I accidentally had second breakfast on Saturday

Really. I woke up at 1:30 after going to bed Friday night to one of the cats jumping onto our bed, gagging. He had 3 or 4 feet of yarn in his stomach, and the rest of the ball was wrapped all around him and dragging behind him. I carefully extracted the slobbery yarn from his throat and went back to sleep.

Saturday morning Winter and I had to get up at 3:45 am to go to the airport. She had a 6:00am flight to go to her dad's for the weekend. I bought pumpkin bread and an eggnog latte at the airport Starbucks for $6.56. Jeremy texted me to tell me that the cat had thrown up another 5 feet of yarn. After  Winter boarded her flight I went back home and went to sleep for about an hour and a half, right after cleaning up 5 or 6 more feet of yarn on the floor in a huge puddle of saliva. Thankfully that seemed to have been the last of it. The cat went back to sleep too.

I woke up again at about 8 am and was hungry so I made myself another breakfast, having completely forgotten about the first one. I didn't remember it until I was done at work.

On out way home Jeremy and I stopped at Yogurtland. We had some free ounces on our rewards card, and spent a total of $5.23. I got eggnog yogurt with chunks of pumpkin bread on top. We also went to QFC and bought two Lean Cuisines on sale for $2.00 each, and two 2 lb bags of navy beans from the reduced section for $1.49 each. So our total spent on Saturday was $18.77.

Breakfast: pumpkin bread
Second Breakfast: caramel Mediterranean yogurt with raspberries and walnuts
Lunch: leftover turkey soup, apple, clementime
Dinner: 3 Lean Cuisine fajita spring rolls
Snacks/desserts: eggnog frozen yogurt with pumpkin bread chunks
Beverages: eggnog latte, water

Wednesday: when so much money was spent

Wednesday morning I could not compell myself to get up and get breakfast or lunch together before work. I didn't sleep well, and I had to leave at 6:30 am. It just wasn't happening this time. I decided to at least try to minimize the amount spent.

Jeremy had given me a Starbucks gift card he got at work which had just over $2 on it, so for breakfast I got an asiago bagel, and spent nothing. For lunch, I had a coupon for McDonald's where I got a free medium beverage and fries with a large sandwich. Luckily, there is a McDonald's in the airport where I was working on Wednesday. I wasn't sure what constituted a large sandwich, so I got the largest one they had: a double quarter pounder with cheese. I also got my free fries and Sprite. It was a lotta lunch. I spent $6.34 after tax.

I got done at two, and after I got home we all took the bus to Grocery Outlet, where we bought the following:

2 lbs of butterball deli turkey ($1.97 each) $3.94
9 caramel flavored Mediterranean yogurts (3/$1.00) $3.00
3 lime flavored Mediterranean yogurts (3/$1.00) $1.00
2 tubs of caramel flavored cream cheese ($.99 ea) $1.98
2.5 lbs frozen chicken tenderloins $5.99
2 lbs frozen mango, pineapple, and papaya mix $3.99
Frozen mango habanero chicken bites $1.99
Raspberries $1.50
1 lb butter $2.99
8 oz. shredded jack cheese $1.79
2 lbs colby jack cheese $6.99
4 coffee flavored Greek yogurts (4/$.97) $.97
2 heads living butter lettuce $4.99
Grated parmesan cheese $1.99
6 oz. peppadew havarti cheese $1.99
4 single serve Campbells's cheeseburger soup ($.99 ea) $3.96
1 lb dry pinto beans $.99
Club style crackers $1.99
2 packages of root beer float Oreos ($2.29 ea) $4.58
1 dozen medium eggs $1.69
20 protein bars ($.50 ea) $10.00
Oatmeal strawberry Pop Tarts $.27
Single serve chicken pot pie soup $.77
3 bags of elbow macaroni 3/$1.00
6 individually wrapped cinnamon roll cookies ($.07 ea) $.42
1 lb black beans $1.09
Toasted oats cereal $.99
Rotini pasta $.89
Fruity Cheerios cereal $2.49
8 oz shelled walnuts $3.99
7 bottles of Mio ($.99 ea) $6.93
1 lb lentils $.99
Pretzel thins crackers $.87
Mild salsa $1.49
26 oz creamy peanut butter $3.49
20 oz. morello cherry jam $2.79

Total $96.78

Winter spent some of her money on a couple of breakfast Lunchables with waffle sticks and syrup, and a tube of refrigerated biscuit dough. She baked the biscuits when we got home.

I also had to run out to my other job for a couple hours and on the way back I picked up a couple more things at QFC:

Dijon mustard $1.69
Pint of egg whites $3.19
Thyme $.45
Sage $.30
Rosemary $.20

Total $5.83

So, overall I did not eat the best on Wednesday, but I guess some days will be like that.

Breakfast: asiago bagel
Lunch: double quarter pounder with cheese, medium fries
Dinner: caramel flavored Mediterranean yogurt, biscuit (Winter offered me one)
Snacks/desserts: cinnamon roll cookie, root beer float Oreos, a few bites of fruity Cheerios with milk shared by Jeremy
Beverages: water, Sprite

Monday and Tuesday recap

Monday I worked from 11-5 at the downtown Convention Center. Here's what I ate:

Breakfast: scrambled eggs with cheese
Lunch: peanut butter and jelly sandwich, Greek yogurt tube
Dinner: sriracha glazed chicken with bamboo shoots, celery, and rice
Snacks/desserts: snickerdoodle ice cream with goat milk caramel sauce, blueberry Petite Cream
Beverages: water

Jeremy met me after work and we walked to QFC. We bought pretty much everything else we'll need to get us through the end of the month. Tonight Winter is going to help me make a hu-normous pot of vegetable soup. I also got some broccoli and cheese to make chicken, pasta, and broccoli with cheese sauce.

Here's what we bought:

10 bag of frozen pre-cooked quinoa (RFQS*) $1.99
Snickerdoodle ice cream $2.50
2 Lean Cuisines ($2.00 ea) $4.00
8 Petite Cremes** in assorted flavors (RFQS at $.29 ea) $2.32
1/2 gal 2% milk $1.50
Mt Dew Kickstart $.99
3 bottles of goat milk caramel sauce (RFQS at $.99 ea) $2.97
box of mac and cheese $.89
2 cans of petite diced tomatoes in juice ($.79 ea) $1.58
jar of baby dill pickles $2.99
Cocoa Krispies $1.79
Honey Bunches of Oats $1.79
8 oz shredded pepper blend cheese $1.99
2 lbs carrots $1.29
.64 lb cauliflower $1.27
.66 lb dried garbanzos $1.18
green bell pepper $.79
4 bananas $1.10
zucchini $1.08
yellow squash $.86
.29 lbs green beans $.58
.58 lbs broccoli $.57
2 Yukon gold potatoes $1.13

*Reduced for quick sale
** It's a new product, similar to Greek yogurt, but less tart. It is made with ricotta I think.

Total after Raise 3% discount $36.04


Yesterday I worked at the airport early in the morning. I had to get up at 6 am after getting home around 11 with Winter, and not getting to bed until after midnight. Winter made some raspberry jam and brought a jar with her, so I had that on my sandwich for lunch. Winter helped me make a pizza from scratch for dinner. I mixed some garlic and Italian seasoning into a little bit of the turkey sausage from the freezer to top it with.

Breakfast: vanilla Petite Creme
Lunch: peanut butter sandwich with Winter's homemade raspberry jam, banana
Dinner: pizza topped with mozzarella, green bell peppers, and Italian seasoned turkey sausage.
Snacks: snickerdoodle ice cream with goat milk caramel sauce
Beverages, iced coffee with simple syrup and cream, water, Coke Zero

For the big surprise I took Jeremy and Winter to see To Be Takei at the SIFF Cinema Uptown in Queen Anne. They are both huge fans of George Takei. It was a really great documentary. I cried a couple of times. It's about his relationship with Brad, his experience in the Japanese American internment camp during WWII, and his acting career, plus his political and social activism. Winter was the only one there who wasn't an adult, which was kind of funny to me. I think this movie was pretty appropriate for pre-teens on up at least.

Our only spending yesterday was on an iced coffee for me at the airport, which was $3.00 with tax and tip, and on a large Coke Zero at the theater. A jaw-dropping $5.50. I am sort of fine with that though since it is a small independent local theater.

Recipe for slow cooker curried chickpeas and carrots

1 1/2 cups dried chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
1 14 oz can diced tomatoes in juice
3 or 4 carrots, thickly sliced
2 cloves of garlic
1 T curry powder
1 T olive oil
2 T dried onion flakes

Soak the chickpeas in 3 cups of water overnight. The next morning combine all ingredients in a 2 qt slow cooker, and add 2 more cups of water. Slow cook on high for 6 or 7 hours until chickpeas are tender. Makes about 8 cups. Nutrition info is for 1 cup.

Slow cooker recipe for hearty bean and vegetable soup

sooooo many vitamins

This soup gets tons of flavor from fresh, dried, and canned veggies and beans, and is high in with lots of assorted micronutrients. I am tagging this recipe as vegetarian, because you can very easily replace the chicken bouillon with vegetable or mushroom bouillon. Don't be intimidated by the long ingredient list. This is super fast to put together.

1/3 cup dried black beans
1/3 cup dried pinto beans
1/3 cup dried garbanzo beans
1/3 cup yellow split peas (if you can't find these, try brown lentils instead)
1/3 cup green split peas
5 cups water
2 carrots, thickly sliced
1 bell pepper, chopped
1/4 cup dried onion
2 T sodium free chicken bouillon
14 oz can diced tomatoes in juice
3 cloves of crushed garlic
1/4 cup white wine
1 t oregano
dash of black pepper

Combine all dried beans and pulses with the five cups of water the night before and allow them to soak. The following day, combine all ingredients in a 2 qt or larger slow cooker and cook on the low setting for 6 or 7 hours until beans and split peas are tender. Makes 8 cups. Nutrition info is for 1 cup.

Slow Cooker Vegetarian Chili

1 cup dried pintos
1 cup dried black beans
2 veggie burgers (or 1/2 cup veggie ground round)
14 oz tomato sauce
14 oz diced tomatoes
2 T chili powder
1 T cumin
3 T dried onion flakes
dash of red pepper flakes
4 cups water

Soak the beans in the water overnight. The following day tear the veggie burgers into small pieces and add all ingredients to pot. Top it off with a little more water if necessary. Slow cook on low for 7-9 hours until beans are tender. Recipe makes about 2 quarts. Nutrition info is for 1 cup.

Slow cooker chicken sausage and bean soup recipe

This soup turned out really good. I would definitely have it again. Jeremy liked it also. I had about a cup and a half for dinner. Here's the recipe:

1 cup dried pinto beans
2 carrots, thickly sliced
2 chicken sausages (I used chicken with apple and gouda) halved and sliced
3 T brown sugar
1 t Worcestershire sauce
3 T sodium free chicken bouillon (or 1-2 regular bouillon cubes)
1 t mustard powder
dash of black pepper
6 cups water

Start soaking the pinto beans the night before in 2 cups of water. The next morning add the remainder of the ingredients and cook on the low setting for 6 or 7 hours. Nutrition info is for 1 cup of soup.

Today's meals

This morning I made a smoothie in the blender with the frozen banana, a cup of milk, a tablespoon of cashew butter, and a tablespoon and a half of goat's milk caramel syrup. I was a little uncertain how it was going to turn out, but I liked it. It had a sweet/salty thing going on and I mostly tasted the caramel in it.

For lunch I will use up the rest of the turkey lunch meat, a slice of muenster, two slices of bread, some sweet hot mustard, and a couple pieces of lettuce on a sandwich. I'll also cut up a carrot and two radishes.

For dinner I am making soup in the crock pot with pinto beans, the two chicken apple gouda sausages, two carrots, sodium free chicken bouillon, and some seasonings. I will post the recipe when I get home, in case it turns out to need a bit more seasoning.

Once I figure out what we're having tomorrow I'll know if I need to pick anything up at the store tonight. Our spending goal for the remainder of the month is $180. Winter, my daughter, left for her dad's yesterday, so for the rest of the month it's just me and Jeremy. That is $10 a day for 18 days.