It was another great week in the grocery spending department. I only spent $4.69 on groceries {milk} as most of my meals were eaten on vacation in Vermont. The HH said he survived on leftovers and crackers.
Here’s a look at most of the meals we ate last week:
The Girl and I enjoyed giant taco salads from Loco Coco’s Tacos for lunch in Kittery, Maine on our way out of town. They were so huge that we didn’t eat anything else for the rest of the day.
The next morning we ate the “free” breakfast that was offered at the hotel.
Then before our first day of class at King Arthur, we each had a big salad. After class we wandered through the cook shop and since they were closing in a few minutes, they unexpectedly handed us a free baguette.
We took it back to the hotel and had bread and butter and tea for dinner. 🙂
The next morning we decided to head out early so we could visit the town of Woodstock, Vermont and stop by Farmhouse Pottery. On the way there we passed by a place called Skinny Pancake and decided to stop in and check it out.
I ordered their spinach and chicken crepe and it was fantastic. I don’t remember what The Girl had but she liked hers as well.
The next morning we were up bright and early {6 am} so we grabbed a little something before heading out the door. Our classes at King Arthur Flour didn’t start until noon so there was plenty of time for exploring in the mornings, which we liked.
Our first stop was an errand and after we were done with that, we headed to the town of White River Junction for a look around.
We passed by a “pie” shop and becuase the pies in the display case {albeiet a bit on the expensive side} looked the like real deal, we decided to eat there for lunch.
A look at all the baked goods I came back from Vermont with {The Girl came home with the exact same thing}. The Bakewell tart and Victoria sponge are MIA {we gave those to the front desk staff at the hotel}.
Our hotel room had a freezer so we were able to freeze all the baked goods we wanted to keep until it was time to go home. We them packed everything into coolers for the ride home.
Fact: Meat pies are always better served with a side of mashed potatoes and gravy.
When I got back home after the baking class, I had the HH sample everything. The English muffins and sticky toffee pudding were his favorites {and mine too}.
Also, it made me feel better knowing that he too agreed with me that the meat pie needed to be a bit larger/taller {too much crust to filling ratio} and that both the meat pie and the pasty needed more seasonings.
I made butter chicken and served it with rice on Sunday.
This morning I set out 11 jars on the kitchen counter with plans to open and use up the contents throughout the week.
Here’s a list of the jars I’m hoping to empty this week:
- 1Jar of Beef Stew
- 1 Jar Split Pea Soup
- 1 Jar Pasta Sauce {served with meatballs}
- 1 Jar Cranberry Sauce {served alongside turkey pot pie}
- 1 Jar Carrots {for the turkey pot pie}
- 1 Jar of Salsa {for quesadillas}
- 1 Jar Peach Lavender Jam {morning toast}
- 1 Jar Carrot Cake Jar {in oatmeal}
- 1 Jar Strawberry Lemon Jam {morning toast}
- 1 Jar Pickled Asparagus {I’m going to make a pasta salad}
- 1 Jar Zucchini Relish {in tuna salad}
The big grocery store purchase of the week: $4.69 for a gallon of milk.
Overall it was a pretty good week. After a quick check of the sales flyers, I noticed cabbage and potatoes are on sale this week {for St. Patrick’s Day} so I’ll probably grab those if I’m out and about this week. Otherwise, the plan is to spend as little as possible this month so I can get my grocery budget back on track.
How about YOU? Have you spotted any deals lately? Curious minds want to know.
~Mavis
Total Spent This Past Week on Groceries $4.69
- Total Spent on Groceries in March $16.68
- Total Spent on Groceries in February $101.14
- Total Spent on Groceries in January $167.33 {this includes buying groceries on Fair Isle}
- Total Spent on Groceries in 2023 $285.15
Mel says
I barely cook these days because we’re so pressed for time, but I’m beginning to wonder what our meals will look like when we have a bit more time. We’ve discovered our 8 month old has at least 3 food allergies (cashews and maybe other tree nuts, eggs, and either dairy or fish), so that knocks out a lot of our family recipes, and we don’t have a lot of time to experiment with new ones right now. There’s a chance he might outgrow some of the allergies or that we could do oral immunotherapy (he was originally classed as low risk for food allergies, so we don’t know what we’re dealing with yet), but both those possibilities are at least a few years off.
Elise in the SF Bay Area says
Good luck with your child’s food allergies! I have a friend whose kids (both of them, different allergens) have had GREAT success with oral therapies. My child has bee sting allergies which require shots that feel like bee stings 🙁 But she’s protected now, probably for life, but the science isn’t certain, so still getting her shots every 6 weeks. She’s 13 now, we started about 4 years ago.
Mel says
Yes, I’m hoping oral immunotherapy will be an option in a few years, but we only have one allergist in the area, and I’m not sure they offer it. In the meantime, he has a baby EpiPen and has already had his first ambulance ride. He’s also restricted from all common allergens until they can test him.
Bec in the PNW says
Oh Mel, that’s so stressful! Hoping that he’ll either grow out of it or you can do the oral therapy.
Karen says
Check the baby shampoos and soaps, creams, etc since they contain allergens, too!
Annette says
My grandson is also 8 months old, so I’m curious how you discovered the food allergies already. I thought babies were not to be given eggs until after one year old.
Mel says
From what I know, babies can have eggs starting at 6 months. Previously, it was believed that delaying common allergens past one year helped prevent them. They now think the opposite–that you should introduce the top 8 allergens (including egg) early and keep them in rotation to minimize the risk of allergies. The first three exposures to egg were fine, but the fourth gave him immediate hives all over. Exposure to walnut and pecan went fine, but the tiniest taste of cashew sent him into a very severe reaction immediately.
Melinda says
I’m sorry to hear about your son’s allergies. My 14 year old son has been anaphylactic to egg since he was about 15 months old, and was anaphylactic to peanuts from that age until about age 10, when he outgrew it. Reactions can be so scary, I’m sorry that he and you had to experience a severe one. Kids with Food Allergies is an excellent resource for learning about allergies and how to navitate them.
Mel says
Yes, thank you. I feel better now we have an EpiPen, but it’s still unsettling that we may not have discovered all the allergies yet. I’m hoping he will outgrow at least some of them.
Michelle says
Speaking to the dairy allergy, there are many alternatives out there that might make cooking/baking a little less daunting. I’m the one in our house with dairy allergy and egg sensitivity. I have been able to sub plant-based butter and alt milks into my usual recipes, and the dairy-eaters can’t tell a difference. Best of luck navigating this – multiple allergies make it tricky. I imagine it’s very scary with such a young kiddo.
Mel says
Yes, I was vegan for a while, so I’m comfortable with many dairy subs. I have a friend with an egg allergy, so I have some practice there as well. But it’s definitely the combination allergies and the prospect that more may be lurking that makes it most difficult.
Alli Aplet says
Mel, have you ever heard of the GAPS diet for healing the gut. I am just starting to research it but she talks about food allergies in it. Just in case it might be a help?
Linda T says
My niece has an allergy to cashews. Her doctor said that she probably had an allergy to pistachios also if she was allergic to cashews and she was. She can eat peanuts and pecans though.
Kristina says
Oooh, did you use a hot water crust for those meat pies? And if so, do you think it’s worth learning how to make it? I have always been curious, but never tried my hand at it.
Mavis Butterfield says
Yes, and the hot water crust was super easy to make. I’ll post a recipe soon. 🙂
Elise in the SF Bay Area says
I’m really looking forward to learning this one too!
Maria says
Butter chicken recipe, please!
Stacey says
Anything I’ve ever had at the Skinny Pancake has been amazing. We live a mile from the Burlington airport, and when we fly out on the early flight we often have breakfast at the Skinny Pancake at the airport. I especially like it because they have some fantastic meatless options that still have protein!
Mary says
Oral history from my great grandmother was that the pasties went in the mines with the miners in Britain. Probably why they are dry and need gravy and why crust is thicker so they travel well and don’t leak. Just guessing. As I said in a previous post, my grandmother poured gravy in the hole in the top of the pasty towards the end of baking. It became a tradition to make them on Christmas Eve and my cousins do that. I didn’t grow up with that tradition so I have made them Christmas day sometimes. Christmas Eve is my husband’s family’s oyster stew tradition.
Karin says
Those taco bowls look amazing!
Bernice Koelzer says
What is butter chicken?
Terry McAllister says
I have been wanting to try butter chicken, but I guess I am too chicken! I am afraid of anything with any heat to it. If it’s spicier than a taco with sour cream, my stomach can’t handle it.
I broke the bank last week. I went to a larger town and spent the day in Aldi and Walmart. Foodwise, I spent about $300, but the worst part of that is knowing I brought only two corned beef briskets and a lot of chicken sausage. No chicken, no beef, no shrimp, no fish. Thankfully, my freezers are both full, but I restocked the refrigerator with fresh fruits and veggies, and the cabinets have new bottles of olive oil, canned veggies, tuna packets, and pasta alternatives. Week 3 and I am down 14 lbs!
Ashley Bananas says
Also looking for the butter chicken recipe