Thrifty Thursday: In Which I THINK and DO

 

Friday:  Today, I actually tossed some food items.  They weren't expired.  I let go of some pasta I'd bought because it was such a good deal.  It was melon seed pasta.  Without fail every time I'd used it, despite constant stirring, it stuck to the pan and burned.  I thought it would be nice in a soup.  It wasn't.  It did the very same thing, ruining the soup.   Faced with three more bags of it, I decided it wasn't worth my time or effort to try and figure out how to use it much less ruin any more dishes with it.

Throwing food away goes against my grain.  It didn't used to bother me so much but after the pandemic and shortages, I didn't want to waste anything if I could avoid it.  I never try to use food that is obviously not safe (it's discolored, smells off, the can is bulging or leaking, mold is present, etc.), but I do not willingly let go of much just because a date has been assigned to it and it's gone past.  Given the current prices, I feel it's just as wise to use what I have if at all possible.  

However, for some food items that I've held onto for quite a while, which I am avoiding using because I don't like the taste or texture or despite every effort can't get to cook properly...then yes, I'll let it go.  And no, I won't donate it to any food pantry.  Seriously, I don't want to purchase expired foods at the grocery and I'm not keen to pawn them off on someone who is in unfortunate circumstances.

This reminds me of something I saw a week or so ago.  In a stumble-upon post on Instagram somewhere in England a jar of food was donated and in looking it up, the donation sight discovered it was from the 1970's!  They posted the product with an old ad to prove it.  Identical labels, and no expiration date, which was apparently started in the 1980's.

I made up a box of Brownie mix I didn't particularly like last time.  I had two more on hand and rather than follow package directions, I decided to look up how I would mix up my own homemade brownie mix.  My recipe called for butter, but a lot less of it than the amount of oil called for in the directions of the boxed mix.  I will say these turned out better and I'll proceed the same with the last box.  And then I'm going to go right back to making my own mix because frankly, they are better, though not cheaper than the boxed mixes I had on hand.

Saturday:  I went into town today and stopped at the flea market, where I limited myself to a Gooseberry Creek Cookbook.  I should have tried to check one out at the library first, but I so seldom go into the library.  And $3 is quite all right for a book.

Then I went to the local grocery where I was seeking out a few items for dinner at home.  Did I need to buy food for dinner?  No.  I just didn't want what I had at home, and I like to go in and keep myself apprised of pricing and availability of items, etc. in the local places.  And  John wanted ice cream and I'd rather buy that locally than go out of town unless it's part of my planned shopping.

For our meals today, I picked up cut chicken wings ($7.50 for enough for two meals and that was properly cut-up wings, not the ones I would have had to cut up myself), and 2 really lovely thick pork chops (about $4 for those).  I got John's favorite microwave Russet potatoes which were priced higher than loose Russets that were all green and far less expensive than the 5-pound bag of iffy-looking potatoes.  A lovely ripe tomato, also pricey.  A single red onion, 95c.  1 cup of sour cream ($1.89).  If I'd gotten the ice cream and stopped there I'd have been better off but I did not.

I also picked up various condiments that I find difficult to find in other stores, likely because I never walk down those aisles in bigger groceries, a name-brand bag of chips, a few low-priced bulk spices that I knew I did not have at home, thanks to that inventory I did last week.   I found some cans of Del Monte sloppy joe mix and got two of those.  I make a perfectly good sloppy joe but this product is one that Granny used often when she had all of us children together and it was pure nostalgia that made me buy it.  And John's ice cream.  The meat went into one small plastic bag and the rest fit into a standard reusable grocery bag.  The lot cost me $61.  That is my first grocery spending for March.  The meats and vegetables and a bottle of special seasoning sauce that John and I buy occasionally accounted for about half the spending today.  It was about what we'd have spent had we gone out to eat.

I made the wings for lunch, using a bottle of sauce I had on hand in the fridge and seasonings.  The wings took just about as long to cook as frozen pre-seasoned ones by big-name companies and we agreed we liked them better.  In the future, I will use fresh chicken wings all over again.  They were so good and not pricey when you consider the cost at any takeout place!  We had enough to put leftovers in the fridge.

The pork chops were just lovely.  Lean, but tender, and well flavored.  Here's where I will spend in the future when I go to this local store.  The meats are worth purchasing when they are on sale, but not when they are not sale-priced.  I never worthwhile when they are marked down for clearance.  I've noted that this store really does put meat that is just a little nearer the toss time and they are simply trying to recover their cost by marking it down. That was not the case when they first opened the store, but the whole staff has changed.

I seared the chops on top of the stove with no seasoning but salt and pepper and then put them in the oven to finish off.  I dare say they were as tasty as any steak and cost far less.  For what a single take-out meal would have cost us, we had two very nice meals with leftovers and the luxury of being at home on a cold drizzly day.  

Sunday:  I stopped at Kroger on our way home.  I had examined both the Publix and Kroger lists and determined that Kroger had the best buys on what we'd typically use.  The Publix list was largely a grocery wish list.  Does anyone else keep a grocery wish list?  I just jot down everything that looks like a good price from the sales sheet then I'll go back later and cull it down to the things I truly feel I can afford and then later to just what I need.  But it's nice pretending I might go in and buy all that stuff, lol.

We walked only the outermost aisles of the store today.  We started our shopping in the produce section.  I am going to tell you what we purchased and what I paid for most items. If this is something you aren't interested in, let me know.  I just like to compare our prices with those of other regions.  

A 3-pack of romaine hearts was marked on the shelf as $3.49.  They rang up at $4.49.  I got onions for $3.19 (this is more than I've been paying for onions but it seems to be higher everywhere), 2 bunches of asparagus for $1.79 each, 5 pounds of mandarins at $6.99 (I had a coupon), and 10 pounds of Russet potatoes for $5.99.   I had a $3 coupon for produce purchases totaling $15.  

 I bought 2 smoked sausages, a roll of bulk sausage, and a pound of bacon.  I messed up in buying the sausage.  The brand I picked up was a Buy 5 item which netted me a discount only when I purchased five.  So I didn't get the sale price on these.  1 gallon of milk at $2.79, 1 quart of organic half and half for $5.99, 2 pounds of cheddar cheese ($7.99), 1 pound of store brand cream cheese ($3.79), and 5 dozen eggs at $1.49 a dozen.  John asked for orange juice and I recalled that I had loaded an Ibotta offer on a certain brand.  I noted that the larger size required to get the rebate was marked on the shelf as being $6.79, making it the same price as the 2-quart bottle after the rebate.  That rang up at $7.79, but with the rebate was still a good purchase.  I also bought a box of 4 croissants.  For all of this, I paid $99, I had $10.75 in coupons.  I scanned the receipt and earned my $2 rebate from Ibotta.  

I didn't go to the customer service desk for price corrections.  We were on our way home when I finally read the receipt.  

I moved $10 into my Christmas savings account as soon as we got home.

I made lunch here at home, making up a small pan of macaroni and cheese and reheating the wings from yesterday's lunch.  I served the meal with some of our older mandarins on the side.

We were on our own for supper tonight.  John had cereal and toast.  I opted for a serving of broth from a batch of chili that I topped with tortilla chips, cheese, and sour cream.   I just get in the mood for soup and anything will do. 

Monday:  Yesterday when I was making the macaroni and cheese, I noted that the milk I poured into the saucepan to make my cheese sauce curdled.  Glad I saw it before I made the mac and cheese, but doggone it!  The jug was about 1/3 full of milk.  I started over with the milk I'd just purchased but I wanted to make good use of the soured milk before it was truly spoiled.

I knew I could make yogurt with it as I did last month, but I still have two pints of yogurt and don't need more at the moment.  I looked it up and found I could possibly make cottage cheese with the milk.  I tried my hand at it this morning.    

My one issue with the whole process was that the milk didn't create the larger curds that the website suggested it would make.  I don't have a thermometer and felt that I probably didn't get the milk quite hot enough (it should be at least 185F) and that I had the proportion of acid too low.  I  had jotted down information from a site that called for 1/2 gallon of liquid and because mine was less than that I'd decreased the acid to what I thought was the proper ratio.  In looking at other sites, I found that the ratio of acid to milk was much higher.  I set the milk back on the heat and added vinegar (I'd used lemon juice in the beginning).  Then I let it sit for a half hour.  I still had a very fine grain curd but I went ahead and drained through flour sack material and squeezed it dry.  

We tasted the cheese and John wasn't keen on it.  It was more the texture of ricotta than cottage cheese which I think is what put him off.  The cheese did not taste sour, so evidence of vinegar and soured milk had disappeared.  I plan to use this cheese to fill Calzones and think it will do just fine for that purpose.  When I told John how I wanted to use it he did agree it would taste good in that or in lasagna.  I could also blend it with fruit in a smoothie to make a protein shake.  So this won't go to waste in any way.

Net: 1 1/4 cups cheese, and two pints of whey.  I plan to use some of the whey in making waffles. I've also used it in the past when baking bread.  According to the webs I can also use the whey to lactose ferment sauerkraut or other vegetables.

I used the recipe on this website.  The site looks like a good one to explore so I've added it to my 'Deeper Exploration' files.  

I hit upon an idea today that I hope will help me tackle a few more 'Oh Gee I meant to do that!' tasks.  I shared that idea in a post on Wednesday.

I had Mock Chop Suey on this week's menu and when I went to take meat from the freezer to thaw, I said, "Wait...Don't I have a frozen entree of that already?"  I did! It was right down at the very bottom of the prepared foods basket.  We'll be using that instead of making up a whole new recipe.  Use what you have!

I have an old picture that my Grandmother gave me years ago that I want to use in the kitchen.  I don't know exactly how old the thing is but the woman who gave it to her had it hanging over her mantle in the kitchen where she kept an open fire.  I suspect the picture is likely about 100 years old right now.  It's just a print, not a painting.  However, it appears that Grandmother had tried to clean it at some point.  I figured after all the years I've had it (about 40 years I think), that it likely could use a cleaning.  And since it was obvious that it had been done before, whatever I do to it will only be an additional patina, right?  

I used a damp sponge and ugh at the dirt/dust that had accumulated over the years!  I wiped it dry with a paper towel which came away almost as dirty as the sponge. I left the picture for a half hour to dry fully and then went back over it and repeated the process.  I barely got any dirt at all up.  I can't say the picture looks any lighter but it sure didn't hurt the thing to get wiped down.

Tuesday:  This morning, before the day really started I had unloaded the dishwasher and put breakfast in the oven then gone to shower.  After breakfast, Sam and Millie stopped by to visit for a bit and when they left, I went out and cleaned up the back porch.  I should more likely say I neatened up the back porch.  I stepped out yesterday and the amount of sand underfoot made me very aware that I needed to blow that off and then I rearranged the furniture and moved the stuff I'd pulled from the second blue bin. There seemed little point in doing much more since it had rained all last night and all morning and afternoon today.

Indoors, I attended to moving the things into the second blue bin.  Now the storage area in the bathroom is looking much better, as is the back porch.   Then I tackled the CD cabinet in the living room which has truly looked disorganized and messy for months.  I don't know why I hadn't been paying attention to that cabinet, but I hadn't.  It looks so much better now!   And yes, this was on my '3 Things' list of things to do in the Dining room/Front Entry.

I put extra sausage biscuits in the freezer this morning and for lunch I made Calzone.  The ricotta/cheese product I made was just right in this.  I have Calzones leftover which will be wrapped and frozen for a future meal.  I'm not sure what meal I'll prepare for our supper tonight.  The chicken I took from the freezer is still a solid block even though I took it out yesterday morning.  Given the weather, I am leaning towards a soup supper.  It would certainly suit the weather.

My next task today is to repair a coverlet I want to use in the guest room.  It is a slow day, but I'm going to just continue right on trying to get things done, a little at a time.

Meals:  Sausage Biscuits

Calzone

Chicken Pasta Soup

I had a pack of breasts I'd bought in the fall and put in the freezer as a whole packet.  There were four breasts in the package.  I know I thought at the time that it would be fine for the four of us with a wee bit of leftovers as a chicken meal.  Two people do not need four breasts.  I stood looking at them yesterday and decided to add an extra chicken meal to my menu for this week.  I used one breast to make a really lovely Chicken and Pasta soup with a white wine and cream seasoned broth.  I sliced one breast into two flat pieces to be used later this week as  Chicken Piccata.  I butterflied the two smaller breasts to use in making the spinach-stuffed Chicken I'd planned to have this week.

Wednesday:  I  have the comforter mended at last.  I thought I'd found every area that was coming apart until I put it on the bed today and then we found three or four more spots.  I'd kept my thread and needle out for just that purpose, so they'd be handy and I wouldn't push the rest of the mending off to a future time.  I sat right down on the bed and got the thing finished.

This morning when I was taking the guest room bed apart, I was going to move the frame on my own.  John came in and showed me that the frame was actually in two pieces... Suitable for use with twin-sized mattresses. Nice to know.

I found the frame I wanted to reframe the old picture Grandmother had given me.  While I was digging around I found a dish cleaning tool that Katie was discarding.  It is brand new and I often used a similar-looking brush/sponge thing at her house to wash dishes.  I also found a pretty frame exactly the size of a card I wanted to mount and display in the master bathroom.

Yesterday I found some barbecue sandwiches in the freezer so I pulled them out and put them on an empty section of shelf where I'd see and could easily retrieve them.  

Meals:  Grits and Cheese Toast

Barbecue sandwiches, pickles, chips

Spinach stuffed chicken with Alfredo sauce, Asparagus, Rice

The spinach I used in the filling for the chicken breasts was something that I needed to use up.  This was a good recipe for it.  

The lighting I ordered for the master bathroom and the kitchen arrived today.  John has chosen the hallway light that he wants so we will order that next.  We already have light to go into the guest bathroom.  

Thursday:  I went over sales ads yesterday and wasn't blown away by bargains but there were a few items I definitely wanted to get while they were on sale.  I also needed to make a return of the pants I ordered from Cato that were way too long and not quite big enough in the waist.  To be honest, I planned out a whole day of thrifting and shopping and being on my own.  That part didn't happen but I did go do the return and did the grocery shopping.

At Kroger, I bought Broccoli crowns for $1.79 a pound, which actually made them a better buy than broccoli stems. 1 bunch of green onions, 2 bags of store-brand chips which were on sale. I also picked up the 2-pound blocks of cheese which were $5.99 each if you bought 2 or more.  I opted to get three, one mozzarella and two sharp cheddar.  I found a really good bargain on soda and bought the required limit on that to get the sales price.  I also had an Ibotta rebate good on that purchase.  There was a good price on Jimmy Dean Sausage and Bacon, and I had coupons for both of those.  All told in Kroger, I spent about $58 cash out of pocket, which included a savings of $34 with coupons and sale prices.  

At Publix, I bought strawberries, hot dogs, ham steaks, and Marie Callender 4-packs of pot pies.  All of these were buy-one-get-one-free items.  I got $1 worth of bananas for John and a wedge of Gorgonzola to make my own salad dressing with.  My total spending at Publix for food came to a total out-of-pocket of $32 with a savings of $27.   I added to my freezer stock the breakfast meats, ham steaks, and hot dogs.  

Sodas and cheese will last us for weeks and the meats will be for future usage not for immediate needs.  I'm pleased that week two of grocery shopping is at less than $100.  Next week I hope I can find corned beef reasonably priced.  

When I made the return at Cato, I did a quick glance around the store.  I need a dress for a wedding the first weekend in April. I would prefer a maxi-type dress to wear with sandals or flip-flops since it is a beach wedding.  I won't buy a thing until I have time to try on different styles and see what works best for my body shape.

That's my week.  I hope you all had a great week of accomplishing things in your home and yard if you were lucky enough to have sunny weather.   Tomorrow I am off to Peaches to Beaches provided it doesn't rain.  My goal is to find artwork for the kitchen and guest bedroom.

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