Day 20

BREAKFAST - English Muffins & Kiwi

English Muffin - $0.17

2 Tbs Peanut Butter - $0.18

2 Kiwi - $0.33

Flax Seeds - $0.01

TOTAL: $0.69

LUNCH - Pulled Pork Fettucini (left overs)
Fettucini - $0.59
Pulled Pork - $1.22
Heavy Cream - $0.15
Broccoli - $0.66
Parmesan - $0.20
TOTAL: $2.82 (4 servings) ($0.71/serving) 

Left overs are great!  They are probably what inspired TV Dinners.  Think about it... a great meal in a dish and all you gotta do is nuke it.


Side thought.  With Pandora and Hulu, would the TV Dinner be named the same if it were invented today?


Laptop Lunch?... Who knows?









DINNER - Chicken Breast w/Red Onion Cream Sauce, Potatoes & Beans
Chicken Breast - $0.80
Red Onion - $0.10
Cream - $0.10
Potatoes - $0.25
Green Beans - $0.25
TOTAL - $1.50

Today's lesson in saving some serious coin is checking those weekly fliers.  You know exactly the ones I'm talking about.  The ones you that overrun your mailbox and they barely make it to the recycling bin.  Well, next time take 2 minutes to peruse the first page of each of your major grocers in your area.  All the best deals are on the front page.


Today, I found Foster Farms Split Chicken Breasts (bone-in) for $0.97/lb!!  This is awesome!!  Although there is still work to be done once you get those bad boys home, it is definitely worth the effort.   I spent some time getting the bones off and putting into ziplocks for the freezers.  But for $5.00 we got 5 breasts and a bag full of scraps for soup.


Then it was Willie that put in the real work for dinner tonight.  I just didn't have it in me.  He made a yummy meal, as usual.  And our friend Nicola and her daughter Madeleine were able to join us as well and loved it!!  She kept on raving about all the flavors in the cooking.


The recipe for this is the same as Dijon Chicken, but no Dijon.

BREAKFAST - $0.69

LUNCH - $0.71

DINNER - $1.50

total: $2.90

Day 19

BREAKFAST - Bagel Eggwich, Salad, & OJ
Bagel - $0.25
2 Eggs - $0.36
Salad - $0.20
OJ - $0.00 (oranges came from a friend's tree!)
TOTAL: $0.81

Salad for breakfast?  Why not?  We tend to eat breakfast for lunch... or breakfast for dinner.  Can't we have lunch or dinner for breakfast?  Salad is delicious and so good for us, add it to any meal!


Fresh OJ is amazing!  Don't be afraid to ask friends and neighbor for fruit off their tree... shoot, ask a stranger.  Most trees in our neighborhood have massive amounts of fruit that is wasted!




LUNCH
I ate at work


DINNER - Homemade Chicken Tenders with salad & Apples
Chicken - Free (kinda ... see below)
Cereal - $0.03
Egg - $0.04
Salad - $0.20
Apples - $0.11
TOTAL: - $0.38
Andrea makes the best chicken tenders on the PLANET!!!  We call 'em chicken nuggets so the kids will get excited about them.  In fact, we have joked about having a chicken nugget side by side taste test.  Andrea would win for sure!


So  technically this chicken was not "free," however you know those little chicken tenders that come off when you are deboning the breast?  Well, anyway, even if you don't know, they are there and I forgot to account for them when figuring out the cost of the meat.  For example, from one package ($5.00) I was able to get the 5 breast and scraps for broth so I divided the total cost by 6 ($0.80 for each chicken breast and the broth).  Hence ... tenders free.  
By the way, these are the easiest thing to make!  I just scramble an egg with a little Lawry's Salt in it, dip the tender in the egg mixture, then coat with panko bread crumbs (or Weetabix cereal crushed up) and pan fry in a little vegetable oil.   And I realize with the pan frying in the oil they may not be the absolute healthiest thing in the world, however they are a heck of a lot better than this.  Ewww!!

BREAKFAST - $0.81

LUNCH - $0.00

DINNER - $0.38

total: $1.19

Day 18

BREAKFAST - Eggs Over Easy, Bagel, & Kiwi
2 Eggs - $0.36
Bagel - $0.25
2 Kiwis - $0.33
TOTAL: $0.96

LUNCH - Left Over Chicken Enchiladas See Day #16

Left Overs - $0.00

TOTAL: $0.00

DINNER - White Bean & Ham Soup See Day #05
Soup - $0.66 (Double Serving)
Bagel - $0.25

TOTAL: $0.91

BREAKFAST - $0.96

LUNCH - $0.00

DINNER - $0.91

total: $1.87

Day 17

BREAKFAST - Skipped It!
Making a BAD Choice - $0.00
TOTAL: $0.00
Don't ever do this!  Bad, bad, BAD!  I hate it when I get so busy that I skip "THE" most important meal of the day.
I was at work.


LUNCH - Lasagna, Bread, & Salad
I went to a luncheon.
I was at work.


DINNER - Pulled Pork Fettucini (for four)
Fettucini - $0.59
Pulled Pork - $1.22
Heavy Cream - $0.15
Broccoli - $0.66
Parmesan - $0.20
TOTAL: $2.82 ($0.71/serving)

Delicious!  Good job Andrea!


It seems to be that pork really IS the other white meat.  So much so that Willie actually thought this was chicken until a couple days later when I told him we had pulled pork pasta leftovers.  He had no idea what I was talking about.  


Well, I understand traditionally you would not put pork in pasta, but I was trying to get some protein into this meal and that was what we had.  It turned out okay, not spectacular.  The kids liked it ... so mmm, not sure if that confirms my point or challenges it?  Either way, it was food.  

Day 16

BREAKFAST - Bowl of Cereal and Banana
Rice Chex (actually they are Safeway's "Rice Pockets") - $0.25
Milk - $0.25
Banana - $0.19
TOTAL:  $0.69
Ate on the run  ... no picture for breakfast today.  Boo ...






LUNCH - Turkey and Cheddar with Basil Mayo on a Baguette roll
Baguette - $0.33
Nitrate/Nitrite Free All Natural Oscar Mayer Oven Raosted Turkey Breast Lunch Meat - $0.20
(how was that for some run-on adjectives?)          
Kraft Mild Cheddar Slices - $0.20
Lettuce - $0.03
Tomatoes - $0.08
Basil Mayo - $0.10
TOTAL: $0.95
Yum ... this was the best turkey sandwich I have ever had!!  And for all you skeptics on those prices, let me break it down for you.  The 99 cent store has won my heart once again!!  I went in there today and found that Oven Roasted Turkey Breast described (ever so well) above, 8 oz for a buck!!  I was skeptical myself at first.  You know "all natural" can mean anything these days.  Willie did a commercial for 7up and they even called those empty calories "all natural."  However,  I read the label closer, and sure enough it was Nitrate and Nitrite free!!  Those are the preservatives they put in most cold cuts to lengthen their shelf life.  Usually meat like this at Whole Foods or even Trader Joe's can run you anywhere from $10-15/pound!  
And the baguette ... yeah, totally white bread, I know, not the healthiest.    But I saw it at Target (they have food now), and I just couldn't resist.   I just knew it would make the perfect sub sandwich and getting 5 servings out of it was an added bonus.  
Last but not least, Trader Joe's sells frozen basil already sectioned off into little cubes.  I just take a smidge of mayo and mix a cube in and that's that.  

DINNER - Chicken Enchiladas (4 servings)
Corn Tortillas - $0.24
Chicken - $0.00 (baked chicken night)
Sauce - $0.66
Corn - $0.10
Beans - $0.20
Cheese - $0.33
Sour Cream - $0.25
Salsa - $0.24
subtotal: $2.02
TOTAL: $0.51

I know what you're thinking, but this tasted AMAZING!  Andrea and I are polar opposites when it comes to the type of arrows that are available in our culinary quiver.  There is not a number, odd, or chance in this lifetime I could have made these enchiladas!  Not only were they delicious, but wow... very affordable!

BREAKFAST - $0.69

LUNCH - $0.95

DINNER - $0.51

total: $2.15

Day 15

BREAKFAST - Dijon Ham Zucchini Egg White Omelet over Brown Rice
2 Eggs - $0.36
1/3 Zucchini - $0.16
1/2 Serving Ham - $0.08
1/2 Shallot - $0.10
Dijon - $0.05
Rice - $0.05
Total: $0.85

I cannot remember what day it was, but Willie made us some really tasty omelets from the dirty pan.  Hmm ... if you didn't read that post, that is going to sound even more disgusting than on the day we explained ourselves.  However, it was awesome and I wanted to make it again.  Unfortunately, no dirty pan, so I had to start from the beginning.  


And yes, these pictures are terrible, I know.  Sorry!!




LUNCH - Pizza, Salad and Monopoly

Pizza - $0.00
Organic Romaine - $0.12
Carrot - $0.05
Tomatoes - $0.08
Balsamic Vinegar - $0.10
TOTAL: $0.35
Remember what I said about "free" the other day?  Well, yesterday a friend had Noe over for dinner and gave me the leftover pizza because they are vegetarians.   The funny thing is, I was just thinking how I missed a good ol' piece of pizza.  Totally not healthy, however, I had one slice not the whole pie and accompanied it with a nice salad.  


Oh yeah, and what does Monopoly have to do with it?  Hudson and I have been playing quite a bit the past 2 days, so it only seemed appropriate to sneak it into the picture.  Insert smiley face here.  








DINNER - Veggie Burger with "Slaw"
Trader Joe's Veggie Burger - $0.85
Cheese - $0.25
Celery - $0.05
Carrot - $0.05
Sauce - I have no idea
Total: - $1.20
Dinner was a little difficult for me today.  Not really really feeling it, if you know what I mean.  I was so tempted to throw in the towel and order out.  However, I decided to dig deep.  Deep in the freezer that is.   I found some Trader Joe's Veggie Burgers.  They really are quite delish.  Threw some cheddar on there and I was in business.  


I needed a veg and I already did a regular classic salad for lunch.  Then I thought back to being a kid and remember having carrots and celery with peanut butter?  Well, I found some Thai Peanut Sauce and thought I would go ahead and toss a dab on my celery and carrots to make this fun little slaw type side.  I didn't count it towards the cost because it just seemed so free because it was in the door of the fridge.   

BREAKFAST:  $0.85

LUNCH:  $0.35

DINNER: $1.20

total:  $2.40

Day 14

BREAKFAST - Eggs Benedict
English Muffin - $0.16
Eggs - $0.32
Ham - $0.08 (half portion)
Spinach - $0.12
Sauce - $0.50
Total: $1.18
Can eggs benedict be made in a healthy way and still taste amazing?  Drum roll please ... not a chance.  Come on, let's face it, eggs benedict is a white English muffin, Canadian bacon (ham, basically), and eggs with a creamy (fatty), delicious sauce poured all over it.  If you wanted to try and make it "healthy," well then it just wouldn't be "eggs benedict" anymore now would it?  It would be like trying to call Miller Lite a beer, when in reality watery beverage that resembles beer.  


So this is where "everything in moderation" comes into play because I wanted to try and do one of our family's favorites, eggs benny, for under a buck.  I came soooo close!!  Oh well, leftovers for lunch (FREE) and I'll make up the difference.  Oh yes, and Benny invited Flor to the party so it was more of an Eggs Benedict/Florentine mash-up happening.  A little healthier, I guess?  




LUNCH - Baked Chicken Leftovers with Spinach
Chicken and Potatoes - Scraps left over from dinner last night
Spinach - $0.12
Total: $0.12
This is not the most beautiful lunch I have eaten but it was tasty and $0.12!!  Need I say more?

DINNER -  Smoothie and Popcorn (yes, popcorn)
8 oz apple juice - $0.25
8 oz water - Free
10 almonds - $0.10
1 banana $0.14
Non-fat plain Greek Yogurt - $0.40
2 strawberries - $0.10
2 Tbs Flax - $0.03
2 oz Raw Spinach - $0.12
Total for smoothie - $1.14
Popcorn - $0.20 (I honestly have no idea but we buy the kernels in bulk and air pop them, so I cannot imagine it is more than that)
Total: $1.34
Hudson and I wanted to watch a movie together while Noe was at her friend Jack's house.  And it was also dinner time.  Hudson asked if we could have smoothies and as for the popcorn ... what would a movie be without popcorn? 
My smoothies are so jam packed full of goodies that it really is a complete meal.  And although we went a bit over on dinner and breakfast, with our $0.12 lunch, we are still under budget for the day. 

BREAKFAST - $1.18

LUNCH - $0.12

DINNER - $1.34
total: $2.64