Highlight of the week? A free turkey! Wahoo. The company The Girl works for gave all their employees {and there are a lot of them} a free turkey for Thanksgiving. How cool is that? You know what’s even better? The Girl has been cooking our Thanksgiving bird since she was like 9 years old. Yep. One year she asked if she could make the turkey {and a bunch of the side dishes too} and well, we let her, and since then, Thanksgiving is HER holiday. I LOVE IT.
Traditions… they’re pretty cool.
Oh and you know what else is cool? I asked Monkey Boy if he was coming home for Thanksgiving and he said yes. So that’s a good sign, right? Maybe the boys weren’t too keen on eating yet another can chili for the big day? Who know, I’m just glad he still wants to hang out with us. Or maybe it’s the leftovers he’s after? Hmmm. 😉
Those adorable fettuccine nests from Costco? Totally worth it! You should get a package the next time you are there. The texture is about a million and two times better than the boxed kind.
I could eat a Caesar salad ever day and never get tired of it.
Split pea and ham soup. Tis the season for crockpot meals.
Ham with roasted sweet potatoes and Brussels sprouts.
Pork fried rice. It’s totally a staple at our house.
And so is no knead crusty bread.
Baked mac and cheese. I don’t think I’ll use whole wheat bread {with seeds} for the topping again though. I thought the crumbs were kind of funky. The HH loved it though so who knows.
I also baked a batch of chocolate chip cookies, cinnamon rolls, made a Nutella and banana sandwiches, and 2 batches of homemade biscotti this past week with Mrs. HB. It was a good week food wise and I didn’t have the urge to step foot in a store until…
Target $6.94
I popped in to Target for toothpaste and noticed the 18 count eggs were on sale for $1.39 and milk was $2.08 a gallon so I loaded up while I was there. Luckily I went when the doors opened so the parking lot wasn’t full yet and I was able to zip in and out in under 5 minutes. Quick shopping trips, that’s where it’s at. If you can get in and out in a jiffy, chances are you will spend less. And I’m all about spending less these days.
How about YOU? Have you already done your grocery shopping for turkey day yet or are you one of those brave souls that does it the day of? I’d love to know.
~Mavis
Total Spent This Week $6.94
Total Spent in January on Groceries $202.99
Total Spent in February on Groceries $143.94
Total Spent in March on Groceries $183.35
Total Spent in April on Groceries $205.67
Total Spent on Groceries in May $248.60
Total Spent on Groceries in June $147.47
Total Spent on Groceries in July $293.63
Total Spent on Groceries in August $117.29
Total Spent on Groceries in September $172.91
Total Spent on Groceries in October $186.69
Total Spent on Groceries in November $289.96
Total Spent in January on Take Out, Date Nights, and Bakery Treats $42.19
Total Spent in February on Take Out, Date Nights and Bakery Treats $118.45
Total Spent in March on Take Out, Date Nights and Bakery Treats $25.29
Total Spent in April on Take Out, Date Nights and Bakery Treats $62.50
Total Spent in May on Take Out, Date Nights and Bakery Treats $54.52
Total Spent in June on Take Out, Date Nights and Bakery Treats $119.15
Total Spent in July on Take Out, Date Nights and Bakery Treats $12.45
Total Spent in July on Take Out, Date Nights and Bakery Treats $0
Total Spent in August on Take Out, Date Nights and Bakery Treats $212.67
Total Spent in September on Take Out, Date Nights and Bakery Treats $132.50
Total Spent in October on Take Out, Date Nights and Bakery Treats $87
Total Spent in November on Take Out, Date Nights and Bakery Treats $60.42
Go HERE to read more Shopping Trip Stories.
Linda says
That 18 pack of eggs has been $.99 at my Target. I usually buy a couple when I’m in there. I skipped Target this week so not sure if they are still the same price.
I’m going to pick up those fettuccine nests next time at Costco. I love fettuccine Alfredo.
Susan says
How do people keep cookies from getting hard overnight?
I got a new oven and still have the same problem.
Do people take the cookies out while they are still not totally cooked?
and they finish outside the oven?
I leave mine in until they start to crack. Is that too long?
I know you can put a slice of bread in with them in a tupperware container 24 hours
and it will soften them again,
but it just seems like other people don’t have my problem.
Leanna says
Yes, other people do. I like a crunchy cookie, my hubby likes them soft. Don’t bake as long it helps sometimes. I almost always use the bread trick unless I’m baking a soft cookie like pumpkin.
Shari says
Susan, try playing with your white-to-brown sugar ratio. More brown sugar will keep them softer and chewier.
Jennifer says
I tend to pull them out once the edges are beginning to turn golden and let them set on the pan for one minute before placing them on a cooling rack… but it will also depend on the cookie. Mine are rarely hard the next day unless I overcooked them (which happens!), but those are perfect for dipping in milk. 🙂 I store them in an airtight container and if I have more than a few, I freeze them. I bake a lot of cookies…somewhere in the neighborhood of 50 dozen or so just in December.
Rebecca in MD says
I am hosting Thanksgiving this year and picked up two turkey breasts (one free), 4 drumsticks, 3 wings. My peeps like the white meat, but I like the wings and buy the turkey drumsticks so I can have some dark meat for my turkey salad. It also cuts down on cooking time and you don’t dry out the white meat waiting for the dark meat to get done. I do Ted Allen’s deconstructed turkey recipe which is found here:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ted-allen/ted-allens-deconstructed-holiday-turkey-with-sage-gravy-recipe-2105024
E in Upstate NY says
When I was in college, got a horrible nasty cold. Couldn’t smell or taste a thing until I discovered Caesar salad. Oh my, flavor! Afterwards, ate many a Caesar salad and still do.
Julia says
We love Costco’s chicken Caesar salads. I probably get them every other week. I do add more veggies and Kalamata olives.
bobbi says
I am done shopping too! Christmas shopping too! whoo-hoo! I love Caesar salads too. yumm-o!
Lisa says
Hi Mavis,
Been following your blog for about a year and I’m curious about your grocery spending. Because you talk about Zaycon a lot I am assuming you purchase their meat. How often do you purchase meat from Zaycon and do you add that cost into your annual cost? I don’t see it on your monthly grocery costs.
Love the blog and looking forward to finding out what your secret goals are!
Lisa
Jennifer says
I have a turkey and a ham in the fridge, but I can’t fit anything else in there until I take the turkey out to brine (20 lb is a big bird). I still need to pick up the stuff for fixings, but I am not too worried, most people leave for the holidays in this town. Hosting an unknown number of college kids that can’t go home for a 5 day weekend.
Mandy Mascaro says
Mavis could you share you recipe for Pork Fried Rice please? It looks so good and I know that my husband will love it!