Saturday Spending

Alright, I finished everything of importance on my shopping list. Woo hoo! Of course, I've started a new list (mostly containing lots of benadryl, since if I don't get the allergies under control soon it'll be steroid shot in the arm time, and that's just not fun for anybody), but now I feel like there's food in the house.

You probably would've thought that I'd post more given this whole last week was spring break, but this is where we were all wrong. I thought I'd post more too. But then my white board got in the way. I've finished every piece of reading for two of my classes, plus gotten ahead in the homework for them both. I'm marginally (and by marginally, I mean one day) ahead in one of my other classes, and I'm exactly even in French, which is where I actually want to be in there. I'm still trying to get all my reading done for the class I'm marginally ahead in, but I just don't see myself getting through Purgatorio, Paradiso, Under the Volcano, The Floating Opera and Origin of the Stories by Monday. That's a pipe dream that will never be fulfilled. But that's okay. Other than a dissertation (this thing is brilliant and fascinating, but is taking me a long time to read because I really do feel the writing has both depth and beauty that demands you read and consider each word carefully) I've been reading for a few months that I really need to finish and return to the professor who loaned it to me (and has demonstrated abundant kindness and patience by not sending me a mean email telling me to give it back already), that's all the reading I have left for the semester. All. Like that's nothing, or something. :) That doesn't seem like much, written out this way. It looks like a lot more on my whiteboard, all though those entries on the whiteboard are now surrounded by beautiful, beautiful nothingness. Whiteness. No other work. Amazing.

Anyway, off of the school stuff and onto the grocery shopping. I got a bunch more stuff this week, as you'll see. But now I have food and am no longer concerned about the pathetic state of my pantry. How was y'all's shopping this week?

Whole Foods:

$1.32 - dried mango (unsweetened in little sheets)
$2.13 - poppy seeds
$3.16 - sesame seeds
$2.70 - goat cheddar (I highly recommend this)

subtotal: $9.31
total: $9.31

Kroger:

$2.72 - 5 pounds potatoes
$1.82 - all purpose flour
$1.05 - ramen (I had a craving)
$1.66 - dozen large eggs
$4.00 - 1 pound shredded cheddar
$2.00 - stewed tomatoes, 3 cans
$4.00 - crushed tomatoes, 6 cans
$2.00 - canned corn, 3 cans
$1.78 - cream of celery (I know; I should just make the soup for tuna casserole, but I am lazy)
$2.34 - bratwurst
$2.29 - other kind of sausage that I don't remember and don't feel like looking in the freezer to see
$1.00 - chicken broth (I was out of homemade and canned, strangely)
$3.19 - bread flour
$1.59 - tabasco
$1.99 - fresh tomatoes
$2.44 - field greens
$1.97 - strawberries
$0.79 - bananas
$1.36 - celery
$1.50 - blackberries
$1.00 - garlic
$0.71 - cucumber
$1.19 - something I can't identify on the receipt
-$3.00 - coupon for fresh produce

subtotal: $40.39
total: $49.70

Food Waste Friday

This week, we didn't waste anything. YAY!!!! How'd y'all do?

Saturday Spending

Yep, this week was a big one. I didn't actually have time to get all the shopping done needed. There are just piles and piles of homework. There is no possible way for me to actually finish everything on my reading list for Spring Break, but that's okay. I'll just get as much done as I can, and that'll be the end of it. I only plan on leaving my house twice during spring break, so that'll help. If one of those times involves groceries, I think I can finish restocking the pantry. If not, such is life.

Anyway, here's everything I bought. There is an abnormal amount of juice this week, because we had someone over for dinner who only drinks juice. And then we drank the rest, of course. There's also a lot in the way of dried fruits (including tomatoes) since I like to take those to school with nuts. How'd y'all do this week?

Fiesta:

$1.29 - fresh spinach
$0.99 - two cans corn
$1.00 - 1 pound frozen corn

total:  $3.28
subtotal: $3.28

Phoenicia:

$1.79 - litre mango juice
$1.79 - litre sour cherry juice
$2.19 - litre apricot juice
$2.19 - litre black currant juice
$1.79 - litre lemon juice (not lemonade)
$3.99 - sesame oil
$4.39 - lime juice (also not limeade)
$7.95 - 5 cans anchovies
$1.79 - 1 can silver skin anchovies
$2.49 - tomato paste (tube)
$5.69 - 1 pound bulgarian feta (this one was not as good as the one we normally get)
$4.89 - 24 ounce jar makdous (I'll get the huge one next time)
$3.97 - 2/3 lb dried sour angelino plums
$1.89 - 6 ounces dried apples
$2.69 - 1/2 pound dried tomatoes
$2.49 - 2 pounds fava beans
$6.59 - 1 pound walnut halves
$1.41 - half pound shallots
$5.49 - 800 grams Saudi dates (I really have come to prefer the Algerian and Tunisian dates, but these are pretty good too, and they have a tiny, tiny seed that I like to look at)

total: $65.49
subtotal: $68.77

HEB:

$3.00 - 6 cans petite diced tomatoes
$1.18 - 2 cans whole tomatoes
$1.09 - 1 giant can diced tomatoes
$1.18 - 2 pounds linguini
$2.50 - garlic sausage
$2.18 - 1 pound butter
$3.24 - sleepy time extra tisane
$2.58 - 4 pounds spaghetti
$2.39 - all-purpose (unbleached) flour
$3.59 - bread flour
$0.99 - lemon pepper

total: $23.92
subtotal: $92.69
grand total: $92.69

I can't remember exactly what is left on the list. More corn, I'm sure. Probably some canned soups for my lazy-and-sick days (the allergens are starting to really mess with me, though it's rained for days so hopefully that'll help). Crushed tomatoes, for sure. Maybe some more stewed tomatoes. Anchovies? I might have enough, but we'll see. Sardines? I've used all those up. A bit more pasta, too. Strangely, we're only not about to run out because of those pounds I bought this week. Fruit, veggies, definitely. I think we only have, in terms of fresh produce, onions, carrots, a few citrus and shallots left. Maybe also some more frozen veggies such as spinach. I'm on the fence about which fruits to buy though, since I'm about to harvest many loquats. Anyway, we'll see what happens next week!

Food Waste Friday

A perfect week, despite the fact that we have some food again! How'd y'all do this time?

Bergamot Jutlanders

This comes from page 121 of Martha Stewart's Cookie Book, where the recipe is titled Lime Meltaways. When I first made these, I rolled the dough up and the first roll was dipped into sugar, like the recipe states. But then I was eating them and I saw a Dane who's in one of my classes, and I was reminded that if the extra sugar is taken away, they're very similar to Denmark's Jutlander cookies that are eaten over Christmas. So the next roll did not get the extra sugar. I liked them both ways. Y'all will have to decide for yourselves if you like them better with more sugar or less. But here's the recipe, regardless. Hope you enjoy!

"3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup confectioners' sugar
finely grated zest of 2 limes (1 bergamot for me)
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (bergamot)
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract (I left this out entirely and replaced it with an extra tablespoon bergamot juice)
1 3/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt (I doubled this)

"1. Put butter and 1/3 cup confectioners' sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, and mix on medium speed until pale and fluffy. Add the lime zest and juice and the vanilla, and mix until fluffy.
"2. Whisk together flour, corn starch, and salt in a bowl. Add to butter mixture, and mix on low speed until just combined.
"3. Divide dough in half. Place each log on an 8 by 12-inch sheet of parchment (wax paper for me). Roll in parchment to form a log 1 1/4 inches in diameter, pressing a ruler along edge of parchment at each turn to narrow log. Refrigerate logs until cold and firm, at least 1 hour.
"4. Preheat oven to 350F. Remove parchment from logs; cut into 1/4-inch-thick rounds. Space rounds 1 inch apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Bake cookies until barely golden, about 13 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through. Transfer cookies to wire racks to cool slightly, 8 to 10 minutes. While still warm, toss cookies with remaining 2/3 cup sugar in a resealable plastic bag. Cookies can be stored in airtight containers at room temperature up to 2 weeks.
"Makes about 5 dozen."

I forgot to take a picture of this, so I encourage you all to take pictures of yours and share them with me at your earliest convenience. :)