Beans and rice, rice and beans I could pretty much live off the stuff. Thank goodness I had the hindsight to stash a bunch of guacamole in the freezer before I started the whole no spend craziness.
Other than milk, I think the only thing I’ve missed since during this whole challenge started has been fresh fruits and vegetables. Bananas especially. The smell and taste of a nice ripe banana… what a luxury.
Thanks to the wonderful bag of fresh produce The Kiln Guy gave us last week, I did get to enjoy a few fresh salads {which I forgot to take pictures of this past week!}.
There was also some homemade soups {my favorite Panera Copy Cat Tomato soup, and the HH’s chicken noodle soup with Costco canned chicken}.
And The Girl brought a bag of “Christmas carrots” for Lucy so I we were able to sneak a few of those too. {One of Lucy’s many routines is her 3 pm carrot time. 3 carrots at 3 pm to tide her over until dinner time. Only we ran out of fresh carrots some time ago and she’s had to go without… until now.}
And then there were all the pickety bits…
And small bites type of meals like mini quiches and toast and jam. {I used the USA PAN fluted tart pan and it made the PERFECT sized individual quiches!}
I also made a batch of our favorite smoked salmon spread. {Is there really a cream cheese shortage going on?}
And of course, what would December be without a few sweet treats like double chocolate biscotti, creamy peanut butter cookies, chocolate cupcakes and madeleines? And lets not forget the peppermint truffles and mini apple tartlets from Omaha Steakhouse {thanks to my in-laws}.
I don’t know about you, but I am ready for a week of sitting down to slow cooked meals {homemade mac and cheese is on the menu for this week} and having a good excuse to stuff my face full of gingerbread and all the other sugary goodness that this time of year brings.
Good food and good company, what more could you ask for?
How about YOU? What are your plans for this week? What are you most looking forward to cooking or baking? Curious minds want to know. 🙂
Have a great Monday.
~Mavis
*****
Total Spent This Past Week on Groceries and Bakery Treats We Brought Home $0
- Total Spent in December on Groceries and Bakery Treats $0
- Total Spent in November on Groceries and Bakery Treats $18.60 {My husband bought rice!}
- Total Spent in October on Groceries and Bakery Treats $0
- Total Spent in September on Groceries and Bakery Treats $1663.58
- Total Spent in August on Groceries and Bakery Treats $675.99
- Total Spent in July on Groceries and Bakery Treats $1037.79
- Total Spent in June on Groceries and Bakery Treats $297.1
- Total Spent in May on Groceries and Bakery Treats $323.38
- Total Spent in April on Groceries and Bakery Treats $352.64
- Total Spent in March on Groceries and Bakery Treats $712.01
- Total Spent in February on Groceries and Bakery Treats $230.98
- Total Spent in January on Groceries and Bakery Treats $128.60
- Total Spent on Groceries and Bakery Treats We Brought Home in 2021 $5500.29
Mel says
I thoroughly stocked our freezer earlier this Fall, and we’ve eaten some of those meals, but we’ve had to do WAY more grocery shopping and takeout than planned due to some health changes, and that’s been a bit of a drag. I get tested for food allergies later today, so I’m really hoping they can rule that out and that my current inability to eat the food we have on hand is just temporary.
Brianna says
Having allergies is awful! I have never had a problem until my 20s and now close to 40 I have developed so many different ones and it is such a drag. I have severe allergies to animals among other things and all the ‘emotional support and service animals’ nowadays has sent me to the ER a few times and in misery for days recovering. I stay home mostly now, but allergies can be debilitating. I hope you get yours figured out and some answers with the allergy testing and a treatment plan based on your results. I have been doing shots and immunotherapy for years and it does help take the edge off of a reaction, but is not a cure.
Mel says
Yeah, we’re pretty sure I’m having some kind of allergic reaction, but it may not be food. So, hoping they can rule that out. At the same time, if it’s not food, I’m not sure they know what it is!
I’m glad you found some therapies that can help! It must be especially difficult with things you can’t always avoid, like animals. I have a friend with lots of severe food allergies, and he orders carefully in restaurants but still often has reactions that send him to the hospital.
Cheryl says
My husband would have divorced me if I came up with some of your ideas including no shopping and planting 3000 bulbs but mine is 70 and he doesn’t do stuff like that.
Kirsten says
Very much looking forward to baking up a batch of Chex mix and an array of Christmas cookies tomorrow, and to Christmas Eve at my in-laws for Swedish pickety bits, as you call them – pickled herring in wine sauce, Swedish meatballs, assorted olives, smoked meat and cheeses arranged vertically on a styrofoam tree, fancy cheeses with crackers, nuts, lightly steamed veggies, stuffed mushrooms, and the flaming finale – glogg, a very strong Swedish punch that gets lit on fire and enjoyed warm in really tiny glasses with handles. The best part (aside from the variety of the spread) is that I don’t have to do anything to prepare and we all wear our pajamas!
CINDY BRICK says
I don’t know about a cream cheese shortage…but I can say that chicken livers are scarce and hard to find. We had our annual Seven Fish Dishes celebration, and Daughter #1 enjoys adding ‘Devils on Horseback:’ chicken livers wrapped in bacon. After scouring multiple stores, we finally gave up and used chicken breast, instead.
One grocery store manager said they’d been out of chicken liver for months…even frozen packages of it. This pairs with a months-long shortage of fried chicken, when I asked for it in restaurants, both in Colorado and Michigan — although they could produce chicken tenders. (Makes ya wonder what exactly is IN chicken tenders, doesn’t it?)
I found ONE LONE package of chicken livers last week in the freezer section, and actually took a photo of it for Daughter #1.
Merry Christmas, Mavis!
Heather says
Kraft said there was a shortage and are paying some people (reimbursing them for the cost of a dessert they bought) since they can’t make cheesecake. I’m hearing that we have cream cheese in our stores, but I guess I will find out this week.
Deborah says
My local store in East Texas had plenty of cream cheese today when I went to the store. I bought two packages and they had plenty more.
Lace Faerie says
I think it was a marketing ploy. Between my adult daughters and I we frequent at least 4 supermarkets in our county and every one has full shelves and on sale prices! Whatta crock!
Nancy says
Here in CNY, probably 50 miles from where Kraft actually has a plant making cream cheese, you can’t find the brick form. I was able to buy the store brand in a tub for bagels.
Dianne says
It must be regional, we’ve had plenty of Cream Cheese. Chicken wings have been sparse, too. Good question, you can’t get chicken, or wings, what is in chicken fingers?
Mavis: we give our Golden and Black lab carrots as their “treat” before bed. They just love them!
Teri says
Hi Mavis
Are those rice and beans pictured the same recipe the link goes to with lentils? Or is there another recipe you can share? Happy holidays to you and yours. Looking forward to reading next year’s goals! Love you Mavis!
Mavis Butterfield says
Yes. Sometimes we have extra black beans in the fridge {from making nachos} and so I toss those in as well.
Jen says
Is there a post about freezing homemade guacamole so it looks as good as your photo, and tastes good, too? Tried to look but can’t find! Thanks-
Happy festivities from Illinois by way of Louisiana!
Mavis Butterfield says
Hi Jen,
Here you go: https://www.onehundreddollarsamonth.com/how-to-freeze-avocados/
The guacamole I froze this time around was the ones from Costco in the little individual containers.
LaToya says
I was on the hunt for your bada bing cherries the other day and found them on Amazon but at the local Whole Foods — on sale! As you say – HOLY CRACKERS – they are soooo good. I got the bourbon ones too and will be putting some on the charcuterie board tonight.
I also bit the bullet and picked up some Rao’s sauces as they too were on sale. MY WORD. So good! I also go the Rao’s lasagna – the only problem with that was that it wasn’t big enough – need to get 2 of them next time. I also got some Rao’s soups – Italian wedding and sausage potato – looking forward to trying those though I just know they will be fabby.
Hosting the whole family tonight and making prime rib for that and then a ham tomorrow; hoping to have some of both left for New Year’s Eve/day eats.
Merry Christmas, Miss Mavis!