Something happened today that has never happened before: Carla got a ride home from school with a neighbor.
(I will pause here to note that I have extreme anxiety about my child traveling in cars with anyone besides a few specific people. Outside of school bus drivers – shudder [and now I feel like I need an aside inside my aside to clarify that I think school bus drivers are saints, and my shudder is not toward them but towards the idea of complete strangers driving a seatbelt-free vehicle full of children on a freeway] – and the occasional hotel shuttle driver, Carla has ridden with a literal handful of drivers. So this was A Big Deal in many ways.)
I took this glorious opportunity to avoid the school pickup drive and… went to the grocery store. I do know how to live it up, don’t I? It was one of those times when I just needed Two Things For Tonight’s Dinner. I wanted to use up the leftover goat cheese from yesterday’s frittata (which was easy and delicious; the only thing I might change going forward is either choosing a more flavorful sausage or omitting the sausage entirely, because it was undetectable) and the only thing I could think of was a salad. But I wanted blueberries for the salad and also we had no lettuce. So! I figured I could breeze in and get those two things and then breeze out.
It never works out that way, does it? Have you ever gone into the grocery store, intending to buy only X items, and left with only X items? If so, HOW????? Once I was inside the grocery store, I decided this was IT. I was not going to go to the store again. I went twice last week, plus I went to Costco, and that was too much. So I figured I better on-the-fly come up with a meal plan for the week.
Let’s see. We have all the ingredients for the meal I planned to make for Mother’s Day dinner, and then decided against in favor of takeout Mexican food. My husband recently expressed a desire for Southwest Salad, and I’m plenty happy doing two salads in a week. I could go for a stir fry. And… something else vegetable-y.
Here’s what I ended up with.
Dinners for the Week of May 12-18
- Salad with Berries, Pecans & Goat Cheese: I am swapping the spinach in favor of red leaf lettuce. My husband will have a chicken breast to go with this salad; I will have a salmon filet. I top the whole thing with my favorite balsamic vinaigrette.
- Slow Cooker Shredded Beef Ragu: All the ingredients are in my fridge right now (Well. The pappardelle is in the cupboard. You know what I mean.) because I was hung ho about making this for Mother’s Day and then when it came time to make it… I did not want to cook dinner.
- Southwest Salad: I make this with chicken for my husband, salmon for myself.
- Sheet Pan Veggie Shawarma: I have some cilantro from something last week just languishing in the fridge. Hopefully it will survive long enough for me to make it into this sauce.
- Szechuan Stir Fry: I got zucchini and bell peppers for this stir fry, and I have some broccoli in the fridge I can throw in as well.
Wow. All of my meals start with S this week. That’s fun. (Is it?)
Okay, back to my riveting grocery store experience.
I was really fortunate in that a) I had a lot of the non-perishable ingredients for these meals already and b) I didn’t need a ton in the way of “staples.” But I still bought two bags worth of groceries, for a total of $85.60. That’s probably about half of what I typically spend – maybe even less than half – but it feels like an impossibly small haul of food for that amount, doesn’t it???
The single most expensive item in my cart today was a bag of frozen Italian meatballs for $9.49. This is one of the items of questionable nutrition my child will eat, and we were out. Chicken was next most expensive at $8.09 for three boneless skinless breasts, approximately 1/3 of a pound each.
The third most expensive item, at $7.99, was the pint of blueberries I bought. I cannot help it; I am addicted to these blueberries. They are enormous and so sweet. I just cannot get enough of them. Of course, they last about five minutes in my home. But it is WORTH IT.
The dairy stuff we get is super expensive, and we go through it so fast. We drink Fairlife milk ($5.49 for 52 oz) because it supposedly is kinder on some people’s digestive systems, and some of those people live in my house. We eat Fage yogurt ($6.99 for 32 oz) like it’s the fountain of youth because it is so versatile and so high in protein.
I also got three individual Siggi’s yogurts ($1.00 apiece, on sale) and a package of honey roasted pecans for tonight’s salad ($3.99, yeesh), but the entire rest of my shopping cart was produce. I feel pretty good about that. Which is not to say that I feel BAD when my cart is full of canned beans and pasta and cereal and other packaged food. I just felt like I really overshot my “Two Things” plan, and at least I impulse bought a bunch of veggies, right???
Of course, there was no corn on the cob for the Southwest Salad, and who knows if the two heads of lettuce I got for tonight’s salad will leave enough lettuce for the second salad. So clearly I need to return to the grocery store despite my promises to myself.
How much do you want to bet I leave with just the corn and the lettuce????
Never have I ever gone to the grocery store to buy x things and walked out with x or less things. There’s always something extra that sneaks into my cart. You got out of the grocery story for only $85???? That gets a high five and mad props.
The Week of S – this could be a Sue Grafton tribute!
Hahaha – yes, a Sue Grafton tribute! I love that.
Isn’t it wild how sneaky grocery store things are?!?! Especially really yummy things???
Ha! Ha! I always end up with things that aren’t on my list. I really hate it when I go to the store for just one item – and I’m sure I don’t need to write it on a list because how could I forget one item? Then I come home with 10 items and not THAT ONE item. Aarg! Sour cream. Hopefully I’ll actually buy it tomorrow!
I do this too, Michelle! I hope you got your sour cream. So frustrating to walk out without the thing you went in for!
A few times I’ve gone to Costco and there will be someone in line with like, muffins and a baby onesie. And I will be amazed. Like, how does that happen? Or a watermelon and a package of batteries. It’s always something strangely random.
Once I commented on the lady behind me at Superstore who had such a small cartful of things, and because I was taking up so much time bagging the groceries, I apologized. And then I said something I will never say again, I said “I’m a little jealous of your nice small cart!” to which she replied “Well, you probably have a family. I don’t. It’s just me. Alone.” There was no way to respond to that, so I just nodded and silently went back to bagging the groceries. Eeep. Remind me NEVER to do that again.
I mean, she didn’t have to be so pointed in her comment. Yikes.
Recently, my husband and I went to the grocery store on a date night (we know how to party) and got one pint of ice cream and a head of iceberg lettuce. The checker definitely commented on it.
This is a reminder that I need to make that shawarma dish now that I can cut things up again!! It sounds right up our alley.
My husband does all of our grocery shopping and I bet he rarely deviates from the list. He follows the list and will only generally buy things off list if they are on sale. The man has some serious self control/discipline!!
Yay for being able to cut things up again!!!
Your husband is a saint. My husband is MUCH better than I am at sticking to a list, but he still deviates when there’s ice cream involved.
All “S” dinners! I love when things line up that way! That’s adorable!
I spend a lot time thinking about where to shop and where not to, but not about how how much I spend on food.
We decided early (back when we were both grad students) that we wouldn’t count what we spent on groceries and books. We need to nourish our bodies and souls (and those of our families and guests) as best as we can. (I wish A did better about not letting food go to waste, but for the most part, this works for us.)
Suzanne, you enjoy food, make beautiful, well-planned meals, and save scraps to use for future meals–what more can you do? You don’t have control over what things cost!
Awww, thanks, Maya!
I LOVE the decision to nourish your bodies and souls. I agree wholeheartedly.
I think groceries are generally more expensive in Canada because I feel like I would have to spend MORE than $85 to get all that food.
I have been putting off going to the grocery store for days because I just don’t feel like putting groceries away! Today MUST be the day.
Your meal plans are always such an inspiration!!! And those flowers are gorgeous at the top.
I hope you made it to the store today and got it over with, Elisabeth! It’s such a pain, isn’t it???? The planning and the shopping and the putting away and the prepping and the cooking and the eating and the washing. Ugh ugh ugh. Endless. (I am grateful that I get to do all those things. But they are STILL TEDIOUS.)
Once, years ago, I went to Whole Foods (because I was in the neighborhood), and because it’s so pricy, I told myself very sternly I was just there for milk. And I managed to walk out with just milk, so I rewarded myself with a juice from the juice bar, thus defeating the resolution.
Ha! I still agree you deserved a treat.
We have actually run in for only 1-3 items and left with those items only, but more often it’s like the run we made to get lettuce and bell peppers for Mother’s Day lunch and non-dairy creamer for my coffee, and ended up adding chocolate covered pecans and raisins and pumpkin seeds and the good frozen chicken, lol …
I’m ready for garden season to kick in, so our grocery bill will drop a little! We eat/buy a ton of fresh produce, so it’s extra nice when our garden can supply … we just haven’t managed to generate enough lettuce yet, so I make a weekly trip for the good stuff 🙂
I am so envious of a beautiful, bountiful garden! What a wonderful way to supplement your grocery store purchases!
It’s only if I need one or two things and am in a hurry. Otherwise, there is always an impulse buy (or ten) since I rarely go into the store. I discovered pick up 5 years ago and have never gone back. Love the menus!
Grocery pick up is a genius innovation! I am too picky about my produce to give that job to someone else, but I love picking up my shampoo and paper towels etc. from Target!
Oh, blueberries! Great blueberries are worth a large price. The Bible should say “The kingdom of heaven is like a really delicious pint of blueberries.”
I am very glad to see Sheet Pan Veggie Shawarma on the list. You introduced me to it, I really like, the Common Household Husband really likes it, and I want to make it again. Soon.
Yesssss. Good blueberries are so wonderful!
How fun that your household enjoys the veggie shawarma! I love it so!
It’s me – I am that person that can walk in with the intention of only getting x and walking out with x. But that’s probably because the only reason I’m ever in the grocery store (usually) is to buy wine or baking supplies. Now, my husband on the other hand (our grocery shopper), goes to the grocery store to BROWSE and comes home with a bunch of things we (most likely) do not need.
Gigi, you are a magical unicorn of a human!
When I plan to run into the grocery store for a few things and my total comes out to only $150, I’m blown away. I cannot run in to buy a few things. I’m hoping to institute a rule this summer same as last year – we will wait until the next grocery run (once a week, damn it) to get something. This is my way of telling people to put things on a list. Also, I’m hoping to again this summer recruit my people to do the grocery shopping instead of me. I still do Costco. You bought such few items and yes – I applaud you for mostly buying fresh produce.
Once a week is a FABULOUS rule. I should be adhering to that rule.
When I go grocery shopping I have a list, of course, but also pick up other items along the way. That’s part of the fun for me— to see what else I could make. Granted lately the bottom line for my impromptu purchases has been amazing. 😳
When I looked at the photo of your grocery haul, I was impressed with all the produce. And I agree- it seems like a small amount of food for $85. But that’s what I think every single time I go to the store, so I guess we need to adjust our expectations.
I recognize two things in your dinner lineup- the sheet pan veggie shawarma and szechuan stir fry- that is my go-to stir fry sauce recipe, and I’ve made those sheet pan veggies several times. I’m actually wondering if I can get away with them again tonight… hmmm.
those blueberries! I have been going through them so fast– I like them with coconut flakes and almond butter and sprinkle of cinnamon. Cooper was eating those meatballs for awhile. Now he is back to egg whites and (incredibly expensive) beef sticks. Although most of his calories come from chocolate chip bagels that I have to make a special drive across town to procure fresh 2 times a week. We buy 8 half-gallons of the FL chocolate milk A WEEK because Cooper likes it, and he barely eats anything. We do a much more reasonable 1 or 2 half-gallons of the regular milk **eye roll**
Something happens while inside the grocery store, it’s a mystery. Things pop in my cart and money departs my account. JUST.LIKE.THAT.
Congratulations on using your time wisely, yes, you know how to live it up my friend.
I am constantly stunned these days how much money I spent on so little food.
Oh this is a bit hilarious. I guess I have managed to only get what I want but most times definitely not.
Having meals only starting with S and then unintended IS fun.
Getting fresh veggies and good meat is so so expensive. Sigh.