My 14th Week… spending amount: 15 euros

Aug 29, 2008 by pearsonsprogress    2 Comments    Posted under: Blogroll

Here is my week of savings and how I did it. By the by you can click on the photos to see them enlarged.

Starting balance: 15 euros

What I spent:

3.65- toilet paper (grrrr)

1.47- 3 kilos of flour

1.37-1.5 liters of milk

1.37-1.5 liters of milk

.54- 200 grams of cream

.89- 1 kilo sugar

.69- toothpaste

.21- green pepper

.99- frozen bag of french fries (1kilo)

________________

11,18 euros

My menus for the week:

Thursday August 28th- 1st plate: Bean and rice soup, 2nd: beef and french fries, sliced tomatoes

Friday August 29th-1st plate: cream of tomato soup, 2nd plate: egg and salsa burritos, sliced tomatoes

Saturday August 30th-1st plate: Fish Chowder, 2nd plate: tuna casserole, sliced zucchini

Sunday August 31st-1st plate: Gazpacho, 2nd plate: beans and rice and salsa

Monday September 1st- today we leave for the village and what I normally do is pack a lunch. Supper will be what I have in the house in Loeches. Tuna, sprout and Tomato sandwiches

Tuesday September 2nd- ? after 2 months I don’t have a clue what I have there!

Wednesday September 3rd-?? to be determined

Blessings I received this week:

Peaches, tomatoes, and figs. I’m making fig jam!

What I baked:

I did very little baking, because we are heading back to Madrid on Monday. We were out of bread so I made a regular loaf of bread and a loaf of cinnamon bread.

I did make some cheese:

The 1st batch of cheese, the 2nd batch is with basil, here is a serving suggestion: some cheese with olive oil and freshly ground pepper on homemade bread or pita bread. This is really good and a fine supper with a salad or sliced vegetables.

How does my garden grow?

My plants are doing well. I will plant them in Madrid.

The Lord is providing and I am learning new skills. I have learned that when I ask the Lord for creativity, He gives it.  All good things come from Him.

Pizza Dough Recipe

Aug 25, 2008 by pearsonsprogress    No Comments    Posted under: Blogroll, Grocery Challenge, recipes

Here is the pizza dough recipe that was asked for. It is actually the PIZZA HUT recipe that I got from a book about copying restaurant food.

* If you want it to really taste like Pizza Hut dough, you should make it in the morning and refrigerate (with plastic wrap over it) make sure to punch down as needed during the day.

3/4 cup warm water ( 105°-115°F)

1 ¼ teaspoons yeast

1Tablespoon of sugar

2 ¼ cups of flour

1 ½ teaspoons salt

1 ½ Tablespoons of olive oil

Combine water, sugar and yeast in a bowl, stir and let set for about 5 mins or until it bubbles or foams. If it doesn’t, throw it out and start over.

Add the flour and salt gradually incorporating it into the yeast mixture, add oil. Knead until there is a smooth texture, about 10 minutes.

At this point you rub it with additional olive oil to rest for about 20 minuets, then stretch it on your pizza pan. This will make 2 thin crust or 1 think crust, or 6 mini’s.

Bake at your hottest oven setting and DO PREHEAT! Make sure your oven it VERY hot!

I have tried lots of sauces, but like plain tomato paste and then I sprinkle basil on it. Or a pesto is good too.

~You can bake a bunch and freeze them, then add toppings.

~I like to reheat or even finish it off in a hot skillet to crisp up the bottom… but I also have a clay pan (rectangular… and I will turn it upside down and bake on that) I will let you know how that works. I am going to try it anyway. If you have a stone, use it!

Ok, I just finished my baking for the week!

Aug 22, 2008 by pearsonsprogress    5 Comments    Posted under: Blogroll, Grocery Challenge

Here it is:

6 mini pizzas (using 1 recipe of pizza dough and different cheeses, & veggies)

zucchini pancakes (using that gorgeous zucchini the neighbor gave to us)

8 soft pretzles

12- Roti (flat bread from India)

mini peach turnovers ( peaches fell of the tree in our yard + I had 2 plums left over. The pie crust Dave and Rebekah brought to us when they visited)

2 loaves of white bread- (one has poppy seeds on top)

It’s nice to have the baking done for the week.

My 13th-Gotta give myself a raise… to 15 euros a week

Aug 21, 2008 by pearsonsprogress    4 Comments    Posted under: Blogroll, Grocery Challenge

This has been a good and fun week! Well, it’s been 12 weeks, 3 months of spending 10€ a week! This week, I have to give myself a raise… to 15€ a week instead of 10€. I am just out of too many baking items. After having our guests with us, and all the beverages (juice every morning, coffee, soda, chocolate milk for breakfast for the daughter) for the adults and their teenage daughter, I need a raise. Normally, I don’t have to buy that stuff in such quantity, but it was worth it too, because we love them and love being with them.

I still have plenty in the pantry, but the everyday staples and toiletries, have been depleted. I’m going to try to do the 15€ a week for a while but I also may decided to go back to 10€ and then do a quarterly “larger” marketing day of say, 50€. I will have to decide on that… My goal remains the same: use up my pantry, and save money for other “funds” or adjust for the changes in the economy as needed.

starting balance: 15 Euros

.49- 1 kilo of flour

.49- 1 kilo of flour

.49- 1 kilo of flour

.98- 1 kilo of sugar

.69- toothpaste

1.15- 1 dozen eggs

.75- margarine

.65- chicken hot dogs

.71- 1 liter of non fat milk

1.98- dish washing soap

2.65- 1 liter of olive oil

1.45- 1 liter of sunflower oil

___________________

12.28€

*- I am officially out of nuts of any kind in the village house. I think I may have some almonds in the Madrid house. We will live without them for a couple of weeks!

Menus for this week:

Breakfasts will be: oatmeal, banana bread with jam or peanut butter (Mom and Dad brought that for us last year)

Suppers will be: pita bread sandwiches, veggie sandwiches with all of the tomatoes, zucchini, sprouts and onions we have, or leftovers

John and I feel that we eat very well.

Thursday, August 20th- 1st plate: Gazpacho 2nd plate: Pinto beans and rice, salad

Friday, August 21st- 1st plate: Tomato soup 2nd plate: fish fillets, rice-a roni, pisto ( squash, tomatoes and onions)

Saturday, August 22nd-1st plate: bean soup (using leftover beans) 2nd Plate: Pasta and meat sauce, salad

Sunday, August 23rd-1st plate: fish chowder (leftovers from the fish) 2nd plate: Pork Loin, couscous, sliced tomatoes

Monday, August 24th-1st plate: cream of zucchini soup, 2nd plate beef fillets with mushroom gravy, spetzael, salad

Tuesday, August 25th-1st plate:Leftover soup, 2nd plate: pork Loin, rice, zucchini

Wednesday, August 26th-leftovers

Blessings I have received this week:

Look at these veggies! I took a photo each time I was given them. I have had so many tomatoes that I canned some of them… they just keep coming!

The green peppers have been diced and frozen on a cookie sheet then bagged for recipes during the winter.

How does my garden grow?

Here are my vegetable seeds that I started. I have peas, broccoli, haba beans (may be called fava beans in English…not sure), and lettuce. I made “pots” out of newspaper, using an empty can as a guide. As the plants sprout, I will then plant the whole thing into the ground, paper and all. I have a few peat pots in the house in Madrid, but I will use this method from now on to avoid the cost of buying them again.

My baking for last week:

This is the baked oatmeal that I have included on this blog. It is really good and full of dried fruit. Since we are still in the village and have run out of brown sugar here (we have some in Madrid), I used granulated sugar. It’s good but definitely better with brown sugar!

Chocolate snack cake (1 egg, water instead of milk) I wrapped them individually to keep them fresh.

Banana bread

12 Pita breads- these are really yummy!

Ok.. that’s all… tomorrow I will bake bread and other pastries for the week. I’ll post those later. I hope you will all stay encouraged in your own goals.

My 12th week of spending 10 euros a week on groceries!

Aug 14, 2008 by pearsonsprogress    No Comments    Posted under: Blogroll, Grocery Challenge

I started with .11 cents from last week: so may starting balance is 10.11

.69- margarine

1.29- pre-mix bread mix

3.79-1 large can of tuna

1.35- 3 kilos of baking flour

1.65- beverage

1.10- 2 liters of beverages

.26- 1 can of beverage

———–

-2 cents

* we have had guests which accounts for all the beverages… I still stayed within my 10 euros a week even with 3 more mouths to feed last week. The Lord is blessing! I have found my self resenting buying toilet paper though! Ha!

Menus for this week:

*again, breakfasts are usually baked oatmeal, yogurt, baked goods or leftovers. Suppers are usually leftovers or toasted veggie sandwiches on homemade bread (zucchini, onion, peppers, tomatoes, sprouts and cheese)

Thursday- August 14th-1st plate: turkey vegetable rice soup, 2nd plate: beef filet’s (cut in strips) that are marinaded in a package of “beef and broccoli mix” but I am using it with zucchini, onions and peppers and Chinese noodles

Friday- August 15th-1st plate: Breaded and fried zucchini patties with sliced tomatoes, 2nd plate: Chili and rice

Saturday-August 16th-1st plate: lentil soup (using 1 leftover sausage), 2nd plate: hamburger patties, rice and zucchini and tomatoes and homemade onion rings.

Sunday- August 17th-1st plate: left over turkey soup 2nd plate: spaghetti with meat sauce (using the rest of the ground beef from the hamburger patties I made yesterday) and salad

Monday- August 18th-1st plate: Left over lentil soup, corn fritters, 2nd plate:Roast beef hash (frozen from another time we were in the village) and sliced tomatoes with roasted peppers

Tuesday- August 19th-1st plate: Pasta salad, 2nd plate: fried eggs, grits, toast and sliced tomatoes

Wednesday- August 20th-Leftovers

I think we eat very well!

* I will post the blessings we receive and the baking I do in a few days.

Week #11 and going strong

Aug 14, 2008 by pearsonsprogress    No Comments    Posted under: Blogroll, Grocery Challenge

I started this week with 11cents so my total to spend is 10.11

2.10- 2dozen eggs

.99-butter

1.09- tomatoes

2.19- Tortellini

1.30- 2 liters of fat free milk

1.29- pre-mix bread mix

1.04- 4 cans of beverage

————–

+11 cents

Menus for this week:

Thursday, August 7th-On holiday

Friday, August 8th-On holiday

Saturday, August 9th-On holiday

Sunday, August 10th-On holiday

Monday, August 11th- We return today. Ana and Angel will be with us. Planned meals will be:

PM-supper-1st plate, macaroni and tomato sauce, 2nd plate fish filet’s, french fries, sliced tomatoes

Tuesday, August 12th- Mid-day meal: 1st plate salad, 2nd plate: sausages, zucchini, tomatoes, rice

PM meal: 1st plate: breaded zucchini (fried in olive oil) & sliced tomatoes 2nd plate: meatballs, spaghetti

Wednesday, August 13th-Our friends left today so we are eating leftovers today.

My blessings I received this week:

~onions, peppers

~plums- 3 kilos (they are so good!

~zucchini

~tomatoes

~ Ana and Angel bought a whole wheel of manchego cheese!

* I was also able to send Ana home with baked goodies and veggies and plums.

~I have a few leftover groceries from our entertainment fund, that I bought on the vacation. Ana and I traded days of cooking and we both spent very little money. I have a can of tuna fish, 2 onions, dishwasher tablets, 2 eggs, 2 yogurt, bits of turkey and bones I saved for soup.

I am overwhelmed to see how the Lord has blessed us and I feel especially blessed that the Lord is blessing my humble efforts.

What I baked this week:

I made bread and cinnamon rolls yesterday but it looks like I will bake again today or tomorrow. I have 1/2 loaf of bread and 4 cinnamon rolls left.

Yesterday, I also started some of my seedlings for a winter garden. I will plant peas and haba beans here in the village and the rest at the house in Loeches. Since we plan to be back here on September 12-27th, I may plant some more too.

This is a lot of fun for me!

Photos of last weeks baking

Aug 4, 2008 by pearsonsprogress    3 Comments    Posted under: Blogroll

We’re off tomorrow to Galicia but I wanted to send this baking photo that I did for the week. I’ll write next week!