100 DOLLARS A WEEK - Day 1 (Shopping Day)

Is it wrong, sick or otherwise freakish of me that I woke up super excited to get to the markets this morning so I could write this inaugural post? Wait. Don't answer...

This week's groceries. TOTAL = $92.05

There is something so very lovely about grocery shopping, alone, super early in the morning, in a near empty store, travel mug of coffee in hand. Just you, the food, and a quiet environment in which to take in the offerings, get some inspiration, and take mental notes on how much things cost.

As if the Gods were smiling on this little project, it was an especially good day for produce shopping. Seems the growing conditions have been kind as of late. If you pay attention week to week, you'll see the evidence of the effect weather has on our produce. Super dirty and torn spinach after heavy rains, wilted herbs and greens when it's too hot and sunny, dried out citrus after a near freeze, and almost always higher prices for worse produce because those conditions affect yield... But not today. All the produce, down to the garlic, was plump, dense, juicy, colorful, beautiful, and reasonably priced.

Galas and Romas - plump, dense, fragrant, lovely...

I split my shopping between two stores as usual. Today it was Earthgrown Market, which is a locally owned and operated hippie/granola type of market, and Fresh & Easy, a small chain with locations in California, Arizona and Nevada, and one I am really beginning to appreciate for its super reasonable prices on meat, milk, and wine as well as some limited but good artisanal style breads from a local (So Cal) bakery.

Looks like lasagna...

For a TOTAL $92.05, I was able to buy...

- A MESS OF FRESH PRODUCE including kale, Napa cabbage, red cabbage, cilantro, green onions, red leaf lettuce, Gala apples, sweet potatoes, lemons, limes, Serrano chilies, Roma tomatoes, white onions, ginger, garlic, carrots, red and green bell peppers, spearmint, Shiitake mushrooms, a watermelon, a cantaloupe, Hass avocados, and an English cuke, which took up about 32% of my budget;

...and California Rolls with some miso soup maybe...

- ENOUGH PROTEIN FOR THE WEEK including pork butt, two kinds of Italian sausage, surimi (artificial crab), shrimp, ground beef, and chorizo, which took up another 34% of my budget;

- A GOOD AMOUNT OF DAIRY including 1.5 dozen eggs, a small block of cream cheese, a small block of mozzarella, a container of ricotta, a large container of plain yogurt, and a gallon of milk, which took just under 20% of my budget; and

- SOME INDULGENCES like a MexiCoke for the boychild, a bag of Fun Pops (which are like Otter Pops only wayyyy better), a half gallon of vanilla ice cream, and a bottle of Argentinean white wine on clearance, which took up about 10%.

...some pulled pork with braised greens... 

The rest of the 5% was a bag of bagels, some dry beans, and a 3-pack of paper towels. Obviously, I have a stocked pantry of condiments and other basics like rice, flour, sugar and spices, but over the course of a month, I replenish bits and pieces here and there, so it all figures in somehow.

...and summer rolls so far.

I don't really shop with recipes in mind. I buy what looks good from both a freshness and price standpoint and then plan accordingly. Given what I bought today, what I know for sure at this point is that we'll probably have

- lasagna for dinner tonight,
- some California Rolls on another day,
- possibly some summer rolls,
- a pulled pork with braised dark leafy greens type deal,
- a chicken something or other, and always, ALWAYS, chicken stock.

Nary a week goes by that I don't buy a whole chicken and break it down. The rest will come to me as I take what's left and try to make sense of it.

I shall return in the evening to fill you in on the meals of the first day.

Thanks for tuning in. I'm really grateful for your encouragement and support.

shinae