It's payday!

I’m going to the discount (+10%) grocery store tonight on my way home.  We’re low on everything.  My usual spending pattern is to stock up once a month, maybe $100, then the rest of the month I spend $30-50 a week.  I try to keep spending to less than $250 a month, including paper products and cleaning supplies.  That’s for 4 adults and a toddler.  I usually cook 4-5 times per week and make enough to have leftovers for the nights I don’t cook.  I try to keep several meals in the freezer but I’ve felt so rotten this summer, all the ones I had stocked up have been used.

It’s been so hot this summer, I wouldn’t turn on the oven for ANY reason, but it’s cooling off now so I think I’m going to start making bread regularly.  I’ll still get a loaf or 2 to stick in the freezer for emergencies.

We have a few vegetarian meals each week, and often when there is meat in a dish, it’s more a flavoring agent than anything.  This week’s menu is a little unusual in how much meat I’ll be serving, but I’m trying to accommodate my pregnant daughter’s craving.  She’s actually lost weight during this pregnancy so if she wants meat, she gets meat.       

My menu for the week is :

• Roast, potatoes and carrots
• Sloppy Joes with baked sweet potato fries
• Hamburger Pie (Ayla is making this on her night off)
• Split pea soup with devilled eggs and homemade bread

Three of these meals will be cooked in the crockpot, my favorite appliance of all time.  I’ll freeze about 1/3 of the roast to make enchiladas later.  The Sloppy Joes will be extended by adding beans, and can be eaten on bread or buns, or over Fritos.  Cheese will be added, by those of us who can have it.  We’ll give pitying looks to those among us who are allergic to dairy but we’ll still top our Sloppy Joes with cheese.  Nobody gets between me and my cheese. 

For snacks or super simple meals I’m going to get the fixings for nachos and spinach/artichoke dip.  I usually make stuff like that when it’s just Allen and me at home, so we can fully indulge our cheese needs (see previous paragraph).

And when I get home tonight we’re having Whatever, a dish Allen invented.  Shane is supposed to have the ground beef cooked and ready for me so I can throw the dish together quickly.  This is our old standby, it got its name because when I’d ask, What do you want for supper?” Allen would answer “Whatever,” and I’d make this dish.  It looks and sounds disgusting but seriously, you should give it a try.  You’ll be pleasantly surprised.  This is survival food to half the young adults in our neighborhood because Ayla taught it to all her friends in high school.  Many of them didn’t know how to cook at all, and she thought this was a good way of getting them started.  Here’s the recipe:

Whatever

• 1 box of macaroni and cheese, prepared according to the directions on the   box
• 1 can pork and beans
• A small amount of cooked ground beef
• Worcestershire sauce, to taste

Combine all ingredients in the pot you made the mac ‘n cheese in, and cook on medium low til the entire dish is warmed thru.  Yes, it looks like dog food.  Yes, it sounds like a revolting combination.  Trust me, it’s not bad.  Not bad at all.