May Grocery Shopping: Week 1

Another cold (high of only 66F), grey day, here.  I went to bed at 4:00 a.m. and slept till 11:00 a.m.!  Then, I spent a relaxed morning, having my tea and replying to blog comments, etc.  Then, in the afternoon, it being Tuesday and my day to run errands, I did just that!  I went, first, to the post office to mail the payment for the gas bill (all $7.90 of it!), then, to the grocery store, to the bank, to the gas station to put gas to the car ($3.89/gallon; I put $42.20 worth of gas; 10.8 gallons as I was below half a tank and above quarter tank), and, finally, to a bakery to buy a loaf of my favorite bread.  It was the last loaf of this type of bread that they had, so I was happy.  It's just regular white bread, but it tastes like the bread I grew up eating!  Back then, one could go to the small store at the top of the lane and ask for half a loaf of bread and the store keeper would cut a loaf of bread in half and sell it!  I wonder if they still do that?

5/7 Groceries

I went to the Armenian grocery store for the bulk of my groceries, this week.

I bought:
1 package raw almonds @$3.99/lb = $3.75
1+lb. ground beef @$2.99/lb = $3.54
1 T-Bone steak @$3.99/lb = $3.91
2 lb. chicken drumsticks @$.59/lb = $1.45
2 Zucchini @$.39/lb  $.28
2 potatoes @$.39/lb = $.41
Green beans @$.99/lb = $.27
3 tomatoes @$.69/lb = $.61
3 bananas @$.49/lb = $.51
1 lb. strawberries = $.99
Total  $15.72

At the bakery, I bought:
1 loaf bread = $1.50

5/7 Grocery Receipt

I left the receipt for the bread in the car!

My May grocery budget is $75 + $6.40 carried over from April = $81.40

Spent to date: $15.72 + $1.50 = $17.22
Balance left in the budget = $81.40 - $17.22 = $64.18

The almonds are a favorite snack; no low calorie by any means, but better for me than chips, etc.

I don't have a planned menu, but, I plan to have the steak for dinner, one night, with perhaps a baked potato and green beans or sauteed zucchini; the chicken drumsticks will be broiled with a plum sauce glaze to be eaten with vegetables or salad; and the ground beef might be made into zucchini-ground beef burgers.

After I came home, I ate some of the bread with lentil curry, which is a favorite meal from my childhood. 

I had kept a previously cooked frozen chicken breast to thaw in the fridge.  In the evening, I cut it up and sauteed it with some onions, curry powder, chili powder etc., and used it as a filling for some puff pastry squares I had in the freezer to make curry puffs.  I only made 4 curry puffs as I shouldn't eat all that pastry!   I'll have one for dinner, tonight, and keep the others in the fridge for lunches, etc. during the week.

Curry Puffs

Today, I am grateful for:
- Being able to sleep in, this morning
- A productive afternoon
- Good deals at the grocery store
- My favorite bread
- Phone calls with family (Aunt C) and friends (R)

I turned the heater on for a little while, last night, as I was wearing three layers (a blouse, a wool knit sweater, and a wool knit cardigan) and still feeling cold!  I turned it on, again, this evening, too. 

Wednesday's To Do List:
- Water the front garden
- Catch up on housework (dusting)
- Vacuum
- Cook

How was your Tuesday?  Have you gone grocery shopping in May, yet?