July Grocery Shopping - Part 1

I picked up an order of groceries, yesterday, Wednesday July 3.  Partly because I needed a few items for the dinner on Friday night (I've invited three family friends) and partly because I wanted to take advantage of the sale on salmon and beef so that my daughter could enjoy them and maybe take some back with her.  Sorry, no pictures of what I bought (daughter put away the groceries for me, right away).

I bought:

1.16 lb. broccoli @ $1.94/lb. (with $0.40 off coupon) = $2.26

2 lb. green beans @ $1.99/lb. = $4.00

2 lb. bag carrots = $1.99

1.35 lb. onions @ $0.91 with coupons (reg. price $1.49/lb.) = $1.24

10 lb. bag potatoes = $4.99
(the 5 lb. bag was $3.99)

2.16 lb. salmon @$8.99/lb. (reg. price $14.99) = $19.42

3.21 lb. beef chuck roast @ $6.99/lb. (reg. price $8.99) = $22.44

1 loaf sandwich bread = $1.99

2 ice cream, butter pecan, 14 fl. oz. each, buy 1 get 1 free = $5.99

2 ice cream, pistachio, 14 fl. oz each, buy 1 get 1 free = $5.99

Total = $70.31

According to the receipt, my original cost, without sales = $103.34
Amount saved with sales and digital coupons = $33.03

My July grocery budget is $100.00 + $23.64 carried over from June = $123.64

Spent to date = $53.33

Balance Remaining = $123.64 = $70.31 = $53.33

I might need to pick up another small container of half and half for daughter's coffee in the next day or so (I asked her if she needed more when I placed the grocery order and she said no, but, today, she said that the half and half is starting to go off).  But, other than that, I don't anticipate needing more groceries for at least another week or two.  

As always, I am grateful for the availability of groceries and being able to afford the occasional splurge item.

Have you done a grocery shop in July, yet?  How do the prices I pay compare to what you pay in your area?  Curious minds want to know!  LOL.

On Wednesday

Flowers

I was asked if I would post a picture of daughter's painting; the photo she took of it last night came out with a yellowish tinge because it was taken under artificial light and I chose not to publish it.  This photo was taken today, in natural light, and the colors photographed better.  

Today, gardener M was here to tend to the garden.  He watered the garden, tidied it up a little, and planted the last six potatoes I had left in the bag of potatoes I had bought earlier in the year since they had all sprouted while still in the bag!  It's hard to keep potatoes from sprouting when it is so warm.  Today's high was 94F (34.4C).

I made waffles and blueberry compote for brunch, today, and M enjoyed a waffle with the compote before he left.  

I put in an order for groceries and picked it up, today.  I wanted to buy more salmon while it was still on sale and one or two items for Friday's dinner.

Later, I cooked a cashew curry and froze most of it for Friday night's dinner (left a little out for our dinner, tonight).  I also prepared a dhal (lentil) curry for Friday.  Later I cooked the salmon I bought and a pot of rice for tonight's dinner.  Daughter made a cucumber salad to go with it.  Neighbor S's daughter brought over four pieces of gata (Armenian pastries) and daughter and I had a piece each for dessert.

The New Area Rug

This is the new area rug I bought for $60 (plus tax, of course).  I think that the dark blue of the borders go well with my blue and white china collection and daughter says that the yellow bits go well with the brass accessories in the room.  I like the muted colors in the lighter area in the middle.  I think the rug goes well with my rather shabby upholstered furniture, where Dancer and the cats before him have sharpened their claws and shredded the fabric.  

Brunch was waffles and blueberry compote.  Dinner was rice, sauteed salmon with onions and tomatoes, cucumber salad, and tomato chutney.  Snacks included cherries and gata (Armenian pastries).  

On Wednesday, I was grateful for:

- M's help with the garden
- Being able to order groceries online and contactless pick up
- A safe drive to the grocery store and back
- Neighbors bringing gata (Armenian pastries)
- Daughter doing the dishes

Today's joyful activities included gardening and reading.

Plans for tomorrow include going to watch a fireworks display with daughter and friends.

How was your Wednesday?  What are your plans for Thursday?  What are your plans to celebrate the 4th of July/American Independence Day?

Starting July

New Painting

On Monday, July 1, the second half of this year began!  I did my usual "first day of the month" rituals, making milkrice for brunch and offering flowers at the altar.  The flowers I cut were bunches of pale pink oleander as they are one of the few flowers I have blooming in the garden, currently. 

Daughter had an appointment to get copies of a document she needed; I drove her to her appointment and waited for her at the nearby library, taking advantage of the free parking for library patrons.  I looked through a magazine until daughter came to the library after her appointment.  We put gas to the car on the way home; my budget for gas is $50 per month and I put $50 worth of gas in the car.

After we came home, we had milkrice for brunch.  Then, we went to the crafts supplies store so daughter could look at beads and I could buy another skein of white yarn for my crocheting.  The craft store had a sale on area rugs (we had no idea they sold area rugs!)  I had been looking at area rugs, online, earlier in the day, but, they were rather expensive.  However, the rugs in the crafts store were 50% off and I found one that I liked for $60 for a 5' x 7' rug.  It will go in the living room area. 

In the evening, daughter went for a walk with neighbor S's daughter and I took the trash cans to the curb, watered the back garden, and made my weekly meal plan.  We had assorted leftovers for dinner

On Tuesday,  daughter and I had a relaxed day.  Cousin V called in the afternoon and we had a nice chat.  Then, she asked me if I had any photographs of our grandmother, and if I did, could I take photos of them and send them to her.  So I sent her photos of the photos I had and told her that I will give the photos I have to her when I see her next.   Later in the evening, when it had cooled off a little, I vacuumed the living room and daughter put down the area rug and put the furniture back in place.  Daughter went for a walk, again, with neighbor S's daughter and I read a library book I had borrowed.  Afterwards, we had a "paint night" and I painted the picture shown above.  

Brunch had been scrambled eggs, bacon, fried potatoes, and toast.  Dinner was chicken curry sandwiches and avocado pudding.  

As we start the month of July, I am grateful for:

- Daughter was able to obtain the documents she needed
- Free parking at the library
- Bargains at the crafts store
- Ceiling fans (and the electricity to run them)
-  Spending time with my daughter

Joyful activities have included painting with my daughter, visiting the library, going to the crafts store, and reading.  

Plans for Wednesday include:

- Tending to the garden with M
- Picking up an order of groceries
- Doing a load of laundry

What are your plans for Wednesday?

June Week 4 Meal Plan & July Week 1 Meal Plan

This was my June Week 4 Meal Plan:

Brunches: Cold cuts sandwich✔, waffles with peach or blueberry compote✔, cereal and milk, salads, boiled mung beans with katta sambol✔, scrambled eggs with bacon and fried potatoes✔(for dinner), or something else!  French toast, tuna salad on crackers, sauteed garbanzo beans, roast pork on hamburger buns

Dinners:  Chicken curry (from the freezer) and vegetables with rice✔; sauteed salmon (from the freezer) with rice and cucumber salad green beans or broccoli✔; roast pork (from the freezer) made over into a stir-fry and served on hamburger buns ✔with rice or, chicken curry with yogurt flat bread✔; leftovers✔, smoked sausage stir fry with rice

Snacks/Desserts:  Fresh fruit/✔fruit salad, peanut butter and crackers, granola bars, ice cream✔ if I buy some. kotta kilengu (dried Palmyra palm sprouts)

After I made the meal plan, I realized that I didn't have anymore salmon in the freezer!  So, I bought a piece when I ordered my groceries.  And even after listing green beans and broccoli, I forgot to order them when I submitted the grocery order.

And here is how it all worked out:

Monday:
Brunch: Cold cuts sandwich
Dinner: Breakfast for dinner: scrambled egg, fried potatoes, sauteed ham slices
Dessert: Peach compote

Tuesday:
Brunch: Tuna salad on crackers
Dinner: Ditto (tuna salad on crackers)
Snacks: Apple, kotta kilengu (dried Palmyra palm sprouts)

Wednesday: 
Brunch: Sauteed garbanzo beans
Dinner - Salmon, sauteed with onions, tomatoes, and bell peppers; cucumber salad; tomato chutney; rice
Dessert: Ice cream

Thursday:
Brunch: Roast pork on hamburger buns
Dinner: Chicken curry, rice, cucumber salad, tomato chutney
Snacks/Dessert: Fresh peaches, a shared first strawberry of the season, a blueberry pastry (that daughter was given by a friend of hers who works in a bakery), ice cream

Friday:
Brunch: Boiled mung beans with katta sambol
Dinner: Smoked sausage stir fry (with onions, carrots, snowpeas, and cashews) and rice

Saturday:
Brunch: Waffles with peach compote
Late Lunch (daughter): Leftover smoke sausage stir fry and rice 
Dinner: Roast pork remade into devilled pork curry with onions, tomatoes, and bell peppers) on hamburger buns
Snacks: Cherries, plums, leftover waffles

Sunday:
Brunch: French toast
Dinner: Chicken curry and yogurt flat bread
Snacks: Grapes, peaches, cherries, ice cream

I had originally planned to have salmon on two days and ordered a 1 lb. piece, but, I was only given a 0.5 lb. piece of salmon, which was just enough for one meal (with some of the onions/tomato/bell peppers I cooked with it leftover).  So, I cooked the smoked sausage stir fry, which was not on the meal plan.  But, it all worked out quite well.

On to July meal plans!  My daughter will be with me for the first week in July and we are planning to invite a few friends over to dinner on Friday, July 5.

Brunches: Milkrice, with katta sambol and jaggary (Monday, July 1);  scrambled eggs, bacon, fried potatoes and/or toast; cereal with milk; waffles with blueberry compote; mung beans again (as requested by daughter); hot dogs and buns; salad; egg salad sandwiches; leftovers

Dinners: Ground turkey keema curry and rice; salmon and rice with salad;  spaghetti and meat sauce and salad; beef curry. vegetables, and rice;  chicken curry, dhal, sauteed green beans, spicy sauteed potatoes, pappadum, chutney, and rice (Friday dinner with friends),  assorted leftovers

Snacks/desserts: Avocado pudding, fresh fruits, ice cream, smoothies, chips

That is the plan; we shall see how it turns out.

Did you make a meal plan for the last week in June?  If so, how did it work out?  Are you making a meal plan for the first week of July?