Here was my grocery spending breakdown for last week:
- Cilantro, a pepper and green onions- $1.90
- milk- $2.89
- greek yogurt- $3.59 ( I used it to make tzatziki sauce out of my cucumber. That recipe was a failure.)
- bread- $2.34
- ice cream- $2 (It was a prize on the chore chart.)
No complaints from my family yet on using the things that we have. Of course the kids just finished the last of the chicken nuggets and I'm not buying anymore before February. We'll see how that goes. I still have a fair amount of fresh produce including a squash that's been in my fridge since before Christmas, so I'm trying to use up those things.
Here's the meal plan for this week:Breakfast:Upside Down Cranberry Cake- If it turns out well I'll put it up here.cerealoatmeal
Lunch:leftoverssandwichesshells and cheesestir-fried veggies with brown rice and plum sauce
Dinner:Reuben Pinto Burgers- Another new recipeHippie Tacos (Vegetarian style)BBQ Beans (Again, sans meat)Squash Quesadillas with Apple Salsa- Looks good, going to give it a whirlCream of Mushroom soup- good ol' standbyGreen eggs and Spam- The green eggs are made with pureed spinach. My daughter is a big fan of sauteed Spam; it tastes like thick bacon. I'm not so much.
SnacksMore tangerines, pears and applesmuffinsyogurtHomemade bread (universe willing)
What fun things are you eating? And how are you trying to use what's in your pantry?
I found this recipe in the newspaper last Sunday. My burgers don't look as pretty, but they were very tasty, and really that's all that matters. (Ok, they are healthier than a standard burger, and I suppose that matters for something too.) If you are not fan of sauerkraut, you can easily change the toppings to make it whatever burger tickles your fancy.
To give me some ideas to make it through my pantry challenge, I read How to Cut Your Grocery Bill in Half with America's Cheapest Family: So Many Innovative Strategies You Won't Have to Cut Coupons by Steve and Annette Economides. I enjoyed reading it. It has lots of great suggestions, even if sometimes it's a little on the cheesy side. I love that the authors emphasize that your time is at least as valuable as your money. They spend $350 each month feeding their large family, and they don't do it by hitting the loss leaders at 6 grocery stores per week. The strategies that they use work for them because they provide them with more time with their family. And their basic suggestions aren't new or revolutionary, but they do elaborate with lots of examples that have worked for them and other families who read their blog.
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