February Grocery Shopping Part 4

I ordered and picked up groceries, today.  I double and triple checked to see if the correct pick up store address showed, both when ordering and when I replied to the order ready for pick up text to let them know that I was on my way!  Each time, the correct store address showed up and there was no issue! 

I wanted to get milk and half and half, some fruit, bread, the flavored sparkling water my daughter and I like (which keeps us both from drinking soda), and ice cream and gelatin for after oral surgery.

I also considered (very briefly) buying some unsalted chicken stock or broth for after the surgery.  But, the only unsalted stock/broth came in 32 fl. oz. cartons and the stock was priced at $4.65 and the broth was $4.99.  No, thank you!  Not going to pay that!  Instead, I pulled out a turkey carcass I had in the freezer, covered it with water, and kept it to simmer.  I will strain the liquid and keep it overnight in the fridge to separate any fat and use it to make myself some free broth!

The store was low in stock on two of the items I ordered (including the half and half) and I specified the substitutes for both, but, both original items were included in my groceries, so that worked out just fine.

I decided not to get the salmon I was going to buy, after all, so that will mean that this week's meal plan options will have to be revised a bit.  But, that's OK, too.  I was getting it for daughter's birthday, which is next week, but, she wants to wait until I've recovered from my oral surgery so we could both enjoy her birthday meal.  

Here's the receipt:

Order Summary

Original Item Total$49.78

Item Coupons/Sales-$9.80

Fulfillment Fee+$0.00

Other Fees+$0.30

Sales Tax+$1.36

Order Total$41.64

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Item Details

13 Items

CA Redem Val$0.60

1 x $0.60 each

CA Redem Val$0.60

1 x $0.60 each

Edy's/Dreyer's Vanilla, 1.5 Qt, 48 oz$2.99

1 x $2.99 $6.99 each

Item Coupon/Sale: -$3.00

Item Coupon/Sale: -$1.00

Fresh Bunch of Bananas – 5-7 Bananas, 1 bunch$1.86

2.7 lbs x $0.68 each (approx.)

Fresh Strawberries – 1 LB Clamshell, 1 lb$5.18

2 x $2.59 $4.99 each

Item Coupon/Sale: -$0.80

Item Coupon/Sale: -$2.00

Item Coupon/Sale: -$2.00

Kroger® Grade AA Large Cage Free White Eggs, 12 ct$1.99

1 x $1.99 $2.99 each

Item Coupon/Sale: -$1.00

Kroger® Half and Half Half Gallon, 1/2 gal$5.79

1 x $5.79 each

Kroger® Lime Gelatin Dessert Mix, 3 oz$1.00

1 x $1.00 each

Kroger® Strawberry Gelatin Dessert Mix, 3 oz$1.00

1 x $1.00 each

Kroger® White Sandwich Bread, 20 oz$1.99

1 x $1.99 each

Ralphs® Vitamin D Whole Milk Half Gallon, 1/2 gal$2.99

1 x $2.99 each

Sparkling Ice® Summer LTO Lemonade Variety Pack (Pack of 12), 12 ct / 17 fl oz$13.99

1 x $13.99 each

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Other Fees

$0.30

Bag Fee$0.30

3 x $0.10 each

My total came to $41.64.

My February grocery budget is $250 plus $57.42 carried over from January = $307.42

Total spent to date = $99.37 + $0.49 + $42.29 + $49.99 + $41.64 = $233.78

Balance left in the budget = $307.42 - $233.78 = $73.64

I don't anticipate grocery shopping again this week.  So, the balance of $73.64 will be carried forward into March and I will use it to stock up on some items for the pantry and to splurge on salmon for daughter's birthday meal.  

I'm grateful for:

- Being able to order groceries online
- Having the items loaded into the car for me
- The availability of groceries and sales/coupons
- A safe drive to the store and back
- Daughter helping to bring the groceries in

What do you think?  How are you doing with your grocery budget?

February Week 4 Meal Plan Options

 

Pork Fried Rice

Fried rice is one of my favorite things to make with leftover rice.  Especially when there isn't enough rice for two portions.  Somehow, by the time I add some frozen green peas and frozen corn, a grated carrot, a little bit of onions, the last bits of leftover roast pork, a scrambled egg, and a handful of peanuts, there's enough to make two portions of fried rice for us to enjoy.

Last week's meal plan options worked out quite well.  I didn't keep track of exactly what we ate, but, we kept to the meal plan options for the most part.

It's a new week and it's time to make a new list of meal plan options.  I am scheduled to have oral surgery on Friday, so, I am anticipating needing some soup and other soft food for a couple of days.

February Week 4 Meal Plan Options:

Brunches:  Leftover French toast (Monday); bagels; tuna salad or egg salad sandwiches; soup; yogurt; milkrice (on Sunday, March 1)

Dinners: Pasta with chicken (Monday; me; daughter had leftovers from her dinner out with friends from Sunday); Soup; Chicken curry and rice; Salmon with vegetables and rice; Mashed potatoes; Leftovers

Snacks/Desserts:   Tuna salad on crackers (Monday); peanuts; yogurt; fresh fruit/smoothies; gelatin dessert; ice cream; sugar cookies

I plan to order and pick up groceries on Tuesday and I will buy a container of ice cream and a couple of boxes of gelatin to have after my dental work.  

What's on your meal plan for this week?

When the Garden Gives You Lemons

 

Lemons

According to the famous saying, when life gives you lemons you are supposed to make lemonade.   But, when the garden gives us lemons, we like to share them.  Daughter picked two dozen lemons from this one tree to share with her friends when she went out with them on Sunday.  And I picked another two dozen or so of lemons on Sunday afternoon to share with one of my neighbors.  There are still more lemons on the tree!  I will make some lemonade with some of the remaining lemons and maybe some lemon marmalade if I feel up to it.  My mother used to salt and dry the lemons and make lemon pickle with the salted, dried lemons, but, neither my daughter nor I like pickled lemons, so, I don't make them.

Sunday was another lovely, sunny day, and it was warmer than it has been recently.  Daughter spent the day out with her friends, doing escape rooms.   I opened all the doors and windows to air out the house, took lemons to my neighbor, did a little more mending on the quilt, watched some videos online, read a bit, and watched the Olympics Closing Ceremony.  

On Sunday, I was grateful for:

- Lemons from the garden
- Being able to share lemons with friends and neighbors
- Daughter had a good time with her friends
- A sunny and warm day
- Time to relax

Sunday's joyful activities included sewing and watching the Closing Ceremonies.

Plans for Monday include a trip to the library to return a book that is due, meal planning for the week, and more quilt mending!

How was your Sunday?  What are your plans for Monday?

Peaceful Days

 

Monarch Butterfly

At least, I think it is a monarch butterfly.  This photograph was taken earlier in the month, on the 20th anniversary of my mother's death.  I started to write a post on that day, but, didn't get beyond the first sentence and later, I deleted it.

Butterfly on the Lantana

We had more rain on Thursday, but, it cleared in the early evening.  I had spent most of the day mending my quilt and watching online videos and news.  Later in the evening, I watched some of the Olympics coverage.

Aeonium Flower Stalk

Friday was a sunny day and, once again, I spent a good part of the day mending my quilt and watching online videos.  I also watered the indoor plants.  The rose cuttings I took didn't survive and I tossed them.  We will try again in the summer.  Gardener friend M was here to tend to the garden in the evening and he bought me a bag of potting soil and a bag of fruit tree fertilizer.  He weeded under the peach tree and fertilized it.  

Later in the evening, I cooked a chicken curry, sauteed curried cabbage, and rice for dinner.  I also made chocolate pudding (from a mix) for dessert.

The First Daylily

Saturday was another sunny day.  I did some "random acts of cleaning" and vacuumed the filters of the air purifiers - something which should be done on a regular basis, but, I haven't been doing.  Later, I vacuumed the living room and the dining area.  Daughter vacuumed part of the family room and cleaned her bathroom.  

I made French toast for brunch and we had rice, sauteed curried cabbage, beef curry, and peach chutney for dinner.  

I am grateful for:

- Butterflies and flowers
- Memories of my mother
- M's help with the garden
- Rain and sunshine
- Peaceful days

My joyful activities have included spending time in the garden, mending my quilt, watching videos and the Olympics games, and spending time with my daughter.

I've no special plans for Sunday.  Daughter will be spending the day out with her friends doing escape rooms.  I will continue to mend my quilt, do some reading and watch the Olympics Closing Ceremony.

Torn Quilt 

Just one of the quilt patches that are torn.  The fabric that is torn was one of my stepfather's old shirts.  I am replacing each torn patch with a new patch handsewn over it.  The pieces are 1 inch by 3 inches.  The smallest pieces are 1 inch square.  

What are your plans for Sunday?

We Had Rain

 

Raindrops on Aeoniums

We've had quite a bit of rain this week.  It rained almost all day on Monday and part of the day on Tuesday.  The garden got a good soaking.  Several roads and intersections in my neighborhood got flooded, but, we were okay.  I was glad that I didn't have to drive anywhere, though.  Wednesday was a sunny day, but, there is more rain in the forecast for Thursday.

Things have been pretty quiet at my home, so far, this week.  I've been taking it easy due to sciatica pains, doing minimal housework when I feel up to it.  My current project is mending an old quilt.

On Monday, daughter had the day off (Presidents Day holiday) and she did some cooking and I cleaned the kitchen a little bit.  In the evening, during a break in the rain, daughter took the trash cans to the curb for pick up in the morning.

I brought the trash cans back in on Tuesday afternoon, when the rain had stopped, and took the above photo of the raindrops on the aeonium plants.  There weren't any raindrops to be seen on the one rose that was in bloom, but, the rain had beaten down on the flower and it had gone from this:

Rose - Before the Rain

To this:

Rose - After the Rain

We had very heavy rain on Tuesday night, but, Wednesday was sunny.  Gardener friend M was here to tidy up the garden a bit and he did some weeding and clearing.  He brought us a slice of his homegrown pineapple he harvested:

M's Homegrown Pineapple

It was delicious.  I served him a bowl of the zuppa Toscana daughter had made and he enjoyed that.  

I baked another loaf of no-knead bread:

Bread

I really need to lower the temperature when I'm baking because my oven tends to get too hot!  

I also baked some sugar cookies:

Sugar Cookies

We had bread and beef curry for our evening meal and cookies for dessert!

Bread and Beef Curry

I am grateful for:

- The rain!
- M's help with the garden
- M sharing some of his pineapple with us
- My new Dutch oven to bake crusty bread
- Making cookies with my daughter

My joyful activities include baking and gardening.

Since Thursday is forecast to be another rainy day, I plan to stay indoors and do a few things around the house.  I have been tidying the linen closet, on and off, recently; maybe I'll finish tidying it on Thursday.  There is just one last shelf to do.  

How is your week so far?  

Meal Planning Options for February Week 3

 

Slightly Over Baked Curry Puffs

I haven't meal planned in a couple of weeks, but decided I should do some meal plan options for this week.  I meant to post this yesterday (Monday), but, time got away from me!  

On Saturday, I baked a batch of curry puffs - puff pastry turnovers with a curry filling.  I usually make these with curried ground beef, but, with ground beef  costing $8.49/lb. for the 80% lean/20% fat and $9.99 for 90% lean/10% fat, I haven't bought much ground beef, lately.  Instead, I used canned chicken breast I already had in my pantry, which needed to be used up soon (as in already beyond the best by date).  Sauteed with onions, a grated carrot, some shredded cabbage, and the usual curry leaves, curry powder, chili powder, lemon juice, a tiny bit of soy sauce, a handful of cooked garbanzo beans from a package in the freezer (in lieu of potatoes since the only potato I had left was soft and sprouting; it will be planted in the garden), and a little coconut milk leftover from making milkrice on the first of the month, the canned chicken made a good filling.  Unfortunately, I left them in the oven a bit longer than ideal and they got overbaked!  The burnt parts were easily scraped off and we enjoyed some of them for dinner and the leftovers have been eaten for brunch or snacks (mostly by me!)

On Sunday, daughter made a big pot of Zuppa Toscana, using a smoked sausage I had bought the  previous week and frozen, potatoes from the new bag of potatoes I had bought earlier that day when I picked up my groceries after the store mix up, and kale she picked from the garden:

Zuppa Toscana

She used milk, instead of the cream the recipe called for since we didn't have cream (not something I would normally buy).

I was planning to make a new loaf of bread to have with it, but, I didn't.  I have been experiencing some sciatica pains, on and off these past few days, so have not been up to doing much; that's my excuse for not making the bread.  I am still planning to make some bread to go with the rest of the soup as we have many servings of the soup left.  

However, on Sunday, even though I didn't make the bread, I cooked a beef curry with some of the beef I had bought earlier in February and frozen.   Daughter wanted some of the beef to make black pepper beef; she left the beef to marinate overnight and cooked it, adding some kale to it, on Monday. 

Black Pepper Beef with Kale

I am planning to make a chicken curry with some of the chicken I bought on Sunday and these dishes will form the basis of our meal plan options for this week:

February Week 3 Meal Plan Options:

Brunches:  Scrambled eggs with sausages and fried potatoes (Monday); Pancakes (Tuesday); Bagels; Curry puffs; Black pepper beef and rice; Soup; French toast; Leftover pasta from the previous week

Dinners:  Soup and bread; Black pepper beef with rice (Monday); Beef curry, sauteed greens, and rice; Chicken curry,  sauteed curried cabbage, and rice; Leftovers

Snacks/Desserts:   Bread/toast with banana and peanut butter; yogurt with fruit and cereal (me); cereal and milk (daughter); fruit; leftover pancakes; chocolate pudding (maybe).

I've added the links to the previous grocery shopping posts, only to show how I will often buy something when it is on sale and then, cook it later.  

I am grateful for:

- The luxury of choice when it comes to meal planning
- Daughter making some of this week's meals
- A well-stocked pantry and freezer
- Fresh greens from the garden
- Being able to cook (the availability and access to a working stove, electricity, fuel, etc. - things we often take for granted)

What are you planning to have for meals this week?

February Grocery Shopping - Part 3

I ordered and picked up groceries on Sunday, February 15.

I didn't realize when I submitted the order that I had, accidentally, selected a different store than the one I usuallly go to when I pick up groceries!  Even though the store address showed up on the notification that the order was ready for pick up, I didn't even notice it!  As far as I was concerned, I had not checked a different store!  I happily drove to my regular store and sent the text with my pick up parking spot number and waited.

After a few minutes, my phone rang and it was a store clerk saying he couldn't see me at the parking spot I had stated I was parked in and at which store was I waiting?  It was only then that I realized that I was at my neighborhood store and my groceries were waiting for me at a different store a few miles away!  That's the first time that has happened! The store clerk asked if I wanted the order cancelled, but, I said no, I will drive over if he could hold the items for me; it would take me about 20 minutes to get there.  He said he will hold the order for me.  I was able to get to the other store in just about 20 minutes and I called the store to let the person who called me know that I was at the store.  A very pleasant store clerk brought my order to the car and loaded the bags.

I  bought chicken, fruit, potatoes, frozen pot pies, peanut butter, and hot Cheetos.  The potatoes, bananas, and mandarin oranges were not on sale and the chicken drumsticks were the store's $5 value pack (but, a good deal at 4.5lbs. for $5; they don't have chicken thighs for that same price, though).  But, everything else was on sale.

Here's the receipt:

Order Summary

Original Item Total$84.41

Item Coupons/Sales-$34.62

Fulfillment Fee+$0.00

Other Fees+$0.20

Sales Tax$0.00

Order Total$49.99

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Item Details

16 Items

Cheetos® Flamin' Hot® Puffs Cheese Snacks, 8 oz$10.00

4 x $2.50 $5.49 each

Item Coupon/Sale: -$2.99

Item Coupon/Sale: -$2.99

Item Coupon/Sale: -$2.99

Item Coupon/Sale: -$2.99

Cuties® Seedless California Mandarin Clementine Oranges in 3lb Bag, 3 lb$5.99

1 x $5.99 each

Foster Farms Fresh & Natural Chicken Thighs Value Pack, 1 pk$4.78

3.21 lbs x $1.48 $2.99 each (approx.)

Item Coupon/Sale: -$4.82

Fresh Bunch of Bananas – 5-7 Bananas, 1 bunch$1.68

2.43 lbs x $0.69 each (approx.)

Fresh Seedless Red Grapes, 1 lb$5.61

3.07 lbs x $1.82 $3.99 each (approx.)

Item Coupon/Sale: -$6.14

Item Coupon/Sale: -$0.50

Kroger® Creamy Peanut Butter, 16 oz$1.79

1 x $1.79 $2.99 each

Item Coupon/Sale: -$1.20

Kroger® Fresh Uncooked Chicken Drumsticks, 4.5 lb$5.00

1 x $5.00 each

Kroger® Russet Potatoes Big Deal in 10 lb Bag, 10 lb$4.99

1 x $4.99 eac

Marie Callender's Beef Pot Pie Frozen Meal, 10 oz$9.95

5 x $1.99 $3.99 each (approx.)

Item Coupon/Sale: -$1.50

Item Coupon/Sale: -$1.50

Item Coupon/Sale: -$1.50

Item Coupon/Sale: -$1.50

Item Coupon/Sale: -$1.50

Item Coupon/Sale: -$0.50

Item Coupon/Sale: -$0.50

Item Coupon/Sale: -$0.50

Item Coupon/Sale: -$0.50

Item Coupon/Sale: -$0.50

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Other Fees

$0.20

Bag Fee$0.20

2 x $0.10 each

Total spent = $49.99

My February grocery budget is $250 plus $57.42 carried over from January = $307.42

Total spent to date = $99.37 + $0.49 + $42.29 + $49.99 = $192.14

Balance left in the budget = $307.42 - $192.14 = $115.28

I am grateful for:

- Being able to order groceries online, even if I select the wrong store for pick up!
- The availability of groceries and sales
- Helpful store clerks who contacted me and held my grocery order until I got myself to the correct store!
- A safe drive to the stores and back
- Greens from the garden

Kale, Mizuna, Arugula and Radish

Daughter picked a bunch of greens and the last of the radishes from her raised beds and washed and processed everything.  She used some of the kale leaves for a soup she made.  The rest will be made into salads.

How are you coming along with your grocery shopping this month?  Are you finding any good sales and bargains?