The kiddos both packed sandwiches, apples, and yogurt smoothies for lunch. I had some of the leftover sweet potato macaroni and cheese.
My pre-challenge weekly average at the commissary was $175. Today I spent $21.71 on cleaners and toiletries. I still had quite a bit of fruit and veggies at home along with some freezer items so I only spent $69.46 on food. I had one impulse item for $2.99. I saw vegan butter and curiosity got the best of me. I spent $5.80 on gossip magazines. After adding in their surcharge and taking out my coupons, I spent $103.66 out of pocket which is a savings of $71.34. The pre-challenge weekly average for restaurants was $80 and this week we spent $54.25 by going out to Moe's and the vegetarian cafe. This is a savings of $25.75. The kids packed lunches and saved $12. This brings our weekly savings to $109.09! Yes! It's been awhile since I hit over $100 mark. This brings our grand total of savings to $3,714.43 in 231 days!
I wanted to make a snack for the kids for when they got home. I processed 2 cups of white beans, about 1 1/4 cups of lemon cake mix, and enough almond milk to thin it out. Ugh. It still isn't as smooth as when my friend made them. I'll have to try another bean again! It was still yummy though and we had it with apples.
I was beat after grocery shopping and doing yard work so I wanted a fast dinner. I steamed some asparagus and cooked up mini bow noodles. I grabbed a bag of Gardein brand beefless tips. Hmmmm. This should be interesting. I browned the "beef" in olive oil then moved them to the outside of the pan. I added in some of the new vegan butter, onion, and mushrooms. After a few minutes, I added local red wine. Next, I added in a can of cream of mushroom soup and a couple big spoons of sour cream. I topped it off with some fresh green onions. It actually wasn't too bad! The texture was surprisingly similar to beef tips. My daughter said it was good. My son said the "meat" was ok but he really liked the sauce. The meat had a strong flavor for him. He said we could have it cooked a different way next time. I don't think it is something I would eat all the time, but once in awhile I think we'll be using some nonbeef! Ha!
No comments:
Post a Comment