This Week on the Dining Table

The  "Eating on the Road 2.0" Edition--

It's been a real mixed bag of meals this week.  From home cooking 4 times(steak twice, Reuben sandwiches and a cowboy dinner)to two restaurant meals to fast food once.  Above is my plate at the B&B cowboy dinner cooked in a cast iron dutch oven. I also got a rib & a biscuit after this shot was taken.
So glad we could eat "real cooking" and not just take-out/eating out all week!

Moving On....

Onward to the meal planning!

Here's what was planned last week--

1. Sunday--a Cowboy Supper

2. Monday--No Dinner

3. Tuesday--No clue

4. Wednesday--Probably home cooking but not sure

5. Thursday--Ditto
6. Friday--Might take everyone out?
7. Saturday--No clue

And this is what actually happened--

1. Sunday--a Cowboy Supper

2. Monday--Taco John(a quesadilla)
3. Tuesday--Corn Chowder, Fish Fillets, Baked Potato, Mixed Veggies

4. Wednesday--Steak, Corn on Cob, Fruit Salad

5. Thursday--Dinner Buffet in Nevada
6. Friday--Steak, Cantaloupe, Broccoli
7. Saturday--Reuben Sandwiches, Cole slaw, Homemade Pie and Ice Cream

Last week saw 4 nights of home cooked dinners, 0 nights of leftovers and 3 nights of Take-Out/Eating Out and all of it was done while on the road.

I made 0 trips to the Weis Markets or any other store at home but I did browse through a Winco in Idaho and a Shopko in Utah and bought some drinks for the road and a bag of candy(for a gifty).  Oh, we also bought some items in a Mexican market which I'll blog about when I get home.

My savings percentages last week and for the month so-far?    No clue. 8-)))

Leftovers going into this week........again, no clue.  We don't have leftovers while traveling, we just have to dump or leave what we don't finish.

Here is this week's "food plan"....not that I am cooking any of it anyway. lol......

1. Sunday--an Elk Burger w/Fries

2. Monday--Home cooked meal by Kim's sister?

3. Tuesday--Effie Tavern burger(split 4 ways probably-I hear they are massive!)

4. Wednesday--Something on the road-Montana

5. Thursday--Ditto-Wyoming
6. Friday--Ditto-Wyoming
7. Saturday--Ditto-South Dakota

This week will see 1 new meal cooked, 0 nights of leftovers and 6 nights of Take-Out/Eating-Out.

What I need to buy for this menu?  Daughter will be grocery shopping for the next few weeks so it's not in my hands again this week.

What is getting fixed and served at your house this week?

Was last week's plan successful, did you go off plan or did you not even plan what was going to be eaten last week?

Any great deals on food at your stores this week?


Sluggy

This Week on the Dining Table

It's the "Danged Critters" Edition--

 

 

This is a cute, fuzzy, baby bunny the rabbits living under our shed had this Spring.  He has grown well and has figured out how to get into my garden now. Argh!  He keeps finding ways to get through the fence and munch on my goodies despite my best efforts to outsmart him.  Soon he will be too big to get through the fence and that will be about the time the garden season is over for the year.

In other danged critter news--"Mr. Black Bear" has returned to the neighborhood to dine on our trash last week.  Hubs installed a homemade "anti-bear" system on the trash cans but Mr. BB returned a second time last week for dinner at Chez Sluggy.  Now the trash cans will have to live in the garage again and we'll hope Mr. BB will be satisfied with just dining at our next door neighbor's trash cans(which were 20 ft. away from ours), as neighbor refuses to put his cans in his garage for safekeeping.

Now the garage that I spent 2 days on cleaning and organizing is even more crowded with trash cans in it.  oh well.....
 

Onward to the meal planning!

 

Here's what was planned last week.......

1. Sunday--Eating Out(after lugging CB back to school)
2. Monday--Pork Chops w/Peach Glaze(have), Squash Casserole(have)
3. Tuesday--Various seafood(in freezer), Fried Zucchini(have)
4. Wednesday--Barbecue(leftovers)on rolls, Cole Slaw(have)
5. Thursday--Chicken Marsala(have), Tom and Cuke Salad(have)
6. Friday--Steaks(have), Corn on cob or leftover Squash
7. Saturday--Kielbasa or Meatballs on rolls(have), Beans(have)

 

And this is what actually happened--

1. Sunday--Eating Out(Bob Evans, I had a big salad w/chicken)
2. Monday--Steak, Fried Zucchini(have)
3. Tuesday--Leftover Rotisserie Chicken, Squash Casserole(have), Cornbread(have)
4. Wednesday--Tomato and Cuke Salad(have), Hubs had leftover pizza, I had a BLT
5. Thursday--Barbecue on Rolls(leftover), Cole Slaw(leftover)
6. Friday--Baked Cod, Stuffed Clams, Zuke in Tomato Sauce
7. Saturday--Kielbasa on Rolls, Beans, Tomato and Cuke Salad

No pork chops or chicken marsala.  We had some more leftovers to use up(as well as an abundance of summer squash!) and we wanted some fish last week.

As for my grocery spending last week.....a trip to Sam's and a trip to Maine Source $82.15 + $21.28=$103.43
August food spending now stands at $401.29 in a month where I set a $350 food budget.
bleh.  It's not an insane amount to spend, we have the cash too, but I hate going over anyway.

Leftovers going into this week--kielbasa, beans, squash casserole, cornbread, tomato and cuke salad, barbecue, cole slaw, zuke in tomato sauce.
 

Here is this week's food plan--

1. Sunday--BLTs for lunch, Leftovers(I had squash and cornbread)for dinner
2. Monday--We might dine out, otherwise Leftovers
3. Tuesday--Chili, sauted mixed Veggies
4. Wednesday--Barbecue on Rolls, Cole Slaw
5. Thursday--Salmon, Scallops, sauted mixed Veggies
6. Friday--Lobster, boiled Potatoes, Corn on cob
7. Saturday--Hot Dogs, Potato Salad

What I need to buy for this menu?.....lobster, corn on cob.  Price Chopper had lobster for $5.99lb last week and I resisted, but they are still on sale this week and I will succumb.  Besides I have a $25 Price Chopper gift card to use. 8-)
I have the ingredients for the chili, the salmon, scallops, veggies, hot dogs and rolls and potatoes.

Not much tempting me this week at the grocery stores--maybe some pickles and Weis has another Kraft deal(more cheap cheese?  I may not as I still have tons left from the last deal. lol).

 

What is getting fixed and served at your house this week?    

Was last week's plan successful, did you go off plan or did you not even plan what was going to be eaten that week?

Any great deals on food at your stores this week? 

Sluggy

Food spending OCTOBER Week 4, Meal Planning Week 4+ & NOVEMBER Week 1

When a weather emergency happens, we frugal, stockpiling mavens don't need to run to the stinkin' store for water, milk, bread and batteries!

We have the essentials in our stockpile already!  We are magnificent role models for society during emergency situations!

Having taken care of the basics, we can then concentrate on running to the liquor store and the snack food aisle of the grocery store.

Priorities people.....priorities!!

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Since Hubs and I were down at the shore celebrating our 30th Anniversary, I have no CLUE what meals at home consisted of last week!  I left the almost 20 yr. old and 16.5 yr. old with many food options(most requiring little if any cooking), but other than some Ramen noodles they don't seem to have eaten anything!lol

Daughter got chinese take-out 1 night and #2 Son went and mooched off his friends and their family at least 1 night.

Oh, I forgot that 2 pizzas ARE MIA from the freezer.......of course they are! lolz

As for food spending......Hubs and I had a room with a kitchenette so we did do some food shopping on vacation.

We had breakfast in the room all but 1 day.

We had dinner in the room 1 night and we skipped lunch a few days and had toast or fruit in the room to get us through to dinner.  I spent $37.30 on groceries consumed last week.

We spent $24.94 on country ham to bring home for later(can't get it here).

Then we we got home, I went crazy Saturday at the grocery store and spent $109.81.  The local Shursave affiliate store is doing their Thanksgiving promotion(Spend $XXX, get a $XX gift certificate Deal)for the next 3 weeks.  I am using this time to stock up on sale items that are mostly nonperishable(canned/boxed/paper products/etc.).  Things I would need to buy anyway, so why not buy them in these 3 weeks and get credit toward the gift certificate.  

Since changing my shopping habits about 4 years ago, I haven't spent enough toward this Promotion to actually earn a gift certificate except for last year.  I may have a shot at a $15 certificate this year.  There is also a Baking Goods Catalina promo running concurrently with the Thanksgiving Promo....Spend $30 on select items and Earn a $10 Cat Q.  These baking promo items double dip with the Thanksgiving Promo.

So if you add up Week 2's spending of $52.68(which I didn't report last Monday), the $37.30 I spend for groceries on vacation, the $24.94 on ham we hauled home and the $109.81 from Saturday, that makes $224.73 used for 2 weeks worth of food spending.

Added to the $247.63 from the first 2 weeks of October and my grocery bill for October to this point is $472.36.

Over again this month by $72.36.

If I were to take out the money I give Daughter to buy convenience foods for lunches at work/school and the non-perishables I bought on Saturday to get the Thanksgiving Reward, I would have been under or on budget for the month.

Oh well.....there is always next month, right? ;-)

At least going over doesn't mean we go into debt to eat here.  While I don't have to keep under to stay solvent with the finances I still like to keep my thumb on the food spending.  If I ignore it and just spend whatever/whenever, the bottom line gets out of hand real fast!

Next month I plan to keep my $400 budget and PLEASE come here and wag your finger at me about that!  I am serious people!!

I still need to purchase about $200 for the Thanksgiving Promotion so half my Nov. budget will go for that.....buying items that will be needed for the month and/or good to have in the stockpile.  Another piece of my budget will go to Daughter for her lunches for work/school.  

As for Turkey Day, the only items I need to purchase for the Thanksgiving meal are whipped cream(for pies), celery, rutabaga and a turkey.  I have everything else--for stuffing, for making rolls, for pies, for cranberry sauce, for 3-4 veggie dishes.  I even have a few cans of GRAVY from last year.....yes Judy, I said GRAVY!!!lolz 

 I don't plan on stepping foot into Weis(Pound Me In The Ass)Markets in November so no GRAVY SCAVENGER HUNT this year for me!  More on the 2011 Great Gravy Saga HERE and HERE and HERE and HERE.  

If Weis does that Gravy Deal again and I start to waiver, please come here and tie me to my chair! ;-)

***********************

This week's menu.....taking power failure possibility into account.....

Sunday--Pot Roast, Carrots, Potatoes, Mushrooms, Onions

Monday--Sloppy Joe on Onion Rolls, Corn(can cook ahead Monday a.m.and reheat on grill burner should power go out later in day)

Tuesday--Grilled Steak(planning on no power), Kraft, Salad, Ice Cream LOL

Wednesday--Marinated Chicken Breast on grill(planning on no power), grilled Potatoes, thawing frozen Veggies will be heated on grill

Thursday--Beef Stew(from leftover Pot Roast-made on grill burner if no power), Homemade bread(if the power is back up)or store bought bread here(in no power)

Friday--Salmon, Rice, Broccoli (if power is up)--if no power, whatever is in fridge that has to be eaten

Saturday--Leftovers or TBA if still without power

 

What I need to buy this week to serve this menu?.....Not a single thing.  Ok, maybe some salad.

So what are you cooking at your house this week?
If you are in the path of the Sandy, do you have a contingency plan for meals?

Sluggy