This Week on the Dining Table

The "What the Heck?!" Edition.....  

Ok, here's a dubious name for an ice cream brand...."Fat Boy".  I had never heard of it until last week when I saw this product in the Walmart freezer section, where I found those clearance Stouffer's Veggie Lasagnas.  I found that it's made by an ice ream company out of Utah called Casper's ice cream.

I guess if you eat too much of this, you'll end up looking like the poster child for Fat Boy. lolz

This is day 85 of the "diet".  Yay!

My PCP is on board with this way of eating to reach a short term goal so no unsolicited advice on this eating plan please.  While I appreciate the concerns I am fine and I am losing weight.  I haven't had any sugar nor any white food(mostly).....bread, potatoes, rice, pasta since returning from the cruise on June 4th.  But I am holding fast to my plan anyway.....so far.

Onward to the meal planning!

This is what was planned for last week.......

1. Sunday--Yogurt w/Cherries & Flaxseed, Chicken Salad snack, Leftover Chicken Fajitas

2. Monday--Garlic Shrimp Scampi w/Linguine(or not), Spinach Soufflè

3. Tuesday--Yogurt w/Flaxseed, Meatloaf slice, Broccoli, SF Jell-O

4  Wednesday--Grilled Salmon, Baked Sweet Potato Wedges, an Apple

5. Thursday--Yogurt w/Flaxseed, Big Salad w/Chicken

6.  Friday--Pimento Cheese snack, Protein Drink, fruit?

7. Saturday--something Leftover

And here's what actually happened........

1. Sunday--Yogurt w/Cherries & Flaxseed, Chicken Salad snack, 1 Leftover Chicken Fajita

2. Monday--Garlic Shrimp Scampi w/Linguine(or not in my case), 1/2 of a Spinach Soufflè

3. Tuesday--Yogurt w/Flaxseed, Veggie Lasagna

4  Wednesday--Cheeseburger w/Veg Toppings(no bun), Protein Drink

5. Thursday--Pimento Cheese snack, Meatloaf slice, Baked Sweet Potato Fries

6.  Friday--Anniversary Dinner out(Charcuterie Board, Scallops), Panna Cotta

7. Saturday--Leftover Steak, Fries, a Salad

Most of the plan happened AND when it was planned to happen.  The Grilled Salmon and the Big Salad didn't happen(though I had a small salad on Saturday night).  We used a gift certificate the kids gave us last August for our 40th Anniversary on Friday for dinner out.  I actually had a dessert that night.  Other than SF Jell-O it's the first sweet I've had since the cruise.  You have to splurge sometimes on important occasions. 

Those "snacks" were prepackaged/portioned things I picked up the weekend before in Kroger's produce section on clearance.  They each contained carrots, celery, 1 cracker and a small portion of some protein(chicken salad/cheese).

No going back to old habits and eating patterns for me!

I also drink, water, iced tea(unsweetened), and the odd zero sugar soda or Zero sugar Powerade/Gatorade and keep my stomach full and it also keeps me hydrated.  I mostly stick with the water or unsweet iced teas with lemon added.

What got taken out of the freezer last week...

*  2 bags of Shrimp

*  1 Veggie Lasagna

*  1 Meatloaf

*  Spinach Soufflè

What got put into the freezer last week....

*  2 Veggie Lasagnas(and then I took 1 out).

*  1 Sweet n' Sour Chicken

Last week we spent $42.20 on grocery shopping.  .

Total shopping comes to $424.09 for August.   

There are 3 shopping days left in August and I'm done shopping for the month.

I've earned $82.55 on Ibotta in August.

I've earned $9.00 on Shopmium in August.

I've earned $0 on Coupons dotcom in August.

I've earned $3.00 on Alexa app in August.

I've earned $22.50 on Kroger Cash Back in August.

I've earned $0 on Checkout 51 in August.

I've earned 540 points from food shopping on Fetch in August.

I've earned 226 points from food shopping on Shop Kick in August.

I've earned 40 SB from food shopping on Swag Bucks in August.

That is $117.05 in rebates(not counting the Shop Kick/Swag Bucks/Fetch)on $424.09 of grocery spending so in reality it's $307.04 in food spending after the 6 rebate apps I count. 

My savings percentage for the last week was 38.09% and the monthly savings total for August comes in at 37.38% so far spent.  Almost 40% savings without Rite-Aid?  I'll take it. ;-)

Leftovers going into this week....1 helping of Chicken Fajita filling, 1 helping of Garlic Shrimp, 1/2 of a Meatloaf, 1 serving of Sweet Potato Fries and 1 serving of Veggie Lasagna

Here is this week's "food plan".....

1. Sunday--leftover Veggie Lasagna(Hubs ate his on Saturday so he FFY), leftover Garlic Shrimp

2. Monday--Yogurt w/Flaxseed, leftover Meatloaf, Sautèed Squash

3. Tuesday--Grilled Salmon, Veggie TBD

4  Wednesday--Yogurt w/Flaxseed, Protein Drink

5. Thursday--Yogurt w/Flaxseed, Catfish, Cole Slaw

6.  Friday--Yogurt, Lobster Ravioli in Beurre blanc sauce

7. Saturday--Stir-Fry Veggies

I'll cook the Salmon, the Ravioli, Catfish and reheat the Metloaf. Hubs will eat and do his own thing on other days. ;-)

I also drink, water(usually with lemon), iced tea(unsweetened), hot tea with lemon and honey(no hot tea with this weather!) and the odd zero sugar soda or Zero sugar Powerade/Gatorade and keep my stomach full and it also keeps me hydrated.   I mostly stick with the water or unsweet iced teas with lemon added.

What do I need to buy to fix everything on this menu?  Nothing.  It's all here.

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 deals on food at your stores this week?  I confess that I don't need to buy anything right now nor have I had any desire to read the ads.

Sluggy  

Who's to Blame?

 

Sluggy

Frugal Friday 2023......the August 25th Edition

Welcome to Frugal Friday!   

There are very few Frugal wins this past week but here goes......

*  Forgot to mention when I went to Urgent Care for that Sinus Infection last week, I got this free......

*  My Last 2 PT appointments this past week which costs Zero OOP.

*  Got a BIG FAT CHECK from Rakuten.   I don't even remember what I bought to get that. lol  A whole $4.57.  Go me.

*  Hit up Walmart and found this clearance find......

2 Stouffer's Veggie Lasagnas for $2.36 each.  These go for $8.94 at Walmart for this size. I'd have bought more if we had room in the freezer for them. 8-)
I also got a Great Value brand Sweet and Sour  Chicken for $2 and change but these Stouffer's items were the best deal.

*  Got a Whopper on Whopper Wednesday for $3.  That was my late lunch.  

*  I found money! 

Nope, skunked again. 8-(

Total Found in last Week.... .00¢
Total Found this Year.......$3.04

That's all for this past week.  Just sitting home is frugal, right?

Any frugal wins in your neck of the woods?  Let's hear all about them!

Sluggy  

I'm a Grandma!

Not a picture of my new grandchild

My son and his wife had their baby late on the evening of Aug.22nd, this past Tuesday.

I am not allowed to share a photo(not that they have shared any photos with me or my DH)of the new one and I suspect they don't want me to share the name or anything else with my friends.  But they can't keep me from being overjoyed at the arrival.

I will say that my new grandbaby is a girl! 8-)

Grandma Sluggy

Great Road Trip of 2017.....Part Twelve/Day Eleven

Part One of the Great Western Road Trip is HERE
Part Two of the Great Western Road Trip is HERE
Part Three of the Great Western Road Trip is HERE
Part Four of the Great Western Road Trip is HERE
Part Five of the Great Western Road Trip is HERE
Part Six of the Great Western Road Trip is HERE
Part Seven of the Great Western Road Trip is HERE
Part Eight of the Great Western Road Trip is HERE
Part Nine of the Great Western Road Trip is HERE
Part Ten of the Great Western Road Trip is HERE
Part Eleven of the Great Western Road Trip is HERE

Day Eleven dawned, we rose and had breakfast, packed up our belongings into the car, bid farewell to Kim's daughter and family and headed out a la caravan style, us our car and Kim and Joel in their car.

We stopped fairly quickly for some drinks at Mickey D's because you know Kim has to have her Diet Coke. ;-)

Then we hit the road......more side rolls in this field of grain.....

Another small airplane spotted.  Probably crop dusting again........

Yep, crop dusting as he came in low over the field.

 And he was off again.......

Kim said these are storage sheds for taters...

They look like WWII era military Quonset huts to me.

A view of the Snake River along the way.

Approaching the exit for Register Rock near the American Falls.  Like Register Cliff, settlers traveling this way stop and left their names in the rock there.

1 Mile to the American Falls.....

We passed some ginormous machinery while driving along the Interstate.

A free coffee sign at the upcoming casino.  I am guessing it was at Bannock Peak Casino on the Fort Hall Reservation of the Shoshone-Bannock tribes.

A billboard for "Bull Riding Mayhem"(an event in Fort Hall, ID)and a George Lopez comedy show next month.

A sign for "Craters of the Moon" National Monument and Preserve.  That was Northwest of where we were headed so we didn't stop there.

Idaho Falls only 25 miles ahead.  We are getting closer to our destination.

Welcome to Idaho Falls......

And there is the obligatory Mormon Temple in the distance......like I say about Baptist Churches down here in Lousiana, you can't swing a dead cat without hitting one.  Idaho is full up with Mormon Temples. ;-)

Another bull riding event, the "War Bonnet Round Up", Idaho's Oldest Rodeo it says.  Had to miss that one too.

We stopped for lunch along Interstate 15 in Idaho Falls at an Applebee's.   I had brought a couple of gift cards I had so lunch was on me(well, not literally ON me).

A while later we made it to Ashton, Idaho.....

We passed right by this great old oversized Frosty Root Beer Mug sign at a snack shop in town there.  Didn't stop and get my picture taken with it though.....

We passed through town there and then drove and drove into the ranchland to get to Joel's sister and brother in-law's ranch where we'd be staying for the next couple of nights.

Their ranch is a bit outside West Yellowstone and we had plans to visit Yellowstone Park.
Both Cindi and Ty were gracious hosts, good people and had a lovely ranch(can a ranch be lovely?).

After we dropped off our bags we hit the road again for Yellowstone National Park.

From the Western entrance we had to make our way through the town of West Yellowstone.
Passed by "The Slippery Otter Pub" but didn't stop.

West Yellowstone is a town full up with motels and eateries as many folks who access the Park from this side of it stay in this town.  It seems very touristy from just driving through

And there's our turn off into the Park..........

Our time at Yellowstone will be continued in the next installment........

Sluggy