Just a basic meal. Spaghetti with marinara, crumbles, onion, and garlic. I joined it with a fruit salad of clementines, strawberries and blueberries. It was a big hit, especially the salad.
Pasta: 50 cents
Marina: $1
Crumbles: $4
Onion: 25 cents
Garlic: 20 cents
Clementines: 90 cents
Strawberries: $2
Blueberries: $2
Total: $10.85 ($3.16 per person)
Not too bad but a little high. The fruit salad was probably a bit expensive but not bad.
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Week 12 in Review
Sunday: Chorizo & Spaghetti $13
Monday: Chinese New Year $16.65
Tuesday: Sesame Green Beans $1.90
Wednesday: Mutar Paneer $15.94
Thursday: Hot Dogs $5.72
Friday: Falafels $19.45
Saturday: Burgers $3.50
Total: $76.16 ($10.88 per meal)
Monday: Chinese New Year $16.65
Tuesday: Sesame Green Beans $1.90
Wednesday: Mutar Paneer $15.94
Thursday: Hot Dogs $5.72
Friday: Falafels $19.45
Saturday: Burgers $3.50
Total: $76.16 ($10.88 per meal)
Saturday, 1/28/12: Burgers
Karen was headed out to an OKGo concert. It was supposed to be a date night but Doris got sick, so I stayed home to take care of her and Karen took Brian and Ellie to the concert. Free tickets and free parking. So totally awesome and I'm totally jealous.
We needed a quick dinner so I made burgers, left over salad, and veggie chips. For Doris, I warmed up the remaining hot dogs. Probably because she was sick, Doris didn't really eat anything. But it was a fine, cheap, and quick dinner.
Burgers: $2
Buns: $1
Chips: 50 cents
Total: $3.50 ($1.17 per person)
Definitely a good cheap meal. I just wish Doris would eat burgers.
We needed a quick dinner so I made burgers, left over salad, and veggie chips. For Doris, I warmed up the remaining hot dogs. Probably because she was sick, Doris didn't really eat anything. But it was a fine, cheap, and quick dinner.
Burgers: $2
Buns: $1
Chips: 50 cents
Total: $3.50 ($1.17 per person)
Definitely a good cheap meal. I just wish Doris would eat burgers.
Friday, 1/27/12: Falafels
We had some frozen falafels in the freezer so I wanted to use them up. I made falafels and greek salad. For the cucumber sauce, I used this recipe and it was really good. Probably the best cucumber sauce I've made. I grated the cucumbers. I served the falafels with cucumber sauce, romaine lettuce, olives, and banana peppers. For the greek salad, I used this recipe but I added romaine lettuce. It was good but I like my more simple greek salad better. Doris loved the feta cheese. She ate a little bit of falafel but much. Not a hit, I'd say. She also ate a lot of olives.
Falafel: $2
Pita: $1.50
Olives: $4
Banana Peppers: 75 cents
Yogurt: 75 cents
Mayo: 40 cents
Dill: 20 cents
Cucumber: $1
Peppers: $2
Tomatoes: $3
Onion: 50 cents
Garlic: 10 cents
Seasonings and sauces: $1
Feta: $3
Total: $19.45 ($5.48 per person)
Expensive. Probably because there are lots of fresh things. And olives. They are expensive. We did have leftovers for the next night plus for lunch.
Falafel: $2
Pita: $1.50
Olives: $4
Banana Peppers: 75 cents
Yogurt: 75 cents
Mayo: 40 cents
Dill: 20 cents
Cucumber: $1
Peppers: $2
Tomatoes: $3
Onion: 50 cents
Garlic: 10 cents
Seasonings and sauces: $1
Feta: $3
Total: $19.45 ($5.48 per person)
Expensive. Probably because there are lots of fresh things. And olives. They are expensive. We did have leftovers for the next night plus for lunch.
Thursday, 1/26/12: Hot Dogs
I took the bus. Which means I got home very late. Such a long commute. So we had a simple dinner. Hot dogs to use up the buns we had, canned corn, veggie chips, and leftover pasta salad from my work. It was enjoyable enough and about as easy as it gets.
Hot Dogs: $4
Buns: 33 cents
Canned corn: 89 cents
Veggie chips: 50 cents
Total: $5.72 ($1.91 per person)
As always a cheap meal, which I appreciate.
Hot Dogs: $4
Buns: 33 cents
Canned corn: 89 cents
Veggie chips: 50 cents
Total: $5.72 ($1.91 per person)
As always a cheap meal, which I appreciate.
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Calorie tracker
I'm going to start using this website. I'm going to lose weight, damn it! I put all my planned eating and exercising in for today and supposedly I have calories to spare. So if I eat so well, why can't I lose weight? Because I shove (shove!) other things into my mouth, and I always get two servings at dinner. Both things I need to work on.
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Wednesday, 1/25/12: Mutar Paneer
I'm trying to last as long as I can without going to the grocery store, and doing a pretty damn good job. I stayed home with Doris while she was sick today. So I asked her if she wanted hot dogs, spaghetti, or curry, all favorites of hers. Without skipping a beat, she said curry. That is truly her very favorite.
I sauteed paneer with frozen petite peas and 3/4's of a jar of Calcutta Masala sauce. I warmed up a bag of Trader Joe's vegetable biryani. I fried 3 poppudums. And I microwaved one package of frozen paneer with chili's.
Doris just ate the paneer, which is typical. Karen ate everything, but went back to finish off the paneer chili. We have some biryani leftover and a lot of mutar paneer leftovers.
Paneer: $4
Peas: $3
Sauce: $2
Biryani: $3
Poppudums: 94 cents
Paneer Chili: $3
Total: $15.94 ($5.31 per person)
That's a lot. I better make sure to use the leftovers to make it worth it. This is looking like an expensive week.
I did a calorie count on this meal. It wasn't a bad meal. I just ate way too much of it. Estimated at about 996 calories. No wonder I can't lose weight eating meals like that.
I sauteed paneer with frozen petite peas and 3/4's of a jar of Calcutta Masala sauce. I warmed up a bag of Trader Joe's vegetable biryani. I fried 3 poppudums. And I microwaved one package of frozen paneer with chili's.
Doris just ate the paneer, which is typical. Karen ate everything, but went back to finish off the paneer chili. We have some biryani leftover and a lot of mutar paneer leftovers.
Paneer: $4
Peas: $3
Sauce: $2
Biryani: $3
Poppudums: 94 cents
Paneer Chili: $3
Total: $15.94 ($5.31 per person)
That's a lot. I better make sure to use the leftovers to make it worth it. This is looking like an expensive week.
I did a calorie count on this meal. It wasn't a bad meal. I just ate way too much of it. Estimated at about 996 calories. No wonder I can't lose weight eating meals like that.
Tuesday, 1/24/12: Sesame Green Beans
We had a lot of leftover chorizo pasta. To serve something green, I made sesame green beans. I stir-fried half a bag of frozen green beans in sesame oil, added toasted sesame seeds and one packet of Chinese restaurant soy sauce.
Doris was doing her calm jar right before dinner. When asked what her Moody Cow thoughts were, she said "These green beans make me sad." Then later when Karen said "Thanks for the good meal, Mommy." Doris said "This is not such a good meal, Mommy."
So it was not a hit. At least not with Doris. Oh well. Now I'm eating the rest of the chorizo pasta for lunch for the rest of the week so that it doesn't get wasted.
Green beans; $1.50
Sesame oil: 30 cents
Sesame seeds 10 cents
Total: $$1.90 (63 cents per person)
At least it was cheap even if it wasn't liked.
Doris was doing her calm jar right before dinner. When asked what her Moody Cow thoughts were, she said "These green beans make me sad." Then later when Karen said "Thanks for the good meal, Mommy." Doris said "This is not such a good meal, Mommy."
So it was not a hit. At least not with Doris. Oh well. Now I'm eating the rest of the chorizo pasta for lunch for the rest of the week so that it doesn't get wasted.
Green beans; $1.50
Sesame oil: 30 cents
Sesame seeds 10 cents
Total: $$1.90 (63 cents per person)
At least it was cheap even if it wasn't liked.
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Monday, 1/23/12: Happy Chinese New Year
We always celebrate Chinese New Year. Karen says it's because Angel is Chinese. This year Doris' Chinese/Vietnamese friends gave cards/money, so that added to the fun. While I made dinner, Karen and Doris made a calm jar, ala Moody Cow. Doris was having a very Moody Cow day and when I suggested she read this book with Amma, she said yes, like she knew it would help her calm her emotions down. It seemed to work and we had a much better night.
I didn't plan for this meal. We have a lot of food at home so we aren't going to the grocery store for a while, so I didn't plan and buy stuff for this meal. I just made what I had. And amazingly, I had a lot. Except for rice. We only had a little left but it worked out to be enough.
I made some spring rolls in the toaster oven. I made a dipping sauce of lemon juice, vinegar, soy sauce, chili sauce, and hoisin sauce. It was pretty good. Karen's taking the leftovers for lunch today.
I made Orange Mandarin Chik'n by Gardein. This is really good. It says on their package that it's their most popular product and I can totally believe it. Last time I made it, Doris wouldn't touch it, but this time she ate a lot of it. Most Gardein products are way too expensive, but this one is affordable so I buy it. Doris liked it so much that she is eating the leftovers for lunch today.
I made a tofu and veggie stir-fry with a Thai style peanut sauce. I used fresh mushrooms but the rest of the veggies were frozen. I used half a bag of green beans and a quarter of a bag of Asian stir fry veggies. The sauce was made of peanut butter, soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, chili sauce, and lemon juice. It was quite tasty. Doris ate a lot of the tofu. The only problem with making dishes like this is that Doris can't take the leftovers to school because of the peanut butter so I try not to make them too often. I'm eating these leftovers. Two lunches worth.
Rice: 40 cents
Spring Rolls: $3
Chik'n: $4
Tofu: $4
Mushrooms: $2
Green beans: $1.50
Veggies: 75 cents
Sauces: $1
Total: $16.65 ($5.55 per person)
That's a lot. We could have probably done without the spring rolls, which would have brought it down to 13.65, which is still a lot. We had some leftovers but only enough for lunches, not dinners. So this is okay for a holiday but not otherwise. Probably the chik'n, though cheaper than other Gardein products, is still not a value product.
I didn't plan for this meal. We have a lot of food at home so we aren't going to the grocery store for a while, so I didn't plan and buy stuff for this meal. I just made what I had. And amazingly, I had a lot. Except for rice. We only had a little left but it worked out to be enough.
I made some spring rolls in the toaster oven. I made a dipping sauce of lemon juice, vinegar, soy sauce, chili sauce, and hoisin sauce. It was pretty good. Karen's taking the leftovers for lunch today.
I made Orange Mandarin Chik'n by Gardein. This is really good. It says on their package that it's their most popular product and I can totally believe it. Last time I made it, Doris wouldn't touch it, but this time she ate a lot of it. Most Gardein products are way too expensive, but this one is affordable so I buy it. Doris liked it so much that she is eating the leftovers for lunch today.
I made a tofu and veggie stir-fry with a Thai style peanut sauce. I used fresh mushrooms but the rest of the veggies were frozen. I used half a bag of green beans and a quarter of a bag of Asian stir fry veggies. The sauce was made of peanut butter, soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, chili sauce, and lemon juice. It was quite tasty. Doris ate a lot of the tofu. The only problem with making dishes like this is that Doris can't take the leftovers to school because of the peanut butter so I try not to make them too often. I'm eating these leftovers. Two lunches worth.
Rice: 40 cents
Spring Rolls: $3
Chik'n: $4
Tofu: $4
Mushrooms: $2
Green beans: $1.50
Veggies: 75 cents
Sauces: $1
Total: $16.65 ($5.55 per person)
That's a lot. We could have probably done without the spring rolls, which would have brought it down to 13.65, which is still a lot. We had some leftovers but only enough for lunches, not dinners. So this is okay for a holiday but not otherwise. Probably the chik'n, though cheaper than other Gardein products, is still not a value product.
Monday, January 23, 2012
Sunday, 1/23/12: Chorizo & Spaghetti
Michael and Nancy were returning from their vacation by red eye and were exhausted. I sent them a text that we would give them dinner. I made a double batch of Chorizo and Spaghetti. Luckily, I had picked up Chorizo at Giant and Karen had picked one up at Trader Joe's, so we had two of them.
I made it with one box of fettucine, two blocks of chorizo, two onions, four cloves of garlic, two cups of parmesan. Instead of dried sage, I used dried Italian seasoning - 4 tsps. I added one jar of sun-dried tomatoes and one jar of greek olives. It was dry so I added the oil from the sun-dried tomatoes, which added some nice flavor with all of it's seasonings, and 3/4's of a can of tomato juice. For Karen and I, I pan-fried it. Doris said she didn't want it pan-fried. I also served it with some frozen broccoli. Doris ate a lot of the broccoli and some of the olives and a little pasta. Karen and I enjoyed it.
I packed it up in a big yogurt tub for Michael and Nancy with some leftover peas and carrots. Karen had also made some scones and coffee cake, so I included that as well. Nancy sent a text that it was delicious and asked for the recipe, so it's definitely a hit. I had to do a lot of doctoring, so I was happy to see it turned out well.
There is a ton of leftovers so we'll definitely get another meal or two out of this.
Chorizo: $6
Onion: $1
Garlic: 40 cents
Parmesan: $2.80
Italian Seasoning: 20 cents
Sun-dried tomatoes: $4
Olives: $6
Tomato juice: 67 cents
Broccoli: $1.50
Total: $23.57 ($4.71 per person)
It's a lot but we made a ton. If it had just been the three of us, I would have made less and it would have probably cost $13, much more reasonable, especially considering that it always has leftovers.
Week 11 in Review
Sunday: Beenoop Free
Monday: Cutlets $12.90
Tuesday: Burgers $4.20
Wednesday: Mama Lucia $15
Thursday: Leftovers Free
Friday: Pizza $12.20
Saturday: Addis Ababa $20
Total: $64.30 ($9.19 per day)
Pretty good week, especially considering we went to the restaurant twice. I might be getting a handle on food prices post-CSA.
Monday: Cutlets $12.90
Tuesday: Burgers $4.20
Wednesday: Mama Lucia $15
Thursday: Leftovers Free
Friday: Pizza $12.20
Saturday: Addis Ababa $20
Total: $64.30 ($9.19 per day)
Pretty good week, especially considering we went to the restaurant twice. I might be getting a handle on food prices post-CSA.
Saturday, 1/21/12: Addis Ababa
We had a date night planned. Catherine and Dale were going to babysit and Karen and I were going to use our Groupon to Addis Ababa. Doris doesn't really appreciate Ethiopian food, so we were going to enjoy it ourselves. But Catherine and Dale canceled, and our groupon was going to expire, so we took Doris with us.
We ordered the vegetarian sampler platter for two with yellow peas, tomato salad, red lentils, cabbage, and green beans, potatoes, and carrots. Doris took a bite of the potato but said it was spicy. I think it was a bit hard. She touched the injera and said it was yucky. Then she ate all of the green beans. She kept saying "I really like the green beans." Unfortunately there were only a few green beans, so she had quite a small meal.
Karen and I enjoyed the rest of it.
Total: $20 ($6.67 per person)
We ordered the vegetarian sampler platter for two with yellow peas, tomato salad, red lentils, cabbage, and green beans, potatoes, and carrots. Doris took a bite of the potato but said it was spicy. I think it was a bit hard. She touched the injera and said it was yucky. Then she ate all of the green beans. She kept saying "I really like the green beans." Unfortunately there were only a few green beans, so she had quite a small meal.
Karen and I enjoyed the rest of it.
Total: $20 ($6.67 per person)
Friday, 1/20/12: Pizza
Reia was coming over for a sleepover so I made every kids favorite food - pizza. I made two pizzas - one cheese and one with green pepper, onion, mushrooms, and olives. Doris loves mushrooms and olives but always chooses cheese pizza when given the choice. I served it with a fruit salad of strawberries and clementines.
It did as well as you might think. Kids don't eat when they are together because they are too excited. There was a lot of leftovers for us to eat for a few lunches.
Pizza Dough: $6
Sauce: $1.19
Pepper: $1
Mushroom: $2
Olives: $2.50
Onion: 50 cents
Cheese: $2
Strawberries: $3.85
Clementines: 60 cents
Total: $19.64 ($4.91 per person)
That's a lot, but it did create a lot of leftovers. If it had just been the three of us, I would have only made one pizza, which would have cost $12.20, much more reasonable.
It did as well as you might think. Kids don't eat when they are together because they are too excited. There was a lot of leftovers for us to eat for a few lunches.
Pizza Dough: $6
Sauce: $1.19
Pepper: $1
Mushroom: $2
Olives: $2.50
Onion: 50 cents
Cheese: $2
Strawberries: $3.85
Clementines: 60 cents
Total: $19.64 ($4.91 per person)
That's a lot, but it did create a lot of leftovers. If it had just been the three of us, I would have only made one pizza, which would have cost $12.20, much more reasonable.
Friday, January 20, 2012
Thursday, 1/19/12: Leftovers
We had leftover pizza and salad. I spiced it up a bit by adding tomatoes, cheese, and dressing from leftovers at work. Popular meal and it was free.
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Wednesday, 1/18/12: Mama Lucia
Doris wanted to go to a restaurant, or restaurnot as she says. Karen had just picked up a Groupon for Mama Lucia the day before, so I said sure. We ordered cheese sticks and cheese pizza and I got Karen a coke. And we all enjoyed the tasty bread on the table. A heavy meal but we have lots of leftovers for tonight.
Total: $15 ($5 per person)
Total: $15 ($5 per person)
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Tuesday, 1/17/12: Burgers
**Winner: Cheapest meal of the week**
I bought burger buns instead of hot dog buns. Karen picked up hot dogs at Trader Joe's last week, so that was the plan. But then I bought burger buns. So I raided the freezer. We had one Boca burger, one spicy chick'n patty, and one regular chick'n patty. We really needed to clean this out. So it was good that we used them up. But now we have 6 burger buns left, so...
I served it with the leftover sweet potatoes and salad from the night before.
Buns: 50 cents
Burgers: $3
Cheese: 50 cents
Condiments: 20 cents
Total: $4.20 ($1.40 per person)
Great cheap meal and it helped clean out the freezer.
I bought burger buns instead of hot dog buns. Karen picked up hot dogs at Trader Joe's last week, so that was the plan. But then I bought burger buns. So I raided the freezer. We had one Boca burger, one spicy chick'n patty, and one regular chick'n patty. We really needed to clean this out. So it was good that we used them up. But now we have 6 burger buns left, so...
I served it with the leftover sweet potatoes and salad from the night before.
Buns: 50 cents
Burgers: $3
Cheese: 50 cents
Condiments: 20 cents
Total: $4.20 ($1.40 per person)
Great cheap meal and it helped clean out the freezer.
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Monday, 1/16/12: Cutlets
MLK Day. Doris is annually sick on this day. 3 years running. Because Karen stayed home, I was able to get to work pretty early, so I left early and went to the grocery store by myself. I did the whole trip in 30 min. and only spent $86. I should totally go without Doris more often.
I wanted to make BBQ cutlets, but could only find two cutlets. So I made two BBQ cutlets and six veggie nuggets. I also made 3 sweet potatoes and a salad (spring mix, cucumber, radish sprouts, blueberries, strawberries, and walnuts, raspberry walnut dressing).
Doris' sickness meant she wasn't very hungry. Also I found out that she had afternoon tea at 4pm so she was probably full up.
We only ate 1.5 sweet potatoes and we have a lot of salad left.
Cutlets: $2
Nuggets: $1
Sweet Potatoes: $4
Lettuce: $3
Cucumber: $1
Berries: $1
Walnuts: 50 cents
Sprouts: 40 cents
Total: $12.90 ($4.30 per person)
Much higher than it was when I made this with CSA veggies. But luckily there are lots of leftovers. Tonight I'm going to serve hot dogs with just the salad and sweet potatoes, so it will work out.
I wanted to make BBQ cutlets, but could only find two cutlets. So I made two BBQ cutlets and six veggie nuggets. I also made 3 sweet potatoes and a salad (spring mix, cucumber, radish sprouts, blueberries, strawberries, and walnuts, raspberry walnut dressing).
Doris' sickness meant she wasn't very hungry. Also I found out that she had afternoon tea at 4pm so she was probably full up.
We only ate 1.5 sweet potatoes and we have a lot of salad left.
Cutlets: $2
Nuggets: $1
Sweet Potatoes: $4
Lettuce: $3
Cucumber: $1
Berries: $1
Walnuts: 50 cents
Sprouts: 40 cents
Total: $12.90 ($4.30 per person)
Much higher than it was when I made this with CSA veggies. But luckily there are lots of leftovers. Tonight I'm going to serve hot dogs with just the salad and sweet potatoes, so it will work out.
Monday, January 16, 2012
Sunday, 1/15/12: Beenoop Restaurant
Last night was the annual Beenoop auction event. I consider these events free because they were donations to the church anyway. We went two years ago but didn't go last year because Doris would have been too much to handle. But this year we felt she could do it. I ordered sweet potato fries, Beenoop soup (pumpkin & black bean), Eggplant Lasagna, and a brownie with ice cream. Karen ordered all of that, plus strawberries and a salad. Doris ordered strawberries and spaghetti, but then also requested some lasagna when it came out.
I requested some steak sauce to dip my fries in and Doris saw that and got excited and dipped her strawberries as well. She said it was good, I'm not so sure. There was a lemon sorbet served as a palette cleanser before the entree arrived. Doris thought this was hilarious, to serve ice cream before dinner, but ate it excitedly. Then when the real dessert came out, she wasn't interested because she said that she already had some ice cream.
Free
I requested some steak sauce to dip my fries in and Doris saw that and got excited and dipped her strawberries as well. She said it was good, I'm not so sure. There was a lemon sorbet served as a palette cleanser before the entree arrived. Doris thought this was hilarious, to serve ice cream before dinner, but ate it excitedly. Then when the real dessert came out, she wasn't interested because she said that she already had some ice cream.
Free
Week 10 in Review
Sunday: Thanksgiving $18.05
Monday: Leftovers Free
Tuesday: Hot Dogs $6.25
Wednesday: Taco Soup $7.19
Thursday: Quesadillas $6.20
Friday: Thai Noodles $10.10
Saturday: Cafe Green $56
Total: $103 ($14.83 per day)
We were doing pretty good all week until we went to Cafe Green. That certainly blew our budget. If you don't count Cafe Green, we only spent $7.97 per day, which is really good.
Let's hope we do better this week.
Monday: Leftovers Free
Tuesday: Hot Dogs $6.25
Wednesday: Taco Soup $7.19
Thursday: Quesadillas $6.20
Friday: Thai Noodles $10.10
Saturday: Cafe Green $56
Total: $103 ($14.83 per day)
We were doing pretty good all week until we went to Cafe Green. That certainly blew our budget. If you don't count Cafe Green, we only spent $7.97 per day, which is really good.
Let's hope we do better this week.
Saturday, 11/14/12: Cafe Green
Our vegetarian kids play group had a dinner night at Cafe Green, a vegan restaurant in Dupont Circle. They were very slow and ill-equipped to handle such a big group, especially with so many young kids. But we liked our meal. I ordered "Steak and Cheese". Karen got a Korean dish with Boolgolgi added. Doris first wanted mac & cheese but then changed her mind and ordered a yellow curry dish with dahl and brown rice. And she impressed everyone by eating it excitedly. I love that girl. Doris and I also shared a Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Sandwich.
Total: $56 ($18.67 per person)
Way too much. Definitely not a place to put on our normal rotation.
Total: $56 ($18.67 per person)
Way too much. Definitely not a place to put on our normal rotation.
Friday, 1/13/12: Thai Noodles
I made this recipe, supposedly a replica of the Cheesecake factory recipe. But I wasn't impressed. First off, not enough vegetables, or too many noodles, or something. Second, kind of dry. The peanut butter gets too dry to quickly and it's not enjoyable to eat. Third, kind of bland, and not very spicy at all. I didn't have any carrots, so I just added another cup of frozen veggies which did contain carrots as well. And of course I left out the ginger. I also didn't have enough honey so I probably used half this amount. I used white vinegar instead of rice vinegar.
As a side dish, to add some protein, I sauteed tofu and mushrooms in sesame oil and toasted sesame seeds. This was pretty good but needed a bit more flavor. I had originally planned for just tofu, but added mushrooms because Doris begged for mushrooms at the grocery store.
Green onion: $1
Frozen veggies: $3
Garlic: 50 cents
Peanut butter: 50 cents
Soy sauce: 20 cents
Vinegar: 5 cents
Chili-garlic sauce: 15 cents
Noodles: 75 cents
Sesame Oil: 75 cents
Sesame seeds: 20 cents
Tofu: $3
Total: $10.10 ($3.37 per person)
Not too bad of a price and there were lots of leftovers, but no one liked it so... I'll be eating this for lunch this week.
As a side dish, to add some protein, I sauteed tofu and mushrooms in sesame oil and toasted sesame seeds. This was pretty good but needed a bit more flavor. I had originally planned for just tofu, but added mushrooms because Doris begged for mushrooms at the grocery store.
Green onion: $1
Frozen veggies: $3
Garlic: 50 cents
Peanut butter: 50 cents
Soy sauce: 20 cents
Vinegar: 5 cents
Chili-garlic sauce: 15 cents
Noodles: 75 cents
Sesame Oil: 75 cents
Sesame seeds: 20 cents
Tofu: $3
Total: $10.10 ($3.37 per person)
Not too bad of a price and there were lots of leftovers, but no one liked it so... I'll be eating this for lunch this week.
Friday, January 13, 2012
Thursday, 1/12/12: Quesadillas
**Winner: Cheapest Meal of the Week**
We had lots of leftover taco soup, so I made some quesadillas to go with it. I found three opened packages of tortillas in the fridge, two of which were past their expiration date and one that didn't have a date. So I decided to make all of them before they had a chance to go bad. I just made cheese quesadillas because I thought Doris would be most likely to eat this. I also made some guacamole with the avocado that Doris insisted we buy at the grocery store. Just squished up an avocado with some lemon juice. We also have a n open bag of Trader Joe's spicy soy and lentil chips so I put those out too.
Doris actually took a few bites of the quesadilla, more than she normally does. But not a lot. But she insisted on eating quesadilla for lunch today so we'll see how that goes. I gave her a bowl of soup with just corn, no tomatoes, and she ate a bit but not much. And she didn't want any guacomole even though she insisted we buy the avocado. That's fine because we liked it anyway so it was not a waste.
Tortillas: $1
Cheese: $3
Avocado: $2
Lemon juice: 20 cents
Total: $6.20 ($2.07 per person)
We had lots of leftover taco soup, so I made some quesadillas to go with it. I found three opened packages of tortillas in the fridge, two of which were past their expiration date and one that didn't have a date. So I decided to make all of them before they had a chance to go bad. I just made cheese quesadillas because I thought Doris would be most likely to eat this. I also made some guacamole with the avocado that Doris insisted we buy at the grocery store. Just squished up an avocado with some lemon juice. We also have a n open bag of Trader Joe's spicy soy and lentil chips so I put those out too.
Doris actually took a few bites of the quesadilla, more than she normally does. But not a lot. But she insisted on eating quesadilla for lunch today so we'll see how that goes. I gave her a bowl of soup with just corn, no tomatoes, and she ate a bit but not much. And she didn't want any guacomole even though she insisted we buy the avocado. That's fine because we liked it anyway so it was not a waste.
Tortillas: $1
Cheese: $3
Avocado: $2
Lemon juice: 20 cents
Total: $6.20 ($2.07 per person)
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Wed 1/11/12: Taco Soup
Easiest soup ever. Great for dinner after work. And it makes a ton, so great for leftovers. Unfortunately, I don't think Karen liked it, and Doris only liked the corn. I used this recipe, which is a Weight Watchers recipe, so it's super healthy. I really like the use of refried beans. They essentially melt into the broth, so you are eating protein and you don't even know it. It just thickens the broth a bit.
I made it with Jiffy mix corn bread. So easy and so cheap. Doris went crazy for the corn bread and basically ate corn bread and corn for dinner. She even scraped the pan for the crumbs.
I also served it with leftover butternut squash. One butternut squash could feed our family for a lifetime it seems. Doris is also eating butternut squash for lunch today, and there is still more butternut squash!
Onion: 40 cents
Diced tomatoes: 89 cents
Tomatoes with chilies: $1.09
Mexican corn: 85 cents
Refried beans: $1.09
Taco seasoning: 59 cents
Ranch dressing mix: $1.19
Corn bread mix: 50 cents
Egg: 29 cents
Milk: 30 cents
Total: $7.19 ($2.40 per person)
Pretty good price, especially considering how much we have for leftovers. Tonight I am serving it with cheese quesadillas. When I said that, Doris said "I love quesadillas!" We'll see. She's never loved quesadillas in the past.
I made it with Jiffy mix corn bread. So easy and so cheap. Doris went crazy for the corn bread and basically ate corn bread and corn for dinner. She even scraped the pan for the crumbs.
I also served it with leftover butternut squash. One butternut squash could feed our family for a lifetime it seems. Doris is also eating butternut squash for lunch today, and there is still more butternut squash!
Onion: 40 cents
Diced tomatoes: 89 cents
Tomatoes with chilies: $1.09
Mexican corn: 85 cents
Refried beans: $1.09
Taco seasoning: 59 cents
Ranch dressing mix: $1.19
Corn bread mix: 50 cents
Egg: 29 cents
Milk: 30 cents
Total: $7.19 ($2.40 per person)
Pretty good price, especially considering how much we have for leftovers. Tonight I am serving it with cheese quesadillas. When I said that, Doris said "I love quesadillas!" We'll see. She's never loved quesadillas in the past.
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Tuesday, 1/10/12: Hot Dogs
We made it to the grocery store tonight. Doris picked up lots of things not on the list. Lots of fruit, lots of frozen vegetables, a few other random things. She was only asking for healthy things (except for cookies of course) so I let her choose them. But we ended up with a lot of stuff for our relatively short list and spent way too much. Maybe we can hold off on a grocery trip for a while.
We bought stuff for hot dogs since Karen and Doris had been talking about that over the weekend. I made an eight-pack and every single dog is gone! I don't know how we will ever feed a family of four. Karen ate three of them. Doris ate 3.5 of them. And I ate 1.5. Insane. I remember when one pack of hot dogs would last four meals.
I served it with frozen broccoli and some veggie chips that Doris picked up at the grocery store. I also ate leftover green beans and Doris had one cheese stick (something else we picked up at the store...).
Doris only ate proteins. She ate one bite of her hot dog bun, and ate the hot dogs plain. She ate a cheese stick and hot dogs with just a few chips.
We had leftover broccoli for another meal.
Hot dogs: $3.50
Buns: 75 cents
condiments: 30 cents
Broccoli: $1
Chips: 50 cents
Cheese stick: 20 cents
Total: $6.25 ($2.08 per person)
Now that's more like it. So far this week is turning out pretty cheap. Good way to get back on track. Let's see if we can keep it up.
We bought stuff for hot dogs since Karen and Doris had been talking about that over the weekend. I made an eight-pack and every single dog is gone! I don't know how we will ever feed a family of four. Karen ate three of them. Doris ate 3.5 of them. And I ate 1.5. Insane. I remember when one pack of hot dogs would last four meals.
I served it with frozen broccoli and some veggie chips that Doris picked up at the grocery store. I also ate leftover green beans and Doris had one cheese stick (something else we picked up at the store...).
Doris only ate proteins. She ate one bite of her hot dog bun, and ate the hot dogs plain. She ate a cheese stick and hot dogs with just a few chips.
We had leftover broccoli for another meal.
Hot dogs: $3.50
Buns: 75 cents
condiments: 30 cents
Broccoli: $1
Chips: 50 cents
Cheese stick: 20 cents
Total: $6.25 ($2.08 per person)
Now that's more like it. So far this week is turning out pretty cheap. Good way to get back on track. Let's see if we can keep it up.
Monday, 1/9/12: Leftovers
It snowed tonight. Doris and I were supposed to go to the grocery store but came home instead because the weather. Thankfully we had leftovers to eat. So we went into the garden and played in the snow until Karen came home and then I went inside and microwaved our dinner.
Free
Free
Monday, January 9, 2012
Sunday, 1/8/12: Thanksgiving Redux
Around Thanksgiving we saw a Tofurky roast and gravy on sale at Safeway for only $10 so we picked it up even though we were having Thanksgiving in FL, and as it turned out, in a hospital. Karen said we could just eat it for a normal dinner.
So we finally had a relaxing weekend and I had time for the 1.5 hours that it takes to cook it. I cooked it with onions and carrots, seasoned with olive oil, sage, and soy sauce. I usually add potatoes but didn't have any.
I made it with the butternut squash from our CSA that we had been keeping since the week before Thanksgiving. I just cut the squash in half and topped it with butter and roasted it for about 45 min. It tasted really good, like sweet potatoes.
I also made some frozen green beans and added butter and toasted almonds, just like they do at Boston Market. Actually just like we had for Thanksgiving.
Karen wanted some bread, so I baked some Texas toast that we had in our freezer.
It was a big meal. I was tempted to go all out and add some corn and dried cranberries. Really make it a Thanksgiving dinner. But Karen said it was too much and she was right.
Doris ate the Tofurkey and toast. At first she didn't want squash, but then she changed her mind and quickly asked for some. She ended up eating 3-4 servings.
We have a lot of leftovers and get to have this again tonight. So while I suspect it's an expensive meal, it's much cheaper when you have leftovers.
Tofurky & gravy: $10
CSA veggies: $2
Carrots: $1
Oil: 20 cents
Soy sauce: 20 cents
Sage: 30 cents
Green beans: $1.25
Almonds: $1
Butter: 30 cents
Texas Toast: $1.80
Total: $18.05 ($6.02 per person)
So we finally had a relaxing weekend and I had time for the 1.5 hours that it takes to cook it. I cooked it with onions and carrots, seasoned with olive oil, sage, and soy sauce. I usually add potatoes but didn't have any.
I made it with the butternut squash from our CSA that we had been keeping since the week before Thanksgiving. I just cut the squash in half and topped it with butter and roasted it for about 45 min. It tasted really good, like sweet potatoes.
I also made some frozen green beans and added butter and toasted almonds, just like they do at Boston Market. Actually just like we had for Thanksgiving.
Karen wanted some bread, so I baked some Texas toast that we had in our freezer.
It was a big meal. I was tempted to go all out and add some corn and dried cranberries. Really make it a Thanksgiving dinner. But Karen said it was too much and she was right.
Doris ate the Tofurkey and toast. At first she didn't want squash, but then she changed her mind and quickly asked for some. She ended up eating 3-4 servings.
We have a lot of leftovers and get to have this again tonight. So while I suspect it's an expensive meal, it's much cheaper when you have leftovers.
Tofurky & gravy: $10
CSA veggies: $2
Carrots: $1
Oil: 20 cents
Soy sauce: 20 cents
Sage: 30 cents
Green beans: $1.25
Almonds: $1
Butter: 30 cents
Texas Toast: $1.80
Total: $18.05 ($6.02 per person)
Week 9 in Review
My new years resolution was to get us back on track eating healthy meals. I think I did pretty good in that respect but boy did we spend a lot of money. Which goes against my other New Years Resolution - live a cheaper life. I've got to work on being able to do both. It does help when we don't have CSA veggies anymore.
Sunday: New Years Dinner $15.19
Monday: Mandalay $35.01
Tuesday: Tortellini $10.50
Wednesday: Tempeh and Green Beans $11.05
Thursday: Cutlet Parmesan $12
Friday: Tofu and Cucumber $21.50
Saturday: Burger King $13
Total: $118.25 ($16.89 per dinner)
Pretty high. Even our cheapest meal was above $10. Really have to work on this.
Sunday: New Years Dinner $15.19
Monday: Mandalay $35.01
Tuesday: Tortellini $10.50
Wednesday: Tempeh and Green Beans $11.05
Thursday: Cutlet Parmesan $12
Friday: Tofu and Cucumber $21.50
Saturday: Burger King $13
Total: $118.25 ($16.89 per dinner)
Pretty high. Even our cheapest meal was above $10. Really have to work on this.
Saturday, 1/7: Burger King
We had a date night. Doris went to Kai's for an overnight sleepover. It was wonderful. Karen and I had a some gift cards to spend, so we went shopping. Before hand we stopped at Burger King for a quick meal. Not the best idea. We basically ate grease for dinner. We had french fries, cheese sticks, and onion rings. I felt sick for the rest of the night.
Total: $9 ($4.50 per person)
If Doris had been there, it would have probably cost $13.
Total: $9 ($4.50 per person)
If Doris had been there, it would have probably cost $13.
Friday, 1/6: Tofu and Cucumber Salad
I made this recipe from Vegetarian Times. They always have great recipes, and this one did not disappoint. I'm pretty sure I lost weight just from eating this dish.
The only major modification I made was that I cooked the tofu. I sauteed it in sesame oil to give it some texture and flavor. Raw tofu sounded odd to me. I actually let Doris chop the tofu with her new kid-friendly knife and she really liked that. The tofu turned into bits and pieces of many different shapes but it worked out just fine. I actually doubled the tofu and left the rest of the ingredients the same because tofu goes quickly at our house. As Doris was chopping, she got all done and then said "And now I have to eat it." That's how she helps cook. So I always have to double the tofu or Karen and I don't get any.
Of course I left out the ginger. I replaced rice wine with white wine because that's all I could find at Giant. I had to go to Whole Foods to get the sprouts and the Furikake seasoning. I used white vinegar instead of rice vinegar just to be cheaper.
I served it with a side of edamame. I boiled the edamame and then sauteed it with some green onion and a little Hoisin sauce. It was nice. Doris really just ate edamame for dinner.
Karen initially said "Where's the rice?" But when I told her it was a salad, she was open-minded enough to cautiously try it and then said "Nice meal, mommy!" We both agreed that this is a meal to serve again.
We ate this for lunch again on Saturday afternoon.
Mayo: 50 cents
Vinegar: 10 cents
Sesame Seeds: 10 cents
Soy sauce: 10 cents
Wine: 50 cents
Sugar: 10 cents
Tofu: $6
Cucumber: $2
Avocado: $4
Sprouts: $2.50
Onion: $1.50
Furikake: 30 cents
Edamame: $3.50
Hoisin: 30 cents
Total: $21.50 ($7.17 per person)
Really? That's extreme! Way too much. As much as we liked this meal, it can't make it into our rotation. Way, way too much for dinner.
The only major modification I made was that I cooked the tofu. I sauteed it in sesame oil to give it some texture and flavor. Raw tofu sounded odd to me. I actually let Doris chop the tofu with her new kid-friendly knife and she really liked that. The tofu turned into bits and pieces of many different shapes but it worked out just fine. I actually doubled the tofu and left the rest of the ingredients the same because tofu goes quickly at our house. As Doris was chopping, she got all done and then said "And now I have to eat it." That's how she helps cook. So I always have to double the tofu or Karen and I don't get any.
Of course I left out the ginger. I replaced rice wine with white wine because that's all I could find at Giant. I had to go to Whole Foods to get the sprouts and the Furikake seasoning. I used white vinegar instead of rice vinegar just to be cheaper.
I served it with a side of edamame. I boiled the edamame and then sauteed it with some green onion and a little Hoisin sauce. It was nice. Doris really just ate edamame for dinner.
Karen initially said "Where's the rice?" But when I told her it was a salad, she was open-minded enough to cautiously try it and then said "Nice meal, mommy!" We both agreed that this is a meal to serve again.
We ate this for lunch again on Saturday afternoon.
Mayo: 50 cents
Vinegar: 10 cents
Sesame Seeds: 10 cents
Soy sauce: 10 cents
Wine: 50 cents
Sugar: 10 cents
Tofu: $6
Cucumber: $2
Avocado: $4
Sprouts: $2.50
Onion: $1.50
Furikake: 30 cents
Edamame: $3.50
Hoisin: 30 cents
Total: $21.50 ($7.17 per person)
Really? That's extreme! Way too much. As much as we liked this meal, it can't make it into our rotation. Way, way too much for dinner.
Friday, January 6, 2012
Thursday, 1/5: Cutlet Parmesan
This is a recipe I learned from the National Body Challenge. We did that a few years ago and lost a lot of weight but then they changed the program and the recipes became much more complicated and now the y are completed disbanded. That's too bad because both of us really liked that program. We ate things like hot dogs and nachos and lost a lot of weight.
I sauteed 4 cutlets and then put them in a baking dish topped with marinara and cheddar cheese. Covered the dish with foil and baked it at 350 for 15 min. I also cooked some pasta and marinara with frozen broccoli.
Doris loved the broccoli and ate some of the cutlets. Karen and I enjoyed it. There is one cutlet remaining for someone's lunch and enough broccoli & pasta for Doris to have for two lunches.
Cutlets: $4
Marinara: $3
Broccoli: $3
Pasta: 50 cents
Cheese: $1.50
Total: $12 ($4 per person)
It's so much more expensive to eat when we don't have the CSA
I sauteed 4 cutlets and then put them in a baking dish topped with marinara and cheddar cheese. Covered the dish with foil and baked it at 350 for 15 min. I also cooked some pasta and marinara with frozen broccoli.
Doris loved the broccoli and ate some of the cutlets. Karen and I enjoyed it. There is one cutlet remaining for someone's lunch and enough broccoli & pasta for Doris to have for two lunches.
Cutlets: $4
Marinara: $3
Broccoli: $3
Pasta: 50 cents
Cheese: $1.50
Total: $12 ($4 per person)
It's so much more expensive to eat when we don't have the CSA
Thursday, January 5, 2012
Wednesday 1/4/12: Tempeh and Green Beans
I made this recipe. It was okay, not awesome. I subbed white vinegar for rice vinegar, left out the corn starch and ginger and cashews, and doubled the tempeh. I served it with brown rice (because it was all I could find in the pantry - at least it's used up now) and scrambled egg made with Hoisin sauce, soy sauce, and white vinegar. There was quite a bit leftover. Doris and I are having it for lunch today and we will probably eat it with our dinner tonight.
Hoisin Sauce: $1
Vinegar: 10 cents
Soy sauce: 20 cents
Oil: 10 cents
Garlic: 50 cents
Tempeh: $6
Green beans: $1.50
Eggs: $1.33
Rice: 30 cents
Total: $11.03 ($3.67 per person)
Everything costs more when we don't have a CSA. I'm happy to use up my brown rice. I'm going to work on cleaning out the pantry this winter. In the summer I'm driven by the CSA, but in the winter I can work on the pantry.
Hoisin Sauce: $1
Vinegar: 10 cents
Soy sauce: 20 cents
Oil: 10 cents
Garlic: 50 cents
Tempeh: $6
Green beans: $1.50
Eggs: $1.33
Rice: 30 cents
Total: $11.03 ($3.67 per person)
Everything costs more when we don't have a CSA. I'm happy to use up my brown rice. I'm going to work on cleaning out the pantry this winter. In the summer I'm driven by the CSA, but in the winter I can work on the pantry.
Tuesday, 1/3/12: Tortillini
Winner: Cheapest meal of the week
I stopped at Snider's on the way home for quick trip. I bought some cheese tortellini from the fresh section, and a large jar of Ragu sauce. Then I chopped a cucumber to go with it. Carrot ate some hummus with her cucumber.
Tortellini: $7.85
Ragu: $1
Cucumber: $1
Hummus: 75 cents
Total: $10.50 ($3.50 per person)
I stopped at Snider's on the way home for quick trip. I bought some cheese tortellini from the fresh section, and a large jar of Ragu sauce. Then I chopped a cucumber to go with it. Carrot ate some hummus with her cucumber.
Tortellini: $7.85
Ragu: $1
Cucumber: $1
Hummus: 75 cents
Total: $10.50 ($3.50 per person)
Monday, 1/2/12: Mandalay
, 20+Our first night back in town after a long trip to FL. So of course we went to Mandalay. And for the first time we were disappointed. It tasted like there was no spice at all. The owner was there and fixed it a bit, but it was still disappointing. We will need to go again soon to recover from this.
Total: $35 ($11.67 per person)
Total: $35 ($11.67 per person)
Sunday, 1/1/12: New Years Dinner
We spent New Years with the Khan's. I felt the need to have our traditional holiday celebrations just to have something special to do. They don't really appreciate my efforts and they fight me no matter what I do. I don't care.
Our traditional menu is based on Granny's meal that she required us to eat each year. But we make some modifications to bring in some Indian influence, and to make it vegetarian. The menu is listed below.
Black Eyed Pea Curry
Indian Spiced Spinach
Basmati Rice
Corn Bread
Facon
Typically I served either Pineapple Upside Down Cake or Banana Pudding, but since both of the Khan's are diabetic, I picked up a sugar free chocolate cream cake and sugar free fudge tracks ice cream for dessert.
Everyone has to eat one bite of everything as it will all bring good luck for the new year, according to southern tradition. Black Eyed Peas for peace, greens (spinach) for money, rice for riches, corn bread for prosperity, hog jaw (facon) for joy.
Black Eyed Pea Curry is based on this recipe. I leave out the ginger, salt, sugar, and cayenne. It's very tasty. Even Robert really liked it and got seconds and made sure I left the remainder for them to eat when we left.
For the spinach, I used our basic spinach recipe - I put garlic and mustard seeds in a pan to cook a bit, then added spinach and tomatoes and ground coriander and ground cumin and tumeric. then topped with lemon juice and cilantro. I usually add onion but was all out.
I used the cheap Jiffy corn bread mix which is always tasty and easy.
The facon was by SmartLife, the one found in the produce section. This is always better than the Morningstar Farms one found in the freezer section.
Peas: $2.30
Tomatoes: $2
Cilantro: $1
Spinach: $2.50
Corn bread: 52 cents
Facon: $9
Cake: $5
Ice Cream: $3
Total: $25.32 ($5.06 per person, $15.19 for our family)
Not too bad for a holiday meal that included dessert and leftovers to leave with the family
Our traditional menu is based on Granny's meal that she required us to eat each year. But we make some modifications to bring in some Indian influence, and to make it vegetarian. The menu is listed below.
Black Eyed Pea Curry
Indian Spiced Spinach
Basmati Rice
Corn Bread
Facon
Typically I served either Pineapple Upside Down Cake or Banana Pudding, but since both of the Khan's are diabetic, I picked up a sugar free chocolate cream cake and sugar free fudge tracks ice cream for dessert.
Everyone has to eat one bite of everything as it will all bring good luck for the new year, according to southern tradition. Black Eyed Peas for peace, greens (spinach) for money, rice for riches, corn bread for prosperity, hog jaw (facon) for joy.
Black Eyed Pea Curry is based on this recipe. I leave out the ginger, salt, sugar, and cayenne. It's very tasty. Even Robert really liked it and got seconds and made sure I left the remainder for them to eat when we left.
For the spinach, I used our basic spinach recipe - I put garlic and mustard seeds in a pan to cook a bit, then added spinach and tomatoes and ground coriander and ground cumin and tumeric. then topped with lemon juice and cilantro. I usually add onion but was all out.
I used the cheap Jiffy corn bread mix which is always tasty and easy.
The facon was by SmartLife, the one found in the produce section. This is always better than the Morningstar Farms one found in the freezer section.
Peas: $2.30
Tomatoes: $2
Cilantro: $1
Spinach: $2.50
Corn bread: 52 cents
Facon: $9
Cake: $5
Ice Cream: $3
Total: $25.32 ($5.06 per person, $15.19 for our family)
Not too bad for a holiday meal that included dessert and leftovers to leave with the family
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