It was a busy {and tiring} week filled with one too many trips to the Home Depot and while we didn’t go anywhere exciting or go on any adventures, we did stop for lunch once to use up the rest of a Panera gift card. The Green Goddess salad. You just can’t beat it. Also, I am convinced if you order the large salad and dine in, it’s about twice the size as the to-go version.
Cooking in the bathroom because your kitchen is torn up… It’s a lot of fun.
The food tastes the same, but still… the fact that you cooked it in the bathroom is still in the back of your mind while you’re eating dinner.
Freezer Meal Manicotti for two. I had to dive into my freezer meal stash for this one.
Market Basket $112.81
I sent the HH to Market Basket with a list {we had a family potluck on Saturday and needed rations to make the 2 dishes we chose to bring}. When he got back from the store I was napping so I don’t have a picture of what he bought but he did bring me back a little surprise from the freezer section.
A Pepperridge Farm coconut cake! When was the last time you had one of those? I think the last time I had one was at my grandparents house like 40 years ago and remembering it being a really big deal. HOLY CANOLIES PEOPLE… the coconut cake was DELICIOUS!! If you haven’t had one in a really long time, you need to buy one and give it another try. I think I might have to test all the cakes now {I know they make a chocolate fudge cake but I’m not sure what else}.
Sweet and Sour Meatballs for the potluck and a sheet pan of carrot cake bars too {the HH made them both!} Well done husband.
It’s been a long time since we’ve had one of those giant pizza’s from Costco, but are happy to have discovered the Newman’s Own pizza. We love the thin crust and the fact that there aren’t a bunch of leftovers afterwards.
We made two sheet pans of Ritz Cracker Chicken and baked a few pieces and tossed the rest into zip baggies and tucked them into the freezer to use at a later date. Ritz Crackers and butter… you just can’t beat it. 😉
The HH made a new three bean salad recipe to go with the Ritz Cracker chicken {I’ll share the recipe tomorrow} and it was FANTASTIC!
Pickety bits for the pre-game. The HH also warmed some brie cheese and drizzled a little honey over it and we had a heaping bowl of meatballs too.
I feel like we ate pretty good last week, even with the kitchen all torn up. Who knows, maybe even after the kitchen is done we’ll continue to cook in the bathroom. HA HA HA… I’m KIDDING!
Hop to it husband! I want my kitchen back. Even if I’m not the one cooking in it this year. 😉
Monday. Let’s do this!
~Mavis
P.S. Did you make anything really, really good this past week or find any good deals at the store? We want to know.
Total Spent This Past Week on Groceries and Bakery Treats $112.81 {I think we have enough food to last us the month of February with only having to go to the store for milk and veggies}
- Total Spent in February on Groceries and Bakery Treats $112.81
- Total Spent in January on Groceries and Bakery Treats $346.47
- Total Spent on Groceries and Bakery Treats in 2020 $459.28
You can go HERE to read more Shopping Trip Stories
Meals we are planning on making in February:
Breakfast
- Toast with real bread from the bakery
- Cream of Wheat
- Bakery treats
- Waffles
- Bacon and Eggs
- Shirley’s Cinnamon Raisin Bread {as soon as the kitchen is done!}
Main Dish
- Lasagna
- Turkey Dinner {I had the HH pick up frozen turkey breast}
- Turkey Pot Pies
- Turkey Soup
- Pulled Pork
- Pork Soft Tacos
- Pork Nachos
- Saturday Night Beans – New England Style and Maple Syrup Corn Bread
- Copy Cat Panera Chicken and Rice Soup {freezer meal}
- Pizza
- Chicken Chili
- Pickety Bits
- Ritz Cracker Chicken
- Leftover Mississippi Pot Roast Stew or Beef Pie
- Big Salads
Desserts
- Rum Cake
- Homemade Chocolate Cake for Valentine’s Day
- New Cookie Recipe
If you have a big family, or your’e looking to make a boatload of meals all at once {or in batches} One Hundred Dollars a Month reader Mel wrote an AWESOME post a few months ago on how she made 4 months worth of freezer meals. You can find her post HERE.
Karen says
It all looks so good, thanks for sharing, love the recipes, too. A question tho, what are those pink and white pieces that look like cold pills?
Margie says
That would be Good n Plenty, some awesome little licorice candies!
Sherry in Sumner says
By any chance are those Dot’s pretzels on that big platter? If not, you should try them. They are DELICIOUS!!!
Mavis Butterfield says
Market Basket honey pretzels. I’ll look for Dot’s next time, thanks!
Annette says
Yes to Dot’s!!! You will never settle for plain pretzels again.
Shannon says
I know what you mean about Panera’s to-go serving sizes. Drives me nuts.
Have you ever used an Instant Pot? I can’t recall any instant pot recipes on your website. You could literally run the instant pot anywhere in your house. It’s great for big chunks of meat, which your husband seems to enjoy! Maybe you could borrow one during your renovations and try it out.
Mavis Butterfield says
No, we don’t have an Instant Pot and no plans to buy one. I know others love them though, I just don’t want another cooking tool.
Lindsey says
Bought an instant pot. Hated it. Sold it in a garage sale. Ugly, everything tasted the same, if frozen meat chunk was not the right size, you could not use it frozen, and by the time you add in steam build up and steam release time the saving of time was not much. Cheaper to put a note on the front door to remind me to take something out of the freezer and put it into the fridge to thaw….
Pam says
Finally… I thought I was the only person in the world that did not like the Insta Pot. So big and cumbersome and no wonderful smell like a slow cooker. I gave it away after a couple months.
Susie Janov says
Same here! I borrowed a friend’s Insta Pot to see if I liked it. Made a few things & determined it wasn’t for me/us. I didn’t like that everything was done at the end, leaving all the cleaning up for after dinner. I much prefer my crock pot. Set everything up early, even the day before, and then let it go all day, with all the prep work over, done, & cleaned up. I guess I’m just not in THAT much of a hurry that I need soup in 10 minutes.
Katie says
That is what I wondered too about the instant pot. Is it really a time saver if you have to let it get up to pressure and then wait for the release? I love my crock pot, and like Susie, I love that I can clean up when I’m done prepping, but all I have after dinner is the crock pot itself. It can be messy, but I do enjoy cooking on the stove. I like taste testing throughout 😉
Ann says
Crock pot liners are the way to go imo.
Gina says
Good memories of many birthdays with a Pepperridge Farm frozen cake! They joy it was to be craving something sweet and discovering mom had one hiding in the fridge! Love the cocnut and German Chocolate. So good!
No plans for Instapot here either.
Diane says
Maybe it’s just me, but I think I would’ve put the crockpot on a table in the living room or even bedroom instead of in the bathroom. I’ve read too many articles about the “mist” from flushing the toilet.
Anne Wiebe says
That “missed“ is yet another reason to always close your toilet and keep it closed unless you’re actually sitting on it. The initial reason for me was to keep the cats from drinking out of it, but now I am a little bit disgusted when I see an open toilet. Why does it have a lid when nobody seems to close the lid? I think it is much more hygienic to keep it closed especially when flushing.
Anne Wiebe says
Of course, I meant “MIST”, I’m way too spoiled by voice recognition! Sorry about that.
Donna says
Yes, I made a pot of navy bean soup with ham. We love it. I use a ceramic bean pot in the oven and it always comes out perfectly. The secret ingredient is a can of diced tomatoes with green chilies. Gives it a lovely spicy flavor.
Molly says
You have to try the coconut cake at Scratch Bakery in South Portland. It is the most amazing cake I’ve ever had, seriously. While you are in the area you should stop by The Cookie Jar in Cape Elizabeth and have one of their sliced donuts with white cream and raspberry jam inside. I forget what they call them, but you won’t be disappointed!
Ramona says
Is the last photo of meatballs with toothpicks the same sweet and sour ones in the crockpot?
Mavis Butterfield says
No. The first crock pot full of meatballs is the recipe I linked to. The second photo of the meatballs in the bowl was the leftover meatballs {no sauce} with a little sweet and sour sauce {{ketchup and sugar boiled down}} and some crushed pineapple}.
Ramona says
They look very good, thanks.