Tuesday's Shopping

Grocery shopping can be such a gamble. I could kick myself today for paying $1.79 pound for marked down ground beef last week. Today they had it marked down to $1.49 pound and they had so many packages that I could have filled my freezer with it. I restrained myself though and only bought six 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 pound packages, which I froze unopened. I also bought one larger package to make burger patties, which I froze raw. When we want to have burgers, I can cook them without thawing first in my Nuwave oven. I've probably shot my budget again for this week but I should make up for it over the next few weeks. My freezer is completely full so I can't buy any more meat until we've eaten some of it. I was lucky to find enough space for what I bought today.
 

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Menu for the week of 9/28 thru 10/4

CHICKEN WITH PEANUT CURRY

 
SUNDAY:
Leftover Ham & Cheese Quiche
Leftover Chicken with Peanut Curry

MONDAY:
Leftovers
Sloppy Joe Stuffed Peppers (if needed)

TUESDAY:
Enchilada Bake Variation
Cheese Quiche

WEDNESDAY:
Leftovers
Mock Rice Pudding

THURSDAY:
Leftovers

FRIDAY:
Roast Chicken
Green Beans

SATURDAY:
Perfect LC Pancakes
Leftovers
 

PERFECT LC PANCAKES

ENCHILADA BAKE VARIATION

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Shopping List - Week of September 21 - September 27

TUESDAY'S SHOPPING

HEB (Tuesday):
Quart heavy cream - $3.56
Shower spray - $3.56
3-pack tissues - $3.57

TOTAL - $9.56

FOOD TOWN (Tuesday):
Ground beef @ 1.79lb (marked down) - $20.49
2 8-ounce shredded cheese @ 1.88 each - 3.76
2 packages ribeye steaks @ 3.99lb (marked down) - $13.60
Mt. Olive SF pickle relish - $2.29
Yellow squash @ .99lb - $.84
Cucumber - $.63
Dozen eggs - $1.62

TOTAL - $43.23

KROGER (Thursday):
1 dozen eggs @ 1.89 (minus 10% discount) - $1.70
24 ounce cottage cheese @ 2.29 (minus 10% discount + .40 coupon) - $1.66
Lip balm (marked down) - $.50
2 12-packs diet soda @ 2.39 each (minus 10% discount + $1.25 coupon) - $3.15
3 cans tuna @ .50 each - $1.50
8 CARBmaster yogurt @ .40 each (minus 10% discount) - $2.88
4 packages cheese @ 1.50 each (minus 10% discount & .65 coupon) - $4.75 (1.19 each)
Coconut @ 1.25 (minus 10% discount) - $1.12
Frozen yogurt @ 2.50 (minus 10% discount + .40 coupon) - $1.85

TOTAL - $19.30

WALMART (Thursday):
2 bottles white vinegar @ .56 each - $1.12
Salsa - $1.98

TOTAL - $3.10

GRAND TOTAL FOR THE WEEK - $75.19 (over budget by $15.19)

THURSDAY'S SHOPPING

While I was at Walmart this morning checking the price on bulk granular "Splenda", I noticed that they're carrying the squeeze bottles of "Sucralose to Go" again as well as the Stevia version. The sucralose is $2.74 per bottle. They had stopped selling the liquid Splenda back when they got in the Skinny Girl brand sweeteners. Actually, I think the liquid sucralose might be their own store brand. I just looked at the Sucralose to Go bottle online and I don't think that's what I saw there today. I'm pretty sure that I saw a white bottle, not a yellow one.

Kroger is now selling their own store brand of almond flour under their Simple Truth label of "health food" products. It's quite a bit cheaper than Bob's Red Mill at $7.99 for a pound bag. If I get the 10% senior discount on that brand (not sure yet), it would be even cheaper than ordering from Honeyville when they've got theirs 15% off on sale.

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Recipe Review - Low Carb Egg Noodles

I tried a fun new recipe today that I just ran across this morning on Jimmy Moore's forum. It's from the Up Late Anyway Low Carb Recipes blog. HERE is the link to the recipe. I'd never seen anything like them before and I just happened to have an open bag of shredded mozzarella in the fridge and some left over egg yolks from something I made the other day that only called for the whites. I had nothing to lose by trying them. I was skeptical but they turned out quite well and were very easy to make.

UPDATE: The site where I found this recipe is no longer online.

I followed the recipe exactly as posted and let mine air-dry four hours on the counter. I saved the parchment paper to use again for making cheese crisps or something. It would have been a shame to throw away two big pieces that only had a little cooking spray on them. It was a little tricky getting the thickness right because I couldn't see how thick the dough was through the parchment. I think I got them about right though.

Since I was just trying them out, I didn't actually do anything with them other than taste them. They were nice to snack on and I think they'd be good with some sort of sauce on them or added to soup. I'd add them at the last minute right before serving though. I'm not sure how well they'd hold up sitting in a pot of soup over time. They have an egg noodle/dumpling sort of consistency which made me think of putting them in soup. I tried reheating one on a plate in the microwave but it started to bubble so I stopped it. I think they might turn into cheese crisps in the microwave unless you were to heat them in a sauce on a low power setting perhaps.

I just got an idea that I might try if I think of it later. I might make a batch and add them to my Tuna Casserole recipe. If they fall apart or melt during baking it won't matter. The trick will be remembering to make the noodles at least four hours before I want to make the casserole.

There is one drawback to this recipe. The recipe only makes one serving yet they contain FOUR ounces of cheese! That's an awful lot of cheese for one serving, especially if you want to use them with some sort of cheesy sauce, like Alfredo. That's why I think they'd be better in a pot of soup or a casserole with one batch serving about four people.
 

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Tuesday's Shopping

Today was MEAT DAY!!! I snapped up a bunch of packages of ground beef marked down and also two packages of marked down ribeye steaks. Unfortunately, that means I will go over my budget this week because I've already spent almost $53.00 and there's stuff that I need to buy on Thursday. I'm sure that $7.00 won't cover it but I'll try to keep the cost down as much as possible and put off buying a few things that I'm not in dire need of just yet.
 

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Menu for the week of 9/21 thru 9/27

TUNA MUFFINS

 
SUNDAY:
Leftover Salsa Sausage Quiche
Leftover Meatloaf
Leftover Tuna Muffins
Steak
Cheesy Garlic Bread

MONDAY:
Seoul Chicken
Rice

TUESDAY:
Leftovers

WEDNESDAY:
Italian Meatball Burgers
Squash "Pasta"

THURSDAY:
Ham & Cheese Quiche
Leftovers

FRIDAY:
Leftovers
Tuna Muffins
Tartar Sauce

SATURDAY:
Chicken with Peanut Curry

CHEESY GARLIC BREAD

CHICKEN WITH PEANUT CURRY

 
The rice on Monday is some that I still have left in the pantry from when I was cooking high carb for my husband and son. I might as well use it up rather than throw it out. In any case, Jerry is still losing weight eating bread and ice cream so a little rice probably won't hinder him.

There's a chance that I will take the steak off the menu and make it another day. It depends on how much meatloaf and Tuna Muffins are left by Sunday. I've been making Tuna Muffins quite a bit lately because they're nice "filler" food for snacks and lunches and they're pretty cheap to make.
 

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Shopping List - Week of September 14 - September 20

TUESDAY'S SHOPPING

HEB (Tuesday):
Quart heavy cream - $3.56
Shower spray - $3.56
4 SF drink mix @ 1.00 each - $4.00
Nasal strips - $6.88

TOTAL - $16.90

ALDI (Tuesday):
2 Swiss cheese @ 1.99 each - $3.98
1 Colby cheese - $1.99
Butter - $1.99
6 ounce tomato paste - $.39
Pork rinds - $.99

TOTAL - $9.34

FOOD TOWN (Tuesday):
Onions @ .50lb - $.79
Fab detergent - $1.99
Ground beef @ 1.99lb (marked down) - $7.24
2 8-ounce shredded cheese @ 1.66 each - $3.32

TOTAL - $13.48

KROGER (Thursday):
1 dozen eggs @ 1.89 (minus 10% discount) - $1.70
2 packages chicken thighs @ .88lb (minus $2.00 coupon) - $8.24
Parmesan cheese @ 2.97 (minus 10% discount) - $2.67
50 quart zipper bags @ 2.79 (minus 10% discount) - $2.51

TOTAL - $15.33

SPROUTS (Thursday):
Chicken burrito @ 1.99 (FREE coupon) - $.00
Cucumber - $.77

TOTAL - $.77

GRAND TOTAL FOR THE WEEK - $55.05

THURSDAY'S SHOPPING

I was lucky to get a little over three pounds of ground beef marked down this week because hamburger is back up near $4.00 pound again. I used my last FREE coupon from Sprouts grand opening today and got a free burrito for my husband. The chicken thighs were a great price at Kroger this week and I think we're going to start eating more chicken because it's the cheapest meat anymore. The chicken was only 88-cents per pound and I had a coupon for $2.00 off a meat purchase. I had to choose the largest packages they had (10 thighs in each) to make the $10.00 minimum to use the coupon. As you can see, I made it by 24-cents.

My husband requested a batch of my homemade Bread & Butter Pickles which is why I bought the cucumber.

MICROWAVE BREAD & BUTTER PICKLES

 
I was planning to make a new Trifle recipe this week but I've decided to save a little money and just make Strawberry Shortcake using ingredients I already have on hand. For the "shortcakes" I'm going to make a batch of Basic Almond Flour Muffins and I'm using frozen strawberries that I got from Trader Joe's. Using muffins for the shortcakes is a bit cheaper than making a pound cake, which calls for cream cheese and a lot more butter.

BASIC ALMOND FLOUR MUFFINS

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Tuesday's Shopping

TUESDAY'S SHOPPING

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Menu for the week of 9/14 thru 9/20

SALSA SAUSAGE QUICHE

SUNDAY:
Swiss Onion Quiche
Leftover Cauliflower & Ham Salad
Leftover Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole
Pizza (new "recipe")

MONDAY:
Leftovers

TUESDAY:
Leftovers
Pork & Bell Pepper Stir-Fry

WEDNESDAY:
Leftovers
Chicken Salad

THURSDAY:
Meatloaf

FRIDAY:
Leftovers
Summer Trifle (new recipe)

SATURDAY:
Salsa Sausage Quiche
Sloppy Joe Stuffed Peppers

SLOPPY JOE STUFFED PEPPERS

I'm not making my regular Deep Dish Pizza recipe this time. I got some pre-baked pizza shells from LC-Foods recently and I'm going to give one a try. I'm not positive that I will make the Pork & Bell Pepper Stir-Fry on Tuesday. I have some leftover cooked roast pork cubes in the freezer and I will make something with them. It will depend on what I'm in the mood for and what veggies I have on hand that day.

The Summer Trifle is something new that I'm going to create using some cubed Basic Almond Flour Muffins, some LC-Foods raspberry jam, Cheesecake Pudding and maybe some whipped cream.

I was going to serve the Sloppy Joe Stuffed Peppers tomorrow but we already have enough food in the fridge that we won't need them. I will thaw and serve them next Saturday if we are running low on food.

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Shopping List - Week of September 7 - September 13

TUESDAY'S SHOPPING

HEB (Tuesday):
Quart heavy cream - $3.56
Ice cream @ buy one/get one free - $4.48
Ground pork @ 3.40 (marked down 25%) - $2.55
Burger buns - $1.28
12 ounce garlic powder (marked down because cap was broken) - $3.00

TOTAL - $14.87

Food Town (Tuesday):
8-pack paper towels - $3.44
12-pack toilet paper - $3.44
Colgate toothpaste - $.99
Jalapeños @ .69lb - $.75
Onions @ .79lb - $1.04
Garlic @ 1.99lb - $.30

TOTAL - $10.53

KROGER (Thursday):
2 dozen eggs @ .99 each (minus 10% discount) - $1.78
2 jars peanut butter @ .99 each (minus 10% discount) - $1.78
Boneless chicken thighs @ 1.99lb - $6.35
Boneless chicken breasts @ 1.99lb - $9.51
3 16-ounce bags shredded cheese @ 3/10.00 (minus 10% discount) - $9.01
3 bags Asian style frozen vegetable blend @ .88 each (minus 10% discount) - $2.37

TOTAL - $30.80

SPROUTS (Thursday):
Loaf of bread @ 3.99 (FREE coupon) - $.00

TOTAL - $.00

WALMART (Thursday):
Cauliflower @ 1.98 (price match with Aldi ad) - $.79
Glue pen - $3.00
Dry erase board - $2.37

TOTAL - $6.60

GRAND TOTAL FOR THE WEEK - $62.80 (over budget by $2.80)

THURSDAY'S SHOPPING

 
I wouldn't normally buy onions when they're that expensive but I was running low on them and I especially needed a large one to put on burgers. Oh well. They're even more expensive than that at Walmart and most other places.

Kroger has some nice sales this week for their "Grand Re-Opening" because they recently remodeled the store. Because I had to buy the large family size packages of chicken, I spent a bit more than I would have liked and that put me over my budget a little. I don't mind buying the large packages of chicken because I can divide them into individual bags when I freeze them and then only thaw as many as I need.

I only got one item at Sprouts this week and I only went there because I had a coupon for a free loaf of bread. My husband is still eating toast every day so free bread is a nice thing. I also had a coupon for a free can of coconut water. I've never had that before but the carbs were too high for me and Jerry doesn't like coconut much. So, I gave my coupon to a woman who was shopping in the store. I just chose someone at random and she was all excited and said that she buys that stuff all the time. Go figure.

I think that's the lowest price I've ever seen on fresh cauliflower. That was the only thing that I wanted from Aldi so I decided it wouldn't be worth the gas to drive there just for one item. So, I bought it at Walmart and they matched Aldi's ad price. It's a huge cauliflower and very fresh too. It wasn't on my menu for this week but I'm going to use it to make a batch of Cauliflower & Ham Salad tomorrow. The recipe makes a huge bowl and will last us several days. I will leave out the grape tomatoes this time to save money and I'll add extra hard boiled eggs to boost the protein. Today I made Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole, which also makes a lot of servings, so I shouldn't have to cook again until at least Sunday or Monday other than to make a quiche when the current one in the fridge is gone.

CAULIFLOWER & HAM SALAD

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Tuesday's Shopping

TUESDAY'S SHOPPING

Yep, more jalapeños again. I go through the Bread & Butter Pickled Jalapeños very quickly because they're so yummy. Food Town had the chiles for 69-cents per pound again today.

I got a super deal on a big jar of garlic powder at HEB. It was marked down to just $3.00 because the cap was broken. It was still sealed and I had a spare cap at home anyway. The 12-ounce jar would normally be almost $6.00. I use quite a bit of garlic powder to make my homemade taco seasoning and other spice blends.

While I was at HEB, I noticed that they sell Quest Bars now. I didn't buy any because they're expensive and I can't handle that much fiber. I got some free sample bars a couple years ago and they were pretty tasty and had a nice texture. They are $2.50 each at HEB and they had these flavors:

Cookies & Cream, Double Chocolate Chunk, White Chocolate Raspberry, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, Chocolate Brownie, Vanilla Almond Crunch (I think I've had this one and it was my favorite), Apple Pie, Mixed Berry Bliss, Banana Nut Muffin, Chocolate Peanut Butter, Cinnamon Roll, Coconut Cashew.

The flavors that HEB didn't have were Peanut Butter Supreme, PB & J, Strawberry Cheesecake and the Lemon Cream Pie. The one flavor that I would have loved to try was the Apple Pie but it had 7 net carbs so I passed on it. They also had their peanut butter cup "Cravings" bars. I'd never heard of those before.

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Menu for the week of 9/7 thru 9/13

RASPBERRY-RASPBERRY

SUNDAY:
Leftover Ham Quiche
Leftover Chile Relleno Casserole
Leftover Mock Rice Pudding
Oven-Smoked Brisket *

MONDAY:
Leftovers
Sausage Quiche

TUESDAY:
Burgers

WEDNESDAY:
Burgers
Tuna Muffins
Tartar Sauce

THURSDAY:
Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole
Brussels Sprouts with Browned Butter

FRIDAY:
Leftovers
Raspberry-Raspberry

SATURDAY:
Swiss Onion Quiche
Sloppy Joe Stuffed Peppers *

TUNA MUFFINS

* Already cooked. I froze some of the leftovers the last time I made this.

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Shopping List - Week of August 31 - September 6

HEB:
Quart heavy cream - $3.56
Ice cream @ $3.50 each - $7.00

TOTAL - $10.56

ALDI:
2 Swiss cheese @ 1.99 each - $3.98
2 dozen eggs @ 1.19 each - $2.38

TOTAL - $6.36

KROGER:
12 CARBmaster yogurt @ .40 each (minus 10% discount) - $4.32
Foil @ .89 (minus 10% discount) - $.80
3 cans tuna @ .78 (minus 10% discount) - $2.10

TOTAL - $7.29

SPROUTS:
16 ounce frozen spinach @ 1.99 (FREE coupon) - $.00
Lemonade @ 2.29 (FREE coupon) - $.00

TOTAL - $.00

WALMART:
10 pack soap - $4.88
Panty liners - $3.88
2 12-packs diet Cherry Pepsi @ 3.00 each - $6.00
Canned whole chiles - $1.25
Coffee - $2.98
Decaf - $2.78

TOTAL - $22.99

GRAND TOTAL FOR THE WEEK - $47.20

I won't have my car on Thursday so I decided to do all of my shopping for this week today.

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