Final Grocery Total for September

I am counting this as the end of the month. I get paid once a month on the first and since that falls on Sunday I was paid this morning. With that caveat I will hit up the farmer's market and grocery store probably tomorrow for October's groceries.

Kroger Trip:

Dog Food      $4.99
Reese's           $2.04
1 lb carrots    $.99
1 pkg dishwasher detergent    $2.99
1 pkg mushrooms     $1.49
1 donut      $.50

Trip Total:;;   $13.83


Grand Total for September::::::::::  $352.13

Last Week of September

The last week of September is upon us. Logan's birthday party has passed and I am just waiting for payday to arrive and the beginning of next month's food money. As with many months in the past this week will be interesting as I try to use up stuff at the house and not hit up the grocery store for anything.

Sunday:
Breakfast: Kaloches
Lunch: Mexican Food out with friends
Dinner: Phillip actually ate the leftover Meatball bake from Saturday night. The boys requested grilled cheese and so that is what I made them.


Monday:
Breakfast: Cereal
Lunch: Hamburger and fries
Dinner: Nachos with leftover fajita stuff from Sunday's lunch

Tuesday:
Breakfast: Cereal
Lunch: Peanut Butter and Jelly, cheese crackers and beef jerky
Dinner: Smoked Beef Brisket Chili from Vindulge. Review on this is: Basically another version of taco soup. Even without the coffee this was to "soupy" to be called chili. With that out there it tasted good and enabled me to use up the leftover rib meat, beans, end of an onion and the rest of the bell pepper. I have brought it for lunch today at work and will debate putting the rest in the freezer for later or just bringing it for lunch until it is used up.

 Wednesday:
Breakfast: Cereal
Lunch: leftover smoked beef brisket chili
Dinner: Fish Sticks and Chicken Nuggets with ranch roasted potato

Thursday:
Breakfast: Cereal
Lunch: Ate on the run
Dinner: Manicotti using leftover sauce from the freezer

Friday:
Breakfast: Cereal
Lunch: Peanut Butter and Jelly with fruit cup and mini peanut butter cup
Dinner:  Homemade pepperoni pizza

Saturday:
Breakfast: Biscuits
Lunch: McDonalds with friends
Dinner: Pizza provided by friend

Groceries for September

I have really stayed out of the stores this month so I am hoping I make it through next week without busting my trend and messing up my total!!!

This post is also coming near the end of the month because I misplaced my receipt and had to find it.



Farmer's Market:    $47

Winco Trip:

1 Lollipop   $.45
1 bag Purina Dog chow   $11.98
1 bottle Purex Laundry Detergent  $5.48
1 pkg diapers   $6.97
1 box sandwich bags  $2.44
1 bottle cleaning brush $3.47
1 pkg dishwasher tabs   $4.48
1 bottle jet dry   $5.48
 1 bottle dish detergent  $1.18
1 case Peach soda   $2.98
1 can black beans   $.66
6 bottles apple juice  $10.08
2 cans diced tomatoes   $1.08
1 can kidney beans $.66
1 gallon milk   $.98
2 jars marinara  $2.96
1 large jar nutella  $4.78
1 can ro-tel tomatoes  $.54
1 bottle soy sauce  $.95
2 cans tomato sauce  $.60
3 (8) packs powerade   $12.54
1 box brownie snack cakes  $2.68
1 (12) bottle pack powerade  $5.58
1 pkg cheese and cracker snacks  $4.68
1 box microwave popcorn  $.95
1 pack fruit snacks  $1.98
1 box oatmeal  $1.98
1 pkg pepperoni  $3.70
1 bag spinach  $1.78
~1&1/2lbs grapes  $1.49
1 pkg Flanken ribs  $10.48
1 pkg pepperoni  $3.08
2 pkgs frozen veggies  $1.76
1 box fruit snacks  $1.58
1 pkg sliced cheese  $2.49
2 pkgs cheese sticks  $4.96
2 lbs strawberries   $3.00
1 gallon chocolate milk  $.99
1 Dublin cherry coke  $1.28
1 single serve juice  $.78
1 sour cherry $.99
1 20 oz coke  $1.66
2 naval oranges  $1.56
~1 lb sliced deli turkey  $3.54
1 pkg babybel cheese  $4.08
3 pkgs shredded cheese  $ 5.64
~1/2 lb  $.50
~1lb sliced deli ham  $2.99
~3&1/2 lb sugar   $2.07
~2&1/2 lb baking soda  $1.82
~1/2 lb elbow macaroni  $.41
~1/2 lb pasta shells  $.57
~3/4 lb spaghetti $.60
~2&1/4lb bananas  $1.09
8 fruit strips  $3.28
~2&1/4lbs bird food mix  $1.07
~1/4lb fruit snacks  $.59
~1/8lb jelly belly jelly beans $.96
~1/4 lb doggy dental chews  $1.87
1 snack bag cheetos $.48
1 bag snack size chips  $4.58
1 box snack cakes  $1.28
2 bags chips  $2.18
1 loaf bread  $.83

Trip Total:   $184.15


Winco Trip #2:

~2&1/2 lbs grapes  $2.33
1 large box goldfish  $5.98
Vanilla ice cream  $3.40
1 box yogurt tubes  $2.61
1 bottle mayo  $1.37
1 Dublin root beer  $1.28
1 gallon milk  $.98

Trip Total:  $18.04


Winco Trip #3

2 (8) packs of powerade  $5.96
2 packs snack cakes $3.56
1 bottle Dublin cherry limeade  $1.28
~1/2 lb mike and ikes  $1.13
~1/4lb fruit snacks  $.48
~1&3/4lbs bananas  $.88
~1&1/4lbs peaches  $1.06
2 bags chips  $1.96
1 bag kettle chips  $.78
1 loaf bread $.83

Trip Total:  $18.69

Winco Trip #4

1 (8) pack Powerade   $2.98
1 pkg colby jack sliced  $2.37
~2lbs bananas  $1.09
1 single serve iced tea  $1.18
 1 single serve coke  $1.66
1 gallon milk  $.96
1 loaf bread   $.83
1 bag chips  $.98

Trip Total:  $12.53


My last CSA pickup!! $24.00

Farmer's Market Trip  $16.00

Winco Trip #5

1 gallon milk  $..96
1 pkg biscuits  $1.58
1 Dublin cherry limeade $1.28
2 donuts  $1.16
~1&3/4lbs bananas  $.79
2 pints blackberries  $1.96

 Trip Total:  $7.84

Winco Trip #6
1 pkg bulk pepperoni  $1.25
1 pkg mini pepperonis  $3.70
1 pkg butter $1.22
4 boxes Jello  $1.76
2 donuts  $1.16
1 gallon milk  $.96

Trip Total:   $10.05


Total for the Month of September:::::: $338.30

3rd Week of September

I picked up my last CSA share. I need to decide if I am going to participate again and if I can afford to outlay the cash up front. After I picked up my share I went to the farmer's market and picked up a few additional items.

CSA share

Farmer's Market

I spent $16 at the farmer's market with $7 of that being for the loaf of bread.

Sunday:
Breakfast: Kaloches
Lunch: McDonald's
Dinner: Spaghetti with Toasted Sourdough

Monday:
Breakfast: Cereal
Lunch: chicken wrap
Dinner: Pinto beans with ham and cheddar biscuits. I use the term cheddar biscuits when what really happened is I got home and was getting ready to make cornbread only to discover I used all the flour over the weekend to make chocolate chip cookies with the boys. Since I am in the middle of the pantry challenge I fished around in there to find a box of Red Lobster cheddar biscuit mix. This became the bread with our meal last night.

Tuesday:
Breakfast: Cereal
Lunch:Sub sandwich
Dinner: Grilled Ribs, green salad and green beans

Wednesday:
Breakfast: Cereal
Lunch: Peanut Butter and Jelly and a green salad
Dinner: One Pan Sausage, Broccoli and Parmesan Pasta from Chelsea's Messy Apron. I used the leftover spaghetti noodles as that is the pasta I had available. Clark loved this dish more than anyone!

Thursday:
Breakfast: Cereal
Lunch: Peanut Butter and Jelly, snack cake and chips
Dinner: Grilled Turkey and Cheese on the remaining sourdough.

Friday:
Breakfast: Cereal
Lunch:peanut butter and jelly, snack cake and crackers
Dinner:Tasty Hamburger Skillet from FoodHero.org. This one used up a bunch of stuff I had leftover and from the CSA/Farmer's Market shares. My only recommendation would be to up the salt slightly if using fresh ingredients versus canned. 

Saturday:
Breakfast: Kaloches
Lunch: Birthday Party and Hair cuts so grazing at home in between
Dinner: Easy Meatball Parmesan Casserole from The Kitchen is My Playground. Although meatballs are not my favorite Phillip loves them so this dinner was mostly for him and to use up the meatballs in the freezer.

2nd Week of September

Saturday was supposed to be the last CSA pick up but I received an email from the farmer that they were at the hospital with their son and so would not be able to harvest. The boys and I took that as an opportunity to go to the farmer's market. We did not purchase a lot as we got there late and some favorites were low or sold out. We did come home with the pictured items and have enjoyed some of all of them thus far.

Our total was $17 for the pictured items.

Sunday:
Breakfast: donuts
Lunch: Cheese Enchilada, rice and beans
Dinner: Homemade pepperoni pizza

Monday:
Breakfast: cereal
Lunch:turkey and cheese sandwich
Dinner: Rosa's enchiladas for Logan's birthday

Tuesday:
Breakfast: Cereal
Lunch: roast beef sandwich
Dinner: 20 Minute Garlic Beef and Broccoli Lo Mein from the Recipe Critic. I used leftover steak (ribs) so I skipped the cooking steak step. This was a good recipe but I am not super happy with the noodles I bought. I will go back to my old brand which were sturdier.

Wednesday:
Breakfast: Cereal
Lunch:Pizza
Dinner: Pigs n a blanket with mac-n-cheese

Thursday:
Breakfast:Donuts in a meeting
Lunch:Turkey and Cheese with chips and cataloupe
Dinner: Carne street tacos using leftover rib meat.

Friday:
Breakfast: Cereal
Lunch: Turkey and cheese sandwich, chips and a snack cake
Dinner: Spinach Tomato and Garlic Penne Pasta from Cake's Cottage. I enjoyed this recipe. I did make a small change as I was out of plain cream cheese. I left out the onion and use an onion and chive cream cheese I had on hand.

 Saturday:
Breakfast: cinnamon sugar toast
Lunch: grazing at home
Dinner: Slow Cooker Salisbury Steak from Spend With Pennies. While I do not like gravy this one was not too bad.

Books Aug 22nd through Sept 6th

So in print I did not finish Life Without Oil: Why We Must Shift to a New Energy Future before it was due so I turned it in and requested it again from the library. In the interim I found another book on my currently reading list at the campus library and checked it out. 
The Death of the Grown-Up: How America's Arrested Development is Bringing Down Western Civilization is the book I am currently trying hard to finish. I have read books I do not agree with in the past but this book verges on hate speech on many levels. The author is basically making a case to go back to 1939 and live like the middle class. She just keeps saying middle class so I am not sure where she expects the wealthy and poor to go but this is her imaginary world I guess. The book can not be finished fast enough.


In audio I finished listening to You'll Grow Out of It and despite the reviews I liked it. People have a hard time seeing comedians as people and are upset when they are not funny all the time. Since I was not familiar with Jessi Klein before this book I did not have any expectations.  Whipping Boy: My Forty-Year Search for My Twelve-Year-Old Bully was also a decent listen despite the bad reviews. There were slow parts to the story and maybe more detail than was needed but still a decent listen.
The next book I listened to also got bad reviews mostly as personal attacks on the author. I was not familiar with the Winehouse family before I read Amy, My Daughter written by her father. I thought it was a touching telling of her story. There were parts that were mundane as with anyone's life and sometimes the timeline was confusing but I did enjoy listening to the book.  I must really have an odd opinion of books because this next one is super popular and I just did not like it. I listened to The Life-Changing Magic of Not Giving a F*ck: How to Stop Spending Time You Don't Have with People You Don't Like Doing Things You Don't Want to Do.  It was 3 hours of listening to the author repeat herself. The premise was helpful but listening to that premise over and over was tedious. All of that has led me to the current book Welcome to the Goddam Ice Cube: Chasing Fear and Finding Home in the Great White North. The author sometimes loses me because she jumps back and forth in time but so far it has been a good listen.

I have pre-ordered my next Kindle book and can not wait until the 19th when it comes out!

Final Total for August

Grocery total for August included one more trip to Winco with the tiny one so I picked up a couple of things I would not have if I was by myself.

Winco Trip:
1 gallon milk   $.95
1lb strawberries  $1.48
~1/4lb skittles    $.44
1 donut    $.58
~1/4lb mike and ikes   $.29
~1/4lb gummy worms   $.27

Total:   $4.09

Grand Total for AUGUST::::::::::   $358.82

1st Full Week of September

All the boys and I went to the farmer's market on Saturday and had a great time. I talked to one farmer about his farm share boxes which are a mix of all the meat he offers. I do not have to buy half an animal with his shares, I get a mix of pork, beef and chicken which works better for us and our limited freezer space.  Sunday afternoon I worked on the menu plan and was just in a place where nothing was coming to me or sounding like it would work. It is only Tuesday and I have already swapped plans.

Sunday:
Breakfast: Cinnamon Rolls
Lunch: Potluck at Church
Dinner: Chicken Fajita and Rice Soup from Cooking Classy. I halved the recipe, left out the ancho chili to cut down on the heat and added some corn I had left over. I used leftover chicken so I just added it toward the end since it did not need to cook. I also used leftover rice.

Monday:
Breakfast: Cinnamon Sugar Toast
Lunch: Chicken and fried okra
Dinner:  Beef Stroganoff using up the leftover flank steak

Tuesday:
Breakfast: Cereal
Lunch: Turkey and Swiss sandwich with a pear and chips
Dinner: Nachos using leftover taco meat and beans.

Wednesday:
Breakfast: Cereal
Lunch:Turkey and Gouda sandwich, a banana and a pear
Dinner: Grilled cheese and chips

Thursday:
Breakfast: Cereal
Lunch: wings and fries
Dinner:pancakes, local bacon and fried eggs as well as cheesy eggs

Friday:
Breakfast: cereal
Lunch: Turkey and cheddar sandwich with a pear and some grapes
Dinner:Chicken Bacon and Green Bean Skillet by the Classy Chapter with crescent rolls. I made this but just added the chicken and bacon toward the end so they would just heat up. If I ever make this again I would leave out the lemon, it made it way to acidic.

Saturday:
Breakfast: biscuits
Lunch: Turkey and cheese sandwich
Dinner: Grilled Ribs, mashed sweet potatoes, toasted sourdough and a salad