OK… Week #10 of my grocery challenge!

I’m having a good time making my grocery money stretch; using God’s resources carefully; praying and watching Him work. I altered my menu a bit last week, when we we’re given the swiss chard. I thought… hummm, the green chard would be good in a stir fry, and the white stem, cut on the diagonal is similar to celery, + the zucchini and yellow squash I have on hand,+ the left over rice, the 2 chicken breasts (filet’s), onion what was given, and to top it off, I found a package of Kung Pao chicken seasoning so… all this = a fab oriental dish, loaded with flavor and nutrition. I started the meal off with a cream of chard soup and added Thai curry powder for seasoning. I feel as though the Lord has given me inspiration. All good things come from HIM.

“I am a great enemy to waste and useless extravagance, and see them with real pain.”

Thomas Jefferson, 1801

This week I have 10 Euros to spend:

This is what I bought:

4.99- bag of frozen fish filet’s (Alaskan fish)

1.69- toilet paper

.69- mayonnaise

.96- 3 cans of tomatoes

1.56-6 cans of beverage

—————–

+11cents for next week!

This week will be an extra challenge in some ways because we have our friends, Ana and Angel coming on Saturday. We’ll all be here until Tuesday and then we will drive up to Galicia for a week in the cool weather. We always eat a first and second plate, so that will be about the same; the difference is that in the evenings we normally eat leftovers or sandwiches and I will have to do a bit more for the Spanish tastes. So… here is what I have planned:

My menus for this week:

Thursday, July 31st- any leftovers in the fridge to use up before our guests come.

Friday, August 1st- still eating the last bits of leftovers before our friends come, not wanting to waste a thing! I’m so glad that John is “on board” with this and is extremely flexible when it comes to food.

Saturday, August 2nd- AM- we will eat leftovers or eggs, whatever there is…

PM-Ana and Angel will eat supper with us (about 10pm) 1st plate: breaded fried zucchini, 2nd plate: fish filet’s and rice, orange cake

Sunday, August 3rd-2pm meal: 1st plate: bean, potato and veggie soup, 2nd plate: beef and mushroom gravy, french fries, sliced tomatoes, custard pudding

Supper- 1st plate: pasta carbonara, 2nd plate: pork loin slices with apricot curry sauce, rice, orange cake

Monday August 4th-2pm Meal:1st plate: zucchini patties & corn fritters with cream sauce , 2nd plate: meatballs with roasted potatoes, sliced tomatoes, chocolate cookies

1st plate: Cream of zucchini soup, baked fish, fried onion rings, french fries, any leftover dessert

Tuesday August 5th- We leave after breakfast: packed sandwiches: possibly, tuna fish, chocolate cookies

Wednesday August 6th- we will be in Galicia!! Yippeeee!!

My blessing I received last week:

1.) 16 pears from a neighbor

2.) 1 yellow squash from a neighbor

3.) a bunch of Chard from a neighbor

4.) 2 BIG zucchini squash and 4 green peppers from a neighbor

5.) 3 beautiful tomatoes, from a neighbor

My baking for this week:

A batch of Angel Biscuits will be transformed into: sweet rolls with almond paste filling, cinnamon rolls, cheese and ham biscuits, & plain biscuits.

1 loaf of wheat bread

1 *orange cake

chocolate cookies

*note: pictures will be posted of these after they are baked.

*I realized that I had 3 bottles of orange extract so I got on recipezaar.com and clicked on “ingredients” , typed in, “orange extract” and it came up with all the recipes using that ingredient. It’s a great website that our daughter Anita made me aware of.

Check out this video for a bit more inspiration:

http://www.moneytv.co.nz/blog/savings-videos/the-21-shopping-basket/

Thanks for all of your encouraging comments.