I was hoping to end this month $10 – $15 under budget so I could slowly start to “save up” for the local fruit {strawberries, peaches, wild Maine blueberries} that I know I’ll want to make this summer.
But it’s going to be a bit harder now because I sent the HH to the grocery store for what I thought would be a simple purchase, and he spent 3x more than I was anticipating. Husbands. They do that sometimes. Even with a list.
Hannaford: $28.33
Pork but was on sale for $0.99 a pound so I told my husband to get 2 pork butts {they should only be about $3 each I remembered telling him} and 4 avocados {FOUR}. That’s it. That’s all I asked for. 2 small pork butts and 4 avocados.
He came home with {2} 8+ pound packages of pork, 8 avocados and 1 half gallon of milk {for my tea, which was thoughtful}. And so now we have plenty of pork and we’re swimming in avocados {4 down, 4 still to go}.
But now I only have $13.61 left to spend on groceries for the rest of the month. I think I might try and just buy nothing for the next 14 days so I can stick to my original plan a sock a little away for my summer fruit splurge. We’ll see.
Here’s a show and tell of the food we ate last week:
Teriyaki chicken, roasted green beans and olive and rosemary bread.
Pork {from the freezer, not the new stuff}, sweet potatoes, asparagus and rice.
Saturday night beans {with some of the leftover pork} and maple syrup cornbread. We had this 3x because there was so much of it.
One night he had tater tots and I have homemade chicken soup {pulled from the freezer}.
Burrito bowls.
The avocados started to ripen on Friday so I made a loaf of crusty Dutch oven bread.
So we could have avocado toast.
And bacon and avocado sandwiches.
And MORE avocado toast.
And today {with 4 avocados left!} I think we’ll make some guacamole and have burrito bowls for dinner again.
When it comes to avocados, my recipe repertoire is a bit small, so if you have a recipe that calls for avocados {other than guacamole, nachos, burrito bowls or sandwiches} and LOVE to know about it. I’d love to give it a try. 🙂
So how did YOU do this past week in the food/meal department? Did you find any good deals? Curious minds want to know.
Have a great week everyone,
~Mavis
Total Spent This Past Week on Groceries $28.33
- Total Spent in February on Groceries $86.39
- Total Spent in January on Groceries $96.58
- Total Spent on Groceries in 2022 $182.97
Looking to save some time and money with freezer meals? Check out this post I wrote a while back. There’s loads of money saving information in there.
Mel says
I don’t actually like avocado, but I’ve noticed that a number of smoothie and baked good recipes call for them (I guess as a replacement for something else but maybe just for texture?), so that might be an option.
I’ve never seen a pork butt that was less than 9 lbs in our grocery store. I used to try to use it all up in pulled pork sandwiches, but I now use it for this, which would be good topped with avocado: https://www.budgetbytes.com/30-minute-posole/
I use chickpeas instead of the hominy since I never have that on hand. Brunswick stew might also be good with leftover pork.
After a 10-12 week aversion to all veggies and fruit thanks to pregnancy, I finally seem to be able to eat them again, so we’ve had some very veggie-centric meals lately as I make up for lost time. But my dad is having surgery in April, so I need to start freezing some more meat-based dishes for him.
Lana says
Thanks for the recipe link. I have a good bit of hominy that needs to be used for something. Pork butts are 8-10 pounds here, too.
Jamie says
Avocados make a great pasta sauce – kind of like an avocado pesto, but much creamier. Mix the avocados with olive oil, bits of leftover cheese, lemon juice, herbs (I use parsley or basil) and some garlic or onion. If you make a big batch you can add a little more lemon juice to the leftovers and freeze in ziplock bags for a few weeks to a month. It goes great with chicken too.
Lynda says
Mash and freeze them for a future guacamole.
Lace Faerie says
A little bit of EVOO on top with seal out air if not vacuum sealing. That helps with browning and freezer burn.
Pam E-P says
I second the smoothie option. They make smoothies incredibly creamy and filling. You can also freeze them.
Melonie says
I’ve read that avocado can be used with cocoa powder or something to make chocolate pudding or chocolate mousse – I’ve never tried it, but it sounded good at the time. Then again, I do have a sweet tooth. LOL
I’m sure there are multiple recipes to choose from, depending on what other ingredients you have on hand. (I seem to recall it called for honey or agave or something along those lines.)
I love that your HH had tater tots for dinner. That’s something my family would do. haha
Beth says
Chocolate mousse made with avocado is delicious- definitely give it a go.
Nora says
Try avocado pasta!
Cool pasta as usual. Mash/purée an avocado, add a splash of the cooking water, salt, pepper and dried ground garlic to taste, add a bit of joghurt or sour cream if you like the taste. Mix with the pasta and add parmesan on top. Easy peasy and really tasty. Suitable for children too (when weaning – just omit the salt).
Nora says
Cook pasta… argh autocorrect 🙁
Jenny says
Haha! I, for one, thought that your recipe sounded “cool!”
Jenny
Mary G says
I will be making your recipe for rosemary and olive artisan bread today, which we’ll have with some black bean soup tonight. I’m excited to try it!
Jane says
I see nothing wrong or boring with avocado toast using the crusty bread and lots of butter for 6 er 3 meals a day.
Tracee says
I love avocado and radish salad, I’ve had a few versions of it but I like this one with chickpeas which kind of bulks it up and makes it a meal.
https://yummyaddiction.com/chickpea-avocado-radish-salad/#recipe
Marie says
Just sit your avocado in the freezer as is and wait till you need it. It will be perfect after thawing.
Barbara Dougherty says
Yes. I put mine in the fridge and pull them out as needed and they can last almost two weeks!
christina says
You can also put the whole avacado in the refrigerator( like when you get the bag at Costco) and they last a very long time. I also second the freeze for future guacamole.
Jeanie says
I do this all the time and they are always perfect. They last a very long time refrigerated,
Susan says
I love this Fall chickpea salad with avocados and apples. It calls for nuts, feta, and apples, etc., but is endlessly customizable based on what you have. My kids love taking leftovers for lunch at school (HS). The texture and flavors are all spot-on!!
https://www.twopeasandtheirpod.com/fall-chickpea-salad/
Connie says
I will eat avocado in salads. On burgers. Smashed on top of quesidillas. I chop it up and add to cottage cheese along with sunflower seeds. Weird I know. I like avocado !!
Cindi says
Yes, you can freeze avocados. They will also keep in the refrigerator (after they ripen) for a couple of weeks.
Cat says
I like making a Greek salad, but instead of any Greek dressing you put the avacado in and its gets mashed and creamy like a dressing. Super yummy!
Katie C says
All looks delish and luck with your budget!
I don’t have an exact recipe, but my sister-in-law makes an awesome pasta salad. Basically, she takes bowtie or rotini noodles and cooks them up, then tosses with chopped basil, avocado, lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper, halved cherry tomatoes and bacon. I don’t eat meat, so she leaves some aside without the bacon and it tastes great that way, but my hubs loves it with the bacon. If you still have a little pesto in your freezer, you could probably us that instead of fresh basil leaves? Anyway! It’s a yummy salad and super adaptable, so I thought I’d share.
Have a great day!
Kristina says
I really like this one. You can totally make it with regular wedges of potato. Just bake til soft, take out and smash, and finish as written. https://ohsheglows.com/2014/10/15/crispy-smashed-potatoes-with-avocado-garlic-aioli/
Jennifer B says
You might be happy to have those avocados!
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/mexico/us-suspends-mexican-avocado-imports-threat-inspector-rcna16053
Kirsten says
I know you said no sandwiches, but one of my favorite recipes from my vegetarian days is an avocado Reuben… just swap it for the corned beef… it’s delicious!
Amber says
Anytime we have a family gathering, my Auntie makes this (https://natashaskitchen.com/cucumber-tomato-avocado-salad/) and we all wolf it down! Her teenage son LOVES it and she has to make two batches because he will eat all of it before we get a chance to have it. So good and so easy!
Michelle says
Cowboy caviar – Its more of a summertime dish, but does that really matter? 🙂
Mavis Butterfield says
I totally forgot about cowboy caviar!! Thanks for the reminder.
Rosemary Calhoun says
Walmart has SuperPretzel on clearance for $1.62. I was able to print 2 coupons for 1.00 off each (mypoints.com and I earned points for printing the coupons and redeeming the coupons). I bought 2 boxes of SuperPretzels and paid .62 cents for each. Then, Ibotta gave me 2.00 for buying the SuperPretzels! So, I was “paid” .76 cents to buy the pretzels. This type of thing doesn’t happen very often, but I am very happy when it does!
Mavis Butterfield says
Well done Rosemary!!
April Bowen says
I love this Cucumber tomato avocado salad:
1/2 c. sliced cucumbers
1 pint (about 2 cups) cherry tomatoes, halved
1 avocado, sliced
1/2 c. pickled red onion (or fresh red onion)
For Cilantro Lime Dressing:
2 Tbsp. fresh cilantro, chopped
2 Tbsp. olive oil
Juice of 1 large lime (about 2 Tbsp.)
Salt and Pepper
https://delightfulemade.com/cucumber-tomato-avocado-salad/
Brianna says
Dairy free here, but I often use avocado as a substitute for anything that would have cream cheese spread on it or a dollop of sour cream. I have tried to use them in brownies and muffins and the results have been disappointing.
I have had baked stuffed avocados before at a restaurant and they make a solid dinner entree. I do not have a recipe, but the filling is similar to a crab cake in texture but with a type of seasoned meat like rotisserie chicken and they are baked and the top is crispy with panko.
Jenna says
My kids love grilled bacon avocado grilled cheese sandwiches. There isn’t a recipe exactly….they like it on ciabatta buns with provolone cheese, peppered bacon, and sliced avocado. Butter the outside of the bun, load up the middle ingredients, and then brown on a skillet.
Mary says
When I have avocadoes I love making this creamy avocado pasta sauce: https://ohsheglows.com/2011/01/31/15-minute-creamy-avocado-pasta/
Catherine says
My stepmom makes a little salad with avocado, sliced banana, pineapple tidbits and mixed together with a little mayonnaise thinned with some of the pineapple juice. It’s very tasty and different.
Patty L. says
MAVIS, lucky, lucky you to have a husband that does the grocery shopping! I would love to have my hubby do that sometimes.
Deb says
I like to half the avocados and fill them with chicken or tuna salad
Donna says
Since he loves his grill, it’s too bad he didn’t get one of the pork butts cut into steaks. Barbequed pork steaks are a thing here in the St. Louis area. A big thing 🙂
Julia Park Tracey says
Two favorites with avocados: 1, shrimp salad with cubed avocado mixed in: Baby shrimp, avos, olives, whatever, tossed with fave dressing, over lettuce. If you use 1000 Island dressing, it becomes a shrimp Louis. If you have shrimp in cocktail sauce (tomato with horseradish), serve it in half an avocado for a low card, high protein keto salad. Fast, easy, yum.
Second favorite– sliced avocados and grapefruit or orange slices (I use the peeled slices of gf in a jar or canned mandarins) with a sweet dressing like balsamic or poppyseed, over butter lettuce. So so good.
We used to have an avocado tree and I miss it so much.
Jenny says
Low carb, high protein?
Lauralli says
https://hipfoodiemom.com/2018/04/16/green-goddess-avocado-sauce/ Though this calls for ingredients you likely don’t have and don’t want to purchase now, save this because this sauce is addictive! I always double it. Use as a dressing or a dip. Sounds kinda weird, but I love to dip sweet potato fries in it.
Janice says
My husband went to town to buy a fishing license and came home with a prime rib roast! This was most definitely not on any shopping list and has completely blown my February budget… Having two people with two different food priorities is a challenge when trying to budget 🙂 Oh, well… he’s good at saving money in other ways and I’m sure things will average out over the next few months.
Tina says
Very curious, was the asparagus frozen? It looks good!
tc says
Avocado added to any smoothie is great.
Try a half avocado topped with a poached egg, season with black or red pepper depending on if you like spice. Top with a dollop of salsa and/or sourcream, add bacon if you like but the soft poached egg on avocado is healthy and filling.
Gail C. says
AARP newsletter emailed last week had an article on some foods you might not know you can freeze, including avocados. It said to slice in half, peel and remove the pit. Brush the avocado halves with lemon juice and wrap them tightly in plastic wrap. Add them to a freezer-safe bag, then press out the air before sealing and freezing. Thaw, then mash into guacamole.
Diana says
Eggs scrambled or over easy, chopped avocado and spicy brown mustard on top! Sooo good.
Cecile says
We have half an avocado with our eggs and bacon breakfast with or without toast. Usually a slice of toast, poached egg and a slice of peameal bacon on the side. A dash of lime chili salt and you’re good to go! When we get a bag of avocados and too many ripen at once, I mash them and add lime/lemon juice then pop them in a silicone ice cube tray (we have the 1.5×1.5″ blocks) and slip it inside a freezer bag to let them freeze. Then when I want to make guach I can pop out enough avocado for the recipe I’m using.
Laura says
I have made a delicious vegan chocolate mousse using whipped avocados as the fat. It is sweetened with maple syrup. I think I got the recipe from Allrecipes.
Cimdy says
A friend made brownies with avocados and they tasted so good. I couldn’t even tell there were avocados in them, they very moist and didn’t rise much. I don’t have the recipe to share.
Alexis says
You can replace the mayo in egg salad with avocado. I find it has a richer flavor
Rhea Strauser says
I make a somewhat traditional 7-layer dip – – –
Layer in a 13 x 9″ casserole:
Refried beans (2 small or one large can)
Mashed avocados with salt and garlic pepper added in
Mixture of 1 cup mayo, 1 cup sour cream and 1 package taco mix
Layer of grated cheese – cheddar, jack, pepper jack – whatever
Diced tomatoes
Sliced black olives
Thinly sliced green onions
(The last 3 are optional, depends on if I have them or not.) Serve with tortilla or corn chips or crudities. Recipe can be halved. I’m not allowed at any family dinners unless I bring this. LOL!
Mavis Butterfield says
I LOVE the 7 layer dip! 🙂