For our date day adventure last week we had planned on going to Cracker Barrel for breakfast.
So we got in the car, drove to Portland and as we pulled into the Cracker Barrel parking lot we noticed there were no rocking chairs out front.
Then we noticed the sign was gone… It took us a minute to realize they had SHUT DOWN Cracker Barrel!!!
It’s gone! It was the only Cracker Barrel in Maine. And now it’s gone. No more big mama’s breakfast. Cracker Barrel makes the best pancakes! What a bummer.
We ended up going to the Miss Portland Diner instead. The HH had an omelet and I had the eggs Benedict.
Next time I think we’ll try Becky’s Diner.
But Cracker Barrel… It’s gone. 🙁
Market Basket $45.99
The HH stopped by Market Basket last week for a few basics. Have egg prices gone down in your area yet?
The HH found 1 dozen medium sized eggs for $2.99 a dozen {limit 2} and 1 dozen large eggs for $3.69. How much are they in YOUR neck of the woods these days?
Costco $45.43
He also stopped by Costco to pick up “salad things”. I simply cannot get enough of that Mediterranean crunch salad. Or the tabouleh salad for that matter.
Salad, steel cut oats and cookies… That’s what I’m all about these days. I keep waiting for the urge to cook real things to kick in, but it hasn’t happened yet.
I suspect it’s because I’m on project mode and can’t think about anything else right now.
Here’s a look at most of the things we ate last week:
Big salads. With all the things.
This time around it was ham, egg, cucumber, tomato, avocado, feta, dried bread crumbs and dressing.
Costco’s tabbouleh salad {with a chocolate truffle for dessert}.
Lazy nachos.
Stove top stuffing meatloaf {from the freezer section at Chez Butterfield}.
Trader Joe’s mac and cheese with a side of broccoli cashew salad {no bacon}.
Breakfasts this past week were just as simple. Regular toast, avocado toast, toast with jam.
And steel cut oats. You can never go wrong with steel cut oats.
Tea time this past week was served with Pepperidge Farms coconut cake {from the freezer section, it’s like $4 and has 8 servings! What a deal} and Valentine chocolates.
Keeping it simple, that’s what it’s about these days. I keep telling myself things will be back to normal soon and there will be more home cooked meals on the table.
Right now though… We just can’t get enough salad.
How about YOU? What have you been making {or not making} lately? Could you live off of big salads and oats too?
~Mavis
Total Spent This Past Week: $91.42
Total Spent in January $229.38
Total Spent in February $232.51
A big giant THANK YOU to everyone who took the time to enter my “Crazy for Carrots” giveaway.
Crazy for Carrots winners:
Jeanine – “I’ve loved eating roasted carrots since I was a small child. My mother told me about how I would go around the table as a toddler and beg to eat everyone’s carrots. Also, love your carrot cake jam. I get requests for it all the time. And it’s really easy to make.”
Nance – “I have always grown carrots for my dogs. The dogs love to go to the row in the garden ,and get a fresh carrot every day during growing season. I use carrots raw, in salads and soups, and roast them. Carrots are great!”
Winners were notified this morning via email and have until 8 am EST on February 19th, 2025 to claim their prize. Thanks to everyone who commented. More giveaways are in the works!
Chris says
Suburbs of Chicago – Shopped on Saturday. Extra large eggs were $5.69/doz. Large eggs were $5.89/doz. I buy the xl anytime they are cheaper. Unfortunately, this brand is in styrofoam containers, which I hate! Other brands were between $6 – $7/ doz. No big baking happening here until prices go down.
Annette says
Ditto on Styrofoam egg cartons.
Jeanine says
How exciting And Thank You. I can’t wait to receive my prize.
On another note…Hope your painting around the pipes went as planned in the bathroom.
Andrea says
The broccoli salad looks amazing! We are getting an arctic front all the way down here in Dallas this week, so I’m harvesting the last of our fall broccoli beforehand. (boo) Next week it will be in the 70s so I’m on the hunt for more broccoli starts lol. Can’t wait to try this!
Holley says
That’s so sad about Cracker Barrel. You’ll have to find one to go to next time you travel!
Mary G says
I can’t believe the price you found for your eggs. I’m in northwestern Connecticut. When I stopped in the grocery store last week, the lowest price was for the basic store brand large eggs at $9.79 a dozen. I didn’t buy any or see anyone else buying them either. I will hold off on buying eggs. I like having more than a dozen on hand, but at that price not so much.
Paula says
Ever since Cracker Barrel added wine and beer to their menu, they have gone downhill. Cracker Barrel was a favorite of mine for decades. I love their breakfast and their meatloaf. I don’t think they ever recovered from the pandemic. Too sad! I wonder if my Cracker Barrel is still open???
J in OH-IO says
Our brother and sister in law have been to Maine on vacation and brought back a bumper sticker for us – “Becky’s Diner Nothin’ Finah! Portland, Maine” so you gotta check it out.
Julie says
Eggs here in Western Kansas were $6-something at Walmart last night! I am SO glad we have chickens…healthy chickens! My husband read about someone RENTING out 2 chickens, with their house, and feed, and instructions, guaranteed to lay when they arrived. All for the price of $500 for six months! You have the option to adopt them after the six months is up!
Amanda says
I mean….wow…I don’t even have words!
Mavis Butterfield says
That is a clever idea!!!
Lynn says
I buy my eggs at Trader Joe’s. They’re 3.49 for cage-free brown and 4.99 for organic, limit one dozen per customer. I don’t think they ever increased in price?? Also, I love salads. I just don’t crave them in winter but I love them when it’s hot outside.
Lana says
We love Cracker Barrel. We are meeting friends for breakfast tomorrow morning and I’ll think of you while enjoying my Momma’s Pancake Breakfast.
Eggs prices seem to be holding steady here. Friday we bought organic jumbo for 4.68. Ibotta has a rebate every Friday this month so that helps.
Mark says
I’d be devasted if my cracker barrel closed. Large eggs were $5.98 a dozen for Walmart brand on Saturday here. They just had to cull another million birds at a farm close to me because of bird flu last week
Margo says
IF I can find them they can range from $5.69 a dozen up to over $9. A little crazy!
Elizabeth M says
I found large eggs for $3.99 a dozen last Friday, and with Ibotta’s $2.50 rebate it was much better than the prices I’ve been seeing lately. Two weeks ago I couldn’t find any for less than $5 a dozen anywhere.
Maile says
As of yesterday: $10.99 per dozen, limit two….when available (the shipment arrives). Hilo HI
Pamela Sheppard says
S Jersey…. I looked on my favorite supermarkets website and it doesn’t even look like they are selling medium eggs at the moment. But store brand large are $6.99 per dozen and most expensive ones with all the buzz words are $11.99 per dozen. One dollar per egg. Amazing.
I love cracker barrel. I have 2 that are each around 1 1/2 hours drive away. Too far for my liking so its been years since I’ve been.
Rj says
Sorry to hear about your Cracker Barrel! I don’t see any pics of the yogurt. Is that something the HH enjoys by himself? Any toppings?
Patty says
Here in Mpls. MN I paid $6.99 a dozen for eggs on Friday. So sad because I usually make a family egg “Brinner” once a week. Not now, until the price comes down a bit.
Michelle S. says
We had a Cracker Barrel an hour away from our house and it closed, too! I wonder what is going on with them.
On the Central Coast of California, eggs are averaging $9.69 a dozen. They were completely out of the dozen, so l was forced to buy the
18-pk which $14.89 *gulp*. I am trying to make them last.
Jennifer says
On the Central Coast, too! But we’re in the same town as that Cracker Barrel that closed, so you can guess where. 😉 Our Trader Joes has eggs for $5 a dozen, limit one. So maybe check yours? Aldi was $7.59 a dozen, so somehow Trader’s has the market on cheaper eggs!
Susan says
Our Cracker Barrel’s in Portland, OR closed too after only a few years open. Our eggs are $5.79 a dozen.
Christy says
On Friday I bought large eggs for $4.69 in southeast Pennsylvania. The cheapest options were cage free or organic. Store brand was over $6, if I recall correctly. No limit on quantity 😀 ibotta egg rebate is helping.
Ann says
I’m in south east Michigan and I bought large eggs at Costco on Saturday – they were ~$22 for 5 dozen. Normally they are around $10-$12.
Julie V says
I’m in California and 12 count eggs were $7.47 a carton and 18 count were a little under $11.50/carton.
Jennifer says
Our Cracker Barrel closed without warning about 6 months ago. We were so sad! The salads look amazing. Eggs are 7.59 at Aldi (9.xx for the pastured eggs). Central Coast of CA.
Lisa Bonar says
Western Mountain Maryland…eggs are between $6-$10 a dozen. Everyone is starting to raise chickens! We have Amish communities around and I have seen them raise their prices from $3.50 to $4 a dozen. BUT their chickens must be molting and are not hardly laying any. Also, we’re having single digit temperatures right now!
One grower that supplies me for my baking hasn’t raised his prices, still $4 for xl brown beauties. Said the price of feed has not went up!
Sherry C. says
I use a lot of eggs because I like to make homemade pasta and just egg dishes in general. I generally buy the five dozen box because of how many I tend to use. I just checked the Walmart app where I normally buy them and they were $27.26 for the five dozen and $5.46 per Walmart dozen. When I last bought my five dozen eggs they were $21 and some change so that was just over $4 a dozen. I can’t wait for the price of eggs to go down. As for salads I can’t stand them. I don’t like anything that’s a leafy green. I never have. I don’t like broccoli or cauliflower or anything like that either. As for Cracker Barrel that is one of my new favorite places. We have one and last year was my first time ever going there. I fell in love with the food. My favorite so far is the country fried steak with bacon mac and cheese and mashed potatoes with gravy and also a side of corn. I don’t know what I would do if hours closed down. I live in OH-IO and the price of eggs here is ridiculous. I’m just glad we still have a Cracker Barrel here.
Mary says
If u are baking use substitutes for the eggs. I purchase mine from a local farm.
Dawn says
I just paid $3.99/dz for medium cage free eggs at Market Basket on the MA/NH line.
I was at that Cracker Barrel last fall. What a bummer that it’s gone.
Lisa says
Oh don’t get me started on eggs. I just had to pay $8/dz. And no, that’s not for 18, and not for organic. These were not huge, XL, brown, organic, nothing special. Just regular eggs in the horrible styrofoam container. Yuck. Where was it? I paid this $8/dozen at El Rey. Shame on them. It’s really angered me. I now refer to those eggs as “my golden eggs” and say that at that price point, the eggs should cook themselves.
S. Simpkins says
Egg price at Aldi in Virginia this Monday was $5.49 a dozen! My husband and I just looked at each other and both said, ” I miss our chickens”. He has taken to getting the containers of egg whites, if you do the math it’s a little better. I am thankful my kids are away at college because when they are home we go thru MANY eggs per day.
Bummer about the Cracker Barrel closure–my absolute favorite place to have breakfast on a road trip. They make an awesome hash brown casserole as well.