We started tearing apart our kitchen in late January, and ever since removing the pantry and then the upper cabinets followed by the stove and refrigerator so we could sand the floors, meal times around Casa De Butterfield have been a little wonky.
We’ve cooked meals in the family room, in the Crock Pot, on the griddle and probably eaten more PB and J sandwiches this year than we have in the last five. I keep telling myself it’s no big deal though, things could be worse. At least we’re not having to cook our meals outside over an open fire, so that’s a plus. 😉
Costco $29.06
Nachos, sandwiches and a whole lot of eggs will be on the menu for May.
Eggs! What am I going to do with 5 dozen eggs? I am thinking about trying to make a frittata {or 5} in the Crock Pot. We have a bunch of frozen onions and peppers just sitting in the freezer waiting to be used. Plus, I like the idea of having a few set it and forget it meals that I can whip up in the mornings that are easy and will be ready for our noon time break.
Someone also suggested making nachos on the griddle {and genius idea!} so we’re going to try that too.
When The Girl came for a visit last week she brought her air fryer.
Someone suggested cooking with an air fryer last week so I thought we’d give it a whirl.
The first thing we tried was some jalapeno poppers from the freezer. They were crispy, but tasted kind of off.
And then we tried french fries. And those too were a little off. Dry almost. We decided that fries {and poppers} taste better baked in the oven.
We also tried roasted Brussels sprouts {which turned out pretty good} and an apple turnover. But in the end, the HH and I decided an air fryer wasn’t for us.
It just seemed like another clunky kitchen gadget that we’d use a few times and then ultimately collect dust until it got donated to a thrift store.
The little steamer basket the HH bought online though, that’s a contraption I know we’ll use. He steamed some new potatoes in it last week and rolled them in a little butter, salt and chives and they were lovely.
When you make egg salad sandwiches {or tuna or chicken salad} do you put a little mayo on the bread? Or do you think the “salad” has enough moisture in it that the sandwich doesn’t need that extra slather of mayo?
When The Girl was here we had an adventure day and drove up to the Bar Harbor area {she hadn’t been before} and stopped at a local bakery for a treat.
We were sorely disappointed with our slice of Ding Dong cake though {it was dry and tasted like it was a few days old} and were irritated that we had wasted our pesos and such a sad piece of cake.
It was nothing a couple of chili dogs a few towns over couldn’t fix though. Plus we found a cool new coffee {and tea} shop while we were out so our date day food adventures weren’t all that bad.
When we got home we found a styrofoam box on the porch addressed to the HH.
It was filled with a box of beefy birthday treats from his Mom.
And there were 20 little tarts inside too! Hot diggety.
It was a good week. There were the usual suspects {beans and rice, soup, sandwiches} and we got to try out an air fryer, stopped by a bakery and received a care package of goodness. What more could you ask for?
May. It’s going to be a good month. I can feel it already. My goal is not to spend more than $75 on groceries. After all, berry season is right around the corner {and I’m going to need a lot of berries this summer}. 😉
Here’s to a happy and productive day,
~Mavis
P.S. How did you do with YOUR grocery budget last week? Find any deals? Were there any splurges? Curious minds want to know.
Total Spent This Past Week on Groceries $29.06
- Total Spent in May for Groceries $29.06
- Total Spent in April on Groceries $94.48
- Total Spent in March on Groceries $114.12
- Total Spent in February on Groceries $94.64
- Total Spent in January on Groceries $96.58
- Total Spent on Groceries in 2022 $428.88
Lynda says
I laughed at the air fryer review as “something we’d use a few times, it would gather dust and then be donated to the thrift store”, haha! Exactly what happens at our house. I’m not buying one. Thanks. No extra mayo on the bread; the salad should have enough.
Donna Knight says
I got an air fryer two Christmas’ ago and still have not used it. I don’t put mayo on a sandwich with salad type fillings.
I got my garden planted 🙂
Elle says
In all honesty, we only use our air fryer for “french fries”. We fresh cut potatoes/sweet potatoes and toss with a bit of EVOO. 15″ at 375 then 10-15″ at 400. They are perfect.
As people who could easily go out for a burger/fries every week, this saves us a TON of calories!
Brianna says
Nope on the Air Fryer. I love counter space like it is prime real estate and I use it all and I refuse a big bulky appliance. I have decluttered all of the small appliances over the years and it is something I constantly reevaluate. I remember when my hubby and I moved in together and combined our households and we had doubles of everything, and most were trendy. George Forman grill, bread maker machine, rice cooker, electric skillet, electric griddle, etc. I have realized most of those we didn’t need and got rid of them all and have not missed any of them. The only item I have repurchased was a bigger waffle maker. I hate those small $10 appliances that look cute and are not practical, who is really going to make just 2 donuts or a tiny waffle?
No to mayonnaise on bread. I hate it but the hubby likes it. It is a rarely used condiment in our house and after spending $4.xx on a bottle of olive oil helmans mayonnaise the other day, I really wonder why it is so expensive for a condiment.
Arick says
Yes to mayonnaise on the bread!!
Jennifer G says
Bought a Cuisinart small oven a couple years ago – no going back. It toasts, bakes, air bakes & air fries and I love it. No to extra mayo, even though I love mayo.
Lisa R says
I am in camp air fryer here I LOVE mine and use is all the time. I have a Foodi grill/air fryer. I have to say it is the best piece of equipment I have ever bought for my kitchen. It cooks meat perfectly. Also crisps up as many things as I have tried. Croutons, veggies, fries, and the list goes on. Roasts a boneless turkey breast to perfection and other meats come out juicy and delicious.
There is a learning curve that goes with cooking in one but once you master it then it cooks much better than an oven. Also the size and shape of the air fryer make a difference. The Foodi is square and the grill grate works well. You also cannot cook at the same temperatures that you would an oven things will dry out and not taste well.
Also Mavis, don’t put dry ice down in the sink and add water you can crack a plumbing pipe. The extreme temperatures are not good for plumbing. I learned this from working in a lab for many years a lot of our products came on dry ice. Just open the box that the dry ice is in and let it evaporate. Would hate to see you have a plumbing project to add to the kitchen remodel as well.
Sue in SoCal says
I love my air fryer! Bought the lid for my Instant Pot and liked it so much when I bought my new stove for our kitchen remodel I got one with an air fryer setting. Made salmon in it last night. Great way to cook meat. There is a bit of a learning curve to it I think.
Yes to mayo on the bread. Tried it once without and wasn’t thrilled. Maybe I put less in when I mix it up than others?
Waiting on a new grand baby arriving today. New mom and dad are at the hospital right now!
Has anyone been shocked at the price of tangerines lately? $9.79 aat Walmart.
Rosemary Calhoun says
Came in under budget this month by 28.44! And I was even able to stock up a little bit on chicken and ground beef.
I would not put extra mayo on the sandwich – but I think my hubby would.
Andrea says
I have an air fryer and use it 4-5x a week. There was a learning curve for the temperature and time is different than the oven. I despised the crockpot and got rid of it.
No extra Mayo on the bread even though I love Mayo.
Gayle says
We definitely use our air fryer about the same .. 4-5 times a week.
Mimi says
I’m with you on the air fryer. Mine was a gift and so far, everything I’ve cooked in it is inferior to other cooking methods. I hate to disappoint the person who gave it to me (they were so generous and thrilled to bestow it upon me) but the thing is not earning it’s keep. Gifts can be so tricky sometimes!
LindaT says
No mayo on the bread for me, but my hubby thinks he needs both slices mayo’d. He could eat mayo out of the jar though.
I bought an air fryer, used a few maybe 3) times and sold it in a garage sale. We don’t eat much fried food unless we go out.
You have great in-laws and outlaws.
Gigi says
I prefer oven over the air fryer. I’m still in the learning curve phase. I do notice it saves time when compared to the oven due to preheating. I’ve got a gas oven, so will probably use the air fryer in the summer. I also bought it secondhand, because I wasn’t sure. I find it good for a meal of 1 or reheats.
Lana says
Love our air fryer! We would keep it on the counter to only cook bacon because it makes it amazing and easy.
Ashley Bananas says
Team Mayo here…. lol
I bought an air fryer for Christmas. It’s a huge counter hog. I joined some Facebook groups for air fryer cooking and hope to replicate some recipes eventually. I find my biggest obstacle is I know how to cook items in the oven and on the stove, so now to learn another cooking method seems tedious.
Another commenter mentioned, there are so many small to medium appliances that are fads. I think the air fryer will be a fad. I know I own a large George Forman grill and haven’t touched it in ages. I also have a small drink blender I never use. And single waffle makers…..there are only two of us, but we would each eat a large waffle, or two or three small ones. I would like to get a larger one one day so I could have waffles and not have to stand there forever to make them then reheat. I do enjoy my pancake griddle, although taking it in and out can be a chore.
Anywho….we’re alive!
Patti M. says
Air fryer hard boiled eggs are great especially if you have 5 dozen : )
270 for 16 minutes then into an ice bath for easy peeling.
Sometimes mayo, sometimes not.
Jamie N. says
I love my air fryer and just bought my mom one, I haven’t tried to hard boil eggs in it. Thanks for the suggestion!
Gretchen says
Love our air fryer. Makes great fried chicken and garlic parmesan chicken wings. Trouble is one wants to do clean up.
For your steamer try hard boiled eggs. You will never do them again another way and they are perfect for farm fresh eggs.
Diana says
With the warnings of possible food shortages, I’ve blown my grocery budget this year stocking up. The freeze dryer has been running a good bit putting it away. I figure I’m ahead quite a bit now, and can start the ‘rotation’ of food, lol.
But still… YIKES… I spent over $300 yesterday – even buying stuff that’s “on sale”! I figure there’ll be months coming up where I’ll spend next to nothing. I hope.
Alison says
I have a Cuisinart air fryer/oven/toaster oven combo – we used to use it alot but it has now been moved to a low shelf and used 1-2× a month seems to go in spurts.
I have to say that I am amazed that you made it out of Costco spending only $29!!!
Patti says
That steamer your HH bought? We use it for steaming our veggies like broccoli, asparagus, squash, zucchini. Very useful. Cooks most in just a few minutes.
Jeanie says
Air fryer was a no for me. It went to live at my daughter’s house. She uses it for fries.
Mayo on bread with a Mayo based salad is a no but I love very dry things. Dry toast, salad with no dressing, hamburger with no condiments so I’m a weirdo.
I have an instant pot that I’ve never used also. Actually I think I used it twice, seems like a space hog.
Luke says
We went over our goal of $50 a week for April, but not by too much. Overall, we spent less than half of what we have been spending the past few months, so that’s a win. Since we used up a lot of freezer and pantry items, we made our goal slightly higher for May, but still less than before.
We love our TWO air fryers! One is also a toaster oven and the other is also a crock pot, pressure cooker, etc. Tonight we used both – potatoes in one and fish in the second.
Annette says
Can you mention the two brands you have?
Luke says
They are both Ninja. The toaster oven folds up to make more counter space. We keep the other in our pantry because it’s pretty big.
Melissa M says
No to mayo on the bread, unless it’s toast, then mayo.
If you haven’t done it, cook the PB & J on the griddle like a grilled cheese. Also try it with PB and Fluff. It’s like dessert.
Cindy Brick says
You were smart to buy a lot of eggs — they have literally doubled and tripled in price here in Colorado. I was lucky enough to find some half-priced dozens…and paid what I normally did a few weeks ago. Ergh.
Cecile says
My father in law owned two restaurants and when I found out his step-son bought them an air fryer I though OMG that thing is just going to take up space in their tiny kitchen! Was I wrong! He was shown how his step-son cooked a few things and of course his mom wrote down the steps. Dad never being one for frozen premade anything tried homemade fries, his instructions, cut up a couple potatoes put them in a bowl with a tbsp of oil and add your seasonings, put them in the air fryer for 7-8 minutes, stir and cook for another 7-8 minutes until crisp! They love them! He says he likes doing pork chops in it too! Now if my 90 year old stubborn (I’m not going to buy something made that I can make myself restaurant owning) father in law is a convert, maybe you should try some different items before you give it up for good!
Allison says
We’re not big on using our air fryer either, but adding olive oil does make a difference in the food being too dried out. Did you add oil when you cooked with it?
Me Be says
Air fryer makes our food taste funny. So, I don’t use it. It’s in the box in the garage!
Elise says
I am definitely in the pro air fryer camp. I am old, a scratch cook and I hated an instant Pot View it as a complete waste and made horrendous messes of recipes I have honed for 30 years. The air fryer however? That puppy rocks. Dishes I don’t make at home because they are to messy or greasy are now easy to accomplish. Beautiful garlic toast, perfect grilled cheese, Ritz Chicken, orange Chicken and oh!!! The Jojo potatoes and The roast vegetables…all accomplished using a tiny bit of oil. I use it almost every single day. Potaoes O’Brien for breakfast, toss in a couple of frozen sausage patties, maybe some French toast sticks….but the absolute best thing I have found is using it to roast a pork tenderloin. Usually about 7.99 a pound and are prepackaged in the store…I get four meals for hubby and I out of it and it has been juice and tender every time.