I've been looking over my grocery spending over the last few months. For three years, I got by on $300 a month for food and household supplies (cleaning supplies, diapers/wipes, health and beauty, etc). A few mos. ago I asked the Music Man to increase my budget to $400, and the last two months, I've gone over that significantly. I know that part of it is that we eat a ridiculous amount of produce, and our little garden literally gave us one tomato this year. One.
On the other hand, I mist get back to our simpler way of eating. We love beans, peas, lentils. I adore those walnut oatmeal burgers from last week. And since it's getting to be winter fruit and veg season, I'm just as happy to use frozen as fresh. So for the month of October, my challenge to myself is to spend $250 on food. Given that we buy oragnic milk, yogurt and grains, Kashi cereal, and free-range and antibiotic-free eggs, this could be a problem. I picked $250 because it's about half what I've been spending.
Just this morning I made rice milk. My kids used to love it, but I stopped buying it about six months ago. I figured that I own a $400 blender, and it should be used for more than salad dressing, smoothies, ice cream, gazpacho, the occasional hummus...OK, so I guessi t gets a lot of use anyhow, but that's not my point. Why the heck not give it a try when the only expense is 1 cup cooked organic brown rice, 1 t. homemade vanilla extract, and 1 T. honey. What remains to be seen is what the kids think of it on their cereal tomorrow morning, but I imagine they'll like it.
In the interest of full disclosure, we'll be at Disney World Oct 22-26, and nothing we spend there will be included. This experiment is only Oct 1-21 and 27-31. :)
I'll keep you posted as to how it's going; I'm nervous but excited!
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Food log 9/30
Breakfast:
Kashi GoLean (140)
milk(60)
morning snack:
grapes (50)
Lunch:
pear (80)
roast beef (30)
string cheese (60)
oatmeal(110)
2 almonds (15)
Afternoon snack:
Green smoothie (160)
dried apricots (50)
ww toast with NSA strawberry preserves (120)
Dinner:
veggie stir fry (100)
brown rice (150)
cookies (200)
Evening snack:
kashi blueberry flakes (200)
milk (60)
dried apricots (50)
Water:
IIIII III
Fruits and veg:
IIIII IIIIII
Total calories:
1735
Kashi GoLean (140)
milk(60)
morning snack:
grapes (50)
Lunch:
pear (80)
roast beef (30)
string cheese (60)
oatmeal(110)
2 almonds (15)
Afternoon snack:
Green smoothie (160)
dried apricots (50)
ww toast with NSA strawberry preserves (120)
Dinner:
veggie stir fry (100)
brown rice (150)
cookies (200)
Evening snack:
kashi blueberry flakes (200)
milk (60)
dried apricots (50)
Water:
IIIII III
Fruits and veg:
IIIII IIIIII
Total calories:
1735
Food log 9/29
Breakfast:
Banana (100)
Kashi GoLean (140)
milk (60)
Morning snack:
grapes (50)
Lunch:
2 eggs (140)
unsweetened applesauce (50)
Afternoon snack:
green smoothie (190)
string cheese (60)
roast beef (40)
Kashi cookie (130)
Dinner:
dried apricots (60)
tuna cakes with red pepper coulis (160)
salad (40)
Evening snack:
Back to Nature cookies (200)
Water:
IIIII IIIII IIIII
Fruits and veg:
IIIII IIIII III
Exercise:
Kickboxing (500)
Reformer (255)
It was a cookie day! They did a thing at church yesterday with Oreos and frankly, I couldn't bring myself to eat one. The kids asked for "chocolate cookies" (they've never had Oreos), so I bought these. Not exactly healthy, but MUCH better than the alternative!
Total Calories:
1420
Banana (100)
Kashi GoLean (140)
milk (60)
Morning snack:
grapes (50)
Lunch:
2 eggs (140)
unsweetened applesauce (50)
Afternoon snack:
green smoothie (190)
string cheese (60)
roast beef (40)
Kashi cookie (130)
Dinner:
dried apricots (60)
tuna cakes with red pepper coulis (160)
salad (40)
Evening snack:
Back to Nature cookies (200)
Water:
IIIII IIIII IIIII
Fruits and veg:
IIIII IIIII III
Exercise:
Kickboxing (500)
Reformer (255)
It was a cookie day! They did a thing at church yesterday with Oreos and frankly, I couldn't bring myself to eat one. The kids asked for "chocolate cookies" (they've never had Oreos), so I bought these. Not exactly healthy, but MUCH better than the alternative!
Total Calories:
1420
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Food log 9/28
Breakfast:
banana (100)
steel-cut oatmeal (280)
Morning snack:
none
Lunch:
taco/burrito (630)
pear (70)
Afternoon snack:
none
Dinner:
banana (100)
sweet bean burrito(225)
yobaby (110)
half an orange (40)
Evening snack:
ice cream (290)
Water:
IIIII IIIII IIII
Fruits and veg:
IIIII II
Exercise:
1 hour step (450)
Total Calories:
1850
banana (100)
steel-cut oatmeal (280)
Morning snack:
none
Lunch:
taco/burrito (630)
pear (70)
Afternoon snack:
none
Dinner:
banana (100)
sweet bean burrito(225)
yobaby (110)
half an orange (40)
Evening snack:
ice cream (290)
Water:
IIIII IIIII IIII
Fruits and veg:
IIIII II
Exercise:
1 hour step (450)
Total Calories:
1850
Food log 9/27
Breakfast:
Kashi GoLean (140)
milk (60)
Lunch:
String cheese (80)
roast beef (60)
green smoothie (200)
Afternoon snack:
Banana chips (150)
Dried apricots (60)
Dinner:
Red stroganoff (450)
salad (50)
Banana (100)
orange (60)
Evening snack:
ice cream (260)
Water:
IIIII IIIII III
Fruits and veg:
IIIII IIIII II
Exercise:
1 hour weights (240)
1 hour step (525)
Total calories:
1670
Kashi GoLean (140)
milk (60)
Lunch:
String cheese (80)
roast beef (60)
green smoothie (200)
Afternoon snack:
Banana chips (150)
Dried apricots (60)
Dinner:
Red stroganoff (450)
salad (50)
Banana (100)
orange (60)
Evening snack:
ice cream (260)
Water:
IIIII IIIII III
Fruits and veg:
IIIII IIIII II
Exercise:
1 hour weights (240)
1 hour step (525)
Total calories:
1670
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Walnut Oatmeal Burgers
Last night I made these for dinner from Everybody Likes Sandwiches, and they are out of this world. They're substantial and tasty, so I'd love for you to try them! Be sure to check out her other recipes, they're actually categorized. On a blog! Organization! It's wonderful.
walnut oatmeal burgers
burger mixture:
2 c walnut pieces
2 c rolled oats
½ c breadcrumbs
3 eggs, slightly beaten
½ c skim milk
1 onion, chopped fine
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 t sage
1 t salt
1 pinch red pepper flake
a few shakes of Worcestershire sauce
freshly ground black pepper to taste
for cooking burgers:
oil to brown patties
3 c vegetable stock*
1. Grind walnuts in blender and combine with the rest of the burger mixture ingredients. Let the mixture rest in refrigerator for about an hour to let the flavors meld together.
2. Form the mixture into patties. The entire mixture will make 8-12 burgers depending on the size patty formed (ours made 10).
3. Brown patties on both sides in a lightly oiled skillet, then pour the stock into the skillet and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 25 minutes. Serve on buns with all your burger fixings.
* If you are only cooking up half the mixture now and half later, be sure to also half the amount of stock. So use 1 ½ c of stock per half batch.
walnut oatmeal burgers
burger mixture:
2 c walnut pieces
2 c rolled oats
½ c breadcrumbs
3 eggs, slightly beaten
½ c skim milk
1 onion, chopped fine
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 t sage
1 t salt
1 pinch red pepper flake
a few shakes of Worcestershire sauce
freshly ground black pepper to taste
for cooking burgers:
oil to brown patties
3 c vegetable stock*
1. Grind walnuts in blender and combine with the rest of the burger mixture ingredients. Let the mixture rest in refrigerator for about an hour to let the flavors meld together.
2. Form the mixture into patties. The entire mixture will make 8-12 burgers depending on the size patty formed (ours made 10).
3. Brown patties on both sides in a lightly oiled skillet, then pour the stock into the skillet and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 25 minutes. Serve on buns with all your burger fixings.
* If you are only cooking up half the mixture now and half later, be sure to also half the amount of stock. So use 1 ½ c of stock per half batch.
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