Pantry Challenge... Day 1

$11 at TJ's (I round ^ to the nearest dollar =)
- Pretzel thins (snack)
- Hot Dog Buns (Tuesday Dinner)
- Naan Bread (Weds Dinner)
- Tomato Soup ( Friday Dinner)


On the Menu for this evening...

Chicken soup for the BF, he's sick... still...
(left over) Kielbasa and white bean soup for the child and cereal for me =)

Pantry Challenge...

So Im a little late to this, but just found it last night so Im jumping ASAP aka NOW!!

Pantry Challenge

My Challenge, for January... Actually give myself a budget haha loser!
-  $100/wk  Doesn't sound so hard but I plan "expensive" meals or so I've been told.
-  Use ALL meats in freezer before buying new stock.
-  Sweets, if any, from scratch
-  and for goodness sakes organize my pantry and KEEP it that way =P

Boeuf Bourguignon...

Not sure...
Started the whole dinner making process at 2pm and finished around 6:30pm.
It was "fine" used up three bottles of wine so now my trash looks a little more fun to my neighbors.
Im not sure when I would make this again, perhaps if we have dinner guests.
I have nothing to compare this too.
I noticed the recipe from a fun cooking blog I follow and meant to make it early this week but as every weekly menu goes it was rescheduled for today.
And even though it wasn't the most amazing meal, which may have had more or less to do with the fact that I made it by myself and I feel things ALWAYS taste better when you didn't have to make it =), I am happy to have tried something new and deep clean/rearrange my kitchen while doing it!!

Groupon/Christmas SCORE!!

So EXCITED!! Over the summer I took this adorable picture of my son and nephew while we went on a mini vacation.

Im terrible at printing photos out... Scratch that. I am TERRIBLE at removing photos from any of the 10 or so memory cards floating around our home which drives my Nicholas bonkers =)

Anyways... My parents are ridiculous Christmas present recievers. They don't want anything and anything they need or mention they have already purchased and are waiting for it to be delivered =( Boo. But what they don't have is a fancyish picture of their grandsons hanging on their wall. And by fancyish I just mean BIG. So I looked around and contacted a gentleman who reproduces photos into handpainted art. Although his work is quite handsome, his quote was a little off the mark. $400 for a simple portrait and more depending on background detail. And that was for a smallish canvas. Double Boo.

So along this journey I decided that a suitable way would be a canvas print. So armed with my Costco card I logged on to their site to review prices. Relieved at the $59.99 tag I settled in this evening to upload and purchase. And in doing so I was naturally sidetracked by my "dashboard". Perusing through the updates I so fabulously stumbled upon Groupon's Cedar Rapids Deal of the DAY!!!!
$39.99 for a 16x20 Canvas Print via CafePress
And did I mention this includes shipping. Which saves me from packing it and shipping it off to the east coast!!!! Seriously??!! What fabulous luck is that =)

SCORE


<3

Weekly Dinner Menu 11/08 -11/14

Monday - Tortellini w/ Ceasar Salad (N's request)
Tuesday - Potato and Chorizo Tacos
Wednesday - Slow Cooker Chili 
Thursday - Something with chicken =)
Friday - Leftovers or Naan pizza's should no leftovers be found
Saturday - Beef Tostadas
Sunday - Meatloaf

The things you can do with an extra hour

So if you haven't heard yet today, in 49 states, is Daylight Savings. So as we turned our clocks back an hour early this a.m. we find ourselves in the position of expected productivity.

Along with having an extra hour to toy around with, I had this WHOLE weekend basically to myself. Shane was with his father and Nick was away at work and had a session scheduled for Sunday. On Saturday I went up to Sac and visited with one of my favorite pregnant ladies. We baked while counting contractions but alas Miss Lily did not make her debut in time for cookies and milk =(

Later Saturday evening while heading back home I stopped at a mall on the way home to get my fingers around some torino syrups so I can experiment with my new espresso machine!! Which I TOTALLY love and should have got years ago instead of just thinking about it. Thank goodness sbux raised their prices otherwise I probably would have been shoveling the occasional $3.50 away <3 But unfortunately I couldn't find one of the four flavors I was looking for so I decided not to buy any. I punish myself, go figure. While I was at the mall I just couldn't believe how many people where EVERYWHERE. And now that I think about it, it isn't just the malls its Target and Safeway and everywhere else I go. I guess I don't get out much, well I know I don't get out much. Good Lord.

Today I got all the loose ends snipped off my list that I've been putting off for awhile including a bin thats been piling up with "to be filed". I pulled everything out of the fridge and freezer and cleaned and reorganized, same with the pantry and hall closet!! I just keep opening up doors to peek in, it makes me that happy!!!! And I dusted and Costco'd and gassed up my car! And I burned candles so my house smells so warm and cozy!!! I caught up on my girls in ATL and the yummiest hamburgers for dinner and lunches are packed for tomorrow! Feels so good to still have energy after its all said and done!!!

<3

Worst Mother EVER

I feel like the worst mother EVER! My son's school, as most school's do, is involved in a fundraiser. No cookie dough, no chocolate bars. But they are offering crabtree lotions and 1/2lb bags of gummy bears for $8.50!!!! That translates to $17 a lb??? Magazine subscriptions are $10 for 1/2 a year and $20 for a whole year?? This is OUTRAGEOUS.

I don't even want to buy anything from my own kid, but he is bound and determined to sell 100 items so he can get one of each of the selected prizes. He was hounding us last night to look at the magazine and decide. Not to mention that in our little community there are approx 20 kids who go to the SAME SCHOOL. I guess I never realized growning up how ridiculous these companies prices are.

I don't see this going well especially since min $850 is going to get him a mini cooler...