Goal: Spend only $50/week on groceries for my husband and I.
Week 2 started off quite strong. And by strong I mean, people kept giving us food!! Jimi had to go in to the office on Friday (August 7) and they catered a meal for all the employees. He came home with a giant tray of leftover Greek food for us (he truly understands my love language).
We feasted on spanakopita, beef skewers, and hummus over the weekend. On Sunday morning, I decided to go beyond a quick nuke in the microwave and instead made omelettes with leftover baked potatoes, lamb, and some freshly shredded cheddar cheese. Comfort food at it’s finest.
On Sunday evening, I drove out to Lancaster to do some work on our rental units and pay a visit to the in-laws. After several hours of painting, changing out door knobs, and fixing baseboards, my mother-in-law called me over for dinner. Marlene is one of the most outstanding cooks I have ever encountered. She can turn scraps into feasts and leftovers into Michelin-star meals. That night she had made chimichurri chicken, potato wedges, and a balsamic salad. Her husband, Steve, who has taken up cooking as a quarantine hobby and is a fastidious sous chef, put together a corn casserole dish. It was a hearty and heartening meal after working all evening.
And, of course, Marlene always sends us home with leftovers. Not only did I get the extra chicken and casserole, but she had prepared Milanesa Napolitana just for me to take back to Jimi. If you have never had this mouthwatering dish, think of it as pizza… but with meat instead of pizza dough.
While I can’t tell you Marlene’s precise recipe (she never writes any of her dishes down), this recipe is a fairly good approximation.
We got through the weekend without a grocery run! On Monday, I did stop by the store to pick up a few things: tomato sauce (I’ve got all those frozen meatballs still), peaches (get ready for more whiskey cocktails), and a few things to make carnitas.
I bought some pork shoulder a couple weeks ago and stuck it in my freezer, waiting for a day when I had the time to slow roast it in the oven. Monday afternoon seemed to be that day! I pulled out the pork shoulder to defrost while I did my grocery run. Carnitas are a new one for me– I had never even considered making them until quarantine expanded my horizons. After my first attempt, though, my husband made it clear that I should make them on a regular basis. The pork turns out so tender and juicy, it’s really cheap, and you can use it in a variety of ways: quesadillas, lettuce-wrapped tacos, and (with a little bbq sauce) pulled pork sandwiches!
I’ve experimented with a variety of carnitas recipes this summer. I’ve braised the meat in wine, chicken stock, and citrus juice. I’ve added lots of spices and I’ve just tried salt (with unique toppings added to every individual meal). This carnitas recipe is my personal favorite at the moment, but I am open to alternatives. If you happen to have a delicious recipe, please share– I’d love to give it a try!
Between the leftovers and the carnitas, I didn’t do a lot of cooking this week– but that didn’t mean I stayed out of the kitchen. I baked up a storm… causing my husband some serious consternation.
“I thought we were trying to eat healthy,” he said with a mouthful of meringue.
“I’m trying to perfect my French pastry skills!” I explained, piping another row of meringue onto a baking sheet. “What do you think of it?”
“It’s got a weird flavor. Like it’s good… but it doesn’t taste like what I grew up with.” We later determined that traditional Argentine meringue was exclusively egg whites, water, and sugar. The French recipe that I followed included vanilla. I was pretty impressed with my husband’s taste buds.
Aaaand speaking of vanilla, I ran out of Vanilla Extract this week. On my first shopping trip, I decided to cheap out and buy “Imitation Vanilla Extract” for $1.47. Guys. Don’t do it. It was absolutely awful. Thankfully, since I didn’t have to spend much money on groceries this week, I splurged on a bottle of the real stuff at Costco. My baking supplies are completely restocked for the foreseeable future!
Here’s my spending breakdown from August 8-14:
| Food | Cost |
|---|---|
| Butter Lettuce | $1.25 |
| Blueberries (2) | $2.50 |
| Limes (4) | $1.00 |
| Oranges (3) | $1.44 |
| Peaches (3) | $1.92 |
| Cilantro | $0.79 |
| Marinara | $2.79 |
| Chicken Broth | $1.99 |
| Ginger Root Powder | $2.80 |
| Imitation Vanilla Extract | $1.47 |
| White Vinegar | $1.17 |
| Sausage (1lb) | $1.99 |
| Pure Vanilla Extract | $24.99 |
| Eggs (2 dozen) | $3.79 |
| Total | $49.89 |
And here are all the glorious baked goods I made this week:
Macarons with French Buttercream
Preppy Kitchen has an amazing recipe tutorial for Macarons. Mine turned out… ok? They didn’t really puff up, so there’s a few tweaks I want to try next time. French pastry is all about precision which is so not my style. I played a little fast and loose with this recipe and definitely regretted it. Also, the French Buttercream was basically straight butter. I’ll go with a more traditional frosting in the future.
I fell straight down the Preppy Kitchen rabbit hole and tried Meringues next. These were super fun to make– and quite lovely to eat. I definitely want to practice my piping and try out other flavors in the future.
Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
This is such a fun alternative to chocolate chip cookies. The bars stay so gooey in the center, but the edges get crispy. There’s a little something for everyone in a crowd! You can add some M&M’s on top for a festive touch (this batch was from July– I forgot to take a picture of this week’s version).
I think Week 3 will be a true test of will. My fridge is completely empty and my pantry is starting to look a bit sparse. Let’s see how it goes!
the buzzy place 
If I lived closer I would be stopping by to be fed…. I would even contribute to the budget! All looks delicious! You are an inspiration during quarantine.