Grocery Shopping on Saturday and a Mystery Revealed!

2/16 Groceries

Today was a sunny day.  It was good to have a break from all the rainy days.  I spent a relaxed morning, replying to blog comments and checking my emails, etc.

Shortly after noon, I noticed that an orange had fallen from the tree in the back yard and went out to pick it.  While I was out in the back yard, I heard my nextdoor neighbor's dogs barking and a woman shouting no.  I waited to see if a cat came running over the wall (those dogs bark at the garden cats who sit on the wall, just out of their reach, and ignore them), but, no cats appeared, so I went inside.  I had just cut up my orange when I saw friend M walk across my front garden and heard him knock on my front door.  I opened it up and M stood there, as well as the lady who lives in the house behind my nextdoor neighbors's house (M does her garden, as well).  They asked if I knew if there was anyone was home, nextdoor (the gate is locked and no one can go to tap at their door and there is no bell to ring), but their cars were not parked outside and I hadn't seen anyone.  Apparently, the neighbors' dogs were trying to jump over the wall to attack this lady's dog and she wanted to talk to them about it.  I know they have two smaller dogs that used to squeeze through the railings of the side wall and come into my front yard,  I haven't seen them, recently, but then, again, I haven't been outside much, with all this rain we've been having.

After all that excitement, I finished eating my orange and went to put gas to the car and do some of my grocery shopping.  Before I left, however, I called cousin P to see if she needed anything (she had asked me to let her know if I was going to the dollar store; I wasn't planning to go to the dollar store, but I thought I'll see if she wanted to go to the other grocery store), but she said she didn't need anything.  So, I went on my own.

First, to the gas station to fill up the tank (I was down to about half a tank).  Gas was $3.05/gal.  It cost $23.09 to top off the tank.  I will drive cousin P and myself to the monthly prayer meeting, tomorrow (unless it rains, heavily), so wanted to have a full tank of gas.

Then, I went to the Kroger-affiliated store across the street from the gas station for a few items.   I went there mostly to buy butter at $2.99/lb.  Not a good stock up price, but, I am down to half of my last packet of butter, so, needed to buy some.  I will keep an eye on the grocery ads to see when butter goes on sale at a stock up price ($1.99 to $2.50/lb), and stock up then.  I also wanted to buy a bag of cat food, to have on hand.

I bought:
1 pork sirloin end chop @ $.99/lb = $.69 (yes, just one, fairly large, chop)
3 bananas @$.49/lb = $.44
2 lbs. butter @ $2.99/lb = $5.98
1 bottle salad dressing = $2.19
Total = $9.30

(In addition, I bought a 13-lb. bag of cat food for $9.49 + $.90 sales tax, which brought my total spent to $19.69)

2/16 Receipt

February grocery budget = $75 + $5 from January = $80
Spent to date:  $5.00 + $7.80 + $10.51 + $9.30 = $32.61
Balance remaining in February grocery budget: $80 - $32.61 = $47.39

I am planning to go to the Armenian grocery store on Monday or Tuesday, to take advantage of their weekly specials - more salmon steaks for $4.99 (daughter asked me to buy more so she can eat some while she's here and have some to take back with her!), iceberg lettuce for 2/$1. broccoli crowns for $.49/lb, cucumber for 5/$1, Granny Smith apples and D'Anjou pears for $.49/lb, chicken leg quarters for $.69/lb (Tuesday, only), and yams 3lb/$1.  OK, maybe not the yams as that is a starch!  In addition to the weekly specials, I also want to buy more carrots and, probably, green beans, as well.

I had eaten the orange that fell from my tree for breakfast (along with my morning cup of tea), before I went grocery shopping.  After I came home, I ate a banana.  Later, I ate a salad and had a cup of tea.  Dinner was leftovers - the last of the shrimp stir-fry, followed by half a pear for dessert.  I checked my blood sugar level after 2 hours and it was good.  I treated myself to eight almonds after that - they are the unshelled ones I bought on sale, and it takes both time and effort to crack them open and so, takes me longer to eat them.  By the time I get to the last almond, I feel like I've eaten more than eight of them!  I wasn't hungry, as such; just wanted to munch on something!     

Today, I am grateful for:
- A day of sunshine after all the rain
- Emails from friends
- Fresh oranges from my tree
- Weekly grocery specials
- Video chatting with my daughter

Sunday's To Do List:
- Attend the monthly prayer gathering at my friend's house


Well, want to know what the mystery pods are?  Mary Ann, who asked if they were edamame, was quite close to guessing what they are!  These are being called the "new edamame"!

Fresh Garbanzo Beans/Chick Peas in Pods!

Yes, these are the fresh pods of gabanzo/chick peas!  We are most familiar with the dried garbanzo/chick peas or the canned ones.  But, these are the fresh ones, still in their pods.  The garbanzo beans inside are a pale green in color, actually,  a little like green peas!  There are one or two individual beans inside each pod.  These fresh ones don't have to be soaked prior to cooking!  Just remove from the pod and cook!  They taste a little like edamame, at this stage.  I didn't buy any, today, though, but, I might buy some next week.  Mystery solved.

How is your February grocery shopping coming along?  How are you doing with your grocery budget?  Have you seen fresh garbanzo beans/chick peas, before?  If you see any, do you think you might buy them and try them?