Talking Grocery Budgets

Monday morning started with this pretty little gift from my green-thumbed co-worker. 

Since I have been all about the food this week, let's start with an update on the things I made over the weekend. The green pea hummus hasn't held it's flavor as well as the Thai Red Curry. I really liked the freshness of the peas and cilantro the first day or two. It seems to be an "eat soon hummus" maybe I'd make it the day of a party.  The pretty green color has dulled too, which is not as inviting. Perhaps in the future, I will make half batches or only make two if I have someone else to help eat it.  The black bean hummus will happen next. 

I feel like I might have overdone it a bit this week on "cool weather foods" for my lunches - the lasagna and stew. Both are good, but I have been thinking about a good wrap. Maybe I should only prep 4 lunches for a week, so I have a wildcard day.  A wrap would help use up some of that hummus :)

In general, I have been thinking about budgets. Specifically, this week I have been borderline obsessing about grocery budgeting. I have never had a specific grocery line item in my budgets. I just buy groceries out of a nebulous discretionary amount - buying what I want when I want it. I really have no idea how much I spend just on groceries in a month. I think it is safe to say I waste plenty - buying more than I need or not shopping best deals. It made me very curious about how others handle this area.

I put the question to a Facebook poll - do you have grocery budget YES or NO?  Then, I invited people if they would like to share details (i.e.how much they budget? how they make it happen? tips?)  I was a bit overwhelmed (in a good way) by the responses. I put the post on my personal Facebook page and on the page of a large group I am in.

My personal page:  Grocery Budget - 7 YES and  11 NO - 9 people commented

Group page - Grocery Budget - 283 YES and 164 NO - over 150 people commented

Clearly, I am not the only one working (or trying to work) through this issue. There were lots of great ideas that I will be mulling over and perhaps incorporating into my plan.  I am hoping to have something solid in place next month.

One idea I really liked is to have a weekly budget and then a separate amount for the month for restocking or special events. For example: $50/week for each week's meals. An additional $50 to be used any time during the month for things like flour, sugar, condiments, etc. or for cookbook club food, special occasions, cooking for others, etc. For example, my husband has friends over a couple times a month. Today, while I was in the store I priced what I am thinking about making them this weekend and it would easily be $10 (20% of the weekly budget for one meal!)  That cake I made for the firehouse would be similar cost. I definitely do not want to give up cooking for others.

Quite a few people include household cleaning products, toiletries, etc. in their grocery budget. It seems like that would make things easier, especially if you shop at Walmart or Target where you can buy all those things in one stop. Since I shop primarily at Aldi, that might not matter as much to me.  Many people include their pet food in the grocery budget. So Millie's food could be the whole week's budget!  Obviously, the budgeted amount would be larger to include more than groceries.

It seems like the majority of people's budgets were $25-50 per person per week. There were also people who reported doing some amazing budgeting for families of 8 or 9 people!  Figuring out the best amount for us is most likely going to take some trial and error, but it really helped me to get some ideas where to start. I do know I am going to want to stay on the conservative side and stash the extra cash.

People suggested using cash/envelopes. I am not sure how much cash juggling I would like to have to do when I run into Walmart for shampoo and bananas. Debit cards are just so stinkin' convenient. Ultimately, making this work is going to take more planning and discipline on my part. Why does that sound like successful weight loss advice too??

For years, my husband and I have been paid on opposite Fridays, so it always seems we always have a little extra to spend. Now that we are seriously in moving mode, it is time to crunch down on the pennies a bit. This year his job is switching payday Fridays - so we will get paid the same days beginning in September.  It seems like a good time to make some changes to our budget and I am eager to see how this payday change affects us. The immediate downside is during the transition he has three weeks between checks, but I have chosen to make our two week "budget" stretch to three weeks, just to give us a bit of jump start.

Already, I find myself making choices. I will be honest, I am seriously weighing spending a bit on a food truck festival in town this weekend. Our county doesn't allow for regular food trucks - it is only by special permit for specific events. It sounds like the health dept is not equipped to keep up with the inspections. My understanding is trucks are inspected more frequently and the mobility is an issue for surprise inspections.  Anyway, I looked at the list of and there a couple of trucks scheduled for the festival that  I would like to try. I counted out some money from our change jar...so it might happen :)

Wow, perhaps I am making us sound destitute - please don't set up a Go Fund Me for us just yet. To clarify, I could supplement this 3 week period, I am just choosing to use it as an opportunity to be creative.

Next stop the freezer, it seems clear that knowing what you have is important to knowing what you need. We have this small freezer at the bottom of our fridge. I feel like things go here to die. Just looking at the picture. I have no idea what is in the basket....other than frozen veggies nobody wants to eat and tomatoes from my boss' garden last fall.

A quick closer look in the freezer has revealed a few things I think I can work with - shrimp, bread dough (that might turn into that breakfast pizza I made recently). Sadly, I know some of the stuff is not going to be good - my freezer is the worst about freezer burn. I hoping these impulse buys are still good. I am hoping I can use those hashbrowns for husband's friend get together this weekend - I won't know until I open them :)

I cleaned out the pantry awhile back so I have a reasonable idea of what is in there. Mostly, basics like 8 different kinds of vinegar and baking supplies. Always on the lookout for new tastes, I tend to buy random sauces. I am a condiment/sauce impulse buyer, for sure. Oh, look Spanish mojo sauce!  Buy it then what?

I hope that wasn't too rambly. Part of blogging for me is working things out in my mind, by writing. Welcome to my thought process. And you thought I just blogged for the pictures :)  Well, let's see some more of those pictures....

I made huge salads for Wednesday's dinner. Our lettuce supply was overflowing - green leaf, iceberg AND spring mix.  A couple more salad meals and we should be back in a reasonable lettuce range. I topped the salad with grilled chicken, avocado and one small slice of salami cut in strips for a punch of flavor.

I have been obsessed with stir-frys after my trip to the international store last week - the mushrooms and snow peas were so cheap!

My husband's looked much different - no mushrooms, sprouts, peas. He is much more a broccoli, onion, pepper guy.  In the spirit of no waste, I had this yummy non-traditional breakfast this morning. This is the last of my mushrooms and snow peas :(  I have to figure out how to get over to the international store more often! I completely forgot I had this shrimp in the freezer. As I mentioned, I am always picking up condiments and sauces. I forget to use this garlic ginger paste I've had for awhile - adding a teaspoon or so, to the stir-fry was perfect.

Breakfast is served - check out this glass from my mom's high school - class of 1952!!  Go Cardinals :)

I have talked about how good it makes me feel to do the 15 minute tidy ups before bed. Last night, I had to force myself to even do 10 minutes. I didn't get the dishes dried and I did not like seeing them this morning. However, it sure beats seeing a sink of dirty dishes! As you can see, just not putting away the dishes clutters up half my tiny kitchen.

I am still fighting the poison ivy. It doesn't itch much anymore - other than a few spots that came up later and some skin is itchy from the drying/healing process. The steroids have definitely affected my sleep and I am a bit weary of that. I can't believe it still looks like this 26 days after exposure. Keeping my fingers crossed this discoloration really fades soon - dermatologist said it could take a couple months :(

Before we get this weekend started - a quick update on my freezer finds...we had the veggie tots for dinner with a yum turkey burger topped with plenty of pickled onions!  They were pretty good. I am not sure I'd get them again. I might just make my own mashed cauliflower as a side - same flavor, lower cost and processessing. Or roasted cauliflower florets if I want a finger food.

The bread dough turned into this breakfast pizza this morning. I didn't have spinach, so I just used a handful of spring mix and it worked great. Before baking I sprinkled with a little cheese and dropped an egg in the middle. 

 How good does that look?  Okay, it is a little messy, but delicious :)

Trying out a scarf I picked up at the clothing swap a couple of weeks ago. Not sure the best way to wear it yet, but I do like the pop of color for a change up to this blue dress.

This weekend I am going to look into the pantry. I know there is some pretty random stuff in there...stay tuned. What are your weekend plans?

Catching Up

I am here!  I just got caught up in all the things.  I have to figure out how to work in my blog time too. I have loved being back and I don't want to lose it again.

In case anyone is still wondering about the question I last left you with....what I was my plan for this bowl of yum - chicken, pea shoots, carrots, cucumber and Thai basil?

A few pieces of each were lined up on a rice paper wrapper.

 Summer rolls!!

 The perfect summer lunch.

Apparently early August was The Wrap Era. I seemed to be wrapping everything. This one is leftover turkey burger and veggies, with a bit of hummus to hold it together.

Grilled chicken, tomatoes, onions and spinach. In addition to holding everything together, the hummus "glue"makes all the difference in flavor.

Grilled chicken and leftover peach salsa. It was tasty, but got a bit soggy by lunch time.

I made a batch of one of our all time favorites - Salsa Verde Chicken tostadas. Red cabbage with cilantro and lime juice to top it off.  I used the salsa verde I wrote about in my last post - it was perfect! It isn't a character glass, but I couldn't resist these vintage daffodils,

We had a grilled pizza party this weekend.  I love this white pizza topped with greens and crispy pancetta.

We cut up a buffet of toppings and everyone built their own pizza. We cooked the pizzas on the grill. Grilling gets a little crazy, but so worth it. Afterwards, I collected all the leftover cut up veggies into one container. The next morning I used them in a super simple veggie egg scramble. 

I had a little bit of dough leftover. This morning I made breakfast pizza with spinach, tomato, mozzarella and sausage.  An egg is carefully placed in the center before baking.

Bake for at 450 for 10-12 minutes until egg is set. I wasn't sure how cooked the yolk would be - it was a perfect like my favorite over-easy eggs. Then spreading the yolk around the top was so decadent.

I was definitely a fan and will probably play around with this concept in the future.  I would like some fresh herbs next time. Unfortunately, my husband was not into it. I knew I was taking a chance with fresh tomatoes and spinach, but I was hoping the egg and sausage would win him over.

Food has been a bit unbalanced with a few too many treats again. However, I am not throwing out whole days because of them, so that is progress.

Loving the farmers' market this time of year...as long as we get there early before it gets too hot.

I am still enamored with these tiny eggplants - the color :)

Speaking of color, there are so many varieties of  tiny tomatoes in the market. Thankfully, the squirrels are finally allowing me to have some of the Sun Gold tomatoes from my garden, so I didn't buy any of these.

 Who knew there were so many kinds of garlic??  I bought three varieties to sample.

 I snapped a quick picture of the description to help me remember why I chose what I chose.

 My three.  I have to be honest. I should have written down which three I chose. I am already not sure :(

In addition to the produce, there are some beautiful handmade items. The colors of this yarn makes me wish I were a knitter.

 I am not sure why I didn't buy this shark. It feels like something I need, but where would I put it??

My haul from the week before last - tomatoes, English muffin bread, eggplant, peaches, chard, beet, zucchini.  I am ashamed to admit I wasted another beet. I love beets, but apparently I am too intimidated to actually cook them. In the green box are ground cherries. Inside each papery husk is a sweet/tart little fruit.

I didn't get a close up of the ground cherries, but I found this picture and description on Sage Garden Greenhouse's website.  "Sweet, tropical-tasting gold berries wrapped in paper husks add magic to your garden.Bushy plants grow 2.5 - 3’ tall. When ripe, the husk around the fruit becomes papery dry and the fruit falls off the plant to pick picked up from the ground. Some people place a tarp underneath the plants to make harvesting easier, but either way the husks keep the fruit clean. Native to Central and South America. Use as you would a common tomato. Can be eaten raw, used in salsas, salads, as a flavouring, and in jams and jellies. Fruits are excellent in desserts. Fruits dry well." 

This Green Zebra tomato was perfectly ripe and delicious in a wrap pictured above (with Grumpy Bear glass and a side of cherries).

In an out of my comfort zone move, I tried my first clothes swap last weekend. Everyone brings clothing they no longer want.  Then for a $5 donation you can take as many "new to you" clothes as you wish. My niece invited me last minute and I didn't have anything to take, but they accepted can goods if you didn't have clothing to share. I was concerned I wouldn't find anything in my size, but I did pick out a couple of things (I will post pictures when I wear them). I also got a couple things for my sidekick - shoes and a cute hat for winter. My niece got a couple bags of goodies. The poor workers were hanging items as fast as they could as more people came in. I didn't think I was going to get my niece out of there - she was constantly rechecking racks for new items. They had a good turnout and I saw plenty of happy "customers".

Last week we had the opportunity to go to a practice round of the PGA Championship golf tournament held this weekend in St. Louis. Unfortunately, a thunderstorm ruined our plans. We ended up exploring a neighborhood I've always wanted to check out. It is called The Hill. It is known for its Italian cuisine - restaurants, delis, bakeries and grocery stores. Baseball greats like Yogi Berra and Joe Garagiola grew up there. We picked up a few things to take home.

First stop the Missouri Baking Company. I could not resist the Concord Grape Coffee Cake - word is the grapes were grown by a gentleman right there in the neighborhood. It was tasty but the seeds in the grapes were a bit tedious and the cake part got a bit too soggy from the juice. I wonder if I can get back there before peach season is over...

Gioia's Deli is know for its hot salami. (hot as in temperature - not spice). The guy in the white hat did a great job introducing us to the menu.

 My husband chose the Italian Trio and I got the Hogfather. You have the option to top your sandwich any way you want, but sometimes you just have to go with the menu The Italian Trio was Mortadella, Genova & Hot Salami. Served on Garlic Cheese Bread and Garnished with Pepperoncinis, Onions and Vinegar & Oil. "Cathy's Favorite." It sounded too simple and we were tempted to add on. It was perfect just they way they made it. I  got a kick out of the little pig nose on my Hogfather sandwich.

I have a thing for fire hydrants and love the different paint jobs in various communities. These red, white and green ones were everywhere.

I was intrigued by these long narrow houses and would have loved to go on a door to door tour. I couldn't help imagine growing up in this neighborhood in the 50's. Nonnas cooking huge Sunday dinners and kids spilling of the porches. Apparently the houses are rarely offered on the open market and the neighborhood is still over 75% Italian-American.

I would have liked to have walked around a bit more, but we were dodging rain as it was. Not to mention, is it creepy to just stroll around random neighborhoods?  Next time we will need to try one of the many restaurants. I will let you know if I talk my husband into a return. I just checked and their are walking tour plans online, so it must be okay :)

There are a few more things I want to include from the last week or two, but if I don't get something posted it will be another week or two.  Life marches on :)