Day #29~ one day left!
I have some celery in the fridge and this looks like a good soup for a cold weather we have. I’ve included the recipe below.
This, the day before the end of my efforts to spend only 10€ in 30 days has been a huge hit. We continue to eat well, all the while reducing some of the freezer and panty stock. Yesterday I bought 2 quark (like sour cream) that cost me 2,58€ for a cookie teaching class I will give on Monday. That leaves me 0,16€ Only sixteen cents!!! I’m very encouraged I have been able to reduce my spending!
Cream of Celery Soup
Homemade and healthy too!
2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoon all purpose flour
2 stalks of celery, chopped fine
½ cup chicken stock
½ cup milk
¼ teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
Heat olive oil in a 1 qt saucepan, then add celery and sauté’ until crispy tender approximately 5 minutes. Add flour and cook while stirring until liquid is smooth for 1 minute. Slowly add the chicken stock, then add the milk and stir until the liquid is smooth then slow simmer for an additional 15 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste then serve.
Day #15th… half way there!
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Posted under: Blogroll, food, Grocery Challenge, saving money, Spain
November 26th, 2011
When you live on a fixed income or you can’t really increase your income, reducing expenditures can help us control our budgets and relieve some stress. I still have 5,73€ to spend on any grocery items ( and paper products) for the next 15 days. For paper napkins we are using all the little leftover ones that have ‘happy birthday’ or other printing. It does feel good to get to the bottom of some of the packages of things around the house. We’re also working though those little hotel soaps and shampoos.
Breakfast
quiche-leftover
Lunch
Left over Thanksgiving food
Dinner
Leftover Thanksgiving food.
For Great Crafts: http://www.stampinup.net/esuite/home/jerushagish/
I’m always up for a challenge~starting November 12th
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When I start a challenge, for whatever reason, it actually helps me blog about it, share my thoughts and get your feedback. I’ll be honest here, I’ve lost track about what my contemporaries in the United States think or do.
Do other people my age cook every meal, everyday I like do? I don’t know.
Are others in my culture dedicated to frugality?
Is frugality even a need?
Do others hate to waste food, like I do? Read more »
$40 for 1 month of Groceries
No Comments Posted under: Blogroll, Grocery Challenge, saving money
Day 19 My Grocery Saving Plan
Day 19:
Today I spent: $0 on groceries
Total spent these last 19 days: 70,35€
Average per day: 3,70€
We called about a turkey at another market and got a better price: 3,95€ kilo! That’s better than the 5,40€ from the poultry store here in Loeches. Anyway, we ordered two 5 kilo birds because those are as big as they have them here.
All we invited are coming and we are so glad to have a shared day with them. I’ve prepared a Power Point with some photos and a mini presentation to project on our living room wall… just to teach them what THANKSGIVING is. As we Americans know, it is a day that we celebrate for very specific reasons.
I hope to post more updates after the 16th of this month.
After church today I opened a jar of my chili with beef that I had canned and we ate that over rice with a salad. For supper it will be more of the same or egg and toast.
Day 18 of My Grocery Savings Plan
Day 18:
Spent today: $0
Spent in the past 18 days on groceries: 70,35€
Average for these 18 days: 3,90€
Mid-day meal:
1st plate:
cream of butternut squash -we had this yesterday as well, which I took out the freezer
2nd plate:
Macaroni & cheese with ham
salad
garlic toast
Supper:
egg salad sandwiches on hamburger buns (last 2) & lettuce
* we had a wonderful blessing of receiving 2 jars of homemade olives yesterday.
Day 17 My Grocery Savings Plan
Day 17
I spent today: 11,50€
1 dozen eggs- 1,50€ (village food cost more and I forgot to bring my eggs!)
2.5 kilos of pork- 10,00€
Total spent for the past 17days: 70,35€
Average per day: 4,13€
NOT great if we are eating all of that food but these are meats that I have canned. Today I canned 39 jars of meat; both ground beef in 3 flavors; taco, southwest and fajita, and pork in taco flavor.
The idea may interest you from the standpoint that if you have canned meats on your shelves, then you have the makings for many “instant” meals. For instance, Seasoned Ground Beef can become:
- Sloppy Joes
- Spaghetti Sauce, when added to your home-canned sauce
- Pizza topping
- Casseroles
- Instant Soups, when combined with your home-canned vegetables
- Tacos
- the list can go on and on, just use your imagination.
Won’t it be nice to have canned meat for quick meals right there on your shelf and less time to cooking when guests come or you’re just busy with other things?
Here are the photos:
Day 15 My Grocery Spending Plan
Day 15:
Still my total for spending the last 15 days is: 19,50€
Spent today: $0
I’m still pretty weak and tired from having the flu this week but well enough to starting thinking about preparing food again. We’re finishing up with the last of the casserole and other leftovers but am looking at making some macaroni & cheese with that piece of ham in the fridge. I think I’ll try to make it tomorrow when we arrive in the village for work.
I had cleared my schedule these past few days but I have a meeting tonight and one tomorrow before we leave.
I may spend money tomorrow on hamburger & ground pork because I want to can (preserve) while I’m in the village. It’s handy for me to have preserved/canned meat on the shelf since we lead such a busy life. My dear sister-in-law Vanita sent me some spices that I can add to the jars before I pressure cook/can them. Canning meat & chicken is one of my favorite things to do.
Week #7 of My Grocery Challenge
Fun times! We are in the village working and hoping to get a lot of work done. I marketed for the summer before leaving Madrid at the cheapest store because the village stores are at least triple the price. Just can’t do that. I have stayed within my budget however. So… this week my 10 Euros went for:
.69-box of whole milk
.99- butter
.23-liter of soda
.90-2 kilos of baking flour
.86-one kilo of sugar
4.29-1 bag of frozen fish (merluza- forgot what that is in English)
.49-3 green peppers
.69- head of lettuce
.79- hamburger buns
—————–
+.07 left over!
+.03 from last week
—————-
+.10cents for next week!
My Menu:
Thursday July 10-chicken rice soup, tamales, sliced cucumbers and tomatoes
Friday July 11-lamb and barley soup, pastrami and swiss cheese sandwiches w/sprouts
Saturday July 12-chicken noodle soup, hot dogs with sauerkraut and swiss cheese on buns
Sunday July 13-cream of tomato soup, hamburgers w/ cheddar cheese on buns
Monday July 14- potato and cheese soup, bean and cheese burritos, salad
Tuesday July 15- hamburger and pasta soup, tortellini w/ cheese sauce, salad
Wednesday July 16-leftovers
This week, I decided to use a lot of the “bits and pieces” I have in the fridge and cupboards. The hot dogs come in big packages and so I plan of adding those once a week until they are gone. They are big FAT ones from Germany and pretty good, as hot dogs go. I made the tamales out of leftover chicken, the torellini is the last of the package I bought and the hamburger pasta soup, will be polishing off the last bit of the ground beef leftover from the hamburgers. I am also using the cheese I had in the freezer to make-up for the lesser amount of meat.
We’re now in the village and the freezer is small. I’m saving the fish for when Ana and Angel come to visit in August.
My Blessings this week:
* our neighbors (and guests for supper) brought us a bottle of wine (again, we will save this for guests)~ it’s the custom here in Spain to bring wine and we hear it is the same in France where are kids live.
* 1 lemon, ½ liter of tomato juice, ¼ of a can of grapefruit slices, 1 cup of orange juice, given to us by a neighbor leaving town.
What the Lord is teaching me:
Our pastor, Angel gave a good and encouraging message on Sunday, using in part, the text from Psalm 27:13-14. Let me quote it for you:
” I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.”
Our pastor was speaking of the trials that we are all facing here in Spain with the hight cost of EVERYTHING and the mortgage crisis in Europe. Some in the church families are struggling more than others. Some of us add to these challenges, the terrible exchange rate, but his last words impacted us and ministered to us. He said,” Now this week, no matter what happens, look to the Lord and what He is teaching you.” Good words, a good reminder and encouragement to those of us who may grow weary in the struggle. So this week:
~I will be CONFIDENT of God’s provision for us.
~I WILL see the GOODNESS of the Lord.
~I will WAIT with anticipation to see Him work.
~I will be STRONG (He is my strength)
~I will TAKE HEART
~and… again (he says it twice) I will WAIT for the LORD.
Here are my tomato plants… they are growing and I should be getting those cherry tomatoes soon! I am also picking the small leaves off the chard for salad greens. I love growing my little pot garden. Please leave your comments and tell me how you are doing. Have a great money saving week!
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