A Humble Kitchen

I have a pretty unpicky palate, so if it was just me trying to eat down what’s on hand, I’d be banking loads this month. With one less mouth to feed for seven days and if I can get DH willing to ride the bandwagon, I have an opportunity to not only stay in our $350 total food and household budget, but perhaps smash it. I'm at $183 for March, leaving me with $167. I’m challenging myself to get that down to $113, $300 total for the month. Adding to this total, no lunches out for me, though I have no control over DH. Since we had out Sunday out, and my happy hour planning bridal shower session for Wednesday, and the teen eating away for home for a week, no one is going to feel the need for dinner out or take out. Eating out should be, and is a treat for us. It stops being special doing too often, and I’m fortunate that my kids prefer a good home cooked meal anyway. We do need dog food, laundry soap and toilet paper so this is a good challenge for me.

What’s in my meal arsenal this week? 

Meatloaf, potatoes, and carrots: I finally used up the cheaply purchased hamburger from weeks ago, just barely still fine, and made two meatloaves, freezing one. I steamed a bag of veg and baked the last of a bag of fries for supper Monday.

Mock Lasagna: I have cottage cheese to use up, plus some mozzarella in the fridge. No lasagna noodles, but we do have other pasta, and since I didn’t get around to the lasagna as planned Sunday, I'll put together a “mock lasagna” for tonight's dinner. It will be vegetarian but not vegan, to save some already cooked hamburger for Thursday and just go with cheese and veggie. This will give me lunch and potentially leftovers for DH for Wednesday supper, with a meat loaf sandwich. 

Burritos with Spanish rice, refried beans, spicy hamburger with corn, tomato, and black bean salad: This will be Thursday night supper, with the salad left for nachos or quesadilla’s for Friday night for DD1 when she is home for a couple days.

Leaving, the remaining battered fish for DH and I for Friday night. I think there might be a handful of french fries, but I have two last potatoes, now really soft, but can be cut in chunks and roasted.  There are a few bag of steamed vegetables and carrots .

For lunches, beyond leftovers, I hard boiled eight eggs Monday night. We have plenty of deli meat and cheese for lunch sandwiches, a few oranges, and two apples. Two cans of pineapple are lurking in the pantry, but I m need to use some of the balance for fresh fruit before weeks end as I’m still trying to get that five a day in. It will be humble meals and lazy nights, puttering at days end. I'm battling a dull headache and fatigue this week, both tend to happen when we have weather and time changes. Not needing to shop and simple meals adds less effort.