It was another great week in the food department around our place. The weather here in Maine has been really nice so we’ve been outdoors quite a bit working in the yard and our mid day meals have been pretty easy ones.
The only thing we really need to pick up this week is a 1/2 gallon of milk and a pear or two {for a recipe}. But I did check the ads, and if I was going to stock up on anything, here’s what I’d probably buy:
On sale at Market Basket Deals this week:
- 16 ounces Wonderful Pistachios $5.99 each {Save those shells! You can re-sell them and get your money back!}
- London Broil Steak $2.99 a pound {Could this be used for Mrs. C’s Pot Roast?}
- Land o Lakes Butter $3.49 a pound
- 8 ounces Galbani Fresh Mozzarella $2.50
- English Cucumbers $0.99
- Celery $1.69 each
On sale at Hannaford this week:
- 48 ounces {3 lbs.} Wyman’s Frozen Blueberries $11.49 {Hello winter pies!}
- Hannaford Split Chicken Breasts $0.99 a pound {Divide, bag, then pop them in the freezer for later}
- Hannaford 85% Ground Turkey $2.79 {cheaper than ground hamburger}
We had nachos twice last week thanks to The Girl letting us borrow her air fryer {we are still without an oven}. And while nachos are nice, the HH and I have decided we’ve had our fill of them for a while.
It seems too much of a good thing can be, well… not so good. š
We also had big salads with our homegrown little gem lettuce, pickled beets, hard boiled eggs, salami, cheese, olives and peas.
And twice we had fried cabbage with Aidell’s chicken and apple weenies.
We are growing three kinds of cabbage this year, Copenhagen Market {which we just harvested and will harvest again in late fall} Savoy Cabbage {what we’ll be harvesting next} and 16 cabbage starts we bought from the Amish Lady {unknown variety} that should be ready after we harvest the Savoy cabbage.
So basically… We’ll be eating a lot of cabbage this year. Hopefully there won’t be any cabbage water though. š
The Girl went to Boston… and mailed us a care package! š Wahoooooo!
Fig cookies from Mike’s Pastry and real salami from Bricco Salumeria. Does it get any better than that? No, no it doesn’t!
So of course there was pickety bits for dinner that night.
Beans and rice! Shocking, I know. š
My quick recipe:
- 1 can of corn, drained
- 1 can of black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1/3 cup canned roasted red peppers, drained, chopped
- Cumin, lime juice, salt, pepper, chives {or onion} and a little cilantro to taste
Stir it all together and serve with chips {or rice}.
We were so busy working in the yard last week that we even had oatmeal for dinner one night. Seriously. Life, it doesn’t need to be that complicated.
If you watch a lot of British shows… it seems like they’re always eating toast {for a meal!} doesn’t it?
A little bread, some jam, beans and rice, homegrown vegetables, occasionally some meat in a dish. It doesn’t have to be that complicated {or expensive} when it comes to eating simply. Remember. You eat 3,4,5 times a day.
If everything you eat has to be super exciting or interesting;
- You are spending a lot of time creating meals
- You are probably spending more than is necessary on groceries
When I was a kid you ate what was put in front of you and you got on with it. You weren’t indoors glued to a screen. You weren’t allowed to be picky. No one had allergies, people didn’t over eat and eating out was a major treat {and by major treat I mean only a handful of times a year. Not a weekly, or even a monthly occurrence}.
There was no such thing as ready made meals or convenience foods. Buying a bag of chips or even a packet of Kool Aid was a BIG DEAL.
And I think as a society we’ve forgotten that.
Okay, I’m done. I’m stepping off my soapbox now. What were we talking about?
My big purchase of the week: $4.00 for a dozen eggs from the lady around the corner from us.
The most outrageous price I saw on a food product this past week….
$5.29 for a single avocado. HOLY GUACAMOLE MAN!
Strangely enough, you could purchase half of an avocado sealed in a little pouch for $1.75. Which I thought was interesting.
Because seriously, wouldn’t it take more time/effort to peel, remove the pit and seal 2 avocado halves then it would be to just sell a single avocado? Shouldn’t the prepackaged avocado be more expensive?
But what do I know? This whole new math thing… I must be too old to figure it out.
Blah Blah Blah… eat simply, eat less, get off the internet and spend more time doing the things that you love.
Just get on with it. š
Monday. Let’s do this!
~Mavis
Total Spent This Past Week on Groceries $4.00
- Total Spent in July on Groceries $205.04
- Total Spent in June for Groceries $124.45
- Total Spent in May for Groceries $172.47 {$47 of it was spent at Farmers Markets}
- 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 $901.78
Kim says
Amen Sister!
Katelyn says
Often, when you see half of a thing packaged in a grocery store, it’s because the other half was damaged and they’re trying to salvage it as saleable.
And I agree that things were different when we were younger (I’m 43, for reference), we ate out fairly regularly at quick service type restaurants and I remember eating lots of convenience foods, including A LOT of new-fangled microwave popcorn. In fairness, we also ate a ton of delicious homemade food and I was in college before I’d eaten boxed mac n cheese. My point is that we can choose as adults to live however we feel is best, regardless of how we, or other people, were raised.
Diana says
I’m 64 years old and had never cooked beans – until this past week. Crock potted them. They turned out perfect (and delicioso), with the perfect seasoning (note to self, add the sausage in the last hour, instead of at the beginning, to keep more flavor in the sausage), but the rice – eh. A little to aldente. Almost crunchy, lol. Nope, never really cooked rice either.
Ex big corporate professional, here, who ate mostly prepackaged meals or out for most of her life. I’ve got some catching up to do.
Virginia says
Diana, just keep at it. I always say, if you can read and follow instructions, you can cook. Your skill set will grow rapidly. Good luck!
Ronda says
Diana, my tip for rice is add more water than recommended.
Susie says
I agree. You can always pour/strain off the extra water. I believe the French cook/boil their rice like this, like pasta.
Jeanie says
I do agree with the eating out. I honestly only remember it a few times when I was a little girl and we were fairly well off. We had literally four maybe five restaurants that we went to and those were extremely special occasions.
I grew up in Central California so we ate a lot of locally grown veggies. Meals were quite simple. Almost always a big salad or steamed veg, baked potatoes or rice and a simply cooked meat. Some nights if corn was in season, everyone just gorged in corn. My teeny tiny Granny could eat 10 cobs of corn. She absolutely loved it.
My Mother In Law was a big proponent of pie for dinner if she had made a homemade pie. Her philosophy was why waste her appetite on the other stuff when she could just have pie.
Jennifer says
London Broil is incredibly lean, so it doesn’t make as juicy and tender A roast as, say, A chuck roast or even a rump roast. We always buy London Broil to grill, but at that price is buy it and figure it out later!!
Christie says
Ditto, ditto and ditto. Life shouldn’t be so complicated! š Enjoy the day!
Suzanne Shaw says
Everything you said! Yes!
Rosemary Calhoun says
I took advantage of the Costco Kraft cheese sale. Walmart sells the Kraft American cheese slices for 4.98 for one pack of 24 slices (16oz). Costco had a 4 pack (same size – 24 slices/16oz in each pack – 96 slices total) of Kraft American cheese for 7.29 (approx. 1.82 for each pack). It would have cost 20.00 to buy that many at Walmart. They are now in my freezer!
Ashley Bananas says
Thanks for the tip! I’ll have to see if it’s still on sale at Costco. We love American slices for grilled cheese.
Rosemary Calhoun says
It is on sale until July 24th.
jess says
I hate hearing the whole ” there were no allergies back in my day”. They were there. Some were diagnosed and many were not. (I remember kids in my elementary school that were always dealing with stomach aches in the afternoon.. had to be food related to school lunches)
My sister ,in her 50’s, was determined at 6 weeks old to be allergic to dairy.. I am younger so my entire life I was raised knowing how to substitute and make sure meals were safe. As she has gotten older she has developed intolerance to wheat/ gluten. Interestingly enough she was able to eat pasta every single day in her travels through Italy, but 1 serving of wheat back at home leaves her sick for day. As the food industry as a whole has been messed with through the years there has been much adulteration and people have developed sensitivities and intolerances to our food supply. Mix in any number of reasons that auto immune disorders/reactions add into this.
Michelle says
Couldn’t agree more. No one chooses to have an allergy. It’s one of those things you don’t truly understand until you’ve experienced it first hand.
Jennifer B says
Folks donāt ask for food allergies, we donāt make things complicated on purpose. Theyād just like to eat without getting sick.
And yes, this stuff existed before. My uncle who is 81 has celiac, and his father had celiac. My MIL told stories of dealing with her youngestās food allergies – grinding rice to make her own rice flour even. That would have been back in the 1950ās.
You got so much right in this post but including the allergies comment was a miss.
Esther says
Amen!!
Melinda says
I agree. My 13 year old son is anaphylactic to eggs, and was at one point anaphylactic to peanuts. He thankfully outgrew the peanut allergy, but his egg allergy is severe enough that he could die from it. His first reaction was at 16 months old, and it nearly killed him. He didn’t ask for that and everything that goes with it. I didn’t ask for the stress and anxiety that goes along with being the mom of a food allergy kid.
Whatever I ate or didn’t eat while pregnant, or whatever he ate as an infant, didn’t give him food allergies. My other two sons don’t have any food allergies. Their dad had food allergies as a kid, so I assume it was one of those unlucky genetic things that my one son inherited.
Sharon says
I have developed as an adult many food allergies and if I eat something with an allergan I spend a night in the hospital because my throat closes up. Nuts, many fruits, celery. Didn’t develop them until my mid 20’s. They are caused by my tree allergies. They are very real and I have developed more the older I get.
Ashley Bananas says
There was a reality celebrity Christine Brown from TLC’s Sisterwives who I watched doing a cooking demonstration online in her Facebook group. She used a specific kind of flour which she bought from Europe. She said it didn’t leave her feeling sick after eating items she used in it. I cant recall the name. But, I wonder if your sister would benefit from a different type of flour in her cooking.
Anne says
Einkorn, maybe?
TC says
If your sister could eat the pasta in Italy but got sick here it is something the US is putting in pasta that Europe has banned. I have a friend who can’t eat cheese here in the US but can eat any cheese back in her home country of Romania and any other European country. There is a lot in our food that is banned in Europe and other countries.
jess says
You are correct- there is something in the way that our wheat is being grown, treated or processed that is causing her intolerance to wheat. If she buys *Made in Italy* pasta from CostPlus/World Market she can handle it. She has a dairy allergy and Wheat intolerance. And SO many people are having food issues from auto immune reaction/issues-
ASHLEY BANANAS- are you thinking einkorn Flour?
Ashley Bananas says
I cant remember the brand. We dont have any food allergies in my family *knock on wood*, but I remember finding her explanation of the type of flour and her reason for buying it to be very interesting, even if it wasn’t necessary for my family. I believe she said she ordered it online and had it shipped, and that it was made in Europe, and it didn’t make her sick after eating like regular off the shelf flour you typically buy here in the states. The bag may have been red and white.
Debi says
Agreed. When I was 4, I was sent to an allergy specialist as I would get asthma. Turns out I had some unusual food allergies. Allergist said a lot of times one outgrow one allergen and gets another. For example I was allergic to. poultry of any kind, after 10 years I tried a small bite and had no reaction. Now I can eat as much as I desire.
Michelle says
London broil is just a huge steak. Grill it as such and cut into thin strips for serving. You can use it to top a salad, or just serve with a nice green salad and/or baked potato.
Margo says
My husband and I are senior citizens. We have found that we eat less these days and meals donāt need to be extravagant to be satisfying and tasty. My father insisted that dinner was a meat, a yellow vegetable, a green vegetable, a starch. We just donāt eat like that anymore. Some nights we have a full meal, but many nights itās something akin to your pickety-bits. And Mavis, donāt give up your soapbox. I watch my grandkids and their picky eating habits. I grit my teeth a lot because Iām not their parents, but oh boy, it drives me crazy!
Peg says
You’re so right, meals don’t have to be complicated. Most could easily get by on two meals a day (I know very well this isn’t an option for diabetics or others with certain medical issues). I started skipping breakfast 18 months ago, and the world hasn’t ended. I eat a meal when I’m hungry.
Dianne says
I hear ya…I eat when I am hungry. No time schedule. I ate dinner today at 3:00PM because I was hungry. I may or may not have a salad later today. It is easier for me to nibble on healthy choices all day.
Julie B says
We don’t eat more than two either and frequently one, especially in this heat (OK).
Kathy in PA says
I have a very easy and delicious recipe for London Broil that is made in the crock pot.
I mix together: 1 packet brown gravy mix (dry)
1 packet of Good Seasons Italian dressing mix (dry)
1/2 cup water
Place the meat in the crock pot and pour the seasoning mix over it.
Cook on low for 8 hours or until done. I serve it over cooked rice. My family loves it!
Mavis Butterfield says
Thanks Kathy!!
Dianne says
Oooo, that sounds good. I have never cooked a London Broil. I think I will try your recipe.
Thanks!
Sue S. says
Hooray for the “when I was a kid” paragraph. I 100% agree and I like your thinking. Hook more rugs!!
Mimi says
Agree!
If you have room on the soapbox I have a couple of other comments:
Often, on the occasions when we did eat in restaurants, my dad would tell us what we could order, not whatever our little hearts desired. And sometimes I would have to split an order with a sibling.
Every so often I check the USDA “Cost of Food” reports to see how we stack up with our spending and holy cow! We eat a wide variety of high quality “whole” foods, often organic, nothing processed or convenient and we spend far less than the USDA “Thrifty Plan”. Simple, homemade meals seem to be a lost art for most people. Some of the meals I make take time but often I can throw something together faster than we could pick up something at the crappity-crap drive-thru.
Honeybee says
Mimi, Thank you for commenting on the USDA Cost Of Food. I have always wondered where my HH and I fall in the grocery dept. dollar wise. Wowza we are on the thrifty plan even with 2 meals a month in restaurants. Homemade food and beans for protein (dried cook my own in Instant Pot) are a real money saver.
Julie B says
I bought 3 avocados this week because they were only $1 and I haven’t seen them for less than $1.50 in a long time. I can’t even imagine paying + 5 for one.
Kath says
Yep! Same soapbox here!
Gwyn says
In 2020 I marinated and grilled London broil almost every week. I was trying hard to go to the grocery store as little as possible but still feed my āmeat and potatoesā family members. What I liked is I could use that grilled meet for days in salads and tacos besides just eating it with a potato side.
I cooked from scratch as we raised our kids so it is what our kids knew but we also knew that something was going on with our oldest daughter though doctors always told me she had no food allergies. It turns out she has a hereditary autoimmune disease that was finally diagnosed when she had fertility issues. We are so happy she is now pregnant with her second child. I do feel strongly that many allergies come from all our crazy food system. Now that we are empty nesters I am happy with simple meals made with whole foods. We do āPickety bitsā as a weekend treat
Kippy says
So true on the when I was a kid statements! KoolAid or chips were special and purchased rarely. We always had Tang and maybe Graham crackers around(not served together).
A friend and I were discussing allergies today. Neither one of us remember having allergies as kids. We now have pollen etc. allergies. He said we probably did have allergies but our parents were of the āget over it, you just have a runny noseā era.
Deb says
Lots of people had food allergies in the past. If they were serious allergies they just died when they were kids. Now doctors know how to save lives so people with serious allergies grow up and have their own children and pass on the allergies.
Patti says
I think one of the main changes that may have caused more allergies and certainly has contributed to more food borne illnesses is that our food supply comes from around the world whereas years ago, it was grown nearby in dirt that we played in (so we built up immunities). I just finished reading “The Abundance of Less” by Andy Couturier and one of the families talked about their meals. If they don’t have the choice (at home) of a certain food item, they don’t eat it. That is a simple statement, but I think we have forgotten that. Our grocery stores are FULL of choices and we don’t have to have every one. I am trying to teach my husband that as he has retired and loves to run to the grocery store!!! If we don’t have “this” green vegetable, maybe we can eat the one we do have at home. Or maybe the soup in the freezer isn’t our favorite but it will nourish us still the same. In these times of inflation, it matters!!
Tina says
I have enjoyed your blog for years. So I say this with a positive spirit and in the interest of sharing knowledge. Allergies did exist back then, but were often misunderstood or undiagnosed, which meant that those of us with them suffered unnecessarily for many, many years, myself included. It doesnāt mean weāre picky or difficult, it means there are certain things we can never eat. Period. Food allergies are not a choice and if they were I would choose no thank you to the inability to ingest bread, pasta, soy sauce, salad dressings, pastries, cookies, pies, fried fish, pizzaā¦ā¦you get the idea.
I donāt think you meant harm with the reference to allergies in the same breath as being picky, I think maybe it just came from a place of not fully understanding the plight of those afflicted.
Thanks.
Brianna says
Yep, I grew up with allergies, although many went undiagnosed professionally until my 20s and 30s. I had my suspicions growing up and just avoided situations or things that would make me feel choked up, hives, red, swollen, and struggling to breathe. I even went to the ER as a kid, but no definite answers and treatment was usually a steroid and Benadryl to open things up and reduce the reaction. With modern testing for IgE, TRUE testing, and other types of allergy testing I have been able to confirm many of my suspected allergies. I have done immunotherapy for years for allergies and even have managed to share a few known heredity allergies with my kids. I do believe modern diagnostics have helped define allergies in people, so it is more common. It is also common now to have an epi-pen, whereas before it was a treatment you could only get at the ER. I am in my 40s now and allergies have always been a part of my life, some I carry a genetic marker for, some I have developed through the years, and some I have been able to build a tolerance to because of immunotherapy, but I will still always be allergic. I still deliberately avoid things I am allergic to because that is how I survived growing up, I rarely share the extent of my allergies with people, and I am always very careful around unfamiliar places and foods.
I feel allergies are more transparent nowadays and people readily identify if their child has an allergy and expect classrooms and places to be more responsive to them. I am very mixed on that, as a parent to kids with allergies. I like having privacy to my allergies and absolutely do not feel a need to advertise to everybody everywhere I go. I also limit it in the school with my kids because I do not want them singled out and I know when they are out from under my wing they have to survive their own allergic world and navigate themselves. I want my kids to protect themselves from allergens and not to put that responsibility on their classmates and teachers. It can be stressful, but I cannot rely on a school to protect my kids from exposure (intentional or accidental), we just always plan for the accidental exposure. I do my best to protect myself from those allergens and do not expect places or foods to cater to me and have taught my kids the same.
Virginia says
Brianna, I admire your proactive attitude toward your and your kids’ allergies. How lucky they are to have such a wise mother!
HollyG says
We blew our grocery budget this week. We spent $143.00 on Sockeye Salmon. The good news is we have lots of fillets vacuum-sealed and in the freezer, a couple of pints of stock canned in the pantry and a nice pile curing in the refrigerators for smoking.
LindaT says
Allergists will tell you that there are more people with allergies now than in the past. I agree with the statements about our food supply. I developed all my allergies as an adult.
My first time in a restaurant when young was a date. He took me to a fancy restaurant with several forks beside my plate. I was terrified. I had no idea what to do with them all. Of course I learned, but we always ate at home when I was a kid. Iāve eaten out all over the world now, but there was never any better food than at home.
Tracie H says
I was born in 1973 and being from that era meant that my mother and all of the motherās in my neighborhood booted us all outside as soon as breakfast was done and told us not to come back until lunch. We spent our days pulling crawdads from the creek with our bare hands and building forts out of sticks and leaves and trying to set the woods on fire as much as possible. My daughter, who is now 22, was born with allergies to everyday things like the protein in milk, peanuts, eggs, wheat, oats and more. She almost died at seven months old because we didnāt know what was wrong with her and being a second child was introduced to more foods than her allergy free brother was at a younger age. Both of my kids were breastfeed but a Cheerios size piece of cheddar literally sent her into anaphylactic shock. It was the most terrifying thing Iāve ever had the misfortune to witness. Telling a three year old that she canāt have that piece of birthday cake that everyone else is enjoying is something that even an adult canāt understand. Food allergies are something I never dreamed I would have to face when I dreamed of protecting my children during their childhoods. I love your blog, but I think that you missed the mark on this topic.
Marcia says
Love your blog and read it every day! I rarely, if ever comment, but I think you need to rethink your statement about food allergies.
Brianna says
Perhaps the food allergy statement is an innocent observation of the times depending on where Mavis grew up and is not intentional or meant to discredit allergies and the severity of reactions. Nowadays with modern medicine allergies are better diagnosed, reactions are better treated, and doctors and the public are more educated. It is an over-active immune response that sees a common item as an allergen and as a potential threat, similar to other autoimmune disease processes. I know there are a few documentaries produced about the prevalence of such immune responses and diseases and endocrine disrupters and scientific theories on what they believe is causing the changes.
LindaT says
Iām feeling bad for Mavis. The word picky wasnāt in the same sentence as allergies. If she had said no one she knew had allergies, it would not probably have resulted in such a furor. Anyone who reads this column regularly has to know Mavis wasnāt targeting people with allergies. Her heart is in the right place.
Mary says
Hi Mavis, I make those “fig filled cookies” at Christmas. They are called Cucidati (italian).
They are delicious
Mavis Butterfield says
Wahooo! Thanks for letting me know Mary. I found a recipe and I’m going to make them {when we get our oven}. š