Here's a test of the staying power of the project

Today I am not making a regular post of our eating.  That is because I am not home.

This is the first time during the 10for10for10 project that I have been gone away from home without my family.  Here's how I have handled it so far:  I made up a menu for the next three days (today, Saturday, and Sunday) and written up the exact ingredients and the exact measurements for my family to create meals within the budget.  My husband Rodger asked my to do this, so that makes me think that he is really going to attempt to keep in budget.

I have made the simplest meals I could think of which amateurs could put together fairly quickly.  I figure that to get compliance, ease and speed are the best attributes of the menu plan.  I have also made the meals cheap enough that they can make brownies one day and have a half a gallon of ice cream another day, with a note that the ice cream is available only if the dishes are done.  This incentive plan is to help Rodger to achieve compliance with the least difficulty.  Motivation is always a good thing, and I'm not above using some short term gratification to achieve my goal of coming home to a clean kitchen this Sunday afternoon.

Right now I am visiting my college-going offspring for the yearly Mom's Weekend at WSU.  This town is swarming with mothers, and I am one of the crowd.  I won't be able to post food prices while I'm gone, and then on Monday I will write about what I find in the food department at home.  I'll debrief my husband and kids and find out the scoop when I get back to Boothieville.  My job right now it to be a good mother in a different capacity than usual.

I'm sleeping in a dorm room.  Haven't done that in awhile.  More later, and, I will try to get some pictures of the boothmama's experiences at WinCo, a food store which is worth experiencing, even if only virtually, through the blog. I'll put them up asap, so check back.  WinCo is here on the Palouse, not at home, so I only get a chance to shop at WinCo when I am on a trip.  I love WinCo.  You'll see why.

Until then---adios. 

Day 53 uses up some more of the colored eggs

I found a large beef roast marked down to $1.57/lb at Wrays grocery.  I love beef, so I scooped up this great bargain and asked the butcher to slice it for me.  Slicing roasts is standard procedure in every meat department around here, so I got most of the slicing done before I even got home. 

I cut it into strips before frying it.  I fried up exactly a pound at a time, and put it in the freezer for making a stir-fry. Voila.  Beef that is ready to pop into a stew, stroganoff, or stirfry. We haven't had one for a very long time, maybe not ever on 10for10for10, but usually stir-fry is a staple around here, especially in the summer/zucchini time of year.

 Look at that carrot!  Mercy peeled 4 of them for our stew tonight.  Gargantuan.

Eggs were so cheap last week that I purchased a large number of them.  5 dozen medium eggs were $2.99, and 15 dozen large eggs for $10. That may seem like an outlandish number of eggs, that is because it is!  But we are a fairly outlandish number of people!

 Sarah, our resident nutritionist, tells us that if we had only one food to eat, eggs would be one of the best choices.  They are one of the most complete natural foods we have available.

Well, we are going to be finding ways to eat lots of that complete food, because I have several dozen of them to use up.

Today we had scrambled eggs for breakfast.  We also used up another 14 of the dyed hard boiled eggs in sack lunches as egg salad sandwiches.

I might make a custard this week, too, which my kids have been asking for but has been over budget for me lately.  Custard contains eggs, milk, sugar and vanilla.  Simple.  Milk is on sale this week for only $1.50, so it sounds like a good time, with the cheap eggs, to have a custard.

The trick to making baked custard is to allow one egg and 1/4 cup sugar for every cup of milk (if I have small eggs, then I add an extra at the end for good measure), and a dolop of vanilla.   This flexible recipe allows for making a custard which will fit any casserole dish!

 The custard is baked slowly in a casserole dish which I stack into another larger casserole dish filled with water.  The surrounding water bath keeps the custard from becoming overheated in the hot oven, which would harden the eggs too much.

I might also make a potato salad with eggs.  If you have any good creative ways for me to use up my eggs, send me some ideas.  boothieville@gmail.com or leave a comment on the blog if you like.  To make commenting easy on yourself, just use the "anonymous" choice, and you won't have to register or anything complicated in order to leave the comment.

Our vegetable soup with a beef base. 

The stew includes potatoes, carrots, and cabbage.  No onions, because they are so outrageously priced right now. 

There is a story behind that one.  I usually purchase my onions in 50 pound sacks.  Those sacks were costing between 5 and 7 dollars most of the winter.  I was getting down to the end of my bag shortly after I began the 10for10for10 project, but since I haven't been using very many onions on our budget, I put off purchasing a new bag. 

The week I went in to purchase a new bag, the price had gone up to $10.  I thought it seemed high, so I put off my purchase.  Next time I went in to the store, the bags were up to $13 just a very few days later.  Next trip:  $20.  I've been watching those onion bags each week.  A $24 price tag came shortly, then $30!  This last week I saw the onions for $36/50lbs. 

I don't know what the deal is on onions this spring, but supply must be low, because they are demanding a high price, and getting it!  Here at Boothieville we are substituting onion powder from the bulk food section of the grocery.  The price of onions is just too high!  I have a couple of onions left from my original bag, which I am hoarding for just the right moment.

There is a story with these cups, too.  My mom has had them ever since I was a girl.  We used to get our margarine in them at the store!  I can remember clearly.  She would let me choose which color I wanted every time we would buy more margarine. 

 Since my mom moved into assisted living recently, she gave the cups to us Boothies.  They have had a long life!  Especially for a bunch of free promotional margarine tub/cups.  I bet they have been through a dishwasher 2000 times, and they still look like new.

Trudy likes to take food pictures for me, so she got a picture taken of her.

Charity brought the chicks upstairs for some socialization.

I hold a chick while I am posting on the blog.  I actually have three chicks on my shoulder right now, hiding under my hair as I'm writing.  I want them to be tame when they are hens.

The kids are playing nicely while I am figuring out our food usage and costs.  The dogs love to hang out with them.

You might think that is Noah with Mercy.  Actually, it is Zorro, riding on his rearing steed, Toronado----Neigh, Neeeeiiiiiigggghhh.

breakfast menu:  scrambled eggs and toast, orange juice

Cost:  $2.77

14 eggs:  .79

1/2 gallon orange tropicana OJ, closedated:  .99

1 loaf white bread from store:  .99

sack lunches:  egg salad sandwiches, carrot sticks, potato chips

Cost:  $2.19

14 dyed hardboiled eggs:  .79

one loaf white storebough bread:  .99

24 oz carrots:  .41

potato chips:  no charge, leftover from retreat

afterschool snack:  ice cream

Cost:  $1.79/ box

Supper:  vegetable stew

Cost:  $2.24

7.2 lbs potatoes:  .72

39 oz carrots:  .68

2 lb head of cabbage:  .67

beef flavor from the pan frying the strips: no cost

beef boullion:  .27

Today's total food cost:  $9.57

An update on the slush fund, because I used it this week...

Last week I added up my un-spent pennies for each day in which I have been under-budget since we started 10for10for10.  It added up to $28.12!  You can see the specifics by clicking here to go directly to the post where I added it all up.

 I used some of the money for our holiday eating. *Money for Easter baskets came from the gift budget, not the food budget, so even though some of the gifts were food gifts, I didn't include them here, except for the boiled decorated eggs, which we are using for meals.*

Saturday we spent $24.40 on 13 persons.

  $24.40(Saturday's spending total)
 -  13.00(allowed on budget)
-----------
  $11.40 overage

  $28.12(slush funds available)
  -11.40(need to borrow from slush fund)
-----------
  $16.72(left in the slush fund, as of Day 50)
  -  3.46(overage from Day 52)
-----------
  $13.26(remaining in slush fund as of Day 53)

So I still have some money available, for treats or surprises, to the tune of $13.26.

Day 52 is a very special day, with generous children

This little pitcher has special significance.  It holds a fund raised by my children for special occasions.  The kids have been checking under couch cushions, holding little "bazaars" to sell each other their treasures, and fund-raising in creative ways to fill this pitcher with coins. 

They decided to give me the money to spend on Easter.  I must say that I underestimated the importance of this money.  Not wanting to waste the children's fund on Easter treats which I was already planning to buy myself, I didn't use the money.  Really, I didn't need it. 

What I didn't realize is that I needed to accept that money.  The little ones were very hurt that I came back from the store and the money was still in the pitcher.  Those were coins of love and sacrifice, their precious savings, a gift.  And I had unthinkingly rejected their gift, and their heart of giving.

Well, I felt pretty bad about it.  Christiana was especially disappointed.  I hadn't really looked at it in the way it was meant, you see.  It wasn't just ten dollars.  It was everything they had to offer. This touched my heart.  Just thinking about it touches me again.  So I decided to make amends, and today's meal reflects my attempts at making a special event with their money.  Their own little "Babette's Feast."  Even though it is not actually Easter, this is my children's special Easter dinner, which we didn't have on the day.

Of course, it was a regular school day, so I shopped while Noah was at kindergarten.  

This is the pitcher which holds the "fund."

This is "The Fund."  It added up to $10.30.

Christiana eating lunch with classmates (she is in green stripes) at the school cafeteria.

We are eating a Ranger chicken tonight, although not the whole thing.  It will be divided into several meals.

Noah is walking to the van after kindergarten at lunch time.  It was windy, and his coat was a "cape."

I stopped to take a picture of this beautiful field of wildflowers on the way home, next to the gas station.

Noah was so taken with the flowers that he said, "I just have to run in that purple field, Mama."  I wasn't in a hurry, and so, why not?!  The joy de vivre.  He didn't know I was taking his picture.

Experiencing the flowers.

 

The full body experience, rolling in the field.  He did smell, after that.  Unfortunately the odor is nothing to shout about.

Today was violin lesson day, but after lessons we had our beautiful meal, this time more healthy, too, and colorful.  Christiana really wanted watermelon for Easter, and I found one for only $2.28.  Small, but a watermelon nonetheless.  I also found pineapple for $1.98 and bought 2. Asparagus season has come, so it was affordable, too.  Strawberries were only $1.25 per package, so I added that to the menu.  Mushrooms were only $1.98/lb, so 2 lbs were added to the feast. 

"Chicken and dumplings" is a favorite meal here at Boothieville, so I put the Ranger on to boil.  I boned it later, and had broth for cooking the dumplings.  I used only one fourth of the chicken meat, and so for the daily pricing I will divide the cost of the whole chicken by four.  The rest of the meat portions, plus much of the broth, is in the refrigerator for another day.

Rodger sliced up the fresh pineapples.  The even the smell was delicious.

The baby watermelon was a good juicy, sweet one.  Delightful.

We had only 4 asparagus spears each, but with butter and salt, they made a treat.

Chicken and dumplings!  Yum.  I chopped the chicken meat and added it to a pint of leftover gravy from Saturday's meal.  I poured the chicken and gravy over the dumplings.

Sliced strawberries, which the children ate with their pineapple.

Mushrooms.  I am a hobbit, and fried mushrooms is pretty much on the top of my favorite food list.

A small sampling of the cuisine.

Emily is passing around the pineapple.

We forgot to dish up the other kettle of dumplings!  Just as supper was getting over, we discovered our mistake, and everyone came back for another go-round.  That made 6 dumplings each, except 5 for the littles.

I had another bottle of Knudsen's sparkling apple juice which I had purchased for $1.25 at New Year's, so we whipped it out and poured it into goblets to complete the atmosphere of a really special, fancy meal. 

The goblets are actually inexpensive glasses, goodwill and yard-sale style, but that doesn't detract from their beauty. And besides, that way we are not afraid to use them, and nobody cries if one gets broken.

The children seemed satisfied about the use of their money.  It was a good event, and hopefully I have redeemed myself, and shown a proper regard for their caring and loving  Easter gift.  I do feel better.  I love my children.

Today actually began with a bit of an emergency.  Not a real emergency, but a food emergency.  I forgot to get milk last night!  So when we reached into the fridge for the milk for cold cereal, we were in for a change of plans.  Not enough milk for cereal.  And the grocery store wasn't open yet...so I pulled out my emergency rations.  I had been saving them for just such an eventuality.

It was instant oatmeal.  The kind that says, "just add boiling water."  I had bought  it at one of Albertson's 10 for $10 sales, so the whole box cost only a dollar, and there were 10 packets in the box.  Instant oatmeal is a bit pathetic, but fast.  We ate it and the children hurried out the door to the bus.

breakfast menu:  instant oatmeal, tea with milk

Cost:  $1.25

10 packets maple-flavored instant oatmeal:  1.00

2 cups milk for tea:  .25

sack lunch menu:  beef and gravy over brown rice, carrot sticks, orange slices

Cost:  $4.02

4 cups brown rice:  .92

1 lb roast beef, cut into strips:  1.59

1 tbsp oil for frying beef:  .03

2 oz beef gravy mix:  .30

1/2 cup flour for thickening:  .05

1 tsp onion porder for gravy:  .03

1 tbsp beef soup base flavor:  .13

16 oz carrots:  .27

4 oranges @ .39/lb:  .70

snack:  bananas and milk

Cost:  $1.55

3 lbs bananas @ .42/lb:  1.26

2 cups milk:  .25

sugar:  .04

special dinner menu: chicken and dumplings, steamed asparagus, fried mushrooms, pineapple, watermelon, strawberries, and sparkling cider

Cost:  $16.94

1/4 veg fed, free range, no antibiotics chicken:  1.39

double batch dumplings:  1.32

1 pint leftover gravy, already paid for on Saturday

1.1 lb asparagus:  1.38

1 small watermelon:  2.28

2 pineapples:  3.98

1 lb strawberries:  1.25

2 lb mushrooms:  3.96

1 bottle sparkling cider:  1.25

A healthy and mouthwatering finish to the day.  Expensive, I know, but I am using $10.30 of the children's Easter fund, plus I will have to use some of my slush fund money.  If you don't know about that, you can click here to find the post in which I added up my 10for10for10 slush fund.

Today's total bill:  $23.76

  $23.76

  -10.30

------------

  $13.46

I'm still over the 10 dollar limit, so I will have to use $3.46 from my slush fund to cover today's expenses.  Hooray for scrimping.  I have money in my budget to cover it. 

Day 51 Monday takes everybody back to school except Rodger

There is something else good about the way we have been eating on 10for10for10, and I have only just realized it today.  The difficulty in affording much meat has improved Rodger's health.

What I mean by that is that he is prone to gout, which runs in his family.  Too much meat and rich foods contributes to gout attacks, and that is what Rodger is suffering from today.  I'm blaming the gout attack on the men's retreat food.  The main thing on the menu every meal was meat, meat, and more meat.  They really feed the men like kings up at that camp, and kings (and other rich men) were usually the ones to get gout...just like Rodger every year after the retreat.

Well, on our dollar a day diet, it is kind of like detox for Rodger's system, and he has been really healthy with our new menu, with this one exception.  Hey, FYI, not my fault!  (sorry, that is a line from another kid's movie, which we like to quote around here)

Today was not food to write home about, or to put on a resume` to show healthy diet planning, that is for sure.   But we got the children out the door, and there is always tomorrow, a new day with a new start, right?

I fixed pancakes tonight, no meat, and easy on everybody's stomachs, which still aren't feeling so good from yesterday.  Maybe the fact that we have weaned ourselves from sweets and treats is what has made the Easter candy affect us so negatively this year.  It's the only thing I can think of, because really it was not so very much candy and nothing out of the ordinary, for candy choices.

There was one item which always has the effect of chirking me up a bit.  I have it pictured below.

On our strict budget, real maple syrup is not affordable, but I found this tin of real maple in the discount bin at Alberstons.  We can only have a little taste of the stuff, but even that tiny bit makes me happy.  Funny, isn't it. 

 I gave anyone who likes maple syrup a dolop for dipping.  It was only a teaspoon, but on the plate it was a puddle about the size ot a silver dollar.  Just a hint of the sweet goodness.  Otherwise, we put apricot/raspberry jam on the pancakes, and a few of the children added peanut butter as well.  Some eat the pancakes plain, with their tea, but I like them sweet.

Look at that price tag!  Awesome, considering is it usually over 7 bucks a bottle.

Here is our eating for the day---pathetic, I know.  Expedient, though.  And not a single leafy green.  Not any vegetables at all, I am ashamed to say.

breakfast menu:  cold cereal and milk, cheese for Rodger

Cost:  $1.90

9 servings of cereal:  .90

(I measure out everyone's portions)

milk:  .90

1 oz cheese:  .10

sack lunches: egg salad sandwiches, potato chips, apples

Cost: $1.58

14 boiled, colored eggs:  .70

one loaf my whole wheat bread:  .38

1 cup mayonaise for eggs:  .50

apples:  no charge, from my brother's farm

potato chips from men's retreat for everyone except Rodger:  No charge, gift

supper menu:  panacakes with syrup, jam, and peanut butter, tea

Cost:  $3.50

1 1/2 batch my homemade pancakes:  1.65

8 tsp real maple syrup:  .64

6 oz jam:  .40

3 oz peanut butter:  .18

1/2 cube butter:  .13

quart of milk for tea:  .50

Today's total:  $6.98

Sunday, Easter Day with pictures finally added

Yesterday was our holiday meal.  This morning the children were up early, so early, to get their easter baskets and sneak back downstairs to check them out.  Noah woke the girls up around 5 a.m.  Much later, at 8am, we breakfasted quickly and left for the early service at church.  After the service there was an all church brunch, so we visited with friends and enjoyed the time. When we returned home, no one was in the mood to fix food or think about eating, so we turned on the computer to catch Mars Hill Church in Seattle streaming their Easter Services live. You can find them here and see some of the baptisms.  Those baptized got a t-shirt saying "I got dunked at Mars Hill Church."  Innovative.

We have a special affection for Mars Hill, because we know its preaching pastor, Mark Driscoll.  Mark used to baby-sit our children back in the day, when he and Grace were in college, just to be nice and to hang around a Christian family.  So we know him personally, especially the older kids and us parents, and really love to hear him preach. 

Anyway, the children broke out more treats from their Easter baskets and microwaved some popcorn for everybody, and we had something akin to Sunday morning at the movies. It turned out to be the highlight of our day.  After that, we all took naps, and even made Noah nap, because he had been up since 5am.

In the late afternoon we headed over to Cascade Gardens for an egg hunt and a visit with cousins.  My sister really knows how to make an egg hunt fun.  The eggs she hid were all filled with money.  Mine only had candy, and some were actual eggs!

When we came back home, the kids ate their eggs with salt and butter.  I supplied crackers, and that made supper.

For bedtime snack I pulled out the apple pie I baked last night, along with a can of whipped cream, and finished off the day with a flair.  Some people didn't feel well from eating too much candy.  The mood was also a little somber, because the children remembered that their vacation is over.  That means up early for school in the morning. 

I'll post some pictures and food details later this morning.

Right now I'm heading out to see my nephew Tim and his wife Heather and their new baby at the hospital.  Heather was in labor all day Easter, but didn't tell people until after festivities, and then went up to the hospital in the evening.  Baby James was born after midnight, so April 5 is his birthday.

The laptop is sitting in our living room on a stool.  Mark is showing us some historical places in Jerusalem.  He is standing in the historical house of the chief priest where Jesus was interrogated and beaten.

Pastor Mark in his Easter best streaming over our computer in our living room.  We later heard that over 19,000 computers tuned in to Mars Hill live on Easter.

Two of the kids donated their Easter treats for general consumption during the service.  Generous.  Tasty.

Mandarin oranges were part of the Easter baskets.  I tried to steer away from too much candy.  Here is what I filled the baskets with:

M & M peanut candies

York mints

beef jerky

carmel chocolate eggs

mandarin oranges

balsa wood glider planes

a small age-appropriate gift for each

pistachio nuts

We do Easter gifts in an effort to make Easter special for the children, to celebrate and to show in a tangible way the importance of the day for our family and our faith.  I hear that is why pastor Mark broke down and actually wore a suit as he preached on Easter Sunday, an anomoly for him.

Eggs were consumed in the p.m. instead of a proper supper.  I supplied melted butter, salt, and crackers to go with the eggs. 

Doesn't that look tasty?  Apple pie for dessert at bedtime.

Emily decorated her piece of pie with whipped cream.

The kids bought me chocolate to put in my basket.  They know what I like!

special breakfast cereal today... 93 cents per box at Albertsons last week (with the milk coupon)

breakfast today:  cold cereal and milk (and treats from the Easter baskets)

Cost:  $1.93

10 servings, one box, honey smacks:  .93

half gallon milk:  1.00

brunch at church replaced our lunch today:  n/c

supper:  colored eggs, butter, salt, crackers, apple pie, whipped cream

Cost:  $6.11

12 eggs:  .60

1/2 cube butter, melted:  .13

one box triscuit crackers:  1.25

one box cheez-it crackers:  1.25

apple pie ingredients (apples are free):  .89

one can whipped topping:  1.99

After they opened the eggs from the egg hunt, the children had candy and money as well as hard boiled eggs to eat.

Today's total cost:  $8.04

More Pictures

I put up some family shots on my "more pictures" page, so you can take a look if you like.  I'll try to find some of us selling bread at the market, too, if I can, so check back on that page again later, too.