The process: Shopping, making stock

A few more days of my “process”

Saturday, 2/22:

1. I made huevos rancheros for breakfast with the sauce I had in the freezer, tortillas I picked up at Meijer on Thursday for 34 cents, part of a block of Monterey Jack that cost me $1.25 at Ultra not long ago, eggs I also had from a good sale at Ultra, and refried beans I got long ago for 50 cents or less.
2. We went out to dinner, because even I need a break sometimes!

Sunday, 2/23:

1. I had 4 lbs of boneless skinless chicken thighs in the fridge that I picked up at Aldi a few days ago for $1.49/lb. I didn’t come up with anything to do with them so I portioned them into one 2 lb and two 1 lb packages and sealed them up for the freezer with my Foodsaver.
2. For my lunch, I made a some number of layers dip with the refried beans that were left from Saturday’s breakfast, avocado, tomato, cheese, sour cream, etc.
3. Dinner was penne pasta with a tomato short rib sauce I had in the freezer. I remembered it being a bit one-dimensional, so I sauteed some mushrooms in red wine to add to it. I picked up a bag of baby spinach and arugula at Jewel for $1.25/bag after coupons, so we had a salad of that plus some other produce, etc. to start. The pasta also yielded two lunches worth of leftovers.

Monday, 2/24:

1. I got this in the mail:
   We don’t eat much frozen pizza, but I am sure it will have other applications. I love that I live as close as I do to Penzey’s, mostly for the reasonably-priced, excellent quality spices, but the freebies are always fun. Last time it was a free mug, which I am very much enjoying:
   
2. As you can see from the picture at the top of the post, I did a little shopping. I spent $41.46 on:
   1. 4 – 28 oz cans of Tuttoroso tomatoes, $.50 each after $1.00/2 blinkie coupons. Tomatoes are good for all sorts of things (pizza sauce and marinara sauce are just the beginning) and last a really long time. 50 cents is a definite buy price for me.
   2. 3 – Fratelli coffee beans, $4.99 each. We love our coffee and this is locally roasted a few towns over. I have been wanting to try it for a while and was excited to see it on sale this week. We’ll try these three different kinds and wait for the next sale if we want to stock up.
   3. Treasure Cave feta cheese, $1.17 each after $1.00/2 coupon from a previous package. This is a good price, and I use feta regularly enough that having two to use up in the next few months makes sense, but I don’t have a specific plan yet.
   4. 2 – Goya 1 lb dry lentils, $.99 each. My daughter has been asking for lentil soup, so how can I say no to that. I like this brand and the price is about as good as it gets. I didn’t get more because there isn’t a ton of variation in this type of item so there is no real need to stock up.
   5. 2 – Caputo gnocchi, $.99 each. Again, something my daughter has been requesting. I am such a sucker. I have no idea if these are any good, but for $.99 it is worth a try.
   6. Butterball deli turkey, about $3.60/lb after $1.00/1 lb coupon. Again with the requests from the kiddo. I am not in love with the stuff they put in most deli meat, but we don’t eat a ton of it, so it is okay with me. I will sacrifice a bit of food integrity for a quick way to get a happy child. I also quite enjoyed a turkey sandwich with avocado, tomato, cheese, and some of that spinach and arugula!
   7. 5 – navel oranges, $.79/lb.
   8. 4 – organic Bosc pears, $.79/lb. The ad did not specify organic, but this sort of nice bonus often happens at Caputo’s.
   9. 2 avocados, $.79 each. No specific plan, but I have lots of other things that go with them, so they will easily be put to good use.
   10. 2 lemons, $.79/lb. I don’t have a plan for them but they are good to have on hand and last quite a while in the fridge.
   11. Asparagus, $.99/lb. Again, no plan but something we like at a great price, so I will work it in to a dinner soon.
   12. Garlic, $.26. I ran out!
   13. Cucumber, $.50. For salad, snack, etc.
   14. Pint organic grape tomatoes, $.99.
   15. Cilantro, $.29.
   16. Strawberries, $1.50.
   17. Blackberries, $.99.
   18. 5 – Michigan Golden Delicious apples, $.56/lb.
   19. Romaine lettuce, $.79/lb. Again, with the things I have on hand, avocado, cilantro, tomatoes, etc., it seems like tacos, taco, salad, or something of the sort might be happening as the week progresses, so I want to be prepared. Going to the store for just lettuce is really annoying!
3. I am also making chicken stock. This is long overdue for me, so I will be very happy to have this on hand soon.
   I saved the bones from 3 chickens. Two were in the freezer and one was from Friday’s dinner. I’ll post more about that once it is done and stored.
4. Tonight’s dinner will be chicken corn chowder. I have some actual meat also left over from Friday, some potatoes that should be used up soon, and the rest of the ingredients on hand. It will give us a simple dinner tonight and a few more lunches for the week.

I just heard my grocery ads hit my front door, so hopefully they will give me some inspiration for the rest of the week!