Day 58, Monday with leftovers for lunch

This afternoon I had need of a quick dinner.  I had spent too much time posting, and then so much time talking with my kids after school, that everybody was starving, and I hadn't even begun to think of dinner yet.

Rice would take too long, potatoes would require peeling, cutting, and boiling---too much effort and time, no bread in the house, didn't want to tackle 40 tortillas, so I thought of noodles!  It has been awhile, plus, I just came home with some exciting noodle shapes from WinCo. 

Trudy put some water on to boil, I cut up some romaine for a salad (we're getting our leafy greens today), she shredded some cheddar, and I measured out a pound and a half of fusilla pasta. 

The fusilla is a  spiral hollow noodle, a nice variation from the usual.  Each shape of noodle had a different price tag in the bulk section at WinCo, so I had chosen some variants which seemed to possess the element of cool, without the disadvantage of high price.  I think the fusilla is one of the prettiest noodles on the plate, and was happy to find it one of the cheapest, too.

We added the shredded cheddar cheese to the drained, cooked noodles, then added a teaspoon of onion powder, along with some salt and pepper.  We stirred in a cup and a half of milk to the noodles and cheese, to make a bit of sauce, and to add more protein. 

Besides what you see in the picture, there were enough noodles for each person to have a generous second helping.  This meal was a winner.  Adding some parmesan chicken strips would turn it into an excellent company meal.

For the salad we concocted our own low-fat caesar dressing.  We mixed the really cheap ranch (which I bought at four bucks for a whole gallon last month) with some low fat Northern Italian style.  I found a bit of parmesan cheese too, which I sprinkled over both the noodles and the salad. 

It's surprising what a small  addition, such as that parmesan, can do.  Although we used only 3 ounces for the whole family, it really dressed up the meal.  And parmesan has a strong flavor, which also added it's benefit to a more bland flavor like cheddar. 

Parmesan cheese is Noah's favorite food, I think, so he was happy to take anyone's share who didn't care for it.  Nothing goes to waste around here.

Here are today's details:

 breakfast:  cold cereal and milk

Cost:  $1.99

1 box of cold cereal:  1.00

half gallon milk:  .99

sack lunches:  leftover mashed potatoes with beef & gravy, carrot sticks, animal cookies

Cost:  $1.13

beef and gravy and potatoes, n/c, accounted for in yesterday's total

25 oz carrots:  .43

animal cookies, 3 for each person:  .70

after-kindergarten snack for Noah and me:  M & Ms

Cost:  $.48

this was a quarter of a bag of Easter M&Ms which I had taken for my college kids.  They hadn't eaten the whole bag, so when I was unpacking, I found the treasure and had my chocolate fix for the day!  Noah was equally excited.

afterschool snack:  pretzels, 16 for each kid

Cost:  $.48

not so exciting as the m&m's, but the kids never knew what they had missed...shhh...

supper menu:  noodles and cheese, caesar salad with parmesan, peaches

Cost:  $3.13

2 heads of romaine:  .96

4 oz cheddar, shredded:  .38

1 1/2 cups milk for noodles:  .17

3 oz parmesan @8 oz/1.00:  .38

1 tsp onion powder:  .05

3 tsp salt:  .01

3 oz dressing:  .09

1 quart canned peaches:  .50

Today's total bill:  $7.12

I forgot to post day 54...I was packing for my weekend. Here it is...

I soaked and cooked 2 pounds of pinto beans.  You can't believe how many cooked beans this makes!  It takes a large kettle to manage them.  Luckily, I specialize in large kettles. 

I needed a cheap meal, so we ate vegetarian tonight.  Even so, we ate only about half of the beans, maybe the big half, but there are lots of beans left over for tomorrow night's tacos, and they will only need to be heated up in the microwave by the girls.  Easy.

Thursday's breakfast menu:  cold cereal and milk

Cost:  $1.99

cinnamon life cereal, one box:  $1.00

half gallon milk:  .99

sack lunches:  peanut butter sandwiches, lettuce wedges, Tropicana orange juice

Cost:  $2.97

4 oz peanut butter:  .24

apricot/raspberry jam:  .25

1 loaf bread:  .99

lettuce wedges:  .50

half gallon orange juice:  .99

snack:  buttered toast

Cost:  $1.12

one loaf white storebought bread:  .99

1/2 cube butter:  .13

supper menu:  pinto beans with cheese, lettuce wedges, bread and butter

Cost:  $3.22

2 lbs pinto beans, boiled:  1.02

one loaf white bread:  .79 on sale at Rosauers

one head lettuce @2/$1.00:  .50

butter:  .13

4 oz cheese, to top the beans:  .38

onion powder:  .05

5 oz salsa:  .40

Dinner is simple, but wholesome.  We buttered the bread and dipped it in the beans.  I didn't put any salsa in mine, because I don't feel well if I eat tomatoes, but everyone else except Sarah uses salsa.

Today's total:  $9.35

Day 57, Sunday sees me leaving Pullman, along with thousands of other Coug Moms

Thousands of middle-aged women were swarming around Pullman this weekend, none of us feeling like we could be old enough to have children old enough to be inviting us to a Mom's weekend event.

I got up early and enjoyed another one of those endless hot water showers.  The only other people shuffling around the dorm were other moms, also enjoying the excellent showers in the dorm.  It seemed to be a consensus---the best dorm showers ever!

I went to the early service at church with my family members. The early service?  Wow.  That is dedication, on a college schedule.  I guess that the early service is the place to be, because it was packed with college students every which way.   I got to meet more Coug moms there, as well as friends of my grown children.

Another pleasant experience was ahead of me as I found an early ride home with Annie's roommate's mother.  We had hours of great visiting, and now I have a new friend who lives nearby.  What a good way to end a good weekend.

She dropped me off right at my classroom, where I spent the afternoon teaching childbirth preparation to 8 couples who are expecting their babies in early summer.  Boy did I have to switch gears...

Straight from class I headed to our family community-group potluck, for which my responsible family had prepared an excellent contribution to the menu.

This was a big day for me.  Thankfully there were enough leftovers from our potluck food to make up our sack lunches for tomorrow.  So I didn't have to cook at all today.  Or all weekend, for that matter.  How's that?

The Boothies stuck to the menu plan that I wrote out for them. 

breakfast:  cold cereal and milk

Cost:  $1.80, the usual

9 servings of life cereal:  .90

half gallon milk @ 1.79/gallon today:  .90

lunch menu:  hamburger gravy and brown rice, sweet corn

Cost:  $3.74

brown rice, 4 cups:  .92

hamburger meat:  1.22

brown gravy mix:  .39

flour for thickening:  .10

1 tbsp beef soup flavor:  .13

1 lb frozen super-sweet corn:  .98

food for potluck dinner:  homemade mashed potatoes, steak strips in gravy, brownies

Cost:  $5.34

10 pounds of potatoes, peeled and mashed:  1.00

1 cup milk for potatoes:  .13

1/2 cube butter, for mashed potatoes:  .13
1 pound steak strips, fried:  1.57

2 cups flour for gravy:  .20

2 gravy mix packets:  .78

2 oz beef boullion:  .52

brownie mix:  .69

1/2 cup oil for brownies:  .20

2 eggs:  .12

Today's food cost total for 9 boothies, plus I'm back for one meal:  $10.88,
a little over, but we thought the fam should bring a large amount of food to the potluck.  We've got some left for tomorrow, which should even out the overage of today.

Day 56, Saturday without me but with many activities

While I was taking a shower in the dorm with endless and deliciously hot water, my kids back home were eating their cold cereal.  While I was at a Mom's Brunch, schmoozing with Dr Floyd, the president of WSU, and listening to the beautiful piano playing of Darnell Epps in the background, my older girls were probably just getting rousted out of bed for their late breakfast.

Peter, Annie, Hilary, and I had a very nice visit at the brunch, and a great walk in the brisk spring sunshine.  If I walked as much as the college kids do just in the normal course of their day, I'd be in great shape.  Talk about stairs!  It all comes back to me, that college experience in Pullman.  Plenty of hills, plenty of steps.  No car.

I borrowed Hilary and Tim's car to drive to Moscow, Idaho, to the WinCo store there, where I stayed almost an extra hour visiting randomly with a new student from Italy.  Among other things, we talked about latte, which means "milk" in Italian, but which means "tasty espresso coffee with milk and maybe even sweet flavor" in English.  She told me that in her country, people wouldn't have coffee unless they had time to visit over coffee. 

She couldn't really see the benefit of the local drive-through coffee espresso stands.  It goes against the whole point of coffee, she said.  If you don't have an hour to visit, you don't have time for coffee!  Interesting perspective.  I had a great time speaking with her.

Annie and I grabbed a bagel each, at WinCo, to stave off the hunger pangs while waiting for dinner at Peter's house.  We drove back and stirred up enough dough to serve 40 people.  While it was rising we played rook against Tim and Hilary down at Licks, over a bowl of Ferdinand's cappuchino chip ice cream.  A great way to spend a special afternoon.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, (at Boothieville), Sarah represented our family at Michelle's baby shower while Rodger was ferrying twins to a birthday party (which they later informed me they were early to), and going to a memorial service with the rest of the family.  Kate sang "Amazing Grace" and "I Come to the Garden Alone," two of Eliza Hicks' favorite songs.  She used to love to hear Katie sing for her.  Grandma Hicks was the mother of my friend Nola.   Nola helped everyone celebrate her mom's life with good memories and strawberry cheesecake, at her mother's special request.  Wasn't that awesome?

Here is what my family at Boothieville ate while I was chatting with 8 other mom's over homemade whitesauce and garlic pizza.

Breakfast menu:  cold cereal and milk

Cost:  $1.80

cold cereal for 9:  .90

half a gallon of milk, plus extra for tea:  .90

lunch menu:  chicken with gravy over rice, green peas

Cost:  $3.55

4 cups rice:  .92

1.4 free range chicken, with broth:  1.26

gravy mix:  .39

1 lb frozen peas:  .98

snack:  toast and butter

Cost:  $.53

1/2 loaf white bread:  .40

1/2 cube butter:  .13

supper menu:  eggs and hashbrowns, cherries and lettuce

Cost:  $2.75

1 lb dried hash browns (also from winco) re-hydrated and fried:  1.04

12 eggs:  .60

butter to fry the hashbrowns:  .13

canned cherries:  .50

1 head romaine, for the daily dose of leafy greens:  .48

Boothieville daily total with 9 Boothies:  $8.63, they did it.

Thanks Rodger, for making it happen, and keeping the home fires burning while I took off for a special Mom's weekend.

Day 55, the day I left for Pullman

I was home for breakfast, and a sack lunch was packed for me, so even though I wasn't here much today, I am mostly part of the counting of 10for10for10 for today.

I was on my way shortly after nine this morning.  Feeling somewhat guilty, leaving all the family work behind, but also excited to be on my way to a new adventure.  I met and rode with the mother of Annie's friend Esther, and had a great visit for four hours together.  She grew up in Rhodesia, now Zimbabwe.  It's not every day you get to meet somebody who grew up in Rhodesia...

Upon arrival, we headed straight for the congregational church's thrift shop in Pullman, where all the proceeds go to provide for a women's shelter on the Palouse.  I love that cool little shop, everybody is a volunteer, and you never know what exciting things you might find there.  

Today I found two awesome pot-holders, which I know I will use, and a belt to hold my pants up, because I couldn't find mine this morning.  Probably some girl of mine appropriated it for her own personal use.

I ate dinner at a dining hall.  It's been awhile... I'm really getting the college experience.  Meanwhile my family members were making tacos at home, with company, so there were still 10 for dinner.

Here's a look at our food day.

breakfast menu:  cold cereal and milk

Cost:  $1.75

10 servings life cereal(1 full box):  1.00

half gallon milk:  .75 (on sale this week, 1.50/gallon)

Sack Lunches:  egg salad sandwiches (again) from easter eggs, canned peaches, carrot sticks

Cost:  $2.75

14 eggs:  .79

5 oz mayonaise, @ .09/oz:  .40

one loaf storebought white bread:  .79

home-canned peaches:  .50

16 oz carrots:  .27

snack:  brownies

Cost:  $1.01

betty crocker brownie mix:  .69

1/2 cup oil:  .20

2 eggs:  .12

supper menu:   steak tacos with homemade tortillas, refried beans, cheese, shredded lettuce, salsa

Cost:  $3.78

tortillas:  .80

1/2 cube butter for the tortillas:  .13

large bowl of pinto beans, no charge, leftovers already paid for

1 lb steak strips, fried:  1.57

4 oz cheese:  .38

1 romaine head, shredded:  .48

5 oz salsa:  .40

touch of oil for frying:  .02

Today's total price tag:  $9.27

Because I wrote out exactly what they should prepare for dinner, the family was able to stick to the plan.  And thanks to my girls, who did the work to put together a meal for 10! 

Here is a view of Winco

 I heard somewhere that WinCo stands for Washington, Idaho, Nevada, Colorado, and Oregon, but that is just hearsay.  Maybe it means I'm a winner if I shop there, I always feel like it.

There is the sign that greets me.

Lots of long aisles!  Full of good prices.  I met a nice young Italian woman who has recently come to WSU as a grad student.  She was having her first WinCo experience..."such a big store," she said.  Well, she is in America now, the land of big stores.  Her name was Laura, pronounced the Italian way---Lauw rah---and we had a very nice visit as she learned how to used the bulk food section of the store.  This was one of my favorite experiences of the weekend.

Annie came with me to the WinCo.  We purchased some rolled oats and some gravy mixes.

We also bought some lentils.  I love the red chief lentils, because their beautiful color makes them look more palatable.  Lentils are grown right in the area of Washington State University, in the Palouse.  It is the self proclaimed lentil capital of the world.

We bought some bread flour and yeast in bulk, so the boys could make pizza for the moms they had invited to their house for Saturday night dinner.

I didn't buy any candy this time, but that stack says pinata fixings to me...

Annie loves fresh peanut butter.  And it is so fun to use the machine and make your own!

Here is the place where WinCo saves money so they can keep prices low.  There are no box boys.  Everyone has to bag up their own groceries.

Our cart was filled with good food to bring to my college kids and to my home.

I'll post the history of this last weekend's food experiences at some when I get back from picking up my Noah boy from kindergarten.

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.