Thrifty Thursday: And Then...

 

Friday:  While I was digging in the fridge last night to find the Chicken Noodle casserole, I found the bowl of Vanilla Pudding I'd made earlier in the week.  I moved it to a more visible point so I'd remember to offer it up as dessert tonight.

By the way, the Chicken Noodle Soup I made last night using the Chicken Noodle Casserole in it?  Turned out all right!  It was a wee bit salty but the casserole did meld with the broth and it tasted good.  We used all the broth and all of that casserole.  It tasted so good that we both went back for seconds.

We batched errands on a date day.  We got haircuts.  I've decided to let mine grow out just a little bit.  I was so pleased to get my favorite stylist who ignores time limits and cuts meticulously.  Every haircut she's given me has been a quality cut.

We stopped at Kroger. I wanted to pick up a few items today.  There were some decent sales on blueberries, strawberries, cheese, milk, and Pam cooking spray.  I also picked up flowers, a card for Mama,  half and half for the next few weeks, and a 24-pack of Coke.  That was $10, compared to the $8 they were charging for a 12-pack.  Oh and a HUGE fern ($14) for the back porch.  That was my Mother's Day gift to myself.  I don't expect to receive one from anyone else.

The blueberries were on sale for $2.99.  I had e-coupons (digital) that netted me $4 off EACH 18-ounce container of blueberries.  Yes, I earned $1.01 on each of the four containers.

When I shop, I return coupon savings to my Christmas savings account.  Today, I had $42.15 in e-coupons to add to my account.  I am almost halfway to my Christmas savings goal.

John and I ate lunch for less than $25 and brought half of each entree home which we had for supper tonight.

I don't recall if I mentioned it.  I've broken all the bowls and two dinner plates from the set of dishes I bought four years ago.  I have looked and looked for new dishes.  I have expensive tastes.  I finally decided that if I couldn't afford a different set, I'd order a twelve-piece set of the same dinnerware I have.  They were only slightly more expensive than when I last bought them. Now I have bowls, mugs (which I'd gotten rid of), dinner plates, and more salad plates.  

Monday:  I'm playing catch-up today.  It was a busy weekend.  

I wasn't expecting Katie early on Saturday.  Turns out they were arriving here before lunch, so I got the fried chicken out of the freezer and put it in the oven.  I just kept it simple and made boxed mac and cheese, which the children prefer anyway.

Sam's kids came over and hadn't had lunch.  They didn't want chicken or mac n cheese but asked for PBJs, so I made that for them.   

All the children were hungry for snacks so they got chips and later some of the banana cake I'd made last week.  I only had six slices but dividing the slices in half meant there was enough to go around for everyone and finished off the cake nicely.

For supper, I made homemade pizzas.  The children's was half pepperoni and the other half was pepperoni and sausage.  Mind and John's was Sausage with mushrooms, peppers, and onions.

Sunday I didn't have to cook a single meal except supper.  John made breakfast, and Cody grilled hot dogs that he and Katie brought over.  I provided baked beans (dumped a can in the pan and seasoned) and ended up making Slaw because Katie was craving it.  

Today I've sorted out the snack cupboard.  I don't know why we keep opening multiple bags of chips.  I had three open bags of chips.  I tossed a bag of corn chips that were opened on Easter weekend.  I organized the snack cupboard in a better way, putting unopened packets of food on the very top shelf of that cabinet and the open snack items on the bottom.  Once I take time to figure out how to reconfigure my cabinets, I'll move the middle shelf up so there's more room on the snack shelf.

I am using up older potatoes tonight.  I didn't plan this meal on the menu, but John mentioned wanting it and I try to make whatever meal he says he'd like to have since he usually just eats whatever I planned to make.  

Meals today: Cereal for John, I skipped breakfast

Chicken Nuggets and used up small amounts of frozen fries and tater tots which was just enough for 2 that way.

Salisbury Steak, Mashed Potatoes, Greens Beans...Unless he decides he's going to a men's meeting after all in which case I'll find something in the fridge to make a meal and watch a movie.

Tuesday:  I decided to get busy and process several produce items before they began to spoil.   

I chopped mushrooms and some onions to go in tonight's supper dish (NOT on the menu)...

I cut up the red and green bell peppers I'd bought at a discount and put 6 halves in the freezer to use as stuffed peppers in the future, chopped some to use in Tuna Pasta Salad and Kung Pao Chicken this week.  I also put extra chopped peppers in the freezer to use in the future.

I added more onions to my pickled onion jar.

I cut up broccoli and cauliflower.  I put some in the oven to roast, set some broccoli aside for dinner one night later this week, and chopped cauliflower and broccoli to make the salad I wanted to go with another supper.  We'll likely eat a few roasted broccoli and cauliflower tonight but the rest will be bagged up and put in the fridge to use with weekend meals.

I husked the tomatillos and roasted those with jalapeno pepper and onion to make a Verde Sauce that I will use in a meal next week.

My menus this week have taken a hit.   For one thing, John decided to go to a men's meeting last night so I was home alone for supper.  So I made fish tacos for myself, using the 6 teensy fish sticks in the freezer.  I chopped red cabbage, cucumber, radish.  I topped the tacos with the vegetables,  homemade Thousand Island dressing, and pickled onions.

Tonight's dinner will be Country Fried Hamburger Steak and Gravy, Mashed potatoes, Green Beans, and roasted broccoli and cauliflower.

Wednesday:  I always have a running list in my head so if we happen to go into certain stores I will look for those items.  Today, I was hoping to find a hook that would fit my broom so I could hang it on the kitchen wall, some furniture paste wax to doctor up the sewing machine, and a fresh color of paint and a grill brush.  I found the grill brush and struck out on everything else.  

Decided I could hang the broom on the current hook if I ran a bit of twine through the hole in the top of the broom handle.  Then I can use the hook I already have.  And that idea might work for my pretty dustpan as well.

Ordered a mirror from eBay to hang in the guest bedroom.  Not exactly what I wanted but an affordable, genuinely older bit of mirror which is what I wanted.

I was going to sit here and think and write but when John went out to mow, I recognized opportunity knocking and went to work on the freezers.  I tossed a lot of 'stuff'...old fruits and vegetables mostly.  I've determined the best way to 'save' the sorts of foods I tossed out today is to USE them immediately. These are not what I normally store in the freezer but odds and ends.  Squashes and herbs I'd bought on sale or saved but seldom used or pieces of fruit that were about to spoil that I didn't want to waste.  All I did was prolong the time when they were wasted!  I filled a plastic dishpan full of things for the compost bin.  Full.

I also noted that I could do a much better job of wrapping (and protecting) food that I put in the freezer.  

When the inventory was completed, I counted up the 'servings' of each package of meat.  I have on hand about 3 months' worth of protein.

The Kung Pao Chicken I made tonight was good.  I've saved that recipe to use again.  I took the advice I'd heard elsewhere to always double the sauce.  Well, I made half the recipe but a full sauce recipe, and it was just right for the amount of vegetables and meat I had.  

One chicken breast was just the right amount of meat for us tonight.  I set the other one aside and will make chicken salad for lunch.

Meals:  Cheese Toast

Ham and Cheese Wraps, Pickles

Kung Pao Chicken, Rice, Oranges

Thursday:  I forgot John's Thursday fast and began making breakfast this morning.  Alas, and I ate it too...this was one of those mornings when I'd liked NOT to eat breakfast.

This morning I made bread and a Blueberry Cobbler.    I baked the blueberry cobbler while I was pre-heating the oven for the bread.   

I zested the orange peel last night and was shocked at how much zest came off that big Navel Orange.  This morning, I zested the lemon I cut to add summer flavor to the blueberry cobbler.  After I zested the lemon, I cut it up and made some of that Shaker method Lemonade for our lunch.

I didn't have baked bread (yet) or buns, so I used English muffins as buns for our lunch Sloppy Joes.

When I went to the compost this morning, I noted that the potato plants looked very good. The zucchini and tomatoes in the 'garden' are looking good.  The cherry tomato plant has blooms.  Now I need to keep an eye out for stinking horned worms. 

I ordered two birthday gifts last night.  I have eight birthdays for 8 weeks at the end of this month.   It pays to get ahead if I can!  I found a couple of great deals and was able to use a cash rebate to further increase my savings. 

I hope you all have had a great week, and that it's been productive.  Come tell us what you've done to generate savings in your home this week.

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