Wednesday thru Saturday, the lightning round version

Wednesday:

Purchased: nothing

Breakfast: granola and almond milk
Lunch: two clementines and a homemade granola bar
Dinner: Orange marmalade and hoisin glazed chicken, haricots verts with olive oil and pepper, roasted kabocha squash with herbed goat cheese, quinoa and wild rice pilaf with almonds
Snacks/desserts: homemade granola bar
Beverages: 1/2 can Blue Sky Free lemonade, water


Thursday:

Purchased: Cadbury dark chocolate bar, Lean Cuisine spring rolls
Total spent: $3

Breakfast: leftover chili with fiesta blend cheese and fried egg
Lunch: leftover tofu, squash and broccoli curry with leftover quinoa, wild rice and almond pilaf
Dinner: salad with lettuce, apple, leftover brown rice, herbed goat cheese, and raspberry walnut vinaigrette
Snacks/desserts: 1/4 dark chocolate bar
Beverages: water, pumpkin spice coconut milk


Friday:

Purchased: frozen yogurt at Menchie's, can of green beans, can of beef tamales, Hormel pepperoni pizza Rev wrap (free Friday download)

Total spent: $10

Breakfast: plain yogurt with strawberry apple compote and pecans
Lunch: leftover tofu, squash, and broccoli curry with leftover quinoa, wild rice, and almond pilaf and a homemade granola bar
Dinner: leftover chili with leftover brown rice, sour cream, and fiesta blend cheese
Snacks/desserts: pineapple sorbet with strawberries and blackberries, homemade granola bar
Beverages: water


Saturday:

Purchased: head of green leaf lettuce, 2 lbs carrots, green bell pepper

Total spent: $7

Breakfast: granola with almond milk
Lunch: plain yogurt with thawed unsweetened blueberries, honey, and pecans and brown rice crackers with herb goat cheese
Dinner: chicken stir fry with bell pepper, green beans, brown rice, and spicy orange sauce (Jeremy made it)
Snacks/desserts: 1/4 dark chocolate bar
Beverages: water

Last big trip to Grocery Outlet on Wednesday

On Wednesdays I work a short morning shift and am home by the early afternoon. Jeremy and I took the bus up to Grocery Outlet after I got home. We spent $41 and got the following:

8 chicken burger patties
Protein granola
Gluten free sour cream and wasabi crackers
Gluten free white bread
4 bottles of Mio
2 lbs frozen strawberries
2 lbs clementines
1 lb brown rice
3 Galazo SF energy drinks
Huge bottle of dried minced onion
6 whole wheat bagels
6 pack chicken Ramen
Blueberry fruit crisps
Pretzel M&M's
Zucchini
3 bell peppers
2 lb organic celery hearts
Large jar low sugar apricot preserves
2 packs of cheese filled cheese sandwich crackers
7 oz can tomato sauce
Large tub spicy pepper hummus
12 oz honey
Can of sliced black olives
2 hardboiled eggs
18 corn tortillas
Organic unsweetened almond milk

For dinner I made gluten free spaghetti, and made sauce with a 28 oz can of diced tomatoes, the zucchini, two organic chicken sausages, olive oil, red wine, garlic, dried onion, and Italian seasoning. I also made salad with the rest of the lettuce and the other half of the cucumber.

After dinner Winter and I made homemade pop tarts and pie crust cookies with the last few tablespoons of various kinds of jam from the fridge and two frozen pie crusts. We made glaze out of powdered sugar, water, and a drop of red food coloring, and added rainbow sprinkles.

Breakfast: homemade granola with almond milk and a sliced banana
Lunch: two hardboiled eggs and chive and onion crackers with spicy pepper hummus (late lunch after shopping)
Dinner: gluten free spaghetti with chicken sausage sauce and parm-Romano blend, and salad with balsamic vinaigrette
Snacks/desserts: dark chocolate avocado pie
Beverages: water, cocoa mint coconut milk


Thursday Jeremy and I went to QFC and spent $4 on pickle relish and a head of lettuce. We had leftovers for dinner. Winter had bought half price Valentine's candy with her own money and saved me a couple pieces of dark chocolate.

Breakfast: banana, banana nut muffin
Lunch: navy bean and red pepper soup, peanut butter honey sandwich on gluten free bread
Dinner: egg drop soup, turkey and spicy pepper hummus sandwich with lettuce on GF bread
Snacks/desserts: last of the dark chocolate avocado pie, two pieces of dark chocolate
Beverages: water

New month, new challenges

So I have been having some problems for a while with pain in my legs, and after doing some reading I may have possibly pinpointed what could be causing the issue. So in an attempt to help with the pain I am trying an anti-inflammatory diet, starting now, or at least as soon as I could. I plan to follow it as written for a month or so, and if it helps I will try reintroducing foods that are not allowed one at a time to see how I tolerate them.

The diet is fairly restrictive. Wheat, dairy, and sugar being the three biggest things I shouldn't have that I normally eat, and the alternatives are all pretty expensive. I'm going to do the best I can to just eat things that are already free from wheat and dairy rather than buying special gluten and dairy free foods. A few things, like milk and bread, will be pretty hard to live without though. At least the Alpha-Bits cereal I got for my birthday is wheat free, and ok in moderation!

On top of that I have noticed huge price jumps on many produce item a lately at QFC. Green lettuce has gone up from $1.99 to $2.99!

Jeremy went to Grocery Outlet yesterday morning and spent $10. He bought eggs, 6 bottles of Mio, a big box of Boo Berry cereal, and two grape flavored Chobani yogurts.

On my way home from work I went to QFC and bought:

Green lettuce
Two bell peppers (red and yellow)
1 lb strawberries
4 bananas
A head of broccoli
1/2 gallon coconut milk
2 frozen pie crusts (I thought they were GF but they were just in the same section of the case. Grr.)
Olive oil mayonnaise

I spent $17 total. I made curried lentils with carrots in the crock pot and had some for dinner when I got home.

Breakfast: protein bar
Lunch: peanut butter and jelly sandwich, apple
Dinner: curried lentils with carrots and fresh cilantro
Snacks/desserts: banana with peanut butter
Beverages: water

Jan 3rd - Winter is back home

Winter flew back from her holiday visit with her dad on Saturday. She and Jeremy met up with me after work. We went to QFC to get a couple items we needed for dinner. We got a bag of corn chips from the reduced section for $1.49, a bag of shredded lettuce for $1.99, and a dozen donuts from the reduced baked goods for $2.50. The total was $5.98.

We made taco salad for dinner with the chips and lettuce, and added pre-cooked beef, shredded cheese, salsa, and sour cream.

Breakfast: Belvita breakfast cookie
Lunch: leftover taco pizza, clementine
Dinner: taco salad
Snacks/desserts: donuts, white chocolate peppermint truffle
Beverages: water

Wednesday grocery shopping

I really should have posted this on Wednesday. I've had too many days since that I was barely even home. On Wednesday morning I had a massage. After Jeremy got home we took a bus to Grocery Outlet. Here is what we bought:

Box of 18 Balance Bars $6.99
Chocolate puff cereal $1.49
Multigrain O cereal $1.49
Casserole lasagna noodles $.99
Rotini $.89
Penne rigati $.89
Organic Columbia bread $2.50
2 green peppers ($.50 each) $1.00
2 cucumbers ($.50 each) $1.00
Shell pasta $.89
Organic frozen blackberries $2.49
Organic dried figs $2.99
Frozen bacon cheese fries $1.29
2 boxes of Red Baron breakfast scrambles ($1.49 each) $2.98
1 lb bag cashews $3.99
11 pre cooked beef pouches $10.89
Chocolate peanut butter Bugles $.50
4 lbs sugar $1.99
Funfetti cake mix $.99
12 Pop Tarts $1.99
Cinnamon baking chips $1.99
2 bottles BBQ sauce $1.98
8 oz chili garlic cheddar $2.50
6 Muller Fruit Up yogurts (3/$1.00) $2.00
2 mango flavored Greek yogurts ($.50) $1.00
2 heads of living butter lettuce $4.99
4 8 oz packages of deli chicken ($1.49 each) $5.96
2 8 oz packages of deli ham ($1.99 each) $3.98
Sliced Colby Jack $1.99
Cocoa powder $1.99
4 individual Campbell's cheeseburger soups ($.99) $3.96
8 ct Keebler pepper jack cracker sandwiches $1.29
1 lb dried cranberries $2.99
18 oz creamy peanut butter $1.99
Blue raspberry frosting with sprinkles $.50
Shredded jack cheese $1.79
Shredded habanero Jack cheese $1.79
18 oz. roasted honey peanut butter $2.49
2 packages of 2 peeled hardboiled eggs ($.99 each) $1.98
X-large pitted olives $.79
Jar of minced garlic $.50
1 lb lentils $.99
Roasted red pepper hummus $2.99
Club crackers $1.49
Toffee Rice Krispies treat $.50
2 cans tomato sauce ($.59 each) $1.18
4 cans diced tomatoes ($.59 each) $2.36

Total $106.14

Winter went to a classmate's house after school to help make bake sale items for a drama club fundraiser. She also took some no bake cookies she made Tuesday night.

Breakfast: cereal and milk
Lunch: chicken sandwich on Columbia bread with Colby Jack, lettuce and dijon, banana, Campbell's cheeseburger soup
Dinner: fettucini with chicken, broccoli, and herb and garlic goat cheese sauce
Snacks/desserts: chocolate peanut butter Bugles
Beverages: Crystal Light, water

First day back with no food in the house

I didn't have time to grocery shop until after my acupuncture appointment last night, which was right after work, so I didn't get home until 8:30. We had to make do with whatever food was still in the house from before we left.

I packed Winter a lunch with broccoli florets, honey mustard pretzels from the airplane ride, a tube of strawberry Greek yogurt from the freezer, and a wrap made with ham, provolone, and mustard on a flour tortilla.

I also made chili in the crock pot, which was interesting since we were out of so many things I use to make chili. It had half a lb of black beans, two 6 oz. packages of pre-cooked spicy ground beef, 3 7 oz boxes of tomatoes sauce, the rest of the garlic and a teaspoon of cayenne pepper. Jeremy said he'd run to the store if it still needed seasoning. It actually turned out pretty good, and didn't need anything added. It wasn't as thick as usual, but the flavors were fine.

I also wound up buying a banana and a muffin for $3.48 at Starbucks to tide me over.

Breakfast: smoothie made with milk, frozen banana, peanut butter, and a squeeze of honey
Lunch: banana, two tubes of Greek yogurt from the freezer, smoked turkey and cream cheese rolled up in a tortilla
Dinner: chili with shredded hot pepper jack cheese
Snacks/desserts: cranberry apple bran muffin, Butterfinger ice cream
Beverages: water

I went to QFC after my appointment to replenish the fridge and pantry. We'll try to get to Grocery Outlet soon for the things we always get there as well, like lunch meat and canned tomatoes.

Butterfinger ice cream $2.99
1/2 gal 2% milk $1.99
Whipped cream cheese $1.79
5 lbs flour $2.69
Won ton wrappers (RFQS) $1.49
Gourmet peppercorns $7.56
Butterscotch chips $2.99
Dried onion flakes $1.60
8 oz sour cream $1.39
12 oz. tomato penne $1.00
12 oz. mini rotini with fiber $1.00
Red velvet cake mix $1.50
1 lb unsalted butter $3.99
4 flavored Greek yogurts ($1.00 each) $4.00
5.87 lbs honeycrisp apples $14.62
1 lb trimmed radishes (RFQS) $.99
1 cucumber $.99
.10 lb bulk walnuts $1.00
Loaf of potato bread $3.00
Six whole wheat bagels $2.50
Red leaf lettuce $1.79
Small box of red wine $2.99

Total $63.86

Monday- take your parents to school day!

This week at Winter's school they are doing a Take Your Parents To School week for Freshmen. Apparently there weren't a lot of takers because I was the only parent in each of her classes, and I only saw one other mom in the hallways. It may also be partly because three of her six classes are sophomore or junior level (although there are other freshmen in those classes too).

Jeremy had a dentist appointment that morning to get his two front teeth built up (they have both been chipped for a really long time) so he didn't go.

Although most days I get up to pack Winter's lunch before she leaves for school, I often go back to bed for an hour or two afterward. It was a little bit of a challenge getting up and staying up at 6:30 am. I was surprised how quickly the day went. And how much technology has been integrated into the classroom. Everything is done online now, and students have access to all grades, handouts, and assignments through an online portal now for most classes.

First period was Honors World History where they went to the library to research various ancient civilizations in groups. Second period was Honors Lit where they discussed the Ferguson situation and journaled about it. Third was Health where they talked about macro and micro nutrients and what makes food choices healthier vs. less healthy. Fourth period was Honors Geometry, where they reviewed questions from the previous weeks' test and student demonstrated how they got the answers on the white board.

After fourth period we had a 30 minute break for lunch. We sat in the hallway with one of her friends to eat. Fifth period was Honors Biology, where they were learning about molecule structures. They also got back the previous week's test which Winter got 100% on. Sixth period was Spanish 3 where they talked about the homecoming dance and how to say different things about it in Spanish, and then they finished up a test from the previous week and worked on a worksheet packet.

On our way home we stopped by a little grocery store that is on the way back from her bus stop called The Stockbox. Most of their packaged items are more expensive than at QFC, but they often have good deals on produce, and they also have 10% off during their produce happy hour in the afternoon.

We bought the following:

Cup of cut pineapple $1.99
1 organic pear $.77
1 head of green leaf lettuce $.99
Bag of two celery hearts $1.69
3 small nectarines $.99
3 black plums $1.00

We got $.55 cents off for produce happy hour and the total was $6.88

Jeremy also bought an energy drink for $1.10 that afternoon. He went to the heavy lifting gym at 4:30 and did squats for two hours. He had a smoothie for lunch since he still couldn't feel his face, and some grilled chicken with sriracha for breakfast.

Breakfast: skipped
Lunch: pepperoni and cheddar cheese sandwich with Dijon, apple, lemon flavored Greek yogurt, protein bar (was going to be my breakfast but I didn't get around to eating it.)
Dinner: stir fried chicken with broccoli, carrots, brown rice and teriyaki sauce
Snacks/desserts: half a granola bar, celery with cream cheese, cashews, strawberry banana yonanas
Beverages: water

Winter's lunch had leftover pizza, a pre-packed pineapple cup, dried cranberries and cashews, and Starburst candy corn. She didn't finish the cranberries and cashews or the candy corn, but she did finish the candy corn at home. For breakfast she had cereal and milk.

Sunday and Monday

Lately any time I try to update my sidebar from my tablet it makes my browser crash. Annoyed because it used to work fine.

We finished up the last day of the month with a total spent of $339.72, which is $.28 under goal. It wasn't too horribly painful toward the end of the month. We had plenty to get what we needed. Sunday evening I picked up a carton of mint chip ice cream on my way home from work for $2.50.

Sunday's food:

Monday: Honey Bunches of Oats with milk
Lunch: leftover chili mac, banana, protein bar
Dinner: peanut butter sandwich with raspberry jam, leftover alphabet soup
Snacks/desserts: mint chip ice cream
Beverages: water

Winter ate leftover chili mac for lunch as well. For dinner she had a sandwich, and she roasted the tiny potatoes from the window box with pepper and olive oil. She said they were good. She also had ice cream for dessert.

Monday, Winter and my friend Joel went to PAX Prime. It's a big deal videogame convention in Seattle. We live three blocks from the convention center. Winter had earned a bunch of money cleaning the house in the last week, but she didn't wind up finding anything she wanted to buy. She got a few things they were giving away for free though.

Jeremy and I went to the store in the morning. We bought the following:

Bottle of water $.79
Two bottles of store brand soda ($.69 each) $1.38
Pint of chocolate milk $1.39
Bag of fun size Nerds candy $.99
One banana $.27
Four apples RFQS $.99
Broccoli crown $1.07
Red leaf lettuce $1.25
Heirloom tomato $1.60
Dill pickle slices $2.99
1/2 lb deli ham $4.41
1/2 lb peppered turkey breast $4.90
6 oz provolone $3.12
3 oz salami $1.26
4 boxes of protein bars ($1.00 each)  $4.00
4 red velvet cupcakes RFQS $2.15
7 brown bananas RFQS $1.61
Loaf of nine grain bread $1.88
Bag of sour cream and onion kettle chips $2.00

Total $38.05

I made lunch with sandwiches, fruit, chips, candy, and drinks and took them down to the convention center to meet Winter and Joel. We have lots of sandwich stuff left over for lunches. All the chips got eaten though. I went to work for five hours, and we made teriyaki chicken with broccoli and quinoa for dinner when I got home.

Breakfast: chocolate milk
Lunch: sandwich with turkey, provolone, tomato, lettuce, pickles, Dijon, and lite mayo, an Apple, and chips
Dinner: teriyaki chicken with broccoli and quinoa
Snacks/desserts: fun size Nerds, red velvet cupcake with mint chip ice cream
Beverages: root beer, water

Jeremy had his first workout with his new trainer. Todd has been a heavy weightlifting coach for 30 years. They did deadlifts yesterday and Jeremy said he got his ass kicked.