Sunday: Grocery Shopping - Week 3

3/17 Groceries

I received a text from the pharmacy stating that one of my prescription refills was ready for pick up.  I had taken the last dose of another medication, this morning, and needed a refill on that, too, so I took the empty vial with me.  They didn't have a big enough stock on hand for that medication, so they gave me a few pills to tide me over until they can fill the rest of that prescriptions.  Which was fine with me.

While I was at the pharmacy, I picked up two boxes of  heat wraps (3 count each) for my daughter as they are something she uses and they haven't been available for some time, now.  Very often, too, they are not available at her pharmacy, so I pick them up for her whenever I see them.  I also picked up two small (30 loads) laundry detergent powder, as they were on sale.  Regular price $10.49 each, on sale for $5.94.  I had some coupons, too, so, I got each box of detergent for $4.94.  So, I got two boxes of detergent for less than the regular price of one box!  The heat wraps were $7.69 each, but, I had coupons for $1.00 off each box, plus, a 40% off one item, so one box cost $4.01 and the other box was $6.69.  Plus sales tax, of course, as these are non-food items.  In addition, I received $5 ExtraBucks Rewards!  I might use that for another box of heat wraps (if they have it) or more laundry detergent, when I go to pick up the rest of my medication, when it is ready.  I spent a total of $52.73, but that included $30 for my prescription.

Then, since the dollar store (99Cents Only Store) is next door, I went there, too.  The name of the store is a bit misleading since they now sell items for more than $.99, but, those items are, usually, well marked with the prices.

I bought:

1 package turkey cold cuts =  $1.00
4 bananas (1.19 lb) @ $.49/lb. = $.58
1 Butter lettuce = $1.00
1 lb. strawberries (organic) = $1.49
Total = $4.07

I debated buying the cold cuts, since I still have some of what I bought, earlier, but, decided to go ahead and buy them.  The package says it can be frozen; I've never frozen cold cuts, before, as I am not sure how they will be after thawing.

Dollar Store Receipt

March grocery shopping budget = $75
Spent to date = $1.79 + $7.74 + $5 + $23.29 + $4.07 =   $41.89
Amount left in the March grocery budget = $75 - $41.89 = $33.11

I will need to buy a loaf of bread, sometime, midweek, for all those cold cuts!  Or, maybe I can try making lettuce wraps!

Yesterday's party to celebrate my cousin's 70th birthday went well.  I   got to my aunt's a bit early, in order to get parking.  I drove to the back entrance, where the garage is located, hoping it would be open so I can take the food in first.  The garage was closed, but aunt's older grandson and his wife were just walking up and opening the garage door, so I had them take the food in while I went to park the car.  Good timing!

People took their time, getting there, as usual, even though they had been asked to arrive by 8:00 p.m., so we had to text my cousin's daughter to delay their arrival by almost an hour!  The story my cousin had been told was that her daughter was going to take her out to dinner, but, on the way, they will pick up aunt and another cousin, as well.  When they arrived (cousin's daughter having texted that they were just walking up), cousin R opened the door to them.  As cousin P, whose birthday we were celebrating,  walked in through the door, we all cried out, "Surprise!" and, she was so surprised and so touched that she got a bit teary!   We were mostly family and a few close friends, but she certainly wasn't expecting a party!

Cousin's daughter had invited about 40 people, but, only about 25 actually showed up.  So, of course, we had too much food!  There were appetizers (what we call "short eats") - the garbanzo beans I prepared, "cutlets" (ground beef or fish, mixed with potato, onions, and spices, made into small balls, dipped in beaten egg, rolled in bread crumbs, and deep fried), "patties" (ground beef or ground chicken or fish, mixed with potato, onions, spices, etc., pretty much the same filling as for cutlets, but encased in pastry and deep fried or baked; they look a little like empanadas), and small, "finger" sandwiches (these had a filling of asparagus and cheese, with green chillies), plus an assortment of cheese, salami, and crackers, chips and dip, and a commercially made snack mix (pretzels, cheese crackers, etc.).  Punch, sangria for those who preferred that, and other drinks as well; I drank water, since I knew I'd be eating carbs and dessert!

For dinner, there was biriyani rice, with is a spicy, flavored rice, cooked with chicken; two types of chicken curry (two different people made them), beef curry, a coconut and mint sambol, a tomato and onion salad with halved hard boiled eggs.  Someone was going to make eggplant, I was told by my cousin's daughter, but that person chose to make a chicken curry, instead.  I also cooked a pot of plain white rice, as well, once I got to aunt's house, because I know that some people prefer that to biriyani.

For dessert, there was birthday cake, another cake we call ribbon cake, the apple dump cake I made, flan, and chocolate biscuit pudding, which is made with Marie/Maria biscuits (a type of cookie), dipped in milk, and layered with a frosting-like mixture made with powdered/icing sugar, either grated chocolate melted in milk or chocolate powder, milk or cream, and sprinkled with chopped cashews - as one of my friends said, if you don't already have diabetes, this pudding is sure to give you diabetes, as it is so sweet!  I have two recipes for biscuit pudding, given to me by two different people, with slight variations in them - one calls for both milk and a tin of cream, 2 eggs, and optional brandy; the other calls for 3 eggs and milk, only, with vanilla as a flavoring, no brandy.

There was dancing, too; I don't normally dance, as I feel self-conscious, but when cousin P asked me to join, I did, as she was the birthday lady.  Which led to a family friend calling me aside to ask if I danced at her birthday party, last year, and when I said I had, she said, "Then I won't feel jealous"!  LOL!

I stayed at the party long enough to help with some of the putting away of leftovers, and came home after 1:00 a.m.  It was a good party.

Today, I had phone calls from neighbor T (who complained that the new neighbors have a small dog that isn't wearing a collar and, apparently wasn't on a leash, which got into her backyard by crawling under the gate!) and friend R (who called to vent about a plumbing problem she was having), and later, neighbor A texted about the barking dogs in the house on the other side of my house, which is behind her house.  Apparently, they barked a lot, last night, and disturbed her.  I didn't hear them, myself, however.  But, I told her I'll let her know if I do hear them or they disturb me (apparently, she has an open complaint with animal services about their barking, but needs another neighbor from another address to complain, too, before they will do anything).  I called friend R, later, to check if the plumber was able to fix the leak, but, apparently, not yet!

Later, in the evening, I watered the front garden!  This is the first time I've needed to water it, in several weeks!  However, we are supposed to get some rain, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, so now, I am wondering whether to water the backyard, tomorrow, or wait to see if it rains!  Maybe water the orange tree, only?

I plan to do a load of laundry, tonight, and maybe do the dishes.  But, first, I need to eat something!  I just realized that I had forgotten to eat lunch!  I had slept in till late this morning and had my cup of tea at almost noon.  I didn't feel hungry before I went to the pharmacy, and when I got back, it was 5:00 p.m. and I had another cup of tea, since it was tea time!  It is almost 8:30 p.m., now!  Oops!  No wonder my stomach is starting to complain!


Today, I am grateful for:
- A good party, yesterday
- A warm sunny day, today (we got up to the low 80F!)
- Bargains at both the pharmacy/drug store and the dollar store
- Keeping in touch with friends and neighbors
- Rain in the forecast

Monday's Do To List:
- Doctor's appointment (follow up with the oncologist)
- Take the trash cans out to the curb
- Water the indoor plants
- Water the backyard?

How was your Sunday?  Did you celebrate St. Patrick's Day?  Have you frozen cold cuts and had them after they thawed?  Does the freezing change their texture?