Mrs. Furious ... Recipes, Rants & Reality: Want To Know What I'm Thinking?

Friday, February 1, 2008

Want To Know What I'm Thinking?

25 comments:

Amy said...: I am a hoarder of food also, and magazines. My pantry and deep freezer in the garage are full but yet I continue to buy the same things that I already have.

What I really need to do is take inventory. Seriously. I need to write down what I have in stock and plan some meals. Then keep that inventory current so I know what I have on stock.

So, I'll be the motivator for exercise today: I did 70 minutes on the treadmill. Wed was weights, tomorrow will be weights and cardio.

p.s...since I'm here, thanks for the info on my niece. I am pretty nervous about calling, just not knowing how that will go down!; February 1, 2008 at 11:02 PM
katieo said...: Yay for saving money on groceries!

When I *really* can't spend a lot, I just take cash. $70 for the week. Whatever. Sometimes I even have to bring the calculator to make sure I come under. But to me it's kind of like portion control. Measure it-take a mental note- and then you always know how much 1/2 cup is or whatever. If you use cash enough then you start to realize what a $50 week looks like in the grocery cart (and what meals that means) versus a $150 week. I'm not saying I shop this way ALL the time, but when I need to get back on track, or during a tight month (ie, when My husband doesn't get paid by one of the upteen clients who owe him money) it's really helpful. and eye-opening.

Ok, I had more to say but I can't remember what it was... I could talk groceries all day long...so I'll stop there.; February 1, 2008 at 11:25 PM
P.O.M. said...: Ok.I am crazy too.

I shop for MY damn Self and I still go to 3 different stores:
1. Albertsons
2. Growers Direct (fruits & veg)
3. Trader Joes/Mother's Market

Second - crescent rolls - have you ever put a little special treat IN the rolls BEFORE you bake them? Like a couple chocolate bits?? or a cream cheese mixture with chicken? Oh DANG -it's good and full of fat.

Last, I made the salmon casserole tonight cuz the Cap was working late. i ate an ENTIRE HALF of the dish before he got home. He seriously asked me if I had somewhere over to eat.
My excuse - I'm carbo loading for my race sunday? ha ha.

PS? get back on the workout wagon woman:) ha ha; February 1, 2008 at 11:29 PM
Julie said...: I am a hoarder, too. I actually have 3 boxes of my waffles in my freezer and 2 for the boys. I will often forget that I already stocked up on something and then find that I already have 5 bottles of that dressing in the pantry.

I kind of still have that mentality I had when my kids were really little that I may never get out again so I should stock up.

Great idea on cutting groceries costs by taking 3 items out of the cart.

I go to so many food stores a week. I think that really raises the weekly food bill. I tend to go "off list" and buy extra items. When my husband goes to the store, he will just buy what is on the list. Sometimes I tell him that he really has to do the big food shopping because I know it will be less money.

I agree with Katieo...I could talk groceries all day long, too.; February 2, 2008 at 12:10 AM
emmyjw said...: It does my heart good to see you making crescent rolls, my kids had pillsbury red fat cinn rolls and turkey bacon for their saturday morning treat breakfast :) I had high fiber cereal and green tea...mmm. I find that I have to work out during the day sometime too, and not at the crack of dawn because that just sucks.I have been doing it when Ella naps,sometimes I have an hour,sometimes not, but I figure you can only do the best you can with your situation.My freezer runneth over too,but my family will still say there is "nothing " to eat.If you mean cheetos and pringles,you are correct;); February 2, 2008 at 9:50 AM
Mrs Furious said...: Katieo,
"when My husband doesn't get paid by one of the upteen clients who owe him money)"
Tell me about it! That was me last month... with all the xmas bills, etc on top of normal spending!! So frustrating when you should have enough and then still feel like you are barely scraping by shuffling funds and whatnot. Thankfully we got xmas money as gifts and that helped me eek by. Now of course he got paid and all is well... one week late!

Amy,
Oh I'm glad you are pumping out the cardio. I'm getting back on today.
No problem with your niece... it is hard to be really helpful since I don't know her personality. I think be the *friend* aunt and that should help.

P.O.M.,
that is the one problem with the Casserole... I too can't stop eating it. I'll stand over the dish and eat all the bits out!; February 2, 2008 at 10:40 AM
kenady said...: I am crazy with the grocery shopping also! I shop Publix and Whole Foods and sometimes Piggly Wiggly and Sam's. I just started this whole meal planning thing and when I make the list I make a deal with myself that I am going to stick with it. And because it's a deal with myself then I do my darnedest not to break it.

No exercise for me this week as I was in Grapevine, TX for a work conference. I go into work today, which is a lot of walking/running around, so we'll see:); February 2, 2008 at 10:54 AM
Mrs Furious said...: Julie,
definitely shopping at multiple stores adds about $30 to my bill in extras since I figure I go over about $10 at each place. I can't really cut out the stores but I am going to stick only to my list next week and see what I come in at.

Emmy,
I'm thinking about trying to workout this week during Baby's naps. She is not a consistent napper so like you say I might get an hour and I might not. But I do think it might energize my afternoon (when I need it) and give me a little down time at night.; February 2, 2008 at 11:05 AM
Mrs Furious said...: Kenady,
that is what I need to do. I've been meal planning but then also being so swayed by impulse buys lately. I think once I reached my weight and didn't have to be so careful I kind of have been going crazy with the dessert mixes and crescent roll type stuff. I"m going to see what I can do the next few weeks. If I can keep coming in at about $100 less that is worth the effort!; February 2, 2008 at 11:12 AM
Nutmeg said...: I think the biggest save money shopping tip is to skip the middle isles in grocery store. Or simply don't go down every isle.

I go alone to the grocery store (so I don't get to go every week), but I go with coupons, circular and a list of how many of each item I need to buy so that I qualify for whatever deal I wanted to get. Then when I go into an aisle (and only aisles that contain what I need from my list) I generally don't take my cart unless I know I need it because I'm getting 5 cans of tomatoes or something. Leaving your cart at the end of the aisle makes grabbing something ELSE in the aisle you are in a lot more difficult. Not possible if you have kids with you, of course. And of course, only going into the Aisles you have to helps this also.

Generally the stuff in the middle of the store is the more processed and expensive and impulsey stuff for me. So I stick to the meat, the produce and the dairy sections and just run into the isles for pasta and rice and spices etc.

That's just on my big trips, on the smaller trips I bring e with me and we buy all sorts of fun stuff! :)

I don't usually meal plan all that well, but I do manage to spend <90 on groceries a week. (Usually 150-180 for two weeks) Of course, all this cost of groceries stuff certainly depends on where you live. And in my case, I'm more concerned with buying produce that is grown as close to home as possible, so I tend to focus less on organic and more on in season. And in the winter time means eating a lot of frozen/canned vegetables.; February 2, 2008 at 11:50 AM
Mrs Furious said...: Nutmeg,
oh yes the middle aisles are usually where my impulse buys are (and the freezer aisle). The real problem is I don't even go home and eat them/use them typically I just have these stock piles of crap "in case" I want to make lemon squares or what have you.
Yes the local vs organic debate is a much heated one around here. NJ has a LOT more produce available then we do and our growing season is shorter. Although Whole Foods and other places do make an effort to have local produce it is VERY limited. There is a year round farmer's market too and many of those guys are not *certified* organic because they can't afford it... but it is not enough to round out our diet enough right now. I'm thinking about joining a CSA this summer... we'll see how much it is.; February 2, 2008 at 12:21 PM
Mrs Furious said...: Although I worry that a CSA might give us too many vegetables that Kid & Mr F might be picky about.
Anyone with CSA experience I'd love to hear about it.; February 2, 2008 at 12:42 PM
Nutmeg said...: I know a BUTT load about CSAs actually.

The big issue is that they are all very different. One thing you might want to do is look for the local CSAs in your area (or that have drop offs in your area) and ask them what they had last year. The membership coordinator (if there is one) would know that info. Now is the time to join up, shareholder meetings are usually in the late winter.

What I will tell you is that you will invariably spend less on a CSA share than you would buying organic vegetables.

RE Local vs organic. If your main goal is to reduce the number of chemicals in your kid's bodies, than organic is the way to go over local. And to say that we eat locally all the time is a lie. I bought some green house grown tomatoes for a salad when we had friends over a couple of weeks ago. And anything that can NOT be grown locally I buy whenever (bananas, mangoes, avocados). But I try not to buy green peppers in the winter.

The FREEZER isle is my bane. When things are on sale there, I just go to town (we have a deep freeze I bought with the justification of storing frozen breastmilk) so I can stock pile frozen food (potpies, pizzas, dinners, veggies, bulk meat) for years. Just in case.. because they are cheaper than ordering out.)

I guess I am a hoarder. Who knew.; February 2, 2008 at 1:02 PM
Torey said...: I love grocery shopping. Absolutely love it.

I'm a coupon clipper, a bargain hunter, and a stockpiler. (not a hoarder. . .ok, yeah a hoarder) The problem is we don't have a lot of space for stockpiling.

I do better shopping with a list, coupons, and NO HUSBAND. He is the king of impulse buys. Right now we are working our way through a pile of frozen burritos that are neither tasty or convenient. Good thing we have a billion of them.

I'm all about local produce, but it is hard around here. I'm also about produce that won't go bad so quickly. . .so sometimes I need something with some pesticides so that I don't waste my money on it. Although now that Mrs. F has inspired me to cook, I do use my produce more quickly.; February 2, 2008 at 2:14 PM
Mrs Furious said...: Torey,
"He is the king of impulse buys. "
I hear you! Nothing like the time Mr F came home with 10 family sized boxes of Jello because he couldn't resist the sale. We don't even eat jello... and definitely not the blue kind!

The burritos crack me up! :); February 2, 2008 at 2:44 PM
Mrs Furious said...: Nutmeg,
I'll be back on the CSA topic... Kid is actually expecting me to play with her!; February 2, 2008 at 2:47 PM
wootini said...: We belonged to a CSA when we lived in Kentucky and I LOVED it. We split the cost (and produce) with another couple so it worked out really well. But honestly that was before either couple had kids so it was probably easier to use up the veggies back then. There were a lot of different ones that would be a hard sell for my kids at least - TONS of different kinds of greens and, as I recall, lots of beets!

Our pantry is a disaster. Along with every other closet and storage area in the entire house, actually. My goal for the year is to methodically get through all of it.

Julie said: "I kind of still have that mentality I had when my kids were really little that I may never get out again so I should stock up."

That is so true! Even now that my kids are older (4 and 6) it is so hard to suppress that feeling that you'd better stock up now or you may never have another chance. :); February 2, 2008 at 3:09 PM
Mrs Furious said...: Emily,
go HERE
I just found this blog through Katieo and I've been obsessively reading trying to catch up...start at the bottom of the page at Jan 1st. It is about one families mission to declutter and stop buying crap for the next year!
Sure I could be working on my cubby shame... but in the meantime I'll be reading about someone else doing it ;); February 2, 2008 at 3:17 PM
Mrs Furious said...: Emily,
yes and my fear is the greens... that is not going to fly around here!; February 2, 2008 at 3:18 PM
Torey said...: Here is the thing about my meal planning and grocery shopping. We are a family on the go. We do theatre, so there are occasional weeks (about 6 full weeks a year) when we are at the theatre non-stop. There are also occasional nights when N has meetings for the theatre. And on top of that, we have play groups Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. So on Tuesday (I'm home in the late morning) I crock-pot it. Wednesday I allow a day of utter crap, since I work all day before play group, and we eat some sort of "convenience food". So something that comes out of the freezer and goes in the oven. Chicken nuggets and Jalapeño poppers (my guilty pleasure) are a favorite. I usually allow something similar on one of the weekend nights. So that is the sort of stuff we need to stock up on. Also, on Monday and Friday nights N isn't home until 7 usually, and I don't get home much earlier Monday. And then with playgroups, we're not home before 7 or 8 Tuesday thru Thursday. So quick cooking things are a must on those days too.

So everyday except Saturday and Sunday I'm struggling to get dinner on the table in a timely manner. So I need to buy, and organize food that way. And save money. And be healthy. And have foods that people with only two teeth can eat. ARGH!!! I guess I see now why I'm overwhelmed!!!; February 2, 2008 at 3:46 PM
Mrs Furious said...: Torey,
so did you guys meet in a theater group?!?

Dude you've got to get some healthier quick standbys. Baby was digging the salmon noodle casserole the other day and she seems fine with fish.
So how long does it take you to make the chicken nuggets... 20 min? In that amount of time you really can get a lot of other stuff done. Did you try the cornflake crusted tilapia? That is really easy takes a total of 10 min in the oven maybe 10 to prep and you can do a couple batches and have them in the freezer.; February 2, 2008 at 4:23 PM
Torey said...: Yes we met through theatre, about 4 years ago when N moved here after college. We got together in June of 06, married in Sept. . .

The nuggets do take about 15 minutes. We haven't tried the tilapia. Is it expensive? Isaac liked the casserole (we made it with tuna though, since we already had it). I loved it, and so did N, we actually ate leftovers!!!

I do need quick easy, no prep time stand bys!; February 2, 2008 at 4:42 PM
Mrs Furious said...: Torey,
lately on Friday I've been taking one can of Amy's organic alphabet vegetable soup and stretching it (for all of us) with a little chicken stock, extra frozen veggies and some alphabet noodles and then we have a Amy's frozen pizza with it. The whole thing costs us less than $8 for 4. You wouldn't even need to stretch the soup.

Tilapia is actually pretty cheap about $5 for a pound which is usually 4 filets.

The casserole and the tomato soup are pretty dirt cheap though I mean I think about $4 for 4 servings.; February 2, 2008 at 4:59 PM
wootini said...: Mrs F. thank you for the blog tip - I am engrossed and can already tell I will be spending waaay to much time in their archives instead of working on my own decluttering project! :)

Back to Freecycling like mad... WHERE did all of this crap come from?!

Emily; February 4, 2008 at 8:56 PM
Mrs Furious said...: Emily,
she has 7 kids!!!! I spent the entire weekend reading up.
I'm pretty inspired right now... let's see if that translates into any real action....; February 4, 2008 at 9:28 PM

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)