Big plans this week! My parents and sister are coming for a visit, so our plans are a little out of the ordinary. Also, I'm still stocking up the pantry/hurricane stash after eating everything last month!

I spent $133.94 $217.46
I'm planning to add to this, so watch for an update. I need to buy more meat for our cookout - just waiting for a new loss leader on Wednesday. I'll update the weekly average when I know I'm done.

I'm down to one store for meat - I had to return a vacuum packed pork tenderloin to Kroger! (I subtracted $6 from this week's total to reflect a more accurate account of what I spent last week)

I think they leave their meat out for too long before wrapping it. I've had to return meat (more than once) to both Mexican groceries and Kroger; looks like HEB is my one-stop meat shop right now. I usually shop late at night so butcher shops are out for me, and we looked into ordering half a cow but it was much too expensive, averaging $4-5 per pound of meat.

I got:
4# small red beans, 2# lentils, 8 # pinto beans, 2# black eyed peas, 2# black beans, 1# split peas, 8# brown rice, 4# white rice, 28 oz. alphabet noodles, 4# white sugar, 7 oz. mesquite barbecue seasoning

24 oz. light sour cream, 4 gallons milk, 2.5# shredded cheese, 10 qts. powdered milk

12# pork ribs, 4# hamburgers, 14 oz. jalapeno smoked sausage, 32# beef brisket, 2 pkg hot dogs

4 cantaloupes, 6# oranges, 2 heads red leaf lettuce, 2 bunches fresh spinach, 6 bunches green onions, 5# carrots, 6# apples, 2.6# Roma tomatoes, 1 bunch cilantro, 2 jalapenos, 3 2/3# zucchini, 2# bananas, 6 mangoes, 3# strawberries, 4# bananas, 1# eggplant, 2# calabacita, 1 1/2# green cabbage, 4# green grapes

28 oz. can whole tomatoes, 1 lg. jar dill pickle slices, 1 jar Chili Garlic sauce, 1 bottle oyster sauce (MSG free! Yay!), 3 cans crowder peas, 3 cans picante sauce, 4 cans Ranch beans, 2 large jars unsweetened applesauce, 1 gallon white vinegar, 5 bottles (2 qt) apple juice, 48 oz. canola oil, 1 bag mini marshmallows, 3 cans corn, 18 oz. ketchup

1/3# sliced jalapeno cheese, 1/2# roast beef, 12 slices cheddar, 16 ct. fried chicken, prosciutto wrapped mozzarella cheese ball (see why I shop alone?)

1 bag Texas shaped pretzels, 1 bag pretzel twists, 16 hamburger buns, 200 corn tortillas, 2 loaves whole wheat bread (I have my oven back! Hopefully the bread expense will go down. After baking our own for a while, bagged bread doesn't taste as good, either!)

We're eating:
Sunday, 3/22:
Oatmeal
peanut butter sandwiches, apples, milk
hot dogs, ranch and navy beans, broccoli/cauliflower mix

Monday, 3/23:
Oatmeal
egg salad sandwiches, cantaloupe
Red beans and rice w/ okra mix (It's not jumbalaya, it's not red beans and rice - it's Louisiana casserole, I guess!) (I also ate 3 oz. roast beef and two slices of cheddar)

Tuesday, 3/24:
Grape nuts with milk, apples
Gumbo
Eating at sister's house w/ parents

Wednesday, 3/25:
Oatmeal, oranges
Pintos and cheese, corn tortillas, salad
Eat out at restaurant (probably)

Thursday, 3/26:
Scrambled eggs, hashbrowns
Pasta salad - olives, white beans, chard, whole wheat penne
Cookout - hamburgers, ribs, grilled zucchini, salad, pretzels, cantaloupe

Friday, 3/27:
Oatmeal, cantaloupe
Apples w/ peanut butter dip, roasted chick peas, or maybe eat out.
Lentil enchiladas, refried beans, pico de gallo

Saturday, 3/28:
Oatmeal
Macaroni and cheese w/ broccoli, oranges
TBD

Labels: Food Stamp Challenge, menu