WWS & WWA | February 19th - 25th

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February is slowly edging to a close. Here in Southern Maine that means dramatic swings between sub-freezing temperatures and an increasingly intensive sun ushering in balmy forty plus degree afternoons. These temperature swings, freezing at night, thawing during the day, is what triggers the sap to begin flowing in the maple trees. Maine is the third leading producer of maple syrup in the US behind Vermont and New York respectively. Most importantly, the trickle of sap signals that Spring is just around the corner! We ordered garden seeds from Johnny's Seed Company last week, and hope to get our seedling started soon after they arrive. Maine's growing season is relatively short, so many crops do best started indoors so that they have time to ripen before the first frosts of late September.

This week we took advantage of a few sales and restocked on some fresh items. I did notice that at some point earlier this month I had transposed my spending totals, so you will see those updated below. This means that I am closer to on-budget than I thought, averaging just a little over two-hundred a month. However, I have noticed that a good portion of the items we have been purchasing the past few weeks have not really been necessary items - things like cereal and chips, which are more treats for us than staples. My goal going in to March is to just focus on fresh items and work on reducing some of the excess in our pantry. I've toyed with the idea of reducing my budget from March, we will see!

What We Spent 

Shaw's

  • Morton Pickling Salt - $1.74 (clearance rack)
  • 2 Lay's Sour Cream & Cheddar Chips - $2.94
  • 4 Knorr Pasta Sides - $3.00
  • 4 Light & Fit Yogurts - $2 (these were supposed to be free, but the coupons did not double as the cashier entered them manually as a store coupon, not a manufacturer's coupon)
  • Ellenos & Fruit on Bottom Yogurts - Free (app freebies)
  • 8oz. Bag Sargento Cheese - $1.99
  • Frosted Mini Wheats - $1.49
  • Cinnamon Bun Frosted Mini Wheats - $0.45 (app coupon)
  • French Bread - $0.99 (clearance rack)
  • Tax & Deposit: $0.30
    Total: $14.90
Market Basket Shopping Trip

Market Basket
  • Soft Oatmeal Bread - $2.00
  • 2lb. Whole Carrots - $1.39
  • 5lbs. Russet Potatoes - $2.99
  • 1.83lbs. Green Beans - $3.09
  • Cherry Tomatoes - $1.50
  • Asparagus - $1.46
  • 4 Cucumbers - $2.38
  • 1lb. Sliced Deli Ham - $3.08
  • 1.23lbs. 93% Ground Beef - $3.96
  • 1/2 Gallon 1% Milk - $1.93
  • 1lb. Grated Parmesan Cheese - $4.99
  • 2lbs. Brown Sugar - $1.99
  • 100 Count Tea Bags - $1.49
  • 2 Spindrift Sparkling Waters - $1.98 (these were supposed to be $0.20 each on the clearance rack, but the cashier missed the sticker and I didn't notice until I got home, oh well)
  • 2 Cans Pinto Beans - $1.00 (clearance rack)
  • 1 Can Diced Tomatoes w/ Green Chiles - $.50 (clearance rack)
  • 1 Can Pizza Sauce - $0.50 (clearance rack)
  • 1lb. Thin Spaghetti Pasta - $0.50 (clearance rack)
  • Bottle Deposit & Tax: $0.21
    Total: $36.94

Hannaford
  • 1 Pint Heavy Whipping Cream - $2.59
Total: $2.59

Total for 4th Week of February: $54.43
Total for February: $219.34
Cumulative Total for 2021: $444.21

What We Ate

Planned & Prepped - Did it Go as Planned?

This week's meal plan relied heavily on leftovers, which I'm happy to report we finished off the last of in our Thursday lunches. Leftovers are time savers, but I know I'll be excited for a bit more variety next week!

The only thing that did not go quite to plan was the phyllo breakfast burritos. After opening the phyllo dough, I discovered that it was to dried out in the middle to use. Since I had already prepped the scrambled eggs, I just used them and the cooked scrapple I had defrosted to make some breakfast burritos as needed instead. 

What we Actually Ate:

  • Breakfasts
    • Pancakes w/ Bacon
    • Egg, Cheese, Ham, & Scrapple Burritos
    • Strawberry Blueberry Overnight Oats
    • Crackers, Cheese, and Ham
    • Oatmeal Bread Toast & Peanut Butter
  • Lunches
    • Pasta e Fagioli Leftovers
    • Cabbage Rolls Leftovers
    • American Chop Suey Leftovers
    • Texas Roadhouse Leftovers w/ Lemon Chicken Leftovers
    • "Pickity Bits"(misc. leftovers, cheese, grapes, etc)
  • Dinners
    • Friday - Instant Pot Spaghetti w/ Peas
    • Saturday -American Chop Suey & Stuffed Cabbage Rolls w/ Family
    • Sunday - Instant Pot Spaghetti Leftovers w/ Garlic Bread
    • Monday -  Lemon Garlic Chicken w/ Spinach and Knorr Creamy Shells
    • Tuesday- Dinner Out at Texas Roadhouse
    • Wednesday - Chicken and Shrimp w/ Cream Sauce, Green Beans, Pasta
    • Thursday - Instant Pot Spaghetti Leftovers w/ Garlic Bread & Green Beans

How did your meal prep and planning go this week?

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