for me for the bus ride home.

Snack: I made Oopsie bread - basically eggs and cream cheese.  The girls liked them pretty well - I thought they were ok.  Probably will not make again.

Dinner: Leftover nut pasta.  Dai complained because there wasn't a produce with it.  That's what she called it.  She asked if she could have an orange.  I said no.

Oh, yeah, also bought $6 worth of dishwasher soap - but it lasts a good long time.  

Week 2, Day 1

Breakfast: Jason and I had breakfast burritos and the girls had oatmeal. This isn't as cruel as it sounds. Cress gets up first to be out the door by 7:10-7:15.  The other two get to sleep until at least 7, sometimes later.  Cressida doesn't like breakfast burritos and we eat while she does - thus the other two never see us eating a food they really like.

Lunch:  Cress had a peabnut butter and honey sandwich.  Cress and Dai like honey rather than jelly right now and Phyllis wants no jelly or honey.  Dai had leftover spaghetti and squash and Phyllis had leftover spaghetti.  So glad I bought those hot lunch containers.  They each had three produce.  Phyllis doesn't like oranges so she had mostly veggies. Carrots, celery, oranges, dried mangoes were the primary options.

I used to buy mangoes that were dried with sugar.  They are so good.  But, I recently started buying unsweetened dried mangoes.  The first day I gave it to Cress she brought it home to me and said, "I think these have gone bad, Mom."  That was Tuesday, maybe? Yesterday she ate them, though. Knowledge is power and having your expectations met also works.  I did mention it to her the first morning I packed them, but I think she didn't really understand.

Jason took burritos for lunch.  I forgot to pack anything and was ravenous by the time I got home after 2 PM.  I ate a burrito and the rest of the mushroom soup.  Really, more than I needed.  But I did finish the beans for tomorrow.  I added corn and two fresh cut up tomatoes.  I used to always do that to my gringa beans, but then I stopped somewhere along the way.

Snack: Toast with butter and a string cheese.  I needed to use up the last bit of bread and heels are bet

Dinner: Nila had left stuff for gluten free macaroni and cheese - technically it is also vegan so not actual cheese.  I doubled it so I added my own non-gluten free noodles. So, not really gluten free either.  The sauce was made with boiled carrots, potatoes, onion and nuts.  We thought it could use more zip but it was really interesting to boil nuts and then blend them.  Had never done that before.  We also had Brussels sprouts two ways - as Elise did them, roasted with balsamic vinaigrette, and steamed with butter added after.  If I had let him, Jason and I might picked them to death before the casserole was done.  Yummy!  We also had the vanilla jello dessert I made the day before.  Dai liked it initially but didn't finish. Phyllis didn't like it and was most dismayed to find she couldn't have one of her candies for dessert.  When I make it, you eat it or nothing.  Days I don't make dessert, then you can use your candy stash.  That will be dessert again because a lot is left.  

Week 1, Day 7

The end of a first complete week - so far so good.  As a side, I have very little grocery money but I have plenty of food.   I am having to use some of it for parking money at school - which going to school also uses a lot of gas - but hopefully I will start doing public transit soon.

Breakfast: Oatmeal which dad made for the kids.  I will have leftover onions.  Of course, I also have Roma and cream.

Lunch: Kids have PBJ's and fruits or veggies.  Phyllis doesn't love mandarins, so she has carrots and celery.  All have pickles (Phyllis didn't eat hers yesterday) and the two have mandarins.  Cress also has dried mango but it isn't the Philippine variety so not sweetened.  We shall see what she thinks.

Dinner: Spaghetti and butternut squash.  The squash was from several weeks ago - we got two from the CSA.  Jason picked up another apparently at work today - so that was nice.  I made only one pound of noodles and we had leftovers - the girls really liked squash.  I dressed up the remnant of the Ragu sauce I got from Tess when she moved.  I rationed that big old jar she gave me out over three meals.  Tonight I added mushrooms, garlic, herbs and a can of stewed tomatoes that I pureed.

I also made a mushroom soup today which I had as a snack and Jason had a bowl with after his spaghetti and squash.  Elise had pinned the recipe.  I re-pinned and made it - it was a bit thin but could be thickened easily enough and would be much healthier than cream of mushroom condensed soup in a can.

I also made a gelatin dessert that is dissolved in milk - likely dessert tomorrow as it has to set up.
Phyllis made cookies today pretty much by herself.  First time for that.  I used fresh ground flour which we have done before but this was different.  I think maybe I didn't have the grind fine enough.

Heather and I went to Costco.  I am essentially out of grocery money - especially if I have to keep buying a parking pass the rest of this week.  But, Heather owed me $8.  So she bought me a gallon of milk (we split a Costco two pack basically) and we split a Costco salsa two-pack.

I also realized that when Nila was here, she had bought the stuff to make a gluten free macaroni and cheese type meal.  She never made it so I have the ingredients.  I got the recipe today and shall try it tomorrow.  I hate to see food go to waste (and nuts can go bad, especially I would guess raw nuts) and even more so when I didn't have to pay for it.  Not sure Jason will love it, but, that's life, I guess.  Most of my food he does.  I made him more beans, but he won't need new beans for a couple days.  

Week 1, Day 6

Breakfast: brown rice cereal for the kids and leftover tapioca for me - really not that different from cereal, not terribly filled with sugar.  Jason stayed home sick and had a egg burrito.

Lunch: PBJ's with veggies - it varies by kid, but pickles, mandarin oranges,  etc.  Only Dai finished her lunch.  Jason had a bean and rice burritos or two.  I had leftover tamale pie - but it was almost 2 by the time I got to eat so I was very tempted to grab fast food on the way home from school.  Looking back I am very glad I didn't.

Dinner: Creamed onions (Jason made them and said they were too much effort so he will never make again but I love them!), leftover pumpkin (made with balsamic and not that awesome so I threw the rest out after dinner), cornbread (leftovers from day before and we finished it up though I did have to take off the bottom part) and bean and rice burritos with all the fixings.  The missionaries came for dinner.  I made brand new rice and beans yesterday but Jason was nervous that because we had guests we would finish them all - we didn't even come close.  We did however, eat all but one tortilla.  Luckily he can get more at the Costco near his work.

I used $13 of the grocery money to get Jason Walborne.  Jason also dranks loads of tea - so glad I had it on hand.

Week 1, Day 5

Breakfast: Cressida had brown rice cereal.  Jason had cold cereal to finish it up after we went to church.  The rest fasted.

Lunch: Cress had a bagel with cream cheese.  The bagel was from Sister Seamons, whose brother works at a bakery and gives her day olds to hand out on Sunday.  Jason had a burrito with leftover beans. The rest fasted.

Dinner:  Tamale pie and salad.  We had lemon zinger iced-tea.  Jason had tamale pie as a kid but I don't think that I had.  I thought it was good, but Jason wished it had more zip.  Cress and Phyllis weren't huge fans of the topping - Jason's same complaint when he was a kid.  I made southern corn bread but it didn't cook quite right and burned to a crisp on the bottom before the inside was done.  I have made it before but the batch then wasn't as thick.  I just can't locate that recipe.  It is my favorite cornbread.

I got four recipe books from the library.  Makes me want to branch out and try new things.  

Week 1, Day 4

Breakfast: Breakfast burritos, eggs and cheese.  Dai reminded us about rice.  Cress had rice - she doesn't like burritos.  I ate two persimmons (the squishy kind) and Dai and Jason had a banana. Jason had coffee and I had Roma with cream - twice.

Lunch: turkey stew that I made from last night but it was bland so we added salt and pepper to our bowls.  Then I added more slat and poultry seasoning to the rest in the crockpot and put it back on to heat.  I had a Diet Dr. Pepper.

Snack: Cold Stone Creamery ice cream - used our gift cards

Dinner: turkey soup, sliced homemade bread, leftover salad (only enough for two) and the pumpkin I made last night and Phyllis ate one of last night's meatballs with rice.  We made lemon zinger ice-tea. Turkey soup is all gone.  We had milkshakes, except Cress who chose not to finish.

Tomorrow is fast Sunday so less need for food.

Shopped at Nob Hill for Almond Milk - $4.  Total $220 where I only get about $260 per pay period for groceries.